"In gardening, one's staunchest ally is the natural lust for life each plant has, that strong current which surges through everything that grows."   Jean Hershey, savvygardener.com

"Lust for life."  "Glutton for life."  I like the strong, robust images that come into my head when I read words like that.  They are powerful, energetic words.  Often, when we go through something tough like a midlife divorce, our vocabulary is more likely to contain words like timid, fearful, uncertain, unsure.  At this time of year in our part of the country, the Midwest, the flowers are out in full force.  What started as little groups of pansies, or impatians or daisys or marigolds or geraniums have all filled in and are a riot of colors.  We've had some hot weather, but the flowers seem to thrive in spite of it.  They have that "lust for life" that Jean Hershey talks about.  I want that unquenchable fire of life in my belly, too.  This is the only life we get ... until after we die.  So when I look at the flowers all around today, I'm gong to translate what I see in their wild blossoming into my own life.  I'm going to fill myself with the nourishment I need ... spiritual, physical and emotional, them I'm going to bloom like crazy ... just for the pure joy of it.  God does most of the "work" anyway ... all I need to worry about is being the flower he created me to be and as the familiar saying goes, "bloom where I'm planted" today. I'm going to be a big, bright, flashy red geranium, I think.

 "If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers--most of which are never even seen--don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?  What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving."    Matthew 6:30-31 (The Message)