Shepherds Hill

 

My, My, My!  I know that you all must think that I have fallen off the planet.  It has been so long since I have written anything on this page.  But no, we are all still here and loving the Lord and walking His plan for our lives, but our schedule has just been incredibly involved with gardening, family, preparing for graduation and canning, canning, canning.

So let me try to update you so that we can get back on track with posting more often and sharing what the Lord is doing on a regular basis.

 

Checking back over my last “Just Thinking” I see that we were recovering from some serious medical problems.  Well, praise the Lord we are all doing much better.  Haley’s ankle is healing nicely.  She still has to walk carefully and use a bandage from time to time but she has been released by the doctor and she can wear shoes again.  Erin is settled nicely into her new truck.  Not that she is living in it or anything, but it is driving well and although it does drink a lot of gas, it has caused her no problems mechanically and it has been a tremendous help here on the farm.  On my medical issues, I am much better.  My iron levels are rising and I can go all week without needing a nap during the middle of the day.  I believe that I will still need to supplement with the additional iron medication but I am praising the Lord that there is a medication out there to help bring it up.  Hopefully with fall coming on, which of course, is the time for collards, spinach, kale, rape, turnips and mustard greens, I am going to be able to munch my way to iron rich blood!  Yummy on the greens!!!

 

Last week we held Olivia’s graduation from high school.  What an incredible night that was.  We were surrounded by folks that are very dear to us, all of our children were able to be here and the tears and laughter flowed.  Olivia played Ave Marie for her piano piece and God truly blessed her efforts.  Paul delivered the “Charge to the Graduate” and it  was a message for us all. When it was time to hand Olivia her diploma, I felt weak, but when I was through and sat down, I knew in my heart that I could truly be at peace that she was ready for whatever the Lord has for her future.  Several folks came forward and shared something about Olivia that was personal to them and it was a pure joy to hear how these other people in her life felt about her.

 

When all that was done, my family surprised me with another part of our program that I didn’t know anything about.  The girls had prepared a power point display about me and Paul and our role in their schooling and parenting them.  Needless to say there was not a dry eye in the house, including the many men that were here.  These beautiful daughters had searched photo albums and written things from their hearts on each and every slide.  It lasted about 15 minutes.  Then they gave me a beautiful dish garden with different types of foliage plants. (I love plants!!) Paul then surprised me with a gift from him – a four foot tall potted Bougainvillea in full bloom.  It is gorgeous.  He also had me a new cookbook that he had found.  My body, mind and emotions were all drained but my spirit was soaring.  Can a woman possibly contain any more blessing than this? 

 

One of the wonderful blessings of the night was that my eldest brother, Duke and his wife Terry came to share this important evening with us.  It is beyond words for me to explain how much this meant to all of us. 

 

With this graduation we bid farewell to my years as a homeschooling mother.  Hopefully I will be able to assist our children as they homeschool their own children in the future.  I know that this is their desire and our prayers are with them that the Lord will bring this about.  I have spent much time in thought and prayer over the fact that I will no longer be spending my days educating my children, grading school papers, going over math problems and planning the curriculum for the next school year.  Mmmmmm. . . . not sure what life is going to look like after this.  I honestly never thought it would be a big deal – school has been such a focus of our daily lives for so long.  Families who send their children off to school are separated from their child every week day for 8 hours a day, so when graduation occurs there is not a lot of change.  A homeschooling mother spends every day – 12 to 16 hours a day schooling because they know that every opportunity is vital.  (Those who send their children off to school, please understand that I am not saying you are not a caring parent.) 

 

We are all excited about the beginning of this new adventure.  Olivia has already set her sights on the areas of homestead crafting that she is going to pursue – woodworking. Her daddy is very impressed with her “eye” for detail and now when she asks for a gift it is usually a special piece of wood or a book with patterns.  I do believe that she may branch out further into larger wood pieces, including furniture.  We shall watch with excitement where the Lord leads her.

 

Let’s see, what else is going on?  The garden!  We just this past week got the areas of the garden that had played out, tilled and ready for amending and planting for fall.  The tomatoes are still bearing though they are looking pretty worn out.  The pole beans are re-blooming since we are getting a bit more rain lately, thanks to Tropical Storm Fay.  Our Cowhorn Okra is going like gangbusters.   Peppers are peppering and if anyone wants some Habaneras, please come on over. We have plenty.  Erin has used her new truck to move quite a few truck loads of mulch for me.  She and Paul have re-mulched the herb garden and flower garden with at least 6 new inches of wood chips and pine straw.  It looks so nice.  Next we will begin incorporating compost into the vegetable areas and working that in. 

 

Our pantry is overflowing at this point with much of the Lord’s bounty.   Figs, Blueberries, Apples and Pears by the bushels have been coming in regularly.  The scripture that tells us He will pour out a blessing on us that we cannot contain, is very clear to us through all of this.  Green beans, squash, okra, purple hull peas, corn – God is good!

 

Coming up we have several events – Olivia’s 17^th birthday is this coming Tuesday.  My birthday is coming up in about a week and our Homesteader’s Day is a couple of weeks away.  Everyone is busy getting their area ready for the Day and preparing their part of the classes. Folks are coming from Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.  What a fun time we are going to have.  If you are interested in being part, please do email me right away so that I can get your name on the list.  While our family will be teaching the classes, personally I am most looking forward to the conversations and discussions that will come forth just being together with so many like-minded and like-hearted folks.

 

Lest I forget another very important event that just took place this past Friday night.  Our little grandson, Evan, had his first birthday party.  This Granny and Pawpaw’s heart melted right along with the ice cream. All of us were there except for Haley who had to work and was not able to get off on time.  Amanda had hot dogs and chips for supper and then she made tons of little cupcakes.  Evan, of course, had no idea what to do with the candle burning on his so he got a little help in blowing it out from his cousins, Natalie and Nicole, but he knew exactly what to do with his cupcake!   What a precious baby boy we have and I am so proud of all that his Momma, our Amanda, has done.  She loves that baby so much and does a wonderful job taking care of him. 

 

Jacob and Naomi are doing well – we have been blessed to have some extra time with them lately and that is always wonderful. I want to ask for prayer for Naomi – she is having some tests done this week to check on a little problem, but we are confident that the Lord is taking care of it.  Natalie and Nicole have started back to school.  Natalie is in the 3^rd grade now and Nicole has started kindergarten.  They really like their teachers so that is a blessing. 

 

Haley and Erin have been hard at work as always and the practicum begins this week.  This is where the folks come in from all over the world for a 10 week training in medical, cultural, micro-business, and agricultural areas.  It will be very intense time and the staff is in overdrive making sure that everything functions well.  Haley is the program manager for the campus so she has her plate full to overflowing, but this is a tremendous time of ministry and learning.  Erin is the Food Services manager so she will be in charge of feeding all those folks, three meals a day, seven days a week.  Thankfully there has finally been some help hired for her and some folks in the community also come in and offer their services during this time.  Again, she will be on the front row of meeting, ministering to and learning from these precious brothers and sisters from the 3^rd world.  Please do keep them in your prayers – I am sure they will be posting praise reports on their pages throughout the next couple of months.

 

Last but definitely not least – Sarah.  Well, Sarah is the first one up and the last in bed usually.  Her sewing business is continuing to be a blessing in every way.  It provides her with the bulk of her monthly income and gives her such an amazing opportunity to “meet” sisters online from all over the world and help them to build their plain and modest wardrobe. One thing we are so pleased with is the amount of return customers that Sarah has.  Paul and I have watched her over the last couple of years as she has matured as a seamstress but also as a business manager.  God has gifted her with an incredible ability to organize and manage.  She is also the Nanny for little Darius.  When the Lord determines it is time for her to marry, she is going to be such a good mother.  She has matured so that other mothers are now writing to her for advice in child-rearing.  I love it! 

 

Some of you may be wishing that I had not found the time to write – this has turned into an encyclopedia, hasn’t it?!!!  Paul is fishing. Erin and a friend of hers, Jason, have gone for a walk.  Haley is working on her computer and Sarah and Olivia are walking through the woods.  So I will close for now and get back to work on a sweater I am knitting for Paul. I always ask the Lord how I am to close my little posts here and so allow me to share what He is sharing with me.   

 

Last year we suffered through an incredible drought – a historic drought according to those who would know.  Many are still suffering in the drought.  This year we have had a normal amount of rain and it has been such a relief and blessing to us to see life coming back into the plants and trees again.  Last year, each drop of water was so rare that we found ourselves ultra protective of all water. Waste was not allowed and even sometimes the water was measured out to make sure there was no waste. How easy it would be for us to become less attentive now that we have an abundance of rain. I see this in lives sometimes too.  When there is a crisis or struggle and there is no human way to answer the situation, people will focus intently on God and His will.  They will scour the Bible for any tiny shred of help they can find.  They will seek out people who are walking Holy and ask for prayer and counsel.  Their knees become worn from hours in prayer and the tears will often flow.  But when the crisis is over, the intensity subsides.  Instead of determination, the excuses begin.  Instead of weeping and prayer, discussions and human reasoning kicks in.  How sad.  How tragic that we so easily forget our need.  

 

The Old Testament is a history of God’s chosen people.  It is a clear example of the process of obedience, then blessing, then complacency, then disobedience, then defeat and suffering, then repentance, then repentance, then obedience, then blessing, then - well, you get the picture.  Beware dear friends, that Satan seeks to destroy God’s children.  He hates unity and order.  He hates it when God’s people walk together in obedience to His Holy Word.  Satan is wise and he knows how to lull you into a place of compromise.  Pay attention!  Don’t allow yourself to fall into the pattern.  Stay on target – stay in the Word. 

Remember that each and every Word in the Holy Bible is precious and sacred and walking that Word every day is vital for you to survive as a Child of God!  Let’s walk this together.

 

In Him and With Much Love,

Angie