Busy Being Busy

This summer, I officially maxed out on the schedule.  Without really mentioning my situation or giving details, I asked for prayer on my social media page, and I'm grateful for the prayers.  Since I didn't give details, I'm not sure what was assumed, but my situation was simple.  I have been so busy, my time with Father was getting cramped or minimized and that simply will not work in my life!  As I scrambled my schedule, and found myself regretful at the end of the day, I realized, anything that comes ahead of time with Father, can be and probably is, an idol. That can include my own order of priorities, even family and yes, even, ministry.

I'm not making an excuse to ignore our commitments, not at all, but I am here to tell you, we can get "over committed!"  This project of building a small learning village was quite an undertaking, to say the least.  Thinking, I would be all finished before canning season, was first and foremost, wrong . . . so I ended up dealing with contractors through canning season.  To make matters more interesting, I also bought a cow the end of June.  As blackberry season came in the midst of all the half finished projects, I developed a new product for the Land of Goshen . . .  Just as I kicked into high gear on so much going on, my old method of handling stress kicked in.

It's not often that I think I have too much to do.  Most of my life, my Daddy has commented that I have "too many irons in the fire," but I never felt that way.  As a matter of fact, when I mentioned to my daughters, I just had too many things going on, they both said, they'd never heard me say that, before.  At any rate, when my schedule gets cramped and I get spread too thin, my coping method is:  to find another project!  Add more to the schedule!  That's correct.  "Getting busier" is how I handle being overwhelmed.  This summer that put the fear of G-d, in me, literally!

After having a rather rough winter with the herd, I got busy being busy with the new project, Bethesda.  I knew what I was doing was led of YaH, but I was also filling some of my time with very unnecessary things.  Then the evenings became entrenched in more busy-ness that really accomplished very little.   The first thing I realized was, I had stopped making a daily "to do" list.  I'm not sure why, but I had . . .

The next thing I realized was my evening devotions were being crowded out as the phone was getting busier.  I realized it was all simply too much, when morning devotions began to feel like "going through the motions," to get on with the day.  I was spiritually parched and a feeling of forlorn engulfed me.  It scared me!  I found myself waking up in the night and crying out to YaH to please hang on to me.  I knew I had to complete something that had been relegated to a back burner, while I made myself busy being busy; and life was simply wrong.

I determined to get order back in my life and I knew my priorities needed to change before I asked YaH to order my steps.  How many times had I heard Him call me away from my "busy-ness" but thought to myself . . . in a few minutes.  Fear of YHWH began to set in.  He has to be first in my life, and that means, first.  Not after my latest idea, not after the next phone call, not after this homestead to which I've been blessed, and certainly not second to the ministry I have been called.

Busy being busy might be the most subtle way to fall away . . . So thankful for His mercy.

Expansion Underway

Berea Tabernacle remains the best building on the place and was put in place the first year of settling the Land of Goshen.  As a matter of fact, I was listening for the first several months as to whether this place would be called Berea or Goshen . . .  If I recall the dates correctly, the fence and trees were added within a month of the purchase.  The house was then ready for occupancy right before the High Holy Days, August to be exact.  The Tabernacle was added after the High Holy Days and the first service was late autumn back in 2009.

The Winnebago remains in the wings for temporary housing for newcomers, and two additions were added to the house back in 2012, but we suffered a bit of a time delay in moving forward at that time. Recently, another building has been purchased and is now in place west of the lane.  I'm thinking it maybe for business . . . not sure yet, but it was a good deal, so I acted upon it.  Now I'm looking at two more options in the direction of "full speed ahead."

I'm looking at providing accommodations for those who want to learn, or even come on board, but, life in the Land of Goshen is not free.  This place was not given to me, freely, and while it is heading off grid and primarily self-sustaining, the existence is not free of charge.  I realize the day is coming when we cannot buy or sell, but until then money will be exchanged, including rent and electricity, even some classes.  As I've searched and prayed about this, I've noticed other TO believers do not give away their knowledge, products, and merchandise.

As I prepare this place, I realize there will be those who arrive unprepared, with only the shirt on their back.  If they didn't know, that's one thing, but if they referred to themselves as a watchman on the wall, voice in the wilderness, or any of the five fold office titles, there will be NO free lunch.  We are called to prepare and that doesn't mean make a connection to "help" someone who is preparing.  What I'm doing right now, I'm doing without help.  Anyone coming here, although "willing" to help, will in fact be helping themselves.

If those of us who see what's coming are going to "community up," we need to get with it and start pooling resources soon.  I have land . . . someone else has a shelter or money for one, and someone else has . . . it's time to get creative and work together.  While Bernie Sanders is pushing socialism, the remnant needs to realize we can share as they did in the book of Acts.  As an aside, Bernie Sanders does have it in his power to fulfill at least part of the campaign promise of Hoover back in the Great Depression.  I would think if anyone could do it, Bernie Sanders, son of Colonel Sanders could, with a social agenda; make sure there is a chicken in every pot!  LOL