Learning about soil

We began learning first-hand about the different kinds of soil.  First it must be turned up and softened, otherwise, just like in the parable, nothing will grow.  

The Path

We tilled this whole section of field but we have one row that we decided to use as a path and the soil there has gotten packed down as we walk on it.  Now nothing can be planted in that row.  Sometimes people's hearts are like that: it's not that the soil is bad, it's just that they have been walked over so many times that they've become hardened.  But even hard ground like that can be turned into something plant-able with a little elbow-grease!  Nothing is beyond our Lord.

The Rocky Soil

Actually, they told us not to take the rocks out because they feed the plants with minerals, but the parable is talking about soil that has rock under shallow soil.  Before planting we dig down by hand to prepare the spot for the seedling.  Next to our well we hit cement and had to plant somewhere else.  The soil would not have been deep enough there to support the root.

The Thorny Soil

Every time I water our garden I take the opportunity to pull out the weeds around the plants while the soil is wet.  When it's wet it's easier to pull them out, especially if I get them when they're small.  Otherwise you just end up pulling off the leaves and the same weed is back in a few days.  I've seen how these weeds can grow up with your plants and literally choke them.  I caught one that had wrapped its tendrils around my tomato plant and was using it to reach the sun.  The cares of this world are just like that: it's much easier to get them out of your life before they get big and when you are soaked in the water of the Spirit and His Word.  And if you don't, then they will wrap you up and you won't be able to grow.

The Good Soil

Our soil seems to be pretty good here and we are expecting and good crop.  When you first plant things they look like they almost aren't going to make it.  Sometimes the wind blows and soil gets rock hard on the top and the sun beats down on those tiny leaves for days and you think, "how is that little thing ever going to grow enough to be able to give something back." 

God grows us like that.  

 

What starts as just a simple belief in the sacrifice of His Son, and feeble steps to try to do something right, He grows our faith and our impact and we produce fruit for Him.  Only He sees the harvest that is going to come from that little, struggling plant.  So, if your are feeling like a near-scorched seedling, just remember that all fruitful plants started out like that.

Thoughts about God from the chickens:

   Coming to a place more in the country here has helped me to understand God's Word better.  Jesus was a carpenter who lived among people who farmed and kept animals.  He probably did those things too, just as most people who live in the fertile areas of the world work the land to help provide for the needs of their family.  Having our own garden and chickens who lay eggs feels at least one step closer to the kind of life that Jesus and his disciples were used to.

Watching animals and nature gives lots of silent insight about life. 

Psalm 148:7-10

"Praise the Lord from the earth,

    you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, 

 lightning and hail, snow and clouds,

    stormy winds that do his bidding, 

 you mountains and all hills,

    fruit trees and all cedars, 

 wild animals and all cattle,

    small creatures and flying birds"

"He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." Psalm 91:4

  This mother protected her chicks to the point of attacking us and biting us every day when we fed her.  And watching her fit 12 chicks under her wings was amazing.  And they would all crawl under so eagerly and look out at the world from that place of warm and security with sleepy, content eyes.

Look at all these verses about God protecting us under His wings: Deuteronomy 32:11; Psalm 17:8; Psalm 36:7; Psalm 57:1; Psalm 61:4; Psalm 63:7

Psalms 17:8

Deuteronomy 32:11

 

Our chicken likes to lay her eggs in our kitchen

This is Oliver with her morning routine at 8 am.  She asks to come into the kitchen and then wants us to empty out our slipper basket and put in on the couch so that she can get comfortable and lay her egg.

Baby Chicks!

Ok, so I prayed that one of my chickens would decide to sit on the eggs that I let collect and Oliver did!  Only one of the 13 didn't come out so now I have 5 yellow ones and 7 black ones.  

The father is black and they are from 3 different chickens so they will be all different colors.  It was so fun to watch them come out of the eggs one at a time and then dry off and get all fluffy.  

 This is Ashley.

Their second day they were out and running around.  We feed them chick food and they eat dirt and bugs and stuff.

 The started growing wings after just a few days.

And now they are just like little miniature chickens.

My knitted creation

I went to visit my friend's mom and she let me borrow two knitting needles and a bit of multi-colored yarn left over from a sweater she had made.  I knitted this piece and then sewed the ends together to make a neck-warmer that can also be used as a hat/headband thing.  It's really great and matches all my clothes and it proved quite useful during the winter here, especially for keeping your hair back in the cold wind.  I'm working on knitted another one and then maybe I'll think about tackling socks.

Isn't this just the cutest thing you ever saw!

And it's ours!  My friends found it wandering outside in field and caught it in a net and put it in our garden.  And now it has learned to go in and out the gate with our chickens.  At first they were terrified of it but now they are used to each other and the rabbit likes to hang out with them.  His name is "Storm' and sometimes he runs like lightening across the field and then lays down and stretches out his legs and rests.  He is super soft and always clean and so cute when he eats and sniffs.

Chickens and eggs

 Yes, my two smallest chickens sleep in a bucket.  And they are happy about it.

 The one on the left is Oliver's first egg, then Allisyn's, then Kailey's.

 Oliver, Hırçın, Kailey, Allisyn, and our rooster, Neema in the back.  Hırçın has to grow up a bit more before she will lay eggs.