Happy Reformation Day

Martin Luther in his younger years

He would later post his 95 theses on the Wittenberg Church door (in 1517)

After many soul-searching, agonizing, and tortuous years, Martin Luther came to understand Romans 1:17 "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith, to faith: as it is written: 'The just shall live by faith.'"

Justice is not about earning God's favor, but receiving God's mercy which He purchased through the atoning death of Christ on the cross. Christ, the perfect lamb of God, became our substitute, taking our sin, bearing the punishment we deserved, and giving us His righteousness.

Luther wrote,

“I felt that I had been born anew and that the gates of heaven had been opened.  The whole of scripture gained a new meaning.  And from that point on the phrase ‘the justice of God’ no longer filled me with hatred, but rather became unspeakably sweet by virtue of a great love.”

 Martin Luther, stifling a grin

 Discussion of Martin Luther's famous and must-read book, Bondage of the Will.  To buy it at Amazon.com, click HERE.

Paul Bunyan Carrots

It's a little late in the season, isn't it, but we just dug our potatoes and carrots today. We've had rain for several days, it seems, but today it's bright and sunny and the perfect day to get that job done. Also, a good idea to get them out of the ground before they're covered in a foot of snow.

My husband dug with the fork to loosen the soil and I pulled them out by the tops. We just laughed at how huge they are. I just realized that I should have placed some well-recognized object next to the carrots so you could get some perspective as to the size of these monsters.

I think the carrot on the left is about 10 inches long and 2 1/2 inches around at the top. The carrots in the photo above could feed a family of four for a week!

Right now, the remaining carrots are lying out on the garden carpet so the sun can burn the little carrot eyes so they don't start to grow roots after we've got them stored in sand. After last year's hairy carrots, I decided I should read up on what to do before storing them in sand.

The carrots pictured above are the variety Danver's Half-Long. My husband commented, 'Wow, can you imagine what the full-length ones are like??!  :-)

I think that's the last of the gardening for this year. Now we just hunker down and wait for the Big Snow.