The Secret Garden Chronicles: Moments of Grace ~ A Benediction - Updated

10/12/2018 Update:  This special sacred place shown below has continued to be in my mind and heart as we contemplate making another move in the (hopefully) near future. (The timing is totally in God's hands, however...whether it be sooner or later...it will be perfectly timed).  As people are little by little learning about our anticipated move, (Click HERE for more about that) some have mentioned that they hope I will have another "Secret Garden" at our new home.  Rest assured, I believe that I will have some type of "Secret Garden" wherever we go, even if I have to plant some trees and flowers to create it!  

Read here what I wrote last year and the year before that about the inspiration for such a place...

2/27/17 Update:  As I sat in the Secret Garden today I kept thinking about this place...the Methodist Youth Camp (now called the Warren W. Willis Camp), where I first learned how important it is to set aside a special time each day to reflect/meditate on God's Word and focus solely on the Lord.  We would start each day at camp at the "silver benches" on the lake shore, and have our morning devotions.  Read on for more about this...especially see the note at the end of this post with the picture of the cross on the lake.  

Here is the original post written on 1/9/2016:

"The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make His face shine upon you,

and be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,

and give you peace."

Numbers 6:24-26

When I was a young girl...many moons ago, I spent several weeks each summer and many weekend retreats at the nearby Methodist Youth Camp, now known as the Warren W. Willis Camp, named after the director who served there for so many years. Upon my graduation from high school, I spent the entire summer there as a camp counselor...an experience that I count as the turning point in my life.  It was during that particular summer that I totally recommitted my life to Christ, and made some decisions regarding my future that forever changed the direction in which I was headed. Not long after that I met my husband and God subsequently led us into full time ministry, and the rest is history. (A long story for another time).

What has all of that information to do with the above verses from Numbers Six?  Well, let me tell you. The verses above are also known by Bible scholars as the "Aaronic Benediction", when the Lord spoke to Moses and told him to (in verse 23)

"Speak to Aaron (his brother) and his sons, saying,

'This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel."

This "benediction" became a way to bless not only the children of Israel, but countless followers of Christ throughout the ages.  In our youth group, we always closed our gatherings and meetings with this particular benediction, as we crossed our arms and joined hands in a circle with our entire group, so that we were one in our purpose and prayer and blessing.

This little ritual always stuck with me as being a very special moment...

to be blessed by the Lord...

to be kept by the Lord...

to feel His radiant face shining upon me...

to know His Gracious GRACE was being bestowed upon me...

to know the beauty of His Divine countenance beholding my face...

and to be given His PEACE, which passes all understanding.

Wow! What a glorious moment of grace! I didn't fully comprehend how precious that moment was at the time. I just recited the words from memory with the others, not realizing that speaking those words was an actual blessing being spoken upon my own life and purpose. God was literally blessing me with His face, His grace, His Divine Countenance, and His peace. How beautiful...How marvelous...Such amazing GRACE.

Perhaps you are in need of a Benediction of Grace spoken over your life right now. I invite you to speak these words out loud, to yourself, or as you join hands with another who may be in need of a blessing today. Practice praying these words and claim them for yourself.  God intended you to hear them and to allow His radiant face to shine upon you...to feel His grace and peace washing over you...and to be blessed.  Amen.

This lighted cross floats on the lake in front of the Warren W. Willis Camp.
I used to sit on the shore on the
Silver Benches (a place for morning devotions) and pray and read God's Word early every morning and again in the evening.  

New note 2017:  Such a peaceful, restful place. I believe this is where the inspiration for my Secret Garden actually began...now some almost 50 years later the seeds sown then have produced much good fruit in me today.  We never know just how significant something so simple can be in the life of a young person...never underestimate the power of God to perfect that which He has started!



Psalm 138:8 (NKJV)
The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
Amen!

Back to the present (2018) Perhaps God may show me a new type of "sanctuary" where I can draw near to Him and hear His voice speaking to my heart at our new home.  I would love to have a place near the waterfront, where we could sit on the benches and spend time with the Lord. This would be a place not just for me alone, but for anyone who needs a place to depart from the world for a little while and find some peace and solace for their souls.  This is not a new idea...Click HERE for a little history on this "dream".  We had hoped to create such a place in our present home, and the Secret Garden was as close as we could get...but still not quite the whole big picture we have dreamed of.

(A beautiful place like this would certainly be amazing...but God knows where it will be..)

We don't know exactly what God has in mind in our next move, but we believe He has some very special surprises waiting for us when we get there. Won't you come along on this journey with us...especially as we pray for God's will and direction for our lives and home? Thank you, dear friends. Wherever we go, we pray it will be a place that will bring glory to God and peace to all who visit there.

Now you know another layer of the hopes and dreams we have in taking this step of faith.

I repeat this "Benediction of Grace" here and now:

"The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make His face shine upon you,

and be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,

and give you peace."

Numbers 6:24-26
Amen.

Things to "Ponder"... Updated

Our son Matthew, on one of our last
walks in the woods together

UPDATE 2016: I wrote this original post right after Christmas in the year that our precious son Matthew passed away from cancer the previous May. (2014).  We've just gotten through another Christmas without him, and I must say it really doesn't get any easier.  The holidays will always bring back memories and thoughts of our loved ones who have gone on before us.  But what we do with those memories is what matters. I choose  try not to wallow in sorrow or grief...even though there are moments when I feel overwhelmed and can't help but let the tears flow.  I had one experience during my Christmas shopping excursions this year that left me almost ready to start crying and screaming in the middle of a store (well, okay, I did my crying and screaming in the car afterward). That was the last store we visited together with our son before he died...one of his favorite kind of stores to shop in...Gander Mountain...because he loved the outdoors so much and loved everything about the woods, fishing, hunting, camping, survival stuff...and I could just feel his presence with me as I shopped in that store...it was comforting and heart wrenching at the same time. I wanted to leave, and yet I felt compelled to visit every department that I knew he loved...just to see those things the way I know he would have loved them...fishing lures, knives, camping stuff, all of it...

Okay, I apologize for rambling, and I certainly don't want to put a damper on a very happy season...and a marvelous Christmas that we have just had with our loved ones here. It was all wonderful...but sometimes we have to allow ourselves to acknowledge the underlying thoughts and sadness that may be affecting our emotions in ways that we don't even realize.  Many are going through grief and loss and loneliness...and may have many things to "ponder"....so read on...and be blessed and thankful for the wonderful gifts we do have through Christ Jesus our Lord...and allow Him to comfort and bring healing to the tender spots in our hearts and minds.

ORIGINAL POST 12/28/2014:

One verse kept leaping out at me this past week as we read the Christmas story from Luke 2:1-20...

"But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart."

What kind of things do you think Mary, the mother of Jesus, was pondering in her heart? 

• The Angelic announcement of the miraculous conception and birth of her baby, The Son of God.
• The kindness, love and support of her betrothed husband, Joseph, in the face of tremendous stress and concern.
• The unusual visit from the shepherds to the manger, and the excitement they shared over the angelic announcement of the birth of her baby. 

And then a few days later, when she and Joseph presented Jesus at the temple, Old Simeon came and prayed such an amazing blessing over the Baby... (Luke 2:29-32)

• "Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace...
• My eyes have seen Your salvation 
• which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
• A Light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel..."

and it says in Luke 2:33 that "Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him (Jesus)."  

How would YOU feel if someone came and prayed such a prayer and then made this pronouncement over YOUR child?

"Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother,

'Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many

in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against...(yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

Luke 2:34-35

Rather startling news I would say.  Not the kind of "blessing" a new mother would want to hear.  

And yet, every day there are new mothers and fathers, old mothers and fathers, friends, loved ones, spouses, hearing difficult news about someone they love...

• a dreaded diagnosis
• a terrible accident
• family problems
• a wayward child or mate
• loss of job, home, or loved one

Difficult things to ponder for anyone...and yet...because of the birth of this Child, The Son of God, we are not alone in our ponderings.  The protection and comfort of our Lord was promised to us throughout all of history, so that we need not fear.  Here is just one example of that promise:

"Be strong and of good courage, 

do not fear nor be afraid of them;

for the Lord your God,

He is the One who goes with you.

He will not leave you nor forsake you."

Deuteronomy 31:6

I can testify to you today, after a very difficult year and the loss of one of our precious sons, there were many days that I "pondered" many things in my heart. Even though our deepest prayers for our son's healing were not answered in the way we hoped they would be, I cannot question the promises and wisdom of God. I know that my son is now healed...and alive and well in heaven. So ultimately, our prayers were answered.  I cannot say that I understand everything, the why's and wherefore's and reasons...but I trust my Lord and Savior.  He sees the things that I cannot see. He holds our future in His hands...and because He is God, He will do all things well.

As we approach the New Year, I can do so with confidence, knowing that the God of the universe holds my life in His hands. I can say with the Psalmist:

"The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;

Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever..."

and then, because I am human, just like the Psalmist, I can add this little plea, and God will totally understand my heart and "ponderings"...

"Do not forsake the works of Your hands..." 

Psalm 138:8

Amen.

What kinds of things are you pondering at the close of this year and the beginning of the new?  Are you ready to trust the God of the Universe...Jesus Christ...God Incarnate, Who came in the flesh as a little baby...and now lives forevermore on the right hand of the Throne of God, interceding for you and me...to "perfect that which concerns" you?  Now would be a good time to "ponder" that in your heart.

What If This Was My Last Post?

Yesterday I had a virus that incapacitated me for the whole day. I spent most of the time lying in my bed with the curtains closed, avoiding bright lights and loud noises.  As I laid there I was inundated with strange random dreams throughout the day, most of which made no sense, typical of most dreams. But in the midst of my semi-consciousness this overwhelming thought occurred to me:

"What if my most recent blog post was my last?"

What a sobering thought!  Not just that it would have been my last blog post, but that it may have been my last opportunity to say what I wanted to say to:

My loved ones

My friends near and far

My future generations

My Lord and Savior

Well....maybe not that last one...If I were to die today I am certain I would be seeing my Lord and Savior face to face, and I would be speechless!  Hopefully, the blog post is not the only method of communication with my Lord or my loved ones and friends...but again...this was a semi-conscious illness induced thought, so bear with me.

If yesterday had been my last day of communication with the world, I would have missed out on this:

 This curious young bear sitting outside my kitchen window this morning!

And I may have missed out on this:

This sweet dragonfly landing on the top of the wind chime as I sat inside the arbor in the memorial garden...

Or this:

Thankfully I noticed him before he noticed me!   

And then there was this:

Sunlight reflecting off of these spider webs...and this tiny little spider waiting for his breakfast at the center of the web...

And if yesterday had been my last day, I would have missed this lovely Rose of Sharon bud (picture taken two days ago) opening up into this beautiful full flower this morning...and I've been waiting for this event all summer!  This particular bush was planted last June in memory of our son Matthew in the memorial garden, and it bloomed profusely all last summer.  I was about to give up hope that it was ever going to bloom again, and now all of a sudden there are many more buds developing! New life out of what had appeared to have died...

But most of all, I would have missed out on

saying, "I love you" to my husband and sons and 

mother-in-law this morning.  I would have missed the phone calls from concerned friends when they heard I was sick.

I would have missed reading about others on Facebook who have prayer requests and/or praises for the answers to prayers...or who just wanted to share their own good news and happy thoughts for the day.

I would have missed reading from God's Word this morning in our devotional time before my hubby left to take his mother back to stay with her other son and family for the week. And she (my mother in law) would have missed that especially. She looks forward to that first cup of coffee and hearing me read the Bible every morning when she is here with us. We had to cancel our Home Bible Fellowship meeting here at our house yesterday because I was sick, and that made me sad because I know how much she looks forward to seeing our friends come for worship and praise and fellowship, and then to hear her son share from God's Word with our group. Yesterday morning as I heard my hubby calling our friends to tell them we would have to cancel I wanted to cry out and say, "No! Please don't do that! I don't want to be the cause for their disappointment!"  But he was correct in that it would not have been wise to invite them into a home where there is an ongoing virus present. That would not be a good thing to share.  

If yesterday had been my last day here on earth, I would miss out on the future generations that are yet to come.  As of now, we have one precious grandson, who lives pretty far away.  We don't get to see him very often, and now that his daddy, our son Matthew has passed on to heaven, it seems like our communication with our grandson is becoming less and less. Not by choice...but it just seems that way. He's almost 16, so soon his life will be expanding and his interests will take him possibly farther away...but as of now, he is our one hope for a 'future generation' someday.  I still have two unmarried sons, so hopefully there is still hope...so I'd like to hang around and see what develops.  

If yesterday had been my last day my thought was, "What have I left for future generations?  What kind of legacy would I be leaving for them...and what impact would I have made on the world around me?"

In my devotional reading this morning we read from Matthew 10:34-11:1, which is Christ talking to His disciples about the cost of discipleship.  This speaks to me of taking a stand for Christ, and making a difference in the world:

"And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

He who finds his life will lose it,

and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

He who receives you receives Me,

and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me."

Matthew 10:38-40

Many years ago I chose to take up the cross of Christ and follow Him.  Even though I love this life here on earth that I've been given, all of the things of this world are nothing when compared to the glory of heaven.  If yesterday had been my last day here on earth, today I would be in paradise with Christ, enjoying the splendor of heaven.  So even though it may appear that I am clinging to this life, I am thankful that I had this opportunity today to tell you that if this were my last day on earth, there is something much greater awaiting.  

If this were YOUR last day on earth...do you know that heaven is awaiting you?  Are you ready to enter heaven's gates at a moment's notice?  My little virus came on me very suddenly.  One day I felt perfectly fine, and the next day I did not.  Our lives hang by a very fragile thread.  One misstep, one crazy driver, one horrendous storm or accident, one earth-shattering diagnosis...and we could be standing face to face with our Creator God. 

I know that I am ready to meet Jesus.  I've placed my life in the Savior's loving hands by faith in His redeeming love. I am not perfect...and I may have left a few things undone or unsaid, but I am trusting in the One who created me to "perfect that which concerns me..." (Psalm 138:8)...I've asked Him to:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;  Try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."  Psalm 139:23-24.

And I believe He will do just that.  How about you?  

I Thessalonians 5:24  "He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it."

Psalm 138: 8  "The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands."

Have you ever been chosen for or asked to do a job that you felt unworthy of, or perhaps overwhelmed with the miracle of how it all came to be in the first place?  That's kind of where I am today.  As most of you are aware, I was job-hunting for over eight months.  During that time I had many, many interviews, and quite a few second interviews, which all ended up with the same result...I was not selected.  Then, last week, out of the blue I received a phone call from one of those places where I had previously interviewed.  A new position had become available, one that was much better than the original position for which I had been interviewed, and they wanted to know if I was still available and would I be interested in applying!  Many of you have already heard this story, but I wonder if you realized what a magnificent miracle this was! 

I started this new job on Friday, and each day I am discovering more and more about just how amazing this whole story is.  There were other people available who could have done this job, and possibly even better qualified than I.  But for some reason, God reached down and whispered into their ears, "choose Pam."  I don't know why, except for the fact that I was getting pretty desperate and in dire straights financially. But lots of people are probably worse off than me.  I only know that I am there, and for whatever reason, God has placed me there.  His reasons may be way beyond anything that I can think of or even understand at this moment.  Only time will tell...and maybe only eternity itself will reveal the whole story. 

I have a lot to learn about this job...and I am a bit overwhelmed...but I stand amazed at the beauty of what God is doing...amazed and humbled, and oh! so thankful! 

Have you ever felt this way?  Have you ever wondered just what God was up to in your life?  I cling to the verses that are quoted above..."He Who calls you is faithful, Who also will do it"...which means that as surely as God has placed me in that position, He will be faithful to do the work through me that He has already planned.   

And then in Psalm 138:8...I love this one, because the psalmist believes fully that God will perfect or complete that which concerns him, but notice the humanity of this man (King David), when he almost pleads to God, "Do not forsake the works of Your hands."  In other words, even though he knows God will do what he has set out to do, he is almost afraid that He might give up on him, so he asks Him to please not forsake the work of His hands.

Yeah, I know that feeling.  Now that God has brought me this far, I don't want Him to forget about me and leave me to do this thing alone.  I know He will be faithful to complete what He has started...I just hope I can do my part.  Thank you for your prayers, friends!!! Please don't stop now!