The Adventure Continues: Off The Grid

On July 23, 2012, I began writing The Stricker Post.  There were two purposes to the blog.  First, I wanted to see if I could commit to do something for 365 days and second, I love to write.  The blog has helped me to turn the page on each day of my life.  Each day ends at midnight and a new adventure begins with the rising of the sun.  The scripture in Matthew below had new meaning to me as I learned to live for the present moment and avoided being caught up in the past or future.

Matthew 6:30-34

New International Version (NIV)

³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

As a person with the gift of ADHD, I embrace the excitement of doing not one thing at a time, but lots and lots of things at once.  I am a woman, which also provides the ability to multitask.  This year I've managed to teach part-time while spending full-time hours at work, planned various social events at school, managed the academic teams, volunteered with various organizations to serve the population of our metro area, kept up with all of the farm animals, successfully bred and birthed four baby goats, milked goats twice daily, kept two children alive and in school, wrote a daily blog,  been a wife and mother cooking breakfast and dinner daily(and lunch in the summer).  I think we all have a long list of the tasks we do and can marvel knowing we actually accomplished these things.  AMAZING!

It is now time to enter a new phase of life.  I feel like the year of blog writing was training for something.  I'm not sure what, but something.  I learned the value of time.  Starting tomorrow I will no longer write a blog and I will no longer be on Facebook.  It is time for change.  I'm not sure how I will fill my time without social media and my creative outlet, but I'm sure I will think of something.   If you take a good hard look at your life, what do you think you need to change?  I know I need to engage more in the world that is living around me.  I need to be present.  Spend time thinking about what needs to leave your life in order for you to live the life you were designed to live.  A life worthy of living.  Below, Paul(the former hater of Christ, turned follower) writes to the church from his prison cell.  This quiet time of reflection did not serve as a curse but a gift for him to quiet his spirit and hear God's voice.

Ephesians 4

New International Version (NIV)

Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ

4 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.² Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ³ Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

⁷ But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. ⁸ This is why it^[a] says:

“When he ascended on high,
    he took many captives
    and gave gifts to his people.”^[b]

⁹ (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions^[c]?¹⁰ He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) ¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

¹⁴ Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.¹⁵ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. ¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Instructions for Christian Living

¹⁷ So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. ¹⁸ They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. ¹⁹ Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
²⁰ That, however, is not the way of life you learned ²¹ when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. ²² You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³ to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
²⁵ Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. ²⁶ “In your anger do not sin”^[d]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷ and do not give the devil a foothold. ²⁸ Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
²⁹ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

There are so many things in my heart that need work.  It is now time for me to begin a new adventure.  An adventure filled with finding peace, tranquility, and learning to love people the way Christ intends.  I thank each of you for joining the Stricker Post for the last year and allowing me to share all of the good, bad, and even the ugly.  I want my life to reflect something beautiful that urges people to want to know Christ better.  I want to allow silence and rest to fill my spirit.  The loudness and chaos of this world lives in my heart and I long to have peace.  For me, this is not the end of anything, but the beginning of something new.  Be blessed, be loved, be happy, but above ALL, LOVE others well.  The adventure continues, somewhere on a farm in rural Boerne.

Tonight I am thankful for each and every one of you, my friends, who have walked the journey with me.  Some of you have been faithful and others have read it every now and again, but you are all a part of the journey.  We were meant to journey together to help support each other when we are weary or to encourage one another when we need it.  I am still here, just an e-mail away.  Thank you for being my friend.  Goodnight Sweet Friends.

Bees Like Gifts

My kids are out of town and I am left to my own devices at home.  Today I had a bunch of errands to run and tomorrow I will be cleaning the house and I've slowly filled the rest of my week with activities that do not require paying a babysitter.  I don't like spending the extra cash on the babysitter, but I adore the babysitters who watch my kids.  Each of the sitters has a special love and understanding for my children, making my date nights so easy.  I never worry about the kids OR the sitter.

I am left, also, with more chores.  I have no minions on whom to pawn my work.  This week was a little different in that the bees needed tending.  We have a strained relationship since I often approach the hive without gifts.  Bees like gifts.  They like smoke, sugar water or maybe a gallon of delicious syrup.  Today, I approached with a sugar water spray bottle.  As the bees started to become anxious and the buzzing became more intense, I merely sprayed a few spritzes of sugar water on them.  I enjoy watching them calm down and begin licking each other and anything containing sugar water.  It is very much like bringing children in to an edible room.  Yes, I know, someone may have licked it before!!  Imagine your children walking in to an edible room created only for them.  The walls made of fruit roll ups with windows of melted hard candy spread thing like the stained glass windows of a church.  The door knob made of giant jaw breakers and the door frame lined with red licorice rope.  You and your kids would likely be having a lickfest!!

I was creating an edible room for them while also checking on their honey making and the general health and well being of the hive.  Everything seemed to be working very well.  The combs were sturdy.  The brood was being tended by the nurse bees.  The drones were occasionally flying at my head to keep me from bothering the queen.  The guard bees were standing guard at the entrance checking every landing bee to make sure they were native to our hive.  Everyone was working.  I spent thirty minutes watching them and checking each frame for honey, pollen and brood.  I enjoyed the hypnotic hum of their buzzing as I carefully inspected the hive.  I sprayed them with sugar water often, making the hum sweeter and less hurried.  I missed my walking encyclopedia, Chloe, who gives me a bee health and wellness lecture each time we visit the hive.  I felt a little unprepared since she wasn't there to point out all of the landmarks, but I managed to talk myself through the process and know more than I thought.

Chloe likes to read me those books of useless facts and they often fill my head in slots I was hoping to fill with useful information.  Luckily, her beekeeping facts have managed to adhere to some of those empty spots.  So have many of those useless facts like the headless chicken who lived eighteen months after the farmer originally cut its head off. ( See, now you will have that unnecessary trivia in your brain for further use.)

It is rare for us to take time to truly value the beautiful natural world. (Day 196).Take a moment this evening to observe something natural in its element.  Even if it is just your child playing outside or laughing with friends.  Be thankful for the simple and simply lovely things around you.  Maybe listen for the sound of the last bird this evening or the first one in the morning.  Can you identify the bird and its voice?  Today I am thankful for the thirty minutes I spent listening and watching the bees be, well, bees.  Goodnight Friends.  Do not forget to catch tomorrow's blog.  It will be the last blog until further notice.  The blog will remain open, but without new postings.

A Heavy Heart

this is me...

As I look at the year of blogging, I find a very prominent issue.  I have a terrible time holding my tongue.  I can likely schedule it monthly according to the woman's curse, but that is NOT an excuse.  A wife, mother and teacher has no business wielding such a heavy and strong sword so recklessly.   Today at church, Chloe stood in a different row, ten seats away.  She had a frown on her face and nearly tears down her cheeks.  She had ridden to church with her grandmother and it had not gone well.

Although Chloe hasn't quite blossomed in to womanhood (THANK GOD FOR SMALL FAVORS), she still has emotional roller coasters that match my cycle.  For this reason, I understood the frowny face she wore today.  I walked over, put my arm around her shoulders and told her it was "Okay" to be frustrated and want to bite, hiss or scratch something.  (Cat similes, metaphors and analogies are BIG in my house, actually, in my life.) I told her that despite feeling awful and angry she needed to find a way to feel calm inside.  Luckily, we were in church and I could say all of these things over the whir of the music.  We hadn't chosen the best spot to sit as the music was very loud and hurt our ears, but it was good for sharing deep thoughts with my tween.

The music finished and the message started.  He preached about many things.  The most important thing I heard was to listen to God's voice.  He speaks inside of each and every one of us.  We have to take care to listen.  I am on a journey to quiet the noise and to listen to the voice inside of my heart.  Not the voice that says YES!!!  The voice that says, "I Love You, no matter what."  The voice that says, "You are created in MY image and you are perfect, loved and forgiven."  That doesn't mean I'm going to rob a bank and then hope to find redemption, but redemption exists even for the bank robbers, the child killers, and the home wreckers.  God sent Jesus to die on the cross for each and every one of us despite our flaws, sins and short comings.  We are never going to be good enough alone, but through the blood of Christ we are redeemed.

I do not pretend to be better or to know better than my friends and if you do not know Christ I do not judge you.  If religion has betrayed you, welcome to the club.  Religion is NOT Christ.  Christ is Christ.  If you think you might want to know more, there are so many places you can go.  If church is not for you, maybe you'll consider a radio station. K-Love(click here for prayer) is one of my favorites.  Religion and church are NOT perfect and they will fall short of what you need, but God will NEVER fall short of what you need.  He created you and LOVES you so very much.  If you think God and Jesus are a bunch on garbage, I challenge you to seek them.  Find out what they are about and decide for yourself.  You won't be disappointed.

I am thankful for forgiveness as I fall short of perfection DAILY. (Day 194).  Goodnight Friends.  By the way, Tuesday, July 23, 2012 will be our one year mark!  One year of The Stricker Post adventures!!

Treasure Hunt

Yesterday while grocery shopping with my mom and kids, Brett and my mom got lost.  Chloe and I managed to meet a really fascinating man in the condiment aisle while search for just the right BBQ sauce.  He had the greatest stories and seemed like a fun guy.  I was hoping my mom would find us at some point so she might be able to meet this super fun guy.  Any man who decides to go to bull riding school at age 69 is someone everyone needs to know!

During our conversation, I hear, "Mimi Starnes, Please come to the Business Office desk."  I excuse myself from the conversation and give him a smile and a handshake.  I walk over to the business office and scold my mom for not finding me as I've met the perfect guy for her!!  I sent her to find him in the store and instructed her to invite him to dinner.  Later I asked her if she was not aware that thirteen years ago I got married and had a different last name.  She shrugged her shoulders.

Tonight he drove up with his service dog, Buddy, in tow.  We had a great dinner and fun conversation. Although my mom and our dinner visitor have many, many things in common, they are not a match, AT ALL.  His company was enjoyable and we have found a new friend in Boerne.  During our dinner, Thadd discovered a nest of eggs.  I have been so concerned with the days of few eggs and I know we had recently been feeding them all sorts of treats.  I have been perplexed by our few eggs and find great comfort in finding this bush nest.

Tonight was a great night shared with great conversation and a basket full of eggs.  I am thankful for the egg treasure hunt and the enjoyable dinner conversation. (Day 192).  Goodnight Friends.

Love is...

Have you ever gotten mad at someone for something they did that was actually nothing wrong and you were the problem?  I hate when I have to admit to being the problem.  Sadly, I am the problem way more often than the solution.  Yesterday I had a huge fight over something that was a problem I created.  After talking and crying and crying and talking and blowing my nose a thousand times I came to realize my mistake.  It was actually ALL MY fault.

This morning I woke up, saddened by my ridiculous display.  I apologized to the only person in this world who knows all of my flaws and still chooses to wake up next to me every day.  He graciously hugged me and acted as if I had not had a huge tantrum the night before.  He even made me coffee and let the animals out.  He likely will never speak of the argument again and will never use it to embarrass me or upset me or as "ammunition" in a fight.  The man I married plays fair.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

New International Version (NIV)

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

I am thankful for a husband who does not allow his tongue to be a sword but instead restraint. (Day 191).  Goodnight Friends.  May all of us be as the scripture says, LOVING.

A Bird In The Hand

After twenty-eight(28) days of waiting we wanted the baby goose to emerge.  Perfect and wet with a tiny bill and an egg tooth.  We wanted to watch it dry in the humidity of the incubator and take its first steps.  It did not happen.  Today, after thirty days we cracked the egg open to find mold and a nasty, creamy center.  No doubt, a rotten egg.  It had been forming, but not into a perfect little goose.  It formed in to a nasty, stinky rotten egg beloved by my cat and dogs.  They hurried over to check the delicious smell only to find me covering their next meal in dirt.  

Earlier in the morning as we arrived at the barn for our routine milking, the children saved a tiny male cardinal from the kitten's jaws.  I am not sure which kitten they shamed for being a, well, a cat.  The entire herd of cats was confused by the taking of the cheeping bird from their grips only to be held above their heads and out of reach.  The cats searched high and low and could not find the baby bird finding refuge in Brett's hands.  

Chloe announced, "Finally!!!  God has sent me the bird I have been longing for!"  If I had a free hand I would've slapped my head.  Brett was a little less dramatic and insisted we care for the injured bird.  I decided to take it to someone with experience.  We drove in to town to drop Chloe's friend, who had spent the night, at her dance camp.  I was wearing my inappropriately short denim cutoff milking shorts, an extra large Dr. Pepper shirt I won with a bottle cap entry, lace up waterproof gray boots and I opted for a bra before leaving the house.  We were rushing to get her friend to dance camp on time.   I call the wildlife refuge clinic and they are excited for and agree to treat the chirping bird.

I drive as fast as my car will take us while also maintaining the appropriate posted speed limit to avoid another speeding ticket.  The last one set me back nearly $200 and also the abuse of a husband constantly reminding me of my infraction.  The guilt of spending that much money on something so useless is punishment enough.  The refuge is located in Kendalia.  Kendalia is about forty-five minutes from my house.  twenty minutes in to the ride Brett announces, "We no longer need to go to the refuge.  The bird died."  I quickly pull over off the two lane highway with dust flying as I slam on my breaks.  I'm no sure when I became emotionally invested in the cardinal.  I take a closer look.  He is, in fact, dead.  I turn the car around and return home.  We bury the cardinal with the rotten egg.  Sadly, the birds in our hand were not worth more than the two in the bush.

I am thankful I never arrived at the wildlife refuge in my milking outfit.. (Day 191).  Goodnight Friends.

This Could Save Your LIFE!

Friends, this evening I am attaching the story of fellow mom and blog warrior.  Her story is unique in many ways, but mostly for having survived mesothelioma.  She does not offer a message of blame or entitlement for having been exposed to the very thing that made her sick, but she shares a message of hope.  Many of us, growing up in the 70's and 80's risk exposure to these elements.   It is a short video and an inspiring one.  Get the facts to save your life.

Her name is Heather Von St James and she has shared her story many places but will NOT stop until she reaches EVERYONE.


Click here to watch a short video of Heather's story.

or

Click here to read about Heather.

Whether you watch or read, you will be inspired by her determination and will to survive, but also by here incredible urgency to spread awareness.  She wasn't just happy to survive, she wants you to survive and thrive, as well.

I am thankful for Heather and her inspiration journey.  (Day 190).  Goodnight Friends.