The Story of My Hydrangea Blossoms

I was so excited when we moved into our new home two years ago in Redding and I saw beautiful Hydrangeas blossoming in my backyard - so colorful and vibrant! Why?

In Redding, we have temperatures in the triple digits in summertime and literally every flower wilts beneath the hot dry temperatures and very little plants of any kind bloom.

What happened?

I was so looking forward to the blossoms coming out last summer, but only two crowns blossomed out of hundreds the year before… So, this year, I contacted my expert gardener friends and said, “HELP!”

She said to put acidic powder in the water to help the roots produce and flower - and as you can see in my above photo - they are bloom profusely! Woohoo!

What can cause your garden to blossom this coming year?

Like I found out the problem wasn’t IN the Hydrangea’s ability to blossom and it wasn’t because I hadn’t watered it, but rather I had no idea WHAT IT LACKED in NUTRIENTS - and I didn’t know WHEN TO FEED IT or IF IT WOULD WORK..

I had to wait 6 months of feeding it with the right powder BEFORE I saw my first bloom.

In the same way, God has a unique plan for you to blossom creatively and to see your dreams be fulfilled. But it takes you examining what your root system, believing in what you carry, and trusting community and the Gardener to give you what you need.

Here are some questions to assess what you NEED & HOW to get to Thrive and Produce...

• What if the thing you've been praying for isn't another course/conference, but a community that helps you actually walk it out?

  ​So many of us have received tons of teachings on how to thrive and grow in our identity in Christ, but we lack the community support and vulnerability needed to assess what is missing in our lives and consistently through time - live it. God never intended for us to live our lives trying to figure out how to fulfill our dreams, when we can thrive in a supportive community that values vulnerability and God’s revelation to give us what we lack by ourselves.

• You know God has more for you. The question is: what's keeping you from stepping into it, taking risks, and expecting something GOOD to happen?

  In regards to the blossoms on the Hydrangeas, I knew that the blossoms were possible - I had seen them - but how could I help them produce? On my own, I was stuck. I realize now, that if I hadn’t reached out and asked for help and if I hadn’t followed up intentionally, I would not be smiling in my photo!!! HAHA!

  I now have blossoms in every color, shape, and size! You can have MORE than enough because God wants to give you revelation, community, and resources to finish your race and accomplish the beautiful works that He has designed you to create. He sees the blossoms and now He wants to give you others who can help you grow!

• Imagine where your life could be like in a year from now if you consistently invested in your growth.

  I want to thank you for continuing to read this newsletter because I believe beauty is calling out to you. The story of God’s love which is unfolding in your life can become the most epic revelation of God’s love, which brings God glory. It’s why He made you.

  If you DON’T CREATE what God has called you to create, you will live a waisted life.

  Brené Brown’s central philosophy on this topic is that “unused creativity is not benign; it metastasizes into negative emotions like grief, rage, judgment, sorrow, and shame. Everyone possesses creative capacity, and ignoring this fundamental human need transforms the pent-up energy into resentment and inner turmoil.”

That’s right. We will all live a frustrated life if we do not give ourselves space and freedom to create and live a fulfilled life.

Many of you have a garden within that needs to be tended, seen, and encouraged to grow. Like Brené Brown shared about - God and I don’t want you to bury your talents or sit on them.

Go Look at Other's Gardens...

One of my favorite things to do is to walk with my dog, Kai and to explore all the gardens in all the places where I speak and travel. I love to see the variety, colors, and designs that God has given for our pleasure. I want to invite you to do the same this week - but also in a creative spiritual way.

Take a moment, and look at the children’s books you love, the books that have impacted you, the songs that have moved you in your life, the art that has captivated you, the musicals that you love, or the movies that you watch over and over again. They were created for our enjoyment and for our pleasure. In the same way, someday, imagine that could be your creative work on social media or in someone’s home or heart that you have created because you took this next year to solidify your calling, creative dream, and leadership calling. We are all called to lead and we are called to leave a legacy and I want to help you get there!

It's time for you to create and never doubt what God has placed inside you to create, so that you can bloom profusely like my hydrangeas!

-Theresa