Winter Camp 2008

We just got back home from a terrific Winter Camp in Mansfield, Arkansas this past week. And what a great time we had!! The people in attendance were hungry for this "Introductory to Bushcraft Class" and we had an awesome time with them.

Some had never had any Bushcraft experience before.. while some others had quite a bit of knowledge already. But everyone.. myself included.. learned many things during the 3 day camp. We studied such things as Firemaking, Shelter Building, Food and Water Procurement, Building Ekits, Cordage making and usage, Awareness and Camouflage and much more.

The weather was beautiful, although quite cold at night.. dropping down into the high teens and low 20's. But the skies were beautiful and made it worth getting up to tend to the fire. You could just see YHWH's Mighty Hand in creation as you gazed off into the universe.

Pictures of our escapades can be seen at:

Winter Camp

Thank you so much Gerald and Bonnie for hosting this event.. and for taking such great care of everyone while we were there! Thanks also to Gerald, Bonnie, Bro Ya'acov, Ryan, and Berta for being such hungry students.. you guys are wonderful.

A special thanks to my precious Wife, Tam, for keeping things running smoothly and for taking all of the class pictures, and to my Daughters Heather, Rachy, and Becka.. who were Daddy's "Helpers" throughout the camp.

This Course was such a success that we are hoping to have an Advanced Class in the same area in the early summer. Please let us know if you wish to attend so that arrangements can be made!

David

Grandparents

Our son, Robert, and his girlfriend told us that they were expecting their child... our 1st Grandchild about 4 months ago. Wow.. it seems like just yesterday when our son came in beaming from ear to ear and told us. They were about 5 weeks along at that time.

Many plans were made.. What to get.. things to prepare for.. but there wasn't really a rush... the baby wasn't due until April 2009. But you know how short that time can be when there are so many things to do. So preparations began... slowly but surely. Until.....

Last week we got a phone call from our son that something wasn't right. Tammy was in the hospital bleeding. They kept her for 2 days and then allowed her to go home.. but under strict bedrest. Yesterday.. a day after being released she began bleeding again and went back to the hospital. She was admitted in the afternoon...

Last night she called our son and said that he needed to get to the hospital right away. He travelled the 50 miles quickly but safely. We were in constant contact by phone until he got there. We waited to hear what was going on... About 9PM he called us visibly upset. He said that Tammy was going to deliver any time and that they didn't expect him to live.. He was only 20 weeks old and his lungs hadn't developed yet. There was nothing to do but wait now.

Tam asked Rob if he wanted us to come to the hospital to be with him and Tammy for moral support. You know.. no matter how old your children get.. they are always your "little boy or girl," and you want (maybe need) to be there for them. And we wanted to be with our son during this time... there was an emptiness and uneasiness just sitting at home by the phone. Rob said "Yes.. I would like you to be here... please hurry!"

We got all the children here to pray.. and we got in the van and headed for Srpingfield. The trip is about 50 miles... but it felt more like 500! We rode quietly.. hardly speaking at all. Suddenly the phone rang.. bringing our hearts into our throats... It was Rob.. telling us that at 9:16 PM Jayden Cole was brought into this world! With mixed emotions Tam told Rob that we were only about 20 more minutes away... We each looked out our windows and wept quietly.

We got to the hospital at 10PM.. and after a few minutes found our way to the room where they were. They were just finishing cleaning up Tammy.. and Rob was in the adjacent room with Jayden. We walked over.. to see him beaming. "Wanna see my son!" he exclaimed as we walked into the room! It was all that I could do not to cry... but you know.. sometimes dads just have to be strong for their children (Not that crying is a weakness). I was so proud of him.. for I saw in him at that moment courage, determination, joy, and sadness all wrapped up into one.

Tam, Rob, Tammy, and I all took turns holding this precious little life in our hands. I watched Tam as she pulled him close to her and gently kissed his forehead. As I watched I remember thinking how tiny and fragile he was.. and I flashed back to when our children were born.. and watching as she tenderly cuddled them. For a moment I was lost in time.. and then suddenly back in the hospital.

We spent the next 2 hours talking.. taking pictures, doting over this new life.. and how precious he was. I was so amazed at the tenderness and love in my son's demeanor with his new child. I just watched in awe. The nurses were also very kind.. taking the time to explain everything.. and letting us know how Jayden was doing. His heart rate had gone from 160 at 9:17 to 40 at 11:30. Tam & I decided that we would leave at about 12 PM. We had tried to be an encouragement and comfort to Rob and Tammy.. and there was really nothing more that we could do.

We hugged each other... Tam took Jayden in her arms one more time... Just before we walked out the door.. I took his little hand with my finger.. I could almost feel him squeeze it ever so gently. I fought to hold the tears back...

The ride home was somber... Thinking about this little life that would only be with us a short time longer. Praying for our son.. for strength and courage. Only YHWH could comfort him now.. We arrived home safely at 1 AM... And shortly thereafter Rob called saying that Jayden has passed away right after we left the hospital.

Sometimes.. I am amazed at the wisdom of YHWH. I don't pretend to know everything.. or why things happen the way that they do. But in a life so fragile.. so short.. Jayden had touched so many people... Without ever saying a word. There were so many who came together to pray for our son and Tammy over the past week.. and to them we are grateful. There was family and friends... strengthening of relationships. A new cloesness with many people that had drifted apart in ways. As Tam sent our her devotion tonight.. many more were touched.. and perhaps some of you are right now.. reading this. Truly "YHWH's ways are higher than ours..."

We can't pretend to understand all of this.. and yes.. there is pain. But somehow.. in the midst of it all, there is also hope.. and love.. and eventually joy will prevail. When I think back over the years with our children.. there has been joy.. there has been sorrow. And now in my life as a "Grandpa" I have experienced the same feelings in just a few hours.. I will hold on to the joys.. just as I held on to that tiny hand... You never knew us Jayden (or maybe somehow you did!)... but in 3 short hours.. you made a difference in so many lives! Thank you little guy..

I love you! We all do!

Grandpa David

Connections

A funny thing happened the other day. Three of my four older children were out shopping and working. Cody ( Happy Birthday son! ) who is in Calgary, Alberta, Canada decided that he would stop by "Subway" to eat lunch. Rob, who lives here in Mansfield with us, was on his break from work and decided to call his brother to tell him "Happy Birthday". He asked Cody to hang on a minute while he ordered his lunch from the Subway here. No this wasn't planned, just happened. After they both ordered Rob asked Cody what he had ordered for lunch... His answer, "A Steak and Cheese Sub". Rob said ... "That's funny, I ordered the exact same thing!" When Rob came home from work he was anxious to share the story with Tam. Mandy had just walked in the door from a trip to Ava this afternoon and heard. Her response was, "GET OUT! I was at subway at the exact same time and ordered a Steak and Cheese sub too!"

Well that is quite a coincidence some people would say. But I think that there was a connection between them all at the moment this happened. The Scripture tells us that it is "Good and Pleasant for brethren to dwell together in unity and love. We are also told in Ephesians that YHWH desires for the body to "Come to the unity of Faith..." But we are so concerned with Doctrine, that we don't understand the unity part. We are so proud that we have found some new nugget of truth that we push others away and condemn them for not seeing what we see! How shameful for people who call themselves a body...

Isn't it time that we begin to walk in unity? Isn't it time that we start to love one another? Each person is on a path.. and we are warned not to judge another in their walk! Perhaps if we stop with the pettiness, pride, and ego trips we would come to a closer Unity of Faith as YHWH's Body. This is what HE desires... isn't it? Maybe it is time that we order the same "spiritual food" and stop fighting amongst ourselves....

Walk in Truth...
David

Ploughing the Fallow Ground

I had the pleasure today to suprise my Precious Proverbs 32 woman. She decided that she was going to go shopping with our sister this morning and leave me with our two little angels. Her goal was to do the weekly shopping, and then come home and till the ground where our watermelon and squash is to be planted this year.

Well I thought it would be a lovely thing to surprise her and do the roto-tilling for her. I actually enjoy running the tiller, although, when done, it makes me feel like I just got finished a 3 hour exercise session with a jackhammer... LOL! As I went over and over the dry, sodden earth, it began to break up into smaller and smaller chunks. The rocks began to rise up to the top and were then easily removed. As I went over the land a 2nd and 3rd time I could begin to smell the wonderful aroma of fresh soil rise up and hit my nose. How wonderful it is to work in the dirt as YHWH has ordained for our lives.

Sitting by the fire this evening, I thought about the Scripture in Jeremiah 4, speaking of "Breaking up the fallow ground in our lives..."

IF YOU will return, O Israel, says YHWH, if you will return to Me, and if you will put away your abominable false elohim out of My sight and not stray or waver, And if you swear, As YHWH lives, in truth, in judgment and justice, and in righteousness (uprightness in every area and relation), then the nations will bless themselves in Him and in Him will they glory. For thus says YHWH to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem: Break up your ground left uncultivated for a season, so that you may not sow among thorns...
Jer 4:1-3

Do you have need in your life to do a little "tilling?" Are there areas of your heart that are still hard, unable to bear the seed that YHWH is planting? YHWSHUA told the parable of the sower... giving different types of soil that will and will not produce good fruit. As you read HIS words.. ask yourself what kind of ground you are today....

A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of YHWH: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of YHWH. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
(Luk 8:5-15)

If you find that there are some "rocks, some vines, some thorns still in the garden of your heart, then do something about it! Isn't it time that we begin to produce 100 fold for YHWH and HIS Kingdom? Go back, do your first works! Break up the fallow ground, that you may bear much fruit for HIM!

Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
(Joh 15:2-7)

HalleluYAH!

- David

Are You In The Now?

No, I didn't ask if you are "in the know". I asked if you are "In the Now." Are you living each moment of your life to the fullest? Or are you dwelling on yesterday or tomorrow?

So often we think about what has happened in the past. We allow our minds to dwell on things that are impossible to change. Why keep rehashing over and over what has happened to you yesterday? Or the day before? Or last week? Or if you are like some... years ago? Isn't it time to let these things go from your mind? Learn from them.. and then allow them to flow away with the currents of time.

On the other hand.. there are many who constantly fret about the future. What will happen (or maybe won't)? When will it happen? How is it going to occur? And when we have dwelt on it long enough we start asking why these things always happen to us! And it hasn't even happened yet. When will we learn friends? Why do we allow our time to be taken up with such frivilous thoughts?

Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If YHWH will, we shall live, and do this, or that. (Jas 4:13-15)

You can't worry constantly about things that might happen without those thoughts affecting you! YHWSHUA said that what you continually think on and speak out of your mouth WILL come to pass (Mk 11:22-24). Are you truly desiring for all of these things (that you allow to keep your mind occupied daily) to come to pass? Satan will continue to put thoughts into you heart to keep you occupied so that you can never attain what YHWH has called you to...

YHWSHUA reminded us in Matthew 6:

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if YHWH so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of YHWH, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Mat 6:25-34)

No, we can't keep reminiscing the past over and over, nor can we worry about the future! Instead we need to focus on today! This very moment. We call it "Living in the Now." Life is exciting, but unless we are consumed with what is happening right now, we are missing out on joy that should be filling our heart! Living in the past.. or the future robs us of this very moment. And in all honesty... we don't have anything promised to us more than this moment in time!

Today is a wonderful day! Live today... not in the yesterdays.. nor the tomorrows... This is your day of deliverance my friend! The day of salvation in every realm of your life... Spiritual, Emotional, in your Health... in your Finances! What is it you need?

For he is our Elohim; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice... (Psa 95:7)

(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (2Co 6:2)

Reach out to YHWH Today! Live in the blessings that HE gives you this very moment! Make 'Right Now' the very best moment of your life!

And Have a Great Day....
David

Rachy's Prayer

What a beautiful week we have had here. And it is capped off with 56 degrees today! Wooo Wooo... Spring is around the corner... at least it feels that way. But they tell us (I'm not sure who they is... but this is what they say)that we are in for another cold spell. Well at least the nights are gonna be pretty cold. 30's - 40's throughout the day but only in the teens - 20's at night - that is pretty chilly!

As I was thinking about the weather turning it just happened that Tam sent out, in her daily devotional, a poem that I had written a few months ago. We were about to be inundated with a huge storm, and the addition still wasn't totally 'in the dry' yet. On top of it all, there were going to be high winds accompying this storm. We don't much care for strong winds after the tornado we had last summer!

Well, I was showing Rachy (Our 4 year Old Daughter) the storm on the screen of my computer... and she said "Daddy, This storm isn't going to hit us at all." Well she just stopped and prayed, and thanked YHWH for keeping us safe. I monitored the storm until the wee hours in the morning and sat in amazement as I saw the tempest simply split in half.. going to our north and to our south... Totally around us. Well I sat here at my desk and wrote a poem about it.. with tears streaming down my cheeks. I thought that I would share it with those of you not on Tam's Email list...

Last night as my baby girl lay down to sleep
She prayed to YHWH our home safe to keep
"Please don't allow this storm that's outside
Come near us, please don't let it with us collide."

"I know precious Daddy that you'll hear my prayer
With Your mighty power this big rain you'll steer
Away from the animals, our home, and our land
You'll keep it away with the strength of Your Hand!"

Well I'm here to share my little one's plea
For YHWH does hear these wee prayers you see
YAH turned the rains North and then East to confound
Put HIS hand in the midst as it parted around.

A channel in the tempest a bit to the South
Opened wide like that prayer filled my little girl's mouth
The storms all about us, they just let us be
For YAH parted them as HE parted the Sea.

You don't have to be Moses to have YAH hear your prayer
You don't have to worry, you don't have to care...
Just ask of Your Father, HE'll not allow harms
Simply ask like a child and then sleep in HIS arms!

Be Blessed and Stay Above The Storms of Life!

- David

Cabin Fever

Well we have been basically "inside" now for a week. It's been very cold here day and night... Not really the weather to be outside 'playing'. Those of you who have children ranging from 2-22 might understand what I am talking about. Now understand.. we have very well behaved children for the most part, but they are still children... growing in YHWH!

Granted we have a home that is about 1750 Ft Sq... but with 12 people in and out all day... that honestly isn't alot of room. And the little ones are very healthy children... children who enjoy the fine art of running, jumping, spinning, twirling, flipping, rolling, and basically having fun!! Well now, that is all well and fine outside (read NOT THROUGH a 14 foot trailer)! So it is over couches, under tables, around the woodburning stove, down the hallway, and back through the same obstacle course all through the day... LOL! Throw in a few additional jumps from the upper level living room to the lower level living room (that basically sound to mom and dad in the office like miniature atomic blasts going off somewhere closeby) and you can somewhat get the picture.

Then there's the animals... and the wood piled up in the living room to feed an ever hungry stove... The laundry in the hallway that we dry each night to help keep the back end (of the house I mean) warm.. Need I go on? In the old days.. they had a term for the long, cold winters (ok.. so 2 weeks doesn't seem too long to you.. but this is Missouri.. not Alaska!)........... "Cabin Fever!"

Now there is a lesson in this so please bear with me. Maybe you have felt Spiritually something similar to what we are going through physically. Perhaps in your life there are things that are causing you to feel that 'need' to "get out". Not out of this world, of course, but just take a short vacation from all of the confusion that seems to be going on inside of you. In Matt 11:28 YHWSHUA said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." My friend, that rest is available to you today. Get alone with HIM for awhile, talk to HIM, let HIM know how you are feeling. HE has all the answers that you need in every area of your life. Won't you run through the obstacle course in your life and into HIS loving arms today?

- David