The Garden of Our Heart

Good Morning Everyone.

My husband and I love
gardening. Our back yard has become a retreat for us.
I love all the birdhouses, and windchimes, and flowers
and birdies, all if it is so refreshing. Matter of fact,
my husband just spent a couple of weeks planting
our vegetable garden.

Just to think ... if he had never planted the seeds,
this garden would not have been possible. It would
be far less attractive, and certainly unused, untapped
resources for beauty.

Do you have untapped territory in your heart?

If we never enter that garden we could not know
the beauty of it. If we never planted, we could not
receive the rewards of our garden.

I feel this is what love is like. When we love those around
us we plant seeds in their hearts. Those seeds when
they sprout either reflect the heart of God or the heart
of men.

God cannot plant seeds in a stony heart, full of pride,
self justification and stubbornness and unforgiveness.

We need to allow God to rule the garden of our heart
and plant seeds in it that are fruitful for his work
and His glory. This takes surrender. A word that
is not commonly heard. To surrender to your
heavenly Father, is the beginning of wisdom.

Pride can really prevent
people from humbling themselves to love others
no matter what differences we may have.

Pride ruling us or our words means God is not
ruling our spirit, we have allowed ourselves to close
the garden of our heart to his still small voice.

My friends, we are so very accountable for what we do,
because we know the truth. Plant seeds of love, kindness,
unforgiveness... this is a servants heart ... and it is what Jesus
said was proof we were his disciples.

When God plants the garden of your heart, the seeds
will become a thing of beauty to all who see Christ
growing in you.They are seeds,
once planted that continually bring
joy and feast to our spirit.

The garden of your heart is an important place
to visit each day. Let Christ dwell there,
nothing will ever be the same! With him,
we move and have our being, with him we have
mercy, forgiveness and hope. What wonderful
things to have planted in our spirit!

love always
millie

Ps. This is a battle we all fight, for control of
our tongue and our thinking. I think if we start
each morning submitting ourselves to Christ,
and laying aside our fleshly desires and asking God
what would you have me do today. Then listen for
that voice, it really helps us win this battle daily.


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The Emperor's Seeds

Author: Unknown


An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to choose
His successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children,
he decided something different. He called young people in the kingdom
together one day.

He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I
have decided to choose one of you." The kids were shocked! But the emperor
continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today, one very
special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here one
year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then
judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next
emperor!"

One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like the others, received a
seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him
get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it
carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown.

After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their
seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept checking his
seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks went by. Still
nothing.

By now, others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a
plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by; still nothing in
Ling's pot.

He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall
plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends,
however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their
plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't
going to take an empty pot but his Mother said he must be honest about what
happened. Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his Mother was right.
He took his empty pot to the palace.

When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the
other youths. They were beautiful-in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his
empty pot on the floor and many of the other kids laughed at him.

A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey nice try." When the emperor
arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just
tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you
have grown," said the emperor. "Today, one of you will be appointed the
next emperor!"

All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his
Empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was
terrified. "The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"
When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling,"
he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor
asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the
crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!" Ling couldn't believe
it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor?

Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I
told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me
today. But I gave you all boiled seeds, which would not grow. All of you,
except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found
that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I
gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a
pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!"

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 victory.
If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony.
If you plant hard work, you will reap success.
If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.
If you plant openness, you will reap intimacy.
If you plant faith, you will reap miracles

But if you plant dishonesty, you will reap distrust.
If you plant selfishness, you will reap loneliness

If you plant pride, you will reap destruction.
If you plant envy, you will reap trouble.
If you plant laziness, you will reap stagnation.
If you plant bitterness, you will reap isolation.
If you plant greed, you will reap loss.
If you plant gossip, you will reap enemies.
If you plant worries, you will reap wrinkles.
If you plant sin, you will reap guilt.

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

The seeds you now scatter will make life worse or better, for your life or
the ones who will come after. Yes, someday, you will enjoy the fruits, or
you will pay for the choices you plant today.





"It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his
garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air
lodged in the branches of it." - Luke 13:19


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I Come to the Garden Alone
Written by C. Austin Myles 1913


I come to the garden alone
while the dew is still on the roses,
and the voice I hear falling on my ear,
the Son of God discloses.


Refrain:
And he walks with me, and he talks with me,
and he tells me I am his own;
and the joy we share as we tary there,
none other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound of his voice
is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
and the melody that he gave to me
within my heart is ringing.

Refrain:
And he walks with me, and he talks with me,
and he tells me I am his own;
and the joy we share as we tary there,
none other has ever known.

I'd stay in the garden with him
though the night around me be falling,
but he bids me go; thru the voice of woe
his voice to me is calling.

Refrain

And he walks with me, and he talks with me,
and he tells me I am his own;
and the joy we share as we tary there,
none other has ever known.