Pretty Pansies

 

 

PANSY
Round, joker faces that dance with the moon,
Lilting and tilting a flower song tune.
Warm summer sunbeams captured for all,
By round little flowers, so sweet and so small.
Bright pansy colors, a study in light,
Reflecting the moonbeams that dance in the night.
                                           -unknown author
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So it's that time of year again when pansies thrive. Cold wind, frost and snow doesn't seem to faze them in the least. In fact, it seems I hear them saying "Bring on the cold weather! We love it!"

So I bought these indigo-colored big pansies (seen above), placed them in the two pots at the end of the front steps and now rest assured that they will still be blooming throughout the next several cold months (although I won't be staying around to see that). Then a few days ago a daughter bought an assortment of plants...



...and told me I could plant some of the pansies. These are smaller but, oh, so stinkin' CUTE! Some of them have little ruffly edges. How gorgeous is that?! These smaller ones are sometimes called violas but they are both from the same family (or genus for you botanists).
So I picked out four plants and placed them in the basket that hangs on the front porch (remember my petunias from this post?)...



Out with the old, in with the new.

 

Frost in the background. I told ya'!

 

Besides these "red" ones, there are also blue and yellow ones in this crop.

I'm all about close-ups.

 


Did someone say close-ups? Look at that precious fuzziness. Look at those colors!

 

Even the underside is lovely with the sun shining through as she faces the sun.

No matter which color, size or angle you look at, these pansies are a thing of beauty. When the cold winds blow, they shine and are strong. I would like my life to be like that. That "no matter what", people will see beauty and light and strength. Because of Him.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:17)

A Bouquet Of Pink Roses

Just before we left Brazil in December we attended the wedding of a lovely couple. I was delighted to see the bride's bouquet...

Really, the bride was as lovely as her bouquet but, given the generic nature of my blog, I won't post her picture as well. Perhaps I should have given this post the title of "Wordless Wednesday" for no words are really needed. The Lord's blessings are often meant to share with others so that is the purpose of sharing this photo. It's too beautiful to keep just for myself. Enjoy!

"...whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things." (Philippians 4:8)

I Shall Not Pass This Way Again

I have been consumed with memories these days as I sort through old slides, look through photo albums, and just...remember. There are memories of when our kids were little (we were a bit smaller, too!), memories of good times and bad, memories of interesting people and rough places and perfect days and...pink roses, lots of them. Yes, blessings and gifts from the Lord.

However, I know that I can't dwell in the past forever, I must concentrate on the present for there is a future to consider. Whatever was said and done in the past must be left there, nothing can be undone, nothing can be changed. "There are places to go and things to do" as someone has said.

I CAN decide what to do with my present! The Lord helping me, "this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3: 13,14)

I reread this morning something that I had written in my Bible several years ago. It seems quite appropriate for my thoughts here...

I expect to pass through this world but once;

Any good thing therefore that I can do,

Or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature,

Let me do it now, let me not defer or neglect it,

For I shall not pass this way again. 

                              -Stephen Grellet (1773-1855)

Pink Roses For Ana

Our hearts grieve with the family of our friend and former missionary colleague as they have laid her to rest. But we also rejoice as we know she is with her Saviour the Lord Jesus!

Lois was known here in Brazil as "Dona Ana". Although we hadn't had too much contact over the past nine years, we are blessed to have many wonderful memories of her and her sweet, gentle and cheerful ways. Isn't it interesting how memories come pouring in when the person is gone? That is a blessing from the Lord to help minimize the pain of their leaving.

 

I think it is fitting here that I post some pink roses in memory of "Ana"...

This rose with the drops of rainwater reminds me of our tears, and especially those of her family, as we feel this sadness of our loss.


And this perfectly beautiful and flawless rose makes me think of how she is

now enjoying perfection in every way. No more pain or suffering but heavenly

joy in His presence!

   Here is one more...just because. Who wouldn't be comforted

looking at such beauty?!



"We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body,

and to be present with the Lord." (II Corinthians 5:8)

"...to be with Christ, which is far better." (Philippians 1:23)

Scenes In A Country Garden

God gives us His creations to make our own creations.

Scenes like these make me smile for the beauty in them!

I can hear this tree stump talking, can't you?

                                     Was there ever a prettier cabbage patch?

Flowers like this would make ANY ol' gray picket fence beautiful!

                        Stark beauty which needs nothing else. But it doesn't stand alone...

It has friends nearby!

"...whatsoever things are lovely, think on these things."

(Philippians 4: 8)

Watching Little Miracles

(I hope you're not tired of seeing or reading about roses since there WILL be more of these on this blog...guaranteed!)

Having said that...I am SO excited about the babies about to be born in my front yard! These photos aren't very clear, I had a difficult time getting close-ups of these still-wrapped-up bundles of potential beauty but I just wanted to announce that they're on their way.

This week a friend, who has suffered with problem pregnancies for several years, had her first baby. She considers her a miracle...and rightly so! Babies are miracles and so are these  roses...since only God can bring about the creation of either one!.

The red rose was a Christmas gift to me from a friend and colleague  (aka "the other Granna" of two of our grandkids) and this is the first bud it has produced since then. The orange rose seems to put out only one or two roses every two or three months, at least during these warmer months and the white rose has not produced any in over a year so I am REALLY excited about that one!

Stay tuned to see photos of these three babies in the near future when they are born!

I can't ignore my two lovely pink rose buses, they faithfully produce almost year-round and I almost always feel like I should take pictures of every single rose that blooms. But I don't, I promise. However, they are also my babies so I have to show them off, too.

Do you know of anything more beautiful than roses? There, see? I knew you didn't. And since you've read this far, I know you like roses, too. You are my friend.

"...whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." (Philippians 4:8)

New and Clean and Beautiful

 

      

One of the gifts I received for Christmas last week was a beautiful little notebook...just the motivation I needed to try and have a daily journal as I have done off and on during my life. 

    

  

I've mentioned before that I love new things...especially a new notebook. The unused, clean, empty, white pages are just an irresistible temptation to WRITE...write anything! Whether it's a journal of the day's happenings, a to-do list (umm, that's not me), a poem or just a record of my grandkids' names and birthdates, these beautiful pages are like a magnet to my pen.

    

I like to compare new notebooks to my life. "This day is the first day of the rest of your life" is like this first new page that I wrote on this morning. 

What the page or completed notebook looks like will all depend on what I write. What each day or the rest of my life looks like will depend on what I do and am.

My life is like this rosebud, it has the potential to be beautiful and a blessing to those who see it.

"Lord, give us the courage, wisdom, strength, dedication and love to You so that we may fulfill the potential that You desire for our lives."

                                                                

"...but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3: 13,14) 

Remembering...

Eight years ago I said good-by to my older sister.  Doing that on the phone from over 2000 miles away was one of the most painful experiences of my life. Two days later she was home with her Lord...because she believed in Him, and Him alone, to save her.

 Her life was an example and inspiration to me-from way back when we were growing up together til the last moment of her life. She supported us in our mission work with gifts, prayers, letters  and encouragement from the beginning and her husband still continues to do so.

Bonnie, I love you and I miss you. You were (and still are) an amazing and wonderful sister!

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you." (Philippians 1:3)

A Prayer For My Readers



(photo: C. Dennis)

 "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; That ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God."

-Philippians 1:9-11

Beauty

In watching some of the winter Olympics these days, the word "beauty" comes to my mind quite often. The breath-taking outdoor scenry, the graceful movements of the skaters, the slow-motion filming of the amazing abilities of the human body, the smiles of victory...these have come to grace our lives for a few days. They say that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", which may be true to a certain degree. But true beauty is in the eye of the Creator. We don't have to go far to see beauty, for all of His creation is full of it! He alone is the Author of it. Even beauty which is "made" by man is only possible because of the beauty of wisdom and skill which God gave to him. How can we set our own standards for knowing what is beautiful? The simple verse of Philippians 4:8 says it very clearly, that whatever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of a good report, virtuous and praise-worthy, these are the beautiful things. If any of these qualities are missing...you can mark it down as not being a thing of beauty. Whatever is beautiful, "think on these things". Take time to notice the details of beauty around you today and be blessed! (photo: seevancouversnow.com)

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just,   whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." (Philippians 4:8)