And now the waiting…

The time for the planting of gardens has come.  In our climes the “May long weekend” (Victoria Day) is that moment.  Seeds are covered in earth–pole beans and zucchini, pumpkins and peas.

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Tomato plants are set out to flourish… (or fail), as the weather dictates.

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and the waiting begins.

A garden thus begun doesn’t look like much, except in its maker’s eyes.  Only he/she knows the grunt work that preceded this simple dropping of seeds into dirt—the weeding, the turning, the amending of soil.  Only she knows the plan and holds the vision of what it all will come to, if all goes well…

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In the meantime it’s just dirt and bean poles, mulch and hoses.  Small beginnings.P1140826

God knows.  He planted a garden once*.

His was designed to perfection,  the tree of life its crowning centerpiece.  There wasn’t a weed to be seen and the irrigation system was all tucked away underground.

Into this fledgling garden He brought  the man He had breathed into being, to ‘work it and keep it’.   What more blissful pastime could there be?  And then He brought her a woman for his very own, and the garden was complete ( :

God set in motion His glorious plan for mankind with the planting of a garden.  Only He could see down through the ages to the culmination of His hopes—a bride for His Son and the summing up of all things in Jesus, to the praise of His glorious grace.

In the meantime there was dirt and there were wee plants sprouting, and there was a gardener…

So, for the record I’ve snapped photos of my messy garden’s beginnings this week.  The digging and weeding and composting and planning are behind.  The planting is done.  And now for the waiting to see the plan unveil its glory!

The strawberries are gaining ground despite the hungry deer.

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Poppies have volunteered in the tomato bed, but never mind, I can’t wait to see them bloom!

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Ugly overgrown tubs of ivy have given ground to a slender young lilac and a pot of petunias not yet filling their spaces…P1140854

The steps need replacing but the pansies don’t mind…

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And all about the house are flowers tucked in every available container…P1140810P1140808P1140822P1140811

while the bees go a-BUM-bling

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And the elegant columbines dance for joy!P1140868

 

Ah… and my new heirloom snowball bush is bursting out in its first baby snowflakes ( :

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–LS

“And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good…Gen.1:31

“…making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and thing on earth.

“In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory!” Eph.1:10,11

———-

*Genesis 2:5-9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April NEWs…

All new by spring’s morning light…

P1140348I slipped into my gum boots for a tromp out back to check on the skunk cabbage–sure harbinger of bears to come.

 P1140350And on the way I got caught up on all the latest NEWs…

The willow’s coming out of mourning.

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Rhubarb is emerging, crinkly new, rousing hopes of mouth-watering desserts to come…

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The bushy willows further back are bearing pussies…

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And the huckleberries have put on their dainties.

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And yes, the skunk cabbage is up,

wafting it’s malodorous wake-up call to all the ursidae family far and near.

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We’re sure to have bears before long…

–LS

The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove [It’s FROGS for us!] is heard in our land. Song of Solomon 2:12

Skirting Scout—Spring musings

IMG_20140320_161224794_HDR It was the first day of spring.  Who could resist getting out to feel the sunshine?! So I did a sunny circumvention of Scout’s faces…

And sat a while in the warmth reading and ruminating on what it means to grow in grace…

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And I had a happy tromp around the mountain…

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IMG_20140320_174319313_HDR…and back home again.

Meanwhile next door a new owner has taken up residence and is working to establish dominion over decrepit outbuildings, rambling thorns and a jumble of hodge-podge.  First comes the demolition, then the clearing and beautifying, as the old way of life on that property gives way to the new…

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Perhaps this is not so unlike what it means to grow in grace.  A new Owner has taken up residence and is making all things new—out with old decrepit life patterns that serve no purpose, in with the beauty of His holiness… It’s all part of a process that the new Master superintends, graciously.

–LS

And a fresh bit of wording from The Message New Testament:

There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears. (Phil.1:6)


“Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin?  Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God’s Message to you?  Are you going to continue this craziness?  For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God.  If you weren’t smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it?  Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing?

Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, his Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does he do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust him to do them in you?  Don’t these things happen among you just as they happened with Abraham?  He believed God, and that act of belief was turned into a life that was right with God.”  (from Galatians 3)