Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

I research many subjects on the internet concerning healthy eating and lifestyle, curly hair helps, cardmaking tutorials, and more! I see quite often, “Five things you are doing wrong eating on the keto diet”, “Ten ways you are damaging your curly hair”, and “Never say this in a handwritten card”. I see, “You’re doing it all wrong” videos on YouTube all the time – sometimes it is as simple as cooking an egg wrong! No wonder many people are riddled with anxiety! Hearts and minds are confused because there are so many varying opinions about everything and everyone is an expert. Too many voices have filled my head nearly paralyzing me in being able to decide anything. Finding peace in what I eat, how I live, how I style my hair (or whether I let my white hair growth continue without intervention), and what tools I use to create handmade cards has been a journey. The older I get, the less I care what everyone else is doing or what is trending and the more I want peace within. I pray for understanding, wisdom, and a settled heart and mind because I tend to wander from one way to another. “In every thing…let your requests be made known to God”. In everything? Yes, every thing.

Here is the latest in my growing collection of stray gifts: (comments under the collage)

Top Row (left to right): My first flowers in our home in New Mexico were beautiful and had a lovely, soft scent. I don’t need fancy flower vases- a green mason jar will do! My dad is managing my daylilies in El Paso because we haven’t brought them over yet. These were all in one flower pot earlier this year and Jonathan and I split them into three. They were much smaller then but were crowded. Since we divided the lilies, they have been able to stretch out and seem to like the new space so far. The last photo is of my yellow Lady Banks rose bush that is blooming! These are tiny roses and are so cute! Thank you, Dad, for taking photos of them for me!

Bottom Row (left to right): Since I started collecting stray gifts, I have had friends and family who have caught the excitement of looking for God’s gifts in the day. I am sent photos through text messages often. A friend in the Dallas, Texas area sent me the first photo taken at the arboretum. The tulips are stunning! The middle photo is from a friend in Pennsylvania. This farm is over one hundred years old and her grandmother (who is one hundred years old!) still lives there. I love views like these and this particular friend sends me farm photos often. The last photo was taken by me last week. That day, we were out shopping and John was able to find a new pair of shoes. Because he has scars from three ankle surgeries, he has had trouble finding footwear that doesn’t rub against the tender places. Trying on shoes is an ordeal, but he had the energy and the want-to that day. I’m glad we stuck to the task and found a pair after going to three stores. While we were out, we stopped by the local botanical garden. It’s not very big and there weren’t many plants blooming yet, but it is a nice area to walk around. The Bradford Pear Trees were blossoming quite nicely, though. We hope to return in a few weeks as more plants should be blooming. The rain we had recently should help those along!

Other Gifts: A friend in Georgia sent me a photo of daffodils in her front yard. The same friend remembered my wedding anniversary and sent John and me a pretty card! It meant a lot. A friend in NM is a quilter and had lost a “setting triangle” for a Christmas tree skirt she is making. She had scooted her work table over a bit and found it on the floor. It saved her a lot of time looking for that piece in piles of fabric.

Thank you to all who keep the stray gifts movement going! I just love when you share with me what was in your path along the way.