The gardener chooses the pumpkin variety they want to plant, then prepares the soil. By forming mounds to plant the seeds, the roots are forced to search deeply for water, providing strength for the growing plant. 
     Proper irrigation ensures the right amount of water reaches the pumpkin patch, and a keen eye is needed to watch for pests such as the Squash Bug, which can stress the plant and compromise its health. Routine weeding prevents the plant from being robbed of water and nutrients.
     Patience is needed, as it takes 3 ½ to 4 months for pumpkins to grow and ripen. If a freeze is imminent, the crop must be picked right away.
      The gardener makes the preparations, but God provides the ingredients: the seeds, the water, the soil, and the sunlight. He also orchestrates photosynthesis to create the miracle of sprouting and growth. Then the special person who takes an interest in gardening becomes a custodian—or caretaker—of the garden.
      The pumpkin—a symbol of autumn—represents a bountiful harvest and a time when friends and families gather for Fall celebrations and Thanksgiving. The pumpkin often serves dual roles: as an item on a menu or as décor.
      From seed to full fruit, the pumpkin’s tale is just one of many stories of one of God’s miracles of nature.
      As a gardener—or consumer of the pumpkin, you are a recipient of God’s bountiful harvest. Along with family or friends, you are part of an immense blessing—the gathering of God’s people, coming together to celebrate and give thanks!

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” –
1 Chronicles 16:34

​Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com/Ikrom Ma-Ela
From my blog post of 10/28/20 - N. Johnson 

[Following is a reprint of a blog I posted in 2023. You might think of other words that could be added to this list. Feel free to leave comments! God's Blessings - Nancy Johnson]
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"Jesus: Who You Are to Me"   
An Alphabetical List
 
A Absolute, Able, (The) Answer, Almighty, Abundant, Accepting, Anointed,  Alpha & Omega, Advocate, Alive, Apostle, Atonement, Advent, Agape, Author of Salvation, All-Knowing, Ancient of Days, Agnus Dei, Authority, Awesome, Ascended into Heaven on the third day.
           
B  Bridegroom, Beautiful, Believing, Beheld, Beloved, Bold, Bread of Life, Branch, Blessed, Bearer, Brother, Brethren, Banner, Balm, Bearer of sin, Born of a virgin, Benevolent, Bountiful           
 
C Christ, Counselor, Cross-bearer, Comforter, Courteous, Consoling, Courageous, Caring, Caretaker, Communicator, Crucified, Confidant, Carpenter, Cleansing, Compassionate, Confiding, Considerate, Changeless, Crown of Glory, Chosen      
 
D Desire of all Nations, Destiny, Defender, Dayspring, Died for us, Deliverer, Door of the Sheep, Dwelling place, Divine, Discipleship 
 
E  Engaging, Eternal, Everlasting, Eminent, Extraordinary, Esteemed, Evangelist, Elect, Excellent
 
F    Fearless, Favored, Faithful, Forgiving, Foretold, Future, Friend, Freeing,
Fountain of living waters, Fortress, First and last, Foundation
 
G God’s Son, Glad, Glorious, Glorified, Good, Good Shepherd, Great, Generous, Gracious, Genuine, Governor, Gift, Guide, Guardian, Gatekeeper 
 
H Humble, Healer, Helper, Humane, Humanitarian, High priest, Holy, Honorable, Honored, Horn of salvation, Heir of all things, Hallowed, Hiding place, Heavenly host, High tower.  
 
I Immanuel, Ideal, Instructor, Infallible, Inspiring, Insightful, Immaculate, Innocent, Intercessor, Immortal, Incarnate
 
J  Jesus, Jehovah Girah, Joy, Jubilation, Judge
 
K  King of Kings, Kingdom, Kindred, Kindness, King of the Jews, Keeper  
 
L Lamb of God, Lord of all, Light, Love, Loving, Life-giving, Living, Living water, Listener, Lion of the tribe of Judah            
 
M Magnificent, Messenger, Master, Mediator, Messiah, Morning star, Majesty, Man of sorrows
 
N  Near, Nazarene
 
O  Overcomer, Omnipotent, Omnipresent
 
P Pacifist, Patient, Present, Persevering, Perceiver, Prince of peace, Powerful, (Our) Promise, Pure, Peaceful, Paschal Lamb, Preacher, Physician, Prophet, Provider, Passionate, Powerful, Perfect, Praised
                
Q Qualified, Quick to understand 
 
R Radiant, Radical, Rabbi, Redeeming, Righteous, Revelation, Rock, Relentless, Resilient, Real, Resurrected, Revelator, Root of David, Ransom for many, Refiner, Refuge, Reward, Revered, Rose from the dead.  
 
S  Strong, Sweet, Savior, Salvation, Sacrificed, Slain, Son of Man, Son of God, Spirit, Sinless, See-er, Sword-bearer, Shepherd, Sharing, Sought, Sanctified, Sincere, Spotless, Shield, Shelter, Song, Strong tower, Steadfast, Sun of Righteousness, Servant
 
T (Of the) Trinity, Truth, Teacher, Trusting, True vine, True light, Treasure, Triumphant, Transfigured  
 
U  Upright, Unequaled, Unparalleled
 
V Valiant, Victorious, Valued, Virtuous, Virgin birth, Very present help in trouble, (The) Vine    
 
W Worthy, Wonderful, Welcoming, Warrior, Witness, Word, (The) Way, Well of living water, Wise
 
X  Of the Cross
 
Y  Yielding, Yahweh
 
Z  Zealous
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Blog post from 2/7/23 - Nancy P. Johnson  
Photo courtesy of Puwadon Sang-ngern, Vecteezy.com
 
 
 
 
 
 

When I was seven years old, I learned the value of saving my allowance. While on a family vacation in a gift shop, I fell in love with a small "Turtle" coin bank that I couldn't do without.  

I walked up proudly to the cashier with a dollar bill and coins in one hand and the Turtle bank in the other.

“That’ll be $1.78,” the clerk said.

I was perplexed. This was more than what was printed on the price tag.

“Got change?” the clerk asked. “You owe tax.”

I didn’t know about taxes, but I dug into my jeans pocket. Two nickels. Six pennies. Whew. I had enough, and a little left over.

I didn’t realize just how much change would be required. Early life lesson!

The vacation memory stuck with me, so I came up with a backup plan. I'd save all the extra change I could. When my little Turtle bank filled up, I saved my coins in an empty stationery box.    
  
When I became an adult, I saved coins in a gallon jar and kept it half full. The change came in handy if I ran low on money for groceries before payday, or needed to buy birthday gifts.   
 
If anyone said, “Got change?” I had it. By putting money aside, whether in the coin jar or the bank, I got by.  
   
But later, unexpected change caught me off-guard: my first husband passed away, and later our family lost beloved family members, friends, a business, investments, and jobs.     
    
If anyone said, “Got change?” I’d shake my head affirmatively. Yes. I had change, all right--life change. I couldn’t look to the coin jar or the bank account to help me with those things; however, I looked to my faith in God. He knew about the changes I’d been through—and the changes our family would experience.   
 
God knows everything there is to know about cost, too. His Only Son, Jesus, paid the greatest price of all when he gave his life on the cross—to save us from sin.    

The other day, I approached the counter at the grocery store.

“Got change?” the cashier asked.

I dug into my wallet and retrieved the needed coins.

Yes. I have change. My family and I have experienced it firsthand. We never knew just how much of it would be required. But we have a backup plan. We have a bank filled with God’s grace to get us through. We wouldn’t want to be without it!
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"For by grace you have been saved by faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." - Ephesians 2:8-9

Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com     

 You’ve probably heard songs about "running on empty," used the phrase in conversation, and if you've experienced it's effects, you're not alone.   
 
When we're running on empty, we might wonder what happened to our "full tank," when everything was good? Perhaps we reached the top of the mountain. Then the motor quits. There we are—stuck on empty. 
        
We check under the hood. Can we make the repair ourselves? Maybe. If not, we'll need help. If the object of brokenness is a car, we take it to a mechanic or someone with the expertise to fit it. But, if the object of brokenness is us, what do we do? Try to take care of the repair ourselves? Or seek expert advice?   

Before we make that decision, however, there is one simple gesture that could change the outcome for the better, that you might already know about. But first, let's revisit “running on empty,” because there are varying degrees of emptiness. Will we need just a small fill-up? Or a more significant “ful-fill-ment?”

I've experienced running on empty on both a large and small scale. A recent small episode left me feeling creatively empty due to writer's block. My own effort to fix it didn't work. But I knew that “one simple gesture” could make a difference: prayer.

A few days later when an Amazon Prime box was delivered to my door, a phrase printed on the side of the box captured my attention. It began, "Without you…”  Perhaps you’ve seen it? If you haven't seen it, I apologize for not printing the rest of the phrase, but I want to avoid potential copyright infringement. But, I will add that I've touched on the subject of emptiness, so that's all I have to say about that here.  

I’d received other Amazon boxes, but none had contained the “Without you…” phrase. The box came at the right time. Seeing this phrase was the answer to my prayers, for it provided me with a theme for writing the story you are reading.   

Without God in my life, I'd be empty. He is the reason for my faith, my purpose, my hope, and my salvation. 

HE is the answer to fulfillment for the emptiness in this world!

Be filled through Him!.
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Isaiah 41:10 – “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Jeremiah 31:3 – “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”

Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com