At First There Were Two Day #17 of Thankfulness

At first there were two. 

Two went with hearts bursting. 

To a country in need. 

My farmer and now college girl. 

When death and cancer had been our companions. 

A spark was rekindled. 

A yearning to go. 

And they did. 

They went.

They were changed. 

The heart of the people forever ingrained in their souls. 

And now they are going back;

with nine. 

To bring much needed items. 

To be the hands and feet of Jesus. 

A response to the call. 

Go!

Luke 10:37
The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." 
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

There is much work and preparation to go. 

Farm chores- covered. 

Finances met. 

Supplies to gather. 

~ 30 Days of Thankfulness~

I am thankful for:
opportunities to serve

hope
looking forward
times of waiting
having needs far beyond our capabilities
knowing that God is able to meet all those needs; if it is His will
folks encouraging my farmer to go
donations of supplies already coming in
the hearts of my farmer and children to go 

Would you consider partnering with us? 

We are filling suitcases with much needed supplies. 

Needs that we are aware of so far are:

feminine products, deodorant, bra's and underwear. 

As we learn of more needs we will share them. 

There is also a financial need to be met. 

For my farmer, farm boy and college girl to go 

the cost will be around-$4400, 

plus the extra farm expenses to cover chores. 

We are trusting in this financial obligation being met. 

Malachi 3:10

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

There are a few ways you can donate financially. 

You can donate directly to GoServ Global formally known as 
Global Compassion Network. 
Be sure to check the memo box and write in the designation for the 

Davis Trip.

Click here to donate to the Davis Trip to Haiti

The Davis Family Fund is still open at the Merchants Bank in Jericho. 

Donations can me made there as well. 
Merchants Bank
205-VT Rt 15
Jericho, Vermont 05465

Thank you for partnering with us. 

Thank you for the encouragement to my farmer . . . to go. 

Ephesians 3:20

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

 With Every Act of Love

Jason Gray

We bring the Kingdom come

 With every act of love...

We're Stepping Out In Faith, We're putting Feet on A Dream!

We're working hard.

Painting. 

Cleaning.  (Eww)

Gardening. 

Decorating. 

So exciting. 

We're taking a step of faith. 

Putting feet on a dream.

My farmers word from the Lord. 

"More people."

My gift; hospitality. 

Friends who are all in. 

Do you long to experience a slower pace? 

Have you ever wondered what life on a farm might look like?

Do you just need a break? 

Introducing the 

Davis Farm Guest House

At the Davis Farm Guest House you will find all of that and more. 

We are creating a space, with a spectacular view, and lots of coffee, 
 for you to come to us. 

Check into our cozy three bedroom Guest House. 

Come and experience life on our farm. 

Drive the cows home for milking. 

Stack wood for the fires for winter. 

Help make bread or purchase your own local ingredients 
to create a delicious dinner in our spacious, fully stocked kitchen. 


Sit and savor the view with a hot cup of coffee or tea on our beautiful deck. 

Or curl up with a book by the warmth of a fire. 

If adventure is what you seek, climb our local Mount Mansfield or 
Camel's hump. 

Head into down town Burlington for shopping, great food and excitement. 

Drive to the slopes during ski season. 
Take full advantage of our close proximity to Smugglers Notch. 

Come stay for a weekend, a week or a month. 

A get a way for the whole family or time to re-connect with friends. 

There's plenty of room. 

We've been planning, painting and praying. 

We've been getting ready to welcome you and your friends and family 

to our 

Davis Farm Guest House


Come as strangers. . . leave as family. 

 Will you please share our new adventure. 

Contact us at 802-899-2357 
or e-mail us at davisfarm@surfglobal.net  for reservations. 

Find us on the web at www.farmingoncilleyhill.blogspot.com 
or on our Davis Farm face book page. 

Looking forward to sharing this beautiful space we have been blessed with. 

Let us know what you think! 

Waking From A Dream

I woke from the dream. 

Wracking sobs as I fell to my knees in the kitchen. 

Sobs that came during the first days as we learned of Elijah's homegoing. 

The same gut wrenching realization. 

Piercing. 

Ache. 

Reality. 

Harsh. 

My pysche must only be able to handle this in my dreams. 

For when I woke. 

Truth confronted me. 

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.

The power of knowing that we are His child. 

That through this, He is Lord. 

The ground is solid. 

We walk with hope and purpose. 

While my heart stilled and the fog cleared I rested in who God says He is. 

I stepped into the routine of the day. 

May your day be firmly set on truth. 
May your soul Magnify the One who gave all. 

Psalm 121:1
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, 
from whence cometh my help.

I Will Go Day #25 of Thankfulness

There's been a lot brewing here on the farm for a few weeks. 
I mentioned last week that there was project we wanted to share. 

This busy place is always full of ideas and creativity. 

Sometimes those ideas come to fruition and other times 
they are mulled over through the years. 
Deep seeded ideas; longings. 
One of those a yearning, for my farmer, year after year.
Suppressed as chores, and children take precedence over thoughts and dreams.
Until this year;
 when one of those children is married and has a child of her own. 
Another of those children lies deep in the sod of the earth. 
When cancer threatens the "I'll get around to it some day."
It's then, that the deep longing rises fully to the surface, aching to be heard. 
A longing to escape the confines of these acres and minister to the broken and downcast. 

A desire to set his feet on soil that yearns for more. 

To use his hands to break the cycle of poverty and give soul food to those in darkness. 

It seems his farm girl, daughter shares that same deep calling. 

Her desire to attend nursing school and live a life surrendered  to the needy. 

So, through prayer and research my farmer and his 
farm girl have the opportunity to travel to Haiti in January. 

They will work alongside the "Fellowship of Christian Farmers" through  
Global Compassion Network.

There is excitement in the air as the dream becomes a reality. 

Matthew 25:40
The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'

We're stepping out of comfort zones and security and taking a step
- no a leap- of faith. 


One of Global Compassion Network's work site's in Haiti. 

Here is where we would love for you to be a part of this leap of faith. 
My farmer and Clarissa need to find prayer partners. 

They need a list of folks willing to come along side them and commit to praying. 
They also need financial support.
If you are interested in making a donation
(these are not tax deductible, the money is going for direct support to Gary and Clarissa)
you can either make a donation in their names to Global Compassion Network.
Or you can make a donation at the Merchants Bank in 
Jericho, Vermont; to the Davis Family Fund. 

We are excited about this opportunity for you to work alongside us. 

We can not do this without your support both financially and most importantly, spiritually. 

We are excited to see how God will use my farmer and sweet daughter. 

Please join us in prayer, as we thank God for this opportunity. 

30 Days of Thankfulness~

I am thankful for:
a list of things to accomplish
this time of reflection and intentional gratitude
my farmer who dares to dream big
a daughter with a sensitive compassionate heart
opportunities to serve God 
a farm boy who knows the value of work
enough grace to make it through, just this day
girls who dug into the dirt and grim of this home yesterday
the abundance of food we will all cook in the next few days
the strength God provides even when I feel I can not take another step
my children and each of their unique ways
the warm temperatures and sunshine
friends who take me to "the big city"
traditions that my mom and dad so carefully took time to create
a walk of faith that spurs me on and fills my soul with deep gratitude
for coffee; for coffee with friends; for coffee alone in the quiet of this big old farmhouse


Thank you for your prayers and financial support. 
We will continue to post updates. 

Steve Green
I Will Go

Enter In

Enter in. 

Enter into His gates with Thanksgiving in your heart. 

Enter in. 

In. 

"used to indicate location or position within something"

A location. 

Enter in. 

The door is open. 

You need to walk through. 

Not when you're happy. 

Not when things are going swell. 

That's not what it says. 

Enter in.

Just as you are. 

When you're hurting. 

When life is overwhelming. 

When your weary soul aches with breathing in and out. 

Enter in. 

My heart hurts. 

The burning sensation returned. 

All the dreams and hopes; all these years. 

Gone. 

In a moment. 

Enter in. 

An invitation. 

Enter into His courts with Praise. 

Freely. 

Enter in with Thanksgiving in your heart. 

But I don't feel like it. 

Enter in. 

Psalm 100:4

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; 

give thanks to him and praise his name.

The Praise comes. 

The Thanksgiving overflows. 

The way familiar. 

Enter in. 

It only takes one step. 

I Am Thankful For;

The glorious back light on the mountain tonight. 

The sound of the kids outside giggling and laughing.

Chicks, (Not really, but yes, really)

I have ears to hear the chicks. 

Resources to purchase and help the chicks to grow. 

My farmer. 

Lessons I am learning in the deep struggle.

Enter in. 

Sometimes, It's Really Not Fair

The email pops up.

It's your birthday take $25 off your order. 

My mind racks. 

Whose birthday?

I look. 
He rarely used his e-mail for anything.
He used mine. 

My stomach lurches.

The reminders painful. 

I try to remember to breathe. 

I can't hold my breath each time; each time there is a reminder. 

Death is permanent. 

What's on the other side is eternal. 

But here, this side of eternity; it's permanent. 

And it will tear you apart. 

The missing reaches into places you never knew existed. 

It can twist and turn until you're in knots. 

That which you can never, ever have. 

Him whom you bore 9 months. 

Watched walk across the stage to receive his diploma.

So handsome.
So full of hopes and dreams.

The beginning of a new journey. 

Commencement. 

Yet it was his ending. 

Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers and the flowers fade,
    but the word of our God stands forever.

I am left here to step forward. 

To redesign my walk. 

Yet I stumble and I hit a wall. 

So, this day. 

I will cry. 

I will say it's not fair.

I will shout for anyone who wants to hear that driving by the bank every day IS HARD. 

Yet, I won't stay there. 

I will say thank you every time I drive by there.

Someone has so faithfully placed plants and cut the grass back.

The flags have been replaced and the old ones delivered respectfully to me. 

All the hope and loss wrapped in a package.
The steps through this journey purposeful.
Seeking.
Hoping. 
Holding tightly.
Where are you today?
How are you walking through your journey? 

This Sea Of Emotions

I dream I am waking him up and he looks at me with those big blue eyes. 

It is the first time I have dreamed about Elijah since God called him home. 

It was so real. 

I woke sad. 

I fought through the day to focus on that which was positive. 

To count my blessings.

To remember Elijah is with the King of Kings.

His work finished here on this earth. 

He now reigns in Glory. 

Never to experience pain or hurt. 

Revelation 21:4
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning 
or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Just unspeakable joy. 

It is we who are left behind that struggle.
We feel what we feel.
It can't be denied.

It was hot and humid. 

Much to do. 

I kept busy. 

It wasn't until after the Cast Party, the final activity of the day that I let myself feel. 

I head to the cemetery. 

I stand at his grave and just shake my head. 

I want to cry. 

But I can't. 

I am so tired. 

Tired of this pain. 

Tired of living without my son. 

Wishing with all that is in me that it could be different. 

The pain rich and real. 

Such a cycle of emotions. 

Grateful one day; scraping the barrel of deep sadness another.
God is greater than these emotions.
He gives strength to the weary
There is no limit to His wisdom.

Isaiah 40:28
Do you not know? Have you not heard?
 The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. 
He will not grow tired or weary,
 and his understanding no one can fathom.

We are reminded to keep our eyes focused. 

When the grueling steps are overwhelming; look up.

Psalm 91:4
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; 
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Don't take your eyes off the One who called the world into being with a Word. 

Continue to ride the sea of emotions. 

One moment at a time.