Swales and Mounds

i have been a bit detached the last year, both technically and socially. Just been gardening, and helping others build their's.  i hope to share   more soon and catch up.  God Bless, ~antbrother

The Barn - Dun, Da, Da, Done

  Have you ever been faced with a task that at first became an positive opportunity and was soon revealed to be something completely different?  Maybe this task was more of a challenge than anticipated and something you had to stretch a bit, maybe a bit more... more, dig deep, and put yourself on the line to complete.  Despite all odds against you, people talking in one ear and matching that defeatist voice from within, you knew deep inside, i mean really Knew that you had to see it through even if it would cost you more in time, money and actual blood to finish what was started.  Yeah, me too.  Lol...  After a month on this "challenge" i am about a day away from finishing the work at hand and i have pulled off the job for a little bit to make billable hours and catch a bit of sanity and repose.

  When i started, i felt that "Finally" i was about to get a break and maybe not have to rely on the front yard garden for food - though that is not a bad thing (another lesson, another post perhaps), i had to step back, pause and regroup.  But each day has shown it's own path even if i happened to make plans for what might come of the day.  Man, and woman, make their plans and God directs their steps.  At first i was pretty thrown off, and understandably upset, though i know better than to open my mouth and let that out.  i learned to listen, observe, and most importantly to ask God what was going on, and what i should do.  He definitely directed my steps - mostly up and down a ladder a thousand times (so grateful Jesus is a Carpenter) - and He took care of me and provided just what i needed, just in time.  He also revealed to me the hearts of people, their motivation, and what was lying just underneath that thin facade, mostly rotten wood, hung nails, and no structure.  i would call this experience an eye opener in one respect and a faith builder, in a more important respect.  It also showed me that i was willing to give blood, sweat and tears for Jesus, and it certainly made me stronger Spiritually and physically. 
  It is a year of restoration for many of us - accept it and own it.  That means we have had to tear out the old, the rotten wood, the unbraced structure, the crooked and untrue and to tear it down to the bare structure at times so that we might rebuild on the solid foundation and set the Cornerstone, straight and true, perfectly plumb, so whatever we erect from this point forward is perfect.  It also means our eyes are open, our steps are directed, and we're not here as targets to be used any longer - accept that and own it.
  i just wanted to share that with whoever is still out there reading this blog and let them know to keep true to God, ask Him to direct your steps and you will be rewarded above and beyond material things.  He has your back, front, and sure footing even twenty feet up on a ladder in high winds.

Love and Blessings,

~ Anias (Chris, antbrother)

Building a Mystery - Welcome to My World ~ Ramble

300 climbs of a ladder per day build some strong legs with which to carry you.

i love reunions and catching up with old friends that have disappeared into the fray of the busy world around us.  Some have been separated from us for a time, and a purpose we often do not understand until we are reunited, others were always there, close to our hearts and minds and yet, The Lord has His purpose in separating us for a time as He needs, based on the divergent and unique path that each of us has been assigned to.  i had an awesome day today!!!  Awe inspiring and just humbling is the best i can describe.  i just got back from a three hour "chat" with my close friend Stephan. You remember the Deutsch Holzschnitzer, The Carpenator?  He's the one on the left.  Well, as i was walking back to the repair shop to pickup the new/old truck, Fury, that i was blessed with, i spotted his truck and trailer at a local Mexican restaurant. And The Lord said, "Stop by on your way back and say hello to your friend," ... Lol.   i did, and then we met again this evening and talked and talked and... reveled in the walk of the Spirit and shared much about the last five months that we have been apart.  i missed him, a real friend.  You see, we are at times separated for a reason as our time together has reached its conclusion, its purpose, and we are set on a new path of this amazing Spiritual walk, only to be reunited again and catch up on where we have been, what we have learned, and "What's Next?".  Such was the case with Stephan and i, as he is my Spiritual brother.  Although the outside circumstances may appear as if there was something between us, as a boss fires his apprentice, but the real reason was the unique purpose that God had in mind for each of us.  We had our time together and grew and learned from each other and it was time for him to awaken another sleeping soul and it was time for me to Simplify, Focus and Believe - and to learn some more stuff.

Drying work boots over bricks on oil heater. :)

  Stephan shared with me tonight that he had taught me all that he could and it was time for me to move on and to become that Journeyman, elevated from the apprentice and entrusted to handle my own jobs.  An important point that he emphasized was that i just don't need to question that i am capable of handling projects on my own accord.  This is a natural questioning when one is given greater responsibility.  Wise and experienced words from an equally wise and humble man.  So when you are faced with "fixing" or finishing some project in the wake of those that have come before with less pride, less anality (is that a word?) in what they produce, have confidence and let The Lord Jesus be the Carpenter and you be the hands and the feet.  :)

Speaking of feet, these cold, muddy days in the field have shown me a new way to warm and dry my boots after a long day in the muck.  The simple oil heater, like an old-timey radiator heater, heat the bricks that the boots dry on.  Wet feet in cold weather are not fun and also radiate through the rest of your body. 

Ok, so on to reunions.  Funny how 2013 has spawned a few more connections from friends of the past, some that i mistakely thought had written me off, or had been turned of by the Spiritual walk and talk.  But i was pleasantly surprised to find that they have had their own trials and tribulations and come through with a close relationship with Jesus.  i mean, what else really matters in this world and how else are we able to cope with all the world throws our way?  So i was very happy to re-connect with "said individuals", close friends of the past from my time in Atlanta.  i assumed wrong and will not do that again as it is not my place to judge others.

i think this synchronicity of multiple reunions is perfectly timed in each of our walks and acts as a catalyst to motivate us toward, "What's Next?".  And besides that fact, it just makes me smile and know that God is in control of all of it, all of what we experience through these seasons of our lives.  Man, i am wordy tonight, but i had a lot to say.

So, Building a Mystery, what is that all about?  i don't know specifically, that's why it is a mystery.  All i do know is that i have been led on an amazing journey over the last ten years, i have been re-educated, and learned much that is important toward these future times and know that when the time is right, this mystery will manifest itself.  i am just the hands and feet, i am now the journeyman, and i do not walk to the left or to the right, but i stay on the path and the course that has been laid in front of me - before the foundations of the world were established.  i do know one thing though.  i know the thoughts that The Lord has for me...

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 
  
Love and God Bless,

~ Anias 

"All The Worlds Problems Can Be Solved In A Garden."

Front yard from May 2012

Yes, that's right!!!  All, not just some, but All the worlds problems can be solved in a Garden.  i came across this quote from Geoff Lawton after watching all the possible permaculture and homesteading videos i could and reading many articles over the last year.  i felt a bit more equipped to be that "Gardener" that God has purposed me to be for Him.  So all that was left was to take a little action, do some ant stuff and gather, pile, plant, build, wear out another shovel, etc.  Here's a bit of what has come out of my understanding through this research and a glimpse of my future direction and drive.
  i don't need to give you a lengthy definition of permaculture but will suffice to say that it is a way of life... "permanent culture" or "permanent agriculture."  The three most notable people that i have researched are Sepp Holzer, Bill Mollison, and Geoff Lawton, and each has had a profound impact on how many people now view and work agriculture.  i equate it to a revelation that brings people back to the Garden of Eden, and an understanding that God can provide all our needs as we keep and tend the Garden for Him.  (Genesis 2:15)  Through observation of nature, repeated failures and some successes, we learn what works, how plant guilds/families can support each other, how to store energy/gather yields, and the natural cycle of inputs and outputs.   ... If you're an optimist...

Front yard Hugelkultur bed December 2012

  One of the initial aspects of permaculture i began working on is soil creation - start simple.  Being a landscaper, i have an abundance of yard wastes that i have composted over the last seven years.  If we consider a forest and how the soil is built up over the years and seasons of growth and die off we start to understand the natural process of the natural system free of any chemical or synthetic inputs.  Through using my yard "wastes" in composting, soil creation is accelerated just as in nature, and the soil health, with all the amazing micro-critters and worms, increases.  Healthy soil creates strong disease and pest-resistant plants.  A specific technique i have used unknowingly over the years is called HugelKultur.  It's like making a big soil lasagna using wood as a foundation.  As the wood decomposes, it creates a sponge that retains water and begins the amazing breakdown of organic matter and the increase in mycelium.  Here's an after pic of the front yard since May..and a close up of the bed.  i am also using a large root ball from a Dwarf Yaupon bush i removed from a landscape demolition.  This bush serves as a corner piece of this landscape bed.
  The bed that i am currently building up is also forming a swale to catch rain water, much like terracing on a slope.  As the swale retains water it allows the soil to slowly percolate the moisture into the surrounding beds and the downhill flow is gradual and consistent.  Here's a great description and graphic from Geoff Lawton on the benefits of on-contour swales.  Without slowing down the natural flow of water, it would merely run off and take many of the soil nutrients downstream, or in this case into the storm water system.  i will add a couple feet of soil over the top of the wood foundation, plant some raspberries, strawberries and blackberries and mulch the top.

  On another site, my landscape staging area, i began building a hedgerow out of brush and log cuttings over many years of work.  My next step on this property is to dig a swale on the uphill side of this pile and deposit the soil on top of the hedgerow to create a self watering planting mound.  Earlier in the year i also dug a swale on the upper gardening strip and i recently enlarged this swale to hold a greater volume of roof runoff.  i continue to buildup the soil with organic matter on the downhill slope to create the moisture retaining sponge.  Although the initial work required to establish these swales and systems takes a bit of effort, it will generate a self-sustaining garden, and a piece of "permanent agriculture" to produce fruits and produce for decades to come.
  So where is all this heading?  Abundance was my first thought.  The direction i am heading with this is to establish these working systems, food forests, plant guilds, etc. as an example of what can be done with permaculture.  In the past i have developed several local garden plans and designs for individuals and our small town of Amory, but this deeper lesson was not taken to heart, though the words and drawings were well accepted.  In essence, i have had to take action, and keep my words few, in order to better communicate this direction, drive and purpose/vision that i am so passionate about.  These foundational elements are merely scratching the surface of future potentials, but i do have to keep it simple, focus on what is before me, and believe and hope in this future.  i started composting seven years ago and have come full circle... back to composting, back to basics.
  Glad to be back and writing some.  i have the main website back online - look for more in the coming weeks... www.antbrotherfarms.com

Love and God Bless,

~ antbrother

New Seasons

Dual Blossoms

 Azalea- 12/31/2007 (Colored pencil)

 Medicine Stick and Strong Heart

 Strong Heart and Medicine Stick

Lord Bless Them and Keep Them!

And bring their Spirit of love and joy, kindness, their pure child-like nature, and compassion for the weak,  into the home where the dual blossoms are gifted.  Let your Angels share that love and heart in this home.
Thank You Father.  This i ask You In the Name of  Your Blessed Son Jesus (Yeshua).

Amen.

~ antbrother

977

What does it mean?   i was given this number over five years ago and had no idea of it's importance or timing.  i merely wrote the number down for keepsake and waited for the right time to start the countdown.  This sequence began when i began writing this blog and today is the day it has been revealed.

i received my answers in church tonight at the prison ministry.

Really great service tonight with the inmates and visitors and the regularly scheduled preacher was unable to attend so we received a great Word from one of the other preachers involved in this ministry work.  A good many of the testimonies we heard before the Word dealt with the loss of someone, recent deaths of a family member or friend. My adopted Grandma Burma died last Thursday and the funeral was yesterday.

The Word was dovetailed into those messages in a way that was uplifting and testified that through the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us all, while we were yet sinners, He conquered death for our sakes.  It is a time to "Come Forth!" and not remain asleep in your grave though you profess to be saved.  It is a time to walk the walk that has been laid out for you before the foundations of the earth were established.  It is a time to go and share the Good News, not wasting time on those that are not willing or able to hear.  It is The time to be who you are in Jesus.

Mathew 27:50-54
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,  and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;  and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
 So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”


Today, right now, is your Day of Salvation.

Come Forth, 

~ Anias 

 

40 Miles on Empty - 973

 

God certainly knows how to empty and fill vessels - ours and our gas tanks', often.  In returning from the land where i grew up, God's country in northern Wisconsin, He tested my faith just south of St. Louis during the second leg of the return trip.  Having limited funds to make it home, He asked me again to let Him take the wheel and to trust that the gas gauge reading past Empty does not limit His ability.   So just south of St. Louis, MO i prayed and asked for strength to trust Him.  He answered that prayer, reminded me not to worry (Phil 4:6-7), and took me exactly where i needed to be, humbled, relying on Him, and to the next available gas station somewhere around mile marker 185.  

  From the start, the trip was blessed and i was able to see my daughter graduate and spend a few days with her.   There are really too many things to recount, and most people would dismiss these "coincidental events", but if you have the eyes to see and the ears to hear, He is evident in all things and all events.  i would love to share many details but i have to head back to the garden this morning.  Suffice to say, my way was paid, and i did stay longer than i had expected which was prophetic a week before i departed.  What else would you expect from a perfect God that gives you a Buick La Sabre (The Sword) to drive, and guides you 2400 miles from the south to the north and back along "The Avenue of the Saints" (Hwy 61)?  Lean on Him and watch Him empty you of the unwanted and inhibiting while filling you with the blessed things of the heart - love.

Love and God Bless,

~ antbrother

p.s.  We are certainly getting much closer to 977.  :)  Let's see what happens.