I have been having a blast with the garden chores and my rabbit re-breeding project. So much fun that I let a few more important things slide.
I am taking a needed break from the blog to help out with some revamping of the homeschool. A few years back we came into a little extra change and decided that the best thing to do with it was to purchase a complete homeschooling set for all our children. We had been homeschooling for years and had used every style imaginable. Usually picking up a few new eclectic items whenever a new seminar came around. Sound familiar?
We finally decided on a mix of two that fits our needs. We use Rod and Staff for most everything because we like the style and content of the material and they don't use any idolatry ( pictures of Christ) in the readers or other curriculum as most of my Reformed brothers do in theirs. And we use Christian Liberty Press for all of our basic History, geography and some theology/doctrine with a little mix of other stuff like Christ-Centered Phonics ( Because they're the BEST). It was really hard to find a complete 'reformed' set that had modest dress. So, we have had to make the best of it. Like I am sure many of you have. For us, it is a battle of trying to develop an encompassing, omnibus style of education and worldview, without sacrificing simplicity and purity to high minded academics. We are thankful that the Lord has provided for each of our children every reader, test, study manual,etc., they will need through 'highschool' level and beyond. Now the battle is implementing it all consistently and effectively.
That is where my break comes in. I have to rework some of the scheduling and 'flow' of daily activities. I also need to finish my syllabus that I started months ago. Seems so easy to forget what is important.
A few days should do it.
Until then..
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Seed Starts
This past Saturday we were able to plant our Jerusalem Artichoke tubers from Ronniger Potato Farm. It will drop down into the low thirties for two more days next week and usually we have a week of cold snap in mid-February, but other than that, I think we will have some good sun-chokes next year. We praise the Lord that we were able to get our seeds this year with our current financial situation. We only bought a pound of tubers because they are so prolific. We figured the first year we will simply divide them and replant them. This should give us about a 50-75 foot row of sun-chokes for the end of the second year. Certainly not a bumper crop, but still alot of good supplemental iron in our diets. Sun-chokes have more iron per gram than ground beef! Not to mention the very nice yellow sunflower like blooms that I am sure my daughter will delight in.
We also started our heirloom "Amish Paste" tomatoes (courtesy of rareseeds.com) in some old egg cartons. We did poorly last year with tomatoes, but have learned much since. We've started 36 seeds and hope to see at least 20 or so germinate. We are not advocates of soil-less starting mediums and prefer to use soil from the actual bed they will be planted in. Eleutheros, over at Free Man's Garden, has an excellent post on this subject http://freemansgarden.blogspot.com/2007/05/even-though-we-aint-got-money.html which details the breakfast-lunch-dinner approach to starting seeds. I don't want to ruin the fun of reading the post, so I won't say anymore. For those of you who have never found his three blogs, you are in for a real treat. He does not identify himself as a "Christian Agrarian" , or even a Christian that I can think of, but he has solid writing and is a wealth of information in the best tradition of Appalachian Mountain Folk. I'm probably biased, having lived nearby his neck of the woods for the better part of a decade, but everytime he writes, I can picture myself sitting under a mountain tree with a cool glass of sweet tea listening and learning simple, but profound truths.
The rest of the garden is double-dug with three foot wide raised beds and straw mulched foot paths. It's not as pretty as the pictures in the book, but I am well pleased. When we moved here it was pure Florida sand and nothing even registered on our extensive soil tests. No N, no P, no K! Just sandy, dead, soil. Now, we're at 6.5 on the ph and thanks t0 our fancy stacked tire compost system, we have tons of organic matter ammendment! The only thing left is getting by the last frost and waiting on the moon phase. We are very excited!
Here is a list of what we are planting for our early spring/summer garden:
From Ronniger- Norkotah potatoes and Stampede Sun-chokes
From Seed-Saver's Exchange- Charlevoix Dark kidney beans
And from Baker's Creek- afore mentioned tomatoes, Roma II bush beans, Hutterite Soup beans, Yellow Hickory King dent corn, Sugar Baby watermelons, Edisto 47 American melons, Sugar Cream cow peas, Zuchinno Rampicante squash, and Lemon squash. They included a free gift of St. Valery carrots,which we were truly grateful for since our list was so small this year. Now we have 800 carrot seeds! Since I have many children, I am not really a "broad-cast" planting type of guy. I will make the plans, work up the patience, and sow all 800 of those precious seeds in nice little rows with the hope of a good 600 carrots coming to the table!!! That's the plan for now. 4 to 5 weeks to go, and gardening season is in full-swing in North-Central Florida. And believe it or not, I'm starting very late for most folks here.
Our big garden will be the cooler season vegetables and fruits later this year. For now, we are praising the Lord for His kindness and provision in getting this far!
We also started our heirloom "Amish Paste" tomatoes (courtesy of rareseeds.com) in some old egg cartons. We did poorly last year with tomatoes, but have learned much since. We've started 36 seeds and hope to see at least 20 or so germinate. We are not advocates of soil-less starting mediums and prefer to use soil from the actual bed they will be planted in. Eleutheros, over at Free Man's Garden, has an excellent post on this subject http://freemansgarden.blogspot.com/2007/05/even-though-we-aint-got-money.html which details the breakfast-lunch-dinner approach to starting seeds. I don't want to ruin the fun of reading the post, so I won't say anymore. For those of you who have never found his three blogs, you are in for a real treat. He does not identify himself as a "Christian Agrarian" , or even a Christian that I can think of, but he has solid writing and is a wealth of information in the best tradition of Appalachian Mountain Folk. I'm probably biased, having lived nearby his neck of the woods for the better part of a decade, but everytime he writes, I can picture myself sitting under a mountain tree with a cool glass of sweet tea listening and learning simple, but profound truths.
The rest of the garden is double-dug with three foot wide raised beds and straw mulched foot paths. It's not as pretty as the pictures in the book, but I am well pleased. When we moved here it was pure Florida sand and nothing even registered on our extensive soil tests. No N, no P, no K! Just sandy, dead, soil. Now, we're at 6.5 on the ph and thanks t0 our fancy stacked tire compost system, we have tons of organic matter ammendment! The only thing left is getting by the last frost and waiting on the moon phase. We are very excited!
Here is a list of what we are planting for our early spring/summer garden:
From Ronniger- Norkotah potatoes and Stampede Sun-chokes
From Seed-Saver's Exchange- Charlevoix Dark kidney beans
And from Baker's Creek- afore mentioned tomatoes, Roma II bush beans, Hutterite Soup beans, Yellow Hickory King dent corn, Sugar Baby watermelons, Edisto 47 American melons, Sugar Cream cow peas, Zuchinno Rampicante squash, and Lemon squash. They included a free gift of St. Valery carrots,which we were truly grateful for since our list was so small this year. Now we have 800 carrot seeds! Since I have many children, I am not really a "broad-cast" planting type of guy. I will make the plans, work up the patience, and sow all 800 of those precious seeds in nice little rows with the hope of a good 600 carrots coming to the table!!! That's the plan for now. 4 to 5 weeks to go, and gardening season is in full-swing in North-Central Florida. And believe it or not, I'm starting very late for most folks here.
Our big garden will be the cooler season vegetables and fruits later this year. For now, we are praising the Lord for His kindness and provision in getting this far!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Lord's Day Sabbath -1/25/09
We are studying Ephesians right now and have come to Chapter 5:21
We always end our worship time by having a question and answer session along with giving each family a pamphlet that contains various catechism questions and a section we call "Sermon Questions for Family Catechizing".
It is our hope that this will encourage discussion of the day's topic among family members and promote a sense of unity in our individual walk as members of the same local body.
The general discussion was on submission and a it's teaching for the body. I am doing a larger study of the topic in relation to some teaching that Brother Bunker has on his blog and am trying to make sure that we have a proper understanding of Romans 13 and related passages. I will let you know how it goes from time to time. For now I am including the questions that we handed out as a discussion starter. These were answered during the sermon but I don't have the capability to post sermons yet. I hope they help to sharpen someone as they have me. I am not a very submissive type, so it has been a needed study.
Sermon Questions for Family Catechizing
1. Is it important that we submit to earthly authorities?
2. Are earthly authorities appointed by God?
3. Did God appoint Family authority?, Church authority?, Civil authority?
4. Is earthly authority necessary for the good of the individual, the family, and community?
5. What would happen to the individual, family, and community if no one respected authority?
6. What did God say should happen to a young adult child who was obstinately rebellious and cursed or hit his parents?
7. What did God say should happen to a citizen who would obstinately refuse to obey the lawful and moral commands of the civil magistrate?
8. Does allowing such obstinate rebellion hurt the family and community?
9. Does God corporately bless a community that obeys God's commandments and corporately curse a community that disobeys His commandments?
10. Are we rebelling against God when we rebel against His earthly authorities?
11. Mutual submission means that we are to submit to each other based on our several relationships with each other. Can you give some examples of relationships that require submission?
12. What does the word 'reverence' mean?
13. Does 'respect' consist of fear and appreciation?
14. Must we learn to feel respect in our hearts for our authorities?
15. Must we learn to show respect with our words and behavior?
16. What are some of the ways we show respect with our words?
17. What are some of the ways we show respect with our behavior?
It should be noted that the issue of authority is conditioned on the 'lawful, and moral' commands of the authority in question. During the question and answer period my own question was dealing with when we may rightly disobey an authority and the answer was very helpful.
A. When can you rightly disobey your parents?
The same basic principle seems to apply. In self-defence against unjust abuse? By petitioning the magistrate for protection against abuse?
Where does this leave the Christian with a System like the one we live in now?
I am still working through some of these questions. It may be good for many of us to consider them now, while there is some freedom to work out the answers in a way that will allow us to maintain a consistent testimony.
We always end our worship time by having a question and answer session along with giving each family a pamphlet that contains various catechism questions and a section we call "Sermon Questions for Family Catechizing".
It is our hope that this will encourage discussion of the day's topic among family members and promote a sense of unity in our individual walk as members of the same local body.
The general discussion was on submission and a it's teaching for the body. I am doing a larger study of the topic in relation to some teaching that Brother Bunker has on his blog and am trying to make sure that we have a proper understanding of Romans 13 and related passages. I will let you know how it goes from time to time. For now I am including the questions that we handed out as a discussion starter. These were answered during the sermon but I don't have the capability to post sermons yet. I hope they help to sharpen someone as they have me. I am not a very submissive type, so it has been a needed study.
Sermon Questions for Family Catechizing
1. Is it important that we submit to earthly authorities?
2. Are earthly authorities appointed by God?
3. Did God appoint Family authority?, Church authority?, Civil authority?
4. Is earthly authority necessary for the good of the individual, the family, and community?
5. What would happen to the individual, family, and community if no one respected authority?
6. What did God say should happen to a young adult child who was obstinately rebellious and cursed or hit his parents?
7. What did God say should happen to a citizen who would obstinately refuse to obey the lawful and moral commands of the civil magistrate?
8. Does allowing such obstinate rebellion hurt the family and community?
9. Does God corporately bless a community that obeys God's commandments and corporately curse a community that disobeys His commandments?
10. Are we rebelling against God when we rebel against His earthly authorities?
11. Mutual submission means that we are to submit to each other based on our several relationships with each other. Can you give some examples of relationships that require submission?
12. What does the word 'reverence' mean?
13. Does 'respect' consist of fear and appreciation?
14. Must we learn to feel respect in our hearts for our authorities?
15. Must we learn to show respect with our words and behavior?
16. What are some of the ways we show respect with our words?
17. What are some of the ways we show respect with our behavior?
It should be noted that the issue of authority is conditioned on the 'lawful, and moral' commands of the authority in question. During the question and answer period my own question was dealing with when we may rightly disobey an authority and the answer was very helpful.
A. When can you rightly disobey your parents?
The same basic principle seems to apply. In self-defence against unjust abuse? By petitioning the magistrate for protection against abuse?
Where does this leave the Christian with a System like the one we live in now?
I am still working through some of these questions. It may be good for many of us to consider them now, while there is some freedom to work out the answers in a way that will allow us to maintain a consistent testimony.
Friday, January 23, 2009
A fine fledgling farm
There is good news and there is other news...
Good news. The seed companies have all confirmed shipping dates and some have even arrived. Many thanks to Ronniger Potato for the fine Norhkota variety that they sent me! I received them within days and all in beautiful state and ready for 'chitting'. I will plant a little late this year in keeping with the Almanac but have been able to spend the extra time on the bed preparations. I have been using a method known as the W,O,R,D system. Wide rows, organic nature, and Real Deep:) Kind of...
Also, thanks to Seed Savers and Baker Creek for the quick service in getting out a rather good variety of my choices. I will keep you posted with the garden updates.
Bad News: I am not much of a bunny farmer... All our kits (baby rabbits) died. Most were able to keep sneaking out of their cages and later found by either my pit- bull, or my American Bulldog. The A.B. is a Champion Hog dog with over 50 catches recorded between 224lbs. and 278lbs but he likes rabbit even more than hogs! The Pit has learned to stay away from them as she has been raised as my daughters guardian and is very obedient despite her taste for bunny.
Entirely my fault. I was not able to purchase the needed supplies to make a smaller wire cage for them while still young, and they did what all baby bunnies do. They escaped.
I have rebred both my females and expect to start over in a month. These creatures were so obviously designed as a food source and I look forward to finally bringing some to table.
The chickens have stopped laying also. Not good. This is a primary food source for us, and with my being injured since August with no income, we just couldn't buy any new birds this year. We pray though. And we trust in the Lord to prosper our efforts in the long-term.
Bob
Good news. The seed companies have all confirmed shipping dates and some have even arrived. Many thanks to Ronniger Potato for the fine Norhkota variety that they sent me! I received them within days and all in beautiful state and ready for 'chitting'. I will plant a little late this year in keeping with the Almanac but have been able to spend the extra time on the bed preparations. I have been using a method known as the W,O,R,D system. Wide rows, organic nature, and Real Deep:) Kind of...
Also, thanks to Seed Savers and Baker Creek for the quick service in getting out a rather good variety of my choices. I will keep you posted with the garden updates.
Bad News: I am not much of a bunny farmer... All our kits (baby rabbits) died. Most were able to keep sneaking out of their cages and later found by either my pit- bull, or my American Bulldog. The A.B. is a Champion Hog dog with over 50 catches recorded between 224lbs. and 278lbs but he likes rabbit even more than hogs! The Pit has learned to stay away from them as she has been raised as my daughters guardian and is very obedient despite her taste for bunny.
Entirely my fault. I was not able to purchase the needed supplies to make a smaller wire cage for them while still young, and they did what all baby bunnies do. They escaped.
I have rebred both my females and expect to start over in a month. These creatures were so obviously designed as a food source and I look forward to finally bringing some to table.
The chickens have stopped laying also. Not good. This is a primary food source for us, and with my being injured since August with no income, we just couldn't buy any new birds this year. We pray though. And we trust in the Lord to prosper our efforts in the long-term.
Bob
Thoughts on segregation
Just a short note on the current political situation that we all find ourselves in. I am reading various folk on the issue of what I will call 'involvement' of the Church with the world system (political/economic/etc.,). I am sure that many already have settled their own views of how we are to interact, if at all, with the current culture but I have not. I have strong feelings both ways. I see the arguments for segregation, ( some use the term separation, which means holiness in biblical language) and the arguments for some strong involvement in stemming the tide of debauchery that is in this world. I am not on either side fully...yet. I, by nature lean toward the segregation side but am concerned with clear definition because some seem to equate it with holiness. It is not. Some segregation is a mandatory part of holiness and I never want to be on the wrong side of that argument, but neither do I want to abdicate this world over to Satan if the Lord has not ( as some very sound Puritans taught that if God is Sovereign then this cannot be Satan's world, even though he may be trying to convince us that it is, ie; modern America). This gets into the issue of Eschatology (end-times, or more properly Last Things) and this leads to still more complex results of... if we should be involved in the battle of this age, or segregated in all respects. This is not a small, or obvious issue to me.
I believe that this issue is one of the keys to the future of Agrarianism as a way of life. I also feel that it is of vital importance to the mission of the Church in these last days.
Here is a link to a very short article on this subject which must be addressed by all Christians. http://www.covenantnews.com/blog/archives/051420.html
For those of you who are concerned with purity, please note that there are also rotating advertisements on this page and some are a sad commentary of just how little some understand the subject at hand.
If the premise here is one that is in agreement with our views then we must consider if the author was of the mind to segregate or reform. Just some thoughts I am considering.
May God bless and keep us all while we are travelling through...
I believe that this issue is one of the keys to the future of Agrarianism as a way of life. I also feel that it is of vital importance to the mission of the Church in these last days.
Here is a link to a very short article on this subject which must be addressed by all Christians. http://www.covenantnews.com/blog/archives/051420.html
For those of you who are concerned with purity, please note that there are also rotating advertisements on this page and some are a sad commentary of just how little some understand the subject at hand.
If the premise here is one that is in agreement with our views then we must consider if the author was of the mind to segregate or reform. Just some thoughts I am considering.
May God bless and keep us all while we are travelling through...
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The Surprise Appearance
PLEASE NOTE: Contains mild description of child birth.
While all of our children, and all our birth experiences are special to us, there has been one of a unique nature.
The Conspiracy
Although I could never prove it, I have often suspected that child number seven's entrance into this world was more of a surprise to me than my wife.
We've always considered ourselves to be fairly normal people, (though many would disagree) and made the journey to home birthing in measured incremental steps. We read everything we could on the subject, weighed our reasons well, and took great responsibility in becoming our own best medical practitioners. Okay, so we didn't exactly go to a university, but as I stated in my last post, we view birth as a natural phenomenon, so there was no need for me to practice Emergency Arterial Surgery as my army field manual suggested! Still, we read many authors like Shonda Parker (which we HIGHLY recommend) and even more home birth accounts from midwives and mothers on the net. We drank in their encouragement and followed their advice...plan your home birth as you want it to be and it will be just that. Usually.
By the time that we discovered that our sixth son and seventh child was on the way, we felt like veterans at this. We had done the appropriate prenatal visits to determine that as usual our pregnancy was without any obvious problems. We had assembled the normal items, ie.-mattress cover, a couple cheap shower curtains, extra set of sheets from Goodwill, olive oil, herbal tea, comfrey sachets, soothing music list, essential oils for the bath tub (think conspiracy here), and of course the sundry towels, cloths, bowl for the placenta, etc. We were ready. There was just one small issue that my wife and I had not settled upon. Never being satisfied with just a normal home birth ;), my wife had mentioned the desire to have a water birth several times during this pregnancy. Not being one to shy away from adventure, and having a good half dozen of these experiences under my belt already, of course I said no way! I had always suspected that her parents were deeply affected by the hippie movement despite their rather upstanding lives today. I mean not even they understood our various views on things like homeschooling and not owning a television, or some of our other "issues", much less the whole home birth thing. And now, I was having pictures of my wife and I floating around in the deep end of a pool while my children stood cheering us on from the diving board! Water birth? Isn't that dangerous?? Out of the question. Still, I would find the occasional article printed out and left lying around the house from time to time. For the most part, things progressed normally as we anticipated the arrival of our latest namesake. All the normal buzz of activity was taking place in our home. Mother was busy planning the menu that Father would have to follow during her needed time of rest following birth and I was staying active by reminding all of the children once again of the usual routine: Where babies come from and how they grow, what duties God requires in the bringing up of children, how blessed we were as parents to have another soul entrusted to us, and of course, how we would all need to govern ourselves during labor and the recovery period. Everyone had a job to do and they were all an important part of bringing the new baby into the world peacefully!
Since we want our children to be involved as much as possible with the entire experience, but still don't want several unattended youngsters running around the house during a hard labor, we always try our best to give birth at a time when they might be down sleeping or maybe early in the morning as they're waking up. How in the world do we accomplish this? We pray, alot. And then, we have a back-up plan, just in case. Usually this would be a simple helper to sit with the children in the other room if needed. Thankfully, my children from the oldest to the youngest will sit quietly and obediently for extended periods of time if asked to do so. I cannot stress the value of this enough and all the praise belongs to the hard work and dedication of my wife in training my children as easily as she delivers them. Very young children may be an exception, but after 12 months or so they have always known what was expected of them and felt secure enough to know this was the way they were to live.
Excitement filled our home, which wasn't hard to fill considering we were living in a single wide trailer that year. My wife and I took the smallest room in the front. Down the narrow hall was our daughter with one baby brother sharing the room with his crib, and at the far end, was the master bedroom with the walk in master bath crammed full of smelly boys and bunk beds. My wife really loved that place ;) By the time that our due date arrived, we were feeling the stuffiness of being in such tight quarters. Our goal was to remodel and sell to provide a larger home. But as baby day got nearer it was obvious that we would each have to share a little more of our own elbow room when the baby arrived. My wife had never had any unusual incidences in past pregnancies, but now our due date came and went by a full 8 days. We were probably not the most patient people by this point and had spent countless hours walking and praying that the baby would come. At that time, in our state there was a law which said that after the tenth day over due, the midwife must withdraw her services and send the mother to the hospital. We were growing anxious.
Early Saturday morning my wife woke me at around 6 a.m. and told me that she had a miserable night of low back pain and asked if I would go to the boys master bath and fill the large tub so she could soak in it to relieve the pain. I asked her if she had experienced any regular contractions and she told me that she had not. We knew that from our past experience and training that real labor will not let a mother fall back to sleep regularly and she had dozed in and out throughout the night, so we were not overly alarmed. It was the next few moments that caused me to perk up a little. As she started towards the tub, she grabbed onto the doorway in pain and said that she couldn't walk for a moment. Then, out of nowhere, she told me that she had an incredible craving for a sausage biscuit from McDonald's! Note to McDonald's: I expect royalties if this story is used. It was then that I became suspicious. Here was my normally demure wife demanding that I run to McD's about a mile away and grab a biscuit real quick. My wife HATES processed food of any kind. After seeing that she was safely in the tub and waking the older children so they could keep an ear open for her, I slipped out the door at 6:13 a.m. and rushed to McD's calling the midwife en route. I told her not to be alarmed, but that I thought we might be beginning labor soon and that she should be prepared for a possible call mid-day. My wife's labors usually last 5 to 8 hours. Since some children were awake, I took a little longer and got sausage biscuits for the whole household and rushed home arriving at around 6:25 a.m. as I got out of the car, the door opened and my 8 year old son was standing on the top step of our doorway. I have already mentioned that there was a child in my daughter's room in a crib, who was now 15 months old and beginning to climb things . We had been discussing moving him out of the crib into the bed with her so that he did not trying crawling out of his crib and injuring himself one day soon. As I stood looking at my son standing on the steps while I was juggling the bags of biscuits, he said matter-of-factly that the baby was in the tub with mother. I sighed in a tired way and said, "But son, I woke you up. How did the baby get out of the crib and into the tub with your mother?" Suddenly this 8 year old boy seemed to grow 4 feet taller as his shoulders appeared to widen to a man's dimensions before my eyes. Very slowly, and very calmly, he reached forward his left hand, (his mother is a lefty too, think conspiracy here), and placed it upon my shoulder, and looking into my eyes, said in an aged voice, "No Dad, the BABY is in the tub with Momma." The next moments were a blurr of biscuits and abuse as my dear child flew from the steps to the concrete driveway skinning parts of his precious body! I was in the bathroom before I could think and looking at my calm and serene wife lying in the water filled tub. On her chest was a large towel she had soaked with warm water from the tub draped across the completely silent and content little bundle of pink joy which she held against her!! The only words that came to mind amidst my gasp to catch my breath were, "Is he breathing, is he alive, is he okay?" My wife, just as matter-of-factly as my boy, simply said, "Shhh, he's fine, every thing's okay. Calm down or you'll frighten him!" Calm down?!
By this time my dear boy had gathered the biscuits, rubbed the gravel from his elbows, and had sauntered into the room stopping at the doorway, (mother is a modest woman), and was trying to explain to me that everything was alright, he had heard her praying through the wall and was able to take care of everything per her instructions. Here I stood, looking from wife and babe to little man in the doorway, feeling like the only guy in the room who didn't get the joke! Everything was fine, whether I was there or not. Mother was fine. Baby was fine. Children, (sans gravel), were fine. Dad however, was NOT fine! Prior to this experience, I was the rock of Gibraltar concerning emergency situations. Nothing phased me. I was prepared according to my ability and I had faith for what laid beyond my ability. But here, at this moment, I was raw. My son continued to offer calm assurance as he went about the house waking children and giving them the news and instructions, my wife related the tale of how she had felt the sudden over-whelming urge to begin pushing just after I had left. She chronicled how she had tried to cross her legs and began to pray aloud that God would make the baby wait. When she realized that God and baby had their own time frame, she then began to pray that He would give her strength and prepare her for what was about to happen. She described how an involuntary push caused the baby to crown. This is where the top of the head begins to exit, but only the top portion is actually out. She reached down and felt the hair on the baby's head when a second wave of pushing overtook her and the head was now completely out and under the water. Immediately a third great urge pushed our son gently into the tub where mother gently lifted him to her chest and began alternately rubbing his back to expel any amniotic fluid while pouring water from the tub over him to keep him warm. She called out for the boy to crank the heat up and toss a towel to her which she dipped into the water to use as a blanket. And then she waited and rested and marveled at how easily and naturally her conspiracy had worked :) The conspiracy part I have added despite her strong protestations of innocence.
The midwife got a call a little sooner than she expected. She had gotten into the shower when I called earlier and was not yet out when the second call came. Poor thing. She showed up with unbrushed and dripping hair and no jacket on a chilly December morning in record time as she pulled the equipment inside! We sequestered the children in sister's little room so that mother and baby and umbilical cord could make the trek to the far end of the home where her bed was waiting. Some days before, we had taken the needed precautions of making the bed twice, once with a set of sheets for use during and immediately after birth, the water proof cover followed by a clean fresh set of sheets for mother and baby to rest in. This always makes the transition easier,at least for frantic, nerve-racked fathers. The check-up by the midwife confirmed that contrary to the medical establishment's protestations, a home birth baby is quite happy, healthy, content, and right on time!
The author and his wife are the proud parents of 8,and soon to be nine,beautiful and healthy children, many of whom have been born in the comfort and safety of their own home.The Rock of Gibraltar still laughs when he describes the look on Dad's face just before he saw his breakfast hit the pavement.
While all of our children, and all our birth experiences are special to us, there has been one of a unique nature.
The Conspiracy
Although I could never prove it, I have often suspected that child number seven's entrance into this world was more of a surprise to me than my wife.
We've always considered ourselves to be fairly normal people, (though many would disagree) and made the journey to home birthing in measured incremental steps. We read everything we could on the subject, weighed our reasons well, and took great responsibility in becoming our own best medical practitioners. Okay, so we didn't exactly go to a university, but as I stated in my last post, we view birth as a natural phenomenon, so there was no need for me to practice Emergency Arterial Surgery as my army field manual suggested! Still, we read many authors like Shonda Parker (which we HIGHLY recommend) and even more home birth accounts from midwives and mothers on the net. We drank in their encouragement and followed their advice...plan your home birth as you want it to be and it will be just that. Usually.
By the time that we discovered that our sixth son and seventh child was on the way, we felt like veterans at this. We had done the appropriate prenatal visits to determine that as usual our pregnancy was without any obvious problems. We had assembled the normal items, ie.-mattress cover, a couple cheap shower curtains, extra set of sheets from Goodwill, olive oil, herbal tea, comfrey sachets, soothing music list, essential oils for the bath tub (think conspiracy here), and of course the sundry towels, cloths, bowl for the placenta, etc. We were ready. There was just one small issue that my wife and I had not settled upon. Never being satisfied with just a normal home birth ;), my wife had mentioned the desire to have a water birth several times during this pregnancy. Not being one to shy away from adventure, and having a good half dozen of these experiences under my belt already, of course I said no way! I had always suspected that her parents were deeply affected by the hippie movement despite their rather upstanding lives today. I mean not even they understood our various views on things like homeschooling and not owning a television, or some of our other "issues", much less the whole home birth thing. And now, I was having pictures of my wife and I floating around in the deep end of a pool while my children stood cheering us on from the diving board! Water birth? Isn't that dangerous?? Out of the question. Still, I would find the occasional article printed out and left lying around the house from time to time. For the most part, things progressed normally as we anticipated the arrival of our latest namesake. All the normal buzz of activity was taking place in our home. Mother was busy planning the menu that Father would have to follow during her needed time of rest following birth and I was staying active by reminding all of the children once again of the usual routine: Where babies come from and how they grow, what duties God requires in the bringing up of children, how blessed we were as parents to have another soul entrusted to us, and of course, how we would all need to govern ourselves during labor and the recovery period. Everyone had a job to do and they were all an important part of bringing the new baby into the world peacefully!
Since we want our children to be involved as much as possible with the entire experience, but still don't want several unattended youngsters running around the house during a hard labor, we always try our best to give birth at a time when they might be down sleeping or maybe early in the morning as they're waking up. How in the world do we accomplish this? We pray, alot. And then, we have a back-up plan, just in case. Usually this would be a simple helper to sit with the children in the other room if needed. Thankfully, my children from the oldest to the youngest will sit quietly and obediently for extended periods of time if asked to do so. I cannot stress the value of this enough and all the praise belongs to the hard work and dedication of my wife in training my children as easily as she delivers them. Very young children may be an exception, but after 12 months or so they have always known what was expected of them and felt secure enough to know this was the way they were to live.
Excitement filled our home, which wasn't hard to fill considering we were living in a single wide trailer that year. My wife and I took the smallest room in the front. Down the narrow hall was our daughter with one baby brother sharing the room with his crib, and at the far end, was the master bedroom with the walk in master bath crammed full of smelly boys and bunk beds. My wife really loved that place ;) By the time that our due date arrived, we were feeling the stuffiness of being in such tight quarters. Our goal was to remodel and sell to provide a larger home. But as baby day got nearer it was obvious that we would each have to share a little more of our own elbow room when the baby arrived. My wife had never had any unusual incidences in past pregnancies, but now our due date came and went by a full 8 days. We were probably not the most patient people by this point and had spent countless hours walking and praying that the baby would come. At that time, in our state there was a law which said that after the tenth day over due, the midwife must withdraw her services and send the mother to the hospital. We were growing anxious.
Early Saturday morning my wife woke me at around 6 a.m. and told me that she had a miserable night of low back pain and asked if I would go to the boys master bath and fill the large tub so she could soak in it to relieve the pain. I asked her if she had experienced any regular contractions and she told me that she had not. We knew that from our past experience and training that real labor will not let a mother fall back to sleep regularly and she had dozed in and out throughout the night, so we were not overly alarmed. It was the next few moments that caused me to perk up a little. As she started towards the tub, she grabbed onto the doorway in pain and said that she couldn't walk for a moment. Then, out of nowhere, she told me that she had an incredible craving for a sausage biscuit from McDonald's! Note to McDonald's: I expect royalties if this story is used. It was then that I became suspicious. Here was my normally demure wife demanding that I run to McD's about a mile away and grab a biscuit real quick. My wife HATES processed food of any kind. After seeing that she was safely in the tub and waking the older children so they could keep an ear open for her, I slipped out the door at 6:13 a.m. and rushed to McD's calling the midwife en route. I told her not to be alarmed, but that I thought we might be beginning labor soon and that she should be prepared for a possible call mid-day. My wife's labors usually last 5 to 8 hours. Since some children were awake, I took a little longer and got sausage biscuits for the whole household and rushed home arriving at around 6:25 a.m. as I got out of the car, the door opened and my 8 year old son was standing on the top step of our doorway. I have already mentioned that there was a child in my daughter's room in a crib, who was now 15 months old and beginning to climb things . We had been discussing moving him out of the crib into the bed with her so that he did not trying crawling out of his crib and injuring himself one day soon. As I stood looking at my son standing on the steps while I was juggling the bags of biscuits, he said matter-of-factly that the baby was in the tub with mother. I sighed in a tired way and said, "But son, I woke you up. How did the baby get out of the crib and into the tub with your mother?" Suddenly this 8 year old boy seemed to grow 4 feet taller as his shoulders appeared to widen to a man's dimensions before my eyes. Very slowly, and very calmly, he reached forward his left hand, (his mother is a lefty too, think conspiracy here), and placed it upon my shoulder, and looking into my eyes, said in an aged voice, "No Dad, the BABY is in the tub with Momma." The next moments were a blurr of biscuits and abuse as my dear child flew from the steps to the concrete driveway skinning parts of his precious body! I was in the bathroom before I could think and looking at my calm and serene wife lying in the water filled tub. On her chest was a large towel she had soaked with warm water from the tub draped across the completely silent and content little bundle of pink joy which she held against her!! The only words that came to mind amidst my gasp to catch my breath were, "Is he breathing, is he alive, is he okay?" My wife, just as matter-of-factly as my boy, simply said, "Shhh, he's fine, every thing's okay. Calm down or you'll frighten him!" Calm down?!
By this time my dear boy had gathered the biscuits, rubbed the gravel from his elbows, and had sauntered into the room stopping at the doorway, (mother is a modest woman), and was trying to explain to me that everything was alright, he had heard her praying through the wall and was able to take care of everything per her instructions. Here I stood, looking from wife and babe to little man in the doorway, feeling like the only guy in the room who didn't get the joke! Everything was fine, whether I was there or not. Mother was fine. Baby was fine. Children, (sans gravel), were fine. Dad however, was NOT fine! Prior to this experience, I was the rock of Gibraltar concerning emergency situations. Nothing phased me. I was prepared according to my ability and I had faith for what laid beyond my ability. But here, at this moment, I was raw. My son continued to offer calm assurance as he went about the house waking children and giving them the news and instructions, my wife related the tale of how she had felt the sudden over-whelming urge to begin pushing just after I had left. She chronicled how she had tried to cross her legs and began to pray aloud that God would make the baby wait. When she realized that God and baby had their own time frame, she then began to pray that He would give her strength and prepare her for what was about to happen. She described how an involuntary push caused the baby to crown. This is where the top of the head begins to exit, but only the top portion is actually out. She reached down and felt the hair on the baby's head when a second wave of pushing overtook her and the head was now completely out and under the water. Immediately a third great urge pushed our son gently into the tub where mother gently lifted him to her chest and began alternately rubbing his back to expel any amniotic fluid while pouring water from the tub over him to keep him warm. She called out for the boy to crank the heat up and toss a towel to her which she dipped into the water to use as a blanket. And then she waited and rested and marveled at how easily and naturally her conspiracy had worked :) The conspiracy part I have added despite her strong protestations of innocence.
The midwife got a call a little sooner than she expected. She had gotten into the shower when I called earlier and was not yet out when the second call came. Poor thing. She showed up with unbrushed and dripping hair and no jacket on a chilly December morning in record time as she pulled the equipment inside! We sequestered the children in sister's little room so that mother and baby and umbilical cord could make the trek to the far end of the home where her bed was waiting. Some days before, we had taken the needed precautions of making the bed twice, once with a set of sheets for use during and immediately after birth, the water proof cover followed by a clean fresh set of sheets for mother and baby to rest in. This always makes the transition easier,at least for frantic, nerve-racked fathers. The check-up by the midwife confirmed that contrary to the medical establishment's protestations, a home birth baby is quite happy, healthy, content, and right on time!
The author and his wife are the proud parents of 8,and soon to be nine,beautiful and healthy children, many of whom have been born in the comfort and safety of their own home.The Rock of Gibraltar still laughs when he describes the look on Dad's face just before he saw his breakfast hit the pavement.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Home-Steading and Home-birthing
While we await the birth of our latest child, I thought it would be a good time to discuss home birthing as an alternative to the regular hospital birth scene so popular today. Really, this is inspired by 3 main factors;
1. The upcoming new bundle. 2. The current economic situation and, 3. The recent request of Countryside Magazine.
As we discuss this issue, I will share our personal reasons for choosing this method and also, give a few little 'stories' of our experiences.
First, I have to start by acknowleding that it was my wife that originally brought up this idea in our household. At the time I really thought that she had gone too far! I mean, the homeschool thing was already hard enough and now she wanted to return to the 'dark-ages' of high infant mortality rates and 'unscientific', anti-medical zanniness!
I told you in my recent post that she really has been instrumental in changing our family for the better! Seriously though, the decision to have our children in the comfort of our home has been one of the best things that we have ever done. I know that this may not be for everyone, in every situation, and I want to first state that there are some very real circumstances wherein it would be wise to consider a more 'medical' approach. What I mean is, that there can be some medical problems which require a more non-traditional hospital birth and we certainly support and recommend that any person with such a condition obtain the best medical advice that they can.
That being said, we feel strongly that for the most part medical intervention is not needed and sometimes causes undue stress on the Mother and child.
A little historical perspective
Until recent times, pregnancy and birth have been viewed as a normal part of the process of life and death. Throughout history women have gone through the process of birthing and nurturing children in the same way that every other creature has. Naturally. It is a recent trend to look upon child-birth as a medical 'condition' akin to sickness. While we could go on for quite some time in documenting the medical community's reasons for such a clinical view, it is not of great concern to this article. There are many papers out that already do a sufficient job of explaining this rather recent development. For our purposes, we simply want to illustrate that normal child birth is a completely natural biological event that has been taking place since the beginning of mankind and will continue to the end of time. With or without an epideral! Still, this issue of birth being historically viewed as 'natural' is an important point. To the many families that choose home-birthing ,one of the most common reasons that they give is, "Women have always done it this way!" There is just something about certain folk that feel a strong urge to 'connect' with the meaning of such a significant event without the 'clinical' feel of a hospital room. For us, this is exactly how it happened. We had our turn in the 'clinical' setting and just felt that someting was missing from the experience. We couldn't even explain it except to say that we were sure that the whole medical scene was a part of the problem. We wanted to get great prenatal care to make sure that the next one was a normal pregnancy and then we wanted to be left alone! Without the push-pull of the hospital staff and the removal of our child at someone else's whim. That brings up the next point in our thinking process.
Reasons for choosing home-birth
Different strokes for different folks, right? Wrong! Wrong that is, if you are planning on having a hospital birth. You will have very little choice in anything that takes place in most hospitals today. You are a patient after all!
Comfort, care and control
When we read the accounts of people who gave birth at home, we were so shocked that we questioned everything. These folks talked about being relaxed and eating a good meal as mom started labor! In the hospital we weren't even allowed a glass of water because it might create a problem for the Doctor when mom started pushing if her bladder was full! A problem for the doctor?! He wasn't choking from the dry throat of all that breathing and pushing! At home, we ate a good meal of fresh food to help keep our strength up and kept water available at all times. We even kept a pot of my wife's favorite herbal tea steeping for that little extra boost she might need. The music list we chose was steadily streaming the relaxing songs and the other children were quietly going about last minute preparations. When mommy said she wanted to walk, she did. If she wanted to crawl around on her hands and knees and recite scripture she could. She was at home and she was queen. Our job was to have all the 'stuff' ready for her when she needed it. And guess what. Things went fine. They have nearly a dozen times! (We're hopeful people!)
Economics 101
Recently, a friend had a hospital birth experience. He was telling me the particulars that are expected, ( weight, length, etc.,) when he suddenly told me how thankful he was that his insurance was so good. They picked up nearly the whole tab you see. He only had to pay $4,500.00 out of pocket because they 'chose' a private room and an epederal! That was his cost for delivery alone. The prenatal stuff was about $$3,000 and the total with insurance was over $22,000! I didn't have the heart to tell him that our mid-wife, a l20 year veteran RN, came to our house for every prenatal visit from 60 miles away and lugged all that state of the art equiptment, just in case, and helped deliver the baby, wash the dishes, and played with the other children afterwards so my wife and I could sleep, for less than 3 grand for the whole deal! Considering where this country may be headed very soon, home-birth deserves a closer look for the financial reasons alone.
Stay tuned.... Next time will be much more fun as we tell some home-birth stories! We'll even throw in the unassisted water birth. Well, not completely unassisted, one of the boys was home and heard her praying in the tub and heated some towels for her!
1. The upcoming new bundle. 2. The current economic situation and, 3. The recent request of Countryside Magazine.
As we discuss this issue, I will share our personal reasons for choosing this method and also, give a few little 'stories' of our experiences.
First, I have to start by acknowleding that it was my wife that originally brought up this idea in our household. At the time I really thought that she had gone too far! I mean, the homeschool thing was already hard enough and now she wanted to return to the 'dark-ages' of high infant mortality rates and 'unscientific', anti-medical zanniness!
I told you in my recent post that she really has been instrumental in changing our family for the better! Seriously though, the decision to have our children in the comfort of our home has been one of the best things that we have ever done. I know that this may not be for everyone, in every situation, and I want to first state that there are some very real circumstances wherein it would be wise to consider a more 'medical' approach. What I mean is, that there can be some medical problems which require a more non-traditional hospital birth and we certainly support and recommend that any person with such a condition obtain the best medical advice that they can.
That being said, we feel strongly that for the most part medical intervention is not needed and sometimes causes undue stress on the Mother and child.
A little historical perspective
Until recent times, pregnancy and birth have been viewed as a normal part of the process of life and death. Throughout history women have gone through the process of birthing and nurturing children in the same way that every other creature has. Naturally. It is a recent trend to look upon child-birth as a medical 'condition' akin to sickness. While we could go on for quite some time in documenting the medical community's reasons for such a clinical view, it is not of great concern to this article. There are many papers out that already do a sufficient job of explaining this rather recent development. For our purposes, we simply want to illustrate that normal child birth is a completely natural biological event that has been taking place since the beginning of mankind and will continue to the end of time. With or without an epideral! Still, this issue of birth being historically viewed as 'natural' is an important point. To the many families that choose home-birthing ,one of the most common reasons that they give is, "Women have always done it this way!" There is just something about certain folk that feel a strong urge to 'connect' with the meaning of such a significant event without the 'clinical' feel of a hospital room. For us, this is exactly how it happened. We had our turn in the 'clinical' setting and just felt that someting was missing from the experience. We couldn't even explain it except to say that we were sure that the whole medical scene was a part of the problem. We wanted to get great prenatal care to make sure that the next one was a normal pregnancy and then we wanted to be left alone! Without the push-pull of the hospital staff and the removal of our child at someone else's whim. That brings up the next point in our thinking process.
Reasons for choosing home-birth
Different strokes for different folks, right? Wrong! Wrong that is, if you are planning on having a hospital birth. You will have very little choice in anything that takes place in most hospitals today. You are a patient after all!
Comfort, care and control
When we read the accounts of people who gave birth at home, we were so shocked that we questioned everything. These folks talked about being relaxed and eating a good meal as mom started labor! In the hospital we weren't even allowed a glass of water because it might create a problem for the Doctor when mom started pushing if her bladder was full! A problem for the doctor?! He wasn't choking from the dry throat of all that breathing and pushing! At home, we ate a good meal of fresh food to help keep our strength up and kept water available at all times. We even kept a pot of my wife's favorite herbal tea steeping for that little extra boost she might need. The music list we chose was steadily streaming the relaxing songs and the other children were quietly going about last minute preparations. When mommy said she wanted to walk, she did. If she wanted to crawl around on her hands and knees and recite scripture she could. She was at home and she was queen. Our job was to have all the 'stuff' ready for her when she needed it. And guess what. Things went fine. They have nearly a dozen times! (We're hopeful people!)
Economics 101
Recently, a friend had a hospital birth experience. He was telling me the particulars that are expected, ( weight, length, etc.,) when he suddenly told me how thankful he was that his insurance was so good. They picked up nearly the whole tab you see. He only had to pay $4,500.00 out of pocket because they 'chose' a private room and an epederal! That was his cost for delivery alone. The prenatal stuff was about $$3,000 and the total with insurance was over $22,000! I didn't have the heart to tell him that our mid-wife, a l20 year veteran RN, came to our house for every prenatal visit from 60 miles away and lugged all that state of the art equiptment, just in case, and helped deliver the baby, wash the dishes, and played with the other children afterwards so my wife and I could sleep, for less than 3 grand for the whole deal! Considering where this country may be headed very soon, home-birth deserves a closer look for the financial reasons alone.
Stay tuned.... Next time will be much more fun as we tell some home-birth stories! We'll even throw in the unassisted water birth. Well, not completely unassisted, one of the boys was home and heard her praying in the tub and heated some towels for her!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Mia's News
Just a small update. Wonderful news for a beautiful family! We are rejoicing in the Lord with them. Check out her site on my side bar. She is the Aspiring Homemaker and a model of hope for the upcoming generations! Be sure to check out last year's posts. They are not showing right now but you will be thrilled at so much that this young lady has set her hand to. Cannot recommend her enough.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Busy days
Thanks to my new friends that have left messages of encouragement,( all two of you know who you are!).
I am already taking a short break from my blogging due to some pressing issues here at the "homestead" and also, due to a need too learn more about blogging. For those of you who are interested in that, I would encourage you to check out this link . http://thepilgrimpath.blogspot.com/ She has some tutorials that will get you acquainted with the process. I am watching them this week during my break.
As you may know from one of my entries, I was diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease recently, which is a fancy way of saying that I blew a few disc in my back. As of now, I am awaiting a surgeon's report on how eager he is to operate and considering all my options. This is not the first disc that has been ruptured so I am leaning toward the surgery this time. Normally, I would opt for the decompression type therapy and a few months of healing like I have done in the past. This time we can't wait. As it has happened in the worst economy, we are forced to consider surgery that holds a promise of a one month recuperation. After not working for more than 4 months, we are running out of options. The meeting with the surgeon will be this week so I must decide quickly.
Oh, how I can't wait for the day when I can leave this wretched system behind! Contrary, to what many people write, homesteading, for all of it's hard work is never as abusive to the physical body as the 9-5 world. I realize that I have a relatively, small estate and do not have the pleasure of working a horse-drawn plow, but I remember the day's of childhood, and as hard as plowing is on the back, it is somehow a tolerable ache! I think it has more to do with the rate of work. Somehow, I have been able to get a decent garden ready, sans seeds for now, a great compost pile finished many "freezer bunnies" ready, and of course the normal coop repairs, etc. My sons' will tell you that THEY are the reason I have gotten along so well, and they are largely right. I am happy that I have a willing and industrious group of children who are so helpful to me during this time. I praise the Lord for it and recommend that everyone get themselves 9 or 10 of these little helper's! It is a comfort knowing that my wife and I will not have to be thrown to the State Retirement System one day, and that by having a good dozen or so children around, we will be less of a burden to the whole. Just another reason to consider trusting the Lord in the area of child-birth, along with child-rearing! I know many folks who would point to the current predicament that I am in as a reason NOT to have a large family. I will not take time to address that error right now. I will only say that as a rule, I never use the exception to break the rule.
That is, every time someone brings up the anti-family argument, especially the Christians', they always point out the "what if" scenarios that could leave us in an overwhelming situation... As if a Father of 9 has ever lived a day that was not overwhelming! What I know, is that the Bible is pretty clear on the blessedness of children, and the ability of God. But, that discussion will have to wait because I am involved in so many other things to prepare for the next couple of weeks.
Hopefully, I will be able to keep you somewhat updated over the next weeks as things progress. I will try to post a short essay on Child-Training that another young couple in the church has asked me to write as an aid in their own training efforts. It will be something profound like, "Thank God, every day for a wife that is serious about her job!"
Really.
That's my biggest secret to how a house full of boys (we were blessed with 1 girl, out of the 9), can appear so 'civilized' when they are out fooling the unsuspecting masses to accept my devious message of large well-ordered family life! She is the backbone of the training system here at my home. I don't know if a Patriarchal minded fellow is supposed to say that, but it's true. My wife is the greatest christian witness that I have ever known, in life or in print.
I didn't mean to post on this but it is a worthy subject
.
I believe strongly in a male Head-of-household. In fact, one of the tenets of my Confession of Faith has an entire document directed to the great duty of fathers' in the training up of their children. The Ministers of our church are required to visit in the homes and "enquire after" the daily habit of scripture training among the members. Not lording over any Head mind you, ( Every man is king of his own castle), but seeking to see if the 'king' is perhaps an impostor of the worst kind... A spiritual reprobate, and vagabond who is worthy of the worst upbraiding, should he neglect his duty to daily, break the Bread of Life to His own seed! It is the worst plague on the Church today, that there is not the fire of Family religion near the Hearth of our activities. It has two scoundrels that will one day give a woeful accounting..Father and Mother! If all that the 'back to home' para-church movements have taught us about the Home being the first embryo of the church and the state (properly run, of course), is correct, and that the answer to revival lies in an awakening affirmation of family-integrated churches, then where does the final judgement of our church, and therefore state lie?! At the big, bad feet of the Anti-Christ? Yes, and No. While it is true that the Devil is one of the enemies of our faith, and yes, the World is in there ,too, the enemy that WE will answer for is actually number two on the list..."the world, the flesh, and the devil...." I am far more concerned about number two, than either of the other ones. It is the real culprit of the degradation of society. Fathers do not instruct their children in the Word. Mothers do not weep over their souls. I have known some who could outwardly fool you. I used to be one of them. That is where my wife comes in. She nurtured our family along during those times of my dereliction. She wept for them, and pleaded like Zipporah did for Moses, that God would spare my bloody soul.
I was busy you see. I ran a business and was a full-time student at Bible-college! Not to mention, those 'extra-curricular' activities that kept me occupied during what free time I had left. I won't mention what those activities were, they are not worthy to be spoken of. But, every Sunday you would find me in the pew at the '______ _______ Independent, Fundamentalist Church'. We had Revival and Camp Meetin' 3 times a year. I was there. I looked good. My wife, never once, fell to that false temptation to slander me by 'talking' to a friend. She just kept reading that she was to have a quiet and meek spirit, and that she was to live modestly and with shamefacedness before her children. That perhaps, her chaste conversation would be part of God's plan in my real conversion. Feminism is for weaklings. My wife is a vessel of the Living God to be used up at His whim! She is my hero, for she went to the gates of hell and there, stood weeping and bearing precious fruit for me nightly. Those crass women that sit on Oprah and tell you ladies that this type of subjection is a shame to women's rights are spiritual vampires that live only by draining the true life from you. They tell the stories of how they were treated and how they were 'freed'. Truth is, they were always just a part of their Father the Devil anyways. They couldn't possibly understand the motivation that my wife carried as she would climb out of bed at 2 or 3 in the morning to let me stumble into it! Always waiting with that plate that was set for me earlier that night, just in case. And then, as I would dose off to my wicked slumber, I would hear the familiar sound, the quiet sobbing and pacing from room to room, as she pleaded for these children to hold me dear in their heart! Begging God that they would honor my place and station, even if they could not honor me! Let a feminist live 1 year this way with the most hardened, negligent, oaf of a man, and then see the results. You will see the power of the Scriptures at work. You will see my wife, and you will know that there is no more excuse for you because the great lie is undone... it is not just a figurative writing, it is the Living Word, and if she could live like the Proverbs 31 woman so easily and seemingly effortlessly, then what about you?!
Anyhow, that is kinda' what I hope to talk about soon with my brethren from church and I will try and post the outline here if anyone is interested. I really think that it is the single, most important subject in today's Church. I love Agrarianism, but I love Christian Agrarianism more and the history of agrarian Scotland will testify of both, the blessed time when the Light of Scripture ruled in every individual cottage along the Moors, and the sad times when the Land, though agrarian, was as godless as today.
I am already taking a short break from my blogging due to some pressing issues here at the "homestead" and also, due to a need too learn more about blogging. For those of you who are interested in that, I would encourage you to check out this link . http://thepilgrimpath.blogspot.com/ She has some tutorials that will get you acquainted with the process. I am watching them this week during my break.
As you may know from one of my entries, I was diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease recently, which is a fancy way of saying that I blew a few disc in my back. As of now, I am awaiting a surgeon's report on how eager he is to operate and considering all my options. This is not the first disc that has been ruptured so I am leaning toward the surgery this time. Normally, I would opt for the decompression type therapy and a few months of healing like I have done in the past. This time we can't wait. As it has happened in the worst economy, we are forced to consider surgery that holds a promise of a one month recuperation. After not working for more than 4 months, we are running out of options. The meeting with the surgeon will be this week so I must decide quickly.
Oh, how I can't wait for the day when I can leave this wretched system behind! Contrary, to what many people write, homesteading, for all of it's hard work is never as abusive to the physical body as the 9-5 world. I realize that I have a relatively, small estate and do not have the pleasure of working a horse-drawn plow, but I remember the day's of childhood, and as hard as plowing is on the back, it is somehow a tolerable ache! I think it has more to do with the rate of work. Somehow, I have been able to get a decent garden ready, sans seeds for now, a great compost pile finished many "freezer bunnies" ready, and of course the normal coop repairs, etc. My sons' will tell you that THEY are the reason I have gotten along so well, and they are largely right. I am happy that I have a willing and industrious group of children who are so helpful to me during this time. I praise the Lord for it and recommend that everyone get themselves 9 or 10 of these little helper's! It is a comfort knowing that my wife and I will not have to be thrown to the State Retirement System one day, and that by having a good dozen or so children around, we will be less of a burden to the whole. Just another reason to consider trusting the Lord in the area of child-birth, along with child-rearing! I know many folks who would point to the current predicament that I am in as a reason NOT to have a large family. I will not take time to address that error right now. I will only say that as a rule, I never use the exception to break the rule.
That is, every time someone brings up the anti-family argument, especially the Christians', they always point out the "what if" scenarios that could leave us in an overwhelming situation... As if a Father of 9 has ever lived a day that was not overwhelming! What I know, is that the Bible is pretty clear on the blessedness of children, and the ability of God. But, that discussion will have to wait because I am involved in so many other things to prepare for the next couple of weeks.
Hopefully, I will be able to keep you somewhat updated over the next weeks as things progress. I will try to post a short essay on Child-Training that another young couple in the church has asked me to write as an aid in their own training efforts. It will be something profound like, "Thank God, every day for a wife that is serious about her job!"
Really.
That's my biggest secret to how a house full of boys (we were blessed with 1 girl, out of the 9), can appear so 'civilized' when they are out fooling the unsuspecting masses to accept my devious message of large well-ordered family life! She is the backbone of the training system here at my home. I don't know if a Patriarchal minded fellow is supposed to say that, but it's true. My wife is the greatest christian witness that I have ever known, in life or in print.
I didn't mean to post on this but it is a worthy subject
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I believe strongly in a male Head-of-household. In fact, one of the tenets of my Confession of Faith has an entire document directed to the great duty of fathers' in the training up of their children. The Ministers of our church are required to visit in the homes and "enquire after" the daily habit of scripture training among the members. Not lording over any Head mind you, ( Every man is king of his own castle), but seeking to see if the 'king' is perhaps an impostor of the worst kind... A spiritual reprobate, and vagabond who is worthy of the worst upbraiding, should he neglect his duty to daily, break the Bread of Life to His own seed! It is the worst plague on the Church today, that there is not the fire of Family religion near the Hearth of our activities. It has two scoundrels that will one day give a woeful accounting..Father and Mother! If all that the 'back to home' para-church movements have taught us about the Home being the first embryo of the church and the state (properly run, of course), is correct, and that the answer to revival lies in an awakening affirmation of family-integrated churches, then where does the final judgement of our church, and therefore state lie?! At the big, bad feet of the Anti-Christ? Yes, and No. While it is true that the Devil is one of the enemies of our faith, and yes, the World is in there ,too, the enemy that WE will answer for is actually number two on the list..."the world, the flesh, and the devil...." I am far more concerned about number two, than either of the other ones. It is the real culprit of the degradation of society. Fathers do not instruct their children in the Word. Mothers do not weep over their souls. I have known some who could outwardly fool you. I used to be one of them. That is where my wife comes in. She nurtured our family along during those times of my dereliction. She wept for them, and pleaded like Zipporah did for Moses, that God would spare my bloody soul.
I was busy you see. I ran a business and was a full-time student at Bible-college! Not to mention, those 'extra-curricular' activities that kept me occupied during what free time I had left. I won't mention what those activities were, they are not worthy to be spoken of. But, every Sunday you would find me in the pew at the '______ _______ Independent, Fundamentalist Church'. We had Revival and Camp Meetin' 3 times a year. I was there. I looked good. My wife, never once, fell to that false temptation to slander me by 'talking' to a friend. She just kept reading that she was to have a quiet and meek spirit, and that she was to live modestly and with shamefacedness before her children. That perhaps, her chaste conversation would be part of God's plan in my real conversion. Feminism is for weaklings. My wife is a vessel of the Living God to be used up at His whim! She is my hero, for she went to the gates of hell and there, stood weeping and bearing precious fruit for me nightly. Those crass women that sit on Oprah and tell you ladies that this type of subjection is a shame to women's rights are spiritual vampires that live only by draining the true life from you. They tell the stories of how they were treated and how they were 'freed'. Truth is, they were always just a part of their Father the Devil anyways. They couldn't possibly understand the motivation that my wife carried as she would climb out of bed at 2 or 3 in the morning to let me stumble into it! Always waiting with that plate that was set for me earlier that night, just in case. And then, as I would dose off to my wicked slumber, I would hear the familiar sound, the quiet sobbing and pacing from room to room, as she pleaded for these children to hold me dear in their heart! Begging God that they would honor my place and station, even if they could not honor me! Let a feminist live 1 year this way with the most hardened, negligent, oaf of a man, and then see the results. You will see the power of the Scriptures at work. You will see my wife, and you will know that there is no more excuse for you because the great lie is undone... it is not just a figurative writing, it is the Living Word, and if she could live like the Proverbs 31 woman so easily and seemingly effortlessly, then what about you?!
Anyhow, that is kinda' what I hope to talk about soon with my brethren from church and I will try and post the outline here if anyone is interested. I really think that it is the single, most important subject in today's Church. I love Agrarianism, but I love Christian Agrarianism more and the history of agrarian Scotland will testify of both, the blessed time when the Light of Scripture ruled in every individual cottage along the Moors, and the sad times when the Land, though agrarian, was as godless as today.
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