Errands And Planting

Yesterday the children and I went to town as we had some errands to run. We stopped at Tractor Supply to pick up chicken feed and bedding for them as well as grit. Chicks, especially, need grit to aid in the digestion of their feed. Birds have a gizzard that their food is ground in by the contracting of this strong muscular type apparatus. But in order to properly grind the feed they need to eat grit, which is either ground shell or ground granite. I feed the ground granite to aid in their digestion as they need it. If they do not get the proper amount of grit in their gizzard the feed can become balled in it and cause death in a bird. All birds need some form of grit, especially those you raise on a farm if they are kept in a pen and not allowed to run free range. Where we are we can not let our chickens run due to predators. We have cats which will get the chickens as well as our dogs like to chaise them. There are coyotes, bob cats and cougars here also. The occasional wolf wonders up from the Land Between The Lakes area sometimes, to where we live. We used to have black bears around here but have not seen one in the past few years. Maybe they have moved on. But we have to keep our chickens safe due to these predators, and in order to do so we have to keep them in a pen that the children and I built for them.

While in town Zak bought some Pansies and Violas. He saves up his money to buy vegetables and flower seeds and plants. That is what he enjoys doing. I am thankful that he spends his money on things that will pay for them self in the long run. When we got home we planted the Pansies and Violas. The yard is starting to look pretty with all the flowers that have come up recently and that we have planted. They are blooming and budding. Soon it will be time to mow the lawn. The Lord has truly blest us with so many things to enjoy and partake of.

Zak and I walk around our small property each day to see what new things are growing and blooming. It is so nice to watch things come back to life, life renewed, after the winter slumber it is awakening from. Elizabeth's " Oriental Garden " is starting to take shape. The Forsythia is blooming and the Snow Drop Lilies are coming up. The Pampas Grass is growing well. The Stargazer Lily is not coming up yet and I am worried about it as one of our cats broke it off last year and it may have caused the Lily to die out. I hope not as Zak is the one who gave it to his sister as a gift. But all things happen for a reason. God is in control.

I have to share something with you that happened last year in the garden. I had planted some pumpkin seeds for Zak as he was wanting me to grow some pumpkins for him. The seeds sprouted and grew. All but one plant eventually died out but this one plant had one pumpkin on it. One day as I was hoeing and weeding the garden I accidentally chopped off the root of the pumpkin vine. I told Zak and apologized. He came out to the garden to see the damage that I had done. The vine was cut clean through with no root on it. I dug a hole and stuck the cut vine end into the ground. Then Zak and I prayed together over the pumpkin and asked the Lord for it to grow roots and prosper for Zak and to let it be done to increase Zak's faith in the Lord. Well guess what? That pumpkin grew into a nice sized pumpkin. It weighed about 20 pounds. When we harvested it I pulled up the vine. The cut end did not have any roots on it. What had grown roots was the vine itself up closer to the pumpkin. There were also roots running on the ground under the pumpkin itself that had ran from the vine that the pumpkin was growing on. The Lord heard and answered our prayer. Zak's faith was increased.

I knew that the Lord would answer our prayer for I have been witness to a lot of answered prayer in the course of my 47 years. I myself am a prayer that was answered, several times over. I would not be alive today if the Lord had not heard and answered the prayers of all the people who daily pray for me. I thank God for loving us so much that he cares for us in all the ways He does. I thank God for hearing and answering prayers. I recall the verses in the Bible, God's Holy Word, about having faith as the grain of a mustard seed. The things one could do if they but had faith the grain of a mustard seed. It just shows that we do not have very much faith. We all need more faith in the Lord. All things are possible with, in and of God. I am thankful that my children daily have their faith increased in Him. Faith, something we all need more of.


Matthew 17:20
20)And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I sayunto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Luke 17:6
6)And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.





Blessings,
Nancy

Fellowship and Communing

We had a great service yesterday at the Church we sang at. The Lord blest us. Dad was even able to sing two songs with us and that was something that got the whole Church happy as he testified before he sang with us of what the Lord had recently brought him through. It is a wonderful blessing to be able to sing with my Dad, again. It is a wonderful blessing to be able to sing the Lord's praises and lift our voices up to prayer and praise of Him through and in song. God is faithful and I praise Him for this. We also had great fellowship with everyone after the service as they had prepared a big meal in the Churches basement recreation hall.

Brother Mack, who is the Pastor of the Church we sang at, has been a friend of our families for more then 25 years. He and his wife, Anna Mae, are good people. When you are around them you can just feel their devotion to and for the Lord as it shines in them. I love them so much and thank God for them.

I enjoy fellowshipping with the Lord's children for they do have the joy of their salvation within them. That is what is wrong with so many people today, they have lost the joy of their salvation. There is no reason for us to complain or be sad as we have the Lord in our lives. We should be happy and share the happiness of the Lord in our heart and soul with others, so that they might come to know the Lord and want that happiness and joy within their heart and soul.

On the way home the children and I went the route that took us across Rough River Dam and into the Rough River State Park area. It had been years since we had last been there so I drove down to the lowest level of the dam. We walked around it and looked at the water that is being let out of the dam in preparation for the spring rains that will soon be coming. Then we drove over to the camping area and parked the SUV and walked around for a bit.

We came upon the nature trail and I asked the children if they wanted to hike it and they said yes but Elizabeth was concerned as I had worn a red velvet skirt, white blouse and low heels to the singing. I assured her that I would be fine. I am a tomboy at heart, I grew up on a farm. I love to hike no matter what I am wearing. ( I can imagine the faces of others if they had seen us hiking through the nature trail with me in a red velvet skirt, white blouse and heels. We had the trail all to ourselves though. It was awesome.)So we set off across the wooden plank bridge that was partially dilapidated due to nature having it's way upon it. Then up the hill and through the woods we took off following the nature trail. It was so beautiful out in the woods. The birds were singing, the brooks were flowing over the rocks and making the music that only babbling brooks can make. The entire trail from start to finish is about 3 miles. It starts and finishes at the same point so it is a circular route even though it winds through the woods and up and down hills, rocks and trees. We crossed at least 5 different wood plank bridges that served as passage over streams. It was so invigorating and refreshing, at the same time, to be out in the woods that the Lord has created for our enjoyment and use. God is awesome.

The children and I stopped several times to just take the time to look around and listen to the birds chirping, woodpeckers pecking on the trees, the wind blowing through the trees, the brooks flowing, and so much more that it opened the senses up to the wonderful glory of the Lord. We also came upon a little one room cabin, that the park has restored. We went inside and looked around at the fireplace, the one window, the two doors, directly opposite each other, and the way it was constructed. It had a sense of peace about it. Elizabeth made the comment, several times, while we were on our hike that next time we need to bring our cameras with us to take some pictures. There were so many beautiful opportunities to take pictures on our hike. But for this time we just took the time to enjoy it all and see it for the beauty that God has created it to be.

When we returned to the SUV we were all three happy and we were not tired. We were refreshed, invigorated and at peace with and in the Lord. Our God is amazing. He created this world for our benefit. We need to not abuse it but to take care of it. The Lord provides. He will nourish not only your body, but also your heart and your soul if you will let Him. The Lord presents so many opportunities for us each day. Stop and take the time to listen to the wind blowing through the trees, the birds singing. Stop and smell a flower blooming, or to listen to a brook as it courses over the rocks and along it's winding path. Watch a leaf float upon the waters surface as it drifts upon the current of the stream. All of this is to bring you peace and enjoyment. You will be amazed at the difference you feel within yourself if you but take the time to enjoy what the Lord has given us to enjoy. I praise the Lord for His many blessings and all that He is and does for us, all, daily.