Why we do what we Do
When my girls were little, we forced them to read for at least 15 minutes every night. In fact, it was part of their homework for school. At the time, they did not necessarily like to read, because, like any new skill, it was difficult. If we had let them, they probably would have skipped their reading times altogether.
Strangely enough, now that they are older, I often find my girls curled up on their beds reading!
What happened there? How did reading go from something that we had to force them to do, to being something that they freely choose to do? Well, they found out how much fun reading is and how they can benefit from it. In short, they discovered the "joy of reading".
There is a tremendous difference in reading because you are forced to and reading because you want to and that difference has to do with "motivation". They have stopped "reading" and have become "readers".
I believe that there is a spiritual correlation here. Sometimes people go to church, or do "good things" because they think that they "should". In other words, the actions are done to keep other people, or even God, happy. That is ok for a little while, but as we mature, things should change. Spiritual maturity begins when we are no longer doing things because we are "forced to" but because we "want to".
Galatians 5:22-23 says, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control". This is not a checklist of things to do. It is, however, a list of qualities that will naturally develop in us when we begin to discover how good it is to listen to God.
You see, we cannot force ourselves to be Spiritual people, but, with God's help, we can grow into the blessings that the Spirit brings.
Why not give it a try? You may even find that you like it.
"Taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8).
Tim Pippus,
Estevan Church of Christ

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Walk Gently My Soul
By Linda Wegner
As part of my research for a current project, I entered the grounds of one of our city's roofing and truss companies. It was a typical scene - complete with a graveled parking area, a worker wearing ear protection, piles of lumber and shingles, rolls of black roofing paper and assorted pieces of equipment. There was nothing fancy about the facilities but the difficulty I'd had in contacting anyone by phone was indicative of how busy the operation was.
After parking my car away from the work area, I walked across the lot looking for someone with whom I could leave a set of documents. I saw just that one employee but he was busy ripping lumber. I wasn't about to attempt to divert his attention since nothing was worth the possibility of causing an accident. I decided I'd simply stand until he either saw me or completed the job. Not only was my waiting time relatively short, had I become impatient and left, I'd have missed one of those "walk gently" moments.
As I stood there and in spite of the noise and activity, a large deer emerged from the woods surrounding the shop. Striding purposefully across the same lot I'd just traversed, he seemed completely unperturbed by the commotion. After looking things over, he continued to the edge of property then stopped once more to feed on tall grass. Like me, he did not leave until he'd accomplished his goal.
For me the lesson was clear: no matter how busy or complicated life is, it's learning to be at peace while going about our daily routine that makes the difference.
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13 (NIV).

GARDEN NOTES
By Gerry Fichtemann, Horticulturist

IT'S IRIS TIME!
Most perennials should be divided in the spring or in the fall. Iris are one exception.
If your iris are getting thick and dying in the middle of the clump, it is high time to divide them and give them a healthy new start. This must be done or you will end up with very small plants and not very choice blooms. Instructions are easy but it must be done right now and not left later than the end of July.
First of all, dig up all the rhizomes and clean away the soil around them. You will find many of the rhizomes have rotted away.
With a good sharp knife or shears cut off all the old decayed pieces but be sure to leave some of the years previous rhizome growth. Replant the divisions of iris rhizomes and make sure they are in a drier part of a sunny garden. Low spots are not advised as they will be subject to more water and this could rot the rhizome. Be sure to plant the rhizomes very shallow with a covering of only one inch and no deeper. Incorrect planting of iris can either lead to no flowers or could even lead to the death of your plants.
Iris are not as popular as other perennials, probably because of their short season of bloom. They do, however, make a nice filler in a perennial bed, as the sword shaped leaves add greenery right up until frost where some perennials will get dissipated looking.
In recent years, the iris has been making a big comeback and their popularity is gaining strength.
Iris come in all colours of the rainbow plus many sizes. Tall bearded iris are more difficult to grow on the prairies, however some gardeners have good luck with them.
The more reliable classes of iris for our area (Zone 3) are the classes -Intermediate, Standard, and low-growing. The intermediates are just a bit lower than the Talls. The colour range is amazing with more colours than a rainbow can provide. We now even have iris that are black in colour plus quite a few browns and coppers.
There is no perennial flowers that can compare with the majestic beauty of iris. Often called the poor man's orchid and can also be penned as 'queen of the garden'.
If you are thinking about putting some iris in your garden, the time is right now. This also applies to the iris in your garden that need thinning. Iris' are a lovely plant!

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