"Calming The Storm"

   I know that we need to pray often. But I am asking each of you that believe in the Almighty God to set forth just a few extra special minutes this evening to pray for a few different areas. First we all have loved ones that are sick physically and spiritually. Second, we need to pray for our Nation in general! Also with the horrible shooting that happened at the school in Ohio, we need to be lifting up all of those involved. We also need to be praying for all those that are being hit by tornado, massive snow and flash flood type rain. Please pray for their protection! There are many other needs I know and if you have one in particular that you would like for us to pray for and you feel safe to post it please feel free! All this In Jesus Name we pray!

Psalm 107:29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.



This blog is linked to:
Rural Thursday #5 Blog Hop

" From Trash to Planter"

I dropped my daughter off at the school bus stop one morning and look what someone was throwing away! :-(   So I had to stop and see if there was something I could make out of them. There were 2 of these chairs, this one the seat was busted out of, the other wasn't. The one that is okay, I believe I am gonna Just clean up and paint black. But what to do with this one? Do you have any ideas? Click below and see what I came up with, then you give ideas in the comments, if you have like articles leave the link to share! 

I am just amazed At what people throw away, one mans trash is another mans treasure. As you drive around pay attention to the trash piles beside the streets and don't be ashamed or afraid to stop and ask or just to get. Re-purposing is a simple way to help take care of the planet. God has trusted us to be good steward's. Even if you don't want it you can give it away as a gift, after you create something. I have seen finished projects that is about ready to be reviled for up to $75.00 at antique stores and this cost $3.00 and took about 2 hours to do! So enjoy!

To see what I came up with, read more!

"AND THE WINNER IS!"

   Well I waited until the "Oscars" were over to draw the 2 winners for the seed give away. This is my first give away and I hope that I can have more in the future! I am so glad I wrote every ones name down as we went or it would have taken "ol Jethro" quit a while to get everyone entered. I would like to welcome and thank everyone that has started following my blog. I hope and pray that everyone will have fun and visit back and share as often as you can. Thank you so much! Every one's name went in the bowl and I had my daughter draw the name. But when I announce the winner I ask one thing from the winners. Give us your best "Oscar" acceptance speech, please!
 Now without anymore delay and the moment we have all been waiting for,

 "And The Winner Issss!" (click Read More)

Starting to Pop up!

  Look what is starting to bloom here in West Virginia, Spring is just around the corner. I am so, so excited! I took this in my flower garden. Have A Blessed Day!

Song of Solomon 2:11-13

¹¹ For lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
¹² The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.
¹³ The fig tree puts forth her green figs,
And the vines with the tender grapes
Give a good smell.
Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away!

"Worms, The Champion Composter"

  I had been wanting to investigate more on "worm composting". So as I was looking around one of the blogs I follow posted about a project they did! A Flock in the City has a great post on creating a worm compost bin. But what is "Worm composting"? Worm composting is using worms to recycle food scraps and other organic material into a valuable soil amendment called vermicompost, or worm compost. Worms eat food scraps, which become compost as they pass through the worm's body. Compost exits the worm through its' tail end. This compost can then be used to grow plants. To understand why vermicompost is good for plants, remember that the worms are eating nutrient-rich fruit and vegetable scraps, and turning them into nutrient-rich compost. So I'm thinking its worm poop, right? lol

  To get started you need worms, a container and "bedding." I have learned something interesting about worms. Growing up on the farm I always thought, "A worm is a worm is a worm" boy was I wrong, all worms aren't created equal. Don't try using your garden-variety night crawlers. They need to worm their way through dirt to eat and survive and they don't dine on organic waste. So what kind of warms do you need, for this you need red worms -- Eisenia foetida (also known as red wigglers) or Lumbricus rubellus (manure worm). I hope I spelled those right, lol!
   How many red worms does a person needs when starting? Some experts recommend a one-to-one ratio -- one pound of worms for one pound of garbage. But others recommended two pounds per pound of garbage, so I guess somewhere in between will do. The other thing you have to keep in mind is that worms multiply like rabbits, so they say! (Or maybe it's more like rabbits multiply like worms!) Anyway, if you give them adequate food and a good home they can double their populations every 90 days. So, you may want to start out slow and with fewer worms than you think you'll need and the resulting worm population explosion will take care of the rest. I found that to be really interesting!

   I guess the only real important thing left is, what about the environment? Ideally your worm compost bin should be in an environment where the temperature ranges between 40 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit and red worms generally prefer temperatures in the 55 to 77 degree range. (Unlike backyard composting with bacteria who like it hotter than heck, worms are more like us.) Many people use a corner of their kitchen, or, if they have a worm bin outside and live in a place where it does get chilly in the winter, they move it inside for the cold months. So after you build your bin CLICK HERE! or buy a kit, you should be able to start pouring scraps in and before you know it have great "worm compost for you garden or house plants.

  Here are some good sites I found that you may want to look at as well. Most of this information came off them but they do have more for you!

  http://www.unclejimswormfarm.com/

  http://www.cityfarmer.org/wormcomp61.html

  http://www.redwormcomposting.com/

"I do think we have a responsibility to care for the environment – we ought to care for every resource God has provided for us."  John MacArthur

I am linked to"

http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/
http://whitewolfsummitfarmgirl.blogspot.com/

"The Jethro Bodine Gardener!"

                                         "Grammar Police Make A Hit On My Blog"

  My wife asked me this evening, "Do you proof  read your post's on your blog?" I threw out my chest and said, "Why yes I do, why do you ask?"  So she started reading down my last post and I started realizing that oops maybe I do read over them but I do it really fast. I said Well that was just a couple of mistakes, she said, "Let me keep going!" My daughter and I laughed so hard as she kept reading. Of course I still was in denial of how bad it was, so she kept reading and we kept laughing. At one point I even put my head down in my shirt to try to hide from all of the shame. You have to understand, this is good old entertainment around this house. Dad always gets picked on, its all out of fun though. 

  At one point my wife said that I should just tell all my new friends that I was from another country and had really bad choppy English. Then my daughter said, "See dad that's why you shouldn't have had the cheerleaders do your homework!"  Hey, I thought it was a great idea at the time, lol! By this point of the conversation we were all laughing red faced. Then my wife said, "Maybe you should just change the name of your blog to The Jethro Bodine Gardener!" Oh my! I wish you all could have been here it was so much fun. 

 Then to top it off, I was trying to type this out before I forgot and my wife was sitting there talking to our dog, Maple. She was rubbing her leg and talking in the dog talk voice (I'm sure if you have a dog or cat you know what I mean). My wife saying in the dog talk voice, "does me rubbing your glutious maximus feel good Maple?" Well I started typing out what she was saying to the dog, and as you can imagine we all laughed over that one saying it probably said, "glaucoma maxi-pads", ROFLOL! I love my family, they keep me in line. I guess I have to be slower and proof read a little better now.

  I hope everyone enjoyed our little story from our family, we have moments like this quite often. But it always seems I am the topic of why everyone is getting such a big laugh. That's okay, It draws our family a little closer! By the way, my wife proof read this post!

Linked up with:
White Wolf Summit Farmgirl
Dandelion House
Friday Photo Blog Hop 

Job 8:21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughing, And your lips with rejoicing.

Psalm 35:9  And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD......

Whats Growing On...And Thinning Out?

  As we in the northern part of the country still have a few months to go before we start to fill our containers with soil, open the seed packets and sow those seeds of hope. Look at what our friends in the warmer areas are starting to do. Don't be jealous or angry, just be happy for them that they have a little longer growing season. Thank to the Scaife Family farm for showing us that the end of the cold season is ending and the planting season is almost upon us!

Simply Scaife Family Farm: What's Growing On...

Also when you Get done on the Link above jump over to this link and read how to thin you seedlings. No need for me to tell yah, when someone else has done such a great job.

Poppyjuice : "Thinning Tomato Seedlings"

Can We Do Enough?

  We had a good teaching on this subject a few weeks back. The question was this, "At what point do we do enough to be reconciled to God?" The answer is, we can't do enough ourselves to be reconciled with God! Before we understand and receive the gift of eternal salvation, we stand in front of God as filthy sinners, or as God's Word say's as His enemy! We can not do enough good works, say enough good things or go to church enough to be reconciled to God. There is only one way to be justified and that is through Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore, having be justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have received access by faith into grace, in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." So it's only by faith, by trusting in the gospel of Jesus, trusting that the sacrifice He made for us, was powerful enough to save us from our sins and not just our sins from the point of salvation back but all of our sins. Even those sins that we may stumble with and commit in the future. We may trust with all of our hearts that Jesus paid our debt in full, that when Jesus said "It is finished", that He meant that. We must trust that Jesus paid our debt in full, not in part, in full means Jesus paid for ALL of our sin debt not just those we committed before our rebirth!
  In order to be justified, we must also be reconciled. Romans 5:10-11 says, "For if when we were 

2 Great Give Aways!

   I just wanted to share with everyone this morning a blog I stumbled across that first of all, is a very good source of gardening information. The name of the blog is "Deep Roots at Home". Some of you probably visit there and shame on you for keeping it a secret from me. lol! 

   The main reason I wanted to share the blog with you is because of the give away a book "Vegetable and Herb Encyclopedia" CLICK HERE! I hope you all visit and enter the give away if you haven't already. 

   Also don't forget, My "Seed Give Away" is coming to a close. You still have time to enter if you haven't, CLICK HERE!. Good Luck to you all and God Bless!

You all may want to check this out as well, Hidden Treasures Give Away!

Speechless For Once!

 Well I really don't know what to say, Debbie Bosworth from, Dandelion House Blog has given my blog and I the honor of being mentioned in an article that she wrote for MaryJanesFarm an online magazine. The article titled "Drop-Dead" Dirt, tells about the Video "Back to Eden", that I posted on here a few weeks back! The video teaches us how to garden God's way. It is a pretty remarkable video!

  Debbie was one of my very first followers when I started this little blog only two months ago and when she messaged me a few days back on wanting to mention all of this in a post, I had no idea the magnitude of her readers. Well Debbie I am honored you would mention me and the blog in your article. I have never been at such a loss for words, you can ask my wife, never does anything make me this speechless!

  I started this blog to tell others of my journey with my little 2000 square feet of ground that I have started to transform into my little Urban Farm. Also to spread seeds of encouragement through my faith in Jesus Christ which I hold so dear. I envisioned this to be a place where we all can come and share each others thoughts, ideas and common interests. A place where a person could come a get a little encouragement when life seems to start to weigh them down. Just my thoughts and ideas. Thank you Debbie for allowing a dream of mine to be able to reach out and encourage others so far and near.God Bless!

 Ezekiel 17:8 " It was planted in good soil by many waters, To bring forth branches, bear fruit, And become a majestic vine.”’

Word Verification Issue

  Well I am with the rest that do not like this new word verification thing. If you have it I will continue to read and post on your blog but I have been reading that many people have been boycotting Blogs with the two word verification on it (like below). One of our fellow lady bloggers Kathy Felsted Usher has posted on her blog "Moving on to the Past"  a great article on this topic. She has also found a gentleman that has a post that shows you step by step how to turn it off and it works Click Here!  I know I normally don't post on topics of this nature but after reading it is difficult for readers that visit your blog, I thought it should be posted for each of you to make your own mind up about it. Thank you Kathy for posting this! and please each of you take the time to visit these blogs and investigate for yourself.

   From Kathy's Blog:

Word Verification Issue

UPDATE:  It appears Blogger is responsible for this and, according to the internet comments I have read, no one is pleased.   I have removed the word verification because I just cannot have this on my blog.  Moderation is still on so I should be able to catch any "bad" stuff that tries to come across.

"Dirt Cheap Compost Bin's"

Junk taking up space!

   Well last season was the end of my two compost bins that I had had for 4 years. They had rotted beyond repair. So we had to have a wienie roast with them! lol! After a while the yellow pine that I had made them out of started to rot away. So because I am trying to re-purpose and do things as cost effective as I can.  I took this pile of scraps and a pallet and made a compost bin. It's amazing what you can find just laying around from older projects to do the job that you need.

  What is a compost bin, you might ask? A compost bin is usually a bin or barrel that holds plant matter (grass, leaves,etc.) or very specific type of animal product like egg shells,manure or kitchen scraps. You put green plant matter, brown plant matter, and an activator in this container, mix it well and let the microorganisms do the rest. I love collecting the little worms as I garden and toss them in the bin or in my raised beds. Microorganisms begin to feed off this matter and produce more of themselves. This heats up the pile, sometimes up to 140 degrees, and disinfects the pile through that prolonged heat. After the process is over (2 weeks to 2 years, depending on how active you are with it) you are left with a dark soil that can be used for various things like a soil amendment, ground cover, etc. But I will do another post and give more information. Just build on it's free, rich soil for your gardens! How did it turn out? Read on:

"In The Garden"

 Walking through the garden with Him

Genesis 2:8 "The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed."

"Idea's of Inspiration from my wife"

Just a little mess, Right?

   This Idea came from me being so disorganized and having stuff scattered in my our way. I just don't understand what was wrong, but I am a man.  I am trying to recycle and save us money on gardening supplies. I am trying to do my part in being a good steward to the planet God has given us. I just didn't understand, just because I was piling all my jugs, (Garden Cloche's), up beside the back door on the patio! I guess tripping over them and being an eye soar may have been my answer.

   I either had to clean them up or they were getting thrown away, so I remembered how my grandma used to store them. She strong them up on baling twine but since I didn't have any baling twine, I used what I had laying around the house and try to kill two birds with one stone by cleaning up other things I had kept to use at another time!

                                                                  

               

  1. I found a piece of old 1/4" nylon rope, I had. I cut the rope to the length I needed and burnt the end with a torch so that it wouldn't unravel. Note: Be careful, I almost caught the garage on fire, please don't tell the wife!

Look like 1 of the 3 used!

2. I tied a spike that I had found laying in the street onto one end of the rope, and look I told you wonderful wife we should keep things cause we might use them one day! :-)

3. I then strong the rope through the handles of the milk jogs and tied a loop on the end to hand them with.

4. And know I can hang them on the patio and we won't trip over them. They are all nice and neat now!

Can u find the toad?

     Well she probably won't like them hanging on the patio, so I guess I will hang them in my garden shed. So, you know the old saying, "happy wife, happy life!" No, really I do want to make her happy, she is my best friend! Because of my organization and trying to learn how to overcome this, I have tried to use some of my wife's organization skills and clean things up.

Ephesian 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, ²⁶ that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, ²⁷ that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. ²⁸ So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.

"Veggie Seed Give Away"

  Do to a wonderful friend of mine who has blessed me with some extra seeds. I would like to also extend a free prize to 2 of the followers of this blog! But before giving you the rules, I would like to give a plug to Botanical Interest! They are a wonderful seed company in Colorado dedicated to shipping you quality seeds, they also have great information to help you with your questions. So next time you need gardening supplies, check them out, you won't be disappointed!

  So with that said,  here are the rules to be qualified for the drawing of the 2 bundles of seeds and planting instructions (est. value $25.00)? So 2 people will win!

1. You must either be a follower of this blog OR "Become a new follower".
2. You must leave a comment on this post. So that I will have a way to contact you. (Check back in from time to time)
3. You can enter to win by following on network blogger. But you still have to post!
4. If you are following on Network Blogger and Google you will be entered twice!
5. If you want to double your chances to win, Link this post to your blog and let me know that you did in your comment on the post.
6. So you have 5 chances to win, I will have one of my children draw on February 27, so check back in on the 28th to see if you won! Good Luck and God Bless!

  The seeds will include a few varieties of tomatoes, herbs, peppers, beans, head lettuces and other misc.

Entries must be received by February 27,2012 in order to be shipped for you to start them in time. Thank you, God Bless and Good Luck! 

I would also like to invite each of you over these to wonderful blogs were you can be a part of a blog hop!

Homestead Revival: Barn Hop #49
Morris Tribe
The Prairie Homestead
Also at:
White Wolf Summit
The Way Grandma Does It
My Simple Country Living
yourgardeningfriend
Hibiscus House

One of my favorite songs!

One of my favorites! She has such a remarkable voice!

Yes I always get chill bumps and tear up over this song. This was one of my dads favorites! We need to listen to the words carefully! There is power in these old Hymns!

Psalm 31:19
Oh, how great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those who fear You, Which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men!

"Back To Eden" Gardening God's Way!

    This is the whole reason I garden! I challenge you to take the time to watch this video. I guarantee you will learn A LOT about gardening for the Master! "Back to Eden" is a very eye opening video in many areas. I could sit here and try to tell you everything that you can learn but I would not do Paul justice! I had a fellow blogger send me this link and inform to me of this video ( Online Video to Back to Eden.)

  If you are trying to be a sustainable person and trying to get away from all the craziness of life, watch and learn. I had to watch it twice already! You will learn so much! You can even use it in raised beds. I just need to stop and you need to watch, don't I? Wait until you have a little over a hour and a half, make a cup of coffee and learn! Please let me know your thoughts when you finish watching the video.

After years of back-breaking toil in ground ravaged by the effects of man-made growing systems, Paul Gautschi has discovered a taste of what God intended for mankind in the garden of Eden. Some of the vital issues facing agriculture today include soil preparation, fertilization, irrigation, weed control, pest control, crop rotation, and PH issues. None of these issues exist in the unaltered state of nature or in Paul’s gardens and orchards.
“Back to Eden” invites you to take a walk with Paul as he teaches you sustainable organic growing methods that are capable of being implemented in diverse climates around the world.

  BACK TO EDEN shares the story of one man’s lifelong journey, walking with God and learning how to get back to the simple, productive methods of sustainable provision that were given to man in the garden of Eden. The organic growing system that has resulted from Paul Gautschi’s incredible experiences has garnered the interest of visitors from around the world. However, never until now have Paul’s methods been documented and shared like this!

As a part of our mission to freely give and freely receive, the makers of BACK TO EDEN have agreed to stream the full feature film online for free. For viewers who support this film and who want to help other people see it, please share www.backtoedenfilm.com, buy copies of the full feature film to give to others or host a screening in your community.

I was awarded the "Versatile Blogger" Award!

 Thank you to the Simply Scaife Family Farm: Blogger award  For awarding me "The Versatile Blogger award". It is an honor for people to think enough of a person and their blog to award them with this! So thanks Guys!

Here are the RULES for the Versatile Blogger Award-

1. Add the award to your blog.
2. Thank the blogger who gave it to you.
3. Mention seven random things about yourself. (see below)
4. List the rules.
5. Award to 15 bloggers.
6. Inform each of those 15 by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here are SEVEN random things about me...

1. I love my Savior!
2. I love my family!
3. I love to Garden!
4. I could talk about all 3 all day with out stopping!
5. My wife and I love to go antiquing!
6. We go to the mountains and swim in the rivers!
7. I would love to have a 30 acre farm!

15 Bloggers picked below, It was a hard choice:

"Recycled seed starting containers"

  If you are going to start you seed from seed here is a good step by step guide from, Botanical Interests, this is also a good site to order seeds from. There are many good seed distributors out there. I just have a friend that works there and I like to support. Also if you will start paying close attention to my posts, I will be posting a "free give away" in the very near future. So be on the watch out!

  I just wanted to give a few DIY tips and ways to recycle things around the house to start your seeds in. You can use just about anything to start your seeds in. Plastic pots or containers are preferable to clay pots when starting seeds, as they retain moisture more consistently. Wide, shallow containers prevent both overcrowding of seedlings and excessive moisture around fragile, young roots. Plants that resent root disturbance when transplanted are best sown into small, individual containers like cell packs or plug trays. Recycled plastic containers, like empty yogurt or margarine tubs and egg cartons work well, too, provided you've poked holes in the bottom for drainage.No matter what type of container you use, it must be clean and free of pathogens. To sanitize a container, soak it in a 10 percent bleach solution for 15 minutes and let it air dry.

  Here is an interesting container that we all see at the store that make a neat little greenhouse altogether. These are the containers that most veggies come in, in the store or maybe you get a salad in them at a drive thru, maybe even your bought your Wal-Mart fried chicken in one! These already have holes for water drainage and for air ventilation. Only fill it up half way with dirt so your plants have a little room to grow before you have to transplant the.

  You can even use your news papers to make little stater pots, I even saw a lady on another blog using the pagers of her old phone book! Awesome idea, I thought!

  These are just a few ideas on how to recycle containers for seed starting. I would like to see anymore ideas!  And read more for a great opportunity with other bloggers!

 Also to find other blogs that you may enjoy and also its a good way to meet other bloggers of the same interest click on this link and follow the instruction! Fridays Photo Blog Hop No. 5  God Bless you in this Day!

 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

Why grow your own Veggies?

  People ask, why do you take time to grow a garden? Well there are many reason's why. Each vegetable you grow in your little garden on average has 3 times the vitamins and minerals that a store bought veggie has. The taste is so much richer and fresher, you won't believe the difference in the two. Mainly because must supermarket veggies have been grow in hot house (hydroponics), so you don't get all the good stuff from the soil. That's why it is so important to have good soil! When the distance from the garden to the table is just a few feet away, you will enjoy just harvested, nutrient packed produce that is superior to any store bought counter part because it is so fresh. Your garden doesn't have to be huge, as a matter of fact you can grow the a great selection of veggies on a sunny deck or patio.

  Another reason and one of my main reason's is because you can grow them organically. Most commercial growers use chemical pesticides and fertilizers that can harm you and your family when ingested all the time. A chemical fertilizer is defined as any inorganic material of wholly or partially synthetic origin that is added to the soil to sustain plant growth. Many artificial fertilizers contain acids, such as sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid, which tend to increase the acidity of the soil, reduce the soil's beneficial organism population and interfere with plant growth. Generally, healthy soil contains enough nitrogen-fixing bacteria to fix sufficient atmospheric nitrogen to supply the needs of growing plants. However, continued use of chemical fertilizer may destroy these nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Furthermore, chemical fertilizers may effect plant health. For example, citrus trees tend to yield fruits that are lower in vitamin C when treated with high nitrogen fertilizer. Fungus and bacterial disease resulting from the lack of trace elements in soil regularly dosed with chemical fertilizers is not uncommon. This lack of vital micronutrients can generally be attributed to the use of chemical fertilizers. On the other hand organic fertilizer such as manure treated with CBPA adds nutrients to soil, increases soil organic matter, improves soil structure and tilth, improves water holding capacity, reduces soil crusting problems, reduces erosion from wind and water, improves water holding capacity and improves buffering capacity against fluctuations in pH levels.

Share your Ideas with others!

Barn hop #48 at:  www.theprairiehomestead.com. 

If you would like to share your Ideas with others and meet lots of very nice people click on link above and start hopping!!!!!!!!!

Join The Barn Hop!

Jill @ The Prairie Homestead

Kendra @ New Life on a Homestead

Kelly @ The Morris Tribe

and Amy @ Homestead Revival...

...invite you to link up and share your homesteading adventures!

Saved By Grace!

We Are Sinners Saved By God's Grace!

by Clint Baker

    I have heard people say "I am saved I am not a sinner", How can that be? Are we not sinners saved by God's grace?

    We are sinners saved by grace. The epistles of John are letters to ‘little children’ or believers and in 1 John he writes in verse eight that “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” and again in verse 10 “If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar.” If we were not sinners, we would not need confession (1st John 1:9) to renew our fellowship and to free us to walk in God’s forgiveness nor would we need Christ to be our advocate (1st John 2:1-2).

   The attitude of acknowledging that we are sinners save d by grace means we agree with God’s assessment and are submitted to Him with a teachable heart that chooses to be humble before Him. None of us can attain to the righteousness of God. We can only stand in His righteousness as we stand in Christ (1st Corinthians 1:30-31). Therefore, not only are we sinners saved by grace but also we are warned not to think that we stand on our own worth because that can lead to a fall, 1st Corinthians 10:12 "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." Meaning there is nothing we did to become saved from sin and there is nothing we can do to keep our salvation, Jesus did it all. In saying that we have a part in it is saying that what Jesus did freely for us was not good enough and that we have to do the rest.

"Pro's and Con's of Raised Bed Gardeing"

   By this point I am sure that you have planned your garden layout and picked the plants you want to grow and even ordered the seeds. The sit you have picked should have at least 6 hours of daylight and you should pick a place close to a water supply. So have you figured out if you want a conventional or a raised bed garden! Here are the differences between them both.

  A conventional garden is one in which a large area is planted in rows at the ground level. It's probably the type of garden you are used to because that is mostly what we grew up with.Though these gardens have been the norm in our region for years past, many home gardeners are switching to raised bed gardening which is much easier, less expensive, and less time consuming. Conventional gardening takes more time out of busy lives. Conventional gardening requires more fertilization, compost, weed and insect control, as well as back breaking tilling of soil and picking of vegetables. I won't spend much time  getting into the pros and cons of conventional gardens as there are so many benefits to gardening in raised beds.

  Well what is a raised bed garden and what are the pros and cons. A Raised bed is just what the name suggests it is, it's a garden raised up off of ground level. It can be as high as you want it, they can be created from anything that will hold dirt and as small or large as you like. I will go over some of the pros and cons but if you would like to see how to build one cheap, go to my post "Urban Garden in a little space for less than $100.00". 

   Here are some of the pros and cons of raised beds:

Planting Early and Trusting!

  Do to the unseasonable warm weather this year, yesterday I did something I have never done in February. I planted some of my Garden outside. Now I did plant crops that will with stand the weather we have been having. I just hope we don't get a big freeze and if we do, Oh well! I will keep the cloche's and row covers handy just in case though. The seeds I planted were a couple years old anyway! I planted Swiss Chard, Salad Lettuce and onion seed. I guess we will see how it goes. So like anything in life that we do, we must prayerfully do it and trust God! We just have to remember sometimes it is in God's will for us and sometimes it isn't. Sometimes we want things that the Father knows would be harmful for our lives. But in all things we do, even gardening, trust God that what ever happens is in His will for our lives.

"Trusting God doesn’t give us an excuse to idly sit back, doing nothing. Praying to God and asking Him to help doesn’t allow us to be lazy. We need to trust God and do our part in the strength and guidance He provides." ~ Karl Graustein

Psalm 37:5 "Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. "

February "To Do List"

  February is here And if you haven't ordered your seeds or planed your garden you better get on it. There are other things that you can start doing in the southern part of West Virginia to start preparing for the spring planting. If you want to start a windowsill garden you can do that as well. Just pick a window that get ay least 6 hours of sunlight in your house and start sowing seeds in pots, with a little water and TLC you will have plants popping up in a few days! You could either pick plants like herbs to use in your kitchen or get a head start on some of your garden plants for the garden!

Plants that you can start sowing indoors are:

• Head Lettuce
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Broccoli
• Cabbage 

Plants that you could sow in an outdoor cold frame or outdoors:

• Leafy salad greens
• Seed Onions
• Other Greens
• Peas outdoors (south of U.S. Rt. 60)

Other things that you can be doing in February is:

• Continue in payer and Bible study
• Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants)
• Make sure all your supplies are stocked up, fertilizers, seed starting containers, starting soil, etc.
• Prune Grape vines
• Prune Blueberries
• Prune Deciduous trees and shrubs
• Apply lime and fertilizers
• Order your fruit trees

This is Leap Year so you have a extra day to get caught up if you have procrastinated through these winter months. Although with the weather we have had here this season you may be ahead of schedule and maybe even still have things like Broccoli. I just a couple weeks ago harvested some for soup! Thing is there is always something you can be doing. If you have everything caught up in the garden you can use this opportunity to get everything else caught up around your house so you can spend more time in the garden when it comes time to, as my wife says I am doing, "piddling around" in it. So hurry up and get things done!

John 15:12 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit."