For the beauty of the Earth....

While Barbara and Q were away at Kanuga (Gardens and Grace, how appropriate!) I was at the Farm doing some resting on and off and putting together some Farm business in place so things will run as smooth as can be expected (Barbara called me 'the brains of the Farm', perhaps not..... organizer maybe - comes from way too many years attempting to focus on detail in the hustle, bustle and deadlines of an office while trying to keep clutter at a minimum).

In any case, I took off my doctor prescribed dust mask on Friday long enough to have lunch w/Ms. Debbie Hodgepodge. She put together a gardening caddy for Q and took the picture of the magnificent poppies which were in the Farm's front yard. Saturday morning I took a picture of this incredible iris nestled between the house and the hedgerow like driveway with my C cell phone.

Aren't they luxurious and splendid! What Verna Dozier said quite a while ago holds true: "God don't make junk". Not people, not plants, not animals, not the earth itself. There may be reasons why people choose a darker side, or plants can have a toxic effect on our systems or animals attack..... but when you stand back and look, 9 times out of 10 it is out of a defensive posture.

These beauties have nothing to fear and posses few defenses........ this might be just the moment for you to stop and smell the roses....... or at least marvel in beauty God presents us with again.... and again....and again. It may even move you to planting a few seeds of your own, be it in a window box or in pots on a patio; in championing environmental life styles and changes; in fostering others to protect the nature God has graciously showered us with - and given us stewardship of .

God bless our attempts and successes in making and/or reclaiming the world a more beautiful place - and grant us grace to treat each other and treat our world with due love and respect. Amen, aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhmen.