Gardening and lessons learned.

OK, I must admit I hate to garden. Well, let me rephrase that, I love gardens and I love fresh flowers and veggies and being around God's beautiful creation, but I absolutely, positively hate weeding!! Well, unfortunately it is a task that needs to be done since we truly want people to come over and visit and not be attacked by the weeds and run off screaming in horror. As I was weeding, (yes, you may laugh or just plain think I'm crazy) I was quietly but oh so sternly calling the weeds "sinners". I was just imagining the garden of Eden and thinking how it must have been beautiful beyond our thoughts and how there were no weeds until the curse when Adam and Eve decided to take a bite of the forbidden fruit. Then, as my thoughts continued, I realized how many times ugly weeds, or shall we say sin, show up in my life, hidden weeds that take careful and deep digging to find and uproot and even ones that are "blowing in the breeze" for all to see. And my thoughts turned once again toward my Savior. I thought as much as I hate weeding, doesn't God do that to us? Doesn't He weed us, prune us and shape us and water us and grow us into His likeness? As much as I hate the process of getting rid of weeds, it is a task that needs to be done and I realize that it is something I so desperately want God to do in my life. I want Him to remove all those ugly things that keep me from serving and loving Him with all my heart. I want Him to take away the distractions that entangle me and keep me from the call He has placed on our lives. Just as our front yard needs weeding, so do I to keep me looking beautiful before my creator! So you know what, I guess my weeding experience yesterday wasn't all that awful. I guess God was weeding me as I was weeding my garden and for that and all the other times He so gently and lovingly does it, I will be eternally grateful!

It's true...

We have joined a gym. For me, this is the very first time I have ever joined a gym and I must admit, I love it!! We joined the "Y". It is actually very cheap for a whole family to join. I know some of you must be thinking, "what, the first time you have ever joined a gym?" Well, I must admit prior to kids and my mid 30's I was very thin. I never watched anything I ate and was always a "twig". Well, unfortunately age and gravity have become my new best friends and I don't like them :P. To be honest, I also want to be a better steward of the body God has blessed me with and be able to use it for His glory.
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? -- 1 Corinthians 3:16

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. -- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
I have done Zumba (which I love), water aerobics (another love), and the elliptical machines and treadmills, as well as the weight room. What's even more wonderful is that Dave and I workout together which is a whole lot of fun. Also, since the "Y" is very family friendly, they even have family Zumba one night a week and we all got to try it last week. I do think that it might only be a special time for Kira and me but I was very proud of my boys for stepping out of their comfort zone and doing it.
So send me some well wishes and healthy thoughts. I could really use them :)