Planting a seed is a miraculous thing. You dig a hole and place this tiny ovule that has been in dormancy deep down covering it with a protection of soil. Then you sprinkle it with water to jumpstart the germination process. All that is needed is some sunshine from above and before you know it, fine little pale green sprouts begin to wriggle their way to the surface. With continued watering and light from above, the weak little sprout strengthens and reaches for more water and more light from above. The stem becomes strong and leaves begin to form, still reaching upward toward the light. After a time a tiny bud slowly unfurls from its protected place at the base of the leaf joined to the stem. At first it is tight but it’s layers soon relax as it feels the warmth of the sun. Within days the miracle manifests itself in colorful soft petals of the flower…then the fruit.

Our Bible study group is currently working on a Beth Moore Study entitled “Stepping Up”. It is a journey through the Psalms of Ascent, a compilation of 15 psalms, 120 thru 134, and we are almost half-way through.

Last week I was sharing with the girls how clearly I recognize my need to stay in God’s Word. When our group of around 25 ladies is between studies we take a few weeks off. During that time I occasionally pick up my Bible, but certainly not daily, as I do in the midst of a nurturing study.

The studies, even when repeated, teach me so much about my relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, about myself and the person I strive to be. I am human, and often in my humanness I fall short of what pleases God. But, I have learned I can seek forgiveness and try again to be that person. There is a lesson in each failure. God will help me through it and even in the darkness He will wrap His arms around me tightly. But, there will be light again. He will be pleased, and I will be beautiful in His sight.

Everyone needs to plant a garden…..

The post Seeds first appeared on Zjudes blog.

Last weekend Matt asked if I had ever wanted to plant a garden. Of course my answer was an astounding “YES”.
Living in Florida we have a lot of sun and recent years not enough rain. I knew I could keep up with a garden once it was planted, but I really wasn’t sure where to put it or how to go about it. So, Matt got on the computer and he investigated.
We agreed a box garden would be the way to go. It would insure proper drainage and the biggest plus, we would not have to deal with tilling or removing the roots from the palms and plants. Within three hours he had constructed an 8’x4’x1′ wooden box, cleared the area and laid garden cloth on the ground inside. It was beautiful and I was totally impressed with my new Son-In-Law and his woodworking skills.
My assignment was to determine the proper mix of soil we would need, so off to the garden center I went on Monday morning. I met a knowledgeable gentlemen who told me exactly what I needed. He told me to use a mixture of manure for nutrients, clean top soil and peat to absorb to prevent the dirt from becoming soggy. He calculated each type by cubic foot and I texted the info to Matt who would pick the soil up in the truck after work.
That night Lou and Matt filled the box with soil. Now all I had to do was find some plantings and we would be set! It is a little late for seeds, so I thought since it was our first garden, I would begin with young plants. It would be a shame as well as expensive to fail.
The next day I visited several nurseries and filled my SUV with a great selection of shade tolerant vegetables and herbs. They would be perfect! I found green and purple cabbage, several types of lettuce, zucchini and yellow squash, rosemary, basil, stevia, spearmint and chocolate mint, a variety of peppers including bell and jalapeno, datil and banana. And we cannot resist tomatoes. The box garden will be brimming soon as I am certain I have planted a little too generously.
It only took about an hour to tuck the healthy plantings into the lush prepared bed. It was beautiful. I dashed off a picture to Matt to show him our garden.
What do YOU think?

The post Our Garden Progress Report first appeared on Zjudes blog.