Is there Country In Your County?

There's so much country in our county.

At one time, Deepstep was a buzzing little town.

There was even a school.

This was the country store.  

Don't you just love the benches on the front porch?

I can just see men sitting here shooting the breeze

while waiting on the misses to grab some grub.

One time we were driving down a country road

when our car gave out of gas. 

Daddy knew someone on a farm nearby who had a gas tank. 

 I suppose the tank was for supplying fuel for the farm equipment.

The man wouldn't let Daddy pay him. 

I wonder why some memories stand out like this one?

Green is the tractor color of choice

in this neck of the woods. 

In the town that I grew up in,

there was an International (Red) Tractor Co.

and a John Deere (Green) Tractor Co.

down the road.

The big argument discussion around here was 

who made the best tractor.

There was country store in every town

with a Mom and Pop store on every corner.

When I see these little roads,

I think of the song, "Country Roads Take Me Home."

 This is home to one of my friends.

Is this not beautiful?

So thankful that God's promises are true and sure.

Do you have country in your county?

Hope you enjoy your day of rest tomorrow, 

Bonnie:)

Fenced In or Shut Out?

I was looking at all the posts about fences.  

I posted this several years ago.

It speaks volumes to me now. 

A FENCE

I always dreamed of a house with a white picket fence.
Didn't we all?

A means of protection or defense

A barrier intended to prevent escape or intrusion

A boundary

A hedge

A wall

I thought about this as I walked after the rain.

We fence ourselves in by building walls, boundaries, barriers around OURSELVES when there should be none.

For what?  Protection?

Why?  Because we've known hurt like no one can imagine.

I've often heard the expression, "Don't fence me in." 

Or we can say, "Don't shut me out." 

I wonder how many times I have been guilty of shutting people out or fencing them in.

Boundaries are good, even necessary. 

Boundaries protect our homes and our hearts.

I'm gonna protect my family, my husband, my children at all costs.

As women, we have this instinct that tells us when something/someone is preying on something that is ours. 

Know what I mean women???

I'm not a jealous wife, but I can tell you one thing, I will guard and protect what is mine.

I had a woman who worked with my husband tell me one time, "You have such a sweetheart of a husband.  I hope you know how good he is." 

Grabbing his arm arm and pulling him close I replied, "I sure do and he's MINE!"

She had been hanging around.  Suddenly she was no where to be seen.  She got the message!

A mother bird will guard her babies nest.  Have you ever been attacked by a mommy bird when you were just peeking at her babies?

Mess with me, hurt me, criticize me all day long.  Leave my babies alone or you get ONE MEAN MAMA!

My son was home this weekend.  I forgot that we had changed the doors and he no longer had a key.  It was for our protection that the door was locked. 

However, in my endeavor to protect myself, I shut out someone very dear to me.

Just somethings to think about...

I sure enjoyed my walk.  It's when I think the most:)

Don't fence me in or shut me out!

Bonnie