Revenue

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We have been enjoying beautiful days, the fall season lengthens for a while and the crops are still there, just yesterday we had our first frost on the ridge.  I Wanted to attempt a summary of revenue this season, especially for the next year planning:

June: rhubarb for the co-op $1000
July, August: cucumbers for the co-op $2500
September, October: beets for the co-op $500

The months prior we would be preparing the soils and planting, in between we would do our gardens, and during the fall we would also be harvesting corn and food preserving.

Our animals consist of a milking cow who is  expecting in four months, two horses, one for riding and one for working the fields, three sheep, two pigs, six laying hens, two cats and one dog.
We have hay for them and buy organic grain from the local mill as well as apples, beets and other niceties from the land.

Our family with three children, father and mother, strives to be in love, learning always new ways of living in togetherness, in increasing our dependance in the spirit, in helping one another, and has welcomed special needs children once a week, families that wanted to come closer to this way of living, interns and people going through major life changes.

We could not have done this without the help of our neighbors, and without the spirit which always comes through in our time of need, with other people showing up at just the right time or with friend's helping hands.

It is at this time that I feel the greater thankfulness for what God has given me, the perfect husband for me, with its perfect qualities for this marriage, the perfect children for us, with their special qualities for this family, the perfect house for us, with its special qualities for this living, and all the special people God has sent our way to teach us and love us.

Many thanks to all.

It is at this time, after one year and a half of living in the Amish community that my commitment to this way of life increases, and I will drop the Internet use and other technologies, I hope this have served some of you to live closer to God, yet if not disregard all my writings as Nothing else but sounding cymbals.

If you have any questions you can find me at E15290 Burr Salem Road, Hillsboro WI 54634.

Prayer press

These days we are making cheese with a homemade press system, the curds are squished unto the macramé basket and a weight is put on top in order to take the whey out. As time and pressure increases so the cheese density.

It reminds me of how prayers work in my life, I do not have a list of people to pray for, yet I feel like a list is constantly being written for me, as people show up at my place or cross my path and I start asking them questions. Sometimes I dread the next minute or hour when somebody else will show up, yet I know that it is in this, my fear and acknowledge of inability, that the Spirit can work best. I ask questions and usually a plea is set before me. Then in my silence, as I go about my days, the plea is given up to the Father, I ask God to help them, to grant them what they need. The Father then asks me of things, or brings me trials, or tells me to give up something, it is an intercessory prayer, and the most difficult the plea, the most difficult the petition on my life. I find out that intercessory prayers are granted more than my own requests or pleas. I found out that unless my heart is moved Inwardly, unless I feel the compassion welling up in my heart for the person I am interceding, nothing really works, no matter how much time I am thinking about it or how much intensity i think with, or how many fasts I would do. It is the Spirit who makes it possible for my heart to soften, and to hear what is being asked, and to bring it to the Father, it is the Spirit who puts the pressure on top of me, to feel the hurt and the pain of the other human being, to move my whey out, my tears out, and my cheese a bit more dense. Oh, Father, that I would do your will in everything you want, that I would not loose any of the lambs you bring me.

As Christians we are called to forbear each other, to confess to each other. It is in confessing with a spirit of repentance that we can allow great changes to come into our natural lives. When we have that close communication with each other, and frequently, we can have the peace of the Spirit every night, we can be calm amidst the storm. When the repentance is true, the soul also moves, the heart is active and emotions roll down. It is such a comfort to have people ministering to us, who open their hearts and let us see through their souls, often when they speak, tears may appear, or the voice may break, as they expose their inmost feelings and help us to soften also our hearts. On the other hand, when we are hardened, we do not listen, and our speech is cold and logical, without  warmth. We may be very knowledgeable and deep, but the depth is an illusion, and the teaching is like hard rock. Nothing to be swallowed, nothing to nurture. Oh, that we may always have our hearts softened by the Spirit, that we may become real brethren, that the Glory of God would shine through us.

Priceless

 

We have an island in front of the house which is full of weeds and various herbs, and was in need of work...I kept thinking I would get to it next day and rasor it all down, but it did not happen. Finally last weekend friends came over to supper and one of them said: You do not know what precious things you have in this island, somebody did put extra care times ago to have a medicinal garden here. Really? I was going to chopp it all down!

Now I am glad I waited, and my friend will teach me how to recognize weeds and medicinal herbs. The above jars are full of herbs already and have some in good oil for medicinal purposes, it is really interesting to see an infection go away over night with homemade remedies: beets, rattlesnake or bread and milk poultices work wonders!

It happens to us sometimes also, we see our lives and our days and we feel worthless, useless...no wonder it is so, since " our good deeds are like filthy rags to the Lord". Yet as long as God can use us for His purposes, then our lives are made priceless, because they have the worth of the Creator. And just like my weedy island which was at first a nuisance that needed to be cut off, and became without any effort of my own, a precious medicinal garden that just needed to be taken care of, so are our lives nothing with our efforts, filthy rags; but when we let God take over them He allows the pruning and healing works of his Son to make them priceless. We are just left to take care of them, to know God's will and to obey.

We do not want to be under the category of religious prisoners, which follow the rules and try hard to avoid sin by putting their souls into a cage, their souls are never cleansed but their lives are miserable trying to do good and doing nothing but good. It is on the other hand a God that brings freedom our God, He changes our souls as we love Him, and the more we do the more our souls are made bright and unto His liking. I know because I have been many times a day a prisoner.I know because God has also made me free many times a day. God forgive my filthy rags, and make me your priceless tool.

The Art of Conversation

In the Goethe’s fairy tale, “The Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily”:The green snake is questioned by the king: “How did you get here?” he asks her, and she replies, “Out of the clefts where the gold dwells.” The question is posed: “What is more glorious than gold?” and the answer is “Light.” Then they ask her, “What is more quickening than light?” and she answers, “Conversation.”

In the past I viewed this statement and kept pondering about its truth. I did not understand it. Maybe I will not claim i understand it now, yet another appreciation of it is available. I can see all around that truly conversation is more precious than gold, or even light. Why is that so, if light is so much the giver of life? well because conversation in its true form it is much more giver of life in the same way that the material depends on the spiritual to exist.

In the farm we had many times wandered to our neighbor's dwellings, it is so much interesting to be there and work with them than at any other place including our own. Our children have also wandered away, and even our guests sense the pulling force of the neighbors, and prefer to be around them. Why is this so? Is it because their farm is better? No. is it because their faith?No. is it because their work? No, it is because of Conversation. they have mastered the art of putting away self and really listening to the other, they continually work through their daily chores with this in mind and open their lifes to what is around them. As one of our guests says: " Well, they are just more optimistic." Now how can you be for ever optimistic?, that is with God in your heart and your neighbor in your heart as well. That is with trained speech, that is with the art of Conversation. always using to encourage one another in one's Christian path.

The children do not mind working alongside us for three hours at a time, if they have our attention, that is our conversation. but the minute we start thinking about ourselves, about our agenda, or our troubles, just our natural mind...then they get tired. It happens the same to me too, and to all of us, working together practicing the art of Conversation is what keeps things alive, and children then learn how it is to be trained in love, and not to be idle, or not to work in fear or compulsion, but to work out of love, the love that God pours in our hearts as spouses and parents. We love going to our neighbor's house, because they know how to love, and I would like to see more examples around of families that share this way of life, that give a priority to the Art of Conversation.

Finally regarding our schedule discussion, we are still in the midst of it. It seems that it carries ramifications to all the other areas of our lifes. Is the husband to lead the raising up of the household, or is the wife? Lately I had been looking at two couples that are very dear and close to me. Both of them had a wife that had to step up to the directing of jobs and directing money matters, one was because of lack of concern and physical inabilty of the husband, and the other was because of the husband's gambling problems and other differences in views. Well, both marriages were also in the same area and with the same culture background, but the difference in them was astonishing! as much as blue and red are different, as much as fire and ice are different. The first home was a welcoming home, you could see the warmth, and the amicability of their inhabitants. Love abounded and was poured out to us too. The other home was cold, sharp, and there was animosity in the air any way you looked at.

The point I discovered recently with these two examples is that it may not matter so much what you do, but how and why you do it. I can wake up early and direct the household waiting for my husband to wake up, in a spirit of servanthood and love, or I could wake up early and lead in a resentful way. God give me the strength to follow your commandments and love my neighbor as myself.

Pious Living

This year has been full of good reading, i enjoy sitting with the children and reading aloud, though now my audience is getting smaller, since most of them are over 7 years old and reading themselves....but here and there they also join in the coach and share the rest time after dinner. We started the year with the Laura Ingalls series, such a beautiful way to start the year as we follow the family and Laura in their learning. When spring was approaching we read Tom Sawyer and also the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,  two classics of Mark Twain that remind us of something we all long for, a Home. Finally we have been enjoying Rudyard Kipling and his Jungle Book. Now that in Wisconsin it seems summer is short and fading away, I am considering reading aloud again Heidi, every chapter brings tears to my eyes and my heart gets filled with compassion, a good idea to break the hardness of the hot season.

One of the things of good books is that you can apply its lessons to your everyday life. For example, in the Jungle Book, the second chapter when Mowgli is captured by the Monkey People, has been giving me ideas on how Christians and Heathen alike are under the same circumstances, yet they respond so differently. the Jungle people, law abiding people can be liken to the Christian, whereas the monkey people to the Heathen. How is my life daily in these terms, am i responding to human nature and circumstances here on earth as heathen or as christian?

I am still looking into how the schedule is going to work, to adapt to my husband I thought I should wake up later, and not lead the household in the first hours of the day, but alas, then i observe my spiritual life also sinking backwards and unclean thoughts coming loudly....Somebody told me: Early rising is a virtue, do not abandon it, yet in the Bible it also says: Those who lose their life will gain it. It will take time to define our lives together as a family, a family such as God intended. I am patiently waiting for the next step to take.

Lately i have found these beautiful: Rules for a Godly Life, which consist of 20 pages of rules for pious living.

The first part consists on training your thought life. One example is : Keep free from wicked, idle, or unclean thoughts. Prov 4:23. For as your thoughts are so is your speech, your conduct, and your entire way of life.

The second part dwells in our words. One example is: Seek to avoid therefore, all non-edifying talk; let your words be thoughtful, few and true.

The last part focus on works. One example is : Stand firm, with all your strenght , against your bosom sins, those which your personal nature, more than any other sin, has a tendency to commit.

 I am so grateful to have found them, I wish I had somebody to be accountable for each other. Perhaps my husband. I am aware of these rules for monastic order and other religious, yet in the lay people i haven't found them, why is so? is it because the serving of each other in Godly marriage brings sanctity enough? Perhaps. But as I look around and at myself I see the need of more, more training to be walking the path of Jesus.

Adjusting

This  month we are hosting our exchange student from France and he has helped us in many ways. not only with work at the farm, but also and more important for me in checking how are we doing spiritually: Are we beter than last year, did we grow in hospitality? are we more understanding of other people's ways? can we still hold our beliefs while being loving of different people? we had a lively discussion one night with creationism versus evolutionism, at the end we sang the Song of Peace :

This is my song, Oh God of all the nations,
A song of Peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is;
Here are my hopes, my dreams, my sacred shrine.
But other hearts in other lands are beating,
With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean,
And sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine.
But other lands have sunlight too and clover,
And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
Oh hear my song, oh God of all the nations,
A song of Peace for their land and for mine.

May Truth and Freedom come to every nation;
May Peace abound where strife has raged so long;
That each may seek to love and build together,
A world united, righting every wrong;
A world united in its love for freedom,
Proclaiming Peace together in one song.

Still the question is pending. How are we doing spiritually?
 

My husband finally got away from his regular job and is working at the farm. this is a big change for us and a big step towards our vision of family working together as a means to grow in sanctity. For me is extremely challenging because I have to give up my way of doing things, I am organized, early riser, timely and efficient you would say, whereas my husband has the other set of qualities. How difficult is for me to let go of what I have been doing, managing the children and the home/farm life, and let him step up to his God given responsability of the leader of the home. It was easier when he was working at an 8 hour job daily, but now it is taking a great adjustment. I know is pride standing in the way, my prideful look at things, and I ask for prayers, that the Holy Spirit will work through me and let me adapt to my husband's ways. Lovingly. Without grudges. As a helpmeet.

It may not be so different -from one standpoint of view - to see how are be doing with hospitality and how are we doing with our spouse. It may well be that one is like the other, and that our relationship with God shapes the way we relate with family and strangers alike.

Another cow!

We have looked at the other two experiments, lettuces and radishes. The leaf planting experiment has given results that are expected in the planting calendar whereas the root planting again show results opposite to the ones expected in the calendar. Right now the hypothesis that seems to gain weight is the one that considers the moon forces of waxing and waning to be stronger than other factors.

There is a second cow in the pasture, Lucy has come to live with us and is expecting a calf for the next month! We wanted to see how another cow would change the relation within the animals and us, it is quite interesting to note the changes, even though we treasured the idea of the family cow, it also seems fair to have a herd instead, a small one. We also have aquired some sheep and have enlarged our pasture fields, it seems like a good venture but time will tell. Meanwhile we are thankful how these new animals came to us, a friend was in the move and needed to sell them, it was a special time together, checking things and making sure the transition was smooth. We miss you Ginny, thanks!