Hey everyone! 2015 is just around the corner, and here are a few of the new things happening at my house:
The Lord has richly blessed us this fall with a new cow! She is a Miniature Jersey/Dexter cross, and is due to calve in February. She was bred to a Miniature Jersey bull, so I'm really excited to see her calf. :)
On the tatting front, I've been experimenting with Memory Thread - thread that has a wire core. This makes for rather thicker tatting, but oh so sturdy. It is more like metalworking, without cold wires against the skin, and with many color options. Any ideas for which designs you'd like to see? Please leave me a comment!
Hoping your 2015 is a year full of adventure and joy!
Blessings,
Alana
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Guess where I'm going this September 6th!
The Mercer County Heritage Festival in Princeton, West Virginia is going to be such fun this year, with storytellers, living history actors, reenactments, demonstrations, food, crafts, and music, plus so much more!
I'm planning to have my usual selection of tatted jewelry, as well as bread cloths, handkerchiefs, and a few more surprises...
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Life
There have been so many times when I've tried to do it all - whatever needed to be done, and then some. Seeking fulfillment in "getting things done." Searching for meaning in my own life by seeking to be a blessing to others. But the truth is that I cannot do it all on my own. The Lord has been teaching me in His gentle, persistent way that I can't live life in my own strength. I cannot do even what I know needs to be done without His grace and mercy to keep and sustain me. I am not sufficient. But He is. No matter how hard I try on my own to seek to obey His directions, I fail because I forget that these things have to be done in the Lord's strength and trusting in His Holy Spirit for the outcome. Resting in the Lord, being patient with my slow progress, seeking first His glory and kingdom, and consciously seeking to trust Him for the blessings of life instead of trying to earn them by obeying: this is something I thought I'd learned long ago, but recently have been convicted of on a new depth. But what a Lord! How kind He is! He doesn't tell His people to earn their salvation, but rather to obey Him as a way of showing gratitude for what He has accomplished for and gifted to them. What a gracious, merciful, mighty God! How can I ever praise Him enough? He is holy and righteous and true, and His ways are good. May I be given grace to follow Him more closely, and put no confidence in faulty flesh.
Blessings,
Alana
Blessings,
Alana
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Various quotes
Just some random quotes that I've been thinking about the last few weeks.
Blessings!
Ephesians 6:2-4
Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;
That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
"Sometimes we want things we were not meant to have. Because He loves us, the Father says no. Faith trusts that no. Faith is willing not to have what God is not willing to give. Furthermore, faith does not insist upon an explanation. It is enough to know his promise to give what is good--He knows so much more about that than we do."
~ Elisabeth Elliot
"...(P)eople also need to be filled with some sort of strong drive to have a family life no matter how much work and sacrifice it may take, to demonstrate what it to that is being lost!"
~Edith Schaeffer
"Running away is the easy way out, Charlie Brown!" Charles Schultz
"The modern young man will never change his environment; for he will always change his mind."
~G. K. Chesterton
Matthew 6:9-15
Pray, therefore, like this: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed (kept holy) be Your name.
Blessings!
Ephesians 6:2-4
Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;
That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
"Sometimes we want things we were not meant to have. Because He loves us, the Father says no. Faith trusts that no. Faith is willing not to have what God is not willing to give. Furthermore, faith does not insist upon an explanation. It is enough to know his promise to give what is good--He knows so much more about that than we do."
~ Elisabeth Elliot
"...(P)eople also need to be filled with some sort of strong drive to have a family life no matter how much work and sacrifice it may take, to demonstrate what it to that is being lost!"
~Edith Schaeffer
"Running away is the easy way out, Charlie Brown!" Charles Schultz
"The modern young man will never change his environment; for he will always change his mind."
~G. K. Chesterton
Matthew 6:9-15
Pray, therefore, like this: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed (kept holy) be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven (left, remitted, and let go of the debts, and have given up resentment against) our debtors.
13 And lead (bring) us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
14 For if you forgive people their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.
"A
faith untried is no faith at all," someone has said. Today I declared
my faith before a hundred women and came home to a startling piece of
bad news. Hopes were dashed, plans ruined, over a seemingly trivial
thing. We did not know what to do. "Trust me" is always the word at such
a time. "But Lord, we did trust You. You answered us and everything was
working so beautifully. Now this. What shall we do?" "Keep on trusting
me. That is my assignment for you tonight. Commit your way to Me; trust
in Me; stand still and see."
Why,
of course, Lord! I see what You mean. How could I be sure I'm trusting
You unless You keep giving me "pop quizzes"? These are the exams in the
school of faith.
Friday, July 12, 2013
The Reason I Raise Sheep
*Warning: part of this post is not for the squeamish! If necessary, skip to the ****. Thank you!*
A couple of days ago one of the sheep had flystrike on his head - between his horns. Apparently they'd not been there long enough to start hurting him, because he wasn't in distress yet. (Flystrike happens when there is a patch of wet wool, or raw skin like a wound. The flies lay eggs and the maggots hatch out and start eating decaying matter. The real trouble starts when they begin eating the healthy tissues.) In the Lord's great kindness, all we had to do was spray the area with some stuff to kill the maggots and keep flies away, and he is (almost) back to normal - we just have to wait for the blue dye to wear off! :)
*********************************************************************************
This latest episode in the sheep saga has reminded me of a question I got recently which caught me rather off guard: why do I keep sheep if they are so much trouble? Wouldn't it be much easier to just get rid of them, or keep some other animal that wouldn't require so much work, or have so many problems?
The short answer is, of course it would be easier not to raise sheep. It would be so simple to choose not to go through the pain and heartache that accompanies raising animals who often end up on the predator's plate. So why go through it?
The long answer: Originally I started with sheep because my parents said I needed to learn responsibility, and sheep were (and are!) much less expensive than a horse, which was my first choice. But the sheep we got became pets, and when I got older it became apparent to me that I would miss them very much if I had to sell them. More than that, in learning responsibility the Lord taught me commitment. It doesn't matter if I want to go out and check on each of them every day - that is the job description. I agreed to do that by keeping them. Even in the winter. Even in a storm. Even when I don't feel like it. I am responsible before the Lord for their lives on my farm, and were I to neglect them it would be a sin. And you know what? The Lord gives grace even to adjust my attitude to feel like doing my duty when I ask Him to with a willing and open heart.
It may be easier to get away from what makes me uncomfortable, like dealing with some of the problems the sheep get sometimes, but running away is not an option for a Christian. The Lord calls us to deal with the problems He allows us to face, and teaches us how to deal with them in the Bible. For the sheep, who know my voice and come when I call, my duty is to protect them to the best of my ability and to treat their problems to the best of my ability. No, I do not accomplish this perfectly in this life. But one lesson the sheep have taught me how important it is not to take the easy way out. Difficult situations are hard to face, but often when they are met with God's grace and dealt with God's way they become the basis for something so much better than I could have imagined before. The animals can be affectionate, and I still consider most of them my pets. They provide wool for me to spin, and help me see the bigger picture when my life feels claustrophobic. And the lambs are so cute each spring!
Blessings,
Alana
A couple of days ago one of the sheep had flystrike on his head - between his horns. Apparently they'd not been there long enough to start hurting him, because he wasn't in distress yet. (Flystrike happens when there is a patch of wet wool, or raw skin like a wound. The flies lay eggs and the maggots hatch out and start eating decaying matter. The real trouble starts when they begin eating the healthy tissues.) In the Lord's great kindness, all we had to do was spray the area with some stuff to kill the maggots and keep flies away, and he is (almost) back to normal - we just have to wait for the blue dye to wear off! :)
*********************************************************************************
This latest episode in the sheep saga has reminded me of a question I got recently which caught me rather off guard: why do I keep sheep if they are so much trouble? Wouldn't it be much easier to just get rid of them, or keep some other animal that wouldn't require so much work, or have so many problems?
The short answer is, of course it would be easier not to raise sheep. It would be so simple to choose not to go through the pain and heartache that accompanies raising animals who often end up on the predator's plate. So why go through it?
The long answer: Originally I started with sheep because my parents said I needed to learn responsibility, and sheep were (and are!) much less expensive than a horse, which was my first choice. But the sheep we got became pets, and when I got older it became apparent to me that I would miss them very much if I had to sell them. More than that, in learning responsibility the Lord taught me commitment. It doesn't matter if I want to go out and check on each of them every day - that is the job description. I agreed to do that by keeping them. Even in the winter. Even in a storm. Even when I don't feel like it. I am responsible before the Lord for their lives on my farm, and were I to neglect them it would be a sin. And you know what? The Lord gives grace even to adjust my attitude to feel like doing my duty when I ask Him to with a willing and open heart.
It may be easier to get away from what makes me uncomfortable, like dealing with some of the problems the sheep get sometimes, but running away is not an option for a Christian. The Lord calls us to deal with the problems He allows us to face, and teaches us how to deal with them in the Bible. For the sheep, who know my voice and come when I call, my duty is to protect them to the best of my ability and to treat their problems to the best of my ability. No, I do not accomplish this perfectly in this life. But one lesson the sheep have taught me how important it is not to take the easy way out. Difficult situations are hard to face, but often when they are met with God's grace and dealt with God's way they become the basis for something so much better than I could have imagined before. The animals can be affectionate, and I still consider most of them my pets. They provide wool for me to spin, and help me see the bigger picture when my life feels claustrophobic. And the lambs are so cute each spring!
Blessings,
Alana
Monday, July 1, 2013
RFBC 2013
Two weeks ago my family and I had the opportunity to attend the 11th Reformed Family Bible Conference. The theme this year was the book of Hebrews. Eight different pastors took turns preaching through the book over the course of four days, covering ten lectures.
It was encouraging on many levels. The teaching was pertinent and applicable to our times and to me personally, besides having the joy of seeing good friends that I usually only see at conference.
The sermons this year were expounding the book of Hebrews, extending courage and perseverance for weary Christians tempted to turn away from the faith.
Here are two links to different sermons from the week.
Blessings,
Alana
The sermons this year were expounding the book of Hebrews, extending courage and perseverance for weary Christians tempted to turn away from the faith.
Here are two links to different sermons from the week.
Blessings,
Alana
Monday, June 10, 2013
God Does All Things Well
These last few weeks have been difficult, to say the least.
Friday a week ago the courtship of which I was a part ended abruptly and unexpectedly. The next day, Saturday, a large dog attacked my sheep and ended up killing four of the lambs. It was heartbreaking to see the flock scattered and shaken, and the bereaved ewes calling for their babies. My father was the brave one, burying the dead lambs for me. He
shows me how much he cares for me by taking care of the practical
difficulties so that I do not have to, and I am very thankful for him. My brother also did some of the hard things, and encouraged me by his willingness to bear the load of icky jobs that come along with raising any animals.
God does all things well. I cannot see the reasons for these hard times, but if I could, God's plans would only be proven more glorious and the end result better than I can dream right now. He has planned out history marvelously well, and all things, even (especially?) the difficult things work together for the good of His people and the glory of His Name. "Scripture invariably treats us a morally responsible agents," as John Stott put it in The Cross Of Christ.
We grow closer to God in the stressful, difficult, heart-wrenching times because it is then that He shows us how we are not in control of our lives. It is then that He displays to us our need of Him to make it through another day. He uses our sins and the sins of others to grow us to maturity because we are basically lazy, and usually grow only when we are pushed to do so. To use a different metaphor, the shepherd uses some dogs to nip at the heels of the flock in order to keep them from the cliff, while at the same time calling the sheep to himself so that they know which way safety lies.
According to Paul David Tripp, often times of waiting are sent to give us opportunity to grow in knowing God, to grow in knowing self (how sinful and selfish I really am apart from the grace of God), and new ability to serve others by sympathizing with them when they go through similar trials.
So, although I do not understand, by the grace of God I do accept and will cling to Him as each earthly hope and wish fails. May His name be ever blessed, and ever honored.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)