Winter and A Promise of Spring

A Promise of Spring

“For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, the voice of the turtle dove is heard in our land; The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one and come away...” Song of Solomon 2:11-13

Even though I woke up this morning to another beautiful layer of shimmery snow; with more of the feathery flakes continuing to fall adding new luster to the earth, I find myself looking forward to Spring. It seems to be my New Year’s ritual to look for anything that will help me get through the cold winter months and give me hope for warmer, more colorful days.

When I read the words from the Song of Solomon, it was a reminder of the promise that is in Ecclesiastes, “To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven...A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted;...” Eccl. 2:1-2

To me, there is a ‘Promise of Spring’ in these words. I find that these words of commitment and assurance of Spring, also cause me to wonder about the purpose for Winter; I’m sure it also has its time and purpose...it took me a minute to open up to any purpose for the winter’s cold and ice, but then my heart spoke...and I listened. First, it said that “It’s the struggle, the battle or contest that opens our eyes to seek God’s light, for help, direction and strength.” I was warmed by that thought. Then I heard, “To have Spring be the ‘Promise’ and reward, there needed to be a time to plan and prepare for that ‘Promise’ to be as rewarding as I desire.” The snow and rain that is falling today, will reward us with the water and nutrients we will need to nurture our ‘plantings’ in the Spring. Winter is that precious time of enlightenment, preparation, and planning for that which we truly want to grow in our garden of life.

Winter - A Complement to Spring

Winter is the ‘contrast’ or ‘complement’ to Spring. It’s our season of discontent that awakens us to a need for change. Without the opposing circumstances that Winter provides in our lives, we wouldn’t love or look forward to Spring with so much delight!

Let’s embrace this season! Let’s be aware of our struggles and our discontent and recognize that its purpose is to help us turn to Christ; to know that with His help we can overcome anything! We can work through our winter blues, our struggles, and challenges and experience His love...when we fix our eyes on Him and His power to heal. We will feel His love and we will see how our life will begin to transform and change as we take time to plan and prepare our ground for the transformation that can take place and Spring will come in all its glory!

I really like this quote that Barbara DeAnglis has shared on Social Media, it helps me understand so that I eagerly look forward to the magic that happens with transformation. “The moment in between what you once were and who you are now becoming is where the dance of life really takes place.”

Planting A Garden Haven

For months I have had thoughts about the word, ‘Plantings’. The more I thought about it the more I liked the direction it was taking me; as gardening and planting is an enjoyable way to receive a new hope for tomorrow...in our physical garden as well as our life gardens. A ‘garden’ is a thriving place to dwell and grow because of the things we choose to plant or sow into our life garden and then... in time we reap a lovely garden retreat...we create a ‘Garden Haven’, in our hearts and minds, where we can retreat for peace and rest.

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”

Let’s take a moment to ponder on our life gardens. Is everything you have wanted for your life thriving there? What have we sown in the past years that is not working for our ‘Garden Haven’? Your heart (discontent) may say it would like you to redesign your garden and plant new seeds/seedlings for a new harvest... a life transformation for 2023!

As we pursue this direction of change and new life, our spiritual and physical healing or transformation will be nurtured in each of the seasons. There is purpose in the steps we will be taking to create our individual ‘Garden Havens’. We will spend some time discussing and taking transforming steps through 2023. Our personal life transformation will come as we take each season as it comes and embrace the digging, planting, nurturing, cultivating, and pruning, as well as enjoying the harvest, the bounty at the end of our journey.

God Is Preparing You For Something Great....Just Hold On

I’ve had this memé displayed in my bathroom for this last year. It has been my ‘Promise of Spring’...my reminder that one day my efforts, to transform my life, would bring me to the ‘Garden Haven’ I have been longing for. My harvest or ‘something GREAT’ is also the day that I will see all of you, who are my ‘Plantings’, thriving in your ‘Garden Haven’.

Your ‘Promise of Spring’ will come when you find the peace and rest and glory of being in a haven of grandeur with your Savior.

Tomorrow Comes With A Whole New Light, Let’s Embrace It!

I hope you feel my energy for this year of ‘Plantings’ and will follow and participate in this journey to our ‘Garden Haven’. Participation is key, I would like to hear your thoughts, successes, and setbacks. It’s all for our learning and progression, our transformation!

If you found 2022 to be a difficult year, I will have to agree with you. I found it difficult to keep up with the dreams and goals I set for myself in 2022. But, with a new year and a ‘Promise of Spring,’ I am excited to begin anew, with new hopes and new dreams.

This is our Winter, our season of discontent, a valuable time for enlightenment, preparation, and planning for that which we truly want to grow in our garden of life...our transformation...and eventually our ‘Garden Haven’.

Let’s give 2023 everything we’ve got so that we will feel God’s love, light, and strength. We will see how our life will begin to transform and change as we take this appointed time to plan and prepare our ground for the transformation that can take place and our ‘Promise of Spring’ will come in all its glory!

Winter - a precious time for dreaming, planning, and preparing to create our ‘Garden Haven’.

Here are this week’s preparation steps to take to begin your transformation, your Becoming.

❦ Awaken - What is your discontent? What needs to be cleared out of your garden space for new plantings to thrive?

❦ Plan - What are the possibilities, and enhancements your heart yearns for, to create a more glorious Garden Haven?

❦ Prepare - What preparations and changes are needed before the planting and sowing of new seeds can begin?

❦ Watch this website for new directions in my bi-weekly BLOG and enjoy the new products to help you become a productive caretaker for 2023.

❦ I would like to hear your thoughts, ideas, successes, and setbacks so please make comments in the section provided. Let’s help one another! :)

❦ Caring is Sharing! Please share these BLOGs with those you know who could be seeking a change or transformation in their life. Help me to help them find their ‘Garden Haven’!Winter and A Promise of Spring.

Let’s all believe in tomorrow!

Love, Jeannie

P.S. This 8x10 Meme, “To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow”, can be found for purchase in our Marketplace under New Products. Thank You for all you do!