March Has Arrived!!

Yes! March has arrived, and has brought some rain showers to our land, which are greatly appreciated.

Yes, I know yesterday was the first day of March, but I had other things going on and never got around to announcing the changing of the calendars! So here we go:

Spring is coming, my dear friends! Here in the south where we live it has already pretty much begun, but I know for those of you in the northern part of our country you are still anxiously awaiting the arrival of the crocuses and daffodils and Robins and other signs of spring.  I did see some Robins yesterday and I believe they said they were on their way to see you, so just try to be patient! Spring is definitely on its way!

Oh, wouldn't you just love to take a ride in a horse and buggy through the beautiful spring countryside?  This John Sloane Country Seasons calendar always makes me long for "the good old days". 

The Teapot Calendar has a lovely tea party scene for us to enjoy...those little cakes certainly look scrumptious!  So people are just so clever and talented.  What a beautiful tea set too! I really think it's about time for a nice spring tea party!  

And this lovely view is on the calendar in my bathroom. Can't you just hear those waters making their noisy and rushing escape over the rocks and into that refreshing pool?  I love how the sun is shining and welcoming a new day...

But this calendar, which is in my hubby's bathroom, has to be my favorite for this month.  This is the Thomas Kincade calendar, and the paintings are always so gorgeous. I love that each one also has a Scripture reference.  As I looked at this picture, entitled "Walk of Faith", it appears that this is a picture of Jesus walking with a man, perhaps the "Rich Young Ruler" found in Mark 10:17-22.  Although I am sure the surroundings didn't look quite like that back in Israel at that time, but it is still a wonderful picture...and to be walking with Jesus in the garden would be something I know I would truly love to do...

But sadly, the rich young ruler was not able to give up his worldly possessions and do as Jesus said in this verse...

This is a good reminder for each of us during this period of Lent leading up to Easter. Am I able to deny myself and take up His cross daily, and follow Jesus?  It's not an easy thing for any of us to do even for this short period of the 40 days of Lent...but Jesus is asking us to do this every day.  Thankfully, like in the picture above, He walks along with us and guides us and helps us if we will just heed His words and follow Him.

Speaking of walking in the garden, my new rose bush has been blooming nicely and I am enjoying it so much.

The view of the "butterfly garden", while sitting on the swing in the Secret Garden.

And this is the view this morning...if you look really closely you can see Mrs. Crane sitting out there on her nest!

I am also excited to see that this bottlebrush bush is starting to develop blossoms! We planted this last year and it didn't bloom for long then, but now it looks like it is going to have a  lot of blooms! This will attract hummingbirds and butterflies, so I am happy to see it is thriving!  Just wait a few weeks and those buds will all be red!!

Over in the "Secret/Memorial Garden" the Easter lilies are starting to sprout up. I don't think they will be blooming by Easter, however. Probably more like Mother's Day, which is fine with me.

Also I am happy to see that the "Memorial Rose Bush" that we've had for almost 10 years is finally trying to make a comeback. I pray it will survive. This was a gift from my sister and sister in law for our Memorial Garden back when Matthew passed away, and it has bloomed on special occasions ever since, until this past year.  I cut it way back and fertilized it, and hopefully it is going to survive.

The azaleas have been blooming nicely in the Secret Garden:

The are a bright and colorful spot amidst the green of the trees and woody area surrounding the garden :

These bushes are still small, but they are still growing and they are producing so nicely.  That makes me smile!

This morning we just took a walk and I discovered these flowers blooming:

These are the Lady Lupine flowers that I've written about HERE before.

I also shared some pictures of them HERE a few years ago when I had a little tea party with Buster Brown and friends.

Of course I had to bring a few back home with me.  They are sitting next to a little vase of  "fairy flowers" from our yard. I just cannot resist picking little bouquets of these sweet flowers while they last.

Something else that makes me smile is this old vintage dinner plate that I found at our church Thrift store a couple of years ago. I only have two of them, but I enjoy bringing them out occasionally to brighten our meal...

Which yesterday happened to be this:

A delicious spring supper...tiny red boiled potatoes, fresh asparagus and sweet red beets, with a baked boneless/skinless chicken thigh.  I bake them in the oven for about 30 minutes with parchment paper over top to help seal in the juices and keep them very moist and tender.  It was a delicious 'spring' supper!

 Yesterday I finally got a haircut after three months!  Yes, I definitely needed it BAD!  Why did I wait so long you ask? Well, my hairdresser had the audacity to retire the end of December, leaving us with no other options. How dare she? LOL. Yes, she was actually older than I am and certainly deserved to be able to retire, but still, some of us just don't take to change very easily!  The one other hairdresser in town is swamped and can't accept any new customers for at least a month she said when I called her in desperation.  So finally yesterday I called Walmart (in the next city over) and booked an appointment with a gal that I last saw about 5 years ago, before we moved to this town. I was actually glad she was still there, but still, I don't like the system at the Walmart salon and not to mention the price was literally double what I'd gotten used to paying our sweet gal here who retired. She had not raised her prices in YEARS, and so we were spoiled.  Anyway, it did feel good to finally get my hair cut and I think she did a good job, even if it did break the bank (and that did not include shampoo or blow dry/styling! I had to go out with a wet head!)  I decided to take a few pictures this morning so I can remember how she cut it for next time, whether I go back to her or find someone else, at least I'll know how I want it cut!

Please don't look at the wrinkles or the sprinkles of gray.  Just the style. I like the way she did the back and hope I can remember that for next time.

Now we just have to find someone to cut hubby's hair. He did not like the Walmart system after sitting for over a half hour with his name on the list and the next girl available took someone who just walked in the door and overlooked him...so he walked out, and I ended up cutting his hair, which I have done zillions of times over the past 54 years, but I just don't like all the mess and fuss and cleanup and yesterday I cut a little too close with the clippers in one spot.  Thankfully it's not terrible, but I know it's there and I'd prefer him to find a professional to do it, as when my hairdresser retired, so also did the lady barber who was in the same place, which is who was cutting hubby's hair. We found out yesterday that there is a new person renting that space now and taking customers, so we shall see how that works out.  We kind of don't want to be the first customers...want someone else to be first so they can let us know how she does...

Well, folks, I guess this is enough for the first Saturday of March.   Here's a happy thought for today:

Isaiah 35:10 NKJV

"And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,

And come to Zion with singing,

With everlasting joy on their heads.

They shall obtain joy and gladness,

And sorrow and sighing shall flee away."

Amen!

Have a lovely March weekend!

Sermon Notes: "Giving Up Lent"

The scripture lesson for yesterday's message was from

Luke 9:22-24

22.  "The Son of Man must suffer many things, 

and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, 

and be raised the third day.

23.  Then He said to them all, 

"If anyone desires to come after Me,

Let him deny himself,

and take up his cross daily,

and follow Me.

24.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it,

but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it."

Easter is the most important of all holidays, and yet it doesn't get the attention and interest that Christmas does.  The season of Lent, the 40 days leading up to Easter, includes several very important days in preparation for Easter:  Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and then Easter Sunday, the day of Christ's Resurrection..

Where did the tradition of putting ashes on ourselves come from?  Back in the day, when people depended on wood fires for cooking and heating, ashes would accumulate quickly and needed to be kept swept up regularly.  However, if someone was sick or  grieving and unable to maintain cleaning up the ashes, the ashes would spill over and people would find themselves covered with smudges of soot from the ashes in their homes...and ashes became a sign of grief or mourning...and there are many examples in the scriptures of  "putting on sackcloth and ashes" for  a period of grief  for the loss of loved ones or for sorrow for sin.  

(Personal note, just this morning I read in my devotions from Daniel 9:3-9 about Daniel's very own confession of sin and his prayer to the Lord....verse 3 in particular says:

"Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, 

with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes...")

Lent traditionally was a time to bring in new converts to the Christian faith, to spend this 40 days in "the wilderness", to shake ourselves from business as usual and tune into what God is saying to us personally and to our church.  Many of us are out of tune and for some odd reason we don't recognize it when we are out of tune.  It's interesting that we have time for doing other things that we like to do, but we are too tired to worship or visit the sick.  People are afraid to show their emotions at church, but they have no problem yelling and jumping up and down at their favorite sporting events.

It's also interesting that we only want to imitate Jesus in some ways...we tend to only take what we like or want, kind of like eating at a smorgasbord, and often leave off the most important aspects of following or imitating Christ.

We tend to give up the same things year after year for Lent, like TV, or meat, but it really doesn't seem to make any difference in our hearts and lives.

Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us by giving up His life so that we could be set free from our sins and have eternal life.

Would you be willing to go beyond self-sacrifice or self-denial of things to prepare yourself for Easter and Christ's Resurrection?

When we do give up things we discover how much time we have been wasting...would you be willing to spend that time in self-examination...to look at ourselves in depth?

Is Lent truly a time of self-denial for us...but in reality, Jesus isn't concerned about our TV, whether we eat meat or not...Jesus is only concerned about what is going on in our hearts...

Can we take the time to give up the sin of lethargy...or do we say "right now I'm just too busy..."

Are we like that Pharisee that we see in Luke 18:9-14...the one who went to the temple to pray at the same time as a tax collector...and listen to what that Pharisee said:

11.  "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself,

'God, I thank You that I am not like other men--

extortioners, unjust, adulterers, 

or even as this tax collector.

12.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess,'

And then Jesus goes on to describe the tax collector in verses 13-14

13.  "And the tax collector, standing afar off, 

would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, 

but beat his breast, saying, 

'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'

14.  "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,  and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

The "sinful man," i.e., the "tax collector", prayed for forgiveness and mercy...and that is what Christ is looking for in our hearts during this season of Lent...

So, I'm giving up the way the "church" traditionally celebrates Lent...I'm giving up Lent this year instead to draw closer to God Himself during this time...

What about you? Now, what are you truly giving up for Lent?

Won't you pray with me this prayer of confession:

"God of grace and glory, forgive us when our failed faith causes us to stumble or stop on this journey with Christ.

Grace us with faith that hopes against all hope, 

so that we may trust in Your promises and walk in Your ways.

Lift us up, that we may carry our cross 

and continue on the path to new life."

Amen.

Here is one of the hymns of commitment we sang:

"Where He Leads Me I Will Follow"

Dear Friends, thank you for joining me in these weekly "Sermon Notes" from our Pastor's Sunday morning sermons.  I would like to ask you to please keep praying for our Pastor A.C., as he is still dealing with some physical issues, and yesterday was very difficult.  Thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers on his behalf.

Sermon Notes: FUMC, Interlachen, FL, Pastor A.C. Myers, 3/17/2019

Please Note : I want to repeat this disclaimer here...the notes, outline, and content included here are based upon my own personal understanding of the message that was being given. I am not attempting to completely quote or reproduce this message or any other message I've shared previously. Just as each person reading these notes may glean insights and thoughts that seem to directly apply to one's own situation and interpretation, my own delivery of these messages is skewed by my hearing and translation of what is being said. Some may read my notes here and wonder if they were hearing the same message as I...and I say, God speaks to each of us as He wills...there are things He is trying to get across to each individual that may be entirely different than what the person sitting next to you in the pew is needing to hear... That is how the Holy Spirit works! He knows what we need to hear and how to apply it to our hearts. So it is with that understanding that I present these sermon notes to you.