Food For The Soul                

Moving to the country may be done for a variety of reasons: to have a simplier life style, or to raise the kids with less urban influence or perhaps like us, to be able to grow our own food and start the self- sufficiency journey. One side effect, is that as your life becomes less complicated, the Lord seems to talk to you more. It wasn't that He was not talking before, it's just that maybe we were too busy to listen as closely. To encourage your heart, we offer "FOOD FOR THE SOUL", as some of things He has been showing us. Its purpose is to be a BLESSING to you and a source of encouragement!

Prayer Pantry 2014

Above all things, I pray for God’s Presence to cover me 2014. With His Presence comes His Peace and His Power. Year 2014 begins and ends with Psalm 91 for me and mine. When things get hard, it is good to shelter in the Word of God. When life is good, it is good to remember who made it that way.

Psalms 91 - He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust."

3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler[a] And from the perilous pestilence. 4 He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. 5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, 6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. 8 Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, 10 No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; 11 For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. 12 In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. 13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

14 "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation."

Back in the old Texas days, my pastor at Church of the King in Dallas, used to bless us with the following scripture. Each week, he would leave us with this. It has stuck in my heart and this year enters the Prayer Pantry for my church family at Living Waters Christian Fellowship.

Psalms 121 - I will lift up my eyes to the hills- From whence comes my help? 2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.

8 The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.

I am praying for Wisdom in all I do this year. With the world churning around and dark getting darker, it is good to know that I can walk in God’s wisdom. Benefits of wisdom are blessing, life, and favor. This sounds good to me. I will read and reread Proverbs 8. It is good to know what wisdom brings with it.

Proverbs 8 - Does not wisdom cry out, And understanding lift up her voice? 2 She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, Beside the way, where the paths meet. 3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, At the entrance of the doors: 4 "To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men. 5 O you simple ones, understand prudence, And you fools, be of an understanding heart. 6 Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, And from the opening of my lips will come right things; 7 For my mouth will speak truth; Wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; Nothing crooked or perverse is in them. 9 They are all plain to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge. 10 Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold; 11 For wisdom is better than rubies, And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.

12 "I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge and discretion. 13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate. 14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength. 15 By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice. 16 By me princes rule, and nobles, All the judges of the earth.[a] 17 I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me. 18 Riches and honor are with me, Enduring riches and righteousness. 19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, And my revenue than choice silver. 20 I traverse the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice, 21 That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, That I may fill their treasuries.

22 "The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old. 23 I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth. 24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was brought forth; 26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, Or the primal dust of the world. 27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there, When He drew a circle on the face of the deep, 28 When He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the fountains of the deep, 29 When He assigned to the sea its limit, So that the waters would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth, 30 Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman;[b] And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him, 31 Rejoicing in His inhabited world, And my delight was with the sons of men.

32 "Now therefore, listen to me, my children, For blessed are those who keep my ways. 33 Hear instruction and be wise, And do not disdain it. 34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors. 35 For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the Lord; 36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate me love death."

All my children and grandchildren were with me on Christmas. I prayed for them.

Isaiah 59:21 - "As for Me," says the Lord, "this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants' descendants," says the Lord, "from this time and forevermore."

I like the idea that angels are watching over and protecting me. They are bigger, stronger, and tougher than I am.

Psalms 34:7 - The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.

I am calling for “Great Grace” to take down mountains. It is faiths confession. We speak, but the work is His.

Acts 4:33 - And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.

Prayer is a lifestyle.  The best prayers are answered prayers. It works for me.

Prayer Pantry - 2013

I am praying ahead over 2013. The Lord has been so good about blessing my "Prayer Pantry" over the years.

Isa. 55:10  "For as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I send it".

Prosper Your Word in me and my family, Lord God.

Isa.59:11 The Lord will guide your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. "

Cause me to be like a watered garden, Lord. Cause me to be like a spring, whose water do no fail. Cause me to live like the garden of the Lord.

Isa. 65:24  "It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear."

Even if I forget to pray, Lord, be there for me.

Psalm 42:5 "The Lord will command His loving-kindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me. A prayer to the God of my life."

Cover me with Your presence, Lord.

Prov. 16:3 "Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established."

I commit all my works for 2013 to You, Lord Jesus.  Establish my thoughts. I really need this.

Prov. 11:25 "The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself."

Water me, Lord, every day of 2013.

Prov. 3:1-5 "My son, so not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands, for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you. Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path."

I pray this for my sons in 2013 and for a life time. Help them with it, Lord.

Psalm 18:32-33 "It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places."

Arm me with strength, Lord. Set me in my high places.

Psalm 23:6 "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

Let goodness and mercy be my constant companions, Oh Lord." I want to live in Your house forever."

Prayer Pantry 2012

It is that time again to store up Prayers for next year.  I believe that 2012 will be a year of great upheaval. It is more important than ever before to “Pray Ahead”.  It is vital to know the Word of God and to be able to rest on that foundation.

My Prayer pantry is full of scripture promises. They are a source of great peace. I cover me and mine with the following scriptures. The Lord is faithful.

Joshua 24:15 As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

2 Chronicles 7:14  If my people which are called by my Name, shall humble themselves are pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (God Bless America)

Psalm 107:20 He sent His Word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

Psalm 119:165 Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.

Psalm 121:2 My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; The Lord shall preserve your soul.

Psalm 29:11 The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.

Psalm 1:1-3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.

Psalm 5:12 For You, O Lord will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.

Deut. 30:9 The Lord your God will make you abound in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your land for good. For the lord will again rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your fathers.

Matt 16:19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Isa.50:4 For the Lord will comfort Zion. He will comfort all her waste places. He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; Joy and gladness will be found in it. Thanksgiving and the voice of melody.

Psalm 65:11 You crown the year with your goodness and Your paths drip with abundance.

Psalm 34:7 The Angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him and delivers them.

Pray Ahead 2011 - Pantry Prayers

Psalm 43:8   The Lord will command His loving kindness in the daytime and in the night His song shall be with me--a prayer to the God of my life.

This settles over me today. My husband is covered, my sons are covered, all my family and friends are covered.  It is a beautiful thing to know that Psalm 43:8 is in the Prayer Pantry, stored up for 2011. Does it get any better than that?

My Pantry of Prayers for 2011 contains the things I am asking the Lord to do for me and for the ones I pray for. I am asking Him to cover us in 2011 with the following scripture.

Psalm 65:11 You crown the year with your goodness, and your paths drip with abundance.

My Prayer Pantry for 2011 is beginning to fill up.  All of the prayers are based on scripture because God watches over His Word and His Word is true.  The New Year will be good. Tax increases, health care issues, unemployment, devaluation of the dollar, wars and rumors of war may come. However, the Word of God is enough to cover it. Today, I pray that more and more of God's children will "get it".

Psalm 107:20" He sent His Word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions."

I have the month of December 2010 to work on my Prayer Pantry. The year, 2011, will be covered with stored up prayer. This is "Pray it Forward". Whatever happens, on any level, I know that prayer has covered it.  God  has it. I know where my help comes from.

Psalm 121:2 My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 119:173 Let Your hand become my help, for I have chosen Your precepts.

Is. 48:17  "The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned that I shall know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary."

Over the years, it has blessed me to have someone  say just the right thing at the right time. I want to be able to do this. So I put it in my Prayer Pantry  for 2011.

Isaiah.48:17   Thus says the Lord your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; "I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go".

This is  reassuring to me, considering the present economic situation. As I pray ahead and store those prayers in my Prayer Pantry for 2011,  the fact that the Lord is teaching me to profit and is leading me, is HUGE!  As my youngest son would say"No Worries".

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord,"Plans to prosper you  and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future".

As I pray ahead into 2011, it is good to know that the Lord has my future all planned. I can rest in that.

Isaiah 54:13 " All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great will be the peace of your children."

Teach my children Lord, my children by blood and my spiritual children too.  Cover them with great peace, Lord Jesus, as we move into 2011.

(I am praying ahead into 2011.  These are my "Pantry Prayers". They are stored up for the future. Whatever we do and wherever we go, prayer surrounds us. It is good to plan ahead. It is very good to Pray ahead.)

In 2010, I began to pray ahead too.  Covering my family with scriptures is like mulching my garden. It protects them and nourishes them. In the archives of my old Blogs, there are lists of scriptures that were prayed.  As my garden preparation is organized, so are my prayers  for the following year. It usually starts in November. I begin a list of scriptures that I ask the Lord to fulfill. On January 1st to the 7th, I pray my list. Those prayers will rest on the New Year.

It is amazing, what the Lord has done with my stored up prayers. This year, I will share my scripture list with my face book friends. It is my hope that other folks will do this too. It is my" Pantry of  Prayers."  They will be carefully prepared, preserved and put  in God's pantry until needed.

For 2011, the first entry in my prayer pantry is this.

Psalm 146:5  Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord.

Jesus is my help and my hope for 2011.

Pray Ahead 2010

I believe that the year 2010 is to be a year of much upheaval.  I pray ahead, as well as plan ahead.  Whatever comes to me and mine, I know that the Lord is faithful to watch over His Word to perform it.  Here are some of the Scriptures that I have prayed ahead in 2010:

Ps.91:2   I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him will I trust.

Ps. 91:3  Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.

Ps. 91:10-11  No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.

Ps. 121:7  The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.

Ps. 65:11  Crown this year with Your goodness, and let Your paths drip with abundance.

Ps. 23:6  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Ps. 85:12-13 Yes, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway.

One thing I say to the year 2010, “Bring It On”.

OBSERVATION:

There is a huge difference in being busy and being fruitful! I think many folks are too occupied doing busy work. That is the form of activity that the teacher used to give us at times during grade school.  Those assignments were to keep us busy—till the others caught up.  I found that type of assignment boring and frustrating and still do!

How many times have you told someone just how busy you are?  I think it makes people feel important if they can tell everyone just how busy they are. The Bible says to be fruitful—not busy.  Fruitfulness in one’s life is a blessing. It blesses them and it blesses other people. Fruitful people leave tracks to follow. I want to be like that.

One my New Years projects  is to drop the busy type of activity.  I will concentrate on being fruitful.  The key may be to pray over new things before starting out. The basic question to consider -- “is it busy” or is it “fruitful”.  When I have died and gone to heaven, no one will remember how busy I was. I hope they will recall the fruit!

How are you going to be remembered? It is something to consider as we enter into 2009.

PRAYING AHEAD 2009 – No worries!

When something “works” for me, I continue to do it. This PRAY AHEAD process is a beautiful thing.  The Lord is honoring His word over my life and the lives of my family. This is the third year in a row that I have been praying ahead.  I pray the scriptures and with my understanding. I pray with the help of the Holy Spirit.

This year the prayed ahead scriptures include:

Deut. 28:8 “The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”

Ps. 42:8The Lord will command His loving-kindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

Ps. 46:7  The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Ps 65:11  You crown the year with Your goodness, and your paths drip with abundance.

Ps. 5:12 For You, O Lord will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.

Ps. 34:7  The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.

Ps. 61:3  You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy.

Ps. 61:4 I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.

There are more, but these scriptures will give you a good picture of my praying ahead projects for 2009.

One of my sons has a favorite expression. It is “no worries”. Where I get down or am troubled, I remember his “no worries” attitude and remember that I have prayed ahead over the entire year.

Whatever happens, me and my family are covered with the word of God.   With this all around me, I can live a “no worries” life.  I only wish that I had learned this years ago. It would have saved a lot of heart ache. Bless you as you travel into 2009.

PRAYING AHEAD AGAIN – 2008

We have a  general business policy, here at Milk and Honey Farm, that if something works—we do it. If a project or plan does not work for us, we discontinue it.  This is a sensible and realistic way of managing our resources, our gardens, our animals, our time and money.  IN 2007, I began to pray ahead over the coming year. The prayers always began with a scripture that spoke to my heart. It was followed by asking the Lord to watch over His Word and cause it to become a reality in my life and in the lives of my loved ones. No situation was too large or too small. I am amazed at His goodness that covers 2007.

I will continue to PRAY AHEAD over 2008. Some of the prayers will remain the same—and others will be expanded.  There is a new confidence in my spirit that the Lord is pleased with this. There is a new closeness of His Presence as I go into each day.  I worry less. My stress level  is way down, and His peace rules and reigns in my heart and my mind.

Where ever I go, whatever I do, and whatever happens in 2008, I will “run into” the prayers.  This is a great way to live.  I believe it is wisdom to do what works—on our small farm in Minnesota—and  in my prayer time with the Lord.  My hope for you who read these words, is that you will PRAY AHEAD in 2008.

Scriptures that I pray – 2008

• Psalm 115:14,15 May the Lord give you increase, more and more, you and your children. May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
• Psalm 119:173 Let your hand become my help, for I have chosen Your precepts.
• Psalm 46:7 The Lord of Hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge.
• Psalm 91: 10 No evil shall befall you nor shall any plague come near your dwelling.
• Psalm 84:11 For the Lord God is a sun and shied; The Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly.

PRAY AHEAD - 2007

Each January, I do a lot of planning of what I want to accomplish over the New Year.  This year, while constructing my “to do” list, it seemed that the Lord was talking to my heart. It went something like this.

“You plan ahead and it is good. But now I want you to PRAY ahead too. Pray my words over those you love, over what you want and do not want for yourself, your family, and your world.”

This seems like a very good idea and I have started a “Pray Ahead” notebook.  Its purpose is to remind me that I have prayed about and covered with God’s word every situation that may come up in the New Year. In other words, as I go along into 2007, I will run into God’s plans, purposes and promises for me. This is reassuring in looking around at the world’s desperate situations.

Here are some of my “Pray ahead” scriptures that are ahead of me in 2007.

Psalm. 92:4 -  For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands.

Psalm 84:11 -  For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

Psalm 37:5 -  Commit your way to the Lord, Trust in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.

Is. 54:10 - “For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord who has mercy on you.

I find this whole thing very comforting. Whatever I run into, whatever happens, I have Gods word over that situation even before it happens.  Each day, I have been adding more and more “Pray Ahead” scriptures to my note book. It is going to be a very good year!

TO DO LIST

“To do” lists help me organize my multitude of farm activities. They keep me focused and on track. I make a weekly “to do” list every Monday morning. This morning, while reading in the scriptures, it seemed as if the Lord was giving me a “To Do” list.

“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.” Psalms 37:3

“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalms 46:10

“Cast your burden in the Lord and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” Psalms 55:22

This week, I will work on the Lord’s list.

BE DIFFERENT!

You have to be different to make a difference.

Christians are supposed to be different from everyone else. The Word of God teaches a lifestyle that is separate from the things of the world. If you look, think, act, and live like everyone else, you are probably not a true believer in Jesus Christ. He was different and He made a difference.

It does not matter what people say—they can say anything. It is what they do that matters. Jesus said, "By the fruit you will know them"...

Take courage, stand up, and dare to be different. It is the first step in making a difference in your family, in your neighborhood, your town, your state and your nation. You have to be different to make a difference.

The Sign

I have a sign that hangs over my kitchen door. It says” STRESS LESS PRAY MORE”. That is wise counsel for all of us. Think about it!

Prayer

It is never a good time to quit praying!

God will not give up on you. Don’t you give up on Him.

TIME MANAGEMENT

Jonathan Edwards said it all in his amazing "Time Management" message.

"I resolve never to lose one moment of time and to improve my use of time in the most profitable way I possibly can. I resolve never to do anything I wouldn’t do if it were the last hour of my life."

This is an amazing way to live each moment of each day. I am going to do the best I can to make good use of my time.

If you add to Edward’s message, the words of W. N. Taylor, the truth behind them becomes stronger. Taylor said, "Temptation rarely comes in working hours, only in leisure time that men are made or marred."

To complete the "Time Management" message, I would add what John Maxwell said. "If you keep doing what you’ve always done. You’ll always get what you’ve always gotten."

A lot of us need to look at this and ponder our own "Time Management."

STILL FIGHTING

Our troops are still fighting. Some are dying. We, as a country, as individuals, and as Christians, need to pray.

Psalms 91:9-11 "For you have made the Lord, my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place. No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent. For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways."

Thanksgiving day, I heard on the evening news, that two of our boys were killed in Iraq. My heart goes out to their families.

The shopping frenzy, the day after Thanksgiving, did not go over well with me. It did not fit with the reality of war. What will be the "wake up" call in America?

SMALL THINGS

Mother Teresa said,” We can do no great things; only small things with great love.”

What are your small things?

WHEN I BLOW IT

Psalm 86:5 “For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all who call upon you.”

COURAGE

"If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all." Isaiah 7:9