Ark Valley News - The View from Sunflower Gardens

The View from Sunflower Gardens
By Marilyn Bentley
Last Updated: February 26, 2015

We make choices in everyday life

Choices are with us every day.

Among the dear hearts and gentle people who live here are those who make choices daily for activities.

We like the variety of "things to, do places to go, folks to see."

"The choices one has are limited by our own learning, wealth, health, occupation, and where you live." C. Campbell.

We have an option — if weather and good roads permit to try out shopping in malls near and far. With windy March days and good transportation, we travel near and far to see our families.

Some folks here support our local sports teams with grandkids on a team.

Remember to keep our troops and families in your prayers.

Choices to repay a kindness done for us are necessary. Also, Sunday church service can be an option or a choice.

We choose certain folks to be our friends. "Our relatives are given us — but we can choose our friends." Old maxim.

A chain of kindness links humanity, not just in Kansas. "I vow I shall repay and help another extend that chain to make each man my brother." C. Campbell.

We choose our housing, clothing, hairstyle, our foods — even medicines. We choose our TV shows, books to read, a choice of car and our style.

We choose sweet music and hymns to sing.

Verse of the week (II Corinthians 3:5): "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves. Our sufficiency is of God."

As the year marches on to March, we note the grass and trees are greener. We know it takes a lifetime to make a tree. It takes time to build our American nation into what it could and should be. It's our choice to pray for the U.S.A.

"We need to put new glory into old glory." The Rev. Peter Marshall.

It's our choice to forgive the faults and failures of others and of ourselves.

We are glad for choices made by tree planters in Valley Center. We like the old cottonwoods, oaks, ash, beech, birch, maple and fruit trees. We like the hardy spruce and pine — so green — evergreen.

We like the Bradford pear blooming pearly white in spring.

We like our many redbuds in late March.

All colors we see in trees. It was a choice to choose space for each tree.

We like our coffee chat on Monday. We choose to attend Tuesday Bible study and Wednesday game night. We like our Thursday piano concerts and Friday night sing-alongs. Our choice!

"I always try to do my best and leave to God to do the rest." Old maxim.

"Be kind, anyway." Mother Teresa.