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The faithfulness Of God and Tomatoes :o)

When I first met my husband I remember telling him about the Lord and how important He is to me. One thing in particular was prayer. I encouraged him to pray often, and that we didn’t need to be in a church to pray or a closet, though those times are sweet, but we can pray anywhere and at any time standing, sitting, eyes open or closed, and that God loves it when we take the time to speak with Him. Just like a friend, we don’t just speak to them when we are in a complete crisis, though that is ALWAYS a good time to call upon the Lord, but we can ask God for small things, like,……..to do well on a test, not let your horse jump when you are trying to get on, for a cake to come out right, no prayer is too small. I remember after I told this him, and he came home from work one day and told me about a prayer he prayed, he was a farm hand, and some big wigs were there to look at the race horses on the farm, and it was his job to open the gate, and he couldn’t get the gate unlocked, and he prayed, and sure enough God had the gate open, he thought it was very “kool”! And when I tell people about the Lord I love sharing with them about prayer, that it doesn’t have to be long and formal, though those prayers are precious too and we want to give time in prayer daily, but we can also pray throughout our day. SOOoooooooooooooo the other day I prayed for tomatoes, really! It is a long story but for the past two summers I have not had a tomato garden, so this was my year! On April 22, for my birthday my husband asked what I wanted and all I wanted was tomato plants! So he bought me several, and we planted them and then,……………..the late freeze, I thought for sure they were lost. I prayed over them, really I did. They made it, but they are just not quite right, perhaps the early planting and the near death freeze. Oh I have gotten some small tomatoes, but not many and right now there aren’t even many new ones. I was heartbroken,…………….Ok so you get the idea I enjoy my tomatoes :o) perhaps heartbroken is a bit drastic, but I was bummed to say the least. So I was going to post on Friday, that if anyone brought me some tomatoes I would give them a free dessert, but then I thought, maybe I would get too many tomatoes and then what. So I just prayed for tomatoes. And that afternoon I got a private message on facebook  from a friend who I had yet to meet, she said her and her husband were coming to the restaurant this evening for the first time, and would I like them to bring me some home grown insecticide-free tomatoes? Now first of all I almost never get on facebook that late in the day because I am busy with the restaurant, and never has someone I never met asked if they could bring me tomatoes, I mean really, how precious is God, how faithful, how good??!!! That He would answer such a small prayer! That what matters to us, matters to Him! God really is so good, and He really does love it when we speak to Him. You know I heard a Preacher once say that often we pray so vague, that we wouldn’t know if God answered our prayers or not, like bless this one and bless that one, what does that mean and if he did “bless” them how would we know if we didn’t ask for a specific blessing? Well it really encouraged me to be specific, God bless their marriage or their youngest daughter to walk with the Lord, or a house with a stone fire place, you get the idea, specifics, I think God likes that so you will know without a doubt, that God answered your prayer. Even for tomatoes. And yes today yet again, after church we came home to another basket of tomatoes, Thank you God and thank you Dora and Artie!

Well it happened; this morning as we were headed to church there he was under my bedroom window, my precious, faithful, loyal Doberman, Apollo. He was gone! My son had run out to start the car and came in my bathroom to tell me Apollo had died. I couldn't believe it, I mean he had been sick for quite some time, but you are still never ready for it when that dreadful day arrives! He was the family dog, but everyone also knew he was Mom’s dog! I could hear my husband say, go turn off the car we aren’t going anywhere, but I hollered out yes we are, we are going to church! ( if you only knew how hard it has been to get us all to church on Sunday mornings with our new restaurant, you would understand) Then I said I was just going to go out the back door and my husband brought the car to the back so I wouldn’t see Apollo. But I didn’t make it off the porch, I just cried and cried, and cried,……… and with that, he parked the car and we all went inside. God bless my husband and son for going out and digging a grave and burying our/ my precious dog! Whatever would I have done without them??!! Certainly my daughter and I would have had quite a time trying to do what they did this morning! We have seven dogs, Apollo was the only one gotten on purpose and he was here before the other six. He was gotten when our family dog was getting along in years and I knew I wouldn’t want to get a dog after she passed so four or five years prior to her passing we got Apollo, a rescue Doberman. He was HUGE and testy and with 5 children I kept him in my bathroom for weeks until I was sure he would be safe around the kids. He settled down and was a perfect addition to the home! His only flaw was that nose, that very large and long nose that he used as a blind person uses a stick; he had to touch it on you every single time! Drove everyone crazy with that nose! On Sundays it was like he knew, DON’T GO NEAR MAMA in her church clothes! He always just stood still and watched as I would get into the car, every other day I was fair game! Nose on my pants, nose on my jacket, shirt anything and everything, and nose in your behind, oh he drove so many crazy with that nose of his! But LOYAL!!! Like no other! We live on a ranch and the drive is quite long with our house at midway and our restaurant at the end. My trips back and forth are numerous to say the least and he would follow me a 100 times back and forth. I would feel so bad and tell him, STAY!  He wouldn’t, he never had a weight problem needless to say! And on trail rides he went every time in any weather running back and forth with us the whole time! And if the horses would walk or jump over the cattle guard gate and end up in the yard, with one call, Apollo would have them rounded up and out of the yard in minutes! Yes the other dogs try, but none are quite as good and quick as he! Well now it is just six, Sissy our ugly stray that showed upo and wouldn’t leave with a face only a mother could love, and oh how I do! Then there is Darling, she showed up when we were renovating the restaurant. One day my daughter and husband went up to check things out and there she was about 5 weeks only, cold and lonely, so we kept her for my daughter’s sake, with several dogs we surely didn’t need another dog to feed. My husband and I thought maybe she would run away, she was very skidish, but she didn’t I am now happy to say! Then there was a call, my son said a buddy had two Dobermans for free. The mom had a very large litter and there were two left and he wanted them gone. Well my mom had recently passed away and puppies seemed like the perfect distraction to everyday life so George and Gracie became a part of our family! Then there was the horse sale, and on two separate occasions the kids took time walking around and came upon a woman selling Australian Sheppards, each child spent time with her and her dogs separately, so at the end of the day after selling several of her dogs and having two left she promised a dog to each of the kids not knowing they were siblings, if their parents said yes, their dad said yes! I was ready to shoot him! Two more dogs, what was he thinking??! Well there you have it, our family of dogs, all very wonderful and all much loved! RIP Apollo, you fought a good fight and were a well regarded friend.

Today I begin! Though I now haven't much time left of my day! The blog I have been encouraged to do by my brother in law for years, now has a face :o) . Here I will write about life, being a wife, mother, business owner, cooking, gardening, contests, those being born and those we say good bye to. Life's ups and downs will be touched on. Seeing your child through a divorce, helping your mom with terminal cancer, encouraging a brother, being encouraged by a brother. Now let's see if anyone has an interest in any of that! :o) Stay tuned and God Bless!