For This Child I Prayed

This week has been a celebration of life, first with Carolina Pregnancy Banquet and Brian Ivey's Drop Box, then on Saturday, a family baby shower. Rarely do families get together anymore unless someone dies. It was such a pleasure to gather with family to celebrate life. My cousin comes from a large family. Several of her siblings have large families, too.  She has waited for a long time for her first child. Finally her time has come. It was so sweet to see her sister doting over her. Several people brought handmade caps and a blanket. Love and joy overflowed.

I can only imagine the love and joy that overflowed when Hannah told Eli, “For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him:” (I Samuel 1:27).  Hannah gave Samuel back to the Lord after Samuel was weaned. The Lord blessed her with three more sons and two daughters because she lent Samuel to the Lord as she promised. For Hannah, children were her first priority.  In Malachi 2:15 the question is asked "And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring."(NIV)

In our busy lives, let us not forget to pray in thanksgiving for our children. Let us pray about how to prepare them to be Godly men and women.  Prayers for our children should begin long before they are ever conceived and continue still to this day.

Jesus said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me , and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:14 KJV) 

Heavenly Father, help us to ever bring our children before Your throne, that they may serve You all the days of their lives. In Christ Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Blessings for you and your children,
 
Gail

Honey Bee and Apple Trees

Our apple trees have been in full bloom for the last couple of weeks. The air is filled with their perfume  and the buzz of honey bees. I began to think about all the work honey bees do to provide food for themselves and us. Time is short. A worker bee is only able to work a few weeks. She literally works herself to death.

Worker bees gather nectar and pollen to provide food for the hive. The type of nectar collected determines the color and flavor of the honey. When a worker finds a good nectar source, she does a little dance on the platform of the hive to let the other bees know where the source is located. With all the apple and peach orchards in our area, I'm glad a few workers found our 2 trees. You see, the bees are also necessary for an optimum apple crop. I want lots of apples for pies and cider, jam and dried fruit this fall.

As I enjoyed the apple trees in our backyard and in the surrounding community, I was reminded of what Jesus told His disciples.

Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. John 4:35

The trees in our yard and surrounding community were so completely white, it looked as if another snow had fallen. By September the apple harvest will begin. But now, a harvest is already going on with nectar and pollen gathered by the bees for honey.

If we know the Lord, we are already suppose to be workers in His field, harvesting souls for the Great Harvest at His coming. Like worker bees, we should be letting others know we need help in gathering souls. Just like the nectar and pollen helps feed the hive, so do new Christians feed and strengthen the church.

Our time is short. An old song says "Work for the night is coming, when man works no more." Will we have work to show the Lord, crowns to cast at His feet, or do we sit idly by while the fields of this world wait and ruin.

Father, help me/us observe what you are showing us in Your creation and be busy harvesting the fields of souls in need of harvesting. In Christ Jesus name we pray. Amen

Blessings, 
Gail

Sharing Bread

And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. Deuteronomy 6:7

Welcome to our tiny 2-acre spread. Most folks would call it a yard, but lots of things happen here to help us be as self-sustaining as possible. We grow lots of organic fruits and vegetables. We eat what we can and can what we can't. We also raise a few chickens for eggs and just for pleasure. We try to buy our meat from local farmers and anything we can't grow ourselves, from the farmers' market.

I’m sort of renaming our blog because of all the wonderful things God does for us and through us here on our two acres. This is still My Father's World but I want to share Graces from God's Two Acres. Grace is an undeserved gift. Every good gift and every perfect gift comes from above. So allow me to share the underserved gifts, the good gifts and the perfect gifts God has bestowed upon us.

Today is bread-making day. Just like the woman in Jesus' parable (Matthew 13:33), I kneaded yeast into the Prairie Gold whole wheat flour (a local store grinds the grain as it is purchased). It's not an easy task to knead bread. I fold, push, turn over and over until the dough is stretchy. I let it rest and do it all again.

 Then the dough rests until it doubles in size. Next I roll it out, pushing out all the air bubbles. I roll it up and tuck in the ends, then gently place each loaf in a greased loaf pan.

 The dough has to rise to double again before I place it in the oven to bake. Then o-o-o-h the smell of fresh bread baking!

In scripture leaven or yeast is most often associated with sin but in this particular parable I don't think that is what Jesus intended. The kingdom of heaven or kingdom of God is within us. If something happens to the church building, the church is still there. It is the people. The church started with a small group of disciples but they were commanded to take the gospel into all the world. It takes work. It takes time. It takes patience. But o-o-o-h the sweet blessings when a soul is saved, families grow in the Lord and churches grow strong working together bringing the gospel to the whole world. Jesus said pray, Thy kingdom come. May our prayers be a sweet smelling savor to the Lord for the kingdom.

Making bread is a joy and so is winning souls.

Blessings for your week,

Gail

Stay Awake!! - Prayer Needed

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Mark 14:38 NIV 

A friend reminded me that 2000 years ago, the same moon that shines down tonight, shown down on a garden called Gethsemane near Jerusalem. Twelve men, Jesus and eleven of His disciples came there after the Passover supper to pray. Jesus asked His disciples to watch and pray, that they not enter into temptation.  Jesus went a little farther, about a stone's throw away and began to pray. 

As Jesus prayed He began to sweat great drops of blood, so much that it ran down and fell on the ground. He prayed for the death sentence upon Him to be removed, but only if it were the Father's will. No one wants to die, but no doubt Jesus had seen the agony and torture of a crucifixion. Even more than the crucifixion was the burden of the punishment for our sins that was upon him. He loved the Father and He loved us. He was willing to die that death if there was no other way to save us. You see, Jesus has also seen the torture and agony in the pits of hell that lasts far longer than a crucifixion. Hell last for all eternity.  

When Jesus returned to His disciples, they were asleep. He woke them and asked again that they pray. The second time He found them asleep and woke them. The third time, He let them sleep. He knew the men and officers from the chief priests were on their way with Judas. The agony was just beginning. 

At this Easter season, have we taken time to  ponder what really happened 2000 years ago? We're busy dressing up in new outfits, cooking, fellow-shipping and hiding eggs. Have we allowed ourselves to be lulled to sleep while Jesus agonizes over souls that daily are going into the pits of hell? When is the last time we have agonized over lost friends and loved ones? Jesus asks us to stay awake and pray so we don't enter into temptation, the temptation to just let life go on as normal.