Sometimes it is best to hold your tongue

By JRhoades

I know for sure out of all the scriptures my parents agreed with, one stands out: “He who withholds his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.”

Proverbs 13:24.

In less than an instant, she slapped me across my face so fast and so hard that she broke my heart. To this day it still hurts me to think I ever said something so disrespectful to my own mother that it caused her to responded in the way she did.

Psalm 121

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

We haven’t seen many lightning bugs in recent years. Pesticides and herbicides have diminished the little night lights’ numbers.

Those of us who have been around for a number of years remember those warm summer nights spent catching fireflies, putting them in clear glass jars and watching them provide a distinct glow in the darkness. Then we would release them to go on their ways.

Perhaps it’s a good idea to spend part of an evening outside. Maybe some of us cannot avoid the neighbors’ porch lights or the streetlights. But even under those circumstances, you and I may spot the yellow wink of a firefly communicating with another of its species.

Let’s take another look at its message. We may catch a God-sent reminder to us. God is always with us in all circumstances. Then let us drift off to sleep, confident of that fact.

I was just the kind of kid who gave my parents ample opportunity to ”diligently” show their love for me in the above manner as I was, no doubt, a mischievous kid with a dose of ornery tossed in for good measure.

The mouth and the tongue — oh, that we would watch ourselves carefully, for not only can we use it rudely in disrespectful back talk, but if not careful we may find ourselves using it to slander, lie, criticize, profane and in other wrongful and hurtful ways.

“The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; the one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.” Proverbs 13:3.

THE

Not being able to get back to sleep the other night, I sat on our back porch. I must have been there in my pajamas for a couple of hours, listening to and watching nature do its night thing. A heavy dew had set in, bringing with it the musty smell of damp earth and the aromas of vegetation, changing with the shifts

[God] makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.

— Matthew 5:45 (NRSV)

We had just planted a few vegetable seedlings when our town had continuous cold and rainy days for a week. Tender sprouts of green beans were just peeking out of the ground. But because of the cold weather, nothing showed any sign of further growth.

Sadly, some leaves were even curling up due to the cold spell in the middle of spring. I was concerned

Summer’s foliage blocked out the back porch lights on neighbors’ houses facing the next street over with only a glimpse of their street light peeking through the trees. The resulting darkness blotted out the distractions resulting from human activity.

The earthy smells, dampness and the night’s cool air left me with a sense of peace found in the order of God’s creation. The lightning bugs added repeated reminders of our Maker’s presence in our world.

I am not a guy who is moved to write poetry about shady glenns and balmy breezes. Like most of the rest of us, I live in the world of concrete,

There is a poem written by an unknown author to the tune of “Taps.” I remember it from the scout camp of my youth.

Day is done.

Gone the sun

From the lakes, From the hills, From the sky. All is well.

Safely rest.

God is nigh.

Today’s prayer: God, be with us in our uncertainties and moments of vulnerability. May we know the peace of your presence, even if we must be reminded of it by simple things like lightning bugs. Amen.

As I have previously mentioned, I was a bit of an escape artist when it came to getting out of the farm chores assigned to me by my parents. But my dad was always much better at keeping me rounded up and busy than I was at escaping and so, the manure got pitched, the fences got mended, the hay got put up and so on.

Now this doesn’t mean I did it with out complaint, it just means I did it. My parents, I admit, were more than patient with my complaining, but one thing they absolutely would not tolerate was any sassy back talk.

I, unfortunately, and all too often, had a mouthful of something I should have kept to myself, but didn’t. I have no idea where I learned such a nasty disrespectful approach to their requests, but still, talking back crept into my vocabulary.

Jesus gave warning to the crowds in Matthew 15:7 by saying, “Hear and understand. It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” about my garden. Would it survive without the warmth of the sun?

Peter, the outspoken one, later asked Him to explain, whereby Jesus clarified His parable by saying, “The things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man.” Matthew 15:18,19,20.

As I looked out one morning, the sun was shining and the birds were singing! Surely, the day looks different, I thought. I stepped out to see how it felt outdoors. What a nice warm day! I felt good. When I looked at the plants in my garden they seemed to feel good too. What a difference the sun had made!

The warmth of the sun made me realize my gratitude to God, whose warmth embraces me in all weather and circumstances. What’s more amazing is that God’s rain and sun benefit all people, whether they are righteous or unrighteous.

I also remembered the faith of the displaced Israelites, who affirmed, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning” (Lam. 3:22-23). Let us give thanks for God’s never-failing love.

Today’s prayer: Loving God, we receive your gifts with joy. We are grateful that your blessings are assured for us always. Amen.

— Paul Benjamin, New Jersey

Neither my mom nor my dad gave an inkling of tolerance to this kind of talk and, being a slow learner, I gave them numerous opportunities to diligently show their love for me through discipline; and believe me when I say I was not spoiled by their sparing of the rod.

I remember one occasion, at about the age of 15, standing behind the cows in the barn during milking; my dad was holding a milking machine in one hand and the rubber vacuum hose in the other. I don’t remember the conversation, but I do remember mouthing off to him and most definitely I remember his lightning quick response.

He wrapped the rubber hose around my back side and told me to get moving. After I pushed my eyeballs back into their sockets, I did just that — I got moving.

I suppose my most remembered, and regretful, occasion of misusing my tongue toward my parents was a time when I was standing just inside the door to our old farmhouse kitchen.

For whatever the reason, I whipped off a few choice and disrespectful words to my mother. At the time I was a teenager of about 6 foot and she stood at 5 foot, but that did not intimidate her in the slightest.

You may be interested to know that I did not always use my mouth to be disrespectful to others. There were times when I actually used it to be kind and respectful. Though mostly I used it for plain conversation, I also found it came in handy to render a small compliment or a simple thank you.

In Matthew 16:35-37, Jesus tells us, “The mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

With his mouth, the good man brings what is good, and the evil man brings what is evil, but to all, “every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.” So always be mindful of what you say.

“O be careful little tongue, what you say, O be careful little tongue, what you say, For the Father up above is looking down in love, So be careful little tongue, what you say.” Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24.

Breeders and Feeders had a cleanup of the grandstand area at the fairgrounds after the Power Pulls. Members collected all the trash containers and litter left behind. (Submitted photo)

BURTON, Ohio — Breeders and Feeders 4-H club had a meeting, June 25, at The Geauga County Fair Grounds School Building.

The business meeting focused on preparing for fair. They discussed project judging and writing buyer’s letters. This year’s livestock sale will be spread over two days again this year.

Our club will be participating in the 4-H 5K Race at The Great Geauga County Fair, Sunday morning. This year, the race will be completely on the fairground property. People interested in participating or sponsoring can find more information at geaugafair.com. Sponsorship benefits multiple participating 4H clubs.

Over the last few months, members were busy in the community helping with the “Sleep In Heavenly Peace Project”, cleaning up after community events, attend week long 4-H camp, as well as Clover Bud Camp. Keep an eye out for 4-H members still selling candy bars.

The next meeting will be at Munson Town Hall, July 16.

1. To solve the puzzle, fill in the squares so the six letters appear only once in each row, column and 2 by 3 box.

Make

The first MLB All-Star Game was played on July 6, 1933.

What gets served at meals but is never eaten?

Answer:

Letters: G e M S t U

2. Then read the diagonal yellow squares to find the answer to the riddle! e M U S G G U t S e t M sPF stands for sun Protection Factor. The number tells you how long it would take the sun’s rays to redden your skin (when properly applied) compared to the amount of time without sunscreen. so, if you use an sPF 30 product properly, it would take you 30 times longer to burn than if you used no sunscreen at all. source: skincancer.org

CHeCK MeoWt ... WHAt doeS SPF MeAn?

Hawaiian: kahakai Spanish: playa

French: plage

German: strand Italian: spiaggia

S bleram c W o rd “Places to swim” lopo ecnao ...... kale .. . . . . . . virre .. . . . . . . mrsate .....

Can you guess the city:

This Ohio city was founded in 1788. It was the first permanent settlement in the northwest Territory. It was named after Queen Marie Antoinette of France.

WHAt

A. What did the pig tell the farmer on a hot summer day?

Advice from a dog summer break means summer fun in the sun! The other day my mom took us to the public swimming pool; on the way there, she told us to look out for each other even though the lifeguard is on duty. That really made a lot of sense to me because the last time we went to the pool, one kid fell in while the lifeguard was busy with someone else. A dad jumped in and pulled that kid to safety. That dad was aware of the situation and was looking out for all of the kids that day. It was really cool.

Always pay attention to your surroundings in case you’re needed.

B. What did the ocean say to the lifeguard?

Submitted by Bonnie McDermott, Salem, OH

• 12 pickling cucumbers, sliced thin

• 1 cup diced onions

• 1 Tbsp. salt

Brine:

• 1 cup cider vinegar

• 2 cups sugar

• 1 tsp. celery seed

• 1 tsp. dill weed

• 1 tsp. mustard seeds

Mix cucumbers and onions in a medium bowl and sprinkle salt over. Let stand for two hours, drain and cover with brine mixture. Keep refrigerated. Ready to eat in one day.

Submitted by Tami Whteleather, Geneva, OH

• 18 eggs, hard boiled, peeled

• 2 lg. onions, think sliced, in rings

• 3 jalapeños, diced with seeds

• 1 jar pepperoncinis, drained

• 3 hot banana peppers, seeds

• 4 cups white vinegar

• 4 cups sugar

• 2 cups water

• 1 Tbsp. coarse salt

• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, plus pinch

• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes, plus pinch

Layer first five ingredients, alternating for three layers in gallon clear jar. Bring the vinegar, sugar, water, salt, cayenne pepper and pepper flakes to a boil. Simmer for three minutes and cool slightly. Pour brine over egg and onion layers and refrigerate for 7 days.

• 1 lb. Campari tomatoes, stems removed

• Sea Salt

• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil

• Italian Seasoning

Preheat the oven to 225 F. I used a convection setting if you have it. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice tomatoes in half. Cut out the little core at the top of the tomatoes where they connected to the stem. Arrange cut side up on a baking sheet. Sprinkle very lightly with sea salt. Bake for 2½ hours. Press down on the tomatoes with a spatula to help remove juice. Bake for an additional 2 hours until tomatoes are dry. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Use as needed. You can freeze also. Place your finished tomatoes on a clean baking sheet. Once they are solid, transfer them to a freezer bag and keep for 3-6 months.

• 20 McIntosh apples

• 1½ cups water

• 3¾ cup sugar

• 2 tsp. cinnamon

• 1 tsp. cloves

Peel and core apples. Cook in slow cooker with water for 6 hours on high. When apples turn to sauce, add sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Cook on high for an additional 5 hours. Reduce heat to low and cook for another 8-10 hours. Cool and use immediately or refrigerate.

• 4 lbs. apples, Golden Delicious or McIntosh

• 1/2 cup water or apple juice

• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Various fruits and vegetables are more readily available at certain times of the year when they’re considered in-season. Preserve fresh taste and make sure your food doesn’t go to waste. Longer term canning processes will appear in a couple of weeks, and we welcome your recipes now.

• 2 cups crushed strawberries

• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice

• 4 1/2 cups sugar

• 3/4 cup water

• 6 Tbsp. fruit pectin

Combine prepared fruit with lemon juice in a large bowl. Add sugar, mixing thoroughly. Let stand 10 minutes. Whisk water and pectin in a small saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, stirring constantly. Boil hard for one minute, continuing to stir. Add cooked pectin mixture to fruit mixture and stir for three minutes. Ladle cooled freezer jam into resealable freezer bags. Seal tightly and let jam stand in the refrigerator until set, but no longer than 24 hours. Freeze for up to one year.

• 2½ lbs. oranges, about 5

• 1 lemon, zest and juice

• 1/3 cup water

• 4 cups sugar

Wash the oranges and lemon, thoroughly scrubbing the peels. Cut off the ends of the oranges. Cut the oranges in half, and then cut each half into 4, so you’re left with 8 pieces of orange. Discard any seeds. Place the orange pieces in a food processor and chop until the rind is in very small pieces. Place a plate in the freezer, to help us test for doneness later. Add oranges to a large saucepan over medium heat. Zest the lemon into the pot and squeeze the juice from it into the pot. Add water and the sugar and stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a low boil and simmer, stirring often, for 30-35 minutes until thickened. When done, it will slide off the spoon in sheets, not droplets, and a spoonful poured onto a cold plate should be a soft gel consistency that moves slightly. If after pouring onto a cold plate it’s thin and runs easily on the plate, it is not ready, so continue cooking. When ready, pour into jars or containers with a lid. Allow to cool to room temperature, and then store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, or freeze for up to three months.

•

• sliced or small whole

Place hard boiled eggs on the bottom of a large container, such as an empty gallon mayonnaise jar. Open each can of beets and pour over top of eggs. In a medium saucepan, heat vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Bring to boil and simmer for three minutes. Slightly cool and pour gently over eggs and beets in jar. Refrigerate and let stand for at least four days for flavor marrying. Move eggs around daily for even coloring.

white wine or cider vinegar • 1 Tbsp. sugar

• 1 tsp. kosher salt

• 1 tsp. dill

• 1 tsp. whole peppercorns

In a bowl, whisk together water, white wine, sugar and salt until sugar and salt dissolve. Place onions and remaining ingredients into a large glass jar; pour vinegar mixture over onions. Seal and let stand for at least 2 hours at room temperature. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

• 2 Tbsp. mustard seed

• 1 Tbsp. whole allspice

• 2 tsp. coriander seeds

• 2 whole cloves

• 1 tsp. ground ginger

• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

• 1 bay leaf, crumbled

• 1 cinnamon stick, 2-inch

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight jar or container. Use in favorite pickle recipes.

• 1 cup light brown sugar

• 1 Tbsp. cinnamon

• 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

• 1 tsp. vanilla

Wash the apples. If they feel waxy, scrub with a vegetable brush. Peel and core the apples. Cut the apples into slices or chunks no larger than 3/4-inch. Combine the water and lemon juice. Put the prepped apple pieces into the slow cooker and mix them with the sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla. Pour the water mixture over the apples and combine very well. Cover the slow cooker. Cook the apples until they are very soft on the low setting for 6 hours or on the high setting for 3 hours. If too thin, add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch dissolved in water to apples and continue to cook, uncovered, until desired consistency is reached. Let apples cool. Transfer two cups at a time into a blender for smoother texture. Freezes well.