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February 2020 – A Blessed Life Part II

A Blessed Life, Part 2

Joshua 1:1-9

God’s Commission to Joshua

After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord. 

¨It came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun (scripture says that the Lord spoke to Moses as a man speaks to another man, so cool. Now it was Joshua’s turn) Moses’ assistant, saying: “Moses My servant is dead. Now, therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.

No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you, do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go (is it not worth being in the scriptures so we too can experience this relationship with the Lord which He defines as prosperity? We limit prosperity to wealth, yet wealth does not buy security, peace, courage, hope, love, or salvation). 

The language in these verses is powerful. God wanted Joshua to know that He, God, IS WITH HIM and promises that as He has been with Moses, He will be with Joshua. Do you believe that this promise was only for Joshua, or do you think it is for all believers that follow Him? I know that it is for all believers, but most of us read it as if it was just for Joshua. Joshua was special, but so are we. I discuss this question in a bit; however, for now, let’s consider what Joshua was going to face. They faced armies so large that they made Israel look like a junior high school flag football team, yet Israel conquered them. The scriptures say that the beast of the field killed more enemy soldiers than were killed by the sword. Another battle God rained down large hail and destroyed them. Another battle the Philistines and the Moabites turned on themselves. When it came to fighting and defending Israel, God was very creative, out of the box kind of stuff. Hopefully, I am not confusing Joshua’s battles with David’s. In either case, all the battles except one, where they disobeyed and were defeated, were miracles. 

Joshua’s assignment was to conquer the land and give each tribe their inheritance. Our role as parents is to do the same for our children. To model a life of faith in such a tangible, transparent way that they see the value of living life with The Lord. And when they have struggles, which they will, they’ve learned not to fear. They have learned by our example that they are not alone, but Christ is alongside them. This is such a critical lesson and the foundation of being a person of confidence. I hate it when faith becomes a religion, regulated to a list of do’s and don’t. Faith is not a religion. It’s a relationship with the true and living God. A way of living life that brings joy, peace, courage, love, and strength, even in times of crisis. 

Towards the end of Joshua’s battling years, most, but not all, the land was conquered. Joshua gave the final responsibility to the leaders of each of the tribes who the land was appointed to. They compromised and did not follow through, and consequently, they intermarried (which was forbidden) and forsook their God for idol worship. It is a good lesson for us. It’s either 110% God, or more compromise is on the horizon. 

As a believer, you must always be growing in your faith. The compromises that exist in all of us should be lessening and lessening as we follow Christ. If six months from now, you do not know The Lord better, something is wrong. You are at an impasse because God is asking you to give up something or do something (maybe forgive?), and that is hindering you from getting closer to Him. We are either not willing or still struggling with it. When life is tough, faith needs to be tougher. The Lord is building fortitude in us. This word means strength in times of adversity. It reminds of the old Rocky Balboa boxing movies. He depicted fortitude. David also, in Psalm 23 saying, “even if I go through the valley of the shadow of death thou art still with me.” David would not have had this confidence had it not been for difficult times, same with us. 

There are times of appointed rest where we take inventory of all God has done, enjoy the view, so to say, but then move onward. To rest beyond the appointed time is to risk temptation and compromise. Samson flirted way too long with Delilah. He should not have even been with her. He was a Jew. She was a Philistine, and he was violating a command of God. It was just a matter of time before he would compromise his relationship with God. Sure enough, he did, and it cost him his sight and strength. He was reduced to a beast of burden grinding out grain for Israel’s enemy. He was made to be ruler and judge over Israel; however, because he could not rule over his passions, he became a slave. How many of us are slaves to secret passions, addictions, or patterns of behavior such as fear, worry, insecurity, lust, be it materialistic or physical. These are all valley events, difficult times, the shadow of death if you would, that we all need to pass through, not set up camp as some of us do. This would be a collision course with failure. I heard a statistic several years ago that the number of divorces in the church was about the same as out of the church. If that is not a failure, I don’t know what is. 

Joshua was God’s soldier. His passion was for his Lord, and His sole honor was to obey The Lord. 

Joshua 5:13-15

And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for our adversaries or us?” (As if to say “answer correctly or die.”) So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord, I have now come.” 

And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?”

Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so. 

Joshua demonstrated robust courage, it didn’t matter the size of his opponent, and to the same degree, he showed humility. He was a real soldier and a great role model for any believer who is serious about their faith. It’s worth noting that when we take steps toward obedience, it is met with blessings. It doesn’t mean that obedience is easy, or that it does not come with opposition and sacrifice, but in God’s Eternal Book, there is not one act of obedience that is not noted. Joshua’s obedience was met with victory, but they still had to fight for it. 

Many believe that this angel was a theophany (appearance of Jesus) by the fact the Commander tells Joshua to take his shoes off. In no other encounter with angels was this said, (e,g. Mary and Martha encountering the angels at the tomb, or the angel announcing the birth of Jesus, or the birth of John the Baptist, etc.) Also, as mentioned, some believe that these verses (promises) are for a particular period and that Joshua was being groomed to do this, and you would be right. However, I’ve come to believe that these promises are for all who would be God’s Joshua. We all have “land” that needs to be conquered, both inside of us and outside of us. We know people (family, friends, co-workers) that need to enter into the promised land of faith, to know Jesus as their Savior; and there are definitely forces that seek to stop us from seeking Jesus and telling others about him. It takes some maturity to be able to see the “war” between good and evil, but if we continue to grow in faith, we will become sensitive to it. 

Romans 7:21-25

“I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

So then, with the mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.”

Therefore since this is true…

Ephesians 6:10-12 The Whole Armor of God

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places ( since the battle is not against flesh and blood but spiritual, the only way to put on the armor is through faith, and faith comes by hearing/ reading God’s Word. There comes a time in a believer’s life that God’s promises become a reality, and what is seen or interpreted as fact is the illusion. 

***A great prayer is, “Lord open my eyes to see the battle, both in me and around me and daily help me to be your soldier.

Now let’s discuss some specific verses.

“Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. “

This is such a great description of faith. In one of the episodes of Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford exits a cave, and before him is a huge drop. He was at the edge of a cliff. He repeatedly recited a Bible verse, and with that took his first step into what seemed to be sure death, but as he stepped in faith, a bridge appeared, and with each step, the bridge continued to grow. It was a great example of the walk of faith. When the Israelites drew battle lines against the inhabitants of the land, this was their promise. They could claim this promise and step into battle or become fearful because of being outnumbered and run, which would have been a sure defeat.

Worthy to note that the armor for the believer is forward-facing, there is no armor for one’s back, running from the battle is sure death. Our Father’s promises are for us today even though the challenges are unknown, he knows them. He is more than able to strengthen us. So it’s our choice, we can walk in confidence or fear. However let me explain the walk of faith, less I mislead you. I still get nervous even though I know all the stories. The challenges of running a business, keeping up with the demand, and keeping work coming in, etc., are plentiful, so I stand on God’s promises. I recite them and they take me through the day. Yet my flesh gets nervous, I feel it in my stomach, and it’s a strange feeling to be trusting and be nervous at the same time. Maybe that will change? 

In ending, I leave you with the verse that has become my breastplate.

Deuteronomy 31:6

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

One of my favorite promises. I have claimed this promise so many times. I can’t even tell you. It’s such a courage and hope builder. Sometimes the situations we find ourselves in are our own doing, not God’s. Yet if at that moment we acknowledge our error and repent, God will take us through the repercussions of our disobedience and use it for our good and for His glory. Only He can do that. And the more time we spend with Him in prayer and The Word, the easier it will be to stay on course. No one trusts a stranger, but a close friend is easy to believe. 

So the truth is laid out for us, and it is a choice we make. To become Jesus’s soldiers or to follow Samson and reap his failure. The result of each is clear, and it’s a choice that has been since the time of man. Choose wisely, for not only does your life depend on it, but the lives of many others are watching.

Father God, 

The lives of many are a weighty concern, for I am human. However, if I just ask You each day to help me be a faithful son or daughter to You and focus on that, everything else will fall into place. You are always my answer, and help others to see that You are their answer as well because of how You manifest Yourself through me. Amen

Move Forward In Grace – Arthur Navarrette
Vida4U.com is the website where all past Vida’s are archived. In addition to the weekly devotionals, the yearly inspirational writings featured in December’s House2Home Magazine are archived under “Faith Talk.”  Please use this site for your benefit and refer your friends to it as well. If they would like the weekly series emailed to them, they can send their requests to Arthur@Vida4U.com.

January 2020 – His Workmanship Part II

Ephesians 3:16-19 

That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in (His) love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height (of His love) — to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

There have always been only two kinds of riches; what can be found here in the world and what the Father offers. At times one has both, yet there are few that can handle the world’s wealth and keep their passion for God. Not impossible by any means, yet sadly it is just not seen. Why, because we tend to value our outward comfort over “the inner man.” Yet it is the state of the inner man that determines our quality of life, not wealth. There are plenty of rich people in the world that are miserable, there’s no shortage of them. The “state of desperation or need,” which wealth so falsely hides, hinders one’s growth. Need/desperation fosters greatly the inner man as he or she presses into God. Taking away desperation or need diminishes one’s hunger for Christ. It’s true what Jeremiah said about the state of man’s heart. 

Jeremiah 17:9.  

“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked;

Who can know it?”

At face value this is a hard verse to agree with, yet as one travels life with Christ one gets to know his or her own heart and finds it true. I’ve prayed for years against the attitude in my heart that when things go well I lessen my grip on the Lord, and when trials come it’s like, “I’m back God, help me now…. please.” This yo-yo effect of our Christianity is pathetic. Whether things are going well or not I am ALWAYS in need of Him. He is LIFE, I represent the carnal man, sin, and death and without Him I am lost and so much of a lesser person.

A simple example. I like my work shirts freshly ironed, so every morning I plug the iron in and while I’m stretching it’s getting hot. I then pick the shirt for the day and iron it. Once done, I unplug it. If I see a missed wrinkle I need to plug it in again, because there is no “life or use” of the iron without it being plugged in. We are at best nice looking irons, but absolutely helpless when it comes to ironing out our own wrinkles; we absolutely need Him. 

Also, and not to toot my own horn, but there are landscapers and there are landscapers. I will get called on an appointment to see a client’s yard. The prior company may have landscaped for a living, but they were not landscapers. There is no design, plant choices are mundane and there absolutely is no invitation to come out to enjoy the yard. 

So then maybe we can “do life,” as those landscapers can “do landscape,” but it is a far cry from what the AUTHOR OF LIFE can do in us and through us. He is the BEST in the business at giving us new hearts, and granting us life.

Now back to our main verse. If one was to step back and really examine this verse it is the quintessential essence of a successful, fulfilling Christian life. Noticed I said “ fulfilling” not happy. Happy reminds me of the man who built his house upon the sand. He was very happy when he was all done, especially seeing his neighbor struggling with building his house on rock. However that changed one day as the rain continued and the river rose until it reached his beloved “happy home” and then things were not so happy. He probably had to eat some humble pie as he hiked up the rock to ask his neighbor for shelter from the storm. Happy is a temporal state, it’s not permanent.

My dad divorced my mom because “he was not happy.” I liken happiness to the emotional opioid we all seek, but we are mistaken. We are really seeking meaning, purpose and fulfillment and we confuse happiness with that. Internally we want to know that what we do matters, that who we are as individuals makes a positive difference. Especially for those closest to us. Those who seek just to fulfill themselves are the most shallow and the most miserable. The more we focus on just ourselves and our issues the more “me” looks messed up. Just look at the Kardashians. Yet interesting enough our issues tend to work themselves out as “we love God and love our neighbor.” Imagine that, that loving God and loving our neighbor, the first two commands that Jesus gave us are the keys to a fulfilling life. We are at our best when we “exercise our will” according to Christ’s words; we become conduits and beneficiaries of God’s Grace which is what we were designed for.

These verses give us the “richness” that our souls need, our daily manna. To be able to have something substantial within that not only benefits us but to give and share that will genuinely strengthen and give hope to others is great. To know that you absolutely have the answer to any problem is a great confidence builder. That with The Lord in one’s life things will work out, not easy because it is through the struggle that the Lord builds His foundation in us, but victory is sure to come. To be able to bring a testimony of hope and promise of God’s deliverance to others, there is no better gift to give to a struggling heart. 

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 

Read more: https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/the-promises-of-god-10-powerful-bible-verses-1/#

Let’s go to our study verse and break it down.

that He would grant you, – First, recognize who is the source. We initially come to Christ because of a crisis. The crisis lessens, things get better and we go back to the business of doing our own thing, the very things we did that got us into the crisis to begin with; manning our own ship, calling our own shots. Proverbs 3 says 

Proverbs 3:5-8

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own

understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.

It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones (this is my absolute favorite verse to go to for all of life). 

Question, do you believe this and do you believe God answers prayers? I do. Trust is pivotal to seeing God work and learning how to pray so that God will answer is critical. My early prayers were focused on me, to make me look good, to make me happy, to have things, to have a great job that paid well etc. Later the prayers changed to “God change me to make You look good and to make You happy with my life, and thank you for providing for my needs.” There was about 8 years of hard trails and struggles between those two prayers but God eventually got His way, and I’m so glad He did. 

according to the riches of His glory, The really cool thing about God is everything He gives ALWAYS comes from His riches in glory. He is never scrapping the bottom or giving from leftovers. He can never be outsourced, outdone, or come up short. His amounts are just right even if they “feel” short. Once we lose our love for the world and understand that all that the world has to offer are idols and false promises of contentment, that it is solely God’s love for you that brings life and lasting peace you will be surprised by how little else you need. Content in Christ there’s not much more we need and there’s much we can put up with when internally we’re sound. 

Our main problem is we live life from the outside. We want the nice things, prestigious job, nice home, because we falsely believe that will make us happy; but when you feel good on the inside because of your relationship to Christ then all those other things matter little. Other than needing the basics in life, our desire becomes sanctification, to grow in Christ. My absolute greatest desire is to be pleasing to Him. No other passion or motive even comes close. It is to my glory and honor (and yours as well) to be His son by Grace (or His daughter). To earnestly seek His will above all else is to live the life of a wealthy man or woman internally. The inner man or woman is full and overflowing, something so foreign to the carnal man that there is no meeting half way, the carnal man/woman must die. 

Luke 6:38

“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Romans 7:18

“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.”

Continuing; 

to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, Why are we so lacking in this? We fall at the least temptations, become trapped in carnal vices and then wonder where is God? God also wonders were have you been? Obviously not drinking from His wells that He freely gives. Strengthen; to be fortified or infused with supernatural strength that’s founded on truth.  The picture that comes to mind is that of a hotel which represents our heart and the Holy Spirit going into each room and removing, self, pride, idols, etc., touching and bringing His life to all parts of the room, making that room holy. Then He goes to the next and the next, as long as we give Him permission. He will not force Himself, though at times I wish He would. This is what the Bible calls sanctification and why is this important? Because without holiness we cannot please God. Sanctification means we are now focused on Him, seeking His will for us. Our attention is no longer on this world or our wants, but on His will and the Life to come. When that happens it’s one of the biggest victories we can have. Amen 

***that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;

Faith is the currency of Heaven, victories are won through faith, Goliath was slayed because of David’s faith in God. Faith is the Heavenly Armor we wear, the power of God against any and all Goliath’s that oppose us. It is the end of fear, insecurity, and the beginning of unstoppable power and victory. It’s the Godly force that brings light to the darkness, fear to every demon and the unarguable answer to every lie. Faith is the key to Heaven riches, the Sword of the Spirit that brings every force to its knees, the key to Heavens riches. To live by faith is to master life itself and to step into to the realm of the Spirit. To bring Heaven to earth, day by day. So help me God, Amen. 

“that you, being rooted and grounded in (His) love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height (of His love).”

As a tree grows, sending it’s roots deep into the earth we to grow in Christ and become strong in the love of our Father. As we “root” into Him via faith and His Word we bare fruits of righteousness. Ultimately….

— to know (experience, engage in, be part of, share) the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (from now unto eternity, forever filled to overflowing in and with His love).”

Father God, 

As we walk this life may Your desire for us become paramount in us, to daily walk in humility and in harmony with your Spirit. We are in weak tents of flesh that challenge us and seek to hinder us in You but it is these very tents like the winds contrary to the eagle that make the eagle to soar upward. Make us masters at subduing our flesh and using these very cross winds to bring You glory because of the unsurpassable blessing of knowing You.

Amen and Amen

Move forward in His Grace – ArthurArthur Navarrette
Vida4U.com is the website where all past Vida’s are archived. In addition to the weekly devotionals, the yearly inspirational writings featured in December’s House2Home Magazine are archived under “Faith Talk.”  Please use this site for your benefit and refer your friends to it as well. If they would like the weekly series emailed to them, they can send their requests to Arthur@Vida4U.com.

January 2020 – His Workmanship

Vida4U “His Workmanship” 

Ephesians 2:8-10

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:14-16

Christ Our Peace

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.

Ephesians 3:16-19

That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

We are now in a New Year (2020) and the well used saying of “Happy New Year” invites hope of change and for some maybe a new beginning. However, and not meaning to pop anyone’s bubble, if nothing has changed what is this hope based on? How or what will cause this change? It will be a new year, but are we bringing the same old luggage into it?  

It would be nice if our hope for a New Year would be based on something solid, not just hope for the sake of hoping; 

The verses above give us this solid type of hope. We just finished our series on “Who I Am,” which is packed full with hope. As we change our identities to what our Lord says we are, (through hearing and reading the Word), we are being transformed into beings of righteousness (we get new luggage). This may sound a little “churchie” but it is exactly the goal of the Holy Spirit within us… To deliver us from our carnal nature and bring Christ nature. As this happens we are becoming beings of righteousness. 

We just had Christmas and there were gifts exchanged. Gifts that were not earned but given in love. Salvation is a gift given in love and not based on our actions. It is so hard for us to understand this. We are so use to earning our way. We have talked about this many times, and it has taken me hearing it many times as a young man for it to finally sink in. It became so freeing when it did. 

Let’s do a test and see how many of us still struggle with Unmerited Grace. Here’s the storyline, I am (you are) planning on having a Bible study at lunch (my normal time) and it’s ten o’clock right now. However I have had a stressful morning so far with one more meeting to go to. In the meeting something’s are said to me and I lose my cool and say things I should not have said. Meeting adjourns and I’m feeling pretty bad for losing my cool, but to make things worse a co-worker that I have been witnessing to walks up to me and says, “I thought you said you were a Christian and you trusted God. I sure didn’t see that in the meeting,” and then walks away, now it’s lunch. I have two choices; I can come to God, or I can stay away. 

If I stay away it’s telling, if I come to Him it’s telling; what would you do? If you stay away you are basically saying you do not feel worthy to go to God, and your right, your not. If you go to Him you go knowing already that you are not worthy, but that’s why He died, to cover our sins (none are worthy). The Worthy for the unworthy and in gratefulness for His unmerited love and grace, we come. Humbled and ashamed yes, but we come because He is our only hope for change. Now pause and think, if this really happened what would you do? 

I find that that people, generally speaking, who had good relationships with their parents are more apt to go to Him than those of us that did not. It’s much easier to accept God’s love when we have been unconditionally loved by our earthly parents. It’s much, much easier to say, “I know I’m not worthy, but His Grace and His Love covers me and I am so ever grateful for it. His Holy Spirit in me is His guarantee that He has bought me AS IS. However His Holy Spirit and His conviction in me is His notice that He is not going to leave me as I came.  

With a demanding, strict, or absent dad we grow up oftentimes feeling that we were never loved. We may not even know we feel this way. Subconsciously or consciously we feel that we had to earn our parents love. Now as adults, we struggle with approaching the Lord. Subconsciously we transfer these same emotions to our Heavenly Father and He is nothing like our earthy parents. We consciously must take control of these thoughts and emotions, or we will live our whole life feeling like an orphaned child (which could not be farther from the truth.)

Typically what happens is when we are doing good it’s easy to believe God loves us, but forget it when life goes south. We get upset or angry, say a few choice words, lose our cool with our child etc., and now we feel unworthy. It is so hard to approach God when we are merit based believers. I know people who for years have struggled with this. Reading God’s Word is a huge struggle for them. Everytime they attempt to read, to approach God, some stressful situation occurs and they lose it. Their thinking is “why would God want me? It’s a terrible treadmill and stronghold that the enemy has on them. 

The bigger question is why does God want any of us? I have been a believer for forty years and still do not have the answer to that question, if the answer has to be based on our merit. The only true and lasting answer is the one He gives us in John 3:16, and we all know it “ For God so loved the world (us) that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever would do good works, pray 10 times a day, and read a chapter a day and of course believe on His Son would not perish but have ever lasting life.” Is that what it says? No, of course not! However based on our actions that’s how we read it. What the scripture really says….,

“ For God so loved us that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever would believe in him would not perish but have everlasting life,” that’s what He says, and Amen to that. Christmas started with Him first. 

The real question is will we humble ourselves before Him and accept His love based on no merit, or effort, or good deeds on our end. We can bring nothing to the table, our good deeds are like dirty rags to an utterly Holy God.  He brings it all, Love, Forgiveness, Righteousness, Eternal Life, Wisdom, Joy, Peace, Grace etc., and seeks to give it to us. Will you receive His Gifts? If you say yes, that is faith,( that is the only thing we bring) and you are now Born Again, welcome to the Eternal Family of God. Praise God!! We are all a bunch of misfits, with broken pieces but we are His misfits and He specializes in misfit repairs. 🙂

Isaiah 64:6

But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind,

Have taken us away ( but not now, we have Jesus!) 

If you know any one who struggles with unworthiness, just love them and pray for them. They are believers, they are just working with more broken tools than the rest of us. Encourage them forward. We don’t need to tell them what they should do, they probably already know. Also keep in mind that they probably feel like something is wrong with them because everybody else they know has no problem reading their Bible or approaching God (the influence of good parents is paramount to raising kids that will seek the Lord). Speak a few words as lead by the Holy Spirit to these individuals, words of encouragement and support, and from time to time have them repeat what you said. Most of the time your kind words won’t sink in (at their core they are unable to believe), or it gets reinterpreted. They may never be completely healed on this side of Heaven, but they will be beautiful on that side. 

What’s not being understood is that we are never “worthy enough” to approach an utterly Holy God on our own merits. This lie of needing to be worthy is such a stronghold. There is no amount of goodness or sacrificial deeds, even dying for our fellow man could ever be equivalent to the Holiness of God or the powerful Redemption offered to us from the Cross. Being able to atone for mankind’s sins and redeem us from ours can only be a God thing. It is so far beyond human measure or means and it is so costly that it must be given as a GIFT, for none of us could receive it otherwise.

Anything else I feel that I must do for my salvation other than faith in Christ is our ignorance. We are completely unaware of the complexity and completion of the Cross. To ever think that I could have God love me, or accept me more after He has given His life for me is simply a deception that needs to be destroyed. My Wealth Is The Cross, it’s gift to me is what makes me a wealthy man, making me a son of the Great King and Savior Eternal. What more could anyone want? 

Through the hassles of the day and life in general we lose sight of this great truth that through the promises and blood of Christ we have Heaven as our hope and future. In the worst and darkness nights I have kept this truth and the hope it brings has never failed to encourage me and given me strength to see my trials to their end. 

The most important part of salvation is that it’s a gift, as stated. His atonement for us covers our past, present and future life. This gift is set, it will not be taken back. Separation anxiety is a fear that occurs when the person paramount in your life keeps going and coming in and out of your life.  That will never happen to one who puts their trust in Jesus. In fact, since the Holy Spirit comes to take up residence inside you, wherever you go He goes and whatever hardships or times of jubilation you experience He’s there. He’s the best parent and friend ever. Get to know Him.

“it is the gift of God (Salvation), not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are HIS handiwork “being” created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Amen.

Father God,

Such a rich Grace You have bestowed on us. Help us to press into You and not be lead astray or fooled by the trinkets of this world or the methodology of this world – the earn and pay system. Let us be children of Grace, in love with You far above anything else. Be with those we love who are not walking with You, save them Father. In Christ name, Amen.Go Forward In His Grace and truly because of Him it can be a Happy New Year – Arthur 
Arthur Navarrette
Vida4U.com is the website where all past Vida’s are archived. In addition to the weekly devotionals, the yearly inspirational writings featured in December’s House2Home Magazine are archived under “Faith Talk.”  Please use this site for your benefit and refer your friends to it as well. If they would like the weekly series emailed to them, they can send their requests to Arthur@Vida4U.com.

August – Time: The Proof of a Successful Design

Welcome to our August issue. Last month’s article featured a video, I hope you took advantage of watching it. It was a treat for me to show you the landscape in “real time.” This month the article will again include a video. It should be a huge treat. Technology brings some cool things to the table. For me to be able to film and share my comments of the landscape as I am shooting the footage is super cool. Pictures are still very necessary to capture a specific angle, but they are limited. They do not show the full scope of the job, and do not give the feeling of being there. The sound of the water in this video makes you want to take your shoes off and relax. I will continue to film our landscapes, especially our mature ones. 

 This landscape was completed fifteen years ago in March of 2005. I am so pleased with how it has matured, and with how my client Diane has maintained it. Maintaining the landscape is important. We can install a beautiful landscape, but if it is not properly maintained, it will not develop well. We help with this by offering quarterly maintenance, as well as email updates that include watering instructions. This helps take the guess work out of proper watering, which is the single most important thing in regards to maintenance. We seek to make caring for your landscape enjoyable and non-stressful. We do the hard stuff such as checking drip irrigation yearly and upsizing the emitters after two or three years of growth. We also apply preemergent for weeds, fertilizer for growth and do pruning as needed. Basically, we service everything we install, from drip irrigation to low voltage lighting and everything in between. These are the ways we seek to help our customers.  

Diane had just retired from AT&T and moved to Sun City when she called us. She wanted her yard to be her oasis. I had a friend help me with the waterfall/pond because that was his specialty. We supplied the labor. I think the waterfall and pond add a very tranquil influence to the yard. Be mindful that there is maintenance with waterfall/ponds as well. Once the water feature was installed, my friend left, and I turned my attention to putting the backyard back together (it got torn up installing the pond). I also started prepping for the landscape.  We used 24” box trees for a more mature look, and upon completing the landscape, we built our first ever mist system under her patio. It was fairly simple because it was much like a drip system. Instead of drip tubing, we used PVC, and instead of emitters, we installed misters. From start to finish the whole job took 5 weeks. 

 This landscape has many faces to it. In the early spring, the Weeping Cherry and Star Magnolia come into bloom. Their white blooms, along with the Azaleas, are beautiful. In the summer, the shade from the Redwoods and Cedar are nice, and the accent that the Atlas Cedar brings definitely emphasizes the Asian/Northern California theme. In the fall, the Acer Sieryu is in fall color. If you google fall color Acer Sieryu, you will see it is one of the most beautiful trees for fall color period. In the winter, we have the Camellias in bloom so regardless of the season, there is always something to appreciate, and coupled with the sound of the water, there is never not a time for one to come out and enjoy the yard. 

We also did Diane’s front yard. We took video of this as well. The front has a beautiful Atlas Cedar, as well as some other specialty plants. The Birch is one of my favorite trees with its beautiful white bark, but it does not like the heat. There is only one variety that I like, which is the Heritage Birch. This variety does not have all the pitfalls of other varieties, but like all Birch, the Spring seed pods make it messy. If you enjoy the Birch as well, just make sure to plant it away from a pool or else the seeds pods will get blown into it, and be an issue for your pool filter. There are two more interesting plants. Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick is to the right of the front door. It is an interesting plant, especially in the winter. Without leaves, its crookedness becomes its charm, and it is more crooked than any other plant (google it). It is an amazing plant! The other plant is Juniper Green Mound which was trained upright. Its normal growth pattern is as a ground cover, so this is an interesting use of a ground cover. The next thing that is most beautiful, especially since it blooms in early spring when it and the Birch have no leaves, is the Tulip Magnolia (Magnolia soul purpurea). With its large purplish blooms, and its size it is simply stunning.

Overall, there is nothing I would have done differently. Everything was planted for a reason and I still agree with my choices. Honestly, after fifteen years of experience, it is nice to know that I gave Diane, as well as  all of my other clients since then, my best shot. My experience with growing plants in the wholesale nursery field prior to landscaping has really paid off. The only changes I have really dealt with as a landscaper are new plant varieties not growing as described. I like to try different plants so I can learn and expand the selection of plants that we can offer our clients. There have been some new varieties that we have had to replace because they did not perform as stated. This was especially true several years ago with a plant named Guara. Guara is a beautiful free-growing plant friendly to butterflies, and it was supposed to  not exceed 18” inches. After six months of being in the ground, it grew 3’ft. by 3’ft. That is a huge difference from 18”! Though I love the gracefulness and butterfly friendly look of Gaura, I did not love its uncontrolled growth. We replaced numerous plants at our cost, which I think is only fair to do. 

Gardeners, we are entering the home stretch for our summer gardens. It is time for another application of fertilizer to keep them producing into mid-September. By then, I like to pull the vegetables and leave the ground fallow for a couple weeks. This gives the microbiology a break before introducing the fall/winter plants in October. For now, watch for tomato worms. I always see them in early August. They can do some serious damage if they go undetected for several days, look for stems with no leaves. Until next time – Good gardening. 

July – Time and Proper Placement

Welcome to July’s article. It has been a crazy several months with all that has been happening. At the time ofthis writing (6/25/2020), we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Businesses are opening, and restaurants can now seat patrons. Some businesses saw an increase in their business during this time, mostly those dealing with home improvement and/or repair.  Landscaping has done well due to people being home and wanting to improve their surroundings, but it’s hard to be happy when it comes at the expense of others. I hope your employment has stayed steady, and you and your family are well. While travelling throughPlacer, Sacramento, and El Dorado County,  I have found that the COVID concern has been minimal. For those of you that have been working from home and have not ventured out more than to the grocery store, I hope this comment brings some much-needed good news. 

For this month, I want to view a yard/landscape we featured 5 years ago in 2015. It was a fun job. Lynda was a great client and is still a good friend. We did her job during the drought. Her front yard prior was all sod. By removing her lawn and installing plants with drip irrigation, we cut her watering needs down to 1/3^rd of what she was using. Though her front yard is sizable with many plants, the water savings is still way under what lawn would be. Lawn nozzles put out approximately 2.62 gallons of water a minute, and she had 60 sprinklers, which would be 157 gallons of water a minute times 10 minutes. This equals 1570 gallons per each watering. Three days of water equals 4710 gallons of water a week! Even if you have 400 drip emitters (which is 200 plants), it only equals 400 gallons of water (gph). When you do the math, drip irrigation is the best way to  go for water conservation. Also, since “green” is a color we are accustomed to having in our yards, we incorporated Kurapia as a lawn alternative. Kurapia does attract bees, so it might not be your solution for green, however it is also wise to not over install lawn. Gone are the days of large lawns and small planters. I hope through my writings I have given you enough reason to reverse that mindset. Install the amount of lawn you need to entertain with or raise kids on, but let’s be creative with the rest of the yard. 

 Lynda’s front yard is the largest residential front yard we have landscaped (last month’s featured landscape is the largest custom front yard landscape we have completed). Because Lynda’s front yard was sizable, one of the obvious goals was low maintenance. The last time it was pruned was this past January, and now six months later it is still looking pretty good with only the Chinese Fringe Flower (purple ones) being  recently pruned. So, it is possible to select plants that require minimal care, but you must know your plants. It is way too complicated to explain what plants I put next to others and why, but I can explain the general placement of plants from the house out to the street. As you have seen in other featured articles, we have completed much steeper yards than this one, and the steeper the yard, the more of what I am about to say is true. We all know that water travels downhill, so my general placement and selection of plants is determined by this factor. The plants at the top are one group; they are the more drought tolerate ones. The ones in the middle have average water needs, and the ones by the street do not mind having damper soil. Most landscapers do not even consider this, or even know to consider this. The slope/grade here is very gentle except for the last five feet. The divide for this yard really occurs at the stream bed.  

 The same principles of plant placement apply to drip irrigation. We will add drip irrigation according to the shade/sun exposure as well as the slope. For example, if the sun exposure is the same throughout the yard, we will have a valve control the lowest 8’ ft. portion – one valve to water the middle and one valve to water the upper section. At times, the yard is not sloped enough or wide enough to have three divisions, so we divide it into two irrigation water zones. Each water zone can use several valves or just one, depending upon the size of the yard. If the yard has a shadier portion, we divide that section and give it a separate valve. For Lynda, the landscape to the left of the driveway receives more shade than the rest of the landscape, so that section was parted out and given its own valve. This type of division, as opposed to just adding one valve per every 30  plants regardless of sun, shade or slope makes the job easier and faster, but it affects the overall health and longevity of the landscape. Because of how we install the irrigation and divide out the plants, our prices tend to be more, however proper watering and plant placement  is everything to the health of the landscape and is directly connected to your enjoyment of the yard. No one likes to look at sick plants, and considering the number of plants we have here, I only saw one that was yellow. 

 Everything with this yard is on the large size. Some of the boulders are 800 to 900 pounds and the dry stream is close to 4’ wide. The boulders had to be placed with a forklift. Underneath the stream bed we added a perforated drain line or leach line. Before the drain line enters the stream bed, the drain lines are solid (non- leach) and they are connected to the downspouts of the house. During the installation of this yard, we were in the drought. We did many such stream beds with perforated drains underneath them. It is important to remember that our largest “water footprint” for capturing water is our roofs. We capture and discharge more water from our roofs than any other aspect of a residential home.  Our goal in doing this therefore, was to keep the water on the property, deep watering the trees and shrubs and hopefully recharging our ground water. During this time, we had much support from our clients, but now not so much. It cost a bit more, but I believe it is worth doing. We can go into a dry cycle at any time, but I must respect my clients wishes if they choose not to. Finally, because of the size of this yard I have included a video – enjoy. 

Gardeners – we are well into the summer growing season. Pay attention to your watering. No one likes watery tasting tomatoes. Let the soil dry out a bit,  and then water. On hot days, the sun can scorch the tomatoes, as well as bell peppers, some chiles and other vegetables, so be prepared to cover them. Until next time, good gardening.

Arthur

June – The Beauty of a Maturing Landscape

                                                            The Beauty of a Maturing Landscape

Welcome to the June edition. I hope everyone is doing well, given the situation we have all been in. For those of us that have been able to work, working from home has definitely been different. Some of my clients love it, and some cannot wait to get back to the office. It can be challenging when you add school for your children on top of it. It is May 26^th, and we are just beginning to open up, and none too soon. We at Executive Care have continued to work. Working outside does have its benefits, until of course you have 102-degree days, but with life you take the good with the not so good. 

 We have featured this entrance landscape in previous issues at different stages of growth, and this is now the sixth year. I love to show mature yards so that people can get the vision of what their yard may look like in the future. Obviously, landscapes vary from one another, but the same materials are generally used, just in different combinations and spaces. However, one can still appreciate the beauty of a maturing landscape and look forward to how theirs will mature. Since the time that the Olive trees have been planted, they have grown quite well. Coincidentally, each picture features two years of growth. The pictures show the different stages of landscape, from bare ground, building the columns and walls, and planting. These tasks span over a period of two years, four years, and finally six years. The sixth year is the main picture. To be able to appreciate a mature landscape is not hard, but to envision a mature landscape prior to its conception can only be done from experience. Last month we featured the Thomas’ landscape with block walls being used to accent and lessen the slope. I was pleased with how it turned out. However, I realized that I have a hard time seeing it as it is currently. I showed the pictures to my wife expecting her to really like it, and her comment was, “that’s a lot of bark.” Most people I imagine would say the same thing, however it was a reality check for me. Without realizing it, I tend to see the landscapes three years down the road and that is the vision I maintain while I am landscaping.  This is a good thing, and it has taken me many years to be able to do that, but I too must see it as anyone else would see it. To be able to conceptualize it years down the road, I rely on my years of growing plants. Simply being a landscaper does not give you that ability or knowledge. It takes years of growing many different plants to teach you that. I am most grateful to have had that experience. As I always say, someone was looking out over my life.  

Imagine leaving for work or coming home from a stressful day and being able to drive through the beauty of this entrance. If it were me, I would walk it early morning and prior to sunset. The night lights are gorgeous as well. I will need to take night shots for year eight. Diane says she enjoys the landscape the most when she wakes up. It is the first thing she sees out her bedroom window, and it puts a smile on her face. It is comforting and beautiful with all the colors and blooms. This can be enough to cheer you up at the end of a hard day. I will let the pictures do the talking from here. 

Gardeners, you should have your summer gardens started by now. If not, buy 4” size vegetables because you need to make up for lost time. 

Good Gardening, Arthur

May 2020 – A Retreat In Time of Need

Welcome to our May edition. What a difference a month can make! COVID-19 dominates the news, regardless of which news station you listen to. There are the contrary views that you have to go online to hear, and their point of views also make sense so in the end, what is really happening? I am not sure, but I believe there is truth in both camps and the best we can do is to do our part understanding that “this too shall pass.” Optimism always wins over depression and hope always wins over fear. Both fear and depression can kill you even before COVID-19 gets to us, if it does. Working from home, with a less than desirable yard makes it tough too. If we must stay home, having a nice yard to enjoy, and a place to escape to really helps. I see in many of us an appreciation of beauty, whether it be a nicely landscaped yard, a walk along the seashore, a hike in the mountains or a bike ride on many of our local bike trails. Nature has a way of easing the pain and bringing us hope and encouragement. It happens to our team when we complete a job, and to our client, which for us is the most rewarding part of what we do. When we see that smile, joy and excitement expressed by our clients, it gives us joy. It is a blessing to be able to give our clients their own retreat and I believe it is a testimony to how we have been hard wired by our Creator to appreciate and need beauty and sanctuary in our lives. Something about it completes us. 

I love showing the progression of jobs as they mature, it helps you to see what I see. Upon completing a job, I already see the job three to four years down the road. I wish I could show our clients this, but that is definitely beyond my ability. The best I can do is describe the growth, flower times, and fall color. It’s not the same as seeing it matured though. Thomas’ job was a real pleasure to do, and he was a pleasure to work with. The only thing he lacks is a wife. For any of you single ladies, he’s a good, hardworking man that was completely out of his league when it came to landscaping. I am so used to putting a backyard to- gether with a female counterpart, that it was strange not having someone to bounce my ideas off. Thomas could not see it, and his answer to whatever I said was yes. I greatly appreciated his trust in me, but at the same time this is not my backyard. I work for my client and want to be sure that their taste and needs are being met. I did not have that with Thomas. However, in the end, he was thrilled with the job which was a great relief to me. Spending people’s money is stressful enough, and not being sure that the end product will be what they like is a bit nerve racking. 

The job, as you can see in the before picture was not much to look at. It was not a retreat to go to, nor a sanctuary that you could enjoy your morning coffee. There was nothing about the landscape that invited you outside. There were only two things that were favorable: the pool and the Redwoods. Both the pool and Redwoods were far enough away that they really could not be appreciated from the home. You would have to be closer to the pool to appreciate that area. Our task, like all jobs is to take the existing strengths of the landscape and build on them. We also take the weaknesses and use them to our advantage. The greatest weakness of the yard was the slope. It was most un- pleasant in its prior form (worse than what can been seen in the before picture), however I learned long ago that an ugly slope is a gift if you know how to use it.  A well landscaped slope allows you to see all its parts, there is nothing hidden or blocked. Also, it allows you to build retaining walls, and add topsoil blend. This lessens the steepness of the slope, but also makes it a great place for plants to thrive. Thomas’ job is only 3 months old, it was completed in February, so growth is just beginning. How- ever, next year at this time it is going to look completely differ- ent with the plants developing in accordance to their growth pattern. Right now, they are all basically the same size, and the Crape Myrtle trees are still deciduous and hard to see. 

There are many ways to build a block wall. Many landscapers prefer the cultured stone or a stone veneer look, which I love just as much. However stackable block walls are also attractive and there are several styles to choose from. If the client would be just as happy with one of the stackable block walls, that would be a savings in cost of about 30% to 40%. It takes less labor to build a stackable block wall, and the material cost is about half of the cultured stone or stone veneer walls. I’ve seen some beautiful walls of this nature with some very unattractive landscapes behind them, and there was no invitation to come out and enjoy (no one comes out to see walls). Alternatively, you have seen many of our landscapes using the stackable blocks, and the invitation to come out and enjoy is loud and clear, es- pecially after the landscapes have matured a bit. However, there are those clients that want the cultured stone or stone veneer look, and they understand the price tag associated with it. I am so grateful that they select us to do their work because I know it’s going to be elegant. 

If you are working from home, I would encourage you to con- sider getting your yard landscaped. Of course, I would like you to select us, however it is more important to just get your yard landscaped and bring joy into your personal space. Who- ever you go with, make sure and check out their website and references. On our website you can find all our articles (un- der publications) as well as pictures of past jobs. Under client comments are many comments from our clients, all of which are very gracious and kind. Finally, the page after this article is another article by me dedicated to gardening. As you are all aware, the grocery stores have been depleted of products, and I am not talking just about toilet paper, but food. It shows me that in times of need, our food supply chain cannot keep up with the demand. So, I am wanting to discuss home gardens. Finally, in PDF format is a personal article that I wrote entitled “In Times of Uncertainty”. 

My goal is to bring encouragement and hope – God Bless, Arthur 

April – Being Creative Part 3

Welcome to our April edition. We are featuring another client this month because Benjamin and Kathleen’s job that we featured last month has not changed much. They live in northern Auburn, which is just a tad cooler than it is here. Therefore, the yard currently does not look much different than February’s photos. We will circle back around and feature this job in April’s edition, so please hold on to February’s article for comparison. For this month I want to feature Ed and Melissa’s front yard landscape. We completed it in September 2017, and it was part of a series of articles named “Being Creative” that we ran in the fall of 2017. It has about a year of growth, if you discount the two winter seasons. 

I enjoy keeping up on the yards we do when I am in the area working. I like to see how they are coming along because each landscape to me is like a painting – unique and special and completed for specific clients. I like the before picture that shows the lawn, and the main picture that is almost identical in angle. My favorite is the second picture with a view from the house to the street because of the combinations of features it shows. Though the landscape is just barely coming out of winter, it maintains its charm and curb appeal, which is a true test of a good landscape. It was a fun job. The only time Melissa would come out is when I would bring her out. Some clients are very hands on and come out often, and others feel as though they would be in the way, which is how Melissa felt. I told her that we are working for her, and that she was the boss, and if she didn’t come out, I was going to bring her out. Part of her reason for not coming out was explained to me in our first meeting. They told me they really didn’t have a clue about landscaping or what they wanted. They only knew that they didn’t want lawn and wanted it to be low maintenance. They wanted a pathway from the sidewalk to the front door, and some color. 

Most of these requests, except for the pathway, we incorporate into all our designs as it is Not wanting to give up, I felt that maybe if I took Melissa to Green Acres with me to view the plants, she might come up with a more personalized request. However, her reply was that she was so out of her realm, she was afraid she’d be a hindrance to me. She felt more comfortable just having me do it. She had been reading my articles and was confident that the job would go much better if she just let me complete the vision I had for the yard. Because of this, I spent a little extra time asking her questions until I felt I knew her well enough that I could accurately represent her. Her husband Ed’s only concern was for low maintenance. Even though people may not have a clue as to what they want, their personalities clue me in to the type of landscape they would enjoy. Also, touring clients around Green Acres and learning their preference in plants, and asking specific questions outlines their personalities for me. This then allows me to accurately represent them. 

In starting this job, the first thing was to remove the lawn. We then began checking the irrigation and converting it to drip irrigation, and typically we add an additional valve for more water pressure. Most drip irrigation systems are stretched, covering too many plants. As a result, the plants suffer as they mature having insufficient water pressure. This one change alone makes a huge difference in the fruition of the plants. Following this, we check drainage and then begin our normal procedure of amending the soil by tilling in a special blend that I have made just for Executive Care. (A side note: because we do this upfront prep work, we are often higher in cost than other landscapers. It takes a couple extra days, but we are adding longevity and enjoyment to the landscape by creating a healthy soil environment for the plants to flourish in). 

You will notice that we used mocha lava rock as opposed to mocha brown bark. It’s somewhat hard to notice the full size of the trees at first glance since they are still deciduous, however it is because of the leaf fall of both their trees and the neighbors that we decided to use the lava rock. Initially when a landscape is first completed the lava rock makes the landscape look somewhat “desert – tee.” However, after the plants mature, it looks sharp. It has a neat and clean appearance and is very easy to blow clean (low maintenance). Because lava rock is porous, it is cooler than other rock mulches. It is the only rock mulch we use because of this.

I went on an appointment about a year ago where the landscape was going on three years. I thought the cost was considerable for what was done. It was a corner lot with 80 percent of it being in lawn, which is the easiest and least expensive part of any landscape. More lawn equals a lower bid, another “trick of the trade.” Unfortunately, it was installed in our drought years, and the City of Roseville began sending notices of excessive water usage, and an increased rate for continued water use. Instead of paying more for the water, they let all the landscape die, except for a few trees and plants that they hand-watered. The client was super frustrated, and I was mad. They were much like Ed and Melissa — not knowledgeable regarding landscaping, and they were taken advantage of. Make sure and do your homework in selecting a landscaper. It is much better to wait, than to pay double because the first job was done incorrectly. 

Gardeners – our winter gardens now need to be added to the compost pile. Garden beds should be well fertilized with an organic fertilizer lightly tilled under and allowed to sit for a couple weeks prior to the next planting. 

Until next time, Good Gardening. 

May – Retreat in a time of need

Welcome to our May edition. What a difference a month can make! COVID-19 dominates the news, regardless of which news station you listen to. There are the contrary views that you have to go online to hear, and their point of views also make sense so in the end, what is really happening? I am not sure, but I believe there is truth in both camps and the best we can do is to do our part understanding that “this too shall pass.” Optimism always wins over depression and hope always wins over fear. Both fear and depression can kill you even before COVID-19 gets to us, if it does. Working from home, with a less than desirable yard makes it tough too. If we must stay home, having a nice yard to enjoy, and a place to escape to really helps. I see in many of us an appreciation of beauty, whether it be a nicely landscaped yard, a walk along the seashore, a hike in the mountains or a bike ride on many of our local bike trails. Nature has a way of easing the pain and bringing us hope and encouragement. It happens to our team when we complete a job, and to our client, which for us is the most rewarding part of what we do. When we see that smile, joy and excitement expressed by our clients, it gives us joy. It is a blessing to be able to give our clients their own retreat and I believe it is a testimony to how we have been hard wired by our Creator to appreciate and need beauty and sanctuary in our lives. Something about it completes us. 

I love showing the progression of jobs as they mature, it helps you to see what I see. Upon completing a job, I already see the job three to four years down the road. I wish I could show our clients this, but that is definitely beyond my ability. The best I can do is describe the growth, flower times, and fall color. It’s not the same as seeing it matured though. Thomas’ job was a real pleasure to do, and he was a pleasure to work with. The only thing he lacks is a wife. For any of you single ladies, he’s a good, hardworking man that was completely out of his league when it came to landscaping. I am so used to putting a backyard together with a female counterpart, that it was strange not having someone to bounce my ideas off. Thomas could not see it, and his answer to whatever I said was yes. I greatly appreciated his trust in me, but at the same time this is not my backyard. I work for my client and want to be sure that their taste and needs are being met. I did not have that with Thomas. However, in the end, he was thrilled with the job which was a great relief to me. Spending people’s money is stressful enough, and not being sure that the end product will be what they like is a bit nerve racking. 

The job, as you can see in the before picture was not much to look at. It was not a retreat to go to, nor a sanctuary that you could enjoy your morning coffee. There was nothing about the landscape that invited you outside. There were only two things that were favorable: the pool and the Redwoods. Both the pool and Redwoods were far enough away that they really could not be appreciated from the home. You would have to be closer to the pool to appreciate that area. Our task, like all jobs is to take the existing strengths of the landscape and build on them. We also take the weaknesses and use them to our advantage. The greatest weakness of the yard was the slope. It was most un- pleasant in its prior form (worse than what can been seen in the before picture), however I learned long ago that an ugly slope is a gift if you know how to use it. A well landscaped slope allows you to see all its parts, there is nothing hidden or blocked. Also, it allows you to build retaining walls, and add topsoil blend. This lessens the steepness of the slope, but also makes it a great place for plants to thrive. Thomas’ job is only 3 months old, it was completed in February, so growth is just beginning. How- ever, next year at this time it is going to look completely different with the plants developing in accordance to their growth pattern. Right now, they are all basically the same size, and the Crape Myrtle trees are still deciduous and hard to see. 

There are many ways to build a block wall. Many landscapers prefer the cultured stone or a stone veneer look, which I love just as much. However stackable block walls are also attractive and there are several styles to choose from. If the client would be just as happy with one of the stackable block walls, that would be a savings in cost of about 30% to 40%. It takes less labor to build a stackable block wall, and the material cost is about half of the cultured stone or stone veneer walls. I’ve seen some beautiful walls of this nature with some very unattractive landscapes behind them, and there was no invitation to come out and enjoy (no one comes out to see walls). Alternatively, you have seen many of our landscapes using the stackable blocks, and the invitation to come out and enjoy is loud and clear, especially after the landscapes have matured a bit. However, there are those clients that want the cultured stone or stone veneer look, and they understand the price tag associated with it. I am so grateful that they select us to do their work because I know it’s going to be elegant. 

If you are working from home, I would encourage you to con- sider getting your yard landscaped. Of course, I would like you to select us, however it is more important to just get your yard landscaped and bring joy into your personal space. Who- ever you go with, make sure and check out their website and references. On our website you can find all our articles (under publications) as well as pictures of past jobs. Under client comments are many comments from our clients, all of which are very gracious and kind. Finally, the page after this article is another article by me dedicated to gardening. As you are all aware, the grocery stores have been depleted of products, and I am not talking just about toilet paper, but food. It shows me that in times of need, our food supply chain cannot keep up with the demand. So, I am wanting to discuss home gardens. Finally, in PDF format is a personal article that I wrote entitled “In Times of Uncertainty”. My goal is to bring encouragement and hope 

– God Bless, Arthur 

June – Making Hills Count III

For this month, we are reshowing a landscape we featured in March. The landscape is in Auburn. At that time the trees were still deciduous. The job itself, however, was completed last October/November so when we showed it in March there had been virtually no growth. The pictures we featured just showed a lot of bark, wall, pavers, lawn and tiny plants. Now the trees have leafed out, giving more life to the land- scape. Next year, it will be a very nice landscape to feature again, however I wanted to complete the hardscape portion of this land- scape before we completely forget about what we covered in March. In the first article, I discussed the pavers and the wall (our articles are posted under publications on our website). The goal was to extend the driveway so that Ben and Kathleen could pull out and drive forward. Prior, they had to back up the hill to exit their driveway. To accomplish this change, we needed to cut the hill back, build the wall, and then fill in the newly acquired space with pavers. Both block and pavers were in the San Remo color style. This was the discussion in March, only in greater detail. 

As the men were completing this, the next step was to divide up the space. As you can see, prior to the change, it was just lawn, which they still wanted, however much less. How much less was up to me, however I did want Kathleen’s input. We wanted more interest and curb appeal, as a well as a sitting area. 

Equally as important was access to the front door. Considering these needs, I allocated the space that would fulfill these needs. I do a lot of design work using upside down paint where I literally paint out the design on the ground. This way I can see the actual “fit.” Like pieces to a puzzle, it is important to see the space allocations as a whole, including the existing trees, house, driveway etc., which are all part of the overall view. I prefer this method over paper, though I can appreciate those of us that need paper. I find even these clients can more easily relate to “earth designs,” once I get them to trust me. 

Everything that makes up a landscape plays an important role in making that landscape unique and beautiful, however with this landscape the steps were a greater asset. They were cut stone as opposed to cement, so their addition was very custom. We ordered them via a local supplier, and they in turn ordered them through a company in Idaho. This company had them in stock, but they had 24” wide as opposed to 12”s wide. Getting new ones mined and then cut to 12” would take 2 to 3 months. The only option was to get the current inventory cut, which meant the supplier had to ship them to Utah to be cut and then back to Idaho to be shipped to our local supplier. Though it was a hassle, it was less trouble than having them mined. I had to take an educated guess of how many steps we would need by determining the route I believed we would go. I did fairly well, we only had three left over. 

Prior to the steps arriving, we formed the walkway by grading and adding road base. The job became more complicated when we decided to switch from flagstone to pavers in between the steps. Flagstone, being larger pieces are easier to work with and are faster to install. Pavers are great but require more time. We started the walkway at the base of the hill, and as the hill climbed upward, we would add two steps and then continue with the pavers until the elevation changed again, and then add a couple more steps, etc. At one point, we needed to add four steps to get to a more level area so we could continue with the pavers. This created an irregularity of distance between the steps. I desired four paces and then two steps, four paces and then two steps. I felt that would make for easier walking but wishes and reality don’t always agree. Also, when working with pavers in a con- fined three-foot wide space, as opposed to a patio that is much wider, a lot of cutting is involved. Pavers just don’t fit neat and tidy into a narrow area. It’s a work of love, with a lot of exact measuring. 

The walk way and steps were complete, and turned out super cool. Our next challenge was the plants. In designing softscape for a slope, the angle of the slope is a big deal. If it’s particularly steep, you want to use more “creepy crawlers” as I call them. Creepy Crawlers are plants that spread out and root. They help with soil erosion, however this slope was more “lazy,” so in land- scaping it I wanted to create key focal area. In between these areas, I wanted it colorful but more relaxed before the next fo- cal area. You will notice that around the trees the landscape is a little tighter, and in between the trees the plants are a little farther apart. Right now, with the plants being young and not as yet developing their unique growing patterns, it is difficult to distinguish this pattern. It’s still a lot of bark, but in three years it will be just perfect. Viewing landscapes on hills is not the same as viewing landscapes on level ground. Depending on the steepness of the hill, the landscape can appear condensed, which makes the plants look “stacked,” though the spacing does not vary from level ground spacing. We do a lot of slopes, and by the end of the season my men and I have the best-looking legs ever. 

The last point that I cover in every hill article is the irrigation. It must be overdone. If two valves can water the hill, we add a third. We want to make sure that the water pressure is more than sufficient, and we never push water uphill. In designing the system the valves themselves start at the high point meaning that the drip lines cross the hill (east to west or west to east). Landscapes, especially like this one with special features are not cheap, and forward thinking is necessary to make sure all goes well for the homeowner for years to come. 

Gardeners—hopefully you have your summer vegetables in now. Keep in mind the summer is coming and a balance fertilizer is important to establish healthy roots, which leads to healthy plants. Until next time—Good Gardening