"Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are." Luke 12:27 (New Living Translation)
At the end of April, 1818 Farms in Mooresville (about 2 miles outside of Decatur) offered a set of 24 starter plants/plugs to form a curated Cut Flower Garden Collection. We are so very glad we took advantage of the offer. We brought the plants home, Steve worked hard digging and planting, and now we are reaping the benefits. Every afternoon I make my way to our flower garden and cut myself a fresh, colorful bouquet. It's a delightful habit that I've already declared to Steve we MUST continue in years to come.
I'm not exactly sure which of these we have, but according to their website, here are the varieties used to create these collections: Lisianthus Celebrity Rouge, Oklahoma Zinnia, Benary’s Giant Zinnia, Raspberry Ripple Zinnia, Button Box Zinnia, Gomphrena, Amaranthus, Verbena Bonariensis, Cosmos Xanthos and Double Dutch, Chief Celosia, Ageratum Red Flint, White Swan Marigold, Chedi Gold Marigold, Life Lime and Rustic Orange Coleus, Pineapple Sage, and Basil.
I've known about zinnias and marigolds for years, but who knew there were so many varieties? Just in our small area, God's creative handiwork makes a stunning display.
"Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time." Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)
As I thought about beauty, variety, and uniqueness, I immediately compared those flowers to the five days we recently spent with four of our granddaughters. (Can you believe we have NINE GRANDDAUGHTERS? Trust me. It takes a while to get around to spending extended special time with all of them).
"Children (and I believe that also means grandchildren) are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him." Psalm 127:3 (NLT)
Birtukan Elizabeth (Birti) Pearson, age 16, lives in Thompson's Station, TN, and will be a junior in high school this fall. Her dad is a preacher, her mom is a realtor, and she has 2 older brothers. Birti is on the school tennis team, spends time with friends, enjoys shopping, babysitting, and dogsitting, and works at Chick-Fil-A. She likes Boba tea and spicy foods, particularly Indian and Ethiopian. She just returned from a mission trip to Belize.
Megan Rose Baggett, age 15, lives in Rome, GA, and will be a high school sophomore. Her dad is a prosthetist and orthotist, her mother teaches college level math courses, and she has one older brother. Megan received three academic awards at the end of the school year and loves managing the lighting for school theater productions. Give her Dr. Pepper, chicken fingers, and fries and nobody gets hurt. :)
Penelope Delia Rodgers, age 15, lives in Somerville, AL, and is homeschooled. Her dad owns an electrical testing company, her mom is a homemaker/teacher, and she has 2 older sisters, 4 younger sisters, and soon-to-be 4 younger brothers. Penelope has been in several local theater productions, takes violin and piano, often bakes the bread for her church's communion, loves taking long walks, and is a frequent babysitter in her family.
Rosemary Rebekah Rodgers, age 14, lives in Somerville, AL, and is also homeschooled. Her dad owns an electrical testing company, her mother is a homemaker/teacher, and she has 3 older sisters, 3 younger sisters, and soon-to-be 4 younger brothers. Rosie likes being outside, as well as reading, and she's rarely mad or upset. She, too, has been in several local theater productions. She takes piano lessons, likes to watch "When Calls the Heart," and enjoys looking at cookbooks.
Talk about variety!! They live in 3 Southern states, have diverse family dynamics, assorted educational experiences, go to different churches, and have distinct talents and personalities. Yet they got along beautifully with each other and were totally respectful to their Granddaddy and me. We had some lively conversations on subjects ranging from mundane to profound. We discussed their present realities and challenges, as well as their hopes for the future. All four girls are followers of Christ and have impressive convictions and comprehension about their lives as Christians. Steve and I are in awe of the impact they could have on the world and of their limitless potential. We pray for them and our other grandchildren daily.
So, I guess the point of this post is how much I've appreciated the blessings of this summer, especially extra time with grandchildren and the flowers I've never had in my yard before.
"Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! Let the trees of the forest sing for joy." Psalm 96:11-12 (NLT)
What are you enjoying most this summer?
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