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"Hello" and "Thank You" for subscribing to our e-newsletter!
As I write this greeting, the world is in turmoil; earthquakes, tsunamis, nuclear meltdowns, floods, civil wars, rebellions, intense human suffering, etc... Romans 8:19-23 and Luke 21:9-13 speak of this and point us toward the redemption that will come...you have to wonder, "Are we in the last days?"
There has been much debate over the centuries of just what the "last days" refers to, so I will give you my interpretation. The "last days" includes the time from Christ ascension until His return again to judge the world...in that respect, we are living in the "last days"; each day we are one day closer to Christ's return. The last, "last days", also referred to as the "end times", however, is commonly interpreted as the time after Christ returns, perhaps including the thousand years of peace, perhaps just the judgment, I am not entirely sure.
With that said, unlike many who are preoccupied with "end times", I take a much simpler approach, and I think it is Biblical. The Bible clearly states in Matthew 24:35-37 that no one knows the day or hour, not even Jesus, therefore, I choose not to concern myself with spending my energy trying to figure out the impossible. Rather, I choose to focus on being prepared for His return, which is also Biblical. In Matthew 24:46, Jesus tells us it will be good for us if we are found faithfully doing His work when He returns. In Matthew 24:14, Jesus clearly states that the end will not come until the gospel has been preached in all the nations...with approximately 8,000 unreached people groups remaining in the world, there is clearly more preaching to be done before our Lord returns to fully establish His Kingdom.
Did you know that over 40% of the world population is considered unreached by the gospel? Worse yet, it is estimated that only 10% of the global evangelical mission force is presently focused on the unreached! Even worse, it has been estimated that over 90% of our mission budgets in North American churches are focused on reaching nations that are already predominantly Christian!!!
Do you long for a world with no suffering, no fear, no turmoil, no tears, no death, no mourning, no pain; a world filled with peace and love and perfection; a world of perfect harmony? Read Isaiah 11:6 and then Revelation 21:1-5. This world is within reach in our lifetime!!!
Right now, there are over 1000 churches for every unreached people group remaining in the world...if we tell them about Jesus, then He will come!!!
As we celebrate spring and the new life that burst forth from the trees and shrubs and fields and lawns, the sweet smelling blooms and flowers that are just a few more weeks away, my prayer for you is that you will experience new life in Christ and your heart will be inclined to share Him with your neighbor across the street as well as your neighbor at the ends of the earth! By this you will be blessed and God will be glorified...that's a win/win!
I look forward to the time of Isaiah chapter 35, may we all work together to see springs of living water burst forth from the desert!!!
With his love,
Mark D. Halla
Steward
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I thought rain gardens would be the perfect topic as the tundra melts away. For the history buffs, they were first constructed in the early 90s by stormwater specialists in Maryland. Soon after, they became a hit throughout the country, with minor tweaks to fit each local climate. You may think they are a complex project like a wetland, but they are no more than a perennial garden planted in a slight depression or swale that collects water from the surrounding landscape so it soaks into the ground instead of going to the storm drain. Over time, the definition has been stretched so people construct them to hold far more water than necessary.
The basic premise is to dig a depression about 12 inches deep and ten feet long by five feet wide. This will be enough space to hold the first inch of water from either the front or back yard of a standard quarter-acre lot. If your lot is bigger, just multiply the square footage by the lot size (a one-acre lot would need a basin 4 times larger or better yet, two basins twice as big in different low points of the yard). The construction of the space is very important for the health of the plants. Just dig it out like a "v" with a one foot wide bottom. If the soil is loaded with clay (like most of the south metro), then dig to about 18 inches and add some compost to the bottom.
Once the space is constructed, almost all the same perennials used in other sunny spots can be incorporated into the basin. There are usually three planting zones based on how long the plant will be inundated with water. The bottom will be the wettest, where water loving plants should be used. Some examples include Viburnum, Red Twigged Dogwood, Joe-Pye Weed, Cardinal Flower, Blue Lobelia, Swamp Milkweed, Monarda, Bottle-Brush Sedge and Fox Sedge. The top of the slope will be much drier, so plant selection can be based on sun quantity just like any other garden. The bottom half of the slopes will be wetter, so a good combination of the water loving plants listed above and other favorites should do just fine. Finally, add a good 4 inch layer of double shredded hard wood mulch and watch to space flourish.
If you have always wanted to add a rain garden, but still feel overwhelmed or want it to be professionally done, just give Cory or Katie a call and we will have it designed and installed in no time. Otherwise, stop by the garden center to get some great native water loving plants for the bottom and other favorites for the surrounding space.
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Grow. Eat. Share. is a community education program located at the Mustard Seed where kids learn how to grow food, eat well and share their knowledge and produce with others. This year, the program will be offering five bonus classes in April and May as part of the summer program to teach kids about starting plants from seed, planting the garden and pre-June gardening activities. To sign up for the program, visit www.groweatshare.com/sign-up.html and click on the community education icon.
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 You may not believe me, but spring is coming. Repeat after me, "it will come soon, it has to!" Some of the first signs will be from cool season grasses, like most varieties used for lawn as well as many ornamental grasses. April is finally the perfect time to feed our spring fever that has been growing wild since January by cutting down the old stalks of any perennials and grasses that were left for winter interest or the birds. If you are new to garden maintenance or have a crazy to do list, we can help! The Mustard Seed offers single time and ongoing maintenance plans to meet your needs. As I discussed last month, we can come out and clean up your plantings, scrub the pond and put down a new layer of mulch in one to two days depending on the quantity of work. Just give us a call and we will have you ready to see everything wake up from hibernation.
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Employee Spotlight:
 Meet Kris!
Family: Parents- Stuart & Linda, Brother- Kody,
Job title: Assistant Manager
Hobbies: Disc golf, chess, photography, music, fishing
Favorite Food: Ribs, Steak, Meat. If I could I would live in a hunter-gatherer society.
Goal this year: Figure women out! If I end up in an asylum, you will know why.
Why I love my job: The environment. Even though I have an office, it's not conventional. I don't have to wear a suit and tie and everyone is more personable.
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