Seasons of Change--Reflections From My Garden

• Who can find a virtuous woman? her price is far above rubies
• She openeth her mouth with wisdom...

Lately I've been feeling just a bit like my garden looks--sad and neglected.

There are some parts that are like this corner--it used to hold flourishing squash plants, but after a good frosts and a hard freeze or two, it's empty and full of dead leaves.

Other pieces of me feel overgrown and gone to seed, like the lettuce. Did you know that when lettuce bolts, even though it looks just as pretty and green and growing on the outside, it becomes inedible and bitter? There are some parts of us that need to be discarded and left behind--good for the compost heap, but not much else--to keep our hearts tender and tasty instead of tough and bitter.

The good news is, that there are pieces of me that are like this little patch of carrots--still green and pretty, and still giving little bites of goodness--I failed to thin these, so they don't have much room to grow, but even though the carrots they produce are small, they are sweet and delicious. And what's more, they're thriving, even with the wacky weather we've had--cold, warm, rain, no rain--doesn't seem to matter, they just go right on growing and bearing fruit.

We also go through seasons in our lives--some warm, some cold; some moist, some dry; some fruitful, some not. The Master Gardener sees the big picture--He knows that sometimes you have to let some things go dormant; others need to finish up and go to seed so that we'll have something to plant for next year; and others He'll make sure that they continue to bear, however small the fruit.

I'm praying that the Master Gardener will bring me through this season to another spring--one of growth and new life and bearing of more sweet fruit.

Until next time...

Are You Waiting For the Light?

The house is quiet.

Everyone else is in bed.

The gifts are wrapped.

Most of the cooking is done.

It's raining outside, and the only other sound I can hear is the humming of the laptop and the sound my fingers make on the keyboard.

And lest you think that I have it all together, let me tell you otherwise. I have a small family, with no little ones anymore. We keep Christmas very simply these days. The gifts got wrapped today and tonight. The cooking is done because I just decided to call it quits and make do with what I've already done (which is plenty, don't get me wrong), not because I checked everything off of my list. I just shortened the list when I realized that some of it wouldn't get done.

Every year I tell myself that next year will be better. I'll be better organized; or maybe just more energetic.

Or maybe, just like this year, I'll do what I can do, and ignore the rest.

I haven't sent Christmas cards in years. Years.

I always intend to give goodie bags and little gifts to many, many people. In October I intend to. By December I'm just hoping they won't give me anything so I won't have to scramble to return the favor.

I've had a rough time the last few weeks. Not for any particular reason. My bark is worse than my bite. Or maybe it's just that I always, always, always, bite off more than I can chew. Or maybe it's that my eyes are bigger than my stomach. At any rate, I think it's in my nature to have Great Expectations that will never come to pass, at least not in this life.

But the house is quiet. What's bought is bought, what's wrapped is wrapped, what's cooked is cooked.

It's raining outside. And the house is quiet.

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light....for unto to us a child is born, and unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

I like that part that states that the government shall be upon HIS shoulder--not mine, not yours, HIS.

Thank you, Lord, that I don't have to take any responsibility that isn't mine. Thank you that you love me beyond my ability to perform.


Until next time...

For Unto Us a Child is Born

• Who can find a virtuous woman? her price is far above rubies
• She openeth her mouth with wisdom...
• She looketh well to the ways of her household

It always takes me a while to get into the swing of the holiday season at Christmas.

I don't like the way most people rush the season.

This year has been the worst yet--stores had Christmas stuff out before Halloween had even passed.
Not to mention so-called "Black Friday" sales all throughout the month of November--and on every day of the week, not just Friday!

Our church had their church wide Christmas dinner over two weeks ago, to accommodate the folks who go out of town over the holiday.

Advent does start the Sunday after Thanksgiving, but the "Twelve Days of Christmas" were traditionally from December 24th through January 6th.

These days, most people are sick of the Christmas trappings by the time the big day arrives that they can't wait for a chance to take it all down again.

At my house, we just put a few strings of light up outside earlier this week; and while the tree is up, it's still not fully decorated yet.

I started my Christmas baking and candy making today. I may wrap presents tonight, so we'll have something under the tree when we finish it up.

I'm in no hurry, and that's the way I like it.

It really doesn't matter to me if my celebration coincides with the commercial parameters of when I should start or finish the holidays. I say a really neat sign that stated what I hope my whole life will reflect--that Jesus is the Reason for ALL Seasons.

For to us a child is born, for unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Until next time...

Happy Hannukah

And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. John 10:22-23


Hannukah, the Festival of Lights, the Feast of Dedication--celebrated by the Light of the World.

Until next time...