Dear Faith Family,

I was thinking of my grandmother the other morning. Stepping outside, I could feel and see the seasons' change fully underway. The air was crisp, and the buds on our Pistache were beginning to take form. This was her time of year!

Many of you know that Karen's mom, my grandmother, passed away a couple of weeks ago. "Mow," as we all called her, loved when the cold winter days gave ground to the cool spring mornings. She was an exceptional gardener and had a special affection and skill for growing flowers, especially spring blooms.

Nearly every memory I have of Mow includes flowers of some sort, from her expansive floral beds at her and Pop's house to the more modest but ever-present, potted and planted arrangements at her retirement village. Even when she moved in with my parents towards the end, flowers were a constant feature in her room.

Born at the front end of the Great Depression (she would have been 93 this coming Sunday!), Mow experienced quite a few seasons' changes. All along the way, she gardened, spending hours, days, weeks, and even years caring for and learning through her floral blossoms. So, in honor of Spring's soon arrival and Mow's lasting life, I want to share with you some floral wisdom that Mow penned to encourage us through the seasons of life.

Take Time To Smell The Roses
by Velma "Mow" Smith

Take time to smell the roses,
as the thorns of life you fight;
while you are struggling with the thorns,
those blooms may fade from sight.

Take time to touch the petals,
just feel that morning dew!
Those thorny things you’re struggling with;
will wait a while for you.

For the rose has but a season,
it’s here now, then it’s gone.
But the thorns of life you struggle with
seem always to go on.

So just inhale that fragrance,
forget now all the thorns;
Enjoying roses while they’re in bloom,
makes the struggle more easily borne.

Love you, faith family! Praying God's blessing over you this week.