“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself ” (Philippians 3:20-21). We can’t do everything exactly the same way as we were raised, neither can we simply follow the flow in the cultures where we are living. We are committed to finding a “3rd Culture” in Christ in our daily living! We are not ashamed to live as “foreigners and strangers on earth” and “desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. … ” (Hebrews 11:13-16).
“3rd Culture Living” is a lifestyle as a family, a progress to be prepared and equipped as citizens above; it is a way to apply what Apostle Paul teaches “Do not be conformed to this world,but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2).
In conclusion, the Golls’ definition of “3rd Culture Living” is:
We embrace our different cultures and other cultural exposures, to challenge us to renew our minds as we strive to not just follow our assumptions, but to apply Biblical principles in all aspects of our life in dealing with decisions, conflicts, and evaluating beliefs, to be passionate ambassadors for Christ through His daily transformation.
“An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” – Proverbs 18:15 (ESV)
Welcome back to the ALDI discussion. As we study the principles and patterns of success, it is rewarding to observe and apply them in our daily lives. (ALDI – Part 1)
Before I digress, I want to share four tips as outlined below with respective reflection questions to discuss as a family or meditate on your own:
Less is More
ALDI’s slogan is “ Quality Foods. Everyday Low Prices.” The “DI” in “ALDI” represents “Diskont” (“Discount” in German). Consuming quality food is not cheap. Homesteading has a cost to consider, especially at the beginning. If money is not a concern, you can definitely opt for Whole Foods Market or other high quality supermarkets in your area. You may find more selections of perfect-looking fruits and vegetables, but for double or triple the price. I only check their discount shelf even if I happen to visit these more expensive stores. Since I need to stretch a dollar with our budget right now, ALDI makes a better choice. We shop there mostly for produce, which may not be the biggest or prettiest but still with fairly good quality.
Not only is ALDI’s price competitive, but also the limited selections make shopping easier. I chose against ALDI for the fewer selections at the beginning as I mentioned above. As life gets busy, I appreciate the fewer choices to keep things more simple. ALDI is designed for you to go in and out fast, so we can waste less time pushing a cart around the isles. (When there are things on the Walmart list, my husband mentions how even a “quick trip” takes much longer than expected.)
Other than price and selection, ALDI’s simplicity permeates all areas and shelves. You don’t see fancy advertisements around or hear any type of music at the store. It’s kind of nice in this sound-saturated culture to have a quiet space to shop. ALDI’s lower prices probably has something to do with many simple steps they have utilized, including dropping the need to pay music royalties. You may also find package crates or boxes placed directly on the shelf, which makes the loading work faster.
Most food is still in boxes for efficiency (lower prices) over looks.
However, ALDI is probably not your best choice for your late-night grocery run. Their operation hours are usually shorter than stores like Walmart. If you really want to shop at ALDI, you can plan the trip within the operation hours. Again, less cost to staff the late night shift. You don’t see the overstaff issue at ALDI. It’s inspirational to see how fast the cashier can get the job done!
Reflection: A. In what area in my family’s life have I allowed too many choices to clutter my mind or space? (Food, curriculum, activities, clothing, trash, tools, toys?) B. Pray through those daily/weekly choices or commitments. What time commiments or boundaries would you like to modify? Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to set priorities or to shift things around for more effective work for His Kingdom purposes.
Root Rules
The “AL” in “ALDI” is the shortened form for the German family name “Albrecht”. ALDI started as a small family grocery store by a mother and expanded by her sons, the Albrecht brothers. The store also sells authentic German foods to honor their cultural heritage. I studied a little bit of German while in college. It’s always fun to discover some fun treats with German prints on the packages when German week comes.
Can you find the German glad on these items?
I guess the Albrecht mother had no idea what ALDI would be like today, serving people worldwide. Interestingly, another Albrechet in the family owned the brand Trader Joe’s, another budget-friendly grocery store chain with quality foods. What a legacy! When we faithfully follow God, we find our purpose in His great plans. We may not see the fruit of the seeds we planted and that’s okay. We just need to be faithful. Ultimately, God is the only one, the Master Gardener, who can make things truly grow with optimal health and performance for His glorious purposes.
Reflection: A. Mothers, especially homeschool moms, don’t grow weary about doing what is good. Trust God’s timing for the seeds He has chosen to grow. Just stay out of His way. Watch in wonder! He is good!
B. Homeschool + Homestead Moms, in the midst of your busy farm work, food harvest/prep/preservation, be aware and encouraged by the fact that your children are watching and learning much more than they can learn from other books, or even your words.
C. Is there a cultural or religious heritage your family would like to honor and celebrate? Be intentional to find a time or a way to make a special memory together as a family.
D. Pray for yourself, your husband and your children to follow God, seek His Kingdom and righteousness first. Explore ways that your family can work and have fun together to advance His Kingdom for God’s glory. (Check out the book Family Economyfor more ideas. You will be blessed!)
Delegation
A good and wise leader knows how to delegate and train the people under his care. Many strategies can be employed to get the delegation work done well. You can instruct, illustrate, yell, bribe, warn or threaten your people about the DOs and Don’ts. Or you can let reality speak for itself without a word! I know it is much easier said than done. I am in a constant process to let go and let the Spirit lead prayerfully. It is hard to trust and let go, especially at the beginning.
Letting go is not to give up, or to be irresponsible. It takes intentionality and creativity to prepare for the freedom and responsibility combo. Take shopping at ALDI for example, Love it or hate it, you will need to prepare a quarter if you want to use a shopping cart at the store. When you are done using it, you can get your quarter back if you push the cart back in line. It’s that simple! You don’t see shopping carts flying around randomly at the parking lot any more! I have to say that’s a brilliant idea! I am surprised that not more stores are using this method.
The customers not only learn to be responsible for their own shopping carts, but also have a chance to create community by giving a “free” cart to one another. It’s only a quarter but can go a long way to bless many and bring a smile.
All the cards in line (and not in the parking lot), with no employees needed.
Oh, another reminder before you shop at ALDI: bring your own grocery bags or coolers, unless you are planning on purchasing some paper bags. Again, the overuse of plastic bags has become no-issue at ALDI! Without the cost to provide countless free plastic bags, another reason for the price to stay low. Win-win! (ALDI often has the packaging boxes freely available to be reused by the customers.)
Forgot a bag… grab a box
Reflection:
What chores are not being done efficiently at your home? Pray for wisdom for a practical solution. Anyone to train so you can delegate?
If an assigned job is not done well frequently, is there a consequence? What is it? Is your system reliable for accountability? How are your children encouraged and motivated in a tangible way to finish a task? Is there any way they can work together rather than on their own?
Specials You can stand out usually in two ways: either by being abundant with something others are short of, or by lacking something others all have. ALDI has those “specials” standing out on both sides. Like I mentioned in the first section, ALDI has skipped paying royalties to play music in public, which could contribute to their lower price but also gives customers a quiet grocery experience. This simple step makes family shopping at ALDI a good option. If you want to teach your children how to shop wisely, a store like ALDI could be a good fit. You don’t need to worry about what the little ears may pick up at the store. Young children can absorb anything without much thinking or discernment.
Well, the most common “Special” for a grocery store is probably the price. It’s common sense to find a good deal, isn’t it? I modify my shopping list by what is on sale for the week. On top of weekly specials, ALDI ad gives a sneak peak for the following week’s everyday household items’ special. You can have time to prayerfully consider whether those things are already on your to-buy list. Yes, the suspense can be a commercial strategy to encourage more shopping. But you can still use it to your advantage since good deals do come through ALDI from time to time. Sometimes you can find brand new items there cheaper than the same used goods at a thrift store. Just be prepared to act.
If you are interested in authentic German treats, you probably don’t want to miss the German week, which only runs a couple times a year. The scarcity makes the event more special. I started this post quite a while ago, and as I am finishing up, several holiday seasons have passed. We have seen Thanksgiving and Christmas specials come through and Valentine’s specials are on now . You may find holiday specials with limited offers at ALDI with a good discount.
If you are more likely to be tempted to buy things you don’t need, simply skip the sales or specials, and stick with your list. Once in a while, it’s okay to have a treat though. That being said, we shop mostly for fresh produce. I rarely purchase those holiday specials but appreciate their efforts to put those specials together.The weekly produce sales are most applicable for us. I may swap my fruit, veggie or meat choices due to the sales of the week. We usually spend about $60-80 per week for a family of six at ALDI right now.
Shopping is a mental and spiritual practice in many ways. What to buy, how much to buy, when to buy what, where to buy what, etc.. As a homemaker striving to be faithful with the resources given, we have a lot to think through and balance. As a mother, we are called to guard our family with special care. This also means being careful about what we would allow to come into the house. Just because something is on sale will not always qualify to get our shopping list, depending on the needs and health/taste standards.
A store like ALDI can stand out by its unique services or managment. It takes vision and effort to consistently practice what they believe to gain acceptance and popularity. Imagine if a store simply aims at making a profit by selling items, there would not be a movement involved. Simply blending in with what others are doing can function in the short run but will not leave a legacy. Eventually, the more sustainable model of management with integrity will probably outcompete the average retailers.
Reflection:
What is special about your family together? How is your family different from others? What do you enjoy doing together? What activities are your family not involved in but many others are? How do you feel?
What are the special talents or gifts each of your family members possess? How are you different from each other? What are the ways you can be complementing each other to work together as a team?
Whew! Thank you for reading this far and joining me with my brain dump. Writing helps me process what I am allowed to see and observe. Cold winter days are wonderful times to pause and reflect.
Remember “Less is More”? Don’t get too ambitious like I am often tempted to do. Avoid the pitfalls of teaching or lecturing too much. Allow your children to discover and process on their own. You can pick and choose what is interesting to you to apply and discuss with your family.
Perhaps you can have a family discussion on “what can you learn from ALDI’s management?” after your shopping or over your dinner. Listen to what your family might come up with. You could give a few clues to look for or observe during your next shopping trip. If you shop at another store, you can compare your shopping experiences, what you like or dislike and why. I will be interested to hear about how your family discussions go if you would like to share!
What is the “little” you have now as a family? I pray the little insights I share by faith will be used in whatever ways God allows to encourage other moms and families. I am grateful for the process to count many more hidden blessings I didn’t see before. Trust your “little” will continue to multiply for His glory as you surrender to the Lord!
Happy shopping, assuming the shelves are restocked after the snow storm! He is with you wherever you go!! He will provide!!!
Further learning:
Need encouragement for home education? Listen to this more recent episode from Generations Radio
Golls grocery list at ALDI (* is for items we can grow, only buy seasonally. We removed eggs from the list last year! Even when we are out of eggs, we can either use preserved eggs or our neighbor farmers have us covered. We stopped buying milk for quite a while as well. Grateful for those changes. )
If you like what you are reading, feel free to forward to someone you think who might be encouraged.
If you want to support what we do, buy us a coffee… bunch of bananas :o).
His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ – Matthew 25:21
Were you hit by the recent snow storm? Did you get the groceries you need? How did you feel about the near empty shelves before the storm? Where do you usually go for groceries if farmers markets are not available or closed for the season?
Shopping is an essential part of modern day living as compared to mostly trading in the past. Before you write it off and leave this page, thinking you don’t have an ALDI in your area, or this post is mostly about shopping and groceries, I won’t blame you. People who shop smart probably also spend their time wisely. If you have your shopping routine already established, or even better, you have your own “grocery store” at home, why bother wasting time reading something that might distract or disrupt your routine? Especially, if you already have a lot going on, you are confident about what system works for you and your family.
Aldi… a place for educating your children about life?!? :o)
However, I also want to mention that as a homeschooling family, we are learning all the time as life unfolds. You learn along with your children even if you don’t homeschool. It’s just that homeschooling gives us more opportunities to optimize life experiences we share together. Like it or not, as a home educator, we tend to be more wired to make life lessons out of daily happenings. So if you are interested in practical ideas on home education in real life experience, you might want to stick around a little longer.
That being said, do you have an ALDI near you? Do you shop there? If you have had a bad experience with ALDI, don’t give up trying another time. Items on the shelf can change from week to week. Different times of the day may affect what is available. And your seasons of life can change, which will lead your lifestyle changes. When we first moved back to the States from China, I was researching all the grocery stores in our area, trying to find WHERE to find WHAT for a good price. ALDI was not on the list back then. I had shopped there a few times and found they didn’t always have what I wanted. Also, ALDI tends to have a limited selection of items compared to bigger stores, like Walmart. ALDI was also located a few minutes out of our normal routes.
Months, if not years later, I revisited ALDI. Change takes time, doesn’t it? :-) I reevaluated our shopping lists, budgets and priorities, and made ALDI our weekly grocery run choice. At this point in our life, I am grateful that my husband is happy to regularly pick up groceries with the younger ones or by himself when in town for errands. I just need to make a shopping list (Link at the end of this post) through Keep, which can update instantly even when my hubby is in the store. We still shop at ALDI about once a week. Sometimes, life happens, like being stuck with broken vehicles, and we would go for over two weeks without groceries. I know some people can go much much longer, but it was a little stretch for us. We were not anything close to starving but fresh fruits and ingredients were definitely coveted during those days.
Veggies… Yummy!
Even though being grounded for days in a strange place just after moving out of state was a test of faith, the Lord definitely has used those days to sharpen our vision and to confirm the call to the land. It was also during those forced home-bound days I was inspired to study more about weeds, identifying living things on our property. A decade ago, answering the call to homeschool was a step of faith as a Chinese Mom. Moving our family in our mid-forties to the country definitely was another big leap of faith for a city girl. The Lord is gracious and patient as we follow His call one step at a time.
It was such a relief to know our property, though zoned unrestricted, would be within a 20 minute drive to the closest ALDI. There is still a TON for us to learn about off-grid living, producing most of the food we consume, food preservation, holistic healing and so many more possibilities and opportunities involved with the land. Our lack of knowledge, skills or experience does not intimidate us but actually excites us. Thankfully, our goal is not simply to be self-sufficient, but to be God-sufficient and to follow God’s leading. His leading and provision can vary from you and me. But the same God will draw us closer to Himself in His unique ways.
For the past year, we harvested easy-to-grow plants from various organic growing methods (mulch/no till garden, container garden, Hügelkultur culture and Tower Garden /a hydroponic system). We also rotationally graze our farm animals to naturally improve this once-deserted land. It’s encouraging to see changes already happening as life comes back to the soil. Some people might assume that if you homestead, you probably would not need to buy groceries. Yes, that is very true for a few experienced homesteaders. For beginners like us, it’s rewarding when we can buy less and less as we produce more on our farm, even if just for a season. The grocery bill is a testimony that we are slowly transitioning from a pure consumer to a grower and hopefully, in the not-too-far future, a contributor to the local community.
How many different types of animals can you find in the picture?
The fun of the harvest!
Mushrooms, year after year!
Our chickens attacked our garden (pictured), but after changing fences (live and learn), it gave abundantly. God’s Economy!
Container gardening works wherever you may live!
For now, we are grateful for grocery stores like ALDI nearby, especially if we want those tropical fruits, other healthier treats or conveniences. As we gratefully make those grocery trips while building our homestead, I have observed a few leadership lessons from ALDI’s business management. As a keeper of my home, I think those management practices are worth noting. Since this post is getting long, I will start a second part for those management tips, which could be helpful in managing our homes as well.
“I have strayed like a lost sheep (亡羊 / wáng yáng). Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.” – Psalm 119: 176
Ready for some word study? In particular, interested to dig into some Chinese characters? If not, feel free to pass on reading this post. However, if you are like me, you might find understanding one simple word can open up your mind for deeper truths. I was meditating on the last verse of the longest Psalm, and wrote some reflections on our lost sheep. I feel the need to start a different post related to some thoughts inspired by Chinese characters.
Bracing for tonight’s -10F(?). The sheep seem to laugh at the cold as they enjoy the time together.
My favorite Bible to use is one of the first Bibles I had when I first became a believer in China as a college student. It was a Chinese & English bilingual Bible. I bought it from a local church. I was thrilled! It never occurred to me I could purchase a Bible so easily. If no one shared Christ with me, I would have no interest or access to the Bibles. I was a brand new believer in an atheist-mixed with Buddhist influence culture. My major for my bachelor degree was English education. A lot of my classmates were like me, with no knowledge about authentic Christianity.
Four different languages really makes for interesting discussion and insights into the text. (old picture)
When my classmates knew I could buy a bilingual Bible, many requested to have one as well. Likewise, none of them had a Bible before, not to mention a bilingual one! They had no idea where to get a Bible either. I had the privilege to buy quite a few Bibles for my classmates. (Unfortunately, I have heard such Bilingual Bibles are no longer as easily available as they used to be in China. ) As English majors in China, we were actually encouraged by secular professors to read the Bible to get cultural understanding. Well, it is true that the Bible has an unimaginable influence on the western history and culture, this book is not like any other books. This book can read our hearts as we pick it up sincerely to seek the truth.
Back then, I was simply happy and grateful to hold a Bible in my hand. I was excited to use both translations to help me catch different insights. The Chinese translation is an older version, while the English is in NIV, a more modern translation by comparison. Later in my life, I was able to have access to even more translations of the Bible, including looking up the original words in Hebrew and Greek. I am so very grateful for the many Bible study tools and resources available to help us dig deeper into what the Scripture truly says.
Take the last verse from Psalm 119 for example, it caught my eye that the Chinese translation says “亡羊” (perishing/dying sheep), while the English translation says “lost sheep”. I realized that “亡羊” in Chinese can be generalized as “lost sheep”. There is a Chinese idiom, “亡羊补牢”, which means, if you lose your sheep because of broken fences, just fix it up. This idiom is used to encourage people to make it up when something is wrong or broken. It is never too late to try again and do better. Just don’t give it up. In this case, “亡羊” indicates that the lost sheep is gone or considered dead. However, the idiom is to encourage us to focus on what we can do to prevent more losses.
I was curious about what other translations would say and found most English translations use “lost sheep”. Then I looked up the word in Hebrew and found אָבַד (abad), which is used 184 times in the Old Testament, meaning destroy, perish, ruin for lives, nations, opportunities, etc.. After reading some of those verses using אָבַד (abad), I had a much more clear picture of the desperate situation the psalmist was trying to describe. It was a deep repentance, a warning, and an inspiration for all who can relate to this verse.
Back to the Chinese character in the title of this post, “亡” (death/dying), which leads me to a few other Chinese words with “亡” (death/dying) as a part. One is “忙 (busy)”, with “亡” on the right if you can spot it. On the left is a common radical meaning feelings, emotions, or anything related to our hearts. How interesting that people today take pride in getting themselves busy. It’s not hard to find people around staring at their electronic devices or talking on the phone while walking. How many times have I allowed myself and my family to forget about putting God first, by being preoccupied with another busy event or project?
Well, this leads to the next Chinese word, “盲 (blind)”. The busyness without eternal persepective over time will bring spiritual blindness. We don’t see heavenly things if we are only busy with earthly matters. We lose our vision and purpose in life. Without vision, we perish. We need sight! We need God’s supernatural intervention to give us the sight we don’t own naturally. We need God to open our spiritual eyes to navigate life against the mainstream.
What can we do then? The psalmist cried out, “Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands”. That’s exactly how we can respond in our desperate situations! His precepts and commands are right and life-giving. What a joy! From His true word, we can see the truth, gain wisdom, and have a total reversal of our state. As a mother, we want our children to be physically safe, not forgetting to buckle their seat belts, or wear a helmet when biking. How much more should we pray for spiritual alertness to not forget to teach them about God and His word?
That being said, I will mention one last Chinese word, “忘 (forget)”. Did you see “亡(death/dying)“ on the top of the character? On the bottom is “心(heart)”. When we forget what is truly essential in our life, our hearts can be lifeless. Like the psalmist, we need God’s mercy each day to seek us, to illuminate His Word to our dull minds, to revive our hearts.
Indeed, without sovereign God’s intervention, we have all gone astray, like the perishing sheep or lost sheep. “All” means every single one of us. “אָבַד (abad)” is the helpless state of mankind without a Savior. He is the one who wills and acts. He is the One to give us desires to seek Him. He is the One who initiates love when we are lost. He is the One to provide the means and strength for us to continue to grow in Him. To God be the glory!
In this new year of 2026, I pray for the Lord to bless each one of us through His living and active word. He will graciously seek us, so we don’t get too busy (忙), or become spritually blind (盲). Instead, we will not forget (忘) his commands and take delight in following our good Shepherd! He has come for the lost and perishing! He has come to give life, abundant life in Christ! Do you know His voice? He is calling, right now!
Further reading:Read more about אָבַד (abad) here.
As mentioned in Elyse’s “Sheep” post, we recently introduced two sheep to our farm… at least until one of them escaped when getting it off of the truck… and then was found and safely returned after exactly one week of living in the woods with the coyotes. (No one can figure out exactly how that happened instead of some well fed coyotes. All I can say is God wanted that sheep to make it, so like Daniel in the lions’ den, their mouths were kept shut.) After they were together again we noticed that they both relaxed. We also heard that if they had not been able to be together, the sheep we had would likely have died soon since they are herd animals.
1. Not knowing the Shepherd’s voice – In John 10:27, Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” As we watched the sheep run out the gate of our homestead, down the road and over the hill, this verse came immediately to mind. I realized that this sheep didn’t know where home was and didn’t know my voice at all. If anything, my voice may have a negative effect on her as she had only heard it during the stressful time of moving. This is just one of several sheep related Biblical truths that became more real to me from this event.
2. Talking to our animals – When we add new animals (especially the mammals) to the homestead, we try to make sure of two things. One, is that they know where home is. Before we move them to different areas of the property, or give them more freedom, they need to have time in their home enclosure, usually about a week. We need to see that they will rest in the housing we give them, eat from the feeders we use, etc. That way, even if things go wrong, they will know where to come when the sun goes down.
The second thing we do is to make sure that they know at least one of our voices. I sometimes call Isaiah, “Isaiah Duck”, since he takes care of the ducks and geese. They know his voice and will come to him (being well trained that a certain call means “dinner is served”). For our goats and now new sheep and dog, that means my being out with them talking with them.
Normally, I have time in God’s Word before taking care of the animals, so that I can think about it while going through the routines. When we have new animals I sometimes change that up. I quickly get up and do the routine tasks (feed in the feeders, etc.), and then go sit on a tire or other seat in the new animal’s enclosure. I then have my morning Bible time reading out loud to the new animals. I’ll usually have a bowl of treats that I put a few feet away from me and move gradually closer, to encourage the animals to come close. It usually takes a week or two before they’ll come right up to me. (Note: This is for animals such as our goats and sheep that have rarely been near people. If the animals are used to people, they may come cuddle next to us on day one.) Letting the animals know my voice, and trust my voice (bringing food helps with that), allows them to have more freedom since I know they will allow me to approach and lead them.
3. Close the gate! – Just a few weeks before bringing our sheep home, I completed fencing around our entire property, a project that we’ve been working on in spurts all spring, summer and fall. It was all set! We can let the goats have more freedom (tethered to smaller tires that they can easily move, or let loose completely)! We aren’t needing to constantly chase the geese and ducks back from the neighbors’ yards. And the neighbor’s dog, that has developed a taste for our chickens, can no longer just stroll over for a quick snack. It has been such a blessing having the fence finished.
A local dog treating our flock like KFC :o(
So you may be wondering, if you have this new fence, how did the sheep escape? One answer I give is that God wanted us to meet new neighbors and learn new lessons. The way it worked for that to happen is that when I got out to open the gate to enter the property and drive to the sheep enclosure I was thinking about how to unload the sheep (still a mystery to us at that point), and forgot to stop and close the gate. I don’t know if the sheep remembered, or found the gate some other way, but after escaping our grasp during unloading, it fairly quickly made its way out of the open gate, up the road and out of sight. I don’t think I will again forget the importance of closing the gate, especially where there are new animals involved.
4. Gates – As mentioned, we enclosed our whole property with fencing. One side was already done from sometime in the past, and one of our neighbors (who basically live over here and have been a great blessing) took care of their side for us. That left two sides, which is still quite a bit on seven acres. I pounded a lot of T-posts over the past few months… have we mentioned before that Missouri has a lot of rocks?. Two benefits of doing it all by hand is getting a great workout while pounding, and great time with my sons while stretching and clipping fence! (Some of the fence is clipped, but a lot of it is still just put up with plastic pull ties. We’ll work on that more in the spring.) While most of the fencing took manual labor, it was repetitive, fairly relaxing and not too hard. The thing that was the hardest to figure out was the gates.
The only picture I had in mind was the nice smooth gates in the city or on well funded farms. There was no way we could afford all the gates that we needed. One thing we love to do is to visit other farms. One of the farms, Gooseberry Bridge Farm, gave me great ideas. Unlike all of the fancy fences, etc. that I saw elsewhere, their fences and gates were all done quickly and inexpensively! Perfect! Most of our gates are now made from cutting cheap, fairly flimsy cattle panels to length, and hooking them on with quick links. Since there aren’t really any hinges we basically pick up the whole gate to swing it out of the way. This works great on the smaller walk through gates. For the larger gates to drive through it’s solid when closed (and supported on both ends), but quite floppy when open. It works for us and is MUCH less expensive than nice, hinged gates.
Pictured: A sheep eating from our IBC feeder in front of the gate to their pen
For a while, we had the whole fence up, but were missing a few gates (near where we park). This rendered the whole fence almost useless. Our animals quickly found that opening and would come and go freely. (Note: Most of our animals prefer to be close to us… but those geese… oh, those geese… we have very gracious neighbors.)
In the past (still today??), shepherds would coral their sheep and then lay across the opening. The shepherd himself would be the gate at night! He would know if a sheep tried to leave, or if a predator tried to enter. In John 10:9-10, Jesus says, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” The gate is important. It is where things come and go. Jesus is the door. It is only through that door, that gate, that we can enter and have life! Having animals is really helping us understand and internalize so many of the farming illustrations in the Bible. It’s like every day is a new day to better know the voice of our Creator, Savior and God!
5. Moving the sheep – After the fact, I have learned that sheep have a large gap between their last teeth and the back of their mouth. I haven’t done it yet, but apparently the best way to guide them in this situation is to grab inside their mouth way in the back, and possibly with their tail as well, and they can be guided anywhere. That will be very useful information next time. :o)
6. Housing – My new favorite homestead discovery is IBC totes. This will probably be a separate post, or string of posts, in the future. One wonderful use of IBC totes is as easily mobile housing. Simply cutting a door in the side of the tote creates a house that blocks wind and rain. I wasn’t sure if the animals would move in, but they found them quickly and really enjoy them. These totes work well with or without the metal casing. I have most of ours without the casing, to make them easy to move, but have the casing available, with doors cut, for if wind becomes an issue. (Note: The hog housing is a very different design than for the goats, sheep, and calves.)
Pictured: IBC cage cattle feeder & IBC shelter
7. Feeding – Back to the IBC totes. The goats and sheep use one simple design, and the cattle use an even simpler design with just the cage. Animals, especially the goats, are known to waste much of the food they are given. (They drop it, then walk and do their business on it, then won’t eat it.) These feeders have them eating primarily in the tote, so dropped food isn’t wasted! Our waste of hay has dropped WAY down since building the IBC tote feeders. (Again, like housing, and other topics, additional posts will be coming with more details.)
Goats enjoying our IBC hay feeder
FAILED attempt at a feeder :o}
8. Get to know the neighbors – There is a lot of discussion about being “Self-Sufficient” and the American idea of “Rugged Individualism”. Neither of these concepts seem to be present in the Bible, without a fair degree of twisting of Scripture. Instead I see an emphasis on being “God-Sufficient” and “Community-Suffficient”. We have been studying Esther recently, and in Esther 4:16, there is a chance for “rugged individualism”, to stoically do what needs to be done. Instead, we see Esther asking, “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” And throughout Scripture we see the instruction and example of praying for one another. In the homesteading context, it is a blessing to build community with the neighbors. This is not only for when an animal goes missing, but for support and encouragement in so many ways. We are blessed to receive, and blessed to give. We live in a wonderful community and while we are glad to be able to support and encourage in a variety of ways, the best gift we can give is the Good News of Jesus Christ. While some of our community know Christ, many do not. Please pray for us, that the Holy Spirit would be working to draw many to God himself!
While we continue to learn more from the homestead, the animals, and specifically the sheep, these are a few of the things that we have been blessed to learn so far. We are excited for all of the ways that Christ will lead us to better know our Good Shepherd’s Voice, to enter through Christ, our Door to Salvation, to learn to joyfully follow him as he feeds us through His Word, His Spirit, and His People.
“I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.” – Psalm 119: 176
What is new on our homestead? We are getting started with our first two ewes! Some people say sheep tend to find creative ways to die and some say they are easier than goats. We have an extra pen available for a little while and feel ready to give sheep a try. Plus, in the Bible, God’s people are described like sheep, so I am curious how raising sheep might help us understand who we are, and grow us to be more like our chief Shepherd, Jesus.
The ewe that didn’t run. :o)
Noticeably more relaxed when together
Like any purchase, I like to wait for a good deal if possible, especially when we are not in a hurry. Well, the opportunity came shortly after we just rehomed a pair of American Guinea Hogs (AGH) and a livestock guardian dog (LGD). The past few weeks have been super busy with all the new adjustments and my boys’ drama practices.
Eat, Sleep, Eat, Dig, Eat… the joyful life of an AGH
“Shepherd” (“Shep”) our Livestock Guardian Dog (LGD)
Before we knew it, Christmas was almost here and the year 2025 is coming to an end!! Where did all the time go? Life on the farm is full of surprises and adventures. As the season changes, the rhythm may change a bit but you have no dull moments for sure. Our sheep adventure is no exception, which started the day we got them.
We don’t have an animal trailer, and we simply use large dog cages for transporting chickens, ducks, geese, goats. They all worked out just fine in the past. When we got Lamancha dairy goats, the cages were a bit tight. For the short distance, they still worked! But we still had no idea how the sheep would fit.
When we pulled into the driveway of the farm to buy the sheep, the owner was very friendly but he looked at the cages and claimed, “They will not fit!”
“Uh-oh! Now what can we do?” My husband and I exchanged glances and whispered to each other.
We went into the barn and decided to see the situation and decide. The farmer and his adult son and another neighbor were there ready to help us load the two sheep we were about to buy. They had hay bales set up for the steps to the truck bed and thick, solid cattle panels for the passage way. They have been raising sheep for a long time and are good at catching the sheep. We are grateful each time when we buy animals, we get to meet wonderful people. God is very gracious to allow us to meet new friends through this venue. Actually, we were just invited by the family where we bought our goats, to their Christmas gingerbread house making party.
Making Gingerbread Houses with friends we met through buying goats.
Anyways, back to loading the sheep, through cheerful teamwork, the two sheep were successfully loaded into our two dog cages. The owner smiled and said, “You are always learning when you are farming. Today I have learned that the sheep can fit into dog cages! “ We actually tried to pick the smaller ones, even though they all were about the same size. I think our Lesson #1 for sheep is: sheep are bigger than most goats!! Don’t picture baby lambs in your arms. Adult sheep are heavier and bigger. You get more meat from sheep. Probably, that’s why people raise sheep more for meat than goats.
The breed we got is Katahdin sheep. It is an easy-to-care hair sheep. Other hair sheep breeds we considered are Dorper sheep (bigger) and St. Croix sheep (more parasite resistant). Katahdin sheep are said to be more docile or social. We may cross breed in the future if we are comfortable with raising more sheep. For now, as beginners, we are happy with the two we have. We choose the hair breed because we do not want to deal with shearing wool, at least for this season of our life. Things may change in the future.
Anyways, back to the day we got the sheep, on the way home, we were like “how do we get them into our pen when we get home?” Do most homesteaders have a plan written out first, or more like us, improvise as we go? It’s always a balance between taking a risk and playing safe. The biggest comfort is to do what we know and trust God with the results. (From what we’ve heard, the “improvise as we go” method seems more common.)
Well, I will save the loading details for my husband’s side of the story. Long story short, we were able to unload the first sheep just fine but the second sheep escaped!!
We had a lost sheep! An ewe who, but new to the homestead, had no knowledge of the owner or home. Normally, it takes at least a few days for the new animals to know where their home is. For example, we don’t need to worry about our goats, cattle, chickens or other birds on the farm any more. They will come home at night or during feeding time.
However, for this lost sheep, there was little hope for her to come home on her own. When we first moved here, we had neighbors coming to our house, looking for their lost livestock. That was a little intro into farm life, the stressful part. We did lose our cow for a few hours early on. Thankfully, the cow was trained to respond to feed, and we got her home the same night!
Unlike the cow, our sheep were raised in the field and were never handled. They are skittish and will run away as soon as they see new people. It was the coldest night of the year (roughly -20F), my husband and the oldest son bravely looked for the sheep everywhere. It was getting close to Christmas. They literally were “Over the hills and everywhere”. Well, Lesson #2: being a shepherd is no easy task, though not complicated. God chose those humble shepherds to witness the birth of the King! I think “Go, tell it on the mountain” meant more to us as we sang it! Finally, we had to give up after a long, busy and tiring day. However, we did have a chance to meet more neighbors and have our own lost sheep story. We considered the sheep as a loss.
Over the next few days, we made lost sheep signs to post around the neighborhood. We looked for the lost sheep around and again. No trace. No sign. Nothing. We felt bad for the lonely sheep left in our pen and tried to buy another sheep from the same farmer. With their good price, the rest of the sheep were all sold out shortly after us. However, the sheep farmer gave us hope that a friend of theirs bought five sheep from them and the same thing happened to his friend… with all five of the sheep. After a few days, his friend found the sheep!
We were hoping for the best. But with each passing day, we had to surrender even more for God’s perfect care for the sheep. We have heard there are many coyotes around. The night when the ewe escaped, we heard all the dogs in the neighborhood barking fiercely. By the way, Lesson #3: sheep can run really fast! Right after it escaped, one neighbor saw the sheep dashing by and said, “I saw the sheep running by!” Others didn’t believe her until my husband came around asking about the lost sheep!
Growing up in the city, we never had a chance to witness the speed of sheep. Also,we never knew sheep could have such strong survival skills! After exactly one week, a neighbor spotted the sheep alive wandering in their woods!! They couldn’t believe the sheep could still be living as they clearly heard coyotes howling around at night.
The next challenge for us was to figure out how to catch her and bring her back! Well, by the time we got back home and were about to get her. We heard she was already caught by another neighbor! What a community effort! We are grateful for the sheep found right before Christmas. Everyone was rejoicing with us! We are happy for the other sheep to have company again, and noticed that both sheep greatly relaxed when they were together. We are extra thankful for God’s providential care for us through people around us, and for preserving this particular sheep’s life!
We learned later that the sheep farmers were praying for us and our situation. The Lord is near as we come near to Him. He does not always answer our prayers the way we want, but He knows what is the best for those who trust Him. The Lord is our good Shepherd! There was no hope for the lost sheep to come back home on her own. The shepherd has to go, to seek, to search and make plans to bring her home.
How interesting that the longest Psalm ends with a heart-felt confession! The psalmist loves, adores, treasures, understands, knows, obeys, God’s word. If you want to check out the psalmist’s credibility, just go to Psalm 119, and read the first 175 verses! You will agree that the psalmist’s spiritual maturity is both intimidating and inspiring. Yet, even such a spiritual giant, theological expert, charismatic leader, is just as fallen as you and I. He sees himself as a “lost sheep” (v. 176). The word “lost” in its original form means “perishing or dying”. Just like our lost sheep would die eventually without a doubt, if no one was looking out for her.
What a comfort to know our good Shepherd will not allow any of his sheep to be snatched out of his hand! Our Heavenly Father has given His chosen children eternal life, so no one will perish no matter how hard and dangerous the situation may look. The Father and the Son are one. Jesus is our good Shepherd, who lays down his life for His sheep.
The Father has put his children under Jesus’ perfect care.
The Christmas holiday is over. Christmas decorations may be taken down soon. Christmas items are on sale. But what Christmas points us to remains true all year round. Christ, the Savior, is born! We can still sing aloud, “Go, Tell it on the Moutain”! He came to die for our sins and He rose again! One day He will come back and rule the world!
I was that lost sheep, the one who has gone astray, perishing, on my way to death and eternal punishment. Instead, because of my Savoir, who came to seek the lost, not only can I live this earthly life abundantly for His glory, but also eternal life in my Shepherd’s presence! What a glorious transformation!! I can’t help but go and tell, here and everywhere as the Lord leads.
May the Lord give us a shepherd’s heart to feed the “sheep” under our care and to seek the lost! Jesus came to fulfill the Father’s salvation plans, first to the Jews, then to Gentiles and to all nations. As a servant of God, may His commands continue to compel us to follow the Truth, tell the Truth, and to take delight in His Truth!
Further reflecting:
Gospel John from the Holy Bible, Chapter 10
If interested to learn more how to raise sheep and start a farm business, here is a helpful website: Shepherdess
If you want to meditate on the spiritual aspect about the Good Shepherd, read, the Shepherd Trilogy by Philip Keller
“Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a seed. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.” – John 12:24
Being a home educator, I am often delightfully surprised by the inspirations that come up through living a full life. The Lord’s mercy and tender love often show up when I least expect but am most needy. A little faith like a seed goes a long way. What a comfort to know He is the one to will, to act, and to bring His plans into completion for His glory! This is true for my salvation, sanctification, and also true for all my children’s future. He cares about our loved ones more than we can ever imagine!
A “failed” garden. Randomly organized. A bad fence allowing chicken attacks. Lack of water… and yet God created life to multiply! God makes things grow (and we get to enjoy)!
I love those moments when a simple but profound spiritual truth becomes more evident to me through God’s creation and seemingly random life occurrences. It takes wisdom to explain deep truths in a way that a little child can understand. This wisdom is not from the world and can not be produced on our own. The true wisdom from above is simply a gift to receive by faith through the power of the Holy Spirit. God may use His creation to strengthen my faith as I put my trust in the Lord. I am grateful for my all-wise Father in heaven to help a slow learner like me. However, God can shed light to different people in different ways. As much as I am passionate about sharing the Truth, I need to learn to submit to His timing and His ways to let those who have ears to hear. I also need eyes to see others’ needs and ears to listen for spiritual readiness.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all knowledge and wisdom. To be truly wise, we first need to know the Lord, our Creator and Savior. We need to have a connection with the Almighty to have life-giving sparks in our learning. As a gardener, it is a common practice to soak the seeds before the planting. The purpose is to activate the dormant seeds through the soaking process, so the seeds will “wake up”. You may even discover some cute sprouts. One of our early homesteading experiments was sprouting the seeds. My favorite seeds to sprout are mung beans, which are easy with a high, nearly 100%, sprouting rate! I am not sure about you, but it takes me a while to try new things when life seems already packed-full. Even though I had exposure to sprouting as a child, I never really had done sprouting by myself. Like many new things, they always seem more daunting at first. What if I waste my time and seeds? How will my failure affect my children? Will they be discouraged and not willing to try again because of my failures?
Mung Beans Sprouting
I tend to worry too much to get started. By God’s grace, He has allowed a few seeds to accidentally drop off the overnight soaking pot (Check out more details for soaking and cooking beans from Vitamix). Guess what? The next day, I noticed the sprouted seeds appearing happily in the sink! That was a miraculous spark for my learning! All of a sudden, I was inspired by life, as the seed did what it was designed to do. When the temperature, moisture, lighting, timing, and other conditions are just right (or even roughly in the ball park), life happens. It is so EASY but yet a complicated process which I am not qualified to fully explain. It definitely makes a good science lesson for homeschooling. Science helps to explain how things are connected in a logical manner. Have you ever wondered who designed the seeds? Science without God, the Creator, can not satisfy the hungry soul for deeper purpose and connection. On the other hand, the Holy Spirit keeps drawing us closer to our Creator Father even through those “random” moments.
The sprouted seeds immediately brought me to the realization that the seeds died!! Yes, those seeds are no longer seeds any more. The sprouts prove that a new life has begun! There is no way back. Even if the sprout dies, it dies as a plant rather than a seed. I am motivated and urged to tender the seedling for optimal growth. It’s a quiet but compelling calling from nature. If I allow the sprout to continue to grow, it will stretch out more stems, leaves, and roots. Then the seedling will be ready to be transplanted into good soil to continue the growth and reproduction. Eventually, that little plant, transformed from a tiny seed, will bear much fruit and eventually a LOT more seeds. Life, abundant life, goes on and on! As a gardener, I pray that I will never lose the wonder of the power and value of seeds! When we are tending the garden, we are privileged to have the front row seats to watch how life happens, continues and multiplies. However, even if you are not into gardening, you can easily find signs of transformation in the eco-system when you are close to nature.
Think of the vast number of seeds in this simple garden!
When the sprouting happens, it is easy to notice that the outer skin of the seeds/beans will come off easily. A question I like to ask my children, “Would it be easier to peel off the outer skin before or after the soaking?” The answer seems obvious to them.
As a homemaker without a dishwasher, the soaking method comes really handy if you have some hardened-on tough spots to clean out on the bottom of a pan or dishes. The soaking tip saves a lot of time and energy on scrubbing extra dirty dishes, doesn’t it?
However, how many times do we try to get rid of a bad habit in our own efforts without the “soaking” of the Holy Spirit? We imagine we can change and have a new life without dying first. We don’t have the vision of a renewed life after death. We are deceived by the concept of “death” without hope from the broken world.
The “soaking” also connects me to Christian baptism. By God’s grace and providential care, one of my children recently was baptized.
When asked by the Pastor, “Why do you want to get baptised?”
His answer, “Have a new life”!
Simple but to the point. When you get baptized, it symbolizes the old self being buried with the water. The old is gone and we are set free from the bondage of sin and death. So you are literally soaked. Being baptized is not the most glamorous moment, but is a great opportunity to proclaim a powerful message in public by faith. When you stand up from the water, it represents the new life in Jesus Christ, our Lord through His Resurrection. We are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, the Triune God! We belong to God’s family and kingdom, forever and ever. What a glorious milestone in our faith journey!
Celebrating New Life in Christ at Baptism
Baptism itself does not bring salvation. Baptism is an outward proclamation of our faith. We are baptised by the Holy Spirit when we confess our sins and invite Jesus to be our Lord and Savior. True baptism is a one-time event but an ongoing process through the work of the Holy Spirit. Baptism also connects us with the Body of Christ of all believers in Jesus Christ and more directly with a local Bible-teaching church. It saddens us when people rarely show up at church after being baptized. There is no magical power in the act of baptism itself. Baptism, as a ritual, does not guarantee us to go to heaven and receive eternal life. Only through knowing and bonding with Jesus, we are not only alive spiritually in our earthly life, but also one day we will appear with Jesus in glory.
Have you been soaked like a seed? Different seeds come with different sizes and need different lengths of time to “wake up”. God has designed each glorious seed and He has great plans for our children as well. He made the whole world with His children in His mind like a loving Father will do. Through His beautiful, orderly, and powerful creation, He is calling His people from the east to the west, and everywhere in between. When you seek Him, you will find His fingerprints everywhere no matter where you are or what you do.
Just look into the mirror, you will see the image of the Father. He made you, male or female. Nothing is hidden from God. He searches our hearts and minds and orchestrates our life events and who we will meet. As a mother, I need to continue to learn to surrender to Him, trusting His timing for calling and using my children for Kingdom work. In His proper time and perfect manner, our children will hopefully sprout and bear much fruit for His glory! This is not a wishful thinking kind of hope but a hope anchored on God’s word and promises. He will redeem our past, current and future mistakes. He died (and rose) for us because He knows we can’t save ourselves. We need a Savior! Death has no hold of those who put their trust in Savior Jesus!
Are you immersed by the Holy Spirit? Have you been washed by the precious blood of Jesus? As a child of God, baptism is only one step of faith, a huge step for sure. God has begun His work in His children way before they are born, even before the foundation of the world! Let that sink in a bit… Knowing God’s eternal plan of salvation, we, as parents, never need to fret, or to rush our children for an act of baptism.
By faith, we will continue to show love and mercy, share and live out the Gospel by His strength and pray fervently for our children even when we don’t see signs of conversion or when a child walks away from Godly thinking or living. When our faith is tested, God will graciously fill our hearts richly with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit if we faithfully cry out to the Father. The more we follow and trust God’s leading joyfully, the more we are being transformed by God through Jesus’ Word, the Bible. We learn to love our children and others like our Father loves us. We grow in our faith in God’s greater love and perfect care for our children. We are to be like Jesus for our Father’s glory as a family, and as a church! God will never forsake us and will be with us every step we go!
Trust God with the eternal hope in Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit! And pray, pray, pray…
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)
Further reading/listening:
One of our boys had an article published recently through Keys for Kids: New Life Mushrooms (Search for “New Life Mushrooms”, Daily Devotional for July 13, 2025).
It’s a fun read (and listen) but more importantly, I pray the spiritual truth shared is true for my children for years to come and for yours as well.
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” – 1 Corinthians 10:31
I like reading recipes, but usually don’t follow recipes very well. Using what I have is my natural default. Since my hubby has blessed our family with a Vitamix, I might as well take advantage of its strong motor. When you cook with Vitamix, your kitchen literally sounds like you are cooking up a storm! Take heart for some loud sounds. I might do some quick spinning dance with young children while the mixer is grinding. They seem to enjoy it instead of being afraid of it. Like many things in life, a lot has to do with how we make use of it and have fun in the process. This way of thinking is a lifelong lesson for me to practice.
I can count the years we have been blessed by Vitamix conveniently by my first child’s age. That being said, it’s been over 14 years at this point. I can’t believe my little baby is growing up so fast, and our Vitamix is still permanently sitting on our small kitchen counter. Throwing something quick together using Vitamix is becoming more automatic. It takes me a moment to think through the steps as I plan to teach my children to cook. Cooking with Vitamix is a simple way to get started even with young children. They can help select ingredients to put into the blender cup to make a smoothie. My 7 year-old helped make some banana popsicles this week. When we put bananas into the blending cup, he decided to use some mashed bananas for half of the popsicles and the other half for smoothies! What a clever thought! We did just that!
That’s the beauty of home cooking, you have a lot of room to explore, experiment and build relationships with your loved ones. Even as I prepare for this post, I have found many new and interesting recipes online using Vitamix. Think about what you like, what you want to make, and do some research, then get busy with your hands to make it happen. You will remember much better after you have put your thoughts and hands into something. Cooking shouldn’t be intimidating. It’s more scary to have a picky eater than trying something new. Change starts with our mindset. You can always try with a small amount and gradually increase as you feel comfortable.
You can try to use just a single or a couple of ingredients to have a more pure taste or mix things up for a richer and more complex taste. It’s so easy to make plant-based milk with Vitamix. Presoak the raw nuts (if you have a soaking routine established) and make the nut milk next morning. Don’t let perfectionism get in the way. If you don’t want to bother with the soaking process, just add nuts and water. If the nuts you have are roasted, there’s no need to soak anyhow. Whatever you make at home is probably still way better and cheaper than the store-bought ones. Play around with the sweetener and water/milk amount as you go. Find your sweet spot. I like to add bananas and dates as natural sweeteners, but you can use raw honey, molasses, pure maple syrup, or agave nectar with moderation for a treat. Trust me. Cooking is not rocket science. You can always try one cup or one meal at a time. Change or swap as you see fit. Again, enjoy the process. In the end, the worst thing that can happen is some leftovers, which can be creatively mixed into another meal.
Almond Milk
Almond milk is the easiest for me. 1/2 Cup of almonds and a handful of dates. Add a teaspoon of cinnamon powder if you would like. Fill up the cup with water or milk, and start the blender. After half a minute, here you go, your milk is ready! Just make sure the dates are pitted before you throw them in. Sometimes, even those pitted dates may still have a few with seeds in them. Vitamix can still grind the seeds up but your milk may be more grainy, especially at the bottom. Guess how I figured out that tip? Yep, trial and error, a most effective learning method. 🙂 I have also noticed that if I add some oats into the mix, the milk may be less foamy. This simple way of making milk can please my children if they want white milk instead of a green smoothie. But I put everything here into the smoothies as well. Now that we are milking, I don’t need to make “milk” as I used to. Another homestead blessing!
Smoothies
As for smoothies, I like to make them fresh to get the optimal nutrition. I sometimes mix the leftover smoothies to the sourdough pancakes batter or waffles mix. Common ingredients for the smoothies are: ½ C nuts (almonds most of the time for us), a few (maybe 7-10) dates, 2 Tbsp sesame seeds/flax seeds, 2 small bananas (and/or sweeter fruits like pineapple cores, mango peels or sweet potato peels), ⅓ C oatmeal (cooked leftover oatmeal and/or raw oats), raw or cooked carrots (or beets if you want another interesting pink color), a handful of fresh greens. We try to use organic ingredients as much as possible. I sometimes put a few cut-up SCOBY pieces (a byproduct from making Kombucha) into the mix to make a probiotic drink. Add some raw honey if it’s too sour. If we pick greens from our garden or hydroponic vertical garden, I will try to have one of the boys pick them right before I make the smoothies to have the maximum nutrition benefits. If you are making baby food, you can add a lot less water to reach the thickness for easier feeding. Scoop some out for the baby, and add water/milk to make more smoothies for the family. Nowadays, my toddler enjoys sipping her own smoothie with a straw! Yeah for self-feeding!
Colored Greens for a house decoration
Winter greens in our basement
Soy Milk (and other beans)
If you desire to make soy milk, it does take a few extra steps. However, once you get the hang of it, you will have no need to buy canned beans in general. First, you will need to buy organic soybeans. I used to get ours from the Asian market for a lower price and now we get ours from Azure Standard. Presoak your beans for roughly 8 hours. Dump the soaking water (to the garden if you would like to). Submerge your soaked beans with a new batch of water two to three inches above the beans. Cook your beans with the lid open while you are busy in the kitchen so you can keep an eye on the pot. It will have a lot of foam after it starts boiling. If it does spill over, no worries, it happens to me many times as I cook a variety of beans often. Kids will think it’s fun watching Mom hopping in the kitchen. :-) Simply move your pot to another burner and continue the process. This way the overflow liquid will not get burned on your stove, making it harder to clean. Skim the foam a few times and turn the heat down to low. Close the lid and allow the beans to simmer for an hour or two. Smash a bean with a fork against the wall of the pot. If you like it tender, just cook them longer. Once you know how to cook soybeans, it is the same with cooking other beans. You can experiment with different bean juice. Soy milk or bean juice (豆浆 Dou jiang) is a common beverage in China, providing easy-to-digest proteins for generations in history. Simply add the cooked beans along with the cooking water into the blender and grind it. Add more water to reach the consistency you enjoy. Unlike the traditional bean juice maker, you don’t need to filter the pulp with Vitamix! If you really want to reach a smooth texture, you can always run the milk through the cheese cloth. Use the pulp in your soup or add it to your bread or biscuit mix to give extra nutrition and fiber.
Hummus
Legumes are very versitle. You can add natural sweeteners to turn it into a dessert drink or add salt to make a savory sauce or dip. A friend from Lebanon brought homemade hummus when we hosted a potluck with our international friends. We love to try international foods. I was introduced to an interesting ingredient called Tahini. When I realized Tahini is just sesame paste, this ingredient does not sound so mysterious any more. Since Vitamix can grind up everything, you can swap tahini with sesame seeds. To make hummus, you will need 4 Cups cooked chickpeas (or canned chickpeas), 4 or more peeled garlic, ⅓ C olive oil, 2 Tbsp Tahini/sesame seeds, juice from 1-2 lemons, 2-3 tsp real/pink salt. Garnish with a dash of paprika after you pour the dip into individual small glass containers. You can adjust the amounts of spices or experiment with other spices or beans to create different bean dips. Add some hot pepper if you want a kick. Dips make the veggies, bread taste more interesting. They also make easy finger foods for a quick healthy snack.
One of the staples I make after moving to the U.S. is hummus. I never had hummus growing up. It’s never too late to try a new taste. Simple ingredients have their way to bring us flavorful experiences (read Trio). When we first moved to the country, a friend was willing to trade a gallon of fresh raw milk with a small mason jar of homemade hummus. I felt empowered and honored to be a part of a supportive homestead community. You never know how your new experience will open up new opportunities. Life is full of surprises.
I hope you are inspired and encouraged to try simple healthy ways of eating and food prep for God’s glory. Happy blending!
Further experimenting: I have found a site with many Vitamix recipes if you would like to explore more.
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” – 1 Corinthians 10:31
After I reflected on the non-essentialness of a dishwasher, I feel a need to bring some balance by counting my blessings of having some modern kitchen appliances. As always, we don’t actually need those conveniences, but with a thankful heart we can embrace some ease when our season needs it. Things can be done much faster with those plugged-in “servants”. Yes, people in the ancient times did just fine without any extra electric devices. However, they also had a lot of skills, time, and patience. Most importantly, they had a lot of help from the community or even slaves. Even not too long ago, probably my grandparents’ generation, many people in China stayed in one area almost their entire life. People only two generations ago were much more connected organically as their lives intertwined with each other. That being said, I see those kitchen gadgets or appliances as redemptive tools for modern people in great need of time and skill, if used with careful consideration.
If I get to pick one item coming to my mind first, it would be our Vitamix. This is not to say you need a Vitamix. It is simply a fact in my life. Your life could be totally different! If you have a mixer that works great for you, stick with your mixer. There is no need to buy another Vitamix. I am writing a record of our family journey and always hope what we share can bring encouragement or inspiration to someone out there, especially Moms. I have been blessed by so many wonderful resources or stories other people shared online and thought the Lord might use my words to serve another busy mom. Isn’t the double-edged social media platform another redemption tool the Lord could use to bring some community support for His Kingdom work?
Okay, back to the Vitamix discussions. Vitamix is on the more expensive side among the blenders. I would not make the hard choice to purchase such a pricey “extra”. Vitamix was only used commercially rather than for home use in China at least years ago before we moved to the States. One Vitamix can serve a neighborhood of thousands of city dwellers with smoothies on the go. With that cultural background, I was more intimidated to explore such a name brand mixer. Here came the firm leader’s decision: “We will buy a Vitamix!”
When a husband leads with love, submission is such a delight, or even a pride! After our first son was born, I was burning through an average blender which came with our first rental house. I was making baby food every day. Store-bought baby food did not fall into my Chinese common-sense shopping list. Not only was the packaged baby food expensive by comparison, but also I can’t bear giving a baby canned food. In the process of canning, the high heat destroys microorganisms, not to mention all the other sugars, salt, additives could be added to the mix. No, thank you!
As a new immigrant to the U.S, I was very cautious against the convenience culture all around. Guarding our food safety was kind of connected to my cultural roots. Traditionally, Chinese families pay extra attention to the diet of pregnant or nursing moms and babies. Canned foods are fine for adults, for special occasions or for emergencies, not for the norm, definitely not for the babies. Chinese cuisine emphasizes the freshness: fresh ingredients, fresh colors, freshly made and served. It’s common to see live fish kept at the restaurants so the customers can pick their own fish to cook! Some of those “fresh” concepts are not practical for a busy homeschool mom in the States. Many times, I have to compromise and let go of my culture’s ego in food prep. But when I had only one child, it was a delight to devote much of my time to preparing homemade baby foods for my precious child.
Different tools can make huge differences! Diligence combined with effective tools makes our workload much more manageable. My sweet husband did not want me to spend unnecessary time in food prep, knowing another blender can solve the problem. I hesitated at first but chose to abide by the “executive order” to give it a try, knowing that Vitamix has a good return policy. Well, I was immediately sold by the speed and pleased by the smooth pureed food. Forget about baby food, I was making hummus, dips, sauces, smoothies, plant-based milk, experimenting, exploring various ingredient combinations. If I have any tough parts from the vegetables or parts my children don’t usually like to eat, I put them into the Vitamix, ta-da, problem solved, nutritious and yummy food served.
Well, that was almost 14 years ago! Over the years, I have no idea how many times we used Vitamix. Sometimes, several times a day! I make a fresh smoothie almost every day to have the optimal benefits from the enzymes through juicing/blending. I save the pineapple cores, sweet potato peels, mango peels for smoothies to give extra fiber and sweeter flavor. Pureed tougher vegetable parts, like cauliflower or broccoli cores, roots, or even tough or fat bird skins are made into pasta sauce or soups. In the fall, I will save the squash peels and core membranes along with the seeds. The pureed squash turns the soup into a delightful yellow or orange color. Use what you have, Vitamix has helped to turn many unwanted or not-so favored parts into gourmet meals without breaking our pocket! Isn’t this secret most exciting for a frugal home cook?
One of many smoothie mixes
Now that we are milking our goats, and a Dexter cow, we don’t drink smoothies as much as we used to. With more milk around, it feels extravagant to replace water with milk in making smoothies or milkshakes. I am grateful for the abundance aspect about homesteading. Recently, I started making cheese and added the by-product of whey water into the smoothies! The ruminants are the ultimate God-sent “mixer” to turn fresh greens loaded with sun energy into delicious and nutritious milk! We are still using Vitamix on a VERY regular basis, if not every day. We did take advantage of the free repairs/replacement within the 7-year warranty. (The headquarters of the company was close to where we lived in Ohio, which made repairs somewhat easier.)
Our first cheese ball! We got to try it with Nainai (grandma) when she was visiting.
This high-performing machine can work like a beast with its powerful motor. There is something attractive about the tools for many men. Vitamix is a kitchen appliance men might like to experiment with, at least for all the wonderful men in my life! Our family enjoys blending frozen bananas with a plant-based protein mix to make an ice cream (feel free to contact us if you would like to learn more about the mix). You can add dates or nuts as toppings to your frozen banana ice cream. Add some ice cubes and drizzle some raw honey to make a sorbet. You can try different fruits to create different flavors or colors. The blender does make healthy summer treats much easier. You can also try to mix 1 part of dates and 2 parts of nuts for a sweet gluten-free pie crust. Press the paste tightly onto a pie dish and then pour the mashed bananas/fruit mix, or milk shake on top. Freeze the ice cream pie! Yum! We have a few special days to celebrate in the summer. Grateful for those sweet memories, even though they take a few extra steps.
With how often we used our Vitamix, we did end up paying for another mixing cup. The timing was almost comical. After we moved to the country fixer-upper farm house in Missouri, we had a long list of things to fix, big and small. Not only the house fixing needed a lot of attention and energy, but also little things here and there kept popping up at the most inconvenient moment. Life was busy. We were squeezed in all directions. Plus, we had a baby on the way (who is already 19 months now. Wow!). Washer, dryer, oven, light bulbs, fans, water pipe, vehicles, freezer… I remember those days I went to bed praying that the Lord would give me strength and joy to face the next unexpected breakdown, not allowing the enemy to steal my joy.
God answered my prayer right away!
The next day I started my routine work in the kitchen. I was just about to make a morning smoothie with ingredients already prepared the night before. I turned on the Vitamix but it didn’t move at all! I checked the plug and everything. Tried again. Nothing!! Instead of feeling frustrated, I literally started laughing really hard. It was almost as if I was reading a children’s book series by Richard Scarry. I didn’t expect my faithful and powerful “servant” to even decide to retire and join the fixing party. It was a memorable moment for me, teaching me not to take unexpected mishappenings too seriously. Even though over a year has passed, I can still pinpoint that comical moment. What the enemy meant for evil, God can use it for good!
After comparing prices, we decided to buy another blending cup, but we are still using the same engine base! The powerful Vitamix Motor can grind virtually everything food-related. You can actually make a smooth hot soup if you let it run longer. It seems a little overdone to me so I don’t usually use Vitamix to make soups. I may add the smooth sauce to my soup pot to create an interesting texture, flavor and the extra nutrition. Vitamix uses plastics for the cup because the glass can’t stand such strong vibration. Even though the plastic is food graded, I still feel more comfortable to avoid hot food in plastics as much as possible.
Some people think Vitamix is another kind of juicer but they are different. A juicer will usually squeeze out the juice and take out the pulp (full of fiber). Juice looks more clear than smoothies since juice is more liquid based. Children like fruit juice because they are sweet. We don’t serve juice at our house, but my children are allowed to enjoy 100% juice as a treat once in a while when we are at parties. Juice is too sugary, even the pure ones. On the other hand, the smoothies are much more balanced with whole food nutrition. Enjoy the whole foods: flesh, peel, seeds, nuts and everything (just be aware of a few exceptions, like some fruit seeds, like apples, are toxic after being opened up!) Your digestive system, as made by the Creator, will be better off in the long run with a more natural and balanced diet. You can even turn the leftover smoothies into popsicles, a regular summer treat for our family, like I mentioned above.
Popsicles! I believe our youngest son was making these with bananas and almond milk.
Thank you for reading to the end. If you are looking for ways to make changes for a more healthy option for you and your precious family, smoothies are a good and simple way to get started. Swap your juice or other sugary drinks with smoothies or milkshakes. Not only is it more budget-friendly, you might save yourself from future dental visits or doctor’s appointments as well. One simple change goes a long way over a long period of time!
Since this post is already getting so long, I will share some Vitamix recipes and tips in another post just for record-keeping or in case you are interested.
First, I would like to thank so many for your concern. We (and apparently my family) were being asked how we were when the tornados hit the area in April. We were fine. For the first tornados, in April, Springfield got hit hard. We didn’t know anything about it until the next day, but it was pretty bad. For a while after, when we were in Springfield, we would see downed trees, smashed roofs, fences, etc. Some were without electricity for several days. However, where we were, about 20 minutes north of Springfield, there was some wind, but nothing to cause alarm. About a month later, people were asking again, this time as the worst tornado on record hit St. Louis, about 3.5 hours northeast of us. That one hardly did anything here. From talking with those who have been around for a while, it seems that the tornados are often coming towards us and everytime they then go north or south. I’ve heard several people talk about the geology around here. Whether that has anything to do with it, I’m grateful that we are in an area that has shown to be safe, sort of like chicks in a mother hens wings, for a very long time. As Isaiah 25:4 reminds us, Christ has been our, “stronghold to the poor, stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat”.
Springfield had homes destroyed. We just had two playgrounds down and shingles like a player piano.
Chicks in the Wings
This may get its own, more reflective, post at some point, as it was such a fun, insightful moment. One of the mother hens had thirteen new chicks. As one of my sons and I were shutting down the coop, I found only four of chicks. This is obviously a problem. They usually stay close to mom so I looked around the area… nothing. Then I picked up momma hen again… five chicks… where’d that one come from? Reaching under her wings, I found a few more, but many were still missing. Finally I flipped her upside down (she’s a very patient hen), and there were chicks hanging on everywhere, way up in her wings, etc. I couldn’t even shake them out and kept finding more until they were all found right where they should be. My son was laughing as he’s done this before and knew their disappearing trick.
This made me think of Matthew 23:37, “How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” A hen “gathers her brood under her wings”. She doesn’t just bring them close. She isn’t just over them. She has them tucked everywhere. If anyone or anything is going to get to her chicks, it will only be through her. Jesus doesn’t just want to be close, or for us to be near him. He wants us to be tucked away and hidden in him. The storms may come, and we are safely tucked “under his wings”. Yet, unlike the chicks, we often want to go our own way out of his loving provision and protection.
Log cabin
As mentioned, neighbors have been stopping by to say hello. One of the neighbor’s family has lived in the area for around 150 years. They were able to give us some background on our house, including that the old section of the house was a log cabin, that has been covered with other materials since then, so the walls are very thick. It was the first house in the area when settlers came through. That was pretty cool to know, and also confirming that as also mentioned above, the tornados tend to miss this area.
Homeschool conference (lacking a homestead presentation)
The “Teach Them Diligently” homeschool conference was in Branson again this year, and again with our “work our way” approach, we had the blessing of serving as hall guides for some of the time instead of buying a ticket.
I’ll summarize my takeaway reminder by just saying that if our children are amazing in math, writing, science, and every other school subject, but don’t have a solid and growing grounding in God’s Word, the point of education was missed. As the Psalms remind us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Psalm 1:7) and “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!” (Psalm 111:10). With the “fear of the Lord” as the “beginning” of both knowledge and wisdom, any education that is not firmly grounded does not even begin to have wisdom and knowledge. This can obviously apply to the public schools, which have rejected the very beginning of knowledge and wisdom. It can also apply to Christian schools and our homeschool when we put the values of the world over the fear of the Lord.
The conference was inspiring and helpful, but we also noticed one thing glaringly missing… homesteading. While a good number of participants and speakers are homesteading, and there are presentations and booths about more ideas than I can count (well, at least that I can count without looking at the program list), there was no focus on homesteading. We’ve found that the two are often connected and the gateway to the other. Homesteading often leads to homeschooling, and homeschooling often leads to homesteading. Now, “homesteading” is a mindset rather than a location, and can be done anywhere, not just with acreage.
RV fixed
Our RV must have had some water in the flushing mechanism during the winter, and broke. We had this last winter as well and from talking with others, this is a very common problem. Rather than replace it again, I completely by-passed the mechanism. The new system uses basic plumbing (no complicated valves) and is easy to completely drain and leave open so that there is no chance of it breaking during the winter. I’m excited for the change as we’ve had several situations where we had guests come for a few days somewhat unexpectedly and the RV toilet wasn’t ready for them. This way, at least that issue should no longer be a problem.
Sycamore and BSF finish
Both our homeschool co-op (Sycamore) and BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) finished on the same week. While we continue to study, learn, and grow all year, and while we will miss these times, it is nice to have the change of pace. These both brought us into Springfield, so we’ve had more days of focusing on the homestead instead of being busy running into town.
First Cheese and Ice Cream
With having our own milk cow and milk goats Elyse has made our own cheese a few times and Isaiah is enjoying making some fresh (and delicious) frozen custard! So good!
Whew! April and May were full. I was just reading through everything above again and it is such a joy to see the ways that God is teaching us, challenging us, and making us to depend on him more and more!
It has been great having people come to visit, from friends and new friends here, to Rob’s mom. It’s great having this as a place to connect with others and to point to Christ.
Nainai’s Visit
We were excited to have my (Rob’s) mom visit us for a few days in May. It was nice to have her come see our life and things that have changed since her last visit, such as milking the cows and goats. She was also able to see the transformation of one area of the woods as we removed vines (the quick dramatic change and the impressive fire that follows are reasons I picked that job for while she was here). It was nice to have time to hang out, but probably the biggest thing is that this was her first time to fly here alone, so she is feeling more confident to come in the future.
Growing community
We’ve been blessed to have more neighbors stopping by. Two that we haven’t met yet stopped by to say hello and offer help if we need any equipment, etc. As it turns out, people are watching and are excited to join as the property is transformed (from being abandoned and overgrown for many years). One is actually from quite a bit down the road and said he’s been watching things as he drives past. His family has lived here for around 150 years and he’s seen many of his relatives losing their farms over the past few years. He does the normal (industrial) cattle farming and said he sees how it doesn’t work. There are too many (increasing) input costs to make it sustainable. He has seen us doing rotational grazing with our cattle (a whopping 2 head, as mentioned above :o) ) and stopped to say that he appreciates what we are doing and that he is looking on how to convert his whole operation to these more sustainable methods. He is also excited to build community with other sustainable farms and homesteads. It was a very encouraging conversation. While we are not looking to be “self sufficient”, we are looking to be increasingly “God sufficient” and “Community sufficient” it is also a reminder that people are watching and that we need to be doing all that we do for God’s glory and by His strength.
Boys music with group
As mentioned over a year ago, one of the older Decons at church (who is also our neighbor) has been helping the boys with their music (as well as investing into our family in countless other ways). It was really encouraging for the boys to have had the opportunity to play not just with him, but with others who were at our (small country) church for “Last Sunday Sing”. It was fun to see them all playing together.
The pond is a highlight for friends of all ages. :o)
In lieu of pictures of people, here’s a fun picture of one of our goats climbing a tree.
3rd Culture Living 