Randall Gerard writes back...

Black Gold, Texas Tea..

2009-03-17T08:34:00.004-06:00

Moving back to the country house, I have decided, is a double-edge sword, but we're doing it anyway. On the one hand, we'll have more room to garden and raise critters. On the other hand, we'll be as dependent on petroleum as we have ever been, only more so. For one more summer, we'll have three adults in need of transportation to work, all of us working schedules that make car-pooling impossible. That means three separate vehicles. And three separate insurance policies, and tax and license fees. Three separate gas tanks. Three separate maintenance schedules, nickel and dime repairs (hopefully just nickel and dimes!) tires, belts, hoses, batteries... in the best of times with the best of cars, and even if you do manage to pay cash for the cars, they are a constant money pit.

I fantasize a great deal about selling eggs, meat, milk, produce and small furniture off my front porch to neighbors who must still drive to town every day for work. I can buy a years supply of the finest hay to feed a horse for a mere fraction of our annual gasoline bill. And so I dream of a sound horse pulling a stout amish-made buggy on our weekly trip to town, too. But first I have to quit driving to town every day for work myself. The pittance that can be made off my mini-farm won't go very far if I have to buy gas for three cars, or even two cars and a motorcycle. And I don't even want to think about the cost of propane and electricity needed to heat the house and run the lights and tools.

Why is this so-called simple, agrarian life so expensive? Well, I'm convinced that most of us, me included, are determined to pour new wine into old wine-skins, so to speak. We are determined to hang onto city ways way out in the country. We want the convenience of petroleum based energy sources, which are only affordable when every adult in the house is making a wage in town. And with everyone in town, who's going to milk the cow and weed the garden? Who's going to slaughter the chickens, chop the wood and do the dishes? Who's going to cook from scratch, fix fence, and teach the dog to leave the stock alone? There are only so many hours in the day; you can make a wage and buy gas to make a wage in order to buy more gas... or you can build a life and a life-style on your acreage. I think we're going to have to re-learn how to do without gas and electricity. Maybe not cold turkey right this minute, but we need to start by being more selective and conscious about how, when and where we use the grid and the petroleum that makes the grid possible.

I don't know about you, but I'm addicted. I love being able to plug things in and turn them on. I love typing on a keyboard, and if you saw my hand-writing, you'd understand why. Like any red-blooded male, I love power tools. But even I am beginning to see the hand-writing on the wall. The cheap fuel that makes constant growth and large-scale industry possible is running out. Oh, there's still plenty of fuel.. it's just getting too expensive to recover and refine. Back in the 30's when the American oil boom was in full swing in Texas and Oklahoma, oil-men were able to extract 100 barrels of oil for every single barrel expended. That is the key. Energy return on energy invested determines the cost and economic viability of exploiting any potential source of energy. Energy return on energy invested has been falling steadily all over the world. Ratios of 18 to 1, even 12 to 1 are now common. When that ratio falls to 1 to 1, oil won't be pumped, coal won't be dug, uranium won't be mined. Why expend energy to recover the same amount of energy that was just expended? I predict that will be one of the main dillemmas of our time. The implications for the endless growth economic paradigm are staggering.

For a no-nonsense explanation of energy returned on energy invested, see: http://www.eroei.com/articles/the-chain/what-is-eroei/

Also see:http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/blogs/republican/energy-return-on-investment-55031601

No longer land-lords!

2009-02-04T06:47:00.002-07:00

While I dragged my feet, the Lord forged ahead. While I pondered and anguished, the Lord cleared the way. All praise and glory to His name, my renters are gone. I have the house I built for my wife and kids back in my sole possession. As I walk through it, I am filled with regrets. Why did I ever move from the place God provided for me, from the work of my hands, from these solid walls? I see the cordwood masonry wall behind the propane stove. The rounds and wedges of wood show the occasional 'k' written in black ink on their faces. My oldest son put those 'k's' there when he was little, marking out his favorite shapes in the wall we all built together. Now the wall is dirty and chipped, filled with rusty nails and staples that the renters used to hang posters and coats now long gone.

The Spirit's voice whispers in my ear. How can renting out property for usury be good and right if a fine home ends up like this after only 5 years? I look out the window at what used to be a pasture, now eaten down to bare dirt in some spots. A pasture ruined by a man who didn't own it, and therefore didn't care for it. The renter has no incentive to steward carefully, for he will never own these 4 walls and a roof. And the land-lord has no incentive to improve a place that won't be carefully and lovingly maintained. So, the property languishes; even as the land-lord grows richer in dollars, and the renter descends deeper into poverty and apathy. Surely this is an arrangement made in hell.

Never again. Already I am planning and improving, ordering this place of profound disorder. I will live here again; and I will steward this house, this land, in the fear of God my maker. And if I ever leave again, I will sell it, not rent it.

Envy and the American dream..

2008-08-12T12:41:00.002-06:00

Recently, a friend curious about our new living arrangements asked me a revealing question.

"But.. aren't you afraid of what people will think of you, now that you live in a trailer park?"

As I said, this person is a friend, so he shall remain anonymous. I was sorely tempted to verbally thrash him, but the Lord was merciful to me and I counted to 10 instead. It occurred to me that perhaps many others have had similar thoughts, but for whatever reason they haven't broached the subject with me. Therefore, my friend ought to be commended for having the courage to bring up a subject that is mostly taboo. That subject is money. Not just money in broad general strokes, but my neighbor's money along with important social attitudes about money. Questions like his are valuable because they often reveal the motives that guide our earning and spending decisions.

At any rate, I didn't respond to the implied insult; the obvious social stigma that many attach to trailer parks and those who live in them. I know all the 'you might be a redneck' jokes, and have often repeated them myself, so honestly, I wasn't offended by any of that. Instead, I was struck by how completely we've fallen victim to advertisers and their constant appeals to 'one up' your neighbor. After all, you deserve it. You should have long vacations every year, new cars (and presumably the pretty blond sitting in the passenger seat in the commercial as well), bigger, better houses in gated neighborhoods.. these are all touted as things that signal your obvious worth as a person. How else can we interpret the mantra, 'You deserve it'?

Let me reiterate, I do believe in personal responsibility and that everyone should live within their means. But I'm also convinced that there is a special place in hell for bankers and advertisers who stoke the fires of envy, so they may feed their own greed. But even Christians today seem incapable of discerning the envy that permeates their financial decisions.

And so.. I asked my friend, "Why should I be concerned for my reputation because of where I live?".

Long silence. "Well.. people who live in trailer parks usually can't afford anything nicer.. I mean, don't you want your family to have the best you can afford?" "Brother" I said, "this is the best I can afford given our commitment to avoid debt the rest of our lives." "Oh". The conversation ground to a halt there. He apparently didn't want to know why we were avoiding debt. I didn't especially blame him; such knowledge really throws a monkey wrench in your personal American dream. And it tends to reveal a social attitude towards money that has more to do with hell then heaven. This attitude is revealed quite succinctly in Ecclesiastes 4:4:

"Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind."

Obviously, the preacher is not saying work itself is vain, only the attitude of envy that tends to poison our work, making it an empty striving after wind. In another place he says:

"There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from Him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?" Ecclesiastes 2:24,25

I'm tempted to paraphrase St. Paul here when he said the 'Law is good, if you use it lawfully'. To the preacher, work is good if it's not poisoned by a spirit of envy. It would behoove us then to root envy, in all it's slippery forms, out of our lives so we can enjoy our work without reference to whatever others may think. Towards that end I offer the following as 'envy detectors'.

- If you find yourself comparing what you have to whatever your neighbor, siblings, father and mother have... you might be envious.

- If you listen to gossip about the finances of others, or spread such speculations yourself... you might be envious.. among other things.

- If you find that you are vaguely uneasy, resentful or defensive around people who SEEM to have more then you... you might be envious.

- If you find that you are smug and aloof around people who SEEM to have less then you... you are definitely self-righteous and proud.. and it might be because of envy.

- If you value appearances over reality, style over substance, subtle deceptions over honesty and transparency... it might be because of envy.

- If you catch yourself saying or thinking 'I just gotta have that' but consistently fail to examine your motives as to WHY you feel that way... you might be envious.

- If you tend to define success in terms of setting or reaching financial goals, or in terms of what you own... you might be envious.

- If you are caught up in maintaining 'appearances' and are always 'playing up' your financial condition in an attempt to impress others... you have become a liar and a hypocrite; probably because of pride and envy.

- If you spend to manipulate or earn affection from others... you might be envious. Or, just foolish.

Learn to spot envy in your own thinking and attitudes and you will very quickly see how the rest of our culture is saturated with it. It is a major component of the 'American dream'. It is a warped measure people often use to determine their ultimate worth. It is an attitude that ensures people will be owned by their possessions instead of the other way around. In addition, people who are envious tend to use people and love things, which ultimately destroys their relationships, and there they sit, with a pile of stuff around them, and no one to share with. If you want to be lonely in this world, be envious. But, if you'd rather not, cultivate contentment, for this is the opposite of every form of envy and covetousness. Godliness with contentment, Paul says, is great gain. Did you get that? Contentment is gain, so envy must be.. loss.

Rejoicing in the bills!

2008-08-01T11:25:00.003-06:00

O.K., my last post was sorta grumpy. As a matter of fact, as I review the posts on my blog, an impartial reader could draw the conclusion that I'm all about what's wrong in the world. Or, that I'm all about gloom and doom. But I'm really an up-beat guy, so I want to begin dispelling that negative impression starting with this installment. So then.. why am I rejoicing in my bills, of all things?

Well, first of all, there's not that many of them. We're down to rent, utilities, insurance and charitable giving; all of which comes to about half my check. If I can figure out how to get off the grid and out of the extortion insurance companies charge, while paying cash for a home and acreage, we'll be pretty close to zero bills. My wife and I were trying to recall the last time our income exceeded our outgo by that much, and after much deliberation, the answer is: never! Never in our married lives have we had so much disposable income as a percentage of net income. And it's a good thing, too, for we are about to incur some heavy-duty mid-life expenses. Next week one of our sons is getting married, and we're on the hook for things like the rehearsal dinner, travel to North Dakota and back, and honeymoon expenses for the happy couple. But you know what? It's ALL paid for without borrowing a dime. We can truly relax and enjoy a happy and blessed event in the lives of our son and daughter-in-law to be. You just can't put a price on that!

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. We just enjoyed a scenic and restful 8-day camping trip to Oregon and Idaho, all of it paid for without borrowing. Our daughter is due back to school for her senior year at College of the Ozarks at the end of August. All of it's paid. Homeschooling our youngest for the next school year is underway and paid. Additional trips around the holidays to see friends and family are being planned and handled with no added debt, and no depletion of savings. Next summer we will give our oldest daughter in marriage to a fine young man. They are planning a tasteful, modest, small wedding, I admit, but it too is paid for. Truly, our cup runneth over.

None of the financial blessing we have experienced lately has come about because I'm a financial whiz. I'm not. My wife reconciles the checkbook every month, because I have no patience for it, and no inclination if I did have the patience. The whole subject of making, saving and investing money bores me to tears. I'd much rather write and talk about politics, world events, theology, agriculture, hunting, making beer.. anything but money. I only have an interest in this subject as it relates to history and macro-economics, or it impinges upon personal morality and faith. Otherwise, I couldn't care less. But that is the beauty of down-sizing and simplifying your life-style. It doesn't take a Ben Bernanke to live within your means and prosper wonderfully as a result! Anyone can do this!

Houses and the incredible shrinking dollar..

2008-06-17T19:36:00.002-06:00

The move across town went well, so here I am a day early, still sitting among boxes but otherwise established enough to sit down and write. We had to pare down our belongings enough to squeeze the contents of a 5 bedroom house and attached double garage into a 3 bedroom double-wide and 8x12 shed. Mission accomplished. It's always easier to pitch stuff in the trash or give it to thrift shops then it is to grease and shoe-horn everything into less space. We probably still have too much when you consider how long it's taking for us to find a place for everything. I have a feeling we're not quite done pitching stuff.

Let me tell you what we are finished with though. We're finished paying usury; at least usury in the form of mortgages. If you're going to pay for a house 2 or 3 times over the next 30 years, you may as well rent. At least then, if the plumbing breaks, it's the land-lord's problem not yours. Oh, I know all the arguments for owning: you can deduct mortgage interest, but not rent payments; when you sell your 'investment' you get to keep any 'profit', not your land-lord; when you own, you can add on, improve, remodel as you please. Well, the mortgage interest deduction doesn't amount to much when you're single income to start with. The so-called 'profit' I made on my house is but a fraction of the usury I paid while I lived there, and who the heck wants to remodel anyway? Constant change just because we can is a modern addiction. There ought to be a 12-step program for compulsive remodelers and improvers. The last real improvement in houses occurred when indoor plumbing and electric lights were invented, and contrary to modern opinion, these aren't necessities. Think about all the centuries mankind did without both! If these aren't necessary, then surely every improvement since then has been window dressing. And very expensive window dressing at that.

Previous generations had a far different view of housing then we do today. For the most part they thought of it as functional shelter, a place to maintain body temp, a durable good, like a car or a refrigerator. Not an investment and not a status symbol; not a place to store more and more junk, but a corner out of the wind. Back in 1969, my parents bought a 2 story, 5 bedroom, 1 bath house, a small barn and two other out-buildings, all on 2 acres on the outskirts of town. The plain and sturdy house featured one electrical outlet in each room and usually, but not always, one electric light mounted on the ceiling of each room. That was the extent of the luxuries included in the home. The lawn sprinkler system was a hose with an oscillating sprinkler on the end, which we physically moved every half hour or so, when we needed to irrigate at all. The garage was the dirt track that ran between the house and barn. But there was enough ground to plant a huge garden and graze chickens and a calf or two every year. My parents paid a whopping $11,000 for it. I would gladly pay 4 or 5 times that amount for something similar today, but 20 or 25 times is probably more realistic.

Instead, the minuscule 'profit' I just made on my suburban house, which incidentally was on a tiny fraction of an acre lot, wouldn't purchase what I'm currently living in. I'm living in a 30 year-old double-wide set up on concrete blocks, on a tiny rented lot. I could perhaps buy the tiny lot, or the glorified refrigerator box that sits on it, but not both. But, it would have bought my parent's first house lock, stock and barrel, with money to spare. I am deeply offended by that.

Odds and ends...

2008-05-21T20:47:00.002-06:00

I'm about to get extremely busy, so I thought I'd better post something while I still have the time. Our trip to Rayville Missouri was both illuminating and sobering. It was sobering to see the actual physical state of the village. Most of the buildings are in need of repair and clearly this small town has seen better days. Unfortunately, this is the case throughout farm and ranch country from the Mississippi to the Pacific, and probably east to the Atlantic too, but I'll stick to reporting what I've actually seen. It is so sad to see once thriving main streets all boarded up and falling down. I'm sure the village of Rayville owes it's continuing existence to reasonable real estate prices and the easy commute to Kansas City and other larger towns in the area.

But something is beginning to happen in Rayville that I would love to see happen in countless ailing towns and villages all across this once great land. There are folks in Rayville fully sold out to the Lord, seeking to do His will in every area of life. This all by itself is a rare and precious thing. But if the Lord wills, someday little Rayville will be a beacon of hope, a village set on a hill so to speak, a testimony to the goodness and blessing of keeping covenant with the Lord, and with one another. Already there are many encouraging signs. Pastor McConnell and Elder Klute could hardly contain their enthusiasm as they described the progress they've made in the last decade. Missouri Woods is beginning to prosper. The church there is beginning to grow and prosper, as many Internet agrarians continue to relocate to be a part of the Rayville vision. Homesteads are being built. Direct christian involvement in local government has been initiated and is ongoing. The people I met and enjoyed fellowship with are fully committed to the town and the vision so ably articulated by the leadership of Covenant Reformed Church. Their enthusiasm is exciting to see and contagious as well. Of course, changes like these cannot take place without spiritual opposition. This is a pioneering work, full of sweat, blood and tears and often attended with controversy and strife. But the Lord is good and faithful, and He has given the faithful in Rayville encouraging progress and a measure of prosperity, too.

And the land.. how beautiful it is! It is so green, so fertile, bursting with life and abundance of every kind! We enjoyed a short tour of the area with Pastor McConnell as our able guide, and I was struck dumb by the natural beauty and richness of the area. On every side there was both abundance and astounding variety. Many hardwood trees, an incredible range of wildlife, thick green grass, streams, rivers, ponds, all testify of rich soil and generous and regular rainfall. All this, and coal under the ground as well! It is a land that cries out for christian husbandry, a virtual Eden pining away for many sons of Adam who will faithfully dress it and keep it! It is also a land steeped in history and folk-lore. Jesse James and Bill Quantrill rode and fought there. Missouri suffered a great deal during the war between the States; and much of this travail has been ignored or glossed over in the accepted history books. Yet, if that war had ended with the south victorious, there would be many prominent and lavish monuments to southern valor within an easy drive of Rayville. It was all so fascinating!

And now the reason I'm likely to be too busy to write for awhile: Our house is under contract, and we have about three weeks to pack up and move. No, we're not going to Rayville, at least not yet, but rather just across town. This is an answer to much prayer, though. My desire for several years has been to simplify my life and unload debt along with excess bedroom space, so I can eventually afford to go back to school full-time. This is the first substantial step in that direction. We will be renting for awhile, but at less then half the monthly cost of the house we just sold. One house gone, one to go; isn't God good?

There is another thing I took away from Rayville, something Elder Klute kindly gave me. It was a copy of S.C. Mooney's book, 'Usury: Destroyer of Nations'. I can't recommend this book highly enough, nor will I ever be able to repay the debt I owe to both Mr. Mooney and Mr. Klute. This book rocked and rearranged my world. God is using this book's message to reform me, gradually and thoroughly, in the whole critical area of money, business, investment and economics. It will take time and perseverance to fully absorb and implement this teaching into my life, but I will gladly spend any heart-beats I have left trying. That's not to say that I'm always happy about it. My moods since completing the book have alternated between despair and nausea and exuberant praise and thanksgiving. I'm not exaggerating; since completing a first reading of 'Usury', I've spent whole days feeling mildly sick to my stomach. It is not an easy message, nor are it's implications always pleasant. But, the Lord knew it was exactly what I needed to read; and my soul drank in every drop of the bitter medicine, as a sponge absorbs water. Now, if I can just keep it down...

Don't stop praying for me, and I'll write more after we're settled, sometime after June 18.

Yes, I visited Rayville too...

2008-05-17T10:16:00.002-06:00

... and I now see why everyone who's been there comes home excited about a humble village in Missourah! I don't have time today to write at length, but I will soon. In the meantime, I too want to publicly thank Pastor McConnell, Jeff Klute and Art & Joyce Morrill for their hospitality and fellowship. I wish I could have stayed longer and pestered you all with even more dumb questions. Which reminds me, thanks for your patience too.

Everyone should read something by Gene Logsdon..

2008-04-22T09:47:00.002-06:00

I have a peculiar habit. (Actually, my wife would say I have several peculiar habits, but that's another post) Every spring, just before planting time I revisit 'The Contrary Farmer' by Gene Logsdon. For me, this book epitomizes the raucous, joyous, defiance that ought to characterize us cranky agrarian types. Logsdon has been on my reading list since the early 70's, when I happened upon a copy of 'Two Acre Eden' at the local library. I read it clear through in one sitting, and then asked the librarian if I could buy it. She said no, so I just kept checking it out. I had it all summer, using it as a blue-print for the family garden that year.

There's always been this kind of practical wisdom in Logsdon's writing; but one thing I really appreciate as well is the astute and often hillarious economic and political commentary that frequently characterizes his books. Here's an example:

"If I were to say, for example, that capitalism and socialism are in practice more alike than they are different, most people, certainly most economists, would object strenuously because we have been taught that the two are absolutely opposed to each other. But both accept the same money system that the industrial revolution encouraged: 1. The use of pieces of paper or metal to represent real goods. 2. the acceptance of interest on these pieces of paper and metal as essential to 'growth' (keep in mind that hardly four centuries ago, in a pastoral world, all interest on money was considered usorious and immoral); 3. the right of authority to manipulate interest rates -- changing the definition of usury whenever self-serving authority desires it; and 4. the necessity of an expanding credit system that a government or bank can turn on or off at will in an effort to cover its own ass. Both capitalism and socialism, in other words, use money to centralize control over society. They differ only in who the central authority should be: socialism wants it to be the public sector, and capitalism wants it to be the private sector."

- "The Contrary Farmer" by Gene Logsdon, pages 18,19. Copyright, 1993.

The first time I read this, I was scandalized. Why, didn't this bumpkin know that capitalism characterizes a godly economy and socialism an atheistic one? How dare he impune the good name of St. Adam Smith, Lord High Keeper of economic orthodoxy? Well, it took about 10 years, because I'm a little thick, but I finally understand his point. Sure enough, pure capitalism concentrates wealth, and therefore power, into few hands just like pure socialism. And of course, this is the age-old human tendency in modern garb, isn't it? The universal human desire is to re-build babel and make a name for ourselves apart from God, and it continues today under the leadership of Ben Bernanke and the Federal Reserve. Which, ironically, is not 'federal' at all, and has no 'reserve'.

If you want to know what water is like, don't ask a fish. The fish has grown up in water and doesn't give it a second thought. We are like that fish. We've grown up in the present system, and so have a hard time imagining any other. I suspect this, more than anything else, is what biblical agrarians are engaged in; the hard work of imagining a different economy, a different 'system', a different way of life; and then living it out.

It's the border, stupid!

2008-04-15T09:50:00.002-06:00

Here is an excerpt from Michael Scheuer's new book, "Marching Toward Hell", a well-titled work if ever there was one. Mr. Scheuer is a 20-some year veteran of the CIA, virtually all of those years in Muslim countries.

"One can agree or disagree about whether al-Queda has a nuclear device, as well as about whether it would know how to detonate one, but it is impossible to argue that bin Laden is not pursuing such a weapon or that al-Queda would not use it if acquired. And yet that is exactly how the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations have behaved. They have not been bashful about warning Americans about this possibility, but twelve years after bin Laden declared war, and six plus years after 9/11, U.S. borders remain porous to the point of being wide open. Instead of seeing border control as perhaps the single most vital element of homeland security, our governing elite have turned it into a political issue with which to court Hispanic voters, a tactic that can only be seen as meaning our leaders value their offices more than the lives of Americans. More disastrously, sixteen years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the three post-1988 U.S. presidential administrations have failed to push to conclusion the U.S.- Russian program to secure the 22,000 nuclear devices that form the former USSR's nuclear arsenal. The Clinton and George W. Bush administrations, in fact, have cut funding and manpower for the program. Open borders and unaccounted for nuclear devices are a dangerous combination, especially because al-Queda and America's other enemies have been on the trail of the latter since 1992."

My two cents: None of the major presidential candidates stand for border security, which is tantamount to national security in this age of terrorism and portable nukes. Fortunately for us, bin Laden must get prior permission from a cadre of Islamic clerics before he kills more than 10,000,000 Americans. That's a relief.

The age of 'isms'...

2008-04-09T09:05:00.002-06:00

You have to pity conservative christians. They have no one to vote for this fall, no lesser of two evils to pay homage to. At my church in the fellowship hall, political conversations focus on how unthinkable it would be to vote for Hillary or Obama... or McCain. Hillary, it is widely believed, would give us socialized medicine, Obama would give most of the south and millions of dollars (more) to poor persecuted black people, and McCain would have no qualms about keeping our military in Iraq for the next 100 years. The consensus is no one stands for 'conservatism' anymore, not even the presumed nominee of the Republican party.

And all of this has come to pass because we refuse to recognize that we are as much children of the enlightenment as anyone else. The enlightenment, you may recall, gave the world a vast, un-founded faith in autonomous human reason. Human reason gave us all the 'isms' that plague us to this day: materialism, naturalism, feminism, liberalism, socialism, fascism, ad nauseum. The institutional child of the enlightenment, and the locus of salvation for moderns, is the modern secular state. The modern secular state is where all the 'isms' spawned by the enlightenment joust for power. We christians play along, and usually play second fiddle, because we are torn between being biblical and being 'relevant', and we don't even know it. We are double-minded. We say we are trying to restore something called 'Godly, constitutional government', but our thinking is no different from our enemies. We are held captive by various human ideologies. This is how it works: We read something we like, some explanation of 'how the world should be', we then baptize it and give it a christian-sounding name, find an eloquent spokesman to push our 'ism' in the halls of power, and vote for him. But if our spokesman has no strength of character, it isn't long before he has abandoned us and our pet 'ism' and is now in line with whoever wields power. If you haven't figured it out already, the aim of politics and politicians is to expand and consolidate power to the glory of man. The enlightenment was all about MAN and his 'possibilities', and to hell with God. God is irrelevant to the secular state.

When it comes to choosing leaders, the Bible does not start with 'isms' but with godly character.

Listen to Moses advise Israel on how to choose a King:

"When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, 'I will set a King over me, like all the nations that are around me', you may indeed set a King over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as King over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, 'You shall never return that way again.' And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold. And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn to the right hand or the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel" Deuteronomy 17:14-29

There isn't a single word about ideology in this passage. If we were to choose a king, according to this word, he needs to be male and descended from the white tribes of Europe. He must be willing to recieve instruction from the church, even though the church has no direct power to rule. He may not major in military adventurism (another ism!) or make questionable alliances with foreign powers, but attend to his own affairs in his own country, seeking the good of his people. He shall be a man of moderate appetites, not multiplying to himself gold, silver, women or any other ostentatious luxury. He must be a man of godly character who is committed to the right judgements of the Lord, and he does not turn to the right or to the left; he is not persuaded of any 'ism' above the word of the Lord. He is a humble man, seeking to follow God and serve his brethren with his throne.

As un-American as it may sound, I could support such a king. I could gladly pray for him, serve him, toast his health, and hail him with a lusty 'God save the King!'. Such a man in power would be a blessing to our nation. But I would also hail a godly President, Congress and Supreme Court. However, as long as our government is committed to various 'isms' and not God, I won't be hailing anyone. I will abjure the realm, and work and wait for more reformation to sweep away the dead carcass of the enlightenment. Unfortunately, much of the enlightenment is in the church.

Making arrows...

2008-03-13T20:54:00.004-06:00

I doubt I have any readers left, it's been so long, but I'm going to write anyway. Writing is not my calling, at least not one that pays well, so if you're wondering where I've been, it's really very simple. I've been making a living, and I hope a life fit to glorify my king. I've also been making arrows, in a metaphorical sense, putting the finishing touches on young adults the Lord has placed in my care. Lately though, I've been thinking that I would like to try my hand at making my own archery gear, literally. I have a good friend who does that. He builds his own bows and arrows, and the related accoutrements, and hunts with his creations. He's very good at both. His home is filled with skull mounts, usually with the fatal arrow prominently displayed with the mount.

One day, I sat down with him and picked his brain on arrow making. The first thing, he said, is matching the arrow to the weight and draw length of the bow. It needs to be an inch or so longer then the draw, and have enough stiffness to withstand the cast of the bow without bending and 'porpoising' in the air as it flies toward the target. Archers call this characteristic 'spine'; and much of it has to do with the diameter and weight of the shaft, but also the material. Aluminum has more stiffness per gram of weight then cedar wood, for example. Once the bow is matched to the shaft, and the shaft is straightened and shaved to the correct weight, a nock is added at the narrow end, (if it's wood, one end will usually be a little smaller diameter then the other). Fletching, usually turkey feathers split in half down the middle, are carefully glued in special grooves cut for the purpose, just above the nock. And finally, a broadhead is carefully fitted to the other end with glue and lashings, that is, if it's a traditional wooden arrow.

I haven't really done justice to this process with the preceeding paragraph. It's a lot more complicated and time consuming to do it then it is to write about it. It takes my friend hours to make one arrow from start to finish, assuming he isn't starting with shafts he cut green himself. The scariest thing about arrow making by hand is it's very hard to tell a good one from a bad one without going out back, pulling the nock to your jaw and lettin' fly. Sometimes, it's just magic, and the arrow flies straight and true every time. Other times.. well you just don't know where it's going to end up. And the troubling thing is, the true one, to the naked eye, looks just like the bad one. The proof of the arrow, it would seem, is in the shooting.

And so it is with building metaphorical arrows; with raising children. They must be carefully prepared, of the right materials, straightened and shaved of all extraneous growths that might hinder their flight. The fletching, the nock, the broadhead, all must be carefully considered and firmly attached with the most durable, long-lasting glues and lashings. Arrows take a beating. They are slender, and appear fragile yet they are expected to punch through and bring down wilderness hardened game. Our children, though young and as yet untested have a similar daunting task ahead of them. They are expected to punch through and bring down the world for the glory of God. Their mission, and ours, is to pierce hearts with the Gospel, compelling every creature to bow the knee and confess 'Jesus is Lord'.

It is folly to launch 'arrows' at the enemy who aren't yet fletched or straightened or equipped with a razor sharp broadhead. But that seems to be what many well-meaning christians want us to do with our children, when they accuse homeschooling parents of being 'retreatist'. We're not retreating at all. We are preparing to do serious battle with seriously prepared young warriors. There isn't a modern christian alive today that doesn't consider the 'children's crusade' launched in the middle ages a cruel and foolish expression of presumption and pride, NOT faith. When the Pope sends children off to war, we shake our heads in derision, and rightly so. Yet in the culture war battlefield of the public school, where the enemy is busily taking no prisoners, we think we're obeying God if we send our children into this war. Brothers and sisters, in this sad and sinful world we are going to lose many who are full grown and fully prepared to do battle. How can we justify sending out those who aren't prepared?

On the old adage, 'Less is More'...

2007-05-07T08:46:00.000-06:00

My wife blames it all on Tolkien. The great books he wrote are read and re-read over and over in our home; and they were then reinforced by the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy. And here is the sage Gandalf, contemplating the ring in Bilbo's house, pipe-weed smoke swirling about his head. There is Strider, pulling mysteriously on his clay pipe as he surveys a crowded tavern. Gimli puffs calmly on his pipe even as the dark horde converges on Helm's Deep. Enough. I must have one. I settled for a varnished corn cob and generic cavendish, just to see if I would like it. And now I am pining for the slender, artistic grace of my very own clay pipe.

But I don't want to leave the impression that I light up constantly. I have not bought a pipe holster and all the accoutrements, so that I may light up anywhere, anytime. Pipes are cumbersome, requiring two hands and several tools, and that's just perfect for smoking in moderation. Every now and then, once or twice a month, even less in the heat of summer, it's pleasant to put the flame to fine burleigh or cavendish. Or a blend thereof. That way, my dear wife can still stand to kiss me, and her kisses are vital, whereas swirling pipe smoke is an optional pleasure.

But I love to smoke while I read; I find it aids my concentration. Though it cannot make a bad book better, mysteriously enough, it does add quality to the experience of reading a good book. And that is how I was doubly blessed by Eric Brende's fine book, entitled 'Better Off'. Mr. Brende is a lyrical writer, deftly weaving philosophy and some theology with more practical matters. The book is actually Mr. Brende's Master's thesis on how advanced technology effects us socially, materially and even physically. The Brende's, Eric and his new bride Mary, spent 18 months living in a community of 'minimites'. This is Eric's term for folks who deliberately limit access to high technology in order to cultivate real community, meaningful work and a lifestyle more in harmony with the rhythms of the earth and with God. His experiences are poignantly rendered amid many astute observations.

These observations include the very helpful distinction he makes between 'tools' and 'machines'. A tool, first of all, does not replace it's owner's skill or judgement. It is not automatic. It is designed as a simple means to an end. A machine often becomes an end in itself. A machine often does too much, thereby rendering physical effort and conscious thought obsolete in the performance of a task. A machine also makes demands quite similar to the demands of living, breathing beings. It often requires debt service and insurance coverage as well as fuel, maintenance, repair.. usually by skilled technicians. Moreover, these demands increase with the complexity of the machine. A bicycle is a simple machine designed to make our legs and lungs more efficient in transporting us. A car is a complex machine that makes our legs and lungs obsolete for transportation. A saw is a tool. A chainsaw is a machine, and so on.

Also, a machine often carries in it's train many unforeseen consequences. If we think of the small ripples a pebble makes when thrown in a pond, and then the much larger splash and waves made by a boulder, this will be easier to visualize. The machine, by it's many demands, gradually usurps and subverts the very purpose for which it was made. At the turn of the last century we moved about at modest speeds by means of horse power. Henry Ford's model 'T' just barely out-stripped the horse and carriage. And now we have come full circle with 8 lanes of traffic often moving much slower then a horse and carriage, at an immense cost in infrastructure and to the environment. The tyranny of the automobile is now complete. The more I think about it, the more I value Brende's distinctions; and I intend to apply this logic to my own collection of tools and machines. I heartily recommend his book. Even if you have no intention of ever being a 'minimite', it is rich food for thought.

Expensive energy.. thoughts and ramifications..

2007-04-30T08:20:00.000-06:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about what I should do with the rest of my life. Middle age is great for that. I've also been reading a lot about peak oil, both pro and con. If you've never heard the term, here's a good introductory article: http://cumberlandbooks.com/blog/?p=303. Please don't stop reading this, I'm not, nor will I ever be a pessimist, or even a survivalist. Life is good, God is good, and we can do good and be just fine if we reconnect with Him and take our rightful place under heaven as stewards, NOT owners, of this earth.

That being said, I think in the days ahead there will be some bumps in the economy we will need to plan for and navigate. I don't mean 'plan for' the way your typical survivalist type means it. Preparation, the way I define it is mostly mental, with minimal common sense physical and financial preparation thrown in. I don't think anyone should buy an arsenal and ammunition, (as much as I would like to!) build a bunker, or stockpile food and supplies. Think about it. If the worst case actually does happen, how are you going to defend what you have from the desperate majority? And why should they let you live once they own it, if all you have to offer is perishable 'stuff'? The keys to surviving anything, from bad weather to economic collapse, are skills, knowledge and tools. Skills and knowledge can be further divided into broad, basic things that everyone should know something about, and particular skills you can contribute to your community which will hopefully help make you indispensable.

The Basics: Starting a fire without matches. Basic first aid and wellness. Building rudimentary shelter. Hunting, trapping, fishing, foraging, gardening. Basic animal husbandry. Everyone should know basic survival skills, especially how to keep warm and sheltered under adverse circumstances.

The more specialized skills, the ones that hopefully set you apart, spin off of the basics which are all concerned with maintaining the proper body temperature. The various construction trades are examples derived from the basic need for shelter. But the tools and methods and materials now being used may need to be adjusted to a world that is running out of cheap oil. Another example: modern hunting ammunition depends on sophisticated, oil based processes and ingredients. Old-fashioned flint-lock, muzzle-loading rifles do not. Neither does traditional archery, or even more effective, traditional trapping. Find out how your fathers and grand-fathers did things, and add those skills to your repertoire.

Some occupations (specialties) to consider: Blacksmithing. Actually, any kind of metal working that can produce useful items from recycled materials, especially tool-making. Farriers. Folks who can raise and train draft animals. All forms of woodworking, especially if you're skilled with hand tools. Medicine. Not necessarily the high tech, drug pushing variety, but folk remedies, herbal wisdom, nutrition and wellness. The medical professional of the near future may well be an accomplished gardener and teacher more than anything else. Butchers, tanners, leather workers and furriers. Spinners of wool and other fibers, weavers. Shoemakers. This is far from an exhaustive list, but I think you get the idea. I'm not suggesting you quit your day job, at least not at first, but pick something useful and make it your hobby. Learn about it, assemble a 'how to' library, buy the requisite tools, practice, practice, practice.

A word about tools: Keep them simple, durable and portable. That way you can take your trade with you, if you find yourself in an unfriendly place. Unfriendly places may be that way for a variety of reasons, not least of which is climate and the availability of arable land. The ideal situation is to be on debt-free, fertile land that gets rained on regularly, surrounded by friends and family. Not every one can achieve that, which makes my next suggestion absolutely vital. You must network. At the very least, you must know people who are already living where you would like to be and who would be willing to welcome you into their midst. Don't cultivate friends based on what they can offer you, necessarily, but aim for mutually advantageous relationships. You want to be a useful member of a local community, not just an extra mouth to feed.

Physical preparation: I am referring not to stockpiling, but rather good stewardship of your health. A world without cheap energy will be a labor intensive world. If you're not in good physical condition now, consider this article motivation to do something about it. You don't have to buy anything. Walk more, bike more, avoid elevators, do some push-ups and sit-ups at least 3 times a week. Regular, moderate physical exercise, at least 30 minutes a day, will make you a different person in as little as 6 months. Don't forget to eat right. For fat and starch loving Americans, that usually means more fruits and vegetables, less of the killer whites: white flour, white sugar, white rice and white potatoes. Too much starch mixed with too much fat is literally killing us. It's the main reason we suffer so much heart disease, obesity and diabetes. Meat is healthy in moderation (like everything else!) in proportion to how healthy the animal was. Wild game is the best, followed closely by grass fed domestic stock.

Financial preparation: Get out of debt! Start by resolving now to never again borrow for anything. Then, save a small cushion for a rainy day, because the Lord will test you on your resolve! Once you have your cushion, start accelerating re-payment. Start with the smallest payment first, and when it's gone, apply that payment to the next smallest, and so on, until you are free. For most, this will take 5 to 7 years. An alternate plan would be to sell everything and use the money to start over debt free. Many middle-aged Americans have more house(s) then they need. Consider down-sizing, and moving to a smaller house, in a smaller community, on a bigger lot. Eighty acres in the middle of no-where-ville, even if it's marvelously varied and productive land, will only suit you if you're a farmer already; but it's not for everyone. Most of us are several generations removed from the knowledge and skills needed to adequately steward that much! And, if you have no close neighbors, how will you obtain the things you can't produce for yourself? No more cheap energy will mean the rebirth of community and the death of radical individualism. We may as well head that direction now. And, perhaps this is the main thing the Lord would have us learn through these events anyway.

So, how am I going to spend the rest of my life? I'm going to take my own advice. If absolutely nothing happens and the world continues as it now is, I will be healthier, more useful to my fellow men, and better able to provide for my family. And if the modern world does come unraveled... I will be better equipped to help my neighbors rebuild.

Coddled men...

2007-04-24T15:54:00.000-06:00

When I was a boy my grand-dad offered me a penny for every sparrow and starling I shot with my fancy new Daisy B.B. gun. But why, Grand-dad? Well, he explained, sparrows and starlings are aggressive and drive out more desirable songbirds who like to eat harmful insects. They also like to eat grain, which I need to feed the cows and pigs. They nest in the barn loft and soil the hay, thereby ruining more feed. They are feathered rats and mice, dirty pests, and I don't have time to shoot them, but you do. Whadaya say, grandson? Do ya want to help me farm this place or not? Sure, I said. Will you buy the B.B's grand-dad? He chuckled. That's my boy! he said and he ruffled my hair. You drive a hard bargain, but yes, I'll supply the ammo and I'll give you a penny per bird, deal? Yes sir! I said, I'll get right on it.

That was the first summer job I ever had, but it wouldn't be the last. I was 8 years old that year. Over the next 90 days, I shot almost 11 bucks worth of starlings and sparrows. I remember blowing the summer's earnings at the county fair that fall. A boy could buy lots of fun plus a good belly ache for 11 dollars in 1968. By the way, that works out to about 15 dead birds per day, since I wasn't allowed to shoot 'em on Sunday, and sometimes I'd watch cartoons on Saturday morning. But the rest of the time I hunted. I enjoyed it.

I'm almost afraid to tell that story today. Almost, but not quite. Sometimes I'll be telling it, and too late, I'll notice the look of horror on some one's face when they do the math and realize I shot over a 1,000 birds in one summer. I can't abide those looks; especially not if I'm speaking to a man. That look means the man wearing it is not acquainted with the harder realities of life and death. It means that dirt and sweat and blood are likely foreign substances to him, and he takes his food home wrapped in cellophane or served with sprigs of parsley in restaurants. He leads a sheltered, antiseptic life and he is content to let illegal immigrants butcher his meat.

Well, when I see such a face, something fiercely perverse wells up in me. I can't help it. I back him into a corner so he can't escape and I start giving him the gory details. In low measured tones, I enunciate the art of hunting for hire. My goal back then was to kill one bird for every B.B. I fired, I begin. That meant taking head shots, which also meant lots of clean misses. The misses were frustrating, but, oh, how satisfying it was to watch a beak disintegrate on impact, or a tiny eyeball disappear in a fountain of blood! Then I knew the bird was dead before it hit the ground. Grandad would notice too, and compliment me on my marksmanship. He'd also notice the ones that died hard, the ones with bloody wings, torn with multiple shots, and he'd admonish me to shoot more carefully. But you see, sometimes my target didn't present a head shot, and I'd no choice but try a body shot with my underpowered air rifle. Those were rarely clean kills. Oh, they'd fall alright; but then they'd flop around, and I'd have to pursue them under bushes or into tall grass, filling them with B.B.s as they tried to get away. Sometimes, I'd just put the gun down, catch them and stomp on their heads to save B.B's. Or smack them with a 3 foot stick until they died. One way or another, I say, I was going to get my penny. Then I offer my best wolfish grin.

By this time my squeamish victim is sweating and squirming. He tries a half-hearted smile and a nod to appease me. He thinks I'm a psychopath, and I don't care. I think he's a simpering wuss, so we're even. Just look at him leaning against the wall, about to vomit on his tasseled loafers. I think to myself, this is not the kind of man (I'm using the term generously) I want my daughters to marry. He would not defend her if need be. He would not want to get dirty or risk ruining his manicure. He would faint at the sight of blood. There would be nothing of any substance standing between her and a violent world. If he couldn't solve her problem with a phone call, she would be on her own. I walk away, shaking my head. I can't believe some of the pathetic creatures who pass for men these days.

Oh, the mysteries of God!

2007-04-19T21:36:00.000-06:00

You know you're in for interesting times when a good friend calls to say God woke him out of a sound sleep and told him to pray for you, and by the way, are you guys O.K.? Well, I thought we were. And then the truck broke. And I find out my daughter has attracted the attentions of a suicidal stalker... and I'm 850 miles away... and I can't seem to keep the horrors experienced at Virginia Tech out of my head... and today I learned my sister-in-law has stage 4 cancer.

But my daughter called to reassure me that the chaplain and dean of students know of her situation... and her older brother and two other good friends are escorting her from place to place... and the truck was easily and inexpensively fixed... and my son called to minister to me in my anxiety and discouragement... and he sounds so.. mature! And my sister-in-law is a believer. And I can see that my faithful friend who lost sleep to pray for us, was answered, and I am blessed. Truly, God is good, and His ways pass all understanding. Even though I walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff they comfort me.

The 'one another' verses

2007-01-22T15:19:00.000-07:00

Occasionally, I have nothing better to do then page idly through a really thick book. A concordance is just such a book, one that lists every word that occurs in the Holy Bible, and where it occurs, and how many times it is used, and what that word means in Hebrew or Greek. One day, I was looking at my concordance when my eye settled upon the word, ‘another’. This word, it turns out, is used a great deal in the Bible. There are a full 3 pages of references in very small print. I decided to focus on the New Testament and look some of them up. Here is what I found in summary form:

As christian believers, we are to be devoted to one another, prefer one another in love, contribute to the needs of one another, rejoice with one another, weep with one another, be of the same mind with one another, be at peace with one another. And that is just Romans 12. Would you like to hear the rest of the New Testament? Very well; I will try to avoid repetitive references to save time. We are to show forbearance to one another, speaking the truth to one another because we are members of one another. We are to be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other just as God has forgiven us in Christ. We are to teach and admonish one another, singing together with thankfulness in our hearts to God. We are to love each other and comfort one another with the words of scripture, encouraging one another and building each other up. We are to warn one another about the deceitfulness of sin, considering how we may stir one another up to love and good deeds, while not forsaking our own assembling together. Do not speak against one another or judge one another falsely. Do not complain against one another, but confess your sins one to another and pray for one another. Fervently love one another from the heart. That one is well worth repeating. Fervently love one another from the heart. Be hospitable, sympathetic, brotherly, and humble in spirit. Those who are young should be subject to the elders, but all of you, clothe yourselves with humility towards one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

That’s a whole lot of ‘one another’ verses. One cannot read such a comprehensive list of duties without feeling inadequate. And yet, this is our calling toward our neighbor who also believes. I am speaking only to those who love the Lord Jesus now. You cannot even begin to practice these things if you stay home from church. If we are to ever love our neighbor as ourselves, we must reach beyond ourselves and embrace others. At the very least, we have to show up and make ourselves available. By all means, worship God in private too, just realize that you’re not an only child. You are not the only one Christ died for in this world, you have a family. You have many brothers and sisters. God intends to use all of us to help all of us grow up in the faith. We are as ‘living stones’ fitted and joined together into one temple, the Bible says.

Showing up at church, being involved in corporate worship, supporting the plans, programs and Pastor of your local body is just the beginning, however. We are hospitable outside the context of Sunday service. We rejoice or weep with one another as we journey through this life together. We contribute to the various needs of the saints every day, whenever those needs occur. The ‘one another’ verses of Scripture presuppose something very important. They presuppose that we, as the Body of Christ, are involved in each other’s daily lives. They presuppose that we like each other enough to work together, play together, and otherwise enjoy each other’s company during the week. Instead of being distant relatives who hardly speak and who seldom interact, we should be as friends who can’t wait to get together.

I mentioned above that the Church is described in the New Testament as the Body of Christ. A body has many parts that work together to form one complex organism. Do not dismember the Body of Christ by isolating yourself from it. We need you, and you need us. And this is God’s opinion, God’s grand idea, not mine.

What a theocracy looks like...

2006-11-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

...according to the Prophet Micah.

"And it will come about in the last days that the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, and the peoples will stream to it. And many nations will come and say, "Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the House of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us His ways and that we may walk in His paths." For from Zion will go forth the Law, even the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He will judge between many peoples and render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they train for war. And each of them will sit under his vine and fig tree, with no one to make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. Though all the peoples walk in the names of his god, as for us, we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever. "In that day", declares the Lord, "I will assemble the lame and gather the outcasts, even those whom I have afflicted. I will make the lame a remnant and the outcasts a strong nation." And the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion from now on and forever."

Micah 4:1-7

- A theocracy is established by teaching the Lord's ways, it is not salvation by legislation.

- God is above the nations, but the nations are not abolished or done away with. There is no 'one world government', except in the spiritual sense.

- A world permeated with the Law of God is a world at peace, a world preoccupied with plowing and planting.

- Private property is established as the basis of peace and security for each household.

- False Gods and false religions, though present, are gradually and peacefully put away.

- The government of God is concerned with the afflicted, the poor, the weak, the lame; and He establishes and strengthens them. Christian, do you desire authority and respect in this world? Then go and serve the orphan and the widow, for this is true and righteous religion, according to the Apostle James.

Christians, Theocracy & Tyranny, oh my...

2006-11-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine, who blogs here: http://luker.org/ is following a cordial discussion between a prominent pastor and the author of the small booklet 'A letter to a Christian Nation'. The writer is yet another agnostic hand-wringer worried about theocracy. This phenomenon always gets me thinking about the biblical maxim 'the wicked flee while no one is pursuing'. From my perspective, the last thing most christians want is a theocracy. That's because most christians today are so woefully ignorant, so brainwashed and assimilated by secular pluralism, they are practical atheists. They may as well equate Allah and Jehovah, just like the President does. But at least the muslims have a backbone; the spaghetti spines of modern christians are legendary. We'll vote for any dunce who entertains a moment of silence and fights for Israel and oil.

Is anyone else tired of secular preachers warning us to keep our morality to ourselves, even as they enthrone their own godless version of the public good in the public schools, in every public office, every courtroom, every football game in Texas, every statehouse and assembly right down to city councils and county commissioners? They've left us our churches and our homes, but only the ones not run by women and queers.

Relax, hand-wringer. We're a long ways from theocracy. Besides, what you really fear is not christians-in-charge, but the holy Trinity, who is busy weighing secular nonsense on His scale, and is finding it deficient. You also fear churchmen in funny hats, robed like women, whispering in the ears of Presidents and Prime Ministers. You fear inquisitions, book burnings and heretic hunts. But that's not a theocracy, it's an ecclesiocracy, or rule by an elite bunch of clergy-persons. Theocracy is what the founders of Plymouth Plantation wanted; it is self-government under God.

Real theocracy is what I want as well; but gradually, from one redeemed soul at a time, not by decree from the top down. I want the freedom to teach and follow my religion in my home and church without interference from an unbelieving state. I want the freedom to tell others about Jesus, and help disciple others who voluntarily embrace the Gospel. I want the freedom to agitate publically for christian morality. I want freedom of speech, just like you. Look, I have unbelieving family and friends and I love them no less for all of that. But the invitation of the gospel is just that. An invitation. Only God can change a heart; but He does so through the prayers and testimony of those who are already His.

And this is the crux of the matter, isn't it? That God has chosen christians to proclaim repentance and faith in Him wherever they go, and you just don't want to hear it. You are like a vampire who fears the rising of the sun. Well, too bad. May you have your own personal encounter with a wooden stake very soon.

REALLY Big Brother

2006-10-06T07:58:00.000-06:00

"Privacy in America these days is an illusion. Unfortunately, there are only two options left for dealing with the invasive nature of public and private sector data collection in the good old USA: live with it or go off the grid.

By the latter, I mean enter the underground economy and deal only on a cash basis. That would mean cutting up your credit cards, canceling all of your bank accounts, not using a telephone or cell phone, nor the utilities to provide electricity, heat or running water in your house. It would mean tearing up your Social Security card, refusing to pay taxes, and forfeiting the right to vote and the ability to own property. And forget about the convenience of buying anything over the internet.

It would also mean throwing away your driver's license and car registration. That of course would make it almost impossible to earn a livable wage unless you reside in a major urban area and have access to public transportation or ride a bike. You don't need a license to ride one - yet. But regular employment would be out of the question anyway, since you would have to provide your Social Security number to your prospective employer to prove you are not an unregistered alien or part of a terrorist cell planning the next strike on the heartland. Or you could invest in a false set of identity papers. Then you would be breaking the law, but you are already a criminal by refusing to pay your taxes.

You get the idea. There is no Plan B."

The above is quoted from the book "Odyssey of an Eavesdropper: My life in electronic countermeasures and my battle against the FBI," by Martin L. Kaiser III. Anyone who still thinks the Amish are all wet needs to read the book. But for the rest of us, this is still America, and we still have choices. We can choose between Orwell's '1984', and Huxley's 'Brave New World'.

A Christian Agrarian FAQ

2006-09-20T10:32:00.000-06:00

I'm probably the last guy that should attempt this. There are so many christian agrarians out there actually walking the talk and living the life who could do a better job. But, they're too busy raising chickens, milking cows, weeding gardens and canning produce, so I guess you're stuck with me. I'm a wannabe living in town. I have 4 tomato plants, a row of green beans, a plum tree and a strawberry bed. I'm no authority, but I do have more time then most to ponder and write. So here goes.

What is Christian Agrarianism?

Christian agrarians believe we were created by God to steward this earth, drawing our sustenance from it through honest labor while preserving and enhancing it's wondrous diversity and productivity. (Gen. 1:26-29, Gen. 9:1-3, Ps. 8:3-8) We further believe that the Bible, as God's Holy Word, has a cultural context which is mostly ignored today. Agrarianism isn't explicitly taught by the Bible; it is assumed as the normal mode of life on this earth. Until the industrial revolution it was the air we breathed; the natural social order of mankind. It is no wonder the modern church is constantly trying to 'update' and 'modernize' the Scriptures, even as we despise traditional worship for more contemporary forms. The modern spirit of constant change for it's own sake, never-ending novelty, and unquestioning comfort and ease at any cost is nowhere taught in Scripture. We want God's word and ways adjusted to fit the current social and economic climate; we never seem to ask, how can I adjust my lifestyle in obedience to the Scriptures?

Are Christian Agrarians opposed to technology?

No. But neither are we blind to the harm that can come from it. Just because we can do something doesn't mean we should. Or, maybe we should do it, just not in the most technologically advanced way. I define technology as the total array of man-made tools available for our use. Everyone uses tools to aid personal productivity, even christian agrarians. In this sense, we cannot escape technology. Christian Agrarians seek to evaluate tools critically using a different standard then mere efficiency and the bottom line. Is the goal just to 'git her done' and make a profit; or do we want to do a quality job and do no serious harm to the planet, ourselves and our families in the process? You can't serve God and mammon. But if you seek first His Kingdom, and His righteousness, then all these things will be added unto you. If the priority in work is first profit, then saving labor, and then efficiency, so you can do the same idolatrous, soul-deadening thing over and over again, then you need new priorities.

The scriptures present work as honorable, personal and profitable in and of itself, whether we make a killing in the stock market or not. We are not to steal, but work with our hands, so that we have enough for our families and to share with others. (Eph. 4:28) Consider Paul's advice to the Thessalonicans with regard to work: "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing." (1Thess. 4:11,12) Here is work placed in the context of a christian lifestyle. This lifestyle is home and family centered, oriented towards honoring God and presenting an honest testimony to the world. It involves personal labor and personal creativity. It does not seek to meddle in the affairs of others. It is focused on having enough, not in getting rich. Therefore, the christian agrarian should select tools with these priorities in mind; my selections may differ from yours based upon our respective callings before God.

Aha, so Christian Agrarians are opposed to making a profit?!

If the so-called profit is actually usury or theft, which are sins, yes. But we are not opposed to honest increase through labor and husbandry. We are commanded in the Scriptures to be a generous people, willing to share. This implies productivity, diligence and economy in our work, which leads to having a surplus. In general, profit must be regulated by a conscience steeped in Scripture. The primary goal of the christian agrarian is to do good work to the glory of God, while still preserving the earth's productive capacity for future generations. Profit or loss may influence how this work is done, but it should never be the tail that wags the dog. It is the icing on the cake, not the cake.

Do Christian Agrarians believe everyone should farm?

No. Neither do we believe that everyone should be a banker, lawyer, bureaucrat or big-box retailer. But that is increasingly what our economy is becoming; even as the number of farmers, miners, loggers and fishermen decline. Christian agrarians do give a priority and honor to agriculture over other work, because cultivating the earth in a responsible way is the foundation of civilization. And if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? And what is the current state of agriculture in America? We are in desperate straits, for what agriculture that remains here can't properly be called cultivating, but constitutes warfare against the earth and against sane society. Sane stewardship has been supplanted by the industrial ethic which sees efficiency and profit as the grand end of work. When only 2% of our population farms, and these few are vassals of corporate entities, bankers and politicians, we can only expect more harm to the environment, the food supply, and more estrangement from each other and our world.

We all ought to be ashamed when the dominant media refers to us as consumers. The label implies that we live off the labor of others, who are called producers. And for the most part, it's true. Too many of us have no idea how to plant a seed or care for the plant, how to build shelter for livestock, or how to feed and doctor it, or humanely butcher it for the table. We are so specialized that few of us know how to provide for ourselves the basic necessities of life. We can make widgets and be cogs for the grand global machine, but few know how to trap, fish or hunt for subsistence or to supplement the garden. Few are those who can dry, can or smoke food for the winter months. Even rarer is the man who can take raw skins, wool or flax and make sturdy, practical clothing. In short, we are slaves who depend on our corporate masters for our fuel, food and clothing. I admit, it is a comfortable slavery; attended with the degenerative disease and obesity of the coddled, but slavery nonetheless. And it is all because we have abdicated our God-given calling to personally steward the earth. To work with our hands and eat our bread by the sweat of our brow, this is our calling in an earthly sense. To paraphrase St. Paul, if you don't produce, you should not consume either.

What would a Christian Agrarian society look like?

In general, it would be shaped by local conditions (land, climate, cultural traditions, etc.) and christian morality. Christian aggrarianism is not a political movement or platform. It only seeks the revitalization of self-reliance, local economy and mutually supportive society. In this kind of society, most people would work out of their homes or close to home. Children would be raised and predominantly educated by mothers and fathers in a traditional two-parent household. In towns and cities, small shopkeepers, tradesmen and service providers would flourish. But most people would be rural freeholders on their own property. They would produce food, fiber and possibly fuel and building materials for themselves and local markets. Welfare would be locally run by families, non-profits and churches. Schools would be owned by teachers and supported by the parents who patronize them. In every area of life there would be local control and local interdependence. Love thy neighbor would not be a platitude; but would be lived out in daily life, in countless practical ways. If I really love my neighbor, then I don't consider only my own self-interest (a lower price in the short-term, for example) but also his interests as a small businessman. I buy from him because he's my neighbor. An agrarian society would be a tightly knit, mutually supportive and yet self-reliant society.

It sounds like you want to return to the good old days. Don't you know you can't turn back the clock?

This is a dangerous half-truth. The implication is that a yearning for simpler ways, traditional culture and local self-reliance is somehow not progressive and therefore impossible. Let me be clear. Christian agrarians are not seeking to re-create a particular time in history. But we do seek traditional, time-tested wisdom from the past that we can apply here and now. If the path you are traveling leads you to a cliff, is it wisdom to turn and retrace your steps, or should we take a flying leap because progress dictates we should never look back? Our great grand-parents enjoyed a society and culture very much like the christian agrarian vision; if they can achieve it so can we. Whatever has been done on earth before, can be done again. The difference is, we have an opportunity to wed the best wisdom of the past with the best of today's technology.

Nevertheless, humans being the fallen sinners we are, we know our efforts won't be perfected this side of heaven. Yet, at rock bottom, we are only asking for a good life working our own productive land surrounded by family and friends. We don't think that's too much to ask - and it's certainly worth working towards.

Catchin' Up...

2006-09-20T09:05:00.000-06:00

O.k., O.k., so I've had writer's block.

And I've just acquiesced to it; tossed to and fro from the heights of 'hey, I could write about this' to the depths of 'naw, that's just stupid'. Maybe the only sane way to handle this malady is to write your way out of it. So, here I am, pounding the keyboard like Darwin's monkey, hoping something sensible appears on the page.

I've been skirmishing with mormons lately. In the old days of glorious christendom, we'd just have a trial followed by a big bon-fire, but now we have to be polite to all the pagans. What a bloody bore that is. This is probably the worst thing about post-modern America. We hide what we really think behind carefully neutral expressions. We hem and haw searching for words that won't offend. We listen and nod and croon gibberish like, 'if that works for you'. Rodney King is our secular patron saint. Can't we all just get along? Secular virtue consists of three things, and God help you if you don't conform: We must accept everyone's religious view, no matter how stupid, we must always buckle our seat belt and put tots in car seats, and we must never, ever use tobacco. Beyond this, hey, this is America, go do what you want.

I wouldn't care so much, but my dad-in-law is one of them. A mormon I mean, and an American, but not Rodney King. He was brought up in LDS ways, fell away as a young man, and dove back into the slop shortly after my mom-in-law passed away, about 3 years ago. Since then, we've been trying to rescue him. But I gave up today. By which I mean, I gave up trying to win, and gave the whole situation to God, which is what I should have done to begin with. I always make this mistake. I think I can argue and cajole and browbeat and convince. It works often enough to confirm me in my pride, setting me up for a fall.

We've tried everything with dad. We've looked at the Scriptures together, but we can't even agree on which Scriptures are authoritative. For him, it's only the ones that seem to agree with his prophet. He then agreed to read 'The Godmakers' if I agreed to read the Book of Mormon. So I did read it. For the second time; I once flirted with mormonism when I left home. Neither of us were moved. I still consider the Book of Mormon third rate fiction and dad considers Ed Decker a big, fat liar. I'm tempted to ban him and his heresy from my house. But I know this is only frustration and hurt and pride reacting to obstinance.

The only thing I can do is love him. And pray. And hope he eventually understands Galatians 1:6-9.

There's lots I admire about my dad-in-law. He's a great guy, a devoted father and grand-father, honest, principled and wise (about most things). He has a natural ease around tools and is the ultimate do-it-yourselfer, a quality I wish I had. I couldn't have built my house without his advice and help. He's generous to a fault, so much so that I've learned not to muse 'I wish I had one of those.. where did you get that?' because he always responds, 'here, take mine'. He once presented my wife with an $800 digital camera, just because we were going on vacation and didn't have a camera. His work ethic, even now at 70 + years, is phenomenal. Like me, he always has something he's working on. Unlike me, he gets it done.

Hey, look at that... no more writer's block!

A Letter to my children...

2006-07-19T12:38:00.000-06:00

Dearest children,

We had family devotions today around Romans 7:1-12. In this chapter Paul is instructing us on the relationship of the Law to sin, and why it is we cannot be saved through law-keeping. In the first six verses, he compares the law of marriage to the state of being 'under the law'. The phrase 'under the law' means to be subject to; and in this context, is used as 'to be subject to as a way of salvation'. Paul tells us that a woman is bound to her husband for as long as he lives, but if he dies, she is free to marry another. By the same token, as people descended from Adam, and born in sin, we are naturally bound to the Law, unless someone dies and frees us. Jesus has died and is now alive in order that we might be united to Him by faith and we are no longer 'under law' as a way of salvation. When we repent and believe, we also die. We are buried with Him in the waters of baptism, and raised to newness of life. Thus, Jesus is both the one who has died, and our new husband. (This analogy, like all others, is not perfect, but only serves to make a point. Don't read too much into analogies.)

Verses 7 through 12 deal with the law's tendency to produce sin in us. It sounds counter-intuitive, doesn't it, that something that is 'holy, just and good' (vs. 12) should produce just the opposite? But the inability of the Law to save is not rooted in any deficiency in the Law, but in our own sinful natures. The Law is a reflection of God's perfection, and we are not perfect, therefore we are not able to keep it in our own strength. Even more than that, if we do strive to keep it in our own strength, we will only succeed in sinning all the more. Remember, this is being written by Paul, the ex-pharisee. Paul, the ex-persecuter and murderer of the church, the one who said he was 'blameless' with regard to the Law; and yet until the Damascus Road, he was dead in his sins despite all the outward religion he had in abundance. Religion can't save. Law and rule-keeping, whether God's or man's, cannot give you a new heart. 'Without faith it is impossible to please God', says the author of Hebrews.

Paul uses the example of covetousness, saying that he would not know covetousness if the Law had not said 'thou shalt not covet'. When you were little, we often made rules for you to follow in order to protect you. Like all children, though, merely saying 'don't touch that' produced in you the desire to touch it. That's why your chubby little fingers were thumped (alot!). It is human nature to desire what you can't or shouldn't have. Covetousness is the inordinate desire for good things or any desire to do evil. It is inherently sinful to want another man's wife or anything else that is his, because these desires lead to adultery and theft. It is not inherently sinful to want your daily bread or shelter; in fact, Jesus tells us to pray for the things we need. Yet, covetousness is a very subtle sin, and we are often unaware of it until it leads us into more blatant sin. When Jesus was tempted by the devil to turn stones into bread, He didn't refuse to do so because bread is a bad thing, or He had no hunger. He refused because it is wrong to put God to the test. It is wrong to want something more then we want God's will and timing for our lives. Jesus knew He would eventually have food, if He would only be patient and await His Father's provision at the proper time.

You and I often go astray at this point. We often race ahead of God, seeking what we want RIGHT NOW, just like the prodigal son who wanted his inheritance right now. This is the sinful, covetous spirit behind most indebtedness. Rather then patiently working and saving, and being content and thankful for what we have, we borrow and spend not fully counting the cost, and wake up one day a slave to our own desires. 'I owe, I owe, so off to work I go' is no joke, though we often chuckle when we see the bumper sticker. I won't say that all borrowing is sinful, but to the extent it is motivated by covetousness, it is. I'll give you an example of what I mean. You both know we are trying to sell the house, so we can buy something less expensive, so we can afford to see you more often, save for land etc. I believe these are all wholesome desires given to me by God. But Godly ends must always be sought through Godly means. Yesterday, mom and I went to look at some less expensive properties, and saw a few we liked. In the process of seeking a way to perhaps purchase one, we sought the advice of a mortgage lender. He explained what a bridge loan was; that it was basically borrowing the equity you have in your house, and using it to purchase another house. The down-side, of course, is it could take awhile to sell our house, and in the meantime interest is accruing on the loan, and we could end up making payments on two houses. Not only that, but there are closing costs and other fees to pay up front. We decided it was potentially just too expensive. So, then this banker offered a way around the problem. We could simply open a home equity line of credit, pay no fees or closing costs, and have only a $500 dollar pre-payment penalty upon the sale of our house, after we paid off the loan. To recieve all these benefits, all we had to do was neglect to mention we're selling the house when we apply for the loan.

Well, it shames me to say that I actually considered this dishonest scheme for a full 24 hours. And then I re-read Romans 7, and considered anew the characteristics of covetousness. But surely God wouldn't mind a small omission in the interest of spending LESS money, instead of MORE, would He? And besides, bankers have been bilking me with their fine print for decades; why shouldn't I use their own usurious system against them? You know the answers to these sinful rationalizations already. A half-truth is still a lie. No, we will wait on the Lord instead. We will trust Him to find us a buyer, and we will trust Him to find us something else we can better afford. My point is, be wary of your desires, even your good ones. You can want good things for the wrong reasons; or seek to accomplish good things through the wrong means. But the Lord does all things well, if we will only trust and obey.

I love you both.

Your Dad

Insulated, isolated and lonely...

2006-06-24T10:33:00.000-06:00

According to yet another poll, this one by the American Sociological Review, Americans are lonelier then ever. The average joe in this country has only two close friends to confide in. This is down from three friends per person in 1985. A friend is defined as someone you hold in high esteem, someone whose advice you would solicit, or someone in whom you would confide something deeply personal. The poll also found that 1 in 4 Americans have NO close friends at all. That's a full 25% of all adults!

The usual suspects are cited as contributors to our social isolation. According to the pollsters, we spend too much time at work, commuting, in front of the T.V., and in front ot the P.C. Quite predictable, wouldn't you say? I'd say the Review may be adept at defining the disease (social isolation) but they're guilty of some very shallow thinking with regard to a cure. They say we work too much, and that is keeping us from connecting with others. This implies we need more leisure time. The fact is, I work far less hours then my father & grand-father did, yet previous generations did not report the level of loneliness and isolation we do. For one thing, families used to be bigger and people used to live closer to extended family members. My childhood was full of cousins, aunts and uncles; not to mention week-end trips to Grandpa's farm. The survey doesn't mention this reduction and scattering of families. My father and grandfather also WORKED with their close friends and family; their work had a social element that our confined and cubicled work environments clearly lack. Could it be that work per se isn't the problem? Maybe it's the way we work?

T.V. watching is a bit more plausible to me. I don't see much value in most of the programs, though occasionally there is a thought-provoking documentary, biography, old movie or good, clean, adventure yarn that I will watch with my family. T.V. can be used to zone out and kill time; or it can be used to provoke and stimulate conversation. The key is controlling it and relegating it to a minor place in your life. For me, by far the most irritating aspects of T.V. are the incessant, brainless pleas to buy, buy, buy. But even this can be a profitable tool for teaching discernment and sales resistance.

The computer.. I must confess I have mixed feelings about this box. I have met many wonderful people through blogging, yet a virtual community doesn't have the flesh and blood heft of real, face-to-face interaction. It is inspiring to know there are others out there who share my quirky views; but I limit my keyboard time, so that the people I see everyday know that I value them. The hear and now is, after all, all we have. Man knows not his time. Everyone will strike a different balance here; but now you know why I don't post very much.

Commuting strikes me as the real culprit; but only superficially so. It's not just driving back and forth to work, each of us in our very own metal cocoon, as wasteful as that is. But generally speaking, the automobile has done more to destroy the social fabric of this nation then any other invention. Easy, fast, cheap travel has made it possible to just leave when the going gets tough. Job troubles? Hey, the whole country's your oyster, go where the wages are highest and the pastures are greenest. Marital troubles? Fire up the ole P.C. and look for the next future ex missus; and then go meet her wherever and whenever, courtesy of Henry Ford. Church troubles? The pastor in the next county might tickle your ears, hop in, let's go. We have used the automobile to avoid commitment, and then we wonder why we have no friends. The auto means we don't need our neighbors. We don't love those we think we can replace. As a result, local business, homey traditions and rootedness to a particular place has gone by the wayside, and with it, life-long friends.

It has taken me awhile, (I'm kinda dense) but I now understand why the amish say cars destroy community.

A strawbale house primer...

2006-06-06T12:55:00.000-06:00

Or, 'How NOT to build a strawbale house' by Randall Gerard. ;-)

Actually, my house turned out fairly well, but there are some things I would change if I did it again. Some of you have expressed curiosity about 'bale building, so here goes. The basics are pretty straight forward. Like any other house, a strawbale building needs a good foundation. Some builders have pounded dirt in old tires, laid bales on rail-road ties which are in turn laid on top of a trench filled with rock, and others have used poured concrete or concrete block. If you use a conventional approach to foundations, be sure to center the bales over the narrower concrete walls of the foundation. Bales are very heavy once they are stuccoed or otherwise finished, don't skimp on foundation. In general, it is simpler to build a foundation the width of the bales you are using then it is to tweak a conventional foundation so that the bales are adequately supported. Believe me, I know. My house has essentially two foundations. Initially we were going to stack bales on a wooden floor suspended between 6" round poles placed 10' apart. In other words, a pole building foundation. But the poles were too far apart, and we had to go back and pour a concrete stem-wall between the posts, AFTER the bales were stacked. I don't recommend it.

And that leads me to some design considerations. In general, it's much simpler and easier to build a single story structure then multiple stories. The higher you go with bales, the more unstable they get, and you have to compensate with more wood framing. Some have successfully built with NO framing at all between the bales. This only seems to work well on small single-story projects with solid slab foundations and hip roofs. If the bales are required to support the roof, a hip roof will distribute that load evenly to the tops of all four walls. That way the house should settle evenly. This style of bale building is called 'Nebraska style' after the western Nebraska pioneers who invented bale construction in the 1870's. There are still Nebraska style buildings standing in that state that date back to the 1920's and earlier. Nevertheless, building inspectors don't like them despite a good track record, and ditto for insurance providers and mortgage lenders. Buildings of dirt and straw have only been around for centuries; but just try educating a bureaucrat on the advantages and virtues of straw, cob, earth-bag or other 'unconventional' methods. Your time would be better spent building something.

Fortunately, it is possible to build with bales and still please all the white-collar leaches who will want a piece of your project. Construct a frame to hold up the roof and use the bales as infill between the members. Only, don't do it the way I did. You may recall I used 6" poles spaced 10' apart. The bales I used averaged 14" high x 18" wide x 36" to 42" long. Placing blocks of such varying lengths in a 10' space virtually guaranteed lots of time-consuming shortening, notching and fitting of bales around the posts, window and door frames. If I had to do it over, I would design a frame that was the full width of the bales, and I would base the span between vertical supports upon the average length of my bales. In my case a 9' or 12' span between vertical framing members would have been much easier and faster. And if my frame had been the full width of the bales, I would have had no notching to do. Once your frame is up, you then have the option of roofing the house or stacking bales. Provided you don't live in a windy area, I would roof the house first. That way, the bales can be kept dry and yet close at hand while you fit them around the frame. As an aside, I didn't roof first because it is usually windy and dry where I live. The year I built the house, though, there wasn't much wind, but it rained buckets that spring. We ended up mulching our garden with lots of soggy bales. A word to the wise is sufficient.

I don't know much about earth plasters and such, since mine is finished with fiberglass reinforced cement stucco. In dry areas, I understand that earth or adobe plasters work very well. If I were to use them, I would want generous roof overhangs and no bales within a foot or so of grade. Around here, it's basically dry, but when it does rain and snow, there's likely to be wind as well. That's the main advantage of stucco; it won't erode away in a driving rain. Basically, we pinned chicken wire to our bales and had the 1st coat of stucco blown on at 80 psi, inside and outside. We wanted that first coat to be tightly wed to the bale walls, excluding all air, and it was. The 2nd and 3rd coats we troweled by hand. I say troweled, but we actually used our gloved hands more then we used the trowel. The result was a lumpy, organic, sculptured look. I'll try to figure out how to post pictures sometime.

A few more do's and don'ts. Any electrical switches, fixtures, outlets need to be in conduit. It's easy to flush mount all of this stuff in bales. Just take a claw hammer and gouge a hole for your box and a trench for the conduit, pin in place with big wire staples and hang chicken wire over it. Stucco away. Plumbing is a whole 'nother animal. Don't run plumbing inside bale walls at all, you're only asking for trouble. Design interior plumbing walls and run all your pipes in them.

And now, the icing on the cake. My house cost $35.00 a square foot, in 1995-1997. (Yes, it took nearly 3 years to finish it. I am the world's slowest general contractor.)

When life gives you lemons...

2006-05-25T15:16:00.000-06:00

We've been praying for a long time that God would show us clearly whether or not we should move. At the same time, we've been making plans and taking steps to do exactly that, and the sooner the better. And then God reminded us that we are not in charge of our lives, and all of our plans need to have the disclaimer "if God so wills" attached to them. As it so happens, we may have been acting presumptuously, and not walking in faith.

Yesterday morning a surgeon removed two tumors from my wife. We haven't heard from the lab yet, but her doctor is already making plans for chemo-therapy 'as a precaution'. And suddenly, leaving a job with medical benefits, a generous salary and lots of time off, no longer seems wise. We are in a daze, but the family and friends around us have turned it up a notch. I haven't cooked or had to worry about my two youngest children all week. Our church and my wife's family has anticipated and supplied every possible need we have. Guys from work even (!) have added their hugs and prayers to the constant phone calls we've recieved wishing us well. Truly our cup runneth over.

Maybe the community we've been craving is - right here. Maybe we were too blind to see it until now; or, even worse, just took it for granted. But God has opened the eyes of the blind, has caused the lame to walk, and we are confident that He is well able to heal my spiritual blindness and my wife's body as well. We look forward to more gracious lemons from the Most High. They make a fine bitter-sweet lemonade; quenching yet also sobering and instructive.

At least we're pro-dog life...

2006-05-05T11:55:00.000-06:00

Our community is in an uproar over the impending deaths of 42 dogs in the local animal shelter. There was an out-break of some wierd upper respiratory junk that local vets haven't been able to contain. But they think the virus can be passed from dogs and carried by humans to more dogs outside the pound. Thus the decision to euthanize the current canine residents, and hopefully prevent the spread of this disease to the general dog population.

Well. You'd a thought by the press coverage that the city fathers had decided to close all the bars or something. The pound administrator is being picketed, vilified, pilloried and asked to resign. It hasn't quite progressed to the tar-and-feathers stage, but the reaction from the community has been surprisingly strong and negative. I think it's safe to say the hapless administrator couldn't get elected dog catcher in this town. Oops, too late.

One of the things I find amusing about this tempest is our bias in favor of dogs. Pigs are smarter then dogs, but we eat them, so it's O.K. to keep them in cages and turn them into eating, pooping machines that never see the sun, never root in the dirt, never wallow in a mud hole. Every time I see a steer standing in a feed-lot, in belly deep manure, being fed ground-up feathers and guts and injected with hormones and drugs, trying to sling a tail with a ball of manure the size of a basketball on the end... well, it makes me sick. That same steer is electricuted and bludgeoned to death, and he knows it's coming because he can smell the blood and hear the bawling up ahead in the death chute. But we cry over dogs who are mercifully put down by lethal injection, while technicians pet them and murmur sweet nothings to them. Thank goodness we never developed a taste for dog flesh.

And what of chickens forced to live without half their beak? Or bred with no feathers to make them easier and cleaner to butcher? We've so ruined turkeys that they can't even reproduce naturally anymore. The Tom is so breast heavy, he can't mount a hen without toppling off. We should be appalled at this! Our problem is not that we honor and respect dogs for their friendship and loyalty; but that we refuse to honor and respect other animals just as much.

Yes, it'll cost us something. But efficiency and low quality food isn't all that and a bag of chips anyway. We spend fortunes on McMansions and tin-foil cars, isn't it time we cared about the animals who provide our food? Their lives are already short; they don't have to be nasty and brutish as well. And no, it's not because they have 'rights'. It's because WE, as God's image bearers, are 'humane'. Or, at least we should be.

Corporate Ag Spinmeisters

2006-04-08T19:00:00.000-06:00

I saw this in the local paper and thought it was hilarious.

Swine Production Career Opportunities: New Fashion Pork is a progressive swine company looking for quality production staff to add to our talented team. Swine Technicians, full-time positions available at our sow farm near Albin, WY. Competitive compensation and benefit package available. For more information on this outstanding career opportunity contact: New Fashion Pork, P.O. Box 6, Albin WY. 82050

I swear I'm not making this up. Swine Technicians? We used to call 'em pig farmers. And most pig farmers I knew also raised crops, cattle, poultry, garden produce, fruit trees, honey, hay, sheep and goats. So now instead of farmers working their own land and raising a variety of products requiring a variety of skills, corporate ag is proud to offer 'career opportunities' as Swine Technicians. The reduction of the american farmer continues. He is now an employee of New Fashion Pork, part of a 'quality production staff'. Oh wait, did I say this was... hilarious? Never mind.

The dinner show

2006-04-05T20:42:00.000-06:00

At work we have a long honored tradition we call the dinner show. I work a 24 hour shift, so we eat supper together, and usually one or more of us will tell a funny story during the meal. These stories aren't always family friendly; in fact they are often profane and vulgar, so I rarely participate. However, I just returned from a road trip to SW Missouri, and my co-workers wanted to hear all about it and they weren't taking 'no' for an answer. I tried to explain that the trip was a working vacation and nothing they would consider interesting happened, but in the end, they prevailed. So, I cleared my throat.

"Well, we drove to Lincoln and visited my folks and then got up the next morning and drove to Branson. My wife, son and his friend stayed on campus that night with my other son and daughter, but I stayed at a friend's place with my youngest daughter. The next day we got up and drove to Branson and I spent that day working on my oldest son's car. We managed to get it drivable and my wife fixed dinner for all of us at my daughter's dorm on campus. After supper we drove to the same friend's house and stayed up talking with them until midnight or so. We got up the next day and drove to Branson again for worship. After worship we went to my friend's church in Springfield and we enjoyed a pot-luck supper, hymn singing, foot races and volleyball the rest of the afternoon. We then drove back to my friend's house and had supper, listened to some fine guitar picking and even helped them sing a little. The next day, we said our goodbyes and drove up to Lincoln. We spent the night there and got up the next day and drove to Cheyenne."

While I was relating this basic story, I was being constantly interupted. Did I see any shows in Branson? No. Did I do any golfing? No. Did my wife and I do anything (ahem) intimate? None of your business. Did I see a lot of road kill? Yes. Any dead armadillos? Yes. Did I get rained on? Yes. Any tornadoes? No. Did I get drunk and do anything embarassing? No. Did I go to the movies? No. Did I go out to a nice restaurant? Yes, my friend's house and my mom's house and the church pot-luck and the meal my wife cooked. Nooo, I mean a nice restaurant, with waiters and such? No. Did you have any car trouble? No. Finally silence. I sit back and poke idly at dessert.

'Wow', someone says, 'what a boring trip'. I shrug. I let them think it was boring and uneventful. But actually, our trip was refreshing and stimulating. I could have told them about the multi-colored flock of hens pecking and scratching in my friend's yard, and how their antics made me smile. Or about working all day with both my sons again and how good that felt. We enjoyed stimulating conversations, good nourishing food, lots of laughs and we even learned some new hymns. I watched nine children, ages 7 to 20, occupy the same modest house for days with nary a cross word between them. What a blessing that was! I saw green pastures, flowering fruit trees and many contented cows. I heard guitar pickin' so pretty I had trouble singing around the lump in my throat. I saw my adult children prospering spiritually. I got to pray and worship with them in person again and shed tears of mingled joy, pride and sorrow at our parting. I traveled 2,000 miles in safety, ease and comfort and I saw many loved ones and made several new friends along the way. And I went home rejoicing in the goodness of God and thanking Him for my new friends, The Settler and The Aspiring Agrarian.

But of course, I didn't tell them what really happened because they weren't interested. They only wanted to be entertained, not edified. They did not wish to rejoice with me, but only find ways to laugh at my expense. The truth is, had they gone on this trip with me, they would have been bored and discontented, even as I experienced blessing on every side. Isn't it amazing how the natural man only wants to feed his lusts? He cares nothing for his soul.

R.G.

Welfare Squirrels

2006-03-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

I took Annie the repentant stray dog for a long walk in the park today. She just loves the snow. As we were walking, we noticed another pedestrian on the same path who was feeding the squirrels. Personally, I don't do this because I believe it harms wild animals in the long run. They seem to lose the fear of people that is so necessary to their survival. Anyway, we were watching this elderly woman, who was surrounded by about 6 squirrels, scatter peanuts on the ground. When the bag was empty, she tried to walk away and the squirrels followed on her heals, and one of them tried to climb the back of her long coat!

Annie was straining at the leash anyway, so I released her and she charged in, quickly scattering the tree rats and driving them into the surrounding trees. It was great fun to watch, but boy those squirrels were furious! They scolded her and me too, but we kept them in the trees until the old woman was well away from them. Later, we caught up with her and asked if she was O.k. She said she was, but she also said she wouldn't be feeding the squirrels anymore. I heartily agreed with her and reminded her how lucky she was that the squirrels weren't bears!

I guess humans aren't the only animals who become dependant on hand-outs, and then grow indignant when their 'entitlements' are taken away. A golfer friend I know had a squirrel crawl into his cooler after his sandwich one day, and he almost got bit running it off. I've seen ducks and geese become aggressive with children who were feeding them stale bread crumbs. They would peck them if they weren't scattering the bread fast enough! They behaved just like many did in New Orleans, after Katrina. It really makes you wonder what's going to happen when our welfare state collapses and the bag is empty. Charity without accountability isn't loving at all; it's nothing but a recipe for violence in the long run. I hope we won't have to learn this lesson the hard way, but I'm not optimistic.

First day of Spring, my foot...

2006-03-21T09:37:00.000-07:00

A spring snowstorm hit our area with about a foot of heavy, wet snow, closing highways and snarling traffic, but also bringing much needed moisture. I'm so jealous of everyone out there making garden plans, mowing their lawns and enjoying the first flowers of spring.

Oh well. The delay will only serve to make spring that much sweeter when it finally arrives in reality; and not just according to the calendar.

There's Strength in Numbers...

2006-02-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

I was perusing my well-worn copy of Gene Logsdon's 'The Contrary Farmer', and came across a great suggestion for wannabe agrarians with no land, like your's truly. I don't know how I missed it before, but here it is. He suggests that like-minded families or individuals should get together, buy a farm or ranch, and divide it between them. This approach has several advantages, the most obvious being a lower price per acre for all concerned. A second advantage would be knowing in advance who your neighbors are going to be; indeed you would be choosing your neighbors before you ever shop for land!

I am intrigued by the possibilities. I know I'm not the only land-less agrarian out there of modest means. I also know through the pleasant discovery of many fine agrarian blogs, that there are many who generally share my christian agrarian values and vision. While there are sure to be differences with regard to the details, surely all of us want good land at a good price, and good neighbors nearby.

So... towards that end, let's talk. Here are a few things I would like to accomplish and also some of my own druthers, prejudices and oughts. Please feel free to express your own. I have an open mind; yet I hope not so open that my brains are in danger of falling out my ears.

1. I want to accomplish this without any debt. I am planning to sell everything, join up with others in some kind of legal, enforcable covenant, and buy land out-right. I'm not interested in making payments.

2. I am a reformed christian, and would prefer to do this with other reformed christians. However, I do realize there are sincere, genuine christians in other communions that are not reformed. The label 'reformed christian' expresses my own convictions; it doesn't necessarily describe my boundaries of fellowship.

3. This is a big, beautiful country and I'm open to going anywhere; but I do have preferences I will apply to any location proposed. In general, I want reasonably fertile land, regular rain-fall and a fairly even mix of woodland, pasture and cropland. A four-season climate. Proximity to a town or small city might be an advantage, both as a potential market, for a variety of established churches and as a source of employment, should that be necessary. I don't like excessive regulation and bean counters and revenooers, public or private, give me a rash. I will be assessing the political climate accordingly. As an example, I own and use guns. I homeschool. I want to drink milk straight from the udder and butcher my own meat without interference. I don't want to pay a fortune in property, sales or income taxes. You get the idea.

4. I'm in no particular hurry. I've done this before by myself, and I've made enough mistakes by rush, rush, rushing at it to fill a book. I no longer want to go it alone; I want community AND land. If you've been there and done that as well, maybe we should talk. I would like to meet like-minded folks, have land agreed upon, purchased, and divided up by 2010. I think anything worth doing, is worth doing right. I have no idea what I'm getting into as far as legal entanglements go, so any advise from christian attorneys, CPA's, wise Pastors, would be appreciated. In a multitude of counselors, there is safety.

5. I personally would like a small grazing operation, with a variety of stock. But I also like to hunt, fish and home-brew a bit. A big garden space is a must and an orchard would be nice. I'm not so much geared towards growing for sale; mostly I want to grow enough for us and sell or trade some excess in the good years.

6. Oh, I almost forgot. I don't want to own anything jointly or in common, and I won't subsidize anyone or take subsidys myself. I want each family to have their own place in proportion to what they can afford. 'From each according to his ability, to each according to his need' is not a christian concept. 'Thou shalt not covet' and 'Thou shalt not steal' are. If a hypothetical group of people pitches in together and each contributes varying amounts, and you think the property they buy should be divided equally, don't contact me. We wouldn't get along. If, on the other hand, you believe a man shouldn't eat if he doesn't work and everyone should reap in proportion to what they sow, let me hear from you.

A great Rushdoony quote...

2006-02-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

R. J. Rushdoony wrote the "Institutes of Biblical Law" back in the late 70's, and it was and is a monumental achievement. He did a fine job explaining the enduring relevance of God's law and how it should be understood and applied today. I highly recommend it. Yesterday, as I was reading Rush's exposition of the 7th Commandment, the following quote leapt off the page, and I just had to share it. I think you'll understand why after you read it.

"The Biblical view of property will be discussed later, but, for the present, the case of Naboth can be cited (1 Kings 21:1-14). For Naboth, the land was not his to sell. Everything he had, land and vineyard, was an inheritance from the past as a trust for the future. Naboth as a good steward had no doubt increased the value of that inheritance, but this did not make any of it his own. As head of the family, he had an inheritance as a trust, not as a means of self-indulgence, and therefore his basic obligation was to the future. In China, by means of ancestor worship, the trustee family was bound to the past. In Biblical faith, because of the creation mandate, the trustee family was geared to the future. The modern family, because of its atomistic humanism, is geared to the present and is thus destructive of both the past and the future."

- the Institutes of Biblical Law, pgs. 418 - 419

This gem occurs in Rush's discussion of the family as a trustee of the creation under God. Please note the pronounced anti-capitalist AND anti-socialist sentiment implied by this understanding. Naboth didn't plunder his heritage for his own pleasure, as many CEO's do today. Neither did he regard his trust as something not to be used and improved, or as something held and preserved for 'society'. His society was his children and his children's children. Biblical law, which supports an agrarian understanding of family, property, God and creation, strikes the perfect balance between preservation and conservation, between the needs of the present and the need to improve property for the future.

As Rush correctly points out, the family today is a collection of soveriegn individuals living under one roof, but pursuing their own separate interests. This is perhaps the inevitable consequence of the family being rootless; of family being disconnected from real property. When God made man, he placed him in a garden and told him to dress and keep it. Adam was responsible under God for property even before he recieved his wife as a helpmeet. The lesson here ought to be obvious. We are as much created for property, as property was created for us. The land languishes and is plundered when there are no men and women to steward it as God intended. And we are diminished and lose some of ourselves when we have no land to keep and dress and pass down to our children.

And this is why only agrarianism will produce long-term health for familys, the land and ultimately our nation. Capitalism views land and people as 'resources' to be mined and consumed for the benefit of the haves. Socialism views land and people as a trust, but not under God's covenant and not to benefit the family but a soveriegn centralized authority. Agrarianism gives authority over property to familys who hold it and keep it under God.

R.G.

Some musings on 'Brokeback Mountain'...

2006-02-09T12:58:00.000-07:00

The movie 'Brokeback Mountain' is causing quite a stir here in the inter-mountain west. The local paper has been publishing salvos from both sides, many of which shed a lot more heat than light on the issue. I've decided to enter the fray and have submitted the following to the Editor. I'll let you know if they have the guts to publish it. Anyway, here's my take...

To the Editor.

Erin from Los Angeles writes to remind us that gay cowboys exist in Wyoming. Of this, I have no doubt. But I have considerable doubt that straight movie producers exist in L.A.

How else do we explain the dominance of the homosexual community within the entertainment industry? We are inundated with pro-homo propaganda. Every T.V. show, it seems, has it's token queer. Invariably, they are the smartest, funniest, most charming, most normal-looking characters on the show. Generally speaking, this is a lie. Anyone who has ever witnessed a gay-pride parade in a major city knows better. You will never see a more twisted, confused, tragi-comic spectacle as that. But what do we expect from people who identify themselves according to their sexual proclivities and strive to rub our noses in their perversion? Most people confine sex to their private lives; yet homos delight in leaping out of the closet and making their private acts public. And then they have the gall to wonder what we're all so upset about.

But, as much as I hate to admit it, some of the 'Brokeback Mountain' apologists have a point. After all, hollywood has been selling sex for decades; with nary a peep from the hetero community. The same straight cowboys who are outraged by two men tongue-wrestling in Wyoming probably have girlie magazines stashed in their pick-up trucks. 'Our' porn is A-O.K., but their's is not? Hollywood never fails to depict traditional married sex as dull and/or dysfunctional, and where is all the hetero outrage when they do? Sexually explicit movies featuring hetero couples are routinely celebrated as works of art despite their adulterous and perverted themes. But, NOW by heaven, we're drawing a moral line with 'Brokeback Mountain'? There's a very special word for those who think this way, and it's not used enough in public discourse. Hypocrite.

The wide-spread tolerance of heterosexual sin has produced the present social climate and our double standards are now catching up with us. Indeed, we are now so desensitized to every form of heterosexual sin, that it barely registers on our skewed morality scale when homosexual porn is marketed as a 'love story'. Does anyone want to imagine what comes after a general desensitization to homosexual porn? Does anyone wish to live in a society that permits animals and children to be used as sex toys? Just checking; because that's where we're headed. And that's also why homosexual sin should never be celebrated and promoted. But even as we stand against the normalization of homosexuality, we ought to remove the log from our own eye. The filthy preferences of others will never justify our own.

R.G.

Thoughts on Community...

2006-01-31T10:56:00.000-07:00

I just finished Wendell Berry's book, 'What are People For?'. It's not exactly easy reading, especially for someone educated in public schools, but it is thought provoking. The picture he paints of modern times is very sobering, to say the least. According to Berry, industrialism, fiat money and usury have made the individual completely soveriegn. We no longer need anything or anyone; except of course the Federal Reserve and a good credit score. Parents don't need children; they are only a burden. It's not like there are gardens to plant, water or weed. There are no cows to milk, chickens to feed, sheep to tend. Children eat; but in an industrial world are too small to make a contribution to the family larder. They are only an economic burden, a luxury few can afford. As a result, they are warehoused in Day Care Centers and Public Schools, and even when they are home with us, we sit them in front of the tube or a video game so they aren't under foot. Children learn early that they are unnecessary to their parents. And as they grow up, the feeling quickly becomes mutual. Soon, they are returning the favor, as parents are warehoused in nursing homes and assisted living centers. The parents were too busy for the children; now the children are too busy for the parents.

And what of husbands and wives? He is focused on work during the week, and adult toys on the week-end. She is 'liberated' and has her own career, her own money, her own agenda. They are both so worried about 'mine' there is no room for 'ours'. The modern marriage looks more like a protracted divorce, as they try to out-maneuver and out-manipulate each other in order to maximize personal consumption and leisure time. They are continually re-negotiating and re-dividing the spoils. They are in competition with each other; they have no common ground, they are roommates with sexual privileges. Is it any wonder the divorce rate, even among christians, is 50% or more? The family, such as it is, is at war with itself. Not only that, but the family needs no neighborhood, no local culture, no church community. Their postage-stamp suburban lots can be maintained easily on Saturday afternoon. If that becomes too much of an imposition, they hire it done. If they suffer a natural disaster, State Farm is there. If they have an emergency they dial 911. If they lose employment they call the government. When it's time to retire and spend the children's inheritance, as so many R.V.'s proudly proclaim, they tap the 401K or call the social security people. Moderns have insulated themselves completely from the trauma of meaningful relationships. Relationships are nothing but icing on the cake; nice to have, but not essential.

But money is essential, jobs are essential, insurance and government and Wal-mart and Exxon are all essential. Thus, the almighty global economy (AGE for short) has gradually usurped the throne of GOD, in the minds of many. The more we rely on and trust in the AGE, the less we tend to feel a real need for God, or our neighbor. The two great commandments, Love God and Love Your Neighbor, are then reduced to once-a-week Sunday morning obligations. But relationships are not only central and primary in this life, but they are the only things we will take with us when we enter heaven. This AGE will remain behind, on this vale of tears, but the God of our fathers, He is forever. Husbands, wives, children, grand-parents, fellow believers... these relationships remain forever. Moths and rust will take the rest, or thieves will break in and steal, but our treasure in heaven remains.

So, if relationships are essential to the christian life, doesn't that make community essential as well? Community, after all, is pre-supposed in the many 'one another' passages of the New Testament. This short essay would soon become a book if I were to enumerate all of the biblical exhortations to do and be on behalf of 'one another'. Community as such isn't taught in the Bible. It is taken for granted as the natural habitat for each believer. We were never meant to live in isolation from each other; rather, we are 'living stones' fitted and joined together; the 'body of Christ' made up of many diverse members, each with something to contribute to the life of the whole body. And so it is with agrarianism. An economic life centered around the natural rhythm of spring-time and harvest, cold and heat, daylight and dark is the only biblical economy presented in God's Word. God's law is tailor-made for this economy and makes no sense apart from it. Agrarianism, which I define as local economy providing local needs under God, is the divinely inspired economic context for all men - not just Israel. Multi-national Corporations? God never concieved of such a thing, anymore then He endorsed the tower of Babel. Empires and One World Government? No, God has separated the nations and appointed unto them their boundaries and times. (Acts 17:26) An economy dominated by fiat money and usury? The bible condemns false weights and measures and calls the usurer a thief and a borrower a slave.

Where do we go from here? How shall we, the architects and builders of an idolatrous system which now enslaves us, escape? We repent. If we have contracted debts, we pay them off. If we are engaged in work that destroys community and pillages the planet, we find more appropriate work. If we are disconnected from family, church, neighbors; we reconnect. We find ways to be a blessing to others and we allow them to bless us in return. It sounds simple, I know, but it's not. This repentance in which we are engaged is the work of a life-time. It is like peeling a giant onion - there will always be another layer to remove and more tears to shed in the process. And I'm sure my answers aren't the only ones. Feel free to contribute your own.

R.G.

Merry Christmas, 2005

2006-01-24T15:41:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know Christmas has passed. But I can't think of anything to write at the moment, so I'm publishing our family's annual Christmas letter as a way to stir up the creative juices. It should give you all some idea of who we are and what we're about. I hope you enjoy it.

Dear Family & Friends,

Well, there we were, stalking the wild Christmas tree. Caleb had the lead and was pounding down the trail, saw slung over his shoulder. Kate and Kira followed, arm in arm, chattering like squirrels. I brought up the rear with Miss Nancy. She can walk fast enough to keep up, she just prefers not to. I pretend I'm interested in pine cones and bird tracks, because I don't want to keep up with Caleb either. At my age, there's not enough air in these mountains to support such an effort. What would everyone else breathe? Besides, someone has to make sure Nancy doesn't get lost in her daydreams.

She drops to her hands and knees right in front of me and rummages around in a snow bank. "What are you looking for?" I ask. She bounces up holding a chunk of snow as big as her head. "Nothing, I just wanted to eat some snow." I smile, "Didja make sure it wasn't yellow?" She scowls, "Daaad, of course I did." It's a standard joke between us. When she was little she wasn't always so discriminating.

Caleb stops to holler at everyone to hurry up. He's on a mission. There will be no hot chocolate until we cut a tree down, and his sweet tooth wants some chocolate. Preferably, yesterday. We reach the tree-cutting area. Caleb stops at the first tallish tree he sees. "How about this one?" Kate pretends he never opened his mouth. She's in charge now, and Caleb shrugs and follows her... and follows her... and follows her. Me, Nancy and Kira plant ourselves in a central spot. This could take awhile. With me, the closer I get to a tree, the better it looks. But when Kate hunts Christmas trees, the ones way off in the distance are always best. I've learned not to follow her, but instead wait for her to call for a second opinion.

"Honey, will you come here?" I wade over knowing full well that this particular tree is safe, and willl probably live a good long time yet. Caleb is already kicking snow away from its base. Foolish boy. "What do you think?" she asks. "It's not the one," I say, "It can't be, it's the first." Kate gives me a look she usually reserves for the children; but as she does, she spies another tree beyond me. "Let's go look at that one." And off she goes, Caleb in her wake, me hiding a smile. This process is usually repeated until someone says, "Where's Nancy?"

Nancy is on her back in the snow, arms and legs flailing. She is determined to produce the perfect snow angel. But, because of the rough and rocky landscape, most of her efforts look like buffalo wallows. Kira hollers, "Here she is dad" and we all go back to tree hunting. Kate has narrowed it down to two lucky finalists, and we stomp back and forth between them, comparing height, fullness, straightness, color.. we do everything but taste the darn things. Kira finally says what I am thinking. "I'm cold. Let's just flip a coin and cut one of 'em." Kira is cold because she is dressed for the mall, not the mountains. One never knows when a cute guy might happen by in the middle of the forest, in the dead of winter. But I say nothing. Her clothing choices are my ace in the hole, for they place definite time limits on our tree hunt. "Uh, dear.. as much as I hate to cut this short.."

Kate announces the winner and Caleb pounces before she can change her mind. A few furious strokes of the saw and we have committed treeicide. We all gather around the victim for pictures, and then Caleb shoulders the tree and I the saw and back to the truck we go.

On the ride back to town, we sip our chocolate and reminisce. Do you remember the year all the kids were too small to walk through the snow and we had to pull them in sleds? Do you remember the snow ball fight with the Newsom's and the year we cut our tree on the Follett ranch? Did you know we cut our tree only a few miles from where dad shot that cow elk? How wonderful it is to have roots and a history here, stretching back to our courtship, marriage and the births of our children! The tree permit; $10, the gas; $30, the hot chocolate $5... and the memories; priceless.

It is the season for remembrance, is it not? As we plan our celebrations, share good food and fellowship, exchange cards and gifts, we add our own small threads to the grand tapestry God has been weaving in the world since Bethlehem. We remember the birth of Jesus; and take joy and comfort in the meaning and purpose His life has added to our own. Our prayer for each of you is this: whether you eat or drink, buy or make, shop or travel, cut a tree, buy a tree, build a tree... that you will do all to the Glory of God. May you have the satisfaction of knowing Him, and remembering who you are and where you came from, this Christmas, and always.

Love Always,
The Gerard Family