Our story, how we started the homestead life.

by | Mar 19, 2019 | Homesteading Community | 12 comments

Our homestead adventure has been quite a journey and it all started with one prayer….

Lord, help me be able to feed my family good nutritious food.

I thought He would increase my husbands salary, but instead He said, “Let’s grow this.” I said, “What?!? I had all kinds of reasons why this wouldn’t work:

  1. I didn’t know how to grow food!
  2. I had a very shady backyard(shady as in dark)

His answer was, “Why don’t we start a community garden?” So me and a handful of amazing people did just that. I learned how to grow some food!

Creekside sign Eagle Scout Hunter
Our favorite Eagle Scout helped put up the sign!

Then my Father said, “Let’s do this a little closer to home.” To which I replied, “The only sunny place I have is my front yard.”

My Father smiled and nodded. I had all kinds of reasons why this wouldn’t work:

  1. I didn’t have money to build a front yard garden
  2. I was not a stick out front yard garden type of person!
  3. My city had strict rules against front yard fencing

We built a garden together! Every obstacle fell before us! We grew some serious food!

Blog spring 009
Creating the Front Yard Garden!

One day out in the garden My Father said, ” Let’s share this.” I responded, “O.K. I am ready to share my food.” He smiled and said, ” No, that is not quite what I meant. Let’s not give people fish. Let’s teach them how to fish for themselves.”

I asked, “Who should we teach?” He replied, “Everyone….Have you heard of a little thing called the internet?” Again I said, “What!?” I had all kinds of reasons why this wouldn’t work:

  1. I am an idiot when it comes to computers!
  2. I was sure I couldn’t do it.
  3. I had never done anything like that before.

We started this blog and named it Bloom Where You’re Planted! It was painful. There were many tears. God provided help just when I needed it. I found out I could write! I loved it!

My old computer crashed. I thought the whole journey was over. I said, ” O.K. God, if you want me to continue you are going to have to work a miracle.” The very next day my friend, named Angel, approached me to see if I wanted a new computer! God was so good! We continued our adventure.

About a year later my Father tapped me on the shoulder and said, ” I am very pleased, but now let’s show people….. Have you heard of a little thing called youtube?” I said, “What!?!”

You get the idea. I had sooo many reasons why that wouldn’t work:

  1. I had no filming equipment, just an outdated iphone.
  2. I did not have a fun video personality.
  3. I had never done anything like that before.

We started a youtube channel. We called it Bloom Where You’re Planted. It was painful. We had a lot to learn. My daughter & son filmed. My daughter played piano music for the channel. We learned how to edit. We found out we loved it!

Screenshot (72)

We had a chance to do a presentation for the Grow Network. My friends pulled together and upgraded our camera equipment. Marjory Wildcraft loaned us some audio help. We were so thankful!

My Father smiled! So here we are! Subscribe to our Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJBUP7AkJ5Sg_SlHue0jgdA/videos & join in our adventure!

This is not a story of our success, rather a story of the faithfulness of Our Father in Heaven. He loves us and imagines so much more for us than we can imagine for ourselves! 

P.S. I won’t even talk about what I said when my Father got me into beekeeping by sending a little swarm right outside my front door! He has such an adventure planned for us if we can just trust & let go of the fear.

Please leave a comment. I love hearing from ya’ll.

12 Comments

  1. Jessica Lieurance

    I love this! Your story put a big smile on my face. Can’t wait to watch your presentation!

  2. Love's Loaves

    Your presentation was my favorite so far! Great job! Thanks for sharing! I want to grow all of those when I get chickens! Thanks for being so thorough and still keeping it simple.

  3. GINA

    Excellent fly and worm presentation! now I really want chickens 🙂 Love the way you explained everything and you speak so well (no constant aa, ummm,…. none so pleasant!!!) Loved your presentation!!!!

  4. Farrell Jan Phillips

    dASH: lOVED YOUR PRESENTATION ON m. wILDCRAFT’S SUMMIT. dO YOU HAVE PARTICULAR ARTICLES TO REMIND ME OF HOW TO DO THE sOLDIER FLY AND mEALY WORM SETUP. I AM AN OLD GUY ON VERY LIMITED BUDGET AND CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY THE SUMMIT, BUT I DO HAVE CHICKENS AND AN ORGANIC GARDEN IN pASADENA, TEXAS, SUBURB OF HOUSTON. tHANKS. gOD BLESS YOU. JAN PHILLIPS jan11142@gmail.com

  5. Dash

    Hi Thank you so much! I am glad you liked it. I can relate. I am a presenter and I can’t afford to buy the Summit either;) I am going to see if I can offer my presentation on my site after the summit is over. I need to talk to Marjory and see how she feels about that. I will shoot you an email if I can use the video here.

  6. Dash

    Thank you Gina! I am glad you liked it! What an encourager you are! You made my day!

  7. Dash

    Thank you so much for taking the time to tell me that! I am glad you liked it! I love raising chickens it is so fun & well the eggs, right?!Hope you get some this Spring!

  8. Dash

    Thank you Jessica, What a journey I am on! It still amazes me how much our Father loves us and the fun out-of-the-box plans He has for us! Thank you for taking the time to comment. Your words made my heart smile!

  9. Heath White

    I really loved both your presentations. Have you seen the FlowHive? It’s a Tasmanian invention and looks like it might be great for both bees and beekeeper. I’d kinda like to try it, but our South African currency just seems to keep getting worse, so I’ll have to do a lot more earning before I can investigate that path. I really appreciate the cost-consciousness of your information. God bless you and your family.

  10. Leza Raymond

    You did an awesome job on both presentations, Dash! And I love your well written story of how the Lord lead you to do all of this! 🙂 <3 <

  11. Dash

    Hi Leza, Thank you for your kind words. You made my month! Yes, God is sooo good!

  12. Dash

    Hi Heath, Thank you, I am so glad you liked my presentations! Thanks for taking the time to tell me so! I have heard of the flow hive, but I have never dealt with one hands on. I do have some questions about them?
    If the cell is broken to drain the honey, what happens to the cells that are broken with the brood(baby bees) inside? Also I can’t imagine flipping a switch and harvesting honey without first looking to see if the bees have enough honey to get them through the Winter or dry time? So I really can’t say for sure until I have worked with one, but I have many questions about them? Being a bee keeper is all about loving and caring for those insects. From what I have seen the flow hive seems to not have the same care of the bees & their health that I am used to? I will look into it.

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Dash

Dash

Hi there, my name is Anne-Marie, but my friends call me Dash from the -dash- in my name. My homestead journey started out with one prayer. “Please help me get nutritious, organic food for my family.” Wow, I was surprised how God went about answering that prayer! …..Read More!

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