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.