FINE FARM FILIGREE AND FOUR FAT HENS

A bunch of "volunteer" marigolds in the middle of the garden! Aren't they bright?

I love this bit of filigree from the English Garden. The trumpet vine finally took hold and grew this year. The birdhouse with the beard is about to be engulfed. I just love this scene!

Who are you and what are you doing on my farm?

Roast chicken!

The bean pole in the veggie garden. Lots of herbs, beans, morning glories, and marigolds.

We are headed for Colorado Springs soon to see our grandbabies! So excited about that! Lots going on in our lives with job opportunities and so on. Clint starts a new part time job as soon as we get back from our trip. I will be working more hours this fall as well. My book is in the final stages of prep for publication and I am anticipating starting on our church's worship team in a month or so after a 9 month leave from music! Lots going on and lots to be thankful for! Rhiannon begins harvest tomorrow. The changing of seasons is evident in the air--another year about to close. It doesn't seem possible, but we are thankful for the many wonderful changes we've experienced this year! Blessings, LORI

COUNTRY COLLAGE--Weekend scenes from our house and our new property!

Though a bit blurry, this is a campfire-grilled tribute to our favorite lifestyle!

Rhiannon holding the campfire treat--a bag of popcorn from her employer!

A hen party at the amazing squash-growing compost pile!

Rat-killing attempt in the chicken coop--second night in a row!

The first egg of the year!

Mom snipping beans while we sat around the campfire.

Where I think the house should sit at the new property!

A picture of me standing between the two tracts of acreage we recently purchased.

One of the "fence gates" at the new property.

A big, old apple tree on our new property!

This morning Clint preached at a small church nearby. We spent the rest of the day enjoying the goodness of the Lord's outdoors by having a campfire and taking a trip to our new property where Clint had recently cut paths with the tractor. Beautiful day! I hope your Sunday was restful and enjoyable as well! Blessings, LORI

WELCOME, HUXLEY OWEN ZEHR!

This post is dedicated to my new grandson, Huxley Owen Zehr, who came on the scene early this morning in Colorado Springs. We received a call at about 6:06 Michigan time saying they were on their way to the hospital. At 6:50 we received another call--Huxley was born at 6:45, Michigan time! This is not unusual. His sisters were born very swiftly as well, Emma's midwife completely missing the birth as was the situation this time if I have the facts straight! I am told that 60 more seconds and Huxley would have been born in the hallway! We are praising the Lord for this very easy delivery and a healthy baby boy, the first boy in Kori's direct line of women for about 80 years, if I have that fact straight. Doesn't Kori look great! What a good mom she is. Emma and Sophie are welcoming a new baby brother!

Kori's sister flew in to Colorado Springs yesterday to join Kori and this was an answer to prayer for Huxley to arrive right at this time--God is so good! We were saying this was the best possible scenario and then the Lord worked that out! Huxley was due yesterday, but Kori's sister was also due to arrive in town yesterday. By his birth happening this morning, Kori has the optimum advantage of her sister's help for a full week!

This little fellow will carry on the Zehr name from Clint's family since there were no other boys in his grandfather's line with the Zehr name.



Huxley is protesting here! I'm not sure why, probably being poked and annoyed with the new bright light and all the things that have to be done to a newborn!

It looks like a soothing bath and a more peaceful Huxley. I understand he will be nicknamed, "Huck." We all love his name, an English name that means, "Outdoorsman," completely perfect for this family!

Welcome Huxley, congratulations JT and Kori, Emma and Sophie, and may God's richest blessings rest on all of you! Granny will be coming to see you in two weeks!

Well, it's that time of year again! Time to pick the sweet corn! We will be freezing corn long about Tuesday.

This is a picture of me standing amidst the fields where we get our corn, near Clint's great grandparents old family farm. I thought you'd like to see what southwest Michigan looks like this time of year. Just over the ridge and back to the west we attended the neatest wedding I've ever been privileged to see last week. A cousin was married behind the church and up on a high hill that overlooks rolling farmland. Maybe I'll tell more about that on another post! Blessings, LORI

OUR NEW ACREAGE and ANOTHER KIND OF FILIGREE

This picture is our newly acquired acreage--13 3/4 acres of rolling hills right next to the 15.2 we purchased in April. This is a big blessing! We are strongly considering putting a house on this pretty property once we can sell our farm. How thankful we are to be able to obtain land right where we wished to re-locate! The first acreage to the west of this is VERY hilly with a decent amount of woods and a pond. This plot of ground is a bit less hilly and contains only smaller trees. We are happy about this!

I was asked to consider doing a ladies' Bible study and through prayer and many confirmations, I finally decided to "test-pilot" a study I had outlined when we were still pastoring. It will begin tomorrow evening and last for the next several weeks. It is a study for those who have been Christians for a while and want to go deeper in their spiritual walk. It will focus on various disciplines that create an atmosphere for growth in the Christian life. I decided to name the study, "Filigree." I love filigree and lace. Filigree is a delicate object of lace-like intricacy. I believe this is an appropriate name for the study since it will be delving into more complicated disciplines that hopefully produce a beautiful, intricate spiritual development! Pray for me! Blessings, LORI

FARMING AROUND HERE!

SOME PRETTY DILL WEED FROM MY GARDEN DRAPED WITH THE MORNING DEW! I thought you'd enjoy this picture and a bit about our farm country!

On the last post I re-commented about our farms here in St. Joseph County, Michigan, but I suspect many of my readers don't re-read the comments, so here's a bit of info.

Our field behind our house, approximately ten acres, is planted in no-till soybeans this year. My daughter told me she thinks it will take about a half hour to pick the beans. The farmers have big combines to do the work. We rent them the ground and they have grown several different crops over the years--corn, beans, alfalfa.

Here in St. Joseph County they say we are a seed corn capital. We have several major seed corn companies located in the surrounding towns and we are said to be the most irrigated county east of the Mississippi--largely due to the seed corn industry.

Rhiannon has worked for one of the companies for years. She is an inspector and inspects about a hundred acres a day this time of year (mostly on foot) checking for all kinds of things--bugs, weed problems, rogue corn, etc., etc. It's a fascinating, scientific system that produces this incredible corn. Lots of money is involved in one single field and the farmers and the seed corn companies take the job of raising it very seriously. Lots of people are employed in the business of seed corn in one way or another around here.

In addition to seed corn, we have several farms that raise vegetables for commercial use. Such crops as green beans, carrots, and potatoes are among the variety of things grown in St. Joseph County. On a smaller scale, many people have little home garden plots and fruit and vegetable stands and co-op style garden businesses are springing up lately. This is a large garden operation where people can buy shares and then get an allotment of vegetables, etc. each week during the season without ever lifting a finger to do their own gardening! Most Amish families also raise most of their home fruits and vegetables in their gardens as well. Our county is home to several Old Order Amish.

The picture above is my little patch of dill in one of my raised beds. I plant it because I always think I will use it and never do! Well, once in a while I make "floating vegetables" with it--sliced tomatoes, onions, and peppers, floating in vinegar/sugar water with various spices. I like to eat this fresh.

I hope you enjoyed the little bit of farming education. Sooooo.......This seemed like an appropriate time to announce our big news--WE WERE ABLE TO BUY 13.75 MORE ACRES TO ADD TO OUR NEW LAND! We are just thrilled! For a short while--until we sell our house and adjoining acreage, we own almost 47 acres. This is something we only dreamed of in our wildest dreams! This has been a big blessing the Lord has given us and we are encouraged unbelievably by being able to realize this dream. We now own just shy of 29 acres all in one plot over near our old hometown! It's not exactly farm ground. It's more wooded and rolling hills, but beauitful and we hope to build on it soon. We feel so blessed and as soon as I have a nice picture, I will post it, but I couldn't wait to share this blessing with you!

My third book was finished yesterday and will be going to the publisher early next week! There's one big summer goal accomplished! Blessings, LORI

A FIELD OF BEANS AND SOME PHILISTINES

One of my favorite Bible heroes is "Shammah," one of David's mighty men. He is mentioned in only a few verses of the scriptures, but his acts were very brave.

On Sunday, Clint was asked to preach at a local church where we've ministered before. He asked if I'd like to say a few words as well. All week I struggled with what God would have me share. I was almost ready to believe that I was not to speak this time, when suddenly on Saturday, the Lord seemed to show me clearly what I should say.

I was wading through the soybeans in the fields behind our house heading out to pick berries when I thought for the umpteenth time this month about Shammah, a little-known Bible character. Each time I made the trek across our 10 acres of beans to get to the edge of the woods to pick wild blackberries, I would think of this Bible hero and try to imagine how he defeated a whole troop of Philistines in a bean field! That has always intrigued me. It seems like there is no place to hide in such a field. On Saturday I realized that it would be possible to lay down among the plants,they're taller than they look from the road, but then how would you fight off a whole army if you did? I always believed from the scripture that Shammah was either alone or severely outnumbered as it says in 2 Samuel that "the people fled from the Philistines."

Saturday the beans were waist high as I waded through and I thought about his heroics. He must have been carrying some armor, at least a sword. It is HARD walking through a field. I was dressed in long pants, heavy boots and had a colander strapped around my waist and I was having a hard time wading through. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been to run or fight or maneuver over the uneven ground!

Yet the scripture indicates that he "stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory." (11 Samuel 23:12) This nation was the enemy of Israel at the time. I take courage from Shammah's dedication. We as Christians should be passionate about a number of "fields" and refuse to give up territory that rightfully belongs to the Lord. Of course, nowdays our battle is not a physical one, not against flesh and blood, and does not involve such warfare. I am referring to spiritual battles that affect the future of our nation, our children, our faith. Shammah took his stand and fought to the victory. Jesus said that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church and her confession of His Lordship! We need to take courage in these days! Take special note of the fact that though Shammah defended the field, scripture says it was the Lord who brought about the great victory! Blessings, LORI