Spring surrounds us with sights and smells of rebirth, renewal.
As quickly as a newborn changes, the landscape alters from day to day.
Keep your camera or sketchpad ready!
Bees gather, pollinate, buzz and hum.
I stand as close as I dare, holding my breath and hoping he doesn’t mind me here.
God endows even the weeds with beauty.
Legend surrounds the dogwood tree and the crucifixion of Christ. Some say crosses were formed from its wood and that after His crucifixion, Christ stunted and twisted the dogwood so that it would never again be used for that purpose; others say the story is false, that dogwoods don’t grow in Israel and aren’t mentioned in the Bible.
I say—legend or no legend—the flowers of the dogwood are a beautiful visual reminder of the cross and what was accomplished there.
Dogwood flowers contain two longer and two shorter petals, in a cross-like pattern. The end of each petal has a hole as a nail imprint, stained in rust and red. The centers swirl, spike, spread as a crown of thorns.
Dogwood blooms arrive just in time for Easter, when our hearts and minds are most focused on the cross.
Have you planted anything, or simply stopped to admire God’s handiwork this spring?
By Dawn Camp, My Home Sweet Home
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Well I am planting some seeds w/ my neighbors. We have been reading the bible w/ them for 2 mths now. They come tonight and every time its the day they come I get soo nervous. I know he can work in that nervousness in amazing ways. Please pray for me today that I will plant well tonight as the neighbors gather to eat and hear God’s word from us. Pray we share clearly and from our hearts ..and please please pray the soil gets softer and ready to want Him! Thank you for your beautiful pics that stir my soul to worship:)
April, what a beautiful thing you are doing, planting God’s word.
You, Dawn Camp, bring so much beauty to our lives–and help us see the loveliness that’s already there too. So grateful for you.
Thank you. 🙂
It’s soo easy to get bogged down in the “muck and mire” of life down here. Living in the country I walk around my house and see birds, bees, flowers in bloom and trees.
My hubby and I go hiking some and appreciate all that nature/God has given us!!
Yes there’s beauty in the Cross of Christ and in the nature he has given us to enjoy!
How beautiful to see springtime in the country!
I enjoyed the mention of the dogwood blossom and was never aware of that legend. Just two days ago, I took my family to the park. As I was walking around, taking in the beauty, I picked a beautiful white flower from a tree and tucked it into my pocket, thinking it beautiful but not knowing what it was. Turns out, it was a dogwood blossom!
Jenn, I didn’t know the story until recently, either. 🙂
I am planting my herbs and flowers this week as in Nebraska it is finally starting to warm up. Spring is here! Yeah!
I really should try an herb garden. I have kind of a black thumb—I’m much better at admiring plants than growing them. 🙂
Thank you for your beautiful capturing of God’s presence. Breathtaking! I’m one of ten, so I truly appreciate you! I love that in the busyness of your day, you take time to see God and encourage us. May He continue to bless you with time to catch your breath like this! Please stop by sometime to see my ‘Monarch Page’!
Thank you for this month’s desktop picture. Love it!
I just planted zinnia seeds with my little ones. We had sweet time together preparing the soil, distributing seeds and gently covering them before the rain arrived. I’m sowing truth in them as we work together, growing their sense of value and worth and helping them be stewards of all God’s given us.
Spring is truly a beautiful visual of new life!
I just got a packet of forget-me-nots which were my grandfather’s favorites. It’s been 3 years since he passed away and he always loved flowers. I can’t wait to plant them as a reminder of his love and presence in my life!
I have different plants that remind me of family members, too.
I have never REALLY looked at a Dogwood before; and, I will never look at one the same. Thanks for your beautiful words, Dawn.
You are so welcome. I’ll see them differently now, too.
God has delighted me this spring with sightings of wildflowers, some I don’t even know what they are, and my favorite has been wild daisies and prairie verbena, among so many more.
And of course, being in Texas, the Texas Bluebonnet always delights!
What a beautiful post! God sends us glimmers ( visible signs of His presence)
each and every day. Many times we have to train our eyes to see them. I see them in your lovely post. Thank you.
Oh how I love the earth coming back to life in the spring. I think it is no coincidence our savior was raised from the death in the spring. Thank you for this!
Loved running across a dogwood yesterday…it now has more meaning to me….Thank you…its in the little things we do and say that can change one forever…thankyou.
Wow Dawn… this is beautiful! We don’t have dogwoods around here, unfortunately. What a wonderful meaning behind these pretty little flowers. Thank you so much for sharing that! 🙂
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Dawn,
Thank you so much for the beautiful story about the Dogwood tree! I had never heard it before, even though the Dogwood has always been my favorite tree!!!! We just recently moved to a different climate zone in our state, so when we finally buy a home I’ll have to see if one will grow here. You really brightened up my day, I’ve been home with the flu for 2 days now, just getting strength back to eat Jello! God bless you!
Lisa, I hope you feel better soon and that dogwoods will grow well in your climate!
Twenty nine years ago, on the Thursday before Easter my husband and I were married. I carried a boquet of dogwood.