Victory Garden

The ground is starting to warm up, the days are growing longer, and all the signs are pointing to one thing...

It's time to plant another garden.

Yes, I said another.

Last year's garden definitely wasn't what you'd call a victory garden.

I blamed the fancy drip system that faithfully overwatered and drowned nearly everything we planted. This year, I'm putting my trust in the old-fashioned watering method...me.

I'm ready for homegrown tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and fresh vegetables picked right off the vine instead of forgotten in the refrigerator until they're no longer fresh.

There's just something satisfying about walking outside, gathering what you need for dinner, and knowing it came from your own backyard.

If you're not planting a garden this year, don't feel bad.

If all goes well...

I'll share.

As I planted each tiny seedling, I couldn't help but notice how much gardening resembles life.

Every plant competes for the same things—water, sunlight, nutrients, space, and attention.

So do we.

The things we choose to nourish are usually the things that grow.

For those of you who don't particularly enjoy digging in the dirt or planning a garden...

(No guilt here;)

I came across something years ago that reminded me there are other kinds of gardens worth planting.

A Garden of Joy

Plant five rows of Peas:

• Prayer
• Perseverance
• Politeness
• Promptness
• Purity

Plant three rows of Squash:

• Squash gossip
• Squash criticism
• Squash indifference

Plant five rows of Lettuce:

• Let us be faithful to duty.
• Let us be unselfish.
• Let us be truthful.
• Let us follow Christ.
• Let us love one another.

No garden is complete without Turnips:

• Turn up for church.
• Turn up with a smile.
• Turn up with new ideas.
• Turn up with determination to make everything count for something good and worthwhile.

Happy Gardening!