If when I die all people can say about me is, "she loved Jesus", then I have accomplished my mission here on earth.
If when I die and no one remembers my name, but remembers Jesus, then I have lived well.
If when I die I have not a penny to my name, but have pointed everyone I met to Jesus, then I have accomplished my purpose.
My worth is not found in money or things, it's not found in people or places I've been. I find my worth through the blood of Jesus.
My hope is not in things of today, tomorrow or yesterday, nor does my hope rest in the comforts this world has to offer, it's Jesus.
If when I die and the only thing left behind is the handprint of God, then and only then I have truly lived.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Metanoia Community
I would like to announce that we have officially named our community! As we sat around our living room, Ryan (my husband) shared about a book he has been reading called The Theology of Dallas Willard: Discovering Protoevangelical Faith. Now, let me back-track a little bit.
Now you know the story of how we became Metanoia Community. May you enjoy the blog-posts as they come, however often they are written, deleted or published. May you be blessed as we attempt to capture our journey in Kingdom and communal living, child-raising, animal care-taking, and gardening.
My husband is a huge fan of Dallas Willard, I mean HUGE! Ryan's life has been eternally altered because of the ways Dr. Willard explains what it means to live in God's Kingdom today. I am so thankful. I know Ryan is thankful as well.
Anyways, Ryan bought this book talking about Willardian Theology (how awesome to have a theology named after you?!?) and as he read it, a word came up that we have seen and heard before, but this time it was different. As Ryan read an excerpt out of The Theology of Dallas Willard: Discovering Protoevangelical Faith to us, we believed that the word metanioa defined exactly who we are:
"Willard's most popular work, The Divine Conspiracy, focuses on describing the existential condition and process of living in this convertive state. Willard also spends the majority of Renovation of the Heart discussing the reasons and hurdles that prevent persons from entering into the "easy yoke" of transformation with Jesus as a guide. Renovation pursues the roles anthropology, psychology, sociology, and epistemology play in the theological understandings of individuals and groups attempting to convert/transform their previous worldviews and enter into a relational interaction with the kingdom of God. This process is what Willard describes as the biblical understanding of metanioa or repentance, an important theme carried throughout his description of the apostle Paul's encouragement to become "transformed by the renewal of the mind." Willard defines repentance as "rethinking one's thinking" or "reconsidering one's considerations."We are a group of people who have decided that the best way to live is to live in the Kingdom of God. This is what we believe we were created for: to live in community with God and each other; encouraging one another; lifting one another up; singing songs of praise and worship to our Maker; knowing that none of us is perfect, but striving to honor God in everything we do.
Now you know the story of how we became Metanoia Community. May you enjoy the blog-posts as they come, however often they are written, deleted or published. May you be blessed as we attempt to capture our journey in Kingdom and communal living, child-raising, animal care-taking, and gardening.
Sour Crop
A chicken has one stomach that is divided into 2 parts. The first part is called the "crop" and the second part of the stomach is called the "gizzard". When a chicken eats something like string, long grass, or sometimes bread, it can get lodged in the crop, causing it to swell and become spongy like a water balloon. If not treated properly, it can cause bloating, yeast build-up, and eventually death.
After reading different websites, I decided the first thing I needed to do is separate little Spidey from the rest of the flock so I can keep a better eye on her. Next, I took 1/2 cup of baking soda and mixed it with 1 pint of warm water. I took a needle-less syringe, filled it up and squirted some of it in her mouth, letting her drink it slowly.
Next, I tried putting her head down and began to massage her crop. Apparently, I didn't put her head down far enough, because next thing I knew I had nasty half-digested chicken feed all over my face, arms, and legs. Yuck.
Next thing I did was continue to massage her crop. Did you know that chickens can burp? I did not either! Now, mind you, these aren't your little polite burps either...little Spidey can rival the burps of your middle-school aged boy who just won the burping championship!
So, I guess we'll just keep her off of food for 24 hours and take her water away for 12 hours and see what happens. I will massage her crop again this evening (making sure I hold her upside down correctly this time) to see if any other liquids come out of her, repeating this for the next few days until she seems better.
It's funny, I never thought I would say this, but we're all praying for Spidey. She just happens to be the favorite family chicken and we are trusting that she will pull through.
Lessons From a New Chicken Owner
A lot has happened since I wrote my last post! Our family has officially grown from 6 to 10. We have a 13 week old puppy, we have 6 non-laying chickens (we're getting 6 more this Friday, that are supposed to be laying), and within the week we should be getting our two goats (Ripley and Liliana) and a llama (who we will be re-naming Dahli the llama). Ripley and Liliana (Lili for short) are both pregnant and will both be due in March. So, as you can see, we are growing!
So far I have learned a lot about chickens, like it could take up to 6 weeks for them to lay eggs after being moved from one home to another. Also, they need 14-16 hours of light (this could be our main problem)! They stress easily, so little kids chasing them around, catching them, shaking them, poking them, pulling out their feathers, bending their necks so they can look inside their mouths and play with their tongues does NOT help them with their egg-producing and egg laying skills.
I also have experienced the true animalistic meaning of what "pecking order" is. Wow! Chickens can be brutal when you are introducing new chickens into the mix! I couldn't believe it when Chicken the Chicken (yes, we're letting our kids name the animals) went after and attacked little Scratchy (the smallest of the 6) when we first introduced her to the flock. There was more pecking, squawking, and chasing than I cared to see. They seem to have settled down now that Chicken the Chicken has made sure her dominance has been asserted and respected by all 4 of the smaller newbies.
.JPG) |
| From front to back: Lyla, Nogs, Spidy, Lumpy, Chicken the Chicken & Scratchy |
I also have experienced the true animalistic meaning of what "pecking order" is. Wow! Chickens can be brutal when you are introducing new chickens into the mix! I couldn't believe it when Chicken the Chicken (yes, we're letting our kids name the animals) went after and attacked little Scratchy (the smallest of the 6) when we first introduced her to the flock. There was more pecking, squawking, and chasing than I cared to see. They seem to have settled down now that Chicken the Chicken has made sure her dominance has been asserted and respected by all 4 of the smaller newbies.
September 2013
A lot has happened this last month. We found a house with an acre, which we're really excited about! We moved in, got a puppy, we were given couple of chickens (we're definitely going to get more!), and now we're on to getting some goats. Yep. Goats. I want goats.
I think most normal moms want jewelry, massages, or clothes for their birthdays. Not me. This year, it seems like the country air has brought my inner cowgirl out. This year I want goats for my birthday. After scouring the internet, researching for just the right breed, then stalking craigslist for just the right ones, I have found our first two goats. We will be getting two does, one full-blooded Nubian and one full-blooded Alpine.
You see, goats are good for two things: weeding and milk. We have LOTS of weeds in the pasture area by our barn, so these goats will be wonderful little weed-eaters. Another bonus is that these goats will be expecting babies around February of next year, so we will be able to get some goat milk sometime next spring once the babies are weened. Am I excited? Yes! I am VERY excited!
Not only are we getting all these animals and becoming small country farmers (which is something we have been wanting to do for the last few years), but we will begin to experiment with what it truly means to be living in community with another family that is moving with us in a couple of weeks. This is called intentional community.
We live in a culture that is saturated with the view that one can and must do life on their own. Our world-view explicitly tells us that what is mine is mine and what is yours is yours. This individualistic way of living has created a new wave of selfishness and greediness that is so contrary to what Jesus teaches us how to live. Jesus said we must give to the poor and needy; He taught that we must become like children in order to come to Him; He said we must deny ourselves and take up our crosses and follow Him. All of these things are the complete opposite of being selfish, greedy or individualistic!
No, I'm not saying we all must come together and try to experiment with intentional communities, this is something that the Lord has specifically placed on our hearts and also the hearts of the family that will be moving in with us. We are excited to see what the Lord does this year in all of our lives. We are looking forward to seeing how we grow in Christ-likeness, how we learn together how to work through conflict in a Godly, Jesus-pleasing way, and we are looking forward to seeing where the Lord leads us through this adventure.
I'm looking forward to sharing our journey with you!
I think most normal moms want jewelry, massages, or clothes for their birthdays. Not me. This year, it seems like the country air has brought my inner cowgirl out. This year I want goats for my birthday. After scouring the internet, researching for just the right breed, then stalking craigslist for just the right ones, I have found our first two goats. We will be getting two does, one full-blooded Nubian and one full-blooded Alpine.
You see, goats are good for two things: weeding and milk. We have LOTS of weeds in the pasture area by our barn, so these goats will be wonderful little weed-eaters. Another bonus is that these goats will be expecting babies around February of next year, so we will be able to get some goat milk sometime next spring once the babies are weened. Am I excited? Yes! I am VERY excited!
Not only are we getting all these animals and becoming small country farmers (which is something we have been wanting to do for the last few years), but we will begin to experiment with what it truly means to be living in community with another family that is moving with us in a couple of weeks. This is called intentional community.
We live in a culture that is saturated with the view that one can and must do life on their own. Our world-view explicitly tells us that what is mine is mine and what is yours is yours. This individualistic way of living has created a new wave of selfishness and greediness that is so contrary to what Jesus teaches us how to live. Jesus said we must give to the poor and needy; He taught that we must become like children in order to come to Him; He said we must deny ourselves and take up our crosses and follow Him. All of these things are the complete opposite of being selfish, greedy or individualistic!
No, I'm not saying we all must come together and try to experiment with intentional communities, this is something that the Lord has specifically placed on our hearts and also the hearts of the family that will be moving in with us. We are excited to see what the Lord does this year in all of our lives. We are looking forward to seeing how we grow in Christ-likeness, how we learn together how to work through conflict in a Godly, Jesus-pleasing way, and we are looking forward to seeing where the Lord leads us through this adventure.
I'm looking forward to sharing our journey with you!
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