FIRE! and some other scary stuff.

10/31/06 - 3rd Day - Reformation Day. After Breakfast. Things have been pretty interesting around here. Yesterday Danielle and I had to go to Brownwood for some supplies and I realized that it was the first time I had been to "Stuff" Mart in a long, long time. I like not going to Stuff Mart, and I have decided to do everything to NOT have to go very often. We also went to Tractor Supply to pick up a tool for working on the west fenceline (we have to replace the NW corner), and then the fellas and I went to Coleman to pick up some hardware and some concrete for the corners. On the way home from Coleman, we stopped and filled up all of our water containers, since David was still working on setting up the well pump system. Later yesterday evening, just as dusk was coming on, Josie sent Tracy over to ask me for a gun. It seems that there was a skunk hanging around her camper. Josie and her daughter had arrived on the evening of the Sabbath, and they were working on their land down by the creek when the ol' skunk kept showing up. I looked around for my .22 and didn't see it right off, so I picked up Danielle's Mini-14 "ranch rifle" and Danielle and I walked over to Josie's land. We looked around for the skunk and didn't find him, and I had previously trained Josie with the Mini, so I gave it to her and Danielle and I headed back home for supper. Midway through supper we heard two shots, and I said, "that doesn't sound good... it took her two shots!", and we all kept eating. A minute or so later we heard a very loud whistle and we all looked at eachother saying, "what in the world?". A few seconds later we heard Josie's daughter running up yelling, "There is a FIRE on our land!".

We all went into emergency mode. I told the fellas to grab all the water containers (Praise God, we had JUST returned home from filling them up) and the shovels and throw them in the truck. David was sprinting down from his land (he had heard 3 year old Sarah yelling, "It's a fire! It's a fire!") and he joined us as the "Ranch Volunteer Fire Brigade" headed out to the fire. The fire was in a heavily wooded area of the land, where much of the grass had died during the drought. New green grass was starting to pop up, but the old, dead grass was everywhere. As we showed up on the scene, Josie and the girls showed up too - hauling water containers by hand through the cactus and brush, and we went to work on the fire. The Lord blessed us in that there was only a very slight breeze, and the fire was not spreading fast. A few small trees had burst into flame, and the grass was actually burning pretty slowly (because of the recent rains). We put the fire out in about 10 minutes or so. We took the time to make sure the fire was out, pouring water on all the hot spots, and I sent the fellas back every hour or so until bedtime to check and make sure it was really out.

About 7 years ago some friends and I were shooting AR-15's (the AR and the Mini-14 shoot the same .223 round) in an empty pasture when all of a sudden a fire started on the ground near our target. We burned up SEVERAL acres before we were able to put the fire out. THAT was a big fire! The .223 round is a very small round and it moves exceedingly fast. The bullet comes out of the barrel very hot, and it is known to "spark" when it hits the ground. This is what happened with Josie's first shot at the skunk (she missed both shots by the way). The dry grass ignited from a spark sent up by the bullet hitting the ground, and the fire kicked up as they were walking away. We were blessed that Josie and her daughter actually noticed the fire, and that they responded quickly by getting help. Only a small patch of ground maybe 20 feet in diameter and a few small brush trees and cactus were burned.

Everything is well.

Mihai-ism

So do you ever wonder what it is like to be me, working with young fellas from this new generation? God has sent me Mihai, and conversing with Mihai is often like solving a Rubik's Cube with your feet while gargling diesel fuel. (***wow! I just realized that I can do my trademark "Dennis Miller" style rants with the benefit of hyperlinking to my allusions!***)

Here is an actual conversation that took place yesterday:

(I was mentioning the type of fence I think we ought to put around the new cemetary on the land, with a 16 foot gate so we can get equipment through if we need to dig a grave)

Mihai: That temporary fencing you bought is nice too.

(silence... Mihai takes a drink of beer)

Mihai: Beer is good.

Michael: "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." - Benjamin Franklin.

Mihai: Digging graves?

Michael: What? What the...? What are you talking about?

Mihai: Oh, sorry. My mind went back to the grave thing.

Ok, so here is another example that actually happened as I was writing this. I'm writing in the cabin and Mihai comes in...

Mihai: I need the keys for the thing because we can't find the other.

Michael: What? That makes no sense.

Mihai: We can't find the other keys. To the truck. We want to listen to Earl Pitts on the radio.

Here is a common Mihaiism:

Mihai: Do you want us to put some cay in the horral?

Michael: What? Do you mean "HAY in the CORRAL"?

Mihai: Did I say "horral"? No I didn't. Did I?

I was going to post some pics, but I can't get the stupid pictures to upload. So maybe tomorrow.

Peace,

Michael

More pics...

10/27/06 - 6th Day. Before Supper. I got such rave reviews via email for including pictures in the last blog entry, that I decided to post some more. Ask and ye shall receive...

This pic is of the milk crew on their way back from the upper pasture from milking Ami. Mihai on the far left, then Robert, Mark, and Tracy.

This pic is of my east pasture looking east. You can see the brush piles and firewood stacked from clearing the fenceline for a new fence.

Here is Robert watching intently as Tracy milks Holga.


...and the latest root cellar pic.. lots of work left to do.

So, next time y'all want more pics make sure you do two things: 1. Make comments here on the blog instead of via email, and 2. Tell me what you want to see and I'll go take more pictures.

Michael

Fog

10/26/06 - 5th Day. After Breakfast. We woke up this morning to a thick fog. Things are so much different when we are somewhat back to our normal and expected levels of moisture. The drought is over, at least for October it is, and we hope that it is finished for good. We received another 1/2 inch of rain over the last few days, and things are looking green and healthy. This first picture is a picture up our driveway at around 9 a.m. this morning.

Here is a picture of some of the children and their friends. Jennifer is holding Rocket the cat, and Sarah is holding on to Helen her blind goat. Robert is watching the fellas in the distance as they cut up some mesquite for firewood. You can see the corral in the background, and the area that is fenced out right behind the children is where we hope to build a barn (with milking parlor) in the near future, if the Lord wills.

I went for a walk down to the pond this morning, and it is holding water well from the recent rains. We went swimming in it last week, and if it gets warm enough in the next couple days I might do it again. Maybe it will be today. The prognosticators are calling for a high of 82 today. Today is laundry day, so Danielle is preparing to head out to the laundromat in Coleman.

The training with the calves is going well, and I look forward hopefully to using these animals for work here around the ranch someday.

I have posted two new sermons on the BiblicalAgrarianism.com site, so check them out when you get an opportunity:

Mary and Martha

Miracles in Mark 11

Your servant in Christ Jesus,

Michael

Well Water!!!

10/23/06 - 2nd Day. After Lunch. Today we went and got the first water from the new well on brother David's property. Danielle and I drove up to the well with our water containers and it took 1 hour and 10 minutes to fill 7 containers. It is slow because the current well pump (a 12 volt pump designed for solar applications) only pumps less than a gallon a minute. But the upside is that we didn't have to drive anywhere and the water was virtually free. For right now I just hooked the pump wires up to the truck battery and the water starts running. PRAISE GOD for water! I think the fellas and I are going to start on a hand-dug well in the next couple of weeks. I know that brother David and the other folks who are in the midst of getting ready to move down are all very excited about having water on the property.

Our training with the calves continues, and I look forward to building a cart for Pita that we will use to carry the water containers back and forth.

We are still working on the root cellar, and I will try to get some more pictures for you up pretty soon. Right now it sounds like Danielle is grinding grain for fresh bread, and we are looking forward to maybe some rain over the next couple of days. This morning was cold. It was about 37 here at the ranch when we woke up this morning. Today it has warmed up nicely, and currently it is over 70. I love autumn.

Tonight, Lord willing, we will have the impromptu sermon we were supposed to have last night. I hope to have the one on Mary and Martha put up on BiblicalAgrarianism.com in the next couple of hours.

Your servant in Christ Jesus,

Michael Bunker

Cattle Drive

10/20/06 - 6th Day. After Lunch. Ok, so it wasn't the Chisholm trail drive, but we did move all the cattle except Holga and her calf (Pedro) to the upper pasture today. It was a move we kind of dreaded since we do not have horses or any other of the accoutrements of driving cattle. It kind of started on a whim, since David was taking Tiara out for training at the same time that I was walking Pita. Ami had been bellowing for Tiara (her calf) for 3 days non-stop and was really taking the weaning thing pretty hard. So I asked David if we should just let Ami out and see if she would follow us up to the front pasture. Well, we did, and she did. That part was easy. Then we decided to take Maria and Rosa. Maria is big with huge horns and she is part Watusi so she isn't naturally as gentle and easy to work with as the Longhorns. So we let Maria and Rosa out and, as expected, Maria kind of just did her own thing, running here and there and everywhere. After some time we started to lure Rosa up towards the front pasture with range cubes, and occasionally Maria would follow. Mihai and I finally got Rosa up into David's pasture (which is one field short of where we needed these cows to go), and Danielle, Susan, David and Mark began the chore of working Maria up in the same direction. As best as I could I kept Pita in view of Maria, so when she got a wild hair to run she would run in the right direction. We finally worked Maria all the way to the top pasture, then it was short work getting Rosa all the way in too. We filled up the 100 gallon water tank from David's catchwater and it was done. The grass in the top pasture is high and green and it is a very large pasture so the cows should be quite happy there. The only bad thing about the transfer is that now whoever milks Ami will have to walk all the way up there twice a day to do it. It probably won't be me.

David got his DC/Solar well pump in today and has gone to town to get all the pipe, wire, etc. to start pumping water today. It is a glorious thing to think we are this close to having our own water on the land.

The fellas have been working on re-doing our gutters for the catchwater system since they were not working well during the last rain.

I finished the Q&A Fridays for today and got it e-mailed out to my friends list. If you did not receive it, but would like to you can let me know.

The weather has turned a bit cooler. It was 41 degrees at 6 a.m. this morning. It has warmed up to 77 today and is beautiful again. We are expecting mid-70's through the middle of next week, except for the Lord's Day which is supposed to be cool and 64.

The Sabbath comes at 6:59 tonight. The days get shorter and shorter.

Michael

Well(ness) News

10/17/06 - Third Day. Before Lunch. As I mentioned in my last post, we had the well driller show up on Friday as we were hand-digging the grave for Brother Doug. This well is to be dug for one of our elders David Sifford. The drillers dug about 140 feet on Friday before they had to quit because (ironically) they ran out of water. Most people don't know that you have to have water to dig a modern well. Anyway, they returned today to continue digging. When we first contracted with the driller and when he showed up on Friday he was VERY, VERY pessimistic. The guys he brought were all certain that nobody hit wells in this area, and that our probability of hitting a well was very slim. The driller felt that if we miraculously hit water and got 1 gallon a minute that we would be doing well.

So today they hit water. It was amazing. They hit water at 160 feet, and then water started gushing in way up at 22 feet. The well driller was stunned. The well looks like it will produce 15 gallons a minute! What an answer to prayer. He is also fairly sure we could dig a hand-dug well at the top of the property and hit water. They have cased David's well and are currently starting on another brother's well here on the property. I don't have money for a well, so I will not be getting one at this time. Most of you know that story.

Anyway, praise God we will have water on the property and soon we will not have to be driving to town each day or so to fetch water. For the time being I will be begging water off of Brother David, but it beats having to drive to get water.

I ask you all to thank God for His gift of water for the land, and that you will constantly keep those of us who live here in your prayers.

Michael

Rain, a gift of God

10/16/06 - Second Day - After Breakfast. The rains have come off and on since Sabbath afternoon. By yesterday evening we had received 1/2 an inch. By 8 this morning we had received an additional inch of rain. I slogged down to the pond and was delighted to see it filling up. There was already about a foot of water in the pond and the water was running in very steadily. We are nearing 1000 gallons in our catchwater tank as well. It looks like we should be clearing up here for a good while, but we'll see. Now we just deal with the mud for a few days.

Rain is much needed, and is the answer to many prayers. We pray that our hay crop shoots up good and that we get a big enough crop to get us through the winter without buying any hay.

It hardly seems like it should be drawing close to November. We are really enjoying the fall weather after the summer we just came through. But we praise God for all things, and dare not grumble too loud against the weather and God's sovereignty over it.

A 147 acre tract opened up near here if anyone is interested in checking it out. $1995/acre is what they are asking. Email me if you want some details.

Michael

A Burial

10/15/06 - Lord's Day - Before Singing time. Yesterday was one of the more hectic Sabbaths. We received about 1/4 of an inch of rain, and more is expected today and tomorrow. We had also recieved 1 full inch of rain on Tuesday, so we are very happy about that.

I have been working with Pita, training her to respond to voice commands. She is doing well, though she is still learning. The last few days, since we have been working up in the front pasture, I have walked her up there to let her grace in the tall grass.

Ranchfest is effectively over, so we hope to begin to get back to "normal" pretty soon. The last of our out of town guests left yesterday. It will certainly be a Ranchfest to remember.

On Friday we figured we were ready to do the burial for Doug. Sarah had decided that it would be Doug's preference to be buried on the property, so we sat down and figured out where to put a community burial site on the land. We picked a nice copse of trees (oaks and mesquite) towards the front of the property. It is a beautiful spot. As I looked it over early on Friday morning, I couldn't believe that only 5 days earlier Doug, Sarah and I had driven right past this spot to go look at their land. We did a tour of the whole front pasture and looked at the acres they had chosen for their homestead. Doug was very excited about getting started and beginning on the Agrarian life. We discussed where to put a tank (small pond) on his land, and where they might put a house site. Within the week, I was standing only a few hundred yards away trying to figure out where to bury him. Anyway, we picked out a nice spot and David went to go rent an excavator from Coleman. When David arrived with the excavator, the guys began chopping down some mesquite trees and preparing the area that would become the cemetary.

Well... God's sovereignty is an interesting thing. Before we dug the first inch of ground, David showed up and told us that he had just received a call from the equipment rental company. The excavator had been reserved by another man, and the clerk had wrongly allowed David to take it. We were losing the machine. We had already checked and there was no other excavator or backhoe available. We had to get Doug buried that day, and it looked like we would be digging the grave by hand. David left to take the excavator back; Bill and Mark left to go to Fredericksburg to pick up Doug's casket, and Mihai and I started digging. It was 11 a.m. I suppose God knows that we want to live our lives like our Agrarian forefathers, and I suppose he wanted to give us a taste of it. The ground was rock hard, and likely had not been broken up for decades. When David rejoined us we had to take turns because only one man could fit in the hole at a time. Three hours into the job, we were about 3 feet down. The next foot took 4 hours. The fellas arrived with Doug's casket at around 6:30 and helped us dig for the last 4 hours or so. Eventually we were chiseling our way through solid bedrock, hewing the grave out of stone like in the old days; and all of this by flashlight and truck headlights. We finally reached an acceptable depth at 11 p.m., after 12 hours of solid digging with pick-ax, shovel and breaker bar. We had to figure out a good plan for lowering the casket, so we rigged some thick straps and the six of us lowered the casket into the hole before midnight. We filled in the first couple of feet of dirt as the sprinkles started and we finally called it a night and returned to the cabin. The guys had filled two half-gallon "growlers" (jugs) of Pioneer Porter at the Fredericksburg Brewery. Doug had tasted the Pioneer Porter on his first trip to Fredericksburg back in March, and he had told us that it was his favorite beer ever. When we finally retired to the new screened front porch, we pulled out the growlers and passed out the glasses and made a toast to our friend Doug and to what he had meant to all of us.

On the Sabbath Bill brought in 18 bags of cement and with the 7 bags that I already had, we figured we had enough to put a pretty good sized cement slab over the grave (about a foot down). We stacked the concrete and covered it with a tarp, then we all went to Santa Anna for breakfast. A week ago Sabbath, Doug had joined us for the opening breakfast of Ranchfest at the same location. I am certain that all minds were on Doug throughout breakfast. After breakfast we went back to the new cemetary and poured the 8" thick cement slab. The rains began to fall as we finished, and continued to fall on and off for the remainder of the Sabbath. We retired to the cabin and rested for the remainder of the day, doing our best to focus on the Lord and His workings in our life.

So today we gather for our regular Sunday fellowship. The skies are gray and the ground is muddy. This morning I made Longhorn Butter. We won't get any work done today, but we can comfort ourselves with communion with our brethren here on the land. We pray for Sarah, and continue to support her in this difficult time. Our brother Doug is buried, and the rest of us are still here struggling through this wicked world, trying our best to glorify God in whatever way we can.

I pray that our ways might edify some. I know that many of Doug's friends and family from Canada are visiting this blog for the latest news. You may not agree with our way of life, or with our theology, but we hope that you know that we loved Doug and we love Sarah and we would have had no greater joy than to have Doug join us on our pilgrimage of faith. Doug has gone before us, and he has crossed that river to which we now travel. All of us will enter eternity through death, and each of us must prepare for that day as the one thing that is inevitable for us. Doug sought to know the truth; not the truth as it was for him (as if truth is relative and individual), but the Truth as it truly is. He was not willing to live by lies.

I pray that we will all seek true Truth while there is time.

Your servant in Christ Jesus,

Michael Bunker

My Friend Doug Howey

10/13/06 - 6th Day - Before Breakfast. As most of you who read this journal know, our good friend Doug Howey was killed in a car crash on Sunday evening outside of Fredericksburg, Texas. If you did not know that, read about it here, and here.

I wanted to share some of the things I liked about Doug Howey, and why I call him my friend. Now, I have some friends who do not do the things Doug did, who are not obedient to God, and about whom, if they were to die suddenly like Doug did, I would have serious concerns. I do not mean to hint to y'all out there that if you do not do the things Doug did, you are not my friend. One of the greatest things any man can say about you after you are gone is that they would like to be more like you were. It is not socially correct today to want to be like someone else. Situational ethics and "self-esteem" programming has taught the world that they should just want to be like themselves, since "who could possibly be as great as I am?" "I follow no man" spiritual anarchy and arrogance is the mantra of the modern Christian, and every little mini-pope with the name of Christ on his lips wants to make sure that no one thinks he is following a man. Too bad the Bible says differently:

Heb 13:7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

2 Thess. 3:6-9 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.

While you still may be my friend and be living in disobedience to the commands of God, I would suggest that you, if you desire to die in peace and to leave comforted friends and family behind you, choose to follow the faith of Doug Howey. I know that I will.

1. Doug was a separatist. As it says in the preceeding verses, he withdrew himself from those who walked disorderly. Because of his faith, and because of the commandments of the Bible, Doug had very little contact with his earthly "family". He loved his wife, and he loved the Church of God, and he told us on many occasions that we were his family. In this, Doug followed after Christ and obeyed Christ.

2. Doug was anti-Antichrist. He was an enemy of the Antichrist papist church and was at war against that man of sin continuously. Even those of us who were very well known enemies of Romanism (and Romanist products, like the Charismatic movement) had to tell Doug to "ease up a bit" in his intensity. He was surrounded by Romanists all the time, and he earnestly desired their salvation and repentance. He was a zealous warrior against Popery, and for this I admired him greatly.

3. Doug hated unrighteous and illegitimate government. Doug hated tyranny and lies, and he did so because he knew God and desired righteous and benevolent government.

4. Doug was a man. He taught his wife in the word. He provided for her and led her. You can be assured that you have done well as a man when your widow says, "He was my head. He led me in everything and he taught me and guided me". This is what Doug's wife told us when we arrived at the hospital to help her.

5. Doug was obedient to the command of God. Not only in separation, but in love. Doug was one of the very few who regularly donated to the ministry, and in abundance. Doug was NOT rich or wealthy. Far from it. Doug did not throw in a few coins that he wouldn't miss; Doug gave abundantly and regularly because he believed in the message and because he believed that God commanded it. Any time I sent out a message with a ministry or personal need, I could be fairly certain that the first response would be from Doug. Just last night as I was pondering this, I received a donation from Doug (4 days after his death). Doug had made a donation a few days before he left Canada to come down for Ranchfest. Due to the fact that it was by "e-check" and because it was from a foreign bank, it took until the 12th to clear. As the donations were rolling in to pay for Doug's burial and expenses, it was fascinating (and gave me joy) to see that one of the donations was from Doug himself. I can tell you this... If any one out there who is reading this had died, and we had put out a call for donations for burial expenses, the first name on the donation list would have been Doug Howey. Doug and Sarah Howey never once withheld what was needful, even if it was sacrificial for them to give it. Many have been benefited by their obedience, and I praise God for that; and Doug didn't just give ceremonially or just on special occasions. Doug gave us food and raimant and water to drink, and for that I believe he will be rewarded in heaven.

6. Doug was joyful. Doug was one of the funniest men I have known. He knew how to keep people in good spirits, and he never was bitter or immoderately angry. Doug communicated with me regularly by email, and he sought counsel on important issues. He always had a funny line or a joke to share. I never saw Doug when there wasn't a glint of fun in his eye, and his laugh was infectious. I liked being around Doug, and I always looked forward to his emails. During Spring Ranchfest this past March, after the normal teaching and talk was over, many of the men would stay up until early in the morning, sitting around the campfire telling jokes or just making each other laugh. I remember going to bed "early" one night (around midnight) and hearing the guys laughing hysterically until 2 a.m. One night, we recreated virtually the whole script of Monty Python's "Holy Grail", and I literally was hurting from laughing so hard. Most people this fall were not saying, "Where is Michael Bunker?"... they were saying, "Where is Doug" and "when does Doug get here?".

7. Doug was humble. Doug never lifted himself up or looked down on others. Doug was not immune to rebuke and correction, and in every case he received it positively and honestly. Doug sought guidance and counsel, and he never shied away from asking for advice. I really don't think Doug cared what other people thought of him, so long as he was being obedient.

8. Doug heard from God. I have no doubt in my mind that Doug was sensitive to the voice of God. Doug had wrestled with selling his farm to move to Texas. But when the time came to do so he moved without regard to opinions, expediencies or "circumstances". Doug was an Agrarian in his heart, and wanted to live this life more than anything. Doug wanted to make the farm in Canada work, but he also wanted to obey the command of God that we live in fellowship and communion with other believers. He knew that that would likely never happen in Canada. When he decided to move here to Texas to be in fellowship with us, he didn't hesitate to do what was necessary to make that decision a reality. When an offer came on the farm, Doug moved quickly, and when the purchaser wanted to speed the closing, Doug did what was necessary. Because of that, he was able to close on the farm a week before he died, and he had received the funds and had them put into his wife's account under her name so that the funds became available only a few days after he died. You would have to be blind not to see God's hand in that. Also, if you will remember and read the earlier post (entitled "Tomorrow?"), Doug spoke as the Holy Spirit motivated him when he told us that God had not promised us tomorrow, and that we should be obedient today... and he said that less than 24 hours before he was killed by a reckless driver.

So Doug Howey was my friend, and I already miss him. I know that he is with God, because God promised that those who come to Him (which is to love Him AND OBEY HIM) will in no wise be cast out. Doug was a man whose faith I desire to follow, and lest anyone think that I dishonor God by lifting up a man, make no mistake... I praise God and give Him all the Glory for His servant Doug Howey, and I thank Him for sending this prophet to us in these days. I pray that more men will hear Doug through this testimony, and will put aside stupid and worldly hindrances, and will obey God today while it is called TO DAY.

May we all learn and follow the faith of God's faithful.

Your servant in Christ Jesus,

Michael Bunker

Tomorrow?

10/10/06 - Third Day - After Breakfast. "Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that" (James 4:13-15).

After the Sabbath, we had our usual Sat. night Q&A session. Everyone had arrived for Ranchfest and we were sitting around the fire chatting. Some people had asked me if we could record Q&A, so I agreed to. We had some pretty good questions going for an hour or so, then the recorder stopped working. It would have been interesting if it had not. One of the guys asked this question to the whole group...

"What are you all doing here? Are you following a man?"

Each person then answered the question, in turn giving testimony of how God had brought him or her to this place, and why we believe the way we do. One good friend said that, because of his age he figured he might only have 15 or 20 years left and he want to use those years in the Lord's service. He no longer wanted to be deceived.

Our good friend Doug Howey responded... "God has not promised me tomorrow, so we cannot know that we have one more day, much less 15 years. We have to be obedient today, because God may call us home tomorrow." This is a message I have been repeating for many years, and I was pleased to hear Doug remind us all that God's providence and soveriegnty trumps the designs and plans of man. So many people plan to be obedient tomorrow, and they plan to do the right thing some time in the future. They put off obedience because of their circumstances, and make excuses for why they are not obeying today. Doug's statement was right on the money, and was spoken via the Spirit of God as a testimony to us all.

The next day, after the sermon at about 2:30, Doug and his wife Sarah asked me some questions about San Antonio. Doug had mentioned on Saturday that a friend had really encouraged them to go visit the Riverwalk if they could. Doug asked what I thought about them running down to San Antonio for the night (a little over 3 hours south); they would try to be back in time for a lesson Monday night if the Lord willed. I told them that if they wanted to go, it wouldn't bother me. I like San Antonio quite a bit... for a city.

So at about 3 p.m. or so Doug and Sarah loaded up the rental car for their day trip down south. The rest of us sat around and had fellowship and chatted until bedtime.

At 4 a.m. my daughter came into the cabin and told us that a friend from the forum had called one of the ladies on her cell phone. Sarah was trying to get a hold of us from San Antonio and had put a message on the "shoutbox" on BiblicalAgrarianism.com for me to call her at the hospital. I fired up the computer and found an email from Sarah from 12:38 a.m. There had been a horrible accident and she needed me to call her at the University Hospital in San Antonio. We called the hospital, but we were told that the phone system in the patient rooms wasn't activated until 6:30 a.m. I responded to the email and told Sarah that we couldn't get through and gave her David's cell phone. After numerous attempts to get a call through, we finally were able to contact Sarah through the private cell phone of a hospital employee.

The Howey's had been in an accident on the way to San Antonio and Doug had been killed instantly. Sarah said that she was physically ok, other than the fact that she was pretty banged up and felt like she had fallen 20 stories from a rooftop.

We were floored. Literally speechless. I tried my best to keep solid and I told Sarah that David and I would be down there as soon as possible. We left immediately. David and I arrived at the hospital at about 9:30 a.m. and began the process of sorting out what had happened, and of doing our best to serve Sarah in whatever we possible. Things were overwhelming and Sarah clearly needed our help. She was a foreigner (they are from Canada) in a strange place. Everything she had was in the rental car, which had been totaled and hauled away. Her clothes had been cut off of her, and she didn't even have a purse, a wallet or a drivers license. I told her that everything would work out, and that we didn't have to figure everything out immediately. She was in good physical shape and we could take our time to work things out. I told her that she was our responsibility, and that we would do everything we could to take care of her.

1 Tim. 5:3
James 1:27

I told her that she was welcome to live here at the land forever if she liked, and that the fellowship was here to serve her.

Doug and Sarah had passed through Fredericksburg, Texas at a little after 5 p.m on the Lord's Day. They stopped just as they were leaving Fredericksburg to get gas, then got back on the road. Just a few miles south of town, there was an area of construction where the middle lanes were closed off with large orange barrels. Far ahead, coming towards them, they saw that a woman in a pickup truck full of children, talking on her cell phone and likely speeding, had begun to fish tail and lose control of the vehicle. For a second, it looked like she had regained control, then inexplicably she sped up and fishtailed again. There were cars both in front of and behind the Howey's rental car. The woman slammed on her brakes which caused her to lose control. The truch shot across the closed lanes smashing through the orange barricade barrels and spinning out of control. The truck slammed into the Howey's car at a very high rate of speed, crumpling the drivers side and sliding the car off the embankment. Doug was killed instantly. Sarah was conscious, but the car was filling with smoke. A woman appeared and literally ripped the passenger door open, hauling Sarah effortlessly from the car. Emergency services arrived, and a helicopter was called to medivac Sarah to San Antonio and the hospital.

Our friend and brother Doug Howey was killed by a careless and negligent driver sometime before 6 p.m., less than 24 hours after his prophetic exhortation that none of us take tomorrow for granted.

Sarah is strong, and she believes in the providence and sovereignty of God. The task before us has just begun. David and I have begun dealing with the funeral home and we were able to empty out Sarah's belongings from the destroyed vehicle.

We ask for your prayers for Sarah and for us as we move forward.

No one has promised you tomorrow. Doug's message to you is this... "Are you moving towards obedience to God today? Or are you counting on a tomorrow that has never been promised to you?"

Some of you have asked how you can help.

I don't know yet.

We are commanded to provide and take care of widows in the Body of Christ. We will do so. Prayers are necessary, and money helps.

I am your servant in Christ Jesus,

Michael Bunker

Ranchfest Update

10/08/06 - Lord's Day - Before Breakfast. Ranchfest is up and running, and we are all enjoying ourselves. Sabbath morning we got up and met all the folks in Santa Anna for breakfast. We had about 20 people for breakfast ($3.29 breakfast special!) then we headed over to Coleman for the "Fiesta de la Paloma". For lunch we went back to Santa Anna and ate at the Line Shack before heading back to the ranch.

At the ranch we did some tours of the land for the new folks, then we relaxed and talked until about 8pm when we had Q&A (until about midnight). It was a great day of fellowship, and I am glad for those who were here. Sometimes we wonder why more friends don't find a way to make it to Ranchfest, but in the end we are satisfied that God brings about His ends for His own purposes.

This morning I have promised Mesquite Coffee to everyone, so that should be fun. I look forward to the skeptics telling me how good it really is.

Meal report...

Ok, yesterday we had dinner out twice. I had the breakfast special at H&H Family Dining ($3.29 - two eggs, hashbrowns, sausage, biscuits and gravy); and I had the ham and cheese sandwich with chips at the Line Shack ($3.50). Last night we had some extraordinary lasagna with garlic bread with a glass of Sangria.

Q&A was really good, and we had some very interesting questions. Today we have singing at 10 a.m., fellowship meal at noon, then an impromptu sermon some time in the afternoon.

Tomorrow we start some projects, including working on the footer for David's barn, and continuing on screening in the porch on the cabin. We will do as much as we can afford to do.

Michael

Fall Ranchfest, Day 1 (or 2?)

10/05/06 - 6th Day - Before Supper. Ranchfest officially started yesterday, but we knew that most people would be arriving between then and Saturday afternoon. Our first arrivals got here at midnight last night, and another family arrived this afternoon. Another couple will be here today, and then most of the rest of the folks will be here tomorrow.

Today we started working on screening in the deck. As of 5 pm we had one wall framed in, which isn't much work for one day, but we took a lot of time touring the land and sitting around with the stringed instruments talking and goofing around. Tonight we are having Spaghetti, and there is a rumor that we are having Danielle's lasagna tomorrow night. Spaghetti is our usual Sabbath evening dinner. We are all looking forward to a Sabbath, because we are all very, very tired. By the way, this morning we had muffins, coffee cake, egg/sausage mix and fresh tortillas. Lunch was some beautiful sandwiches.

Tomorrow is "Fiesta de la Paloma" which is the feast of the dove, celebrating the Dove hunting season in Coleman. We went last year and it was quite fun, so we are looking forward to it this year. Some year I might enter the brisket and bean cookoff.

We are meeting for breakfast at a local Santa Anna diner, and will be heading to the fiesta after that. Tomorrow night is live Q&A and then we have fellowship on the Lord's Day.

Hope all is well with all of you.

Psa 25:19 Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.

Michael

Ignorance is now spirituality

10/05/06 - 5th Day - Early Morning. I have to tell you I have had an interesting last week or so. Ranchfest starts tonight (most folks will start arriving tomorrow and on the Sabbath), and we have been doing our best to get the place squared away and ready for company.

The fellas and I have been working on the deck and on the root cellar, and I have been working to train Pita as best I can. Training Pita is a workout, because she has to be getting close to 200 lbs. and every day she weighs more and more.

In addition to my chores around here, I have been doing my regular internet work... answering emails, writing, debating, etc. There was something I have known for awhile that has became ever more evident to me this week... in a world of general apostasy, ignorance has become spirituality. Being steadfast and simple, even if it is in heresy, apostasy, or error, is today considered being spiritual and plainspoken. It is really quite interesting.

This past week I was involved in a "discussion" with an ignorant, lying, so-called "christian counselor" who actually prides himself on how little he knows the Bible! This type of thing is now an epidemic. These people say things like this:

"Well, I may not have memorized the Bible, but..." followed by whatever un-Biblical sputum they want to spray out there. You see, today, if you can start a sentence with a disclaimer that actually slanders your enemy, then you are considered spiritual. The less you know the Bible, the more spiritual you are. Your opponent may not actually have memorized the Bible; but if he knows it better than you, then you can accuse him of it. Then you just say stuff like, "I'm just a man (woman/child, whatever). I don't know the Bible as well as you, and I am not as knowledgable about doctrine as you; but my understanding of spiritual things is based on my personal relationship with God, and isn't bogged down with book knowledge."

"I'm not an ivory tower type. I'm down in the trenches, dealing with real people with real issues."

"What does all your knowledge get you if you don't have loooooooove?" (Make sure to spew the word knowledge in a hateful way as if it is contradictory to the word love!)

Then make all the same stupid, senseless, arguments (without any context) like, "Doctrine divides", "Knowledge puffeth up", etc. If you really get on a roll, throw on a southern accent and accuse your enemy of "book learnin'".

Ignorance is now spirituality! The less you know about anything true, the more spiritual you are. Now, don't go off saying that Michael Bunker believes that knowledge is all you need, or that reading the Bible is all you need (without living it, etc.), because then you are doing the same thing the "ignorance is spiritual" crowd is now doing. Of course we know that wisdom and understanding are the perfection of knowledge, that is why people without knowledge want to pretend they have wisdom and understanding! Wisdom is rightly applied knowledge, but in no way is knowledge or Biblical literacy a bad thing, nor is ignorance and stupidity ever championed in the Bible.

It is even worse now in the "Agrarian" blogosphere. If you are a brainless twit who can use homespun lingo, then you can be popular in modern Agrarianism. Here is a hit blog entry for you. Start a blog and copy and paste this as your first blog entry, and if your blog has a catchy title like "Midwest Farmer", or "Missouri Hay Mower", then you will have a popular blog...

"Yessir, I was sloppin' the hogs today and I got to thinkin'. God is pretty simple, and he just wants us to do the bes' we can without all the bickerin' and arguin'. Some folks with big Biblical Agrarian sites (gee I hate titles like that, since they ain't in the Bible) think they know everything and everybody but them ain't a Christian. Well, I am livin' the life these folks just talk about. So, I don't know what the Bible says, and I caint give ya chapter and verse. Well, these folks is goin' straight to hell, because they think they know everything and hate us simple folks. The devil is in 'em, because they say God is only with their denomination or with people who think like them. You see, I may not be a theologian, but Jesus picked us simple folk to work with and he hated the religious folks. I may not know where that is in the Bible, but I love Jesus and I know he hates folks that know where stuff is and who can tell me I'm wrong about something. Jesus hates anyone who tries to tell Catholics they aren't ok, because all denominations are from hell. My ol' country church is just a simple church of farmers who speak in tongues and do divine healings. We don't need no Bible memorizing pharisees to tell us about Jesus, because we know all about Jesus. Now, I have to tell ya that I'm better than everyone else because I'm simple and because I don't know scripture. If I knew scripture I would be puffed up, but I'm not, so I'm better than you. Heck, just a year ago I got this here blog, and now I got hunderds of people out there just like me who come here every day, just to hear my wisdom. Who needs a bunch of Bible verses cluttering things up? And if anyone knows any or puts any in their blog it is because they are a Pharisee and are going straight to hell! Besides, I'm better than them. Now, I gotta go get that back 40 ready for a plow, unlike these so-called "agrarian experts" who all sit around all day typing at computers and raping nuns."

Soon you will find that about 40 co-ignorant bloggers will have migrated to your site, and the comments section will fill up with:

MTMilkman says - BillyBob, you hit it right on the head! You are spiritual because you don't know scripture! Forget all these pointy head ivory tower types. You mean, I am a farmer and a Christian Agrarian without ever having walked barefoot to Texas to kiss Michael Bunker's left foot, or reading the Bible? Amen Brother! Keep it up!

ChickenBabe says - Way to shoot straight BB! You are better than those people who both farm AND read and study scripture! No man should be able to tell anyone else that they are wrong, or that what they are doing is unscriptural. PHARISEES! Besides, what they are doing is wrong and they are all goin' to hell like you said!

FLHaymaker says - Yeah! I went to one of those "Agrarian" sites and they were sayin' us Papists follow the Antichrist. If I could, I would tie them to a stake and build up a fire around them and make them renounce that opinion. But until then, I agree with you... they are all goin' to hell!

Just so you know, write it down, ignorance is now spirituality. It is true in the Agrarian blogosphere, and it is true everywhere else on the internet too. The last thing you want is to know why you believe what you believe, and heaven help you if you can defend it. Snipers and slanderers are waiting out there in candyland to defame you and call you every name in the book. But they should, because, after all, you read and study God's Word and are able to put it in context and explain what is true and what is false. By doing so you become the enemy of ignorance, which by now you should know IS SPIRITUALITY.

Welcome to Amerika, 2006.

Michael

Interesting Weekend

10/02/06 - 2nd Day - Mid-Afternoon. Over the weekend we got a backhoe stuck in my somewhat dried-up pond. To read the glorious story, click here. So we worked hard all Sabbath literally getting our ox out of a ditch. Lord's Day fellowship was really good, except that all the men were exceedingly sore, sunburned and tired; but we had an awesome brisket with mashed potatoes, rice casserole and cornbread!

The impromptu sermon on the Lord's Day was about Martha and Mary of Bethany, and was very appropriate following our day of worry and anxiety about the buried backhoe. I will try to get the sermon posted ASAP.

I have been in a very active and lively discussion/debate about which I might be able to share some details with you soon. It has taken most of my time for the last 3-4 days. Some of my communications would make excellent tracts on combating modernist religious ideas, so I hope to share them with you soon.

Our egg production is up significantly, and the training of Pita our heifer calf is going well. We haven't had much rain to speak of, so our fall garden is not getting started fast enough and we may not get a crop before the first freeze. The weather here is currently warm, low 90's, but this should only continue a few more days. During Ranchfest, they are calling for mid to high 80's for the first week, and high 70's after that. We will be in the heart of autumn here soon, and can expect cooler temperatures on average.

Pray for us and for those coming down for Ranchfest, that everyone would have safe travel, and that we would have a time of great fellowship, and that God would provide what is needed for that time and for the work that is before us.

Your servant in Christ Jesus,

Michael Bunker