Wow, this is a nice nugget...I've been thinking along these lines recently and I wondered how it would be if Adam was chased by Eve.
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Wow, this is a nice nugget...I've been thinking along these lines recently and I wondered how it would be if Adam was chased by Eve.
I suppose those are pretty tough seeds!
I just found this: Desert Plant Survival - DesertUSA
Speaks to the drought resistant seeds...interesting! I wonder if there is also a spiritual connection to these resistant seeds...Hmm. I am thinking there is
Some seeds have to be burned in wildfire to germinate.
Backyard Gardener - Growing Manzanita - December 21, 2016
Nancy
Well-Known Member
Interesting...whoda thunk??
Since I cannot take care of a garden unless raised beds, I just go to my local grocery store 
GOD THE POTTER
A lump of clay in the right hands can be formed into something useful and/or decorative. God wants to use us as a potter uses clay, molding us for his purposes, but once clay has set and become hard it is unworkable. Clay that remains soft and pliable can be re-worked to correct mistakes, or just as important, to create a new shape. But just as clay needs to be kept continually moist in order to be worked and shaped so to do we as God’s people need to be kept ‘moist’ and malleable so that God can shape us into his plan for us. We should not let ourselves become ‘dry’ or ‘hard-baked’ but remain pliable in God’s hands by drinking the water of life daily.
A lump of clay in the right hands can be formed into something useful and/or decorative. God wants to use us as a potter uses clay, molding us for his purposes, but once clay has set and become hard it is unworkable. Clay that remains soft and pliable can be re-worked to correct mistakes, or just as important, to create a new shape. But just as clay needs to be kept continually moist in order to be worked and shaped so to do we as God’s people need to be kept ‘moist’ and malleable so that God can shape us into his plan for us. We should not let ourselves become ‘dry’ or ‘hard-baked’ but remain pliable in God’s hands by drinking the water of life daily.
A Story of Winter Trees. Thursday 15th December 2016
I love trees in winter; they are so beautiful when the leaves, flowers and fruit have long gone and all that remains is their naked trunks and branches as they stand seemingly dormant over the winter months.
The other day, as I stood at my bus stop, I was admiring the naked trees across the road and, convinced that there was a lesson in there somewhere, I asked God to show me what it could be.
Today standing in the same spot and looking at the same trees he gave me the answer.
During spring summer and autumn the trees are lovely in their leafy coverings but only when the leaves have fallen and they stand naked at this bleak time of year do they show their true strength; what they are really made of; the part of themselves that stands firm in all weathers.
God showed me that we Christians are like that; we have our growing times, our times of fruitfulness and glowing beauty but only in the bleak periods during the storms and troubles of our lives do we show our true strength as we stand firm in Christ against the odds.
And it seems that the older and more gnarled the tree the more beautiful it is when it is starkly naked during the winter months. So perhaps this is also true of Christians.
And if you look closely at those trees that are seemingly dormant at this time of year, you will see the buds already forming on those bare branches which will burst forth to create a new, fresh, different beauty come the spring. Perhaps we are like that too.
I love trees in winter; they are so beautiful when the leaves, flowers and fruit have long gone and all that remains is their naked trunks and branches as they stand seemingly dormant over the winter months.
The other day, as I stood at my bus stop, I was admiring the naked trees across the road and, convinced that there was a lesson in there somewhere, I asked God to show me what it could be.
Today standing in the same spot and looking at the same trees he gave me the answer.
During spring summer and autumn the trees are lovely in their leafy coverings but only when the leaves have fallen and they stand naked at this bleak time of year do they show their true strength; what they are really made of; the part of themselves that stands firm in all weathers.
God showed me that we Christians are like that; we have our growing times, our times of fruitfulness and glowing beauty but only in the bleak periods during the storms and troubles of our lives do we show our true strength as we stand firm in Christ against the odds.
And it seems that the older and more gnarled the tree the more beautiful it is when it is starkly naked during the winter months. So perhaps this is also true of Christians.
And if you look closely at those trees that are seemingly dormant at this time of year, you will see the buds already forming on those bare branches which will burst forth to create a new, fresh, different beauty come the spring. Perhaps we are like that too.
BRIDAL INTIMACY
As I undressed for bed one night, I suddenly thought that in just the same way as our physical bodies are less than perfect when stripped naked so our spiritual ‘bodies’ leave much to be desired when laid bare before God.
In our relationship with Jesus the Church is called the Bride of Christ, and just as a bridegroom will come to know his bride, body and soul, intimately, over the years of their marriage, so God already knows us inside out, and wants us to know Him intimately too. We can hide nothing from Him; we cannot pretend.
He knows our strengths and weaknesses; our best bits and our ‘wobbly’ bits; the good the bad and ugly. He knows the desires of our hearts; he knows all our moods; he knows all our needs; he knows our likes and dislikes. He knows all those secret thoughts and yet he loves us anyway.
And he loves us unreservedly, unconditionally; for richer for poorer, for better for worse, in sickness and in health.
So let us love, honour and obey Him, and forsaking all others keep ourselves only unto Him.
He loved us enough to die for us so let us love him enough to live for him.
SEASONS OF THE SOUL
It is natural that throughout our lives we will experience changes in our everyday moods, and just as there are distinct seasons in nature so there are also different seasons of the soul.
There are those lovely ‘summer’ days when we feel completely and inexplicably happy and alive; when all is well with the world and we are strong and vital, and there are the ‘autumnal’ days of mellow contentment and fruitfulness; of satisfaction and completeness,
The ‘spring’ days bring with them deep joy and a feeling of hope and expectation while the bitter-sweet days of ‘winter’ are days of quiet solitude, contemplation and rest; when we may feel naturally sad for no apparent reason.
All these different moods are necessary for our well-being and we should learn to embrace them all and let each emotion bring its own richness and variety to our lives. As we get older and more mature and are growing closer to God we may become more aware of these seasonal changes and look for the rich blessings in each.
God our Father is the one who has designed us to benefit from these changes in our emotions, giving us times of sunshine and of rain; of growth and rest; of cutting back and pruning. His is the hand who leads and guides us through these seasons of the soul, planting, nurturing, harvesting and resting our souls for his own purposes.
We need to learn to recognize these changes and accept them as easily as we accept the changes which occur in the natural world, and submit to them as part of the heavenly gardener’s plan for our own spiritual growth and the increased growth of his kingdom.
I’ve discovered over the years that if you are in the 'spring', 'summer' or 'autumn' seasons of the soul you are quite content but when you are going through 'winter' it is more difficult and you long for it to be over and back to 'spring' again.
Of course it is just like this during a real winter, especially during harsh ones like those we’ve had over the last couple of years. We long for new growth and the warmth of spring sunshine on our faces; to be able to cast off all those bulky garments and be free and light, but we get through by making changes to our living arrangements and it can be quite pleasant. We turn the heat up, pull the curtains and switch the lights on wrap up warm and eat different sorts of foods. We all have our own ways of getting through the cold days of winter.
And as in the natural, so in the supernatural; we must make adjustments.
Without the winter dormancy the trees wouldn’t be able to bring forth that fresh new growth that cheers us all so much; we wouldn’t appreciate the warmth of the sun with having experienced the freezing conditions of a bleak winter.
The best thing to do during the ‘winter’ season of the soul is to do what God told me when I was in a very ‘cold’ place and feeling far from him a couple of years ago, “Just be and let me”.
I listened to him, obeyed him, stopped worrying about it and soon the ‘sun’ came out again.
@Mayflower
It is natural that throughout our lives we will experience changes in our everyday moods, and just as there are distinct seasons in nature so there are also different seasons of the soul.
There are those lovely ‘summer’ days when we feel completely and inexplicably happy and alive; when all is well with the world and we are strong and vital, and there are the ‘autumnal’ days of mellow contentment and fruitfulness; of satisfaction and completeness,
The ‘spring’ days bring with them deep joy and a feeling of hope and expectation while the bitter-sweet days of ‘winter’ are days of quiet solitude, contemplation and rest; when we may feel naturally sad for no apparent reason.
All these different moods are necessary for our well-being and we should learn to embrace them all and let each emotion bring its own richness and variety to our lives. As we get older and more mature and are growing closer to God we may become more aware of these seasonal changes and look for the rich blessings in each.
God our Father is the one who has designed us to benefit from these changes in our emotions, giving us times of sunshine and of rain; of growth and rest; of cutting back and pruning. His is the hand who leads and guides us through these seasons of the soul, planting, nurturing, harvesting and resting our souls for his own purposes.
We need to learn to recognize these changes and accept them as easily as we accept the changes which occur in the natural world, and submit to them as part of the heavenly gardener’s plan for our own spiritual growth and the increased growth of his kingdom.
I’ve discovered over the years that if you are in the 'spring', 'summer' or 'autumn' seasons of the soul you are quite content but when you are going through 'winter' it is more difficult and you long for it to be over and back to 'spring' again.
Of course it is just like this during a real winter, especially during harsh ones like those we’ve had over the last couple of years. We long for new growth and the warmth of spring sunshine on our faces; to be able to cast off all those bulky garments and be free and light, but we get through by making changes to our living arrangements and it can be quite pleasant. We turn the heat up, pull the curtains and switch the lights on wrap up warm and eat different sorts of foods. We all have our own ways of getting through the cold days of winter.
And as in the natural, so in the supernatural; we must make adjustments.
Without the winter dormancy the trees wouldn’t be able to bring forth that fresh new growth that cheers us all so much; we wouldn’t appreciate the warmth of the sun with having experienced the freezing conditions of a bleak winter.
The best thing to do during the ‘winter’ season of the soul is to do what God told me when I was in a very ‘cold’ place and feeling far from him a couple of years ago, “Just be and let me”.
I listened to him, obeyed him, stopped worrying about it and soon the ‘sun’ came out again.
@Mayflower
This is wonderful. This is exactly what it feels like. Spring is here, and it is like I am entering the spring season in my spiritual walk too. I just feel like, "took me long enough." LOL
I drift on a raft
There is no land in my sight
I see land and smile
Glad you like it.
What are the rules for your little poems? I've read about them but no idea how they are constructed.
Oops. Typo. Kids. Lol
I went on this writing site to learn more, because I just wanted to get out of writers block. There are no rules of writing. But for the sake of learning Haiku, I stuck with the 5 7 5 syllable line format, add a season, no rhyme.
But I like freeform better. Any now have stemmed to topics on my heart, don't worry about the seasons or not rhyming. I think trying to rhyme was part of my writers block with poems. It is coming back naturally now, and holds "light" now. So not so worried about the legalities now. I love writing.
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I've been writing poems for years but they mostly rhyme, may give the Haiku a try.
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Nancy
Well-Known Member
SPRINGTIME
Soon the spring will come again
With gentle warmth and blossom
Fluffy yellow baby ducks
And golden daffodils
A time of year that lifts the heart
After winter’s reign
Summer birds return once more
Sap rises once again
In rural lanes and city streets
Spring flowers blossom forth
The trees display their fresh green shoots
And birds are busy nesting.
Soon the spring will come again
With gentle warmth and blossom
Fluffy yellow baby ducks
And golden daffodils
A time of year that lifts the heart
After winter’s reign
Summer birds return once more
Sap rises once again
In rural lanes and city streets
Spring flowers blossom forth
The trees display their fresh green shoots
And birds are busy nesting.
I was wondering as I re-read Psalm 91 whether we might lose some of our childlike, simple faith as we mature.
Back in 1984 we went to the Dales Bible Week in Harrogate, Yorkshire, for the first time. It was the first time I had ever slept in a tent and I was worried until God ‘gave’ me Psalm 91:10 “no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.” I was a fairly new Christian and took these words as a promise and totally believed in them.
On the first night under canvas there was an almighty storm in Yorkshire; York Minster was struck by lightning and set on fire and all around the campsite people were being flooded out and everybody was out in the pouring rain tightening guy ropes.
Our tent never even moved. My husband and son slept through it all and I just lay there giving thanks to God.
This particular Psalm came to mind at the outbreak of the Coronavirus as I remembered the lines in Psalm 91:7 "A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you." And reading the same psalm again I wondered how I could trust in those words from the Lord back then but years later, and as a much more mature and knowledgeable Christian, I have to work so hard at believing this promise when I simply accepted the other one all those years ago.
Back in 1984 we went to the Dales Bible Week in Harrogate, Yorkshire, for the first time. It was the first time I had ever slept in a tent and I was worried until God ‘gave’ me Psalm 91:10 “no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.” I was a fairly new Christian and took these words as a promise and totally believed in them.
On the first night under canvas there was an almighty storm in Yorkshire; York Minster was struck by lightning and set on fire and all around the campsite people were being flooded out and everybody was out in the pouring rain tightening guy ropes.
Our tent never even moved. My husband and son slept through it all and I just lay there giving thanks to God.
This particular Psalm came to mind at the outbreak of the Coronavirus as I remembered the lines in Psalm 91:7 "A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you." And reading the same psalm again I wondered how I could trust in those words from the Lord back then but years later, and as a much more mature and knowledgeable Christian, I have to work so hard at believing this promise when I simply accepted the other one all those years ago.
A FORM OF FREEDOM
One summer, on a warm and sunny day out in Lytham, I heard some birds singing very loudly. They sounded very close at hand but I didn’t recognise their calls. I stood up from my place at an outdoor table and peered into the nearby trees but could see no sign of any birds. After puzzling about it for a few minutes I became aware of people pointing and on turning round in my chair I saw the unbelievable sight of two beautiful cockatiels sitting on their perches in a cage which was being transported in a small home-made trailer attached to the back of an old bicycle. The birds’ owner had parked them up outside the bank whilst he conducted his bit of business and they were drawing quite a bit of admiring attention. These birds were obviously happy to be out in the warm sunshine and obviously felt a sort of freedom; but they were not free. They were not being allowed to fulfil their true potential for flight in the element for which they were designed.
I believe that there are many Christians like that; they have seen the light and enjoy the warmth of God’s love and are quite happily sitting on their perches singing inside the cages they have built, or have allowed others to build, around them. We all have the potential to fly in the spiritual element for which we are designed; to soar like eagles; so why do we settle for anything less. So if you recognise this feeling that you are in a ‘cage’ let me strongly encourage you to remove all the restrictions in your lives that are being allowed to form those cages so that you might fulfil your true potential to soar in the spiritual realms. And we can only fully succeed in this with the help and infilling of the Holy Spirit.
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36
One summer, on a warm and sunny day out in Lytham, I heard some birds singing very loudly. They sounded very close at hand but I didn’t recognise their calls. I stood up from my place at an outdoor table and peered into the nearby trees but could see no sign of any birds. After puzzling about it for a few minutes I became aware of people pointing and on turning round in my chair I saw the unbelievable sight of two beautiful cockatiels sitting on their perches in a cage which was being transported in a small home-made trailer attached to the back of an old bicycle. The birds’ owner had parked them up outside the bank whilst he conducted his bit of business and they were drawing quite a bit of admiring attention. These birds were obviously happy to be out in the warm sunshine and obviously felt a sort of freedom; but they were not free. They were not being allowed to fulfil their true potential for flight in the element for which they were designed.
I believe that there are many Christians like that; they have seen the light and enjoy the warmth of God’s love and are quite happily sitting on their perches singing inside the cages they have built, or have allowed others to build, around them. We all have the potential to fly in the spiritual element for which we are designed; to soar like eagles; so why do we settle for anything less. So if you recognise this feeling that you are in a ‘cage’ let me strongly encourage you to remove all the restrictions in your lives that are being allowed to form those cages so that you might fulfil your true potential to soar in the spiritual realms. And we can only fully succeed in this with the help and infilling of the Holy Spirit.
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36
How could I have missed this beautiful thread.... This will be the first thing I look at when I come back to the forums tomorrow...
@Pearl ... thank you for sharing this with me... Psalm 91 is my favorite. I love the thought of hiding in the shelter of His wings... being hidden in him.
@Pearl ... thank you for sharing this with me... Psalm 91 is my favorite. I love the thought of hiding in the shelter of His wings... being hidden in him.
Glad you found it. We needed an oasis from all the heat of debate.
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