Two dear friends turned this ordinary day into something special!  I’ve heard we don’t always remember what a person says to us, but we remember how someone makes us feel.  These ladies make me feel loved.  That’s what lingers.  What was surprising to me, though, was the conversation I had with Helen in the afternoon mirrored the one I had with Kathy in the morning!  I found myself reminiscing with each of them about our homesteading days.  It made me think of a story that will probably mean more to some than others, but it’s a good one nonetheless.

When I was pregnant with Levi we sold a home we renovated for a tidy sum.  This allowed us to buy twenty-six acres of our own private mountain cove with an old farmhouse, yet still remain debt-free.  God is so good to His children!  Suddenly we were up to our eyeballs in homesteading!  Our farm came with a wide variety of fruit trees, grape vineyards, and a gigantic garden that nearly worked us to death!  We grew apples, pears, cherries, peaches, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, green beans and babies (Levi was born in that house)! We canned salsa, spaghetti sauce, applesauce, and grape juice that tasted just like Welch’s.  Our goats were Trouble and Pain, aptly named.  Their babies (which our babies watched come into this world) were named Sugar and Cinnamon.  

Kirk and I both admired Carla Emery, so when we heard she was coming to our area to speak, we had our babysitter, sweet Sarah, come stay with the kids so we could go and hear her.  What a night.  It was proved to us while we listened that the more we learned, the more we realized how very little we knew! The one and only author of The Encyclopedia of Country Living had a lot to teach us. We felt like we were learning from the best.   We bought a new copy of her book and had her sign it for us.  We left the building that night armed with the knowledge of how to use herbs and flavorings like Pennyroyal and purslane, how to make jerky, and even how to slaughter a pig and make sausage!  Can you imagine?  Actually, never mind.

This happened during tax season, so one day while Kirk was in his office crunching numbers, guess who walked in? Carla Emery!  She was looking for someone to prepare her taxes!  Kirk said, “We came and heard you speak a few weeks ago!”

She laughed at that.  She decided God had directed her to Kirk’s business. 

Kirk said, “I’ll make a deal with you.  I’ll do your taxes for free if you’ll come eat dinner with my family at our farm.”

She was delighted at the prospect of free tax work, so she eagerly agreed.  Before I hardly knew what was happening, we were breaking fresh baked bread around our dinner table with Ms. Emery.  We had such a splendid time that in those few splendid hours friendship blossomed.

After that fun evening, whenever Carla came through our area, she would stop in or sometimes even stay with us.  When the children were older, she would say something like, “Let’s make cheese today!”  And we were off on an educational adventure with the expert who seemed to know everything.

One time she came through during Christmas, but unfortunately we had to leave for a few days.  Carla offered to stay and take care of our animals for us while we were gone.  When we came back, she said she found our tattered copies of The Chronicles of Narnia on our bookshelf and had treated herself by reading the entire series while we were away.  That’s how I sometimes picture her when I think of her—curled up by the fire reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe with Christmas tree lights twinkling in the background. 

As a result of falling in love and getting married, Carla stopped traveling and speaking all over the country.  The last time we heard from her was a few Christmases ago, and she sounded happy and blessed in the card she sent.

We were blessed to know her and have her pour into our children some of her hard earned knowledge. 

Thank you, Carla, for your pioneering and inspiring spirit.  We may not remember everything you said, but we remember how you made us feel--very, very loved.  What a gift!

Evidently there are quite a few grandmas out there trying to set their granddaughters up with football star and homeschool graduate Tim Tebow!  I totally get that!  He has handled his fame with so much humility and decorum that we’ve seen God’s glory shine in and through him!

Did you hear how Tim responded to Detroit Lions’ Stephen Tulloch when he genuflected in mockery of Tebow’s prayer stance?

Tebow said, “He (Tulloch) was probably just having fun and was excited he made a good play and had a sack.  And good for him.”

Such winsomeness.  Such wisdom. 

I loved Daniel Foster’s response to this in the National Review when he wrote, “That’s way too much earnestness for the ironic.  It’s way too much idealism for the cynical.  And it’s way too much selflessness for the self-absorbed.  In short, people aren’t upset at Tebow’s God talk.  They’re upset that he might actually believe it.”

Let’s pray for this young man who has unseen pressure and temptations all around him that he would continue to turn the other cheek and be an example to all who look up to him.

And Tim?  I’ve got two daughters I’d be happy to introduce you to…

This year Hannah and I are following the same Bible reading schedule in our personal devotions, so when we talk on the phone or see each other, we share what the Lord is showing us from our daily assigned reading.  Last year Emily and I did the same thing but with a different reading plan.  Journeying through the Bible together with your children adds a delightful element to the process, I assure you.

We’re currently in Leviticus, and we’ve had a couple neat things happen that may look like coincidences, though I think not! On February 16^th, we read Leviticus 11-13.  Hannah and I both noticed the section about clean and unclean fish in 11:9-11.  It says, “As for marine animals, you may eat whatever has both fins and scales, whether taken from fresh water or salt water.  You may not, however, eat marine animals that do not have both fins and scales.  You are to detest them, and they will always be forbidden to you.  You must never eat their meat or even touch their dead bodies.”

Where in the world am I going with this, do you wonder?

The next morning, Hannah attended her class called, “The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ.”  The teacher was on Matthew 13:47-48 which says, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that is thrown into the water and gathers fish of every kind.  When the net is full, they drag it up onto the shore, sit down, sort the good fish into crates, and then throw the bad ones away.”  Her teacher then referred back to Leviticus 11 to explain how Christ’s listeners would know exactly what He was talking about because Jews would still follow the ancient Levitical law—even when it dictated what fish to throw out and what to keep.  He then gave examples of each kind of fish.  Talk about fleshing out a relatively obscure passage from the Old Testament with the New Testament and the teachings of Christ.  So Cool!

A few days later, I was doing my Bible Study on James and we were on the verse in chapter five which says, “But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by Heaven or earth or anything else.  Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned for it.”  To fully understand this passage you really have to refer back to the instructions given on oaths in Leviticus 19.  I’m sure you can confidently guess what our assigned reading for that particular day was—Leviticus 19-21! 

Finally, yesterday in my Bible Study we talked a lot about the rainy times and the dry times in the life of a farmer as well as the life of a Christian.  The Holy Spirit rains down on us and refreshes us, but then sometimes we go through an extended dry spell or a season of trials and we wonder when the “rain” will come again.  I have certainly had moments during this season of testing which has caused me to plead with the Lord to show Himself on our behalf. 

Today, I opened my Bible to Leviticus 26-27 for our assigned reading and it says, “If you keep my laws and are careful to obey my commands, I will send the seasonal rains!  The land will then yield its crops, and the trees will produce their fruit.  Your threshing season will extend until the grape harvest, and your grape harvest will extend until it is time to plant grain again.  You will eat your fill and live securely in your land.  I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep without fear.”  This passage was like rain to my parched soul.  I was so refreshed to read His reassurances of the prophesied “weather forecast” that I called several friends AND HANNAH and shared it with them as well.  If you have been persevering through a dry spell, be encouraged.  The rain will come!

“Come, let us return to the LORD!  He has torn us in pieces; now he will heal us.  He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds.  In just a short time he will restore us so we can live in his presence.  Oh, that we might know the LORD!  Let us press on to know him!  Then he will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”  Hosea 6:1-3

The Word of God (Christ Himself) is alive and well, and if we are faithful to have ears to hear, He is faithful to teach.

Last fall, we decided the prudent thing to do would be to move our tax office to a smaller space just down the hall from our current location, but there was a problem.  And it was a big one.  The mall our business has been located in for twenty years is old and decrepit.  I’m not sure he had his facts right, but I heard one business tenant say the mall is owned by five family members, the youngest one age eighty-five!  Maybe they’ve forgotten they even own it!

Anyway, current fire code requires a sprinkler system in each space and in order to move to the new space, we had to take on the full cost of sprinkling it ourselves. The estimate came back at around $14, 500.  The bulk of that expense was running the main line through a corridor of uninhabited space just to get the sprinkler system to the offices we wanted to rent.  The mall would not help with the expense.  Frankly, we didn’t want to spend that kind of money on a sprinkler system.

Kirk decided to go to the city of Asheville and plead mercy from the fire chief.  After explaining the situation and asking for a waiver from the sprinkler requirement, Kirk was advised to make his case in writing.  We KNEW we had to be moved into the new space by Thanksgiving or we would NEVER be ready for tax season.  We were afraid the request might languish and die on his desk amidst the pile of papers, but the fire marshal assured Kirk we would have an answer in 24 hours once the written request was submitted.

Kirk called me as soon as he left the city offices.  

“Well?” I said.

“Well, he didn’t say no.”

We went to work on a letter trying to word it with just the right nuances to cater to the city of Asheville's interests as well.  We prayed over it, Kirk emailed it, and then delivered a hard copy to the city office.  I prayed while he was delivering the letter and called several others to join in.  The waiting began.

The mall manager caught wind of what we were doing and said that several others had tried to get the sprinkler system requirement waived, but to no avail.  We pressed on believing God for great and mighty things!

When the fire marshal called to give his response the next morning, he explained that the code was specific in many situations, but that it had failed to consider what to do when a business moves from a larger space to a smaller space.  Therefore, we were given the waiver and God, in that moment saved us $14, 500.

Stepping out in faith can feel scary at times.  But when we do, we give God an opportunity to show us He hears our prayers, He is sovereign, and He really cares.   We moved into the new space in time for tax season, and have been daily reminded of how perfect the space is for our business. 

Thanks, God.  You’re totally amazing!

(We now pray against fire!)

 "The Pineapple Story” brings a chuckle every time we watch it as the missionary works so hard to raise his pineapples only to have the natives swipe them over and over. Even after the missionary has repeatedly asked them not to take his pineapples anymore, they continue to do so until finally, in frustration, he says to them, “I would be such a good missionary if it weren’t for you people!”

On my unhappiest days, when the children were young, I had a similar mindset. I would think to myself variations of the same complaint that might be summed up as, “I was such a better mother before I ever had children.”  We only like to make it about ourselves when it works to our benefit and not to our shame, don’t we?  Surely it’s our unengaged husband or lack of money or a child’s behavior or even the difficult task of parenting which keeps us from our joy and contentment in Christ--certainly not ourselves!

 I was reminded of this when reading Numbers as part of my yearly sojourn through the Bible.  Chapter eleven records the faithful Jewish mamas serving manna to their families yet again, and we can imagine the murmurings as they discuss the boring repetition their suffering taste buds had to endure.  Good grief!  How mundane can it get? Manna, manna, manna! Manna in the morning and manna in the evening.  Perhaps they said, “We would be such good followers of you, LORD, if it weren’t for all this manna!”

 The word that really caught my attention was in verse 10 where it says, “Moses heard all the families standing in front of their tents weeping, and the LORD became extremely angry.”  Wide eyed children watched as Mom and Dad chose to handle this situation by openly complaining to God; the kids followed suit by joining in.

 It sends shivers up and down my spine to think of all that my children have absorbed from my moments of discontent when faced with the repetitive ministry of laundry, housework, making meals, and playing referee to  pointless arguments.

 There was a time when I wondered if I would ever get it through my head that the grass is not greener somewhere else.  Would I ever cease my striving and know and experience that He is God enough to bring contentment and joy into any situation?  Would I ever stop looking for Heaven on earth? Would God make me a contented mom who comes to the doorway of my “tent” to daily give God praise for clothes to wear (and wash), houses to live in (and clean),  and children to teach (and discipline)?    

 Hannah Whitall Smith said, “He does not need to transplant us into a different field….  He transforms the very things that were before our greatest hindrances, into the chiefest and most blessed means of our growth.  No difficulties in your case can baffle Him….  Put yourself absolutely into His hands, and let Him have His own way with you.”

 May God continue to use my moments of discontent as a roadmap to open my eyes to the blessings and promises I have in the Ancient of Days who loves me enough to teach me to find my satisfaction in Him and Him alone.  May it be for the wide-eyed children’s sake who may consciously or unconsciously follow my example--and for God’s glory. 

Quotes from my personal reading this past week:

“You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.” -Anne Lamott

“God Himself is our resource for holy living.  The indwelling Holy Spirit not only companions with us personally, he provides wonderful means for growth and victory that we can see and touch and utilize—scripture, prayer, and the church.  But these resources do not work automatically.  We must have a particular response to release their effectiveness in our lives.  It is the same uncomplicated response that brings salvation—faith.”  -Robertson McQuilkin

“We can underline our Bibles till our pens run dry without a drop of ink splattering our lives.  The self-deception slithers in when we mistake appreciation for application or being touched with being changed.”  -Beth Moore

"Fear is disobedience." -David Jeremiah

“What is it that causes people to shake like leaves today at the first hint of danger?  It is simply the lack of God living in their soul, and having the world in their hearts instead.”  -R Leighton

“I have seen people copy the whole Bible by hand in notebooks so they can have their own copy….The Bible is the scariest weapon in the world.”  -Christian Worker in Iran

“If you become saturated with the Bible, you will always be able to find some comfort and strength in every situation in life.  I have read it systematically for forty-four years, and am finding today that the Lord continually brings to mind the things from it I need to meet the temptations and problems of life.  I am on my twenty-eighth trip through the Bible this year making notes as I feel led….I pray for you usually four times a day.”  -Excerpt from a letter written by Philip E. Howard when he was sixty-three years old to his son.  Dr. Howard was Elizabeth Elliot’s father.

"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and to discover that the prisoner was you." -Lewis B. Smedes

I wish this eight minute video would go viral.  It shows the Sier tribe speaking the name of Christ in belief for the first time ever...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1gShS_UbxI

Larry Burkett often said there was something that we’re each uniquely qualified to do, and our job is to find out what that is and do it to the glory of God.  That seems to be the theme in at least three of the five documentaries I enjoyed in the year 2011—strong individuals showing such nonconformity.  Unfortunately, they may not have used their God given talents for His glory.  There’s a sobering lesson in that, isn’t there?

1. Buck  I grew up doing the rodeo thing and had friends who were trick ropers and/or trick riders.  For all I know I could have seen Buck and his brother perform when they were children.  If he hadn’t endured such abuse as a child, would he still have grown up to become the horse whisperer?   Are horses able to intuitively sense his emotional scars and trust him as a result? A couple scenes from this movie are permanently embedded in my memory; especially one where it looks like Buck is having a mental conversation with a horse while they stare at each other.  Then to everyone’s amazement, the horse that wouldn’t do anything for anyone does exactly what Buck wants it to do.

2. Exporting Raymond   This may be the funniest documentary I’ve ever seen.  I didn’t watch or particularly care for the sitcom called Everybody Loves Raymond, but I was curious enough to watch this documentary to find out how the Russians would receive our culture’s brand of humor. The “wardrobe expert” was certainly one tall order!  I also loved the scene where Rosenthal has a Russian family skype his American family!  It is easy to see how his parents helped inspire the original TV show.

3. I have never forgotten You:  The Life and Legacy of Simon Wiesenthal   Viewers first learn that Mr. Wiesenthal lost an unimaginable ninety family members in the Holocaust.  We then watch him evolve into one of the most successful Nazi Hunters of all time—catching over one thousand war criminals.  I have studied a little about World War II and the atrocities the Jews faced, but I learned some things in this documentary that I had never run across in any of my other reading. Warning--this one’s not for children.

4. Please Vote for Me  The first scene is a third grade Chinese girl getting asked what democracy is and what it means to vote.  Perplexed, she has no answer.  The simple story of a classroom in China being permitted to elect their class monitor ensues.  This short film shows how clearly different we are from the Chinese.  At the same time, it painfully shows how similar we are.  Insightful. 

5. Still Bill  Watching seventy year old Bill Withers (Lean on Me) go about his life while sharing his simple philosophy was mesmerizing.  In fact, I watched it twice through which is rare indeed.  When he visits the school for young stutterers and shares his own testimony of what it was like to stutter until he was twenty eight years old, I wept.  People would impatiently say to him, “Well, spit it out son!”  As if he could but simply wouldn’t!  He learned to store up in his heart “prepared forgiveness” for those who didn’t know any better.  What an amazing definition of grace.

Let me know what you think!

My first mistake this morning was to mentally take inventory of our current list of trials--before my feet even touched the floor.  I felt a need to remind God of each one just in case He had forgotten one or two of them, as they are currently manifold. My shoulders sagged.  I could hardly breathe.

In hindsight, a better way to rejoice about and in the new day that the Lord has made would have been to inventory His character qualities.  Or His promises!  Or truths from Ssripture that are hidden in my heart.  Or my blessings. 

My second mistake was to convince myself I needed to unload my heap of tribulations on an unsuspecting friend—someone who had yet to hear the litany of struggles against my person.  I was fully convinced by now (because of my aforementioned first mistake) that no one on the face of this planet had it nearly as difficult as me.  I went searching for my friend, but upon finding her, I quickly saw her present trials had already reduced her to tears!  I ended up listening to her and praying for her instead!

I finally got around to praying for perspective and my sweet Lord whispered to me for the umpteenth time, “Let not your heart be troubled.  Believe me.”

When I arrived home and checked email, I found the following Puritan poem waiting for me in my inbox.  It was exactly what I needed to be reminded of today.  Perhaps it will minister to you as well.

"O LORD,
I bless thee that the issue of the battle between thyself and Satan has never been uncertain,
and will end in victory.

Calvary broke the dragon's head, and I contend with a vanquished foe,
who with all his subtlety and strength
has already been overcome.
When I feel the serpent at my heel
may I remember Him whose heel was bruised,
but Who, when bruised, broke the devil's head.

My soul with inward joy extols the mighty conqueror.

Heal me of any wounds received in the great conflict;
if I have gathered defilement,
if my faith has suffered damage,
if my hope is less than bright,
if my love is not fervent,
if some creature-comfort occupies my heart,
if my soul sinks under pressure of the fight.

O thou whose every promise is balm, every touch life,

draw near to thy weary warrior,
refresh me, that I may rise again to wage the strife,
and never tire until my enemy is trodden down.

Give me such fellowship with thee that I may defy Satan, unbelief, the flesh, the world,
with delight that comes not from a creature,
and which a creature cannot mar.

Give me a draught of the eternal fountain that lieth in thy immutable,
everlasting love and decree.
Then shall my hand never weaken,
my feet never stumble,
my sword never rest,
my shield never rust,
my helmet never shatter,
my breastplate never fall,
as my strength rests in the power of thy might."

Here's a rousing call for each one of us to heed!  Let's go forth in victory in the name of Jesus Christ!

I am drawn to writers such as Bob George, Bill and Anabel Gilham, Robertson McQuilkin, Ray Stedman, and, of course, my husband because they teach clearly about our freedom which is found in Christ through Christ alone.  I call it New Covenant teaching.  Lately, I’ve been reading Timothy Keller. I have found his writing to be refreshing for the same reasons as the aforementioned authors.  He shares this apocryphal story in his instant classic, The Prodigal God.

One day Jesus said to his disciples: “I’d like you to carry a stone for Me.”  He didn’t give any explanation.  So the disciples looked around for a stone to carry, and Peter, being the practical sort, sought out the smallest stone he could possible find.  After all, Jesus didn’t give any regulations for weight and size!  So he put it in his pocket.  Jesus then said: “Follow Me.”  He led them on a journey.

 About noontime Jesus had everyone sit down.  He waved his hands and all the stones turned to bread.  He said, “Now it’s time for lunch.”  In a few seconds, Peter’s lunch was over.  When lunch was done Jesus told them to stand up.  He said again, “I’d like you to carry a stone for me.”  This time Peter said, “Aha, now I get it!”  So he looked around and saw a small boulder.  He hoisted it on his back and it was painful.  It made him stagger.  But he said, “I can’t wait for supper.”  Jesus then said: “Follow me.”  He led them on a journey, with Peter barely being able to keep up.

Around supper time Jesus led them to the side of a river.  He said, “Now everyone throw your stones into the water.”  They did.  Then he said, “Follow Me,” and began to walk.  Peter and the others looked at him dumbfounded.  Jesus sighed and said, “Don’t you remember what I asked you to do?  Who were you carrying the stone for?”

The quote from Timothy Keller I will close with is this…

 “If you think goodness and decency is the way to merit a good life from God, you will be eaten up with anger, since life never goes as we wish.  You will always feel that you are owed more than you are getting.  You will always see someone doing better than you in some aspect of life and will ask, “Why this person and not me?  After all I’ve done!”  This resentment is your own fault.  It is caused not by the prosperity of the other person, but by your own effort to control life through your performance.”

“So Christ has really set us free!  Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.”  Galatians 5:1 (NLT)