July 2020

No matter what is happening we have to hang on! Right? I don't know about you, but I am feeling as if I am hanging on by a thread some days lately.  God tells us in His Word:

"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all."

2 Corinthians 4: 17 NIV

So stay strong my friends - stay strong!!!

There are many, many verses in the Bible which tell us of how much God loves us, cares about our troubles, wants to comfort us, protect us, keep us and our loved ones from danger, hold our hand, and then promises never to forsake us. We must keep reading and believing these scriptures and hold on to our faith and trust in God. 

I have found my Bible and its words of encouragement and hope to be a constant companion in the days we are living through. 

Prayer, and its power, will help us to keep on keeping on during this time of stress and uncertainty. We are not to loose hope, not to loose our positive outlook, but "think up" thoughts and encourage one another.

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."

Philippians 4:8 NIV

We must fill our minds with these things mentioned above from Philippians 4:8 and choose not to fill our minds with negative or  angry thoughts. I am not saying to hide our heads in the sand, but to fill our minds with good and share good with those around us. We must work together to combat hate and evil and overcome it with love and good. 

One good word can make a major difference in our world. Let us all be aware of the words we speak. Let the words which come from our mouths be words which will lift someone and help them, never ones which will hurt, harm, or tear down. 

"Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healthy for the body."

Proverbs 16: 24

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A quote by George Elliot is one of my favorites. It reads:

"What do we live for if not to make the world less difficult for each other?"

People, this should be our goal in life - to make life better, not more difficult, for each other.  Life is tough and somedays tougher than others. To be kind and gentle to one another as we go along our way would be such a great way to live.

Let's think about this and maybe try, just try, to be kinder and better to one another as we go through our day. Think of others, smile at them, be gracious to them, help them in some way. We have no idea what others are facing in their lives or what they are going through. Care, really care, and then show we care.

We may think, 'well, how can I do this when I'm supposed to be somewhat isolated from others?'  All of us see people around us, even though from a distance. We can smile, wave, say hello, send a card, tell them we are thinking of them, tell them we appreciate them. 

 Tell those who serve us thank you. Tell those who are neighbors hello and we care about them. Tell our loved ones we love them. Tell those who we don't agree with that even though we don't agree on everything we care about them. Hate will only destroy us all!

I pray for God's mercy and forgiveness for us all.  We are not acting as we should on either side of the issues. Let us be kind and work to make the world less difficult for each other.

I always try to write something about gardens in every blog post it seems.  If you know me, you know my love of flowers.

If you, like me, have flowers in your garden, you have probably been busy weeding and watering as I have.  Flowers are an effort, but worth it for me. They make me happy and I love to go outside in the early morning and pick a little bouquet for my writing desk or to place beside my bed. It doesn't have to be a large bouquet to make me happy.  Just one little daisy can lift my spirits.

Thinking of ways in which to lift our spirits during this time of isolation and confusion may be a tough goal, but we have to keep our spirits up.

What are some things we can do to lift our spirits? 

* Keep fresh flowers in your house.

* Listen to music you love.

* Have magazines or books around you enjoy

* Keep your house tidy and neat.

* Eat fresh vegetables and fruits.

* Exercise daily - go for a walk.

* Get outdoors as much as you can.

* Have a time of daily devotional.

* Breathe deeply and slowly,

* Write notes of encouragement.

* Do a good deed every day.

 * Sit in the sunshine for a time (or it might need to be the shade if it's too hot outside.)

Garden Quotes:

"Earth laughs in flowers."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Gardening is how I relax. It's another form of creating and playing with colors."

-Oscar de la Renta

"Gardens are not made by singing 'Oh, how beautiful' and sitting in the shade."

-Rudyard Kipling

"Kiss of the sun for pardon. Song of the birds for mirth. You're closer to God's heart in a garden than any place else on earth."

-Dorothy Frances Gurney