Twas the Year Twenty-08

‘Twas the year twenty-08 and all through the land,
the learning was plenty and the growing was grand.

Six Montys were learning to live and to love,
life at the Lamppost, a gift from above.

One great thing accomplished: building raised garden beds,
through the church greenhouses feeding mouths, hearts, and heads.

You’ll find Mel in her muck boots and Steve in his ball-cap,
Improvement and development happening…no time for a nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
Drew as the pitcher and Nate as the batter.

In the summer, college interns…future hope grew in a flash,
Into Youngstown to help urban youth pick up the trash.

Then back to the farm: making salsa, milking goats;
A clash of two worlds; Can it be? Is it so?

Then onto other projects as deadlines draw near:
Bathroom cabinets, concrete countertops, new siding all here.

Chickens and turkeys to process, on grass they grow quick;
Having great friends and mentors to help is certainly the trick.

In the spring, nine new goats from their moms’ bellies came,
Nate, Drew, Amelia, and Lucy all gave them their names;

“Now, Tootles! Now, Pitch! Now, Tumnus and Digory.
On Rascal! On Rose! On Erica and Jewelry.”

Don’t forget “Beauty”, weak and small,
Drew’s bottle-fed friend, and favorite of all.

So out to the hoophouse they go to stay warm,
While their moms “tend” a visitor, a big buck with large horns.

Now is a season of reflection and preparation too.
And, just like last winter, butcher pigs we will do.

Then, in a twinkling, the snow will go poof.
Plans of re-doing the kitchen as well as its roof.

For Mel to the Mom’s group to learn of her vision,
And Steve with some church men to learn from the Romans.

Lucy and Amelia will keep tumbling around.
In the local gym, our girls’ talents are found.

At Heartland and home-school the kids split their time,
In cub club, a talent show, on field trips they shine.

Nate’s trapping muskrats and training his dog.
Drew learning geography through the Amazing Race log.

Amelia loves reading and she sang in the play.
Lucy learns letters and numbers at “Montgomery school” each day.

Add growing and learning from books on the shelf.
But, our best teaching tool is the change of the self.

One thing we all learn from and love just the same,
Is the presence of others, like when students came.

Our first conference, “Regenerative Agriculture, Regenerative Faith”
Was true to it’s name, the attendees would say.

In the blink of an eye, 40 of us came and went.
We prepped, cooked and ate, and transformation was evident.

November brought 5 students from Ohio Wesleyan U
In five days, we learned about farms, faith and food.

This farm is a place where people can know
Their relationships matter, its where we all grow.

Relationships happen with God, self, and others.
And, with God’s creation we’re all called to partner.

God allows us to know Him in so many ways.
Walking, working, and playing fill our days.

His creativity abounds from the duck to the berry!
And, equally, in friendships, our lives become merry!

Students learning these things with us is our vision
This summer, some living here is our proposition.

As we live looking into our hearts we can know,
Christ’s love clears the dark and melts the cold snow.

Through two years of understanding and building Lamppost,
One thing’s at the heart, in the soul, and matters most:

“It’s relationship with Jesus!” we exclaim with delight,“To the KING!!! To the RESTORATION!!! Merry Christmas and good-night!”