By faith and not by sight.

How much of our christian lives do we live by faith? That's a question that has been going through my mind for some time now. It seems with all the technological advances these days, we have transformed into a society that has to see to believe and needs to know everything that is going on. If I dare say, we have all, in some way or another, turned into a doubting Thomas.

What happened to living by faith and not by sight? Instead of laying awake tossing and turning at night worrying about what the next day brings, why aren't we on our knees before our Heavenly Father, putting or anxieties into His hands and getting sleep at night? 2 Corinthians says, "for we walk by faith, not by sight."

Much of this thinking stems from what is going on in my life and the uncertainty that it brings. Starting July 1, I become self employed. There will be no more guaranteed paychecks, no paid benefits,  or no yearly bonuses. From now on, it's all earning a living with my own two hands. Walking away from a year around, salaried job isn't easy, but I feel that is where Christ is leading me. Many people have been surprised, including my boss, that I am leaving my current job. Yet, everyone I talk with supports me in my decision.

With all the uncertainty of this new endeavor brings, my mind rests in scripture. "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him" Colossians 3:17 And also in Colossians 3:23-24 "Whatever you do, work heartily for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."

Still waiting...

The kennel sits empty in the entry way with a blanket folded neatly inside. A container of treats sits atop the kennel where one was taken from each evening when we got in from checking cows before bed. There is no nose prying its way between my arm and thigh as I try and tie my boots each morning. I don't hear the click of paws on the kitchen floor coming to greet me each morning at the bottom of the stairs. The list could really go on and on as the dog was by my side all the time when I was around. If I was working on something, she'd lay in the grass and watch me. If I was checking pastures, she was bouncing through the grass right along side of me.

I am still waiting for Meg to be by my side again. Meg was a pure bred Border Collie that I received last Labor Day and died as the result of an accident last Friday night. As some very close friends sold their farm and moved to town, they needed a place for their dog. My parents and I willingly accepted the dog. After going six years without a dog, I was quite surprised how fast I got back into the routine of having a dog on the place again.

Many people say that it's just a dog and I'll find another. Yet, those who understand that a farm dog is much more than a pet, know that a farm dog is hard to replace.

Yes, it did take this long for the reality of Meg being gone to really hit me. Why? I am just too busy. With work, the farm, and life; the level of stress at the moment is so far above my head tonight that I can't even see how high it is. (Hence why I am still awake at this hour of the night.)

I will walk again.

Now, don't go getting all worried that I am laid up and immobile, that is not the case. Besides a little bit of a cold, I am feeling just fine.

Yet, as I look back on the last few months since the beginning of the year, it is hard for me to see anywhere that I have been walking on my own two feet, but it is Christ who has been carrying me through it all. 2013 has started off more crazy and random than I could have ever imagined.

There is a phrase that tends to go around when someone has a lot happening in their lives; God never gives you more than you can handle. I'm guilty as charged as I have said this to myself time and time before. What I didn't realize is that phrase is NOT supported Biblically. Go ahead, try and find a passage of scripture that will support it; I'll check back with you in a few years and see how you are doing with the search because you will still be looking. Actually, scripture tells us the exact opposite about the trials of life that we may face at any given time.

"We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. Indeed we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead." 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 (NRSV) (my emphasis added)

We all go through times in life that we want to take matters into our own hands and work things out. That is the worst thing that we could do! During the times of struggle, we MUST rely on our Heavenly Father all the more to help us through the valleys of life.

Yep

I really wanted to rant and rave tonight, but I will refrain. All I will say is that the saying "Nice guys finish last" is true. Very true. Girls want badass boys, not the mature guy that actually has faith and morals in his life.

Heaven on Earth

The title of this post is used often by people that tend to describe a favorite place of their's that has a special meaning or beauty to them. Yet, in all reality NOTHING on this earth is even close to that of Heaven. Only God knows what Heaven is like and His children will one day experience Heaven when we spend eternity with Him.

Though, I will admit that I feel like I had a little taste of what Heaven may be like this morning. It's been about a month since I have had the opportunity to spend time in a normal worship service with my church family; between calving on the home farm, Easter Sunday outreach service, and helping a buddy on his dairy farm. Needless to say, I greatly missed my church family and was very grateful to see them this morning. Yet, I was overwhelmed with the number of people that came up to me and talk with me; wondering where I had been, missing my input in Sunday school, missing me around the coffee table, etc. It wasn't til this afternoon, that it kinda hit me that that was a taste of what Heaven could be.

Heaven is going to be nothing short of a party. Really. An eternal time of fellowship and worship with brothers and sisters in Christ WITH Christ himself, what could be better than that??! Golly, it is going to be a great time and I am definitely looking forward to that time. As all the children of God will be gathered in one place ALL the time, we won't have to wait until a worship service or gathering to be together. Yes, a little overwhelming to think of, but so AWESOME at the same time!!

Pressing on

As I sit and write this, my mind is array with many thoughts with the happenings of life within the last week. Yet, I am amidst two different scripture verses as I try and sort out life and what our Lord is revealing to me.

I Corinthians 2:8-10 "But, as it is written, 'What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him' to these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God."

Romans 8:24b-25 "Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patients." 

Talk about powerful stuff!! At times when we struggle through the trials of life, we wonder where God is in all of it. As hard as it is to tell, God is at the CENTER of it all. He promises in scripture to never leave or forsake His children. What a comforting thought!

I have never found myself crying out to Christ for mercy as I have these past few days. As life has taken a few substancial curves, I have found myself completely broken before God. As I sat in the tractor the other day in tears, pleading to Christ for strength to carry me through what He is doing. It has been quite sometime since I have felt that weak and in such need of Christ's strength. Yet, I was reminded of the passage of scripture in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 talking about when we are weak, HE is strong. Yes, I realize that I could pray for things to be different, but that would be selfish as I would be putting my desires and wants in front of how God is desiring me to glorify Him through this trials.

Being a disciple of Christ in a Christian world.

As promised, I am back to give you an idea of how I am working to integrate the Gospel into my every day life. What this is, is a perception and interpretation that I have on scripture and how it was written. I am by no means forcing my opinions onto yourselves and saying that you have to do what I do. You have to decide personally for yourselves how you interpret scripture and how to best incorporate it into your life.

Many that know me, know that I am an 'out of the box' thinker. I don't like to do what everyone else is doing, just because they are doing it. I dare to be different, for all the right reasons of course. In the spring of 2007, for reasons I do not remember, I was brought the the scripture passage of Leviticus 25:1-7, which states, 
       "The Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you, the land shall keep a Sabbath to the Lord. For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits, but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the Lord. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. You shall not reap what grows of itself in your harvest, or gather the grapes of your undressed vine. It shall be a year of solemn rest for the land. The Sabbath of the land shall provide food for you, for yourself and for your male and female slaves and for your hired worker and the sojourner who lives with you, and for your cattle and for the wild animals that are in your land: all its yield shall be for food." 

Keeping in mind that this is OT Law. Since Christ came to fulfill the OT Law, the above is not a necessary practice that has to be implemented today. Or does it? There are parts of the OT Law that aren't specifically fulfill in the NT. So, my mind got thinking, what would happen if I could implement this principle into farming practices to use to witness the Gospel to the farming community around me? After six years of prayer, research, and a lot of talking to others; it is becoming reality. 

Not sure how much ya'll know about modern day agriculture and crop farming. In a nut shell the industry has become greatly dependent on chemicals to grow crops; thus causing degrading effects in the landscape around. 

What I have developed is a seven year crop rotation that is without chemicals. Also, within this rotation there will be one year that the land is set aside and will not be planted with any seed. It will be a rest period for the land, following the principle in Leviticus. This does create more than normal risk, as I will still be paying rent for the land, yet I will not be gaining any monetary profit off the land for that year.

What are you doing to further implement the Gospel into your everyday life? Becoming that disciple of Christ who brings scripture into all parts of life and not just on Sunday mornings.