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Apocynum cannabinum… What is it worth?

posted by Michael on 06/28/07

It seems that every year the Lord has plenty of new things to teach me about beekeeping. This year it has been so dry that I could not see how anything could be putting out nectar. No nectar is bad news for bees. Scouting around the hills three weeks ago I noticed honeybees working all over some plants similar to Milkweed with white flowers. Back at the house I identified it as Dogbane or “Indian Hemp” (Apocynum cannabinum). It is an unattractive weed. It is not a very good food source for wildlife. In fact, large amounts can be poisonous to sheep and cattle. It is not even an important honey plant . . . except in dry years. It is still dry now, nearly a month later, and Dogbane is still blooming like crazy and the bees are still all over it. It makes an excellent, light colored honey. Although I do not think we will be harvesting pure Dogbane honey, it has kept the bees going so that we could harvest the honey from the May “flow”.

It surprises me how many plants are valuable to bees even though they hold very little use from other perspectives. Sourwood trees, for instance, hold no value as a timber tree. Nor are they a significant food source for wildlife. Yet they reliably makes one of the best kinds of honey in flavor and color that reportedly does not granulate.

So not only do different plants bloom at different times of year, but there are also plants that bloom in different kinds of years. Each plant has an important purpose and role to fill. And each one of us has an even more important and meaningful purpose to fulfill with the life we are given; a special purpose that is different from every other life in the world. If you have ever felt like an unattractive weed, do not worry, do not give up, do not fight against that purpose or ignore it, but rather seek to know your purpose by seeking and knowing the One who gave it to you.

“. . . for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Heb. 11:6

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jer. 29:11

“Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Mat. 11:28-30

4 Comments » | posted in Possessing the Land

God Can Work with Many or with Few!

posted by David on 06/25/07

1 Samuel 14:6

Usually we clean house on Monday. Cleaning the bathrooms, sweeping the floor, dusting the furniture,doing the laundry, and putting everything in it’s proper place are all things Mom has encouraged us to do to keep the house orderly. But last week we had a problem: our cousins were coming and we were short on people. Donald, Jonathan and I were the only ones here because Dad was at work, Michael was up on the hill working, Robert was in Chicago, Esther was in PA with Mom, James was in Life Focus and Daniel was going through Sound Foundations! Helping Michael had taken all that morning and we would still need to help him some more later in the afternoon. We were in a predicament. but the three of us had a meeting and decided we could do it if we all showed determination. We did everything we needed to do and were ready when our cousins arrived!

DETERMINATION

Purposing to accomplish God’s goals in God’s time regardless of the opposition.

5 Comments » | posted in Family News

Working Away

posted by James on 06/24/07

We have now reached the end of week 2 in Life FOCUS XV. This means that we are very close to coming to the end of all the intense work we have been doing. We have learned so much about diligence, thoroughness, contentment, and selflessness. Here are a few things we did:

Organizing Furniture. With lots of remodeling going on here at South Campus, there has been (almost literally) tons of furniture to move. The longest anyone has been on this job is Victor, who has been on it for four full, consecutive days. The stuff is moved from one building to the third floor or basement of a second building. Thus basically everything from the four floors of the first building has to be hauled up or down some steps. Too bad the elevator isn’t working!

Destroying a Beaver Dam. While most of the guys were inside, a few of us went down to a small beaver dam. Our mission was to clear it out as quickly as possible. It had vanished and water was flowing freely through in a few hours.

Uncovering Drain Pipes. Now this was interesting. The pipes that we were commissioned to find were so old that a 10 foot tall tree was growing on top of them. Well, the tree came down and the dirt went up. We finally found the pipes almost 8 feet down after working with pick and shovel for days.

Moving Sand. Having cleared away all the weeds from the sewage pit, we now had to refill it with sand. Because the sand could not be dumped anywhere close by in the first place, we had to make the extra effort of filling buckets and carrying them to the pit. It was hard work!

Pulling up Railroad Tracks. This was the hardest so far because it was the longest outdoor job. Once used for a large, model train, the track was no longer needed and had to be taken out. The trusses were disconnected, the rails disassembled, and finally the loose dirt and gravel hauled away with wheel borrows. The work was worth it because the lawn looked much better once it was gone.

Organizing Mattresses. This was the easiest job but I couldn’t leave it out because it was so much fun. In the attic are stored all the mattresses used around the place and over time they had become disorganized. It was hard not to make any soft choices J

Replacing a Roof. One more project we have mainly focused on for the second week was replacing the old roof of one of the campus buildings. After raining, it was a rather dirty job, but that didn’t make any difference in the pace of work. The layers of gravel, tar, and fiberglass insulation all had to be removed.

6 Comments » | posted in Ministry Reports

A crock pot breakfast: hot and hearty

posted by Donald on 06/21/07

Did you ever wish you could make breakfast in the crock pot too?

Well believe it or not you can and this recipe is one that has not only met all our own criteria but has become a staple on our weekly menu year-round.

2 c. wheat berries (whole kernels, raw)
7 c. water (pure water if possible)
a sprinkle of salt

Cook on low overnight and serve hot. Wheatberries will be soft but not mushy. It makes enough for up to twelve bowls and is best with home-made granola, raisins and fresh bananas. Some have it with milk & brown sugar as they would any other hot cereal and leftover wheatberries are good on pancakes.

So that’s our “secret recipe”. We’ve found that few have heard of a crock pot breakfast but maybe once you’ve tried it you will pass the word yourself. Here in West Virginia we know that a hearty healthy breakfast is one thing that can put you up the hill!

“Give us this day our daily bread . . .”

4 Comments » | posted in Recipes

Blennerhassett Island

posted by Jonathan on 06/19/07

Last week our cousins from PA visited us and one of our outings was to Blennerhassett Island. To get to the island we took a small boat. It was fun to explore the two decks and climb the spiral staircase! The Island was very beautiful. During a covered wagon ride around the island a deer ran across the path right in front of us and there were lots of squirrels. Our tour guide told us all about the island. One thing she pointed out was the orchard of Black walnut trees. If cut, the value of the lumber would be a million dollars! They let the animals have the nuts. After the wagon ride we went on a tour of the Blennerhassett’s mansion that was built in 1798. They lived in it for eight years and then fled the Island because of their involvement with Aaron Burr. In 1811 the mansion was burned to the ground but archeologists found the foundation and some scraps that helped them rebuild it how it was. We are very thankful for what we have today after seeing how hard it was to live back then.