Consider the Lillies…

‘They don’t toil nor spin, and there’s not a King with more splendor than them’. When you rise in the morning, what are the first thoughts to enter your mind? Mine begins to flood with a million thoughts long before the sun begins to rise… And it isn’t just filled with the ‘what to’ do’s! My mind also becomes filled with other thoughts like, ‘Am I enough? or ‘Can I handle whatever curveball today tries throw at me?’ or ‘What if….’ and before I realize it, I’ve already ‘worried’ myself into next week and it isn’t yet even daylight. But then, I look out of our kitchen window while making coffee and I see sparrows taking seed from the bird feeder or in the garden I see a new bloom has unfurled in all of it’s beauty to welcome the dawn, and I’m reminded of Luke 12:27-32. My Savior has this for me today! No matter what the day brings my way, all I have to do is seek His Kingdom first, above all else, and He will give me everything that I need. What’s worrying you today? Give it to God. You are ‘the sparrow’ & God is the ‘seed’! He will provide you with the nourishment that your mind, soul, and body needs if you will only let Him!

May in Mississippi

It is finally May in Mississippi and the Magnolias are beginning to bloom! Never is there such a sweeter Southern scent to harken the arrival of our mid-spring days in the South. With blossoms unfurling wider than a ‘dinner plate’, the Mighty Magnolia (Magnoliacea) heralds return of childhood memories spent playing for hours outside in our grandmother’s yards, chasing bumble bees and darting in and out of fushia-pink Azaleas while playing games of ‘hide-and-seek’. For me, it signifies the ‘true birth’ of spring. First come the lemony yellow Daffodils (Narcissus) followed by pink Dogwoods, golden Honeysuckle (Lonicera), purple Wisteria (Wisteria), and flashy Peonies (Peonia) in full-bloom, but the Magnolia always saves the best ‘entrada’ for ‘last’ by making a strong-3rd base turn into a full-Home Run to welcome warmer days ahead! For those of us who reside in the South-Eastern United States, the stark white blooms of the Magnolia signify ‘purity’. These beautiful blossoms are ‘stout in size’ but do not stay in bloom for long. And although the blooms are ‘short lived’ the dark, waxy deep green leaves keep their 2-tone color (top-side dark green/under-side warm fuzzy brown) while on the tree throughout the entire year. Over the years, I have harvested the fresh leaves for live-green floral decorations in hand-making wreaths and mantle-arrangements during Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays or rather any time fresh greenery is needed!

I wait all winter for our Magnolia trees ‘bloom’. Now my early morns are spent waking to admire their beautiful fragrance in the quiet of the dew, giving my thanks and praises to our Heavenly Father for His Creations, and taking a cutting to place in a bowl of water (just as my Memaw Geneva May did to place on her coffee table directly next to the family Bible). She would be proud. My best memories? -childhood summers spent daily with her, going out into yard and picking a bloom from a century old-tree then bringing indoors where she would ask me to sketch or paint one for her and proudly hang it on her wall. Oh, how she loved her magnolias! Oh how I miss Memaw but thankful for her teachings and passing her love of God and especially plants, forward.

About The Author: Exploring the Beauty of Nature with All Creations Wild

All Creations Wild™ began in the early 1990’s as a small side business when I was a young woman working daily in the rural communities/woodlands/swamps/farm fields/mountains hunting, fishing, hiking, & ranching while adventuring across all of North America & other countries. Aside from being my ‘day’ job, I loved spending hours in nature exploring all of its facets! When I left college during my Junior year as a Forestry-Wildlife Mgmt./Ag Ext. Ed Major to ‘take a break & enjoy newlywed life’, I relocated to a very small southern town in lower AL & started businesses, began gardening, canning, restoring century-old houses & homesteading with the purchase of my first house & land at age 22 while many of my friends were still in college. Since those early years, much has taken place. Other more positive life-changes, jobs, experiences and responsibilities have come about with, well, ‘life’. I have experienced successes/failures of self-owned businesses, a broken ‘un-equally yolked’ marriage, a new ‘Christian’ marriage, returned to college only to add to now having much former education/certs and numerous work hours/life experiences over 30+ years in roles as artist, camouflage clothing designer/producer, rancher/wildland/prescribed firefighter/ planner/training & prevention officer, professionally certified horticulture therapist/educator, healthcare garden planner/designer/scientist, Master Herbalist, Autism Behavior Trainer, & now, enjoying Mid-Aged MOM life! I’ve learned all of it thru the good/bad but better equipped! One thing has never changed. I am still a ‘nature’ girl. Yes, we are all growing older but I’ll continue to marvel and give praise to my Utmost Heavenly Creator for inspiring me to create from sunrise to sunset. When I’m not ‘digging’ in the soil, or growing things including an amazing only 11 yr old daughter alongside my partner Husband, I’m finally finding time to become focused on things which matter most: God, family, & friendships. As a Christian woman, I’ve climbed the highest of mountain tops and took landslides only to become broken, experiencing the lowest of valleys while on knees praying for better days ahead… One thing always remains ‘constant’ despite life’s ups:downs. I’ve matured from highs and lows through knowing that my God will always bring ‘restoration and healing’. He keeps me gently folded in the ‘palm of His hand as His little bird’. That’s real, y’all! Be Real. Be Humble. But become genuinely strong in yourself while allowing God to ‘create YOU’. It won’t happen overnight. This site is a new ‘creation’, so thank you for patience as I add posts/products.

Meanwhile, feel free to contact me @ growforthgarden@gmail.com or visit my new Etsy Shop @ ALLCREATIONSWILD.