His supply

Since I retired, Mama and I have been praying for our finances. Our focus initially was for the little bit of extra we needed month to month just to make our budget, especially with the farm expenses added in. But now, making two round trips a week to Glen Rose has added about $100 a week to our expenses at -when I take the Sequoia. So, there is from month to month the need to bring in a little bit of extra money just to balance out the checking account. And to that end Mama I have been praying.

I believe that to answer that need, God set things in motion at my old employer that would open the door for me to do some contract teaching for them. My old boss, Crystal, contacted me via e-mail last week and asked if she could meet with me to gauge my interest and to find out what I might need in order to take on that responsibility Mama and I had lunch with her today. It was good to see her and good to hear that things are going OK at work. However, the person who replaced me as instructor left the company last week. Since the teaching assignments for the year were divided between him and one other person in the company, his resigning from the company means that more than half of the classes that are scheduled for this year have no instructor available within EWN. I am definitely interested.

I waited till very late in the lunch to mention the price tag associated with that sort of contract work. About two years ago a colleague of ours who also retired from the company did some contract teaching for EWN, and I did not feel that the price that they were paying him met the standard that I would need in order to take on that added workload. So, I asked if that was the going rate or if I could negotiate a higher rate. Crystal asked what rate I would like to suggest, and I told her. My suggestion was higher but not unreasonable. She promised me she would see what she could do. 

When Mama and I both hugged her goodbye, we left with the impression that maybe the old rate was what I would be paid and I'm OK with that but not excited by it. About two hours after the lunch Crystal texted me to tell me that she had negotiated a better rate than what I had suggested. I am not sure how long I will pursue the added responsibility of teaching one class per week, but it looks like it could be a long-term opportunity. And opportunity provided by the Lord at just the right time, for just the right amount of money. It always fascinates me how God is able to do that in our lives.

Meanwhile, here at the farm, I spent the day redoing the structure that will hold the roof on the repurposed duck pen. That is now complete. Tomorrow I will attach the roof panels to that structure and all the repairs will be completed. Just in time. We are supposed to see significant rainfall Thursday. 

Additionally, Mama and I have made upgrades to the craft container. The shelving that I had bought for that craft container, that turned out to be not what I had anticipated, has found places in the garage and in the craft container to which that shelving is perfectly suited. I have held off buying shelves that resemble the ones we have already sitting in the craft container holding totes full of crafting materials, so we are a little bit short on shelving that I had planned to have available. 

However, last week Norman hauled home two enormous file cabinets. The company looking to relocate those enormous file cabinets simply wanted them moved, so Norman hauled them here thinking that he would resell them. The more we looked at it, that seemed problematic simply because the file cabinets are so large. In order to put them to practical use we are going to install them in the craft container beside the shelving in the back of the container. That will give us the additional shelving that I have procrastinated in purchasing. Again, one of those wonderful coincidences that seemed to happen when we pray and lift up our needs to the Lord.

Also, Norman has found several opportunities to earn some money over the past few days. Those opportunities look like they will turn into long term contract work for him. We certainly have been praying that the Lord would supply for him financially, and there was no slacking on his part to try and find opportunities for work, but nothing seemed to pan out until now. Anyway, those little things and the timing of these little things always works out perfectly in God's way. We just have to be prepared to do what it takes on our part to make the most of those opportunities once God opens that door.

The same thing will happen eventually for Victoria as she looks for a permanent residence in the Milton/Pensacola area. Right now, she feels like she's spinning her wheels. We feel that she is being prepared for what God has for her somewhere in the very near future. Staying steadfast in our faith and remaining faithful to what God has given us to do while we are looking for other opportunities is often the most difficult part of living the Christian life because we want to quit and move on before God is ready. But that patient waiting is also the most blessed part living the Christian life. 

When those blessings overtake us, it is absolutely glorious.

Weekend update, a productive day

Saturday was a rainy day, but that allowed me to do a lot of things that I had not taken time to do before. I completed working on our taxes so that we can set an appointment with our accountant to get that done. I worked on several things in the shop and in the house making minor repairs to items I had left in need of repair for longer than necessary. I was able to install some of the parts that I had ordered four different upgrades to tools in the shop and got those in tip top shape. One of those being a battery powered band saw that we will need for the shed we are adding to the shop. That shed will be made largely of metal pipe.

Sunday was a typical Sunday. Our pastor preached exceptionally well. The choir did a phenomenal job on the song that we sang for service Sunday morning and Sunday night there was a great spirit in the church. We are praying for revival, but I sometimes get the feeling that we're too late for a national revival, so I focus on a personal revival. Asking the Lord to change me and make me more of who he needs me to be for him, so that I can do more for him in these last days I have to offer him.

Today was pretty exceptional. I started off in the shop cleaning up behind the shop where I had let things accumulate to my own discredit. Once I got all of the junk that had been placed there moved, I found out I had a lot of room in which to place trim that had been lying on the floor on the floor of the shop, always in my way for months. Late last year as a business was going closing its doors, I bought enough trim to do the base throughout the house. That's a lot of board feet of half round and I had laid it in the shop next to a worktable and had been stepping over it as I went from one side of the shop to the other for way too long. When I emptied the specialized lumber rack I had installed in the back of the shop I was able to put all of the trim on those shelving racks and got it off the floor of my shop. Now my shop is open, the trim is safely stored, and far more easily accessed. I was very pleased with that.

When I finished organizing in the shop, I began making the prepares to the duck pen that had been damaged when a tree fell on it late last year. Fortunately, when the tree collapsed on the roof of the pen, we had already sold the ducks. Because there were no ducks in the pen, and because we did not immediately need the area for anything specific, I had put off making the repairs needed to fix the roof and the structure that held up the roof over half of that duck pin. Once I got the busted-up roof panels off and tore out the structure that had been broken, I started rebuilding everything. At about 3:00 today I had to stop. My back was hurting so badly I just couldn't keep going any longer. Altogether, I'm about 1/3 of the way done with the repair but I lack three boards to finish the structure. We will go to town and purchase those tomorrow.

Successes and failures, God’s goodness

The drive home from the museum yesterday was miserable. Twice I got stuck behind drivers who are doing 10 miles an hour under the speed limit on the winding single lane roads that we have to travel from Weatherford all the way to Glen Rose, about sixty miles total. There is no good area to pass anyone safely, and it was raining softly making the roads a bit slick so it took me more than 40 minutes extra to get home yesterday, but I made it safe. So, I should not complain. At least I was in time to hurry out to feed the animals since Mama and Grandma were coming home from getting feed and Grandpa and Norman were coming home from picking up some free filing cabinets. No complaints on my part. I get very few steps on my museum days. 

From the Front

This morning, I started up the Scanning Electron Microscope and guessed at the passwords each time a password was required but was successful on all three counts where passwords were required. I have a vague memory of discussions we had with the tech who installed the microscope in the lab, but since that happened over a year ago, I was not certain until I tried what I seemed to remember. After the computer was started and the microscope had gone through its diagnostic routine, I felt like I had really accomplished something.  Having succeeded in starting up the microscope I opened it and looked inside the sample port to familiarize myself with the external controls for the sample placement once the sample port is closed. I then tried to reset the microscope to look at the sample I had inserted. 

Inside the sample port

However, after an hour of trying, I could not get an image to show up on the computer screen. I know it had worked a year ago, so I assumed I was doing something wrong. “When all else fails, read the instructions” became my default position and I got back in the instruction manual. Four hours later and dozens of attempts to find a solution, I was giving a series of commands to the microscope via the computer when an alert popped up on the screen, telling me the filament, which is used to create the electron beam that the microscope uses for imaging, was not working. Well, that is a problem I could not quickly solve.

I let Dr. Baugh know the bad but not horrible news. I assured him I would investigate how to purchase a replacement filament and investigate how to replace the filament. When I got back to the lab and has sat down at the microscope, something came to me. Earlier in the morning I had dug earlier into a little rinky-dink red toolbox that was sitting in the general vicinity of the electron microscope. In that toolbox I found a CD with the instruction manual I needed for the EDS attached to the microscope – which thrilled me - but as I re-explored that box, I found that inside that little toolbox was a tiny Styrofoam container that held 10 brand new filaments. So, when I go back to the museum on Thursday, I will replace that filament. Hopefully, that will take care of the problem. Time will tell. 

When I arrived at the museum this morning, I met Dr Baugh, and we talked about the goodness of God. How He sets events in motion sometimes years in advance so we can one day, in His time, we can walk right into a blessing. This is one of those times when we got to see His planning and His provision work out exceptionally well to His Glory and our good. 

Saturday is forecast to be a rainy day, so after soul winning, I’m going to take the time to sit down and complete our tax paperwork so I can give it to our accountant. Not one of those fun things we look forward to, but one of those necessary items in everyday life. Though we have had several severe storm warnings for our area over the past weeks, we have not suffered any bad weather. We have gotten some dry, sunny days punctuated with a rainy day here and there, but never too much rain. A quarter inch or maybe a half inch total. Just enough to keep the garden moist and the vegetable and fruit plants happy.  

Mama wore herself out of the past two days Eliza, yesterday, and Cheyenne and Aubrey today. The entertainment both days consisted of crafting, baking, animal husbandry, and general garden inspections. Mama quite wore herself out. She had fun, and I think all three of the girls did as well, but Mama is not as up to the task as she once was. This was a way Mama could interject herself into the spring break the kids had this week. We are trying to make the mot of our time with the girls. It will soon be over. 

Having completed the welding repairs on our little stock trailer, Grandpa and Norman put two new tires on that trailer so we can haul pigs to be processed the end of next week. Two is only half the number mounted on the trailer, but two will be enough to make it road worthy for now. It is little things like that that makes such a big difference here at the farm, Norman and Grandpa, take care of lots of odds and ends, making my life so much easier and the farm so much more productive. It’s a great working relationship.

More than that. It is and outlet Grandpa needs to keep him going.

Something new

Over the past two weeks, we have had four kids born into our herd. Jersey gave birth to two little girls, who are blues, and Minnie gave birth to a little chocolate boy and a little blue girl. The term “blue” is kind of applied loosely to the grayish coloring that the goats have because of Blue Boy as their father. One of the challenges Mama is facing today is that she has to take one of the two little girls from Jersey’s twins to the vet to find out why they go is so lethargic and seems to be in pain. We have no good understanding of what may have happened to the little one, but now, at less than two weeks old as she seems to be very stiff, not wanting to get up and move around not even wanting to nurse her mommy and that’s troubling. 

The unusual color of these four babies all four of them, the blues, and the chocolate, will make for easy high dollar sales of these baby goats so, we’re hoping that we can save the life of this little one, not only for the money that she might bring us, but just for the sake of saving her. 

Driving back and forth from Glenn Brose, every Thursday and Friday it’s going to be a challenge. Not a huge challenge, but a challenge, nonetheless. As I was talking to one of the men in church last night, who drives to Arlington every day, his commute to Arlington (much closer in mileage than Glen Rose) is about the same timeframe that my commute to Glen Rose, which is 92 miles away. Taken into perspective, it isn’t that big a deal, but it does chew up four hours in transit every Thursday, and four hours in transit every Friday. Long-term, I don’t know how this will work out, or how long I will keep this up, but for now being a part of the ministry of the Creation Evidence Museum is something that I enjoy. Whether I will get to continue to enjoy that is the question. 

Our garden has grown in scope and breath over the past couple of weeks as Grandpa, Mama, and Norman add plants to the garden. We now have blackberries blueberries, figs, along with all of the vegetables we have in the garden, and a few days ago Norman and Grandpa bought two grape vines to plant along the fence separating the garden from the backyard. If we get any production out of this garden, it will be the first time in nearly 15 years that Mama and I have gotten any produce out of the garden. 

I have to give a lot of credit to Norman and Grandpa for their fastidiousness, and tending to the garden, but also to Mama for her desire to have such a large garden. The good part is I haven’t had to do much of anything for the garden. It has all happened as I have worked on other things. 

Among those other things was the completion of the work needed to be done to the container, so that we could begin to move furniture and rugs into the container to occupy it. Last Saturday Mama loaded up the two shelving units I installed earlier in the week. We also put down two rugs in the container and added Mama’s glass desk to the sparse furniture we have inside. Will soon make it the workshop that we have wanted. 

I decided to try something new recently. Since I am having trouble dedicating the time to sit down at the computer through the day, I am exploring the possibility of just recording notes to my phone and sending those completed notes to the computer. I could then copy the notes into my blog. I do have time to sit and talk to my phone especially as I’m making the two hour drive each direction to and from Glenn Rose. I’m going to see if, even though the days when I am not in transit to the museum, I can just dictate notes to my phone and then compile those notes at the end of the day so I can continue my blog. It may not work out, but technology will allow me to do it, so I’m going to give it a shot and see if I can make this work. I do want to continue writing the blog. I do want to continue publishing it. But sitting down at the computer in the evening, when I have exhausted myself through the day has become problematic for me. So, I’m going to try an approach that will allow me to record in bursts throughout the day and then hopefully spend less time in the evening compiling those notes into the blog. We’ll see. 

At the museum, attached to the scanning electron microscope is a device called an EDS, which stands for Energy Distributive Spectroscopy. This allows us to see the elements in the sample that’s being scanned by the electron microscope. That makes for interesting observations as we take bones, either fossilized bones, or non-fossilized bones and look for organic material in those bones. Since the bones look like stone, it will be interesting to see how much of each sample is made up of carbon, which is indicative of life. The EDS will allow us to do just that.

It is fun to watch from my little atrium/labratory, where the scanning electron microscope is set up out into the museum. Several of the people who work in the labs spend time just talking with the crowds that come through, explaining to observers what they are actually looking at. Perhaps in the next few months, I will become one of those museum guides to try and give context to the displays that are nearest to the laboratory. But, for now, I allow those who are far more experienced in that interaction to handle those discussions. 

Since this week happens to be spring break in Texas, the crowds at the museum have been pretty big every day. I am told that this week the museum will see about 2000 visitors - as compared to weeks in January February when they might see 100 visitors each week. The people coming through seem genuinely interested in the displays. It’s nice to have evidence, something we can see with our eyes, that compares to what the Bible record has told us was true all along. 

Meanwhile, back at the farm, the vet told Mama that the baby goat we have been worried over may not be in a life-threatening situation. She definitely has an infection and is in considerable pain, but it does not appear that what she has is life-threatening. We will have to maintain a close eye on her to ensure that we get her past this infection to a full recovery but for now Mama is relieved that the problems the tiny one is suffering is curable. 

Maggie and her crew have managed to stay sick for some time now. The last victim has been Walter’ who has a serious case of flu. This too shall pass but it seems to have been an ongoing issue for them more than three or four weeks now. I am hoping and praying they can get well, especially Walter seems to take these kinds of infections very poorly.

Please keep them in your prayers.

Family, ongoing work, Norman, Grandma

The end of February into the beginning of March is a heavy birthday time for us. Gailyn Owen and Audrey all have birthdays within a week’s period. Mama and I are a little late in getting presents out because of our time in Honduras, but you can rest assured that presents are en route even though they will be arriving after the birthday date.

Please continue to pray for Victoria. She is being challenged in a big way. As I said earlier, we were praising the Lord for the little apartment she was able to rent, but it has not turned out to be the best solution to her needs. She does not, as I had thought, have a microwave in the apartment, so she decided to use the stove to heat some food. However, when the fired up the burner it began to smoke and quickly set off the fire alarm. Another shortage she will have to remedy to make this work, but she is giving it her best shot – at least for a month or two. What she needs is a larger apartment or a house to rent in a decent area, but since she is there and has temporary housing, she has time to work out that need over several weeks. 

I have continued working on repairing the floor in the container and managed to get about a third of the way through those repairs. I got to look at the results of the work I did yesterday late this afternoon and I am pleased with the repairs made so far. I also took time to paint the first ten feet of floor so we can set shelving on place in that area. That should happen either tomorrow after I get back from soul winning or Monday. Mama has the majority of her crafting supplies sorted, boxed and ready to set on those shelves. 

Today she spent several hours cleaning off Victoria’s dining room table – which has been a part of our furniture for several year – and Norman and I moved it into the enclosed trainer we are packing Victoria’s stuff in to take to her when she has a more permanent place. To replace that table, we moved the tall granite topped table from the sunroom into the living room. It is so much smaller that it looks tiny compared to the table we are carrying to Victoria. Far less space to accumulate stuff, which is a great upgrade to our living room. 

Norman has had some success in his yard sale. He told Mama that he has already sold about $300 worth of stuff as he and Seth were setting and marking all the items they are selling. The yard sale officially starts tomorrow at 8 am. So, he is encouraged with the drive by response he got today. 

Late this evening, Mama and I clipped chicken wings. We are hoping to keep the chickens contained to the coop area and out of the yard and garden. Clipping their wings keeps them from flying over fences, but additional work will be required to keep them from squeezing under gates or fitting through the holes in the cattle panels. The feathers will grow back by Fall, about the time we are finished with the garden. By that time, our new landscaping will have taken sufficient root to withstand a bit of scratching should the chickens begin to enter the restricted areas on the farm.

Chickens may not turn out to be our greatest threat to the garden. Norman was pretty sure that the kelp fertilizer applied to all the broccoli and cabbage plants we placed in the garden would keep any critters at bay and spare the plants from rabbits and other varmints. Sadly, that was not the case. We had a heavy frost last night after a day of rain, so we were anxious to see how the plants fared. Turns out the rabbits are not repelled by the smelly fertilizer as Norman expected. All the broccoli plants had been eaten to the ground.  So, our hopes of leaving the garden open and easy to work have faded somewhat. Fortunately, we have plenty of raised beds to plant the vegetables most prone to rabbit foraging. We will try that before we fence the garden. 

This morning, Grandma, who was up early, came into the dining area fully dressed to go out. Shoes and sweater on, purse in hand. We asked where she was going, and she responded that she just wanted to be ready when anyone went out. Sadly, by noon she gave up on the idea of shaming someone to take her to town. None of us needed to go so none of us went. 

Maybe tomorrow. 

Struggling for direction

I have been asked by several people if I am enjoying retirement. I am, but with a caveat. I am still struggling to find the time to do all the computer related items I used to squeeze into a normal workday, checking account balances, making doctor calls, writing, paying the bills, etc. Somehow all the time spent in the desk chair at the computer seems unproductive when compared to the multitude of projects I have been able to work – some to completion. So, by the time I feel free to do all those electronic chores the day is usually far spent. 

Perhaps next week that will change somewhat. Next Thursday I will be starting to work at the creation Evidence Museum two days per week. I have not worked out all the details, but I feel certain everything will fall into place as I move forward into that role. It is one of those ready-fire-aim circumstances when we step out by faith and let God fill in all the details we did not know needed attention before we started.

Victoria is in one of those circumstances right now. We were rejoicing Tuesday that she was able to find an apartment, a studio apartment, that would accept her dogs. The management even waived the pet deposit to simplify her signing the month-to-month lease. It is not an inexpensive space. The rent is $1050/month for the very small space. It can be compared to having a kitchenette (stove, refrigerator, microwave and sink and cabinets) and a full bathroom tucked into her bedroom. Where she will go from here is not yet known, but she has a place of her own, such as it is.

I am told that she is spending one more night with Nana and Papa Shipe before she commits herself to the apartment. So far, this has been a tough week for her, but all in all, it has been a blessed week. So many at our church, as well as all of us in her immediate family, have been earnestly praying for her as she has met a few difficult challenges and seen her way through each of them. She is not settled yet, but she has a starting point, and she has some onsite help and council. 

I have spent my time this week focused on the container. The walls are painted and now I am working on leveling and repairing the floor so it too can be painted. Mama and I have gone back and forth on what to do with the floor, but sealing and painting it is probably the best option for now. That has proven an unexpected challenge. I ordered a quart of a certain oil-based paint many months ago and decided to apply it to the floor at the far end of the container. It looked beautiful, so Mama and I looked for more of that brand and color of paint. We searched high and low, but none was available. The next best thing was to match the color with a different brand of paint but no one in Decatur had anything comparable. Mama and I finally went to the Sherman Williams store and bought their brand that would match the color and use we needed. It was not cheap. In fact, it was kind of expensive, but it will work, and I am confident we will get what we need out of the purchase. I hope to have the repair to the floor done – some deep gouges in the wood – and be ready to paint the floor next Monday.

My goal is to have the shelving we purchased for the container assembled and placed before I go to Glen Rose Thursday. With that plan in mind, Mama has been aggressively organizing her craft supplies in the house to be ready to fill those shelves once they are in place. That has always been our plan, but it has been a long time in coming. Mama has been very patient with me.

Meanwhile, in-between working on the garden and completing the fence in the back yard, Norman has been sorting through his tools, which are currently filling our barn in preparation for a yard sale this weekend. Mama and I have donated to the cause. Selling scrap, hauling junk and selling his tools is the only income he has had this month. At this point he is very motivated to reassign ownership of all the stuff he has accumulated over the years. He has cleaned out one storage unit locally but has another unit completely full. 

Along with what is currently filling our barn, I have begun to wonder how he accumulated all he has. I realize the accumulation happened over time, but the money spent to obtain all this stuff must have been significant. Certainly, far more than he will recoup in a yard sale. Yet here we are praying wholeheartedly that he attracts a crowd willing to trade their cash for his abundance of stuff.

I think secretly Grandpa would like his barn back so we can buy some cows. 

Fast review, a new garden, a new direction

Since I last wrote, Mama and I have traveled to Honduras and back, plowed and planted a large garden (with Grandpa and Norman’s help) and watched Victoria leave home to start a new life in Florida. Bear in mind, we have only been home for about two weeks. So much happened in Honduras, it is always difficult to summarize. Since Mama and I have been part of the Come Away Conference in Iglesia El Faro for four or five years, we are familiar with most of the attendees each year. Mama and I help where we can during the conference because it makes it more fun to be there when we can support the hosts. The conference is a huge blessing to Mama since it is conducted entirely in English. 

This year we added Marta and John Espinos to our growing friends list. He is native Honduran. She is a Brooklyn Hispanic. They met and married while he was in the states but when he got spiritually convicted about being illegally in the US, he turned himself in to the authorities and was deported. That was five years ago. So during the past five years, Marta will travel to Honduras for a few weeks every other month and return to the United States to continue working here. They are hoping to get John legal entry to the United Stated this year. They were a lot of fun to be around.

We had a great time with Nate, Cori and the kids. We always do. We spent a few days at the beach early in our time there. Since there were not seashells to collect where we stayed, Mama and the kids collected sticks and rocks. I had to figure out a way to get the twelve to fifteen pounds of rocks into our luggage for the return trip, but we made it. I cannot fault Mama for the extra weight in our suitcases, I bought about twenty pounds of leather we had to trim to fit into the largest suitcase. We also had to carry back forty pounds of coffee. Twenty for us and twenty for Victoria. 

Grandpa and Norman had plowed the garden while we were traveling, but renting a large tiller (one that fits on the back of the tractor) to finish working the soil before we could use our normal sized tiller to finish preparing the ground to plant. Renting the tiller seemed straight forward, but the first one they brought home was unusable. It had been broken by some previous renter. Norman and Grandpa had to take that one back to the dealer – over an hour away – and then go to a second location for that dealer to get a working tiller. Five hours in all to return the broken tiller and get home with the working one. But it eventually worker out.

Last Friday we planted six long rows of potatoes, three short rows of onions, six cabbage and six broccoli plants. We will plant more over the next few weeks and eventually fill the entire garden bit the weather is a bit unpredictable this time of year to get too far ahead of ourselves. I am more hopeful of a harvest this year because of the change in location of our garden. 

This morning at 4 am, Victoria loaded up the dogs and headed to Florida. The trip seems to have gone off without a hitch; however, the extended stay hotel where she booked her stay in Pensacola turned out to be extremely disappointing. The room required an additional daily pet charge on top of the money already fronted to a two week stay and the room was filthy. Victoria fussed to the desk clerk and finally asked for cleaning supplies to try and clean the room to an acceptable standard. She has since sent us several pictures of the dirt she cleaned out of the tub and off the bathroom floor. She told us the dogs are whining and laying with their noses at the bottom of the entry door. I guess they prefer the smell of the hallway to that of the room. 

Tomorrow Victoria is looking at an apartment she could possibly rent for a year while she looks around for a permanent home and at a potential mobile home to purchase. We will wait to see how all that works out, but she is safely in Pensacola and has a few days before she is scheduled to start working at the Walmart in Pace, where she transferred to. 

Knowing she is not coming back home is a little saddening, but Mama and I are prayerfully supporting her new direction in life. As long as the Lord is in it, all things will work together for her good and His glory. 

That is His promise to us – and to Victoria.