Thank you for meeting me in the garden for a time of Garden Grace, where we allow God to reveal Himself through His creation. Once a month we linger together gleaning all He has for us through the beauty of plants, trees, animals and insects. I can’t wait to share my most recent discovery with you!
Come sit with me in my garden, the peacefulness, fragrances and beauty beckon me, “rest”. It’s my favorite spot after a hectic day of work demands or anytime I feel overwhelmed. Sometimes I walk, visiting each little area on my property or take…READ MORE
We often take spiritual growth for granted. After becoming Christians we go to church, read our Bibles, pray and trust God to complete the good work He began in us. (Philippians 1:6)But God’s purpose for every believer is…READ MORE
The Voice of God in the Garden
My favorite place for seeking rest and quiet is the garden. A hopeless introvert, I spend my days engaging and investing in others with the hope of my coveted “quiet time” in the garden where I recharge my proverbial batteries. While the garden most nights is bereft of…READ MORE
The Garden Grace of the Butterfly
estless, thoughts darted through my mind intensifying already tense muscles with their persistent implications of unfinished work. My time in the garden usually speaks calm to my racing mind, but tonight the eerie quiet produced the opposite effect. Fidgeting in my seat, a slight movement caught my eye: a butterfly. The garden grace of the butterfly drew…READ MORE
Sunflowers prove rather an enigma for me. While florists and grocery stores peddle a smaller variety, most I encounter exceed my petite five foot frame. Blue, red and green ribbons adorn the largest sunflower heads at the local fairs: some as large as two feet in diameter! But until recently the secret joy of sunflowers escaped…READ MORE
What My Garden Taught Me About Resilience
They speak in many ways these plants and flowers of mine; but only for ears bent in listening. Whispered lessons of sheer delight arrayed in finery bedazzled by the afternoon sun, somber strains of wilted strength slain by heat, even the sadness of wounds endured; all offered to the ear keen for listening. But the best lesson of all lingers in what my garden taught me about…READ MORE
Mesmerized by the fading afternoon sun peeking in and out of the leaves above my head, my peaceful time in the garden delighted me, as autumn reveals God’s beauty. Though but a faint breeze, its gentle caress accompanied each falling leaf to its earth bound rest. Each leaf, as if the only one of its kind; gayly dancing on the breeze, showcases…READ MORE
Hope Hidden in the Heart of Spring’s Awakening
In what seems like an overnight arrival, the signs of the hope hidden in the heart of spring’s awakening stun my senses as I walk from the parking lot to my office. Each of the half dozen maple trees boast a myriad of red buds, the large birch tree sports tiny green buds, the timid green fingers of daffodils and tulips point upward and the gay song of busy robins escorts…READ MORE
An Encounter With Unspeakable Grief
The Garden, a treasured locale, full of pleasant memories of sweet communion both with His closest friends and loving Father, boasted the delicate fragrance of olive blossoms. On a night charged with emotion and urgency, He chose the one spot his heart felt most at home. Yet an encounter with unspeakable grief tore through every chamber…READ MORE
Promising something new, each day in the garden provides delights which encourage my frequent visits. Astonished by the rapid changes of plants and flowers, I marvelled at God’s intricate design for creation. Considering the admonishment in James 4:14, reminded me like the garden, we know not what our life may reveal tomorrow. But one thing we know beyond…READ MORE
It came rather suddenly. Others around me encountered it sooner; but I never felt especially bothered by it until recently. Unrecognizable at first, I wondered at the gnawing discontent within. Organizing photos on my computer, it all came clear: time fades beauty. Grouping photos of myself, observing the unkindness of the years, the tale of aging unfolded…READ MORE
Shining a Light in the Darkest of Times
My most recent fascination holds me captive at dusk. Sweet childhood memories delightfully dance across my mind’s eye as the fireflies gaily float across the lawn. Lately returned to our area after several years absence, they offered more than reminiscent delight. Visible only as darkness approaches, their light speaks a truth needful for today: that of shining…READ MORE
Long one of my favorite flowers, their location in one of my front gardens sends me on my way in the morning; and welcomes me home at day’s end. Cheerful and unassuming, they whisper the ease of embracing the morning, with innocent hope for the day. Even on the cloudiest of days, their sunny personalities never fail in bringing a smile to my lips.
Noticing the changes within the garden at various times of day, reminds me …READ MORE
As daylight dwindles by moments, inching toward the autumnal equinox’s perfectly apportioned twelve hours of daylight and darkness, activity among the animal kingdom escalates. Photographing changes in my Autumn Joy sedum, God treated me with a flurry of bee activity close up. Lingering, the divine language of bees invited me into… READ MORE
The Fellowship of Compassion in Creation
Watching the antics of our backyard squirrels recently reminded me of the sacredness of God’s creation. In the same way He created me with unique quirkiness and personality, He created each of His creatures. Savoring moments with backyard squirrels, birds, and rabbits which frequent our yard, impressed upon my heart the fellowship of…READ MORE
A farewell tour of my gardens at first revealed little more than dead leaves, shriveled stalks, and dried broken petals. Suddenly weary, feeling a heaviness throughout my body, I sat down in my favorite spot and closed my eyes, as if to block the unpleasant view. After a few moments, opening my eyes once again, the color of a new blossom shimmered, bravely displaying new…READ MORE
Mornings hold a special magic for me. No matter the season, each day bears a charm unlike the one before it. As I sit quietly communing with God, often His Presence reduces me to tears. Breathing deep, I inhale the fragrance of Christ into the depths of my soul.
Perhaps the fragrance of each season offers more than simply a signature scent with which to fill our homes, perhaps the fragrance of Christ meets us in… READ MORE
Reflecting the Creator’s Beauty
Few things equal the magnificence of the reawakening of a spring garden. Though many of the same plants return year after year, each year reveals its own loveliness. Reflecting the Creator’s beauty, the intricacies of individual flowers amaze me with new facets of…READ MORE
Autumn Acorns Speak of God’s Love
Celebrating the official arrival of my favorite season, I marveled at the activity in the garden. Goldfinches gathering seeds, cardinals fluffing their nests, and squirrels, the busiest of all, gathering hickory nuts and acorns! As I gathered a handful or two, a story from long ago of autumn acorns speaking God’s love brought…READ MORE
