Cathy

Today's beautiful blossom is Cathy. I was fortunate to get to know Cathy while she and her family were attending the same church that my family attends. I went to visit a cell group one week when my husband was out of town, and it was there that I really got to know this friend. It's hard to believe that this summer that will be five years ago. Our families attended the group together for a while and it was really a pleasure to spend that time with them. That was a difficult year and the group was really there to help me through it. Cathy is so kind and encouraging, and I know that she can be trusted to measure a situation according to God's word. She is open and sincere which makes her easy to share your thoughts with. Cathy is a fabulous, loving mom who has spent many years homeschooling her children. She's creative too, and really great at decorating. Cathy is lots of fun to be around. Cathy, I am glad I got to know you and your family, you are in my prayers this evening as I thank God for you.

Sherrie

My garden planting of the day is a very friendly flower who makes people feel included and accepted. I know when I hear her laugh that I have a friend in the room. Sherrie has faced many heartaches in the past few years, but she has leaned on God to get her through each one. She is a loving and devoted wife and mother, her family is her pride and joy. She is active in her community. I have seen her out ringing bells for the Salvation Army, and I've overheard her talking of plans for the scholastic book fair at her son's school. I have a feeling that this is just the tip of the iceberg. I am glad to know Sherrie; she is a friend with a sweet yet dynamic personality. Sherrie, keep laughing, keep smiling, and keep trusting God. There's a prayer in my heart for you this evening.

Aunt Ruth

I present to you today a flower that has been blooming in my life since the earliest days of my childhood. She is my Aunt Ruth. As long as I can remember she has been kind and patient. I have fond memories of coloring eggs at her house on Good Friday. The adults would first have to complete their task of making and coating peanut butter and coconut eggs, it seemed to a child that this process took forever, but our turn would come and we would make our pretty eggs to play hide and seek with. Many fun times and family gatherings occurred at Aunt Ruth's house, and I remember spending many weekends there. It was a place where I felt peaceful and safe. When I look back at some of the things we got into it is a mystery to me how she so calmly bore all of the noisy, messy, sometimes destructive shenanigans of three imaginative children (her son, my sister and I). On Friday nights she would take us to the bowling alley where she participated in a league and there were even more cousins and friends to hang out with. When I was in my teens and early twenties I worked with my mom and Aunt Ruth at their sewing shop. How she loved me through those years is another mystery, but she remained kind and forbearing as I grew through all the difficult stages of life. Thank you Aunt Ruth for giving me a place to relax, have fun and be a kid when life at home was so stressful. You are in my thoughts and prayers. ♥

Chelsea

Each flower in my garden of friends is unique and beautiful. Today I am adding Chelsea. One of the things I admire about Chelsea is the wonderful job she has done as a nanny. I believe the family that she has worked for has been exceptionally blessed to have this godly young woman loving, nurturing and influencing their children. Chelsea has endured trials and losses that have made an enormous impact on her life. I found this quote on her facebook page, "Life is 10% of the things that happen to you and 90% on how you react to them." Rather than letting them tear her down and make her bitter, Chelsea has leaned on the Lord in the difficult times and trusted Him to make her stronger through them. I also found that her goal in life is "to be used for God's purpose instead of trying to use Him for mine." So many times people get this backwards, but she's got it right. Chelsea, It's a joy to see you happily engaged to Peter; getting ready to begin a family of your own, I pray for abundant blessings in your life together.

Jeremy

The friend I want to share about with you today is Jeremy. He is the youth pastor at Park Forest Baptist Church, and an all around great guy. He is dedicated to his family as well as his students and youth leaders. It is obvious that he enjoys spending time with all of them. He promotes healthy relationships between teens and their parents; a characteristic which I particularly appreciate. Jeremy has a heart for outreach and encourages the youth to share their faith with their friends. He has set up special events where kids can bring their friends to have a ton of fun and most importantly hear the gospel. He has also made sure that students have opportunities to serve the community and share the gospel in missions situations. Jeremy loves the Lord and expresses this through teaching and music. He participates on the worship team and even leads it sometimes. He has been such a blessing to our church and to our family. Thank you Jeremy for all you do. I pray that through your diligent ministry you will have the joy of continually seeing teens and their parents put their faith and trust in Christ.

Titus

I met Titus about four years ago when he came to my house to teach a 5 day club for kids. He was great with the kids, he got right down on their level and played hide and seek with them. He was really good at teaching too, he has a personality that captivates his audience. The second opportunity that I had to see Titus in action was at day camp a couple of years ago. I thought he was like a ray of sunshine that brightened everyone's day. He seemed to make people feel welcome, included and important. He was fun and energetic; on the more serious side however, I remember him showing compassion for a friend as she cried over a strained relationship in her life. My interaction with Titus has been mostly limited to those encounters, but they left me wishing that I knew him better. Titus is an attractive young man with a great deal of potential. Titus, my prayer for you is that you will look to God's Word to lead you in your decisions, and that you will use your special gifts and talents for His glory.

Elaine

Elaine is a friend that I met when I was 15 years old. We were sailing to Mexico on the Bluegrass Supercruise in 1991. I spent a good portion of that week hanging out with the Deaton family and have some very fond memories of trying to barter with the local people on the islands and cruising around Cozumel in dune buggies. That summer I was invited to spend a week at their house in Georgia, but by the end of the week my flight home had been changed so that I could accompany them on their family vacation to Panama City. I just really appreciate Elaine "adopting" me as part of the family, I had so much fun hanging out with her kids. I remember going home with a new outlook on things. I had felt so accepted by the Deatons that my self esteem improved. Many of the problems I faced at home seemed more manageable because I felt like I had a refuge. I was able to visit with the Deatons a couple of times after that, but being more than 700 miles apart, well I haven't seen them in a long time. I do have hopes that since my kids are older now we will plan a trip to Georgia one summer and will be able to visit Elaine. I feel very blessed to have this special lady as a friend. Elaine, I thank God for you and pray that he will bless you and fill your days with joy and delight.

Eric

Happy Valentine's Day! I have been planning for some time to pay a special tribute to my dear sweet husband on this day, but now that it's here I can't find the right words. I met Eric when he was 17 years old. His interests included volleyball and volleyball. Not being very athletic myself and not looking much like a volleyball, I worked hard the first couple of months to get his attention. When we finally started dating in January of 1992 we found that we did have some common interests such as music, movies and food. Most importantly we discovered that we shared the same faith in Jesus Christ. Eric is kind and respectful. He's a hard worker, and he always plays fair. He is the smartest person I know and yet he never comes across as a know it all. It's nearly impossible to beat him at a game of strategy, if there's an element of luck involved one might possibly stand a chance. He is friendly and out going, but when we met I thought he was quiet and shy. He still loves to play volleyball as well as softball, but his favorite activity now is geocaching which for us is a family sport. He loves to go out hiking in the woods searching for the treasure at the end of each journey, but he always waits for the times when the kids are out of school and we can all go together. Eric gets involved in the community by volunteering to help with special groups and activities at church, work and school. He is a faithful, loving, devoted husband and father. I could write volumes about this friend who is also my sweetheart but this summary will have to do for now; I want to go spend some time with my Valentine. I love you Eric! ♥

Stephanie

Today's friend is Stephanie. I know she's not feeling very flower-like today, so I thought it would be the perfect time to point out some of her beautiful qualities. My knowledge of Stephanie comes mostly through facebook as well as having mutual friends in the world of geocaching. There are a few observations that I've made which I would like to share. Stephanie is a great mom! It's so obvious that her kids are her pride and joy. She watches over them carefully and and takes the best possible care of them. Although she adores her children, she has the wisdom to know when she needs a break. She is willing to ask for help from trusted caregivers so that she can be refreshed and give the kids her best. I admire this quality because it helps to keep things in balance. Stephanie is also a loyal and loving wife. She defends her husband against his adversaries and openly shows affection for him. Dan and Stephanie make a great couple; after 15 years together it is easy to see that they are still very much in love. Stephanie, I pray that you feel better soon. Thanks for blooming in my garden of friends!

Autumn

Autumn is the the beautiful blossom chosen to grace my garden today. I have always thought that her name is so appropriate. She reminds me of a warm sunny October day when the trees are at the peak of their beauty. She seems to be confident yet humble, qualities that I truly admire especially when they occur together. Autumn is friendly and kind and yet she has a competitive edge. She has played in volleyball and softball leagues on teams opposing my husband, so I have had the opportunity to see how she gets into the game :) Combine her competitive nature with her superior intelligence, and she is almost impossible to beat at a word game or puzzle. She has the highest scores of most of my facebook friends even in games that seem to be mostly chance. (How do you do that?) She is quite talented musically as well. At times I really miss her leading the children's choir and the music for VBS at my church, but God has moved her on to other ministries where I am sure she is serving Him well. Autumn is a devoted wife and mother. She manages her family life, home and activities well. She is an inspiration. Autumn, my prayer for you is that the world around you will be as beautiful to you as you are to the world around you.

Melanie

As I reached blindly into my seed packet this morning I prayed that the Lord would help me choose the perfect flower to plant today; a smile came to my face as I drew Melanie's name out from among all the seeds contained therein. I namelessly mentioned Melanie yesterday, and it seemed only fitting that she should be planted today. I met Melanie in the seventh grade when I was trying to adjust to being in junior high all mixed up with kids from different elementary schools. Melanie was making an even bigger adjustment as she had just moved to a new town and a new school entirely. We quickly became friends, joined at the hip you might say; nearly inseparable. I believe that God very purposefully and strategically placed Melanie in my life during a time when I was being increasingly drawn to friends of questionable character. The influence of Melanie and her family helped to keep me on track when I was getting ready to derail. We had so much fun together, it was like a game to come up with unusual or bizarre activities like "hay bale sitting" (sunbathing on top of an enormous hay bale on the first warm sunny day in March), or creating slip -n- slides out of garbage bags and, when it didn't work so well, turning them into the latest fashion. Recently Melanie came to visit me. I know she is excessively busy preparing for her studio (http://www.somethingslooming.com/) to open and taking care of her family, but she and another friend set aside a day and traveled the distance to my house for a reunion. I am so blessed to have such caring and devoted friends. Without even realizing it, they came at a time when my spirits had been low and favored me with their companionship. Melanie, thank you for being such an important person in my life. I pray for God's continued blessing on your family and your artistic endeavor.

Becky

Today I will plant Becky in my flower garden, and a beautiful flower she is. I think Becky's most endearing quality is that she shines for Jesus. She really let's Him light up her world, and therefore she lights up the world around her. One of the great things about being sisters in Christ is that though time, distance, and circumstances may separate; you are always able to relate to each other. Becky is a childhood friend of mine that I really hadn't been in touch with much in years, that is until about eighteen months ago when I was introduced to the wonderful world of facebook. We were reconnected through social networking, and recently Becky got together with another friend and planned a trip to visit me. It meant a lot to me that they set aside a day and drove three hours to my house so we could all catch up face to face. We had lots to talk about and the day slipped away quickly. Becky is so much fun to be around. She has a great sense of humor. She is honest and sincere. It's been wonderful to reconnect with Becky. It is such a blessing to have a friend that you know will always be your friend. I praise God for you Becky, you add "Son"shine to so many lives!

Colleen

Colleen is the flower I will plant in my garden today. How appropriate since Colleen is a great admirer of flowers and nature and all of God's creation. She is fond of animals and finds great enjoyment in playing with her cat as well as feeding and watching the birds in her yard. She's artistic and creative. Colleen enjoys the great outdoors and visits our State Parks when she has the opportunity. She has a compassionate heart and delights in sponsoring a child in a third world country. A visit to her home will reveal pictures and news of her special young friend. Colleen has a condition that has greatly decreased her mobility making it difficult to do many of the activities she once enjoyed. She perseveres through the pain and is diligent about exercise, proper diet, and church attendance. She shows concern for other people in her life, and is willing to reach out to those around her. Colleen, I pray this morning for new joys abundantly to fill your days, and the inner strength which, comes from God, to overcome every obstacle.

Tracy

Today's "friend of the day" is Tracy. I have known Tracy for about nine years now, dating back to when her youngest son and my daughter were just babies. How the years fly by. Tracy is a good friend who is always willing to lend a helping hand. She has been through so much but always seems to shine through the darkness. The reason for this (I'm sure she would tell you) is that she has put her faith and trust in Jesus Christ and has turned to him to carry her through times of great trial. Tracy is a devoted mother and has dedicated herself to "bring [her children] up in the training and instruction of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4) She is a diligent worker doing her best at every job she takes on. She is an encourager always ready with a word of praise for the efforts of those around her; in a way a cheerleader who motivates and inspires. Above all Tracy seeks the will of the Father to guide her. She has made some tough choices in her life because she was determined to do what was right instead of what was easy. Tracy is a child of God, cherished by him, and a sister to be loved, appreciated and admired. I wish you blessing upon blessing, Tracy, as you continue to follow God's will into the future. ♥

Santina

It's time to start "planting" in my garden blog, and I was having a hard time deciding where to begin. There are so many flowers on my list, how do I choose which one to plant first. I prayed and asked for guidance. I believe this project is meant to be encouraging and uplifting and I anticipate that the Lord will lead me to specific friends who could really use that the day their name is picked and planted. Since Santina is going through a trying time, having just had an appendectomy, it seemed only natural to plant her in my garden today, so I'm pulling on my garden gloves and preparing the soil.

Santina is a leader in the youth group at our church. I asked my son to tell me few nice or fun things about Santina since he spends more time around her than I do. The first thing he said was that she has a good sense of humor, which I already knew. He said that he thought it was really funny the night at youth group that they were sharing the highs and lows of their week and she said that her low was getting engaged, but it was only funny because everyone knew that it couldn't be farther from the truth. I really enjoyed the creativity of her costume for the youth group Christmas party in 2008. She and Carol dressed as Whos, I saw the pictures. They were so cute! Besides being funny and cute I can see plainly that Santina is a loyal friend. Her devotion to Jon is inspiring. I hope that the young girls that she works with in youth group will follow her example in their relationships. Santina and Jon will be married this September and it will be a day of great celebration. They have shown a great deal of patience which is a quality sorely lacking in our world today. I wish them joy unending in their life together. Feel better soon Santina, in life's garden you are a flower and you have a lot of blooming yet to do!