My garden of prayer is a window to my soul, a place of solitude, my hiding place from the cares of the world.

Sitting on a swing, shaded by a large willow tree, and overlooking a rose garden, I meet with God each day, where He teaches me many parables as I sit there and reflect on the beauty, grandeur and detail of the work of His Hand.

As I look at a rose, I see His beauty. As I am pricked by a thorn, I remember the crown of thorns that pricked His brow. As I wipe away the blood from my pricked finger, I thank Him for His blood that was shed for me. As I ponder about the roses and the thorns, God reminds me to think positively about life, and thank Him that He put roses on a thorn bush, rather than complain that there are thorns on my roses.

The stepping stones that guide my way around the roses, remind me of the stepping stones which, God in His sovereignty, places before me to guide my journey through life. These stones can lead me to the fragrance of the next rose, or can cause my foot to stumble, warning me to be careful of my walk.

The stepping stones lead me to a beautiful, old fashioned sun dial in the center of the rose garden, where I pause for a moment to thank God for the sunrise of each new day and His mercy which is new every morning. As I observe the shade on the sun dial moving slowly yet steadfastly ahead, it reminds me that time marches on regardless of what is going on in the world, and that I need to treasure every moment, for once a moment is spent it is gone forever.

The shade of the willow tree reminds me that I am under the shadow of His wings, and that He is my protector from the scorches of the trials of life. As I see and hear the leaves gently blowing in the cool breeze I am reminded of the presence of the Holy Spirit. We cannot see the wind, but we feel its presence.

As I stop my day for a few precious moments, and just sit back, kick off my shoes and squander the time swinging and reflecting, God reminds me to stop my activities of the day just long enough to appreciate His greatest gift of all, the gift of life, find the child in me, swing away and be happy!

CHALLENGE:- Somehow and somewhere find time each day to stop and smell the roses for each rose is an autograph from the Hand of the Creator.