Christmas Letter ~ 2013 ~

Hello family and friends,

Wow!  It’s hard to believe another year is coming to a close and Christmas is only a few days away.  We hope this Christmas greeting finds you doing well and that you are taking time to relax while soaking in the JOY of this special season.  We are thankful for another year of fun times together and we would like to share a few highlights with you.

Michael and Amanda are doing well and stay very busy with work and the daily activities that come with raising four beautiful little girls.  This summer, they loaded up all the girls and headed to Destin, Florida for a glorious week of family “fun in the sun.”   I can’t imagine packing for four children, traveling with four children and how many times they must have had to stop for a break.  Hannah and Lilly enjoyed their time at the beach and Brooklyn and Renee got to play in the sand for the very first time.  Anyway, they seemed to have a great vacation and I am sure they will all want to go back again soon!  Hannah turned 11 this year, is in the 5th grade and is doing excellent in school.  She is such a great big sister and is so responsible and loves helping with the twins.  Her soccer team "Forney Blast" won 1^st place in their age group for the fall season.  It was exciting to see the team get that “big” trophy and all the players got a really nice trophy too.  Hannah scored several goals during the year and has a large "vocal" group of fans that support her at all her games.  As most young girls do, she loves stylish clothes, shopping and music.  She also loves to draw and when she visits the “Ogle Farm” is the first one to ask if she can go collect the eggs.  Lilly turned 6 this year, is in the 1st grade and reading on a 2^nd grade level.  We are so proud of her!  She loves school but also looks forward to days off so she can sleep in.  Each month she has a specific reading assignment and it has been fun listening to her read various books to us.   She loves playing school with her sister and several of her dolls and has a very creative imagination which makes us all smile.   She also loves playing the mine craft game on her kindle and has even created chickens and horses to live in her game world.   Brooklyn and Renee turned 18 months on December 13th and are growing, learning and becoming quite independent.   It has been a fun year watching them go from crawling to walking and now climbing!  Brooklyn loves to wear buckets on her head, pat and love on her sissy and has several sweet little crazy faces that make us all laugh.  She is perfectly content to sit and cuddle and hang out in your lap (which Nanny loves) and has already started kicking around a soccer ball.  Renee has SO much energy and buzzes around being very busy. On several occasions, I have caught her getting into her sister’s snack bowl.   She loves to climb up on everything and after she reaches her destination, looks back at you with a big proud smile that will melt your heart.    Michael and Amanda are getting a little more sleep than last year at this time and are thankful that all four girls are healthy, smiling and happy.

Brad and Kate are also doing well and are involved in a variety of activities that they enjoy.  When Brad has free time, he loves to run, fish and play golf along with several other outdoor activities.  He has also been using his carpentry skills around the house again this year and I have been quite impressed with his work.  He continues to work as a pastor and teacher of “The Gathering” where he serves with enthusiasm and a loving heart.  It’s been a year of seeking and waiting but God has blessed him in his job and I know he will let Jesus “take the wheel “as he works to create something awesome for 2014.  This is Katelyn’s third year teaching and loving the kids at Beasley Elementary School.  She loves working with the kiddo’s, is having fun and enjoys spending time with her co-workers which have become special friends.  She recently found a new passion for “crafting” and has been creating lots of beautiful items. This summer Brad and Kate took a road trip to New Orleans. They had a good time trying some of the yummy food at the famous restaurants and experiencing the musical heritage and traditions of the area.  They love spending time and sharing life with a wonderful group of friends.  They are also looking forward to beginning a new journey, moving forward in a new direction, expecting a year of wonderful things with The Gathering.  The year ahead will be exciting for both Brad and Kate as they transition and continue serving while making new friends within the community.   

Barry and I seem to stay very busy too.  This summer we took a trip to Panama City for some beach time and spent the week relaxing and enjoying the ocean.  We had a couple of rainy days which turned into watching movies and shopping which were perfect days in my book.   During our time there we were also able to take an “air boat alligator tour” and a “mystery dinner cruise.”  It was wonderful to have some time to slow down the pace a bit and have a little “beach side” fun!  This year Barry and I also had the opportunity to take a trip to India.  Barry had to go for work and I of course decided to tag along. Our trip was wonderful, exciting, inspiring and sad all rolled together.  It was like nothing I have ever experienced before in my life and I am thankful that I had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful and loving people.  Barry is working hard but still seems to enjoy “most” work days, likes puttering around on his tractor and loves being a “Paw” to four sweet little girls.  We have added two cows and 8 chickens to the farm this year and love having them all here with us.  I have realized however, that farm work is tricky and sometimes you have things happen that aren’t quite so fun.  Barry had to “bail off” of Cody while riding him this summer. We realized that Cody doesn’t enjoy riding as much as we do and we are still working with him and hoping that we can change his mind.  One of the things we love about our home is our pond.  Even though it can be a beautiful addition to the farm, it can also be a bit of a challenge.  We were trying to eliminate some of the moss and in the process it didn’t end well for “some” of the fish.  I was devastated and now we are researching new ways to manage the problem.  Thankfully some of the fish are still with us and hopefully will continue to grow and remain healthy.  We loved having a garden this year and enjoyed bountiful crops.  There is nothing like having fresh vegetables right in your own back yard.  My favorite addition this year would be my 8 sweet hens.  I have become quite fond of them and love having fresh eggs every day.  We are enjoying every moment of being a “Nanny” and “Paw” and are thankful that we are able to spend lots of quality time with our family.   

Goodbye for now and hopefully this gives you a small glimpse of our year.  May the joy of the season surround your life each day and May the New Year, be full of hope, opportunity and miracles. This is our Christmas wish for you, our wonderful family and friends.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!   Life is good here at the “Ogle Farm” and we are truly blessed!    ~ Love, Barry and Tina ~

Summer Reflections

I haven't written in awhile and time does seem to get away from me between posts but I am determined to keep at it even though there may be long periods of time where I am unable to write an update and share my thoughts.  So . . . here goes.

It's summer time in Texas!  We are entering the "100 degree days" portion of our summer and I am reminding myself of the numerous rain showers we have been blessed with so far this season. Summer time seems to be filled with busy days and not much time to sit quietly and reflect, but in the fullness of each day, our lives have been richly blessed in love, health and family.  

And speaking of overflowing, the garden was plentiful this year and I have enjoyed going out each evening to see what will be ripe that day. I had so many extra bell peppers that I chopped up several bags of them to put into the freezer. I will get them out this winter to use in casseroles and most importantly to have when making the dressing for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We have enjoyed fresh tomatoes in salads and I have eaten cherry tomatoes for every meal including breakfast. Barry's favorite were the cucumbers. He has also eaten them for every meal.  Cucumbers, cucumbers everywhere so I have made jars and jars of pickles!  Being able to share fresh veggies from the garden has been fun and I am thankful I was able to spread around the blessing of a bountiful harvest.

It has been nice to see Hannah and Lilly have a few slower days with a little extra sleep, enjoying the summer activities and the freedom of no schedule. They have a few short weeks left and then another school year will begin. We will have a 5th grader and a 1st grader this year. It's so hard to believe how fast they are growing up. Humor me when I say I can actually remember being their ages. Long long ago, but yet, not so long ago. The memories from my summer days as a child are truly some of my most cherished.  Brooklyn and Renee have started walking, picking up food with their hands and drinking from a cup. They are even beginning to say a few words and are giving big sweet hugs. We love it when they are all able to come out and spend time with us and are so thankful for the blessing of grandchildren. 

Barry and I have enjoyed the warm days and "star filled" beautiful summer nights here on the "Ogle Farm." We recently welcomed Maude and Myrtle, our two new cows to the farm. They are settling in nicely and have even adjusted to the chickens hanging out in the barn and eating out of their food trough alongside them. And speaking of my sweet chickens, they are laying lots of eggs for us to enjoy every day.  They are very interesting little creatures and I am positive I will learn from watching them. They bring a smile to my face when I see them hanging around the patio chasing grasshoppers and touch my heart when they walk up to me for a quick touch of my hand across their soft feathers.  And yes, they are pets first and foremost and are certainly a joy to have around. 

Barry and I are on our way to the beach for a week of relaxation and fun!  Woo Hoo!!  I love  the summer, the warmth of the sun, the flowers blooming, the garden producing veggies for us to eat, watching the sun set from the dock on our pond and the feeling of my feet in the sand.  But, I have to say I am looking forward to the cooler days ahead, brisk walks around the farm enjoying a warm cup of coffee and a little more quiet time to spend reading and reflecting.  

I am thankful for the moments of silence that surprise me from time to time and that my Father knows exactly when my heart and soul needs them the most. 

I believe that the more time we spend drawing close to the Lord, the more beautiful our lives will become. Our hearts will feel peaceful and our minds will become rested and renewed.  When we open our hearts to His presence, our hands and time to His service and our lives to sharing his love, rest assured we will touch His heart in a beautiful way.  When we give ourselves fully to Him and listen to His voice that whispers to our soul, He will fill us to overflowing with joy, peace, and satisfaction in every part of our lives. 

My Father deserves more praise than I could ever give, my love for Him grows deeper every day and there are "no" words to express my thankfulness for all that He has done in my life. I pray that He will help me to take time each day to slow down, breath in his peaceful spirit, inhale His love and exhale the busyness of my life. I want to rest quietly in His presence and when He looks at my life, I want Him to see nothing but a reflection of His love in everything I do. 

Thankful that I was finally able to slow down for a few minutes, be still and listen to the "One" who holds everything in His hands.  Hoping and praying that your summer has been as wonderful as mine and that He has touched your life in a beautiful way! 

Hello from India

Hello from India. Yes, the country of India.  Crazy huh??  Once again it has been way too long since I have written, as time does seem to quickly get away from me.  For the past two weeks we have been visiting this intriguing place.  It is a business trip for Barry and of course he REALLY wanted me to tag along.  Not tonight but at some point, Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, as the old timers say, my desire is to be able to share some of our adventures with you.  I am not sure I can accurately describe the various emotions of my heart during our two week stay here in India, but my hope is that I will be able to use words and a few pictures to give you a mini view of a vibrant, chaotic, hospitable, charmingly old-fashioned, yet quickly emerging and deeply spiritual country and people. 

I think about writing almost every day but for some reason it seems as though I feel like I need to put something together that is perfect, or at least something that looks like I have put some thought into it, before posting and that rarely happens.  So . . . my new goal is just to write something as often as I can. Some of it may be very random but who knows maybe on occasion, I will be able to put something together worth reading.

These past few weeks have been wonderful, exciting, adventurous, relaxing and yet a bit strange.  Even though we have been shopping and site-seeing quite a bit, and did I say shopping??  Barry is officially here to work so I have spent a few hours on my own and here at the hotel hanging out.  And while I am on that subject, bless the hotel staffs heart! I am sure I have asked more questions than any of the guests they have EVER come in contact with.  I already feel like a part of their hotel family and they have made me feel right at home.   The chef has started coming over to my table to verify my order and inquire about any special requests I have, not sure how all that started and all the waiters in the executive lounge have already placed my order when they see me coming across the lobby.  ALL of them have memorized my room number and know my name.    First I have a coke and some french fries and then later I will have a cappuccino.  I usually hang out so long reading and "people watching" that they start making me different fruit drinks to try.  I believe they are “non alcoholic” but who knows, things here don’t exactly taste the same as back home.  They treat me as though I am royalty or someone very important, and I truly believe it is from their heart and not because we are spending a ton of Rupees here  . . . . like in the way Jesus desires me to treat others every day and in every one of those “not so easy” situations.   And if they only knew, I’m just a chick from a small farm in Texas, and for those of you who don't know, it's called "the ogle farm" loving her very blessed life, raising chickens for "eggs only" praying that I can share some love in this world while I am “hopeful” and “buzzing” around on this earth, trying to walk in “His” way, believe only in “His” truth and striving to be “His” light in this wonderful life “He” has given me.

And I will close with something that was posted on a sign here in India at one of the local churches.

If you find peace in your heart, you will find peace in the world.  
~ ST. Thomas Church,  India ~

Tina

Christmas Letter 2012

A little late posting this but . . . . here it is anyway!

Hello family and friends,

Wow!  It’s hard to believe another year is coming to a close and Christmas is only a few days away.  We hope this Christmas greeting from our family to yours finds you happy and healthy and that you are making time to relax while “soaking” in the “JOY” of this special season.  

This has been a fun and blessed year for our family and we would like to share a few highlights.

It has been another eventful year for Michael and Amanda.  In June they were double blessed and we celebrated the arrival of Brooklyn Louise and Renee Elizabeth into our lives. They were born a few weeks early on the same day as the worst “hail storm” the area had seen in quite some time, but came to us healthy and beautiful.  They are “happy, happy, happy” babies and their smiles light up our lives. Both are such a blessing to all of us, each has a precious little personality of their own and they are growing and learning new things every day.  Hannah turned 10 this year and is in the fourth grade. She loves school and makes “straight A’s” on her report card.  She played soccer again this year and her team won 2nd place in their age group.  Hannah scored several goals during the season and she has a large group of “very loud” supporters at all her games.  As most young girls do, she loves stylish clothes with glitter, shopping and music.  She is a wonderful big sister and a natural “little mother” to the twins.  Lilly will turn 6 in January and is in Kindergarten this year.  She attends the school where her Aunt “KK” teaches and she loves having her close by. She is doing excellent in school and it is amazing to see how much she has already learned.  They say that children say the “darndest” things and our Lilly is no exception.  Her innocent humor and child-like wisdom keep us laughing and on our toes. She loves riding, brushing, feeding and being around horses and playing with her big sister Hannah.  Michael and Amanda stay on the go with work and the daily activities that come with keeping up with four beautiful little girls.  Since June they haven’t gotten much rest or sleep but they are still smiling and loving on the girls and snuggling and rocking those sweet little babies. They love being parents and are finding lots of joy in this special time in their lives.  If Michael was writing this letter, he would say “GO Cowboys.”  If Amanda  was writing this letter, she would say “GO Longhorns.”

Brad and Katelyn are doing well and their days are filled with a variety of activities. This year they became the official home owners of 812 Bridgewater Lane. They have done some remodeling and Brad has completed several projects around the house including a nice new deck out back.  He has also spent some time landscaping the yard and has it looking very nice.  Katelyn has refurbished a few pieces of furniture and has redecorated adding her own personal touches resulting in a beautiful and cozy new home.  They love to entertain, hang out with their friends and when possible spent time relaxing and enjoying some quiet time together. They were able to get away and have some fun on several short trips this year and I think I also remember  several  “girls” and “guys” weekends too.  When Brad has free time, he loves to run, fish and play golf along with several other sporting activities.  He continues to work as a pastor and teacher at “The Gathering Place” where he serves with passion and a loving heart.  This is Katelyn’s second year teaching at Beasley Elementary School.  She loves being able to teach as well as encourage and motivate the kids while having fun and has mentioned how thankful she is for her new teacher friends and co-workers. This year she was her school coordinator of the “Cowboys for Kid’s Run” and with her excellent recruiting skills, well surpassed the previous year’s number of participants involved in the run. She even persuaded me and Barry to sign up and with great hesitation we agreed.  It was a lot of fun and Katelyn finished the run with Lilly riding on her back.  Brad and Katelyn  also help out with and make time for Hannah, Lilly, Brooklyn and Renee. The girls adore Uncle Brad and Aunt “KK” and always look forward to spending time with them. 

It seems as though Barry and I have been quite busy this year, some days were hectic, some full of laughter and some just plain crazy!  After almost two years of searching we finally found our new home in the country.  Each morning we sit at our breakfast table, look out the window and enjoy the beautiful view.  We are so thrilled and are so thankful for this wonderful gift.  We also made two road trips back to Georgia to move the horses, tractor and a few other things that we had left behind. We spent some of our summer working in flower beds, clearing around the pond and working in the barn area.  I helped build my first fence, horse stall and arena along with tackling several other outside projects that are completely foreign to this “city girl.”   In addition to what we have already done, we still have a few things we want to work on next spring  but for the most part everything is functional for now.  With the exception of a minor barbed wire fence accident and an abscess foot for Cody, both he and Hussy are adjusting well and love their new home in Texas.  Barry is working hard and seems to enjoy “most” work days, is happy to have his “boy toys” and horses with him now, enjoys his time hanging out at “The Ogle Farm” and loves being a “Paw” and playing with the girls.  In June, I celebrated a monumental birthday and I won’t mention a number.  My sweet children gave me an awesome surprise birthday party!  They invited a few of my close family and friends, decorated with balloons and happy birthday greetings and cooked some yummy food for everyone.  I was totally surprised and had absolutely no clue they were planning the party.  They even went to the trouble of hiding the cars down the street or at the park.  I opened the door and was greeted by some of the “very special” people in my life.  I will always remember this birthday and how much effort the kiddo’s put into a BIG surprise just for me.  This year, unpacking and organizing things at the house has occupied quite a few of my days and I have also tried to spend as much time as I can having fun and playing with my precious granddaughters.  In the coming year I hope to get some decorating done as well as find a few cool pieces of furniture for the house.  I also want to plant some fruit trees and berry bushes so I can harvest some delicious fruit in a few years.  Also on the wish list, we want to get a couple of ducks that will hang around the pond and we definitely need some “laying hens “so we can have fresh eggs every day.  It has been a wonderful year and we are so happy to finally be settled in our new community and new home.  Life is good at the “Ogle Farm” and we are truly blessed!

May this coming year be full of hope, opportunity and miracles,

May each and every moment include nothing but HIS TRUTH and LOVE,

And may our journey be lead by the loving spirit from our Father above.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  ~   Love, Barry & Tina Ogle

For Me

I want your kingdom to be my kingdom. I want to immerse and unite with and into the lives of those around me. 

I yearn for my heart to be like your heart so that I can deeply feel your love and grace during those sacred moments of peace and quiet time together. 

I long for your thirst for righteousness and hunger for love to become an intimate part of every thought, feeling and breath I take. 

I deeply desire for the unconditional love you have for your people to become a passionate part of my heart and may I remain humble as I listen for your spirit to guide my words and actions. 

I want the light of Jesus that shines so brightly to reside in me and work through me as I strive to be a joyful light to others. 

I pray your loving spirit that dwells deep within my soul will descend upon those that need your healing touch. 

I desire to be your hands, feet and heart during this journey of life into unfamiliar places, willing to surrender completely without knowing the future. 

I hope to be a friend to the soul of others by listening, sharing and loving them through the toughest moments in their lives. 

I must be obedient and choose love, for our God is love and love is our God!