Bad Day

You think you're having a bad day? Maybe you are, but look at the picture below. It could be worse. Poor guy.

This was taken on my way to Oklahoma City this past Saturday. He had totes in the back of his truck and apparently one or two of them rolled out as he was going down the interstate. Traffic slowed to a crawl to give this guy a chance to salvage his clothing.

- Wade Baker

First Fruits

I know this is a little sad, but, I was so proud of my little lunch salad today I took a picture of it and created a new post just to share it with you.

Now, if you know me, you know there's got to be a reason. And there is a reason, of course. Can you guess what it is? Some of you, maybe. Here it comes.

The bulk of my salad (lettuce and edible-pod peas) are from my very own new-this-season backyard raised- bed vegetable garden! Can you tell I'm excited? I'm also growing strawberries. My carrots didn't do too well so this one is from the fridge. The radish and the carrot are from Angel Food.

Almost my entire lunch today was picked fresh from the backyard. That really excites me! And it's only just begun. [Imagine that tune playing in the background.] This is just my first crop. The greens are leaf lettuce so I only removed the outer leaves that often go bad anyway. I did get one strawberry off the plant today. And I harvested a whole handful of the snow peas. I don't think I've ever used them in a salad before. They were great. I didn't even need salad dressing. I just used the sliced strawberries for a little wet flavor.

I have to admit. I did add a small avocado from my fridge after I took the picture. It's from Angel Food too. I guess, depending on how you think about it, one way or another, it's all angel food. I realize the scripture probably meant it a different way but I still think of "the Lord of the harvest". It doesn't have to be November to give thanksgiving for the harvest.

Thank you, God, for your rain and your sun (and your Son).

And thank you for helping me see those 2 fat and happy caterpillars hiding in my lettuce and giving me shoes so I could squash them.

- Wade Baker

Emergency Preparedness – Clothing

I’ve quoted the following scripture in a previous post but it’s worth repeating.

"She doesn't worry about her family when it snows; their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear." - Proverbs 31:21 (The Message)

I hope you’re not offended that it’s a paraphrase. It just seems to do this particular verse so much justice; transcending cultural understanding of thousands of years.

It may take me a few posts to adequately cover the topic of clothing in the context of emergency preparedness. You can trust that I have made a significant study in this area the last 10 years. Ask Gina. I even spoke to a college class about it once. I won’t bore you with all my research but watch out if you bring it up some cool evening around a campfire. You have been warned.

The first point I want to make, and to grab your attention, “Cotton kills.” This is an expression known by many an experienced outdoors person. The overall point of this is: the average wardrobe would not support effective clothing in an extended outdoor situation. If you agree with that, you may ask “Why does that matter?” That is a fair question.

Consider this: they call it an emergency for a reason. In other words, we rarely have enough foresight to prepare specifically for any given perilous environment. So what if we dressed always prepared? You might be imaging a GI Joe sniffing fruit at the grocery store. That’s not what I’m talking about.

Consider this: in the title photo of this blog, you should see a picture of Gina & I. We are both dressed in clothes that would help protect us if we had been left in those woods that night with nothing else. OK, we probably could have done a better job protecting our feet but there’s utility in those sandals as well. I can’t tell for sure exactly which pair of pants I’m wearing but I’m fairly certain I’ve spent a night out in those woods in particular wearing those exact pants having had no tent or sleeping bag. I slept on the cold ground and with a little ingenuity did quite well.

OK, so we’ve established I’m at least a little crazy. I’m OK with that label. You can call me crazy all night long as you shiver in your wet jeans and I’m snoring getting a full night’s sleep because I chose nylon or polyester over cotton.

Ok, so what’s up with cotton? …if I haven’t lost you yet. Here’s the main deal: 3 seasons out of the year, when cotton gets wet it is known to lose nearly all of its insulative properties. It is a weakness that is not widely yet realized. Cotton has so many advantages that this weakness is usually overlooked. So, besides summer (for the most part), if you are stranded (from shelter) for an extended period of time (could be as short as 3 hours) and you are wearing cotton and it gets wet you will shiver (lose body heat) until at least the clothing dries out. And that’s the second issue. Cotton does not dry out quickly, at least quickly enough to preserve your life. These two weaknesses in cotton clothing has been deadly enough to kill countless people. There are other disadvantages to wet cotton clothing including chaffing, heaviness, restrictive movement. Even dry cotton clothing can become thread bare quickly with much activity. Often times cotton clothing doesn’t get wet from precipitation as it does from perspiration. Either way, when it gets wet, it will probably stay wet until you return to your nearest laundry appliance or a sunny all-day clothesline.

Is there room for cotton outdoors? Absolutely. But if you want to be prepared you must think and realize its applications can be somewhat narrow. About the only time I would plan on wearing cotton would be in an arid and hot environment like a dessert. Even then I can think of some great applications for synthetic materials. And that’s really what I’m saying: it’s a battle between natural and synthetic. What cotton is weak in the synthetics (mostly nylon & polyester) is strong in. Most synthetic fiber retains a reasonable degree of their ability to insulate when wet and they are generally much quicker to dry. Another advantage is they wick moisture away from the body. This can also help regulate body temperature.

OK, so that’s a lot of theory. First of all, check this out. Do your own independent research. But second, check it out for yourself. This means you may need to stand up, go to the door, step outside and shut the door behind you for an extended period of time. Find something you like. You like walking? Go for a hike. You like camping? Go backpacking? You get the point.
Try backpacking in the summer with a cotton t-shirt. What do you do with it that evening? Hang it up? It will feel great that next morning when you put it back on. Oh, you brought a backup? Great, so you get to carry a heavy sweaty shirt around the next day.

Try the same thing with a polyester shirt. It most likely won’t ever get to complete saturation during the day and whatever is wet when you get to camp will be dry by the time you finish dinner. Don’t want to sleep in that stinky shirt? Hang it up, let it air out a bit. Wear that comfy night shirt you brought (also poly). Then the next day put your clean shirt back and put that stinky shirt back on. It’s going to be stinky anyway. Keep that other shirt for only if you absolutely need it. (It’s probably long sleeve anyway.)

Trust me, these two scenarios are two completely different experiences. You want to try one of these poly shirts? Head down toy your local major retailer and walk the racks. Hover in the sports clothing area. Check tags. It will most likely say 100% polyester and cost less than $10. If you have more money, and want to appear stylish, head to your local outdoor store. They will be more than happy to put you in a $20-$50 t-shirt. It will also probably be more comfortable and last longer. Don’t get me wrong. There is a difference in these outdoor shirts just make sure you get what you pay for.

Now pants are all about the same thing (and the other garments). These can be a little more difficult to track down. I will confess, most of my outdoor pants come from the outdoors stores or I’ve ordered them online. As shirts generally use the softer polyester, pants usually se the more durable nylon. One of the quickest ways to find nylon pants in an outdoors store is in the zip-off’s section. These pants have really revolutionized the outdoor lower garment industry, to be dramatic.

I have had a hit and miss experience when it comes to finding good synthetic pants even in the best outdoors stores. If you are entering this realm for the first time I would point you in the good ol’ reliable direction of Campmor. I have fond memories of receiving their catalog as a kid. By the way, it still looks the same with a few different products. I have found, on regular occasion, synthetic pants on sale for less than $20. If you have less patience you could expect to pay $20-$30. If you are girl, add about another $10. I know. It’s not fair. Believe me. I know. These pants are often quite generous on sizes; very forgiving on cut and fit. I’ve had pretty good success nailing it the first time. Just make sure you do your home work.

That just leaves the “other” garments. I have more research on this than you are ever likely to want to know. Let me just say this, consider poly briefs. Ask me about them offiline. Otherwise don’t tempt me.

Moving on, get yourself some wool socks. Then get yourself a second pair. Now before you get crazy, I’m not talking about that hippy-looking rag wool. I’m talking about premium wool, often called Merino. Do a little research. And wool blend socks aren’t too bad either. I have found them at my local major retailer but I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s back to the outdoors store or Internet.

I might as well touch on footwear but that sounds like another post. This entry is already longer than I like. I would encourage you to consider exploring the realm of outdoor footwear by starting at your local major retailer again. Notice, I’m not saying “their” name. You can figure it out. I have a pair of boots I bought “there” years ago that have seen some pretty extreme things and I was just wearing them yesterday and will probably wear them again today. I think I paid not much more than $30, maybe less. I liked them so much I have a 2nd pair now that I’m just starting to break in. There are also so great expensive boots out there. I have both and I use both. It will depend on your application.

Well, that’s certainly enough for now. If any of you readers would like to pursue this more fully and live in the area and would like additional guidance you probably could twist my arm in going shopping with you.

Remember, the point is, be ready. Do things today so that when disaster comes tomorrow you are in a better position to help others and not just be another victim.

- Wade Baker

Confessions of a Caver

I ran into someone I know at lunch today that primarily knows me from my old caving days. What he may not quite realize yet is - that person he knew is what I now refer to as "the old Wade".

I'm sure I'll have additional opportunities to explain but here's a shorter attempt.

I'm 34 years old and for 33 of those years I lived mostly for myself. It was fun. It was great. It was wrong. I pursued myself, found myself and then realized I didn't like myself.



Then in an apartment complex in Kansas City June 27, 2008 I got on my knees with 2 friends and asked Jesus, who had been my Savior most of my life, to be Lord over ALL my life for the first time IN my life.

It was during this same time that I understood that the Lord was calling me to sell the pile of possessions I had amassed to glorify the altar in my life called caving. I had set this interest in my life so high that it was casting a shadow over everything else.

So piece by piece, auction by auction, buyer by buyer I moved almost every piece of equipment I had. So far I still have helmets & lights for Gina & I and a few other personal pieces. I didn't sense that He was asking me to give it up entirely at this time, though, as my witness, He knows I'm willing.

When, not much longer than a year ago, I was out of town caving almost every weekend I think I have been only a couple of times since. I have plans to go sometime before the end of this month and maybe once more before the summer's over but that's it. It's like he took that overwhelming desire away. Or maybe a better way to describe it is He's given me a greater fascination with His Son. And for that I am grateful.

- Wade Baker

Backyard Garden

Gina & I talked for years, ever since we bought the house, about growing a garden. The work on the house itself had kept us so busy that it wasn't until about 6 months ago that we started putting together a plan.

I marked off an area in the backyard that was roughly 10 feet by 10 feet. Last fall, after the grass stopped growing for the season, we cut the sod out and relocated it to other places in the yard that needed it.

This spring I bought some landscaping stones and built the empty bed up about a foot high. I called the local nursery and had them deliver 3-4 cubic yards of soil. We planted it with red potatoes, a couple of varieties of peas, several varieties of broccoli and cabbage.

And then I realized I left no room for my tomatoes. So I built another bed just for them. And then someone gave us some lettuce starter plants. So I built another bed for them. Then I realized I had no room for my corn or squash. So I built another bed for them. Then I realized I needed an enclosed bed for my strawberries so I built a bed for them. I still have seed I bought that I haven't planted yet because once again I am out of room.

I have plans for 3 more beds and hope to complete them before it's too late to plant. I'll include for you a rough diagram of the backyard, current & planned.





- Wade Baker

"Raise The Dead"

I had a great conversation lately with a couple of coworkers. We were discussing what the Bible says about a believer's ability to be used by God to raise the dead. We started off not really knowing what the Bible says about it. I conducted a quick study and put some scripture together that we all found insightful. I'm going to paste it here below. I imagine you may come to some of the same conclusions.

The following scripture is in the same order as presented in the Bible.

“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” – Matthew 10:8 KJV

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” – John 14:12 KJV

“In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor. About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come at once!" Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.” – Acts 9:36-42 NIV

“Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!" Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.” – Acts 20:9-12 NIV

“Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?” – Acts 26:8 KJV

Word of Knowledge at Golden Corral

There's something about Sunday lunch that puts me in a mood. What's the point in going to church if you don't leave somehow affected?

Gina & I have a tradition of going to lunch with her parents every Sunday after church. We've been doing this for the 10 plus years we've been married. Yesterday, being Mother's Day, Gina's mom, Zula, picked the Golden Corral in Springdale. It was even busier than usual and we waited a little while to be seated.

About midway through our meal I noticed a young African American lady sitting at a table all by herself. I assumed she was holding down the fort for some others like we do when we're at a buffet but enough time finally passed I could see she'd come alone. You don't see that too often at a place like that so it caught my attention, even further. I wondered what her circumstances were and before I knew it I was filled with compassion for her.

This next part happened rather quickly and all at once. Somehow I "knew" that she was praying for her husband and that even though breakthrough was coming slowly that the Lord would be faithful in answering her prayers for him. Where did that come from? Well, I knew the answer to that question but still asked it instinctively to myself. What do I do with that? I knew that answer too.

I made a vague announcement to our table that I'd be excusing myself. They are starting to get used to this. I took the few shorts steps to the lady's table. I asked her if I could sit down, that I had something I wanted to share with her. Looking somewhat surprised, she said yes and I took the chair across from her. I asked her something I'd never thought before. "Do you believe God could use a stranger to deliver a message?" or something like that. I don't recall the exact words. She said yes without blinking an eye. I was surprised and encouraged.

I asked her if she was married and she said no. I then went on to explain that I thought the Lord had a message for her regarding her husband. She said she was engaged. I then said that it must be regarding her promised husband and there seemed to be confirmation on that. I asked her if she was praying for him and she told me that she was and that he was in jail. Now this was starting to make some sense to me even though I hadn't expected it to be this serious.

I encouraged her to continue praying. I also told her that the small amount of fruit that she has seen in him recently is God's way of encouraging her to continue praying. I told her not to be discouraged and that what God had started in him will be brought to completion and for her to remain patient and faithful. I encouraged her to give God thanks along the way for the little things and He would make them greater.

I probably concluded with something like, "I just felt led to share that with you." I was about to get up when I saw that she beat me to it. I quickly rose as she did wondering what was going on. She took a step toward me, put her arms out and gave me a beautiful hug right there in the middle of the dining room. I was once again surprised but made sure she knew I was hugging her back and said, "Bless you, sister".

I stepped away from her table and took some time as I grabbed some carrot cake from the buffet. This gave me time to pause and reflect before rejoining the family at our table. I came back and saw the young lady had left. I sat down at our table and told the family about the experience between bites of food. She later returned briefly before leaving the restaurant for that day.

The family talked about this and things related to this on our way back to Siloam Springs. I thought about it much of the rest of that day even as I was getting ready for bed. I think this was another example of "I don't know who was blessed more." Maybe we were blessed the same since we had the same experience, a touch from the same loving God.

- Wade Baker