Embrace Your Inner Moss Pt. 2

     Last week we started this discussion about gardening. The question I raised was:How hard should we work to change the  landscape around us to fit into the mold of what current opinion says is beautiful?

     I am in the minority I think. I really like the moss most other lawners and gardeners work so hard to get rid of.  I even think that in certain respects crab grass is kind of cool. Now I work hard at my gardens. I mow. I prune. I move things around. But I really do try to think out of the box when it comes to subduing the world around me.      

     You may remember how originally I planned to get rid of all this stuff: It looked really gangly and gross when I moved in. I fought with it and took up a whole day in March trying to make it leave our lawn. I am really glad it was stubborn enough to stick it out until spring. Had I succeeded I never would have seen the spring landscape I now enjoy so much from my coffee table under the shade trees. Come on admit it it’s quite a picture!

        I’ll admit I like the wild look. There’s something intrinsically godly about it. I’ll also admit I am too lazy or too busy to fight with the lawn to make it line up in straight rows. I don’t know but I’ve never met a garden that wanted to grow square. The world is round and everything I have ever planted seems to grow in a circle or a curve. It’s we humans that insist everything be stuck in a box!

     Have you ever noticed that the more you insist on boxing things in, the more you insist on everything coming out exactly as you planned, the less it does so?  Case in point: I bought dirt for my garden boxes. I even asked the “expert” at the counter how much I needed. He told me. I bought the amount he recommended. He lied!

     I filled my boxes and had enough dirt left to fill another garden. Now I was wrankled. A part of me wanted to call the guy tell him to come get his dirt and give me a refund. Another part told me I should move the dirt across the lawn and cover the grass clippings with it. The achy broken part of me won. The part that says “Embrace your inner moss” took over and I built this

     Muddy says it looks weird. Most of our neighbors are probably wondering what the heck I am building. But at the moment I was sick of fighting with the dirt so I decided to embrace what I had and make the best of it.

      Those of you who read my post regularly know by now that I am not really talking about moss or dirt or gardens at all. I’m talking about an attitude.

      Life often hands us what looks like junk…trash…or moss. The beautiful thing about life is we get to decide what to do with the junk/trash/moss we are handed. I’m not saying we should always keep it. But sometimes I think we have to find a way of living with our moss. We have to find a way of making our “moss” into a blessing. What can we pull out of it? What can we turn it into that will benefit?

     As I close I just want to remind you that sometimes those things we think our greatest bane can become our greatest blessings if we only choose to embrace them for what they can bring.

“what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise” (Laura Story, Blessings)

Pastor Wrinkles Corner: Holy Pete!

Let’s Review:

1. Can you name three of Jesus’ miracles?

2.   Tell me three parables of Jesus

3. Give me the names of the twelve disciples.

4. Who were the disciples?

Tonight we are going to discuss the books of I and II ____________.

Peter was one of Jesus’ ______________ closest friends.

He was killed in the ___________________ that broke out under Emperor Nero in _________________ A.D. According to tradition he was crucified _________________________.

I Peter was written sometime around 62-64 A.D. and II Peter was written around ____________.

Now in Your groups answer these questions:

I Peter 1: 13-16says, “So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. “

What do these verses say we are supposed to do to be holy? hint: How do we think clearly according to these verses? What do the old ways look like?

2.How far away from the old ways have you come? Take some time and make a list of five things you think God wants you to do to get further away from the old ways. Share some with the group.

Come Back Together: Read II Peter 2

Some things to notice:

Peter warned that there would be _______________ teachers:

How do know the difference between a false teacher and a good teacher?

_______________ heresies. These are teachings that distort the Bible in order to recognize them you have to know what the Bible says.

sinful _____________- They do not have a holy lifestyle.

______________ for personal gain. Concerned with profit! LIsten to these words from I Timothy:  “Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.  But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. ” I Tim 6: 6-11 NLT

God does care about our attitude towards money. It is a ___________ to get his work done. We should try to live ___________ and _____________ for God’s kingdom.

Read II Peter 3: 1- 16

Why should we seek to live Holy lives?

The Bible says that one of the signs of the last days is ______________. We have that today.

Jesus is coming soon and we have a lot of work to do. If Jesus were to come right now almost _____________ of Southern New England would be left behind.

God is ____________. But He will not wait forever.

Your life of ______________ does two things. It guarantees you a _____________ in Heaven. it can make the ____________ sit up and take notice.

How many of you have things God has told you to change to reflect holiness?

Embrace Your Inner Moss Pt. 1

      My friend and I have been having a debate about lawn care. The debate stems from our differing opinions about gardening…and moss.

     He hates moss. He blames moss for the demise of his lawn. He believes killing his moss will bring his grass back. HE BELIEVES IN CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR MOSS!!!!

     I on the other hand  am a softer and gentler kind of gardener. I love moss. Moss doesn’t kill; It comes to comfort you after your beloved grass can no longer be with you. I can come up with at least four reasons moss should be let to live:

1. It comes in many beautiful shades and adds contrast to what is otherwise just boring lawn. I know I am in the minority here but I say if something has the gumption to survive a lawn mower it has earned the right to bloom where its planted….And while moss will survive the mower it also doesn’t need it: MORE MOSS=LESS MOWING!

2. Moss is squishy and fun to walk on. Come on can you honestly tell me you wouldn’t rather walk barefoot through a field of moss?

3. You can burn moss! the Irish burned peat instead of wood. I wouldn’t recommend throwing it in your oil burning furnace. But hey! In a pinch pitch a tent and start a peat fire!

4. Surviviorman says that if you’re thirsty moss stores water! It can be rung out and because it is a natural filter you can drink the water without fear of falling down dead from botulism.

     Yep lots of reasons to keep your moss. Maybe I am just lazy but I think we work too hard to alter our landscape to make it look like “Better Homes and Gardens”. Who died and made them Mother Nature anyway!

     I am all for pruning, thinning, mowing, and weeding. But sometimes I think we have just got to relax and let nature take its course….Go with the flow…Work with what we’ve got.

     I have a back lawn that is mostly moss and dandelions. To be fair there is grass too but it doesn’t rule the roost. The grass grows on the moss!

I don’t know but I think it looks O.K.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

CAST YOUR VOTE FOR MOSS OR GRASS.

MORE ON THIS NEXT WEEK!

Which I Gather In a Song

The Apology

Think me not unkind and rude,
That I walk alone in grove and glen;
I go to the god of the wood
To fetch his word to men.

Tax not my sloth that I
Fold my arms beside the brook;
Each cloud that floated in the sky
Writes a letter in my book.

Chide me not, laborious band,
For the idle flowers I brought;
Every aster in my hand
Goes home loaded with a thought.

There was never mystery,
But ’tis figured in the flowers,
Was never secret history,
But birds tell it in the bowers.

One harvest from thy field
Homeward brought the oxen strong;
A second crop thine acres yield,
Which I gather in a song.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

 

      I am learning that my peace in the storm of life is determined in large part by the voice I choose to listen too.

     In this storm God has been singing a sweet song in my ear almost continually. He sings against the darkness of my soul. He takes my breath away with beauty that reminds me that all of life is not dark.

He has made my feet to tread in pleasant places.  But I must step out my front door to hear His song. He sings in the key of green, and red, and pink. His voice smells like roses and lilacs.

I hear Him singing from the high heavens and even from the dark dirt of the forest floor. His voice emanates from the grasses and swells from the branches of the trees.

     So many have wondered how I can hold myself at peace in the storm. It’s because most times I don’t hear the rain. I hear Him and He tells me it will be all right.

He tells me like this

And like this:

And this:

     When I hear the beauty of his song with my eyes, the dark voices that ravage my mind slip for at least a season into the abyss which spawned them.

How do you hear the song of God?

Are you Being Tucked In? Pt. 4

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Ma 11; 28,29 NLT

     Today we come to the conclusion of our series on receiving the comfort of God. Our final point is considering His ways.

     Finally Jesus said we are to Consider His ways. In Matthew 11 He says “let me teach you.”

     We use to have a ministry in the AG called bible quiz. It was a ministry that encouraged kids to memorize the Bible. I was terrible at it but I got more out of it than I think any other Bible study I ever did. Because I was putting the Word of god directly into my heart. I was daily meditating on the Scripture. Prayer is wonderful. Faith is awesome, but it is only half the picture. Hiding the Word in our hearts is the other half of the coin. It is the Word of God that changes how we think. Prayer brings power. The word brings revelation. In order to be comforted we need both. Let’s look at some Scriptures regarding the importance of putting Scripture inside our hearts:

“How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. I have tried hard to find you— don’t let me wander from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. ” Psalm 119:9-11 NLT

“Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.” Prov. 30:5 NLT

“Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.” Luke 11:28NLT

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Hebrews 4:12 NLT

     The fact is Jesus cannot comfort us if we are not daily bathing our  minds in his word. This is because He has designed His word to be the vehicle through which our hearts are changed. If our minds are frightened and anxious, it is His word which cause them to become peaceful and thankful. If our minds are full of hate, it is His word which causes us to be forgiving and delivered from bitterness. Today we need to make a renewed commitment to learning his ways through commitment to a weekly bible study or daily bible reading and memorization. It’s an ancient discipline we have too long neglected.

If you need comfort Come to Jesus, Carry His burden, and Consider His ways.

See you tomorrow!

Are you Being Tucked In? Pt. 3

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”  Ma. 11:28-30 NLT

   

     For the last few days we have been in a study concerning the comfort of God and how to receive. Today we are covering point two, Carrying God’s burden.

1. Jesus told us we needed to Carry  his burden or switch burdens with him.

      In our analogy of the comfort of God being likened to a good tucking in, I would say carrying Jesus’ burden  is the equivalent of putting on pajamas.

     When I get home at night from the office the first thing I do is head upstairs to change out of my work clothes. I release my swollen feet from the hard dress shoes. I put on the loose-fitting sweats and the warm comfy bathrobe. Then I go downstairs to say “Hello” to Mom and Brenda.

     How comfortable would I be if I came home and went straight to bed in my shoes, my belt, my tie, my dress shirt and my suit pants? I have done this on Sunday afternoons from time to time. I awake cranky, sweaty and feeling like I took a bath in bugs. 

     Some of us go to Jesus with much more uncomfortable burdens than my suit and we never lay them down. We pray but we don’t release the burden. We come away still feeling responsible for it… still worrying about it…still freaking out about…because we haven’t believed Jesus for it.

     Do you believe God answers prayer? Then pray about the problem and then walk away from it and let Him deal with it.

    “That is so irresponsible” you say.

    Well it is if go to Jesus, put down your burden and walk away with no burden. Jesus didn’t say leave your burden here and go away scott free.

He said “Take my burden. Take my yoke.”

 Listen I serve a big God who knows how to answer prayer…EVERY PRAYER! I also believe He talks to me and I believe if He wants me to do something about my problems He will tell me. He does  tell me. He impresses me in prayer. I don’t have to run around trying to solve my problem  myself. I just have to come to Him and listen and he will impress on me if he wants me to do something. I don’t have to fix myself or you. I just have to pray and then do what Jesus tells me. That’s what it means to carry his burden. When we Carry his burden (the thing he tells us to do) then the pressure is off.

 How does that change your thinking?

Are You Being Tucked In Pt. 2

      Theophane Venard said, “Be merry, really merry. The life of a true Christian should be a perpetual jubilee, a prelude to the festivals of eternity. “  

     Now, that quote may not mean much to you until you understand the context it was written in. Theophane Venard was a french priest called to West Tonkin Province, China (North Vietnam) in the year 1852. Father Theophane entered the province just in time to see the outlawing of Christianity. While most priests fled to hide in caves and fields Father Venard continued to minister, at first by night but later on more boldly in broad daylight. Eventually he was betrayed, captured and sentenced to death. Through the months of December, January and February 1860-1861 the priest lived in a cage awaiting death. It was at this time he penned the words you have just read along with many other words of encouragement to his fellow priests and his family.

    A few hundred years before him two men, Hendrick Sumer and Jacob Mandel, met a similar fate for proclaiming the gospel in Switzerland. Listen to the testimony concerning them:

” When the brethren learned that their time had come that they should depart out of the world, they rejoiced from the heart, and were glad and of good cheer; they also said that it was a greater joy for them than if they were to go to a marriage; yea, they were of very good cheer, that God had counted them worthy, that they should glorify His name through such a righteous death-which many righteous ones and friends of God had done before them, and thus obtained the heavenly crown.

When they were led forth, they spoke boldly to the people, and exhorted the great multitude that had gathered, that they should repent and turn from their sinful life to God, and then both joined their voices in raising a joyful, sweet, and heartfelt song of praise to the Lord.” (Martyrs Mirror, www.homecomers.org)

     Now, these brothers had joy and peace and comfort in the midst of their trials even before they got their miracle, many would say even though they didn’t get their miracle.

     Why is it that some Christians experience the comfort of God and others do not? Why are some able to stand and rejoice while others live in fear and failure?

     I believe it has something to do with applying three principles from Matthew 11:28-30: “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” 

    If we are going to be comforted (tucked in so to speak) we need to Come, Carry, And Consider:

1. Jesus said Come to me all who are weary-

     The first thing we need to do is to approach God in our weariness. So many of us when we are tired stop spending time in prayer. Let me ask you this are you weary and heavy laden with a burden of care today? How much time are you spending in prayer? Do you have daily devotions? Are they longer than 5 minutes? When you come to church are you worshipping the Lord or are you just lying in the puddle of your depression? How are you coming to Jesus to get his comfort? Prayer is the spiritual equivalent of going to bed when your tired.

     As a little boy I remember those times when I would get tired but I would fight heading off to bed. Mom would say “It’s time…” and I would fight.      

     “But mom….you always spoil my fun!” I would get crabbier and crabbier.

     So many of us are doing exactly this spiritually. We need comfort but rather than going to the place of comfort in prayer and getting spiritually tucked in we keep working at it ourselves, pressing pressing pressing in the flesh until we blow a gasket and head out to the bar or say something we will regret for years to come.We need to come to Jesus and stay with him in prayer until we are comforted. Let Jesus tuck you in the place of prayer.

More tomorrow…

Are You Being Tucked In Pt.1

“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.'”

You know I have few comforting memories from my child hood as strong as those of bedtime. I can remember my mother and my grandmother tucking me in as a little boy. I can still smell the sheets at my grandmother’s camp and feel the soft pattern of the yellow bed spread under my fingers as Gram would tuck me in. As I lay there she would sit beside me on the bed and do this little ritual. She would take my face in her hands and drawing her finger around the outline of my face she would slowly speak “The moon is round. It has two eyes a nose and a mouth.” Over and over again she would draw her finger around my little boy face until I drifted off to sleep.

I can remember one time I was sick with a fever and a cough. My mother, a nurse by trade, stood over me with a thermometer in hand. She set up the vaporizer and rubbed Vick’s along the edge where the steam came out. I can remember drifting off to sleep with the smell of Menthol filling the room and her standing over me with that look of concern and understanding of what I needed. What a comfort to my young mind to know that someone anyone knew how to help me.

It’s funny but things don’t change as we age. We still desperately need moments of comfort in this world especially when things get dark and cruel as they so often do. Jesus understands that we need his comfort. He knows better than any other the pain this world has to offer and he is uniquely positioned as both God and man to comfort the hearts of anyone who is sorrowing.

As God, you see, he has the power to bring the comfort that we need.  I have been many times called to the bedside of men and women who are preparing to leave this earth and to travel to the next. Honestly, in those moments there is no power inside of me that can bring the comfort that the individual or his family needs. All the power to comfort is found in God alone. God you see says:

“Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. ” Psalm 91:1-7 NLT

How can He make these claims? Because He is God. The power of life and eternal life is in His hands. So as God He is positioned  in power to comfort us.

But he is also uniquely qualified to comfort us because he is a man. He understands our sorrows. Isaiah 53 tells us that he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And the book of Hebrews tells us :

“This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. ” Heb. 4:15,16 NLT

Jesus desires to bring us comfort this morning and He has the power to bring us comfort because he understands our pain and has the power to heal it.

So many of us though, do not know the Lord’s comfort. We live our Christian lives apart from this place of believer’s anointing. I want to say to you today that there is a place in relationship with Jesus where the pains of the day are lessened and the joy of the Lord is strengthened. There is a place in the anointing where the fears of life are replaced by the peace that passes all understanding. Now some here would say “Of course there is Pastor J. We believe in miracles and healing. So when the healing and the miracles happen we will be in the place of joy and peace. Until then we are just destined to go through a season of crabby.”

     NO brothers and sisters I want to tell you that the comfort of God can come to you, even before the healing does. The comfort, the joy and the peace of God can come to you even before you get your miracle. While you are waiting for the word of God to be fulfilled in your life you can know a joy unspeakable and full of glory!

To be Continued…

So What’s A Saint To Do?

     I have been a Christian since 1981. I never thought the day would come when I’d say I’ve been __ANYTHING_______ for thirty years. But here it is and I can actually say I have some hindsight which can serve my foresight.

    In all my thirty years as a Christian I have never heard so much end of the world talk as I have in the last few years…. And I come from “pre-trib rapture, Bible thumpin’, say it like you mean it, the end of the world is coming, so don’t get left behind” Christianity! So when I say I have never heard so much end of the world talk that’s sayin’ somethin’.

      It’s coming from pulpits, politicians, and goodness knows even pushers on the streets. We’ve seen Katrina, tsunamis, earthquakes, the reaching of the debt ceiling on Wall street, and renewed persecution of our Christian brothers and sisters across the globe. We’re experiencing the break down of the family and the rising tide of wickedness. As knowledge increases wisdom seemingly flies out the window. Meanwhile the spirit of anti-christ looms palpably just off stage. We know it. Even pagans know it.

So what’s a saint to do in light of coming events?

    Well God has given several words I think are cogent here.

1. Don’t panic – Christians are never to be driven by fear. We are the people whose inheritance is “righteousness, joy and peace in the Holy Ghost”.  How many times does the Bible tell us to “fear not”? 62 times! and that doesn’t include the times God told us not to worry or not to be anxious.

    But fearing not doesn’t just happen we have to work at it. Paul wrote to his protegé Timothy , “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. ” 2 Timothy 1: 7 KJV  Yet in the verse directly preceding this, Paul indicates that if we are to walk free from fear experiencing power, love, and a sound mind we have to actively stir up the gift of God inside of us. We do this in two ways:

2. Pray more – Christian, we are not praying enough. The Daily Bread is great and The Word for Today is awesome. But let’s stop thinking that because we pick it up and read it as the car is warming or the coffee is brewing that we have success in our prayer life! We need a prayer movement in the church like unto the Moravians. Nothing short of prolonged daily prayer by the body of Christ as a whole will keep the church covered and free from fear and despair.

3. Prepare Completely– So many people hear about the end times and start stock piling food and water as though somehow tuna and Poland Springs will stave off an earthquake. Preparing completely is first spiritual, then mental/emotional, then physical.

      Spiritually we need to know we are ready to meet Jesus should He call for us today or a decade from now. We need to have clean consciences. Fear is averted when the child of God knows that nothing stands between them and the love of God. Frankly many of us have piles of sin between us and the Father that we have never let Jesus clean away. 

    Secondly we have to be mentally and emotionally prepared to bear whatever cross may come. Are we truly prepared to join with Jesus in the fellowship of his sufferings so that we might somehow attain the power of the resurrection? I have been really astonished at my own  misunderstanding about suffering. I can talk pretty glibly about it but going through it is another matter. It really hurts. I am learning though that even “take your breath away” pain won’t kill me. It can’t. I have eternal life. While I know that, I have had to learn that suffering will never be anything other than…suffering. I have stopped expecting it to be great or enjoyable. I have come to understand it will always stink. I have begun to learn that the best I can do is ignore it and focus on the good things and there are always good things. I have also come to an understanding that suffering is not forever; It just feels like it when your walking through it.

     Finally have prepared spiritually and mentally THEN I am ready to prepare physically. I am planning for famine. I hope it doesn’t happen but I am learning to ” grow my own”. Mostly I am trying to train myself to live simply. In America we have grown very used to our luxuries. I have begun to ask, “What can I do without?” I have begun to practice living with less. Preparing physically does not mean making it so I can keep my current standard of living. It means rethinking my standards and bringing them in line with what the Word says (and I have to tell you Americans have a skewed view of what prosperity really is). Preparing physically means listening to what the Lord says we should do to make ourselves ready and doing that. For some its paying off debt. For others it’s getting into better physical condition. For others it is building up a food supply. For all of us it is learning that God has always provided for His people in times of need even if it meant He had to supernaturally drop bread from Heaven every morning.

So what’s a saint to do? I guess really it’s just what we should have been doing all along.

THOUGHTS?

The Pseudo- Elizabethan

So dear reader, you know I have been working hard at putting in my new gardens. Muddy (that’s mom) has a beautiful side lot which for the most part is uncultivated.

I started moving the plants from my old house over to hers several weeks ago. So far I have moved strawberries, blueberries, plums, grapes, raspberries, lilys, iris, hosta, lady’s mantle, lilac, and a plethora of herbs.

    I also moved three raised beds a few pillars and two trellis’. With these I have set in place a small pseudo-elizabethan garden. I say pseudo because I don’t have a sun-dial or a fountain and Lord knows I am absolutely refusing to put in more hedges. Good grief can you even imagine?! I am not even managing the hedges already on the property! Instead using the  raised boxes I have made a great enclosure. Not terribly traditional but an acceptable accommodation for me.

   Vegetables will go in the flanking boxes. Herbs are at the back. So far I have planted oregano, fennel, Echinacea, lemon balm, sorrel, and mint (in its own box of course). In the center I have a small box of strawberries and a dwarf cherry tree to keep with the tradition of having fruit at the center.

    The pillars and trellis at the back support grape vines and the trellis at the front supports a honeysuckle on one side and a rose on the other.

    I cannot even tell you how much satisfaction I have in getting this far in my garden plans! And… I HAVE LOST FIFTEEN POUNDS IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS!!!!

How are your garden plans coming?