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Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Farm scene near Martindale, PA
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"The Blessing Of The Watermelon"
On yesterday's post
we shared this photo along with a question as to what was being planted. As of "press time"
we received a lot of answers but
none were correct (apart from Matt's answer, a friend we had seen right after
taking the photo, who admitted he knew in part because of talking to Brooksyne!) Our readers guessed tomatoes,
tobacco, celery, potatoes, cabbage, strawberries. Now I have to admit
that it's pretty hard to tell and apparently a similar method is
used for a variety of plants, but actually we were witnessing the
planting of watermelons!
We
struck up a conversation with the farmer and mused as to what an
appreciation we had for the watermelon. Many of us recall eating
watermelon as kids and spitting the seeds. I've even participated in
seed spitting contests, but was never the winner. In Belton, Missouri
we had
watermelon eating contests where kids and grown-ups alike
enthusiastically contested against each other. Brooksyne's
relatives on the
mountain top in Arkansas grow delicious watermelons, mostly seeded as I
recall. Of course like most kids we wondered if
eating the seeds would cause a watermelon to grow inside us!
Fellow Missourian Mark Twain described the watermelon, "When one has tasted it, he knows what the angels eat." I think our daughter, Ester, would agree with Mark Twain. When she was three years old recovering from yet another open heart surgery she would eat nothing the nurses brought to her. Finally, after days of refusing to eat, the doctor gave into Brooksyne's plea to give her watermelon, and when they did she devoured it.
In recent years we have come to appreciate the seedlesss watermelon. Actually the "seedless" watermelon has some seeds but they're so soft you eat them without even being aware of it, kind of like a banana seed. Or did you not know you have been eating banana seeds all along? Within a generation, most Americans won't even know that watermelons have seeds (at least the hard black kind), let alone the joy of eating them right off the rind and spitting out the seeds that is a childhood memory for many of us!
Ultimately seedless watermelons are grown from seeds and the process in the development of the "seedless" varieties is beyond my scientific understanding. However they are not genetically modified, as some might assume, but are hybrids that have been grown in the United States since the middle of the 20th century. (See below for a link to an explanation.)
Now watermelons aren't specifically mentioned in the Bible, along with other many other fruit we enjoy such as bananas and oranges. However early in the creation account we have this gift from God to the human race. "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food."
We enjoy preparing these messages for people from all over the world and often consider the many things we have in common regardless of where we live. And today I suppose most of us will be ingesting some "seed-bearing plant" according to God's provision in Genesis 1:29. Let us praise God from whom all blessings flow including the blessing of tasty sweet watermelon with or without seeds!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer:
Father, we are abundantly blessed with foods of all kinds, both
vegetable and fruit, meat and bread. Thank you for those who
diligently work the land and reap the harvest that we might place food
on our tables and be nurtured physically. You make the grass grow for the
cattle, and plants for man to cultivate— bringing forth food from
the earth. All we have needed Your hand hath provided. Great is Your faithfulness, Lord, unto me. Amen.
It was a hot day so they rigged a cloth canopy over their work area to provide some shade. When Brooksyne asked the farmer if he was planting seeded or seedless watermelons he told us this: Every third watermelon is a "throw-away" watermelon with seeds which is used to pollinate the seedless watermelons.
Normally you won't find these Mennonites without their hats on but it was very hot! Notice the man driving the tractor has a straw hat on, the other two left theirs under the wagon.
Geographical trivia: This last weekend Luling Texas had their annual "Watermelon Thump" Luling has an interesting watertower!
For the curious here's an article about seedless watermelons.
"Faithful Men" Video Twila Paris, This version prepared as a tribute to two young ladies who were in ministry killed by a crazed gunman at a church in Colorado several years ago.
"Great Is Thy Faithfulness" Video Selah
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Farm scene near Martindale, PA
Listen
to this
message on
your
audio player."The Blessing Of The Watermelon"
We
struck up a conversation with the farmer and mused as to what an
appreciation we had for the watermelon. Many of us recall eating
watermelon as kids and spitting the seeds. I've even participated in
seed spitting contests, but was never the winner. In Belton, Missouri
we had
watermelon eating contests where kids and grown-ups alike
enthusiastically contested against each other. Brooksyne's
relatives on the
mountain top in Arkansas grow delicious watermelons, mostly seeded as I
recall. Of course like most kids we wondered if
eating the seeds would cause a watermelon to grow inside us!Fellow Missourian Mark Twain described the watermelon, "When one has tasted it, he knows what the angels eat." I think our daughter, Ester, would agree with Mark Twain. When she was three years old recovering from yet another open heart surgery she would eat nothing the nurses brought to her. Finally, after days of refusing to eat, the doctor gave into Brooksyne's plea to give her watermelon, and when they did she devoured it.
In recent years we have come to appreciate the seedlesss watermelon. Actually the "seedless" watermelon has some seeds but they're so soft you eat them without even being aware of it, kind of like a banana seed. Or did you not know you have been eating banana seeds all along? Within a generation, most Americans won't even know that watermelons have seeds (at least the hard black kind), let alone the joy of eating them right off the rind and spitting out the seeds that is a childhood memory for many of us!
Ultimately seedless watermelons are grown from seeds and the process in the development of the "seedless" varieties is beyond my scientific understanding. However they are not genetically modified, as some might assume, but are hybrids that have been grown in the United States since the middle of the 20th century. (See below for a link to an explanation.)
Now watermelons aren't specifically mentioned in the Bible, along with other many other fruit we enjoy such as bananas and oranges. However early in the creation account we have this gift from God to the human race. "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food."
We enjoy preparing these messages for people from all over the world and often consider the many things we have in common regardless of where we live. And today I suppose most of us will be ingesting some "seed-bearing plant" according to God's provision in Genesis 1:29. Let us praise God from whom all blessings flow including the blessing of tasty sweet watermelon with or without seeds!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer:
Father, we are abundantly blessed with foods of all kinds, both
vegetable and fruit, meat and bread. Thank you for those who
diligently work the land and reap the harvest that we might place food
on our tables and be nurtured physically. You make the grass grow for the
cattle, and plants for man to cultivate— bringing forth food from
the earth. All we have needed Your hand hath provided. Great is Your faithfulness, Lord, unto me. Amen.Last night we had Doug and Marion, our
neighbors, over for dinner. They recently celebrated their 50th
anniversary. They started "going together" (AKA "going steady") when
she was 13 and he was 14. They graduated in the same class in 1961 and
married 10 days after graduation. They raised two daughters and are
blessed with one granddaughter. Hebrews 13:4 states, "Marriage
should be honored by all." We honor Doug and Marion on the
occasion of their anniversary!
Watermelon Planting in Lancaster County
It was a hot day so they rigged a cloth canopy over their work area to provide some shade. When Brooksyne asked the farmer if he was planting seeded or seedless watermelons he told us this: Every third watermelon is a "throw-away" watermelon with seeds which is used to pollinate the seedless watermelons.
Normally you won't find these Mennonites without their hats on but it was very hot! Notice the man driving the tractor has a straw hat on, the other two left theirs under the wagon.
This
particular branch of old-order Mennonites uses tractors with steel
wheels (no rubber tires). Can anyone tell me why? Tomorrow I will
share what I understand to be the reason.
Geographical trivia: This last weekend Luling Texas had their annual "Watermelon Thump" Luling has an interesting watertower!For the curious here's an article about seedless watermelons.
Today's
Suggested Music
and Supplemental
Resources
"Faithful Men" Video Twila Paris, This version prepared as a tribute to two young ladies who were in ministry killed by a crazed gunman at a church in Colorado several years ago.
"Great Is Thy Faithfulness" Video Selah
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references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version.
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