Sorry Pardner!

I am one of the 54 million people worldwide that play Farmville and to say I'm hooked would be a gross understatement as I like millions of others, log into Farmville several times a day, planting, harvesting, gathering, milking and shopping with my hard earned Farmville coins and dollars. Many of you are my neighbors and have "visited" my farm and seen for yourself the obvious time I have spent tending to it's care. As I monitor my Facebook wall, I realize that I am not alone in my addiction to this and the many other games available through Facebook. Often times there are opportunities to get gifts and trinkets, rare fruit trees and seasonal items that are not always available in the "Marketplace." The key to retrieving these extras is to quickly claim them before anyone else does. Most times however, I'm a little late and on my screen flashes a message that says, "Sorry Pardner, this prize has already been claimed, better luck next time." Often times, I am in the middle of a "harvest" and suddenly the screen sends me a message that says, "we've lost our connection to the internet, please refresh your page and try again." When this happens all of the hard work that I had just completed is erased and once I log on again my farm looks as if I had done nothing.

Once again we have come to that time of the year where we say goodbye to the old and ring in the new. Networks and other media outlets have taken great care in compiling reports on the year in review; retelling the top news stories, unusual occurences, political milestones and then they remind us of any celebrities that has passed during the year. I wanted to do my part as I wrapped up the year for Writer's Stew but I wanted to do something a little different. I wanted to focus on nothing but God. I'm laughing at myself even now as I'm sure you're wondering what Farmville has to do with it all. Well, I'll tell you; God knows just where to meet us and he knows just what tools to use to get our attention and for me, today, it was Farmville!


You see, earlier today, I was trying to claim a rare tree from one of my neighbors but I was too late and I got the all too familiar message, "Sorry Pardner, this prize has already been claimed, better luck next time." In an instant I was reminded how blessed I was that God did not handle my request like that. He never sends me a message saying, "Sorry Pardner, this prize has already been claimed." No, instead He tells me that what's mine is mine! He never turns a deaf ear to my prayers and he never sets a limit on what I can request or what he will give. I don't have to worry about losing my connection or having to log on to get His attention; He's everywhere at all times and He hears each and every one of my prayers.


So as we usher in 2011, I want to take some time to thank God for all that he has done for me this past year. I have truly been blessed in every area of my life and I simply don't have the words to express the real story! I'm beginning to see a harvest from the seeds planted in 2010 and so I am confident that the harvest of 2011 will be bountiful! I am so thankful for my family and my friends because I know that they too have been blessed this year! What a joy it is to be a witness to the blessings of others! My prayer for the new year is that I will not forget that God's grace is sufficient! I will not live a life governed by fear and self doubt and I will be thankful for even the little things that God so graciously gives.

May God bless and keep you is my prayer!

Until We Meet Again,
Cynthia Carlisle Fields