I suppose it's technically not a "garden." I really don't know what the purpose of it is. Maybe it's a meditation garden? There weren't any flowers or flowerbeds around, or pathways to speak of, but there was this "grove" way over at the northeast end.
I didn't walk over for closeups because... see that pond? I'm of the opinion, that in this neck o' the woods, ponds = snakes.
A splash of cautious color against all that gray.
Most people reading this know my beliefs. Some may wonder, why would I even step foot here? Let me be clear on this. I completely respect the different cultures of the world. I have been to China, Hong Kong, Thailand, & Philippines. I love the people and appreciate their history, art and culture. I don't and cannot agree with where they've placed their faith, yet I respect their right to choose.
However, I'm bound by my beliefs to love and pray that their hearts would be open to the Light and Truth of Jesus Christ, the eternal living God, who came to free us from the bonds of this fallen world and it's broken, false gods.
I've stood in the great temple of Bangkok and seen the famed jade Buddha. I'm not afraid of little deities. Joshua 1:3 says "Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses." What that means for Christians today is, everywhere we go, we're an ambassador for Christ. [So please, brothers & sisters, be good ambassadors, not fire & brimstone jerks!]
I don't think it was coincidence that I went here this day and the gate happened to be open and the caretaker happened to be getting in his car and I was able to get permission to walk around and take pictures. There are no coincidences. The whole time I walked the grounds, clicking away, I just quietly prayed for the people who worship there. God will do the rest.
And so, with this little banzai tree, we bid adeiu. As I exited the parking lot and turned right, immediately there was a Vietnamese Christian church, an Adventist church, and a Baptist church, all next door to each other. God bless America, right?
But something else caught my eye and I whipped into the parking lot of the Baptist church to enjoy a huge field of black-eyed susans.
And finally, at a country lane corner...some purple thistles and Dean Martin!
I so enjoyed this morning outing that I went out the next day. The photo op was not as interesting but I did snap a few. Check back to see those pictures :)
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