Thursday 26 March 2009

Following the Path to the top . . .



"A careful man I ought to be
A little boy follows me.
I dare not ever go astray
For fear he'll go the self same way.

I must remember as I go,
Through summer's heat and winter's snow
I'm building for the years to be
The little chap who follows me.

I cannot once escape his eyes,
What ere he sees me do he tries.
Like me he says he's going to be
This little chap who follows me."
~Author Unknown

Todd and I love to holiday up in Cumbria. Technically, the area we go to is not actually in Cumbria, but right at the edge . . . so we are in between the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District. It is beautiful up there, wild and raw and untouched. Miles and miles of rolling hills, covered with cotton boll sheep, stone walls and little else . . .



We usually rent a self contained cottage when we go, and we always go to the same place. There is a comfort to be found in the familiarity of it all, and in some ways, I almost feel like we are going home, even though we actually live hundreds of miles away. This cottage lays at the top of a steep hill, with another hill that rises steeply at the back of the dwelling. A hillside covered with bleating and gamboling sheep. To an observant eye, one can see that the sheep have made paths for themselves by always following the same route on the steep and rocky slope.

Through years of time and testing, they have found the best way across the face of the slope, right on up to the top, and now these sheep follow the same route each time, the same pathway that has been beaten down and prepared for them by countless generations of sheep that have gone before.



It is a bit like that with children. If you can show them the best way to live now, while they are still learning, there is a good chance that they will stick to that for the rest of their lives. But this is nothing new . . . Proverbs 22:6 tells us

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

Pretty wise counsel there.


14 comments:

  1. Love the pictures Marie. And your comment 'pennywise council' LOL
    Great burgers too!

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  2. it's one of my favourites too!Thanks for the recipe. :)

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  3. Lots of good advice in your entry today. The story of the sheep is so true. The pictures of the place where you holiday are breath taking. And the burger and dip sounds so good! Thank you!
    'On Ya'-ma

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  4. Dear Marie, lovely post and so nice recipe, I love "dips" kisses to you and Todd, xxxGloria

    Would you believe MarĂ­a Esperanza bring from of school TWO WHITE MOUSES!!!! Im devasted, are little but I know they will grow up!! OMYGOD!! She has in a box beside her bed!!Im so tired sometimes friend!!! kisses

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  5. Hi, Marie! Hubby is here with me and drooling over the look of that sandwich of yours--LOL! As ever wise council in this post. :o) And just loved seeing a glimpse of Cumbria...*aaahhh**...hope we get there one day! Happy Day, dear friend...LOVE YOU HEAPS! ((BIG HUGS))

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  6. I'm thinking that those burgers will be on our plates tonight! They look wonderful!

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  7. What beautiful pictures Marie. It sounds like a wonderful place to visit. I liked that sign about rampaging sheep - lol!

    And that french dip looks amazing! Have a wonderful day!

    XOXO
    Jen

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  8. Those photos are so beautiful. I must get myself there one day. It all looks so green :)

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  9. beautiful photos! are the white things in the second photo sheep? is so, wow, thats a whole lotta sheep!

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  10. Marie,
    Stumbled across yout blog by accident. I had to comment.I was reading about the french dip sandwhiches. Reminded me of my Sister Barbara. She loved them. She would order them often here in Modesto California. She passed away July 3rd 2005 age 54.(From Breast Cancer) I do miss her.. Anyways just wanted to stop by
    Sincerly,JOHN

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  11. Raw & untouched-self contained cottage. Now that sounds like a place to go for the true, pure enjoyment of nature. Most of the places around here that say "raw & untouched" are quite touched ;-0.
    I cannot(not having done it) imagine the trials and tribulations that go into raising a child right, but your analogy seems quite apt. ~Mary

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  12. It's always been a dream of mine to go to England - and the area you showed is just what I picture when I think of it. Today my husband and I went to the horse races. We go about once a year and see friends that we only see then so it's a treat. Today we saw so many children there and were saddened by that. It's not the best place for children I don't think - liquor is available, there are those who's language can sometimes be offensive...I could go on. As an adult you know how to filter those things and see the person rather than the action, the pain that causes some to behave in ways that perpetuate their pain. Children haven't learned that and can be wrongly impressed with such things. They used to have an age requirement for entrance. I wish they still did. blessings, marlene

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  13. You'd have to go a long wa to find anything to compare with Dales / Lakes. To find such beauty in such a comparatively tiny area - well God must have worked overtime that day!

    From our house we could probably reach 'your' holiday place in a couple of hours. We should go there more often. On the other hand, if we lived as far south as you do, well - Canterbury, Dover, Rochester and all just a hop fro France! I'd never be home!

    love, Angie, xx

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