The Moreland's

Hoping to Exhale

Well, I'm another year older today.  I don't feel older which is great.  My weight has not fluctuated much over the last 6-8 months, despite my exercising.  I'm hoping some of that fat has turned to muscle anyway.  I am 2 years shy of 40 and honestly, I'm eager to get there.  Once I'm forty I don't have to worry quite so much about the fight to look 20, right?  I'm hoping to exhale and relax in being one of the older Titus 2 women.  I'm not sure why I feel like 40 is the age to do this, I'm thinking that it would just be pushing the envelope to suggest otherwise!

Today I will be visiting with a friend over coffee, working on my importing homework, preparing my bible study, and running various errands in between picking and dropping kids off to school.  I've chosen to wear my favorite pants and a cozy sweater today.  Spiffing up a bit to make myself feel less like the slouchy grouchy frumpy housewife that I sometimes feel I've become.  Look better, feel better, so they say, although no one is truly able to quiet the soul as our lord does.  Even though I'm older, I too still struggle with the idea of meeting man's approval instead of God's. (Roman's 2:28-29)

Gotta scoot, it's cold out there this morning and I need to warm up that van!

New Creation Meets My Past

I have recently joined Facebook at the urging of various friends and seeing my husband reconnect with people from his past.  Facebook is one of those websites similar to myspace or reunion.com where you can place photos, comments and share posts that reflect you as a person or where you are in your life.  It is more of a condensed version of a blog with the ability to send quick notes back and forth between friends.  It can be a great communication tool, or it can really cause misunderstandings and blunders, especially when it limits the number of characters you are allowed to type.  I have been able to reconnect with several people from my high school, but while I feel I have changed much, I have been forced to recognize that many I grew up with are stagnant in how they view the world.

I grew up in Iowa City, Iowa, a college town with very liberal views on pretty much every aspect of life.  As an example, I was sharing my old yearbooks with some friends who had grown up here in Ohio as well as a person who had graduated from California.  They were quite shocked at the articles on birth control, teen sexuality, drinking, drugs as well as photos of teens partying with beers in hand.  These photos were taken back in 1988 and 1989.  We often hear people comparing kids today with how things were when they grew up, usually our days being far better in terms of morals, but I have friends who look at these yearbooks of mine and say, "That would have never flown in my high school back in the 80's!  Nor would it in my child's school now!"

As a Christian, we relate to the verse, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new." 1Cor. 5:17  I am thankful that I have been made new.  That I am no longer that old self, the one who saw the world through eyes that were very self serving, with a heart that seemed to judge well between right and wrong, but in the end would often lead to heartache and misery, not just for me but often for others around me because of my actions.  I know that to some people reading this blog they will not understand.  But once I believed that the Jesus Christ we have heard so much about in history was actually the son of God who died for all mankind as payment for all of the wrong, selfish and immoral things people do, it was as if a veil had been lifted before my eyes and what I was unable to see or comprehend suddenly became clear and in focus. 

Don't get me wrong, it is not a transition that takes place immediately or overnight.  One doesn't become perfect or righteous after asking for God's forgiveness and seeking God's way of living instead of their own.  There is a maturation process.  Some skyrocket, some stumble along falling into pits of muck before accepting the hand that is reaching down to them to pull them out and clean them off yet again.  Others never get off being spoon fed spiritual nutrition, constantly relying on others to hold their hand through life, being unable to answer why they believe what they believe.  Some become modern day Pharisees, thinking that they are better than others because of a religion, not a relationship; forgetting easily they are still imperfect and that Christ paid a great price for their salvation and would like us to love those people we are labeling just as He has shown a sacrificial love for us. 

This idea of self-righteousness isn't limited to those of faith.  It is something we have all struggled with at one time or another, Christian or not.  The idea of thinking that your own way of thinking is "right", thus the people who do not fall into your line of beliefs or views are ostensibly wrong, deceived, ignorant, or just plain idiotic.  Do not misunderstand me, I unequivocally believe that the bible is the word of God; inspired by God and written through man's hand.  It hasn't passed away and within it's 66 books there is a beautiful consistency of God's mercy, grace, providence as well as fariness and foretelling of the One who will redeem this messed up world we live in.

That being said, coming face to face with the realization that there are very few people from my childhood who believe the same things I do makes me very sad indeed.  On one hand I feel like the doctor who has the cure for a deadly disease and a patient who flat out refuses, because of comfort in the status quo, stubborness, or fear to take the medicine that will save his life.  I would love to find my former classmates alive with joy, experiencing the fullness God has for them in their marriage, in their value as a person, in their uniqueness as an individual made by a creator who loves them very much.  But many scoff at these things, as I often did once in my life. 

I know what they are thinking and feeling.  I was there, too.  I did not have a "come to Jesus" moment.  I was making a fat salary working for a Fortune 100 company, owned my own home, was in the prime of my life and everything was going pretty well for me.  I could afford pretty much anything, I was single, free to do as I pleased, and living the life I had imagined.  I thought the "religious" people I knew were fools.  Who were they to judge?  Why were there so many wars in the name of religion?  They couldn't all be right!  Look at all those corrupt bozos asking for money!  Look at all those hypocrites who were saying one thing and then screwing up their lives by doing something else.  Don't give me that religion crap, puh-lease!

So what happened?  I had been invited to a bible study by my aunt.  I wanted to go out of curiousity, for intellectual reasons.  I wanted a better understanding of the bible as so many people were clinging to it as truth.  I wanted to understand the history and the background.  I was skeptical that this study would be able to hold my interest and be able to teach me anything at all.  I didn't want to go if it was another hellfire and brimstone preacher, yapping at me about how I should do x,y,and z.  I also wanted to avoid like the plague that goofy Kumbayah group who thought anything and everything was great.  Fortunately, it was neither. 

The more I learned, the hungrier I became to learn more.  The more I read and discussed who God was, the more I realized how far from that standard I was.  Yet I also learned that despite my condition in God's eyes, I was loved by Him.  He didn't want me to stay the way I was, but would change me and be faithful to help me reach my potential to be the person he created me to be.

I'm still striving to become more Christlike.  The call to love others as I would myself and to love God with my everything is a challenge all by itself.  This becomes especially apparent with the current election drawing near.  So many people with different ideas of how to fix things, but there is one thing we all have in common:  the desire for peace on earth.

I struggle with those who cry "peace, peace", but they will not make an effort to befriend their own countrymen who they may not agree with.  Instead we see photos, posts, of continued strife in our own backyard.  Christian, have you reached out to love that "baby-killing liberal you can't stand"?  Democrat, can you love that religious right wing zealot who thinks they have a right to condemn others and take away their freedoms?  We have our own warfare right here in our neighborhoods, in our own backyards, on our home computers.  As Christians, we know how our Lord would have us conquer evil if we have read any scripture at all.  As fellow humans we should be able to recognize the hypocrisy of our actions.  Am I someone who is quick to stir up strife?  I know I have been guilty of such a thing.

I will leave off with a couple of quotes to think on:

"Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs."  Proverbs 10:12

"Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse.  Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you."  Proverbs 9:7-8

"You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.  I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.  I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him."  John 5:39-43

"When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked [man,] you shall surely die!' and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked [man] shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. When I say to the righteous [that] he shall surely live, but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die."  Ezekiel 33:8,9,13

"...If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."  For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.  For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."" Romans 10:9-13

My Love, My Husband

I am sitting here at the computer while my husband is taking the kids to school.  I haven't showered, my hair is yet uncombed and I'm quite sure I have leftover mascara under my eyes from yesterday.  I'm not exactly the picture of desire at this moment. One of my sons is home sick and I know I will be caring for him in the midst of juggling many other commitments today. 

Despite my groggy and sloppy morning appearance, my husband is a flirt.  I love it because he only flirts with me.  I just received a text message from him.  It was sent yesterday but for some reason my phone just now registered it.  I'm glad because if the message was an indicator of his thoughts at 8:49 am I would be a little worried!  Still, I'm glad he was thinking of me and took the time to show it.  He brings a smile to my face.

My husband is my best friend.  We would rather spend our time together than with anyone else.  We share the same interests, hobbies, struggles and goals in life.  We are 'equally yoked" in many ways.

Now, before you gag while reading this, keep in mind that we are still very different.  My husband likes to watch UFC fights on Youtube.  Not exactly my idea of fun.  He also likes to hunt, putter, and imitate the deaf and blind, especially when searching for something in the fridge or some other item he needs that he is not accustomed to getting for himself.  He burps and farts just like any other man.  He gets frustrated and storms about the house, grumbling about everything he doesn't like.  "People!" he admonishes when he thinks everyone else should be thinking as he does.  He can be very antagonistic.  He is a human male, full of muscle, sweat, stink, desires, frustration, goals, needs and he becomes weary at the end of the day, just like any other human male.

Despite his selfish human nature, I know that myself and the kids come first in his life and I know it by his actions.  I watch him pray, I watch him read his bible.  I know that the words contained in that book are giving him a different perspective on how to be a strong courageous man in a crazy world.  This an alternative to the common men posturing before us on tv these days, the beer drinking, idiotic men who are oggling women and acting like immature 13 year old boys.  Those men have never grown up.  They do not have discipline, self control, love nor do they have the strength to live with integrity and honor.  They pursue immediate gratification, pleasure, material things that do not last beyond this lifetime, or even this year, and they do so with the excuse of "I'm a guy".  Well, they may be guys, but they are not men.  They are definitely not of the caliber I want to share my life with, nor are they someone I would choose for my daughters.

When the going gets tough, and it will, what will be your husband's rock?  What will be his moral compass, the things that gives him guidance and direction to weather the storm?  Will he seek comfort in pleasurable things?  Will he seek to disappear into a make believe world of porn, video games, movies, tv, sports, alcohol, work or his buddies?  Or will he rise to the challenge that will test his mettle?

My huband is kind, generous, and hard working.  I have a husband who is strong and perservering.  I know this because after he's been working construction, chopping wood, cleaning windows and such, he still comes home, plays with the kids, gives me hugs, kisses, and asks how he can help when I 'm getting dinner ready.  He helps the kids with homework, helps me get our four kids in bed, then makes a pot of decaf tea for us to share as we visit and read together at the end of the day.  I do not share my husband with the tv, computer or other nonsense.  I am completely and totally in love with my husband.  He doesn't send me flowers or buy me things often.  I may get flowers from him once a year.  However, he spoils me rotten in ways that are meaningful to me.  He is there for me. 

So, when my husband messes up (which he does), or irritates me or makes me angry, I have so many good things about him to recall to memory.  I don't stay angry for long.  It becomes easy to forgive and overlook many imperfections, especially as I see him overlook mine.  My husband's love for me is a picture of Christ's love for me.  It is forgiving, hopeful and sacrificial.  Because of this, I am able to love my husband much and well because of how he demonstrates his love for me.  I want to please my husband and make him look at me with desire.  I want him to want only me and pursue me as he did when we were first dating and we were completely foolish for one another. 

My husband loves God.  This is the biggest reason I love my husband.  If he didn't seek how God wants him to live and make decisions, he wouldn't love me as well as he does.  He wouldn't consistently put others before himself, whether that means me, the kids, or our elderly and disabled neighbors.  These qualities make him very attractive.  I believe that God helped me to choose wisely when I chose him as my lifelong mate.  While we are definitely not perfect, we are perfect for one another!

Back Again (and with Electricity)

Fall is here!  I am loving the cool weather which lends to foggy mornings.  The grey fog smokily winds through the colored leaves in the forest that surrounds our fields.  It makes for a very eery and romantic view.  Then the golden orange sun seeps into the sky, slowly burning away the lazy greyness, leaving the ground wet with dew.

I'm always dressed in my warmest pj's and have a cup of tea in hand on these mornings, until I'm awake enough to get the troops in order for school.  Of course by that time, the romance of the cool morning is gone and it is time for order, work and quick thinking.  I'm glad God made caffeine.

While the kids are in school I have been working on several things in addition to the typical daily household work and farm projects.  First, I've been preparing and teaching a women's bible study.  Second I've been learning Russian again.  I say again because I had to set it aside for so long that I'm having to start over.  It is so true that you lose it if you don't use it.

Third, I've been researching starting a business in imports and exports, thanks to the encouragement of my mother.  I'm excited about this as I have always loved learning languages, learning about other places, peoples and cultures.  This is an area that I think I would enjoy immensely and can see taking my children in the future to widen their perspectives on the world. 

Fourth, I am picking up my writing again.  I've been able to do a bit more research regarding working historical fact into my fiction.  History has so much information that is better than anything you can dream up on your own.  It provides wonderful fodder for stories, characters and plots.  My children loves for me to tell stories about old days, about ancestors, their lineage, what people used to do, how they used to live and what kind of trouble they were in.  I remember loving the same things as a child.

I'm still selling books on Amazon, still playing with photography, trying to learn how to sew properly, still looking for homes for our gazillion cats and kittens, still beekeeping, canning, painting and taking care of chickens and dogs, trying to find time to exercise.  One thing that is great about living in the country and being a stay at home mom is that my life is certainly NEVER dull, nor is it idle!

No Power!

We had a major windstorm last Sunday and with it came major damage- although nothing in comparison to those in the wake of Hurricane Ike!  I'm glad we are here in Ohio where we got to feel a taste without swallowing the whole meal.

We have been without power since Sunday.  As we live out in the country we are also without water as our well pump requires electricity.  Fortunately for us, we have an above ground spring which we use to haul 5 gallon buckets of water up to the house in order to provide drinking water for the animals as well as to flush our commodes.  We also have wonderful neighbors who managed to hook a generator up to their home and so they are sharing their potable water with us.

We've had fun with flashlights, candles, oil lamps, and now, Shane's dad has brought over a generator for us to use so that we can have better lighting, a cold fridge, and access to the computer.  Still no water, though, due to the fact that our fuse box is full and every home improvement store for miles is sold out of the plugs needed to rewire the well pump directly to the generator.  We were told to estimate the power continuing to be out until NEXT Sunday!  Ugh!

So, I drive the 12 minutes into town to visit a dear friend of mine's bathroom, with my two girls in tow.  After a shower for me and a bath for them we feel much better.  Thank goodness friends don't let friends stink! Ha!  Shane will take the boys to a friend's home this evening.  Until now it has been sponge baths from pots of heated water for them.

We had spent Monday removing a tree from our driveway.  It was an all day family effort, kids picking up branches and sticks, loading them into the trailer, raking the yard, and Shane running his chainsaw to cut up some firewood from the larger sections.

I also spent Monday trying to capture a wild bee colony that was located inside a tree that had fallen on someone's property.  I fully suited up as it was cool, cloudy and breezy.  Not exactly great conditions for dealing with bees.  I had to reach up into the cracked open tree trubk and try to gently remove the layers of comb inside.  After loading as much as I could of comb and bees into a cardboard box, I traveled home and tried to place it into a hive.  I popped out the plastic foundation and used rubber bands to hold the wild comb in place.  Don't know if this will work and I'm not sure if the queen survived or not.  I'll wait another day or two and then check it to see.  In any case, I was thrilled with the experience!

Even though Shane and I are struggling with colds, I took off to the laundromat.  $36.00 and 2 1/2 hours later I had completed 15 loads of laundry!  Whew!  Now if I could just get two of our kids to stop wetting the bed.....

Speaking of bed, I'm going to rest my weary bones.  I'm hoping this cold will have vanished and our electricity will be back on when I wake up!

Marriage & Relationships

Upon rising in the cool hours of the summer morning, my husband starts a pot of Earl Grey Tea in our coffee pot.  We like our tea laced with honey and milk and sip the warm soothing beverage every morning before the kids wake, treasuring our "alone time" together.  During these times we plan our week, discuss the things that have been on our minds, philosophize and generally enjoy one another's company.  It's times like these that I think make our marriage a strong one.

This morning we were discussing what ingredients make a happy marriage for each spouse.  We both began with the agreement that, of course, a marriage must be built on the foundation and love for our creator, Jesus Christ.  Without this, there is no solid foundation which objectively guides each individual's thoughts and actions in the rough seas of life.  Without it, selfishness creeps in until the union has been infested with the attitude of "my rights and happiness" mentality or an unhealthy approach to prioritizing children over one's spouse. 

We have observed so many of our friends and family doing things not out of consideration for their spouses or others, but doing what they would rather do personally or what is convenient, popular, or enjoyable for themselves.  For example, as a parent you are bombarded with considerations such as should your kids be in soccer? Cheerleading?  Piano? Swimming?  Don't forget Art, Music, AWANA.  Oh, and you better hit the gym, no one is allowed to age or be unhealthy.  After looking at the latest cover of Redbook (or some other similar women's magazine) it should be understood that one needs to perpetually maintain the look of a 25 year old. 

Make sure you are also well respected in your career.  Maybe you need to go back to school, sharpen those workplace skills, try something new to keep life exciting.  And, after all this hard work, you deserve some time to yourself, right?  Golfing?  Shopping?  Of course, there is that church picnic, the team building activity for work , and the list goes on and on.  The next thing you know the hustle and bustle of life has separated the two that should have become one.  The limited allotted time available to invest in marriage and family has been swallowed up and shuffled until you find yourself making excuses for the small amount of "quality" time you can spend with your spouse.  Forget how often, it's what you do with the time that counts, right?  NO.

It is not just quality, but quantity that builds relationships and strengthens them.  We simply cannot replace time spent with those we love with material things, activities, and "fun".  In order to build a meaningful relationship you have to be there.  It is through moments spent together day in and day out that we learn who our spouse and children are, and how weak we are ourselves.  You know that old commandment "Love one another as I have loved you"?  Jesus loved us sacrificially.  Have you tried to love someone when you don't feel like it?  Have you tried to love someone when they are driving you crazy?  Of course it is easier to avoid the problem or one another versus performing loving acts.  I would much rather lock myself in the bathroom or head to the nearest mall or get lost in a good book when my family members are driving me insane.  However, I've found that when I suck it up and humble myself to demonstrate love through humility - saying "yes" when I want to scream "leave me alone for 5 minutes", everyone is happier and I feel triumphant at conquering an otherwise frustrating situation. 

Now, don't get me wrong, of course there are boundary conditions.  I am not a doormat.  I also have a self-will like you wouldn't believe and I tend to lack discipline in my own life.  For me it is a delicate tightrope walk of learning what is motivating my responses and trying to bring my selfishness under control. 

Making my husband feel wanted, appreciated, needed and respected are necessary and some days it does take an effort.  I'm sure I don't need to mention the days when my darling husband is muttering under his breath "I love my wife, I love my wife, I love my wife..." while trying to overlook my irrascibility.  Relationships are work.  I think if you were to forget the rest of the bible and just focus on the two commandments Jesus named:  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength.  Love one another as you love yourself", you would have plenty to work on and keep your hands full for the rest of your life.

Peek at our Work Week

Wow!  I can't believe I haven't written since the end of May!  We have been working very hard on our CSA as people come to pick up their produce every Thursday evening between 4 and 7pm.  As we are growing organically we are kept busy through the week.

Monday- catch up on home life activities, fertilize and water garden if necessary

Tuesday- weed, till or pick beans, plant more produce for later harvesting

Wednesday- begin harvesting rest of produce, weeding as you go

Thursday- harvest lettuce and herbs, bag and seperate items for each customer

Friday- spray neem or stylet oil on all of garden and orchard

Saturday- inspect beehives, add supers or maintain as needed

Sunday- church and REST

Of course, our daily activities include feeding and watering the cats, dogs, chickens, the usual cleaning, cooking, laundry, grocery shopping, paying bills and various paperwork, dr. and therapy appointments, swim lessons, preschool, library trips and such.  S has also been cleaning windows, chopping wood for the winter, mowing, weed-whacking, building nesting boxes, fixing bridges and fencing, and waterproofing our house and barn, setting mole traps, applying for jobs, and interviewing.  I'm still treasurer of the Miami Valley Beekeepers Association and have been organizing and participating in events for them as well.  Believe it or not, we still manage to make it to the pool once or twice per week, watch a movie and read books with our four children.

Our chickens have begun to lay eggs, but they are still small and the chickens haven't been laying them in the nesting boxes yet.  We expect them to do that as they reach maturation in August.  We still need to address the fencing for goats, refinish our wood floors, reupholster two chairs and finish some touch up painting in the house.  Other than the fencing for goats, we plan on finishing the other stuff up when the CSA is over and fall comes with cooler temperatures.

Well, there you have it.  A peek into our week.  Are you tired yet?

Paid Family Workers

Today I got  to paint more honey supers with N.  He was thrilled to have an extra job to do and after he had cheerfully said he would help I gladly offered to pay him two dollars for his work.  He was very excited and cheerfully went to work.

When C heard that money was involved, I found that he had picked up the dogs'  little yard gifts, given the dogs baths and brushed out their fur, as well as began volunteering to do just about every chore under the sun, for a little bit of cash.

I am conflicted over how to handle this.  One the one hand, I want the kids to enjoy the accomplishment of work and feel like a contributing and valued member of the family without payment.  On the other, I would like them to have a tangible reward for hard, cheerful work that is beyond their normal chores.  I also think that when they earn money doing extra work, they appreciate how much things cost, and learn how to manage their time and money.

In any event I am out about $12 after all was said and done today.  I'm beginning to feel like a sucker who really needs to lower my wages as well as my job opportunities!

Our kids don't get a weekly allowance for doing chores, so currently the extra work they do is paid.  I would love to hear from other people how they manage this. 

Happy Working!

Hand Tilling the Garden

I spent this past week using the hand tiller to do several rows of additional planting.  The tiller is constructed in a triangle, similar to that of a wheelbarrow.  My hand on each handle form one side, the other two sides of the triangle being formed by the handles meeting to a single wheel which has tines directly behind it..  I push as I walk behind my tiller, I guide it, convinced I am tilling a straight row.  I stop to lift the tiller and turn it around to go over the row  a second time.  I brush the hair out of my eyes and look down to survey my work.  The breeze is blowing slightly on this sunny day.  People are driving quickly past our house and I can feel their inquisitive eyes inspecting my efforts.  Thank goodness my rows are parallel to them.  My row of soft brown earth veers off track.  Very slowly and gradually, my "straight" row has ended about 6 inches off to the right of where it should be.  I am reminded of the proverb that says "There is a way that seems right to a man but ends end death."  My row seemed right, it seemed straight, but it didn't end where it should have.

Isn't this typical,  I think.  Nevertheless, I continue with my plowing, determined that when I set up my stakes and string I will correct my row with the seeds I plant.  I use my string to guide me while I plant.  It is apparent that I need a solid reference point other than my own eyeballs!  And so it is with my own life.

I can't help but think that Christ knew that parables relating to agriculture would be so effective and so long lasting, despite all of our grocery stores, wholesale markets, and mass production.  Anyone who has ever attempted to garden, especially in a straight row, quickly realizes that it is very tempting to turn away from the plow and get a drink of lemonade, perhaps even wanting to give up completely.  After all, there is a store on the corner where I can buy whatever I want without all this hassle.  Is this really necessary?  How important to me is it that I work the soil with my own hands, while my children quickly grow tired and cranky after pulling weeds or are begging me to stop, tugging on my arm wanting to go "do" something.  There is also that nasty pile of laundry and dishes in the house, those unanswered phone messages and the paperwork needing to be filled out for a specialist or the school.  Life's demands are always calling us to turn away from the plow.  After all, isn't something in life always calling us to be more, do more, live more (especially for ourselves!).  I can see why Martha complained while Mary sat at Jesus feet.  That would most likely be me, complaining about the work instead of enjoying a relationship with THE GOD of heaven and earth. 

It can be tricky, trying to balance our own spiritual growth and relationships with the birds, weeds, and shallow roots of our lives.  Just like the birds that want my seeds and berries, there is someone who wants to come snatch my faith away, perhaps someone who wants to discount the reality of it.  There are weeds in life that choke out time for learning, living and growing with and through Jesus.  Kids, appointments, phone calls, acitivities, work, etc.  I think this can apply to having shallow roots as well, for when the dry spells come, we are tried or find ourselves dissatisfied, to whom or to what do we turn to to fill that need?  If it is not God then it may satisfy for a moment and then be gone.

Biblically speaking, we were given the task of tending God's garden even before sin entered the world.  Of course, at first  we didn't have any weeds or garden pests and we didn't need to pray for rain or sun.  Christ comes and admonishes us not to give up but to keep our hands to the plow, not turning to look back.  Paul in his letters to the Thessalonians admonishes us to work with our hands and lead a quiet life, that we would be dependant on no one, and able to help others.  Of course, one can take these things quite literally, but what I am getting at is that there is a hidden blessing when we look to God to guide us in our work.

I think that when we do choose to work the soil, whether it be the literal soil in our garden or the soil of our hearts,if we perserve against the odds, the distractions, and the hardships, we can actually see something positive occurring.  After all, it is not how perfectly I plow my rows, but the fact that I am making the effort to do it.  I am working as if it depended on me, but I am also wholeheartedly putting my faith in the Lord to bring the rain, the sun, to make things grow and be fruitful, whether on my insides or in my outdoor garden.  I am counting on Him to "guide my steps and make my path straight."

At the beginning side of my garden I have rocks, weeds, grubs.  If I perservere through the planting, the droughts, the pests, the poor germination and the plentiful weeds, I find that I have an abundance of food, and more to share with anyone than I can find enough people to share with!  I can work even harder to preserve food so that my family has fresh organic produce that is healthier and more flavorful than anything I find at the store.  There is also a satisfaction I feel, knowing I can visibly see the outcome of my hard work.  Knowing that I spent my time adding beauty and contributing to the health of my family and others feels good.

Time to get back to attacking those weeds!

News from the Hunnicutts

Our breathing hasn't yet slowed as we are running to plant our garden as soon as the rain stops.  It is not fun planting in mucky conditions.  We have had a very cold, wet May this year.  Supposedly that is unusual for Ohio.  Just when S thought he was done with burning wood, I inform him that the house is at 66 degrees which is WAY too cold for me.  It's a good thing I'm not married to the dairy farmer next door- he doesn't heat his upstairs in the winter time but turns the water off to his upstairs bathroom so that the pipes don't freeze!  Meanwhile he and his family sleep under many blankets!

We planted several cold weather things back in April.  Now we are racing to get the rest in.  I had to replant my onions.  Not a one came up!  I've decided to plant all my herbs inside the cold frames so that this fall when it begins to get chilly we can just pop the top onto them.  Only one of my lavender plants survived the Ohio winter (Hidcote for those of you who are interested).  We were late with the mulch and coldframes so hopefully we'll have better luck this year.

Something is already chewing up the leaves of my green beans, and a rabbit has eaten 12 strawberry plants.  I'm thinking rabbit stew again...

My bees are doing well.  Our friend, Tony, from the beekeepers meeting, spent two hours with us the other day inspecting our hives.  I learned so much!  Tony helped me find 2 of my queens, and we identified the nurse bees, the drones, and of course, the workers.  We identified drone brood, and queen cells.  I had a colony with plenty of queen cells as well as bees.  It was getting ready to swarm.  We had to find the queen and split the hive, killing all of the queen cells that would be in her hive box, and leaving the other queen cells in the remaining colony.  It took us a while but we found her.

Another hive I had split wasn't doing well.  They were queenless and deteriorating.  We ended up rejoining that split.  My new colony seems to be doing well.  I'm hoping to get lots more honey this year and I am already smacking my lips!

Hopefully I'll have something more interesting to say next time.  That's all for now!