5550 KTRS Inside Out Show Saturday July 23rd Plant of the Week Bloodflower

Before I get started, I want to say “ouch John” and I hope your listeners find both Debbie and myself equally nice on air guests. I myself enjoy Debbie’s knowledge and her lovely personality. She always seems upbeat and excited about her topic. I appreciate her contribution to the show and I think your listeners agree. I also hope the listeners have not tired of “our “frequent banter which is done in fun always!

I have truly appreciated the many opportunities I have had over the years and through the many different media formats to share the green heart I have been blessed with as a passion.

Now for Plant Talk: As always, “walk abouts” inspire “blog about”.

With this in mind, I feel the urge to “Re”-view a favorite choice that reliably performs in our Midwest heat and humidity, Bloodflower. I even might go so far as to say this annual asclepia has teetered on the edge of being a complete and total show off this year! With both the bicolor red-gold varieties and the solid selections hitting a peak that can surely be considered a star performance and a Plant of Merit!

More banter:

This conversation then led to Jim and my mutual complaint about the problem with using common names. How confusing and discouraging it must be to hear us recommending to a newbie gardeners with limited knowledge and maybe even shaky expectations, to buy a plant that is clearly titled “weed” even in its name!

Jim and I also went on to a more positive note to discuss a few other of the “solution oriented” beautiful members of this amazing genus, including the muted rose flowering swamp milkweed and the fiery sunset orange flowers of the Missouri native prairie resident butterflyweed . I didn’t even have time to sing the praises of the “is that vanilla pudding cooking on the stove” sweetness of my favorite roadside queen, common milkweed!

I would venture to guess there is an asclepia perfect for anybody’s landscape. Recently some exciting variations have been discovered bred for production and are finally available. Best of all, all of these family members are the food source for Monarch Butterflies! .


SIDE NOTE: Lots of Gardeners seem bent on comparing this year to some other year. I suppose we have all had better years, better times, better plants- I savor those memories too and count with you –let’s toast to our loves, our successes and to years gone by!

PS

It does seem I am not alone in the tendency each year to compare our “memories” of the” perfect plant”, the “perfect year” to now. I think we do that with the memories of our loved ones as well. I admit have found it difficult to give balance and perspective to either since the loss of my sister. I mention this just so that if you fear I am exaggerating, about a perfect plant or a perfect sister I encourage you to reflect on your past loves and see if you do the same!

It seems I have a very emotional connection to my gardening history and my loved ones. (Just ask those who were present at my talk last night-how often has a plant talk brought you to tears?)

Although in no way are the loss of plants equal to the loss of my loved ones, I only recently was able to acknowledge the impact of the losses of both on me, how the compression of time occurred in the process and the effects and the blurring that still occurs from looking at life through my tears.

Maybe it is suppose to be this way. Maybe I need to forget how close to sun stroke I got working in Jeff’s garden a million years ago, the nerves I had that made me sick before my very first presentation, the times I cried, the times I was hurt, and the times I did not think I could do one more thing or hardest of all the time I knew there was nothing more I could do.

Now I can almost smile recalling the spring I moved an entire greenhouse of plants back into the greenhouse for what surely was the 5oth time, the time the model train in the Children’s Garden was found sunk to the bottom of the pond, the times I knew I was facing life changing choices and knew I was going to do what was right over what was easy. I didn’t know how sometimes I was going to keep going, I just knew, if God wanted me to, I would and if He didn’t I wouldn’t.

I am choosing to remember a year the dogwoods seemed to bloom for months, the time the honeysuckle flowers were on the arbor so thick I couldn’t see the foliage, when the summer phlox bloomed so long and hard that their fragrance followed me inside. And how could I forget the fall that the butterflies were so many the hepticodium tree became for me, a study in motion.

As my birthday approaches and I am saddened that my baby sister never got to be my age, I am choosing to seek the joy of the past to balance the pains of aging. I know the miracle of life and look to find the perfect balance of memories and lessons learned to help me know I am here, in the present but she and I will always in God’s Hands.

His,

Re

5550 KTRS Inside Out Show Saturday July 9th Plant of the Week The Bald Cypress

I gave Jim a choice this week to feature either a popular ornamental grass or this less familiar but exceptional tree, Taxodium distichum (Baldcypress, Bald Cypress, or Swamp Cypress). I don’t think I mentioned that it is a personal favorite. I grew this tree from a sapling my daughter brought home from school and enjoyed it for many years in my own front yard!

Jim showed his horticulture good taste as well as his horticulture expertise and chose this excellent tree to be the outstanding choice to bring to our listeners this week so the least I could do is get this information posted as soon as possible

Probably most correctly identified by its full botanical name Taxodium distichum var. distichum, this is a stately, beautiful and very tough tree.

Tolerant of heavy compacted clay subsoil, Bald Cypress also shrugs off fluctuating extremes in moisture levels including this year’s “will it ever stop raining” wet spring and the ever likely hot, humid, and sometimes drought laden summers. Native to a wide range of the United States, this tree can handle the typical and not so typical weather patterns of Missouri.

I love the refreshing look of its soft feathery appearance in July as much as I like its stark statuesque form in the snow mid-winter. Its fall color is noteworthy as well. This deciduous evergreen turns a beautiful burnt copper color each fall before its flattened “needles” drop to the ground.

This tree is trouble free as far as diseases and insects are concerned. Its wood is exceptionally strong and decay resistant. Reseeding isn’t a problem, however reproduction is possible from its small woody cones that naturally disintegrate at maturity.

Although “cypress knees” frequently develop in swamp areas, it is generally believed that it is uncommon for them to develop in residential situations.

The straight species is fairly common but recently there are a few new cultivars available with some very interesting and different traits. I have been looking for a location that seem deserving such a worthy tree!

Re…alizing I have options…

His Alone…

Re

Personal note- thank heavens I have come to re…alize my own unworthiness. I humbly pray to know what God wants me to do…every day!

(Luke 17:10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'“)

5550 KTRS Inside Out Show Saturday July 2nd Plant of the Week The Daylily

I have always enjoyed the diversity of form and color as well as the easy care requirements of the plant family Hemerocallis.

The most familiar cultivar is the popular Stella de Oro daylily . No longer in the company of horticulture experts on this genus, my taste in daylily flowers is primarily just simplicity, although I still appreciate the various forms and habits. My personal favorites include ‘Fairytale Pink’, Hemerocallis 'Techny Spider' and Hemerocallis 'Wayside King Royale'

Although the individual flower of most cultivars may last only a day, a few have “extended” blooms which last a few hours longer. They particularly open on the eve of the day in they will be fully open.

I have not been overly impressed with this “preview ability” however it did prolong the time period of “color in the garden”.

I am not especially a fan of “rebloomers’ either. It seems like I sacrificed impact for novelty when I’ve focused on daylilies with this trait.

I confess it has been a while since I was knee deep in daylilies. I cherished and miss the friendships that came with sharing a passion for such forgiving plants. I especially miss my dear, dear friend, neighbor and mentor, Louise Bellagama.

Louise shared her love of God and plants with me with an open and pure heart. We spent weeks together every year for more than ten years, walking her garden and examining/ evaluating each of her seedlings.

Each spring before she started her daily wandering through the rows and rows of plants, she said out loud a prayer of thanksgiving for having another spring.

I will never forget the first time I heard her pray in her garden. She was loud, enthusiastic and so sincere. Her prayer lasted several minutes. As I recall, it lasted long enough for her to peruse through several rows of hosta, long enough for her to caress several of her iris babies pushing blades of fresh green toward the sun and to stoop over, dangerously close to toppling, to examine the many sprinklings of no-name seedlings of daffodils and daylilies.

Her prayer was sort of spontaneous and yet conversational. It came in rather loud spurts with periodic pauses. (She told me later when we discussed our faith and friendship how important she though it was to learn to appreciate every minute as a gift, to wait for answers and know He will always answer in “His time”)

She seemed primarily focused that spring day on thanksgiving, but as I remember, she also included a litany of requests and just a few complaints.

Clearly this had become a comfortable mode of communication for her. She easily transitioned from praise worship to good health requests for family and friends and ended with a short but vigorous bout of complaints about the creation of deer, her current and her anticipated disappointments, she attributed to “those deer”.

After several minutes, I found myself moving closer to hear her voice as it faded in the breeze. As she wandered a fair distance away, I got to where I could only catch a few names and some mumbled words. She finally stopped walking and talking as she reached the far end of the garden, ending at the door of a well used storage shed.

Then rather abruptly, she turned back towards me, as if she just remembered I was there, dried her hands and face on her house coat/ duster/ sweater combo, rallied with a clap of her hands and with an amazing amount of energy, called me to look over the newest additions, introducing me to a roll call of people and plant names, details, tidbits and more as she launched both of us into the new season.

We spent hours that day and for many days each season over the years we shared as” blessed best friends”.


No Regrets….


……Re

5550 KTRS Inside Out Show Saturday June 25th Summer is here!

I am so ready to enjoy summer that I am celebrating a whole family of plants that seem to require and enjoy Missouri’s inconsistent weather. They are the ambassadors and the cheerleaders for our heat and humidity!

Popular in most gardens, these brown-eyed, black-eyed and even green eyed flowers are easy going enough for the “weekend gardener”, showy enough for the “bigger is better” crowd and tough enough to withstand hurt feelings from the “sorry I forgot your name, “ sorry I thought you were a weed”, and the “sorry, now there is too many of you” crowd.

Don’t be afraid to get to know this diverse daisy–like plant family that is so “at home” in our clay soils. Managing this large of a family can be easy, just balance your curiosity with healthy tolerance limits. and when you have hit your max , learn to edit!

Here are some great links, beautiful pictures and hopefully useful comments!

Rudbeckia fulgida - black-eyed SusanRudbeckia fulgida 'Blovi' VIETTE'S LITTLE SUZY - black-eyed SusanRudbeckia fulgida 'City Garden' - black-eyed SusanRudbeckia fulgida 'Early Bird Gold' - black-eyed SusanRudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm' - black-eyed SusanRudbeckia 'Herbstsonne' - coneflowerRudbeckia hirta - black-eyed SusanRudbeckia hirta 'Indian Summer' - black-eyed Susan Plant of Merit Rudbeckia hirta 'Irish Spring' - black-eyed SusanRudbeckia hirta 'Prairie Sun' - black-eyed Susan Plant of Merit Rudbeckia laciniata - cutleaf coneflowerRudbeckia laciniata 'Hortensia' - cutleaf coneflowerRudbeckia maxima - large coneflowerRudbeckia missouriensis - Missouri coneflowerRudbeckia occidentalis 'Black Beauty' - coneflowerRudbeckia subtomentosa - sweet coneflowerRudbeckia subtomentosa 'Henry Eilers' - sweet coneflowerRudbeckia 'Summerblaze' - coneflowerRudbeckia triloba - brown-eyed Susan






In favor of nicknames, large families, every shade of yellow and any daisy-like flowers, also sympathetic to those who also struggle with editing; plants, time, stuff and words!

……Re

5550 KTRS Inside Out Show Saturday June 11th Who’s Who in The Hydrangea Family, What is the Hype and My Gripe?

Well did anyone successfully keep score of the tally of black marks I accumulated this Saturday on air? I lost count after the 4th mark but who is counting?

I thought I would actually gain a few brownie points, (not more black marks) I drove all the way to Rolling Ridge WITH gas prices so high.

I had mistakenly thought there would be a round of applause for honoring an in person request from Jim McMillan. Apparently he thinks I wanted to do a complete, in person, inventory of Rolling Ridge’s wonderful tree, shrub and plant selections. (OK, so He knows me pretty well-but don’t tell him)

I am still having trouble choosing just one plant for my “brag about” segment. It was even worse after I saw how well they were stocked with good looking quality material.

The best I could do in the few hours was to narrow it down to the family of Hydrangeas. It wasn’t till I was on my way out I saw the deserving candidate for me SHOW ME STAR recognition. She stopped me in my tracks, H hydrangea paniculata‘PINK DIAMOND-tree form- WOW- what a great idea!

Some of the best time of the day was chatting with friends Chris Wagner (a great tree and shrub guy), and Lynn, Jim dear sweet daughter who is there-like night and day. I had only a minute to give a quick shout out to Susie, Jim’s wife who apparently has great stamina and patience.

Debbie, John Shea’s talented “how does she do it?” side kick was there too, as was Eon (?), running the board on location. And of course, didn’t I mention Jim and John!

The real disappointment was missing long time green heart, soon to be a mother of the bride, Mary Collier. I left after the first half of the show because my little “Patty cake” felt very warm and looked very flushed. I was worried he was running a fever. I hope my regrets were passed along!

Apparently the only thing he was running was g-pa- in a big huge circle around the lot, thru the store, out the back, down the hill and around again. Pattycake was fine but g-pa was dizzy, more tired than he would admit, apparently overheated and maybe even slightly dehydrated.

It was the perfect excuse to stop for ice cream on the way home!

As far as Hydrangeas go, I am fast to admit, I have my favorites, and they are not the ones with the most "hype". I also am convinced that as a plant family they demonstrate the challenges faced with “pot culture” .

My gripe, it has been my experience that H. Oakleafs frequently look sick in containers, but shopper aren't told that a plant that looks great in a pot is not guarenteed to look as good in the ground. Some do, many don't! Oakleaves get leaf spot and they can look, well almost rangy in almost any size pot. Plant them in the right location, water them adequately and boom, they recover completely. The difference-night and day!

Also, H. arborescence ‘Annabelle’ can look rough next to almost any of the well "hyped "macro- but she blooms in the Midwest-every year, big flowers, with minimal moisture and she is reliable. She also has a very long life span. Year after year of performance!

What about the Pink Annabelles? Well that depends on who you talk to but so far they are not coming across with the "wow" of some of the others that are part of the current rage.

I spoke with my own personal expert/Hydrangea breeder on H. 'Invincible Spirit' and I am convinced the growers are just not able yet to produce a good looking young product. My very reliable source suggests give her a few years in the ground and she will hold her head high, have great blooms and strong stems. Just because she can’t grow in a pot like the macros doesn’t mean she can’t out perform them reliably- she just needs to get settled in before she wins your heart!

H. Pink Diamond stole my heart years ago- in bush form as a hedge- she made me weak in the knees! How sweet it is to see her again- this time in a tree form!

Unlike some other hydrangeas that have been touted as good tree forms and then break and tear in our summer rain awith wind storms, she has shown in shrub form good stem strength in a down pour, relatively good “hold” in rain and some wind tolerance.

Many places she would be good as a small tree are likely to be somewhat protected. This makes her, in my mind a worthy to watch plant for places that need a sturdy, small” tree like” choice for patio viewing, courtyards and other small areas.

Gripe / Draw backs? Only one at this point. I have seen drought stress reduce flower size in many plants and I would assume that even though I have seen this gal in heavy root competition, she was in a well prepared bed. If moisture levels drop at any critical point, flowering size may be compromised.

And because she might get used in a limited space, and possibly even be surrounded partially or completely by hardscape, she may have either an access issue to moisture or a poor drainage situation where over watering could occur. A perched water situation could lead to her demise.

I believe in educating and honoring the stewardship connection between the homeowners and their “piece of heaven”.

I feel comfortable recommending this hydrangea for a "casual care" situation as long as they are made aware of man-made situations to avoid, use sensible watering guidelines and seek professional advice when any plant starts to fall short of their expectations.

Here are a Hydrangea link to check out-and remember local / regional information is best when dealing with questions about performance and hardiness.

Most importantly, get to know your nursery professional.
Ask questions, follow their instructions and know their preferred method of communication before a plant dies- not after!

There is usually a reasonable “check in” procedure that will work for both of you! I have always found dialoguing useful. Frequent reports and feedback is essential for customer / nursery relationships.

Best advice, “be ready”. Plan to always “make room” in your garden for what is coming. You never know what the future brings. Let your smiling face be what is on your nursery person’s mind when premium and promising material like this H. PINK DIAMOND tree form arrives on the lot!

http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=D619

Personal note:

Be ready is also the most perfect biblical advice I can offer. I am so humbled when I realized my advice for communication is exactly the way I start my day.

Just as I recommend “checking in” with your favorite nursery person, I am doing the same and learning how to dialoging with my Heavenly Father, my Creator God. I do know the degree of the process is slightly different but it is even more personal.

I have been blessed to be able to share my passion for plants over the years. It has taught me how to open my heart. Just like you, I have come to know it is ok to ask questions, to ask for direction and instruction. I don’t want to be too late in finding His preferred method of communication either. I also hope I don’t let any issue lay overly long before addressing it and bring it to Him for “re”solving.

My check in procedure is part of my day and it works for both of us. I report in and I ask for feedback- it is most rewarding. Apparently, that is the way all relationships work because they are based on His Perfect Design. I am honored to have been blessed with such wonderful friends and family who have taught me all I know about “relationship essentials”. I am a blessed …

Work In Progress……Re

5550 KTRS Inside Out Show Saturday June 4th Butterfly Weed And Why To Know and Grow Her Family

Perhaps I started off too fast or maybe on a wrong foot during my segment, I am not sure but if it was hard to follow, I am sorry.

It did seem like it maybe threw all of them off center to start out talking about weeds and then before their very ears , I morphed into a spokes person for a family of plants that are commonly considered-at least by the general public, as weeds.

Did it seem like this was new news to them that this plant is the very sustenance for the survival of our largest and most widely recognized butterfly, the Monarch? (Not Viceroy) Oh, I have so failed at my “job” on the show if this is true!

Here are a few links filled with Asclepias details:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias
http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/plant.asp?code=B490
http://www.missouriplants.com/Redalt/Asclepias_tuberosa_page.html
http://mostlytexasnatives.com/whats_new_13.html
http://www.ehow.com/info_8500289_orange-butterfly-weed-asclepias-tuberosa.html
http://www.butterflyencounters.com/?gclid=CIeKx5uMn6kCFSFl7Aodg1hpxw
A great pic of purple milkweed, much harder to find

Follow this last link to see the most beautiful milkweed of all. This is exactly like one I have personally. I support Monarchs by growing an asclepias wherever the opportunity arises. I have one in full bloom right now at my front door-wow!

Thank you Devin of Prairie Farms, Grow Native Wholesale Supplier who gets a kind thought with a smile, each morning when I look out and see this natural beauty.

By the way Devin, you’ve made it to my “crush list” because of this grand way I now start my mornings! Of course, I must always say thank you to my mentor and friend Marvin Wallace who will always hold the top rung on my “crush list”.

Marvin of Missouri Wildflower Nursery, opened my heart to the treasures of Missouri’s natives and the door to many people I cherish as friends for life! Hope all is good for you all these days!

Still pondering:

Where was Jim when I needed him? (Exactly where he should have been –sharing a special time with family celebrating the marriage of his near niece-blessings to all!) I know they mentioned it a few times but still, I am glad he went and yet I still missed him!

And, why was Don so quiet- was he even listening? In all fairness, Don was being well defended for his occasional absences from the microphone. It was actually ok to have what seemed like a stream of “hosts and guests” especially since the show was on location at Schnarr's Hardware , one of my favorite locations to broadcast from!

I feel sure all of them sympathized with Don, who was trying to do both the show and retail sales. Don manages Rolling Ridge Nursery and I confess now I am not sure but I thought I heard another familiar voice at Schnarr’s, -was that Frank Blair- if so, another apology is in order, I failed to say “hi” to my friend too!

Well I am not new at trying to do too much sometimes. I am not sure it is even fair to say that was the case. I just know it is a challenge some days to keep a handle on this rowdy crowd that somehow “brings it” each week on air to so many appreciative 550 KTRS listeners.

I personally confess regularly, it is hard to keep this crowds attention. I have decided to feel flattered over the occasion of surprising “quiet”, the abnormal absence of comment except for Dear John. I assumed it was not the “delay problems” we have on occasion when doing an “on location” broadcast.

I want to think Don felt I was able to manage a “full on” pitch for sensitivity for helpless wildlife. He probably appreciated my plea for awareness of our sometimes destructive mind set toward” weeding without knowledge” and surely he agrees with my call to “feed the hungry” (as long as I don’t include deer, rabbits, moles, voles, ants, beetles, tent and bag worms and whatever else might gripe the weekend gardener/ customer.)

Can’t we at least “support” those critters that have been frequently enlisted as “entertainment” and” educationally desirables”? I truly thank God for them. Yes, they were the very distraction that stole my attention from the classroom as a child, but they also were there when my life changed directions!

Although I know I have been blessed with a significantly longer lifespan than a butterfly, it has also given me more opportunities to pause, and at times come to a full stop to take in the significance of what God makes daily, including butterflies!

I suppose I am a supporter for the Monarch’s Right to Life? I know sometimes Don has to be more neutral or at least more diplomatic than me. It is part of his job to tread softly and not offend his customers. That should be my mission as well.

I need to be gentler in my approach when I am “on air” and “on a mission”. I should take a breath at least, try and let it be a conversation. I do not have nor do I want or need a soap box. Yes, I am burdened with too many thoughts and opinions and sometimes I do forget my intent is to just “open the door” not plow everyone through such a very tiny window. I pray everyone accepts my apology!

What else am I praying for? That is a great question that surely does show how I am struggling hard to prioritize. I use to and still do occasionally pray for "deeper understanding" but I gave up on that because now I know it doesn’t matter if I understand, just as long as He can still use me!

So it seemed perfectly fitting that today I heard the words, “Forgive them, they know not what they do”. I am probably paraphrasing some, as my attention to detail is sometimes faulty but it was part of such a great message to my heart on praying.

What a wonderful reminder for me to be grateful for God’s tender heart that softens toward me despite my life filled with so much of "not knowing”. I am so humbled when I recognizing my own ignorance when I see a butterfly and don’t understand how such an amazing miracle could ever happen, over and over, every day, not to mention the miracle of a baby and how I am fully blessed now to be called by my grand baby"Nana Re...re".

I am filled with such gratefulness and Holy Bliss! Whoever said “ignorance is bliss” was maybe in some way at least partially correct- but now that you KNOW the good reasons to grow milkweed-aren’t you feeling a call to action?

All is well with me.....and my milkweeds…… Nana Re...re

5550 KTRS Inside Out Show Saturday May 28th Echinacea ‘Little Annie’

Another plant receives my “Show Me NOW” Plant (New Offering With promise) recognition during KTRS’s Inside Out Show’s Featured Plant of the Week segment making it the second plant I am planning on keeping a sharp eye on to see if it is worthy of “Show Me Star” status!

The show went well with the pleasant addition of Kim, manager of Sugar Creek Gardens.

Feeling very comfortable about having another green heart on air to banter with, I didn’t feel too foolish in closing the segment asking Kim to do me a favor and put a ‘Little Annie’ aside for me to pick up today. She did agree it appears to be a very worthy perennial for me to trial, so THANKYOU Kim, what a cutie!

Culturally speaking, this E. p. ‘Little Annie’ is touted to be as sustainable as any other purple cone flower. She is described as “easy to grow” and like the rest of her family, good with average soil with average moisture and average drainage.

Most frequently the species is found in the transitional areas between woodlands and open prairie also savannah type communities. This is often a full sun to part shade situation. Cone flowers also seem able to withstand light to moderate root competition-this makes her good for my little friend Florence and her little frount door garden "Re-Do"!

If this growing description fits your landscaping, I think you should have good success with E. p. ‘Little Annie’ too!

Cone flowers as in Echinacea purpurea, is commonly described as an adaptable plant “tolerant” of drought, heat, humidity and poor soil. I consider all of these “normal stresses” that our plants are likely to encounter in an average home landscape so this “tolerance” is desirable as far as I am concerned!

Keep in mind, it takes most perennials at least one full season of monitoring and maintaining moisture establish.

Because ‘Little Annie’ is considered a dwarf selection, it is considerably shorter and more compact than many cone flowers, she will be perfect for small gardens like Florence's doorstep sanctuary garden.

The plant I have currently in my possession is also growing in a in a slightly smaller flower pot than most perennials. Therefore, once she is planted, I will be watching her closer than usual for early signs of drought stress. Water is likely to drain away from her relatively shallow, “petite” size root zone.

I will also be curious to see if she has kept her attractive qualities as far as food source for butterflies and song birds. I am not sure she can maintain this tight of growth habit over a three year period. Several earlier “compact” coneflowers outgrew their height description after only a few seasons. I will let you know!

Here are some great links along with some additional cone flower information:

http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/plant.asp?code=E407
Cone Flower Plant Search MoBot
Proven Winner ‘Little Annie’

On a personal note:

All this talk about ‘Little Annie’ proving her worth makes me think about my own worth. I am humbled that God loves me, knows my heart and is holding my hand these days.

Despite my imperfections, Jesus saved me. I know I will never be “trial worthy” for His Kingdom.

I pray every day that I never forget to be aware of the pretty miserable results to be gained from my own human effort.

I thank God that He reminds me of this daily. He made me, knows my name and hears me when I call. He has put wonderful people in my path to "Re-mind" me as well!

Here is a pretty song that means a lot to both my friend Beth and myself-hope it plays well for you or that you know it too!

In His Hands...Re (MaryAnn)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXsiWoyjw60