Angora Yarns and Prayers

Oh how I have neglected all my readers!  Its have been forever since I have posted anything.  I have really enjoyed the winter so far here in Indiana the temps for the most part have been warmer and not too many freezing days or to much snow at all.  How nice it is not to have to bust water dishes and tanks all time! 

Today we had our 2nd Saturday Spin in and Hoosier Heartland Alpacas in Seymour IN.  I took along some Chestnut Giant Angora I carded up the night before.  I have been on an angora spinning binge this week and spun a little over 8 oz of pure angora.  I typically dont spin a hole lot of pure angora I have certain colors I am "going to spin" but the sit in my stash forever and I end up selling them.  I decided it was time to get busy and spin them up myself.  Here is a pic of 2 I have spun so far.

On the left is the second clip from a Smoke Pearl French Angora.  She was between coats so it is mostly just a creamy off white.  The right is my Chestnut Giant Angora she is mostly gray unfortunately because I really like that "tweedy" look you get from spinning Chestnut wool.

On another note I would like to ask everyone reading to please pray for my mom.  She had a brain aneurysm  March 9th will be 5 years ago.  She had to go for a brain scan Monday of this week and they found another one forming right beside the one they had fixed.  She goes back to the Drs on March 2 to see what they are going to do, weather it needs fixed or they are just going to watch it.  The first one busted at work and she was in the hospital for about a month or maybe a little better.  Most of that in ICU.  I am hoping since this one was found and has not busted it will not be nearly as hard on her to get it fixed when the time comes.  It was a very hard thing to watch her go through and I hope she never has to again.  On the plus side God has brought us through this one and she made a full recovery so I am sure He has plans for this as well.  He walked with His children and carries them in times of need.  I can't help but remember Romans 8:28   And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  In times like this He uses verses like this one to bring me comfort.  There is also a song by Casting Crowns Already There that I love and brings me so much comfort.  I can't seem to upload the video here so here is along to it.  Please remember Mom in your prayers God bless you!

From the Mountains

I promised I would post some pics from my vacation to Gatlinburg TN so here you go.  We took 2 trips up to the mountains and it was amazingly beautiful to say the least.

Here I am beside one of many many small water falls we found running down the mountains.

I love watching all the rivers that flowed and it always amazed me that it never stopped coming form up the mountains.  I mean where did it all come from?

The above 2 pics were taken at New Found Gap.  The sign we read said on a clear day you could see 90 miles! 

I could not help but feel so small and minute as we drove around and stopped to take pictures.  I was totally amazed at the creation God has made.  All the beauty He created that He could come and sit among any time He likes and enjoy.  Even though God created all these amazing places on earth He still wants to know me.  I feel totally unworthy looking at His creation and it's beauty knowing He wants to a relationship with me even after I fail so many times and fall into sin.  The fact that He has all this and still sent His Son to live among us and to die so we could have eternal salvation with Him in Glory.  I had goose bumps most of the day and many times I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes as I thought all He created yet He wanted me!  I am still in utter amazement by that fact.  In fact its not just me he wants but everyone one of you as well.
Most of us know John 3:16 and can quote it.   "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
But I find John 3:17 even a little better.   "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." 
Not to condemn the world but through Him we might be saved.  Can you fathom the real meaning of this verse?  As I was going through the mountains I was amazed its not just me but the WORLD he wants to know even though He has so much beauty He can surround Himself with when we make so many things so ugly.  Out of all the beauty in the world He chose YOU I pray you find as much peace and comfort in that as I do.  God Bless!

More Roving

I just got back from my Vacation in Gatlinburg TN late last night.  I went with some friends of mine to Winter Exteme and had an AMAZING time.  We went 3 days early so we could hang out in Gatlingburg and go to the mountains.  I will try to get some pics posted of the mountains soon.  I need to sort through them first I uploaded over 200 pics from them.  Got to hear some really good speakers and hear some awesome Christian bands as well.

I had a box of roving sitting on my bed when I got home last night.  I had sent this to Wooly Knob Fiber Mill back in June.  It took them a while to get it back to me but I am very pleased with the result.

 
 This is pure Alpaca and some of the softest I have seen in a long time!  I have some fawn from the same breeder at another mill in MI waiting to be spun.  Amazing stuff you have to sink your fingers in this to truly appreciate it.  $4 an ounce

This is the one I have been the most excited about getting back, my bright green sparkling Shetland!  I dyed this different colors of green from Teal to Kelly green and had green firestar blended in.  I typically send my roving to Stonehedge in MI to card but they do not blend in the firestar only pin draft it in so you don't get an even blend.  The guys at Wooly Knob really did an amazing job on this one.  If you like the bright sparkling stop and look at me type of roving you will love this one!  I have this on my wheel right now and it spins nicely.  $3 an ounce.  If your intersted in any of my new roving email me at psalms121@rocketmail.com God Bless!

Growing......

I got through a spell every now and then when I just feel the need to fill you in on all my deep personal things.  Not so long ago I was struggling with the old me and almost gave up and walked away from God all together.  I have turned back to God but still struggle.  I have my good days and I have my bad days, I guess this is the same for everyone.  We are have something that was struggle with and have a hard time moving past.  When I started this journey my goal was to be heterosexual a "normal man" I have since realized that is the farthest thing in the world I should be moving towards.  I would watch these guys at work and they would be checking out the ladies and making very crude comments about them.  This is what I thought I should be working toward, well somewhat.  God has since opened my eyes and made known to me this is not His way for me, this is not how He wants us to act.  I may very well one day married with children but only is that is God's plan.  He made me the person I am for a reason.  My goal is not heterosexuality but Godliness.  I may struggle with this for rest of my life if that is Gods plan, and if that is Gods plan and there is a reason for it I am ok with that.  I try to hang onto certain things from my past to make it easier but in true life all I am doing is making life harder.  Why is it I use to surrender to God 110% but now I have things I want to hang onto and not give God that 110%?  I believe it's selfishness on my part.  I know in my heart that when and ONLY when I surrender 110% again will life be the way it should be.  That does not mean I wont have bad days but it does mean all these things I hold onto that make the bad days worse wont be there. 

I hear time and time again from people that I am trying to hide the way I am and a tiger can't change his stripes.  Well I tell you that I know more about who I am now that I am who I am in God than I have ever known before.  I can tell you this about the lifestyle I used to live homosexual men are 8X more likely to have a drug or alcohol addiction.  They are more likely to live a life in an abusive relationship, if that be physical or emotional, and die 8-20 years earlier than that of a person not given into the lifestyle.  Does this really make you think that people are born this way?  That people are born to live a life that can be that painful?  More times than not people that are living this lifestyle have had some kind of traumatic experience in their childhood.  Many many have been molested and or abused in some other way.  This is what makes a person give into the lifestyle not that they were born this way.  When a young child is molested it messes up things in their mind in a way that is not easily explained.  This does not mean that every child that is molested will live this lifestyle by any means.  This is however one of the reasons people do live this lifestyle though.  There is hope in all the pain and all the confusion.  God is here to free us from that to help walk with us, to take the burden on His shoulders.
Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
1Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

In closing, being free might not be not struggling at all but might mean having Someone to turn to.  Being free may mean not giving up even though you struggle.  Even if being free does not mean I loose my same sex attraction all together I am ok with that because it must be Gods plan.  The things I go through I know He will use to further His kingdom and I am ok with that I am more than ok with that!  If I need to have some hard days so someone else can see the power of God and find an eternity in Heaven than I am more than ok with having some bad days.  Because I know that in those days He will carry me, I will never walk alone and it will always be worth it.  God Bless all of you!

New Rovings

Stonehedge Fiber Mill sent back 2 of my rovings today. 

This is a blend from a Double Coated Shetland Ewe Lamb and a Suri llama.  I currently have this on my wheel.  I am really enjoying spinning it.  Would over dye easily if you liked but is a light creamy white natural color. $2.50 an ounce

This oh so soft roving is a blend of Morrit Shetland, Red kid mohair and Chocolate Angora!  Very soft and I can't wait to get some of this on my wheel, had it been on top of the box I would have spun it first.  These rovings have a little more VM in them than I like due to my hay feeding situation last winter but comes out easy while spinning and does not take away from the spinning enjoyment at all, is priced accordingly.  $3.50 an ounce.  email me at psalms121@rocketmail.com  God Bless! Dustin

Makin Soap

Its been forever since I have posted anything!  My computer got bugs and I have been super busy with all the critters, work and church events.  I finally got the computer fixed and tonight I took some time and made soap and thought I would share some pics with you.  The first step is to melt the lard down

This lard is from a hog we butchered last winter.  My Uncle took the lard home to make cracklins and render the lard.  They got the cracklins I got the lard for soap making.

Step two is mixing the lye and goat milk.  After mixing it turns this golden color and gets very hot.  I learned that freezing your goat milk first helps to keep it form separating and helps cool it down a lot faster.

I forgot to get a pic of step three, which was to mix the Baby Oatmeal, Borax, and Glycerin in a separate bowl.  Then picture above is step four mixing all ingredients together.  This is also where I add any Essential Oils for scent, this batch I used a blend called Strawberry Patch. 

Lastly I pour my soap into molds.  This batch make 16 very good size bars plus 2 cupcake size bars.  I will cover this let it set over night then take out of molds and place on a shelf to dry for at least a month before its ready to use.  Hope you enjoyed my soap making tonight!  God Bless

Giant Angora Babies.

Litter of Giant Angoras born last night.  Out of Dusty's Jael and Bluewood Bunnies Black Ice.  Both parents out amazingly nice wool so I have big hopes for these little ones.  3 REWs and 5 Blacks God Bless hope your all doing well and looking forward to seeing some of you at convention.