New Bunnies, Processing Chickens, Pilgrim’s Progress, Mushrooms, and so much more. This has been quite a week!
Baptism
Acts 2:38 – And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Yesterday we had river baptisms with 71F and tonight we need to consider our pipes freezing. God is so good in his provision. One of the new members of the church saw his need to be baptized, and with multiple serious health issues and a major surgery coming up, he knew it was now or in the distant future (if ever). So the date was set… and God provided. Beautiful weather, though still cold water. It was amazing being there, to see this step of faith. There was a concern for whether he would survive being baptized, and I’m sure that thought crossed his mind. This made it all the more amazing to see the faith that God has given him and the excitement to publicly pronounce his faith through baptism. A challenge and encouragement to us all to live with bold obedience!
(Update: 2024/12/01 – He was in church today, doing well and excited to be in the Word!)
Baby Rabbits
When we moved in, the pastor gifted us an old rabbit hutch he built and three rabbits to breed. We failed, but learned from our mistakes and by asking lots of questions and traded for two new rabbits with a friend at church, who was just raising them for meat anyhow. This past Thursday, we had the excitement of welcoming new bunnies into our homestead. Mother and babies seem to be doing well. We aren’t sure how many there are yet (As they are enveloped in the nest mom made by pulling her own fur, but we have caught glimpses of them.) One of the things we’ve seen with the homestead is how God doesn’t just give, he multiplies. Plants multiply. Animals multiply. It makes it easy to see how in a world with no sin (oh, the thought!) there would be abundant food, beauty, and provision for all. We are looking forward to seeing and holding the bunnies, but for now we’re leaving them alone for mom to take care of them.
(Update: 2024/12/01 – They are starting to look like rabbits and we can actually see them now without hoping for a glance through momma’s fur bed when they move. So very cute!)
Chicken Processing
On the other side of life’s pendulum, on Tuesday we were reminded of the way that life is given so that others may live. This may seem a bit more formal than necessary, but as we process any animal, we like to take the opportunity to remember that Christ gave his life for us. This time we processed our meat chickens in time for Thanksgiving. This is our first time to prepare and process our own chickens and it went very smoothly. We had 13 meat birds (we did 2 a few days before to see if we needed anything before the big day), which was a good number for our first time. We’ll be faster in the future, now that we have a rhythm. Part of homesteading is learning, so we did it old school, plucking by hand, etc. The boys have processed coons and groundhogs (that were invading our chicken coop, and after asking some of our friends about it), and while birds are a bit different, they did great and did most of the work of getting them ready to head to Elyse for final prep to cook or freeze, and preparing the organs, etc. to make sure nothing is wasted. Like the baptism, God provided a great day. We needed to get them done before the temperatures dropped, and God gave us a great break in the cold to have a beautiful day to set up outside.
(Update: 2024/12/01 – It was wonderful having my mom and sisters join us for Thanksgiving and to serve up two of our own chickens, though they were so large that we only needed one.)
Mushrooms
People have been so generous helping us with animals, seeds, plants, advice, and so much more. We are grateful that our mushroom logs have continued to produce and provide us the opportunity to build connections and be on the giving end to those who like mushrooms. It has also been wonderful having large, fresh, healthy mushrooms in our meals, to have mushroom tea dates after the children are in bed, and a blessing for the boys to get to fill grocery bags with the bounty of God’s provision.
(Update: 2024/12/01 – They keep coming as we picked more today. Such a blessing for a family that loves mushrooms!)
Goat Petting
The goats are getting to where they let me pet them briefly without my needing to hold the leash. This has taken time and training, and it is fun to see. I also have a growing confidence that if I give them more freedom they will come to me when I call (especially if I have their “white bucket” with me :o). It makes me think of our gracious God and my stubborn heart. If I would just joyfully follow my God, even when I don’t know where we are going, he will abundantly take care of everything else for purpose and provision.
(Update: 2024/12/01 – They continue to be more comfortable with me and come to me and are starting to be more comfortable with others as well. The boys and even my mom and sister were able to take them for a walk on their leash recently.)
Pilgrim’s Progress
On the Saturday before Thanksgiving we were blessed to see “Pilgrim: the musical” live on stage. We didn’t know what to expect and were so blessed, though we needed to leave at intermission for bed times. Arise Collective Theatre puts this on as a free (professional quality, donation based) ministry and tours throughout the year. If it comes near you, I highly recommend it. (Though it does have some parts that may be mildly scary for younger children.)
Sunday School for All
Yesterday our church had a special during the main service, so the sanctuary was needed to set up. All of the adults and one of the other youth classes joined our Young Adult Sunday school. It was a big change, and Elyse and I were grateful to see God working in giving everyone a desire to dig into God’s word, participate in the activities and discussions, etc.
Thanksgiving
Tomorrow evening my mom and sisters arrive for Thanksgiving. We are excited to connect with them as they join us out on the homestead! Last year we had a new baby and our heat wasn’t working, so we didn’t do much for Thanksgiving. With our vision being for this to be a place for people to visit, it is always a joy to have people stay.
WWIII
With WWIII being a hot topic of discussion (it’s hard to even believe I’m writing that), let’s first look at Psalm 2, one of my favorite chapters in the Bible, and then look at a few applications that I have been reflecting on.
Psalm 2
- Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?
- The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.”
- The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.”
- I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father. Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”
- Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Here are two takeaways that I have been reflecting on recently and in discussions with Elyse.
1. God is in control of all things
- He knew who were his from before the creation of the world
- He had all of history planned from before the creation of the world
- The hearts of the kings are bent to his plans
- He laughs at the schemes of evil men (Though his “laughing” may not be as I picture.)
2. We can rest and even rejoice in Him and His plans
- A good Christian saying is “Don’t worry. God is in control.” While this is very true, I fear that it can miss the grandeur of this truth. God is in control. God is not just passively permitting. God is directing and all of the creation and history follows his plan. When man sinned in the garden, this was not out of God’s plan. The cross was not a “Plan B” to redeem God’s plans gone awry. When Pharaoh had God’s people in slavery, Moses and the Plagues were not a move to get things back on track. God had created Pharoah, and the situation, so that his (God’s) power may be known in the nations, and so that his people would learn to trust and follow him… though that took another long, 40 years, in the wilderness to grasp that lesson.
- “God is in control”, does not mean that people won’t suffer and die. It means that God is in control in the pain.
- “God is in control” and the “problem” of pain doesn’t mean that God is not good. From outside, we see the pain. For many who have been in the pain, it is often in the deep pains of life that God is most real, most comforting to those who trust him. It is the pain that is used to give us growth and even joy. A joy in Him, not on the passing pleasures of the world.
- We can not only “rest”, we can “rejoice” in God being in control. In the pains of life, in sudden accidents and death, in loss of job and income, in bombs falling and evil “winning”, we can rest and rejoice. We can rest knowing that God’s plans are good, always, and for the best for his people and for his glory. Not only can we rest, we can rejoice. As we look beyond the pain we can ask, “What is God doing?” What is God doing in that sudden death? What is God doing in the struggle and pain? We can rejoice, knowing that God is working it out for his perfect purposes. We can anxiously look forward to seeing the beauty that he will reveal.
3rd Culture Living 