Bloom with Jesus!

I have had great pleasure watching the deer in the wheat field surrounding our house this spring. They have walked close to the house numerous times. One night, they were standing on our sidewalk and set off our front door camera. A doe and fawn have appeared in our front yard numerous times. I find myself searching for them when I pass a window...especially in the morning and evening. This morning they were along the driveway and the fawn was running along the edge. Just like a child, he never ventured very far knowing his protection was his mother. Wheat harvest is upon us, so the fun of watching the deer will be coming to an end, as they will take cover elsewhere once the wheat is off. Part of me is sad to see them go, but reality is that life changes, and after all farming is our livelihood. I’m sure for the deer there will be a moment of panic when the big green Deere combine rolls into the field. The solace and comfort of their cover will quickly disappear forcing them to head fo...

May Showers Bring June Flowers? Isn't it supposed to be "April showers bring May flowers" not "May showers bring June flowers?" Once again, the rains have come to central Ohio in mid-May. It seems like our months are turned around this spring. May has been cooler and rainier than normal, with sunny days few and far between. It has become difficult for Ohio farmers to get their crops planted, our son included. We also feel blessed because we know farmers north of us who have not been able to plant any fields, and we have all of our corn in the ground. But as always, the farmers will forge ahead making the best decisions they can, with the weather God gives them. Our months may be turned around this year, but occasionally our lives feel like they have been turned upside down and inside out. This past week, I heard many stories of unexpected deaths on the news and in the community. They ranged from accidents to illnesses which progressed quickly. But death isn'...

    Enjoy this guest blog post from Erin E. McEndree.  Even if you are not in the adoption arena, there is great wisdom in her words. I met Erin many years ago through a writer's group. Her calming spirit always makes one feel welcome and loved. Erin's book is available on my website as well at  https://maryrodman.com/updates . I will pass on the information to Erin and she will send you a signed copy. Hi! I am Erin. I like to say I was my mom and dad’s little girl before I was born. My birth mother got pregnant, and my birth father broke it off and did not take responsibility. My birth mother’s parents took her to a maternity home for three months until I was born. It was not her choice. She prayed for a Christian couple to raise me surrounded by the love of the Lord. She did not get to hold me or see me. The nurse told her I was a girl and that I had all 10 fingers and all 10 toes, which translated to, “You had a healthy baby.” Her dad came to pick her up, and I wa...

There were many events which had to line up for me to bring a man to tears yesterday. First of all, years ago I had been to Tahquamenon Falls in Michigan and snapped some pictures of this unique waterfall. Sometime after that visit, I created several pictures with quotes and Bible verses on them to sell at craft shows. A picture of the waterfall was among them. Second, I have adopted a new plan to clean the basement. If something goes down stairs, something must come back upstairs and be evaluated. A couple of weeks ago I did just that and found the basket full of those photos which I had matted. I looked through them and rather than pitching them I packed them for the next craft show. If nothing else, maybe I could give them away. We decided to go to Florida for about a month, so I signed up for a small craft show at the American Legion just down the road from us. I packed all of my books and crafts in the truck in hopes of finding more than one event this winter. When I arrived at th...

  Recently I assisted three new authors with the publishing process. From start to finish: formatting, uploading files, book covers, tips of the trade, and being published as an Indie author. They now have digital and paperback books available for purchase. It isn’t that I have great knowledge, or know all the tricks of the trades, but after publishing ten books myself I am able to assist. I didn’t help them because I wanted accolades or payment, but because I wanted to help them each obtain their goals of getting their books in front of others. They all have wonderful devotional books, but their writing styles are different than mine, which is great. It takes different styles of authors to impact different people. Ironically, three of us have one thing in common. Our first name is Mary. I have sent group emails with information to the Marys, because it pertains to them specifically and their goals. When I do this, I call it a 3-way Mary email. Just like a 3-way bulb, different aut...

“But 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) How do you actually increase your knowledge of God, and build the wonderful qualities mentioned in the Fruits of the Spirit? Many people say, “Don’t ever pray for patience, because God will test you!” True, but if you ask God for patience, He is going to give you the ability to grow patience. He doesn’t just give you the Fruits of the Spirit, you have to practice them, by seizing opportunities. Grace is free and God freely gives to His children, but once you have received His wonderful grace, you want more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control . He doesn’t just hand these qualities over to you, you have to put in a little elbow grease and do the necessary work, by watching for opportunities to embellish these gifts. You may ask God to show you how to love mo...

  The man who lives without Jesus is the poorest of the poor, whereas no one is so rich as the man who lives in His grace. ~ Thomas à Kempis I am reminded of the old hymn, Grace Greater Than All Our Sin . God's grace is life changing, and eternity changing. God’s grace gives us the ability to forgive ourselves and others. When we walk in His grace, we are acknowledging our imperfections, and understand that Christ makes us pure. Our lives are scarred by sin, but Jesus’ cleansing grace makes us white as snow. It is His grace that brings us comfort and wisdom in all situations. When we receive God’s free gift of grace, our salvation wipes away all of our sins. But better yet, our salvation writes our name in the Book of Life. As Thomas à Kempis says, God’s grace makes us rich. Are you rich? I pray that you are a child of God and will be living eternally in heaven, praising your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Praise Him today for His amazing Grace! Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace th...

After much frustration of cooking with three out of four burners, Jim and I decided to purchase a new stove in Florida. We had no idea how old the stove was, nor a good repairman, so it seemed like our best option. The installation crew was supposed to take the old stove to the curb, and in most cases it will disappear. But we wondered how long it would sit there, and how would we get rid of it if someone didn’t take it. So forty-eight hours before delivery, I advertised the old stove for a low price on social media. I wasn’t surprised when I had a nibble right away, but typically you go through lots of nibbles, before you get a bite. This gentleman truly said he wanted the stove and we set a time. As the minutes clicked away my frustrations built, thinking he was another no show, when he was over an hour late. My first thought was, “Here we go. They always say they want it, but don’t show.” I decided to send him a message and he quickly replied. He had gotten tied up finishing a job a...

While I was shopping, I stepped into the garden center for some potting soil. To my surprise, before me was a sea of red poinsettias that filled the aisles. Typically you see a few white and pink ones in the mix, but these were all bright red. It was so beautiful that it took me by surprise. Since it is our first year spending Christmas in Florida, I couldn’t resist purchasing a small one for my Christmas tree. Even though we had Christmas with the kids and grandkids before traveling south, I feel like something is missing. I have to admit, having the poinsettia on my table has brightened my spirits. Looking at the poinsettia, there is nothing spectacular about it. It is a small one. The pot is just a plain black plastic pot, there isn’t even foil around it to make it more decorative. I take it to the sink for water when needed, and set it back in a bowl on the table. To me it is beautiful and it reminds me that Jesus is a reason for the season. Like my plain and simple pot, Jesus was ...

After a week of hot dry weather, our cornfield is showing signs of needing much rain. In the heat of the day, the leaves are curling making it look frail and parched. This is a natural response to the stress the heat is putting on the corn stalks. For this to happen a few days, brings concern but no damage. However, if the heat and drought continue, the corn crop yield will begin to suffer. As I walked to the mailbox today, I snapped a picture of the curled corn. We are much like the curled corn. When the heat of life is turned up, we tend to curl up and draw within ourselves. This too is a natural stress response, a way to protect ourselves from pain and suffering. A few days in the heat and stress is no problem for us either, but if it continues, we too will not produce any crop. So how do we prevent this from happening when God allows the heat to be turned up in our lives? Job is a good example of suffering. God allowed him to feel the “fire” of pain and agony when everything was ta...

  Dictionary.com gives the following definitions... Rejoice - to make joyful; gladden Reflect - to think, ponder, or meditate Celebrate - to make known publicly; proclaim It saddens my heart how commercialized Christmas has become, yet I too am drawn into the hustle and bustle of the season. All of the commercials and hoopla draw us away from the true meaning of Christmas. The Christ child, which is why we should be reflecting, rejoicing, and celebrating. So as you step into the final days before Christmas—just pause. Pause for a minute and take a deep breath. Stop all you are doing and let go of the stress and commercialism. Take a few moments to be joyful. Reflect on Christ and His gift of salvation to you. Rejoice in Christ’s birth. “She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger because there was no lodging available for them. (Luke 2:7) Rejoice with the angel of the Lord who declared, “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lo...

  The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!” (John 12:12-13) . As members of the church waved their palm branches on Palm Sunday, I wondered, “Why do we do this? What is the significance of palm branches today or when Jesus made His triumphant entrance to Jerusalem?” With a little internet research, I discovered some interesting facts about palm branches. They were used for celebration during King David’s time, so the branches were a symbol of royalty. Another interesting tidbit: It takes 30 years for a palm tree to bear fruit and a man couldn’t become a high priest until he was 30 years old. Jesus was 30 when He began His ministry. Coincidence? No, God ordained it, declaring Jesus as a High Priest. Waving the palms in the air and placing th...

My granddaughter, Reagan, helped me decorate the Christmas tree this year. She had only put a couple of ornaments on the tree when I heard a crash, which happens every year. She even commented that there had been another casualty and that an ornament fell off the tree. No worries, we have lost more valuable decorations in the past when she and her sister were much smaller. This particular bulb was one that the grandkids made, and I have since learned to purchase plastic bulbs and not glass ones for them to make ornaments. Decorating with small children can result in broken pieces, but the memories are far more precious than any broken decoration. Today I wrapped a few Christmas presents, and when I put them under the tree I could still see remnants of the glitter which had been inside the broken ornament. The floor in that area had a slight copper-colored sparkle to it. Knowing where the glitter came from reminded me of our brokenness. Our lives are sometimes shattered just like the bu...

  I was having one of those days, actually I could say one of those weeks, but this day was the topper. Work had piled up, and I felt buried. Not one great big project but numerous small ones that all seemed to have a very high priority. Intense fellowship had taken place between Jim and I that morning. I had waited over an hour (which I didn’t have to spare) to see a doctor, who told me I should consider optional eye lid surgery to solve my eyelash problem. The thought of another surgery just added to my already bad attitude. As I headed for home I thought, “I JUST WANT THIS DAY TO BE OVER!” Then it happened. A bird decided to poop on my parade. Tell me this—how does one bird flying in the sky produce enough poop to cover my entire driver’s side window? I wanted to scream, but thought, “Why bother. No one can hear me anyway.” I was already in the right turn lane, and of course the car wash was to the left. I made my turns and circled back to the carwash so I could see out the ...

  I dropped a laundry basket of clean clothes near my husband’s chair. I knew it was a long shot, but I thought maybe he would notice the basket and match socks while he watched the TV. (Try it sometime, because it worked!) When he got to the end of the basket, he was missing a sock. No big deal, it happens all the time. I set the sock on top of the dresser and figured its friend would show up in another load. Fast forward several days and I’m at the chiropractor standing at the front desk. I removed my jacket and took a step backward. Much to my surprise, there was my husband’s missing sock on the floor. The sweatshirt I was wearing was in the same load of laundry. Apparently the missing sock found a new friend and became rather clingy. I picked it up off of the floor, chuckled and said, “I found my husband’s missing sock. I write devotions. There is a story in here somewhere.” During biblical times Palestinian women received ten silver coins as a wedding gift. These coins were no...

Difficulties are God's errands; and when we are sent upon them, we should esteem it a proof of God's confidence,—as a compliment from God. ~Henry Ward Beecher  I recently joined a new social media platform. When I post on other platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, I make the same post there. After a few weeks of posting, I received messages to stop. These complaints were followed by messages from other followers asking me not to stop. As of today, the only reply I made on the platform was to the person who requested that I continue posting. I thanked her and let her know I would persist,  because people need encouragement. I didn't address the opposition simply because I didn't want to start an unnecessary fight.  I am used to resistance from time to time, but I wonder why they stop and read the posts if they dislike them. Each post looks similar to the one above.  Bloom with Jesus is always at the top, and my logo at the bottom.  The background picture and ...

  I pray you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The holiday season can be difficult for many. The stress of shopping and finding that perfect gift for that special someone. Some are traveling which adds extra expense and creates busy schedules. For me this year, it is the first Christmas without Dad. Though we have not celebrated a big family Christmas for several years, it is still difficult this year. Through all the challenging, stressful days, there is One who gives us hope, the Christ child. My nativity scene is usually the first decoration I display and the last to be put away. It serves as a great reminder of the true meaning of Christmas. When you unwrap all the commercialism that is thrust upon us, and return to the heart of Christmas, you find love, peace and joy which is greater than any manmade present or tradition. God will comfort the brokenhearted through the holidays.   The  Lord  is close to the  brokenhearted ; he rescues those whose ...