Connie! What a comfort to read your note! I suppose whenever we think we’re too old, we need to remind ourselves of Sarah, who gave birth to a new nation at age 90. Or Hannah, mother of Samuel; or Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist.

I agree with you on the importance of recognizing God’s sovereignty and providential will. May we both strive to be our husbands’ helpmeets, and to seek His face and His will, for His glory.

This is going to be pretty presumptuous of me, but I just found your blog and am already eager to solicit your thoughts. (I’m also eager to explore your blog further.)

One thing I’d like to discuss further with you is, like you said, believer that don’t want to “let” the gospel transform anything around them. So, here’s the presumptuous part: I just started a discussion list at:
groups.yahoo.com/group/agrarianChristian
with the hopes of discussing these kinds of questions and soliciting the thoughts of folks like you. Anyways, I’ve posted a starter question on the discussion list. I’d love it if you’d check it out.

One “place” or another, I hope to engage in discussion with you in the near future.

Eric
Wilkes County, North Carolina

When I get discouraged I think of the video link you gave a few weeks back. (I think it was the Bartlett family.) They were plowing a field using their mini van as the tractor. If that doesn’t exemplify the pioneer spirit in agrarianism, I don’t know what does. I also find comfort in knowing that that same spirit is multiplied hundreds of times over in other Christian families. There are a few of you whose blogs I read daily and I pray for you all to glorify God and raise up sons and daughters to continue the tradition.

I thank you for your prayers as my little family finds the path which God has laid out for us. May we be pliable, humble, strong, and obedient.

“And yet, as I look further down the road at future generations and I feel that we should get on a different path.”

That is the key, I think. You and husband may or may not be able to make the switch altogether in your lifetimes. But by starting now, as much or as little you can, you can lay the foundations for your children to live a different life. I think the most important thing we can do is talk to our children about the problems of modernism and be truthful with them about the mistakes that we and our ansestors have made. We need to let them know that there is an alternative way to live and then give them the land, tools and knowledge to live it. I’ve seen folks your age make the switch and do just fine, it can be done. I will keep you in my prayers.

Connie, I’ll pray that your husband gets transferred to somewhere that has a bit more water than Arizona! I tried to get Remembering the Fish from our library system to no avail. I ordered from Cumberland and I agree that his prices are very fair.

Jon, I’m trying not to covet, I’m trying not to covet, I’m trying not to covet… I know your Jordan conference will be a real shot in the arm (or in this case, lasik surgery?).

Scott, glad to hear your rib is getting better! Thanks for the Jordan link. I had quit visiting his site because he hadn’t changed anything for so long. There’s a lot to read on this new offering, but I will check it out.

I’ve got a question for you, Scott. My husband and I aren’t spring chickens. We’re both 50ish, even though our children are young–10 and almost 13. It seems as though we’re too old to make such a wholesale change, but my heart longs (I don’t think that’s too strong a word in this case) to move out of the city and be more self-sufficient. One of my husband’s jobs requires living in or near a large city. Neither one of us has any experience with farming/homesteading aside from reading. I’m not even very fond of mice or snakes. We didn’t become Christians until after we were married, we didn’t have children until we were older. It seems as though we’re “behind” in everything. And yet, as I look further down the road at future generations and I feel that we should get on a different path.

Do you or any of your readers have any wisdom???

Wow, that is a huge treat! Boy, I’d love to come but you know how it goes “The Girls Must be Milked”. Is it going to be taped? If so, let me know.

We are getting a HUGE treat at our church weekend after next. James Jordan will be doing a “Through New Eyes” conference for us. I’d invite you, but it’s probably a little far to drive from New York to southwest Missouri. On second thought, you ARE invited! Even if you can’t come, you are invited anyway. June 22 & 23.

And anyone who is a little closer who would like to come, please do.

My rib is doing much better! Thanks for the prayers. I read your last post on Jordon’s Theses on Worship book. Excellent book, I really got a lot out of that one. Did you notice that he has posted six essays called “How To Do Reformed Theology Nowadays” If you haven’t seen it, its right here…
http://www.biblicalhorizons.com/biblical-horizons/how-to-do-reformed-theology-nowadays/

Hi Connie

“It may be slow go because I’m on a tight budget”……. I understand that one completely, being a full time farmer

You might find some of those at the library. I gave the links to Rick’s site becouse he is pretty fair with prices.

If you ever have any questions about anything you can always ask here. If I don’t know the answer, chances are pretty good that someone reading it will.