May 20th, 2013 | By Holly |  We all have some kind of hobby, maybe even something we’re passionate about. It might be
- anything and everything organic,
- gardening,
- cooking,
- landscaping,
- homesteading,
- blogging,
- exercising,
- home improvement projects,
- maybe even a job, or
- a million other possibilities.
For me, it’s gardening, landscaping, and blogging …
I remember a few years ago being utterly consumed with landscaping (the appearance of my ornamental garden beds, and dreams of future projects). It got to a point that it ruled my mind, thoughts … my heart.
Under strong conviction, I took a 3-day fast from landscaping. I needed concentrated time away from it, to get my heart where it needed to be.
When our motives are wrong, these hobbies and passions can be used for selfish gain, pride, and prestige. We’re no longer vessels of God’s grace and goodness; we’re, quite simply, idolaters. We’ve taken God off the throne of our heart, and placed these things in His rightful place.
On the other hand, God can use our hobbies and passions for His glory, if His glory is our greatest desire. When we commit theses areas of our lives to God, He gives us enjoyment in them, and impacts other lives through ours.
There’s nothing wrong, in and of itself, with gardening, cooking, homesteading, blogging, etc. It’s when they’re more important to us than God, that’s when we have a problem.
My flesh continually gravitates to the things of the world (again, not necessarily bad things, but a pre-occupation with them), but the Lord continually, and lovingly, draws me back to Him.
I wanted to share some things the Lord has used to help me. (If I struggle with this, maybe others do, too.)
1. Ask a series of self-assessment questions.
- What’s the first thing I think about when waking up?
- What’s the last thing I think about when falling asleep?
- What do I spend most of my free time thinking about?
- If I were to die today, what would I be most remembered for? What would others say was the most important thing in my life? Something of eternal value?
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May 13th, 2013 | By Holly | 
Exactly 8 weeks ago, Your Gardening Friend had its very first compost worm giveaway, hosted by The Prairie Homestead. It was so much fun – for me, too  – that I’ve decided to do another one!
I’m hoping to get back to the Compost Worms 101 series next month. A worm giveaway should tide us over ’til then, right? 
The Worm Composting page has all the posts from the Compost Worms 101 series.
One (1) person, randomly chosen by the Rafflecopter, will receive a starter package of my red wiggler worms.
The giveaway is open to all U.S.A. residents (except Hawaii), 18 years or older. Be sure to read the giveaway terms.
Giveaway ends Saturday, May 25th, at 11:59pm (Eastern Time).
The winner will be announced on this post, and contacted by email, shortly after May 25th.
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May 6th, 2013 | By Holly | 
Never would I have thought I would come to appreciate, even admire, the common dandelion (i.e., “Taraxacum officinale”).
What I once called a stubborn, defiant, nuisance of a weed, I now describe as a timeless, medicinal cornucopia – a medicinal plant with no rival – with an impressive recipe repertoire of possibilities.
[Join me over at Frugal Granola for the rest of this post.]
This was shared on the following blog hops or link-ups:
‘Encourage One Another’ Wednesday Link-Up
Homestead Barn Hop
Simple Living Wednesday Link Up
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April 29th, 2013 | By Holly | 
zirconicusso / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
With all the new faces here, I thought I’d recycle a couple old posts here and there. This post was published January 2012. There’s also a part 2 and part 3 to this healthy eating mini series.
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This is the time of year people start making new year resolutions. Even if you’re the type of person who cringes at the idea of new year resolutions, you still probably entertain some similar line of thought. It’s a new year, a new start, a blank slate. New goals are only natural.
Planning to eat healthier in the year to come is a great goal, and a common one. Sometimes, though, we can go about our goals all wrong. If our goals are not broken down into clearly identifiable, measureable, manageable goals, we have nothing specific to aim at, or means of knowing if we’ve succeeded.
On the other hand, sometimes the problem isn’t a lack of specificity, but rather unrealistic timeframes for meeting our goals. We know what needs to be done, but we think it all has to be done TODAY. With this mindset, you might find yourself
- Tossing into the trash everything currently in your refrigerator, freezer, kitchen cupboards, and pantries because the ingredients, or process by which the food is made, are not healthy.
- In a single afternoon, purchasing from Craigslist a pair of goats, a dairy cow, dozen hens, a few pigs, and a plowing ox.
- Renting a cattle trailer, and picking up all the new farm animals from the 5 surrounding counties.
- Tying the animals to your garage, until your husband is done constructing the farm fence, small barn, and hen house.
- While the new heard of animals graze on their leashes, grabbing the ox, tying him to your waist, and plowing the soon-to-be strictly organic garden.
- Teaching your children the nutritional value of your chemical-free front lawn, while waiting to harvest the organic crops.
Whew!! Now … don’t get me wrong. You can do that. However, living a healthier, more organic, sustainable life should not equate to an unnecessary increase in stress. If it does, what’s the point?! So now you’re eating a “perfect” diet, but your family is falling apart, and your stomach lining is being slowly eaten away by ulcers. Way to go!
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April 25th, 2013 | By Holly | 
While I’m grateful for all the rain we’ve had lately – and we’ve had a LOT – I’m also looking forward to the ground drying up a bit so I can get our vegetable garden planted. NOT working in the mud would be my preference.
If you live in a southern state, or somewhere warm overseas, your garden is probably past the seed-sowing stage. We mild and colder areas are chomping at the bit to get our hands in the dirt. (Some would be tickled to simply see the snow melt.)
Since gardening is on all our minds, I’m super excited to share today’s giveaway, sponsored by Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Co.
This giveaway is extra special to me because it’s the first sponsored giveaway hosted by Your Gardening Friend. (You can imagine my excitement when Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Co. offered this giveaway.)
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is a household name in the ever-growing community of heirloom, non-hybrid, and non-GMO seed gardeners. So, how cool would it be to win some of their fabulous seeds?!
They’re graciously offering one (1) winner a popular (and impressive) tomato seed selection:
- Tomato Green Zebra
- Tomato Golden Jubilee
- Tomato Great White
- Tomato Riesentraube
- Tomato Pink Honey
- Tomato Yellow Mortgage Lifter
- Tomato Cherokee Purple
- Tomato Ananas Noire
I’ve said before, if I was only able to plant one edible in my entire garden it would be – without a doubt – TOMATOES!!!
The giveaway ends Saturday, May 4th, at 11:59pm (Eastern Time Zone).
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April 22nd, 2013 | By Holly | 
Hopefully you’ve found the prime location for your bubbling boulder oasis. If so, now you can start digging! While it’s not the most rewarding part of the job, it does give you a sense of accomplishment, and the feeling that it’s really happening.
Gather all the tools you’ll need.
Before starting any project, it’s best to think through which tools you’ll need. The below list should cover just about anything you’ll need to dig the pit:
- Durable Shoes
- Sun Hat
- Gloves
- Spade Shovel
- Square Shovel
- Wheelbarrow
- Loppers (for tree roots, if you have nearby trees)
- Measuring Tape
- Long Board
- Level
- Fluids (to stay hydrated)
Digging the pit takes time.
The pit I dug was about 6’ x 6’ x 18″-24” deep. (It was on a slight slope so the depth varied.) Subtracting breaks, digging time totaled 6-8 hours. It’s a great workout.
Okay … I just realized I’ve not explained WHY you even NEED a pit. When you read next month’s bubbling boulder post, or possibly the following month’s post, this will all make sense. For now, I’ll give a brief explanation.
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