Got Food?

 

Here's a wonderfully done video about our food industry in the states. There's a reason why more people are starting to grow their own food and raise their own animals. It isn't just for 'fun' that more and more people in the cities (and in the country) are raising chickens in their backyard. (I plan on having a wonderful garden this year and yes - chickens!) People everywhere are getting tired of tasteless and expensive food. We are so far from reality when it comes to where our food comes from that there is a sort of back-to-the-farm movement. I hope and pray that it continues. 

 

Perspective...

...it is a wonderful thing to behold.

According to Websters Dictionary it's definition is the following:

 

2 a: the interrelation in which a subject or its parts are mentally viewed <places the issues in proper perspective> 

b: the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance <trying to maintain my perspective>

 

The other night I was reading about an incredible man after finishing an incredible book in the Bible. Hebrews. Such a richly written book that is filled with amazing truths and encouragement for a believer. I plan on re-reading it again. One can never read God's word too much. True? Agreed.

 

One of the most popular sections of Hebrews is what a lot of people like to call the Hall of Faith. Chapter 11 is a source for many of Christ's children to look to for an example of how they should live their life..."as strangers and exiles on earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland...they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city." (Hebrews 11:13-16 respectively)

 

I, for one, find wondrous examples in chapter 11 of people who have lived before me, paid a mortal price, and yet received an imperishable prize of eternity with God. Even in the best of times while here, we yearn for our heavenly home. And if you don't yearn for it yet, pray for the Lord to strengthen your faith and...you will. Maybe this isn't known this about me yet, but I am drawn to martyrdom. Not exactly sure why the Lord's placed it on my heart, but I'm drawn to it. Can't read enough about those who have paid for their faith with their life.

 

Which brings me to this wonderful man. Adoniram Judson. To read about his life is to see Christ. He was 24 years old when he entered Burma and he began his 38 year mission there with his first wife Ann of 17 months.

Ann Judson, born Ann Hasseltine, married her husband knowing full well the life she was entering. She was marrying a missionary and so knew that she potentially was going to spend her life away from her family and possibly may never see them again. While in Burma, the British fleet bombarded the harbor near where the Judson's were living and so all westerners were viewed as spies. Judson was immediately imprisoned and Ann was pregnant with their first child. She would walk two miles every day to the emperor to plead for her husband. She eventually was able to care for her husband. She had her child by that point. What happens next is heartbreaking, "Their daughter, Maria, had been born by now, and Ann was almost as sick and thin and Adoniram, but she still pursued him, with her baby, to take care of him as she could. Her milk dried up, and the jailer had mercy on them and actually let Judson take the baby each evening into the village fettered and beg women to nurse his baby." (Filling up the Afflictions of Christ Pg.99)

 

I just can't imagine it. Ten feet from where I am typing, my lovely daughter Leah is sleeping. I just finished nursing her and now she is lying in her nice bed, with a full tummy, sleeping.

 

Adoniram lost his dear wife Ann due to sickness in 1826 and six months later he lost their daughter. Judson was heartbroken and went into isolation for sometime. God was not done with him yet and in 1834 he finished translating the Old Testament into the Burmese language. What a victory for God! In the vary same year he remarried a woman by the name of Sarah. They had eight children together, however he lost her in death in the year of 1845. After her untimely death, Judson made sure his children were safe with his sister back in New England and then planned to returned to Burma. Before his return, he remarried for a third time. After a short time in Burma, Judson became ill. His only hope was to get onto a ship and sail for the Isle De France.

 

"At 4:15 on Friday afternoon, April 12, 1850, Adoniram Judson died at sea, away from all his family and the Burmese church." (Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ Pg. 106)

 

"The Burmese bible was done. The dictionary was done. Hundreds of converts were leading the church. And today there are about 3,700 congregations of Baptists in Myanmar who trace their origin to this man's labors of love." (Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ Pg. 106)

 

This is where the perspective comes in.

 

This life is not about us. It is about Him. Christ. It is easy to get lost in our day to day, comfortable, pleasurable, mundane lives. We get irritated when things don't go our way, when times become difficult, and when others wrong us. We want to live the way we want to and add in Jesus when we have time. It ought not to be so! Shameful.

 

I am convicted by this man. His life convicts my heart, my actions, and my motives. He points me to Christ and to what Christ calls me to do. Live for Him. It was no coincidence that I finished reading Hebrews and then read about this fine gentleman. The Lord orchestrates everything to bring Him glory. And I praise Him for it.

 

(There is so much more to the story of Adoniram Judson. I urge you to read the whole account of his life on your own. I have highly abbreviated it in this post. Either look him up on the internet or buy the book that I have. You can find it HERE. The PDF version is FREE! You won't regret it and his story will change you.)

 

Later on in Hebrews 11, Paul starts to list what happened to those whom wouldn't deny our Lord. "Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated - of whom the world was not worthy - wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth." (Hebrews 11:35-38)

 

It keeps running through my mind, "of whom the world was not worthy". Why? The world is not worthy of the blood of martyrs for one reason. Christ. The world hated, rejected, and killed our Savior. The world wasn't and isn't worthy of him. Martyrs die for one reason. Christ. They consider this momentary life to be nothing, and Christ as everything. Martyrs lived these verses:

 

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."  Philippians 1:21

 

"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith- that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead."  Philippians 3:7-11

 

 

 

Myanmar (Burma)

 

 

Judson's last words were, "How few there are who...who die so hard!"

 

Let us pick up where Judson left off, with a new perspective. One that is Christ centered. Let us pray, witness, and care for the lost in our homes, families, cities, country, and world.

 

Let us live in such a way that our lives will bear much fruit for years upon years after our death.

 

Amen. 

Autumn Has Arrived

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today was an absolutely beautiful day. I couldn't have asked for better weather. The 70's are much appreciated when the norm has been high 90's and sometimes 100+.  Isn't it so invigorating to be able to open the windows all day? Heavenly. The kids and I enjoyed our time outside today. We walked around the yard and took pictures. My lovely Leah was in tow, but I can't seem to get a good picture of her when she's in my arms. She's too cute to be posting mediocre pictures. You'll see her more soon...she's going to be 3 months in two days. Can't believe it.

The sheep were shorn today. I would have taken pictures, but the hubby and I had quite the time getting them in the pen. Not good. Once that was done, the shearer arrived, and we got down to business. My ladies look great however and I am hoping to get the ram here soon. Can't have lambs with out a Mr. around. And I very much want lambs, as do the kids.

I have been incredibly thankful these past few days. I just finished Hebrews last night (great book!) and also read a bit about a gentleman named Adoniram Judson. He lead a hard life to say the least. I have been thinking all day today about what this fine man went through and it made me very grateful for the life I've been given, for my healthy children, and for the salvation I've received. I am blessed.

What Matters Most

 

I'm sitting here, it's October 2nd and I am at a Starbucks.  Part of me is wondering, "Why am I here and not in bed?!!!"  Oh, yes. The answer comes quickly...I want to blog uninterrupted. I wanted to write about all the thoughts and ideas swirling in my head.  Titles are in constant motion in my mind...Meet the New Dude, Winter Prep, Who Me A Sheep?, The Weed Free Garden...No Kidding!, and so on.  And now that I am supposedly where I am uninterrupted, I don't want to write about anything but one thing.  (And if you were wondering, it is actually very distracting here.  Music is too loud, cars are honking, and I'm still wondering why I'm here and not writing while sitting on my nice cozy couch with a cup of tea, instead of having to spend $4 on a cup of coffee?) Anyway, back to what I was sayin'.  I have been thinking for a while about the purpose of life.  What's the point? Why does it matter how we live while here on earth?  Yeah, I know the age old question, but it's a good one.  Especially if your a believer in Christ. I hope you are. If your not, please, let's talk. And pray.

 

I have been plagued with the thoughts of how many children I'm going to have.  This may sound trivial or silly, but I am an over thinker.  I think about everything. And then I think some more. And some more. And some more.  Ok, I think you get the gist.  I have this obsessive tendency to want to know when I'm 'done' having kids.  Now, I still think I'd like 4 kids so I'm not out of the woods yet, but why am I so concerned about this?  Is it because I am constantly asked how many kids I want and when people realize that I might actually have more than 3 kids I am looked at like I am a freak?  Maybe I am.  Maybe I'm not.

 

The other day I was talking to someone and she made a comment on how I was a baby having machine and wanted to know if I was done having kids.  I held my tongue.  Well, I did respond, but I didn't say what was in my heart to say...I said the proper thing that was in my mind.  Swell.  Isn't it interesting that because I have one more child than the average two, I am considered to be a baby machine?  Don't get me started. And good grief, when I say I think I'd still like to have at least one more people have to all but use their hand to close their gaping mouth. Hope there aren't any flies about. Enough with my ranting on to the point of this post. 

 

What is the point of this life?  And no, my answer is not to have as many children as my body can birth.  The point of this life is to glorify God.  And how do I do this? By doing what His word commands and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Still want to know how all this ties together.  Well, here it goes!

 

I want to glorify God with my life.  I want to serve Him the way He wants me to.  Christ is the most important part of my life.  He gave me life, so my life is His to do with as He pleases.  He saw fit to make me a wife.  I am a wife to a wonderful godly man and I am eternally thankful for it.  My Lord also saw fit to make me a mother.  A mother to three amazing children.  I love being a mother.  It is hard work and there are times when I want to shrink into a small hole, but that's my selfishness kicking in.  Oh, wait...there is more to this.  My reason for wanting to know when I'm 'done' having kids has a lot to do with selfishness.  I want to know when I can stay the same size for longer than 6 months, when I can consistently sleep through the night, when I don't have to change diapers anymore, and the list is endless. I am incredibly selfish, I know.  That's why I'm not listing all of my 'when's'.  Sad.

 

The Lord is good. Very. Very. Good.  And He is working on my heart.  My prayers are changing.  I am seeing that there is freedom in NOT knowing the whens and whys of my life.  Instead of praying that I will only have 4 children, I am praying that the Lord will let me thoroughly enjoy the three that I have now and welcome with open arms however many more He wants us to have(or adopt ;).  I don't need to worry about tomorrow.  I don't know what the Lord has in store for my family.  And I am slowly beginning to be OK with that.  I need to spend my time in training the three precious souls that have been placed in my care to know and love the Lord.  I need to view children, my children, like God does...as blessings.  Who cares what the world thinks?  Children aren't blessings to them.  They are hindrances.  It's no surprise that the world holds this view with how frequently abortions are performed.  This crushes me.  If I could plead on my knees before every woman who considers this, I would. Honest.

 

So I will end this post with a challenge to myself...and you if you'd like.  Let's not think the way the world does.  Let's not worry about tomorrow and just enjoy today.  Let's embrace with open arms whatever the Lord has in store.  Whether good or bad.  More children or not.  Let's follow the Holy Spirit's leading and not our selfish desires.  Let's be lights in this world and not conform to anything less than what is holy.

 

I will with the Lord's help focus on the eternal.  My body isn't eternal, but my soul is.  My children, these little souls in my care, are eternal.  That is what matters, not how many children I have, but that the souls that are placed in my family are properly cared for, trained, nurtured, and taught to love God. This, this my friend...is what truly matters. Eternity with God and a life well spent in serving the eternal God.  Amen.

 

P.S.(This is only a part of what I think about when I think about the purpose of life.  Motherhood is a huge part of it, but there is so, so much more.  Thinking about it all it makes my head hurt and my heart sore.  Good thing I serve the Great Physician and the Healer of the broken.)