I pulled up the tomato vines this evening.  There were a few green tomatoes left, but no new ones coming on.  My kale is still going gangbusters.  It is a sweet curly variety.  I no longer buy lettuce.  I use kale on everything.  They say kale is one of the top ten foods for a healthy life.  Parsley is still abundant and bright green.  There is so much of it that I think I will have to dehydrate it.  The thing I love--the garden--will sit there until spring.  But I can look forward to it in March.  It is getting so that leaning over picking things is hard.  I pay for it later with aches and pains.  But I won't stop doing it!!!

Jesus said in Matthew 13:3a-8 "…Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and…some seeds fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured them up:  Some fell upon stony places where they had not much earth:  and they sprang up but they had no deepness of earth, and when the sun came up they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.  And some fell among thorns; and the thorns…chocked them.  But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit.  Some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold."

Jesus is telling the disciples that they are not responsible for growing the seed.  They are only responsible to scatter it. There are four possibilities as to how it will be received..

1. The seed never takes root.  Birds eat it.  This is a description of people who hear the words of salvation, but don't receive it into their lives.  Or they don't believe it.
2. The seed falls where there is some soil, but mostly stones.  It starts to grow, but there is no place for the roots to take hold, so it dies.  This is a description of people who hear the words of salvation, consider it for awhile, but don't develop the depth to sustain growth.
3. The seed falls into a patch of thorns and weeds.  It takes root, but is choked out for lack of nutrients.  The thorns overtake it.  This is a description of people who hear the words of salvation, accept them, but never change.  They stay with the same old crowd doing the same old things and salvation doesn't take preeminence in their lives.
4. The seed falls on good ground, takes root and flourishes.  This group of people are ready to commit to Christ.  They are hungry for the gospel.  They share the good news with others and bear much fruit.