Mark 1: 16-20

Walk before me ... Follow me

Late tomatoes ripening inside. Toy Box Suburban Farm

A journey of faith. My legs felt like lead was slugging through my veins instead of blood. Ten more steps, then I can stop if I want to. One; the tiny day pack was hot on my back. Two; just up to the next switch-back and then you can rest if you want to. Three; every step was a climb. Every thought was on moving forward one more step. Mount Pilchuck in Robe Valley is not very tall. The trail to the Fire Lookout is only two miles long and gains only 2,000 feet of altitude from the old ski lodge parking lot. People bring their toddlers up this cattle run of a path. But here I was struggling to not give up. At 9:30 AM fellow hikers were already coming back down the trail, encouraging me, you are almost there, keep going. When I finally reached the base of the old Fire Look Out I could see that the building sat on top of a tall stack of boulders that I would need to scramble to get to the Look Out. NO WAY. I can hardly put one foot in front of the other, I cannot scramble up 20 feet of boulders. That is when Hans and Frans showed up.

I do not know their actual names. To my untrained ears their accent was Austrian  They wore white tee shirts and white shorts. There was not a drop of sweat on either of them. With voices that sounded like the former governor of California, they told me I could not stop here I had to go to the top! As I attempted to wave them off with what I hoped was a smile, Frans slipped the day pack from my shoulders and stepped up the the first bolder. His foot was level with my head. When he reached out for my hand I gave it to him and was nearly lifted up on the bolder. Hans kept placing my feet in secure positions. I did not have time to die of embarrassment. I was at the top and they were gone as fast as they showed up.

Faith is a journey up a steep and narrow path.There are different companions along the way, there is encouragement by strangers who are really fellow pilgrims. There is dramatic help when you feel like you have nothing left. But for the most part, it is one foot in front of the other.

And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen.  And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men."  And immediately they left their nets and followed him.  And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zeb'edee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets.  And immediately he called them; and they left their father Zeb'edee in the boat with the hired servants, and followed him.   Mark 1:16-20  RSV

It seems that "in the beginning" the walk of faith was meant to be an easy stroll through the garden. YHVH/God walked with Adam in the cool of the day. That didn't last. King David of Israel wrote that his walk of faith was a walk through the valley of the shadow of death. (Psalm 23) Y'shua/Jesus spoke of a narrow, hard way (Mathew 7 :13-14). Whatever description is given to the path, it starts with an invitation. Abram was told to "walk before Me" (Genesis 17:1) In our passage, four men are invited to "follow Me" (Y'shua)" on their faith journey. With very little drama, they begin. We are filled with questions about their families, their work, even why they suddenly decided to follow this man. But the bottom line is that they began their journey of faith. Did they know how hard it would be? Did they know that there would be times when they wanted to give up or did they keep their eyes on the goal and keep putting one foot in front of the other? If you have read their testimony you know how the journey ends. You have read of triumph and difficulty, very much like you encounter in your journey of faith.

Speaking of our journey, how do we follow Y'shua whom we cannot see? First, we have the Spirit of God.

John 14:26  But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

John 15:26-27  But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me;  and you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning. 

John 20:21-22  Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you."  And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. RSV

We also have the fellowship of fellow pilgrims on the path. Paul encouraged us to, "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ." 1 Corinthians 11:1 

Heb 10:23-25 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful;  and let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,  not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. 

If you choose to follow Y'shua/Jesus, you will be on the journey of your life. No one will carry you even though we are here to encourage you. There is great reward. It is the joy of YHVH that gives us strength. There is help along the way but you are the one who must choose to follow. You are the one who has to decide to take just a few more steps when you feel as if you cannot take even one more step. The view is amazing, the fellowship and the joy are beyond description. But the love of the Lord is the prize that keeps me going.

Repent, believe and face what comes with faith.

MsH 10/30/12

The Gospel (according to Mark)

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God,  and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel."    Mark 1:14-15 RSV

ma-basar-et is the ancient Hebrew word for the message that we translate "gospel."

Good Tidings The root word basar speaks of a fresh and full revelation. It is to make glad with good news. (bet-shin-resh) A prefix and a suffix have been added to this root word. The prefix is the letter mem; it indicates something revealed. The suffix is a tav; this letter is a sign, the original cross. Here, the tav suffix indicates truth of YHVH.

Long before the "New Testament" YHVH spoke of a message that we refer to as, "the gospel." What is that message? Mark gives it to us in one verse. "....the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel." To the best of my knowledge, this is the only time Mark will specifically tell his readers what the message of Y'shua / Jesus is. The rest of his Gospel will spell out what our commitment to the gospel is. Therefore it is of highest importance that we do not miss the message given here.

The kingdom of God is at hand... Would you be shocked to learn that the simple phrase  "at hand" causes more argument than agreement? My attempt to keep this phrase as simple as possible will be a frustration to many. I apologize in advance. There is nothing automatic about the privilege of entering the kingdom of YHVH. It does come near, so close to our souls that we can nearly swim in the joy of it. The kingdom, really the realm, of YHVH is not a definable plot of real-estate (not yet) but a spirit place. Mark 1:10 told us, "the heavens opened and the spirit came down." I understand this to be a hint, a revelation of the type of "kingdom" that is heaven. 

Y'shua has told us what is required of us. "Repent, and believe." The price he must pay will be much higher, but for this moment we are only asked to observe our part.

Repent In the simplest terms, repent is to turn around. If you are heading north and you repent then you will turn and head or face south. We are speaking of an invisible kingdom or realm so our repentance is not facing any physical direction. We will not be looking east toward Jerusalem. Instead, we stop pursuing our own goals, our desire for revenge or entertainment, or even our ideals of piety and righteousness and begin the journey to follow Y'shua. 

Believe Both believe and faith (in their Greek transliteration) are words that attempt to translate the idea of the Hebrew word a'men (stand firm). Faith is a noun that communicates the idea of trust (in the foundation) but believe is from a verb, an action. Believe is to make a commitment and take a stand. We are to "believe in the gospel." Stand firm, commit yourself to the message, the gospel.

I wish I had a great photo of a sunrise with beams of light streaming through the storm clouds of night. That is the mental picture I have of the presentation of the gospel. The light is shinning through darkness that cannot overcome it. The glory of the light is "at hand" and beautiful in its brilliant contrast to the dark night. How do we enter it (because this light does not simply over take us as the morning light does)? Repent, give up everything for the glory of the kingdom. Believe, commit to following Y'shua / Jesus.

The rest is learning how we should live.

Mrs Hagerty October 21, 2012
Updated Dec. 31, 2015 MsH

Mark 1:9

Cinderella pumpkins from the Toy Box suburban farm

Every time a window opens I see old friends with fresh eyes. For as long as I have been reading the Gospel of Mark I have treated his story of Y'shua's immersion and time in the wilderness as if they were simply the Reader's Digest version of the full story as told by the other Gospel authors. The suggestion of RT France that perhaps only the setting is the same but the message is different, richer, more complex then the surface story told by Matthew, Luke and even John, was a small revelation to me.


My perception of Marks telling of Yochannan's immersion of Y'shua (John the Baptist's baptism of Jesus if you are still new at dabbling in Hebrew) will now and forever be seen by me as the changing of the guard. At this very moment in history the world of men said good-by to dependence on prophets (and from judgement of their integrity) to faith in the son of God / ben YHVH). It happened so quickly that I must have blinked.....I missed it until just this week.

 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove;  and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased."
Mark 1: 9-11   RSV

I have a hand penned note in the crowded margin of my Bible that proclaims  "God spoke in a day without a prophet." I wish I had written that note in pencil so I could erase it. It is not true. Yochannan the Immerser was the last prophet of YHVH and the people of Jerusalem and Judea flocked to him. The other gospels tell their readers that John was conceived and born to be a prophet of YHVH. That ministry came to an end as Y'shua came up out of the waters of his immersion. Before he returns from his forty days in the wilderness, Yochannan will apparently have been arrested. Ready or not, the king, the arm of The Lord, will speak to a people who must still repent but must act not out of duty but faith. The heavens opened, the Kingdom of God came near. A whole new world.

In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
Hebrews 1: 1-2   RSV

Repent and believe.

MsH 10/19/12

The Gospel of Mark, a beginning

I have committed to the study of Mark for the school year. I've started it once before, there is even a label for Mark on my blog but I am easily distracted. This time I have a "class" of three Junior High girls who come to "devotions class" because it is required. Hows that for an exciting start?

Mark has a nice introduction, good stuff about the baptizer and his connection to the original testament or prophecies of YHVH. But there is something that Mark doesn't have. There is no Christmas in his Gospel. I have read the opening paragraph carefully, no Christmas, no babe, no manger, no Mary, Joseph or any evidence of an inn keeper. If you care to look there is an event that is of far greater importance then the "Christianizing" of a pagan winter holiday.

The event is also spoken of in the opening chapter of Hebrews.

In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.     Hebrews 1:1-2 RSV

The creator of the world speaks. The torch is passed from the last prophet to the Son of YHVH. An earthshaking event that we foolish people do not memorialize with cards, gifts, and twinkle lights. Maybe I have been distracted by the Spirit like a dove. Maybe by the voice or the idea of heaven's doors coming open for just a moment in history. I know me well enough to realize it could be something as petty as Mark's first use of the word "immediately". Get a Thesaurus brother Mark. (sorry, I do think such nonsense). What ever it was, I missed the huge event that changed the world for eternity. The Microphone of God passed from  the last prophet, Yochannan/John to the only begotten Son of God, at the edge of a river, in a crowd of the religious. That one moment changed forever how YHVH speaks to those who will hear.

It is going to be an amazing year!

Deborah (a.k.a MsH)

Happy Birthday my Friend-eth

August 26

Today is Val's birthday. Maybe you know her as Mrs. Wold, a title she accepts with joy. So many call her friend. Even those who call her "teacher" call her friend. She is one of those rare souls who put their own life on the back burner for the sake of others. We have laughed together, prayed together and just been together in silence (more her than me).

There were moments in my life when someone spoke a cruel word to me, she was there to lift me up without a single ugly word about the one who spoke. When church people avoided me because of the path my precious son was on, she came to me, hugged me, prayed with me instead of for me. She has approached me, worried not that she offended me but that she offended our God while speaking to me. Honestly, sometimes I am at a loss, not knowing how to respond, not feeling offended, but seeing her pain, her desire to make sure she is right before God. I love her.

Anytime I show her some new found do-da on the school soft-ware she lights up and talks to me like I am brilliant. The truth is, I just had too much time on my hands.

There was a time when I would wonder, "What does she want from me?" because just about EVERYONE who flatters me is setting me up to give something to them. Not Val. It was difficult to not brace myself for what may come next when she voices something positive about me, something I am sure is not actually true. When she tells me something honest, it is not to ask for anything from me. She gains my heart. A friend who loves at all times.

Happy Birthday dear Val.

"The Man Before Me" by Ray

Ray and Jason last 4th of July

I felt I had lost my son and desired desperately to get him back from the addiction which had taken him from me. An addiction to meth had stolen the life, happiness and exuberance from the youthful boy I remembered. At one point during a time of serious lament my wife graciously suggested I learn to accept who he is. I did not want who he is, I wanted my son back. What would it take to get him back, what kind of man was hidden in this mask of drugs?  

The battle began not long after his graduation from high school. He would come to visit us, most times under the influence, sometimes not, I never knew what to expect. Today he admits to not remembering some of those visits, but I do, they were the memorable because of the heartache I felt.

  Then my father came to live with us because his health was failing and he needed constant care. This stretched my emotions even further, dealing with his needs and worrying about my son.

 I had to decide how to approach my son about his addiction, there needed to be a confrontation. That same week there were floods in the area and his trailer was washed away. He asked to come home, I only had one condition, no drugs allowed on the property He hesitated but he came home, our confrontation had been provided for us.

 Jason was a blessing in disguise. He would be all night with his grandpa, who suffered from sundowners, a form of Alzheimer’s. They would talk all night allowing my wife and me to sleep. It also gave my Dad a chance to have an influence on his grandson. I had installed an intercom system in the room to monitor dad at night before we knew Jay was coming home, consequently I was privileged to hear most of their conversations. The topics surprised to me, the depth and compassionate wisdom from this man who suffered dementia and the coherence of a young man fighting drugs was amazing. His grandpa was able to say things to him and have an impact; if I said the same thing it would be an instant fight. I so desired to have that influence and not start arguments.

 After his grandpa’s funeral Jay disappeared for a week, where I did not know. I found out later he had gone to a friend’s house where he quit drugs, including meth, cold turkey. He did not want me to see him go through that, feeling I had dealt with too much already. My wife and I had been praying for him continually. Thankfully things began to change as the effects of the drugs wore off, his attitude slowly changed to that of a sober person. As the process continued I began to notice he was changing into the person I remembered. As the weeks wore on he continued to heal, I began to notice a definite change in attitude.

 Would I get my son back? I was learning to accept who he had become, but longed for the boy that was easy to love. Then standing in the kitchen one day, talking about what the next step in his rehab, I realized we were having a conversation that I had desired. And as I realized this, there in this man before me was the son I remembered. He had grown into a man to be proud of. I had to break away and give thanks to God for answered prayers.

July 21, 2012 "After" the Warrior Dash

Preparedness and The 2012 Drought

Consider the lilies how they grow. For they do not labor nor do they spin. But I say to you that not even Shleemon/Solomon in all his glory was covered like on of these. Luke 12:27

What are you doing (if anything) to prepare for the coming price jump in food? That was the question posed on one of the many blogs I enjoy.

My answer is, "As much as possible." However, everything we are able to do, we did last year when Kimberly-Clark quit on Everett selling off all the parts of the mill, garenteeing that the citizens of Everett would no longer have that option for work that pays a family wage. It was great while it lasted but, just as the Romans destroyed the Temple of YHVH when it was time for a change, so the Everett paper mill has been destroyed...... OK, that was a bad comparison and I digress.

What is left of the old Scott Paper, Kimberly Clark paper mill

Last year Ray knew he did not have much time left as a wage earner. We have a morgatage and all that goes with that. We like to eat, travel, play on the internet, heat the house, keep the cars running. What could we do? Both of us wanted Ray out of the mill, but on our terms, in our time. What do we do? Rage, complain? Ask for prayer to bring a stop to this? What?

"But first seek the Kingdom of Elohim and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you. Therefore, be not anxious about tomorrow for tomorrow is anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its evil."  Matthew 6: 33-34 AENT

Task 1. Seek the Kingdom of Elohim/God, of which I am a citizen-bride in good standing because of the sacrifice of my Y'shua/Jesus! Elohim takes care of my needs through many different and sometimes surprising ways.

We do our best to be wise with what we are stewards over. You would have thought we were "preppers" from the type of groceries we bought with the last few checks from KC. Flours, cornmeal, beans, oatmeal, rice, all in huge bulk bags. Meat packs, sugar, basics that I suppose I will need for holiday cooking, all of it in safe storage.

I have been a passionate vegetable gardener as a hobby. Now I have turned my passion into a living. I count my main occupation as suburban farmer. My 2nd job is working with home-schoolers on the internet through my church's private school. That ministry provides $400.00 a month for 10 months of the year. If I cannot grow something, my school income provides the means to obtain it. I am so thankful!

So, just what am I doing to prepare for the drought? Not much has changed. We are trying to put aside an extra bag of feed and scratch for the chickens, but beyond that we have stores of food to last a while. As we are able, we put local beef and chickens into the freezer for meals to come. If the drought is only a year long we are already ready. It occurs to me that Elohim is gentle and kind to those who seek Him. He took away our fear of tomorrow when KC quit Everett. He has allowed us to change our lifestyle in gentleness so that we might be ready to help and encourage others in their time of transition. We are abundantly blessed and long to pass that blessing on to others.

Strength and dignity are her clothing and she laughs at the time to come.  Proverbs 31:25

I have spent too much time avoiding the Proverbs 31 teaching. Some man, intent on telling of an ideal woman, always makes her sound like another reason why I will never be good enough in anyone's eyes. But in this season, I am not offended and understand her laughter. It is the laughter of Joy from a woman of faith. One who does not know what tomorrow will bring but who does trust the Elohim who holds her tomorrows in His hands AND holds her in His heart as she does Him.

Seek the kingdom beloved friends. Everything else belongs to the King who loves you.

Debs of The Toy Box Suburban Farm but more important, of the Kingdom of Elohim.

Expanding the gardens while we still had an income.