My friend and I visited Hendricks Park yesterday. It is Eugene, Oregon’s oldest city park with a massive rhododendron garden. Winter and a wet, cold Spring can make living here a bit dismal at times. Then–things wake up.

A nearly magical atmosphere has taken over living, growing things in my part of the world. The flowers have exploded with rich, vibrant colors as they almost glow. They exude life and feed the mind, heart, and soul of us mortal folk.

A song has been flowing through my mind for days, a hymn of thanksgiving for God’s gifts in creation. It was written by Folliott S. Pierpoint in 1863, a 29-year-old young man mesmerized by the beauty of the countryside that encompassed him.

We are blessed by His Handiwork.