You Are Now Entering The Secret Garden - Updated 1-21-2018 One Year Later

I can't believe it has been a whole year since the creation of "The Secret Garden".  I was looking at these pictures earlier today, and marveling at how green and lush everything was at this time last year...and that we were wearing shorts and t-shirts!!  Not so this past week! We had several days of freezing temperatures (yes! here in Florida!)  And the picture that I will show you at the end of these original pictures will show you how the garden looks today.  

Original Post 1/22/2017:

You are now entering The Secret Garden...

Welcome!

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

and into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name,

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

and His truth endures to all generations."

Psalm 100:4-5

This sign and the Welcome sign above were lovingly created for the Secret Garden by my sign-maker son!

For those of you who have been following this story, you will be happy to see that "The Secret Garden" is truly becoming a reality.  God has been blessing this sacred place...yes, I call it "sacred", because it has been "set apart for the worship or service of a deity" (definition of sacred according to the Merriam Webster dictionary), and in this case, the "deity" is none other than God Almighty, Our Lord and Creator.  And most definitely this beautiful secret garden is a place of worship and praise to our God, as well as a place of service, or ministry to His children.  I am His child, and the Lord ministers to me in this place as He speaks to me through His Word, His creation, and His Holy Spirit. Not only me, but to anyone who wishes to come to this place and sit in His Presence for prayer, meditation of His Word, and/or encouragement between friends.  That is my prayer and desire for this "Secret Garden".... may it honor and glorify God in every way.

So that being said, let me take you on a tour of the newest additions to the garden....
Oh, Hello Mr. (Mrs.?) Chickadee!  Welcome to The Secret Garden...

I believe she has already taken up residence here!  How amazing is that???  And I was concerned that because I could not put any bird feeders into the Secret Garden, due to the bears that roam nearby, that I wouldn't have much bird activity to observe....guess I was mistaken!!!

"Look at the birds of the air,

for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns;

yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not of more value than they?"

Matthew 6:26

Perhaps we will one day welcome a family of chickadees to the garden!

 Oh wait! This same chickadee flew over to the other birdhouse and deposited more seeds into this one as well!  Could she have two nests?  Two families?  Hmmm...we will have to watch these interesting developments...

"But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you;

And the birds of the air, and they will tell you;"

"Who among all these does not know 

that the hand of the Lord has done this,

in Whose hand is the life of every living thing,

and the breath of all mankind?"

Job 12: 7, 9-10

"Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;

Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises."

Psalm  98:4

"How lovely is Your tabernacle, 

O Lord of hosts!

My soul longs, yes, even faints 

for the courts of the Lord;

My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

Even the sparrow has found a home,

and the swallow a nest for herself,

where she may lay her young...

even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,

My King and my God.

Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;

They will still be praising You."

Psalm 84:1-4

(Jan. 2017) Meanwhile, back at the workshop, my two wonderful sons are finishing up the bench that was the inspiration for this marvelous Secret Garden project...

 Here they are putting on the crowning glory to the bench..."Mom's Secret Garden".... and I am in awe...

and then they placed it in the garden....

 and I am overwhelmed with the beauty of it all....

 Here's my "sign-maker son", who created all of the signs for the garden, including the "crown" for the bench...

And here I am with my other wonderful son, who found this bench in the dumpster and restored it for my Christmas surprise gift...setting the wheels in motion for the creation of this beautiful space....

"It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

and to sing praises to Your name,

O Most High;

To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,

and Your faithfulness every night,

On an instrument of ten strings,

on the lute,

and on the harp,

with harmonious sound.

For You, Lord,

have made me glad

through Your work;

I will triumph in the works of

Your hands.

O Lord, How great are Your works!

Your thoughts are very deep."

Psalm 92:1-5

Thank you for joining me in this visit to The Secret Garden. I do hope you will come often and enjoy the peace and beauty of this sacred place...and give praise and glory to God.

Back to the future:
1/21/2018, one year later:

Yikes! What a difference a freeze makes!

All those lovely ferns were bitten by the frost...but actually the frost has done me a favor.  The ferns were getting too overgrown and I didn't know how I was going to thin them out...and God took care of it for me! And they will grow back in no time at all with a little rain and warm temperatures...which we had today!

This reminds me of the story in John 15:1-8, about the "Vine and the Branches"...

Jesus said in verses 1 -2:
"I AM the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, 
and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, 
that it may bear more fruit."

Verses 4-5
"Abide in Me, and I in you.
As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, 
unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, 
unless you abide in Me.
I Am the vine, you are the branches.
He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit;
for without Me you can do nothing..."

This year  (2018) my "One Word" in Renew.  I think I am in a kind of "pruning" season of life...old things are being snipped away little by little, and God is renewing me and helping me to "bear much fruit" in the process...at least I hope that is going to happen. Just like these ferns, they have been frozen down to the ground so that all the old leaves have been stripped off and fallen into the dirt.  Out of that dirt will spring up new life, fresh, vibrant and green.  Old things have passed away, and they will become brand new.

Just like what it says in II Corinthians 5:17~
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new!"


I am excited to see what NEW things the Lord is going to do in my life in this year. 
How about you?

Quiet Days of Rest and Renewal

This week has been a little different. As some of you who are my Facebook friends already know, I prepared for and had a colonoscopy earlier this week.  For those of you who have done this procedure before, you know what the prep is like, and also know that it's one of those things you don't want to have to do again for a LONG time.  This is my third time, and I am thankful that so far they haven't found anything seriously wrong, but enough to tell me to be sure to stay on a high fiber diet and come back in five years.  This is an important test to determine if one could have colon cancer or any pre-cancerous polyps, etc.  If you are over the age of fifty it is highly recommended that you have one at least every ten years.  Don't let the unpleasant "prep" keep you from having this valuable screening. It could save your life!

My hubby thought I looked "cute" on my prep day...so he took my picture (in spite of my protests) while I sat in the warm sunroom and drank my liquid diet and tried to sit still long enough to read...ha ha...that's enough about that subject...

Before things got too "active" I noticed that the window on the door of this sunroom was rather dirty, so I decided to step outside and wash it, and I noticed something interesting on the inside of the window :

This sweet pair of "lips" smooched on the glass.  I realized then that they were the sweet lips of my hubby, who often likes to watch me from the door when I am sitting outside on the back patio watching the birds and/or reading....

And so, I couldn't wash them off the window....could you? Again, if you are one of my facebook friends you've probably already answered this question, and everyone who took the time to respond agreed that they should not be washed off.  I don't know how many years they will last...but I they will remain there for now or until they somehow get smeared...

Here's one of my curious fine-feathered friends that I love to watch...

 I think HE likes to watch me as much as I like to watch him!!

So now that's all over and done with and I am resting and recuperating.  I have noticed that whenever I have any procedure requiring anesthesia that it takes me a while to completely recover...I tend to have what I call a "fuzzy brain", or brain fog, for a few days (weeks? months?), which causes me to have difficulty recalling words, thoughts, and typing here...if you knew how many times I've had to correct words that I've typed here you'd be amazed.  They just keep coming out backqards or misspelled...kind of dsylexci  (dyslexic)  See? Apparently this isn't unusual, especially the older we get.  I just hope it goes away soon. This is the first time I've felt like trying to write anything new this week and it's an effort to keep going...(and I keep sitting here trying to think of something to say)

Yesterday morning we took a walk to our neighborhood pond and enjoyed the beauty of the sun shining on the water.

We read in our morning devotions about the anointing of King David when he was just a shepherd boy...

I Samuel 16:7

"But the Lord said to Samuel, 

'Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him (regarding Eliab, David's brother). 

For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'"

And I asked myself, 

"I wonder what God sees when He looks at my heart?"

I pray that He sees a heart ready to serve, ready to listen, ready to learn...ready to be renewed in spirit and love...

Psalm 51:10-13

10.  "Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11.  Do not cast me away from Your presence,

and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

12.  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,

and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

13.  Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,

and sinners shall be converted to You."

Amen.

Here is Keith Green singing "Create In Me A Clean Heart"

I include this song in loving memory of my son Matthew. (2/25/1973-5/25/2014) Keith Green's music and life story (who is also now in heaven) had a profound influence on Matthew's life, and therefore remains very special to me.

Here's another song by Keith Green that means a lot to me.   I'll close with this one.  

"Oh Lord, You're beautiful...

Your face is all I see,  

For when your eyes are on this child, 

Your grace abounds to me…"

Friday Foto Friends: Being Renewed Day by Day

(Keep reading to find out what this picture is all about)

Hello Friday Foto Friends!  I hope you have all had a wonderful week and that you have managed to stay warm and healthy!  It has been a bit warmer here the past few days...I had to peel out of my sweatpants and flannels and dig out the short sleeves and capris again...but not for long. I hear cooler weather is coming back...Not like your cooler weather if you live north of the "Mason-Dixon Line", but cooler for us Floridians...Here's a few pictures of some of our little friends "cooling off" and peeking out to see if it's spring yet...

This little lizard poked his head out of the pipe he likes to hide in to say hello:

 This male Cardinal had quite a fun time taking a bath...he dunked himself under the water several times and just kept thrashing around in the water having a good old time:

These Robins have stopped over in their travels to rest up and get a drink and bath here in the bear pool...

 The camera caught this one in flight...(these were taken by the outdoor wildlife camera)

The wildlife camera also captured this young deer passing through the yard one afternoon...

But these are not the pictures I wanted to show you today...can you stay a little longer and visit a spell?

"Come into my kitchen and chat with me 

while I prepare a pot of tea..."  

(That needlepoint below was done many years ago by my paternal grandmother, and I just love it...)

You will notice in the picture above several pictures...the one in the middle is what I want to tell you about today:

This painting, painted years ago by my husband's Aunt Dorothy, tells quite a story.  Now, please don't be too critical of the artwork...it may not be perfect  in perspective and shape...but this picture is very special.  This little pink house belonged to my husband's maternal grandparents.  His granddaddy Martin (his mother's father) built this little house for their retirement home not long before my husband was born.  The tall magnolia tree you see in the front was actually planted by my husband's grandmother and  his mother not very long before my husband was born.  It grew to be very tall and beautiful, but sadly was struck by lightning about forty years later and had to be cut down.  My husband's family home was next door to this house, so he spent many childhood days in this house with his grandparents. Sadly, his beloved granddaddy tragically died as the result of an automobile accident when my hubby was just six years old.  His grandmother continued to live there until the day she died many years later.

The little brown doggy you see "climbing the tree" was our own dog, "Dusty", that we had gotten as a puppy.  Because we had moved frequently in our early years of preparing for the ministry, it became difficult for us to keep Dusty, so he went to live with "Nanny Martin" (hubby's grandmother) and he kept her company until she passed away.  Dusty was a very talented doggy.  He loved to chase squirrels, and when we would let him out of the house we would always say, "Go get the squirrels, Dusty!" and he would literally climb up the tree about six feet from the ground to chase whatever squirrel might happen to be (or not to be...he loved to climb the tree regardless!)  He did this at any house where we had lived as well as at this particular house.  Even up to his old age he would still try to climb the tree, but just couldn't quite get as high as before.

Nanny Martin with Dusty, the brown dog in front, plus other dogs Chita and Ringo

The reason I am showing you this painting now is because I just got it back.  Back, I say, because it had left our house for a while, and now it has come back to me.  Originally the painting was given to my mother in law by her sister Dorothy. Then one year my mother in law gave the picture to me for a Christmas present.  I was happy to have it because it helped me to tell the story about my husband's grandparents home and all of the things that we have from their home now residing in our home.  Anyway, several years after giving me this picture, my mother in law, during her time of progressing dementia, decided that she wanted it back and took it back to her house.  When she was no longer able to stay in her own home, she wanted the picture with her at her other son's home to remind her of "home".  Now that she is living in a nursing home, my brother in law graciously brought the picture back to me, (just this week!) and hence this story today.  My brother in law didn't really understand why I wanted it so badly...but I explained to him that this picture tells the story of where all these "things" my hubby and I have either inherited or purchased from his grandparent's home came from...so here are a few pictures of some of the furnishings that all came from inside that little pink house;


This China Cabinet and most of the dishes inside belonged to "Nanny Martin".

This Hoosier Cupboard, which stood in her kitchen and was a very useful part of her kitchen cabinetry: (Click HERE for more about this Hoosier Cupboard) (Also that little white chair came from her house, and our boys loved to see who could sit on it first at the table. It was a little higher than the regular chairs, so was perfect for young boys to sit on)

These are some of her cookbooks, tea towels, and the blue pitcher on the left was also hers. Oh, and that meat grinder on the right as well...

 This antique "secretary" desk was in their dining room,

and my husband can remember watching his grandfather open it up and sit and pay the bills from this...

These are pictures of his grandparents when they were very young...

This old Singer Sewing (treadle) machine, that she used to make many dresses for her four daughters. She also made many quilts to sell as well as to give away to family members... (but those she made by hand)  (To learn more about the history of these items go to The page "A Few Of My Favorite Things")

This Dining table (the original chairs are long gone)...but oh! The stories this table could tell if it could talk....

And this buffet, which held her table linens, silverware and various other items (and it still does that for me, except for the silverware...I mostly store a lot of candles, table decor, napkins, etc. in there, and because I can't fit it in our current dining room, it serves as the welcome center in our foyer, where I ask our guests to be sure and sign the guestbook before leaving!)

So, now can you see why I enjoy having that painting of that sweet little pink house?  I wish I had pictures of the inside of that home before it was sold and totally renovated.  It was so special.  Hubby's grandfather built the house from materials he received from tearing down a very large old drug store building downtown Apopka, FL. (Sheppard's Drug Store).  He used the antique beadboard walls, antique doors with glass doorknobs, heart of pine floors, and it even had a claw-foot bathtub. It was a very unique little house, and it really was too bad that the new owners tore all of that out to create a new "modern" house to lease out to people, who have since pretty much destroyed the house...

However...These things are just that...things...and as I reflect on all these memories and mementos of the past, I am reminded that all these things are temporary...just like that little house, it no longer is the same as it was when family lived there and love reigned within those humble walls.  The dear grandparents who lived and loved inside are no longer there...they have gone on to their eternal reward...where their worn out, ravaged bodies have been exchanged and renewed for new.  Someday all these furnishings will fall apart and eventually end up on the trash heap...but we have a far better future...

My One Word for the year is "Renew"...and this verse sums it all up:

"Therefore, we do not lose heart.  

Even though our outward man is perishing,

yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, 

is working for us a far more exceeding 

and eternal weight of glory, 

while we do not look at the things which are seen, 

but at the things which are not seen.

For the things which are seen are temporary, 

but the things which are not seen are eternal.

For we know that if our earthly house, 

this tent, is destroyed, 

we have a building from God, 

a house not made with hands, 

eternal in the heavens.

For in this we groan, 

earnestly desiring to be clothed 

with our habitation which is from heaven,

if indeed, having been clothed, 

we shall not be found naked..."

II Corinthians 4:16-5:3

I apologize for this being such a long post.  I hope you enjoyed this little tour of the family "museum",  as I lovingly call our home...but more importantly, I pray that you (and I) also are building your treasures in heaven,

"But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also..."

Matthew 6:20-21

Have a blessed and glorious day, dear friends.

Now, let us all travel over to Deb's place  at Breathing in Grace, and see what "treasures" in photos our friends are sharing!

Just a quick postscript: (I'm always thinking of other things I meant to say after publishing!) I was going to say that each of those pieces of furniture from my hubby's grandparents' home has gone through its own kind of being "renewed day by day"... trust me, most of these pieces did not look like they look today when first received...they needed refinishing, cleaning from years of standing in one little house, stripping of many layers of paint (the Hoosier), and general refurbishing.  God isn't finished with us yet, either. We are also in need of being renewed, refinished, cleaned up from years of standing in one place..stripped of the many layers of years of neglect, not taking good care of ourselves, or whatever the issue/sin may be...and only Jesus can do all of that!  When He takes us on as His special project, He washes us white as snow with His own blood, and gives us a new heart, and renewed spirit and eventually even a new body!!  That's all very good news, amen??  

A New Year Dawns With Grace And Hope

What a wonderful way to start the New Year at church today!  

Here is a song that we sang together as a hymn. I had never heard this before, although the tune is the same as "Hosanna, Loud Hosanna", so that is familiar.

The reason this song spoke to me today was because it was all about renewal...Renew is my "One Word" for 2018, and I believe I heard this word several times this morning in the worship service and the sermon.  This was God's confirmation that this word will become a very big part of my life in this New Year.  I pray that it will be used to bring honor and glory to God, my King.

"A New Year Dawns with Grace and Hope"

by Jon Paige and Jonathan Martin

Chorus:

"Rejoice, sing alleluia!

Break forth in joyful song.

Rejoice, sing alleluia!

Alleluia, Alleluia, Rejoice!

"A new year dawns with grace and hope,

A chance to start again.

The past has sung its weary song,

fresh music now begins.

Revived, we stand to face the sun,

We rise at its command,

to work, to serve, to find our place

in God's creative plan.

The morning breaks with golden plans,

awake, the night is through!

The sorrows of the night have passed,

our joy has been renewed.

The winter's sad and lonesome cry

surrenders to new life.

New journeys wait and we must go and dance into the LIGHT.

A new year dawns, let earth be glad,

creation, lift your voice.

Give thanks to God for old and new,

let every heart rejoice.

The valleys that have challenged us,

the undiscovered lands.

And everything is possible when you are in God's hands!"

Hebrews 12:1-2

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by 

so great a cloud of witnesses,

let us lay aside every weight, 

and the sin which so easily ensnares us, 

and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,

who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross,

despising the shame, 

and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.."

Amen!