This Week On The Homestead – Week 1

The new year offers a fresh start in the garden. This week, focus on designing your permaculture space. Map out zones and elements, keeping in mind the flow of water, sunlight, and wind to create an efficient, productive system.

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Harold Thornbro

Author, blogger, podcaster, homesteading and permaculture enthusiast. I have a passion for sharing what I learn and helping others on their journey. If you're looking for me, you'll usually find me in the garden.

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Post author:Harold Thornbro
Post published:January 4, 2026
Post category:This Weeks Homestead Focus
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Post last modified:December 28, 2025

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Harold Thornbro on When You’re Forced to Slow Down
Thank You for the encouragement! Glad you're enjoying them.
Richard Duhl on Improving Soil Health in the Winter Time
very good information, make a lot of sense
Joy on When You’re Forced to Slow Down
Enjoying your homestead devotions. Thank you!
Harold Thornbro on 27 Movies For Homesteading Inspiration (And Why You Should Watch Them!)
I will have to look that one up. Thanks for the recommendation!
Rachelle Phipps on 27 Movies For Homesteading Inspiration (And Why You Should Watch Them!)
You’ve missed one of the best homesteading movies: Heartland (not the tv show) starring Rip Torn and Conchata Ferrell. This…

Rusted But Restored

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."
— Psalm 51:10 (ESV)

Today on the homestead, I found something I hadn’t even realized I’d lost—an old pair of hand pruners. They’d been left out through weeks of winter weather, buried in snow and forgotten in the rush of chores and changing seasons. When I picked them up, they were rusted, stiff, and hard to close. What once had been a reliable tool was now nearly useless without some serious care.

As I held those weathered pruners in my hand, I couldn’t help but think—that’s how my soul feels sometimes.
Neglected. Worn. A bit frozen in place.

I don’t set out to let my heart grow distant from God. But in the daily busyness of homesteading and life, I sometimes forget to tend my spirit like I tend my soil. Before I know it, I’m feeling stiff and dull—slow to respond, not as useful as I once was.

But then I remember the words of Psalm 51:10:
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."

David prayed those words after a season of failure and neglect. He didn’t just want forgiveness—he wanted renewal. And I do too.

The beauty of grace is that God doesn’t throw us away when we’re rusty. He restores. He sharpens. He renews what we’ve left unattended.

So today, as I clean up those pruners and bring them back to life, I’m asking the Lord to do the same with me. To remove the rust. To soften the stiffness. To make me useful again in His hands.

My Prayer:

Lord, I confess I’ve let some things go—especially in my heart. Thank You for not giving up on me. Clean me up. Sharpen me. Restore me to usefulness in Your work. Just like those old pruners, I want to be put back to purpose in Your hands. Amen.

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