One of the funnest things I’ve ever done was participating in the Volunteer Fire Department for ten years. They were looking for a Chaplain who would pray at their weekly meeting. I agreed to be Chaplain, but only if I could be a full-fledged smoke eater, trained in every possible way.

One fall, we got a call to a farm west of town. I knew one of the fellas who owned part of the farm. He and a couple of his friends were breeding the “perfect pig”. They’d spent years experimenting in order to produce a lean, not so mean, bacon producing machine! (g) In his real life, he was a dentist, but in his spare time he was a pig producer!

As I got close to his spread, I could see the flames coloring the night sky. It was fall, the air was crisp, and the barn, composed mostly of very old wood, put on quite a show.

When I exited Old Blue (my ’69 Chevy), I could smell the sweet savor of unintentional BBQ. In fact, most of the fire department took some very good eating home that night after the fire was out. Because of the distance from town, the barn didn’t have much of a chance to survive.

While walking through the still glowing embers, I frequently took the toe of my rubber boots and kicked a mound of glow apart so it could go ahead and burn itself out more quickly.

I nudged one mound and discovered a hen. Sad to say, she was KFCed. However, under her were several of her young chicks – fully alive. When she knew that her time was short and her chicks were totally defenseless, she gathered them under herself in order to protect them. Gave her life to save her chicks!

Interested in your response to this piece. Just use the “Leave a Reply” box below and let me know what the Lord says to you! Feel free to share prayer requests and praise reports with me as well as the Lord directs you.

SOME RESPONSES TO “WHAT I’VE LEARNED SO FAR…”

Great picture. He has beautiful hair! I pray all goes well for you. God bless you!

Well Jerry, may God bless “Bob The Builder” and with his many years of experience, may he build you the best house there is. I pray it won’t take all that long and that it will be a glitch free ordeal for you. Hopefully, and prayerfully, it won’t be too long before you are sitting on YOUR porch watching the raptors. Blessings to you!

– Yes, we know about the prices on building supplies. Our daughter and son-in-law are moving to Clarksville, TN next week. (He is a Major in army and will be at Ft. Campbell, KY). They had to buy a new house because there is no housing available on the post and all the rentals in the area have been taken. Immediately after they signed the papers on their house, the price on the house next door (identical, but reversed) went up $7000! Amazing. Pray all goes well with your building.

– This week is almost over. You are much in my prayers as you embark on this new house-building venture. If you have a reputable builder, you’ve got the worst part licked. He’ll have to deal with all the permits and stuff. He is your best asset!

– Coming home from Bar Harbor Sunday, having done the Tourde Cure for diabetes I stopped at a friend’s house. He is just competing for his 22 year old daughter, who is a quad from an accident 3 years ago. We were able to get her on my hand cycle. She was tired, but excited. We will try again. Her father is an architect and has designed her house to be 100% accessible. I do those kind of designs daily, but he did a fabulous job. He bought a side by side refrigerator with shallow shelves she could reach, installed a front loaded washer dryer, and a roll in tiled shower. Even the dishwasher has a pull out drawer instead of a fold down door. I am collecting ideas for my own home.

– Thanks for sharing, Jerry. I don’t have any comments for this one but keep me apprised of your plans and may God’s will be done. The scripture from Proverbs, “A man plans his ways but the Lord directs his steps” comes to mind.

– The lot looks really cool from the picture with all the trees. Of course, that is coming from someone who comes from an area where they are in short supply. I hope things go well for you as you start to build. It’s a big job, but it can be a lot of fun

– That is neat. We had lots of fun when we were building our house.

– Good to hear about your progress on the new living quarters. I’ve never had that particular experience, but I’m sure you’ll appreciate every little square inch once it’s completed and you’re living in Georgia.

– Hi, read about your house-to-be. I used to be really sensitive to all sorts of stuff (no, trust me, I’m not going to recommend your dear wife try anything, etc. [grin]). We ended up living in a travel trailer… the kind owned by a little old lady who didn’t smoke and only ate raw food (hence, the LPG hadn’t permeated the walls). Tried to get my husband, THE CONTRACTOR, to build us a house, but there wasn’t as much info about building healthy homes then as there is now. Even HE (who knew how sick I got) figured I wouldn’t have any problem with the treated lumber and particle board sheathing because “it gets covered up.”

Well, today we went to Lowe’s to get a little piece of wood cut for me (Hubby is retired). While we were standing there, getting our little 24″x18″ piece cut, an employee came along with a piece of treated lumber to have Mr. Person-Operating-the-Saw cut. The guy took one look at the piece of lumber and bellowed, “I CAN’T CUT THAT IN HERE! YOU’RE NOT EVEN SUPPOSED TO HAVE THAT INSIDE! IT’S FULL OF ARSENIC! WE’RE GONNA GET CANCER!” I was laughing hysterically, because that’s what I used to do when hubby worked with the stuff all the time. I was allergic to “him” (but it was the sawdust, really).

Now healthier, plus living in a house that’s about 10 years old and really didn’t have ANYthing done to it by its former owners except keep it clean with non-toxic stuff.