The day started with a nice breakfast, smiles & thoughts of getting a lot done! As our morning events took form, we started on removing the chimney, enter the sledgehammer! So far? So good! Row after row, “crack” followed by a thud. Hammer swings, lands with a crack against the chimney then a thud as chunks land on the floor… time to do a bit of “training” I asked Al if he would like to help, I was met with an enthusiastic yes! Al grabs the 8 pounder with both hands and swings like a pro! “CRACK” “nice job Al! Just like that… now let’s hit the other side.”…. another crack but this time it was three coarse too low. “Ok Al, you need to hit it at the top not the bottom” swift reply of ok and another big swing “CRACK” “ok Al, stop for just a second” as Al lowers the 8# hammer… “ok Al, instead of hitting it way down here, hit it up on the top, hit it right…….” as I was uttering the word “here” I felt the “CRACK” as my fourth finger on my right hand cushioned the chimney from its impending doom!

As years in the trades, and years in the Bible collided at one moment of time, I’m proud to say the words of my mouth and meditation of my heart controlled my tongue in a two word prayer, all I could say as I thought “Lord, help me in this moment” was clearly and repeatedly “OHH GOD” … I laid down on the floor to prevent falling as the pain surged and I started to loose my balance. But God is good all the time and in some miraculous way, no blood! It hurts pretty bad still but it will heal. I learned another valuable lesson that day, and God gave the strength to continue to achieve a productive weekend.

Finding good in a bad situation is one of God’s greatest gifts! Well that and ice!

time! It seems time is our biggest challenge, God gives us strength to endure but “time waits for no man”

we discovered it takes about 12 hours for the first signs of salmonella poisoning to manifest, most people can recover in time without anything like antibiotics. So it seems salmonella is more common than most people think.  It’s not “if you get it” but rather “how bad it gets you!” Jacob pick it up in Haiti, he started feeling it after about 18 hours(we think)  then after a four hour drive pulling a trailer, hauling in Sheetrock after a drive into town to get it… and a trip to the ER we have him on the road to recovery which will take up to 7 days. But God is good all the time, his attitude  is good and all is well .

 

50 pieces of 4x8x1/2 at about 40 lbs each, two pickups and a bunch of stairs. Like I said, God gives us strength. I ran out of time once again this weekend as we have a very long list of things to do for starting up this Hazzardous adventure.  4 hours up, 4 hours back, every weekend I can spare.

Our Friends are also moving, they have lost a vehicle and I need time to look at that. I’m in no shortage of things to do!

 

But then, I step outside after all is done for the day, I hear nothing! No cars, no rumble from the highway! I look up and see the evening sky, stars so bright and seemingly so close! “If you reach up, I think you can touch them”! yes, it’s worth every drop of sweat, every taped up cut on my index finger! Off in the distance I can hear the night stirring up and life all around me in the silence of our new home.  I bow my head and give thanks to the ONE who gives all.

After loosing two vehicles in one week and scrambling to figure it all out, seems Gods blessings are abundant! Got an old pickup donated so we at least had a second car, I broke down and spent $1900.00 for an even older truck. I figured it was time to get an old beater to run things and when it snows. Welcome to the farm! The two additions to our Hazzardous adventure are a 1999 Ford 1/2 ton & a 1988 Ford 3/4 ton 4×4 7.3 IDI (diesel) a workhorse! They don’t come without issues! But I’m working on that! Now we are back up to three cars, but of coarse, the Camry is now demanding attention (02 sensor).

So weekend trips, hauling out the load, working on literally EVERYTHING! Gods strength is seen so abundantly in my bride as she hauls out the chimney in chunks to make room for sheet rocking the upper level! She is such a great blessing.

Stay tuned for future updates on “the shop” and maybe some “ordnance stump removal” after the winters tight grip lets up…. and maybe a picture or two? (If I can figure out how)