2012 is almost over and what a year it has been for Kat and me. We started the year getting serious about selling our house and finding a small farm. We found out in February that our house sold and we had 30 days to move. We had been looking for some property within 60 miles of Kansas City, MO but for some reason we kept finding property farther out. We found 30 acres we liked but the deal fell through but we ended up moving to that area anyway.
We moved out of our house March 19th, purchased an RV and moved to the Lake of the Ozarks March 26th. We spent several months looking for property that spoke to us but no much happening. Then one day while driving around after church we by chance drove up to Stover MO and dropped by a place with 11 acres. At first it did not look promising but Kat encouraged me to walk down the hill and we almost instantly fell in love with it.
We moved to the property exactly 2 months after we moved out of our house in Louisburg.
During the past nine months we have built a barn, a chicken coop, built three hoop houses and fenced half an acre for the goats we will purchase in the spring. We now have two kittens, two ducks, two chickens, one guinea and one Anatolian puppy. We have done more of things we did not think we could do and enjoyed our journey.
Here is a slide of our farm set to Chris Tomlin's "Amazing Grace".
We have been so blessed to have moved to central Missouri and despite missing our family and friends we know that God wants us to be here.
As 2012 begins I want to encourage you to step out and begin to make your dream come true. If you do not know what it is I wold be glad to help you discover it and then move toward making it real.
This message is for every pastor, missionary or wounded warrior that might have the opportunity to read it. I believe if you are reading this and you do not know who I am but my blog was shared with you by a friend then God is wanting you to read what I have written here.
Let me share a little about who I am before I write what God wants me to. My name is Larry Clark and I own a small farm outside of Stover, MO. My wife, Kat, and I call it Restoration Farm because we believe God wants to use what we do here to restore lives, physically, emotionally, and/or spiritually. I have been ordained in the Association of Vineyard Churches and have gone through training called Vineyard Leadership Institute. I am not a professional counselor but I am a conduit of the Holy Spirit who is the one true Counselor.
What I believe God wants me to share in this post is that He already knows your secret. He loves you enough to place this message before you before your secret surfaces and you receive a more severe discipline. You see if you are a pastor, a missionary or a wounded warrior and you are chained by a life controlling habit (which almost always leads to sin) then He wants you to know He loves you and there is hope of breaking the chains.
Pride, Pornography, Greed, Self-reliance, Anger, Fear, Lust, Lying, Stealing, Gossip, Workaholic, lack of concern for your flock and other addictions are just a some of the things He already knows some of you have.
The reason for this post and for you reading it is: God already knows our sin, He loves us anyway, and He wants to forgive us, reconcile with us and restore us. The question is this: "will we respond before He has to discipline us?"
What is the next step? Find a safe place where Restoration not Judgement is the goal.
Kat and I believe Restoration Farm is such a place and we are here to serve you and we make the following promise we will do what we do best and let the Holy Spirit do the counseling.
For more information call, email or visit us.
Best regards
Larry
13269 Glencreek Drive
Stover, MO 65078
573 789 1224
lnclark1950@gmail.com
We will be building several trails at Restoration Farm for our visitors to walk. This one is called the Blue Bottle Trail since we used blue bottles tomark the way.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
We have finished constructing the ends to our small hoop house. Next I will build the raised beds so we can begin to grow some winter crops.
Monday, November 12, 2012
When Kat and I began to dream of serving in a ministry together one of my prayers was for Jesus to be the center of our dream. That prayer was inspired by this song.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
I took some photos I have taken around and made a slide presentation Restoration Farm and using Microsoft Movie Maker. I hope you enjoy it.
Monday, October 15, 2012
As we go through life we sometimes are in such a hurry that we fail to see what God is doing. In the following photos, which actually is just one photo, I found something that I totally missed when I took it.
Morning fog moving through the trees
I decided to look more closely at the center of the photo where the sunshine was breaking through the fog
As I zoomed in closer.
Here is what I saw.
Sometime as we hurry through our daily lives we miss opportunities to see the cross in action.
I hope this God send photo gave you encouragement and inspiration.
Today Paul and Tony the Ivy Bend Hand Guys finished the rest room in the barn. These guys have been great and have not only done a terrific job but saved us money in the process of getting the barn ready. Kat is finishing the painting of the meeting area of the barn this week.
These are two miles stones that mean we are ready for our first guests. The rest room means who ever is staying in the RV now has a private place to shower and the meeting room means we have a private place to sit and talk with people who are at the farm for restoration.
We left Louisburg, KS in March not knowing where we would eventually land. In May, two months to the day, we moved onto the farm. We built a chicken coop, had the barn built and had three hoops houses erected in the span of seven months.
Our Phase 2 involves several things and chief among them is our ministry to pastors, missionaries and veterans. But also part of this phase is a ministry to couples and individuals. I want to briefly share what that is composed of.
One of the things God has placed on my heart is helping the wounded move past the barriers that keep them living as victims instead of the victors they could be. A wound can be physical but most often the wounds that keep us in a rut are emotional or spiritual. My heart is to provide the encouragement and the tools for people to discover the healing God wants them to have.
This part of the ministry involves an 8 week course for men called, "Wild at Heart" and an 8 week course for men and women called, "The Dream Giver". Many will find in these two courses the tools that they need to move beyond some of their wounds and to achieve more than they thought they ever could.
For the deeply wounded we will offer intense sessions where we will explore through the movement of the Holy Spirit the bases for the wound, the truth about the wound and what God wants the person to know about the wound. For most people this will involve one or two sessions and God will do some remarkable things during this time. Because our lives are like an onion with many layers it will require more time with others. These session will involve us solely relying on the interaction of the Holy Spirit with us. We will not try to force or manipulate what takes place in these sessions.
Everything above is free of charge and we will not ask any participant for money. We will accept donations from the individuals or those who have sent them to us. We are relying solely on God to provide for the needs of this part of the farm.
A question that comes up now and then is about our plans to become a 501c corporation. We have no plans to do that and the main reason is once we become incorporated we not only have to follow the Federal government guidelines but we become to a degree subject to their control. One reason we are not asking for donations is because we do not want strings attached to what we do here at the farm. But the main reason is we are asking God to provide the resources for this ministry.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact Larry Clark
Kat and I have been on the farm for five months and have put in a lot of hours building a barn, a chicken coop and putting up three hoop houses. That was phase one of our plan and we are ready to put into motion our second phase.
If you know of a pastor, a veteran or a couple that needs to find healing for emotional or spiritual wounds please consider having them contact us. To contact us click here.
Here is the deal:
1) they can come and stay in our RV for two days with meals provided free of charge.
2) before coming they have to express a true desire to find healing for their wound(s).
3) they have to have an open mind to letting God do the work and all of us listening for His word.
4) donations are accepted but they will not be mentioned while people are here for a visit. We believe that God will provide whatever we need at the time we need it and that He wants to freely heal the wounded.
5) we encourage people, their pastors and religious organizations to come and visit to get to know what Restoration Farm is about. We believe it is easy to write something about your ministry but one must see it in person to experience it.
6) we will not push any particular denomination but if asked about our history we will share it. Briefly our history is this: we spent over 15 years associated with the Worldwide Church of God and have until March of this year spent 13 years associated with the Vineyard Church in Overland Park, KS. I as ordained at the Vineyard in 2006 and served as Men's Ministry leader, Small Group Leader and helped lead a Moving Ministry. We currently are attending Lake Hills Community Church i Greenview, MO. At the Vineyard Church Kat and I both experienced healing for past wounds and those healings are the foundation for this ministry.
7) we believe that healing comes from God but that He does use people who have been healed in that process. Our focus will be seeking God's input, His healing and His restoration and not use manipulation in the healing process. In the end we need to give God the glory and be thankful He interacted with us.
In my next post I will share several scriptures that will back up the process we will be using.
For more information or to schedule a visit call 913 636 1862. Please feel free to leave a comment or question by clicking the comment line or send me an email by clicking here.
We bought Kat a Harley last weekend. Not exactly the type of hog a Hell's Angel would ride but it is what she wanted.
She will use this around the gardens to take supplies down and bring cut flowers back to the barn.
Also mail box is over a quarter of a mile away and it will be great to ride up for the mail.
In a few weeks we will put the plastic on the big hoop house but first Kat and I are going to try getting the smaller ones done. Photos of our attempts will come later.
Come visit us again to see photos of the Three Amigos (our two kittens, Samson and Moses and our puppy, Liberty). Liberty was born on July 4th of this year.
We built three Hoop Houses this past weekend. Our friend Jeff, from the Vineyard Church in Overland Park, came down on Friday and Saturday he and I assembled one of the 16 x 24 hoops and then Sunday after church we assembled the other 16 x 24 hoop. On Monday, we were joined by Larry and his son-in-law from the Vineyard, Lonnie and Donnie from Lake Hills Community Church in Greenview, MO. We assembled a 16 x 92 Hoop.
Restoration Farm took a big step this past weekend with the hoops being assembled.
What a blessing these men were to Kat and me. It is a wonderful thing when the church exercises Kingdom values and work together in helping others.
Your first question might be “What is a Hoop Party?”
Restoration Farm is a small farm near Stover, MO that will be
raising chemical free vegetables, fruits and berries. As part of the farm we
will have what are called Hoop Houses which are small metal frame arched
buildings covered with plastic. In these small buildings we will be able to
extend and in some case continue to grow vegetables into the winter months.
On Saturday, September 1st, and on Monday,
September 3rd, we will be building these hoop houses. If you would
like to join us please sign the list.
We will begin at 7:30am with a short explanation and prayer
for what we will be doing. We plan to work until about 4pm but of course you
may leave at any time. Lunch will be provided and for those who want to stick
around we will have a BBQ. Bring gloves and small tools.
Directions:
Our address is 13269 Glencreek or Glen Creek Drive, Stover,
MO. From Versailles drive west on Hwy 52 until you get two miles west of Stover
and turn right on Hwy 135. You will be heading north. The turn off to our drive
is about 3.4 miles. You will know you are almost there when you see the Hunter
Automotive sign. Turn left onto Oakbrook Drive which is the first left after
Hunter Automotive. The drive looks like the driveway for the house that sits
there. Drive ¼ mile back into the woods and turn right onto Glencreek Drive. At
the top of the hill turn left on Restoration Lane which is our driveway.
What happens when a Christian leader is caught in sin or admits that he or she has sinned? It has been my experience that most will want them kicked out of office and banished from leadership. That might be the appropriate action but for the most part I think our attitude should reflect what the Bible teaches. I will use only one scripture to prove my point.
Let's look at Galatians 6: 1-5 1-3
Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly
restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be
needing forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to
those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's
law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.
4-5Make
a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given,
and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself.
Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility
for doing the creative best you can with your own life.
Let's look at what these verses say. We are told to restore the person and keep our comments to ourselves. It also tells us to share their burdens. To me what we are being told to do is work to restore the person back to relationship with Christ and the body. We cannot do that if we talk behind their back with others. We are told to share in their burdens which to me is the heart of the message. Once we understand the burden, the wound or whatever it is that caused them to sin in the first place, we can begin to help restore them and keep from talking about them and their actions.
My personal story is that I was caught up in a habit that controlled me. I hide it well but it kept me from being the man God knew I could be. The leadership and body of the church I attended showed mercy and grace to me. Men encouraged me through my struggles and also offered to hold me accountable. It was not easy and it took years but because of mercy and grace that the body showed me I made it through. I believe that these folks were being led by the Holy Spirit and that is why they were able to do what Galatians 6: 1-5 says.
I want to encourage you to be a person who restores and not a person who adds to destroying a person. Our enemy would like nothing more than to see Christians tearing apart other Christians.
Be like Jesus and decide never to let another brother go.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
This is a 360 degree view of our farm.
It begins at the pond and RV and moves to the south. The trees toward the south make up our southern border. The view after the south is easterly and our homes and small forest that is between the house and the road. Next is our barn to the north and beyond it is a bigger forest of trees which goes down to a small wet weather creek that makes up our northern border. The view finally swings past the chicken coop and back to the pond and RV which sits on the western border of the property.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
I posted this at my other blog REAL Men RoCK
I hope you enjoy it.
My wife, Kat, and I have been attending a small church in Greenview, MO called Lake Hill Community Church and we have been blessed by the sermons each Sunday we have been able to attend. This post is a result of something God said to me during the sermon.
Kat and I started Restoration Farm to achieve our own personal dreams but also to do what we believe God has been preparing us for the past 60 or so years. I believe that our calling in life often has to do with the experiences, the training and the gifts that we have.
For me that calling is to be a servant and a comforter to the broken, the hurting and the rejected. Our pastor, Mike Knapp, said something that struck me and I will add a little to it. "Grace is God's personal influence on our lives. God's peace has come, is coming and will come through Jesus Christ."
Within those two little sentences, which, may not be exactly what Mike said but it is what God said to me as he spoke are some very powerful truths. As followers of Jesus we need to constantly keep in mind that the peace Jesus brought to us is not something we have to work up, it is ours each and every moment of the day. All we have to do is tap into the influence of the Holy Spirit and it is there. We often do not experience it because we let the cares of this world drown it.
Here is where I add my part to what Mike said. Please remember it is me speaking not Mike. I believe that God can instantly heal the sick, that He could instantly mend the wounded and that He could forgive the sinner without they ever attending a church or have contact with another follower of Jesus. BUT He rarely does it that way. He most often uses people who have experienced healing, people who have experienced being mended and people who have overcome to get involve with those who need His touch.
Often people who are experiencing turmoil find peace within a relationship with a follower of Jesus. It isn't because the follower is such a peaceful person but it is because of the influence of the Holy Spirit that was poured out in the life of the believer at baptism. Through a person who has been healed, mended or gifted God touches other human beings.
My last note I took was, "The unity of the body of Christ is more important than what we know or what we believe." Within the body of Christ are many denominations. Each has it's strengths and it's weaknesses. Not one has all of the truth or all of the gifts. The Kingdom of God works best when the body is unified and each person is doing their part to being focus on Jesus and this is often done by sharing how Jesus has influenced our lives.
Mike I apologize if I got off track but as I listened this is what I got from your message. I actually got a lot more than this but this is what I decided to share at this time.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
This weekend our daughter, Missy, and her friend, Cliff, came to visit and help us work on the Chicken Coop. Here is a slide show of the building the chicken coop.
As I minister to wounded servants and the broken I will use songs like I have listed below. I believe God uses songs like this to open our hearts to hear Him speak.
One of the things I believe sinners need to understand is that Jesus is their friend not their enemy.
I want people to understand when they come to Restoration Farm that it is God who heals not me. I am just providing a safe place for them to have an encounter with the Holy Spirit who will initiate the healing.
Followers of Jesus who have sinned and fallen short need to be reminded what He did for them.
The above are samples of the songs I will use in my sessions with wounded, broken servants.
Now turn your speakers up and join the News Boys in singing this song. God just might speak to you through it.
Friday, July 13, 2012
A little over a year ago my wife,
Kat, and I began to work on a dream we believe God gave us which we call
Restoration Farm. As we planned and worked to make the dream come true we were
often asked one of the following questions. What is restoration farm? And
because we are in our early sixties the question "Why are you doing
it?" To answer why we are doing the farm we always began with sharing what
the farm is about. Kat and I believe the what leads to the why.
Restoration Farm is a dream that
developed over the course of several years. It has its roots in a question that
I asked Kat one day as we drove to a conference in Fort Collins, Colorado. We
were driving along listening and discussing “The Dream Giver” by Bruce Wilkinson.
At one point I turned to Kat and asked, “So what is your dream?” I was
expecting her to say to follow me in my dream of doing an inner city ministry.
What she shared was nowhere even close to that and in fact it was a dream not
involving a ministry at all. I was shocked and disappointed. Let me explain
why. You see I had been praying for God to show me through Kat what ministry He
wanted me to do. I was not expecting the words that came out of her mouth. That
was three years ago and at first I put what she said away and ignored it.
While counseling another couple
about their dream of having an organic farm Kat shared how she would like to
also have a farm like that. As she spoke I realized what she was sharing was
similar to what she shared on the trip to Fort Collins. I decided to listen and
help her reach her dream because within her dream my dream of ministry would be
revealed.
That brings me to what
Restoration Farm is. It is a farm that grows vegetables and fruits without
using chemicals, a farm that raises a few goats for goats milk used to make
soap and a farm raising egg laying chickens.
As a ministry the farm will
provide an RV for pastors and missionaries to use for free. Some missionaries
need to unwind after returning from the mission field and so we wanted to
provide a place for them to do that. Some pastors like to get away from things
for a few days to seek God’s direction in their ministry. The most important
part of this ministry is providing a safe place for fallen or wounded servants
to come and seek the healing that only God’s Holy Spirit can give.
Because of Kat and I are both in
our early sixties people almost always ask, “Why would you want to begin an
organic farm at this point in your lives?”
Our answer is we believe that we become the foods we eat. A diet
consisting of fast, processed or fatty foods leads to many of the health
problems our society faces today.
We believe there should be a balance between
eating raw foods such as vegetables and fruits and cooked foods such as meat.
We have decided to grow chemical free vegetables and fruits to sell to people
and to teach them how to prepare those vegetables and fruits for delicious
meals. The secondary and maybe the most important reason for the farm is to provide
a safe place for missionaries and pastors to come and spend a few days to seek
God’s intervention in their lives.
We believe The Restoration Farm idea because
we believe it is a dream God has placed in our hearts. If God gave us this
dream then He has a reason for us to do it at this particular point in our
lives.
We began our search near the
Kansas City, Missouri area but it seemed the more we looked the farther God led
us away from that area. We finally found a ten acre piece of land five miles
outside of Stover, Missouri. We knew that God led us to this place the day we
first walked the property.
For more information about our
farming methods or for how the ministry to servants will work please email or
give us a call.
In 2006 I was ordained in the
Association of Vineyard Churches, USA and I have been exploring and waiting for
God to reveal the ministry He was calling me to. I know that my ministry involves
me using the gifts and talents God has given to me and experiences I have had
in my life to serve others.
Over the past few years that
ministry has become etched in my mind. It has to do with serving the church and
serving the servants to the church.
I am moving forward to my dream
job which looks like this:
Working
6 to 8 hours 3-4 days for a small, growing church earning a modest salary.
Working
at least 2-3 days serving hurting, fallen or struggling servants.
The church
position would be that of a small group/church needs pastor. I would perform
these duties under the direct supervision and according the needs of the lead
pastor.
The servant
server position would be art of our Restoration Farm and called Restoration
Ministry. In this position I would act as a sounding board for the servant to
discover the true problem, get healing for the wounds they have and to restore the
individual in their relationship with Jesus.
Each of
these positions would be ultimately under the supervision of the Holy Spirit.
Whatever results that occur would be for God’s glory and brought about by an encounter
with the Holy Spirit.
A little over a year ago my wife, Kat, and I began to work on a dream we believe God gave us which we call Restoration Farm. As we planned and worked to make the dream come true we were often asked one of the following questions. What is restoration farm? And because we are in our early sixties the question "Why are you doing it?" To answer why we are doing the farm we always began with sharing what the farm is about. Kat and I believe the what leads to the why.
Restoration Farm is a dream that developed over the course of several years. It has its roots in a question that I asked Kat one day as we drove to a conference in Fort Collins, Colorado. We were driving along listening and discussing “The Dream Giver” by Bruce Wilkinson. At one point I turned to Kat and asked, “So what is your dream?” I was expecting her to say to follow me in my dream of doing an inner city ministry. What she shared was nowhere even close to that and in fact it was a dream not involving a ministry at all. I was shocked and disappointed. Let me explain why. You see I had been praying for God to show me through Kat what ministry He wanted me to do. I was not expecting the words that came out of her mouth. That was three years ago and at first I put what she said away and ignored it.
While counseling another couple about their dream of having an organic farm Kat shared how she would like to also have a farm like that. As she spoke I realized what she was sharing was similar to what she shared on the trip to Fort Collins. I decided to listen and help her reach her dream because within her dream my dream of ministry would be revealed.
That brings me to what Restoration Farm is. It is a farm that grows vegetables and fruits without using chemicals, a farm that raises a few goats for goats milk used to make soap and a farm raising egg laying chickens.
As a ministry the farm will provide an RV for pastors and missionaries to use for free. Some missionaries need to unwind after returning from the mission field and so we wanted to provide a place for them to do that. Some pastors like to get away from things for a few days to seek God’s direction in their ministry. The most important part of this ministry is providing a safe place for fallen or wounded servants to come and seek the healing that only God’s Holy Spirit can give. God has given me a heart for the down trodden, the broken, and the discouraged. Servants of Jesus also face what all of the rest of us face. Like us they need a safe place to go and find the healing for their wounds.
Because of Kat and I are both in our early sixties people almost always ask, “Why would you want to begin an organic farm at this point in your lives?”Our answer is we believe that we become the foods we eat. A diet consisting of fast, processed or fatty foods leads to many of the health problems our society faces today.
We believe the Restoration Farm is a dream God has placed in our hearts. If God gave us this dream then He has a reason for us to do it at this particular point in our lives.
We believe there should be a balance between eating raw foods such as vegetables and fruits and cooked foods such as meat. We have decided to grow chemical free vegetables and fruits to sell to people and to teach them how to prepare those vegetables and fruits for delicious meals. The secondary and maybe the most important reason for the farm is to provide a safe place for missionaries and pastors to come and spend a few days to seek God’s intervention in their lives.
We began our search near the Kansas City, Missouri area but it seemed the more we looked the farther God led us away from that area. We finally found a ten acre piece of land five miles outside of Stover, Missouri. We knew that God led us to this place the day we first walked the property.
For more information about our farming methods or for how the ministry to servants will work please email or give us a call.
Our plans here at Restoration Farm
are moving along slower than planned mostly because Kat broke her arm the day
we moved into the house. We have been able to plant 50 Elderberry and 12
Lavender plants. I am hoping that we can begin putting up the Hoop Houses in
July so that we can have things ready for fall.
We had some walls built in the barn
and now need to get the exterior doors set.
One of our biggest prayers is that
God will make the farm a safe place for people to visit especially those
servants of Jesus who have either been hurt by life experiences or who have
goofed up majorly in their ministry.
2
Corinthians 5:18
American Standard Version (ASV)
18 But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself
through Christ, and gave unto us the ministry of reconciliation;
Galatians
6 The Message (MSG)
Nothing
but the Cross
1-3 Live
creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly
restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing
forgiveness before the day's out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are
oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law. If you think you
are too good for that, you are badly deceived.
Restoring a person involves
reconciling with and forgiveness from our Creator, our Savior and our King.
Often when a minster falls he is
rejected by his friends and expelled from the fellowship. Sin is serious stuff
and there are consequences to be faced. But from my own experience I know that
sin is often the medication for wounds the person has. I know because when I
was caught up in pornography no amount of shaming got me to change. What helped
me was gentle people helping me discover the root cause. Once that root was dug
up ad exposed the sinful action was able to be dealt with.
I also needed to hear who I belonged
to and that nothing could take me away from Him.
Several years ago I had a serious lung
problem and spent 12 days in the hospital. The day I was released I thanked the
head doctor and he cut me short. He told me not to thank him because all he did
was provide the environment where my body could heal itself.
Our goal here at Restoration Farm is
to be an instrument that God uses to create the safe environment for the Holy
Spirit to do His work by healing broken people.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
We Planted 50 Elderberry plants last week. First I built raised beds using our Grillo G85 and a Rotary tiller.
After tilling three raised beds we planted the Elderberry plants we purchased from the Missouri Conservation Department. Great deal, 50 plants for $16.
Here s our Grillo G85 andRotary tiller.
Our next project will be laying out the Hoop house positions.
Since Kat broke her arm we have laughed more and have looked for the positive in what happened. Our plan had been set back but we are making the best of it all.
We are looking forward to having friends and amily visit. We are also ooking forward to having our first guest in the RV. Speaking that we need to install a Solar panel to give it electricity. Does anyone have an idea of what I should purchase to run a small RV refrig, afew lights and maybe the RV air condtioner.
Here are a few more photos from the farm.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Blessings from Stover, Missouri
The past two months have been
interesting and exciting. Kat and I sold our house, purchased a small
28' RV trailer and moved to Gravois Mills, MO at the end of March. I
transferred to the Walmart in Versailles, MO and Kat was hired there as
well.
It is amazing what happens when one goes from living in a
comfortable home to a space similar to a sardine can. Every day was an
adventure in not bumping into each other as we got out of bed, made
breakfast and got dressed. You can either get annoyed with each other or
find humor in each time you are bumped or have to climb on the couch to
get out of the way of the other.
The pace here is a lot slower and I have found myself satisfied with
driving 45 - 50 miles an hour and in no hurry to get to my destination.
Our
house in Louisburg closed on March 16th and we closed on our farm north
of Stover on May 14th. We moved out of our house in Louisburg on March
16th and moved down to Gravois Mills on March 23rd. We closed on the
farm on May 16th and moved into the house May19th. The day we moved into
the house was an interesting one. We rented a small U-Haul truck and a
young guy we work with helped me load it. We pulled up to the house and I
backed the truck up to the back deck. We opened the door and unloaded
about five boxes. Then the young guy and I walked down to where we
planned to put the barn. When we returned we found Kat sitting on the
ground near the deck. She fell and fractured her left arm. We spent the
rest of the day at the hospital. Later I returned and began unloading
the truck by myself and after about an hour two of our neighbors drove
down our driveway. They helped me finish unloading.
Kat is doing fine and her arm seems to be healing well.
When
we moved one of our biggest concerns was finding a new church. I did
some Internet searching and what appeared to be interesting churches
were clear on the other side of the Lake of the Ozarks and would require
a 60 to 80 mile round trip drive each Sunday. One that caught my
interest had similar worship to what we were use to, was a fairly new
church plant but it was a Free Methodist church. My experience with the
Methodist church was not a positive one so I ruled it out. Our first
Sunday here we went to a small church and the message was all about the
end times which was not an encouraging message. The next Sunday we
decided to attend the Free Methodist church because I felt God telling
me not to judge a church by it's name. What we found was a small church
of about 50 people and the worship and message that day not only left us
encouraged and refreshed but reminded us of Vineyard. As we drove back
to our RV we both emotionally knew God had led us to our new church
home. The church is named Lake Hills Community Church and it is our
observation that the pastor and his wife have worked hard to create a
safe environment where almost anyone can feel comfortable yet hear a
challenging and encouraging biblical based message.
The farm is beginning to take shape. We had a small barn built which
will serve as a barn for our goats and will have a full kitchen in it
for Kat to make goat milk soap and cheese. We have placed the RV down by
the pond but as of right now we do not have electric for it. We are
going to purchase a small solar panel to get that taken care of. We will
not be hooking it up to a septic tank since it is several hundred feet
away from our main house. The barn has a full bath with a washer and
dryer so that when we do have a visiting pastor or missionary they can
have a place to do their laundry and get refreshed.
I have purchase several pieces of equipment for the farm which
includes a riding mower, a walk behind tractor and a pull grader. Each
of these items we were able to purchase at a 10 - 15% savings.
We
look forward to all of the things we will do here such as building our
hoop houses, planting crops, raising goats and chickens, but most of all
to serving pastors and missionaries by providing a safe place for them
to come and get refreshed and healed.
I want to end with this. The farm is not perfect but it is perfect
for us. The land is a clay/rock mixture and the layout is not exactly
flat. Kat and I were looking for property close to Kansas City but we
feel God led us here. We aren't sure why but we do believe He not only
has a blessing for us here but also a ministry. We also agree that the
past two months with living in the RV and Kat breaking her arm have been
two of the best months we have had in our marriage. I guess the message
is it is amazing what God will do in your life when you follow the Holy
Spirit's guide and are content with what God has provided.
Kat and I are hopeful that Restoration Farm can be a place where people can receive healing. Here is the format that I will use when counseling with them.
"And after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed."- Joshua 5:8
Before the nation of Israel could go into the Promised Land they had to be circumcised. Circumcision is painful, bloody, and personal. God requires each of us to be circumcised in heart before we are allowed to enter and receive the blessings that await each believer in the Promised Land.
This circumcision can often be very painful. Circumcision requires losing our old way of life. The process of spiritual circumcision may mean a loss in areas that have been a part of our lives in order to draw us to the Savior. God understands this. Consequently, like the people of Israel, we must wait until we are healed before we begin to be effective in our calling. If we launch out too early, we will be ineffective and may risk infection and disease and will not be at our full capacity. God wants each of us to walk in His healing grace.
The people of Israel fought only two battles when they were coming out of Egypt. In the Promised Land they fought 39 battles. Each of us must be prepared to enjoy the benefits of living in the Promised Land. However, we must also be prepared to wage war against the enemy of our souls. Make sure the Lord has provided the needed healing to your circumcision experience before you enter the Promised Land. Received From "Prime Time With God"
When we seek healing for spiritual or emotional wounds we will experience pain because before God can heal the wound the root cause has to be cut out. Our spiritual and emotional wounds often surface when we get caught in a sin. In the process I will be using at Restoration Center will not ignore or make light of the sin but the focus will be on what is the real problem. Sin is often a cover up or medication for our wounds.
Here is the process I will use here at Restoration Center to begin this process of cutting out and healing.
1.We first have to discover the root cause of the wound or problem. This step involves asking the Holy Spirit to reveal the true source of the wound or sin.
2.We next need to discover who we belong to if we are a follower of Jesus. This step involves reading and accepting what scripture says about us as followers of Jesus.
3.We next need toacknowledge and accept who we are in Christ. This step involves reading and accepting what scripture says about who we are.
4.We then need to take the step of letting go of whom or what it is that has wounded us. This step involves laying the person or event at Jesus feet and asking the Holy Spirit to remove its control over us.
5.We can now allow the Holy Spirit to begin the process of healing the wound. This step is a process and usually will take some time to complete.
Where Are We Right Now? Isaiah 43:1-4 (MSG)
When You're Between a Rock and a Hard Place
1-4But now, God's Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob, the One who got you started, Israel:
"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine. When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down. When you're between a rock and a hard place,
it won't be a dead end—Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with richCushandSebathrown in! That's how much you mean to me!
That's how much I love you! I'd sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you.
Who Do We Belong To? Galatians 3:29 (MSG)
In Christ's Family
28-29In Christ's family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ's family, then you are Abraham's famous "descendant," heirs according to the covenant promises.
Who Are We? 2 Corinthians 5:17 (AVS)
17Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new.
Psalm 18:2 (AVS)
2Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my rock, in whom I will take refuge; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
Ephesians 4:32 (ASV)
32and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you.
Colossians2:13 (ASV)
13And you, being dead through your trespasses and theuncircumcisionof your flesh, you, I say, did he make alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses;
1 John 1:9 (ASV)
9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
In a session I will spend more time talking specifically about how each step relates to the person. What I have given here is just a guide of the process I will use. As we move through the steps we will pause to seek an encounter with the Holy Spirit. The true revealing and healing will come through these encounters.
I believe once we realize what the real problem is, who we belong to in Christ, who we have become upon accepting Jesus and we lay our problems and sins at Jesus feet we can move on to receiving healing of our wounds.
O
