Reaching Out

 

Reaching Out

Reaching out

To those around,

Off ‘ring a hope

That can’t be found

 

In any other place than you

The only hope that I reach to.

 

I don’t do well

At reaching out,

My faith in you

I sometimes doubt

 

‘Cause I don’t always like to tell

About you who makes all things well.

 

And so I try,

Dear Lord, each day

To reach with smiles

Those on my way

 

And by the actions that I do

I hope to point my friends to you.

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When I read about all the different countries that I’ve talked about during the past 5 months it’s easy for me to feel like I can’t do very much. And I start wishing that I could go to some other country to help people when in reality, right here at home, there are many needy people around.  All someone may need is a smile, just for today, and that is something I can give.  Home is a mission field and also training for whatever I’ll need tomorrow or sometime further on in the future.

 

So sometimes it can feel kind of hopeless.  I can pray, but there are times when that doesn’t feel like it’s doing anything.  Don’t stop praying, please, it is doing something even when you don’t realize but  there are so many needs around and sometimes the best way to help is with the gift of taking  time for someone,  a simple “hello”, and “how are you?”, a note of encouragement (I know what that does for me), or just a little gift that doesn’t cost anything but takes a little creativity and makes use of what you have.

 

That is why today I’m going to tell you how to make

Winter gardens are fairly easy to make and can keep a little green in your house all winter long.  Depending on where you live it might be too late to find stuff or maybe you don’t get “winter” so who needs a winter garden.  This is still a neat demonstration of the earth’s hydrologic cycle (basically how rain comes down is used, then evaporates, then forms clouds and comes down again)  so you can make one just to see how it works.

First of all this project gets you outside and into the woods or whatever place you can go to find moss, trees, etc.

Here are a few pictures from our woods where I went walking to hunt for my stuff.  It was lovely to be out in the fall air and enjoy the creek and places I haven’t visited for a while.

What you’ll need for now:

A basket

small shovel

Walmart bags

So, now you’ll go out and dig up whatever little trees, plants, and moss you can find close by. Keep in mind they have to be small so they can fit in a jar or fishbowl.

 

Here are some of the mosses I found around our place.  Our creator has made many different kinds of plants that we will find if we just look for them.  I tried to get as many different ones as I could to add more variety.

Once you have a basket full of stuff you can head back to your house and get out the next part.

What you’ll need:

glass jars, containers, fish bowl, etc.

plastic wrap

sharp scissors

small animals

mirror (for ponds)

misc. other trinkets

water sprayer

 

And now you get to just relax and make winter gardens.  I’ll share some pictures from my makings.

I made this in a large vase.  This way I could put a tree in and it will have plenty of room to grow. We did have a tree one year that grew so tall we had to cut a hole in the top so it could keep growing.

Here is a picture showing how I put in the moss and then tucked in a pond and a goose.  If you’re making winter gardens for someone else and don’t want to give the animals away you can make very nice ones  without any trinkets or add some homemade things like benches made from toothpicks or live traps and other woodsy décor.

 

Pushpins work well for mushrooms and acorn caps and rocks can add a finishing touch.

 

When you’re done filling your winter garden you can water it, depending on how wet your moss is, and then cover the end with plastic wrap. I’m not showing you how to cut plastic wrap because I’m not a pro and the box should tell you how.  If you made your winter garden in a jar you can just use a lid to close it.

I made winter gardens twice this year so here are some pictures of some of the mess.

Happy winter garden making and Happy Thanksgiving to all of y’all!  Thanks for taking the time to read this, that is one of my many blessings.  -Vanessa