We have found that following God’s pattern for honoring the Sabbath day has been our saving grace. Not only in abundant blessings for ourselves and our family but we see the blessings and miracles on our lands as well.

My kids had an amazing opportunity last Sunday to hear from 2 of their Uncles and one cousin about keeping the sabbath day holy. It was great to hear them bear testimony of the blessings that come when we keep God’s commandments. They shared powerful witnesses and miracles. I am grateful for the examples they have set in their lives for my children to follow. Being on a ranch creates many circumstances of pulling “the ox out of the mire.” These Uncles, my husband- Jared, my dad and countless other agriculturists have had their share of ox’s in the mire, ie pulling calves, getting cows off the highway, rescuing hunters, gathering cattle in extreme weather conditions etc.

Many of them have committed to setting the Sabbath apart as much as possible. My dad would set the flood irrigation dams farther on Saturday so he could skip Sunday. It was really a leap of faith because to get the best results he changed the water twice a day every day. Jared has sometimes fed double on Saturday to lessen the load on Sunday. It was neat to hear of the creative way others have strived to set aside the sabbath in an agriculture world. My brother shared the story of my mom and him getting stuck in a snow drift and having to walk a mile to the house. He thought oh good there goes church. Mom quickly got ready and told him to get ready, they were going even though they would be late. The rest of the family had already gone to church so they were vehicleless and had to walk another mile to church in a snowstorm. My mom set the pace in her dress and my brother followed along. He doesn’t remember what he learned at church that day but he will never forget that walk to church to honor the Lord by showing up at church even though there was every excuse not to.

These two uncles as well as my sons would love to participate more in their sport of choice, rodeo, or other horse events. Most of the time these events take place on Sunday. I admire their love for the Lord in doing what they can to set this day apart and honor His day by choosing to not participate in these activities on Sunday. They are often caring for livestock on Sunday but they do their best to utilize the Sabbath to draw closer to their Savior Jesus Christ and show their love towards their Heavenly Father. Many agriculturists feel that they cannot afford to take any day off, not even Sunday. As my brother pointed out, we are much more effective when we take time to sharpen our saw. Christ told us that the sabbath was made for man and sharpening the saw is a big part of it. We need time to recharge and the most effective way to do that is to improve our relationship with God. What better way to do that than to honor His commandment to rest from our labors and simultaneously choose activities that help us feel closer to Him and learn more about Him.

However you choose to honor the sabbath, I hope you will do what brings you closer to Jesus Christ. Whichever day you choose to be your sabbath, Saturday or Sunday, honor the religious rites of your church and spend part of your day learning more about them and their significance. Sharpen your saw and watch the blessings unfold before you!

The chickens are fragile because they do not have access to sunlight, fresh air, fresh water and a natural diet. They are fed a high concentrated diet designed to put weight on as fast as possible. To keep them from getting sick from their unnatural confined environment and fabricated diet, they pump them full of antibiotics and other medicines just to get them through, put on the weight, and then off to be processed. The processing is another story of making more weight and trying to avoid disease. This equals added water and preservatives in your already nutrient compromised chicken. I am sorry to paint the ugly truth but I believe you have the right to know what you are eating.

It is possible to find naturally raised, free-range chickens that are not pumped full of yuck though it is challenging. I would like to offer you an alternative. Why not consider replacing some of that protein with nutrient dense grass-fed beef? Price? The concentrated diet that is fed to chickens and cattle in the feedlot is usually mainly a mixture of grains, grain farmers receive subsidies because they cannot survive under the industrial model of agriculture without them. The majority of these grains are GMO. GMO foods are showing up as a cause of autism as well as many other maladies. The waste from the animals on these concentrated diets is toxic and is polluting our waters. Under proper circumstances the waste from cattle and chickens is not waste at all but a very essential element to rejuvenating and fertilizing the land.

It is easy to look at one facet and say, “This is cheaper. I can’t afford more.” I offer another perspective, you are paying for it one way or another. You are paying for it with your health and your taxes. You are paying for it with the freedom from bondage of your grandchildren. How? Our current state of affairs in this country is not sustainable. It will not be long before we are required to pay our debts in one way or another. We need to make a drastic change in the way our food is produced. Every time you eat you are “voting with your fork.” Will you vote for freedom and health, or sickness and bondage?]]>