Appreciate and Imagine

Every day I see the work of God's hands--

When I pause by my flowers and watch the bees collect pollen--

Then I see butterflies float on air and hear birds sing glorious melodies.

God has gifted us an incredible place to dwell.

The natural world and amazing creation leave me in awe.

If this world is this beautiful, imagine how awesome heaven will be.

 

Coming June 1

I've been writing devotions for years, and I'm happy to let you know my nature devotional will be published June 1, 2023.

Pre-order at https://www.amazon.com/Hope-Todays-Heart.../dp/1955838658/

or https://www.mtzionridgepress.com/.../hope-for-today-s...

If you love being outside enjoying nature, I believe this devotional is for you.

 

He Made Summer and Winter

I want to challenge you in this new year of 2023 

to slow down and observe God's creation.

He's given us a beautiful natural world as a resource, 

but also as a reminder of His magnificence and power.

Whatever the season, appreciate His creation.

 

Autumn Dances

Tim and I spent time over the weekend checking out the beautiful autumn foliage.

I am in awe every year, when God paints His canvas in the lovely tones of autumn.

Enjoy what God has given, and be grateful for the beauty.

 

Simple Things

The older I get, the more I appreciate the simple things.

I was watching the bees land on 

this "obedient" or sometimes called "dragon" plant. 

They buzzed around and gathered pollen, paying no mind to me.

Observing nature colors my soul with joy.

What simple things do you enjoy?

Clothed With Joy

Psalm 30:11-12
You turned my wailing into dancing;
    you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
    Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

Pink, purple, red, and yellow flowers bobbed their heads.

On our trip to Lake Erie, blooms exploded with color. The hydrangea bushes waved blue, pink, and purple heads. The bluemink or flossflower complimented the golden buds of the oxeye chamomile, and the prairie sun blooms. Purple salvia nodded in the sunshine while red petunias rested at their feet. Everywhere we looked vibrant hues filled yards and gardens.

After we returned home, I visited my mom. She has planted flowers for as long as I can remember. Even though she doesn’t do the physical planting now, she has a little flower garden. Family helps her take care of her butterfly bushes, lavender, and many other blooms so she can enjoy their beauty. As I walked with her along the driveway and watched butterflies and bees sip nectar, I thought about how much joy those plants brought my mom.

Just as God’s beautiful creation brings delight, so does the love my Savior gives.

In the Psalm, David mourned his losses and mistakes. But because God loved him and forgave him, David wrote how the one who created the universe turned his wailing into dancing. He replaced his sorrowful cries with blissful steps. He took away his sadness and covered him with joy. As a result, David vowed to sing praises to God forever.

As the colorful beauty of the flowers bring delight, God in all of his glory brings joy. Not just happiness, but pure joy.

A heart full of delight radiates to the face through a smile.  And like the beauty of the flowers, a smile is a gift we can give to anyone.

Be filled with joy!

And God Created Egrets

On one of our trips to Lake Erie, we stopped by the Port Clinton Lighthouse. 

We walked along the beach and searched for lake glass,

 then sat on a bench and watched the waves.

We were preparing to leave when I turned and 

looked toward the two ponds that sit in front of the lighthouse. 

A speck of white caught my attention. 

As I moved closer to the water, an egret stood. 

What a beauty. I am partial to these remarkable birds, with their graceful movements. 

As with any of God's creation, I love to watch them and learn their ways. 

Fun fact: they build their stick nests near the water, but high in the trees. 

Fortunately, this bird was photogenic!  

Fall Findings Friday: Whoooo???

I found this little owl, Jack-o-lantern, on my neighbor's porch. How cute! I've loved owls for as long as I can remember. I'm not sure if I admired them because they are associated with wisdom, or I just thought they were adorable creatures. I was blessed to see a baby owl in the woods one time. What a joy! God's creation amazes me everyday. 

What's your favorite animal?

Fall Findings Friday: A Truck Full of Fun

Love this old truck I saw at Burger Farms. 

The lovely plants, scarecrow, and pretty little girl in her pumpkin patch dress 

add joy to my autumn.

Fall Findings Friday: Autumn Through the Eyes of a Child

As an elementary student, I loved kindergarten art. I remember the teacher giving us screens, construction paper, leaves, toothbrushes and cups of paint. We placed the leaves on the paper, dipped the brush in the paint and rubbed it over the screen. The red, yellow, and orange paint splattered over the leaves and left a delightful pattern. 

The other day, as I walked through the elementary where my daughter works, I noticed these colorful works of art on the kindergarten wall. How lovely for the children to express their vision of fall. 

The Poetry of Autumn

I snapped this photo on a field trip in southern Ohio. 

So Will I

Psalm 96:11-13

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
    let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
    let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
    he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
    and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Autumn, like spring, reminds me that nature calls to those who enjoy the beauty of the earth. This week I was privileged to hang out with grandkids on two different field trips. Two of my grandsons, both in fourth grade, went to a nature center in southwest Ohio. The instructors led them through activities focused on fossils. We hiked to a creek and searched for rocks with impressions left, from years ago. The kids learned about erosion and discovered crawdads and plant life in the water. We went home dirty, tired and happy to have been outside all day. The next day I joined my granddaughter, along with her mommy and daddy, on the preschool trip to the pumpkin farm. She played on the straw castle, we rode on a hayride and picked out pumpkins.

All this outdoor time speaks to my heart about the joy I find in God's creation.

When I am out tromping in the woods or walking in a pumpkin patch, I am amazed once again at all that God gifted us with. I stroll out my door to be greeted by zinnias and maple trees. We ambled by a field yesterday, and heard the killdeer's call and the cardinal's song. In the woods, a deer might peek out or a squirrel scamper. Even as I write these words, I feel excited about not just the beauty of the earth, but the resources. Our Father provides for us and all he asks is for us to be faithful. He hopes his children will join him in taking care of the gifts he's given and use them to his glory.

I've been called a tree-hugger before. That's not really accurate. I'm just somebody who appreciates the natural gifts God supplies. I'm thankful for all he provides and want to do what I can in my little corner of the world, to show appreciation. I thank God for all He gives.

This song says what I feel!

Flower Friday: Hydrangea

The hydrangea bush produces gorgeous blooms in clumps of tiny flowers to create a pom-pom like bouquet. The ones we saw in Maine had huge clusters of almost cloud-like blue blossoms. Did you know hydrangea bloom in pink, blue, white, and purple. 

According to the FTD blog the different colors represent these symbols:

• Pink hydrangeas symbolize heartfelt emotion.
• Blue hydrangeas symbolize frigidity and apology.
• White hydrangeas symbolize boasting or bragging.
• Purple hydrangeas symbolize a desire to deeply understand someone.

Flower Friday: Queen Anne's Lace

When I was child, the ditches along my parent's home were filled with Queen Anne's Lace. I was sure these were the flowers the fairies grew. 

Their lacy, delicate heads swayed in the hot summer breeze. 

According to legend these beauties are named after Queen Anne, who sewed her own lace. The tiny purple-red dot in the center is said to represent a drop of her blood when she pricked her finger.

Queen Anne's Lace

“Queen Anne's LaceDaucus Carota.” EdibleWildFood, www.ediblewildfood.com/queen-annes-lace.aspx.

Beautiful!

The View from Caesar's Head

Psalm 95:4-7
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth
    and the mightiest mountains.
The sea belongs to him, for he made it.
    His hands formed the dry land, too.

Come, let us worship and bow down.
    Let us kneel before the Lord our maker,
for he is our God.
We are the people he watches over,
    the flock under his care.

Tim and I drove down to see Hannah in South Carolina. On the way we cruised through the Great Smokey Mountains. As we powered along, I watched the landscape for any signs of autumn. And bears—I always watch for bears. From the highway, we looked over the ridges and felt we were well above the tree-strewn valleys. That is until Saturday, when Hannah took us to a place called Caesar's Head. From our point of view, about 3200 feet above sea level, the scene took my breath away.  A valley, that stretched as far as I could see, housed a vast forest dotted with gold and red. A lake as smooth as glass sprawled between hills. The majestic mountains rose in the distance.

We stood on top of this rock formation called Caesar's Head

Gazing over the beauty, reminded me of two truths from Psalm 95. Number one: Everything was created by and is owned by God. As I stood on the top of Caesar's Head, I saw wonder in God's natural world. I drew in fresh air. I imagined what animals roamed those mountains. (Maybe, a bear or two.) Number two: God watches over me. He cares about me and loves me just as I am. I needed that reminder, because sometimes I forget or take for granted our incredible Lord. He has more love than we can imagine, and he wants to pour that out on us if only we seek him.

Let us come to him with thanksgiving. 

Let us sing psalms of praise to him.

                                      -Psalm 95:2

And God Created These...

Kelleys Island, OH ©PennyFrostMcGinnis

Kelleys Island, OH ©PennyFrostMcGinnis

Westlake, OH ©PennyFrostMcGinnis

Kelleys Island, OH ©PennyFrostMcGinnis

Kelleys Island, OH ©PennyFrostMcGinnis

Kelleys Island, OH ©PennyFrostMcGinnis

Kelleys Island, OH ©PennyFrostMcGinnis

Marblehead, OH ©PennyFrostMcGinnis

Eclipse Haiku

partial eclipse—

leaves told the story of God'simpatient moon

the sun's brilliance

eclipsed by a satellite moon—

crickets chirped praise

 

Children's Book Review: Pumpkin Patch Blessings by Kim Washburn, illustrated by Jacqueline East

Book Description:

Pumpkin Patch Blessings celebrates fall and shows little ones there are blessings all around us, especially in the pumpkin patch! The sweet rhyming text by Kim Washburn and whimsical illustrations by Jacqueline East bring autumn alive for readers young and old as they take in the fun of the fall season and remember how much they have to be grateful for.

My Review:
With fall just around the corner, this is a cute board book to share with little ones. They'll enjoy the bright oranges, reds, and yellows Jacqueline East uses to create whimsical illustrations. Kim's simple rhymes will be fun to read out loud. Many children visit a pumpkin patch in the fall. This is a great book to share before or after the trip. It's also a good book to share the wonderful things of autumn God has made. I received this book in exchange for a fair review.

Spring Beauties

Sessile Trillium ©Penny Frost McGinnis

Large-flowered Trillium ©Penny Frost McGinnis

 Every spring 














I'm excited to find flowers sprouting and blooming. God never disappoints. He's created some of the most interesting and beautiful plants. It'd been a long time since I wandered through the woods in spring. Discovering the trillium (above)was like finding a treasure. My husband and I spotted them the first week we hiked but they hadn't bloomed. This week they spread their color.  

As an added delight, I found a Jack-in-the-pulpit (below, right). Easy to miss because of their leaf-like appearance. Then we ran across the lovely, whimsical plant (two bottom pics) with cup-like blooms and curled tendrils. If anyone knows the name, please let me know. Enjoy the pics. I had fun taking them. 
All photo ©Penny Frost McGinnis