In the Beginning

Each of these ducks is an offspring of a grey duck and buff drake. You can see the vast array of colors of genetic diversity. As breeders we look at what trait we like or suit’s a given man made breed standard, then we isolate it. This is done by breeding desirable traits and culling undesirable traits. By the third generation you have locked in a trait. On occasion you will get a throw back of one of the original colors or traits mixed in the gene pool. As the variety of each species were placed on Noah's Ark, they were dispersed and spread to different locations while adapting to their environment. The strongest survived, while the original genetic information remained intact. God has created what environment and man has isolated.

 

Genesis 7

² Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.
³ Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.
⁴ For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.
⁵ And Noah did according unto all that the Lord commanded him.

Genesis 8
¹⁵ And God spake unto Noah, saying,
¹⁶ Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee.
¹⁷ Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.
¹⁸ And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him:
¹⁹ Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.
 ²⁰ And Noah built an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
²¹ And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

Genesis 9
 And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,
⁹ And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;
¹⁰ And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.
 ¹¹ And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.
 ¹² And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
 ¹³ I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
 ¹⁴ And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:
 ¹⁵ And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
 ¹⁶ And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.
 ¹⁷ And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.

 

 

Grandma Esther

Esther and her brother Albert

I often wonder, if those in heaven can hear and see us on our earthly journey. I did not really appreciate my Grandmother until after she had gone. It seems the older I get the more of her attributes, I hope to acquire.
Grandma Esther left the farm in Deary, Idaho to come be close to my mother, her only child. She lost three husbands over the years, all to heart attacks. My mother still recounts the stories of her daddy having attacks when she was a child. Looking back, we feel that his heart must have been weak from childhood. How frightening that must have been for a child to see her daddy slump over and fall to the ground. The clincher for him was the inoculations he received when he enlisted in the military. His heart could not withstand the onslaught of viruses and weekend what little he had left. After his passing, my grandmother met a man named Henry. He was a kind, Christian man that helped raise my mother. I never heard anything but kind words throughout the years from both my mother and grandmother about him. Many years after Henry’s passing, grandma met a man named Paul. Paul was financially secure, something my grandmother had not known growing up on the farm. They married and he later became an alcoholic. I remember my grandmother leaving on a midnight train as she feared for her own life. It did not seem like she was in Phoenix that long before a Western Union Telegram arrived from Portland. We were all sitting in the living room as my dad read it out loud. Paul had been found on the sidewalk. He had been stricken by a heart attack. Grandmother covered her eyes and wept…
Grandma still owned the 220 acre farm in Deary. She had left it under the watchful eye of a neighbor. She received news that someone had broken in and stolen her oval picture frames and other cherished items that had been brought by her parents from Sweden. Deciding to stay in Phoenix with my mother, she quickly sold the farm long distance. It was sold for a meager ten thousand dollars. The people that purchased it, sold the timber and paid for the farm in full. My grandmother's deepest regret in life was that she had not listened to her daddy. Swan had homesteaded the place during the 1800‘s. He would often tell her, "Esther do not ever sell, there is enough wood to last several generations."
After the sale of the farm, she purchased a little shanty of a house on Montebello. When asked what color she would paint it, she would reply, “Pink of coarse” and pink it was. Monetarily she did not have much. She lived off of a small pension, she received from her long and tireless hours spent as a sales clerk at Montgomery Wards. She always had money for a birthday’s and Christmas. We would often tease her about making money in her kitchen. I can not recount a time that she sat idle. She was either cooking up as storm, baking, canning, crocheting, knitting or quilting. There was nothing that woman could not do.
My memory takes me to times of seeing her in the grocery store with a cart full of empty boxes. They would be stacked so high, you could not make out the little old lady behind the cart. If you went to the back room, you could get boxes for free in those days. Those were the very boxes that our Christmas and birthday gifts would be wrapped.
Grandma would travel the grocery stores like a circuit and calculate who could offer her the best deal. She would make a deal on seconds with the produce manager and purchase it for much less. Then she would travel home to begin her endless hours of canning.
She would never watch a violent or any movie that had an ounce of immorality. Her favorites were a ball game or Lawrence Welk. In her younger days, she loved to dance. She would often times go to a place called the Odd Fellows. It was nothing like what we know of today. Latter in life, she had a small group of friends that would meet once a month to play cards. It was nothing fancy, just a time to put together some treats and enjoy good company. One by one, they passed on.
When greeted at her home, you would always find her wearing a dress that often times was laden with a pretty floral gingham apron. She would quickly remove it and begin her ritual of asking, what she could get you. She bestowed a servant's heart. Her family was always number one. Her generosity was boundless. Esther Betty Swanson was quite a lady.
If you can hear me from heaven, I love you and miss you dearly.

Cheryl Anne

“Are you afraid to die? Remember that for a child of God, death is only a passing through to a wonderful new world...” Corrie Ten Boom

The Serenade

Winter is definitely not my favorite season. Although I can appreciate it's beauty, I am a sunshine kind of gal at heart. There are those first snows that bring me the feeling of walking in a winter wonderland and then I dust myself off and look forward to long awaited arrival of spring.

This evening while putting in the chickens, turkeys, and ducks, I was being serenaded by what sounded like a symphony of birds nestled deep within the braches of the cedar trees. As I paused to listen more closely, I realized that this beautiful sound was not birds at all, but an abundance of tree frogs. The weather has been unusually nice the past couple of days. My thoughts are that they have been tricked into thinking it is spring. It will only be a matter of days that they will hibernate deep within the ground and become temporarily frozen. While they are intricately designed, they will survive the desolate Pennsylvania winters to find themselves in full harmony once the ground begins to warm.

C.A. Bresin

Job 37
God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. 6 He says to the snow, fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty and downpour.’ 7 So that everyone he has made may know his work, he stops all people from their labor. 8 The animals take cover; they remain in their dens. 9 The tempest comes out from its chamber, the cold from the driving winds. 10 The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen. 11 He loads the clouds with moisture; he scatters his lightning through them. 12 At his direction they swirl around
over the face of the whole earth to do whatever he commands them. (NIV)

Homemade Kefir

Homemade Kefir is well worth your effort and contains all natural ingredients.

Place two tablespoons of milk Kefir grains in 1 quart of raw cow, goat, or sheep milk.

Place on top of your refrigerator for 24-48 hours in wide mouth canning jars.

Cover with cheese cloth. Place a rubber band around the top to secure your cloth.

After your Keefir is done. Remove grains and place in refrigerator. You may begin the process again or save grains until you are ready for your next batch.

Add 2 cups or 1 package of frozen raspberries (or fruit of choice) and  ¼ cup of maple syrup to the Kefir.

Blend in blender. Chill in covered glass containers.

Give it a shake prior ro serving.

If your worried about bacteria from raw milk, you can heat it to 160* for three minutes. This does not pasteurize it but kills bacteria.

Kefir grains should be lightly rinsed in cool water every few days. You can freeze Keefer grains to share with friends. You will need approximately 2 tablespoons of Kefir grains per quart of raw milk.

Freeze Freshly Picked Berries Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Cover with freshly picked berries. Place in your freezer until frozen. Then simple transfer to a Mason Jar or covered glass container. This prevents fruit from sticking together.

Recipe from the kitchen of C.A. Bresin

Bridge the Gap

   As we entered the large double doors, I locked eyes with a African American brother that was bused in with a large group from Philadelphia. We instantly locked eyes and he reached out his arms and gave me a big hug, reciting “Sista, maybe you be here to bridge the gap”. Without hesitation I responded, “Oh..., how I wish it were that simple”.
   My eyes scanned the walls that were lined with beautiful paintings depicting different stories from the Bible. One painting in particular was of Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist. Never before had I seen paintings representing the biblical characters in black. My mind raced as I processed how we had Americanized Christ with blonde hair and blue eyes. I really had never given it much thought but their depiction was probably far more accurate than ours. Jesus was a Jew and from an area where the majority of people had dark skin. A thought that since has troubled me and my Hollywood embossed mentality.
   The foyer was filling up with woman wearing hats with feathers and bows laden with grandiose splendor. It struck me much like a movie set of My Fair Lady. The presentation with all of it's finest pomp and circumstance.

   We were but a handful of white spectators not fully understanding what we were about to embark. We sat silently as the celebration began. The church was filled with the sounds of Negro spirituals. The walls shook and the people swayed. A procession began as a group of men and women filled up the center aisle wearing white gloves. The energy abounded with their singing and movement. This was something, I had never witnessed or felt before.
It was spectacular!

    It wasn’t until a year later that a professor who taught about African American culture, and being African American himself explained what we had indeed witnessed. You see, when our African American brothers and sisters were not allowed to partake in the church services with us white folk, they would form a procession and make their way out into the woods. They would gather and worship a true worship, knowing full good and well of persecution. The Negro hymns were soulful and heartfelt because they endured what no man should have had to endure. They endured feeling less than. They often times endured being treated much less than a common dog. In many ways their procession is a mockery of the times they were cast away because, we felt entitled. Entitled to feel that we were any less of a sinner? Entitled because we carried a different pigment of skin?

   I have come to embrace that we are all one race, created from the same God, descending from the same parents and adapting to our given locations. How ignorant we are to follow the mindlessness of a given thought that provides such hate and contempt for any brother or sister. I too wait until we live in the land of eternity. A land where we no longer have to bridge the gap.

C.A. Bresin
  

Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Romans 3:22-24  (KJV)

A Watchful Shepherd

As a shepherd of a flock of Jacob Sheep their health and safety are primary. Most of our sheep are used for breeding stock but unless one can sell the rams as future flock sires their purpose becomes a sustainable provision.

After the butcher is done with his process, he calls us straight away to pick up the hides. It is very important that the hides are kept cool and the process of fleshing any remaining meat begins promptly. The deterioration happens quickly and the loss of the beauty and quality of the hide are quite noticeable.

One of my more memorable days occurred when our butcher called for us to pick up some freshly butchered sheep hides. We loaded the dense box into the back of our pickup truck and unloaded them at our farm. We set up a fleshing table under the shade of our flowering Mimosa Tree. As we removed each hide they were wet and heavy from being saturated in blood. We laid them out with the fur side down and began the process of removing any remaining meat and fat with a skinning knife. After we have carefully completed this process, we began to generously salt the entire hide coating the outer edges liberally. The hides will then be drained for the next couple of days as the salt works on the tanning process. During the process the hide is kept on a slight angle and the liquid pools. Each time we drain the liquid, more salt is added in the same manner, until the hide is completely dried.

This process is a messy blood laden job. We carefully remove each bit of meat and fat with gentle accuracy so that we don’t produce any rips or tears in the hide. This would ruin the finished hide and make it impossible to be sold to any perspective customer.

As I was carefully fleshing one of the hides, our dogs began to bark aggressively and ran to the fence facing our neighbors house across the street. I paused to see a man walking around the side of their house and heading towards the back. Both of our neighbors were away from their home and I became alarmed at the intruder. Without any thought, I ventured into the street with knife in hand and blood spattered down my legs. In a firm voice I called out to him , "May I help you?" He stopped dead in his tracks and nervously sputtered in his speech as he answered, " No Ma'am!"  I could see he was very anxious, as I further pushed and asked what he was doing. It was at this time that I noticed a plastic tag hanging from his shirt for identification. He sighted that he was with the Department of Agriculture and they were checking for some strain of pox that were effecting the fruit trees in our area. I explained, that we also had some fruit trees but he never seemed to venture our way. I later chuckled at the fright, I must have caused him by my appearance. Even in the quiet life of a watchful shepherd, the behind the scenes scenarios can produce some amusing stories that will last a life time.

Reflections

Memories run like a slow motion picture in the shadows of my mind. Christin, Kati and I sat in a circle with our neighbors in their front yard. Some boys from the foster home across the street joined us as we chatted and laughed. The oldest boy for no apparent reason got up and slapped me across the face. Without missing a beat my unexpected response was to embrace him tightly. He looked confused and I asked why he had struck me. His face was lifeless and he shook his head in disbelief. It was not until later that I was given the story that the boys mother had shot herself in front of them. What a horrific picture for one to hold in the presence of their minds. There I sat with two lively and well loved daughters laughing and enjoying life. He was jealous but could not put his finger on the muddle that had unfairly been handed to him. The boys traveled back and forth from their foster home to our humble abode. They would spend countless hours in our small front room talking, laughing, playing cards or watching cartoons. One day the big question arose, could I adopt them. My heart sank, I had grown to love these two boys. I had to explain that I just did not have the means but would have loved for them to my sons. Shortly following that day, they came to tell me that their father was coming from California to pick them up. He had decided to take them back from the state and provide a home for them. This particular day has been deeply etched into my mind. I watched from my window as a man approached the door of the foster home. He loaded the boys suitcases into the trunk and the boys somberly climbed into the car and slowly drove down the street then vanished as they turned the corner. I was left with tears streaming down my face knowing that I had no control of the outcome of this situation. Through out my life, I have hoped and prayed for those two boys. I have prayed that they would be safe, that they would be loved and that most of all they would come to know the saving grace that is freely offered by excepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

John 3:1-6 (KJV) 1There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Papa Richard and Mama Darlene Mummau

This past week our dear Papa Richard went home to be with the Lord. Yes, a Papa to many across the United States and abroad. Little did I know when I had asked some questions about the Conservative Mennonites and their beliefs, that this man and his wife would come visit our family. They entered our home with a large bag of popcorn in hand. Once we finished our visit, he welcomed us into his growing family. He was Papa, Dawdy and Grandpa to countless. Like so many, I waited for his Family Letter. This was a letter that he wrote weekly. Sometimes more, sometimes less depending on his busy traveling schedule. Papa kept us informed of his daily activities and his travels to meet other families. We shared in his life and other church members joys and sorrows. We were connected, we were loved.
About a week ago, I received a Family Letter. Papa shared that he had been short of breath and that daughter Mandy had helped him do the weed whacking. He mentioned that he had thought about dying but that he was here until God was ready to take him home. The next Family Letter was from Papa's Pastor. He had let us all know that our Papa had gone home.
Easter day we went to the viewing. My husband David signed the guest book. A man handed out an additional paper, that we read as we stood in line. The paper was written by Mama Darlene telling us of Papa's final moments.
This day was Papa and Mama Darlene's fifty fourth wedding anniversary. Papa had gotten up at 5:00 am. to write a love letter to his wife and slip it into their mail box. A surprise for Darlene to find later in the day. Just thirty minutes later, Papa had a massive heart attack. That afternoon the room was filled with church members discussing and deciding on the funeral arrangements. Amidst the planning, the door bell rang. A delivery for Mama Darlene. It was beautiful red roses, attached was the card signed, from her loving husband.
In memory of: Richard Eby Mummau (December 6,1936 - April 5, 2012)
"May God bless you real good" "Keep on keeping on!


Revelations 21:3-5 (KJV)

3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

The Secret

Growing up in a moderate home and being surrounded by the expanding city of wealth and abundance, I struggled to find balance in a place that I did not belong.
In my later years, we moved to the country where I embraced and marveled at the open fields and country roads. I reconnected with the people and the lifestyle of my ancestors. Throughout my journey, I have come to realize that even in the times that were scant, I have learned skills that have brought about depth and character. The blessings have included; learning to plant a garden, raising and butchering an animal for our yearly provision, grinding wheat and turning it into a loaf of bread, milking a cow and turning it's cream into homemade butter, heating our home with fire wood, taking raw fleece and spinning it into yarn and the list goes on... For some, this seems backwards or even an impoverished lifestyle but like the manna provided in the wilderness, there is abundance with less. There is joy when you are in need and learn to embrace His secret of contentment. There is depth as He refines us to completion in all of life's circumstances.

Philippians 4:12-13
12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (KJV)

A Prayer of Faith

My dad had been diagnosed with cancer and his prognosis did not look hopeful. They had given him only months to maybe a year at the most.

One evening the dreaded phone call came, my dad was in the hospital and not doing well. In fact there was not any hope for him to live.

I quickly made arrangements to fly home to Phoenix. Some friends of the family greeted me soberly at the airport. On our drive to the hospital they tried to soften what I was about to see. When I entered the room of the hospital my dad was blown up twice his size. His gown had been cut to give his bloated body more room to expand. His skin was oozing liquid as a tumor was wrapped around the main aorta of his heart.

There are no words for the emotion that swept throughout my heart and soul. I unexpectedly dropped to my knees and began to pray out loud.
The doctors later came in and informed us that he would not make it through the weekend.

While sitting next to his side, I picked up a Bible and it opened to James, chapter 5verses 14-15 "Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 and the prayer of faith shall save him that is sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, it shall be forgiven him." (ASV Bible)

My extended family was Catholic but it did not matter to me who anointed him with oil but that he was anointed. My heart of hearts reached out in obedience but knew that this anointing would not guarantee his survival. The one thing I did know for certain was God's words were loud and clear, that it should be done.

I spoke with my mother and she agreed and called a priest. We stood and prayed and watched his body slowly return to his normal size.

On Monday morning a Jewish doctor was doing his rounds and peeked in to see us all sitting in my father's room. We were helping my dad eat and regain his strength. I will never forget that doctor as he stood in the door and shook his head and repeated, "Miracle, miracle!" and silently vanished into the hospital hallway.

I was able to speak with my dad about the importance of excepting Christ as his personal savior. We prayed together and I later witnessed him telling others how the room lit up when he prayed.

I often reflect on the reason that God granted this miracle. My reason was because I did not want to see my dad leave but I believe God's reason was he wanted to bring another safely home.

My dad passed away a year later. I am comforted to know that I will see him again in eternity. What a grand reunion it will be!

The Last Flight

We looked across the darkened horizon as the bright lights approached. The twin engine plane was moving at such a low altitude that we stopped and watched with anticipation. As it passed over head, we could only hear one of the engines and the other was struggling as it resonated with a low grumbling sound. The pilot looked to be approaching a near by private airport within the city limits. His plane faded into the distance and we filed the event into the back of our minds. Without further thought, we returned to the routine of our evening farm chores. It was not until later that night that we heard that the plane had gone down and pilot had been killed. The event played on fast forward through my mind. I wondered, had he cried out to G-d for His infinite help? Did he have the assurance of his eternal destination? We all seem to be focused on the immediate, never anticipating that within a moment, it could be our last flight.

James 4
14Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.(KJV)