Mess

The house is a mess at the moment because we've got the painter in doing the lounge and dining room so the furniture is cluttering other parts of the house and to make things worse we have the man coming into install a pot belly stove in the family room this week so that area had to be cleared as well.

Reflection:
Romans 3:21 (The Message)
God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.

Purple face

My face was not purple on Saturday ... more red because I mowed the lawn and it was a rather warm day. Lucky I didn't put it off until Sunday ... it's raining again.

Reflection:
John 2:28 (The Message)
And now, children, stay with Christ. Live deeply in Christ. Then we'll be ready for him when he appears, ready to receive him with open arms, with no cause for red-faced guilt or lame excuses when he arrives.

Special

I've been waiting for this.  The dwarf  gumpo azaleas are late flowering so put on lovely display along the driveway at this time of year.

Reflection:
1 Thessalonians 1:2 (The Message)
It is clear to us, friends, that God not only loves you very much but also has put his hand on you for something special. When the Message we preached came to you, it wasn't just words. Something happened in you. The Holy Spirit put steel in your convictions.

Prostrate

This is the flower of a prostrate grevillia, another native flower. Reminds me of the semi squashed huntsman spider I found on the bathroom floor the other day ... one of us must of stepped on it in the night ... eeek.

Reflection:
Proverbs 1:7 (The Message)
Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God;
only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.

Native-born

The eriostemon is flowering by the back fence,  a pretty Australian native flower.

Reflection:
Leviticus 19:33-34 (New International Version, ©2010)
‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

Fresh

Fresh green growth on another fern.

Reflection:
Proverbs 18:15 (The Message)
Wise men and women are always learning,
always listening for fresh insights.

Crows nest

I noticed the last two posts have been predominantly green so thought I would add some more.  This is the new growth on a Crows Next fern.

Reflection:
Psalm 147:7-11 (The Message)
Sing to God a thanksgiving hymn,
play music on your instruments to God,
Who fills the sky with clouds,
preparing rain for the earth,
Then turning the mountains green with grass,
feeding both cattle and crows.
He's not impressed with horsepower;
the size of our muscles means little to him.
Those who fear God get God's attention;
they can depend on his strength.

Tired

I am beginning to feel a little tired of this blog. Perhaps it is the onset of summer. Summer must be coming because the Hydrangeas are on their way out even if the weather is not letting us know.  We did however have glorious weather over the weekend for the family visit plus a quite chilly evening so we could light the log fire for ambience too.

Reflection:
Jeremiah 31:25 (New International Version)
I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.”

Brothers and Sisters

The Cherry Laurel is flowering.

My sister has flown down from Brisbane to spend the weekend with us and my brother and sister-in-law joined us for lunch yesterday. I nice family day.

Reflection:
Ephesians 6:23 (New International Version)
Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Dance

Fushias make me want to twirl and dance.

Reflection:
1 Thessalonians 4:1 (The Message)
One final word, friends. We ask you—urge is more like it—that you keep on doing what we told you to do to please God, not in a dogged religious plod, but in a living, spirited dance.

Old fashioned

These are the flowers on the peppermint geranium ... they remind me of old fashioned ribboned bonnets.

Reflection:
1 Corinthians 11:7 Every man who prays or prophesies with long hair dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with no covering of hair dishonors her head—she is just like one of the “shorn women.” If a woman has no covering, let her be for now with short hair; but since it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair shorn or shaved, she should grow it again. A man ought not to have long hair

Open my eyes

I don't wear my glasses when I am out photographing ... so I am often surprised to find bugs that I had not seen in the closeups.

Reflection:
Psalm 119:18 (New International Version)
Open my eyes that I may see
wonderful things in your law.

Again

I know I am getting repetitive but this is this one hasn't flowered for years despite me trying to pour water on it.

Reflection:
Philippians 4:4 (New International Version)
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

By the pool

Another of lifes little mysteries ... why didn't this flower last year ?  It could not have been the drought, after all it's feet live in water.

Reflection:
John 5:2-8 (New International Version)
Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”

Shape

Another surprise flowering brought on by the rain.  I had forgotten this mollus azalea was growing by the front fence. It has an odd shape for an azalea.

Reflection:
Proverbs 11:17 (The Message)
A God-Shaped Life
When you're kind to others, you help yourself;
when you're cruel to others, you hurt yourself.

Prayers

At the moment our evenings are filled with the strong fragrance of the port wine magnolia lifted up on the night air .. has me thinking of prayers lifted up to our Lord.

Reflection:
Philippians 4:6 (The Message)
Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Simplicity

After the wildness of the past week I thought we could do with some simplicity.

Reflection:
1 Timothy 6:6 (The Message)
A devout life does bring wealth, but it's the rich simplicity of being yourself before God.

Wild animals

Wild garden week 7 of 7

Even the fish ponds have gone wild and transformed themselves into frog ponds without any help from me.

Reflection:
Genesis 1:24 (The Message)
God spoke: "Earth, generate life! Every sort and kind:
cattle and reptiles and wild animals—all kinds."
And there it was:
wild animals of every kind,
Cattle of all kinds, every sort of reptile and bug.
God saw that it was good.

Wild fruits

Wild garden week 6 of 7

The Dianthus (Sweet William) has just started flowering, a month later than last year. The rain is keeping us and the flowers cold.

What is that wild strawberry doing in the flower garden?  Those strawberries sure are virulent ... but I am indulgent towards them provided they stay relatively within their own place.  They are fruiting right now and probably the only harvest from the garden this year, given the state of the vege plot.

Reflection:
Psalm 65:9 (The Message)
Oh, visit the earth,
ask her to join the dance!
Deck her out in spring showers,
fill the God-River with living water.
Paint the wheat fields golden.
Creation was made for this!
Drench the plowed fields,
soak the dirt clods
With rainfall as harrow and rake
bring her to blossom and fruit.
Snow-crown the peaks with splendor,
scatter rose petals down your paths,
All through the wild meadows, rose petals.
Set the hills to dancing,
Dress the canyon walls with live sheep,
a drape of flax across the valleys.
Let them shout, and shout, and shout!
Oh, oh, let them sing!

Remembrance

Wild garden week 5 of 7

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month World War 1 hostilities ended and is observed as Remembrance Day throughout Commonwealth countries. Here in Australia is has largely been eclipsed by Anzac Day but is still remembered in a quiet way. So today I am showing you the herb patch with its Rosemary (for remembrance), Chives, Parsley and Thyme. I love fresh herbs. Look the other way and you see the Oregano as well. On the Garden Show they said that if you chop it back it will spring back in no time ... they were not wrong about that, I'm thinking of transferring some it it to places where I need some more ground cover.

Reflection:
Luke 22:19 (New International Version)
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

As you were

Wild garden week 4 of 7
The photo above is what I would normally show you.  But look below at what is really going on.   They are growing randomly in cracks in the stone and I let them do it because it amuses me to see things thriving just where they have been placed.

Reflection:
1 Corinthians 7:20-22 (The Message)
Stay where you were when God called your name. Were you a slave? Slavery is no roadblock to obeying and believing. I don't mean you're stuck and can't leave. If you have a chance at freedom, go ahead and take it. I'm simply trying to point out that under your new Master you're going to experience a marvelous freedom you would never have dreamed of. On the other hand, if you were free when Christ called you, you'll experience a delightful "enslavement to God" you would never have dreamed of.

Oh dear

Wild garden 3 of 7

Remember the excitement of the vege plot last year.  Here is what it looks like right now!

We're just not cut out for this type of thing. It's not that we are lazy, we are busy about the things that interest us more - God understands.

Reflection:
Psalm 139:14 (King James Version)
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

Elbow room

Wild Garden Week 2 of 7

Despite the weeds and the artfully tumbling rock wall at their feet they look lovely anyway.

Lea's comment yesterday that I was giving my plant "elbow room" made me smile, as did the encouraging words of other commenters.

Reflection:
2 Kings 6:1-2 (The Message)
One day the guild of prophets came to Elisha and said, "You can see that this place where we're living under your leadership is getting cramped—we have no elbow room. Give us permission to go down to the Jordan where each of us will get a log. We'll build a roomier place."
Elisha said, "Go ahead."

I've been reading Kings in my daily reading lately. Entertaining and inspiring reading.

A confession

When I look at this blog I feel I am a fraud.  Taking photos of individual flowers gives the impression I have a lovingly tended garden and the fact is I do very little.  It is a wild garden that makes do with a minimum of care from me. It is not even very full of plants, there are lots of big empty spots. I know nothing of feeding and pruning and do just a little weeding and mow occasionally. You see I am a garden appreciator not a gardener. I appreciate this lavender and seaside daisy growing with unattended abandon.

I think I will soothe my conscience by showing you more of the wild garden this week.

Reflection:
Proverbs 28:13 (New International Version)
Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,
but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

Insignificant

These geranium flowers are small and insignificant but close up aren't they pretty.

Reflection:
Philippians 3:7 (The Message)
Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant.

Two together

Another beauty that has flowered unexpectedly this year.  I took it at this angle so you could see the ajuga I showed you the other day. They make a pretty combination.

Reflection:
Ecclesiastes 4:9 (New International Version)
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:

Honey

I have not seen many bees in the garden this spring.   They say the bee population is diminishing worldwide but I think the reason has been that it is just been too cold for them.  This weekend when the photo was taken was wonderfully warm at last but it has dropped back again since.

Reflection:
Psalm 119:103 (New International Version)
How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Gift

Another nieghbourly gift -- fragrant jasmine. I do know it gives some people hay fever but I love the smell of it.

Reflection:
Ephesians 2:8-9 (New International Version)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

Benefit

I think we have benefited more from the neighbour's May bush than they did.

Reflection:
Galatians 6:9 (The Message)
So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.

Variety

Julie commented yesterday that azaleas beat camellias hands down. Well I like camellias because they brighten the winter garden I have to agree there is nothing to beat the spectacular variety and beauty of the spring flowering azaleas.

Reflection:
1 Corinthians 15:39 (The Message)
You will notice that the variety of bodies is stunning. Just as there are different kinds of seeds, there are different kinds of bodies—humans, animals, birds, fish—each unprecedented in its form. You get a hint at the diversity of resurrection glory by looking at the diversity of bodies not only on earth but in the skies—sun, moon, stars—all these varieties of beauty and brightness. And we're only looking at pre-resurrection "seeds"—who can imagine what the resurrection "plants" will be like!