An October Greeting from Beth Ann

An October Greeting from Beth Ann
A Restoration of Peace after Long Endurance
A Personal Story
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Dear friends, customers, and subscribers, 
Greetings in the Name of Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah, our Savior, Bridegroom, and King! It is hard to believe it is autumn already! My October decorations are blooming everywhere – the pink daisy mums!

Many of you have become like family to me these past 13 years since the birth of FlowerGirlGreetings.com in 2012 and the subsequent birth of Shale Fragments.com in 2020.

Today, I think of the first verses in the epistle of Paul to Philemon and verse 7 in particular...

“For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.”

In this little jewel of a letter, Paul makes his appeal to his Christian brother Philemon from a prison in Rome to receive back his runaway slave, Onesimus, in love and forgiveness, since he had proven to be a faithful minister to Paul in his imprisonment.

I always find it wonderful that Paul, this passionate international proclaimer and teacher of the Gospel, shows the depth of his gentle, compassionate nature as a father by expressing the joy he finds in the comfort and refreshment of his brothers and sisters in Messiah.

Likewise, the prayers and encouragement of the saints have kept me during this most difficult year. Although, I could not compare myself to the Apostle Paul, his words in 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 were often mine as I “despaired of life” in many moments and yet, the word TRUST continued to surface to the forefront of my vision as prayers ascended to the Father. Absolute miracles happened in the midst of the pain and a dear friend came for the hardest weeks to cook and clean and encourage.

Today, I am beyond amazed at the people our Father literally placed in my path who knew why this happened last April (when previously, everyone said I couldn’t know) and who also understood the natural path toward healing. Someday, I may share more of the story, but for now I am “pressing on to what lies ahead,” nourishing new pathways and continuing to trust.

This brings me to a simple truth I would like to emphasize. My mother was giving away books, so
I brought a few home. I had read Hannah Whitall Smith’s book The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life years ago in the 1980s, but I decided to revisit this classic. I read the preface and first chapter and already felt the refreshment and transformation.

Hannah’s life (1832-1911) was hard with the death of three of six children and her husband’s infidelity, and yet, she trusted the One Who sits on the Throne, high and lifted up and worthy all trust. Her message in the first chapter was simple:  Our part is to trust; His part is to work.

When we trust, we set off a beautiful work wrought by Him Who responds to our trust. We may think we are doing the thing, but He is doing it, like the clay yields to the Potter. He is the One Who is at work in us to do and to will of His good pleasure. And all the while we are being fashioned as His workmanship into a beautiful vessel to bring heaven to earth and to live with Him eternally.

When we ask, “Why?” or “How could you allow this pain?,” we eventually see. Our eyes come into a clearing in the woods and the sunlight breaks through. Until then, we wait and trust.

And so, before I share some Flower Girl news, I would like to share the words in the Closing Message of the Integrative Analysis and Recovery Strategy created for me by a godly, compassionate neurological engineer and scientist. I hope you are encouraged and filled with hope as I was. He wrote:

Your healing is both physical and spiritual – a restoration of peace after long endurance.
Each herb, nutrient, and daily rhythm is meant to remind you:
      Your body is not broken, it’s remembering safety and regenerating.
“Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in every way.”
      (2 Thessalonians 3:16)

Amen.

Friends,

I wanted to inform you that I have closed my Etsy shop where many of you have shopped for our products for many years. Now, the art cards are exclusively available at FlowerGirlGreetings.com .

I currently do not use social media, so I would be grateful if you would spread the word about our company, share the cards with your friends, and share about them on your own social media platforms. You may also forward our Shale Fragments.com emails to others. You may comment and review on both websites.

Also, I am working toward creating new cards and look forward to sharing them with you!

78 cents seems an outrageous price to send a letter or card, but when you consider an envelope packed with the encouragement of God’s word, it is worth it! How many times do we go to our mailboxes and find bills and junk. Let’s fill mailboxes with the beauty and encouragement of God’s word! You don’t need a special occasion. Surprises are fun!

Now may the Lord of shalom Himself give you shalom at all times in every way,
In His love,
Beth Ann

Shale Fragments™ - writings by Beth Ann Phifer is a division of Flower Girl Greetings, LLC. ©2025, All Rights Reserved.