It's always fun hunting for hidden treasure.  The garden is full of hidden treasure.  Many plants that we eat make tubers (which are bulging stem parts underground), or they make storage roots.  You have to dig up these plants to discover the yummy vegetables.

Mommy's little helper, Zippy, volunteered to go on a garden treasure hunt.  Let's see what she found inside the planter with the beautiful vines.  Look! Those are sweet potatoes, a type of storage root vegetable.  She was very proud of her harvest treasure.

On another fall day, Zippy went on another garden treasure hunt.  This time, she found out what was in the planter with the tall green plants - sunchokes!  These were much smaller than the sweet potatoes.  In fact, they are quite knobby and odd shaped.  It is exciting to find garden treasure.

We can also find reminders of Jesus and His words in our daily chores, our own parallel life experiences to His life, and in our observations of nature.  He promises in Jeremiah 29:13, "And you will seek Me, and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart" (NKJV). Jesus does not hide from us.  We just need searching eyes and a longing heart. ​I promise, He is the best treasure you can find!

Again, and again, Shiloh launched pumpkin after pumpkin.  He didn't want to do anything else at the festival.  We discovered that you call the activity Shiloh enjoyed so much - pumpkin chunking.  This fall pastime is new to us.  ​When mommy's hands were too cold to be outside any longer, we insisted it was finally time to go home.  

The Bible says in Proverbs 16:18, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."  Evil pride is when you feel like you are worth more than others and like you don't need God's help.  Sometimes we are tempted to feel pride when we get a high score or win.  We forget that God helps us with all that we work at.  We may even taunt others around us for not doing well.  But, just like a pumpkin that really can't fly, a prideful person will soon discover the hard way that making oneself better than others and forgetting God leaves you with just gravity to contend with.  You will fall down and be ashamed.  Don't be a pumpkin! Give glory to God and cheer everyone on. 

"Look, Mommy!" Shiloh shouted with his hands up in the air. "It's raining leaves!" It was a breezy fall day.  Absorbed in her list of outdoor fall chores to do, Mommy didn't even notice the beautiful brown, yellow, and orange drizzle all around us.  Shiloh was beaming with eyes wide with wonder.  The bright sunlight bounced off the falling leaves, making the air glisten.  

Jesus said in Matthew 18:3, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven" (NKJV).  Sometimes, mommy-hood seems like endless messes to clean up and a long list of chores that still need to be done.  But, God showed me through (uncomfortable!) mud puddles, raining leaves, simple tools, and little kids that He sees those messes as meals enjoyed, new discoveries made, and evidences of fun and laughter.  Put that rake down and experience the miracle of raining leaves.