Plain Things

For those of you that are unfamiliar with plain culture and are unsure of how plain folk look at the world, there is a new periodical that might help to open your eyes.

It's called "Plain Things".

It's published every so many months by a group of anabaptist living in Kentucky.

Here is a website with information about subscribing. There is no prerequisite to subscribe. Anyone is able to.

http://www.scrollpublishing.com/store/plain-things.html

I pray that Yah blesses you in all that you do and that you always keep your eyes on Him through whom we have salvation, our savior Yeshuah our Messiah.

Our Fiftieth Post!

I'd just like to say thank you to all our readers! Our last posting was our fiftieth. I honestly didn't imagine this day when we started this blog. I didn't know if we had enough to put on here. As time goes on we think of more and more things that we want to add!

We had misplaced our butterchurn and were just about convinced that one of us had put it in a box and taken it to the Good-Will. Fortunately I found it! It was in a box hiding on a shelf in the garage.
We are both very relieved, it is an heirloom from Elizabeth's family. We'll be using it soon to make butter.

We have a posting to make on some butter we've already made just using mason jars. It was a lot of fun and very simple. We were both very surprised by how much butter came from the cream, there was very little buttermilk.

Please if your enjoying our blog, vote on the home page and sign up for emails!

With you in the Lord

Michael and Elizabeth McCartan

The anabaptist pentecostals

Want To Join? What would your contribution be?

This posting is being written with the intention of provoking your interaction.
We'd like to hear what your contribution would be to the discussion of faith and culture.  

I think to this point Elizabeth and I have made a fairly clear point of where we stand on our theology and our convictions.

We are curious about where you are with your walk with God and what brought you to our blog?

At this point we do not have a plot of land that we can liv off of, that won't happen for five to ten years, but when it happens for us, We are curious. Would you like to join?

We'd prefer families to purchase at least 10-20 acres. We'll let you know "where" when the time gets closer. We'll let you know this, land is selling there for 2,000$ an acre, a fair price.

If enough families commit there would surely be enough "sub" groups that everyone's ideological differences would be satisfied.

At this point the binding factors of our "preferred" community would be
1. horse and buggy
2. No electricity in the house
3. Electricity in the shop is fine for working men
4. Bi-weekly fellowship with like-believers
     This means that every other week would be spent with a different community
5. Homeschooling for children
6. Men either work from home or with other men of the community
7. Higher education is not encouraged for women, unless they intend to remain unmarried
8. Higher education is only encouraged for men when there is no alternative.
9. Trades are encouraged above all else.
10. Women are encouraged to enjoy their life and to perfect the art of motherhood

Our Theological Establishment Is Founded On The Bible
the following statements are the theological foundation for our community

1. Weekly conversations on the Biblicality of our beliefs and convictions-this is a lot of fun to dive into, you learn so much that changes they way you look at the world.
2. We all believe in one God and that his name is Yeshua.
3. We are baptized in our Lord's name.
4.We Read from the Bible daily.
5. Legalism is heavily discouraged
6. We believe in water and spirit baptism
7. In situations where it is merited, we do believe in shunning.
8. There is to be MORE THAN one preacher.


There is more to the list than this, but that is why we need your input. This is only intended as a starting point.

I encourage you to contact me through email. I will respond.
And if you are comfortable with it, I would prefer to post your reply for others to read and comment on.

My email is Porterhomestead@gmail.com

Every individual brings a new and different dimension to a group. We all have different life experiences. We encourage discussion to move things forward. We are curious about what you would like to see in a community.

Having a community makes it much more simple for our children to find their future mate. Living states away makes things difficult for everyone, and many opportunities are lost as well. Not to mention the potential loss of a sense of identity.

Lord bless, We'll talk again later.

The Wisdom Of Attending College

I'll preface this post by saying that both Elizabeth and I have attended and graduated from college. In fact, she is currently finishing her MBA.

For us though, we view this as feeding the beast as a means to slay it. Elizabeth has many connections inside of her workplace that desire her to help. Her MBA will not only assist her in attaining these positions but also higher pay.

The higher pay is what is necessary to pay off the college she was expected to attend in the first place. College is the cure to the disease that it, itself creates-debt. This route does not and will not work for everyone. A lot of it goes down to where you liv, how your family supports you, who you know, and most importantly your organizational and work ethic. All of these have to work in just the right way. It's a very risk prone method of self-advancement.

I will not encourage my sons to attend college. I will however prepare them for life. Read THE TRADES OF MY SONS blog posting.

If Elizabeth and I had been raised in plain families, neither of us would have college debt at this point, and the both of us would be further advanced in our lives.



We have not always believed college to be a negative endeavor. It's only been with the current economic downturn that the negatives of college have become more and more obvious.

The only time I encourage college for an individual is when they have been guaranteed a job by someone they know very well, I.E. their father. Another stipulation that I encourage is that they know how the schooling will be paid for. And it's no shame to them if their father pays for it. And when I say "paid for", what I mean is, In-Full before the schooling is finished. NO debts or liabilities upon exciting the institution.

Here is a quote from a famous author.

"Students who acquire large debts putting
themselves through school are unlikely to think
about changing society. When you trap people in
a system of debt they can't afford the time to think.
Tuition fee increases are a disciplinary
technique, and by the time the students graduate,
They are not only loaded with debt,
but have also internalized the
disciplinarian culture. This makes
them efficient components of the
consumer economy."

-Noam Chomsky

I could continue on about how supposed "Christian" schools are teaching heretical ideologies and compromising the integrity of the family structure, but I trust that if you are reading this that you are already aware of that. It's a shame what state our educational system has found itself in from kindergarten to college.

I will say however that the college that Elizabeth is going to now, is actually worth it's name. They say they are Christian and they act and teach like it. I can't say the same for  the college she went to for her bachelors. Granted her current school charges for that type of environment.

We fully expect that ten years from now that Elizabeth will be a stay at home mom, and that our families income will be earned by me.

We are Anabaptist Pentecostals

It's been several years since Elizabeth and I last stepped into a pentecostal church. Ever since then we have been conflicted about how we identify or should identify ourselves. We are plain and we are pentecostal with a little "p". My laptop keeps trying to uppercase the "p" so forgive me if I miss one, I am not that vain.

It's frustrating to know that there is more than one congregation in the local area that we agree with biblically but disagree with "culturally". It's weird here in the U.S. We are so removed from what people identify as culture in other countries that we can't identify what culture is in our own country.
I think the main reason for this is that we are taught in school that we are to be accepting of everybody and everything and that no one is ever wrong and that all people are always right. So all ideas and concepts that seem unique at first eventually get blended into the broad picture that is the U.S. landscape.

It's hard for me to communicate what I feel and am trying to say.

At the core of it, I am really just repeating what I have said before. Take a look at A READER'S EMAIL post. Good churches are still out there.

We are Anabaptist and pentecostal.

We are not ostentatious.
We are not Materialists.
Our sense of identity does not come from the media.
We liv separated and are a peculiar people.
Our walk with God is not focused on us but rather our families and our friends. We are here to encourage and edify them, for the strengthening of our community.

Since we walked away from our pentecostal congregation we have struggled with our identity.
People will ask us "what we are". We both just look at each other and say "plain pentecostal" but that really doesn't say everything for us.

People will push us further and say, "But what are you?" To which we finally just gave in and started calling ourselves Porters. A porter is a person that opens a door. And that's kind of how we view ourselves. We see it as having the best of both worlds. We are pentecostal yes, but it's not the centerpiece of our entire walk with God. There are 65 other books in the word of God than just the book of Acts, and 1st Corinthians 14.

"Both worlds" meaning that we have the joy of the Lord matched with the pleasure of simple living.
The sad reality that many people familiar with the Anabaptists groups are aware of, is the depression that is abundant in those groups. When individuals don't have the liberty to express themselves in various ways, depression will follow. Whether that be through playing musical instruments, or designing clothing to their own preferences. If we go about this world always concerned with satisfying other peoples ideas of what we should be, we ourselves will never be satisfied. A sincere deep walk with God matched with striving to utilize all the talents he gave us, will bring all the satisfaction he designed us to have.

For us, saying that we are pentecostal is an overstatement, the kind of thing that should be understood when we say that we are Christian. However being as the majority of modern Anabaptist are not pentecostal, the simple act of clarifying becomes relevant.

This week we have finally decided.

We are comfortable with being called one of two things.

"Anabaptist Pentecostal" or "Porter".

I don't feel comfortable being called a "plain pentecostal" anymore. My identity is deeper than a single aspect of my walk with God. The single word "anabaptist" has the deeper meanings that more strongly convey where my family is coming from.

By calling ourselves Anabaptist Pentecostals, we feal firm and established. Finally separated from our roots  from years ago.

It was difficult back then to try to communicate to them
(the formal pentecostal church with a big P) why and how we didn't see things eye to eye. Their understanding of the Anabaptist was only what they saw on the surface or on the TV in their living room. They hadn't heard or read any of the theological ideas that establish the foundation of anabaptist ideology.

Honestly, I'm not sure where that conversation could start  with the Pentecostals nowadays. The separation that once existed is now fading away with every generation that passes. The media is so deeply imbedded in everyone's life that it has become normal to just accept it. And that media establishes the culture of the youth. It undermines and rewrites what culture the parents try to instill in their child.

Being afraid to stand-out in a crowd has also cost the church it's identity. We call them Christians in camouflage. Sure you might notice them if you had belonged to them at some point, but otherwise they would just blend in to any other scene in America. They would look no less out of place in a bar than they would just leaving meeting. I couldn't speak so harshly if we hadn't left them years ago.

I'll leave you with these last words.

Regardless of your age and standing with your family or church, don't be afraid to liv separated and holy. It is our father we answer to, not our family members or our church. To reestablish separation, there has to be a first person to do it. Let it be you. From the clothing you wear, to the places you will and won't go. Start a home church, even if it's in an apartment. God bless! It's a difficult road, but the Lord blesses us abundantly for being faithful! We started this walk 6 years ago and we are still going. We are not where we want to be yet, but in time we will get there. Our children will be blessed with our support and direction. Think of your children as well : )

Going To Be A Mom?

 

 

 

 

“Must have” lists are all over the internet and now I’m adding mine to the list! I recently had a soon-to-be grandma ask me for advice and this is what I sent her:

 

Baby Hygiene:

• Q-tips for belly button and ears
• Antibiotic salve
• Diapers (approx. 24 if using reusables). We’ve had no rashes with using the reusables and no need of powders.
• Wet wipes
• Soap – some kind of natural soap like Dr. Bronner’s – we use this on Abigail and have had no troubles with flakey skin. No baths the first week. You can use this on their hair, too. The less products you use on them, the better.

 

Feeding:

• Bottles, bottle brush, bottle warmer (even if breastfeeding)
• Breast pump – insurance covers this now
• If she is going to do formula, they have machines that mix the formula and water for you J

 

Entertainment:

• Bath toys
• Blocks, squeekies, things that crinkle
• Bouncers are nice but they outgrow them in about four months.
• What I wish we had was a swing that plugged-in. These are pricey (about $130) but I’ve seen them on craigslist for about $75. Some swing side to side as well as back and forth.
• Pack and play for Grandma’s house. We just use some rubbery mats from Sam’s Club (approx. $20) on our living room floor covered with a fleece blanket. When the blanket gets dirty, just throw it in the wash J Once the baby starts crawling, they don’t like pack and plays so much…may be good for naps, though.

 

Clothing/Other:

• Onesies – just a few newborn sizes. Abigail used those for about a month (she was 8 lbs 6 oz). Onesies are great for at home. If you go out and want to cover their legs, they have little leg warmers
• Receiving blankets and some larger blankies
• Bath towels (you can use regular towels and washcloths)
• Car seat
• Baby carrier. Spend the money on a good one. No front-facing ones – some cause hip dysplasia. We have an Ergo Baby that I bought used and it is working out really well for us.

 

Diaper bag:

• Get a rectangular one with an open top and rigid sides
• Changing pad
• Diapers
• Bag for dirty ones. I have a reusable zippered wet bag but sometimes I just use Walmart bags
• Wet wipes
• 2 sets of extra clothes
• Blanket
• Food if applicable or nursing cover

 

Things to consider before the birth: Vitamin K shot and eye drops. If you want the Vitamin K, I would recommend requesting the oral dosage. You may opt out of both if desired but will need to watch the hospital staff even after signing the exemption paperwork. Request that the umbilical NOT be cut until after it has quit pulsing. The blood needs to drain from the placenta into the child. Approximately 32% of its blood is in that placenta and it only takes a few minutes to drain. Don’t let the doctor or staff talk you out of this.

 

After mommy-care: Comfortable nightgowns, slippers, warm healthy foods that are easy to heat up. Herbal sitz baths. NO VISITORS the first two weeks unless she wants them. I can’t tell you how many people said they were only going to be there for twenty minutes and stayed for hours. Then they rang the doorbell a hundred times and went over to wake the baby up even though I just got her to sleep. Visitors are just plain exhausting!

 

But my best piece of advice is that she should trust her mommy instincts and she will do great! The “fourth trimester” is definitely the most enjoyable. Abigail has been such a blessing in our lives and I can’t imagine life without her now. Yes, the housework is more difficult to get done now but time spent with her is time well spent. At five and a half months, she is rolling from one end of the bed to the other, making new sounds everyday and is fascinated by our dog. Next month will bring even more great accomplishments!

 

As a side note for my blog readers, Michael often says that “The purpose of life is to raise a better generation.” I didn’t understand that before we had children but it is true. My prayers for Abigail are not for college and fame of this world, but to find happiness and joy in being a Proverbs woman. When we are right with God, blessings will follow.

First Set of Teeth Regrowing Pictures

So I have already described what I have seen happen to my teeth in the last month in two previous postings, so here I will post pictures. Shame on me for not having the guts to take pictures from the beginning. So I guess you will have to take my word on what I have seen happen, and know that henceforth we will have photos up here for you to see. I'm not sure how often I will update this. And there are places in my mouth that you have to look at and move at the same time to see what's really going on. So we may have to get a better camera than our phones, or we might also need to look into a quality video camera for up-close shots.

Well here are the poor quality pictures I have. I tried to take three but only two of them turned out well.

Showing personal tooth decay is very embarrassing. If I didn't think my teeth and gums were getting better, I wouldn't do this.

Alright now I am going to tell you what you are looking at.

I'm not sure if you can tell where all of my cavities are. The hind part of tooth A also is a cavity.  I should have also pulled my bottom lip down, there is damage to the largest tooth as well that is greatly improving. I'm going to say this again. Use HYDROGEN-PEROXIDE for mouthwash!
You have to heal your gums before you can heal your teeth. And in these pictures you can see how pink my gums are. When the transition begins, you will notice that the size of your teeth will change. It's a little weird. Your gums get tighter and in turn they hold to teeth better. So the gums go lower on the tooth. It's a good thing, BUT, it will show you more damage on your teeth that you hadn't seen before.

The tooth that I was focusing all of my attention on what tooth A, when I noticed that food wasn't able to go into the hole anymore I knew something was going on. Bread used to be the worst offender, followed by leafy greens. I also noticed the white lines around the cavities and feared the worst. That the teeth were actually getting worse. Over the course of days I was able to see that it was getting larger. This is a very slow process that seems to have "spurts and stalls". It seems to either improve quickly, or you don't see any progress at all. I think the reason for this is that there are many cavities in my mouth that I can't see, and I think that my body is healing each of them a little bit at a time on an "most important basis". So once my body says to itself, "ok, tooth B is ok for now till I can get back to it, now on to improve tooth C" so on and so on. And with the dozens of cavities I have in my mouth there is just no way that I can always see what progress is going on.


 You can see the brown on teeth A and B, that is the DENTIN. This is the beginning of these teeth healing themselves.

I had read about dentin but was really unsure of what it looked like under healthy circumstances, I had tried to find pictures of it on google with no luck. Every photo was of severe decay to the point of being all black or missing.

The tooth I really wanted to show up well because of it's dentin progress is tooth C, this tooth has shown me what dentin really is and how quickly it can go from being decayed to full restoration.
I was oblivious to this tooth for three weeks, then I had a drink of chicken broth and the next three days this tooth could not be ignored. It's progress was stunning. I will say though that I am uncertain about what is happening with it now. The dentin is healthy but it seems that something is going on with the enamel. I think the dentin is fully regrown, so the only thing left is for the enamel to grow back! You may be able to see that I have a black stain between C and the tooth infront of it, I am VERY curious to see what happens to that over the course of my improvements.

I think that the dentin on tooth B is healthy but that it is not as advanced as tooth C. If progress on it continues at the rate of tooth C, I'd expect it to be finished replenishing the dentin by either the end of next week or the week after, any longer than that and I'll begin to wonder what's going on. I'm so happy with the progress of my gums.

I need to drink more chicken broth but we haven't been able to make any more. I think we might be tomorrow. We'll see.

I could just go on and on saying the same things over and over. I'm really excited about this. When you see your teeth progress, you learn what healthy teeth look like. Granted my teeth are nowhere near finished but already I have seen progress, from decayed teeth that were rank and discolored and gums that were released from teeth and very unhealthy. To now, I can see the full layer of dentin on tooth C and I am so excited to see how the layer of enamel is progressing down the my gums, albeit very slowly. It seems that dentin growth is very quick, relatively speaking, but that enamel growth is super slow. Progress is progress right?

To give you an idea of how slow enamel progress can be, I would estimate that my white line of enamel on tooth C grew only 1/64th of an inch over the course of the last week, that is sloooow!

I know this is supposed to be a homesteading blog but dental health is all part of it right?

Right??

Well it should be.

Remember, stay away from sugars and grains. Sugars include juices and also healthy cereals too!

Look up Ramiel Nagel on YouTube. I'm not paid or endorsed in anyway. I am as normal as you are. I would think all of my other content on this blog would show that to be the case.

In the name of our God and our Savior
Blessings to you and your teeth in the name of Yeshua, amen