"Success is often lying right in front of you; 
all you need do is take the time to recognize the hidden treasures."

Last year was our first growing season here on our farmland and home. We had ambitious plans for a garden. We planted about an acre full of corn, beans, squash, watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini--you name it we planted it. Since we live on the border of a national park, deer are a big problem. We thought the more we planted, the more we'd have left for us -- even if the deer came and ate some of it. WRONG.

One evening, my nephew counted 41 deer grazing through our garden. They knew exactly peak harvest season and came to eat our labors. I'd look at my cantaloupe and say to myself, ''those should be ready in a couple more days.'' Then, the next time I looked they had big bites in them. One crop after another was devoured by the deer. What wasn’t eaten by the deer was overgrown with weeds because the garden was too large and too far away for me (a hugely pregnant woman at the time) to maintain. Everyone wants to plant, but heaven forbid, no one clamors to maintain!

By the end of the growing season, we'd discovered a handful of vegetables that the deer didn't like: tomatoes, squash, zucchini, turnip greens, and peppers. So this year, that's what I grew -- along with a few other ''test'' crops (like strawberries, beans, sunflowers, and cucumbers). We planted a smaller garden, closer to the house so I could monitor and maintain it better. Other than the occasional rabbit, nothing ate the garden.

I've grown the most beautiful squash, zucchini and cucumbers this year and have them running out my ears. I've given away most of it because there's just so much. I've also made pickles and experimented with different storage methods. They've been an overwhelming success, more so than I realized at times. It's the nature of zucchini and cucumbers to be almost invisible. They grow camouflaged along with the plant stems. You miss a lot of them -- until they are so huge you can't help but see them.

One Saturday as I spent a little extra time hunting and searching for cucumbers, squash, zucchini and ripe tomatoes among the gargantuan, prehistoric-size leaves, I kept uncovering more and more vegetables ready to be plucked. That is when it hit me -- if I hadn't taken the time to keep searching and looking, I never would have found all this fruit. It would have either rotted or gotten too big to be tasty. As I pondered on my search for ripe vegetables, I realized that there is a lesson in this garden of mine. Actually there are many lessons that can be applied to our lives and our families:

• Don't overextend yourself. Don't plant more than you can handle effectively. Anything more is a waste and prevents you from being able to effectively take care of your basic needs.

• Do what you do best. (We learned to plant what the deer wouldn't eat).

• Test, try new things and see what will work. Sometimes you'll be pleasantly surprised.

• Take time to study and observe what you're doing. Many times you're more successful than you realize. Success is often lying right in front of you; all you need do is take the time to recognize the hidden treasures.

• Share your harvest with others. The more you pick, the more the plants bear. So keep harvesting and sharing with others

• Set some of your abundance aside for the future. Nothing is more savory than a winter stew made from summer’s bounty.

About the Author : Marnie L. Pehrson is a wife, mother of 6 and consultant who helps talented professionals deliver their message to the online world. She is the author of 10 Steps to Fulfilling Your Divine Destiny: A Christian Woman's Guide to Learning & Living God's Plan for Her; Lord Are You Sure?; Packets of Sunlight for Christian Parents; and Packets of Sunlight for Patriots.