Listen up, "Sheepdogs"!

 
Listen, dog. We are all "sheep", according to God's Word.  Listen to the words of the prophet Isaiah:
"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." (53:6)
No matter how much we protector-types fancy ourselves to be "Sheepdogs", and somehow more prepared to deal with the predators of the world (particularly the two-legged kind), make no mistake about it:
In God's eyes, "All we like sheep have gone astray."
Praise the King and Lord of the universe, that HE has mercy on us all!

The Basics

This very secure shoe-tying method has kept my laces snug for years, with no accidental "unties".  It takes a bit of practice, but is great to teach to your kids.  Enjoy!

(Special thanks to Ian's Shoelace Site for the excellent documentation of this excellent knot!)

Venison Report, ongoing...

So, after marinating the meat in my "secret sauce" for about 3 days, I dehydrated it at 170 degrees in my oven (propped open about 1") overnight.  In the morning, I sampled a piece...

...and my face shriveled up like a Fresno raisin.  "Holy antlers, Batman!  That's salty stuff!"  I must have soaked it in the sauce too long, I mourned.

Later that day, I stumbled upon a sample of my friend Michael's venison jerky, and tried a piece.  Now granted, Michael is about as close to a Montana Mountain Man as I'll probably ever meet:  if it can be done in Montana, he's done it.  Twice.  And well.  As the jerky melted in my mouth, making my teeth lazy, all I could think was "Dang that guy!  He got it perfect!  How'd he do it??"

I humbly and embarassingly admitted my failure to Michael last Sunday, in hopes of getting some helpful advice.  When I got to the part about my use of a cup of salt (!) in my "special sauce", he just winced and chuckled a bit.

"What recipe did you use?", he asked.

"Something I got... off of... the... internet...", my voice trailed off, in reply.

More chuckling.  Then a sincerely kind and encouraging smile:

"You know, just a couple tablespoons of salt, or a little bit of soy sauce works much better", he said.

I questioned, "OK, but doesn't that decrease how long the jerky will 'keep'?"

"Well," he smiled (and his eyes lit up like a child's), "with my recipe, I'm not worried about how long the jerky will keep... I worry about how long I can keep the jerky!"

I thought back to how scrumptious that sample was... and how I uncontrollably finished the bag... and I saw his point.

Next time, I'm going with "handed down" preservation recipes... not Googled ones.

Have a great week!

Tip of the Week

This one comes to us from the New Life on a Homestead blog.  I pray you never need this one, but just in case you do:

The Easiest Way To Clean Vomit From Carpet

What am I listening to today?

Today, I'm learning about setting up "Bug-Out Land" from Jack Spirko at The Survival Podcast.  For those of you who are looking into preparing a piece of land for "leaner times", this will definitely give you lots to think about.  Enjoy!

http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/hands-off-self-sufficient-bol

Venison Report, cont'd

Well, here's the meat: sliced thinly and soaking in the "special sauce" for 3-4 days...

Have We Reached the Cultural, Moral, and Political Tipping Point of No Return?

The time is NOW. If you have not removed your children from the statist indoctrination programs (deceptively called "public schools"), MAKE IT HAPPEN!

It doesn't bother me that some who read this will think me extreme. Nothing is neutral, LEAST of all education. "Education" = DISCIPLESHIP... who's discipling YOUR children?

"Conservatives have been trying to save the public (government) schools for more than 50 years. We’ve been on defense for 50 years while educational budgets have grown, the schools have gotten more statist, and the graduates (when they do graduate) become spokesmen for the State. Yes, I know there are exceptions. But there aren’t enough of them, and there never will be."

Have We Reached the Cultural, Moral, and Political Tipping Point of No Return?

Monday Musings

You know, you just don't know how much you can do with less, until you have to... A blessing in disguise, eh?

In order to Cut Commuting Costs*, I've been taking public transportation to and from work, most days. 

The up-sides?
1)  I save about $8 a day (even more when I buy a monthly pass).
2)  My family can have the option of using our only vehicle during the day, instead of being necessarily house-bound.
3)  I don't have to worry about hitting a deer.  (I've done that at least once since moving to Montana.)
4)  I can take a nap (depending on #2, below, of course).
5)  I get to meet local folks that I otherwise wouldn't.
6).  I can thumb-type blog posts from my phone.
7)  I can read.

The down-sides?
1)  It turns my 1-hour commute into a 2-hour commute, so I don't get home til 6pm.
2)  I'm at the mercy of Ernie-the-Shuttle-Driver's musical tastes, which usually center around crude 80's/90's hard rock.
3).  There's just no comfortable way to nap on that shuttle.
4).  It's too noisy to be able to call old friends on the phone.

* (My 11-year-old daughter (the "Munchkin") and I have been having fun with alliteration lately.)

• • • • • • • •

Tonight, I hope to accomplish 2 things in my quest for greater preparedness against the unforeseen.  First, I'll begin designing and building shelves between the studs of our crawlspace, where the temperature, year-round, hovers right around 52°F -- perfect for long-term storage!  It'll be our ad hoc root cellar.  Second, I'll be marinating some of that venison I told you about, in order to make deer jerky.  If it turns out well, I'll probably process most of it that way... except the "backstraps", which, I'm told, are the choicest cuts.

Now, we currently live in a duplex at the east edge of town, about 1/2 mile from the majestic Flathead River, but our dwelling is a far cry from the "off-grid" house-in-the-woods we dream of constructing in the near future.  Still, we are not letting that stop us from being as prep-minded as possible... and it shouldn't stop you, either, no matter what kind of place you call home.  Do something this week to work toward preparing for the unforeseen.  Go fishing, and smoke what you catch (providing it is edible, of course).  Learn how to "can" some applesauce, or whatever.  Try your hand at processing small game meat (rabbit, grouse, etc).  Practice tying knots you learned from the internet.

What will you do to prepare, this week?  Post a comment below, and let all the A.D.L. readers know how your efforts turned out... And remember:  Anything worth doing, is worth doing poorly (at first)!  In other words...

Don't be afraid to fail.

Restoring America...

Wow.  I cannot even begin to describe how much this invigorates me!  Can't wait to digest it all:

Watch "Restoring America - Introduction: Part 1" on YouTube

I hope you'll watch this series with me.  I believe it will be life- and nation-changing.

Venison Report

WARNING:

If you are a member of PETA, I apologize in advance for offending your sensitivities.

Now that that's out of the way...

This morning the three wanna-be deer slayers (My two oldest children and I) went over to our friends' house, who had graciously offered us one of their deer, a buck with a mere 4" of antler on his cranium.  When we arrived, the animal had already been expertly eviscerated, decapitated and elevated by his hind legs:

Now let me just brag right now on a couple of young gentlemen, whom our family is proud to know.  Matthew, I believe, is about 13.  He's the lad responsible for our family's recent motherlode of meat.  He dropped that buck in his tracks with a shotgun slug, right out in his own backyard.  Handy.

Then there's his older brother Daniel, who seems to live-and-breathe hunting-and-skinning.  At 14 years old, the way that guy wielded a skinning knife and a sawz-all was downright impressive:

With the skills these guys have, it would have been easy for them to make sport of our inexperience.  But the best thing about Matthew and Daniel is that they have been diverted, by loving and wise Christian parents, from the trap of cruel and thoughtless peer pressure so pervasive in public education.  These guys have been taught to show love and respect at all times, and they wear such qualities like badges of honor.  They were glad to be able to help us out, without needing so much as a word of oversight from their father (who was occupied nearby).

Hats off to young people like this everywhere (including my beloved children), who will undoubtedly bring hope, healing and provision into this broken world, in Christ's Name.

The Deer-Slayers??

Last Saturday, my oldest kids and I got our first taste of deer hunting.  Now I had shot, dressed and cooked wild rabbit back in SoCal, but I never had to don camouflage to do so... pretty much just watched out the backyard.  In fact, for the first 40 years of my life, I had never hunted anything.  (Fishing, yes, but never hunting.)  But in the last few years I started to awaken to just how metropolitan my existence had been, heretofore, and to how necessary it will likely become for me to become adept at procuring and processing my family's meat supply.  Hence, my interest in hunting and trapping what seemed to be the most plentiful game in North San Diego County -- rabbits.

But now, I was in Big Sky Country.  Deer country.  Elk country.

I started to think about how super-gnarly it'd be to go out an bag some animal that weighs more than I do.  So, as soon as the ink dried on my Montana driver's license, I took these two great kids (my oldest kids, in the pic) and my dear bride and signed us up for Hunter Education.  A few months later here we were, out with some local friends, on the lookout for whitetail west of Marion.  The weather was fine, and the "rut" (the mating season) was nearly at its peak, so I'd been told.  So by all accounts, it was reasonable to expect a fair amount of deer sightings... easy pickings, right?

Well, not so much.  (I know, I was probably ridiculously naive about the whole process.)  Notice something conspicuously absent from our picture?  (And no, I'm not referring to my son's hunter-orange vest.  He had it off only in transit from one hunting site to another.)  Turns out a couple of us only saw a couple of deer way off in the distance, toward the very end of the day... to far to go after, so late in the game.  So it was with no small sense of disappointment and frustration that we closed out the day empty-handed.  Since the season ends this Sunday, I was mentally preparing myself for a freezer devoid of venison this year.  I was gearing up to learn as much as I could about making next year's outing more productive.

Then, my friend Dave (who took us out last Saturday) called me today, saying he had an extra deer he was willing to give us: we just needed to come over and cut it up into pieces small enough to get home. So it turns out that we'll get the "processing" experience before the "procuring" part.  The hand of Providence can work in peculiar ways, sometimes.

More pictures to come, next time...

Fill the earth and subdue it...

Here's something I recently emailed to my friends and family:

________________

Friends/Family:


As you know, I was created to be a fairly assertive and counter-cultural person. So, being a "moderate" in ANY sense of the word, was never in my destiny, thank God. I want to share with you some insight from an author/blogger/historian/pastor I've been reading from, over the past few years. I hope it challenges you and emboldens you, as it does me. This is the direction I'm leading my family, by God's grace.

As always, I welcome your thoughtful comments. May the Lord grant us His mercy & grace.

-Ric     "Surviving" or Living?

As the debris of the latest superstorm is cleared away, and the much more toxic debris of a presidential election still litters the landscape, a lot of people are thinking about how they want to live and are asking themselves and their families very serious questions about how long this mirage - this hologram - of safety, peace, and security can last. You know what I think. I began leading an exodus out of this world system a long time ago. We are in one of those brief, but powerful moments of almost universal awareness (it only lasts for a flash, and then is gone) that something is monumentally wrong with the system of life and living that man has devised for himself. For just a second, the whole world stands gaping at what happens when the JIT (Just-In-Time) provision of artificially produced goods and services becomes disrupted even temporarily. According to a recent UN report, over 1/2 of the world's population (3.5 Billion, they say) lives in cities, and cities are almost inevitably located on coasts, on fault lines, and in areas where major disasters happen quite often.

Not only are the cities unsustainable and non-viable, but all urban and suburban living is built on the same foundation of shifting sand.

(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2TmFt7-PH2F34x9WNrjf5BOt-QGQi3gqqh4d0oTyWVd3i0ZGnGdzR3uEbQ-NlI6KPgOT3_6liQnUFfHVmjvwe-RO5lyxMiOn23PgFRJze6PkvAaYvId0XwTNZEJ1ako1KZk_BTJnZ13b1/s1600/texascountymapelection.jpg)

This map from Texas in Tuesday's pretended "election goes to show my point. I keep telling people that this is not an artificial liberal/conservative thing. This is not about what the dialecticians call "Republican vs. Liberal". This is a city vs. rural thing. If people want democracy, then they need to face the facts that consumers in cities make the rules, and producers in the country are forced to play by them - only so far as they want all the comforts of the city. Let me show you a more fascinating example:

(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCWknYC4tXJN3YJGbVp_pcnEpUk-Lit8_PGHsAQHrMwOnwdAdeW1aCF9lPvAvCRB3_XF_CN4oAuhfCto4-ryDNdrODBDOTu6bVf1IKcd1-FXsMErHqtTricgxCXAHtQ0FdEoQqRXG8HIX/s1600/generalelectionohio.png)

This is the election map from Tuesday in Ohio. As you can see, the more liberal candidate (Obama) won the counties with large cities or the highest population in them. Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, etc. went for Obama. The rest of the state went for Romney. Now let us look at the primary map of the same state...

(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_1485fGWNLv95nbHc3MOs7fgGD9p7v1facTPtVWtBzMIMVC98BDjaC6XMZzLD5DipGq1osi1FH1QUtFdXE8Qe9mUjlFSjhTHmHWirhCPbbjVVXGMySIa5v_7dcWyLVGS_ULZL_dr3Awz/s1600/ohiocountyprimary.png)

The red counties were won by Romney. The blue counties were won by Rick Santorum, a more so-called "conservative" candidate. You will notice that, with few exceptions. Romney won the state of Ohio in the primary, by winning the highly populated urban and suburban counties... the very counties he lost in the general election to Obama, who was a more "liberal" candidate. What does this say? It says that the urban and suburban populations will ALWAYS vote for the candidate who is most likely to be a big government spender. Why? Because government (not candidates) spend money and give money to urbanites and suburbanites. Why? Because they live an untenable, unsustainable, and unviable lifestyle. They need "services", they need massive infrastructure, they need handouts, they need welfare, they need emergency management, they need bailouts, and they need everyone who doesn't live in those cities or suburbs to pay for the lifestyle they have chosen to live. This is NOT about conservative vs. liberal. Those are just artificial titles used to divide the producers from the consumers. This is NOT about Republican vs. Democrat. Those are artificial titles used to keep control in the hands of the kingmakers and wage slave holders.

If you fall for the false dialectic, you will always be a pawn in the game, and, as you can see in the above map, over the past 20 years the "game" has increasingly been stacked against you. Urban populations continue to rise, as more and more unproductive consumers leave the country to snag their piece of the massive pump-and-dump game that is going on. The dollars that are being printed 24/7 in the Fed are being pumped into these areas. It is easier for the king makers to control a few counties, because by them they can control the whole country. As you can see in the above maps, Romney was never destined to win. It didn't matter if he won the popular vote or not. He was a pawn. The king makers got him selected because he was the most liberal candidate in the primary - thus guaranteeing a loss in the general election using the same urban/rural dialectic.

Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and even Alex Jones are pawns in the game. Dumb and rich pawns, but they are pawns. They keep the sheep in line. They have you convinced that voting matters. Not one of them well ever tell you that you are imprisoned by your lusts and your desire for carnal comfort. Because you so-called conservatives want the same thing the so-called liberals want. You want air-conditioning and running water and flush toilets and store bought goodies from around the world at your fingertips, you will remain a slave to the cities no matter where you live. When you choose urbanism/suburbanism and consumption as a means and method of life, you are a willing slave to that system. IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW OR IF YOU VOTE!

Separatism is the only answer. You have to separate from the system of slavery. This is not about "survival" in the sense that most people think of survival. Most "preppers", "survivalists", etc. want the same thing the power mongers, banksters, and slave holders want. They want comfort, security, and peace. So they go down a road of "prepping" that involves the purchase of industrial produced goods in order to make it through whatever tragedy strikes next (and the tragedies will grow worse and worse). They are thinking about "survival" instead of living.

Free men (and there are so few of them) don't particularly want survival at all costs. They want to be free. They come to realize that they are enslaved to the scumbag consumers in the cities and suburbs, but they also realize that they are enslaved by the chains of their own lusts. They eventually learn that if they will cut the city off, it will die of its own. Participation is sanction, and in this case, as you can see by the map, it is sanction of the rural areas being enslaved by a very few small areas run by gangsters and banksters who control the votes of wage slaves and comfort worshippers. The fake "republican/democrat" divide is just too handy in maintaining the illusion.

Perhaps you'll consider "living" instead of "surviving"?

Your best probability of both survival and living as a free person, is to move towards that freedom by determining that you must cut the city off. You must start to produce some, and eventually as much as possible, of the things you consume. You are being poisoned. You are being enslaved. You are being used. You think you are free, but you are not. You must get out and stay out. I've been leading the march out of Egypt for a whole lot of years, and perhaps you should consider that everything you have believed is a false system designed to make you a wage slave and a disposable source of tax energy to be burned by your enemies.

"Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic; but destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country." ~ William Jennings Bryan

We really don't need to burn anything down, though his quote is a good one and well put. We just need to stop buying their goods and produce our own. Stop working for "income", but bring forth food from the ground. If 5% of us would do that, they'd fall of their own weight and producers can pick up the pieces. I am the real John Galt. So long as rural people want city comforts without labor, everyone will be slaves to the Bankster and the slave wage bureaucrat. The only right that is inalienable is the right to say no, and not be strapped to the cart by the traces of my own lusts.

But, then, that is just my opinion, what do I know?

Your servant in Christ Jesus,

Michael Bunker   __________   I received this very thoughtful reply from a dear family member, a mature and caring brother in Christ:     I get the impression that in his idealistic world everyone should be self supporting. Yes, I agree with him on many points, this country will die without its infrastructrure. But infrastructure is what makes a civilization. It would not work for everyone to be self reliant either. There is simply not enough land for everyone to have land enough to be self sufficient. There are many efficiencies that are gained by large scale farming and manufacturing. It is one of the reasons we have so much. Many people that live in the cities make life better for those who live in the country. Many are hard working people making a significant contribution to society. I don't think God intended man to be completely self reliant but to help each other and enrich each others' lives. However, I do agree that our infrastructure is breaking down and we should attempt to be less reliant on it. But at the same time we should be trying to improve it.

The problem with this country is not that the majority is so dependent on the system working, a system that cannot be sustained as it is. The problem is rebellion against God and the principals of living which He has given us. If this country turned back to God then it would just grow stronger and more firmly entrenched as a nation. However, I don't see this happening. With rebellion against God, history has proven over and over again that with the rebellion comes destruction.     Here was my reply:   Well said. Having read some other of this author's works, I believe he would probably agree with much of what you assert... still, I think Bunker's M.O. is going straight for the consumerist jugular, so to speak. If he can shock enough Christians into considering their rampant and unchecked consumerism, he probably figures he will have accomplished much.
In the beginning, God gave man the universal and continual command to "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over [every living thing]" (Gen 1:28). He intended for man to spread out, to take dominion over and cultivate each his own "wide-open space". After the Fall and the Flood, we are recounted the whole history of the tower of Babel: the first metropolis. Men rebelled against God: instead of enjoying their communities with plenty of land in between each family, they found a way to live on top of each other, so to speak, in concentrated proximity:

"And they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.'" (Gen. 11:4)

What was God's response to this flouting of his original intention for mankind's activities? He "confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth." (Gen. 11:9, emphasis mine). I find this interesting, that even after the original command, even after the fall, even after redeeming the human race through Noah, the Lord seems to pay particular attention to — and deals decisively with — mankind's propensity to congeal into densely-populated humanistic cities, to make a name for themselves.

Now, I don't consider it intrinsically and morally wrong to habitate a large city ("large" is relative, to some extent, after all). Still, I cannot avoid how difficult it is to truly and experientially comprehend the parables and teachings of Jesus (during His earthly ministry), when so many of them presume an agrarian context. It seems that the more we surround ourselves with the conveniences, entertainments and schemes of humanity, the more difficult it becomes to notice, listen to and heed the Voice, Word and Spirit of God. Our own internal struggle with sin is difficult enough, let alone when we drown out the Comforter's voice with so much noise, so many distractions. In Ephesians 4:30, we are exhorted not to "grieve the Holy Spirit of God". I believe that when we give preference to worldly pursuits and comforts over seeking to greater understand and live out God's Word, we are rebelling against God, and His judgment (which the world is in the throes of) is justified.
As for being "self-reliant", I've never liked the term, and agree with you that God doesn't intend this for us. I prefer to pursue what I like to call "Family Autonomy", which I describe briefly in one of my blog posts.

Thanks for taking the time to convey your thoughts. I greatly appreciate our conversations. Have a blessed day! __________________   What do you think?  Thoughtful and discerning comments are always welcome.

Barenaked Ladies, Solomon and... somebody.

"It's all been done before."
--Barenaked Ladies


"There is nothing new under the sun."
--Solomon


“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse (generous gifts) from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, (which is) always followed by a dictatorship” “The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been two hundred years.”
--Alexander Tytler Someone Else (still a good sentiment, though)

God have mercy on us all.

Quote for Today

"I am not a pacifist, because pacifism in this poor world in which we live, this lost world, means that we desert the people who need our greatest help. As an illustration: I see a great big burly man that is beating a little tiny tot to death....If he won't stop, what does love mean? Love means I stop him in any way I can..."
--Francis A. Schaeffer, "Conflicting World Views: Humanism versus Christianity."

You can trade out "burly man" for "federal government", and insert "American citizen" for "tiny tot".  Same implication.

Local News

Lots of things happening around here... For starters, Here's our girl in her first newspaper photo, which was taken last Saturday, October 13th, right before we started gnoshing on some free burgers at the local hardware store.

Last month, we were dropping my Bride off at the airport to visit her family down south, and Caleb took the opportunity to slip into one of his favorite cars at the rental yard...

 

Shortly after she returned (thank God!), she made our youngest girl a special three-year birthday cake... Not that it took three years to make it, of course:

(It's ineffable how delicious that cake was.  Thanks to "Grammie" for the recipe!)

Hunting season began today, so it makes sense that the safest place for a deer to hang out would be in our front yard, since I can't shoot one against the backdrop of our neighbor's house.  That's generally considered bad sportsmanship.

(Besides, these gals are too small, anyway.)

The children went over to a neighbor's house and picked almost 200 lbs of apples, which we've been juicing, canning and dehydrating for a week straight.  The Dear Bride is rockin' the applesauce:

Montana sunsets in the Fall can't be beat.

...And after the rain, rainbows like these are an almost weekly occurrence:

Blessings to all...

--RC

A "Christian Duty" to Vote?

As if in orchestrated response to the overwhelming attention given to next month's election(s), professing Christians are once again getting quite vocal (particularly in social media) about the concept of "the Christian Duty to Vote".  I often inject "pushback" into these discussions, usually by contesting the scriptural basis for democracy... and WOW, what agitated responses I get!  Holy sacred cow, Batman!  It seems that many Christians fear that if enough people don't vote for the lesser of two evils, then we'll be stuck with our last crappy choice for a president, etc.  Well, I've got news for everyone...

We the people will always get exactly the kind of leader that our Republic-devolved-into-a-Democracy will warrant.  If we fail to bankrupt and bury Planned Parenthood (for example), we will more than likely be saddled with leaders who have little or no regard for the sanctity of life.  If we consent to "green science" over practical common sense, we will be duped by a president who pushes through a whole boatload of cap-and-trade legislation, outlaws incandescent light bulbs and fines you if your toilet flushes too much water.  If our "churches" continue to cower before the IRS by taking on 501c3 status, then our pastors, preachers and teachers will continue to be bullied out of speaking out against specific candidates.  This will, in turn, keep us locked into the vicious "lesser evil" cycle.  What I'm saying is this:

"YOU CANNOT SERVE BOTH GOD AND MAMMON."

Think about it.  America has enshrined wealth/prosperity/"freedom" and eschewed Christ, and then we wonder about the mess we are in.  Our national economy will not correct itself.  I believe that a fruitful course of action for any genuine Christ-follower is to repent of our dependence on the dollar, our hunger for humanistic education, and our laziness, and return to attempting to view everything — and I mean EVERYTHING — through the lens of Scripture.  That includes work, play, education, spending, saving, sex, the future, eating, health... EVERYTHING.  We are promised that we will find true fellowship with God when we seek Him with our whole heart (Deuteronomy 4:29, John 4:24, etc).  Conversely, "these people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me", says the Lord.

Voting will not save Americans.  Only repentance before the Almighty King of kings will accomplish that.  John the Baptist once warned the crowds, "Produce fruit in keeping with repentance" (Luke 3).  Let this be our goal in Christ... and the righteous leaders that we so desire will have room to emerge.

Babies and Bathwaters (or: Facebook, part II)

About a month ago, I wrote a post on why I wanted to "leave" Facebook.  My main reason for doing so was that I had lost count of how many times I had become incredibly frustrated and disillusioned over conflicts and futile arguments that had resulted from trying to dialogue with other professing Christians about sometimes-weighty matters.  Well, I am slowly learning that for some reason, electronic correspondence (incl. Facebook) is not an adequate way to resolve conflict.  Also, I am learning that engaging in these sorts of fruitless debates is too much of a temptation for me, and it brings out some nastiness in me which I don't want to foster or waste time on.  A face-to-face conversation of disagreement, sure... but without the elements of non-verbal communication inherent in personal conversations, these "comment" sessions often quickly devolve into a sort of one-upmanship that I do not think honors the Name or unity of Christ.

So, I had decided to throw out the bathwater.  Then, I heard a little cry...

Well it wasn't really a cry, just more Facebook comments.  Only this time, they were kind.  People — actual "friends", not merely Facebook "acquaintances" — were telling me that they would miss staying in touch with me, and that really made me feel cared for and appreciated.  Furthermore, I found that if I could just say NO to my many temptations to "set people straight" (probably an impossibility in most cases, anyway), that I could actually enjoy some benefits from the FB.

So, in a sense, I'm back on Facebook.  And in a sense, I'm not.  For while I can't guarantee that "aggressive Ric" won't come out swingin' from time to time, I can promise that I'll choose my battles carefully, not cast my pearls before swine, and over all this, put on love...

Colossians 3:12-17 (ESV)

 

¹² Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴ And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ 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.

Something that encouraged me today...

...I hope it encourages you, too:

Letter Re: The Larger Questions

OTG News... a great resource

I've been reading/listening to Off The Grid News' newsletter and podcasts for a few years now, and although they are a business (from which I receive no financial interest), and do have to sell products in order to stay in business, I have come to appreciate them as not only a reputable source of preparedness products and services, but advocates of sound and very practical Biblical theology, as well.

Therefore, I would like to wholeheartedly recommend their resources and reports to you, dear reader.  Please do yourself and your family a favor, and educate yourself in these areas.  You won't regret it, I promise.

Armed Bystander Report

Today's installment is the story of a fine, upstanding and courageous gentleman, calmly defending his home.  Way to go, Mr. Jones!

92-year-old Verona man shoots intruder at home | NKY.com

The Kingdom of Heaven Suffereth Violence

DISCLAIMER:

I realize that some readers will probably disagree with the reasoning in this post. Maybe most readers will disagree, perhaps vehemently, and accuse me of all kinds of weird stuff. I'm not weird or whacked out, Just trying to come to terms with the very-real "good vs. evil" in this world we occupy, and come to terms with these things from a "whole of Scripture"-perspective. I still love Jesus, and I still like puppies, small children and bacon. And ice cream... too much so. But I digress... on to the post.

_______________________

"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves"  — Jesus (Matthew 10:16)

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."  — Jesus (Matthew 11:12)

"When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:
But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils."  — Jesus (Luke 11:21-22)


Violence is a very difficult subject for anyone to discuss, let alone Christ-followers.  Lately, I've been really wrestling with this subject.  When I was a child (ca 1978), the only time I had to consider the subject was when I was "plinking" in the desert with the men-folk kin-folk (Dad, brother, Uncle, cousins, etc).  I was educated on the fact that the rifle or revolver I held in my hands (no more than a .22, then) had the power to end a loved one's life, if not handled properly.  But the thought of ever having to use violence to defend a life — except for the occasional playground pugilism — never really camped out in my mind.  I mean, back then, there weren't random and sudden shootings in theatres or churches or schools or playgrounds or restaurants or...  you get the idea.

Then I joined the Army (1986), and was taught — nay, drilled — to live out the following oath:

"I, Richard J. Calvi, do solemnly affirm that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."


So I became personally acquainted with this idea of antithesis; that there were good guys (us soldiers) and there were bad guys (in this case, enemies of the Constitution), and that there was a big, solid line between the two.  To quote Jack Ryan in "Clear and Present Danger": "Not 'black and white'... right and wrong".  At that juncture, my theology was such that the world was becoming an increasingly dark-hearted place (and this was back in the 80's/90's!), but that when the LORD came back to "rapture His people", He would rescue us from all of this.  Until then, we had to just try to be a good example to — and evangelize — the world.

Before too long, I started growing a bit leary of "Left Behind" eschatology, and started paying more attention to things Jesus said, like "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven."  I started really scrutinizing and "chewing on" issues like, what should be the Christ-follower's response when the authorities mentioned in Romans 13 have become decidedly wicked?  What should I do, for example, when I'm in a public place and some worthless man walks in and starts shooting bystanders?  I was recently involved in a Facebook dialogue recently with someone I've never met, who asserted that if he were in a scenario like the Aurora theatre that tragic eveing, he would pray, and be ready to die.

Really?  Just acquiesce to a psychopath, just like that?  What about the "women and children" he could/should have rescued, if he was willing to "interfere" with the danger at hand, in Christ's name?  (John 15:13)

I believe I would pray in that situation, too, but the prayer woud more resemble King David's:

"Blessed be the Lord my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight..." (Psalm 144:1), or that of Benjamin Martin
Yes, I would pray for about as much time as it took Nehemiah to pray before replying to king Artaxerxes...

And then I would take aim and shoot back, bringing my training to bear on the evil in our midst.  It's a risk, I know, but in my mind it's better than watching the defenseless die unnecessarily.

There.  I said it.  So help me, Lord.

"DIY" (or rather, "Family Autonomy"*)

Today, I took another "baby step" toward what I will call "family autonomy"*.  I fixed a digital thermometer that was given to me by my Uncle at his garage sale:

*"Family Autonomy" refers both to the freedom we have in Christ to experience the Kingdom of God, which He is living out thorough us daily, AND the responsibility we bear to rely less and less on other "systems" to accomplish what we ought to be able to do for ourselves. You'll be seeing this term more often in these posts. It stands in contrast to terms like "self-reliance" or "self-sufficiency", which imply humanistic thought, and fall short of what we're aiming for: bearing our own burdens and helping the body of Christ to bear theirs, while relying solely on Christ for all provision and sustenance.

Armed Bystander Report

Today's heroic incident took place in San Antonio, TX

Armed bystander stops stabbing outside school|WOAI: San Antonio News

"Semper Paratus"

Giving where there's a NEED

How many of us give from our income, only to those organizations that give us a benefit in some way?  We hear a pastor on the radio who preaches a message that we find meaningful, so we give to his ministry in order to perpetuate it.  We give to our local church because we like the children's programs and worship music.  We give to charitable organizations because they give us a tax benefit at the end of each year.

But when was the last time you gave to someone because THEY needed to be given TO?  When did you last give to someone with no thought for yourself?  When was the last time your "left hand did not know what your right hand was doing"?  Jesus said that's the only way we get rewarded from our Father in heaven.  And He said those are the only kind of rewards would never, ever fade away, never get "spent up".

Do it today.  Ask the Lord "To whom would you have me give today?" -- then, do it immediately and anonymously.  You'll be blessed in ways you never imagined.

Why I'm leaving Facebook

I've been weighing the decision to leave Facebook for quite some time now.  At first, it seemed to be a great way to connect with friends and family, and to get better acquainted with people I've yet to call "friend".  Over time, however, FB gradually became a source of (unnecessary) frustration for me, such that it began to outweigh the supposed "benefits".  I've lost count of the times I've banged my head against the proverbial wall of conversation with people who don't know how to have a civil discourse (or disagreement) about subjects we may not agree on... so why would I "argue" with a "face-person" in a virtual world?  Why would I frustrate myself like that?

Basically, FB pales when compared to the joy of my real (i.e. face-to-face) relationships.  I could give lots more pithy reasons, but it's not really necessary.  I'm done.

You can reach me at riccalvi-at-gmail-dot-com (you know what I mean), or at 406-2-seven-two-2584.

Of course, I'll still be blogging here... it's just that now, I'll have more time to do so!  :-)

Comments, anyone?

Thought you knew about Election probability?

I stumbled across this info, and found it really informative:

Election map

"Thou shalt not...

...Covet"

Yeah, that's a tough one.

It's hard to see (and hear about) friends building houses in the country, when we're having a hard time waiting on the Lord to do something similar in our life.

The Finger of God

Last week, I was able to snap this picture while walking with the family, and the Lord brought a cool "object lesson" to my mind, which I hope to articulate with you.  Here's the picture:

That's my hand, holding my 2-year-old's hand as we walk down the street with the family.  Cassie and I have a particular way we hold hands: She grips my finger (which more than fills her tiny fist) and I wrap my remaining digits around her hand and wrist.  This way, she takes responsibility for following my command to "stay close" and hold on to me, particularly in potentially risky environments.  But far more than her small efforts at clinging to her protective father, it is I, in fact, who is claiming (and walking in) the ultimate responsibility for ensuring her well-being.  I see this as a very reassuring allegory to our walk with our Heavenly Father, as discussed in Philippians 2:12b-13 --

"...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."

We who trust in our Saviour are simply and feebly gripping His finger, per se, while He is in fact wrapping His mighty hand all around our very being.  We love Him, only because He first loved us.

So try it, sometime.  On that next little walk with a dear little person, try this grip, and let it remind you of how much God truly loves you, His dear child.

The most wonderful (solid) substance on earth

I've been thinking a lot about wood.  Heck, hardly a day goes by that I don't.  Anyway, as I'm thinning some trees today around the shop where I work, I can't help but laugh at how hopelessly infatuated I am with the stuff.

It bends.
It burns.
It builds.
It stacks.
It floats (with few exceptions).
It is at once remarkably simple and wonderfully complex.
It is used by every culture on every continent throughout all time, world without end.

Some have found some very unusual ways to employ it:

And here's an aspect of wood that continually blows my mind:

It was "invented" in all it's complexity, by the God of the Universe (YHWH), which He preordinately provided for the atoning crucifixion of His One and Only Son — ineffable.



Not much more to say, except:

"Thank God Almighty for wood."

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,

The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.


     Refrain:
     So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
     Till my trophies at last I lay down;
     I will cling to the old rugged cross,
     And exchange it some day for a crown.

Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.


(George Bennard 1913 — Public Domain)

Crowded Cabin

Lately, I've been checking out every possible library book about owner-built dwellings.  You know: log cabins, "pole-buildings", even off-beat stuff like cordwood cabins and yurts.  In nearly every case, these manuals are written by people who have successfully built their own home... for a family of three or less.

What the heck?

Is there some unwritten rule that says: "In order to be able to build your own home from scratch, from sustainable resources, without paying an arm-and-a-leg, your birthrate must be less than the average for say, Russia."???  Come on, authors, aren't you aware of the Demographic Winter we're having?

Well anyway, My wife and I are the proud and vibrant (albeit often-harried) parents of five (5!) incredible children.  And yes! --  we fully intend to build our own home, on a strict budget, big enough to accommodate our family and the occasional visitors.  This is a major part of the vision that the Good Lord has planted in our hearts, decades ago, and we believe that He will see it through.  We have a goal of accomplishing this task without debt; for debt, in the economy-to-come, will become the enslaver of hundreds of millions of people.  (Look what it's done to our nation's well-being, thus far!)

So, if you are wandering through your local book retail store (if they even continue to exist apart from Amazon :-), and you happen to spot a title that looks something like "How To Build A Sustainable Cabin for a Large Family Without Completely Losing Your Sanity or Family Unity", buy it on the spot!

After all, it'll probably be mine.

Have a blessed day, friends.

Let's Do Some Reading!

Howdy friends!

Here are two articles I just printed, and plan to read with the Mrs. in the next day or two:

• "Food Forest Gardens", by Jason T.
• "Exchanging Fear for Fear" by Kevin DeYoung

Will you read them with me, and add your comments, below?  Thanks!

Frenetic Blogging Fricassee

 

Here's a new recipe: I like to call it...

"Frenetic Blogging Fricassee"

• 1 lb. of scattered thoughts
• 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep (maximum)
• 1 Allergy Pill
• 102 Pictures of my current Dream
• 2,376 Projects that need starting... or finishing
• 1 anticipation of pizza and ice cream on Fathers' Day

Mix well and sit in bed with a computer in your lap.  Serve promptly.

Anyway, I'd love to be coherent and concise, but I can't, so I hope I don't scare anyone off.  Here goes...

——————

We have been spending lots of weekends working hard (probably harder than some of our kids would like) to gather all three acres'-worth of "firewood" that's been laying all around the property.  One of our favorite meals in the Airstream that has become our "base camp" is Macaroni and Cheese and Wienies (or "MacWienies", as I've heard it referred to).

 Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here are a few...

At the entrance

Showing off their walking sticks

Studying the local flora

We love Montana in the Spring!

Hoping to build a "starter garden" just to the right (South) of the shed, using its roof to catch rainwater for irrigation.

(Unfortunately, my dear Bride was behind the camera for these shots.  Oh well.)

————

Looking forward to doing some boating this weekend, with Grandpa and Grandma, maybe out to Whitefish Lake.

I miss the presence of some dear family and friends back in SoCal.  I so wish they could be here, to see all of this breathtaking beauty.

Both my PC's battery and my body's "battery" are running low.  Please leave a comment if you're so inclined.  Looking forward to hearing from you!

--Ric

Guest Post

A sister in the Lord ("Enola Gay" of the Paratus Familia blog, whom I've actually never met :-) writes today's post.  I pray it admonished and encourages you as much as it did me:

Unintended Consequences

What's Next?

(View from the top of The Homestead)

Yesterday, my dear bride and I celebrated our 19th year of marriage.  I don't have to tell you what an incredible person she must be to put up with yours truly for nearly two decades (longer, if you count our entire relationship)... if you'd like details on the kind of woman she is, look up Proverbs 31:10-31.

When we first began our life together, we both had the seeds of desire for "Wide Open Spaces".  And as long as we lived in the city, dog-gone-it, those seeds just would not stop sprouting, in our minds.  So, while still living in Metropolis, we dreamed about our Homestead:  40 acres of half-timbered, half-pastured land, with a year-round creek running right next to our home site.  We'd build our log-home from the trees on the property (without so much as making a dent in the forest's aesthetic appeal), and live happily ever after.

Well, it seems our Provider has revealed His own set of details.  Like, "Move to the country FIRST, by faith, and watch for Me to unfold the remaining details."

After nine months of getting our footing in NW Montana (the first 3 months, we lived in a tent — no joke), and after much prayer and consideration, we have resolved ourselves to purchase (from a dear relative) three+ acres of gently-sloped, well-timbered land in Whitefish.  Not "pasture land", in the purest sense.  No creek.  No electricity yet.  However, with the provisos offered in the deal (no interest on the loan and free rent in an adjacent home for the duration of our construction, among other providential features), it woud be foolish and discontented to pass it up.  We'll be planning and building our home as frugally as possible, with an eye toward warmth and dryness.  :-)  Though we have not yet entered into the official (legal) agreement, we have begun, by faith (and with the land-owner's permission) to clean up the deadwood around the property, cutting it and sorting it into either "firewood" or "construction material".  All the kids are excited to help, and we have had many a picnic there, building up sweat equity.  Here are some pictures of our work, thus far.  Enjoy!

Feeling like a nobody?

I've been thinking a lot about my identity.

By certain standards, I used to be a "somebody".  I was a long-time leader in a church of what must now be around 1400 attendees.  I was responsible for a team of about 40 volunteers, all of whom seemed to be highly-motivated to be part of the worship ministry.  Heck, my wife and I would even once-in-a-while be approached around town (back in SoCal) by total strangers, calling us by name, telling us how much they appreciated our ministry.  I must now confess that it was a big inflation of my ego, yessir.

But now, through the compulsion of the Holy Spirit to leave all of that, I find myself to be a much smaller "fish".  Granted, I love my present "pond" much more — who wouldn't?  I'm in NW Montana, for Pete's sake! — and the Spirit of God is causing some lifelong dreams to be fulfilled (to the praise of His glorious grace).  Still, sometimes I mourn the loss of my former community, and yes, my former apparent "significance".  I get the feeling that some of my friends and extended family are astounded that I would depart from such measures of success, only to jump into a totally different life and certain obscurity.  (I'm tempted here to go into a long defense of such action, citing scriptural and historical justification, but I'll not digress.)

Yet, there is something wonderful coming of all this.  Jesus is becoming more real to me.  I'm learning — experientially — that He is jealous for my affection, for my trust, for my future; and that He, being the Consuming Fire that He is, will burn up anything that gets between us — financial security, social position, pharisee-ism.  Yes, I owned all of these, and they are being melted away.  Yet, He remains:

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.  If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.

— 1 Corinthians 3:11-13

They say "You're nobody 'til Somebody loves you".  Well, I guess that I'm not a nobody, after all.

Somebody — The great I AM — loves me as much as His One and Only Son.  AMAZING!

—————

Please continue to pray that the Lord would continue to shape our little family into His likeness, that He would provide for us in all areas, and that He would expand our impact in building His Kingdom on earth, as it is in Heaven.

Next Post:  Pictures of our family, preparing the "Homestead" land that the Lord is providing for us.