A distinct kind of quiet exists only just after sunrise.
Lately, my favorite ritual involves stepping out into the backyard before starting my day. Slipping off my shoes, I walk barefoot through the cool grass to my gardens. Around me, the birds offer their morning chorus, and in the distance, my animals quietly eat their breakfast.
In these still moments, watering my garden, I am overwhelmed by a simple, profound truth:
God created this beautiful world, and He hid miracles inside the smallest things.
This year, my garden has felt like a masterclass in faith. I always grow zinnias, but this season the beds are overflowing with a vibrant mix of zinnias and cosmos.
Alongside the flowers, I planted a patchwork of food: cucumbers, crisp lettuce, and an absolute rainbow of bell peppers in green, orange, red, and deep purple. Plus, banana peppers.
But the real joy of the season hasn’t just been what is growing, but who I am growing it with.
This year, I’ve been teaching my daughter Kenzy how to garden. She took on a garden of her own this year, planting her very first sunflowers and a watermelon. Watching her anticipation has been so fun! Every single day she checks on them, absolutely thrilled by their progress. They aren’t quite ready yet, but they will be soon.
The pure excitement in her eyes as she waits to cut her first towering sunflower and harvest that watermelon is a reminder of how God wants us to look at His promises: with eager, expectant joy.
Lately, the kitchen has been a whirlwind of harvesting and preserving. I’ve been snapping green beans, freezing bags of colorful peppers, and canning jars of banana peppers and peaches. Just today, I made a fresh lunch using only the cucumbers and lettuce I pulled from the dirt myself. That’s the coolest feeling!
To look at a full plate of food or a jar on the shelf and realize it all started from a tiny seed is nothing short of a miracle. We live in a fast-paced world of instant gratification, where everything is processed and pre-packaged. The garden forces us to slow down to God’s pace. It reminds us that good things take time, that dirt and sweat can yield beauty, and that the creator of the universe designed the earth to sustain and delight us.
Next time you pass a garden, or even just see a wildflower growing by the roadside, look a little closer. There is a quiet sermon hiding in the soil, whispering that life is a miracle, and the simplest things are always the greatest blessings!
You’ll love my pepper recipe because as they start coming on in the garden, you can do two jars easily, or twelve. Totally up to you. Happy canning!
Italian-Style Marinated Banana Peppers
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time (Boil): 10 minutes
Yield: 2 Pint Jars
Ingredients:
• 2 1/2 cups chopped banana peppers
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil (1 tbsp per jar)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (1/2 tsp per jar)
• 1 teaspoon canning or kosher salt (1/2 tsp per jar)
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled (1 per jar, optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar (1/4 tsp per jar, optional to cut sharpness)
Directions:
Pack the jars: Place 1 garlic clove into each of your two clean, warm pint jars.
Tightly pack your chopped banana peppers evenly between both jars.
Add dry seasoning: Drop 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of sugar directly onto the peppers inside each jar.
Add the oil: Pour 1 tablespoon of oil straight into each jar.
Heat the liquid: In a small saucepan, bring the 1 cup of water and 1 cup of vinegar to a rolling boil.
Fill the jars: Carefully pour the hot vinegar-water mixture directly into the jars over the peppers and spices. Leave 1/2 inch of headspace at the top of the jars.
Seal: Wipe the rims clean with a damp towel. Screw the lids and rings on until they are fingertip tight.
Process (Boil): Submerge the jars in a deep pot of boiling water (make sure the water covers the lids by at least 1 inch). Boil vigorously for 10 minutes.
Cool: Remove the jars safely and let them rest undisturbed on a towel for 24 hours until the lids “ping” and seal completely. There is nothing quite like that ping!
