The Road To Magnalia
Snapshots of a Homesteader’s LifeSnapshots
A Guest List Not Ordinary…and, a Christmas Auction!
Dec 21, 2023 | EVENTS, REFLECTIONS
A New Winter Feast We hosted a new Winter Feast In the spirit of the historic feasts of St. Nicholas of Myra (A.D. 270-343) this past week. The...
Setting a Table, For a Better World?
Oct 14, 2023 | PLACES, REFLECTIONS
People are made in the image of a trinitarian God and we are, therefore, designed to be in relationships. We become incomplete when we're in a state...
Holy Cow!
Oct 6, 2023 | PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
That’s an expression I heard often from generations before me. We’ve been using it around here of late, in jest, because the Homestead now has a...
On the Power of Story
Sep 29, 2023 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
In working to create a community at Magnalia that is a "Beacon of Hope," we’re trying to be intentional in creating spaces that prompt people to...
On Listening to Cato
Sep 15, 2023 | CAT, PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
Cato, the Roman legend who inspired our founding fathers in the quest toward liberty, wrote a famous treatise on farming and agriculture for his...
A Holy Hush
Aug 30, 2023 | PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
Sometimes a holy hush is just what we need at the end of a week of bustle, to put us in a Sabbath state of mind. But the Lord is in His holy temple....
A Framed Letter from Maj. Gen. Purdy
Jul 19, 2023 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, PLACES, REFLECTIONS
Maj. Curan Clonch and Kristen Nance Clonch just delivered to Semper Fi Hall a framed letter from Maj. Gen. Purdy, US Space Force Commander, and an...
Not an Ordinary Cup of Tea
Jun 15, 2023 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, PLACES, REFLECTIONS
Epic Annie Talton from Alabama leaves the Homestead today for DC after a great run of weeks working in Magnalia's OnePull Community Garden under the...
A Place in Time
May 15, 2023 | PEOPLE, PLACES, REFLECTIONS
Sometimes when we travel we get to visit a Place that inspires us. A Place that gives us a vision of things Beautiful, Good and True. A Place...
Easter Sign Glory
Apr 4, 2023 | PLACES, PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
Signs of Easter are everywhere! Resurrection glory: things dying to bring new life. The Dutch tulips were my favorite sight here, until we realized...
On The Passing of Batons
Apr 3, 2023 | PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
Every family marks those moments when there is a "changing of the guard" -- when a baton of responsibility passes from one child to the next, or...
A Festival of Firsts
Feb 27, 2023 | PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
So this just happened at Magnalia Farm today: our first ewe lamb, and our first calf (endowed with a bull's paraphernalia), were born within hours...
USMC Birthday #247!
Nov 11, 2022 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, PLACES, REFLECTIONS
Semper Fi Hall was a fitting site for a gathering of Marines, their spouses, and special invited guests to commemorate the 247th Birthday of the...
On Floating Lanterns and a Hot Dog Truck
Jul 8, 2022 | EVENTS, REFLECTIONS
July 4 of 2022 at the Homestead was an Independence Day to Remember for many reasons. We can eat and watch fireworks at a myriad of places. But to...
An Independence Day to Remember
May 27, 2022 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
This Memorial Day Weekend, Make Plans for Independence Day! As every patriot knows, and as Memorial Day reminds us, FREEDOM IS NOT FREE. So mark...
Babette’s Feast
Mar 11, 2022 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
From a fictional fjord community in Norway in 1871 to present-day North Carolina (and the world over), Isak Denison’s classic short story called...
Forged In Fire: Our Local Village Blacksmith Wins the Prize
On episode 200 of History Channel's #ForgedInFire this week our friend, Chris Moss (fellow churchman at Christ Covenant Church Greensboro, NC...
A New Year’s Toast to Creating Community, Together
Dec 31, 2021 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, PLACES, REFLECTIONS
A beacon is regarded by many people as a symbol. But it’s more. If it does its job, it’s also functional in the way it warns and welcomes travelers....
The Magnalia Homestead Christmas Auction is Now Live!
Thanks to the encouragement of many of you, our Magnalia Elves (all of whom sport big, warm smiles and give lots of hugs) are happy to announce that...
After a Weekend with Babette
Dec 16, 2021 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
This past weekend we had the joy of hosting a Babette’s Feast at the Homestead. From a fictional fjord community in Norway in 1871 to present-day...
More Priceless than a van Gogh
Nov 9, 2021 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
We recently went to the van Gogh Immersion in Charlotte. For us, it was a wonderful encounter with The Beautiful. Of all the photography I tried to...
On Naming Things, like Jabe’s Grove
Nov 4, 2021 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
We had the privilege this past week of welcoming to Magnalia the family of Jabe Isaac Wilhoit. Jabe has been a counselor at Camp Jubilee, the summer...
A Toast, and Hanging Up the Boots
Oct 12, 2021 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
Semper Fi Hall was the setting this past weekend for a Gratitude Meal and a “Hanging Up the Boots Toast” to honor the end of active duty service for...
In the Company of Friends
Oct 2, 2021 | EVENTS, PLACES, REFLECTIONS
In college, I heard an old Swiss-born professor (the inimitable Roger Nicole) once say that when you’re in your library – no matter how big or how...
Gramps Said “A Little Dirt Ain’t Hurt Nobody”
Jun 20, 2022 | PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
Growing up as a boy, some of my favorite memories came from times with my Grandpa. Gramps VE was a hard-working, kind man. A proud Dutchman and a...
Holding on to Ancient Stones and Walking Ancient Paths
Jun 2, 2022 | PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
One of our crazy sons Johnny Van Eerden was playing daredevil recently as the sun set at a local park. His mother did not like the photos. But it...
An Independence Day to Remember
May 27, 2022 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
This Memorial Day Weekend, Make Plans for Independence Day! As every patriot knows, and as Memorial Day reminds us, FREEDOM IS NOT FREE. So mark...
Babette’s Feast
Mar 11, 2022 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
From a fictional fjord community in Norway in 1871 to present-day North Carolina (and the world over), Isak Denison’s classic short story called...
No Table Is Set Without a Team
Feb 5, 2022 | PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
After another special community dinner last week, celebrating the work of Mount Jubilee Ministries with guests from nearby and from as far away as...
Forged In Fire: Our Local Village Blacksmith Wins the Prize
On episode 200 of History Channel's #ForgedInFire this week our friend, Chris Moss (fellow churchman at Christ Covenant Church Greensboro, NC...
A New Year’s Toast to Creating Community, Together
Dec 31, 2021 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, PLACES, REFLECTIONS
A beacon is regarded by many people as a symbol. But it’s more. If it does its job, it’s also functional in the way it warns and welcomes travelers....
Christmas Auction Raises $8,200 for Jubilee Barn Art Studio
Dec 23, 2021 | PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
Thanks to encouragement from many of you, our Magnalia Elves and generous donors worked together to help create community and make some gift-giving...
After a Weekend with Babette
Dec 16, 2021 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
This past weekend we had the joy of hosting a Babette’s Feast at the Homestead. From a fictional fjord community in Norway in 1871 to present-day...
On Reconnecting with Time, and Giving Thanks
Nov 24, 2021 | PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
A dear family friend, the “elder stateman” in our church, recently passed on to us the treasure of an heirloom grandfather clock. Made by the people...
More Priceless than a van Gogh
Nov 9, 2021 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
We recently went to the van Gogh Immersion in Charlotte. For us, it was a wonderful encounter with The Beautiful. Of all the photography I tried to...
On Naming Things, like Jabe’s Grove
Nov 4, 2021 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
We had the privilege this past week of welcoming to Magnalia the family of Jabe Isaac Wilhoit. Jabe has been a counselor at Camp Jubilee, the summer...
We Are Like Sheep
Nov 5, 2022 | PLACES, PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
Our four sheep at Magnalia Farm have made me more aware of the many facets of me being referred to in the Scriptures as A SHEEP. All we like sheep...
Resilient Cosmos
Sep 28, 2022 | PLACES, PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
A friend of ours had the idea of planting a large bed of the Cosmos Bipinnatus flower seed (commonly called the garden cosmos or Mexican Aster) in...
First Things, First…
Jul 22, 2022 | PLACES, REFLECTIONS
We had visions of building a barn, first. But, in the months since, we’ve learned more about the principle we’ve had preached to us,…
Walking a Tangled Wood, Into a Painting Worth a Thousand Words
Mar 2, 2022 | PLACES, REFLECTIONS
We know the days are waning when we still can walk my way through the densest sections of our forest – with the trees and bushes nearly leafless and...
A New Year’s Toast to Creating Community, Together
Dec 31, 2021 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, PLACES, REFLECTIONS
A beacon is regarded by many people as a symbol. But it’s more. If it does its job, it’s also functional in the way it warns and welcomes travelers....
The Magnalia Homestead Christmas Auction is Now Live!
Thanks to the encouragement of many of you, our Magnalia Elves (all of whom sport big, warm smiles and give lots of hugs) are happy to announce that...
In the Company of Friends
Oct 2, 2021 | EVENTS, PLACES, REFLECTIONS
In college, I heard an old Swiss-born professor (the inimitable Roger Nicole) once say that when you’re in your library – no matter how big or how...
On Kaizen, and the Momentum of the Next Little Thing
Sep 27, 2021 | PLACES, REFLECTIONS
I saw a now famous American speak at a youth entrepreneurship summit years ago. I won’t soon forget it. A student stood up and told the speaker he...
I Went To The Woods….
Jul 25, 2021 | EVENTS, PLACES, REFLECTIONS
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to...
On Dreaming and Doing
Jun 17, 2021 | PLACES, REFLECTIONS
One of my favorite quotes from Henry David Thoreau is about the connection between dreaming and doing. “If you have built castles in the air, your...
When You Have to Say Goodbye
Jun 5, 2021 | PEOPLE, PLACES, REFLECTIONS
For almost 20 years, our Kubota 2250 and the bushhog that came with it has served us well. That was to be expected. We bought it from one of our...
Blessings Circling ‘Round
May 14, 2021 | PLACES, REFLECTIONS
In 2004, we traveled to Ecuador with our two oldest children to participate in a gospel-based humanitarian relief project – serving warm Christmas...
Learning to Like Okra (and Why It Matters)
Sep 4, 2021 | PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
There’s a lot happening in the news these days, and much of it has most thoughtful people feeling quite unsettled. It’s a time in history when we...
To Make a Better Pesto (or Cobbler)…
Aug 16, 2021 | PEOPLE, PLANTS & ANIMALS
We sometimes read leading lines like, "To Make a Better Pesto (or Cobbler)…" If you're like me, we often read on because we're looking for a...
A Swarm of Golden Wonder
Jun 26, 2021 | PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
[A Blog Post from John Mark Van Eerden] This is a special report about a call for help from a friend. (And what happened afterwards.) My friend...
On Seedpods, Pine Cones and Trees
Jun 19, 2021 | PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
Years ago (when I would actually run for recreation!), I remember jogging to the end of our country road with whichever kids were up for joining me....
When Lumber Gets Expensive
May 22, 2021 | PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
What happens when the cost of building an important building runs out of control? Well. Sometimes, you have to cancel your building project, no...
The Mascot Greeter
May 9, 2021 | PLACES, PLANTS & ANIMALS
Every Homestead must have its official greeter and mascot. Here she is: Bella June, our black lab who inspired the Magnalia logo with her sense of...
The Blueberries are Bearing!
May 8, 2021 | PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
Thanks to help from our friends at Mount Jubilee Ministries, we have planted 50 assorted blueberries near our bee hives, and a small grove of Brown...
First It Gets Ugly
May 6, 2021 | PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
My grandpa used to say that "sometimes things need to get ugly before they can be made beautiful." So, it is with clearing a pasture. Dirt, and root...
Magnalia Farm
Apr 25, 2021 | PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
Our newly seeded pasture, called Golders Green, was not many months ago a field of clay. It has explosed into a salad bowl of Beauty. Through eyes...
Captain of the Guard
May 6, 2020 | PLACES, PLANTS & ANIMALS
Every Homestead needs a Captain of the Guard, who knows it -- even when he's resting. Meet Jackson. a/k/a Capt. Jack. 114 pounds of linebacker,...
A Guest List Not Ordinary…and, a Christmas Auction!
Dec 21, 2023 | EVENTS, REFLECTIONS
A New Winter Feast We hosted a new Winter Feast In the spirit of the historic feasts of St. Nicholas of Myra (A.D. 270-343) this past week. The...
Setting a Table, For a Better World?
Oct 14, 2023 | PLACES, REFLECTIONS
People are made in the image of a trinitarian God and we are, therefore, designed to be in relationships. We become incomplete when we're in a state...
Holy Cow!
Oct 6, 2023 | PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
That’s an expression I heard often from generations before me. We’ve been using it around here of late, in jest, because the Homestead now has a...
On the Power of Story
Sep 29, 2023 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
In working to create a community at Magnalia that is a "Beacon of Hope," we’re trying to be intentional in creating spaces that prompt people to...
On Listening to Cato
Sep 15, 2023 | CAT, PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
Cato, the Roman legend who inspired our founding fathers in the quest toward liberty, wrote a famous treatise on farming and agriculture for his...
A Holy Hush
Aug 30, 2023 | PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
Sometimes a holy hush is just what we need at the end of a week of bustle, to put us in a Sabbath state of mind. But the Lord is in His holy temple....
A Framed Letter from Maj. Gen. Purdy
Jul 19, 2023 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, PLACES, REFLECTIONS
Maj. Curan Clonch and Kristen Nance Clonch just delivered to Semper Fi Hall a framed letter from Maj. Gen. Purdy, US Space Force Commander, and an...
Not an Ordinary Cup of Tea
Jun 15, 2023 | EVENTS, PEOPLE, PLACES, REFLECTIONS
Epic Annie Talton from Alabama leaves the Homestead today for DC after a great run of weeks working in Magnalia's OnePull Community Garden under the...
A Place in Time
May 15, 2023 | PEOPLE, PLACES, REFLECTIONS
Sometimes when we travel we get to visit a Place that inspires us. A Place that gives us a vision of things Beautiful, Good and True. A Place...
Easter Sign Glory
Apr 4, 2023 | PLACES, PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
Signs of Easter are everywhere! Resurrection glory: things dying to bring new life. The Dutch tulips were my favorite sight here, until we realized...
On The Passing of Batons
Apr 3, 2023 | PEOPLE, REFLECTIONS
Every family marks those moments when there is a "changing of the guard" -- when a baton of responsibility passes from one child to the next, or...
A Festival of Firsts
Feb 27, 2023 | PLANTS & ANIMALS, REFLECTIONS
So this just happened at Magnalia Farm today: our first ewe lamb, and our first calf (endowed with a bull's paraphernalia), were born within hours...