The Worst Bible Story Ever... Or So I Thought

Have you ever heard the Bible story where God tells Abraham to offer his only son, Isaac, as a sacrifice?

Brutal.

I'm not a Biblical scholar and I make no claim that my interpretation is wholey accurate, so go to Genesis 22 and read it for yourself. This story, it’s not warm or cozy. It’s difficult and unsettling. It hits you like a railroad tie across the face and, relatively speaking, it’s basically at the introduction of the Bible.

I could never wrap my head around this story. The whole thing felt grotesque. Why would a loving God propose such a test to a faithful servant? Especially after promising Abraham descendants as countless as the stars (Genesis 12:1–3; Genesis 15:5)? I’ll be honest: after having my own son, this story went from confusing to unbearable. I didn’t just dislike it, it made my stomach churn. I avoided it. I just could not reconcile a God of love with a God who would say: “Kill the boy you waited your whole life for, the son that you love so much.”

But the other day, I was blessed with an a-ha moment, and something shifted. Suddenly, the text was reframed and I saw a layer to this story that I had been missing.

Abraham Didn’t Obey Bitterly

I had always assumed Abraham trudged up that mountain resentful, angry, heart shattered, bitter, and pleading. I imagined how I would feel, and filled this story with my own reactions and emotions. I read between the lines to instill something that was never there.

Scripture doesn’t say Abraham was bitter. It never says that Abraham hesitated, argued, or complained. Not once. Instead, it says he did what he was told, no delay, no bargaining, no drama. No ifs, ands or buts (Genesis 22:3).

And you know what, he didn't do as he was told because he had to; he had free will. He did what he did because he had faith! He acted because he believed.

I had also *wrongly* assumed that when Isaac asked where the lamb was, that Abraham had lied to spare Isaac’s feelings, to spare them both the torment of honesty. But nope! Wrong again. He said: “God Himself will provide the lamb” (Genesis 22:8).

Abraham wasn’t being reckless. He was convinced that God would provide; Abraham expected provision before he ever saw it.

I did a further deep dive and found Hebrews 11:19, which takes it even further and says: “Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead.” It is important to note that nothing like that had ever happened before; Abraham had no reason to believe in resurrection. He walked up that mountain not expecting tragedy but expecting the impossible!

Can you imagine faith like that? Faith that acts before answers arrive. Faith that moves mountains because it knows Who moves them.

God didn’t test Abraham to learn something about him. He already knew Abraham’s heart. The test wasn’t informational for God, it was transformational for Abraham, and thousands of years later, for me.

Isaac Wasn’t a Prop on the Altar

Here’s the part that blindsided me: Isaac wasn’t dead weight in this narrative. He wasn’t a passive child. He was an instrumental participant and an active lead!

Abraham was well over 100-ish years old, and Isaac wasn’t a toddler. Many scholars estimate Isaac to be anywhere from late teens to early 30s. But we at least know that he was old enough and strong enough to carry the wood himself (Genesis 22:6).

In other words, a young, strong man versus an elderly father.

If Isaac didn’t want to climb that mountain, he wouldn’t have. If Isaac didn’t want to lie on that altar, Abraham surely wasn’t able to physically put him there.

So, Isaac cooperated, he submitted. Isaac trusted God just as much as his father did. *Mind blown*

Impact of Generational Faith

Here’s the thing, Isaac didn’t learn this kind of faith from lectures or being preached at. He learned it from seeing it lived out, every single day. He learned it by watching his father acting out faith.

Kids don’t know theology, but they do emulate what they see. They watch and will imitate how they see us act when we’re anxious or afraid, and what we do when plans fall through, how we treat others, and whether we turn to God in prayer as a ritual or in relationship.

Isaac’s faith wasn’t blind. It was inherited through exposure. And our kids won’t become what we tell them to be. They will become what they watch us be.

Whether we know that God will show up, even before there’s evidence to prove it; whether we trust that God will provide, even if it’s hard in the waiting. Cause faith isn’t believing just when it’s easy, nor when we're desperate; Faith is trusting that God is faithful in the easy, the hard, and the impossible, always.

Talk about convicting.

So, it matters that we:

• Trust God when money is tight; so, our kids learn that security isn’t found in bank accounts.
• Repent when we blow it; so, they learn that grace is real.
• Obey when obedience hurts, so they learn that God is worth it.
• Wait when answers to prayer seem to take forever, so we teach that delay isn’t denial. And sometimes, that “no” is the answer, even if we can’t understand why in the moment.

We think love equals safety, comfort, and insulation. But Abraham taught the opposite; he taught that even when God’s path is terrifying, that He is still trustworthy. That sacrifice is normal and that provision comes after obedience, not before.

Isaac didn’t climb the mountain because Abraham forced him to. He climbed because Abraham’s life preached: “If my father will follow this God anywhere, then this God must be worth following.”

Our kids don’t need perfect parents. They need parents whose decisions preach louder than their words.

The Story I Hated Became the Story I Needed

My question used to be: “What kind of God asks a father to sacrifice his son?”

Now I see: “God provides the sacrifice so we don’t have to.”

Sound familiar?

What Does This Mean 

Every single one of us has something on the altar, whether it’s the outcome we insist on, the plans that we have made, the timeline we demand, the way we think things must go. God leads us to the same emotional edge Abraham faced to give us opportunity to lay it down, trusting that what God has for us instead is so much better.

The Legacy I Want for My Child

I don’t want to raise Little Man to be a religious kid, to do right out of a sense of legalism. I want to raise him to trust God even when life doesn’t make sense, to have hope even when circumstances seem dire, to obey even when it costs something, because he knows that God loves him. And finally, for him to believe that God is faithful, not because I told him, but because he saw it.

I can’t control Little Man’s future, and I can’t force him to take the path I would want him to walk, but I can walk my mountain in front of him. I can surround him with people who set examples I want him to see. Abraham did and Isaac saw, and that faith traveled generationally. Abraham set the example for all of his descendants, which are, as promised, as plentiful as the stars in the sky, and include myself and my family, and my children, and their children, and their children….

This was reinforced to me again last night, when we had dinner with a lovely couple who have been faithful believers for decades, and have raised their children, not just telling them how to live faithfully, but showing them. And that in turn has been passed down not just through their own lineage, but through the lines of everyone they meet. It is a real blessing to know them.   

And maybe that’s the real point of Genesis 22: Not a father almost losing a son, but a son, and the generations to come, gaining a God worth following.

Not Today, Satan: When Fear Strikes

It’s almost predictable. You take a bold step of faith; you live out loud for Him… and the enemy comes knocking. Not so much when you’re weak and crawling (though he’s always lingering), but when you’re strong, full of joy and standing tall, praising God, and sharing His goodness with others.

Just a couple days ago, I shared a testimony of what God has been doing in our lives and His fingerprints on our story; His provision, His faithfulness, the people He has surrounded us with. And almost immediately, the weight of struggle hit like a sledgehammer: Anger, frustration, disappointment, betrayal. The very opposite of what I had just been proclaiming!

When I sat down and worked it out with a trusted friend, really dug to the root of my anger, I realized what it really was: fear. A threat whispering that what had been so graciously provided could be ripped away.

Let me be clear, my last post A New Chapter: The Fingerprints on Our Story was never about a house or a farm. These things are wonderful blessings and we’re so grateful. We look forward to moving in just a couple weeks and starting that new chapter. But the heart of our joy is in what God has provided through people. The neighbours who have welcomed us, the friends who walk with us, the employers who have provided not just a job, but a lifestyle, and the church family that has surrounded us. That’s the real gift. So that’s what the enemy has tried to threaten.

Here’s the truth: “Fear is a liar.” Always has been, always will be. It whispers worst-case scenarios, steals our peace, tells us that we’re not safe and could lose it all. Fear is one of the enemy’s sharpest weapons and one of the weapons that is wielded against me most frequently, in a surprising number of forms. Fear is designed to make us question God’s promises and to pry us away from trust in God and from each other.  

As it turns out, this year's Vacation Bible School theme wasn’t just for kids. There was something there for me too: When we wonder, when we feel alone or powerless, when we need hope, when we need help, we can “Trust Jesus.” 

https://www.lifeway.com/en/shop/vacation-bible-school

Right now, there is a very real, very worldly threat pressing in on us. I don’t know the way through it yet or what to do; I don’t have all the answers. But I know this:

“The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
Psalm 118:6

So, we'll fight.

We stand shoulder to shoulder with the body of Christ, anchored in His promises, wearing the full armour of Christ. I’ll keep living out the testimony that He has written into our lives, even when fear tries to knock the wind out of me.

And don’t let fear have the final word in your story either. Whatever you’re facing, whether its financial strain, health battles, broken relationships, an unknown future, whatever it is, call fear what it is: a liar. Then call on the One who never fails.

“Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, 
for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” 
Joshua 1:9

Fear will roar, but it will not, cannot win. God has the final word; the victory is His.

“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” Romans 16:20

 Amen.

A New Chapter: The Fingerprints on Our Story

It’s crazy what you can see with hindsight.....

If you’d told me back in 2018, newly diagnosed with cancer, scared, unsure if I’d even make it to 40, that we’d be where we are today, I wouldn't have believed you.

But that’s the thing about God. He takes what the enemy meant for evil and redeems it. He doesn’t send the cancer, the heartbreak, or the setbacks, but He sure doesn’t waste them.

From the very start, His fingerprints have been all over our story. Some moments were unmistakable. Others I can only see clearly now, looking back.

When I was first diagnosed, I started attending Beaverlodge Alliance. I met men and women of faith who were bold, warm, and full of wisdom, people who spoke truth into my life when I didn’t even realize how much I needed it.

I wrote a couple blog posts about chemo, suffering, hope, and the quiet ways God shows up even in waiting rooms and IV chairs. That writing turned into an unexpected opportunity and opened doors that led to work that challenged and inspired me, as well as introduced me to more amazing people. 

As simple as a thing as following a company on Facebook, led to seeing a job posting for an equipment operator in a totally different field, on a local cattle ranch. Dear Husband applied, got the job, loved it instantly, and still does today. We've been blessed in so many ways through this work.

That one job changed our lives in the best way. Dear Husband went from being gone 15 days at a time in the oil patch, to being home every night; Home to help raise our Little Man, to live the life we’d always longed for. The ranch is family-oriented, rooted, filled with faith, and the kind of place people stick around. Hubby already says this is where you'll find him into retirement.

Most importantly, Dear Husband came to know Jesus. He was baptized and our home is now led in faith. 

After chemo, doctors told us that children wouldn’t be in the cards for us. But God had other plans. I got pregnant naturally, at 40. We sadly didn't even know until I miscarried at 15 weeks. And while we grieved the unborn life we didn't even know we had until it was too late, that experience showed us that pregnancy was possible. At 41, with what my doctor called “the eggs of a 50-year-old," we had a healthy, happy, miraculous son. 

Since then, I’ve grown in my own walk with Christ. I’m learning to hear His voice better; to ask, wait, and discern. To not push through every open door just because it’s there, but to seek His peace above all else.

During our home search, we were sent a listing for nearly a quarter section of land, right in the very neighborhood we’d dreamed of living. It was more than we could afford. But through a generous and unexpected opportunity, we were able to make a deal that will give us 22 beautiful acres and a house and property that are more than we ever dared to ask for. It doesn’t just meet our wishlist, it exceeds it.

We hadn’t even listed our current home yet, but within hours of the offer being accepted on our unicorn property, a couple called for a viewing on our current home. I was overwhelmed, company over, taking a course, the house in chaos. But we said yes. And just like that, our home was as good as sold. No listing. No open houses. No stress.

“Pressed down, shaken together, and running over…” (Luke 6:38) is the only way to describe how we’ve been blessed.

But hear me, this is not because we did anything special. We didn’t earn this. We don’t deserve it more than anyone else. God’s love is not measured by the size of your blessings. If you’re walking through hard things right now, that does not mean He loves you less. I know this because we’ve had our share of hard things too: cancer, miscarriage, the loss of my dad.... But sometimes hard things can shape us, prepare us, or draw us closer to God. Most times, we may not know the reason. He doesn't cause the hard things, but He can use them for His purposes in ways we can't yet see. I pray that you walk through the hard to a time you can look back and see the greater purpose.

I listened to a sermon recently by Steven Furtick called “Let the Dirt Do Its Work,” and it resonated. Seeds grow in the dark and roots form in the unseen. What looks like delay or disappointment is often just preparation. The miracle starts underground, hidden, but it’s working.

• Listen here: 'Let the Dirt Do Its Work' on Spotify or watch on YouTube.

The dirt, both the literal and the unseen “soil seasons” God has walked us through, has been doing its work in us for years. 

So we give thanks for the dirt that grows us, for the wait that humbles us, for the harvest that overflows, for the grace we didn’t deserve, and for the blessings we couldn’t have imagined. We're thankful for the people who have been placed in our path to help us along the way. And for the reminder that God is always good, and always there.

On September 20th we'll move and become renters until the subdivision is finalized (God willing and with the blessing of County council). We look to forward gardening, chickens, trout fishing in our dugout, Little Man playing on the tree swing. Campfires. Fellowship. Greenhouse tomatoes and peppers, picking apples and cherries. Perhaps a Highland cow, and a Dexter Belfair for milk someday. 4H. Learning as we go. Muddy boots on hardwood floors. Barbecue dinners on the deck in the country quiet. Being shaped by the land, the work, through provision and whatever difficulties arise. And thanking Jesus for all of it.

"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy dirt."

"Find the one you can't live without

Get a ring, let your knee hit the ground

Do what you love but call it work

And throw a little money in the plate at church

Send your prayers up and your roots down deep

And add a few limbs to your family tree

And watch their pencil marks

And the grass in the yard all grow up

'Cause the truth about it is

It all goes by real quick

You can't buy happiness

But you can buy dirt

Yeah, you can buy dirt

And thank the good Lord for it

'Cause He ain't makin' any more of it

So buy dirt" 

~ Jordan Davis

#HolesteadAcres

Loaded Perogy Breakfast Casserole

Dear Husband treated me to a glorious sleep-in day on his weekend, and treated the family to a fantastic French toast breakfast. (Yes, I know how lucky I am ❤️).

Included with breakfast was bacon and an unholy amount of breakfast sausages. God love him, Dear Husband thawed the entire 1.2kg package of sausages for three people so it's been sausages for days at The Hole House. 

Side note: I love cheap sausages. Seems like the cheaper they are, the better. So the Superstore 1.2kg no name bag for $10 is the perfect deal! 

With all these sausages, and a limited amount of time to use them, I've been stretching my imagination to ensure they're consumed. Hence, the breakfast quesadillas we had yesterday, and today's new hit: Loaded Perogy Breakfast Casserole.

Without further adieu, the recipe:

12 - 15 frozen perogies 

1 lb breakfast sausage

1 Bell pepper, diced

1 onion, diced

2 cups spinach leaves 

1 cup shredded cheese

7 eggs

1 cup milk

Pepper

Salt

Garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350°

Remove breakfast sausage from casings, crumble and cook in a skillet until thoroughly cooked. Drain excess oil and set aside. 

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, black pepper, salt, and garlic until combined. Set aside.

Cover the bottom of a greased 9x13 casserole pan with frozen perogies (no need to pre-cook). I used bacon and cheddar perogies, but most flavours would work.

Layer the Ingredients: Evenly spread the cooked sausage over the perogies, followed by the diced peppers and onion, spinach, and shredded cheese (I used a cheddar and jack mixture).

Pour the egg mixture evenly over the spinach and cheese layer. Place the casserole in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the casserole is set and golden brown on top.

Remove from oven and serve warm with a dollop of sour cream (if desired).

It's definitely not health food, but it is comfort food. It would be a great make ahead meal for a busy morning, or camping.

*I measure with my heart so the quantity of perogies, spinach, cheese, milk and all seasonings are approximate 😉

Finely diced fresh jalapenos mixed in with the peppers may also be a great addition!

Cornbread and Instant Pot Ribs

It's been a few months since I last wrote, and even longer since I was first introduced to the Instant Pot and made pork ribs using said pot for the first time.

Since then I've made those ribs a number of times and have improvised a bit.

To make life a little easier and save a little more time in an already pretty quick process, I've been using pre-made rubs. The latest star is the Garlic and Chili Pepper rub by Traeger.

I smother the ribs in rub. If I remember early enough I'll do so the day before or a few hours ahead, but you don't need to. Wrap the ribs around the inside of the pot, pour in 1 cup water, 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar and 1/4 tsp liquid smoke. Hit the meat button, set it for 25 minutes and walk away. (Let them natural release for 10 minutes and finish as previously written about).

Instead of walking away tonight, I decided to be a little ambitious and make cornbread. Dear Husband loves cornbread, but I've never found a recipe that I like. It's always dry and crumbly, and gritty, and just not that great.

Well, those days are over folks. Pop on over to Cooking on the Ranch for the best, and most moist cornbread you've ever had.

While gathering the ingredients, I realized that this recipe calls for a can of creamed corn. This is not something I have in the house often because Dear Husband is not a fan. There have been many incomplete ham dinners since we met.

But I was determined to make this recipe, and since COVID-19 says not to make unnecessary trips to the store for one item, I decided to make my own for the first time ever.

Let it be known that I will never again buy canned creamed corn. Today I used a recipe from Spend With Pennies. I almost regretted that I was making it to be an ingredient in bread.

Husband now likes creamed corn.

Back to the bread... So simple. So easy. I didn't have fresh jalapeno or muenster cheese either so I substituted plain old shredded mozza and cheddar, and pickled jalapeno.

Little loaves of deliciousness

In under 45 minutes, we had 'fall off the bone' BBQ ribs, creamed corn from scratch, and the best ever cornbread.

Creamed corn not pictured -- It's in the bread!

No regrets👌

Except next time, there will be bacon. Mmmm, bacon and jalapeno creamed corn.

Instant Pot Taco Pasta

Mexican inspired food is a favourite at our house, so I decided to combine our love of south western food with my new Instant Pot passion. 

Dear Husband is a hunter, so our freezer usually has an abundance of deer or elk, so a lot of what I make uses wild game as the protein. If you don't have any of that on hand, don't fret, hamburger would would just fine. You could even modify the recipe slightly and use chicken! I happened across many recipes for Instant Pot pulled chicken which would work perfectly. 

So, I searched and searched and searched for the perfect Taco Pasta made in the Instant Pot, but Pinterest was failing me. So, I decided to wing it based on what I had learned so far (I had made homemade macaroni and cheese in the Instant Pot a few days before, which was a super success), and borrowing some inspiration from about a half dozen of the recipes I did find. Then, cause I like jalapeño, I threw some of that in there too. Then I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. 

In less than half an hour, from frozen solid ground meat, to table. Not bad for a days work (don't tell Dear Husband; if he wants to think I slaved in the kitchen all day, that's his own prerogative). 

If I had to rate this dish on a scale of one to five, well, let me say this, Dear Husband didn't even drown his dish in Ketchup! Which is really saying something because he puts Ketchup on all his pasta. Gold star! We will definitely be making this again!

The keys to successful Taco Pasta plus your protein of choice

1 lb ground venison
2 tbsp olive oil
1 white onion, chopped
1 lb rotini pasta
900 ml beef broth
2 cups chunky salsa
1/4 cup jalapeño (pickled or fresh), chopped (optional)
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can corn, strained
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 cup shredded cheese (Mexican blend or Old Cheddar)
1/4 cup sour cream (for topping, optional)

Place the ground venison (or ground beef) and olive oil in the Instant Pot and, leaving the lid off, brown the meat using the sauté function, stirring frequently. Add the chopped onion and sauté briefly. Turn off the Instant Pot. Drain excess fluid if there is any remaining.

Add the uncooked pasta, beef broth, salsa, jalapeño, and taco seasoning and stir thoroughly, ensuring that all pasta is covered. Put the lid on the Instant Pot, set the steam valve to sealing and set the Instant Pot to high pressure and cook for 4 minutes then do a quick release. 

Remove the lid. All liquid should be absorbed and the pasta cooked. Add the corn, black beans and shredded cheese and stir well. Serve immediately with a dollop of sour cream, a garnish of green onion couldn't hurt either, and Provechito!

The Jigg is Up: Tackling Jiggs Dinner in the Instant Pot

If you are from British Columbia, like myself, you may have lived your entire life having never heard of Jiggs Dinner. Dear Husband and I moved to the Grande Prairie area seven and a half years ago, like many others from all over the country, drawn by the prevalence of work to be had, particularly in and around the oilfield industry. 

We've met so many amazing people, and some of the best are from the east coast. If you've never had the pleasure of meeting and befriending a Newfoundlander, add that to your bucket list. You can thank me later. Not only will you be acquainted with some of the friendliest, kindest people on the planet, you are likely to party harder than you ever have, have more laughs than you've ever experienced, and you'll probably be invited to Sunday dinner at some point, where this boiled dinner just may be on the menu. 

Jiggs Dinner is traditional fare, and as such, there is a traditional way to prepare the meal, a ritual even. The traditional method is great, and definitely has its perks, but it also takes hours.... Ain't nobody got time for that on a Monday night when you just want to take a nap, but you're just 'bout gutfounded (very hungry) and happen to have a bucket of salt beef in the fridge. Enter the Instant Pot (you'll want the big daddy 8 quart Instant Pot for this one).

My friendly neighbourhood IGA stocks Island Rock Naval Salt Beef (Chalkers is the brand preferred by most East Coasters, but I wasn't up to the trek to find it). As the name implies, salt beef is very salty; it is literally beef which has been cured and preserved in salt brine. Just 100g of this meaty goodness accounts for 4800mg of sodium (that's more than double the daily recommended intake). As such, I like to do my heart a little favour and rinse the beef with water to remove some of the excess salt. Some people are known to even soak the beef overnight and change out the water a couple times (not any self-respecting Newfoundlander, mind) just to pull out some of that salt. I didn't do that, and typically don't, but I may before the next time I prepare it using the Instant Pot.

All these flavours and you choose to be salty

Often a full roast turkey is made with this meal. As I stated earlier, ain't nobody got time for that, so no turkey today. Besides, it's just myself and Dear Husband, so no need to make enough for 20 people.

1 Bucket of Naval Salt Beef (1.5 to 2kg), rinsed

1.5 cups water

1 turnip, peeled and cut into large chucks

4 carrots, peeled and halved

1 head of cabbage, quartered

2 or 3 potatoes, peeled and halved (pretty standard, though I omit due to my personal preference)

2 cups water

Rinse salt beef with fresh water and trim off excess fat. Place the trivet in the Instant Pot and place rinsed and trimmed salt beef onto the trivet. Add 1.5 cups of water. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. While your meat is cooking, prep your vegetables. When 30 minutes is reached, natural release for 5 minutes then complete with a quick release. 

Prepped and ready

Remove lid and drain all liquid from the Instant Pot. Remove beef and give the Pot a quick wash. Replace the trivet, and return the salt beef to the Pot. Add the turnip, carrots and cabbage and add 2 cups of water. Cook on high pressure for 23 minutes, natural release for 10 minutes then quick release and serve! You may like to make a gravy to serve on the side as well, up to you!

Easy peasey, lemon squeezey.... However, unfortunately without the Pease Pudding. Pease Pudding is almost my favourite part of this whole meal so I was sad to find my cupboard bare of yellow split peas when I needed them most. Made using the traditional method, you'd boil your yellow split peas for hours right alongside the salt beef, either in a cheesecloth bag or Mason jar, remove from water, mash with butter and pepper and enjoy. I see no reason why this couldn't be made in the Instant Pot  (with cheesecloth) and will try that one day as well. I also found this somewhat more complex Instant Pot Pease Pudding recipe video, which I may try one day, especially if I acquire a second Pot:

That's all folks; long may your big jib draw (May you have good fortune for a long time).