Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
Action-reaction... hit someone with a snowball and they'll hit you back.
This is our daughter, Janet and her youngest son, Jeremy. They are having
a snowball fight in the front yard of their home in Jamestown, Rhode Island.
The picture was taken in March of 1992

ACTION REACTION
For every action there's a reaction
And this is a fact...
If you smile at others,
They're sure to smile back.

If you're grumpy and your moody,
It will surely set the pace,
For all those around you...
And will be seen upon each face.

If you lend a helping hand.
Help bear someone's load,
They're sure to pass it on,
The reaction will travel down the road.

It will be like ripples on the water,
Or footprints in the sand,,,
Your actions will bring reactions
That will travel through-out this land!

Freda Fullerton
November 30, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
This is the Niagara River, after it has tumbled over the falls.
It looks very peaceful and refreshing here. Our lives are like
that sometimes. Our faith takes a tumble then is refreshed in
our Lord!

OUR FAITH NEEDS REFRESHING
Our faith needs refreshing
As we follow God each day.
We can't store it up...
It just doesn't work that way.

We can't say, "I have faith,"
And not put it to the test.
We have to exercise it...
We must try and do our best.

God, is that why you send us trials,
So that we can better see,
That our faith needs refreshing,
As each day we follow Thee?

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
It is overcast right now, but I was up early and this was
the sight that greeted me! I was so inspired I wrote the following
poem!

I SAW THE SUNRISE
I saw the sunrise this morning.
It was all gold and blue.
It made me glad to be alive
And thankful to my Savior too.

It seemed that God said, "good morning,"
As I watched the heavenly hue,
In the early hour, this morning,
As dawn came into view.

It was as if He touched me,
With the beauty of this day.
And gave me the reassurance,
That things would be OK.

How great it is to have a Heavenly Father,
Who could love me so...
That He prepared a special sunrise,
Just so that I would know!

Freda Fullerton
November 28, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
This is our granddaughter, Katie, when she was little, with
a friend's small Pomeranian dog. It's not hard to see the
presence of God in little children and small animals.

THE PRESENCE OF GOD
God does not live...
Someplace set apart,
In some far off abode,
No, He lives within your heart.

He is not an absent Ruler,
A Land-Lord unknown...
He paid the highest price,
To make your land His own.

He does not set back and wait
For you to fail in what you do,
No, He's right down in the trenches,
Taking each step with you.

If you do not feel...
The presences of God, today,
Know that He has not moved
He is with you, all the way!

Freda Fullerton
November 27, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
This is a Seth Thomas schoolhouse clock that hangs in our living-room.
Jim bought the clock for 10 dollars about 50 years ago. It is hand wound,
with a key and I must wind it about once a week. I sometimes forget and
I do in fact, stop the clock, but not time, of course!

IF I COULD STOP THE CLOCK
If I could stop the clock,
What age would I want to be?
Would I want my children small,
Where they still depend on me?

Would I want to be a kid again,
Running wild and free?
Or would my teen years...
Be again, what I'd like to see?

Of course, it's foolish thinking,
That I can stop the hands of time.
I'm comfortable in the present,
Not before me or behind.

It is fun to do some reminiscing,
Of the days that long have gone,
So, let the clock keep on ticking,
As I keep traveling on!

Freda Fullerton
November 26, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
This is nature at its best. God sends His best to us...
we need to send our best back to Him!

SEND IT TO GOD
If your load is heavy
And it seems hard to bear,
Send it to God,
He is always there.

If you have some big decision,
You feel you ought to make,
Send it to God,
He will make no mistake.

If your feeling all alone
And you're so very much afraid,
Send it to God,
He will come to your aid.

If you feel very thankful
And you feel you must share it,
Send it to God,
He always likes to hear it!

Freda Fullerton
November 25, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
I'm not sure where we took this picture? I thought it was the "Old North Church,"
in Boston, but after researching it, I decided it is not, but it is a church in
New England. and we can certainly be thankful for the influence of Christianity
in America!

CAN AMERICA BE THANKFUL?
Can America be thankful,
When deceit reigns supreme
Where shame is a forgotten word
And debauchery is king?

When moral's are out-dated
And life has become cheep.
Crime is on the rise
Americans are afraid to sleep.

We put locks on our doors
And on our windows there are bars.
We move into gated communities
And hook alarms to our cars.

We teach our children to fear strangers
And seek unlisted telephones.
We seldom know our neighbors,
Or invite them into our home.

Today, we have it seems,
Unlimited communication
And yet, we live our lives
In guarded isolation.

American is on line,
Computers, touch-tone phones and such.
We can send a message around the world
And never feel a human touch!

Can America be thankful?
There is hope in this barren land.
A place where integrity is not just a word,
Where truth takes a stand.

A place where morals count
And sin is not a game.
Where life is very precious
And each is known by name.

A place with family ties,
Where love reigns supreme
And we know we have self-worth,
For we are children of the King!

We must share this message
With a world that needs so much,
To know about a Savior's love
And feel a human touch!

Freda Fullerton
November 24, 2011
Written November 1998
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
This is a field in Israel, near Nazareth. It was the
silence of this land that crucified Jesus!

SILENT LAND
It is my prayer, that Christians
Are not living in a silent land,
That we will step out in faith
And take a stand.

That we will speak out
For babies, yet unborn,
For the sanctity of marriage,
We will not be torn...

By the world's perception,
Of how things ought to be.
I pray, that Christians will be guided
Oh, dear Lord, by Thee.

May we not be unloving,
In the way we meet,
The challenges before us.
May our words be true and sweet!

Freda Fullerton
November 23, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
I've always been fascinated with roads that lead to places
unknown to me. This road leads to a farmhouse in the
Amish country, near Lancaster, PA. It makes you wonder
about the people living there, from the looks of it, I would
say they are very prosperous. We passed a local bank in a town
near by and a horse and buggy was at the drive-through window.

COMPANION ON THE ROAD
We need a companion on the road
As we travel through this life,
A comrade in arms...
To help us face the strife.

One who knows us very well
And still loves us so...
One who forgives our peculiar ways.
One that's comfortable to know.

One who is always there,
Through the thick and thin.
One who never falters
And on whom you can depend.

We have a companion on the road.
One who will be with us to the end
Jesus Christ, God's son...
Who just wants to be our Friend!

Freda Fullerton
November 22, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
We rode this tram to the top of Mt. Pilatus in Switzerland.
You can certainly get a clear view up there. You can see
all the way into Italy.

A CLEAR VIEW
Is your view always clear
In what God wants you to do?
If your answer is yes...
You are among the very few.

Many times I've followed leads
That I thought came from God above.
Only to find a dead end...
When push come to shove.

It was then I really knew
When God firmly shuts a door
That it was I leading me...
And He wants much more.

So when I follow up a lead
And it blesses others too,
Then I have a clear view
Of what God wants me to do!

Freda Fullerton
November 21, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
This is the cemetery at St. Paul's in Salzburg, Austria.
This is where the Von Trapp family hid during the
German invasion. They were very brave in their escape.

A SUNDAY KIND OF CHRISTIAN
A Sunday kind of Christian,
I don't want to be.
Just a Sunday pew warmer,
Lord, I pray that's not me.

When Monday comes around,
I want to be...
That same kind of Christian
As the Sunday one, you see.

And, Tuesday at work or play,
I pray my actions will not falter
And give the idea to those around me,
That I'm a Christian impostor.

And as the week goes by,
I pray that others see...
I'm not just a Sunday kind of Christian
As I serve those in need of me.

May the way I treat others,
May the things I say and do,
Prove that I'm not a Sunday kind of Christian,
But each day I follow You!

Freda Fullerton
November 20, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
This is one of our past Anniversaries. The unity of marriage is
often used in the Scriptures to describe Christ's relationship
with the body of believers.
This poem was taken from Ephesians 6:23-24

PEACE TO THE BROTHERS AND THE SISTERS
Peace to the brothers and the sisters.
Love and faith from God.
Can I really find peace,
As through this life I trod?

Grace to all who love,
Jesus Christ, God's Son .
Do I find grace for others,
When the day is done?

Can I find true unity
In a world that's so divided?
If I want peace to reign
I need to stay united.

In the love of God
And the example Jesus left for me,
If I want this love and grace...
That will bring true unity!

Freda Fullerton
November 19, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:

Red roses for love... of this country and our flag for liberty.
I just hope God doesn't run out of second chances for this
country!

THE GOD OF SECOND CHANCE
Our God is a God of second chance,
When we blow, it once again,
He whispers, "You're forgiven,
I take away your sin."

When we stumble on the path
And we feel we're beyond reprieve,
He whispers, "I'm still here...
This I ask you to believe."

When we feel we are unworthy
And a heavy heart is our sin's cost.
He gently reminds us...
"I redeemed you on the cross."

He is the God of second chance,
As He forgives us yet again...
He just wants to lift our burden.
He just wants to be our Friend!

Freda Fullerton
November 18, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
This is Jim and me with part of our family. Our daughter, Janet,
Her husband Richard, our grandson, Russell and his wife, Jen
and our grandson Jeremy. We are as one would label, a family.
However we're much more than that, each of us are individuals,
with different interests, different talents and different dreams.

LABELS
We put labels on people
And often times judge a crowd,
Not seeing each one separate,
Or seeing individuality endowed.

With separate hopes and talents
And dreams and visions too.
We just bunch them together,
That seems to be our view.

It's much easier to judge a crowd,
We don't have to get to know.
We don't have to face their problems
Or compassion for them show.

But as I think about my Savior,
Just how does He view me?
Am I a soul... an individual,
Or just part of the sea of humanity?

He does not see a mass production.
He knows each of us by name
He died for individuals...
That's what to this earth He came!

Freda Fullerton
November 17, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:

This is a card I recently received from a dear friend.
I'm sure her answer to the question in the poem would be,
"God is guiding me."

WHO'S GUIDING YOU?
As you journey through this life,
Who's guiding you?
Are you your own guide,
In all you say and do?

If you journey all alone
And have no help to bear,
The burdens of this life...
No one to comfort, no one to care.

You will surely find,
That you will lose your way,
So take note of who's your guide
As you travel along today.

Don't try to go it all alone
God is waiting by the road.
He will be your guide;
He will ease your heavy load!

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
Smiles... from my good friend, Mary Scroggins and me.

RECIPE FOR LIFE
I big heaping cup of smiles.
Smile:
Today put it to the test
And see if you don't agree
It is the garment you wear best.

Mix in all the love your heart can hold.
Love:
Without it, this world would be
The loneliest kind of place,
For people, don't you see?

Add a large amount of forgiveness.
Forgive:
Everyone everything.
For your own sake
And the freedom it will bring.

Mix all together and top with a whole lot of living.
Live:
Just for today... this minute,
It is all you have,
So put lot's of joy right in it!

Freda Fullerton
November 15, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
This is a picture of my fall dinning table. Candles burning always
makes a table more festive.

CANDLELIGHT
Your life can be a candlelight
In all you say and do,
As you pray for others,
Your light shines brighter too.

God grant you a grateful heart,
As you serve Him through others.
May your light flicker brightly,
In how you treat of your sisters and your brothers.

May He give you the courage
To climb each mountain high
And the faith to walk the valley
As your candle passes by.

You don't have to be a lighthouse
In this world so very dark...
Just the light of one small candle,
Just that little spark.

When you stand up for your Savior
And when you stand up for your friend,
You find one small candlelight...
Can start a lovely trend!

Freda Fullerton
November 14, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
This is our grandson Jeremy, after he received his white coat
at medical school. Our doctors do a great job healing our ills,
but they do not heal without God's hand directing them.
I'm so grateful that Jeremy is a Christian and realizes this.

HEALING FROM HEAVEN
Actually all healing comes from heaven,
Even though through the hand of man,
Or the body heals itself,
But this is through God's own plan.

Healing from heaven...
Can be body or soul,
As we learn of Jesus
In the story retold.

We know that real healing,
Comes from His soft, touch
And the peace of forgiveness
Is what we need, so much.

The body may be frail...
We may be getting old,
But the best healing from heaven
Is the healing of the soul!

Freda Fullerton
November 13, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:

This is our granddaughter Katie, when she was small, taking a rest
on grandma's floor. We need the trust of a child, when facing the
future!

FACING THE FUTURE
Some face the future,
With fear and with dread,
Worrying and wondering,
Just what is ahead?

Some just don't face it,
They quickly say why,
"I'll eat, drink  and be merry,
For tomorrow I may die!"

But, then there are those,
Who quietly say...
"God holds the future,
So I'll enjoy today.

I need not fret or stew,
I need only to be...
For God not only holds my future,
He also holds me!"

Freda Fullerton
November 12, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
This is inside the "Shrine of Remembrance,"in
Melbourne, Australia. From the sky-light above
the sun shines on these words on the eleventh
month and the eleventh day and the eleventh
hour. Australia is a very patriotic nation.
Be sure to fly your flag today and don't forget
to thank God for your freedom and also thank
a veteran!

Today's poem is taken from 1 John-chapter 1

GOD IS LIGHT
This is the message we have heard,
God is light to everyone.
If we walk in the darkness...
We do not know the Father and Son.

If we walk in His light,
We have fellowship with each other.
We will know His saving power
And have love for one another.

If we walk in His light,
He will make our joy complete.
He will help us withstand...
Every temptation that we meet.

Only the foolish say...
"I have no sin."
If we feel no need for God,
There is no victory to win.

If we feel a need for Him,
We know that all is not lost.
For grace was surely born,
Upon that cruel cross!

Freda Fullerton
November 11, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
This is a picture of our veterans, at church, taken last year.
Dot Barr crocheted all the pillows that each man is holding.
She also put together this picture. Tomorrow is Veterans Day.
Be sure to fly your flag and thank a veteran.

FORGOTTEN HEROS
They return from every war
Thanking God to be alive.
They meld into society,
Feeling blessed to have survived.

Some, with daily nightmares
And memories hard to bear,
Some, with physical reminders,
Of limbs no longer there.

Some, with great hopes for the future,
Find jobs hard to find
And feel that this country
Is neither loyal or kind.

Some of them return,
To be confined to bed or chair
And never have a visitor
To offer thanks or a word of cheer.

They are the forgotten heroes,
Who answered this nation's call,
Our brave, American Veterans...
Who were willing to give their all!

Freda Fullerton
November 10, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
This is Jim and me on a majestic mountain peak, in Stow, Vermont.
We had to take a tram to the top. It's a Ski resort and you can see the ski
runs going down to the valley.

GOD OF CREATION
Have you ever marveled at an ocean, at sunset,
Seen a mountain's majestic peak?
Have you watched the glories of a waterfall
As it tumbles into a river or creek?

Have you watched a flower unfolding,
With dew drops on petals, so soft?
Have you seen a desert at sunrise,
As the sun chases the shadows aloft?

If you've viewed all of these wonders,
You know none happened by chance.
It was the hand of the Father,
They appeared not happenstance.

And they stand as a reminder
That all nature declares it to be,
That there is a God of creation
The One, who's Son died for thee!

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies
proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1

Freda Fullerton
November 9, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
I'm not sure where this picture was taken, but I think it was
in the bay off Oahu, Hawaii. It looks like those colorful
sails are set for a day of clear sailing.

SET YOUR SAILS FOR JOY
You certainly have a choice
As you sail the sea of life.
You can set your sails for joy,
Or ride the waves of turbulence and strife.

You can smile and say,
"I will sail my ship today
On the sea of joy...
It is surely the best way."

You do not need to fear,
That you're on the very brink,
If God is your pilot...
He will not let your ship sink!

So set your sails for joy,
With love, peace and grace.
God will guide you to the harbor
Where all is calm and safe!

Freda Fullerton
November 8, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
This is my dad by my brother's grave in a little country cemetery
in Arkansas. Most of dad and mom's family are buried there.
Dad and mom are both buried here in California. One always
cries when there is a final goodbye. Even when we have the
hope of seeing the loved one again. Final parting is heartbreaking
and I look forward to the day when "I will cry nevermore!"

I WILL CRY NEVERMORE
I will cry nevermore,
When I see God face to face.
I will be covered,
With His mercy and His grace.

The tears I've shed through the years,
He will not leave a trace.
He will see that they're gone;
He will gently, wipe my face.

I shall look into His eyes;
I shall see great, love there.
I will unload all my sorrows.
He will take my every care.

He will welcome me home.
He will be by the open door,
Where I will live forever
And I will cry nevermore!

Freda Fullerton
November 7, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
This is a field at Valley Forge. During that long, cold
winter, I'm sure some of Washington's men must have
asked, "Why me?" If they had not persevered, I wonder
where we would be today?

WHY ME?
Why me? Why not me?
Two questions most of us have asked
And we don't always understand,
When we've been given a difficult task.

We see people sail through life
Without sorrow or without pain
And never take the time,
To be thankful for their gain.

We see people undeserving,
Of a future all so bright
And we wonder why...
To us, it's just not right!

But we only see the picture,
With eyes that can't for-tell,
What the future holds...
For those who are doing well.

It may be down the road,
That very soon will be
A reason for them to exclaim
Oh Lord, why me?

So, I can't predict the future,
For anyone you see...
And I might as well proclaim,
Dear Lord, why not me?

Freda Fullerton
November 6, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
This is a couple of swans on a small lake in Rhode Island. They had
two young swans and we stopped to take some pictures of the young.
The male swan challenged our car!

SMALL STUFF
We major in the small stuff
In this game of life.
We fret and stew about the things
That may never come to light.

We think about tomorrow
Much more than today.
We worry about what will happen,
What will come our way?

We fail to see the sunshine,
As it rises up each morn,
For we're concentrating on the future
Anticipating a coming storm.

So, I'll stop and smell the flowers,
Is what I have to say...
And I won't sweat the small stuff
That may never come my way!

Freda Fullerton
November 5, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
This is our granddaughter, Katie, with my husband Jim, making
Disney memories. Katie is now fifteen. The time has slipped away
so very fast! If you have a small child or grandchild... make some
memories today, while you still have the chance!

CHILDREN AND TIME
Children and time
Are two things that won't wait.
If you put off spending time with them,
Tomorrow will be too late.

There is nothing so important,
When children are very small,
Then yourself invested...
In memories they can recall.

A house will still be a house,
With dust upon its face,
But a child won't remain a child,
Soon a grown-up will take its place.

We must be making memories,
Little surprises along the way,
For soon we find tomorrow
has just become today!

Freda Fullerton
November 4, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
This is one of the teddy bears I dressed for our
blankie ministry at church. We know this little
guy is not real bear, he's just pretending to be.
We sometimes pretended as well!

BEING REAL
They say the world's a stage
And we're all actors too.
I think in some ways...
This is very true.

We don't think those we know
Would really want to see...
Just who we really are,
Just to be you and be me.

So we put on a face
Don't let people see how we feel
We paste on a fake smile
We are seldom being real.

Being real about who we are.
Being real about a secret sin.
We are afraid to let others know,
We think they won't want to be our friend.

It may be very hard
To put to put mortals to the test.
We can be real with Jesus,
He sees us as the best!

He will never be our judge.
He will forgive all our sin.
He just wants us being real,
And to trust Him and let Him in!

Freda Fullerton
November 3, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
This is my maternal grandma. Rosie Neal Johnson. She is sitting
on her well box holding a can of fresh canned blackberries from
their pasture. Today would have been her birthday. She was one of
the most courageous women I've ever known. She lost two daughters
and and her mother, from influenza right after World War 1. She  had
a big black iron stove in her kitchen, it had a warming oven at the top.
I used to love to sneak a piece of ham and a biscuit from it. She also had
a pie-safe that was always filled with good things as well.

MY COURAGEOUS GRANDMA
I had a courageous grandma,
Who loved her family, so dear.
She always served them gladly
And wanted them to be near.

She had no favorite grandchild,
We were all her cup of tea.
She never made us wait for meals
While she served the grown-up family.

She fed us first...
Out the old, back screen-door.
We ate sitting on the hillside,
We could always go back for more.

She was a gatherer...
She knew every edible thing that grew
She was also an herbalist.
And nursed folks back to new!

She suffered much sorrow in life,
As was seen on her dear, lined face,
But she always saw the cup half full,
With mercy and with grace.

Freda Fullerton
November 2, 2011

Freda's Garden:

Welcome to my Garden:
This is me at the railway station in Sydney, Australia, We
road the train up along the Hawkesbury River to Gosford,
where we visited with some Christians, at a picnic. It was
April 25, their Memorial Day.

THE TRAIN OF LIFE
As we board the train of life
And journey through this land,
There will be many destinations
That we won't understand.

Some will board our train
And travel just a little way,
Others, no matter what the ride,
Are on the train to stay.

It is from the the distant riders,
That we learn so many things,
Love and patient, tolerance,
That each new day brings.

When we arrive at the station,
Of sorrow, pain and loss...
We want to stay aboard our train
We don't want to face this cross.

But it is from the hardest destinations
That we learn to understand
That our growth comes from hardships,
As we travel through this land!

Freda  Fullerton
November 1, 2011