Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

I believe it was Matthew Henry who said something akin to when God sends mouths, He sends meat. We have seen this time and again in terms of provision in all things, and are so thankful for every bit of it. Lately, we’ve been drowning in bananas of all things. A friend of ours works at a food bank, and they couldn’t give away all of the donations. So we accepted three full cases of very ripe, organic bananas and got going! We dehydrated a (ahem) bunch of them and even so the children are eating them up so fast I doubt any will be left by Thanksgiving. The rest were peeled and put into the freezer for smoothies.

I guess I should mention that there were probably about half a dozen other cases that my friends got as well. It’s a great time to deal with cases of produce! You could talk to your grocer about getting a discount on whatever is cheap and local right now, and fill up your pantry and freezer, too. Then, in the middle of winter you won’t be stuck with produce that traveled thousands of miles and lost all its taste and nutrient value in the process.

The barn(ette) building continues. My husband (unlike myself) doesn’t do anything halfway, so when I asked for “some doors” to close the stalls up if needed, this is what he did:

Aren’t they beautiful? I just love ‘em! The other side of the barn is still unfinished; we are going to build a nice rabbitry there with an open pen to take the critters out for sunshine and playtime. There will also be room for animal feed and places to raise chicks and whatnot. There is a loft up above for hay storage, barn cats (when they come), and nooks to read a good book in.

I am finding myself outside still a lot as well. The kitchen garden is getting cleaned up. I know I still have remnants of flowers and so forth producing, but the weather is changing and if the garden isn’t cleaned up now, I’ll have nothing but slimy black vines to deal with next month and that appeals so me less than avoiding work now. Garlic is in for next year already.

Tuesday I got into the bee hives with my mentor (God bless that woman!). And, lo and behold, we got a harvest on our first year! It isn’t much, just a couple of full frames, but we were both very excited as others we know got nothing at all. My mentor is a believer as well, so we had a fabulous time praising God and watching these sweet honeybees doing their God-given work. I really, really wish I could put the scent of this honey onto all of your computer screens. You may end up keeping honeybees as well! After all, they’re in your garden anyway, may as well be yours!

Well, the children are up now and joining me in their pajamas. My girls are chatting with their Bibles and journals, and my son is dilly-dallying with the kitty. I’m looking out a thick grayish blue fog outside, the stately pines looking like black paper cut-outs in the sky (oh, that’s another project I’ll share with you soon!). It’s time for me to go nurse my baby, feed the animals, and snuggle in for another day keeping the home. I am truly blessed.

Tagged as: barn, God, homesteading, honeybees