Good Friday and my story

I want to take a moment to wish everyone a happy Easter.  Until this point my blog has been nearly 100% about my attempts at a microfarm, I have spoken very little about myself and the road that has led me to seeking this simple life. I would like to change that.

My faith walk has been rocky until the last few years. I was saved by grace in the 7th grade and struggled the past 30 odd years to maintain a consistent walk.  I attended a Christian High School and lived a rather insulated life until college.  My college days saw an embrace of the world and everything it offered, my faith was back burnered at best. God, however, was faithful even though I was not.

I married my first wife, Susan, in 1990.  As a young couple we had our ups and downs but really got things together when we joined a wonderful church in Wooster, Oh.  Sue came to the Lord at that church and we began to grow together in the Lord.  We soon had 2 boys and we counted our blessings. 

Shortly after Sean (our second boy) was born, we moved to this house and started to dream.  The site was not much to see, just your everyday American ranch home and grass yard.  We soon started the first section of our garden with eyes to the future.

Our daughter, Caity, was born in 2001.  We felt our family was complete and God was smiling on us. Life was good, however, nothing is meant to last.

Sue was diagnosed in January of 2003 with a rare leukemia.  We were in the whirlwind that ended with her passing on July 7, 2003. I was devastated. How could God do this to us?  We were His servants. I was left a young widower with 3 small children.

I came to know this time in my life as the desert of my faith.  I was angry with God, I wanted nothing more from Him.  God's will, however, is sovereign and good.  He had plans for me as promised in His word. I needed time to mourn.

In this desert I finally came to accept God's will. I didn't understand it, but I learned to trust. This is what He brought me through trial to understand.

Three years ago God brought Shelley into my life. She also was beginning again after being broken by divorce and an unfaithful spouse. God brought us together through nothing less then miraculous circumstances to a new life together in love and service to Him.  Our kids are thriving and I have been brought to a place of service.

The vision for our farm started in earnest with Shell's arrival and gets bigger each year. I wanted to share my story of faith on this day, Good Friday, when Christ proved His love for each of us on the cross. His love for me knows no bounds, and His patience endures forever!

Gardening with a Jackhammer

Over the past couple weeks we have been dodging the weather to get things ready for spring at our Peace and Plenty Micro-farm. A couple weekends ago, although it was chilly outside we had 6 yards of blended topsoil delivered. The soil was needed to raise a low spot in the main garden, in the creation of some new planting beds.

As we were hauling the dirt down to the garden, from where it had been delivered, my wife and I began to look towards an area of patio by our back door. The patio was essentially 2 sections. One of the slabs had heaved over winter and cracked. We decided a garden was trying to get out.

Next thing we knew, my neighbor came by and had access to a jackhammer. A short 2 hours later we have an all new addition to our kitchen garden. We have planted swiss chard, spinach, radishes, and soon more herbs.

This is going to be a great year!