Invasion

The Leaves of  Ranuculus repens  Creeping buttercup

For the past several years I've been fighting  this low growing perennial, Ranuculus repens , Creeping buttercup, "opportunistic colonizers" according to Wikipedia. Many years ago I found this inconspicuous plant, which is usually in the woods,  hiding near the foundation of the house, mostly out of sight and out of the way. I didn't know it's identity and tenacity until it bloomed.

Yellow flowers appear this month to herald the invasion

 It has invaded the long border that faces south and seems not the same diminutive plant I see in the woods outside the gates of our garden. I guess this is how it is "opportunistic".Next thing I knew, being away from the long border for a while due to illness, it took over all.
For several years, not liking to apply herbicides, I've tried to dig out the roots to exterminate it. But it seems that, much like the bindweed, one little piece of root will propagate many more plants.

So I decide to cut some flowers and bring them inside. I watch them for a few days. They don't wilt. Every night they close up their petals and every day they open them up again, looking as good as they were the day before.

There is a sort of luminosity to them and every day they glow in my face. I guess this is what we did with buttercups as a child. We picked them and placed it under a friend's chin to "See if they liked butter" by the yellow glow on their skin. The buttercups were not invasive then, or so it seemed. But times have changed.

Believing that God is sovereign in all life, I ask, "For what purpose are they taking over the garden beds and what am I to do about it?" 

Perhaps they are a strange metaphor:

What creeps into our lives, unannounced and seems to take over without our even recognizing it until too late, starts to rule our lives and change it. Eradicating it seems hopeless. Can we ever bring something back to where it was or where we thought it was? I see this happening in all of life, our families, our community, our country, and even greater in the world. 

But by the grace of God:

• Keep a watchful eye around you.
• Be proactive.
• Look to the world and anywhere in your country and life where harm is creeping in.
• Pray fervently for grace, wisdom and eyes to be open for solutions, words and actions.

Where in your life can you ask for God's grace to redeem you so you can return to peace and His control which is the solution to tough problems?

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  Jesus speaking to Paul
"Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecution, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" Paul 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV

Winter Doldrums

I have found many unpublished drafts on this blog. Below is one from several years ago

Just as I have neglected this blog, I have neglected this garden.

A sunny day reveals the garden neglect

The January garden is not a pretty sight, bare, seemingly lifeless, dregs of moldy stems, seedpods and spent flowers hanging on. It brings no color, beauty nor joy, like my life lately with no seeming focus or purpose. The garden and I have the winter doldrums. I cling to whatever is left, no matter how ugly is the “chaff that the wind blows away” in my life.

“Blow it away, Lord,” I shout. “I need your grace and love and felt presence instead. It is lonely inside of me without you.”

When prayers seem useless and all seems crushed and lifeless, think on Me. I will not neglect nor forsake you.  Jesus

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed, always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us; but life in you.” 2 Corinthians 4:8

The hope in the winter doldrums is the new life promised and hidden in me as in the garden reflects. Spring is yet to come!

We experience these things so we can help others through them. If you are feeling this way, have others pray for you, for this is how we help one another.

Sign up to receive a notice when a new blog is posted and you can always leave a comment or private message to me so I can pray for you..

Friday the 13th

Clover in Potager

 I don’t believe in superstitions although my mother did. She had hundreds of them, now all stuffed in a file under her name to stay there, where I don’t see them or even find them. I do remember her often and them, once in a while, but I denounced the superstitions long ago.

We could never let a pin stay on the ground. Mom went around with pins sticking into her apron top or blouse. “Find a pin and pick it up, all day long you’ll have good luck.”  When I came to know the living Lord, I knew there was no such thing as “luck”, only grace and His blessings. Along with the confession of other sins in my life, the first and foremost, not depending on Him for everything, away went superstitions, among them the looking four leaf clovers and pins on the ground. Instead I started looking up for His guidance and direction and blessing and life and never looked back nor down.

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thy own understanding (or superstitions). With all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Gratefulness

Before our trip to Florida and California I picked up a journal that had on it's front cover, "in everything give thanks" and have been writing daily with this in mind. 

• When our flight was delayed and we arrived in the Orlando hotel at 2 am. We gave thanks that it was really only 11:00 pm and the hotel clerk upgraded us, out of pity perhaps, to a suite with Jacuzzi hot tub and big screen TV and kitchen and more. We slept in the next morning then relaxed by the pool.
• When the power went out after dark that night, we were thankful that we, coming from the islands, had a flashlight with us to see our way around and when the torrential rains started we were indoors.
• When we awoke at 2 am to loud dripping noises, we were glad the lights were on again and could see that the water was pouring out of the light fixtures above. We gathered pots and pans from the kitchen to catch the pours and called the front desk who sent up staff  who knew that mopping up was not an option. They moved us to another room on the opposite side of the same floor, everything was backwards from before. (It turns out that the first room above had 2 inches of water in it, a pipe had broken in the suite next to the one above.) We were grateful we did not live in a place that was permanently without electricity and water falling all around inside in downpours such as most of the third world. We started to wonder about the rest of the trip's tests but rememered this:

"Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Phil 4:8

According to a book I was reading*  If you can't think of anything worthy of praise, "...try to think of others rather than oneself, and look for the grace that is unfailingly present." 

* "Therefore I have Hope", Growing with my Garden:Thoughts on Tending the Soil and Soul, Rolland Hein, (Chicago: Cornerstone Press, 2004) p75

Here is a video that demonstrates this:

Interview of Alice Herz-Sommer 108 year old Holocaust survivor

Can you praise God for the difficulties in your life? If you cannot, ask others to pray for you to find the grace and hope needed.

Best 10 Blogs of 2009 to help in 2010

At the Dawn of a New Year

It is only helpful to look back upon an old year to remember God's faithfulness: His grace where we have failed and/or His many faceted provision in need. So I'm posting a few of last year's clips (click on highlighted words) in hopes to encourage you as well for this coming year.

1. "Your faithfulness continue to all generations." Psalm 119:90

2. "Do not store up treasures on earth...for where your treasures is there your heart will be also." Matt 6:19-21

3. " Lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the earth."Matthew 28:20

4. "For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.." Romans 7:18

5. "I desire to do your will, O my God" Psalm 40:8

6. "Sing for joy, O heavens, for the Lord has done this; shout aloud O earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees... he displays his glory." Isaiah 44:23

7. Considering the storms in our lives , Jesus says, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" Mark 4:3-41

8. "I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is still day: the night cometh, when no man can work." John 9:4

9. "...the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name."

10. “No matter how black the clouds over our heads may be, we are to hold on until the day breaks – and it will eventually break.”

"We are not skilled to understand, what God has willed what God has planned."

With 8760 hours next year minus 2920 hopefully sleeping, I pray you might know God's will for you in the 5840 remaining. How is He encouraging you?

1 Tabletalk Dec 2009, p.65 "our Blessed Struggle" Guy M Richard

Hit the ground running

Just to let you know, last night we flew out of Anchorage into Seattle. God's grace to us was evident. All things are under His command and power including volcanos. Mt Redoubt in Alaska was stilled until this morning when it errupted twice with a 12 mile high ash plume and greater later. I am not sure if ash fell in Anchorage, but some planes were delayed. Thank you those of you who prayed.

With a rest in Seattle on a hideabed sans pillows our only furniture left except a table and chairs, we are running around today trying to clean up and out of our condo by next week. More later.