The Jones Family Junction

March 18 Bell Tower Pics

Saturday Afternoon: I've been looking for churches with bell towers with the goal of using it on a future Christmas card. As I was driving past this little church (that I drive past at least 5x per week), I noticed ... it has a bell tower! So naturally, I pulled over and snapped a few pictures. I'm not sure I can use these. I may have to stop there again and get different angles.

March 18 Michigan's Farm Garden

Saturday Morning: Once I had taken enough pictures at the Japanese Garden, I also walked the main path to the Michigan Farm Garden. I just KNEW there would be stuff to photograph. I just love these pictures!

First of all, I love farms! My mother's cousin (Merle) and her husband lived in a farm in Barry, Canada. Every single summer of my childhood, we spent almost one week at the farm. I loved it there--minus the flies and the smells--it was a great place to feel free. Wally (married to Merle) once brought me to a hill on their property and told me to look as far as I could see north, south, east, and west--and then he told me they owned ALL of it! I was so amazed. Right then and there, I determined in my heart that I would someday ask the Lord for an acre of land where I could grow stuff and call it my own. I wonder if He will do that -- or if that's just totally a selfish desire that will have no place whatsoever in eternity!

Couldn't you just spend HOURS here?

Such a cool old farm house!

SO ... here is the rear entrance to the Frey Boardwalk, dutifully signed and chained off from pedestrians. Did I honor it? No. I did not! Here's the thing, though: I knew that if I took about 50 steps down the boardwalk, I could get a view of the swamp exactly the place the swans usually hang out. So I very carefully stepped over the chain, took my 50 steps and ...

... this was my view. Pretty bleak! NO swans. I promptly turned around, retraced my steps, and got back to walking in a more lawful way.

I took nearly 200 pictures while I was at the Gardens. Many of them look almost like duplicates--but they are NOT... not exactly!

I could use these pictures on many-a future Christmas card. I absolutely love red barns!

I walked 2.2 miles! They were JOY-filled miles, each and every step of the way!

March 18 The Japanese Garden

Saturday Morning: Hmmm ... spring? It definitely is NOT! But oh ... is it EVER beautiful!!! We got a fresh 3" of snow overnight, plus it has snowed all day long--sometimes gusty and blizzardy; other times just soft and steady. What I CAN tell you for certain is that God demonstrates His awesomeness in all kinds of weather! I couldn't resist grabbing my camera and going over to Meijer Gardens to take some winter photos. I am quite certain that I have zero winter photos there! This must be remedied!

Ruthanne and Terry and I had been to the Gardens the day before--but THAT was to go into the Conservatory and look at the amazing butterfly exhibit. It was SO cold, we never once considered a walk outside. But this morning, since I was alone and layered to the max ... I knew the cold would not be prohibitive.

Most of this "set" of photos was taken at the Richard & Helen DeVos Japanese Garden, a rather new(ish) addition to the Gardens--added perhaps eight or nine years ago. I've walked around it in the summer and in the fall, but never in the winter. Look what I found!

So my first intent was to walk down the Frey Boardwalk that leads to the swampy/marshy area and look for the swans that seem to always hang out there. However, that walkway was barricaded with a sign that notified people of "hazardous" conditions ... sign ... so I very reluctantly obeyed the sign that said NOT to cross the barrier. But NOW where was I going to walk? I followed the main pathway and the signs that led to the Japanese Garden. I remembered walking around it one fall and ... hmmm ... perhaps it would still be pretty in the winter?

OH MY YES! Don't you love a birch tree in the winter?

Look at the beauty of this place!

The snow was SO weird, though. At times, it was snowing so hard I could barely see! And then it would just clear right up!

These photos will make many a beautiful card ... probably not until NEXT winter, however. I don't want to depress people by sending them snow pictures when they are longing for SPRING.

I am posting and writing this on Sunday afternoon after attending one of the most worshipful services I have ever experienced at Calvary Church. If ONLY you could have been there! Wow. Pastor Jim taught from Matthew 10, about the Lord sending us out as "sheep among wolves." I'm going to listen to the sermon several times this week--it was just too good to hear only once. And the music and Scripture reading was magnificent. I feel SO refreshed, comforted, strengthened, thankful. Wow.