God's Way, by Lydia S. Leach

God’s way is the best way,
though I may not see
Why sorrows and trials
oft gather ’round me;

He ever is seeking my gold to refine,
So humbly I trust Him, my Savior divine.

Refrain:
God’s way is the best way,
God’s way is the right way,
I’ll trust in Him alway,
He knoweth the best.

God’s way is the best way,
my path He has planned,
I’ll trust in Him alway
while holding His hand;
In shadows or sunshine He ever is near,
With Him for my refuge, I never need fear.

God’s way shall be my way,
He knoweth the best;
And leaning upon Him,
sweet, sweet is my rest,
No harm can befall me,
safe, safe shall I be,
I’ll cling to Him ever,
so precious is He.

Happy "Day Off"?

Today - on my day off - I'm washing clothes, washing dishes, organizing, cleaning, planting, entertaining, sweating and more. And griping. Oh yes, I was griping about it.

Then it occurred to me that those clothes I'm washing -- they're ours. Mine and my family's. We own them. They don't belong to my employer or worse yet, my owner. They're unique clothes - chosen to fit and compliment someone in my family. They're not oppressively hot with only a window for the eyes. They're weren't given us because we had none. Even better, they don't bear the stripes of a prison or the Star of a concentration camp. Our clothes. Purchased, worn and washed in freedom.

Those dishes? They're dirty because we have enjoyed meals on them. Simple meals, prepared in love and enjoyed around a table under a watertight roof. The scraps placed in the dog's bowl show how very blessed we are to have not only enough, but more than enough. And we ate at our leisure with utensils and cold or hot drinks. Food served on plates, not out of plastic pouches. We didn't huddle over our food in vain effort to keep out the flying sand or the rain. We dined in freedom because others ate MREs and wished for Mom's cooking.

Cleaning, organizing and planting are tiring work when done for one's own family. Imagine those who clean the mansions of a madman only to return home to squalor. Those who plant and harvest gardens and rice all day, then cradle a starving child at night. Those who cook for thousands of troops until they're too tired to nourish their own body. Those whose organizational duties include getting ammunition, food and other supplies for several platoons from point A to point B -- while being shot at. Imagine if you will having only one thing to clean...your weapon. Feel the burden not lighten from less cleaning responsibilities, but weigh down on shoulders barely out of high school. Shoulders that left wives and children behind in the states. Shoulders that have seen too much war and carried too many bodies. So in freedom I will organize my closet and remember.

Later this evening I will visit with friends. Friends of my own choosing who have seen good times and bad. But not compatriots. Compatriots are thrown together in the very worst of situations and their lives are forever intertwined. Whether they don envelope hats and march in parades or go on to live quiet lives out of the spotlight, on days like today they are never far from one another's mind. In their own gruff way, they love each other. Sometimes they even miss their buddy from their time at Normandy, or in Seoul or Saigon...the Delta, the jungle, on under or over the seas. Some, if not all, will think today of their buddy "Joe" or "Don" or "Rick" who didn't come back. For whom the wail of Taps echoed off the headstones of those gone on before. I'll think of "Joe" today as I sit - a free woman - and sip iced tea with friends.

And then, later, in a quiet time and a quiet place I'll speak the prayer my heart has been murmering all day long, "Oh God...thank you for the GIJoes and Janes who have given all that I may live in freedom. Thank you God that even today someone fights not only to ensure my continued freedom but to enable someone who hasn't known freedom the chance to breath it's fresh, clean air. Thank you God especially for those Joes and Janes who are serving Your higher calling. Those who, even as they obey the orders of men are praying for those still in bondage. Give them strength today and always Lord."

Our Earth Day Celebration

We're celebrating Earth Day! First we DROVE our 7 passenger mini-van (just the 2 of us) to a printing company to pick up their payment. They paid me with a check using profit they get from killing trees.Then, we went to the bank. Then we went and ate at KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN. We used styro plates and plastic forks. Paper napkins and to go cups.

Later today, instead of being frugal and having common sense in using dish towels - I will use paper towels to clean the sink. I will spray WINDEX on the surfaces, then flush the rinse water down the DRAIN. Later, I plan to take a 20 minute shower. At 8:00 this evening for the great "lights out" thingie we will be turning on every light in the house.Tomorrow I will return to my frugal ways, using dishtowels, not wasting water, using natural inexpensive cleaning products. I will cook & eat at home to conserve energy, money and gasoline. I will use my china and glassware and cloth napkins like I do every day.

In short, my "footprint" is smaller than most people's. And it is because of frugality and God's admonition to care for the earth and all in it.But on this day I refuse to participate in the environmentalism practiced by those who have nothing more meaningful than foisting their near religious ferver on the rest of us. I'll reject their admonition to "save the earth". I'm just not that narcissistic. I know one person can make a difference. That much is true. But teaching children that they can "save the earth" and there will be a utopian society is just setting them up for a fall. Sure, teach your children responsibility to our temporary home. Even non-Christians know they're but a wave tossed in the ocean when you look at the whole of history. But when your child is 30 and still hearing about the dying polar bears, they're going to figure it out. Hopefully.

The best way to celebrate Earth Day is each day to be sensible in your consumerism. Not letting the water run isn't just careless, it is costly. So is using disposables. And harsh chemicals that induce asthma attacks. Be each day a good steward of the home God has given us. But lets not worship it. After all, it is temporary.

Was It A Morning Like This

Was it a morning like this
When the Son still hid from Jerusalem?
And Mary rose from her bed
To tend the Lord She thought was dead

What is a morning like this,
When Mary walked down from Jerusalem?
And two angels stood at the tomb,
Bearers of news she would hear soon.

Did the grass sing?
Did the earth rejoice
To feel you again?
Over and over like a
Trumpet underground,
Did the earth seem to pound:
“He is risen”
over and over
in a never ending round
“He is risen, alleluia, alleluia!”

Was it an morning like this,
When Peter and John from Jerusalem?
And as they raced for the tomb,
Beneath their feet was there a tune?

Was it a morning like this,
When my Lord looked out
On Jerusalem?
He is risen, alleluia, alleluia.

By Request

We have some kids playing their music way too loud. I asked some friends for mucis suggestions to have a little fun and make a point. I now have a polka-Barry Manilow loaded boom box on the front porch. ;-) Someone wanted to know more, so here goes:

This is a nice neighborhood. No mcMansions here, but good, modestly sized houses. We still live here because a child born 3 months early at Vanderbilt costs around $1 million and we don’t do bankruptcy.

The first full day we lived here, there was a little boy with a deep, dark tan playing in our back yard. He was a cute little thing, around 6 and left to pretty much raise himself. Mama was an alcoholic. He hid when hubs called him down for throwing rocks at our metal outbuilding because he liked the sound.

Through the years, we befriended this little one and introduced him to our friend Jesus. When he was left outside on his own, we took him in and gave him a good meal. We always returned him back home safe and sound when his mom sobered up. One night hubby even picked his mama up out of the front yard and got her in when then-preteen boy could not.

Finally, the lure of money and the empty “love” offered by the streets in the city got him. For years we would only see him occasionally at WalMart (where he would yell - Mom! Dad! Caused some confusion, lol.) or when the police came looking for him. 9 years or so ago we found out he’d been dealing drugs and all the other bad stuff. He knew these other boys even then - and unbeknownst to us put the word out that anyone harming us or our home would be dealing with him and his gang.

3 years ago he showed up with the prettiest 2 children I’ve ever seen. The next day he sat on my porch (I don’t allow men inside when hubs isn’t home) and talked with my pastor. That day, he met - and accepted - my friend Jesus.

These are not bad children. Even if they were, they don’t really scare me. First I have my Father watching over me day and night. Secondly, I have Smith & Wesson doing the same. If I deal with them creatively, I know they will come asking. And I will have a chance to begin the cycle over again.

What joy!

The Food Police

From the Freepers:

HR 875 The food police, criminalizing organic farming and the backyard gardener, and violation of the 10th amendment

This bill is sitting in committee and I am not sure when it is going to hit the floor. One thing I do know is that very few of the Representatives have read it. As usual they will vote on this based on what someone else is saying. Urge your members to read the legislation and ask for opposition to this devastating legislation. Devastating for everyday folks but great for factory farming ops like Monsanto, ADM, Sodexo and Tyson to name a few.

I have no doubt that this legislation was heavily influenced by lobbyists from huge food producers. This legislation is so broad based that technically someone with a little backyard garden could get fined and have their property siezed. It will effect anyone who produces food even if they do not sell but only consume it. It will literally put all independent farmers and food producers out of business due to the huge amounts of money it will take to conform to factory farming methods. If people choose to farm without industry standards such as chemical pesticides and fertilizers they will be subject to a vareity of harassment from this completely new agency that has never before existed. That's right, a whole new government agency is being created just to police food, for our own protection of course.

DO NOT TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, READ THIS LEGISLATION FOR YOURSELF. The more people who read this legislation the more insight we are going to get and be able to share. Post your observations and insights below. Urge your members to read this legislation and to oppose the passage of this legislation.

Pay special attention to
* Section 3 which is the definitions portion of the bill-read in it's entirety. * section 103, 206 and 207- read in it's entirety.
Red flags I found and I am sure there are more...........
* Legally binds state agriculture depts to enforcing federal guidelines effectively taking away the states power to do anything other than being food police for the federal dept. * Effectively criminalizes organic farming but doesn't actually use the word organic. * Effects anyone growing food even if they are not selling it but consuming it. * Effects anyone producing meat of any kind including wild game. * Legislation is so broad based that every aspect of growing or producing food can be made illegal. There are no specifics which is bizarre considering how long the legislation is. * Section 103 is almost entirely about the administrative aspect of the legislation. It will allow the appointing of officials from the factory farming corporations and lobbyists and classify them as experts and allow them to determine and interpret the legislation. Who do you think they are going to side with? * Section 206 defines what will be considered a food production facility and what will be enforced up all food production facilities. The wording is so broad based that a backyard gardener could be fined and more. * Section 207 requires that the state's agriculture dept act as the food police and enforce the federal requirements. This takes away the states power and is in violation of the 10th amendment. * There are many more but by the time I got this far in the legislation I was so alarmed that I wanted to bring someone's attention to it. (to the one person who reads my blog)

Didn't Stalin nationalize farming methods that enabled his administration to gain control over the food supply? Didn't Stalin use the food to control the people?

Last word...... Legislate religion and enforce gag orders on ministers on what can and can't be said in the pulpit, instituting regulations forcing people to rely soley on the government, control the money and the food. What is that called? It is on the tip of my tongue..........
I haven't read any of the Senate's version of the bill as I have been poring thru the House's version. Here is the link and I hope some of you can take a look and post your observations and insights below. One thing I am pretty sure of is that very few if any Senator's have actually read the legislation and when it comes up for a vote they will more than likely take someone else's word on how they should vote. The other thing I am pretty sure about is that the legislation was probably written by lobbyists and industry experts.


Things you can do
1. Contact your members at 202-224-3121 and ask them to oppose HR 875 and S 425. While you are at it ask them if they personally have read the legislation and what their position is? If they have not read the legislation ask them to read it and politely let them know that just because other representitives are not reading the legislation and voting on it does not mean they can do the same. 2. Get in touch with local farmers and food producers by attending a local farmers market and asking them how business is. 3. Attend a local WAPF meeting, this is a good start to learning about what is going on in farming and local & state initiatives . The website is http://www.westonaprice.org/localchapters/index.html 4. Check out the Farmers Legal Defense Fund at http://www.ftcldf.org/index.html 5. Find out who sits on your states agriculture and farming committee and contact them with your concerns. 6. Continue to contact your elected officials and let them know your position on legislation and why. 7. Get active at the local and state levels, this is the quickest way to initiate change.

Presidential wisdom from when Presidents were wise:

"There is no dignity quite so impressive, and no independence quite so important, as living within your means." -- Calvin Coolidge

Okay, I know its lame...

...to FINALLY post an update and have it only be a picture. But how cool is this?!