SoS 4:16

 

4/16 - 4:16

Awake, north wind, and come, south wind.

Blow on my garden,

that its fragrance may spread abroad.

Song of Songs 4:16

Weeping cherry burst into bloom yesterday.

Not scented, but fills my senses with joy.

More photos from yesterday's garden tour on my Life Is a Garden Party facebook page.

SKY BLUE PINK

 

SKY BLUE PINK

Sun's going down

leaving a pink crown

in the western sky on top of the hill

where paintbrush colors of sky-blue-pink spills.

Sky’s lit up with pink

as the sun sinks

ending another day

with sky-blue-pink rays.

Second by second

the Creator's palette

colors and paints

sky-blue-pink.

Watch now as it dries

high up in the sky,

flushed with pink

sky-blue-pink winks.

When you wink

sky-blue-pink

is gone.

So long.

Dusk has turned into night

after a brief twilight

when sky-blue-pink

briefly winked.

Sky-blue-pink is a mirror

that tomorrow will be clear.

Blue skies delight

at first light.

Next time you see sky-blue-pink

take a minute to watch it sink

forecasting tomorrow's favorable weather

as tonight's sunset became a barometer.

* * * * *

Though gone in a wink,

the sky in sky-blue-pink

casts a rosy glow

wherever it goes.

Like wearing rose-colored glasses

wherever it touches or passes,

sky-blue-pink

makes one think.

What if we looked at life through rose-colored glasses?

What if our attitude was one of gratitude versus

fretting or grumbling,

worrying or complaining.

What if we recounted our blessings

instead of daily stressing?

Wouldn't life seem better

and a lot more sweeter?

Try sharing your blessings out loud

next time you're with friends in a crowd.

You'll have an appreciative audience

when you count your blessings, not your can'ts.

Besides, doesn't worrying get us down?

Aren't we often seen wearing a frown?

Did it benefit in the end

to daily stress to no end?

Daily put on your rose-colored glasses

and recount your blessings as the day passes.

When you have an attitude of gratitude,

you'll find a positive change in your attitude.

When evening comes, you say,

'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,'

and in the morning,

'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red.'

Matthew 16:2-3

Do everything without complaining or arguing,

so that you may become blameless and pure,

children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation,

in which you shine like stars in the universe.

Philippians 2:14-15

Do not grumble.

I Corinthians 10:10a

He has heard your grumbling against him...

You are not grumbling against, us,

but against the Lord.

Exodus 16:8b

Blessings crown the head of the righteous.

Proverbs 10:6a

To me, sunrises and sunsets showcase God’s glory touching earth. 

Do take a moment to appreciate this benediction or blessing from heaven.

Life Is a Garden Party

is available via Amazon.

MIRACLES

 

MIRACLES

Nature or its beauty cannot be explained

other than a miracle once ordained

by the Creator in the beginning

when life was established by God speaking

“and it was so” and “it was good”

as only the one true God could.

God created plants and trees

to bear seeds in their fruit, you see,

for God works out every detail

even making flowers male and female

with pistils (F)

and stamens (M).

Consider the lily for a minute

which propagates from a bulb,

yet it will reproduce offshoots,

or seeds it might also produce.

Certain lilies produce bulblets in their leaf nodules.*

Two or more per nodule. A real miracle!

*(Scientifically, bulbils in leaf axils.)

Patient gardeners will wait

for lily seeds to re-create.

Three years later they are rewarded,

for gardeners are not often thwarted,

with many pretty blooms

after the foliage zooms.

Or the bulb will one day multiply

under the soil where buried it lies.

Each year they’ll return

as if being reborn.

Another miracle in the offering.

One of the many joys of gardening.

Day lilies might also produce seed pods

as well as multiplying rhizomes in the sod.

Each “plant bearing seed according to their kind”:

lilies, purple cone flowers, rudbeckias, columbine,

oregano, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme,

from God who showers blessings of rain or daily sunshine.

* * * * *

"Creation shows the power of God

there's glory all around

and those who see

must stand in awe

for miracles abound.

I believe in miracles

I've seen a soul set free

miraculous the change in one

redeemed at Calvary

I've seen the lily push its way

up through the stubborn sod

I believe in miracles...for I believe in God."

By John W. Peterson

No one can say it better than this songwriter

so I'll leave you with this hymn to ponder.

Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation:

seed-bearing plants and trees on the land

that bear fruit with seed in it,

according to their various kinds." And it was so.

The land produced vegetation:

plants bearing seed according to their kinds

and trees bearing fruit with seed in it

according to their kinds.

And God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:11-12

This is one lily mentioned in the above story.

In my family, Grampa's Lily.

Not only does the bulb reproduce, there are 2-3 bulblets in the leaf nodules.

What a miracle!  

Four summer's ago the dreaded red lily beetle descended.  

Impossible to keep up with trying solutions to destroy them.

I thought I lost them, but Tuesday when I was cleaning up after winter,

I saw they were poking out of the mulch.

Will be treating as maintenance when the rains subside. 

Life Is a Garden Party

is available via Amazon.

GIVING and RECEIVING

 Giving & Receiving

Sun’s arising.

New day dawning.

Songbirds awakening.

Welcoming morning

by singing

songs of thanksgiving.

Although not certain what the day will bring

songbirds begin each day with thanksgiving

shared with us in the songs they’re singing.

Have you noticed that’s how their day starts?

With joyful music heard from their heart.

Something of which we should all take part.

“When morning gilds the skies

my heart awaking cries...

may Jesus Christ be praised!”...

should always begin our days.

Though we never know what each day may bring,

we know there is always much thanks we should be giving

for God’s daily faithfulness for the life we’re living.

We take so much for granted that others are praying for:

even basic necessities like electricity and water.

When was the last time you thanked Christ the Lord for?

Let’s be like the birds each morning and evening

as they thank God each morning before receiving

then again at evening after daily receiving.

May our day start with joyful thankfulness

to our Creator for His faithfulness

from a heart filled with much gratefulness.

* * * * *

Happiness begins

with each day’s dawning,

not due to receiving,

but from a heart of thanksgiving

for many daily blessings

that the Lord is freely giving.

Here’s a lesson

to be learning:

to offer up thanksgiving

before receiving.

To give thanks before receiving,

then again after receiving.

Always giving thanks to God the Father

for everything,

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:20

Let us continually offer to God

a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips

that confess his name.

Hebrews 13:15

Expect to soon hear chit, chit, chit and cheerio-o-o from mama and papa cardinal.

Chit, chit, chit is cardinal talk.

It seems papa sings cheerio-o-o as encouragement to mama as she patiently sits and waits.

Life Is a Garden Party

is available via Amazon.

LEFTOVERS

Editing Vol V, getting it ready for publication.  Thought I would share this story, which is a true story.

LEFTOVERS

Today I saw a flock of Canadian geese feasting

in the nearby shorn cornfield months after harvesting.

It's January 5^th

and there are snowdrifts.

It appeared it was the harvester's intent

to allow these geese to feed to their heart's content

for these geese were busy feeding their face

as a smile appeared on my countenance.

These stately geese

did not lease.

Their food was free

to gather, you see.

They were quite content

with food heaven-sent

for it was a gift from God this day -

a brisk January day.

The leftover field corn that had fallen

was as if a blessing from God had befallen

for God does provide for all His creatures.

Sometimes His provision is leftovers.

I was reminded of the story where the harvesters

in the Old Testament were instructed to leave leftovers

for the poor, the widows, and the fatherless to glean.

This was a commandment the harvesters esteemed.

Many were blessed by this practice for life is sometimes cruel.

There will always be the poor, the widows, the fatherless who

need encouragement from those who

gladly share what they have, it's true.

* * * * *

Nothing in life is certain

except for one's salvation.

Consider this this new year: you never know when you might lose your health.

If you lose your health, it undoubtedly will affect your wealth.

Where once before you considered yourself independent,

now you might rely on another as a dependent.

It might be the government's assistance

set up purposely for when you need deliverance.

It might be second-hand items given

by those who share with a heartfelt donation

coming at the 11^th hour – just when you need.

You have no doubt God saw then provided with their good deed.

Perhaps someone provided a bag of groceries

or cleaned their closet then blessed you abundantly.

These "leftovers" were meant to bless you

and show you God provides for you.

Traditionally you think of leftovers after a meal.

These leftovers stretch your pennies into dollars – a deal.

However your leftovers come,

at some point you'll find they are welcome.

...pick up the leftover grain...

(Ruth) went out and began to glean in the fields

behind the harvesters.

Ruth 2:2-3a

They all ate and were satisfied.

Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls

of broken pieces that were left over.

Matthew 15:37

Life Is a Garden Party

is available via Amazon.

regarding Easter...

 

Carpenters

Busy this morning, a carpenter

builds, but not with nails or a hammer.

Not one to sit still, this carpenter flies

on days when there's no rain in the sky.

Back and forth collecting building materials

interspersed with a joyous call,

this carpenter is not deterred

as the material is transferred.

He must build a home for his family

where in two weeks, or so, hungry and greedy

his family will demand to be fed

from their little round bed.

In the meantime this carpenter collects,

arranges to his satisfaction, then inspects,

the building of their first home

although he does not work alone.

For his wife works along beside

on days when the sun abides.

Back and forth they fly

to their house build up high.

Built up high, safe from foes

and the wind that blows,

in the crotch of a tree limb

their house is somewhat hidden.

Although you won't hear a rat-a-tat-tat

you'll find they have an instinctive knack

of where to place each and every twig

as they busily construct their new digs.

Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter

are blue jays, round house builders,

for nests are round

the world around.

* * * * *

Read the Bible verse below about nests

then consider this question, but do not guess:

Is there room in your heart for Jesus,

or is His name a name you say in jest?

One day before God's throne

will God say you made no room

as Jesus was absent from your life,

you did as you pleased throughout your life.

Before God's throne it will be too late

as you already decided your fate.

Don't wait. Make a decision right now, today,

for there's no guarantee of another day.

Because of His sacrifice on the cross

He once-for-all paid the incredible cost

to pay the penalty for our sins

granting us assurance within.

A confidence that our sins are forgiven.

A certainty of a home in heaven.

Simply confess.

Jesus did the rest...

when He arose from the dead

taking our place instead

offering us God's mercy through forgiveness of sins.

Believe this truth today. Invite Jesus in.

This is why Christians the world around

celebrate each Easter in their towns.

Jesus Christ arose.

Now you know. Don't suppose.

Invite Jesus into your heart's room.

Simply confess your sins. Don't live doomed.

Jesus paid the price once-for-all.

Accept the greatest gift of all.

Jesus replied,

"Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests,

but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

Matthew 8:20

For God so loved the world

that he gave his only begotten Son

that whosoever believeth in him

should not perish

but have everlasting life.

John 3:16 (KJV)

The centurion and those with him

who were guarding Jesus

saw the earthquake and all that had happened,

...exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"

Matthew 27:54

Mark 15:38

If we confess our sins,

he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins

and purify us from all unrighteousness.

I John 1:9

Lord, open the eyes of hearts to need and receive your gift of salvation. Amen.

Life Is a Garden Party

is available via Amazon.

IT'S FRIDAY, BUT...

 It's Friday...but Sunday's coming!

From utter darkness to the most glorious hope.

What's your favorite Easter scripture?

Go quickly and tell his disciples:

He is risen from the dead!...

So the women hurried away from the tomb,

afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell...

Matthew 28:7-8

Although the disciples were taught what events would happen that Friday, they disappeared during the most agonizing time when their "friend" needed them. They were still in hiding. Jesus told the women to "go and tell" the most glorious news. Although afraid, their joy was greater - "afraid, yet filled with joy".

Take away: Let your joy overpower your fear, and go and tell. Share promises of Scripture. Share answered prayers. Share God's faithfulness - his protection and provision. Go...and...tell.