On a fruitful hill the Gardner fences a plot, gathering stones
planting the choicest of vines.
The finest grapes of rose and purple clustered among
splashes of green leaves and branches, weaving through
shadows and sun!

The song of the Beloved touches his vineyard, his pleasant
plants reaping a harvest in the autumn, yielding fruits of sweetness.
A wine press is built to press the fruit, and a strong tower is placed in the midst
that his watchmen may watch for thieves and robbers, and the
people run into and are safe.

Hiring a gatekeeper to protect his vines, the absent Gardner
leaves the country, traveling to a far off land. The gatekeeper’s child
fair skinned with bright blue eyes and blonde tousled hair, digs in
flower beds with songs of laughter. One night the gatekeeper
became imbibed, partaking of wine. Becoming mean, he
fell asleep. As he slept an enemy crept in, stealing his child who ran and hid.

A darkness covered the garden, the fruit withered and
died, the sweet smell of the tender grapes now tainted, became sour
wine. The Gardner returns questioning “Where is my gatekeeper
and his child?” But there is no reply. Sleeping through the night
the gatekeeper comes to his senses, with love and prayers
bidding his son’s return.
The child runs into the the tower of safety!
The vines now tended with love and care, bring about much more
fruit than before!

A late winter storm has given hope and healing to
our ravished land!

“Even the strongest blizzards start with a single snowflake”

Sara Raasch

When it seems that all forces are against us, whether family, friends,
or anything else too difficult to mention, it is so easy to give into despair.

The Jewish Talmud tells us “That even if a person is being accused by
999 people/angels, and there is only one person in his defense, then he
is saved.”

‘We all have One that is in our defense’

The threads of the tapestry woven on the
loom of life, sometimes become frayed and torn.
His children born into abuse and neglect
take longer to sew and piece together,
Producing a fabric of beautiful flowers!
With blossoms brighter than those who have no struggles,
a richer cloth stitched with stronger threads, watered with
tears of joy!

* * * *

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose
under heaven…
“A time to tear and a time to mend”
Ecclesiastes 3:7

Good Morning On This Valentine’s Day!
February 14th 2024 🌹 🌹 🌹 

Voice was heard
“I spoke to grace
She spoke not back
I spoke to trust she turned her face
I spoke to faith, I spoke to hope
These too did fail
I spoke to love she spoke back

Of all these things
Trust – Hope – and Faith may remain
But love never fails!“

February is a special month with
many traditions and fables

Starting with February 2nd, there is the ancient
Christian tradition of Candlemas, when clergy would
bless and distribute candles needed for winter. The candles
represented how long and cold the winter would be. Germans
expanded on the concept, by selecting an animal as a means
of predicting weather. Thus it is called Groundhog day.

Valentine’s Day, as the story goes, began
with a priest who’s name was St Valentine. It is
said that he was put in prison for conducting
marriages for soldiers which was forbidden.
He fell in love with the jailor’s daughter and the
night before his execution, he sent her a card of
love and signed his name –
“From your Valentine”

Whatever story is true, this day has been recognized as a
special day, celebrating with red roses, chocolates and
confectionary sweets.

The first commercial valentines in America were
printed in the mid-1800s…Because it was thought that
the avian mating season begins in mid-February, birds
along with hearts became a symbol of the day.

Since the beginning of time, tears and sorrows have filled this world.
Different people grieve in different ways, but we all feel the same pangs
of death and sorrow it brings.

An ancient tradition in the East were the use of tear bottles

Mourners are called to weep, lifting up their cries
preparing for a burial as the custom was when someone dies.

She was just a child, suddenly becoming ill, all that they had
done had not made her well.

Anointing her with sweet scented oils, painting her cheeks
placing rings on her fingers and toes
a necklace of gold and bracelets of silver, wrapping
her in linen

A procession begins, mourners following close behind, weeping
tears in their bottles to place in the tomb of the child, in remembrance of the dead.

It is said when King David was in custody
of his enemies he wrote
“You have seen my tossing and turning through the night
collecting all my tears and preserving them in Your bottle”*

God is a tenderhearted Father to us, a God who
feels with us and weeps with us.

Exodus 3:7
He remembers our sorrows, as if He keeps each tear in a bottle!

*Psalm 56:8 The Living Bible

Cain became jealous of his brother Abel,
and rose up against him and killed him.
Cain was banished to the land of Nod,
and Eve grieved the loss of her two sons!
* * * * *
But when Adam knew his wife once more,
she conceived and bore another son.
And kneeling in prayer, with tears she wept,
Her God had replaced Able with Seth!
Every day at the break of dawn, in her arms
she held her son,
repeating the story of forgiveness of sin
and the promise of a Redeemer who would restore
Paradise again!

That day it seemed strangely quiet, as if the streams had suddenly
stopped, the flowers had withered, and the birds had flown away.
At the time of the evening hour, they had always waited at the bench
for their Visitor.

Just the night before they had heard the sound of Him walking in the
garden.
And now a voice was heard, “Where are you?” And Adam said “I heard
Your voice, and I and my wife were afraid, and ran and hid!