Problem solved - God is good

We have sold our homestead in Indiana and have less than a week now to pack and move to Minnesota!!!!! We prayed the Lord would bring just the right folks and that He would continue to use this place for His glory. I just talked with the new owners yesterday and the woman told me she knew God brought her to this place. She knew we were Christians when we walked in the door and the decorative painting drew her as well. One room has a prayer of St. Patrick's painted as the border.

When I painted our walls and murals four years ago, I had a sense that I was painting them for our temporary enjoyment, but that I was also painting them for the next family that was supposed to live in this house. I told the woman that the Lord had me paint those walls for her.

She confessed that she was a backslidden Chrstian and was ready to turn her life around again. Her mother died two years ago and her last wish was that all of her children would walk with Jesus. She is from upstate New York, grew up in the country and really wanted that for her young children as well. She wasn't surprised that we home-educated and asked some questions about it. Towards the end of our conversation, she shared she thought she might re-consider homeschooling. Before she left our home, my daughter played the piano for her and she reciprocated by playing some songs she had composed as well as some hymns.

God is so good!

The theme song of our move is one sung by Buddy Davis:

"Problem solved, God is good, He fixed the problem just like I knew He would...."

We will be offline for a while now. We will have no electricity once we move north for a time. We had such a short notice and it takes time for electricians and electric company to get their part done... plus the ground is still frozen up there, so it is going to be difficutl for my husband to dig a trench to bury the cable in. We will check back in when we have some "juice"!

Blessings to all,

Lisa Mesko

01:32 - 2006-Mar-21 - post comment

God is good

So glad to hear that all is going according to His plan for you. Glad to know that you'll be close too. Need any help? Write and let me know.
In His Service,
Rhonda

borderling - 02:20 - 2006-Mar-21

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The Rat Trap and One Happy Girl

The Barn Rat is no longer among us thanks to a unique trap and a brave girl. You see, we've had a rat in our barn. The cats are too scared of it to have it for lunch - it's about as big as they are. The girls and I were watching one of our goats deliver her kids while this rat watched us. Very strange to actually see this big dude watch us...

Well, we had had it. How could we get rid of this creature? We didn't wish to use poisons for our dogs, cats or chickens could be effected by it. The dogs, cats or chickens could also get into a rat trap. Hmmm... We had the inexpensive idea of setting up one of our large trash cans with some grain at the bottom to attract the rat. Lo and behold, it worked! The critter let his stomach get him into trouble and couldn't get out of the trash can. 

Our 10 year old was so excited that our trap worked. She also really wanted to be the one to kill it. Now, you must understand, she is a very feminine young lady and derives no thrills from killing animals. After reading so many stories of pioneer women and farm women who were very much feminine, yet didn't hesitate to rise to the challenge of protecting their families or animals if need be, she was inspired to stretch herself beyond her comfort zone. So, she grabbed Daddy's shovel, set her lips in a firm line, squared up her shoulders and went to work. And that is the end of the story for that rascally Barn Rat!

12:19 - 2006-Mar-15 - post comment

Our daughter does this too

Abbey now 12 has always killed the mice, got them out of traps for me & tackes them off the cats when they bring their treasures inside.

Abbey is also a girlie girl who loves animals - but rodents as she calls them no way!!!

Wacko to your dd.

Love Leanne NZ

TheGoodLife - 12:46 - 2006-Mar-15

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New Podcast

 We made a new podcast with a very interesting sponsor. My husband was very creative with this one. Click here and then click on podcast  http://noblecalling.blogspot.com/

The Farmer's Wife

Lisa Mesko

09:26 - 2006-Mar-8 - post comment

Farm Restoration - The Beginning

I've just returned from Minnesota, where the restoration of the original homestead has begun. Obviously, it will be slow at first, and as time and finances allow, this place will be brought back to life.

Pictured here is the house I returned to from being born at a local hospital, in March of 1966. We lived there until 1973, when we moved into a new house my parents built on the farm.

They actually moved there in 1963, and fixed up the partially failing house then. There is much to tell about this old house. We think it was built in the 1890's. Some of the hardwood flooring taken up by my folks about 10 years ago indicated a date of 1896 from a local mill. That's about all I know at this point. The 160 acre farm was homesteaded in the 1880's (we think) and that seems to be when the old barn was built; but more on that later.

In the 1940's the farm was bought by my Mother's uncle, who farmed it for about 10-12 years. My mom visited often as a child, and has many good memories. The farm left the family then, and changed hands a few times before my dad happened upon it while on a business trip to the area in 1961. While describing it to my mom on the phone, she said it sounded like her uncle's farm, but my dad didn't think it was. He bought it, and rented it out for a couple of years, and then moved the family (2 boys and a girl, and my mom) there in '63.

Imagine the surprise as my mother drove up the drive for the first time, realizing that she was going to be living in the house she visited as a child...

We lived in the house and farmed the farm until 1973, when the new house was built. The older children beginning to move away from the farm, the need for such a large home was past. The house was rented to various tenants until about 1988 or so, and has sat empty, slowly decaying until now.

The old brick farmhouse is one of many like it in the area, and the bricks all came from a now defunct old town appropriately named, "Brickton." Must have been a good brickmaker and salesman there.... Anyway, as you will see in subsequent posts, this house is in very poor condition, having sat vacant for so long.

It is with fear and trepidation that we undertake the repairs of such magnitude, but in reality, if you can get past the initial shock of rotting wood, and plaster falling all about, the structure is relatively sound. In my view, the challenge will be in the wiring and plumbing and heating phases.

Temporarily, we will live in a trailer house (excuse me "Manufactured Home") that has been placed near this old house, but is not in the picture. There's a fair bit of prep work needed on the trailer as well, but should be made livable in a few days, and will be ready for winter of next year in time.

Good Farmer John

09:21 - 2006-Mar-8 - post comment

Home

Who says you can't go home again? It sounds like work, but well worth it. I went house shopping today. Looks like we might temporarily be in a "manufactured home" until we can build. We've decided to build without taking out any loans.
Keep us posted on your progress.
Rhonda

borderling - 05:53 - 2006-Mar-8

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