Vaughnshire Farm

When I was a child growing up, I remember hearing the voices of Marlin Maddox and James Dobson on our kitchen radio while helping my mom cook in the kitchen or clean the house.  Now as a mother in my own home, I too often listen to radio and cd’s.  I love to listen to Kevin Swanson’s radio program while attending to the duties in my home.  We appreciate the Swanson family for their unwavering, uncompromising, bold, outloud faith in the truth of the Scriptures. 

Here are a few of the latest radio programs you can listen to as you go about your daily duties. 

Demographic Winter:  Why Women Won’t Have Babies.  (We like drywall way more than we like kids!)

A demographic winter sweeps across continents, and even evangelical Christian leaders won’t face the cause of it. Women don’t want to have babies, because they aren’t raised with a vision for it. Women are raised for careers.

Well, here’s a father who is not raising his daughter for a career. He’s actually embracing God’s vision for daughters. We know it’s weird. We know it’s unpopular. We know it’s politically incorrect. But we don’t care. Because this is what it will take to save a civilization, and glorify God in the process. We’re raising daughters to be what God wants them to be, not what Gloria Steinem or even Sarah Palin wants.

Daycare - Child Abuse:  Time for a Copernican Revolution in Education

A popular children’s author has enraged mothers everywhere after suggesting that day care constitutes child abuse. But what should we say about some of the K-12 schools out there?

Now after 200 years of increasingly cold, institutionalized education, Kevin Swanson suggests a Copernican Revolution in Education. He unveils a new Education Manifesto in which the definition, goals, method, and content of education are reworked from the perspective of a biblical world and life view

The classical Greek form of education separates knowledge from life, the fear of God from knowledge, character from education, and relationships from the paideia. This is because humanism refuses to treat man as a creature of God, created in the image of God, created for the glory of God, and created to love God as a Father. In this segment of the Generations broadcast, Kevin Swanson suggests that Christians should stop borrowing from the humanists to inform their methods of education, which in the end only cripples the faith.

Raisin’ a Palin:  How To Be A Feminist For Life (Classic Swanson Style!! Excellent!)

Kevin Swanson lays out a vision for raising the next Sarah Palins to rule the country in the year 2035. Then, he interviews Scott Brown on a biblical vision for womanhood and the vision for a feminist America. Contrasts form as worldviews clash on this segment of Generations. In a country where the family has unravelled, fatherhood is MIA, where 70% of men do not achieve manhood by 30 years of age, where the debt-to-GNI ratios are through the ceiling, and the character of the nation is in freefall, will 100,000 Sarah Palins be able to salvage our institutions in the next 30 years? More fundamental solutions are suggested on this broadcast.

There are many more good titles…check them out. 

We are enjoying watching our children love and care for their younger siblings.  What a beautiful site….brothers …big and small. 

This has become an all too familiar site around these parts…

I almost ran out of gas last week…and it was a scary feeling driving around not being able to find gas—finally at the 3rd gas station they had one grade left…so I filled up with as much as they would let me get.  Something I always took for granted — I have always been able to whip into any gas station and fill up whenever.  That changed for us last week…and is continuing this week. 

As such, a big topic of conversation in our home school has been about the economy, fuel and inventing.  Just how does one grow or produce their own fuel???  I have been surprised at all the little minds around here turning over real solutions for future fuel possibilities.  Some of the children say forget the fuel…let’s train our goat to be a pack goat or better yet…let’s get a horse– so simple in their minds! 

While our gas supplies are limited out here in the country, thankfully we have been able to find gas so far and have avoided the madhouse in the city ;-) 

We have been swamped this week. 

One day this week the boys took care of a rooster problem we were having.  When roosters interfere with the humans getting sleep around here…they are out of here fast.  Last time it was Craig’s List… this time the freezer. 

The great thing about this chicken processing day was 1.) I didn’t have to help.   2.) Having boys big enough to process chickens. 

I just wanted everyone to know how great it is to have real farm hands around here!  Way to go boys!

I was especially thankful to have a daughter who detailed the birds the boys brought to her…and readied them for the freezer bag, labeled them and packed them away.  Great job! 

I have about 50+ peppers sitting on my kitchen counter the boys found out in our weed garden.  Evidently we have quite a few veggies growing out there amidst the jungle.  Next spring we hope to do better on the garden!  We have some exciting news in regards to helping that front…some new additions to the farm that we will be announcing soon! 

One of the questions we were asked recently was about our pigs…. So here is a brief overview of what we have learned with pig 1 and pig 2…

We recently took pig 2 to the butcher shop and we are absolutely thrilled with the difference in taste and quality of meat between pig 1 and pig 2. 

With pig 1, we didn’t know what we were doing…like all new farmers–trial and error are sometimes the greatest learning experiences.  We built him a square pen out of hog panels and fed him all the scraps we had.  We also gave him cracked corn.  When we had extra milk or sour milk, the boys would soak the corn or a some hog finisher in the milk before feeding it to him.  While the meat was far superior to what you find in the store, we did learn a few things to improve the meat quality. 

With pig 2, the guys ringed her nose (she eventually lost her rings though)  and released her into the pasture.  She wallowed around in the mud in the pond and ran around with the cows, sheep and goats.  She ate nuts she dug up, ate grass, a bit of stolen sweet feed from the milk cow, occasionally some corn (she didn’t like much) and soured milk and also a plenteous supply of fresh scraps from our kitchen.  Pig 2 was leaner.  The meat off of pig 2 is much better and in the future we will be pasturing our pigs as opposed to a pen.  The boys hope to set up an area for raising pigs in a wooded area on our property where there are lots of nuts to root up. 

If you are thinking about raising a pig or two, from our experience, we can tell you that pigs are fun and relatively easy to raise.  They grow quick and you can have delicious farm raised pork in your freezer in about 6 months. 

Having had time to digest a little of the CNN video and to sit down to a keyboard with it on my mind, I wanted to share a couple thoughts about it and some resources that speak to the issues of the last two weeks.

My main take away from the CNN clip, was the stark contrast between one man who was willing to speak about what the scriptures said, and two feminist who wanted to repeatedly talk about what our culture felt the Scriptures should say.  If there was one point in which the modern church could be judged as having failed the greatest, in my mind it would be its inability to understand what the author of the Bible meant when He had it recorded.

We approach the Scriptures like it is some sort of Bible bingo game.  We look at it like each verse might mean something different to each person who reads it.  If that was the case, then the Bible would be absolutely useless to all of us.  It would not be, as 2Tim 3:16, 17 declares, able to make us “thoroughly furnished  unto all good works”.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.  (2Ti 3:16-17)

If each verse did not really have an intended meaning, then we could not depend on our interpretation to be any more than our opinion.  We would not be thoroughly furnished.  We would be thoroughly confused.  But God is not the author of confusion.

I also found that Voddie was not the only prophet on the set.  Kyra Phillips clearly understands the ramifications of Palin’s candidacy better than the majority of evangelicals.  She said of Palin, ”She’s winning over church members, church leaders, that don’t even allow women to preach at the pulpit, but she could be leading the country…”  Now Kyra did not mean for this to be a judgment against the church.  In her mind it was a sign of growth and progressiveness within the church.  But clearly what it shows is the hypocrisy the evangelical majority has embraced because of their fear of an Obama presidency

It is sad as we approach the 7th anniversary of 9-11 that we still seem to fear man more than God.  We as a nation are still looking to the arm of the flesh to defend us, instead of crying out in repentance before the Judge of the world.  Evangelicals could not wait to pounce on the Palin bone they were tossed.  They would rather throw themselves at the mercy of the Republican party than in the hands of our loving Creator.  Not because they think the Republicans are going to be able to save them, but rather because facing God would require an honest assessment of the choices and beliefs we have held. 

In short, it would expose the Christian feminism and the male abdication within the church.  We would have to be willing to evaluate, in light of the intended meaning of the text of scriptures, the feminist propaganda both men and women have embraced and would have to be willing to let it go.  In short we would have to repent.

This is as an untenable position to the American Christian as an Obama presidency.  “Give us Barabbas, Give us Barabbas!”, they chant, not recognizing the Lord of Glory who is giving us yet another opportunity to repent and turn from our evil ways as a nation.  I think as much as anything Palin’s “call to office” is a clear call to repentance.  Will we cry out for the Lord and seek His mercy?  Or, will we cry out for Palin as our savior from an Obama presidency?  It is hard for many to envision something worse than an Obama presidency, but as we remember 9-11 today, we should consider that the life of our nation is in God’s hands.  The question that determines our national security and our safety is not who will be president.  It is, “Will we conform our lives to the Word of God regardless of the culture or will we continue to trust in the chariots of the Republican party?”

There are a few resources I would like to recommend to you on the topic of feminism that Palin’s candidacy has brought to the forefront of our nation.

First if you would like to hear Voddie, on the roles within the family without being cutoff, check out The Centrality of the Home in Evangelism and Discipleship.  Here is a great clip that actually answers the question left unanswered by Kyra Phillips, “What about the verse that says submit to each other?”

Secondly I mentioned Passionate Housewives Desperate for God recently in this discussion.  Jennie and Stacy do a great job of working through all of the details of the cultural challanges of being a wife and mother in this political climate all while taking care of the 18 children they have between them.

Lastly, one of my favoriate resources to recommend is The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women.  This brillantly directed film sports a cast of all women and does great service to the modern church, by painting a scriptural and historical picture of feminism and its effects.

For those of you who did not win our popular Apron Giveaway!  Lorrie and Amelia over at Amelia’s Aprons have put together some apron patterns that are unique, simple, and fun—great for those beginner sewers out there or a creative gift for someone who likes to sew. 

Lorrie has designed an Amish style apron pattern so that you can make your own aprons just like the Amish wear in the Amish / Mennonite communities around in our area. 

She has these for sale on her website for $8.95. 

She also has a very cute pattern called Ruffles and Curves which is also a popular best seller.  These patterns include sizes for mother, child and doll! 

So check go check out the Amelia’s Aprons Patterns— (and the aprons)  She is in the process of adding more patterns so you may check with her to see what she has available. 

Like we said before, Amelia’s Aprons is a single mom run cottage business and we are so excited to see them take off after a lot of hard work! 

Congratulations to gnipgnat and lgreene who are the winners of the Apron Give Away sponsored by Amelia’s Aprons!   You will be contacted by private email to arrange shipping.

I believe it is an interesting and providential event that this give away was held while we were discussing so many aspects of feminism.  Not only are the aprons a beautiful reminder of feminine women, but the owner of Amelia’s Aprons happens to be a single mom with two children who is supporting her family by working at home. 

Not only does she work at home making these fine aprons.  But she also started a cleaning business where she is working in other people’s homes a few days a week with her mother and her daughter.  She did not start off where she is now, when she found herself to be a single mother.  It was a process and a journey that included counsel and help from her family and her church.  It has been a difficult path at times that required the courage to make changes.  But the point here is that it is possible for a single mother, to find income that does not require the separation from her children every day of the week.  It is possible for her to both earn a living and home educate her children as she walks along beside them as they grow in the Lord together.

Congratulations again to the winners of the contest and thank you for everyone who entered!  If you could use an apron, consider supporting the work of a single mom and her daughter, Amelia, by shopping at Amelia’s Aprons.

Please share as you see fit… as a recent comment said, “Voddie for President!”

Nevertheless, after watching these eruptions over Sarah Palin, I feel disappointed. Not everybody can live an idyllic existence on a farm, existing on revenue from livestock and produce. Go to the inner city, and tell the single mom who has had her child taken away by CPS and is a recovering crack addict and prostitute that by practicing “feminism”-that is, learning job skills and trying to put herself back on her feet with the help of a loving group of women at church who are teaching her how to conduct herself at a job interview-that she is removing herself from God.

This recent comment brought out some points that I think many folks stumble over when contrasting the ideas of feminism and Biblical womanhood.  I would offer a few comments for those attempting to reconcile these two ideas and believe they are somehow in conflict.

First let’s say upfront, Sarah Palin, is not a single mother trying to feed her children in the inner city.  Her choices are not based on necessity, but rather on her personal desire, agenda, and the life she chose.  So when someone is talking about feminism and Sarah Palin, they are not talking about the inner city single women, or single women who live on a farm.

To be sure there are many single women who have a hard time supporting their children on their own.  They find themselves in situations a Christian nation should not place its women.  However, let us not attempt to read our current experiences into the scriptures as we attempt to find a Biblical solution for this problem.  The question we ask is often as important as the answer.  In seeking an answer to this problem we are tempted to only ask the question, “How does a single woman support her children?”  If this is the only question we ask, then our solution for this problem may indeed bring more trouble than it does help.

However, if we ask the question, “Why is it we have so many single women who need to support their children?”,  then our focus will be on an answer that will actually impact long term change and not simply provide another un-biblical patch to the problem.

Both questions are important and need to be answered.  The former needs to be answered immediately for the single mom with a broken family that finds themselves in that situation.  The later needs to be answered if we are going to prevent other women from finding themselves in this situation.

First let me say clearly, I do not believe any would say a single woman who is trying to support her family by working is in sin.  The question I would place on the table is not one of sin or not sin, but what is best for a single mother and her children.  As the bride of Christ, we don’t simply want an answer, we want the right answer, a Biblical answer.  Please note, there is a distinction between seeking a Biblical answer to the question and calling a person’s choices sin.

In our traditional approach, you can read in here un-biblical approach or egalitarian approach, we think the single mom needs a skill and a regular 8-5 job.  That means her children are off to daycare or public school as an immediate ramification of this solution.  This immediately enslaves that mother to the employer or industry her skill is in and places her children in an environment where they will learn the same lifestyle patterns which caused this trouble to begin with.  This feeds the family physically, but allows them to starve spiritually.

At this point, we need to understand the Biblical hierarchy to which this problem should go through.  There are responsibilities in all three of the government’s God has created, the state, the church, and the family.  First the husband should not be granted a divorce except on Biblical grounds.  His covenant before God is to provide and protect his family.  This means the no-fault divorce in America needs to be changed.  This is one aspect of how the state can help to change the growing trend of single parenthood.  Of course this is a result of the state rejecting the Biblical teaching on marriage to begin with.

The state rejecting the teachings of the church is evidence of it’s failure to be salt and light to the culture.  The church in America has departed from sound doctrine that provides real solutions to problems and has embraced a humanistic wealth based replacement for the Gospel of Christ.  As such we have the minions at Planned Parenthood being salt and light to the culture and the church being trod under the foot of man.  So part of the answer needs to be a reforming church that is examining it’s theology that has allowed this to happen.  We will address a couple reforms the church can make to help in a moment.

After her husband, the responsibility of the single mother would fall to her family.  First her father or her oldest brother if the father abdicates his role or is not alive to fulfill his duty.  After that, her other brothers and extended family should support their own family member.  It should only fall to the church if there are no other family members who are willing or able to provide for this family.

Assuming, these other steps fail, what should the churches response be?  What if the church’s response to the single mother was to first and foremost feed them, take care of them, and house them.  If they are widows indeed, shouldn’t the church respond as such?  If the mother desires to work and her children are of an age where she can build a business with them, to provide for their future and launch them into life, how should the church council her?  Shouldn’t the mother be able to sustain herself and her children in some manner that does not place her as a pawn in the industrial workforce and her children as lemmings in training in the public school?  What if the church had entrepreneur training sessions that taught the single mom to work with her children as she educated them?  What if the church had business men who were willing to fund the startup of a small cottage business for this family?  Or there was a family in the church who owned a small business that was able to put her to work part time to help through a tough transition? 

I realize it is easy to talk about this in theory and it is something completely different to have the body of Christ actually function as the body of Christ.  But, I have seen this work and it is a beautiful picture when the body of Christ makes sacrifices to deal with issues Biblically.  When we separate ourselves from the world’s way of thinking; when we stop embracing it’s failed philosophies, and begging for the scrapes from it’s table, then we can see that God has called us to something better.  He has given us solutions that not only solve the immediate issue of putting food on the table, but it also provides the long term generational issues by having the children trained by their mother and loved by the church.  It provides a foundation to deal with the sin that caused children to only have one parent and it provides the ability for those children to avoid the sins of their parents.

In short, the Bible provides an answer that is not a quick fix, but a serious re-aligning of the culture to a Biblical standard.  Of course I must say that for most who make this argument it is not really about the inner city needs of hurting people, but the big city life they have developed for themselves.  Usually, not always, the real hang up is addressing the areas of our own lives that need to be re-aligned with the Bible.  It’s a hard process, but what else can a Christian do?  Either we continue to live off the scraps of the humanistic lies of the feminist movement and deal with the destructive fall out of single parenthood or we embrace the truth of the scripture, reject the philosophies of the world, and begin to see our families and our nation healed.