Sunflowers

Hello Everyone!

It's good to see you again today!

This time of year, I start thinking about planting, everything from vegetables to flowers. One of my favorites is sunflowers. I adore sunflowers! They are so bright and cheery! Though I never have very good luck with them, I try again each year, hoping and believing. Today, I began thinking about the sunflowers and their requirements. One of the most essential requirements is the sun.

Now, many of you that have grown sunflowers before, know of a particularly unique characteristic these wonderful creations possess. They "follow" the sun. They literally "turn their face" toward the sun and follow it as it make its way across the sky each day. They are "absorbing" all of its nourishing rays. There is a lesson here!

We, like sunflowers, must turn our face toward the "Son" and follow Him each day to be able to absorb all of His nourishing rays. When we do, we will become "bright and cheery" just like those wonderful creations - sunflowers!

"Dear Jesus, Help me turn my face toward You today. I want to absorb those marvelous Rays of Nourishment for my soul. I want to shine as bright as the sunflowers! Thanks for creating them to remind me of Your love!"

Be Encouraged!

Plant Lady

Some Words From God's Word

Hello Everyone!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Lord's Day!

Looking back over my old prayer journal entries from back in 2002, I came across some scripture I had written down. I would like to share some of those with you today.

"For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock." Psalm 27:5

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27

"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;" Psalms 34:18-19

"Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear." Isaiah 65:24

I hope these scriptures will bring you peace as they have me!

If you have some that have helped you, please post them to encourage others who may need to hear them today.

Be Encouraged!
Plant Lady

Laundry Day

Hello Everyone!

Well, today is Laundry Day! Let's celebrate! Yea, right!

A mountain of dirty clothes and towels lay stacked on the floor of my laundry room. It is amazing just how much laundry two people can create in one week. I have not done laundry this week and I must admit, letting it pile up can be very daunting. As I am contemplating my task, I can see a lesson coming!

Why haven't I taken the time to do the washing daily? Didn't I realize it would be such a challenge when it piled up? Now, I will have to stress in order to accomplish my task, and today is Saturday, the perfect day to spend time with my husband just relaxing.

Our lives are like my HUGE pile of laundry. We let the cares of the week pile up on us and then by the weekend, when we should be relaxing, preparing for the Lord's Day, we are stressed in our monumental task to get everything done. Let's just take our "laundry" to Jesus everyday so he can do it for us! Then, we will have the weekends free to concentrate on spending time with Him and our families, just relaxing!

Be Encouraged!
Plant Lady

A Place of Refuge

We all need a place of refuge! This particular day, it was the church hymnal. I was feeling weak and I needed some encouragement. Armor-clad (Eph. 6:10-18), my weapon today would be PRAISE! I went, song by song, through the entire hymnal, singing each verse. The songs I did not know and the responsive readings, I read aloud.

As I went deeper into the hymnal, something amazing happened! I began to hear, not just with my ears, but with my soul! As I continued, my understanding increased. The messages of the hymns were being absorbed by my heart. I had sung those songs since childhood and never really heard them!

My soul was encouraged that day. I think I'll take out the hymnal and start all over again!
This is one of my favorites:

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

by Martin Luther, 1529

A mighty fortress is our God, A bulwark never failing;

Our Helper He, amid the flood Of mortal ills prevailing.

For still our ancient foe Doth seek to work us woe; His craft and pow'r great,

And armed with cruel hate, On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, Our striving would be losing;

Were not the right Man on our side, The Man of God's own choosing.

Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus-it is He; Lord Sabaoth, His name;

From age to age the same; And He must win the battle.

And tho' this world, with devils filled, Should threaten to undo us,

We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us.

The prince of darkness grim-We tremble not for him.

His rage we can endure, For, lo, his doom is sure; One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly pow'rs, No thanks to them, abideth;

The Spirit and the gifts are ours Thro' Him who with us sideth.

Let goods and kindred go-This mortal life also. The body they may kill;
God's truth abideth still. His kingdom is forever.

Next time you are singing, listen to the words with your heart!

Be Encouraged!

Plant Lady

Ministering Spirits . . . cont'd

Hello Everyone!

Today, I would like to finish the story on my deliverance from worry. Wow! I didn't realize I would be angering the enemy so much that he would try to put me back into bondage to the very thing from which I have received God's wonderful deliverance. He is devious. He wants to destroy my witness for God's Mighty Power. Well, not today!

As I was saying yesterday, God answered my prayers for ministering spirits. They came in the form of birds singing outside my bedroom window. Later as the days passed, I found it easier to concentrate. I could read the Scriptures that now, seemed to come alive for me. My prayers came! I, with God's strength, had broken through the storm cloud the enemy had hovering over my head! The enemy did not stop, though. He kept on firing flaming arrows at me, but I was finding it easier to fight them. My search through the Word yielded the answers to my problem. It had always been there, faithfully waiting for me to find. In His time!

Put on the whole armor of God!

"A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere." Ephesians 6:10-18 NLT

That was my answer! Practice makes perfect! So I began.

One evening my husband came home from work and handed me a book by Jerusha Clark entitled, Every Thought Captive. As I read it, I came to understand that my worry separated me from God and that is sin. I had to confess it! So I did! I confessed my sin, asked God for forgiveness, and turned from it. Words are not adequate to express the feelings I had when I did this. I can only describe it as pure joy! I was delivered!

Since then, arrows have been thrown, armor has been worn, and I continue to fight. Worry like I once had is now gone. I finally know how to fight when it rears it's ugly head. Those times come when I am weak, that is why my ministering spirits are so important to me. They still come, sometimes as birds chirping outside my window. At other times, they come as friends encouraging me, praying for me, talking with me on this blog. I love them all!

Remember me in your prayers!

Be Encouraged!
Plant Lady

Ministering Spirits

While reading in Matthew Chapter 4, about the temptation of Jesus, something leaped off the page - v.11 "Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him." (NKJV)

Jesus? Having angels minister to Him? Why? He was God! Then it occurred to me. He was also human (like me)! After spending 40 days in confrontation with Satan, he was tired, hungry, and totally spent. The same happened to me. My temptation was worry. Jesus never yielded. I did. The battle was on! Satan was winning.

Worry about everything. Consuming me. Taking my focus from God. I tried to pray but could not. My mind was already filled. More was being piled on, seemingly, every minute. I could not think . . . could not eat . . . could not sleep . . . continually worrying about everything. Silly things, terrible things, what if's, why's, etc. Unbearable.

After another sleepless night, early in the morning, just before sunrise, I mustered enough strength to mutter a feeble prayer, "Please God, send me some ministering spirits." Immediately, the "noise" of my mind was replaced. Birds! Chirping, singing so joyfully outside my bedroom window. Their song: Praise to Our Creator! God had answered my prayer. He had sent ministering spirits in the form of birds outside my window!

This began my journey to deliverance . . .



(to be continued in tomorrow's blog)

Be Encouraged!
Plant Lady

A Simple Prayer

Dear Lord,

I come to You today not asking for anything, but thanking You and praising You for the wonderful world You made for us to enjoy. I have been sitting on the deck looking around at Your miraculous creation and thinking about how it gives me enjoyment and pleasure.

The five bird eggs in my ferns-now five little birds, the bluejay in the back yard eating at the feeder, the hummingbirds drinking the nectar, and your latest blessing-the little bunny rabbit in the shrubbery.

You have been so good to us. Thanks for all these blessings.
Love, Your child

This was my prayer. I'm sure you have one too! Tell Him!

Be Encouraged!
Plant Lady

The Lesson of the Ducks

Hello Everyone!

I hope each of you had a very wonderful Easter.

On one of our visits to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, my husband and I stayed on Okracoke Island. It is a quaint little village with beautiful sunrises and sunsets. We enjoyed renting bicycles and exploring the shops, and other places of interest including the Okracoke lighthouse and the British Cemetery.

The cemetery was established during World War II by islanders who found the remains of crew members washed ashore from British vessels who were patrolling the coastline to protect our merchant vessels from German U-boats. These men were identified and buried in a small cemetery that was maintained by the villagers. Later the cemetery was deeded and is now considered "British soil" in North Carolina. The United States Coast Guard Station at Okracoke maintains the cemetery today. A memorial service is held each year in May, with both US and British armed forces attending. We just "happened" there at the right time and were able to attend one of these services. Our trip had many other attractions, but the most interesting for me was the "ducks."

One day, as I was exploring, I noticed a duck resting under a weeping willow tree located by the water, on what I thought, might be a nest. About a foot away, I saw a drake, her mate, sitting by her side. I passed on by. There was a great gift shop down the road and I just had to get there! Does anyone know that feeling? Well, at the shop, as I was paying for my purchases, I noticed a newspaper clipping from the local paper posted up near the register. I began reading. It was about a local person who was a "nationally known" wildlife rehabilitator. "That's great," I thought, as I carried my purchases out to the bicycle "basket" that was becoming full.

Later that evening, as my husband and I walked to a nearby restaurant, I again noticed those ducks, who were in the same spot as earlier that day. "Let's get a picture," I told my husband, who was happy to oblige (photography is his hobby)! As he got closer, the female duck got up. She had not been sitting on a nest as I had previously thought. I noticed she had a band on her leg. You know, the kind wildlife officials use to track their migration, etc. She was limping terribly! The band had irritated her leg and must have been causing so much pain she didn't want to move! She had been in that same spot all day! Each time I had passed, I noticed her mate, the drake, always at her side, even when the other ducks were doing other things. That was the lesson! God's faithfulness! Just as the drake stayed by his mate, even in the bad times (her injury and pain), he continued to be by her side. What a picture of God and His faithfulness to us! He stays right by our side in our injury and pain! He will never leave nor forsake us! He is ever faithful to give us comfort! What a great lesson from the ducks!

Seeing the plight of the duck, I remembered the newspaper clipping I had read earlier. I contacted the person at the gift shop who then gave me the contact information for the wildlife rehabilitator. I called. The person who answered assured me it would be investigated. The next day, I checked on the progress. An attempt had been made to catch the duck to check the band but was not successful. Another attempt would be made tomorrow. What I find interesting, the drake put up a "big fuss" when all these people came to catch the female. He was "protecting" her!

God loves and protects us. He will never leave nor forsake. He is faithful!

Be Encouraged!
Plant Lady

He Has Risen!

Hello Everyone!

What a glorious day! Our Saviour is risen!

A borrowed tomb. That's where our Saviour was lain. The account of Luke relays that our Lord was placed there by Joseph of Arimethea, one of the council members, a righteous and just man.

He was followed by the women who had come from Galilee. Had these women been with Jesus throughout all his suffering on the cross? The account says they "observed" the tomb and how the body was laid. They returned again and prepared spices and fragrant oils.

Then it happened! On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, Luke says, they came back to the tomb bringing the spices and found the stone rolled away and the body of the Lord Jesus was gone! Where could He be? Then they saw two men in shining garments who said, "why do you seek the living among the dead?" "He is not here, but is risen!" "Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, "The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." Then it says they remembered His words.

They returned to tell the apostles and all the rest. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women were the first to tell of His resurrection! What a great privilege to be able to proclaim the Lord's Resurrection! So, today as we celebrate Easter, let's proclaim that He is Risen!

Be Encouraged!
Plant Lady

The Witness of a Radish

Hello Everyone!

I'm glad you came to visit. What a wonderful day the Lord has created for us! I trust you are doing well . . . busily preparing for the glorious Easter celebration worshipping our Risen Saviour!

Today, as promised, I want to share with you one of those "lessons" God has taught me while out in the garden. God is so wonderful! He created so many beautiful things to share with us because He loves us. Yes, He Loves Us - what a wonderful thought! Despite our "mess-ups," He still loves us. Well, back to the story.

Harvesting vegetables from the garden in hopes of having a "good day" at our local farmer's market, I pulled up a tray full of radishes. "So many," I thought, "how can I ever sell them all?" Now, I don't know about you, but if we can't sell it all or give it away, we have to eat it! We can't bear to see it wasted. But how could we eat all those radishes?

I took them up to the garden hose and began washing and putting them into bundles. They were so dirty! Suddenly, as I was standing there, admiring the radishes . . . because they had "cleaned" up so well, God taught me a lesson. Here it is: I am just like those radishes!

As I washed them, I realized just how beautiful they were. Brilliant red! My next thought was about my sins. "Though they be as scarlet" . . . you know, the verses in Isaiah 1:18-20 NLT. Tears began to flow as I continued washing the radishes. Those radishes were witnessing to me! Those dirty little vegetables were telling my story! Isn't it wonderful, we have a loving God who can use such "simple things" to declare His glory! When all the radishes were washed and bundled, I just had to know: what about the "white as snow" part? I took a bite of one and had my answer. The flesh was as "white as snow"!!!

You see, those radishes - beautiful, dirty little radishes - showed me how much God loves and cares for me. He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ into the world to take away my sin and shame - the "dirt" in my life. He "washed" me with His blood shed on Calvary and made my "flesh" (life) as "white as snow!" What better picture can we have this Spring? I'll never look at a radish again without being reminded of this "lesson from my garden."

May you have a truly blessed Easter in knowing that you too, are invited to share "The Witness of a Radish." By the way, I did have a good day at the farmer's market; I shared this lesson with my customers. What a blessing to share God's love with others!

Be Encouraged!
Plant Lady

Welcome to my Blog

Hello Everyone!

This is my first time ever creating a blog. I'm so excited about the opportunity to share some encouragement . Could anyone use some of that? I sure could! I find that when I encourage someone, I get encouraged. Funny how that works! I believe that is the way God intended it to be.

You may be wondering, who is this "Plant Lady"? Well, I'll tell you a little about myself. I am a happily married lady in North Carolina who really loves gardening. When I speak of "gardening," I should say "farming," because it really is! We have a small farm and the "garden" part is about one acre! I know! I know! You are probably asking, why so much? Well, I enjoy sharing the "blessings" God provides. My garden consists mainly of vegetables,with some blueberries, plums, and of course those wonderful herbs. I have recently developed a "love" of growing gourds. They are the most wonderful plants - so useful!


Gardening gives me time to "ponder" God's many blessings. His Word is full of references to agriculture and Jesus used farming illustrations in much of His teaching. He has given me some lessons as well. Next time, I'll share some of those with you!

God loves each of us and He will share those lessons with you if you ask Him.

Be Encouraged!
Plant Lady