Faith Farm

1Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

4But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. 7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Final Instructions

16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

19Do not put out the Spirit's fire; 20do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22Avoid every kind of evil.

23May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

25Brothers, pray for us. 26Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. 27I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

Well-Hmmmm

Ever have one of those days that just make you go.......Well, Hmmmm. What to do now? Thats how I feel tonight. The gentleman that I get my alfalfa from decided to grow corn (go figure) so he tilled up the field. Strike one---Then the family close to me that I get Bermuda hay from is not going to bale this year due to cost...understandable. Strike two. But now I'm back to square one. I'll have to drive further and pay more for this years hay. I don't have the land or the right equipment to bale my own. Every foot on this 10 acres is being used or going to be used for something.....HMMMMMM....Its a good thing I know God will help me out on this one cause right now all I got is ....Well, Hmmmm. Something will come up.

OK on another note----My BF went to buy flour today...it went up by more than double in the last 2 months. Let me tell ya---I think this is only the beginning. I wish it wasn't but I think there is going to be alot of adapting and overcoming in the future. I have no doubt that we will be able to meet our needs-I do wonder to what extent we will have to adapt to the different changes. Its one thing to make less trips to town and conserve our resourses. You have to ask yourself-with all thats going on --all the increases in costs--at what point will we have to make drastic changes in our lifestyle. I am blessed to be able to meet the basic needs of our family on our homestead but we are far from living self-suffeciently and off the grid. What seemed to be an extreme scenario only a few months ago is looking more and more possible. What surprises me most about all this is how rapidly it seems to be spiraling downward. I have to admit--it wouldn't have surprised me for terrorist to hack into our power grid and shut it all down in a second--or do some unspeakable thing to cause havoc. Yes I went through a very creative imaginative stage of possibilities after 9/11, but in none of these imaginary scenarios did I ever think we would seriously be talking about things falling apart the way they are. So much for Shock and Awe-LOL. Its kind of like pulling a bandade off really slowly. Ouch--ouch-things are changing-ouch-ouch. I don't know which way is easier. Rip it off and feel the sting and get over it or pulling it off really slowly-pulling out each hair individually along the way. Either way you have the same result, its just how you get there. Am I ready for it?---well hmmmmm---in someways yes in some ways no. Will we make it through whatever comes-Yes. Will I have to change the way I do things? Probably. Am I willing to live without electricity, computers, automatic washing machines, power equipment...you know all that stuff we use everyday...for an extended time? Hmmmm-I'm willing, just not wanting to. Will it get to that point? I don't know. But I do know that whatever comes we will adapt and find a rhythm and a peace and eventually a joy in what each day holds. Its an odd thing to ponder....but not so far from reality. Who would have ever thought it? I guess our Grandparents (or Great Grandparents) did, huh?

Blessings>faithfarm

Front door-back door?

Need a pattern-maternity scrubs

For all you Okie's!

You are 100% Oklahoman if:

1. You can properly pronounce Eufaula, Gotebo, Okemah, and Chickasha .

2. You think that people who complain about the wind in their states are sissies.

3. A tornado warning siren is your signal to go out in the yard and look for a funnel.

4. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor on the highway.

5. You've ever had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.

6. You know that the true value of a parking space is not determined by the distance to the door, but by the availability of shade.

7. Stores don't have bags, they have sacks.

8. You see people wear bib overalls at funerals.

9. You think everyone from a bigger city has an accent.

10. You measure distance in minutes. ("I'm about 5 minutes away.")

11. You refer to the capital of Oklahoma as "The City."

12. It doesn't bother you to use an airport named for a man who died in an airplane
crash.

13. Little smokies are something you serve only for special occasions.

14. You go to the lake because you think it is like going to the ocean.

15. You listen to the weather forecast before picking out an outfit.

16. You know cowpies are not made of beef.

17. Someone you know has used a football schedule to plan their wedding date.

18. You have known someone who has had one belt buckle bigger than your fist.

19. A bad traffic jam involves two cars staring each other down at a four- way stop, each determined to be the most polite! and let the other go first.

20. You know in which state "Miam-uh" is and ! in which state "Miam-ee" is.

21. You aren't surprised to find movie rental, ammunition, and bait all in the same store.

22. Your "place at the lake" has wheels under it.

23. A Mercedes Benz is not a status symbol. A Ford F350 4x4 is.

24. You know everything goes better with Ranch.

25. You learned how to shoot a gun before you learned how to multiply.

26. You actually get these jokes and are "fixin" to send them to your friends..

27. Finally, you are 100% Oklahoman if you have ever heard this conversation:

"You wanna Coke?"

"Yeah."

"What kind?"

"Dr. Pepper."

Government Card

Government Card
A Department of Water representative stopped at a farm and talked with
an
old farmer. He told the farmer, "I need to inspect your farm for your
water
allocation."

The old farmer said, "OK, but don't go in that field over there."

The Water representative said, "Mister, I have the authority of the
Federal
Government with me. See this card? The card means I am allowed to go
WHEREVER I WISH on any agricultural land. No questions asked or
answered.
Have I made myself clear? Do you understand?'"

The old farmer nodded politely and went about his farm chores. Later,
the
old farmer heard loud screams and saw the Water Rep running for the
fence
and close behind was the farmer's huge-horned prize bull. The bull was
gaining on the Water Rep with every step. The Rep was clearly
terrified, so
the old farmer immediately threw down his tools, ran to the fence and
shouted out ...

"Your card! Your card! Show him your card!"

Tax rebate update

Did you see the article that tax rebate checks will be arriving earlier than planned? It is at

Just thought you might be interested in that little tid-bit. I have company coming (a day earlier than expected-lol) today so now I have to be SUPERWOMAN House Cleaner in a hurry--Hope you all have a great and Blessed Day! >faithfarm

Ok, so things are changing........

Prices are going up on everything, work is sporadic at best, weather is odd, politics stink, people are doing strange things, the earth is moaning and groaning in unusual places, strange lights in the sky, food shortages and violence across the globe....need I go on? It's everywhere. It got me to thinking this morning.....this is why we do what we do. Homesteaders, homesteaders-at-heart, or homeschoolers....we are a bit unconventional (Thank God for that). We look at things a little different than the "norm". We care about how we raise our children, what we put in our bodies, and how we spend our time here on earth. We are passionate people with a yearning for learning. We care about our neighbors and have compassion for those in need. We appreciate the "simple things in life". Yes, the world is getting harder to live in. It is forcing us to make changes, learn new things, become more resourceful. But isn't that who we are? We do things differently than the main stream and are proud of that. Are we not made for a time such as this? It doesn't matter if we live in the city or in the country we have Grit: Character, pluck, perserverance: the courage and resolve to stick, despite circumstances that might daunt others. (to pun a phrase) It is a time for us to shine, to enjoy what we have been given. Its in God's Hands and I pray that he uses my hands to do His Will. Blessings>faithfarm

You might be a homesteader if.....

14>if "taking the day off" means you've fed, watered, milked, cleaned and washed already.

15>if you don't turn on the air conditioner because "then it will just feel too hot outside!"

20> if your neighbors slow down in front of your drive to see whats new. (if they can even see your house from the road)

21>Last but not least............if the locals refer to you by the animals you keep....goat lady, chicken lady, rabbit lady, dairy lady, you know the farm down the road.......

How do you get it all done?

Thats the million dollar question of the day! Anyone have any suggestions on how to get more daylight out of our day-lol? My DH was telling me a story last week about when he was younger. He had watched a movie about farmers and he remembered thinking....."why are they always in such a hurry? They live and work on there own farm?!" We both fell over laughing. Who would have ever thought you could be soooo busy. Up before dawn, racing to get accomplished everything that HAS to be done each day---finishing up when the day is gone. Only to get up the next morning and tackle the next days tasks. Don't get me wrong---we love what we do---you have to love it...why else would you work this hard? LOL It all has its own rewards and heartbreaks but none of which would I change...good and bad. Its all worth it. But I would like to know how to get everything done in the house and outside in the summer! For those of you who read my blog you know I have often joked about having two seasons....Inside season (winter) and outside season (spring, summer, and fall). How do I get done all that needs to be done in the house when so much needs to be done during 'outside season'? I have simplified my house making it easier to manage. I "cook ahead" freezer meals for those long days outside and I frequently use the crock pot (oh how I love the crock). I do laundry in the morning and hang it on the line to dry. Thats about it. Everything else gets a kiss and a promise for later. Any of you wise homesteaders have suggestions for me? Any secrets of the trade you want to share? Have a blessed night! >faithfarm

A little bit of everything!

Good Morning! Can you believe it is Friday! Wow how the week has flown by. As always things have been busy around here. My oldest son will be graduating in a few weeks and there is a flurry of important activities and events for him between now and then. It is such an exciting time for children of that age. My daughter is wrapping up the semester at CO-OP. We went on a field trip to an ice cream factory this week. That is a fun trip if anyone is looking for activities for children. And of course its planting season here on the farm. The weather has been mostly mild this week (a little wet). The plants in the greenhouse are all starting to grow and get ready for outside planting. The goat kids are growing fast and decisions on what to do with who are being made. I am thinking about cart training one of the new kids. I could use a strong cart puller! It ought to be an exciting adventure---if any of you has any experience with this I would greatly appreciate some advice. The chicks and new rabbits are all doing fine. The Rabbitry is almost completed. I am still working on the cages and it needs a good coat of paint. The new chicks from McMurreys are scheduled to arrive on Monday. We are putting the finishing touches on the new coop this weekend. We have family coming in next month so I am trying to get everything looking ship-shape for the visit. I spent an entire day this week cleaning out cabnets and drawers....it needed to be done. Today I am doing the usual chores around the house and barn, then I will be taking some pictures of everything to send to my sister. She really misses home and it is such a great time of the year with everything in bloom. I will also be doing some "cooking ahead" for the weekend and working on DD studies. We are about to wrap up the year of class work then we will be doing reviews and reading over the summer. I like to keep "school" light during the summer. It also keeps things fresh in her mind. We just spend an hour or two during the heat of the day in the summer doing classwork....nothing too hard....I try to keep it as fun as possible in the summer mixing her interests with what I am trying to teach her. It is a great time to try new things! Well I better get this day started if I am going to get everything done. Blessings to you! >faithfarm

Important-parentalrights.org

Please take a few min. of your day and go to the website to watch this 3-min. video. This is about all our children....homeschool, private, or public educated.

Time

Good Morning! I can't believe another Monday has come....time just goes by so fast anymore. I know we have all heard that and probably felt that way at times-lol. But I'm telling you--In my life this is the fastest its ever flown by. Each day is full of its own things to do. Maybe its just the season, I do not know. I remembered the verse in Mathew------------

Matthew 6:34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble

Staff of Bread Broken?

A while back it was put on my heart to prepare for a time of lack--now I don't know what that time of lack is or will be (work, finances,hardship,ect) but I am grateful for the wisdom. As I was reading this morning I seen many articles and news stories refering to world shortages of wheat, corn, and rice. There are many reasons given for this ranging from weather, disease, gov. control, alternative usages of crops-ie-biofuels, population increases, ect. The list goes on and on. Predictions for future crops fall way below the consumption rate for future years-including this year according to some. A news release this morning stated that rioting has already begun in some countries like Egypt over food shortages. One of the odd things about it all is that it is happening globally. They are refering it as a global food shortage or a global food crisis. I looked up the definition of crisis:

1.	a stage in a sequence of events at which the trend of all future events, esp. for better or for worse, is determined; turning point.

2.	a condition of instability or danger, as in social, economic, political, or international affairs, leading to a decisive change.

The definition of shortage: ˈshortage [-tidʒ] noun-- a lack; the state of not having enough

If you look up the staff of your wheat or the supply of bread in the Bible-there are many-many verses talking about this. Here are just a few:

Now....Its just me...here on the farm...I don't know about global politics or global warming or anything like that....but I do know that my food and feed prices have jumped terribly. I know that it is hard for Americans to think about a time of not being able to get what they need. We have been truely blessed here for a long time.....I'm just not sure if thats going to be the case anymore. I'm praying for Wisdom regarding these things. I'm praying for the works of my hands to be fruitful. I think maybe we should all be praying on these matters. Thats whats on my heart this morning. Blessings>faithfarm

Faith Farm

Good Morning!

What I'm studying today

Final Instructions

Well-Hmmmm

Front door-back door?

Need a pattern-maternity scrubs

For all you Okie's!

Government Card

Tax rebate update

Ok, so things are changing........

You might be a homesteader if.....

How do you get it all done?

A little bit of everything!

Important-parentalrights.org

Time

Staff of Bread Broken?

A first!

outside!

A Miracle!!!!!!

Spring!?!

Update/parents

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