The Seed of Faith

Quite unexpectedly, the seed of faith arrived. First through an email, “Someone has followed your Pinterest boards.” I clicked on her name and entered an enchanting land of all that I loved. Her tastes in everything from fantasy kitchens and garden delights to mixed media art and teaching posters mesmerized me because it was as if she’d entered my …

The Open Door

When I was a new believer, I tried so hard to hit God’s mark for my life. Yet, even though I sought to depend upon His Spirit, I was more aware of my failure than of His heart. Now that I’ve got over 35 years of following under my belt, I view spirituality so differently. …

The Pearl of Hope

Despair burrows, grain of sand embeds in oyster’s flesh. You cry out to God to take away your despair. Yet the dark chamber clenches its teeth even tighter. You grope for the light so you can climb out of the darkness and yet fail to see that The Light is within. “The light shines in …

Gardening and my Incorrigible Soul

Incorrigible: .    Firmly rooted; ineradicable: incorrigible faults. .    Difficult or impossible to control or manage: an incorrigible, spoiled child. American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition http://www.wordnik.com/words/incorrigible Have you ever felt like your soul was incorrigible? I have. In fact, this personal awareness is one of the reasons I enjoy gardening so much. …

Perspective

This morning I arise and wipe sleep from my eyes. Slumbering steps move me slowly towards the nook in the couch, the place where I think and write and listen.  Life direction moving forward? Check. Hold those whom I love close to your heart, Lord. Prayers made… Check. Worry kept at bay? Check A sliver …

I Believe

I am the gentle gardener watering your visions in the night. While editing my creativity book yesterday, I came across this paragraph I wrote several years ago: “I awoke from a dream in which the Lord was counseling me about focus. He explained that the visions He had given me are like flowers in my …

Ice and Roses: Cultivating True Treasures

"Our treasures are many...they just walk around in human form." In these lean economic times, circumstances force us to simplify. We reduce our spending and weed out extravagances. In the process, we search for meaning. What is truly important? We muse. Fear of financial security permeates the media. Talk among co-workers riddles with ways to …

Remember Me

When I was a young mother, I held my newborn son in my arms and contemplated the desperate prayer of Hannah: "O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give …

The Distractors

Forging forward in following God’s will is difficult at best. At times, we do not clearly see the road before us. Like driving in a thunderous downpour, sights and sounds spook our senses and cause us to cling to the steering wheel with a white-knuckle grip. Doubts pummel our thoughts until we can no longer …