Pain

I learned something tonight that hurt me terribly.

A great friend in my youth, a person though younger than me by atleast five years, always seemed more grounded and wiser than me, has left the flock and has also become a part of the homosexual agenda, it appears that he cohabitates with a man that he seems to be in a relationship with.

This struck me with shock.

The last I had known about my friend was that he was attending college in St. Louis to become a youth pastor. He had many connections and friends doing what they could to support him, let alone a home church that was very happy for him.

I'm not certain what happened between then, a number of years ago, and now.

When we spent time together I wondered to myself what his family would look like in the future. What kind of spectacular wife he would have. How much more accomplished his children would be than even him. These things won't happen. That hurts. I counted him as an altruistic friend that was always benevolent.

Like I said, I'm not sure what happened between then and now, as we haven't been in touch for a while. I always expected him to come back to town, but he hasn't. He's still in St. Louis. I know he has many more people in his life who's opinion's and feeling's matter much more than mine, however I can't shake the hurt. In a youth group that didn't always look to the light, he was a reliable leader that knew holy from unholy.

I can't condone sin. But I do love my brother in Christ, even as a sinner. We are all sinners and fall short of the grace of Yah. But He has mercy and has afforded us salvation through Yeshua.
I will always have love in my heart for this friend of mine.

I had been thinking about the topic of homosexuality and if I wanted to address it on this blog. Many people think ( especially in this "modern" age) that to reject sin is to reject the sinner. What some people don't consider is that it is possible for ourselves to be rejected by the sinner. When I learned of my friends decision, it compelled me to post this blog. I pray that my words are not abrasive and that although they may be received with dissuasion from this individual, that he will still consider my love and appreciation for the place he took in my life while we were young.

I've not been active on my FB for what has been several years so this has only now come to my attention. As it has come to my attention, and the technology we have today is a new thing, I am struggling with what I should do about a friendship I felt in my heart. Should I remove him as a friend and send a clear message? Or do I keep him and continue to pray for him? Granted if I am to say anything about my hurt, he is prone to take me off of his list of friends. I believe I have made a decision but I will wait on it for a week or less, depending on correspondence over the course of this week.

At the end of the day, I know this: Yah would not accept it, and He would chastise him for his immorality.

I don't feel it's my place to chastise said friend. Though maybe that's me being weak as a Christian.

My hurt comes from seeing that in this world that a great holy leader has been lost, and that in the world to come I won't see him at the gate. From all appearances his heart is not repentant. Though he does still have a vast amount of content on his page with regards to his church. Some people have responded to him in less than holy ways, albeit those same people are not what I would consider followers of Yeshua as of today.

I know that this individual is intimately familiar with the Word of God and that what I am about to write is nothing new to him. But to have a clean conscience I have to write it anyway.

Leviticus 18:22 KJV

Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

or more clearly from the NLT

Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin.

And here is a more vivid illustration from an outspoken Paul.
Romans 1:18-32 NLT

18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.* 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.

24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. 26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.

28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. 32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

 

 

 

Also,

 

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Don't you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people-none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (NLT)

 

1 Timothy 1:8-10 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine ... (ESV)

 

 

These verses are not written in hate. They are holy scripture. I do not hate my brother for losing his private fight with temptation. The Word says that if we hate our brother, he have not the love of the messiah. In fact that verse, 1st John 3:15 equates hate to being a murderer. I love my brother, and that is why I petition his choice.

 

 

 

I can't help but battle at the same time with a commandment that I am not fully versed in, that of shunning. I know that it is scriptural, through and through, but not having examples of holy shunning makes it a little difficult to follow a safe path with it.

 

Here are the verses regarding shunning. A topic I have avoided till present and may be able to better elloquate in the future, but certainly not at present.

 

I was going to just quote 1st Corinthians 5:11-13. But after reading the chapter, the entirety should really be read.

 

From Matthew 18:15-17 NIV

15 "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

 

The Word of God truly is clear on the matter.

 

I don't blame my friend for looking at the world the way he does. Things have changed drastically in the last thirty years. I'm not sure how youth these days can try to stay pure with all of the evil around them. There are so few people even from my generation that are pure, not to mention the fact that more and more of the people that were pure at one point in time, have now fallen by the wayside. It hurts and it is genuinely sad. And many of these people would still call themselves saints, even though they choose to no longer "be separated" from "the world".

 

In a day of self-worship steeped in materialism and church buildings that are more entertainment centers than institutes of salvation, where is a stray sheep to turn? When the media barrages the public through a bullhorn trifecta of radio, TV, and internet-todays churches whisper from across town to turn from sin. When I look at today's generation turning from Christ, I don't judge them, I could easily be one of them. Their falling away is not their fault. I know who the liability rests on, and I know in all my soul that those same individuals would never hold themselves accountable, much less lift a finger to save said soul.

 

Today's generation has nothing to contrast materialism with, it is what they believe to be "normal", it is "their normal". Individuals of age, have it as their responsibility to enlighten today's generation that there is a choice, and that every decision they make-whether it be which shoes to wear or whom to associate with- is a decision that they have complete control over. That popularity is not the answer, but rather integrity and perseverance.

 

I'll end this with Matthew 7:15 KJV

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

 

Take heed to whom you listen. Not all in the church are saints.

My Struggle With Anabaptist Views Of Non-Violence

Quite a long title huh?

For those that are unfamiliar with groups of Christians that identify themselves as "anabaptist", that group includes the Amish, Mennonites, the Old German Baptist Brethren(O.G.B.B.), the Hutterites, and the various other groups that fall under the name of "Brethren".............and then you have us......Anabaptist Pentecostals.

I've not spoken to any of the other groups about how they look at non-violence except for the O.G.B.B., I expect that the Amish and the Mennonites agree for the most part with their interpretation of scripture.

What they told me is this. That they do not believe in violence and that they abstain from war.

This I can agree with.

Then they elaborated.

They told me that even if someone broke into their home, that they would not offer resistance, even if the invader initiated the rape of their wife.

I try to be agreeable as much as possible, but this was too much for me to handle.

I chalked my disagreement with them up to the fact that I was only then becoming familiar with anabaptists. I figured that there was something in the Word that I had skimmed over and that I needed to find.

So I read the New Testament again, I still did not agree with them.

I can only speculate that the other groups agree with their ideology.

It's been approximately five and a half years since I had that conversation.

Ever since then I have struggled with my partial agreement with them.
I agree that a man should not engage in violence. That violence is evidence of hate, and that those that hate will not enter into heaven.

The Bible tells us to forgive.

I agree that war is not the manner in which the Lord intended for us to resolve our disputes.
But I've always felt strongly that when diplomacy fails, and an individual or group resorts to aggression, that any man or woman has the right and privilege of self-preservation, including self-defense.

A saint of God will not instigate hate, violence, or aggression at any time.

But the other half of the disagreement revolves around the fact that to attain peace, after trying diplomacy, our only resort to neutralize violent aggression may be to utilize aggression ourselves.

When the dust has settled, we have peace.

The next aspect of this line of thought becomes; if we don't resist-is it suicide or martyrdom.
The fact of the matter is it can not be martyrdom if they are not persecuting us for our faith.
A random stranger invading our home has no idea what our faith is unless they ask. Even if we declare our faith at the moment of their attack, our faith will most likely play no role in why they chose us at their target.

If we permit the rape of our spouse, we are as guilty as the rapist.






The word of God calls us to be peace-makers.


Matthew 5:9 - Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

I desire to be a peacemaker in all that I say and do. Diplomacy is always the first step.  Having love towards everyone, our brothers and sisters, is imperative to creating and maintaining a peaceful attitude and atmosphere.


This week I met another Sabbath keeping anabaptist family. We discussed many topics. This issue was discussed. They agreed with me.

The verse the father used to reinforce his point was one that I've mentioned on this blog before. I've never heard it used in this context.

1 Timothy 5:8- But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

I think this is an interesting interpretation of the verse, one that I'm not prone to disagree with.
Providing for our own takes on many different responsibilities, not just financial.

I feel that henceforth my conviction on this matter has been settled, however it didn't require me to compromise. I feel comfortable now about this. However I will continue to pray, and ask Yeshua for his guidance on the matter.

How Much Does It Cost?

Well I suppose for each person the answer to this question is different. I'll try my best to relate everything to our real life example as it in all reality is probably a typical situation for anyone seeking this life.

Elizabeth and I came from two different types of families but yet were brought together by a common love for God and an interest in homesteading. She had been raised in a family that gardened annually and that encouraged her activity in 4H. I on the other hand didn't become acquainted with providing for oneself till I was in my early twenties. I had a small collection of axes and saws that I had used to fell some trees on my fathers land in PA. I had truly expected that I'd be able to finish a cabin that I had started. We both brought different experiences and tools to the family.

Even with the tools that we brought into this marriage, we still find that a particularly large portion of our income is put towards homesteading tools and supplies, not to mention the space they take up. We have a room that is dedicated to crafts. It has two looms in it, one is full size and the other is about large enough to make things about the size of a place-mat. Both looms were gifts.

I encourage you to write down what direction you want to go in with regards to homesteading. It will greatly determine your budget. It will also determine what you do and don't need, and from that you will know what you will be purchasing in the future. I say the future because Elizabeth and I have been married for over six years and we are still acquiring the things we know we will need in the future (Like pressurized lamps and clothing material).

A lesson that many a homesteader learns the hard way is to buy the best quality that they can afford. Being cheap doesn't pay off in the end. We feel strongly that all homesteading tools should be heirlooms. The next generation does not need to struggle as much as we do. Not only that, but if you figure out how much money you spend replacing inferior tools annually, you quickly figure out that you could be greatly ahead had you simply purchased quality. The one exception to this that comes to mind is buying Snap-On Tools versus Craftsman. Unless you've got the money laying around, don't waste it.

The reality of the matter is that if you are going to liv this life of homesteading full-time, it will literally cost thousands of dollars. It's a life of passion that gives us much pleasure. So instead of spending a large sum of money on a TV, spend that money buying something you can use to make yourself money.

I know I've made it sound like alot of money, but when you consider the different directions in which one can go, the truth becomes evident. Many of us will acquire things for free and that furthers our ability all that much. It is quite possible in many places in the U.S. to find draft horses for free, people just can't afford the hay and feed, but then you have the cost of leathers and implements.
I by no means have gotten to that point, but I will admit I entertain the fantasy. This is a case where once you own land, the horse, and the items pertaining to the horse, you only really have to worry about the cost of the horse coming up again a dozen or so years down the road.

I'm struggling as it is to make my plane-making venture work. Machinery is not cheap. Yes you can buy a table saw used but you never know how the previous owner took care of it. With machines it's best to buy new and to try to get a warranty. That costs money. On the upside, it's probably a machine you will own the rest of your life. Don't buy cheap with the express intent of saving money. Buy quality with the intention of owning something for a lifetime. It may be uncomfortable at first, but the rewards will show themselves in time.

I'm not sure how well I helped you, my goal was to be honest. There is no way around the fact that any venture you take in life will cost money. Homesteading will be expensive. Plan ahead and use your money correctly.

I hope this helps.

Lord bless.

2 Gallons of Real Cow Milk!

 

This is what real cow's milk looks like. The stuff they sell at the store in no way resembles this. Once you have tasted and handled real milk it will anger you what they try to sell you. They exploit your lack of knowledge. Basically the milk they sell at the store is milk that has had all the cream taken out of it, they use it to make butter and other products. When you drink this at home you keep the cream in it, it is what gives it it's depth of taste and nutrition. Without the cream this milk is not appetizing, though I would still sooner drink it than what they sell at the store.

The arrow shows you where the division between the milk and the cream is.

 

Typically I shake the container before I pour a glass. Otherwise the first glass can taste like liquid butter, quiet a funny experience for a newbie. If you are a skinny guy like me and are trying to gain weight, this is the stuff you want to drink. It tastes great, is much cheaper than weight-gainer, and is also much much healthier for you.

 

This is supposed to be a one gallon jar, but it turns out to be a full five quarts. A quart of cream and four quarts of milk. It's a real nice treat every week. We consume about two of these containers a week. If we had teenage sons there would be no way that I'd be caught without a milk cow!

 

I've personally met the cow that gives us our milk, sadly her owners haven't given her a name.

She gives about 3-4 gallons a day they say. That's enough to satisfy her owners needs and pay for herself. We are currently paying 5$ a gallon container. To us it is more than a reasonable deal, especially considering that the cow is a Guernsey and that she is grass-fed not grain-fed.

 

We currently liv in the state of Arkansas where it is legal to purchase cow's milk from off the farm. I will never again purchase milk from the grocery store if I can avoid it. It is immoral that they try to call it milk. It is not milk.

 

I strongly encourage you if you are able to, to get ahold of some real milk. I've only had store bought milk my entire life. I grew up in Houston Texas. Don't buy the lies from the milk companies and big government that tell you real milk will kill you. It won't. If you're worried about it, just check the farms facilities and make sure that they practice proper hygiene. Be cautioned, some places do not practice proper hygiene, the burden lies on you to validate.

 

We made butter from a gallon we purchased. We'll be posting that probably later this week. We have plenty of pictures!

 

By the way, this is only our third week having real milk. We are still very new to it.

 

This is milk the way God intended it to be, unadulterated by man.

 

 

 



Pastors Of the Porters-An Invitation

We know that there are like believers out there. I know this, because we have met them. Granted those meetings were before we had this blog and also only in passing. You meet a lot of people as a truck driver.

Well, we need an individual or individuals that are willing to be our preachers. At this time, I do not feel that it is the will of the Lord for me to establish a home church and to lead it. I simply am not learned enough nor do I have a sufficient memory to communicate adeptly the ideas and their foundations that I have gleaned from the Word of God. I may be eloquent, but I am not where I need to be yet. I feel secure that there will be that time, it's just not now.

If you are an anabaptist pentecostal and are interested in leadership, please email us. Even electronic pastorship is appreciated.

porterhomestead@gmail.com

Lord Bless.

Grandparents, Be Thankful For Them

Everybody knows that parents are a necessary part of life for anyone growing up. Whether they be your birth-parents or even just legal-guardians. We've all had parental figures around us as we grew up instructing us as to what they thought we should do as life brought us a multitude of life-changing intersections.

Whether it be the decision of what occupation we should take up, or even, what do people do during their courtship years.

I grew up with two parents, my father is the quiet type and prefers to stick to his athletics and stock market interests. My mother on the other hand was a little more involved in my life. She would let me know when music I had purchased was too offensive for her to tolerate and when I should stay away from certain guys I had chosen as friends. She did what a mother was supposed to do. She made a delicious dinner every evening and we would all eat together, the entire family. She would clean the house and clean our laundry. She'd let us know if we let our room go too far and that we needed to clean it. I got my first job because of some stern encouragement from my mother. When she got a car to replace her van, she let me have the old car. I had a very fun youth because of it.

I like to think that I know my parents well. I know I don't know everything about them, or even a lot about them, but I like to think I know the things I should.

When it comes to my grandparents, I never really got to know either pair. Both grandfathers passed before I was old enough to understand who they were. By the time my mothers mother lived near us her health was so feeble that she really wasn't cognizant of who I was, she passed when I was ten or eleven. My fathers mother I knew a little better but I tried to keep quiet and keep my distance. She was unaffectionate and irritable. I tried to work around her quirks. I remember one time she took me on a small car trip around her town and showed me a sheep farm, she showed me a spring where the townspeople would fill up jugs. I cherish the few but deep memories I have of being with her. She lived about 22 hours from where we liv nowadays, so I only saw her very few times. She's passed on as well. Her house went to my aunts family, a piece of land went to my father.

I've never really been around friends that lived with or around their grandparents. But as I get older I wish more and more deeply as I go on that I had a pair of grandparents to fill that elderly niche that only grandparents can fill. They give us a deeper understanding of our heritage. They help us to understand ourselves and why some of us are writers and others of us musicians. I never really knew my grandparents, but I can truly say that I miss them. I miss them.

If all I can do is encourage you to enjoy and appreciate your grandparents, then that's what I'm trying to do. Granted you have the opportunity.

Grandparents symbolize honesty, virtue, and stability-in my opinion.

Through the years I've tried to find replacements for the grandparents I didn't know. I never really did have success. There's just no substitute for your own original grandparents.

My prayer is that in the event the Lord tarries till after I pass, that I be able to liv in a home filled with my grandchildren. I know that could be twenty-plus years from now, but it would fill my heart with joy. Every member of a home has a niche, every child, every teen, every adult. And every lesson we learn as we go through life's lessons in each of these stages, prepares us to be the grandparents that the Lord intends for us to be.

The purpose of life is to raise a better generation.
The meaning of life is to become the person it takes to raise that better generation.

Let the Lord mould you into the grandparent he needs you to be, today's and tomorrow's generation need people aware of the importance of altruism. It takes a lifetime to become that person, that's not an accident. It's his design.

I pray this posting brought peace to you and left you feeling edified. I pray God's blessings on your house, friends, and family. In the name of Yeshua, bless you.

Revival, And What It Really Means

I've been to dozens of church gatherings commonly referred to as "revivals".  These were exciting meetings with well spoken evangelists lifting up the congregation and chastising them when the Lord prompted them to. In these meetings there would be many more people than the congregation would typically hold. Many would be visitors, many would be family that were not committed, and others were people that had heard through word-of-mouth. In these meetings it was always exciting to see new people hear about what we knew about the Lord. We were full of fire and wanted everyone to know and have what we had and to see what the full word of God had to give.

I took a lot away from these revivals and was glad to attend them for years.

As I got older I began to realize that not everyone was taking away the same thing I was.

Everything has it's season. Everyone has their "down season". We all need to be lifted out of it, sometimes we are able to do it on our own, other times we need the encouragement of another brother. Hence the term revival, "To bring back to life".

For the two camps (believers and new believers) the change had from the revival would look two very different ways.

For the New believer, the change could be disorienting. A world of new emotions flowing around everything they have known their entire life. Looking at the world through the prism of "what is holy and what is not holy?" alongside thoughts of "now that I believe, what do I believe?". All of which should promptly be followed by a reading of the New Testament. Reading the Word is the foundation of our faith, and the fertilizer that helps us to grow in our youth. Every Christian has been there.

For those people that have been believers and have had a walk with God, a revival should simply bring back to life our depth of conviction, not only to witness but also to purge our lives of any immorality that we have allowed into it. Whether that be through the media or even immodest/immoral clothing.

 To maintain our separation from the world the Lord gave us commandments and convictions. Convictions are simple truths we live our lives by that we feel are biblical. The general public may be oblivious to some of our more simple convictions that are truly insignificant, but do matter to our Lord on a personal basis. I am not here to tell you what convictions you should have, or even what half of my convictions are. Many I have had and lived with for so long that I am almost not even aware of them, they are my normal.  

After attending revivals, I had new eyes for what was sin in my life. I looked at things and people I had allowed into my life with different eyes. Some things are best to be ridden of, other things we have in our life, we have to tolerate against our will. The same goes for people. Sometimes in order to have a closer walk with God, we have to say farewell to people that we know are not healthy for us to be around. Other times, we have to adjust the way we interact with those that we have to be around.

After years of having attended revivals, my disappointment came from seeing the parable of the sower illustrated. It hurt to witness people come to know God but then deny him the next day.

We all walk our own walk with our Lord, and we are all on different levels with him. Don't give up and don't be discouraged. Be revived in your walk. Be firm. Count it all joy.

If you have any questions or need any support, we are here for you.

Christian Family Traditions

Elizabeth and I have now been in our modest home now for a little over three months. We have since been blessed with an adorable daughter that we love from the very depths of our hearts.

 Elizabeth has posted on her HOMEBIRTH EXPERIENCE. If you have any questions about it she will be happy to answer your questions. You can either post your questions under that blog entry or you can email us directly : )



Now that we seem to be finally settling in to our house, my question to you is this, What are your family's Christian traditions? With this I'm not talking about holyday traditions, but rather the day to day traditions. For example praying before a meal as you give thanks to the Lord for providing and blessing you. That is just one example.

I was not raised in a home where we belonged to a fellowship. I can remember going to church when I was very young, but I think we stopped going on a once-every-now-and-then basis once I was about eight. That being said, I can still remember us giving thanks at the dinner table. My family still does this, but only on holydays at formal family dinners.

As the head of my household it is my responsibility to set the standard for my family. Having not been raised by a godly father, nor having been raised around one, I am desireful of examples of how to be one. I know that it is my responsibility to instill in my children habits that will lead them in a
healthy relationship with our heavenly father.



Personally I try to maintain a personal tradition of reading ten chapters a day from the word of God, sometimes I don't succeed, but the wealth of learning is rewarding daily. I'd prefer to read five in the morning and five in the evening, but I usually have to read them all in the evening. Being a stay at home father has changed my schedule significantly. It typically takes about an hour, but sometimes less to read my quota.

Some people say they couldn't do that or that they don't have the attention span for it. I'll admit there are times I have to read a verse three or four times before I really begin to understand what it says. It's easy to skim over verses just doing a cursory reading, because in reality we don't really understand what is being said. I am guilty of this when it comes to books that have a long line of genealogy or even the book of Romans for example. The way that Paul phrases so many of his ideas in that book just leads me to scratch my head. I will admit there are times where I have read entire passages in that book several times, just to be left with a vague idea of what he was trying to convey.

This struggle to understand is worth it when I consider an eternity with our heavenly Father.

It also feeds my brain for a day of pondering the Word of our Lord!

So help me out, what did your family do on a day to day basis when you were growing up? What does your family do today?

What are ways that a father can build up his family on a daily basis? Did your father do something special?

I am asking you to respond. Write as much as you choose. It is all for edification. Glory be to our Lord, our Savior.

 

A petition from the McCartan family

 

 

Here is a photo of us just weeks before Abigail was born.

Be productive in reading the Word of God. It will make you wealthy, healthy, and wise.

Back to Eden's Garden!

Ok, this will be a simple entry.

Recently I became aware of a new gardening technique that requires minimal weeding and no water except after seeding. No joke, and I'm sure I know what you are thinking. That's impossible unless your garden is covered in rocks and who can till that! Well here's the bonus, it doesn't involve covering your garden in rocks and you will also never have to till it either! Seriously!

 

I recently came across a documentary that shows this method. Simply put, you design your garden like nature. You don't till the soil for a multitude of reasons, but also you don't have to water. Leaving the soil alone keeps moisture in the ground and prevents weeds from germinating. The solution to all those problems and soil erosion? Woodchips!

 

Now these aren't "bark nuggets" but legitimate chippings from entire branches of trees bushes and shrubs.

 

 

 

We have a half acre in the back that we are considering gardening in this method, its the field that we used to have our goats in. We miss our goats, but this may be a good way of utilizing the field.

The field has been fallow as long as we know of. The house is about twelve years old. And we know that the field was certainly left alone for the two years before we moved in, and aside from the goats being in there, it has still been left alone. The field has a mix of meadow grasses, pesky weeds, and the typical wild herbs you would expect to see in any southern field.

 

I'm pretty certain we are going to do this. So watch our journey, it is going to be interesting.

 

I apologize for the odd fish-eye-lens effect, but this was the best panorama I could take with an IPhone.

 

So what you are looking at is the gate we have that separates our back yard from the back field.

The odd box object to the left of the gate is what used to be the housing for the goats. It was a dog house prior to that.

 

Here are some before pictures to give you an idea of what we are starting with. Now the theory is that you are not supposed to begin this program until fall, because that is when the leaves naturally fall from the trees. We'll see if we make it that long before we can't help ourselves. The underlying theme of this method is this. It's not supposed to be alot of work once the garden is established. That can take three years or more depending on where you liv and what materials you are relying on.

 

 

The most of this grass is about knee high, I think it's still growing from where the goats ate it. Other grass is up to my hip.

 

I'm not sure what this shrub is but it looks like it will be simple to deal with. It'll probably become a blogpost of it's own.........

 

This is a grain that grows in the field. I'm not familiar enough with the various grains to know what this is.

 

Here's our little dog Trixie next to a semi-common weed we have back there.

 

 

What is certain is this. If you follow this method aggressively and fulfill all of it's tenants, you will have the best garden you have ever had-growing the best produce you have ever tasted and you will not have to weed (as you currently know it) except with a rake, you will not have to water, and you will not have to till. Just plant your favorite seeds, and eat. Those are the steps, albeit, only after the garden is fully established.

 

Our soil in the back field seems to be very nice already since it's been left alone and has alot of diversity, so I am hoping that helps with the decomposition of the wood chips.

 

So our back field can be a test plot for you if you are on the fence about it. It will be alot of work upfront, but that's normal. It will all be worth it. I'm excited and eager. That is......if we move forward with it.

 

Here is the link to the documentary, watch it now! It will change the way you look at everything!

God Bless!

 

http://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/play/11883/Back-to-Eden

 

The Blessings of New Life

The Blessings of New Life

 

“A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.” John 16:21

 

I must start this posting by stating I had a very easy pregnancy. The morning sickness was mostly isolated to a few weeks in August as we traveled to Colonial Williamsburg and back. I did have lots of swelling despite being on the Brewer Diet. My only other complaint would be the emergence of the dreaded PUPPS rash all over my stomach during the last two months; the intense itching was terrible. My only forms of relief were using black tar pine soap and drinking dandelion root tea. The tea helped the most. 

 

As my estimated due date approached, many people started asking if I was afraid of giving birth naturally. Most of the people I worked with were very uneducated about homebirths and many made predictions that I would ultimately beg to go to the hospital. To be quite honest, I was not afraid. I had stayed away from the “What to Expect” books (don’t ever buy these as a gift) and had focused on reading positive homebirth stories and hypnobirthing methods. Ultimately, the hypnobirthing was thrown out the window as it promised that I would not be in pain. I was in ALOT of pain.

 

I went into labor on Sunday with irregular contractions which I misinterpreted as Braxton Hicks; they soon escalated into 10 minute apart contractions the next day. By 8 pm on Monday night, the contractions were under five minutes apart. Unfortunately, it was excruciating back labor as the baby was trying to turn. She had been in the correct position (head down, face down) for the last three months but had turned during the last week (head down, face up). I took multiple showers and had Michael rub my back during each contraction just trying to get a bit of relief. My midwife checked me around 11:00 pm and I was only dilated to 3. She left around 2:00 that morning to get some sleep but the baby had other plans. My water broke at 5:30 am in a big gush and I told Michael to fill up the birthing pool.

 

After my midwife arrived, I was only at a 5. At that point, I started to get pretty discouraged. I was still experiencing back labor and by the time 9:00 rolled around, I was spent. I dozed between the contractions. Sometimes, there was enough of a lull that I could fall asleep but then the contraction would be twice as long and twice as hard. I was exhausted and needed relief. The midwife checked me again around 9:30 and I was only at a 7. I wanted to cry at that point.

 

She did give me some hope, though. If I could keep from pushing for the next half an hour, she would help thin my cervix manually or use some evening primrose oil. I clutched to that hope and ran with it. After what seemed like hours of contractions, I asked “How much longer?” It had only been 10 minutes. That was disappointing but I knew the end was near. The apprentice and my husband offered some much needed encouragement.

 

At this point, I asked my husband to pray over us once more as we began the final legs of our journey. It was such a special moment for me to have my husband there to not only offer encouragement but spiritual guidance as well.

 

Around 10:00, she manually pushed the rolled lip of my cervix back during several contractions and immediately, there was relief. I could feel the baby start to go down the birthing canal! Each contraction was bringing me closer to seeing my child! I found new energy and was very excited. Another eternity went by but soon I felt a very bad burning sensation and my midwife told me to reach down to feel the baby’s head. I remember saying that I didn’t want to (mostly because I was so focused on getting it out!) but she convinced me to take a break and let my body stretch. I reached down in the water and felt an immense amount of hair waving back and forth in the pool. Like seaweed in the ocean….

 

I joked that if the baby had that much hair, think of the beard it must have!

 

We were certain we were having a son,

 

A few more big pushes and I felt a huge gush! The baby was out! The midwife caught the baby and handed it to me. Michael and my mother-in-law gathered behind me and we all just couldn’t believe there was this crying, slippery baby with tons of hair. It was such an amazing feeling of relief. I remember saying over and over “Hi baby, it’s okay!” After a few minutes, the midwives were asking me to check on the gender of the baby and to our surprise it was a girl! What a wonderful gift from God.

 

The next few hours were a blur. I remember taking some Hem Halt, being lifted out of the pool, and placed next to the fireplace while we waited for the umbilical cord to stop pulsing, the placenta to deliver and stitching up a small tear. Various members of Michael’s family stopped by to see the baby and soon the midwives and my mother-in-law packed up their bags. Our little family was alone for the first time.

 

 

 

 

Takeaways for first time moms:

• When shopping for a midwife, think about what you need from her on your birthing journey. Are you one of those who ask lots of questions and want scientific answers? Do you need a cheerleader when that day comes? Ask for a client list. Call some of those clients and ask questions about the midwife – not their birth story. Everyone I talked to said the midwife I used was great and amazing but she wasn’t what I needed when that day came. I needed a cheerleader offering encouragement during every contraction and I was left discouraged more than once when I saw my midwife ignoring my pleas. I am thankful that I had a husband who stepped into that role.
• Ask about her methods for turning babies, dietary recommendations, and exercise regimens. My midwife did not know of any ways to turn a baby – others can. It may not have worked but we could have at least tried them. Having a child is comparable to running a marathon – you need to train for the big day. I wish I would have done more exercise than walking.
• Childbirth does hurt but there is a quote that I clung to: “The power and intensity of your contractions cannot be stronger than you, because it is you. - Unknown” Each contraction is one closer to bringing you to your baby. Embrace them and celebrate the end of each one.
• Don’t starve yourself during the birth. I did because I wasn’t hungry and have had a hard recovery. Force yourself to eat. Make smoothie ice cubes with a bit of avocado to keep up your energy. Drink chlorophyll water.
• Educate yourself. Do you want the Vitamin K shot and the eye drops for your child? We chose not to do either. Even if you have a hospital birth, you can opt out of these things. Let the placenta completely quit pulsing before the cord is severed. Newborns need this extra blood in their system. If you test positive for Group B strep, there are natural ways of combating this. Look for natural alternatives in everything you do – your baby will thank you for it.

 

Tips for newborns:

• Be sure to wake them up to eat in the beginning. Abigail wanted to sleep a lot and I thought it was just because of having a hard labor. She actually had jaundice and that can cause them to sleep too much.
• Co-sleeping has been the best thing for us. No blankets on the bed for the first few months. After that, be sure to have separate blankets for you and your spouse. Abigail always snuggles up underneath my arm and I have a light blanket covering the two of us.
• Clean around the umbilical cord during each diaper change with a Q-tip and water. Dry it with the other end. Continue after the cord falls off. If it starts looking reddish after the cord falls off, clean and slather with antibacterial ointment.
• Do not clean your child during the first week. Let the vernix soak into the skin. After that, you can wash the baby twice a week with a mild soap like Dr. Bronners. Be sure to get into the rolls around their neck and open their hands…it is a hiding spot for lint. If you cannot get them to open their hands, try stroking the back of the hand.
• Use reusable diapers to save money and as a healthy alternative for your child. We have not had a single case of irritation or diaper rash. There are many reviews out there and find what works best for your family. I currently use Diaper Safaris with Organic Indian pre-folds (Diaper Safari’s inserts are too bulky for daytime use) and Lalabye Baby diapers. I bought them from http://www.ecobabybuys.com/. They send daily emails with featured products at huge discounts. You may not get to choose from many colors or styles, but you can save a lot of money this way on baby products.

 

I will be posting a list of baby essentials for new moms/baby shower gift ideas as well as useful home remedies later. At this point, Abigail wears store-bought onesies and hand-me-down clothes. Soon, I will be making plain dresses for the upcoming bigger sizes and plan to post sewing tutorials. Please let me know if you have any other topics you would like for me to post on!

What's New?

Well I'm currently at home watching Abigail Grace. This is my first week of retirement from truck-driving. Everything is going well. I'll see if I can load a picture or two on here and make it look nice.

 

 

I've never heard parents comment about how much their child smiled, Abigail smiles all day it seems. Of course she has her bouts where she is upset, but that's only normal.

 

So as we have probably said elsewhere, our little piece of land is about .80 of an acre. Plenty of land to have some fun with for two adults and a baby. So Elizabeth and I eagerly adopted three goats. We had them for about two months when one of them decided to escape three days in a row. The local law enforcement didn't appreciate this distraction. They let us know that our goats were a violation of the town law. They then let us know that our chickens are as well. Yes, we seriously were ordered to remove our chickens in a town of less than five thousand people. The goats, although it made me angry to remove them, I could deal with it. But the chickens needing to be removed, that really angered me. Dogs with sharp teeth are ok loose in a backyard, but not chickens. Doesn't seem logical, but that's probably why I don't make the laws-They'd make sense. So now our back yard and back field are essentially vacant.

We toyed with the idea of growing produce for the local farmers markets but decided that in the end the financial investment would be too much and that the distraction from plane making would be intollerable. Realisticly any money that would be invested in gardening should really be put into tool-making. Right now is an important time to focus on that as a priority. I'm at the center of a perfect storm if I can do things just right. Ive got one life to liv and need to do this right.

Eventually we will have a very large and healthy garden, but this is not the year for it as the season has already passed and next year I will be deeply involved in my tools when time allows.

Ok so it"s been 11 weeks since Abigail was born. I'll try to get Elizabeth to write a posting on that. It was alot of work for the two of us. It was here, at home, unmedicated. So much work.

Thanks for keeping up on our posts. There will be many more now that I am at home and have two free hands! No more driving!!

Lord bless and always seek his will!

Michael

A Reader's Email

From a reader of the blog:





Hi. I stumbled across one of your pages yesterday and it was very interesting. I am a little curious about some things. I was raised in a UPCI church in the Deep South. It is very conservative. Our men, aside from the pastor, very seldom wear suits. Some of them never unless it was on their wedding day perhaps. They are very country, masculine men. Definitely not the suit wearing, accountant type. We still have prayer rooms that we use every service. Some of our people don't go to the doctor and still have their babies at home. Just wanted to let you know that every UPCI church isn't the same. Although, we have quit fellowshipping the UPCI due to the fact that they have voted in television and other things that we don't agree with. A large number of churches in the state I live in, among others, pulled out because of it. I hope this doesn't come across as rude, because that isn't at all how I intended it to.

I have long been fascinated with the Plain lifestyle. I admire them for the separate lifestyle they live. Although there are things that I don't agree with. There is a whole lot more to this salvation thing than living a separated life. You have to obey God's plan of salvation. I think that if you believe you are saved and you know the plan of salvation you should reach out to those around you with it. God called us to be witnesses. They as a rule keep to themselves. Although I have Mennonite neighbors that do get out and witness their beliefs to others. They have even attended my church before and have come to my house for a singing.

I do agree that some Pentecostals need to rethink some things and straighten some things out. There is a lot of things that have crept in and are creeping in that is not right. Mainstream Pentecost today is a far cry from the Pentecost of yesterday. That's why a lot of people are pulling away and identify themselves as Apostolic in doctrine and Pentecost by experience. And never forget that David danced before The Lord with all his might. His wife even looked on him in ridicule. He was not ashamed however. There are times and places that it is perfectly alright to openly praise and worship God. I am not saying act like a Pharisee. Please don't get me wrong, but I never want to hide the glory and majesty of God.

But this is a personal thing. It is each for their own. I can't save you and you can't save me. We each have to save ourselves.

In Jesus Name (Still name above every name!)

Your reader  



I asked the reader if I could publish this email. It's well written and was very informative to me. I hope that it will inform and help some of the readership. Feel free to comment on this. I will publish your comments if they are appropriate. I just ask that you don't submit them as "anonymous". 

Abigail Grace, May 7th 2013

Elizabeth Ann and I are so thrilled to announce the birth of our daughter Abigail Grace. Weight 8 pounds 6 ounces. She was born at 10:50 a.m. With a full head of hair! Elizabeth gave birth to Abigail at our home naturally and without any medications.

Music is a Part of Life

Music is a Part of Life

In our lives and our walk with God, we have always had music around us. Although we are plain, we don't ascribe to the standard of avoiding musical instruments. We have various acoustic guitars, drum sets, and other folk instruments, and most played is our piano. I'm not sure where the standard of avoiding musical instruments came from, I'm still trying to find it in the early German church writings. 

Although we have our instruments, we choose not to use them in worship as it helps us to feel closer to God. 

Often times when instruments are brought into worship, they (along with the musicians playing them) are made the centerpiece of the meeting.  

Instruments cost money, and quality instruments cost a lot of money. That is a resource we feel is better spent supporting our community like the fatherless and widows. 

Music is great when it's inside the home being played amongst the family to worship or just for fun. But in the situations where instruments are used amongst "privileged" individuals as status symbols rather than tools of worship, that's when priorities are misplaced. 

That is why we choose to keep our instruments out of worship but still play them for God on our own. It's similar to the concept of the prayer room. It is about being as genuine as possible with our savior when we worship him. 

If you ever have an opportunity to visit an Old German Baptist Brethren church, you will be very surprised by the music. It is all acapela and sounds like no other singing I've heard anywhere else. 

I'd be very happy to learn the style and teach it to my children but I have no idea how I could begin to do that. 

Their music has been handed down from generation to generation and is so tonaly unique that anything I would try to do to replicate it would probably sound false or severely degraded. 

There is a certain musical slur that the women use in their singing that is so beautiful to hear, I truly hope my future daughters learn to replicate it, as once again-I've not heard it anywhere else. 

The affect of the music on the singers is to feel very close as a family, and to feel very close all worshiping the same God. It is a very powerful feeling. 

That same feeling would be impossible to replicate if musical instruments were to be used. 

Though I do know from experience in the UPCI that musical instruments can be used in a whole different way to make a congregation feel close to God, but at the same time, you start to deal with those dangers that I've mentioned before. 

When worship is genuine, it is a beautiful thing before God; When worship is done for vain glory, it is a foul stench before The Lord. 

Covering Thy Head

In the six years that I have been covering my hair, I have tried many different veiling styles. At first, I started with a simple, white lace veil. At the time, I associated myself as Pentecostal and many of the girls at school asked me if it was part of my religion that I start covering myself with a "wedding veil" a certain number of months before the wedding. I knew that this wasn't working for me and had to rethink and seek God's will of what my covering was supposed to be like.

* I want to take this moment to pause and remind the women reading this posting that I feel the type of covering I wear is something that I feel God has led me personally to - I do not feel that this is the type of veil for every individual. He led me to this and it is also approved by my husband.

For most of the last six years, I have worn the Darted Veil from Plain and Simple, which usually drapes down between my shoulder blades: Darted Veil

Although I have ordered blue veils in the past, I have almost always worn black as a personal preference but I also believe that white should be reserved for those that are unmarried.

Helpful links:
Quaker Jane - Great discussion about things to consider before taking up the covering (or bonnet in her case)

Covered4Him - Wonderful long veils

Plain and Simple Coverings - Excellent selection and articles about putting up your hair in different styles of buns

Modestly Covered - I just found this Etsy shop a few weeks ago - beautiful long veils

We Have A Prayer Closet!

I make this statement not to boast, as a closet can be of any size or in any part of one's home. It's just a great feeling when one can liv by their convictions and Biblical commands.

It's probably a simple 3'x4' closet adjoining our bathroom. It has a simple padded prayer bench.

It is convenient, quiet,  and solitary. There isnothing ostentatious about it. It is a simple place to have genuine prayer with God.

I've not taken a foto of it yet, I will try to post one later.

Menno Simmons, Our New House, and Selling My First Plane

Menno Simmons, Our New House, and Selling My First Plane

Lately I've been curious about the origins of the movement encouraged by Menno Simmons. I've been very interested in the documents that came from the meetings of his peers whether Mennonite or Swiss Brethren. 

You can find links here to those documents.  

http://www.gameo.org/library

My deepest interest like I said is with the early history. I've tried reading a variety of Menno's early writings and I think I just haven't found the right ones yet. Most of what I have found so far has only been fluff meant to encourage his followers or has been brief paragraphs about "the ban".  His most thorough writing I've found thus far has been about the educating of children, there is no mention of college. Menno's educational references are all made towards the word of God. 

I've only begun to read, so if I find any interesting pieces I will bring them to your attention. 

Here is a link where you can specifically find Menno's writings. 

http://m.ccel.org/

Simply do a search for "Menno" and you will find anything you are looking for. 

Menno was known as a prolific writer, so there is a fair chance that I just haven't found his "meat and potatoes" yet.  

It's surprised me with what I have found that he can write so much and say nothing, but yet clearly he has had an enormous affect on Christian history. I'm certain there are writings I am missing or perhaps better translations. 

Our New House

Last weekend we received our appliances so now our house is a home! All of our furniture is in as well. Now we just need to take over the rest of our library and we will be set. 

I do unfortunately have to update that during the move Elizabeth Ann's loom was damaged and will not be usable until I am able to repair it. I'll try to remember to do a post on it. Including pictures. 

Hand Plane Making

I've not yet even begun to make and sell wooden hand planes yet, but I have already "sold" one to a good buddy of mine. It's a good motivation booster and also encourages me all the more to leave truck driving. 

Well with all things in our life, everything is very fluid. We'll try to keep you updated. 

Michael E McCartan