Wordless Wednesday [in the Garden]
This is My Father’s World
This is my Father's world;
The birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white,
Declare their Maker's praise.
We sang the hymn, “This is My Father’s World” two Sundays ago and it’s been playing on repeat in my heart and mind ever since. I decided to do a little digging into the story behind this song and found out that it is based upon a poem written by Rev. Maltbie D. Babcock and that there are actually 16 verses to his poem. Luke Powell did a wonderful job of telling the backstory in the YouTube video below. I thought it was worth every minute it took to listen to it and found myself singing along with him in the last part of his video.
https://lukepowellministries.com/friday-classic-hymns/this-is-my-fathers-world-story-behind-the-hymn
The sun was peeking through the clouds on the first day of autumn, so I decided to venture out to take a walk–or, as this hymnwriter was known to say when he would take a walk,
“I’m off to see my Father’s world.”
A little beauty from my walk in My Father’s World
This is my Father's world;
He shines in all that's fair,
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass,
He speaks to me everywhere.
This is my Father's world;
His love has filled my breast
I'm reconciled, I am His child
My soul has found His rest.
What a beautiful truth. I’m reconciled. I am His child. My soul has found His rest.
Wordless Wednesday [in the garden]
Happy 50th Anniversary to Us
“I, Cindie, take thee, Wayne, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”
I still do.
Continue reading “Happy 50th Anniversary to Us”Peony Love
Is it lavender-purple, or deep pink? Paeonia ‘Kamata Nishiki’ may have me wondering about her color, but there’s nothing to wonder about where her beauty is concerned.
This year she’s my first peony to bloom and she doesn’t seem to mind sharing the spotlight with a plentitude of irises that are unfurling their lovely petals.
We originally planted three tree peonies back in 2018. Only one survived that winter. I took advantage of the company’s replacement policy—they honored their word and sent two more.
Of those two replacements, Miss ‘Nishiki’ is the only one still strutting her stuff 7 years later.
I would be very happy to have her stick around for many more years to come.
A Favorite Columbine
Isn’t she sweet?
Shhhh! Don’t tell any of my other columbine flowers, but Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Winky Double Rose White’ is one of my personal favorites. Winky is a demure, double-flowered beauty who proudly holds her pretty face upward for all to see, rather than nodding downward like many of her columbine cousins. Her charming blooms feature crimson red outer petals with ruffled layers of rose-pink and creamy white inner petals and bright yellow pollen-bearing stamens.
She keeps on returning every spring, even though I mistakenly planted her a few years ago on the edge of a garden path which receives strong afternoon sun. Columbine really prefers to grow on the edge of a somewhat shady woodland environment. I’m so thankful to see that she has finally seeded herself around a bit, so I will be sure to relocate a digging or two of the pretty little seedlings to a shadier location in the hopes that she will form another amazingly gorgeous colony.
Signs of Thirst
Over the years, I have learned that I’m much better at growing plants outdoors than indoors. I think this is partly because the Lord occasionally sends rain to the plants that abide outdoors, nurturing them with the vital moisture they need to flourish. In contrast, my faithfulness in watering my indoor plants isn’t very consistent; life often distracts me, and I tend to forget their needs amidst my busy daily routine.
Life at my house just seems to be a bit hard for my little Peace Lily who likes to dramatically droop her leaves when she gets a little thirsty. Thirty minutes after being given a little drink she perks right up again. I do try, but I have yet to master the how much and how often of watering my houseplants.
Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum) prefer indirect sunlight, so I keep mine a few feet from an east-facing window. She has bloomed there, indicating she likes the light, but I might not be watering her correctly. I use tap water and let it sit overnight to reach room temperature and lose chlorine, but her leaves have brown tips. This could mean she needs more or less water. I might set a schedule on my phone for regular watering. I’ve also heard that too much fertilizer can cause brown tips, and I use a weak solution of Miracle Grow when watering. Going forward, I plan to use plain water and only apply Miracle Grow every other month.
My own life can sometimes feel overwhelming and tiring due to lack of sleep, a long to-do list, or not enough exercise. Often, this results in feeling lethargic in daily activities. Difficult situations, like work problems, family discord, or ongoing physical pain, can also drain my joy. However, the main issue that usually causes this feeling of droopiness is spiritual neglect.
Spiritual neglect can look different for everyone. In my experience, spiritual droopiness usually happens when I don’t engage with the Word of God often enough to satisfy my spiritual thirst.
A correlating sign of spiritual neglect is a lack of thankfulness and forgetting that every area of my life is meant to be lived for the glory of God. This attitude often manifests itself in life as a lack of peace as I approach life’s daily routines, becoming consumed by my own desires and challenges, neglecting to recognize the divine purpose behind this life God has loaned to me. It is crucial to remember that even in the mundane tasks of life, there lies an opportunity for worship. By cultivating a heart of thankfulness, we can experience the fullness of life that God intends, allowing us to see His hand at work in both the highs and lows of our journey.
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:16-17 (ESV)
The Fleeting Charm of Magnolias
Spring flowering bushes and trees have such a short window of time to strut their stuff in Wisconsin. Just as they are beginning to unfurl their lovely petals, showcasing vibrant colors that attract the attention of passersby, this week’s weather is challenging them to the max with tornadic storms and an excess of ground-soaking rain that threaten to damage their delicate blooms.
To make spring gardening even more challenging, tonight’s trial will include a cold snap that has the potential to dip below freezing. A freeze will undoubtedly bring an abrupt halt to the magnolia’s pageantry of colorful blossoms. My experience has been that some of the unopened buds may survive, but her beautiful flowers will be marred by browning of the petals.
Wisconsin may not be the most hospitable state in which to grow magnolias, but the hope of enjoying their exquisite floral charm keeps this midwest gardener from giving up. Each spring, I find myself eagerly anticipating the moment when the buds begin to swell and hint at the beauty to come. Though fleeting in nature, the magnolia’s graceful charm causes me to stop, take notice, and appreciate this amazing creation of our wonderful Creator. April draws me out of my comfy chair near the window overlooking the garden and into the outdoors to nurture my garden with care. As I work, these magnificent blooms remind me of resilience and the power of God’s creation to inspire hope and joy, even in the face of adversity.
After a very long writing hiatus, I am excited to say that today I’m rejoining the Six on Saturday group! It’s truly a lovely corner of the internet, filled with passionate gardeners who share their creativity and love for gardening. Each week, many talented bloggers post 6 recent garden photos, showcasing their beautiful blooms, vibrant veggies, and inventive garden spaces. If you’re looking to connect with fellow garden enthusiasts and discover new gardening ideas, you have landed in the perfect place! Here is the link for those who’d like to come join us for a virtual garden stroll:
Momma’s Purse
I had to laugh when I stumbled once again upon this screenshot. Oh, my sweet momma could have me in stitches.
Her purse came with her for snack time at Beehive, oftentimes carrying an extra snack or two given to her by the caregivers. I mean, who could resist giving this pretty lady an extra snack or two?
Whether living with me, or living at Beehive Homes of Oregon (WI), momma’s purse was always within reach. Sorting through her purse was a favorite middle of the night activity, so I tried to keep it stocked with all kinds of treasures and little things to sort and discover over and over again.
Momma and her babies
Momma always seemed to have her purse along when she was caring for her baby, Dolly. The purse would usually be in her lap with her baby sitting on top. I treasure the sweet memories of my momma loving on Dolly. They gave me little glimpses of the love and gentle kisses I know she once bestowed on me.
Never leave home without it
A woman never wants to leave the house without her purse, you know. We even rigged her walker so she could take her purse with her on our little walks to the mailbox and back.
An early sign of cognitive decline
Momma’s purse held one of the earliest signs of cognitive decline. I remember a day when I was visiting mom and helping her search for her lost checkbook. Her purse was one of those multiple zippered pocket contraptions that seemed to always swallow her car keys, wallet, hearing aides, and checkbook. As I once again searched the pockets she had already searched, I found both the lost checkbook and a list written in my mom’s familiar cursive hand. The list told a story of something else that was lost–the names of her very best friends at church. My sweet momma had taken her church bulletin and had practiced recalling and writing their names over and over again, willing herself to never forget them again.
Under the Weather
I managed to get caught by a virus I was trying to avoid, so am staying home to try to shake it off. This quiet day at home has found me poking through some of my old blog posts and quietly tap-tapping the keyboard trying to write new posts. This particular old post that I’m resharing today reminded me that, should this cold hang on much longer, I have some excellent reading only an arm’s length away.
Have a blessed and beautiful weekend–and stay well, my friends.
