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^{U-Pick Strawberries}

^{One of my favorite childhood memories was climbing into my grandma’s 1970, cherry red, Ford Falcon Futura and heading down to the u-pick strawberry fields of Polk County.  My brother and I would run up and down the rows for hours looking for those bright red treasures, and many times they never made it into the baskets.  At age eight, there was no way to hide the evidence.  Gooey red chins smudged in sweet strawberry juices.  What we never considered was that someone had to sow those seeds.  We were the ungracious reapers of a harvest that seem to yield more than was possible to pick.  Hundreds of hours of hard work and dedicated care was invested to allow us this vine ripened bounty.  As a Ranger Commander have you considered lately those that sowed so that you could reap, and your role as a sower for future reapers?  On today’s episode we’re going to take an inward look at our farms.  Let’s take some soil samples and decide what we should be planning next.}

^{[John 4:37} For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ ³⁸ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”]

^{What Kind of Farmer Are You?}

^{God is careful to give us the farm we can manage, in the right climate, and with the right soil type for the kind of farm He designed.  He never sets us up for failure.  Royal Ranger boys come in all shapes and sizes, temperaments and learning abilities.  God has a way of masterfully placing you in the intersection of boys you can easily build relationships with.  The key to becoming a great farmer is faithfulness.  Be faithful over your fields and He will give you the ability to accomplish all that is set before you.} 

^{You’re Always Planting Seeds}

^{Remember, you are always planting seeds.  An enthusiastic thank you to the girl behind the counter at your coffee shop can deposit a seed that can grow into it thankfulness in her life.  Every interaction, relationship building moment, and Bible merit taught is a farming rich experience.} 

^{Plan for Next Seasons Crops}

^{If we are going to set in motion a new harvest than it’s time to start plowing, prepping and planting.  It going to take the same kind of vision casting, and hard work that was done more than fifty years ago.  It’s okay to bring in some modern equipment, but the process and principles of sowing and reaping are the same today as they have been for thousands of years.}

^{The enemy Hates Things That Grow}