07/02/2026
Everyone, meet Aspen, our miracle pig. Aspen is the newest addition to our little herd. She’s a sweet little Meishan gilt from Bad Baxter Farm we couldn’t be happier to have her.
I also have to say a few words about Bad Baxter Farm. Blaze is one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet. Her passion for this lifestyle shines through in everything they do, and it was truly a pleasure getting to meet her.
Aspen’s first day on the farm, however… didn’t exactly go according to plan.
We settled her into her quarantine pen, gave her fresh food and water, and spent some time talking to her so she could begin learning that we were safe. Everything was going perfectly…until it wasn’t. Somehow, this little escape artist found the one weak spot in the fence and disappeared.
After a frantic search, we finally spotted her deep in the neighbor’s woods. Picture this: a grown man chasing a tiny piglet through the brush with a giant landing net. I can only imagine what the neighbors’ game camera recorded. It couldn’t have been dignified.
I ended up tangled in brambles, lost sight of her, and searched until well after dark. We left food out and hoped she’d come back.
Nothing.
Before sunrise the next morning, my wife and I were back searching again. We looked until it was finally time for me to leave for work. As we walked back, she quietly said, “Pray for a miracle. She might come back.”
I’ll admit it—I was frustrated. I was convinced Aspen was gone.
Somewhere during all of that, I remembered something from a recent Bible study. We had talked about praying even when things aren’t going well—not just asking for help, but thanking God for the lesson.
So that’s what I did.
I thanked Him for the lesson and asked, “What did we do wrong? What are You trying to teach us?”
Still frustrated, I told my wife, “Miracles don’t happen.”
She smiled and said, “They do… just in God’s time, not ours.”
I even muttered, probably louder than I should have, “Then what good are they?”
Driving to work, my heart was heavy. I couldn’t stop thinking about this little pig who didn’t know us yet. She didn’t know we were safety. She didn’t know we were food, shelter, and care. All she knew was that two giant strangers had been chasing her through the woods.
Then my phone rang.
My wife's voice was excited and breathing was heavy
“She’s back.”
Aspen had returned on her own and was calmly eating from the very spot she had escaped from—the place she’d only eaten once before. She had wandered nearly a mile away, yet somehow found her way home.
God had to go and prove me wrong.
We received the lesson… and we got our little Aspen back, our miracle pig.
Since then, we’ve fixed what needed fixing, learned from our mistakes, and Aspen has been happy and safe in her quarantine pen.
She may only be a little pig, but she gave us a story—and a lesson in faith—we’ll never forget.
Welcome home, Aspen.