Greetings,
 
My alarm is set to go off at 4:30 am each morning. I have always been a morning person; try being around me after 9 pm and I fade quickly. Most mornings I find myself waking up before the alarm. This is good because it allows me to turn it off and not have it buzz and wake my wife. Right now, though, it's harvest time, and I am putting in some pretty long days. Lately, many of my evenings have found supper happening well after 9 pm or later and bed pushing the 10 or beyond time frame. The other morning I had a very strange, weird thing happen. I remember waking up and seeing the clock at 4:29 am, and I was wide awake and refreshed and happy and ready to start the day. The next thing I remember is the alarm going off, and I was exhausted. It was dark and cold and I didn't want to get up. I had dreamed that I woke up before the alarm and was energized and ready to start the day, but in all actuality I was dead tired and did not want to get up!

I don't know about you, but for me that epitomizes my life. I have all kinds of good intentions and motives and desires of my heart to do good things but find myself more times than not, being lazy or being selfish. Paul, in the Bible, says it best. I know the good that I ought to do, but that is not what I do. No, it is the stuff that I know I shouldn't do that I do too often. How frustrating!

The only good thing about this whole struggle is that I am normal. This is why God sent Jesus. Getting rid of me and letting God do his thing is the only way I can even begin to love others and do the good I need to do.

We have the opportunity again to do some good. The South County Love Your Neighborhood is once again sponsoring a Christmas Dinner theatre. Thursday, December 6, at the Expo Center at 6:30pm, Birky's will host a fabulous dinner spread along with great singing and entertainment. This event will be raising funds for our own Porter County Special Olympics. Tickets can be purchased at Birky's Market, Birky's Bakery, Piggies & Cream at Lukes or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Tickets are $30 for adults, $15 for kids 12 and under. Purchase 8 or more tickets and receive $1 off per ticket.

We hope you will join us for a great night to bless others, be refreshed and celebrate God's gift of Jesus.
 
Blessings,
Chris

Every time I have asked, you have helped. We invited you to participate in our South County Love Your Neighborhood BBQ Cook-off and Pie Baking Contest and you did in a Big way! We served more than 450 people and raised more than $5000! We donated $500 to Kouts High School for their "Ipad for Autistic Students" fund and $500 toward the Kouts Elementary Teacher Activity fund. The Morgan Township PTO received $1000 for their activities. We also will be giving $1000 each to the Morgan and Kouts Volunteer Fire departments. Another $1000 will be kept in an emergency fund for things that may arise in our community over the course of the next year. I appreciate so much your help in this! It was such a fun day! Now be sure to mark your calendars for our Christmas dinner theatre at the Porter County expo center December 7, 2012. Tickets will be available at all our locations soon. To reserve a spot email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

As many of you know, we began an adventure early this Spring that took us down the path of owning restaurants. It was not something we had planned to do, but something (many things) that God put across our path. It has been quite a challenge for us to learn this business. We have made lots of mistakes and will probably make more. During the last three months, we have spent many hours working on recipes, dishes, cooking techniques, ingredients, menus, staffing, and listening to your feedback to create places that each town can be proud to call their own. We know we still have a long way to go, but we feel we are at a point where we need more help. That is where you all come in. Our request to each of you is two-fold:

1. We need to get the word out; we need more customers. So, we would like to offer each of you a free meal and ask only that you bring with you three friends to one of our locations. We will also give each of you joining us a free serving of our homemade ice cream. If, however, the location you choose happens to be our Bakery, then you and your guests will each receive a free gourmet coffee with your purchases.

2. We want each of you to fill out our "We want to hear from you." form. How can we make it better? What did you like? What didn't you like? It is our desire to be a blessing and refresh each community and patron that comes into the places God has called us to steward and we can't do that without hearing from you.

I will say this has been one of the most difficult things God has called me to do. I know that these small towns need a place for people to gather: a place where kids can hang out, work, be mentored; a place that serves food that you know is real, homemade and where it comes from; places that serve awesome ice cream! Sorry for that shameful plug, but ice cream is my staple!

Please find attached your coupon for your free meal. On it are all the details. We are also working on a Birky's Piggies & Cream Rewards Card/program, rewarding you for doing the Birky Loop. (Bakery, Point, Luke's, Depot, and Market). Also, shortly we will offer gift cards at each of our locations just in time for the holidays. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments. I can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . God is really stretching and challenging us, so all we can do is trust in Him and walk by faith. Thanks for all your support and we look forward to your input.

Blessings,

Chris

I have lived on a farm my whole life and farm cats have always been a part of my farm life experience. Of course I have had my favorites...Sunburn, Sneakers, Tiger, Mouse, but could not begin to tell you how many cats we have had over the course of many years. The farm cats do help control rodents and the kids do enjoy playing with them. Every evening when I drive  up the lane I have to nearly stop and slow down to a crawl all the way to the barn. I am greeted by several of our cats who run straight to the front of the truck and stand there and wait. Slowly they begin to walk in front of me "leading" me to the cat food. One handful in the morning and one in the evening is the general feeding for our cats. I generally throw them a handful and then go in the barn and feed the pigs. It doesn't take them long to devour what is there. What is really aggravating to me is that just a few minutes later, after I get done feeding the pigs, there are those cats at my feet, getting in my way, acting like they have not been fed in days! Are you kidding me? I just fed you! In Proverbs 30 we read, "There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, 'Enough!': the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, 'Enough!'" I think the writer should have added farm cats! 

Do you ever wonder if God looks at us like farm cats? Over and over again he feeds us plenty and before He can catch his breath we are at His feet begging for more? I have really been wrestling with this. We have so much and yet there are so many who have nothing. It makes you wonder and put to the test how many of our pursuits are of the self-indulging nature or of the loving our neighbor motivation. I know not very many of us would consider ourselves "rich", but most of us have at least been well fed. God says, in the Bible, that to whom much is given, much will be demanded. I don't think I have measured up to this very well. I have been given so much love from God, family, & friends that isn't to be stored up for a rainy day, but is to be given away...shared with others.

If you have a chance, join us for our South County "Love Your Neighborhood" BBQ Cook-Off this Saturday, September 15, at the elevator in downtown Malden. (don't blink) More info below and on the website. Let's transform the world, one community at a time.

Blessings,

Chris

Growing up I used to watch Hee Haw with my Grandpa. The line above was a song that was sung in a weekly skit. The next line was “deep, dark depression, excessive misery.” I guess you had to see it to find it humorous because the words truly were not uplifting. What is especially not funny about this song is how real we allow it to be at times in our lives.

I read through Ecclesiastes this week. The theme of that book is “everything is meaningless!” Talk about depressing! At first glance it seems that all the writer is talking about is that nothing matters, but there is a point to his madness.

There are two things that really grabbed me as I read through that book. The first is that “there is nothing new under the sun.”  I know it is easy to think that the world is caving in around me, because it is, but that is nothing new, it has been from the very beginning and God is still in control and something better is coming! The second thing that really jumped out at me is that there is a time for every season and activity. Many of us know the song “for every season…turn, turn, turn” and have even experienced the good and the bad life brings us, but what really hit me was the verses following the words of the song.

Ecclesiastes 3: "9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.”

God has made life very simple and I am very good at making it complex. Solomon and his great wisdom summed it up so well in these verses. I need to keep eternity set in my heart. I shouldn’t try to figure out God; but instead just trust him, be happy, do good, eat, drink and find satisfaction in all my toil which is a gift from God, know that the things of God endure forever and revere him all of my days.

I am not sure what season of life you may find yourself today. I hope and pray that you will be able to take a step back and reflect on these words and begin experiencing that peace and joy that is beyond human understanding.

Blessings,

Chris

P.S.  Thanks to everyone that supported our Grand Openings at Lukes and the Depot.  Also thanks for supporting us at the Porter County Fair!

I find myself getting older every day.  You would think I would get smarter and not dumber, but some how that isn’t always the case. Last month I talked about the story I read when the people were in the desert and complained about no food. God gave them the gift of manna. What a great thing from a God who always provides…if only I remember it.

Not long after the complaint for food and the answer in manna, we find the people complaining about not having any meat to eat in the desert. Once again the request goes before God, and, once again, God says he will take care of it. The interesting thing to me, this time, was Moses response. ‘What do you mean you will take care of it? There aren’t enough sheep and goats on all these mountain sides to feed all of us…you can’t possibly feed all of us meat!’

God’s response was classic…’is my arm too short to do this?’ I can imagine a little sarcasm, and God wanting to say, ‘step aside little man and watch me!’ The next day all over everywhere as far as the eye could see, there were quail ready for the pickin’!

Why is it that no matter how many times God provides for me, I tend to always forget and worry the next time a problem arises? Is not God’s arm long enough? Has He not shown that to me over and over again? Like I said earlier…I get dumber everyday.

God promises to never leave me or forsake me as long as I trust Him and obey Him. At this moment, I am in the middle of an ‘ark’ building journey, and, at times, the only thing that can be said is ‘I trust you and I know your arm is long enough!’

I am not sure where you find yourself today, but I want you to know, too, that God’s arm is plenty long enough if you step out and trust while walking by faith! Nothing is too difficult or impossible for Him! No Problemo!

Blessings,

Chris