Shagbark Hickory Bud and Leaf

Psalm 34:8-10

"O taste and see that the Lord is good;

How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

9 O fear the Lord, you His saints;

For to those who fear Him there is no want.

10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;

But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing."

Small Yellow Flower

Psalm 34:6,7
“This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him And saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.”

Sunflowers

Sunflowers are the symbol of faith, loyalty and adoration.

They follow the movement of the sun from East to West and this process is known as heliotropism.

Sunflower oil is used to soften leather, condition hair, for wounds, as a cooking oil, it has been used for medicine, animal feed and is a bio-diesel fuel.

It is one of the fastest growing plants. It has been known to grow 12 feet in 6 months.

A single sunflower can have up to 1000 to 2000 seeds.

The heliotropism characteristic makes this flower interesting to me. It reminds me of the importance of always having the Lord before you in all you do. This attitude of doing things for the Lord keeps me on the right tract by not having my will but God's in view.

Sweet Pignut Hickory

Found this hickory and it keyed out to be Sweet Pignut Hickory. I'll have to wait till spring to check the leaves to make sure.  Below is the tight fissured bark which is typical of hickories.

Sweet Pignut Hickories have thin husks. More reasons to head to the woods. I can compare the difference between the two nuts. There are a lot of Bitternut hickories in the area to find.

Unique buds show the tree and its character. Another hickory has orange buds. They are fuzzy and it is a Bitternut hickory.

These buds below come from a Bitternut hickory tree. It will be interesting to look at the tree in the Spring to verify  what kind of tree this is.

The pith of the twig is brown and solid.

The Lord is good. His mercy is everlasting. His word is true and can be trusted in hard times. He is a Father to the fatherless, a friend to the friendless. Let us give Jesus the opportunity  to show Himself strong for us as we serve Him.

Virginia Creeper

One of  the first to show color in the fall.

Matthew 6:33

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, 

and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 20:16

"So the last shall be first, and the first last."

The lowly vine of Virginia Creeper has its time of beauty in its season. Let us not look at our position but our purpose. Do that well and you will be given more to do.

Hackberry in NKC vacant block

Found this Hackberry in a vacant lot. This is a good profile of the tree, showing the branch structure.

The buds hug the branch.

God is good and will help us and provide a way for us no matter what the problem. Live in expectation of His guidance and help. Look to Him and believe our creator that He can be trusted and taken at His word.

John 16:33

"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”