Tag Archives: Hendersonville

God’s Garden at the Carter’s

peonies in field

 

You’ve heard the cute proverbs like “bloom where you’re planted”, and “you reap what you sow.” My favorite one is on a sign at St. James Plantation, near Southport, NC.  It says,”Don’t be afraid of change, without change a seed would never be a flower, but remain a seed in the ground.”

With a lot of moving due to job transfers, I tried to bloom where I was planted. I believe God honors our efforts to do good wherever he puts us. When we got the call out of the blue to take a job in Hendersonville, where Tony and I met and started our family, I knew it was from the Lord. Tony and I had just discussed a few months earlier if we thought we would ever move back home and he said let’s pray together that if it is God’s will then He will make it so clear that it cannot be denied. So you can’t get much clearer than getting a job you didn’t apply for or even know existed.  So we sold our business and closed the Georgia chapter of our life. It was bittersweet because I love Georgia very much.

When I saw this quote at St. James Plantation it resonated with me in a special way. As I researched the Oak Island area and experienced the lovely people here in Brunswick County, I kept having thoughts about this quote.

I feel like I’ve never been afraid of change and God has planted us in a lot of wonderful places.  Lastly, being planted back in Hendersonville, we have been blooming there.  I still wanted to take this trip to the coast to see if we would like to live here. The time here has helped me to realize I’ve been planted, I’ve grown, budded, blossomed, and now is the time to just enjoy the many blossoms bestowed to us.  We are so content with our friends, church, home, and neighborhood. I’m not sure it is time to change dirt at this point of my life.

A book I’ve been reading by Kelly Minter called No Other Gods  hit home also to confirm my feelings.  It’s amazing how God has everything we need at the precise time we need it.  As I do my Bible study each day, I feel as if God is telling me to wait.  Sarah didn’t wait on God.  After God promised her a son,  she helped things along by giving her maid servant to Abraham to have Ishmael instead of waiting on God.  What a mess she made!  I hear God saying wait, so I wait. If God gives me Oak Island one day, it will be in his perfect timing and He will make it clear as He did when He planted us in Hendersonville.

I’m grateful for this wonderful experience and I will definitely be back to visit beautiful Oak Island, NC.

Skyland Hotel Apartment Kitchen (BEFORE)

Skyland Hotel Apartment Kitchen (BEFORE)

The kitchen was definitely the most challenging to work with since I love to cook and had a lot of kitchen gadgets and dishes. I was motivated by Rachel Khoo from The Little Paris Kitchen. Kitchens in Paris are basically closet size and that doesn’t hinder them from cooking delicious meals for am entire family and even entertain guests.

Skyland Apartment (AFTER)

Skyland Apartment (AFTER)

The crown molding along ceiling and the long curtains makes the room look a bit more dramatic. French door knobs and push button light switches are a few little touches that add to the Parisian feel.
It has turned into a very comfy space. Everything has a home so we keep clutter to a minimum. A must when living in 468 square feet.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Fascinating man because of the life he led and the woman he married. A famous couple’s life helps us realize what the jazz era was all about. Their love story goes from a fairy tale to tragedy with lots of crazy living in between.

Quote- “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.”

~F. SCOTT FITZGERALD, “The Crack Up”

Scott began to write The Crack-Up essays while staying at the Skyland Hotel in Hendersonville, NC November to December 1935.