Dear Vigilant Watchman:

Your emails of today say that you are considering fire.  If my notes below
seem superfluous, please forgive me.  As I mentioned, I was getting on
line to write you about Fire.  This is the jist of my meditation--

As I read the "Be Ye Separate" meditation, I believe saw mention of the
food, clothing, shelter, and water but fire was noticeably absent as I
read (tell me if I overlooked it).

Modern man has messed up fire too.  In considering the five, I've tried to
procure each (though I still do not have power of fire).  And in the
process of trying, God has revealed the corruptions of each one of these
areas.  The topic we are discussing here is fire.

For light, we do not use candles and torches.  We use electricity.  I
learned about Michael Faraday and we had basic discussions about the
dynamo.  I cannot have more than a basic discussion because I cannot
understand all these things.  We were passing by a transformer one day and
saw the big "towers" with the lines.  I did a little research and created
a little book, "Electric Power Plants and How They Work".  Electricity is
the fire that we use.

Included in that book, of necessity, was nuclear power because some of
these plants are run by dangerous nuclear power.

As the years wore on, Chernobyl came to mind.  I looked it up, and saw the
devastating, strange effects on the environment and the people.  Last
year, I learned that people in the plant were told to shut off the safety
"valves" the night before the "accident" occurred.

In considering fire and powering our lives, I've looked at flint and
steel, wood stacking techniques, pit fire, wearing extra clothes, etc.  To
a lesser extent, I've thought about windmills, pumps, and solar energy.  I
cannot understand many things and I have learned that I must focus on what
I can apprehend lest I frustrate myself unto discouragement.  It is a
great sore spot in me that I cannot kindle a fire, nor can I consistently
build a good one unless it is charcoal in a grill or maybe a "Friday night
fire" where all the conditions and supplies are just right.  I saw a man
online make fire with ice using the ice as a prism...I think that you can
do these things.  When you learn it, if it is something very easy and
foolproof, please tell me about it.

Smoke and heat are not necessarily good so maybe it is better for me to
stay without power in an area I wanted power over.  Yet, at the same time,
if heathens can kindle a fire, why can't I?  I hope that I have enough
sense to not kindle a fire when I shouldn't...

Incidentally, when your tomato plants grow, when you take out the suckers
between the branches, they can be planted in the dirt.  Bury about 80% of
the sucker, it will sprout roots and turn into another tomato plant.  I
usually take off the suckers when they first appear, but if you have some
long ones (about a span--9" (my span is 7".  a span is a Bible measurement
measured with the wide open hand from thumb to little finger) you can
break them off or any branch and bury it (first strip off the leaves of
the part to be buried) with the top leaves showing.

Did you see the Willy Whitefeather video at
http://www.ofthefield.com/html/suggested_links.html
Cursor down the page to see it.  Mr. Whitefeather subscribes to a Native
American spirituality, however this film insighfully shows the results
of industrialization.  Sensitive peoples on the outside can see what 
industrialization has done.  When I was in the false church I thought
environmental concerns belonged to the realm of new agers and witches.
Unfortunately, this is typically the case.

Willy Whitefeather offers two children's books teaching children how to
make it outdoors.  They are very good.  The books feature the story (with
illustrations) of a man and two children.  They may have some Native
American spirituality (not like a dream catcher, but more like sayings,
e.g., "The river is called a long person.  It's always best to make
friends with the water before we start our trip  Let's get to know him." 
He goes on in that section to show the children how to get in a canoe and
paddle the boat.)  At some points it is a little silly, but I consider
these books important additions  to the library.  Yesterday in art class,
my daughter told me that the art book incorrectly drew two men paddling on the
same side of the boat.  In the Willy Whitefeather book, she was taught
each person rows on opposite side and when they get tired, they can switch
sides....He has information about foods, fire, shelters, etc.  Samples of
The Outdoor Survival Guide are available on his website
http://www.willywhitefeather.com.  One young girl was able to make it
alone in the woods after her parents were killed in their car accident
because she remembered what she had read in the guide.

Linda Runyon says this about Willy Whitefeather:  "My teacher for desert
plants, Willy took me from lush, green Eastern USA to cactus and mesquite
beans. Our friendship has been the glue to my research, desert teaching
and future writing. His website is www.willywhitefeather.com. To know
Willy is as easy as seeing his 12 minute video that took a film award -
Enjoy!"

************

Dear Vigilant Watchman:

Greetings.

> Good evening. Thank you for your emails. The sabbath was good to rest my
> hands from all the scratches and cuts in the garden. My hands are forming
> calluses this many cuts should not be so much of a problem in the future.
> I've noticed that with many things in God's system, the most most
> difficult work is at the beginning. If you stay diligent through the
> hardest part, it begins to pay off as you pick up steam.

I agree.

> I was considering fire and your emails came at a perfect time to incite my
> thinking. My first goal is to start a fire without the use of matches or
> lighters. If I can do this, I would like to then hone in the skill to
> start a fire using only things readily avaliable in nature, if possible.
> Jesus made a fire of coals on the shore after the resurrection.  I wonder
> which method he used.

You know, God can talk to us through dreams, visions, and
prophesying.  I was talking to him about this sort of thing this morning. 
He can tell us how to do these things.  He can tell us what kind of music
he wants to hear.  He can tell us the most perfect house to be made.   We
are supposed to be prophesying, dreaming dreams, and seeing visions--

Acts 2:17   And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will
pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters
shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men
shall dream dreams:

  Acts 2:18   And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in
those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

People are cultivating their ability to interact with spirits.  We need to
know how to cast out devils--and I mean know how, not like the sons of
Sceva.  This morning I asked God to take us back to the days of the
apostles.  Apostolic power is needed in the earth today, real apostolic
power.  And it is available because God is available, praise the Lord. 
God is available.  Let the gates of heaven be stormed until he pour down
his Spirit.  We need power.

> My initial efforts used items I had around the house such as glass bowls
> to focus light on paper, water lenses used in a similar fashion, and rocks
> that I struck together. I have not had success thus far, although my
> efforts have been preliminary. Perhaps I need to make char or find a
> natural source of tinder from fungus that grows in my area. I understand
> that it lights much faster than paper.

The Bible magnifies the fast burning properties of tow which is the part
of the flax that is left after carding (linen is made from flax).  It is
fine and airy, it looks like a bunch of thin tangled up string.  Thin
things, like leaves, ignite quickly.  I read of a cotton plant where
somehow a spark was ignite in the air and a it burned trail all through
the warehouse catching cotton bits in the air.  Leaves and thin branches
from pine trees are a little bigger but also catch and hold fire.  Pine
wood is not recommended for fireplaces because of the buildup of
creosote/tar (I don't know if it is called tar or not).  Lint from the
dryer catches fire fast.  When I was a child, I remember burning paper
with a magnifying glass.  I tried that a few years ago with a plastic one
and I couldn't do it...

> When you look at making a fire for yourself, are you trying to use only
> objects that can be found in nature? Ideally, would you rule out methods
> that use aluminum foil, glass jars, and other items not found in the wild?

My goal is to make fire by any means necessary with an eye to
understanding the properties of fire.  I try to start with something that
I can do--like light a match--and then go forward to other things.  I
have, however, tried flint and steel and a "truck"  rubbing wood in a
softer grooved piece of wood with no success.

There are bush schools.  I wrote to one in Maine, they said they'd take us
but we may want to look locally.  I did but their 7 month program (meets
about 6 times per month) has one Saturday class monthly which I will not
attend.  I asked if we could pay extra for a Sunday class.  They did not
respond so I I'm letting that go for now...

>> For light, we do not use candles and torches.  We use electricity.  I
>> learned about Michael Faraday and we had basic discussions about the
>> dynamo.  I cannot have more than a basic discussion because I cannot
>> understand all these things.
>
> Just a thought here: do you think you did not understand it because it was
> presented in an overly complex manner? I have found that virtually every
> thing can be simply and effectively explained if the teacher has the
> understanding and will to do so.

I think that you are right concerning explaining.  In my case, I was
allowed to come across Mr. Faraday's writings to young people which were
very interesting.  I could follow them to a certain point but then I had
to let it go.  Given that I am looking to live off-grid, I've decided that
I do not have to go too far with this.  If I revisit these things at a
certain point and need guidance I will ask you specific  questions.

 >> I saw a man online make fire with ice using the ice as a prism...I think
>> that you can do these things.  When you learn it, if it is something
>> very easy and
>
>> foolproof, please tell me about it.
>
> Thank you. I am looking into this.

You are welcome.

> I had not seen that [Willy Whitefeather video]. You're right, it does show a lot of what
> industrialization has done. I thought it had a subtle new age message
> underlying it.

It does.  He has a Native American spirituality.  This is what I meant
when I said that new agers and witches know more about what is happening
than Christians do.  I used to think that all talk about the environment
was for them.

Mephibosheth