June 6, 2022 – Click here to listen
I spent the last few days with some good friends in Charleston South Carolina. We had a terrific time and enjoyed lots of laughs and some wonderful meals together. Today I’m in Mississippi looking at more farms. There are some amazing properties over here. I have looked at farms in Northern Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and now Mississippi. My wife and I built a spreadsheet listing what we desire in a farm and use it to screen potential farms to buy.
My priorities are excellent Largemouth bass fishing, tremendous whitetail, and turkey hunting, with waterfowl hunting a plus. Since I’m going to live there for much of the year it is also important for me to find a farm with a nice home on it, I’ll need equipment sheds, a good road system and one of the highest priorities is that the farm must be near good medical services, grocery store, fire, police, and we need good cell service, and Internet (if I can find it). The most important attribute that we desire, however, is a farm that has good churches that are located close enough to attend and get involved.
In that regard, I am pleased to say that they don’t call the southeastern United States the “Bible Belt” for nothing. There are churches conveniently located virtually everywhere we have looked. There may not be good medical, fire protection, internet, or police nearby, but rest assured there are plenty of churches from which to choose. In speaking with various land brokers, I have discovered that if we are going to discuss a property that I’m considering purchasing and it happens to be on a Sunday, they will invariably tell me that they will be out of church and have eaten Sunday lunch with their family by 1:30 or so and then we’ll talk.
I like that attitude. They will receive a nice fat commission for selling a property, but put it on hold until after they have spent time with God and family. It is the kind of priority that God wants from us. I don’t know anyone who lives nearby to the communities we are considering, but I’m certain we’ll have many friends in short order. When people love the Lord we already have a common bond.
I’ve often said that the problems we face in these chaotic times would be easily resolved if the people would turn to God and make His priorities their priorities, especially when it comes to money. I look forward to the day when there is no longer a need for money and our day is spent enjoying the treasures that abound in heaven provided free to us.
Did I say free?
Let me correct that notion. Contrary to the entitlement welfare mentality, there are no free rides in creation. Someone has to pay and nothing is free.
This axiom includes all of heaven and earth because a heavy price was paid for each of us to enjoy all of the glorious things God has created for us. The price for our ticket was paid for by the blood of Christ being spilled on a Cross by Jesus taking our punishment for our sins. He bought our ticket to eternal freedom, peace, and joy with His agony and precious blood. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Remember the heavy price He paid and thank Him today won’t you? I already have and will continue throughout the day and every day that I can take a breath.
1 Corinthians 6:20
You were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.