I got my raised garden beds all cleaned out and tilled and ready for next year. There were several lessons I had learnt through this year which will prosper my garden next year.

As I pulled up my plants I noticed how huge the rooting system was, the greater the rooting system the greater the plants produce. My soil is very sandy, and that allows the plant’s roots to grow quicker and easier. But the sandy soil doesn’t hold the moisture or the nutrients the plants need, so they must be continually fed and watered.

How we learn is based upon the same principle, a humble person is like sandy soil their roots grow quick. But they must continue being fed from the word and the living water to produce fruits.

Joh_15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Today I went turkey hunting, it was successful I came home with a 17lb turkey.

The wisdom I learnt from the hunting experience is this, it’s not always the way you expect it.

Setting in the woods calling this morning a turkey started responding, it was very close. As I did a turkey call it would answer very excited, it was a single turkey looking for another to be with. As I continued calling I could hear several turkeys in the background. But the one was very close so I slowly worked my way up against a tree and used my binoculars scanning the area. The turkey was so close, and yet I could not locate it. The calling lasted for perhaps ten to twenty minutes, I knew it was close perhaps in the thick brush. All of a sudden I heard a loud noise and discovered exactly where the turkey was, it was in a tree within shooting range, but the noise I heard was it flying off. That entire time I scanned the ground searching for the turkey, just to discover it was still in a tree.

As I thought about what I had experienced I knew that was a great lesson to learn, not to expect the obvious. Many times the enemy we loose to comes through the unexpected ways.

A little while later I located another turkey, and bagged it.

When I cleared out my old tomato plants I placed the left over green tomatoes in my basement and allowed them to ripen. They have all ripened so I made salsa today. Tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, sweet banana peppers, cilantro and onion garlic and chili powder.

There are certain rules I try to follow in dealing with my vehicle. When I go any where my auto is locked and nothing of any value or that could be mistaken for something of value is left in plain site. In that way I don’t tempt the weak into breaking into my truck. There are occasions we don’t want to admit to, but we cause the problem by tempting another into doing something wrong.

In Isaiah 39 we read about King Hezekiah and that he had recovered from a sickness, so the King of Babylon sent him a present. Hezekiah was glad that the king of Babylon sent him the present and showed those from Babylon all of his possessions.

Then came Isaiah saying Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD. And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.

Hezekiah proud of all he had obtained showed all that he had to the visitors from Babylon, which tempted the King of Babylon who eventually came to take it all away.

Our actions have an affect upon others, we can set high moral standards or we can cause another to be tempted in many different ways.

Mat_5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

1Jn_2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

This morning at 4:15 am the doorbell rung, so I got up and answered the door. It was a young man, and he apologized for being so early but saw our light on, figuring some one was up. We leave a lamp on in the living room; the light shines out through the window. The young man stated his battery was dead and needed a jump start, he lived down the street and his parent with their car was not home to jump him. I agreed, and got dressed and drove down and jump started him.

Later I thought upon what had happened, and the Spirit gave me these thoughts. If our light shines it will attract those in need, if those in need are turned away enough times they will give up on God, and the blame is ours. So we let our light shine and those in need that are attracted to it we give what is needed.

1Pe_3:9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

Luk_6:32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

Mat_16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

When I first started walking at the park a few years ago I noticed a couple of women who would walk in the opposite direction. They with stern looks in their face would force those walking toward them to go around and not share the path. At first I rendered evil for evil I wouldn’t give an inch and we would almost bump shoulders as we walked by each other.

Then I was convicted, and realized instead of me showing love lifting them, they were showing evil affecting me. The problem is nothing stays the same; our encounters were growing worse weekly. After I was convicted I didn’t need a sign from them on how to treat them, I knew I was supposed to show love. So each day I would smile and say hello and move off the track. Eventually it started affecting the two women, they began at first looking back, then smiling then eventually sharing the path and saying hello.

Don’t treat others how they treat you, be obedient and always show love. Don’t need proof that God’s ways work trust in his word, be obedient and in time the proof will be there.

The other day as I set in the house doing my reading I realized I needed to water my garden, so I went out and did so. As I was outside I enjoyed the beautiful day, the bright sunlight. When I went back inside to continue my reading it took awhile for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. Just prior to going out into the sunlight there was plenty of light.

The more time we spend away from God our eyes adjust to the darkness.

“The darkness is only seen when light has been known, when away from the light long enough the darkness becomes the new standard of brightness”.

Isa 7:15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

“Without two flowers to be compared, one to the other, how can any chose which they find more precious in their eye”?

2Co_8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

Heb_5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

To me that Isaiah 7:15 verse says that by Jesus feeling the greatness of good, when he felt the absence of that good, it would quickly keep him on the right track.

Example- a poor person would never know what they are missing if itwasn’t for seeing what a rich person has, and once they see it they will try harder doing what it takes to obtain it.

My yard thanks to God for the rain and fertilizer is turning thick and a beautiful dark green. There is a couple spots that has turned brown and very thin, the spots in which I spilt the fertilizer. The right amount of fertilizer for what the grass needs enhances its beauty, but too much brings its death.

In my garden I have pepper plants planted next to my egg plants. Recently I was at a cousin’s house who allowed me to load up on some natural fertilizer he has in pasture. To some it would be called sheep manure, for the garden it is called fertilizer. I spread heavily the manure in my garden, my egg plants started growing and mass producing, but my pepper plants started wilting and slowed down producing. The egg plants need more fertilizer and the pepper plants need less is what I learnt.

I gave thought upon how the fertilizer had its effects, and what I could learn from it. This is what I believe the Spirit showed me.

God supplies our true needs, the more we truly need the more he supplies. The problem is our wants create unnecessary (false) needs which are not true needs.

If God would supply our false needs it would actually cause us to be tempted into following the life style which creates the false needs in the first place. God will not lead us into temptation, and those that are not faithful in the least more just makes them more unfaithful.

An example I have is this, spend your finances foolishly and then expect God to supply you with your rent because it is a need, it won’t happen. God knows that if he supplies your rent then that would allow you to further spend foolishly.

My pepper plants produced less when given more, but my eggplants produced more when given more, wisdom tells us which will receive more and which will receive less.

Until Christians start living what they believe, and letting others know what is required to be called a Christian so they stop claiming it falsely, Christianity will continue to look false to those standing out looking in.