⁷ “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
    whose trust is the Lord.
⁸ He is like a tree planted by water,
    that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
    for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
    for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (ESV)

My name is Phyllis.

I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a wife, mother, writer, teacher. I love coffee, gardens, clouds and pumpkins. I love the sound of the ocean, the smell of freshly mown grass and roses, and did I mention coffee?

I can’t always identify points of grace in my day. But as I seek to be content in all circumstances, I am grateful for remembrances of grace notes from last week, last month, last year.

There are watercolor sunsets, bird song, smooth stones, rose petals, hugs and joyful moments even in the midst of a hard, complicated, even heart-wrenching life. It helps to look back and realize that the good remains, and you are farther down the path. You have left the hurt behind, and through God’s grace, you have carried the rose petals with you. 

My name is seldom given to little girls these days. It means green leaf or bough. Using that as inspiration, I would like to think of this as a shady space beneath the trees. An everyday kind of place, where one might take a break and end up discovering hope, beauty, joy.

I invite you to join me there