Dear Mother,
In the sacred shared space of a raspberry garden, our community gathered earlier this month. We are delighted to share with you the inspiration and recipes we used to bring forth this moment amongst other mothers.
As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
Isaiah 55:10-12
Hosting a Garden Gathering
As Sanctuary grows within our community here in Ohio, we pray it also grows within your community. Gather 3-15 other mothers and use the guide and recipes we’ve provided here to explore the garden of your heart and seasonal shifts of the Spirit.
The venue we used for this gathering was our grandmothers farm + garden. We see this gathering format working well in either a fellow mother’s garden, or hosted at a community garden + you-pick site for fresh local fruit.
An Outline for the Event
*Notes given in italics from our gathering
10am - Guests Arrive
10:15am - Raspberry Picking
Marty Selby offered a welcome, thanking everyone for coming, and explaining how to pick raspberries in her patch. We then geared up and headed out to pick!
11am - Food + Drinks Served
Food was prepared by our team ahead of time and served under the barn by the garden. Jen prayed over the meal, then we all visited as we ate.
11:45am - Prayer + Prompt
Jen offered her heart for walking with the Holy Spirit through each season of mothering. She shared a scripture that highlighted Jesus’ identity as the Master Gardener of our hearts. Guests followed a prayer prompt, journaled God’s voice, and then prayed for one another.
12:30pm - Closing the Event
Jen thanked everyone for coming and guests departed. Mothers took their berries and homemade raspberry jam as a gift.
Recipes
*Garden inspired dishes to compliment the gathering theme.
Charcuterie
Chicken Salad + Lettuce
Spinach + Strawberry Summer Salad
Marty’s Raspberry Cream Pie
Either prepare a homemade pie dough ahead of time and press it into a pie dish or purchase a pie crust premade. Make the “cream pie” recipe below and pour it into the pie dough. Bake at 350 F until set. Prepare the raspberry topping. Pour it into the cooled + baked cream pie. Chill in the fridge until set. Enjoy!
Drinks:
Spearmint tea + raspberry juice
Hibiscus + lavender + honey tea
Prayer + Prompt
An excerpt from Jen’s testimony about gardening with God.
“The garden of our heart is tended by a good Gardener to be full of life in every season. Sometimes the fruit is bright and the growth happens quickly. In other seasons the fruit grows slowly and the change appears gradually.
In my life, I have loved visualizing the way God is working in my heart through the seasons.
Spring is a time of planting, new beginnings, often it feels hopeful and exciting, and vision-forward.
Summer is a time of extended growth, things going smoothly, warmth, ease, joy, activity, etc.
Autumn is a time of harvest, celebration for all that has grown, then loss, and an acceptance for the cycles of life.
Winter is a season of deepened loss, rest, deepened growth, stillness, and clarity. Winter can often feel harsh, but offers its own blessings. If you have found your heart in a winter season, know that what grows in the winter (kale, cabbage, etc) is often more nutrient dense than any other season.
The garden of my heart has weathered many seasons. I have seen the Gardener intentionally plant in me what will grow in each season. Sometimes I have wanted flowers when the Lord has planted winter vegetables— in his kindness he has shown me that even when I am bare in one way, I am also growing in another. The way we move with God through seasons reflects his design for all of creation.”
Prompt: Picture your heart as a beautiful garden blessed by the Gardener. Look deeper and see his great attention to each plant, choosing varieties that will thrive in your heart and bring nourishment to your soul. Reflect on Isaiah 55:10-12, and ask the Gardener what he has planted in your heart this season. What season do you feel you are in with the Lord? How can you tend this new growth together? How can you accept where you are yet to grow and wait patiently on the Lord?
Budget
$105 — We charged a $15 ticket to guests to cover the cost of the event. If you are hosting this gathering at a you-pick site, we recommend having guests cover the cost of their berries.
Food + Drinks - $105
Homemade Jam + Berries - $0
Berries and jam generously gifted by Marty and Doug Selby.
It was such a joy hosting our third Sanctuary gathering as a community!
Sanctuary exists to bless mothers in shared sacred spaces. We are a community of mothers blessing mothers, echoing the Creator’s voice to one another.
Would you join us?
Whether in person or online, we would love to lock arms with you in your mothering journey. May we be like Mary and Elizabeth, speaking the blessing over one another.
“Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” John 1:45
With Love,
Jen Petersen + the Sanctuary team
P.S. To receive these Love Letters directly to your email (we promise no spam), click the “subscribe now” button below.