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UPDATE!

In a previous post, I wrote about planting blackberry lily seeds. I used the seeds from a plant given to me. I had high hopes of transplanting the seedlings into larger pots and sharing them as Mother’s Day gifts.

I planted a seventy-two section starter kit and placed it inside my house close to a sunny window. I waited and waited. Nothing grew. After four weeks, I decided to toss the seeds along a border to my home. If nothing else, the seeds might take root, and I’d have a pretty backdrop.

I set the kit outside in the sunshine. A few days later, I saw sprouts peeking above the dirt. It was a miracle! The seeds needed the right environment to grow. I’ve counted twenty-eight plants.

I will give the blackberry lilies as gifts–just later than expected.

The moral of the story:  DON’T GIVE UP!

 

 

 

I wrote this post last year for Mother’s Day. Hope you enjoy it.

Ma passed away several years ago at the age of eighty-seven. I never called her mom, mother, mommy–just plain old Ma.

She lived her life with a glass half-full, didn’t complain about not having the luxuries of others, and worked until she was seventy-one. She could plant a seedling and it would shoot to the sky like the Jolly Green Giant. Her instincts for colors and decorating would have put her at the top of an interior design class.

She never had to throw out a meal (like me) because she turned everything into a chef’s delight. Nothing went to waste–ever. Her cakes and desserts were moist to the taste, and a pot of Maxwell House Coffee sat hot waiting for the next visitor.

Ma taught us children about loving God, sharing, putting the needs of others first, and how to penny pinch. Being frugal was a lifestyle, wastefulness a no-no, and living by principles the only way to survive.

She called most every night before her bedtime to make sure the family was safe. This went on until she passed away.

Ma would stop by with flower shoots, decorating tips, and usually something we needed.

One year, she gave me some buttercup flowers to plant. For those who don’t know, they spread like wildfires. But I dare anyone to remove a buttercup from my yard.

This Mother’s Day I look upward to thank Ma for instilling the right stuff into our lives. And, maybe, we can view the world through her eyes.

Ma’s Buttercups

Happy Mother’s Day!

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I pulled out a few simple card crafts. They’re easy and inexpensive to create. You may have a lot of the craft items in your home.

A few years back, I printed the watering can cutouts from the web.

The felt flowers and butterflies below were Easter garland. I purchased it on sale and cut off the string. I painted the black dots and adhered magnets to the back. These will be included in Mother’s Day cards.

These cards were made from egg cartons and baking cups. Easy for the little ones.

The spoon card was created by the children’s director at my church.

Maybe you have elderly neighbors, church members, or a nursing facility close by. Cards for lonely seniors are always welcomed.

Pull out the construction paper, card stock, ribbon, markers and crayons and let the kids go to town.

Happy Mother’s Day!

 

Guest post by my dear sister, Bonnie, who has a servant’s heart.

When Bonnie opened her Christian financial planning practice, it was to serve God by helping people learn to be good stewards with their resources. She retired recently and now serves by volunteering at her church and in the ministry.

Prayer Shawl Ministry

Having been retired for just a few months and moving to what had been our summer home in Oscoda, Michigan, my husband and I are now full-time members of the local United Methodist Church.

I now have time to become involved in the ministry of this church and was deciding how I wanted to serve our Lord. I attended a couple of meetings with the local United Methodist Women, and decided my outreach goals could be met through this committee. At the second meeting I attended, we discussed starting a prayer shawl ministry.

I have since knitted three prayer shawls and crocheted one. These shawls and those made by the other women will be blessed with a prayer so we can present them to members of the church, family, community, or anyone in need of God’s healing touch.

I also volunteer at the local assisted living facility and will provide shawls for the residents. In addition, I offer religious classes, visitations, and we are working on providing a twice-per-month service.

As we begin work on our shawls, we bless them with a prayer.

Example:

Prayer of Blessing for the Shawl

May God’s grace be upon this shawl, warming, comforting, and embracing. May this mantle be a safe haven, a sacred place of security and well-being, sustaining and embracing in good times as well as difficult ones. May the one who receives this shawl be cradled in hope, kept in joy, graced with peace, and wrapped in love.

After the shawls have been blessed, they are wrapped to be presented with a Bible verse such as:

Matthew 11:28

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Isaiah 40:31

Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.

Blessings, Bonnie