Keeping Young

Keeping Young

Not only is gardening fun

when outside under the warm sun,

gardening will help keep one young

for every year one looks forward to

springtime and its colorful view.

I do. Do you too find that's true?

The gardener might plant bulbs in the fall

then looks forward to spring for spring is when all

the colors of the rainbow blossom for all

the snowdrops, crocus', daffodils, tulips,

alliums, jonquils, narcissus,

bluebells, grape and fragrant hyacinths,

await to spring forth when finally the spring

rains begin to ping and birds are heard singing

to awaken the flower bulbs and bring

much joyous mirth

to all the earth

with each new birth.

Who isn't happy to see the rainbow

of spring bulbs and flowers – one's face glows

and there's a happy song, you know,

in gardener's hearts when they see

spring return in all its glory.

Gardeners have a youthful glee.

Yes, looking forward to springtime keeps one young.

Days spent out under the sun having fun

for the gardener's work is never done.

Fun returns every day with songs to be sung.

Songs of joyful thanksgiving under the sun.

Those with joy in their hearts are forever young.

* * * * *

How to keep young?

One way is fun.

Another is joy,

smile, laugh, enjoy.

Plan something fun for yourself,

even if all by yourself.

Enjoy your time alone

rather away or at home.

Smile for no reason.

You'll feel young and it's fun.

Don't you feel better?

And even healthier?

Have you had your Vitamin L today?

Vitamin L chases the blues away.

Vitamin L is laughter.

It's free to all, remember.

Find someone to laugh with for laughter

eases the pain when you suffer.

Anxiety and pain will abate

when there's daily laughter on your face.

If you spend too much time alone,

being with others will help one

forget about one's own aches and pains.

Friends are beneficial – for our gain.

Being worry-free will keep one young

for worry keeps one from having fun.

Fun is depleted and robbed

when worry becomes our job.

Find something you enjoy

then live a life of joy

for joy will abound

when happiness resounds.

- - - - -

There's a deeper joy than doing.

It's a joy found in knowing

the One who created us.

Knowing God is a must.

Quite often life beats us down.

We end up wearing a frown.

Outward joy is gone.

Absent every dawn.

But when you know God

life isn't as hard

when you believe His promises.

Here's a few of God's promises:

1. We shouldn't ever fear

for God is always near.

He will never leave you

and will guard you through

whatever your situation

when you give Him permission.

Just ask in prayer.

God will be there.

2. We shouldn't be overwhelmed

with whatever comes around

for God is in control

when life seems out of control.

God is still on the throne

in heaven His home.

He desires to be Lord of your life

to give you peace when life brings about strife.

3. God will give you daily strength

to last each day at length.

We can be strong in the strength of the Lord

when life gives more than we can endure

for God's grace is sufficient,

make perfect in weakness.

Just ask for God's power

right now, this hour.

4. Envision God's arms around you

embracing you, sustaining you,

helping you, upholding you

whatever you're going through.

Doing what is fair, just, and right

for in you God does delight.

Never forget, you are loved

with an everlasting love.

Everlasting joy is found in knowing

the Lord God who gives blessings unending.

The joy of the Lord is your strength.

Nehemiah 8:10

Do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

I am the Lord, your God,

who takes hold of your right hand

and says to you, Do not fear;

I will help you.

Isaiah 41:13

...they will enter Zion with singing;

everlasting joy will crown their heads.

Gladness and joy will overtake them,

and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Isaiah 35:10

My grace is sufficient for you,

for my power is made perfect in weakness.

II Corinthians 12:9

To order Life Is a Garden Party, Vol II

go to WestBow Press.

To order Life Is a Garden Party, Vol I

go to Amazon or B&N.

Follow Life Is a Garden Party on facebook.

Sunrise 2/19/17

Oh, how sweet the light of day,

and how wonderful to live in the sunshine!

Even if you live a long time,

don't take a single day for granted.

Taked delight in each light-filled hour.

Ecclesiastes 11:7-8

Sunset 2/17/17

The Mighty One, God, the Lord,

speaks and summons the earth

from the rising of the sun

to the place where it sets.

Psalm 50:1

Seasons

Seasons

It's winter

and burr

but gardeners

are not deterred

for in their dreams

they often dream

of gardening under the sunbeams

after the rain leaves the earth fresh and clean.

It's spring

which brings

gardeners out doors

to joyfully explore

the flower bulbs giving birth

from the newly awakened earth

and they look to see

the fat buds on trees.

It's summer

and gardeners

are busy everyday

weeding under the sun's rays

or gathering the garden's bounty.

Each year God provides with plenty.

So much to be thankful for.

God's blessings everyday pour.

It's autumn

when the sun

sets earlier each day

painting sky blue pink rays,

when gardeners harvest -

there's no time to rest -

the fruits of their labor

over which they labored.

Come winter, spring, summer, or fall

you'll find gardeners are joyful

and thankful too

for God's kindness through

another filled-with-surprises year

when flowers and vegetables appeared

from the earth

giving birth.

When the earth

does give birth

it's God, the Creator, showing kindness

to each and every one of us

for God planned it that way

when he spoke that day:

“Let the earth

bring forth...:

* * * * *

O the kindness of God!

A thousand times more than we deserve for God is merciful.

He is patient beyond human understanding.

On the path we trod

we all doubt, we want our own way, not content, and ungrateful

yet God remains unconditionally loving.

We run around in a fog -

without seeking God - until heavy burdens fill our cup full

then we find ourselves seeking God and praying.

O the kindness of God

that He was waiting all the time, despite our being prideful,

to be our burden bearer for God is caring.

You'll find in your journey through the wilderness

that when times are bad and your life is a mess

that you will seek the Lord more and more

and you'll find He has good things in store.

It's when times are good that you need to be on the look out

for that's when we neglect to pray as we go about.

We take the kindness of God for granted.

Our relationship with God becomes slanted.

Just as the Israelites were in their journey through the wilderness.

After being obstinate they would draw near to God and confess.

They learned about God's kindness when seasons were hard.

When seasons were good, their hearts became hard.

Take note of the kindness of God today.

Let it envelop you like a hug and stay.

If you need to confess, don't delay.

God is waiting to hear from you today.

And God said,

Let the earth bring forth grass,

the herb yielding seed,

and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind,

whose seed is in itself, upon the earth;

and it was so.

Genesis 1:11

He (God) has shown kindness by

giving you rain from heaven

and crops in their seasons;

he provides you with plenty of food

and fills your hearts with joy.

Acts 14:17

Do you show contempt

for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience,

not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?

Romans 2:4

One of my many flowers gardens.

Beware:  deer like the campenella at the front of this bed.

To order Life Is a Garden Party, Vol II

go to WestBow Press.

To order Life Is a Garden Party, Vol I

go to Amazon or B&N.

Follow Life Is a Garden Party on facebook.

Thank You!

Just wanted to thank all of you who so faithfully follow this blog.

You are a gift from God and have the gift of encouragement.

These particular cupcakes in this photo were made from the Chocolate Zucchini recipe,

posted on this blog, using applesauce and olive oil for the oil.

Wish I could share a cupcake with each and every one of you.

For those of you who are gluten-free, I tried this recipe recently:

Flourless Chocolate Cake

In saucepan, combine: 

1 cup butter

10 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate

Heat until melted.

Cool.

In mixing bowl, combine: 

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

1/4 t salt

Beat in:

6 eggs

1 t vanilla.

Incorporate cooled chocolate mixture in 3 portions.

Makes 22 cupcakes.

Bake at 350.

I substituted half the butter with unsweetened applesauce, 

adding the applesauce with the eggs.

I served with raspberry jam.

A substitute for blocks of chocolate is 

3 Tablespoons cocoa and 1 T oil for each block.

For this recipe you would need 2 cups of cocoa minus 2 Tablespoons

and 1/2 cup of oil plus 2 Tablespoons.  I used olive oil.

I heated the cocoa, olive oil and butter together.

Using cocoa/bittersweet cho, the recipe is not sweet.

The homemade raspberry jam was just enough sweetness.

Let me know if you would like the fondant recipe used to make the hearts in the photo.

May your day be filled with sweet surprises!

Frosting

Frosting

In the dark of the night

comes something bright and white

covering everything

like a layer of frosting.

It's like a wedding cake maker

worked late, but not as a baker,

as a pure, white frosting icer

making everything look nicer.

Her palette of fluffy white

decorates with much delight

as she pipes

with white.

She has fun with the frosting

as everything she's topping.

It's like she doesn't know when to stop

for everything is now white on top.

She knows when morning

finally comes

someone will delight in her sweet treat

by exclaiming her work is neat.

Her work beautified the earth

while bringing with it mirth

to young and old,

she's often told.

Though her sweet treat doesn't last long

she'll be back again before long

with her special one-of-a-kind, pure white frosting

when you look out the window and see it snowing.

Take time to check out her masterpiece,

that covers with a quiet peace,

as she piped from her pastry bag

decorating with zig-zags.

* * * * *

Here's my recipe for buttercream frosting:

9 cups x-sugar

2 cups shortening

½ cup butter

1 cup milk

splash vanilla

Beat 7 minutes with heavy-duty mixer.

You'll find frosting sweetens life

but not every day of your life

for it's not heart healthy

neither waistline healthy.

Frosting is a sweet treat

to once-in-a-while eat

when you celebrate

a special event.

You'll find another sweet treat

is when encouraging words greet.

Encouraging words lift up

when you find you're in a slump.

Encouraging words are recalled time-after-time

when hope is needed to renew one's troubled mind.

Everyone could use an encouraging word

perhaps written in a note or spoken heard.

Become an encourager today.

Help spread around the sunshine's bright rays.

Everyone needs encouragement.

I know you're in agreement.

How sweet are your words to my taste,

sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Psalm 119:103

Let your conversation be always full of grace...

Colossians 4:6

Cake baked in petal pan.  Dry spaghetti for whiskers.

Color flow bow.  Fondant flowers. Candy melt eyes.

Conversation heart nose and footprints.

To order Life Is a Garden Party, Vol II 

go to WestBow Press.

To order Life Is a Garden Party, Vol I 

go to Amazon or B&N.

Follow Life Is a Garden Party on facebook.

Dance

Dance

Spinning, swirling

twisting, twirling.

Floating, drifting

while fluttering.

Lovely, quite ethereal

sent from the celestials.

One by one more appear

dancing together near.

These gossamer tu-tus

catch one's attention, they do.

Light as a feather

they now gather.

Performing their art

in mute, soundless parts

for no music is heard,

not even a chord.

Spinning, swirling

twisting, twirling.

Floating, drifting

while fluttering.

As if chased they run

in a waltz of fun

graceful, poised,

bringing joy.

Not one misstep

for each step

is orchestrated

as if conducted.

Who is it that dances away

yesterday and again today?

Fluttering down from the heavens

are dancing snowflakes from heaven.

* * * * *

May your spirit dance

despite your circumstance.

My joy abide

whatever betides.

May there be a song on your lips

that will cause a smile to lift.

May thankfulness be a part

of every beat of your heart.

You turned my wailing into dancing;

you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.

Psalm 130:1-12

To order Life Is a Garden Party, Vol II

go to WestBow Press, Amazon or B&N.

To order Life Is a Garden Party, Vol I

go to Amazon or B&N.

Follow Life Is a Garden Party on facebook.