The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it: for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. (Psalm 24:1-2)
Blowing Rock NC
A few days ago my sister and niece were visiting the magical little cottage town of Blowing Rock NC. (That’s my thoughts when I think of Blowing Rock) They saw and experienced many magical moments of Joy and Hope! I love the photos they shared and the Hope and Joy I saw and felt in each one.
A flower and 🐝 making friends. A little purple cottage gift shop, “Take Heart”, sharing their Christian faith by offering gifts that shines a light on Hope. I spotted their purpose browsing through their shop via FB and google! A gift that read;
“Hope is the light that guides us through the unknown!”☀️
“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:5 NKJV
“ The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control,” Galatians 5:22, 23 NLT
“Let your light so shine before [others], that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16 NKJV
You (O Lord) are majestic and holy. Your glory fills me with wonder. You do amazing things. Exodus 15:11b NIrV
Amazing things Our Lord does and the Holy Spirit produces fruit in our lives to shine for Jesus and do amazing things! A Bee and a flower! A little purple cottage in a mountain town that shines from the inside out inviting visitors to step inside.
How do we tell, show and shine our gifts to invite others to step inside and share?
By sharing our gifts helps Hope and Joy to integrate into the world! A Bee and a flower! A little purple gift shop! And you and me! 🙌
thedailylily.com 
The beautiful photos by your sister and niece, Sara, wonderfully illustrate the scriptures and what you wrote. Thanks to them and you for sharing the photos with us!
Sara asks, “How do we tell, show and shine our gifts to invite others to step inside and share?” The bee in the photo and the bees in the blog are significant and reminded me that they taught us a lot in Sara’s retreat book, “The Four Bees, Finding Your Spiritual Gifts”.
I think we are provided with some help in answering this question of Sara’s from several instructions in the Bee book and I would like to share a few that speak to me anew:
From ‘Lesson One -Writing Power’: “By building our Individual and Corporate Power Structures we become worker bees. As you build your individual and corporate power structures you will grow in your gift(s). You will flourish in your gift(s). You will be successful and prosperous in your gift(s).”
In Lesson II we learned that we can use our ‘creative ‘expression’ with our ‘saying power’. ”And now you don’t want to destroy the power of your written words with the possibility of speaking negative words. Those negative words will negate what God has designed for you. Speaking words of gratitude and praise for the uniqueness of the God given gifts that God has given you will bring positive powerful results.”
We were encouraged to journal and we also learned from this lesson that “when you search and find your authentic self in your writings, you will add flood lights to your Power Structure by speaking your passions into light. Your authentic self into view. Your gift(s) into worker bees.”
‘Lesson Three-Doing Power’ gave us lots to implement so that “we will Bee blossoming by obeying the rules of our Family”: “Bee Thankful; Bee Kind; Bee Merciful; Bee Transformed; Bee An Example; and Bee Doing.”
And Lesson Four-Staying Power’ had a beautiful prayer, I think, to pray so that we are fruitful in our gifts and “bloom where you’re planted”; and experience that, “God will have great uses for your gifts in the Kingdom.”
The prayer says: “Heavenly Father; Our hearts inspire. Oh light our hearts with the flame of the old prophetic fires. Unlock our hearts to Your truth. Help our natures to beam with Your glory light as we bear much fruit (John 15:8). We desire to open our hearts to your Spirit. Touch us by the power of Your Spirit. Renew a right Spirit within us. Reveal Your truth to us that we may walk and live and move in Your Spirit. May Your truth reign within our hearts. May our mouths only speak words of truth. We submit ourselves unto you to seek your counsel and Your guidance. We thank you for the privilege of prayer and we pray together in Your Holy Name, Jesus Christ. Amen”
Beautiful prayer shared from our retreat book and I agree in prayer also 🙏
Debi. As an Ag teacher your light shines through your expertise in plant science among much other. Yet, I,a novice call it, dirt, water and sun.☀️ Natural science and we could add many words to describe the many results we see and profit from.We truly need farmers producing food for the survival of humans. If we ever doubt the value of food turn on your news and watch the children in Gaza die from starvation. Watch the slow painful death of these children and we would cry out for farmers, fisherman, hunters and aide workers to get food to these children and families. And, of course money to produce and deliver. Thank you Debi for letting your light shine by reading, studying and teaching all that will listen to the value of Ag. The Bible has much to say about this subject. Thank you for reminding us of lessons for spiritual growth and health with physical growth and health. I do so wish you would explain why we need to let those pesty weeds grow together with our wheat? I’m thinking those weeds must represent the troubles in this world that Jesus knew about and doing something about already without us knowing every detail of evil. But, Jesus tells us, “Take Heart”. Be encouraged and have Hope!
“Let both (weed and wheat) grow together until the harvest. At that time I (the Lord) will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.” Matthew 13:30 NIVAg is without a doubt hard work and must be repeated over and over again. Just like the Word of God that needs to be read, studied and taught over and over again because it is the Eternal Light. Again thanks for reminding us we may have read and studied in a retreat! But, we must continue so Take Heart!
when I saw the beautiful picture above of the flower, bee, and the gift shop name, “Take Heart” 💜, this verse came to mind: “(NLT) I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
I love the color of that little gift shop…. Purple, my favorite color! Also, studying the heart in nursing school was my favorite!💜🩷💙
salm 31:24: “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.”
John 16:33: Tammy shared this scripture and it was Jesus speaking..
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
Matthew 9:22:
“Jesus turned, and seeing her said, ‘Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.”
In Matthew 9, Jesus tells a paralyzed man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven,”
Tammy, being a nurse and taking special interest in “the heart” shows us, “How do we tell, show and shine our gifts to invite others to step inside and share?
A 🐝 has a special job going from flower to flower. “Bees get food (nectar and pollen) from flowers, and flowers rely on bees to transfer pollen, enabling them to reproduce. This pollination process is crucial for the survival of many plant species and is vital for the production of numerous fruits and vegetables that humans consume.”
Tammy goes from person to person maybe a needle in hand or maybe just helping hands to sit up or lie down. Yet, always on her mind and in her heart are the words Jesus shared so often. “Take Heart!” And, she is the light to each flower giving Hope.
“Hope is the light that guides us through the unknown!”
“to stay hopeful and courageous during challenging times.”
“If we ever doubt the value of food turn on your news and watch the children in Gaza die from starvation.” Sara, you are so right about this. I used to see an occasional bumper sticker on a car or truck when I was studying agriculture many years ago. It read, “Agriculture is everybody’s bread and butter.” It is needed for survival.
Sara, you wrote, “I do so wish you would explain why we need to let those pesty weeds grow together with our wheat? I’m thinking those weeds must represent the troubles in this world that Jesus knew about and doing something about already without us knowing every detail of evil. But, Jesus tells us, “Take Heart”. Be encouraged and have Hope! “ Your answer to that question sure seems like a good one!
After I read your question, I went out to my garden to inspect and pick any ‘harvest’ that may be there and think on your question. Here are a couple of thoughts I had regarding.
As I reached down to try to pick some yellow summer squash and zucchini, I noticed some smaller pesky grass/weeds growing near the stems. I have found that if I try to remove those, I risk uprooting or breaking/damaging the tender squash stems. So, as much as I hate weeds in the garden, I left them alone. The squash is thriving this year. I will get rid of them once the squash has produced all its harvest. Then both the weeds and done squash plants will be removed and a new fall crop planted.
Over the years, I have tried to have and maintain a lush lawn of nice grass. I added soil conditioners, raked, sowed new seed, watered, used weed killers, fertilized, etc., etc. I never had a lush lawn for very long…the weeds would take over every time for different reasons. Then I became more aware of bees and their role in our lives. Sara, you wrote about it exactly above in your response and analogy regarding Tammy’s beautiful gift… “A (bee) has a special job going from flower to flower. “Bees get food (nectar and pollen) from flowers, and flowers rely on bees to transfer pollen, enabling them to reproduce. This pollination process is crucial for the survival of many plant species and is vital for the production of numerous fruits and vegetables that humans consume.”
I wanted to make sure I welcomed bees to my yard to pollinate the vegetables and help the other plants. So, I overseeded my lawn area with Dutch white clover, which in the past, I considered a weed and tried to eradicate. It was useful. It produces blooms from spring to fall, and attracts many bees. It also provides natural fertilizer to whatever grasses are left in the lawn because it fixes nitrogen, and helps break up compacted soil, And, because it is a more bee-friendly area now, the bees do their work pollinating the vegetables and other plants.
Many weeds, though unsightly or bothersome to us, can be used as a food/foraging source or for medicinal uses. A lady I knew years ago who knew a lot about plants and their purposes told me that a plant called Jewelweed can be a natural remedy for treating poison ivy (another weed) if you treat early enough.
Weeds can also function as useful ‘indicators’. Their presence in a yard or field can indicate pH level, fertility, moisture and sun levels, and drainage issues.
So, I think Sara, that this further confirms what you wrote about weeds and wheat: ”Jesus knew about and doing something about already without us knowing every detail of evil.”
Interesting Debi. I can easily see the point!