My Yard Smells Like Poo--And That's A Good Thing

So I recently achieved a big milestone. I have officially been a homeowner for a whole year now! So far it's been pretty fun! I like painting and planting flowers--but I sure have had a LOT of help! Special thanks to mom, Gary, and my sister and the girls in my bible study for all your help!

So when I first bought the cute little house on selma, it had these huge holly bushes out front. No, not the cute kind with red berries at Christmas, but the giant kind with stickery leaves and one-foot circumference trunks. Those bushes had been on this earth longer than I have!

So in July, with the help of Jose, the 6-foot holly bushes made their departure. Then, for the next few months, the front of the house was naked! There was nothing but brick from here to the street. Finally last weekend, house became clothed again, and quite fashionably if I do say so! Adam from extreme exteriors landscaping came over and worked his magic! Not only did he
add new shrubbery, he also brought in new dirt and new fertilizer--to help these little saplings thrive in the Texas heat (hello, it was 102 today. Could someone please tell mother nature that it's fall?). So the direct result of this fertilizer in the flowerbed is that now when I open my front door, I encounter the fresh smell of, yes, warm manure. But, that's a good thing. Because although it's not the most pleasant scent to engulf my nostrils as I walk out the door, I know that it's full of nutrients that will help my landscaping grow.

You know, I think that several things in life are similar to this fertilizer. I don't necessarily like to get up at 6 to exercise. I would much rather be curled up under the covers! But, although abrasive (like the fertilizer) it's making me a healthier person. Same thing with lessons the Lord teaches me. Often times, they're not pleasant. But I know that they have a purpose and that they will help me to become stronger.

So on that note, let's all be thankful for the fertilizer in our lives--and just hope that the stench doesn't last too long.