Pencil in His Hand: A Mother's Journal of Stories, Thoughts, and Poems.

The cone flower blooms in winter A Peek into my Garden and some Thoughts Dearest Reader, How about you? Do you bloom in the midst of winter like the cone flower? Are you full of sunshine when your day is gray? It's not easy, and I would actually like to say, near impossible without Jesus living in your heart. It is the Holy Sprit who enables us to bloom in the hardest, driest, coldest places. You see, the cone flower, does bloom in winter, but it has been soaking in the sun all summer long, drinking in all the water it can, and basking in what winter sun God provides. So, it is able to bloom despite the cold.  When you come up close to the cone flowers, you will hear the buzzing of bees. This hardy plant is a favourite with the little creatures as they search for pollen in the garden. Are you attractive like the cone flower? No, not in your outward appearance, but inwardly. Do God's love, light, and grace shine outwardly from within attracting people to Him? We can all shine an...

  Cacti babies From my Garden Here is a small window into my garden. In the Southern Hemisphere, we are going into winter after a long, hot, and dry summer. We had some of our first rain yesterday, and the plants are smiling. :) I started sowing Autumn seed last month. So far, I have had some success with egg plant, carrot, and pansy seed. I am waiting on some beetroot and Dusty Miller seed. (That is the informal name.) Dusty Millar is an ornamental bedding plant with white foliage. I still have Swiss chard and spring onions, with new spring onions coming up, and I have some petunias in my favourite colour. Even with life being so busy, I always try to spend some time in the garden. Gardening slows you right down, doesn't it? I've heard people say that God feels very close in the garden, and I tend to agree with that. He is everywhere of course, but perhaps it is because we tend to pause and slow down when we're gardening that we feel His presence more strongly out in His c...

  Do you Want to be a Mary or a Martha? Plus A Garden Glimpse & Writing Chat  In this post: Martha, or Mary? Plus A Garden glimpse and some writing chat. Do you want to be a Mary or a Martha?   If you want to be like Martha, here are some tips: Write a very long to do list. It should include items that you don't really want to do but know you should. Skip breakfast: there's no time to sit still. And skip Bible reading and prayer. No time for that. There's too much to do! Make sure everyone within earshot is aware of how much you have to do. Grumble and complain before you even start on your to do list. As you work bang pots and pans and slam doors. This should make your point clear. You are unappreciated and taken for granted. Make sure to vocalise your discontent loudly as you work. Feel more and more stressed, put out, used, unloved, and unhappy with each miserable chore that you do. It's so unfair! Whether its in real life, or on social media, make sure everyone ...

  Why Short Stories? Dear Readers, Welcome back to the blog. Why short stories? I have asked myself that question quite a few times. Why write  short stories when you could do something much more impressive, like write a novel or a non-fiction book? 1) Short Stories are just that: short. They take much less time to write and to read. Yet they can still transport the reader to another world and make you fall in love with, or at least relate to their characters. 2) Short Stories make good platforms for getting your message across whether subtly or more obviously. Many short stories contain a moral or lesson, or perhaps just a comment. 3) Short stories are often fun to read as they are fast paced and use words economically. 4) Short stories are less likely to cause the Christian reader to neglect his/her Bible. You may not have thought of this, but as enjoyable as novels are, they take a great deal of time to read, with the result that we may neglect Bible reading, prayer, and ch...

  Impossible? Emil cast his line gracefully into the middle of the river. "Great cast." Gus said as his own rod bent under the weight of a fish. "It's going to be a pan-sized one." Emil grinned as he watched his friend reel the fish in. "Yup. Looks like we may have a decent lunch." He removed the hook from the fish's mouth and cleaned it carefully at the waterside. The two men fell into a companionable silence broken only by the sound of the lapping water. Emil studied some lazy clouds as he waited for a bite. After some moments, he spoke. "Wouldn't it be cool if the Rapture happened right now, while we're fishing? Kind of appropriate, I think." Gus chuckled. "You always were a dreamer Emil." "It's not a dream," said Emil as he reeled in his own catch, "it's in the Bible. 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4." "I know, I read my Bible. It just sounds so impossible. Like a dream." He added, ...