Goodbye Tomatoes and Peppers

When I take the trash out this morning, I'm going to say goodbye to my tomatoes and peppers. It was 28 degrees out this morning--a bit too cold for them. Another year, another lesson not learned.

One lesson that I hope we learn from the teaching this morning is this: People are dying and going to hell. There is an absolute distinction between those who walk in the light and those who walk in the darkness. The final antithesis will come when Jesus separates the sheep from the goats...there will be no more chances to change your mind. Our agenda needs to be that of presenting the gospel to the lost. May the Lord be glorified in this!

Today's Salad

Today is March 28th, 2009. (Which, coincidentally is my mother's birthday. She passed away about 22 years ago at the age of 51. I am now 53 years old myself. )

This is the first real harvest of the Spring. We have eaten a few green onions, but today we will have a full salad from our small home garden. Out of view are some mint sprigs boiling in (filtered) water for ice tea. I am pretty much always thankful to the Lord for His provision; but, am generally more emotional about it when it comes directly from our garden. "Thank you Lord of the harvest for this beginning meal, through which we remember your ever-constant provision for us...Amen."

A Few Spring Pictures

1. Onions, garlic, spinach, broccoli, and day lilies are going strong.
2. The lettuce is ready for us to start picking and eating.
3. If you enlarge the picture of our main sidewalk, you will see a fire-ant bed that began a few days ago.
4. This is a picture of our Lady Banks Rose. It will be in full bloom for about two weeks. We have to trim about 3-4 feet off of it every year so that we can get through the gate. It harbors a variety of birds year round.

Let God be God

I believe that God will turn the "bad things" that happen to Christians to good in His Kingdom. I believe that He is omnipotent and good. I believe that He "allows" bad things to happen in the world. I believe that he is able to bring glory to Himself through all of this. I believe this through faith.

I am going to start teaching at our local body next Sunday. This is the first topic that I am going to deal with...by faith. I, however, was almost overwhelmed at one point last week by the pain and suffering revealed to me:

1. The brother of one of my students was suddenly diagnosed with Stage 4 (very bad) cancer
2. One of my student's wife kicked him out and is selling her body for drug money (there is a 1-year old baby involved)
3. One of my students told me that she has been fainting sporadically for a few weeks and that the doctor wants to do an MRI on her brain (last Friday)
4. Another student emailed he that he could not make it to class because he was having a biopsy done the next day (last Friday)
5. Someone else just (during Spring Break) had her inner ear operated on to "fix" her ear-bones (she is a wonderful singer)...she is doing well, b-t-w
6. Another had his best friend killed in a motorcycle crash last month
7. One of our AWANA students has gone from being a blessing to a curse...we love her

Scripture says that the Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. We are generally only able to see that one step ahead...we don't have the Big Picture. I feel that I usually don't even have the little picture! Praise the Lord that we have Someone who has both the Big and Little Pictures down pat. We don't want to turn into practical deists.

Look, there is pain an suffering...I just hit the tip of the iceberg of what goes on around me all the time. Also, I'm not willing to call bad good.

There is a good answer to all of this; however, we still only see in a mirror dimly.

How then should we live?

I am getting ready to start a series at church. Rick has done a good job teaching us about love and obeying the commandments of Jesus. 1 John is quite a load! Obeying the commandments is somewhat difficult, but not nearly as difficult as the loving your brother part.

Brothers have a tendency to do things that make them unlovable. They tend to say things that are offensive. They tend to argue about things. You get the picture. They also have a tendency to sin.

Wow, we really are a mess. This is not the every body else we, this is the all inclusive we. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way, but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.

We need to get it together. The Lord has us gathering together in local bodies for a reason. We need each other. The church is the group that does the work of the Lord. It is the pillar and foundation of truth. It is the group from which the message of good news goes forth into the world.

How then should we live?

I have to make a confession

Ok, ok ok...I know that I shouldn't have done it...but!!!the temptation was way too great. Please don't quote the "No temptation" verse to me-->I have it memorized. Yes, I gave into temptation and planted my tomatoes and peppers today...BUT, I didn't plant any summer squash....Do I still maintain partial righteousness?

I know it's time to plant garlic and onions when the ones I missed last Fall start to grow in late January. My neighbors, on-the-other-hand, know that it's three weeks off to planting tomatoes when I get mine in the ground.

I have been gardening for about 26 years and still get the itch every Spring to get those tomatoes out early. Up in Denver we had these plastic tomato "walls" you could fill with water and place around your plants. It could snow and your tomatoes would survive. Of course, tomatoes won't start growing rapidly until the ground is around a certain temperature.

Found a lot of things in the garden this afternoon-->I found some round squiqly things that looked like worms and burrowed into the earth when I turned the soil over. I think that we should call them earthworms. I found a few (more) grub worms (which are June bug larvae). I also found one "hidden" fire-ant bed, with only one subsequent bite. Also found quite a few pill bugs (sow bugs).

Please remember that real gardeners shouldn't plant their tomatoes and peppers until after Easter (we ALWAYS seem to get an Easter freeze).