Sunday, April 16, 2006

Another Easter has come and gone ...

Can you believe Easter (as it is called) is already come and gone? How did you celebrate yours? Hopefully with those you love and care about. There is so much meaning packed into this time of the Christians's Holiest of weeks. Church was great. I bet you know Who Pastor Don was talking about. Worship was awesome. We also saw alot of people we have not seen in a long time after the service.
Can you believe I ate Lamb today? I thought it was a roast (beef) until they told me - but i would have figured it out after putting it in my mouth. It tastes different, kind of 'musty'. But it was good never the less. I suppose if that had been what I was raised on since a child I would not think anything of it.
This is a good time to take inventory of our spiritual lives. Are there things we need to do without vs. those things which we cannot live without? Do we honor God with our heart and our lips? What about with our time and resources. (I'm getting convicted myself while writting this stuff down). The truth is the truth. If the Holy Spirit shines His light in our heart and shows us things we need to change, then go with it. It is only for His Glory and our good that He does it. In my minds eye I can see Jesus saying, "I gave My all, so what's your excuse, George?" No excuse really compares. But thankfully God is patient, kind and understanding - slow to anger and rich in love.
For those who like green thumb type stuff, read on ...
Saturday, Keith and Bill from church and Randy my brother in law came over and planted 20 fig trees ( 4 varieties), 6 citrus trees ( 5 varieties), 1 pear tree and 1 ornamental tree. We used an auger (a big drill bit for the ladies) to dig the holes. Randy is now the specialist at working the "Dingo" auger machine while Bill and Keith placed the trees. I watered and threw fertilizer in the holes. Keith asked if I liked figs and I said yes, me and Robin love them fresh or canned, he said you better! The fig trees were about 2 foot high except for a few bigger ones - so a major crop is still a few years out. So if anyone likes figs, wait a few years and then call me. I also will put out about 10 Blueberry bushes.
Blueberries and figs are low maintenance fruit producing plants with little or no pest/disease problems. The citrus trees are also fairly low maintenance - you just have to watch out for the swallow tail butterly. They will deposit their little orange eggs, about the size of the tip of a pen, on the newer growth. If they hatch out they will consume alot of your leaves if you do not beat them to it. The caterpilers look like bird droppings - I kid you not! My mother showed this ugly looking thing to me on her orange tree in New Orleans a few years ago - and it really looks like bird poop. But it sure does turn into a beautiful butterfly - I guess there is hope for me after all!
Let's hope everything planted grows and does well.
I sure do appreciate the labor these guys put out - I had been wanting to do this since we moved here, but something always seemed to come up. Give and it shall be given. I guess you could say this was "a planting of the Lord".
Remember, God is in control. Start this week with a new and fresh outlook. Christ has Risen! He defeated death, hell and the grave! Go out and be a blessing.
GW

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Farmer George...
Did you know your name means "farmer"? Praying for your new crop of trees to grow...and prosper. Thanks so much for the "seeds" of faith and encouragement you "sow" daily on this blog...Only heaven knows the fruit of your labors...
Ya'll are such a blessing...
CI

Carole Turner said...

I love that you have fig and Citrus trees George! That is so you! Your name means farmer? That is so cool!

Steele's boys are ok, just some fluid communication problems with his abdomin they said. If it happens again we have to take him in to the Ped. to see but they said it's not any thing to worry about. There is nothing like a baby getting a seach for a hernia and a sonogram of the boys!

Anonymous said...

George, I have such fond memories as a child and youth at my grandmother's house where she had large fig trees. I was told to wear long sleeve shirts when I was going to be picking the figs (no tie required) I love figs too, so I need to plant one in my back yard OR I will have to come to your yard in the middle of the night to get some. I thought 'george' meant monkey, not farmer, oh well.
Love ya.

Anonymous said...

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord
And whose trust is the Lord.
For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit.
Jer. 17:7-8