Thursday (march 18th) we got up rather early (3:00 a.m.) and we headed down to Texas to visit Elise and Gabriel.


Here the boys are getting ready to ride Elise's motorcycle.


Boaz had a lot of fun riding it.
Their table wasn't quite big enough for ten people.

Friday was mom and dads 29th anniversary. Elise made them a really pretty cake.
Elise finishing it.
Here it is. We thought that it turned out really well!
Elise serving the cake.
Some of Gabriel's ducks and geese.
This is their baby goat that they had to feed because the mommy goat wouldn't take care of it.


Monday night we had a bonfire.

I Remember

I Remember

April 27… April 27… why does that date seem to ring a bell? Let me think, April 27. Humm, Oh-yeah I remember. That was the day when I saw for the first time the most beautiful girl I have ever seen in my life. I remember it well. It was as though I was in a vacuum, or a cave and there was no one else there. All I could see was this girl, and she was perfect! And then I realized I was not alone, because I could here this most loud and obnoxious giggling. And then I looked around and realized it was I! But I couldn’t help it. And as far as I was concerned I had the right. Because she was mine! And I had me a little girl.

The little girl began to grow. But she trusted me completely. And at times it seemed she feared nothing. When she could just barely walk she used to jump off the top step of the house that we lived in without fear, knowing I would catch her. And I always did. {Although this did her mother’s health no good; sometimes she said, “If you don’t stop I will die of a heart attack”}.

Time went on. We lived near a park and in the winter her mother used to dress her in a “big” little pink snow suit, “she looked so cute” “and ornery” and so I would take her to the park, to go sled riding. I would take her and the sled a safe distance up the hill. And then I would walk down, so as to catch her when she came down. And then I would kneel down and say, “Come on”. And she would, but with out the sled! She would run as fast as she could down hill leaving the sled at the top and laughing so hard all the way. And then hitting me full force and so hard it knocked me backward on my back in the snow and we both laughed. “And I wouldn’t trade those days for anything”.

Time went on and things got tough. So I bought a truck to survive the hard times. And did pretty well. And so I began to take her with me in the truck. Soon I began to haul high dollar loads and so I began to take pictures of the loads “just in case”. When I would take the picture, I would put her on the load, and she thought I was taking pictures of her. And so she would pose. {And she once again looked so cute}

Time when on. She has always been my daring one. One day I took her to Six Flags of St. Louis. They had a new ride. A Roller coaster. It not only flipped upside down but also did a corkscrew flip. I thought it was pretty cool. She climbed out of the car, folded her arms and said, “Rip off.” I guess she wasn’t impressed.

But my most precious memories are of the times we spent at home, most often in the evening, listening to her voice as she recited whole chapters of scripture she had memorized. Or singing hymns. Or humming while she did dishes. Or singing out loud while she was cooking in the kitchen. In my head I can still hear her sometimes. And I used to love to look out the window and see her riding her horse.

But I think most of all I miss seeing her sitting in her chair at the dinner table, “her chair was write next to mine” and sometimes when I look up I still expect to see her.

I never knew how much I would miss her, and now all I can do is pray, every day for her and her new life. I know her life has always been in my most Sovereign Lord’s hands, but some how it’s harder now, because she is no longer a part of my daily life.

There are many, many more stories to tell. Too many to write and some too personal to write. But I wouldn’t trade any of them for the whole world. And I will take these memories to my grave with me.

I miss you sweet heart!

Love!,

Dad

So we finally got around to plowing the garden last week. It should have been done earlier, but we had problems with the tractor and it took a while to fix it.

Here Jordon is plowing and you can also see that Boaz is tilling the raised beds.

Jordon and I are on the tractor plowing.

Jordon plowing. In this picture he was almost finished.

Levi and I on the tractor discing.

This is Levi discing the back garden.

We also planted English Peas the next day.

Starting Seeds Indoors

Well, this will be the first time in the 13 years that we have been planting big gardens, to garden without Elise.

Elise has been the major gardener at our home. She was the one to plan it, order the seeds, start the seeds, and the "foreman" of the whole process. All her younger siblings were hers to command on the job. My job was to help process the food that came out of the garden and keep the house in order while all the children worked on the garden.

This year, I am the one to plan, order, and start seeds. (and I'm always the foreman)

When we lived in Lobelville, we had a green house with a wood burning stove in it. We could start the seeds and leave them in the green house to germinate and grow.

But, since we built a green house where we live now, we have not put in a stove yet. Elise always started the seeds in the house. She would just put them on a table in front of a window.

And that is what I did this time. The trouble is, that there isn't enought light to keep them from getting spindly after a while.

so, I moved the dining room table towards the living room more and set another table and a shelf in front of the french doors and a window in the dining room where there is more light.

The seeds should have been started in February but I didn't get them started until the first week of March. But all that does anyway is to give us a good head start.

It is warm enough during the day to put the plants out in the green house during the day. That way they will get more light. Then I bring them in at night.

And I must say: so far, so good.

Ten Predictions

ten predictions that are sure to come true this year!



1. The Bible will still have all the right answers.
2. Prayer of a righteous man will avail much.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still honor and uplift His people.
5. There will still be God-annointed preaching and understanding of His Word
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love His own.
10. Jesus will still seek and save the lost that are His.
Isn't It Great To Remember Who Is Really In Control, and that; "the Word of the Lord endures forever." ( 1 Peter 1:25 )

***************************************************************

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord & Savior,
Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

PSALM 2

¹Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

²The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,

³Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

⁴He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision.

⁵Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.

⁶Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

⁷I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

⁸Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

⁹Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

¹⁰Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

¹¹Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

¹²Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Becoming A Police State

Is America Becoming A Police State?
By Chuck Baldwin
February 26, 2010


This column is archived at
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2010/cbarchive_20100226.html


There is a classic story about how no one had been able to capture a herd of
wild hogs that was rooting up crops from numerous farms. It got so bad that
rewards had been posted for anyone clever enough to corral the critters. But
even this resulted in only limited success.

One day a stranger (who was a wily old trapper) came into town and--entering
the general store--ordered a truckload of fence posts and fencing, along
with some feed. When asked what he was going to use it for, he said, "I'm
going to get those wild hogs y'all are having trouble with." Of course,
everyone in the store laughed at the overconfident stranger. A few weeks
later, however, the stranger rode into town with the back of his truck
tightly packed with the smelly swine.

When asked how he was able to accomplish what no one else had been able to
do, the old trapper replied, "Simple. I started putting the feed out in a
small clearing and the hogs began freely eating the feed. It didn't take
long and they were there every day. Then I put up the fence posts, but with
no fencing. At first the hogs were a little skittish, but it wasn't long and
they ignored the posts. Then I began putting the fence up, but I left the
gate off. Again, the hogs were skittish at first, but soon realized they
could come and go freely, and before long, they were devouring the free food
with a vengeance. Then, one day when the hogs were aggressively consuming
the vittles, I slammed the gate closed."

Ladies and gentlemen, I submit that what the old trapper did to the wild
hogs is exactly what our soon-to-be oppressors are doing to us! What is
worse, most Americans seem about as oblivious to the whole thing as that
bunch of pigs. For anyone who is paying attention, however, the signs of
growing enslavement are everywhere.

Inside my web site is a link page that is constantly updated with pertinent
information relating to how America is quickly being turned into Huxley's
Brave New World. I invite readers to regularly visit this page. It is
entitled "The Emerging Police State."

See the web page at:

http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/patriotact.html

Here is a sampling of just this year's relevant headlines to date:

"Police Push For Warrantless Searches Of Cell Phones" (CNET News)

"During The Olympics, The Feds Will Be Reading Your Tweets--And The Blotter"
(ABC News)

"Feds Push For Tracking Cell Phones" (CNET News)

"Troops Randomly Patrol Streets In Pittsburgh, Respond To 'Domestic
Disputes'" (PrisonPlanet.com)

"Residents Fumed Over Weekend Alcohol, Firearm Ban" (WXII-12 TV News,
Winston-Salem, North Carolina)

"Ron Paul Warns Of Social Unrest And Martial Law" (Texas Congressman Ron
Paul)

"FBI Broke Law For Years In Phone Record Searches" (The Washington Post)

"Top Obama Czar: Infiltrate All 'Conspiracy Theorists'" (World Net Daily)

"President Gives Foreign Cops Power Over Americans" (Retired lawman Jim
Kouri)

Those are just some of the headlines from 2010 so far. Check out the
headlines from 2009 and backward to discover that the list of relevant news
stories is extensive. And as you peruse those news stories, keep reminding
yourself about what you are actually seeing: you are watching the old
trapper put the fence around the hog feed.

Again, the web page address is:

http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/patriotact.html

Only a blind or deliberately naïve man cannot see that America--the
once-proud "land of the free"--is being systematically turned into a
twenty-first century police state. Good grief! The Heritage Foundation's
Index of Economic Freedom notes that America is not even listed among the
"free" countries of the earth. We are ranked in the second tier, of "mostly
free" countries. Beyond that, the Heritage index ranks the US as only the
8th freest nation on the planet.

And both the Republican and Democrat parties in Washington, D.C., are
equally culpable for America's slide into socialism and oppression. And so
are many local and State leaders--including political, business, and law
enforcement leaders. Suffice it to say that most big city governments have
become almost totalitarian. Government buildings--even local ones--are
sealed fortresses, not unlike the old palace-forts of antiquity. In big and
not-so-big cities, cameras monitor virtually everything we do. Even here in
my hometown of Pensacola, Florida, a nearby city (Gulf Breeze) has recently
installed traffic cameras, which issue automated tickets for red light
runners. (How unconstitutional can one get? Surely someone will aggressively
challenge the legality of these cameras in court!) What is worse is that
many residents and local authorities see nothing wrong with it. These people
are behaving just like those wild hogs that nonchalantly ate their food
while the fence was being built all around them.

In the name of "security" or "safety" or "protection," Americans are
surrendering their liberties. Ladies and gentlemen, face it: freedom is
risky business! If our Founding Fathers had wanted security or safety, they
would have stayed in Europe--or at least remained a compliant colony of the
Crown. So, if one wants government enslavement in twenty-first century
America, one should move back to Europe--or better yet, to Red China or
North Korea!

Instead of demanding that government take care of us, we should be demanding
that government get out of our wallets and off our backs, and let us live
free, as our Creator intended we live! But how can we do that when we
constantly clamor for more and more government handouts and benefits? By
demanding welfare checks, food stamps, government-assisted housing and
medicine, etc., Americans are putting the shackles around their own throats.
Even churches and religious institutions are gorging themselves at the
government teat. America doesn't need to worry about terrorist attacks from
Baghdad or Tehran as much as we should worry about the terrorism from Big
Brother--brought about with our own approbation--right here at home.

When will we say, "That's enough"? When will we truly rise up against this
out-of-control federal monstrosity? When will we demand that government once
again be our servant and not our master? When will we begin to see through
these Big Government politicians from both major parties that are selling
our posterity into tyranny for their own selfish pursuits? When will we wake
up to what both Big Business and Big Religion are doing to us? Why do we
have to shop at the "Super Center"? Why do we have to worship at the
"Mega-Church"? Why do we have to believe everything ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN--and
yes, FOX News--tell us? Why do we have to keep reelecting these career
politicians? And when we do replace them, why do we have to replace one
dirty, rotten scoundrel with another dirty, rotten scoundrel?

When will we recognize that the Department of Homeland Security would be
more properly named the Department of Homeland Enslavement? When are we
going to wake up to the fact that the Patriot Act is nothing but a tool of
the federal government to usurp constitutionally protected liberties? When
are we going to realize that the federal "war on drugs" inflicts more damage
on the Bill of Rights than it does any major drug dealer? When will we get
fed up with these random police checkpoints (manned by agents from virtually
any and every police agency, including federal agents) going up everywhere?
When will we tire of our local policemen and sheriff's deputies more
resembling military commandos than peace officers? When will we demand that
our State and local officials stop begging the federal government for
"stimulus" money? In other words, when are we going to decide that we want
to live in FREEDOM?

Until we Americans get serious about answering the questions above, we are
only fooling ourselves when we talk about the United States being a free
country. We are not free, and we are getting less free by the day. We are as
those wild hogs that were first fed by--and then enslaved by--a wily
trapper. When will we see it?

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