In Others’ Words: Planting Seeds

Beth VogtLife 12 Comments

Seeds quote RLStevenson 3.7.14

 

So was it a week where you harvested … or a week where you planted seeds?

I’m curious: What seeds did you plant this week?

 

In Your Words: Would you rather harvest or plant seeds? What seeds did you plant this week? Are you a virtual gardener or a real one — or both?

 

 

Judge the day by the seeds you plant Click to Tweet

Virtual Gardening: What seeds did you plant this week? Click to Tweet

Comments 12

  1. Both. I have a friend who taught students including my 2 sons how to prepare a farmer’s year-round calendar, showing what constructive steps forward could be done in off seasons. The Gezer Calendar found by archaeologists in Israel has exactly that same concept.
    I’m pleased this week to have more writing accepted, another speaking engagement, and am working like blazes on fiction. The prophets Isaiah and Amos both talk about the sowers overtaking the reapers. Hmmm…

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  2. I’d actually modify Stevenson’s quote.

    “Don’t judge each day.”

    Period.

    It’s very easy to be goal-oriented, and to look at the day through a filter of ‘what did I accomplish’; it’s a bit harder to stay process-oriented, thinking ‘how did I work toward my accomplishments?’

    But both really steal the essence of the day, and the heart of our lives is to live, and not to rush to analysis. To accept what we’ve done, knowing that God does indeed dwell within us, and that we’ve spent most of the day with a pretty good heart. Live this. Accept this. What was sowed, was sowed. What was reaped, was reaped. Think instead on the sunshine, and the butterflies that crossed your path.

    Yes, I know that there’s some Greek who said that the unexamined life is not worth living.

    Well, he’s dead, and I ain’t, and this is MY life.

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      1. Love this, Andrew. Really.

        I so often feel at odds with to do lists and quantitative living. I love breathing in the moments knowing that, whether I’m conscious of it or not, seeds are being sown and the best are likely the ones I’m least conscious of…His life just living through mine. Results and harvests? My hope, yes, but not my concern.

  3. Good thoughts, Beth. I do a lot of seed-planting into our sons’ characters. Been doing A LOT of that this week. Or maybe I should call it, “replanting.”

    I planted some story seeds as I did some research for my next book. I’m not sure I did any harvesting this week. πŸ™‚

    I would like to be a real gardener. We’ve even set aside part of the yard to set up a garden, but first we have to fence it off to keep the squirrels and birds out. Sigh. Nothing like planting seeds and having the birds and squirrels get the harvest! πŸ™‚ So, for now, I’m a virtual gardener.

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      The reality is, can we ever really keep the pests out of our gardens, real or virtual?
      Rob and CJ planted daffodils, my favorite flowers, and tulips for me in our front yard. Little did we know that deer love tulips. The daffodils bloom year in, year out. Haven’t seen a single tulip bloom.

  4. Last week was more like throwing seeds in the air, laughing like a whack-job and hoping they landed somewhere. Anywhere.
    This week?
    A farmer’s market in July with dancing fairies and unicorns and Irish dancers and a live band.

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  5. Well, I think harvesting is a lot more fun, frankly, but dude…you gotta plant the seeds first. And I’m in seed-planting time, for sure. πŸ™‚

    I’m not a gardener. Not even close. But I do have like six or seven plants I’ve managed to keep alive for years!! So…that’s something, right? πŸ™‚

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  6. Beth, this week I seem to be in the being watered and cultivated stage. Not so much fun when you’re having to battle the old self while God is trimming that part of you away to fill you with more of Himself. The end result is beautiful. The during-the-process part… not so much. Thankfully, He’s drawn me closer to Him and let me have a really good, encouraging chat with my sister (not to mention all the blog articles I’ve read this week, including yours!)

    What phase are you in right now?

    Blessings,
    Andrea

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