Weekly as we travel to Tulsa we pass thru the Amish community that I so adore--yesterday as we traveled we passed the community only this time there were horse and buggies on the road heading to church--I was so happy to see that--so simple, so peacful, such a slow way of life--I told hubby that I was just really drawn to that way of life and he agreed that there is something that seems to draw people--so we begin discussing why--he knows me and the fact that I crave simplicity, I crave seperation and I crave quiet--We also dicussed the pitfalls that their lifestyle carries but at the same time we personally feel the good out weighs the bad--While I will most likely never be Amish or even Mennonite I can certainly apply their principals to my life here, on our little 18 acres--I am so blessed as I read the bible and find references to working the land, plowing the fields and tending to amimals in scripture--it does my soul good to find that agaraian lifestyle is rooted in the word--maybe that is why I am so drawn to this life--maybe that is why I feel so very blessed to be living it, maybe that is why I have a peace and satisfaction that others don't get--maybe that is why I crave simplicity, maybe that is why I crave quietness and maybe that is why I crave seperation--I don't know--What I do know is, is that I do not live my life out of naturalisitc or humanistic tendencies, we live our life here to please God--We are not into consumerism or many of the other things people are in to--we are living a quiet life, minding our own business and working with our hands--while we understand that people of today cannot be totally self sufficient, we can do more than we think--We do not like 'depending' on others to meet our financial needs, which is why we have no credit cards, no line of credit and we opperate in cash only--not that it is wrong for everyone, but this is what we are called to--It was not easy getting to this point, much in our lives have been lost, but so much more gained when we gave in and followed God--We are not strangers to debt, loans and struggling to make ends meet and dealing with 'to much month at the end of the money'--After years of struggling we now have turned all that around--How? by letting go and letting God--When I look around and what all a person can grow and raise it truly is amazing that we all depend on the grocery stores and government to provide all that we expect them too--We still rely on them far more that we want to, but slowly we are changing that--it does not happen over night--Can you imagine if all you ever had to buy was truly those things you cannot grow or raise yourself--things like salt, baking powder etc...--What a true blessing it would be not to mention the health benefits!--We are working daily, deliberately to get to the point we sustain ourselves, but only with God blessing--We have made great progress in the past 2 years, but much more needs to be made--and if the Lord sees fit we will reach those goals and use our lives and accomplishments to minister to others!--When I do discuss where we started with this land and where we are now it is my sincere prayer that I never forget to mention that it is only our Lord that has allowed all of this and it is only our Lord that will continue to allow us to move forward in our endeavors here--
Done Rambling
::Until Next Time::
T.D.H.
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This article is resposted with permission--After I wrote the above rambling I was looking up scripture and I found this while studying about farming and the bible--It was a great read!--So I added to save for later--LOL--
T.D.H
Farming Based on the Word of God
A condensed version of a study by the Myron Horst Family
In Isaiah 26 God says that He teaches the farmer how to farm. Therefore, Christians should be the ones with the answers, and the best methods on how to farm. However, today many Christian farmers do not have the answers and are not using the best methods because they are not going to God to learn how to farm but rather have gone to non-Christians. The secular corporate business world and the state universities have dismissed God from the farming picture. While the methods of the secular mindset are appearing to work as farm production has steadily increased, in reality they are not as successful as they appear because farm profits have not even been keeping up with inflation. Many farm families have off farm jobs to make enough money to farm. That kind of farming is not profitable nor is it sustainable. It is not successful.
God teaches the farmer how to farm
Isai 28:23 Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech. 24 Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground? 25 When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rye in their place? 26 For his God doth instruct him to discretion, [and] doth teach him. 27 For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cartwheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod. 28 Bread [corn] is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break [it with] the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it [with] his horsemen. 29 This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, [which] is wonderful in counsel, [and] excellent in working.
Insights on verse 23:
One of the most important things we can learn is to hear God speak to us.
One of the best places to hear God speak is when we are outside.
John the Baptist's father, a priest, took him to the wilderness to be educated rather than to the seminary of the Pharisees.
David as a shepherd boy learned to hear God speak to him while he was tending sheep.
Moses first heard God speak to him at the burning bush. His success as a leader was totally dependent upon hearing what God said. His one failure was when he did not follow God's specific instruction.
George Washington Carver's success was totally dependent upon hearing God speak to him.
If we are going to keep our life from being wasted, we need to learn to hear God speak.
Insights on verse 26:
Discretion - a verdict, formal decree, divine law
Instruct - to chastise with blows or words
We need discretion to sort through information and to know what information to follow.
We need discretion to see cause and effect sequences, to see long term consequences and benefits.
We need discretion to judge truth from error and to judge between what is good and what is best.
Discretion is needed to know when to stop. There is no end to perfection. There is a point where the next level of perfection or quality requires more time and expense than it is worth. A perfectionist needs to learn when something is good enough. This is something God can teach us.
God teaches the farmer how to farm!
Have you asked God on a regular basis to teach you? Do it! You will be amazed at what you will learn.
Having read these verses we as a family were challenged to go to the Bible to learn from God how to farm. We also asked God to teach us what to do with our farm and what to grow on it. It has been very exciting seeing what God is teaching us and how He is leading us on the farm.
It is exciting, looking at the Bible and seeing a bigger picture, seeing farming from God's perspective, from God's high tower. God has an enormous wealth of information for us on farming. The Bible is literally a gold mine that is inexhaustible in gold. What we have found is just a scratching at the surface of what God has for us farmers to learn in His Word and from Him. The insights that we have listed are neither complete nor exhaustive. Even a lifetime of study by many Christian farmers will not exhaust the hidden gold nuggets of instruction that God has for the farmer in His Word. Each time you study the Bible ask the Holy Spirit to give you understanding and new insights.
We have been encouraged by George Washington Carver and his testimony of how he over and over again went to the Creator and asked Him to teach him what the peanut was for. One of the most important things that George Washington Carver learned was to hear God speak to him and to teach him how to make products from the peanut. As a result, Carver was able to help the farmers of the south in ways that no other person has been able to single-handedly do. God has that kind of resources available to each one of us, to teach us how to farm better and to help others to farm better.
In the first part of the 1900's the boll weevil brought economic ruin to the south. The soil had been depleted after years of growing only cotton. George Washington Carver, a black scientist, looked for a crop to replace cotton as a cash crop that farmers in the south could grow so that they could survive financially. He tried a number of crops. The peanut he described as a "no-account." It was too hard to bring to peanut-manhood and as a food it was more satisfactory for hogs than humans.
George Washington Carver described his work:
"I get up every morning, winter and summer at four. First I go into the woods and gather specimens, and listen to what God had to say to me. After I have had my morning talk with God, I go to my laboratory and begin to carry out His wishes for the day, and if I fail it's my failure, and if I succeed then God's will has been done.
"Years ago, I when into my laboratory and said, 'Dear Creator, please tell me what the universe was made for.'
"Said the Creator, 'You want to know too much for such a little mind as yours. Ask for something your size.'
"Then I asked, 'Dear Creator, tell me what man was made for.' Again the great Creator replied, 'Little one, you are still asking too much. Bring down the extent of your request.'
"'Tell me then, Creator, what the peanut was made for.'
"Then the great Creator taught me how to take the peanut apart and put it together again. And out of this came all these products which the Creator taught me to make."
George Washington Carver in his lifetime discovered:
32 different kinds of milk from the peanut
300 different products from the peanut
300 products from clay
Over 100 products from the sweet potato.
A few years before his death, Dr. Carver explained the secret of his success: "It is not we little men who do the work, but it is our blessed Creator working through us... Other people can have this power, if they only believe. The secret lies" — touching his Bible — "right here, in the promises of God. They are real, but so few people believe them to be real."
"He said, "I always sleep over a problem. I go to sleep with it on my mind, and the next morning I see the method and the new perspective which usually clears it up. I did not do it. God has only used me to reveal some of His wonderful providences."
(From the book George Washington Carver: God's Ebony Scientist by Basil Miller, Zondervan Publishing House; 1963.)
More importantly, I believe that as people see that God has answers and better methods for farming, as they see that the Bible is a living book and applies to us today, it will draw them to place their faith and trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We must not be silent in telling others the source of our wisdom and successful methods of farming that God gives to us. People need to see that God is real and that we need Him in life as well as in death.
Farmer
Gene 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein [there is] life, [I have given] every green herb for meat: and it was so. 31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
The first job God gave to man was farming.
There is a lot more potential for food production than what we now realize. According to verse 29, there are a lot of plants and trees producing food than what we now are using. We need more George Washington Carvers to discover how these plants and trees can be used for food.
Are there plants that we have overlooked for animal feed?
Are there ways we can utilize weeds that grow in abundance for a good use?
Are all plants that we call weeds part of the curse or with some of them is God using their abundance to get our attention to use them?
There are also medical uses of plants for people and animals.
2Kin 25:12 "But the captain of the guard left of the poor of the land [to be] vinedressers and husbandmen."
Around the world, it is often the poor who are farmers.
The poor do not have the education, or the other resources necessary to produce maximum production from the land.
While money is often viewed as the solution to this problem, in Proverbs, God says that wisdom is more important than money. Wisdom can provide the creativity for witty inventions to do things cheaper and more efficiently. Easy money through debt often suppresses creativity in finding a cheaper more efficient way.
Farming
Gene 3:23 "Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken".
The first occupation was farming.
Farming is an occupation that is commissioned by God. It is essential for life. Therefore, it is important that as farmers we view our job as a very essential and important job. We must not merely have a focus on making money and increasing production, but rather have a focus on producing quality crops and food that will provide the nourishment for life and health that others need.
The word "till" means "to work, serve, labor". All farming requires labor and often lots of it.
It is interesting that God mentions the ground from which man was taken.
It is important that we keep in the front our minds as farmers that we still come from the ground today. Everything we eat ultimately comes from the ground. Therefore our bodies become whatever quality the quality of the soil is. If it is poor soil, our bodies will not be as strong and healthy as if the soil is very fertile and full of nutrients. Often the focus of being healthy is placed on eating right. But the real focus for health must be placed on building up the soil and making it very fertile. Rich, fertile soil is not only important for increased production; it is necessary for increased health. Eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables that are commercially grown in impoverished soils is not near as healthy for us as eating fresh fruits and vegetables that are grown in rich fertile soil.
Gene 6:19 "And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every [sort] shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep [them] alive with thee; they shall be male and female. 20 Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every [sort] shall come unto thee, to keep [them] alive. 21 And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather [it] to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them. 22 Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he."
Noah had the ultimate farming challenge: to build, stock and operate a floating barn that was totally self-contained and was capable of holding two of all animals and birds for one full year.
Noah had a mega crop storage job. He stored enough feed for all the animals on the ark to feed them for a little over one year. He also had to have food for eight adults for one year. Building the ark was a big task in itself, but providing all the supplies for the voyage was no small task. Noah had to finance the entire building of the ark and the supplies out of his own pocket.
Noah did all that God told him to do, and he did it the way that God told him to do it.
God taught Noah how to run a farm on a boat!
Not only was there need for feed for one year, but they also needed straw or other bedding for the animals. They also had to have a manure handling system to handle all the manure generated in a year's time of total confinement.
Prov 27:23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, [and] look well to thy herds. 24 For riches [are] not for ever: and doth the crown [endure] to every generation? 25 The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered. 26 The lambs [are] for thy clothing, and the goats [are] the price of the field. 27 And [thou shalt have] goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and [for] the maintenance for thy maidens.
Sheep and other animals need to be cared for. We should not just put them out to pasture and forget about them.
If you don't take care of your sheep, your riches will go away.
Sheep and cattle are like a bank account. If they are well cared for they can be readily sold in the time of need for a good price.
The lambs are for your clothing - the more lambs that we can produce, the more money we have to buy the things that we need.
The herbs of the mountains have significance.
The tender grass is the best.
Today many pastors/shepherds are focusing on feeding their sheep (sermons) but are not evaluating the condition of the flock. A pastor needs to be like a shepherd who is interested in the long-term welfare of his flock. He must not be like a feedlot owner who gets lambs for a short time and then gets rid of them. It is not as important to the feed lot owner the state of his flock. His focus is in large numbers and the proper feed to get the profit he wants for himself. The long-term condition of the flock is not important to him because he is getting replacements on a regular basis. For a true shepherd pastor, It is important to evaluate cause and effect sequences and see if what is being done in the church: Sunday school, youth groups, Bible school, age segregation, separating singles and married, etc.; is producing the results in older young people and adults that is desired. It is important that a pastor is diligent to know the spiritual state of his flock. If he does not make the necessary changes to improve the spiritual condition the church will eventually decline, young people will leave, the love of many will grow cold, and it will be a disgrace to the cause of Christ.
Ezek 34:30 Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God [am] with them, and [that] they, [even] the house of Israel, [are] my people, saith the Lord GOD. 31 And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, [are] men, [and] I [am] your God, saith the Lord GOD.
God likens Himself to be our shepherd and us His sheep.
The flocks are pastured. Many times the word for feed means to pasture flocks.
The concept of a shepherd feeding the flock by leading them to pasture is different than the way a feedlot owner feeds his lambs. With the feedlot owner, the sheep are totally dependent upon him to choose, grind, mix, balance the feed ration, and give their only feed to them. A shepherd leads the flock to pasture and lets the sheep feed themselves. He protects them from poisonous plants that they should not eat. The feedlot owner can feed thousands of sheep but the sheep receive little personal attention or care. The shepherd gives the sheep much more personal care and attention. The feedlot owner and the shepherd illustrate two different leadership styles of pastors. The feedlot pastor has a large church with many people. He feeds them with interesting sermons that he has chosen, chewed, mixed, and fed out to them. For many it is the only spiritual food they receive. He has very little personal time with each person. The shepherd pastor shows his people how to read and study the Bible for themselves. His sermons are a significantly smaller portion of their spiritual food. He has a pastor's heart and personally cares for each person. He is available in sickness and trouble.
Jere 11:19 But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.
Cattle should be killed in a low stress environment without them knowing what is happening. They should not be chased around when trying to kill them. They have found recently that buffalo meat is more tender and tastes best if the buffalo is shot in the field where it is standing, and then processed in a portable slaughter house that is taken to the field.
Psal 22:12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong [bulls] of Bashan have beset me round.
Bashan was well known for its excellent pasture. See Mic. 7:14, Jer. 50:19, Ez. 39:18, Amos 4:1.
Bashan means soft fertile land. It had an extraordinarily rich plain.
Rich soil with excellent pasture produces strong healthy animals.
To produce strong healthy animals, we need to build up the soil and make it soft and fertile.
If we take care of the soil, the animals will take care of us. Building up the soil should be our priority.
Psal 104:14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;
God designed cattle to eat grass as a primary feed source.
God makes grass grow - Man does not make grass.
Cattle are food for us out of the earth. Therefore the quality and health value of the meat is dependent upon the fertility of the soil.
God "invented" grass primarily for animal feed, not for lawns.
Grass is a "green" feed that is harvested by four legged "combines". It does not require diesel fuel to produce it.
Farming Education
Gene 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, and that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they [were] naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 11 And he said, Who told thee that thou [wast] naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
Adam and Eve disobeyed God's farming instructions to them of what fruit they could harvest. They reaped the consequences of their disobedience.
What looks good, and looks like good for food is not always good for us. We need instruction to know what is good and what is not so that we do not have to learn the hard and potentially disastrous way.
Job 12:7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: 8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
We need to spend time observing our animals or poultry and see what they prefer and what they don't like. It is important to use an animal or bird's natural instinct to our advantage in handling them and in raising them. It can save us a lot of time and effort.
It tells us to ask. We need to take the initiative and observe with a goal of learning from the animals, poultry, ground, or fish on our farm. Too often we do things in farming because others are doing it that way or because it has always been done that way. It may not be the best way or the best for our farm or our ground.
George Washington Carver put this verse into practice. He would go out early in the morning on his walk with the Lord and gather specimens of plants and observe the earth and the plants. He made many useful products from the different clays that he found. (This was not pottery but products from the dirt itself such as a deep rich colorfast blue pigment for paint.)
There is much for us to discover/learn from the animals and ground on our farm. Becoming better observers will make us better farmers.
Animals
Gene 8:17 Bring forth with thee every living thing that [is] with thee, of all flesh, [both] of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.
God designed animals to multiply much faster than people.
Every animal has a significant purpose on the earth. God had a chance to eliminate any "unnecessary" animals and insects in the flood.
All the bugs and insects also have their place and purpose, even though at times we wonder what it is.
Levi 11:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These [are] the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that [are] on the earth. 3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, [and] cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat. 4 Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: [as] the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he [is] unclean unto you. 5 And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he [is] unclean unto you. 6 And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he [is] unclean unto you. 7 And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he [is] unclean to you. 8 Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcass shall ye not touch; they [are] unclean to you.
Clean and unclean animals referred to what animals the Jewish people could eat and which ones they could not eat. It also referred to which animals could be used for sacrifices and which could not be used.
There are some meats that are healthy for us to eat and some that are not.
Meat eating animals were all unclean.
The clean animals were those who ate grass and were a ruminant. A ruminant chews the cud and has a complex three or four part stomach.
Recent research is showing that the meat of animals raised and fattened on fresh green grass is healthier for us to eat. There is a lower risk of cancer and heart disease.
Levi 17:10 And whatsoever man [there be] of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. 11 For the life of the flesh [is] in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it [is] the blood [that] maketh an atonement for the soul. 12 Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood. 13 And whatsoever man [there be] of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten; he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust. 14 For [it is] the life of all flesh; the blood of it [is] for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh [is] the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off. 15 And every soul that eateth that which died [of itself], or that which was torn [with beasts, whether it be] one of your own country, or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes, and bathe [himself] in water, and be unclean until the even: then shall he be clean.
Eating blood is an abomination to God. God will set His face against anyone that eats blood. This was not just a command for the Jewish people, but also for the stranger/non-Jewish person.
In butchering, God says that blood should be composted - cover it with dirt.
We are not to eat meat that has not been properly bled out, such as an animal that died on its own or was killed by an animal.
God's Judgment
It is important that we do not go to extremes in our thinking on God's judgment on farms and the land. One extreme is to think that every drought, infestation of bugs, etc. is because God is bringing judgment on a person or group of people because of unconfessed sin and then using that situation to judge and condemn others. Job is one example where what looked like God's judgment was actually God allowing Job to be tested. God condemned Job's friends because they accused Job of sinning. The other extreme that most of us find ourselves in is to ignore or discredit the possibility or probability that crop failures or the lack of rainfall, might be God's judgment for sin.
Gene 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed [is] the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat [of] it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou [art], and unto dust shalt thou return.
Be careful what advice and instructions that you listen to. A beginning farmer, like Adam, can suffer the consequences of wrong advice the rest of his life. We need to get our primary direction for farming from the Word of God. All other advice needs to line up with the Bible and build upon it, not contradict it.
Weeds, thorns, thistles, and bugs are part of God's judgment on the earth for sin. We will never be able to totally eliminate them.
Understanding the source of weeds and bugs is important for us in dealing with them. Universities, secular publications and writers do not commonly recognize that weeds and bugs are the result of God's judgment for sin. Understanding the cause and effect sequence is an important first step in dealing with a problem. Our first step in dealing with weeds and bugs needs to be repentance for our sins. Then we need to ask God how we should deal with them and for Him to remove or lessen their effect. Since weeds and bugs are a result of God's judgment, herbicides, insecticides, mechanical and physical controls do not address the source or the cause. Therefore they will be limited in their effectiveness and will be costly.
Farming will always be hard work because the ground is cursed because of sin. Even those who do not farm reap the consequences of sin, because they also are "enslaved" to a job to provide a living and to buy their food.
God provided vegetables for us to eat.
All plants, animals, and people come from the earth. It is an amazing thing that dirt can produce all kinds of plants, trees, fruits, vegetables, and flowers. These plants in turn produce animals and people. Our flesh, muscles, body organs, nerves etc. all come from dirt! There is not one bit of us that will not compost. God designed the ultimate recycling program model. He used dirt and water to create living things. When these have fulfilled their usefulness they convert back to dirt. Today we have a major waste problem because we have not followed God's example. There is an enormous amount of plastics, glass, and metal that does not compost back to their original state. Therefore they have to be hidden in the ground to create problems for future generations. Imagine what the world would be like if plants, animals, and people would not decompose. The world would have shut down long ago.
We need to follow God's example and make things as much as possible out of materials that decompose back to dirt. This is a totally different mindset then that of the "save the earth" environmentalist mindset. Our focus is on following God's model rather than worshipping and serving the earth and the creature more than God.
Psal 107:33 He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground; 34 A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.
Well-watered land does not necessarily stay watered.
God can turn the fruitful land of the wicked into a desert.
Wickedness is a great destroyer of productive farmland.
God leads farmers into chemical farming to destroy the long-term productiveness of the land.
The most successful answer for land that does not produce because of the wickedness of the ancestors, is evangelism.
2Chr 7:13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; 14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
God brings judgment by causing a drought or causing bugs to devour the crops.
The solution is not to spray more chemicals or to buy irrigation equipment. The solution is for us who are called by Jesus' name to humble ourselves and pray God brings judgment by causing a drought or causing and seek God's face, and turn from our wicked, compromising ways.
Christians often quote verse 14. However, it is not usually recognized as being in the context of farming problems and God's judgment upon farms and gardens.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
So, What's so great about it?
A few days ago I was talking with my best friend, she and her husband are selling their home and downsizing and working toward getting back to a more simple life--as we were talking she was telling me how rude a realtor treated her and her husband--when they told the realtor they were selling to downsize and find a smaller acreage and get back to the basics, the realtor ask her--Whats so great about that?--Needless to say they did not use this realtor--
Well that got my brain to working--imagine that--So what is so great about living simply and in the country?
I could probably sit here all day and tell you, however I won't bore you with that, but I wanted to just list a few--
I love, love, love getting up on a warm spring morning, making coffee and going outside to enjoy it--It is quiet, the birds are chirping, butterflies are out and there are all things new--Often we have new'critter' life spring forth here on the farm--goat kids, chicks, puppies,--then there is plant life--the tiny leaves on the trees, grass begins to get green, seedlings begin to poke their little heads out of the earth, wild flowers too wake up and turn their little faces towards heaven--
There are the goats playing goat games and you get the sense they are in their own 'critter' way, thanking the Lord for once again for bringing about warmer temps--
The hens proudly lead their chicks around the barn yard as if to say 'see what the Lord gave me'--
The butterfiles flutter around from flower to flower in a frenzy as if they are just soooooooo excited to once again partake of the sweet nectar the Lord has made for them--
Squirrels scurry and scamper from tree to tree taking in the warmth and enjoying the sunshine once again--
Rabbits hop from place to place, teaching their young to gather food and entertain us in the process--who doesn't like to sit and watch a wild rabbit?
Oh, and lets all not forget the feeling and smell of the fresh, spring soil that offers a coolness on our hands as the sun beats down on our backs--
The sheer excitement of putting a seed and or plant in the ground and watching it grow and bring forth food for our tables--
The skies turn a beautiful hue of blue with no clouds around--no smog, no city noise, no sirens, just pure, unadulterated nature--
These are but a few of the wonderful and simple blessings that you can find in the country--I told my friend, God truly can be found in the country--he's is shouting from everything and is not over shadowed by the noise of elsewhere--
::Until Next Time::
T.D.H.
Well that got my brain to working--imagine that--So what is so great about living simply and in the country?
I could probably sit here all day and tell you, however I won't bore you with that, but I wanted to just list a few--
I love, love, love getting up on a warm spring morning, making coffee and going outside to enjoy it--It is quiet, the birds are chirping, butterflies are out and there are all things new--Often we have new'critter' life spring forth here on the farm--goat kids, chicks, puppies,--then there is plant life--the tiny leaves on the trees, grass begins to get green, seedlings begin to poke their little heads out of the earth, wild flowers too wake up and turn their little faces towards heaven--
There are the goats playing goat games and you get the sense they are in their own 'critter' way, thanking the Lord for once again for bringing about warmer temps--
The hens proudly lead their chicks around the barn yard as if to say 'see what the Lord gave me'--
The butterfiles flutter around from flower to flower in a frenzy as if they are just soooooooo excited to once again partake of the sweet nectar the Lord has made for them--
Squirrels scurry and scamper from tree to tree taking in the warmth and enjoying the sunshine once again--
Rabbits hop from place to place, teaching their young to gather food and entertain us in the process--who doesn't like to sit and watch a wild rabbit?
Oh, and lets all not forget the feeling and smell of the fresh, spring soil that offers a coolness on our hands as the sun beats down on our backs--
The sheer excitement of putting a seed and or plant in the ground and watching it grow and bring forth food for our tables--
The skies turn a beautiful hue of blue with no clouds around--no smog, no city noise, no sirens, just pure, unadulterated nature--
These are but a few of the wonderful and simple blessings that you can find in the country--I told my friend, God truly can be found in the country--he's is shouting from everything and is not over shadowed by the noise of elsewhere--
::Until Next Time::
T.D.H.
Outside My Window
I know many of you have much more snow than we do, but I like taking pictures to add to my blog for future reference--anyway this is my "outside my window 2" post--remember they are litterally taken looking outside from my window so if they seem a bit blurred that is why--I like doing this to watch the changes that take place here over the year--there is no grass in our yard right now as we just cleared this area last June I think it was--so it's pretty bare and 'ugly' right now--but this spring should bring around at least some grass and we will be planting things--Makes for a good "progress journal"
BELOW:Behind the house--the blue tarp is covering lumber for the addtion--
BELOW: This is looking out my bedroom window
::Until Next Time::
T.D.H
BELOW:Behind the house--the blue tarp is covering lumber for the addtion--
BELOW: This is looking out my bedroom window
::Until Next Time::
T.D.H
Who Knew
As I ventured over to the laundry house today I decided to look at my strawberry plants--WOW! did I ever get a shock--I have strawberrys growing in my yard--the runners left the bed and found their way into the yard--LOL--soooooooo need I say I have tons of strawberrys to transplant this spring--Alan and I knew we needed another bed, but it looks as if we may need 2 more beds--LOL--Its a good thing we like strawberrys--I should be able to freeze plenty and have tons of jam this year--What a blessing!--We started out with 25 plants, then my mom gave me 25 more--so I had 50 plants now I probably have about 60--LOL--So much for worrying that I wouldn't have enough--I will find someone to bless with our abundance--I guess I should go in and re-do my garden plan to include a couple more strawberry beds--LOL
::Until Next Time::
The Deliberate Homesteader
::Until Next Time::
The Deliberate Homesteader
This morning when I got up and opened the shades I noticed the goats had finally broken their 'play toy'--it was an old wire spool that we have had for a couple of years--It was getting rather worn out and they finally did it in--
As I stood there and watched them--apparently they are having just as much fun with it now as they did when it was 'whole'--it kinda reminded me of the whole "make due and re-use" concept--LOL--we can learn alot from critters!
::Until Next Time::
The Deliberate Homesteader
As I stood there and watched them--apparently they are having just as much fun with it now as they did when it was 'whole'--it kinda reminded me of the whole "make due and re-use" concept--LOL--we can learn alot from critters!
::Until Next Time::
The Deliberate Homesteader
'Bella' our doe will be having a kid or hopefully kids soon--I checked her again today and no doubt she is making an udder--Wooohooo!--I am so very excited--I would say she is due within the month--I am hopeful for twin doelings, last year she has twin boys--we could really use some doelings--But we will take whatever the Lord allows--
::Until Next Time::
The Deliberate Homesteader
::Until Next Time::
The Deliberate Homesteader
It is my ambition
As I read my bible this morning I came across this verse--I have read it many times but today it really struck a chord with me--
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
This should be your ambition: to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we commanded you before--12. As a result people who are not christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others to meet your financial needs.--NLT Version
This sums up the homesteading way of life for me--Be quiet, work with your hands, mind your own business, gain respect and you will no have to depend on others to meet your needs--WOW!--If all the world would live by this what a change there would be!
'Nuff said!
::Until Next Time::
The Deliberate Homesteader
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
This should be your ambition: to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we commanded you before--12. As a result people who are not christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others to meet your financial needs.--NLT Version
This sums up the homesteading way of life for me--Be quiet, work with your hands, mind your own business, gain respect and you will no have to depend on others to meet your needs--WOW!--If all the world would live by this what a change there would be!
'Nuff said!
::Until Next Time::
The Deliberate Homesteader
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Food Prices Reach Record High
Food Prices Reach Record High
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), their index of of 55 food commodities has surged to a new all time high of 214.7 points, surpassing its previous highest record from June of 2008 of 213.5 points.
In other words, food prices (nominally) are at a record high, despite the fact that the BLS claims that current year-over-year food price inflation is only 1.5%. According to the FAO, “It will be foolish to assume this is the peak.”
NIA is projecting that the U.S. will see double-digit food price inflation in the first half of 2011. In 2010, Americans were lucky with most of our food price inflation being exported to China. With riots breaking out in China over food prices, food riots in the U.S. could be next.
During the past week, sugar futures reached a new 30-year high, coffee futures reached a new 13-year high, orange juice futures reached a new 3-year high, corn futures reached a new 29-month high, soybean futures reached a new 27-month high, and palm oil futures reached a new 33-month high. NIA believes that Americans will fully feel recent agricultural commodity price increases at their local supermarket within the next six months. NIA predicts that food inflation will become America’s top crisis of 2011.
Click here to see NIA’s President on FOX Business discussing food inflation.
Click here to see NIA’s food price projection report.
For more information from the FAO on the World Food Situation, click here.
In other words, food prices (nominally) are at a record high, despite the fact that the BLS claims that current year-over-year food price inflation is only 1.5%. According to the FAO, “It will be foolish to assume this is the peak.”
NIA is projecting that the U.S. will see double-digit food price inflation in the first half of 2011. In 2010, Americans were lucky with most of our food price inflation being exported to China. With riots breaking out in China over food prices, food riots in the U.S. could be next.
During the past week, sugar futures reached a new 30-year high, coffee futures reached a new 13-year high, orange juice futures reached a new 3-year high, corn futures reached a new 29-month high, soybean futures reached a new 27-month high, and palm oil futures reached a new 33-month high. NIA believes that Americans will fully feel recent agricultural commodity price increases at their local supermarket within the next six months. NIA predicts that food inflation will become America’s top crisis of 2011.
Click here to see NIA’s President on FOX Business discussing food inflation.
Click here to see NIA’s food price projection report.
For more information from the FAO on the World Food Situation, click here.
"Outside My Window"
I decided that every so often I will blog a little piece called "Outside my Window"--It will be things I can see from the windows in my home--
Here is my first one--We have 3 big windows in our living room--one each outside wall--From the end one I can see our goats--it is only maybe 10 feet from the end of the house to the goat fencing--I love leaving the curtains open all day so I can see nature all around me--This morning I took these from inside my living room--
Below--This is the doe that we are 90% sure is bred--she is my awesome milker!--Her name is AnaBella--"Bella" for short
Below--Here is "Bella" and "Mr. Man" he is laying down--
::Until Next Time::
The Deliberate Homesteader
Here is my first one--We have 3 big windows in our living room--one each outside wall--From the end one I can see our goats--it is only maybe 10 feet from the end of the house to the goat fencing--I love leaving the curtains open all day so I can see nature all around me--This morning I took these from inside my living room--
Below--This is the doe that we are 90% sure is bred--she is my awesome milker!--Her name is AnaBella--"Bella" for short
Below--Here is "Bella" and "Mr. Man" he is laying down--
::Until Next Time::
The Deliberate Homesteader
NIA's Top 10 Predictions for 2011
The National Inflation Association is pleased to announce its top 10 predictions for 2011.
1) The Dow/Gold and Gold/Silver ratios will continue to decline.
In NIA's top 10 predictions for 2010, we predicted major declines in the Dow/Gold and Gold/Silver ratios. The Dow/Gold ratio was 9.3 at the time and finished 2010 down 15% to 8.1. The Gold/Silver ratio was 64 at the time and finished 2010 down 28% to 46. We expect to see the Dow/Gold ratio decline to 6.5 and the Gold/Silver ratio decline to 38 in 2011. Later this decade, we expect to see the Dow/Gold ratio bottom at 1 and the Gold/Silver ratio decline to below 16 and possibly as low as 10.
2) Colleges will begin to go bankrupt and close their doors.
We have a college education bubble in America that was made possible by the U.S. government's willingness to give out cheap and easy student loans. With all of the technological advances that have been taking place worldwide, the cost for a college education in America should be getting cheaper. Instead, private four-year colleges have averaged 5.6% tuition inflation over the past six years. College tuitions are the one thing in America that never declined in price during the panic of 2008. Despite collapsing stock market and Real Estate prices, college tuition costs surged to new highs as Americans instinctively sought to become better educated in order to better ride out and survive the economic crisis. Unfortunately, American students who overpaid for college educations are graduating and finding out that their degrees are worthless and no jobs are available for them. They would have been better off going straight into the work force and investing their money into gold and silver. That way, they would have real wealth today instead of debt and would already have valuable work place experience, which is much more important than any piece of paper. Colleges and universities took on ambitious construction projects and built new libraries, gyms, and sporting venues, that added no value to the education of students. These projects were intended for the sole purpose of impressing students and their families. The administrators of these colleges knew that no matter how high tuitions rose, students would be able to simply borrow more from the government in order to pay them. Americans today can purchase just about any type of good on Amazon.com, cheaper than they can find it in retail stores. This is because Amazon.com is a lot more efficient and doesn't have the overhead costs of brick and mortar retailers. NIA expects to see a new trend of Americans seeking to become educated cheaply over the Internet. There will be a huge drop off in demand for traditional college degrees. NIA expects to see many colleges default on their debts in 2011. These colleges will be forced to either downsize and educate students more cost effectively or close their doors for good.
3) U.S. retailers will report declines in profit margins and their stocks will decline.
Although most analysts on Wall Street believe retailers will report a major increase in holiday season sales over a year ago, NIA believes any top line growth retailers report will come at the expense of dismal bottom line profits. NIA expects many retailers to report large declines in their profit margins for the 4Q of 2010 and first half of 2011. Retailers have been selling goods at bargain basement prices in order to generate demand. Americans, being flush with newly printed dollars from the Federal Reserve, have been eager to buy up supplies of goods at artificially low prices. However, shareholders will likely sell off their retail stocks on this news. As share prices of retail stocks decline, retailers will begin to rapidly increase their prices by mid-2011.
4) The mainstream public will begin to buy gold.
Although the mainstream media continues to proclaim we have a gold bubble, it is impossible to have a gold bubble when mainstream America isn't buying gold. The average American is more likely to be a seller of gold through companies like Cash4Gold, in order to raise enough dollars to put food on their table. Most Americans today don't even know the price of gold. During the next 12 months, we expect to see a huge ramping up in the public's knowledge about gold. More Americans than ever will know the current price of gold and understand that it is real money. By the end of 2011, we expect the general public to begin looking at gold as an investment, just like they began looking at Real Estate as an investment in 2003. Sometime during the next six months, we believe you will overhear a stranger at a restaurant talking about investing into gold. We believe the price of gold could surge to as high as $2,000 per ounce in 2011.
5) We will see a huge surge in municipal debt defaults.
In the closing months of 2010, we saw yields on municipal bonds rise to their highest levels since early 2009. After 29 consecutive weeks of inflows into municipal bond funds, investors are now pulling money out of municipal bond funds by record amounts, with $9 billion exiting municipal bond funds in the five weeks leading up to Christmas. NIA believes there could be a small dip in municipal bond yields over the next couple of months as investors realize that municipal debt defaults might not be imminent, but we expect municipal bond yields to begin rising again by mid-2011 with a huge surge in municipal debt defaults coming in the second half of 2011. Although the Federal Government has a printing press that it uses in order to pay its debts, cities and municipalities do not.
6) We will see a large decline in the crude oil/natural gas ratio.
When we released our top 10 predictions for 2010, crude oil was $73 per barrel and we predicted that oil prices would rise to $100 per barrel in 2010. Crude oil ended up rising by 26% in 2010 to $92 per barrel, coming short of our outlook. However, it is possible our $100 per barrel oil forecast might be off by just a month or two. We wouldn't be surprised to see $100 per barrel oil within the first two months of 2011 and if so, we expect to see a huge movement in America this year towards natural gas. The crude oil/natural gas ratio currently stands at 20. Historically, the crude oil/natural gas ratio has averaged 10 and based on an energy equivalent basis, crude oil and natural gas prices should have a 6 to 1 ratio. Brand new fracking technology has caused natural gas supplies in the U.S. to rise to record levels. Although our country might be flooded with natural gas, the natural gas fracking boom that is taking place across the U.S. today is causing ground water in the U.S. to become contaminated. Americans living near natural gas wells that use fracking, are finding that they can now light the water coming out of their faucets on fire. New government regulations are likely to crack down on natural gas fracking and this will come at the same time as American individuals and businesses begin to convert their automobiles and machinery to run off of natural gas. A large decline in the crude oil/natural gas ratio in 2011 is likely, possibly down to as low as 15.
7) The median U.S. home will decline sharply priced in silver.
For the past couple of years, being able to make ones mortgage payment has been the primary concern for the average American. In an attempt to support housing prices and keep mortgage interest rates at artificially low levels, the Federal Reserve has been implementing massive quantitative easing and buying mortgage backed securities. NIA believes the Federal Reserve will be successful at putting a nominal floor under Real Estate prices. NIA also believes that the Federal Reserve's actions will cause a massive decline in the value of the U.S. dollar, which will allow Americans to more easily pay back their mortgages with depreciated U.S. dollars. However, the Federal Reserve will not be successful at reinflating the Real Estate bubble. In fact, in terms of real money (gold and silver), NIA believes Real Estate prices will decline to record lows. The median U.S. home is currently priced at $170,600 or 5,500 ounces of silver. Priced in silver, the median U.S. home price is down 16% from one month ago and 45% from one year ago. After the inflationary crisis of the 1970s, silver rose to a high in 1980 of $49.45 per ounce. The median U.S. home price in 1980 was $47,200, which means the median U.S. home/silver ratio declined to a low of 954. With the Federal Reserve printing money at an unprecedented rate and record amounts of new homes built during the recent Real Estate bubble, NIA believes it is inevitable that the median U.S. home will decline to a price of 1,000 ounces of silver this decade and possibly as low as 500 ounces of silver. In 2011, we believe a decline in the median U.S. home price to 4,000 ounces of silver is possible.
8) Food inflation will become America's top crisis.
Starting a few decades ago and accelerating in recent years, America has seen a boom in non-productive service jobs, mainly in the financial sector. Most of these jobs were made possible by inflation. Without inflation, which steals from the purchasing power of the incomes and savings of goods producing workers, the majority of the jobs on Wall Street would not exist today and our country would be in much better financial shape because of it. With most Americans in recent decades seeking non-productive jobs in the financial services sector because that is where they could access the Fed's cheap and easy money, very few Americans sought jobs in the farming and agriculture sector. In the 1930s, approximately 28% of the population was employed in the agriculture sector, but today this number is less than 2%. Agriculture currently makes up only 1.2% of U.S. GDP, compared to the services sector, which makes up 76.9% of U.S. GDP. There is currently a major shortage of farmers in the U.S. and a lot of land that was previously used for farming has now been developed with Real Estate. To make matters worse, agricultural products now trade on the international market and Americans must now compete against citizens of emerging nations like China and India for the purchasing of food. Prices of goods and services do not rise equally when governments create monetary inflation. Inflation gravitates most towards the items that Americans need the most and there is nothing that Americans need more to survive than food and agriculture. As the U.S. government prints money, the first thing Americans will spend it on is food. Americans can cut back on energy use by moving into a smaller home and carpooling to work. They can cut back on entertainment, travel, and other discretionary spending. However, Americans can never stop spending money on food. The days of cheap food in America are coming to an end. The recent unprecedented rise that we have seen in agricultural commodity prices is showing no signs of letting up. In the past few days, sugar futures reached a new 30-year high, coffee futures reached a new 13-year high, orange juice futures reached a new 3-year high, corn futures reached a new 29-month high, soybean futures reached a new 27-month high, and palm oil futures reached a new 33-month high. We estimate that it takes as long as six months for rising agricultural commodity prices to be felt by U.S. consumers in their local supermarket. Even if food producers and retailers accept substantially lower profit margins in 2011, we are still guaranteed to see double-digit across the board U.S. food inflation in the first half of the year. That is correct, let us repeat, NIA guarantees that Americans will see double-digit food inflation in the first half of 2011. Shockingly, except for Glenn Beck (who was kind enough to feature our food inflation report), absolutely nobody in the mainstream media is doing anything to warn Americans about the food inflation crisis that is ahead. In fact, left-wing groups like Media Matters (funded by George Soros) have been working tirelessly to try and discredit NIA's research while reassuring Americans that they need not worry about food inflation. The truth is, when Americans realize that they can no longer take food for granted, we will likely see the outbreak of an all out food price panic with everybody rushing to the supermarket to stock up on goods before prices rise even further. The end result will likely be government price controls and empty store shelves, but NIA doesn't project this to occur until later this decade.
9) QE2 will disappoint and the Federal Reserve will prepare QE3.
The Dow Jones is now back up to 11,670, which is where it was in mid-2008 before the crash. NIA believes that most of QE2 has already been priced into the market, before the Federal Reserve even prints the $600 billion. At some point, we expect it to become apparent to all that the U.S. economic recovery is phony and stock prices are rising solely due to inflation. In our opinion, we will see some sort of catalyst that causes the stock market to sell off at some point and the consensus on Wall Street will be that QE2 will not be enough to save the U.S. economy. By the end of 2011, we expect the Federal Reserve to begin planning QE3. QE3 might be the final dose of inflation that causes the U.S. economy to overdose into hyperinflation.
10) Sarah Palin will announce she is running for President as a Republican.
NIA believes that Sarah Palin has been setup perfectly to run for President in 2012 and that she will announce her candidacy for the Republican nomination with great fanfare from tea party supporters in 2011. We give Sarah Palin credit for recently speaking out against the Federal Reserve's QE2 and warning Americans about the food inflation crisis that is ahead. Unfortunately, we believe Sarah Palin is not a true independent and is being controlled by the Republican establishment, which is just as responsible as the Democrats are for the financial crisis we have today. As President, Palin would be unlikely to implement the measures that are necessary to prevent hyperinflation. In our opinion, we need to elect a true libertarian candidate as President who will cut government spending, balance the budget, and restore sound money. NIA intends to support Ron Paul, if he decides to run for President. It is important to spread the word about NIA to as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, if you want America to survive hyperinflation. Please tell everybody you know to become members of NIA for free immediately at: http://inflation.us
1) The Dow/Gold and Gold/Silver ratios will continue to decline.
In NIA's top 10 predictions for 2010, we predicted major declines in the Dow/Gold and Gold/Silver ratios. The Dow/Gold ratio was 9.3 at the time and finished 2010 down 15% to 8.1. The Gold/Silver ratio was 64 at the time and finished 2010 down 28% to 46. We expect to see the Dow/Gold ratio decline to 6.5 and the Gold/Silver ratio decline to 38 in 2011. Later this decade, we expect to see the Dow/Gold ratio bottom at 1 and the Gold/Silver ratio decline to below 16 and possibly as low as 10.
2) Colleges will begin to go bankrupt and close their doors.
We have a college education bubble in America that was made possible by the U.S. government's willingness to give out cheap and easy student loans. With all of the technological advances that have been taking place worldwide, the cost for a college education in America should be getting cheaper. Instead, private four-year colleges have averaged 5.6% tuition inflation over the past six years. College tuitions are the one thing in America that never declined in price during the panic of 2008. Despite collapsing stock market and Real Estate prices, college tuition costs surged to new highs as Americans instinctively sought to become better educated in order to better ride out and survive the economic crisis. Unfortunately, American students who overpaid for college educations are graduating and finding out that their degrees are worthless and no jobs are available for them. They would have been better off going straight into the work force and investing their money into gold and silver. That way, they would have real wealth today instead of debt and would already have valuable work place experience, which is much more important than any piece of paper. Colleges and universities took on ambitious construction projects and built new libraries, gyms, and sporting venues, that added no value to the education of students. These projects were intended for the sole purpose of impressing students and their families. The administrators of these colleges knew that no matter how high tuitions rose, students would be able to simply borrow more from the government in order to pay them. Americans today can purchase just about any type of good on Amazon.com, cheaper than they can find it in retail stores. This is because Amazon.com is a lot more efficient and doesn't have the overhead costs of brick and mortar retailers. NIA expects to see a new trend of Americans seeking to become educated cheaply over the Internet. There will be a huge drop off in demand for traditional college degrees. NIA expects to see many colleges default on their debts in 2011. These colleges will be forced to either downsize and educate students more cost effectively or close their doors for good.
3) U.S. retailers will report declines in profit margins and their stocks will decline.
Although most analysts on Wall Street believe retailers will report a major increase in holiday season sales over a year ago, NIA believes any top line growth retailers report will come at the expense of dismal bottom line profits. NIA expects many retailers to report large declines in their profit margins for the 4Q of 2010 and first half of 2011. Retailers have been selling goods at bargain basement prices in order to generate demand. Americans, being flush with newly printed dollars from the Federal Reserve, have been eager to buy up supplies of goods at artificially low prices. However, shareholders will likely sell off their retail stocks on this news. As share prices of retail stocks decline, retailers will begin to rapidly increase their prices by mid-2011.
4) The mainstream public will begin to buy gold.
Although the mainstream media continues to proclaim we have a gold bubble, it is impossible to have a gold bubble when mainstream America isn't buying gold. The average American is more likely to be a seller of gold through companies like Cash4Gold, in order to raise enough dollars to put food on their table. Most Americans today don't even know the price of gold. During the next 12 months, we expect to see a huge ramping up in the public's knowledge about gold. More Americans than ever will know the current price of gold and understand that it is real money. By the end of 2011, we expect the general public to begin looking at gold as an investment, just like they began looking at Real Estate as an investment in 2003. Sometime during the next six months, we believe you will overhear a stranger at a restaurant talking about investing into gold. We believe the price of gold could surge to as high as $2,000 per ounce in 2011.
5) We will see a huge surge in municipal debt defaults.
In the closing months of 2010, we saw yields on municipal bonds rise to their highest levels since early 2009. After 29 consecutive weeks of inflows into municipal bond funds, investors are now pulling money out of municipal bond funds by record amounts, with $9 billion exiting municipal bond funds in the five weeks leading up to Christmas. NIA believes there could be a small dip in municipal bond yields over the next couple of months as investors realize that municipal debt defaults might not be imminent, but we expect municipal bond yields to begin rising again by mid-2011 with a huge surge in municipal debt defaults coming in the second half of 2011. Although the Federal Government has a printing press that it uses in order to pay its debts, cities and municipalities do not.
6) We will see a large decline in the crude oil/natural gas ratio.
When we released our top 10 predictions for 2010, crude oil was $73 per barrel and we predicted that oil prices would rise to $100 per barrel in 2010. Crude oil ended up rising by 26% in 2010 to $92 per barrel, coming short of our outlook. However, it is possible our $100 per barrel oil forecast might be off by just a month or two. We wouldn't be surprised to see $100 per barrel oil within the first two months of 2011 and if so, we expect to see a huge movement in America this year towards natural gas. The crude oil/natural gas ratio currently stands at 20. Historically, the crude oil/natural gas ratio has averaged 10 and based on an energy equivalent basis, crude oil and natural gas prices should have a 6 to 1 ratio. Brand new fracking technology has caused natural gas supplies in the U.S. to rise to record levels. Although our country might be flooded with natural gas, the natural gas fracking boom that is taking place across the U.S. today is causing ground water in the U.S. to become contaminated. Americans living near natural gas wells that use fracking, are finding that they can now light the water coming out of their faucets on fire. New government regulations are likely to crack down on natural gas fracking and this will come at the same time as American individuals and businesses begin to convert their automobiles and machinery to run off of natural gas. A large decline in the crude oil/natural gas ratio in 2011 is likely, possibly down to as low as 15.
7) The median U.S. home will decline sharply priced in silver.
For the past couple of years, being able to make ones mortgage payment has been the primary concern for the average American. In an attempt to support housing prices and keep mortgage interest rates at artificially low levels, the Federal Reserve has been implementing massive quantitative easing and buying mortgage backed securities. NIA believes the Federal Reserve will be successful at putting a nominal floor under Real Estate prices. NIA also believes that the Federal Reserve's actions will cause a massive decline in the value of the U.S. dollar, which will allow Americans to more easily pay back their mortgages with depreciated U.S. dollars. However, the Federal Reserve will not be successful at reinflating the Real Estate bubble. In fact, in terms of real money (gold and silver), NIA believes Real Estate prices will decline to record lows. The median U.S. home is currently priced at $170,600 or 5,500 ounces of silver. Priced in silver, the median U.S. home price is down 16% from one month ago and 45% from one year ago. After the inflationary crisis of the 1970s, silver rose to a high in 1980 of $49.45 per ounce. The median U.S. home price in 1980 was $47,200, which means the median U.S. home/silver ratio declined to a low of 954. With the Federal Reserve printing money at an unprecedented rate and record amounts of new homes built during the recent Real Estate bubble, NIA believes it is inevitable that the median U.S. home will decline to a price of 1,000 ounces of silver this decade and possibly as low as 500 ounces of silver. In 2011, we believe a decline in the median U.S. home price to 4,000 ounces of silver is possible.
8) Food inflation will become America's top crisis.
Starting a few decades ago and accelerating in recent years, America has seen a boom in non-productive service jobs, mainly in the financial sector. Most of these jobs were made possible by inflation. Without inflation, which steals from the purchasing power of the incomes and savings of goods producing workers, the majority of the jobs on Wall Street would not exist today and our country would be in much better financial shape because of it. With most Americans in recent decades seeking non-productive jobs in the financial services sector because that is where they could access the Fed's cheap and easy money, very few Americans sought jobs in the farming and agriculture sector. In the 1930s, approximately 28% of the population was employed in the agriculture sector, but today this number is less than 2%. Agriculture currently makes up only 1.2% of U.S. GDP, compared to the services sector, which makes up 76.9% of U.S. GDP. There is currently a major shortage of farmers in the U.S. and a lot of land that was previously used for farming has now been developed with Real Estate. To make matters worse, agricultural products now trade on the international market and Americans must now compete against citizens of emerging nations like China and India for the purchasing of food. Prices of goods and services do not rise equally when governments create monetary inflation. Inflation gravitates most towards the items that Americans need the most and there is nothing that Americans need more to survive than food and agriculture. As the U.S. government prints money, the first thing Americans will spend it on is food. Americans can cut back on energy use by moving into a smaller home and carpooling to work. They can cut back on entertainment, travel, and other discretionary spending. However, Americans can never stop spending money on food. The days of cheap food in America are coming to an end. The recent unprecedented rise that we have seen in agricultural commodity prices is showing no signs of letting up. In the past few days, sugar futures reached a new 30-year high, coffee futures reached a new 13-year high, orange juice futures reached a new 3-year high, corn futures reached a new 29-month high, soybean futures reached a new 27-month high, and palm oil futures reached a new 33-month high. We estimate that it takes as long as six months for rising agricultural commodity prices to be felt by U.S. consumers in their local supermarket. Even if food producers and retailers accept substantially lower profit margins in 2011, we are still guaranteed to see double-digit across the board U.S. food inflation in the first half of the year. That is correct, let us repeat, NIA guarantees that Americans will see double-digit food inflation in the first half of 2011. Shockingly, except for Glenn Beck (who was kind enough to feature our food inflation report), absolutely nobody in the mainstream media is doing anything to warn Americans about the food inflation crisis that is ahead. In fact, left-wing groups like Media Matters (funded by George Soros) have been working tirelessly to try and discredit NIA's research while reassuring Americans that they need not worry about food inflation. The truth is, when Americans realize that they can no longer take food for granted, we will likely see the outbreak of an all out food price panic with everybody rushing to the supermarket to stock up on goods before prices rise even further. The end result will likely be government price controls and empty store shelves, but NIA doesn't project this to occur until later this decade.
9) QE2 will disappoint and the Federal Reserve will prepare QE3.
The Dow Jones is now back up to 11,670, which is where it was in mid-2008 before the crash. NIA believes that most of QE2 has already been priced into the market, before the Federal Reserve even prints the $600 billion. At some point, we expect it to become apparent to all that the U.S. economic recovery is phony and stock prices are rising solely due to inflation. In our opinion, we will see some sort of catalyst that causes the stock market to sell off at some point and the consensus on Wall Street will be that QE2 will not be enough to save the U.S. economy. By the end of 2011, we expect the Federal Reserve to begin planning QE3. QE3 might be the final dose of inflation that causes the U.S. economy to overdose into hyperinflation.
10) Sarah Palin will announce she is running for President as a Republican.
NIA believes that Sarah Palin has been setup perfectly to run for President in 2012 and that she will announce her candidacy for the Republican nomination with great fanfare from tea party supporters in 2011. We give Sarah Palin credit for recently speaking out against the Federal Reserve's QE2 and warning Americans about the food inflation crisis that is ahead. Unfortunately, we believe Sarah Palin is not a true independent and is being controlled by the Republican establishment, which is just as responsible as the Democrats are for the financial crisis we have today. As President, Palin would be unlikely to implement the measures that are necessary to prevent hyperinflation. In our opinion, we need to elect a true libertarian candidate as President who will cut government spending, balance the budget, and restore sound money. NIA intends to support Ron Paul, if he decides to run for President. It is important to spread the word about NIA to as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, if you want America to survive hyperinflation. Please tell everybody you know to become members of NIA for free immediately at: http://inflation.us
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Live Simply, Live Consciously, Live Deliberately
My motto in life is the title of this entry--I coined that phrase a while back--it defines my life, my beliefs and goals--This entry is about what it means to me--I am hoping to more seriously begin living my life by these 3 principals in 2011--
When I woke this morning and began my daily task, I began thinking on simplicity and what it really means to "Live Simply"--When you look back over time, when folks really did live a simple life they had only what they needed to survive--simple food, simple clothing and simple homes--anything other than the bare necessisties were considered luxuries--now-a-days what were luxuries for them are considered 'needed items' to us and some are--times have changed and so has technology so many items are now 'needed' items--I have simplified my life so much over the past 7 years and I wouldn't change a thing--I still have a ways to go in my own personal journey of where I would like to be in the next year--There are many more ways in which I wish to simplify my life--
Letting go or getting rid of 'stuff' isn't all there is to simplifying ones life--sometimes it's letting go of a way of thinking, a habit, a grudge,and beginning new ways of thinking and habits--It's accepting who you are and where you are in your own life--When we accept who we are, and where we are and have a vision of where we are going the rest is simple--Just keep your eye on the goal--When you are looking to your own goal, you will not have time to look around and be all depressed and downtrodden--You will be consciously and deliberately working towards the goal set before you--
When we "live consciously" we make a concerted effort everyday to know our goals and work to achieve them--That don't mean we are out building a fence everyday or planning everyday, it means we are consciously doing things for our families and ourselves to make our lives simpler, cleaner, healthier more sustainable--If you have a compost bin and you add to it daily you are consciously changing some part of the environment in which you live to make like better in some small way---We become aware of this, I feel we become happier, healthier people--When you become aware of your own journey in life, and accept it I feel you have a great inner peace--
When we "live deliberately' we are very aware of what we are doing and why we are doing it--we weigh the pros and cons of our actions--When trying to attain our goals we must work deliberatly, steady and carefully--thinking through our next step--You carefully weigh each decision and how it will effect the next step in your journey--We must do this with not only adding critters to our farms, but with our purchases as well--We will become keenly aware of how each thing we do effects the next thing and the next thing--so on and so forth
For instance you wanna begin pantry stocking--Some would rush out and buy all kinds grains, freeze dried foods, canned foods etc..just because they read somewhere they should--Then to find out you cannot or will not use it--This is irresponsible and not a good financial decision--You should first sit down and think about your families likes, dislikes, financial situation, storage situation, what it is you are stocking up for,how long you want that food to last--You know you want food that will help you survive and sustain you in a crisis--Thats "simple", so now you need to make a "conscious" effort to plan it all out according to your families needs, wants, likes and dislikes--and lastly you "deliberately" make the plan happen--Maybe not over night, but over time--you make steady strides--You know the goal, you know the reason and you have a plan to get there--
Each of us is on a personal journey--mine will not be yours, yours will not be mine--But each of us can begin looking at our lives and decide that in 2011 we are going to "Live Simply", "Live Consciously", and "Live Deliberately"--I wonder if every person or even half of the people on earth truly lived by these 3 principals what a differet world we would all live in--One more thing to ponder--LOL
Blessings to you and yours in 2011
::Until Next Time::
The Deliberate Homesteader
When I woke this morning and began my daily task, I began thinking on simplicity and what it really means to "Live Simply"--When you look back over time, when folks really did live a simple life they had only what they needed to survive--simple food, simple clothing and simple homes--anything other than the bare necessisties were considered luxuries--now-a-days what were luxuries for them are considered 'needed items' to us and some are--times have changed and so has technology so many items are now 'needed' items--I have simplified my life so much over the past 7 years and I wouldn't change a thing--I still have a ways to go in my own personal journey of where I would like to be in the next year--There are many more ways in which I wish to simplify my life--
Letting go or getting rid of 'stuff' isn't all there is to simplifying ones life--sometimes it's letting go of a way of thinking, a habit, a grudge,and beginning new ways of thinking and habits--It's accepting who you are and where you are in your own life--When we accept who we are, and where we are and have a vision of where we are going the rest is simple--Just keep your eye on the goal--When you are looking to your own goal, you will not have time to look around and be all depressed and downtrodden--You will be consciously and deliberately working towards the goal set before you--
When we "live consciously" we make a concerted effort everyday to know our goals and work to achieve them--That don't mean we are out building a fence everyday or planning everyday, it means we are consciously doing things for our families and ourselves to make our lives simpler, cleaner, healthier more sustainable--If you have a compost bin and you add to it daily you are consciously changing some part of the environment in which you live to make like better in some small way---We become aware of this, I feel we become happier, healthier people--When you become aware of your own journey in life, and accept it I feel you have a great inner peace--
When we "live deliberately' we are very aware of what we are doing and why we are doing it--we weigh the pros and cons of our actions--When trying to attain our goals we must work deliberatly, steady and carefully--thinking through our next step--You carefully weigh each decision and how it will effect the next step in your journey--We must do this with not only adding critters to our farms, but with our purchases as well--We will become keenly aware of how each thing we do effects the next thing and the next thing--so on and so forth
For instance you wanna begin pantry stocking--Some would rush out and buy all kinds grains, freeze dried foods, canned foods etc..just because they read somewhere they should--Then to find out you cannot or will not use it--This is irresponsible and not a good financial decision--You should first sit down and think about your families likes, dislikes, financial situation, storage situation, what it is you are stocking up for,how long you want that food to last--You know you want food that will help you survive and sustain you in a crisis--Thats "simple", so now you need to make a "conscious" effort to plan it all out according to your families needs, wants, likes and dislikes--and lastly you "deliberately" make the plan happen--Maybe not over night, but over time--you make steady strides--You know the goal, you know the reason and you have a plan to get there--
Each of us is on a personal journey--mine will not be yours, yours will not be mine--But each of us can begin looking at our lives and decide that in 2011 we are going to "Live Simply", "Live Consciously", and "Live Deliberately"--I wonder if every person or even half of the people on earth truly lived by these 3 principals what a differet world we would all live in--One more thing to ponder--LOL
Blessings to you and yours in 2011
::Until Next Time::
The Deliberate Homesteader
Goals for the Farm
Originally posted on December 31,2010
I like to every now and again make a list of goals I would like to accomplish for the farm--It just kinda gives a sense of clarity and focus to what we are doing here--It also helps stay on track, and not get ahead of ourselves--It gives us direction--
So for 2011 here is what we would like to accomplish in no particular order
Get fencing done(property and critters)
Build the garden beds
Get herb garden started
Purchase meat birds
Get barn from my dads and reassembled
Add 2 more dairy goats(MAYBE)
Get house addition done
Organize the yard/garden tools etc..
Continue pantry stocking
Get Greenhouse built(by March)
Get at least 3 months ahead on land pymts
For now that is my list--it may get edited from time to time--as we accomplish these goals or need to add to them--It just seems to help when we are accountable not just to ourselves but someone else also--Don't ya think?
Do you have any farm goals this year?
::Until Next Time::
The Deliberate Homesteader
I like to every now and again make a list of goals I would like to accomplish for the farm--It just kinda gives a sense of clarity and focus to what we are doing here--It also helps stay on track, and not get ahead of ourselves--It gives us direction--
So for 2011 here is what we would like to accomplish in no particular order
Get fencing done(property and critters)
Build the garden beds
Get herb garden started
Purchase meat birds
Get barn from my dads and reassembled
Add 2 more dairy goats(MAYBE)
Get house addition done
Organize the yard/garden tools etc..
Continue pantry stocking
Get Greenhouse built(by March)
Get at least 3 months ahead on land pymts
For now that is my list--it may get edited from time to time--as we accomplish these goals or need to add to them--It just seems to help when we are accountable not just to ourselves but someone else also--Don't ya think?
Do you have any farm goals this year?
::Until Next Time::
The Deliberate Homesteader
Looking Forward, Renewal and Revival
December 31, 2010
I woke this morning with a feeling of looking forward to 2011 and all it will bring--While I believe there will be many trials ahead, I also feel it will be a time of renewal & revival--renewal of strength, renewal of a heart for God, renewal of goals and dreams--I think there will be a revival in the hearts of many this year--Some that had been 'straddling the fence' so to speak will have a personal revival and renew that relationship with the Lord--I think there could be a revival in many churches across the nation--God's people I hope will begin to take a stand for what is right in our nation in 2011--We must not forget our rights as christians, citizens, and human beings--I look forward to 2011 with renewed hope in my heart, a revival on the horizon and all the wonder of what the Lord will do in the coming months!--I look forward to this little community growing and being able to encourage, uplift, and minister to those looking to simplify their lives, their home and their hearts--I look forward to great things taking place in here--
Yes, 2011 promises to a blessed year here on the Farmstead!
::Until Next Time::
The Deliberate Homesteader
I woke this morning with a feeling of looking forward to 2011 and all it will bring--While I believe there will be many trials ahead, I also feel it will be a time of renewal & revival--renewal of strength, renewal of a heart for God, renewal of goals and dreams--I think there will be a revival in the hearts of many this year--Some that had been 'straddling the fence' so to speak will have a personal revival and renew that relationship with the Lord--I think there could be a revival in many churches across the nation--God's people I hope will begin to take a stand for what is right in our nation in 2011--We must not forget our rights as christians, citizens, and human beings--I look forward to 2011 with renewed hope in my heart, a revival on the horizon and all the wonder of what the Lord will do in the coming months!--I look forward to this little community growing and being able to encourage, uplift, and minister to those looking to simplify their lives, their home and their hearts--I look forward to great things taking place in here--
Yes, 2011 promises to a blessed year here on the Farmstead!
::Until Next Time::
The Deliberate Homesteader
Years End--Reflections from the Farmstead
Originally written December 28,2010
I do not do resolutions, I resolved years ago that resolutions just dissapoint us--LOL--so I reflect on the previous year and share what I have learned and changes I hope to make personally--
2010 has been a year of positive changes, purging and growing--2010 brought with it many trials, but equally as many blessings--If I had to come up with a theme for the year it would be 'purging the negative, embracing the positive'--
Early 2010 was hard, we had much snow and I was still dealing with back issues from my car accident--the snow made it really hard to haul water daily, it was a very trying and depressing time in our life--It was a hard winter last year and seemed so much negativity surrounded our lives during this time--We were desperatly trying to build a home, but seemed no one was much interested in helping and we just did not have the funds to hire it done, nor did we want to go in debt--We learned who our 'real friends' were during this very trying time in our lives--Finally we gave up the idea of building a home and began looking into alternatives--the cabin was growing increasingly small and it was time to do something different--
Early 2010 brought us new life on the farmstead which is always a joy, just seems to make the winter more tolerable in my humble opionion--it was a very long winter last year, which I suppose kept us chased indoors and gave us all a lot of time to reflect on what needed changing in our lives--the end of winter last year was a defining point in our lives--the purging began--people that had played a significant roll in my life were just really beginning to bring me down--not just emotionally but also spiritually--while it was hard, I had to 'purge' them from my life--Negativity begats negativity--it's counter-productive and not what the Lord would have for our life--it took some time for me to work through the emptiness and the emotions, but the Lord has blessed me tremendously since following his lead to move away from negative influeneces--
Spring finally arrived with renewed hope and ambition to begin again--We planted the garden and it was wonderful--we worked hard on our land and added new things, planted some flowers, had some baby chicks hatch--goats were born and we began milking our doe--Life was going well--Financially things were hard, very hard--work was just not there for dh and it was a very trying time--but somehow by the grace of God we survived--Early summer brought about even more positive changes in our life--I settled my car accident and was able to pay off my car, buy a small mobile home and pay off a couple more small debts we had and even had some 'fun money' left--that put us in a financial position we had never been in--we only owed for our land--Things were beginning to look up--I was litterally thanking the Lord daily for what he had provided for us--While the accident was bad and really changed my life(will never be the same)the Lord used it to bless us greatly--July brought even more awesome changes, we had been without running water for 18 months to the day, when they showed up to finally drill our well--It was a miracle to us--it has been so long, so hard--it was surreal--It was actually 18 months and 10 days later before I could actually turn on a faucet and get water--LOL--I cried--not tears of saddness, but tears of thankfulness, gratitude, relief, happiness and just being overwhlemed by the fact of what a toll it had taken not having running water--you adjust, but its hard!--The rest of summer was awesome--I would get up daily and thank the Lord for the provision of us getting water and being debt free--While the next phase of our life was the hardest thing we had ever had to do it was much needed--we put our youngest dd in a facility for autistic children--while she is not severe and is very high functioniong, her behavior was dangerous for all of us--God has also used this time to befall many blessings on us--I am positive things will be different from here on out--
Fall brought about even more awesome life changing events--After many years of self-employment and over a year of looking for a job--we were blessed!--It was not his ideal job, nor does it pay much, but we were thrilled that he got a job--a steady income--God just really turned things around when we turned things around(purged the negative)--There is no where for us to go from here, except up--Our lives are good, we are happy, we are content--Funny how a job is often taken for granted then one day its all gone--We have definatly learned to not take things for granted--
Many lessons like the one above has been learned this past year--The only regret I guess I would have is that I did not 'purge' sooner in my life--I feel like I spent alot of time and energy on negative people and in turn had a negative outlook on my own life--We managed to meet most of our goals last year inspite of the cirucmstances in which we lived--I cannot wait to see how the Lord blesses us this year and in turn how we can bless others!--We are in such a better place than last year--we have running water, a steady income, a home and vehicles that are paid for--We truly are blessed--I think this last year one thing I have learned to not take things for granted like I used to--the saying is true "here today, gone tomorrow"--I think sometimes we get so comfortable in our lives we just take for granted that we have running water, electric, a paycheck etc...that we really don't understand that those things can be gone in the blink of an eye and through no fault of your own--I think I have a better grasp on what is truly important in life, I think we have found that place that we have 'enough' in our life'--we still have those things we would like to have, but they are not necessary to make us happy--we have found our place of simplicity--We love our life in spite of the fact others 'don't get it'--I no longer feel the need to 'explain' it to them--rather, I just smile and think, it's ok you don't get it--it's no longer important for me to 'help' them get it--I think that comes from really accepting who you are as a person, woman/man, in God--And we know who we are, we are content being on the path set before us and we no longer try to live like someone else nor do we feel the need to convince others why our life is what it is--we do what we do because the Lord led us here--it's that simple!
We have finally 'arrived' so to speak and know where we are going, how we are gonna get there and we are doing what the Lord has led us to do--We are not going to waste time looking at what others are doing or try and mimic that--we are on our own path, doing our own thing and that is so very freeing--We no longer have dreams that are impossible to reach with what we have--our goals and dreams are very realistic--it will just take a bit of work on our part to make them a reality--Funny how when you struggle with money, your goals are just never within your reach and you seem to dream bigger than you are--but when you can afford them you tend to downsize--I think maybe its because once you can do something you realize it's just not that important anymore--and you begin to realize that money is a precious commoditiy and not one to be squandered on the 'sillier' things in life--We are working daily to be good stewards of what the Lord has provided--we use what HE has given us in a way that will hopefully glorify HIM--
2011 promises to be a year of greatness for us and while there will be trials, possibly in ways none of us can even fathom--I know the Lord is faithful and will take care of his own--I am hopeful to remain steadfast and praise him even in our valleys--after all its in the valleys we grow--Our lives have come full circle in so many ways--We have had little, and we have had alot--but regardless the Lord has been there every step of the way--2010 was a year of growing and some of it was very painful--but I have come through it a better person and I am hoping to use what I have learned this next year to encourage and uplift others--You won't stay in that valley forever--We have learned to be thankful for all that we have--we have learned to be grateful for a paycheck that is steady--we have learned to be thankful for great friends, near and far that bring a positive outlook to our lives--We have learned that when we have a postive outlook on life even when trials are almost more than we can bear, we get through them much easier--Negativity begats negativity--Positive builds positive--There is always positve amongst the negative if we will just take the time to find it!
I am hopeful that 2011 brings about even more great changes in our lives--changes that I can look back on with great joy, even if we face massive trials I am hopeful that I can view it as a learning experience and thank the Lord for it--I want to be able to see the 'forrest in spite of the trees'--I am looking forward to 2011 in spite of the gloomy forecast for the economy and this world--We will make it through if we keep our focus on the Lord!
::Until Next Time::
The Deliberate Homesteader
I do not do resolutions, I resolved years ago that resolutions just dissapoint us--LOL--so I reflect on the previous year and share what I have learned and changes I hope to make personally--
2010 has been a year of positive changes, purging and growing--2010 brought with it many trials, but equally as many blessings--If I had to come up with a theme for the year it would be 'purging the negative, embracing the positive'--
Early 2010 was hard, we had much snow and I was still dealing with back issues from my car accident--the snow made it really hard to haul water daily, it was a very trying and depressing time in our life--It was a hard winter last year and seemed so much negativity surrounded our lives during this time--We were desperatly trying to build a home, but seemed no one was much interested in helping and we just did not have the funds to hire it done, nor did we want to go in debt--We learned who our 'real friends' were during this very trying time in our lives--Finally we gave up the idea of building a home and began looking into alternatives--the cabin was growing increasingly small and it was time to do something different--
Early 2010 brought us new life on the farmstead which is always a joy, just seems to make the winter more tolerable in my humble opionion--it was a very long winter last year, which I suppose kept us chased indoors and gave us all a lot of time to reflect on what needed changing in our lives--the end of winter last year was a defining point in our lives--the purging began--people that had played a significant roll in my life were just really beginning to bring me down--not just emotionally but also spiritually--while it was hard, I had to 'purge' them from my life--Negativity begats negativity--it's counter-productive and not what the Lord would have for our life--it took some time for me to work through the emptiness and the emotions, but the Lord has blessed me tremendously since following his lead to move away from negative influeneces--
Spring finally arrived with renewed hope and ambition to begin again--We planted the garden and it was wonderful--we worked hard on our land and added new things, planted some flowers, had some baby chicks hatch--goats were born and we began milking our doe--Life was going well--Financially things were hard, very hard--work was just not there for dh and it was a very trying time--but somehow by the grace of God we survived--Early summer brought about even more positive changes in our life--I settled my car accident and was able to pay off my car, buy a small mobile home and pay off a couple more small debts we had and even had some 'fun money' left--that put us in a financial position we had never been in--we only owed for our land--Things were beginning to look up--I was litterally thanking the Lord daily for what he had provided for us--While the accident was bad and really changed my life(will never be the same)the Lord used it to bless us greatly--July brought even more awesome changes, we had been without running water for 18 months to the day, when they showed up to finally drill our well--It was a miracle to us--it has been so long, so hard--it was surreal--It was actually 18 months and 10 days later before I could actually turn on a faucet and get water--LOL--I cried--not tears of saddness, but tears of thankfulness, gratitude, relief, happiness and just being overwhlemed by the fact of what a toll it had taken not having running water--you adjust, but its hard!--The rest of summer was awesome--I would get up daily and thank the Lord for the provision of us getting water and being debt free--While the next phase of our life was the hardest thing we had ever had to do it was much needed--we put our youngest dd in a facility for autistic children--while she is not severe and is very high functioniong, her behavior was dangerous for all of us--God has also used this time to befall many blessings on us--I am positive things will be different from here on out--
Fall brought about even more awesome life changing events--After many years of self-employment and over a year of looking for a job--we were blessed!--It was not his ideal job, nor does it pay much, but we were thrilled that he got a job--a steady income--God just really turned things around when we turned things around(purged the negative)--There is no where for us to go from here, except up--Our lives are good, we are happy, we are content--Funny how a job is often taken for granted then one day its all gone--We have definatly learned to not take things for granted--
Many lessons like the one above has been learned this past year--The only regret I guess I would have is that I did not 'purge' sooner in my life--I feel like I spent alot of time and energy on negative people and in turn had a negative outlook on my own life--We managed to meet most of our goals last year inspite of the cirucmstances in which we lived--I cannot wait to see how the Lord blesses us this year and in turn how we can bless others!--We are in such a better place than last year--we have running water, a steady income, a home and vehicles that are paid for--We truly are blessed--I think this last year one thing I have learned to not take things for granted like I used to--the saying is true "here today, gone tomorrow"--I think sometimes we get so comfortable in our lives we just take for granted that we have running water, electric, a paycheck etc...that we really don't understand that those things can be gone in the blink of an eye and through no fault of your own--I think I have a better grasp on what is truly important in life, I think we have found that place that we have 'enough' in our life'--we still have those things we would like to have, but they are not necessary to make us happy--we have found our place of simplicity--We love our life in spite of the fact others 'don't get it'--I no longer feel the need to 'explain' it to them--rather, I just smile and think, it's ok you don't get it--it's no longer important for me to 'help' them get it--I think that comes from really accepting who you are as a person, woman/man, in God--And we know who we are, we are content being on the path set before us and we no longer try to live like someone else nor do we feel the need to convince others why our life is what it is--we do what we do because the Lord led us here--it's that simple!
We have finally 'arrived' so to speak and know where we are going, how we are gonna get there and we are doing what the Lord has led us to do--We are not going to waste time looking at what others are doing or try and mimic that--we are on our own path, doing our own thing and that is so very freeing--We no longer have dreams that are impossible to reach with what we have--our goals and dreams are very realistic--it will just take a bit of work on our part to make them a reality--Funny how when you struggle with money, your goals are just never within your reach and you seem to dream bigger than you are--but when you can afford them you tend to downsize--I think maybe its because once you can do something you realize it's just not that important anymore--and you begin to realize that money is a precious commoditiy and not one to be squandered on the 'sillier' things in life--We are working daily to be good stewards of what the Lord has provided--we use what HE has given us in a way that will hopefully glorify HIM--
2011 promises to be a year of greatness for us and while there will be trials, possibly in ways none of us can even fathom--I know the Lord is faithful and will take care of his own--I am hopeful to remain steadfast and praise him even in our valleys--after all its in the valleys we grow--Our lives have come full circle in so many ways--We have had little, and we have had alot--but regardless the Lord has been there every step of the way--2010 was a year of growing and some of it was very painful--but I have come through it a better person and I am hoping to use what I have learned this next year to encourage and uplift others--You won't stay in that valley forever--We have learned to be thankful for all that we have--we have learned to be grateful for a paycheck that is steady--we have learned to be thankful for great friends, near and far that bring a positive outlook to our lives--We have learned that when we have a postive outlook on life even when trials are almost more than we can bear, we get through them much easier--Negativity begats negativity--Positive builds positive--There is always positve amongst the negative if we will just take the time to find it!
I am hopeful that 2011 brings about even more great changes in our lives--changes that I can look back on with great joy, even if we face massive trials I am hopeful that I can view it as a learning experience and thank the Lord for it--I want to be able to see the 'forrest in spite of the trees'--I am looking forward to 2011 in spite of the gloomy forecast for the economy and this world--We will make it through if we keep our focus on the Lord!
::Until Next Time::
The Deliberate Homesteader
December 21 2010
Common Sense Passes Away
Author unknown
Obituary: Common Sense
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.
He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children are in charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing boys were charged with sexual harassment for kissing girl classmates; teens were suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher was fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer aspirin, sun lotion or a sticky plaster to a student, but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.
Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar can sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know my Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I'm a Victim.
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.
Common Sense Passes Away
Author unknown
Obituary: Common Sense
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.
He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children are in charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing boys were charged with sexual harassment for kissing girl classmates; teens were suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher was fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer aspirin, sun lotion or a sticky plaster to a student, but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.
Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar can sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know my Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I'm a Victim.
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.
Why is it
December 20 2010
In 2003 when hubby and I began our adventure into a more simple and sustainable lifestyle, most truly understood us and thought it was great--but there were a few that looked at us like were aliens from another 'rock' somewhere--LOL--We litterally walked away from our brick home in the burbs, consumption driven, high living, money spending like there is no tomorrow, electronic laden, credit card spending, keeping up with the Jones' lifestyle and never looked back--We have no regrets whatsoever--However there are some that just don't get it--It's like they think we are not motivated to have more than we have, or that we must live this way due to finances etc...They make it known to others that they totally disagree with our CHOSEN lifestyle--*shrugging shoulders and shaking head*
Now let me add, I don't personally have time to care about if someone lives using a credit card, or have 1200.00 month in vehicle pymts, or 1500.00 mortgage or spends 1000.00 a month on groceries--they are CHOOSING that lifestyle--so why is it so wrong for me to CHOOSE mine?--We have been through alot to be in the financial postion we are in--we CHOOSE not to be indebt up to our eyeballs--It does not enrich ones life to be debt for things--it burdens people--Enrichment comes from being debt free and knowing you have enough 'incoming' to take care of the 'outgoing'--
Why does most of society think those of us choosing simplicity, gardening, canning, and getting back to the land are somehow destitute poor, hippy's or otherwise in someway defective?--Maybe as Christians we are following the Lords plan for lives, or maybe we just decided we were tired of the rat race--maybe, just maybe we LOVE our life--
Why is it if a person doesn't own a 300,000 dollar home, or a 50,000 dollar vehicle or every credit card known to the industry that most feel those people are 'poor' or 'lacking' in life?--Jesus never owned a home or had money? He was very simple man with a very simple message--Our society is truly lacking in values--So what if my life is not all fluffy and pretty with hair done up, nails painted and wearing designer clothes--does that make me somehow defective?--Absolutly not--I have chosen to live on a farm and trapse around in animal pens and get goat and chicken poo on my clothes, gather eggs, and raise my own food--I LOVE getting dirty and not worrying about my hair or makeup--My worry is taking care of my family's needs and seeing that we are prepared for whatever comes our way--I choose to be 'plain' and simple--no one makes me--I am following the Lords lead--Granted, monetarily I am not rich, nowhere near it--But my life is good--My husband has a job in a time when many are unemployed--We have 18 acres of land when many struggle to pay a mortgage or rent--Our vehicles are older, but in good repair and we hold the titles free and clear!--many have tore up vehicles and cannot afford to fix them and owe more on them than they are worth--We have nice gifts under our tree in a time many children will have none--I am blessed--I am blessed because I chose this life--a life of simplicity--I feel the Lord called us to this life and we answered--I would not trade my life--if someone offered me a mansion in the nicest city all paid for--I would have to kindly refuse--I have everything I could ever want right here in the woods--and that is--
The Lord,hubby,children,land,critters--I don't need fancy hairdos, manicures, and all that jazz--I am content--I am happy--I am blessed--why is it?--I am doing what the Lord led me to do!--It don't get any better than that!
::Until Next Time::
The Deliberate Homesteader
In 2003 when hubby and I began our adventure into a more simple and sustainable lifestyle, most truly understood us and thought it was great--but there were a few that looked at us like were aliens from another 'rock' somewhere--LOL--We litterally walked away from our brick home in the burbs, consumption driven, high living, money spending like there is no tomorrow, electronic laden, credit card spending, keeping up with the Jones' lifestyle and never looked back--We have no regrets whatsoever--However there are some that just don't get it--It's like they think we are not motivated to have more than we have, or that we must live this way due to finances etc...They make it known to others that they totally disagree with our CHOSEN lifestyle--*shrugging shoulders and shaking head*
Now let me add, I don't personally have time to care about if someone lives using a credit card, or have 1200.00 month in vehicle pymts, or 1500.00 mortgage or spends 1000.00 a month on groceries--they are CHOOSING that lifestyle--so why is it so wrong for me to CHOOSE mine?--We have been through alot to be in the financial postion we are in--we CHOOSE not to be indebt up to our eyeballs--It does not enrich ones life to be debt for things--it burdens people--Enrichment comes from being debt free and knowing you have enough 'incoming' to take care of the 'outgoing'--
Why does most of society think those of us choosing simplicity, gardening, canning, and getting back to the land are somehow destitute poor, hippy's or otherwise in someway defective?--Maybe as Christians we are following the Lords plan for lives, or maybe we just decided we were tired of the rat race--maybe, just maybe we LOVE our life--
Why is it if a person doesn't own a 300,000 dollar home, or a 50,000 dollar vehicle or every credit card known to the industry that most feel those people are 'poor' or 'lacking' in life?--Jesus never owned a home or had money? He was very simple man with a very simple message--Our society is truly lacking in values--So what if my life is not all fluffy and pretty with hair done up, nails painted and wearing designer clothes--does that make me somehow defective?--Absolutly not--I have chosen to live on a farm and trapse around in animal pens and get goat and chicken poo on my clothes, gather eggs, and raise my own food--I LOVE getting dirty and not worrying about my hair or makeup--My worry is taking care of my family's needs and seeing that we are prepared for whatever comes our way--I choose to be 'plain' and simple--no one makes me--I am following the Lords lead--Granted, monetarily I am not rich, nowhere near it--But my life is good--My husband has a job in a time when many are unemployed--We have 18 acres of land when many struggle to pay a mortgage or rent--Our vehicles are older, but in good repair and we hold the titles free and clear!--many have tore up vehicles and cannot afford to fix them and owe more on them than they are worth--We have nice gifts under our tree in a time many children will have none--I am blessed--I am blessed because I chose this life--a life of simplicity--I feel the Lord called us to this life and we answered--I would not trade my life--if someone offered me a mansion in the nicest city all paid for--I would have to kindly refuse--I have everything I could ever want right here in the woods--and that is--
The Lord,hubby,children,land,critters--I don't need fancy hairdos, manicures, and all that jazz--I am content--I am happy--I am blessed--why is it?--I am doing what the Lord led me to do!--It don't get any better than that!
::Until Next Time::
The Deliberate Homesteader
Semi-Sabbatical
Originally written 12-8-10
This last week has been a difficult one--having a special needs child is just so hard--It's even harder when help seems forever out of reach--I had much time to reflect and ponder this week, I took a semi-sabbatical of sorts--I needed time to just think--I spent time reading my bible, praying and just spending time 'being quiet' to listen--I didn't have any major ephiphanys or "hallejuah moments" as I call them--you know when you hear the angel choir singing hallejuah in the background--LOL--when the light comes on?!--but I did think alot about how God is our only real hope in any situation--that doesn't mean other humans cannot help us, but it does mean we need to rely on him even when seeking help from others--I tend to get a bit 'hot headed' at times when it comes to my dd--she has struggled for long with so many things and as tired as we are as her parents, I cannot imagine how much more tired she is--I also have to realize that not everyone is a believer and their way of viewing the world is different than mine--Looking at the world as a non-believer is totally different than looking at things as a beliver--At times it can cause conflict--While I do think this place dd is at is a great place and has done alot to help her--I still get a bit 'put out' by the attitudes of some there--Doesn't mean they are wrong, but there is way in which to talk and deal with people that is much less demeaning and hurtful--I suppose the issue we had/have is not in vain, as it has made me lean on the Lord even more, search my own heart and listen to my heavenly father--anytime we do that we cannot go wrong--
::Until Next Time::
The Deliberate Homesteader
This last week has been a difficult one--having a special needs child is just so hard--It's even harder when help seems forever out of reach--I had much time to reflect and ponder this week, I took a semi-sabbatical of sorts--I needed time to just think--I spent time reading my bible, praying and just spending time 'being quiet' to listen--I didn't have any major ephiphanys or "hallejuah moments" as I call them--you know when you hear the angel choir singing hallejuah in the background--LOL--when the light comes on?!--but I did think alot about how God is our only real hope in any situation--that doesn't mean other humans cannot help us, but it does mean we need to rely on him even when seeking help from others--I tend to get a bit 'hot headed' at times when it comes to my dd--she has struggled for long with so many things and as tired as we are as her parents, I cannot imagine how much more tired she is--I also have to realize that not everyone is a believer and their way of viewing the world is different than mine--Looking at the world as a non-believer is totally different than looking at things as a beliver--At times it can cause conflict--While I do think this place dd is at is a great place and has done alot to help her--I still get a bit 'put out' by the attitudes of some there--Doesn't mean they are wrong, but there is way in which to talk and deal with people that is much less demeaning and hurtful--I suppose the issue we had/have is not in vain, as it has made me lean on the Lord even more, search my own heart and listen to my heavenly father--anytime we do that we cannot go wrong--
::Until Next Time::
The Deliberate Homesteader
Contemplating
The past few weeks I have found myself drawn to the farmstead--Not real sure why other than when I look around, listen to the news and others I feel sense of peace and security here--The things going on in the world and even in our small towns leaves me feeling a bit uneasy, but on the farm I seem to find balance--All around me seems to be an attitude complacency, and that doesn't set well within me--It reminds me of a springtime storm here in the South that is brewing--All the signs are there, but they are going unheeded and people set idlely by until the storm is upon them and then its to late--they are overtaken--I have found I take much comfort in my home, farm, family, friends, God and His word lately--The Christmas season is upon us which may be one reason I feel such a sense of peace here at the farm--I am much not of a people person and tend to like to be 'away' from the crowds--but I feel the real reason is simply God moving his people in a different direction--There seems to be a seperation going on--Many of God's people are hearing his voice to prepare and seperate--I really used to feel the urge to tell others, of course I was met with raised eyebrows and an attitude of "your crazy'--I still feel like it needs to be told, only now its not as urgent--I feel more the urge to make sure my family will be taken care of--No one knows what the future holds for our country, but one thing we can be sure of is that the Lord will never leave not forske us--he will prepare his children for the long haul--Maybe my needing to be home is simply the fact it is quiet and I can hear that still small voice that speaks so clearly if we listen--Whatever the reason, I am content and happy, more so than I have ever been--I have no fear, no worry--I have a peace that is amazing--I look around at our little place and I am thankful--thankful for all the Lord has done and will do--When I must get out and leave the comforts of my home and farm and go into town or to the stores I find myself feeling empty--As I hear the chatter of others discussing all the money they are spending, or who's getting divoced, or this and that--I am so glad I have been called out and seperated--My life is simple, not full of drama--to some the word to describe my life would be boring--But I find my life full of pleasure and satisfaction--In spite of the all of the upheavel and potential dangers facing this old world--I have a place a peace and solace--I find that place on my farm and in my Lord--
::Until Next Time::
The Deliberate Homesteader
::Until Next Time::
The Deliberate Homesteader
Should Belivers Prepare
I did not write these articles--But I found them very good and I decided I would put them here and have them for "future" reference--And if you all wanna read them--fine--LOL
Here is a story that has been passed around alot over the years--It is such a good example--It really goes along with these articles
The Deliberate Homesteader
A man was trapped on his roof during a flood. As he sat and waited, he prayed to God for help. When one of his neighbors passed by in his boat and offered a ride to safety, the man refused because he wanted to wait on God. The neighbor left and the water continued to rise. Later on in the day, a life-raft came by and offered him a ride, but again, the man decided to hold off for God’s rescue. Finally, a Red Cross team arrived in a helicopter. As they lowered a rope to save the man, he waved the rope away because he knew God was going to save him. Not long after that, the flood water swept over the top of the house and the man drowned. When he arrived in heaven, the man asked God why He never answered his prayer and saved him from the flood. God answered, "I sent a boat, a life raft, and a helicopter and you refused each one – what did you expect?!"
Steve Collins
Many Christians see that hard times are coming. The biblical prophecies have warned about an unprecedented, global, end-time crisis, and we may be entering the early phases of that crisis now. Indeed, one does not need to be a believer to understand hard times are coming. Any non-believer can see it easily just by watching the news and reading internet reports.
Based on my emails and Christian links sent to me, I see two camps of modern Christian thought on how Christians should react to this crisis. One camp says we should simply "have faith" and rely on God to protect us in the future. An extreme version of this viewpoint maintains that it is a failure of faith to make any physical preparations for the crisis. The other camp believes that people should make physical preparations now to prepare for very difficult times ahead of us. This blog will make it clear I am in the latter camp, and that the scriptures support that view.
Remember Hurricane Katrina and the survivors who lacked everything and awaited rescue from helicopters and hand-outs from the government? Due to historic debt and the financial crisis, the government is in far weaker condition now that it was in the time of Hurricane Katrina. You may be "on your own" for some time in the event of a local disaster. In the event of a national disaster, you may be on your own for months. Even FEMA advises citizens to have some stockpiles of essentials to be able to "be on your own" for days in the event of an earthquake, tornado, hurricane, etc.
Proverbs 22:3 warns: "A prudent man foresees the evil, and hides himself: but the simple pass on and are punished." Proverbs 6:6 advises mankind: "Go to the ant, you sluggard, consider her ways and be wise, which…provides her meat in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest." These scriptures advise believers to foresee future dangers and prepare for them in advance while they can do so. God equips some animals to store up food supplies for winter, but he gives human beings minds with which we should be able to see dangers coming in the future. God warned Joseph of a terrible famine that was coming in seven years in order to give him time to make prodigious preparations for seven years to prepare for it (Genesis 41:46-49). Joseph did not "lack faith" by making advance preparations; he showed faith by acting on the warnings and making those preparations! If Joseph had not done so, Jacob’s family and many others would have starved to death. God gave Noah a 120-year advance warning about the impending Deluge, and Noah and his family acted on God’s warning and built the Ark (Genesis 6:3, 14-22 and Hebrews 11:7). God gave Lot and his family advance warning to get out of Sodom before it was destroyed. The biblical record is clear that God expects his people to act on his warnings. The Bible is full of warnings about famines, pestilences, wars, persecutions and evil times which will befall the earth in the last days. God has already given us many warnings in his Word! Like biblical personalities of old, we should act on those warnings.
One reader of this website sent me the first link, a warning from Christian pastor David Wilkerson that God’s judgment is about to fall in the form of a severe crisis. This is not an alarmist warning–one can come to this same conclusion simply by reading the financial pages. Whether his timing proves to be correct or not, his counsel for believers to have at least a 30-day supply of food and necessities is wise advice and is based on the wisdom of the scriptures in Proverbs cited above. A disaster needing that kind of preparation could be precipitated by an earthquake in California or the New Madrid fault zones, a mega-hurricane, a financial collapse in which the dollar loses most or all of its value, a government-declared "bank holiday" of unknown length or a war in the Mideast which paralyzes oil shipments and banking transactions for a considerable period of time. Any number of things could cause a sudden, global crisis. Another possibility is a bird-flu pandemic or some other kind of global plague. Another reader sent me the second link that the alertness of a Canadian lab discovered the presence of live avian-flu cultures wrongly mixed among vaccinations vs. that very threat. If these active cultures had been disseminated in the form of vaccines, a mass pandemic could have struck as a result of either human error or intentional terrorism.
Believers may have to rely on God for help when sudden, unexpected disasters or threats overtake them. However, I think it is "tempting God" to do nothing and wait for him to protect us from an impending danger when he gives us plenty of advance warnings. Christ himself declared that it was "tempting God" to deliberately place yourself in a dangerous situation to see if God will protect or rescue you (Matthew 4:6-7). By refusing to make preparations when God has given advance warnings, is one not "tempting God" by ignoring God’s warnings? Believers should also remember Paul’s strenuous warning in I Timothy 5:8 that one "denies the faith and is worse than an infidel" if we do not "provide" for the needs of our own household. If God gives us numerous advance warnings of dangerous and hard times in the latter days (which he has), should we not take God seriously and prepare for those anticipated dangers (as did Noah and Joseph) so our households are prepared for the danger?
If you believe the biblical warnings of famines, pestilences and severe challenges in the latter-days just ahead of us, then you can see the evil times ahead of time. Proverbs 22:3 tells us that if we can see those dangers ahead of time, we should prepare for those hard times. You know what the needs of you and/or your family will be if a disaster (or disasters) strike. You should act on God’s counsel and make preparations now…before the hard times hit. This is not a "lack of faith." I think it is exercising proper faith to take God at his word and act on those warnings to meet difficult times. I don’t know when these times will hit, but we know the Bible warns us that these hard times are coming.
Not only should you make preparations for the well-being of yourself and your loved ones, it is also wise to make preparations to help others who will be in need when hard times come (Ephesians 4:28). Remember that it is "more blessed" to be the giver than the receiver (Acts 20:35) in a time of need.
Should We Prepare?
I have seen several debates on the issue of how to prepare for Daniel’s 70th week. As I read them, I saw that there is an even bigger question which must be answered. Should we prepare for Daniel’s 70th week? Many seem to have the idea that they should not prepare because God will supernaturally take care of His Church during this time. However the Scripture is clear that many believers will fall during this time (Rev. 6:9-11; 12:17; 13:7, 10; 14:12). Although we trust God to provide for us, we are only being foolish/lazy if we do not prepare for what He told us in advance was coming. God still works miracles, and He may work a miracle on your behalf. However, I would not count on it, if you are failing to heed the warnings He has already given you. Others have the idea that every Christian will be killed so there is no use trying to save anyone. However the Scripture is also clear that not all Christians will be killed (I Cor. 15:51). There is a hope of surviving and there is a very real danger of being killed or starving to death. Knowing this, does it make sense to make physical preparations?
What did Joseph do after revealing to Pharaoh that seven years of drought were approaching? What did Paul do when the Jews plotted against him (Acts 9:23-25)? What did the Christians in Rome do when the severe persecution broke out? They went into the Catacombs. This was a safe isolated place where they stuck together in order to help each other and fellowship. They also were able to help other oppressed people from their safe haven. They would not have been able to help others if they were not in hiding because they would have been in prison or killed. What I am trying to say is that it makes sense to try to protect your own life and the lives of others as long as you can do so without denying Christ. Saving our own life should not be the driving force in our lives or it will lead to sin. However, we should not throw out the baby with the bath water. How many of you used your seat belt or put your child in a car seat even before the law required it? Do you have a smoke alarm in your house? Do you lock your door at night? We do things to protect our own lives every day. When we see someone who does not take precautions, we automatically assume that they do not understand the seriousness of the danger. Those who assume that God will protect them without a need for caution don’t usually live long.
When I see Christians not wanting to make preparations for the hard times ahead, it makes me think they don’t really believe the hard times are coming. If I as a Christian am tempted to think this way, what do you think the nonbelievers are thinking? There are many people preaching things today, but they do not really believe what they preach, they just parrot them. Do we look just like the parrots? We should let people know what we think is coming and make preparation. When they see us making preparation they may think we are crazy, but they will know we really believe what we preach. When they see things happen like we (through the Scriptures) predicted, they may turn to the Savior in faith as well.
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