Fingerprint Friday: Giving Hearts & Gardens Found

By Ginny (MAD21)

I haven't been around the online world very much the last few weeks. I got involved in a project that I had originally scheduled to be just for one ten-hour day with about 20 people. It turned into six days over two and a half weeks, 320+ man-hours, and about 40-50 teens and adults.

I have an amazing mother-in-law (MIL). She is imperfect, just like the rest of us, but she has a heart of gold. She has spent most of her life serving her family and the people at our church. Aside from a few really great teens who have been able to help me out occasionally over the last seven years, she has been my only help as a parent. Pretty much any time I've needed a babysitter whether I had an appointment or just needed a few hours to regain my sanity, my MIL was, and is still, nearly always available to watch them for me. For those of you who can relate to my situation, you can understand my desire to do something to bless her.

Her yard is a haven to a ton of butterflies!My MIL has always been an avid gardener. So you can imagine what her yard has always looked like. Anywhere there could be a flowerbed, there was one, even now. The problem is that she is getting older (she's 88) and can't tend to them anymore. Over the last several years, they have all just become so overwhelmed with weeds and overgrown bushes, that there was very little "flower" in the bed. To say everything was overgrown is a gross understatement. If you live on the east coast you know that if you leave any piece of ground untended for more than a week or so, there is something growing. So you can imagine leaving it unattended for a few years!

More than two years ago I wanted to organize a day when I could get a group over to her house to get things cleaned up. But then she had some health issues and I spent more than a year driving her to all of her appointments and doing her shopping. But things have been much better for her for the last 6-8 months and she's driving (locally) again, so there has been more time to focus on other things. I decided late spring that we really, REALLY needed to get the yard worked on this year. But even I didn't realize how big that project would become. It took on a life of it's own.

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Fingerprint Friday: Purple Violets & Ninja Cats

By Ginny (MAD21)

I was admiring how beautiful the flowers were on my violet plant. I don't think I've ever seen that many blooms on it all at once. I took the first picture and looked down and noticed my ninja peering up at me from the shelf below. I am so very thankful for the beautiful flowers that God has created for us to enjoy, but I'm also very thankful for how much fun my cat can be. I pray she never stops stalking me. So... thank you, Lord, for both fingerprints this week!

Fellow blogger Beki at The Rusted Chain has a really great weekly post she does every Friday called "Fingerprint Friday." We are to look around and see where we can see God's fingerprints. Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Anywhere? Go find out where Beki saw God this week, and be sure to check out the other bloggers who linked their stories as well.

Fingerprint Friday: Gardens

By Ginny (MAD21)

If you have been around me much for the last month, you know how hard I've been working on our flowerbeds and yard. I wasn't able to do a whole lot last year because of all the excavations being done to our property, so it was long overdue for some major work. Several of the bushes I planted after the excavations were finished last fall had died, too, only adding to the workload. Fortunately the store agreed to replace them, but that still means I have more work.

Honestly, I have thoroughly enjoyed all the hard work. I've never been much of a gardener, but I've learned a lot over the years. It's more fun than I thought it would be (aside from the weeds, and bugs!!). Several years ago, I planted two varieties of Lilies. When I bought them they were really cheap, really small, and several of them didn't grow back in the second year. But in the years since they have totally taken hold and have not only come back each season, they are multiplying like crazy and are just beautiful.

The Lilies I planted in the front bed that started out as just a few plants, have multiplied enough I have been able to plant them all around the flowerbed. The picture on the top right is the plant I am most excited about.... it has 16, yes SIXTEEN flowers on ONE stem. I have never seen that happen. The one on the bottom right is one of the plants that didn't come back the second year. I think it's safe to say it's doing great now! There is a life-lesson in there somewhere, I'm sure. It's amazing how something so weak and small can, after lots of love and attention, end up so beautiful and fruitful.

Everything is actually just about finished. I have one more round of weeding to do (can anyone tell me why God created those?!); as soon as our replacement bushes have arrived I will get them in the ground; and we are putting the mulch down on Saturday. I don't think I've ever been happier with how everything looks around our house. It only took 11 years!

Many years of hard work in the yard have taught me several things. One thing is that no matter how much we work at something, like growing grass from seed, or planting bushes and flowers, we can't force life into something. God wants us to work, we have a role in this world, but we always need to remember that He is the one who gives things life. He is the only one who can give life. It's one of his fingerprints, and one I am very, very thankful for.

Fellow blogger Beki at The Rusted Chain has a really great weekly post she does every Friday called "Fingerprint Friday." We are to look around and see where we can see God's fingerprints. Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Anywhere? Go find out where Beki saw God this week, and be sure to check out the other bloggers who linked their stories as well.

Fingerprint Friday: Signs of Life

MAD21

I have to admit... I am not a big fan of spring. It's really only because rainy, gray days start to get to me after awhile. But this year is a little different. After all the snow we have gotten in the last few months, things are really dirty. So at least at the beginning of the season, the rains will be very welcome.

The one thing I love about spring is what it brings: New Life. It's like all things made new again. The rain washes away all the dirt and grime from fall and winter to make way for new green and life full of every color of the rainbow (which spring also has a lot of...).

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Fingerprint Friday: Flowers

By MAD21

I am ashamed that I don't know more about them, but I love flowers. I am allergic to most of them, especially the ones that have a strong fragrance. But I love looking at the many different variety of flowers that are around us all the time. At first, they look so simple. Easily unseen in a busy day. But if you take a moment to really look at them, you will see how complex they are, they come in all shapes and sizes and every shade of the rainbow. Few things can compare to the beauty and color like flowers. I've heard them referred to as the paintbrush of God, and I can understand why.

So as the season of flowers ends in most regions of our country, we will take a moment to stop and look. And praise the God who created them.

Fellow blogger Beki at Pampering You has a really great weekly post she does every Friday called "Fingerprint Friday." We are to look around and see where we can see God's fingerprints. Is it in nature? Kids? Animals? Anywhere? Go find out where Beki saw God this week, and be sure to check out the other bloggers who linked their stories as well.