How Does Your Garden Grow?

Hello sweet people! 

 

I truly hope your week is going well. It's a lovely day to take a walk to the garden...and I would love to have you join me. :) 

 Let's pause to watch two squirrels scamper about as they chase each other...

 

 And to pick some beautiful wildflowers.

 Now take a look at what is growing.

These large-leaf plants are yellow squash.

 There are so many buds on one plant!

 The buds turn into these orange flowers...

 And the orange flowers turn into the fruit. I am very excited to have a baby squash growing already.  :)

 

 I'm growing corn for the first time. I'll let you know how it turns out.

 Here's a neat row of onions/chives. You may notice the other plants in the picture. Those are sweet potatoes. I've picked a bunch already, but there are still at least eight plants left.

 

 

 So far, there's only one cantaloupe plant, and it already has several flowers! (Those flowers will soon turn into baby cantaloupes.) Oh, and is that a baby cantaloupe I see already growing? 

 It is! And I found one more. :)

There are a bunch of little sprouts growing as well that I haven't identified yet.

Well, the garden tour has ended, and I hope enjoyed seeing the new plants.  Have a good and godly rest of the week!

Plant smiles, grow laughter, harvest love.


Genesis 1:11-12
And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 

Thankful Tuesday

On this lovely Tuesday, I am thankful for:

~ the amusement of watching the squirrels get fed on our family picnic

 

 ~ our new pet: a little dwarf hamster Deborah received for her birthday

 

 

 

 ~ relaxing bike rides to the serene park down the street

                       

~ my dear sister who turned 17 years old today.

Happy Birthday, Lauren! 

Psalm 118:24

This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

 

What is something you're thankful for on this glorious Tuesday, friend? 

Little Is Much When God Is In It

Little Is Much When God Is in It

By: Kittie Louise Suffield

In the harvest field now ripened, there's a work for all to do;

Hark, the voice of God is calling, to the harvest calling you.

Little is much when God is in it! Labor not for wealth or fame.

There's a crown - and you can win it, if you go in Jesus' name. 

In the mad rush of the broad way, in the hurry and the strife,

Tell of Jesus' love and mercy, give to them the Word of Life. 

Little is much when God is in it! Labor not for wealth or fame.

There's a crown - and you can win it, if you go in Jesus' name. 

Does the place you're called to labor, seem to small and little known?

It is great if God is in it, and He'll not forget His own. 

Little is much when God is in it! Labor not for wealth or fame.

There's a crown - and you can win it, if you go in Jesus' name. 

Are you laid aside from service, body worn from toil and care? 

You can still be in the battle, in the sacred place of prayer. 

Little is much when God is in it! Labor not for wealth or fame. 

There's a crown - and you can win it, if you go in Jesus' name.

When the conflict here is ended and our race on earth is run,

He will say, if we are faithful, "Welcome home, my child - well done!"

Little is much when God is in it! Labor not for wealth or fame.

There's a crown - and you can win it, if you go in Jesus' name. 

************

One snowy night, Fred Suffield, a Canadian, awoke to an urgent pounding on his door. A half-frozen man reported that a train had stalled in the blizzard, and the freezing snow put all the passengers in danger. Fred followed the man to the train and led the passengers back to his house. Later, one of the passengers named Kittie wrote a thank you note. Fred replied, and Kittie wrote back. Soon, their correspondence led to courtship and then to marriage. Later, Fred and Kittie attended a church in Ottawa, where A.J. Shea was pastor, and gave their lives to the Lord. They entered the ministry of evangelism. One summer they invited the pastor's teenage son, George, to spend a month with them in Westport, Ontario, holding evangelistic meetings. One night, George attempted to sing, accompanied by Kittie on the piano, but his voice cracked on the high notes. He sat down mortified and vowed never to sing again. Howere, Kitting suggested he sing in a lower key. He took her advice and kept singing. In June of 2000, many years later, Billy Graham came to Nashville, Tennessee for a four-night mission. At the reception for the Graham team just before the meetings began, George Shea, 92 years of age at the time, rose to sing. His baritone voice broke into a song that had been written 73 years before by Fred and Kitting: "Little Is Much When God Is in It."  God uses little things in great way. A tiny acorn seed may produce a forest. A spark may ignite a revival. Wherever you are, don't be discouraged in serving the Lord, even if it might seem small. God has amazing things in store for you! 

Psalm 100:2
Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 


 

There is a Fountain

There Is a Fountain

By: William Cowper

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel's veins;

And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains:

Lose all their guilty stains. Lose all their guilty stains;

And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains. 

The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;

And there may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away:

Wash all my sins away, wash all my sins away;

And there may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away. 

Dear dying Lamb, thy precious blood shall never lose its power

Till all the ransomed church of God be saved to sin no more:

Be saved to sin no more, be saved to sin no more;

Till all the ransomed church of God be saved to sin no more. 

E'er since by faith I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply,

Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die:

And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die;

Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.

As I was contemplating this song the other day, I had a new thought. Cleanliness is important. Most people take a shower at least once a day, or every other day. Just as washing dirt and old skin from our physical bodies is important, so is washing sin and filth out of our spiritual lives. The song says, "sinners, plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains." If you can, imagine the cross with a little shower head at the top. As you stand underneath, Jesus' very own blood runs out and washes your heart clean. Sometimes it seems we let our lives become so full that we neglect our daily washing. Soon, our hearts are getting cleansed only once a week, and then it might even turn into once a month. And oh how tragic that is! Jesus is ready and willing to plunge us all underneath his blood so we can be free from impurities. Our world is full of toxins and you will daily come in contact with things that contaminate your heart. Deal with it daily and go to the life-giving flow that Jesus offers so you can be washed white as snow. And so you can be changed from the inside out. Once we are changed from the inside out, we, as God's children, can be rivers for God; for we were not created to be mud puddles. We need to be pouring out His love, kindness, grace, & mercy, to all those around us. Dear friends, allow the sweet, refreshing flow of the Holy Spirit flow through you to everyone you meet.

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. ~Ephesians 6:13

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. ~1 John 1:7

I'm praying for you all! 

South Florida and Martin County Fair Pig Auction // Update on Thunder

Hello!

Well, the fairs have ended and both pigs are gone. The South Florida fair was January 17th-20th, and Stormy sold for $4.00 a pound. I didn't take many pictures there, but here are a few. 

Sarah drew this sign for Stormy's cage.

These first three pictures are of Thunder's last day at home before he left for the county fair.

The chickens really liked to hang out with the pigs.

Now here are pictures from the county fair week (2/12 - 2/17).

This piggy weighed the most...350 pounds! Thunder weighed 305 lbs. but the buyers only had to pay up to 280 lbs.

 

Here's Thunder after being auctioned. He sold for $11.50 a pound! You can imagine how excited we all were for Deborah, but it was very sad to say goodbye. We miss both him and Stormy.

 The goats were fun to watch. Some of them just laid in their pens...

 some slept....

 some tried to take the other goat's food....

and some tried to get out by chewing the wood or climbing on the gate. :)

Deborah also entered one of our chickens in the fair. She won reserved grand champion! 

 Here's the grand champion chicken.

Have you been to a fair before? 

God = Love

 Happy Valentine's Day to all you dear friends!

Do you have any special activities planned for today? If so, I'd love to hear about them in the comment section!   Today I'm sharing a post that has been on my heart. I pray it will encourage you. 

Lately, I've been realizing how detrimental fear can be in our lives. Some people fear death, others fear making big decisions, others fear the future, and some fear having close friendships/relationships with others outside family. Those are just a few of the many fears people have. And guess what? Fear comes from Satan. Jesus is the author of beauty, peace, joy, and order. Satan is the author of fear, confusion, distress, and chaos. Fear is a prison that torments your soul. Once inside, Satan throws darts of doubt, discouragement, and dismay to try to make you fall. But he just doesn't want you to fall - he wants you to stay down and wallow in your fear and distresses. And that is totally opposite of what God wants. He came and died to set you free from all bondage and longs to rescue the fearful heart. Remember what 2 Timothy 1:7 says: "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

Jesus loves and treasures you way too much to abandon you in any situation. 

1 John 4:18-19 ~ "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us."

Over and over and over in the Scriptures, God instructs us not to fear.  Our Saviour is love and fear has NO place in love. It does not belong.  God can't reign as king of your heart if fear is sitting on the throne. It will not only steal you joy, but will also hinder you from being fully used by God. So today, dear heart, if you are fearful, give your worries and fears to God because He is big enough to handle them. And He desperately wants to take that burden away. Then replace it with faith. Don't let fear rule your heart, but instead allow the peace of God to fill you. Even though you may not see what comes next or know what God has planned for your future, you can have total peace knowing that He knows. For after all, we walk by faith and not by sight. It can be helpful to find some verses about fear and memorize them. That way when the enemy comes with his fiery darts, you can combat them with God's word. 

The more we fill our hearts and minds with God's word, prayer, and praise, the less room we'll have for Satan's deception that is designed to distract us from the One who loves us extravagantly.  Never forget that you are SO LOVED by the Creator! 

Psalm 34:4-8 ~ "I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Lamentations 3:22-24 ~ "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him."

Isaiah 41:10 ~ "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lord, You are love, and we are Your children,

Called to Your family, drawn to Your heart. 

One with Your Son, our goal is Your glory. 

We live to prove how loving You are! 

Father Creator, Shepherd and Savior,

Ever within You guide and renew. 

Help us to follow, trusting Your spirit,

Spending our days completely in You.  

Lord, You are love and patience and kindness,

Glad to forgive, so eager to bless. 

You give Your all in joyful abandon.
Help us, O Lord, to do nothing less! 

Father Creator, Shepherd and Savior,

Ever within You guide and renew.

Help us to follow, trusting Your spirit,

Spending our days completely in You.

* "Lord, You Are Love" *

~~~~~~~~~~~~

And to close this post, I'll leave you with the words of this beautifully sweet hymn: 

Loved with everlasting love, 

Led by grace that love to know;

Spirit, breathing from above,

Thou hast taught me it is so. 

Oh, this full and perfect peace!

Oh, this transport all divine! 

In a love which cannot cease,

I am His, and He is mine.

Things that once were wild alarms

Cannot now disturb my rest;

Closed in everlasting arms, 

Pillowed on the loving breast.

Oh, to lie forever here,

Doubt and care and self resign,

While He whispers in my ear,

I am His, and He is mine.

His forever, only His:

Who the Lord and me shall part? 

Ah, with what a rest of bliss

Christ can fill the loving heart. 

Heaven and earth may fade and flee,

Firstborn light in gloom decline;

But, while God and I shall be, 

I am His, and He is mine.

* "Loved With Everlasting Love" *

Dear friends, may the Lord richly bless you with His love today. 

with love in Jesus,

Ashley

Jeremiah 31:3 ~ "The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."

Abide With Me

Abide with Me

By: Henry Francis Lyte

Abide with me! Fast falls the eventide. 

The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide! 

When other helpers fail and comforts flee,

Help of the helpless, O abide with me! 

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day.

Earth's joys grow dim; Its glories pass away.

Change and decay in all around I see;

O Thou, who changest not, abide with me! 

I need Thy presence every passing hour.

What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power? 

Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be? 

Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me. 

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;

Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.

Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory? 

I triumph still, if Thou abide with me. 

~~~~~~~~~~

From his childhood, Henry suffered with asthma. However, that did not stop him from his studies and earning a Doctorate from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. After graduation, he and his wife, Anne, settled in the fishing village of Lower Brixham, Devonshire, England at the age of thirty-one. Although he was frail, Henry Lyte provided constant encouragement and spiritual food to his flock, which was comprised of fishermen and soldiers from a nearby garrison. Dr. Lyte, who was well-loved for his caring ways and kind words, frequently ignored his own infirmities and ailments to preach and visit the sick. He was reported to have coined the phrase: "It is better to wear out than to rust out." Sadly, in the late 1840s, his physician told him he was suffering from tuberculosis and didn't have long to live. Soon he made plans to move to the warmer climate of Rome, Italy. On his last Sunday, September 4, 1847, he spoke about the need for his congregation to prepare for the time when they would have to meet God. After he was finished, Henry returned to his study where he penned the beautiful hymn, "Abide With Me." Later that evening, he handed the hymn to a relative and prepared for his journey to Italy. After the trip across the English Channel and a carriage ride through the French countryside, Henry Lyte reached Nice, France. He was so weak after the journey, he was confined to his hotel bed. A few weeks later on November 20, 1847, Henry Lyte died. An English clergyman, Rev. Manning, attended him during his final hours. Henry's last words were, "Peace! Joy!" He was buried at the English cemetery at Nice. 

When the news of his death reached Birxham, the fishermen asked Henry's son-in-law, who was also a minister, to hold a memorial service. It was there that "Abide With Me" was first sung.  This hymn has been translated into dozens of languages and has been meaningful and encouraging to believers throughout the ages. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Dear friends, I hope you all had a blessed Lord's day and have a wonderfully good and godly week! 

love,
Ashley

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. ~John 15:4

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1