This morning I woke up to 16 degrees and today was a day I had set again to do more winterizing in the garden. So, I donned my dad’s hunting coat and one of his old flannel shirts (and my thermals) grabbed my pruners and headed out to prune some of those extra long rose canes and to add some mulch to those that I know to be a little more tender. Most of my roses can take most any weather that winter dishes out. (You can read more about that here.)

All it took was to just “be” in my garden for more than a few minutes stolen here and there and I was transformed. The birds were singing, the frost added an enchanting sparkle and God showed up. Just as he always does when I am in the garden. I cast all my cares on him … and he takes them as his own and I am different for it. The greatest peace I have ever known is in the quiet peacefulness of mornings in my garden. It doesn’t matter the chore, it simply is all that for me. And, if you throw in some potting shed time … well you have the fixings of a perfect day. I hope that you have someplace in your life where you are at peace and God shows up. We know he is always with us and he doesn’t just “show up,” but in the stillness of a special place we “know it’ more.

Here are a few images of the winter roses …