“Finding those communities of people with like-minded values and developing those core strengths and capabilities that make you more resilient and don’t make you as dependent upon the latest policy that comes out… Build those sort of communities that add resilience, that make you less dependent. Because the more dependent you are upon a government, which is perfectly willing to tell you what to do and try to micromanage and control your life… the less likely you’re going to be in a position to be able to resist if you really need to. And that doesn’t just apply to a government. It applies to an entertainment industry. It applies to a food supply industry…”

It’s Amy here this week. It’s been a typical farm week. Running around filling orders, making delivers, squeezing in a bit of school, cleaning, cooking… I can’t tell you how many times lately people have told me that I’m going to miss this season of life. And you know what?

Hard rains and thunderstorms led to local power outages last Friday afternoon. No power also meant no juice on the electric fence for the pigs out in the woods. The power came back on late Friday night, but not before the pigs realized their opportunity to go exploring other parts of the farm…

Recently, Hasten has made a conscious effort to see how much water he could carry. He’s proud of his progress as he should be. And he’s been aiming at improvement.

So how much can he carry? The tricky thing about pursuing your potential is that it requires toeing that thin line between what you can do and what you can’t do. You can’t know or realize your potential without…

Hard rains made more mud for the pigs and more mud for the kids. Not sure which enjoyed it more…

Saturday was our biggest meat delivery day of the month. Amy took herd shares and pre-orders along with other beef, pork, and chicken to sell at the Abingdon Farmers Market while I delivered herd shares and pre-orders to the Marion Farmers Market. 

Eggs and bacon in the frying pan

A cup of coffee in my right hand

And a kiss goodbye as I head out the door

Fire up that rusted out Chevrolet

Head to the field where I work all day

I don’t make a lot but know what I’m working for

It’s a fishing pole on a creek bank

A deep breath of mountain air

It’s sipping a cup of coffee

On the front porch rocking chair

I’ve been working trying to make ends meet

But sometimes life gets the best of me

I’m trying hard, but I don’t know what else to do

Something’s gone wrong with this watch I’m wearing

It don’t work right; it must be tearing

Up cause it seems I never have time to

Go where I want or do what I want to do

My alarm clock it rings everyday

Before that rooster crows

I wish that I could just press snooze

But I know I’ve got to go

One thing I’ve noticed while working with animals on the farm is animals don’t live by a moral code. Living things in the wild live by the laws of nature. Survival of the fittest. There is no moral…

Why would a good and all-powerful God create a world capable of so much evil and injustice?

The first time that we met

I knew that we belonged together

You were the one for me

Our love would last forever

I got nothing in my pockets

I got nothing left to lose

I wish I had a dime

For every mile that’s on these shoes

A better life I’m trying to find

Everyday I lay it on the line

No matter how hard I might try

I can’t get out of this hole

Spend all day out in the sun

Come home when the work gets done

Suppertime we gather round

Give thanks to God then chow down

This ole world is changing everyday

Everybody trying to find the easy way

We know we shouldn’t, yet we still go along

Life has no shortages of pain and suffering. Some of it is brought on by ourselves. Some of it brought on by others. Some of it we don’t know why. Maybe brought on by God. Even if not brought on by God, why would a good God allow it?

Matthew 3:16 – As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”