Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Changes At The Ranch
March was a very busy month. Not only was it very busy but a lot of changes have taken place.
A predictable change was the arrival of spring. Spring started showing up in February with warmer weather. Last year we were in a major drought, but the past few months we have been receiving regular rainfall. The rivers and lakes are still very low, but the land is seeing some rain. So when you combine warm weather and rain, nature starts sprouting everywhere. What were dry weeds and dirt only a few months ago is now land covered in lush green plants and an abundance of wildflowers.
The first spring I lived here I only saw two tiny Bluebonnet plants on this land. Last spring I saw none. This spring Bluebonnets are sprouting up everywhere. The Bluebonnet is the Texas State flower and loved by everyone. But they are not the only wildflowers to be popping up. The landscape is covered in wildflowers making it almost impossible to walk around without stepping on them. I am really enjoying looking out my windows at all the beauty surrounding the house.
The second change to occur at The Ranch was not so predictable; the spare bedroom now has a full time resident. I have mentioned my friend Rick before. He has been coming out here for the
past few months to work on a goat enclosure for me. This job has been a lot more difficult than
he ever imagined, as he has never had to build a fence in such rocky ground before. What would have taken him a few days to accomplish in San Antonio or anywhere where soil is deep, is taking him weeks of hard work here. Rick is making progress though.
Rick has made many short trips out here to work on this project since January. A few of those
trips included weekends, so Rick went to Church with me. During this time God started working on Rick. For the past year (or longer) Rick has been searching for ministry opportunities. He has preached at the San Antonio Rescue Mission, the Parole Office, and several nursing homes, but he longed for more. In the past Rick has pastured a church and worked as a Jail Chaplain. Rick just knew God had more for him to do then just preach once in awhile, but it seemed most doors were closed to him. Then Rick started attending my church with me and fell in love with the people there. He fell in love with Rocksprings. And he fell in love with the countryside out here. This place is peaceful and the more he was out here working on that fence the more he longed to remain out here. After much prayer Rick decided it was God’s will for him to move out here and help me with my work full time and minister to the folks in Rocksprings. When Rick told the Pastor at my church and several deacons of his decision, they all had the same response—“this is an answer to our prayers”. Rick is bilingual and he has already been asked to teach the Spanish language Sunday School class Easter Morning as the regular teacher will be unavailable.
Rick moved into the spare bedroom a couple of weeks ago. He has been very busy every since. His main role here will be in construction/handyman work. His to do list is growing daily and he hasn’t even finished the goat fence yet. When he is not outside working he is studying how to make solar panels and other how to manuals for the many projects that need to be built, such as cabins for people to live in. I have also provided him with literature on Multiple Chemical Sensitivities. If he is going to live here and help in the growth of Alpha Omega Christian Communities For The Chemically Injured, he needs to be educated on what this ministry is all about. Step one is to learn about the disease. His education has begun.
A predictable change was the arrival of spring. Spring started showing up in February with warmer weather. Last year we were in a major drought, but the past few months we have been receiving regular rainfall. The rivers and lakes are still very low, but the land is seeing some rain. So when you combine warm weather and rain, nature starts sprouting everywhere. What were dry weeds and dirt only a few months ago is now land covered in lush green plants and an abundance of wildflowers.
The first spring I lived here I only saw two tiny Bluebonnet plants on this land. Last spring I saw none. This spring Bluebonnets are sprouting up everywhere. The Bluebonnet is the Texas State flower and loved by everyone. But they are not the only wildflowers to be popping up. The landscape is covered in wildflowers making it almost impossible to walk around without stepping on them. I am really enjoying looking out my windows at all the beauty surrounding the house.
The second change to occur at The Ranch was not so predictable; the spare bedroom now has a full time resident. I have mentioned my friend Rick before. He has been coming out here for the
past few months to work on a goat enclosure for me. This job has been a lot more difficult than
he ever imagined, as he has never had to build a fence in such rocky ground before. What would have taken him a few days to accomplish in San Antonio or anywhere where soil is deep, is taking him weeks of hard work here. Rick is making progress though.
Rick has made many short trips out here to work on this project since January. A few of those
trips included weekends, so Rick went to Church with me. During this time God started working on Rick. For the past year (or longer) Rick has been searching for ministry opportunities. He has preached at the San Antonio Rescue Mission, the Parole Office, and several nursing homes, but he longed for more. In the past Rick has pastured a church and worked as a Jail Chaplain. Rick just knew God had more for him to do then just preach once in awhile, but it seemed most doors were closed to him. Then Rick started attending my church with me and fell in love with the people there. He fell in love with Rocksprings. And he fell in love with the countryside out here. This place is peaceful and the more he was out here working on that fence the more he longed to remain out here. After much prayer Rick decided it was God’s will for him to move out here and help me with my work full time and minister to the folks in Rocksprings. When Rick told the Pastor at my church and several deacons of his decision, they all had the same response—“this is an answer to our prayers”. Rick is bilingual and he has already been asked to teach the Spanish language Sunday School class Easter Morning as the regular teacher will be unavailable.
Rick moved into the spare bedroom a couple of weeks ago. He has been very busy every since. His main role here will be in construction/handyman work. His to do list is growing daily and he hasn’t even finished the goat fence yet. When he is not outside working he is studying how to make solar panels and other how to manuals for the many projects that need to be built, such as cabins for people to live in. I have also provided him with literature on Multiple Chemical Sensitivities. If he is going to live here and help in the growth of Alpha Omega Christian Communities For The Chemically Injured, he needs to be educated on what this ministry is all about. Step one is to learn about the disease. His education has begun.
If taking care of cats and a goat, building a fence, along with many other jobs, and helping someone move out here was not enough to keep me busy, I also added two children to the schedule. Rick is good friends with their mother who is in the army. When spring break arrived
she was in need of someone to watch the children during the day. I said it would be okay and she drove them out here. The children spent part of the week out here ‘helping’ us work. The children again returned to The Ranch last Friday morning. Their mother needed to go out of the country for a week so we agreed to take the children again. This weekend we used the solar oven to make pizza and s’mores (graham crackers, melted marshmallows and chocolate). The children loved the food and learned all about passive solar power. We have also been teaching the children about Jesus. Sunday evening Rick took the children back home where he is babysitting
them when they are not in school. There is no school on Friday and so Thursday evening he will bring the children back to The Ranch for another lively weekend. Their mother will come pick them up Sunday evening.
she was in need of someone to watch the children during the day. I said it would be okay and she drove them out here. The children spent part of the week out here ‘helping’ us work. The children again returned to The Ranch last Friday morning. Their mother needed to go out of the country for a week so we agreed to take the children again. This weekend we used the solar oven to make pizza and s’mores (graham crackers, melted marshmallows and chocolate). The children loved the food and learned all about passive solar power. We have also been teaching the children about Jesus. Sunday evening Rick took the children back home where he is babysitting
them when they are not in school. There is no school on Friday and so Thursday evening he will bring the children back to The Ranch for another lively weekend. Their mother will come pick them up Sunday evening.
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