Linda Vastardis

Flowers From God's Garden Linda Vastardis

I was born in Kingsport, Tennessee, but moved to northern Maryland as a small child. We lived on an 86 acre farm close to the Pennsylvania line. I was the tenth living child born in my family of six boys and six girls. We were raised very southern, and were raised going to church. I was always a very avid reader and so in my adult life I started reading and studying scripture and attended ministry school to continue learning. I realized that the greatest commandment was to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind; and to love your neighbor as yourself. My mother always said I would someday write a book. I always doubted that, but started writing poems after my grandchildren were born. As the years passed, I wrote more and more to encourage others along their way. The difference was I was inspired to write, I would hear a few words, or a line of poetry then sit down and write what I heard. So the words became gifts of love and the poems came through me, not from me. The Holy Spirit is more real to me than my very flesh. I heard one day, call the book "Flowers from God's Garden," as the words are gifts you give others just as you send beautiful flowers, you can send beautiful words. So a heart was also placed on each page, as they flowed from the heart of God. Please feel free to send any of the words here to others as you see one of your friends or loved ones in these words of love, meant to inspire or just plain "bless their hearts."