A Psalm of Praise and Exaltation

"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
 Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation."
~ Psalm 95:1 ~

"By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, 
And all the host of them by the breath 
of His mouth,
He gathers the waters of the sea 
together as a heap;
He lays up the deep in storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;
Let all the inhabitants of the
world stand in awe of Him.
For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.
The Lord brings the counsel of 
the nations to nothing;
He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.
The counsel of the Lord stands forever, 
The plans of His heart to all generations."
~ Psalm 33:6-11 ~

Fall down on your faces with humble adoration,

Giving glory to the King of kings!

Praise the Almighty all you nations!
Give tongue to His power and might!

All creatures live in awe of the Holy One,
The Ocean storms and the raging wind cease 
at the sound of His voice,
By the Lord's will kings rise and fall,
All is done by Him,
And not happens without His doing,  
The Lord shows mercy to those who fear Him,

In everything God's marvelous works are shown
from generation to generation!
Amen

A Psalm By  L. C. Bryan

The Inadequacy of Man and the Sufficency of God

Once in a while I thought I'd post some Bible study notes on here for all of you to "mull" over. So read, research, study, and of course leave a comment!

Mark 7:32-37 is the story of a man who was deaf and dumb and was healed by Christ. But the part that I fixated on was verses 34-35. "Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him "Eph'phatha," that is, "Be open." Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly."

Those verses started me thinking. Without Christ what do we truly have?
What wisdom do we have? Save by the mercy of God.
What joy do we have? Save through Christ's sacrifice and grace.
What mercy can we truly show? Without first receiving mercy for our unforgivable wrong toward our Creator.
What love can we have for others? Without the example of Christ for the unlovable.

So how can anyone have wisdom without God who is the fountain of wisdom?
How can anyone have joy that's not based on worldly possessions, without having Christ as their eternal joy?
How can anyone truly have mercy on others around them unless they first receiving mercy for their sin?
How can anyone show love toward others unless Christ, the God of the universe showed it first toward those who didn't deserve it?

We our sinful nature rebels against anything good or just. All our "good deeds" are as worthless as plastic coin. Our selfishness and pride are so deeply ingrained in our souls that nothing we do or say would be truly good or just without Providence and His word. Incapable we truly are without God first changing us to be more like Himself, who is the only One who can do all things right.

Here are some references that I found:

Wisdom ~ Colossians 2:2-3, 1 Corinthians 1:24-25, 1 Corinthians 1:30, Exodus 31:3, Ephesians 1:17.


       Joy ~ John 15:11, Job 20:4-5, Psalm 16:11, Psalm 35:9, Psalm 51:12, 1 Thess. 2:19-20, Isaiah 12:2-3, John 16:22, Rom. 15:13, Gal. 5:22-24.


  Mercy ~ Matt. 5:7, Psalm 31:7, Psalm 57:10, Psalm 103:8, Gen. 39:21, Psalm 100:5.


    Love ~ Gal. 5:22-24, Col. 3:14, John15:9,12, Isaiah 63:7-9, Jeremiah 9:24. 

I know there are many more verses that would apply as well so feel free to share what you find! I'd love to hear about it!

This Years Farm

I hope you all enjoy these pictures as well as the music! Please feel free to leave comments!

Guess What I found...

Before you watch this slide show you might want to click on the button below that says youtube. You can see everything in more clarity on there.... Enjoy!

Making A 180...

A Parody of Our Modern Church Service...

      My mom found this video that I think shows a very accurate, yet disconcerting view of many churches in the States and Canada.
      No longer do we sing songs of praise and adoration with meaning to our Savior. No longer do we hear sound biblical doctrine preached from the pulpit. Our focus is no longer on what is being said and if it is consistent with the Bible, but rather we look at how fun and lively the music is or how engaging the preacher maybe. Not to mention the Sunday schools and youth groups. As long as our children might be enjoying them we don't seem to mind how little learning they're getting vs. play time. Does the pastor teach on the meat of the Word? Or does he continually talk about how "Christ loves everyone" and gives a very warm and cuddly evangelistic speech that has everyone in tears? Is the Christian church really growing stronger in Christ? Or are we making Christ a mockery by allowing watered down preaching in our churches? Producing young adults that are still babes in the Lord even at the age of 18 and 20 because they did more "fun" stuff then real study of their Bibles when in youth group and Sunday school. Could we give a confident answer on the doctrine of salvation or have conversations on biblical topics? How often do you hear young adults talk about the Bible? How often do you and your friends talk about God and His word? 
      Watch this little skit and let me know what you think:

Taking Every Day Captive

"Yet, if at any stage of life you feel you're "flying by the seat of your pants," taking each day as it comes without having anticipated it, planned for it, shaped it, and prayed over it, then take time off and get back to poring over your goals. Then you will control your days, instead of letting them control you."

~Anne Ortlund~ 

'Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.'

~ Proverbs 29:18~

Some "Wise" Words from Pooh and His Friends...

Here are some "wise" words from a much beloved character Winnie-the-Pooh....

"They're funny things, Accidents. You never have them till you're having them."

~ Eeyore~

"When setting off on an Expotition, be sure to bring Provisions. Or, at the very least, things to eat." 

~ Pooh~ 

"A Proper Tea is much nicer than a Very Nearly Tea, which is one you forget about afterwards."

"Poetry and Hums aren't things which you get, they're things which get you. And all you can do is to go where they can find you."

~Winnie-the-Pooh~

Plans for Our 2011 Garden and My New Flower Garden!

Yes, it's that time of year again! Planting and planning, sowing and growing. We're planing to sell most of the vegetables to a local farm stand this year. Our greenhouse was re-built with new plastic this spring, as the plastic tore off in a wind storm last year.
Also, God has blessed us with another greenhouse for free! It's a small 6'x8' aluminum framed greenhouse and very sturdy. Though it came in June, I'm putting it to work by using it for my extra tomato plants. This Fall I hope to grow some vegetables through part of the winter in it as well.   

Here is our list of vegetables and new herbs for this year:

Shin Kuroda Carrot

Sterling Onion

Alisa Craig Onion

Lancelot Leeks

Golden Zucchini

Black-Seeded Simpson Lettuce

Dragon Carrots

Jericho Lettuce

True Lemon Cucumber

Healthy Sweet Pepper

Yugoslavian Red Butter head Lettuce

Danvers Carrots

Amish Snap Peas

Longfellow Cucumber

Blondkopfchen Cherry Tomatoes

Red Iceberg Lettuce

Moon Glow Tomato

Winter Luxury Pumpkin

All of these vegetables are heirloom vegetables and most are organic. We've bought from two seed companies in the past few years and have had great success with them. One is Seed Savers Exchange and the other is Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. I've gotten all my herbs from them as well.

We have many more herbs, but these are the "new" ones for this years' garden...

German Thyme

Sweet Genovese Basil

Epazote

Fern leaf Dill

Garlic Chives and Onion Chives

Sweet Marjoram 

My new project of the year and one I hope will bring in a bit of capital is my cut flower garden. I have been working on making little garden plots all over our farm. Not an easy task, but I have been able to create 3 spots with the help of my dad. I now have a triangular bed next to the house. My "lily" bed about 8'x 3'. A long raised bed 12'x2'. And lastly a 56'' x 3'/6' bed which was not really planned. My dad took apart a rock wall which was rather crooked and not very pretty and cut it back by about 2-3' and lengthened it by about 30'....

Then with my brother's help rebuilt the rock wall and making it a total of 60' long!

Dad went and bought some decorative wood edging and I created the bed. We found a wonderful deal on compost so we tiled it in and it was ready to go!

Well, not quite... I found that it is not very easy to use every square inch to the best advantage when you're dealing with a 60' long bed! So my solution... string and popstickle sticks. That right! You take a yard stick and measure each foot out with a popstickle stick. Then taking the string you tie one end to popstickle stick and the other to the one opposite. Needless to say it took me awhile to finish that project!

Here is what I hope will grow this year:

Pygmy Torch Amaranthus Hypochondriacus

Twinkle Blue Blush Lithianthus 

Peacock Orchid Gladiolus

White Gladiolus 

Autumn Beauty Helianthus Annuus

Baby's Breath Elegans Alba Grandiflora

Bunny Tail Grass Lagurus Ovatus

Green Tails Amaranthus Caudatus

Teddy Bear Helianthus Annuus

Velvet Queen Helianthus Annuus

Valentine Helianthus Annuus

Grandiflora Mixture Sweet Peas Lathyrus Odoratus

Bells of Ireland Moluccella Laevis

Color Mixture Pincushion Scabiosa Atropurpurea

Butterfly Weed Asclepias Tuberosa

Black-Eyed Susan Rudbeckia Hirta

Italian White Helianthus Debilis

Cosmic Red Cosmos Sulphureus

Rainbow Mix Coleus Hybridus

White Oriental Lily

Blue Hydrangea

Shasta Daisy

Love-Lies-Bleeding Amaranthus Caudatus

White Musk Mallow Malva Moschata
(a native of England)

Pink Musk Mallow Malva Moschata
(a native of England)

Grapette Oriental Day Lily 

Oriental Poppy Mix Papaver Orientale

Red Pygmy Border Dahlia

Brenda Jordan's Heirloom  Cockscomb

Stella de Oro Oriental Border Lily

Scarlet Flax

I bought the dahlia, white glad, and peacock orchid at Holland Bulb Farms. Many of the other plants where from Seeds & More. While I splurged a bit and bought some a couple from England, Shaggy and the Oriental Poppy mix from a place called Plant World Seeds. 

Here is what I found out since putting together this post....

1. Chickens do not help your garden grow. Instead they enjoy tilling newly planted vegetables and flowers and tearing what's left to shreds.

2. Slugs have an obsession when it comes to eating. They do not just nibble they demolish. Nothing up here in the Pacific Northwest of Washington seems to stop them. Two choices are left; go hunting for them on and around the plants in late evening and early morning. Or get hot pepper wax spray. I did both.

3. However far apart the seed packet tells you to plant something, plant it closer. I found that out with my flower gardens. Most of these plants I've never seen first hand before, let alone grown. Making it difficult to calculate the distance between the plants.       

The plants have yet to notice that it is July and they need to start producing flowers and fruit. We harvested some peas and were able to sell over a two dozen heads of lettuce, as well as some dill,  basil, marjoram, and thyme so far. But like most things, when you want it to hurry up it always seems to take forever. I think they know this quote from Winnie-the-Pooh,  "Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day."

Seeing these plants grow and marveling at the complexities and diversities between them, I think of Psalm 19:1-4a: "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their sound has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world."  

The Spacious Firmament on High By Joseph Addison The spacious firmament on high, With all the blue ethereal sky, And spangled heav'ns, a shining frame, Their great Original proclaim. Th' unwearied sun, from day to day, Does his Creator's pow'r display; And publishes to ev'ry land The work of an Almighty hand. Soon as the ev'ning shades prevail, The moon takes up the wondrous tale, And, nightly to the list'ning earth, Repeats the story of her birth; While all the stars that round her burn, And all the planets in their turn Confirm the tidings as they roll, And spread the truth from pole to pole. What though in solemn silence all Move round the dark terrestrial ball? What though no real voice, nor sound, Amidst their radiant orbs be found? In Reason's ear they all rejoice, And utter forth a glorious voice; For ever singing, as they shine: 'The hand that made us is divine.'

From the nature we see around us...

 To the awesome power of storms...

 We can see God's boundless mercy, as well as His infinite might!