Bloom with Jesus!

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'...

  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...

  There are blood relatives which make up your family, and church families. Close friends are often considered family, and as a nation, we are a family. Families can be full of belly laughs, good times, smiles, and unforgettable memories. There is survival mode through tragedies, and celebrations of great accomplishments. But families also come with a blend of personalities, so there is frustration, the occasional harsh word, and arguments which get out of hand. The key to a close family is always remembering what is important. Unconditional love and forgiveness. When difficulties arise, we need to step back, pray, and consider what Jesus would do. He would always forgive. Grace was the key element to His ministry, and forgiveness should always be a part of our Christian walk, no matter the circumstances. In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, his wife, Erika, publicly announced that she forgave the assassin. I’m sure those words were difficult to utter as she mourned the los...

“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...

My heart goes out to the families of those who lost their lives in the hurricane this week. Many lost their homes, businesses, power, and much more as a result of this horrific storm as it came up the Gulf Coast and swept through the Carolinas. The storm did a great deal of damage across many states with its powerful winds and flooding. The storm had so much force that we had wind gusts in Ohio yesterday. One of those gusts broke a huge limb off of the neighbor's tree. Unfortunately, the limb fell on his car and a piece of equipment he had parked in the driveway. No one was hurt, and it seems so small compared to those in the South who have lost much. We have had stronger winds from thunderstorms earlier this year, so why did the limb suddenly fall? Most of our storms come out of the west, and the trees are used to the wind force from that direction. As they grow, they become stronger, almost as if they are leaning into the storms of life. But the hurricane winds came from the east...

Our new neighbors are just the sweetest and most helpful friends one could ask for. We are still getting acquainted with one another, but they are both kind and helpful, and their children are so polite. He is a very talented free-hand painter for motorcycles and trucks. His truck is absolutely beautiful, and when I complimented his work, his wife said, “Thank you. I am so proud of him.” Those words echoed in my mind for several days. First of all, I thought it was precious that she adored her husband’s talent. Second, it was a reminder that I need to compliment Jim more than I do. I know the Bible warns us about our pride in verses like, “Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” (Proverbs 11:2) , but pride in your spouse is different from being too proud or self-absorbed to need God or others. Dictionary.com backs this up by showing two definitions of the word. a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherish...

  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...

  We were blessed to purchase a winter home in a wonderful neighborhood in Florida this year. In the evenings I love to walk, and I try to pick a different street so I can meet the neighbors. We were back in town for just a week or so, and I wanted to exchange emails with a neighbor I had met in March, so I decided to walk to her house. When I rang her doorbell, I felt like I had hit the jackpot. To my surprise, several neighbors were sitting at her table playing dominoes. I love to meet new people and was excited as she introduced me to everyone. They immediately began to tell neighborhood stories and made me feel welcome. Somewhere amid the conversation, I mentioned that I was a Christian author and speaker. Maybe it was poor timing, or they didn’t know what to think of me at that point. One of my new friends seemed embarrassed because she had been married four times. I immediately said, “Who am I to judge? I’m on number two myself.” I pray that when I left that evening, none of ...