Since I began homesteading, I've been utterly amazed at the number of business decisions that are required. I pray about the decisions I make, but my prayer life has taken on a whole dimension of listening, while I'm still tending to the place. I'm gaining a perspective of "pray without ceasing" includes always be listening! To live by Torah, every day, not just Sabbath, and not just quips for Facebook has required me to really pay attention, like I'm operating a machine that is much bigger than I am and I really am ignorant of the internal workings. I mean that as no disrespect to YHWH, at all. It's just that He is far beyond my comprehension and He knows what needs to be in place 6 months and 6 years from now, where as I'm clueless without His direction.
This has been a learning progress for me. Fifteen years ago, when I became debt free I discovered real estate taxes were held in escrow from a mortgage payment, and when there's no mortgage, the county sends a bill two months before it's due. The first year, my savings account took a sizeable hit. Now, through the years and into homesteading, I have learned to budget and coordinate for this privilege of living in this particular country.
Hay for the winter has to be obtained before the first freeze wipes out the pasture. I know, with the price of hay and the tax bill, I don't want both of those to come due together! Then there's the entire decision about how many critters to keep and the best months for selling.
On top of a low end agri-business, I'm investing toward the big plan to be off the grid. This involves investments both directions. As the wind and solar are fairly new, the hand operated old style tools are both sought, so that's been an interesting dichotomy in goal setting. I recently purchased a new energy efficient washer and dryer, but I prefer the ultimate solar and wind clothes dryer "a clothes line," and I'm still looking for a hand crank wringer washing machine . . .
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