Just to say Thank You to my followers:

 

WITHOUT NUMBER

No one but you, Lord, showers all creation

with loving kindness and tender compassion.

No one but you, Lord, is abounding in love

and is daily faithful from heaven above.

No one but you, Lord, is always forgiving

yet satisfies me with your many blessings.

There’s no one like you, Lord. No one. No one.

There’s no one like you, God’s one and only Son.

Refrain:

As countless as the sands on the seashores

your blessings on me continually pour.

As numerous as the stars in the sky

from the day I was born to the day I die

you continually show me I am treasured.

Your love for me cannot ever be measured.

Without number you love me more and more.

Everyday your blessings continue to pour.

If I should ever doubt your ways and ask why

I’ll just look up at the stars in the night sky

or I’ll think of all the sand on the seashores

then I’ll know that your blessings on me will pour

because you shower your loving kindness on me

and have more compassion than the deepest sea.

I know your love, faithfulness, and forgiveness

is without number – numerous and countless.

Refrain

I need not ever fear; no, for you are nigh.

I know your love outshines the stars in the sky

and greater than all the sand on the seashore.

Though I’m undeserving, your blessings still pour.

You will bless me with love ‘til the day I die

when I arrive in heaven by and by.

On that glad day I will see you face to face

surrounded by everlasting love and grace.

Refrain

Hardships and trials in life will seem worth it

on that day when I arrive at heaven’s gate

for to see your nail-scarred hands and feet, will speak

of your loving kindness from your mercy seat.

You had me in your mind that sad but glad day

even when you knew I would drift far away.

Glory to God! Your love endures forever!

It’s numerous and countless – without number.

Refrain

“Look up at the heavens and count the stars -

if indeed you can count them...

so shall your offspring be.”

Abraham believed the Lord,

and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Genesis 15:5-6

I will surely bless you

and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky

and as the sand on the seashore.

Genes 22:17

I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky.

Genesis 26:4

...as numerous as the stars in the sky,

as countless as the sand on the seashore.

Hebrews 11:12

The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God,

slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,

maintaining love to thousands,

and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.

Exodus 34:6-7

The Lord is gracious and compassionate,

slow to anger and rich in love.

The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

Psalm 145:8-9

His love endures forever.

Psalm 136

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Day Is Done

 

Day is Done

As day fades into twilight

the afterglow of the sun's light

is sprinkled like gold reflecting dust

illuminating all it does touch

when day composes its last refrains

reflected in ripening grain,

mirrored in far away oceans and seas,

lakes and rivers as far as one can see.

This gilded afterglow

casts a radiant glow

on everything below

as it ebbs and flows

casting a golden hue

making everything look new

for a minute in time

then quickly lost in time.

This fading glow of gold

is a sight to behold

as the sky reflects

a masterpiece perfect

in waves of golden rosy pinks

although quickly gone in a blink

as day is done, gone

when twilight comes.

This golden shimmer

highlights and glimmers

all it touches

although never captured.

It's illusive, except for a moment,

when your eyes behold this heavenly event -

somewhat sacred, always awesome -

with each replay always welcome.

Yet each replay is always different,

never copied, always unique, distinct

from the sunset the day before

as this golden glimmer pours

over the firmament

when the close of the day is met -

a benediction

in the making.

This gold,

not sold,

is often attempted

to be recreated

by artists

and poets

although a far cry from perfect

although sunsets are always perfect.

* * * * *

Do take time to watch the sunset cast its spell

in the sky above, then over hill and dell.

You'll be awed by the Creator's inspirational masterpiece

and will experience a reverent contentment, a perfect peace,

as day turns into night

with a sigh of delight.

Another gift from the Master's paintbrush

because He loves us so very much.

God called the light “day,”

and the darkness he called “night.”

Genesis 1:5

May God himself, the God of peace,

sanctify you through and through.

May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless

at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

I Thessalonians 5:23-24

May the God of peace...

equip you with everything good

for doing his will,

and may he work in us

what is pleasing to him,

through Jesus Christ,

to whom be glory for ever and ever.

Hebrews 13:20

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;

the Lord bestows favor and honor;

no good thing does he withhold

from those whose walk is blameless.

O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

Psalm 84:11-12

This is the day the Lord has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

The righteous will shine like the sun

in the kingdom of their Father.

Matthew 13:43

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Flower Child and more...

 My neighbor's cat has adopted me.  I named her Spooky, but she also known as "just a sec" as I'm taking photos or harvesting and tell her to wait a sec before receiving her morning treat, then races me to the back door. She loves to take morning tour with me giving her another name "Flower Child."  Another one of her favorite activities is rolling around in the garden thyme.  Gives her the same high as catnip does.

Currently late summer garden is filled with gold and yellow.

Years ago planted some sunflower seeds.  Sunflowers are annuals.  Now they self-seed wherever, making the vegetable garden an obstacle course...

...which draw in my beloved bees:

The butterfly bush invites butterflies, hummingbirds, hummingbird moths, and bees...

A few other blooms:

Hibiscus

Rose of Sharon:

Datura - blooms at dusk

Nasturiums - every part of plant edible and also insect repellent.

Love that zinnias have double flowers.  The inner circle reminds me of a crown, which reminds me of Psalm 103:4 ...who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion...

Early morning I attempt to take a garden tour as well as harvest daily.  What miracles transpire overnight!  This scripture from Luke 9:43 seems to fit the occasion:  

They were all

amazed

at the greatness of God.

amazed = filled with wonder

INSTRUCTIONS

 

Instructions

Much of what one knows about gardening

has been passed down through generations

of gardeners before

to those who come after.

These “oldies but goodies” know the best dirt -

not gossip, but the best secrets about earth:

how to enrich the soil,

how to reduce toil.

How to make compost

so your garden will boast.

Recycled leaves make the best organic matter

if manure is not available from your farming neighbors.

Egg shells add calcium to the garden's soil

which also cut grubs and slugs that sometimes toil.

Potassium in banana peels grow roses healthier.

Organic fresh cut grass adds nitrogen, a free fertilizer.

How to read the signs of the moon

in order for your plants to zoom.

What to plant side-by-side

and which should never reside.

When to prune

and how to prune.

How to deter deer

who are not dear.

Their advice

free, without price,

is not via the best chemicals to buy

but the best organic remedies to try.

For instance, Epsom salts grows better tomatoes.

They know the reason to hill up the row of potatoes.

Have you learned the reason?

It’s to prevent sunburn.

Yes, reading labels does teach,

as do catalogs sent to reach

perspective buyers who desire

to plant more, if they never tire.

Magazines and books

are other places to look

for needed advice

to make ones garden look nice.

But the best advice, by far,

is from old timers who were

taught by family instructions (wise tales) passed down,

and through trial and error, ups and downs.

* * * * *

Many of our practices and sayings

are based on Biblical teachings.

For instance, our saying:

“Red sky in the morning,

sailors take warning.

Red sky at night,

sailors delight”

is a Biblical teaching.

The Bible has a lot to say about farmers,

or the smaller version of the same – gardeners.

Basically caring for the land

which provides for all of us humans.

That land is a gift from the Lord

upon which His blessings pour.

After reading this scripture from Isaiah

take a moment to appreciate – be in awe...

that still God speaks to us today:

through the Bible always,

through His wonderful creation,

through previous generations,

through our spirit

when we listen to it.

When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually?

Does he keep on breaking up and harrowing the soil?

When he has leveled the surface,

does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin?

Does he not plant wheat in its place,

barley in its plot, and spelt in its field?

His God instructs him and teaches him the right way.

Caraway is not threshed with a sledge,

nor is a cartwheel rolled over cumin;

caraway is beaten out with a rod,

and cumin with a stick.

Grain must be ground to make bread;

so one does not go on threshing it forever.

Though he drives the wheels of his threshing cart over it,

his horses do not grind it.

All this also comes from the Lord Almighty,

wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom.

Isaiah 28:24-29

When evening comes, you say,

'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,'

and in the morning,

'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.'

Matthew 16:2

Since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities -

his eternal power and divine nature -

have been clearly seen,

being understood from what has been made,

so that men are without excuse.

Romans 1:20

Teach them to your children,

talking about them when you sit at home

and when you walk along the road,

when you lie down and when you get up.

Deuteronomy 11:19

He who works the land

will have abundant food.

Proverbs 12:11

See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop

and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.

James 5:7

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Good Night

Good Night

Twilight quietly falls

this month before fall.

Good nights are bid

until morning bids.

One by one good nights are said

as lodging is found in leafy beds.

Not beds with pillows of down

but beds filled with foliage hanging down.

Good night bluebird, good night titmice.

Today certainly was nice.

Good night blackbird and woodpecker.

Thanks for the day filled with laughter.

Good night sparrow, good night wren.

Good night all my new friends.

Good night chickadee, good night killdeer.

Good night to loved ones far and near.

Good night cardinal, good night blue jay.

Wasn't today a beautiful day?

Good night finch, good night robin.

Sweet dreams until morning.

Tweets and chirps refrain

yet another refrain remains -

tree toads peep under the moonlight

while crickets strum (annoyingly) through the night.

This day comes to a close

as birds eyelids close.

Good night.

Sleep tight...

until morning comes again

and a new day awakens

with chirps and tweets

that sound so sweet.

* * * * *

Have you noticed that the birds say "good night"

just as "The Walton's" family bid good night?

Someone always seems to get the last word in

as twilight quickly turns into evening.

Soon most of these feathered friends

will their southward journey begin.

The birds will be missed as winter is too quiet.

Come March, though, chirps begin to dispel this respite.

The month before the advent of fall,

do take time to listen to their calls.

Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons,

and the dove, the swift and the thrust

observe the time of their migration.

Jeremiah 8:7 NIV

Cranes know when it's time to move south for winter.

And robins, warblers, and bluebirds

know when it's time to come back again.

Jeremiah 8:7 MSG

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Ms. Fancy Dress

 Ms. Fancy Dress

Here comes Ms. Fancy Dress.

She’s today’s garden guest.

She’s invited herself for afternoon tea.

She comes because this tea party is free.

Wearing an eye-catching floating gown

this afternoon she’s seen waltzing round and round.

She sips pink lemonade tea first. Delightful!

Does she know its Latin name? Echinacea.

Purple cone flower is its common name.

Ms. Fancy Dress sips from its disc frame.

She sips from one, then another

as her gossamer wings flutter.

Then orange juice tea attracts her attention

at this mid-summer afternoon luncheon.

This tea is really turk’s cap lilies.

Soon she becomes quite silly.

She’s seen hanging upside down

covered with orange pollen.

Next, lavender garden phlox is quietly sipped

as her long feeding tube unerringly dips,

but she seems to like pink lemonade the best

as she shares with other tea-drinking garden guests.

They’re her friends the bees,

here for afternoon tea.

Just who is Ms. Fancy Dress?

Who is this welcome garden guest?

A yellow dress with black dots and stripes and a blue ruffled hem,

to see her waltz in my ballroom always attracts my attention.

No fashion designer or seamstress the world over

could come up with these coordinates of color.

Too soon her belly is filled.

For a few minutes I was thrilled

to visit with my garden guest.

There she goes, Ms. Fancy Dress.

She’s a yellow swallowtail

who waltzes about in this tale.

* * * * *

Oh the poise of Ms. Fancy Dress as she waltzes about.

Even if a gossamer wing is torn, she still gallivants.

Though her God-given mission

is for pollination

she attracts much attention

from gardeners and children.

As if not a care in the world,

she seems to reduce worries that whirl.

Her agility and grace

brings smiles to many a face.

Her buoyancy exhibits

lightness of spirit.

She’s not weighed down with the cares of this world,

trusting in her Creator her needs are upheld.

She brightens many a day

with her cheerful, carefree ways.

If life is a dance,

her waltz will enchant.

This lightness of spirit is also available to us

through believing faith as we choose to live a life of trust.

Life has many worries that tend to get us down,

forgetting God’s faithfulness and leaving behind a frown,

but God has a solution for worry

or a feeling of anxiety.

It’s “cast all your anxiety upon Him because He cares for you.”

Yes, seeking God in prayer is the antidote for what worries you.

If you’re at all familiar with the Psalms,

you’ll realize that David prayed often -

in thankfulness

and in distress...

when victorious or at wit’s end;

when pursued by enemies without end.

Rather these enemies were physical,

emotional, or irrational,

David knew one remedy for anxiety was to offer praise to God at all times.

Praising God focuses on God’s loving kindness allowing God’s faithfulness to shine.

Through life’s various surprise twists and turns,

disappointments, not knowing which way to turn,

let prayer bring you needed peace and comfort,

healing emotional and physical hurts.

God hears our heart’s cry when we pray,

even when we don’t know what to say.

In him we live and move and have our being.

As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

Acts 17:28

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

I Peter 5:7

Do not be anxious about anything,

but in everything, by prayer and petition,

with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God.

And the peace of God,

which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

The Spirit helps us in our weakness.

We do not know what we ought to pray for,

but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

And he who searches our hearts

knows the mind of the Spirit,

because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

Romans 8:26-27

For everything that was written in the past

was written to teach us,

so that through endurance

and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Romans 15:4

Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights above.

Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts.

Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars.

Praise him, you highest heavens

and you waters above the skies.

Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for he commanded and they were created.

He set them in place for ever and ever...

Praise the Lord from the earth

you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,

lightning and hail, snow and clouds, storm winds that do his bidding,

you mountains and all hills,

fruit trees and all cedars,

wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds,

kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth,

you men and maidens, old men and children.

Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for his name alone is exalted;

his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

Psalm 148

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