Last Thanksgiving my son and daughter-in-law gave me the most wonderful Christmas present … a Christmas Advent Seed Calendar!
I was thrilled!
There were 24 different little flaps to open on my Advent Seed Calendar throughout the month of December.
Now, here at the end of July I thought you might enjoy an update on how my Advent Calendar is doing.
Nasturtiums!
Before my Advent Seed Calendar I had never even heard of Nasturtiums. I had no idea what they would look like. I had no idea what to expect.
Just look how beautiful they are! I’m so thrilled! What a wonderful gift!
Have you ever heard of Nasturtiums before??
What a fascinating bloom! I’ve never seen anything like it.
They not only bloomed in a deep orange color, but also in yellow with deep-red highlights. So pretty!
Thank you God for the gift of Nasturtiums! Thank you God for Christmas in July!
Livingstone Daisies!
Just like the Nasturtiums, I had no idea what Livingstone Daisies would look like. But just look how beautiful they are!
There were so many seeds in my Advent Seed packet that I was able to sow Livingstone Daisy seeds in several different pots. As a result, once they started blooming, I was able to give this pot here to my son and daughter-in-law to enjoy at their house … as a sort-of “Thank you” love gift in return for their sweet gift to me.
“Give, and it will be given to you.” – Luke 6:38
Thank you God for the gift of Livingstone Daisies! Thank you God for Christmas in July!
California Poppies!
I have been captivated by how beautiful the California Poppy blooms are before they open up.
The tightly curled bloom brings to mind the verse in Romans 8:18 about the “glory that will be revealed.” We don’t see the glory yet. But it’s there.
And so, we wait patiently for the “glory that is to be revealed.”
“But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” – Romans 8:25
(referring to the future of hope of the glory of Jesus Christ and his forever kingdom)
And in time … the beauty unfurls … and the glory is revealed!
Thank you God for the gift of California Poppies! Thank you God for Christmas in July!
Wild Strawberries!
I shared in a previous blog post how I had despaired that all the Wild Strawberry seeds had been eaten by the birds. I had just about given up on the Wild Strawberries.
But then one day … teeny tiny little green sprouts appeared. They were so very tiny!
Did the miniscule little seeds survive?? Had they sprouted??
They did! And they are growing so beautifully!
Even when we feel like we have reason to lose heart … there is always hope!
“Therefore we do not lose heart.” – 2 Corinthians 4:16
Thank you God for the gift of Wild Strawberries! Thank you God for Christmas in July!
Chinese Long Beans!
A few years ago, hubby took me to a fancy dumpling place (Din Tai Fung) for our anniversary. Along with ordering amazing dumplings, we also ordered green beans. They were the most delicious green beans either of us have ever eaten! We both raved about the green beans!
When I opened up my Advent Seed Calendar flap, this past December, and discovered a little packet of Chinese Long Bean seeds I was beyond excited! Would these Chinese Long Beans taste as good as the green beans we had enjoyed at Din Tai Fung??
My Chinese Long Beans have grown beautifully on the back deck, and just last week I was able to harvest some for us to have for dinner.
Much to mine and hubby’s delight they did taste just like the amazing green beans we had at Din Tai Fung! Yay us having our very own Chinese Long Beans!
Here you can see my “Christmas Advent” dinner with Chinese Long Beans, and also fresh cucumbers which were likewise from my Christmas Advent Seed Calendar. How exciting!
Thank you God for the gift of Chinese Long Beans! Thank you God for Christmas in July!
The gift of seeds from my son and daughter-in-law has turned into beauty which has nourished my soul!
The gift of seeds from my son and daughter-in-law has turned into food which has nourished both hubby and me (literally).
The gift of seeds from my son and daughter-in-law has brought me much joy!
The gift of seeds from my son and daughter-in-law has drawn my heart to worship my great and wonderful God!
We never know what our gift of “seeds” might become as we scatter “seeds of kindness” throughout life, across the soil of someone else’s soul.
We never know what our gift of “seeds” might become as we give away “seeds” of our time.
We never know how our “seeds of love” might bloom one day, in someone else’s life, several seasons later.
Jesus said: “Freely you have received, freely give.” – Matthew 10:8
Thank you God for Christmas in July!
