Saturday's Backyard Bounty: Fresh Corn on the Cob

Fresh corn on the cob has been the highlight of our garden bounty in the past week. There is nothing like fresh corn! It is not easy to grow corn successfully. In the midst of trying to give it enough fertiliser and water to be productive we sometimes wonder if we should give it a miss next year. Then we get our first cobs and we know that we have to try again! Our most common way of preparing corn is to steam it and eat it with a little butter. Tonight, though, Dave baked it in his Weber (a coal fired BBQ). He put butter, salt and pepper onto the cobs and wrapped them in foil. Wow! This is the most delicious way we have found to prepare corn on the cob. All our other vegetables for dinner were also from the garden excepting the onions: potatoes, carrot, patty pan squash, and garlic. This week we have also loved having an abundance of fresh tomatoes to eat in toasted sandwiches, fry for breakfast, and add to salads and sauces.

This week we planted cauliflower seedlings.

As I've walked through the garden this week I have been thinking about a couple of Scriptures. Firstly, God says that when the gospel (the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection to take the punishment for our sins and give us eternal life) is planted, He must make it grow. So it is with our plants - God makes them grow, we can only plant and water but God is in control. My failed cauliflower seeds make me think of this truth that applies both spiritually and physically. Secondly, there is a time for everything . . .a time to plant, and a time to reap. Now is our season of "planting" our family, a busy season where we have to concentrate on the essentials and cannot do all that we would like.

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Knitting projects put to good use

When I was a teen I did a lot of knitting, especially toys. I put away the toys for future use. Many children have played with them while visiting our home. Now it is a pleasure to see my own children enjoying things I made over ten years ago. Maybe I did do something useful with my teen years!

I made this jumper in my early twenties, and loved putting on our daughter for the first time this year. I originally gave it to one of my nieces but it made its way back to me and now I get to put it on our very own baby! I could not have imagined this when I was making it. I have not knitted for years, partly because it increases back pain, but I'm feeling tempted to get those needles out again.

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Story time

The children listening to one of our favourite books, "Stories Jesus Told".

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Move to the big bed

This week we moved Mercy from her bassinet to the cot. Elnathan transitioned really easily to his big bed in February, praise God. I love
putting Mercy to bed under her garden quilt, a reminder of God's love and providence.

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Visiting Friends

Last weekend we enjoyed visiting friends. It was our first visit to their home and market garden about 45 minutes from Hobart.

We thoroughly enjoyed out walk around their property and eating blackberries from the wild bushes.

I caught Elnathan just as he threw his arms up to the sky saying "moon and stars"!

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Brother and sister

Elnathan has been showing more interest in his sister lately. He talks to her and shows affection several times a day, whereas before he only paid attention to her occasionally.

His affection can be very enthusiastic or misplaced, such as when he tried to put one of his cars in Mercy's mouth!

Still, it is sweet to see them noticing one another more and we hope they will become good friends and playmates.

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Being a Living Sacrifice as a Mother

This guest post is from my mother Lorraine Ward. Mum wrote it recently to share with a mother's group, and I thought it would also be a blessing to those who read this blog. It certainly comes as a timely reminder to me as I have been struggling with a complaining spirit at times. 

Lorraine at Christmas with her granddaughter Mercy Joy Lorraine.

Lately I have been rereading Helen Roseveare’s book Living Sacrifice. I have read this book several times! Since my children were little I have made it a life habit to read not only the Word of God, but also biographies and autobiographies of great Christians who sacrificed everything in their lives to share the gospel all over the world. We can learn so much about how to live the victorious Christian life from the struggles, suffering and triumphs of humble men and women of God.

Helen Roseveare worked as a medical missionary in the Congo for 20 years, a time when there was much bloodshed and suffering in that country. Her story is inspiring because she talks so openly about how God dealt with her proud heart through times of great stress and hardship. She shares about how the Lord revealed to her that it is a privilege to give up all to know Him and be used by Him. When she suffered brutality at the hands of rebel soldiers she struggled to stop herself blaming God and feeling abandoned by Him. The Lord showed her that He was offering her the privilege of sharing in the fellowship of His sufferings. God wanted to transform her life to be a usable tool in His hands for His purposes. Was she willing to do without, to let go of ambition and pride to learn death of self, to give up self-pity, self-defence and self-sufficiency?

Helen’s struggles with her heart have deeply touched me, because as a mother it is easy to give in to self-pity at times when you have no time to yourself and tasks and chores mount up because you are exhausted. As a mother I have wrestled with a complaining spirit and a desire to have my load lifted. I had to take stock of my sinful thinking patterns when things were difficult. Why me, Lord? Why do I have to bear this burden? The sweetest moments come after confession of sin, as the Lord gently shows you His Way. When I confessed this grumbling spirit to the Lord, He showed me that He has a greater purpose for me as a mother. He has given me the most important job in the world, to train my children for His purposes and to reveal His character through the death of my selfish complaining heart.

Let’s remember God’s promise in Ezek 36:26 “A new heart I will give you, and new spirit I will put within you…” When our children see our sweet spirit before the Lord, His Spirit speaks to their hearts and His transforming power is at work in them. Child training can seem to take forever and you may not be getting the results you desire straight away, but God Almighty is at work in your ministry and He will bring to fruition what He has begun in you and your family. Praise His Name!

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