There is sunshine after the rain and April showers are sure to bring flowers for the annual Spring Plant Sale at Monroe Technology Center in Leesburg, Virginia. This popular sale features lots of annual and perennial blooms as well as trees and shrubs, herbs, fruits and vegetables along with aquatic plants and fish. Moreover, customers can choose from over 500 hanging baskets! In addition to outdoor plants, the sale will feature air plants and African violets in uniquely colorful 3D printer containers by Christopher Mar! So be sure to come and see it all. You will find students and volunteers ready to help you wearing green T-shirts by CustomInk, .https://www.customink.com/ Sale days and times are Wednesday, April 26 from 10-8pm; Thursday, April 27 from 10-6pm; and Friday, April 28 from 10-5pm.

Monroe Technology Center is located at 715 Childrens Center Rd, SW in Leesburg, VA.

Photos taken at the 2016 Spring Plant Sale by Emily Clack of Emily Clack Photography http://emilyclackphotography.com/

Sara’s musings;

“Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”- Genesis 32:28 (NIV)

Have you ever daydreamed about a name change? If my name was this and not that I would be afforded this position and live there and not here and, and, and the knots got tighter and tighter around the brain 💆🏽🤦‍♀️💆🏽‍♂️until it felt like it was a twisted pretzel?

I love reading the story of Jacob especially this often quoted verse and claiming it as my own. But, I don’t like much about the lead in or lead out of his struggles to acclaim a nation’s name.

Jacob-Israel even had an angel speak to him announcing his name change. In remembering the story not much changed about his circumstances of those around him. But, it seems clear something inside Jacob changed to Israel?

Having gone through my own struggles wanting evil around me to change and not getting the results I wanted I am reminded my name seems to be a mood ring. 💍 My daydreaming HATS are often in motion 👒🎩🎓⛑👑👩🏻‍✈️👰🏼

But, when I hear the voice of the spirit with an open mind and ❤️ I know I have a name change!  The real question is how will I live up to my name in 2017?

I would like to invite you to a wrestling match? Calling all with names;  Prince Doubter, Ms Fear, King Unbeliever, Mademn Rejection,  Father Confusion, among others….Win a wrestling match 🀄️and claim your trophy NAME…belief, certainty, confidence, faith, reliance, trust❗️

Don’t be afraid of imagination just fear not imagining. ❤️ Sara

When we start a new year we often have new thoughts, new hopes and new dreams. Yet, time and time again the walkway seems unlite, cracked and often times not even there.  We read, pray, toss and turn to no avail to see the way. I have found the haunting field glasses of Hebrews 12:1,2 to give me an awareness that eyes are upon me and beckons me to walk forward by faith. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

I am a great admirer of C.S.  Lewis and see him as one of those witnesses that surround me with great cheers to keep running toward my goals.  I would like to share my friends words! 

“The great thing to remember is that though our feelings come and go God’s love for us does not.” ― C.S. Lewis

“Remember He is the artist and you are only the picture. You can’t see it. So quietly submit to be painted—i.e., keep fulfilling all the obvious duties of your station (you really know quite well enough what they are!), asking forgiveness for each failure and then leaving it alone.You are in the right way. Walk—don’t keep on looking at it.” ―The Collected Letters of C. S. Lewis, Volume lll: Narnia, Cambridge, and Joy 1950-1963

“A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice.”- Isaiah 42:3 (NIV) I have often read, quoted, and meditated on these words penned by this famous , historic prophet. I could never quite bring a visual shot of this in view.

Recently I read in a devotional; “Early civilizations developed methods to transform reeds into paper, papyrus, and also to weave them into baskets, mats, and rope. Reeds were functional and beautiful. In contrast, a bruised reed was not beautiful and appeared to be useless.”

I can’t seem to get this concept by this writer out of my thinking. I love woven baskets and some of them are quite pricy and skillfully made. Just imagine I order a beautiful pricy hand woven basket online. I wait with great anticipation and excitement thinking of the many uses of this basket and deciding on a perfect use and the day comes and I see Fedex at my door. 👏🏻💃 I open and a reed from my basket had been damaged in its travels?  💡

A loving daughter writes about her Mother, “We almost lost her.  She had colitis and then found out some of her intestines had died. She had to have emergency surgery.”  (See photo below) She goes on to give thanks to all that prayed. Which includes  some of you. You, as part of the lily story  always giving hope, peace and joy shared this beautiful basket of love. It arrived on their 66th wedding anniversary. See him on the phone? Just imagine the call of love he was making. I had to smile as this love story continues to unwind. She hadn’t eaten for over a week but those goodies her sweetheart ❤️️ shared sure set her heart afire.

They have been through many storms. Just to many to name. They have pastored and built churches. They struggle with health issues as they journey through their 80’s. They are linked in Heart by the giver of life. She, like her Dad and brother have always been ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus, being the reason we celebrate Christmas. Her beloved husband always by her side. He is a rock seemly cut from The Rock.

As I pause and gaze upon her loving hands so happy to hold her husbands face once again I am reminded that all of us can have the hand of God holding us in all our ups and downs of life. Christmas is a great time to share stories that are story just because Jesus was born.

Again, we give thanks to each lily for being a part of many stories in 2016.