Tag: Gardens

“Night Watcher” #6 / Skypeople.

Path Without End

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Sunday again, already? Yes indeed. We were having church last night with some people and we got into our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount. What is this higher place Jesus wants to take us? We follow Him into the Infinite, and away from finite.

Somehow, as we pondered the Beatitudes, I found myself sharing the name I have chosen for this little house of ours that is currently in such disarray as we are remodeling it into a House Church. We use to call it “The Little Blue Bungalow”, but in the journey of this transformation, things have taken a distinct turn towards a theme of “Birds”! And I shared last night I have nicknamed this place, “God’s Bird House”. People actually chuckled about that.

When we found a beautiful set of French Doors at a Habitat for Humanity store, and it was actually in our price range, (cheap!), as a bird would say, but we purchased it with great delight and dismay, loaded it in our old truck, and once it was installed, our room suddenly opened up into our small, private, backyard area. And when it did, we got inspired to create a bird sanctuary. It has been a delight. It is still in progress also, and has become the theme of this house.

This should be no surprise to me. Birds and I go way back. I’ve always had a thing about them. I even wrote the story of “Flapless”, which you can access for free in the side bar. And now, I find our ministry being used to inspire God’s people to live by your wings more than your feet! Stop running, slow down, and soar!

“I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” (Gal. 5: 16 KJV)

“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. “ (Gal. 5: 16 NLT)

We are called to live by our wings!

When you look out our French Doors you see this >

It is amazing to me what a small area can be turned into. I’ve seen Jesus turn plain old water into wine so many times! Here’s another example. Our basement on this old house leaks like a cracked tub, so we have always had a sump pump. But where was the water to go? The city has allowed our front ditch to fill in and be of little use, and we’re not on city sewer, so I dug a hole! Just a basic pit for the water from our basement to go into and evaporate or sink back into ground. It was just meant to be a holding place. Well.. it turned into a beautiful small pond!

20200823_101002The city has checked it and it is clean. The water has filtered through the ground and that is all it is. Our basement pumps it into my hole and it became part of our bird sanctuary. It became an ecosystem of its own and the birds love it! But why am I sharing all this? People of God, we’re meant to live “higher”. And some of you immediately think dollar signs $ when I say that, and you reveal your lack of Spirit!

Remember where this message started? We we’re looking at the Sermon on the Mount, and the Beatitudes. Would the real Jesus please stand up! Because I don’t see many modern churches teaching what Jesus really said and did.  Everyone says they love the Beatitudes, but I don’t see many people living them, which tells me they speak with forked tongue, like a snake, not a bird.

Birds are used so often in scripture in describing the Christian life, the life of following Jesus, like a bird on the wing, riding the wind. Of course we all think of Isaiah 40:31… They that wait upon the Lord… and the eagle.

Birds are called to live in the high places. They are the skypeople, and so are we, unless we’re not. Why live as the ground dwellers when you can live by a different set of laws superseding the natural. We are called to soar!

We are in a season of great turmoil and who is to say how long this may be, or where it is going, but are you skypeople or ground dweller? You’re going to need your wings! In our Lord’s Sermon he challenges us with these words… “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?” (Matt. 6:26) And I’m one of those people who love feeding them.

We love the Sermon on the Mount, the real Jesus, don’t we? But does this describe our life? So much fear today. So little real faith and peacefulness of soul. So much anger and politics.  So much “want” of money and material things. This message actually “begins” with our Lord declaring blessed are the poor! Less is more? Wow. Is it any wonder as we opened these words last night, I found myself sharing the theme and nickname of our little home… “God’s Bird House”? And the transformation slowly continues.

I wanted to share something a bit more inspiring and light of heart today in the midst of all this doom and gloom. Never forget our Kingdom is above! And we but passing through this place. Do we care about the ground dwellers? Yes we do, but we can only do so much. Just like Jesus, we teach the truth of the finite verses Infinite, but we can force no one to believe, receive, and be transformed.

In the end, I watch the turmoil of earthly people who live in flesh rather than Spirit, and I praise God again, over and over, for my wings. I catch the Wind and know peace. I invite others to believe. My wings were freely given and I seek to freely give. But true skypeople are still the minority in this post Christian nation.

Do not follow Esau. Do not trade your birthright for a pot of dirt. Do not live earth bound by fear and lack of peace when you are birthed to soar! Be of good cheer, little bird! Your heavenly father knows what you have need of! Peace be unto you.

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This is my chair and my spot right by the French Doors looking out on the pond, the feeders, our 2 hummingbirds (such a delight), and other birds and small critters, as I pray, ponder, listen, and write.

Learning to Share – Part IV

Path Without End

5883 So how can we share everything we own without becoming an actual “commune”? The Lord’s prayer says give us this day our daily bread. God promises to meet our needs. I don’t believe the Bible teaches poverty or destitution. Poverty is part of the curse. But how much do we actually “need”, and how much could we share if we truly lived by faith? How creative could we become in helping others with our abundance? Our extra.

“And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.” Acts 2:44

This is a personal question between every true believer and the Spirit of Christ. What God shows me to do is no reflection on what he might give others to do. But how many Christians today are really sharing all they have and loving their neighbor as themself? This is a real problem in the modern version of Jesus many of us follow today. I finally left this modern church and decided to face Jesus for real, therefore, I finally had to learn to truly share, or deny Christ!

So here is what an all-knowing, all-loving, and very creative God has shown me. Yes, it had my wife almost in tears, but she has come around a lot. I’m very proud of her. Sometimes we need time to process things, and realize our heart really does like this, even if there will be personal pain involved.

And Jason, also, as our other member, is also searching his heart to know his part. It was not an easy Fellowship meeting that night. Jason is no handyman and we all know this. So it is likely he will eventually help in other ways, but here are the long awaited details of what God has asked me to do in sharing our 1400 square foot home.

It starts with a garden and ends in a laundry mat. Our house is “L” shaped, which creates a secret secluded area in the “L” in which we have been creating a secret garden, as a prayer garden, for going on two summers now. We just added the tent gazebo in picture above. Now it just happens this house has two back rooms that my wife and I can spare if we put our minds to it. They can become something else, with a lot of work and creativity. God gave me a vision of what could be.

The two rooms can be connected by opening a wall. They have no outside door. There is no outside entry to these rooms, but one can be put in. This new access would be located right in the Prayer Garden area! So anyone entering those two rooms would come into the center of the garden to enter these rooms. But why would anyone want to come to these rooms? Perhaps a studio apartment? Make some extra income for ourselves? Lord knows we could use it, but we can also spare it!

So the plan is to put a washer and dryer in there, some free laundry soap, a sitting area with coffee, and invite struggling people to enter our prayer garden, enjoy the beauty and peace, enjoy some fellowship, and wash your clothes free! There is room for children to play in our fenced in yard. Time slots will have to be scheduled, and it will be “slower” than a laundry mat, but it will save them money, and they can have Church at the same time!!!

From the time I began the garden, the message was: “Slow Down and Hear God.” Those who have been with us for a while might remember the pictures and articles when we began gardening last year. Those articles are still deep in this blog site, but now the VISION grows! And to include a way to reach out to people, share God’s love in us, share our house, and offer free access to a washer and dryer.

Maybe there could be two washers and dryers some day, but never more, because that is part of the beauty of it, to slow people down and have them spend some “time” with us. Save your money; spend some time. Let us tell you about the sharing message of Jesus, who did not love money and material things as our modern church seems to. Let us show you the real Jesus Christ.

So…now you know what had Brenda almost in tears, because I’m also fixing this old house for her, and now my time and money was going to be more divided. The time table on all this is not known. Progress is slowly made every day. I’ll post some more pictures at end of this. But as long as I am faithful to do what God tells “me” to do, I don’t worry about anything else. Like right now I could be drywalling a wall, and finishing dry wall, but God said work the blog first, send out what I tell you. So here I am in my recliner typing rather than drywalling. It’s all the same to me, staying in God’s constant flow like an eagle in the wind.

We also saw the Avenger movie: ENDGAME. Are we near to ENDTIMES? Strange to make such a change of subject at this moment, but not really, because if you want to do a study of what it means to find a balance in loving our neighbor and loving ourself, do a study of the changes in attitude between Ironman and Captain America. Cap needed a little more “self-interest”, and Ironman a lot more “selflessness”. I’m telling you it is quite a study to do if you love comic book stuff. Sorry, I grew up on my Bible and comic books, while isolated in the country as a boy. That explains a lot, right?

So until the next time, and I have not forgotten Yinney, I’ll conclude with pictures here, but may your heart be moved to know the real Jesus Christ in all his glory. You will never regret it. And be creative! Amen!

This is the Murphy Bed I built, where my wife and I sleep in living room while our 1,000 sq. ft. of the house is being worked on. It’s really quite nice and no great sacrifice, although many spoiled Americans would probably say it is. The other 400 sq. ft. is to become the free laundry room.

That junk van has got to go. This will be entry to garden and the door to the rooms will be on this back corner of the house, very close to tent gazebo.

20190425_172730 That’s our windchime hanging from tent, and our small pond complete with bull frog and some water lilies I just planted. Goldfish coming soon.

So much to do, but loving every inch of progress. It gets me out of bed every day, and the Fellowship of the White Path, (FWP), of which we are constantly sharing God’s Word and growing in his Spirit.

I will do regular update articles on the progress. But I’m needing to get back to “Yinney” also, and quotes I love from mentors I have found in this way. Please keep reading. We enjoy every follower and any comments and questions offered. Peace be unto you, and love your neighbor as yourself. It is the Kingdom Way, and it is the real Jesus. And spread the Word! This blog site is an easy way to do that. Thank-you for reading.

“Yinneythought” for the day.

Path Without End

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I came across this photo of myself the other day, and it blew my mind. It was stuck away in a bunch of other photos as so often happens. I’m 63 now, and I was around 29 at this time and doing 4 years in the Army. I’m not sure if I was in Georgia or Maryland for this picture. I think it was Maryland.

When I saw it, I couldn’t help but be struck by the similarity of the sloth picture I have been using, and the picture of myself! Figure the odds! How in the world? And something like 34 years ago?

Jesus spoke in parables that the Pharisees hated and would have refused to read. The spiritual meaning of his stories went right over the head of others, but then there were also those who loved them. The simple story of a sloth named Yinney in the Amazon jungle is much the same way. The God we love is a gardener, but many people live lives of the jungle instead of letting God do his work. Our God also is peace-loving, but many live lives of being a predator. I love the unique perspective on God and what it means to be a Christian this story offers.

I am amazed at the simplicity and spiritual depth found in a story of a sloth. I hope we’re not to busy to take the time to slow down and hear God in a simple story. If I was ever so sure of anything I have written, Yinney has stolen my heart. The beauty of slow is not appreciated in our modern times, but God says gardens are slow grow, and weeds love speed. Think about it.

Chapter One of “Yinney the Sloth who needed to Poo” starts on January 20, 2019. Simply go to archives and find January to begin your forward journey with Yinney.

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“Sloth Wars”

Path Without End

images (1) In my journal today I think about what happened last night, on my way home from Teepee. I suddenly realized I had left my phone! Ug. I’m two-thirds way home! But I don’t plan on being back for 2 weeks. I don’t want to go two weeks without my phone. I got my Mogli music (Selima Taibi – The Wanderer) on it, also books I like to read. Otherwise I could probably get by with my wife’s phone. It’s nice to do a quick check of blog site also. So I knew I had to turn the Ram around.

It was getting late and I was getting hungrier by the second. I so wanted to get home, fix some food, relax. However, now I would be at least 45 minutes later, and the war in my soul began. I recognize it very quickly. As spoken of in previous article I’m normally a peaceful river flowing. This is my normal state, and now something was threatening it. Huge rocks were appearing and the water was speeding up and jumping about. The war was on. The war to maintain peace, or not.

So I had to talk to myself. Do I really need to be home at any certain time? The fact was, I did not. See, here’s the rub. The more you have a fixed schedule with very little room for flexibility, the more likely you’re going to end up in the rapids. In other words, an adaptability to slow, an acceptance of slow will greatly aid your war against stress and the rat race world we live in. I’m sure your job forces enough of a schedule on you, but how much do we do to ourself? So…the wise Jedi Knight has a mentality of Sloth Wars!

The Bible warns about being a slothful or lazy person, but Sloth Wars is about being a peaceful person who lives in a certain flow. The eagle soars. A steady consistent flow of forward motion will accomplish more than you think, (if you trust God), and you will enjoy the journey. There absolutely are roses to smell along the way if your eyes are open.

So I turned my truck around and began driving back. The slow flow has its own glow and still accomplishes things. The lazy river enjoys the journey. It is not ate up with desire for destination. I still got home that night, and did not starve.

Which shines the light of Christ, something accomplished peacefully, or in stress? Unless the Lord builds the house, the laborers labor in vain. People may gather and build a great house unto the Lord, but is it really a house of the Lord? Is it filled with peace? Is it a refuge from the ways of this world? Or is it a religious reflection of the the same way the world operates?

True faith is a state of rest. Rest, contentment, peace, joy, a flow. We still have a destination. We’re still making a journey. We are not without vision, we have a strong vision of the peaceful river, and the supernatural of God blessing our efforts in such a way that unexpected things develop we never would have thought of. We believe in tapping into the supernatural, giving God a chance to work. If I think it all depends on me, if I’m unwilling to live with an open hand, but I’m constantly grasping at things, trying to keep control in my clenched fist, this is not the way of God’s supernatural. Can we “trust/faith” enough to let go? Can we live in gratitude no matter what? This is Sloth Wars. This is “The Fight of No Fight”, a supernatural surrender.

The peaceful river is constantly forming to the shape of the banks it flows through, while at the same time silently causing change, as it slowly erodes away the dirt, eventually causing even great trees to fall. As Jesus loved to say, Peace be unto you.

So I could have gotten into the flesh and become animalistic. I could have roared up the road racing around people and angered at my unexpected delay. I could have caused waves in other people’s lives just because my own suddenly angered me. But instead, Grandpa White Feather saved his soul from such torment. Things like these we constantly teach at Fellowship of the White Path. Peace we have and peace we teach. The jungle tried to come in. My garden fought with the jungle for about 3 minutes, but the garden won. And it came through surrender.

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The Glow of Slow – 1/16/19

Path Without End

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And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brothers to the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come here also.  (Acts 17:6)

In my journal today I began considering the beauty of slow. For some odd reason the calendar I bought for this year has a theme of “sloths”. I was attracted to it. They say the sloth spends most of its time seeing the world upside down, so much so that even their fur grows in the wrong direction! Can you believe that?

Well…I feel I identify with the sloth in many ways. I too, see the world upside down. If the unbelievers were saying the Apostles were turning the world upside down, then it was already upside down and they were turning it right side up! I don’t fit this world, nor do I fit the modern church, but my journal today are some thoughts concerning the flow of slow. I hope you enjoy.

Journal > I love the flow of my simple days. So far growing old has been mostly enjoyable, the chance to slow down. The glow of slow. Would a sloth be considered lazy? They seem happy. They meet their own needs. They live like forty years! The jungle is their home and they don’t ask for hand-outs. They live in their design and are very content in that. I’ve never seen a sloth trying to be a dog, monkey, or anything other than who they are. No personality complex. A picture of focus , peace, and contentment.

I don’t want to be lazy, but I do want to live in spirit, not flesh. The flow of slow. I’m convinced God drives in the slow lane. Most people cannot afford to slow down or their debt will catch up with them. What is that old saying? In the jungle the slowest gazelle gets eaten, and a lion who can no longer run will starve. So every day the sun rises, you must be ready to run. But that’s the animal kingdom, not man. Made in the image of God, there are other ways, mostly made possible by spirit. Unfortunately, we who consider ourself the hunter, often end up the hunted, by our debts! Who’s hunting who? Don’t you dare slow down, or they will catch you.

The flesh will certainly have you living like an animal if you let it. When I think of the “slow flow” I think of a peaceful river rather than raging rapids. Jesus lived in the flow. He was a master of it. I never see him panic or rush. Even when Lazarus was dying he did not drop everything in a panic and run to save the day. He stayed in Spirit, the Holy Spirit. This is what Jesus DID.

I don’t have to live like an animal, but so many do. When I see the hungry look in people’s eyes, what they lust for, I see the jungle. When I see the stress in their eyes and in their actions. When I hear the fight or flight in their words. When I see them popping pills to cope, it is the jungle. These people are trapped in man-made jungles, but God intended man to live in gardens. Yes, gardens. You remember Eden, right?

I’ve gone to Central Park in New York City three different times. It is so strange to see that patch of a garden in the midst of such a huge man-made jungle. That park is as a jewel set in ugly concrete. People flock to it to save their sanity and feed their soul. Man’s desire for beauty and peace is easily seen, even in a city of predators

In the jungle to capture something it must be hunted, pounced upon, chased; and only the strong and smart survive. New York City is full of such predators. They do not see the absurdity of the contrast. They pride themselves on being hungry, a hunter, a predator. They go to the park to prepare themself for another hunt. The measure of success is all that matters. In the documentary called “The Minimalist”, one of the two guys was disgusted with the fact he sold cell phones to children, in order to be successful. He had had an awakening, but many live in denial of what they do, what they have become.

But is “contentment” captured by way of a chase? Is contentment really that hard a thing to capture? Can it be captured in the pounce? Or is that why so few people have it? Is it captured only after the rat race has burned us out and wised us up? Is it caught or simply embraced? Like trying to grab something in water. Come at it too fast and it moves farther away, always just out of reach.

Hhmmm, I can see I want to write more on this. So I will end for now, with a picture of a turtle. My wife loves turtles, so much so I have given her the name of “Turtle Faith Lady”. We’re about to start some renovating of our small house. She has the theme of ocean and turtles as our main room, so I told her today that I get one room to have a theme of the sloth. We shall see what room that shall be? Possibly bathroom. But trees and shades of green will likely spring forth in some room of this house. LOL. More coming soon, this is Grandpa White Feather signing off.

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Is there something about moving slow that tends to a long life? How old do jackrabbits live?

“Surviving or Thriving!”

Path Without End

2711 Boy do I have the itch to write! Grandpa White Feather has been on the road for almost 2 weeks! I’m finally home, back in my territory! Ready to continue slow growing our spiritual garden. I have missed it, and it suffered while I was gone, but the mission was important. I have 2 grandchildren in Georgia, and Grandpa White Feather needed to see them, not to mention my 2 sons who also live there, along with their lovely wives. We are such a blessed family to have the unity we have.

So…I am the “Story Teller” in our family. I had a story to read to my grandchildren. The story is titled: “A Bird Called, Flapless”.  I am about to release this story over the Internet, and a link will be set from here. It’s what I call a children’s story for adults. Jesus said unless we become as little children we will not see the Kingdom of God.  It’s good for us to paint pictures of simplicity. It’s also a good story for parents to read to their children. About midway there is a section a parent will skip because it’s a bit too deep for children, good for adults, but the story continues for the children a couple chapters later.

2560So we put the story up on their flat screen and Grandpa did the reading. It was great fun. I hope this family has at least one story teller to tell the stories someday, after I’m gone. This important torch must pass to someone.

2616I made those wall hangers. They have our message of slow down and hear God. On the backside I wrote the spiritual name I gave them while down there, which was part of my mission. One Grandson went from “Boy Who Falls on Face” to “Sky Hawk”> He who dives in like a hawk! (Much better name.)

The younger Grandson really didn’t have a name yet, but he is now “Thunder Foot”> He who runs and kicks ball with thunder. (Another good name.) These will do for now, but as they are still developing their lives, who knows what their final name shall be? But I am here to constantly remind them of the “VALUE” of a “GOOD” name.

So we have much updating to do, because the gardens, the flower boxes, and the Teepee have been progressing, but I have not had time to update. The garden area for my mom has gone from this>

20180419_163408 To this… >

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20180507_184924 But now there is a story to be told and a spiritual analogy to be taught. The journey of this blog site has been a revelation of Jesus shifting everything from the religion of a Temple to the fellowship of the Table, including the Lord’s Supper which took place at a TABLE. Much has been written of this in previous articles.

I’ve been watching a survival series called “ALONE”. If you’re in to that kind of thing, like I am, you should watch it. It’s my favorite. But one thing I’ve noticed, there is “surviving” and there is “thriving”. Some of the people dropped on the island merely survive, but a few actually seem to thrive. A close study of the life of Jesus as revealed in our Bible shows that Jesus barely “survived” in the Temples, but he “thrived” at the Tables. I’m sorry to say, but as we grow nearer to our Lord’s second coming, I fear it may be so again. History always repeats itself?

You may have noticed there is an apple tree providing wonderful shade at the end of this cement block building. We have NEVER had any family fellowship under this tree. NEVER! All my life this has been so. There simply never was a reason to. Trees closer to the house were much more inviting, and there was nothing to see there but a cement block building. However, the other day my wife, Turtle Faith Lady, ROLLED in a very solid TABLE under that tree, and I don’t have a picture of it, but before the day was over, my mom, dad, wife, myself, and my dog, Shadow, was all setting under that tree, enjoying drinks, a cool breeze, shade, conversation, fellowship, the Presence of God, and the developing garden. It was wonderful, and a “first” at the farm. Here are some pictures I do have.

20180526_165729 You might notice Teepee in the background. Stories about the Teepee and the firewood are yet to come. But progress also being made there. Here’s Grandma Turtle Faith beginning to roll her TABLE.

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20180527_130414 Final destination under the apple tree. Oh yeah.

20180527_131407 Such a simple Table. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, it just needs to be real. This Table makes all the difference!

So much has happened and there is so much to write. Next article will be entitled: “Fear and Pleasure”. This is something God showed me while I was in Savanah Georgia. I’m taking leave of our topic of the “Seven Deadly Sins and our Spiritual Armor” for now…temporarily. The shift Jesus made from Temple to Table is SO IMPORTANT.

We need time at the TABLE more than in the TEMPLE. We ARE the temple. Study the church of Acts, the first church, and notice the emphasis on the TABLE. Revelation tells us there will be no temple in heaven, but God is our temple. As they were about to stone Stephen he asked, Who can build God a temple? The earth is his footstool and heaven his home! Jesus offers us to sit at the Table with God! Wow! Is your church about a Temple or a Table? This is our message today, with much more to come.

Our last article: “White Wolf”, I believe carries a very strong message. If you have not read, please check it out. We’re likely done with the Infinity War analogy, even though there is so much more that could be said. There are many people who can identify with the Winter Soldier to White Wolf transition. My path to Christ was peaceful in most ways, but there are many who have not been so lucky. You may be one of those.

So… we are back. The time seeing Grandkids and family was excellent. But it’s also good to be back here where we are building for God the testimony he has put in us. Praise the Lord, God is good. Always keep an eye to your path. Where are you going? I hope you know.

20180518_195449 Grandpa White Feather and Sky Hawk signing off. Where did that belly come from? Hhmmm. I got to work that off.

 

New Garden – 5/5/18

Path Without End

Today is a Saturday and the plan for Grandpa White Feather is to start a new garden here> (That’s my 82 year old mom in the picture. The garden is for her.)

 

We start with a deck. Turtle Gardens Forever! (TGF) Slow down and hear God.

If we succeed more pictures will follow. Garden going very well here at our house. It is already popping with new beauty and life even though there is so much yet to go. It’s amazing how much beauty even just a little garden can offer.

 

Don’t forget to check out our previous articles of “Infinity War” if you like a trip down a spiritual rabbit hole! In the meantime our Tipi Retreat, which is where today’s garden starts, is still developing.

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Love Upward & Outward #2

Path Without End

20180414_100445  “Two or more adults required”, is what the directions said. (Maybe I should say the directions WARNED!)

My wife decided we needed a wheel barrel in order to properly work our garden area, and I believe she is right, but did it have to be so difficult? “Some assembly required?” Our continuing saga of creating a beautiful place to “Slow Down, and Hear God”, Turtle Gardens. Nobody said it would be easy. And neither is loving upward and outward. In fact, two or more adults are required!

First of all, even though children seem to have a leg up when it comes to faith, let me be quick to say it requires an adult to have the “self-control” to properly love. Many are the flaws and imperfections we all bring to the common table. There will always be plenty of things to get upset and in a huff about, if that is what we are prone to do. And believe me, human nature is prone. Spiritual maturity is required to love others as ourself.

I see the creating of these Turtle Gardens as a physical picture of a spiritual path. It is my hope to reveal living lessons in picture form of the life God has called us to. Love involves two or more. It’s not about you! Death works in us so life can be born in others! That’s how love works. It’s a garden requiring much attention, but the beauty of it, and the peace of it, fills our life with such wonder and awe from day to day! Wow! It’s hard to explain. God makes it work. Another God paradox.

I have mentioned in earlier articles a home that was the victim of a drive-by shooting in which some 40 bullets were shot into this house. A one year old little girl was hit and died. I heard this on the news and thought how terrible. I did not know till someone called me that I knew the grandma, whose house it also was that was attacked. I’m planning an article soon showing a “Turtle Box” from our “Turtle Gardens” concept, that I just spent two days putting together. An old wood box became this:

It has a message of slow down and hear God on the side panels. More pictures will come in next article, but there is a lot of pain on planet earth, and we who claim to know the love of God, need to find real ways of showing it. It’s my prayer this flower box will open a door for me to talk with the grandma about God. We had some small conversations at work, but there needs to be much more. There is a “Table” our Lord invites us to. A Table I hope to sit at with her, and perhaps share some pain, and a cup of coffee. Table Ministry.

The body of Christ is too full of selfish children acting like children, and having very little adult action of true sacrifice to reach the world and create disciples in a real way. Ask yourself, how many have you “discipled”? Go ye and make disciples of all nations? Our Lord discipled more at Tables, than Temples.

There are no short cuts to discipleship. Perhaps that is why we see so little of it these days. In our “hurry up” and instant society, we have lost patience for the hard work and sacrifice of true disciple making.

In getting back to the wheel barrel, which is today’s lesson, my wife and I had some good quality time together as we struggled with the assembling of this thing. I had seen her trying to do it herself as I was digging out dirt for a screened in porch. I did not really want to stop what “I” was doing to enter what she was doing. But when she read me what the directions said about “two or more required”, I realized I needed to, and I’m very glad I did. It was the most fun I had that day.

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My wife, whom I have given the Indian name of “Grandma Turtle Faith Lady”, was so very proud of her wheel barrel as she wore her Wonder Woman shirt that day. You can see in this picture the joy in her smile, and even in her eyes. That look is priceless.

For a short time we were basking in the glow of success. The wheel barrel was together and working great! It was going to make our garden so much easier to create. However, this is planet earth, and it didn’t take long for some of the “earth curse” to try and upset the glow of our hard earned achievement.

As she was backing her way out of the surrounding construction work, you guessed it, she was in for a tumble! Grandma Turtle Faith Lady was about to go down! Hard!

In a split second her look of joy suddenly became fear, as the back of her heel struck a log while moving backwards, as it is hard to see, she instantly found herself falling! Making matters worse, the log lay beside a pile of pointy limbs! Thank the Lord she did not get impaled! But she did get a small cut and a very hard landing jarring every bone in her body. She was in pain. Planet earth had managed to do it again. Like coffee; bitter and sweet.

My first thought was get to her and is she alright? My second thought was get a picture for the blog site which she refused at threat of my own death. Needles to say, I have no picture to show you. So I helped her painfully and slowly rise from the ground.

I often compare life to coffee; bitter and sweet. Let’s enjoy a good cup of coffee together. We all experience bitter and sweet on planet earth, but together we can turn it into a cup of coffee around a “Table of God”, and help each other find our way through another day on our way to those pearly gates. I know we’re in no hurry to get there, but that is our eventual destination, so might as well encourage each other along the way. Turtle Gardens continue: “In progress.”

20180413_164247So this is Grandpa White Feather, “Fellowship of the White Path”, still building Tipi Retreat and also Turtle Gardens, in hopes of encouraging one and all to “Slow Down and Hear God, especially if you’re pulling a wheel barrel and walking backwards. Right, Turtle Faith Lady? (i.e. Wonder Woman.)

Love Upward and Outward #1

Path Without End

668571080“Love Upward first, and Outward also.”

Turtle Gardens are coming! Slow down, and hear God.

We may run with this title of “Love Upward and Outward” for some time. This has become the motto of our Fellowship: “Fellowship of the White Path”.

Well the “outreach gardens” have begun and I thought I would try to keep the pictures going too, so you can see the progress as it happens. Instead of building big temples, Jesus invited “Temples to His Table”.

Know ye not that ye have become the temples of God? God is not looking for temples made by man nor hand. He’s looking for you. He’s looking for us. He’s looking for his family.

Yes, Jesus changed things. I hope your church isn’t confused about the changes he made, but it’s all good! So the heart and soul of these gardens is to be a “Table” in which to fellowship upward and outward. Always keep your love for God first, because he is the power working in us to also love others in a godly way. Consider these your thoughts for the day to ponder, we’re keeping it short, and now here’s some pictures.

This is the garden area for my mom. It’s a green stretch of ground 20 feet wide and 30 feet long. We painted the building yesterday in winds rushing 25 mph. That was actually no fun, but we gott’er done.

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There is an apple tree at the one end. Our Lord willing, this plain Jane site is going to become a beautiful garden. This is before we painted. It got a fresh coat of white yesterday. The blue arch is something my mom salvaged off the Tipi. (LOL).

Now as to our own place, I started taring up jack! Much work to do, starting with much clean-up. I’m taking the old deck out, we have gutters to clean, leaves to burn, and amazingly enough, we actually discovered a few plants survived the winter in a little corner flower garden we had. So the area already has life!

 

20180411_144856 We also found water damage to the house we did not even know was happening. So we are a long ways from setting our garden table yet. And we have a Turtle Box about to happen also. In memory of a one year old girl who was shot in a drive-by and died. Turns out I know the grandma of the little girl. This box needs to be special, and it will speak words hard for the human vocabulary to express. Pictures of the box coming soon.

 

That’s it for now. Grandpa White Feather saying, Love upward first and outward also. Slow down. (Speed kills!) And hear God!

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What is the Simplicity of Christ?

Path Without End
Salvation
Love upward and outward.

I want to spend some time on the “Simplicity of Christ”.  My next few articles may be short or long, but I want this to be the subject. It was a deep hunger for simplicity driving me out of what has become the church system. And as I began studying the scriptures with new eyes, the first thing the Holy Spirit revealed to me was Jesus shifting God’s Old Testament Temple to a New Testament Table, because Jesus was bringing us into “family”… the family of God.

Jesus constantly fought with the complicated system of the religious Pharisees. As asked in a previous article, why would he fight that system so hard, even to the sacrifice of his life, only to create another complicated system of his own? He took that whole system of laws and summed up God’s will as “Love Upward first, and Love Outward also”.

A Temple is religion, a Table is family. Love Upward and Outward, and you will fulfill all the law. Be family.

God recently surprised me with an outreach direction for “Fellowship of the White Path”. At first I was a little surprised at what this meant, because it meant the fellowship was to not only continue, but be offered to others, which means potential growth, which means eventual multiplication, which will also mean a need for other leaders who are able to lead in this same “Table Ministry” kind of way. WOW. Our focus is not a church, but a fellowship, which also fulfills church. (Does that make any sense?)

And of course our outreach is very simple. We plan to create “Turtle Gardens”, which have a message of “Slow down and hear God”. These Turtle Gardens not only connect to the “Free Book” I am about to release, but they are also Prayer Gardens, and Fellowship Gardens. These gardens will also have a “Table”.

We are starting with 2 gardens and a Box! Sometimes a “Turtle Box” is better than a garden. More to come on the Box later. The first 2 gardens is one for my Mom, which even though it is on the farm where the Tipi is, this garden is separate and will be hers. The second garden is at our city house, which I must admit has been neglected while I have pursued the Tipi. This garden will give us a spot to invite people here in the city. We will invite them to a beautiful Table that says “Slow down and hear God”. Lets share a cup of coffee and talk about God. God likes gardens. You did know that, didn’t you?

I end with a few pictures of the ugly spot this piece of ground currently is. A Turtle Garden is coming to this neglected place, a Prayer Garden. This is only the first article on “Love Upward and Outward”.  The Holy Spirit has much to say on this. Updates and pictures concerning the Garden Outreaches and the Tipi Retreat will fill the articles for this spring, summer, and fall. Enjoy, and thanks for reading. (Here’s my lovely wife showing you our ugly back yard.)

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Believe it or not, there is a small pond buried in there somewhere.