Davis Farm Guest House

We're having fun at our Guest House and on the farm!

We're meeting new people.

Making friends from all over the world. 

We're sprucing up. 

Watching grass grow!

Literally. 

We're shaking off the Winter. 

Though, it's not shaking us off!

Sharing about this place we love so much. 

Things aren't always easy. 
We share that too. 

Work. 

Long hours. 

Yet. 

Rewarding. 

Full. 
Held by a gracious God. 

Stepping forward with purpose. 

Hope you'll stop by for a visit soon. 

Find us on our blog page: 

http://farmingoncilleyhill.blogspot.com/p/davis-farm-guest-house.html

Or our listing on Farm Stay U.S.:

www.farmstayus.com/farm/Vermont/Davis_Farm_

How a Community Grieves; A Year Later

Another repost from the archives. These days are still so fresh as we journey forward. We have had many, many visitors this year to the farm. Friends I have not seen in years, bringing hugs and love. All trying to make some sense of this difficult time. It has been a year of grace and trusting through the storms. Our farmhouse doors will remain open. We will walk the journey in this life with bowed knee and eyes lifted to the heavens. 

Psalm 121:1-4

I lift up my eyes to the hills
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved
he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

July 29, 204
How A Community Grieves a year later.
The teens and their families gather together. 
Their words are few. 
All remembering. 
All stepping forward. 
College. 
Jobs. 
A future. 

We remember. 

One year ago today. 

July 31, 2013

The day we welcomed our Community in to say Good Bye. 

What we received was completely unexpected. 

A town, a church, friends, family all affected by the life of such a wonderful young man. 

We had no idea. 

We had visitors again.

This time they received an open invitation.

They didn't have to come. 

It was just an offering. 

But come they did.

Young, old, students. friends, teachers, 

some whom we had never met, relatives. 

They came.

Broken, shattered with grief. 

When a community mourns. 

You don't feel alone.

For moments you're so supported.

We did not see this . We had no idea how long people were waiting. . 

Waiting to hold us and whisper love into our hearts. 

I didn't want the day to end. 

I knew what it meant.

I know what comes next.

The sum of a young man's life presented in the parlor of his home.

 Laid to rest where other relatives have predeceased him. 

None so young.

Treasures and stores of memories

Crazy Children

Lots of Love

 Blessings

And now Grace

We will miss hearing you play today; 

I bet the heavenly choir will be rockin'

But we know without a shadow of a doubt we will see him again. 

I love this song by JJ Heller

May you find peace an comfort today. 

May you rest in the everlasting arms of the LORD. 

If you don't have a relationship with Christ 

I have unanswered prayers
I have trouble I wish wasn't there
And I have asked a thousand ways
That you would take my pain away
You would take my pain away

I am trying to understand
How to walk this weary land
Make straight the paths that crooked lie
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine

When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave your hands

When you walked upon the earth
You healed the broken, lost and hurt
I know you hate to see me cry
One day you will set all things right
Yeah, one day you will set all things right

When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave your hands

Your hands that shaped the world
Are holding me
They hold me still

JJ Heller Your Hands

Live In The Fullness

I fight through these days. 

The last he had here on this earth.

I long for things to be different. 

Yet trying to step forward each day. 

Agony. 

The need to do what you do not want to do. 

Press on. 

Remember. 

Seek joy. 

Let go. 

Digging for the strength needed. 

Only the grace for the day. 

I settle into all that will never be.
He will never be a United States Marine.
He will never marry.
Our family portraits will never be the same.

I don't want to hear the words, "You're healing."
Like I'm going to be new again?
My son has been torn from me.
I will NEVER be the same again.
Nor do I want to be.
I can never be that again.  I will never be Elijah's mom.
He has achieved ultimate success.
Yet I want more.
I want to learn.
I yearn for God to guide my foot steps according to His plan.
I want to shake these earthly chains and live with abandon for the One who died for me.
There is more to life.
Reaching for that which we can not see is always hard.
I will continue to strive.
Holding on to the hope given.
Living for eternity.
These days are a stretch.
I will pick the kids up from camp today.
It is the last day we ever saw Elijah.
He went to a shooting competition, while we went to NY.
We came home.
It's all so surreal.
My farmer drove over to the range to catch the last of the shooting match.
We are so glad he took the time.
There was still hay down.
So much to bale.
Yet he went with his heart and went to the range.
Little did he know.
We don't know.

Matthew 24:42
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know 
on what day your Lord will come.

Each moment needs to be embraced and lived.
Our time will come.
Some with lives lived long and full.
Others short. . . yet full as well.

God knew Elijah's days.
He numbered them.
Live in the Fullness.

Colossians 2:9-10
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. 
He is the head over every power and authority.

Swaying With The Changes

The kids will head to camp today. 

I can't get the teenagers up to help get chores finished.

But today they are up shortly after me. 

Excitement. 

Camp.

Memories.

Time with fellow believers. 

Growing closer to God. 

Being refreshed and renewed.

Reminders of hope;  of life everlasting. 

I will make the drive to New York without my farmer. 

Life goes that way some times. 

There was a breakdown yesterday. 

So plans, for today, are changed. 

I don't do so well with change anymore. 

I can feel myself being unsettled. 

I take a deep breath. 

Even this, a trip to New York, is in God's hands. 

Once again, the day is beautiful. 

I have been so blessed with gorgeous travelling weather. 

This is the Lord's day.
I will rejoice and be glad in it. 

Psalm 118:24

I will rest in this day that belongs to the Lord. 

I will find the beauty in the created Universe. 

Such a gift. 

I just need eyes to see. 

Trying to let go of my Agenda and submit to the One who majors in Agenda's. 

I am embracing these days. 

Swaying with the changes. 

Trying to be open to God's Spirit moving. 

Jeremiah 31:3

The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: 

"I have loved you with an everlasting love;

 I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.

He loves us with an everlasting love. 

No one else ever will. 

No one ever can.

People will let us down. 

We are human. 

We make mistakes. 

That's why there is grace. 

We need to extend it more. 

Be open to how God is moving. 

Remembering no one perfect; except Christ. 

I will listen to a book on tape. 

I will step into the change for today. 

I am going to miss these kids this week. 

I will have all week to pray and prepare for the return trip to bring them home. 

It will be a year then, that our lives changed forever. 

Psalm 25:1-5

Of David. In you, LORD my God, I put my trust.

I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me 

No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame,

 but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause.

Guide me in your truth and teach me, 

for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

All In The Same Moment

This time last year we had been in Maine. 

We came home. 

It was so quiet. 

 No white tornado puppy to great us. 

I had been thinking about our home going and what it would be like. 

How quickly my son would experience that journey. 

Each step of every day draws me closer to the anniversary of the day. 

We attended a Birthday for a sweet One year old. 

We sang Happy Birthday and she opened her presents. 

On the TV ran photos of my children when they were little. 

Pictures of Elijah. 

His blue eyes sparkling. 

The kids so little. 

How quickly it all went. 

It seems like yesterday, my kids were the ones celebrating their first birthdays. 

Now I am about to recognize the first Anniversary of my sons death. 

It's wrong. 

So very wrong. 

I feel like I have been in a bubble this past year. 

Between the deaths and the cancer something has been askew. 

There has been one constant that has been right. 

Each moment held by grace. 

Wrapped in love. 

Feet planted firmly. 

My go to place.

The solid rock.

Psalm 18:31

For who is God besides the LORD?

 And who is the Rock except our God?

My faith in Jesus Christ. 

If you have children. 

Slow down. 

Love more. 

Laugh at inappropriate times. 

Take yourself a little less seriously. 

Talk about God. 

A lot. 

Teach your children to pray. 

To love; with every act. 

To be respectful. 

Go to church. 

Live in a Community that knows your name.
And even if they don't, they will still love on you. 

Find ways to be creative. 

Say I love you. 

All the time. 

Even when you don't feel like it. 

Trust God. 

Breathe deeply. 

Always kiss them good bye when they leave. 

Always.

Hold tight; yet let them spread their wings and fly. 

All in the same moment. 

The Farm Boy Left Behind

He loves to be out doors. 

Always has. 

He'd cry when the farmer was heading out. 

We'd strategize how long he could stay outside. 

When his nap should be.

Often it was taken with a  grease rag  pillow; somewhere in the tractor. 

 Wanting to be with his father. 

Longing to be close to the earth. 

Now he races tracks on this land. 

He tills and toils and lifts and creates, 

Jumps and turns. 

It exhausts him. 

He pushes his muscles and expends the relentless energy. 

So committed. 

Yet, still so young. 

A child some days.

Full grown man others. 

The death of his brother leaving him the oldest brother. 

A confusing place.

Roles changed. 

Piercing pain, yet pulled to lead. 

The 4 walls of a classroom claustrophobic. 

Knowledge flowing easily when the hands seek the learning. 

Struggles. 

Tension.

Wrestling with, who am I?

This man boy. 

So different from his brother. 

Yet so a like. 

Searching for truth. 

No hypocrisy. 

Closing in on a year. 

The last picture taken together. 

The last time they saw one another. 

The next the sweet reunion, in Glory. 

I pray for this man-boy.
My only son.
I watch him.
Longing for him to have joy.
My prayer is not for my child to be happy.
Nor is it for him to be successful.
I long for my boy to make choices that will make a difference in this world.
To not be a taker.
To take the gifts he has and use them for God's glory. . .not his own.
We're headed off the two of us to the races.

Praying for sweet time together.

Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, 
do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
 giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Turning Around Another First

A year of firsts that leave you undone. 

Reminders of all you have lost. 

Days when you shut the door to your heart because you absolutely can not feel anymore. 

You push hard, so you can breathe. 

Each breath measured so the next one will come. 

Bearing the weight that threatens to crush. 

Holding on with all you have; to promises made long before time began. 

Jeremiah 31:3

The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.

It's prom. 

A thoughtful request for her to attend.

And it's going to be beautiful. 

Her dress bought. 

Nails done. 

Plans made. 

Yet, I can't help but remember. 

The memory still strong. 

The future looming. 

All the excitement.

The magic of the time. 

He was late as usual. 

Last minute. 

Hurrying around. 

The house was in an uproar. 

Shoes.

Tux. 

Bow tie. 

It all had to be just right. 

He was that way.

There were places he needed to be. 

A time schedule he wished wasn't there. 

But he stopped. 

For me.

He didn't have to. But he did. 

And this is how we remember him. 

The picture most all of you have. 

Time marches on. 

And it is prom again. 

I will cook. 

I will look around the room.

I will breathe deep the memories gone by. 

The memories yet to be. 

I will step into gratitude for 17 years. 

For the beautiful picture. 

Though I sway with the enormity of the loss. 

I face the journey Christ has called us to with the strength that only He can provide. 

Isaiah 58:11
The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.