Dear Reader:

Isn’t this resurrection fern on the oak tree gorgeous? I saw it on my walk last Thursday.  My own little resurrection fern, lodged in my Bradford tree, bit the dust, during the snow/ice storm. (And no, I did not throw it out but it looks pretty dead to me. Will wait and see if it miraculously does resurrect.)

I came across a devotional Friday (“You Bring God’s Kingdom to Earth -Randy Robinson)  that made me pause and re-think the meaning of the term…the Kingdom of God. I have always just considered it another term for Heaven…but in this message…the thought behind the term was re-defined…with more input from us.

…”The way we live indicates whether we are abiding in His kingdom. The proof of His kingdom doesn’t come on Sunday morning when the congregation is watching. It comes during the week when we are alone. It is not about how loudly it is declared, but how soundly it’s lived. The real measure comes in the quiet times. 

…When discontent and discord rules…the Spirit withers, the kingdom of heaven is not present. Even so, it is still near. It’s just a matter of changing our mind and renewing our spirit.”

This devotion once again reminded me that I am in control of my own resurrection on earth…by my thoughts and by how I live my life here. The Kingdom of God isn’t  just in the next world…it is in our world as evidenced every day in our lives with what we do and don’t do.

The closer we come to following in God’s footsteps the closer we come to understanding what God’s Kingdom should look and feel like…using all the senses within us.

Yesterday I helped create life…at least in the plant kingdom.

My pansies never recovered from the winter storm so I thought I would go look at the Flowertown Garden Center to replenish the barrel with new pansies or flowering ornamental cabbages! The owner had neither. She explained to me why the pansies and cabbages, known for their endurance during a typical winter (especially in the lowcountry) didn’t make it this year.

She said it was the aftermath of the snow and ice that killed them…if it had stayed frozen day and night it would have been better…instead it would start to thaw during the day and then freeze again each night… repeatedly. (Just too much for them to acclimate and endure…they didn’t have time to  keep adapting each day and night.)

So I ended up at Lowe’s and Home Depot…coming back with snap dragons and (imported) pansies. They sure look pretty. There is a weather debate going on right now whether the National Weather Center or the Farmer’s Almanac is predicting correctly…the Farmer’s Almanac has us getting another winter storm in early February…meaning within the next week or two. We will have to see who is correct.

To be on the safe side…I planted all the pansies in the barrel but left the snapdragons in the pot so I can just remove it and bring it in if we get more long-lasting frigid weather…but for right now I will just enjoy them!

On the fence going in to the Flowertown Nursery…a colorful mural covers the entire length of it. I even found a painting of “Sammy” the cardinal and a saying that I really love.

So until tomorrow…Planting my snap dragons and pansies did bring me happiness and in a sense…I did create…or if not create…at least encourage life by planting the flowers in the barrel and simultaneously providing beauty to others who walk or drive by. I plant what I hope the Kingdom of God will be filled with…and more.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Honey’s daughter, Tarshie, shared her favorite Christmas present from 2015 on Facebook recently. An heirloom from her grandfather’s Pine Forest Inn. A woman contacted Honey about making the pendants from broken   pieces of plates with the Pine Forest Inn insignia on them. (she had found) Honey said yes but wanted one for the girls in their immediate and extended family..

Isn’t it beautiful?