Colere Terra Mare Caelum - 400

Out of a box you say, or was it out of "The" box?  The first question would pertain to how i appear somedays after work, as in "Where did you climb out of?", while the second question is typical rhetoric for think tanks, generating of new concepts and ideas, solving problems that need new solutions.  What i have found in some of my most recent research is that most of the new ideas that are considered innovative and "out of the box" thinking, have all been used before.  Nothing new under the sun as Solomon wrote, but there are lessons to learn from the past and new applications of this knowledge into contemporary life.  The gap in generational knowledge tends to create an atmosphere of amnesia between the new and old generations.

Case in point is my recent searching for some guidelines and references for writing grants for our Prison Ministry group.  Much of the work and efforts have paralleled my work interests as they have developed over the years and i found an overall phrase that depicts the direction.  It is called permaculture and involves multiple interests to creation of a balanced coherent whole involving architecture, landscape, environment and planning.  This is nothing new and dates back to indigenous tribes being good stewards of the land.  Native American Indians were advanced in how they managed their natural resources to create a relationship with and through the natural world, a relationship of balance and respect not of control and dominance. 

i looked up a few latin phrases for the elements and culture.  The simple phrase that came forth translated is "To Cultivate, Earth, Sea, and Sky (or Heaven).  Some references came out of this that i've included below - one of scripture and the other of the sculptor's chisel. 

God Bless,

~ antbrother
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Revelation 14:14-20
Reaping the Earth’s Harvest
14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 16 So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.

Reaping the Grapes of Wrath
17 Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
18 And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.” 19 So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs.





_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
http://www.constellationsofwords.com/Constellations/Caelum.htm

Latin caelum means both 'the heavens' (from the same root as 'celestial'), and 'sculptor's chisel', or burin; an engraving tool for metals. It is this instrument that La Caille had in mind when he named this constellation.

History
from Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning, 1889, Richard H. Allen


Caelum or Scalptorium, the Burin or Graving Tool, sometimes incorrectly written Cela sculptoria, is the French Burin, the Italian Bulino, and the German Grabstichel.

It was formed by La Caille from stars between Columba and Eridanus, directly south of the Sceptrum Brandenburgicum; Gould now assigns to it twenty-eight components, of magnitudes from four to seven.

Burritt, in the early editions of his book, arbitrarily changed the name to Praxiteles, perhaps thinking thereby to avoid possible confusion with the constellation Sculptor.

Caelum comes to the meridian with the star Aldebaran on the 10th of January, and is entirely visible from the 40th parallel.

Blessings to You All - 396

i have been catching up on my hibernating since October when i first mentioned what a good idea that might be, wake up sometime in spring 2011... This may have something to do with quitting smoking – seven weeks now behind me and each day filled with no desire, more like a complete distaste for them.  i was thinking that at some point, the non-smoker stops counting and just stays confident in the fact that the addiction has been removed – stop counting and just be, i really feel like i am there – so i will. Make sense? :) The loss of this habit has created a void that feels like it may need to be replaced with something positive. Chocolate has helped but i was thinking more in terms of an activity, like working out again. Hmmm… Maybe some serious digging is in store for me in the coming year?


i have been fortunate that the Christmas celebrations inside and out, have woken me from my slumber so i might eat a bit more, snack on some great cookies and contemplate the deeper meanings of this Spirit walk that God has led me on while I sip on my own special coffee concoction. Although this season is obviously, and obliviously, lost in the commercial nature of buy, buy, buy, run, run, run,... we are often given these frequent opportunities to stop, pause and watch the snowflakes. Here in Mississippi we had a white Christmas for the first time since 1963. It really was a blessing to see those big flakes covering everything, softly floating down to settle in for the season. But these moments of silence and pause are precious and important. As Jesus said – “I am the silence and the much deeper silence.”  i pray that you have taken that moment in the silence with Him to find peace within. 


God Bless and Love to You All,

~antbrother

Psalm 23 - 390

1 The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.

3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell[a] in the house of the LORD
Forever.

The Journeyman = 387

Nice header.

So where are you headed?  I'm a Journeyman on my way to Heaven.  Actually it is already here - at hand.

i spent some time up on a scaffolding today finishing some exterior trim work.  i hadn't planned on becoming a carpenter growing up or even after moving to Mississippi, but that is one of the trades that i have been blessed to learn.  i tell clients that i drew buildings for 20+ years and learned how to detail them correctly and now i am blessed to be able to build and fix them with the knowledge gained over all those years designing and drawing.  Sure is different when you are working "full scale".  Vectors don't warp either and every component in the digital drawing is too scale - if drawn correctly.  In the real world we have moisture, heat, sunlight, the nature of materials, and an array of items and influences that take the straight lines in the structure and bend them.  This is where the tricks and the skills come in and if you spend some apprenticeship time under a master you will learn many.  i know a few.  A good painter always saves the job for a bad carpenter.  :) 

Now is the time of being a Journeyman for me.  It is a strange place and an awkward one where we are pushed forward out of our comfort zone, but armed with the confidence of using what we have been taught and that we have been taught right from wrong.  The Journeyman is not a Master but is given jobs that he will handle himself - jobs where the Master is not directly needed.  So the Journeyman is armed with all the knowledge of the Master, what has been taught so far, and has a certain number of skills which he has gained confidence in using over the time of preparation.  The Journeyman is in this awkward place because he has to learn to work on jobs by himself and is entrusted with this, he moves forward but the Master has already been sent ahead of him.  All eyes seem to be on him, and all around him want to see what this is all about.  "Let's see what he has been taught." is what they say.  They want the opportunity to see his work and judge.  If it is nothing worth noting, maybe lukewarm, they shrug their shoulders and go back to their realities.  Nothing has changed.

The Journeyman is poised and confident, though, and he has been taught patience and persistance.  Granted there were numerous chunks of skin and flesh that he lost in the learning process and there was of course the crushing of the ego when he first started, but these were just parts of the learning process and something that he would have never experienced if he never tried and didn't have the courage to step out in the first place.  So now is a time when his hands and work represent His hands and His Works.  The Journeyman knows that there are other apprectices coming up and he lends a hand and shares his knowledge and support while settling in on his job and his opportunity to learn and share and raise up the Master who taught him everything.  The Master chose the Journeyman because He saw something in him, a potential and purpose, a stuborn persistant perfectionist and a man that has a passion and love inside.  He saw something beyond the exterior, He saw and sees within.

The Master chose us first.   So where are you headed?

Love and Blessings in the name of Yeshua,

~ antbrother

385 - Very Much Alive

i smirk thinking about a local car dealer - Sam Stevens - in one of his commercials, climbing out of the trunk of a car and stating, "Hi, Sam Stevens here, and i'm not dead."  Such are the small town tv ads that show us a humorous side of our neighbors, just that touch of humanness that unites us.  Some days it may seem like we, as people united in this world together, are still locked in the trunk of the car. But we have a choice.   Let's chose to step out into the world for a while since you are reading this now and are very much alive and breathing.  Thanks to that first breath of Life that primed the pump for us all at birth.

This winter cold spell sure has sent many of us indoors to deal with the change in weather.  i pray for those that work outside in the elements everyday and those others that just have no shelter, or anything that we would call shelter.  Last year i was behind an industrial rip saw working indoors but not in a conditioned or heated space.  The wind was kept out by the metal building but that was about it.  This winter has been a bit different and i have been able to work in between the breaks in the weather.  Work has slowed considerably to just a couple days a week, so i have been forced to search for income in other areas, eat less and simpler meals and conserve.  Prayer is always the first step, in or out of season - in good and bad times, and i do know that any trying times are merely God strengthening our faith.  Whenever paying work has slowed in the past, God has placed a need to serve someone in my path, a definite ministry outlet.

i am not up on a scaffolding working on exterior trim today due to the freezing rain on the tail end of this arctic front.  i should be back up there tomorrow though - as the the ice thaws and the rain briefly subsides.  Prayers go out to the Salvation Army bell ringers all over the country.  You are continuing in a ministry outreach effort that God began in the heart of a man named William Booth.

http://www1.salvationarmy.org/heritage.nsf/0/c2af02232cb1f005802568cd0034a9fa?OpenDocument


Stay warm, be blessed.  Love,  ~antbrother

382 - Where Are You?

Proverbs 12:24-28

...

24 The hand of the diligent will rule,

But the lazy man will be put to forced labor.

25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression,
But a good word makes it glad.

26 The righteous should choose his friends carefully,
For the way of the wicked leads them astray.

27 The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting,
But diligence is man’s precious possession.

28 In the way of righteousness is life,
And in its pathway there is no death.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+12&version=NKJV

His garment is covered with dust - 380

LEAVE this chanting and singing and telling of beads Whom dost thou worship in this lonely dark corner of a temple with doors all shut? Open thine eyes and see thy God is not before thee!


He is there where the tiller is tilling the hard ground and where the pathmaker is breaking stones. He is with them in sun and in shower, and His garment is covered with dust. Put off thy holy mantle and even like Him come down on the dusty soil!

Deliverance? Where is this deliverance to be found? Our Master Himself has joyfully taken upon Him the bonds of creation; He is bound with us all for ever.

Come out of thy meditations and leave aside thy flowers and incense! What harm is there if thy clothes become tattered and stained? Meet Him and stand by Him in toil and in sweat of thy brow.

TAGORE

Wisdom and Purpose - 378

Reading Proverbs each day as a foundation
of my daily scriptures has really been a blessing and a love that i look forward to each morning.  True wisdom is readily available from the wisest man ever to have lived on the earth, and the wisest man that will ever live on the earth - King Solomon. 


1 Kings 3:6-14
And Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.  Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.  And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted.  Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

 The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.  Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice,  behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.  And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days.  So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”


Your Wisdom for the Day -> Proverbs 8

Tornados - 377

i stayed up late last week on November 30 - the night of my last post.  This was the night that a 30 degree temperature change blew through on the winds, much like the one that came through last month - radar pic (typ.).  After the waves and waves of rain came through for most of the day, the higher winds began to kick in.   The siren went off sometime close to midnight and the winds died down to nothing - calm before the blowout.

After watching Dick Rice for a while (our local weather man), i realized that the worst of it had blown through and tomorrow was to be a day of cleanup.  Welcome to December.

Tornado Rips Through Monroe Co. Community
http://www.wcbi.com/article.php?subaction=showfull&id=1291158003&archive=&start_from=&ucat=2&

This is a good opportunity to encourage people again to prepare your food storages and safe places and make sure you are well stocked in water, food and medical supplies.  Just in case the next tornado chooses a path that you happen to be on.

This storm created several tornados and the town of Becker, five miles from Amory, was hit.  There were about 20 houses totaled and a good deal of other damage.  Thankfully there was no loss of life. 

That concept of an earth home seems to make more and more sense these days.  Back to the drawing board.  :)

Dang - 370

Frost on Strawberry Leaves

i took some pictures this past weekend and it was amazing to see the structure in the ice crystals that formed on the strawberry plants.  Time really does seem to be flying by these days and the transition from summer to autumn to winter has been like a hop-skip-jump from warm to cold to warm to frost.  In between work and home, i have a good deal of things to keep up on and grow, transplant, build, write....  Some are simple concepts, some are just emails and prayers to friends, and some are looking to the future and what God may hold in store for our ministry group, my family and friends.

i was listening to an older audio by AW Tozer (they all are) and he was discussing the seasons of our lives and how we transition through those parts of our lives as Christians - Followers and Servants of Yeshua.  Time will continue to move forward and changes will be constant, but the one defining permanence is within our hearts - that Love that God places there.  Love does grow inside and looks for a way to find others to share with.  You can't keep it inside.  By the time you enter into the winter of your life, this relationship with Jesus must be first and foremost - well, it should be in all the other seasons too, but i am referring to a maturity in the walk, a humble confidence in your spiritual stride.  The love that comes out has this ability to melt all the cold that is within closed hearts, like spring blooming forth just below the white winter cover.

The blessing of gray hair and sore joints, they just seem to be a reminder that this time, this season that is upon us, is one that we must strive to work His works while it is still light.  i have sometimes felt like hibernating through the winter, but there is too much to experience and too little time to do so within.  So with whatever you may have at your feet, i encourage you (and of course my self) to let that warm love of Jesus inside your heart come through and pop out of the surface of the cold like impatient daffodils stretcfhing for the Son.

God Bless,

~ ab

ThanksLiving - 363

Something like 80+ people showed up for church tonight and our Thanksgiving dinner and service.  it was more just like family getting together before dinner and then having a really long prayer before we ate.  Pretty cool for a church service.  i'll have to upload a couple pictures to share some of the night with you, some of the family and friends that i have come to know over the last several years.

It really something amazing, what has occured within this county jail.  What God has created here is beautiful.  It is a place of family and friends where many do not or have not had family or friends in their past.  Nothing like real family, someone that truly loves you and you can feel that, you know that these people are real.  So, we had a GoOD night, some singing, a great sermon on Hebrews (be content with your blessings), some fellowship and a lot of food.

Come join us if you happen to be in West Point, MS on any Tuesday night at 7:00 at the Clay County Jail.  God Bless and a joyous evening to you.  We don't eat this well every Tuesday, just at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Cosmos Bee MegaFlare - .357 Magnum

Opening weekend for deer hunting is coming in a few days.  i grew up in a family of avid hunters, outdoorsmen/mom, and general nature lovers.  There was always a time when we were somewhere in nature or taking a family trip to see the sites.  That is one thing i really miss, the way my family was close before my father died.  We had our dysfunction at times but we were a close family almost 40 years ago.  i share with friends how we used to enjoy doing things as a family, hunting was one of those family outings once a year.  Deer hunting season is a passion in Wisconsin - akin to shutting down the state to support the hunters.  The season doesn't run as long, but it sure runs deep.  :)

As a family, we would come home after the weekend fun with a blessed bounty from the woods.  We would usually process the deer at home.  We would setup in the garage for the skinning and butchering and setup in the kitchen for making sausage or further cutting/cleaning and processing the meat for the freezer.  Roasts, stew meat, tenderloins, steaks... we had our fill of venison each year and that certainly helped feed a family of four boys and two girls.  The time working together with eachother, that bonding time is really what i miss.  i think i maybe miss them more, don't know?  You see, i was the one that moved to the south for work and school years ago, while my family remained in the Nortwoods (typo intended).  At times, like now, i can feel it/them calling me back home.  Deep roots growing up in the north woods... Ojibwe feet.
http://www.mpm.edu/wirp/ICW-51.html

Must be the season, my favorite, Autumn... seasons.  This is time of the year to stock preparations for the winter months...  actually we're already in the throws of some decent winter storms already, west and north of MS.  My past recollection of Autumn was always a time to bring in the harvest and stack the firewood, process the deer and fill the freezer with food, shelves stocked with canned goods and plenty of water, or fresh well water like we used to pump by hand.   These were  not considered "preparations" back in the day, but they were common sense and needed in order to make it through the winter months.  This concept of preparations is not in the mind of many these days, it is not even considered by some unfortuantely as we have turned into a drivethrough society in essence.  Time to stop a second and pause in the season, breath in the cool air and see what your heart tells you.  It is time to prepare - start with your heart.

The seasons are changing and my Ojibwe feet tell me that a winter storm approaches.  Bundle up and pray most importantly.  Stay close to God and He will keep you warm and fed and at peace in your heart.  i love the forest in the winter, such peace and solitude.  Blessings and Love, Remember the Strength of Family,

~ antbrother

Plumbago Imagination - 356

Sounds like the combination of a fruit and a recreational utility vehicle, when in actuality it is a flowering shrub with the most beautiful soft blue petals.  In the right growing conditions and a bit warmer climate than MS, a plumbago can reach six to eight feet in height.  They continue to bloom all summer as well.  This is why i have moved these two indoors in an unheated space - my office.  Hopefully they will handle the cold and last till spring.  i have a few ideas that will help, like a large quilt for their roots... :)

Just looking at the area where i have placed these, gives me some ideas on a passive solar enclosure.  By adding a makeshift back wall and some thermal mass in the way of bricks or water jugs, this space can stay warm enough (above freezing) for these plants to weather the cold.  Some simple guidelines for shelter - whether it applies to these plants or some camping shelter - imagine and be creative.

Just One, or 300 Trumpets - 348

 i have been reading through some of Judges Chapter 7 since this past Tuesday.  Pastor Avant gave the message of how God used Gideon and a small group of 300 men to defeat the Midianites, who numbered as the sands of the desert.  The initial group that were to go out to war was around 32,000 and God told Gideon that this was too many because Israel may think that the defeat was theirs and not given into their hand by God.

 So God first separated all those that were afraid and wittled the number down to 10,000.  This still being too many, God selected a few 300 men based on how they drank water.  These men lapped out of their hand rather than drinking from the water on their knees.  This was the few that stood and would stand in the face of adversity and challenge, the few with faith enough.  God then took this small group and sent them out to the enemy camp each armed with a trumpet and a pitcher with a torch inside.  At the sounding of the 300 trumpets, they shouted "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!", and they broke their pitchers.  They held torches in their left hand and the trumpets in their right hand.  The enemy was awoken and disoriented and those that didn't flee turned on one another with their swords.  God accomplished the victory alone, while using a small remnant to witness His method. 

Would you believe that 300 men with horns could defeat such a vast army?  Most would view that as foolishness - that is, foolishness to the world.  But God uses the foolish to defeat the proud.

This story has importance in learning how God uses people for His Will.  He selects the weak to show His strength, He uses the few to defeat the many, He uses those who believe and are not afraid to accomplish His Will to stand in the gap.  He needs Spiritual Leaders that will simply Stand for Him.  It just takes one, or 300 trumpets, or whatever simple means that God decides to use.  Believe.

~ antbrother

The Pause "Selah" - 346

 There was a definite pause that began last week and will be lasting through the next few days.  Can you feel it... What do i mean by a pause?  In the Psalms there was often a pause or "selah", which was a note to stop and listen.  (Those with eyes and ears) For us it was a pause in work and an effort to organize and set a new course of direction.  Where i thought the tempo would pick back up was a bit off the mark from where God stood.  i have appreciated the Way He leads.

 Since placing an ad in the local paper, an interest has been cultivating in creating a community garden program.  There are many local small farmers and backyard horticulturalists in the area that we are hoping will be involved and are we are seeking some support from the local extension service through Mississippi State University - Plant and Soil Sciences.

 We've set some basic goals for the program:
  ~ Establish local organic vegetable and flower gardens
  ~ Educate the community on the health benefits of organic food
  ~ Establish a local farmers market outlet w/ Co-Op
  ~ Teach a cooking class using the produce grown

 Part of the process of developing a program is looking to other local and national efforts to learn what works.  The next week will be an effort to organize some simple handouts and focus on locating a property or properties as candidate sites.  We've gone through several site selections this year with no success yet.  One of the best options is anyone open to using their backyard.  That's where most of the victory gardens of the past were planted. 

i really shouldn't drink coffee this late... lol..  Gute Nacht

God Bless and GoOD Shoveling,
~ antbrother
ameiseBruder

We Live In a Beautiful World - 342




We Live in a Beautiful World by Katelyn Smaglick 2010 (Puzzle Art)

Disregard the caption under the art, she is studying biology, morphology and all that other medical stuff.  So what i'm trying to say is that we do live in a beautiful world even if it says red lesions with silvery scales under our art... lol.  She'll appreciate the sense of humor.

This drawing is by my daughter and i just needed to share it with you.  She is a true blessing to me and makes me a very proud Dad.

 



Never Compromise - 340

That was the last point that i picked up out of the sermon tonight on Triumphant Living - "Never Compromise".  Minister Kevin Cuevas delivered the Word and began with point one which is Be In The Word.  Read your Bible daily and spend daily time in prayer (talking to God and asking for directions).  The interesting thing about the H.O.P.E. Church is that a different minister or preacher comes each Tuesday night so we receive a different flavor of message from each.  It is amazing to see how the Spirit of God instructs and teaches through each of these individual ministers. 

The final point on the sermon is pretty straight forward.  Once we are on the path that God has set us on we should never deviate.  Taking into account that we are human and make mistakes is a given but we must always apologize for our error, stand up and stay the course.  Live your faith with complete conviction and belief.
God Bless.

~ ab

Luke 9:62
Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

Fresh and Dried Herbs - 338

i've been cutting and drying herbs the last two weeks and preparing the garden for the autumn plantings.  This is a busy time in the garden for cleaning up the weeds, putting up the harvest and planting cool weather plants - cabbage, spinach, kale, brussel sprouts, brocolli, carrots, etc.  The tomatoes have come back since we finally cooled off and had a little rain, so i am planning on protecting them if temperatures drop.

i have three composting bins that serve well with one another.  As a mature bin is turned into the garden beds, the other two are in the process of composting and are continually used for a place to recycle garden weeds, trimmings, coffee grounds and kitchen vegetable scraps.  This ensures that you have a constant supply of rich compost to renew the soil with every six months.

There is a hope that someone out there has the same passion and drive for growing things that i have.  The garden is a place that comforts me and it is a place where i can lose myself and just relax.  That is just another positive thing from organic gardening. 

Hope you are having a blessed day - Love and Blessings,  ~ ab

http://www.antbrotherfarms.com/
www.photoblog.com/antbrother

Canning Peppers - 333

i received a call a few minutes ago from downstairs asking if i could look in the kitchen for a noise that keeps waking her - sounds like a "dink".

i asked, "How many have you heard it so far?"

She replied, "It's woken me up three times."

Unfortunately i canned twelve pints of pickled peppers tonight...

Mrs. Smith's House - 331

Some of the work that has come my way is repairing badly rotted windows and sills on older houses and retriming the exterior.  These projects have dropped into my lap and given the crew an opportunity to get some experience and know how on what to do when "the stud is gone." :)  This house has been good in learning to work together better as well.

Some days it's almost like i've been here before and am walking back through those steps again - the remembrence.

Buzz - 330

i stopped to check out the marigolds in front and took a few pics.  A ten pounder (what i call a large bumble bee) was enjoying his time on the flowers so i took a few pictures of him and watched as he worked his way from flower to flower digging for pollen. 

It's a GoOD day today - something in the air as if a change of seasons is taking place - or has inside of us.  i would call it the healing, cooling salve of mercy and grace from above.  Don't you feel something?  Haven't those burdens and walls felt like they have melted and crumbled to the ground.  The Spirit of God is moving and His angels are here to comfort each of us and strengthen us for the upcoming time.  We are each as unique and beautiful as God made us.  He too is tending His garden.

 Just moving from flower to flower and gathering the pollen....

Why Follow Bread Crumbs When You Can Smell Fresh Baked Bread From Your Own Kitchen? - 319

That's a bit of a lengthy title but it conveys the message, quickly.  Can you hear me?

i experienced the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit tonight in Church in jail.  A young man that i met earlier this year at the laundromat, came to work with me after a month or so, and tonight he went with me for a second time to Church.  What we all experienced was God first hand, saving the heart of a young man that was hurting and wanting to change.  My friend was tired of hurting, of searching for something good in life, wanting freedom and joy.  i know he opened his heart up to God tonight, and The Lord answered.  This fundamental change brought on by an act of The Spirit of God is called being reborn in the Spirit and is what Jesus said had to happen for a man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. 

During our service we have Testimony time.  When my friend stood up and started talking, he first thanked the Church for the gift of a Bible.  His heart really softened and he shared the pain of the life he came from in brief.  One of the ministers stood up and asked that all the preachers and assembly pray over my friend, while he annointed him with oil.  The air was already full of the Spirit of God from our praise songs and many other testimonies and scriptures (mini-sermons).  What happened then was the feeling of the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit over everyone.  We were all praying for my friend and some started singing their own songs and others receiting scriptures.....  the sound of many voices, each unique yet all in one accord and one heart.  My whole body shivers with the remembrence of just a few hours ago.  This Church in jail is something special that God has created for His Glory.
You don't have to look for crumbs of blessings elsewhere.  You don't have to search through someone else.  Look into your heart and search for God.  Talk to Him and seek the only way to freedom and rebirth in the Spirit of God.  Tell Him you don't believe in Him and He will have convince you that HE IS.  He is with you always and knows everything about you, try Him. 

He's in your kitchen baking the best bread you have ever had.  (Can you tell i'm getting the bread baking desire back?)  But seriously, take a moment each day to sit with Him and get to know your Creator...just talk.  May you also be blessed to experience the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the humility to know that God can use you for His Will, even if you are beat up and tossed out like the rest of the herd.... lol..  He'll pick you up and clean you up and bless you for His purpose. 

i haven't written much in a long time, but have mostly walked quietly this year, learning, seeking God in prayer, stumbling over myself, and becoming an apprentice.  i hope to be writing more, regularly, and on many things in my heart and mind, and from my hands at work and play. 

my heart feels really good today - free.  To be able to watch someone else experience God - to watch Him do something right in front of you to a man - is simply amazing, profound... or Just God.  My friend knows Jesus tonight, i saw a huge burden lifted from him tonight.  He is feeling free too.

Thank You Father.

Well,,,,,  Stop and Smell the Fresh Baked Bread!

Love and Blessings,
~ab

Matthew 11:28-30
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Church - 312

There's a Tuesday in every week and tonight was Church night at Clay County Jail - That's the Church i call home.  The sermon this evening was based on Job 21:15:
  "Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him?
  And what profit do we have if we pray to Him?"

Prayer strengthens our bond and relationship with God the Almighty.  When we work on a relationship with someone, we spend time with them and talk to get to know them better.  That's all prayer is, talking with God - The One God that created you - and getting to know Him better.  What a better Friend and Counselor, Comforter and Master Carpenter do we have in the Lord?  None better and none more deserving of our time and service as He blesses the path and purpose for which He created you.

Our purpose here is to serve and God created good works for us to walk in before we even arrived here.  Seek Him and wait on Him in the silent comfort of your secret place.

God Bless,
~ab

Phillipians 4: 6-7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Punch Out - 311

The Final phase of any project is the punch out or punch list as referred to in construction.  This is the small details that need to be completed to wrap up the job.  Depending on how proficient the crews are, there may or may not be a lot to detail for completion.

Today, i'm finishing the final coat on the last seven windows and will be pathching a small squirrel hole in the fascia board.  This project and client have been a blessing all year and the project has turned out to be a success on the level and amount of work done.  This really has been a lesson in restoration, one of restoring a building and one of restored faith and love for Jesus.  You see, He has walked me through this project as He walks us all through the challenges of our lives. 

So today, as i complete the final details, i place my faith in God to continue to restore my soul and to provide a Way for the needs of the day - both mine and others.  If you open your spiritual eyes and ears, God will provide all your needs while using you to minister and lift up others.  Each day, our walk is one of faith and service - doing His will while He restores us to our rightful place as sons and daughters of God.

God Blesses You Greatly This Day,

~ ab

Two ina Row - 305

Well it could have been, if i had been online earlier, but just an hour turns the calendar twice so, it's Day 305.  i have been blessed with work this summer and several new outlets and clients.  Just a little more to fund the work and equipment, but i have always looked at my feet and where God is dropping the next blessing in my path.  Along the way there has been much ministering, you know just helping others along.

i am nearly finished with a house restoration that has lasted several months.  The last of the windows have been installed and the interior and exterior trim and finishing is in progress.  Here's a snapshot of work in the woodshop last week - rebuilding the last four windows.  These units are wood framed with insulated glass, which was cutting edge 30 years ago.  Each frame had to be disassembled, cleaned, and new sashes and stiles glued up to complete the window rebuilding and restoration.  The windows are then glazed, primed and assembed into the jambs and sills of the double hung unit.  Lol...  no this isn't this old house, more of a Spiritual lesson through the analogy of restoration.  It really doesn't matter where you look throughout your entire day - there is a lesson of teaching, growth and understanding from God.

You might start planting flowers and then the next thing you know, you're rebuilding a house.  Follow the still small voice of your heart - God is there in the silence, waiting to rebuild you.

God Bless!   ~  antbrother

Out of Nowhere - 303

Miracles out of Nowhere, that is where they come from ~ God.  Nowhere and everywhere. Just Love and Miracles.  i didn't really go anywhere, just haven't been online much and have been busy with work - Blessed Indeed!

The lyrics from that old Kansas song are foretelling of our journey here.
"When you comin' home now son, the world is not for you."

But the GoOD News is that we are in essence ordained and sent here for wisdom and understanding ~ that of God's ~ so that we may complete the Will of why He has placed us here.  i have watched in Spirit while walking through the heat of this summer and i have grown in some ways and showed my flesh at other times - my apologies.  But the point that is most important is that through the process of learning from God we continue to stand, get up and shake the dust off, and keep walking.  Our primary purpose is to get to know a guy named Jesus ~ Yeshua ~ as a friend and savior and He'll walk you out of this mess and back home.  The interesting thing is watching how He walks. 

God creates everything from nothing.

God Bless from the ant mound,

~antbrother

Three Years of Composting...so far... - 180

This font name reminds of verbena... but anyway - Here are some of the latest photos of the garden.  Time to stake up some 'mater plants. :)

God Bless,  ~ ab

Eyes and Ears of The Spirit - 172

An earful came my way this past Sunday and i was humbled to the point of exhaustion.  The rest of the day was spent weeding the garden and basically praying - talking to God, asking Him questions and laughing the afternoon away in His company within the Garden He made. 

i must decrease so that He can increase...  less and less of me and more and more of Him.  Without the exchange of power in one's life there really is no way to steer clear of all the barrage of onslaughts.  Yeshua leads the way out but first, take a knee to Him and keep faith in the Master.  He will be your eyes and ears.

Be Blessed This Day!

~ ab

Conviction of The Holy Spirit - 130

There is a force in the world that acts upon the hearts of men.  It is a force comprised of Spirit, not flesh, and it acts from within and of Itself, through a simple process called Conviction.

If you are brought to court for an offense and are found guilty, you are considered convicted of a crime.  Truth is found through the trial process and a consequence is rendered.  Spirtual Conviction is a Holy act and process of cleansing, step by step, in preparation of complete and unhindered indwelling.  The process is simply being convicted toward purity and truth - love and all that is GoOD and of Him.  This is your consequence for accepting Jesus for your Life.

Individuality and uniqueness of each person is never sacrificed, but is enhanced when the Holy Spirit Convicts a heart.  We were each created unique as the snowflakes in the sky.  This is the love that God has for each one of us.  He is in control and performing His Will through your obedient vessel here on earth.  Your hands become His, your feet become His and your Life is because of Him.

How perfect is that?  How perfect is God? 

I Love Him with everything inside me!

Fresh Lettuce - 129

I wasn't planning on making a salad until i remembered the fresh baby bibb lettuce in the cold frame.  I grabbed a gallon ziplock back and began to thin the row a bit.  This helps in two areas, firstly it feeds me, and secondly it makes room for other plants to fill out.  I plan to do more thining about Wednesday.  Between the lettuce i planted in the cold frame and that which i planted in the open garden, only the cold frame was successful.  All the plants that began to come up in the garden were eaten.

I was also able to pick some fresh carrots that i had planted last fall.  They overwintered well and were vey crisp and flavorful.  i plan to plant a larger area of broadcast seed for a carrot bed around the small cabbage seedlings.  I tried my hand at juicing tonight with my "Back to Basics" hand juicer.  It's just like an old timey hand crank grinder with a fine screen for juicing fruits and veges.  The carrots worked pretty well, but it will take quite a few to get a decent size glass of juice.  Wheatgrass juice may be next on the menu - we'll see. 

Love and Blessings,  ~ ab

The Transformation of "Work "- 125

http://www.antbrotherfarms.com/

  Two weeks ago i woke up at 4:31am and said, "GoOD Morning Father."  He replied, "GoOD Morning Son.  Today you quit your job."  Now this was odd, because i had almost stopped praying about it and asking if now was the time, i had been praying on this for the past 9 months.  i would trust when the time was right in God's Will, not my anxious nature.  Patience.  Wait on the Lord.  So the "Today" back then was Saturday March 13, 2010 - 113.  Significance, probably not, but what was significant, was what happened that day.  And Since ...        ....     ......;:/|*|\:;.....  ..  a seed is planted.

Amory, MS

God Blesses You All Greatly This Day!

Love,  ~ab

Wow! - 123

  We just got back from church tonight at the jail in Clay County and we were all blessed with a great service.  There is a true church family that has developed over the past year there, one that is strong and connects us all at the heart.  This is a church of inmate trustees, visiting family and friends, police officers, and paroles that began many years ago.  These men and women are all my brothers and sisters in Jeshua.

It is hard to put into words the love that i feel for this prison ministry work and "The Church" inside the jail.  Every Tuesday night at 7:00 pm Church gets underway and The Holy Spirit is invited to feed us The Word.  There is a portion of the service that is devoted to "testimony time" where anyone can stand up and provide a personal testimony of what God has done in their lives.  Some like to share a song or a scripture and there is the occasional mini-sermon.

I always leave there filled to the brim with joy, excitement, and definitely the peace that transcends all understanding.  It is a gift to be part of this family and to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit wash, share and teach.  As one former inmate turned pastor shares, "God took a mess, and made a messenger."

Thank You Heavenly Father,

~ ab

Genesis ~ A Beginning - 122

  The beautiful birth of spring gives new hope again to growth and the potential of the soil.  Lying dormant through the cold months of winter and storing energy in the earth, the green shoots of new growth slowly emerge from the ground and the leaf bud as temperatures begin to warm.

Can you tell that i am a bit of a romantic regarding spring?  We have seen some strange weather here though, as i'm sure many have witnessed in their own area.  From 70's one day to sleet and 30's the next seems to be the range of fluctuation from day to day.  Spring temps were very slow in warming this year and i have appreciated the time invested in a small cold frame.  Although the local fire ants have taken up residence (they too appreciate warm soil), several plants have thrived in the small greenhouse.  The changing and unpredictable weather seems to warrant the use of greenhouses or some level of controlled growing environment.  Just my thought.

I have been busy with work and the day to day needs of life lately.  The main website has been down for a while though i have a blessing of a gift in a new server host.  Being out of "tech" for so long has made it a challenge for me to get the site back up and learn to use new tools.  It will get there soon, i pray.

With spring comes more landscape work. Several new and old clients have called about some "work".  There is also a start to a small garden using some makeshift coldframes and gathered soil from compost piles and other stored sources.  i was talking with several of the residents involved in the prison ministry and they are making their own efforts at starting a garden on the prison grounds.  The H.O.P.E. group helps them out with seeds, plants and other needs - though they don't seem to need it based on their success last year.  Being able to share a common love of growing with these men has been a way of ministering, or just talking.  That is time that i have enjoyed sharing with them. 

This walk of faith continues.   ...just walking a step at a time...

Love and Blessings of new growth,

~ ab

Coaching - 106

  I had the privledge of coaching my youngest son's basketball game today.  Talk about winging it - i had never before coached anything and pretty much had to rely on the help of others, including the young players, to point me where i needed and tell me what to do.  Thanks and Blessings to them all.  i relaxed into being "coach" after the first couple periods and encouraged the players to open their eyes to certain things happening on the court to help direct them as i could.  i explained a new play at halftime, not expecting them to pick it up in such short time, but surprisingly a couple players did try the new play.
  The league my boys are both in is called Upward and is sponsored by the local churches.  It includes devotional time and Biblical teaching as the foundation in team sports.  At halftime there is a miny sermon to the whole assembly.  This is a positive mix as i've witnessed and a GoOD lesson to put God first in all our endeavors - work, play, entertainment, etc. 
  During halftime the team went into their private team room and we talked a bit about the game first and then came time for a scripture.  i wasn't provided a "standard" verse to teach so i gave the children one of my first favorites Genesis 2:8 - And God planted a garden eastward in Eden and there He placed the man he had formed.  i explained in the simplist terms to the young boys how God first intended for us to walk in a garden that He gave to us as a gift.  He wanted to be close to us as He made us for Him and we are just wired that way - connected in our Spirit - Deep within our hearts God planted a seed.
  The Holy Spirit teaches us in all circumstances as we mature our relationship with Him.  This "coaching" lesson has been to show me what He does with us and how He coaches, teaches, and counsels us in our game here on earth.  The Counselor is very intimate in His teaching and very direct.  i have been shown this to understand empathy for how God is trying to guide us and direct us through each day.  As a coach may suggest a new play or point out some area we may improve upon, so does the Holy Spirit lead in this way.  He cannot play the game for us, He can only lead and suggest and protect.  Look to God for your guidence in all situations and cultivate your relationship so that you may always know to rely Him.  He is Truth and Love in action.

May You be Blessed this day by Father,

~ab

Rivers - 96

Come on'!  Jump in!  The Water is just fine!

I've been reading lately between A.W. Tozer, The Counselor and A. B. Simpson, Christ In You, and have been filled with a lot of good straight talk on faith, what it is and what is expected.  The Counselor talks a great deal of specifics on The Holy Spirit, "the promise of the Father", that was sent to the original apostles as a gift.  This Spirit of God has never stopped flowing and is available to all who call on Jesus, Yeshua as Lord and Savior.  I was particularly interested in what Tozer spelled out as the process of being "filled" based on several scriptures - that of offering up our bodies as living vessels, asking for the Spirit to Come, being obedient to what the Spirit leads and having faith.  The combination of the two books is really a blessing because the concept of faith is also illustrated in these two books as that of a river.  The River of God's Will.  When we jump into His River, we go with His flow and follow as He leads.  We are the ones that change to become His purpose here for us.  This is how He is glorified ~ through our filling and then outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Be Blessed,

~ ab

Doors and Windows - 87

  My main site has been down for a little while and i sure have been itching to get back to some regular content work on that site.  I will have it back online this week.  Many irons in the fire right now, but there has been an amazing sense of calm in the quiet time before this brewing storm...  while each Peace is put into place in this beautiful drama of Life that God has Created.  What i have experienced along the way is pretty comforting and something that i want to share with everyone else today - this day.  A scripture defines where i am in this walk - and the beauty of how the Word, the pure Truth in it becomes your life.  I am very fond of this Passage as it is one that i was given to memorize before i moved to Mississippi.




Phillipians 4:6-7
  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

  There is a great process that God performs inside you when you pray, with all your heart and mind to Him that His Will be done.  A dear friend and client shared with me the beautiful aspect of praying for God's Will.  God is pure and perfect and constant in love.  God doesn't change, so He changes us to be In and To Be His Will - you know for Him while we're here.  :)  This scripture doesn't say how your requests will be answered, it does state that you will be at peace and not worry - God will take it if you let Him have it.  But first, just let go and relax.

The unfortunate thing is that this is not obvious to all "Christians" that walk half the line and don't fully die to self.  It is past time to drop the old man off at the trash can and walk out through that door that Father has put in place for you - or through that window you have left cracked, just in case you needed to go through it.  Now is the time to get off the fence and earnestly seek God's face.

Ask Him to show you His Glory, boldly like Moses wanted - or like David... seeking Him always.  Put forth the effort in building your relationship with Jesus as your number one priority and let this effort replace the one that thing is now most important to you.  You will not be disappointed.
God is True, Jesus has a sense of humor, The Holy Spirit washes and leads and Comforts.   You will not be disappointed.

In the beginning of this year i began to have a very hopeful anticipation of where Life was heading.  Let's face it, we have all been going through some stuff and many people are looking for some relief, maybe some normalcy, or stability.  There is chaos around us all in varying degrees of "realness" and yet the guys working the knobs and switches behind the curtain keep telling us the water is just fine.  I feel your pain.  But consider the trials and tribulations as being "purified".  Through this same process we have to become humbled.  One important point is that when i had lost everything, when God was the only thing left that i could count on, that is when i realized that He was really all i ever needed to start with.  That has led to this great search to want to know God better, to know the Trinity, each separate yet all One and One inside me as well.

Well, tonight was mostly a ramble and a wanting, yearning, need to share.  i am reading a great book right now - The Counselor by A.W. Tozer.  He covers in detail, through many sermons, the Person of the Holy Spirit.  Very good, simple, nuts and bolts read - powerful.

Good Night and God Bless.  He strengthens Us!

~ ab

The Word - 72

  In talking with a friend a couple weeks ago, we stumbled upon a brief discussion of The Bible, Jesus and our general beliefs.  What i heard from this friend was something that i remember others saying in the past - that the Bible was merely a bunch of fictional stories and that Jesus was just another enlightened being.

There was a sadness in my heart at hearing this and i realized that who i am now is wholly different - a new creation from who i was.  The sadness was because of the emptiness i knew was in the heart of this friend for not knowing the truth of What and Who The Word truly means.  I have come to Know Jesus and Know The Bible as Life - plain and simple.  It is hard to put into words because the experiences that i have been blessed with are so deep and so filling - bone deep enough to take your breath away. 

i pray this day that the Holy Spirit anoints those that do not know Jesus, those that take the Bible as just another story book, and that this beauty is revealed to them as The Living Word of a Living God.  In Jesus and in His Word we find our purpose - layer upon layer revealing more and more of the Love He has for us.

Be Blessed - Be Strong!!!

~ ab

Wood - 71

 

Despite the recent cold temperatures here in the south - down in the single digit lows - i've been able to work in a semi-heated shop.  Some of the projects have involved creating benches for childrens' Christmas presents, while other work has entailed repair work on 30-year old windows.  The woodworking has been enjoyable and challenging.  i believe i forewarned about more time in the shop in one of the last posts on the antbrotherfarms website.  The work has been generated by just using the scraps and tools available to make what would be needed.

The finish carpentry work of repairing the old windows involves the recreation of sash, stiles, and sill while reusing the old insulated glass units.  This is considered some unchartered territory for me and has been some good experience.  The bench/stool/table pieces were made from scraps we generally grind up into woodchips at the plant.  The thinner strips of wood are from various species - oak, ash, pecan, poplar. 

i am working on getting the main website back online this next month.  i have run into limited funds to be able to support the site and the yearly renewal came up in early January.  Thanks and Blessings to a beloved supporter in helping me get the main site back online.

On the ministry front, i can't praise God enough for what i am seeing take place.  It is truly a moving of the Holy Spirit in the various aspects of ministry work that i was given a vision of in 2007.  Amazing Grace, really Lord, Just Amazing.

Love Blessings and Strength,

~ab