Tart Cherry Season

Earlier this month our tart cherries ripened beautifully!

It was time to pick...

...and juice them.



Watch the process in 38 seconds HERE

Shut In – Day 150: Touch Down!

Who remembers when we first began tracking along with Noah’s flood… when he and his family were “shut in” by God? For most of us, February probably feels long ago. And 150 days must have felt long on the ark as well.

But today marks an exciting change in the monotony!

“At the end of 150 days the waters had abated, and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.” Genesis 8:3-4

The ark was finally stable once again, but it would still be more than two months before any land could be seen. Noah and his family would need much continued grace to wait.

As H.E. Wisloff shared in Quiet Moments on the Way Home:

My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.
(2 Corinthians 12:9)

"Sufficient Grace! Should we not praise God for this?

It is so easy for us to stare at our infirmities until we become blind to the glorious realities of grace.

We who are so aware of our insufficiency are permitted to live in the eternal sufficiency of God’s grace!

Our feelings are not enough, nor our faith, nor our prayers, nor our godliness. But God’s grace is sufficient.

And not only this, but God’s grace is perfected in our infirmities. It transforms the weakness in our lives into peace, victory, courage, and joy. It is to save us, sanctify us and make us useful in God’s service.

We need nothing more, nor do we solicit anything more. We fold our hands and thank Him who loves us and gives us all that we need. God’s grace is our sufficiency!"

See previous posts in series here:
Part I: The Lord Shut Him In
Part II: Day 10: The Animals
Part III: Day 20: The Man Noah
Part IV: Day 30: The Walls
Part V: Day 40: What God Says... He Does
Part VI: Day 70: After the Crisis
Part VII: Day100: When Waiting Turns to Years

Next Post:
Part IX: Day 181: Survival Mode while Shut In

Tips for Tick Season

How many of you have already found a tick attached this year? Even though I don't play or work in the tall grass like I did when young, ticks find their way to me every year regardless. We even found a deer tick crawling on our kitchen counter one year!

When a wood tick perched on my shoulder this spring, I took the opportunity to use it for a little teaching. (See the brief video HERE)

We often shudder when we hear how people are removing ticks from their children - knowing that they could be causing more harm than good by using popular methods to make the tick release. See below for why some methods are actually dangerous. 

The goal is to get a little skin off to be sure you have the tick's head. (In my video, that tick took away no skin because it was so newly attached that it chose to let go on its own when being pestered.)

• Use a Tick Key for removal from people and animals.

• NEVER use hot match heads or essential oils for removal. They upset a tick so much that it "spits" any disease it may be carrying into your body!

• Save essential oil use for after removal:

    • Oregano is known for its antibacterial/antibiotic properties. But the oil is strong, so be sure to dilute it in a carrier oil before applying. 

    • Peppermint dilution is used to inhibit the gathering of co-infections at the site of the bite. (Many people have a previous infection that their immune system keeps under check. But a fresh one can interact with the old bugs and cause many more problems. This initial interaction is what doctors now believe the bull's eye rash comes from. Picture a "meet and greet party.")

• For extra peace of mind or to direct further treatment, labs are available to test your tick for Lyme disease. (We are thankful that a deer tick on my niece this spring turned out "clean"!)

Trust me... you do not want Lyme disease to go undiagnosed for years until chronic illness takes over more and more of your body systems.