Obie and Tango

Two little wild kitties.

Their life will be cut short, can't you take them?

One is black, one is Siamese.
 

We already have 4 cats, what is two more?

Load them in the carrier.

Drive home, four hours away.

They are so scared.

Put them in the bathroom for a few days.

Good news, they use the litter box!

Leave the bathroom door open.

Will they come out to explore?

They hide every time you go in to check on them.

Finally they venture out.

The black one is very sweet.

The Siamese one is shy and hides under the ottoman.

What to name them?

Nash, Mellie, Ashley, Rhett, Scarlett,

Obie One Canobie, Tango or Cash?

Obie is the black kitty.

He likes to snuggle.

He purrs really loud when you pet his back.

Tango is the Siamese.

She likes to attack things in my sewing room and make a mess.

She likes to jump on the big cats.

Obie and Tango.

Two babies who got a second chance.

Two babies who add spice to the Smith house.

So Many Good Things

A friend gave me a book yesterday.

It is called One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voscamp.

I started reading it this morning.

Oh my, it has such a sad beginning.

I am not sure where she is going with 1000 gifts yet,

but the title made me think of some good things in my life.

Redbirds.

Blooming flowers.

Tomatoes from my garden.

Marigolds that come up from last year's seed.

Swimming at night.

The moon rising over the garage.

Fabric.

Quilt pictures that inspire.

My cats.

Magazines that come in the mail.

A gentle breeze when the sun is hot.

Malley who likes to sleep on the bed with the fan blowing.

Mimi's kitchen table.

Books (I could write a lot about that!)

My sewing machine.

My ability to quilt.

The sound of water splashing.

Color.

Perfume.

My squishy pillow.

Music.

Coffee.

Mexican food.

Friends.

Family.

The way horses smell.

Laughter.

Jokes with innuendo.

Driving around with the AC on, but the windows down.

Sunsets.

Walking around in houses - old ones that no one lives in and

new ones just being built.

Riding bikes.

Reading by the pool with a Coke.

Cheap clothes.

Gray hair.

Purring kittens.

Shrimp.

So many good things.

I want to live my life aware of the good things.

Thank you God for providing abundantly.

Thank you God for so many good things.

Teens

I just read my devotion for today.

It was called What They Didn't Realize by T. Suzanne Eller.

It talks about her life as a teenager.

It really touched a chord with me.

I always have teenagers at my house.

I talk to them, feed them, love them.

It has caused strife in my family though.

I have two teenage daughters.

They are not always keen on the kids that God puts before me.

My husband is very private.

He worries about all these kids being in our house all the time.

Can you trust them?

There have been angry kids.

They come from broken homes and are almost broken themselves.

Love and a friendly face does not undo years of struggle.

There have been mean kids.

They lash out at anyone in their path.

Leading by example does not free them from their frustrations.

There have been timid kids.

They sit in the corner and never talk.

Sharing all kinds of ideas and topics does not remove their fear.

I have found that God and prayer are the answers.

I cannot fix these kids, but God can.

I can be sincere, caring, kind, and tolerant and obedient.

In her devotion, T. Suzanne Eller talks about being one of these kids.

The adults in her church took her in.

They accepted her and showed her God's way.

God did the hard work.

The adults just did what God asked of them.

It made a huge difference in her life.

When my girls question me about why I do this,

I tell them God has put this kid on my heart,

how can I tell God no.

They say, I do not think God would pick such a mean kid.

I say, I do not pick the kids,

but I try to respond to what God is asking me to do.

I never really understood what people said

when they were criticized for following Christ.

Now I see it and hear it, sometime from my own family.

The good news is that I stand firmly in my faith to Christ.

I will do what is asked of me.

Maybe one kid will see Christ and embrace Him.