The Shepherds' Journey

Last night and this morning I was able to get back on the tractor and do more clearing. It's very nice to be able to see things out on the property again. It had really started to become overgrown and things appear to close in on you as that happens.


A view from the tractor looking over some of the area I've cut in the last couple of days.


I ran into a small tree that speared the front of the tractor. Thankfully, it didn't puncture anything and after fighting with it a bit, Kyle and I were able to work it free.


Our tractor has been through a lot, but a lot of what you see here is really not new damage. We bought a used tractor and the lights have always been disconnected like this.
Notice how the tree found where the radiator comes out of the hood!

Labels: Clearing, Tractor

Jay-El is our resident numismatist. For months he's been looking forward to attending a big coin show today. This was our second visit to a show, and we enjoyed learning from all the pros.


Learning about grading coins.


Learning about errors during the mint process and seeing some very rare mistakes.

Labels: Coins, Jay-El

I've worked on the tractor a bit here and there lately and was finally able to get it to run and do a little clearing. I'm not doing anything too heavy, just cutting what I've already cleared in the past. Here is a view from the porch after the last round:

Labels: Clearing, Farming

Back in April and May I had been doing a lot of walking (light hiking, really) on our land in a very futile effort to shed some pounds. I hate exercise, mostly because I find it excruciatingly boring. (There is one kind of exercising I love -- rollerskating or riding my beach cruiser on the Hermosa Beach Strand. Alas, getting there would take a bit more gas money than I can afford right now.)

Those two months, I walked. And I walked. And I walked.

Though I ate very carefully and in moderation and was diligent to trudge through roots and weeds and up and down small hills, not one single pound was lost.

It was not wasted time, however.

During those days, I did a whole lot of praying.

As I walked, I prayed for everything under the sun that was on my heart -- my husband, my family, childrens' salvation, that the Lord would grant us another child, for friends, extended family members, Tuscaloosa abortion mill workers and their murderous employer, Christian ministries & their godly leaders, favorite filmmakers and for other culture-changing efforts of people I love.

I also prayed if it would be the Lord's will, that He would allow our family to go to Atlanta, Georgia July 12-19 to participate in the life-saving efforts of the folks of Operation Save America.

Their annual event took place last year here in Birmingham and for various reasons, we weren't able to be involved at all. Now here they were again, due to be not very far from our home. They were going to be working to shine the light of Christ and save souls and lives of children threatened by abortion right there at some of the old abortion mills I used to rescue at nearly twenty years ago.

Our older children are learning more about the battle for mothers' hearts and their babies' precious lives and I wanted very much to be able to get those older children more actively involved in the fight, as well as teach them about a significant part of their parents' personal histories at some of those locations around Atlanta. Atlanta is where I met their father, who was also involved in the pro-life battle with his own parents. To try to get to Atlanta and participate in the OSA events and teach our children about some of these locations and events in our lives was a very meaningful and worthy desire to me.

Daily I earnestly prayed, "Lord, if it would be your will, would you please make a way for us to go to Atlanta?"

Yet while I prayed, I remembered full well one of my favorite life verses:

Many are the plans in a man's heart but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.
~ Proverbs 19:21

I held on to my intense desire loosely, knowing the path of my life is not up to me. As Christians, our lives are not our own. They belong to the Lord and He determines our steps. We go or we stay, as He gently instructs.

As the weeks wore on, I sensed from Jay's godly leadership of our family that it did not look favorable for us to go to Atlanta. I accepted this as from the Lord and, by God's grace, allowed my heart to embrace Jay's decision.

Eventually, we were blessed to find out some wonderful news... The Creator and Giver of Life had blessed us with another child!

Praise the Lord!

Ah, yes... Now it seemed we understood at least part of the reason why it would not be in the Lord's plans for us to go to Atlanta! -- I would be right in the thick of some very trying first-trimester challenges. In pregnancies past, my fatigue has been so extreme our family has had to go into complete "survival" mode. I'd like to think I could be in Atlanta, being a strong sidewalk counselor-pilgrim, trying to save babies even while being utterly without energy and feeling awful, but the reality is that during weeks 5-12 of my pregnancies I am an absolute mess physically and hormonally.


However, last Thursday...

Last Thursday...


Last Thursday morning, as I left my OB's office with tears blurring my vision, I began to understand a bit more clearly why the Lord did not allow our family to go to Atlanta this week in July.

He knew.

Back during my daily walks, praying passionately as I made myself keep trudging, my merciful Father in Heaven knew I would need to stay close to home as we worked our way through the miscarriage process.

The Lord is here with us, as we whisper a gradual goodbye to our beloved, beautiful baby.

God knew.

And His plans for His children are absolutely perfect. Jay and I rest in His mercy, which endureth forever. Our Redeemer lives.

Lord God, thank you for our dear child you gave us for a short time. We loved our little girl or boy before we even realized You'd placed its life within. We loved our dear child and always will. But all of our children are Yours, Lord. And we trust You to do what's best. Thank you for that tiny gift we did not deserve.

And Lord? We ask that lives would be saved this week in Atlanta. Please bring the lost to you. Please remove veils of deception. Please free the captives. Please protect, assist and grant victory to those who have gone to rescue the weak, the needy, the voiceless and the fatherless. Please help mothers to see the Truth.

Please save the little ones.


As always, may His will be done.

Well, with 40% of the vote, Matt didn't win but it was an honor for our family to support him. We'll happily and heartily do so again, should the Lord give him another election opportunity in the future.

God's plans for His children are perfect.

God bless the Chanceys!

A note from Matt Chancey to his supporters:


July 14, 2008


Dear friends and family,

Tomorrow evening, we'll know the results of our efforts.

Our television and radio ads are blanketing the state. Our volunteers have gone door-to-door in key precincts. Our phone bank has called thousands of voters. Our yard signs are all up. And we've "prayed without ceasing."

Tomorrow, there are no points for second place. We've got to win this race outright if we are going to live to fight again in the fall against the Democrat nominee. This is quite a challenge, but I feel up to it and you're help has been a primary motivation behind my confidence.

Thank you for giving so freely of your time and treasure. Regardless of the outcome, I want you to know how grateful I am to you for all your support.

If you have not done so already, please contact your friends and family list in Alabama about the election tomorrow. It's amazing how few people even know there is an election. A personal endorsement goes a long way and it will make a difference tomorrow.

Thanks again for standing with me. Let's sprint together to the finish line!


Best regards,

Matt


Alabamians, please remember to take a few minutes out of your day tomorrow to vote for Mr. Matthew Chancey.


May the Lord's will be done!

My mind is full and I hope the Lord will allow opportunities for thoughts to be expressed a little at a time.

For now I wanted to stop in to thank everyone for their kindness. Thank you for your happy comments in weeks past when Jay announced our good news. Thank you also for all the prayers and words of tenderness offered since we learned our little baby died. These kindnesses mean much to our family.

We had a baby last September, then we didn't.

We had another life within in June, and now we don't.

I want you to know it's not our desire to take everyone on a roller coaster ride, without thought or care.

Some folks, most understandably, wait to announce a pregnancy until they feel somewhat confident the tiny child is stable and growing well. We, however, choose to let others know the news as soon as we have discovered it partly because we are too elated to hide it, but more importantly, because we believe the new little life should be prayed for and celebrated as soon as possible, for as long as the Lord allows the child to be with us -- be it a few weeks or a long lifetime.

Thank you for joining us on our journey, through the joys and through the sorrows.

May God be praised and glorified through it all.

Love,
Ruthanne

We just learned this morning that we have lost our little baby. Please pray for our family during this very hard time as our hearts are breaking.

Labels: Family

I'm starting to hit a wall, dealing with first-trimester pregnancy challenges, so I won't be around for a while. Ever grateful for this amazing new little life inside, I need to lie low and focus on getting through this time.

Take care and keep fighting the Good Fight of the Faith with His help!

Ladies, pray for one another and be strong, sturdy pilgrims.

Love,
Ruthanne

There aren't too many out there yet, but let's hope a pro-life pharmacy will open in your town soon!

"Contraception is essential for women's health. A pharmacy like this is walling off an essential part of health care. That could endanger women's health,” said Marcia Greenberger of the National Women's Law Center.

The Family Research Council, however, disagreed.

“On the contrary, what endangers women's health is the propaganda by Planned Parenthood and others that insists ‘emergency contraception’ is safe, when it can and has caused serious side effects,” the group said in a statement.

“The lack of contraception isn't killing any woman. Sexual promiscuity, on the other hand, is. We commend these drugstores for creating a safe environment for employees and consumers of moral and religious conviction,” the FRC added.

Pro-life pharmacies, the FRC stressed, would be identical to any other pharmacy, except for the absence of contraceptives and drugs that could be used for an abortion like the so-called “morning after” pill.

Read more of New 'Pro-Life' Pharmacies Defend Religious, Moral Objections


More probably exist, but there are at least six pro-life pharmacies listed on the Pharmacists for Life website.

The pharmacies are located in:
Tampa, FL
Hialeah, FL
Richmond, IN
Gray, LA
Grand Rapids, MI
Superior, NE

(For location specifics, visit the Pharmacists for Life "Find a Pharmacist" page.)

Here's a (biased) article on the DMC Pharmacy due to open this summer in Chantilly, VA.