after the weeding...

I have created this new look for my garden! Now, I know ya'll have had a sneak peek, but now here are the "final" results!:) I hope you like it!:) 

Love always,

~The Keeper of the Garden~

Why I Blog

{not my photograph} 

I write. 

I sit down at my beloved laptop and type. 

I hit the crisp, black backspace key several times and rewrite. 

A mixture of emotions and words jumble and whirl in my mind, but I continue to write.

And rewrite.

I glance at my blog, and stop for a moment, asking myself, "Is it worth it?"

My page titles aren't how I should like it, the background is busy, the sidebar disorganized - is it even worth it, to devote so much time into such a project, when I haven't been faithful to it? 

Is it truly worth it?

Yet at that moment, I think of all the sweet comments and notes that have been left here. The encouragement of the simple kind words has brought to me - the encouragement that my current goal isn't just to have fun creating this project, but to bless others, touch the lives of sweet sisters in Christ, in the process. To create a simple, online garden, for them to rest within.

And when I say farewell to the sweet faces that have brightened with joy after visiting my garden, I know...

It has all been worth it.

I know my blog doesn't have 900 followers as I should like it to have one day, 

I know I have not been posting faithfully,

 I know I do not return comments and encouragement to every neat blog post I stumble upon as I know a good blogger would do, 

But from this moment on I hope and pray that I will continue to bless the lives of others through this experience. 

This is why I keep the passion of writing and blogging alive.

      

Will you join my journey?

I hit the "Publish Post" button and lean back in my chair, relieved with my heart swelling with joy and relief...

father's day recipe :: classic chocolate cake

{nothing is better than homemade chocolate cake}

My daddy is a pretty big fan of chocolate {as am I ;)}, and I usually make a chocolate-related desert for a special occasion. For Father's Day this year, I decided upon making him a classic chocolate cake. 

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

With just the perfect balance of sweetness and chocolaty taste, the most heavenly frosting, and easy to make {with no complex ingredients}, this chocolate cake can be whipped up within an hour {perfect for last minute ideas}. This recipe is also found on the box of the Hershey's unsweetened chocolate powder, along with the frosting {and a most delicious hot chocolate recipe}.