The Winter Locked Garden

I sit on our back porch, eating my post workout bananas. The sun is peeping through the clouds on the first day of Spring. The wind chimes sing a quiet melody; birds are whistling in the distance. Our grass is showing faint signs of green; the garden has shot up tarragon galore; the Bradford pear trees have started bursting forth their pretty white flowers.

I decided it was high time to start another book by my favorite author, and that's just what I did. Many of Miller's writings are available to read online for free and it is a life goal to read all of them - more than once. I'm not reading them in any specific order - usually I just scroll through the titles and pick the one that intrigues me at the moment. Today it was this one: The Garden of the Heart. Ever so timely it's words are on this first day of Spring. My prayer is that my heart will be thus...

A writer tells of an old woman who said: “My heart is a little garden, and God is planting flowers there.” Every heart should be a little garden. We should keep it always clear of weeds and full of sweet and beautiful plants and flowers. A garden spot anywhere is not only a thing of beauty but is also a blessing to all who see it. Even a window box filled with its bright colour is a benediction. God means that we shall make our lives so beautiful that they will redeem one spot of the world from dreariness and transform it into loveliness. 

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We know how it is just before spring comes. The trees are bare, but there are thousands of buds only waiting for the breath of the warm sunshine to make them burst into living blossom. The rose bushes are bare and briery and without beauty, but it needs only spring’s genial air and gentle rains to clothe them in marvelous loveliness. The fields are dreary and without life, but there are millions of green roots waiting only for the wooing of spring skies to make them rush up into greenness and verdure.  

It is such a picture as this that is suggested in the prayer to the winds: “Awake, ye winds, and blow upon this wintry scene, to call out the beauty, the fragrance, the life.”  

Is this not also a true picture of many of our lives? Are not our gifts and powers lying in unopened buds? Are we living at our best? Are our lives as beautiful as they might be? Are we as useful, as thoughtful, as helpful to others, as obliging and kind, as we could be? Is there not need that we pray this prayer continually: “Awake, O winds of God, and blow upon the winter locked garden of my heart that the chilled life in it may flow out”?

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This sermon goes well with the above.

 

Snippets of February

Just Us :)

At the Hotel in Charleston :)

Words to a Friend Fighting Worry

Dearest friend,

"This is how to meet the hard and discouraging things in life. It is useless to fret over them. Fretting will never remove them, and it only weakens our energy and mars our life. But if we meet them with undismayed courage and persistent resolve, we shall conquer them, and in conquering them carve royalty of character and noble worth of ourselves." 

This quote is taken from a chapter titled, Reasons Not to Worry, by J.R. Miller. There are 6 pages to this chapter, so make sure you press next at the bottom of the page. Miller is my favorite author. My heart is always encouraged, convicted, and motivated when I read the grace-filled words he penned many years ago.

Now this is the blog of Ann Voskamp (the lady who wrote One Thousand Gifts). I have a feeling that you will find many comforting words there!!! I challenge you to write down 10-20 things you are grateful for TODAY. Maybe have your children make a list of their own. May their praises increase your praises all the more! Praying much for you friend!! 

With love,  

Shayna