Dance of the Leaves

Today, the air smells wonderfully clean. There's a feeling of freshness and delight in the atmosphere. The tops of the tallest trees ripple like the ocean waves in the early morning breeze, while the lower branches and smaller trees remain silent. The smaller trees listen to the rustling foliage. If they want to participate in today's dance of the leaves, they will need to reach higher.

Sometimes, we are like the smaller trees. We find ourselves missing out on the joy of dancing in the breeze. We walk around grumpy and sad, instead of happy and glad. We forget that the Holy Spirit eagerly waits to lift us higher, so we, too, can put on a thankful heart and be filled with the joy of Jesus Christ.

May the miracle of God's wonder-working power lift you higher as you hand your burdens to Jesus and fix your eyes on Him. If you found this post encouraging, please share it by clicking the Facebook, Twitter or other buttons below.

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Opossum in Backyard

The opossum lumbered across the tracks. It was only passing through, and squeezed beneath the wooden fence to explore my backyard, too.

It wandered by the tall ash tree, and sniffed along the ground. It found a soft spot on the lawn, to rest and to lie down.

Slowly it rose and walked around, taking its good ole time, strolling past the lemon mint and leaving me with a rhyme.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for opossums and other creatures that wander into my yard.

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Dancing Frost

Sparkling in the sunlight, the heavy frost takes on the appearance of a million diamonds. An even coat of dazzling white covers the gray roof. But it's the way the sun makes the ice crystals dance on the shingles, that catches my attention.

There are times when I feel frozen, like the roof across the street. I can't seem to budge from the place where I'm stuck. I need someone to shed light on my thinking, pull me out from the shadows, and enable me to see beauty in the tough situations. And this is where my Savior comes in. It's in the light of God's love where I can get up and dance, instead of sitting and sulking. It's warmth and compassion of Christ's heart that lifts me up, when I'm down in the dumps. It's the joy of Jesus that awakens my soul to delight in His ways, and strengthens my weary body.

So when I see the sun shining on the morning frost, and the beauty of the glimmering ice particles, I remember the Lord. For only Jesus Christ can thaw out my icy attitude and show me how to bless, despite the frigidness of the conditions around me.

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May you breakthrough every obstacle that is keeping you from the abundant joy found in Jesus Christ. For more encouragement and inspiration by Lynn Zuk-Lloyd, go to www.promisegarden.com

Be Like a Child

It is good to practice being like a child — to sing in the rain, to dance in the storms, to watch the puffy, white clouds go by. And sometimes, to get silly.

It is good to let go of our worries and cares, by placing them in the capable hands of Jesus Christ, so we can bask in the light of His love, be filled with God's wonderful peace, and experience joy in our heart.

May you practice being like a child today, and enjoy the freedom that comes from Jesus Christ.



To view this video on YouTube, click here.

For more encouragement and inspiration by Lynn Zuk-Lloyd, go to www.promisegarden.com

Sunrise on the Edge of a Hurricane

The sun rises on the edge of hurricane Lee. In life, the beautiful and the terrible often walk side by side. Too many Pennsylvania rivers overflowed their banks; too many people were evacuated from their homes; too many valuables were washed away. During the days of high winds and the intense flooding that followed, babies were born, a wedding took place, surgery was performed, cancer removed, and friends reunited. There were laughter and tears, joy and sorrow, celebrations and devastation.

Yet in the middle of these two extremes, the love of Jesus Christ was found by those who looked for God. He was the One who watched over and protected the children when their schools were evacuated. He was the One who could see the road when the pouring rain and the passing trucks made visibility impossible. He was the One who sent His angels to watch over people in surgery. Highest praises to the Lord God Almighty, who is with us in both the good times and the bad.

May we breakthrough the obstacles that are keeping us embracing the comfort and the love of Jesus Christ. For more encouragement and inspiration by Lynn Zuk-Lloyd, go to www.promisegarden.com

Before and After

A while ago, the room was dark. But now it's light. When it was dark, I stumbled across the bedroom floor. But now, everyone on the carpet is clearly visible. In the dark, I had to search the wall for a light switch. Now, there is enough brightness streaming in from the window to write by. What a difference one hour makes! What a difference Jesus Christ makes.

Before I welcomed Jesus Christ into my heart, worry and fear were, too often, my companions. Now the joy of the Lord and the peace of God highlight my day. Before discovering the grace of God, I stumbled through life, often times, making wrong decisions and trying to figure out life on my own. Now I have Someone who guides my way and lights up the path before me. Before I knew the reality of the Son of God, I was often sad and lonely, and found myself in situations without hope. Now my hope is in Christ and He is the One who is growing and prospering me in Him. What a difference that one hour made when I asked God to make Jesus real to me.

May you breakthrough the obstacles that are keeping you from basking in the light of Christ's love. For more encouragement and inspiration by Lynn Zuk-Lloyd, go to www.promisegarden.com

Dancing Diamonds

Rippling water sparkles in the early morning sunlight. Millions of dazzling diamonds ride the waves in a parade of joyful celebration. What a beautiful sight is the dance of light and water interacting in playful delight.

The God who creates beauty on the water creates beauty in us, too. We become like sparkling diamonds when we move and dance in the light of God. We radiate with joy and delight when we reflect the love of God. We glow with the glory of the Lord as we set our eyes on Jesus Christ and rejoice in Him, knowing that He sings over us. For we are diamonds in the rough being refined by Christ's love.

May you breakthrough the barriers that are keeping you from dancing in the light of God's love. For more encouragement and inspiration by Lynn Zuk-Lloyd, go to www.promisegarden.com

Evening Sky Celebration

The sky was so spectacular last night, that an ode arose from within my heart. This is an Ode to the Greatest Artist — Jesus Christ, who paints beautiful sky shows and paints an awesome picture of our salvation. My dictionary says an ode is a lyric poem addressed to someone, and characterized by lofty feelings and dignified style. So here is my attempt at honoring Jesus Christ with an ode and also the video of the evening sky.

With love, O Lord, You paint the sky
That causes our eyes to look up high,
And see the splendor of your light
That brings forth beauty and delight.

You orchestrate the clouds and sun
Positioning them 'til your art is done,
Shaping the sky into an awesome sight
To bless your people on this summer night.


May this ode encourage and bless you, and cause the beauty within you to rise up and breakthrough. For more encouragement and inspiration by Lynn Zuk-Lloyd, go to www.promisegarden.com

Droopy and Drenched

The early morning rain left the flowers looking like I sometimes feel — droopy and drenched. This feeling happens when too much weight is on my shoulders. Even good things can become weighty when they happen all at once and place too many demands on my schedule.

There are times in life when we must carry burdens, like caring for children, helping our elderly parents, dealing with employment issues, or paying the bills. The trick is to turn these burdens into delightful challenges. And the place to start is by knowing we don't have to carry the heavy weights all by ourselves. Jesus Christ stands ready and waiting to straighten up our drooping shoulders, to turn the rain into sunshine, and to carry our burdens for us. The question for me is, "Am I willing to let go?"

I want to be like the happy flowers that blossom in the light of God the Father, that bask in the joy of the Lord, and that bloom for the King of Kings. I want to go through life, free and unburdened, singing in both the rain and the sunshine, dancing through the storms and celebrating happy occasions. I want to be unburdened by the problems around me and the issues within me. I want to face every day with the strength of God and the power of living in Jesus Christ. This is my heart's desire. O Lord God, let this be so.

May you breakthrough the barriers in your life that are keeping your inner beauty hidden. For more encouragement and inspiration by Lynn Zuk-Lloyd, go to www.promisegarden.com

Garden Gateway to God's Love

How pleasant it is to wake up to the sound of cheerful music. Thank you, Lord God, that every morning You sing to us through the birds. Your songs are always happy, uplifting and filled with joy.

When we take time to listen to the music in nature — whether it's a gentle breeze, a lullaby of night insects, or songbirds outside our window — a calmness descends upon us. And if we allow ourselves to take the time to enter into those subtle moments of tranquility, we can discover a gateway to God's love. At the entrance of the gate, Jesus Christ stands with open arms saying, "Come."

And if we accept His invitation, we sometimes find ourselves walking into an amazing garden of brilliant flowers, sweet fragrances, lush greenery, singing birds, and beautiful butterflies. Close by is a white gazebo. The Lord ushers us to one of its benches. As we sit down, next to Him, we can sense God smiling at us with a radiating love that lifts us far beyond our worldly woes. We feel cherished, accepted, welcomed and encouraged. And when we smile back, our soul feels satisfied.

For more encouragement by Lynn Zuk-Lloyd, go to www.promisegarden.com

Awaken Me

"Awaken me!" is a great cry of the heart. I used to wonder how the Lord could possibly love someone like me. Time and time again, I failed God. Then one day, Jesus awakened my heart. He enabled me to hear and receive the words, “I love you.” Those three words changed my life. They brought freedom, victory, and excitement to my inner being. I wanted to jump up and shout for joy! God loved me! For days, I walked around in the truth, celebrating the amazement of God awakening me to His mighty love. Rejoice and be happy, because God's great love is for you, too.

Lord Jesus, awaken me to who I am in You.
Let me see myself as a child of the Living God.
Help me to receive the blessings You bestow upon me.
Enable me to rejoice in the victory of the cross.
Show me how to be reverent before You.

Open my eyes to your realm of glory.
Give me understanding.
I cannot fathom the immenseness of your eternal love.
Your commitment to me is astonishing.
Your longing to restore me to Yourself never ceases.
Your desire to make me holy never diminishes.
Your power to deliver me never wanes.
Your kindness goes far beyond my ability to reason.
Your patience outweighs anything that I can imagine.

O God of infinite beauty, bring me into your light.
O God of eternal goodness, cleanse my heart that I may look up, and You in your glory.
Consumed me with your mighty love, O God, and let me be consumed with adoring You.
Awaken me to who YOU are.
I want to see the splendor of your beauty and know the greatness of your kingdom.
I want to marvel at the power of your Lordship and rejoice in the authority of your Name.

For more inspiration by Lynn Zuk-Lloyd, go to www.promisegarden.com