Bible Study and making more compost

good morning my beautiful friends!!!!        wanna know something?       the temps in my area got to 44 degrees yesterday!!!!         yes they did!!       and I done me a little happy dance.         that was the first time in almost a week that the temps had been above freezing.         I hope warmer temps are in the near future us in my neck of the woods.         we'll just have to wait and see.      but for now, the temps was back down to 20 degrees this morning.        I hope wherever you are that it's nice and pleasant and sunshiny today.        our plans was to go see my Momma yesterday but that didn't work out, so I think today may be the day.         I hope so anyway.        what kind of plans do you have today?         make it a good day for sure.

-------------

so today is making more compost day.          let's do a "2 minutes in the kitchen with me".         I don't like throwing food away.          I don't like not using what I buy.        but sometimes it doesn't last as long as it should.           case in point with a bag of snacking bell peppers I recently bought.        I picked out the best bag I could find and it wasn't all that great.          but I used the worst ones that was usable first and worked on using the rest of them.          the rest of the bag just turned to soup in the bag.      well, any other time I would I would have tossed them in the garbage.          not now, I tossed them in my counter top composter.         along with orange peels and coffee grounds and a coffee filter or two.       also some bits and pieces where I cleaned up produce and got it ready for salads.        all the bits and pieces cut from that produce went in the bin.         it was full!!!        I started it and then we decided to leave the house for a few minutes and I stopped it.        that's something that I don't think I'll let run during the night or when we're away from home.         when we got back I opened the lid and there was a lot of water that had oozed from the bell peppers.       yes, I said oozed.      hahahaha 

 

so I turned the composter back on for the 6 hours and and when it stopped this is what I got!!        isn't it lovely.        it looks just like compost that you would find around a fallen rotting tree in the woods.       I was really surprised at how beautiful this turned out.

I just want to run my fingers thru it and smell of it.       this stuff smells great!!!

the pic below has this batch and 3 other batches of compost in it.           I've done filled one jug this size and already about 3 or 4 inches up on this just.

I never knew I had so much kitchen waste until I got this composter.        it's so easy to just store in a little bin and then when it gets full, just dump it in the bucket of the composter.         I use egg shells and any kitchen refuse other than meats and fat.       i just don't want stuff like that in my compost.        I don't want to attract unwanted vermin and varmints or all kinds to my garden.       it's bad enough with birds and squirrels, much less some of the other critters that hang around.       and it's bad enough with insects.        so I'll still toss fat and meat scraps.      nothing like avocado pits either.       if it's really hard, you don't want to put it in the composter.       no peach pits or stone fruit pits either.      just stuff that you could eat.        I'll also put in a paper towel every once in a while.       just tear it up into smaller pieces.      I also tear up the coffee filters, just so there won't be big pieces.

if you haven't tried a kitchen composter,  it might be a fun investment, especially if you have a lot of kitchen scraps.        you might be like me and find that you have way more than you ever imagined.     now I can make something useful from those scraps.        woopee!!!!

-------------------------- 

we are at Joshua Chapter 1 and Moses has died.          Joshua had been commissioned by God to lead the Israelites once Moses was gone.         Moses had told him the be strong and of good courage.         Now, God is speaking to Joshua and telling him to be strong and of good courage.         God told him that no less than 2 times in first few verses.        God told him that He would be with him, just to stay the course and not to turn  to the left or the right, stay the course.      and to do according to the book of Law that God had given them.        and God will remind him again, and again.         just like God reminds us today thru His word that we are to stay strong and of good courage.        if God is for us, what do we have to fear?          Joshua was getting ready to take on the task that God set before him.       Joshua was having success doing as God had instructed until the people rebelled again and the Israelites was in serious trouble and Joshua even questioned God.        God told Joshua that the people had sinned and that needed to be addressed because they had violated the covenant of the Lord.      Joshua dealt with the sin and God blessed them.      every battle that Joshua faced, when he faced those battles with God, he had success.          even when he was tricked, it still worked out for the Israelites good.        God was with Joshua.         Joshua even told the sun to stand still and it did, because God made the sun stand still at Joshua's word.          Joshua done as the Lord directed him to do and he was successful at taking the land.        God kept telling Joshua not to be afraid, because God was with him and Joshua did as the Lord told him to do.         Joshua remained faithful to God and God gave the Israelites the land that He promised to them.        the land had been divided up between the tribes of Israel and Joshua was getting old.         Joshua warns the people against worshiping the idols just as Moses had warned them.         then Joshua tells them once again of the strong history of the Lord guiding them.         after serving the Lord, Joshua died.       Joshua left a legacy of serving the Lord and the people serving and following Joshua.         what kind of legacy will you or I leave when the Lord calls us home.         I pray that we leave a legacy of serving the Lord till our final breath.       I pray that we can have a lasting legacy of leading others to follow Christ and to take a stand, even if we stand alone.          we live in uncertain days with lots of problems.         I pray that we can stand in the midst of chaos, or fall to our knees and call on God to defeat the enemy.        "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord".          may this be our motto in these times of uncertainty.

next we pick up in Judges.

----------------------

I pray that you have a wonderful day and that we all thank God for allowing us to be a part of it.      may we strong and of good courage in all our days.         strength and courage served Joshua well and I believe it will serve us well too.         blessings of peace, strength and courage be ours today and every day.          hugs and love, patty

Bible Study and kitchen counter composter

good morning from the frozen arctic tundra also known as my neck of the woods.          hahahaha        yup, it was a cool toasty 9 degrees this morning and as I type, it's 11 degrees.          I hope all of y'all are snug and warm and enjoying the cool temps.          as I like to say, I'm really looking forward to spring.        yes indeedie I am!!           what are you looking forward too?

I do need to venture out to aldi today to pick up a few things and I kinda dread it.        but tomorrow, it's supposed to be even colder, so today it is.       I love to keep some fast food meals cooked up and in the fridge at all times in the form of soups and stews and chili and the like.        I also like to keep a bunch of bread baked up and a lot in the freezer ready to bake, so all that stuff will be on my list.       keep your eyes peeled, I might share some of the things I'm doing these days.

------------------

this will be a somewhat different "2 minutes in the kitchen with me", but I hope it will be a fun one nonetheless.     

so, back when I started gardening heavily again, about 7 or 8 years ago, I had looked at some of these thingies on line, I guess at amazon.           I really wanted to get one then, but they were outta pocket range and I didn't have anywhere to put one.           but I had kept looking at them off and on all this time.  

 

then my bestie in arizona texted me and showed me what she got.          she was talking about how much she loved it and I had really wanted one.         she had one and could verify they did what they was supposed to do and it was very nice to not have kitchen scraps in the garbage anymore.         this is what mine looks like with the lid up.         the foot print is 9 inches x 9 inches x 11 inches tall.         so she is my influencer, I'll blame it on her.        hahaha              I'm calling it my Christmas present.  

                                                         

this is the inside of the bucket with the blades in it.              it doesn't look like it would do much, but I'll tell you, it sure does!!           I can fill it up, not mashed down at all, just full and in 6 hours, I have beautiful compost.

this is what it looks like when I get the little bucket filled and then I'll set it back down in the machine and turn it on and 6 hours later I have lovely compost.

this is what it looks when it's done.            this batch had some eggs shells in it, so egg shells are good for the garden.

this is what my container looks like with all the newly made compost in it.          it's a 4 lb container, almost as large as a gallon jug, but not quite that big.

I got this on dec 23rd and I've already made right at 4 lbs of compost.          as a matter of fact, it's running right now and when it's done, it will fill the container up.         and I'll just start on another one and work on getting it filled up.          it will be great to amend my container soil with in the spring when I start getting my container garden up and running for the year.         I'm thrilled that I have something to do with my kitchen waste now.          and when I make bone broth, I always cook the bones in the pressure cooker till I can mash them with my fingers, so I'll be able to put those in my composter too and have the added benefit of bone meal in my compost.         I'm excited to see if it helps my garden or not.          hahaha         I just believe it will.          anyway, stay tuned to see if it's fact or fiction.      because I'll give you the whole scoop on my little composter.            

-------------------------

picking up at Deuteronomy Chapter 1, Moses is talking to the people about all that God has done for them.           God has been faithful to them all this time.          God was leading Moses as to how to best care for the people.         and Moses reminded them about the complaining and grumbling they had done.           they had witnessed God's faithfulness first hand and yet they didn't trust God.         does any of this sound familiar?         God is with us, as His children, every day, faithful and leading us, but still we complain and grumble and trust anyone but Him.           sometimes it's good to look back and see how God has directed our path and also to see how we been disobedient to the calling He has over our lives.         

when we look back, we need to make sure we grow and not go to wishing we was back in the life of sin we just left.          Moses was reminding them of all the successes and failures they had.       the successes came when they obeyed God and the failures came when they disobeyed God.        and even though Moses was a successful, humble leader, he did not get to go over into the promised land, because of his disobedience at the rock where God brought water from it.        Moses did get to see it with his eyes, but he didn't get to go in.     this is when Joshua is going to be commissioned as leader.

it was at this time that Israel was urged to listen to the commands and obey the laws of God.        Moses tells them to be careful for yourself and watch over your soul diligently.         to remember what their eyes had seen and share these things with the generations after them.         Moses is warning them again, against any form of graven images and to remember the covenant that they had made with God.

Moses reminds them of the 10 commandments again, that had been given to them by God.      Moses was encouraging them as hard as he knew to remain faithful to all the laws and ordinances that God had given to them.        as I think about this, I am once again reminded of how easy it is to sin and how easy it is to break a law.         I praise God for the provision of Jesus Christ on the cross to cover my sins.       there was warnings that God had given them too.      warnings against worshiping the gods of the people in lands they were to take.        why is it human nature to want to do exactly what God tells us not to do?          

we are dealing with the devil at every turn.        if you don't think so, then answer a simple question.        how many genders are there?         if you had to think about the answer to that question, then maybe go back to Genesis and see how many genders God created.       answer another question.         can you be male today and female tomorrow?          can you say I think I'm a man today and woman tomorrow?        and where in scripture does  anyone find that it's ok for men to marry men and women to marry women?        also show me where it's ok to kill babies.        I'd love to see some of the scriptures that so called christians base their beliefs on.       well, scripture doesn't back any of this filth up.       just some simple questions to prove the point that the devil is running rampant because he knows his days are numbered and he's wanting to fill hell with as many willing and even unwilling participants as possible. 

if Moses was standing before the people today, these might be some of the things he would be reminding them.       God is faithful to keep His promises to those who love Him for a thousand generations!!!          but He will also repay those who hate Him to their faces.       Moses continues to remind the people about not having any graven images.        that also reminds me to not have any "heroes" of the day.         what about half naked singers, criminal sports figures, criminals in politics, we need to be very careful about who we put on pedestals.        if they offer nothing to society, you can bet they are a modern day hero.        our heroes should be the ones that God has used to write His word in the very beginning, all of them pointing to THE HERO!!!!      Jesus should be our hero.   

remember and don't forget, remember and don't forget, remember and don't forget.        why is this so important?         if we remember, remember, remember, we  are less likely  to fall victim  to sin again.     yes, we all sin and we all will continue to sin, but we need to remember that God is good, God is faithful, God is merciful, God is our provider in every way.

we pick up with Deuteronomy Chapter 9 next.

--------------------

well, I guess we'll wrap this up this morning.         let's always remember the faithfulness of God in our lives.          were it not for Him, I wouldn't have gotten out of bed this morning.         

thank You Father, for your faithfulness in my life.       I praise You for loving me even when I don't deserve it.        it's not because of anything I've done, but it's all because of who You are!!!       amen and amen

I pray we all have a wonderful, wonder filled day today.        look for the presence of God in your life today.        when we look for it, we'll see it.       Praise Him today!!!!       hugs and love, patty