A few of my male friends have recently poked good natured fun at me about my interest in growing and photographing flowers. I admit that I have to smile with them.

Five years ago I would have told them they were crazy if they said, “You know someday you are going to really enjoy planting a garden and spending prolonged periods of time assessing the beauty of buds and blooms.” That just wasn’t me. At least that wasn’t the old me.

The new me? I have no problem admitting that I find flowers absolutely captivating. I completely enjoy making them the frequent focus of my photoremedy. The more I zoom in, the more I find myself completely in awe of the fascinating details we so often miss. This revelation is a splendid reminder that the same is true with almost everything in our lives – from people and places to our faith and our future

Flowers bring much more than greatly needed color to our world. And, apparently, I’m not the only one who feels that way (see the quotes below).  As the dog days of summer march on, may we all take a moment to better appreciate all that is blooming in our lives.   – Greg

We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls. – Mother Teresa

Earth laughs in flowers. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Flowers are the sweetest things God ever made and forgot to put a soul into. – Henry Ward Beecher

Flowers don’t worry about how the’re going to bloom.  They just open up and turn toward the light and that makes them beautiful.  – Jim Carrey