By Rosie Moore

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

Sugar is sweet,

And so are you.

I had this written in my autograph book in school by a number of guys (and I’m not bragging!).

June is the month when the budding roses start to bloom, in most areas. They lift their faces to the sky because they love the warm sun and gentle rain. A little history about the beloved rose. It is a woody perennial plant that consists of over a hundred species. They form a group of plants that can be erect shrubs, climbing or trailing with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. They range in size from compact, miniature, roses, to climbers that can reach seven meters in height.

The flowers of most petals have five petals, some have four. The aggregate fruit of the rose is a berry-like fruit structure called a rose hip which is used in perfumes, cosmetics and food such as rose petal jam, rose petal salad and also you can  decorate cookies with them.

Here is a simplified version of a poem written by A.L.Fink (I couldn’t find much information about him, except he was in the funeral business.)

The Rose Beyond the Wall:

A rose once grew where all could see,

Sheltered beside a garden wall,

And as the days passed swiftly by

It spread its branches, straight and tall…..

One day, a beam of light shone through

A crevice that had opened wide

The rose bent gently toward its warmth

Then passed beyond  to the other side.

Now, you who deeply feel its loss,

Be comforted–the rose blooms there–

It’s beauty even greater now,

Nurtured by God’s own loving care.

A beautiful thought for those who grieve. And another thought from the book of Isaiah: “For as the earth bring forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so  the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all nations.”

Pray that it be so.

Thought for the day: Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago. Warren Buffatt