Time Flies!!

  The next couple weeks will buzz right by, I know they will because we will be busy, and when you're busy- time flies. Here is a little update on what the next few weeks will hold for this clan...
-- Tomorrow (Monday)- our family, along with Bruce & Joan, will make a trip down to Willaimsport. We plan to shop, eat somewhere, & find something "interesting" or "educational" to do. It's just a day to wrap up last minute shopping, & to do something fun together. Prayers are appreciated- Dutch will be hobbling on a sore foot (he dropped a trailer tongue on it), & our sweet little Gabby is cutting "eye" teeth, which makes her more of a Crabby Gabby then a sweet one. So the day should be interesting, to say the least!!
-- The rest of the week-  Dutch will spend the rest of the week, working in the barn, where he continues to wrap things up before our Haft departure the end of Jan. I will be doing the last minute Christmas things, schooling the kids, & preparing for a quick trip to Lanc.
-- Friday (the 23rd)- we head for good ole Lancaster Co. We will find ourselves a place to sleep, if there is room in the inn, & then on Sat. we will spend the day with Dutch's side of the family. On Christmas morning we will be worshipping at Spring Garden where Dutch will have the message, after which we plan to grab a quick lunch & head back to the hills of Bradford in time to welcome my side of the family to the Haft. My family will be here Sun. through Tues.
-- Thursday (the 29th) through New Years- Twin-Mar Const., Dutch's construction crew from Lanc., will be here at the Haft. We will have a Christmas Banquet for the employees one evening. The rest of the time will be spent catching up, reviewing things from 2011, & looking ahead to 2012 and our return to the company.
-- After New Years- At this point, I think we will need a little time to breathe, but we won't get much of a break since we will need to start packing our belongs for the move back to Lanc. I didn't think that we brought a lot of stuff here when we moved a year ago, but we have accumulated A LOT of stuff or something, because we will be taking home more than we brought.
-- 2 Weeks after New Years- (Fri. eve Jan. 13 through the 15th) I, along with Annie King, am hosting a ladies retreat here at the Haft. This idea came about one weekend when Annie came for a visit & to spend time with the Lord. Somehow we came up with the idea of having a ladies retreat here in Jan. before we leave. This is what we came up with- We are planning to have Ruthie Lengeman, a motivational speaker, come here & share on "The Dangerous Woman". Annie & I are super excited about this!! AND the retreat is NOT full, we have room for a few more ladies, so if you're interested in coming to this retreat contact Annie King at kinganniemarie@yahoo.com.
  So as you can see, the next few weeks will be busy, we will be traveling, & we are asking for your prayers. God has been faithful throughout this year, & we know He will continue to do so throughout these coming weeks!!! May you all enjoy this Christmas season & may your New Year be above & beyond what you expect!!!!!

Christmas in the Hills

  Okay so now that we've wrapped up the Thanksgiving season, & we're finished being thankful for ALL the "stuff" we already have, suddenly my children have aquired the gimmies for the coming holiday. No sooner have we finished our "I'm thankful for" list, when we start our "I want" list. But never the less, we are in the holiday mood at the Haft. So what does Christmas look like in the hills....
  Christmas Tree ~ so we need a tree. Why spend to buy one when they are growing all around us. Madison found a descent one, & he and I worked (with a hand saw) to cut it down. We dragged it to the front door, & Dutch takes it from there. As of now it has a hand full of ornaments on it & no skirt- & we'll see if we get around to finishing the decorating. Up here we have no Jones' to keep up with ;) ;)
  Christmas Shopping ~ we need some gifts, so where shall we shop locally??? Ummm, lets see, our options include Dollar Train, Dollar General, 2 small grocery stores OR 4 hardware stores. You know what- I think I'll do my Christmas shopping online this year.
  The Menu ~ What shall we cook up?? Well, we could have venison from the first deer that we ever butchered ourselves, OR we could have bear meat that we're getting from a friend (who shot a bear when Dutch was hunting with him) OR we COULD have Dutch shoot a goose this week & freeze it till Christmas morning OR beaver OR snapping turtle OR... we could let the cooking to my mother. Which is exactly what we're doing!! We are so excited that my side of the family is coming up here to spend a few of the holidays with us!!
  Holiday Attire ~ what to wear?? Camouflage is very fashionable here. And top it off with a bright orange scarf!!!!
  Okay, okay, I'm getting carried away with it- but this was a fun post to think up & write!! And I hope you are all enjoying the pre-Christmas spirit. It is truly a wonderful time of the year!!!!!!!

There Would Be No Me

Okay so my writing juices have come back to life. I used to "journal" & write poems, etc. back in the day, but in recent years I haven't done a whole lot. Well, I don't know if it's the Lord or not, but recently have I have felt the creative side of me begin to enjoy writing again. This poem came to be after I snapped a few photos of my MaKayla coloring with her daddy's mom...

Today I thought about

Just how I came to be-

I traced it back to you

On our family tree.

I'm glad you fell in love with Grandpa,

And wanted a family.

And when you started having kids-

You didn't stop at 2 or 3.

'Cuz my daddy's #6

But to me he's #1.

I'm glad you took good care of him,

Because he was your son.

You taught him about Jesus

And now he teaches me.

So the lessons that you taught,

Will be a legacy.

And I will pass them on-

Someday when I have kids.

And I will do a lot of things-

Just like my daddy did.

So there are many things,

That I should thank you for.

I've only named a few,

But there are many more.

But I'm so thankful you had my dad,

Because most importantly-

If you would not have had him,

Then there would be no me!! RFF/11

So Much Happening...

  NovembuRR!! It's here!! Time is flying by~ things are happening~ the holidays are approaching!! My oh my!! Where to start on this blog?? First of all we'll talk about the wood!! The wood shed is now FULL w/ close to 40 cords of wood. Thanks to several youth groups & indiviual volunteers, the wood is cut & stacked and not a moment to soon either with October throwing us an early winter blast!! Dutch can now check the wood project off the list.
  What else is happening?? Dutch is wrapping up the barn heating project. Hopefully, after a visit this week from JM Lapp Heating, Dutch will be able to cross the barn heating project off the list as well. He will have some finishing up to do after they're gone, but it shouldn't take him long to wrap it all up. After that I believe he will be doing little odd jobs, finishing touches here & there, but no major projects since we are planning to pack up here & head back to Lanc. the end of Jan.
  Speaking of which~ To all of you folks who predicted we wouldn't move back to Lanc. again, sorry to disappoint you, but we are heading back. It WILL be bitter sweet since we love it here. We enjoy the area, the wild life, the slower pace, the people, the ministry, the family time & so much more. We have a lot of great memories from being here, in fact, Dutch and the kids are out making memories right now!! He decided to take Shay & Matt out hunting for fall turkey. It's the little things like that that we can't do in our backyard at home, that have made this year special for us!! And more than that are the friendships we have made this year. We so have enjoyed the people at the Haft & the fun folks at Living Hope Fellowship church!! So to think of leaving here isn't easy, but we feel it's important to go back to Lanc. for now. Will God call us here again for a longer period of time sometime down the road?? I don't know!! But we're so glad we got the priviledge of being here this year.
  What else is happening?? Our personal schedule for the next few months is filling up. Of course with the holidays there are travel plans to make etc. We are so excited that my side of the family is coming up here for three days to have Christmas up here. That's amazing!! We also have friends that haven't been here yet that are calling to see when they can come for a visit. Sooo it feels busy, but we love have folks come & enjoy this place with us!!
  We are still working on (in our coaching w/ Bruce & Joan) our vision & mission etc. for our family. This is not easy for us. Putting things on paper that are in your head and heart are not easy. It's not easy to put thoughts into words, let alone put words into actions. So if you want to know what you can pray about on our behalf~ pray for clarity. That we can see exactly what God desires from our lives. How can we be effective in our community, our church, & ultimately our world??

In Memory of Daniel Beiler

I wrote this poem for Dutch to read to Daniel's family before the funeral yesterday~

It's a new day for Daniel

The breaking of a new dawn

The sun is brightly shining

The clouds are now all gone

He has seen the face of Jesus

His Savior and his King

He is walking on the streets of gold

He can hear the angels sing

His little legs now take big strides

Bet he's grown a foot or two

And since his life on earth is over

He's a step ahead of you

Though Danny's earthly stature

Wasn't far from the ground

Today instead of looking up at you

Danny's looking down

He sees each and every one of you

Celebrating his life here today

If Danny could have some time to share

I think that he would say:

Don't mourn for me, don't cry

Life is too short to be down and out

Focus on the finish line

And what this life is really about

We have eternity to be together

Heavens splendor,words could never tell

Run the race set before you

Be strong, and finish well

My life on earth was short

But yours won't be much longer

Remember joy comes after mourning

And weakness makes you stronger.

So don't mourn for me, don't cry

There is much work to do

Take time to live, to laugh, to love

Forgive those have mistreated you.

Make the most of every day

Walk through the open door

And when you cross the river

I'll be waiting on the shore. RFF/11



Three Generations of...

...duck hunters!! Like father, like son!! The smiles on their faces as they were heading out the door in the early morning, the excitement Madison had the night before & the satified look on the their faces as they docked the canoe after the hunt~ priceless. Three generations of hunters- what can I say?? There are times when I wish Dutch wouldn't like to hunt, & I wonder why he gets excited about spending time in the woods, BUT when I watched Madison get excited about going out with his dad and grandpa, I thought to myself "there really is something that comes to life in a boy when he is pursuing something". Men were made to pursue, to go after. Not every man hunts, but I think every man pursues something~ dreams, business, a wife, just to name a few. They are warriors, made to conquer. They are so very different from us women, but different is good. And I am realizing how this nature is in them from birth, because Madison spends a lot of time with his sisters, but he is naturally very different from them. I didn't raise him different, he's just geared that way. So I decided it's no use I try to change Dutch & Madison, I'm going to try to ENJOY it with them.

So I will listen to their stories, I will show interest, I might even get up close & touch the dead animal, BUT I will not cook all their wild game that they bag. I just can't seem to get that wild stuff to cook up nice and soft. Now venison I can handle, but goose, duck & turkey, cooking that stuff is for the birds. Pun intended!! So you can see I have my boundaries, my limits!!

But seriously, it was a pleasure to watch Madison hang out with his dad, grandpa & his dog. Three generations sharing a common thread, there's just something special about that! 



Embracing the Father's Love

  The facilities here at the Haft serve for different purposes. Sometimes the people that come here are here for a refresher, a break, a time of refocusing. Sometimes the individuals or couples that come need some counseling. Sometimes (like the pastor coming next week) they want to come to write & just want a quiet place to do that. But sometimes they come as a group, like last weekend, for a retreat. Now the group that came last weekend was special because it was five couples who are near & dear to our hearts. So it was so fun to be a part of the retreat that we entitled the "Embracing the Father's Love Retreat". We watched a video series by Jack Frost, teaching about his experience of the Father's Love, & though I had watched these before, I seemed to have gotten more out of them the 2nd time around. Two key phrases that he used, stuck w/ me. The first one was, "The Father loves us the way we ARE, not the way we SHOULD be". Wow!! The 2nd one was this, "Love is a gift, not a reward for service". And of course there were many other things that spoke to me throughout the weekend, but the thought of God loving me in my imperfection is amazing to me. I cannot "do" something to cause him to love me more, & I cannot "not do" something that would cause him to love me less!!! And then the 2nd thought that I mentioned that stood out to me, caused me to think of my children. Do I love them based on performance or do I love no matter what?? Do I withhold love when I'm displeased with them?? See, the way we view the Father's love to us is the way we will react to others. If I think that the Heavenly Father's love is performance based, then there's a good chance that I myself live with a performance based mindset toward other people!!!
  The series was alot to take in in a short amount of time, & I'm still processing it. But I have a deeper revelation of the Father's love for me & a deeper understanding of the importance of loving without conditions. And I was reminded that anything done without love, is nothing! I reminded myself often this week, "If I homeschool my kids, & have not love, I have NOTHING. If I serve, live, give or anything else & have not love, I have NOTHING." You can fit all types of service in that sentence (feed the poor, have a knowledge, raise children etc.)- if you do it without love you have NOTHING!!!
   So like I said in the beginning of this post- there are many different uses for the Haft, they are of course always focused around refreshing, rebuilding, & retooling. And this past weekend was a great time of refreshing & retooling. Learning more, identifying things in our lives, walking thru areas, identifying strong holds & wrong mindsets, so we can have a deeper relationship with the Father. And then taking what we learned & appling it, acting on it. And as we change ourselves & our families, then ultimately we can make a difference in our world.

What's Your Life Purpose

  Ever wonder why on earth you were created? Ever stop to think that maybe, just MAYBE there was a plan for your being here? What specific plan did God have in mind for you before the foundations of the world were made?? Well I can't tell YOU what God's special plan is for your life, but I can certainly search & find what I'm here for. This has been some of the things we've been talkin' about in our weekly coaching sessions. And let me clarify one thing- when I say what have we been called to, I'm not necessarily talkin' about Dutch being called to the ministry & preaching. I'm talking about a "life mission". What are we as a couple & indiviually designed to do to serve God's purpose here on earth. For instance, Dutch is a one-on-one kind of guy. He loves to encourage people. He loves to help people, & if that means getting up in the middle of the night to pick you up somewhere, he will most likely do it. These things come natural for Dutch & when he operates in these things, He feels the pleasure of God. He feels fulfilled. Now me, I'm not geared in that same area, but I'm willing to support him in his calling. Sometimes that means giving up an evening with the family to allow Dutch to meet with someone that wants to share with him. On more than one occassion it meant allowing him to go pick up family or friends at midnight because their vehicle broke down or because they needed a ride. If he can help & encourage people in practical ways, he is in his element. Like I said, this is not my strong area. And sometimes it's easy to just sit back & allow him to excel in his gift & not pursue what God's "life mission" is for me. BUT I think EACH person has a gift & we're all supposed to use it. I like to write, I'm also a promoter, if I believe in something I will be verbal & tell you about it (not sure that that is always such a gift :)). I don't mind public speaking (most of the time) & Dutch says I could sell ice to an Eskimo... well we won't go there- BUT I write all this to say, God had somethng special in mind for every one of us. We were not meant to just "live" our lives for ourselves, but for a greater purpose. You are geared the way you are for a reason, now some of who we've become has been affected by pain in our lives & those are things we need to deal with in order to reach our full potential. But I'm realizing the importance of seeing what you're good at, & what is that makes you feel like you're being useful and then "Live that out everyday". We think admitting that we're good at something or that we enjoy doing something is bragging but that isn't necessarily true. If you're gifted in a certain area- then be all you can be in that. Don't hide who you are & what you're called to be- "find out what you're called to, & live it"!!!

We're still here

  Yes, yes, I know it has been a while since I last blogged- I do try to update once a week, but this time it has been more like 2 or 3 weeks. We are still here, still serving, living, & enjoying it. It looks like we'll stay put for the next month since we made 2 trips to Lanc. in Aug. The first trip was our usual once a month visit, the 2nd was for the baptism service. One can only travel back & forth so often until you say "That's it, I'm staying put for a while". So for Sept.- no planned trip to Lanc.
  What have we been up to?? I have got the kids back in school- so that's my morning. From 8 or 8:30 to 12:30 I try to juggle- teaching Shay & Matt, doing laundry, checkin emails etc., & keeping my 1 yr. old and 3 yr. old happy. When I do get time for myself, there's household chores to do & Haft responsibilities- so really there is no "me" time. Oh well- I love my job & my family,  so it's a win win.
  Dutch has been busy skidding, cutting, & stacking logs. He has been doing some small repair jobs on the Shepherd's Cottage (one of the houses here), as well as helping Gregg with the grounds keeping (mostly weed-eating).
  Dutch & I have been meeting weekly w/ Bruce & Joan for "coaching sessions". Trying to find our "life purpose", what we were really created to do/be for God. We have to set goals & all that good stuff. It's been exciting & difficult. We are not the "planning" kind of people, so putting plans on paper & then acting on them is not easy for us. Ideas & talking are one thing, "doing" & carrying them out is another.
  On the fun side- we went to Willaimsport w/ my sister Sue & her family on the 22nd. It just happened that the Little League World Series was taking place that week, so we watched a couple games while we were there!! And this week is the Sullivan Co. fair- so I guess we'll go do what everyone else in Sullivan Co. is doing, we'll hang out at the fair one evening or maybe two.

We kNEED Jesus

  OK I think the Lord is speaking!! My last blog tells the details of how I ended up with a knee/leg injury that now causes me to hobble around. As of yesterday Dutch was also injured in his left knee & now he too hobbles. So the misspelled "kNEED" in the title was intentional. I told Dutch that the Lord is speaking to us, reminding us how much we NEED Him, He's also reminding us how important it is to pray & ask for protection every day. So while we're being convicted of the fact we need to be on our knees more, we are acutely aware of how painful that is since neither one of us can kneel too well!!
  Perhaps I should explain his injury- in short it goes something like this: He cut his knee with the chain saw while cutting some branches off of the tops of trees that he was cleaning up to be used for firewood. Praise the Lord it was not very deep, but it's located right on his knee cap which makes walking & bending it a bit of a problem. While Dutch puts rubbing alcohol & cleansing agents on his knee, I sit there bending mine doing "therapy". Our kids are a little "put off" by our injuries- Madison commented that he thought this year was a "faith journey", and I suppose to him that meant nothing like this would happen. I tried to explain that a "faith journey" does NOT mean that everything goes exactly as we plan, but that we choose to trust God through whatever we face. So once again we use life experiences to teach our children about God & what we believe about His Sovereignty!! And once we again we as adults learn the importance of putting our trust in someone other than ourselves. God is GOOD & we NEED Him!!!

Crazy Dog

  So far my week in Lancaster has NOT gone as planned, and it has to do with our our choc. Lab Snickers. I never dreamt she was capable of doing physical harm to me. Here's the story: on Mon. evening when Dutch was ready to put Snickers back in her dog shed, he whistled & she came running full speed toward him. Dutch & the dog have a playful thing between them where Dutch acts like he's going to get Snickers & she runs away from him. Well in one quick, playful second Snickers swerved away from Dutch & plowed right into me from the front & jams my knee back. I crumbled down in pain, feeling certain that if I would try to lift my leg it would flop, I thought for sure something "popped". I lay there for a bit catching my breath & then Dutch helped me to sit up. I sat there & looked at Dutch, then said "I'm gonna pass out". The next thing I remember is the cold water they splashed on my face to wake me from my stupor. They helped me get inside where it was nice & cool, & I laid down on the couch.
  I don't think there are any broken bones, BUT ever since Mon. nite- my knee area is very sore, I hobble around, my whole lower left leg is swollen... & doing the things I had planned to do here this week is no easy task. BUT praise the Lord it feels better everyday, I can put weight on the leg w/o pain & God is healing all the things that were stretched, pulled or maybe even torn. My chiropractor suggested that I have it checked out at the orthopedics, which I had scheduled an appt. with, but I cancelled the appt. for now, praying that God will heal it & I won't need to have it x-rayed & I won't need any type of surgery. Let's just say spending time or money in a Drs office is NOT what I like to do, (though I realize that is necessary at times). Dutch & I agreed to cancel the appt., so I feel good about the decision. And I'm asking everyone who reads this blog to PRAY for complete healing for my knee.

Project Update & Role Change

  It's a wrap!! Dutch wrapped up his "new office for Bruce" project a little over a week ago. The 2nd floor of the barn looks almost completely different than it did when we came here. He did an amazing job!! His next remodeling project WAS going to be a big undertaking- remodeling the kitchen, BUT this project has been put on hold & Mr. Dutch is now officially a "Maintenance Man". With the Coleman's leaving this month, someone will need to step in for a time & do some outside work, & stock the wood shed for the winter. So Dutch's new role, for now, will be to fill that position. Any folks in Lancaster (or elsewhere) looking to volunteer their time?? Dutch could probably put you to work cutting wood, or organizing the new shop, or, or... well let's just say we'd love to have you come & give us a hand shapin' some things up outside here!!
  Although Dutch thoroughly enjoyed the remodeling work he was doing in the barn, he welcomes the change of pace & scenery that this position brings. After spending most of his time indoors the first half of this year, he now gets to work outside for a change. The other cool part about this is that this will provide more opportunity for the kids to work alongside Dutch, which is what I hoped would happen this year. And speaking of this year, I can't believe it's August already- who would have dreamed that time would go so fast here. We have enjoyed so much about this year & are so grateful we got to experience it. It is, of course, hard to see the Colemans leave, but we are praying that the Lord will send another family to take their place. We realize too that when it's time for us to pack & leave here it will be a hard good-bye. We have made many new friends, & will have reasons to come back & visit (or maybe retire here) Ha. We look forward to all that God has planned for us as we finish out here & pursue His will for our lives.

The Swimming Hole

  Today after lunch we took the opportunity to go w/ Bruce & Joan and their daughter Amy Zorrilla & her family to an area in the Loyalsock creek that they like to swim in. Amy & Andres are staying at the Haft for 3 weeks, they're on furlough from Honduras where they are stationed with MCC. We have enjoyed interacting with the Zorrillas & our children have enjoyed spending time with their daughters Beatrice (13) & Abigail (9). Beatrice loves kids so she has bonded with MaKayla & Gabby. So when they invited us to go on a little outing, we readily agreed. They took us to a spot that they frequent, it's an area in World's End State Park- an area away from most of the other people. It was great, it was deep enough for the adults to swim and enjoy themselves, yet there were shallow areas for the smaller kids. It wasn't exactly the beach or the nice clean swimming pool that I'm used to swimming in, but it was cool, wet and a new experience for the kids. I love the idea of being creative, & using the resources you have where ever you're at- we don't have a pool close by so we use the next best thing we can find. The added benefit of a place like this in the creek is the fact that you can enjoy the beauty of nature while you're swimming. This swimming area is situated at the bottom of the mountain so we were surrounded by trees & rocks. And Madison was standing beside Dutch admiring his surroundings when he commented, "How can anyone think there is no God"?? I think he was in awe of nature & he saw God's handiwork in it. The Bible says when it comes to the Kingdom we need to "become as a child" & I understand why- they have a simple way of looking at things. Oh that we would keep a simplistic outlook on life!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Everything Matters

  Paul & Leslie, a pastor & his wife that were here for a week Sabbatical, asked to have a word with the on-site team before they left here on Sat. morning. So we gathered in the "newly renovated lounge (thanks to Dutch)"- & Paul thanked each one of us for the part we play here. He said not only did they have a time of refreshing in their quiet times here, but also watching each one of us participate & work together was refreshing to them. And that is so encouraging to hear, because we all play a different part here- some people mow the grass, some people do construction, some people do counseling, etc. etc. So to hear Paul say that he was touched not only by the counseling they received here, but by all of us doing our part including Dutch & Madison workin along side each other- that was a tremendous boost to keep on with the everyday little things that God calls each one of us to!!!! That means that we're ALL important even the "little" things have significance. We don't just minister to people through preaching, counseling or witnessing- we can be a blessing in a lot of ways. This can be applied to life in general- people are watching, and our lives can be a testimony in every way. Our lives in action speak far louder than anything we could ever say, & the things that seem like "little" things to us might impact people in a big way. Don't ever think that being a mom is a "small" job, the way we raise our children, & handle them speaks to people. In other words, there are no "small" areas when you're a christian- every thing matters, our attitudes, & actions need to be in line at all times. Trust me I'll be the first to admit that when I'm alone with my kids, they see a side of me that I'd rather that nobody else see. Sometimes I snap & lose my temper, but sometime that will show up in my kids when they're in public & they get upset at some other kid & they show their temper. Well, no denying it, they learned it from me. So in all reality we can't drop our guard, we make impressions on people 24/7.  It's important that we make the effort to make good impressions & do everything with a good attitude no matter what the job is that we're doing.

A Conversation w/ My Kids

  Don't you love the stuff that kids come up with?? I was sitting down w/ my kids at breakfast this morning & we were chatting. The conversation was about "free" stuff- like magazines that we get in the mail for free aren't REALLY free because the advertisers pay to put an ad in them & that's how we get them for free. What we were discussing was that nothing like that is really FREE, someone always pays for it some way or another. So Madison pipes up & says, "People just don't have willing hearts now days, everything is about money".
  Then ShaLyn quips, "But Madison you NEED money to live, you have to have SOME money".
  And Madison comes back with, "Well not the way I see it. You can live off the land!!!"
  To which ShaLyn replies, "What are you gonna wipe your butt with"??
  I was sitting there smirking. What an interesting conversation. I love to hear how my kids see things. Their ideas & view points are priceless. Kids hear their parents talking, then they process these things in their little minds- then when it comes out their mouth it is amazing what they come up with. This mornings conversation continued but I can't remember all the details, but Madison did eventually agree that you need a little money to get equipped to live off the land, for instance, he said, "You would need to BUY fishing lines to catch the fish that you're gonna eat". And we discussed ShaLyn's question & decided that leaves would work for the wiping part as long as they're not poisonious!!!
  I write all this to say- I'm encouraging you to take a moment to have a chat with your kids & LISTEN to what they've got churning in their little minds. They might have a "word" for you. They may have dreams, plans & ideas for their future that you have no clue about. Their minds have a lot of info in them, tap in & see what's on their hearts. Take time with your kids today!!!!

A Break at the Lake

   The end of last week we were busy around here, workin' outside, shapin' things up around the Barn for the Living Hope Fellowship (the church we attend up here) church picnic. Sunday morning dawned, there were a few clouds in the sky, but no rain- we were thankful for that. The church people arrived, & we had church under a blue sky, followed by lunch & outdoor activities- it was a fun day. Then came Monday- we all looked forward to spending a day at the lake. Jonathon Coleman was celebrating his 5th birthday, & his Grandpa and Grandma have a house on the lake- we were invited to spend the afternoon & evening there. It's about a 45 min. drive from here, but it was worth the drive. We ate a HUGE lunch, the kids swam, & Cheryl took Bets, Myself & Gabby for a "heart stopping" boat ride. Lets just say Cheryl hadn't driven the boat in a while, so once she got her away from the dock, she let her go- her dad was watching from the dock nearly panicking, she was looking back laughing, while Bets & I were yelling "Look out for the neighbors floating dock"!!!! Besides the boat ride, it was a pleasant & relaxing day!!! And just before we left, Dutch had to do a little fishin', so naturally Madison grabbed his fishin' line as well (there's a little competition goin' on between them, Madison holds the record w/ a 16" large mouth). So Madison cast his line & just like that he had a hit- he was bringing it in when it snapped the line. They said it was a nice big bass. Pulling it in would have topped off an already wonderful day!!!

"I'm livin' the dream"

  The phrase "I'm living the dream" comes from the owner of the hardware store up here. Dutch laughs when he talks about him- I personally have never met him, but from what I hear he sounds comical. So anyway, Dutch adopted this phrase & he uses it frequently. I thought about the phrase- from a spiritual point of view & I wondered how many of us are "livin' the dream", and by that I mean, "Are you livin' the dream, that GOD has dreamed for you"??? Are you where you are because God has called you? Or are you stuck in your comfort zone, afraid to really seek God & what He has for you because if you do it may mean stepping out. How much are you willing to do to live the dream God has for- are you willing to go through uncharted waters??? I'm not saying everyone needs to GO somewhere, I'm saying "Is your job where you're supposed to be OR could God possibly have something else in mind for you, but you're not willing to trust him in that area. Does he want to use you, your gifts & talents, but you try to ignore the fact that you even have special gifts & abilities.
  We have come to the place where we like things easy, nice, convenient- but really "How dirty are you willing to get for God, how much of your life are you willing to give Him. I personally have this natural drive to "control" things. I want to tell God I'm willing to do this, this & this- but that's as far as I'm going. But in all reality, He knows the plans & dreams He has for us- He wants to purifiy & refine us, He wants to mold us, fill us & USE us. Are you willing to "live HIS dream"???

In honor of Father's Day

  I posted the song "Lead Me" for all you father's out there. Dutch heard the song on the radio, & he really liked it. He said, "You need to post that on your blog". To which I replied, "Great idea for Father's Day, will you write the blog?" And he said he would, but writing doesn't come easy for him, soooo- to all you Daddy's out there that carry the responsibility of leading a family, don't take your job lightly, we're counting on you guys to be led by the greatest Father of all, so you can lead us with strong hands!! What an awesome responsibility you have- but you have the oppurtunity to get your teaching by the greatest teacher ever known. Stay the course, put your hand in His, & we'll do our best to follow!!!! Happy Father's Day!!! (Be sure to listen to the song- i posted it just before this post)

Sanctus Real - Lead Me

Thank You

  Not sure how to put in words our gratitude to the folks that so generously blessed us when we were in Lancaster last weekend. I don't know who gave the big round plastic tub FULL of goodies from food to flip flops, & clothes, etc.- and I don't know if you read our blog or not, but "THANK YOU". Our children were SO EXCITED & they said "Wow, God has blessed us". Also thanks to my mom for the cart full of groceries, & for puttin' up w/ us in your house for the weekend. And a "thank you" to Sue for the wonderful bread, pies, oh & the gum as well, anyone that buys MaKayla gum becomes her "Best Friend"!!!
We returned to the Haft feeling blessed and overwhelmed at God's provision & excited about the work HE is doing here & in Lancaster.

Jus Sayin'...

 Okay so good health is something we ALL take for granted, & trust me, when you're not feeling good for a day it makes you SO THANKFUL to wake up the next morning feeling better. I spent most of the day yesterday doing only what was NECESSARY to get by, & the rest of the time I laid on the couch. Now as a mom there are definitely more things that are NECESSARY to do compared to if you're a sick child, or a guy for that matter. If you're a sick child, your mom will probably tell you "Rest & take it easy for today"- nothing more is required, just lay there & get better. And if you're the guy, husband, dad or whatever- when you get sick, you will probably say, "I'm gonna lay down, tell the kids not to disturb me, & can you bring me a cold drink, or maybe hot tea, & could you rub my feet..." BUT us mama's DO NOT have that luxury do we??? It's more like this- "OK kids I'm gonna lay down a bit cause I'm not feeling well, do something quietly please." Silence for about 10 seconds. Then there's a BUMP & Makayla screams.
 "OK kids what's going on?"
"Makayla bumped her head & she wants you mom."
"Bring her in here with her blankey, she can lay beside me."
So she lays beside you, or more like rolls around beside you, all the while kicking & bumping your aching body.
"MaKayla HOLD STILL."
"But mom I need to go potty."
"Can you go by yourself"?
"No, I want you to help me." (notice it's not I NEED you to help me, but rather WANT you to)
So she whines till I begrudgingly, & rather dizzily, get out of bed & take her.
I finally get back in bed- NOW can I get a little rest before Gabby wakes up??
5 minutes go by, I'm just drifting off into la-la land, when I feel a soft tap on my shoulder-
"Yes Shay what do you need?"
"Can we watch a video, we're bored & it's too hot to play outside."
"Yeah sure, & take Makayla w/ you."
A discussion ensues & a hot debate on which video to watch, I listen from my bed thinking, "Don't make me come out there."The two older ones finally give into the whinny 3 year & watch "Holly Hobby". Silence follows momentarily as they become involved in the video. Nows my chance, it's quiet... but wait was that Gabby waking up?? No pleasssse not already, any other day she would sleep for 3 hrs.!!!! Do I get any breaks??
So maybe it wasn't EXACTLY like that yesterday, BUT that pretty much sums up what the day looks like for the sick mom. The kids don't decide, "Hey let's not whine today, & all get along cause mom really needs a break." NOPE! Life still happens for sick mama's, so we grin & bear the pain till dad comes home, which unfortunately for me, Dutch had an off-site meeting last night (very unusual)... SO thankfully my first born (don't you love em, so responsible an all!!!) stepped up to the plate- she took charge of bathin' MaKayla, washed & brushed her hair, got her ready for bed & even tried to explain to her that "Mamas not feelin' good", though I think it fell on deaf ears...
  Let's just say to wake up this morning feeling MUCH better was a wonderful thing & I will try not to take for granted ALL the days we are blessed w/ good health!!!!

Radical

   I've been reading the book called Radical by David Platt.  The sub-title is- "Taking back your faith from the American dream". Sounds heavy, right?? Well it's a really powerful book. In the first chapter, the author talks about the label given to him "youngest megachurch pastor in history". That doesn't sound like a bad thing- BUT his model (JESUS) was a guy who spent the majority of His ministry time with only 12 men. And when Jesus left this earth, He had only about 120 people who were really serious about doing what He told them to do. Jesus was more of a minichurch leader. Obviously He wasn't interested in attracting a huge following, and it's clear that the cost of following Him was far more than the crowds were willing to pay, but He was okay with that. He focused on the few who believed Him when He said radical things, & through their radical obedience, He turned the course of history in a new direction. The author goes on to say- "You & I can continue with business as usual in the Christain life and in the church, enjoying success based on the standards defined by the culture around us- OR we can take an honest look at the Jesus of the Bible and dare to ask what consequences might be if we really believed Him & really obeyed Him." 
  I enjoy a book like this because personally I think we as Christains have made our own rules & interpretations of the Bible to fit our lifestyle. We have watered things down.Jesus message wasn't necessarily easy- He spoke of dying to yourself, He said to be great you need to be a servant (and that doesn't sit well with a "me first" attitude). The author also talks about the underground church in different parts of the world that He has been to & these people have a HUNGER for the Word, & they risk being caught when they come together to study it. But they're willing to suffer for the sake of Christ.
  So by now if you've written me off as radical, well I can't do much about that... BUT if you're interested in reading a well written, & challenging book- you may want to pick up your own copy of it.
*Thanks to a Pastor friend, that we met here at the Haft, for sending us the book.

Odds n Ends

Projects Update- thought maybe I should update you all on what Dutchs next major project will be. Since the better part of the barn "punch out" list has been completed, Dutch has been doing odds & ends around the house here. It seems that after he completes a major project he needs a little time to re-group before starting his next big project. So now he's gearing up for the next undertaking- he's going to be building an office in the barn for Bruce. Bruce's office presently is a tiny area outside of his bedroom- in fact, when we lived in the barn MaKayla said, "Bruce sleeps in his office". And she was pretty much right on, beings that the office area is the entrance to his bedroom. So starting next week, Dutch will be setting out to make a bigger & better office for Mr. Bruce!!!
Wild Life Update- Ok, so I mentioned in one of my earlier blogs about the deer that we have here. Well let's just say that the warmer weather has added to our list of interesting creatures that frequent our front porch & side yard. We now have several hummingbirds coming to the feeder, an indigo bunting, & several other "cool" birds. We see Garter snakes on a regular basis (the kids have gotten brave enough to pick the little ones up by their tails). We've seen a beaver in his lodge on the pond, & Snickers (our dog) came nose to body with a porcupine (Dutch had to pull the needles out of Snickers nose). And the lastest creature- a "cat-like" something... to put it in ShaLyn's words "it was about the size of Snickers, had whiskers & a long tail". Dutch checked with the Game Commission about the possibility of it bein' a cougar, & of course they said that they highly doubt that thats what it was- soooo for the sake of the Game Commission, we'll call it a "Bobcat". ShaLyn saw it from our kitchen window!!!!!!!!!!
The Ministry of the Haft Update- People often wonder if the Haft (the guest rooms in the barn & what we offer here) is being used, in other words, is anything going on here- are people coming to be refreshed, & retooled? The answer is yes! And as people are finding out about the Haft & what's available here, we are getting more phone calls, etc. We are not booked solid, but we have people coming & going!! It's exciting to see God at work!!
*Please continue to pray for the Haft, & for us as we serve- we're trying to make the most of our year while we're here. Time is going by so quickly.
*By the way- feel free to leave comments on our blog or drop us an email. We LOVE to hear from our friends far & wide!!

10 yrs. & counting...

  Allow me to reminisce a bit- grab your self a coffee, get cozy, & travel back in time with me. Back to when I was younger, thinner, single & dreaming. When it came to a husband & my future I had my ideals, things I wanted in a man, & things I wanted to do & be in the future. The following is a list of the some things I planned for, hoped for, & wanted for my future: we'll start with a husband- I used to say "I want him to have blond hair, blue eyes, wear blue jeans (HA), & love the Lord." I remember saying "short is okay". Okay so I'd say "check, check on that. Next I wanted to get married, wait a yr. or so, & then have four children before the age of 30. Again, "check, check".
  Then there were things we wanted, hoped & planned for the future that didn't happen. We said on our honeymoon that for our 10th anniversary we want to go to Alaska. (This isn't exactly Alaska!!) We also said we want to take our family to a third world country someday just to experience it (this could still happen in the future).
  BUT guess what? There were things I DID NOT know, think of, or plan for the future... like- I never dreamt I'd be a pastor's wife, didn't plan for my hubby to be a pastor, had no clue we'd live in Bradford Co. for a yr., had no idea I'd enjoy being a wife & mother as much as I do, I did not know that marriage gets BETTER with time & I'd love my husband more now then I did back then (a deeper kind of love), and I had absolutely NO CLUE that 10 yrs. would go by so QUICKLY!! It has been a journey- not perfect by any means, but wonderful!! I heard statistics today on the radio that said many marriages don't make it past 7 yrs- those poor people jumped ship to soon. They miss the good part. Marriage is like wine- it gets better with age!! I don't know about you, but I'm in it for the LOOONG haul- lookin' forward to what the next 10 yrs. may hold. 

LHF Ladies Retreat

  The ladies from Living Hope Fellowship (the church we attend up here), had there annual Ladies Retreat this past weekend, and it was here at the Haft. So that made it really convenient for me, Dutch was able to hang with the kids while I was in the barn hangin' out with the ladies. So from Friday evening until Sat. around 6:00 pm. we worshipped, took in teaching sessions, had professional massages, ate, chatted, laughed, applied Scripture, oh & did I mention "stayed up late talkin'" together. It was a grand time, & the amazing thing is I was one of the youngest women here. The one "gal" (as she called herself) is 72 yrs. old., & she's still excited about the Lord. I told her that I used to think 70 was old, but lately I keep findin' these 70 yr. olds that are still kickin'!!! But you know what- that's how I wanna be when I get old- excited about the Lord... & willing to look into the Word to learn more about him. And I realized that we are never too old to impact people, cause the women really had an impact on me,  & not just a spiritual impact... They were alot of "fun" too, in fact the 72 yr. old was in my group when we had to "act out" the story of the 'Little Red Hen' to portray Diligence vs. Laziness, and she was laying on the floor playin' the part of one of the lazy farm animals that always replied "Not I". What a sport!! Hangin' out with these ladies made me realize we can learn alot from older people, after all, they've been around quite a bit longer than we have- & I know they have some wisdom to offer if we're willing to take the time to watch & learn!!

Special Moments

                                          

   Call me old fashioned but I would much prefer seeing my son hang out w/ his dad doing "guy things" than sittin' around playin' video games or watchin some video. I'm not a fan of any of those gadgets like DS or XBOX though I am well aware that at some point my son & daughters will be asking for them. But anyway like I was sayin'- I LOVE when Dutch & his son get moments like the one above, to hang out. This was yesterday mornin', they left the house before daylight a little before 5 am. & headin to a farm that they had asked permission to turkey hunt on. Of course they could give you all the details, but I'll make the story short- they  were watchin five "Jakes" together feeding, & Madison sat looking over Dutch's shoulder & whispered in Dutch's ear "Dad call". So taking Madison's advice, Dutch "called" softly, & the turkeys started headin' toward them. When they were in range, Dutch whispered to Madison "Should I shoot"?? To which Madison replied, "Yeah Dad"!! So Dutch pulled the trigger on the biggest one- a 5 1/2" bearded jake. What a moment of celebration for father & son, with the typical high fives, hugs & "praise the Lord". Mission accomplished!! It was a special moment and Madison's smile was worth it all.

   There were a few other "projects" that Madison & Dutch worked on together. They built a rustic lookin' bird feeder, & also made a "homemade" bow and arrow. All these moments are a highlight for Madison, & Dutch enjoys them as well, but for most of us, these moments don't "just happen". We have to take time from our busy schedule & "make" those special moments happen for our kids if we wanna have a close relationship w/ them. I see it the same way with my Heavenly Father- I need to "make" the 'one on one' times happen with Him if I wanna stay "connected"!!!!

                      

Our God is Greater - Chris Tomlin

We're not staying forever!!!

tem·po·rar·y
adjective

1.

lasting, existing, serving, or effective for a time only; not permanent.

 

   Since we've moved to the Haft, I have learned the meaning of "temporary". We lived in the barn "temporarily", we are now in the Gatehouse but it's only "temporarily" since we're only committed here for a year. Once a month we go home to Lancaster, but we're only there "temporarily"... Okay, so what is my point in saying all this?? Well, ultimately, we are all here on this earth on a "temporary" status, so why are we so geared to think permanently?? We busy ourselves maintaining our earthly things that have no lasting value, and don't get me wrong, I like things nice- but there are certainly times where I have completely missed the fact that we are not staying on this earth forever. I miss the "big picture", & get wrapped up in my own agendas. But here's the scoop- we get one shot here on this earth to get it right, prepare ourselves for the eternal, and bring as many souls with us as possible. So what would happen if we all took seriously the fact that our time here is short?? What would we change in our lives to make more time for the things that really matter?? Would we spend more "quality" time with our kids, would we complain less, would we just take some time to "be still" & get in tune with our God?? Would we stop focusing on our earthly kingdoms? How would YOU change things if you lived with a "temporary" mindset?? Listen up- our kids need us, there are people around us that need us, & people need to see REAL christains (the world isn't tired of God, they're tired of "goofy" christains)- & sometimes we miss these oppurtunities because we're busy with "life". I think it's time we focus on the important things, keeping in mind that our stay on earth is temporary, & then make the most of our time while we're here!!!

Two (working together) are better than One

  It was my idea to go for a little boat ride across the oversized pond on Wednesday afternoon. The sun was shining & we had a little free time between sessions during the Pastor Couples retreat. So Dutch grabbed the oars & we set sail acrossed the rather swollen pond. We easily reached the far end, with little effort in rowing since the wind was blowing out. We hung out on the far end for a little while, checking out a beaver's "nest" (or whatever you call their pile of sticks in the water), & noticed some turtles sunning themselves on the rocks. We stayed out there for a bit, then decided it was time to make our way back- so Dutch took one oar and started rowing. I know he could have gotten us back just rowing all by himself, though the wind WAS persistantly pushing us out, but I decide to help out. So I grabbed the other oar- and it didn't take me long to realize that I could be a real detriment, & make things worse, or I could "work together" and we could really get somewhere. See, if I didn't keep up with him, or if I didn't lift my oar up out of the water at the right time, I could cause us to go in circles. And of course, I immediately saw the analogy- it's the same way in our marriage... he & I working together, being on the "same page", having the same goals, etc., we could really be dynamite together. BUT if I choose to "drag my feet", & go my own direction, well let's just say it could be a disaster. That doesn't mean Dutch is always right & has the say, HA!! It means that communicating & working for a common goal TOGETHER is powerful. For instance if we don't agree on how we want to raise our children, & if our ideals do not line up, we are actually gonna be headed in two different directions & really end up accomplishing NOTHING!!! So the conclusion of the boat ride- I decided to sit & face him, & he navigated. He told me when to row & when to stop, I listened as best I could & before long we reached the other side. Now that's team work!!!!!!!!

Praise Reports

  When Dutch wrote out the schedule for the renovation project that he is currently finishing up, Scot (pastor at LHF & Haft board member) noticed that Dutch wrote the schedule in ink w/ pen as apposed to pencil. He commented that that was not very wise, and stated that the schedule will most likely get changed sometime throughout the course of the project- BUT I'm here to testify & thank the Lord that not once did the schedule get changed. Thank you all for your prayers. The project went well, the contractors that were scheduled throughout the project showed up as planned, & some of Dutch's brothers went out of their way to come up a day or two here and there to give Dutch a hand with the framing. The project went smoothly- & we are praising God. With this work being complete, the guest rooms look inviting, so now our prayer is that God will continue to fill them.
  The next praise report is that God has continued to provide for our needs. A year like this can be a test of our faith, but God has come through, sometimes before we even asked- like on the way back out here the last time I looked in the back seat & thought to myself that we will soon be needing another carseat for Gabby since she will soon be out of the infant one... well just the other day David Coleman (that lives here at the Haft) stopped over & said "Here's a carseat that one of the ladies at church gave us last Sunday when you weren't there. She said to see that you guys get it." It's a used carseat, but in great condition, & she  doesn't need it anymore. Wow. That's a faith booster. God answered before I even prayed on that one!!!
To those of you who have given financially- thank you!!! **I have a little something I need to add here for the future- if you write a check made payable to the Haft for our personal support DO NOT put our name (first or last) on the check itself. (Something to do with the good old IRS)!! Just put a sticky note or piece of paper w/ the check & write "Fisher Family" on it. I apologize, I did not make this clear on our prayer cards because I did not know it then. All checks made payable to the Haft on our behalf (WITHOUT our name on the check) are tax deductible.
  The last praise report- Gabby fell the whole way down the basement steps & wasn't hurt at all!!!
We serve an amazing God- He's good ALL the time!! Not just when things are going well... He really is good ALL the time!! Take moment to praise Him today!!!

Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)

Sunshine/Sonshine

This sunshine is Heavenly. After a rainy, rather depressing day yesterday, the sunshine today is glorious. It's amazing what the sun can do- it brings joy, warmth, & a brightness that lifts your spirit. I tend to want to praise the Lord on these kind of days, tho yesterday, in the rain, I was determined to not allow the clouds & rain to dampen my spirits, I found it was hard to praise. And cloudy days at the Haft mean that my texts don't go through very well, so I feel REALLY isolated.  I imagine it was a cloudy, dismal day when Jesus hung on that cross, & imagine the isolation He felt when God turned His head away as Jesus took on the sins of the WHOLE world. But the story doesn't end at the grave- what glorious Sonshine 3 days later when He stepped out of that grave as RISEN Lord & Savior. And that "Son" brings joy, warmth, & brightness like no other. I challenge you this Easter as you bask in the sun, take a moment to reflect on the true "Son", & tell Him how thankful you are for what He has done for you.

Project Update

  The project in the barn is right on schedule. The painters, Mike, JR, & Bryan, were here yesterday & they did a fine job. The carpet is scheduled to be installed on Friday (not going to mess with hardwood this time:)). And Joan & I went to the town of Wysox today to order all the furniture for these rooms, it will be delivered next week. Of course we will have to have a day of "final clean-up" where all the rooms will be thoroughly cleaned & made ready for the furniture. (Anyone enjoy "after construction" clean-up?? We welcome your help). Actually everyone on-site will pitch in for this clean-up, so hopefully it will be many hands & light work. The plan is to have all work completed by April 25th & by the 26th their will be guests arriving for 3 days for the Pastor Couples Retreat. So it looks like Dutch will have this project wrapped up just in time to spend a few days in the woods, after all April 30th is the first day of turkey season!!!
 

This Is The Stuff - Francesca Battistelli | With Lyrics

This is for you Mama's

  Ok here I go again with a song, but songs really do speak to me & the one I'm gonna post today describes me exactly. The song is called "This is the Stuff" (check the following post to hear it) & the song talks about the little things that go wrong in our lives & how God uses them to teach us. And for me as a mom, I have so many little things that frustrate me, but I forget to look at them as tools God can use to shape me. So this song is for you Mama's. (And speaking of frustration, trying writing a blog when your kiddos are fighting. Ha. I can't think & have to keep getting up to settle their disputes!!)
  Here's a little something else for you Mama's, so listen up... ok so a lot of us have husbands in the business world, & a lot of them have business coaches, or they listen to motivational speakers to help them to become better business men. Well what if us Mama's would take a little Mama coaching?? Let me introduce you to something that has helped me ALOT- it's called "The 5 Minute Mom". It's an encouraging course that you take every day for 30 days. I became familiar with Hannah Keeley & her website through the company we buy our homeschool curriculum from. Hannah is a Christain homeschool mom, & she has a desire to help other mothers. (You don't have to be a homeschool mom to benefit from her coaching course.) So anyway after receiving her weekly e-newsletter & frequenting her website, I decided to take her coaching course. It is motivational & refreshing, & I'm encouraging other Mama's to check it out, it costs $40 but it's worth it (that means each session costs only a little over $1). IF you're intersted, you can purchase the course through my link & I will get a percentage of what you paid because I referred you. I am not & will not use our blog as a means to promote business- but I will use our blog to promote something that I feel can be a great blessing & a help to people. So don't just take my word for it- check out her website for yourself at hannahkeeley.com, but do remember if you want to sign for the coaching sessions to come back here & use my link to sign up. http://iamhapi.com/affiliates/2ncf

Frequently Asked Questions

Thought I'd take a minute to answer some frequently asked questions... A lot of people ask-
"So how are things going at the Haft?" Things are going well, Dutch is currently working on a renovation project in the barn. This project was a fairly large undertaking & so far has gone smoothly.
"Have you guys adjusted to life there?" Yes we have. We all do fairly well with change, & none of us have had a really big adjustment.
"Do you guys like Bradford Co.?" Yes, actually we love it.
"What do you do all the time, do you get bored??" No we don't get bored. As for me, I am still a homeschool mom & busy mom of a 3 yr. old & a 7 month old, my household duties haven't changed, & I'm still working on improving my serving skills for my dear husband. As for Dutch, he's busy giving of his time to rebuild the infrastructure of the Haft facilities. And let me see- we also have 6:15 am Men's Monday morning Bible Study, 8:00 am Monday morning "On-site Team weekly meeting & prayer time", Monday morning 9:00 am Chapel for the kids, Monday evening 6:30 "On-site Team Bible Study on Leadership", Wednesday evening Family Fun Nite in the barn,  & Thursday afternoon Ladies Bible Study. We have all those things on a regular basis not to mention serving guests, or workers that are here working on construction projects...
And there are also church events that we could be involved in if we wanted to as well.
"Are you getting paid by the Haft for the work you're doing?" No. We get a small monthly stipend from the Haft (around $600), besides that we are trusting the Lord to meet our needs.
"Do you get any money from Dutch's business on a monthly basis?" No.
"Are there guests at the Haft?" Currently no, due to construction in the main part of the barn which is where the guest quarters are. But in our time at the Haft, yes, there were guests coming & going. And there's a Pastor Couples Retreat in April- therefore the barn guest room renovations NEED to be finished by then.
"How often do you come to Lancaster?" On average about once a month. It's usually the first or second weekend of the month. And we usually come on Sat. & leave the following Wed.
"Is your house in Lancaster rented out?" As of May 1 the basement will be rented. And for 6 wks. the upstairs will be rented out as well. But by the end of June the upstairs will again be available for us when we come back.
"How long are you going to be at the Haft?" We have committed for one year. That commitment runs through Jan. 13, 2012.
"Can we come visit you there?" Absolutely.

Friends & "Sharing"

  We had a little piece of Lancaster Co. here over the weekend & it was very enjoyable!!! When friends travel several hrs. to spend the weekend with you, it makes you value & cherish their friendship. So tonight a special "thank-you" goes out to you folks who came out here & made our weekend special. We enjoyed opening our home away from home, & "sharing THE STUFF" with you. Thanks for sharing with us, because in all reality, it's like Pastor Scott said today- "the STUFF that we have is really God's, not ours". We can't keep our earthly possessions or "stuff", but it's in giving that we store up treasure in Heaven. And when we give to people materially, eventually we might get the chance to give to them spiritually as well. So in sharing our possessions with people in need, we may possibly get the chance to "share" Jesus with them too. It was a simple message, but it spoke to me because like I always tell Dutch, "I don't like to share". I am the baby of the family you know... I never had to share a whole lot:):):) But you know I've come to realize we have a lot of "stuff", especially since we live in a furnished house here & we go home to a furnished house in Lancaster, and we lack nothing in either house... We have been given much, much is required!!
  Well I meant to post a simple "thank you" to our friends, but I got a little carried away with Pastor Scot's message- from now on I'll try to leave the preaching to Dutch;)!! In the mean time I'm gonna work on sharing....
  ....heeeeeeeeeyyyyyy, that's MY coffee, hands off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A New Beginning

  She came to the Haft because of some things that took place while she was on short term missions in Mexico. Things that she didn't intend to get involved with, but it happened, & she had to leave Mexico. However, the mission group she was working with didn't want to just send her home with shame, & not give her a second chance. They contacted the Haft, wondering if they would be interested in working with her for a short time. The on-site team (that includes us), discussed the matter- was this the kind of person that the Haft was for?? We could offer her some one on one prayer, & love from caring people, but would that be enough?? So without knowing a whole lot about the situation, we as a team agreed to tell the mission director that "yes" we would allow her to come here. We could only have her be here for 3 weeks due to Bruce & Joan and the Brauns having plans to be off-site for several weeks (Joan & Betsy are the Haft counselors).
  Well she arrived around midnight, & the following day was rainy- I commented to Dutch that it was a dreary day for her to arrive. But God did a work in those few short weeks & I'm amazed. So to make a long story short- and I will summarize what she said as best I can "When I came here things seemed hopeless, my plans for the future looked messed up. When I came it was raining, but now the sun is shining. Just being here, & seeing you all love on your kids, & the sun shine, & even the barn being refreshed- brought hope."
She still needs prayer as she goes from here, but her outlook when she left was certainly different than it was when she came. It reminds me of a song I've been hearing on the radio, "That's What Faith Can Do." If you have a moment, check out the song, I posted it on here.

Kutless - What Faith Can Do

Snow Much For Spring

  Ok, so much for Spring!! Yesterday morning we woke up to 8" of snow- & Madison was disgusted. He said, & I quote, "This snow messed up my WHOLE day!!". As though he had something really big planned, & the snow really threw him a curve!! Well he & Jonathon Coleman were planning to continue their recent project- "Operation Fix the Holes in the Driveway". The job is quite muddy, but has provided hrs. of entertainment. Guess operations will resume when the snow disappears!!! I gotta say, Madison's reaction to the snow did provide some food for thought for me though- am I willing to have my day rearranged sometimes, or do I have "my" plans made to the point that if God changes my day I get all bent out of shape about it. It's a great reminder that God sees the whole picture & I don't, so things that seem inconvenient sometimes might just be God at work.
  And speakin' of projects- "Operation Fix Up the Barn" is going smoothly thus far. Dutch's brother Lee cruised up here last night to help Dutch frame for a couple days. I'm always amazed at what a couple of guys, who know what they're doing, can accomplish in several days. I tell them, "I'm glad you guys know what you're doing, cuz I certainly wouldn't have a clue." I can't even cut straight with a scissors, let alone build a room that's square! Ha. I'll stick with cooking & cleaning, and leave the remodeling projects to the guys.

Under Construction

  When the shower head skims the top of your head, & you can barely move around in the shower because it’s so tiny, & the pipes are exposed- it’s a sure sign that the bathroom needs some remodeling. That’s Dutchs next project, starting as of this week, he will be remodeling areas of the 1^st & 2^nd floor in the Barn (main guest building). This includes demolishing & revising several guest bedrooms& bathrooms. He has a 5 week time frame to complete this project since the goal is to have this completed before the Pastor Couples Retreat the 3^rd weekend in April. This area that he’s remodeling is where we stayed in the Barn for the first 5 weeks that we were here. I made a comment about the shower that if Dutch or I were taller, there is no way we would have been able to put up with it that long. And to demonstrate that, I had Matt Lapp, being 6 ft. & all, stand in the shower (fully clothed, thank you very much), and the shower head came to his mouth. He could have brushed his teeth in there, but beyond that…well…
  All jokes aside- this project will probably take every bit of 5 weeks to complete, so we ask that you pray for Dutch as he heads this up. Pray for things to go smoothly from start to finish. And as always, pray that we can be a blessing to every person that helps with this project., whether it’s a hired sub-contractor or someone that volunteers their time. Every encounter with people is an opportunity to be a blessing!!

Being Intentional

I love the two-fold purpose for our being here at The Haft. While we essentially came here for Dutch & I to “give” a year of service, specifically to the refreshing & rebuilding of this place structurally; we are also here to “be” refreshed & retooled ourselves. Sometimes leaving the comforts of home is the first step you need to take to get a fresh look at life, & God, & everyone & every thing going on around you. We’ve had the privilege, over the past few months, of meeting new people, & Dutch and I both agree that the world is BIG & we KNOW VERY LITTLE. So our horizons have been broadened. We have also become aware that things do not “just happen” & we should not live our lives believing that they do. We need a plan of action, a purpose, & we must be intentional in every area of our lives. Being intentional means that you can’t just sit around & wait for opportunities to serve, reach out & minister; but instead you need to seize those opportunities. Every person (garage repair man, waitress, cashier, neighbor), whoever it may be, IS AN OPPURTUNITY- don’t miss it!! And we didn’t have to come to The Haft to learn this, but sometimes we have to get off the “fast track” & refocus where we’re heading because we get busy with “Life” & we quickly forget the great commission & purpose of our being on this earth. Pastor Scot said in his message today that what we “focus” on is where we’re going to head. I agree completely!!

Deer at the Birdfeeder

 So we wanted to feed the deer- but eating bird food from our birdfeeder, 5 yds. from our bow window??? I'm beginning to think the deer here are tame. No seriously, Dutch being the outdoorsman that he is, was naturally inclined to put some corn out for these beautiful creatures of nature. And he & I are rather competitive, so we watched closely to see who would be the first to spy deer from our house. I looked out the windows often, hoping to be able to say "There's a deer", but no such luck. Of course he was the first to spy them, and the first few times we saw them they didn't stick around very long. We ate dinner with the lights dimmed several evenings, so as not to scare them. It didn't, however, take long for them to show appreciation for Dutch's efforts with the corn, and as of late they have been making regular visits to the shelled corn that he has on the ground for them. And their latest venture has been to come up to our birdfeeder about 5 yards from our bow window, & help themselves to our bird food. So much for "tip-toeing" around the deer, looks like we'll be feeding them from the palms of our hand shortly. Oh & I wonder if gardening is an option here, it may be the first time we view deer as a nuisance. I guess that's when our "beautiful creatures of nature" become prey, and we shoot them for "crop damage".

Pancakes & "Homemade" Syrup

  Okay so we're havin' pancakes for breakfast. ShaLyn & Madison inform me that they're workin' the kitchen this morning. So while they pull down the large bag of pancake batter (Costco specialty) & begin dumping & mixing, I searched the fridge for the syrup. Uh-oh, no syrup!! This is the mts., town is 10 minutes one way... either we're having cereal, pancakes w/o syrup or I need to "make" syrup. So I "make" syrup, actually I've done it before, it's quite simple & alot healthier than the store bought kind, it tastes awesome, & can be made in a snap. So problem solved, we have warm "homemade" syrup. Now back to the young chefs in the kitchen... they did quite well actually!! They measured, mixed, stirred, poured, & flipped them themselves, & I was told, "Mom, we got it". So I take a deep breath & remind myself, this is "homeschooling"- we're at home & they're learning. Can't argue w/ that!! Oh & did I mention, I did the clean-up.