Spring Chicks

The first batch of this year’s chicks arrived yesterday!

New Life! Just thinking about it puts a smile on my face and a spring in my step.

These 50 little balls of yellow fluff have caused some excitement among our children, too. The entire family always appreciates and values life, especially babies (human and animal.)

These Cornish-X chicks have a very quick growth rate. These 2-day old chicks have almost doubled in size since we got them. Some of them are already starting to feather out, with white wing feathers showing a bit. They will be ready for processing in about 8 weeks, and will dress out at ~ 4 – 5 lbs. on average.


We will be selling these chickens at the Syracuse, NY farmers’ market this summer.


More stuff to come soon.

Fighting for Life

Yesterday, I commented on the War between Life and Death.

It seems clear that God, the Creator of everything, is on the side of Life and even instructs those who belong to Him to chose Life over Death.

But what is our part in this war?

What are we to do when faced with situations like the whole Terri Schaivo scandal? What’s the game plan for dealing with those who cannot speak up for themselves?

Once again we can look to the Bible for wisdom. Check out these verses:

Proverbs 24:11
Deliver those who are being taken away to death, And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold {them} back

Proverbs 31:8, 9
Open your mouth for the mute, For the rights of all the unfortunate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.

Help the helpless. Defend the ones being sent to death, especially those who have no way of pleading their case. Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Some practical things to do:

• Get educated on the issues; go beyond what the media tells you
• Write letters to the editor of the local paper
• Call, write, fax, e-mail the people in power who are making these far-reaching decisions (Senators, Representatives, Mayors, Assemblymen, the President, and yes, even the judges)
• Pray
• Speak out. Actively discuss the issues with your friends, family, co-workers. Be respectful but firm. The truth has a way of changing people’s minds. A lot of battles are won in the arena of public opinion
  
  More to come…
  

The War Between Life and Death

Terri Schaivo is dead, dehydrated and starved to death by court order. God help us all.

Regardless of how you feel about the situation, I think it can be safely said that this is not a simple case of someone’s "right to die." The whole thing is complicated by:

• Lack of a living will
• An adulterous husband who has everything to gain by his wife’s death
• Sealed medical records
• A large malpractice settlement
• A 3-ring media circus pumping out conflicting (and often misleading) reports, and
• Judges who defy the governor, the president, and congress
  

In my opinion, this should not be a test case for either side of the debate. It is just too complicated to be used in setting legal precedence. It may, however, test the backbone of both the legislative and judicial branches to see if the balance of power is still balanced.

But even the debate and the court issues are not the real heart of the matter. The war is.

A Matter of Life and Death

There is a war going on now. I am not talking about the war on terrorism. I am not talking about a conflict between the executive and legislative branches against judicial activists. I am referring to an older war, one with universal consequences.

It is a war between life and death.

This war has been going on since the beginning.

God created everything. Life is the greatest gift that God has ever given. Life is good Life is powerful.

If you don’t think that God has placed in everything the power of Life and a will to Live, just watch as weeds grow through concrete to get to the sunshine, or notice how a brain-damaged woman fought for 2 weeks to stay alive without food or water.

Death came into the world when sin came into the world. Death has been fighting Life ever since.
I am concerned about this because God is concerned about this. Here is a very straightforward Bible passage that may shed some light on the whole matter (emphasis added by me):

Behold! I have set before you today life and good, and death and evil, in that I command you today to love Jehovah your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, so that you may live and multiply. And Jehovah your God shall bless you in the land where you go to possess it. But if you turn away your heart, so that you will not hear, but shall be drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days on the land where you pass over Jordan to go to possess it. I call Heaven and earth to record today against you. I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore, choose life, so that both you and your seed may live, so that you may love Jehovah your God, and that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him. For He is your life and the length of your days, so that you may dwell in the land which Jehovah swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give it to them.
- Deut 30:15-20

God is giving the Israelites a choice here: Choose life and good, or choose death and evil. It was such an important choice that he mentions it twice and states that He has called Heaven and earth to record their choice.

Yes, God gave them, and us, a choice. Then he tells them what He wants them to choose: “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore, choose life.”

The same choice is set before our nation today. Heaven and earth are set to record our choice. Some folks in Florida have chosen death.

If we had any sense at all in this country, we would take God’s advise and Choose Life.

Welcome and Introduction

Full Quiver Farm is where my family lives. We are a large Christian family, 10 children with number 11 due in July.

This blog will be used to extol the joys of a large family, promote a culture of life, plug for organic farming and grass-fed meats, and offer highly opinionated views on current events.

May you be encouraged to live simply, honoring God in all you do.