Giving Thanks ~ The Happy Gardener and His Happy Helpers

This afternoon I took a break from making brine for our green bean pickles (yum!) and stepped out on the porch into the cool fall air. As is often the case, the Happy Gardener (aka DaddyDon) was working in the sunshine out in the big garden with one of his best gardening buddies, R. I just love seeing my kiddos pitching in and learning to love the land.

In the late autumn around here we are finishing up the last of our good fall veggies and planting winter crops like cabbages, broccoli, onions, and lettuces. I don't know which garden season is my favorite here in the south~ it works out great because just about the time we get good and tired of squash, the first frost of the season kills it and we get to move on to the salad greens. Or when we are up to our ears in watermelons they finish up and the tasty fall green beans come on strong.  When the summer weather gets too hot for anything else, the okra and peppers and zucchini are just hitting their stride. We may not get to have a white Christmas very often, but we sure can grow awesome veggies.

Today I am very, very thankful that my dear Daddy loves to garden, and more importantly, that he is teaching my children all the secrets he knows. We eat mighty well here at Pecan Bluff because of his vision and planning and all his hard work. And we are thankful that Gram pitches in wherever he needs her. The pictures below show just a fraction of the fun and bounty we get from our big ol' gardens through the year. What a blessing.

adapted from

The Garden Song

by David Mallett, sung by John Denver

Inch by inch, row by row

Gonna make this garden grow

All it takes is a rake and a hoe

And a piece of fertile ground

Inch by inch, row by row

Please bless these seeds I sow

Please warm them from below

'Till the rain comes tumbling down.

Pulling weeds and pickin' stones

Man is made of dreams and bones

Feel the need to grown my own

'Cause the time is close at hand.

Grain for grain, sun and rain,

Find my way in nature's chain

Tune my body and my brain

To the music from the land.

Plant your rows straight and long,

Temper them with a prayer and a song.

Mother earth will make you strong

If you give her love and care.

An old crow watching hungrily

From his perch in yonder tree.

And in my garden I'm as free

As that feathered thief up there.

Inch by inch, row by row

Gonna make this garden grow

All it takes is a rake and a hoe

And a piece of fertile ground

Inch by inch, row by row

Please bless these seeds I sow

Please warm them from below

Till the rain comes tumblin' down.

Good Book Review :)

Back in early spring I decided to do something I've never done:  read through my Bible, cover to cover. I'm ashamed to admit I've tackled this project before and failed miserably. What a lousy feeling. I knew it was high time for me to read God's Word like the story that it is ~ His story.

In the past I seemed to start out strong with the best of intentions, then I'd fizzle out. I let life get in the way. I got busy, got bored, or just got lazy. How depressing. Even though I've always cracked the Good Book open at least once or twice per day, it was usually for schooling with the children or for Family Time devotionals. I'd read a scripture here, snatch a verse there. We memorize verses together, and I even print out verses and hang them around the house to help us with memorization. But I really wanted to read the Bible as a story. That just hadn't happened.

This time I decided things would be different, so I started by adjusting my attitude. Owning a Bible, knowing how to read it, and having the blessed freedom to do so anywhere and anytime is a gift ~ a true blessing of immeasurable worth. This book holds the very words of God, and they are written for me! What an amazing treasure. And what a tragedy to take it for granted. I also realized that in my relationship with the Lord I was doing way too much of the talking, and far too little listening. I actually find it quite easy to pray often, and I'm glad I have that habit of talking to the Lord. But what on earth made me believe that what I have to say to Him is of more importance than what He has to say to me? Forgive me, Lord.

Another mistake I've made through the years is picking up my Bible, flopping it open to a page and starting to read, all the while expecting some enlightening passage to leap off that page and meet my every need. Would I check out a library book and just pick and choose passages at whim, never reading it completely?


So this time around, the teacher in me resisted the urge to make a chart and schedule my pages and commit to reading a certain number of minutes per day. I also ditched the idea of using a specially arranged Bible that tries to keep things interesting by grouping together bits from the Old and New Testaments. In years past I'd try to study with one of those arranged Bibles and found the whole thing so disconnected that I just didn't enjoy it and I never stuck with it. This time I determined to simply pick up my New King James version Bible every day and drink in the words the good Lord laid out before me, beginning in Genesis and working through it page by page. No pressure. No assigned pages to tempt me to speed through the passages. No skipping around and picking and choosing. No guilt for falling behind.

To develop the habit of reading for my own profit every day, the first week I made sure I didn't go to sleep until I'd done it. Granted, I was up late some nights that first week, and I could hardly keep my eyes open past a couple of chapters; but after that, daily Bible reading really had become a habit, and my first hurdle was conquered.

I also took a break from reading other material. Now, as a home school mom I normally read a lot of materials. Either my husband or I read and approve everything before our children consume it.  But  there was just no way to keep up my normal schedule of reading while tackling my big Bible project. I put aside any leisure reading as well, to make sure I gave myself no excuse to spend precious moments reading anything else. Turns out, I have plenty of already reviewed books on our shelves just waiting for the kids to tackle them. Even after my break of several months, they still have reading material for school they are working through. I know that at some point I'll work back into reading our literature for school, but by then I pray that my Bible reading will be such a strong habit it will always take priority, as it should have all along.


Want to know the most amazing thing about this process? As I said, I gave up leisure reading when I started my little experiment, and I thought I'd really miss it. I really do love to read ~ from inspirational personal stories to classic literature! But I can honestly say I haven't missed those other books during these past months. I prayed that God would help my daily Bible reading become more than just a good habit. I wanted to want to read His word every day. And praise the Lord, He has worked that good work in me. Now I can't wait to pick up my Bible every time I get a few minutes~ His story is that good! Now I carry my Bible around the house and leave it in handy places so I can grab it up when I have a free moment. I even carry my Bible to appointments so I can read in the waiting room. I am enjoying this trip through scripture so much, and I am thankful.

I'm not setting any records for speed reading. I frequently allow myself time to research passages that I don't understand. I've taken time to study some archaeologic sources as well. But it's really OK with me if this project takes me another year, or two. I'm learning and growing and spending time in the Word. As of today, I've read up through II Kings and am still going strong. I really have a different attitude about Bible reading now, and my children sense it. They see that I'm excited to pick up my  Bible~ and I want them to develop that love for the Word. His Word has become the good book I just can't put down!

If any of you busy moms have struggled to keep yourself in the Word every day I'd love to hear your tips and advice. I'm just so excited that I'm finally making good progress!

Giving Thanks ~ Smiles

These smiles

make me smile.

Thank you, Lord,

for these precious people.

Sunday Saying

The more I study nature,

 the more I stand amazed 

at the work of the Creator.

~Louis Pasteur

Giving Thanks ~ Train Rides Together

We had so much fun taking this family outing to a park for a train ride! I'm thankful for my train-loving boys, who always have an intricate and ever-changing train layout filling half their bedroom floor. I'm thankful they were so excited to see their little sister get to ride this train with them for the first time. Loud noises, new places, and crowds of people can all trigger stress for S. See where her fingers are in the first picture? She is prepared! The train driver agreed not to blow the whistle while we rode, and we were all thankful that S made it through most of this experience with a big smile on her face. And I'm especially thankful for my precious teen, who truly enjoys anything that brings joy to her siblings.

Giving Thanks ~ Rain

I love this time of year! What a wonderful time to find moments to thank our good and loving Father for the many blessings in our lives.

Today I am thankful for rain. We suffered so long this year with record-breaking drought and heat. When the rain finally came this fall it was sweeter than ever. The rapid change from parched, dry ground to fresh green grass was a sight to behold! We are still in need of more, but every precious drop was a blessing from the heavens. To God be the glory! Thank you Lord, for rain.

"I would seek unto God, 

and unto God would I commit my cause:

Which doeth great things and unsearchable;

 marvelous things without number:

Who giveth rain upon the earth,

 and sendeth waters upon the fields:" 

Job 5:8-10