Nature Responds to Wickedness Uptick

Image by Celeste:  This cabbage suggests radiation damage.  You can usually spot radiation damage because there are abnormal mutations including twinning.  On occasion though it can indicate herbicide toxicity.

Nature Running Amok

Image by Celeste: Normal Citrus Leaves

Image by Celeste:  Mutated Citrus Leaves-Cause Unknown

This is an agriculture report that you will not see anywhere else.  I am digging up the dirt on why your food prices are going to skyrocket.  Ultimately food as you know it will entirely disappear. The government has known for some time that this was going to come to pass and rather than prepare you or for you they are assisting the extinction of God created life. 

No matter what station in life or what I was doing I kept my hands in the dirt and husbandry, the raising of animals.  I knew what was coming and my top prep priority was to gather skill sets and agricultural intelligence/ situational awareness.  I accomplished this by beta-testing various crops and animals from around the world and different time periods.  It has been an enlightening journey.  I discovered things I never knew existed. 

Faith Lesson:  If any disaster strikes what is my plan to secure food and necessities to feed and care for my family?  How much food do I have on hand?  Do I have any skill that will help feed my family and myself?

Prophecy in the Plants

Image by Celeste:  This cabbage suggests herbicide damage. 

 “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.  Isaiah 55:12

All of creation participates in its daily workings, even things such as rocks and mountains that we do not typically associate with animate life are a buzz, even if you cannot see the action.

As the years rolled along I notice the peculiar phenomena; that plants from certain origins thrived and failed in my garden.  Given the diversity of my crops I really did not think much about it until my plants began to organize their abundance or withering according to geographic locations and politics.  I noticed this between five to ten years ago and it has been very accurate. 

I am wondering if territorial angels, such as spoke of in the Book of Daniel, extend even unto the plant life of a particular region even when it grows elsewhere.  What are my plants saying this year?

The top three trending for prosperity are:

• Yellow-China
• Red-Russia
• Blacks are circling back into the top three after a hiatus

On the other hand, the trend for the Middle East, particularly for Israel:

Middle-East is beginning to wax lean in 2019

Could this be a sign to look for the fulfillment of prophecy in Isaiah 17?

The fortress will disappear from Ephraim, and the sovereignty from Damascus. The remnant of Aram will be like the splendor of the Israelites,” declares the LORD of Hosts. “In that day the splendor of Jacob will fade, and the fat of his body will waste away, as the reaper gathers the standing grain and harvests the ears with his arm, as one gleans heads of grain in the Valley of Rephaim.… Isaiah 17:4

Faith Lesson:  You have gifts given to you by God Himself because He loves you.  What prophecies is He sharing with you?  You know He speaks to you in your own unique language and giftings.  Maybe it is through cooking, sewing, building, or craftsmanship.  What changes are you noticing in your area of expertise?

Silence

Within the study of Catastrophism there is a concept that before a cataclysmic event there is a silence.  This silence is usually of a brief duration.  It appears that God uses silence as a biblical model to highlight the action that He is about to dispense.

We see this in Revelation 8 before the Lamb opens the seventh seal there is silence in heaven. 

Faith Lesson:  What does it mean to your spiritual walk when things go silent?  Do you search the Holy Scriptures?  Do you pray? Do you inquire of the Jesus why He is silent?  Do you move only when He says to move?  Or, do you panic?

Upside Down Agriculture

As I was writing about transhumanism last year I attended a military conference on the topic.  It was suggested that people watch the movie Stranger Things.  I did watch it and it would be a good series for someone to watch who does not go to the Bible.  It has some very similar allegories.  Without the spoilers there are monsters (in the Bible they would be demons) and an upside down parallel world which is where we are at right now, an upside down world with evil being called good, and good being called evil.

Faith Lesson:  How can I share the messages of the Holy Scripture that may seem difficult to others?  Is there another way I can communicate the message bypassing the normalcy bias?  Maybe through art, song, poetry, science fiction, allegory, or metaphorically?

 Unnatural Cravings

Two years ago I began to notice unnatural cravings within the natural world.  It began with osprey picking off my chickens.  Typically, ospreys prefer fish unless there is no other food source such as in winter conditions when the river is frozen over.  Contrary to nature, the osprey decided that my chickens provided an all-you-can-eat buffet year round. I also noticed strange cravings in other animals.

My beloved dog Zippy has a craving for chicken food, specifically baby chick feed and organic vegetables.  Most canines are carnivores.  Zippy and chickens both lust after my homemade bread, fresh from the oven.  In Genesis 2:7 of the Holy Scripture it says that when God created man out of the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils, he became a creature.  Is God using the other creatures He created to testify to mankind's spiritual condition?

and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another.  They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen.…Romans 1:23-24

On my daily garden excursion I noticed the heads of my green beans had disappeared.  It was not long afterwards that I discovered who the culprit was.  It was a woodpecker picking off the tender green leaves from my green beans!  Within the Laws of Nature woodpeckers prefer the tasty grubs found in dead or dying trees, not green bean plants!

Another strange behavior is the plethora of ravens taking on aggressive cannibalistic behavior.  Ravens are opportunists but they are not typically so brazen to pick off chickens and even attacked my little dog Zippy!

Faith Lesson:  Lord Jesus, I request that you help to protect me from unnatural cravings of this world and of my flesh.  I promise to keep in Your Word that I might know truth and I will be found praying without ceasing for my prayer availeth much.  Thank you Lord.

Encircled Germination

Image by Celeste:  This green bean demonstrates an Ouroboros formation

Image by Celeste:  This green bean is a normal green bean.

I am witnessing throughout the landscape of my garden a most unusual phenomena across plant species.  In my 50 years of agricultural experience I have seen this type of thing on occasion but nothing like this year where it is pervasive and prevalent across many types of plant life.  Germinating seeds are taking on the form of Ouroboros or uroborus the ancient symbol of serpent, dragon, Leviathan eating its own tail.  In the Greek it means,"from οὐρά (oura), "tail" + βορά (bora), "food", from βιβρώσκω (bibrōskō), "I eat". The first time it is mentioned is in the Enigmatic Book of the Netherworld from the tomb of Tutankhamen from the 14th century.  The text concerns the actions of the god Ra and his union with Osiris in the underworld. Supposedly, it is a divine figure representing the beginning and the end of time.  To the Romans it was symbolic of the cyclical nature of the year. 

In cosmology, which is not astrology, ouraborus illustrates the various scales of the universe, ranging from ten to the power of -20 cm (subatomic) at the tail, up to ten to the power of 25cm (supragalactic) at the head. It links, "the intimate links between the microworld and the cosmos, symbolized by the ouraborus as tail and head meet to complete the circle.

Faith Lesson:  Lord Jesus, I put on the armor of God that I might resist the devil and He must flee.  I know he prowls around seeking to destroy.  Hide me in the show of your wings Jesus from the serpent.  I long to be with you in Paradise, far from my sin and the sins of my fathers (and mothers).

Wooly Bear Caterpillars Predict Early Brutal Winter

Woolly Bear Caterpillar. Photo by SillyPuttyEnemies/Wikimedia Commons.

In general: the rusty band is wide, then it will be a mild winter. The more black there is, the more severe the winter. 

According to weather.gov:

If the head end of the caterpillar is dark, the beginning of winter will be severe.  If the tail end is dark, the end of winter will be cold. In addition, the woolly bear caterpillar has 13 segments to its body, which traditional forecasters say correspond to the 13 weeks of winter.

As with most folklore, there are 2 other versions to this story.  The first one says that the woolly bear caterpillar's coat will indicate the upcoming winter's severity.  So, if its coat is very woolly, it will be a cold winter.  The final version deals with the woolly bear caterpillar's direction of travel of the worms.  It is said that woolly bear's crawling in a southerly direction are trying to escape the cold winter conditions of the north.  On the other hand, woolly bear's crawling on a northward path would indicate a mild winter.

Woolly bear caterpillar in its defensive posture.

So, if you come across a local woolly worm, observe the colors of the bands and what they foretell about your winter weather.

Faith Lesson:  I take Psalm 147 to heed and know at Your command the earth can sizzle or get cold as ice.  Help me Lord Jesus to recognize the sings all about me that show me what You are about to do upon the face of the earth.  Increase my faith, dear Lord.  Help me to prepare for the hot and the cold that is coming upon us.

Climate Migration & Refugees

Another strange occurrence in the garden this year is abnormal migration patterns.  Some plants, particularly tubers will migrate, but what I am seeing are various species migrating that usually stay put.  If I transplant them back to their original location they pack up camp and migrate once again.  Ancient civilizations began to experience what is unfolding before us today.  In fact, Climate Change wiped out many ancient civilizations forcing their populations to pick up and move quickly.  The cycle is returning to what it was during these ancient times and so ancient cities long abandoned for millennia are now becoming viable once again, and vice versa.  We are noticing this pattern of migration in various populations.  Governments around the world knew that this would occur but in this day of blurring the lines between natural and synthetic it is hard to know where the blames lies and what measures could have been taken to ensure survival of the species.  The following will be a summary of the Climate Ready Initiative.  I will use my area for purposes of explanation but you can easily search the Climate Ready Initiative or Climate Ready Cities for your area.  They use a template form so you get all the information you need.  What I see in these documents is being reflective, predicatively, in my garden, if I have eyes to see what is happening.

Climate Migration and Population Change Missoula County’s population will grow by 30% by 2043. In order to understand the true impacts of climate change in Missoula County, government needs to know how it will affect the county’s population.

• Will current residents move away, fed up with longer and longer periods of wildfire smoke?
• Or will people from other parts of the country that are experiencing even more disastrous climate impacts flock to Missoula County as a refuge?

The bottom line: Government has determined that Missoula County will likely experience an increase in population due to climate change. Personally, there are other factors to assess such as Agenda 21 (2030) and the great human-drive into the cities.

The logic is that if climate change is projected to be worse in the counties where most Missoula citizens either migrate to or from, then climate change will likely have a positive (increasing) effect on population in Missoula. Conversely, if the projected climate change impacts in these counties are better than Missoula, then climate change will likely have a negative (decreasing) effect on population in Missoula.  It was determined that people would move due to wildfires than Climate Change or other factors. 

Climate migration will increase by an unknown amount. Housing affordability is an increasing concern in the county as the population grows and housing prices increase faster than incomes, and yet, wildfires might drive people out of Missoula Country altogether.  Nevertheless, evidence of insane building is taking place in the City of Missoula spending resources for commercial and infrastructure rather than security for citizens such as Climate and wildfire resistant affordable homes. 

When the Climate Refugees hit they will use more energy, increasing the demand for electricity and natural gas. Utilities will need to meet this additional demand by developing or purchasing additional energy resources, with costs ultimately passed through to consumers (taxpayers). In addition, extreme temperature events may increase peak loads on utility infrastructure, requiring additional, expensive to meet only occasional loads (e.g. peaking plants).

More people means a more competitive labor market, more new businesses, and possibly diversification of the economy. It can also strain resources and increase crowding, with potential negative repercussions for tourism since Montana is considered a natural area with recreational opportunities the key attractions for tourists.

Increased population will lead to increased development pressure in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), which contributes to ecosystem fragmentation.  One of the pillars of the United Nations is to reduce wildland-urban interface.. It also means more people using the forest for recreation increasing the likely spread of invasives and diseases from other regions.

Wildfires have been on the Forest Service books for over a half a century.  Government is declaring that the fire seasons will last an average of 12 days longer than today, and the total land area burned each year will increase about 50% on average. Wildfires will also become more frequent.  Over time, increases in the size and severity of fires will reduce the extent of low elevation forests, converting forested areas to shrublands or grasslands.

Longer and more intense fire seasons in Missoula County and throughout the region will mean longer periods of unhealthy air quality due to wildfire smoke, increasing the incidence and severity of respiratory and cardiovascular disease among county residents. Emergency room visits for breathing problems, heart attacks, and strokes will spike during periods of dense wildfire smoke. Children, the elderly, people with heart and lung disease, and outdoor workers will be among the most impacted.

The smoke season will last well into September, and possibly October, with increasing impacts on schools and fall athletic programs. Outdoor recreation and tourism will decline during periods of wildfire smoke. Portions of Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks will close more frequently due to wildfires; and even when the parks are open, wildfire smoke will obscure vistas and deter tourists.

Montana is known for its pristine waters.  Higher river temperatures will lead to more frequent and longer-lasting “hoot owl” fishing restrictions, which prohibit fishing during certain hours of the day in order to minimize stress on trout when water temperatures are high. Warming water temperatures may also result in the proliferation of parasites, viruses, fungal infections, and algae blooms, impairing water quality, affecting aquatic plants, and killing fish.

Some local crops may be damaged by heat stress due to hotter summer temperatures, and ranchers will experience decreased forage production and an increase in invasive species on rangelands.

Scenario 2: Here Comes the Rain Again In this scenario average annual precipitation increases by 15% due to Climate Change precipitated by cosmic rays. We also experience several more days per year of intense rainfall.

There will be an increase in the number and intensity of droughts and wildfires in this scenario. On the other hand, flooding will be a much bigger issue.  While summer precipitation does not change in this scenario, hotter summers increase evaporation rates, reducing water available for plant growth in the summer and resulting in a greater contrast between wet and dry seasons. Early but short spring rains promote rapid greenups, followed by prolonged dry summers and brown landscapes.   There is an illusion that the growing season will increase in length by 2-3 weeks due to increased fall and spring temperatures but risk analysis fails to account for the fact of the late and early killer frosts that wipes out crops then resumes its mild nature.

Elk and other wildlife will benefit from the availability of ample forage in early spring, but may be forced to change their normal winter ranges due to warmer winters and deeper mountain snowpack.

Throughout Montana’s history, “rain on snow” events have caused the most severe and destructive floods. More frequent and severe flooding will lead to extensive property damage and pose a risk to the health and safety of the hundreds of Missoula County residents.

Flooding will also increase the incidence of waterborne illness such as giardia.

Scenario 3: Feast or Famine:  Average annual precipitation will not change, but there will be much greater variability in precipitation from year to year, with some very wet years and some intense drought years. An “average” year will be a thing of the past.

On average, the total area burned by wildfires each year will be larger than it is today.  Increased year-to-year variability in precipitation will result in increased variability in fire season length and area burned. The timing of season-ending events, in particular, will be highly variable among years. In wet years we will experience flood events similar to those described in Scenario 2. Flash flooding and mud slides could occur from burned hillsides are also vulnerable to landslides when it rains, resulting in soil loss which degrades land, slows regrowth, and leads to excessive sedimentation in streams and rivers.

From year to year, the season and conditions for outdoor activities like skiing and fishing will vary dramatically. Unpredictability will be the name of the game.

Agriculture Predictions

Increased variability will also be difficult for farmers and ranchers in the county, as the strategies for drought years may be very different from wet years. Indeed, not being able to plan for an “average year”.

Agriculture plays a modest but important role in Missoula County’s economy, and makes a major contribution to the county’s culture and quality of life. Large and small farms, ranches, teaching farms, urban community gardens, and personal garden plots dot the county’s landscape.

Missoula has a thriving local food scene including several weekly farmers’ markets, farm stands, Farm to College and Farm to School programs, community supported agriculture (crop share) programs, and a food distribution hub connecting more than 40 farms to restaurants, schools, and other institutions. Overall, there is growing interest in localizing the food system and shortening the distance from farm to plate in order to reduce our food footprint, support the local economy, and feed our residents from within our food-shed but these under HEAVY REGULATION and most consumers have very little access to local, nutrient dense foods.  Most real food that is good for you has been banned.  I will cover this in my next article.

Smoky Future:  Poor Air Quality

Human Health Climate change is affecting human health across the globe, and Missoula County is no exception. Poor air quality from wildfire smoke, and extreme events like flooding and drought will increasingly contribute to health problems including cardiovascular and respiratory disease, heat-related illness, water- and vector-borne disease, and mental health issues. Certain populations within Missoula County are more vulnerable to these health problems, including infants and children, older adults, people with existing respiratory or cardiovascular diseases, outdoor workers, and people of low socioeconomic status. It’s worth noting that non-humans, from our pets to our wildlife, may also be affected by some of these health problems.

The Missoula City-County Health Department has a key role to play in preparing for and responding to the health impacts of climate change, and is currently working to develop a Climate Change Adaptation Plan following the CDC’s Building Resilience Against Climate Effects (BRACE) Framework (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2015).

Most Missoula County residents live in mountain valleys, and the nature of the topography increases residents’ exposure to harmful wildfire smoke, particulate, and volatile gas pollution. In mountainous areas, cold air flows downhill and pools in valley floors every night, creating a temperature inversion that traps air pollutants near ground level in a layer of cold of air. The pollutants can’t leave the area until the cold layer of air warms back up. This becomes particularly problematic when nearby fires send intense amounts of smoke into the mountain valleys - trapped smoke can quickly create unhealthy conditions that last for hours or days.

Studies have found strong associations between exposure to wildfire smoke and worsening of respiratory diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as increased incidence of respiratory infections like bronchitis and pneumonia. Some studies have also found associations between wildfire smoke and cardiovascular problems like heart attacks and strokes (Reid et al. 2016). Infants and children, older adults, people with existing respiratory or cardiovascular diseases, and outdoor workers are particularly vulnerable to wildfire smoke. Children are especially vulnerable because their lungs are still developing and because they breathe more air per pound of body weight than adults do.

In August 2017, the Missoula City-County Public Health Department took the unprecedented step of recommending evacuation for the entire town of Seeley Lake due to hazardous air quality (Missoula City-County Health Department 2017b). They also established long-term surveillance of residents to watch the effects of the smoke damage to health.

A study of more than 1 million emergency room visits in California found a spike in ER visits for heart attack and stroke, as well as breathing problems, during periods of dense wildfire smoke.

Ushering in the NWO with Tropical Diseases

I hate reviewing this, but when the Tropical Medicine Association held their 1999 conference with the theme of Ushering in the NWO with Tropical Disease I have been sounding the alarm that this was coming.  In those early days, not many people believed.  Fast forward to 2019 and tropical diseases are here to stay. 

Waterborne Disease: Temperature, heavy rainfall, and flooding are expected to increase with climate change, creating a more suitable environment for many pathogens. Pathogens that cause diarrhea are of particular concern given that globally, diarrhea is the second leading cause of death among young children. In 2015, seventy-five cases of waterborne diseases were reported in Missoula County, including campylobacteriosis, cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, and salmonellosis (Farr 2018).

Another problem are harmful algal blooms. Right now Zippy is being tested for consumption of a type of blue green algae.  Cyanotoxins are a byproduct of cyanobacteria. Cyanotoxins can be toxic to the human nervous system, liver, and skin, and can kill fish, mammals, and birds. EPA sampling in 2007 found that 10 of 45 lakes sampled in Montana are at high risk of exposure to cyanotoxins based on cyanobacteria cell count (United States Environmental Protection Agency 2018).

Cyanobacteria are a phylum of bacteria that obtain their energy through photosynthsis and are the only photosynthetic prokaryotes able to produce oxygen. The name cyanobacteria comes from the color of the bacteria.  Cyanobacteria, which are prokaryotes, are also called "blue-green algae".^.

By producing and releasing oxygen cyanobacteria are thought to have converted the early oxygen-poor, reducing atmosphere into an oxidizing one, causing the Great Oxygenation Event resulting in the beginning of the "rusting of the Earth", which dramatically changed the composition of the Earth's life forms and led to the near-extinction of anaerobic organisms, those are organisms that exist apart from oxygen. There are powers that want to reverse the oxygenation event and usher in a world devoid of oxygen where anaerobic organisms thrive. 

Vector-borne Disease Vector-borne diseases are caused by parasites that are transmitted to humans by insects such as ticks or mosquitos. In Montana, tick-borne diseases include Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tickborne relapsing fever, Colorado tick fever, and tularemia. West Nile virus is the only mosquito borne illness that has been diagnosed as locally acquired in Montana (Farr 2018). While all of these diseases remain relatively rare in Montana, their incidence may increase with increasing temperatures. In addition, other vector-borne diseases such as lyme disease, malaria, Zika virus, and dengue fever are likely to expand to previously unaffected areas as a result of climate change.

Reduced air quality, compromised food and nutrition, water related disease, airborne and dust-related disease, vector-borne disease, and mental health impacts can all emerge from or be exacerbated by Climate Change.   

Mental Health: Climate change is projected to increase the frequency of extreme weather events and natural disasters. According to the American Public Health Association, 25-50 percent of people exposed to an extreme weather event are at risk of adverse mental health effects such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicide. Studies found that 49 percent of the survivors of Hurricane Katrina developed an anxiety or mood disorder, and 1 in 6 developed PTSD (American Public Health Association 2016). When I read the information above I was skeptical until I began to experience days upon days of cloudy, dark, wet days with the sun rarely making an appearance.  Not only was I noticing that I was not my cheery self but others seemed impacted by the persistent dreary days.  Now, I do believe Climate Change will impact our mental health.

Birds and Bees

 Image by Celeste

Just as a side note this is June and I am seeing very few pollinators.  Up until this year my garden was teeming with maybe 100 different kinds of pollinators.  To date, I have seen a few butterflies, honeybees, and bumblebees. 

My garden is also devoid of my usual migratory birds that frequent.  No blue birds, no tanagers, nothing except the usual suspects like the raven, blue jays and camp robber. 

Faith Lesson: Am I prepared to be invaded by Climate Refugees or to become a refugee at a moments notice?  What do I need to either assist someone or go on the hoof living off whatever I can find?  Our Lord cares about His creation and does not want us to stress or worry but when He provides skills and provision we need to take those things seriously.  Migration is a biblical principle.  It is as real as it was in Bible days.

Truth in the Roots

As I rout quack grass, rogue mint, and buttercups that have invaded productive food raised beds I have notice two biblical and real world truths.

The first is that the roots of weeds always snuggle up next to the foundation.  I do not know why but a foundation appears to provide a highway for invasion.  This got me to thinking about my foundation and how easy it might be to allow false doctrine to enter into my belief system.  A false doctrine is distinct from the foundation but cozies up to the foundation.  I wonder if the intent of these weed roots are to replace the foundation or just use it for easy access?

What about your belief system?  Do you periodically inspect your foundation for false doctrine?  Do you take time to weed out false doctrine?  Remember this, a garden not tended is subject to entropy and will gravitate to chaos and weeds choking out all productive life.  Ask me, after I neglected my cranberry bed and the weeds inundated the whole bed.

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.  Luke 6:46-48

For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.  I Corinthians 3:11-13

If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”  Psalm 11:3

Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”  Jeremiah 17: 5-8

The second interesting truth is the weeds is that the weed roots typically entwine themselves with a good fruit plant. 

Consider the power of the root!  It appears as though roots can be good or evil:

"root of the righteous" Proverbs 12: 3, 12

"root that beareth gall" Deuteronomy 29:18

"Their root shall be as rottenness"  Isaiah 5:24 

"root of bitterness"  Hebrews 12:15 

"they whose root is in Amalek" Judges 5:14

"Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up" Hosea 9:16 

"Judah shall again take root downward" 2 Kings 19:30 

the root of Jesse, Isaiah 11:10, Romans 15:12

root of David Revelation 5:4, 22:16 

Faith Lesson:  What is my foundation?  Is my cornerstone Jesus Christ alone?  Have I let anything else sneak in?  If I have I repented and purged it from my life?

Lateness of the Hour

My plants are approximately 10 weeks late.  The daytime temperatures have been pleasant enough but the night time temperatures are to cold for germination and young plants to thrive.  What faith lessons does the Lord have for us about "lateness"? 

There are only indirect reference to lateness.  For instance, our behavior reflects the Name of Jesus.  If you are perpetually late or procrastinate our Savior's Name is tarnished.  “A good name is better than precious ointment” Ecclesiastes 7:1   We should be known as people of our word, trustworthy and dependable, and not be known as always late, slothful, or unconcerned about others. Our actions as Christians point back at Christ. Do they glorify Him? Do they bring Him honor? “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men” Colossians 3:23. 

Faith Lesson:  What in my life is late or tardy?  Is it a good thing or a bad thing?  How does my behavior reflect on the holy name of Jesus?  I set forth this day to.....

Brought Low and Hugging the Ground

Plants are hugging the ground because they are reacting to the chill in the air.  As mankind's heart waxes cold what lessons of faith can we learn.  The first thing that came to mind was being brought low.  Being brought low sounds awful but the Lord is exerting His love for us to bring forth repentance and salvation.  Being brought low is not the most enjoyable of experiences but the end result is priceless. 

So the pride of man will be brought low…Isaiah 2:17

You will be brought low, you will speak from the ground; your speech will mumble out of the dust.  Your voice will come ghostlike from the earth.    Isaiah 29:4

I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, Philippians 4:12-13

The arrogance of man will be brought low and a man who brags will be brought low Isaiah 2:17

So people will be brought low and everyone humbled, the eyes of the arrogant humbled.  Isaiah 5:15

One's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor. ... all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low; ..Proverbs 29:23

Faith Lesson:  Today, I purpose to hug being brought low for Your purposes.  I will joyfully embrace the lessons You are teaching me. 

Signs of Fungus

Contrary to advice by veterinarians fungus survives in any and all climates.   Backstory on that, I was just told by my vet that there is no fungus living in Montana.  Really!  I only have mushrooms growing to which my little dog took a bite.  And then there are indications of early blight (fungus) and before long given the dew point the powdery mildew will arrive unless we get warm and dry.  For you greenhouse growers two words of advice:

If you see blight (early or late) on a plant destroy it immediately.  No compassion. 

Do not grow crops that are susceptible to powdery mildew with other crops.  The fungus spreads via spores that you cannot see and before you know it you have lots all your crops.  Grow crops prone to powdery mildew in a separate greenhouse. 

In Hebrew the word for fungus is tzaraath.  It can be present in the environment, physical objects and disfigure a person.  The biblical chapters discussing the affliction are primarily in Leviticus 13-14.   In biblical days and quite possibly soon in our day, we shall see a return of fungal tzarath indicative of mankind's spiritual condition.  What conditions might result in this affliction?

• an evil tongue or gossip)
• murder
• a vain oath
• illicit sexual intercourse
• Pride
• Theft
• Miserly behavior

Faith Lesson:  Do I have behaviors that are fungus like?  I repent Lord for the evil workings of my flesh.  I ask Your forgiveness.  I purpose to not sin again. Help me to pray Lord for others who are experiencing tough life choices and consequences of decisions.  Help me to share Your goodness and kindness.

Bolting

 All in all it has been a cold wet spring.  We get one warm, not even hot day and plants began to bolt.  Usually some plants like leafy greens and kale will bolt when it gets hot.  Not so this year.  One day brought the bolt which is impossible to battle. 

The Faith Lessons for bolting takes us to Climate Change. 

In Hebrew the word for bolting is na'al meaning "to bind up".  It commonly referred to the fastenings for houses, city gates, or prisons. 

During the time of Elijah and during the time of Revelation and the Two Witnesses power will be granted to bolt up the rain.

Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.  Acts 14:17

And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.  Amos 4:7