Answered Prayer

This is going to be short and really isn't one of those essentials in life, which makes it all the more, an amazing blessing.  In a decade of homesteading, I've tried to cultivate honeysuckle, but to no avail.  Daddy's brought me more than one start, even once, planted it for me, and invariably it gets stomped out or a goat finds its way through the protective fence.  Honeysuckle, needs a trellis or something to climb, so the location for planting had to be specific.  As I stated, it's certainly not an essential, but the fragrance is so wonderful.

When Abba told me to prepare practically, I became very aware that ornamental gardening and landscaping was not to consume my time.  Everything needed to have a genuine purpose beyond, "I want it."  This year, there is to be no planting and tending, with an emphasis on what the land produces.  For six years, I've been mowing and picking blackberries on this lane, but this year, what a glorious surprise appeared.

Honeysuckle on the lane, too abundant to be contained in one photo!

In the Ordinary

A couple of months ago, I got into fight or flight mode and was just ready to "do everything!"  I wanted to go through every door I thought was out there and even "busted my knuckles" on a few brick walls that I wanted to be doors . . . The vision in January rattled me.  The division and discord about the year of shemitah is disconcerting.  The latest movie trailer "San Andreas" about a fault line dividing the country and collapsing cities reminded me of vision I was shown back in 2003.  Then came the reminder of two visions I've had in years past in January, as well as confirmation the shaking that is coming.  Just as I was working on the article about the recent vision, another individual posted a very confirming word.  What's been so odd about this "fight or flight" is the absence of fear.  It's simply a matter of urgency and so many are so unprepared.

I'm not talking about preparing "bug out bags" and buying ammunition.  We are told in Matthew, there'll be no going back for anything.  I don't know, as the end of days continue to unfold, perhaps everyone will be wearing backpacks filled with supplies.  At the present time, I'm not planning to do that.  I can't imagine that Abba would have me preparing a place of refuge, only to then prepare to be on the run.  I don't have the whole picture, though, so I pray I pay attention.  This fight or flight has been more a matter of getting information to folks who might listen, telling them to abandon their system dependency.  I've been telling folks to get out of the cities for awhile now, but for the most part, they indicate they know better, so I've sounded that warning to some, but I'm sure there are some who will listen.

I want to help young people avoid college debt.  I'm a firm believer in reading and learning, but I am avidly against debt and programming!  I want to help everyone get out of mainstream medicine, but most folks take a great deal of comfort in their procedures and prescriptions.  I want to help folks eat healthy and keep kosher, but excuses are much easier than gardening.  To make all my fluttering worse, I fell and then every effort became work, too much work to take on more.  Even my computer work became difficult at times due to the headache and blurred vision.  Praise YHWH, as I'm writing this, I am aware that this is the first day since the accident that my vision has not blurred as the day has progressed!  HalleluYah!  It's also the first day since surrendering my "searching for busy-ness" to YHWH.

He gave me the talents I have, as well as the intelligence to recognize the value of ordinary.  What I do may never be regarded by mainstream religion and may be received by very few, but it's what He's entrusted to me to accomplish.  I'll be working the land, running my alternative health business, and sharing His truth with anyone who asks the reason for the hope in me, and I'll go right on hitting that "publish" button on my screen.  I don't need to make doors where there are none, and I don't need to go looking for doors . . . I need to take care of the several full time responsibilities I already have to actually be ready.  In a world of specialists, ordinary has become in short supply.  

Gardening Withdrawal

  

I'm doing my best to keep this in spiritual perspective, but the truth of the matter is, I enjoy gardening.  I didn't realize how much, until this year.  The last Shemitah, my life was in quite a personal crisis, not to mention a tornado, so there was much going on that spring.  As I write this, I am really under conviction that I'm still lacking the proper priority for this observance.

It's of course been a matter of debate for nearly a year now, and not just this year or next, but do we observe outside the "land?"  Then there's the school of thought, it's just a matter of rotating fields or bypassing the land all together and going with aquaponics.  And for those of us outside the land, do we synchronize with the Land of Israel or keep our 7th year of homesteading?  We're people, so of course, there will be at least four perspectives.  Honestly, I've been all over the place with these various perspectives, previously, but my 7th year here aligns with Israel's observance, so I'm going with that.  I've covered this before, but I really feel led to say, I can't say everyone who isn't doing what I'm doing is wrong.
As I have considered the days I usually spend in the garden in the spring, I am hopefully redirecting my focus to Abba's plan for me this year as the land rests.  Even though we humans are from the dust of the earth, I don't think He intends for me to sit idle as the land rests.

Since the passage that addresses the land sabbath also mentions the animals increasing, I'm focusing on the herd this year.  I do remember back in 2008, although I wasn't really sure what I was doing or the timing, how very much I valued that time just out with the herd and flock.  I really do love my critters and enjoy the time I spend with them.  I smile as I consider this past Thursday.  Traditionally, that is a day I spend in the garden.  This year, I found myself sorting through my own herd, shipping a couple to the auction and bringing home a few new ones.  As the land rests, the herd shall increase, YHWH willing.

Introducing Jemimah, Keziah, and Kerem-Hapook