Celebrating the 4th

In a house full of children, getting out for the convential celebrations can be challenging, especially when one is still an infant.  Couple that with the small town phenomenon, and we skipped the fireworks.  We did have a nice, albeit unorthodox 4th of July.  After men’s prayer at the church house, we headed out to a quasi-nearby peach orchard and picked over 45 pounds of peaches.  Likely, it’s about 60#.  Never fear, we’ll take good care of all those fuzzy delicious orbs.

On the java front, I roasted a bit last night while milking the goats.  Took a bathc of Indonesia Flores Organix Manggani to full city, start of 2nd crack.  It’s this morning’s cup brewed with an AP.  Sweet and smooth, with a hint of spice.  Wonderful!

Have a blessed Sunday!

Solo Deo Gloria,

jason

 

Listening and Coffee

As I mentioned before, I’ve been listening to some good audio recently.  One of the NPR gems is the Splendid Table.  Our NPR affiliate doesn’t carry it, so the podcast is the perfect fill in for the void.  The past two episodes have held valuable little tidbits regarding making iced tea and a coffee concentrate.  The cold brew iced tea uses the following recipe:

Place 8-10 rounded teaspoons of tea in a gallon jug, either loose or in two #4 T-Sacs. Fill the jug with cold water. Let steep overnight (at least 8 hours). Strain or remove the T-Sac. Serve over ice. This method requires less tea and produces a smooth, light, and refreshing iced tea. When using a Beehouse pitcher, place 4-6 rounded teaspoons of tea in the infuser basket.

Down in the south, sometimes you need something cool.  What I’ll have to figure out is how to do a cold brewed sweet tea.  The coffee concentrate sounds good too.  You can see it here.

On coffee.  I’ve recently re-acquired one of my favorites: Uganda Organic Bugisu.  It’s an excellent coffee with just the right mix each day of funk and spice.  Beautiful bean!

Solo Deo Gloria,

jason

 

Listening

Life of late is a bit too harried and crazy to pause and write here.  I’m in a continuous cycle of sermon preparation, it seems.  Two in May, more coming.  Don’t get me wrong: I love proclaiming the word.  For me, preparation takes serious time.  So, I’ve been less concerned about writing here.  But I have been listening.

Last week, I downloaded the audio from the Next 2009 conference (HT Joy).  So far, I’ve heard D.A. Carson on the Incarnation; Sinclair Ferguson on the Resurrection and Return of Christ.  I’ve heard Kevin DeYoung on Christ’s life.  All were incredibly edifying and convicting.  Now, just today, I grabbed the Advance09 conference audio.  I’m greatly looking forward to listening and being encouraged.

I’m also a small time podcast junkie.  I’ve mentioned Metamediocrity before.  Issue Four is out and it’s good.  Need more!  I also grab the Splendid Table and Car Talk from NPR.  And finally, White Horse Inn.  Good stuff.  Entertaining.  Enlightening.  Convicting.

Solo Deo Gloria,

jason

 

Preaching Again

Linkage for sermon preview.  Busy weekend.  DW on the road back home after an overnight with the Greek Wives from Seminary days.  She’s due in with the youngest later tonight.  Had an interesting but good day with four eldest.  Sermon notes all ready for tomorrow, which is also our 12 Anniversary!  I’m definitely married to a wonderful woman who does great things around the house taking care of everyone.  Love you, dear!

Solo Deo Gloria,

jason

 

Preaching and Linkage

This week, I’m preaching again.  Finishing up Ecclesiastes 7.  I’ll try and offer a few more thoughts on last Sunday’s sermon later.  But, in the meantime, enjoy this list compiled by the good folks at Monergism Books.  It’s a great list of resources that are standards in the Reformed world.  Great as well for any Christian – incredibly valuable books!

Solo Deo Gloria,

jason

 

Preaching

Today’s preaching is done.  Audio is up.  All in all, it was, from my end, OK.  I tend to grade myself instead of focusing on other elements, such as feedback.  I could have been clearer on a few points, logic should have been tighter.  But, from what I could tell, folks at church seemed to be challenged by it.

Solo Deo Gloria,

jason

 

Busy Week

With a three-day weekend on the road back home, allergies attacking like Confederates on Pickett’s Charge, T-ball with the kids, gardening and a sermon to write, I’ve been a bit distracted.  So, you can take a gander here to see what’s upcoming.

Solo Deo Gloria,

jason

 

Update

Spent the weekend travelling to catch up with long lost family.  Well, they’re not lost, but we haven’t seen some for several years.  I was able to get some sermon writing done – preaching on Ecclesiastes 7 the next two weeks.  The biggest ‘issue’ with the trip was the shift back several weeks in pollen count and kind that’s send my head haywire!  Hopefully, it will abate soon.  I have quite a bit to do this week: finish some garden beds (roughly 12 tons of beautiful soil delivered last week), finish 1-1.5 sermons this week and offer service designs up (hymns, readings, etc).

Now, though, I’m listening to The Chicken Whisperer’s show from this past Saturday with Shelly Roche regarding HR857 and NAIS.  One of the great things Shelly mentioned on this show was the giant loopholes in HR875.  One in particular is glaring, in Section 406:

SEC. 406. PRESUMPTION.

In any action to enforce the requirements of the food safety law, the connection with interstate commerce required for jurisdiction shall be presumed to exist.

Wow!  So, if the Feds raid you, it’s to their discretion if you’re garden has interstate commerce implications?  Doevetails nicely with some other things I’ve been keeping up on.  Namely, via Glen Beck: The 912 Project and The Patrick Henry Caucus.  The danger with all this is that the Federal Government exerts all it’s force upon all of us, beyond the scope of the US Constitution’s allowings, via the “Interstate Commerce” in Article 1, Section 8.

So, beware, pray and keep informed.

Solo Deo Gloria,

jason

 

Additions

Over the past week, the little farmstead has seen an alteration in its avain population.  First, an Americauna rooster was killed by our soon-to-be-leaving Spaniel mix.  She shows too great an interest in killing smaller things to keep around our home.  Saturday, we attended a small animal event and picked up two hens and two ducks.  The chickens are mix breed: one favors a bard rock, and the other is white, but there no evidence of the Cornish-Rock cross issues.  The ducks are black and that’s about all I can say now.  I don’t recall what they are and haven’t narrowed it down with google yet. The quackers appear to be Cayuga mix ducks.

Our plans to harvest one particularly agressive and large rooster, a barred Rock, was foiled: he has been fed to the forest next door.  All other fowl are fine.  We may still progress with harvesting some roosters via  a co-worker who has an abundance of bantam roosters.  Time will tell and we shall see if and when this occurs.

Our goat count is four now: two milkers and two doelings.  Milk output is roughly 1.5 gal/day.  Some of that is going back to bottle feeding one doeling, rest for the family.  Soon, though, DW is taking a few gallons to a friend’s house to try butter making and some will probably make it into yogurt and/or kefir.  As well, we checked out a Nubian doe with a Nubian/Boer buckling to bring onto the little stead.  Debating that one internally.  One great benefit would be for a higher fat milk for our youngest once she is weaned.  The fat content is essential for some brain development and the greater than 3% Nubian would be advantageous.

Otherwise, there’s a yard to keep, garden to plant (many things started), and a sermon to write over the next few weeks.

Solo Deo Gloria,

jason

 

Trooper

I’m checking in from Texas, a long way home from the little homestead.  My trooper of a wife is handling it all by herself.  She’s tired, I’m know.  But she is a wonderful wife,  mother and milker.  From her reports, we are netting about a gallon per day from our two does.  Some goes to the feeding of our doelings, but we’re in good nonetheless with milk.  Eggs are slow and steady as well.

This has been my first trip without taking homeroast along.  Gasp!  Yes, I know, in some circles, this is sacrilige.  Since I’ve dropped to drinking so little anymore, I just couldn’t muster up the desire to pack it along.  But I am looking forward to the Ethiopia Organic Bonko Black Sun when I get home!

Solo Deo Gloria,

jason