Let the Son Shine In

Did you know that the scientific name for sunflower is Helianthus, Helia for sun and Anthus for flower?

Did you know that sunflowers are one of the fastest growing plants? They can grow 8 to 12 feet tall in rich soil within six months.

Did you know that sunflower heads consist of 1,000 to 2,000 individual flowers joined together by a receptacle base? The large petals around the edge of a sunflower head are individual ray flowers which do not develop into seed.

Did you know that the plural form of sunflower is still "sunflower", just like deer and deer, and like moose and moose? So, one should say, "Hey! Look at all those sunflower in that field?" No "s" allowed! I don't think I knew that!!!

Did you know that a sunflower seems to "follow" the sun?

A well-known sunflower characteristic is that the flowering heads track the sun's movement, a phenomenon known as heliotropism.

The daily orientation of the flower to the sun is a direct result of differential growth of the stem. A plant-growth regulator, or auxin, accumulates on the shaded side of a plant when conditions of unequal light prevail. Because of this accumulation, the darker side grows faster than the sunlit side. Thus, the stem bends toward the sun. I don't think I knew that!
Did you know, Jesus said, "do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat, nor about your body, what you shall put on? For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing." Then Jesus used the birds of the air and the lilies of the field as examples.“Consider the lilies of the field they neither sow nor reap yet Solomon in all of his glory was never arrayed as such as these." We have greater wealth than in any other time in history, yet we are always anxious. We have worries about the economy, about our jobs, about our health. We worry about the past and the future.

The anxiety that Jesus is talking about is over having the material things we need to live, the basics of life. Some people get anxious if they don't have the clothes that fit the trend or a car that is better than their neighbor's. Some worry if someone else is smarter or faster or prettier than they are. Some get anxious if they don't have control over other people. Some worry about being left behind by life.

Jesus tells us not to worry, and he uses the birds of the air and the lilies of the field (and/or the sunflower) as examples. They don't worry, so why should we?

Check out the sunflower!

They do not worry, they just grow and grow and grow, and follow the sun.
Maybe we should consider following the "SON" a little more regularly.

Let the "SON" shine in!!!