Pure Water Hollow Homestead

Another Short Generic Update From Pure Water Hollow

We are enjoying some fruit of our labor:

Lisa made a wonderful cherry cobbler back the first of June and we have enjoyed strawberries and many raspberries. It looks like we will have an abundance of grapes, peaches, and apples. Blackberries are waiting to be picked, but they did not do as well as other years.

Vegetable update:

We have been blessed with fresh green beans, broccoli, kohlrabi, onions, cauliflower, peppers and new potatoes. The corn has tassled in the upper garden and is still growing on the river bank. We have an abundance of tomatoes ripening and many potato plants still growing, although some have died.

"Pure Water Hollow Chicken Flock: The Next Generation" began on June 24th.

That was when our new breeds of day old chicks arrived at the post office. We have tired of the game/mixed hens that have been so good to us for the past several years. We have been getting plenty of eggs from them (we have been selling some), and we have taken advantage of the free meat, but we decided that in the future we want bigger eggs and bigger and better meat. We have 28 chicks of four heavy breeds: Buff Orpingtons, Light Brahmas, Black Giants, and Partridge Rocks. We're talking future hens of 10 pounds and roosters of 13 pounds! Our current chickens are only 3 to 5 pounds, I guess.

2 Litters of Piglets: Take 3!

Our new batch of piglets came sooner than expected this time, but since we just have our boar and two sows together all the time, we don't really know when the sows are bred. Sally gave birth to 13 piglets on July 1st and 10 of them have survived. Nellie gave birth to 10 piglets today, July 6th, and so far they all look good. This is the 3rd batch of piglets for us, and this is the first time that Sally and Nellie did not deliver on exactly the same day.

Our two sows were born in September 2006, and they had piglets July 13th, 2007, February 9th 2008, and now July 1st & 6th 2008. We raised or sold 15 piglets the first time, 19 piglets the second, and it looks like we have 20 healthy ones this time. One guy called today and has already asked to buy 3, and some other fellows were over today looking to buy some. It appears as though they will again be able to sell easily.

Genesis Colony of Honey Bees:

Our honey bees have been working hard and we need to rob them again right now! Don't know when we will get around to it, but it's time. We have another hive body set up and are hoping to start a second colony. We will see.

Goats:

They are doing well and clearing the hill side of the kudzu just like they are supposed to.

Pond Project:

Maybe we will get to do the pond before summer is over. Wish I had it done already. The people I am hiring think they can do it the end of July, but I will believe it when I see it.

Misc:

Much more has been going on it seems (like all the Christian camps the children went to: they had great times but I am glad things can now get back to normal), but I just wanted to get some sort of an update in. I would have liked to do separate posts on each topic with pictures and all, but this is the best I can do for now. At least these things are now recorded for the memory book, even if I did not polish the writings up like I usually enjoy doing.

God is continually blessing us every day. By the way, Timothy is doing great, starting to sleep through the night and is growing almost too fast. He will be 4 months old next week! Where does the time go?

We are trying to sit back and enjoy these blessings and not allow everything to happen so quickly that we miss out on what's really going on. We do desire a simple life of hard work and quiet reflection. The quiet reflection is often left out but it is so important. Without some quiet reflection the hard work can turn into just aggravating busyness that is less than the goodness God wants for us!

Country Boy

Why I Do Not Celebrate Halloween Eph. 5:8-16

(I am always amazed when God allows me to put together a message and uses me to deliver it. This message was not copied from anyone else, but the Lord led me through prayer and study. What follows is a copy of my notes for the message with the actual Bible verses put in where they would have been read aloud):

Why I Do Not Celebrate Halloween Eph. 5:8-16

8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

I have been asked by many people over the years, why I do not celebrate Halloween. I was not brought up with any convictions against Halloween. I participated in Trick Or Treat as a child, I’ve been to many Halloween parties, I’ve even helped to organize a full fledged "Haunted House" at a church where Lisa and I were the youth leaders.

As I grew in Christ, and started looking around at what Halloween is really all about, God convinced me that there was nothing about Halloween that should interest me as a Christian. Today, for me as a Christian to want to celebrate Halloween would be like a Russian citizen wanting to celebrate the 4th of July! It just doesn’t make much sense when I consider the main elements of Halloween.

1) Darkness is Enhanced v8

2) Fear is Embraced v9-10

3) Sin is Expected v11-12

4) Death is Exploited v13-14

5) Evil is Exalted v15-16

I. Darkness is Enhanced v8

8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

Illus: Just look at the decorations surrounding Halloween, and they are everywhere. Halloween decorations are meant to celebrate evil and darkness. The Good Housekeeping Book of Entertainment: "Orange, black and red, the devil’s colors, are the colors associated with Halloween, and this scheme should be carried out as far as possible… Have paper streamers and lanterns hanging from the ceiling, or you could make a giant spider web with black and orange strings, or with narrow strips of crepe paper for the four corners of the room, complete with a large spider – one of the devil’s followers."

a) Darkness hides evil

"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkenss rather than light, because their deeds were evil." –John 3:19

b) Darkness is opposite to God

"If we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth."1John1:6

c) The light of Christ dispels the darkness

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." –John 8:12

II. Fear is Embraced v9-10

9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

Illus: Haunted houses, haunted trails, scary movies

a) Fear is not from God

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." –2 Tim 1:7

b) The love of Christ casts out fear

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." –1 John 4:18

III. Sin is Expected v11-12

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

Illus: What teens do when they are too old to trick or treat. Egging, corning, toilet paper, bashing mailboxes, road blocks, etc

Illus: Police verify that there are more crimes committed during the Halloween season.

a) Sin is enticing

Proverbs 1:10-16

10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:

12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:

13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:

14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:

15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

b) The cross of Christ crucified sin

"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, shuld live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." –1 Peter 2:24

IV. Death is Exploited v13-14

13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

Illus: Slasher movies glamorizing brutal, serial murders. Horror movies glamorizing the supernatural.. Wicked movies dealing with the undead like zombies or vampires.

a) Death was not from God

Genesis 2:16-17

16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

b) Death is an enemy

1 Cor 15:26

26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

c) The victory of Christ defeated death

1 Cor 15:21-22

21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

1 Cor 15:54-57

54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

V. Evil is Exalted v15-16

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Illus: World Book Encyclopedia "Halloween’s beginnings preceded Christ’s birth when the druids, a pagan group of devil-worshipers in what is now Britain and France, observed the end of summer by making human sacrifices to the gods. It was the beginning of the Celtic newyear. They belived that Samhain, the lord of death, sent evil spirits abroad to attack humans, who could escape only by assuming disguises and looking like spirits themselves. The waning of the sun and the approach of dark winter made the evil spirits rejoice and play nasty tricks. Most of our Halloween practices can be traced back to the old pagan ites and superstitions."

Illus: Today there are real Satan worshippers and witches who consider Halloween to be their "high holy day"

a) We should hate evil

"Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good." –Rom 12:9

b) We should overcome evil

"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." –Rom 12:21

c) We should not look evil

"Abstain from all appearance of evil." – 1 Thess 5:22

d) The Devil is evil

1) Satan wants to be exalted and worshipped

Isaiah 14:12-14

12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

2) The manifestation of Christ destroys evil

"He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." – 1 John 3:8

Darkness is Enhanced - The light of Christ dispels

Fear is Embraced – The love of Christ casts out

Sin is Expected – The cross of Christ crucified

Death is Exploited – The victory of Christ defeated

Evil is Exalted – manifestation of Christ destroys

Ephesians 5:17 is the verse immediately following our text:

17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

Halloween is celebrated on 10-31 so let's end with a 10:31 from the Bible:

1 Corinthians 10:31

31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

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