Sprigs: Last harvest

This is my last harvest. 

Saturday I went out to the garden before a potential frost. I hoped there might be a few peppers large enough to pick.  Once again I was surprised and blessed by the bounty. 

Sprigs: Winter plowing

Several local fields have already been plowed. The red soil adds vibrant color to the naked landscape. And it signals hope of planting and new growth. 

But isn't January too early? 

 A farmer friend explained that the clumps of clay, exposed to rain and cold temperatures, will get broken up through the freeze and thaw cycle.  Do you know that feeling, when tough circumstances leave you exposed and vulnerable? 

Hopefully you know the corollary, too, that the process can produce receptivity to fresh insights. Renewed energy follows and there is readiness for a new direction. 

When enduring a difficult time, consider that plowing makes the ground more hospitable to the seed. In due time, the fields will be fruitful. 

The Bible puts it this way: "No discipline [Greek word paideia, means training, education, instruction] seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11