I was in a prayer meeting at my sister's house about 7 years ago when God spoke to me and said, "Write." I thought, "What on earth do you want me to write about?" I started to write some of the stories you will read within this book about our ministry, but I just didn’t seem to get very far. Therefore I decided it was not what God wanted me to write and I put it aside. However, I kept God’s command tucked away all this time until He spoke to me about it again. This time I felt real direction. For over 29 years I have kept journals. Usually a combination of Bible study notes and prophecies, other words of knowledge, poems, songs, and lessons from the Lord. I suppose the proper word for all of these writings would be "memoirs". I really never thought of such a fancy word for my journals. I consider all of what God has given me blessings. One of the main reasons for my journals was to provide a check for myself during prophecy. If I prophesied something, I wanted to check it out with the Scripture and keep a record when they came to fruition.

I’m 61 now and I started this book July 2006 and it is January 2010 now. The demands of our ministry and some health issues have kept me from getting it completed as fast as I had hoped. As the pages unfolded before my eyes, I have been truly humbled and still remain in awe when I realized the magnitude of how many different ways and how wonderfully God has revealed himself to me. My first thanks go to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Writing this book has truly been a blessing and a learning experience. Words cannot express how much my sister, Everetta, has supported my quest to accomplish what God told me to do. I really appreciate how she challenged me to write something uplifting instead of all the serious stuff I have coauthored for our ministry. She said, "You have a wonderful sense of humor. There are people young and old and in-between everywhere who would be blessed and enjoy some of the stories, and "God things" you have told me over the years." I also want to thank husband, children, and my friends for their prayer support, and the faith they in me, their constructive criticism, and encouragement. Many thanks as well for our fellowship group, ministry contacts, customers, and everyone who prayed for me during this endeavor.

I often feel intimidated by those voices I think will say things like, "WHO" does she think she is?, "What makes her think she can hear God correctly? She is not a well-known author and "nobody will want to read anything written by her. These things will no doubt be spoken; however, I feel that others will be blessed by my endeavors. I have been very careful during the writing of this book not to read books by other authors. I wanted to be sure this book was not tainted by any other person’s thoughts or words. I am willing to take the responsibility for my own and what I feel God has inspired me to write. So, here it is. I prayed and asked God what he wanted me to write and He has guided me every step of the way. I know His thoughts will be heard along with mine in every part you read in this book. I pray that your spirits will be lifted and your life will be challenged by some of the concepts I have brought forth. Thank you, reader, for taking the time to listen to God's heart and mine through the written word.

Your servant in Jesus,

The Author, Donna Mae Carrico

A garden is usually a collection of many things whether it is flowers, vegetables, leftover farm equipment, maybe even some discarded plumbing parts, animals, our joys, our sorrows, and our own hard work. There are some good, some bad, some neutral and many surprises if you look hard enough. People do many things in gardens. Some think that to work in the soil is very therapeutic. Others just enjoy a leisurely stroll for exercise and enjoy what is there. Children and animals often play in a garden. Many just sit and contemplate on life or pray. You don’t have to be a Christian to walk in my garden. Everyone is welcome. However, my writing will reflect that I am a follower of Jesus Christ. As you walk with me in my garden, I hope to bless you with what the Lord has given me. I have chosen to open the gate and let you in. You don’t have to worry about what you look like or who will see you. I don’t care if you wear flip-flops, tennis shoes, hip boots, or even take your shoes off and go barefoot. Just relax and make yourself comfortable. Some parts of my garden are serious, funny, challenging, still growing, and perhaps there may be some parts you will not comprehend as I do. You may not appreciate my garden as much as I do, but still, you are welcome.

Occasionally, you may find some "" in gardens, the woods, or along the side of a road. You have no idea where they come from, but they break up the monotony and boredom. I have put some of my life stories (wild flowers) at the end of the parts to help give the reader a little chuckle or food for thought. I felt that the book was often a little heavy and maybe too serious for steady reading, therefore, I pray you enjoy these stories that are truly a part of my life’s garden.

I have tried to put my garden in order in the Table of Contents, but alas, some areas seem to spill over into other areas and many single parts are relevant to the whole of the book. It is not necessary to read this book in any certain order as it is truly a collection of various things - like most gardens. I suppose parts of my writings are thoughts that others have had, but have been afraid to write. I do not claim to have all the answers to life or to be a Bible scholar and much of the things I will be sharing are my personal thoughts. I also do not claim to have a direct pipeline to God, although I feel through the years, He has shown me many things in a multitude of ways. Several of those things have been verified in ways that amaze me. I often question why He would choose to speak to me or show me these discoveries. The only answer comes to my mind is that perhaps I just happened to be listening at the right time and place. Perhaps it is just another way for Him to show His love for me.

The expressions on the faces in the pictures on the back cover were painted by Faith Gutenberg. She captured how I felt for many years. I questioned if it was really God. If it was God, I was a little scared of what He would think of me. I finally ceased to be a doubter several years before I came to know Jesus as my personal Savior. Some people do not think God still speaks to mankind. They often ask the question, "LORD, is that you?" As I began to search for and collect the memoirs I wanted to put into this book, I once again realized how blessed I truly am. How wonderful that my Lord and Savior, the creator of the universe has chosen to speak and reveal all of these things to me! There are many Christians who say they have never heard God’s voice. There are non-Christians who proclaim they hear God speak all the time. Often people do not understand or hear God because they do not take time to listen. Frequently they have a preconceived idea of what God is supposed to sound or look like. Many others question if what they have seen or heard is really the Lord speaking, through the various methods God could choose to manifest His presence. He reveals things to them in the Holy Bible, dreams, visions, words of knowledge, and often even through other people or the things He has created. There are some people that fear that others will think they are crazy if they share what they feel that God has revealed to them. I often have those same doubts and fears. However, I have chosen to share myself and what I feel God has given to me with You, my welcome guest and sojourner.

It has taken a lot of courage and a lot of faith to expose my garden of memoirs and blessings for the enjoyment, inspection, and reflection of others. I pray that you will overlook the weeds, shoo off the bugs, smell the flowers, see the beauty, and feel the emotions in what my Lord has given me. My desire is that you will tarry on the garden seat that I have provided and take time to use the five senses that the Lord has given you to see, hear, smell, touch, and feel the glory of God that He has revealed to me in so many different ways. Lord says through the psalmist, David:

My greatest blessing would be that perhaps you may even experience the fellowship and presence of the Lord for yourself. After you have had your peaceful rest and reflective journey in my garden, feel free to invite others. As the Beverly Hillbillies said, "Take your shoes off. Sit a spell. Ye all come back now!