Lately, life has been busy . . . as has yours, I am sure. Katie and her family thank you all for your prayers on their behalf. Repairs have been made to the point that the house passed inspection, and now they are just waiting on the power company to turn the electric back on. Then the cleanup begins!

The "Country Cousins" (the grandchildren) played for the Florida Flywheelers season-end banquet Saturday night, and it has been a blessing to watch them develop into seasoned (somewhat) performers. The picture above includes most of them, although a couple are hidden. They are adding more singing to their performances, which is something they are not as comfortable with. My children did not play instruments much, but were excellent singers. The grandchildren are good singers and continually improving, but feel much more comfortable with their instruments.

The Flywheelers loved them so much that they passed the bucket several times and contributed generously to our CD fund. Danny says we should go ahead and schedule a recording studio for the near future! Exciting times! Everywhere they perform, people ask if they have a CD, so I guess it's time.

It's funny . . . from the time I was a small girl performing, our family has not been one to put itself forward, and it is a strange feeling to come to terms with. I guess it is really a matter of trusting the Lord and blessing others with the talent He has given. This Friday, we will be performing at the Wauchula Pioneer Days, so another week of practice and preparation. Life is exciting!

Oh!

Oh, we did get the chicks, 50 of them. Just one step into the post office, and we knew they were in! Sweet Matthew and Benny set up the brooder and got the fluffy babies all settled in for the night. What an anti-climax to an (thankfully) unusual day!

What a difference . . .

. . . a day makes! We were expecting our newhatched chicks today, and they came. But Katie called about 11:oo a.m. and said she was standing outside her house watching the firefighters put out a fire in the house! What a shock! Since we own the house, Danny thought we should get right down there.

The fire started in the bedroom of son #2 and #3, burned the curtains and bed totally, and smoked up the house. Her dh Robert brought fire extinguishers from their store (around the corner) and had the flames in the bedroom out before the fire department got there, but they took care of the attic and making sure everything was out.

The investigator has ruled it accidental, since the boys slept in the living room last night and were only in the bedroom to put on boots this morning. We are thanking our Providential Father that Katie and the little ones were in the yard at the time; that working extinguishers were nearby; and that this did not happen in the night -- Katie and Robert both said the smoke was awful and the bed went F-A-S-T!

Now the cleanup/paperwork phase begins. We will enjoy the presence of their family for a day or two, but I know how much Katie will be wanting to get back home. I know I would. Please pray as they ascertain how much of their stuff is fire/smoke/water damaged and go through the chore of restoring the house. Thank you, Lord, for Your great mercy to Your children.

Working again . . . and rambling

I do not know why Blogger would not let me add an image for a couple days, but now it is working again. This is the picture of "Aunt Sarah" (well, she will be some day, and it reminds me of pictures of my aunts from the 40's and 50's). I thought it compares well with the authentic picture of my parents above.

It is C-O-L-D! Well, not cold to many people, but it is supposed to be 26 degrees here tonight! The furnace and fireplace are working with all their might, and sweet Danny made me a hot water bottle to take to bed. He is already snoozing, since he has an early day tomorrow. He is the president of the local chapter of the engineering society, so he is in charge of the MathCounts competition for public and private schools. He will be quite glad when it is over, and so will I! He does love to do good things for others and loves math, math, math, so he will be happy if there are some competent math competitors tomorrow. We did not send any grandchildren, because . . .?? I don't think math competition was important to them in this context, although they do love math.

The cows were mooing tonight -- several of them are "in a family way", and I don't think they were happy with the cold. Most of them are Brangus, from Angus and Brahma, and Brahmas are not cold hardy. The chickens were happy to snuggle into their fresh, clean house tonight! Dh collected 31 eggs today! (A few came from yesterday.)

I think I would be wise to head off to bed, too. Trusting the cold doesn't hit our grapefruit trees hard. Thanking the Lord our nice, profitable grapefruit crop has already been picked and put to bed, or this would, indeed, be an interesting night! Stay warm, everyone!

Good Girls!

It worked! Dh spent Saturday building new nesting boxes for the hens so they would keep their eggs clean, unbroken, and findable. So far this week, the Girls have been blessing us with around 15 - 18 eggs a day! Now we can share again with the daughters' families. We love our fresh, free-range eggs, so orange-y and Omega-3 loaded!

Oh, the sepia tone is the work of granddaughter Sarah Beth, who loves to experiment with photography and is getting quite good (although this is not a work of art!) When we first got our new digital camera to work (dinosaurs that we are), Sarah went around the property taking pictures in sepia. They remind me so much of the pictures we had when I was a child in the 40's - 50's. You know, of course, God didn't invent color until at least the 60's or 70's.

Sarah's farm collection reminds me of those old farm picture books (I love them) and pictures my mother has from the old days. There is one of her (Sarah) in a 40's-style dress with her hair in a WWII style, sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch. I will post it here soon. I love it, because it is quintessentially who we are.

Farmer Dan

Today, my husband made a decision -- he was finally going to build new nesting boxes for the hens. We were having to wash the eggs, due to too many hens laying in the same spot, and we prefer not to wash the protective coating off until we are ready to use them. So, out to the barn. . .

When I first met Danny, we were both 18 and just out of high school. He was already taking a summer college course to get a head start on his engineering degree, and I went to work for the Christian company in Indianapolis where he was working for the summer, so we met. His family owned a small farm and raised their own cows (beef and dairy), pigs, chickens, acre-sized garden, and I was so craving this lifestyle. He also worked for a farmer friend on Saturdays. I thought this would be our life.

As he progressed further and further into his engineering degree, and then into his master's and doctorate in Christian education, our life took a different direction. Being in "ministry", we had absolutely no money to buy land, and life was full of raising four wonderful children in a small Christian school. God had other plans, eventually . . .

When the Lord led us back to engineering, and we were able to start putting money in the bank after debt-retirement, our current property came available at a very good price. He has blessed us with 33 acres, a profitable grapefruit grove, 9 cows, 31 chickens, and a wonderful country home, with grandchildren nearby. Still, Danny's engineering office upstairs beckons for most daylight hours.

But today was different. He diligently gathered up scraps of building supplies from around the property (some of it our own lumber from trees felled by hurricanes) and vigorously began planning and constructing -- he is an engineer, after all! He loved it -- he is zonked out from good, physical work as we speak. And I loved it -- granddaughters 9 yo Markie and 5 yo Rosie and I handed him things, ran errands, held lumber --absolutely basking in the wonderful Florida-winter sunshine, while enjoying watching hawks and sandhill cranes. The antics of the chickens and the somber mood of the Brangus added to the agrarian moment. It was such a good day, and so good for Danny to be able to get his nose out of the drawing board!

It takes me back decades to see him working on the land and gives me such a feeling of gratitude and peace. Thank you, Lord. You know the desires of our hearts.

Thanks, Rebecca!

Thanks to Rebecca at The Serven Clan for her good instructions on posting a photo. And you were right, Rebecca -- it took over 10 minutes to upload -- out here in the country we can get only dial up, so we have to adjust to being behind the times! This is a picture of the 5 oldest granddaughters, dressed for the Brooksville Massacre re-enactment last year. They would dress like this half the time, if they could. I think we were all born a century too late! (Not really. Our sovereign God knew exactly when and where He wanted us!) Okay, now expect more photos! Thanks again, Rebecca!

The Children of Zion Must Follow Their King

I was just re-reading the “Grandmother’s Dream” post and, combined with some little things that happened this weekend, thinking about the wisdom of John 15:20, “The servant is not greater than his Lord.” And 2 Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” Why do we think the world, even family and friends, will understand our deep desire to raise our families in a godly, biblical way?

I am afraid that the entrenched forces, the elistists of the world, feel it is not only their right, but, indeed, their bounden duty to inject themselves into our families, to persuade us to toe the line and “assimilate” into the culture. I am thinking, not only of the “liberal” establishment, but even those who should appreciate those who are striving to apply the Word to family living. After years of observing those who think of families like ours as “strange”, I have come to the conclusion that they must be under stinging conviction, not wanting to disturb their contentment with the status quo – “Hey, what’s wrong with a little one-foot-in-the-world?”

For years our family lived in the vortex of a public ministry, where it was vital to keep alert to the enemy’s attempts to conquer through discouragement at the least and sometimes outright persecution. But in the last few years, the Lord has seen fit to send a season of peace and relief, and the tendency is to let down our guard and be taken by surprise when little snide remarks come, or outright ridicule.

How wise the Lord has been to warn us to be ever watchful! We are not greater than our Lord, and it should be a badge of honor to suffer snickers or slings for His sake. The older grandchildren and I talked about this a few minutes today during “Monday” school. How refreshing to hear them re-affirm their commitment to God’s ways, His truths. This worldview is unfolding in their lives with strength and vigor!

Danny and I say often how thankful we are that the Lord has allowed us to participate in helping their parents to send forth these straight and mighty arrows into the future! As our children were growing up, this little poem (sung to the tune of “The Ashgrove”) was one of our anthems. We are called to be “different” and this expresses that walk very sweetly. “We turn from the world, with its smiles and its scorning, to cast in our lot with the people of God.”

The Master Hath Come
by Sarah Doudney, 1871

The Master hath come, and He calls us to follow
The track of the footprints He leaves on our way;
Far over the mountain and through the deep hollow,
The path leads us on to the mansions of day:
The Master hath called us, the children who fear Him,
Who march 'neath Christ's banner, His own little band;
We love Him and seek Him, we long to be near Him,
And rest in the light of His beautiful land.

The Master hath called us; the road may be dreary
And dangers and sorrows are strewn on the track;
But God's Holy Spirit shall comfort the weary;
We follow the Savior and cannot turn back;
The Master hath called us, though doubt and temptation
May compass our journey, we cheerfully sing:
"Press onward, look upward," through much tribulation;
The children of Zion must follow their King.

The Master hath called us, in life's early morning,
With spirits as fresh as the dew on the sod:
We turn from the world, with its smiles and its scorning,
To cast in our lot with the people of God:
The Master hath called us, His sons and His daughters,
We plead for His blessing and trust in His love;
And through the green pastures, beside the still waters,
He'll lead us at last to His kingdom above.

Back home . . .

We returned home today about 5 p.m. How wonderful to be home! (Even though we were gone only 2 nights, there is no place . . . well, you know!) The children (the 8 to12 year olds) did a wonderful job of presenting the talents the Lord is refining in them -- several first place ribbons and other assorted awards excited them beyond measure! They are so precious and open -- a little strip of fabric is encouragement and recognition of their hard work and their learning to trust the Lord enough to get up in public and share. What a blessing to see a little 9 year old boy beam when he walks across the platform for his medals -- some hoped for, some a surprise.

The sweetest blessing is to have Christian brothers and sisters who have watched our family for years tell us we bless them -- I am so sad to say that even in the church today, many do not know the blessing of children whose hearts are their daddy's and mama's, and especially belonging to Jesus.

And the hotel staff just could not say enough about the children's good behavior. They had never seen children as well behaved as these -- let me tell you, these children are not angels (well, they are Grandmother's angels, but they are definitely fallen creatures). They are full of life and make noise at times, maybe even disrupting noise, but they are respectful, deferent, quick to correct mistakes, cheerful, helpful -- oh, a grandmother could go on and on. But the one thing that keeps repeating in my heart and mind is this: "This is Biblical family evangelism as it should be. Life will express itself, and life begets life." Thank you, Lord, for the privilege of participating in your plan to win the nations, one family at a time.