WOMEN IN A GARDEN

When I think of Women in a Garden I ponder God's creation.

THE garden . . .  

the place where it all began.

I wonder if creators of the Naples Botanical Gardens had the same picture in mind.

naplesgarden.org

God, our Creator, the One with the fullness of creativity, created creation.

God's creation was given gifts to continue God's creativity in this world that God created for us.

A WOMAN

IN A GARDEN

She found a place to linger and stretch her ballerina legs,
A place of quiet contemplation as she prepares for her next dance.
An agile woman of elegance with majestic movement in her limbs..

A perfect place to enjoy God's creation surrounding the result of human creativity given to us by God.

She is ready for whatever greets her, standing tall and confident.

The artists of Zimbabwe were at the gardens, creating new pieces, when I visited the gardens.

 They find 'summer' places where the weather invites them.

I hear they have been in many botanical gardens all over the United States.

 What a wonder to enjoy their art before they move to another natural setting.

There were many creations but I choose to focus on the women in the garden.

  

Tall and sure, water pot in hand,
she is ready to conquer another day.
Her elongated beauty rests within.

I am awe struck by the foliage that naturally embraces these creations.

Shades of purple and chartreuse blend beautifully as they create

a blanket for this frolicking family, arms flung into the air.

Can you see papa and mama with the little ones?

FAMILY: a joy-filled day to embrace one's surroundings.

Mother and child.
Mother is dressed in her finest as she presents baby to the world.
FIREWORKS of bromeliads celebrate with her as they display
popping colors that sparkle in the sun.

The twirl of mother's fabric enhances her height.
A sad face?  I wonder.
What a beautiful child she carries through the shell-filled dune.
She almost seems engulfed by palms that squeeze close to her.
Sort of like life that presses in just a little too close.
I wonder if she is protecting her child from all the
pressing anxieties of life until the little one is
old enough to understand.

I wonder as I wander from open space to tight enclosures.
Life is like that, isn't it.
Sometimes I flourish in a sense of  freedom that allows me to twirl freely or linger longer in open spaces.
Sometimes the world presses in, like foliage growing too full and too close.
Sometimes life-breath gets sucked right out of me.
So I stand still.
       I Wait.
Then I take a deep breath.
And move to another, God-created, space.

"Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them," and it was so..."   Genesis 1:11

BOTANICAL GARDENS

I think it only fair that I write another blog to make up for the empty pages over the past several weeks.

This is especially exciting for me.

Botanical Gardens!
I love to visit them in every city possible.
I have been to many all over the world and all had some aspect that was spectacular.
These gardens I visited compared with the best in the world in my opinion.

That said, I am only a small-time gardener who knows little but I love the way gardens grab me and hold my attention for hours.
This was no exception.

For now I will offer a few pictures of the children's garden.

Children's drawings tell us more than the valuable information.
What a delight to see these in the Children's Garden.

This was just the right size for little ones.
Ponds and waterfalls invited children to linger in the water.

On a hot day this is a perfect place to dangle toes and cool a bit.

Chalk art depicts the 'flora' around the path.
Chalk is offered for all ages and tends to remain in tact on busy walkway.

Creative and fun

I saw more adults than children climb the pathway to the treehouse.

My Crocs give you an idea of the size of leaves along the pathways.
These were actually pressed into the concrete as it was setting.
Permanent 'fossils' of every size are scoped out by the kids.

This was an inviting overlook for the entire children's garden.

Loved this herb garden just the right size for little ones.

Notice the flowered arch.  Too small for me.  Brooms are inside the house for children to 'sweep it clean.'

This industrious little girl filled the watering can at the hand pump and
diligently began to water flowers.  "Is it OK for me to water these, daddy?"
Of course!  That's why they had lots of plastic watering cans for the kids.
I loved the tropical plants mingling with ones I could plant up north in the summer.

Art was everywhere in the gardens.
The children could sit on this if they wanted.
Everything was touchable  . . . a delight for the children.

I love this succulent.  Have no idea what it is but doesn't it make you laugh!

Of course they grew vegetables almost the size of the kids.
One might think all energy was focused on the children's garden.
This is only the beginning!

This was totally my favorite part of the children's garden.
  It was an area set apart for whimsey planters one might
 have thrown away.  That's one large Campbell's soup can.

Who says dad's old golf shoes are useless?

I knew I should not have thrown that old racket away . . . or the snorkel and flippers I never used.
A simple corrugated fence or back of a garage and voila!

Bags, purses and pot people!
I laugh because last year I painted two old rocking chairs that looked like this.
I should have simply put them in my garden and filled them with pots.
I guess I can still do that but now they are too nice!

What fun!

Here is another pump for children.
She was working so hard and did not have a bucket.
Is this a trailing geranium?  Looks like it gets plenty of water.

God's creation is so awesome that I can't help but think of the following scripture:

"Since what has been known about God is plain to everyone because God made it plain to everyone.  For since the creation of the world God's infinite qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen by what He has made."   Romans 1:20

How can anyone not think of God after wandering through such beauty created by our creative God and by the humans that God created!

That's just what it feels like in the CHILDREN'S GARDEN of the Botanical Gardens in Naples, Florida.     Naples Botanical Gardens

LINGERING TOO LONG

I guess I lingered too long after I went South for a few weeks in February.

I loved this shot of the ship on the weathervane.

It's been a MONTH since I last wrote!
Time flies when waaaaaaaay too busy.

My sweet hubby sends me South each year so that I can warm my bones.
He loves the cold winter days so remains at home.
This was an extra long time of separation for both of us but he insisted that I spend ample time warming up.

Of course I arrived in the midst of a COLD rain storm.
It took several days to warm up but when it did, I was in LOVE with the weather.
Light pants, my baseball cap and my T-shirt were all I needed.
I was in heaven.

Lots of these huge homes.  Love 'em all.
This reminds me of a huge, pink house I loved
when I lived in Aspen, Colorado many years ago.

I jaunted forth for the 'visits' which I wrote about last time.
Then I returned to dad's abode to begin closing it down.
The weather cooled down to the point where I needed to wear several layers.
Red Tide kept me away from the beach.
These 'circumstances' allowed me to clear away thirty years of winter living at dad's condo.

Reason:
Dad decided, after receiving a pacemaker at 98, that it was not good to be alone for the winter months he spends in Florida.
Dad opted to return to his favorite city up North and stay inside until the harsh winter weather turns to Spring.

I couldn't help taking a shot of the condo (backwards)
as I captured myself in the mirror.  Notice the layers
 of clothes I wore INSIDE!
 It was great 'working' weather.

He is much healthier now as loving caretakers make sure his every need is met.

He is especially excited to have others do the cooking for him.
Needless to say, dad is gaining weight.
He still does his workout after breakfast and lunch and manages to read the Wall Street Journal daily.  What a guy.

And so I cleaned and patched and painted and caulked his condo and gave as much to family as they chose.

Most important, I managed to see friends and family.

I squeezed in dinner and lunch with friends as well as gatherings and chat over coffee.

I took time to visit old haunts and was warmly welcomed at the two churches where I was employed.

This reconnection boosted my spirit and warmed my heart with memories that will forever remind me of the twelve years we lived in the area.

This lingering time will keep me content up north until summer pierces through chilly winter days.

Ibis feed in the yard after a day of drizzle.

Time was too short to do everything on my list.
But, the condo looks sparkly fresh.

And so I lingered on the beach on a day the Red Tide did not aggravate my lungs too much.

No swimsuits this day but the warm sun melted away much of the chilly air.

I watched others, smiled at frantic birds, soaked in the sea air and breathed as deeply as I dared.

NICE

A German family walked over to the beach ahead
of me.  I loved the little girl who frolicked in the
 sand on this chilly day.   Red Tide was not too bad.

Tracks in the sand.  I love shells but this was even better.

THE VISIT

It's nice to find a change of pace.
So, I decided to go South for a little while to warm my bones.
I arrived in the midst of gushing rain and temperatures that made my bones ache.
Wait a minute!
I was suppose to go to WARM country.

So, after nearly a week down here I am warming up . . . with a little help from long pants and four skimpy layers of clothing.
Who knew!
This is January weather!

Yet, isn't the best part of visiting the time we take to linger with friends and family?
I planned to have lots of empty hours to write but, alas, too many dear friends entered the picture.
Conversation takes energy and time.
Love it.
But where did the time and energy go?
A quick stop with a family member stretched to lingering for hours over endless twists and turns in our conversation that could go on for days.
Nice
A huge sandwich loaded with scrumptious ingredients gave me fuel to continue to my next destination.

I arrived much later than anticipated, dined on salad with grilled salmon and dove into bed.
I awoke so early that I lingered on the deck overlooking a fog-filled lake.
In fact, I couldn't see five feet in front of me.

But OH what I could see in those five feet . . . a chirping squirrel scampered about on an ancient tree limb, a woodpecker pecking at morsels out of the feeder, rustling willow branches, a Cardinal vying for the same food as others.

If I concentrate I might hear the sound of a truck on the highway a block away but why would I want to listen to harsh sputtering of a muffler?

I was desperate to catch up on memory work, study and emails and so was my hostess.
But we first enjoyed real bacon, scrambled fresh eggs and toast from bread I never tried before.
I love it.
Ezekiel 4:9 Bread.  They say one can pick this up in the refrigerated section of any grocery.
It was a nice change from tea, almonds and yogurt I usually have each morning.

Nothing beats having such a comfortable relationship with a hostess that, as a visitor, I can be left alone while the hostess tends to basic chores she must accomplish each day.

All too soon we will chat and walk and linger over tea and enjoy wonderful memories or simply listen to each other.
But for now, I love having the alone time I need to regroup after several days of listening and talking and being with so many people I love.

Visiting is a JOY but I also need time to re-group, renew my Spirit, simply be still ... be silent . . . BE.

In a blink I will be on the road again . . . back to my original spot where I will remain for several days . . . to linger by the water and let the salt sea grab my toes as they hug the sand.

Maybe I'll find some shells as I watch the sun set.
I love the afterglow as light lingers behind clouds creating hews that look like a paint brush streaked across the sky leaving multiple variations of pink and blue light.

Visiting with the sea and the foliage and gardens can be an endless delight.

Before too long I will return to the cold of the North.
I won't think about that now.
I just want to linger a little longer and enjoy these shells and all that goes with them.

VULNERABILITY

A friend posted an incredible video on her Facebook page regarding VULNERABILITY.
I can't figure how to upload it so google: BreneBrounTED and look for her video on vulnerability.

I listened intently.

Vulnerability begins in the heart.

I took copious notes.
Did I understand her twenty minute lecture?
I was so busy trying to embrace Brene Brown's words that I had little time to digest them.
She was easy to understand, defined her concepts on vulnerability concisely, was a delight to listen to and her lecture was filled with great information.
And then she stopped.

Just when I thought she could really help me, she stopped.
Wait a minute.
I need a quick, easy formula to deal with my vulnerability issues.
Oh, I think she said that about herself before she knew it would take her a year of counseling and six more years of work to struggle through her own vulnerability issues.
Great.
And here I am blurting all this out on a BLOG . . . my wonder about vulnerability.
Isn't even wondering about it being vulnerable?
I so totally related to her statement that "I am not the vulnerable type."
I deal with each issue the best I can and move on.
Do I really have to get emotional about it?
Not exactly but it helps.

Brene Brown studies people's stories.
After years of listening, she divided people's stories into two groups.
Some of us have a strong sense of love and belonging and can endure the discomfort of vulnerability reasonably well.
On the other hand, some of us struggle for a sense of love and belonging.
We feel a sense of shame and unworthiness so deep that we dare not be vulnerable.
 

Our story is woven deep inside our heart.
Vulnerability will not unravel what is deep inside us
but will strengthen us.

Either we feel shame and fear and reject connection or we feel good enough to connect, which equals vulnerability.
We either feel worthy of loving and belonging or not.
It takes courage to tell our story with our whole heart.
It takes courage to share one's imperfections.
"Cour" means "heart" in french.
Are we brave enough to give our heart away?

It takes courage to let go of what we should be and fully embrace our vulnerable points.
Vulnerability takes courage.
Vulnerability is never comfortable.

In order to be vulnerable to another, we must love ourselves.
 Leviticus 19:18 says, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," as part of a long list of God's commandments to His people.
A lawyer talking with Jesus recites the two great commandments that Jesus taught, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." Luke 10:27

I have memorized and pondered this scripture for years.
All too often we expend great energy loving our neighbor by doing great works.
We wonder why more people don't expend time and energy outside themselves as we have done.
Then comes exhaustion.
Perhaps the words come to mind, "I met everyone else's needs for too many years and I got burned out. I am done.  No more will I be the nice one as others trample over me or ignore my hard work."

I have been there.
I spin out too much in one direction without taking enough time in prayer and meditation with my Lord.
Yet, in order to "be" to others we need to learn to "be" with God.
Even in Leviticus one is commanded to love our neighbor 'as ourself'.'
Do we really take time to understand the love that God first gave us so we can feel that we truly belong to God and feel worthy of God's unconditional love?

We are called to first love God, which in turn will help us understand God's unending love for us.
Then and only then can we handle our own vulnerability by loving our neighbor unconditionally.

This year I am working hard to be honest and vulnerable with God.
I made a plan to set aside extra time each day to ponder God's words in scripture.
I have done this for years but this year I am being very intentional with several disciplines.
It's winter so I am not running round as much as usual.
The real test will be when the weather clears up and I begin spinning again.

I may not understand where I am in my vulnerability but Brene Brown most certainly helped me to refocus my efforts to simply 'be' . . . to sit and ponder who I am in God's eyes.

Sharing our vulnerability can produce
a sweet bouquet from the heart.

Do I feel comfortable with my sense of love and belonging?
Can I be vulnerable enough to endure telling my story to help another to face the day with more courage?

I pray that, when I am in a place where I need to be vulnerable I can 'be' my story and accept whatever outcome presents itself.
May we each address our own vulnerability as we seek more of God's love.

May we place our vulnerability on God's altar and bring our story to God.
Then, in God's timing, may we be brave enough, courageous enough, to be vulnerable enough to share our story with others.
May we all feel that sense of love and belonging to be vulnerable.

MOON

The moon pierced the darkness as light danced on snow.

The MOON makes bright the still, white hills.

It peeks through the near-dark sky with a brilliance that draws the eye upward.

We speak in whispers so as not to disturb the tranquil stillness.

A soft dusting of snow pops the bright moonlight back up to the sky offering a delight to the senses.

Oh how I love light, especially in winter.


The moon, so often hidden behind shadows of gray, is a rare sight this time of year.
I grabbed my camera to capture the memory.
Yet, a picture only reminds me of an instant where all my senses were at work.

I saw the sparkle of the moon on snow bouncing up to the sky.
I heard the silence of tree boughs holding still.
I felt comfortable standing in the crisp, cold temperature, bundled in my winter gear.
I smelled the clean-washed air after fresh snow had fallen.
I tasted delight rushing through my soul.

The stillness spoke in volumes as night slowly enveloped us.

I give thanks to God for this glorious creation - the MOON - that only has the capability to reflect light from another source.
Yet, just as the snow reflects the 'reflection' of the moon's light from the sun, so we were created to be a 'reflection' of God's glory working in and through us.
I ponder this thought.
Just as the MOON's bright light can only reflect the brightness of another star, so also, we are only able to be the 'bright light' to others IF we absorb that 'light' from God that was intended to fill our souls.
Hmmmmmm
I need to return to this thought after I have digested a little more 'light'.

I recall so many years ago when our neighbor stopped by with his two-year old daughter as they were strolling one summer night.

The huge, full moon was coming up clear and bold before the dark sky enveloped it.
The little one, not yet chatting, simply said, "moooooon."
She had been well taught by loving parents.
She saw that round bulb slowly rising in the night sky and called it by name.
It was a magnetic moment for me.

A burrrrrrrr and blurrrrr wrapped the earth as day met evening shadows.

That little girl, now in college, still reminds me of that moment she pointed to the moooooon.
From that day forth, my hubby and I, when we see the moon rising in the early night sky, say the same word, "mooooon."
We always think of her and offer a mini-prayer that she remain healthy and happy.
Thus far, our prayer for her has far surpassed our meek words.
She is thriving.

The moon seems to have a magnetic attachment to my soul.
It keeps ME thriving.
As the moon reflects its light on dusk-still snow, I also receive the gift of its reflection.
So powerful.
I see the light and soft shadows before night falls.
Reflection.
My still soul reflects the reflection of God's 'light' penetrating deep within me.
Words, thoughts, feelings . . . all are poured out as a reflection of what has been poured into me.
I can only reflect.
Yet, I have the capacity to reflect as boldly and as magnetically as a full moon.
When I am filled to overflowing with joy and gratitude and wonder and curiosity and excitement and . . .
I can't help but come across as being full . . .  full of . . .

We were surprised last Spring with a
visit from a neighbor's friends, descending
near our house as hot air became cooler.

              Others must make that judgment.
I pray I am filled with that which God has planted inside me . . . God's Spirit . . . the reflection of God's only begotten son who walked on this earth, died and was resurrected from the dead, so that we who believe might become that perfect reflection of His work in and through us.
I can choose to be that reflection or . . .
 perhaps, at times, be hot air?
I would then be like a balloon that floats in the air like the moon.
Only, unlike the moon that remains beyond our reach, the balloon filled with hot air will soon 'cool' and descend to the ground . . . totally deflated. . . empty.

Only a reflection yet so igniting

And so I continue to look at the moon, the few times I see it on these gray winter nights, and reflect.

I pray I can remain filled with God's reflection in me.

"Even the darkness is not dark to you and the night is as bright as the day.  Darkness and light are alike to you.  For you formed my inward parts; you wove me in my mother's womb.  I will give thanks to you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;  wonderful are your works and my soul knows it very well." Psalm 139: 12-14 NASB

A WORD

"Might I have a word?"
       I hear this phrase over and over as I watch English dramas.
              "Might I have a word."                                                        A WORD

I'm fascinated by that phrase yet I don't know why.
It seems quite obvious regarding content but the phrase seems awkward to me as an America.
I guess I might say, "May I speak with you for a moment."

So, what am I rambling about?
A WORD
WORD
It reminds me of the first scripture I memorized, "In the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was with God and the WORD was God . . . and the WORD became flesh and dwelt among us . . . " John 1: 1,14.

In Genesis, God SAID . . . and life began.
Just a WORD or two and voila, creation!                                              WORD

So, "may I have a WORD" can be a pretty profound statement.

It all comes down to the fact that words are powerful.
Time to share words is precious.
Permission to speak words to another is taken seriously.
In other 'words' WORDS are important.
WORDS can define who we are, how we think, what we desire, our daily perspective on life.
WORDS . . . A WORD.

So, when my friend asked me what WORD I had selected for the year, I had to think for awhile.
A WORD?
Just ONE WORD?
It's almost as awkward as saying, "Might I have a word."

And so I stop.
I think awhile.
I list all the words I have lived by over the years.
My 'life' word is GRACE.
A word I glued myself to for a number of years has been TRUST.
A word-phrase I use almost too often is BE PREPARED.
Then I recall my desire simply to BE.
These are all good words.
Yet, if I am to select ONE WORD to focus on for the entire year, I have to return to the very first  word that hit me between the eyes when I was trying to understand my Christian walk.

ABIDE
A continuous active verb.
To cling to, to remain attached, to stick with . . .                             ABIDE
Once I choose to ABIDE I cannot stop.
Of course I can choose with whom or with what I am to ABIDE.

35 years ago (gee, that seems long) I made a choice to ABIDE in Christ Jesus.
I have not wavered from that commitment yet someone might say I have pretty much figured out how to ABIDE.

Yet, just clinging to the Lord thy God is only the first step.
To truly ABIDE takes a lifetime of learning to remain focused on God's precious presence in my life.
True ABIDING is a process that will not be complete until I am with my Lord beyond this earthly existence.

Words motivate our future
Fill a bucket with motivating words

To begin to truly focus on ABIDING for only a year seems pithy .
Yet, I can try, for one year, to figure out how I am clinging to my God each day, each week, each month.

I can take time to focus and refocus on the words of John 15. . .
:4  "ABIDE in me (says Jesus) and I will ABIDE in you. . . "
:5 (Jesus said,) I am the vine and you are the branches.  If you ABIDE in me and I ABIDE in you, you will bear much fruit ..."
:7  "If you ABIDE in me and my WORD ABIDES in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you."

So, I guess, "Might I have a word" really has expanded into something for my mind to cling to for the rest of this year.
How about you, "MIGHT YOU HAVE A WORD?"