Stay Behind God

This last weekend was Mission Fest, and I think there's a lot of us who came out of it raring to go, to do, to make an impact for the spread of the Gospel - with impatience, even. That is a very good thing. Every one of us needs a little fire burning under the seat of our pants, never satisfied, always ready to jump for the Lord.

For some, the spark that lights their fire is some good ole statistics. Jamie Saint showed us a hundred-yard measuring tape and said that if it represents the 3 billion people who have never heard the Gospel, than the number of full-time missionaries currently on the foreign field were represented by 1/8 of an inch. 90% of those work in countries that are considered reached (where everyone knows at least one Christian).

Others get their spark from hearing a personal story, such as a missionary coming home after spiritual attack or a new believer breaking down in tears because their deceased family members never got to hear the truth (these things happen all the time, all over the world).

However your fire is lit, it burns extra bright right after Mission Fest, and we young people are tempted to run out and start wildly proclaiming the truth. Cherish that impulse, because it is the right one to have. But like all of our urges, it needs to be brought before the Lord and we mustn't forget to be in prayer over our missionary aspirations.

The Lord does not do blanket calls.

He speaks to each person and directs them in His way at the right time. Very likely He has many important lessons to teach you before you can be an effective worker for Him. Learn to tune your spiritual ears. Never resist a prompting, even in a really embarrassing situation. In the journey to overcoming spiritual deafness He may have to shout at first, but if you listen and obey, eventually He will speak more quietly, you will respond more quickly, and you will learn to recognize the voice of the Lord better than the human voices around you.

A few years ago I heard a preacher use a phrase during a missions report, and it has stuck with me ever since. He said he had been eager to move on to the next step on the mission field and was praying for direction, when the Lord replied,

"Stay behind Me."

In all the energy of youth and untamed fervour it is a challenge to stay behind God. Let's talk about this concept.

Obviously it means not running out ahead with our own grand ideas. The Lord is very patient. He runs the clock and He can see the future, so I think we can trust His judgement on the timing of things. If we get impatient with His process we can dash out and end up creating a whole big mess. Staying behind God means waiting for His leading and provision before hurrying into a new ministry or chapter of life.

Another way to look at staying behind God is remaining under His guiding and protecting hand, letting Him take the buffeting and keeping in His wake. He places us behind Him because of His great love for us. I think of the scene in Jane Eyre where Jane and Mr. Rochester are in a room with a mad woman, and he takes Jane and puts her behind him before receiving the wrath of the mad woman and locking her back up. Staying behind God means we are preserved from the worst of the devil's attacks and threats.

The last and most encouraging aspect of staying behind God is that He never asks us to do anything He isn't willing to do Himself. When we walk in His footsteps we know He has been there before us, preparing the way and covering our path with His blessing and grace. He says, "This is the Way. I have walked it and I know what you will encounter along the journey. Walk in it, and I will be with you wherever you go."

The Lord has only ever given me jobs I really enjoy. Somehow no matter where He sends me He always manages to find me my favourite task. I have been discouraged, sure, and there may have been moments of distaste or nervousness, but I have never had occasion to wish I was doing anything else. Fear God, but not because He is a monster. He knows you better than you know yourself, and if you entrust your next step to His direction, He will ensure you never regret it.

Soli Deo Gloria

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California 2019 Trip

I'm not sure what this blog post is going to be. Stories? Pictures? Vlogs? Let's see.

We set out early on a Sunday (very unorthadox, I know - and Jane Austen condemns it in Persuasion, but my Dad has not read her). Mercer stayed behind, the second member of the family to boycott a family trip (I was the first).

Very cheerful and smiling most of us look. This picture was likely taken before the milk spilled.

Now we have made it "far far away" as one small member describes most of North America, and look! we are still smiling! I believe this was the mountain pass into Yellowstone.

Okay, now we aren't happy anymore. But hey, it was cold and we were camping. We also staged this picture.

If you have not been to Yellowstone Nat'l Park, go. But stay away during the time when anyone would like to be there. Try January?

We took quite a number of family selfies. In the foreground can be seen Gibson's very long arm, and in the background, some dead trees.

I took this one. Check out the colour of the water!

Freezing cold people, smoking hot hills.

My favourite spectacle was the spectators at this splendiferous and supereminent spurting spire. (Old Faithful, if you must know.)

It doesn't get more iconic than white-water rafting on the Yellowstone River.

This was on the Moon.

Actually it was a place in Idaho called Craters of the Moon Nat'l Monument.

Now we are in Yosemite, where Son't is sheepish over a pile of half-eaten orange peels.

Sequoias are the biggest living things on earth. Except when they die they are the biggest dead things on earth. Here one can see both kinds.

Bronte loved the shuttle rides around the park, but always found a good handhold and pinched firmly. Most of the time she refrained from pinching strangers.

At last! The Pacific Ocean! This was the underpass to the beach just below our campground.

There is nothing quite like the ocean in all the world.

We spent one day exploring Los Angeles. Here we are at Union Station.

Hollywood was an interesting experience for us conservative homeschoolers. I'm sure we were an interesting experience for some of the kind frequenting Hollywood.

This is an office building that doubles as a big film set. And some tourists that double as wonks.

While Mercer was with us he did us some Presidential Musing. This is the happy peace of the Berlin Wall.

We spent approximately 150 hours in the ole white van. Sometimes we just made the best of it.

This was a street performer on the waterfront in San Fransisco. I was trying to plug the poor baby's ears.

Now this was a really horrible experience. The ape caves at Mt. St. Helens. (Note from the Editor: I perceived that experience as nothing horrible. ~T.P.)

And this was wonderful - friends in Washington state, and the sunset view.

The river valley full of fog on the morning we left.

And look at that. It turned out to be pictures. Come talk to one of us for the stories, I guess.

Mom put some pics on the farm blog: https://www.morningsoundfarm.com/single-post/2019/10/08/Farm-Family-on-a-Holiday

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Two Babies and Five Crazies meet Summer on the Farm

Our Tour Season is like no other time nowhere else. Every day this caravan of cars and this troupe of buses unload themselves onto our yard and we get to play cool farmer. There's never a boring moment. Sometimes the the cows get out during lunch; sometimes a kid asks in all innocence, "how does the baby cow get inside the mommy's tummy?"; sometimes we have five groups all on one day; always it's boiling hot. Good good good. If you've never been here while we're in operation come on down some Saturday in July. It's a hoot.

Below please enjoy some pics I selected from the last couple months.

Oh yeah, I was in hospital. Lots of blood drawn.

This is what I was woken to every morning.

Full story here.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

This is Eeyore, a staple in my daily tour.

Breeze, the sophisticated riding hoss.

Light baths, water baths, showers of kisses - Bronte welcomes them all.

The ringleader for a new generation of escape artists.

Farm, farm jeans.

We got solar panels put up on our roof, giving the whole farm an off-the-grid look.

Who's this? A flower among flowers!

My favourite winged resident - Brewer's Blackbird.

Unless I like this one better - Junco.

Bronte is noted for her eyes.

And the prairie for its skies.

Bun bun on bonny lass lap.

The spring Film Challenge was held at our place on June 1st.

My team rocked a Risk/Real Life imagination/forgiveness combo film.

Watch them all here!

Dad ensured that the first real food all of us tasted was a pickle.

They're not quite besties yet.

Pretty paddle pool pics p'obly.

A rare and seldom-seen creature - the Northern Pool Party Dasher.

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork.

As usual, most of the photo credits and all the video credits go to Phoebe.

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