Healing Waters

Raking Hay

2009-03-28T15:55:00.001-06:00

Down in the river valley there's some hay being made in summer! That big white barn durn near a half a mile away is our old dairy barn.

Grazing Steers

2009-03-23T15:21:00.002-06:00

Late summer on Orchard Grass, the steers just pack on the weight! I just praise the Lord for the green grass to fatten the cattle!

Dairy Road

2009-03-16T17:22:00.003-06:00

Dairy Road, (that's really its name), is the road past our place. In fact our house is in the trees in the photo! A pretty place this one mile stretch of road is, pure country! I praise the Lord for placing us here!

Down to the River

2009-03-13T19:05:00.001-06:00

As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the starry crown
Good Lord, show me the way !

O sisters let's go down,
Let's go down, come on down,
O sisters let's go down,
Down in the river to pray.

As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the robe and crown
Good Lord, show me the way !

O brothers let's go down,
Let's go down, come on down,
Come on brothers let's go down,
Down in the river to pray.

As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the starry crown
Good Lord, show me the way !

O fathers let's go down,
Let's go down, come on down,
O fathers let's go down,
Down in the river to pray.

As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the robe and crown
Good Lord, show me the way !

O mothers let's go down,
Let's go down, don't you want to go down,
Come on mothers let's go down,
Down in the river to pray.

As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the starry crown
Good Lord, show me the way !

O sinners let's go down,
Let's go down, come on down,
O sinners let's go down,
Down in the river to pray.

As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good old way
And who shall wear the robe and crown
Good Lord, show me the way !

I love this song! The first time I ever heard it was at a baptism service our church was having. First time I ever heard it and the first time I ever got baptized in a lake! I was baptized as a baby, but of course I don't remember that all to well, being only a couple weeks old and all. But a few years ago everything changed and this family is the Lord's!

The photo was taken here on the farm, down by the old river!

Cattle Upon a Thousand Hills

2009-03-13T18:39:00.003-06:00

For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.
Psalm 50:10

Looking back at last summer with the abundant grass in the cattle pastures in June just makes me smile. Our Lord provides! He took us out of slavery and has set us free! This life is going by fast, heading to the promised land someday, maybe soon, maybe not. Only our Lord knows. But when we cross that River Jordan and enter in I do wonder if we'll see green pastures and cattle on a thousand hills. I think we will!

Our Ducks

2009-03-06T20:30:00.001-06:00

Looking back to last fall in our back yard. Some of our ducks doing whatever ducks do! Oh Lord, it'll be nice to see the ground again after all these months of snow covering everything up!

Farming and Faith

2009-02-25T16:03:00.002-06:00

Yup, I'm a dreaming of the season in the photo! Those beautiful days out in the field not freezing to death! Even with all the work in that season things seem to go smoother than wintertime! There's gonna be a whole lot more posts, (and photos of farm and faith), on this blog now that I reactivated it!
God Bless!

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

2007-11-10T19:01:00.000-06:00

You cannot talk about things that you have never experienced. It seems to me that God has a process of training us. You cannot take people into the depths of God unless you have been broken yourself. I have been broken and broken and broken. Praise God, for "the Lord is near to those who have a broken heart' (Ps 34:18) You must have a brokenness to get into the depths of God.
There is a rest of faith: there is a faith that rests in confidence on God. God's promises never fail. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10:17). The Word of God can create an irresistible faith, a faith that is never daunted, a faith that never gives up and never fails. We fail to realize the largeness of our Father's supply. We forget that He has a supply that cannot be exhausted. It pleases Him when we ask for much. "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those that ask Him!" (Matt 7:11) It is the "much more" that God shows me.
I see that God has a plan of healing. It is along the lines of perfect confidence in Him. The confidence comes not from our much speaking; it comes from our fellowship with Him. There is a wonderful fellowship with Jesus. The chief thing is to be sure that we take time for communion with Him. There is a communion with Jesus that is life and that is better than preaching.

I wrote that quote from the book, "Smith Wigglesworth on Healing". Building faith from reading the Word of God continually. Faith comes by hearing... or reading God's Word. I can give a personal testimony on that. I remember a while back when I started to read the Bible regular I wondered how would I ever get anything out of this. I know I'd never be able to quote scripture, let alone remember any except for fragments. My faith wasn't fed or exercised. A new Christian, born again but a baby Christian.

I read and read even though sometimes I wondered why. Never hardly missed church because I didn't want to miss out on anything to do with God. But feeding and exercising the spirit is so critically important that I can't stress it enough. Like they say, if we'd feed our bodies as little as we feed our spirit we'd be starving to death. That saying sticks with me. But as time went on I could start to see that the Word was sticking to the spiritual ribs, so to speak. More and more as life's daily problems would appear, the answer from the Word would appear also.

I read about the old timers in faith, the poor folk, about the only thing they had was a Bible and they would read it. No wonder those folks had a strong faith. Makes sense, they might have been poor in body, but in spirit they were giants. Old Smith Wigglesworth had it nailed down, read the Bible, don't question it, just believe it. Just believe in faith and there's no limit in what God can do.

One of my favorite stories from the book I'm reading, and I can't find it right off hand, is where a woman got healed instantly from some terrible disease and after she testifies she asked Smith if he had any healing tracts that she could hand out to her friends. Old Smith replied, "yes, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John!" That's what we need, the Word that is truth and life! Then just believe!

Only Believe

2007-11-08T20:01:00.000-06:00

Only believe, only believe. Those are the often repeated words of Smith Wigglesworth, that giant of faith from years gone by. Such simple words. Get into the Word of God till it becomes the very marrow of your bones and believe. So many years I wondered about God, but it seemed that He was unreachable. Only for certain folks, those who went to schools and such. Oh, we were told we had a chance, just keep following along.

I just came in from our old barn, I never go there at night but tonight I had a tug in the spirit. Now this should throw some folks for a loop, but that tug said, "go pitch some manure tonight". I never would have listened to this even a few months back, but I instantly went to that old 110 year old dairy barn. We don't dairy but there's some beef cattle, some hogs and our horse in there. There's lights in the barn and it was pitch black outside. A calm cool night a bit above freezing yet. The animals might have been wondering what I was doing in there but soon just accepted the fact and relaxed. Just quiet barn sounds.

I started pitching the manure and it didn't take me long to find out why I was called there. Sometimes one just has to go to a place like that, it's like a whole different world so quiet and the like. And you know, a person can have one heck of a good conversation with God while cleaning out a horse pen. Not exactly what a person would call the Crystal Cathedral.

Those words just kept coming to me, "only believe", over and over. Just submit more and more, in fact everything in faith to God. Because God can't move until we do. Oh, I wish I was a better writer but I'll plod along anyhow. Faith in Him and only in Him, so simple and so hard for our human minds to grasp. In the Bible the biggest miracles, the biggest moves of God were with the simplest people. Just like the modern day simple person that wants to follow God but has a hard time understanding things whether from religion or worldly influences. How, we say can I ever have that huge faith that the biggest Bible stories tell?

Just believe, like a little child. We all heard that one. But it's the key to unlocking the treasures of Heaven. We say we can't. Yes we can! When we realize how big God is and how small we are and finally just admit we are powerless in every way things start to move. That faith those folks had in the Bible is in every believer there is. Every believer is given a measure of faith by God. And if God says it, it is! There's no two ways about it! A person says he or she could never have that much faith, wrong, it's already there. Just believe! The Lord told Paul, "my grace is sufficient", we are told we won't be allowed any temptation we could not handle, that we're covered by God's Grace. It's time to believe that promise and grab onto what God wants for us.

To be truthful, I had a hard time with this and now realize it was only me fighting God tooth and nail. It's so simple to just submit to Him. That's it. And when a person denies himself and submits to God and the Word, God has someone He can use. God's in control of my life, oh I still fight back here and there. Smith Wigglesworth said he'd fall a thousand times a day, but would get back up and race after Jesus. That's the way, no matter what, get back up and run the race. No matter what.

I've got a lot to digest this evening after being out in the barn, I'm in a bit of a daze and I'd better end this now. I didn't even get started, but like I said, I'm in a daze. God loves us more than we can even start to imagine and there's nothing I can do except give in and let Him be the Lord of my life, totally.

Straight Forward Preaching

2007-11-06T17:53:00.000-06:00

Many times when I write something I have no idea what I'm gonna write about when I start. In fact that's the rule here. So here and on the Northern Farmer blog I sometimes just start with some of the day, the weather, stuff like that. Many times I delete the whole works because I just ain't getting no flow at all. Basically if I can't write and enjoy it, I give up. All day long stuff goes through my head about what I could write about, then when I start I have a total mind blank and just work my way into it. Sometimes it takes off pretty good. (I don't know if anyone noticed but that's what I'm doing right now, kinda the prelude.)

Since I replaced my old computer named Hal with this new jobby things are taking off. When I got this thing I made a vow it would only be used for the Kingdom of God, nothing else, well the weather is part of the Kingdom I figure. But that's about as far as I stray from what drives me on the computer. And since getting this new one I can't hardly believe what it's coming up with. For years I couldn't find sites that held any interest for me on the internet as far as faith matters go and now they're just rolling out. Now if I could figure out how to categorize the links on this blog. It was on the old computer that I found Pastor Anthony Wynn preaching on Holy Ghost Online and I tell you I've been giving that site a workout. I needed that site and will forever be grateful that they have such a thing. Good old fashion Holy Ghost preaching 24/7.

I also have a few more links that I put on here too, for myself to use and anyone else that's interested. Backing up a bit, this past spring our pastor in our little church in the hills set me on a coarse to investigate revival. Supplied me with books and fanned the flame of interest in me that hasn't let up one bit since. It's only grown. In fact investigating this subject is how I found Holy Ghost Online. There's two others on the link list that are very special to me. One is Revival Journal and the other American Pentecost. I was praising Jesus for the fact that these came across my path. As with Holy Ghost Online, I haven't even scratched the surface of these two other blogs that I love to read. What a tremendous blessing these are!

There's nothing that catches my attention more than the Word of God being preached the way it was meant to be preached. And these three sites sure do that and stay with it. No compromise. They don't nit pick about about religious matters as so many., many other sites do. Just lay it out the way the Word of God says. Nothing added, nothing taken away. Glory to God, thank you for people that walk the walk.

I've discovered that when I teach that's the way I've been approaching everything also. Straight forward, nothing else. Don't mush nothing up, just lay it out. I know as far as writing on the Northern Farmer blog that's the way I always did it too. No matter what people think, it'd just be dished out truthfully. Sometimes I'd screw up a bit, but who doesn't.

Been thinking since Sunday, been thinking allot. In the last post I wrote about being healed by the Word. Well, we got a lady at church that's really into the Prophetic and she told me to start laying hands on the sick. Normally I brush their talk off, don't really know why. Well, maybe it's because I lean very hard on the evangelist gift and I can hardly notice other gifts. I have an exceptionally difficult time with prophetic groups also. I believe in the prophetic, just there 's so much wrong with so much of it out there now. But I know that healing is something God wants His children to have. He just wants us to believe, to lean on Him. cast our cares on Him, all of them.

Three things spark an intense interest in me, evangelism, revival and divine healing. And all three do go together. I often wondered how does a person figure out their calling. You know, you always hear that one should follow their calling. I was bewildered a while back until our pastor told me "what draws you?" Well, there's no question there! Not only do these things draw me, they drive me! Things are happening out here. Things are happening in our little church that I wouldn't have imagined a couple of years ago.In such a spiritually dead area there's an awakening happening. It might seem small to our eyes but I know God doesn't see it that way. He sees the whole picture. He sees the final result!

Edit: I came across an important post this morning as I was skimming over the computer. Here's the link to Revival Blog and the post I'm talking about, more later!

Healing Waters Flow

2007-11-04T18:02:00.000-06:00

I named this blog Healing Waters because of a song I heard a year and a half ago at church when we had us a three day Healing Service. The song's name was Healing Waters Flow. Our praise team sung the song and it almost stuck me down. At the time our praise team leader thought she botched the song as she told me later, but that song sent me in a direction that has never slowed down to this day. It is a traditional Appalachian song, or at least I think it is, I could be wrong but that's not important, but that song stuck on me like nothing else ever did in my life. I had to ask where'd she get that song from and she said "take this CD". The singer was a Pentecostal preacher from Kentucky named Tommy Bates and I was overwhelmed by it.

That one song got me interested in more songs by Pastor Tommy Bates and pretty soon I had his entire collection purchased. Then I got some preaching CDs from his ministry and things really got interesting because I hardly ever heard preaching like that before. Just hammering on the truth and the hunger increased. It's also what caused me to sign up for Bible College, that hunger from all that anointed preaching. Besides Bible College I was reading literally sacks of books from RHEMA Bible College in Oklahoma which they had in abundant supply at our church. The subject of healing always perked an intense interest in me. But I made the mistake of figuring that a person gotta really get educated up and become so strong in faith before one could even attempt healing. And at my age it looked like i probably missed the boat because how would I ever get to such a high level of faith to have something like that work.

I know it sounds stupid but that's how a person sometimes thinks. Now, to set the record straight here, I believe in divine healing, I filled myself with book knowledge until I know it's true. Very few church's around here recognize it, they're stuck in religion as I was also. A few weeks ago I had a "condition" return to me that I had off and on years ago. A severe headache that would last for up to two months with no mercy at all. We're talking severe here! Never a letup. Now since going to our little church and getting born again to the bone I never really had any afflictions so I never had to even worry about anything like that. But when this thing appeared again after a few years I thought, "oh no, how will I ever even be able to function if this starts up again". Previous times I was in the hospital for tests and everything and they could never find the cause of the pain.

A week and a half ago when it reared it's ugly head again I was in despaired to say the least. Then I thought about all I had read, all I had listened too over the years and finally decided to claim my rights as a believer. In the morning doing chores in severe pain , almost at the end of my rope I said, "in the Name of Jesus you headache get out". That was it, nothing else. I continued working and the headache pounded away bigtime. Well my mind was raging saying this'll never work but I know in Mark Ch 11

22And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

23For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

24Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

25And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

26But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

My Bible says that if you believe with your heart, not the mind. As my mind would rage against it I would just quote the scripture:

1 Peter 2:24

24Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

In about an hour I all of a sudden felt it leaving fast! Glory to God, and I mean I could literally feel it leaving! I can testify that my faith rose to an all new level because this was without a doubt divine healing. In fact it's been many years since I felt as good as I did that day.

I do want to go into this some more in the near future because I know what I know and that is this is true. The believer's authority, the authority of the Body of Christ. Yes I will go into this, this and faith, simple faith from the heart, no head stuff. That simple faith that they had years ago and somehow so much of it has been lost. But it will be regained, big!

Thinking Out Loud

2007-11-02T17:25:00.000-06:00

There! Done!Glory to God! The season is officially over with, although that doesn't mean a hill of beans as far as the work load goes here yet. But at least the fields are plowed and the cornstalks are all baled up and moved home from our neighbor's field before deer hunting opens tomorrow. I can't hardly believe it that I didn't break a baler belt with all the rocks in those corn fields. I was ah praying! Windier than the dickens for the last three days too. Nuthing like a wind burned face to add to the farmer image.

So tomorrow I'll get a million little things taken care of around here and after that comes Sunday and then there's only a few thousand things to do just to keep the place running for another day. But church is where we head off to and that's what I look forward to every single day. But our little church is a tad bit different than so many in this region and I've thought about that allot the last couple of years. Different I guess because it's mostly what I would call first generation Full Gospel, or Pentecostal, or Charismatic or what ever you'd want to call it. It fits whichever name a person would want to label it I guess. One time I got up and talked about being first generation in this and I know most of the rest there are also. In Minnesota there's very few church's like this, well at least in our area. It's mostly Catholic and Lutheran and, well that covers the majority. And nothing against either one either. Just that's not what I am even though I was "born Catholic".

The strangest thing in our little church is that there's a good percentage of Catholics that attend the Wednesday evening services and are a huge asset to the church. But one thing everyone, or darn near everyone has on their hearts there is the fact that so many in their families, (in other church's) are just going to church's because that's what a person does, and don't even know why they're doing it. God is almost looked upon as the enemy that's out to get you. But if a person's lucky enough, just maybe he or she will make it to heaven somehow. In our church we don't sing the old songs where you sing about meeting the relation that went to heaven before us because we know from the Bible that church or religion doesn't get a person to heaven. And in a first generational church it's difficult to sing this way.

In our church is quite the assortment of folks and I love every one of them! Farmers like me, truck drivers, ex alcoholics, ex meth addicts, young folks, some older folks, a biker, you just about name it. But they're all in one accord. The church is only seven or eight years running but it's one of a kind in this area. It's looked upon as kinda weird by many locals and also by other church's in the area but that's OK. Cause I figure if it wasn't that'd mean we were just another church, playing church.

Almost every person there is almost like a raw recruit. And that's what makes it so rare, no multi generational bosses, everyone is in hot pursuit of God, different levels and all but still hot pursuit. I've seen more moves of God there than anywhere else in my entire life. In fact I never seen a move of God anywhere else in this area come to think of it. The last two years I've seen healings that would blow away the religious, I've seen the impossible deliverances happen that the world says is impossible. Lives changed many times in an instant. Many times folks have seen angels there in the service, for real! I've heard about angels joining in on the singing too. Sounds far fetched, but it's real!

I see now at this stage of life that when people gather in Jesus name things do happen. It almost tears me apart if I'm listening to Christian radio or reading the internet and someone is saying all these things passed away with the original church generation. Some say it was all taken away after the Bible , or should I say the New Testament was written. Well, if there's anything in life I can testify it's that the moves of God are coming on strong in a little church out in the middle of no where! One thing I know, it's on my heart for a long time now, that this will not stay contained in this little church. It's gonna spread and big!

I'm just rambling tonight, thinking out loud. Sometimes a person just does that.

The Day After

2007-11-01T17:21:00.000-06:00

Well, it's November 1st and I survived last evening at church. We had us hillbilly church over in children's church and it went allot better than I ever dreamed. Of coarse I was dressed up in bib overalls so I could blend in a bit. They took some pictures and if they ever publish them on the web I'll link to it. But last night was special for me because we just cut loose and had us a good time!

Things out here might be a bit different than suburban America as far as the church goes. Oh, folks try and act like they do in the suburban culture but the old country ways aren't hidden very deep.And if you take a bunch of kids from out here and give them half a chance to have a good time doing some of the old things I tell you it can really get going. Last night except for lights we didn't use anything that needs electricity. All music was real, there was story telling, namely me story telling. Holy Ghost stories not ghost stories. We did quite a few games, all old ones and did them kids ever come alive!

I don't know, but if you give a kid half a chance to just be a kid they'll take it. Us adults nowadays are too demanding on them little ones. Whatever happened to good old fashioned fun. Well I can tell you that we sure had that last night! Of coarse there was a fifty one year old kid having fun too! I even pulled off a twenty minute farmer's nap today around noon just to recover a bit more from all the excitement. Feel pretty good this evening.

So, in a few days, well, hopefully tomorrow we'll be caught up around the farm for a bit. Hopefully the corn stalks will be baled up tomorrow and be over with. The last of the fall plowing was done today so that's under the belt. It's really been a crusher these last few weeks trying to get ready for winter but we're getting there. I'm looking forward to a few months of nothing but chores. It's badly needed. Finish up Bible College this winter and have that under the belt too. I don't know what'll happen after that but I ain't worrying about that at this point and probably won't worry about it at that point either.

I had originally planned to teach children's church for two years but it looks like that might run over. Don't know for how long, but folks ain't exactly jumping at the opportunity of teaching children's church, at least as far as I know of. Oh well, somebody's gotta do it, might just as well be this simple farmer. So many times I just wished I could quit but then the next week rolls around and we do it all over again. But them young'uns are some good kids and I just don't know, sometimes I feel guilty being such a poor teacher and all that, but then I find out that they are learning much more than I ever dreamed. I have a habit of beating myself up after children's church, figure I ain't good enough, but deep down I know that when one presents the Gospel, things do happen. Even somebody as simple as me.

Will there ever be anything else besides children's church for me? I have no idea, not the slightest. But whatever happens is alright with me as long as I'm following what God wants me to do.

Two Years

2007-10-18T09:13:00.000-06:00

I'm not all that used to writing something during the day, never done it much before because that's when we work on the farm. But lately it's been raining most of the time and it gets to a point where it's just plain nice to get into a warm house and dry off, kick back a little and just slow down. There'll be plenty of work whenever this all clears out and dries up a bit. Was in children's church last evening and all is well there, it all went smooth and I came out in one piece so no complaints there!

Tomorrow is the anniversary of me getting born again and delivered from this world and it's ways. I was thinking about that the last couple of days, how life was never the same after that Wednesday evening service a couple of years ago. It just amazes me, where did those two years go? They sure flew by to say the least. Now for anyone that doesn't know, I did go to church most of my life, but like so many that do that sort of thing it really didn't mean much. I just don't know, but I was always seeking and church just never and I mean never provided an answer. Same old stuff every week, same boring stuff. A production, a show. Listen to the same people preform songs while a person sits there and listens, bored. Listen to the same twenty minute sermons, in fact that could be labeled an ordeal. Church always the same. Listen to how when a person gets born again at an altar call then it's all over with. Your in and that's that. But inside of me was always the question, the seeking, "what now?" And in the later years of going to church like this there weren't even any altar calls to even get that far. It just kinda died out.

I seen youth that were totally into the world, oh they'd go to church, but I could see they had about as much interest in it as I had. The biggest activity I had was taking the church bulletin and filling in all the places one could put a dot in the letters on the pages. Gradually I'd just miss more and more church because it just made sense to stay home. Even in the state I was in I realized there was nothing there, nothing. Did I want my family and myself to just be a modern church family where it has little or no importance outside of being a social circle? I never mingled with anyone because I knew, or should I say I know now that I was after God even in the terrible state I was in. And attending church where the Word was not being preached just couldn't satisfy any hunger that was there.

Fifteen years that went on until one time in church it almost exploded in my realization that this has nothing to do with God. I'd end up raising my family like the modern society does. Being a good church member, sending the kids off to a college that would teach them everything against God that could be possible, and then feel that I was on my way to heaven because of it all. No, I knew something was terribly wrong, life and death wrong. It pulled on me hard and wasn't the easiest thing we ever did. I'm not a quitter, but sometimes a person has to run for their life! And we somehow ended up in the little church we go to now. I'll never forget the first few times there, was it ever different and I mean different. The biggest impression on me was that this was something like the Book of Acts, a church running the way the biblical church ran. After a few weeks, on a Wednesday evening I truly got save, born again to the bone, and I'm telling you it hasn't let up one bit since.

I'm not saying all went well, in fact just the opposite, I had some of the toughest times of my life since then. But I wonder what them times would have been like without being a new creation in Christ. The hunger that started at that moment, and it sure did start at that moment, has never let up, almost like I'm being driven to never let up. That's almost all that's on my mind day and night. There's been times I almost wanted to run away from it all, the old flesh saying enough's enough. Life was so much easier back before being saved it would say. And friends from church would pull me right out of the pit, many times not even realizing that they were throwing me a lifeline. That really started showing me the job the church has to it's own member, an incredibly important job. It's a job that's often neglected in the modern church because everyone is so busy following the world that it must seem ok to slip back into the world so why bother, it's just viewed as normal, besides, the modern way of figuring your saved and now it's all over with anyhow only justifies such behavior. But that's not what the Bible says at all.

This rainy day is kinda special dwelling on the changes. On the downhill slide with Bible College, changed family, an eternal perspective, friends that are really friends. Talked in front of church several times, (now that was an impossibility two years ago), teaching children's church coming up two years this coming January. No, life is different now, when we get together with friends it's almost a church meeting cause our faith in Christ is the most talked about subject. And the biggest thing, the biggest change, the willingness to spread the Gospel. From writing it, to speaking it, to living it.

I know I make so many blunders compared to so many folks that are on the internet spreading the Word, sometimes it's just flat out embarrassing,that's why I don't get around much commenting on other folk's blogs, but I'll just keep on keeping on. I love following Jesus, I love it simple, I want to walk the walk, I want to run the race. I love it all! Thank you Jesus for what You've done for our family.....Thank You!

Just Catching Up A Bit

2007-10-16T17:32:00.000-06:00

It was a strange day around here because it's cloudy and wet. Not all too much a person can do as far as the big jobs. After last weeks cold windy days I figured I'd better go and buy a decent winter work jacket because mine are all tattered rags. Now, if anyone figures we're some rich farmers, think again, we're not. But we live simple and happy. So after morning mud chores we decided to head the twenty miles to the county seat and stop in at the local Fleet store and see what they all had for some heavy duty jackets, this is Minnesota you know. I'm not in the mood to be frozen to death in a few weeks. I found what I was looking for and after a bit left that store. I never been to the town's Christian Book store, in fact I didn't even know where it was but my wife goes there so she pointed me in the right direction. I said I was interested in going and taking a look seeing how I was all cleaned up for once and it was drizzling out.

That store was so clean and had a super clean smell to it, almost makes a farmer sick, but I toughed it out and started looking around after we got in there. The nice older lady that owns the store gave me a quick look over, I suppose she's not used to seeing someone like me enter very often. I knew I'd gotten all cleaned up so it couldn't be any of the natural smells that sometimes cling to me, but I'm used to people that are all spiffed up giving me a good look over anyhow. Don't bother me much.

To tell the truth, the store was a bit boring. Nothing against it, but most of the stuff wasn't really my cup of tea, so to speak. But I wandered around just looking stuff over, thinking about what small cafe we should go to in a few minutes. All of a sudden I seen a Johnny Cash DVD, with a whole pile of Gospel songs on it, in fact that's all that's on it. BINGO! Something of interest! Tell the truth, I didn't know it was a DVD till I was paying for it, I thought it was a CD so I could listen to the songs anywhere and put them on the computer too. After chores this evening I watched about half of it and I must admit, it was money well spent. It's a documentary, and the lady in the store said it just came out, and in fact she had just put it on display moments before we walked in. Said when she seen me, she had a little chuckle to herself, figuring I'd be the guy buying it. Funny how that works, because that's thee only thing in the store that was of interest to me.

I've listened to Johnny since high school and let me tell you, that was a long time ago! And every song so far that I watched him sing, I knew. One thing that I learned from the DVD, he was a Christian. It brings out all the things that he did spreading the Gospel, and spread it he did. With his very common, in fact very poor dirt farming upbringing he knew what the real world was like. Work till your back is breaking, flooded out, droughted out. No wonder his songs always touched me more than most Christian singers of this day. Those songs were real!

The lady in the store says she's going to order me some CDs and will call when they come in. You know, I have several albums of Johnny's here, but no record player. Plus I don't feel like giving Walmart the money for something like that so they can promote agendas against Christians, might as well keep the money in Christian hands.

So nothing earth shattering happening here. Tomorrow's church and I should make it alright because it's too wet to do all that much around here that time of the day. Well, I always make it no matter what anyhow! I've been wanting to post on Northern Farmer blog but have been waiting for Good Farmer John to make an important post. I'll be resuming full throttle there after that.Plus hanging around here too.

I Want What They Got!

2007-10-13T19:23:00.000-06:00

This was the first day since last Saturday that we had us any sunshine at all. In fact it was pretty nice out today, the box elder bugs thought so too. They were everywhere again. But their days are counting down steadily. This week when it was to wet to do anything in the field I figured it would be a good time to cut, split and stack wood. All told, I'd say we made us about ten cord this week, not too bad. Plus doing that job keeps a person out of weight loss clinics. It gets time for a good farm supper and I tell you a person can really wolf it down! Counting calories, and figure there's a need for a couple thousand more. Yup, farming life is a tad bit different than what's considered the norm nowadays.

But time to kick back this evening and start slowing down. Get a good sleep tonight and after chores tomorrow head on off to church. Twice a week ain't hardly enough. I sometimes wish it would just keep going. I'd throw this computer out lickidy split if there'd be something like that going on. The work would get done, plus life would be just that much better. I was thinking today, making some fence trying to keep cattle grazing to save on our small supply of hay, about how our family's faith spread on my wife's side of the family. Up to a year and a half ago there was hardly none of them going to church regular. Now, my wife's family is down in Central America, down in the country of Honduras, just some poor hill folk. Good people! About a year and a half ago my wife went down to visit them for a couple weeks. And she took her faith with her. Before she'd left she'd already told them about us attending our little church out in the hills and what God had done for our family.

Just like anywhere folks were a little leary about going to some Full Gospel church, and my wife's family was no different. Well, the wife told them all about it but figured it fell on deaf ears, but she done her job. Months later she found out that her mama and some of the rest of the family was going to a Pentecostal church down there. And what a difference! They were on fire. But backing up here, after the wife came back home there just happened to be some missionaries from the states, from the Church of God, going door to door around there. And they invited them to a meeting and ever since then it's been going full bore!

Them folks down there needed a church building. They were meeting in any old building or shack but wanted a place with a little more permanence. We figured we could help them out a bit and sent some money down there and because of that and others their church building got built. We kept in contact with them, even know their pastor from phone conversations, well, not me really cause my Spanish isn't really up to snuff. But a northern hillbilly can somehow communicate with a Central American hillbilly one way or another.

Where I'm going with this isn't about getting family members saved or anything like that. Here's what I want to say. This summer we had us the big drought, crops were destroyed, no grass for grazing, just generally a tough year around here by our standards. The first rain we received was August 10th, too late to save the crops, but early enough to salvage fall grazing for the cattle. I remember feeling so sorry for myself near the end of the drought, you know, when it looks like the end of everything. Shortly after the first drought buster rain we found out that the little church in Honduras had them a prayer meeting and were praying for rain on our farm. I know that doesn't sound anything out of the ordinary, but when realization hit me I was almost floored I was so humbled.

Here were these folks, praying for us, folks that were so poor, people that don't have anything praying for us. I don't know, but I do believe those are some powerful prayers. There was more than one tear in my eyes when I found that out. And I know that those prayers were answered! Those folks down there aren't one bit different from the poor folks that were in the Holy Ghost movement decades ago in this country. Poor folks, simple folks, and let me tell you they can really get going with the Lord! They've got something that the modern American materialistic church doesn't have. They rely on the Lord for absolutely everything, not just a feel good church service and then dive right back into a totally carnal nature when they step foot out the church door. Church becomes their whole life.

It makes me sad sometimes knowing that those folks really got it and in this country it's almost slipping away. God I want what them folks got! Their normal church life is like it was decades ago in this country, with healings, movements of God, you name it. And there it's "normal". I don't want some dried up religion, I don't want materialism, I want what they got! And I know we're getting it!

Thinking About Simple Faith

2007-10-11T17:53:00.000-06:00

Glory to God! The wind finally stopped around here! I think every bone and muscle in my body is sore tonight, good old fashioned work'll do that to a person. Sawed up around seven cord of maple today and was durn near shot from that, but had some good home made chili for supper and decided instead of sittin around moaning and groaning, both from soreness and from a full stomach, that I'd go out and dig some potatoes before dark. That kinda rattled down the chili, but the soreness is still hanging around a bit. But sometimes it feels good to be sore, a blessing really, that God given privilege called honest work.

Work is different nowadays because when we work around here it ain't some dull drudgery, it's a time to talk to God, to praise Him and to just generally be happy like He wants His children to be. I was praising during the drought this summer, now sometimes that was a bit hard to get started, but when it got rolling, well, I knew we could take on anything. We were praising when we found out our health insurance was gonna be dropped Oct 1st, I guess we praised so much that it didn't get dropped! Things were hitting from every angle and this household would just do some old fashioned praising and let me tell you every problem that reared it's ugly head got beat back bad, even when it was "impossible".

This past week I was starting a course called "Faith". Now simple old me always figured I'd have to work and scratch and strive to get my faith up like some of the giants of the faith that I read about. I figured that simple old me would never achieve something like that. I just got that small seed of faith and would use it, would practice it as much as possible, but I didn't ever have a chance to become like those giants in faith. I'd probably stick around with those folks I read about, the simple people of America when the Pentecostal explosion swept the land many decades ago, just keep farming, raising a family and trusting God.

But a thing really got to me, reading in that college course, that is "God never demands more faith than we have". Whoa, huh, what the... Then it came to me, yes, One of the greatest miracles of my life happened when I had such a small seed of faith it could be looked upon as pathetic. But that small seed was put into action, that pitiful small seed and my world literally shook! And looking back, every time God moved in this family it was from simple faith. Might not have to much learning behind it, just trust. That child like faith. And that faith grows!

I'm starting to understand my two year old question, that question regarding that faith explosion decades back. The answer is simple, trust God with everything you have! I'll study till my brain goes on overload, but the main thing will be just be happy and trust God, both in good times and bad.We won't be scared to praise Him, and we won't be scared to come crying to Him for help. And we won't be scared to spread it around the area. Time for a faith explosion out in these rural areas!

Power in the Blood!

2007-10-08T18:21:00.000-06:00

Monday evening and all is well around here. Get cleaned up in a bit, but figured I'd better catch up somewhat on the computer. Ain't all that dirty anyways so sittin here a few minutes longer shouldn't be all to rough! This week we're all excited around here cause yesterday was one powerful day at church. Now, when a guest preacher comes by you just never do know what's going to happen, you don't know what they're really gonna preach about or anything like that. Some are really good, some aren't. You never know. But yesterday's preaching was something else. Now anyone that knows me even a little knows that my faith runs somewhat Pentecostal/Holiness. I don't know why, but that's what I am. I just come alive when there's preaching like that. The old power preaching. The kind of preaching that gets the folks so stirred up that it can hardly be contained.

Yesterday's service was made to order as far as getting me going in it! We had us a third generation Pentecostal lady preacher from Tulsa, Oklahoma stop by for the Sunday. It always amazes me how we have preachers from all over the United States stopping in at our humble little church out in the middle of nowhere. These are sometimes preachers that often preach to hundreds, even thousands, and to have them stop in at a little dirt street town church, a town population of a hundred and forty four or so, well it just amazes me!

Yesterday's preaching was about the Blood of Jesus, and a more timely preaching I could not imagine. Church wasn't full. there was a lot of folks missing because of family events and other things, but the folks that were there had a powerful message spoken to them. I learned more in one hour than in weeks of study and I also learned the answer to one of the biggest questions I ever had. I've mentioned before, (many times), about how I wondered about the early years of the Pentecostal movement, when the gifts of the Spirit were so powerful, when the Spirit would sweep through rural towns, changing lives and people would come to church in droves, getting saved, filled with the Spirit. There was miracles and everything else. I always wondered what did them folks have that we don't.

The answer came yesterday to many of us that were at our little service. And afterwards we talked about it and we all had the same experience. In the old preaching years gone by they preached about the Blood of Jesus, and it's sad to say that one doesn't find that all to often anymore in America's church's. During yesterday's preaching I was almost swept away with the power of it. Good old fashion Gospel preaching! And I know I'll never be the same because of it. I've heard much of what was spoken before, but never presented like it was. I gotta go over that tape I got and write a paper with every Bible verse that was used in the sermon, and there's allot!

In a nutshell, yesterday's preaching pointed out where we drift off in the wrong direction, where we get sidetracked. Because the oldtimers knew that they were saved by the Blood of Jesus. Not a watered down gospel, but by the blood. I'm gonna have to continue on this in days to come. Gotta make some copies of the tape, plus they should have the master copy at church for a while yet. Yup, this will be continued.

Children's Ministries

2007-10-03T05:38:00.000-06:00

Glory to God, it looks like a nice day coming up! I have a little time this morning and I'm just having another cup of coffee and decided to post a post and I haven't the slightest idea about what. But the hot coffee is good and my sleep was sound, was just outside but I don't feel like stumbling around in the dark for a bit yet. Gotta make some fence today, keep putting the cattle on grass they've never been on before. Anything to extend grazing, cause I can't afford to feed year round .

A little update about Bible College, I'm hoping to have it all completed and finished by this next Spring. At about the half way mark now and will have at it this winter with a driven purpose. I just started another course last evening with the subject being "faith". I love that subject because our God is a faith God and that's an incredibly important subject. Hmm, I should start sharing some of the stuff I learn, will have to do that. In reality the more I learn, the more is shared as I just write about any old subject.

And what's learned is sometimes immediately applied in life. Just like my previous post about having the answers for folks with questions. Where a few days before I'da just shrugged my shoulders and said I don't know, well, all of a sudden the answer just comes out without a problem. Funny how that works!

So anyway, put in a day today and this evening head for the hills and church to teach in children's ministries. That's every Wednesday evening, teaching in children's ministries. Sometimes it has it's ups and sometimes it's downs but all in all it's a privilege to do it. I know on the internet there's folks that are really against children's ministries but I really don't care or listen to what the world says. That's right, the world! I don't care if folks are super religious and have every rule in the book, when they condemn children's ministries I just wonder how they could justify those statement to the face of Jesus.

I wonder how they could justify sending children from druggy families or drunken families away from church. The parents don't step foot in church, but the children will walk there for children's church. The religious dead say that it should be families teaching faith matters, and on that part they're correct. But very few families do outside the church. I wonder, would Jesus send those children away so that some dead adults could have they're religious church service?
I believe with all my heart Jesus would be taking them in and teaching them at their level and if any self righteous adult would get all uppity about it, Jesus would have something to say about it! It's right in the Gospel! This is where I sometimes get sickened by religion, especially on the internet. I think I should write about this on the Northern Farmer blog. Make some ears smoke, but some of them ears need a good smokin sometimes. Glory to God, I love it when the truth is just the plain truth!

I don't know how much longer I'll continue in children's ministries but for the moment that's what I do. And do it with the love of Christ.

Rainy Sunday Thoughts

2007-09-30T19:17:00.000-06:00

Home at last today. Well, we were home for morning chores and late afternoon chores but this morning into early afternoon was church, then finish up some work around here. Chores I mean. Then we headed north a half an hour and visited Pastor Josh and his family. Had to check out the homestead and was pretty impressed with what I seen. Checked out the goats, chickens and remaining turkeys and all was well. Them "Buff" chickens that they have are some good lookers! Might have to see if'n he's interested in swapping a few hen for some of our Partridge Rocks next spring.

Church was very good today, got there driving through the rain today, picked up an inch or so. Kinda dark out and gloomy, but it wasn't gloomy inside that little old church. Just a darn good service as always. The praise team, well really the praise team leader was alone today so she deserves all the credit, she did wonderful. The preaching was powerful and the presence of God was strong! I personally did a couple of things before the service and during the service that have me wondering.

Before the service I was asked some questions about the end times by a lady that comes to church there. And the funny thing was, I could answer them all. Surprised even me! Then answered some concerns about unsaved family members and what to do about it. Well, just since I got this new computer I downloaded a few more sermons from Holy Ghost Online and one sermon had the answer to the question before I ever had the question asked to me. The answer today just came right out and it almost floored me that every question asked, the answer was right there. Funny how God works! A person learns something like that and a couple days later it is used to help out a lady that was really concerned about unsaved family members that get angry at her about her faith. And the searching person was basically brought right to me. This adventure in faith never ceases to amaze me!

Then when the church service was just about finished around 20 after twelve, the pastor asked a man that was going to have a hip operation this coming week to come to the front for a blessing over him. I was ready to pray from my seat and all of a sudden the pastor says for Tom to come up and lay on hands and say the blessing. I was so shocked I looked around and then looked at the pastor and pointed a finger at myself and said, "me?" Yup, me it was. So before I even had time to get nervous I was up front laying on hands and blessing our brother in Christ. Now I ain't the best at praying in front of the church but it came out good. But I'm still in a small state of shock for having to come up there like that. Truthfully, I've never seen anyone picked out of the congregation to do something like that. Oh, sometimes they call a couple of prayer warrior women up there, but I ain't never seen this happen before, well, anyway not to me!

But I'm still kicking so I guess all is well. It gives me something to dwell on. Life changed in a little way for me today, getting called up there. I could jokingly say now that I ain't safe sitting near the back anymore. Makes church all the more exciting, never knowing when a person is going to be called into a service for God and fellow believers. It'll take a few days for me to get used to that but it'll be OK. I have no idea why I was called up and probably never will, but I'd do it again in an instant.

So, time to kick back this evening for a few minutes and read and study a bit. There's a new week coming up and I'm looking forward to it. Don't have the slightest idea what it'll bring but whatever is brought forth we'll be praising God through it all!

Ripe Field

2007-09-28T17:44:00.000-06:00

As the week comes to a close I have to say that even with all the problems this week, it was a good one. All the problems got solved and are now history and we can look forward to what the weekend and then the new week bring. Daughter Rachel headed to the Twin Cities this afternoon with our Pastor and a few other church folk, and embarrassingly I must say that I really don't know what they went to, oh well, I'll learn late tomorrow night. But what ever it is I'm sure it's good! Of course I could've went but I hardly ever get anywhere except here and church but that's the lifestyle that I have so that's that for that. Maybe someday I'll end up going someplace, but not at this moment. There's always critters to feed every single day. But Lord willing, maybe it'll rain next year during the growing season and this place can be on cruise and the critters can pretty much fend for themselves a day or two.

So what's a born again, sanctified and Spirit filled believer supposed to do when a person basically just stays around the home area almost all the time? Well, the old timers spread it around their own area cause they couldn't be heading to Africa or somewhere like that and spread the Gospel. And the fields around here are ripe for harvest. Might even be getting a tad bit overripe.

Almost two years ago I stumbled across a Foxfire Book that told about the religions of the Appalachia's in years gone by and I'll never forget reading about the tales from years ago, telling about when the Holy Ghost swept through the region. Reading that struck a spark, lit a fire in me and it's never gone out. I have know idea how many books I've read on the subject and related subjects, but it's quite a few! Plus even Bible College is Pentecostal based so basically that's what I'm immersed in the past couple of years. Out here in the rural areas it's still fairly rare finding full gospel church's. They're here and there but not very common in the upper mid-west. Not like other parts of the country.

But over two years ago the Lord sent our family to one little church and it's never been the same and we never looked back! Praise God! Now back to where I was a while back, spreading the gospel when a person is just a farmer. In reality the field here is huge, the ripe field. Was talking a while back to some of the good old boys that I used to hang around with thirty years ago. I don't think a one of them is born again but what I did see and hear talkin to them is some folks who were searching for the meaning to their lives. Well, you know we're starting to get up there a little bit in age, there's some aches and pains that used to not be there. There's an occasional doctors report that ain't all that great. And there's a funeral here and there that remind folks that it ain't gonna be going on forever on this old earth.

Yup, there's a searching going on with the good old boys and that's an opportunity for witness. There's folks everywhere we go around here. And the most startling one but most understandable is folks from other church's still searching. You know, where church's are basically the same old dead dried up service week after week. Now I want it understood, I'm not knocking any church or anything like that, but face it, when church's produce whole congregations that aren't a bit different from the world somethings wrong!Whatever happened to that fire they had in the first century church? Whatever happened to that fire that swept the country a bit less than a hundred years ago? What ever happened to healings being common place?

It's startling me how many folks from the church we used to go to are asking us about our little Bible believing church that we go to. And how many want to come but are being held back because of various reasons, social standing, feeling they owe the church something for past help or things like that. I fully understand what's holding them, but there's a hunger for God in a lot of those folks and their hunger sure ain't getting satisfied where they're at. Folks read the Bible and get the Word in them, then go to church and it ain't nothing like what the Bible says about the church. Confusing! Reading about how God says the church is supposed to be and then go to some man made religion that preaches different than what the Word says. Glory to God, we made it out! Thank you Jesus!

So in this rural countryside there's a job to do! Spreading the gospel to all. Every way we turn there's somebody searching, just looking for someone that carries God with them, not dead religion, but God. People can sense it, I know cause I could always sense an old prayer warrior, someone that walks the walk and talks the talk. A person is drawn to em. That's because they're walkin with God and deep down we know it. We don't have to go around the world when we're standing smack dab in the middle of a ripe field right here.

Not of the World

2007-09-17T19:23:00.000-06:00

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. 1 Cor. 10:21

Praise the Lord tonight, all is well! I know I’m just a simple farmer but one of the biggest faith issues that I’ve ever had has been bothering me for a couple of years or more. I’m not some seminary graduate or anything like that, but I am honestly seeking God. The issue that always tore at my heart is living like the world. There’s such a mixed message on the internet, in church’s, in most western faith books and reading materials. The hard tug at my heart has always been that we hear the Word, we go to church and when it’s all said and done there’s hardly a hill of beans difference between the modern American Christian and the average atheist.

I don’t know for sure what it is, but I have a strong tug in my heart, almost physical, when I get near something worldly. The strong force will almost physically push me away from whatever it is that’s normal worldly living for so many. I cannot watch TV, period! The only thing I can even attempt to view on a TV is faith DVDs or DVDs from Bible College. It’s to the point that I can’t watch what the rest watch. Same on the radio, I can’t even listen to a “normal” station.

I don’t go to the city very often because it holds absolutely no interest for me. All I see is materialism on a rampage. And it tears me apart to see the modern American church living exactly the same as the world, exactly. The same toys, watching same sports if you want to call professional sports, sports. It did confuse me to no end, how we are taught one thing in church and then most live totally the opposite, from the top of the church to the bottom. Why was church so different than the early church, a people apart from the world? Not a sub culture but a separate people. A people really walking the walk, not just talking the talk. But the one thing that kept me in confusion was the legalists in the church. The one human habit when separating from the world is to get legalistic and I don’t go for legalism in faith. I don’t want to live apart from the world such as the Amish do. Something isn’t quite right about that, even though I do admire them for living simple as they do.

What did the original church have that we don’t have, that was my question. Now, I can’t and won’t ever try to force this on any one because first of all it would never work forcing faith on anyone. But I want to live for Christ, I don’t want the world’s ways at all. I don’t want to watch TV, sit around on weekends watching sports, don’t want to spend days going shopping just for the sake of something to do. No, what about the Kingdom, what about the Lord?

Last evening as always that was all on my mind and on my heart. What was the answer when one can hardly get the answer from the church anymore except for some very rare preachers such as on the links column on the side of this blog. Last evening I was re-reading the book “A Heart Ablaze” by John Bevere and the answer came right out at me. The subject I’m talking about is called lawless deeds in the quite that I’ll put here.

“You may be thinking, I see and hear lawless deeds every day. I see and hear them at work, in school, in public. How can I keep from vexing my soul? The Lord showed me the key. When you go to work, school, or any other place to take care of necessary daily activities, you are going into your mission field. God is sending you out to be a light in dark places. You will reach people there with your witness of Jesus’ resurrection power that might otherwise never step foot into a gospel meeting. Seeing their lawless deeds will not vex your soul.”

Last evening there were many answers for me that I’ve been seeking for a long time. A person can live totally separate from the world and still be in it witnessing, either by personal evangelism or by just walking the walk and bringing God with us where ever we do go. Not separating out from society and hiding in a secluded clan, never touching the world. Nope, a person can live a sanctified, holy, non legalistic life and bring God with us everywhere we go! The private life can be totally separate from the world, and when we do go into the world daily we can carry the Gospel with us. Praise Jesus!

Shorter Days

2007-09-13T18:42:00.000-06:00

Praise the Lord tonight, I’ve got a little time to catch up around here on this old computer. Things are happening around here at a steady pace. And it seems that our little Bible believing church is on fire lately! Yee Haw! Folks are coming in, the preaching is powerful and the Holy Ghost is moving! I don’t know, to me there’s just nothing like a little church out in the country that’s on fire for God! I believe when the Word of God is preached God sends people there that are searching and that’s seems to be what’s happening as of late!

That good old non-compromising Word, the preaching of the Blood, the preaching of the Cross and the resurrection! Yup, none of the new gimmicks, none of the people pleasing watered down words, just the good old fashioned Gospel! When that happens people get save, the saved people get on fire, get renewed, get power from God. People are more willing to sacrifice their time and lives for God through His church.

In this house as far as myself is concerned it couldn’t have happened at a better time. It’s time to hit the bible College courses for the final stretch and hopefully sometime before Spring get em all done. Don’t know where it’ll go from there but I ain’t all that worried about it all either. Where the Lord leads, I’ll go! This last year has been more than interesting with all that Bible College stuff taking up so much time except in Summer, to busy then on the farm. But now the days are getting shorter and there’s a bit more time to get into the studies in the evening. You know how it goes for a farmer, if the sun’s up it’s time to work! And in Summer that’s what we do. Praise the Lord for some shorter days!

Back to Normal, (If there is such a thing)

2007-09-04T18:52:00.000-06:00

Today was 94 degrees and humid, wow, different for September I tell you! Supposed to last a day or two yet then cool on down. Hopefully we’ll be chopping silage by week’s end, but for now I’m cutting hay and should be baling tomorrow and the next day. Try and salvage as much hay as possible before the season ends.

Things are returning to normal today, but then again I don’t think things will ever be the same around here again because so many big things happened this weekend. So many life changing things. To be truthful I’m at a loss for words tonight because of it all. And me being at a loss for words is a rare event, but I’m so shook up in various ways that I just gotta set back and dwell on it a few days before even attempting to write about anything.

I got a few minutes tonight and had better get to reading the Bible a bit tonight. I try to every night but it sure would be good to be able to spend more than a few minutes. Plus in the back round I’ll throw in a preaching CD. I’ve download a handful so far from Holy Ghost Online and have even burned some and started passing them around. I’m finding that out here in the countryside there’s some folks that these sermons will easily touch, spark an interest.

It’s a good side ministry to have a bunch of preaching CDs ready to hand to someone that could use them. And the good part about downloading from Holy Ghost Online is that a person has full permission to download and distribute the material. So as time goes on here I’d like to download enough to have a little library of CDs, organized into different subject, for distribution to folks that could use them. And if they’re some poor folks we might just get them a CD player to help them out. It’s on my heart to do so. It’s a simple thing, but it could be an important tool to reach people that are hungry for God but don’t know where to turn.

Beyond the Church Walls

2007-08-31T19:23:00.000-06:00

Our place is really noisy the last couple of nights, calves weaned and they don’t want to be weaned! The cows are starting to give up bellering but the calves are pretty intense yet. That should cut back in a bit and any calves that still miss mamma in a couple more days might even start to lose their voices. Other than that things are about normal here, haven’t started silage yet but any day now that’ll be coming. Takes about a week or so to get that job done.

I hear there’s a holiday weekend coming up, doesn’t make much difference here on the farm really. Another Monday is about all. But this Monday we’ll be going to a funeral, a funeral for one of our brothers in Christ from our little church. I’ve known him just about all of my life and always got along with him. He’s a couple years older than me and a farmer too. A bachelor and kinda stuck to many of the old ways including helping others that were in need. In fact thinking back there was hardly ever a time when he wasn’t helping someone in need. I remember a few years back when a tornado hit a farm yard a few miles from here and we went the next day to take a gander at the destruction and there he was already helping clean up and get the dairy herd back in order that had a destroyed barn. Every Sunday he’d be in church, quiet as a church mouse, never made a scene, always sitting towards the back, way off to the side. He’d come walking by me with a limp and say, “Your corn dead yet Tom?” And I’d answer, “It’s getting there!” We had our own language that most regular church folks might not quite understand.

Three or four weeks ago on a Sunday he said to me after church, “Tom, take a look at my new car, paid four hundred dollars for it.” Of course a four hundred dollar church car is something I just have to inspect and hope my envy doesn’t show through to much, especially in front of the other church folks. I know we ain’t supposed to covet, but a four hundred dollar church car might just cause a little sin to sprout! Then he started er up, only took about thirty seconds of grinding for it to sputter and roar into action. Plus another side benefit was it smoked out half a block so that held down the summer bug population for that afternoon.

And after church on Sunday afternoons he’d head to the area old folk’s homes and go visiting the oldtimers and grannies. He did that all the time. There’s a lesson there for me. The more I think about it and I’ve been thinking about it a lot the last two days, it’s seldom one meets a person that really lives like Christ told us to live. You know, a person can whoop er up in church and get all involved in church and all that but most of the time after all the church stuff is all said and done it’s right back to living almost exactly the same as everyone else in the world. Hardly a difference if there’s any at all. I never knew of him going around chasing preachers or prophetic groups, never knew him doing any of the fashionable things in church today. The difference with him and most church folks is clear to me now. His personal ministry started when he left church. He didn’t leave God in church and go back to the world, he brought God into the world from the church.

There’s a lot for me to learn from all of this. Stuff that’s hard to learn no matter how much a person studies. Because when a person actually walks the walk the Kingdom of God moves forward and nothing can stop it. I’ll miss him, but I know we’ll be meeting again soon. Church will be a little different, I’ll miss the farmer talk, especially the old time farmer talk, none of the modern worldly farmer talk. Yup, there was a life that made a difference for so many folks and will be sadly missed. But when a person plants seeds all around there’ll be a new crop growing! It’ll spread from walking with God.

I never truly realized it while he was alive, ain’t that the way it sometimes goes, about how much he walked with Jesus, how much he did in Jesus’ name. Just that old-time way, the way folks used to be. I pray that some of that anointing he had will pour onto me and to others. That desire to take God’s love out of the church wall and spread it around to a fallen world.

I Want What They Had

2007-08-28T18:40:00.000-06:00

A little over a week ago I stumbled across a web site I never knew existed. And what I found was right up my alley. In fact I’ve never found a website that was so interesting to me. Now I know that I’m a whole lot different than most folks so that’s my excuse if no one else is interested in it. But for me, the site is totally loaded with preaching and singing and videos and all that good stuff, Country preaching, hard to find on the internet or anywhere else for that matter. Good old Holy Ghost preaching. Yup, it’s a winner in my book. And I’ll use it as much as possible because it’ll be a day in the far off future when I finally make it through that whole thing.

One of the videos that I watched after downloading was about sacrifice, a word that’s very seldom heard any more in the modern day churches. But them oldtimers new what sacrifice was. I ain’t talking about throwing a sheep or ox on the altar, I’m talking about personal sacrifice. I think we’ve lost much of the sacrificial life in this country. A long while back I wrote about the old neighborly ways as was written in the old Foxfire Books and how that attracted me so much. And how much I’d want to see that return as a way of life. People helping people, all the time. I also studied up on how the folks had such a strong and simple faith in God back then, none of the new gimmicks. And things happened big back then as far as moves of God went.

Now I could be accused as just dwelling on the past, wanting the past to come back and all that kind of stuff, but rest assured that isn’t the case. I’m digging deeper and deeper trying to find out why God could move more in an old chicken coop turned church than in massive multi million dollar, high profile ministries that are around today. Beautiful buildings nowadays that are empty of God. Why I always wondered are people chasing this way and that way, trying to find God at some seminar or the like and meanwhile never satisfied with their own church family. Chasing some prophetic movement that can spill out Old Testament type prophecies a dime a dozen. And meanwhile the little home churches are overlooked and I feel get to be despised by the seminar chasers as they get filled up so much chasing God in that city and then another city, but never at home.

I’m not looking at the past just dreaming to go back to those times, because it ain’t likely to happen. The looking back is to find out the difference, to find why these people had such massive moves of God. How little churches literally shook from God’s presence. That’s what I’m after and that’s what I’m finding, Praise God! The testimonies from back in them little Holiness churches 50 or more years ago would shake the biggest movements today and make them wonder why. You just about name it and it happened, movements of God, God’s hand coming in contact with the simple people. The simplest way to put it is that those people trusted God with everything. I know that’s a simple statement, but in today’s world it’s the hardest of hard things to do. Simple trust. And they didn’t worry about themselves, they were more concerned about pleasing God and taking care of the rest of the body of Christ. A far cry from much of the church in America today. I’ll say America because in other parts of the world the church is rolling ahead at full steam, with real signs and wonders following, very often with no money involved at all. Or no buildings either, and probably illegal to boot!

Of all subjects, this is one that interests me about the most. Why can’t folks hardy find God nowadays when a generation or two before they could? The answers are coming rapidly and as clear as a bell. Why could people get healed by the thousands years ago, and now a case here and there is considered big time. The answer is self, always self. There’s very little sacrifice anymore. And we all know that faith without works is dead! People don’t want works anymore, just want self. The easy way. Well, God wants faith backed up by action, words alone mean nothing. Why? Cause the Bible says so! If a person would just live by what the Bible says it would be clear as a bell. But self doesn’t want to give in all that easy, in fact it’s the hardest thing to control on this here earth. But a person just got to listen to Jesus and become like a little child and trust in Him so completely that self just dies right out.

God can’t come when we worship ourselves. A simple way of looking at it. And worshipping ourselves can be hardly noticeable, even to ourselves. It can fit in in almost any church nowadays. It’s time to take notice and walk away from self and give it all to Jesus, and He will come!

A Country Praise!

2007-08-21T19:09:00.000-06:00

Well Praise the Lord tonight! Things are going well! In the last week and a half we’ve picked up almost four inches of rain and it still ain’t too wet by any means! The surprising thing for me today was seeing how the grass started regrowing in a field we have. That thing was browner than brown a couple of weeks ago and when I finally got out there today hauling some manure in that area I couldn’t hardly believe it! Talk about a new birth! The way it’s going we should be able to kick some cattle out there and cut way back on the feeding for a bit. Make up for all that hay that was fed this summer.

After coming through this summer and the drought it gets me reflecting on how we handled it all. I know that never once did we doubt that God’s plan for us was much greater than anything we had figured. Hard sometimes to stir up faith when everything a person got just burns up or at least is severely damaged, hard to see the good things in store. But good things are in store, even if we don’t have any idea what they could be at this moment. Our God is an Awesome God!

One of the greatest surprises has been finding out we aren’t alone. By this I mean the way life used to be, we’d have hard times and we were totally on our own. But something happened this year that humbled me big. We only have about fifty percent of a hay crop so far this year, but we’re hoping to get a little bit more put up in September, so we have the problem of finding and buying hay when everybody else is short too and looking for hay. Not exactly a great situation to say the least. Some of the church folks took it upon themselves to go into deep meadows and cut and bale us some hay to help out. That’ll help out bigtime, but on another front the church folks were keeping an eye and an ear open for the kind of hay we need. And I’m not just saying this lightly cause because of it we were able to purchase 120 “big” 1500 pound bales of good meadow hay for the cows. That’ll help so much over winter it’s setting my heart at ease. What can a person say? A situation that would have normally made me near sick turns around and we come through it with hardly any work or worry. Praise the Lord for His people. And another Praise is that hay is only around eight miles away! Close to home on some good little traveled roads, a dream come true! God’s people doing what God’s people are supposed to be doing! Helping the Body!

Back

2007-08-16T18:45:00.000-06:00

Well, as of this evening I’m back online. Last Friday night we had us a rain here with all the lightening and thunder to go along with it and as usual it knocked my internet out of commission. But at least this time the computer didn’t fry. I was thinking about unplugging it but after an extended drought maybe I was offering it up as a sacrifice. Or else just never figured we’d ever have a thunderstorm again in this neck of the woods. But whatever! She’s humming pretty good the last couple hours!

But my back is sore and I’m kinda tired out this evening, didn’t get my farmer’s nap today and that can set just about everything off kilter. Was at church yesterday evening teaching children’s church and had a bigger than average crowd. Had us three kids who didn’t even know who Jesus was, or else very little knowledge of Him. Their folks don’t come to church at all, but the young’uns come on over for something to do. Well, to make a long story short, two of them kids got saved last evening, in fact they got saved after the children’s church dismissed. I never really had that happen like that before cause I never really taught kids that had almost no knowledge of Jesus. But they’re all excited now and so am I! Two more in the Kingdom!

Things are slowing down here a little bit, the land is greening up after a devastating drought, the only big job left is chopping silage corn. I’m looking forward to fall, cooler temps and the land turning green. More time in the evenings to read and study. Yup, it’ll be good.

Simple Evangelism

2007-07-31T19:25:00.000-06:00

God left the glorious work of saving souls in the hands of the church. What is the church composed of? Men, women and children. We are putting up a building of God; every one has a part in this building; if we cannot be a pillar or cornerstone, let us be a spike or a nail or a brick; let us not despise the day of small things. Whatever we do for Jesus, with the right motive, is precious in His sight. God’s church is a workshop; no idlers allowed there. There should be bills posted, “To work, to work. Every one at his post.” You and I should say when Satan tempts us, like Nehemiah, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. I am commissioned by the King of Heaven to work for Him.” The work is great and the time is short. He offers a great reward. Like the blind man, we will tell what God has done for us. “Once I was blind, now I can see.”

I love that quote, an old quote, around a hundred years old and just as true today. It was from a sermon by Maria Woodworth-Etter. I was reading it last evening and it struck me deep down. We all have our part, every single believer. It’s not just going to church every week, if that, warming a seat or pew. We will answer for our service to the Kingdom, every single one of us that’s born again. I know I sometimes feel what I do is so small, teaching in children’s church, but when I screw my head on straight and think about it, at this moment as far as service to our small church, it’s probably the most important thing I could ever do. But beyond our little small town church, living every moment for Christ can change the world even if we have no idea how. When the power of God is released in a faithful servant nothing in this universe can stop it. And the believer has no idea how all events changed just by being faithful. But the believer will find out at the believer’s judgment and everything will be revealed. But I wondered how can somebody that stumbles and falls more than a toddler as far as spiritual matters make a difference in the Kingdom? Just plain simple folks that ain’t preaching in front of tens of thousands getting all the recognition. The answer is the difference could be earth shattering! Living that life in simple faith and letting it show and spread is one of the most important and effective evangelism tools that there is. No matter what’s getting a person down, and there’s plenty to get a person down in this sinful old world, a person gotta just walk in faith, living for the Kingdom! Simple old faith, don’t have to try and modernize anything.

Here’s a bit more on one simple person making a difference, again from the same sermon that I was reading last evening.

While Jesus sat at Jacob’s well to rest, there was a poor woman, one who was living in sin, who came to the well to get water; although she had fallen very low, and was despised by her friends, so that she had no one to lift her up and tell her of a better way, Jesus came to seek the lost, to lift up the fallen.

God help us to follow His example; if they fell their feet are slipping into the pit of hell, Jesus is a mighty Saviour. He can lift them up and make them children of the King.

Jesus preached salvation, the woman was converted; she left her pitcher and took the well of salvation with her, and running to the city, went up one street and down another, with her face shining with the glory of God. Perhaps the people would have scorned her an hour before; now they saw and felt the change. “Look what he has done for me. He will do the same for you.”

The people left their stores, their places of business, left their parlors and kitchens, and came out in great multitudes to see the Saviour of the world. There was a great revival there at the well. Jesus went into the city and stayed two days. The wave of salvation went on and on. This was the result of one sermon by a weak woman. Many were converted and made to rejoice in a Saviour’s love by the preaching of the woman who said, “He told me all things that ever I did.” They came to her and said, “We know now for ourselves.”

One converted sinner, spreading the Word, and God’s Kingdom moved, big!

A Thank You to Our Friend

2007-07-29T19:38:00.000-06:00

I was going to post this here tonight but decided to put it on the Northern Farmer blog because it's kinds special to me and I want all the readers to see it. To me it was one of the most special posts I've ever written, (although written in my own country style way). It's about a special day today with my very good friend Pastor Josh. PJ, thanks for all you've ever done for our family! One thing I didn't mention in the post was the time our well went out on a Wednesday evening and I had to stay home from church. And after church, in the late evening, you showed up to help. That ain't forgotten. Or the time you came over when our one hundred chickens were murdered by the mink or weasel. No, these aren't forgotten either! Thank you my friend!

In For The Day

2007-07-19T19:18:00.000-06:00

Again, it’s been a while since I posted anything here, or anywhere for that matter. As always things are very busy here. Busier yet with the severe drought sinking it’s teeth in for the kill now. Pastures are shot, there’s absolutely no hay regrowth, river’s almost dry, and a host of other drought related problems. But we’ll get through this as always. Just takes a little more to do it. But on the bright side, the riding lawnmower is getting a nice break!

Now I should just get cleaned up and go upstairs and get the book I’m reading and post a little about that but I’m to lazy tonight. I’ll clean up when I get done here. On my third glass of ice water since sittin down, thirsty I guess! Finished up the evening in the big garden as I do most nights. Calms a person down pulling weeds in the tater patch. By the way, dug a bunch of them spuds tonight and they’re doing great. This past week I finally broke down and started watering the garden in order to at least fight back this drought on a little patch of ground. I don’t know why, but it makes a person feel a little bit better drawing the line and fighting back. And that garden is looking good! We’re eating quite a bit from it with a host of other crops getting ready to be enjoyed in a week or two.

Our sixty Partridge Rock chicks are doing great. Picked them up Sunday after church. The postal warehouse, you know, the big one, called me Sunday morning right before church and asked if I wanted to pick them up a day early. Of course I did, and after church we drove to the city of St Cloud and rang the buzzer at the door of the postal building and in a few minutes a nice lady came and opened up and gave us our hillbilly chickens. I’m like a mother hen since them things came home and I really enjoy them. They’re supposed to be about the best setters of any breed of chicken and good looking to boot! Plus all the stuff I’m gonna build them this winter will be kinda fun!

Oh, finally got the last hay baled today just in time to start swathing oats tomorrow. I got a day or two before the heat wave gets here and I want to finish up that job before it’s in the upper nineties. As dry as it is I won’t have much to worry about, just combine it when ever I get around to it.

So that’s life around here as far as the farm goes. All in all everything is going good. There’s so much to be thankful for. I know a person could get down and out with the drought and all and I do approach the edge of that sometimes but just pull myself back to reality when I start slipping. I have a strong faith that there’s gonna be a huge amount of good in all of this. God’s ways ain’t my ways and I figure He’s a lot smarter than me. So God, how ever you want to do it is alright with me, cause I know You love us and will never let us down.

This evening before coming in I had to wonder. I went out to the garden just to pull weeds and relax. Pretty soon here come the wife, then the two daughter and everyone just pitched in. Everyone was justa talking and a joking and pulling weeds. I figured this is pretty darn good! It ain’t a family piled up in front of a TV or something! And of course church stuff is the main topic, or our church friends, that seems always to be thee main topic around here. I thought, wow, what a different way of life than a few short years ago! Thinking about it, a person or at least me, couldn’t ask for much better. Blessings just piling up! Now, I’m a bit stern on some things around here, but never try to be over bearing, and to see it all just come together like this just warms the heart! What a difference it made in life to stumble into a little full gospel church out in the middle of nowhere a couple years ago! If ever, and I mean if ever there was a change in life it’s when our family started going there! What a blessing!

Dusty Small Town Streets

2007-07-12T19:38:00.000-06:00

I’m just thinking tonight, got done with work just a few minutes ago, tired out but feels good to be able to do an honest day’s work. Lots of stuff to do around here tonight and I’ll get to all that in a bit. It’s not exactly a bed of roses this summer on the farm as the drought gets more and more intense but we’ll survive it. Through it all we give praise to God for He’ll get us through and we’ll come out stronger in our faith because of it.

Just got word a while ago that folks we know in the country of Honduras are in a Holy Ghost movement. They’re getting saved, healed and all the rest of it. Now these people don’t have anything as far as our American way of thinking, we’re talking the poor here. And God is moving and the people are living lives of pure joy. I guess that’s what I’m thinking about tonight. The explosion of God amongst the poor folks, folks that I know, that experience such movements of God. Meanwhile in the American church we figure we’re going to help those folks live Christian lives “like us”. We’ll I’m here to tell you that I want what they got!

Those folks are living lives like I can only read about in the old revival books. Where they all get healed, not just an occasional one. Somewhere we are missing it here in this materialistic society. I firmly believe that God wants to move like that here but we shut Him out. Simple as that! Now I know there’s lots of folks that can get really technical and full of theology and all of that. But God confounds the wise and moves with the simple. And move He does!

Last evening I was at church and the inner voice told me to go walk the dirt streets in that very small town in rural America. I was at church over a half an hour early anyhow, so why not! My daughter and her friend walked with me down the dirt streets, with a rain squall that didn’t amount to anything trying to fling a few drops on me just to remind me what it’s like. Wind was blowing pretty hard out of the northwest and it was rather cool out. I decided to go see if a girl that used to come to children’s church would like to start attending again. We walked a couple of blocks, much farther than that and we’d be out in the country, and the girls showed me where she lived.

I tell you, I was changed last evening, to see where some kids live that would attend children’s church occasionally. Changed in a lot of my thinking, changed in my outlook. I have a hard time explaining it. When a person just starts walking for Jesus in a small town I believe you learn more than all the books combined that I’ve ever read. Those books were incredibly important though, thinking about it, because they’ve given me a fairly firm base. The scene I came across would have been at home in an old picture of the poor mountain folks. The granny came to the door looking madder than a junk yard dog, half the teeth missing, demanding what we wanted. Well, the girl I was looking for wasn’t home or so I was told so we politely left.

We kept walking and talked to another girl I once knew in children’s church. She didn’t want to come back, and I feel that came from her parents. None of these parents are church goers of any sorts. And if you want to add up the different vices they live by the list would be fairly long. But after all of this I had no depression or anything like that. We started children’s church and I know the Spirit was strong in the teaching and the prayer I said last night was like no other prayer I’ve ever said in my life. It wasn’t from me, or should I say, it was from my heart but the words were placed in my mouth. And did they flow. I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life. Pure joy as the word flowed!

Maybe this is what I need, to step out and be Christ like. To move with the compassion Christ did. Such a simple step as doing what we did last night before church unleashed a power from God that’s hard to describe. And it makes a hunger to do it all the time. Makes no difference if I didn’t see any results immediately, I could sense God’s presence coming on strong. Church is incredibly important, but I realize if one wants to see God move one has to walk like Christ, not just warm a church pew. Every step builds faith. Church is wherever our feet step. Just like the Bible says in the book of Acts.

I had wanted to do a post about the book I’m reading now, but will save it for next time because this all ties together. My heart is really yearning for the Gospel to be spread in rural America, the forgotten land. I pray to see the people saved and healed of every disease and addiction there is out here. Oh, there are churches everywhere you look. Many are dying, many are just becoming the modern church with pure materialism and the American religion. No movements of God what so ever. I want what our friends in Honduras are getting, revival! When I look over everything I seen last evening I’d say it’s totally impossible and that’s what has me excited about it all. The impossibility of it, cause that’s when God moves, in the impossible situations for man!

This land isn’t the popular place for all the people of faith to talk about, care about, pray about. It’s the forgotten land within a land. The flyover land while folks are heading to big named seminars, big time church events, big named preachers and all the rest. These are the forgotten people. Many just assume that everything is alright out in the country. But the countryside is dying, falling apart at the seams. There is room for a huge movement of God out here.

Back to Children's Church

2007-07-10T15:31:00.001-06:00

I’m writing a little bit earlier than normal here cause in a little bit we’re taking 120 chickens to town. Daughter Rachel’s chickens that she raises to sell to folks. Of coarse Rachel’s in Oklahoma at the moment so her parents and younger sister are going to catch them, load them, truck em to town and hopefully make it back. We’re taking the three quarter ton truck which means we will be thankful if we do make it back without being towed! Ah, life’s adventures out here!

Later in the week we’ll be reloading with baby chicks, but this breed is special, a rare breed and a beautiful one to boot. These babies are my project! Good old fashioned farm chickens that reproduce. Now I know some folks would wonder what’s so special about chickens reproducing but one must understand that today’s chickens really don’t reproduce. Man has his hand in the process totally. I just want some old fashioned farm chickens for Sunday dinner and the eggs. Some chickens that still have the God given brains to reproduce themselves.

I’m more than a little excited about tomorrow night here. After a few month absence from our church’s children’s church I’ll be returning to teaching on Wednesday evenings. I know when I first started over a year and a half ago I never thought I’d be looking forward to it, but God changes a person, sometimes bigtime! Children’s church ministries are very exciting for me, don’t know why, but who am I to question something good? I love seeing the simple faith that’s there, something many adults lack. I think I learn as much as or maybe more than the kids do.

Last fall the Holy Spirit moved bigtime in that little doublewide out in the middle of no where and started a hunger in me that hasn’t let up. When the Holy Spirit swept in with such power it was all I could do to even keep standing. The kids sure didn’t, they were all on the floor. I was staggering! This happened twice back then and I know it’ll be happening again with much more power! Experiencing this small portion of the power of God is probably what sparked my interest in revival that’s been keeping me busy for the last few months. Not having any opportunity at all to go anywhere else I have faith that I’ll be seeing it where we’re at. And probably starting in that little doublewide out in the middle of nowhere!

2007-07-08T18:47:00.000-06:00

The weekend is finally over and the temperature outside is cooling down a bit from the heat blast we had Saturday. Whew! That was a hum dinger! Was in church this morning and it was a really great service and I know the Holy Ghost was strong in the church today! There were visions and dreams, and not because of boring preaching either! The preaching was powerful, the kind that wakes a person right up! I’ve been on a high all day since church. All in all a pretty good Sunday. I was even on a high before church even though we had a severe lack of sleep here last night. Local town carnival time so we were up pretty late for us anyhow. Talk about a hot summer night. Reminded me of that old Neil Diamond song “Hot August Night” or something like that. Now all we needed instead of a drunken carnival would have been a big tent or two, some powerful preachin and some good old gospel music! Hmm, giving me some ideas here!

Just thinking of them old tent meetings got me all excited! I remember last summer we had a few services under a tent during the Hot Rod show at church. Had us some Gospel Bluegrass on Friday night, an evangelist on Saturday afternoon on a 100 degree day, and a Sunday morning service. I’ll never forget them! Quite a time!

Yup, someday I think I’ll see it come back, don’t know when or where around here but I know I will see it. People getting saved after some old time power preaching. That’s what folks are hungry for, nothing else truly satisfies. All the gimmicks and programs don’t seem to cut it. People want God! Praise God!

I’m in a pretty good mood so I’d better add a picture or two here and get to some other stuff. Daughter Rachel is about to leave for Oklahoma in a few minutes! I’m all excited and very sad at the same time. Having our daughter finally leave the coop here and go follow the Lord. Well, I know it’s only for seven days, but it gets a person anyhow. But instead of some worldly pursuit, she’s following God, Amen!

Revival Links and Book

2007-07-06T19:50:00.000-06:00

It’s been a bit since I’ve been able to post here. With the little time I’ve had I was posting on Northern Farmer. But I can’t post without getting some of my feelings of faith injected into a post over there. I added a few links here tonight and hope to add more as time goes on. I don’t get around the internet much at all so just stumbling on these blogs is nothing short of a miracle. The subject of revival is of intense interest to me and the three blogs I’ve added are some very good finds to say the least. I’ve never commented on any of them because I sometimes feel uncomfortable around folks that know so much more than I do. So I just read and learn and build in faith.

I’m reading a diary of an evangelist from many years ago, her name is Maria Woodworth-Etter. Now I read a lot of books on faith and all that, but this book is really getting through to me. The title is “A Diary of Signs & Wonders” and our pastor has borrowed it to me. Never before have I read something that has affected me as much as this book. The journal of from the very beginning of her ministry and as it grew and shook the nation.How they went town to town in the Midwest in the beginning and revival just swept through these rural farming communities. The power of the Holy Ghost convicting community after community. The thousands saved and lives changed forever. Whew! All from the obedience of a simple person!

Just some darn good reading as far as I’m concerned. Between that and the Bible I’m full up here. Plus the studies are still going, although very slow with all this summer farm work going on and the days being so long. But that’ll be changing soon, time flies and in a couple of months we’ll get more evenings to spend time again in studies.

A Good Day

2007-06-26T19:48:00.000-06:00

Boy oh boy, got a lot done around here today, making hay, cultivating corn, cleaned up a small fallen tree that was across the fence, drove ten miles and borrowed a flatbed trailer to use this coming Saturday to carry the Bobcat 6 miles to haul 8 foot logs to the saw rig, and ended the evening tonight working for an hour in the sweet corn patch over on the other side of the fence from our yard. Whew, that was a long sentence! Let’s see, besides shower up I’d better cut up some side pork so I have some ready for breakfast. I suppose I could cut that right away in the morning but at four thirty in the morning I’d probably cut one of my fingers off in the process.

And tomorrow do it all again! And some folks want the country farm life to live laid back! Well, in reality it is pretty good. The difference is a person wants to work I guess. So why am I writing here, it’s because my legs are so shaky that I’m almost afraid to get up to take a shower. Gotta let them recover a bit. Durn, just thought, I forgot I wanted to put up hog panels by the pole beans tonight, durn! And I also just remembered I was going to make a hog pen next to the garden too. Where did my mind go today?!

Oh well, there’s always tomorrow for all that fun.

Give It To God

2007-06-23T20:10:00.000-06:00

Just got done baling a little while ago and got myself all cleaned up. Sure does feel good! The hay is roughly doing about fifty percent of last year’s crop which does cause concern. Pastures are already burning off from the drought. We’ve gotten some rains but never enough to reverse the third straight year of drought. There might be some changes coming to this place because of it all. But I ain’t gonna worry about that now on a Saturday evening.

It’s just time to kick back a bit and relax a few minutes before hitting the hay for the night. Do chores tomorrow morning and head on out to church. Supposed to be a hot and windy one out tomorrow. Might be hot and windy in church too! You just never know. I guess there’s a missionary that’s stationed in Russia coming over to church to talk tomorrow which should be pretty interesting. Never heard a missionary from out that way before.

Don’t know what tomorrow will bring after church, wonder if I’ll be tempted to bale? I hope not! A guy needs a little break! And next week I’d better cultivate some corn before it’s too late to do that job. Weeds are coming pretty good in the corn fields so I’d better take care of that and hope the corn gets some moister and forms a heavy canopy to choke the weeds out. Mostly foxtail out there, not to thick, just concerns me a bit.

All in all I’ve been more than busy, much to busy for the little return a person gets in dry conditions. Sometimes it gets a person down but I have to remember to just give it to God. Give it to Him and then it’s His problem. That’s what He wants us to do so I’d better get off my high horse and hand it all over to Him. And if it ever gets wet around here in coming years and we have great times I’ll have to make sure I give those great times to Him too! Just don’t want to come crawling on my knees when times are tough.

I should be constantly Praising Jesus cause I’m saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost. Now a little three year dry spell ain’t all that big of a deal compared to those three things mentioned above! Five years from now it won’t matter all that much if it was dry here for a few years, a hundred years from now if the world is still kickin no one will care, for sure I won’t care then! Yup Tom, you gotta think eternity here! Everything around here just give to God and just be happy!

We’re commanded not to worry, so who am I to screw up my days worrying over something I have no control over. Now that it’s God’s problem I figure anyway He wants to handle it is alright with me. Yes Lord, it’s yours now and anyway you want to handle it is alright with me. Someday, if the Lord doesn’t return first, I’ll be long gone and buried, but ain’t no grave gonna hold this body down when that trumpet sounds! What a time that’ll be when the graves burst open and we’re on our way!

Yup, there’s trials and tribulations in this world but when that day comes everything old is done with and it all begins! The human mind cannot even begin to comprehend what’s going to happen beginning that moment. I know I can’t hardly imagine it! I know we’re eternal right now when a person is a born again believer, but we’re still in this world, not of it, but still in it. In the old songs those folks had it figured out when they’re playing and singing about that blessed hope, when all the old passes away and they’re on their way to glory! Sometimes I can come in all down and out from the day to day stuff around here and just put on some of the old songs and get lifted right back up. There’s power in those old songs that stood the test of time! One can imagine the many generations that sang those songs and it helped them out the same as today. There’s power in songs of faith sung with a broken heart. And that’s the only way God can get glory out of a human being, the human must be broken and hand it all over to the Lord. Gotta empty out self, empty every ounce of pride and give it all to God, then God can come in and be glorified by a person totally filled by God.

And God is about as perfect as it gets, absolute perfection, so why wouldn’t I want Him to be in total control? Well, I guess a person hangs on to pride, selfishness, self, and a host of other things. Gotta just continue to throw it all out and let God take up all that empty space! And He will! How can a person lose with God in control!

Another Twenty Acres and Revival

2007-06-19T19:54:00.000-06:00

Got 20 more acres under the belt today as far as hay making goes. Scrambled out there in mid morning and raked it up and after dinner, (plus a half an hour nap), got out there with the baler and rolled er up. Windier than the dickens again today and some hay was flying away but the field got cleaned up real good despite it all! Tomorrow weather permitting I’ll do it all over again, gotta keep going, no time to waste.

Garden’s looking good, and so are the weeds. Boy, just give them weeds a little rain and away they go! But the bright spot is that they’re easier to pull! Next week I’ll be ordering our “hillbilly” chickens. Getting us an assortment of the old rare breeds, you know, the old fashioned farm chickens. I’m all excited about that. These are full size chickens, not bantams, and they’re some good lookers to say the least. I’m kinda cutting back on our production hens and going more the old fashioned farm route. Besides, I like those old fashioned roosters and hens running around the place, makes it feel a little more like home!

I’d better get myself showered up, just got in you know. Long day, but a good day. Tomorrow’s Wednesday, don’t know if I’ll make it to church, kinda want to keep pounding the hay out here, but you never know, it is possible I’ll be done by supper, you never know. Then we might head to the hills and catch the mid-week service. If not we can always have a little church here. Cause church is wherever our feet step eh! Nothin like praising the Lord where ever a person is! The oldtimers did and why shouldn’t we! I’m reading a book now called God’s Generals and it’s really good. The internet link of the same name is on my links on the side of this blog. Our pastor borrowed it to me a couple weeks ago along with a slug of other books. Justa burning through them. In fact I read one book on holiness twice that I’m borrowing. You know, when a book is good and follows what the Bible says I can read them so fast it’s like downloading a computer on super high speed internet. Don’t take long at all.

That holiness book is really good reading, and it’s about revival to boot! And that subject just gets to me. One thing about revival, when it truly happens, the church turns into a New Testament church! The spreading of the Gospel is the number one result. Not playing church, but good old fashioned Book of Acts Christianity! It whips the church back into shape, to do what it’s supposed to do. It’s so easy for a church to stray or go lukewarm, as it is for every member too, including me. After reading and studying up all these revival books and reading about so many of the powerful men and women of God in days gone by it just creates a hunger that can’t be quenched in me. These true revivals were very dramatic to say the least. The Holy Ghost sweeping through knocking folks right to the floor, revealing to all present their unholiness in the eyes of God. There was some big changes in folks when this happened, permanent changes. I pray more than anything that I can witness something like that in my lifetime, where the power of God sweeps through changing everyone permanently in the area where this happens. The conversions, the healings, the signs and wonders are truly awesome! And every time the church becomes a Gospel spreading church after the revival hits, every time!

And every area needs it, no matter how churchy the area is. Another book I read and will re-read will be “The God Chasers”, a book on people seeking exactly what I’m writing about here. An incredible book!

I’d better git, wasn’t even planning on writing anything but just jotted a couple of thoughts down here tonight. Gotta get cleaned up and get me some rest so tomorrow can mean another 20 acres baled.

Another Monday Evening

2007-06-18T19:45:00.000-06:00

Well, into another week here and all is going good! Had us some rains the last few days, nothing big time but a huge help to say the least! Dropped more hay today, and should be baling tomorrow on a field that I cut last Thursday but has been getting rained on the last few days. I guess I could’a baled it yesterday but I just didn’t feel like going out and going nuts on that big field. It could wait and tomorrow it should be rolled up. I seen more wildlife today cutting than most people see in a year. Was in the middle of a section, couldn’t see any roads, houses or anything remotely resembling people. It sure was nice being way out there! Baby deer, pheasants everywhere, both adults and little chicks, wild turkeys, rabbits and I forget what else! A pleasant way to spend the afternoon.

This week will be low pressure around here and it’s about time. Just can work without worrying about off farm things. Don’t have to get anything ready for church, no place to go that I know of, don’t have to go to any towns or anything, just a durn good week! A rare week to be sure! A working vacation. Sometimes a person can get a bit to spread out, spread a little thin, don’t even have to take care of any customers this week. Just head out to the hay fields and enjoy!

I was listening to a really great sermon the other day on Jesus Radio, that’s some internet radio thing, in fact I even have it at the very bottom of this blog. You never really know what’s gonna be on but I nailed a really good sermon the other day. I really can’t quite remember who it was, but it was some Pentecostal preacher from North Carolina I think, and man, did he ever give a humdinger of a sermon! About materialism in this day and age, I can tell you that there was more than one Amen coming from me as I listened to it! Did that guy ever hit the nail, or nails, on the head! Almost makes me ashamed of how we live yet! Always thinking of getting things. Heck, we got too much and it’s affecting life too! Maybe that’s why a person is always to busy! Sure ain’t like it used to be, and I’m talking even in my lifetime.

Too much to do just to keep up. Whatever happened to relaxing evenings? What ever happened to not worrying about tomorrow? Well, I’m getting sick and tired of worrying all the time let me tell you! Time to rethink things here a little bit. Time to start making adjustments in life. No need to pursue the American Dream cause it’ll only let you down every time anyhow. I don’t need some big bank accounts, some cushy retirement, I just need a good life out here in the country.

I think my favorite hobby, if you want to call it that, is reading and studying about the old fashion ways, that old fashioned faith the people had in years gone by. Living out in the country and just tending to themselves and their neighbors. I think I’ve written so much on that these last couple of years a person could come up with a full sized book on the subject! Time to step out of the rat race, the remnant that I do live in and live more stress free.

Figuring Things Out

2007-06-12T19:47:00.000-06:00

Well Praise the Lord, we got our first patch of hay baled today without a problem! Now to do the other 130 acres, basically alone. Gotta keep them John Deere’s a humming and maybe myself too! Just got in this evening and see I was tagged. I’ve been tagged before on the blog circuit and never did answer or respond to one of them. But this one is a little different and I’m in a good mood. What makes a farmer in a good mood you ask? Well, before checking anything else on this old clunk of a computer, although I must admit, a highly beefed up clunk of a computer, I always check the regional weather radar. Of course having all that rain in the Dakotas this evening doesn’t really mean squat on this place, but it lifts my spirits just the same. Some pretty colors on the radar tonight off to the west a couple hundred miles! And in an area that sure isn’t overly wet that gets me all excited.

Now back to the tagged thingy. I’ll give it a try in the next few days. No promises, and don’t have thinking in me tonight. After I took a shower a few minutes ago I laid back on the bed and after a bit couldn’t get up! The wife had to literally pull me off the bed! Ah, the joys of farming eh!

And in keeping tradition around here I’ll offer more excuses! This past Sunday in church our pastor asked, “you gonna be in church next Sunday?” Of course I answered a definite “maybe”. (I wasn’t born yesterday you know.) Well, I’m in a pickle now cause I have to speak during service next Sunday. Yup, that’s right, “ME”! Oh well, my daddy always said I could talk to a rock, so I figure I’ll just imagine the congregation as a good sized rock pile! Works for me! Still have no idea what I’ll say but it’s a Spirit filled church so we’ll just let it go at that! I ain’t worried about it.

Let’s see here, any more flimsy excuses tonight. Nope, I’ll just leave it at that for now and will try and figure out that tag in a few days. Sure hope there ain’t some time limit on it or something. And sure hope I don’t forget, it’s been known to happen, all the time.

But I should get back upstairs and dive into the Bible and a few other books just to get ready somewhat for Sunday. But 99% of my plans form when I’m out in the field anyhow and there should be plenty of time to figure something out. I’d better git!

On the Go

2007-06-04T18:48:00.000-06:00

Monday evening, a cool NW wind outside but all in all a pretty good day. I will admit, this sure has been a windy spring. Hardly ever seems to stop. Now why didn’t I invest in a windmill to generate some electricity around here? Oh well, late again eh! Things are progressing more and more around here with full days of nothing but work. Don’t get much time on this contraption which is OK.

The studies that I started last fall have slowed down to a crawl, but should continue and then pick up the pace as some more of the seasonal jobs get done around here. The big thing that’ll give me time is rain. I don’t mean rainy days off or anything like that, I mean if the grass grows then I won’t have to start feeding the cow herd in July like last year. I’m in such good spirits with these little rains we received, (all it takes is for the world to turn green again to make me happy), that I’ve been studying in my reading room where to go on a vacation. Yup, vacation, yup, me! It’s been a few years. By vacation I’m talking about four days max. Good enough!

But the businessman that I am has me looking for farm ideas kinda worked into a vacation. What can I say, might as well make it really enjoyable in case we go. Kinda thinking about a vacation that would show me country style stuff with Gospel music, bluegrass and the like. Something that could be incorporated into this farm in the future. I’ve been giving the Missouri travel planner a workout lately. I figure that Branson area might do the trick. I’m not one for tourist traps but the sheer amount of ideas I could get around there staggers the imagination. Kind of a trip with a mission! I’ve written before about Gospel barns and the like and being there’s not what I’d call an overabundance of stuff like that around here travel does sound like an option.

Oh well, this is still just a dream, it’ll take some rain to make it reality. And if we don’t go it’s no big deal because as I’ve written before, we’re more than happy here and don’t “need” a vacation. Looking back at the few that I’ve taken, I’ve always brought back some durn good ideas though! I’ll let the Lord decide for us if we should go.

So, other than work and a little thinking here about the only other thing of importance is our Pastor brought us a load of material today for evangelism. That’s got me pretty excited let me tell you. The last link in our plans to go out and spread the gospel. And we’re ready. Things just keep falling in place, so much so we know it’s God! I personally am ready to hit it! Personal evangelism. Spanish and English, we’ve got places to go, materials are here that we needed, yup, time to get on with it all!

There, got my little break in, better get back outside and do some work before coming in for good.

A Praise and Big Boars

2007-05-30T18:03:00.000-06:00

Well Praise the Lord! It rained this afternoon! The rarest of the rarest! Only got around six tenths of an inch but that sure beats the alternative of nothing! There’s even water standing around the place and I haven’t seen that for quite sometime. Far from being out of the woods, at least it proved that it can rain! So I don’t have to think about that for a couple of days.

I’m putting a new link here, Cowboys for Christ. I haven’t given it much thought till today and it came to me. I’ve received their monthly paper, “The Christian Ranchman” for around fifteen years and it’s always been a big blessing to this family. Full of stories, preaching, testimonies and the like. A darn good outfit! Plus I can relate to how they think and live. I never was a city slick, never will be, so it doesn’t pay to even attempt to act like one. What can I say, I’ve written thousands upon thousands of words on the subject.

It’s always kinda humorous when folks figure they should feel sorry for me having to work seven days a week out here. Meanwhile I pity them, stuck in the system thinking that we’re living some kind of life of drudgery or something. Well, the news is, we’re probably happier than the vast majority of folks today. Ain’t bragging, just stating a straight forward fact. If I had a dollar for every person that said that I need a vacation I’d be able to buy one heck of a prize winning bull or something of that order. Yup, what folks don’t realize is the freedom we do have. Of coarse I don’t help matters much, because I forget that people that are deep in the system’s trap can’t understand farmer talk. They think when I’m complaining that I’m really complaining. Now any farmer knows that I ain’t complaining! And I know they ain’t complaining either as we moan and groan our way through a conversation. That’s farmer language, or at least farmer dialect.

I was at my folk’s house this morning to drain them of some of their coffee and they had the news on, I think it was Fox news or something like that, I don’t know cause I never watch the stuff, takes to much life away from a person. But they had a few newspeople proving how intelligent they were. They were talking about that hog that kid shot down south somewhere near Brad’s area and I almost doubled up laughing at their views and “highly educated” comments. Them folks had not the slightest idea what they were talking about! First they couldn’t believe an old boar could get that big. Well, I’m here to tell you that they do and we had one just a little smaller than that one around twenty five years ago. His name was “Big Bob”, a large white that really became a large white! Shipped him off around 950 pounds to South St Paul. And they didn’t have low boy trailers back then around here, had the old traditional livestock rack up on a big truck and a person had to get the critters up the steep chute. Many a cow, steer and even pigs jumped over the sides of them chutes in my days. I clearly remember trying to get Big Bob to go up the chute, I don’t even know if I can repeat the adventure here! But needless to say, Big Bob didn’t want to go up the steep chute. Justa chomping those big tusks, foaming out the sides of his mouth. Yup, we’d clip teeth when they were little baby pigs, and the farmer that raised up Big Bob did too, but they still grow pretty big, just a bit duller than if they’da been left alone.

Back to the reporters, they couldn’t figure out how a pig that big would go unnoticed in the “neighborhood”. Typical city slicks, thinking everything is a city or suburban neighborhood! I guess they can’t imagine woodlands, or swamplands where hundreds of larger animals can live virtually unnoticed except maybe at hunting season. The way I figure it, they must figure that all pigs are cute white little critters that go around talking to all the barnyard animals. And they never grow bigger, just act like a human. Yup, that must be it.

Fifteen or twenty years ago a hunter shot a wild hog on my land while bowhunting for deer. I never really seen that hog living back there, but did see areas he’d rutted up. I mustn’t be very observant in our neighborhood cause I never seen that hog. That hog never bothered any neighbors place, just stayed out in the woods and swamps and grew pretty good too. Lucky for that hog he got shot in late fall because being a wild hog can have ill effects in a Minnesota winter. More or less a seasonal thing here, just escape from a farm in spring and then live good till late fall and then look for some hunter’s freezer to spend the winter in. I’m assuming that hog down south was an old farm hog to get that big.

Well, anyway, that’s my two cents worth on that big old hog. It didn’t amaze me one bit that one got that big. Minnesota State Fair has a largest boar contest every year, a real crowd pleaser too! I can tell them reporters have never been there!

Revival

2007-05-26T18:37:00.000-06:00

This video is the first in a series that I want to post on Revival. Fairly heavy stuff!

That Grand and Glorious Feeling

2007-05-25T20:03:00.001-06:00

Where do I even begin here? This week has had its ups and downs, though as the week end it’s been mostly ups. Things are getting done around here, but the rains are missing us every time. Hardly a day goes by without rain coming close, but so far, nothing. But there’s still time for a complete turn around in that department. It does wear on a person a bit, even though I know it’s not important in the big picture.

I’m getting more and more responsibilities as far as faith matters. The newest one is unbelievably interesting. That’s studying about past revivals. Man, it’s some of the most interesting stuff I’ve ever tackled. And I’m barely scratching the surface. I learned more in the last week than I’ve learned my whole life about this subject. Hard to go to sleep when learning about it! Working all day dwelling on the subject!

The little I did know about it, and it wasn’t much, was the old stories of the Old Holiness Church in the mountains almost a hundred years ago. The stories, true stories, sparked my interest over a year ago in one of the Foxfire Books, I believe it was number seven, and I’ve always kept my eyes and ears open after that to pick up any information that I could. Well, I’ve been busy with the farm, with some of the stuff I do for church, Bible College courses, and many other things to numerous to mention. This past Wednesday evening at church my wife, whom is always on the lookout for my interests, found a book on revivals in our church library. And I hardly ever mentioned the subject to her, but a wife can figure out her husband more than the husband cares to admit. At least here it works that way, and probably to some farmer in Alabama. But this book is a treasure and the church library has no real due date so here we go!

I ain’t been this excited since we butchered hogs! Heck, I’m probably more excited now than them fun times even! Well, I know I am cause I just remembered I froze my feet when we were butchering hogs that one time. Plus punctured my thumb with the knife when I was skinning them. This is good stuff for sure!

But if it ain’t raining out and other things are going wrong, what the heck, just sing a song of praise around here! Now I like some of the old songs, the hand clapping, foot stomping old rafter shakers that they had in those little rural churches in days gone by. Just like in the Foxfire book, those folks got to shouting and praising and singing. They’d run out of the tent, or chicken coop, or whatever they were having their meeting in and be whooping and a singing and a praising the Lord with everything they had! They didn’t care what anyone thought and sometimes it got them in a whole lot of trouble, lose their jobs, get shunned, that kind of thing. But when God’s on the move it can’t be stopped. An old one that I like is a clapping, stomping type song from these times I’m writing about. I don’t even know the name but I can sing it! I’d figure it’s called “That Grand and Glorious Feeling” cause it sounds about right for a title, but whatever it is, the name ain’t important. Just the song being belted out, praising God out here in the backwoods rural areas is all that matters. Yup! I’ll write down one verse here as far as I can figure the song out, some words are mine cause I don’t know all the words but when should that ever stop a person!

It’s a grand and glorious feeling, just to be a child of God.

Oh how His love comes over me stealing

It makes my pathway brighter shine where ever I trod.

Oh everyday I’ll tell the story of His love I’ll ever sing.

It’s a grand and glorious feeling, Oh justa keep a walkin and keep a talking with my King

Simple Faith

2007-05-21T18:39:00.000-06:00

Jesus came to make us free from sin-free from disease and pain. When I see a person diseased and in pain, I have great compassion on him. When I lay my hands upon him, I know God intends for men to be so filled with Him that the power of sin has no effect on them. He intends for them to go forth, as I am doing, to help the needy, sick and afflicted. But what is the main thing? To preach “the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matt. 6:33)

I figured I’d start this post with a quote from Smith Wigglesworth. That man of God from a while back. The man moved mountains because of his faith in God, his belief that the Bible is the Word of God. So simple was his faith, and yet so powerful! This quote stuck out as if it was written in large bold print as I was reading a book with his recorded sermons in it. It so touched me I think I'll keep it around, words to live by, a mission statement!

Sometimes a person can get carried away and start making things complicated in following God. We look for different ways to worship thinking that will get us closer to God. Gone is the true love of following God with all our hearts, that simple faith where God moves. Reading some of these sermons from Wigglesworth truly are a blessing for me. I know of no person today that moved mountains like he did with his faith and yet with such a simple faith. I think its human nature to complicate things, I know it’s mine!

It’s time to get back to that simple faith, time to believe the Bible period. I can be laughed at by the wise, but I want what Wigglesworth had. And I know without doubt that a person will get it when he abandons the world and has that simple child like faith in God. It’s a promise! Don’t look to the right, don’t look to the left, just stay in the Word, cherishing it! Just believe!

The Word was never meant to be taken apart and debated, the Word was for us to believe. The Word gives life! How simple! Just believe!

Done for the Week

2007-05-19T19:48:00.000-06:00

Thirty more acres of corn in today, more than I ever expected to get in. Was a warm one till around six this evening and I don’t know but it sure cooled down in a hurry around these part. It’s only fifty degrees with a brisk wind out there. Down right cold out compared to the eighties this afternoon! Even started the wood furnace a few minutes ago because I’m not in the mood for a big chill down in the house. If it gets to warm in here we can always open a window. Plus I never calculate the cost of burning a few blocks of wood.

But the week is in, a busy week for sure and I can’t wait till after morning chores and get on over to church and relax these weary bones. There’s always more to do but I’m sure thankful that the Lord says to rest on the seventh day. I think some of us humans would work ourselves to death if the Lord hadn’t commanded us to rest! But I still love puttering around in the garden on Sundays. I don’t consider that work, more like relaxing. No noise, digging in the dirt, just generally enjoying every minute of it all. The potato patch looks great, plus the rest of the family here weeded it today, did a good job too! There should be enough potatoes to start feeding us in a few weeks plus enough to last the winter, or at least most of it. Good old black dirt potatoes, not the chemicaled up ones they raise in the sand for the stores. The taste that can’t be beat coming from the rich black dirt here on our farm.

It’s getting drier and drier out in these parts though. Does make me wonder a bit what’s going to happen around here this year. If it’s another drought this’ll be year number three of that. It was a tough one last year, toughest since 88. Things are starting to look bleaker and bleaker here. But there’s still time for a total turn around. I noticed that some of the grass in our yard is just starting to burn today.

But what ever happens it’s not all that big a deal in the big scope of things. We’re happy, we know where we’re going to live eternity. What’s a few dry years! Besides, if everything went perfect all the time we’d probably start thinking we were really something, when we sure aren’t. The way it is now the praises outweigh the problems many times over! In fact I’d better never complain cause the way we are blessed all the time is unbelievable. By golly, I think I’m working myself into a pretty good praise mode just jotting this all down!

We’re living life in abundance I’ll have to admit. Every need is supplied by the Lord. Nothing short changed there! Content, no bills really, everyone is doing good health wise, food on the table, and a lot of it in fact. Yup, can’t complain, our needs are more than met! Don’t need no Cadillac religion, you know, where they promise you’ll be rich if you send them money. Nope, don’t need that, in fact don’t want that at all. Just thankful our needs are met is all. No distractions when it comes to studying God’s Word. That constant infilling of His Word that gradually takes over and becomes a part of you. A big part too! In fact the driving part. What a blessed thing it is, being filled with the Word daily. And every day more and more new revelation, more and more the taking control of the flesh. I’m not saying that I got everything under total control cause that would be the lie of a lifetime, I’m just praising for how the Word of God can change a person daily. Killing the flesh, putting it under till almost every moment is walking in the Lord. Such a long way to go, but every day is more and more exciting in the walk with Him!

First Corn Planted

2007-05-18T20:01:00.000-06:00

Praise the Lord we got our first corn in the ground finally today! Might get another 18 acres in tomorrow if it doesn’t rain but I’d be Praising the Lord like a wild man if it would get wet here in the central Minnesota desert! Getting a bit dry here which doesn’t take all that much with multiple year droughts these last few years. But whatever! If it’s another drought we’ll praise Him, if it’s a great year as far as the crops go we’ll praise Him! In all reality it isn’t as important as eternity, that’s for sure! And other than the Gospel Radio being down on the internet everything is going pretty good. Weekend coming which doesn’t mean a whole lot around here, except for church on Sunday. Get that corn in and then get the garden finished up this next week.

This is just a short little update, in many ways I keep this for myself to look back on. I was looking at some old ones here and on the Northern Farmer blog and really got a kick out of them! Kinda neat being able to see what was on my mind a year or two ago. And talk about an important part of our lives here being recorded! As many might have noticed I don’t take blogging seriously at all anymore. It had it’s day, now it’s more for down right relaxing and just recording some thoughts. Gone are the days when the blog was really popular. Talking about my writing, not Jim V’s. He’s doing very good! I’m so thankful for that let me tell you. It was a burden at the end. Now, well whatever. Who cares!

Time to hit the hay, gotta get a lot done tomorrow!

Old Fashion Dirt Farming

2007-05-11T19:43:00.000-06:00

Was working in the back forty today plowing all afternoon, wow what a nice vacation! I tell you, when a person is always working doing manual labor a day plowing is just what the doctor ordered! The old 4320 was just a purring along pulling those four 18s. It could pull a bigger plow but I like them four bottoms for hilly fields. At least it’ll stay in the ground a bit better than a bigger one will. Sittin in that tractor is just so relaxing and a person can dwell on a lot of stuff. Mostly faith matters, in fact almost all faith matters. I don’t know, it’s just all that’s ever on my mind these days and times. Even tonight trying to catch up in our bigger garden, that’s about all that’s on my mind. Didn’t catch up in that garden either. Want to get back to planting but by golly those weeds in the tater patch are growing like nuts! So I didn’t get to till any new ground, just trying to salvage the tater patch before those weeds get out of control! Almost got it under control, do a bit more tomorrow night Lord willing. Tomorrow we’ll be doing a family favorite job here, picking rocks in the oats fields. I realize I won’t be very popular tomorrow with my family, but that’s fatherhood on the farm. But these old dad’s have a bag of pretty potent threats to make the work progress! Nuthing mean or anything like that, just gotta know what to take away if the work don’t get done. Like ever going anywhere else on earth again besides the farm. Of course looking rock picking in the eye many times kids figure a lifetime spent in seclusion on the farm beats four hours of rock picking. But I have other tricks, we’ll see how it goes. Maybe we should praise the Lord when we’re doing all that. It’d work for me!

But spring is rolling along here, jobs are getting done one way or another. All winter I figure it’s impossible to do all of that work and somehow, someway, it just all falls together. It doesn’t hurt not having twenty pounds of winter clothes on dragging a person down all day either. This is always the time of year of promise on the farm. The ground is moist yet, no severe droughts looking a person in the face at this time. A person can dream of good grass, fat cattle, ten foot high corn, good hay crops. Yup this is the dream time of year! And you never know, one of these years we might not have a disaster here, you just never know. One should be due one of these years!

Don’t know what this summer will bring as far as church stuff, not really worried about it, what ever happens is OK with me. Just keep plugging here looking forward to eternity. Well, I guess as far as a believer in Jesus goes, we’re already in eternity. It’s a promise and it sure makes things easier when a person just realizes it. Time is short here and pretty soon there ain’t gonna be no more pain or sorrow. No more worries, no more struggles. Yee haw! Makes it a lot easier when a person just gets that into their heart! Whatever the world wants to throw at a person doesn’t really mean a hill of beans compared to that blessed hope of eternity. Hmm, getting myself all worked up just typing this! Gotta pay property taxes tonight, but someday there won’t be none of that. There won’t be none of a lot of stuff that there is on this here world! No more worries about wars, no more worries about anything. Hard to comprehend! In fact durn near impossible to figure in between my ears.

Yup, even if the crowd tomorrow isn’t all the happiest picking them rocks I do think there’ll be some praising the Lord out there regardless! Just start belting it out and let the Lord take over! Make a joyful noise!

Just Rambling Tonight

2007-05-10T19:48:00.000-06:00

I’m about ready to drop this evening. Don’t have enough left in me to work outside till dark. Was moving cow/calf pairs today to three different pastures. Not many to the pastures yet, just want to get some critters out of here and hope to clear out the rest in the next couple weeks once the grass gets going a little better. There’s thirty five pairs dispersed now out there, the calves get their first taste of sweet grass and all is well with them. Hopefully tomorrow I can hook up the plow sometime and start corn ground. Sure we’re later than most around here but for a reason. I don’t want it to mature when it’s hot outside so I don’t roast when chopping it for silage. It’ll get in soon enough if it’s in the middle of May sometime.

Was in church last evening as always on Wednesday evenings and all is well. It gives a person that additional boost that’s needed sometimes in midweek. Last evening’s teaching was about the believer’s judgment, whew! I wished I’da learned all that years ago! But it’s not to late cause at least I’m learning it now and I’m still kicking, so time to apply what we are learning. It’s so in depth, all these teachings and what’s so amazing it’s what the Word of God says! Not just a verse or two, but basically the whole thing. What’s more amazing is how it’s totally ignored by so much of the church in this country. What a terrible surprise there will be at judgment for so many that think it’s just all a free and clear entry into heaven and glory. Well, any “truly” born again believer will enter heaven but then judgment comes and eternal rewards will be determined. The food for thought is a plateful let me tell you!

As I write this it’s not about me being better than anyone else either cause I’m surely not. In fact every day I just can’t believe how totally worthless I truly am. Talk about stumble and fall! I wonder how God can even put up with such a stumble bum. But I will say, after a full day of sorting, catching and moving cow/calf pairs I never swore once that I remember, who’da ever thought! Just thought of that, and that’s sure different! Praise God!

Sometimes I’d get down a bit when I’d think about me coming to the Lord at forty-nine years of age. Thinking about the waste of all those years before. What a person could’a been doing! Start thinking what would God want a near geezer like me to do on the downward side of life after wasting so durn much. Start thinking I can’t be much help to the Kingdom, better to let younger folks do it. Folks that were brought up the good way. Kids that had it in them since almost the beginning. Kids that got trained up right. No, I figured there’s not much room for me to do anything. Who’d listen to someone that wasted so much anyhow, nothing much more than a joke. It did and sometimes still does get me down a bit, all this stuff. Sometimes in church it seems like so many have this all together so near perfectly and there I am, the biggest stumble bum, can’t do much, sometimes feel like I’m just taking up space there. Can’t sing a note, no, not one. Can’t do much of anything while so many can do so very much more than me with the greatest of ease. Almost like I’m waiting for the day when they tell me to stay home.

All I can say is that I love Jesus for what He did and does for myself and my family everyday. Awesome to say the least. One thing about God is that He never leaves a person hanging. In fact He’ll shove the answers right in front of a person’s face sometimes. It seems lately all I come across are preachers, evangelists and the rest that started at my age, Smith Wigglesworth included. He couldn’t talk in front of anyone, had a temper, all that stuff. I said, gee, sounds familiar. I’ve come across more that had similar stories. And God took them and used them mightily. Many, many folks. My favorites are the country preachers of the Old Holiness church. Them men and women could really get the job done! Just simple folks, very little if any education and they changed their world! Just believe!

In the almost two years since following Christ I will say this house has changed dramatically, that’s even too mild of a word. The things of the world keep falling away rapidly. Old tapes are thrown out, old movies are thrown. No more network TV at all. Only Christian stations, nothing else and even that doesn’t get much of a workout cause I think a person has to be very careful nowadays even with that. Yup, things are moving here, I wonder what it’ll be like in two years? Whatever happens I know that it’ll be an adventure! That constant hunger that can’t be quenched, always needing more and more. The Word of God coming alive right in front of our very eyes. The desire to carry the Glorious Gospel to a hungry world. It just doesn’t stop!

Boy, I’m rambling here tonight, but that’s OK. That’s what this blog is for, rambling, shooting the bull, whatever. Just jotting down some thoughts after a hard day. Listening to Gospel radio from West Virginia as I write. Things are good, all is well. Tired like folks were in the days of old when there was a honest days work put in on the farm. Just Praising Jesus for giving us the privilege of working like this. God is Good!

Back Finally

2007-05-07T19:40:00.000-06:00

It’s been a while since I wrote here so I figured I’d better do something or the scrolling down on the previous post’s comments would start taking me forever. Get dizzy as all that goes by in order to get to the bottom of all that. And that morning bull session always makes my day when I’m drinking a gallon of coffee to get the day jump started. Then it’s off to all our grand adventures around here. It looks like some nice temperatures coming up and I might be able to peel these long johns off soon. Gotta haul a huge amount of manure out, plow some corn fields, move cattle out, which means getting pastures ready and all that. But what the hay, it ain’t winter and that’s a huge praise in itself. I tell you they can have winter, I sure hope there ain’t no winter in heaven and from all my lookin I can’t find it mentioned anywhere. Plus it’s not anywhere near as hot as the other place a person could end up in.

Been working overtime on the Northern Farmer blog and I’ll mention a link here too that I posted on NF. If this don’t give a person a creepy feeling then nothing will. I’ll save anything on that subject for the NF blog coming up cause I can and do tear loose there every once in a while. I’m much calmer here. But this subject gets me and I won’t let it go away soon.

So tomorrow besides all the regular stuff around here we got to take care of the first 150 chicks that arrived today. So far so good! Just keep farming! You know I was thinking just now what I’ll do about that hate crime thingy stuff and I know without a doubt I’ll just have to be a criminal when ever that goes through in the future.

I got to get a move on here and “will” be posting here and on NF sometime, somehow, this week I pray! It don’t take long so I’ll see if I can have at it sometime. Blessings!

Time to Get Moving!

2007-04-23T19:58:00.000-06:00

Almost bedtime but I wanted to jot down a little bit here tonight. God sure does work in wonderous ways and He's opening doors that I couldn't even imagine a few days ago. Some of the things happening here are just awesome! I'm not talking physical things, but spiritual things. So much change! One thing I will say, when a person tells God that He'll go and do a job for the Kingdom, God doesn't take it lightly, things move! Things fall right into a person's lap!

Just thinking to myself here tonight, because this place is different than the Northern Farmer blog, just thinking. A world in desperate need of the Word of God and so few spreading it. So many mired down in religion, hiding behind the church walls while a world that's desperate for the truth of the Word is left to itself. The Great Commision, the one thing every Christian is called to do is left by the wayside for church pew comfort, for a Sunday infilling if that, and then back to the normal "world".

But I'm here to tell you, that the call of God is strong . There are so many, everywhere a person turns, desperatly seeking some sort of hope in a hopeless world. Nothing there in life, nothing. I do believe that in every person is a desire to find God. In every one. And up to now, what have I done? Not a whole heck of a lot. The masses that are doomed, will their blood be on my hands?

I heard tonight about someone in desperate need for God, doors are opening right out of no where. It's time to move, no time to waste. Other folks fall right into our lap so to speak. God, you are something else! I'm over whelmed by how you work!

I'm just writing tonight, it's different than normal, more so because this is more from the inside, might not make sense to some but that's OK, stay tuned sometime something will make semse in the future. For tonight I'm just jotting down awesome wonders as they happen, or should I say feelings or reactions. Lord this is going to be on wild ride! Glory!

End of the Week

2007-04-21T19:08:00.000-06:00

It's Saturday evening after a good week around here. Tired out from the new found work. After waiting so long for spring to come, it came fast! Calves are dropping, didn't have any today yet, but had five yesterday and four the day before. Gotta get some stuff ready for children's church tomorrow, it just slipped my mind the last few days but no problem. It'll get done!

Sometimes I do wonder about life here. It's somehow turned into everything I ever wanted. Just living the way we want to live. Pretty free to do what we please in life, nothing to really have a hold on us. Now I realize some folks might not understand this all and that's OK. Really. Living so much like I always dreamed, minding our own business in everything except eternal stuff. That we will spread, spread the Word, spread the Good News! But in day to day life we're kinda different than most I guess. Don't watch any TV, don't go shopping except for what's really needed. Don't put on a show trying to keep up with anybody. Don't take me wrong, I'm not trying to be self righteous here, just jotting down our everyday life.

We're not survivalists or anything like that. Just some folks that are happy to be living our lives out in the country. Living a life where most folks just laugh at us, think we're missing so much. One time I had a lady tell me I needed more culture, should get to the city more often than once every ten years. Should go see a show or something. I don't know, it just doesn't click. Cause when a person is wrapping up the day here after a long day of honest work the only real hunger I have is for family and God's Word. After that is visiting with some of the saints from church once in a while. Life doesn't get much better than that!

And after a long week tomorrow's church and I'm looking forward to that as always! What would a person do without a little bible believing church to go to, eh! Sometimes I just stop and wonder how all this happened. What a change of life! The whole family just gets all excited when it's a church day! For some reason the way things are going around here reminds me of the old Foxfire Books telling how folks used to live. And I'm starting to realize that we're getting closer to that way of life than I would of imagined a year ago.

OK, I'm just rambling here, tired from the week you know. But it's good!

A Short One

2007-04-17T18:45:00.000-06:00

Been a bit busy writing over at the Northern Farmer blog. I'm doing a few fairly major changes over there and don't know where that'll lead but we'll see. What ever happens, happens eh! Not gonna worry about it. So I'll cut this a tad bit short, but I wanted to post a little one here quick cause tomorrow's church and I doubt if I'll have time to do anything on the computer then. Plus the days are getting better and better so soon there'll be more work as things dry out here.

But I just want to Praise the Lord. Well, why not eh! No special reason, or should I say for every reason! Things are going well enough here, always overwhelmed, but that's normal. Today one thing stuck in my mind and that little thing will be the extent of this post. Working on our old H tractor and I had the rachet and durn near busted the end of my finger when the bolt came loose. Well, a little or should I say a lot of my old self was about to explode out of me in an amazing display of cattleman's language. At that moment during what I figured was unbearable pain I had these words put into me. "How do you think spikes through your hands and feet would feel?"

I was almost floored with the truth of that. Needless to say I didn't cut loose with the language I would have normally used. Instead I was thinking as my finger was throbbing how small that was compared to what Jesus went through for us. Made me ashamed! All I can do is thank Him and thank Him!

I know it ain't much of a post but in reality it was by far the biggest thing that happened to me today.

Home Alone

2007-04-13T18:32:00.000-06:00

A nice day here on the farm, sunny, a little breeze and temps around fifty! I gotta be thankful about that compared to last weeks misery. Had one calf this morning, but was looking over the cows a while ago and it's funny, a week ago I was wondering if hardly any were with calf and now I tell you there's a whole mess starting to show close up. And the ten day forcast looks pretty good to boot! Every day we're establishing more order around here, reclaiming mud and manure area and making them good. I think besides what we've reclaimed manually the sunshine has reclaimed at least a couple acres in the calving pasture. Maybe in a day or two I can let the calves just go ahead and be born out there and then just stay out there. So things are looking up.

All alone here tonight, the rest of the tribe took off to the local school to watch a play. A musical to boot! Thus, I won't explain anymore why I am home alone. That stuff just doesn't cut it with me. I could go to church seven nights a week but a school musical, well, I enjoy reading about JD 290 corn planters a heck of a lot more! Or even manure for that matter. So I figured I'd sit back with a cup of coffee and play with the computer for a while before going and taking a final peek at the cows before it gets dark.

Don't know what tomorrow will bring around here, I just know what it won't bring and that's any kind of work on any type of soil. Maybe we'll take the buzz saw out tomorrow afternoon and play with that for a bit. Yup, the weekend is coming and you just never know what happens around here. I hope we get some company, in the mood you know. I figure I was never a good one to go at it alone. Just as soon visit with friends. A bit different now days because there's plenty of talk about faith when company comes these days. Not the old beer drinking ways, this is a lot better! And much more exiting!

I never thought I'd hear myself saying anything like that years ago but the Lord can sure change a person's view of everything. That's a key word......change. Now I'm as far from perfect as the east is from the west, but compared to before, well, all I can say is things here sure are different than years ago. And the change is constant, not only in me, but in the whole family. It's something that truely amazes me. To see the power of God change people so much, and continue to do so. Plus to see the continual change in so many of our friends, Glory to God! When a person gives it to God, He sure does take control. I used to think that was all just a bunch of talk, but to witness so much change! To witness divine healings! To witness God on the move so powerfully in people's lives is overwhelming.

And to witness folks developing an unsatified hunger for more. Always wanting more of God in them. And when talking about it with others the realization that it's almost nightmarish to consider life without God being the very center. Now I know some folks say that's all fine and dandy except it's hard to be centered on God because of business, jobs, farm, tight schedual, etc. I ain't going to condemn anyone for thinking like that because today it is hard to make God the center. Even farming, even us, we're far from being an ideal, tranquil lifestyle. Very far! Sometimes there's so many pressures I'd just like to sit down and give up. You name it, it happens, it goes wrong. Sick critters, machinery breakdowns, weather that totally blows away any plans a person has. Tight money, costs going through the roof, real estate taxes soring! A person just wonders, why am I doing this. Never a day off, never a vacation, never.

I have to say, even with these pressures, that we have been managing to put God first. Now it ain't all that easy. I'm a tad bit headstrong, figuring I have to take charge of everything in my little world. But I can testify that the more one gives to God, the more God takes care of it all. Many times in ways that are nothing short of incredible. It seems like everyday I see things happen here that are directly the results of God's taking charge. I've written many times in the past about wishing we were back years ago, when times were simple. Working a dirt farm, going to a little church out in the country, working with like minded neighbors. But the reality is, we aren't, plain and simple. Thinking about it for a long time now I've come to the conclusion it really doesn't matter if we ain't back in them times. God put us in these times, for a reason. And a big part of that reason is God wants us here and now to be living temples for His Spirit. Well, how can I possibly complain about that!

Wrapping this up, cause I know I do wander a bit when I write, all I can do is Praise God for all He does for us everyday. To be with us everyday, with us all the way. I was thinking, the word fear, well the Good Book says we ain't supposed to fear. Except for fearing the Lord. And a thought that can put fear in a person is when thinking about a life without God's presence. But He promised to never leave us. Thank You Lord!

On the Way To Church

2007-04-11T16:37:00.000-06:00

Not much time here today, gotta head for church in a few minutes. But I thought i could maybe whip one out here quick. Just the happenings around here which really aren't all that much now that I'm sitting down and writing a bit. Snowed out last night and much of today but this time it's different than the last snow we had a few days back. It's melting and there doesn't look like any huge cold front ready to roar in so I'm very thankful for that!

Had our second calf born around noon today, good and healthy. Has a good mamma so everything is going well on that front. In another couple weeks or more is when calving traditionally hits full steam with quite a few born every day. These are the front runners that don't usually overwhelm me. And with some luck the weather will straighten out so I can just let them cows do their job. I'll just tag the calves and record them in my little pocket book.

We'll have to leave a few minutes early for church so the eldest daugher can drive us there. Of course I'm ready like a western gunfighter to grab the steering wheel just in case. Ah, parenthood and driving permits, eh. But in all reality the driving is improving rapidly with number one daughter cause I don't shake so much when we get where we are going. Might even be able to hold a coffee cup at church when we get there. The service is only and hour or so and that means I can have me some coffee before it gets started. Should make the whole thing!

Don't know what tomorrow will bring around here, but I can say that now that calving is starting there is no way to really plan anything much. A fact of life when this is your living. Seven days a week, on twenty four hour call. I don't mind an all nighter every great once in a while, as long as it is warm out there can be a lot of time to think when waiting on a cow having a bit of trouble. I don't mind waiting, just hate when I have to catch the cow when there's problems she can't quite solve and have to go in and yank that baby out. It was so much easier with sheep let me tell you! They'd come out one way or another! But cows are what we have and that's what we do. But the last few years the disasters have been getting farther and fewer. Gradually getting rid of trouble makers has a lot to do with an improved quality of life.

There, I can't believe I wrote a post in this little time, had better get a roll on here. Roads are all melted off this afternoon so there should be free wheeling on our way to the hills. Get over there where we really like to be, get charged up and hit the rest of the week praising the Lord!

Relaxed

2007-04-10T18:18:00.000-06:00

They're talking snow this evening, we'll see. If anything I do hope this is the last one this season. Not like I'm against moister, heaven forbid, but I wouldn't mind seeing it come as warm rain instead of white slop. But whatever happens I'm ready this week in comparison to last week. Got the big barn cleaned out today, plus the big cow lot. No more mud, well at least not there. It's all on a couple huge piles a hundred yards away or so. Barn is full of clean straw and the temperatures aren't brutal so we shouldn't have to worry about newborn calves freezing to death like we worried last week.

Not really much happening around here other than normal work. Sure can't wait to get in the gardens and in the fields. Does something for the soul being out in the fresh soil. Much more so in spring after many months of nothing but winter. We'll be heading out to church tomorrow evening if there aren't bad roads from this weather system. That'll be week four of the series that they are doing on Living for Eternity. An amazing series to say the least. An eye opener. And it's so good to see so many people come to it. One thing for sure, when a person goes through that series their outlook will never be the same when it comes to eternity.

I've been thinking about writing some short little Gospel clips to put in print, so what happens? My Microsoft Word is acting up, thus no more spell checker when I write for this. Normally the post I write on word will light up like an overly decorated Christmas Tree with all the mistakes, both intentional and unintentional. So bear with me here, I don't have Bill Gates checking what I write these last couple of posts. Feels kinda alone without that old spell checker. But this is the way I wrote for almost a year on the original NF blog. Mistakes and all, just belt it out. I truely don't know where any of this will ever lead because I've really lost a lot of my appitite for writing in the so called Christian Agrarian community. My feelings are the same as they always were. Just that I don't seem to fit in. I don't follow so much of it that I think it's best just to lay back and kinda fade from the scene. Don't know where internet stuff will lead but I'm really not all that concerned either.

I'm more concerned about reality. About what's happening in my neck of the woods. I'm not about to spend my time debating theology with folks. I'm not a separatist, not a retreatist. Not a religious fanatic although one could call me fanatic. But that's for following the Word of God. Not man's distorted rules and thinking. I've seen too much crazy stuff on the internet to waste my time worrying about it. I've seen so much hate in the name of religion, some hate Catholics, some hate Jews, some hate Penticostals, northerners, blacks, latins, whatever. All in the name of their precious man made religions. But I can't write like that cause I figure God loves them all. Northerners, blacks, heck even folks from Alabama. I'll try not to mention this very much in the future but I figured I'd put it in writing with my name on it. So that's where I stand. That's why I'm spending more time here. I relax here, just down right comfortable. Look forward to writing whatever's on my mind, which usually isn't all that much. More of a personal journal.

So I guess I didn't write much of importance here tonight, just thinking on a keyboard, (without spell check), relaxing a bit. I'd better go for a last cattle check in case any calves want their birthday to come soon. Get out there while I can still see. Then come in, clean up, study a bit and hit the hay. Boy, I'm sure looking forward to some good rest tonight. Thank you Lord!

Walking in Faith

2007-04-09T17:58:00.000-06:00

I didn't get a picture yet but our first calf was just born about an hour and a half ago. I might not be getting a picture for a while either cause that calf's mamma wanted to send me into eternity. But I figured it wasn't quite my time yet or place to go, so I can't tell if the calf was a male or female or nuthing like that. But us cattlemen have our sneaky ways of out foxing a mad mamma cow. But I'll wait till tomorrow before I do any sneaky deeds in the cattle barn. Pretty calf though, black angus mamma and a horned hereford daddy. My favorite critter is the end result. Now they yammering about another snowstorm here starting tomorrow and as you can tell I'm jumping up and down for joy. Just what we need! More work, more mud, more troubles. Now really I'm not complaining, really. Just shocked, flabergasted, staggering around in disbelief, you know, normal. But that's one of the perks in living in Minnesota. (I wonder what land prices are in Alabama?)

But yesterday, on Sunday, the week long miserable, cold wind finally stopped. And thirty degree temperatures felt tropical with a sun in the sky as high up as the later part of summer. One thing I noticed that's different than midwinter is that the sun is really bright on the white snow, almost blinding! And my sunglasses are on the floor of the three quarter ton Chev, along with an ample supply of manure, tools, old gloves, you just about name it. For some reason I just don't feel like grubbing them out and wearing them. But Sunday service was very good, Easter service, although one complaint from chronic complainer me, they ran out of coffee! Yup, I don't drink any before service cause, well, I wouldn't last the service if I did. But get out of my way when service is over! I'm heading straight for the coffee pot. Yesterday it was drunk dry! It was at that moment that I realized that I have a caffeine addiction. A long, long twelve mile drive home, let me tell you! We don't have fast food or fast coffee out here on the backroads, so your on your own.

Back to yesterday, the service was very good with good attendance. It only went twenty minutes over which is considered normal. No one ever complains about that. Some great singing and some durn good preaching! I tell you, I sure would hate to live life without going to a little church like that! I think of that often as I travel around the countryside, living without God, and living without the fellowship of other believers. And it almost terrifies me. Just the thought of going back and living the way we always did. And traveling around it keeps burdening my heart how so very many, even out here in the back country are totally separated from God. How many families don't care. Whether they go to any church or not it doesn't matter much if they aren't following Him. It's without any doubt the huge majority. And it saddens me. I can only imagine what it would be like if the majority of folks were on fire for God. And I mean fire! Not just going to church. On fire to spread the Gospel! Not have a lock-in in the local church. Holed up like that was the only safe place. Instead of spreading the Gospel, church is a place for retreat! Well, it wasn't that way for the church in the Book of Acts, and it wasn't that way for almost three hundred years after. Blood bought believers didn't even have church building, church was where ever they stepped foot. How they spread the Gospel just gets me! Every believer spread the Word! From top to bottom, everyone followed the Great Commision of Christ. It wasn't no pastors job to evangelize, it was everyone's duty. I can only imagine if this would be put in practice today what would happen!

But sadly the majority of church folks are satisfied with hiding behind church walls once a week, or maybe even a couple times a week. It's as if folks think that that is the only safe place. Like hiding in a bunker. Then they have to go out into the "real world" after all is said and done and sadly one cannot even tell the difference between a believer and an atheist outside the church walls. I just can't be satistfied with what would be called normal Christianity anymore. As for myself it would be better to have no church at all then to just go to a social funtion every week or so.

Church for me is being on fire for God! To spread the Word to every creature. to every nation! To personally witness the Power of God in action! That's church! To know that the impossible is possible! To look the world squarely in the eye and know that what your doing is right! To know the future without a doubt! To hear the news or public opinion and not even get bothered! To know the final outcome! Glory!

There is nothing in the world that can match the new life God has given to a born again believer, nothing. And when the Holy Spirit fills a person the whole world just gets a completely different view. The world seems to be going on a mad race to it's own death. But the believer has that Blessed Hope, that promise and that new life within that brings such joy that it doesn't really matter what's going on in the world. The only hunger is for God and with that hunger comes a never ending hunger to share the Gospel. A burning hunger. The Holy Spirit placing in the heart a desire to reach as many souls as possible. The reason for Jesus dying on the cross was to save "all" men. Not just some. And as the Body of Christ it is thee number one duty that we have, to spread the Gospel. It's second to none. All else comes after that fact.

I've mentioned this more than once on the Northern Farmer blog, the great commision. It's not retreat that makes aChristian, not hiding from the world. It's walking in faith and spreading the Gospel! That's what I believe with all my heart! It's what I'll do.

Why I Write

2007-04-03T18:05:00.000-06:00

Snow’s a blowing outside as I write. Almost like a mild blizzard. It’s even drifting here and there. The local school even closed early much to the delight of a few hundred students, and early Easter vacation. Don’t have to go back till Tuesday, gee I sure wish it was nice out, just dreaming of all the fine jobs that could be accomplished in that amount of time with a young labor force. Oh well, there’s always something to keep us all busy. Tomorrow evening is church as usual on Wednesday evenings. The roads should be safer by then if the sun comes out tomorrow.

I was reading over at Cooks Creek about church held in a barn and let me tell you that caught my interest! Why not I say! I just wish I was closer to our neighbors across the border to the north to stop by for a visit, but such is not the case. These Gospel preaching and believing churches really catch my interest, more so since we attend one. It ain’t in a barn, but I don’t think it would matter where we have it. I don’t see the building when things get rolling anyhow. In my current studies as of this moment I’m studying about churches, again this has nothing to do with denominations, it has got to do with following God or following man. When a church isn’t convicting there’s something terribly wrong, because there needs to be a lot of convicting as easily as we stray.

But back to writing about Gospel barns and such, I’d like to see something like that someday around here. Life is a ministry for every believer, following the great commission as commanded by Jesus. Not suggested, commanded, every single one of us. That don’t mean a person has to be a preacher, but it does mean that every one should preach. Now I wondered about that a while back, you know, me preach. But by that I mean not getting up in front of church and belting it out for and hour, no, just making Jesus thee number one thing in our lives. Even for myself I feel empty if I don’t say something about my faith every time I write. Just gotta do it, driven to do it! When I’m in places other than home when I see TV I almost get repulsed, not only for the hell that’s spewing from it even in Christian homes, but it takes away time from fellowshipping about our Lord and Savior, simple. Here we don’t even watch TV except for a rare Christian show.

The world isn’t interesting anymore. God’s creation is of intense interest, but man’s accomplishments are fading from interest. Because no matter how hard man tries he fails, period. What’s been accomplished by this modern society apart from God? Well, the ability to destroy all life on earth is only one mad man away from happening. Morals have all but dried up in mainstream society, that including the majority of luke warm Christians. So what are we supposed to do? Well, I don’t know about anyone else but I figure to just follow the Word, come hell or high water. In this world but not of it, yup! So as far as this internet stuff goes one of these days we’ll have the ability to start working on our website. I figure on starting a part of it with the Gospel Barn type of format. Kinda practicing up. We have the ability here to do just about anything now to supply the site with a large amount of things. One vision is podcasts or something like that. Maybe weekly. But what I really want to get across is my faith. And the way we live and worship.

Some call us holy rollers, and I take that as a compliment. I don’t want to be some stiff in a boring setting, don’t care about social standing. I always look at the Gospels and it amazes me to no end how people can be so blind to what they have to say. I’m talking about Jesus’ ministry on earth. Who followed and who didn’t. What did He say, what did He teach? It wasn’t the stiff lipped religion like now, in fact that was one of the only things He continually condemned right to their faces. But man has a draw towards that religious spirit, a spirit apart from God. Sixteen steps this way and sixteen steps that way, yup that’ll do it. Then they, (the religious), come up with rules and rules that have nothing to do with what the bible says, they say miracles have ceased, and countless other man made falsehoods. Denying the power of God and raising up man. Humanism at it’s worst.

All over the world though the Spirit of God is on the move, still touching and reaching to the poor in spirit, to those who mourn, to those whom are persecuted. No matter what the religious do they can never stop God’s plan, never! The Roman Empire tried and the believers just grew and grew. Because when someone gets the Spirit of God all the old things do fall away. That new creation stuff isn’t just some empty words, it’s real, very real. More real than anything else on earth. A believer can be in the most trying circumstances and shout with joy to the Lord! A far cry from someone who just goes to church. Oh I wish, I sure do wish I could write what I feel, because following our Lord and Savior is so awesome, everyday it gets to be better and better no matter what trials a person is experiencing. I pray that we get all this internet stuff figured out in the near future so I can do a better job fulfilling the call I have with regard to this. Cause this is the only thing we have this computer for, for the glory of God. If anything is going to be done on it we’d like it to always further the Kingdom of God. Oh Glory! As I’m writing the Gospel radio is playing “Nothing but the Blood of Jesus”! Yee Haw, I can play that one on the old guitar and will be playing that the Sunday after Easter with the children! Glory to God!

Knee High

2007-04-02T18:45:00.000-06:00

They’re talking some more bad weather coming tonight and tomorrow. I kinda wish we could save up some of this moister for July. The sea of mud we have now wouldn’t even exist with the same amount of moister at that time of the year. But for now we’re looking forward to sunshine, don’t know what day or week that’ll arrive and at least take some of the mud away. Didn’t get stuck today which I’m thankful for. Come to think of it I did too. Not with the Bobcat, I got stuck, me, literally! Had the knee high rubbers on and the yuck, (this is the barnyard you know), the yuck almost came in over the top. I got myself into a predicament and got stuck, not even a pitchfork to give me leverage, nothing. It never ceases to amaze me how when I get into these situations how out of balance a guy can get. Now I’m not a fan of falling in soup manure, either butt first or hands first, I’m not picky, I don’t like either one. Them boots were stuck in there good and tight, amazing how much grab that soup has! There I was in the barn yard, stuck in place, wobbling like the 120 believers on the Day of Pentecost! Was almost tempted to speak in tongues too! Although that would be more than likely cattleman tongues which would have the ability to peel bark off an oak tree. Thinking better of taking that route I figured a Blood bought believer should maybe shout some Praises! Yup, that’s what I’ll do! The Good Book says to give Him thanks “in” everything, and that’s where I was, in everything! So after a few Glory Be’s I managed to very slowly extract one boot, but when a person is pulling with their body to get one boot out your putting pressure on the other. See what I’m getting at? (I wonder if there’s a life lesson here somewhere)?

But to cut the adventure short because I gotta get a move on here, I did manage to slowly extract myself from that yucky situation. And without falling down either, but I will say the old heart was really pounding from the effort. I mean pounding! Then I thought if I had a heart attack or something here I don’t think the first response team would be the happiest bunch of volunteers in the world. I could just see them coming here, around a hundred and fifty feet of slop manure, knee high, to get a farmer that had nothing better to do than go out into the middle of it!

But anyway I got done what I wanted done out there and took off in the Bobcat, thankful that evening was coming so I could get in a dry house! Just got showered up and will be finishing up a test tonight and get it in the mail the next few days.

Some Saturday Evening Ponderings

2007-03-31T17:53:00.000-06:00

It’s been a rainy Saturday here, everywhere a person looks is a sea of mud. But it sure beats dust! At least now we know things will have a start this spring when it warms up. When that sunshine ever decides to come back to this area things might happen fairly quick! Didn’t get a whole lot done today and probably had the longest farmer nap in a long, long time. I’ve been trying to organize a bit here in the office today and it’s been pretty enjoyable if I must say so now that this computer has sound. Got that Gospel station on all the while, whew, I like that station! I’m hearing songs we sing in church and it keeps me going here!

The one that really hits me though is “Down to the River to Pray”. Because it brings back such special memories of last summer. Oh Lord! I realize I wrote about that evening on the Northern Farmer blog last summer, but I can’t shake it out of my head. Never, ever in my life was there an evening like that one! If I could only do justice in putting it into words. That was the evening that our little church had water baptisms down by the lake. There’s just so many special things that have happened this last year and a half. I mention many of them on the blogs, but not all by any means.

I’ve often reflected in this past year and a half how God led us to our little church. The odds were so stacked against us ending up there that it truly is a wonder. First location, it’s a bit out of the way. In fact it’s not exactly easy to get there. The shortest routes are through some pretty rough hills, and sometimes bad roads. There’s round about ways that put quite a few extra miles on the car. Then it’s in a little town on a gravel street, a town I had very little to do with in my lifetime just because we hardly ever went there. Didn’t know anybody. Not a one. Now they’re family, Glory to God!

I’d never been to a church that was Spirit Filled, never. I never went to a church that followed the Bible. I never went to a church that had healings taking place, I’d never seen anyone ever keel over before, knocked right down by the power of God. I’d never been to a church before where folks lived their everyday lives like every day was a Sunday in church. I’d never seen people grow in faith so steadily, with such a hunger for God, never! So often, including now, I hold back when writing about it. But holding back or not, my love for that little church is so strong and growing daily. A love because the Word “is” being preached! And the Word of God can change anything that there is. There’s nothing that can’t be changed by the Word, nothing. What I’ve seen this past year and a half is astounding!

But this is only the beginning, an adventure that’ll never end, YEE HAW! Thinking back to last summer’s baptism service by the lake though, I got reminded of that from the Gospel station on the computer, plus I found the sheet of paper from it with the song lyrics on it from that evening. I did say I was organizing down here today! I’m going to end this tonight with a little bit of the song.

“Oh fathers lets go down

Let’s go down, Come on down

O fathers lets go down

Down to the river to pray

As I went down to the river to pray

Studyin about that good ol way

And who shall wear the Robe and Crown?

Good Lord show me the way”

Wednesday Evening Church

2007-03-29T18:30:00.000-06:00

The day after Wednesday evening church services and quite a day it was. I don’t expect folks to understand what it all means to us going to these services out in a little out of the way town. Hardly any businesses there, just a typical rural town off the beaten track. But sometimes in these little rural towns big things happen that the rest of the world doesn’t even notice, not even neighboring towns. Everyone just keeps on going, life as usual. Last evening though many prayers got answered for so many folks! And how did it happen?

This is the second week of a twelve week series on Driven By Eternity. The basic teachings of the church in the Bible. Wasn’t watered down yet, wasn’t changed to satisfy man, it’s what’s in the Word. Now Jesus didn’t just give us all a feel good religion, cause He mentioned hell a lot more than He mentioned heaven. And the reason is, there’s a lot more folks heading for hell than heaven. And He don’t want to lose a single one to hell, no, not a one. But sadly so many choose to not go heaven. No one is forced into the decision.

But in our little church the Gospel is being preached, the heaven and hell gospel. A powerful message, it still has the same power it had back then. Just preach it! Not some doctrine from folks through the ages, just the Word. This ain’t the first time I’ve seen the world thrown upside down with the preaching of the Word. But what a person experiences never gets old! You know, when folks come in off the streets and get saved, when they’re exposed to the Gospel it just tears right to heart! Not mushy sermons, not feel good sermons, but the plain and simple truth.

Glory to God, I tell you I was walking on air today and it ain’t wore off yet and I hope it never does! That little church was durn near packed and the Spirit did some powerful convicting. Eight people came to Christ last night there! And the fact that some even just came in to see what was going on tells me that God was on the move. Let me restate that, He’s on the move! And just getting started! It’s always been my firm belief that when the Gospel is preached the Word never comes back empty, never. In fact in spiritual warfare preaching the Word is the H-bomb! Don’t need no programs or activities, just preach the Word! That’s what a dying world wants, what it needs.

Don’t need to try and figure out stuff from a couple hundred years ago, no, just preach that Word and it’ll get done! Don’t have to get all high and mighty about how our ancestors did it, no, cause God doesn’t care about some tradition, just preach the Word! His Word!

But anyway, back to this evening as I sit here and peck away at this keyboard, I couldn’t be more satisfied. Although that only counts for this very moment cause we gotta keep going, don’t sit back satisfied thinking the job is all done and done well. There’s a world going to hell and not only non church folks. The church has been lulled into thinking that everything is all fine and dandy. Lulled to think that we can just keep living like the world, absolutely no different than the rest of the world except for a social gathering every once in a while at a place called a church. According to the Word it doesn’t work that way, not at all.

It’s so good seeing the preaching coming back that tells it like it is. This isn’t a denominational thing, no not at all. Every denomination is being lulled by the world. Whether it’s a new liberal way of thinking or some old hard line religion which separates folks from God. But in every denomination there’s sparks that are setting things back on fire for God. The evil one can’t stop it, although that old snake really has done a job getting people separated from God in the churches. Last evening was a clear demonstration by our Heavenly Father that He’s got everything in control on His end. Our end is to follow what He says, to obey His Word.

So there’s ten more weeks of this series left and it’s going to be good. What a wonderful life to be part of something like this. I was ready to explode at church last evening when this was all happening, but I bit my lip and hung on to the chair. Had to plant myself pretty firmly to keep from shouting out a Glory Be and jumping up and down. I did plenty of that today during chores. Sometimes I was staggering like I was drunk or something! Powerful! Thank You Jesus!

A Little Test Run

2007-03-24T19:23:00.000-06:00

The week is ending and all is well. Spent the Saturday getting the buzz saw operating, or should I say getting the bugs out of it. I’m happy with the whole deal! That baby can really cut! But it’s a little muddy out to tackle that job full force. On the home front our tomatoes are sprouting starting today. A new year and new promise with that.

Tomorrow’s church and we’re all looking forward to that. There’s just something about a Sunday! I don’t mean sitting around doing things for worldly pleasure, I mean going to church, being with the saints, yup! Can’t even imagine life without them! If this is what it means to be in God’s family I’ll sure take it and hang on to it!

This’ll be a short one tonight. Gotta get some stuff together for church tomorrow. Life is just getting to exciting following Jesus! And I ain't complaining!

Spring Has Sprung!

2007-03-22T19:20:00.000-06:00

The last three days the robins returned, plus the killdeers and redwing blackbirds. Now I’m getting more content that spring is on the way! It’s pretty muddy out so today we loaded up the car and headed up north a ways to buy my work boots for the year. The old ones are still holding together but when they go caput and the weather is beautiful and I don’t want to take off, I have them. Then we stopped in another town with a small music shop, a one man job, and bought the eldest daughter a guitar. So now we have two guitars here plus the banjo which I haven’t even begun to master yet. When I feel down from lack of learning on that banjo I just grab the guitar and I feel better pretty quick. It’s still enough to make the dogs howl, but I’m just making a joyful noise to the Lord. Now I hope on judgment day my guitar strumming isn’t taken into account, I mean as far as quality is concerned or I’m in big trouble! But I have a weakness for stringed instruments, the non electric kinds. Practicing up a simple three cord song for children’s church this Sunday, “I’m Not Under The Curse”. This will be my first ever public appearance, and probably my last, but sometimes a person has to live dangerously! But then again, I figure if I could survive Children’s Church for going on a year and a half I should survive five minutes of dog howling guitar playing in the doublewide out in the hills! Hmm, I should do a podcast sometimes with something like that! That should bring the internet to a screeching halt pronto!

I don’t think I’m gifted in music but that doesn’t mean a person can’t enjoy it out here in the countryside. After studying the Foxfire Book off and on for the last thirty years I was always impressed on how them oldtimers made everything themselves, including all the musical instruments. They didn’t head for some music store, they got out and built those instruments from scratch. They didn’t go out and buy sheet music, nope, they just played after working on the farm all day. No TV to screw them up. No computer for that matter either. And play they did!

Last evening being Wednesday we were in church, or should I say the rest of my family cause I was in Children’s Church. Now I have to say that last night was the best evening I’ve ever had in there. Those kids are really something special! We were starting to study about Heaven and eternity and there wasn’t a bored kid in the house! I was pretty studied up on it so things went very good, except the time went to fast, but this Sunday I’ll be continuing with it because we were barely able to put a dent in the lesson. Looking forward to it!

This weekend the saw rig and the John Deere 50 will be making the big debut! I’ll try to get some action photos hopefully of just sawing cordwood, not people parts, but that rig should be as safe as any rig could ever get so here we go. Got a new 32” blade, sharp as a razor, now we’re just waiting for the battery cable for the 50 and away we go! After close to 30 years of non use the saw rig is reborn here! This is going to be a huge labor saver for me instead of bent over with a chainsaw busting my back for days on end. Will be much cheaper in the long run too!

I’d better get off this computer, the daughter is giving me dirty looks, she got homework to do, much more than usual since this computer got beefed up. Funny how that works!

Monday Evening

2007-03-19T19:37:00.000-06:00

I added a link at the bottom of the link list this evening. Because my “dumb” computer has sound now, YEE HAW! Now I can finally listen to Gospel Music anytime I’m on this contraption. Seems to work pretty good. No more silence when I’m on this thing! In fact as I’m typing Loretta is belting out a good Gospel tune! Just in time for spring, getting rid of these winter blahs! So this is a Praise! A combination of high speed internet and the return of sound makes it so that this internet radio can be on anytime I want it playing. Not like in the days of dialup around here.

Finished up two chapters this evening on the studies about the Book of Acts. One more chapter to go, take the test and head onto coarse number four, the halfway mark when that’s completed. Now I have to say that this has been a good experience so far and I’m sure it’ll be a very blessed thing as I continue on with the remaining five lessons once this one is completed. I do believe that once this is all done someday that I’ll sign up for a couple year coarse that’ll be an in depth study of the whole Bible, the whole Book from one end to the other.

Now I know that some have wondered how can someone like me do these studies, farming full time and all of that. Well, stay away from TV, don’t waste time worshipping in shopping centers and walla! God provides time, and it’s a time of refreshing. Same with attending church much more than the average person, stay away from the world and there’s time provided for the important things, the things that help a person walk with eternity in sight!

So, all in all there’s not much earth shaking happening here. Just working doing what has to be done. Snow’s leaving more and more every day, creek is running, in fact it’s starting to get back in its banks. Soon the fish will be making their spring run, coming up from the Mississippi River that’s only seven or eight miles away. That’s always good for a little fun. Take the kids down to the creek and see what we can come up with! Well, I’d better get upstairs and do a little more in the books tonight before hitting the hay.

A Couple of Thoughts

2007-03-18T17:07:00.000-06:00

I was thinking, well I’m always thinking but this is just a bit more than usual. I was listening this past week to some preaching CDs and the subjects were just awesome. But what caught my attention when the old ways were talking about. The people from the first half of the last century that lived in the hills and the hollers, basically untouched, or should I say, they weren’t influenced by the industrial world as much as most in this country were. Yup, that subject always catches my attention. In all truthfulness I just wish, oh how I wish that I could have been living in that situation. I was listening about the folks that were on fire for God living out there.

Them folks could sing an old spiritual song while they were working, they could play instruments along with it in their cabins. Those folks were living everyday in faith and looking forward to meeting their Lord! They weren’t proud! You could tell that by how they would help each other out all the time. Now being proud is a way of life, it’s the norm nowadays. I did this, I did that! Yup, always me, me, me! Whatever happened to “Blessed are the Poor in Spirit? Whatever happened to Blessed are those Who Mourn?

Now I always wondered a bit about those two. What did that mean, being poor in spirit? I guess it boils down to being the opposite of proud, hmm, simple enough to hear, hard to live nowadays when we’re hit from every angle with societies endless chanting that we deserve everything!

But mourning was an eye opener for me. That deep communication with God. And to understand that mourning can be from the heart, mourning about our shortcomings before God. Those moments when a person realizes that no matter what we do we will always fall short without Him. Those moments when we realize that we sin and sin and sin. Helplessness on our own. Mourning from deep in the heart, mourning out to God in pure sorrow that we disobey Him so much

Them oldimers could mourn let me tell you! I always wondered about that. We’ve lost that deep mourning way of life and it’s a high form of worship we’ve lost.

Saturday on the Farm

2007-03-10T18:59:00.000-06:00

Well, we're getting there! Almost done with the tractor mounted buzz saw. Now for you folks that notice little things, well yes the muffler isn't on the old 50. Had it off working in a low building. And on the top photo is yours truely this Saturday afternoon by one of our wood piles. This is a 30 cord pile of hard maple that'll be giving the old JD 50 a workout shortly! For some pretty good views just click on the photos.

After the Storm

2007-03-07T05:30:00.000-06:00

After the storm and the sun finally makes an appearance!

Today being Wednesday means church tonight out in the hills. Thus a photo! Coming soon pictures of what thirty cords of maple firewood looks like and other items of back country interest!

Stuck!

2007-03-06T05:34:00.000-06:00

Last Friday morning and the snow wasn't at it's peak yet by any means. I was doing chores, feeding cows and low and behold the milktruck got stuck, a few hours later the wrecker got stuck when it arrived. Memories, eh!

The Weekend's Done

2007-03-05T19:15:00.001-06:00

Monday evening and all is well! Butchered a couple hogs this afternoon, cutting them up tomorrow. Gonna have a local guy make us four hams, I’ve heard to much good not to let him have at it! I was going to give it a shot but I’d better concentrate on sausage making as soon as this project is done with. I figure within the week we’ll have us a hundred pounds or so of our own family recipe of sausage. Two thirds pork and one third beef. We used to use venison in place of beef when we were the big time hunters but seeing how I haven’t deer hunted since 91 we’ve just been using beef. But alas, my Kentucky Long Rifle that’s backordered for the last two and a half months is due to arrive sometime late this month. Now that should be interesting hunting deer with a flintlock, yup it sure will be! Just walk out back in fall and see what happens out in the woods.

Was in church yesterday, made it this Sunday, although the drive was a little hair raising in the hills with all that snow pack on the roads. I mean, they were plowed out and all that, but there was a few inches of hard pack snow and when we were going down steep slopes we were a wondering if the truck was a steady sled. Turned out the truck made it down the hills without plowing into the ditch and we Praise the Lord for that!! Church was wonderful as always, didn’t even have time for a sermon. That’s what happens in a Spirit Filled Church! Yes sir, it can just take off and minister where the ministering is needed. Church format isn’t set in stone, nope, it goes where it should! And go it did! Whew!

I can’t remember one time in church where I was ever bored, nope, not one time! Two hours just flies by, sometimes even three or four hours, you just never know. Take a three hour service and you’d figure everyone would be running for the doors when it was all done. But no, the folks will stay around for a long time after it’s all said and done. Folks will even sometimes gather in small groups and continue praying and praising. Now I wasn’t used to this in the past, but I have to say in all honesty, I could never, never go back. Not when a person sees what it’s like to be with a group of believers that have faith. That mountain moving faith. It’s incredible! Sometimes I have sorrow in my heart when I see so many folks going to church just to show their faces to the local society, or worse, “to get it over with”.

I’m still studying the Book of Acts, or as the course is called, “the Book of Action”. The blueprint for the church. It’s so interesting and life changing! To study and dwell on those common folks that changed the world when the Holy Spirit filled them. And to understand it’s “all” available today. Every bit of it! It’s no different now then it was back then, not one bit! So I’ll take it, that old time faith, cause God is a faith God! Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing happens without faith, nothing! And with faith nothing is impossible!

After a year and a half I’m still a bit amazed, who’da ever thought! A little Full Gospel Church out in the middle of no where, and there’s just so much. No gimmicks, just preaching the Word. And what preaching the Word can do! It’s not restrained by man’s religions, nope, it’s sending forth the Word, that Holy Word. And when that happens, things do happen!

Done For The Week

2007-03-03T20:10:00.000-06:00

Rough week here, two snow storms back to back, so I’ve not been able to keep up so well on the computer. But hopefully tomorrow evening or so I can get back to the swing of things around here. Just finished a post on Northern Farmer that got a little bit long winded as usual. So, I should be hanging around here for a while now that things are straightening out somewhat on the home front

Tomorrow I hope we can head for our little church. Missed it last Sunday because of the first snow storm. We shouldn’t have much problem getting there tomorrow if everything on the farm cooperates. Got some of tomorrow’s chores done already. We can even drive on our road now with cars, wow! Feels good to be cleared out!

I’d better get upstairs and get to reading a bit. Also to listen to some tapes that Jan sent. A big thank you Jan!! And today was the first day we received mail since you sent them out! They sure got here fast!

So unless we have company tomorrow evening I should be posting here. Plus during the week too. Lots of stuff to catch up on, but I’m a bit tired this evening. A good tired though!

Monday Evening Praises

2007-02-26T20:15:00.000-06:00

Taking a little break here tonight, bones are tired. Feels good! Listening to some good music in the backround, can’t watch TV, we only have Christian television but it don’t look like we can watch any till spring or when I have enough energy to shovel the snow out of the way of the satellite dish on the roof of our house. Funny how that works! But I’m happy enough just having some gospel music on down here. A ministry in itself, that music I mean. If I need a lift when the world is crushing down on me I put some of this music on and every song seems to just talk to a person, to minister. Funny, when a person is happy go lucky these same songs will just get a person going in joy. When a person is down they will speak to you and lift one out of the darkness that’s trying to surround you. Amazing how that all works.

“Thou oh Lord, are a shield for me, you’re the glory and lifter of my head.” That’s what’s on now. Oops, now’s “Talkin About That Old Time Religion”, a bit snappier of a song. I can just imagine a little congregation around a hundred years ago meeting in farm houses, even chicken coops, yup that’s right, chicken coops. Tent meetings, the whole ball of wax! Now sometimes I wished I was there back then, but then again why not do it all again! Yup, why not! Why not get together and have some good old fashioned meetins? Don’t need no Crystal Cathedral, nope. Just some saints getting together, praising God with all their hearts. Just some real people that are going through the fire or going through life’s floods. And it happens to everyone, going through this all. I know it happens to me all to often.

A person starts to get down and that’s all it takes sometimes, and down and down a person goes. The old enemy say “you ain’t good enough and you’ll never be good enough. All you do is screw up all the time.” Anybody else ever have that happen? It can get a person down so far that there’s actually pain in the body because of it. Yup, it can drag a person way on down. Well, technically the enemy is right cause there ain’t no way I’ll ever be good enough, no way. But that’s where we have the advantage over that old snake! Cause a person just gotta stand their ground and believe that Jesus is the Son of God and He died and arose again for us. No matter how many times we stumble, and I stumble so often I don’t know if I’m ever hardly standing up straight. Usually got my nose pounded into the ground from all the falls every day. But I’m a getting back up and running the race no matter what that old snake says. Yup, I’m getting back up, there’s a race to run.

Boy, I wished there was church going on tonight, I’m in the mood for some praising tonight! And with no church yesterday because of the snow storm there’ll be a bit of a gap. But then again church is where ever we step foot, eh! If the old saints could have it in their homes or chicken coops well, why not today. Hmm, gotta start getting something going around here to fill the gap! Got to carry on, until the day God calls us home! This troubled world is not our final home! Not about to quit now, nope, can see the final destination!

Whew, if this post seems to be rambling it’s because I’m jotting down a line or two from every song I’m listening to as I write. On the last song now, I’ve mentioned it before on Northern Farmer, “Wonder What They’re Doing in Heaven Today”. I love that song! If that song don’t jerk a Blood bought believer back to reality, well I don’t know. It brings a smile to the face and joy to the heart cause no matter what this world throws at a person we can look beyond the world and see God’s throne! Wow! Sin and sorrow all gone away, peace flows like a river they say! So what if I’m rambling, I love rambling about this! Because in reality, what else is there?

So on this Monday evening all is well here, things are going well, we’re blessed in every way. No complaints, just Praising God on the old computer. No heavy stuff, quite simply cause I don’t like writing to much about heavy stuff. There’s enough problems and misery in the world without me adding to it. Just keeping our eyes on Jesus, yes, sweet Jesus!

A Snowy Weekend

2007-02-25T15:59:00.000-06:00

A snowy weekend out here, over a foot of heavy white stuff. In fact it surprised me a bit this morning when I realized how much we actually received! But we need the moister desperately so we’ll take anything we can get. This was what I’d call our first snow of the winter. We’ve received light snows here and thee, one or two inchers, but this one is more like the real thing. No church this Sunday either which was OK with me considering the conditions. We did miss it, but there was no way any of us could have made it so calling it off takes it off the mind. Now that we did finally get our snow my case of spring fever is starting to appear in full force. Gotta start some seeds in the near future and maybe incubate a batch of eggs again and see what kind of chickens we end up with, you never know! The ones we hatched last spring are such beautiful birds. Some of them hens are solid black with a green shine to them when the light hits just right.

Still lookin for a free hound dog but no luck right yet. But I have faith, that free dog will appear one of these days. The puppy that’s here now is getting more fun as everyday passes. Smart little rascal! Now he ain’t no official hound, he’s half Yellow Lab and half German Shepard so I guess that just makes him an official mutt but he’s so durn smart I stand amazed daily. Oh, he’s also a terror, always into something but who ain’t the way I figure it, so I can overlook that in him. There’s a lot of promise in that dull colored mutt! I figure that must be the way the Lord sees us folks, always getting into trouble, always into something we don’t belong. I know they use sheep as an example in the Good Book, and I agree having raised sheep by the hundreds in the past, but being with that puppy should be good for more than one parable!

So after a snowy weekend and a full day of moving snow that’s about it on the old farm for now. Just got cleaned up and into some dry clothes. Gotta print off some stuff for church Wednesday evening. I’m pretty well done with seed orders from three different seed outfits. Anything else we need can be gotten locally for the gardens. We’re gonna really expand our sweet corn plots and hope for rains this year, they gotta be coming one of these years so we’ll just put our farmer’s faith to work and plant a bunch. Then later tonight read some of the Good Book and start over tomorrow in our snowy wonderland.

Monday on the Farm

2007-02-19T20:16:00.000-06:00

Today was remarkable! The temperature got up into the forties, Praise the Lord! Did that feel different. Chores went smooth, ground some oats for the hogs that we have left here, might be the last grinding of feed for them till they become feed for us folks, and split a bunch of oak after dinner. Got me a good noon nap, which is tradition on this place. But back to splitting wood when it was in the forties out, I even worked up a sweat, and wasn’t wearing a jacket to boot! Well, I was splittin wood till around three and then our kids and some church kids got together and went down to the creek ice skating. The conditions don’t get much better than today because last week the creek “ruptured”, well at least I call it that, and water from somewhere upstream forced it’s way through the ice as the ice got thicker and thicker. This water pouring over the top of the old ice and little bit of snow made a fresh, new coating of ice with no obstructions to be found. A skater’s paradise! So add it al together, sunshine, temps in the forties, a new fresh coating of ice and a bunch of church kids and you have a great Monday afternoon! Almost wants me to go looking for a pair of skates for me! On second thought, the hospitals are making enough money without a generous contribution from me as a result of ice skating. I’ll stick to outrunning a mad bull once in a while for entertainment purposes!

After a day of moving around a lot, first time in a long time, I’m feeling a bit bushed this evening. Not complaining now, no not one bit. It’s that good tired feeling. You know, where the eyes even burn a bit when looking at the old computer screen. Just a sign of the season to come when I’ll be outside all day and well into the evenings. I’m looking forward to it all, even though as usual I can’t see how in the world I’ll possibly get everything even half done when spring arrives. But somehow every year it all gets done and before a person realizes it it’s summer and haying season is in full swing. But those days are good, being in the open field, smelling the worked up soil or the freshly cut hay. It doesn’t get much better than all that.

I know there’s a lot on our church’s agenda for the year but I don’t get to involved planning ahead on what’s coming up in months to come. It’s hard enough just going day by day around here. Gotta just give it to the Lord and take it as it comes. And somehow, someway, it most of the time falls into place. If it’s anything like last summer it should be fun! Now our little Bible believing church don’t slow down for summer like so many others do, and that suits me just fine. Quite simply, even as busy as we are, I don’t believe that we should pack God away for the summer so we can “enjoy” summer more. Nope, I don’t think that way at all! I know there’s all kinds of excuses why a church should slow down for the summer but I haven’t heard an honest one yet that didn’t point to the peoples own self indulgence.

Years ago, now I was talking to some oldtimers about this, from what I gather, folks didn’t package away their faith in summer like so many do now. At least not according to my oldtimer sources! Nope, church would go full steam plus even more get togethers than other times of the year. Makes sense, longer days, better weather, more time to be with the saints and have a good time together worshipping God. Those folks had it together back then as far as community goes. On the Northern Farmer blog over the last almost two years I’ve hit this subject so many times I lost count, the reason being that I believe that one of the first signs of a church that’s alive in Christ will be the willingness to fellowship amongst the saints. Yup, that’s what I believe with all my heart! Because what sense does it even make to go to church if it’s gonna be a couple hours of worship a week and then run home and live totally like the rest of the world. Now if you ask me that’s a sure fire testimony that the folks are still in the world up to their eyeballs! The saints of a couple of generations ago would be getting together every chance they had. And they worked just as much if not more than folks do today, so what’s the problem? The way I got it figured, it’s self indulgence, nothing more nothing less.

So I figure it’s time to stop self indulging around here, although I must admit it’s been getting less and less as the seasons pass. The heck with hellivision, and it’s time to assess what else is taking up our lives, stealing our time on this world, keeping us from the happiness that God intended for His children. Watching those happy faces today skating one has to wonder what we adults have almost lost. It pathetic! I preach the “old time ways” all the time, but it’s time to live them to the fullest! I don’t want to live a life of the walking dead, I want to be alive! Does that mean the farm work will suffer or be sacrificed? I don’t think so, in fact I think it will be blessed beyond our wildest dreams! A guy can work like a bear and play and worship like a child!

The Good Book tells us over and over not to worry, not to fear. I have to realize the truth of the matter, when a person takes the world so seriously that everything else suffers, it is sin, period. We weren’t created to go it alone, we were created to worship our Lord and be in the family of God. To enjoy the saints, to be happy no matter what’s going on in this evil world. Yup, that’s what we’re supposed to do. Incredible when a person realizes it, God wants us to be happy and not have these worldly worries, to be like those children skating today!

Our Direction

2007-02-17T20:29:00.000-06:00

Every day when I’m pumping water at a remote cattle lot, sittin there listening to the portable generator purr away I flip out my 30 some year old pocket Bible and have me a read. Well, it takes twenty minutes to fill the stock tank out there everyday so that’s reading time for this old farmer. And since I don’t go out there with a pickup there’s no radio to listen to. But it probably wouldn’t matter, it’s a lot more interesting reading the Good Book anyhow. Just a standard New Testament pocket Bible, you know, one of them Gideon ones. Got Psalms and Proverbs in it too. That kind.

You just never know what I’m gonna be reading, I just open er up and away we go! Had us some times this winter season going through that little red pocket Bible, from the Gospels to Revelation, it all got read. But in the Gospels I have two favorite parts, and this isn’t taking away anything from the rest of the book, nope, just two parts that really hit me when I read them over and over. One is Mark chapter 5, awesome! Another is the Gospel of John, chapter 9. Now these two different chapters just give me the shivers there’s so much happening in them. I can just see it, almost as if I was there!

Mark chapter 5 is about the woman with the issue of blood, most Christians have heard the story at one time or another, even if they don’t read the book very much. And incredible display of faith from the lowest of people at the time. Plus the story is intertwined with another story of equal proportions. But the story of that sick woman’s faith is enough to stir even the hardest of souls. Faith, plus action produced a miracle!

In John chapter 9 another healing, the man blind from birth, healed by Jesus and the man’s faith in Him. Again, faith plus action produced a miracle. Always faith plus action from the person seeking healing. I could go into much more detail tonight but I’m just forming an outline on the things I’ll be writing in the next few months. Subjects will include what was mentioned here this evening, also a continuation of being born again to the bone, also seeking and receiving the baptism of fire of the Holy Ghost.

The reason for this will be for me to practice up writing about this and relating it to my own personal experiences. The stories involved with our own lives here, the changes. The good times and bad and again the victories of the good times. Soon we’ll be tackling a project here, first to get this computer beefed up so it can do a lot more things than it currently does, I’ll be looking into that this coming week. Secondly, to get our farm website on the move and make it so that it is an ever changing site. Always something new will be coming if all this goes even halfway according to plans. This last year I haven’t done anything to the site, quite simply because I don’t know how, but we do have an ace in the hole here called a teenage daughter who doesn’t blink an eye when it comes to that stuff. So, we’ll give it a large portion of our time these next few months. It won’t appear instantly, but appear it will! Plans include much, much more than is on there now, plus maybe even podcasts from yours truly! That should be interesting in itself.

Plans are that it’ll become a farm/old time gospel site. A good old mix! Ideas are really pouring through my head and when I feel good about something past experience usually proved that feeling to be right. Even plan on throwing on some of our favorite gospel music on there. Now let me tell you, you don’t hear the kind of music I listen to on radios or anywhere else for that matter. Should be different, should be good!

Am I Truly Ready?

2007-02-16T20:52:00.000-06:00

Friday evening out in the country and everything is quiet and calm. The temperatures here have been moderating and according to the forecast things should be warming up next week and that’s ok with me! Even today I shed my heavy coveralls and felt like a new person! Almost like a new beginning when things finally start to turn towards spring. And this spring should be interesting as far as all that goes.

Pastor Josh got me thinking today on the post below. Yup, got me thinking. What’s it all about? I was on that subject in my head and in my heart the last few days and it all boils down to that great promise of being with Christ. And when it’s all over in this world it’s just the very beginning. If I have to write it down and stick it in front of my nose daily I will, I’m talking about being ready for Jesus returning. I don’t want to be worrying about it, I want to be praying for it to come today! I’m ready! Now that ain’t bragging, that’s a fact! I’m so, so ready for His return.

I fall down so many times every day, stumble and screw up, but I ain’t gonna cry about it, no time! Gotta get right back up and keep going! I want that mountain moving faith that the early saints possessed, pressing forward no matter what the world and religion say. There ain’t no time to waste doing anything else than walking the walk and talking the talk! Spread the Gospel no matter how foolish it makes a person look in the world’s eyes. I want to be continually filled with the Holy Ghost! Just like in the Book of Acts, get them huge infillings when needed! The infilling that would normally drop a person to the floor in church is what I want to be walking in continually! Walking in that level, talking in that level, praying in that level.

I want to see the miracles on the move no matter what the dead of religion say. It’s pretty hard to convince someone that’s experienced miracles to be told they went out with the death of the Apostles. God loves to do what man calls impossible just to Glorify Him. No, I ain’t gonna argue with anyone, I’ll just do what God wants me to do. People don’t like it, well there’s not much I can do about folks that refuse to give God the Glory. That’s between them and God, not me.

Yup, gotta keep going! Never quit the race! It ain’t just being born again, that’s only the very beginning, it’s growing continually after the moment of being born again. Why stay as a spiritual baby. Fresh, new born, defenseless. Defenseless and very vulnerable to be destroyed. After being born again there’s that time of joy but if one doesn’t get up and go on from there it’s almost a recipe for disaster. I think in the next few posts, here and there, I’m gonna cover a bit on that.

Sometimes a person does wonder if they are truly born again. Well, one good thing, if a person is wondering, they probably are born again. Just because they are even thinking about it. So many just have an emotional moment in church and when it’s all over with they go on like every moment before that moment. No change what so ever. Many times I wondered if I was born again, in fact sometimes I had it in my head I wasn’t really. That sly old devil will torment a baby Christian into thinking that nothing’s different. But there are ways to tell. First is a changed self. A changed person, a changed lifestyle. You can’t hold on to the old and be born again. Quite simply because if a person holds on to the old they never accepted the new. Now it don’t matter how many white roses a preacher puts up in front of church representing the newly born again folks in that church because the preacher has not the slightest idea in the world if anyone got born again. Not the slightest! Years ago I went up for an alter call and everyone got all happy that I was born again but let me tell you, I wasn’t born again! Not one thing changed in my life, I’m talking about me changing, not one thing! When it really happened in our little church a year and a half ago I was almost swept away with the huge changes. Appetites changed, the world lost importance rapidly, a never ending hunger that won’t stop entered me, to read the Bible daily. To be immersed in His Word. And in that little church the folks didn’t abandon me, they took my little baby ways and fed me up good!

I know what it’s like to be considered born again and truly not be born again. And it isn’t good! I ain’t coming down on anyone writing this, I’m writing about myself. But now I know without the shadow of a doubt that I’m in God’s Kingdom, I know it! And when a person knows it there’s a burning inside of them, a big burning. Not a little feel good thingy, nope, a drive that takes over, won’t stop. Always driving to get more immersed in the Word, to preach the Gospel, to stand back from what most modern day Christian consider normal. A drive to get what they had in the Book of Acts, filled with the Spirit to the brim!

I’ll probably continue on this soon here, this barely covers it at all, the born again moment and what happens afterwards. But I can testify that there’s nothing on this earth like it, and that’s just the very, very beginning! Glory to God!

A Little Rambling

2007-02-13T19:33:00.000-06:00

Ever have one of them days? Well, not a bad day at all but I’m ah wondering at my abilities lately. Baker Creek Seeds called me up around noon today and said they got my seed order but I forgot to put the check in the envelope. After a quick check of my checkbook, by jiminy they were right! I didn’t even write out a check. Now where does a person’s mind go sometimes? Where ever it went it sure wasn’t settled in the right place, that’s for sure. Must have been wandering as it usually does. Just like I forget to answer e-mails, busy one moment and sometimes correspondence erases from my mind, just poof and it’s gone. Oh well, I’m happy!

I was talking to a guy I know a while back that raises a rare breed of sheep, the Black Welsh Mountain Sheep or something like that. Now, I used to raise a whole bunch of sheep and I never plan on raising them like that again. But I wouldn’t mind having a few of those rare old fashioned ones. Plus they’re a good lookin critter, black with curled down horns. Just some good old fashioned mountain sheep. Plus I love eating farm raised lamb so that’s a plus. We got room for a handful, something where it doesn’t turn into work. Just like our family hogs, I kinda enjoy raising them critters. Plus I do like to eat the good pork that the general population today has no idea that it even exists. Stuff like that isn’t for sale, nope, that’s family food. Maybe someday I’ll put a few for sale, cause even right now there’s defiantly interest from folks. But money isn’t everything that’s for sure. Besides, sometimes a person gets better wages just giving it to family and friends. Money can’t buy friendship, or at least the right kind, but friendship can get food put on the table!

Tomorrow’s church in the evening, I’m pretty well set for that. But you never know what will happen so I just do a basic plan, study up a bit and away we go. Gonna be teaching on worship, an interesting subject to say the least. Needs a bit of improvement from my part too. But then again, who doesn’t need to improve a bit. We’re all sinners, imperfect beings, but Washed in the Blood does change things a whole lot. Now our little church has about the best little Praise Team that one could imagine, cause they sing and play from the heart. You don’t come across something like that all the time. But in that little country church, Full Gospel to boot, things get a moving! Up until a while ago I never truly realized how special that little church really is. A rarity if there ever was any! All these years I knew in my heart that that is the way church should be. Just full blown for God, no half way measures.

Now even when a person visits folks from that little church, church is thee subject, not gossiping about the church goers, but faith matters, lifting up the saints. Now I just wasn’t used to that, but it didn’t take me long to make that our way of life. I figure that this is the way it’s supposed to be. I definitely wasn’t used to that my entire life, but it’s now becoming a way of life. What a change a year and a half can make in a person’s life!

I think I’ll just have to get a little more serious writing here about all of this. I’ve been holding back, but that shouldn’t be. Hardly anyone reads this blog, but that’s ok with me. It does have the advantage of not being so much out in the open like the Northern Farmer blog. This is more like what we had Sunday here, just a few folks visiting. Not a big meeting or anything like that. Plus I think I’m gonna get this computer fixed up so it can do many things that it can’t do now. Even thinking about figuring out podcasts. Now that’s getting radical for me, believe me! But I came across a farm site a while back while searching for corn bread information, (those who know me, know I love corn), and found the neatest farm ministry from Tennessee. Old fashioned gospel preaching, bluegrass and old time gospel music, plus on the farm sales, recipes, the whole ball of wax. I’ll be doing further studying on this matter cause it struck a cord with me. I thought, I can do that! And be comfortable doing it! It’s already given me very good ideas for an old fashioned farm newsletter with some old time gospel messages mixed in. Yup, it’ll be good! I know it can be done and it should keep me going for the rest of my life! I’ve been wondering which way to go as far as spreading the gospel and still maintain a farm full time and this works. Plus a few customers have asked for something like this. So we’ll see where this takes us, the comfortable part is that it can only help the farm and family. It would never be a burden, the load would be light!

Saturday Evening Rambling

2007-02-10T20:59:00.000-06:00

The week is wrapping up this evening and it’s still pretty cold out around here. Spring fever is setting in strong with the seed catalog orders. I thought I was finished the other night but tonight I just had to order some more stuff from a different catalog. The garden is an ever changing thing, abandon some varieties and try some new ones. We’re also trying to establish different plants that will come back every year by themselves, save a little work in spring planting so much.

But for now it’s just so dad burned cold out a person really doesn’t want to do too much outside if they don’t have to. Every day pounding open cattle waterers, starting equipment that doesn’t want to start, that kind of thing. Most of tomorrow morning’s chores are done ahead of time so we can make it to church so that’s kind of a relief off the old mind tonight. Keep chores to a bare minimum tomorrow morning and that’s all right with me.

I don’t know what church will bring tomorrow, I never know cause it’s never, never the same. It goes wherever it’s lead and that can mean some pretty unexpected places. But I couldn’t imagine it any other way any more. Heck, they even get me to say a few words every great once in a while and that’s never happened anywhere else before. But them little old fashioned country churches are just something totally different than anything else on this earth. Thank God for them!

So between a new puppy, a couple more hogs to butcher ourselves and cut up too, plus make some homemade sausage, cattle feeding chores everyday, making firewood, and a ton of other things, life is going on pretty darn good out here. Plus knowing that in a few months I can shed all those winter clothes that bog a person down so much. When a person lives in the north country they can really appreciate the warm months of the year.

Well, time to go read the Good Book for a bit and hit the hay. Tired, but happy.

In The Cold Spell

2007-02-08T18:14:00.000-06:00

A Thursday evening and we don’t have no place to go, no worries or anything like that. Just getting through the cold spell as best we can. We were at church yesterday evening and had a very good time at the service. This is the only Wednesday evening service that I get to attend during the month, the rest will be taking care of Children’s Church which is very enjoyable. Time goes fast and I sometimes am learning as much as the kids. Good bunch of kids, they sure do love Jesus! That simple faith that can move any mountain, yup, they got it. They’re not cluttered up like adults yet, not putting the world first. I pray they always remain as faithful to God as they are now.

I’ve got to put a big push on the Bible College studies in the remaining winter weeks to reach my goal of being half done by spring. I’ll be getting to that in a few minutes along with finally getting around to ordering seeds for the gardens. Between the Baker Creek and Seed Saver catalogs I get all confused, trying to narrow down the varieties we want to try. There’s so many good looking ones. What problems huh?!? I hear the poultry catalog is out on display at the co-op so I’d better be pickin me up a copy and had better get one for Pastor Josh too! Chicken orders are flooding in here and I really can’t see how we’re going to be able to raise all that many. Funny how life goes when you just give it to God. All the how to books about direct selling farm produce say that the biggest obstacle is marketing your product. They say a person has to work very hard trying to sell the product, to get the word out. Well that advice might be fine and dandy for the regular world but I gotta say, we have a hard time keeping up with the amount of orders coming in for both chicken and beef. It sure is something how God can Bless all this!

Now, I ain’t complaining, far from it, but with all them farming books out there I figure one should be written from a Christian perspective. I mean really, a lot of the authors are Christian, but I mean a book that is a farming manual with faith as the main theme. Because with faith things move! It would be interesting to say the least. And different from anything ever written that I know of. So many are written with an almost giving up attitude, how the world will gradually snuff out the family farmer and all that. I don’t see it that way at all. Cause when a person has faith, well there ain’t nothing can stand in that person’s way.

So, I’d better get going! Studying the course called “The Book of Action”. It’s a big one to say the least. Plus it’s an exciting one!

Busy Week Done

2007-02-06T17:30:00.000-06:00

Time to kick back and settle back in here. Last week was about the busiest week of the year around this place, a lot happening on the farm all day and every evening. But it’s past now, Praise the Lord! Now it’s time to sit back in the warm house in the evening, start ordering some garden seeds, start thinking about spring which will come around someday. I can’t wait to get back out in the old gardens, they have to be my favorite place to be. There’ll be some snow on the ground yet when we start out there. Start cleaning up to get ready to plow them up. We didn’t get them cleaned this past fall because of some hard times around here. But things are coming back on track as time goes by. Truthfully I don’t have any idea how I was even able to continue blogging these past months, but somehow it was managed. Not the way I’da liked, but I did a little writing. Sometimes I’d sit at the computer and not much would come out so I’d scrap any writing for that night. Just to blamed tired.

Sometimes a person would just get down in the dumps, get a bit snappy which there isn’t much excuse for and I ain’t trying to make excuses either. Well, I’m tired of all that. Now some shrink might call it the mid-winter blues, I won’t call it that. It’s just a person’s own mind taking back over and it’s time to bury that….deep. No matter what comes up I just gotta remember to keep on pressing on. Cause when we see Jesus it ain’t gonna be like it was back then. They’re never gonna spit in His face again! They ain’t never gonna crown Him with thorns again! They’ll never crucify Him again. Cause He’s coming in POWER! He’ll be coming in Glory!

Yup, He’s a coming back! Gotta get that planted in me so deep that nothing can pry it out! Gotta get back to that simple mountain moving faith that can face anything. Let the world slide by, enjoy life the way God’s children are supposed to! Ah, this is what I like to write about! It can get me going just typing it! And as usual there’s some good Old Holiness music blaring away down here! Plus our new puppy dog running around biting everything in site, friendly little rascal if I must say so! Half yellow lab and half who knows what! In the past they were my favorite old mutts on the farm. Smart mutts too! Yup, good old farm living, all the farm critters plus a good dog, just what I like!

So now that the busy week is behind us I hope to hang around this blog much more like I did before. Head out to church tomorrow evening and Praise the Lord!

Getting Ready For The Weekend

2007-01-26T19:25:00.000-06:00

Gotta get up and going tomorrow morning let me tell you! Get them chores done before eight in the morning and head for the hills for most of the day at church. I’m hoping the weather doesn’t do anything brutal that would give me extra chores. That can hold off a few days yet. Busy around here this week with all the regular work and then throw in hog butchering and cutting up the meat. This’ll be the first Saturday away from the farm since December when a bunch of us helped move Pastor Josh and family to their new homestead out in the country. Besides church tomorrow I’m looking forward to whatever lunch is provided around noon. You never know!

This next week will be a busy one with selling a batch of calves in the middle of the week, gotta head north to the sales barn and say good bye to them critters. We still saved over thirty calve to raise up for butcher steers next fall and winter. People seem to be buying them so I’ll sell them, plus eat a couple in the process! Plus next week I have to get ready for the yearly appointment with the tax man. Now I don’t exactly look forward to this so that must be the reason I don’t have one thing ready yet. But it’ll get done somehow next week, the getting ready I mean. Plus church on Wednesday evening. Well, that’s always the high point of the middle of the week.

So I don’t know how often I’ll be posting next week, but then again when I say I’m not busy and will be posting I somehow don’t get to it. Amazing how that all works. Planning and myself were never the best of partners. But somehow it gets done. Then after next week I’d better get off my butt and get some garden seeds ordered. We’ve got a few seeds that we saved from last year, including an old cantaloupe variety that a friend gave us. Them things were good! So…. Plant them again!

I’m starting to get itchy for spring, maybe a bit less than other years because of the milder than normal winter, but it’ll be good to smell the soil again. Plant the gardens, get in the fields and watch things turn green again for a season. How I love all that! So basically all this post is tonight is contentment with all the things happening around here. I know it’s not some bigtime shocking news, but what the hey, who needs shocking news. Sometimes a person should just be satisfied with what they got! And we got plenty. Now the tax man might not think so, but we got more than enough! We got Jesus and in reality, what else is there? Not much if you ask me!

Old Fashioned Joy

2007-01-25T20:40:00.000-06:00

Fresh pork chops tonight! Yee Haw! Yesterday we butchered a couple hogs and today cut them up. Even made a little lard this evening to boot! And tomorrow morning “fresh” side pork! Livin is good here! I just finished a chapter in the Book of Acts study this evening and will try to get a bit more done tomorrow evening if possible before the weekend begins. Although it doesn’t make all that much difference if it’s the weekend or a weekday around here most of the time. But this weekend we’ll be heading to church on Saturday morning for most of the day for a get together on leadership with a guest pastor. If that’s the only way I can get a few hours off around here, I’ll take it. Should be interesting, it’s another one of them things where I have no idea what we’re getting into. But getting into it we will!

Allot of stuff coming up, or so I hear, at our little church this coming year and beyond so we’d better just get ourselves on board. Lots to do in the surrounding area, that’s for sure. Plus this breaks up the winter with a get together on a Saturday. Then we’ll rush home in the later afternoon and scramble to get some Sunday morning chores out of the way so we can get ourselves back Sunday morning.

But in the next few weeks we’ve got two more hogs to butcher, and by then we should have gathered enough trimmings to whip us together a batch of our home made sausage. Now I figure, plus I know, you can’t buy sausage that good in the stores. An old family recipe and we make most of it to be smoked in the neighbor’s smokehouse. I have that privilege and I do like that job. Mostly I use oak, maple or apple wood to do the trick and it even gets me smelling fairly good in the deal. And later, there ain’t hardly anything better than coming into the house in the evening to the smell of smoked sausage either in the pan or in the oven. Who needs air fresheners when that stuff is cookin up!

It don’t matter if I’m farming full time, or if I was working out and coming home to a little place in the country, I’d still raise a handful of hogs and whip us up all those good foods. And with a later than normal batch of sausage being made it should last us well into spring or early summer so that’ll go good after a day in the fields or doing whatever we’re doing that time of the year. Might even be green onion season by then. Amazing isn’t it, how much I love good food! Eating better than kings! God sure does bless us out here doing what we do. And we ain’t ever going to take it for granted. Blessings in every step we take, every day we wake up. Simple, just plain simple. Now don’t go thinking that we don’t have any of the pressures everyone else has, because we sure do. But sometimes a person, well actually, all the time we should be praising Him and recognizing His hand in all of this.

Oh Lord, thank you for enabling us to realize what you do for us every single day! What a God! Thank you Lord! The world can do what the world is gonna do, we’ll just let it go by the best we can. Life is too good to waste chasing our tails, never getting anywhere. It’s all right in front of us, plain as day. God’s love, His blessings. Yup, us simple folk are kinda bewildering to many, but we’re about as happy as a human being could possibly get.

Hope Where There Is No Hope

2007-01-23T19:00:00.000-06:00

A beautiful day out here in the country today! Sunny this afternoon with very little wind. Just right for cutting up more and more firewood. And that I did. Keep this up and I won’t need much toughening up for spring work. Things are going good, no complaints, just Praising the Lord for every moment of every day! Working away, singing songs of praise, maybe making up a few along the way!

Last evening I was a bit bushed, a good tired feeling from all that clear fresh air all day and I sat down for a little while in front of what’s left of our TV. Well, I started watching a show with Billy Graham back in the fifties and early sixties. It was really powerful watching him preach in his younger days. What an anointing that man has! Or could it be that he just followed what God told him to do? It made me think a bit today on that subject. There he was, a farmer boy from North Carolina. Just a simple upbringing. Now known to millions and millions. And the millions of lives his message touched and changed!

He wasn’t born into it. He just followed what God told him to do. That had me thinking today how God takes the simple and makes it great. Over and over again. It doesn’t make much sense to the world, very little ever does when it involves the Lord. The “wise” can never figure it out. But folks that surrendered to Christ know what’s going on! The Lord is on the move all over! Taking the downtrodden and lifting them up. Taking the impossible and making it possible!

Taking the druggy and knocking the drugs right out of them, taking the prostitutes and lifting them up out of their hell, making them into powerful witnesses for Christ. Healing the impossible to heal diseases, daily! For me, the Gospel is so great! It’s hope where there is no hope. Where the world has no answers, He is the answer!

It doesn’t matter what the world throws at a person, He’s there to cover everything. With a God like that, how can I not follow Him! I pray that I can follow Him like Billy Graham did, following the calling placed on me. Even if it’s the lowest job that could be imagined.

Do We Want What They Had?

2007-01-21T19:45:00.000-06:00

I came across this quote a few days ago, “And if you will here stop, and ask yourselves, why you are not as pious as the primitive Christians were, your own heart will tell you, that it is neither through ignorance nor inability, but purely because you never thoroughly intended it.”

That said allot to me. Purely because you never thoroughly intended it! And it definitely is something to think about. Today with all the distractions I do believe it is quite difficult to thoroughly believe and live like the primitive Christians as they were called in this quote. But you know, a person has to strive to have what they had. Not the watered down version of the Holy Ghost that most of us accept today as normal but the baptism of fire that those folks had in days gone by. I heard it explained very well by Pastor Rod Parsley on a video of the Dominion Camp Meeting. He said we sometimes feel the Holy Ghost and fall flat to the floor, but we should be up and walking and talking in that same power level that floored us. That’s what the early Christians did! They walked in power! It’s called power in Acts and a few chapters later in the same Book it’s called Great Power!

In the early Holiness Churches of days gone by so many of them walked in this power! And I do believe that should be the goal of every Blood bought believer today! I love reading and listening to the stories of faith of the folks a couple of generations ago! Lord, I want that faith they had!!

But it’s a building process and a race to be run in this life! Never look back, race ahead. Don’t look one way or another. The one promise all believers have when running this race besides power within provided by the Holy Ghost is persecution by the world. And that can come from other church folks too because there’s no guarantee that they are running the good race also. And they will do everything they can to stop a person.

This Bible College study is really turning my life upside down, the way it should be in the eyes of the world. Just ran across another church go’er the other day from a church other than our own who was defending the homosexual lifestyle as good. Now this almost tore my heart out listening to the perversion that’s spreading into religion. People that were once on the right path getting sidetracked right back down to a reward of hell itself. Like Peter said, “a dog will return to it’s vomit”. It’s so terrible to see and hear! A spirit of deception sweeping the land.

But we must continue to run the race, no matter what, no matter what is said. Heaven will be worth it!

Making Firewood and Praising God

2007-01-16T19:18:00.000-06:00

We burn wood here for heat, nothing but wood. For everything including homes and shops. And it takes quite a bit of wood to do it all. Sometimes I have a bit of a hard time keeping up with the cutting and splitting so every few years when everything is right we buy a few semi loads of hard wood. Today I received the first load of hard maple and will get two more semi loads tomorrow morning. I’ll have to cut it up and split it yet but we make a large work area near the barnyards and it’s all on level ground so the job it kinda nice. And of coarse the workout gives the benefit of allot of exercise. Not much lack of exercise around here, and not much problem sleeping either. Fresh air and honest work never done anyone any harm. And close to forty cords of wood to make is considered plenty of exercise!

But even with that I’ll be heading out into the woods to make more to mix in with all this maple we got. And in my opinion, there ain’t a much better place to be than out in the woods working for the afternoon. Most of the time I’m by myself and a person sure can think when you’re out there! The chainsaw isn’t running all the time, in fact it’s running less than half of the time, the other time is spent stacking brush and loading the blocks of wood. In this area wood burning is very common. Many folks burn it for supplement heat and many for one hundred percent of their heat like us.

Back to the woods now, I’ll admit I’m not exactly what you’d call a good singer, although the cattle, chickens, hogs, dog and cats, one goose, one rabbit and a big horse really don’t seem to mind when I do. I haven’t got the nerve to beller in church yet cause one has to have mercy on such a good bunch of folks, but out in the woods or in the barns watch out. There’s some pretty high spirited gospel songs being hammered out. Good thing the closest neighbor is a quarter mile away. Darn good thing I don’t live in the city or there’d be some disturbances.

But church is where ever we are so when there’s work on the farm which is always, we can have praise and worship where ever we’re at. Yes sir, just let loose and have at it! And I tell you, work just goes good and time breezes by. A funny thing, a person doesn’t get so tired when working and praising. Not like if a person was just working. You know life is good when you can praise while cleaning out the sometimes neglected hog pen, believe me.

Tomorrow evening we head to church for Wednesday evening services which is our midweek high point! Just what we need! It’s hard to explain this life we lead here because I know it is different than what’s considered normal. Except for this computer which isn’t the greatest, everything else keeps getting simpler here. Just the way we like it!

A Cold Monday Evening

2007-01-15T19:07:00.000-06:00

This past weekend was really good even though it sure was a cold one, well not really cold by Minnesota standards, just colder than the above normal winter we’re having so far. But life is good in the wintertime here. Days are starting to get a bit longer, but the evenings are still long and dark. A good time to get caught up with studies and such. Pressing on with it all, I figure it’ll take me two years at this present pace to finish the Bible College courses. Don’t know where I’ll be going from there, but ain’t really worried about it either. What comes up, comes up. Don’t pay to dwell on it because two years ago I never figured we’d be where we are today, never in my wildest dreams.

Being in a small Spirit filled Full Gospel church out in the countryside was never in my plans two years ago, in fact I’d never heard of such a thing, kinda a sheltered life you know. Never looked around at churches ever. Sometimes I seen some stuff on TV where them churches really got going and I will say I was drawn to it strong, but never thought much about it after it was all over with. I always figured them churches were few and far between, and far away at that. Not in our part of the country, that’s for sure.

Even the first time coming into our little church I didn’t know what it was all about at all. It was a little different than what I was used to though and I sure did decide to come back a couple more times to see how it was. Well, I done got hooked with it all! And when I seen my first healing, well that was awesome! We weren’t taught that all the years of church before coming there.

Could I ever go back to where we used to be? The answer is definitely no! I love Praise and Worship, I love the prayers of the saints, and I also love how the services will go where ever the Spirit leads! Structure sure does fall by the wayside when the saints get going in the Spirit!

But through it all I believe the strangest thing is that even though I never really heard of anything like this church, I always knew that was the way I would worship our Lord. Hard to explain really, but it was always in me, the desire to be in a church like that.

Well, now I’d better get off this computer and git studying this evening. You know when this is all completed I can go to World Harvest Church and officially graduate with Pastor Rod Parsley personally running the service. That would be something for an old hillbilly to participate in! I had never figured on going when I first started all of this but doors are opening up to make it possible. Never been to Ohio, but you just never know now!

A Little Talk From The Farm

2007-01-14T18:46:00.000-06:00

A Sunday evening here on the farm and I’d better write a quick post to prove that I’m still around. I don’t know what happened this week but I never got around to blogging anything, anywhere. But that’s the way it goes sometimes out here. Not that I was really busy, so I must have just plain forgot that the week was passing by. But all in all, that’s pretty good when a person has the ability to forget such things with the days passing on.

A very good Sunday it has been, a bit nippy outside but not bad. Church was wonderful today, just seems to get better all the time. So many things coming up this year in our little church, I don’t know how we’ll get most of it in, but it will happen. I just thank God for our little church, yes I sure do! A little Spirit filled church out in a small, a really small town out deep in the rural areas.

But that little place can really get going. Services are supposed to last an hour and a half, but I can’t remember the time they ever did. And sometimes go allot longer than that. Today was what I consider pretty short, only running over about twenty minutes. In fact, even after hanging around another half an hour after services we got home much earlier than normal. Latter this afternoon we took care of our afternoon chores on the farm and, well now I’m on the old computer writing with a cup of tea next to me. It’s always been a tradition to have a cup of green tea here when I would write. Also it’s my timer, when the cup is done the post is done. But I’ll admit many times the tea being pretty cold by the time the post got done!

Over at the Northern Farmer blog the transition is still taking place. I have a good feeling about having a few authors over there. My writing will change a bit there as far as I can tell now, more back to how I used to write, but with the door open to charge in whenever I feel the need to get a point across about my faith. So the way it’s working out I should be posting more here than over there now that there are more authors.

So much for all of that, back to the present. Tommy Bates music playing in this old farm office getting me all charged up. Almost has me jumping up and down, in fact a while ago we were dancing away to it down here. I figure that’s pretty good when a person can dance to some darn good Gospel Music with the girls, in fact it’s great the girls love it! Beats the stuff out in the world! And another thing, when a person is down in the valleys of life which happens to each and every one of us, we just throw in a CD and turn it up and that music will lift a person right up out of that dark valley!

What I like about this music is that it’s so much from the regular farming folks out in the coutryside, plus coal miners and all sorts of other folks that followed Jesus! Older music but I’ve personally never heard any I’ve liked better. Makes me wonder sometimes how backwards we live compared to the world. How people can be happy out here in the country, living much different than the average folks. Now when you’d see us you’d never be able to see much difference in us than most folks, but when you’d talk to us I think it’d soon be apparent that something’s different. What would be in normal conversations in the world don’t get talked to much with us. Not much interest in it all. In fact most things of normal society are repulsing to me, so I simply stay away from it all. And it’s not hard to stay away from it all. Don’t even have any TV except for DVDs and a few Christian stations. Got us a Christian package and although I was skeptical at first I’m more than satisfied now that I’ve had time to look it all over for a few months. Haven’t yet found one thing that would give me a danger signal and I’m pretty picky.

But Heaven will be worth the journey when we get there! Oh, oh, now I’m starting to write the lyrics I’m listening to! Yup, we’re gonna see Him in His Glory when we get there! Such a thing to look forward to! Pulls a person right out of any valley they’ve fallen into.

Mid Winter Reflecting

2007-01-08T18:40:00.000-06:00

Now that Christmas and New Years are finally over things are settling down to routine here. Work is caught up, there’s a few months of no big activity other than normal chores and working. Church will be busy, in fact real busy as the months progress this year. Many things to prepare for that will affect all of our futures here on the farm. Plus studying almost every evening while it’s still possible to study. I don’t know how it’ll go once work begins but it doesn’t really matter because a person can always find a few moments here and there. It helps not watching TV except for teaching DVDs, cause I know TV takes up to much time for the average family nowadays. In reality I’m down to zero on the TV except for teaching DVDs and some revival DVDs.

On the farm it truly is special in many ways and I do realize it too. There’s hours at a time a person can pray, praise and just communicate with God uninterrupted. Even in spring during field work when a person spend many hours in a tractor one can sing praises and pray almost the whole time. But a special time is in the evenings in spring when the cowherd is calving and I go out and do a check before bed. Sometimes I’ll lock a cow up in a pen in the barn if I feel there’ll be any trouble. She’ll be in a pen full of clean straw and I’ll just be sitting to the side on a pail or something. No noise except for the cattle breathing, or a belly growl from their big old bellies. Quiet out, a good time to reflect on it all, a time of birth out in the barn. I can really relate to some of the characters in the Old Testament, being out with the herd or flock. We used to have sheep also and I figure someday we’ll have them again. When I read about shepherds in the Bible I can just imagine what their day was like. Taking care of the flock out in the pastures, protecting them from predators, and there’s plenty of predators that like a sheep meal and even some that kill just for fun. I can imagine David protecting the flock with his life. I know the sounds, the smells and the sites of sheep. How they panic and how they can get in trouble for the craziest reasons.

I can imagine Moses taking care of the flocks, a happy man doing that. Living a life he enjoyed and loved. I can imagine Elisha doing some big time farming driving a string of oxen. Must have been a big family farm because oxen were a sign of wealth. Takes some ground to support a string of them. And all these simple country folks were called by God to do the biggest things. That’s gotta be one big reason I love the Bible stories so much. How God would take the simple country folks and have them do the impossible.

Near The End Of The Year

2006-12-27T20:34:00.000-06:00

Allot going on around here as of late. Farming is going full steam with the warmer than average weather. Pens to clean that would normally be frozen down, wood to make, dozens of other things in the works. But they say there’s snow on the way the next couple of days, but that’s ok.

No church tonight, we have this Wednesday evening off. We kinda miss it, but had a visit from PJ a little bit ago so we figure we’re covered for this week! We always love it when he or his family stop in here. And now that they live in the same general area it’ll be much easier to visit them folks more often!

The year is coming to a close and what a year it’s been to say the least! So much has changed over a year’s time it’s truly amazing! I remember this past year in the beginning of January when I first stepped foot into Children’s Church, darn near filled my britches, and not only the first evening but for the first few months. It’s amazing how a batch of kids can make a grown up man so nervous. But as the weeks went by it got easier and better right along.

I remember asking PJ if he had any books I could read last Lent cause I was going to be fasting from the computer for forty or more days. Well, he delivered, in fact he delivered two shopping bags of books on faith, healing, prayer and lots of other good subject. And they got read, although it took a bit longer than Lent to get thru them. Now, at the same time PJ was learning the finer points of country wisdom from us out here. So thru it all, I’m now studying Bible College stuff and PJ and family have moved to the country. See how we affected each other??!! He’ll be raising some chickens and I’ll be doing more church stuff, not a bad swap of wisdom there!

So we Praise the Lord through it all, good times and bad! There’ve been many good times this past year which I’m so thankful for. But one rule is for every victory the forces of hell will hit back hard. At first it was devastating, not knowing how that all worked, but once a person has the knowledge of the warfare rules, it’s managed much better. Now I understand that them down times don’t have to be. Just Praise God through it all! Allot less pity parties now, oh they still happen, but they’re getting further and further apart. Or should I say, they bounce off more often than not nowadays.

The next few days we’ll try and wrap up whatever needs wrapping up around here for the year and go into the next with victory in sight! This next year is shaping up to be an adventure like none before. One thing is stuck in my mind from talking with PJ a bit ago. We were talking about how when a person isn’t Christian or saved, how we think them Jesus people must lead such boring lives. You know, what could they possibly have fun with, where’s the excitement. Well I’m here to tell you that life is at a roar with excitement, it’s never boring! Always something to do! Now I wonder, in fact it’s almost a nightmare, thinking about how terrible and boring life would be living for the world again. No way do we want that! Boredom, self centeredness, downright misery. No, I’ll take being a lunatic in the eyes of the world, or be looked at as one of them goofy Holy Rollers. And I know how that is, I used to call some folks that myself, but now see that them folks had it all together, while I was walking around blinder than a bat.

Christmas Evening

2006-12-25T20:43:00.000-06:00

I figured I’d take a little break from studying this evening for a few minutes, maybe I’ll go back to it in a bit. Then get down and read the Bible till I get so tired that I sleep like a log. Christmas is winding down here, no more family get togethers or anything like that. It was great, but nice that it’s over with and life can go back to a bit more normal. That statement might get me some strange looks from some folks, but on a farm there’s no such thing as just stopping for a day or two. A person has to get all the work done, no matter what. So from now till the weekend the days will actually be a bit easier, even when working all day. Life is strange on a farm! A bit upside down than the regular world is. But a good life never the less!

This past weekend was a very different one at church, with a minister visiting who operates in the office of Prophet. I was very anxious to be there, never having an experience like that before in my life. Wondering a bit too, is this for real??!!?? A person is a little cautious with all the false prophets running around everywhere. But after the service I can honestly say that I’m more than a believer now. And life is quite different after that evening’s service. Allot to chew on, believe me, but very good.

It’s strange to see things like this that are right out of the Bible. The Bible says to covet the Gift of Prophecy above all other gifts, so I figure that must mean that it’s important to the church, and to our family. I think I’ll be mentioning this in the future, more and more. This week I should be here blogging all week, taking the week off from the other blog and want to try and do a blog every evening if possible here. No church this coming Wednesday evening, so the week is clear. We’ll sure miss the mid week service, but will survive.

Now anyone that knows what I like about the most in life, know that church folks getting together and having a good old fashioned time is about at the top of my list. I mean it’s really up there on my favorite things in life. I think I’d miss allot of things in order to just be with those folks. And it sounds like that’s what we’ll be up to this weekend, another get together out in a farm house with the folks from church. Good foods to snack on and a bunch of folks talking about Jesus! Yup, that’s a big thing on my list of priorities in life. One thing I have noticed over and over again is that the farm runs much smoother when a person does take the time to be with church folks. Now in the natural world this don’t make a whole lot of sense, but being the spiritual world is the real world, well, now it does make allot more sense.

Things go better on the farm, a person is content, heck even the animals seem to do better! All because things are going the right way in the spiritual realm. Work all day praising Jesus and the day flies by, things go smoother than the normally would. Almost have a running conversation with God, sometimes an all out conversation. Things being revealed to a person. And every day there’s more and more. Sometimes it’s a bit embarrassing because I wonder how come I never seen it that way before. A person learns something and wonders, “was I blind or what?” I guess a person is very blind and things are being revealed daily helping a person to see more and more of God’s plan for us here.

The greatest thing is it’ll never end! This learning, this awe and wonder. It’s more and more exciting every day. And a person gets pretty addicted to it, a good thing. Now instead of just another day, every day holds the promise of new and more exciting things in Jesus. It’s almost too much to comprehend in my mind. Well to put it bluntly, the human mind can’t comprehend it, but I sure can enjoy it. I know my spirit sure does. In fact I’d better quit now here and get back to feeding my spirit, he’s a hungry bugger. Always urging for more and more. Keep up like this and he’s likely to put on allot of meat.

Seek, Pursue, Recover

2006-12-19T19:40:00.000-06:00

Pondering tonight, just pondering here. Thinking about all the thief stole in our lives here through the years. Years of unhappiness, always worrying, never knowing where we were heading. Time stolen, life stolen, joy stolen. Enough to make a person get his or her gander up! So much taken, sometimes in big hunks, but always biting away, chiseling away at our lives.

Finally crying out to God for help, at the end of the rope, submitting finally to Him, He stepped in. He was always just waiting to, but He ain’t comin in unless asked too. That slowed down the thief, but now the thief was getting a bit angry, figuring these folks were always easy pickins for him and he ain’t giving up just like that. Now he’s gonna get us and really make life miserable! And he sure did try and try, telling us we weren’t saved, we didn’t have no Holy Spirit in us. Telling us to quit acting like we were something special because God don’t love you, you old sinner you. That old ex-choir boy sure can come up with allot of lies to make a person feel a bit miserable.

Saved but in the foxhole, firing overhead. Allot of noise all around us, but no direct hits. That old thief took allot from us and now the barrage was heavy in his anger. But in that foxhole, comforting us was God, shielding us from direct hits. But time goes on and God finally says, “Time for your offensive!” Time to seek, pursue, and recover what was stolen from you all!

Oh, oh. Now I don’t know about anybody else but I figure it’s a heck of allot safer down in the foxhole, away from any direct hits. But how long can a person remain in the foxhole? Not forever! Besides recovering what was stolen requires pursuit. And God got better things to do than comfort a shaky soldier down in the foxhole after a while. Time to get out and do what a good soldier is supposed to do.

God says, “Charge that bunker boy!” But, but, but…. “Get out there boy, now!” Uh, just give me a bit, I’ll go in a bit…..””NOW!” “Don’t you worry there son, I GOT YOU COVERED!!”

And out of that foxhole we came with a covering from God, we got hit a few times but all wounds were minor. The prize in site, the thief that has to pay back sevenfold what was stolen from us as he’s pinned down from that Heavenly cover. Glory to God! Finally out of the foxhole and into the battle. No more defensive, now it’s offense time, time to seek, pursue and recover everything that was stolen.

Saturday Evening Thoughts

2006-12-16T21:00:00.000-06:00

Saturday evening in December on the farm. Days are just about as short as they get, night are long. The weather’s been mild, very mild, in fact winter hasn’t come here yet. No snow on the ground so we might have a brown Christmas. But that’s OK with me, I know it’s selfish, but when we get allot of snow, that translates to allot of extra work. So everyday that we don’t have it does make life much easier.

This winter is really special with the Bible College Courses. I don’t have to find time to study them, watch the DVDs and listen to the CDs. Because I can’t get enough of them, every single thing is so interesting. Besides all the direct teaching, many of the CDs and DVDs are also some really good preaching. This evening I just spent an hour watching Pastor Rod Parsley preaching at his church, World Harvest Church, Columbus Ohio. He was preaching exactly on the subject in the course, “Spiritual Warfare”. I’m all worked up from watching that!

I love good preaching, preaching that gets the Word across! Don’t need some sermon that has a round about story and hardly mentions the Word, or the Blood. No, I love sermons that get to the meat and potatoes of the matter. And them kind of sermons are what gets people to change, what moves folks!

A while back I was told that if I wasn’t careful I’d end up being an evangelist. Really! Listening every day to Rod Parsley or Tommy Bates preaching with their powerful evangelist anointing, it does rub off on a person. I will tell the truth here, I think it is rubbing off. The desire to spread the gospel is starting to take over everything, everyday. Stepping out and talking to folks is starting to happen, and of course just writing every few days on the internet, always about God, sometimes allot and sometimes just a mention, but always there.

Unlike the Northern Farmer blog, this blog is where I kinda talk to myself, of course there’s a few folks that read it. But this is where set down and relax, and truly write what’s important to me. Northern Farmer blog is where it’s more direct, hitting what needs hitting no matter what the cost. Many times it takes allot out of me, to many times. But some things need doing, so I’ll do it. Many times I wanted to quit over there, but all in all I’m glad I didn’t. There’s good folks that read it and help me out too. There’s important things to write and many folks read it. I’ve never mentioned this blog there, I do have a direct link to it, but very few have ever come this way from it. But that’s OK.

But getting back to the Bible College Courses, I do think I’ll start working them in here, really, I have already on the NF blog, and it should be interesting as time rolls on. This is going to be so interesting for me. One thing I’d like to mention before I go feeding myself on the Word before bed, last Sunday I received the most special gift at church. PJ and our head pastor presented me with a huge book. It’s title; Northern Farmer/Healing Waters. It has all the posts I ever wrote on both blogs, with page size photos of our family, farm and life. PJ did an incredible job putting this huge work together. I wish I could show folks this incredible work he put together. There was more than one tear rolling out of my eyes Sunday afternoon when we got home. Never, never did I expect anything like this. This will be kept as an instant family heirloom, to be handed down through the generations. I can’t thank them enough for such a gift! Plus I never knew I wrote that much until it was shown to me on paper, real paper, not cyberspace. From the life I used to lead, to the life we have now, chronicled to be read because of true friends’ love for our family. I just gotta Praise God for such folks! I truly mean it. The same goes for folks whom I’ve never met in person, but have become so important to us here, the folks on the internet that lift a person up when one is down in the dumps, pull a person right out of the trash heap, caring people! Well, them dumps and trash heaps are getting further and further apart as our walk with the Lord grows and grows and I wait to see the day when I can help people out like so many have helped here. And it’s coming! Glory to God!

That Old Time Religion

2006-12-14T18:20:00.000-06:00

Last evening we were in church, I tell you, I love Wednesday evening services! I do wonder what life would be like if we’d of never started going to that little church in the hills. But the big thing is, we did go, Praise God! I don’t know where it’s all going, but judging from the change around here in the last year it looks to be quite a ride!

How can a person even call it a life, the way it was before, when a person looks back we can see it was leading to death and nothing else. Now life is exploding in every direction. I was thinking today all the family activities we’ve had this last year because of that little church. I’m not talking programs, seminars or anything like that. I’m talking life itself, friends, and such friends they are! This is as close to the song, That Old Time Religion as it gets. Listening or preaching the Word every week, really twice a week! The Bible has top billing in the home, haven’t been to the public library in 9 months! Speaking of the Bible, the Word of God just overwhelms a person. They call it the Living Word and I see what they mean by that now. Before it was so blah, I could look at it and it was just plain hard to read. Well, it might be that a person didn’t want to read it, but that’s what being born again does to a person, that appetite that cannot be quenched.

Next week we’re having an evangelist visiting our little church on Friday evening. We’ll be there, I gotta see this! See what I mean about that old time religion?? Little church out in a small town out in nowhere land, preaching the Word of God! Everything around here on the farm is zeroing in on that evening. Already figuring out the chores for that day, we’ll get em done!

So I’d better get back to studying tonight the Bible College courses. Been busy five evenings in a row, but it should be calming down now. But of course if it’s for church folks, there’s always time made for that.

A Strange Praise

2006-12-11T18:43:00.000-06:00

"I'm going to post this in a few days on the Northern Farmer blog, it's a little busy tonight so I'll post it here first."

I just gotta sneak a post in here this evening quick. A little update on our continuing adventures here if you want to call them that. Ok, let’s see, I’ll start Saturday. That day I hurried up, got morning chores out of the way enough so the cattle wouldn’t start a full scale rebellion and took off for the city to get Pastor Josh and family moved out of their apartment and out top their newly purchased homestead in my home county I might add! A bunch of us church folks showed up with pickups and we got them moved in one round, went darn good! Well, in early afternoon I had to skedaddle back to the farm and truly race getting the rest of chores done before sundown.

Going out to the south feedlot to pump water, daughter Rachel and I were surprised, not pleasantly, to find a hundred and thirty feet of five strand barbwire fence ripped out from the night before. A bit confusing, why so much?? I mean, about once a year we get our yearly drunk flying through the fence, but something didn’t add up here. So you can just about imagine, us trying to get our work done, not only for that day, but get ahead a bit for Sunday and then find this.

We turned the truck around and headed home, called the sheriff’s department and reported it and they said they’d send a deputy right out. Daylight was rapidly leaving around this time. In about forty five minutes the deputy arrived, a woman one. Boy, did this remind me of the movie Fargo! There we were out there in the field looking for evidence and trying to figure out what happened. The ground was froze like granite the night before so tracking was a bit difficult with the waning light. Finally I figured out some tracks in the neighbor’s plowed field and the crime came together. The person driving would knock one post down at a time, back up and go to the next post knocking it down. Then go to the next and the next. Wanton destruction!! Made a person a little sick knowing the amount of work and expense that it’ll take to repair it come spring.

But the title to this post is about praise, and a person might wonder how do you get praise out of this situation. Not exactly something a person looks forward to. I figure we should go into the spiritual to see what was going on behind the human realm. Now this vehicle and driver were having at it, destroying for no reason in the world. So there must have been a bunch of demons with him and all over that vehicle. Making all sorts of cackling racket in that realm. Now, there’s angels around too, and I figure there must be one watching over this farm being that we’re believers in Christ and farm His farm. Well, our farm angel probably called it in to Michael, you know, the warrior archangel up there in heaven. I don’t know what code they use, but the call, it gets there quick. Our angel reports that the ex-heavenly choirboy’s goons are making an attack on the farm, making all sorts of racket. Could he please dispatch one warrior angel? No problem and in a fraction of a millisecond one heavenly shock trooper arrives. Of course angels that work in Minnesota are usually name Sven or Olie. The heavenly shock trooper instantly looks the situation over, cracks a smile and does his work.

Now, back into the human realm, Saturday afternoon, dusk is settling in, back to that scene reminiscent of the movie Fargo out in the field. Lady deputy, daughter Rachel and myself at the scene of the crime, and daughter Rachel and myself see something in the tall grass in amongst the ripped out barb wire. Hmmm, wonder what that is? Take a close look, and here’s the reason for the praise. It was a piece of metal, rectangular that said Minnesota, Land of Ten Thousand Lakes. Glory Be! The front license plate was in the barb wire! Enough to bring a smile to this old farmer’s face. Showed it to the deputy, she did a “YES”! Yesterday the person who did the dastardly deed had a visit from our deputy and fessed up, not a whole lot of choice in the matter.

I figure that angel that made sure that barb wire hooked that license plate in exactly the right place had a good laugh out of that one, filling out his report back up there. God’s got us covered!

Never Give Up!

2006-12-01T19:19:00.000-06:00

Over on my Northern Farmer blog I did some hard preaching. Now, some folks might not like it. In this day and age telling the truth don't go very well with a lot of folks. But I ain't out to please folks. The subject boils down to lack of repentance in Christians nowdays. How dofferent it is than the Book of Acts, where folks were called to repent and follow Jesus. The post over there was also spurred on by the fact that up to 75% of proffesing born again Christians are probably not really born again. Something to think about. Did I drop my old life and start out in a new direction, or are things basically the same as before, just that I'm born again?

As time goes on there's going to be many subjects similar to this one that I'm going to work in over there. I work them in there because of the much, much bigger readership. And from past experience, lives are affected. My feelings sometimes about blogging are something else, most of the time I want to just give up. But then I'd lose a huge opportunity in spreading the Gospel. Sure I'd have a bit more time for what I have to do around here, but there's be just that much less of God's Word being written on the sewer called the internet.

I'd like to say to anyone else that blogs, those who write about the Word in one form or another, NEVER GIVE UP! Get on that computer and have at it like there's no tomorrow! It's incredibly important that we all do. Where I'm at out on the farm I have very little interaction with people for days at a time. Sometimes I'm just burning inside to shout out the Good News. This enables me to do it. Never give up. I know I've tried to give up several times and I always got called back, not by people, but by commitment to follow Jesus and spread the Gospel as He commanded us to. A person has a few minutes to spare, hammer out a blog praising God! Why not!!

2006-11-30T19:00:00.000-06:00

Busy week! Winter is still holding off, only in Minnesota can you say that when the temperature is near zero. We went to church last evening and came home, slept good, and today was a day of making wood again in the afternoon. Out in the woods, by myself, sunny out and no snow. Pretty nice working. Time to reflect about life a bit, time to pray while working, time to talk to God. No distractions at all.

God is good! There’s so much happening all around that shows He cares. This post is a little different because I don’t have hardly anything to write about. Just content. Oh, the world is throwing allot at us, but that’s to be expected. Just let it slide by. There’s bigger and better things than the world has for us! Start living eternally, that’s what’s going on out here in the forgotten countryside.

2006-11-25T20:46:00.000-06:00

Saturday night out on the farm, works done for a bit now. Had a good supper of some of the best ham I’ve ever tasted. Bought it at a local butcher shop and it had some fat in it just like ham years ago. Not the most eye appealing thing but I don’t know who raised it, but I don’t think it was a factory farm, cause they raise em lean and taste less. But let me tell you, this was the best ham I’ve ever eaten. Now this goes against the grain of regular thinking nowadays. Everybody figures it’s gotta be picture perfect lean. No way! Super lean and you’ve taken away the taste.

I’m still going through the songs we got the other day and I’m sure getting some favorites. That was the best investment in music I’ve made for a long time. When songs can preach to you, you know they’re good! Seems like nowadays that’s about all that’s of interest around here, but then again what else is there? Them old songs sure do fit the rural lifestyle. Written by the old saints from out in the heartland, from the mountains and farms. People figured they were a bunch of nutcases back then, still do here and there. I’ve come up against that a few times myself. They use the term Holy Roller as an insult, but that’s OK. Just something a person gets labeled when you believe the Bible, not just parts of it.

God’s timing is sure different then ours sometimes, but His timing is always right. My biggest obstacle is evangelism in the immediate family. Now it hurts when a person has family that you know ain’t saved. Oh, they gone to church all their lives but they have know idea of the concept of being saved. Religion will do that to folks. A stumbling block for me in evangelism is how can I go out and spread the Gospel to folks when I can’t even take care of my own. Now, I’m not talking about my household, but close relation. But tonight was the first sign of a breakthrough that I ever felt and I’m pretty jittery, let me tell you! Just sittin here praising God! Where I was wondering if there would ever be any hope, well, there is.

Sometimes I envy the families that were brought up all together, being saved, worshipping together. Knowing that when you died you’d be meeting them again for sure. There’s a burden on a person when besides taking care of those that you bring up, you have to go the other direction and spread the Gospel to those who brought you up. That can be discouraging because you are hitting the wall of religion. But Praise God, He can break down them walls built there by the evil one. Very few things make me more angry than seeing someone who’s gone to church their whole life, scared to death about death. They have pure fear, they have no idea what’s going to happen. Where’s the faith, there ain’t none! To them, God’s almost an enemy, someone who’s gonna get them one way or another.

Lord, give us the strength to keep witnessing your Good News to the oppressed! Someday I see our children and grandchildren setting about, praying and praising and worshipping, knowing full well we’ll all be meeting up again, forever. Without a worry that it’ll happen.

2006-11-24T18:53:00.000-06:00

Times on the old farm just keep marching along. And keeping with farming tradition we don’t hardly got a plug nickel to our name. It happens every once in a while. But then again it’s hard to eat a plug nickel, and money don’t hardly buy anything worth while anyhow nowadays. We were laughing today here, “gee we missed the day after Thanksgiving shopping again”!! But like the old song says, “have you got it like the Bible says?” Well, we got it. Rich in it! Wouldn’t trade it for anything the world has to offer! Wake up in the morning and just Praise Jesus for being with us every step of the way.

Eternity is with us now and when a person realizes that, the slight and large problems in life really shrink away. Blood bought children of God. We were eating supper tonight and were just so thankful for the bounty of good food on the table tonight. Meals made from scratch, from our own meats and vegetables. Can’t hardly buy stuff like that! So that plug nickel that’s left in the pocket can just stay in there for a while. We don’t have to impress nobody with any new fangled things that are overpriced, just to keep up with the Jones. We got clothes on our bodies, shoes on our feet, and food in the belly. Bills are paid, don’t owe nobody nothing.

Have we got it?? Yes we got it! Let the world keep on a going it’s way, we’ll go the old time way, from the Old Book. The Bible got every answer for us, every one. We got joy, just like an Old Holiness song, “Just clap your hands, just clap your hands, we’re not gonna worry, just clap your hands!” Praise Jesus!

2006-11-23T17:25:00.000-06:00

Another beautiful day out here in the countryside, Thanksgiving to boot, and many things to be thankful for this past year. In fact the list is long, very long. Today was a bit different though, we were getting all ready to go to relations and wouldn’t you know it, around ten this morning the stomach flu hit our family. Well, so much for being with extended relation around ten miles away. We just have to keep it in our own little family, and that ain’t all that bad. This flu is the old fashion twenty four hour bug, so a person can count down the hours and then it goes away and the empty ice cream pails can be put away for a bit again.

But this last year, oh Praise the Lord, what a year. It has had its ups and downs but the ups have really taken over as far as everyone is concerned. Well, the ups have been happening for a bit more than a year now, but I’ll classify them in this year’s thanks and praise. A bit over a year ago we were as a family struggling to get out of the modern feel good church, cause I can tell you, you don’t feel to good in it when you start to wonder a bit. We didn’t know what we were looking for, really we didn’t. And we ain’t church hoppers, looking for someplace we can be popular in, in fact, quite the opposite. It was a hard, hard decision to finally pull the pin.

And to top it all off I had some major problems with my life. I mean major! For thirty four years I was addicted to the beer bottle. It ain’t an easy thing to admit, but I was. Nothing in the world would stop me, no man made programs, no AA, no nothing. I would cry out to God many times over the years, I hated it with all I had. But, still it was the master. Miserable hangovers were the norm in life. A person tries to be a good family man, but no matter what, will lose. We found a little church, didn’t know a soul there, not ah one. Now let me tell you, it ain’t easy for a drunk for thirty four years to step foot in a little church out in the backroads, don’t know a soul and take in the Wednesday night worship service.

And here’s where a person has to give some well deserved thanks to the greeters that were there that evening. That little thought of ministry of works that most folks don’t give a second thought to. They made this sinner feel welcome along with the rest of our family. So, we made it through that first evening, but didn’t come to the Sunday service, that would interfere with my Sunday morning hangover. But we came back for a few Wednesday evening services and then did start coming to the Sunday services. In mid October during a Wednesday night service there was an alter call. I was so sick of my life, it all came to a head during that service. I’ll never, never forget that moment as long as I live, never.

When I came up there I was silent, but praying and repenting and asking God for help and deliverance from the hell I was living in, a hell that spreads to other people. The pastor had no idea what my life was like, but we went through the sinner’s prayer and all the while I was thinking, “God, I’m yours, take me back, please take me. Take this curse off of me, etc.” When it was over I didn’t say nothing to no one and sat back down.

Now the chain of events from that moment on are still staggering me, big! Life went on, but I never took a drink. But I never thought about it either, strange. We got to know the folks in church more and more and became friends with them. Hmmm, a strange folk out there in that little church in the hills. We got more and more involved in the works of the church and all the while a hunger was building to learn more and more about Jesus. I got to know Pastor Josh when I volunteered for the children’s ministries and became good friends. But one night, a Saturday night in January I woke up from a good sleep in the middle of the night and an inner voice said, “there, I protected you for three months, I took it away, now tell your pastor.” Well, the next service I came into that church with a mission and I was hoping there wouldn’t be anyone in the way because I was going to tell the pastor no matter what. And as God would have it, a rare moment, no one was talking to the pastor so I wouldn’t have to knock anyone over. I told our pastor the story and did my duty.

To this day I’ve never even had the slightest craving, not the slightest. The family is totally blessed, what a change. I can testify that being born again is becoming a totally changed person. Totally, and with an unquenchable hunger to follow Jesus. It never stops. I was wondering about that till a few days ago when I was studying being “Born Again To The Bone”, and that is one of the signs of being born again. That thirst, that never ending thirst to follow Jesus, to spread the Gospel. A totally changed life and changed lives are what we are celebrating this Thanksgiving out here in the lonely countryside. Everything changed by the awesome power of God. So stomach flu, we’ll just laugh at you! We ain’t gonna be miserable because we got Jesus!

2006-11-21T19:20:00.000-06:00

This evening is kinda fun here on the old farm! Today in the mail we received four different Tommy Bates music CDs and this house is hoppin! Oldies but goodies! After a day outside working cutting wood, doing chores and all that other stuff there’s still energy to shout and jig around here! Country folks, a strange breed. Don’t need some club or joint to have a great time, just give us some old church music and let er rip!

Ain’t that what home’s supposed to be like, our little bit of heaven right here on earth. Gets dark outside, lights are on in the old house with some old fashioned praise music going pretty darn loud. Now, when folks are driving by rushing to nowhere, they might figure it sure must be boring out here in the country, but I’m here to tell you it ain’t! Not one bit! Cause we claim this farm and family for Jesus!

I’d better keep going with Bible studies in a bit and is it interesting. Last evening I was watching a DVD from World Harvest Bible College about warfare in the Spirit. Whew, I’m pretty ignorant from what I can tell by studying lately. I never knew so many of these basics. But they’re getting between the ears and into the heart! It’ll sure be great in a year or two when I finish up the courses, by that I mean the amount of learning that’s taking place.

One of the most interesting points the last few days in studying about spiritual warfare is the mightiest weapon a believer possesses. The H-Bomb of spiritual warfare. Now, I always figured this was some pretty complicated stuff but the amazing part about the Word is the simplicity of it all. For the world is always looking for complicated stuff and the Word confounds them. But back to the H-Bomb that every believer carries around armed and dangerous, a devastating force to the forces of hell. It’s just getting out and telling some unsaved person about Jesus! It’ll blow back the forces of hell with a spiritual shock wave second to none! And every believer that witnesses the Good News gets full heavenly backup to boot.

So……. Time to blow off some H-Bombs in the spiritual realm, the real world.

2006-11-18T20:11:00.000-06:00

Well, I tell you, I was posting for here tonight and got so long winded that I posted it on my Northern Farmer blog, you know, the blog I said I was done writing on. Things change, but I wanted to put that one out where there was a broad readership because it's from the heart and I had to say it. It might place me in the nutcase catagory but when has that ever stopped me?

Simple things are what I like and simple things are what I write about. It's on my heart very much tonight to post about the simple times and lives of the saints gone by. And how we have slipped away from them. It'll never make me popular saying some of these things but what the hey!