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November 2022 – Getting Out The Road Blocks

Please watch the video introduction to my message here:

We all have experienced roadblocks in our life.  

Have you had a difficult relationship that makes you hesitant to enter another one? Or an upbringing that taught you not to trust people? Or maybe you fear failure, so you always play it safe. 

These examples are only a few of the multitude of emotional roadblocks we have to deal with. How do we grow past them? How do we become strong so that these negative influences do not control us? I hate feeling like a victim, don’t you? I am sure you feel the same way. We want to become a “victor,” which is exactly what Christ wants. We must learn to see life through the truth of scripture. That makes us a victor. The first step towards that is understanding that the love that our Savior has for us is what enables us to conquer. How many soldiers endured such hardness in prison camps because of the love their wives had for them? It’s what kept them alive. How much more should our Savior’s love keep us moving forward!

Jeremiah 31:3

The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Romans 8:31-32

What shall we then say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things (that are for our spiritual good, not a new house or a Porsche). 

Therefore the real question is, do you believe that God loves you? Without abiding and seeking Him 

it will be hard to feel or sense His love, though these verses are absolutely true. I would tape these verses to your bathroom mirror and read them while shaving, putting on your makeup, or brushing your hair. We need to get these truths into us. What does John 3:16 say…

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whoever would believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.” It was God’s love for us that sent His son to die on our behalf. How can we not trust Him?

Therefore until we get past this first hurdle that God loves us, roadblocks will continue to appear and set us back.

Once we believe and know His love, we can begin to move forward. The next challenge is also tough, but it is sent to purge us from the values of the world. 

Romans 8:30

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy of being compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Therefore instead of self-pity, which is a huge roadblock, this verse teaches us that present-day hardships do not compare to the glory that will be revealed in us. Eternity is a very long time. Too many of us make now our reality without offsetting it with an Eternal perspective. If we start living as sons and daughters of The Lord and put our hope in Him, we will gain the courage and endurance to keep moving forward in this life as victors. 

The suffering Paul endured in his life for Christ was a lot. Fox’s Book of Martyrs is a book every serious believer should read at least once. It will give you a profound appreciation for the roots of our faith; what others went through to preserve it. Now it is up to us to pass it on. “Raw Christianity” cares nothing for religious restrictions, observances, or beliefs that cannot be anchored in scripture. It has nothing to do with which church we attend. It has everything to do with submitting to God’s will. 

Through the centuries proclaiming Christ has cost believers beatings, imprisonment, and their lives. I wonder, if it became illegal to be a Christian (as is currently being experienced by believers in communist & Muslim countries), what would happen? Would a church of 500 “professing believers” be whittled down to 100, or would it grow to 900? Pray to be counted among the faithful.

Romans 8:38-39

For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

From a Biblical definition, this is the root of what it means to be blessed. Receiving this truth is what makes us a victor regardless of the circumstances. What good is it to have all one can have in this life, reach the top, and find emptiness? This happens to many of the wealthy and famous, so drug abuse and debauchery are prevalent among them. There can be no substitute for experiencing God’s love. No amount of “the good” life can compare. 

As believers, our lives should not be entangled with the values of this world. Materialism, status, or anything that is a prize to the world is an impostor and a false substitute for the life our Father wants to give us. 

Seriously, how can one improve on having the Holy Spirit of God fill you? This is the very definition of LIFE. Sadly, this might not “float your boat” AS YET, but hopefully, as you mature in your faith and take a few hard knocks from life (unfortunately, that’s how we learn), this statement will bring you comfort and joy as it does me. When too much of the world dwells in us, we are like the seed thrown into the weeds (the parable of the sower that Jesus told). 

Matthew 13:7-8

And some (seed) fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, (with the germinated seedlings) and choked them:

But other (seeds) fell into good ground and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

By holding onto the world’s values, we cannot fully appreciate what God is offering. Don’t worry; God knows how to change the human heart. If you truly want to be more Christ-like, then ask Him. Ask Him to give you a love for His Bible which will give you the strength to say no to your flesh and yes to Him, making you an obedient “son or daughter. There’s a great prayer that King David prayed and all serious believers since.

Psalms 139:23-24

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

And then we have God’s promises for sanctification. 

Ezekiel 36:25-27

Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness and your idols, will I cleanse — you (the purpose of the Cross).

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away — the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh (make this your prayer, Lord you said…). 

And I will put — my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in — my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

This is the role of the Holy Spirit. We all experience the need for approval. What better way than to have the Lord stamp His seal on our souls? When God created man, man was fully formed but lay lifeless until the Holy Spirit breathed life into him. This proves that we are spiritual first, then person, then flesh. However, ever since man sinned, our being changed. Our spirit (union with Christ died), our carnal nature ruled, and our person became governed by it. Consequently, we are plagued by such a strong need for purpose and meaning because of God’s absence in our life. By becoming born again, we return back to our created form, but it’s a fight against our carnal nature.

Genesis 2:7

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (living soul, not being). 

Therefore man’s life was originally in the spirit, not in the blood as we are today. Imagine the vacuum in man’s soul when the Holy Spirit departed. God had to recreate man’s life with his blood. It is no wonder why blood and its sacrifice have been such a big deal both in our faith as well as in pagan rituals. For us, it speaks of forgiveness, hence the yearly sacrifice of a spotless lamb for the forgiveness of our sin, foreshadowing Christ’s ultimate and final atonement for man. For the pagan faiths, which often involved human sacrifice, it was blasphemy against God’s prize creation or animal sacrifice to idols, demonic deities that ruled over those cultures (e.g., Aztecs, Mayans, or the Incas as recent examples in history.)

After the fall, Adan and Eve, for the first time, saw themselves without God’s glory covering them. They saw their flesh. They were naked. To us being naked is to be without clothes. To them, it was without God’s glory. 

Genesis 3:9-10

And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

And he said, I heard — thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself. 

**All the insecurities of fear, self-conscience, self-hatred, jealousies, envy, pride, emptiness, hatred, etc., all of the evils that plague man come flooding in because of their disobedience, and when we disobey the Lord, we enter into satan’s realm (1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry…”). 

We are alive because God breathed His Life into us, and we became a living soul. Forgetting how we were created, do we turn to our carnal appetites to satisfy our spiritual need? We need to think soundly, understanding that our true inward need is still spiritual. We can only be truly satisfied by the Lord. He’s our Maker, and the proof of that is the struggle to find significance apart from Him. 

We must return to Him, or if we are Born Again, then enjoy Him by having regular Bible studies. In doing so, every other relationship will, with time and maturity, be prioritized correctly. So, say goodbye to toxic relationships or relationships that use us, and we let them because our inward need is so great. Christ’s love for us will change that, and we will find as we mature, we will have the strength and inward confidence to say no to toxic relationships and yes to the ones God provides. Start to feel good about yourself, in your own skin. This is the goal of our Heavenly Father when we allow Him to love us just as we are.

Psalms 1 (Psalm of David)

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

This is literally a step-by-step “formula” for curing all that ails us. What is good for our souls is also healthy for our bodies. Now, as you read the following verses, ask yourself if Paul and Silas were any less blessed than King David, who wrote Psalm 1. Remember, being blessed is not circumstantial; that’s our definition as human beings. It’s all based on favorable circumstances. 

However, as believers in Christ, to be blessed is positional, not circumstantial. As His son or daughter by Grace, nothing could be better. To have God Almighty as our Father and experience His love for us is wonderful. Without trial and problems, which represents the darkness, clouds, and storms in our lives, His guidance would not be appreciated. It’s the contrast between Pharoah at Israel’s back coming with chariots to kill and capture back the Israelites and with the Red Sea in front, trapped. Then through the course of just one night, the Red Sea is parted, providing a way to escape. Paul and Silas experienced this. They had no idea that the Lord would cause an earthquake; they just felt honored to suffer for their Lord.

Acts 16:16-19

And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most-high God, which show unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers (accusing them…) 

Acts 16:21-24

And teach customs that are not lawful for us to receive or to observe, being Romans.

And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.

And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely:

Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison and made their feet fast in the stocks.

Did Paul and Silas do something wrong? Is this still the blessed life we read of in Psalm 1? Would we feel blessed if we underwent this kind of persecution, or would we think that God had abandoned us? I can almost hear Job’s friends, or maybe some modern-day believers accusing us of doing something wrong or not doing enough good deeds. 

Acts 16:25-28

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

And suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bands were loosed (however many were there where they were all free).

And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had fled.

But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

The jailer would have killed himself, but Paul stopped him; why? With the jailer dead, Paul and Silas could have easily escaped along with the rest of the prisoners. Who are these guys who would sing praises to God amid bleeding and painful wounds, locked in stocks and not escape, when God Himself provided their freedom? Are they delirious from the pain, or is there something we are not seeing? Paul and Silas valued the life of the jailer above their own. What has happened to this caliber of faith? Our culture’s prosperity has taken the heart of our faith from us. Materialism breeds selfishness, where we put ourselves first. What would it be worth if we were to assign a monetary amount to this kind of rock-solid faith? Could it even be calculated? 

At times “good fortune” does befall us. We find extra money and say it must be the blessing of the Lord instead of turning it in. And why don’t we? We say, “oh they will just keep it for themselves, so I might as well keep it.” We fail to see that it is not about the money but who the money reveals who we are. Are we living for ourselves or the Lord? If it’s for the Lord, He seeks absolute integrity in all areas of life. We see Paul and Silas being so faithful to the Lord that even in pain they praise Him.

Paul and Silas were hurting from their whippings. Usually when we are in pain, we let everyone around us know it, and if we don’t do that, we are at least grumpy. They were neither, and their concern was not for themselves but for the jailer. Could we endure beatings for Him and then sing because our life is still blessed?

But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, bringing forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Does our suffering change the truth of these verses? Our life has seasons, seasons of testing, and seasons of blessings, yet it all serves to make us men or women of God. The manufacturing of tempered steel is the process of extreme heating and cooling, making it stronger. This is required for beams that span bridges or make skyscrapers. The steel must be tempered to withstand the strain it will undergo. As we persevere, steel is being put into our souls. Just as our souls (our structure) undergo life, we are “heated and cooled” (trials and blessings) to the end that we become able and strong. Our structure, unlike the bridge or skyscraper, is Eternal. Our faith brings us closer to Him (which is His goal) and makes us a stronger witness of His Life in us, which should be our goal. 

The problem we have is our culture’s mindset toward suffering. If we are struggling, having hassles, in pain, or having problems at work, something must be wrong; we can’t be blessed. Now, if we are being stupid and making poor choices, we are bringing it on ourselves, but if we are living for Christ, then we ARE blessed even though times are tough. We must break away from the American philosophy that says suffering is bad or that we did something wrong. Just like Job’s friends wrongly accused him of sinning because of his suffering. Jesus says…

Matthew 5:10

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

We are blessed because suffering is the stamp that the Spirit of God is upon us, working righteousness through suffering. Suffering also causes us to focus more intently on our daily decisions and cast out anything with no eternal value. We are pushed into making the right choices; who will we live for? Will our decisions be based on instant gratification or something more long-term, our flesh or the Kingdom? If we choose wisely, then choosing the Kingdom is a great trade-off; the infinite and its glorious beauty for the finite that will end. 

Here are some cool promises:

Deuteronomy 28:9

The LORD shall establish thee a holy people unto himself( this is what God has always wanted), as he hath sworn unto thee if thou shalt keep — the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.

Deuteronomy 28:13-14

And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearkens unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:

And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command — thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

We don’t have gods of wood and stone; no, we are much more sophisticated. Our gods come in money, steel cars, homes, and flesh. The more you walk with Christ, the more you realize how much the values of this life are just illusions. Promises of happiness and contentment are fleeting. Our needs are spiritual and can only be satisfied by Christ. Once you gain your “spiritual sight,” you begin to see the illusion that humanity is under. Something that we may be going through right now may hurt, but if it causes me to see the truth by praying more and searching out promises in God’s Word (like I just shared), then is it really hurting me? It is helping to drive God’s Word deeper inside of me and drive worldly values out of me, giving me my spiritual sight.

Exodus 15:2

The LORD is my strength and song, (e.g., Paul and Silas), and He has become my salvation: He is my God, and I will prepare him a habitation ( in my soul), ….and I will exalt him.

Exodus 15:26

If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for — I am the LORD that healeth thee.

I think it’s time that we take our Christian Faith and our Savior seriously. He makes many promises to us, read Duet. 28.  

My favorite passage on trusting God is found in Daniel. 

Daniel 3:16-18

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar ( the world ruler at the time), we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

If it be so, our God whom we serve can deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

I’ve shared this verse before and what I love about their faith is whether God acts on their behalf or not, they will not bow. God is free to do what He will do, but my response to a situation is not based on The Lord saving me or making my life easier; it’s based on the fact that He is worthy of my allegiance. We must become like these young men and like Job. That is why these men saw Christ in the fire, and Job was so praised by God. Their devotion to God was not based on favorable circumstances; the circumstances did not add or take away from their devotion to God. Amen. 

1 Peter 4:12-14

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you?

But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

Can we become like these men? Not having the Holy Spirit or being born again, their fear and respect of God are amazing. 

Amen

Father, 

Make us tempered sons and daughters who can bear the weight of life’s trials and hardship and hold Your Glory and display it with humility and praise. Make Your church, your Bride, beautiful and battle ready, I pray. 

Amen

Thank you,

Arthur 

If you’ve come this far please consider buying our book, which is a collection of these messages:   https://a.co/d/62Wzp2p

November 2022 – The Yard The Fooled Me

Welcome to our November article.

I have to admit that the title is unusual. This project is a new home with just a dirt backyard.
Laura is a repeat client. A couple years ago we landscaped her
front yard, and then later her backyard. She and her husband
sold their home and moved into this new one. When I first saw
the backyard, it was a larger than normal yard, so I created
the estimate with the size in mind. As we began the work, the
yard began to “shrink”, visually speaking. An empty lot with
just dirt, and especially a corner lot, always appears larger
than what it really is. To make a long story short, everything
was done exactly as planned, however the labor hours were
drastically reduced. We beat our estimated completion time by
3 days, which means Laura got everything she requested, but
for 1/5 less than the original cost. We mostly re-do landscapes,
and I have to imagine everything removed. I then have to
think about what the potential could be. My eye is not used
to looking at just dirt. This was a good lesson for me, and it
became quite humorous to me that every time I came, the yard
looked incrementally smaller. About halfway through, I was
able to tell Laura that she was going to save some money. I just
could not tell her how much at the time.

The yard was divided up into four distinct parts. We had the
Citrus area, (not in view) which was down the east side of the
home. There was the patio area with plants around it. (The
concrete we poured in the center of the yard but to the east
side of the yard) There was also the garden area where Laura
and her granddaughter planned to plant flowers and vegetables
together. Finally, there was the landscaped area with the dry
stream bed and ornamentals. The west side yard is just mocha
lava rock. This is a good place to store large items that will
weather well. The yard could also be very attractive at night,
but they have a streetlight that shines into their yard, which
reduces the effect of the lights. This is something to consider
when contemplating adding lights.

Laura was not here for half of the job. She had a planned
vacation that could not be changed. However, I called her to
keep her updated. She expressed an anxiousness to get back to
see the yard. I spoke to her the day after her arrival, and she
loves it, which I knew she would. I love it, but it is just nice to
hear it from the customer. Her favorite part is the raised planter
beds. Normally, we put planter beds to one side of the yard or
the other, and not in the center. If we place them in the center,
it breaks up the cohesiveness of the yard. However, Laura was
looking forward to just walking off the patio and planting and
cutting flowers with her granddaughter. The garden boxes are
nicely built and are currently planted with bulbs, flowers and a
few vegetables. All my foremen are very good at building nice,
durable garden boxes. Initially this area was going to be for
lawn, as that is how we submitted it to the H.O.A., but the more
Laura thought about it, the more the garden boxes won out.
She wanted an activity that she and her granddaughter could
do together.

Though the landscape is only 2 weeks old, it is still very
welcoming and attractive, yet it looks very young through the
camera. I find it hard to duplicate in picture what you can see
in person. The naked eye just sees more depth and dimension
than the camera. The camera takes great pictures, but they are
“flat.” The upside of Laura’s yard is its size, which for many
is just the contrary. I was able to use all my favorite full sun
plants. Often the yards can only fit 50% or 70% of my favorites,
but this yard was able to use them all. My favorites consist of
plants that bloom throughout the growing season. For fall
going into winter when the blooms are ending, I rely on fall
color turning plants. Most of these plants are deciduous, they
lose their leaves, but a few of them do keep their leaves. The
heights we use are between 2’ to 3 1⁄2’ feet. If we need plants to
hide the fence, then we select plants that grow 4’ to 5’ft., but all
the plants are easy to maintain.

With a yard of this size, most people would shrink back
because of the yard work they have experienced in their past
yards. However, that will not be true with this yard, or any yard
we do. All older landscapes have the same plants. Many of the
yards we re-do seem to be non-creatively planned, and have
Photinias (sometimes called Red Tips), Ligustrum (Wax Leaf
Privets), Escalloninas, Indian Hawthrone, Viburnum, Fringe
flower, etc. These are tough plants, and are great for the mall,
but they do not belong in homes. Therefore, with the plant
selections we have today, the homeowner should not fear the
work from a larger than normal yard.

By Arthur Navarrette
Executive Care Landscaping

Finally, gardeners who like a fall/ winter garden, I hope you
have started your garden already. We planted ours in the end
of September and are now harvesting from it. We planted
Sweet Chard, various varieties of lettuce, radishes, broccoli,
cauliflower, cabbage, green onions and carrots. We also have

chickens, and they love eating the leaves of these veggies-
especially the cauliflower and broccoli. As these specific

vegetables grow, the lower leaves begin to yellow for lack of
sunlight. Before that happens, I pick them off and feed them to
the chickens. It’s a great way to have a healthy garden with good
air circulation and healthy chickens. Until next time, which
will be Christmas, have a great Thanksgiving.
Good Gardening,
Arthur

January 2022 – Happy New Year

Welcome to our January issue. As the year comes to an end and a new one begins how are you feeling? Did the year go well, or was the year a struggle? I truly hope it went well given the year. I know that it was a tough one.

Some of us lost our jobs, while others kept their job and others were super busy. It was a very mixed bag. If this coming year proves to be more of the same, we should think about what lessons we can take from this past year to make us stronger individuals. Adversity is not bad. What makes it good or bad is how we deal with it. When I got fired from my job at a wholesale nursery back in 1988, I had a young family and a house payment. I walked out of the office not knowing what I was going to do. However, being a student of the Bible, I knew verses, and I had memorized many of them. One story stood out and really spoke to me. It’s in 1 Samuel 25, and to sum it up, it speaks of God’s protection over David. Despite the adversity, God would see to it that David would succeed and prosper. There are many stories in the scriptures like this, and they all are meaningful. Though no one likes to be fired, I saw how God opened doors for me despite it, and I no longer fear it. I know that God is able to provide, and He can do the same for you. When we come to Him for help, He is faithful. Some 33 years later, and with a lot of hard work, Executive Care has gained the respect and appreciation of the communities we serve, and I as the owner am so grateful for that.

This year as mentioned has been a tough year for many, and that is true for me as well. My mom fell July 6th and broke her hip. Until her passing Sept.22, I would fly down weekly to Orange County to tend to her care. As she stabilized, it became every other week with daily phone calls. At 90 years of age, it took a bit for her to become stable. I jokingly told mom that I knew the flight attendants on a first name basis. Through that time, there was such a demand on my time and my energy. I helped manage

mom’s care both in person and over the phone, as well as run Executive Care. Our clients are so great and understood what I was going through. Many had or were currently experiencing the same. My men also are so well trained that as long as I had jobs ready for them and explained the goal, they knew what to do. A verse that was never far from my mind during this time, which gave me strength, is one of the Ten Commandments. In Exodus 20:12 it says, “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” Jesus repeats this in the New Testament but adds to it by saying “so that it may go well with you, and it is the first commandment with a promise.” I knew God would honor my effort, and that my actions pleased Him. It was an honor for me to care for my mom, and to see to her care. I was honored to take her for a “spin” in her wheelchair and pay a ton of money to have her in a room next to a patio garden. I would take her on a tour of the garden and show off by naming all the botanical names of the plants. This impressed her to no end, and allowed her to sit in the sun, which felt so good to her. We take the little things like sitting in the sun for granted. It was a tough time for sure, but also strengthening because I knew I was doing the right thing. The celebration ceremony of her life was the toughest part. I gave the message, and between laughter at some of her sayings and holding back the tears, the message was delivered and appreciated.

There is a saying that says adversity introduces a man or a woman to themselves. It shows you what you are made of. I have had much opportunity to meet myself, probably more than I wanted to. Sometimes I am very pleased with who I have met, which is a credit to the Lord’s work in my life, and other times not, (there is still unfinished business). Since life is a journey and the journey prepares us for our destination, it’s the travel that counts. Through humility, (which is so counter cultural) and

loving the truth, I am being made ready for the destination. Here are some very beautiful sayings to mediate upon this season… some are religious and some not.

“Always remember that your present situation is not your final one, as diamonds are made beautiful through precise cutting, and rocks smoothed and beautified through the constant flow of water, so too is the human soul. Adversity if received correctly beautifies the soul.”

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.” (Proverbs 3:5&6 is my life verse, but I will share it with you 😉

“Forgive people in your life, even those who are not sorry for their action. Holding on to anger and bitterness only hurts you, not them. Bitterness is like carrying a corpse on your back, eventually the decay kills you as well. Get free while you still can! ”

“I’m thankful for my struggles because without them I would not have stumbled across my strengths.”

This one is a little too me focused for my comfort, but I share it for those who are of this mindset. If I was to rewrite this, I would write it like this:

“I’m thankful for my struggles because it shows me my need of God; a Loving Father who is ever so eager to intervene in my life. He uses struggles to bring me to Him. He is a relationship seeking God and I find Him more in my struggles than in the good times. And because of Him, I find an inner strength that I would not have found as I do Life with Him.”

I end with these sayings, which I sincerely hope brought some comfort and courage as we enter a New Year. I am grateful that we can be of different mindsets but still appreciate and learn from each other as we go through life; not giving a hand out, but a hand up as we all can use some help from time to time.

God Bless you and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year (There is a more faith-based article on my website, I would encourage you to read it – Thank you).

Finally, I have published a book called Life (really origin title huh?) it can be ordered from Amazon and has a Lighthouse Tower on a blue cover. (Lighthouse’s have special meaning to me) I also write a monthly devotional called Vida4U (Vida is life in Spanish). It is faith based, and I jokingly tell my clients that if anything can be rattled inside, Vida will rattle it, however it is delivered in love. If you are interested, just send me an email requesting to be added to our monthly email (arthur@executivecareinc.com).

March 2022 – Bringing Beauty & Function To Hillsides

Welcome to the February/March edition. I trust you are well. To help me stay well, I take a set of vitamins, that though probably won’t cure me, will help strengthen my immune system. If you would like to know my regime, just email me. I find this combination very helpful. I found out about it listening to several well-known doctors.

We have continued to landscape through the winter, however slowly. Several of my men went to visit family for extended periods of time which dropped us down to 2 partial landscape crews and 1 maintenance crew. By the time you read this article, all my “hombres” will be back.

The yard featured in this article was completed three years ago. We featured it a couple months after completion, but not since. I am anxious to show you the growth, even though the trees remain deciduous. If you focus on the before picture, you will see that it’s a sizable lawn with a definite slope to it. Why do we make the distinction between front and back yards? It is because the goal of each is different. The front yard needs curb appeal. We want the home to stand out among the other homes. Many homes stay with what the builder installed, which is very vanilla, and does not express the taste of the owners or the potential that the yard has. When considering design, the front yard is also about getting to the front door in a functional, yet artistic way. The backyard is more family related, so it tends to incorporate design that allows for that. Although we approach both front and back with a different mindset, oddly enough the finished products are very similar. There is no substitute for beauty, and it needs to be part of every landscape.

Our clients, Benjamin and Kathi, have a large family, and a large family means a lot of friends. A lot of traffic requires easy access to the front door. There were two other aspects that needed consideration as well. The driveway is a shared driveway with their neighbor, so there could be no parking on it. Another concern was when backing the cars out of the garage there was not enough space to turn around and drive up the driveway. They needed to back all the way up the hill to the street. This was a hassle. We needed to change that and create more space so they could have room to turn while backing out, and then drive forward up the driveway. To do that we needed to remove soil from the hill and then build a wall to contain it. It was a bit of a job, but it turned out really nice and has been a big help for them.

Getting people to the front door has several means, but only one way that is functional and artistic, especially considering the length that the walk/steps needed to be. Wood would need to be replaced. Concrete is too commercial, and it would not look natural within the landscape, so we chose steps out of stone. It is the most expensive way to go, especially when you factor in shipping cost, but there was nothing better. I presented them with the options, and they were excited about the stone steps, and okay with the extra cost. The rock yard I purchased from had a connection in Utah, and they had inventory. It was perfect, and the “Buff” color of the steps worked great into the overall theme and color of the home. The steps were heavy – about 80 to 100 pounds each. It took two men to set them. Thank goodness for our tractor that brought them up the hill!

Once we completed the steps, we were able to start the landscape. Hillsides are always challenging, and this one was no different. Our normal procedure for the start of the landscape phase of any job is tilling in fresh topsoil blend, creating mounds and then adding boulders (not all hills allow us to do this). These were the first steps prior to the plants. Prior to completing this, I invited Benjamin and Kathi to tour Green Acres Roseville with me – something that I really enjoy doing with our clients. From here you can see the results. However, I want to highlight the sitting area. We created it for their morning enjoyment. Their home is the last one on the street up in Auburn, so it is fairly private, and the surrounding environment is really nice and restful.

This is the first yard we are showing this year, and by doing so I in no way am wanting to imply that we are only interested in big yards. We are most happy to help with any size. If I show an average size yard, then people with bigger yards wonder if we can do big yards. By starting off showing a bigger yard, I want potential customers with larger than average yards to know that we do large yards, but at the same time if we do larger, we can easily handle and are happy to do so smaller yards. My personal goal is just to be able to help and get us outside to enjoy the beauty of Creation.

Call for a FREE Consultation*

*Free consultation given within local area only. Nominal charge may apply for travel outside of local work area. Call for details. CL#804681

Gardeners get ready because spring is coming. We are still harvesting from our winter garden that I have for the men and I at the shop. I love having my grandkids with me and telling them to pick some lettuce, Sweet Chard or Broccoli, etc. It connects them to life, as opposed to a grocery store. Prepare your ground for March planting unless you have cold frames and can then start in February.

Before Landscaping

Until next time, good gardening, Arthur…

May 2022 – Easy Care Yard

Welcome to our May article. I hope you are well. It seems that Covid is becoming a thing of the past. I see more lips and smiles, and I see many more cars out on the road. It was only two years ago that I and a few contractors were the only ones out. It definitely was different, and a little eerie. Though traffic is not fun for anyone, I would rather see traffic than not. I now have a whole new attitude towards traffic. It means things are getting back to normal, and that’s good. Now let’s talk about this month’s landscape.

This style of a yard is not for everyone, especially if you have kids. With kids, we would do a whole different type of landscape. However, if you are single, have kids almost grown, or are retired and done with all the yardwork, you may want to consider this style of landscape. It is colorful, drought smart, very low maintenance and yet it is still inviting. Our featured landscape. We completed the project in October 2020 and the “before” picture is really the just completed picture. Though it is still a young landscape (about a year if you exclude the last two winter months, I want to set expectations for what a new landscape should look like, as well as a periods throughout the years to watch it mature. I will probably revisit it in about 1 to 2 years.

Prior to what you see now, this was the typical landscape. It was all lawn with plants along the border. The job is in Sun City Lincoln, and it is for a client who enjoys looking out into his landscape and doing some light trimming while enjoying the sun. Last year he was in a boot due to foot surgery. He could not mow, and with the prior landscape, he would have had to hire someone. He enjoys sitting at his outdoor table enjoying a cup

of coffee with a friend or doing some personal reading. This type of yard does not tie you down. If a friend calls up and says let’s go out, this style of yard has its benefits. It is not great for children unless you have a park or a school close by.

Developing the concept came from a few questions I asked John. I also listened to his wants. By the time one is living in a retirement community, they normally have a pretty good idea of what they want. This made it easy to come up with a concept that would meet his needs. I enjoy dry stream beds for several reasons. They reduce plant maintenance, bring in a high-end view of the landscape (when done correctly), and give an added dimension of what is in nature, though in nature it has water. Additionally, it looks great at night with the proper placement of night lights. I see so many dry stream beds that look like nothing more than cobble placed on the ground in a linear pattern. There is no depth or real design, and I like incorporating boulders into the stream bed. We try to get as close to nature as possible, just without the water. A real stream bed adds another dimension of sound and beauty, but the maintenance and added cost (on top of the cost of the landscape) makes it undesirable for most of our clients. “Make believe” is just fine.

As most of you know, everything about the landscape leading up to the plants is important. Preparing the ground with amendments, mounding for dimension and depth (no flat landscapes), boulders, and dry stream are all part of a well- executed landscape. However, if the selection of plants fails, the whole job fails. I have seen other landscapers try to emulate our work. It’s easy to tell that it’s not our work, but it becomes really

apparent from the plant selection. This is where people wanting landscapes need to wise up a bit. Plants are so different, both in appearance, growth rate and size, sun preference, irrigation needs etc. Some look good together and others do not. Some are high maintenance, and some are not. Many landscapers do not know these differences, so it is up to the homeowner to be well-studied. Spending time at Green Acres, reading and researching plant height, water needs, sun light etc., is critical to ensure that you get a good job. I hate saying this to you, but it should be up to the landscaper to know his trade, not the homeowner. It’s apparent that this is not the case, and as much as we would like to help everyone, it is not realistic.

Night lights are amazing. Good ones are expensive, but they take a landscape to A+++. There is a peace and tranquility they give, and if you are into entertaining, they extend the evening hours. However, there is a little study that goes behind them. We use solid brass because it adds class, as opposed to aluminum fixtures that are powder coated and fade. However, I would use them if that is all my budget could afford, and then upgrade at a later date. Good fixtures are attractive, but it is more the effect of the light that we are wanting. I have lived by the rule that there is nothing I will add to the landscape if it does not help take the landscape to the next level. This is why we use brass fixtures.

Call for a FREE Consultation*

*Free consultation given within local area only. Nominal charge may apply for travel outside of local work area. Call for details. CL#804681

Finally, gardeners I hope you have your garden beds ready. It’s time to plant. Water frequently, keep the soil moist but not wet. After a couple weeks, increase your watering times to deepen the roots, but water less frequently. At this point it’s okay to let the surface dry out between watering. The goal is to develop deep roots and prepare the crops for the heat of summer. Be liberal with your fertilizer, as if you love salt with your food, but use an organic fertilizer with a 5-5-5 ratio with mycorrhizae (mycorrhizae is a must). I like to add it 1 week before the crops go in, tilling it under with a thorough watering to dissolve it. Because it is organic, it requires the soil biology to break it down and make it available for the plants.

Until next time….
Thank you for reading. Arthur

June 2022 – Shade Landscapes

Welcome to our June edition. I trust the year is going well, I know it’s going fast, as it always does. Now with school out, we have the concern of keeping our underaged kids busy. This can be a challenge. I have put our granddaughter in several classes offered by the City of Roseville, and Breakaway Classes offered by all the Bayside Church campuses. Other churches have similar programs as well. It is a good, and safe alternative.

It is not often that we come across an all-shade opportunity to landscape. Normally it’s morning shade and afternoon sun, or vice versa, but this job truly has filtered shade all day. The sun passes through the canopy here and there, as it moves over the top of the Red Oak. It is a very nice and large specimen tree. The leaves will be time consuming to pick up in the fall, but that is only for a couple months. A small price to pay for some nice shade.

Prior to us landscaping, this area was lawn. This always concerns me because trees in lawns tend to be shallow rooted and are typically the trees that go down in the winter, unless they tap into deeper water sources. I believe this is what has occurred with this tree, as well as others in the neighborhood. The levee is right behind the home, so judging by its size, as well as the size of the other trees, I do believe they have tapped into the underground water table. Nonetheless, since we are changing the means of receiving a percentage of its water, we created a separate irrigation valve/station just for the three trees in the yard. A bubbler system will run about 3 hours every 8 to 15 days, depending upon the season. Aside from the deep watering, the trees will also pick up water from the drip irrigation. This is probably similar to what they received from the lawn.

Prior to adding the bubbler system for the tree, which occurred after planting the plants, we began our normal process of amending the soil with our special blend. We seek to add about 3 inches to the top of the earth and then till it in, amending the first 6 inches. Since 5/gal. and 15/gal. plants go deeper, we amend the rest as we plant the plants. From here, we continue to follow our pattern of creating mounds, and sometimes create a dry stream bed. The stream beds tend to “class up” the landscape when done correctly but does just the opposite when done incorrectly. Next, we add the boulders (we work with three types). This is our signature and it’s how we prepare the canvas of the earth for the “ALL STARS” – the plants. Because of my years in growing plants, my knowledge of plants is pretty good, and we are able to use a nice variety of appropriate plants, which is also part of our signature. Because of what I just shared, we tend to be a bit more pricey. However, there are times I am surprised at the price people pay for what I would consider a homeowner’s landscape and not a supposed “professional landscaper.” This was the case for this particular project.

We were not the first landscape contractor hired for this project. Our client Tom had hired another company prior to hiring us. This other “landscaper” took 3 months to remove the lawn, lay a paver patio and build a wall, which we corrected and then completed. I witnessed the same thing these last months when we went to visit our daughter and son-in-law to go to their church each Sunday. It must have taken that landscaper about 3 months as well to do a yard about half the size of Tom’s, and when completed, it didn’t look like much. What they presented as their work for that time we could have completed in 4 to 5 days and done a far better job.

I asked Tom why he didn’t call us first, and he said we sounded expensive. Although we never spoke, I guess our name, Executive Care, must have made him think we are more expensive. However, he regrets now not calling. We finished his landscape and corrected the wall in 2 weeks, and both he and his wife love it. In his neighborhood, many people walk, and he has received numerous compliments on the landscape, which will only become more attractive as it matures.

It’s not often that I share what I just shared, (I do not like to talk about us because I prefer our clients and our work to do that) but having experienced and seen several landscapes completed poorly, I wanted to share a word of caution with you. Our waits are long, but it is better than getting a landscape that you are not pleased with, or one in which you must hassle the landscaper to get it done. If you absolutely can’t wait, call me first, and then depending upon your circumstances (you have a wedding, or a graduation coming etc.) I’ll see what I can do.

Choosing plants for Tom was fun. I love shade landscapes as I mentioned. You can mix so many cool plants. The only problem is that they cannot handle the afternoon sun. (coastal would be okay) I recently saw another shade landscape that we completed about five years ago, with our clients Bob and Regina. An appointment I had recently was just up the street from them, so afterwards I went to go see it. I featured it about 5 years ago when we had just completed it. The comparison between new and mature is striking. It is so attractive that I wanted to share it. Tom’s landscape will be similar to this in about 3 years, but this allows you to get a feel for a mature all- shade landscape.

Gardeners, your summer crops should be planted by now and growing. I have raised gardens for myself and the men, and we have an assortment of vegetables. They are all too young to produce yet, but the squash is just beginning to produce, and I have been harvesting the lettuce for couple of months now. It will soon start to get tough and bitter as we get warmer, so if you have any, harvest it soon. As always THANK YOU for reading, and until next time – good gardening, but leave the landscaping to us please. Thank you.

July 2022 – Summer Edition

Welcome to our Summer edition. I trust the year is going well, I know it’s going fast, as it always does. Now with school out, we have the concern of keeping our underaged kids busy. This can be a challenge. I have put our granddaughter in several classes offered by the City of Roseville, and Breakaway Classes offered by all the Bayside Church campuses. Other churches have similar programs as well. It is a good, and safe alternative.

It is not often that we come across an all-shade opportunity to landscape. Normally it’s morning shade and afternoon sun, or vice versa, but this job truly has filtered shade all day. The sun passes through the canopy here and there, as it moves over the top of the Red Oak. It is a very nice and large specimen tree. The leaves will be time consuming to pick up in the fall, but that is only for a couple months. A small price to pay for some nice shade.

Prior to us landscaping, this area was lawn. This always concerns me because trees in lawns tend to be shallow rooted and are typically the trees that go down in the winter, unless they tap into deeper water sources. I believe this is what has occurred with this tree, as well as others in the neighborhood. The levee is right behind the home, so judging by its size, as well as the size of the other trees, I do believe they have tapped into the underground water table. Nonetheless, since we are changing the means of receiving a percentage of its water, we created a separate irrigation valve/station just for the three trees in the yard. A bubbler system will run about 3 hours every 8 to 15 days, depending upon the season. Aside from the deep watering, the trees will also pick up water from the drip irrigation. This is probably similar to what they received from the lawn.

Prior to adding the bubbler system for the tree, which occurred after planting the plants, we began our normal process of amending the soil with our special blend. We seek to add about 3 inches to the top of the earth and then till it in, amending the first 6 inches. Since 5/gal. and 15/gal. plants go deeper, we amend the rest as we plant the plants. From here, we continue to follow our pattern of creating mounds, and sometimes create a dry stream bed. The stream beds tend to “class up” the landscape when done correctly but does just the opposite when done incorrectly. Next, we add the boulders (we work with three types). This is our signature and it’s how we prepare the canvas of the earth for the “ALL STARS” – the plants. Because of my years in growing plants, my knowledge of plants is pretty good, and we are able to use a nice variety of appropriate plants, which is also part of our signature. Because of what I just shared, we tend to be a bit more pricey. However, there are times I am surprised at the price people pay for what I would consider a homeowner’s landscape and not a supposed “professional landscaper.” This was the case for this particular project.

We were not the first landscape contractor hired for this project. Our client Tom had hired another company prior to hiring us. This other “landscaper” took 3 months to remove the lawn, lay a paver patio and build a wall, which we corrected and then completed. I witnessed the same thing these last months when we went to visit our daughter and son-in-law to go to their church each Sunday. It must have taken that landscaper about 3 months as well to do a yard about half the size of Tom’s, and when completed, it didn’t look like much. What they presented as their work for that time we could have completed in 4 to 5 days and done a far better job.

I asked Tom why he didn’t call us first, and he said we sounded expensive. Although we never spoke, I guess our name, Executive Care, must have made him think we are more expensive. However, he regrets now not calling. We finished his landscape and corrected the wall in 2 weeks, and both he and his wife love it. In his neighborhood, many people walk, and he has received numerous compliments on the landscape, which will only become more attractive as it matures.

It’s not often that I share what I just shared, (I do not like to talk about us because I prefer our clients and our work to do that) but having experienced and seen several landscapes completed poorly, I wanted to share a word of caution with you. Our waits are long, but it is better than getting a landscape that you are not pleased with, or one in which you must hassle the landscaper to get it done. If you absolutely can’t wait, call me first, and then depending upon your circumstances (you have a wedding, or a graduation coming etc.) I’ll see what I can do.

Choosing plants for Tom was fun. I love shade landscapes as I mentioned. You can mix so many cool plants. The only problem is that they cannot handle the afternoon sun. (coastal would be okay) I recently saw another shade landscape that we completed about five years ago, with our clients Bob and Regina. An appointment I had recently was just up the street from them, so afterwards I went to go see it. I featured it about 5 years ago when we had just completed it. The comparison between new and mature is striking. It is so attractive that I wanted to share it. Tom’s landscape will be similar to this in about 3 years, but this allows you to get a feel for a mature all- shade landscape.

August 2022 – Creative Change

Welcome to the July and August edition of TheHomeMag.

I hope everyone’s summer has gone well. It seems like the less I listen to the news, the happier I am. I will check in from time to time, and it doesn’t seem like much has changed. The Democrats blame the Republicans, and the Republicans blame the Democrats. I am oversimplifying I know, and there are times that there are very good reasons to oppose the other side. If my company, or any company for that matter ran like the government, there would soon be no company. It is in each company’s best interest to work together, and to get along for a common goal. I guess those in government lost sight of their mission. Whether you are Democratic, Republican or Independent, our prosperity and well-being should be the common goal, because that’s why we elected them. Unfortunately, this is not happening, and sadly, we all lose.

Now let’s talk about something uplifting. The job we are going to discuss was such a fun job. Our client’s, Rick and Mary, saw eye to eye on almost everything as we went through the decisions that we needed to make. It made my job easier. The job became so much more than what they had originally envisioned. I am grateful that they trusted my vision as we went through the phases. You will see what I mean in the photos. They wanted a “no lawn” landscape but wanted it to be sharp. Prior to the change, the landscape was just ordinary. When we met, Rick presented me with a hand drawn sketch, which emphasized an island in the center of color surrounded by synthetic turf. I liked the concept, but I cautioned him that we were going to waste a lot of expensive synthetic turf to honor that island, as well as a half-moon shaped lawn in back. Rick still wanted to

move forward. Part of my job is to point out and inform clients of any possible problems and extra costs. Once I have informed the client, I am good with whatever the client decides. Now let’s talk about synthetic turf. Synthetic turf only comes in 15’ foot width, but you can order any length you want. It’s always going to be 15’ wide unless we splice it, which is doable, but making the seam disappear takes some work. However, by keeping the width to 15’ft., we did not have to splice, and it was now more a matter of simply laying the synthetic turf over the design I had painted out and cutting off the excess. The best part was both Rick and Mary were good with the width.

Take a look at the left side (see before photo). Rick just wanted us to remove the lawn and replace it with groundcover, however, there was no soil, and it was all tree roots. The only solution was to create a raised planter bed, so we could add more soil. By the time the roots of the new plants started to compete with the tree roots, they would be fairly established. However, adding the block to only one side of the yard left the overall design unbalanced. It was too heavy on the left. I shared my concern, both in design as well as the additional cost with Rick and Mary, and they were good with both. At this point, they now could see my vision, so it was much easier to spend the extra money. To this day, spending client’s money makes me nervous. I know in landscaping not all the steps are necessarily seen. You cannot foresee every difficulty you are going to encounter, and so the final cost is not always known. Also, in true design, the landscape begins to take on a life of its own. As you see elements coming together and complimenting each other, you see something, an idea that you did not see earlier. In starting

a landscape, it is very important to have at least an extra $5K in reserve, and $8K would even be better. I worry much less when I know I am not going to hurt my clients financially. I am freer to design and bring out the absolute best. Though the plants are still young, as we finished the landscape, the yard became a real eye catcher. I just spoke to Rick and Mary while writing this article, and they told me they still receive lots of compliments. (we finished in April)

The next stage was the plants. Personally, I do not like designs on paper because they lack in demonstrating what the finished product will look like. Even the 3D pictures, although they are better, are still not realistic. I know H.O.A’s, require them, but my preference is once everything is removed, I can then paint the new design with marker paint. Spaces, ratios and distances from house to pool or property line, or from established tree(s), can easily be seen and adjusted accordingly. I have been in many yards where had this method been followed, the patio would have not outsized the yard, or vice versa. Clients tell me that their hardscape is either too much, or not enough, but they do not have the finances now to change it. It frustrates me. For the plants, we tour Green Acres, as I have mentioned before. Plants are second nature to me, having grown them for many years. Touring clients is always fun, and is a break from the stress of running a business. It’s also a chance to better get to know my clients, and vice versa.

Finally, the crown jewel of any landscape are the night lights. I love using them because they take the landscape to a new level and extend the evening use of the yard. They are not cheap because we use solid brass. The most common metal is

aluminum that has been powdered coated and tends to fade after a couple years. Other metals are used, especially if a modern look is wanted. Titanium is used for that look, but the cost is double that of brass, if not more. It’s the light from the fixture we want, though a general rule of mine is that nothing goes into the landscape that does not take it to the next level. If the plants are positioned and used correctly, you can minimize the appearance of the brass light if that is a concern.

Gardeners, you should be harvesting your vegetables now. Keep them fed monthly to keep them producing, and to help them stay healthy and fight off the bugs.

Until next time, good gardening – Arthur

September 2022 – Creative Fun

Welcome to our September edition. I appreciate the readership we experience,
and the business from those who trust us to do the work. Recently, I started doing
jobs for two clients that have been reading our articles for years, and it’s great. It
is so easy to work with them, because I have gained their trust. It is easy to tell
the difference between those who find us on the internet, versus those who have
read our articles. We appreciate them both, but the trust and the confidence are
so much more established with those who have been reading our articles.
This month’s landscape is from clients that have been reading our articles as well.
We completed their landscape in June, so it is still a relatively new landscape.

All
our jobs bring artistic change and new plants. However, there are jobs where the
change is going to be such a difference, that until we get the plants in, it is hard
for the client to envision it. This job was one of those jobs. It included a new
driveway and walkway, both existing in aggregate form, (gravel finish, changing
over to stamped and dyed) as well as new steps. When there is that much
concrete, I bring in my concrete friend Raymond to do the work. We broke out
the concrete and removed the concrete with our tractor. Once cleared, I painted
out the new design. I prefer to use marker paint and design in the client’s yard. I
feel it is more real, and the sense of scale is easier to envision. For this job, I
needed the walkway to the front door to be narrower. At 4 ½ feet, it was too
wide. I needed more space to add decorative plants. For the steps, I needed
Raymond’s help. I could paint out the direction the steps were to go in, but he
had to determine the number of steps and their height. The combination of both
our skills, as well as our men’s skill, gave our client’s Mark and Sharon a very nice
job.

Sometimes when two contractors are on a job, it is a bit of a juggling act
determining the order of the work. However, with this job, the work could be split
in half. To the left of the block wall, my crew could work, and to the right which
included the driveway, walk and steps, Raymond’s crew could work. When it
came time to pour the concrete, we had only a few days left to finish the left side.
This gave the concrete the days it needed to harden. Once finished, we started
the other side.

The goal with all landscapes is to create a design that is colorful, low maintenance
and unique. I am dealing with a client right now that says she is able to drive
through a neighborhood and tell her husband which jobs belong to Executive
Care. That is such a nice compliment. We do follow a procedure, and each and
every job is done in this manner. The difference will be found in the plants used,
which has to do with the sunlight. Sunlight is a big deal in my world, and greatly
influences the plant selection. All day, or partial sun determine the choice of
plants. This goes for all day, or partial shade as well. A sun landscape is a
landscape with 7 hours of sun, with the majority of the sun being in the
afternoon. It could have 4 hours of shade in the morning, but I would still classify
it as a full sun landscape if the sun was afternoon sun. A shade landscape is just
the opposite. Instead of sun in the afternoon, it has shade. The hardest landscape
is the one that has filtered shade, or shade all day long with late afternoon to
early evening full sun. There are very few plants that can handle that
environment. Fortunately, this situation is rare.

There are other factors which come into play in selecting plants for tough areas.
For example, the season we are in effects plant selection. Do the plants have
enough time to acclimate to their new environment before summer heat or
winter cold? Where are the growing grounds of the plants, or the wholesale
nurseries that grow them? Green Acres is retail, and they are not the growers.
The plants at Green Acres come from three main locations: here in the
Sacramento Valley, the bay area and Oregon. If the plants for the job are grown
here in the valley, there is no concern. They come acclimated. If they are grown in
the other two regions, then depending upon the season and the temperatures, I
may choose to use them or not. If I need those specific plants, because of size or
color, then it’s a bit of a gamble. If we get hot or cold temperatures before they
acclimate, there is a chance that some foliage may burn. However, once the
extreme temperatures are over, they will grow out.

Now back to Mark and Sharon’s job. They did not give me many instructions other
than they wanted a colorful landscape. In viewing their landscape during our
initial visit, I saw problems with the lawn (see the before picture). Lawns on the
slope are difficult to keep moist, especially when the same sprinkler system
waters all the slope and the level portion. Slopes need to be separated from level
sections of lawn. They require short intervals of water- 4 to 5 minutes, 2 to 3
times per watering, and they need to be aerated at least once a year if not twice.
Given this concern, and the client’s willingness to lessen the lawn, I knew what we
were going to do. As you can see in the picture, we kept the level part of the lawn,
and just a portion of the slope. To make the rest of the slope more plant friendly,
we brought in larger Sierra boulders and created “planter scenes” by mounding
extra soil around them.

Planting the sidewalk area was a bit challenging. It was difficult to determine the
sunlight. When I can’t gauge the sunlight because of a tree or the house’s roof
line obstructing the sun, I ask the client to take pictures starting from 12 pm every
2 hours until 7, which helps a lot.

Finally, I would like to comment on landscaping with the current water shortage
concern. The more landscapes that can be converted over to drip irrigation, the
better at conserving water we become. For example, drip emitters are .5, 1 and 2
gallons per hour, and the most water conserving nozzle for lawn is .72 (MP’s half
pattern 12’) gallons per minute. This is much better than the original nozzles that
were 1.62(12H) gallons per minute. Therefore, my recommendation would be to
reduce your lawn to what fits your lifestyle, and update your nozzles. The extra
space (assuming you reduce the lawn) can be used for more plants, a fire pit,
bocci court, or outdoor patio area. You would be saving water while enjoying your
yard. I hope you enjoy this yard/article as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you.
Until next time – Good Gardening, Arthur

October 2022 – The Resurrection & The Life Part III

Please watch the video introduction to my message here:https://youtu.be/nbjy_MbfLHU

1 Thessalonians 5:16-20

Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything, give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench, not the Spirit. Despise not prophesying.

People always want to know God’s will. I believe that His approval of our occupation, the person we are to marry, or the right decision over many things is all-important. However, equally important is how we navigate life. How do we show our faith in Him during these decisions?

Everyone has decisions, but not everyone has Christ. In having Christ, are we different? Does Christ in our life make a difference at these challenging intersections in our life? 

Sometimes I also think that we are too in love with ourselves. We overestimate our importance. We say, “I have these gifts and talents, and I want to use them for the Lord (as if to say the Lord needs me). But Jesus says if we bring something as simple as a cup of cold water or welcome a servant of the Lord, we will be blessed. 

Matthew 10:41-42

He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.

And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

It doesn’t take much gifting to do this, yet there is a reward. What it takes is a servant’s heart. We are too self-focused with our gifting that we lose the essential attribute, our servant’s heart. God can easily accomplish His will through us with the right heart. He can give us the talents needed for the task when our hearts are subject to Him. For example, as parents, we pray for our children to come to the faith. However, how is our walk with Christ? Are we submitted to Him? 

God works through parents and has given us the responsibility of raising Godly children; He’s not our kids’ parent; we are. The more disconnected we are from Him and what He asks of us, the more fallout we will have in our parenting. To be parents that role model the Lord, we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit; it makes all the difference. His wisdom, His patience, and His love is a game-changer. From within the home to outside the home, our example is very important. What a blessing we would be to be employees filled with the Holy Spirit seeking to work for the Lord, putting in an honest day’s work, or a genuine friend who cares about others. Then God can move, direct, speak, and give wisdom and patience as needed.

When we don’t emphasize our walk with Him, we dam the flow of His Spirit. Instead of God working through us, He now has to use life’s unfavorable circumstances to get us to repent and come back to Him. It’s such a waste of time and energy. All this because we are out of sync with Him.

To raise godly children, by necessity, parents must model godliness. Children will model the character of their parents. Listen to how Paul challenged Christians: “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1-2). 

He calls us to imitate God as dear children and to imitate Him. We need to know Him, or it will not happen. God as a parent, is loving, righteous, and holy, so we, His children, should reflect his character. The job of raising kids is our job, not His. Our children will show our strengths and or our weaknesses. It is up to us to make our home sacred, a place of worship where God is put first, and a place of prayer. If we are not praying with our family, not just at night, but when decisions have to be made, we are missing an excellent opportunity to model a life that is dependent upon the Lord. We are to model dependency in times of crisis and in times of play. This is modeled as everyday life; it’s just how we do life. 

Joshua said, and I love his statement, especially when you consider all the apostasy and idol worship of his day.

Joshua 24:14-15

“Now therefore fear — the LORD, and serve — him in sincerity and in truth: and put away — the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye — the LORD.

And if it seems evil unto you to serve — the LORD, choose you this day — whom ye will serve; whether — the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or — the gods of the Amorites, in whose land — ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve — the LORD.”  (“will serve” in context means to worship the Lord in joyful liberation, to be contrasted against the toil, bondage, and sacrifice required by man and his pagan deities).

This statement made Joshua a great leader, for as his house was, so was his soul. Only One God ruled. The statement is in strong contrast to all the carnality that existed and still exists today in different forms. It all starts in our hearts. The sooner we get to “One God” and put distance between us and any competition, the stronger our lives will be.

We are now changing subjects just a bit. What if we faithfully serve the Lord, but everything goes south in our lives? I can hear the enemy’s voice, “so much for serving God,” what will I say? What will you say? Here’s what Job said, 

Job 1:14-21

And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them:

And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain — the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

While he was yet speaking, there also came another and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them, and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

While he was yet speaking, there also came another and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain — the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee (satan made sure to leave one to bring the bad news).

While he was yet speaking, there also came another and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house:

And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead, and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

Then Job arose, and rent — his mantle, and shaved — his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshiped, (šāḥāh is used to show bowing down in worship to Yahweh)

And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; 

blessed (Holy) be the name of the LORD.

Such an amazing man. Typically, wealth dilutes faith and weakens us, but as wealthy as Job was, his faith was the man. No Holy Spirit had been given, yet he exceeds us in our faith. Even God gets blamed for bringing fire down from Heaven, yet Job worshiped. He prostrated himself in all his grief and worshipped God. That is an amazing response from a man who does not have the Holy Spirit and such great reverence for God.

What is the difference between Job and us? Is it because of the things we have, family, jobs, material wealth, even our pets, we feel they belong to us. We are completely invested in these blessings rather than being invested in the Blesser of these blessings. Though we never say all this is mine when we experience loss, we get angry, feel it’s unfair or get depressed. That is not Job’s reaction. As amazing as it seems, he never felt he owned anything; he was blessed with possessions and family that he “stewarded, meaning that he loved and enjoyed them, cared for them as God’s blessings, but they belonged to God. This is a good lesson for us. 

Hence his statement, “naked I came into this world and naked will I return, blessed be the name of the Lord.” Paraphrasing Job, “He, God, gave me a good life, and I have no complaints.” Even while grieving the loss of his children, Job reverenced the Lord. This changed nothing between him and the Lord. Men or women who view life as such are almost bulletproof from tragedies, losses, and successes. Their hope and trust are in God. Though they live in this world, they are not invested in this world. They are invested in God. 

“He holdeth fast his integrity,” God says of Job. He was a tenacious man because his roots were very deep in God. By far, tragedies result from sin or careless actions on our part or others. To be invested in the Lord is our best defense against tragedies. When they come, not if, we will have the inner strength to weather them. As bad as what Job had just suffered, here comes round two.

Job 2:3-8

And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? And still, he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

And Satan answered — the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.

But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and –his flesh, and he will — curse thee to thy face.

And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save — his life.

So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote — Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

And he took him a potsherd (broken piece of pottery) to scrape himself withal, and he sat down among the ashes.

Now the question is, why is God allowing this to occur? Job pleads his case against his “friends” that he never did anything wrong to deserve this, but he never gets an answer; God is silent until later. And God, as God, does not owe anyone an answer. However, as New Testament believers, we at least have the Testimony of The Cross. There is nothing that speaks more of an Infinitely Loving God than The Cross. Job did not have the testimony of The Cross or Christ’s love. He did not know why God was “punishing” him, but he was willing to receive it. He was not privy to the dialogue between satan and God. 

Job 2:9-10

Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? Shall we receive — good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive — evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

Job’s wife suffered all the loss Job suffered and took the position that satan was betting Job would take. Job’s response, “you speak as a foolish woman,” the word foolish there is “nabal,” an arrogant bore, dense intellectually, morally and spiritually deprived.” Quite a statement! The only other time I am aware that this word is used is in context with Abigail and Nabal. Nabal refused to give David’s men supplies, even though David and his men protected Nabal’s men and flocks while they were in the wilderness. Fortunately, a servant told Abigail, and Abigail, knowing what was about to happen, met David midway, preventing David from revenging himself. She told him as the man’s name is, so is the man. Do not ruin your reputation as God’s warrior on account of him. 

Job’s wife’s being tested reveals that she did not have the relationship with the Lord that Job had. And that is often true in marriage; one spouse will be the stronger one. The weaker spouse finds their assurance in the strength of their spouse, though God calls each of us individually. Does not the scripture teach us that each of us will have to give an account of our life? We are taught that each of us has to be ready.

Matthew 24:37-42

But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

Plus, we have the story of the ten virgins, Matt. 25:1-13. Five virgins were ready when the bridegroom came (Jesus), and five were not. Readied virgins had their candles bright and shining because they brought extra oil in case the bridegroom tarried, which he did, and they went into the banqueting hall when He came. Then Jesus says the door was shut (the tense indicates it was not to be opened). When the other five returned from buying extra oil for their lamps, they were not let in. When they knocked, note that it was not a servant that went to the door but the bridegroom, and he said, “I tell you, I know you not.” There is a purposeful change in custom that Jesus makes. One of the servants would always answer the door, not the Lord, as when Peter was released from prison by the angel and Rhonda, “the damsel,” answered the door ( Acts 16). The bridegroom would celebrate with his wife and guests, but Christ says…

Matthew 25:11-12

— Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

So Jesus is warning that we must watch and wait for Christ’s return. Nothing should be more important than this. Not family, work, church, or even ministry. Christ and Christ alone must be the number one concern and the pleasure of our hearts.

Next, if we were tested like Job, would we be more like Job or his wife? I believe as the story progressed, she repented. I say this because once this trial was over, they had more children, and children were a sign of blessing from The Lord. 

Now let’s talk about God’s right to do such a thing. Does God have the right to use us as if it were a “bet” or like a pawn in a chess game? Paraphrasing satan and the Lord, “I bet you he will cave and curse You if you allow me to do this and God said he won’t, so go ahead.” And Job, his family, servants, and animals are in the middle. There are real-world consequences to this bet, lives at stake, and people died, yet God allowed it; why? God never answers Job why he was suffering, nor is God accountable to us. 

God has every right; the creature does not say back to the Creator what doeth thou, no more than a servant tells his master how to run the home or an employee the boss on how to run his business, and this incredibly was Job’s attitude. 

Towards the end of the book of Job, God and Job have direct conversations with each other, and he sees the foolishness of his ways. And for us, we have The Cross. No evil has or will come into our life that will ever exceed what Christ suffered for us, and if the pain and or circumstances of our lives are given over and walked through with the Lord (as opposed to walking away from the Lord), He will help us and use it for our good. 

For me, the Cross and what Christ underwent for us say everything. I can trust Him fully with my life and the lives of my loved ones. If you are struggling with difficulties, I strongly suggest you read each disciple’s account of the events leading up to, through, and after the Crucifixion. Now Job and God talk.

Job 38:1-6

God Speaks

Then the LORD answered — Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge (Jobs’s knowledge is finite, compared to God’s, which is infinite)? 

Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched the line upon it?

Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the cornerstone thereof (God is talking about Creation).

Job 40:12-14 (God is still speaking to Job)

Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low, and tread down the wicked in their place.

Hide them in the dust together, and bind their faces in secret.

Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee?

And from chapters 38-41, God speaks of the wonders of Creation and the things He thought when creating; it is fascinating. 

Now before we read Job’s answer, what answer would you give? 

Job 40:3-5

Then Job answered — the LORD and said,

Behold, I am vile ( of little worth); what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.

Job 42:1-6

Then Job answered — the LORD and said,

I know that thou canst do everything and that no thought can be withheld from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes (and this is what God was waiting for, that such a righteous man as Job would see his pride and repent). Trial over, satan lost…

Job 42:7

And it was so that after the LORD had spoken — these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.

A lapidary is a specialist with gems. He or she knows just how much pressure to exert to cut the stone and bring out its beauty. Too much pressure and the stone is crushed and ruined. Not enough pressure, and the stone, instead of being the rare gem it could be, remains ordinary. God is just like that with us. God praised Job before he underwent the trials and proved there was no wrong in his life, as his friends insisted. But greater beauty would be found in him after the trials. Job would see himself and God in a new, eternal way, which would affect him for the rest of his life, for the children to come, and, most importantly, his relationship with God.

So what was the role of satan? Does he have a role? He is used to separating the goats from the sheep and the wheat from the tares. He provides the choice, and Eternity is a long, long time. The damned must choose to be damned. Pardon the language, but I do not want to powder-coat something that is a matter of Eternal Life or Eternal Death. I would rather scare the hell out of you now than you abide there later.

Nothing is ever done to us that does not have the purpose and intent to better us, causing us to see Him more clearly, and causing us to tread lightly in this world. Job was so upright that it took a severe trial to get him to see he had more to learn. 

So when we are in a severe trial, is there a verse or verses that can comfort us? Yes, I believe so. Aside from my personal favorite, Proverbs 3 (shared last Vida), there are James 4 and Psalms 139.

James 4:7-10

Submit yourselves, therefore, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded.

Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

Psalms 139:23-24 ( a wonderful prayer)

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (this verse makes such a great prayer).

Without trial, we do not know our hearts or our thoughts. Only trials show the true caliber of the man or woman that we are. 

Job 42:10

And the LORD turned — the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job — twice as much as he had before.

Job 42:16

After this lived Job a hundred and forty years and saw — his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations.

Father God, 

Thank you so much for this in-depth study. All things in your Word are for instruction and the bettering of the man or woman of God. Help us to stay in the fire till the dross is burned from us. And as we stand accepting the trial, You will stand in the midst with us and see that the fire does us no harm, only to better us. 

Thank you, and Amen

Arthur 

If you’ve come this far, please take a look at our book of devotionals on Amazon: https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B092FRD6NQ&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_7XV6JAWRSN7HM9KNW3ZE

Arthur Navarrette