"God's kingdom is like a farmer who planted good seeds in his field. That night, while his hired men were asleep, his enemy sowed thistles(weeds) all through the wheat and slipped away before dawn. When the first green shoots appeared and the grain began to form, the thistles(weeds) showed up, too."
Matthew 13:24-25

A couple of weeks ago I finished weeding several gardens in our yard, I noticed that the gardens had an overabundance of weeds. The plants that were supposed to be growing there were tall ornamental grasses and the green stuff that was taking over looked amazingly similar, like a copycat. To the untrained gardener, nothing would have appeared out of place. But to a Master gardener, there was a big problem. You see, the weeds will multiply and grow, choking the plants originally intended to grow there. Then you are left with nothing but a huge weed patch where only good intentions started.

I have found this to be true in our lives as well. I've got weeds in my heart. I never intended for them to take root and grow there but I haven't focused on pulling up the weeds I knew were there either. It has just been easier to ignore them and hope they would eventually die off or go away. Now it seems like it'll take a forklift to dig up some of the tough stuff entangled among the good in my heart. But unlike me, our Master Gardener knows how to handle the weeds growing inside of us.

With some soaking and a gentle tug here and there, He can pull out from our hearts what does not produce worthwhile stuff and give room for all the good things in us to grow, as He intended. Sometimes we hang onto the weeds in us because we are too afraid to release them. Sometimes we don't even know that we are holding a weed instead of a flower. Dandelions are pretty but they are weeds, after all. Don't be fooled by the copycats!

Sometimes pulling the weeds can hurt but the results are so worth it!

Also Miss Jocelyn has started up a new site for the Feelin' Feminine Challenge! She did a beautiful site for it. Be sure to check it out - guys too because we would love to hear your thoughts on modesty, and tell your friends about it!

-Miss Elizabeth