A special place to come to get new menu ideas, meal planning and grocery shopping tips and helps, holiday menus and lots of Sawhook-tested recipes. I'll also be expanding into my books, speaking profile and Ukrainian Easter eggs with classes and workshops, gardening and will be sharing more options to help and encourage you with devotionals from Georgia's Heart.
BUT, first and foremost, the Lord is my strength and light of my salvation. I will ever praise Him.
To God be the glory!!
Now before you turn your nose up----just give it a try! It's a wonderful Ukrainian recipe that my mother used to make. I love the flavor of the tartness and also the creaminess that the sour cream adds.
Ingredients:
Instead of beef or pork, I just use beef and chicken broth (3 - 32 oz. beef or chicken broth) Beets, a bunch (usually 3 to 4), peeled, pared and cut into chunks Don't forget the chopped green leaves, too 1 large onion, chopped 10 baby carrots, chopped 2 tbsp. minced garlic in jar Optional- I use 1 zucchini, chopped celery, 1 small can of mushrooms) Sour cream Salt Black ground coarse pepper
The pictures that I have here are of the meatless version.
IF YOU USE BEEF---- In a 6 to 8 quart stock pot, place the beef and add enough oil to coat the pan. Begin to brown the meat and continue to add a little water at a time so the meat doesn't burn or stick. This do for about 30 minutes and keep a close eye on it. Now add the water to this along with the about two teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil. Then turn down the heat to medium and cover and let simmer for another 30 minutes.
Add all the vegetables, stir and cover again and let cook for AT LEAST an hour. At this time, add the amount of black pepper you like and taste and see if more salt is needed. Taste it and see if more salt or pepper (sometime I use Garlic salt instead). is needed or desired. Cover, and let simmer for one more hour so all the flavors can come together.
REMEMBER…the key to soup making is cooking slow and long. Now the finishing touches before serving. Take the sour cream and add slowly to the soup, stirring and mixing it up so there are no clumps. Let it melt into the broth. You can wait and just add the sour cream to each bowl individually.
I guarantee you've never tasted anything quite like this. Serve with warm French bread or some crusty or chewy bread and butter. Mom would've had dark rye with caraway seeds with it.
FROM THE PASTOR’S STUDY Pastor Tom Sawhook Sunday, March 28, 2010 Fellowship Bible Church Hamilton, Ohio
A Study in the Book Of The Revelation “The Heavenly Scene Around The Throne”
Share 7 Features Centered Around This Theme
1. Residing One on the Throne Rev 4:2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
1) Notice His Person: God Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Ps 47:8 God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.
2) Notice His Posture: Sitting Rev 4:2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
3) Notice His Portrait: Like Jasper & Sardius Stone Rev 4:3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardius stone:
THE JASPER and SARDIUS STONE CAN DEAL WITH: 1} Reflecting His Glory 2} Redemptive Work Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, 3} Retribution Rev 14:19-20 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. 4} Relationship With Israel 5} Relating The Son to The Father
2. Rainbow Around The Throne Rev 4:3 …and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
1) Consider it’s Position: Around The Throne Rev 4:3 and there was a rainbow round about the throne…. 2) Consider It’s Primary Color: Emerald Rev 4:3 and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. 3) Consider It’s Promise: It Speaks of God’s Faithfulness to Extend Mercy & Grace Gen 6:5-8 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
Gen 9:13-17 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. 14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: 15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. 17 And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.
3. Representatives of The Church Around The Throne: 24 Elders Rev 4:4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats [thrones]: and upon the seats [thrones] I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
1) Consider Their Symbolism: They Are Reigning With Christ Rev 4:4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats [thrones] 2) Consider Their Status: They Are Clothed & Crowned Rev 4:4 … four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment;… Rev 19:7-8 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: Rev 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
* Purpose of The Judgment Seat of Christ: To Give an Account unto God Rom 14:10-12 For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 2 Cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
CONCERNING CROWNS: 1. Soul Winners Crown (Crown of Rejoicing) 1 Thess 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
2. Shepherd’s Crown (Crown of Glory) 1 Peter 5:2-4 Feed the flock of God which is among you….. 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
3. Sufferer’s Crown (Crown of Life) Rev 2:10 …and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
4. Sanctified Crown (Incorruptible Crown ) 1 Cor 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
5. Second Coming Crown (Crown of Righteousness) 2 Tim 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Rev 4:4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders….
4. Response Out of The Throne Rev 4:5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices:…
1) Picture of The Past: Caused People to Tremble Ex 19:16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. 2) Preview of The Future (Tribulation): God’s Wrath in Judgment is Unleashed Rev 8:5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. Rev 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail. Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. 5. Recognition of The Holy Spirit Before The Throne Rev 4:5 …and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
1) Notice His Presence: As 7 Lamps of Fire Rev 4:5 …and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, 2) Notice His Perfection: 7 Spirits of God Rev 4:5 …and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. Isa 11:2 And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;
6. Resemblance of a Sea Before The Throne Rev 4:6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal:….
7. Responders of Praise to The One on The Throne AS DISPLAYED BY: 1) 4 Living Creatures Rev 4:6 and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts [Living Creatures]… 1} Notice Their Position: In The Midst & Around The Throne Rev 4:6 and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four living creatures 2} Notice Their Person: Perhaps a Combination of Cherubim & Seraphim Rev 4:6 full of eyes before and behind. Ezek 1:18 As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four. Ezek 10:12 And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had. Rev 4:7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
Ezek 1:10 As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.
1. “Lion”= Jesus as The Sovereign (King of Kings) 2. “Calf or Ox”= Jesus As The Servant 3. “Face of Man”= Jesus as The Son of Man 4. “Flying Eagle”= Jesus as The Son of God Rev 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him… Ezek 1:11 Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. Isa 6:2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he did fly.
3} Notice Their Praise : It is Ceasless Rev 4:8 …and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
THEIR PRAISE IS CENTERED AROUND: 1] God’s Purity Rev 4:8 …saying, Holy, holy, holy, 2] God’s Power Rev 4:8 saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, 3] God’s Presence That is Eternal Rev 4:8 …saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. Rev 4:9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
24 Elders Rev 4:10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever,
1] They Have a High Value of His Person: They Cast Their Crowns Before Him Rev 4:10 …and cast their crowns before the throne 2] They Have a High Value of His Purpose: We Are Created For His Pleasure Rev 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
OBSERVATION #1: Remember, How You Live Now Has a Direct Correlation To Your Reward Later (1) Stay Faithful (2) Stay Fervent (3) Stay Focused
OBSERVATION # 2: The Beauty of Heaven & The Magnificence of God Far Exceeds Anything We Might Cherish Here on Earth
IN LIGHT OF THAT: 1] Look Up Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
2] Look Out 1 John 2:16-17 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away,
3] Look In 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
OBSERVATION # 3: Take Time To Evaluate Why You Were Born on This Earth (1) Give Him Your Life (2) Glorify His Name (3) Get Blest !
1) Doctrine of Reappearance at Any Time (Imminent)
1 Cor 1:7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Phil 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
2) Doctrine of Rescue Before Wrath
1 Thess 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
1 Thess 5:2-9 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
3) Doctrine of The Revelation
4) Doctrine of Repopulation (During the Millennium)
Isa 65:18-21 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.
21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
2. Promise of The Rapture
*Centered Around The Promise of Jesus
IT’S A PROMISE CENTERED AROUND:
1) Place
John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions:….
2) Pure Truth
John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you….
3) Preparation
John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
4) Personal Return For Us
John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself…
5) Permanent Dwelling in His Presence
John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
6) Priority of Knowing Him (As Savior)
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
3. Process of The Rapture
1 Thess 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
John 11:11-13 Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
13 Howbeit Jesus spoke of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
2 Cor 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
1 Thess 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
CONCERNING THE RAPTURE PROCESS:
1. It Will Involve Christ Bringing the Spirits of the Dead Church Saints With Him From Heaven
1 Thess 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1 Thess 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede them which are asleep.
2. It Will Involve the Spirits of the Dead Church Saints Being United With a New Incorruptible Body
1 Thess 4:16 For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1 Cor 15:52 …at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible
1 Thess 4:16… and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1 Cor 15:52… and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,
1 Cor 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1 Cor 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
3. It Will Involve The Living Church Saints Also Receiving an Incorruptible Body
1 Thess 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1 Cor 15:52 … for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Rom 8:23 … even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Phil 3:20-21 For our citizenship is in heaven; from where also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body,
Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
1 Cor 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
4. It Will Involve an Unforgettable Reunion
1 Thess 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds…
5. It Will Involve Both The Resurrected & Living Church Saints Meeting The Lord in The Air
1 Thess 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air…
1 Thess 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1 Thess 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
FROM THE PASTOR’S STUDY
Pastor Tom Sawhook
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Fellowship Bible Church
Hamilton, Ohio
A Study in the Book Of The Revelation
"YOU MAKE ME SICK"
(The Church at Laodicea)
Share 7 Features Centered Around This Theme
1. The Chief Inspector: The Lord Jesus
Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
2 Cor 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen…
Rev 3:14 …These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him…
2. The Church: Church at Laodicea
Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write;…
Col 2:1 For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
Col 4:15-16 Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.
16 And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.
3. The City: Laodicea
Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write;…
4. The Concern
*Centered Around Their Lukewarmness
Rev 3:15-16 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
PRINCIPLE # 1:
Lukewarmness Sets In When Christ is Set Aside
LUKEWARMNESS IS MARKED BY BEING:
1} Neutral
Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
2} Non-Attractive
3} Nauseating
Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO LUKEWARMNESS?:
1] Ruts (Bad Habits)
2] Relationships
3] Rivals
4] Riches
1 Tim 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
5] Reality You’re Not Saved
Matt 13:5-6 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
Matt 13:20-21 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and immediately with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, immediately he is offended.
PRINCIPLE # 2:
Lukewarmness Sets In When Christ is Set Aside
5. The Clarification
*He Clarifies Their Poor Spiritual Condition
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
PRINCIPLE # 3:
Deception Sets in When Scriptural Values Are Set Aside
2-FOLD DECEPTION:
1} Measuring Success By Possessions
Luke 12:15 Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Luke 12:20-21 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
Mark 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
2} Measuring Success By Prestige
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
PRINCIPLE # 4:
Deception Sets in When Scriptural Values Are Set Aside
6. The Command
*Centered Around Addressing Their Poor Spiritual Condition
Rev 3:18-20 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
PRINCIPLE # 5:
Wisdom Sets in When Self Reliance is Side Aside
CHRIST’S WISDOM TEACHES THE NEED TO:
1) Refined
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich
2) Redress
Rev 3:18 …and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear;
3) Refocus
Rev 3:18 …and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
4) Repent
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
5) Receive
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
1} For The Sinner: Receive Christ as Savior
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, …
2} For The Saint: Receive Christ as The Source of Intimate Fellowship
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
7. The Challenge
CENTERED AROUND:
1)Looking Forward to The Son’s Promise
*To Rule & Reign With Christ
Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Matt 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
2) Listening to The Spirit’s Exhortation
Rev 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
With a possible frost warning tonight, I began to worry about a lot of the things I just planted this past week. Here's a bunch of great tips to help you through.
Two things I didn't know, was that you should water your garden thoroughly before evening, and that a nice breezy night can prevent frost from settling..
Check this out!!!
Protecting your Plants and Flowers from Frost
During the day, your plants and the soil absorb and store heat from the sun. As the day turns into night, your plants quickly begin to lose all of their stored heat.
Clouds will help to insulate and slow the loss of the heat, but a cloudless, wind free night will afford no protection whatsoever. The temperature within the soil and in the plant's cells may even drop to a few degrees colder than the air.
As the temperature drops, the moisture in the air condenses into dew, which then freezes when the temperature reaches 32° F. on the plant surfaces.
At 32°, damage to most plants may be minimal, and only affect a leaf or two. However, if the temperature drops far enough for the plant cells to freeze, non hardy plants will die.
Weather conditions can bring about a frost, even in supposedly frost free areas. It is important to heed the warning when your local forecaster announces 'a chance of frost', and take precautions to protect your garden.
Often times it is possible to extend your growing season by several weeks if you are able to keep your plants alive through a single early frost!
Helping your garden survive a frost
The best way to avoid frost damage to your plants is to grow plants that can withstand the frost. The term 'frost hardy' is often misleading because of the degrees of frost (i.e. light frost vs. hard killing frost). It is a good idea to ask a qualified local nurseryman what is suitable to grow in your area. Even better, look around your own neighborhood, and see what survives and thrives in other local gardens. Often times a plant will survive frost on the foliage, but the same frost would kill any flower buds which have emerged so in areas where late spring frosts may occur, you should choose varieties of plants that bloom later.. Cold air, being denser than warm air sinks, so low lying areas of your garden can be several degrees colder than other, higher spots. Consequently frost may occur in these areas when there is no frost evident anywhere else in the garden. Plant your more tender plant species on higher ground or on slopes where the cold air will flow past the plants as it moves to the low point. Any sloping area is far less prone to frost, because the cold air can't settle there as easily. Precondition your plants to withstand cold temperatures by discontinuing fertilizing in early September, so that no new foliage is on the plant when the cold temperatures arrive. Older leaves are much tougher and more capable of surviving a frost.
When the inevitable occurs and a frost is expected,
there are several things which you should do to protect your plants.
Water the garden thoroughly before nightfall.
The soil will release moisture into the air around your plants during the night, keeping the air somewhat warmer.
Even a slight breeze will prevent cold air from settling near the ground during the night.
You can help keep frost from forming by providing this breeze artificially with an electric fan. Be sure to protect the fan and all electrical connections from water and the elements.
Cover up before dusk! By the time it gets dark much of the stored heat in the garden has already been lost.
If you have time, build a simple frame around the plant, or row of plants. (Even a single stake can be used in many cases.)
Then drape a cover of newspaper, cardboard, plastic tarps, bed sheeting or any other lightweight material over the frame to create a tent.
If you don't have time to create a frame, lay the protective cover directly onto the plant. This will help to slow the loss of heat rising from the foliage and the ground.
Remove the covers in the morning, once the frost has thawed, to let the light and fresh air back in, and to prevent overheating by the sun.
For smaller individual plants you can use glass jars, milk jugs with the bottom removed, paper cups upside down flower pots as heat traps. Don't forget to remove these covers in the morning.
You can collect heat during the day by painting plastic milk jugs black and filling them with water.
Place them around your plants where they will collect heat during the day.
Water loses heat more slowly than either soil or air. This collected heat will radiate out throughout the night.
Potted plants are particularly susceptible to frosts because their roots are also unprotected.
If you are unable to move your container plants indoors or under cover remember to also wrap the pot in burlap or bubble wrap, or simply bury the pot in soil in addition to protecting the foliage.
If your efforts were too late, or too little to protect your plants from a frost, resist the urge to cut off the damaged parts of the plants.
To a certain extent, these dead leaves and stems will provide limited insulation from further frost damage.
You will have to go back and re prune your plants in spring anyway.
It offers a big selection of pelletized lettuce seeds, including
popular varieties such as Medallion, Red Sails, and Simpson Elite.
The homegrown tomato season is just around the corner for many of us,
and it's about time. So in honor of this imminent delight, here are
just a few tomato tidbits to get you ready for the season:
- The average American eats 13 pounds of tomatoes a year (plus 20
pounds a year in the form of ketchup, salsa, soup, and BBQ sauce).
- A 5-ounce tomato has only 35 calories.
- Even though tomatoes contain only moderate amounts of vitamins A
and C, they rank third in our source of the vitamins, since we eat so
much of them!
- There are more than 1,000 varieties of tomatoes currently being
grown in the U.S.
Have you seen it or perhaps considered using it? Red plastic mulch is
supposed to significantly boost your tomato yields. The mulch was
developed by the USDA and ClemsonUniversity, and got the nod by
Consumer Reports magazine. But why is it red?
This special mulch is 1-mil-thick red plastic that--like other plastic
mulch--warms the soil and conserves moisture. But the red plastic does
a lot more. Apparently, it reflects far-red light wavelengths (hey,
ask Clemson) upward into the plants, which triggers a protein that
stimulates enhanced growth and development. Interestingly, our sweep
through various online gardening forums yielded positive comments on
growing tomatoes and perennials in red cups instead of white ones.
Coincidence? Maybe worth pursuing!
We recently came across a suggestion for shaping your garden beds to
be lawnmower-friendly--and it's a very sensible approach. When you're
in the planning stages of a new bed, design the shape so that you can
mow around the edges without having to wrestle your lawnmower into
tight corners or around tough angles.
One simple way to do this is to use an ordinary garden hose to mark the perimeter of your new bed. Just drag it into the shape you want, defining the desired area. You
can even do a test-run with the lawnmower, taking care not to run over the hose. If you encounter any difficult spots, simply adjust the position of the hose to redefine the shape of the bed to accommodate your mower.
Slugs have been the ruin of many a fine garden, and attempts to get
the upper hand don't always work. But as is so often the case, the
best way to win is often to simply change the playing field. In this
case, that means growing things slugs don't like. Among the sun-loving
plants that slugs tend to avoid:
- Balloon flower
- Candytuft
- Coralbell
- Moonbeam coreopsis
Of course, the tougher challenge is finding shade-loving plants that
slugs eschew. (That's ESchew!) Some of the possibilities include:
- Bleeding-heart
- Foxgloves
- Lenten rose
- Jacob's-ladder
- Hardy begonia
In past tips, we've discussed a few methods for getting tiny seeds, such as lettuce and carrot seeds, planted as effectively as possible. For instance, we've suggested creating homemade seed tapes and buying pelleted seeds. But here's another technique that many gardeners swear by: Use a salt shaker that has holes big enough to dispense the small
seeds. Of course, you're not going to get perfect dispersal, but you'll gain more control, since the seeds won't be sticking to your hands and hiding between your fingers as you shake them into the garden bed.
VERY INTERESTING!
Smoking gardeners, beware: You may be putting your tomato plants at risk! In fact, you might a threat to your eggplants, potatoes, and peppers, too. These plants are all related to tobacco--and are therefore vulnerable to the same diseases that plague tobacco crops,
including tobacco mosaic. To make sure you don't introduce any of these diseases to your garden, it's recommended that you don't smoke in the vicinity of those tobacco-related plants. In addition, it's a good idea to wash your hands after smoking if you plan to handle the plants.
Do you have a stump or two in your yard you'd like to get rid of? You have several options, from digging it out (oof) to pulling it out with a chain attached to a riding mower or other vehicle. You can hire an arborist to use a stump grinder (a circular saw that reduces stumps to sawdust), although that can be a little pricey. And if you live away
from the city, you can even burn out a stump (check your local ordinances!).
But maybe you're not in that kind of hurry, and you'd rather let nature handle the job for you. Eventually, stumps will decompose all by themselves. If you see rotten spots and fungus growing on a stump, you know you're in business. And if you'd like to give nature a little help, drill a number of holes into the stump. This allows water and air to penetrate, which will hasten the decomposition process.
That first display of spring-blooming bulbs, like daffodils and tulips, is always a welcome--and often dazzling--sight. However, before long, the flowers start to fade and you may be tempted to cut back the leftover foliage. In a word--don't. Not if you want the bulbs to store food for another display next spring. In order to produce the food necessary for the following year's blooms, bulbs need eight weeks of leaf growth. Wait until you see the foliage turn yellow and start to flop over before you cut it. And by the way, some folks have been known to bundle or braid clumps of foliage to keep them tidy while
they ripen. Again, this is not a good idea. Doing so cuts down on the air circulation and sunlight that the plant needs.
If you're planning to grow watermelons this year, here are a few pointers. First, watermelons need toasty soil temperatures to germinate--75 to 80 degrees is best. You can start the seeds indoors, a few weeks before it gets settled and warm outside. However, be very gentle when the time comes to transplant the seedlings--watermelon
roots are extremely fragile. Watermelons like loose, well-drained soil, and they're heavy feeders, so be sure to incorporate a lot of compost in the bed. Growers also recommend use of black plastic mulch, which heats up the soil, expedites ripening, and protects the roots from becoming waterlogged during periods of excessive rain. Another recommendation is to use floating row covers, which help retain heat and prevent attacks by cucumber beetles (which carry bacterial wilt). But don't forget to remove the covers when the blossoms appear; otherwise, bees won't be able to pollinate the plants.
If a lack of garden space has prevented you from trying to grow potatoes in the past, here's a technique that might work for you. Start by creating a round cage out of metal chicken wire, about two feet in diameter. Then, place six inches of soil and compost inside it. Put two or three seed potatoes on top of the soil and cover them with another four inches of soil/compost mix. Now, wrap the outside of the cage with burlap or an old sheet. This will keep out the sun. Every week for the next six weeks, add another inch of soil and compost, and water a couple of times a week if it doesn't rain. You
can also pour on a little "compost tea" every three weeks or so. At the end of the season, when the foliage has all shriveled, you can dump the contents out from the cage and harvest all the potatoes that tumble out.
If you use those handy peat pots to start your seeds, you can simply plant the whole pot when the time comes to move the seedlings outside. This is good news for the plants' roots, since they don't have to be disturbed in the process. However, you should be careful of one thing: If the rim of a pot sticks up above the soil, it can draw all the
moisture away from the roots and completely dry out your transplant. Be sure that you cover the entire pot when you start putting those seedlings in the ground!
Have you ever had the stem of a prized flower get bent or broken in the garden? Maybe you stepped into a bunch of blooms, or maybe you can blame a hailstorm or a canine intruder. But regardless of the culprit, you may be able to salvage the stem. If the damage isn't too severe, try creating a splint using a plastic drinking straw. First, cut the
straw to the desired length--a bit longer than the damaged part of the stem. Then, slit the straw lengthwise. Open the straw along the slit and place it around the broken stem. Tape it shut, make sure the plant is sufficiently watered, and hope for the best! In many cases, the straw will provide enough support and protection to allow the stem to heal.
A lot of flowers smell good, but some smell really REALLY good. If you'd like to incorporate some of the more fragrant varieties in your garden, here are a few reliable choices. Among annuals, try:
- Sweet peas
- Sweet alyssum
- Nicotiana
- Four o'clocks
Fragrant perennial selections include:
- Lily-of-the-valley
- Dianthus
- Sweet violets
Have you ever spent a day pulling weeds and then had a day or two of pain, burning, or tingling in your hand? It turns out that computer users aren't the only ones who may run into problems with repetitive wrist motion. If you pull a lot of weeds, you, too, could be at risk of carpal tunnel syndrome. If the condition is mild, you might be able to alleviate the problem by wearing a hand splint. However, the best way to avoid the pain altogether is to pace yourself in those weedy patches. Take frequent breaks and stretch the muscles and tendons in your wrist. And don't try to do to much in one sitting, particularly if it's early in the season and you're a little out of condition.
Do you shy away from using marigolds in your flower arrangements because of their strong fragrance? If so, you're missing out on a wonderful addition to your cut-flower bouquets: Marigolds are versatile and bright, and they last a long time in water. But if you just don't want to bring their scent into your home, here's an idea. After you cut a batch of marigolds, set them in water with a couple of teaspoons of sugar. Let them sit overnight, and the next day, the smell should be gone and you can add them to your favorite arrangements.
