"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can still do something; and because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do something I can do."
- Helen Keller
"There is nothing to fear, but fear itself."
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
"Live in such a way that those who know you but don't know God, will know God because they know you."
- Unknown
"The spaces between your fingers were created so that another's could fill them."
- Unknown
"You'll never know that all you need is Jesus until Jesus is all you have."
- Adrian Rogers
"Image lasts but a moment, character for a lifetime."
- Unknown
"Remember, you are not managing an inconvenience; you are raising a human being."
- Kittie Franz
"Always vote for principle though you may vote alone and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost."
- John Quincy Adams
"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God."
- Corrie Ten Boom
"If you can't do something well, learn to enjoy doing it poorly."
- Unknown
"A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user."
-Theodore Roosevelt
"Duty is ours. Results belong to God. Do your duty in all things. You can not do more, you should never wish to do less."
- Unknown
"A true friend is someone who thinks you are a good egg even though they know that you are slightly cracked." ;)
- Unknown
"The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting, it has been found difficult and left untried."
- G. K. Chesterton
"A lady is a woman who causes a man to behave like a gentleman."
- Russell Lynes
"I see the light at the end of the tunnel. The train is rushing forward, the iwnd in my face, and I know that I'll come flying into sunshine!"
-Rob Tull
"When you give half of your heart to a boy and half of your heart to God, it is a very dangerous thing, because nobody is satisfied. A boy has half of something he wants all of, and God has only half of something that He deserves all of.. and at the end... you're left with nothing."
- Unknown
"A woman's heart should be so lost in God that a man must seek Him to find her!"
- Unknown
"The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian, but the fact that I am a Christina does make me a different kind of woman!"
- Elisabeth Elliot
"A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage"
- Unknown
"Knowledge puffs up - Love builds up"
- Unknown
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
An interesting thought
You know, if you feed a baby healthy food it will grow stronger.... and it won't take very long for it to become bigger. They grow very fast! They still can get sick, but they will be better prepared. But, if you feed a baby insufficiently, whether it's not enough milk or nutrients it will become weaker. It can get sick easier and that can cause many problems in the future for it.
Christians are like that, too. If we are fed from God's word, getting fellowship with other believers, praying, and just seeking the Lord with all our hearts, we will grow in godliness. If we say we are Christians but we don't do anything to strengthen ourselves in Christ, what ground do we have to stand on? Not much, if anything. We will be weak spiritually. It could cause us to fall into sins of the world easier than someone who has prepared for temptation, and is ready to stand up against it. I want to be strong in the faith, never losing sight of the goal....the goal of becoming closer to my Lord!
This song, "To Know You" by Casting Crowns. So powerful.... and perfect for what I'm trying to say.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxFsxugWkwQ
I thought of it after I had written this post. Amazing song!!!!
Well, that has just been on my mind recently and I wanted to share it. :)
Christians are like that, too. If we are fed from God's word, getting fellowship with other believers, praying, and just seeking the Lord with all our hearts, we will grow in godliness. If we say we are Christians but we don't do anything to strengthen ourselves in Christ, what ground do we have to stand on? Not much, if anything. We will be weak spiritually. It could cause us to fall into sins of the world easier than someone who has prepared for temptation, and is ready to stand up against it. I want to be strong in the faith, never losing sight of the goal....the goal of becoming closer to my Lord!
This song, "To Know You" by Casting Crowns. So powerful.... and perfect for what I'm trying to say.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxFsxugWkwQ
I thought of it after I had written this post. Amazing song!!!!
Well, that has just been on my mind recently and I wanted to share it. :)
Monday, May 16, 2011
Psalm 139
Mom and I were having our Bible time together outside on this lovely day, and we read this chapter together before beginning our separate time with God.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.
5 You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall[a] on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
13 For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;[b]
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.
19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!
Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.
20 For they speak against You wickedly;
Your enemies take Your name in vain.[c]
21 Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
It's SO amazing. Truly.... God's love for us is indescribable. It amazes me that He, who knows EVERYTHING about me - even things I don't know about myself - loves me more than anyone else could! Wow.... why do we look for fulfillment in humans when we have more love than we can ever comprehend already?!?!
The song "Beautiful" by MercyMe is a wonderful reminder of this to me! I've been listening to it lately and it just speaks to me so powerfully!!!!
Here is a link to it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hth7GzAoXos
He thinks we're beautiful. That's all that matters. It's our hearts that makes us beautiful (guys, you, too! Not the "girly" beautiful.... just beautiful in who you are, and who God made you to be. It's the kind of word that describes something I can't describe.)
Just thought I'd share that.
Psalm 139
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1 O LORD, You have searched me and known me.2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.
5 You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall[a] on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
13 For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;[b]
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.
19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!
Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.
20 For they speak against You wickedly;
Your enemies take Your name in vain.[c]
21 Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
It's SO amazing. Truly.... God's love for us is indescribable. It amazes me that He, who knows EVERYTHING about me - even things I don't know about myself - loves me more than anyone else could! Wow.... why do we look for fulfillment in humans when we have more love than we can ever comprehend already?!?!
The song "Beautiful" by MercyMe is a wonderful reminder of this to me! I've been listening to it lately and it just speaks to me so powerfully!!!!
Here is a link to it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hth7GzAoXos
He thinks we're beautiful. That's all that matters. It's our hearts that makes us beautiful (guys, you, too! Not the "girly" beautiful.... just beautiful in who you are, and who God made you to be. It's the kind of word that describes something I can't describe.)
Just thought I'd share that.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Love Never Fails
God sure has been teaching me a lot lately!!!
Just recently He has been teaching me about love. His kind of love. Our family is going through 1 Corinthians 13, and we're going to memorize it. It's such a wonderful chapter. So important!!!!!!!!! Also, at church on Sunday the sermon was on love. It was pretty amazing! So, it's all got me thinking about love and what it REALLY means to love someone. I've heard the quote a lot, "Love is not a feeling, love is a choice". I believe that you can be "in love" and it's a feeling, but you can't love someone unconditionally with just feelings. We are all sinners, and it's not even in our power to just love someone like that easily. We have to pray, and ask God to give us HIS love for others.
At church Mr. Unruh was talking about "loving the people you have a hard time loving". If you are having a hard time loving someone, then you should try all the more to love them. You should not avoid them, or slander about them, and their sins. We have no right to judge anybody!!!!!!!!! We're all so sinful! It may be harder for us to get along with someone because they struggle with something we don't, and because it's not our struggle, it somehow seems worse.
I know a couple people who I feel are very hard to love. It's not very often I feel that way. I used to be way more prone to not liking people when I was younger. I am a very critical thinker, and very analytical. I let it be used in a way to see other's faults instead of virtues. It was very hard to overcome that tendency. Now, with God's help I have completely changed! I still have many sins, but God has given me a love for others that I never had before. I was a very selfish little girl. I can't believe how I used to think of others. Now, one of my biggest pet peeves of others is gossiping. I can't stand it when anyone is speaking bad about anyone else!!! Even if I agree, it really makes me upset. Probably because I struggled with slandering others, and know how bad it feels to judge someone, also what's even worse is when you judge them prematurely and then later realize that it wasn't true, or learned to love them so much in spite of their problems. It made me feel so guilty to have thought things about others.
I want to try really hard to reach out to the unlovely and people who are harder for me to love. They may need it more than other people who I find easy to love.
Also, the people I have a hard time loving right now I don't even know well. They're hardened, and just not nice! Who knows what their lives are like? I see so many people at Branson Landing who I know need to be loved. They may look all cocky, or seem prideful, but sometimes I can see a longing underneath. A sensitive heart that has been broken many times. They're hurting. They're afraid of this world and don't know how to live a joyful life. They're losing hope and don't have Christ's saving grace. It's so sad! It makes me want to just reach out to them and share that I know someone who can, and WILL take away all their pain, their past. It's so hard to see them just walking along not knowing the peace I have each day. They don't know the purpose for their lives. They long for love, think they've found it, realize that the person isn't perfect and breakup, or get divorced. It's awful. They don't realize that no person can satisfy that longing for love. Only our precious Savior can. Romance isn't enough. Oh that they only knew!!!! So much hurt and pain...and for what?
We, as humans, are so quick to give up. You make a friend, become "best friends" and then decide that you aren't as much alike as you thought and one most likely will find a new "best friend". We're all looking for fulfillment. We want to feel special. I'm as guilty in this. I've never actually had a best friend. I didn't want to be dropped by a friend. I have some very, very special friends who I love very much, but not just one, besides Laura (my amazing sister). I'm not saying that having a best friend is bad. I just have seen some dear friends get very hurt after being "best friends" with someone, just to have them find another "best friend" and forget you in their excitement about the new friend. It's pretty hard to go through that! I think having good, steady friends is the best! I love my true friends. The ones I can trust completely to not "drop" me for someone else and not even care about me anymore.
Have you ever just been walking somewhere and see someone who just doesn't have a smile on their face? Instead of just looking away and thinking they must be having a bad day, I try to smile at them and see how they react. Sometimes they just look away and move on, but other times it's SO satisfying! Their face brightens up and you see that your smile made their day. Just the simple act of love. Showing someone the joy of Christ. It always makes me feel so wonderful!!! I look around for someone else who I can smile at! :) It's so much fun! That's showing love, I think.
I just think it's so important. It's the second greatest commandment anyway, after we should love the Lord our God!!! That's pretty huge!!! People treat it as way less important.
How much time do we show love to others? I bet that if we decided to look around us in search of ways to love others our lives would change drastically! We may think we love people already, but what if we looked for ways to show Christ's love? What would happen? How many people would be blessed and see God through us? That would be an amazing testimony to others! It would maybe become infectious and you might notice others acting different around you too, because they see how you're acting!
Personally I want to try it!!! Yes, it would be hard.... I would have a very hard time with my family members. It's one thing to love at different moments, but it's one thing to make it your goal to love at ALL times.
Who wants to join me? =)
Here's an amazing song by Brandon Heath called, "Love Never Fails". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nQy-aP_Koo
Here's also another song by him called "Give Me Your Eyes". It also really correlated with what I was saying! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5AkNqLuVgY&feature=related
We, as humans, are so quick to give up. You make a friend, become "best friends" and then decide that you aren't as much alike as you thought and one most likely will find a new "best friend". We're all looking for fulfillment. We want to feel special. I'm as guilty in this. I've never actually had a best friend. I didn't want to be dropped by a friend. I have some very, very special friends who I love very much, but not just one, besides Laura (my amazing sister). I'm not saying that having a best friend is bad. I just have seen some dear friends get very hurt after being "best friends" with someone, just to have them find another "best friend" and forget you in their excitement about the new friend. It's pretty hard to go through that! I think having good, steady friends is the best! I love my true friends. The ones I can trust completely to not "drop" me for someone else and not even care about me anymore.
Have you ever just been walking somewhere and see someone who just doesn't have a smile on their face? Instead of just looking away and thinking they must be having a bad day, I try to smile at them and see how they react. Sometimes they just look away and move on, but other times it's SO satisfying! Their face brightens up and you see that your smile made their day. Just the simple act of love. Showing someone the joy of Christ. It always makes me feel so wonderful!!! I look around for someone else who I can smile at! :) It's so much fun! That's showing love, I think.
I just think it's so important. It's the second greatest commandment anyway, after we should love the Lord our God!!! That's pretty huge!!! People treat it as way less important.
How much time do we show love to others? I bet that if we decided to look around us in search of ways to love others our lives would change drastically! We may think we love people already, but what if we looked for ways to show Christ's love? What would happen? How many people would be blessed and see God through us? That would be an amazing testimony to others! It would maybe become infectious and you might notice others acting different around you too, because they see how you're acting!
Personally I want to try it!!! Yes, it would be hard.... I would have a very hard time with my family members. It's one thing to love at different moments, but it's one thing to make it your goal to love at ALL times.
Who wants to join me? =)
Here's an amazing song by Brandon Heath called, "Love Never Fails". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nQy-aP_Koo
Here's also another song by him called "Give Me Your Eyes". It also really correlated with what I was saying! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5AkNqLuVgY&feature=related
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Contentment
Okay, I've been thinking a lot about contentment lately, and about what it really means to be content with in life. Not just being content with the "big" things. That's not everything. Being content in EVERY area of my life, even the "little" things that don't really matter. Sure, it's easy to say that I'm content. I'm content with where I live, that I'm homeschooled, the family God put me in, etc... Here are some examples of things that could be "little" things: "I wish my hair was curly/straight!", "I wish I was taller.", "why couldn't God have made me shorter?!", "It's not fair that he/she's more athletic than me!", "why wasn't I built stronger?", "My nose is too big." "I'm unattractive." "I don't like the way I'm built"..... Those are just some examples of what people say about how they LOOK! What is that saying to God? It's telling Him that you don't like how he made you. You're complaining to Him, saying He didn't do a good enough job on you. Hello! He made you!!!!!!!!! You can't even be content with how you look? How will you ever learn to be content with the rest of your life if you can't get past your looks! God has a reason for everything. I've thought some of these things myself, that's why I'm convicted of this. It's all about you! You aren't content with who you are because you don't think you measure up to the world's standards. Well, maybe you don't. So what? Who are you trying to please? Man, or God? It shouldn't matter what the world thinks of you. If God didn't make you naturally athletic you can do a few things about it; try to become more athletic by practicing, find an activity that you can do, and enjoy doing, try your best when you're in a group of people who are doing an athletic activity (and don't get embarrassed, people who really matter aren't going to judge you for messing up when you're trying your best) forget athletic activities, or you can just pout and make excuses. I'm not a naturally athletic person. I don't really care enough to put tons of time into it. I would rather pursue other interests. I am exercising though, because I want to be in shape. Each morning I ride a stationary bike for 30-45 minutes. Riding a stationary bike can get quite uninteresting. Even after about five minutes I start getting bored. That's NOT good if you wan't to keep exercising. You can quit, find another activity you enjoy more, find someone to exercise with so you can talk, or what I did was I bought an ipod. So now I can listen to my favorite music while I ride. It helps SO much! Listening to energizing music is really good, too. I love to listen to Josh Groban and Classical music, but not while I'm exercising. That kind of music I save for when I want to relax, or just hanging out.
Back to contentment..... sorry. I can tend to get sidetracked. My point is that we should really examine ourselves. Our hearts. What's really deep inside. Do we say things before we think about what we're saying? I know that I do. Discontentment is no fun! It makes me feel terrible inside!
One thing I have a hard time being content about is my situation as far as animals/living on a farm go. I LOVE having animals. I had them for years as a girl, but then when we moved, I didn't realize the importance of them to me. Since we moved six years ago I haven't been able to have any animals besides pets (dogs, cats and bunnies). Some of you may not understand how I can love animals so much. But, I do. It's who I am. Being around a farm and animals gives me a feeling like no other!!!! I'm serious! I feel at home on a horses back, and around a farm and farm animals. It becomes a source of discontentment, and can steal my joy if I let it. I just need to put my perspective right and know that God is in control, and He has a plan for my life, and my desires. I'm SO thankful that I get to start having good gardens this year! That definitely helps, even though it doesn't stop my dreaming. I also have friends who own horses and are more than happy for me to ride with them if I get the time, so that's a definite blessing!!!! I LOVE to ride!!! Maybe someday I'll be able to get a horse. Just now, I need to "bloom where I'm planted". =)
Back to contentment..... sorry. I can tend to get sidetracked. My point is that we should really examine ourselves. Our hearts. What's really deep inside. Do we say things before we think about what we're saying? I know that I do. Discontentment is no fun! It makes me feel terrible inside!
One thing I have a hard time being content about is my situation as far as animals/living on a farm go. I LOVE having animals. I had them for years as a girl, but then when we moved, I didn't realize the importance of them to me. Since we moved six years ago I haven't been able to have any animals besides pets (dogs, cats and bunnies). Some of you may not understand how I can love animals so much. But, I do. It's who I am. Being around a farm and animals gives me a feeling like no other!!!! I'm serious! I feel at home on a horses back, and around a farm and farm animals. It becomes a source of discontentment, and can steal my joy if I let it. I just need to put my perspective right and know that God is in control, and He has a plan for my life, and my desires. I'm SO thankful that I get to start having good gardens this year! That definitely helps, even though it doesn't stop my dreaming. I also have friends who own horses and are more than happy for me to ride with them if I get the time, so that's a definite blessing!!!! I LOVE to ride!!! Maybe someday I'll be able to get a horse. Just now, I need to "bloom where I'm planted". =)
Sunday, May 1, 2011
"Good Christian" Books Tempting You To Struggle? Who's In Control? Who am I?
The past couple weeks I started a series of Christian books. They're fiction, based on characters from Bible times. I thought, "These should be really good, they're about Jesus' life, and people during that time!" So, I just started the fourth book. I was sitting last night thinking. I was feeling very discontent with my life. I felt terrible. I couldn't understand how I felt so terrible. I started thinking about the books. I asked myself "though those books are Christian, and about Christ, are they drawing my heart TOWARD God?" The answer was no. Second question; "are they making me discontented with my life?" Yes. Why? They weren't "romance novels" or even love stories. But, they did have romance in them. Not too much, but that little bit affected me. I'm a girl. Girls naturally are drawn to love and romance. Right now, in this stage of my life, I am trying to keep my heart pure, and focus on God and my relationship with Him. By reading books that have Him in them, but are still drawing my heart toward a desire that shouldn't be there, is not good. I couldn't believe how much difference it made by just reading those books. I realized that I wasn't focusing on God like I had before, and thinking too much about my future, and longing for something I can't have right now. Also, it made me realize that I think of love and romance in a bad light. I shouldn't think of it as something that will fulfill my desires by having someone to love me so much. Only God can do that. Fiction can give the impression that things, and people can give you what you want and make you happy. Well, happiness is from happenings. What I really want to have is real JOY!!!! Joy is not based on happenings. It's a contentment in every circumstance. It's putting Jesus first (J), Others second (O) and You last (Y). That spells JOY! It is unconditional. Not conditional, from your conditions. Joy I find, is very hard to have. So much can destroy it. We need to strive to have it in our hearts, and live each day, every moment with that in us. This is not just for girls. Guys may not have the same struggles with wanting love, but they have other struggles. They also need to keep their eyes on the Lord, and not get carried away by the little things in this world that aren't even "bad".
This just really stood out to me, and I felt called to write about it. It's humbling to me, because I don't want others to know I struggle. I don't want to look like the sinner I am. Lust was my problem. I didn't even know it. Yes, girls struggle with it, too. Love. Love is so good, so right, so pure, so godly. But, love can also be a stumbling block. Something we actually put as an idol for ourselves. I don't want that. Know what? That love that is hurtful to us isn't really love! It's just our picture of love. It's infatuation. Real love isn't a feeling, it's a choice. It's not easy to really love someone. We have to go through trials, and really knowing someone enough to see their worst faults to really love them. Yes, I believe I love people I know, but that's not the same kind of love. The love we need to strive to have is the kind God shows us in His Word, and in our everyday lives. It's also "tough love". How many of us really know, and have REAL love???? I know that I have a long way to go to really know what it is, and to fully put it into practice in every area of my life. I'm working on seeing the good in everyone and not judging them, but it can be very hard, especially when I'm around other people who start talking bad about someone else. It's hard to speak up and ask them to stop.....and it's VERY easy to join in. It's so sad! We need to cry out to the Lord, our Savior. He's our only hope!!!!!!! Hope. Such a wonderful word. Probably one of my favorite things to hear. We always have hope. HE is hope. He can put joy in our hearts. We just need to ask Him. He's ready to mold us and to make us more like Him. More than ready. He LONGS to hear our cry for help. We need to realize how worthless we are withOUT Him. We're nothing by ourselves. We can't do anything for ourselves. We're worthless. But, with Him as our guide we can do great things! Because, it's not us. It's HIM working through us. We just always need to acknowledge that, and make sure other know it, too. NEVER take credit for what He does! He is EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!
Well....I don't really know how that all came out.... It certainly wasn't planned.... by me. But, I know who must have planned it...... =D
Love to you all!
In HIM,
Summer
This just really stood out to me, and I felt called to write about it. It's humbling to me, because I don't want others to know I struggle. I don't want to look like the sinner I am. Lust was my problem. I didn't even know it. Yes, girls struggle with it, too. Love. Love is so good, so right, so pure, so godly. But, love can also be a stumbling block. Something we actually put as an idol for ourselves. I don't want that. Know what? That love that is hurtful to us isn't really love! It's just our picture of love. It's infatuation. Real love isn't a feeling, it's a choice. It's not easy to really love someone. We have to go through trials, and really knowing someone enough to see their worst faults to really love them. Yes, I believe I love people I know, but that's not the same kind of love. The love we need to strive to have is the kind God shows us in His Word, and in our everyday lives. It's also "tough love". How many of us really know, and have REAL love???? I know that I have a long way to go to really know what it is, and to fully put it into practice in every area of my life. I'm working on seeing the good in everyone and not judging them, but it can be very hard, especially when I'm around other people who start talking bad about someone else. It's hard to speak up and ask them to stop.....and it's VERY easy to join in. It's so sad! We need to cry out to the Lord, our Savior. He's our only hope!!!!!!! Hope. Such a wonderful word. Probably one of my favorite things to hear. We always have hope. HE is hope. He can put joy in our hearts. We just need to ask Him. He's ready to mold us and to make us more like Him. More than ready. He LONGS to hear our cry for help. We need to realize how worthless we are withOUT Him. We're nothing by ourselves. We can't do anything for ourselves. We're worthless. But, with Him as our guide we can do great things! Because, it's not us. It's HIM working through us. We just always need to acknowledge that, and make sure other know it, too. NEVER take credit for what He does! He is EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!
Well....I don't really know how that all came out.... It certainly wasn't planned.... by me. But, I know who must have planned it...... =D
Love to you all!
In HIM,
Summer
Monday, April 11, 2011
What is modesty for? Who are we as women of God?
This is such an important subject! You should listen/watch this!!!!!! Want the truth? Here it is from a guy sharing his own struggles. It's all true. Don't use the excuse of you don't have time. It's not very long, but it could change who you are. Please, all of you girls out there, listen to what he has to say, and start putting it into action. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n-NWbd3pis
I want everyone to know that I am a Christian and love the Lord, through dressing, and even acting modestly, we can show the world what women are supposed to be like. We're not competing with the men, trying to be one of them. We were created special and for a different purpose. I find that men act differently around me when I dress modestly, wear a skirt/dress, etc... I've even had at least one man thank me for wearing a skirt. He said that you don't see it very often, and it's true. It feels so good to be feminine. I just LOVE being a girl! I can still have fun, not be legalistic, and be modest all at once. Yes I wear jeans and shorts, but I choose them thinking about other people. Dressing immodestly is selfish. It's true. That's all it is. If you dress immodestly, you're proving that you don't care about your brothers in Christ. You want to draw attention to yourself, and don't care if people struggle. You don't think about it that way, but that's what it is.
I'm just trying to encourage you young women (or older, both young, and older men struggle, so both young and older women should dress modestly. Don't make other men, married or not, struggle with lust because of you!) to stand up to a challenge. It will change who you are.
To you girls who are trying to serve God in all ways, including modesty, good for you!!! I'm proud of you!!! You will reap the benefits in the end!!!....and I find that it comes before the end!!!! :) You may feel self-conscious because you stand out, but you can get over it. You will also be looked up to, and respected for your convictions.
I want everyone to know that I am a Christian and love the Lord, through dressing, and even acting modestly, we can show the world what women are supposed to be like. We're not competing with the men, trying to be one of them. We were created special and for a different purpose. I find that men act differently around me when I dress modestly, wear a skirt/dress, etc... I've even had at least one man thank me for wearing a skirt. He said that you don't see it very often, and it's true. It feels so good to be feminine. I just LOVE being a girl! I can still have fun, not be legalistic, and be modest all at once. Yes I wear jeans and shorts, but I choose them thinking about other people. Dressing immodestly is selfish. It's true. That's all it is. If you dress immodestly, you're proving that you don't care about your brothers in Christ. You want to draw attention to yourself, and don't care if people struggle. You don't think about it that way, but that's what it is.
I'm just trying to encourage you young women (or older, both young, and older men struggle, so both young and older women should dress modestly. Don't make other men, married or not, struggle with lust because of you!) to stand up to a challenge. It will change who you are.
To you girls who are trying to serve God in all ways, including modesty, good for you!!! I'm proud of you!!! You will reap the benefits in the end!!!....and I find that it comes before the end!!!! :) You may feel self-conscious because you stand out, but you can get over it. You will also be looked up to, and respected for your convictions.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
God has blessed me with the BEST big brother!
Since I was very little I have always wanted a big brother; I knew that the only way I'd ever be able to have one was for us to adopt, so I started praying for a big brother. I kept praying through the years, as nothing happened. As the years went by I knew that there was a very little chance that we would adopt a young man. I kept praying.
I was thirteen, adopting a guy older than me wasn't going to happen.
Still praying.
Then. There. Was. Rob. :)
Rob went to the church we were attending at the time. We were moving, and announced in church that we would like help if anyone wanted to. Rob came with another man from church. We had previously seen him at church, but had never met him before. We met him, and learned that he worked with some guys doing computer work, etc..., Dad wanted Laura, Christian and me (mainly Laura) to learn Photoshop, so he asked Rob if he would come and teach us once a week, and have dinner. He started teaching us, and we immediately loved him! He comes from another like-minded family, with eight children. Photoshop lessons didn't last very long. We ended up just spending time playing games, talking, and socializing. He would also come down to Branson Landing on Saturdays and watch us play music..... we also met up at Silver Dollar City a couple times, and had a blast!!! :)
We all looked forward to the night each week he would come. His passion for the Lord really stood out to me. He taught me many thing during that time....things that he didn't even know he taught me. Mom decided to "adopt" him. :) We started calling him our adopted big brother.....and eventually (not too long afterward) shortened to, big brother. No "adopted" in there. He really became like a big brother to us. I was always afraid that someday, when he moved he would just leave our lives and we would never see him again. Well, I was wrong. A couple years ago he moved. He kept coming, but the visits became farther apart....then his car broke. Riding a bicycle a distance that was normally 45 minutes in a car wasn't going to happen. I thought the end of our knowing him was coming. Then, he moved even farther away....still riding his bike. We saw him a few times, but it was hard to find the time to drive an hour, pick him up, then drop him off again after his visit. I was amazed that he kept staying in touch. I thanked God over and over. I didn't want my big brother to leave. Then he got a car. His visits weren't every week like they had started out as, but he kept coming when he had some time. Life just keeps getting busier, and there's always plenty of work. But, I'm just so thankful for Rob!!! He never forgot us!
I enjoy the time we get with him SO much!!! He is one of the most influential people in my life. There couldn't be anyone more like a big brother than him!! He's seen me upset, ecstatic, sad and hurting, joyful and content. It's pretty amazing to see how God has worked. He brought Rob into our lives at just the right time. He answered my prayer, even though I'd been told it was impossible. NOTHING is impossible with GOD!!!!!!! I want my children someday to know Rob as their "Uncle Rob"!!!! =) That's what he is!!!!! Thank you, God, for sending Rob into our lives, and thank you Rob for being such a special part of our lives!!!!!!
We love you!!!! <3
Sunday, March 20, 2011
More Garden Info.....
Well, I do believe that I'm doing better at posting on my blog.... hopefully at least some of you are interested in gardening....but if not, oh well, I'll write this out for my own future use. :)
I'm actually not going to have a lasagna garden. I've been reading about an even better way. I guess I could kind of do it, but that's not my whole plan. I've been reading the book, "All New Square Foot Gardening". A really amazing book!!! It has really been inspiring me!!!! It's truly a must-read for gardeners, I think. It gives you another way to garden. More effective, simple, and it's a new thought to a lot of us who've grown up on planing our gardens in a row, fighting the weeds for all we're worth, or just letting them take over. This method makes it so that you have minimal (if any) weeds, lots of produce, in less space.
I highly reccommend the book. I'm renting it from my library.
I'll be posting pictures of my gardening adventures soon!
Tomorrow, the plan is to get the wood to build eight 4x4 boxes, and get old cow manure for a rich form of nutrients for my plants. This week I want to plant, lettuce (a lot), raddishes, spinach (lots of it....I LOVE spinach!!!!!), swiss chard, and any other spring vegetables I have seeds for that I can't remember at the moment. I have my tomatoes, tomatillos, and bell/jalapeno peppers I planted inside last month, and I just started my thyme and oregano inside. In a week or so, I'm planning to start my eccinacea, marigolds and basil inside. The tomatoes, tomatillos and peppers are looking so healthy and strong! It's my first time starting any plants inside. So far it's been very successful! I just transplanted them into bigger containers because they were falling over because they were geting so big!!! :) They look quite happy now, and I'll post pictures of them sometime, too.
I'm still going to try companion planting. It will work so well with this method, too! It's so cool! The guy that wrote the book has been doing square foot gardening for over 10 years, and has had tons of success. Also, what's really neat is that he's totally into saving money and finding the least expensive way to do everything. He's very passionate about enjoying the gardening experience. He explains that it doesn't have to be as hard as everyone makes it.
I know two families who've done it now, though not in raised beds, and both have been successful! :)
Fact about Summer (me): I DO NOT like weeding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anything to have less weeds is a plus for me!!!!! Also, I would like to work at a great camp I've worked at for the past three years, and if I have to weed all the time I either have to choose to give up camp, or give up weeding the garden, and let it get overrun. I don't want to have to choose. I want to get rid of all of those nasty weeds! If that is taken care of, I can ask one of my brothers to water for me and then I can go without worrying about what my garden will look like when I get back.
So, that's pretty much been my main focus on choosing a method of gardening, but, with this method comes other great benefits that make so much sense.
Well, that's probably enough for now.... I'll have more info for you soon I'm guessing.... And pictures for sure! =)
I would love to hear about your gardens and how you grow your fresh produce!.....and about preserving garden produce. It will be my first year in that as well! :)
What has worked for you?
What has not?
What would you do again?
What would you advise against?
I'm actually not going to have a lasagna garden. I've been reading about an even better way. I guess I could kind of do it, but that's not my whole plan. I've been reading the book, "All New Square Foot Gardening". A really amazing book!!! It has really been inspiring me!!!! It's truly a must-read for gardeners, I think. It gives you another way to garden. More effective, simple, and it's a new thought to a lot of us who've grown up on planing our gardens in a row, fighting the weeds for all we're worth, or just letting them take over. This method makes it so that you have minimal (if any) weeds, lots of produce, in less space.
I highly reccommend the book. I'm renting it from my library.
I'll be posting pictures of my gardening adventures soon!
Tomorrow, the plan is to get the wood to build eight 4x4 boxes, and get old cow manure for a rich form of nutrients for my plants. This week I want to plant, lettuce (a lot), raddishes, spinach (lots of it....I LOVE spinach!!!!!), swiss chard, and any other spring vegetables I have seeds for that I can't remember at the moment. I have my tomatoes, tomatillos, and bell/jalapeno peppers I planted inside last month, and I just started my thyme and oregano inside. In a week or so, I'm planning to start my eccinacea, marigolds and basil inside. The tomatoes, tomatillos and peppers are looking so healthy and strong! It's my first time starting any plants inside. So far it's been very successful! I just transplanted them into bigger containers because they were falling over because they were geting so big!!! :) They look quite happy now, and I'll post pictures of them sometime, too.
I'm still going to try companion planting. It will work so well with this method, too! It's so cool! The guy that wrote the book has been doing square foot gardening for over 10 years, and has had tons of success. Also, what's really neat is that he's totally into saving money and finding the least expensive way to do everything. He's very passionate about enjoying the gardening experience. He explains that it doesn't have to be as hard as everyone makes it.
I know two families who've done it now, though not in raised beds, and both have been successful! :)
Fact about Summer (me): I DO NOT like weeding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anything to have less weeds is a plus for me!!!!! Also, I would like to work at a great camp I've worked at for the past three years, and if I have to weed all the time I either have to choose to give up camp, or give up weeding the garden, and let it get overrun. I don't want to have to choose. I want to get rid of all of those nasty weeds! If that is taken care of, I can ask one of my brothers to water for me and then I can go without worrying about what my garden will look like when I get back.
So, that's pretty much been my main focus on choosing a method of gardening, but, with this method comes other great benefits that make so much sense.
Well, that's probably enough for now.... I'll have more info for you soon I'm guessing.... And pictures for sure! =)
I would love to hear about your gardens and how you grow your fresh produce!.....and about preserving garden produce. It will be my first year in that as well! :)
What has worked for you?
What has not?
What would you do again?
What would you advise against?
Friends for (and from) a lifetime!!!
I just wanted to post this picture of my amazing friends (and a couple siblings). We have been friends since babyhood, and I am just so thankful for them, and wanted to say so! God has blessed me with these awesome friendships!!!! We have always been so close that we consider ourselves almost cousins!!!! :) There's almost nothing better than real, close friends who can love and serve God together, helping and challenging eachother to be godly young men and women; seeking to follow our Lord with everything!!!!
I love you guys!!!!
I love you guys!!!!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
What started my passion for health? The answer.
God. Yes, He's the reason for everything. He turns everything into good....and I am an example of His plans that can seem very hard to understand.
But, there are other things that have happened through my life that have really affected how I think about health, farming, growing organic food, etc... Here is my story.
But, there are other things that have happened through my life that have really affected how I think about health, farming, growing organic food, etc... Here is my story.
As a little girl I was known to my family as the "animal lover". I was going to grow up and be a vet.... I have changed my mind over the years.... =D I just loved any kind of animal, bug, anything that could be my pet. I would dig for hours in my grandma and pap pap's back yard in the rocks for snails. I would let them slime all over me. :-p I got heartbroken when Andrew, a little toddler at the time, stepped on one accidentally and crushed it. It was my little friend.
We lived on a farm. 21 acres of wonderful land I would run and explore all over!!! I LOVED it! We had chickens, ducks, goats, a pony, plenty of cats, a few dogs and my bunny I got when I turned four. We moved there right after I turned six. I got into plenty of trouble, such as riding the goats and the like. It was a blast! :) We had a u-pick blueberry patch/farm; around 300 bushes. It was so fun in the summer when our friends would come to pick blueberries. I just LOVE fresh blueberries..... and friends to pick with was a bonus! We also had a wonderful 1/4 acre of asparagus. Such blessings. I wish I had really known what I had when we lived there. I took it all for granted.
We also had a creek running through our woods, and Christian and I would sometimes go down to fish.... and we actually caught a fish once that I remember! ;)
We also had a creek running through our woods, and Christian and I would sometimes go down to fish.... and we actually caught a fish once that I remember! ;)
I have VERY fond memories of riding our pony, Smokey, all over our land!!! I was the only one who knew how to saddle him, and he was quite stubborn and wouldn't obey almost anyone. I had to pretty much train him again because it had been so long since he had been ridden. He was about twenty-five. I loved him and enjoyed those hours on his back! :)
I have always been a farm girl and love the outdoors! I've dreamed of living on a farm again. I hope I will be able to again someday.
Okay, so, I love animals, love the country, love my family and love God!
I moved from the farm when I was eleven or twelve. We had to give our animals away except the dogs, cats and my bunny, Tiny Ears (Tiny).
Around the time that we moved I started having some health issues. We didn't really realize it but now, looking back, I can see. Years of not understanding why I felt the way I did followed.
About two years ago we were experimenting with my health and took out a lot of different foods. I was eating a lot of fresh food. Immediately I saw and felt a difference. My joints felt better, the bloating went down, I felt less tired among a number of other things. I few weeks after that I went to a friend's birthday party. I ate what I thought I should, except I had a *tiny* amount of dessert (a little piece of brownie w/ less than a scoop of ice cream). It made me feel bad for a couple weeks! After that, we knew that something I had been eating wasn't agreeing with me. Since then it has been a huge process, and still is. One thing I have found to help me feel good is juice fasting. For my birthday I got a Champion Juicer, and I LOVE it!!!! It does such a good job, and as a bonus, if you put a certain piece on it, and push frozen fruit through, it makes the fruit like soft serve ice cream! It's been such a blessing!!!
Having these health issues have really caused me to have a passion for eating healthy. Our culture's eating is so corrupt! All the genetically modified foods, growth hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, and animals fed these things.....not good! I keep hearing about more people who have digestive issues, and there is a huge rise of food intolerances. I wonder why? Did we always have these food sensitivities? I don't think so. Teddy and Nathan have both had dairy problems, but Teddy has outgrown his. I'm hoping it won't be too many years before Nathan will do the same.
There are so many thing to be thankful for, and I am *so* blessed! Lots of people tell me they're so sorry for me, etc..., but I don't want them to be. I would appreciate prayer, and I do hope that my body is healed someday, but God has done some wonderful things through this, and I don't want to wallow in self-pity. It has encouraged me to study health, and I have actually had the opportunity to be able to help some people because I have had these problems. Yes, it's true I don't eat very many different foods, and yes, it is hard for me. But, God is always with me and helping me to see the good in my circumstances. It has helped me find myself. I *love* the homesteading lifestyle. Growing organic food from the garden, and raising grass fed animals, getting fresh, raw milk from a cow, raise healthy chickens for eggs and meat, canning the produce from the gardens, cooking healthy and making other good choices. I don't want my children (someday) to struggle with their health as I have. I hope that by making good choices in what they eat they will have healthy bodies.
I have been very blessed in some very wonderful friendships that have helped me so much....not to mention the support of my family. They have just been so patient with me. I love them all dearly!
A few nights ago I was lying in bed just thinking about my health issues...sometimes I lack the faith that I may one day be healed and that is a fault. But, God spoke to me. I didn't hear His voice clear, but it was a voice inside my heart. He told me that even if I wasn't healed on earth, someday, when I die, He is going to take all of it away, and I will have a new body, free of any discomfort. I will be whole in Him! It just made me cry. I had never thought of that before. I knew that we would all have new bodies etc..., but it had never fully hit me that He would free me! :) It was a joyous thought! I know that it will really help me in the future when I am feeling discouraged.
So far my year has been a *wonderful* one! Some big things have happened and are going to happen! Big things, and just changes that seem little, but are bigger than you could imagine, in myself. I turned seventeen in December, had a wonderful dance for my birthday party in January, am really doing well in school this year, which is very important since it's almost the end of my junior year, I've been very blessed in some amazing friendships, God has been working in my heart and pulling me further into His love and protection, I am understanding some things that I have struggled with, I am excitedly planning and working on my gardens for this year (a huge passion of mine) and have loved it!, am just learning so much as I study (a couple of my favorite sources are, The Encyclopedia of Country Living, All New Square Foot Gardening and Nourishing Traditions, wonderful books filled with great knowledge!) and my relationships in my family are building into great friendships I didn't used to have.
So, I hope that through this you have seen how great God is, and how He has a plan for EVERYTHING!!! Seriously. The things that seem so terrible occur because they're part of a great and wonderful plan. Only He knows what it is, but we can know that all is done because He loves us.
Having these health issues have really caused me to have a passion for eating healthy. Our culture's eating is so corrupt! All the genetically modified foods, growth hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, and animals fed these things.....not good! I keep hearing about more people who have digestive issues, and there is a huge rise of food intolerances. I wonder why? Did we always have these food sensitivities? I don't think so. Teddy and Nathan have both had dairy problems, but Teddy has outgrown his. I'm hoping it won't be too many years before Nathan will do the same.
There are so many thing to be thankful for, and I am *so* blessed! Lots of people tell me they're so sorry for me, etc..., but I don't want them to be. I would appreciate prayer, and I do hope that my body is healed someday, but God has done some wonderful things through this, and I don't want to wallow in self-pity. It has encouraged me to study health, and I have actually had the opportunity to be able to help some people because I have had these problems. Yes, it's true I don't eat very many different foods, and yes, it is hard for me. But, God is always with me and helping me to see the good in my circumstances. It has helped me find myself. I *love* the homesteading lifestyle. Growing organic food from the garden, and raising grass fed animals, getting fresh, raw milk from a cow, raise healthy chickens for eggs and meat, canning the produce from the gardens, cooking healthy and making other good choices. I don't want my children (someday) to struggle with their health as I have. I hope that by making good choices in what they eat they will have healthy bodies.
I have been very blessed in some very wonderful friendships that have helped me so much....not to mention the support of my family. They have just been so patient with me. I love them all dearly!
A few nights ago I was lying in bed just thinking about my health issues...sometimes I lack the faith that I may one day be healed and that is a fault. But, God spoke to me. I didn't hear His voice clear, but it was a voice inside my heart. He told me that even if I wasn't healed on earth, someday, when I die, He is going to take all of it away, and I will have a new body, free of any discomfort. I will be whole in Him! It just made me cry. I had never thought of that before. I knew that we would all have new bodies etc..., but it had never fully hit me that He would free me! :) It was a joyous thought! I know that it will really help me in the future when I am feeling discouraged.
So far my year has been a *wonderful* one! Some big things have happened and are going to happen! Big things, and just changes that seem little, but are bigger than you could imagine, in myself. I turned seventeen in December, had a wonderful dance for my birthday party in January, am really doing well in school this year, which is very important since it's almost the end of my junior year, I've been very blessed in some amazing friendships, God has been working in my heart and pulling me further into His love and protection, I am understanding some things that I have struggled with, I am excitedly planning and working on my gardens for this year (a huge passion of mine) and have loved it!, am just learning so much as I study (a couple of my favorite sources are, The Encyclopedia of Country Living, All New Square Foot Gardening and Nourishing Traditions, wonderful books filled with great knowledge!) and my relationships in my family are building into great friendships I didn't used to have.
So, I hope that through this you have seen how great God is, and how He has a plan for EVERYTHING!!! Seriously. The things that seem so terrible occur because they're part of a great and wonderful plan. Only He knows what it is, but we can know that all is done because He loves us.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Gardening: Companion Planting And Squash Vine Borers
Companion Planting:
Last summer I was talking to a friend, and they had done companion planting. I had never heard of it before, so I asked about it. What it is, is planting certain vegetables and herbs together to get the best results in your garden. Some herbs give vegetables better flavor, or keep certain bugs away, or help the vegetable plants grow better. Planting certain vegetables/herbs by one another can also cause problems. An example would be planting tomatoes and carrots by each other. They will still have good flavor, but the tomatoes will stunt the carrots growth.
It’s been really interesting reading about the different ones. Here’s a website that tells which vegetables and herbs work together better, and worse.
http://www.ghorganics.com/page2.html
Last summer I was talking to a friend, and they had done companion planting. I had never heard of it before, so I asked about it. What it is, is planting certain vegetables and herbs together to get the best results in your garden. Some herbs give vegetables better flavor, or keep certain bugs away, or help the vegetable plants grow better. Planting certain vegetables/herbs by one another can also cause problems. An example would be planting tomatoes and carrots by each other. They will still have good flavor, but the tomatoes will stunt the carrots growth.
It’s been really interesting reading about the different ones. Here’s a website that tells which vegetables and herbs work together better, and worse.
http://www.ghorganics.com/page2.html
Squash vine borers:
I am getting SO excited for my gardens this year! I think that they’re going to be a success!!!! :)
There’s nothing like harvesting fresh, organic produce from the garden!!!! It’s so satisfying!!! Last year I was trying to do the garden myself and it didn’t really work because of all of the weeds! This year, if there are few weeds, I think that it will be much easier to work with.
Have any of you had problems with squash vine borers? They destroy squash plants SO fast; pretty much overnight. I had my first encounter with them last year. They are the larva of a moth. The moth lays eggs on the squash plant base, and when they hatch, the larva drill holes in the vine and eat the inside of the vine hollow, even down into the roots. When I found out that I had them, I went out to the garden and spent several hours attempting to save my plants. It worked, but I don’t want to have to deal with them this year. The only thing that really works, is slicing the vine open vertically, and digging the detestable worms out. Then cover up the damaged vine and water the plant, hoping to grow roots above the damage. Then you just have to hope that you got all of the borers and and wait to see if you discovered them in time. You can also squirt BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) in the vine after you’ve dug the borers out, just in case you missed any. If they consume it, it will kill them. What I want to try is spraying the squash plants with BT (espeically down around the base) and see if I can keep the squash vine borers from getting into my plants. I also think I’ll try wrapping the plant base with foil. It’s supposed to keep them away. They say they are attracted to the color of the squash plants, and if you put foil around it, it disorients them because they aren’t sure if it’s the sky. They are the worst bugs!!! I read that if you plant radishes around the squash plants, it may keep the borers away, so I’m definitely going to try that this year, too!!!! If any of you know of any ways to keep them away PLEASE let me know!!! Well, I need to start my pepper and tomatoes inside this week. I’m going to try to get them in the soil today. :)
There’s nothing like harvesting fresh, organic produce from the garden!!!! It’s so satisfying!!! Last year I was trying to do the garden myself and it didn’t really work because of all of the weeds! This year, if there are few weeds, I think that it will be much easier to work with.
Have any of you had problems with squash vine borers? They destroy squash plants SO fast; pretty much overnight. I had my first encounter with them last year. They are the larva of a moth. The moth lays eggs on the squash plant base, and when they hatch, the larva drill holes in the vine and eat the inside of the vine hollow, even down into the roots. When I found out that I had them, I went out to the garden and spent several hours attempting to save my plants. It worked, but I don’t want to have to deal with them this year. The only thing that really works, is slicing the vine open vertically, and digging the detestable worms out. Then cover up the damaged vine and water the plant, hoping to grow roots above the damage. Then you just have to hope that you got all of the borers and and wait to see if you discovered them in time. You can also squirt BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) in the vine after you’ve dug the borers out, just in case you missed any. If they consume it, it will kill them. What I want to try is spraying the squash plants with BT (espeically down around the base) and see if I can keep the squash vine borers from getting into my plants. I also think I’ll try wrapping the plant base with foil. It’s supposed to keep them away. They say they are attracted to the color of the squash plants, and if you put foil around it, it disorients them because they aren’t sure if it’s the sky. They are the worst bugs!!! I read that if you plant radishes around the squash plants, it may keep the borers away, so I’m definitely going to try that this year, too!!!! If any of you know of any ways to keep them away PLEASE let me know!!! Well, I need to start my pepper and tomatoes inside this week. I’m going to try to get them in the soil today. :)
Gardening Ideas
Last year was pretty much a failed attempt at a garden. Weeds were my biggest problem. I was gone several weeks out of the summer, so the weeds started taking over, and it grew impossible to even try to keep them out. They were not just little weeds, either! They were tall grasses, and even some little trees. My garden spot was on our hill, and hadn’t been tilled before. The ground wasn’t soft, and was very rocky.
This year I don’t want to have the trouble with weeds, so I’ve been studying ways to not have problems with weeds, and I think I found my answer!
I’ve been reading about no-till, no-dig gardening; also called lasagna gardening. The goal is to not have to deal with weeds at all. Here’s how it works. You can build raised beds or just start layering on the grass. You don’t need to remove the grass from the area where you want your garden.
First, lay down three or more layers of wet newspapers or wet cardboard where you want to have your garden. It would be best if you lay extra cardboard/newspapers around the perimeter where you want the garden, so that the grass and weeds don’t grow into your garden. Then start layering.
Some ideas of what to put on the garden are:
This year I don’t want to have the trouble with weeds, so I’ve been studying ways to not have problems with weeds, and I think I found my answer!
I’ve been reading about no-till, no-dig gardening; also called lasagna gardening. The goal is to not have to deal with weeds at all. Here’s how it works. You can build raised beds or just start layering on the grass. You don’t need to remove the grass from the area where you want your garden.
First, lay down three or more layers of wet newspapers or wet cardboard where you want to have your garden. It would be best if you lay extra cardboard/newspapers around the perimeter where you want the garden, so that the grass and weeds don’t grow into your garden. Then start layering.
Some ideas of what to put on the garden are:
- Grass Clippings
- Leaves
- Fruit and Vegetable Scraps
- Coffee Grounds
- Tea leaves and tea bags
- Weeds (if they haven't gone to seed)
- Manure
- Compost
- Seaweed
- Shredded newspaper or junk mail
- Pine needles
- Spent blooms, trimmings from the garden
- Peat moss
You should alternate “brown” layers such as fall leaves, shredded newspaper, peat, and pine needles and “green” such as vegetable scraps, garden trimmings, and grass clippings. The brown layers should be about twice as thick as the green, but don’t worry about it too much.
You should end up having a 2 foot high pile of composted materials. This will make a rich, soil to plant in. The best time to do this is in the fall, so the materials can decompose. If you do it in the spring, you should incorporate more peat moss and/or topsoil into your layers. You should also have about 4 inches of moss and soil on the top. As the layers sit, they will decompose and shrink. When you’re garden is done for the season, layer mulch on the top. I think that I will add more materials each fall so that I always have rich soil. Keep doing this each year, and your garden will just get better! The rich soil will grow wonderful vegetables/herbs/fruits, but will keep the weeds out... for the most part. :)
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