A Garden in the Desert

It's beautiful in the desert. 

Prickly pear with poppies

Poppies with more poppies

Yet another.... poppy

 The roads even in suburban Oro Valley where my brother lives are planted with wildflowers. The brown and tans of the native desert are mimicked by most of the buildings. It's a very harmonious setting. And then along come these outrageous flowers. God's fingerprints of beauty.

My brother and his wife have a peaceful view of Mt? across the park like wash behind their home. Her petunias are in full glory. It's winter here and they aren't consumed by the coming heat. 

It's spectacular in the setting sun but I forgot last night and now... I'm off to my own garden to cultivate some blooms.

Jasmine

The promise of orange blossoms to open

More potential oranges

Vegtables!

Kale! Glorious kale!

Carrots and spinach

Sorry, Jim, I pulled a little one... but it was delecious! 

Blooms in the desert

I'm in the deserts of Arizona.  And my brother and his wife have created a place of beauty and feasting- she has flowers in pots and up patio supports, along the back fence, in more pots in the front.  She has created beauty.   He has planted a winter garden and they feast on their own produce.  Tender, baby kale and spinach. Real carrots as sweet as sugar.  Basil and tomatos returning from a previous garden.

I'm here in the desert of Arizona to write. I leave soon to drive to the COD ranch http://www.codranch.com/ for a weekend writer's retreat.   I have my essays to work on, my work to be critiqued. I'm nervous. 

I'm here in the desert to create beauty with my words, to culivate a winsome message to whoever needs to hear it.  My flowers are words intended to encourage and to reveal Jesus in one woman's life. 

I'm here to produce- like a garden.  I find seeds of ideas, water them with the Word, soak them in thought and sometimes, in tears.   At times ideas and thoughts lay dormant but like all good seeds, they do come to the surface and produce a harvest.  All thoughts, good, bad and the ugly, produce a harvest. 

 I'm here to hone my craft of writing, to meet with other writers for feedback, to write uninterrupted.

What I need to do is examine my thoughts and line them up with the Word I claim to guide my life. A garden can only produce what is sown. 

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29

So here I go.  God knows what the desert will have for me this week.  He brings the earthly desert to beautiful bloom.  He provides vegetables in a dry land.  He can bring words to my soul.

Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God 1 Have mercy on me,a O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a rightb spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. 14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. 18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; 19 then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.