Finding Our Way Back at Christmas..
32 CommentsMerry Christmas
Thank you, first of all: If you are reading this, you’re probably one of the people who saved us this year, so I couldn’t let these moments go by without thanking you and wishing you a Merry Christmas.
The farm, as I have written, has always been a very fragile proposition, even from the very beginning, but this summer was very dark indeed. The ravages of cancel culture (legal bills) and the debt we went into remaining open after Covid began to catch up with us. We made a public call for help, and thousands of you answered. Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills put out the word, and you responded by buying dinner theater tickets, booking field trips and giving us more than $45,000 in donations. (We are not a non-profit. You can’t deduct gifts to us, and that says something very profound about your generosity.)
The irony? We’re growing. Even some of the public schools who once boycotted us are coming back, but, in California, there’s an old saying, “you can have a great small business in California; you just have to start with a very, very big business.” We have to come up with $50,000 in property taxes every year just to keep our land, and that’s only ONE of the big bills. In other words, in California, you have to be so profitable you can stay ahead of all the various pirates reaching for your wallet.
Anyway, I won’t bore you with the accounting. Just know this: Riley’s Farm would not be here without you. I know “literally” is incorrectly used, but that is literally true. If it weren’t for people like you, I would be in Tennessee, writing novels in a trailer, and Mary would not be working from 5 AM to 7 PM in the bakery.
Christmas and My Prayer Life
One of the problems with running a business that people love has something to do with false glory. We love America, and we love its history, and we love its traditions, and we do things like close on Sundays. We sing “Amazing Grace” at the end of Sleepy Hollow. We pray before our dinner theater events. We get some attention because we vigorously ridicule people who aren’t grateful for our American heritage, and I know — from countless testimonies — that people are grateful we use our platform in this way.
BUT, we are not saints. The Riley family have been known to fight with each other like mountain lions–wet, jagged fangs and all. Despite Mary and I having a very solid marriage of 37 years, I think a few of our children would have preferred a couple of quiet, ever-positive, “happy wife, happy life” types from a Focus on the Family promotion. (Mary is Greek and I have at least a little Irish blood, so we’re both known to say what we think, sometimes at the top of our lungs.) As a Christian, I am solidly behind C.S. Lewis when he wrote, (paraphrasing), “if you saw a saint, you would be awe-struck by his holiness and scandalized by his humanity.” I have the humanity part down, in other words, even if I’m still working on the holiness part.
The “finding our way back” part..
I think all of this is important to confess for two reasons: A few of you heap such praise on us, I want you to make sure our labeling is accurate. We are sinners saved by grace, just like most of you. When I lament revisionist history, or drag queen story hour, or gender-fluid child abuse, it’s not because I’m a saint. It’s because I’m a sinner given an ounce of common sense, in a world fast losing the old “Christian common sense.”
The second reason: as much as I believe we need to be involved politically, I don’t think America will be saved — really restored — until we acknowledge our sins before Christ, until we begin walking with a heavy fear of God’s wrath and greater appreciation for His love. When I read about Somali immigrants stealing BILLIONS of our tax dollars, or election fraud on a scale difficult to imagine, or members of congress gaming the stock market, or college coeds bragging about their abortions, I ask myself this simple question: “can we ever hope to make America great again, if we don’t make her good again?”
I honestly fear the executive branch turned back over to the Democrats, not because I think Trump or the Republicans are uniformly virtuous, but because, from what I can tell, the Democrats are completely without any spiritual anchor. They would happily jail people like me, for no reason at all, and celebrate with cocktails. We are beginning to see some version of what Dostoevsky explored in the The Brothers Karamazov as brother Ivan wonders, “Without God and immortal life? All things are lawful then, they can do what they like?” It’s a serious question: what happens when ALL of our leaders lose their fear of God? Does anyone really think Tim Walz gets down on his knees and asks God’s forgiveness for allowing billions of dollars in taxpayer fraud?
So–keeping jackals like Tim Walz in mind–my prayer life at Christmas, and always lately, is this: “Lord, turn us back to You. I see no hope without a truly BIBLICAL revival.”
On Christmas Eve, that may sound ominous, or too heavy, but it’s really just a kind of explanation. God came into an evil world to save us. He arrived at a time when men killed each other in the coliseum, for sport, at a time when sanctimonious Pharisees could witness the dead being raised and call it the work of the devil, at a time when slavery was the worldwide assumption, at a time when the king could kill, without any consequence, all the babies in Bethlehem to secure his throne. The world we live in RIGHT NOW, as evil as it may be, has been made better by God coming into a condemned world and saving it, century by century, for the better.
May the work of the GREAT COMMISSION go on.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Tags: Christmas, Revival, Riley's Farm, Thank You
Categorised in: Culture, Farm Journal
This post was written by Jim Riley
32 Comments
Thank you for expressing our thoughts.
Merry Christmas to you and Mary.
Thanks, Judy. We enjoy your visits. Merry Christmas!
We are so happy to have Riley’s Farm, and your wisdom, in our Christian lives! We come to the Farm several times a year and will continue to do so as long as you are at the helm.
Thank you!
Well said. I enjoy Riley Farms immensely.
Thank you! Merry Christmas!
Sir,
I read your comments and know that my thoughts are the same! Anger in the fraudulent abuse of so called leaders!
But grateful still for the privilege of being an American and sinner saved by Christs gift and payment for my sin
Thank you for your honesty and your wife’s apple pies and goodies! I discovered you at Calvary Chapel
Merry Christmas and Gods Blessings on you and yours
Love that place. Thank you..
We’ve admired your Christmas programs for decades, I’m 73 and been going with my family to Oak Glen since I was young! I agree with your political and Biblical take on the world, Jack Hibbs is my pastor, he was a fearless rebel for Christ during the COVID scam, kept the church open to be available to all who cried out for God’s mercy in some very, tough times. Riley Farms rocks for being at CCCHs selling us your amazing bakery goods and Apple pies, you can pay your bills with sale$ from that alone, your reputation speaks for itself, we find your apple products to be excellent, (thank your wife from us for her hard work!)
May God bless you all and keep your family safe from the demons who try to destroy all that’s good and holy… there’s a new year coming soon, and God welcomes all to return to Him, and get America headed back in the right direction…❣️
Thank you! 73 is sounding young to me these days. Merry Christmas!
Thank you for all you do. Thank you for making history come alive. Thank you for your message.
Thank you, Kathleen!
Thank you speaking with honest, truth. We have supported your farm for many years. We visited 2 times this year. My 5 children learned so much over a 14 years span. I pray men and woman of God like yourself continue the work of the Lord. God bless you & provide all of your needs!
Thank you, Mari!
Best Christmas ‘card’ this year. Thanks for sharing your gratitude. Merry Christmas to you & your family.
Thank you, Marilyn!
Jim, as others have stated, your family and farm have been a tradition in our family for more years than I can count. Now our children are carrying on the tradition with their little ones. You are an inspiration to us all! And Mary’s chicken pot pie, though I hate to admit it, is better than mine.
Strange times we are living in true, but thankfully God has given us stalwarts such as yourself to be an example to us all. Merry Christmas!
Good to hear from you, Ann Marie! Thank you!
I always appreciate your honesty about surviving in California. Thank you for all you and your family do to keep alive American traditions and culture.
Thank you!
well said! Merry Christmas Riley’s!
Thank you!
Merry Christmas from Long Beach! We are thankful for your perseverance each and every season and are already counting down to attending The Christmas Carol next year! (Tickets purchased already with your fabulous new system!)
Thank you, Erika!
I’m thankful for courageous leaders who speak truth because they fear God and not man. Four generations of my family have enjoyed your farm. I recently brought my granddaughter to pick zinnias and apples. I pray God blesses your family and that what you put your hand to, thrives.
Thank you, Gina!
We have enjoyed your farm and wonderful theater performances for years now. When my daughter went on a field trip to your farm 10 years ago I thought to myself what an amazing place this is. I had been to Oak Glen many times over the years but for some reason never to your farm. Your farm is special. Yes you do great things there but there was something else I saw and felt. I figured it out when I went to my first dinner show A Christmas Carol. God’s presence and blessing is at your farm. I admire your strength and resiliency to fight the good fight but I also know where you get it from. May God continue to bless you all and I look forward to visiting your farm next year.
Thank you, Sherri. We’re humbled by God putting up with us.
Merry Christmas and may God joyfully bless you this day and upcoming new year. We stand firm in belief of what you have shared so often, we Praise God in good times and even when things go awry.
Prayers ascending my friend.
Thank you, David!
We are very grateful you are there, shining light in your corner. May God truly bless you in all ways this New Year.
Thank you!