Seeds For Thinking

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

Scripture: Jesus said, "I must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work."
(John 9: 4 NKJV)

Most people are probably familiar with the word 'buckwheat' only when followed by the word 'pancakes.' Buckwheat flour comes from the seeds of a plant (scientifically known as Fagopyrum of the family Polygonaceae) classified as an herb. (1) It has some attributes that gave me something to think about.
Buckwheat is purported to be a soil conditioner, valuable for improving the fertility and friability of poor soils. Honeybees turn the nectar from the blooms into a dark, pungent honey, cherished by some people. A warm weather plant, it is often planted following the harvest of an earlier maturing crop, such as wheat. Enough reasons, I thought, to try growing some.
Buckwheat is not at all like the 'wheat' in its name. It is not a grass, nor a legume, like many other farm-grown plants. The early leaves somewhat resemble those of a bean, the blossoms are similar, but buckwheat 'marches to its own drummer,' so to speak.
I had always heard about the way honeybees 'work' the blossoms of the buckwheat. When my little patch began blooming, I religiously checked every day when I got home from work. Not a bee - nary a one - did I see. Not until the weekend, when a Saturday morning observation revealed a buckwheat patch that literally echoed with busy, buzzing bees. Then, about noon, dead silence!
I went back and re-read the section about buckwheat in my beekeeper's book. Aha! The plant ceases to produce nectar about midday.
Analogy: So what if you have read the Bible; go back and read it again. And again.
And . . .
Analogy: Keep an open mind about people, things, and especially God's Way. Expect the unexpected, something new, something out of the ordinary.
I found another unique characteristic about the buckwheat plant: the seeds do not develop or ripen all at the same time, like many other plants. It continues to bloom and develop seeds throughout its growing season, right up until the autumn killing frosts.
Analogy: If you want to emulate a plant, choose the buckwheat. Hey! - keep on growing, keep on blooming right up until the final 'frost' and harvest. I've seen too many people that are like corn, wheat, or beans: they 'ripen' early, go to 'seed' and then just sit there, waiting for the harvest - (the grim reaper?)
Analogy: Buckwheat has the ability to improve poor soils. May you possess the ability to improve poor souls.
Oh! Think about that schedule the buckwheat plant keeps. Sure, keep the place buzzing part of the day, but cut back and enjoy the sunshine some too!
Be fruitful: Nectar for the bees, flour (and honey) for the famished, and enough seed to keep the kingdom growing. That's buckwheat!

(1) It has "alternate leaves, clusters of apetalous pinkish white flowers, and triangular seeds."
February 25, 2007

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

Scripture: Paul wrote: "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." I Corinthians 13:12, NIV

It was one of those "Aha!" moments. I happened to glance up and note my reflection in the window, mirroring my every move as I sat eating my breakfast on a dark, wintery morning. I thought, "What a perfect example of Paul's allegory of "Seeing through a glass darkly" in the 'Love Chapter' of his letter to the Corinthians." (Chapter 13, King James version.)
I knew what lay outside, on the other side of the window, but I could see nothing, because the contrast between my lighted table and the night outside transformed the window glass into a mirror, albeit an imperfect one.
So that's what Paul was talking about! We are unable to see the heavenly kingdom from the light of this life, seeing only an imperfect image of ourselves, because of the contrast of what is, and what is to be.
If I sit long enough, watch and wait long enough, the dawning will come. First, I will start to see a glimmer of red, presaging the advent of the dawn. I will begin to note the outlines of the trees in the woods, ghostly shapes only, backlit by the rising sun.
Soon, the image of the garage will take shape, although just a dark, blank area at first. Soon, I know, my image in the glass will fade, and the scene of God's great kingdom will fill my view in all its radiant splendor.
It was there all along; there was just such a contrast between the two worlds that the larger, more permanent one, was invisible.
By the time I sat down for my noon meal, the once hidden had been made plain. I could readily see the roughness of the bark on the trees, the branches moving slightly in the breeze. Squirrels use it for both a home and a gym, scurrying about, seeking their own lunch. Birds visit the feeders, placed there for the purpose of both providing them with food and us humans with visual enjoyment. Now the mirror effect is reversed; we can watch them, while they can not see us.
There is a vital, everlasting truth here. When we see ourselves only, though as in a glass, darkly, we focus on the image that we do see, not on the image of the world on the other side. Even though we leave the table and the window, in essence, we continue to focus on "our" world, and not God's world.
Sometimes we need reminders of what lies on the "other side." Regular times for meditation, for worship, Bible reading, and contemplation, bring us back for the 'meal' at the 'window,' to reveal God in all of His Glory.
January 7, 2007

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

* Rewrite
* Scripture: This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.
John 21:24, NKJV

A young lad was telling his mother about his Sunday School lesson for the day, the story of Moses and the Israelites crossing the Red Sea.
"Pharaoh came with his army while Moses was trying to get all of the people into the boats," he said. "The Israelites started shooting with machine guns, so Pharaoh called for the tanks. Moses had his soldiers set out land mines. The tanks tried to go around them and catch the boats, but ran into the sea and drowned. Moses and all the Israelites got away over the Red Sea."
"Is that what your teacher really told you,?" his mother asked.
"Well, no," the boy replied. "But if I told it like the teacher did, you wouldn't believe it either."
Many people have a problem accepting what is written in the Bible. Well, so be it. That is their prerogative. Others, however, are like the boy and the Sunday School lesson about the crossing of the Red Sea. Not satisfied with the way it is written, they rewrite the Bible in their own style, and with the facts changed to seem more plausible by their way of thinking.
Pick a topic, any topic, and you will find skeptics who claim knowledge of "the real truth" that others are conspiring to hide.
Members of "The Flat Earth Society" sincerely believe that the earth is not round at all, but flat, just as you can see. There is a group of people who are convinced that the moon landings were faked, all part of a big conspiracy on the part of NASA to get money.
The so-called "docudrama" is a popular form of entertainment that is based on some event that has a basis in fact, but is embellished far beyond the basic truth. All it takes is some element of mystery, some conspiracy theory, and many people become convinced that the "retelling" is more factual than actual truth.
A popular radio call-in program is based on numerous conspiracy theories, drawing those who are certain they have an elite gift of knowledge that enables them, and them only, to see the "hidden truth."
The disciple John ended his gospel with these words: "And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen." (John 21:25, NKJV)
Yes, John, many things have indeed been written about Jesus. Unfortunately, many are not truly inspired by God, and can not stand the scrutiny of knowledgeable witnesses.
John recorded Jesus' words (8:31-32) "If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Responsible witnesses affirm that John's words are true.
May 21, 2006

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

* Walking Library
* Scripture: “Seek Wisdom” - Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares, She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words. Proverbs 1:20-21, NKJV

My appetite for reading usually finds some food for thought on a foray into the marketplace. Given the current penchant for wearing apparel displaying advertising and catchy messages, the crowds have become a walking library.
I noted one lady whom I would not have typecast as a consummate house cleaner sporting a shirt with a spider web and the message, “I’m not on the internet, but I visit a lot of web sites when I dust.”
My pick of the day was the school-age boy who proclaimed (probably with some justification), “I thought it was a good idea at the time.”
I can just picture Adam or Eve wearing a shirt like that, turning and looking wistfully back at the Garden. “Seemed like a good idea.”
Let’s see now - I’ll bet I could sell Jonah a shirt that reads, “Have I got a whale of a tale to tell you!”
I think a salt advertisement would be appropriate for Noah, the company that brags, “When it rains, it pours.”
I’d get a shirt with an audio recording tape advertisement for Joshua, the one that shows sound breaking a glass goblet.
Maybe a classy automobile promo would do for Ezekiel, but one of those where wheels are stretched all out of proportion. Take time to read Ezekiel 1:15-21, and think about how you would illustrate the vision of the wheels. You could make a closet full of really ‘way-out’ stuff based on the many visions recorded in the book of Ezekiel.
Can’t you just see Daniel wearing “The Lion King!”? Or maybe he’d opt for a shirt with the words, “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN” * Analyze Handwriting On YOUR Wall!” (Daniel 5:25)
Just think of the possibilities! There is an entire book full of suggestions - The Bible!
See what you might come up with. What do you think Samson would wear? Jeremiah has a lot of good sayings that could grace a walking sign shirt. There are thirty-one chapters of Proverbs to choose from. Check out Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3; “To everything there is a season.”
Actually, I have seen many good Christian and Biblical themes being worn, which can’t help but increase the awareness of The Message.
Every little bit helps get The Word out. Just the process of * Thinking * about the possibilities will extend and strengthen your knowledge of the Bible.
Give it a try!
June 26, 2005

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

Something a little different today: A couple of the inspirational cards that I hand out.
The first is the well known 23rd Psalm.

And also in Espanol (Spanish)

And this message from 'Capo' the Prodigal Rooster:

Learn more about the Prodigal Rooster and the Good Samaritan Farmer at:

May the Lord bless thee, and keep thee . . .
"The Old Gleaner"

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

Scripture: Paul wrote, “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”Timothy 3:16-17 NIV

Curiosity often gets the better of me. (Yes, I know, curiosity supposedly “killed the cat,” but think what marvelous adventures it had until then!) I decided to test my memory of nursery rhymes used last week by looking them up. I started with Jack and Jill; my Junior Classics book gave the ‘classic’ . . .

Jack and Jill went up the hill.
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown.
And Jill came tumbling after.

The second verse, the reason I wove the medical investigation into the report, was not in this book:

Up Jack got, and home did trot,
As fast as he could caper;
He went to bed to mend his head
With vinegar and brown paper.

Where did I get that? Perhaps it was just a ”family” thing? I did a search on the internet, and came up with over five thousand ‘hits.’ Sure enough, the verse I remembered was there.
However, I also found that, in some versions, Jack went:

To old Dame Frown,
Who patched his crown,
With vinegar and brown paper.

And - Oh! Joy, Joy! -I found a third verse that I had never heard:

When Jill came in, how she did grin,
To see Jack's paper plaster.
Her Mother, vexed, did whip her next,
For laughing at Jack's disaster.

Which brings up the point about nursery rhymes - there are many, many versions out there. Which ones are ‘correct?’ Answer: which ever one you find, because they started as localized tales, passed down over generations. I suppose the ones collected by the Brothers Grimm - yes, they actually existed, and collected stories from all over Europe - have to rank as the best-known standard, but there were many other writers.
One book that is remarkably consistent is the Bible. It has stood the test of time. Manuscripts dating back to the pre-Christian era vary little from our modern Bible. Translations vary, of course, but the core content was fixed long ago.
There are many, many other writings that purport to be from the hand of a prophet or disciple, but they have not been found to contain the ‘truth’ that characterizes the Word of God, and thus were excluded from the accepted Canon - The Bible.
How do you know that what you heard is accurate? Read your Bible thoroughly!
October 5, 2003

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

Scripture: Jesus said, “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, “I am the Christ, and will deceive many.”
Mt. 24:4, 5. NIV

We begin this edition of Fairyland News with a fast-breaking story:
Three mice were observed running into the Hickory-Dickory clock tower. The clock struck one; we do not yet know which one.
A local musician’s son was apprehended earlier today running down the street with a pig under his arm. The pilfered pig turned out to be from Farmer Fred’s herd. The young man, named Tom, was chastised and remanded to the custody of his father, the Town Piper. The pig was reportedly being held for evidence.
An incident at the town well is being investigated on two counts. A young male was treated at the scene for a personal injury to his head after Jack and Jill fell while fetching a pail of water. The accident raises safety concerns to be addressed by the city, while the first aid treatment will be scrutinized by the Medical Board.
The housing shortage is becoming more evident in the city as citizens turn to unconventional structures. Peter the Pumpkin Eater has moved his wife into a pumpkin shell, while one widow has moved her family into a shoe.
On the social scene, Old King Cole has thrown another of his successful and well-attended parties. Everybody who is anybody was there, except for Humpty Dumpty, who is suffering from a devastating fall from the city wall.
The Prince is searching the kingdom this morning for the charming young lady who obviously captivated his heart at the ball, only to depart suddenly at the stroke of midnight, leaving behind a glass slipper. . .

Hopefully, you recognized the nursery rhymes used as the basis of my slightly twisted news report. Perhaps you recited them to yourself. Recognition is one thing; accuracy another. My purpose is to point out that many twist the Gospel - the Good News - with empty claims concerning Jesus and the scriptures.
Jesus warned that many false prophets will appear, with claims no more valid than fairy tales. (Mt. 24:11; see also Rev. 13:11-18)
Peter speaks at length of false teachers in 2 Peter, Chapter 2. Peter states, “For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error.”
Fairy tales; empty words.
Get the Good News; Read your Bible daily!
September 28, 2003