Where:
Tools Needed: shovels, rakes, gloves, trash bags, hose, trowels, fertilizer, compost
Goal: Clean up all the garden area and prepare for planting this upcoming season! Mostly weeding the beds and surrounded areas, clearing out old plants and improving the soil conditions.
Maybe I'm over spiritualizing it but I felt like as I tore up these old plants and replanted them with new, fresh and thriving herbs I couldn't help but think of God's redemption.
The gift of redemption is one of the greatest gifts. That I get to walk in freedom not chained at all to any of the ways I have acted. Thank you God. No one cane give you this gift, except God and you can not work for it or earn it, for it is free and given to you by His never ending grace.
Enjoying a wonderful weekend at home. The farmer's yesterday was just beautiful, heirloom tomatoes, tons of melons and berries and peaches, Oh I just love summer harvest! And the flowers, there blooming like crazy now so I had to get some for myself. These ones really caught my eye, only I can't remember what they were called! But they're my new favorites.
Yes, another cold summer salad, it's just that season I can't help it :) But I love it! Hope you're enjoying it too. This one is definitely better the second day so make a day ahead or save leftovers. The millet takes awhile to cool so I made it a few hours ahead and then set it in the refrigerator until I mixed it with the edamame mixture.
Yesterday, I had the blessing of visiting a friend of mine, Rita’s garden. This place was truly beyond beautiful; I saw God’s glory in every part! My love for gardening is becoming a reality now since I’m home and can plant some veggies of my own to harvest. Rita was so great today to take time away from assisting her husband, they’re building a garage and new home all by hand from the trees on their own property. I think it’s just the greatest thing, and the best part-they give God all the credit! “Every house is built by someone, but he who built all things is God” Hebrews 3:4
Rita’s garden has a large variety of vegetables, beets, kohlrabi, kale, lettuce, spinach, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, and that’s just the start! She has a great caged in area with two aisles of blueberry bushes, they won’t produce fruit this year because of all the pruning but the plants are thriving and very happy :)
We had planned to have me assist all summer with the garden but we realized there really isn’t much work to be done. Rita was so kind and has welcomed me to come by whenever I like. Hopefully, I can find some mornings to come and enjoy the beautiful garden while spending time with the Lord.
Learning about plants, flowers, and gardening really opens my eyes to the beauty of God’s creation. He truly was perfect in how he designed everything to work. This connection that his people were meant to have with the land he gave them is so valuable in understand more about his kingdom. Really, I’ve been realizing how so much of what happens on earth is a metaphor for greater things to come. Jesus taught so often in parables regarding sowing, harvesting and producing fruit. These simple tasks reveal truths about the nature of God and demonstrate his splendor. I feel such a closeness to Him while I am working with his creation. "And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed." See guys, were meant to be in the garden! Basically, I want everyone to start growing their own garden and enjoy watching the miracle of God's creation grow. Not to mention the health benefits of eating the most locally grown and organic veggies is great too.
I was at the farmer's market downtown Santa Cruz yesterday as well and they had a stand with plants, so I grabbed Sun Gold and Brandy Wine tomatoes, Diva Cucumbers, and Italian Bell Peppers. So I've got my own little garden started, very little considering I don't have any beds yet just pots. Baby steps right? If you're just starting with gardening herbs are really easy, small and super fun because you can just go right out and snip some off for cooking! Alise informed me today that Costco is selling a 6 pack for $11! Hurry because you know how fast Costco sells out of things!
Thank you Rita, you are truly a blessing!
<3>
Trav and I had a great Mother's day down in Rancho with our Nan. We spent a lot of our time working in the backyard, gardening, planting tomatoes, picking citrus fruits and pruning the peach tree. God never ceases to amaze me with His creation and how beautifully it illustrates so much about His character and relationship with us.
ys plants tomatoes around this time each year. She bought seven little plants and was waiting to plant them until I came up. Trav was in charge of the weeding and placing the little guys in each of the wholes Nan had dug. I'm fairly positive this was his first time in any garden :) Nan put me in charge of patting down the soil and then digging a little mote around each one to keep the water around the roots. As my Nan was watering the plants, my brother kept saying, "I think that's enough, I think that's enough!" As if he knows anything about watering plants...but the crazy thing is that the plants really need a lot of water to grow. This is their life source; without it they grow dry and weary and eventually fade away. This is how much we need our source of life, JESUS, everyday! And it's so evident that we think we're doing fine and we don't need more, but we can NEVER have enough of Him! Ah, He is so good to overflow our cup and let His living water flow through us. "And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail." Isaiah 58:11
uning, OMIGOSH did He show me so much about the importance of pruning. My Nan has a little tiny peach tree but it seriously must have thousands of little green peaches growing. Now, if we simply left it like that and allowed it to do it's own thing they would never be able to grow or produce any fruit at all. JUST LIKE US! We need pruning in order to be able to bear good fruit for the kingdom. We're completely incapable with out God teaching us lessons and bearing up through hard times. Even more, I realized how difficult it is for him to prune us! Pruning the
tree was anything but easy for me guys, I was having such a hard time picking off the little green peaches and just throwing them away. I didn't really want to at all, but my Nan kept saying we had to for the sake of the peaches. This is such a picture of His heart for us, He doesn't want us to suffer or struggle but it has to be done for the sake of bigger and better things to come! It's because of His deep deep love for us that He does it. "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away. And every one that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bring forth more fruit." John 15:2
ng the highest of oranges and he helped gather some lemons. He was so helpful today :)
I absolutely love tea. And when you love tea, you start to collect all of the gadgets that go along with it...such as tea pots, diffusers, loose leaf tea, bagged tea, etc. Anyway, last year I broke my all-time favorite Bee House loose leaf tea pot, and could not stand to throw it away. I tried to glue it back together, but tea seeped through the cracks...disastrous. I tried to think of what I might be able to use (or rather re-use) it for.
