My PASSION Magazine issue #2

14 | My Passion - Issue 2 - July 2015 My Passion - Issue 2 - July 2015 | 15
Crutches
OR
Hurdles
The Garden Spot
Knock out
Roses
Do you know how hard it is to do
something different, to change your
routine, to step out of the box? It’s
tough and we know that because
most of us never do! In all fairness
the truth is, it’s easier to stay as
we are and keep that routine. I am
not blind in considering there are
outside factors that play a role in
our decision as well. Stuff like being
married, being single, having kids,
how much money is in our pocket, or
our crazy work schedules. However,
I do believe that a lot of these issues
have become more of a crutch than
a hurdle!
As I was driving home the other
night, I realized that all the people
I’m surrounded by are married! It
seems everyone I know, my friends,
my work colleagues, and even my
family members are all married. Being
married is not a bad thing and I
hope to be someday. But right now,
I’m a lone wolf in a pack of one (well
one and a half if you count my little
dog, Bruce)! Being single should be
awesome, and it would be if it wasn’t
a crutch or a hurdle.
A crutch is something we use to
support or prop us up. Crutches
are needed when we are hurting/
injured and in need of assistance.
We use crutches when we can’t do it
alone. There are times in life when
we need a crutch and it’s helpful,
but there are times when the crutch is
the problem. Right now being single
has become a bad crutch! I use it as
an excuse to hold back in life. I won’t
go to a movie because I want to see it
with someone. I won’t take horseback
riding lessons because I want to do it
with someone. I won’t go out of the
country because I want someone with
me.
FYI, life is not just going to happen!
I love all my married friends and family,
but they are not in the same spot
as I am; they have different responsibilities.
I can’t always wait on my
friends or family to do life with me, I
just have to do it! The truth is, being
single should not be the excuse to not
live life but the encouragement TO
live life!
A hurdle is a barrier, but a barrier
that is meant to be overcome! There’s
nothing great about a hurdle or a
barrier, but we all know life is full of
them. They don’t offer support and
they don’t give us any assistance!
However most of us, when we see a
hurdle, fight through it! I’m okay
when being single is just a hurdle,
because it is an issue I can overcome.
Hurdles hinder moments in life, but
crutches hinder life from happening.
I have a fairly constant routine: I get
up, go to work, go for a jog, read a
book, watch a little TV, and go to
bed. It would be easy to let this be
my everyday life, but I’m bored, I’m
tired of the same old, same old! I want
my singleness to no longer be a crutch
for not living life! I want to seize the
day and use it and the freedom that
comes with it! I want to horseback
ride, to deep sea dive, and to travel.
I want to learn a new language, take
up a hobby, fight one of my fears, and
experience life in new ways. But first
I need to get rid of my crutches, and
start jumping hurdles.
Just take a minute and think about
what things in your life you are using
as a crutch. How can they become
hurdles? What’s causing you to hold
back in life, to play it safe, to keep
your easy routine? Is it a crutch, or
is it a hurdle? Can you get past them
and live the life you long to live? In
all honesty I am looking in the mirror
as I type this and I hope I have the
courage to follow through.
In the end I guess all I want to
say is get rid of the crutches!
You don’t need them, and you
have the ability to jump every
hurdle!
Karla Dennis
(Pastor PK)
Several years ago, I bought my first Knock Out rose
bush. It became my favorite flower in my garden. I
planted it and then forgot about it. There is not much
maintenance. I just prune it (or cut it back) a couple of
times during the summer.
Rose breeder, Bill Radler, created the Knock Out rose
bush. It is one of the most popular roses in North America.
Let’s look at how to care for these roses.
The Knock Out roses are easy to grow, not requiring
much care. They are also very disease resistant, which,
which adds to their appeal. Their bloom cycle is about
every five to six weeks and are known as “self-cleaning”
roses, so there is no real need to deadhead them.
The Knock Out roses can reach 3 to 4 feet wide and 3
to 4 feet tall. In some areas, an early spring pruning 12
to 18 inches above the ground works well, while in areas
with harder winters they may be pruned down to around
3 inches above the ground to remove the dieback of the
canes. A good early spring pruning is highly recommended
to help get the top performance out of these fine
shrub rose bushes.
Prune in late winter or early spring, while the plant is
still dormant. Remove any dead or damaged wood, do
a little shaping if necessary, and take out some of the
interior stems to improve air circulation.
Plant them individually among shrubs, annuals and
perennials in mixed beds and borders. Plant them in
large groups to create a colorful hedge or along a foundation
to provide a bright border.
Every 2 or 3 years remove about one third of the old
branches to stimulate new, fresh growth. If you are
trying to keep the roses at a certain height, you can
cut them back hard with hedge shears. No need to
worry about usual rose pruning rule of cutting back to
an outward facing leaf bud – just chop them down to
the desired size.
When caring for Knock Out roses, feeding them a
good organic or chemical granular rose food for their
first spring feeding is recommended to get them off to
a good start.