8-7-2007
Dear
Friends,
Here I am,
ready to write, and drawing a complete blank. Oh, it's not because there isn't
anything to write about, there's been lots happening. It's that I'm not sure
which is most important, what I should share, what people would respond the
most too, etc and so forth.... Sorry....
Oh, Karen
wants to write a little at the end of this note. Her perspective on life here
is something that I want to start including more of in my notes.
NewsFlash.....
In a
nutshell, after Idaho DEQ and myself cried foul, the owners rescinded their 10
day demand for payment and finally came up to test the diesel tank locations
with a bonafide soil inspector who took soil samples. We're now waiting on
the test results so that we can start the fundraising to give the owners the
earnest money and contract/offer that they desire. As of a phone call last
night, they've now given us until August 15, and if we don't offer them
money and a contract offer by then, they're putting the ranch back on the open
market (with buyers supposedly lined up). The ground looked clean to
the inspector (verbal word); we just don't have the official paper in
hand. Sooooo...
We are now
shifting into fund raising mode. We'll have more details asap.
Someone
else also offered last week to help out with the fundraising. So between
the grant help, and the promised fund raising help, we have a start I think.
It's very cool. :-) But boy oh boy do we have a lot of work suddenly to do.....
Yikes!
I think we
have pretty much decided on the name, "The Father's House of Prayer on
Thorn Creek" as our new location name.
My logging
job was shut down for awhile in July, but I'm back to work, at least
temporarily. The forest service may shut the forest down sometime
soon due to the extreme fire danger we are dealing with right now. As it is,
we can't work in the forest past 1pm, as per their orders. So it's up at
4:30am, and working by 6am before the sun has even come up. It gives
me lots of day at the end of my work day, but I am so tired..... The news
reports say that there are around a million acres of Idaho already burnt this
year, and it's only just now the start of August (3 months of fire season left
- with 17 major fires currently burning). The air is so smoky that lots of
people of are dealing with breathing problems and headaches and other dirty-air
related problems. Visibility was less than a mile up here last week,
and we can't even see the sun some days. They are saying that this could quickly
become the worst fire season on record.
But since I
was out of work for several weeks, bills are very tight, and wouldn't you
know it, but several people have also unexpectedly and suddenly us helped
out in ways that have touched and blessed us.
I taught Karen
to play horseshoes several weeks ago and guess what? She promptly beat me,
and does so now on a regular basis. Seems that she neglected to tell me that
she pitched slow-pitch softball for many years *chuckle*.
We got our
basic hydro-electric system up and running in a temporary "pilot
project" configuration. Though it is indeed working and producing power
for us, the creek is so low, and the area sooooo dry, that it is only producing
a fraction of its rated power and what we expect it to put out for 8 months out
of the year when the creek is running at full volume.
Tuesday
night last week, our local community water supply system ran out of
water due to a variety of reasons. As I was hiking up to look at the collection
system, I just simply asked God for rain. The next morning at 4am we were
awakened by repeated lightning strikes less than a mile from here, with rain
coming down in buckets (kept any new lightning fires from starting). The
rain continued to pour down hard for about half an hour or so, more than
is has in 3 or 4 months. So the community system has water again, and several
people in the community including myself, worked on the system to keep it
flowing better. God is good. Ironically enough, it appears to me that a several
square mile area around us was the only place that got the heavy rain.
Within 5 or 10 miles in at least 3 directions, the amount of
rain seems to have been a lot less than here, where they got any at
all....
Two weekends
ago, we had 2 different families visit us up here. The first was a couple from
Nampa that runs a nanny service (and looking for clients). They are great folk,
love God deeply, and Karen and the lady made a real connection. We had a great
prayer time together. I'm looking forward to a growing friendship with them as
we pray for them in some tough stuff, and as they pray for us. The second was a
family that is already deeply involved with the youth of Boise County here. We
actually went with them to some hot springs nearby two weeks also, and really
enjoyed the fellowship with them also.
Oh, the
official release date of my novel is September 17. Here's a link for anyone
curious about it.
http://www.publishamerica.com/greetingcardpro/pickup.asp?CardSentID=197485&rID=49297
Our girls
Ruthie and Vika are back from Australia (yesterday). They brought gifts,
stories, candy, and a much deeper sense of spiritual growth than they had
before they left. I am happy to see them. I even think Ruthie has grown in
height as well *chuckle*. Thanks everyone that prayed for them and made it
possible for them to go. They grew from it, and experience God for themselves
on a much deeper level than ever before. The trip was well worth their time and
effort. Thanks for praying for them.
Last
week when I was running the skidder pulling logs out of the forest, the
ground was so powdery and dry that the machine under me slipped sideways down
the hill, scared me pretty good, and got stuck. Then in trying to figure out
how to get the skidder down off the mountain side without tipping it over (with
me inside), I finally sent up a desperate prayer to God for wisdom. An answer
immediately came to mind. I didn't want to accept that it was Him, because the
answer was also scary (going backwards down a steep bumpy incline to a road 50
yards below). I prayed again, and got the same answer. Same thing a third time.
So I took a deep breath, angled the machine straight down the hill (instead of
sideways wrapped around a tree), and literally stood on the brakes while it
rolled/slid that 50 long yards to the road below. When I finally came to a
stop, upright, on the road, and still alive, I had to say thanks to God.
Sometimes He asks us to do hard things, but sometimes it's the only thing
that will suffice, as I found out. But let me tell you, my legs were
shaking pretty good for a little while..... Can I hear anyone say
again, "God is good?" And I honestly don't know if I'm cut
out for log skidding....
People keep
asking and wondering when we are going to finally get the ranch, especially now
with this new August 15 deadline which suddenly feels all to real finally. I
can only say several things. We have had several different people,
kinda out of the blue, tell us that God let them know that He would be
answering our prayers soon, and in a way that brings glory to Him. We are
supposed to get soil test results back from the owners soon. We're ready
to start fundraising. Also, when Karen and I were praying the other
day, I was reminded by God of the Old Testament scripture that tells where one
of Israel's society laws that He gave them was that when a couple got married,
they were not to be involved in anything major for 1 year. They were released
from war duty and a lot of things for that one year, so that they could
establish their new marriage. And then it dawned on me that Karen and my 1'st
year anniversary is fast approaching (August 19). This was our year of
establishment, a boot camp of sorts, learning how to live and work
together. Next year should be our year of growing into ministry
together. Coupled with that, due to the fact that since I was out of work
while logging was shut down for several weeks in late June/early July, we are
flat broke, so now seems like a good time for God to answer, in a way that
brings glory to Him. I have discovered that He likes to work in impossible
situations. And now with our new August 15 deadline looming, it just looks like
now or never....
Something
that I hurt about? I wish that Christians worked together better. This
county/country is so full of Christians that have been hurt by other Christians
and can't seem to get over it. Wounded people wound people, whether Christian
or not; it's a fact of life. But where is the forgiveness, reconciliation,
and growth? I hear so many people, and I've done it myself even, that bad mouth
other Christian brothers and sisters that have wounded them. And yeah, I've
also wounded people myself, much to my shame. And yeah, it DOES hurt worse when
wounded by a Christian brother or sister. But it should also be easier
to apologize, forgive, and move on, instead of getting stuck in the
bottomless pit of bitterness.
A friend
told me a parable the other day. All these people were sitting at a banquet
table full of awesome food. But it couldn't be eaten with fingers, and
everyone's silverware handles were too long for people to feed themselves. So
everyone was starving to death until they figured out how to feed each other
with their long handled silverware. Yeah, sure, there were a few pokes in the
eyes, food in the nostrils, spills in the laps, etc and so forth, but once they
all got the hang of it, everyone was fed and comfortably stuffed. Do I need to
explain what this means?
In Him,
-Tim
August 3,
2007
Karen's
notes...
Greetings
from A Woman's Perspective!!
Hello
everyone out there on our email list...let me introduce myself. My name
is Karen, I am Tim's bride of one year, mother of our 8 children, and a servant
of the Most High God!
There, now
that the introductions are out of the way, let me tell you about what God is
doing in my world. Somedays, I feel Him really close to my heart, and
other days, I wonder where He is at. Living up here in on Thorn Creek has
been a challenge like none other. (And I have had some pretty interesting
challenges in my life). I am not one to "beat around the bush",
but rather tell it like it is.
These last
few weeks have been painful and challenging just to feed my family and figure
out where I am supposed to put my thoughts and actions. Money has been
non-existent, and I have been on my knees on a daily basis. Some of our
children have been away from home this summer, and that has been a taste of
"empty nest syndrome". Our work situation has been off and on, which
also dictates what one can and cannot do. SO, all this to say, I have
just been in a strange space, one I am not very familiar with. A couple
of years ago, I was "emptied" of my familiar life, and taken to a
level of pain and betrayal that no one should ever have to know. I
thought at the time, "I surely can't be emptied anymore!" Well,
guess what? You can be emptied even more than you can imagine if you
ask God to empty you. I suppose that is what He is up to. In and of
myself, I am completely empty. Human Resources are empty, the
pantry is empty, the checkbook is always empty, the propane can empties every
few days, the gas tank is always nearing the red marks of empty, and I don't
know what God wants to do with all my emptiness. But Lord, Here I am,
please make yourself known in my emptiness of human stuff. Your
supernatural guidance and direction is most welcome, and we need you to reveal
Your true character that says: "I will never leave you, never forsake
you." Jehovah Jireh, please be my provider. This has been my
plea.
Last
Saturday night, in my restlessness and frustration, I found a job opening that
was exactly something I was interested in, some friends took action knowing our
need for food and cash, and Tim got his paycheck. So, for a few days we
were ok. Now, we wait, again, empty. I actually have an interview
scheduled at George Fox University next Tuesday down in Boise (it went well),
our kids will be coming home next week as well (they're back now), and school
will resume in a couple of weeks. As far as Tim's job, I don't know what
the certainty of it is with extreme fire danger all around. Something
there might need to change. As far as the Ranch property purchase, I don't
know what the certainty of it is either. Something there might need to
change also. These are BIG things that affect my feelings and emotions
everyday.
But all
this to say, I LOVE MY LORD JESUS WITH ALL MY HEART. I LOVE
MY HUSBAND FOR HIS HARD WORK AND FOR LEADING OUR FAMILY. I LOVE MY
KIDS AND FOR WHAT EACH ONE BRINGS TO THE TABLE OF LIFE. AND I WILL NOT
LET GO OF JESUS' PROMISES, THAT HE WILL PROVIDE FOR MY VERY HEART'S DESIRE!
(May it be done quickly *smile*)
May God's
peace be yours,
Karen I.
Benedict
208-392-6723
timbenedict@peoplepc.com
http://www.bighouseministries.com
21 Yellowpine Lane, Boise, ID 83716