Once you choose hope, anything’s possible. ~Christopher Reeve

Take hope. Each new day holds possibilities, and God is with us, even though sometimes it may not seem so. Below are some inspiring quotes to uplift our spirits as we go into 2017 with sunrise images from the farm.

(Sunrise of glory on the farm taken by me)

Hope is the physician of each misery. ~Irish Proverb

God puts rainbows in the clouds so that each of us — in the dreariest and most dreaded moments — can see a possibility of hope. ~Maya Angelou

"Hope" is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all....
~Emily Dickinson, c.1861

What is Hope? a star that gleaming
O'er the future's troubled sky,
Struggles, tremulously beaming,
To reveal what there may lie.
~R.A.P., "Hope," in Southern Literary Messenger, December 1840

(Morning has broken taken by hubby Dennis)

Where hope would otherwise become hopelessness, it becomes faith. ~Robert Brault, rbrault.blogspot.com

All it takes is one bloom of hope to make a spiritual garden. ~Terri Guillemets

You've gotta have hope. Without hope life is meaningless. Without hope life is meaning less and less. ~Author Unknown

Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. ~Anne Lamott

(Fiery sunrise by me)

Hope is warmth against the cold winter of adversity. ~Terri Guillemets

Hope is the word which God has written on the brow of every man. ~Victor Hugo

Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark. ~George Iles

Hope is some extraordinary spiritual grace that God gives us to control our fears, not to oust them. ~Vincent McNabb

When the world says, "Give up,"
Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."
~Author Unknown

"The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you." ~John E. Southard

Thankfulness and gratitude quotes for all the year:

“We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, small (and yet really not small) gifts.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer

 “Those blessings are sweetest that are won with prayer and worn with thanks.” ~ Thomas Goodwin

“Sometimes we focus so much on what we don't have that we fail to see, appreciate, and use what we do have!” ~ Jeff Dixon

“Life without thankfulness is devoid of love and passion. Hope without thankfulness is lacking in fine perception. Faith without thankfulness lacks strength and fortitude. Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road.” ~ John Henry Jowett

"The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you."  ~John E. Southard

"As each day comes to us refreshed and anew, so does my gratitude renew itself daily. The breaking of the sun over the horizon is my grateful heart dawning upon a blessed world." ~Terri Guillemets

"For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

 “Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all.”  ~William Faulkner

"The struggle ends when the gratitude begins." ~Neale Donald Walsch

"If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness.  It will change your life mightily."  ~Gerald Good

"Wherever I have knocked, a door has opened.  Wherever I have wandered, a path has appeared."  ~Alice Walker, In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens

"Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul."  ~Henry Ward Beecher

"We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude."  ~Cynthia Ozick

"For flowers that bloom about our feet;
For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;
For song of bird, and hum of bee;
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee!"
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"God speaks in the silence of the heart.  Listening is the beginning of prayer."  ~Mother Teresa

 “Rest and be thankful.” 

~ William Wordsworth

“Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart.” 
~ Henry Clay

“Whatever happens in your life, no matter how troubling things might seem, do not enter the neighborhood of despair. Even when all doors remain closed, God will open up a new path only for you. Be thankful!” 
~ Elif Shafak, The Forty Rules of Love

“Gratitude is the real treasure God wants us to find, because it isn't the pot of gold but the rainbow that colors our world.” 
~ Richelle E. Goodrich

"Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings."
~ William Arthur Ward

‘Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.’ ~Regina Brett & Other Inspirational Quotes

“If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.” ~Regina Brett, Author of God Never Blinks

My daughter Alison reminded me of this excellent quote. I contemplated what image I might use to symbolize the Divine and decided this mystical holy rays of light (royalty free image from istock) seemed best.

Ms. Bret has much wisdom.  Here are a few of her most noteworthy quotes.  With commentary from yours truly, of course.

“Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.” ― Regina Brett

*Even a sympathetic dog will do.  Or a purry kitty, very comforting.  Although the dog will probably care more.  Cats have their own way of relating.

*My grandson Colin and his best friend Grady taken by daughter Alison.

“Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.” ― Regina Brett

*This is more true than many of us realize.  Definitely worth bearing in mind.

“When in doubt, take the next step.”
― Regina Brett

And from Folk Singer John McCutcheon, “Step by step the longest march can be won.”

To this I add, it helps to have a friend walk with you.

*Image taken by my husband Dennis of two little Old Order Mennonite brothers.

“God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.” ― Regina Brett

*Thank heavens for that!

“Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.”
― Regina Brett

“Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.”

― Regina Brett

*Yes, yes, very sound advice.  Tough to do.

“I once heard someone say that prayer is more than words. It’s a stance you take, a position you claim. You throw your body against the door to keep the demons from advancing and stay put until they go away.” ― Regina Brett

*Stand firm.  And may God be with you.

“Life isn’t about how you survived the storm … it’s about how you danced in the rain. Dance with me.”  ― Regina Brett

(Image of the garden and old red barn in the background)

*Perhaps a gentle shower, or mist.  It’s raining outside now and I don’t feel inclined to dance in it.  But her sentiment is lovely and I suspect not meant to be taken literally.

*Image of North River in the mist taken by my mom, Pat Churchman.

“…there were two kinds of women: those who wear nail polish and those who don’t. Which do you prefer?…” ― Regina Brett

*Actually, those who don’t.  There’s no way an avid gardener can keep their nail polish looking good, and I feel more at home with earthier sorts like gardeners.  Not that I will shun you if you wear polish.  You may have other superb attributes.

To Ms. Brett’s trove of wisdom I add my own adage, When the going gets tough, the tough get kittens.  And if it’s really tough I recommend a basket of kittens.  I also adhere to the eating of dark chocolate.  And to that Regina Bret says, “Resistance to chocolate is futile.”  I’ve already had my chocolate ration for the day.  May need to up the ration.

*Kitten image is royalty free, but perfect so I bought it.  We didn’t happen to have a basket of kittens on hand for this post. Although they are scampering among the corn, pumpkins, and potatoes in the garden.

“No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.”
― Regina Brett

*Ummm, but not if you have anything contagious, please.  But I suspect that’s not what she intended.

*Image of my niece Cailin as the fairy princess.  An ardent believer in fairies whom I fully support.

“Your children get only one childhood.”
― Regina Brett

Unless you’re Peter Pan, or headed to Never Never Land.  In truth, some of us never really grew up, we just got older.

Lastly, do no underestimate the wonderfully restorative value of naps.  Even a cat nap does a body good.

“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.”  ~Irish Proverb

“No day is so bad it can’t be fixed with a nap.”  ~Carrie Snow

Had mine today.

Bring on the kittens.  

The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for him there. ~George Bernard Shaw

“I believe that gardens themselves are very healing. To be surrounded by the exquisite beauty of nature is to experience a healing of the soul.” — Author unknown

It’s gorgeous in the Shenandoah Valley now, and today a soft April shower is making everything even that much greener. The jonquils are in bloom and tulips just beginning to flower with the promise of many more buds. I’ve ordered several new David Austin roses to add to the roses that survived the winter (mostly Austin varieties so I’m sticking with those from now on), and the greenhouse is filled with seedlings for the vegetable, herb, and flower gardens. What wealth, if you count your riches in the bounties of the earth, and I do. I particularly love seeds. Each one holds such potential.

There is much symbolism in seeds. Jesus said: “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” And mustard seeds are tiny. I ought to be able to manage that much faith…

Daughter Elise and I save seed, and get carried away ordering more, but use them all sooner or later. And we share. A  box of filled with ziplock bags laden with various kinds of seeds (I endeavored to  organize them into categories) sits under my coffee table by the couch as I write. That way, I can sort through them at any time, know what I have and need. And I just like having them nearby. The table itself is laden with gardening and herbal   books and seed catalogues…I’m seeing a pattern here.

“How fair is a garden amid the trials and passions of existence.” ~Benjamin Disraeli

“Almost any garden, if you see it at just the right moment, can be confused with paradise.” — Henry Mitchell

“Those who labor in the earth are the chosen people of God.” — Thomas Jefferson

“Why try to explain miracles to your kids when you can just have them plant a garden.”  ~Robert Brault

“The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God’s heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.”
~Dorothy Frances Gurney, “Garden Thoughts”

Angels Among Us--Beth Trissel

When my friend, Liz, was a child and very ill she says she awoke from a fevered sleep to find an angel seated at the edge of her bed.  Its face was human-like but the features were more angular than ours and silvery.  The rest of its body was luminous and seemed neither male nor female, but she remembers the eyes, green, and the reassuring feeling of being watched over.

You may think this divine visitation was the figment of a child’s fevered mind, or you may believe that she saw an angel.  I believe.  Once when I was asleep I heard a beloved voice call my name, a voice as familiar as my mother’s or husband's and yet it was neither of them.  I think this was an angel and someday I will see and instantly recognize this being as though meeting with an old friend, and understand that he has always been with me.

Angels are messengers of God and bearers of his comfort in a hurting world.  Sometimes they even intervene in our lives and lead us to safety, though not always.  When my 16-year-old niece Kristy was killed in a car accident some people at the scene said they saw a great ray of sunshine stream down from the sky and spill over the mangled car in a kind of holy benediction.  As though God wanted us to know that he saw and was winging Kristy’s spirit up to heaven in that wonderful light, enveloped in peace that passes anything we can imagine.

Were there angels with her?  I have no doubt of it.  Still we ask why God didn’t send an angel to prevent this tragedy, and so many others.  But it seems that why is not for us to know on this side of heaven.  Anymore than we can know why our first grandbaby,  Adam, so infinitely precious, was not somehow saved, but stillborn. Though I trust with all my heart that Adam is in heaven and we will see him again.

I have no answers to these tragedies, only the promise of God’s eternal love and presence.  And I am watching for angels, tuned to the whispery touch of unseen wings and those in human form.  God uses people, particularly those who have known grief, to minister to others.  If your heart seeks the light, you are never really alone.  If you yearn for comfort, keep watch, angels will come to you.  Remember, they can look like anybody, be anybody, young or old, can even be you, as you minister to others.

Hebrews 13:2, "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."

Glorious Autumn in the Shenandoah Valley--Beth Trissel

An excerpt from my nonfiction book about gardening and country life,  Shenandoah Watercolors, a 2012 EPIC eBook Award Finalist:

“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature.” ~ Anne Frank

(Image by my mother, Pat Churchman. If you look closely you can see my daughter Elise as a child and her little friend, James, peeking our from behind the trees.)

Excerpt from my chapter on October:

“A cold autumn wind blew as my younger daughter, Elise, and I scurried about the garden in the last of the light to gather in our treasures. She heaped great orange Cinderella pumpkins into the wheelbarrow and picked the rest of her pink and blue Indian corn. Beams of sun touched the crimson cockscomb flowers just coming into full bloom, an antiquated variety that I seeded late and coaxed through our wet summer. (Cinderella Pumpkins, image by Elise taken this fall--2012)

The vibrant color of the plumes stood out against the grayish black clouds like a king’s velvet robes. This wealth will quickly dwindle if the temperatures dip too low tonight. The weather is quite cool here today. Forecasters are calling for the chance of frost tonight, but only if the gray blanket covering the sky clears and bright cold stars come out. Then maybe Jack Frost’s chill breath will silver the hoary earth.

I must get myself to the garden and pick the last of the orange persimmon tomatoes–truly the most luscious variety in the world–and the heirloom lima beans, called Christmas limas. These beans are mottled a lovely wine color and very tasty. Perhaps I can get our dog, Mia, to help me. But I doubt it. She takes no interest in vacuuming or dusting either, just wants to know when its time to eat.

I have this wild hope in the back of my mind that maybe I will wake up one day and find the house ordered and gleaming, all put to rights while I slept. I suspect this delusion comes from my having read The Elves and the Shoemaker too often, and other fairy tales. I have also seen too many Disney movies.”

(Colorful maple tree near green rye field on our farm in the Shenandoah Valley, image by Elise)

***Shenandoah Watercolors is available from Amazon in kindle and now paperback with lovely photographs taken by my family.

***For a seed link to the Christmas Pole Lima Beans click HERE.

***For a seed link to Cinderella Pumpkins click HERE

***For a seed link to my favorite Orange Persimmon tomatoes click HERE.

After your initial purchase you can save the seed.