Check This Out!

I like to think that I don't have hobbies. I have a pre-apocalyptic skill set, hehe! Although I am not sure how photography fits in that category.

Anyway, I have been working on a better, more organized, and goal oriented blog. This one is just sooooo - rambly. Hence the name. The new one is all about my love of pictures, love of scripture, and love of quotes. Please feel free to visit at Scripture Pictures! I will be posting at least twice a weak and there will always be a picture!

Teenagers and the Bible

Teenagers have earned a pretty bad name for themselves over the past few decades. Rebellious, disrespectful, immature, brats, spoiled, and these days, dope heads, addicts, and sometimes worse. Have you ever wondered why? Why such a powerful generation would allow themselves to waste away under the pretense of "having fun"? Ultimately, the root of their problem is their sin nature - we are born without the presence of God in our lives and that leaves us to ourselves. We were cursed from the beginning  with a sinful heart and only the blood of Jesus Christ can redeem us and free us from that curse. However, today's teens who have heard and accepted the gospel aren't really all the different from the rest of their generation. They are missing a very important ingredient.

The Bible is the key to a successful Christan life no matter how old you are. My Pastor once said, " What you do with the bible will determine what God will do with you."  God takes his word seriously. He has preserved it through several hundred years of Satan's attempts to destroy it just so you could... hold it, put it on your book shelf, or let it gather dust on the dashboard, NO! He protected it and carried through all these years so you could READ it.

Well you might say that the bible wasn't written for teenagers. I would reply, "Your right". Teenagers are not mentioned in the bible anywhere! Instead, the bible refers to "young people". Teenager is a catchy title that the world gave it's youth to give them an excuse to waste some of their most valuable years. God's teenagers are Young Adults. As young adults that are serving God, we are an example for the children that look up to us, the adults that are encouraged by us, and the world that is trying our faith. We should mature, earn some respect and responsibility. Like Joseph, David, and Daniel who were all young when God began to use them. Then maybe God could shine a little through us and mold us into a usable vessel "mete for the masters use". Then maybe, just maybe, this world could get a glimpse of our saviour and be transformed by Him. Let's rise above the low expectations this world has for people "our age" and let God use our lives.

Our Purple Honey

This post is an excerpt from our original purple honey post on my Mom's Blog

it really is purple!

purple honey!!!!

"This is our wonderful, exotic, rare and extra super yummy Purple Honey!!! We had never heard of purple honey and initially wondered if something terrible was wrong with our bees. Now that we have had time to research the matter and (most importantly) taste the honey we're only sorry that there isn't more of it!! This is by far my favorite honey ever, it has such a smooth taste and a sweetness that I've never had in honey of any kind in any of the places I've ever had honey. Being a lifelong honey consumer I've developed quite a taste for certain types of honey but now I believe I'm ruined..... there just aren't any that taste like this stuff.

It took us quite awhile to figure out what is going on with our honey and the truth of the matter is that no one really knows for sure. There are several theories as to what it is that is causing it but regardless of what the correct theory is it is very rare and only occurs in this little part of the world where I live. The kids and I just feel so blessed that after all the studying and working and heartbreaks we have had with the bees and all of the things we know we have yet to go through in our first year we were given such a special experience as our purple honey."

Since that time we have sent a sample of our honey to the state department of entomology and have yet to hear from them.  We have spent 3 more, adventure filled, years with our bees and were blessed with a few more purple honey harvests but, none so pure as that one from our first year of beekeeping.

Our bees are not special, neither is our location, but somehow we end up with this stuff! We are so very thankful for it though, and I hope that we will have enough to sell sometime soon. Stay tuned and I will put up a post with links to where we will be selling it at.
Happy New Year to all and to all a wonderful week!

The Abundance of a Mundane Life

John 10:10 "... I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

Those who only glance at my life, or the life of other Christians, might only see another somebody and quickly forget who we are as they rush about their hectic day. That is their loss. Our life is in the hands of Christ Jesus and He fills each day with such abundance that I often wonder what would happen if all God's people suddenly became the mundane robots people seem to think we are. Would the media recognize it? I think so. Can you imagine the headlines?  Christians world wide are no longer attempting anything! Oh my, that would be awful!
I am so thankful that God has given us life more abundantly! Not only more good things or higher mountains but, more sad things and lower valleys. Our Abundance could be compared to a go-cart track and a roller coaster. Before we were born again our life was a go-cart track; going around in circles as fast as you can but really going nowhere. Then, Jesus redeemed our lives and now we are on a roller coaster. Lifting our hands to God as we go and eventually ending back were we started; in the hands of God. Thank God for the abundance of a mundane life.

No Fear

A mother wolf, alert in fear, 

Guards her playful wolf pups dear. 

Hiding in their woodsy home, 

Where God's creatures love to roam.  

God put in creatures, fear of man, 

When sin had wrecked His perfect plan. 

But in His glorious Earth made new, 

Their trust and friendship will surely renew.  

Our hearts will fill with joy and cheer, 

When man and beast no longer fear! 

With wolf pups then we'll romp and play, 

In perfect harmony each day!  

 By Elma Helgason

Just a cute poem I though you might like.

The Benefits of Honey Bees and Beekeeping

one of our girls, hard at work

Honey bees are an essential part of our economy. They pollinate over 1/3 of the plants that make up our diet. Crops such as almonds, apples, blueberries, cantaloupes, cherries, cranberries, cucumbers, sunflowers, watermelon, strawberries, oranges, and many others rely on honeybees for pollination. Our livestock also rely on honeybee pollinated crops for their food. Such as alfalfa, almonds, and canola. So, not only are honeybees responsible for most of our fruits and nuts, but most of our dairy and meat products as well. In addition to pollinating agricultural crops honeybees pollinate home gardens, orchards, and wildlife habitat. According to a Cornell University study in 2000, the annual dollar value of honeybees to the United States agriculture is over 14.6 billion! That is one valuable insect!

The production of honey is probably the most well-known benefit of honey bees. This sticky, sweet treat is beloved by millions of families around the world and cherished as a delicacy in several countries. It makes a fine ingredient in baked goods and other cooked foods. You can use it as a condiment, topping, or sweetener, in just about anything. Of course, it is wonderful all by itself, too. Besides, every wise grandma knows that a spoonful of honey makes the medicine go down! Honey is also extremely valuable medicinally. It is antibacterial, full of vitamins and minerals, can be used to treat various different infections and diseases, and heal severe wounds and abrasions. Plus, it has NO side effects! It is also used as a beauty product. Honey is a very common ingredient in skin care items and certain soaps. Beekeepers and consumers alike greatly enjoy the benefits of this liquid gold.

Beekeeping is a profitable endeavor for all who are willing to work for the rewards. There is money to be made if you have money, sweat, and elbow grease to invest. Many different beekeeping related products provide several avenues of income. Such as pollination contracts, doing swarm removals, selling bees and/or queens, selling honey, beeswax, beeswax candles, soaps, other homemade beauty and and health care items, selling honey bee related nostalgia, and writing books on the topics of bees and beekeeping. With plenty of hard work and diligence one could make a decent living off of the beekeeping industry.

There is a wealth of knowledge to be gained from a honey bee. She will teach diligence and teamwork like no other teacher could. You will learn to appreciate the simple beauties of nature and the perfect design of the Creator. The steady, sure work of a single bee can inspire action or comfort the overwhelmed. Just watching the honeybees caress each flower, extracting the nectar, is almost a sacred thing to observe. Then to see them work together and function within the hive is truly an unforgettable experience. To happen upon the queen bee when she is working is another incredible experience in itself. Even though you know you are not under her reign you can't help but treat her like royalty. This knowledge is hard to share with words. However, there are encyclopedias full of the scientific knowledge of bees to be studied and research labs across the globe to discover the things we have yet to learn.

As you spend time in the hive looking for the evidence of a queen, and the majesty herself, your powers of observation will be enhanced. Your management skills, record keeping, problem analysis, and organizational skills will be perfected as you strive to be an efficient and productive beekeeper. You will also feel better about yourself knowing that you are contributing to the environment by helping to preserve the honey bees.

Personally, I keep bees because I adore the little insects and find great pleasure in owning my hives. Robbing and extracting honey is one of the things I look forward to and have fun doing. I love to learn and the bees are great teachers. I stand in awe of the perfect design of a honey bee. From their complex eyes to their tiny legs. They are such good examples of God's infinite wisdom. Also, I find it amazing that one little bee can accomplish more in a day than most big men I know! Isaac Watts once asked, “How doth the little busy bee Improve each shining hour, And gather honey all the day from every opening flower?” They are such busy little critters yet, they always take time to stop and smell the flowers!

This is one of my mom's portulaca roses, also known as moss rose. Her others are yellow and pink.
I just thought that I would post something pretty for you to look at while I will be gone.
We have to go back to Missouri to take care of some family business. Don't worry, I will be back in a week or so.
Have a nice summer y'all!