Breathtaking Passiflora

My jaw dropped the first time I saw this! Such an intricate masterpiece. If I were asked to draw the most unique flower that I could ever imagine, I would never think of this design. It must have been passionately thought of.

Someone had thought of this at first! This didn't just pop out of the plant. And just like an artwork that speaks of the artist's character,with this Passiflora I could tell that it's Maker is the most brilliant, a lover of beauty, and passionate towards His creation.

"Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, 

invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made.

So they are without excuse."

-Romans 1:20

“Nature never taught me that there exists a God of glory and of infinite majesty. 

I had to learn that in other ways. But nature gave the word glory a meaning for me.

I still do not know where else I could have found one.”

— C. S. Lewis (1898-1963)

It's Finally Bearing Fruits!

I have a little pomegranate tree in my yard. I waited long until I saw some blossoms. Oh, what a delight to see it budding one day! You see, I fertilized it, tilled the soil, watered it faithfully but, still, I needed to wait.

In our spiritual life, waiting is always part of it. We may do all spiritual exercises like reading His Word and praying but still it is up to God to bring the fruit we are hoping or praying for. 

"Wait for the Lord; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord." 

Psalm 27:14

We are commanded to wait upon the Lord. It is not a happy thing to do. But the good thing about our waiting is that we are waiting for a sure thing to come.

"But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land."

-Psalm 37:9

The Promise of Springtime

 

 

 

The tree by our yard never forgets to bloom every springtime. I would see people stopping by under it to take pictures. If you clicked to enlarge the picture, you'll find a bird somewhere at the center. I just thought of sharing this for all of you who are in the middle of spiritual winter. I've experienced 5 winters in my life and I know how depressing it can be. The trees may look dead for a while but it will bring blossoms again in springtime. May we never lose hope on the truth that God works in ways we cannot see.
I hope this reminds you of springtime that is surely on it's way.

"For the winter is passed. The rain is over and gone. The flowers are springing up. And the time of the singing of the birds has come."   
-Song of Solomon 2:11-12: 

"Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."
-Isaiah 43:17

Gardening My Heart

Gardening is one of my favorite chores. I visit my garden after feeding all the pets and before preparing breakfast for he family. This means I really have to be up before everybody else does to have enough time to say "good morning" to all my plants. I have diffrent varieties of them.Some need low maintenance which require only daily watering. Some need high maintenance which require fertilizer, exact amount of shed or sunlight, and occasional tilling of soil around them. And in this time of the year, where temperature reaches to 40+ degree Celcius, my plants need extra more water and care. That's a lot of work to do but I don't mind because I just love gardening.

Recently, I came to realize that I do gardening in my heart, too! I grow flowers in my garden as well as I grow love in my heart. My heart needs my daily attention (weeding is forgiving, tilling is cherishing, watering is serving, cultivating is building memories...) because love doesn't just grow by itself. 

"Shall we compare our hearts to a garden -
with beautiful blooms, straggling weeds,
swooping birds and sunshine, rain -
and most importantly, seeds.
~Grey Livingston

Flowers and Musings In My Garden

These are the few of the many flowers I have in my garden.

Everyday I wonder of their beauty and uniqueness.

One cannot be compared with the other.

Even the ones of the same variety, though they seem to look alike, each of them differ from one another in size, in shade of color, the petal arrangement, and the length of stems.

I don't know all them by name but surely their Maker does.

I'm sure He knows, too, the number of petals and leaves as much as He knows the number of my hair.

He is mindful of His creation. Not one sparrow falls down on the ground without His knowledge and I wonder how it is with flowers?

Does He feel sad as I do each time I see a dying plant in my garden?

Does He rejoice seeing new buds or when seedlings spring up from the ground?

My mind wanders when I'm in the garden......

There are questions left unanswered.....but that does not matter.....

Gardening gives me power over life.

I make life happen.  So much like my Creator.

I am created in His image and likeness.

I rise above all other created things!

"The LORD is righteous in all his ways
       and loving toward all he has made."

Psalm 145:17 

Called To Fruitfulness

                             
I have a small vegetable garden in my backyard.

I grow veggies and spices: basil, rosemary, lemon grass, spring onions, ginger and pandan leaves.

My favorite ones are those that bear fruit: bitter gourd, bell pepper, hot chili, and tomato.

My yard is also blessed with some fruit bearing trees: banana, rose apple (macopa), lime, pomegranate, and mango.

My goal for each of my plant is for it to bloom and/or bear fruit.

I don't plant to see it die.

Same with our Maker.

He is after the fruit of our lives.

We don't live just to be alive and then die.


We are called to fruitfulness.

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

-Galatians 5:22-23 

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down
and thrown into the fire.

-Matthew:7:19