Sunflowers | Thoughts of Grace

Three on Thursday – Evidence of Fall

or Friday if you’ve procrastinated like I did, again.

Fall is my favorite season.
Cool days and cooler nights,
a relief after Sacramento summer days.
I found three evidences that it will soon be fall.

This vine, so dainty and fine, changes into its fall colors gently.
I don’t know its name.

Zucchini, cucumbers and marigolds have had it,
after working so hard all summer long!

Sunflowers, a summertime favorite. with her happy faces.
In the fall become food for the birds.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
To every thing there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born,
and a time to die;
a time to plant,
and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

Sharing with Carole ‘s Three Things this week.

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on September 14, 2018 at 8:40 pm Comments (1)
Tags: Evidence of Fall, garden, sunflowers, Three on Thrusday, vines Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

November 4, Today’s thought – Remember

I love the sunflowers in fall, also.

Good Morning

Psalm 77:10-13
And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?

The concept of remembering is an important biblical theme.
The command not to forget is fiven more than four hundred times. We are to remember.

The wonders of God’s creation and works of His hands:

For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it? Deuteronomy 4:32

That the world belongs to God:

For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. Psalm 50:10-11

The deliverance of His people from captivity:

And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.Deuteronomy 5:15

The sacrificial gift of Jesus Christ on the cross:

After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 1 Corinthians 11:25

Remembering keeps us from the sin of ingratitude.
It also helps us face the future with confidence.
from A Daybook of Grace

Today. . . have you remembered to remember?
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

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on November 4, 2013 at 9:56 am Comments (2)
Tags: Psalm 77, remember, sunflowers

Ten on Tuesday – Blessings

On Tuesday’s Carole hosts ‘Ten on Tuesdays’.
She chooses a topic – we list ten items.

10 Times You Felt Grateful Last Week.

My ten ‘thankfuls’ as our family calls them are not in any order of importance.

1. My home and my stash shed on Cozy Acres,
why I call it Cozy Acres.

2. I strolled around our yard last week — I’m thankful for the Farmer’s hard work and the reward of flowers.

June 4 030 Coneflowers
Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas
Coneflowers
My picture of red roses only wanted to load sideways,
boo wordpress.

3. the Farmer’s Garden
Corn
Squash with Sunflowers

Cucumbers
June 4 013 a Variety of Peppers
Tomatoes

4.Grapes and Berries

5. A Mother’s day gift that enabled me to get needed clothes (underwear) and yarn I desired for me.

6. The Bible

7. Questions that caused me to search and answers that drew me nearer to God.

8. Grandsons rushing in asking for caramel apple suckers.

9. My dear Friend

10. Sunflowers

More things come to mind, my family, my cats, cooler weather, homemade meatloaf, and an air-conditioned car.
I am so blest.

To enjoy others blessings, click here.

Published in:

on June 11, 2013 at 10:56 am Comments (16)
Tags: grandsons, meatloaf, nearer to god

June 29, Today’s thought — God Still Comes

Don’t you just love Sunflowers? I do!

Good Morning

The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. Psalm 34:17-19

‘Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us,” Paul penned. “The Scriptures give us patience and encouragement so that we can have hope.” (Romans 15:4)
These are not just Sunday school stories.
Not romantic fables. . . .
They are historical moments in which a real God met real pain
so we could answer the questions,
“Where is God when I hurt?”
How does God react to dashed hopes?
Read the story of Jairus. (Luke 8:41-)
How does the Father feel about those who are ill?
Stand with him at the pool of Bethesda. (John 5:2-)
Do you long for God to speak to your lonely heart?
Then listen as he speaks to the Emmaus-bound disciples. . . (Luke 24:13-)
He’s not doing it just for them.
He’s doing it for me.
He’s doing it for you. . . .
The God who still speaks. . . .
The God who came still comes.
He comes into our world.
He comes into your world.
He comes to do what you can’t.
He Still Moves Stones, Max Lucado

Trust God for your day . . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours. Leslie

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on June 29, 2012 at 6:00 am Leave a Comment

June 2, Today’s thought — Versions

The sunflowers are starting to bloom! YAH!

Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18:19 (KJV)

I love the King James Version of the Bible; it will always be my first choice. I love the old English wording. I even love the challenge of figuring out the stops and starts of the sentences, leaving out (for a moment) the parenthesis to see the nugget of the thought. I have often thought of trying to diagram some of the sentences; the way I did in 8th grade.
Sometimes (as you have noticed) I like to read another version and compare.
These two versions say the same thing, but I think the second seems to have a bit of impatience – right now – feeling. While the first gives me hope yet reminds me that God has his own thoughts about when…

“‘What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.’” Matthew 18:19-20 (MSG)

Trust God for your day . . .Today
With my prayers, desiring yours, Leslie

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on June 2, 2012 at 11:36 am Comments (1)

Wordless Wednesday — Springtime and Harvest

Wordless Wednesday is for pictures only.

Springtime
and
Harvest

link up here —http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/newhome/

Published in:

on October 26, 2011 at 12:27 am Comments (1)

On My Mind – The beginning, the ending and the beginning again

On my mind …

This is a Friday photo feature that anyone with a blog can join. To take part, post a photo on your own blog, write a short caption explaining it, and link it back to here from your blog by saying you’re part of “On my mind…

I’ve been thinking about this for several days every time I look out at the garden. Here in California, September is the beginning of fall and the garden shows its age.

May I show you what I see:

Sunflowers- June 22

today

Cucumbers June 22

Today

Tomatoes June 22

Today

As I wandered around to the back of the tomatoes and cucumbers, I found this new beginning;

Beets, carrots, spinach, and turnips

Through all the starts and stops, this Farmer is still found on his knees.

To every thing there is a season,

and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

Ecclesiastics 3:1-2

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on September 23, 2011 at 11:46 am Leave a Comment

One Thousand Gifts and a Scripture –7

Today I’m adding to my list of One Thousand Gifts:

61. Young ones learning and helping plant corn.

62. Zinnias, such happy flowers

63. and Sunflowers, one of my favorites

64. wind dried sheets

65. Bobo and his Lady, watching them make me smile

66. black tree silhouettes

67. Evidence of many hours, the Farmer works in the garden and around Cozy Acres

68. Nothing like fresh tomatoes, all I want

69. Memories

70. A peaceful place to visit, won’t you come?

The Scripture I read this morning:

Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters,
and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress;
so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God,
until that he have mercy upon us. Psalms 123:1-2

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on August 18, 2011 at 12:08 pm Leave a Comment

On My Mind — Sunflowers

On my Mind is a Friday picture post hosted by Rhonda at Down to Earth. Rhonda lives in Australia, I enjoy learning of the differences and of the things that are exactly the same on both sides of the earth.

down—to—earth.blogspot.com/2011/08/on-my-mind_12.html

Amongst the squash in the Farmer’s Garden,
He plants sunflowers for his daughters and me.

POEM TO A SUNFLOWER

I see you there in glory shining bright,
Following the sun and its path of light.
Standing tall above all others in the field,
You grow, conquer, and do not yield.

The little birds take great delight
In playing round you, from day to night.
With your petals of yellow and leaves of green
How very easily you are seen.

But there is more to you than first sight,
More than beauty and grander to delight.
Every beautiful aspect that appears,
Gives praise to the Father dear.

He made you a part of creation,
And you praise him in glorious celebration!
The beauty that within you is expressed,
Gives testimony to his greatness.

Sunflower, how I long to be like you!
Glorifying God in all I do.
Following the Son and His path of light,
To worship Him in His glory shining bright.

I can learn from you, my friend,
With every breath, praise to God, I might send.
With all of his creation telling the story,
Might I, with you, proclaim His glory.

~By Katherine R. Lane (April 19, 1995)~

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on August 12, 2011 at 3:14 pm Leave a Comment

When you don’t get what you want…

“Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.” the Farmer.

Many times over many years our family has heard the Farmer repeat this statement. And today it was said again.

This spring the Farmer started planning and planting the garden. He started seeds in little pots. He planted many plants on his hands and knees. He put in the drip system lines, so vegetables would be watered and not weeds.

This spring the Farmer was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer, stage 3, 8-9 out of 10 on the Gleason scale. ” The doctor says I have this thing wrong with me but I don’t feel anything” said the Farmer. The Farmer under went a biopsy, CT scans and a MRI. He took oral hormones as a first step in treatment. He received a hormone shot as the second step. Calypso beads were inserted in the prostate gland to be able to line up the radiation correctly. A body form was made to insure being very still during radiation.

Yesterday was picking day, the Farmer got up early to start picking while it was still somewhat cool. He had to stop to make a 10:30, Dr’s. appointment. The radiation schedule was set, Monday through Friday at 2:00pm, for 8-9 weeks, starting September 7th.

Yesterday I heard, ” I’m bummed.” quietly and solidly. He didn’t finish picking the garden.

The Farmer has never voiced discouragement. It didn’t matter what happened, good times, happy times, hard times, loss times, pick up and start again times, thankful times…there was always a sureness that we would make it through.

Has the Farmer lost his faith? NO! Does He doubt God’s plan? NO! Is He human? Oh, Yes! Is He grieving, yes. Will He come through this battle with victory and praise, YES! Not just because He is the Farmer, but because He is God’s Farmer!

Today I heard as he smiled, “Well, this wasn’t what I wanted to experience,” as he stepped off the deck , walked back out to the garden to finish the picking.

The Farmer plants flowers for me and I love him.