April Showers Bring May Flowers

OK...so it isn't May yet but when I arrived at home yesterday after my water aerobics class i.e. H2O Mixer I had a wonderful little surprise (don't mind the very poor picture quality).

My first bloom of the season!

jj

I was so excited yet so sad because I knew what was coming...bad weather. I was worried it wouldn't survive out there all by itself! This morning as I was leaving for work I stopped to check on my little flower and this is what I saw:

It was standing just as proud today as it was yesterday!

I just had to stop and think about how awesome God's creation is. I mean, this beautiful tulip out there by itself in the middle of high winds, hard rain, and some hail and it didn't budge! So delicate yet so strong! I love it!

jj

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20

jj

Speaking of the weather it was quite interesting. All week we had been warned about the storms we would be having. Sure enough the weathermen were right! The only problem is the they didn't know if they would turn into tornadoes or not. They said at any time one or more of the storms could indeed turn into a tornado and that we would be experiencing storms all night. So since my closet is the innermost part of the house it has become mine and Holly's (my roommate) safe place. I got it all ready in case we had to take shelter. Just as I was about to settle in bed and watch the radar Holly shows up with her pillows and blanket in tow and jumped in bed with me...where she stayed all night.

Holly snuggled up all cozy.

This is what we watched ALL night long.

We went to sleep pretty well but then both woke up at 2:30 and watched the weather for a bit. Fortunately the storms up here didn't turn into any tornadoes so we were safe.

On a totally different note...well not completely different...

In 2004 both my great grandfather and my grandfather passed away. For my great grandfather is was quick but for my grandfather it was a long hard time for my mom and my family. They ended up both passing within a month of each other. It was tough, of course, but knowing the suffering had ended for my grandfather made his death more bearable. And know that my great grandfather wouldn't have to bury a child made his death bearable as well. When they died my mom's friend Cynthia had two dogwood trees planted in my parent's backyard in memory of my two Papa's. The trees did not adapt easily at all. Part of it was because we had a couple of really late freezes in the years to come and the trees showed little, if any, life at all. I actually kind of forgot about them because I assumed they would never bloom.

A couple of weeks ago my mom was outside feeding the ducks (not theirs but ones that live around the neighborhood and visit every day) and out of the corner of her eye she spotted something...

One of the trees bloomed!

It didn't bloom fully but what blooms it does have are beautiful. As you can imagine it was an emotional experience. At first I was just so thankful! I thought it was something my mom really needed at the time. But then I started to realize what a lesson there is in it! When things look to be hopeless don't give up! Just wait! And let God bring His plan to life!
jj

P.S. Here are a couple of the ducks...

... playing in the pond.