This may seem like an unusual time to blog about gardening since late September is when most of our gardens have seen better days; however don’t be hasty to just yank out all your plants as there are still plenty of valuable goodies to be had. Right now my tomato & pepper plants are producing; although the tomato production has slowed considerably. As the summer rolls into fall my garden gets less direct sunlight here in northwest Georgia, so my tomatoes end up with very “leggy” vines and less fruit. My peppers, however, will keep producing right up until the first frost. We try not to waste anything but more importantly we have found that the fruit our garden produces...
You know what you’re eating when you grind your own beef and the cost is better than what you pay for the grocery store mystery grind, but be careful, the guests you invite over once are going to want to be invited back. In a recent post we shared the "how" of grinding your own beef mixture. Here’s a cost breakdown of our most recent meat purchase for creating our own “grind”: Chuck roast: 8.86 lbs @ $2.98 London broil: 8.11 lbs @ $2.98 ...
My accountability partners have fluctuated over the years but I’m always seeking new men to add. I have to be willing to take the risk of transparency first, and although sometimes it doesn’t work out, the rewards of developing deep and trusting relationships is worth any risk. We’ve mentioned the value of starting with simple matters when we form an accountability group and growing from there as time and trust increase. We’ve also stated the importance of setting up guidelines early on which will ensure everyone involved knows what’s expected. There’s one more area worth mentioning: Many churches or organizations publish a list of “tough questions” that are beneficial to establishing an accountability group, but I don’t see them as...
In a previous post I talked about how we have to be willing to initiate transparency. Sharing our deeper hurts or struggles can be risky, but it’s the bedrock for a meaningful relationship. While doing work in the prison I didn’t ask anyone what they did wrong to get incarcerated, instead I shared my own past failures that would have or should have landed me a seat next to theirs. Transparency makes us vulnerable and sometimes others don't reciprocate. I’ve had times when others used what I shared with them against me, but as I stated before, who was the loser? If I am willing to take the risk first, then I open the door to an honest exchange...
Looking at an old exterior door, seeing a weathered piece of wood, exposed to wind and sun, cold and rain; we see what age and elements do to the natural beauty of God’s creation. Within the weathered, worn and distressed, however, is where the prodigals exist. What a joy to take something once treasured and restore it to a place of beauty; brand new, yet still aged, recreated and yet honoring the original creation. What we love more than anything is taking those pieces of useless scrap and transforming them into something that can be cherished once again; realizing that apart from restoration, these old beauties are destined for the scrap heap or nearest landfill. Everything we do is...
