Growing Up: The journey of a child becoming a man and a man becoming a child of God

Most of my life I deceived myself by thinking that I was Godly because I was a “good kid”. And yet, as the apostle John wrote, “If we claim fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth”. I walked in that darkness for quite a while, but my life has been a journey out of that, a journey into the light of Jesus Christ. My parents named me “Troy,” which means “warrior”. In a way, this book is about the battles I have faced – physically, emotionally and spiritually. This is the story of my personal growth, and my hope, my sincere prayer, is that it will help you grow, too.

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It’s Not Just Growing Pains: A Guide to Childhood Muscle, Bone and Joint Pain, Rheumatic Diseases, and the Latest Treatments

Arthritis is usually considered a disease of older adults, but nearly 300,000 children in the United States suffer from some form of arthritis or rheumatic disease, such as juvenile arthritis (JRA), fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, or Kawasaki disease. Yet until now very little information has been available to guide parents and doctors in properly diagnosing such children. Here is a readable, reliable guide to the common causes of bone, joint, muscle, and arthritis pain in children, designed to help parents and physicians understand these disorders, arrive at the proper diagnosis, and choose the most effective treatment. In this comprehensive resource, Dr. Thomas Lehman–the head of one of the mo

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Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is a member of the lily family. It has been grown for more than 2,000 years and is quite popular in the home garden today. On the other hand Asparagus is an excellent source of vitamin A and contains significant levels of calcium, phosphorus, riboflavin, thiamine and Vitamin C.

Asparagus characteristics:

Asparagus is a perennial and will produce for many years when properly planted and maintained. It has underground storage roots and compact stems called rhizomes. The roots store food and the rhizomes produce edible shoots or asparagus spears. If the spears are not harvested, they rapidly develop into fern-like bushes 4 or more feet tall. The foliage produces carbohydrates, which is again stored in the roots.

Asparagus has both male and female plants. Both sexes flower and the female plants produce small, round, red berries in the fall. Female plants do not live as long or produce as well as male plants.

Asparagus growing conditions

Asparagus climatic Requirements:

Asparagus is a cool-season vegetable and prefers cool temperatures without frosts throughout the growing season. It is better adapted to the Cumberland Plateau and the high elevations of East Tennessee than to West Tennessee, but will survive and produce significant yields throughout the state given a suitable location.

Asparagus best location:

It is best to locate asparagus plantings to the side of the vegetable garden with other perennials such as rhubarb, strawberries and brambles. This will keep the plants away from cultivation and other gardening activities. Asparagus should be planted where it will receive a minimum of seven or eight hours of sunlight on sunny days. North or east slopes are preferable to south or west slopes, as they are slower to warm in the spring. Early developing asparagus spears are frequently killed by late freezes.

Asparagus soil:

Asparagus will survive in any well-drained soil. The best soils for asparagus are deep and loose, such as sandy loams. Heavy-textured clays and shallow soils should be avoided, since they restrict root development and promote root rots. Extremely sandy soils may not retain enough moisture for vigorous asparagus growth. Soils that warm up quickly in the spring promote early growth and harvest. This may be a disadvantage, as developing asparagus spears grow slowly in very cold weather and will be killed to the ground by freezes. Asparagus grows best on soils with a pH of 6. 0 to 6. 5.

Asparagus varieties:

‘Martha Washington’ is an old, standard asparagus variety. ‘Mary Washington’ appears to be a newer, improved cultivar. ‘Purple Passion’ is a relatively new variety with very large spears and a high sugar content.

In the last few years there have been many new hybrid asparagus varieties released. These varieties usually produce all or nearly all male plants. This increases their yield, because male plants produce about 25 percent more than female plants and because of hybrid vigor.

Asparagus fertilizer and lime:

Asparagus grows best on soils with a pH of 6. 0-6. 5. Take a soil sample to determine lime, phosphate and potash levels before planting. In addition, before spears emerge in the spring and after harvest, annually supplement the above fertilizer recommendations with one pound of ammonium nitrate or its equivalent per 100 square feet of asparagus bed.

Asparagus planting and spacing:

Plant asparagus early in the spring while it is still dormant, usually in February or early March.

Asparagus plants can be started from seed, but this is not recommended for home gardeners. Germination of asparagus seed is slow and weeds can be difficult to control. Plants grown from seed are transplanted to a permanent bed the following spring; so asparagus grown from seed also requires a longer time to begin bearing.

It is preferable to purchase 1-year old dormant crowns. This will cut the time before harvest by at least one year and eliminate caring for the tiny seedlings the first year.

Dig a trench 6 to 8 inches deep and place the crowns in the bottom. Space the plants 15 to 18 inches apart and leave 3 to 4 feet between rows. Spread the roots evenly and cover them with 2 to 4 inches of soil. Fill the remainder of the trench after the plants begin growth.

Do not try and fill in skips in an old planting with young plants, as the remaining old plants will inhibit the growth of smaller, younger plants. If seedlings appear in an old planting, they are best pulled out or transplanted to another area.

Asparagus irrigation:

During the first growing season, apply sufficient water to wet the soil 1 foot deep once a week. If it doesn’t rain, this may require as much as 1 inch of water. After the first growing season, watering every other week is usually sufficient. A 2-inch layer of an organic mulch such as shredded leaves or pine needles will be of considerable help in retaining moisture, as well as in reducing weed growth. Mulch will also reduce fluctuations in soil temperature during the winter which, in turn, will reduce the incidence of crown rot.

Trickle or drip irrigation is preferable to sprinkler irrigation, as it reduces the possibility of foliage diseases.

These systems may need to be run for two or more hours to wet the soil to the required depth of 1 foot.

Asparagus weed Control:

Weeds must be controlled if asparagus is to perform well. They can be pulled or removed with a hoe, cultivator or rototiller, but cultivation must be shallow to avoid damage to the asparagus roots.

Organic mulches such as grass clippings, straw or leaves help control weeds, as well as retaining moisture. Apply a 2- or 3-inch layer in the fall after the foliage dies. This will reduce weeds throughout the year. The asparagus spears will emerge through the mulch in the spring.

Do not use table salt or other salts to control weeds in asparagus. They build up in the soil and reduce yields, as well as shortening the lifespan of the asparagus planting.

Asparagus disease control:

Asparagus is subject to asparagus rust and fusarium root or crown rot.

Rust appears as small, reddish-yellow spots on the stems near the ground. Spores may be scattered by the wind and, if sufficient moisture is present, all the plants may be infected. Fusarium rot attacks feeder rootlets, main storage roots and plant crowns. It weakens and eventually kills plants. It rarely produces wilt symptoms, except on young shoots of seedlings. The fungus builds up in the soil and persists for many years. Asparagus spears infected with fusarium may show a brown surface discoloration. The varieties in this publication have some tolerance to fusarium. In addition, gardeners should always plant asparagus in well-drained soil, avoid replanting in old asparagus beds and keep crowns cool during the winter by using organic mulches.

Asparagus insect control:

Asparagus beetles are the main insect attacking asparagus. They are 1/4 inch long, blackish beetles with yellow to- orange markings on their wings. They over winter as adults in trash around the garden and in old asparagus stalks. The adults feed on young spears and attach tiny, black eggs to both spears and foliage. Larva hatch from the eggs and feed on the plant. In severe infestations, most of the foliage may be damaged.

Begin control of asparagus beetles by removing old foliage as soon as it is killed by freezing weather. Burn this residue or turn it under. Asparagus beetles are easily killed

by available home garden chemicals.

Asparagus harvesting:

Asparagus should not be harvested the year it is planted. A light harvest of about two weeks the second year will increase the number of buds on the crowns and result in subsequent higher yields. Harvest for about four weeks the third year and six to eight weeks thereafter.

Harvest by snapping the spears off at the ground level when they are 6 to 10 inches tall. This will result in less damage to un emerged spears and less chance of introducing disease into the plant than the traditional harvesting method of cutting the spears below the ground level. It is desirable to harvest at least every other day during cool weather and every day during warm weather to prevent spears from growing too tall. Too many spindly spears indicate weak storage roots. Cease harvest for the season if too many spindly spears appear. Additional fertilizer may be needed and the harvest season may need to be shortened in future years.

Blueberries are one of the worldâ??s healthiest fruits. They are one of the richest sources of anti-oxidants there are; these are contained in Anthocyanins which are beneficial to blood circulation and small veins in particular. This explains why blueberries are reported to have anti-aging effects, improve eyesight (especially night vision) and are generally helpful with conditions such as arthritis, water retention, varicose veins and digestive issues. They are also supposed to be cancer-fighters. Blueberries are at their tastiest and their healthiest when eaten freshly picked, and nothing is fresher than the blueberry you grow yourself, pick yourself and eat yourself. Here are twelve top tips to successful blueberry growing.

Buy your plants from a reputable supplier and unpack and check them straight away to be sure they they are exactly what you ordered and have arrived in the condition you’d expect. Assuming they look good, stand the plants, in their pots, in rainwater until they are sodden â?? a lesson to learn with blueberries is that they like it wet.

Plant them as soon as you can but if their bed is not ready (or the soil canâ??t be worded) then stand your blueberries somewhere sheltered, where there is plenty of light and where the roots won’t freeze. Keep them moist using rainwater if you can.

Blueberries like being sheltered so try to steer away from particularly cold or windy parts of the garden. They do best in full sun, but you can still get good yields in semi or light shade. They need acid soil conditions to do well â?? and they hate lime. The ideal soil drains well but holds moisture. Where your soil is over chalk or in any way alkaline you should grow blueberries in tubs or boxes – see below. The thing with blueberry plants is to remember that they belong to the heather family and need the same growing and soil conditions to thrive.

Where you have acid soil, prepare it really well. Start by killing and removing any perennial weeds â?? they are easier to get rid of now than later. Then make a 3ft (90cm) square hole for each plant, mixing the topsoil 50:50 with acid moss peat. If the soil is heavy and liable to puddle improve the drainage now and mix in plenty of sharp sand or grit. Make sure anything you put in the soil is lime free and (ideally) acidic.

Plant blueberry bushes 4ft 6 inches (150 cms) apart. Settle the plants in so the soil level in the pot will end up just below the finished soil level in the bed. Back-fill with the soil/peat mix and firm the soil around the plants using the ball of your foot. Donâ??t stamp, but be firm. Then water the bed really well with rainwater and finish off the planting by putting down a good layer of mulch of moss peat, wood chippings or shredded bark.

Never let blueberries dry out â?? they are native to wet ground and suffer terribly if they are short of water. Use rainwater if possible but, tap water is much better than nothing. Remember to keep the bed free from weeds.

A bit like asparagus blueberries crop more heavily each year. The plants sucker under ground and low branches can layer as well, so you end up with an enormously fruitful thicket. However, as with many plants, blueberries produce more fruit in the long term if they are not allowed to berry for a year after planting. This is most easily done in the winter by rubbing out any fruit buds (the fat ones).

Each year in March give your plants a boost with a lime-free compound fertiliser (always follow the instructions on the packet). If your plants struggled the year before and grew less than 12 inches (30cms) – maybe they dried out, or were slow to settle in â?? apply 1/2 oz per sq. yd (17g per sq m) of sulphate of ammonia. Then, with the thoughts of moisture and acidity uppermost in your mind, give your plants a good mulch of peat, rotten woodchip or sawdust in the spring when the ground is still wet.

Birds, like humans recognise the nutritional value of blueberries and if you want to eat any berries yourself- which of course, you do – you will need to cover the plants with bird netting. When they are soft, a bluish-black, come off the stalks with a gentle pull, they are ripe. One of the joys of blueberries is that they do not ripen all at once, so you can pick your patch again and again over a two month period with a variety like Chandler.

In the first two winters after planting remove any diseased or damaged shoots and any weak shoots lying on the ground. In subsequent years prune as if they were blackcurrants, but also cut out about 20% of oldest shoots at ground level to make space for new growth.

Really the only drawback of blueberries is their hatred of alkaline (chalk/lime) soils. In those parts of the country where these prevail, grow your plants in containers. Blueberries are great container specimens as, apart from their fruit, they have lovely flowers and the foliage colours up well in the autumn. Use tubs, barrels or large pots that will all provide room for the plants to grow (remember a full grown blueberry can be up to 6 feet tall in open ground. Pot up your plants, one to a container, using an acidic compost (many garden centres sell ericaceous compost which is ideal) or pure moss peat. As the plants get bigger, they may need to go into larger containers. Do this in late autumn or early spring.

Water with rainwater if you can and make sure you never let them dry out. If you are going to make a mistake, let it be overwatering! When container grown plants are in full growth, feed them every 2-3 weeks with an acid-loving (ericaceous) plant feed.  And then, beginning in June, you can start eating the healthiest fruit there is; fresh blueberries from your own garden.

Long thought of as an East Coast problem, cases of reported Lyme disease are growing in California and around the country.