Audrey Hepburn said, To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.   image courtesy of Jan Canty via Unsplash The time to sow our seeds is almost upon us. Whether you're a raised bed veggie gardener or container gardener who loves flowers or full-on farmer, welcome to spring ! My rose bushes in the yard already have leaves and are growing new limbs. So, they should be covered in blooms before the end of April. Earlier in the month when we had warm temps, I added some liquid fertilizer to the soil in my empty containers. Before sowing my seeds, I'll mix the soil up a bit to make sure I'm planting in loose soil to allow for root growth, and I'll add more of my Miracle Gro liquid fertilizer when I plant my seeds or repot my flowers. If you've been following me for the past few years, you know I'm a [mostly] container gardener. I tried growing some veggies last year in my containers with little success. This year, I'm going back to all flowers, and I'm look...

I have been thinking a lot about time lately, because another year is almost gone. Each year seems to go by faster and faster. And although, I feel as if I have spent my time wisely this year helping my family members on their individual health journeys, it has gone by much faster than I like. Most of them are probably glad the year has gone by quickly though, because soon they will be able to move forward with their lives. Sadly, for others, they're nearing the end of their life journey. Whatever the individual outcomes or how fast time seemed to pass, I'm glad I took the time to spend with my family this year. And I do cherish this year and what it has meant to my family and me. My calendars are full and so is my heart. There will be time later on for Etsy and eBay listings, quilting, cross stitching, other arts and crafts, digital creations, and earning money. My family is much more valuable to me than any of those things, and thankfully, my circumstances make it possible f...

This is another one of my 2025 morning devotions , from A Treasury of Wisdom: a Daily Devotional Journal, that touched my heart, and I wanted to share it with you. Mrs. Cowman actually had gotten this beautiful piece from something (pastor) Dr. A. B. Simpson had written. But I think if we keep this in mind every day, we will never look at God's name "I am that I am" the same way again. Once more, I will break this down so you can see, more easily, how beautiful this is. Mrs. Charles E. Cowman Quote from Dr. A. B. Simpson: God gave Moses a blank check, and as life went forward for the next forty years, Moses kept filling in the blank with his special need. He filled in fearlessness before Pharaoh. He filled in guidance across the Red Sea. He filled in manna for the whole population. He filled in water from the rock. He filled in guidance through the wilderness. He filled in victory over the Amalek. He filled in clear revelation in Sinai. And so Moses, for the rest of his ...

Charles Dickens Summary Below is a passage from the Holy Bible and another passage written by Charles Dickens that was used to follow up the Bible scripture in my morning devotional book. As I read from this book, A Treasure of Wisdom: a Daily Devotional Journal , the short section by Mr. Dickens struck me as nearly a complete summary of the entire Bible , especially Jesus' teachings. It reflects a lot of Jesus' Beatitudes , which sums up how we should treat others so we will have peace. I would like to mention that Mr. Dickens is only one of several quoted authors in this book. And many of them are quoted via book excerpts more than once throughout the book.😊 image courtesy of Amazon So, I wanted to share this devotion with you today. Jesus, who is God, of course, is quoted in Matthew 5:16. He was saying that our good works should be seen to glorify God - to show how good God is, not how good we are. And I broke down each sentence from Charles Dickens into a new paragraph so ...

 If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit. I love this quote by Maya Angelou. Her words have inspired millions of people around the world. At the age of 60, I have finally realized that rest is an option I have in life. I don't have to finish today. I don't have to start something new today. I just know that rest is part of the process. I'm at a place in life that I feel as if I have quit doing some of the things I enjoy such as quilting, cross stitching, and learning how to use Canva and Printify. But I have other work that I feel to be more important at the moment. And that type of work - changing email addresses for the family's login locations and moving each of our YouTube channels into new channels for each of us because we've changed our internet provider, deep cleaning, removing clutter, writing my book, helping my younger son overcome his struggles  - are high-profile projects for me. So, I haven't quit the type of work I enjoy. There just isn'...

Today, we're going to meditate on gratitude. Being grateful is one of the best things we can do to honor God and to improve our outlook on life . Gratitude helps us to look forward to the days ahead. It relieves stress. It lessens worry. Hopefully, we'll focus more on gratitude instead of grumblings. As Colossians 3:23-24 NIV states, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. " And also, Psalm118:24 HCSB, " This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."  Listen to meditation 3 . If you haven't done so already, you'll need to gather your journal, water, and tissues. Turn on some relaxing music/sounds if you enjoy that. Find a comfortable seat. Today, we'll overlap our hands and place them on our chest, over our heart. Close your eyes if you want and focu...

Welcome to today's meditation - At Peace in Our Mess. Problems cause worry and anxiety. We should know by now that worrying definitely won't make problems go away. It just makes us sick. Consider, Luke 12:25, when Jesus said, "Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying?" Of course, we can't. So, we need to choose to find Joy and Peace in the midst of our problems (a.k.a. our messes) and let God handle everything that is going on. We can ask Him to let us know if we can do anything to make problems better or go away. Then we go on about our daily lives. Sometimes an answer will come; sometimes it won't. Often, problems go away; some won't. But life goes on despite the mess. Let's find that peace we want today. Our Scriptures today come from the Christian Standard Bible. Listen to Meditation 2 . It's time to prepare for our meditation. First, grab your journal and get in your meditation seat. Start your soft,  relaxing music/sounds i...

In I Corinthians 13:4-7 (WEB), Paul said: Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud, doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. I think this is a beautiful description of love. We humans can really mess this up by doing the opposite of what Paul is explaining here. So many want things their way; they don't have patience to just accept what they have. And how many of us know people - or are people - who keep track of every "wrong" they think has been done to them? And these same people brag on everything they have done for others and deny they have done anything wrong - ever. I know I've been guilty of doing this. And that is definitely NOT an act of love towards others.  So, I think this is a good quote to look at daily to...

 Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote:  All love is sweet, given or returned.  And Apostle Paul wrote something along those lines, quoting Jesus, in Act 20:35 (KJV):  It's more blessed to give than receive. We receive more in return for giving. Giving is powerful. If you have a favorite charity that you donate to regularly, or give to the man or woman holding the sign on the corner of a busy street, or smile at the grumpy cashier, you get a feeling inside that's indescribable - one that makes us feel that we're the recipients. That's because, in a way, we are. Someone is grateful for the meal we helped provide them with that day. And we don't know why the cashier is always grumpy, but maybe that smile is something she needed to help her change her life around. Maybe we gave her something she doesn't get often - a kind and understanding smile. Sometimes we can listen, so lend an ear to someone who just needs to talk something out. We can be understanding. So, watch for opp...

To love deeply is a beautiful secret of life. A famous quote from Helen Keller is: All that we love deeply becomes a part of us. Loving God deeply ( with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul Matthew 22:37), He becomes a part of us. If we love our spouses and children deeply, they become a part of us. That deep love creates kindness in ourselves and those we deeply love, and as we become part of each other, we better serve God's purpose with the love we share.  image courtesy of Andrae Ricketts via Unsplash This doesn't mean impersonation or trying to be someone we aren't. It's a natural occurrence that happens over many years. And that means that whenever someone dies - someone we love deeply - they will live on through us. And we live on through those who love us deeply once we pass from this earthly life. That's why it's so important to stay focused on God and His will. What can we pass on to the next generation so God won't be lost in the ge...

 Love understands all languages ~ Romanian proverb Love is kind. Love is a smile. Love is forgiving. Love doesn't search for what others do wrong. Love is its own language of grace and blessings we can bestow to others. Love isn't selfish. In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NLT, Paul sums up love beautifully. 4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! In other words, love doesn't have to be spoken. An action or reaction is enough to express the message of this Christlike love to others that leads to a long, happy life. Hate and grumbling and selfishness are death t...

 Today's quote is from Henry David Thoreau.  "There is no remedy for love but to love more." Spread godly love wherever you go. Be kind. Be caring. Be thoughtful of others. Smile more. Laugh more. To bless others, to spread cheer is to love. A good character can be as magnetic as a bad character. Don't let someone's bad mood set your mood for the day. Refuse to follow the bad mood trend that many lay the traps for. Set a new trend of spreading love with smiles, kind words, a listening ear, holding a door open for a stranger, etc. More love; love more. God didn't create us to be grumps. 😊 With that, I'll end with scripture from 1 Peter 4:8 NIV. "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." Image courtesy of freestocks via Unsplash #womenhelpingwomen #lifeistooshort # spendingtimewithgod #helpingothers Take care, Patricia

In my personal devotional reading on Monday from Faith's Checkbook written by Reverend Charles H. Spurgeon and God Calling written by two anonymous sisters, the two devotions went well together. So, I wanted to share that with you in this morning's post.  In Reverend Spurgeon's entry, he discusses how much we need to be tested in order to fulfill God's will and to be able to praise Him for what He has done for us during those times of affliction. My favorite quotes from this devotion is, "We may, before many hours are past, be just as happy as now we are sorrowful," and, "He that sends the clouds can as easily clear the skies." The verse he is using for this devotion is, from Nahum 1:12 KJV  - "Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more." In other words,  happiness suddenly replaces our sorrows without any efforts on our part. And once that happiness settles in, we can see how God was able to help us grow from that sorrowful...

Listen to the Song "Beautiful" by MercyMe There are times when our mistakes and actions make us feel as though we’ve let down our families and God. I’m fortunate to have the support of my family during these times, and I pray that you have that support as well. But even for those of us who have the support, it never hurts to have a song like Beautiful to remind us that God loves us no matter what. So, yes, you are beautiful and loved by a God who understands your humanity – and your regrets. And he wants you to feel better today. That’s why I have embedded the MercyMe link for this song to use as our affirmation today. You can also  read the lyrics  while listening to the song from another YouTube contributor. Look in the Mirror and Repeat “Your are Beautiful and Loved” If you aren’t convinced yet, go to the mirror and repeat today’s affirmation to yourself. But don’t just say it. Mean it. Believe it. Because it’s true. And allow God to show all of your good qualities to you...

Adjust Your Sails I want to share one of my favorite quotes with you this morning . Dolly Parton has several quotes I love, but this one below works for almost any situation. "We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails."  Image courtesy of Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash We adjusted our sails to get through the #newnormal of  COVID-19 . And we'll have to adjust them again when other problems arise in life. Sometimes, you may have to help others adjust their sails. How? Through your strength.  You see, as we gain knowledge and experience through our circumstances, God is training us in empathy and providing the skills to help someone else through similar circumstances. Because you can't help someone else unless you have experienced what they're going through. How to adjust your sails If you need to grieve, do it. Don't hold back. If you prefer to do it in private, do it. If you have support like I did from my husband and sons when my brother passed away...

“What doesn’t break me will mold me,” is a thought I had the other day while having a calming moment with our Heavenly Father in prayer, meditation, and exercise. Because we’re all trying to get through this Coronavirus pandemic #AloneTogether, global tensions, inflation, and personal problems, I want to share this moment with you. Happy thoughts and positive thinking will help each of us get through any time of concern we may face from time to time. That’s why, from time to time, on Saturday mornings , I will offer affirmations by providing positive quotes, words of encouragement, Bible verses, fun videos, and anything else that may make you smile or feel less anxious. Image courtesy of Faria Anzum via Unsplash.com Strength from God God has given women the grace to get through trials that come their way. Those trials can burden us if we let them, or we can let them mold us into what God wants us to become. Strength comes from persevering through tough times. Therefore, this strengt...

Winning Quote “You will never win if you never begin.” ~ HELEN ROWLAND Just BEGIN - image courtesy of  Danielle MacInnes via Unsplash Begin to Win by Doing 2020 literally opened my eyes to how to overcome fear and begin to win. I actually started this blog shortly after the COVID pandemic was announced in 2020. At the time, I was gripped in fear when the grocery shelves became bare and I was unable to buy the ingredients I needed for my family’s favorite meals. We had to “make do” with what was available, and I was rethinking my weekly menu on the fly. After about a month of panic, though, I noticed the grocery shelves started to slowly fill up again. Yes! God was lifting the veil of doom. That was the beginning of my win over fear. I noticed how hard the stockers were working and commented to them how great the store was beginning to look again. Because I think people should know they are doing a great job and how much they are appreciated. I want to mention, today, that my o...