My First Year of Homesteading

So this week marks the end of what I would consider my first year of homesteading. While I had a small vegetable garden and got my first few chickens last year, the chickens didn't really start laying until this year, and we have expanded a lot in the last 12 months, so I would consider 2014 our first year of true urban homesteading.

I know what you may be thinking- I wish I could have a "homestead"! I wish I could have some land and grow some food and get some animals and be self-sufficient! Let me clarify our situation to encourage you. We do not have land (well, unless you count the 0.2 acre lot our house is on), and we do not live in the country (the exact opposite- we are smack dab in the middle of a city), and we are not self-sufficient (although more so than we were last year!). You can be a homesteader no matter what your living situation is. Don't wait until you buy a farm, start where you are with what you have.

To give you a little inspiration and celebrate how far we've come, I would like to share a little of our journey this year with you- how we started small and grew little by little, and how we can't wait to continue growing next year.

Our progression into homesteading has been slow but steady. Some of the things that we are doing are things I never thought I would consider a part of my daily life. Here is how it happened...

Vegetable Gardening
First I started a small raised vegetable garden a few years ago just to grow a few tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers- it's just sort of something you do in the south. It was 5' x 10', and later I expanded it to 5' x 15'. It was small, but manageable. I bought plants at Lowe's or Home Depot for $3 each. Some years we harvested a lot and other years we didn't get much at all. Monetarily speaking we usually broke even or ended up a little ahead.

Starting Seeds
I then decided to branch out and try a few plants from seeds- I was pretty intimidated by starting my own seeds! Carrots worked out, and beans and peas were so easy and produced a ton! I started experimenting with more and more plants from seeds until almost every plant in my garden was started by seed. Now the gains were much higher, because seeds produce many plants for a fraction of the cost of plants from the nursery. Plus, I now had a much wider range of plants to choose from! Click here for a handy vegetable starting guide.

Composting
One of the most expensive parts of gardening is the dirt! We starting composting all of our kitchen scraps and yard waste to make our own compost, and haven't bought any dirt since! I wish I could tell you how many pounds of nutrient rich "waste" I have composted instead of put in a landfill this year, but I know how much dirt we have made and used, and it has been significant! Composting is too beneficial and too easy not to do :)

Laying Chickens
I had been reading a lot about backyard chickens, and we decided to get a few to experiment. We talked about getting 3-4, but knew they wouldn't all make it so decided to get 5, and then somehow came home with 7 :) We built a coop ourselves from pieces leftover from other projects for pretty cheap. The chickens free ranged in our fenced in backyard which cut on feeding costs and make for a happy flock.

Fruit trees 
In the fall of 2013 we put in several fruit trees around the edges of the backyard. There was a mulberry tree there when we moved in, but we have added a satsuma, kumquat, lemon, grapefruit, pomegranate, grapevine, 5 blueberry bushes, 2 apples, and 2 pears over the last year. While this sounds like a lot of trees, placing them strategically around the edge of the yard or as a part of existing gardens and landscaping has made up hardly notice them at all! The price of fruit in the store is crazy, and we are loving the addition of fruit in our yard!

Raised Beds and Square Foot Gardening
Around this time, we discovered something terrible. All of the vegetables that were our favorites, were also the chickens favorites, and the garden was the perfect place for them to dust bathe. Suddenly almost any gardening became impossible, and we rigged up some netting to keep them out.
This system worked for the rest of the season, but I wanted to make a significant expansion to the vegetable garden, and fence it in to keep out the chickens. We worked all fall of 2013 and were able to put in the first plants in March 2014. We made the new garden all raised beds and planted using the Square Foot Method.

Meat Chickens
After an unfortunate accident involving our flock of chickens and the neighbor's dog, we had to start a new flock. As it turned out, some of our hens in this bunch turned out to be roosters. We knew that crowing in the suburban neighborhood wouldn't go over well, and needed to get rid of the offenders quickly. That is how we happened upon our first meat chicken. Of our 12 chickens, 5 turned out to be roosters, and we quickly learned how to deal with the queasiness and process our own chickens. They turned out to be really delicious! At the same time, we began researching the inhumane treatment of chickens in meat processing plants. We decided not to buy anymore chicken from the grocery store and added meat chickens to our flock. While many people we know consider us raising our own meat to be mean, anyone who eats meat gets it from an animal somewhere! At least this way, we know that our animals had a happy, free ranging life before they had a second purpose of becoming nourishment.

Canning, Drying, and Preserving
With the expansion of our garden, we started really getting a lot of fresh produce. In some cases there was more than we could eat or give away, so I started learning how to preserve food for later. Drying herbs, canning, pickling, and freezing vegetables, and making jams and jellies quickly became normal, and our pantry was well stocked. You can read the review of our harvest from the spring season.

DIY Household Items
As soon as you figure out you can make your own food, you begin to look at everything differently. When I run out of something around the house, before I put it on the shopping list I ask myself, is this something we can make ourselves? We experimented with a lot of diy household items this year. Some have turned out great, like laundry detergent, and others not so much, like shaving cream. But slowly, we are buying less household products and making more of our own.

Rabbits
My husband had been researching other meat options, and started looking into raising meat rabbits. I dragged my feet for months before starting this project, because rabbits are so cute! It seemed strange to raise them to eat, but they were a lot more practical than starting a new flock of meat chickens every few months. We got two rabbits, and by the time they had grown to mating age, mated, gave birth, and raised the babies to eating age, I was ready to give the rabbits a try. Best decision on the homestead yet! We have now replaced all of the chicken in our diet with rabbit, and gone back to only laying hens.

Selling the Extras
At the end of 2014, I was a part of a few craft shows, and decided to sell some of the extras that I had from our gardening adventures. These were things that I knew we would never get around to eating because we already had so much. I sold dried herbs, pickles, pepper jelly, etc. I was surprised how much people jumped all over locally grown food items that hadn't been grown with any pesticides or fertilizers! I made $63 in profit from just those few extras, and then I realized- now we are homesteaders for real! I already have people asking for more of certain items, so I will be ready with some more farm fresh products next year!

The Year in Review
While we still aren't self-sufficient, and are a long way from it, here are some things that were staples on our grocery shopping list last year, that we haven't bought at all this year!
- eggs
- chicken
- chicken broth
- laundry detergent
- most herbs (there is the random one or two that I don't grow)
- green onions, green beans, cucumbers, pickles (all of the other vegetables I still had to supplement throughout the year)
- bread (that's right, all homemade for one year now- woo hoo!)

This year we produced...
- 22lbs. meat (valued at $88)
- 87 dozen eggs (valued at $348)
- 12 lbs. fruit (not bad for the first year on our trees) (valued at $33)
- 85lbs. vegetables (valued at $226)

That's a total of $695 worth of food that we grew in our own yard with minimal effort and experience! (I'm basing these prices on regular grocery store prices, NOT what you would pay at a local farmer's market, which would be much more expensive.) Plus, add in the $63 we made from selling finished products and our total comes to $758. We spent $225 on feed, so our final profit value was $533.

Our average grocery bill last year was $50/week. So this adds up to almost 3 MONTHS of free groceries! We used what we had to make more of what we needed- that's homesteading!

What next?
We are looking forward to continuing to grow our homestead next year with new projects already in mind.
- We want to build an aquaponics system in the greenhouse to grow fish and vegetables in a coexistent relationship
- We are thinking about expanding from one female breeding rabbit to two for double the meat production
- I am getting a dehydrator to begin learning how to preserve fresh foods in a new way
- Not sure if this will happen this year, but our area recently made it legal to have bees within the city limits, so that is on the list for the future as well!

What about your homestead?
So what steps are you going to take this year to be a little more self-sustaining? Think about what you have and what you can do with it- you will be surprised at how much can come from just a little!

12 Days of Anticipation: Day 10 Wise Men Seek Him

Day 10- Wise Men Seek Him

The "wise men" were exactly that- a group of academics who studied the stars, an ancient group of scholars constantly searching their scrolls and expanding their knowledge. They had read the prophesies and they knew the signs. When a new star appeared in the sky, they didn't waste time hypothesizing or making attempts to find a scientific explanation or seeing what other sources had to say- they knew that it announced the birth of the new king of the Jews. They followed the star in faith that it would lead them to the site of the birth of this important new king.

On a modern-day list of sought after character traits, wisdom seems to be losing ground. Our society affirms and rewards those who cultivate self-esteem, assertiveness, and independence. The wisdom of the Bible seems to contradict a lot of the motivation behind today's leaders. The book of Proverbs is filled with tips for acting with wisdom rather than foolishness, but sometimes we tend to encourage acting the exact opposite!

Here are a few examples:

Proverbs 1:7
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."- We pride ourselves in hiding and getting away with sin, while the wise fear the Lord.

Proverbs 29:11

"A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control."- We find it important to stand up for ourselves, putting the defense of our own pride ahead of self-control.

Proverbs 14:16
"One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless."

- YOLO- need I say more?

Proverbs 29:7

"A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge."

- Any human injustice, racism, classism, gender bias, etc. all stem from a lack of wisdom.

Proverbs 21:20

"Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling, but a foolish man devours it."

- We live by credit, borrowing what we don't have to buy what we don't need.

The wise men used their knowledge to continue their life-long quest for what mattered most to them- wisdom. It is not surprising that the end of their search brought them to Jesus, the source of all true wisdom. We have thousands of voices speaking into our lives everyday- ads, social media, coworkers, music, movies, tv, family, friends, etc. We need to make an effort to balance out these messages with truth by seeking the source of wisdom everyday- Jesus Christ.

Would you say that wisdom is a character trait that you value and foster in your life?
How does the Bible's wisdom contradict with the trends in our society?
In what ways have you believed and acted on the world's wisdom rather than God's?
How can you seek and develop a personal relationship with Jesus on a daily basis to be in touch with His wisdom?

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12 Days of Anticipation: Day 9 Angels and Shepherds

Day 9- Angels and Shepherds

Think about the delivery room- who was present at your birth? Mom, obviously. The doctor? Dad? Possibly some extended family? A baby's birth seems like a private moment, shared between mother and child, and in some cases the father as well. Jesus' birth was a slightly different scenario. Mom and adopted dad were there, along with some farm animals, and no doctor or midwife. What began as an intimate beginning quickly grew to a crowded stable. Even though Jesus had humble beginnings, the angels couldn't help but throw a big party to celebrate God manifested on earth as a human to save the world from sin. However, the angels invited an unlikely group.

There were some shepherds watching their flocks nearby, and suddenly they were overwhelmed by the awesome appearance of a shining angel telling them not to be afraid. The angel delivered the unbelievable news and then was joined by an army of angels all singing praises to God! Can you imagine being able to see such a sight? Needless to say, the shepherd didn't question their invitation but hurried into town to see the Savior and worship HIm. After that, they couldn't keep the news to themselves but went throughout the town of Bethlehem rejoicing and telling everyone the good news. I would imagine that many others would come to see the baby after hearing the shepherds story, but the Bible doesn't mention any. Maybe they didn't believe the shepherds. Maybe they were busy with their own plans. Maybe they just didn't understand the significance of the moment. Whatever the reason, this group of lowly shepherds were the only ones to celebrate the birth of God's Son that night.

Why did the angels choose to invite a group of lowly shepherds? They could have announced their news to anyone. Did the angels choose them because they were in a remote area and the angels could really belt out their song without waking up the whole town? Did the shepherds have more faith? Had they been waiting for the Savior or did the news come as a complete surprise? Maybe they were simply available and receptive to the message from the Lord.

Are you available to hear a message from the Lord?
In what ways do you ignore opportunities to hear from God?
How can you be more willing to listen and become involved in what God is doing around you?

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12 Days of Anticipation: Day 8 God With Us

Day 8- God with us

Emmanuel. God with us. This is the moment we have all been waiting for! Jesus is born.

Mary gives birth. Pain and anguish are followed by relief and overwhelming joy as she sees her son for the first time. The pain of childbirth, the very curse given to Eve at the first sin, produces the One who will save mankind from it. So much hope, so much anticipation, so many dreams for the future are wrapped in this tiny bundle. Every child is a miracle, but this one is the Son of God. The long awaited Savior with ten perfect little fingers and ten little toes has finally come. The King of Kings with such alert eyes for a newborn. The Wonderful Counselor with an adorable nose. The Prince of Peace with that precious tongue just barely poking out as he yawns. And Mary treasures all of these things in her heart. And what a treasure it is!

And the new father! The pride that Joseph felt when first holding his son, the protective flood of love for this tiny child, was only a small reflection of the deeper expression of our Father's love for us, poured out in this gift of his only Son. What we receive with joy was God's sacrificial gift given in love. How amazing to know that our Father loves us so much!

Mary holds this baby, so tiny, yet an enormous burden. She will love this child born in a barn, raise Him moving from country to country to avoid death threats, lose Him to ministry (who are my mother and brothers?), and even watch Him die a horrific death on a cross. The path will tear at her very soul, but for tonight, she holds in her arms the very One who will be her salvation. As this baby reaches out his arms with a first cry, he enters the world the same way He will leave it, arms stretched out with a final cry. But even that last moment, as far ahead in the story as it is, is not the end!

Have you experienced that flood of love for another human that is only a taste of the Father's love for us?
Have you also experienced the pain of raising children? Losing them in some way?
In what ways have you expressed your gratitude for God's gift of his Son this Christmas?

We wonder why Christmas time always seems so bitter sweet, and I think it is because even the first Christmas started out that way. All great acts of love come at a cost. But true acts of selfless love are always worth the price.

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12 Days of Anticipation: Day 7 No Entitlement for a King

Day 7- No Entitlement for a King

Jesus could have been born into any circumstances that God chose. Being the Son of God, Jesus is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Everlasting Savior. A setting fitting for who he is does not even exist on earth, but Jesus

Philippians 2:5-8 explains it this way, "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

Jesus was a true picture of humility rather than entitlement- he took on human form, left His home in heaven to be born on earth, he grew up in a poor family, he worked as a carpenter, he did not collect possessions, he accepted abuse from his enemies and loved those who persecuted him, allowed himself to be killed a humiliating and painful death, all so that he could offer us new life- a selfless act. He did not hold out a list of 'rights' as God's Son, but truly experienced the struggles of human life. Why do we think we deserve to be immune from them?

We are sometimes tricked into thinking that life with Christ should be easier- that we will be blessed all the time or that we deserve what God has given us in our lives. The truth is that God tells us that in this life we will have trouble, that we will be persecuted for His name, and that everyday we must take up our cross to follow Him. Jesus did not claim any entitlement or take the easier road as the Son of God. Why do we think we should deserve better than God's own Son?

Have you ever asked God why you were given a certain set of circumstances or challenges?
Have you blamed Him for the situation or family that you were born into?
In what ways has God used those circumstance to shape you into the person that He can use to help others?

Jesus could have spent His time wondering why the challenges placed before Him were necessary, but instead He chose to use those circumstances to reach out to those around him. How could He truly say He loves us and connect with us in a way that we would trust in Him without meeting us on our level? Not only was he born into humble circumstances, it was a leap to choose to be born as a human at all...

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12 Days of Anticipation: Day 6 No Room

Day 6- No Room

When Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem to be counted for the census, the town was filled with people who had been traveling for the same reason. When they found a place to stay, they were told that there was no room for them at the inn, and they were forced to take shelter in the barn for the night.

What was going through the innkeeper's head as he told them there was no room? Was he physically drained, exhausted from making as many people cram into his establishment as possible and had no corner to fit them into? Was he emotionally poor, looking at their situation without compassion or empathy? Was he financially strained, either unable or unwilling to give resources to help a couple in their time of need? Was he out of time, not having enough hours in the day to complete all that he already had on his plate? Was he spiritually empty, having heard of their story, an unwed couple expecting a child, and chose to judge instead of love? We don't know what made the inn keeper tell Mary and Joseph that there was no room at the inn that night. All we know is that Jesus was turned away.

While I have always been surprised by this turn of events- no room for a pregnant woman about to go into labor- I wonder how many times we have the same reaction as the inn keeper. It is difficult to have room for Jesus in today's world. We have time to check our social media but not to open our Bibles. We seem to have time to not miss an episode of our favorite shows, but frequently miss out on what God is doing around us. The truth is for us, and I suspect for the inn keeper as well, it isn't that we don't have room, but that we don't make room. And when we don't make room for a personal relationship with Jesus, we miss out on having room in our lives to be a part of what He is doing around us. Once you make room for Him, it is easier to make room for the people around us who are hurting and in need- people who WE are meant to reach out to.

What is keeping you from making room for Jesus in your life each day?
What limitations are keeping you from seeing the needs of others around you? Are you lacking physically, emotionally, financially or spiritually?
What is something that you can take out of your schedule so that you can have more freedom of time to help others?
How can you make room?

While Mary and Joseph being turned away seems like an unfortunate and unfair turn of events, God uses even this situation as a statement about who Jesus is...

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DIY Photo Transfer Tea Towel

One of the many Christmas presents that I decided to make this year were photo transfer Tea Towels! I saw some on pinterest that were so cute, to I made a ton of them for gifts this year, and they turned out great! Let me show you how it works.

First print out ANY image- color or black and white, graphic or photo, etc- on a LASER printer. This will not work with an inkjet, so make sure its laser. If you are printing anything with words, make sure you print the mirror image so it comes out right in the end.

Next, cut out your image to exactly what you want transferred to the towel. Keep in mind that even the negative space, or white parts of the picture in this case, will transfer on to the towel. So if you are using a colored towel instead of a white one, the negative space may look a little funny.

Next, iron out your towel. Mine are also pre-washed and dried. I used Aunt Martha's flour sack towels. They have that vintage look and feel to them without being super pricey. 

Now for the secret sauce! You are going to use Mod Podge photo transfer medium to work your magic. It comes in 2 ounce or 8 ounce bottles.

Mod Podge Photo Transfer Medium (8-Ounce), CS15067

Plaid Inc

Buy on Amazon

Mod Podge Photo Transfer Medium (2-Ounce), CS12652, 2 Ounce, White

Plaid Inc

Buy on Amazon

Lay your image on a piece of wax paper.

Glob on a bunch of the Mod Podge...

And then use a foam brush to cover the entire image with a THICK coat. It should be 1/16" thick and cover the entire image.

Next, carefully take the image off of the wax paper touching only the back and sides of the image. Lay it on your tea towel mod podge side down. Start in the center smoothing out your image, making sure there are no air bubbles. Make sure all of the edges are stuck down well, and if any of the mod podge squishes out the sides, wipe it off with a damp towel.

Now wait at least 24 hours for it to dry completely. I live in south Louisiana where our humidity was 98% the day of the project, so I waited 36 hours just to be safe, and it turned out great.

Next use a water and  a sponge to wet the entire surface of the image. Let the water soak in for two minutes.

After two minutes, rub the sponge over the surface of the image in a circular motion to rub off the paper.

Make sure that all of the paper is removed. If you rub your fingers over the image and paper pieces are still rolling off, then keep scrubbing. 

Once all the paper is removed, let the image cure for 72 hours. After this time period, your towel can be machine washed and dried, just make sure to not dry clean it or iron over the image.

Now, you're done! Enjoy sprucing up your kitchen with a personal touch or giving a gift that is handmade!

12 Days of Anticipation: Day 5 Unexpected News

Day 5- Unexpected News

Mary is just a teenager, living her life. She is betrothed to marry Joseph, a good man. I'm sure they had plans of building a house (one of the perks of marrying a carpenter), raising a family, and building a life together. It is every girl's dream-  a beautiful wedding to the perfect guy, and settling down into the cute house with the white picket fence, later adding two kids and a dog. I'm not sure what the Israelite version of this would have been, but I'm sure the anticipation and wistful excitement were the same. And then God, as He is known to do, took all of their plans and inserted His own.

An angel appears to Mary and gives her some incredible news- she will be the mother of the Savior whose kingdom will reign forever and she will conceive a child by the Holy Spirit even as a virgin. This news changed everything, and I'm sure it took a while for her to process all of the repercussions. She knew the Old Testament teachings and prophecies, she had been waiting for this day just like every other Jew. While she knew the coming of the Savior would change her life, I'm sure she hadn't ever considered being his mother!

While being the mother of the Savior was an honor, it obviously came with its challenges. I'm sure she weighed the costs in her mind. She would most likely lose Joseph- how could he believe such a tale? She would certainly lose her reputation- she could even be stoned as a prostitute for being pregnant out of wedlock. She could be kicked out of her family with no place to live. Suddenly all of the dreams for the future melted before her eyes at this unexpected news. While she could have blamed God for her loss or chosen to be a victim, her response is completely different. She sings a song!

"And Mary said:
My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me-
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought them down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors."
  Luke 1:46-55

Mary response is one of faith. Instead of mourning the loss of her own plans, she realizes the importance of God's plan and trusts him to take care of the details. She not only knows that God's plan is better than her own, but her response models it. Maybe that is why she was the one chosen for the task.

Has God given you an assignment that was unexpected?
Have you taken this life-changing news with a song or have you grudgingly resented the change in plans?
In what ways have you not trusted God to provide for you when following His plan rather than your own?

How you react when God wants to use you in His plans makes all the difference in the world. At least, it did for Mary...


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12 Days of Anticipation: Day 4 The Matriarchs

Day 4- The Matriarchs

The New Testament book of Matthew begins with the genealogy of Jesus. Normally the genealogy only follows the father's line, stating only the men in the family. However in Jesus' genealogy there are four women listed (other than Mary), and I think that is significant. God could have chosen any family line to place the Savior of the world in, and we would expect only the greatest people to be in his lineage. Let's take a look at Jesus family heritage.

The first woman mentioned in Matthew 1:3 is Tamar. You can read Tamar's story in Genesis 38, but I'll give you a quick overview. Tamar was an a Gentile- an outsider living with the Israelites. She was married to Er, a man so evil that God himself put him to death. As was the custom, she was given in marriage to Er's brother to have a child and continue her family line, but Onan didn't want to give a child on his brother's behalf and sinned. The Lord struck him dead as well. The third brother was to young to marry her and fulfill the brother's duties so the father, Judah, sent Tamar back to her family to wait. Judah had no intention of losing another son to whom he considered a cursed woman. With a turn of events, Tamar pretends to be a prostitute to sleep with Judah and finally becomes pregnant with a son. When Judah wants to have her killed for prostitution, she gives him proof that he is the father to save her life. This is a woman who lost two husbands, was cast aside and treated as a disease, had lost all hope of carrying on her family line, and even had her life threatened. And yet, this is the woman that God chose to include in the line of Jesus.

Our next woman is Rahab in verse 5, whose story is in Joshua 2. Rahab didn't have to pretend to be a prostitute, because that was her actual profession. She lived in the wall of Jericho, a city God intended to bring down as the Israelites advanced to the Promised Land. When Joshua sent spies into the land, she hid them on her roof and kept them safe, making them promise to save her and her family when the city fell. She had incredible faith in a God that she had only heard about from others and gave up everything she had to follow Him with the Israelites in the desert. In spite of where she began, where she ended up was what placed her in Jesus' family line.

The third woman is Ruth, another outsider who married into an Israelites family. Her story in the book of Ruth (yes, she gets her own book!), tells of the death of her husband and her father in law. When her mother in law encourages her to go back to her own people to remarry and have a family, she refuses to abandon her mother in law. She gave up her opportunity to have a family line in order to care for a bitter old woman and follow a God whom she had only just begun to learn about. Out of this tragedy comes a new beginning when she meets Boaz, the next in line in her family willing to marry her. She has children with him and becomes the grandmother of King David. What she would have missed if she had been looking out for her own interests!

The final woman is Bathsheba, whose story is in 2 Samuel 11. Her husband Uriah was fighting in the war when King David noticed her. He slept with her and she became pregnant. To cover his tracks, David arranged to have Uriah killed in battle and married Bathsheba. When the child was born, it was sick and God allowed it to die as a punishment for David's sin. Bathsheba eventually gives birth to another son, Solomon. Even though Bathsheba is not David's first wife, and her son is not near the top of the list for the throne, Solomon becomes king. Bathsheba trusts God through all of this.

Every single one of these women had lives that could have been defined by grief and tragedy. Loss and despair could have been their anthem, but instead they kept their eyes on the Lord, trusting in Him and His plan. This hope, even in the most hopeless of situations and faith in the one true God gave them the honor of being in the genealogy of Christ. God does not discriminate in who He uses- rich, poor, Jew, Gentile, male, female- He uses those who are ready and willing to be used!

Are you embarrassed by some of the past history of your family?
Have you let things that have happened to you or family members you love lose hope?
Do you doubt that God can use the flaws and pain of your story to do something great for His kingdom?
In what ways are you clinging to bitterness or claiming the victim card rather than trusting God and experiencing the life that He has planned for you?

God uses us as we are, just as He used the women in these stories who had seemingly no hope for a future. Now they are immortalized in history because they allowed God to use them in spite of their flaws. Their faith in spite of personal imperfection and great loss makes the rest of the story that much more redemptive...

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12 Days of Anticipation: Day 3 The Yearning of Mankind

Day 3- The yearning of mankind

One of my favorite Christmas songs is "O Come O Come Emmanuel" because it sets the tone and the stage for Jesus' birth.

O Come, O come Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appears.
Rejoice, rejoice!
Emmanuel, shall come to thee O Israel.

The people of Israel were waiting, anticipating, stuck in a sacrificial system that was a poor connection with God. They had heard prophesies from countless godly men throughout the centuries promising a Savior. The night is always darkest just before the dawn, and so it was for Israel. The Bible is silent for 400 years between the Old and New Testament. Israel is no longer the conquering nation led by God. They have been conquered. The prophets had warned them about what would happen if they turned from God, but the people chose to disobey. God had said all that He could say, and all that was left was silence. And the people waited as exiles, away from their home, away from their customs, away from their places of worship, and away from God. They waited for their Savior with all that you can have left in the silence- faith.

Have you ever felt that God is being silent?
Think of something or a specific time in your life brought you to a place so low that your hope could only come from a Savior.
Are you able to rejoice and continue in faith even in the silence and struggle or does your heart begin to turn bitter and hard?

Matthew 5:3 says "Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for they will inherit the kingdom of God." You see, when we are weak, He is our strength. Even in the times of silence He has not forsaken us or left our side. Rather, He is preparing and humbling our hearts to accept the gift that He has for us...

Click the pictures to read the other days!

12 Days of Anticipation: Day 2 Making Sacrifices

Day 2- Making Sacrifices

Humans were separated from God by sin, but people were meant to worship God by definition and design, so God set up a provisional system in which they could worship Him, in spite of their sinful state. In order to take away sin, the price for sin must be paid, which is death. This death was a spiritual death, a separation from the life found in God, but it was also a physical death. None of us will live forever. God allowed this physical death to serve as a temporary substitute to cover the price of sin so that people could commune with Him.

After sinning, the Israelites would have to pay the price of death for their sins by sacrificing a perfect animal in their place. Different offenses called for different sacrifices, but blood paid the price. However, this payment was temporary. Once a person committed another sin, he was responsible for sacrificing yet another animal. Sin after sin, sacrifice after sacrifice, day after day, year after year, the Israelites allowed the punishment for their wrong doings to fall on animals in their place.

But this was not God's plan. This was just the temporary substitute. God would send one last Lamb to pay the permanent price for sin. Someone without sin- who did not have to pay the price for sin- would cover the cost for eternity. But the people had to wait.

Have you found yourself stuck in this sacrificial system mentality?
Are you working hard to follow the right rules to earn God's favor?
In what ways do you feel that you have earned the right to salvation by your good deeds or feel guilty when you don't live up to a certain standard?

While the Israelites had no choice but to follow these sacrificial rules to have community with God, we now live under a new covenant. We have a different source of forgiveness and life...

Click the pictures to read the other days!

12 Days of Anticipation: Day 1 The Beginning

Day 1- The Beginning

The story of Christmas story does not begin in Luke 2 as you may assume. No, the setting of the stage for the birth of Christ begins with the creation of man in Genesis. God creates man and woman in His own image to worship and glorify HIm. He places them in a garden that is beautiful and perfect. There is no sin, no death, no anger, jealousy, pain, pride, or sickness. There was no need for a Savior because intimate communion with God was face to face. There was only one rule in this garden- that the man and woman not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. There are some things that man was never meant to know, but we want to know everything.

The serpent knew just what to say to convince Eve to take that first bite. The serpent told her that God was keeping something from her, that she could know everything that He knows, that she could have the same power that He had. She took matters into her own hands and ate the fruit, sharing it with her husband. Sin entered the world. The perfect plan that God had laid out was destroyed and people were separated from Him by sin. They had to leave the garden and His presence.

From that moment forward, God's true plan was set into motion.

Eve thought that God had kept something from her, that He hadn't shared everything with her. She had no idea just how much God would give to reconcile her from the separation that she caused in that moment of doubt and weakness. God's love for us is so unfathomable- He would give His only Son, Jesus, to undo what she had done.

How are you like Eve this Christmas?
Have you asked God for something, and when you do not receive it at once feel that He is keeping something from you that you deserve?
How have you tried to solve your own problems without Him because you disagree with His timing?
Have you blamed Him for things that have gone wrong in life, but taken credit for the successes yourself?
What things have you done that have separated you from the intimate relationship that God desires to have with you?

If these questions hit home, you are not alone. All of humanity shares in this curse, this separation, this darkness and struggle. But there is hope, because this is only the beginning of the story...

Click the pictures to read the other days!

13 Incredible Things I Learned on my Trip to China

My husband and I recently got back from two weeks in China- the trip of a lifetime! Everything there was so different that the whole trip felt like traveling to a completely different time and place from our world, and we never stopped learning. I will now attempt to put some of what I learned into words...wow. Here are a few things that completely blew my mind on my recent trip to China.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a Chinese history or political expert. All of this information I gleaned by talking to various people in China, so if I was misinformed, I apologize!

1. China is HUGE!

We have all heard that "everything is bigger in Texas," well, Texas doesn't have anything on China. We all know know that the country is huge geographically as well as having 1.3 billion people, but there is no way to wrap your mind around just how huge it really is. Shanghai is one of the larger cities with 24 million people. Flying over in the plane, all you can see for as far as you can see is high rise buildings. Apartment buildings. A neighborhood in SHanghai looks like 20 high rise apartment buildings 30 stories high that all look exactly alike side by side. And then another group of 30 high rise building right next to it. And then another. We took a day trip to Suzhou, which is an hour and a half drive from Shanghai, and we drove a good 45 minutes before the jungle of high rise apartment buildings started to thin out. So many people! Just an incomprehensible number of people.

Some of the things that go along with that many people are difficult to imagine. In Shanghai, more than 10 million people use public transportation everyday- that's more than all of New York City. To limit the traffic in Shanghai, they bid on license plates. Only 750 license plates are released each month and each one will cost on average about $10,000. Some people wait for years to get a plate, so you invest in the plate before the car! You are only covered for health insurance in the city you are born and registered in. You are only allowed to have one child. Fo having that many people, the cities are spotless! No trash anywhere and all of the gardens pristine. That is because all of the tons of people need jobs, and so you will see crossing guards at every corner, gardeners by every flower, trash pickers on every sidewalk, and yes, even policemen in the intersections directing traffic with the white gloves and whistle. Every person has to have something to do, and there are a lot of people to keep busy.

2. China is Super-Censored

As a citizen of the US, we sometimes complain that our rights are being infringed upon, and freedom is more highly prized and protected than any other commodity. Because of that, entering a highly censored country like China comes as quite a shock. There is no facebook, no youtube, no netflix, and NO GOOGLE! Can you even imagine your world with no google? All information that comes into the country is censored by the government. As we were watching CNN in our hotel room, an update on the student protests in Hong Kong began and suddenly the TV went black! A few minutes later it turned back on to a commercial. At first we thought this must be a coincidence, but as the news cycled through it happened over and over!

One lady we talked to explained the reason for no facebook this way. She said, "We have our own version of a Chinese facebook here. The problem with facebook is that anyone can post whatever they want. There is no way to know if what you are reading is true. The government wants us to be able to trust what we read online, so they look through all of the information and take out the lies so that our internet is reliable. If someone posts anything with certain keywords, it will simply not show up until they approve it."

Before going to China I asked myself, can a government really "brainwash" an entire country that big? Especially in today's age of free information circling the globe as fast as it happens? The answer is yes. They can, and they are.

3. Tiananmen Square is Simply a Governmental Center

We have all heard of Tiananmen Square. We all know the story of happened to the student protestors there in the 80's. It is the only reason anyone and everyone has heard of it. When we were in Beijing we had the opportunity to tour the square, and I was interested to see what they would have to say about the site on the tour. In the 5 Chinese airports that we traveled through, we hardly had to show an ID of any kind, but to get in to the "public" people's square a group must have an appointment in advance with an assigned time to tour. Every person must go through a metal detector and show their passport to enter the heavily guarded gates. Inside the square, there are 10-12 surveillance cameras on every light post, and groups of military marching around (not to mention those under cover). We also saw a huge pile of riot shields stored off to one side. Other than that, the tour we got highlighted the different monuments, government buildings, the crystallized body of CHairman Mao, and the entrance into the Forbidden City. The entire experience was pretty chilling, and needless to say, there was no mention of the massacre that occurred on the site. It was as if it had never happened at all.

4. The One Child Policy is Complicated

As it turns out, the one child policy is not really a one child policy- here are a few things I learned:
- 95% of the population is Han, but the one child policy does not apply to any of the other 50+ people groups that live in China
- Families that live in the rural areas are allowed to have more than one child
- New exceptions to the policy are growing each day as CHina is about to face a housing crisis
- It is really a one birth policy, so if you have twins or triplets on your first try, you get to keep them all!
- If you have a second child, you have to pay a fee to the government, which can be a few thousand dollars in the rural areas to over ten thousand in the city
- If you don't pay the government fee, then your child is undocumented- they will never be able to have an ID, a job, drivers license, insurance or go to school. Basically, they are invisible in society. (You can later buy documentation, but the fee increases with each year.)
- As a result, abortion rates are extremely high in China, and having an abortion is commonplace

Are there ways around the system? We heard one story of a woman who already had one child and became pregnant again. She and her husband began saving money to pay the fee to get documentation so that they could keep their child on the way. She then found out that she was having twins, and there was no way that they could raise the money to keep both. So...the couple had a close male friend who was homosexual and did not plan on ever marrying, so he offered to "give" them his one birth. The woman divorced her husband, married the friend, gave birth to the twins as his one allowed birth, then divorced him and remarried her husband. I guess if there's a will, there's a way, but it sure makes me grateful to live in a country where my family is my choice!

5. Retirement in China is Awesome!

The retirement age in China is young (because they need those jobs for new workers) at 55 for women and 60 for men. While growing old in the US seems like a sad and lonely process in a depressing nursing home, these retirees are not that group. Every day, in almost every part of China, all of the retired elderly go to the public parks for morning exercise. The parks are completely packed with these self-organized groups led by volunteer retirees in every activity you can imagine! They have hackey sack groups, choir groups practicing, old men flying kites, ladies knitting, belly dancing circles, artists painting, you name it! They are all filled with energy and not only a hope, but a determination to get the most out of each day with a smile on their face. We definitely need a place like this in the US- where the elderly have a place to contribute their talents, find community with a group of friends, and stay active. I want to retire here!

Here is a group of ballroom dancers practicing their moves and teaching others.

This was my husband and my favorite! This group dresses up and dances with umbrellas, fans, drummers, and even a few ladies like the one pictured here dressed up like a donkey. My husband was all to happy to take the reigns and lead her around the dance floor for a while!

This group does various forms of Tai Chi. This one uses fans, but we also saw one with swords!

This group was enjoying some morning exercises with basic motions to help blood circulation.

6. The Three Gorge Dam Project had Huge Implications

Like everything in China, this dam is enormous! The Three Gorges Dam Project was the largest construction project ever undertaken and caused a worldwide cement shortage. The dam blocks the Yangtze River and was supposed to generate 10% of the entire country's electricity. While the pros seem amazing, the con was that the level of the river would raise 75 meters along the banks displacing over 3 million people who lived along the river's edge in almost untouched villages where their ancestors had farmed and fished for over 1,000 years. All of the cities along the river were relocated to villages higher up in the same area of the gorge. However, what were individual farms became high rise apartment buildings, and history was washed away in the forward march of technological advancement. Unfortunately, only 30% of the promised money to those being relocated ever ended up in the hands of those who had to leave their land and livelihoods. Was it worth it? I guess I should add that the dam only ended up supplying 3% of the country's electricity.

 This is a model of the dam project, since our pictures didn't have very good visibility that day. All the way to the right are the locks where the ships go through, and to the left is the dam. It is the largest man made construction in the world.

In this relocation village, the waters completely buried the original city. The wall with the gate that you see by the water is the original city gate that is over 1,000 years old. The citizens took apart this section of the wall and gate and rebuilt it brick by brick at the new city's site. It is one of the few cities to still have its original gate at the front of the city.

7. The Gorges are Gorgeous!

I don't mean to be cheesy, but there is simply no other word to describe it. We took a four day cruise up the Yangtze River through the three gorges and saw the most beautiful and pristine scenery I have ever encountered. It was so beautiful, I wanted to cry! ANd by that I mean, I seriously had an emotional reaction to how amazing it was! I could keep trying to describe it or just show you a few pictures that still don't do it justice... Oh, and if these pictures look like postcards- they're not! I took them with my very own camera!!!

8. The Terracotta Soldiers are All Broken

The Terracotta Warriors in Xian are one of the modern wonders of the world. In the 1970's a farmer digging a well discovered the archaeological jackpot- 8,000 life size pottery warrior, each completely unique in every way including facial features and expression. The army was made and buried with the first emperor of China (his name was Chin). He was the one who united the different clans in China and started construction on the great wall. During his reign of only 15 years, he had to enlist an unfathomable number of man hours to create his life size army of soldiers and horses as well as begin work on the Great Wall. When he died, and his son became emperor, the people wanted to show that they would not be oppressed by such labor any more, and broke into the emperor's buried army and destroyed every last soldier in pieces. I knew about the soldiers, but I didn;t realize that when they were discovered, they were a broken mess on pottery. Each and every soldier has had to be pieced back together, taking archaeologists an average of three months per scientist per soldier to repair. At this rate it will take 200 years to put them all back together! Even still, it is an amazing sight to see in person!

 Here are some of the broken pieces that archaeologists are still uncovering day by day. For a while the digging had stopped because the soldiers underground still have paint on them. However, when exposed to the air, the paint immediately falls off. Just recently they have found the technology to continue uncovering the soldiers without compromising the original paint. At the museum on the same site, we were able to see some of the first displayed pieces with the original paint in tact.

Here are some of the soldiers that have already been put back together, standing in their original ranks.

9. The Forbidden City is Called a City for a Reason

The Forbidden City is where the emperors lived while the capitol was in Beijing. I always thought that it was just a fancy name for the palace- I was wrong! It truly is an entire city where all of the emperor's family, concubines, chief officials, eunuchs, and servants lived. It is literally the size of a city with 9,999 rooms. There are several thick walled gates with courtyards to go through before you ever get a glimpse of the Forbidden City. The floors of the courtyards are made of 15 layers thick of brick paving to keep anyone from digging their way in. This was a truly incredible site to visit! Some emperors lived their entire lives within the walls, never stepping foot into the actual country that they ruled. In fact, the last emperor of China continued to reign in the Forbidden City for years after being overthrown, without knowing that he was no longer in charge!

10. Some Things Made in China are Simply Amazing

While most people immediately think of mass produced cheap plastic goods as synonymous with China, there are true artisans in China of ancient arts that are simply breathtaking. We were able to visit several of these artists to see how they create their work and some of the beautiful examples. Chinese silk carpets are made with 170 hand tied knots per square inch, and they are breathtaking! The silk embroidery is just as amazing with hand stitched pictures that look real. Pearls are also abundant in China and used to make high end jewelry. Jade carving is another incredible skill. The picture below is a sculpture carved into a single piece of jade that has naturally occurring color variations used by the artist to complete this depiction of a herd of running horses.

Another rare art is that of making lacquer furniture. Here are just a few examples with inlaid wood, pearl, and jade.

I would trade everything I own made in China to have just one piece of any of these treasures! 

11. Our Chinese Food is Not as Good

All of the meals in China are served family style at large round tables with a huge lazy Susan in the middle. They bring out 10-12 dishes of every kind of vegetable and meat you could dream of and its like Thanksgiving at every meal! I guess this is why all Chinese restaurants in the US are buffets- it is as close as it gets :) Chinese food is very different from American food- there is no bread of any kind, no  milk or cheese products, and no desserts. There was a lot of rice, noodles, vegetables, and meats in different sauces. Everything was delicious! I will definitely miss the food, but not how full I felt for two weeks!

To the right, a dumpling in the shape of a rabbit!

12. The Cultural Revolution was Terrible

The cultural revolution in the 1960's resulted in the destruction of almost every historical site in the country. Thousands of years of precious history across the landscape was brought to the ground. I cannot tell you how many historical sites we visited in which they have a pagoda built in the traditional style on the original site of a temple which was destroyed in the 1960's and rebuilt after 2000. Of the 12-15 temples we visited, only one was original- over 1,500 years old! It makes me sick to think of how much of the rich history of this country has simply been erased.

13. The Great Wall is Steep!

I have always heard that the Great Wall is wide enough to drive a car on, and that is true, but it gives you the idea that the top of the wall is flat, and that is NOT true! The Great Wall is made up of many different pieces built over 1,000 years during many different emperors and stretches over 8,000 miles across China. It is easily wide enough in certain parts to accommodate multiple lanes of vehicles, but they wouldn't get very far. That is because the Great Wall is built through the mountains, and is mostly stairs. Uneven stairs that range in height anywhere from a few inches to several feet. Getting far at all is a hike! Anyone who goes the entire length should get an olympic medal! We had high hopes of going as far as the eye could see, but we were only able to go about ten towers worth and were so sore the next day it wasn't even funny. But what a sight! The wall did not disappoint :)

While I learned a lot of facts and history, most of all I learned to be a learner- to step into another culture and try to see it in a different light than I had previously perceived it from the outside. China is a fascinating country filled with hospitable people, and I was honored to spend a few weeks seeing life from a very different perspective. It makes me grateful to live in a free country, but also interested to see the what the future holds for this other country so different from ours on the other side of the world!

DIY Photo Block Tutorial

I enjoy making presents for as many people on my Christmas list as possible. Let's face it, some people just really want a gift card, but I get a lot more enjoyment out of creating something that I think they will enjoy. All three of my roommates from college had babies this year, so I will be sending each of them a Baby Photo Block. They are really cute, personal, and easy to make, so I thought I would share the idea :)

What you need:
- a 2x4 piece of wood (will make lots!)
- a saw (hooray for power tools)
- acrylic paint
- printed 4x6 photo
- Mod Podge
- paint brush
- tulle or ribbon
- Sharpie

First, take a 2x4 and cut it into 4" long pieces to make the blocks. Then paint each of the blocks in the color of your choice.

Next, get a printed copy of a picture- it could be baby, graduation, wedding, birthday, etc. In this case, I have three adorable baby pictures. Cut each picture slightly smaller than the size of the block so that you can see just a little bit of the paint around the edges of the picture.

Now grab your handy Mod Podge! Use a paint brush to coat the back of each picture and paste it to the block. Then I painted three coats over the front of the picture to seal it and protect it. Make sure to let each coat dry completely before adding the next.

Once they have dried, use a Sharpie to write a message on the back. It could be a verse, a memory, a special date, etc. In this case, I wrote the baby's name, birthday, weight, and length (not shown for privacy reasons).

Finally, wrap ribbon, fabric, or tulle around the edge and make a bow on top to finish it off for display!

I hope they don't stumble upon this post before Christmas, or it will spoil the surprise! I hope you have fun crafting for Christmas this year!

How to Freeze Fresh Green Beans

We just had our first freeze last week, which in south Louisiana is unheard of! I am so upset that I had to pick all of the green beans, tomatoes, and peppers and say goodbye to my late summer plants. We usually have at least three more weeks! I realize our growing season is months longer than most places in the country, but I'm still sad it had to end so soon! 

Due to this massive last minute harvest, I need to freeze some of my green beans for later, so in case you are in the same situation, here's how!

In order to freeze green beans without having them lose any nutritional value, they must be blanched first, which is a really simple process. First wash the beans and snip off all of the stem ends.

 Next, bring put them in a pot on the stove and cover them with water. 

Cook on high until you have a rolling boil for three minutes. At this point the beans should be bright in color and tender crisp.

Remove the beans from the hot water and immediately place into a bowl of ice water until chilled, usually about 3-4 minutes.

 Now all you have to do is let them dry and then put them in a freezer ziplock bag. When you take them out later they will be ready to cook in whatever way you choose and enjoy year-round with the added bonus of still maintaining almost all of the nutritional value of fresh picked green beans!

How to Harvest and Cure Sweet Potatoes

It's sweet potato time in South Louisiana! I love harvesting root vegetables because it's always a surprise. You know there is something under that dirt, but how big and how many??? It's time to excavate! My sweet potato bed this year was a 4x8 raised bed. This works great because it is easier to keep the vines contained (they will take over everything if you let them) but at the same time gives them plenty of space to produce a good crop.

 As you can see, my vines are still nice and green when I am harvesting. Some places will tell you to wait until the vines die down, which may be true up north, but here in the south that may not happen until January! For my area harvesting takes place a minimum of 120 days after planting. (To learn how to start your own sweet potato slips for planting, click here.)

 It's hard to tell in the picture, but you will start to notice the dirt at the base of each stem beginning to mound up in a little hill. This is because there are potatoes under there!

 To check and see if your sweet potatoes are ready, gently brush away some of the soil around the base of the plant and you should be able to see the tops of a few sweet potatoes. You can roughly judge their size and decide if it is time to harvest.

 Gently dig around the base of the plants to get the tubers out of the ground. I usually end up using my hands more than a shovel so that I don't knick the potatoes or accidentally break off the ends.

If you are lucky and have loose soil, you may be able to pull up an entire group all at once! After you have all of the plants pulled up, be sure to turn the soil throughout the garden really well. You will be surprised how many rogue sweet potatoes you will find hiding out! My garden will yield 15-20 pounds of sweet potatoes this year.

 Lay the sweet potatoes out on the dirt or path to dry for a few hours in the sun allowing any injuries to heal before brushing off the dirt and storing them. Once they are completely dry, they must be cured in order to have that sweet taste that we are all looking forward to.

Next, cure the sweet potatoes by storing them in a warm humid place for 7-10 days. It should be at least 80 degrees F. This isn't too hard to come by in Louisiana even in October- I just put them in a paper bag in the shed, greenhouse, or attic. Next, keep them at 55 degrees F for 4-6 weeks. While this may be easier up north, I will be keeping them in a mini fridge set to that temperature. The curing process helps trigger the sugar creating enzymes in order to have that sweet taste we are all looking forward to. After the potatoes have been cured, sweet potatoes will keep for several months without losing any nutritional value. Now its time to start collecting recipes!!!

Egg Hunting: How to Tell the Age of an Egg

Every now and then our free range chickens will decide to lay eggs in places other than their nesting boxes, and the only way to find their new nest is to either have a full-blown egg hunt or to do a little spying on the hens. 

Recently our egg production has taken a drop since the days are getting shorter, one of our hens is broody, and a few others are molting. But when I only gathered one egg over three days with three hen still laying, I had a feeling that the ladies had new hiding place. My egg hunt turned up empty, but the spying did the trick when a hen emerged from the garden singing the egg song. Sure enough, deep in the bushes, I found the mother load!

Not only a few, but nine eggs all in a neat little pile!

I was glad to have the eggs, but now on to the real problem. How long had the eggs been there? Were these laid over the last few days or had it been building up over weeks? Fortunately there is a neat little trick to figure out the general age of the eggs and if they are still good.

The Water Test

This is a pretty simple test. Simply submerge the egg in about 6 inches of water in a clear container.

1 week old or less- the egg will lay on the bottom on its side

2 weeks old- the egg will lay on the bottom with the fat end beginning to stick up

3 weeks old- the egg will rest on the bottom standing with the fat end up

4 weeks old- the egg will float on the top of the water

Thankfully for us, it turned out that all of our eggs were less than a week old. Any egg that floats is a bad egg and definitely should not be eaten, but beyond that eating the eggs is up to your own judgment. Personally, one week outside is enough for me. Anything beyond that goes to the compost, but I know plenty of other people who will eat any egg that isn't floating.

If your hens are being mischievous, I hope you have a successful egg hunt!

Eve's Curse: A Biblical Look at Miscarriage and Infertility

Earlier this year, my husband and I were expecting our first child and went through the pain of having a miscarriage at nine weeks. For more on the first few months of dealing with miscarriage, see

this post

. After having a miscarriage or struggling with infertility, there are so many questions that surface and resurface  while dealing with the emotional, physical, and mental battles that go along with these issues.

Questions like, "Why has this happened to me?"

"Why do bad things happen to good people?"

And for Christians, the questions go much deeper, “How could a God who loves me take away something that I love so much?"

"Is God punishing me?"

"How could God’s plan include me losing a child, or facing a childless future?"

And then a particular one that I struggled with, "I know that God wants me to surrender everything to Him, that He has given and so He can take away, but what else does He want me to give up?" 

When you google verses about infertility or miscarriage, you will get pages of flowery promises that all things will work together for good, and you will have a child as promised, and your descendents will number more than the stars in the sky. If these verses are meant to comfort the hurting woman, they are failing miserably because it only makes us question more why that isn't coming true in our own lives. As always when a situation is very personal and we are emotionally invested, we are only seeing one side of the story. It is time to look at the Bible for answers, yes, but not just the parts that we want to be true for us, but the entire redemptive story as a whole.

Here is my disclaimer- I am not a Bible scholar. I did not go to seminary. I do not know what the Greek word means. I have a Bible, and I read it, asking God for discernment to see what perspective it has to offer us because it is God's Word, and it is always true and relevant. I'm in the same place you are. That said, let's dive in!

Why do bad things happen to good people?

To begin, let's admit that our definition of good and bad is relative. We look at the evil in the world and anything better than that is considered good. Unfortunately for us, the only perspective that matters is God's. He looks at His own perfection and anything that does not match it in every way is sinful. "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Rom. 3:23) "All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." (Rom. 3:12). I will not be so audacious to claim that I am a “good” person. I am a sinful person who has been forgiven by God’s grace. SInce I did nothing to deserve this grace, I can cannot demand anything of God based on my “goodness”.

How could God's plan include me losing a child or facing a childless future?

Setting the Scene from the Beginning

With that in mind, let's reset our perspectives to focus not on ourselves, but on God, whose thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and whose ways are higher than our ways (Is. 55:9). To get the right idea about any issue that we face, we have to have a correct view of God, His character, and His intentions for us as human beings. God created Adam and Eve to live in perfect harmony with Him in the Garden of Eden. The Garden was a home for them that was free of sin, death, jealousy, pain, pride, illness, and tears. It was a place of perfect communion with the Creator of the universe and his creation. THIS was the plan- THIS is what God wanted to share with us forever. 

However, humans have free will, and Adam and Eve sinned by breaking the one rule that God had given them, not to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. By eating the fruit, they choose a path different from what God had planned and sin entered the picture. All sin comes with consequences, because God is just (I would have Him no other way!). The specific consequence for Eve’s sin demonstrates, in my opinion, one of the greatest struggles that she will have to face as a woman.

Genesis 3:16, "To the woman he [God] said, "I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."

The second part of the curse is that her desire will be for her husband (a discussion for another day). But the first part of the curse is that she will have pain in childbirth. Growing up I always believed this to be a physical pain in the actual birthing process, but I would like to assert that this curse is a much more comprehensive pain that every woman experiences. This pain could take the form of frustration over not being able to have children, the grief of losing a child before it can be born, the burden that drives some women to take the life of their children prematurely in the womb, or the weight of responsibility that comes with actually giving birth to another human being that is solely in your care. As all mothers know, the pain does not end with birth but continues as they grow- pain when they hurt, pain when they choose not to follow God, pain when they reject you. The pain of childbirth is only one form of this curse. 

The one thing that is unique to women, the ability to procreate, comes with an amazing bond between mother and child, a love that transcends any other kind of love, but now it comes at a price. This love for your child, and this desire for them, brings pain no matter what the circumstances that surround the conception, pregnancy, birth, and beyond. We have been cursed as a result of our own sin, and this is our burden to bear as women. God did not do this to us, and this was NOT His plan. Satan gave us a temptation, and we traded God's plan for our own. Romans 6:23a says, "For the wages of sin is death." And God even warned Adam and Eve that if they ate from the tree they would surely die. We have all chosen sin, and we have been dying ever since. We chose death.

How can a God who loves me deprive me of something that would make me so happy?

I came across a verse months after I thought I had fully processed and “accepted” the miscarriage that said:

Exodus 23 24-26  Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces. Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.

I just "happened" to run across these verses in my daily Bible reading. I stopped in my tracks, reread it, and reread it again. And then I found a similar passage in Deuteronomy 7:14, "You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor will any of your livestock be without young." What does it mean? I am a Christian, a follower of His word, so am I taking this promise out of context to want to grab hold of it and show it to God expecting to get my way? 

First of all, yes I was taking it out of context, God is speaking to the people of Israel at a particular time in history which does not apply to me on either count (I'm not an Israelite and I was not alive thousands of years ago). And secondly, as I began to look closer at the verses I noticed that the condition for this promise was that the people follow God exclusively and not follow idols.  I immediately consoled myself that I was not worshiping any idol besides God! 

However, further thought made me realize that this was not the case. I am not worshiping just one idol, but many! Hobbies, work, family, time consuming things like social media and other time-wasters, but the most consistent and recent idol of all...having a baby. It consumes more of my thought than Christ does on any given day.  So to address the question of whether a God who loves me would deprive me of something I love, the Bible makes it clear that God is a jealous God with one requirement, that He be first (Exo. 4:14). Always. Of course He should not give me the very idol that I am so fervently seeking to replace Him with, and nor should He! That wouldn't be love, but enabling. I have straightening of priorities to do if I am to be the mother that Christ would desire me to be. I am not there yet! I do not want a God who feeds my addictions or spoils me into an inability to focus on His will.

Is God punishing me?

Even in light of this thought, no, God is not punishing you. Punishment is given out of anger, and consequences are given out of love, in the same way that a parent trains a child in the way that they should go. I do not think that my miscarriage was a direct result of the idols in my life, but it does prove a point. You see, our perspective has been a selfish one all along, looking to our own interests instead of God's. And because of that, God can use these broken times in our lives to rebuild us into followers that know and understand Him more clearly. He can fix our eyes on Him (Heb. 12:2).

Whose fault is it?

One of my first thoughts after having a miscarriage was that this was not, and could not be my fault. I had done everything right, I had followed the letter of the law when it came to "what  to expect when you’re expecting" and every other piece of literature I could get my hands on. I was certainly not at fault, and couldn't handle the idea of any guilt on top of the grief I was already processing. However, looking at the story of Adam and Eve, it is pretty clear that all consequences in life that are painful are a result of sin. It may not be a direct result, for example, doing something to intentionally harm the baby, but it is indirectly all a consequence of sin- because before sin, none of this pain existed. It is our fault. God is not punishing us, but it is a consequence of our actions as a human race.

Biblical Examples

There are many situations in the Old Testament where infertility and miscarriage are a direct result of a sin that someone committed.

Here are just a few of those examples:

2 Samuel 6- Michal, the wife of King David, despises and rebukes him for dancing before the Lord, and is never able to have children as a result

Genesis 20- Abraham lies to King Abimilech that his wife Sarah is his sister, and when the King takes Sarah as his wife, every woman in his household is struck with infertility until Sarah is returned to Abraham

But if we continue to look at Biblical examples of infertility, we see many women who struggled with infertility, some for decades, and then were able to give birth, and almost always to extraordinary characters who play major roles in history.

A few examples include:

Genesis 15-21- Sarah, the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac, the patriarchs of God chosen nation of Israel, was infertile until she was 90 years old

Genesis 25- Rebecca, Isaac's wife and the next generation of patriarchs, was infertile for 20 years, but eventually gave birth to twins, Jacob and Esau

Genesis 30- Rachel, the wife of Jacob and third generation of the patriarchs also struggles with infertility while watching Jacob's other wife bear son after son, she eventually gives birth to Joseph and Benjamin

Judges 13-14- Samson's mother, unnamed in the Bible, struggles with infertility for years before being visited by an angel and given instructions for raising her son, the strongest man who will ever live

I Samuel 1- Hannah, the mother of Samuel, dedicated her son to the Lord after years of infertility, and he became a prophet for the people of Israel

Luke 1- Elizabeth gave birth to John the Baptist in her old age even though she was barren for many years

As you can see, there are many Biblical examples of women of faith, who follow God wholeheartedly, and still struggle with infertility and miscarriage. However, it is amazing to me to look at the ending of these particular stories, because they always result in being a part of a much larger and more fulfilling plan. Hear this clearly: having a child in the end was not what made their lives more fulfilling, it was the process of faith and releasing their hopes and dreams to the Lord for Him to do His will with, no matter what the end result. You see, tragedy and triumph go together. When we overcome the pain with the love of Christ, when we work through the grief knowing that God will lead us through the valley of the shadow of death to the other side (Ps. 23:4), there is a promise for those who are faithful. This promise is not to make our dreams come true as we so often want to believe, it is not for us to get our way, and it is not for us to be happy. 

God’s Work of Reconciliation

In light of the scripture, we wonder then, is here no hope for Eve? Has her sin cast her and our sin cast us out of ever having the possibility of having children? Are we doomed to this cursed fate forever? Just as in every story, there is a turning point! A point at which all odds seem bent towards destruction, but that is not the end. Jesus is our turning point. Even after we chose sin, God loved us so much that He did not leave us to die in our sins (1 John 1:9). Instead He made a way for us to be restored to Him. 

Throughout history, death and life are closely knit together and are interrelated. Jesus’ death and life overthrew the former system of the power of sin and death. There is a new theme in scripture, and that is that Christ is making all things new (Rev. 21:5). He restores our soul (Ps. 23:3). He is seeking and saving what was lost (Luke 19:10). He is in the act of reconciling all things to Himself (Col. 1:20). This restorative, reconciliatory work will not be complete until we are united with Him in an earthly death, which results in a new, eternal life for those who follow Him and have called on His name (John 1:12). However, we do see the beginnings of this reconciliation taking place on earth through the demonstration of His grace. Children are born, lives are saved, women do experience the joy of conceiving and giving birth, and every time that happens, it is an extension of God’s grace to us, an undeserving people. You see, we have had the wrong perspective all along- it is not God who keeps us from having children, it is God who gives us the opportunity.

This is where our promises from God come in! The promise is that God loves us unconditionally (Rom. 8:38-39), He will never leave or forsake us (Deut. 31:6), He has a plan for us that has hope for our future (Jer. 29:11), He will give us peace through the journey (Phil. 4:7), and He will restore our souls (Ps. 23:3). Once we are able to look at the situation with faith, not a faith that believes that our will will come to pass, but a faith that trusts that God’s will for us is greater for His Kingdom (not ours) then we will receive His peace and have the opportunity to joyfully take part in what He is doing.  In this life we are not promised health and wealth, but instead we are promised hardship and sacrifice (John 16:33). God is not punishing you, it is a result of our sin. But at the same time, He will use even the consequences of sin to work together for the good of those who love Him (Rom. 8:28), even when that good may not take the form we want it to.

My Confession

When people would find out about the miscarriage, they would usually say “I’m sorry that happened.” In the back of my mind I would think, but there is nothing to be sorry for. You didn't do anything. I didn't do anything. It just happened. But I have a different approach now. I do have things to be sorry for, attitudes that I need to confess. I need to be careful that I approach this issue with God’s perspective and a correct view of Him. I encourage you to take down the blame, doubt, guilt, shame, pride, and grief that you are working through for a moment so that you can be real and authentic with God. It is time for me to confess. 

I am sorry that I have put other things before you, God. I confess that I have put my own will above Your will at the risk of Your kingdom. I am sorry that I have questioned your love, that I have been tempted to give blame to you when the true sinner is myself, and for not recognizing that the ultimate blame is on Satan for his temptation in the garden. Satan is so tricky to deceive us into blaming You for his handiwork! I confess that I have wanted my great faith and my own dreams to be an answer and solution to the problem, instead of having faith in You and Your will, that You are working all things together for good. I lift up the cursed women around the world and ask that You would restore our souls. We humble ourselves and and submit to Your will. Forgive us. Give us patience. Give us strength. Give us a renewed mind and spirit. But above all else, give us a desire for You first and foremost. For You are making all things new!

Vegetable Starting Guide: Seeds or Plants?

So you're ready to begin a vegetable garden or try a new plant for the first time, but you aren't sure how to begin. Start seed indoors, direct sow, or buy transplants?

After years of experimenting with seeds and transplants, I have decided to make a handy chart to keep track of the vegetables that start out better with seeds started indoors, seeds directly sown in the ground, or bought from the store in a pot. Here is a little bit more on each of the options.

Direct Sow
I used to be completely intimidated by starting seeds directly in the ground. I'm way to much of a control freak to believe that sticking a seed in some dirt outside and walking away could ever produce anything edible, but after lots of trusting and trying, it has become one of the easiest (and cheapest) ways that I have found to begin most vegetables. Without direct sowing in the garden, you will greatly limit the number of different vegetable types that you can grow. It is much easier than you think, and at $1 per pack for most seed, the price is unbeatable for gardening on any larger scale.

All varieties of beans are a great seed to start with if direct sowing intimidates you. These seeds will come up fast and grow strong every time!

Seeds Started Indoors
Some plants need the extra time to grow before the weather warms up enough to go outside, especially in areas of the country with short growing seasons. Starting seeds indoors is a great way to give those plants a jump start. Simply plant your seeds in six packs or peat pots with potting soil. Some gardeners use a soil-less seed starting mix, but I find that a good potting soil almost always does the trick. Keep the soil moist, (the best way is by watering from the bottom) and keep them under LOTS of light. You don't want your seedlings to get long and lanky stretching for sunlight. Put them out in the sun as soon as possible.

Transplants
Some plants simply take too long to grow from seed to maturity in a single planting season, especially in colder zones where the growing season is short. There are also some plants that can be grown from seed, but with the amount of care and attention they need, it is just not worth it. In those cases, you will want to buy plants from your local nursery. When choosing plants, buy the smallest ones possible to keep your budget under control. Don't worry, they will be big soon! Look for plants that are low and bushy rather than tall and lanky.

Other
Other vegetables have special beginnings, such as potatoes, onions, garlic, and asparagus. They may be started from bulbs, seed potatoes, slips, leftovers from the kitchen, mature root stock, or sets that you buy from the store or order from a catalog. Do some research on these individual plants to find the best way to get the growing.

Sweet potatoes are grown from slips started from a seed potato.

And now for the handy chart! I hope this helps you as you expand your gardening horizons and try new plants. Some plants may have links that you can click on for more information on starting that particular plant.

Download: click here

Natural Chicken Dewormer

Earlier this summer we lost a laying hen to gape worm. By the time we figured out what was wrong with her based on the symptoms, it was to late to treat her. 

About Gape Worm- How to Recognize the Signs

Gape worm is a worm that most chickens carry at any given time. Occasionally it will take over a weaker chicken and can cause death, as it sis in the case of our hen. Gape worms lodge themselves in the throat of the chicken and cause them to walk around with gaping mouths as they gasp for air. (hence the name) The gaping mouth of the chicken is the first sign, following by making hoarse rasping noises, stopping egg laying, lethargy, stretching out the neck and shaking the head back and forth in an attempt to dislodge the worms, and finally heaving the body forward to literally attempt a self-Heimlich maneuver. The chicken eventually dies of asphyxiation as the worms multiply and block the breathing passage.

You can see Meg "panting" in this picture with a gaping mouth, the first sign of gape worms lodged in the throat.

What to do about it

After doing more research we realized that other hens in or flock were showing early symptoms of gape worm as well, and we needed to act to keep from losing more hens. As it turns out, the gape worm can be easily treated with antibiotics. We didn't want to use antibiotics unless absolutely necessary for two reasons: 1) you can't eat any of the eggs for two weeks while they have the antibiotics in their system and 2) the whole reason we have our own chickens is to avoid unwanted and unnatural substances such as antibiotics and growth hormones in our food. On the other hand, we didn't want to lose our whole flock to the worms. We started looking for a natural remedy to use to deworm the chickens. After reading about a few different natural dewormers for chickens online, we decided to put our own concoction to the test. The recipe is simple and uses ingredients that you probably already have around the kitchen. 

Our Natural Chicken Dewormer Recipe

We made a single serving of grits (I know this is a southern thing, but you can substitute oatmeal as well. This part is just to give them a base of something they like to eat so they will gobble it down). Then we mixed in a teaspoon of Cayenne pepper and a tablespoon of minced garlic. We fed this mix to our chickens once a week until the threat had passed, and we continue to give it to them about once a month to avoid problems in the future. Not only did all of the symptoms disappear immediately, but they have shown no signs of infection since!

 I thought at first that the chickens wouldn't eat the awful smelling concoction, but I set the bowl out and ran back in to grab my phone to take a picture. By the time I got back outside, they had pecked it clean! Cayenne pepper and garlic goes in, and gape worms come out :)

Natural Chicken Dewormer Recipe

1 serving oatmeal or grits

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tbsp. minced garlic

Serve once weekly or as needed.

So simple! I hope that you will be able to combat gape worm (and types of other worms) in your flock naturally!