A Different Legacy

"Welcoming them..." (Luke 9:11)

2017-02-07T11:18:00.001-07:00

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I have an agenda.

A schedule... I have a schedule.

I have goals: short term and long term. And, required to fulfill those goals and whatnot, is my concentrated time, attention and exertion. My tendency, as you may have gathered, is to be somewhat laser-focused when I am pursuing these things. And I have a varsity-level ability to brush other things (or people) aside in that pursuit... or at least to complain loudly enough as to drive the distractions away.

However, when I act in this way, I am at my worst, not my best.

I arrive at this conclusion because the Person I most wish to emulate — to follow — is none other than Jesus Christ Himself. And when He had purposed to withdraw with His disciples, away from the crowds, to recover from the demands and needs of others... the crowds followed Him anyway. In other words: His ministry did not leave Him alone. It would seem that the needs of the masses interrupted His plans that day.

Now, I have found myself in similar circumstances, haven't you? My agenda is clarified, my schedule is set, my materials acquired, my motivation mustered. Everything comes together in a glorious framework destined for maximum productivity. Or maybe all of those things have been deliberately cast aside for a day of much needed R & R. In either case, I've made my plans for the day.

Then, inevitably, an interruption steps onto my train tracks:

A child of mine gets violently nauseous.
My Bride's car gets stuck in the snow.
A friend's water pipes burst.
Someone needs to talk about a passing comment I made that has been bothering them.
___________________________ (Insert your interruption of choice, here.)

When I read in Luke 9:11 that Jesus' response to the annoyingly persistent crowd was that He welcomed them, I am once again struck with just how far I am from being like Him.

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My default setting is to view "interruptions to my schedule" as... well, interruptions. I don't get that from Jesus. He welcomed them. He viewed them as opportunities to begin "speaking to them about the kingdom of God". In Matthew 6:33, He told me that I should "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

So, the so-called interruptions are not that, at all. They are opportunities. Jesus knew this, and lived it. To become more like Him (which is, in fact, God the Father's purpose and will for my life), I need to do what the Apostle Paul exhorts me to do, in Galatians 6:10 —
"So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith."

My prayer today is that the Holy Spirit will remind me of this realization, always, and that He will give me — and you — the strength to embrace "interruptions" as the disguised opportunities that they are.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2016-05-08T23:14:00.001-06:00

Today is my 23rd Anniversary with my incredibly loving, patient, wise, fun, gorgeous and determined wife, Jenna. We had a truly wonderful day celebrating it with our 6 children... including enjoying a viewing of our crazy wedding video with the kiddos. What laughs we had! Then it hit me:

Watching my Dad make a few comments and give us his blessing "on camera", I was compelled to do some quick math, about how old he was in that video...

He was only 3 years older than I am now.

Yes, now I feel old.

😮👴

The Cat Is Out of the Bag

2015-12-22T15:41:00.001-07:00

The Hotel on Block 46, in Whitefish, MT
(photo credit: Flathead Beacon)

Well, a few months ago, I hinted that "Something New" was coming. Now that my current employer has been notified, and my new venture has an inked contract, I can tell you, too:

I will be leaving my current employer as of January 15th, 2016, in order to pursue a new career in Finish Carpentry with my dear friend and pastor, Charlie Frederico of Berean Bible Church of Kalispell. Over the last 2½ years, having been in very close contact with Charlie and his lovely family, I have learned that he is truly a man after God's own heart, a skilled "tent-maker" in the ministry, who pours all he has into every relationship, every task that the Lord sets before him. I look forward to furthering our friendship and brotherhood in Christ as we labor together with our hands. This will also represent a major shift in another area...

For the last 4+ years, I have been working in vocational fields that are somewhat outside of my personal interest. In 2016, I will begin to get my hands on WOOD on a regular basis... and get paid to do so! :-) (See my portfolio here)

Those of you who know me well can imagine how elated I am at the thought of this. Charlie and I -- and a few others -- will be installing all the doors, windows, cabinets and trim for the 89-room Hotel, pictured above. We should be done in the Summer, then moving on to the next project. My hope is that this line of work will afford me (God willing) the flexibility to begin building our house in the Spring. I will admit that I am a little nervous about doing carpentry for a living -- I really want to do it well! But as we are fond of saying: "It ain't rocket surgery!" :-)

I praise God for every opportunity He brings... and for every trial He allows.

A Decision, part 2

2015-12-22T15:32:00.000-07:00

(Image from StoneMill.com -- posted here for inspiration's sake :-)

Well, in my last post, I mentioned that Something New is coming, and it is.

But this is not that.

This is something else. This post has to do with our home building plans.

In my post back in February ("A Decision"), I wrote about the decision to take out a construction loan to build our home. Well, it seems that we may have to go a different route, given certain financial obstacles that are proving repeatedly difficult to overcome. And so, we are grateful to God for this "trial" (James 1:2-4), for it will compel us to build with little-to-no debt, but requiring great resourcefulness. I am truly thankful for the necessity of having to go this route. Why? Because once our house is built, we will own it free and clear. We will not be beholden to a 30-year mortgage. And in America's current economic landscape, that may be vital. (Perhaps I will not be enslaved to the 40+ hour work-week, for the rest of my life, after all? That'd be good. :-)

A few things of note:

Montana's "building code" requirements are extraordinarily minimal; so while we will strive to build everything "to code", we will only be bound by excellence of craftsmanship, within the bounds of frugality.
We already have water (a well), electricity and phone/DSL going to the property.
We have always had our sights set on heating the home with wood, since that resource is abundant at the property site. That decision remains.

In summary, here's how I see things unfolding, Deo Volente:

We will install a septic system and a (mostly-finished) basement.
We will temporarily roof the basement and live there, while we plan to build our timber framed home above it. The basement will be 1,280 sq.ft... which is at least 200 sq.ft. larger than the place we have been renting (!) for the past 4 years.
All former rent payments (and all other available resource$) will go toward purchasing building materials, prioritized by immediacy of need. Building materials (both purchased and gathered/salvaged) will be stored in a timber-framed barn, which we will build on the property (near the 40'x80' garden), as a "test build" in preparation for building the home.
Once the Timber Frame House Plan is complete, and the timbers designed and fashioned, the frame will be constructed, clad with SIPs and roofed. (Timber material will have been harvested from our property, milled and stacked.) Basement occupancy will continue, until...
When interior walls and flooring have been framed and clad, the family will "move in", and continue with the "finishing touches".
Estimated completion time: 5 years from start date.

This is all I have time to write... thanks for reading, and we'll keep you posted.

Little Birthday in the Woods

2015-10-19T10:36:00.001-06:00

For her birthday, my Dear Bride wanted us all to do some work on our future home site. So we all willingly obliged, cutting up some firewood for next Winter, and weeding the garden area. It was a lot of fun, and the children all did their part. Thanks, Uncle Dave Graham, for letting us use your tractor & log splitter!

The Firewood Production Line!

Every time we ask Ellie to smile, she also sticks out her tongue...

...See?

Wood stackin' & haulin'

Something New

2015-10-07T16:54:00.000-06:00

Something new is coming.

Something completely different, but longed-for.

However, I must wait to announce it until all is "official".

Keep watching... I'll post the news as soon as possible.

A Decision

2015-02-10T15:07:00.003-07:00

Years ago, when we began this dream of building our own home in the woods of NW MT, we soon became aware of a decision that would have to be made, which would affect many other facets of our life, for decades:

To mortgage, or not to mortgage?

We could build our house little by little, over the course of several years -- even decades (!) -- only as (or if) the cash became available. We'd probably be living in an old single-wide trailer on-site as we built the house piece-by-piece. Perhaps by the time our children had grown and had children of their own, our house would be finished...

-OR-

We could assume a construction loan/mortgage, take on the responsibility of paying it back over the next few decades, and enjoy the privilege of spending those next years in that house with our children, having made not only the house, shoulder-to-shoulder with our dear family and friends -- but also having made many memories, and having given them a crash course (pun not intended) in home construction.

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Now, perhaps I can hear the cries of "go debt-free!" from all the Ramsey-ites. I don't disagree that being debt-free is a blessing. Still, under the circumstances, the mortgage -- and finishing construction in under 1 year -- was the way to go, for us. It was no small feat to bring our family of seven (now eight) from SoCal to NWMT. We did it, in part, to pursue all the things we couldn't afford in the uber-inflated economy of California:

wide-open spaces
agricultural pursuits like chickens/bees/high-volume gardening
no HOA telling us how to use our land
hunting & trapping wild game on our property
even the simplest thing of owning a dog, with room for it to run around on.

All these things center on having a warm, safe, dry and secure "home on the range." To be constantly pushing back that dream of a "clean, well-lighted place" would undoubtedly frustrate and exasperate my family (Ephesians 6:4, Proverbs 13:12).

So wisdom was sought after... and received. And then we acted. We secured the most trustworthy General Contractor & Carpenter that the Flathead Valley has to offer, and we are currently pursuing a construction loan. Please keep us in your prayers as we move forward, by faith. I will post as much of the process as as I am able, here on this blog. Thanks for taking the time to read, and may the Lord bless your days, as you trust -- and rest -- in Christ.

Budging Boulders

2015-01-20T17:04:00.002-07:00

(An example of a "walkout basement", similar to the one we've been planning. Ours will be a two-story house.)

(O.K., I know I'm a little late in posting this, but I'm trying to tie up some loose ends here at "A Different Legacy", so I figured I better at least post this entry. I started writing it last Autumn, before the snow hit. Much more has happened since this post was started, but I'll fill you in with another more current post. Thanks for your patience! :-)
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Lately I've been spending every available block of time (hard to come by!) over at the "homestead land", just digging-digging-digging, making sure we can accommodate a walkout basement foundation, before we are holed-up for Winter, drawing up the final plans. So far, our prospects for a basement are good, and I have another foot or two to go, all around, to make room for the footing. However, there are a couple of persistent boulders in the Northwest corner that seem to be comfortable in the place where they've been nestled for the last several thousand years. Now, it is my job as a human to "fill the earth and subdue it" -- which means that either they go, or I go. And, in the immortal words of the Bergermeister Meisterberger, "I am certainly not going!"

Since I didn't want to spend a fortune on blasting them out, I thought I would try a product I came across, and had ordered online: Ecobust. Check out the product info on their website. Anyway, I drilled...

...and poured the stuff in the holes.

That was last Saturday.

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Update, 1/20/2015:

The EcoBust worked! The rocks split into pieces, and I was able to dispatch them with only a little more effort. The boulder work is not quite complete yet, but we are well on our way to having enough room for the walkout basement. More to come, soon!

Humbly receiving spiritual direction... and DOING what we're commanded.

2014-10-26T23:14:00.001-06:00

"Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith...
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you."
(Hebrews 13:7, 17)

When I consider what the writer of Hebrews is saying here to the early Church, I am struck with a couple of easily-overlooked insights. But before I get into those, I have to begin with some ground-level understandings:

The human tendencies of the church (and human beings at large, for that matter) have not changed, in all of its history. We want to call our own shots, and when anyone or anything except our own conscience or our own understanding makes any real or perceived attempt to instruct — let alone command — our behavior or correct our thinking, we usually resort to one of two responses:

1) aggressive rebellion; or
2) apathetic dismissal and distance (often including scoffing condescension)

Our "Americanism" (whereby the "supreme law" of our land — the U.S. Constitution — begins with the infamous "We the People"), our love of individuality, and our esteem of democracy is far more deeply entrenched in our worldview and our church life than we ever recognize. In other words: we don't see ourselves through the lens of Scripture... we see Scripture — and church life — through the lens of ourselves.
No matter how dignified we'd like to think ourselves, the God of the Universe calls us "sheep".

So, having established these cautions, I would assert the following.

Verse 7 does not merely suggest, but commands us to not only consider the importance of solid, biblical leaders, but also to emulate their lives and "imitate their faith". Make no mistake: this commanded imitation pertains to some very unpopular and personal aspects of life:

How we attire ourselves, in all situations
How we approach "birth control"
How we approach "dating" and marriage
How we allow ourselves to be entertained
How we enact our children's education
What we allow ourselves to find humorous
What line of work we pursue
What roles ought to pertain to our gender

...and SO many more. Ultimately, what's being communicated here, if I may paraphrase it, is this:

"If your pastor and elders are practicing what they preach, from the whole of Scripture, then do what they do. Period."

For example:

If your pastor intentionally wears something nicer than jeans-and-a-t-shirt to your worship gatherings, do the same.
If your pastor's wife would never wear any clothing that would highlight her physicality (ladies), do the same.
If your elders are content to live on less income, that they may devote more time and attention to their families and to the ministry, do the same.
If your pastor's family seems to be fruitful and multiplying in spite of the world's demonstrated disdain for multiple children and in spite of their financial inability to make sure every one of their children can be sent to an ivy league university, do the same.

Listen, God's Word commands us, in verse 7, to be imitators of our leaders, insofar as they are genuine imitators of Christ. So let's stop pretending that it's our mission in life to discover reasons why we shouldn't have to admire, respect and emulate them, all while asserting that "they're only human, after all". Yes, they are. But they are doing a pretty darn good job at following Christ with every fiber of their being, faults-and-all. So let's quit criticizing them and start emulating them. I think that we'll then be surprised by how wise, in fact and in Christ, they really are. It'll be a worthy endeavor.

Now, on to verse 17.

As far as our pride is concerned, this verse is where the rubber meets the road. And, if you consider the account of Jesus and the centurion, submitting to biblical authority is what separates the men from the boys, as far as the Kingdom of GOD is concerned. Nevermind trying to establish your own kingdom by acting within your own authority and individuality. King Jesus died to redeem His Church, and it is SHE that He is coming back for. There is an authority structure He has ordained within His "family", and it is those who are the servant of ALL who will be called greatest. As for me, I want to endeavor to be a joy to those in spiritual authority over me, and to make their calling — that is, to serve and lead their local body of Christ, on earth — as pleasant and mutually encouraging as possible. Therefore, unless blatantly and clearly proven otherwise, I'm going to assume the following of my own pastor:

That he (yes, "he" — not "she") is fully devoted to Christ, and has unreservedly resolved to preach the whole Word of God, whether it is en vogue or not.
Is a very humble man before God, who spends vast quantities of time and attention combating his own flesh and pride.
That he is immeasurably vested in the spiritual growth of all within his care.
That he is rightfully sobered by the gravity of his role in the Church, both locally and Kingdom-wide.
That to live out what he teaches his flock, from Scripture, is the highest possible goal I could aim for, as a believer in community with the saints.
That he does not choose so-called "open-mindedness" over Scripture-informed conviction. Because after all, the latter seems to be in short supply these days.

I pray you find the joy that is available from humbly receiving "the word implanted, which is able to save your souls." (James 1:21)

From a Reader: "Why Columbia Falls?"

2014-08-15T17:23:00.000-06:00

Aerial view of Columbia Falls in Summer

On my last post I received a comment from a reader, whose question may reflect many of your own:

"Great post Ric! My heart has been leaning towards the life you describe for many years now; however, my wife is a bit more attached to the conveniences and created comforts of the big city suburb lifestyle. I am curious, what influenced your decision to select Columbia Falls, MT? There are so many different places in the US that offer what you have found in Columbia Falls and it would be interesting, and educational for me, to learn how you selected it. Thanks." -- D. from California.

Our landing in "C-Falls" (as they call it around here) was a mixed bag of decision and God's providence. Here's the short story:

After deciding that we wanted to leave California (early 2011), we compared states that were friendly to the 2nd Amendment (as a litmus test for freedom in each state's culture) with states that were friendly to Home Education (another passion of ours). Of these overlapping states, Idaho and Montana most appealed to us: lots of precipitaion, definitive seasons, fertile land, plenty of varieties of wildlife, etc). Concurrently, we had heard of both the concept of the American Redoubt and pastor Chuck Baldwin's move to the Flathead Valley, and were interested in how our "story" overlapped with theirs in many ways. So my Bride and I took a "recon" trip to the Flathead, and really liked it. A little while later, some friends of ours who had decided to move there too, found a house to rent, while we had not, yet. We ended up living in a tent in their backyard for 3 months (July - October), while I looked for work (and found my current employer) and we looked for a place to buy or build. Nothing turned up on the real estate front. Finally, as it was beginning to get too cold to sleep outside, we knew we had to knuckle down and rent. Some folks we had begun attending a home church with had a rental duplex unit open up in Columbia Falls (providential!). It was a 25 minute drive to my work, and the price was right, so we jumped in and unpacked (most of) our stuff from storage. Here's more of the Providencial part: Public Transportation in the Flathead could bring me pretty much from our new home to my work for about $2/day. I started using that option, in order to free up our only vehicle for my wife and children to use. Also, I was able to (necessarily) find a 2nd job in Martin City, 12 minutes from C-Falls. Furthermore, we bought a 1.5 acre piece of land from my Uncle, who'd just moved to Whitefish (20 minutes NW of C-Falls), whereupon we would eventually build our own home. Finally, we have landed into a wonderfully encouraging church family, who loves the Word of God and the fellowship of the believers as much as we do: Berean Bible Church, Kalispell.

So, we came up here by faith, with some planning, but the Lord has certainly ordered our steps! I hope this answers your question, my friend. Remember Joshua 1:9 --

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

SQUARE ONE

2014-08-12T12:05:00.000-06:00

August 12, 2014:

Written over 3 years ago, a month before we moved to NW Montna, I had originally intended to make this my very first post on this blog. It's a little late being published, but... Well, maybe someone will find it encouraging.

_________________________________

June 20, 2011:

"You're going Where?? You're doing WHATT?!?!?"

This is the response I'm expecting to receive when I tell my friends and co-laborers in ministry that our little family is actually relocating to the Northwestern Montana region to build a homestead in the woods.

A home-what? You mean like Little House on the Prairie? Why in the world would anyone want to do that?

Well, most of you know us fairly well, and have already gathered that we are of a slightly different mindset than just "anyone". For many years — even since the beginning of our marriage, 18 years ago — Jenna and I have longed for wide-open spaces. Yet, since we were both raised in Southern California, it was hard to imagine actually pulling up stakes and doing life much differently. So we stayed in the Golden State and proceeded to make some very counter-cultural decisions about how we were going to spend our time and energy:

We've been a 1-car family since 1994
We've been a 1-income family since 1996
We passed the national birth rate 3 children ago
We have been Home-Educating our children since 2002
We don't have cable TV (but yes, we do own every season of LHotP :-)

However, after all of those "roads less-traveled", that calling toward even greater simplicity would not leave us alone. Providentially, and as part of our home education — which has unbelievably strengthened and prioritized our family unity — we began consuming a bunch of material that began to fan into flame the possibility that we Calvi's might not be best suited for life in a large population. In addition to taking the Scriptures to heart (Old and New Testaments), we started really digging into things like our government's history, leadership and economy, our rampant consumerism and globalism, how the public education system has "dumbed-down" the nation's children, etc. The conclusion that we are coming to is this: we are being called to leave what we considered a "broad road" in favor of a "narrow one".

It has been recently brought to my attention that choosing this path will have a cathartic effect on our relationships with others, particularly other Christians. By the time you read this, we will have begun the conversation with you, and we hope to be able to share more and more with you as the days turn into months turn into years. As we have said before, we have more questions than answers, but we are ready to trust the leading of God's Spirit into the unknown, as Abram and Sarai did. We have the promise from Jesus that our Heavenly Father will take good care of us. He is, after all, already on the "other side" of this trial, and the outcome is firmly in His grasp.

Stay tuned for pictures, ponderings and prayers. Also, please send your (encouraging) comments and support... it strengthens us for the journey.

The Price Tag

2014-05-28T10:02:00.003-06:00

"We get what we want, but there's always a price."

Our move to the wide-open spaces of Montana, from the populous (and expensive) confines of Southern California has been one of the best life-decisions my dear wife and I have made (by God's grace) in our 21 years of marriage. (I feel fairly confident to speak on her behalf in this matter :-) Here are some of the other choices that have benefited us greatly, or allowed us to simplify our lifestyle in an effort to pursue contentment with godliness (1 Timothy 6:6-11):

Owning one car, and using public transportation when necessary.
Becoming a one-income-earner family, allowing us to consistently supervise our children's growth and development in accordance with our faith, without relying on (i.e. paying) someone else to do so.
Home-educating our children, using readily available and straightforward materials, drawing out our children's God-given aptitudes and interests, in accordance with the Scriptures.
Avoiding involvement in "organized team sports", in order to minimize unnecessary drains on our family's time, attention and finances.
Preparing most of our food at home, in order to facilitate nightly dinners together, be more healthy and save a lot of money.

Like Abraham in the Scriptures, we left all that was familiar to us and, by faith, moved to a land that was "foreign" to us. Now, we live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and while our means are still humble, God has blessed us with so many incredible relationships and opportunities, including the ongoing effort to purchase and build a house on our own acre-and-a-half of fertile, wooded land. We are so very grateful to Him for His provision.

Still, this undertaking has come with a price or two. We are now much further (2-days' drive) from some dear family members, whom we miss very much. I had to leave the comfortable and familiar venue of "full-time paid church staff work" (notice how I avoided the term "ministry" -- that's a blog post for another day). Instead, I had to practically change careers, spending at least 2 years before I began to feel confident and adept at this new line of work (2-way radio and internet installation, and radio tower groundwork). And ultimately, having my earnings reduced by at least 50%.

All that notwithstanding, I wouldn't change a thing. And now, we have a beautiful new "Made in Montana" addition to our family, firmly "anchoring" us to our residence here, as it were:

Meet "Elliana Mercy Calvi"

So, for those of you contemplating leaving the bustling metropolises of SoCal (or any other densely populated area) for the rural life in wide-open spaces, I would first caution you to be aware that there is a price to pay. You'll have to trade one lifestyle for another. It may cost you your "nest egg". (As the joke goes, "How do you make a million dollars in Montana? Bring 2 million." :-) You may have to leave the comfort of your extended family... but who knows? Some of them may follow you there. In any case, any major life choice is inevitably followed by a lengthy period of adjustment, as you know. But for those of us who live by faith in our Creator and Redeemer - King Jesus - our hope and trust in Him is never misplaced. He provides everything we need!

"As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life."

1 Timothy 6:17-19

So go ahead and grab hold of the rural dream. With Christ, all things are possible. Desire Him above all else, and He will work all things together for your good (Romans 8:28).

As always, I welcome your comments. Have a fruitful day.

--Ric

Sure Footing at Uncle Dave's

2014-05-20T12:50:00.001-06:00

Uncle Dave is, of course, far ahead of us in the building process. His crawlspace has been excavated and levelled:

His footing form boards are up:

Now some of you may be thinking: His footing forms look a little scant, don't they? Let me sum up.

Both my Uncle and I have been convinced of the benefits of using Fast-Foot form fabric to lay our footings. Now, after installing all his form boards by himself, it seemed his back was running out of steam. So, we jumped at the chance to help him lay the concrete fabric, since at some point in time, we'll be doing the same process on our own home. This presented a great opportunity for our family to learn how to participate in laying the foundation of a home.

Emily and Sophia are tacking down the plastic

Everyone pitched in, and we made some significant progress.

He's got a nice view, doesn't he? :-)

This weekend, we hope to do some more excavating on our own house plot, to see if we can manage a walkout basement.

Individuality is Over-rated

2014-05-20T10:55:00.000-06:00

Disclaimer: I know (from my parents -- twice) how painful divorce can be. I'm not here to condescend or unfairly judge anyone who's been through it. What I am here to do is to figuratively smack idiotic men upside the head with a 2x4.

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Over the last 21 years, I have been in contact with many friends (guys) who say how glad they are that their wives are not the "needy" type (so-called), and oh, how they brag that they can go and do their own thing, without having to include their wives in most of their activities. They say these things as if to say "Look, MY marriage is healthy, because neither of us has lost our individuality by being married."

You know what? Most of those guys (if not ALL of them) are no longer married. They got what they wanted: their individuality. And yet, here I am, ecstatically married to the very happy wife of my youth; I'm blessed to be the happy father of 6 beautiful, happy, secure children. (That's a lot of "Happy", isn't it?) Make no mistake, I certainly do not get the credit for my present status -- all credit goes to my Heavenly Father, Whose Word gives clear instructions about how to "do" marriage.

If you want a thing to work, and last, you follow the Designer's instructions... not your own, nor the culture's.

So, if you are one of the aforementioned "individualistic" husbands, BEWARE...

You might just get what you want.

"In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself." (Ephesians 5:28)

"You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered." (1 Peter 3:7)

"Sweet Dreams are made of this..."

2014-05-06T16:40:00.002-06:00

The gear arrives on site, brought by "The Bee Man"

More than three years ago, before we moved to Montana, the dream was planted in our oldest daughter's heart to pursue beekeeping as a hobby. If I remember correctly, she mentioned it casually in a conversation one day. That week, I grabbed a book from the library for her — "Beekeeping for Dummies", I think (though she's certainly no dummy). From that point on, she began a voracious appetite for knowledge about bees... an "independent study program", if you will. So naturally, upon arriving in these wide open spaces, she wanted to take the plunge and acquire a colony of her own, ASAP. Being big fans of local honey, the Dear Bride and I agreed we would help her pursue the matter, in God's timing.

As it turned out, we have become acquainted with a wonderful family with much experience in the the Bee-o-sphere (among many other skills like canning/preserving, gardening, etc). The Dad is someone I also happen to work with at my job with the Martin City Water District, near Glacier National Park. Anyway, to make a long story short, this "Bee Man" (not his real name, of course :-) has hooked us up with his supplier, and our adventurous daughter now has her own colony!

The two boxes with the removable frames inside, will make up Emily's hives. The other box — the screened one with the can of sugar syrup in the middle — will be discarded once the colony is transferred to the hives.

The queen was lucky enough to get her own little "travel suite" for the journey, which the workers are quick to cluster around

Look closely... the queen inside the box has a green dot on her back, indicating that she's young, and ready to do her job.

Getting ready to shake them in

The stragglers need a little more persuasion

Mama and the girls look on...

Emily is fearless! :-O

Looks like the girls want to join F.B.K.A....

"Future Bee Keepers of America" :-)

"If you build it, they will come."

The next day, we went to check on "the ladies" to see if their queen had situated herself... She had! The weather was cold and breezy, which helped calm the hive, it seemed.

Congratulations, dear daughter.

Clearing the Land

2014-04-17T12:21:00.001-06:00

A few weekends ago, we found ourselves trudging through the light mud and melting snow to fell a few trees that were either too close to our "house-pad" or causing too much shade over our future garden location. Most of the larger trees (12"-16" diameter), we merely felled, de-limbed and cut into 14' sections, which will be laid together and "seasoned" until we decide how to use the timber. More than likely, we will "mill" them (if we can find an economical way to do so -- maybe this), and then "sticker" them for drying and later use.

Here are some pics...

Starting the Log Pile

"Working Smart"

The much-needed arrival of a necessity.

The Pile gets bigger...

This is where the house will sit.

I installed a tree swing for the kids.

We'll be doing lots of this, I'll bet.

Where the pavement ends, our bliss begins -- 1.7 miles down the dirt road.

Everyone's working together (except my dear and very pregnant Bride. She's supervising. :-)

Pulling up roots...

...So we can "put down roots."

Have a great weekend!

What do YOU call it?

2014-04-16T14:08:00.000-06:00

Dear friends:

I greatly desire us to be educated and committed in a certain manner of thinking, speaking and doing. Here it is...

This Sunday must be called RESURRECTION DAY, not "easter". The latter word has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with WHY the day is commemorated. The day is set apart from every other day of the year, ONLY because it is a celebration of the physical and bodily resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, the Word Made Flesh.

Not because of bunnies. Not because of eggs. Not because of buffet brunches... although I like those things as much as the next guy. :-)

Rom 12:2 (ESV) "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

Those of you who are Christ-followers, stand up and be counted. REFUSE to call this Sunday "easter", and refer to it boldly as "Resurrection Day" instead. Well-meaning people -- even church-attenders and pastors (!) -- will inevitably dismiss you, give you trouble or ridicule you for taking this stand. Let them. Remember that *words have meaning*, and continue to call it Resurrection Day, knowng that the very phrase points everyone DIRECTLY to the Gospel of the Only Savior, Jesus Christ -- WITHOUT taking a confusing and conformist detour through paganism.

Mat 12:36-37 (ESV) "I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Thank you for your consideration. Have a blessed week.

--Ric

Little Hobby

2014-03-27T09:05:00.001-06:00

I have a little hobby, a little game I play in my head... which surely my musician friends will understand. Heck, they might even try it, too.

It's called: "What Chord, O Conductor?"

It is best played in a generally quiet, rural area, either early in the morning or late at night. The Conductor mentioned isn't that of an orchestra, but that of a locomotive. Yes, the game is thus:

Can I identify the exact chord played by a train whistle? (Extra credit is earned if no piano or other point of reference is used :-)

This morning, I heard the lonely wail of an A-minor-seventh (Am7) chord, in second inversion (E-G-A-C)*. Each train's whistle evokes a different mood -- sometimes whimsical, sometimes weird. But usually, they consist of 3 or 4 tones in a tight cluster. I often wonder whose job it is to tune those whistles to play those chords, and does each "train-whistle-tuner-person" have their own personal favorite tone grouping?

If you know anything about that the train-whistle-tuning process, please post a comment. In the meantime, there's music all around us... Happy listening!

* (Yes, I suppose this could be a C6 chord in first inversion, but I digress.)

No, not the one in Scotland.

2014-03-12T23:10:00.002-06:00

Heading out to Eastern Montana, in a 4-seater Mooney, like this one.

Today's post finds me at the end of a two-day out-of-town tower-work gig in Glasgow, MT. (Excuse my gratuitous use of hyphens.) The daytime temp is in the 50's, the sky is clear and blue, and the wind is tolerable. However, being on the eastern part of the treasure state, the topography is not quite as eventful as it is in lovely Flathead County. Here's a picture I took... now imagine a 360° view of this:

...Yes, that's Valley County in a nutshell. The upside of this terrain is that there's nothing — and I mean nothing — to obstruct the view of Montana's "big sky". Taking in landscape like this makes one feel... well, in a word: small.

Sunset

Here's another something that made me feel small today:

...Watching my boss climb halfway up a 200' tower. Not for the faint of heart. The highest I've been on an edifice was about 160'... but that one had stair steps. And handrails. Today, the boss-man had neither of those. It was an impressive sight to behold.

Tomorrow, we head back home. No one wants to stay in a faraway hotel any longer than one absolutely has to. We'll have to come back here again soon, for there's more work to be done. But since the Dear Bride is due to give birth in late April, these trips will have to wait, when that time comes.

Thank God it's been a safe trip.

We Did It.

2014-02-28T16:26:00.003-07:00

Well, we did it.

One of the things we came to Montana to do, is done.

We have officially purchased our first piece of land -- "1.456 acres more or less" -- just outside of Whitefish. Not only is this the first plot of land we've bought, it will contain (Lord willing) the first house we will have ever built... which will also be the first home we will have ever bought. Yes, this piece of wooded bliss will come to represent the end of 20+ years of paying rent.

Hallelujah.

Here's a picture, courtesy of Gogle Maps (boundaries are approximate):

"The Calvi Homestead"

As of today, our names are on the title. Now it's our turn to "fill the Earth and subdue it." :-)

"Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."
-- Proverbs 19:21 (ESV)

Winter Plowing

2014-02-05T15:19:00.001-07:00

(Little Miss makes a snow angel...)

Dear friends:

I have received word that our land tract of 1.5 acres has now been parsed off of Uncle Dave's land, and that we now have our own physical address! One giant step forward.

Here are a few pics that our oldest daughter snapped, while we were getting ready to plow all-Winter's snow from the homestead driveway...

This is the driveway to Dave's pad... covered in 1-2' of snow.

Around here, giant piles of snow means endless opportunities...

...to build Quinzhees!

Meanwhile, Dave and I got busy, putting chains on his tractor for the winter.

...And off he went, to plow a ton of snow off the driveway...

And then (as if the Google+ image enhancer knew what was going to happen :) it started snowing again, just as he was near the end of the driveway:

__________________________

Please pray for us, as we organize the myriad of details involved in building the "Little House in the Big (Mountain) Woods."

--Ric

The View from the Living Room window...

What in the world is a "Frolic"?

2014-01-06T15:44:00.001-07:00

Photo from AmishAmerica.com

I was talking with a couple of my brothers in Christ recently, when the subject turned (OK, I turned it :-) to the building plans for our home in the woods, beginning in the Spring/Summer/Fall of this year. I told them that it became clear to me LONG ago that there was no way I could accomplish this endeavor with my pea-sized knowledge of construction (or lack thereof). I then asked them, if I put a date on the calendar (say, over the course of some upcoming three-day weekend), would they come out and help us "raise the roof" and eat a bunch of food? One of them, who's had extensive interaction with the Amish in both Montana and Maine, said, "Absolutely! The Amish call it a 'frolic' or a 'work-bee' ". They were both quite enthusiastic about the possibility of helping building our home, which came as no surprise to me, given the reality of the love and Spirit of Christ operating in their families' lives. (Not to mention that they both have some serious labor forces in their families! :-)

Then I got to thinking.

God has blessed me with such dear family-in-Christ in other locales as well, several hours' drive away, but reachable nonetheless. I suspect there may be many who would like to visit Montana in the Summer (a gorgeous time to visit here; isn't it always?), and perhaps swing a hammer or heft a saw in productive fellowship on the outskirts of beautiful Whitefish, Montana.

So, here it is:

If you're interested in being a part of our family's biggest project to date, a labor of love that will represent the culmination of a lifetime of prayers and dreams, please consider joining our "Frolic" this Summer. If you are seriously considering making the trip to join the effort and fellowship, please leave a comment on this post, or send me an email, letting me know when you might be available. If you are unable to attend, please pray for the Lord's protection, provision and wisdom as we build. This will undoubtedly be a very long project, overall, but we would be honored to enjoy your company for even a small part of it.

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Spring is looming...

2014-01-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

Photo from JDPayne.org

...Yes, Spring is looming in the near future, and today I am feeling like a deer in the headlights. For starters, I have a monstrous head-/chest-cold, that makes my head feel like it's in a vise, and my torso is tired from cough spasms.

But more notably, there are a LOT of things heading my way this Spring:

The home birth of our 6th child. All of our other children were born in hospitals, so this is a bit of a leap out of our comfort zone.
The beginning of construction of our home in the woods near Whitefish, MT. I know virtually nothing about house-building. I'm very nervous.
Both of my jobs really tend to ramp up in the Spring, Summer and early Autumn months.

I know I should be extremely excited about all these things, and I truly am, but it does feel a bit overwhelming at times. Your prayers for health, wisdom, provision and protection would be greatly appreciated.

Happy New Year!

Truth & Fiction

2013-11-01T08:24:00.001-06:00

Photo courtesy www.authenticfx.com

Disclaimer: This post is unapologetically aimed strictly at fully-devoted Christ followers.

---------------------------

I saw a video recently, whose producers went to great lengths to make something false appear very real. All of the bystanders (caught on multi-angled candid camera, of course) were visibly and understandably freaked out about the staged "outburst" of telekenesis. However, having been made privy to the actual and elaborate staging procedure beforehand, we YouTube viewers were nothing more than amused and entertained. It's all in fun, right?

Well, think about it, for a moment.

If something genuinely disturbing and unprecedented were to be caught on camera -- say, the "stoning"/persecution of Christians on American soil in Dearborn MI, for example -- wouldn't the public have a similar reaction? That is, being virtually unaffected, lulled into complacency by all things two-dimensional? In other words...

...is YouTube (and its ilk) a benefit or a detriment to our pursuit of dwelling on "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute"? (Philippians 4:8)

Think before you watch: Is that video clip before you, something about which you'd want have an uplifting spiritual conversation with Jesus -- if He were sitting in the seat next you? Could you assert to Him, as King David did, "I will set no worthless thing before mine eyes"? If I seem to be throwing stones here, just know that I'm aiming at my own glass house, first.

Have a fruitful day.

Ransacked!

2013-10-28T10:48:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, I used the word "ransacked", and my 4-year-old daughter ("Little Miss") asked me,

"What's ram-sapped?"

I explained to her that it's when someone breaks into your house, and leaves a big mess, while looking for something to steal from you. (One of my favorite little mental games is trying to break down complex words or ideas into a sentence that even a 4-year-old could accurately understand. What can I say, it keeps me occupied. ;-)

Well, that same afternoon, it became obvious that our garden had been "ram-sapped"! You see, yesterday was, in the words of Winnie the Pooh, a "very blustery day". Apparently our deer netting had blown down at some point in the last 24 hours, and our all of our kale, carrot tops and some of the outer leaves of our red cabbage were stripped bare by some wild and reckless herbivore. Even some of the parsely was gone... I guessed that devious creature wanted to have sweet breath after such a bountiful feast. So, we pulled the carrots -- a fine lot of orange, yellow and purple specimens -- pulled the worst-hit cabbage and prayed that the kale plant, with its stalks intact, would continue to grow more leaves. Yes, it is the end of the growing season, and the nights here are dropping below freezing, consistently, but the kale has been thriving in spite of the cold, and was producing some very dark, sweet leaves that we were thoroughly enjoying. We'll see what comes of it all.

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Saturday, November 9th will be "hunting day" with my 14-year-old son (the "Man Cub"). I've read that the cattle on a thousand hills belong to our Great God... I'm hoping he'll bring one or two near to our muzzles, for a harvest. Should we be blessed in such a way, I'll post pictures here.

Have a blessed day, and remember, "my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."