The Journal of Plymouth Rock Ranch

We’ve had some cold mornings here this mid-November week.  And because of that, we are very thankful to have our new wood burning stove stovepipe delivered and installed.

We cleared everything out that had taken the rightful place of the stove over the summer, put a new floor guard in place, set up the stove, inserted the new stove pipes and started a fire.  Oh, how nice it is!

The first reason it’s so nice, is that it keeps the tent nice and toasty.

The second reason is, I love being able to cook on it, heat things up on it and heat water in the water reservoir that hangs on the side of the stove.  It’s especially nice right now that we’re heating dishwashing water on the stovetop since our trailer kitchen is out of commission.  It is so much more convenient to be able to cook and heat water inside the tent rather than outside on the deck.  Not to mention that it’s cold outside the tent and nice and warm next to the wood burning stove.

The third reason is, it’s free to use!  The wood we’re burning was either brought home from jobs or from the cedar removal on our own property.  It will be so nice to not have to spend all that money on exchangeable propane bottles (which keep getting lighter and lighter and more expensive to boot) for the propane 2 burner stove on the deck.  The 2 burner stove has been wonderful, but 2 burners for a family our size is rather limiting.  The wood burning stove handles lots, plus we can use the 2 burner stove if we need it.  Having the option of both tools is a time saver in the kitchen!

The fourth reason is that I just love being able to sit next to the stove and warm up.  I used to love sitting on the fireplace hearth as a child and warm up next to the fire.  I think in all of our married life, we’ve only had two usable fireplaces.  And both of them were over 25 years ago!   When we design our house, I want a wood burning stove with a cozy hearth.  I also want a a balcony library around the perimeter of a tall living room.  You know, books and cozy hearths really go well together.  Lord willing, someday, we’ll have both!

But for this cold fall morning, I am very thankful for my tent and wood burning stove with new stovepipes!

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So, how educated are the people who voted in the 2008 Presidential Election?  And, where did they get their education on the candidates and the issues?  What do they really know?  Or think they know?  Or not know but think they know?

If you dare to find out, check out this video and Zogby Poll Result that asked voters questions pertaining to the issues at hand.

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Confetti Cake

Homemade Vanilla Pudding Filled

Homemade Whipped Cream Icing

Strawberry Decorations

5 Birthday Candles

Callan wasn’t here to make him the Monkey Cake that Harrison wanted.  But, she did send him a monkey eCard today : )  So, instead of getting a Monkey Cake, he stirred up his cake with Ashley last night and we frosted and decorated his cake today.  He sweetly said tonight that maybe next year Ashley could be in California on his birthday o Callan could decorate his cake for him : )  That made Ashley’s night ~ NOT!

Brothers

The Birthday Boy

 Oh What Fun!!!

Big Bite : )

Mmmm….Mmmm….Good!

I Think He Likes It!

Oh! My!!!  A Shark Jet Kite!!!!

Nope ~ I just really have to cough : )

Can You Guess Big Brother’s Favorite Gift of All?

The Texan Pilot

All Decked Out

Inspecting the Gun

Stick ‘em Up, Pardner!

Harrison had a great birthday dinner.  We asked him last night what he wanted for his birthday dinner.  He said he wanted SirLoin.  We explained to him that SirLoin, our 1 year old steer, isn’t quite ready to butcher yet.  He said, “No, the SirLoin that’s already been skinned!”  We just purchased some grass fed beef, and that’s the SirLoin he meant : )

So, we defrosted some T-Bone steaks, a wonderful treat around here, and BBQ’d them tonight.  We also had mashed potatoes and a turnip/carrot gratin casserole.

And, in spite of not having a cake decorated by Callan,  I think he really liked his cake anyway : )  And, he really, really, really, liked Daddy doing his shopping this year because Daddy is a much bigger spender than Mommy!  Not to mention that Daddy really knows what little boys really like.  Airplanes and guns!  According to Daddy, in that order.  According to Big Brother Ryker, reverse that order : )

Boo has become known for a few cute phrases this past year.

• “If you don’t like dirt, you’re a fake!”
• “Corn off the cob is boring.”
• “Losing a fingernail makes you a real boy,” said the crying boy who dropped a great big rock on his fingertip.   (And almost losing a toenail by dropping a piece of rebar on it in the same day just emphasizes that point!)

He’s not a fake!

He is full of adventure, not boredom.

And, he’s a real boy and a half having lost both a full fingernail and half a toenail.

At the end of his birthday evening, his Daddy read to him the story of David fighting Goliath.  He read about how the Lord gave David the strength and ability to fight the battle no one else was willing to fight.   A battle that appeared too large to win.  It is our prayer that Harrison will be a mighty warrior for the Lord, fighting His battles in His Name and with His strength, while loving his Lord with all his heart, mind, soul and strength.

I think he’s off to sleep with his new sidearm and a smile.

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It is hard to believe that today, my baby turns five years old! It is bittersweet for me. I see a season of life ending, one I thought would never really end. At one time, it seemed like that season of life would go on forever, but it all too quickly has most likely come to an end, unless the Lord surprises us!

All those years of having babies, I never really thought the day would come when my baby would be five years old and the end of my childbearing years would actually arrive, though we pray for the Lord to bless us with another baby, should it be His pleasure.

You see, it is the Lord Who opens and closes the womb. It is not I. As much as we would love to have another baby, as much as my children ask and pray for another baby, as much as that has been normal for us for the past 27 years, the Lord has only opened my womb once in the past 5 years, and then He quickly took that baby home. It is not within my power to create another baby. It is only within the hands and will of the Creator, to create another human being and place it in our family.

In this day of preventing and aborting our babies, this is a foreign thought to most. In this day, the opening and closing of the womb is not thought to be the Lord’s, but to be man’s……..or woman’s. We “choose” when we want to have a baby. We “plan” our families. We “choose” when to end the life of a poorly timed baby. We “choose”, or so we think…….

Today, the last baby the Lord blessed us with, turns 5. He has had many nicknames lovingly given to him. He’s my “Boo,” “Bugaboo,” “Lovebug,” “Boo-Roo,” “Boo-Berry,” “Rooster,” and his favorite “Roo.” Because I’m Kanga and he’s my Roo, and together we’re a KangaRoo : )

If my Roo turns out to be our last baby, the Lord was gracious to have given us such a sweet little boy as our last. He has such a sweet, loving, generous spirit. He loves to cuddle. He loves to play with hair.  He loves to give. He loves to smile. He loves to live. He’s full of life, and yet shy too.

My Roo was my smallest baby at 6 1/2 lbs and baby #10. He was also my only homebirth. He was born with a figure 8 knot in his cord and appeared to have been going backwards in the weight category as his wrinkly skin just hung on him like the saggy baggy elephant book I had when I was a little girl.

He was so thin. And he was a failure to thrive baby. He was weak from getting little nutrition prior to birth and had no desire or strength to nurse whatsoever. It took me 24 hours to get him to latch on for the first time and that was only for a brief minute or two. I remember the hours and hours of trying to teach him to latch on only to give up, pump milk and force it down him with an eyedropper and a bottle with a large hole in the nipple. He went down to 5 1/2 lbs and didn’t regain his birth weight for 6-8 weeks (call it fuzzy mother brain, but I can’t remember which now : ) We weighed him daily and watched for and celebrated every ounce he gained once he started gaining.

It was a good 2-3 weeks before he started nursing. The day it changed, two things happened. My chiropractor came to my home and adjusted him. She said his neck and jaw were out. His delivery had been more difficult than the others as his head was cocked to the side and he was “stuck” at first. She said it was painful for him to suck correctly with his neck and jaw out. That same day, we also gave him a pacifier, hoping to teach him how to suck. Whatever the reason for his newfound ability to nurse, I was ever so thankful! After this tough start, he became my best and most avid nurser of all my babies. We bonded closely. He is a gift from the Lord.

I am so blessed to be Roo’s mother. He has such a sweet, loving heart. His hugs are big, tight hugs of sincere love.  He also has a sense of justice. He knows right from wrong. When he has sinned and administered his own sense of justice to a sibling and has been corrected, he has such a sweet, repentant heart. A child’s repentant heart is such a balm to a mother’s heart.

My Roo also takes me back in time about 30 years ago to when my youngest brother, Tory, was little. I was almost 16 years old when he was born. He was 3 years old when I got married. I remember him as a little guy very well. My Roo reminds me a lot of my little brother way back when. Both with sweet spirits, both skinny-minnies requiring extra slim and then some pants, both with that same red tint to their hair, both with cute little smiles, both full of life and yet shy.

So, tonight, we will celebrate the gift of 5 years with our Roo. We thank the Lord for him and how he is loved by one and all in our family. He is a special gift from the Lord, for which we are very thankful.

Off to finish his birthday cake and special dinner preparations!

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The Wooden Bowl

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson.

The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered.

The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess ‘We must do something about father,’ said the son.

‘I’ve had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.’

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner.

There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.

Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl

When the family glanced in Grandfather’s direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone.

Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor.

He asked the child sweetly, ‘What are you making?’ Just as sweetly, the boy responded, ‘Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up.

‘ The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless.

Then tears started to stream down their cheeks.

Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather’s hand and gently led him back to the family table.

For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

The Scripture tells us to honor our elders, to love and care for them as they cared for us when we were unable to care for ourselves. And, when we obey Him and care for them, we are blessed as care for them.

My father sent me this email earlier this week. By the time I finished reading it, I had tears streaming down my face. It held special meaning to me since we have been helping to care for my grandparents and now my grandmother in her widowed, bedridden state.

My grandmother has her own special ways of “spilling” things.

Yes, it can be difficult caring for her. But, God never promised us a life without difficulty. In fact in James He says to consider it all joy when we encounter various trials. Why? Because it grows and strengthens us.

Yes, it requires sacrifice. But, sacrifice only makes caring for her more special. The example of the perfect sacrifice was given to us by our Lord Jesus when he sacrificed His place in heaven to come down to earth and take on the mortal body of a man. When he was humiliated and beaten and unlawfully charged for something He did not do. When he was scourged and carried His own cross to the crucifixion hill. When he was spat upon by false accusers. When the nails of death pierced his hands and feet. When He shed His blood. When he received His crown of thorns. When he willingly suffered and died for your sins and for mine on that cross on the hill.

But, there’s a bright side to His sacrifice. He was buried and then He conquered death by rising from the dead. Did He sacrifice His life on the cross for Himself? NO! He sacrificed for you. He sacrificed for me. He sacrificed because His Father asked Him to.

By the same token, there’s a bright side to the sacrifice of caring for my grandparents. In the past almost three years, our family has learned so much about our heritage by living with my grandparents. These stories would have been forever buried with them had we not had this opportunity to care for them.

We’ve learned how to die to self and live for Him by serving them. To love and care for ones who cannot care for themselves. This time shall pass…..all too soon…..though it may seem rather long right now.

The final blessing is being able to look back on this time with no regrets knowing that we persevered. The blessing of memories of them that we might not have otherwise had. Knowing that Nanny only likes Minute Maid orange juice. Or KFC. Or Costco’s roast chicken and sausage dogs. And that she loves just about anything from the bakery. Or that she loved her mother dearly, who died when my grandmother was 12 years old.

Or that Pappap served his wife until the last week or two of his life when his legs buckled under him and he could serve no longer. What an awesome example he was to us all how Christ loves His Church. My grandfather gave himself up for his bride of 70 years, just as Christ gave Himself up for His Church. My grandfather loved my grandmother unconditionally, just as Christ loves His Church, in spite of her sins. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

We wouldn’t have had the opportunity to learn of or witness these things had we not served them in their time of need. What a blessing to have the opportunity to love and serve them in their final days, months and years.

May our elders take their rightful place at our family table.

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Back at Plymouth Rock Ranch and turning away from political announcements, we return to regular programming.

Last weekend was a busy weekend for us.  Friday night we went to our monthly 4-Part Harmony Hymn Singing Night.  We had a Mexican PotBlessing Dinner beforehand.  And then learned the 4-part harmony parts for three hymns.  Afterwards, those that wanted gathered around the piano and tried sight reading other 4 part harmonies for several different sounds.

On Saturday we started out the day by visiting a potential customer to see some work she needs done.  Then we headed over to a picnic with several families from church and another family that lived in the community in which we were picnicking.  We played volleyball, softball, soccer.  We went on walks, played on the playground, played Scrabble and chatted.

We shared a potblessing lunch ranging from Texas BBQ to cucumber sandwiches.  For the evening meal, Mrs. Grady provided two pots of chili, we grilled hot dogs, and the children roasted marshmallows for s’mores.

Mid-afternoon, Callan and Skylar headed into San Antonio to help a friend celebrate her 22nd? birthday.  They participated in a photo scavenger hunt, a pizza dinner and dessert back at her house.  Saturday was a full day.

Then on Sunday we headed for the meeting of the Church.  With our past two late nights out, (not that we need an excuse : ) we were not one of the first ones at church.  And church was packed.  Even the Annex was packed.  Rick counted over 80 people in the Annex last Sunday.  Yep, we sat in the Annex.  Wow!

We had a blessed day at church and headed home in the late afternoon to unwind and recoup from a busy weekend.

This past Monday, Rick and Skylar attempted to vote, only to find that early voting had ended on Friday.  So, they voted on Tuesday morning.  Callan and I had voted the week before in early voting and Ashley had to overnight her absentee ballot from California.  Then Rick and Skylar went to do some dirt hauling for a friend while I took Larissa to the dentist.

T W Th and F found several of us working at the warehouse as the busy fall season has finally come to pass.  We are very grateful for the consistent work!

Tuesday afternoon, Rick and I went to look at a possible job for a property management company.  We’re excited about this possible job.  We’ve tried to get onto the bidders list for the company a couple of different times and through God’s providence and some fun circumstances, we now have the opportunity to bid some work for them.  Please pray for this opportunity as it could be a big help to our family business.

The rest of us have been pretty much at home as my little Roo has had a cold, cough and fever since Tuesday night.  This morning he woke with no fever, but his cough still sounds pretty croupy.  He is so amazing.  He has never slowed down during this whole illness.  He keeps escaping outside into the cold and I have to drag him back in to rest.  He doesn’t like resting : )  He is like the EverReady Bunny.  I have others that at the first sign of sniffles are done for and in bed.  Not my Roo!

The rest of us have been taking immune boosters to try to keep from falling to his bug.

This morning, Callan flew to California to care for my grandmother, and Ashley is returning home.  Every 4 to 6 weeks or so, we are making this transfer of daughters to care for my bedridden grandmother.  It is a blessing to be able to care for her in her home rather than have her placed in a care facility that is foreign to her and not her home of 30+ years.

So, that’s the past 2 weeks in review as we return to our regular programming.

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This is where our public education system has taken us:

Our “well-educated” young adults voting for Obama and waving the Communist Flag of “Victory.”

Here’s an article to follow the above video.

When are we going to wake up and smell the non-violent war among us?

Lord, please open our eyes so we might see your glory and reveal the wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing among us.

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Psalm 33

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Mr. Brown at Ketocton Baptists has written a great post election blogpost.

Mr. Brown starts his post with this:

“With only a couple of months left in office the liberal legacy of George Bush can teach us a valuable lesson. Eight years ago I remember contending with fellow Christians about the importance of not wasting their vote on a third party. After all “a vote for a third party was a vote for Gore”, even if there was a good third party candidate the election was much too important to waste your vote…why, if Gore wins the presidency it will be like Clinton all over again, yet worst. Besides George W. Bush was a great “evangelical” presidential hopeful that was going to restore Christian conservative values to the American system and champion the constitution.

However”………..

I encourage you to take a moment to go on over to Ketocton Baptists and read the rest of Mr. Brown’s insiteful post.

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On the bright side……. You can read here how the Lord preserved His definition of marriage in the ballot box yesterday.

Thank you Lord for giving victory in these three initiatives.

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to a different world than we knew yesterday,” said my husband as he awoke this morning.

He continued, “BUT, there are still some things that are the same. You and I still love each other and God. God loves us and He is still sovereign over all.”

There is something else that I pray is not still the same this morning: The Complacency of the Church.

My prayer is that the popular election of Obama to the Office of the President of the United States is a huge wake up call to The Church! The Church has slumbered in it’s feel-good theology while the Marxists, Socialists and Communists have been hard at work indoctrinating our society in their philosophies.

These unBiblical philosophies that have permeated our society have been spoonfed to us one spoon at a time with the poison masked in education, entertainment and the increase of Government subsidies in the private sector going way back to the income tax and social security. They have incrementally steered us away from Biblical teachings and to the State as Savior.

It’s one thing when these philosophies are in the unbelieving society. We expect these philosophies there. But it is quite another, when The Church starts exchanging God’s Truth for the world’s lies.

Whose jurisdiction is it to teach our children? Deuteronomy 6, among other passages, says that it is the parents’ responsibility, not the State’s. When we allowed the State to remove our children from their parents, we allowed the State to indoctrinate our children in their unBiblical philosophies.

Where does true knowledge come from? The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and understanding. So, why do we send our children into the pagan schools to be taught, and taught what? How to think and act like a Godless society. How to see the State as God and Savior. How to look to the State to bail us out instead of to the Lord for provision.

Whose jurisdiction is it to care for our infirmed, our elderly, our children, our families? The State’s? Not! It is first the family’s responsibility, first immediate, then secondary families, to look after the needs of one’s family. Once that provision is exhausted, then the responsibility falls to The Church to help with basic needs - not wants. Individuals who become aware of another’s need and is moved to give to help another can and should give as the Lord leads, at any time.

Ephesians 4:28

Let him that stole steal no more:

but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good,

that he may have to give to him that needeth.

It is NOT the government’s jurisdiction to take (steal) from one to meet the needs of another. God’s instructions to us are to be the Good Samaritan and help those in need as we have the means to do so.

I have a dear, sweet friend, who saw an elderly neighbor’s health failing and in need of help. She gave up unending months to caring for this man who was slowly dying. His family was not willing. He had no church. This friend and her family sacrificed much to serve him until he died and even after he died. And though it cost them much, they were blessed so much more. Folks, this is how it is supposed to work! We are to care for those in need as families, as churches, as individuals, as neighbors. We are to ask the Lord for His provision. It is NOT the government’s jurisdiction to do this!

And, finally, entertainment has become an idol in our society. We think it is our right to be entertained, to have fun, to de-stress, and to be experiencing that perpetual good time and feeling. While we numbingly listen to, watch, read or experience entertainment, we are mindlessly taking in the unBiblical philosophies that permeate our movies, our tv programs, our books, our sports, and our me-time. And we don’t question the underlying messages we are receiving in our entertainment experiences. We just like the “fun” the entertainment provides us.

Colossians 2:8
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit,

after the tradition of men,

after the rudiments of the world,

and not after Christ.

It is time for The Church to wake up and see how much it is like the world. In thoughts, in actions, in beliefs, in dress, in speech, in priorities, in idolatry, in feminism, in unBiblical doctrine and so many more ways. We have bought into the lies that have permeated our society until now, The Church looks and acts just like the world and is not set apart.

It is time to turn back to the entirety of Scripture, the inspired Word of God our Creator, for instruction, for reproof and for training in righteousness. The Scripture has our answers. We must turn away from our idols and turn back to the Lord and His Word, practices and principles.

Leviticus 20:23
And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you:

for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.

Leviticus 26:22-24; 39-42

22I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate.

23And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me;

24Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins.

39And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them.

40If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me;

41And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity:

42Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.

It is time for The Church to repent of talking the talk but not walking the walk.

2 Chronicles 7:13-15

13If I shut up heaven that there be no rain,

or if I command the locusts to devour the land,

or if I send pestilence among my people;

14If my people, which are called by my name, shall

humble themselves,

and pray,

and seek my face,

and turn from their wicked ways;

then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

15Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attend unto the prayer that is made in this place.

May the Lord see fit to open the eyes of His Church, to call The Church to action, to bring repentance first, and then revival upon The Church, this land and this Nation.

May the Lord forgive us of our trespasses against Him and His Word.

May we grieve over our sinful ways and idolatry which is an abomination to Him.

May He open hearts and minds and eyes and ears to hear the gospel and come to know, love and serve Him in all that we say or do.

May the Lord cause us to bow down and call Him, Abba, Father, Lord God Almighty.

May the Lord deliver us from evil.

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Five Things Which Are No Different About This Election from All Other Presidential Elections in Our History

1. God is still on the throne.
2. The Scriptures are still the only rule of action for Christians.
3. The duty of believers at the ballot box is the same today as it has always been. We may only select leaders who meet the Scriptural requirements for civil magistrate. Leaders need not be perfect, but they must be qualified.
4. The obedient response of the elect of God to the Lord Jesus Christ and His law-word, not partisan politics or the results of presidential elections, is the key to national blessing.
5. The results of the presidential election, regardless of who wins, will work together for the good of the elect of God.

Thank you, Mr. Phillips, for this concise list of truths to remind us that God is sovereign and Ruler Overall and that we must act in faith, obedience and truth, not fear.

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Our oldest son, Skylar, turns 18 years old today. That thought takes some processing. He was my biggest baby at 8 lbs 8 oz and is now my biggest child, measuring in at over 6 feet.

I vividly remember the day of his birth. I especially remember the day after his birth. God had given us three girls first. But, a boy! I really felt inept and clueless how to mother a boy. That just seemed foreign to me.

When Skylar was about 12 hours old, I remember asking the Lord, “How am I to be a mother to a son?”

I picked up my Bible and started reading. This was one of those pick up your Bible, open it up and point your finger at a verse moments. I had read this passage before, but today, it had new meaning for me. A much bigger meaning and vision. This was where the Lord guided me that day:

Psalm 119:9-16

How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping it according to Your word.

With all my heart I have sought You;
Do not let me wander from Your commandments.

Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.

Blessed are You, O LORD;
Teach me Your statutes.

With my lips I have told of
All the ordinances of Your mouth.

I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
As much as in all riches.

I will meditate on Your precepts
And regard Your ways.

I shall delight in Your statutes;
I shall not forget Your word.

The Lord gave me a tremendous passage of Scripture for me to remember when I wondered how I was supposed to mother my sons.

First of all, I must teach my sons to be pure. Pure of heart, pure in worship and pure in body. But, how was I to do that?

I must continually point my sons to His Word. To God’s commandments. To His treasure to us. To His testimonies. To His precepts. To His statutes.

I must pray that my sons would seek the Lord with all of their heart. That they would treasure God’s Word in their heart that they might not sin against Him. That they would desire to be taught of the Lord. That they would rejoice in Him. That their delight would be in Him. That they would not forget His Word. That they would love the Lord, their God, with all their hearts, with all their souls, with all their minds, with all their strength.

This passage seemed to fit Skylar’s name well too. Skylar is Dutch for “scholar” or “learned one.” It can also mean “protection” or “eternal life.” I wanted my son to be a scholar of the Word of God, to be a protector and to be protected, and to have eternal life in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Being a scholar, committing the Word of God by memory into his heart, being protected by the Word of God, and learning from the Word of God about the saving grace of Jesus, is the only way for a young man to keep his way pure.

I thanked the Lord for the gift of that Scripture Passage that day. I marked and dated that passage of Scripture on October 30, 1990, in my Bible to preserve the gift of that Scripture and pray that it would become a truth in Skylar’s life.

I no longer felt uneasy about raising a son. I must point him to the Lord and His Word as the foundation and guide for his life.

Fast forward to today. My little boy baby, (my Bubby), is now 6 feet tall and growing into a young man. He has been taught the Word of God as he has grown up. By God’s grace, he has embraced the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior. He has grown into a young man. A young man who now must take Psalm 119:9-16 and make it his Scripture for his life. A young man who must commit himself to the purity which God calls him to. A young man who God calls to delight in His Word and direct his life by His Word. For one is only a true Scholar when he is a Scholar in the Word of God.

My gift to you, my son, on your 18th birthday, is the gift that the Lord gave me when you were 12 hours old, Psalm 119:9-16.

May you take this Scripture and make it your life.

May you take this Scripture and make it your heart.

May you take this Scripture and allow it to lead you to many more passages of Scripture upon which you will allow God to form your heart, your mind, your soul, your strength and your moment-by-moment walk with the Lord.

May the Lord guard you from wandering from His Commandments.

May you keep your way pure according to the Word of God.

Proverbs 6:20-23

 My son,

Keep your father’s command,

And do not forsake the law of your mother.

Bind them continually upon your heart;

Tie them around your neck.

When you roam, they will lead you;

When you sleep, they will keep you;

And when you awake, they will speak with you.

For the commandment is a lamp,

And the law a light;

Reproofs of instruction are the way of life.

May you bind Psalm 119:9-16 upon your heart,

May you tie it around your neck,

May you allow it to lead you when you roam,

May you allow it to keep you when you sleep,

May you allow it to speak to you when you awake,

May you allow it to be a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path.

May you love the reproofs of instruction from the Scriptures as the way of life.

I look forward to seeing how and where the Lord directs you in the life purposes that He has for you. May you be a pure, scholarly, warrior devoted to the Word of the Lord, for the Lord’s Kingdom.

Love, Mom

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is our woodburning stove pipe? Oh where, oh where could it be? With the wind blowing strong, and the air getting cold, oh where, oh where can it be?

It’s supposed to be in the hands of UPS, which gives us no comfort at all, as UPS has a terrible service history here at our new property. They don’t like coming all the way out our dirt road. They used to take it upon themselves to deliver our UPS packages to Rick’s work in Hondo, until I made my third phone call to them asking them NOT to do that again. They finally got the message, which is a good thing, because Rick no longer works there.

Now, they have to drive out to our property and aren’t enamored with the idea. Now that we have a locked gate, they must leave packages at the gate, but even before we had a gate up, they wouldn’t come up the driveway, but would instead, leave our packages inside the gate in ants and puddles.

Also, since they don’t like to drive out to our property, they tend to hold onto packages until they have another reason to drive out our way, meaning that while we’re waiting for an important package, it’s riding around in the UPS Truck.

FedEx has a much better delivery track record with us. If they leave boxes at the gate, they put them in a plastic bag. But, if the gate is open, they will bring the packages up to us and not leave them at the gate. UPS is supposed to put boxes in bags if rain is possible, but they don’t. Not to mention the ant hills they set the boxes on.

I’m keeping my eye open for a good UPS/FedEx delivery container to put down by the gate to help alleviate the ant, puddle and rain issues.

The shipment of our stove pipe was just started, so we know we shouldn’t have it yet. But, the cold wind that blew in last night is making us wish that we did have it now and is causing us to petition the Lord to have the UPS man deliver it ASAP and not hold onto it!

We are so very thankful this isn’t an Alaskan Cold Front : )

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iPod® nano: Jonathan Park Collection

In this collection, twenty CDs of content are combined on one nano. Enjoy all the Jonathan Park episodes as the team travels the world in exciting Creation Science adventures.

• All 60 episodes of the Jonathan Park Radio Drama
• 6.02 GB of additional space!
• Educational and fun
• A $275 value

Full title list:

• Jonathan Park Volume I: The Adventure Begins
• Jonathan Park Volume II: No Looking Back
• Jonathan Park Volume III: The Winds of Change
• Jonathan Park Volume IV: The Hunt for Beowulf
• Jonathan Park Volume V: The Explorer’s Society

iPod® nano: Church & Family Collection

Enjoy more than fifty messages of encouragement on family worship, unity in the local church, eldership, and more. Perfect for leaders in the home or church.

• ‘Uniting Church and Family’
• Plus 30 other messages on vital church and family issues
• 5.61 GB of additional space!
• A $483 value

Titles included:

• The Family Catechism
• A Biblical Vision for Multi-Generational Faithfulness
• A Covenantal Perspective on the Jurisdiction of the Family and the Local Church
• Children and the Dominion Mandate
• Defending the Fatherless
• Discipline the Biblical Doctrine
• Gossip: The Plague of the Church
• Holiness, Legalism, and the Sufficiency of Scripture
• Hollywood’s Most Despised Villain
• Hospitality: the Biblical Commands
• How Modern Churches are Harming Families
• How to Think Like a Christian
• Pilgrims vs. Indians
• Principles of Biblical Eldership
• Simple, Separate, Deliberate
• Suffer the Children: The Blessing of ‘Imperfect Children’
• Ecclesiastical Courts and Christian Arbitration
• The Big Picture
• The Centrality of the Home in Evangelism and Discipleship
• The History of the Sunday School Movement
• The Home as a Factory of Church Leaders
• The Joy of Family Worship: A Key to Healthy Body Life
• The Role of Children in the Meeting of the Church
• The Role of Grandfathers in the Local Church
• The Role of Women in the Local Church
• Is the Bible the Bible?
• Biblical Apologetics I
• Biblical Apologetics II
• Uniting Church and Family Set
• Uniting Church and Family Album
• What to Expect When Establishing a Local Church
• Why Christian Manhood Must Prevail
• Why the Church Needs the Family, and the Family Needs the Church

iPod® nano: World History Curriculum Collection
6,000 years of world history told from a distinctively Christian perspective—fifty-plus hours of this popular high-school and college level history curriculum in a single iPod!

• ‘B.C.’ and ‘A.D.’
• ‘Providential Battles I & II’
• ‘Sabers, Spears & Catapults’
• 5.34 GB of additional space!
• A $423 value

Titles included:

• History of the World B.C.
• History of the World A.D.
• Providential Battles I: Twenty Battles that Changed the World
• Providential Battles II: Epic Conflicts that Changed the World
• Sabers, Spears, & Catapults: A Providential History of Warfare Technology

iPod® nano: Fatherhood Collection

An iPod just for dads! Encouragement, inspiration, and fun-filled messages covering all sorts of topics on fatherhood, leadership, and vision.

• 40 messages by Botkin, Phillips, Baucham, and more.
• Redeem your drive time
• 5.57 GB of additional space!
• A $386 value

Titles included:

• Manliness
• Building a Family that will Stand
• The Master’s Plan for Fathers
• Bible Lessons for Manhood
• The Spotless Bride
• The Joy of Family Worship
• The Home as a Factory of Church Leaders
• Why Christian Manhood Must Prevail
• David and Bathsheba
• The Family Table
• Victories
• The Promise
• The Visionary Father’s Role in Home Education
• Hollywood’s Most Despised Villain
• Give Me Your Heart My Son
• George Washinton: America’s Joshua

Head on over to Vision Forum and take a look at all the great products they have on clearance!

New at Vision Forum!

Here are just a few of the new products that Vision Forum is offering.  If you haven’t seen the new catalog you don’t know what you are missing.  You can see all of the new products on the Vision Forum website.

Jonathan Park Goes to the Aquarium

A Creationist audio guide to 100 of the of the most popular marine creatures!

Did you know that the bottlenose dolphin can hold its breath for up to twenty minutes while submerged? What’s more: Do you know what sea creature has three hearts, releases a cloud of dark ink when disturbed, and has the design features for jet propulsion?

Join Jonathan Park and his father for a trip to the aquarium as they explore these and other wonders of the underwater world. Featuring one hundred, two-minute segments, this creationist audio guide to a hundred sea creatures dispels common evolutionary myths and highlights some of the most fascinating attributes that God gave each aquatic animal He designed. Filled with engaging sound effects and amazing scientific tidbits, Dr. Kendall Park and Jonathan take listeners on an aquarium excursion to remember. Perfect for car rides or family marine outings, this audio presentation is a great tool for training your children about the captivating creatures of the sea. Every sea creature has a story which gives glory to God. Learn about the whale shark, rock fish, and much, much more!

iPod® nano: Jonathan Park Collection

In this collection, twenty CDs of content are combined on one nano. Enjoy all the Jonathan Park episodes as the team travels the world in exciting Creation Science adventures.

• All 60 episodes of the Jonathan Park Radio Drama
• 6.02 GB of additional space!
• Educational and fun
• A $275 value

Full title list:

• Jonathan Park Volume I: The Adventure Begins
• Jonathan Park Volume II: No Looking Back
• Jonathan Park Volume III: The Winds of Change
• Jonathan Park Volume IV: The Hunt for Beowulf
• Jonathan Park Volume V: The Explorer’s Society

Father to Son

Fathers need to begin speaking to their sons. But the conversation can’t be aimless or trivial. Fathers need to talk in manly and specific ways about the duties of Christian manhood.

Enter Father to Son, a six-part DVD series designed to provide fathers and future fathers with simple examples of manly discussion. Where does a dad begin? With the pressing issues that weigh on young minds, these informal, unrehearsed conversations between Geoffrey Botkin and his five sons show how it can be done.

Each episode tackles an age appropriate discipline of manhood and how it is developed with fathers. Sons learn the disciplines of manhood through hard work. Fathers interpret the world for sons through shared adventures. Sons learn leadership duties through worship. Sons learn to conquer the world by dominion and to hold the ground they take through spiritual battle. Each rich conversation is broken into short study segments, and thorough Bible-study notes are provided as PDFs which can jump-start family or Bible-study discussions. Includes this bonus DVD: How To Talk to Sons About the Hard Things.

I’d like to prescribe this series for every father in America. Fathers desperately need to turn their hearts to their sons. This series will give them confidence to do it.” —D. Matthew Clark, M.D.

Today’s fathers inherited a legacy of silence from their dads. This must not be passed on even one more generation. Courageous fathers can start talking, right now, and change history forever. —Geoffrey Botkin

Issues covered:

• Flirtatious Girls, Moral Purity, and Courtship
• Confusing Worldviews
• Enemies and Bullies
• Personal Discipline and Integrity
• Pop Culture
• Higher Education
• Money, Debt, Investments, and Business
• True Worship, Church, and Prayer Life
• And much more

The Princess Adelina 

From across the ages — thirteen centuries ago, when the fearless Scottish and Irish missionary bands are sent out from the Isle of Iona — comes the story of a virtuous young woman of unshakeable faith, filled with determination to fulfill the role to which God has called her. She finds herself whisked away from a simple life to become the queen of a kingdom where she wrestles with temptations from her past and faces down enemies intent on her demise. Based on a true story, this Esther-like tale recounts the deeds of the courageous Adelina of the ancient German Culdee church as she endures and overcomes persecution, slander, exile, and the impending destruction of her people. In the end, she is used by God to see the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ shine forth and prevail!

A story I love to read to my girls. Adelina’s life shows that girls can be feminine, strong, and Christhonoring! —Kim Coghlan, Editor of inashoe.com

The Little Boy Down the Road: Short Stories and Essays on the Beauty of Family Life  

This book is a work of art . . . a triumphant testimony to how God uses the common things in life to build joyful, grateful families. The Little Boy Down the Road is one of the happiest reads of the year. A ‘must’ for your family storytime. —Geoffrey Botkin

The most beautiful and life-changing stories are not found in the pages of newspapers, but in the everyday events in the life of the Christian family. They are the stories of boys who long for their fathers, of husbands who become better men because of the love of faithful brides, and of little girls who learn to dream great dreams for God. These are moments that really matter — the ones that count for eternity.

We’ve wanted a garden ever since we moved to the property. But there is so much to do when developing a piece of a cattle ranch with absolutely no improvements when you start! It is hard to say we’re doing this first and this second………

Two deciding factors in determining priority so far have been: a) necessity now and b) ease of getting the job done.

Since we are able to purchase fruits and vegetables, that lowered the garden on our list of priorities. And, since we are Plymouth Rock Ranch, growing things besides rocks and animals that live on the rocks and not in them takes just a tad bit of work.

The first main hurdle was having water available, that we didn’t have to haul in, to water plants. Thankfully, we have solved this little problem!

Then there’s the issue of clearing the cedars to make way for growing things. Then the job of building raised bed planters and filling them with nutrient rich material in which to grow plants. Most edible plants don’t like growing in rock - which is what we have here in abundance. Then there’s the issue of fencing to keep the chickens, goats, cows, deer, feral hogs and other wildlife out of them. Getting a garden going here is no small task.

So far we have two fruit trees planted in the ground (one of which didn’t make it) and several more fruit trees planted in large buckets. The two trees planted in the ground required a) jackhammering the rock up so the tree roots had cracks and fissures in which to spread and b) building a rather large raised bed out of rock borders and imported dirt so the fruit tree roots had some room to spread before hitting the rock below.

I was surprised to learn that most fruit tree roots only require dirt to go as deep as 2′-3′ deep and as wide as the canopy of the adult tree will be. All the trees, in the ground or in buckets, are surrounded by cedar and wire “fences” to try to keep the animals out of them.

The Interns helped us further this task along by helping us cut, drag and burn more cedars, stack wood and load and move rock to the planter area. Our garden area is becoming more visible and we actually have half of a planter built. We are making progress!

The current plan is to build raised beds out of rock that are high enough and wide enough to easily work and then build individual little green houses and/or shade houses over each planter, depending upon the season to a) warm them b) cool them and c) keep animals out of them.

The plan is to make the frame out of pvc pipe that is relatively inexpensive, and chicken wire covered with shade cloth (which I purchased last year on a great closeout sale I found at Lowes) or visqueen plastic (depending upon the season).

This way, we can start with one planter, get the kinks worked out of the system, and then slowly grow our garden as time, space, resources and needs exist.

Callan has wanted a garden, as have some of the rest of us, since we moved here. But, she’s had to wait patiently for the time to be right. In her waiting, God has given her some sweet encouragement.

Last year, God gave us several God-grown watermelon plants.

This year, I hunted and hunted for tomato plants to plant for a fall garden for Callan, but the only ones I could find looked really pathetic. I had hoped to have them home and planted before Callan got home from California this last time. But, that didn’t happen, much to my chagrin.

When Callan got home from her last trip to California, she came in grinning saying that she had a tomato bush with tomatoes on it! I asked her where???? I knew that I hadn’t planted any as I had hoped to. This year, God gave Callan a God-grown tomato plant.

Somehow, someway, there was a Roma Tomato plant growing and fruiting in one of her trees planted in a bucket! The other children hadn’t noticed as the trees planted in buckets are all in a pretty tight space to fit behind our makeshift fencing. And, they don’t really care about them the way Callan does. And, they’re not nearly so observant as Callan is. God allowed Callan to find His gift to her herself : )

Tomatoes are one of Callan’s food staples. When I buy grape tomatoes at Costco, I buy them for Callan. She eats them like candy. I like them too, but definitely not like candy. She eats the grape tomatoes like I would like to eat chocolate : )

Callan was thrilled to find her God-grown tomato plant. It gives her hope that she will have a garden filled with healthy, organic home grown fruits and vegetables someday. Hopefully very soon.

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About 2 weeks ago, we had our first campfire of the season. Ryker built a new campfire ring and BBQ alley. It looks sort of like a thermometer : )

We have a round metal ring that we scavenged from somewhere. This makes the inside ring of the fire ring. Ryker gathered large rocks off the property and built a round ring of rocks outside the inner metal ring. He put the metal tripod in the center so we would heat water in a galvanized bucket.

Then off one side of the circle, he built a long narrow rock rectangle. Inside he placed rectangular concrete blocks on top of which sit rectangular BBQ grates. This is where we grill our meat or we can cook in cast iron over the fire.

We placed our CraigsList benches from the salvaged deck we tore down and brought home around the campfire along with some outdoor chairs.

So far this season, we’ve roasted marshmallows and grilled steaks from the wonderful grass fed meat we purchased (Thank you, Reba! : ) It’s so nice to have some nice quality meat in our freezer!

Our first evening campfire was on a beautiful fall evening in the beginning of October. We didn’t even need the fire because the weather was so beautiful, but it was fun anyway. We sat by the campfire and looked at the beautiful star-filled sky.

But, this week, the weather has turned cold! A campfire is now very useful!

It was 40 degrees in the tent this morning. I froze all day yesterday and kept waiting for it to warm up. It never really did. When Rick got home last night and everyone said how cold they were, he decided we’d better order the wood burning stove a new stove pipe. The first one lasted the first winter. We purchased additional parts locally for the second season, but some of the sizes of the angles weren’t quite right so we fought that stovepipe all winter long. This year, we’re doing it right and have ordered the right parts from the manufacturer. Hopefully, they’ll process the order quickly and get it shipped to us pronto! It is now officially time to move the wood burning stove into the tent!

To keep things in perspective, I kept thinking of my dear friend, Holly, who is living in Siberia. Well, not really Siberia, but the North Pole. Or close to the town North Pole, near Fairbanks, Alaska. More specifically, they live at Eielson AFB. They are really, really high up there on the globe. They must be about equal with Siberia! And, from what I hear it is r.e.a.l.l.y. cold there.

So, in comparison, we’re not freezing here, but it sure enough feels like we are : ) I just really cannot fathom the kinds of temperatures one finds in Fairbanks, Alaska, which must be close to like being in Siberia! (Miss you, Holly : ) Here’s some pictures of our campfire to warm you up!

The Fire Ring

The Flames

The Coals - Wonderful for Roasting Marshmallows

Speaking of marshmallows. Anyone out there made your own marshmallows without corn syrup? We really try to stay away from corn syrup when we can. The only way to do this is to make our own marshmallows, which I’ve yet to try.

I’ve googled a few recipes. The maple syrup sweetened ones caught my attention, but I don’t think I can afford those kinds of marshmallows! The chocolate marshmallows sounded interesting and may eliminate the need for chocolate bars for s’mores.

I feel a new project and post coming on.  Maybe on a day when we have nothing else to do : ) we’ll make some homemade marshmallows w/o corn syrup, take some pictures and share them with y’all.

Anyone have any marshmallow experience or recipes to share?

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