Random things I bet you don't know about me...

  It seems to me that those of us who blog can sometimes be misread. Since we can write and we tend to write about the good things in our life- somehow people get the idea that we have it altogether! And that my friend is so far from the truth- so to set the record straight I'm going to post some random things about me that you may or may not know-

1)I don't enjoy outside work, like gardening & pulling weeds

2)I like bookkeeping, office work, planning budgets, crunching numbers, and doing things with money etc more than cooking or cleaning

3)I don't like having tons of "stuff", to me- closets were meant to be empty, not full of storage

4)Sometimes I'm a little too independent 

5)I don't always think that Dutch has his ducks in a row, and there are times I think I could manage things better than he can😉

6)My fridge is pretty unorganized sometimes 

7) I like to start projects, but I often quit before the project is finished

8)I procrastinate and wait till the last minute far too often

9) Some people's first impression of me is that I'm snobby

10) I get upset at my kids 

11) I struggle to find quiet time w/ God on a daily basis 

12) Mornings are not my strong point

13) I don't always get my laundry folded on the day I washed it

14) The hubby says that I snore sometimes😊

15) Mis-pronounced words really bother me

16) I don't enjoy meeting new people

17) I don't like to bundle up in the winter, hubby often has to remind me to wear a coat- I just don't like that bulky feeling

18) It's hard for me to delegate work to people because its hard for me to "explain" in detail what I want them to do. 

19) While I WANT to eat healthy- some of my favorite foods are junk food!!

20) I despise exercise- I'd rather cut out the sweets than do any kind of workout!!

  So there you have 20 random things about me, that show that I'm very human and I don't have it altogether!! And you know what? I'm ok with that!! But  I'm NOT OK with people having a false impression of me😊.....

The withered hand...

  There's a story in the Bible about a man that Jesus healed. The healing took place at the synagogue, in front of the ever scrutinizing eyes of the self righteous Pharisees. It was the Sabbath no less, and the man that was healed suffered from a withered hand. In the story the Pharisees were watching carefully to see if Jesus was going to heal on the Sabbath, which is exactly what He did. BUT the part of the story I'd like to take a close look at is the man that was healed. He was in somewhat of a tough spot. See, first of all, you have to realize the rejection he could face by reaching for his miracle. You know how it was- if the Pharisees didn't like you, well, you were pretty much toast. They had the power and authority to have you thrown out of the synagogue, never to return. They had the power to turn the people against you. They were downright evil at times. So the man in the story is risking a lot by acknowledging that he had a disability. He could have chosen to pretend that nothing was wrong. He could have kept his withered hand hidden and only showed his good hand. He could have decided today is not the time or place to get healed, and be made whole. BUT HE DIDN'T!!! When Jesus said stretch out your hand- he did just that, he took the chance right there among the leaders who supposedly "had it all together". He exposed his withered hand- which is basically saying "I don't have it all together, I'm not perfect- but I know you can make me whole Jesus"!! "I am willing to risk it all to be healed- even if I'm the only person in this wrong that is not perfect, even if it costs me everything, I want to be set free"!!! And Jesus did just that, He healed him on the spot.

  What a lesson!! If we want to be whole, not just physically, but spiritually- are we willing to show that we have a withered hand? Even if it means doing it in front of someone we think has it all together. You  see, his healing came when he exposed his hand, when he acknowledge that he wasn't perfect. 

  Are we willing to be that vulnerable?? Or will we shove our crippled hand in our pocket and say, "It's not that bad, I can live like this." When in reality we're crippled and there are parts of us that are useless because we always have to keep them hidden. How long are we going to hide our "withered hands", our sins, our pain-  when Jesus really wants to heal us!! I believe that being set free is worth the risk! And we will be so much more effective in the kingdom!!!

I wished He'd speak audibly, BUT

 As the kids and I were reading our Bible bedtime story about David when he was running from King Saul, we got into a discussion about "hearing the voice of God". In the story several times David asked God what he should do in a certain situation, and God would answer him. The question that the kids and I had was, "Was God speaking audibly to David, or was it a response where David just knew in his heart what the answer was"?? Of course we all agreed that we wish that God would speak audibly, out loud like we talk to each other.

  Now in reality, I know God speaks in different ways- sometimes it's visions or dreams, sometimes it's an inner voice AND yes, sometimes people actually hear Him talk out loud. I find myself wishing tho, that on a daily basis we could converse with Him like Adam & Eve did in the garden, where He came & chatted face to face w/ them. BUT then the next question is- would we take the TIME if we would had that opportunity?? Because really that's the real question- if God would be willing to sit & talk audibly to me, would I stop in my busy day & chat with Him?? Some days I'm so busy w/ kids, laundry, cleaning, cooking and a hundred other things that I forget to start my day in the most important way- w/ God. 

 The truth is that it's not so much about whether he's going to speak audibly, but rather its about me making the time to come to a quiet place. It's about making time for what's important, then if God shows up and speaks audibly- wonderful!!! And if He doesn't, I will be satisfied because His Holy Spirit will show up & "speak" to my heart & I will be refreshed because I TOOK THE TIME to be in His presence!!!!!

Haft LIFE and Other Tidbits...

 Oh my! Where has time gone?  I know it has been ages since I've written a post, mostly because I've been busy and partly because I haven't had some burning topic to write about. So I decided to just sit and start typing, hopefully I can give you an update as well as some encouraging words along the way.
 Summer has been busy here!! We have served lots of people- married people, singles, pastors & wives, etc. Many people came looking for a quiet place to get away, and to spend time with the Heavenly Father. Some came and wanted counseling/coaching (Dan & Connie often get the counseling job around here, they're gifted in that area). We also had several engaged couples come to spend time in prayer, etc. before the big day. All of our guests were served to the best of our abilities.
 We have also been part of ministry off-site of the Haft as well- Dutch made two trips to Somerset prison this year to share with the growing church behind bars. We've also made several trips to Lanc. for weddings where Dutch had the oppurtunity to preach. Dutch & I are always looking for ways to speak into peoples lives (not necessarily preaching, but engaging in peoples lives in general) so when we have oppurtunity to do ministry outside of here we're willing to consider traveling to do so because they are open doors to share the love of Christ.
 As things are slowing down a bit, I find myself taking a deep breath. I've enjoyed the past two Saturdays where I had no guests to be responsible for, and no where that I had to be. I could just enjoy "being" here at the Haft- not "doing" much of anything!! But of course the not "doing" anything will be short lived, since I have a 10 wk. count down to Baby #5!! I find it interesting that with my first born child I had everything well prepared in advance- the nursery was set up in plenty of time, and every item was NEW!! Well Baby #5 will have a place to sleep by the time it arrives, but probably not too many days before... and all of Baby #5's equipment (crib, changing table, car seat, swing, & etc.) will be in USED condition. But that's ok, we will LOVE this child just as much as we did our first one :):)!!!
 As for the ministry this fall- well fall and winter, I'm sure, will be somewhat of an "off season" for us. But that provides a great oppurtunity to plan events, retreats etc. for 2014. I hope to have dates for some of those events posted in the near future. IMPACT was a mentoring program that Dutch & Dan were working on for Sept. 2013-Aug. 2014, but since they didn't have enough applicants for the Aug. 1 deadline, they decided to postpone that program for this year. They are tweaking it and hope to offer it again sometime in the future. We do, currently, offer adventure trips through the Haft through our DARE program- in fact, one such trip will be going to the Adirondacks this Friday. Last I checked there was still room available for a few more people. These trips are designed to take you out of your comfort zone, into a different enviroment, where you can experience a time of personal growth and development. Each trip is led by an experienced guide with wilderness trip training. If you have a group of guys or a group of Father's & sons that would like to do this kind of a trip- contact us at the Haft and Dan Lapp would be happy to help you customize your trip. There are a variety of trips to choose from- such as backpacking, hiking, canoeing, etc.
 This post is becoming more of a letter, so I'm guessing I should wrap it up soon. I just want to had a few words of encouragement...  Life is about so much more than our earthly eyes can see. God is at work in His Kingdom and that is what we as Christains should be looking to be a part of. We get our eyes fixed on everyday living, and earthly kingdoms, but God's work is so much more than that. It's about living and seeking Him and His Kingdom- it's about knowing what God created you to be doing on this earth. It's operating in the gifts and abilities He's given you... and doing it for His purposes. Oh that we would grasp the overall picture- the BIG picture, and be a part of it!!!

Fisher family update...

This is a letter I wrote to send as a newsletter. I'm posting it electronically for those of you that aren't on our personal mail list. Those of you that are on the mailing list will receive a hard copy of this in the mail in a week or two....　

FISHER FAMILY NEWS

1 Haft Lane ~ New Albany PA. 18833

Greetings once again from the Fisher family~

Just a letter to update you on our lives here at “The Haft”!! God is good all the time and all the time God is good!!! Yes, there are days that we lose sight of what God is doing. And yes, there are days we become weary in well doing, but the richness of what God is doing in our lives and the lives of the ones that we serve, far outweighs the bad days!! It seems like we’ve had a lot of people in and out here lately. Some are good friends of ours that we love to spend time with and encourage on their “life journey”. Others that have come are looking for a quiet place of rest, and they enjoy having a quiet time with the Father, seeking direction for their lives.

Several exciting things that are happening here- DARE Wilderness Trips and IMPACT Discipleship Institute are programs that we are now offering through the Haft. DARE trips are short wilderness trips that we custom design for your group. The goal of these trips are to build character and draw closer to the Father through the wilderness and the great outdoors. IMPACT is a year long mentoring program that consists of monthly events throughout the year. It consists of weekend classes at the Haft, a hiking trip, hands on experience such as a prison crusade and a trip to Asia.

As for our personal lives- juggling all our responsibilities such as showing hospitality to guests, working together on the administrative duties, working on program development, plus raising a family provide a continuous platform for ridding ourselves of any and all things in our lives that are not from God. While many think we have endless hours of family time, there is a great deal of sacrifice on our part as well. Any time you’re serving others, you sacrifice your own time. Let me put it this way- we have to be “intentional” about creating family time here, we have to schedule it!! And once in a while we get to do something really special like father/son 2 day canoeing trips!! J

There are ways that you can help us at the Haft. You can be a daily prayer partner for us. Praying specifically for Gods presence to be on this place, that every person that sets foot on this property will feel His presence. Pray for safety for all the on-site team (there are 12 children on this property). Another way that you can help is by partnering with us. Financial support for us personally is huge. Its what enables us to do what we’re doing. Yes, Dutch has the option of getting a job several days a week, but at this point we see that taking away from the ministry we are trying to build. God has provided in amazing ways, and we trust He will continue to provide as long as He’s called us here to serve!!

Blessings~

The Fishers - Dutch, Rosa, ShaLyn, Madison, MaKayla, Gabby and Baby #5

The fox & the chickens...

 We HAD chickens. 27 hens, 7 peeps, and 1 rooster to be exact. One day, not too long ago, ShaLyn informed us that she had only counted 18 hens that day. It seems our chickens were disappearing. It was decided, in order to stop further elimination of our chicken population, that we would need to be more proactive in closing the barn door every night. Simple solution!!! But foxes, which we believe was/is the culprit, have a way of getting in places that not every critter can. Our chicken disappearing problem continues....
  Let spiritualize this-
The barn, where our chickens are housed, is like a persons soul. Similarly they both have areas that have not been secured, openings where the foxes can come in. The fox represents the devil, the enemy of our soul. Just like our fox here that has access to the barn because we have left doors open and there are holes in the barn, the devil has access to areas in our life because we have not closed doors. Areas of pain in our lives that are unhealed are an open door. Generational curses passed down through the family are open doors. There are many different areas that if they're not taken care of by the authority given in Jesus name and curses that have not been broken off in Jesus name, can become a stronghold for "the fox". And day after day he'll come back to "the barn" and continue to steal your "chickens". He'll steal your joy, your identity, your freedom in Christ, anything he can. BUT- we have the opportunity to "clean house" and sure up the barn. We can tear down the strongholds in Jesus name, close the doors that we've opened by our sinful choices etc, and break off the generational curses. That way when the fox returns we can stand back and watch as he tries to get in the barn, only to discover that we have  a new strategy. He no longer has the rite of passage into our "barn". We've been made whole, we've sealed the entrance and we've closed all the little holes!! What a victory to see that fox turn and walk away with his tail between his legs!!!

the Father's Presence

  I read a quote by Oswald Chambers today- "Peace is not the absence of trouble but the presence of God". So, true peace is found in God's presence. That is where I SO long to be, in the Father's presence. That way, no matter what is going on around me, whether it's life in general, my housework, the things piled on my desk that need attention, my children- no matter what, I am at peace because of the Father's presence in my life. I am convinced that we do not come into Father's presence by chance, I believe we choose, and we are intentional about being in that place. Busyness keeps us from the Fathers presence!! And you would think that living at a place like the Haft, that I would have ALL the time in the world to "sit at the feet of Jesus". Afterall, some people think we really don't have much to do here in these hills (ha! guess again). But I struggle every day to set aside time to come into the Father's presence. When I refer to the Father's presence, I'm not just refering to morning devotions. I'm speaking of "falling prostrate at His feet" & asking the Father to come, to fill you with a peace that passeth all understanding. I'm refering to LISTENING for that still small voice, the one that guides us into all truth. The Father's presence is that place where there is no time, no space. It's the place where you feel His nearness, you feel His heartbeat, & you want to stay.
  Maybe the idea of what I'm trying to say here is foreign to you. Maybe you think I've gone off the deep end. You're thinking that that kind of thing "isn't for this day"!! But I believe that those who do not understand these things I'm talking about, may find it very diffucult to stand strong in this crazy world. When push comes to shove, when times get hard, it will be those who can run to the safety of the Father's arms that will stand strong until the very end.
  Learn to embrace your Heavenly Father as though He were right beside you. Start your day by inviting the Father, through His Holy Spirit, to help you understand the things you read in scripture. Then take some time to be absolutely quiet in His presence, allow Him to speak to your heart. At first it may feel awkward, you may think that He didn't say anything... but continue to invite Him & listen. Eventually you will hear Him, feel Him & bask in His presence!!!! When that happens, you will find peace like you have never known.