THE ROSE WITHIN....

A certain man planted a rose and watered it faithfully,
and before it blossomed, he examined it.
He saw the bud that would soon blossom and also the thorns.
And he thought, "How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns?"
Saddened by this thought, he neglected to water the rose, and before it was ready to bloom, it died.

So it is with many people. Within every soul there is a rose.
The God-like qualities planted in us at birth
grow amid the thorns of our faults.
Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects.
We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us.
We neglect to water the good within us, and eventually it dies.
We never realize our potential.

Some people do not see the rose within themselves;
someone else must show it to them.
One of the greatest gifts a person can possess
is to be able to reach past the thorns and find the rose within others.
This is the characteristic of love, to look at a person,
and knowing his faults, recognize the nobility in his soul,
and help him realize that he can overcome his faults.
If we show him the rose, he will conquer the thorns.
Then will he blossom, blooming forth thirty, sixty,
a hundred-fold as it is given to him.

Our duty in this world is to help others
by showing them their roses and not their thorns.
Only then can we achieve the love we should feel for each other;
only then can we bloom in our own garden.

~Author Unknown~

MY GARDEN

By C.B.

Deep inside of me there is a garden, full of many seeds. Three very special seeds have names. Those names are Confidence, Calmness and Contentment. I was born with these seeds, but when I was young the garden was not tended to, and the seeds of ugly weeds began to take over Confidence, Calmness, and Contentment.

As I grew older, I thought that the weeds had taken over the garden for good, and that Confidence, Calmness, and Contentment were killed. Gone forever. What I didn’t know was that the little seeds, no matter how many times they were stepped on or neglected, were the strongest seeds in the garden. They were alive, only lying dormant, for many years.

For when I began tending the garden myself by nurturing the seeds with the love and respect that they deserved– small, yet strong, lovely sprouts began to grow. Someday soon they will chase away the weeds and become the most beautiful flowers in my garden.

Eventually, they will drop other seeds into the fertile soil and they too will grow strong with lovely flowers, with names like Hope, Pride, Peace, and Dignity.

Nobody will be able to walk on my garden again. I won’t let them! For I know that every human being has the right to grow a beautiful garden inside of them.

We are all like the flowers and plants that grow in a flower garden. Some of us are the roses, delicate, soft shapely and beautiful beyond words. Some of us are the daisies, cheerful, spontaneous and happy go lucky. Just like the garden with many varieties of flowers and plants, so is the species of humans. There are short ones like the small dianthus lying low to the ground near the front accenting the stately tall Iris with it's long slender leaves and flowing petals. Some gardens even have some cacti with their hurtful pricks.

But we all must agree each and every flower and plant in the garden has its beauty and place. None should be removed because they didn't grow quite right or look quite how we expected. For the variety of a flower garden is what makes it most beautiful.

And so is the same for our friends, family and neighbors,
they might not be the most beautiful flowers in the garden
but each fills a spot and provides the world
with a uniqueness of it's own.

Pat Hedden

He who would have beautiful roses in his garden,
must have beautiful roses in his heart.
He must love them well and always.
He must have not only the glowing admiration,
the enthusiasm, and the passion,
but the tenderness, the thoughtfulness,
the reverence and the watchfulness of LOVE

"A rose that blooms in adversity
surrounded with love, water and admiration is
the biggest and most brilliant bloom of all"...

The Rose

Now let me tell you a story about a rose of red,
this rose was the most beautiful in the flower bed.
This rose would bloom all summer long,
it's stems and leaves were healthy and strong.
That rose bush would have near perfect blooms,
and you could scoop up dried petals with a broom.
Because even in death the petals of red,
would fill the room with the aroma of a whole flower bed.
You know beautiful roses can bring a smile to our face,
and God gave them to us along with His grace.
Even as lovely as the rose may be,
it still has a message for you and me,
It says I may be lovely for you to see,
but learn the message and then take heed.
Don't get to close when you smell my scent,
and don't forget I was Heaven sent.
The story is quite clear,
if you have eyes to see and ears to hear.
We nag and complain for the rain to stop,
so we can go out to play or to shop.
Life was intended to be a rose garden,
before it got thorns and needed a warden.
So even though the rose has a wonderful smell,
it has a very interesting story to tell.
God wants us to know that even through the thorns of life,
He will be there for us to handle the cares and strife.
We can't have the flowers if we don't have the rain,
and we should trust in Jesus the One who bore the pain.
So the next time life seems to much to bear,
remember the Saviour, because He does care.
The thorns or life are meant to mold us a new life,
so we can go to Heaven and have eternal life.
God loves us and watches our every move,
not to condemn but, to help us improve.
Just like the thorns on the rose bush,
we battle the thorns of our life in a rush.
The thorns of the bush can cause us to bleed,
and the thorns of life can too, if we don't heed.
We must listen to God if we want peace in our life,
because God doesn't want us to live our lives in strife.
"THE WILDERNESS AND SOLITARY PLACE SHALL BE GLAD FOR THEM:
AND THE DESERT SHALL REJOICE,AND BLOSSOM AS THE ROSE."
Isaiah 35:1

Elaine Hemmer@aol.com

A Rose

I got a dozen roses,
From a friend the other day;
But I only have 1 left,
For I gave them all away.

I gave one to my sister,
Who to me is very dear,
In hopes that it will bring to her
A little floral cheer.

I took one to a friend
Who's not feeling very well;
The flower or the visit -
Which helped more I could not tell.

One went to a friend
I haven't known for very long.
She struggles, so in some small way
I hope this helps her carry on.

The rest went to the ones
Who've helped me in so many ways;
They have been a cheerful presence
On my very dreary days.

The roses were so pretty
I just could not keep them all,
Except one single bud standing
Beautiful and tall.

My friend gave me the flowers
To help brighten up my day,
But the biggest joy I received
Was in giving them away.

This one is for you.

The Rose

Some say love it is the river
that drowns the tender reed.
Some say love it is the razor
that leaves your soul to bleed.
Some say love it is a hunger
an aching endless need.
I say love it is a flower
and you, it's only seed.

It's the heart afraid of breaking
that never learns to dance.
It's the dream afraid of waking
that never takes a chance.
It's the one who won't be taken
who cannot seem to give,
and the soul afraid of dying
that never learns to live.

When the night has been too lonely
and the road has been too long,
and you think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong,
just remember in the winter
far beneath the bitter snows
lies the seed
that with the sun's love in the spring
becomes the Rose.

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