Floating Firewood Foray

S rounded up most of our 'floating firewood' Monday. 

It is such a blessing to have a strong and willing son to help around here!

So God brings me my firewood.

Now I'm waiting for Him to bring me a herd of goats.

;) 

(See March 15, The God Who Thinks Of Everything)

Pitas

K is home for Spring Break and brought her friend M from Israel! 

Tonight for dinner we are having delicious, fresh Hummus, pitas and 

something else I can't remember the name of with our baked chicken. 

YUM!

Amazed

 I am amazed every Spring.

 I am amazed by the beauty,

the extraordinary detail

and mostly,

the resilience and reliability

of the season's first flowers.

I am amazed that after months of dry, frozen stasis, fragile stems with soft, fine leaves force their way up through hard, rocky soil.

I am amazed that they emerge tender and innocent to suffer and survive regular dips below freezing and the occasional, late blanket of snow when their parent plants could take only one hard freeze before a withered retreat. 

I am amazed that this happened last year, and the year before that, and the year before that. 

I am amazed that it happened again this year, and will probably happen again next.

But I am, perhaps, most amazed that some believe that this all just 'happened' on its own. By luck, mixed with energy (from somewhere), and lots of time, billions of times over, from some singular, accidentally formed and functioning cell on a spot, on a planet held perfectly in place for time and seasons, without assistance, in a way that supports this incredible variety of life that reproduces itself with very little error.

 Instead of NOTHING becoming SOMETHING becoming BEAUTIFUL and AMAZING,
over and over again,
I am convinced,
certain, awestruck,
inspired, humbled,
and amazed that

SOMEONE who is AWESOME created EVERYTHING and LOVES 

THE CREATION THAT HE MADE.

Including us.

The Storm of Conflict, The God of Wind and Waves

     My magnolias are blooming! They are especially beautiful this year, but what you can't tell from the picture here is the raging storm that was going on when I took this. The winds, lightning and rain that came through yesterday were impressive. They snapped our flag pole and at least three times I looked out to check for a tornado.
     What is amazing to me is that the flowers of this shrub remain elegantly intact, undamaged, unmarred, unruffled.
     In contrast, I have been anxious and 'ruffled' for days. There is a storm blowing into so many overlapping circles in my life that it is a bit hard not to be impressed by it's force. It has developed because of the beliefs, words and actions of local and national ministries/homeschool community participants of which we are a part in numerous ways. One side sees the other as either uninformed, compromising, dangerous, or all three. The other side sees the former as intolerant, embarrassing, dogmatic, or a combination.
     We are solidly on one side of this disagreement; we can't see a way not to be. I believe the same can probably be said of the others as they consider their position. My husband is employed by the organization, and works with the man, who represents one side*. We are friends with people close to the center of both sides of this issue, nationwide, in our community and even in our own church, which is constantly trying to be unified amidst the tension that these conflicting viewpoints create. Next week we will be hosting out-of-state friends and colleagues who are some of the 'opposing' side's closest friends. The social network commentary and fallout is huge.Taken all together I have been feeling battered by the swirling winds of conflict, jarred by flashes of false accusation and pelted by the torrential rain of social network outpourings. I have been far from unruffled.
     This is the third time in a month that I have been confronted with deep and disconcerting convictions within my circles that are at irreconcilable odds with one another. This morning my agitation threatened to overwhelm me until the Lord reminded me that He is not anxious at all. He is not wringing His hands over this. He does not sit upon His throne, divine head hung in despair wondering what to do. He's got it all under control. It may look intimidating to me, but He is all peace.

Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"
 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.
 And He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
 They became very much afraid and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"  
Mark 4:35-41
Jesus is still in control of the winds and the waves. My job is to fear not and leave it all to Him.


* (For the record, I agree with the doctrinal position of G's organizational leader, but often do not agree with his tone. My only satisfactory means of addressing that is through prayer and I consider this squall to be an unpleasant, but potential answer to some of those petitions. God works all things together for good in these situations, and I have seen Him do it over and over again. It is my hope in this one.)

Beautiful Bowl of Bacteria

Yesterday I cleaned out my refrigerator.

And there I discovered an amazing bowl of MOLD and BACTERIA.

I think it's fascinating. Maybe even beautiful. Delightful to look at and study, certainly.

However, if someone tries to feed this to you:

DO NOT EAT IT.

DO NOT EVEN SNIFF IT.

IT IS BAD FOR YOU.
IT COULD MAKE YOU VERY SICK.

I believe it is my responsibility to tell you that.

I believe that as a Christian there is a degree to which I am responsible to care for those God places around me and warn them if there is a danger they might not be aware of. (Even if they get mad at me for doing so.) I hope I didn't offend anyone or hurt their feelings.

My point?

I am sure that most everyone I know, with the exception of very young children, is aware that it would be a bad idea to eat even a spoonful, not to mention a bowlful, of mold and bacteria like this. 

But I am not so sure that everyone I know has really considered the consequences of 'eating' intellectually from sources that question and undermine what God has revealed about Himself, the world He made, and the plan that He, as the Creator and Sustainer of all, has determined for those who have called upon Him.

Eve. She was such a great example of what not to do. She was the first to fall for Satan's ongoing  manipulation: 

"Did God REALLY say that? 

Is that what He REALLY said? 

Maybe it REALLY means something else?" (Genesis 3)

It seems like that's all he ever asks. It seems like that's all he ever needs to ask. He appeals to our intellect and prideful search for knowledge and we study our beautiful bowl full of mold and bacteria and eagerly grab a spoon.

TAKE. EAT. 

"YOU WILL SURELY NOT DIE."

"FOR GOD KNOWS THAT IN THE DAY YOU EAT FROM IT YOUR EYES WILL BE OPENED AND YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD, KNOWING GOOD AND EVIL."(Genesis 3)

The Apostle Paul said: 

"But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:3)

He had good reason to fear.

Behold, the Winter is Past

For behold, the winter is past,

The rain is over and gone. 

The flowers have already appeared in the land;

The time has arrived for pruning the vines,

And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.

Song of Solomon 2:11-13

Dog Day Afternoon

What Love Looks Like

Some women want candy.

Some women want flowers.

I wanted shelves in the cellar.

It is both wonderful and humbling 

to be loved by a man so much

that he is willing to work in a dark,

cold cellar on a bright, warm day,

because he loves me.

He's the best.

I See the Moon

I see the moon and the moon sees me.

God bless the moon and God bless me.

Too Old for Mario

DDR Mario Mix is the new thing at our house this week.
It is the norm for us to acquire technology about 5 years after it's released, so this is in keeping with our tradition.
Now that I've seen the workout this generates for my teens, I wish we'd gotten it sooner.
As for me, it has confirmed, in case anyone was doubting it, that I am old.

Too Much of a Good Thing

I have a genetic predisposition to hoarding.

You won't see me or any of my relatives on TLC, but the fact is

some of us get a little carried away saving useful things.

I wouldn't call it an illness in my family, but rather an expression of our

unique intelligence for finding creative purpose in common objects.

So here at our house we've been running out of room in the cabinet that holds 

the water glasses, so I asked the guys to pull out the good jars and find their lids. 

There are 19 on the counter right now. I may recycle one or two.

The rest will join their predecessors in the cellar.

The way I see it, when you buy something in a glass jar, 

you pay for the contents and get a good-quality storage container for free.

So you can see that I am only mildly repentant.

Someday my husband will thank me.

It probably won't be tomorrow.

:)

Breaking Cultural Barriers with Amish Cheese

 I have a great job. Today I spent 40 minutes on the phone here in SE Indiana with a Jewish winery owner in Long Island, New York discussing a business arrangement involving Amish cheese from Northern Ohio. Just the idea made my day.


 In 2007 I contacted an Amish cheese maker I knew of and asked if I could sell their cheeses at wholesale to groups who would place bulk orders through me. They said ok, we could try that. 


At first when we'd speak on the phone it was hard to understand one another. Communication was awkward and we had a lot of problems making things work. They were icy because they didn't know me, didn't want to know me and I was 'English'. They were clearly not up for a relationship, but that's how it had to work because I care about the people God brings across my path more than I care about money. I figure that is my main job in anything I undertake. I believe it is safe to say we're friends now. That makes me happy, but it's strange that without the cheese-selling the chance for friendship would never exist between us.


The cultural gaps are pretty huge, but there are commonalities, too. Someday I hope we get the time to talk about it face to face. I've invited them to come for a visit. Maybe they'll take me up on it in a few years. And maybe they won't. I'm not dumb. I know our friendship revolves around cheese, but I am invested and I hope they are, too. The intersection of our lives is an opportunity to break down barriers and there is little I enjoy more. Jesus was the very best at that. The Apostle Paul was good, too. Neither one gave a hoot for status, nationality, rank or reputation. I'm with them. 


I don't think I've ever had to work so consciously to win friends or prove my sincerity. But now I hear smiles when I call. When things were tough for my Amish friend R last winter I pushed the envelope pretty hard and asked if I could pray for her over the phone. I did and she thanked me sincerely. It was nice to be able to give something more than a cheese order to a hurting person. The opportunity to intersect meaningfully is worth the effort involved.

Today I got to reach out across a very different set of culture gaps. I heard a fast-talking, Jewish (very slight guess), New York proprietor in rush hour traffic, slow down a bit and interact because a person was interested in more than his money. I don't think he was expecting that. I asked a lot of questions and learned things. I was honest, I problem-solved and offered to help.  Before we hung up he said, "I gotta tell yuh, it was a pleasure talking to you today. I don't think any New York cheese salesman would have used the word 'glob'." (About cheese curds.) We laughed, we intersected, and it was good.

I am not a high-powered business woman, and I have no desire to be one, but it's nice to be able to help pay some bills. God has allowed me an interesting platform from which to care for people. I am thankful that I can stay at home and raise my children. I get to offer people a high-quality product that they can't otherwise get at a really good price. I get all that AND the chance to cross cultures and make new friends in the process. I am truly blessed.

The Garden is Waiting for Me...

...or rather, I am Waiting to Garden.

The God Who Thinks of Everything

The Lord brought me my firewood this weekend. I am not even kidding. He will never cease to amaze and fascinate and entertain me with the clever ways He shows me how much He loves me.

We heat mostly with wood, and now that our house is fully insulated we got through the winter with little gas use - an important financial step for us. But getting firewood can be a hard chore and now, most of the time, it's too hard for me to do without help.

Last summer the electric company cut down trees under the lines by the road and left me two piles of small logs. On one Fall day I was able to clear the poison ivy and brush so my guys could retrieve the first large pile to bring it up, cut and split it. The second pile, though, was deep into the brush down by the creek and the first job had done me in, so it was more than I could manage. (You see, the manly V's are highly allergic to PI and PO, but we of the weaker sex seem to be immune, so clearing the brush is up to me.) Sadly I gave up hope of retrieving that precious second pile of logs.

Until this weekend. Somehow, after nearly a week of submersion, the pile dislodged from the weeds and vines, and floated to the surface. Then of all the potential directions they could move to, they bunched up with the nasty flotsam and jetsam 50+ yards East by the drive. I saw them on Saturday and thought perhaps when the water receded-- if it wasn't too gross, perhaps we could get some of the logs. (There is a lot of ick just across the road, as you can see above at the end of the clean water line, which is also at the end of our property.) 

But just to bless me and make me smile, on Sunday the Lord of the wind and the waves sent just what was needed to float the logs back toward our house and pasture one by one while leaving the nasty ick down at the road! At this point, when the water goes down, a simple drive through the pasture will allow us to collect all the logs!

I can't think of a sweeter gift from my Heavenly Father. He takes such good care of me.

Psalm 34:8-10

O taste and see that the LORD is good;

How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! 

O fear the LORD, you His saints;

For to those who fear Him there is no want. 

The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;

But they who seek the LORD shall not 

be in want of any good thing. 

"Nevertheless We Must Run Aground"

We're enjoying our lake for the week and today C convinced G to build a raft out of the old fencing so he could go for a float on the flood. It was not an overwhelming success; in short, it didn't really float and he was very disappointed.

It brought to mind this devotional by Elisabeth Elliot that has brought me comfort from time to time.

Someday, I hope, it will bring him comfort, too. 

"Nevertheless We Must Run Aground" 

from Keep A Quiet Heart, by Elisabeth Elliot

Have you ever put heart and soul into something, prayed over it, worked at it with a good heart because you believed it to be what God wanted, and finally seen it "run aground"?
The story of Paul's voyage as a prisoner across the Adriatic Sea tells how an angel stood beside him and told him not to be afraid (in spite of winds of hurricane force), for God would spare his life and the lives of all with him on board ship. Paul cheered his guards and fellow passengers with that word, but added, "Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island" (Acts 27:26, NIV).
It would seem that the God who promises to spare all hands might have "done the job right," saved the ship as well, and spared them the ignominy of having to make it to land on the flotsam and jetsam that was left. The fact is He did not, nor does He always spare us.
Heaven is not here, it's There. If we were given all we wanted here, our hearts would settle for this world rather than the next. God is forever luring us up and away from this one, wooing us to Himself and His still invisible Kingdom, where we will certainly find what we so keenly long for.
"Running aground," then, is not the end of the world. But it helps to make the world a bit less appealing. It may even be God's answer to "Lead us not into temptation"--the temptation complacently to settle for visible things.

The Best Map

I don't live in Ohio. So I can follow this map forever, but it will not get me home.

Likewise, I'm not a citizen of this world. My home is with Christ. This is just a brief stop. So the world's 'How To' instructions don't do me much good either.

Thankfully, He has provided the map I need: "Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth", also known as The BIBLE.

I am amazed every time I open it at how specifically He instructs me. He guides me on the narrow road; what direction to go, examples to follow, paths to avoid and what new and living way to take. I honestly cannot imagine not having it. And I can't wait to get home.
(And it's so much more than just a map, but that will have to be a different post.)

In the way of righteousness is life, And in its pathway there is no death.   Proverbs 12:28

Google Maps

I used to love to plot my travel using Google Maps, 

But lately it's directions are creating trip mishaps.

My car would be enough, I thought, for my itinerary, 

But now I need two planes, two boats and probably a ferry.

I'm rather disappointed, it's got me rather down,

that I can't even take a 40 mile trip to town.

Vile Caterpillar Days

^{Today I'm feeling gnarly. 
I wasn't up to finding a picture to take, so I dug this out of the camera's internal memory from September.
I may be 'tanking' this week physically, but I was reminded of the hope I have in Christ, that I won't be stuck with this 'vile body' eternally.} 
I am glad.


^{In fact, just like this Imperial Moth caterpillar, I'll be trading in 'vile' for 'glorious' someday, and that sounds pretty good right now.
I} tried to isolate just a couple of verses from this passage, but it felt like editing the words of God, which is not my idea of...well, a good idea.  :)  So read on if you wish. Emphases mine.


1 Corinthians 15: 39-58 (NASB)
 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish.
 There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one, and the glory of the earthly is another.
 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
 So also is the resurrection of the dead It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body;
 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;
 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
So also it is written, "The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL " The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.
 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven.
 As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly.
 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.
 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.
 "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?"
 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

Kids

So cute,

but they are

growing  up

very fast.

One of them

can even 

wear my shoes.

Truly Missed

A yard ornament given to me when we moved to Indiana (5+ years ago)
by my aunt who passed away last July.

I had thought about tossing it a few years ago when the legs and feet rusted and fell off.

I didn't.
I'm so glad.

I have something to remember her by now and when I see it
I recall her bubbly personality, kind words and loving heart.

She is truly missed.

Waterfront property

Wet in the valley this week.

We like it that way.

We have waterfront property  and live on a dead end street at least once a year.

Almost. :)

Short Term Memory Loss

    Today I was enjoying the crocuses. Every time I see them, they bless me because I know that Spring, my favorite season, is right around the corner. But I never remember in the Fall, when it's time to plant, how much I love them for blooming out of the cold ground, raising their faces to the sky and crying out "Be of good cheer! It's true! Spring is really coming! Just a little while longer--it's almost here!" So that got me thinking about remembering, and that got me thinking about not remembering.

    I have a significant degree of short-term memory loss these days. In fact, I realized Tuesday night that earlier that day I walked away from my dear friend Babs, mid-conversation, because I turned around when someone distracted me and I forgot I was talking to her! (There were a lot of people and I had hit sensory overload the hour before.) Although I don't like it, I am sure the Lord has His reasons.

    Short term memory loss is part of my new CEBV Cognitive Package, which I sometimes struggle to call an upgrade, but nevertheless it was bundled so it's now mine. And, although it makes me sad sometimes, it's ok because before you know it, I forget it's even a problem. :) 

    To my surprise, the neurologist I saw a couple of weeks ago, upon reviewing the results of the additional tests he ordered, said it appears that I have CEBV (Chronic Epstein-Barr Virus). EBV is the virus, with a number of different strains, that causes the common ailment Mononucleosis, which I came down with last July. Discovered in 1964 by M. A. Epstein, Y. M. Barr, and B. G. Achong, the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is said to be one of the most prevalent pathogens in human beings. (I wonder what Dr. Achong did to get left out of the name?!) It is estimated that up to 90% of the populace has been infected, completely unaware due to the varying intensity of symptoms. Typically, the virus is benign and is acquired w/o notice (as in my husband's case, for example, who tested as having had it, but did not recall being sick).

    I was surprised the doc conceded this, because he is the same doc who said not to expect any diagnosis. This 'disease' has only recently been recognized and some doctors think it is fiction. I thought maybe he was one of them. I am convinced those would be doctors who have neither had it nor known anyone personally who has contracted it. I personally find it rather hard to dismiss.

    But the Lord, who is gracious and knows we are dust and sometimes in need of encouragement, reminded me today that He has short-term memory loss too, and that it is SOMETHING TO BE VERY THANKFUL FOR. In Jeremiah 31:31-34, He is telling of the end of the Old Covenant, one which we could never keep, and the coming New Covenant, to be purchased by Christ:

"Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD."But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. "They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." 

   So while I am not always happy about my memory loss, I am always happy about the Lord's. His loss is my gain, and a greater blessing than even the crocuses.

Miraculous Survival

 

After months under a thick layer of ice, 

my goldfish are alive and swimming happily.

How?

By wisdom and mercy.

By Wisdom.

They were created to do what they do

by a benevolent and thoughtful Creator,

Who does all things well, 

Whose ways are above our ways,

Whose thoughts are above our thoughts.

By Mercy.

When His creation was assaulted

He designed survival.

It is

miraculous

astonishing

sobering.

The LORD is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works. 

All Your works shall give thanks to You, O LORD,

         And Your godly ones shall bless You.

Psalm 145: 9,10 

(See January 7, 2011 for ice pictures.)

Naaaaaaaatural Milk

Milked my first goat tonight.

This little lady and one other will

likely be our first 'real' farm

animals soon,

(not counting the chickens).

Had goat milk with dinner tonight.

Not baaaaaaaaaaaad. 

A Warm Smile from the Cold Ground

I love Spring.