Welcome to the Brown Family Farm  

We are delighted you are here to join us.  It is an honor to have you here and I trust that God will truly bless your time in this place.  Our desire is that everything about life on the Brown Family Farm will work to declare the glory of God to all generations.

Let me explain some of the history and features of this place, as well as their meanings to the Brown’s.

Rocks:   
This property was originally operated as a quarry and produced the large rocks that you will see here.  There are several houses and even a church in Wake Forest built from these rocks.  These are the same boulders you will see around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which was built in the 1960’s.  A rail road  ran through the middle of our lakes and the rocks were taken directly to Chesapeake for the bridge building effort.  In the very early days, there were dwellings near Quarry Road,  near the entrance, that housed prisoners who worked in the quarry. I love these rocks because they cry out, calling to me about THE Rock.

"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."  Matthew 7:24-27

Pasture:
These rolling pastures sing the praises of the Good Shepherd who loves His sheep enough to give them the choicest of food.  The Bible makes it clear that God is the only truly good shepherd.  All others are impostors who will steal, kill and destroy the flock.

 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. 3 For the Lord is the great God, And the great King above all gods. 4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth; The heights of the hills are His also. 5 The sea is His, for He made it; And His hands formed the dry land. 6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. 7 For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture,  And the sheep of His hand."  Psalm 95  1-7

Water:
I absolutely love these lakes because they open my heart to meditateupon water. All my life I have loved water and most all water sports.  At age fifty, I bruised my rib surfing in the Atlantic Ocean.  I absolutely love to be in the water. When walking by lake or stream, there is something so magnetic that I cannot help but look at it constantly.  When I was twelve, my father and I built a Kayak and we paddled and swam in the Pacific Ocean,  behind Glen Canyon Dam, the Colorado River and the Salton Sea. Lake or creek, pond or tributary,  ocean or sea, I love them all. You can imagine why water baptism means so much to me.  The cleansing waves washing over are always deeply symbolic  The statement, in John 7:37 says  “out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water, strikes me to the soul because of my love for water.

Here at the Brown Family Farm, we have water. It reminds me of the Living Water of Life.  It washes over us as we acknowledge we are sinners.  Eternal life works like this:  we agree that we are sinners, we repent and abandon the old life and the Lord Jesus Christ then washes us with forgiveness and brings into His kingdom of eternal joy.  We have baptized scores of people in this water, and I trust it will have deep meaning for all who look upon it.  So the message of the
Brown Family farm is expressed by the prophet Isaiah:

"Come, everyone who is thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you without money,
come, buy, and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost! 2 

Why do you spend money on what is not food,
and your wages on what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
and you will enjoy the choicest of foods.

Isaiah 55:1-21

Millstones:
You will also see several millstones around the property.  These have been purchased from local mills that have ceased operation.  These stones are over 100 years old,  and were a part of the local economy in the 1800’s.  We know that two of them are over 200 years old.  Some were hewn in France and some in the US.  Nearly all of the small mills were run out of business in the 1960’s because the US government safety administrators asked for upgrading of the mills to be outfitted with restrooms and other costly requirements.  Many of the old mill operators were not able to stay in business and had to close and their operations went into disrepair.  One of those was Perris Mill Pond, established in 1778, and is only a few miles from here.  Another was on the Neuse River near Ligon Mill Road.

Why are they here?  They serve as warnings! The most famous statement about millstones came from the mouth of Jesus.   The disciples came to him and asked “who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?  Matthew records His answer:

“He called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.   Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.  Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.  Woe to the world because of enticements to sin! For enticements must come, "but woe to that man by whom the enticements come”
Matthew 18:1-7. 

Jesus words were to direct the hearers to turn away from sin to avoid a terrible death, like drowning by a millstone.

The Skies:
Cleared land not only creates rolling pasture, but it also exposes a big sky that opens the soul to enjoy the majesty of God.  You will really enjoy the night sky and the way the stars and the moon reflect off of the lakes.  It is very bright both by night and by day.

"The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day pours forth speech and night unto night reveals knowledge."  Psalm 19:1

 Welcome to the Brown Family Farm, where the sight of these Rocks call out in memory of the Rock of Ages…

And the Pastures sing praise to the Good Shepherd who brings His sheep to green pastures…

            And the Lakes open the heart to the Living Water of Life that refreshes and cleanses…

                    And the Millstones warn of the terrible punishments from causing children to stumble…

                           And the Big Sky opens the soul to the enjoyment of God for His Vast Greatness.