Ask and you shall receive.

Following on from my "turning a little into a lot" post I want to add something more. 

We all know the scriptures about asking and receiving, "seek and you shall find,  knock and the door will be opened to you."   It really is that easy.  It sounds too simple because we tend to believe things must surely be more complicated that that!    God tells us to ask for things we want and need.  Further,  to my amazement,   God loves to give us the desires of our heart.  

Recently I shared about my hearts desire for a lamb.  I even felt silly about it.  I knew I didn't NEED a lamb.  That surely God has a lot bigger issues than me and my lamb.  That there might be a good reason I did not have any lambs come in this season.  And so on.    But none the less I prayed for a lamb and the next day there was Johnnie standing at my front door with a tiny lamb and he just said "there you go!"  They way he said "there you go!" was as though he was delivering an order... which he was! 


I don't know how it is for you but I think a lot of us are not good askers.  We wait and pray for things only in dire circumstances.   We do not grasp that God is interested in our company, our daily needs and wants and even the desires of our hearts. 

As with a lot of Scripture I realised there are more than one set of meanings to these verses.  Don't laugh at me but I have seen fruit falling from a tree... I have stopped the car,  gone up to the front door of the house,  knocked... and asked if it would be ok for me to pick the fruit.  At this point I have done this too many times to count.  No one has ever said no.  But what if someone says no?  Well, that is fine!   It is ok to ask.  We have nothing to lose to ask.  

I want to encourage you to ask for the things you are needing.  Ask for the help you are needing.  Ask for the guidance you are needing...   Don't assume it is too dumb, selfish, unimportant, embarrassing or any other thing.   Just ask.  Pray and ask God for what it is you are needing.  Sleep, health, financial help, a dehydrator,  encouragement.   Anything!   

I am setting homework.  You have an assignment.   This is important.  Many of us have it figured out that we need to be ahead of the game, we need to do all we can to be well stocked and have little areas of self sufficient and production.   There is so much we would love to be able to do!   But how do we do it?  With God's help, that's how.  We talked about turning a little into a lot.   Now we are adding in many ways to help us do just that! 

What would help your household most?  It is ok to have a list!   I will throw around some ideas.  You might need canning jars or lids.  A dehydrator.  A slow cooker.  Chickens!  Shelving.  Storage space.  Compost.  Big pots to plant up. A vac sealer.  A freezer.  Someone to teach you to can.  You get the idea.  But it can be anything!

Now I want you to ask in heaven and ask in the world.  Some ways to ask in the world... 

Join your Facebook Buy, Swap and Sell or Buy Nothing Group and ask.  You can offer a trade.  ie I can do mending or baking in exchange for canning jars.   Many people though have a shed with boxes and are glad to find a home for them!

If you are in a church post "Wanted Canning Jars" in the newsletter or on a notice board.

Any noticeboard... our towns have them.

On your social media if you have them.

Family, friends and workmates.  Does anyone have a slow cooker they would be willing to sell or loan?  That kind of thing. 

If you are asked what you would like for your Birthday or Christmas have your list ready!  

Get on the phone. Ask your ancient Aunt if she has canning jars and if she would be willing to teach you to can/knit/whatever. 

Form thrift shopping buddies.  My friends and I all tell each other what we are needing and we all watch out.  I also ask the staff in the little thrift stores if they have jars etc.  Ask! 

You could also consider selling something to fund the thing you need.  There are ways and means!

I just want you to get the ball rolling and put it out there!   Then expectantly wait. 

I am expecting to hear success stories!  

What would really help you at this time?  What would help your garden or pantry?   Boldly and confidently ask.  You have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain.   We are not going to get everything we ask for but we will never know if we don't ask!   


Once the things that will help you save, preserve, grow, make etc are coming in of course the next thing is to fire them up so that you have full advantage of them.   It is easy to have a dehydrator sitting gathering dust.  We want all our handmaidens working hard!    I have a post coming up about that!  

Truly,  I am expecting big things...  please, bravely ask.    Now tell me... what would help your and your family get ahead,  fill your shelves or garden?   The other day Laura got chickens!  I know those chickens are going to help her family so much.   Sometimes just one thing makes a world of difference.  Each step we have taken has made us more self sufficient.    I am going to join in.  There is one thing that I would love to add and that is a freeze drier.   I was almost ready to order one until I found out the price.   Freeze dried food has the advantage of lasting many years but so far I can't justify the cost of getting set up.  If however I have a windfall that is what I will use if for.   I haven't prayed about it so now I will.   I will keep you posted! xxx





Comments

  1. Thank you Annabelle! I’m praying!

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  2. I have been trying to remember to ask for energy and help me cope with Cfs. I also ask Jesus to find things around the house and He does so many times! I also ask to help my little courtyard garden to grow and produce. Now I need to pray if I should get a vacuum sealer and which one. We have an awesome God.

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  3. This is sooo true! God has answered when there was a need and often when I had a 'want' that wasn't for selfish or foolish reasons. He is so good, and we often forget to ask. He loves to give! And I'm beginning to learn (at almost 70 years old) that His Spirit will give me patience, calm, help me be quiet when I need to be, etc. Blessings!

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  4. Bluey and I have been looking for some netting, like a tennis net, to run around the chook yard, to keep them in and for me to use as a growing trellis. I saw a post in a group I am in offering a rope net. I contacted the lady offering it and she is going to drop it off today. I had been trying to get my food forest up and going with perennial plants. Today I went along to my first volunteer session at a local community garden. At the end of our time I was told to take any greens I might like for the kitchen and if there were multiples of plants I could dig up and take some home, or take some cuttings to bring home. Happy days. I didnt take huge amounts but I did bring some Cassava for cuttings, Celtuce, Korean Basil, and purple yam cuttings. The purple yam and Celtuce were items I had in my head that I really wanted. I now have them. I will pot them up and put them in the greenhouse. Come Spring I will have plenty to plant in my food forest. I asked and now I have them. God is good, and as Heidi from Rain Country says, all the time.

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  5. I remember needing a new pair of shoes for work - they were $50 on the shelf and I couldn't afford them. I prayed as I shuffled each pair along the shelf...and right at the very back was one pair in my size marked down to $6. I always think back to that memory of God's grace and abundance - Marguerite

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  6. I have two examples.. One good and one a warning to others. When in highschool, I started buying a weekly magazine series that I wanted to collect. The price went up to over $10 a week and I could no longer afford it after a couple of months. Fast forward years later. I thought maybe someone might be selling the collection in our Perth quokka newspaper ( what we had before gumtree for buy swap sell.) I looked in that newspaper in the books and magazines section for 3 weeks and then there is was. The entire collect, a short drive from us, for $20. This turned out to be $3000 worth of magazines and goodies that came with it. She had every single thing, in brand new condition, all organised into the special folders that were part of the collection.!!
    The second story is this year I put a wanted ad for ball jars on gumtree. Within minutes I had a "70year old terminal cancer patient" sending me photos of all his beautiful blue vintage ball jars on special shelving. He offered to deliver it as he needed it gone( to move into a nursing home) I told him I felt so blessed and sent him $400. Stupid me, long story short, it is a young couple that lives in NSW, that have scammed over 50 people. The police have been investigating for months and haven't got them yet. I think they target wanted ads. So please be careful when asking and making wanted ads everyone. Obviously don't be silly and send money to a stranger.My bank will not return me the money because they say it's one customers word over another even though I have evidence. Without police order they won't do a thing. Hi Annabelle, it's Kim from Perth! X x

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    1. Oh Kim,
      My heart breaks for you. I’m so sorry.
      Patti in California

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    2. Dear Kim, Sorry you got scammed like that. Thanks for mentioning it. Good point we must be careful in this. But the magazines!! That is fantastic and just amazing! In my early years I spent a fortune on magazines! They have gone up and up and now op shops are my source. I am so happy you got the ones you love! Many thanks! With love Annabel.xxx

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    3. Thanks Patti! X x good lesson though.

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    4. Annabelle, yes! The series went on for years, I never would have been able to buy them all 😅 the Lady I got them off actually worked In a newsagency and so never missed an issue! The reason she was selling them is they were expecting their first baby and her husband asked her to please get rid of the clutter 😅

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  7. This is such a small thing, but I'm so amazed that it happened. Due to a medical condition zucchini is one of the vegetables I can safely eat. I plant a lot of it in my garden so that I can preserve some for the winter. This year the squash borers killed all of my plants and I was only able to harvest 3 squashes. I was thinking about replanting and asked God should I replant or just amend the soil and plant something else. Hours later the answer came because I received a call from a friend in another town whose garden was overflowing with zucchini and she asked if I could use any. I was gifted with a 5 gallon bucket of it to I will be using the cleared out garden area to plant something else. Cookie

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    1. Dear Cookie, That is wonderful. Your needs were still met and you can grow something else as well! Amazing. I loved hearing this! With love Annabelxxx

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  8. Dear Annabel, each and every post of yours brings joy, strength and knowledge to me. A true pleasure! Since I don*t have a big family anymore or many friends that think alike I consider you a very dear friend and every week - and now the bonuses - is something to wait for with great pleasure. I read all your bluebirds comments and learn from all of them. Thank you

    I pray for health for my family everyday - especially as tomorrow I have a medical appointment and - don*t laugh - my chickens had two days of no laying eggs at all so I prayed for that and also ask them nicely to restart laying. Right as I was reading your post my son called me on the phone to tell me he has found 1 egg in the nesting box. So....it works.

    Now I have to pray for our car, too. He is still sick!

    Lots of love and good wishes for you and everyone here, Laura_s_world from Romania

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    1. Dear Laura, Thank you so much. I am so glad to have a friend in Romania and to have got to know you. As I go about my work I will think of you and wonder how the chickens are going and so on. It is truly God's work that we can be friends and have so much in common from far away. Friends to encourage us are very important. With company everything is easier.
      I am thinking it might be hot there also as Im hearing so many places are very hot right now and the heat does knock chickens, I would say extreme weather does but they soon pick up when it is over. Sorry about your car, I hope it can be fixed! With much love Annabel.xxx

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  9. I had $7500 twenty one years ago and asked God for a house at the lake for vacations. Ten days later we bought a 1/12 share of a lake house for $7000. Now I am asking for fresh produce to can at a price that is affordable.

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    1. Dear Lana, I know how wonderful that lake house has been for you! I hope you find produce, free, at a good price or a trade even. Let everyone know you are happy to deal with excess produce. I am amazed what people let fall or waste... so I try and work into the conversation that I will always take produce even spoilt produce as then I have chicken feed! I hope to hear some came your way! With love Annabel.xxx

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  10. I pray to be more articulate, not so tonged tied when I'm speaking to a stranger. I have such anxiety. That is my biggest thing. I never thought to pray for things I want but I have been wanting a rocking chair and we had bought one at an estate sale recently. Then last weekend at our neighbors sale they gave me a rocker/glider; God knew what was in my heart. Thank you for the encouragement.

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    1. Dear Laurie, I love a rocker too! How lovely you got one! This might sound silly but reverse/practice what to say when you are caught talking to a stranger. I suffered anxiety over phone calls where people would be trying to get me to do something. I could never find the words and always ended up committed to stuff I really didnt want to do!! In the end I practiced and got it into my head to always say thank you so much for the opportunity, invitation... whatever... and that I will need to look in my diary and think about it. I got good at this. This bought me time... and I could then decide while not on the spot... and I was ale to get out of many things I did not want to attend. For talking to a stranger I am ok with this... basically I always introduce myself and get their name and ask a few questions like where are they from and about their family. I always say who I am and "it is very nice to see you" and smile and be friendly. Seriously this is easy and just being friendly is usually welcome to them. Probably I talk to much and they wish I would shut up! haha! With much love Annabel.xxx

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  11. I know it is simple but I ask God each week to give me the words He wants me to write on my weekend blog posts. Because of my health, I had wanted to stop writing many years ago but I sensed He was telling me to write as long as I had something to write about. I am and He does!!! I think of how much the world has changed since then and reminding people to stock up is more important now than ever. I can't DO as much as I once did but I can still write. What a great subject you have brought up!

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    1. Thank you! With health issues praying for others and writing/encouraging/teaching are great things to do. Good work! Feel free to post what your blog is called! xxx

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  12. I have an unusual one. I have two sons, both in their mid to late thirties and two years ago both single. My DH and I have been married over 45 years. We have been praying they would find a spouse that would be the right one for them. Well, my elder son met a lovely young woman just a few years younger than him and they are now married and expecting their first child. My younger son is now engaged. They are both lovely young women, and we couldn't be happier for them.

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    1. Dear Nancy, They are wonderful prayers! And now you have a Grandchild on the way! Grand children are truly the hugest blessing! You are going to just love this next period of your life! With love Annabel.xxx

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  13. Great post again Annabel!

    I am too chicken to knock on anyone's door haha! But I will pray for the courage to do so from now on. I see so much waste from fruit trees, its a crying shame. We rely on our own fruit and trade with friends and family for things we don't have. We go to a farmers market once a month and I stock up as much as I can and do free roadside foraging. I am also looking more into bush tucker and will go to Arid Lands and buy some edible {native to our area} plants come Spring.

    I have most of what I need, and will make do with what I have for now. I would love a buy nothing group near me but alas there is none. So, the buy, swap and sell will have to do as well as the op shops. I was recently given a Russell Hobbs dual slow cooker by our elderly neighbour, she is very generous and always offers me things before asking anyone else. Very blessed to have such a wonderful neighbour.

    I am loving these extra posts. They are very uplifting in our now crazy world. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Love Tania xxx

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  14. What a wonderful post Annabel ♥️

    I have been unwell for a couple of weeks and I’m still struggling to get better, but I had to go back to work this Thursday and Friday, so after reading your post a couple of days ago, I prayed and asked God to give me easy/not to busy shifts, and to my delight that’s exactly what I received! I was so grateful as I know I would have struggled with the usual pace at my workplace. God is good 🙏

    I also prayed and will continue to pray for an affordable but good quality dehydrator, I know God will deliver, I just need to be patient!

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  15. Thank you Annabel for two really helpful and lovely posts. You’ve really got me thinking about asking people for their excess or windfall fruit. I’m able to do mending so I’ll offer my services as a swap, I think. I’m enjoying your little blog so very much and as I’ve mentioned before, I look forward to it every week and this week we got a bonus. 🙋🏼‍♀️👍

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  16. Years ago I wanted to start canning but I didn't have the money to get items. I told everyone I know that if they had anything stored away, I would happily take it. My dad mentioned it at his senior center to some of the ladies he played cards with. The next week one of the ladies showed up with 6 cases of jars in different sizes, and a pressure cooker. All I needed was new lids. She told my dad she had offered it to her kid, grand kids, and nieces and no one wanted it. She didn't want to throw it away. She was happy to find someone who wanted it. Every year I would send her items that I canned.

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  17. We are looking to purchase an upright freezer since I'm finding it very hard to lift the heavy laden baskets from the bottom of the chest freezer. All summer I've been praying about pots to start a patio garden. I've acquired a few buckets and planters from a house where these things were basically left for trash. I've also brought home bricks and have a lot of landscape blocks to bring home thanks to prayer and then finding these things for free. Today I came across a simple article which stated that you can plant in cardboard boxes for one season and then compost the soil and box together for the next round of gardening. This floored me. I have boxes all of the time! You better believe this will be utilized for my upcoming plan to fall garden! I have three boxes right now to put to use. Now I am going to pray about getting a chicken coop and chickens...

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  18. I enjoyed your post very much! I enjoy going to yard sales and thrift stores when I have time, and always seem to find that something I needed (and for much less money) within a reasonable time. So richly blessed. I would like to have a greenhouse in the backyard to keep the garden going throughout winter/early spring. Starting my prayers!

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  19. Annabel, thank you so much for your faithfulness in sharing wisdom with us! This was such a timely post. At one time I purchased something that later could have been given to us. The Lord told me that If I had come to Him He would have taken care of it and that He loves to provide for us! That was such a lovely Word and I'm trying hard to remember it. You helped me with that...I want a dehydrator and I really want a freeze dryer, but as you know they are VERY expensive. Our God owns the cattle on a thousand hills and He can afford a dehydrator and a freeze dryer so I'll be praying for ours and yours, too! Thank you!!!

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  20. I'm just reading this on Nov. 13, 2022. I read you challenge to just ask Father God. And I sat and thought about what do I need? At first I thought "Oh it's so much." And then as I went through my supplies in my mind, I realized He had supplied my needs. The only things I think I need are more shelves for my pantry and electric water bath and pressure canners. (Although the canners may be just "wants". *grin*) God has supplied all of our preps either financially or through gifts/thrift store. We are blessed. (PS And yes, I am praying for those shelves and canners.)

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