Recently my husband and I drove through the rolling hills of western Illinois. The sunshine fell softly on the farms and the cattle grazing on the green hills. It was a beautiful day, and we were on our way to a retreat with our church family. We had two and…
The crocuses and tulips and lilacs have bloomed. Now the irises, lily of the valley and peonies are blooming in my yard. The roses have buds. Springtime and summer teem with new plant life and flowers, created by God. I have brought some inside to enjoy. Wednesday evening, I listened to…
April showers and sunshine turn my thoughts to the garden. I have started some tomato plants from seed, and next I will start some basil. It is a pleasure to walk outside and see the trees and bushes bud, and then flower. The perennial plants are beginning to sprout. The…
The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:12 The hyacinths are blooming and I notice their scent when I walk outside. The…
The snowdrops by the door lift upward, sweet and pure, their delicate bells; and soon in the calm blaze of noon, by lowly window-sills will laugh the daffodils! Celia Thaxter (1836 – 1894) The snowdrops and crocuses are blooming in my yard. The cherry tree is still barren but soon it…
The snow outside is bright white and glistening. The thermometer reads 0 degrees Fahrenheit, and yet I am able to take a hot shower in a warm house. It is a blessing! Everyday there are little and significant blessings in our lives when we pause to take notice. I am…
The cosmos flowers are in full bloom. The stems carry variants of color that bend and sway in the breeze. I agree with this quote by William Wilberforce: Lovely flowers are the smiles of God’s goodness. Perhaps the flowers will self-seed and come back next year (I hope). The seed…
Occasionally weeds will grow in the crack in the patio cement. I was surprised one day to see the stem and leaves that I recognized as a zinnia growing in the crack. Would it flourish? A couple weeks later my husband came in from mowing the lawn and said, “There’s…
The forests and fields in northern Michigan demonstrate the abundant creativity in nature, designed by God. There are trees—pine and deciduous—ferns, wildflowers and berries. My sister and I spent a week in the Upper Peninsula. We hiked. We picked apples and berries. Thimbleberries are abundant in the Keweenaw (the peak…
As I canned cherries and gooseberries this summer, I thought of my mother. She had stimulated my interest in canning. We had made and canned thimbleberry jam together. It was a family project to pick and clean the wild berries. Gooseberries have stems and “pig tales” (the remainder of the…