Category: Gardens

Waiting to Bloom

Wait on the Lord ; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord ! Psalms 27:14

Waiting for God is in some ways like waiting for a flower to bloom. The promise of it’s full beauty is wrapped tightly in a tiny bud. If we pry it  open we will forever lose the chance to see what the full blossom can become.

We cannot rush God but with strength and courage we must trust that He knows what He is doing in His garden. Whatever it is you are waiting for today – trust Him. He knows the precise moment for every flower in the universe to open. He will unlock the fragrance hidden in the blossom exactly when someone needs its perfume today!

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Prayers of Restoration

When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”  John 11:44

And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Mark 7:34-35

Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”  And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. Mark 5:41-42

 Jesus never prayed for bread, He thanked His Father for it and the bread was multiplied. Jesus’ prayers were never for His own provision. He prayed and restored the sea to calm when the disciples were in fear.  He prayed and the blind man’s sight was restored. The entire ministry of Jesus was about His prayers of restoration for others.

How differently might our own prayers be if we prayed as Jesus did. Prayers of restoration might be for a neighbor or even a stranger God sends our way. Prayers of restoration don’t need to focus on our desires but on God’s. Prayers of reskimg2486toration are like the stone jars of water being transformed into wine at His command. When our prayers are poured out and given for others then the miracle will happen. When we pray for others then our plain water prayers turn red with the restoring life of Christ!

 

Is it Time to Pray?

In the Old Testament we learn that Daniel prayed three times a day

And though we can’t be sure of the exact hours they do correspond to praise a chorus we used to sing, “Jesus-Jesus- Jesus in the morning, Jesus at the noon time. Jesus-Jesus-Jesus when the sun goes down!” That little song neatly sums up the simplicity of prayer.Some of us say, “Well I’m really not a morning person!” Or “I’m no night owl!” as excuses why we don’t begin or end our days with prayer. But in the his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul tells us to” pray without ceasing” and king David tells us in Psalm 34 that he will bless the Lord at all times. In fact everywhere we look in scripture prayer is far more than just a night cap or a “Good morning Lord”. When the Lord Jesus was on earth set us an example of all different times for prayer.

Early Morning Prayer:  And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Mark 1:35

Mid-Day Prayer Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”  Luke 11:1

Evening Prayer And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went upon the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone   Matthew 14:23

Jesus prayed when he had to make decisions and he prayed to bless his food. Jesus prayed when he was sorrowful and He prayed when he was joyful. Jesus prayed for his disciples and He prayed for Himself. Jesus prayed at all these different times. While on earth Jesus prayed and taught us how to pray. How wonderful to remember that the prayer ministry of Christ did not end on the day He went to the Father but the Bible tells us that He is always there still praying for us!

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Beating the Heat!

 

Isaiah 35:1-2 The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus,  it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy

While her weaker cousins are wilting or just plain cashing in their blooms till next year this Salvia sylvestris is only beginning to show her true colors. KIMG0187

“When the going gets tough the tough get going”  Knute Rockne

With a touch of both toughness and beauty this flower gives her all to ensure that the gardening season isn’t over. God created both her delicate flowers and tough roots so that on the hottest summer days she will stand proud and strong. If you are facing some wilting heat in your life maybe the sister Salvia can encourage you to stay strong. The same God who understands how to beat the summer heat in the garden knows how to help us beat the heat in the desert places of our lives!

 

D-Day for day lilies

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This is the Day Lily that the Lord has made!

I have always loved loved this simple flower. The day lily starts its bloom in mid to late June then just goes on giving till the summer is done. There is a plain and honest integrity about it. Like a willing servant it goes about doing its job simply glad to be a part of God’s garden!