February, already???

 Noah was nice enough to help me trim all of my rose bushes back.  You can see that they are nearly 6 feet or more tall.  Even though it was January when we cut these back, they were still blooming.  Part of me really didn't want to cut them way back, because they were blooming after all.   But I KNOW they will have healthier, more beautiful blooms if I take the time and energy...and care to trim them way back.

As I cut it back, I though of Jesus talking about grape vines.  John 15  15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes^[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. ¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other.  So, that is why I trimmed...so they would be more beautiful... and that is why HE trims me (gives me struggles..so I can look more like Jesus).  Here is the same rose bush.... Now about 18 inches tall.   

On a different not, meet Catfish.  He is a funny, stubborn

mule that lives at Save The Horses.  If a fence is in his way, he has no problem knocking it down. Also,

if he smells that you have carrots in your pocket. ... he has no problem begging for those treats. :)

 He is a very good beggar. How can you say no to that face?

We bought all three kids 3 riding lessons for Christmas.  Here is John-Michael on Timmy.

Here is Madeline during her lesson.

Even Noah enjoyed Queenie..who earned her name. :)

It was my dad's 68 th birthday, so we took them to the GA Aquarium for the day.

Nothing speaks to me like HIS creation.

My dad with John-Michael

My mom with my dad.   

 

(my how fast they grow)...

Finally, bad-boy Bennie (the dog in the background )helped Jade (the dog in the front) escape my mother in law's yard. They were gone for over  2 weeks. After much searching, ...and many prayers, my mother in law got her dogs back.   (IT is pitiful how much stress I had over these lost dogs). 

 So, what has your last few weeks been like?