The Wise Woman's Almanac

Pages 1-5

The Potting Shed: Getting Started

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. (3 John 2)

Remembering My Farming Roots
"Mom, I'm going outside to help Dad in the garden," I call as the screen door slams behind me. After Dad digs the last row, he waits for me to plant the seeds.

"There's my helper," he says as I run toward him. He hands me a bag of seeds and I carefully press them into the freshly turned soil. I like the smell of newly dug, moist dirt. Seeing the sprouts peek through the rich soil and then flourish into a healthy plant makes me feel happy and proud. I enjoy playing and working outdoors in God's nature. The farming and gardening chores sometimes seem endless, yet I accept them. I love the wide open spaces of my family's farm and take for granted the planting, harvest, rain and tornado seasons that come like clockwork every year.

As Dad and I hurry to finish planting the green beans, he points toward the sky and says, "We better hurry. There's a storm comin' up from the north." Spring storms in the Texas panhandle often bring rain, hail, and lots of wind, so I understand the urgency in his voice. I want my dad to know he can count on me.

"Let's get these tools put away or they'll blow into the next county in this storm," he shouts. I grab an armful of garden tools and empty seed bags as we both run to the shed to put them away.

"We made it," I gasp.

"Yep, now let's get to the house before the rain starts." He smiles and grabs my hand as we start running. While washing my hands, I smell supper cooking. Mom hands us fresh towels. "You two better be hungry because I've got a big supper for you." The rain pounds against the window as we join hands in prayer around the supper table.

Valuing the Seasons
As a young girl, it felt good to be part of my farming family and the earth's processes. Sun, rain, wind, snow, falling leaves-I liked it all. During those childhood days on the farm, God planted within me a passion for the natural growth process. I appreciated the seasons, the soil, the planting, and the magnificent results. I still do. In those early years, I didn't realize how much the seasons would influence my adult life.

Now that I'm a grown woman, having weathered many life seasons and several big storms, I value the lessons of winter, spring, summer and autumn. I deeply admire my hardworking parents and grandparents who displayed a generous love for the land and it's Creator. And I now hold an even greater respect for the seasonal process.

The human body's physiological needs are profoundly influenced by the rhythms and cycles of the earth's seasonal changes.

Seasons change; we change. Over the years I have noticed similarities between the earth's seasons and the seasonal phases of our lives. I've researched, read and learned how everything in God's design-including the earth and his human creation-connects. The human body's physiological needs are profoundly influenced by the rhythms and cycles of the earth's seasonal changes.

When planting a seed into your garden or an idea into your life, the process transpires in much the same way. It takes planning, preparation, prayer and patience before tasting the fruits of your labor. Whether in farming or in cultivating health, relationships, solid finances, a career, or goals and dreams, it takes time to experience the reward. When you and I pause long enough to observe it, we notice the evidence of this cycle in most areas of our lives.

Whether in farming or in cultivating health, relationships, solid finances, a career, or goals and dreams, it takes time to experience the reward.

Your Journey to Wellness
The concept of wellness captivates my attention and curiosity and has for more than thirty-five years. I define wellness not merely as the absence of disease, but as the presence of physical, emotional and spiritual vitality and radiance.

My God-given passion for the natural growth process logically evolved into my career purposes. I long to empower women to experience wellness throughout all their life seasons. My aspiration is to provide simple methods and practical tools for discovering and dispelling myths that many women unconsciously hold about their mind-body-spirit connection.

As I facilitate workshops and work with women one-on-one, many ask me to write down the nutritional information and methods I share. The book you hold in your hands is my loving attempt to share this valuable and exciting material with you.

Wellness Definition: I define wellness not merely as the absence of disease, but as the presence of physical, emotional and spiritual vitality and radiance.

This is not a "How-to-Be Healthy in Five Easy Steps" or "Ten Days to a New and Improved You" manual. My purpose for writing this book is to help you clear a path to better understand and experience each season of your life and live to the fullest capacity of your divine design. I've formatted this book to be a personal almanac for healthy living and well-being throughout the seasons and storms of your everyday life. This personal guide will:

• Serve as an educational tool to increase your awareness and understanding of Nature's external seasonal influences on your physical and psychological health.
• Support you with a workbook and journal to keep personal notes and observations of your internal rhythms and cycles, your ups and downs, highs and lows. I hope you find this tracking tool helpful in increasing your understanding of your body, mind and spirit throughout all seasons-both environmental and chronological.
• Share other women's experiences during seasons of sorrow, gladness, pain, abundance or need. Many friends, associates and clients opened their hearts to share their stories with us. Several women now realize that their stories were tucked away much too long and needed to come to light not only for their own restoration and health, but for the benefit and learning of others as well. May you also discover your own stories.

Now is the Time
Every enthusiastic gardener delights in her potting shed. I knew this even as a young girl. It's a place the gardener goes to enjoy and plan for the upcoming season. It's where she stores her tools, ready to be used for the next task or season. The potting shed provides a private space for remembering past gardens and dreaming of future gardens.

As you read and work through this information, I hope you will clear a place for your own potting shed so you may easily access your tools, chart each step of your growing process and plan your personal wellness garden. This place may be in your kitchen, your favorite reading chair or lawn chair, or perhaps a special place in your heart or mind. I invite you to jot down your vision for your personal wellness and get your tools in order. (You'll have the opportunity and space to do that in the next few chapters).

Perhaps this seasonal wellness process seems a bit confusing to you right now. Relax. You'll soon understand how it works. Nature offers a simple approach to achieving optimum health. Please join me and many others as we journey through life's cycles, making intentional changes toward fullness, wholeness and wellness. I'll be your guide, helping you choose and prepare wisely, nutritiously, joyously and simply according to your personal season. Now is the time to prepare for this rewarding journey.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.
(Ecclesiastes 3:1)

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