My Garden of Exotic Thoughts

It is wonderful that God has made everything beautiful! And when you learn to appreciate the process of things, you feel compelled to see that beauty everywhere. Beauty is a process that takes time. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says: God made everything beautiful in its own time.

Time tells us that a process is at work. To see the beauty of growing, one must understand that there is a time for it. I am captivated by the beauty I see in the growth of both men and women. Outer beauty is a reflection of your inner beauty.

Peace and contentment are reflected in the gentle lines of their foreheads; the crinkles around their eyes reveal an inner joy. In a man, gray hair and a beard inspire the respect due a gentleman; lending him an air of distinguished grace. 

In a woman, gray hair tells a story that is both powerful and tender: sleepless nights caring for a sick relative, the masterful management of scarce resources, and the fulfillment of a role that was not merely that of a teacher, but of an entire school. She is an administrator, daughter, sister, wife, lover, skilled nurse, and faithful friend. 

As she fulfilled this divine calling, she was unaware of the unique story of love and strength her life was writing. 

The man, too, managed his own empire—working in diverse environments and climates, and even facing health challenges; yet, the responsibility and strength God bestowed upon him kept him standing through the years. He was the cornerstone of his home, embodying protection, provision, and respect. 

The delicate skin of both stands as a monument to honor. I will stop here for the sake of brevity, but the beauty of aging with contentment is part of God’s design; He made everything beautiful in its own time.(Ecclesiastes 3:11).

But God has placed eternity in our hearts, which means that death does not exist—only a change of life. There are two places to choose from: eternity with the light, which is God, or eternity with the darkness, which is Satan. You can choose the light by asking the Lord Jesus to enter your heart.

🧐🌺 My Garden of Exotic Thoughts 🤔

You are an untamed beauty. Those blue eyes were my undoing. In them, I perceive calm, sensitivity, and an aura of mystery that conveys introspection and depth. And I wonder if those blue eyes have ever looked upon another person with true love. I sincerely hope that you find the joy of loving someone, just as I have found it after all these years.

My eyes are jet-black, like the dark night. Yet they possess power, elegance, and sophistication. And I borrow the words of the wisest man in the Song of Songs 1:5: “I am dark, but lovely…” For the grace of God has  been poured out upon me; my black eyes are filled with love, compassion, peace, and joy.

I’m dark, but lovely, the grace of God has poured upon me!

Colors possess a beautiful significance, yet the eye holds the greatest relevance. An eye can see its entire surroundings, and yet it is incapable of perceiving eternal reality. The eye is directly connected to the heart regarding moral choices. It is no wonder that God declares the eye to be the lamp of the body.

“O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes take delight in following my ways.” (Proverbs ‬ ‭23‬:‭26‬ ‭NLT‬‬).

““The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,” (Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭22‬). 

When you surrender your heart to Jesus, you will delight in following His ways. Then, your eye will be a lamp for every movement of your body. That is when you become untamed beauty!

My Garden of Exotic Thoughts

🎈🎊The celebrations of Pentecost Sunday and Memorial Day immersed me in an ocean of profound gratitude and ineffable joy! Monday morning still held the lingering scent of daisies and roses. My gratitude toward the Holy Spirit was so intense that I decided to stay home to contemplate His beauty a little longer that morning.

After lunch, I began attending to the bookkeeping. As the afternoon wore on, so too did my dread grow at the darkness into which I was slipping. With every new discovery, my heart skipped a beat; far removed from joy and plunged into uncertainty, I verged on terror.

How dark the night turned for me!

I realized that I had failed to record the 2026 payroll, nor had I filed Form 941 (the Federal Quarterly Employer’s Tax Return), which had been due on April 30th. To top off my woes, I inadvertently picked up a large envelope containing details regarding my line of credit—which is set to expire in October 2028. And I owe nearly $65,000.00. It was, by no means, a good time to receive that information.

But what really tipped the scales was discovering that someone was buying jewelry and other things with my card. I felt my mouth go dry; I also knew that the bank would refund the money. But feeling robbed leaves a bitter taste deep down. How dark the night turned for me!

I called the bank, and they canceled my card. Now comes the hassle: I have to remember all my automatic payments; otherwise, I could face fines or even suffer service interruptions. Another headache is that my son has the card, and he’s currently on a cruise. What will happen if he needs it? Although, in reality, everything is paid for in advance. But a mother’s heart is very soft.

I went to bed—like the spoiled child that I am—yet trusting in my good Lord, and I said: “Father, is it possible that the Devourer is devouring what You give me?” And I fell asleep peacefully in my Father’s arms.

Episode II

On Tuesday morning, I woke up with a feeling I couldn’t quite name. Yet my heart was at peace. I needed to buy groceries, and then I remembered: I didn’t have a credit card. But I thought to myself, “I’ll just use my debit card.” The Holy Spirit prompted me to check the balance of my checking account. 

To my dismay, there was an overdraft of over $5,000; I had deposited the funds via mobile, but it was a public holiday, and they wouldn’t be reflected until that night. There was no real problem, but had I tried to use my debit card, it would have been declined. So, the Lord spared me from that embarrassment. Consequently, I opted to withdraw some cash instead.

It was at that moment that the Holy Spirit ministered to my life through Romans 8:28. On my way home from the store, I began to give thanks to God for every dark and terrifying episode—one by one.

It went like this: “Thank You, Father, because I love You and have been called according to Your purpose; therefore, You will cause my situation with the Visa card to work out for my own good.”

As I gave thanks to God for each dark episode, it transformed into joy and strength. Glory be to God! As I was driving, that joy welled up inside me, and I kept shouting in my car: “Thank you, Lord, for Your goodness! I receive Your goodness!”

From my Garden of Exotic Thoughts

As I direct my thoughts and my devotion toward my Lord, I feel that He fills this entire place. And the security and well-being that envelop my soul are immeasurable. That’s why I call writing: my  natural first love! 

A joy courses through my entire vascular system when a dazzling beauty begins to emanate from my garden of exotic thoughts!  And my heart is moved with gratitude to my God for granting me the blessing of writing.

God is the Supreme Artist and has infused a certain measure of art into His creatures. And God’s grace has aligned my thoughts with the celestial gardens. For this reason, my writing serves as the most effective therapy for me. I do not become distressed, for my writings are addressed to the Holy Spirit, who dwells within me.

I know that, as that sense of joy grows, it is the Holy Spirit who encourages me: “Listen—you are doing well, my daughter! Keep it up!”

🌷“With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” (‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭12‬:‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬).🌹

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (‭‭Psalm‬ ‭16‬:‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬).🎈

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. (John‬ ‭15‬:‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬).😂

This is My Story!   What’s Yours?