Season of Winter

I went for a walk on Saturday morning through the trails of Schenley Park. It had been raining earlier and everything was just very sad and dreary looking, all browns and grays with very little color which made for a slightly depressing walk.  I was wishing that it was fall again with the beautiful orange and red leaves, or the spring with sunshine and flowers. I would have even been okay with a hot sticky summer when the trees provide a lush covering of green shade over the trail. But no it is winter, without the pretty snow,  and I was stuck with a boring and uninspiring walk ahead of me.

Schenley Park Trail

This made me think that often time people talk about how we have different season's in our lives; don't stress this job is only for a season of your life, I guess that relationship was just for a season or things may be hard now but remember it is only for a season-things will get better. As I was contemplating all of this and thinking about this current winter season, I noticed a small bit of color off the trail to my right. There clinging to the bare brown branches were bright yellow and red berries.

 The berries may not look like much, and in the spring, summer or fall they would get lost among all of the other colors of the woods. But in the winter, when everything is gone, these little berries stand to the forefront making their presence known. The little joys in life that may be over-looked when everything seems to be perfect, stand out as huge blessings during a season of winter in your life. A simple text from a friend who you haven't heard from in a while, getting a good deal on a new pair of boots or even the chance to sit and relax by yourself with a book at Starbucks can be just the blessings we need.

At the same time as I was walking along the trail, seeing these berries, thinking about winter and how I was going to write this blog post, a song came on my IPod that summed it all up: Beautiful Things by Gungor


The chorus just hit home about how God can make beautiful things out of the dust, out of us. Even when we feel bleak and uninspiring like the woods in the winter, God can use us for a purpose and creates unexpected beauty just like the red and yellow berries.  Blessings are all around us even in the winter when nothing seems to be going our way, we just need to stop and take the time to see them and praise God for all of the beautiful things.

Phipps Fall Flower Show 2012

Life has been crazy I haven't had much time to blog in the last month or really stop and think at all. Today however, I had the chance to go and visit Phipps Conservatory early in the morning and see the Fall Flower Show before it ended. Overall, the displays were very similar with the show last year but there were a few new pieces. I don't have time to go into too much detail but here are a few of the pictures that I took while I was there.

The Broderie Room. 

The yellow mums really pop against the black urn.

White and yellow mums

Official wishing well

 The Broderie Room was by far my favorite room for this show. The limited color palate of yellow, white and green helped accent the clean lines throughout the parterre garden. 

Zululand cycad.

If you have a chance to go to Phipps soon don't miss out on seeing the Zululand cycad. This is the first time this African seed plant has been blooming since 2006.

Note: when I went to Google this to find out what it is, everything online called it a zululand cycad, but the plaque at Phipps says Zuzuland cycad, somebody really messed up there...

Green mums

red/orange spray mums

Miniature Phipps 

 The biggest draw for all of the kids at Phipps is the train set with tiny town. While I was standing in front of the display taking pictures at least a dozen families with small children came and every child no fail went "oh wow" and stood awe struck watching the train. Within the the town was a model of Phipps as it would have looked in 1893 when it first opened.

Chinese dragon in the Sunken Garden. 

 A tribute to Chinese New Year was on display in the sunken garden. A large red dragon was in the middle of room among the fountains while yellow and orange flowers lined the walls and hanging plants.

Under the sea

The final display was probably the best this room has ever looked. There were a variety of flowers planted to mimic the coral along the ocean floor and paper fish were hanging from the ceiling as though they were swimming. 


Hopefully you enjoyed some of these pictures.
The Christmas exhibit is going to open in 3 weeks and I can't wait to see it!

Weeding in the Downpour

Saturday was another work day at Garfield community farm and I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to go since it was drizzling out in the morning; sleeping in sounded like a much better plan. But I decided to head over anyways, figuring a lot of people would also prefer to stay in their warm bed and the farm could use all the help they could get. I was correct in thinking that not as many people would show up, but there are always the faithful few who come rain or 100 degrees of sunshine.
We split up among various jobs and again I decided to tackle some weeds. As the one leader of the farm said "we are always in the battle against weeds". Even though we could weed everyday at the farm there will always be some small weed we will miss or that will grow back. My last post on weeding I compared the weeds in the garden to the weeds in our lives and hearts that are unhealthy and overshadow the blessings God wants to give us.

The bushes we wanted to keep and had to maneuver around to get to the weeds.

Today was another reminder that we need to continually work on removing the sin in our lives. Some areas are easier than others, like the small sprouting weeds that haven't spread their roots yet. We can see  the consqeuences of an unhealthy decision and wisely decide not to make the same mistake again.But then there are some areas of our lives that are like the envasive vines that tangle and wrap around the fence, threatening to bring it down. Pulling at the roots were not going to bring these suckers down; we had to bring in hedge clippers, pruning shears and knifes to remove the snarled vines of weeds. When we let the sin in our lives get so out of control it begins to take over everything and it is a lot more painful to get rid of.

Fence covered in weedy vines. It looks so blurry because of the rain that was coming down.

This made me think of the verse"... let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with persevance the race marked out for us" Hebrews 12:1. The garden can't show it's true potential when there are weeds and vines taking over. In the same way we can't fully live out the life Christ designed for us when we are so wrapped up in our sin.

We started our weeding project when there was just a small drizzle but soon the rain began to downpour.  I'm talking sheets of water coming at you sideways from the harsh wind leaving you head to toe soaked. All I wanted to do was give up on the garden, hop in my car and drive home.  Just as we are in the process of trying to clean up out lives, repent of our sins and be more like Jesus, Satan comes in with a hurricane downpour that makes us want to give up. This is why it is so important to stay in a community and have someone to whom you can be accountable, because if I had been weeding out in the garden alone I would have quit. Having other people alongside me helped me keep going, and eventually the rain calmed down!

Piles of weeds that we pulled and cut out.

The weeds will continue to grow and I'm sure when I go to the farm on Thursday there will be plenty of weeds to pull. But knowing that I can make it during a rainstorm will make the task seem just a little bit easier when it is sunny.

The blank area to the right is where we cleared out the weeds.

Hope you enjoyed this post and that it made you think a little!

P.S. Sorry for the lack of great of pictures but I didn't want to have my phone out in the rain for too long. 

Farmhouse Flowers

Two weekends ago I was home to celebrate my sister Krista and my soon to be born niece. We threw the shower inside of a farmhouse which is part of the residential community where my grandparents live. When I first learned that this was where we were going to have the shower I was less than thrilled. But going over all the logisitics  of the baby shower I had to admit that this was the best location. And then when I got to the farmhouse and saw beautiful flowers and set-up, I was glad we were having the shower there. Once again God used the wonderful outdoors to turn my frown upside down :)

Orange flowers, my favorite!

I do wish we could have had the shower outside because of all the wonderful flowers but August in Pennsylvania definitely requires air conditioning.

Farmhouse where we had the shower, we added the balloons:)

Wildflowers bordered the old stone farmhouse, emitting a charming country feel to the place.
The well maintained lawn and patio surrounded by a low stone wall kept the flowers and bushes in place but without a strict structure of a formal garden.

It is a comfort to know that the farmhouse gives the residents a place where they can entertain guests, relax outside of their apartments and enjoy the outdoors without the hassle of maintaining a property or traveling very far.  

The patio also was a great place to take some pictures of me and my sisters!

Kara, Krista (and baby) and me!

 

There was also a small little gazebo nearby with it's own bed of flowers in front. I wish we had taken some photos here too, oh well!

Interesting purple flowers

God continually amazes me in the way He uses His wonderful creations, even in something as simple as the flowers planted outside of a house, to change my attitude and outlook at a situation. This is a good reminder that I feel like I need a lot, but thankfully all I need to do is step outside or look out a window to see God's hand at work:)

Pulling Up Weeds

 My initial intent when creating this blog was to write informative posts about flowers, gardens and trails that I have discovered. But recently I have learned that my Garden Discoveries have not been just about the actual gardens I see but the discoveries that I learned about myself while experiencing God's creation.  This is another post along those lines about what God taught me during the simple act of weeding.

Saturday was another weekend workday at Garfield Community Farms, and it was amazing how many volunteers showed up from different churches and organizations to help. While part of the group went to work on a house renovation project, the rest of us stayed to work in the gardens. The theme of the day? Weeding!! Now normally weeding is not my favorite part of gardening because you have to be careful not to pull up any plants that are suppose to be there. But today the wildflower section I was working in was almost all weeds so it wasn't too hard; if it didn't have a flower on it pull it out.

The section I was working in

All the tall grasses had to go!

While I was working on pulling the weeds out of the ground, I was thinking about the weeds each of us have; the unhealthy habits, thoughts, relationships and other sins that have taken root in our lives. When they are small and just beginning to sprout they look non-threatening. You think that it is okay to leave the small weeds in the ground because the tall beautiful flowers will cover them up and no one will notice if you leave one or two weeds behind. But soon the small weeds will overtake the garden of your heart, and like the tall grasses above, will choke out any beautiful flowers that try to grow.

So what is the best way to get rid of weeds? Just like in gardening you need to pull the weeds out at the root. If you just snap off the weed at the stalk it may look like the weed is gone but it will just grow back. In our lives this means we need to not only confess our sins but actively change how we live; turn our backs on the old ways and start living for Christ in every area of our lives. When I would come across a particularly large and difficult weed I would have to ask for help from one of the other volunteers to help me dig it out. In the same way we can't be afraid to ask for help from our friends, family and spiritual leaders to help us with the deep rooted weeds in our lives.

Now will this mean that weeds will never grow again? Of course not. Weeds are a natural part of every garden and in everyone's life. We just need to continually work on pulling out our weeds so that they won't completely take over and hide all the flowers.

Almost all cleared!

Now there is more room to plant beautiful flowers!!

I hope this will be an encouragement for you to look at what areas of your life need to be weeded. It takes hard work and can be difficult to get started, but once you pull out some weeds you will be amazed by what beautiful flowers the LORD will place in you life now that there is room for them to grow.

Strengthening the Soul

Today was another gorgeous Sunday morning in Pittsburgh, and while I was tempted to spend all day in my air conditioned apartment watching the Olympics, I decided to head over to Frick Park for a much needed breath of fresh air.

The Braddock Trail in Frick Park

I've come to realize that it is not just my body that I get in shape when I go out for a walk/jog along the trials but I revitalize my spirit as well; a strengthening of my soul. As I walk among the trees and flowers I listen to a mix of worship songs and take in the beauty of God's creation around me. When I am feeling frustrated, sad, or overwhelmed and don't know what to say to God, a song will come on through my mix of music that will directly express what I am trying to say.

A bench along the creek; a place to sit and relax in God's glory

Recently I have been feeling restless and impatient; tired of waiting for God to fulfill the desires of my heart. As I was walking among the gorgeous trees and feeling the warmth of the sun on my face the song "You'll Come" by Hillsong United came on that completely nailed what I was feeling and gave me the re-assurance that God will come and meet my needs and desires. The chorus goes.

 You'll come let you glory fall

As you respond to us

Spirit Rain, flood into our thirsty hearts again

You'll come

I need to be patient and try not to look at the big things I don't have yet or I will miss out on all the wonderful small things around me right now. If I try to rush and just get to the end of the trail then I'll miss the wildflowers growing along the path, and try as I might I can't help but smile at the sight of wildflowers.

So as I go about my week I need to remember that while I am waiting for God to answer some big questions, and He will come and  answer them, I need to praise and rejoice in the small blessings that He gives me everyday, even something as small as a yellow flower I see along the side of a path.

Garfield Farms

 Living in my apartment I am unable to have my own garden, so when I heard about the opportunity to help with a local community garden I jumped at the chance. For the past month my church has been advertising about a work day at Garfield Community Farm which I attended yesterday. Garfield Community Farm along with Open Hands Ministry focus on serving the community and sharing God's love through the farm. What was once a block of abandoned lots is now a farm from which the produce is sold to the community at a weekly farmers market.

Lots of tomatoes under here

For most of morning I worked in the cauliflower and broccoli beds; taking down finished pee plants and pulling up weeds. Since the weather was dangerously hot we only worked until 12 and had to take lots of water breaks, but we were able to get a lot accomplished.  

The beds all cleaned up!

Along with fruits and vegetables the garden also has some bunnies that one of members in raising. Everyone enjoyed being able to visit the bunnies (who are housed in a shady part of the garden) and I even got to hold one!

This little guy was the runt of the litter but he sure was jumpy!

Little white bunny:)

Work days happen the first Saturday of every month and every Thursday evening, which I will definitely be participating with in the future. Don't worry if you don't know anyone else going, I didn't and I still had lots of fun meeting new people and working among God's creation.

Click here for more information about Garfield Farm.
Click here for more information about Open Hand Ministries

Flowers Along The Trail

Wild daisies

It has been unbearably hot in Pittsburgh this summer with average temperatures in the 90's. Last Saturday there was a nice little reprieve from the heat which I took advantage of by going on a nice long walk along the trails in Frick Park.

View along the trail.

 During my walk I took notice of all the wild flowers growing along the paths. In any garden these flowers would be looked upon as weeds; unwanted disruptions to a carefully laid out design. But out in the middle of the woods they fit perfectly; little pops of color that bring a smile to my face as I walk by. God continues to surprise me with these small creations of his that can bring unexpected joy. This is probably why no matter how I feel when I start a walk through the woods I always leave feel refreshed and at peace.

Black Eyed Susans

Small yellow bell shaped flower. 

 I looked all over the internet to find out what type of flower this is but I couldn't find any matches. If anyone knows what it is please post below.

Tiger Lily. 

Tiger lillies are one of my favorite flowers and I was very tempted to pick one of the many blooms growing along the path. I decided to leave them be so that everyone would be able to enjoy as they went along.

Purple Wildflowers

Hopefully you can outside and notice some of small wonders hidden among your usual path.  Continue to discover what God has placed you around you and take some pictures and post them for others to enjoy.

Yellow Daylilies

Yellow Daylilies

So I have started work at Children's Hospital, one reason why I haven't blogged in awhile, and I noticed that surrounding the main entrance are all of these beautiful yellow daylilies. Planted as a serpentine border to the lawn against a backdrop of green plants these flowers bring a sense of cheerfulness as you enter the building.

Outside of Children's Hospital.

Walking throughout the city I noticed that yellow daylilies are everywhere; it seems these perennials are the bloom of choice for early summer. They are planted outside of churches, banks, apartment buildings and all over Pitt's campus.
Here are some quick pictures I took on my iPhone as I have walked  around town.

Outisde of Hillman Library

Lining the border of a driveway of an apartment complex on my street. 

Daylilies among different types of bushes; wall outside of the Oakland UCP.

It will be interesting to see if the trends in flowers I have noticed this year will carry over to the next or if like fashion flowers go in and out of style.

What flowers have you noticed around your neighbor or city?