Her blog exudes her love for God, her family and her home AND she has recently started a brand new linky party entitled…
You can read more about what prompted Richella to start this special linky party and how she hopes it will be a place for us to encourage and support each other by going here. There is something pretty neat about all of us being able to connect on a more personal level and we hope we will see you there on Monday’s for Grace Imparted!
And now, please join us in welcoming Richella to the Fence!
I love flowers.
I am stunned their beautiful blossoms.
I delight in their verdant greenery.
And I absolutely adore their glorious fragrances.
What a gift from God!
One of my favorite of all flowers is the gardenia–gorgeous blossoms, waxy foliage, and heavenly scent rolled into one amazing plant. And I’m blessed to have several gardenia bushes just outside my front door. Such glory, right at my doorstep.
Imagine my dismay, though, when a few weeks ago I discovered that my beloved gardenia bushes were covered in–of all things–mildew.
Look closely. See it?
Ugly, black, disgusting mildew. My precious plants were tarnished. I wondered if I’d have to pull them out. I mourned as I remembered about the joy they once brought me. Now they appeared to be ruined.
But they’re not ruined. They’re not perfectly healthy, but they’re not past hope. Look what greeted me this week:
A single, perfect blossom, radiant and wondrous.
Oh, the mildewed leaves are still there. The plants will need to be treated for fungus and nurtured along so that they can recover. But even against the backdrop of the black and the ugly, my gardenia produced a beautiful flower.
God’s glorious gift shines forth, even in the midst of the ugly.
It’s easy to feel despairing at times, to be daunted by the ugliness in our world.
Some of it we suffer at the hands of others; some of it we make for ourselves. But no situation is too diseased and darkened for God.
He is at work in our lives, no matter how bleak things sometimes seem.
No night is so black that it cannot be broken by the light of his glory and grace.
Arise, shine;
for your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people;
But the Lord will arise over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you.
Isaiah 60:1-2
For it is God who commanded light
to shine out of darkness,
who has shone in our hearts
to give the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
II Corinthians 4:6
I pray that the light shines in your heart this day and every day.
Thank you, Vanessa and Heather, for letting me share with your readers today!
And thank YOU Richella for being such a blessing to everyone who stops by the Fence for
Simply Sundays!
And thank YOU Richella for being such a blessing to everyone who stops by the Fence for
Simply Sundays!
I am inspired each Sunday by what I read. After being so sick all week this really spoke to me. Thank you. I will go check out Richella’s blog.
I love the Gardenia. The flowers give off an beautiful scent. I have several in my yard, and luckily they don’t have the mildew problem. I’m so glad that your’s bloomed for you.
I love the Gardenia. They smell so sweet. Sure wish we could grow them here in UT So wonderful that it bloomed. Just like our Heavenly Father knows that if we hang in there through hard times our lifes will blossom. Have a Blessed Sunday!
Beautiful post. Thanks for sharing. I will check out Richella’s post and her new party
I just love the sweet smell of Gardenia’s…and will hope on over to Richella’s to read about her new party!
Marianne 🙂
Heather and Vanessa, it’s such an honor to be here today! Thank you so much for inviting me to share with your readers.
Just a follow-up. . . I picked that one beautiful gardenia and brought it inside. It’s in a vase, one perfect flower, and its fragrance has filled the room. 🙂
God is so good to shine His light and to bring beauty into our lives, even in the midst of difficulty!
What a lovely and inspiring post by Richella. Love her name by the way!!
It is so true how the Lord is so able to bring great beauty out of some of the worst situations. He is just so so incredible.
Thanks for your post Richella, and what a lovely meme you are starting.
Hope to join you sometime.
Blessings, Nellie
And thanks Vanessa and Heather for introducing us to Richella, that was great, and so good to keep meeting so many sweet believing ladies here in blogland, such a blessing!!
I love reading all these inspiring posts and I love the sweet smell of gradenias!
Happy Sunday!