Random Thoughts and Pictures

Our gardens are doing well this year, despite the weather extremes...

I'm excited to taste our corn, because I've never grown my own corn (or tasted home-garden corn) before. It is almost ready! I love the flavor corn gets when it is grilled, almost tastes like popcorn.

Here's our bean patch. We are growing both wax and traditional green beans. My kids picked a bunch of them today. That's our summer squash, peeking in at the left corner. It is doing well, but our zucchini got zapped by some squash bugs (aka stink bugs, I just learned). And we only planted one plant, since they are normally so prolific...bummer.

It felt like fall, when I was sitting in our garage this morning listening to the rain shower. I love fall, and I'm excited for it to get here (I don't like the heat or humidity), but I will miss my fresh garden veggies!

I made some gluten-free banana muffins for my kids the other day, and Iain topped one with some Nutella. Well, actually a lot of Nutella. By the time he was finished eating it, he was covered with it--all over his face, his neck, the back of his shoulder (he wasn't wearing a shirt) and all over the front and back of his shorts (!). I asked him about it and he said he didn't know how that happened, he didn't mean to get it all over him. The thought occurred to me that sin is that way. We dabble in something that seems sweet, only meaning to dabble, and the next thing we know we are covered in sin. I made him change his clothes and wash up. That's what God makes us do, too. We are supposed to lay aside our old self, renew our minds, and put on our new self--essentially, change our spiritual clothes, getting scrubbed in between removing old and new. If you read Ephesians 4:22-24, you see that the renewing is essential to removing the old and putting on the new. So, meditating on scripture is key to walking in newness of life in Christ. This is profound to me. I've read this a bunch of times, but it never has slapped me in the face like now.

I've been praying for God to give me discernment and to open my eyes to ways for me to apply scripture to my life. The other evening, when I was correcting Kyla at the table, Glen got upset at my repeating myself and yelled at her (told her to listen to her mother). She proceeded to get upset and cry, and Glen was angry because he just wanted some peace. The scriptures about a nagging wife came to my mind, and I believe God was showing me that it isn't just annoying to my husband when I nag him, it is annoying when I nag the children. I need to train them to listen to my requests by only saying things once and having consequences for a lack of swift obedience. I admit, I've been lazy in this area lately, but I'm thankful to God for answering my prayer, and giving me discernment! Now, to incorporate some discipline into our homeschool plans for the year.

How about you? What has God been showing you lately?


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