Day 43, Wednesday of Holy Week

REMEMBER GOD EXISTS

”God Exists” and this  is the most world-shattering statement that any human being can make….because when God exists, all that “is” flows from God. I suddenly and slowly find my own existence revealed to me, in and through the knowledge of God. Then it becomes real for me that I can love myself and my neighbor, only because God has loved me first.

Hebrews 11:4-6

Prayer

Almighty God, hear me. Accept my gift of faith, which I offer to you during this Holy Week. I believe with my whole and inner being that you exist and have, since the beginning of time. I ask that you send me a sign of the immensity of this belief, and “oh My God” make this act of my faith a life changing experience. I desire with all my heart and my life to be grounded in you. Amen.

Lenten Action

Today I will speak out, meditate on, and renew my baptismal vows.

Day 42, Tuesday of Holy Week

BE AT HOME 

Jesus makes his home in us, and this allows us to make our home in him. He chooses us to be his dwelling place and he invites us to choose him as our dwelling place. This is the mystery of incarnation. This is expressed during Communion, where we come to share in the divinity of him who humbled himself to share in our humanity.

Psalm 23:1-3, 5-6

Prayer

My Lord and my God, you have offered me an intimate place that I can call “home” where I can rest and be healed. Help me accept this true home, where my feelings and emotions can be expressed without a suppression of ideas. Let this home be a place where it is good to be; a house where love is always present.

Lenten Action

This week Christ faced his own death. During this week, I wish to think about and examine my own mortality.

Gardening Today- Martha Custis and Preston. (Revised)

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Day 1…..Starting this new project today. Our Homeowners are in NY. They have turned this yard (well kept) over to us. We will do our spring bed prep. Transplant, cultivate and divide some plantings to advance the cause.
A fun project for sure.

In May they will return. They just purchased this home so are very excited to make this little “oasis” their own. We are honored to help.

Contessa

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Day 2…….today we will proceed with cutting back, dividing and propagating “sedum” ground cover, edging, removal of invasive verigated Vinca vine, planting three new purple Speedwell and slowly begin mulching the garden beds. Then to dig out the weed growth between the stone pavers and prep them for sand which will help to prevent future weed infestation.

A very nice day coming today, so we see a good five (5) hours ahead. It is so wonderful to be outdoors. Yesterday first thing, as we arrived we were greeted by two Turtle Doves. We listened to their “coo…ing” song and we are reminded of the sweet “quietness” of their companionship. We felt like they did not come to visit us by accident. It was lovely……

Tuesday Progress…..

Day 41, Monday of Holy Week

 

SEEK SOLITUDE

Time spent in solitude is very important. We grow eager to experience a period of uselessness. The desire for solitude is often the first sign of prayer, the realization that God’s spirit no longer goes unnoticed. As we become quiet and release our worries, we come to know that our mind and our heart are never really alone. God’s spirit is with us all along…. and so in solitude we come together with our pains and struggles and this becomes our way….of hope. Our Hope is not based on something that will happen after our sufferings are over, but on the real awareness of God’s healing spirit in the middle of these sufferings.

Romans 5:1-5

Prayer

Holy God of glory…..I pray that that you will help me build on my inner solitude, my secret place of peace, away from the world and my own pain and struggles. I ask that you give me the spirit strength to wear the outside world as a loose garment that I can quickly shed. If my inner life is strong and is lived with you, nothing in the world will seriously upset me. As I Find this place of silence, let me treasure it as a place to hear your word, so that I might better face the world.  Amen

Lenten Action

As I begin my spiritual practices this Holy Week, I acknowledge that life is not free of pain, hurt, humiliation, and death. I now examine my sins…….and find true sorrow for my deeds that brought Jesus to the place of Crucifixion.

 

Attention Natives…..buy native plants

• Want to beautify your yard? Then it’s time to go native! Choose from a great selection of plants that are accustomed to local climate and wildlife including sun or shade, and even deer resistant plants. Order here. Orders must be placed by April 13. Pick-up plants Sat., April 24 from 1-4 p.m. at Kenmore Middle School. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no plants will be available for purchase on the pick-up day.  You will be contacted before the 24th to schedule a pick-up time between 1-4 p.m.Orders not picked up will not be refunded

Glory, glory, glory……everywhere

Day 40, Palm Sunday

 ERADICATE BLAME

We often spend energy wondering who can be blamed for our own or other people’s tragedies – our parents, ourselves, the immigrants, the Jews, the gays, the black, the fundamentalists….the Evangelicals. But Jesus does not allow us to solve our own or other people’s problems through blame. Jesus summons us to figure out in our darkness, how to find the light of God. Even in any kind of tragedy, there is a point when God’s works are revealed.

My life could be completely new if I can get past blaming, to proclaiming the works of God. We humans have our tragedies, and usually we have no control over them. But we can choose to live them as occasions of blame or as occasions to see God’s works. 

John 9: 1-5

Prayer

My God, you are my refuge. Take away my habits of blaming, myself or others for any big or little tragedies in my life. Guide me to move beyond the “blame game” and to understand that these setbacks are not under my control. Please teach me to live through these events, and to see them as new paths to faith and love. Amen

Lenten Action

Today I will reflect on episodes of blame in my life. I will acknowledge that blaming is a way to avoid seeing God’s hard at work in my life.

I will pick “pussy willows” today as a symbol of the “Coming of Easter” as I begin to prepare for Easter “Holy Week.”

Gardening Today on Martha Custis

Exciting… a new client. She wants to learn. We are going to transplant an Azalea today, remove a brick border, cut back last years growth, trim existing bushes, level her beds and cultivate existing growth by abating the soil. Lots of things to transplant so the beds will be more evenly distributed. Finally we will mulch her beds and talk about a few new plantings. It should be fun. Her enthusiasm has been encouraging. She even recruited permissions from her next door neighbor to pitch in on the project. Both are new homeowners and now that they are both working at home, they want to spruce up their places, so that they can sit on their front stoops and “take in” spring. It should be fun because they are very open to learning. We arrive at 11 and will add some photos to this post later today. Fun…..fun!!

 

Day 39, Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent

PRAY FOR DEPENDENCY ON GOD

Without God we can do nothing. In prayer, I come to God in my nakedness with open hands and a vulnerable calling out –  that without God I am lost. We often come to prayer as a last resort when we have used up all our other resources. Discipleship does not mean to use God when we can no longer function on our own. This is when we realize we can do nothing at all on our own, but that God can do everything through us.

Philippians 1: 4-7

Prayer

Father, Son and Holy Spirit, it frightens me to realize that I am totally dependent on you. I do know that my life is not my own. It is you that determines my destiny. Please calm my worries over my dependency on you, soften my impatience with your plans for me, and help me to accept that you can do all things through me.  Amen

Lenten Action

As a symbol of my baptism in Christ I have placed a small receptacle of water near my front door. Each time I come and go over the next week I will dip my fingers into this water in memory of my “Baptism in Christ.”

Hello Gardeners – pretty windy day

We think it’s here. Spring is so beautiful here in our community. Things are popping up by the moment. We are not gardening today because of the wind, but tomorrow we will be, and we are booked for Monday and Tuesday next week already. Sunday looks like rain, but if it isn’t pouring very hard, we may do some bed cleanup gardening for a three-year sustaining client

The wind is “a blowen” and seedlings are flying all over the place. Your beds are going to receive weed infestation, so while it’s still early in the season you can get out there are try to keep ahead of them. Now is a super time to edge the beds, pull weeds, divide and replant, and it’s not too late to cut back Loriape. It has plenty of time yet to fill in nicely, so don’t worry. Go for it. It will come back so nice and fresh and taller and full. Trust us.

We visited four current sites this morning. Hosta are just poking up and Hydrangea have lovely buds right now. Buy fresh garden soil and give your established plants a boost. They will love you putting some new soil around them. It’s a good thing.

Our biggest word of caution is to not put new plantings in the ground just yet. Post Easter is best, or even better is closer to Mother’s Day. 

The nurseries will be filled with things to purchase. Pansies are great, Primroses, Hellebores and some  herbs. Hold on tight just a few more weeks. You will be glad you did. For now, tend your garden as it is.  There is plenty to do. Enjoy the preparation work. It is so satisfying.