LIVING HOPE THAT IS PRICELESS !!

JUST ATOP THE VINTAGE GREEN SERVER SITS THE ROSEMARY PLANT THAT WAS IN THE GARDEN LAST SUMMER ......TRANSPLANTED FROM THE PICNIC TABLE TO THE BRIGHT SUNNY WINDOW IN THE KITCHEN LAST OCTOBER WITH THE HOPE THAT IT WOULD SURVIVE THE WINTER ......WHAT A BEAUTIFUL HERB IT IS ......LUSH GREEN CONIFEROUS STEMS WITH A SCENT THAT LINGERS AROUND THE TABLE EVERY TIME THE HEAT COMES UP ......SUCH AN ESSENTIAL KITCHEN HERB ROSEMARY IS ......IT SERVES A PURPOSE IN MANY A DISH FROM CHICKEN AND PORK TO BUTTERED CARROTS AND ROASTED NEW POTATOES ......WITH THE ANTICIPATION THAT THIS PLANT WOULD LIVE THROUGH THE DETRIMENTS OF THE WINTER SEASON , HAPPINESS COULD BE FELT IN THE AIR TONIGHT......AS THIS
COLD AND DARK SEASON COMES TO AN END THE SCRIPTURE THAT COMES TO MIND THIS EVENING IS ONE FOUND IN THE OLD TESTAMENT , " See ! The winter is past ; the rains are over and gone . Flowers appear on the earth ; the season of singing has come , the cooing of doves is heard in our land ." SONG of SONGS 2:11-12 ......MISS ROSEMARY SITS ; AWAITING THE RETURN OF FRESH AIR & WARMER TEMPERATURES , HOPE HAS PREVAILED ONE MORE WINTER SEASON ......TO SEE THIS POT OF LIVING HOPE REMINDS ME OF THE HOPE THAT THE LORD JESUS GAVE WHEN HE BECAME THE LAST BLOOD SACRIFICE FOR ALL MANKIND ......GOD EXPLAINS IT BEST WHEN HE SPEAKS THROUGH THE APOSTLE PETER IN THE NEW TESTAMENT PROCLAIMING , " Praise be to the GOD and FATHER of our LORD JESUS CHRIST ! In HIS great mercy HE has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of JESUS CHRIST from the dead ,and into an inheritance that can never perish , spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you , who through faith are shielded by GOD'S power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time . In this you greatly rejoice , though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials . " 1PETER 1:3-6 ......THESE WORDS , EVER SO TRUE , ASSURE ALL THOSE THAT PLACE THEIR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST THAT HE IS THE LIVING HOPE THAT WILL SEE US THROUGH INTO ETERNITY ...... NOW THAT IS PRICELESS ....................................SUMMER

.....and she said, " JUST BE THERE ,THATS ALL."

WOW !!It has been a whole week since i have been here , but time spent away always makes my heart grow fonder of this site ....... I'll share with you a little bit about what happened when my stand at the farmers market closed up for the winter season. A friend of mine called one day ,early on this winter, to ask me if i'd like to help out with the care of her friends mom (95 years young ),who was living alone and in need of some daily care....... I decided to accept thinking that winter season wouldn't feel so cold and spring would arrive sooner than later !! Little did i know that i was about to receive a lesson from my LORD on christian obedience and the different seasons of our lives instead . So early each morning i would begin my day and ask the LORD to reveal to me what it was most that this woman needed besides her basic physical care . He would always bring to my attention that i was to be extra kind and very respectful to her because she was in the winter season of her life . This brought me to the scripture in the OLD TESTAMENT ,"Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your GOD . " LEVITICUS 19:32 I had not known if this woman knew of the LORD, but i did know what the LORD revealed to me as i prayed. And so it was, as i began the long winter season with a 95 year old woman in need of physical care ,kindness and respect . As time passed, there were days on which i was so excited i accepted this assignment that i found myself looking forward to getting up, despite the sub zero temperatures . And then there were those other days where i was so sorry i accepted the request,that i would bury my head under the pillow and wait until the very last minute to dress and go.Through it all however i held true to my obedience to the LORD to be extra kind and respectful. I wondered what it was the LORD was trying to teach me , until just the other day ,as i sat next to her it clicked . As we both sat quietly in the living room i was thinking of how my time spent there was not appreciated as it should be but still yet i asked , " V , can i do anything for you ? " and as she picked up her head and slowly turned to me she weakly stated , " Just be there thats all. " Sometimes the situations in our lives really don't require us to do anything at all but to " just be there ". ...................................................summer

A NEW YEAR .......2010 IS WELCOME

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!!!! WELCOME 2010........ HOPE TO HAVE YOU AROUND FOR SOME 362 DAYS AND HOPE AS WELL THAT YOU ARE FULL OF MANY DIFFERENT EVENTS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO DRAW ME CLOSER TO MY LORD ........ OVER THIS PAST CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS SEASON I HAVE TRUELY COME TO REALIZE JUST HOW BLESSED WE ARE ....... EVEN DURING THE DIFFICULT AND STRESSFUL TIMES IN 2009 MY FAITH CARRIED ME THROUGH THOSE TIMES AS NEVER BEFORE ....... LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE LIFE OF MY LORD HAS ALLOWED ME TO SEE HIM FOR WHO HE REALLY IS AND WHO I AM BECAUSE OF HIM ........ IT HAS ALSO REVEALED THE WILL OF GOD ( ROMANS 8:28 ) AND HIS SOVERIERNTY (ECCLESIASTES 9:1 )......... THANK YOU JESUS ........ SUMMER