Happy Independence Day!!

Why We Should Still Honor America

(click on the link to see a video of Billy Graham speaking about our country)

Honoring America and God on July 4 (this is from the Billy Graham website) . . . .

Read Part of Mr. Graham's Message:

"Pericles built a civilization upon culture and it failed. Caesar built a civilization upon power and it failed. Our forefathers founded the United States upon faith in God, and our country will survive only as it honors God.

"Our nation was built on a foundation of moral law, in which a person’s rights were also balanced by a person’s responsibilities. Why should I, as a citizen of heaven and a Christian minister, join in honoring any secular state?

"The Bible says, 'Honor the nation.' As a Christian or a Jew, or as an atheist, we have a responsibility to an America that has always stood for liberty, protection and opportunity.

"There are many reasons why we honor America today. America has opened her heart and her doors to the distressed and persecuted of the world. America has been the most generous nation in history. We have shared our wealth and our faith with a world in need.

"America has never hidden her problems and faults. With our freedom of the press and open communication system we do not sweep our sins under the rug. America defends the right of her citizens to dissent. Dissent is the hallmark of our priceless freedoms. But when dissent takes violent forms it becomes anarchy."

"We may be a vastly different people today than we were two hundred years ago. Our society is far more complex, more pluralistic. But of this we can be sure. God has not changed and His laws have not changed.

He is still a God of love and mercy. But He is also a God of righteousness and judgment. Any individual or nation, which ignores His moral and spiritual laws, will ultimately face His judgment."

Butchering Chickens!!

Yesterday was the day we butchered our 20 broilers!! Of course we just had to choose the first 94 degree day of the summer to do it!! :-) Here are some pictures we took to share with you how we did it (WARNING: this is not for the faint of heart!!). This was our very first time butchering a bunch of chickens at once (and using the right tools!) so we learned a lot. It sure feels good to have 18 home grown chickens in the freezer . . . and 2 cooking for supper!! YUM!!

  Caleb was the official "killer." :-)
He caught the chicken and brought it over to be slaughtered.

He slit it's neck and let the blood drain out . . .

 . . . and brought it over to Daniel, who dipped it in the boiling water.

Then Daniel threw the chicken in the "whizbang," a machine that spins around and plucks all the feathers off.

 

Tada!! Isn't that handy?!

After that, dad would take it and . . . DAD, stop playing with the chicken and pretending it's alive!! You're scaring Ethan!! :-)

Anyway, so Daniel had the knives all sharpened . . .

 . . . for dad to cut the legs and head off and get all the guts out.

Then one of us would bring the finished chicken up to the house . . .

Where mom, Lydia, and I vacuum sealed each one for the freezer!

 

Was it gross? A little bit . . .

 . . . but not too bad!!!

Our garden is doing GREAT this year (compared to other years, that is)!! This picture is only part of the garden. If anyone loves buttercup squash, we hope to sell lots of it this fall! :-)

We got our first raspberry last week!! You haven't lived until you've had a raspberry fresh from the garden . . .

 

 . . . OR a fresh green sweet pea!! YUM YUM!!

Who knows what kind of plant this is? Clue: it's two words.

This year we actually got some juicy, tart cherries!! We also have several apple trees that we make into applesauce in the fall.

It's hard work living on a farm and growing/raising your own food . . . but it's SO good and SO worth it!!!

More long-overdue-posts coming soon!! :-)

Busy, Busy, Busy!!!!

Only four days left, and the documentary will be in the mail to the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival!!! Thank you all for your prayers - I have seen the attacks of satan come against this project, but I have also seen the power of God at work!

Here's a few pictures for now, taken with my new Canon Rebel XS digital SLR camera . . . I hope to post more when these busy days are over!!! I just used auto mode and did hardly any editing to these (I'm looking forward to learning all the features on my camera when I have more time). :-)

 

This is my Aunt Jan who came to visit us for several days. I will do a long post soon on our adventures together!!!

P.S. Thanks to my brother Caleb for taking my new profile picture!! :-)

Picture Post

Here's a quick update on the documentary, which we have been working on like crazy . . .

The deadline to enter it in the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival is June 30th. So in the next couple of weeks the Vest family and I will be working hard to get the final details put together - music, pictures, narration, and lots more!! After it's entered, I'll get a trailer up here on my blog so you can all get an idea of what we've been working on!! :-) Please be in prayer that everything goes smoothly, as I've encountered a lot of problems with my editing software, and we've seen satan attack in other ways as well!

Okay, now for a few various, fun, pictures of things we've done in the past months!!

SKIING!! (in February, at the Andes Tower Hills)

 

BABY DUCKS!! (in April, for cute pets, and for eggs if they're females)

FLOWERS!! (in May, from my recital)

 

GARDEN!! (which we finally got in at the end of May - Daniel built these fences for the peas/beans. Everything's coming up real nicely now!! We are going to have buttercup squash coming out our ears!!)

 

AARON and ETHAN!!! (we helped our good friends move over Memorial weekend)

ABBY and LYDIA!!

BEAUTIFUL SCENERY!!

CALEB'S NEW GUN!! (which he just bought - it's a 30-06 and he's quite proud of it!)

Well, I think that's it for now. Back to editing!! :-) 

Summer Devotions Challenge

Loving the Lord Ministries hosts a Summer Devotions Challenge every summer, and I want to encourage each one of you young ladies out there to be a part of it!! Go HERE, then go under Events and Programs, click on the Summer Challenge, and then on the left you'll see the button to download the challenge chart. Let me know if you decide to do it!! :-)

Recital Video 2

Here's a second video of me playing piano and harp. The first song is called "Souls that Never Die" and it's one I wrote last summer to go along with some words that a relative of some friends had written (below). I am not a very good song writer, so I think God gave me this melody - I hope it's a blessing to you!

SOULS THAT NEVER DIE

By Hazel W.

1. Men are made by God in fashion,
After His beloved Son,
And an ever living soul,
He has placed in every one.

2. While his earthly journey wending,
In his path the junction lies,
And himself the end decideth,
For his soul that never dies.

3. Though today man passes onward,
Little caring for the cry,
Of the ones who seek to warn him -
Men have souls that never die.

4. Fast the judgment is approaching,
Open hell before him lies,
Then the dreadful realization,
Men have souls that never die.

5. Words cannot express the rapture,
Of the man who has been wise,
And has chosen Christ for refuge,
For his soul that never dies.

6. Everlasting peaceful dwelling,
All their sorrows are behind,
Christ, the full sweet joyous portion,
Of the soul that never dies.

Recital Video 1

Here's a link to a video of Daniel on the piano, Lydia on the piano, and also Lydia on the harp (from the spring recital). Mom took it with her little camera, but she didn't know that when she zooms in/out the audio doesn't work!! :-) Oh well. I hope you enjoy this!!