LIFE IN BLOOM

Learning How to Flourish in God's Grace

Category Archives: Faith


by 1 Comment

More About Me

Part of the reason that I love to spend time alone, is because I enjoy my own thoughts.  Some of these I share with others, some I don’t; and of course, there are reasons for that.  However, in the last couple of days, I’ve realized some things about me that I’m willing to share:

  1. I wish I could have a job that would allow me to talk with my friends every day.
  2. Life is about being thankful.  Being thankful leads to happiness.
  3. I am terrified that I may one day run into the end of the internet.
  4. Television, though appreciated, is overrated.
  5. I don’t regret things that at one point, made me happy.  I take the lessons, accept the fact that I have grown from the experience, and move on.
  6. I’m on a mission to have the highest quality of life possible- surrounded by people who love me, and who are also pursuing their purpose and their dreams with the same intensity that I am.
  7. Cereal and cupcakes are a part of my balanced diet when on vacation.  I generally maintain a kosher diet while I’m at work, so vacations are okay for splurges.
  8. North Carolina basketball is the stuff that dreams are made of.  Seriously.
  9. I’m generally bad at keeping in touch with people because I hate feeling like the burden of keeping in touch should be mine.  At the same time, if it’s a burden, perhaps I shouldn’t keep in touch with you anyhow.
  10. I’m more organized inwardly than outwardly.  I partially think that if I could organize as well outwardly as I do inwardly, I would be insanely OCD.
  11. After being pretty far away from my family for the last 4 years, there’s a part of me that wants to be home.
  12. I think that I would be an awesome mother and wife- partially because I desire to, but moreso because I see wonderful examples of Christan wives and mothers who inspire me daily.
  13. I constantly remind myself that who I am is not limited to my occupation.
  14. I think that God is going to allow me to live a long, full life; mostly because of His favor, grace, and mercy; but also because He has given me so many dreams.
  15. While I reflect on my times at UNC with great joy because of the people I met, I often feel that my time at UGA was a bit isolating and more introspective.  At the same time, I experienced great personal growth while at UGA, which made it worthwhile.  I have yet to determine how I feel about my time in Florida, other than it’s made me realize that I’m a lot stronger than I thought.


by 2 Comments

Planting the Right Seeds

I grew up in the country, and around about this time of year, we’d be preparing to plant some flowers.  My maternal grandmother was the quintessential gardener, and always had impeccable flowers around the yard.  One of my fondest memories of my grandmother is of her working in her flowers.  It was something she took great pride in, and I recall several afternoons from spring, and into the early summer, of getting off of the school bus and finding her in some obscure nook and cranny of the yard, figuring out what type of plant would be perfect for that spot.

As a tomboy who loved to be outdoors, helping my grandmother with the flowers was a nice activity.  Perhaps, not my favorite in terms of what actually took place.  However, the quality time that I shared with my grandmother made it all worthwhile.  It was in these moments that I truly understood the value of planting the right seeds.  Not just in the ground, so that one could have beautiful flowers; but also in life.

Anyone who halfway knows The Bible most likely has a general understanding of reaping what you sow.  In Galatians 6:7-10, you can find the following:

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

That scripture speaks to the value of planting the right seeds, and the effects of not.  However it also encourages us to not give up in doing good- which I would say can be a challenge.  At least I know it’s a challenge for me.  Yet and still, if I would study the first part, and recall that I’m reaping what I’m sowing , it’s some encouragement for me to stay on the right path.

All of these thoughts were sparked by an email that I received from Mrs. Reba.  Mrs. Reba is a delightful woman who I met at my church when I was living in Athens.  She truly has a wonderful spirit, and always seeks to encourage others.  And, I will say that what I love most about her is her willingness to tell the truth in love.  I think it’s wonderful for people to care enough about you to tell you the truth.  But I digress.

In Mrs. Reba’s email, it included some thoughts about planting the right seeds.  Here’s the snippet that I enjoyed the most:

* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust

* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends

* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness

* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment

* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective

* If you plant hard work, you will reap success

* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation

* If you plant faith in God , you will reap a harvest

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.

Well said, Mrs. Reba, well said.  This has renewed my focus on what happens later, because as Christians, this life is only a glimpse of what to come.  We’re preparing for eternity.  It just might be useful to plant the right seeds for it.