Saturday, December 25, 2010

The Birth of Christ According To Luke

Luke 2:1-40

The Birth of Jesus
1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
Jesus Presented in the Temple
22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”

33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

The Birth of Christ According To Matthew

Matthew 1:18-2:18

Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”g]"> (which means “God with us”).

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Matthew 2
The Magi Visit the Messiah
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magia]"> from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
The Escape to Egypt
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18 “A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”

Friday, December 24, 2010

Genesis 3

The Temptation and Fall of Man
1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”
4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
9 Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”
10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”
12 Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”
13 And the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
14 So the LORD God said to the serpent:
“ Because you have done this,
You are cursed more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you shall go,
And you shall eat dust
All the days of your life.

15 And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”
16 To the woman He said:
“I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception;
In pain you shall bring forth children;
Your desire shall be for your husband,
And he shall rule over you.”
17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:
“ Cursed is the ground for your sake;
In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life.

18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.

19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return.”
20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.
21 Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.
22 Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— 23 therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

No...Yes...No...Maybe...

Yes, I'm back here to stay.
Yes, I might visit New York once in a while.
No, I did NOT find my guy while up in New York!
No, I didn't enjoy the cold all that much.
Yes, I saw some snow...A small dusting.
Yes, I'm glad to be home!

And those are just some of the answer to the questions I've been getting in the past week. :D Some of them are normal and I don't mind however there are a couple that are starting to get on my nerves (y'all guess which ones. lol)

In the week that I've been here I've worked two markets, gone to church milked the goats, help to get ready for market, and cleaned my room (I didn't leave it in the best of conditions, & the kids worked in there while I was gone so it's a wee bit messy).

I'm now working on the last minute Christmas things & wrapping the last 20-30 gifts I have to wrap. That is the main reason I've not done any Christmas posting, sorry!

Y'all enjoy your snow, humidity, or what ever weather your having this Christmas. Enjoy your family & friends. And all have a VERY MERRY Christmas!! I'm off to do some household chores & enjoy the season & all with do to celebrate it with my family!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Update

I thought I had posted this last week, since I took the time to type it I decided to post it anyways even though it's "outdated". lol

____________________________________________________________________
So an update has been called for...I can always trust a sister to get after me if I haven't posted in a week or so, sometimes even if I haven't posted in a day or two. Sisters got love 'em! lol

So, here's the (old) update. I've now been up here in New York for 4 months & 6 days (someone PLEASE tell me where the time has gone!?!). Lynn and I are starting to drive down to Texas with 20-30 goats in the back of the pick-up & trailer. We leave bright & early Monday morning and are hoping to be in Texas no later then Wednesday morning. Prayers for us would be greatly appreciated as it's not the easiest thing to dive with that many goats, and not even to mention we're doing it in the middle of December! (Yeah, I know CRAZY, that's me!)

On other notes, this coming Saturday will be my last Saturday to sell at the Green Market in Union Square. I've greatly enjoyed getting to know the costumers and other vendors there. It's a great market & I would highly suggest visiting there if ever your in New York City. That being said I can't wait to get back to my home town and the farmers markets there as I miss all our costumers and the other vendors there. :D

I've seen so much in my off days, to be completely honest at one point I had seen so much I felt like I was sightseeing out. And I thought I would never say that. I've seen more things then I thought I would ever see in NYC and saw quite a bit of the New York & Pennsylvania country side. However I would absolutely love to come back as there is so much history here that I would love to see it all & I never got to Cooperstown for the Baseball Hall of Fame, so I can see future trips to see more of it.

And the countryside & people! The countryside is beautiful and the people were great I will miss all the friend's I've made up here, as well as the view's that I've grown used to.
____________________________________________________________________

With all that I saw I learned a lot, from goat care to cheese making. From Modern history to history dating back to the foundation of our country. I loved every aspect of my time up there except for the fact that it was over 1700 miles from my family & I missed them greatly. It was something that I had wanted to do for a while--Could I live without my family? Yes, I could however it wasn't the easiest thing I had done & not something I want to do again any time soon. Yes, if in the future God has me moving away from the family I'll tackle that problem when I come to it...Until then I'll enjoy my family every second that I can (hence all the pictures now on face book since I got home. lol).

Over the next few weeks & months I'll try to post more pictures of my times up there, but as I saw so much it will take a while to share everything with y'all. Thanks for 'joining' me on my trip & for the prayers that y'all said for me, I needed them & greatly appreciated them!! :D

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Monday, November 29, 2010

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Saturday, November 27, 2010

New York Sights

The Culinary Institute of America

Friday, November 26, 2010

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Today I'm Thankful For...

My family...

I'm thankful that I am blessed with parents who not only put food on the table for me & buy clothes for me. But also who take time from their life to spend in my life.

For my siblings who call me everyday or ask to call me. Who ask me a month before Christmas what do I want, who spend their time to clean my room, cook my favorite meals, or give me leaves. All because they love me.

My life(style)...

I enjoy working with goats & I am very grateful for the changes that were made in my life over six years ago, that changed my ideas on what I liked & how I wanted to live. I'm grateful that my parents moved us out & bought goats so I could enjoy goat's milk (which I don't drink), goat's cheese (which I LOVE), and the goats them self.

I'm thankful for the opportunity to work in Farmer's Markets either here in New York, esp back kin Houston. I am thankful for the friend's that I've made in the markets & the experience that I've had while working there.

I'm thankful for a sound church in which I can worship with other people who believe the same way. As well as being able to live in a country where I can worship when & where I want to without being told by anyone when, where, & who I should worship.

In my short 22 years I have been GREATLY blessed, but I've also had some trials & believe it or not I'm thankful for those trials & tribulations, as they have helped to shape me to be who I am & taught me many, many, MANY different things over the years.


New York Sights

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Monday, November 22, 2010

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Friday, November 19, 2010

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Monday, November 15, 2010

One Month!

Until I go home!

Can you believe that I've been here for three & a half months? Didn't think so, neither can I, oh wait! yes I can! The time seems to have just flown by, but then there are days when it's just dragged as well (or so it felt). There has been so much I've learned, missed, & seen while up here it's hard to contain it all!

I can't wait to see my family! And for the first time ever I'm saying
"Yes, I'll be home for Christmas."

Sunday, November 14, 2010

"Your The Oldest...

"...Of TWELVE children?!?"
Me: "Yes."
Random person: "Wow what are all their names?"
Me: "Katie (pointing to me), Christin (starting to hold up a finger for each child), Grace, Sara, Linnea, Emma, Timothy, Liberty, Noah, Judah, Seth, and Dixie."
Random Person: "WOW!! You weren't joking!"

Now, honestly, truly! Who would lie about how many siblings they had? And who really would just randomly pick the number twelve for that many children in their family? And just because I gave you twelve names, how does that prove that there really are that many children in my family?

Such runs my thoughts as I rattle of the names--Sometimes the ages & birthdays of my siblings as well--You know any old person could just come up with names, dates, & ages...Right?

Is there a way that I say it that make people believe me? I'm I just over confident about it all when I spout them off like some show-off? Or is it this picture on the back of our business card that validates what I am saying as truth?


Friday, November 5, 2010

I Always Said...

I was never going to own one, I always said if I ever went to New York I would get something else to remember my trip there....You know a postcard, a thimble, or a pencil sharpener (all of which I collect from the places I've visited). I was NOT going to buy a shirt, purse, or bag. I would rather get a coffee mug, key chain, or charm.

But I was NOT going to get anything that had this on it...

But then the weekend before I left my mom went clothes shopping for me (I hate shopping and mom does a great job shopping for me!) and she came home with a gift for me, in which to remember my time in New York.

When I got here & Lynn saw it, she told me it was great but if I wore it into New York City she was not responsible for me and anything that might happen to me. After all, I knew the risks of wearing a shirt like this in the heart of Yankee land...




Tuesday, November 2, 2010

"Strike Three...

...Game over, Giants win the World Series!!"

And thus ends another baseball season.
The Giant's won for the first time since moving out to California, where as Texas is still without a World Series title. I'm happy for the Giants as I would be for any team that wins the World Series (unless you happen to be the Yankees or Braves). Yes, I do wish the Rangers had won, because I would LOVE for Texas to have a World Series trophy, but I'm glad that the Giants won.

This year like many years there is a feeling that something is missing, but then there is also the reminder that there is always next year. Unlike years gone by I did not cry myself to sleep nor did my dad give me a hug right before I went to bed and said "Next year will be here before you know it!".

Yes, there have been years where my dad held me & let me cry because my team lost or the season was over. As I have gotten older I don't cry (well....Maybe I do), but I do wish the season would keep going, but dad is always there with a hug and the Next Year talk.

This year was different in many different ways...

This year I cried in early September when the Astros were eliminated and then again in late September when the Red Sox lost, (No, I am not joking.).

This year the 'Stros didn't pull us along all through out the year, the let us know early on it would be hard for them to make it to .500 ball, let alone the post season. And the Red Sox gave it a good run in the end, but should have tried sooner.

This year I watched the World Series by myself for the first time ever. Sure I talked about it with dad the next morning, but I found it wasn't the same as being there with him watching the game.

This year I am going to do my best to wait until December to start missing the games & to start watching replays on the computer or ESPN Classic.

This year I learned that most of my enjoyment of the sport is not the sport but the time spent with dad while enjoying America's pastime.

Now, to count down the days until I see dad again, Christmas & then Spring Training...

Monday, November 1, 2010

November 1st

The day I start planning my Thanksgiving meal (I LOVE to cook & I LOVE the holidays), when I really start buying Christmas gifts, if I don't already have them and for those that I do have, I start wrapping them. The last two months of the year have to be my favorite ones!

But then I'm also used to Novembers where it can be in the 80s and tee shirts are the norm, and I've also eaten Thanksgiving dinner out on the deck. But, that's not to be up here...November first and there was a layer of ice on the waters & yesterday I saw some sort of frozen precipitation. And Thanksgiving this year? Well, it promises to be COLD!

I'm pretty sure I'll survive, but I do think I need to buy a whole new wardrobe, since unlike Houston my summer wardrobe won't work in New York's winter.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Just Wondering...

Is there this sign hanging above my head or a look I am giving that says "HELP! Save me quick, from this weird and crazy family!! I need out NOW!!"?

If not what is this Obsessive–compulsiveness that has a good number of people trying to find someone for me? From milk costumers to long time friends, from people my age to those old enough to be my grandparents. I'm getting hints (sublet they may be, they are still there), or even out and out being told that they have the man for me!! Then there's the people who tell me that they have just the person (naming the person) and that it would be one of the best things I ever did if i "grabbed him real quick before he got away". (Great just what I want, to hold on to a guy tight so he won't run away from me! Please!!)

Just to let y'all know, I am happy to wait for God to bring the right man around. Yes, I am human and have had my times of doubting or wondering if I will ever get married, when I might get married, and to whom I might get married to. Do I know the guy? Have we met? etc. Yes, I have those days when I wonder, worry, and fret. Those are the days when I turn to the Lord in prayer and set down to the task that I have been given.

But thanks all for your caring enough to think about me and my future! Thanks for caring enough that you have to make sure the guy is good enough for me or else! I am blessed to be surrounded by a bunch of people who care about me, but could we please wait for God's timing in this matter?

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Ma'am & Sir

All my life I've been taught to say ma'am or sir when talking to someone. Mainly when I say yes or no...Yes ma'am, no ma'am, yes sir, no sir, you get the idea. It's a way of showing respect to that other person. More often to someone older then you or in a place of authority over you.

But I have gotten into the habit of saying it all the time. I will say it to my sisters just added to the yes or no part of the answer. As well as saying it at other times such as to people at market, goat shows, church, etc.. And it's not just me, my sisters do it as well as other people I know, all my age, younger or older then I.

I never really noticed how often I say sir or ma'am until I got up here to New York and it's not said that often. My first week people kept saying "Don't ma'am (or sir) me!". Others would comment on how nice & polite I am, while other commented on it in one way or another. I don't know if I say it more often then other people around me do, but I do know I say it and apparently I say it alot.

And I have people say it to me. I have no problem when children I am teaching, baby siting, or who are younger then I am say it to me. I said to people who were over the age of 20 when I as under the age of 10. :D What really throws me off is when someone my same age says it to me. "Umm...Did you really just ma'am me?!?" Yep for some reason I can dish it out but I can't take it.

Now I'm up in New York where I have gotten so many comments about saying ma'am and sir to people that I can't even remember them all!

"Did you just ma'am me?"
"Don't call me sir!"
"When you call me ma'am it makes me feel old."
"Do you always have to say ma'am?"
"Oh, she's polite."
I even had someone at market tell me "Oh, you don't have to call me ma'am my name is ____, I know it's habit for you but it's OK of you just call me by my name."
And the one that really threw me for a loop..."When someone says ma'am or sir we feel like they are trying to be rude or flippant. Now when you say it we know you aren't but it sometimes gets annoying!"

Oh really? And where I come from we think they are rude when they don't say ma'am or sir. Since I've come up here it's obvious to everyone that I say it a lot and I've tried to curb it a little...To the point where I say "Yes ____" (the person's name) I don't do it all the time. In fact I do it one in every twenty tries. But, then saying ma'am & sir is something I've been doing for the past 21 years, so of course it's going to take more then two months to change...In fact I think it might take more then 4 months to change.

But, when I get back to Texas & say ma'am or sir and no corrects me or comments on it I will be very happy and enjoy it! lol Ah, the little things in life you tend to take for granted and not even think about...

Monday, October 18, 2010

"Respectable Sins"

Yes, I know an odd title, but hey I didn't come up with it! So where did it come from? I got it from Jerry Bridges' book called "Respectable Sins: Confronting The Sins We Tolerate". It's a book that I enjoyed and yet I dreaded! One that I learned a lot from and enjoyed doing in Sunday School.

So what is there that is respectable about sins, as they are all disobedient to God? We all know there are the sins that are never pardonable by anyone even non-believers. But there are some sins that if we were pressed to look at we may not think of as sins, or ignore because we know they are sinful but do not want to change our lifestyle or point out to others that they just might be sinning, these are the sins that Bridges points out & talks about as being "respectable sins".

Jerry Bridges does a wonderful job of speaking of our sins that we as Christians see everyday & turn our backs on, more often then not without even thinking or noticing that we are doing it. He confronts these sins with stories (most of them his own) and Bible references, while pointing out where we have gone or are going wrong without condoning the acts or condemning the people who commit them.

As ashamed as I am to admit it, I have to.....When it comes to this book I am guilty of falling short & sinning in the ways that Bridges talks about in his book more then once. And an the other ways when I don't have a difficulty in following the 'rules' and abiding by them I am guilty of looking down at those who do not obey those rules, commandments, and instructions given to us. (Which is also covered in the book).

I have to say I learned a lot and yet it didn't seem all that new to me. I've heard about a lot of these issues being sins my entire life. But I had never really thought about them or some aspects of them and that is where it was new to me and where I learned.

I always knew pride was sinful, I get told that all the time as I have a MAJOR pride issue, but I had never really thought about my attitude of "look what I can do" without acknowledging God as the reason that I am good at it, as being prideful. I may not say it to often or show to much pride in what I am good at (which I believe to be a falsehood, as I am very prideful) but if I don't acknowledge God as the reason that I am the way I am then I am being prideful and thus sinning, even though I may not be meaning or intending to.

Jerry Bridges covers many sins that we look at and say "Well, duh of course those are sins! Everyone knows that, so why does he have it in here?". Until you get to the chapter and find he is not referring to the normal ways people sin with anxiety, frustration, envy, jealousy, & judgmentalism. He talks about the subtle ways in which people sin in these ways & and in which others turn their heads to it, thus sinning as well.

While in the first few chapters he expounds on the general idea of sin and how believers can deal with it...From the obvious of prayer, accountability, and scripture to the not so thought of why do these things help us to combat sin.

I highly recommend using this book as a group or personal bible study (I've done both, and my book proves it). And I am grateful to the people who have taken their time to write the book, teach it, listen to me talk about it, or discuss it with me. :-D It's a book I have read more then once & I've only owned it a year now.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

"Who Me? Really!"

Said I as I pointed to myself and raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, you!" answered the girl with a chuckle as she went back to rolling cheese.


For those of you who didn't know, I started this blog in March of 2009. The main purpose was to have a quick & easy way to post pictures and updates on our life for Christin & Grace while they were in Europe for two months. :D When they came back I thought of stopping, only to be told by Christin "Why? I enjoy reading it even when I know what's going on!" So I continued the blog and the rest is history. Right?

So, a few weeks ago I was posting about something (I think it was the post about "God Bless America") and one of the girls who helps roll cheese called up to me to tell me she was heading out to the creamery to work on cheese. I yelled back I would be down in a few minutes.

Five minutes later I walk into the creamery ready to work & she asks "What took you so long?" (in a teasing manner). I answered "I had to finish my blog post, as I haven't blogged in a week or so." She looked at me kind of weirdly and asked "You blog?"

"Yes" and I told her how it started. She then chuckled and said "You know? That's kind of nerdy!" to which I replied with..."Who Me? Really!".

I had to laugh though as I thought about it because the term nerd refers "to a person who avidly pursues intellectual activities, or endeavors, knowledge, or other obscure interests, rather than engaging in more social or conventional activities"

Some how the term nerd never really seemed to apply to me when I thought about it. Then I looked it up and KNEW there was no way it really could apply to me, right? I mean last I checked I am not really a scientific person and when it comes to technical things I may be slightly technical savvy, when you get down to it I am really not, I know just enough to get me by. And to top it all off...I could be wrong, but I'm not really the person who prefers computers to human beings. :D

Now though, when I talk about it she chuckles & thinks it's a great idea, though she still thinks it is a little weird.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Update

For those of you who didn't know, a week ago today I boarded a plane headed for Houston. :D Where I spent 4 1/2 days with family & friends. :D God greatly blessed me on this trip home. I got to snuggle with all my toddler & baby siblings, spent time with mom while shopping for animal feed and human food. :D Bible study with Christin & some friends, did one market & visited three other markets, I was also able to go to Central Market & church with my family. God has greatly blessed me & the trip home showed me even more how blessed I am.


New York City on the way to the airport.



About to land in Chicago. Have I ever mentioned how I hate layovers? Chicago is in the top two cities that I want to visit and I didn't get to see any of it, due to being on the wrong side of the plane both when landing & taking off!



There's no place like Houston!! :D



City Center Market Thursday night with Sara holding Dixie.




Urban Harvest Saturday morning



Highland Village Saturday afternoon



On our way into Central Market





Discovery Green Market Sunday afternoon



My siblings waiting for me to board the plane (which I ended up not doing that day).




My Family!

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Behind The Song...

"God Bless America"

It's a song that every American knows the chorus of. It's song during the 7th inning at every Yankee game & Sunday baseball game in the US. It's that timeless "American Hymn" that even toddlers can remember the words to. "God Bless America" is America's unofficial national anthem But do you know the background to it?

Written by Irving Berlin in 1918 while serving in the US Army at Camp Upton in Yaphank, New York. Berlin wrote "God Bless America" for Yip Yip Yaphank a revue put on by the men at Camp Upton. Berlin never used it during the revue, feeling that it did not fit the act. In 1938 with the World at war again, Berlin brought the song back as a peace song.

In 1938 with some of the lines changed and words switched out. Berlin asked Kate Smith to sing it on her show. On Armistice Day 1938 Kate Smith sang with a full band. Almost over night "God Bless American" became a hit all through out the US. There were even some who pushed for it to be made into the National anthem, though it was enough of an opposition, that it was never passed.

"While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer. "

God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Wednesday's Day Off



This past Wednesday for my day off I went to a Yankees game. :D In case you haven't caught it yet, I am a HUGE baseball fan and was missing my baseball games. The hard part about this game? Well, it was a Yankee game (Top of my dislike list), my dad wasn't able to come with me, and it wasn't the old Yankee Stadium. But I took what I could get and went to the game, calling my dad more then once, silently cheering the Orioles (as I wanted to go home alive!), and taking as many pictures of the stadium that I could.


I got there a few minutes after the gates opened, and enjoyed batting practice, Monument Park, the Yankee Museum, and looking around the park. (FYI for those baseball fans planning to go to Yankee Stadium, there is really no way you can get autographs while at the game.)




I greatly enjoyed my day off and can now add one ballpark and two more teams to my list of visited parks & teams watched. :D


Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Wednesday...A Day Of Firsts.

  • First time to go to a game without a family member.
  • First time to go to a baseball game all by myself.
  • First ride on a New York subway
  • First time to go to Yankee Stadium.
  • First time to see the Yankees play.
  • First time to see Lance Berkman in anything other then an Astros' uniform.
  • First American League game to watch live without the Red Sox playing.

And another big thing that wasn't a first, rather a second. For the second time in 12 years I went to a baseball game without my dad. The last time was in 1998 and my mom went with me. But other then that one time dad has ALWAYS gone with me to a game and it felt really odd to not have him with me. (Just in case you didn't know I LOVE my dad and greatly appreciate that he takes the time from his days to spend time with me at ballgames. :D )

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

A Funny....

And not from a toddler imagine that! lol

Yesterday we went to another goat persons house for a BBQ. After dinner & looking at her goats we are sitting around the fire pit roasting marshmallows and telling farm stories. When the other goat person takes a phone call from her hey guy.

She has him on speaker phone so we can all hear him and he asks her if she went to the Duchess county fair with her goats. She replied "No, but I helped Lynn. She had 22 goats there.". Her hey guy laughs and said "Well, you should have brought one or two of your goats. With that many goats no one would have noticed. It's just like having 12 children, you won't notice one or two more added!" lol

I couldn't help it! I busted out laughing and took everyone else a few seconds to get it and then they all started laughing as well. And the poor hey guy is clueless & asking what was going on. As he didn't know I could here him & didn't even know me and that I come from a family or 12 children. lol

Everyone had a good laugh over that one I can assure you. :D

Saturday, September 4, 2010

One Month!

I've been in New York for one month!

One month ago I boarded a plain for the fourth time in my life. Only this trip was different from my other plane trips. I was not going to or away from family for a vacation. I was leaving for four months for an internship in New York. And this coming only two weeks after I told someone that "No, I didn't really see myself ever leaving Texas for any length of time longer then a week or two for vacation". (Never say never!)

Now, one month later I am counting the days until I can see my family & friends back in Houston for a few days. Yes, I miss my family! I miss the hugs, kisses, laughter, toddlers, older sisters, fights, debates, & everything else that comes with my family.

But I am taking each day that I have here & counting it as a blessing, as it's not every year of my life I will be able to spend months in New York & sight see everything I can on my day off. Nor is it every day I get to live on another dairy and learn many different things about goats, cheese, & showing.

The people I've met have been great, very helpful & friendly. Even if I do have a new nick-name..."That Red Sox fan". lol And then get to be told how "The Yanks ARE the best!". (Yeah, well...)

The weather is totally different, not as humid & rarely as hot as it is down in Houston. It's been very nice in the 70s to 80s with low to no humidity and some mornings or even some evenings being a bit chilly. Though, I am warned that in a month I will be coming into the cool months & will see some winter which includes snow, then they can start calling me a wimp instead of me calling them one. Meaning I will need some warmer shoes & a nice warm jackets. (Which means I will have to go buy some new shoes...Last thing on my list of things I like to do!)

It does feel a little weird not having toddlers or Liberty sharing a bed with me. I have played music any & all chances I get as it tends to get to quite here. :D And I am still having a hard time cooking for less than a half dozen people--More like cooking just for me. I've found that though I greatly enjoy cooking, like traveling alone it's not as fun to cook for oneself as it is for when your cooking for others as well.

Then there are the TONS of pictures I take to share with my friends and family so I can enjoy the trip & time here knowing that they will be able to see my trip at least a little bit through my pictures. And by the time I get ready to go home I am going to need to drive down as it will be better with all the things I will have bought for my family & friends for Christmas.

So, one month down--Three and half more to go. BUT in less then two weeks I will be to see my family & friends. As well as attend a very good friend's wedding, I can't wait! :D

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Yesterday's Day Off...

So, yesterday was my weekly day off, and unlike previous weeks it wasn't was WAY full. :D Well, for Carlson standards. lol

Yesterday I spent looking at goats, visiting a cemetery, viewing the grounds at Vanderbilt, And touring the Culinary Institute of America. A laid back & enjoyable day, even though it did feel like home in the mid to upper 90s.

The first stop was a Cemetery in Rhinebeck NY. For those of you who don't know my family all that we LOVE visiting cemeteries. You learn so much from them, see so many interesting names, and learn about people things you might not have. :D


After that it as touring the grounds of the Vanderbilt mansion. Due to a prior reservation I didn't have enough time to tour the mansion it's self but it is the plans for sometime while in New York.




After the rose garden & grounds at the Vanderblit I went down to the riverbank and took some up close pictures of the Hudson river. Ever since I first saw the Mississippi river at the age of seven rivers have fascinated me and the Hudson was no different. (When I am rich, and have nothing else to do with my time or money I am going to travel down the Mississippi river lol)





After that it was on to the the Culinary Institute of America, something I would never have thought of if someone had not mentioned it to me. But I greatly enjoyed my time there!

Monday, August 30, 2010

A New Post!!

Since I've had people (mainly my sisters) e-mail me, face book me, leave comments, & call me to tell me that I need to blog more I am doing that.

The only problem is I've been a wee bit busy, had a touch of writers block, & lack thing to really write about (meaning the funny things that toddlers say.)

As of Wednesday I will have been in New York for four weeks. In that time I've shown in two shows, I've been to New York City, I've been to Pennsylvania, made TONS of cheese, helped with the chores, enjoyed the quite, missed my family, started skype, bought Christmas presents, met new people, & enjoyed my time. :D

Now to expound on all that! lol

I've gone to two county fairs and helped to show some goats, they have lots of dairy goats up here, as well of lots of shows. Many more then we do down in Texas.

In New York City I walked around eight miles. From Union Square to Central park and back again. I saw more stuff then I can remember, hence why I took well over 150 pictures. In Pennsylvania Lynn had a show that she was judging so I want with her, & while she was judging I checked out the local town of Lewisburg, and then when she was done we went & saw four covered bridges. Both days were long but enjoyable day.

I've been doing chores in the morning & then helping in the cheese room, I've learned how to make Feta & Ricotta and done TONS of chevre. They make a lot more cheese then we do, but then when your milking 120 goats you are going to be making a lot more cheese then a farm milking 36 goats. :D

I've enjoyed the quite, but then quite is also those times when I miss my family the most. I miss Seth running up to give me a hug, Noah & Judah asking a question about the farm or what I am doing. Or Liberty wanting to snuggle with me or Timothy asking a baseball question. Then I miss the older girls and any & all conversations that we have.

And I can't forget mom & dad and the conversations we have about baseball, cheese, dairy, farm life, soap, and life in general. At last but no least I miss Dixie's cooing. face book chatting, phones, & skype have made it all a little easier but not 100% completely easier. (Yes, I have been counting the days until I go back for a few days...16!)

Of course being up here I've seen & bought things that I know my family will love & can't WAIT until Christmas to see their faces when they see what I got them. It's one of the best things about being up here, getting great presents for my family.

The people who I have meet have all been great, now all of them have been related to goats in one way or another. Be it at the farm working on cheese or at shows showing goats. :D

And yes, I am enjoying myself. I am making a point of doing that. It's a little odd to bee sight seeing without family or friends here to do with me, so I've kind of compromised--I'm taking over 200 pictures every time I go out sight seeing. :D

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Answers to Common Goat Questions

Someone asked that I give the answers to these common goat questions for those that do not have goats. And I am happily giving the answer as it will give me something to blog about & my siblings can stop face booking, e-mailing, calling, and leaving comments on my lack of blogging. (I'm having a hard time thinking of things to post about.)

Q: "Why do the goats not have ears?"
A: It's a breed of goat called LaMancha they are born without their ears.

Q: "Why do you milk the goat?"
A: So that we can have their milk to enjoy and to turn into many different products such as milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, butter, & soap.

Q:"Why do you cut off their ears?"
A: Because they are a breed of goats that are born without their ears and if I tried to tell a judge that they were Lamanchas with ears I would get disqualified. just like dogs have different type of ears so do goats. (While I point to
Nubian and Alpines.)

Q:"Can you drink goat's milk just like you drink cow's milk?"
A: Yes you can. Handled properly goats milk should taste VERY close to cow's milk. More often then not people tell us it taste like sweetened half & half. And it can be used just like cow's milk.

Q:"Where are their horns?"
A: We remove their horns at a young age for a number of reasons.
1) I have to handle these goats at least twice a day if not more and it's not the best feeling in the world to have a goat horn you. (Yes, I do know how it feels.)
2) They can cause harm to my other goats with their horns.
3) It's a disqualification in the show ring to have a dairy goat have horns.

And the answer that I have given on occasion but love to give more often...

Q:"Why do you cut off their ears?"
A: Because they are SOOOO good! They make the best appetizers ever!
What amazes me are the number of people who believe me & start to walk off with out a comment or even a look over that answer!

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Ten Days Here...

Ten things I've learned in the past ten days...

  1. There are goats in the world larger then my Dawn was.
  2. Not having any children in the house can lead to a very quite house.
  3. Eating with chopsticks isn't as easy as some people make it look.
  4. Octopus is worse then canned mushrooms!!
  5. I can not cook for less then ten people.
  6. It can be cooler then 90 degrees in August.
  7. 50 gallons of milk makes a TON of cheese
  8. Reading the small print on a travel brochure is always a wise idea.
  9. With only one person eating it, 1 gallon of ice cream can sure last awhile.
  10. New York is a lot larger then I realized


Ten Days Away...

Ten things I miss about Texas...

  1. My family!
  2. Hugs from mom & dad
  3. Toddlers in my bed
  4. Talks with my older sisters.
  5. Hugs & kisses from my brothers
  6. The Heat
  7. My church
  8. Markets
  9. Coffee from HEB & Katz
  10. My Family!!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

I Ain't in Texas anymore!!

Things that prove I am not in Texas (or even the south) anymore...

  • You get funny looks when you ma'am or sir someone.
  • Tea is NOT sweetened.
  • An ice chest is a cooler and a freezer an ice chest.
  • When you ask for Coke you get Coca-Cola.
  • When it's 85 degrees, with 50% humidity everyone thinks it's WAY to hot (while I'm LOVING it lol).

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Common Goat Questions

Repeated questions that are asked of goat exhibitors at a livestock show or fair (and even sometimes at markets)...
  • "Why do the goats not have ears?"
  • "Why do you milk the goat?"
  • "Why do you cut off their ears?"
  • "Can you drink goat's milk just like you drink cow's milk?"
  • "Where are their horns?"

And the one thing I heard a teenage girl say that had my laughing all day...

"Ewww!! I am NEVER going to drink milk now that I know how they get it!!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

The Next Step In My Life...


A week ago I blithely walked into my to ask mom a question and had one posed to me instead (I don't think I ever got around to asking mom the soap question until later that week).

Dad: "How would you like to go be in work on another goat dairy?"

And so started a whirlwind round of prayer& phone calls.

'Long' story short....I will be leaving for New York--Namely Pine Bush, New York home of Lynnhaven farm--on the 4th of August (the day before Judah's birthday and two days before Christin's & Sara's birthday...Setting a record for most birthdays ever missed by Katie!). I will be gone for four months, coming back to Houston once that time at the end of September.

I'll be working with cheese, helping with goats, and learning as much as I can!

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Driving

Christin and Grace are getting their fair share of teasing when it comes to driving lately. Since, they both might be getting their permits soon. Of course everyone is teasing them on how they think the girls are going to drive, what will they do when it's raining, someone cuts them off, they get lost, etc.

And then of course the teasing gets turned to me and my driving abilities and how I drive during certain circumstances. The girls LOVE telling dad and mom all about my driving when their not in the car and the things I say, do, or threaten to do. Of course everyone laughs, no one expects me to do what I say I will do but, they love teasing me and my driving.

When it's raining (which it does a lot here) I have a white knuckled grip in the steering wheel and the girls are all pretty sure that my noes touches the windshield in trying to get a full view of the street. No talking is permitted of anyone and I mutter the entire time "I HATE, HATE, HATE driving in the rain!! I would MUCH rather drive all night then an hour in the rain!".

Don't even ask about being late. I spend the entire time muttering "I should have been there __ minutes ago, do you know what it does to people when your late?!" and driving like a mad thing, when I am late is when cruise control is my best friend or I would have broken any and all records for most speeding tickets ever!

Then there's the rush hour traffic and the muttering to other cars that if they DARE cut me off I'll....I'll....I'll...Not sell them their goats milk!!

Yep, that's me a speed demon (even though it took well over a year for it to come out and there are still times I'm asked why I drive so sloooowly.), crazy mutter, and very impatient driver.

And the girls? Well, Grace will let almost anyone over, she'll drive no fast then the limit, be kind to all and take the rain when it comes with no other thought about it.

Christin, will be a little on the fast side let one in every three people over, might mutter a little-but nothing like me, and think it's great to drive in the rain. :D

And I? Well, I'll be more than happy to drive any and every chance I get! lol

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

"Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder"

"Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder"
John New­ton

Let us love and sing and wonder,
Let us praise the Savior’s Name!
He has hushed the law’s loud thunder,
He has quenched Mount Sinai’s flame.
He has washed us with His blood,
He has brought us nigh to God.

Let us love the Lord Who bought us,
Pitied us when enemies,
Called us by His grace, and taught us,
Gave us ears and gave us eyes:
He has washed us with His blood,
He presents our souls to God.

Let us sing, though fierce temptation
Threaten hard to bear us down!
For the Lord, our strong Salvation,
Holds in view the conqueror’s crown:
He Who washed us with His blood
Soon will bring us home to God.

Let us wonder; grace and justice
Join and point to mercy’s store;
When through grace in Christ our trust is,
Justice smiles and asks no more:
He Who washed us with His blood
Has secured our way to God.

Let us praise, and join the chorus
Of the saints enthroned on high;
Here they trusted Him before us,
Now their praises fill the sky:
“Thou hast washed us with Your blood;
Thou art worthy, Lamb of God!”

Hark! the Name of Jesus, sounded
Loud, from golden harps above!
Lord, we blush, and are confounded,
Faint our praises, cold our love!
Wash our souls and songs with blood,
For by Thee we come to God.


Sunday, July 18, 2010

I Was Asked Out!

On my way to market Thursday I was asked--"Hey, Katie you want to go out for dinner? I'll buy.". It kind of caught me by surprise but then I'm sure the first time a girl is asked out for dinner by a young man it would surprise her.

And yes, with my parent's permission I took the young man up on his offer.....








But then when ever my brother offers to take me out for dinner and is buying I think I'll always take him up. lol




Thursday, July 15, 2010

My Life...

Is just a wee bit hectic right now!! Which is the main reason I have not posted anything since July 4th.

Our washer broke two weeks ago, so I've spent a good deal of my time at he laundromat, my grandfather passed away 12 days ago, we added a new market three weeks ago (or was it four?), we adding a new one this Saturday, we've been doing school, enjoying dad's summer break, farm stuff, soap making, and other such things that are both the norm in our life and not so normal. :D

When I get a spear four minutes I will try to post more then a few words, until then y'all enjoy your summer!! :)


Sunday, July 4, 2010

"Magna Carta"

The Great Charter of English liberty granted (under considerable duress) by King John at Runnymede on June 15, 1215

John, by the grace of God King of England, Lord of Ireland, Duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, and Count of Anjou, to his archbishops, bishops, abbots, earls, barons, justices, foresters, sheriffs, stewards, servants, and to all his officials and loyal subjects, greeting.

Know that before God, for the health of our soul and those of our ancestors and heirs, to the honour of God, the exaltation of the holy Church, and the better ordering of our kingdom, at the advice of our reverend fathers Stephen, archbishop of Canterbury, primate of all England, and cardinal of the holy Roman Church, Henry archbishop of Dublin, William bishop of London, Peter bishop of Winchester, Jocelin bishop of Bath and Glastonbury, Hugh bishop of Lincoln, Walter Bishop of Worcester, William bishop of Coventry, Benedict bishop of Rochester, Master Pandulf subdeacon and member of the papal household, Brother Aymeric master of the Knights of the Temple in England, William Marshal, earl of Pembroke, William earl of Salisbury, William earl of Warren, William earl of Arundel, Alan de Galloway constable of Scotland, Warin Fitz Gerald, Peter Fitz Herbert, Hubert de Burgh seneschal of Poitou, Hugh de Neville, Matthew Fitz Herbert, Thomas Basset, Alan Basset, Philip Daubeny, Robert de Roppeley, John Marshal, John Fitz Hugh, and other loyal subjects:

1. First, that we have granted to God, and by this present charter have confirmed for us and our heirs in perpetuity, that the English Church shall be free, and shall have its rights undiminished, and its liberties unimpaired. That we wish this so to be observed, appears from the fact that of our own free will, before the outbreak of the present dispute between us and our barons, we granted and confirmed by charter the freedom of the Church's elections - a right reckoned to be of the greatest necessity and importance to it - and caused this to be confirmed by Pope Innocent III. This freedom we shall observe ourselves, and desire to be observed in good faith by our heirs in perpetuity. We have also granted to all free men of our realm, for us and our heirs for ever, all the liberties written out below, to have and to keep for them and their heirs, of us and our heirs:

2. If any earl, baron, or other person that holds lands directly of the Crown, for military service, shall die, and at his death his heir shall be of full age and owe a `relief', the heir shall have his inheritance on payment of the ancient scale of `relief'. That is to say, the heir or heirs of an earl shall pay for the entire earl's barony, the heir or heirs of a knight l00s. at most for the entire knight's `fee', and any man that owes less shall pay less, in accordance with the ancient usage of `fees'

3. But if the heir of such a person is under age and a ward, when he comes of age he shall have his inheritance without `relief' or fine.

4. The guardian of the land of an heir who is under age shall take from it only reasonable revenues, customary dues, and feudal services. He shall do this without destruction or damage to men or property. If we have given the guardianship of the land to a sheriff, or to any person answerable to us for the revenues, and he commits destruction or damage, we will exact compensation from him, and the land shall be entrusted to two worthy and prudent men of the same `fee', who shall be answerable to us for the revenues, or to the person to whom we have assigned them. If we have given or sold to anyone the guardianship of such land, and he causes destruction or damage, he shall lose the guardianship of it, and it shall be handed over to two worthy and prudent men of the same `fee', who shall be similarly answerable to us.

5. For so long as a guardian has guardianship of such land, he shall maintain the houses, parks, fish preserves, ponds, mills, and everything else pertaining to it, from the revenues of the land itself. When the heir comes of age, he shall restore the whole land to him, stocked with plough teams and such implements of husbandry as the season demands and the revenues from the land can reasonably bear.

6. Heirs may be given in marriage, but not to someone of lower social standing. Before a marriage takes place, it shall be' made known to the heir's next-of-kin.

7. At her husband's death, a widow may have her marriage portion and inheritance at once and without trouble. She shall pay nothing for her dower, marriage portion, or any inheritance that she and her husband held jointly on the day of his death. She may remain in her husband's house for forty days after his death, and within this period her dower shall be assigned to her.

8. No widow shall be compelled to marry, so long as she wishes to remain without a husband. But she must give security that she will not marry without royal consent, if she holds her lands of the Crown, or without the consent of whatever other lord she may hold them of.

9. Neither we nor our officials will seize any land or rent in payment of a debt, so long as the debtor has movable goods sufficient to discharge the debt. A debtor's sureties shall not be distrained upon so long as the debtor himself can discharge his debt. If, for lack of means, the debtor is unable to discharge his debt, his sureties shall be answerable for it. If they so desire, they may have the debtor's lands and rents until they have received satisfaction for the debt that they paid for him, unless the debtor can show that he has settled his obligations to them.

10. If anyone who has borrowed a sum of money from Jews dies before the debt has been repaid, his heir shall pay no interest on the debt for so long as he remains under age, irrespective of whom he holds his lands. If such a debt falls into the hands of the Crown, it will take nothing except the principal sum specified in the bond.

11. If a man dies owing money to Jews, his wife may have her dower and pay nothing towards the debt from it. If he leaves children that are under age, their needs may also be provided for on a scale appropriate to the size of his holding of lands. The debt is to be paid out of the residue, reserving the service due to his feudal lords. Debts owed to persons other than Jews are to be dealt with similarly.

12. No `scutage' or `aid' may be levied in our kingdom without its general consent, unless it is for the ransom of our person, to make our eldest son a knight, and (once) to marry our eldest daughter. For these purposes ouly a reasonable `aid' may be levied. `Aids' from the city of London are to be treated similarly.

13. The city of London shall enjoy all its ancient liberties and free customs, both by land and by water. We also will and grant that all other cities, boroughs, towns, and ports shall enjoy all their liberties and free customs.

14. To obtain the general consent of the realm for the assessment of an `aid' - except in the three cases specified above - or a `scutage', we will cause the archbishops, bishops, abbots, earls, and greater barons to be summoned individually by letter. To those who hold lands directly of us we will cause a general summons to be issued, through the sheriffs and other officials, to come together on a fixed day (of which at least forty days notice shall be given) and at a fixed place. In all letters of summons, the cause of the summons will be stated. When a summons has been issued, the business appointed for the day shall go forward in accordance with the resolution of those present, even if not all those who were summoned have appeared.

15. In future we will allow no one to levy an `aid' from his free men, except to ransom his person, to make his eldest son a knight, and (once) to marry his eldest daughter. For these purposes only a reasonable `aid' may be levied.

16. No man shall be forced to perform more service for a knight's `fee', or other free holding of land, than is due from it.

17. Ordinary lawsuits shall not follow the royal court around, but shall be held in a fixed place.

18. Inquests of novel disseisin, mort d'ancestor, and darrein presentment shall be taken only in their proper county court. We ourselves, or in our absence abroad our chief justice, will send two justices to each county four times a year, and these justices, with four knights of the county elected by the county itself, shall hold the assizes in the county court, on the day and in the place where the court meets.

19. If any assizes cannot be taken on the day of the county court, as many knights and freeholders shall afterwards remain behind, of those who have attended the court, as will suffice for the administration of justice, having regard to the volume of business to be done.

20. For a trivial offence, a free man shall be fined only in proportion to the degree of his offence, and for a serious offence correspondingly, but not so heavily as to deprive him of his livelihood. In the same way, a merchant shall be spared his merchandise, and a husbandman the implements of his husbandry, if they fall upon the mercy of a royal court. None of these fines shall be imposed except by the assessment on oath of reputable men of the neighbourhood.

21. Earls and barons shall not be amerced save through their peers, and only according to the measure of the offence.

22. No clerk shall be amerced for his lay tenement ecept according to the manner of the other persons aforesaid; and not according to the amount of his ecclesiastical benefice.

23. Neither a town nor a man shall be forced to make bridges over the rivers, with the exception of those who, from of old and of right ought to do it.

24. No sheriff, constable, coroners, or other bailiffs of ours shall hold the pleas of our crown.

25. All counties, hundreds, wapentakes, and trithings--our demesne manors being exccepted--shall continue according to the old farms, without any increase at all.

26. If any one holding from us a lay fee shall die, and our sheriff or bailiff can show our letters patent containing our summons for the debt which the dead man owed to us,--our sheriff or bailiff may be allowed to attach and enroll the chattels of the dead man to the value of that debt, through view of lawful men; in such way, however, that nothing shall be removed thence until the debt is paid which was plainly owed to us. And the residue shall be left to the executors that they may carry out the will of the dead man. And if nothing is owed to us by him, all the chattels shall go to the use prescribed by the deceased, saving their reasonable portions to his wife and children.

27. If any freeman shall have died intestate his chattels shall be distributed through the hands of his near relatives and friends, by view of the church; saving to any one the debts which the dead man owed him.

28. No constable or other bailiff of ours shall take the corn or other chattels of any one except he straightway give money for them, or can be allowed a respite in that regard by the will of the seller.

29. No constable shall force any knight to pay money for castleward if he be willing to perform that ward in person, or--he for a reasonable cause not being able to perform it himself--through another proper man. And if we shall have led or sent him on a military expedition, he shall be quit of ward according to the amount of time during which, through us, he shall have been in military service.

30. No sheriff nor bailiff of ours, nor any one else, shall take the horses or carts of any freeman for transport, unless by the will of that freeman.

31. Neither we nor our bailiffs shall take another's wood for castles or for other private uses, unless by the will of him to whom the wood belongs.

32. We shall not hold the lands of those convicted of felony longer than a year and a day; and then the lands shall be restored to the lords of the fiefs.

33. Henceforth all the weirs in the Thames and Medway, and throughout all England, save on the sea-coast, shall be done away with entirely.

34. Henceforth the writ which is called Praecipe shall not be to served on any one for any holding so as to cause a free man to lose his court.

35. There shall be one measure of wine throughout our whole realm, and one measure of ale and one measure of corn--namely, the London quart;--and one width of dyed and russet and hauberk cloths--namely, two ells below the selvage. And with weights, moreover, it shall be as with measures.

36. Henceforth nothing shall be given or taken for a writ of inquest in a matter concerning life or limb; but it shall be conceded gratis, and shall not be denied.

37. If any one hold of us in fee-farm, or in socage, or in burkage, and hold land of another by military service, we shall not, by reason of that fee-farm, or socage, or burkage, have the wardship of his heir or of his land which is held in fee from another. Nor shall we have the wardship of that fee-farm, or socage, or burkage unless that fee-farm owe military service. We shall not, by reason of some petit-serjeanty which some one holds of us through the service of giving us knives or arrows or the like, have the wardship of his heir or of the land which he holds of another by military service.

38. No bailiff, on his own simple assertion, shall henceforth any one to his law, without producing faithful witnesses in evidence.

39. No freeman shall be taken, or imprisoned, or disseized, or outlawed, or exiled, or in any way harmed--nor will we go upon or send upon him--save by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land.

40. To none will we sell, to none deny or delay, right or justice.

41. All merchants may safely and securely go out of England, and come into England, and delay and pass through England, as well by land as by water, for the purpose of buying and selling, free from all evil taxes, subject to the ancient and right customs--save in time of war, and if they are of the land at war against us. And if such be found in our land at the beginning of the war, they shall be held, without harm to their bodies and goods, until it shall be known to us or our chief justice how the merchants of our land are to be treated who shall, at that time, be found in the land at war against us. And if ours shall be safe there, the others shall be safe in our land.

42. Henceforth any person, saving fealty to us, may go out of our realm and return to it, safely and securely, by land and by water, except perhaps for a brief period in time of war, for the common good of the realm. But prisoners and outlaws are excepted according to the law of the realm; also people of a land at war against us, and the merchants, with regard to whom shall be done as we have said.

43. If any one hold from any escheat--as from the honour of Walingford, Nottingham, Boloin, Lancaster, or the other escheats which are in our hands and are baronies--and shall die, his heir shall not give another relief, nor shall he perform for us other service than he would perform for a baron if that barony were in the hand of a baron; and we shall hold it in the same way in which the baron has held it.

44. Persons dwelling without the forest shall not henceforth come before the forest justices, through common summonses, unless they are impleaded or are the sponsors of some person or persons attached for matters concerning the forest.

45. We will not make men justices, constables, sheriffs, or bailiffs unless they are such as know the law of the realm, and are minded to observe it rightly.

46. All barons who have founded abbeys for which they have charters of the king of England, or ancient right of tenure, shall have, as they ought to have, their custody when vacant.

47- A11 forests constituted as such in our time shall straightway be annulled; and the same shall be done for river banks made into places of defence by us in our time.

48. A11 evil customs concerning forests and warrens, and concerning foresters and warreners, sheriffs and their servants, river banks and their guardians, shall straightway be inquired into each county, through twelve sworn knights from that county, and shall be eradicated by them, entirely, so that they shall never be renewed, within forty days after the inquest has been made; in such manner that we shall first know about them, or our justice if we be not in England.

49. We shall straightway return all hostages and charters which were delivered to us by Englishmen as a surety for peace or faithful service.

50. We shall entirey remove from their bailwicks the relatives of Gerard de Athyes, so that they shall henceforth have no bailwick in England: Engelard de Cygnes, Andrew Peter and Gyon de Chanceles, Gyon de Cygnes, Geoffrey de Martin and his brothers, Philip Mark and his brothers, and Geoffrey his nephew, and the whole following of them.

51. And straightway after peace is restored we shall remove from the realm all the foreign soldiers, crossbowmen, servants, hirelings, who may have come with horses and arms to the harm of the realm.

52. If any one shall have been disseized by us, or removed, without a legal sentence of his peers, from his lands, castles, liberties or lawful right, we shall straightway restore them to him. And if a dispute shall arise concerning this matter it shall be settled according to the judgment of the twenty-five barons who are mentioned below as sureties for the peace. But with regard to all those things of which any one was, by king Henry our father or king Richard our brother, disseized or dispossessed without legal judgment of his peers, which we have in our hand or which others hold, and for which we ought to give a guarantee: We shall have respite until the common term for crusaders. Except with regard to those concerning which a plea was moved, or an inquest made by our order, before we took the cross. But when we return from our pilgrimage, or if, by chance, we desist from our pilgrimage, we shall straightway then show full justice regarding them.

53. We shall have the same respite, moreover, and in the same manner, in the matter of showing justice with regard to forests to be annulled and forests to remain, which Henry our father or Richard our brother constituted; and in the matter of wardships of lands which belong to the fee of another--wardships of which kind we have hitherto enjoyed by reason of the fee which some one held from us in military service;--and in the matter of abbeys founded in the fee of another than ourselves--in which the lord of the fee may say that he has jurisdiction. And when we return, or if we desist from our pilgrimage, we shall straightway exhibit full justice to those complaining with regard to these matters.

54. No one shall be taken or imprisoned on account of the appeal of a woman concerning the death of another than her husband.

55. All fines imposed by us unjustly and contrary to the law of the land, and all amerciaments made unjustly and contrary to the law of the land, shall be altogether remitted, or it shall be done with regard to them according to the judgment of the twenty five barons mentioned below as sureties for the peace, or according to the judgment of the majority of them together with the aforesaid Stephen archbishop of Canterbury, if he can be present, and with others whom he may wish to associate with himself for this purpose. And if he can not be present, the affair shall nevertheless proceed without him; in such way that, if one or more of the said twenty five barons shall be concerned in a similar complaint, they shall be removed as to this particular decision, and, in their place, for this purpose alone, others shall be subtituted who shall be chosen and sworn by the remainder of those twenty five.

56. If we have disseized or dispossessed Welshmen of their lands or liberties or other things without legal judgment of their peers, in England or in Wales,--they shall straightway be restored to them. And if a dispute shall arise concerning this, then action shall be taken upon it in the March through judgment of their peers- -concerning English holdings according to the law of England, concerning Welsh holdings according to the law of Wales, concerning holdings in the March according to the law of the March. The Welsh shall do likewise with regard to us and our subjects.

57. But with regard to all those things of which any one of the Welsh by king Henry our father or king Richard our brother, disseized or dispossessed without legal judgment of his peers, which we have in our hand or which others hold, and for which we ought to give a guarantee: we shall have respite until the common term for crusaders. Except with regard to those concerning which a plea was moved, or an inquest made by our order, before we took the cross. But when we return from our pilgrimage, or if, by chance, we desist from our pilgrimage, we shall straightway then show full justice regarding them, according to the laws of Wales and the aforesaid districts.

58. We shall straightway return the son of Llewelin and all the Welsh hostages, and the charters delivered to us as surety for the peace.

59. We shall act towards Alexander king of the Scots regarding the restoration of his sisters, and his hostages, and his liberties and his lawful right, as we shall act towards our other barons of England; unless it ought to be otherwise according to the charters which we hold from William, his father, the former king of the Scots. And this shall be done through judgment of his peers in our court.

60. Moreover all the subjects of our realm, clergy as well as laity, shall, as far as pertains to them, observe, with regard to their vassals, all these aforesaid customs and liberties which we have decreed shall, as far as pertains to us, be observed in our realm with regard to our own.

61. Inasmuch as, for the sake of God, and for the bettering of our realm, and for the more ready healing of the discord which has arisen between us and our barons, we have made all these aforesaid concessions,--wishing them to enjoy for ever entire and firm stability, we make and grant to them the folIowing security: that the baron, namely, may elect at their pleaure twenty five barons from the realm, who ought, with all their strength, to observe, maintain and cause to be observed, the peace and privileges which we have granted to them and confirmed by this our present charter. In such wise, namely, that if we, or our justice, or our bailiffs, or any one of our servants shall have transgressed against any one in any respect, or shall have broken one of the articles of peace or security, and our transgression shall have been shown to four barons of the aforesaid twenty five: those four barons shall come to us, or, if we are abroad, to our justice, showing to us our error; and they shall ask us to cause that error to be amended without delay. And if we do not amend that error, or, we being abroad, if our justice do not amend it within a term of forty days from the time when it was shown to us or, we being abroad, to our justice: the aforesaid four barons shall refer the matter to the remainder of the twenty five barons, and those twenty five barons, with the whole land in common, shall distrain and oppress us in every way in their power,--namely, by taking our castles, lands and possessions, and in every other way that they can, until amends shall have been made according to their judnnent. Saving the persons of ourselves, our queen and our children. And when amends shall have been made they shall be in accord with us as they had been previously. And whoever of the land wishes to do so, shall swear that in carrying out all the aforesaid measures he will obey the mandates of the aforesaid twenty five barons, and that, with them, he will oppress us to the extent of his power. And, to any one who wishes to do so, we publicly and freely give permission to swear; and we will never prevent any one from swearing. Moreover, all those in the land who shall be unwilling, themselves and of their own accord, to swear to the twenty five barons as to distraining and oppressing us with them: such ones we shall make to wear by our mandate, as has been said. And if any one of the twenty five barons shall die, or leave the country, or in any other way be prevented from carrying out the aforesaid measures,--the remainder of the aforesaid twenty five barons shall choose another in his place, according to their judgment, who shall be sworn in the same way as the others. Moreover, in all things entrusted to those twenty five barons to be carried out, if those twenty five shall be present and chance to disagree among themselves with regard to some matter, or if some of them, having been summoned, shall be unwilling or unable to be present: that which the majority of those present shall decide or decree shall be considered binding and valid, just as if all the twenty five had consented to it. And the aforesaid twenty five shall swear that they will faithfully observe all the foregoing, and will caue them be observed to the extent of their power. And we shall obtain nothing from any one, either through ourselves or through another, by which any of those concessions and liberties may be revoked or diminished. And if any such thing shall have been obtained, it shall be vain and invalid, and we shall never make use of it either through ourselves or through another.

62. And we have fully remitted to all, and pardoned, all the ill- will, anger and rancour which have arisen between us and our subjects, clergy and laity, from the time of the struggle. Moreover have fully remitted to all, clergy and laity, and--as far as pertains to us--have pardoned fully all the transgressions committed, on the occasion of that same struggle, from Easter of the sixteenth year of our reign until the re-establishment of peace. In witness of which, more-over, we have caused to be drawn up for them letters patent of lord Stephen, archbishop of Canterbury, lord Henry, archbishop of Dubland the aforesaid bishops and master Pandulf, regarding that surety and the aforesaid concessions.

63. Wherefore we will and firmly decree that the English church shall be free, and that the subjects of our realm shall have and hold all the aforesaid liberties, rights and concessions, duly and in peace, freely and quietly, fully and entirely, for themselves and their heirs from us and our heirs, in all matters and in all places, forever, as has been said. Moreover it has been sworn, on our part as well as on the part of the barons, that all these above mentioned provisions shall observed with good faith and without evil intent. The witnesses being the above mentioned and many others. Given through our hand, in the plain called Runnymede between Windsor and Stanes, on the fifteenth day of June, in the seventeenth year of our reign.