We got to visit the botanical garden here in Oxford today! It was SUCH a fun experience… and so beautiful!
It is the oldest botanical garden in England, due to celebrate it’s 400th anniversary this July.
The harsh, stone buildings that surround this garden make the delicate, fresh flowers stand out all the more. It’s no wonder that this garden inspired the flowers in Alice in Wonderland!
Being out in God’s creation this morning drew my mind to Psalm 148 and I would like to quote it in full here:
Psalm 148 (NASB)
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
Praise Him in the heights!
Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
Praise Him, Sun and moon;
Praise Him, all stays of light!
Praise Him, highest heavens,
And the waters that are above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For He commanded and they were created.
He has also established them forever and ever;
He has made a decree which will not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,
Sea monsters and all deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and clouds;
Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;
Mountains and all hills;
Fruit trees and all cedars;
Beasts and all cattle;
Creeping things and winged fowl;
Kings of the earth and all peoples;
Princes and all judges of the earth;
Both young men and virgins;
Old men and children.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For His name alone is exalted;
His glory is above the earth and heaven.
And He has lifted up a horn for His people,
Praise for all His godly ones;
Even for the sons of Israel, a people near to Him.
Praise the Lord!
I have included several pictures of the gardens below. 🙂 Now for a quick update…
Oxford Update
The weather has broken here in England and that means that we have been outside as much as possible! Riding the bike, walking to the park, seeing the river, picnicking, and playing hide-and-seek have all been fun activities.
We’ve also had our church services outside the last several weeks to enjoy the weather! That made for a wonderful time of singing, praying, and studying God’s Word together with our new church family here. It is truly a joy to see the global Church at work.
I feel much more adjusted in these last couple of weeks. Little chores that seemed to be huge are not quite as challenging anymore. I’m confident when I go to the grocery store and I am MUCH more confident in my bike riding skills. (I will have to write a whole post about all the lessons I’ve learned while riding my bike!)
Aletheia is also adjusting well, as it seems, for she is only three. She does often talk about our “California home” and if/when we will go back there. But she is enjoying our new home here and enjoying the ever growing collection of toys.
One pleasant surprise is how many items I’ve found for our home that were free. There is an app for my phone where people can only post items that they would like to give away and I’ve found some nice things on Facebook marketplace that people were also giving away. What a blessing! Just this week I found a wooden cabinet that fits all of Aletheia’s toys… for free! And, the best part is that it hides them out of sight when we clean up (win!).
Living overseas has it’s difficulties for sure, but making a new home with bits and pieces and discovering new places like the garden are definitely benefits of living abroad. And, having a home that is transient is teaching me to look that much more forward to our eternal home with the Lord.
Here are a few pictures from the garden!
