THANKSGIVING

Pumpkins, scarecrows, and fall flowers have made themselves known here at Wellspring Gardens. With the lovely, cool, weather brings a refreshed thought of the gentle presence of Love and hearts full of gratitude for this season of Thanksgiving.

Lots of wonderful reflecting of Love has been evident throughout the year with an abundance of expressions of reaching out and loving our neighbors. A couple of residents are busy with serving the community at the local Thrift Shop while another works at a Senior Citizens Center on a regular basis. The city bus picks up a resident three days a week to attend an adult program of helping themselves, each other and the community. The Food Bank is visited weekly with many loaves of French bread brought home for the feeding of ducks, turtles, fish and other flying friends at a local park. Each Thursday after supper, residents ride over to a local park to say hi to their nature friends and share the bread. A highlight of this weekly trip, is a stop by the local Dairy Queen for a yummy Sundae (on Thursday!).

We have been blest with two wonderful road trips this year: in the Spring six of us traveled by van to the Ft. Walton Beach Church Alive! Summit in Florida. Coming home and after church we spent the afternoon in New Orleans. This was a first such trip for most of the travelers.

Then came August and Family Camp at Cedars in Lebanon, Missouri. If you have ever had the privilege of visiting, you know what we mean when we say it’s truly heaven on earth … such love and welcoming was over and above the human with a continued spirit of on-flowing love for each individual there. It was like homecoming … and it was our first time to attend camp there! We had many opportunities for more growth in new adventures.

Thanksgiving: Yes! As we continue day by day, our giving of thanks to our amazing Father-Mother-Love …

NEW VIEWS

A Christian Science practitioner and teacher who works daily for Wellspring Gardens, talked about the “new views” which are always unfolding. With this thought of “News,” some history of that word: Apparently it comes from North-South-East-West (unscrambled first letter of these words to “NEWS.” As I pondered this, this morning, thought also reminded me how Love has no limitation, reaching out to Love’s remotest border, as Hymn 329 in the Christian Science Hymnal expresses:

The heavens declare the glory Of Him who made all things; Each day repeats the story, Each night its tribute brings. To earth’s remotest border His mighty power is known; In beauty, grandeur, order, His handiwork is shown.

Hymn 329

Wellspring Gardens has upheld the expression of home to many individuals, supporting those sincere seekers working through a myriad of needs for thirty years. The challenge might be working through a physical difficulty, mental suggestions, developmental beliefs, working through divorces or just seeking Loves’ peace. Here individuals have the support of an atmosphere free of any limitations, judging, diagnosing, gossiping, etc., while having those workers with skills supporting the needs. We are also being guided to help those who have no religious affiliation (and those who do, but are searching) … whomever God guides our way. Often times, it’s helping in their homes, sometimes it’s over the phone or on email messages, even around the world.

OUR SPRING & SUMMER ADVENTURES

Some of our residents traveled to Canyon Lake and Fredericksburg earlier this year for a day of sight-seeing, and several people went together to Houston to attend the Christian Science Youth Summit.

Upcoming events include a trip to Boston for the Annual Meeting of the Mother Church on the weekend of June 4. This year’s theme is “Christ is Calling Us Together,” which is taken from Mary Baker Eddy’s writings: “Our unity with churches of other denominations must rest on the spirit of Christ calling us together. It cannot come from any other source” (Pulpit and Press, p. 21). More information is posted on the Mother Church website, www.christianscience.com.

In August, some of our residents and staff will attend Christian Science Family Camp as campers or chaperones. Campers will swim, canoe, fish, bike, dance, rope-climb, sing, and worship together.

SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT WGS

At various events during the past couple of years, we have made presentations about Wellspring Gardens. We are often joined by members of Rainbow Valley Resource Network, an organization that helps coordinate efforts to serve Christian Scientists working to overcome beliefs of limitations.