391. Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace. ~May Sarton

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An edited blessing from the Celtic oral tradition of the 1st millennium and an edited passage from A RETREAT WITH ST. PATRICK:

Bless us O Lord,
You who are the peace of all things calm,
the place to hide from harm,
the light that shines in the dark,
the heart’s eternal spark,
the door that’s open wide
welcoming all to come inside.

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Lord, grant us Your wisdom to help us make good choices, Your strength to uphold us through life’s storms, Your eyes to look at others with compassion, Your ear to enhance our listening to their cries, Your hand to uphold us when faced with trials, and Your shield to protect us from that which and/or those who would do us harm.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand, ~Isaiah 41:10 ✝

Thank you, Lord Jesus, that you save, you heal, you restore, and you reveal Your Father’s heart to us! You have captured me with grace and I’m caught in Your infinite embrace! Like Saint Hildegard Lord, may I too be a feather on your holy breath and spread, like seeds, the gospel abroad.

20 thoughts on “391. Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace. ~May Sarton”

  1. Love the roses Natalie and of course the inspirational verse. it’s always good to pop over to your place and feel the love, welcome and warmth. nest time, have the kettle on will you? 😉
    Laurence.

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  2. Natalie, may I ask what camera and what program you use? Your photos are lovely. I hope to someday work mine half as well. ❤ Hugs. And this was lovely, as always.

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    • Skye, I have a Nikon D80 camera and I use I Photo on my Apple/Mac computer. It’s a great program and very easy to work with. And all it takes is practice and experimention to take good photos. One other thing that drives my husband nuts but works well for me is that I take maybe 5 or more shots of everything I shoot. Since it’s a digital camera it costs nothing to take as many shots as you like and I find that I usually get at least one really good one that way. Hugs, Natalie 🙂

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    • In my first reply, Skye, I forgot to include that I use a lens that can go from 18 milimeters to 135 milimeters which is a pretty good range to get close up or distance shots. Also I love the I Pages on my computer which is the word processor but it’s also where I can create the collages that I often use. I am a huge Nikon and Apple fan as you can tell. Love, N

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      • Thank you so much, Natalie for all your help. I am hoping to play around more and more….hard to get the time, though. Please know that I am a HUGE fan of your very special work. Love, Skye

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