Ya know, in any type of garden an overkill of TLC can destroy the garden. Chill..just enjoy the moment and don’t take life so seriously. We want our gardens to grow and produce the best of the best but, ya gotta be careful in both the inner garden and the outer gardens not to over water, over compost, over nurture. Over watering in the inner garden would be having expectations that stress us out instead of refreshing our day. Over watering in the literal garden will have your plants turning colors and expressing their stressed out too!  To much compost..inner: don’t go nuts with all the new wave ways of maintaining your health. You can mix the wrong herbs and teas too. Know what goes with what and most important Know Thyself! What may be good for others may not be good for you. Like if you get enough sun you don’t need to take extra Vitamin D. Your good intention can have bad consequences when you overkill with “stuff that is good for you”. Did you know to much apple juice can cause kidney problems?! outer garden: same thing…to much of a good thing will cause your garden to suffer. Pay attention to the response of the garden. Lighten up if you see it looking puny, molding, or sagging. Last but, not least “TLC”  Giving Love to your inner and outer gardens is great but, to much attention/nurturing can be suffocating. Again, pay attention and that could mean pay attention to the very Moment. Each day there is Change and situations can create the need for Love or maybe the need to be left alone. Nature within and without can be very sensitive. You don’t want to bury or choke out the ability to have FUN, to Grow and experience Life, to be strengthened. If you over protect and hover roots can’t dig deep and get strong. And you sure don’t want “shallow” roots. Think about what that creates. Hmmmm.

Well, I figure this will give you something to think about. As for me, I am going to cook my dinner and feed my inner garden with some good funky music.. in other words ” Have me some FUN after workin’ all day!”

PEACE !

This last three weeks, I began 3 sets of Bible studies. One is with a church I have never attended, one with an individual from that church, and one with 2 dear friends via phone/internet. At the same time, I am learning what it takes to grow plants here in my new desert home, Las Vegas. My thought being, “what a great way to renew both my inner and outer gardens.”  And while doing so, I can do some much needed weeding and revision of my website. smile  (as they say: “things come in 3’s.”)

Now to get to the point: The 3rd of my Bible studies is one called Homiletics. I am doing this with 3 Dear friends (note: this is important statement) Should you not know what this is,  Check it out :  http://www.gotquestions.org/homiletics.html   As you see it is typically used by pastors as a learning tool for sermons however, it is a great study tool for anyone wanting to enhance their knowledge of the Word & for those who wish to share the seeds of that Word.  Now back to the flow of things: My 1st Bible study began was with the 7th Day Adventist Church. I was drawn to it based on the Way they focus on applying ” the teaching of the Bible” to Everyday Life. Once I had attended the service, I thought ” Yes, their teaching is much in line with my beliefs.”  Even more enticing was the fact that a woman was the founder of this church. http://www.whiteestate.org   As many of you know, I am passionate about my walk with Jesus…it’s Me & JC. It is my heart’s desire to LIVE and Apply His Love and God’s Word in all I do. (like my outer garden this is constant work in progress) Therefore, I am continuously cultivating my inner garden with the teachings of His Word. In order to do that, I believe that requires interacting & sharing the seeds of His Word with my ‘neighbors. (neighbors, to me means: All God’s children). IE: my attending their Bible study. At the 2nd Bible study I met a woman who has followed the teaching of Ellen G White and the Adventist church for many years. After chatting for 3 hrs. I found her to be a wealth of knowledge and possibly even more passionate in her studies than I am.  She shared some seeds of Ellen G. White’s writings and invited me over for a more in depth Home Bible study the following week. With excitement I accepted.  During the week prior to the home bible study, I had a 3 way call with 2 of my dear friends to review how we would kick off our homiletics study. This included, some pre reading and preparation. So, just as you get out the tools for your outer garden, I pulled out a couple of my Bibles and a journal and began my readings and outline. For me things finally were feeling balanced. You see, I get serious mind exercise and mental/spiritual temptations while working my 40 hr week with CHMB. I get my hands in the dirt planting a few new plants on my patio garden. I take some hikes (killing 2 birds w/1 stone: as walking provides exercise) as I check out what type of plants will grow in the desert. And I now have scheduled in the feeding of my spiritual garden nights & on my days off. Yep, ” I “ have jumped in there and have a plan.

Now, here I am, at the beginning of a new week and God has once again come to my rescue. A rescue I wasn’t fully aware I needed. As I said above, I attended a few Bible studies with the new church, I have had one challenging week at CHMB (which required seeking Jesus spirit of mercy, patience, and Love… a lot), I have planted a couple of new plants, took a walk in Red Rock Valley, met with the passionate lady for home Bible study and learned a lot about 7th Day Adventist (from her sharing of Ellen G. White teachings & this ladies view of those teachings). Oh and I went on an interview about doing a little Volunteer work, then capped it off today with completing my Work Sheet for my Homiletics Study. (which led me to this post. One of my dear friends knew that would happen and said she couldn’t wait. well here ya go dear. smile) And as I say often, ” God is On Time ALL the Time”. You see, I had lots running around in my mind after all this excitement. Especially, after the Bible Studies at the church and the home Bible study. They revealed a few opposing views. So, when I got home yesterday “I “decided to get some air, do some more planting and moved things around on the patio, then I settled in to watch a couple of mindless movies. When I woke this morning, I had a plan of working some 1st then getting down into my homiletics. But, then I heard a still small voice say, ” Seek Me. ”  Of course I took that as my clue to get up, get my tools, and settle into my Homiletics worksheet Now. ” I “ started off with the worksheet and ” My “ plan of action.  I had skipped right past the worksheet saying “Pray 1st and Seek His guidance 1st”. Then about 30 minutes in I heard that voice again, “Seek Me” Ok..I got it this time! I stopped, prayed, had a chat with Jesus, apologized, and went back to His Word “seeing and hearing” what He had to say in a whole new Light. 3 hours later, I am Thanking the Holy Spirit for the nudges & thanking my friend, Donna who chose to begin our study with book of John chapter 21. (it isn’t a long chapter & to fully grasp this entire post, you should check it out for yourself)  But, Just in case you don’t read it for yourself, let me see if I can share the seeds I acquired ” In a nutshell“.

In these writings it was the Third Time, Jesus had appeared to the disciples after his death. And Again, all but One, did not See Him for Who he was yet, they followed what He said from the shoreline anyway. Even after revealing himself they didn’t Know it was him at 1st. He had to prove Himself Again. Finally, they knew within themselves it was Jesus, their Lord. Most took heed and listened attentively.  But, good ole Peter, for him the focus was still not completely on Jesus and Why He was there. He was there Again to share & receive the seeds of Love He had been cultivating prior to and after His death. To share “the Way” of Life to be lived “in His Kingdom“..(right here: on Earth as it is in Heaven). But, Peter like me, wasn’t fully giving his attention. He had his own Plan..a plan to Show Jesus what He could do. Peter took it even further, He wanted to show How strong He was & to be the focus of Jesus attention. Jesus was patient & allowed Peter to show Him. When Peter took it to far, Jesus felt the need to ask, (in front of the others )  ” Do you Love Me? Are you my Friend?”  Of course Peter’s answer was “Yes, you know I do” and Jesus response was,  Then  “FOLLOW ME!”  (in other words, act like it)

If you read this Chapter in John you will see the full story and how Again, Peter had let Him down, 3 times (in front of others). And even after being asked ” do you love me? ” Peter showed his immaturity Again! And yet Again, Jesus showed His Love by disciplining him 1st lightly, then by bringing the Truth Clearly into view, all the while Keeping Peter close to Him & in the Family of God. Yes, I am saying, I am a bit hard headed like Peter. I didn’t take it quite as far as Peter did in this story however, I was headed down the same path. Praise God for my “Study of His WORD, with my Dear friends;  JESUS, Donna, & Kariamu“ which led me to a sharp Right Turn revealing while it is ok to study with others…I should Never go there without putting my BFF, Jesus as the Master Gardner  of my studies. Lack of doing so, only leads down a path full of ‘shades of grey.” A path where I can’t see and it is easy to loose my way. Clearly, I Must Always remember to: ” Slow down”, Pray, and Listen to what Jesus; the love of my life, my closest friend, has to say about it all. Then “Follow HIM!” This way I walk the Path filled with the Light of His Word which assures me I will produce good fruit in my gardens. No weeds of doubts, only His Love overflowing. With a Bonus of being entrusted with the seeds of Truth to share in my neighbors gardens. As you have probably figured out…you really need to read John Chap.21 to fully grasp my post. Yes, that is intentional. smile  In this the seeds of His Word will call You to dig in a little deeper, so YOU can reach the Root and be grafted in.

May the reading of this post reveal His Love for You, the reader written by, ME… His Beloved servant, Rev. Renee’ Jones.

Greetings!  I know, I have missed a couple of weeks of sharing seeds of The Word. So, this is kinda lengthy but, I believe worth your time in reading. I pray by the end you agree. Smile   Ya know, there are times in the garden (both inner and outer) of dormancy. These are times of rest and/Or times we find we must seek what’s best before we continue in the landscaping of our gardens. Often times I have wondered about why we and earthly gardens go dormat. I found this website revealing the whys of dormancy in an Earthly garden & after reading it found it to be true for our inner gardens too. http://www.waterwisegardencenter.com/articles/3-dormant-growing-seasons  Simply put; we have Seasons too. Like the Earth we too can go on overload and the life of the garden is sucked right out of it. On that note, I list my first two things on my new Daily ” Excercising Gratitude list”.  I am grateful for this neighbor sharing his findings online and for the internet which saved me from having to do a lot of hunting on my own. I am also grateful for the internet which allows us to share so much nourishment for our gardens.   BTW: As of today, I am taking one of my beautiful journals (which were gifts of which I am grateful) & each day writing down the things in the day that I am grateful for.  I’ve done this before and made the mistake of stopping. In doing this daily it reminds you of All the wonderful Blessings of life. At the same time you are cultivating the seeds (habit ) which produce a Beautiful ” Attitude of Gratitude” within & to share.

Next on my list of Gratitude is the Wonderful website which shares how important, No matter the season you are in, Your Attitude is a true driving force in the direction your inner and outers gardens will grow. Check out these Two great sites: http://seniorplanet.org & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yy_0HsIZsk.  Take heed of the advanced knowledge of these ladies in their “golden years” & the Young man who chose to share their choices in their style of living & their loads of wisdom. If you check deeper online you will see interviews and they will tell you how many YOUNG Adults are seeking their advise now that the documentary is going Viral. Why? because they are finding that “we, those “seasoned in life” have ” been there, done that, got a T’shirt” and we are not just clueless old folks. We have learned being “trend followers and trying to keep up with the Jones” garden of living in fear, grumbling, moaning, groaning, & greed only results in illness, suffering, and a whole lotta weeds (we don’t want) taking root in “our ” gardens. This Jones has learned there is “No Fun” in that garden there. Trust me, We seasoned ladies are only sharing in an attempt to try to Save you young things some Headaches and Misery in the development of your gardens. After all only the outer wear changes in trends…not the Real Roots of Life. Women especially, have had to dig deep and Toil tremendously to BE who God created us to Be. Which BTW is Smart, Multi-tasking, Loving LEADERS !  Think about it… God created us to be the bearers of Life. To be the Primary gardeners cultivating the New minds of Mankind as it enters this Worldly garden. God did not design us to stifle New Life or be stifled or Die on the Vine when those lives mature and are ready to move on. No, we are to continue on in our new Seasons as Walking, Living examples with an “Attitude of Gratitude” Because, as we all know, once those new Seeds “believe” they are mature they no longer have ears to hear but, most of the time, they do have Eyes and can See what’s growing in our Gardens. So, it I Very important, no matter the Season of Life, we Thrive, Live, and allow the seeds within to continue to grow, Blossom, and bring Good Fruit to all Life around us. Remember: You never know who is watching and the impact you may have.  By CHOOSING an “Attitude of Gratitude” what’s blossoming forth from within you can “make or possibly break your neighbors day”. Our Attitude is developed by the watering of our Habits.  Those habits shine thru both physically and mentally. Trust me, I know it takes some digging, seeking, and training to pull those weeds of “bad habits”. But, don’t you want to Be the Best you can Be? And take comfort in His Word and promises. Like this verse from Psalms 23:4 – “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” The rod and staff are His Word guiding you in the planting of new seed and changing of your “habits”. Even if you get side tracked it is Never to late to change a habit. Are you thinking, ” augh, sounds like a real task? There is so much information I don’t know where or How to begin. Did Ya know the disciples didn’t know either? Their question about the commandments is really questioning, ” Where do we begin?”  Matt. 22: 36 ” Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”   What words of Wisdom & they make total sense; begin with the best of the best: Love. Then seek out with all your heart the instructions from the Designer, the Creator of Love and the family who knows how to operate in it.  God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Plus, they already had master gardeners put it in writing just for You. Smile. Note: These 2 commandments are really 3 commandments. God seems to like things in 3’s and done over 40 years of time. (seems it takes man that long to break ground, let it all sink in, soften the hardness of the heart (stop being a hard head) , and finally Choose to try out the Best Laid Plan of His Creator.) Notice I didn’t mention when that 40 years begins exactly and if you aren’t careful you can begin breaking ground to late. Just sayin’. I’ve seen it happen..said thing too that what could have been a Fantastic garden dies bitter& lonely in the darkness of Fear. Ok..so, 1st you have to seek God in learning what Love is and how to cultivate that into our daily lives, 2nd is allowing those seeds to grow & produce that Agape Love  within ourselves, & 3rd is Sharing that Agape Love with thy neighbor, just as you Love thyself. (something that Can’t be done, if you don’t love yourself.)  That brings me to Gratefulness listing # 3 for the day.  I am Grateful for the time I share with God seeking the Wisdom of His Word & Receiving His Love thru the Knowledge of His Word and many of those who have learned the hard way before me. I am grateful for all those whose “stories” are shared in His written manual of His Word. There is Power in His Manual of Stories..the Most awesome Power there is. (BTW: we All have a story, powerful stories..both good and bad – that has not changed since the beginning)  Once  you accept His Instructions of Love and how to operate within it, that Love will grow strong and thrive within your inner garden. It won’t be long till you will hear that voice within you that guides you to how to Share those seeds with your neighbor. Cultivating the seeds God planted within us allows us to become the”  hybrid beauties we were Created to BE. Carriers of the fruit that abounds within Agape Love:  Forgiveness, Wisdom, Patience, Mercy , Confidence, Success, & a No Fear of life or death in the progression of age. His manual creates Garden(s) which thrive on creativity and newness that each Season has to bring. Even that of death, IF you choose to trust and have Faith in His Word , learn to maintain a garden that bears good fruit..when this Earthly death comes..is only a transition to His Perfect Garden.

A truth about this life as we know it is: We Live “in this moment”.  We can’t change the past, we can only learn from it. We can’t predict the future or the time of our demise any more than we can predict when Yeshua (Jesus) will return. These are Not ours to know…the whens of the future are the mysteries of God. Why? because as the movie says, ” You can’t handle the Truth”  (All at once anyway.) All things on Earth, including Us, have a Time and a Season. That is how God designed All things on Earth. That Truth is A Fact. My new Life here in the desert of Las Vegas, is teaching me how to be GRATEFUL for all things happening within their Season. God, The Father knows Best and is On Time All the TIME. He knows what we can ” handle” and IF we Listento His Word and the Holy Spirit’s voice, within our inner garden, we will be guided in when to stay put, when and if we need to move, what to plant, and how to BE the Best that We, as an individual, Can Be. (another fact: we were in His Design created as unique individuals, the science of DNA & fingerprints prove it.. Not Clones meant to be led around as puppets on a string.)

Ok, enough for you to ponder today: I sign off suggesting you join me in a ” Excercising an Attitude of Gratitude ” Get yourself a journal or create a Word Doc journal and at the beginning of the day jot down some things you are grateful for. Then do it again before you go to bed. Then read your listing of the day… Feel free to Share on my site the development of your garden & your experiences as you practice this exercise” SMILE

Now I leave you with some Seeds from the Creators Master Gardeners Manual of LIFE:  “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away. 36 No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.”    My Words: Until then, just walk in Love, Gratitude, and Be the Best that you can BE.

Ephes 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Phillipians 2: 1-30 “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.  Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus……”    I leave the remaining verses for you to read for yourselves. Smile

1 Peter 2:21 ” For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. “     My Words: He left us the best How To Live manual and with the CHOICE to follow in His steps. Steps that I can testify Will bear a Beautiful Harvest of nourishment for the “whole body”.

Yep, complete instructions for Mind, physical body, and Spirit. The Word works when you Work It!  Of which I am Eternally Grateful…each and Every day that will be on my Gratitude List. Shalom.

Many of the holidays we celebrate contain the “word” Happy.

Like Happy Mother’s Day!  Now I believe we should plant happiness seeds everyday. And did you know that the Word says that too? Phil.4: 4-5  ^“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! ⁵ Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.”  Now think about…if All of us walked daily in the Joy of the Lord planting seeds in the lives of all those we come in contact with, what a beautiful Garden on Earth we would live in. You say, ” Get Real, Renee’ ”  I am being “real”. God says we can do it so I believe we Can, IF we so choose to be conscious of what we let flow from our hearts and “mouths” with our Words. Philippians goes further in telling us How to cultivate that inner garden and accomplish the completion of His garden plans on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Verse 6: “Don’t worry about anything & pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and Thank Him for all he has done. ⁷   In this, you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in The Way of the family of God. Now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. ⁹   Put into practice all you learned and received from Jesus—everything you hear in His Words and See Him doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

When we “choose” to have ears to hear and eyes to see & accept these seeds of His Words, we can then cultivate His Words of wisdom in the garden of our hearts. In doing this, I assure you, not only will You become Happy…so will your neighbors.

On that note, HAPPY Mother’s Day to all…cause Everyone has a Mom & a reason to celebrate the Life given by that Mom.

Hugs to ALL.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when I plant the word “Poverty” in your mind? The text book definition is: the state of being extremely poor; the state of being inferior in quality or insufficient in amount.”the poverty of her imagination“. I have added the synonyms of poverty at the end to ponder as well.  Now notice by definition poor can be in many areas & ways in life including “poor in spirit“.

Now here this: We were not created nor meant to LIVE in poverty..on any level.” Like Fred K Price says in his sermon “The God that is More than Enough” poverty boils down to 3 Levels of Poverity:  1. Abject poverty – total Lack of all needs. 2. Scarcity: you have absolute necessities but, just barely. 3.) Unfulfilled desires – the inability to Live with your needs materially and spiritually fulfilled ( my words:both in the inner garden & outer). Poverty in Any form is Not the design of God. Poverty is a Lie of the Father of all Lies: Satan. God’s Word tells us in John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I (Yeshua, Jesus) am come that they might have Life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”  And that is a Promise of Gods. So, now your choice, who do you choose to believe?  What seeds (words) do you think you need plant within? And to have outer abundance what seeds do you believe you will need to plant to produce a fruitful abundant harvest?

All seeds needed are at your access, if you but seek them. (Gen. 1:29) They may be vision written on your heart or visions thru dreams calling your to “come and get them”  Once you take that step to revive your garden with His Seeds you then have to Nurture and cultivate them…not just sit and talk about them or sit around waiting on someone to “do” your vision for you. Proverbs 23: 7 “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” God gives you the seeds and will send helpers when you need it but you Must do your part Matthew 13 says it best for both your outer and inner garden :

Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed

13 Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. ² A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. ³ He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. ⁴ As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. ⁵ Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. ⁷ Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. ⁸ Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! ⁹ Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”¹⁰ His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”¹¹ He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets^[a] of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. ¹² To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. ¹³ That is why I use these parables,

¹⁴ This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,

¹⁶ “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. ¹⁷ I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.

¹⁸ “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: ¹⁹ The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. ²⁰ The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. ²¹ But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. ²² The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. ²³ The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

Are you walking in Poverty? The Choice is Yours to dig in and snatch out those weeds and to rise above all levels of Poverty. Abundance is the will of God for Your LIFE and produces all things Love, Joy, Peace, Stuff, & so much more. So grab some seeds and let’s get to plantin’.  P.S. Remember bad soil, with TLC , can be Restored and Reborn bearing an abundance of “good fruit” .

Having a hard time getting going with your new garden(s) both within and without?

I should have said in this in previous posts..it has already been started…you just need to dig in and seek what is already there. You see, God gave us All we need at Creation.   Never are you or this Earth left destitute and destroyed. No, no even during the flood –   His Seeds were still within for us to cultivate once we landed on dry ground.  It is His design when we embrace our authority that together we will bring forth Life on Earth as it is in Heaven.  It is thru the Grace and Love of God that continually, that part of history can be allowed to repeat itself thru His Children, “we the people created by God” ..How is that? Thru our choices & responses to the trials and circumstances of daily living. It is thru those choices we plant seed in our inner and outer gardens and this determines what fruit comes forth in abundance.  Are you seeking, planting,believing, and receiving the Promises of His Word?  Or are you choosing worry, fear, anxiety, and listening to the whispers of the father of all lies? Are you neglecting the Blessings of the gift of Earth and gift of His Spirit within you and now weeds are choking our out?  Stop! shift gears, choose the Truth revealed by our Savior Jesus. Dig deep and get to the root of what is destroying your HOME…inside and out. You CAN DO IT!  I can testify the result is Remarkable, a Glory to God,  and to those you Love.  If you are stuck or just getting started on your garden; may these verses of things Already done and there for you, help to get you going!  The deposit has been made now it is up to you to Choose to make a withdraw and plant these seeds in your garden.

2 Peter 1: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:4 Whereby are given (already given) unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we^[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.

Philippians 4:13   I can do all things through Christ (the Word) which strengtheneth me!

Shalom & HUGS!

Music has an amazing impression on Life. Whether it be man, nature, or beast Music can change the way the day is going.  A seed of life that without a doubt keeps us growing…one direction or another.  Think about it…how do you feel “really” with screaming rock ?…I am not talking about “real rock”  I am talking about screaming lyrics you can barely understand accompanied by screaming guitars and pounding drums. And I do realize the screaming rock serves a purpose with some but, you have got to admit lovey, relaxed, & joyful are not descriptions that come to mind.

Anyway, point is: High up there on the pole are the seeds planted in our ears. Have you listened lately to what all you are allowing to float into your garden and take root. How the flow of those instruments played, resonant within and cultivate Life. And have you noticed what Life is growing as a result? Is it food to your heart and emotions that make you smile? Or Cry? Or maybe it’s a sound just breezing thru, one more time…an old song that brought both joy and tears.. what are you feeling now as you listen? Maybe it’s one that you should kiss & say good bye? Has it made you cry tears of joy or sadness? Is what your hearing leading you astray? Back to times of old…times that need to stay forgotten? Or are you listening to one of those songs that used to hold some pain… but now, you see how far you’ve come and they bring a Smile. One of those songs you hear Jesus saying, ” All things work to the Good, In Him”  Maybe now when you hear that ole love song your mind does a tweek and now it’s become a PRAISE sung to my BFF, Jesus.  Like Hall and Oates ” Sara Smile” ( it brings my mind and heart to Me & JC ). smile  how about some scientific info: https://blog.bufferapp.com/music-and-the-brain

Yes, we must watch what we “listen” to & be considerate of what we share with others. Oh and what music we play in our Literal gardens too.  Yes, PLANTS love music and respond – that is a proven fact: http://hubpages.com/living/the-effect-of-music-on-plant-growth.  What about your pets? Have you paid attention to their responses, attitude, and behavior when music is playing?  You think they like what you like?  Not – check this out: http://www.livescience.com/33780-animal-music-pets.html

This weeks To Do is: Stop gabbing on the phone or watching TV and Listen to some Music ! Pay attention to your responses, your pets, your children, your mate, your plants as you listen.  Do ya wanna dance?!  Sing, cry, shouts Praises of Joy or anger?

What seeds are awakening within you as you “listen” ?

This week I am going to focus on Step # 4: Getting your soil (Soul) in the outer/inner gardens ready. How do you know when your Soil (Soul) is in prime shape? What you need to do to get it in shape. BTW, if you haven’t read and begun Steps 1 – 3 in my last post, I suggest you Stop and go back to it. Once you have read it you can determine whether you need to start at the beginning and come back to this or maybe you are at this place in both your inner and outer gardens & are ready to move on. BTW, I suggest you read all the related posts to “Better Late than Never” as even if you already have a garden, things might be revealed that didn’t come to light previously. And should you not be able to do the “actual outer garden”, you can still do these steps on your inner garden anytime and anywhere. SMILE Just remember you can do an outer garden even in the house in pots.

OK, Step # 4:  Going forward with your gardens. Check your compost..is it ripe and ready to add into the area you have chosen for your outer garden? As for your Soul; this past week should we should have been throwing out the scraps, pulling out the weeds (obstacles of life), and junking them into your journal (your compost) Is it ready? Did you dig deep and get rid of the rotting junk in your mind and heart garden? You see the reading His Word of Grace, Mercy, Joy, LOVE & so on and so on is what guides you to soften your heart and know what needs tossed onto the compost. Reminder:”With Love we can turn a hard Heart (clay soil) into a workable Soul ” How? by following His commandments to Love God, Yourself, and they Neighbor.

So, what stage is your soil (soul) in right NOW?  Some may have soil (souls) already partially created and some not: The perfect way to know if your outer gardens soil is in prime shape: consult the Worms. Earthworms are one of the surest non-technical ways to tell how healthy your soil is: the more there are, the healthier your soil. But which comes first, the earthworm or the healthy soil? Actually, it’s up to you – See more at: http://www.growinganything.com/earthworm-information.html#sthash.FPss1hqi.dpuf   Good soil will be a darker brown and crumbly to the touch, loose enough to allow air and water to flow thru it. Good soil has a “moderation combo” of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium & lime along with a right level of PH. All things your plants “depend on.”  Ya know our bodies have 8 essential nutrients it needs to operate at it’s best & where do those come from? From what we eat which comes from where?  The Soil…see how we are so intertwined, how important the Earth is to mankind. Because when your outer is out of balance trust me your inner gets whacky too, all the way down into your heart and soul.   Did you know: Your body pH balance or Acid/Alkaline Balance is critical to your good health and avoiding chronic diseases!  check it out these 2 websites for more info: http://www.holistic-medicine-works.com/body-ph-balance.html  & http://www.thehealersjournal.com/2013/06/27/8-essential-nutrients-your-body-needs-daily-for-health-and-how-to-get-them-from-food/

Yep once again I got side tracked (clearly my inner and outer garden needs more attention to address my attention issue. LOL ) Ok. the PH is a measure of soil acidity or alkalinity on a scale of 1-14.   # 7 is a neutal amount and is the preferred level.  Now get this: The # 7 in God’s word is the number of completeness and perfection (both physically and spiritually) It derives its meaning from being tied directly to God’s creation of all things. Coincidence or Intended by God during His Creation?  I of course believe ” Intended in His Creation” Check out this site for more details about the # 7 in the Bible. http://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/7.html & not only is the #7 relevant to just the Bible. Google it’s relations in other beliefs and even scientifically – check out this knowledge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_(number)   And yes, we can obtain the level of # 7; completeness & perfection. Jesus said so: Matt: 5: 48 “Therefore, you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. ” Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained or have already become perfect, but I press on that I may lay hold of that which was laid hold of by Yeshua (Jesus). HOW? Psalm 19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect, Restoring the SOUL, the testimony of the Lord (Jesus) is Sure, making Wise the Simple.”  That is what these posts are about…learning the how to create the perfect gardens both inside and out. As One is dependent on the other. We need to get back to the Original design of Creation, so we can operate at our Fullest and bear the Best Fruit.

So, test your Soil & Soul. Is it softer? Or is it still hard & needs more Toil & tilling? For the outer garden here is a site that will give guidance in Tilling.http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/how-to-till-a-garden-tilling-your-soil.htm

As for the inner Soul if you haven’t taken any steps to water the heart with His Word, you can start this during Any Season of Life. Or maybe you haven’t done enough preparation to begin the tilling segment. If so, stay within steps 1-3 and keep on watering your soul. Here are a few more steps that will aid you in the preparations: Maybe you forgot the tools & any gardener must have tools:   Stillness     Quietness   Meditation which allows the hardness to be broken.  In these 3 things you should come to the place of Pulling & tossing out those things which hurt – which harden your hearts.. yep put them right over into your ” journal” (your compost can.)

If your outer and your inner garden is softened and prepared you can proceed to Tilling the Soil (Soul). This involves stirring, mixing, and adding in NEW minerals and amendments to the Soil (Soul). Weeds may still be sprouting up..pull them. The best way to eliminate them is “Choke the Life right out of them” How? Replace your old thoughts. Amend your thinking. Move your thoughts away from the obstacles of Life toward the Blessings found in Every Day. Water the mind with Good Word(s), with Love. Speak Good Things on your life and the life of others. Mix up your comfort zones, stir in new insights, ideas, and experiences. In your Outer mix in your compost pile, new Soil, and new nutrients & pull any weeds found there too. Tilling is a very important part of preparing the Soil (Soul) before they receive your New seeds.

OK folks…now that I have posted this I can see I have some more composting to do before I begin my tilling so off I go to meditate on the Words of my BFF, Jesus and pull some more weeds.  Good luck and please feel free to post your insights on this subject. Just click on Comment. All good tips are welcome. Hugs.

Shalom.

Or should that be ” Better Sooner than Later?”

Personally, I say that depends on where you are in the garden. If you have a pretty New garden, it’s cleaned out, & you are ready to plant seeds…then for sure “sooner than later” is your best laid plan. You see if you procrastinate & are led astray to do other stuff, others and nature will take over planting seeds that generally bear weeds not good fruit in either garden – outer and inner garden. You see both gardens in the beginning are fresh new gardens of the heart. Soft, loving gardens willing to accept all things. They don’t know, they are baby gardens seeing all things with wide eyes. They need a Master Gardner that plants and tends to them with lots of TLC, protects them from the elements, & aids in their growing strong that the seeds planted ” will ” bear “good fruit” for themselves and their neighbors. This was/is the plan for All things on Earth – To plant seed that grows in LOVE which in turn bears “good fruit” for you and your neighbor. Earth and all things in it were designed by a loving Father for His children. So, best case scenario tending your gardens “sooner than later”. As a parent raising the child, plant good seed that produces Joy in the garden that make you Both happy to be alive, brings smiles, puts food on the table, and provides a sense of peace both within and without. If you are young person learned enough to make your own choices then same applies: Choose good things that resonate with all the good within you. By experience I can testify, You and the Earth are better for it. Best to begin by following the top 2 gardening rules of the Designer . Those are found in Matthew 22: spoken by the #1 Master Gardner known in Earths Hall of Fame, my BFF Yeshua (Jesus) He said  ” Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”  And if you want More good seed on this subject, it can be found in The Words written in Leviticus 19: 9-18.

Now as for my title ” Better Later than Never” – that is for the more ” mature” garden. I say that with italics because it is a term used for the more grown up gardens. Unfortunately, “grown” doesn’t always fit the definition of “mature” “fully developed” FULLY would mean in all areas.. physically, mentally, & spiritually. ( FULL: having no empty space) Notice how if you really pay attention to the words it can change the whole meaning of what has been planted? Yes, planted…words are seeds planted in the mind and if they take root in the heart…ok let’s not side track. (a habit I am working on breaking..smile) Based on the Fact that a grown garden doesn’t mean “mature” that is where “better late than never” comes in.  You see in “grown” garden, all to often, the development of the gardens have fell on neglect, a lack of interest, and some even left totally to the elements. There are too many weeds, the bones of the garden are dry, & might even look darn near hopeless. You look within and without and Joy and Peace are not the fruits either are bearing. Never fear! It’s not over yet! Nope, you are in the “better late than never” season. And as long as there is anything Living in those gardens; there IS Hope. It will take lots of TLC and some/maybe lots of work but, you will be amazed at what ” CAN BE” Resurrected in your gardens.

So, let’s look at the 1st  3 Steps to starting your gardens Anew!

And I do mean Plural gardens literally…this is a work them together, both inner and outer gardens 2016 Plan. smile You will be pleasantly surprised, I think, at the results if you will work the Two together. Ok, 1st things first Pull out that Weed root and all that is saying, “I don’t have time. You DO have time.” Think about it for a minute: How about Turn off the TV, computer, etc. for just One hour & give your mind some Oneness in the garden(s). That said let’s get started!

1.) Choose the right spot in the garden.   You can’t do everything at once. I know many of us think we are Wonder Woman or Bionic Man but, that is part of our problem we need to slow down and begin at the beginning. All this “gotta have it right this minute is not helping us out at all) We need to take time to ” Mature” So, find one area you think you can work in that you will stick with until finished. In the actual garden: maybe a small corner of the yard or a mini greenhouse on your patio. Something manageable. In the inner garden: look at your habits: good or bad?? I feel safe in saying there are probably several bad habits so choose a couple and write them down.

2.) Choose your garden layout and the good seeds you wish to plant. So how do you want your garden to look? What is the end result you want to have? What seeds are pleasing to your eye? What fruit do you want to be flowering in your heart and in your outer garden? Did you know Veggies and many other edible plants have flowers?

3.) Composting: mixture of decayed or decaying organic matter used to fertilize the soil. ” we turned clay soil (soul) into workable soil (soul) by composting it. For the literal garden: You can do this with a trash can, in a back corner of the yard, even a bucket with a lid. http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-composting-definition-and-examples.html    For the inner garden: many are already part way there: hard hearts full of decayed old matter. But, like it says, even hard clay soil can be turned into workable soil. Know: All things can work to the good when you mix it with some Tender Loving Care.

OK…I leave you to get your journal, tablet, or notebook to get the mind going on these first 3 steps to your New or Resurrection Garden(s)

Shalom.