Candace Joy - Good News

You might want to read this update on Candace Joy who has been at home for several weeks now, and is making progress in her recovery.

For future updates, click on this link.

And, for anyone who actually kept up with NCAA March Madness, these may be recognizably famous faces, visiting with Candace at the hospital.

Getting Up and Pressing On (continued)

I wrote about 4 weeks ago of my venture into running on the treadmill, trying to maintain some degree of physical fitness. I don't think I mentioned it then, but as a kid, I ran all the time -- between running to the park, playing baseball, football, and basketball. Due to an ankle injury when I was a senior in high school, I stopped running for about 7 or 8 years. Then, for a short time (and as part of the requirements of a class), I started running again. As soon as the class ended, so did the running.

Well, I STILL make no claim to great willpower that gets me on to the treadmill. But due to the encouragement of a couple of co-workers, and several blogging friends, I continue to run. And I wanted to give an updated report. Now all you real runners can turn the volume down on your snickering ... I'm not claiming to be a "real" runner, but I AM trying to return to a pattern of aerobic exercise that will enhance my physical fitness. (NOTE #2: I know a lot of you real agrarians get plenty of exercise on the farm; I don't get that in the office.)

Anyway, tonight's running was notable for a couple of reasons. First, I finished 12 weeks of consistent running. Second, I passed the 200 mile mark for that 12 week period. Yes, I am now at 202.93 miles over 12 weeks (excluding times when I just walked, or days when I played ball with the guys at church ... I mean, I would count that if I could figure out a way to measure the mileage!) Those of you who have encouraged me in this: thanks a million! I couldn't have done it without your help.

And now, I can't wait to see where it goes from here.

40,000 Little Buzzy Busy Bees

I've posted an agrarian poem at my poetry blog.

Resurrection Courage

quoted from The Wicket Gate

"In Russia, before the days of Communism, Christians greeted one another at Easter time with the words, 'Christ is risen,' and the person being addressed would respond, 'Christ has risen indeed!' As everyone knows, religion in Russia was forbidden during the years of Communism. To atheistic Communists there was no God and they replaced Christian Easter Sunrise Services with Sunrise Communist Rallies, to which all people of the community were requested to attend.

I read about one such meeting where, as the sunrise rally was drawing to a close, the Communist leader asked the large gathering of some ten thousand people if there was anything anybody wanted to say. A long silence followed. Nobody moved. Finally a teenage boy came forward. As he approached the podium, the leader warned the boy saying, 'You must tell only the truth,' meaning Communist 'truth.' 'If you don't, you will be shot.'

All eyes were fixed on this lad as he stood at the podium about to speak. He was flanked by soldiers, rifles pointed at his head. For several brief moments he remained silent. Then standing tall and taking a deep breath, he called into the microphone: 'Christ is risen!'

As the story goes, the exploding rifles shattered the silence of the early morning. Only one sound drowned out the crack of the rifles as the teenage boy collapsed to the floor in death. It was the resounding response of ten thousand voices shouting: 'Christ has risen indeed!'"

(by Rev. Don Collar, pastor of Bilberry Creek Baptist Church, Ottawa.)

Never At Odds

I've posted a poem at my Polyphonic Poet blog, based on the first question of the Westminster Catechism, the writings of John Piper, and the emphases elaborated on by the posts of a fellow Christian agrarian.

Candace Joy Still Needs Our Prayers - update

I just got this update from Candace Joy's mother ... she is in need of our continued prayers ...

Thank you all and bless you for praying! Candace is in need again so I am calling on all of the faithful to wear out your knees once again on our daughters behalf! It seems that she has a chemical hepatitis and has gotten quite ill. She is loosing weight and has a overall lack of energy. She will be getting a catscan tomorrow as the doctors will evaluate the extent of her bone infection to decide on the next course of action. Thank you for praying.

Cathy (the mom)

Updates are at http:\\www.candacejoy.org.

May God Be Gracious Unto You, and Yours

I've posted another sonnet at my poetry blog: a prayer for God's gracious peace to guard the heart and mind of His child.

May We Still Trust

I just posted (at my poetry blog) some thoughts about weather, and an exhortation to trust our Father, knowing that Mother Nature answers to Father God, and El Niño obeys El Padre

Grace Abounding (To the Chief of Sinners)

I've posted a new song at my music blog, based on the life of John Newton (writer of Amazing Grace), and also incorporating concepts from the life and writings of John Bunyan and the Apostle Paul.

Buzz, Buzz, Buzz

Well, as soon as I posted about getting on the treadmill and running almost every night, I then turn around and miss 2 nights in a row. Getting lax on my commitment? No, not really. I did run tonight. However, I spent the last two nights on my latest agrarian project. Bees.

Now I am a little leery of the wee creatures, having demonstrated an allergy to them (or at least to yellow jackets) some 30 years ago. One sting during a mission Vacation Bible School in Glenville, West Virginia sent me to the hospital for a quick shot to arrest the spreading hives. So in lieu of becoming a beekeeper myself, I instead assisted a fellow Christian agrarian by construction of hives, in return for a cut of the honey. A pretty sweet deal if you ask me: no getting stung, but getting the sweet stuff. (I was also promised some mead.)

I built Kenyan Top-Bar Hives (description & plans here) which are much easier to build than the standard type of hive. They also require no honey extractor, and have several other advantages, as well as a few slight disadvantages.

Being a novice carpenter, it took me longer to build the hives than it would take an experienced carpenter. Add to that the smaller selection of tools available to me (and the fact that I just got the rip fence and mitre attachment for my table saw this evening AFTER finishing the hives). I also made a boo-boo or two related to mixing up inside and outside measurements. Nevertheless, I was very pleased with the steady progress I made, and the apparently acceptable results. And I hope to do it again. I have had, at least, an initial request from another Christian agrarian blogger to make the same kind of deal.

Soon these hives will be inhabited by 120,000 honey bees (3 x 40,000) -- and hopefully soon thereafter, lots of sweet stuff! I hope to post pictures as soon as they are placed on location.

So to my fellow Christian agrarians out there: rejoice with me. I did something agrarian! :)

Going Home to Rome

Andrew Belli had an interesting announcement today. Make sure your read the comments, also.