Moving Forward!

(Our Future Driveway.)

Good day, dear friends and family!  Many apologies for the lapse in time since my last post.  So much has been happening, that I have been admittedly intimidated by how much writing I've needed to do, just to bring you up to speed with what's new with our dreams and goals.  Let me start with a little background...

Since my dear bride and I were married, we have dreamed of having a home in an area full of what we like to call "Wide Open Spaces".  However, in the many years that we lived in Southern California (for a multitude of reasons that could be summed up, in hindsight, as Providence), that dream was never realized.
Then we moved to NW Montana.  And we started to get our bearings.  I found work (I now have employment in Kalispell and Martin City), and our family found encouraging relationships with genuine Christ-followers here, people of all different kinds, with wonderful histories.  During that time, my parents and my Uncle Dave had followed suit in relocating to the Flathead Valley.  After he had purchased 10+ acres of "raw land" just west of Whitefish, Uncle Dave invited us to consider purchasing a portion of his land (given some pretty amazing & unbeatable terms), and to build our future home there, adjacent to the one he was planning to build.  After seeing this beautifully-wooded place and dreaming a lot, we agreed to "partner" with Uncle Dave, who was repeatedly proving to be an instrument of God's grace and provision.

Now, he was waiting for his home in Oregon to sell, before he could "pave the way" in developing that land for use in construction (bringing in an electric line, digging a well, septic, etc) and beginning to build his "mountain house".  So, we waited too.  For over a year.
Then, suddenly, Uncle's house went into escrow!  So, for the last couple of weeks, my Bride and I have been putting our heads together -- and praying a LOT -- over plans to build our home in the woods.  We have staked out the dimensions of what will become our South-facing house...

 

(This is pretty much the exact spot where our home will be built.)

...and have found an amazing local draftsman/engineer/designer who is consulting with us over the continual floor plan revisions and "tweaking" necessary before we build.  He never complains about our barrage of questions and changes; and, he never charges us a penny.  "Who is this guy?", you ask.  Well, we like to call him:
"Uncle Dave".  That's right.

(Uncle Dave, on the left, with us -- visiting an Off-grid friend in Eureka last year.)

And now -- drum roll, please --  Uncle Dave's escrow on his former Oregon home closes tomorrow!  Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!  We are planning to celebrate his "ground-breaking" this Saturday morning.  Of course, our home will probably not begin construction until next Spring, but lots of our prep-work (Septic system, electrical decisions, excavation, etc) will be going on this Summer and into Autumn.

Please continue to pray for us.  Here's what we need prayer for:

• God's divine protection, provision and direction.  (John 15:1-17; Philippians 4:4-13; Proverbs 3:5-6; Psalm 37:4)
• Friends to help us with the labor, when construction begins
• Cooperation from Ric's employers as we work out a harmony of schedules that will accommodate our home-building
• That we will keep Christ at the center of all we do.  (Psalm 24)

Keep this blog bookmarked in your browser, so we can keep you up-to-date on our progress.  May the Lord bless your efforts to serve Him.

--Ric

 

(Clockwise from Left: Chloe, Jenna, Ric, Emily, Caleb, Cassandra and Sophia)

Law vs. Grace... Off with the Kid Gloves!

Friends:

Yesterday, I had an intense conversation (a "holy argument" that made my wife a little concerned, as she observed) with another believer (an acquaintance) after a church service: a continuation of the pastor's examination of Grace and the Law.  This brother was asserting that the measure of a believer's true walk with Christ was that he would have a greater and greater desire to follow the Law -- i.e., the Ten Commandments.  I stated that "no, the measure of a Christ follower is by how much his life emulates the grace and truth of the Savior.  We MUST ask for the Holy Spirit's empowerment to follow God from the heart, not merely aim for keeping His law.  GOD IS NOT THE LAW, AND THE LAW IS NOT GOD."
Unfortunately, after my "discussion" with this brother, I learned from the pastor that the brother said he could no longer attend that church.  Being somewhat of a newcomer to that fellowship, I apologized profusely to the pastor.  To my surprise, the pastor smiled and warmly told me no apology was necessary.  The pastor then informed me that his own attempts to break through the man's legalism were met with equal resistance, and he believed the man to be trying to clean out dust specks out of the eyes of others, while being visually impaired by his own log-ridden myopia.  God's providence prevailed, he told me.
Lest I think that I have "won" or "arrived" (hardly!) in this familiar issue of Law vs. Grace, as of today I'll be studying -- taking a HARD look at -- the New Testament book of Romans with my Bride (and my children).  First off, I'm telling you this for accountability's sake.  Feel free to ask me how it's going.

Secondly, I think it'd be great if you would join me; that is, if you're not already into a book study, of course.

Let me know how it affects you...

Have a fruitful day.

--Ric

www.ADifferentLegacy.com is temporarily "ADifferentLegacy.wordpress.com"

Since I am unable to renew my domain name as of yet, the address for this blog will be:

http://ADifferentLegacy.wordpress.com/

You can also find us at:

http://thecalvihomestead.blogspot.com/ 

...at least until further notice.  (Yes, I know that ours is not a "homestead" in the most literal sense of the word.  Literal is so boring... don't let it trip you up. :-)

Be sure to "bookmark" either of those pages.  Have a great day!

Skill of the day -- Squirrel Pole

Right up front, let me just say a few things:

1. I prefer eating the conventional meats (beef/chicken/pork) as much as the next guy.
2. When given the path of least resistance, I'll probably take it, same as anyone.
3. I did not grow up on a farm, in the backwoods or in a third-world country.  I'm a Southern California native, who has taken up residence in NW Montana for the past 2 years.
4. I have never eaten squirrel meat, so I don't know how it tastes -- but I'm curious.
5. I have eaten wild rabbit, which I have hunted, dressed and cooked myself, on more than one occasion.
6. If you are offended by people harming furry little forest creatures, please stop reading now.
7. Always practice safe trapping and hunting habits.
8. I believe there's room enough for all of God's creatures... right next to the mashed potatoes.

OK, now that that's out of the way...

Today, I decided to try my hand at making a "Squirrel Pole" trap. Of course, I used "found" materials: a ratty old 2x4 and some old electrical wire.  The wire sheathing was a nice shade of "forest brown", which I figure will serve to camouflage the snares.  Apparently these type of traps are supposed to use several of these "nooses" down the length of the pole, but I was feeling lazy, so I only used 2 -- top and bottom.

Why in the world would I want to trap -- let alone eat -- a squirrel or two?  Well, there are a number of reasons:

1. Squirrels are plentiful, and generally very healthy.  They're everywhere!  They're also "cage-free" and "free-range", fed on natural fruits and nuts.  From what I understand, most states (at least mine) don't require any licensing or "tags" to hunt or trap squirrels.
2. Trapping is silent, productive and (mostly) free.  Nothing attracts unwanted attention like even a single gunshot, even from the humble .22 rifle.  If we ever find ourselves in a situation (like during the Great Depression) where many, many families only had food on the table if they could hunt/trap/gather/grow it themselves, I want to be prepared to feed my family without having to rely on whether or not the grocery stores' "cellophane-wrapped meat packs" were available.  While hunting can be effective (if one is skilled at it), it requires constant maintenance for the duration of the hunt.  Trapping is more efficient in that (a) you can re-use your "ammunition" (traps);  (b) you can effectively harvest from several places all-at-once, thereby increasing your take; and (c) you "need not be present to win", so to speak.  Set the trap now, check on it later -- even 24 hours later, if the weather is cold.
3. Squirrels are very easy to "process".  They are much, much easier to handle (field-to-freezer-to-table) than are deer, elk or any other larger game.  Heck, my 7-year-old daughter could skin & gut a squirrel... and probably will, at least once, if I have anything to do with it.  (Yes, that is one of the requirements of growing up in my household: getting exposed to dressing wild-caught game, large and small, on land and in water.) 

There are probably many more reasons to familiarize yourself with the hunting/trapping of wild food sources... what do you think?  Leave a comment below, and let me know about your experiences.  I'll let you know what ever came of my modest attempt at squirrel trapping, ASAP.

Have a productive day!
Psalm 24:1

Wordpress

 
Today, "A Different Legacy" is making its debut on Wordpress...

Our new (additional) URL is http://ADifferent:Legacy.wordpress.com/

Of course, we'll still be found at www.ADifferentLegacy.com, which will show identical content on Blogger, but with a slightly different layout.

Let me know your thoughts... which do you prefer?

Thanks for reading.

Guest Post

Greetings, dear friends!

I'm very excited to present, for the very first time posting on ADifferentLegacy.com -- [drumroll, please]:

Our lovely nearly-17-year-old daughter, whom I refer to as "SweetPea".  Please keep her in your prayers, as she has been studying to take her G.E.D. (high-school-diploma-equivalent) test soon. 

Now, without further ado...

-------------

TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 2013

What does "dying to self" mean?

I think I am learning. Well, a very small portion of it, anyway.

Lately I've been noticing how selfish many of my habitual, every-day motives are. I think of myself more than I ought. More often than not, I value my own will and (self-determined) well-being more than I value those of others around me. The other day, God opened my heart to how ridiculous some of my actions and reactions are. For example... Why do I scoff when my mom asks me not to add a certain ingredient that I prefer to the meal I am making for my family? Why do I grumble when my parents advise me not to purchase a certain thing, or when they tell me that it's not the best time for me to get driving hours? Do I realize the irony of inwardly complaining when I've been told to watch my younger siblings outside when instead, I want to read a book on relationship with God and building faith and character? Well, now I do.

Why do I let such small matters cause me to sin and fall subject to my own selfish desires? The answer is simple: my flesh is alive and well, and by not living my life as unto the Lord inevery minuscule aspect of it, I am giving my flesh the power to rule over me. But God is faithful to bring to completion the good work in me that He began, and He isn't done with me yet! I suppose He won't be until the minute in which I take my last breath in this world, and move on to be with Him in His heaven. And I hope, with all of my being, that He will be able to say, "Welcome, daughter; and well done, my good and faithful servant."

On a related note, I've seen the parallels between selflessness and joy. To expound on this briefly, I've discovered that when you are not focused on your own desires, there is more ease and joy in serving and obliging others. A certain heaviness and constant discontentment leaves your soul, because you are not seeking your happiness in the obtaining of your own wants, which are impossible to always satisfy. Instead, your goal is to please others, and that always seems to be easier than pleasing yourself. Also, when you are truly denying yourself, your whole outlook on life and general every-day attitude is transformed. It's more positive, more apt to seeing the good and pure in people, in situations, and in circumstances, than if you were constantly seeking the gratification of your own will.

So, I am being taught a lesson in selflessness. And I am learning it much more deeply now than I ever thought I may have learned it before. I do not want to lose sight of this thing happening in me, and my constant prayer is that I do not become complacent or apathetic in my walk with Jesus. Whoever may be reading this, I hope you will pray for me as well.

~It is He who works in me~

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If you'd like to read more of her posts, visit her blog

To the parents of small children...

Wow!  It's a great day for "Guest Posts"!

To Parents of Small Children: Let Me Be the One Who Says It Out Loud

Guest Post

Here is a thought-provoking article written by my new friend David G.
I pray it stirs you as much as it did me!

An Open Apology | ravenfood

Is Safety an Enemy?

Photo by history.howstuffworks.com

I checked this book out from the public library today:

 

Now, it's no surprise to anyone who has even scanned this blog, that I would want to devour a book like this.  Just the very title encapsulates a life-dream of mine... an "item on the bucket list", if you will.  However, I wonder if my de facto familiarity with conventional modern housing construction -- as well as my fear of failure at such an intimidating goal -- represent significant obstacles to my getting serious about actually building such a home?  In other words...
Is safety an enemy?
Not safety as in, "don't run with scissors"; but safety as in, "I don't want to fail in a highly-embarrassing, financially devastating way, so it's safer not to try".
When/if the opportunity presents itself (whenever that may be), will I have the guts to try, to persist?
I hope so.  Safety schmafety.

Gardening, part 2

 
When last we left our intrepid gardeners, they were doing all the manual-labor/prep-type stuff.  You know — pulling up weeds and grass, building raised beds, shoveling manure. 

The sweaty stuff.

After all that, the little girls needed a "silly break":

Though we were not quite planned and ready to sow the seed and plant the "starts", we were able to get a "lovage" plant in the ground.  (Now, we have a strict "Rule #1" in our garden: everything must be edible.)  Having heard that celery (one of our favorite veggies) is a challenge to grow in the Flathead Valley, we decided to plant lovage as a celery alternative.  After it was planted, I chewed on a piece of the tube-like stalk, to see what we were in for.  It was supremely celery-y ("celery-ish"?) — so much so that I fear I'm the only one in the family with a palate for such a strong flavor.  No matter... it still complies with "Rule #1"!

We started to lay out how everything would look, taking into account that certain plants have their preferred "buddies" or companion plants that they like to grow up with.  The laying out is what took the longest, and while I was chomping at the bit to "just plant something" (!), my dear, thoughtful bride — the family "Garden Queen" — took the necessary time to make sure there was a place for everything, and everything in its place.

Then, on May 23rd, I woke up to this:

"Winter's Last Stand" (hopefully!)

Well, Winter's threat proved an empty one, and by the end of the day, it was all melted.

So, this afternoon, after a nearly perfect-weathered Sunday fellowship and potluck, we came back home to start digging and stuffing.  Here's what we have so far:

Clockwise from Left:
Nasturtium (edible) flowers, Lovage, various lettuces and (edible) flowers, Red Cabbage, Lavender, Rosemary, Garlic, Spinach, Sugar Snap Peas and Strawberries.


Still to come later: Tomatoes, Bush Beans, Cucumbers, Squash, Celery, Rhubarb, etc.

What are you planting this year?