Back to the Dogwood Tree

Back in April I posted about the beautiful Dogwood Tree in the front yard.  At that time, the Lord was showing off His glorious splendor in the gorgeous white blooms that adorned the branches.  It's the tree that we took my son's pictures in front of each year he went to prom in high school.  That just happened to be the time of year it's blossoms were in full array.

Now here we are, in the middle of August, and the tree is green instead of white.  It's still pretty.  See?

Speaking of 'pretty', here is some pretty Musica to listen to as you read on.

As my husband and I were looking at it, he noticed the bare branches where the harsh winter had taken its toll.  He also noticed that the other branches were not symmetrical, but growing out a little wildly.  He pointed out the suckers at the base of the tree.  He wanted to trim the entire tree.  I, on the other hand, wanted to remove the dead portion and the suckers and leave the rest of the tree alone.

We've watched that tree grow in splendor during the 8+ years we've lived here.  It holds a lot of sentimental value to me. The Lord has taught me a few lessons as He has spoken to me through the process of watching that little tree. Some of you may think - "How can God speak lessons through a tree?".  Hang in there with me - I'll explain.

The tree has held its own through drought, severe storms, ice, harsh winters and ideal weather.  We've not given it any special attention.  No water, fertilizer, or extensive trimming.   Without any extra special care from us, the little tree has endured.  It's only by the grace of God that it's still standing.

That tree reminds me of my own life.  I've been through drought, storms, harsh times and ideal times. Through it all, the Lord has provided His tender loving care, and sent others along the way to help.  When He chose not to send others, HE was there, and by His grace I'm still standing.

Like my husband and I did with our little Dogwood tree, I took time to reflect on my life.  I do this continually, and it's a process that gets easier the more often it happens.  With the Lord's prompting and guidance, I have to take the steps necessary to 'prune'.

Like our little tree, when there is a branch (relationship, circumstance, or situation) that dies (no longer beneficial to my life and/or causes more harm than good) I needed to get rid of it.  That is something that can be difficult, but it is vital to creating the beautiful tree (life) God wants for all of us.

We always agree that the little 'suckers' need to go at the bottom of the tree.  And the sooner the better. Why?  They grow at the bottom of the tree instead of at the top, where branches are beneficial and help create the beauty we see.  They suck all the energy from the tree so it doesn't get the nutrients to the main branches that need it.  And left to themselves, they create a mess that is a chaotic and takes even more time to set right. Over the years I've learned that the 'suckers' (people, situations, circumstances) in my life need to be removed for the very same reason we remove them from the tree.  And the sooner the better.

As for the wildly growing branches, they aren't too out of control and add some character to the tree.  And they remind me of my own personality.  Sometimes I'm a little wild, perhaps at times a little out of control - but never too much - yet still effective where God has placed me.

So with just enough attention, that little Dogwood Tree stands beautiful in our yard.  And with just enough attention to my own life (spiritually, mentally, physically) I can stand beautiful in God's yard (our world). That's my lesson from God this week.  Taught through our little tree.

While not perfect, the tree is still lovely in my eyes.  While I'm not perfect, I'm still lovely in God's eyes.

Now - time to get back to the Dogwood Tree and do some pruning.


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Delight

Sometimes, as I sit in my living room gazing out the windows at the traffic speeding by, I feel like I'm in a little bubble.  A wonderful, peaceful bubble.  The noise is drowned out by the hum of the air conditioning and the soft music playing in the background.  While I know not what people are doing with their day outside my house, I know that I'm enjoying it inside.  

I'm stranded at home, without a vehicle, and I really don't mind at all.  For some, that would be a bit disconcerting, but for me, it's a delightful thing.  I have plenty to keep me busy in our little home. Housework, the dogs, crafts, reading, a bit of tv, research and writing.  

My husband requested homemade chocolate chip cookies, so I honored his request.  Of course, any of the cookies that were broken while I took them off the cookie sheet had to be gotten rid of.  In. My. Belly. Haha.  Well, as you know, I don't like things to go to waste, and I couldn't put broken cookies on the plate or in the trash...so I had to eat them!  (That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

I usually just put the cookies on a paper plate with some wrap covering them and leave them to be eaten. I thought of my mother and how she taught me to make each day special in one way or another. So I decided to bring out one of the beautiful Carnival Glass plates I inherited from her and put the cookies on it.  You can see it there on the bottom left of the picture below.  So pretty!

After eating a few cookies I decided I needed something just as yummy to wash them down.  See that cute little teapot/mug combo below?  My wonderful hubby got that at a garage sale for me.  I used to have quite a few teapots, but have worked my way down to just three.  This little teapot holds about three cups; just right for one person.  It's such a wonderful little gem with a cute little matching cup that sits right on top when I store it.  And it's made just for that purpose!  Isn't it adorable?

         

I 'inherited' my love for tea from my mother as well.  We used to drink tea together and have wonderful conversations.  While I do use bagged tea, when I can get a good loose-leaf tea I prefer to use it. A friend of mine had given me some wonderful loose leaf tea, and I brought it out today for that extra-special relaxing moment.  I have the cutest little tea infuser that I picked up many years ago.  My mother had one of the old acorn-shaped infusers, and we used it often.  My little infuser is perfect for my little teapot.  It has a chain and hook to make it easy to get out of the teapot.  The lid is a on a two little hinges so it opens to let me scoop in just the right amount of loose-leaf tea.

It is the most adorable little house!  Isn't it cute with the little curved door and windows?  It brings me joy just to use it.  Here it is, deep in the water, ready to brew deliciousness.  Lid on now to brew a proper pot of tea!

And when it's all done, it's a beautiful amber color, and makes for a pretty cup of soothing tea.  I'm so pleased with the special moment for today.  Mother would be delighted as well.

As I enjoyed my pot of tea, I thought of how Mother would suggest ways to make ordinary moments and ordinary days special.  She said "God gave them to us.  It's up to us to make them our delight."  And she's right.  It works that way with our relationship with God too.  When we take time to make that relationship special, reading His Word, and pausing in our busyness to listen to Him, we find the same delight that Jeremiah did.  In the midst of his busyness and complaining, for a brief moment he reflected on what gave him delight. In Jeremiah 15:16 he said "Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts." 

I share Jeremiah's delight, each time I study deeply the Word of God.  And I have delight each time I call upon the Lord in prayer, gather with others in worship, and share Him with others.  I enjoy the delight when I take time to create the quiet, reflective moments in a day like today.  And I thank Him for the day of being "stranded" so I can enjoy - delight.

All Things Garden

I love the thought of having a vegetable garden.  Most of my friends began planting around mid-April to mid-May at the latest, and have vegetables overtaking their gardens.  My process was a bit slower, since I needed to wait on my husband's availability to pick up a load of good compost amidst his very busy days starting and repairing sprinkler systems.

In planning what I wanted to grow, I decided that I needed some labels so I would know what to expect as the plants began growing.  This part was fun and cheap.  I had some paint left over from a previous craft project, and some left over unused paint stir-sticks that I collected each time I bought paint.  I needed a few more stir-sticks than I had, so I went to the local home improvement store and asked them for the few I needed.  They were happy to give me what I needed, free of charge, since they knew me from buying paint there before.

I painted half of the the sticks with the colored paint, and after it dried, I painted the name of the vegetables/fruit/herbs I was going to grow in black paint.  After that dried, I painted the entire stick with a sealant - you know - the one that rhymes with Hodge Lodge.  After that dried, I stuck the unpainted end in the ground and voila!  Garden markers!  Here's what they looked like before I put them in the garden.

As you know, I'm a big re-purpose/recycle person.  While hubby wanted to build a pretty garden space for me, I just wanted to use what we had lying around the house.  Why waste the materials and spend more money, right?

Hubby and I built the framework for the raised bed out of scrap lumber we had around the house.  After laying down some weed barrier (which we also had), he was finally able to pull away from work to get the compost.  I decided to try square foot gardening, and had some ribbon in my craft room I had laying around that allowed me to line my grids perfectly.

The fence was built using two different chain-link fence pieces, which hubby wasn't pleased about, but I insisted on using.  I wasn't about to go buy more when we had what we could use laying around, and I didn't care that they were two different heights.  All I cared about was that we weren't wasting what we had, and that it kept our two little beasties out of the garden.  For some reason, when they saw the nice soft dirt, they thought we were building their own personal playground.  They made holes and popped the ribbon off in many places.  Here are the culprits.  Don't let their cuteness deceive you - they aren't as innocent as they look.  But they are cute aren't they?

     

 

Finally, after doing all that, we purchased the seeds and plants for the garden at our local garden store. Hubby was such a dear to put a sprinkler system in for my garden so I could water easily with just the turn of a handle.  I'm so blessed to have him!  Now let me tell you - it's June 6th.  Yes - June.  So many people were telling me that June is too late to plant seeds and not to expect anything to grow well because of the impending summer heat.  Of course I didn't listen to them because I was determined to have a garden no matter what they said.  Here it is after our day of planting.  See the little stick Garden markers on the outside edges?

We were blessed with a very cool, rather wet beginning to our Summer here, for which we were all very grateful.  I was excited, because I thought my plants would have the water they needed to help them grow. We had the fence (the ugly one my hubby hates but I think is a testament to using what you have instead of frivolous spending) to keep out the larger animals and protect the plants from being dug up.  What I didn't plan on was the sky being cloudy all the time, which made the plants not grow much at all, because there really wasn't any sunshine for them.

The other thing I didn't think about was squirrels.  Yes - the pesky, destructive, curious, horrible squirrels! They dug up all of my beans, corn, carrots, lettuce pods, spinach pods, broccoli and cauliflower.  At first we thought it was birds, but when I saw the little pods taken out whole, and slightly torn apart, I realized it was the squirrels.  We have yet to keep the squirrels out, so each time I plant to replace what they've eaten, the process starts over again.  Next year we may invest in a motion sensor on the irrigation.

At any rate, the sun finally came out and the garden finally started growing.  Each day I find a couple more tomatoes and sweet peppers.  The corn, hot peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, spinach, and romaine were destroyed by squirrels so I've given up on those for this season.  The cucumbers, cantaloupe, watermelon, and pumpkins are slowly taking everything else over, so I'm excited to see if they make anything good to harvest.  There is one bean stalk winding its way up the trellis, so maybe we'll have our little french green beans after all.  The three types of tomatoes and the sweet peppers are doing wonderfully.

Here's my little bitty harvest today:  grape tomatoes that are actually about the size of a kumquat, a yellow pear tomato, and a sweet pepper.  I know it's not much, but there are more on the plants ripening as I type. So we'll have more soon (if the pesky squirrels don't yank them off).  I've never had yellow pear tomatoes, nor the light little sweet peppers before, and have been delighted at how tasty they are!  I recommend trying them in your garden.

Here is what my garden looks like today.  These were actually taken today before I wrote this so we're taling 'real time' here folks!

In the picture on the right you can see the tomatoes, sweet peppers, beans, cukes and basil on the right-hand side of the garden.  On the left-hand side are the cantaloupe, watermelon, and pumpkin.  The open space in between is where all the other plants should be growing but aren't because of the squirrels.  

The sun is out now and the heat is beginning to rise again, so the plants are getting what they need to grow. They are indeed growing quickly now, so now we'll see how well they produce.  Even if I only end up with a few more tomatoes and peppers and nothing else, I'll be satisfied.  I figure the late planting is a learning opportunity, and who knows - maybe I'll have so much growing after everyone else's gardens are dying back that I'll have fresh veggies and fruit into the early Fall!  Wouldn't that be wonderful?

I'll be certain to keep you updated on All Things Garden as time passes.  In the meantime, if you have any gardening tips, suggestions, or testimonies to share about gardening in Northwest Arkansas, feel free to comment on this post.  I'll be delighted to read them!

Blessings and fresh produce to you!

Beautiful

It seems that as I've perused through social media lately there is a theme that abounds.  People are becoming more aware that there is something to be said about being happy with yourself as you are, and realizing that you are beautiful.  No matter what you look like - overweight, underweight, skin concerns or none at all.  If your hair is perfect or not-so-much, even if your teeth are straight or not.  This is a good thing.  Yes - a truly wonderful thing!

When I was young, I was fit, healthy, and while not model-beautiful, felt pretty and was confident.  I loved myself.  I'm not saying I was in love with myself, like in a self-absorbed way, but that I loved who I was in a good way.  I didn't care what others thought about me, how they talked about me, or if I fit the mold of what they expected.  I knew who I wanted to be, who I was in Christ, and was true to myself in every aspect of my life.

As the years passed by, life threw me one curve ball after another, and somehow I let it slowly erode that self-love and confidence.  It was replaced by a thought process that undermined what I had spent my younger years establishing.  Somehow my viewpoint changed from how God saw me to how the world saw me.  And the world is a cruel place.

Here I am, in my late 40s, and I no longer fit the cookie-cutter mold of the woman who is fit, well-coiffed, and stylishly dressed.  I don't know how to dress stylishly for my age and body type, nor do I have the budget for it.  I am allergic to make-up, so I choose not to wear it unless it's a very special occasion.  I never did get braces, so my teeth are crooked, and although I do brush and floss daily, they are not pearly white. As a matter of fact, I recall the day a child in our church asked me why my teeth were not as white as his mommy's.  When I asked him what color they were, he said "more like ecru".  Seriously - true story.  A child calling your teeth ecru isn't something you'd ever want to make up.  Ha!  I had to laugh - and still do!  I don't color my hair as often as I probably should, and don't really seem to dwell on the grey that is in abundance (until I see it in a picture).

I struggle sometimes with my physical self-image.  And I shouldn't.  I know I shouldn't.  But somehow I do. I allow the inundation of the media's image of a skinny woman who looks like a model to dictate how I should look.  I fall into the trap that says my extra weight and physical limitations keep me from being a useful, valuable, beautiful woman.  In doing this, I betray myself in my thoughts.  And even more, that negative thought process is my own betrayal toward God.

You see, if I were true to God, I wouldn't allow any of this to permeate my brain.  I'd daily rebuke the assault on my thought process, and value how my heavenly Father sees me.  And He sees me as His beautiful creation.  He doesn't need me to adorn myself outwardly - dress in the latest fashion, wear makeup, have white or straight teeth, or even grey-free hair.  He needs me to adorn myself inwardly.

1 Peter 3:3-4
Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. (ESV)

Don't misinterpret these verses.  There is nothing wrong with wearing the latest fashion, being perfectly coiffed, and looking outwardly adorned.  This is all well and fine.  When it becomes our primary focus and hinders our rightful self-image, then it becomes wrong.  After my body and health betrayed me I realized my life was more than outward beauty.  I realized I needed to shuck the world's image of me, like you shuck the husk off an ear of corn to see the golden beauty that lies underneath.

I realized that my self-image was contagious.  To my husband, to my son and daughter, to my extended family, and even to my close friends.  Then, as I spoke to others, I realized the viewpoint of myself in God's eyes was the viewpoint they, too, needed in their lives.  In their hearts.  In their minds.  I realized the change needed was a change in the way I, as a woman, expressed my view of not only myself, but also of them.  Instead of focusing on the outward appearance, I shared the truth of the need to focus on the inward love.  The love that only Christ can give, and the love that we can truly have for ourselves.  And you know what?  I let them know I'm beautiful.  And they realized they are beautiful too!

Ladies - you are beautiful.  You are beautiful because God made you.  You are fearfully and WONDERFULLY made!  God doesn't make junk, and he doesn't make ugly.  He makes unique, beautiful, and wonderful.

Psalm 139:13-14
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

When you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, you become a princess.  You become a princess because your Father is the King of Kings!  (I don't know who originally said that, but I say it all the time.  Because it's true.)  And we all know that the most important thing about a princess is not that she is pretty on the outside.  The most important thing about a princess is that she is beautiful on the inside.

So while you look at yourself in the mirror, know that no matter what you see, you are beautiful.  You are who God made, and you are beautiful.  You are unique, and you are beautiful.  Lady - you are just plain, ol', flat-out, beautiful!

Go here to hear a wonderful song by Colbie Caillat that I absolutely LOVE about this same thing.
Beautiful Musica

No go on out there and let your beauty shine!

I Want a Burst of the Holy Spirit

I want a burst of the Holy Spirit.  In my life, in my family, in my church, in my community, in my nation, in our world.

Today I was reading from Polhill's New American Commentary Vol. 26 about the Book of Acts in the Bible.  No, I don't often sit around reading commentaries, but do so on the occasion.  This occasion is required reading for a university class I'm taking in pursuit of my degree in biblical studies.

At any rate, in my reading, I came across a statement that hit me like a brick wall.  Polhill talked about what he learned in H. Zimmermann's "Die Sammelberichte der Apostelgeschichte" about the effect of the Holy Spirit on the church in its early years, and through the summaries found in the book of Acts.

He stated "The long summaries are the three found in chaps. 2; 4; 5.  They thus belong to the first days of Christianity after the burst of the Spirit at Pentecost.  They portray a community marked by mutual prayer and devotion, a total sharing of selves and substance, complete trust in one another, a passion for witness, a sense of the Spirit's power among them, and a unity of commitment and purpose.  They portray and ideal Christian community - the "roots" of the fellowship".

When the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles in Acts Chapter 2, they spoke in every language of every nation.  When the crowds questioned this, Peter spoke and told them of Christ's deity and the fulfillment of prophecy that had occurred with His death, burial, resurrection and ascension.  In the same chapter, in verses 41-47, we see the explosion of the church.  This is the part that I love.

Many repented, were saved and baptized, and began serving in every way possible, establishing the ideal model of the 'church'.  They came together, eager to learn and absorb as much teaching as possible.  They came together in fellowship with one another often.  They came together for the breaking of bread and in prayer with each other often.  They (as verse 43 put it) "kept feeling a sense of awe".  They came together and sold their own possessions to provide for the needs of others.  They came together in the temple with one mind, one common purpose, and spread that out into their homes and into their community.  They came together with a spirit of happiness and sincerity that was true.  They came together to praise God.  And every day people were saved.

Notice a common theme?  They came together, kept the respect and awe for God and Jesus Christ, and continued doing everything they could to reach out to others, spreading His Gospel and saving souls.

There are times in my life when I've been part of a corporate worship and felt this wonderful outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  And there are times in my life when I've been part of it and felt nothing, sometimes even a negativity that weighed measurably on the assembly.  One Pastor told me that what I experience during corporate gatherings (church worship and service) is entirely up to me, and I would only experience negativity if I let myself experience it.  And I understand that thought.  But when there is a palpable negative presence in a gathering, I find it difficult to remain uplifted and joyful, and sometimes find it hard to experience the presence of the Holy Spirit.  I've tried.  Sometimes I've succeeded in pushing the negative aside, but most often I've failed.  Is that my own shortcoming?  Perhaps.  Perhaps not.

Sometimes I wonder if the body of the church (us) squelches the Holy Spirit.  Whether it be our own hindrances, too much negativity within the congregation, sometimes too many restrictions placed on our worship practices (like whether we can raise our hands in the music worship time).  Sometimes there is an unfriendliness and uncooperative spirit about God's calling upon His church, and an unwillingness to get out of out of those four walls and into our communities.

I had to ask myself some key questions.  Do I squelch the Holy Spirit?  Do I place limits on the way other people can express their gratitude to the God we worship?  Do I allow my own fears and misgivings to hinder my own worship experience?  Far worse - does my attitude and reflection of His desires hinder others in their own worship and Kingdom service?  Woe to me if I do.

I realize there is no such thing as the "perfect" church.  If there were, I'd want to belong to it, and when I did, it would no longer be the "perfect" church.  Why?  Because I'm not perfect.  I'm weak, human, fallible, and inconsistent.  

I'm a sinner saved by the grace of God, believe in His Son, Jesus Christ and His death for the atonement of my sins, and have been forgiven, baptized and call myself a Christian.  Therefore, as promised to me, have been filled with the Holy Spirit.  I've been given my own "burst of the Holy Spirit"!

But over the years, my excitement about that has been more like a roller coaster of ups and downs, ebbs and flows.  Instead of allowing that "burst" to remain my constant source of energy and commitment to my God in His commission to spread His Gospel to the world, I've sat on my couch and kept it to myself.  I've missed the boat on so many occasions where I could have helped His church be more like that of the young church found in Acts.  Instead, I've let it fall into the state of the church in Ephesus, where the mission has sometimes persisted, but more out of drudgery and duty than out of a true, honest love for God.

There have been times that I've used that "burst" of the Holy Spirit to light the fire once again in my own life, in my family, in my church, and in the mission field.  Those times have been the best, because I have felt the power of the Holy Spirit, seen the tangible effects of dedicated servitude, and experienced the gathering of those 'like-minded' individuals - sharing love, food, clothes, and most of all - God's love, grace and salvation. Oh, how those days brought me joy!  How remembering them encourages me.  How they speak to my heart and mind.

So what does all of this have to do with anything?  To you it may not matter more than a mole hill.  But to me, they mean everything.  To me, the reminder God gave me in the second chapter of Acts wakes me up and stirs that desire in my heart and soul.  A desire for that young church.  A desire to gather with others who want to grow the Kingdom, to come together with gladness and true sincerity, working with each other - not out of duty, but out of love.

It's up to me to start.  Not rely on others.  All it takes is me, allowing the Holy Spirit to work in and through me, to encourage others, encourage others to encourage others, and so on.  It's time to return our lives, our families, our churches, our communities, our nation, and our world to those that Honor God and spread His Gospel.  It's time to be that young church in Acts.

I want that church.  I want to be a part of that life.  That worship.  That fellowship.  I want to be a force for the Love of Christ, for the increase of God's Kingdom, for the outreach to those so in need of a Savior.

I want a burst of the Holy Spirit.

Trash to Treasure

In honor of my mother, Carol Elizabeth (Dickin) Binnall, who is enjoying another Mothers Day in heaven, I wanted to post a little, simple craft.  Why?  Because my mother was really great at making something big and memorable out of very little.  She was truly a frugal homemaker.  We grew up doing crafts all the time, using whatever was available, and Mama always knew how to use scraps of about anything to help nurture our creativity.

Mama would make our birthday cake and decorate it elaborately, having taught herself all the tricks of the trade, with the very few tools my parents' budget would allow.  There were parties with our friends, she volunteered to help with Brownies, Girl Scouts, was a room mother, and more.  I remember one Halloween Sleepover she did for us and our friends where she made cupcakes and used licorice drops and licorice strips to make them look like black cats.  She sewed a lot of our clothes when we were younger, made a lot of the decor around the house, and knew how to make a meal that would satisfy our hungry family of five out of very little food.  She set the bar pretty high, and I'm grateful for the example she set for me, and the nurturing she gave our creative spirits.  Without that influence I wouldn't be as crafty as I am, and I take pride in creating much out of very little.  I'm grateful for what Mama taught me.

It's from Mama that I get my desire to repurpose what others would throw away, and create something to enjoy.   So ... here is my latest quick and easy craft project.

The last time we ate at one of our favorite restaurants, we had pancakes, and they brought out the Maple Syrup in cute little bottles.  Hubby shook his head when I took the empty bottles home in my purse, and laughed at me with his little remark "I would expect nothing less", as I asked him if he was surprised.  At first I used the little glass bottle to root some plants I had trimmed.  Then I had a wonderful idea.

This project is truly one of those where I'm glad that I save scraps of stuff.  In my craft supplies, I noticed I had some burlap flowers I'd purchased at a craft store years ago, a leftover scrap of burlap from a 12x12 sheet I purchased in the scrapbook department, and ribbon.    Perfect combination!  Let the creativity begin!

Step One:  Gather supplies.  See list above, and add scissors, rubber bands, little bitty glass bottle, and mod podge.  (You could use whatever glue you want, but I like mod podge because it's easy and sticks well.)

Step Two:  Cut burlap to fit bottle size.

Step Three:  Coat bottle with mod podge.  (My bottle of mod podge was bit enough for me to dip the little glass bottle in, so I did that and let it drip for a minute.  Then I wiped the bottom of the jar off so it didn't stick to the paper I set it on.)

Step Four:  Wrap burlap around glass bottle and hold tightly while securing it with several rubber bands.  I wrapped the rubber bands around my bottle as tightly as I could.  My bottle had a small neck on it, so I scrunched the burlap up and tied it very tightly to hold the 'scrunch'.  Then I set the bottle on a piece of paper to dry.  The rubber bands didn't stick to the bottle, so they were easy to take off when it dried.

Step Five:  After all is dry, remove the rubber bands.  Then pull off as many of the little strings from the top of the burlap as you want to create the frayed edge.  You can cut it down if it's too tall.

Step Six:  Wrap ribbon around the 'neck' of the bottle, tie it in a knot, and snip the 'tails' for a fun little look.

Step Seven:  Put burlap flowers in and voila!  You have a little fun crafty bouquet!

Here it is on my dining room table, amidst the other items I put on a doily-covered lazy susan.  It's SO cute!!

Take what you have, and find creative ways to use it to add fun and spice to your life and home!  It doesn't have to be designer, or expensive, or even made from brand new stuff!  Look outside the box and get creative!

This truly is one of those cases where "one man's trash is another man's treasure".  I'm grateful for God's provisions, and try to use what He gives in every way possible, down to the last scrap.  I'm often that way with my relationship with my Father God.  Hubby laughs at me and often says that I can turn just about anything and any situation in life into a lesson about God.  He's right.  Life is not trash unless you allow it to be trash.  It's time to turn what others would toss at you as trash into the treasure God so graciously has for you!  Be bold!  Be grateful!  Be creative!

Happy Mothers Day!

I want to be a tree.

I want to be a tree.  A dogwood tree.  Yep.  You read it right.  No, I'm not crazy.  Just a little 'touched'.  :)
The other day my daughter heard a knock at the door, and after ensuring the person knocking posed no threat, she opened it to see what the person wanted.  You see, we live in between two churches, and often people knock on our door to see if we will help with something assuming we are associated with the churches.  Much to my daughter's surprise, the elder woman merely wanted a picture of the little dogwood tree in our front yard.  It was just so beautiful in its fully-bloomed splendor that it caught her attention, made her smile, and touched her heart with its beauty.  So she had to have a picture of it herself and to share with others.  The delight in her face when my daughter told her to take as many pictures as she liked was something that stuck with my daughter enough to make an impression.
This little tree is one we've watched grow in the eight years we've lived here, and I delight in it every year as it reflects God's glory in every season.  The transitions are wonderful, and this year the result of Spring's arrival made for a spectacular display of beautiful flowers.  While we are used to God showing off in our little tree, each season brings an anticipated and appreciated renewal of His love and beauty, it's nice when I hear of other people who appreciate the little tree.
What's funny is that when it first blooms, the flowers are green.  Yes - green.  And not necessarily a pretty thing.  Here's what it looks like, taken just before it started to turn white.  Nothing spectacular, right?  But it still draws the attention of those passing by as it continues its transition.

Even though the tree isn't spectacular at this point, I know that it soon will be.  When the time is right, it will be filled with the splendor of white blossoms, catching the eye of people passing by.  In this case, enough for them to be inspired.
That made me think of the way God works, and how He's often worked in my own life.  I've been "green", wondering if at that time I'm being used for God's glory, waiting for God to perfect me and make me "white". When I'm close to Him, I feel close to "white".  Always in transition, hoping God can use me in every transition of my life.
You see, I want to ensure His Kingdom work is getting the attention of passers by enough for them to stop and take notice.  I want to be drawing others to Christ either indirectly or directly, so they would take a moment to feel God's love, smile, and be drawn in their heart to His plan for their lives. Then I want them to be so eager that they want to take a "picture" of that moment and be eager to share it with others.  That's how it's done.  Through our spoken testimonies, unspoken daily examples, and our support of others working for God, we can be part of bringing others to the saving knowledge of Christ.
I stopped in my tracks and questioned myself.  Am I showing off God's splendor or hiding it?  Am I living in a way and doing all I can to help others stop in their tracks and say "That's what I want!  I want that beauty in my life."  I want to help others have the moment where they ask "Can I take a picture of this?" (their moment of joy and splendor in the Risen Savior).  So they can look at it (their relationship with Jesus Christ), and say "This is beautiful.  I want to share it with others."  
In the transformation from bare, to green, to white, the transition of Christ's renewal appears in this little tree. As I grow more in Christ, as we all grow more in Christ, we become more like Him.  2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV) puts it this way "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."  
Where are you in this transformation - this shift of 'one degree of glory to another'?  Has the veil of denial, doubt, unworthiness, or even the veil of not knowing anything about Jesus Christ kept you 'bare', or even 'green'?  Are you waiting to be made 'white' in the beauty of salvation in our Lord?  If you are 'bare' - it's time to stop and claim the life God wants for you. To claim salvation and eternal life in heaven with our Lord. If you feel 'green' - it's time to be reassured that in spending time in God's Word and focusing on your relationship with Jesus Christ you are still being used by God, refined to His image, and no matter your situation - beautiful.  
And in His timing, His moments of splendor, we are used - either behind the scenes or out in the open - to bring the splendor to others, making them stop in their tracks.  Creating a moment, a snapshot in time, to give hope and a smile to one person... who will do so for another... who will do so for another... and so on.  Until we are all "white".  Like this:

I want to be a tree.  A dogwood tree.