Noonday Notes

Issue No. 24

November 14th, 2025

This week I found myself in the parables of Matthew 13: the mustard seed, the hidden treasure, and the pearl of great value.

“…The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants…” Matthew 13:31–32 ESV

Every morning I check on the cauliflower at both farms. They are enormous with layers upon layers of leaves folding in on themselves, but still no curd has formed. I think they stalled in the heat of early fall, but now that it has cooled off I’m hopeful they will finally take shape. Forming quietly beneath the leaves, hidden in plain sight. Cauliflower is in the mustard family. So that’s why the mustard seed has been on my mind lately.

Then…Wednesday morning a friend texted to let me know that the Lectio 365 devotion that day had made her think of me. It was about the treasure in the field and the merchant seeking fine pearls, both of whom sold everything they had to gain what was most valuable.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:44–46

True wisdom, as Lectio 365 put it, is “giving everything we have to discover the only thing we really need.” It spoke about how it’s not about hedging bets or holding back, it’s about going all in. And that’s what this farm has been: pouring my time, energy, and heart into something I believe God has planted. Once you’ve glimpsed the treasure, you know it’s worth everything. Once you’ve seen heaven, even in the smallest seed, there’s no going back.

The mustard seed. The treasure in the field. The pearl. All of it reminds me that faith and hope grow slowly, sometimes hidden beneath the leaves. And when we choose to go all in, trusting what God is doing beneath the surface, the harvest is more than just food: it’s life, community, and a glimpse of the Kingdom here on earth.

Read the rest of the newsletter here.