Nature – IAMHIZ.blog

Grafted In

Grafted in. What does that mean?

Thefreedictionary.com defines grafted as this:

To unite (a shoot or bud) with a growing plant by insertion or by placing in close contact. To join (a plant or plants) by such union. To join or unite closely: graft new customs onto old.

I have a weeping cherry tree in my back yard. It is so beautiful. The branches heavy with sweet scented blossoms cascades with “arms” stretched down toward the ground in sweeping pink beauty! A pollinators dream plant.

Did you know that weeping cherry is a grafted tree and how it is grafted? I did not know to the extent what this tree has gone through to became what it is…

It is actually a tree made up of two (or sometimes 3) completely different parts. The weeping (top) part of the tree is ‘grafted’ to the trunk of a standard upright cherry. “Grafting is a horticultural technique used to join parts from two or more plants usually of the same species (or a relative that is compatible) so that they appear to grow as a single plant.” The upper part (or the scion) of one plant grows on the root stock (or root system) of another plant. Weeping cherries are propagated this way to take advantage of the weeping branch shape at the top and the root strength of a cherry variety with hearty root stock. Weeping cherries are most commonly grafted 5 feet above the ground where the trunk of the base tree is sawed off and the weeping branches are attached into intentionally created cracks in the trunk. The cracks are covered with grafting compound. They are all fed from the one “main root” source

To keep the “weeping” habit of the tree, after the graft heals, any branches that grow straight up out of the base need to be trimmed off.

Some grafted weeping cherry trees are called a “reverted” weeping cherry. The upright growth is the host tree of the base growing through the graft of the weeping upper branches. The original tree is trying to revert back to its “usual” habit of growing upright instead of the weeping habit that is desired

Grafted in. What does that mean as a believer in Jesus? For myself and many others, as a Gentile or as a person of non Jewish descent, I could have no part in Salvation through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross…however, similar to the grafting process of the weeping cherry, I have been “grafted” in.

How, you might ask? Because I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, now I am part of God’s ‘chosen” people and His family.

Romans 11:17-20 (ESV) tells us, “But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear.”

God has given us the opportunity to be part of His chosen people. We have ALL the benefits, provision, guidance, and protection as the Israelite’s. This is Not something to brag about, but something to be thankful for. Our strength and life comes from the “Root” source, Jesus Christ. I am humbled to be part of God’s chosen family, to be called His child. How about you? Are you part of this “Root” system?

All you have to do is believe in Jesus and His redemptive work on the cross for your sin. (John 3:16). That is what I did and I am “grafted in” and part of God’s family! I am thankful.

Find me on YouTube.com Tami Bemis Cole

Squirrel Story

To set the stage…7:30 a.m. Starting today, I have the privilege of watching my grand babies, a 17 month old grandson and a 3 month old granddaughter…as our daughter-in-law Colleen went back to work.

It would be this morning, of all the days that have gone before…This morning that it happened. I was just 1 minute from my house. Two squirrels playing and chasing each other, as I was right there upon them…they run from the safety of side of the road to…directly in front of me. Oh course I hit my brakes, but not so much as to upset my precious cargo in the back seat of my car. There was not much else for me to do as they ran under my car.

One of them crossed to safety and I heard that sickening thud of something hitting under my car. I looked in my rear view mirror and sure enough, one was lying in the road. I didn’t know the extent of the damage, so I pulled into my driveway and turned around. Maybe he was okay and maybe he wasn’t still lying in the road. Maybe he got up and ran away, in the span of 2 minutes. My heart was beating so fast as tears streamed down my face, thinking what I had done.

Now if you know me, you know that I am the type of girl that catches hornets, bugs, and spiders that have gotten into houses (and even one time at church) and let’s them go to be free outside. I would never do any harm. Why did these silly squirrels have to run out in front of me?!

I came back upon the scene of the accident and there he (or she) was, lying in the road. I pulled over into a safe spot. Remember, I have my grand babies with me and their safety is my priority.

The least I could do for this squirrel was get him out of the road. You can imagine my surprise and joy when I could see he was moving. But he could still be minutes away from death if he was hurt badly.

By the Grace of God, there was no traffic, so I got out of my car, still standing on the side of the road.

I walked closer and he was moving!

Getting even closer, I look down and this little guy is looking up at me, trying to sit up, turning his head. He most likely bumped his head as he jumped under my car. I had to get him out of the way of more harm in the oncoming traffic.

I just happened to have a clean, heavy blanket on the front seat of my car. I scooped him up into the blanket and held him in my lap as I made the one minute drive back to my house.

I knew I had a dog crate in my garage. I pulled up close to the garage, so I could keep and eye on my grand babies while I checked out the injuries on the squirrel.

Now you may think I am crazy, but just ask my husband, Michael about my nature loving, creature saving, tender heart, and how I save everything! And many of you will understand. I was on my knees, praying and crying for God to save this beautiful creation. I opened the wire cage and gently laid him on the floor of the crate. He was dazed and just looked at me. While he was quiet and recovering, I quickly & carefully checked his head, back and feet for signs of damage. He had some blood on one of his hind leg from a scrap, but otherwise looked okay. Could it be?!

I put a few sunflower seeds in the cage, closed the door and let him be. I brought my grandson & granddaughter in the house and got them settled. When they were napping, I would quickly sneak outside and see how Mr. Squirrel was doing.

Around 11:15, while the little ones were napping. I cautiously looked in on my new friend. He was sitting up , peering at me and probalbly wondering what happened.

I pulled on the cage and he started jumping around. He seemed good to let go. I pulled the cage outside and he continued to jump around. I got him near the woods and opened the door. Out he bolted, ran across our lawn and into a grove of maple trees and headed toward his home.

What an experience! It could have ended in a very different way. I give praise to God that it had a happy ending. I know to some this was “just a squirrel”, but to me, he is a beautiful creation of God’s…if I had been the cause of his death, I would have been heart broken. I am thankful for all that God has created. Life is so precious and can be changed in an instant. Thanks be to God for saving him. I shall not forget this day.

His tail was a little scruffy but otherwise ready to be released!

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Your Love Letter

Have you ever gotten a love letter? When someone took the time to tell you how much you mean to them. Do you remember how excited you were you to read the words from someone who loves you!

I was out walking with a friend today and along the path, I saw this heart shaped rock. I call this a God wink, when He draws my attention to things in nature that make me aware of how much He loves me! He loves you too!

Maybe you know this, or it may come as a surprise…But you and I…we have a love letter that was written to each of us. It is called the Bible, or God’s Word.

Right from the very beginning as recorded in Genesis 1, God talks about all He created, including us. In Genesis 1, after each day of creation, God looks at His work and He says it is good. Look closer on day 6, (Genesis 1:31). After God has created you and I in His own image—He says,“it is very good.” When He created us, He tells us that in His job of creating us—we are very good. Not “kind of okay” or “maybe I should have done this or that”, not “oops.” NO, He says His creation is very good!

His love letter is full of instruction and guidance. This love letter is like no other. It is a written to a daughter or son by your Father. Your Heavenly Father. A perfect Father, with perfect love for us. No human knows the depth of us, only God knows all.

“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works. And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You. When I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You.” Psalm 139:13-18 (NKJV)

Wow, the Creator of the heavens and earth thinks about you and me. His thoughts about us are so many they cannot be counted. We are wonderfully made. We are not an accident or a mistake. We are alive at the precise moment and place that our Creator has willed. You are on earth at exactly the right time, created with the exact features, personality and skill set that He designed. We are His workmanship.

In Ephesians 2:10 of the New Living Translation (NLT), we are called “God’s masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand.”

No accidents, everything we are and even what good works we do is prepared by God beforehand.

“But the very hairs on your head are all numbered.” Matthew 10:30 (NKJV)

Again, I say, WOW! I am in awe of how close He is connected to us.

There are many more things that God longs to tell you if you open your love letter.

I have a favorite anchor verse that I would like to share with you, John 3:16. See how much you are valued.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (NKJV)

In His love letter to you, God tells you what it cost, what He gave to show how important you are, how loved you are, how valued you are.

He gave His Son Jesus to die for us. Sounds like the end of the story…Nope!

On Easter morning…Jesus rises from the dead! Overcoming death, darkness and the grave to set us free!!

During times in your life when you are feeling overwhelmed, overlooked, under appreciated or unloved, or if someone is saying you have no value…open God’s love letter. If you want to have a relationship with the Creator of all, your Father, open your love letter. If you are unfamiliar with the Bible, may I suggest you read in the book of John.

Until next time, May God bless you as you seek Him.

Find me on YouTube at Tami Bemis Cole

Trust the Wind

It took a very windy day, some crows and an eagle to help me to better understand a Truth.

One beautiful chilly morning this past November, I was driving along the highway on my way to pick up my grandson. Something ahead in the sky caught my attention. As I got closer, I saw several crows frantically flapping their wings as gusts of wind sent them in different directions. They seemed disorientated as they struggled to fly.

It was an extremely windy day and my car veered back and forth as the wind howled and pushed against it. I looked further up in the sky and I noticed a much bigger bird higher up from the crows. It was a huge bald eagle. He just seemed to glide along in the direction of the current. No crazy flapping or extra exertion for him at all. I pulled over and was amazed not only at the grace…but also the intelligence of this remarkable creation.

While the crows fought against the wind, struggling to be in control, the eagle flew with the wind, allowing the wind to direct his path. This reminded me of The Holy Spirit, the third person in the Trinity. He is the wind in the life of a believer. He gives God’s direction in our lives.

We can fight Him and become exhausted & discouraged as we do things our way. Or, we can work with Him, following in His leading. We don’t have to struggle. He will show us the Way…we can soar to be all God calls us to be!

Jesus said we would be given a helper, a guide. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:26 ESV

I like to think of the Holy Spirit as a wind that I can trust to follow. He will lead me in the direction toward what God has planned for my life. He will guide you too.

You Are Loved

“In a far-off land the LORD will manifest himself to them. He will say to them, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love. That is why I have continued to be faithful to you.” Jeremiah 31:3 (NET)

A little lopsided but my mind sees a heart 🙂

In my travels near & far over many years, I have often found things in nature shaped like a heart. Each time I am reminded of how much God loves me & you and is always making Himself known to us.

I am also reminded that He does not give up on us. He is faithful to help us when we call out to Him.

Even when I am off in a dozen different directions, scarcely giving Him a thought. He is thinking about me. So I take a minute to focus on His heart. Our amazing God & Creator loves His creation, you and I, made in His Image…and I pause, take a deep breath…the very breath He gives me…and I praise Him! He is worthy to be praised!

Abide in Me

Jesus tells us to abide in Him. Not just a suggestion, but a command.

To bear fruit, we must remain in the Vine

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.” John 15:4

Abide. What does that mean.

The dictionary definitions are—1: to remain in, to stay stable or fixed 2: to continue in something, to persist, to pursue 3: to tarry, to linger

We need to be connected to the vine. As a branch, it cannot get nutrients without being attached. I remember growing cucumbers. We put up a fence for the vine to grow and as it branched out the tiny cucumbers began to grow. Some grew this way and some went that way. I went out a few days later hoping to get some for my salad.

On one side of the fence I found several yummy cucumbers, but on the other side, I saw shriveled up cucumbers, smaller than a few days earlier. There was no fruit, or vegetables in this case. What happened??

Looking closer, I discovered that one of the branches, as it went over the fence, it got caught and broke off from the vine. Without the nutrients and support from the vine, the cucumbers shriveled up and died.

When we are not attached to Jesus, the vine…we too will not bear fruit. We need to stay attached, to tarry in His Presence.

Abide can also mean to tarry. It reminds me of the song, “In the Garden” “I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses
And He walks with me
And He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known”

Oh to tarry in the Presence of Jesus, what a sweet picture.

New Creation

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he (or she) is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)

Are you in a dark place? Feeling overwhelmed? Are you trying to change? Are you trying to do things the way God has called you to do them…and yet no results? You see no difference?

Hold on. Just as the Monarch caterpillar waits patiently within its’ chrysalis to be transformed…so are you being transformed. Being a child of God makes you a new creation. The old ways of the flesh have passed and the ways of the Spirit are emerging.

Don’t get me wrong, it takes time to change. God has a much different time table than we do. Be patient.

The Monarch butterfly cannot see the beautiful changes taking place within the darkness…but we can!

Just like in the picture. The beautiful Monarch butterfly seemingly hidden, cannot see the beauty of it’s wings. It is dark in there. She has to be still & wait. No wriggling & fussing like I sometimes do.

We too, must wait and TRUST our CREATOR & FATHER GOD. We must have FAITH that He knows what He is doing.

Take a closer look, the black outline of the wings are showing! Just a few more days. Breaking forth from the darkness is so close! If the Monarch would quit now, it would miss the new creation it will become. You can be so close to emerging from your dark place too!

As you are transformed by CHRIST, your new creation emerges!

You & I are beautiful, new creations in CHRIST. Maybe in your darkness, you cannot see your changes. I can see the beauty of your wings. Just wait. God has so much more for you!

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Wonderfully Made

One afternoon when I was in Aruba, I met this girl (I think she’s a girl). She was hanging out at the pizza place and when I walked by, she came over to the edge of the deck and watched me closely. I took a couple of pictures and this one makes me think she is saying, “Hey, this is my good side!”

It makes me think of how wonderful God made all things. The creativity in this iguana, all the iridescent colors, the spikes, and the scales. As I was looking at the scales, I noticed several different types on the same iguana!

Doing research I learned that Iguanas have varying types of scales covering different areas of their body, for example, there are some large round scales scattered around the neck area and they overlap. The scales on the top trunk of their body are thicker and more tightly packed than on the belly. The scales have a variety of colors that seem to glow in the sunlight. I noticed a white button sized bump under her neck area. What is that? It is a round scale known as a sub-tympanic shield or helmet scale. Some biologists speculate that it is used as a ‘bluff’ eye to ward off predators. Neat!

God created this iguana with such beauty but also equipped her to survive the Aruba heat. She finds shade under bushes or uses her razor sharp claws to quickly climb in the trees. She is far from defenseless. Part of her defense is her tail. On average over half her length is her tail. She uses it for balancing when climbing, as a wavelike propellant while swimming, and as a formidable whip-like weapon. She is also a master of disguise, using camouflage to hide from predators. So cool!

Wonderfully made and equipped to thrive in her environment. So are you and I.

We are wonderfully made. Our Father God says so.

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.” Psalm 139:14 (ESV)

Created in His Image. God’s Image.

“So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27 (NIV)

I will praise God for all the beauty as I look around this earth He created for us! I am thankful I got to spend some time really looking at the beauty in this girl and she was happy to show me her best side!

They don’t know my voice

Oh, my naughty chickens. Not all of them. Most of them listen to me. Not Black Beauty (BB) a Black Jersey Giant & Pibs (Pain in bum sometimes) a beautiful Ameraucana mix. Strikingly beautiful. They have wandered before. They know me but they don’t listen to my voice.

Paying no attention to my voice, they are oblivious to the danger.

I am the happy owner of 12 chickens, 11 hens and 1 rooster. I have had most of these girls and boy for five years. I feed them, water them, clean there coop, shovel their yard in winter, protect them and talk to them. They know my voice, they will follow me or at least I thought they would.

Three days ago, I let them out of their enclosed yard and let them free range. I try to do that so that they can eat the ticks and other insects that are around. Not everyday, but some days. Around 10 am, I heard the chickens squawking and carrying on…a different sound. I knew something was up. I looked out my front door and a red-tailed hawk with a big wing span glided over head. He or she was looking for a fat, tasty breakfast. “Not today”, I said!

I went back in and grabbed a loaf of bread, hurrying back to their fenced in yard. I called my girls and they came out from under our back deck and followed me…most of them.

Nine hens and my Bantam rooster with Little Red leading the way. She is my favorite hen and has been with me 6 years. I tossed bread crumbs inside the enclosure and they followed Red’s lead and dashed in…all except BB & Pib.

They came out from hiding but meandered across the lawn, oblivious to the danger and started pecking the grass. I called and called and they barely looked up. Now I had another dilemma. I had to close the door to keep the ten in but then these two could not get back in. Sure hawk breakfast.

I closed the door, saved some bread and went to shoo my rebels in. I went around behind them and started moving them towards safety. They got close to the fence, so I opened the door hoping they would join the others. Nope. They ran to the other end of the yard and paid no attention to me. Every time I got close they would scoot around into the bushes.

This went on for some time. No luck. Finally I said, “You are on your own girls. The hawk is looking to eat you and I am trying to protect you. You need to listen to my voice. Follow me. You are my chickens and I need to keep you safe. Why won’t you listen?!”

Just as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I thought of Jesus and His words to us, to me. Listen to My voice. Follow Me. I will save you. You are Mine.

Why didn’t I listen all those times? Maybe it was because I didn’t think I was in danger. I don’t see the big picture. He does.

Just like my girls, disobedient & (seemingly) blissfully unaware of danger; I have tried to forge my own path, my own way. Trouble in the making.

I watched my girls from the window & I did go out a bit later and BB & Pib went into the coop door that I left open. Away from where the ten were. I crept in, closed the door behind me and picked them up. I put them in with their friends, again telling them they need to listen to my voice. To follow me next time. We shall see.

For me, I remember that Jesus is the True Shepherd and we are His sheep. I am His. IAMHIZ

“And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.” John 10:4 NKJV

I am listening Jesus. I will follow You.

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me! My name is Tami and I am so happy you found my blog! This blog is dedicated Jesus Christ and the hope I find in Him. I love nature and each of God’s creations teaches me a life lesson. Just like the beautiful Monarch caterpillar you see me with here (more about this and my trip to Aruba in a future post!), we go through different parts of our “life cycle”. As we journey together, I will share how Jesus has changed me, breathed His Spirit into my life and given me hope when all seemed hopeless. Feel free to come back as often as you like!