Green Thumb

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 08:47:38 -0600

"Then he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A farmer went out to sow his seed as he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.' " Matthew 13:3-4

Do you have a green thumb? If my husband and I were to answer that question according to our success with our Georgian lawn, the answer would be a definite "NO!"

We are transplants from the Metro Detroit area, and we have lived in the northern Atlanta area for over five years. We even purchased the book Month-By-Month Gardening in Georgia and attempted to follow it. But, we still can't seem to figure out how to get the seed to grow into a thick grassy lawn. Somehow, the red dirt of Georgia is all that is shows up in many areas of our lawn.

My husband has planted seed at least 20 times, and I am not exaggerating. On one occasion, he first decided to check the weather forecast. With the weatherman giving the all clear, Mark went out to plant more seed on a hill. Less than twenty-four hours after the seed was planted, a downpour came and washed all the seed into the woods. We saw a few blades of grass sprouting in the woods a few days after the storm, but even they did not survive.

Many times, I thought my husband would just give up and buy some sod, but he is determined to develop a green thumb working in the Georgia soil.

Today in church, I was reminded about the parable of the growing seed. The seed represents the Word of God, and the farmer represents the followers of Christ. The farmer plants the seed in four different types of soil, but only one soil produces a crop. Doug Mulkey, our pastor, reminded us that it is not our job to determine who needs the seed. It is our job to plant it. It is God who works in hearts to make the seed grow.

The next time you find yourself discouraged in your planting, remember God is the one with the green thumb. Just plant and water the seed.

"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow" 1 Corinthians 3:6

Wait

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:31:50 -0600

"In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation." Psalm 5:3

In my second grade classroom, I hear the words "I can't wait for . . ." Sometimes the waiting is for a big event, and other times it is just for lunch. Whatever it is, the time does not pass by quickly enough for the children.

In the current chapter of my life, I find myself saying those same words. It just seems as if certain events are not happening soon enough.

As I remember other chapters in my life that had "wait" in the title, I recall the same frustration. I was always trying to figure out how to make whatever I was waiting for happen. I was not placing my hope and trust in God. The thought that God would take care of it in His time never crossed my mind. Well, okay, it did for a short time, but then I insisted that my ideas would work.

For most of us waiting can be rather unpleasant. However, many times when the word "wait" is found in God's Word, it is a hopeful experience.

Many versions of the Bible use the words "trust" and "hope" instead of the word "wait". It is so much easier to wait if we know and believe that God is in control and has a plan for us. We just have to trust Him through the waiting process.

If you are in a chapter of life with the theme of "wait", wait with the expectation that God hears your request and trust in His loving kindness.

"But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the loving kindness of God forever and ever. I will give You thanks forever, because You have done it, And I will wait on Your name, for it is good, in the presence of Your godly ones." Psalm 52:8-9

A Father's Love

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:34:24 -0600

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:26

As I spoke with my dad on the phone this afternoon, I was reminded of my father's resemblance to my Heavenly Father. Throughout my years I have been blessed to experience love, patience, and care from my dad. He truly is a father who sets a wonderful example of how to love.

Today he let me see a little glimpse of my Heavenly Father's love. My mom has been ill for a long time, and my dad has been her main caregiver. My mom was struggling today and my dad decided not to leave her side so he could keep a close eye on her. He was monitoring her with all the medical tools that he has acquired over the years. My dad is not a registered nurse, but I think with all his experience he could probably apply for a license. Even while I was speaking with my dad, he had to stop talking to me and take care of my mom. He was caring for her every need.

The book of Matthew tells us that our Heavenly Father cares for us much more than for the birds who do not even have to store up food. Our Heavenly Father cares for our every need. He never leaves us. He is always by our side. He knows exactly what we need and when we need it. Our Heavenly Father loves us unconditionally and forever!

As you go about your day, remember how much your Heavenly Father loves you!

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! . . ." 1 John 3:1

The 5K

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:40:47 -0600

"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." Acts 20:24

This morning, I awoke very early on a national holiday to watch my son Zach participate in his second 5k race. Since I am not a runner, I decided to watch and take mental notes about how runners prepare for a race. I soon realized that I have a lot to learn.

We arrived at the venue 25 minutes before the race started. Most runners arrive at least an hour before. Since Zach was coming off of an injury from football, I had a feeling that this would not be his best race. My last words to him before the race were, "finish well". Zach said, " I just want to finish."

There were other people in this race that I personally knew were dedicated runners. Many times on my way home from work, I see them running, rain or shine. There was one lady in the race who called herself a "closet runner". I am not sure if this was her first race, but I could tell she was prepared. She had the sweetest smile on her face. I could tell she enjoyed running. If I ever decide to take up running, I would like to run with her. I decided that I was going to keep an eye on her to see how she finished.

As the first group of runners approached the finish line, the dedicated runners and the closet runner, with a smile on her face, were in that group. The closet runner came in second in her age group. Zach came in a little later.

The Bible speaks many times about running a race and how to finish well. We must be dedicated runners in our spiritual race. When we run, we want to have joy in our hearts that spills out like that of the closet runner so that others will join us in this race.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7

But I Don't Feel Like It

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:33:36 -0600

"Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior." Habakkuk 3:18

We are all familiar with the phrase "Be joyful", but today was a day where I said, "But I don't feel like it." Like many of you, some of my loved ones suffer with bad health, and today's bad news contained the word "lump." I just wanted to say, "Enough is enough. Will there ever be a break? How can one rejoice with news like that?"

In the book of Habakkuk, I discovered Habakkuk was hearing some really bad news about the nation of Israel. People were about to be taken captive by the Babylonians. Those who were left in Jerusalem would experience a severe famine. The city would be destroyed. Many people did not want to believe the prophets when they foretold this destruction, and some people wanted literally to kill the messenger. But Habakkuk heard the news and wrote a song, Habakkuk 3.

As I read the song, I realized that Habakkuk was not rejoicing in the coming doom. He was rejoicing in his Sovereign Lord. He was thankful that the Lord would give him the strength to get through this horrible time.

Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where the word "rejoice" is not in our vocabulary, and we don't feel like rejoicing. But we can rejoice that Our LORD will walk with us through those situations step by step. He will even carry us if needed.

"The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights." Habakkuk 3:19

In the Produce Department

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:26:43 -0600

"The people will no longer quote this proverb: 'The parents have eaten sour grapes, but their children's mouths pucker at the taste.'" Jeremiah 31:29

At least once a week, I find myself in the produce department of the grocery store trying to pick out some tasty, delicious fruit. But sometimes I end up picking a "bowl of sour grapes." When I take that first bite, my mouth puckers. My mouth is hurting just thinking about it.

In Jeremiah 31, Jeremiah is warning the Israelites about their future captivity to Babylon. The Israelites would be in captivity for 70 years, and it would feel like they were eating from a bowl of sour grapes.

Many times, I find myself walking in the Israelites' sandals. Situations happen in my life or in the life of my friends and family, and it truly feels like we are eating from the bowl of sour grapes. I find myself wishing I was back at the produce department picking out sweet, delicious grapes.

It is easy to get discouraged when we are dealing with the bowl of sour grapes. During the same time that Jeremiah warned the Israelites about their future captivity, he also gave them hope for restoration. We have the same hope through Christ.

The next time you end up with a bowl of sour grapes from the produce department, remember a time is coming when the grapes will be deliciously sweet!

"The time will come," says the LORD, "when the grain and grapes will grow faster than they can be harvested. Then the terraced vineyards on the hills of Israel will drip with sweet wine!" Amos 9:13

God's Multiplication Lesson

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 08:52:51 -0600

"...You give them something to eat." They answered, "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish--unless we go and buy food for all this crowd." Luke 9:13

As a teacher of second graders, I find that many of my students state what they are thinking without any hesitation. This is good because then I know how to help them. Recently one of my new second graders came up to me almost in tears telling me that she does not know how to do times (multiplication). This poor child thought that she was not prepared for second grade. Relief came to her face when I explained to her that we introduce multiplication after Christmas.

When the disciples were out in the desert with Christ, they probably were feeling like this little second grader. God told them to feed all the people. The disciples' reply was "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish." In Luke 9, we discover that through Christ the disciples had enough food to feed a multitude and still had leftovers.

Many times I find myself stating the words of my student and the disciples. It is easy to think that we do not have talents, skills, or materials to complete what God has called us to do.

When I was working with children on a mission trip in Haiti, I was struggling with those very thoughts. There was a language barrier, and we had only one translator. As I was playing with the children, I wanted to teach them about Jesus.

Having taken one year of French in high school was something like having five loaves and two fish. My French teacher would probably say it was worse. I managed to recall a few words and a bit of sign language to teach the children the chorus of "Yes, Jesus loves me." After a few runs by myself, the children were joining me in sign and song.

As I said my final good-bye to these children, many of them started to sign to me, "Yes, Jesus loves me." God took my little knowledge of French and sign language and multiplied it!

Let's use what we have and leave the multiplication up to God.

"They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over." Luke 9:17

There's Nothing I Can Do

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 09:56:13 -0600

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace." Ephesians 1:7

Every time I hear the song "Grace" by Stuart Townend, I am in awe of God's grace freely given to me. Below are the words of the chorus:

‘Cause it's grace!
There's nothing I can do
To make You love me more,
To make You love me less than You do
And by faith
I'm standing on this Stone
Of Christ and Christ alone
Your righteousness is all that I need
‘Cause it's grace!

Nelson's Bible Dictionary defines "grace" as "Favor or kindness shown without regard to the worth or merit of the one who receives it and in spite of what that same person deserves."

I have the privilege of teaching second grade students at a Christian school. Last year, one of my students gave me a great word picture of GRACE. This student was having a difficult day following the classroom rules. I gave her some warnings and some small consequences, but that was not working for her. Finally, I pulled her aside to have a discussion about her behavior and the possible consequences.

After further discussion, I decided that this was a time for GRACE, so I asked this student if she knew the definition of GRACE. Tears came to her eyes as she told me in a second grader's language the true definition of grace which, of course, brought tears to my eyes.

Once this student received "grace" from me, she spent the rest of the day with the biggest smile on her face, and she had a little pep in her step.

God gives grace every day to those who ask so we can live in freedom from the bondage of sin!

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 07:55:40 -0600

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14

Most of us are very familiar with the fairy tale of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." Snow White had a stepmother with a mirror that kept her updated with the fairest stats. If the story were written today, I am quite certain that the mirror would be in real time, and the stepmother would have her own personal trainer, chef, make-up artist, hair stylist, and, of course, her own wardrobe designer. As the story goes, the stepmother goes to every extreme to keep herself the fairest of them all.

Some days, I find myself with the eyes of the stepmother looking into that mirror on the wall. It is very easy for us to get caught up in how we look, and we can become discouraged very quickly. The struggle with our appearance is not anything new. In Isaiah 65, Isaiah is encouraging the people about their final Salvation. He tells them that "he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth." I am confident that was for the women. We are all about looking young.

When my daughter Abby was about four years old, we were having a discussion about our new bodies in heaven. I was emphasizing that it would be a different body. I soon learned that even four-year-old girls are also very concerned with what the mirror says. She wanted my assurance that she was going to have long, brown hair. I assured her that her hair would be beautiful!

The next time we are struggling with that mirror on the wall, let's remember that we are wonderfully made, and in heaven we will never have a bad hair day!

"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." Philippians 3:20-21

Wise Men

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:01:14 -0600

"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.' " Matthew 2:1-2

Every December, in my second grade curriculum, we complete a unit on Christ's birth. The objective is for the students to discover the real reason for the CHRISTmas season. We read, discuss and compare the passages found in the books of Matthew and Luke. We also create art projects that integrate with our math unit on geometry.

Students learn that the magi were known for studying the stars. We talk about how God had a special star appear, and the magi would have wanted to discover more about this unusual star. The Bible tells us they followed the star to search for Jesus. Some of the students also discover for the first time that the wise men or magi did not find Jesus at the stable, but they came to the house.

This year my class appears to be applying my objective. I have a nativity set in my classroom. The wise men are a part of the set, but I distanced them from the rest of the nativity scene. Apparently, some of my students did not think the wise men were far enough away from the stable. I came into my classroom the other day and found the wise men on the opposite side of the classroom from the nativity set. My heart just smiled as I recognized that these young children were learning God's Word and seeking Him.

As we get caught up in the busyness of the season let's remember, like the wise men, to seek Him and be overcome with JOY.

"When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh." Matthew 2:10-11

Power Walk

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:00:10 -0600

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1

If I could have my choice of exercises, I would choose a power walk any day. Of course, like many of you, I struggle with finding the time to fit a walk into my daily schedule.

Today I went for my yearly physical. The doctor reminded me that exercise needs to become a daily habit. Like most of you, she didn't tell me anything I did not already know, but her words were truth in more ways than one.

On the same day as my physical, I went for a power walk. However, I did not get very far. As I was walking, I felt a sharp pain in my left foot. I tried to keep walking, but the pain was irritating me. I decided to pull over and take my shoe off to see what was causing my pain. I could not find anything, so I put my shoe back on and continued walking. Of course, the pain came back, which led to another pit stop. This time I discovered a very small pebble in my shoe. This small little rock was causing me a lot of pain. It stopped me from my power walk two times.

After shaking the pebble out of my shoe, I continued my walk. This walk was one of the most energizing power walks I have experienced in a while. It made me want to get out there and do it again.

The truth is that in order to have an energized "power walk race," we need to first get rid of the sin that is irritating and slowing us down. Then, we need to walk in His Word and come back for more each day in order to finish well in the power walk race with God.

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." 1 Corinthians 9:24

My Thoughts vs God's Thoughts

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 10:56:08 -0600

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD." Isaiah 55:8

These days I find myself having many thoughts attempting to plan for the various events in my life. As I was reading the Word of God this morning, I read a passage in Isaiah 55. My attention was drawn to the words "my thoughts are not your thoughts."

It has been five years since my family relocated from Detroit, MI to the Atlanta, GA area. We lived in the Detroit area for 16 years. The thought of relocating came first to my husband. My thoughts did not include the word move. But, I recalled today that "my thoughts are not God's thoughts."

There were many thoughts and ways that went into our relocation process. We actually thought that our relocation should have taken place a year earlier than it did. For three months, it looked like we were going to be moving soon when in fact it took an additional year before we moved.

Now, we realize that God had another way for us, and we rejoice that His ways are always better than ours. When we think back to what we thought would be a great way to relocate, we now know that God's Way was a bigger blessing to us!

As we go about our days with thoughts, just remember that God's thoughts are bigger and better!

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:9

Exhausted But Then Renewed

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 08:56:45 -0500

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." Isaiah 40:28-29

The word exhausted has many meanings. Here are a few from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary online: to tire extremely or completely, to draw off or let out completely, to empty by drawing off the contents; specifically: to create a vacuum in, to consider or discuss (a subject) thoroughly or completely. Are you exhausted just reading the definitions? I am.

Maybe you can relate to the many definitions of exhausted, or maybe on some days you can relate to all of them. We all have days where it seems that our tasks are never ending. That afternoon cup of coffee or Coke Zero is not helping. We just feel weary in well doing.

In Isaiah 40, God instructs Isaiah to comfort His people. The Israelites were in bondage during this time. If someone were to create a reality television show of the Israelites at this time, it could be called Exhausted - The Extreme Edition. They wanted to hear from God. Isaiah shares with God's people that "her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for", and that "He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young."

Our lives are so busy these days that it can feel as if we are in bondage. We need to remember to daily drink from God's Living Water. It will refresh and renew so much more than a cup of coffee or Coke Zero. But, I will admit that on some days I need both!

"But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31

Days Like This

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:22:05 -0500

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV

Many of you are familiar with the a song that starts out "My momma told me there'd be days like this" by the Shirelles. My husband and I found ourselves "singing" that song today. It seems that when one things goes wrong another follows. That was our day, as it was probably for many people.

As I began working on the laundry attempting to get my son, Zach, ready for football camp, I discovered that the dryer was not working. This led me to break the news to my husband which led him to drive to the store to see if he could find a part to fix the dryer. After arriving back home empty handed, he discovered that our attic fan stopped. I found myself asking "WHAT NEXT?"

What happened next is that we arrived at the laundromat on a hot summer's day in Georgia. The temperature outside was about 95 degrees Fahrenheit. I don't know what the temperature was inside the laundromat, but I can tell you that my clothes were soaking wet within five minutes.

Frustration began to mount when we realized that laundromats have been updated with "pre-pay cards". I don't know when the last time I was at a laundromat before today, but I know I used quarters to pay. Some kind lady came to our rescue and told us what to do.

As we are sweating, sitting and waiting for our laundry, we found ourselves recalling a recent mission trip to the Dominican Republic and Haiti. I think it was our sweating that helped us think back on the trip.

Remembering the sweet people of Haiti, I found my frustration begin to turn to contentment. Many Haitians wash their clothes in the river. They do not even have the option of a laundromat. We also realized that most of the people in this laundromat have to use it every week. My day was not as bad as I thought, and I was once again reminded of how blessed we are.

Frustration comes easy on "days like this", but contentment is what follows when we give thanks in all circumstances.

"Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name " Psalm 30:4 NIV

Be Still and Dance

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:59:13 -0500

"The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." Exodus 14:14 NIV

While cleaning my house this morning, I was attempting to solve in my mind the many problems of our world. Like many of you, I wonder about the future, and at times begin to worry about it.

Sometimes, I clean to worship music. Today as I was worrying, I heard the song "Be Still and Know that I am God" by Travis Cotrell. While the song was playing, my mind stopped trying to solve the world's problems and began to take in the words of the song. As the words settled in my heart, I remembered that "be still" means to rest. Rest in the truth that the Lord will fight for you, and the that He is God.

In 2 Samuel 6, it tells the story of King David bringing back the Ark of God to Jerusalem. This was a time of celebration for the Israelites to finally have the Ark with them. David was full of joy as he entered the city with the Ark. The Bible tells us that he danced. In fact, David's wife Michal watched him from a window, and she saw David leaping and dancing before the Lord. She was appalled by it, because while David was dancing he disrobed himself. But, David continued to celebrate before the Lord.

So as I began to rest in the truth of Exodus 14:14, I was overcome with joy! My step picked up as I was cleaning, dancing and worshipping God. I am sure it was quite a sight. If my children saw me, I would have told them that I was leaping and dancing before the Lord just like David except with my clothes on.

Things in this world can become very worrisome. But, be still in the truth that the Lord will fight for you, and then go and celebrate before HIM!

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10 NIV

Jump

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:58:46 -0500

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me " 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

Have you ever had someone ask you to do something, and you thought you did not have the ability to do it? Reba, my dearest friend, placed a bug in my head to write devotionals for the Dare for More website about a year ago, and I just laughed. It was kind of like Sarah's laugh when she overheard Abraham getting the news that she would have a baby. You see, I was the student in high school and college who struggled with writing. I even had to take "bonehead" English in college. The thought of writing just seemed too difficult for me.

God, as the Wonderful Weaver that He is, used different people in my life this year to encourage me in this writing process. These people did not know about the "writing bug" when they were encouraging me.

During the summer, I have the opportunity to meet with a group of ladies each Wednesday on a boat dock for a Bible study. On our last get together this summer, we jumped from the top of the two story boat dock showing our surrender to what God had for us in the year ahead. I am a safety fanatic, and didn't jump last year. But this year, I knew God was calling me in my weakness to begin to write for Him. So, I jumped! I have a picture of this jump, and you can tell that I am screaming.

One definition of "jump" says to spring off of the ground, to leap, to rise. The next time someone places a "too difficult bug" in your head, think about taking a JUMP and let Christ's power rest on you!

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song." Psalm 28:7 NIV

Pride

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 13:06:08 -0500

"When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me. " Hosea 13:6 NIV

Do you ever wonder how great people end up with "messed up lives"? I recently read 2 Chronicles 26 which shed some light on my question. This passage gives a detailed account of King Uzziah's rule in Judah. Many kings of Israel are known for not pleasing the Lord, but Uzziah "did what was pleasing in the Lord's sight." He ruled for 52 years.

King Uzziah had a great resume. He won many wars. He hired many people to build towers and attend his cattle and farmland. Some people might say that he was a great entrepreneur. But, here is an interesting statement from 2 Chronicles 26:5- "And as long as the king sought guidance from the LORD, God gave him success."

As Uzziah became more and more powerful, he also became full of pride. In fact, he no longer thought he needed the priest to burn the sacrifices for him. He did it himself. When the priests confronted Uzziah, he became angry which caused him to have leprosy. When King Uzziah died, he was buried with his ancestors not in the City of David where the kings were suppose to be buried. What an awful ending!

Uzziah started out following God, and continued to follow God until he allowed the "I" in pride to get the best of him. It is very easy for many of us to get caught up with all we have accomplished and never stop to ask God for guidance. We forget to praise the God who gives us our abilities. This was a reminder to me that I need to be daily on my knees humbling myself before God.

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." 1 Peter 5:6 NIV

The Tree Crew

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 10:12:27 -0500

"I am the vine and my Father is the true gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit. While every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruit " John 15:1-2 NIV

Recently, we had a tree crew do some work on our property. Before the crew came, Mark and I discussed what we wanted this company to do. The plan was to have three trees cut down, and a few trees pruned from the top to the bottom.

As the cutting and pruning were taking place, I would step outside to see how it was going. When you are watching during this process, it can make one wonder. You start questioning the results. I was watching the "tree climber/gardener" and noticed that he was wearing tennis shoes. He did not use spikes so he would not damage the tree.

About two hours into the tree care, the owner of the tree company knocks on my door. He requested that I step out to the back yard to see the work in progress. After the three trees were cut down and one tree pruned, it became clear that the tree that was just pruned looked terrible. It just needed to be cut down. In fact, the owner stated he would not charge extra, because it just looked horrible. The shade that we thought the tree would provide had only a small group of branches on top. However, I failed to discuss this with Mark before the tree came down. He was at work while this took place. Upon hearing that another tree was cut down, Mark was concerned how it would look. He was not planning on having only one tree in that area.

The tree crew finished, and I walked outside to see the results. I was reminded how the trees in the front yard looked when we first bought this property four years ago. It was refreshing! The back yard looked completely different. The area in the back had seven trees but now there was only one tree. The back yard used to be all shade, but now the sun was shining through onto the ground. As Abby, my daughter, was looking out the window by our kitchen table, she said "you can see the pretty sun light". After Mark came home, he stated that maybe he might be able to get some grass to grow in the back yard. The unexpected and unplanned tree that was cut down turned out to be a blessing.

The reminder from the "Tree Crew" is this: There are times in our life when we need to be pruned with God's tender loving care for more growth. Even when we think some things are good like a tree for providing shade, it just needs to be cut down so that God may shine through us.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5 NIV

Twenty-Four/Seven

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 12:51:41 -0500

"The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. " Deuteronomy 31:8 NASB

Last year, my then fourteen year old son, Zach, went on his first mission trip to Zambia, Africa. I can only imagine the thoughts going through your head as you read my first sentence. How can this lady let her boy go off to Africa? Those thoughts went through my head too. But, God began to give us a peace about the trip.

In fact, I can honestly say I was at peace until the day before my son was scheduled to leave for this trip. I am not exactly sure what happened, but FEAR struck me out of no where. I was overwhelmed and sickened with FEAR. One thought that came to my mind was "I am his mother, and I am canceling his trip." As the spiritual war-fare started, I grabbed by Bible and turned to a verse that I just read a few days earlier. It was Deuteronomy 31:8. This was the verse I was claiming. I was struggling with my son being so far away and worried that I was not there to "protect" him. Each time the fear hit me, I would read Deuteronomy 31:8. It was my two-edged sword.

As I am writing this, my son is actually on a plane on his way back home from his second mission trip to Zambia. When my son left for this second trip, "a peace that passes all understanding" surrounded me.

Here is what I realized the second time around. Zambia is six hours ahead of Atlanta, GA. When I prayed for my son's day, God had already gone ahead of Zach! Zach was basically done with his day when I was just starting mine. Joy filled my heart as I realized that God instructs us to pray, but He has already gone ahead of my son and me! God is at work twenty-four seven!

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:10 NIV

From Dizziness to Goodness

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 10:51:18 -0500

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. " Romans 8:28 NIV

When I was dealing with vertigo just six days before a mission trip to Haiti, this thought crossed my mind: Why now? At the beginning of my vertigo episode, I found myself "reminding" God that I have a very important mission trip in six days, and I don't have time for this. If you read "Lumpy Clay", you know that God taught me many things during that vertigo episode.

If I would only remember when I wonder "Why now?" that God works for the good in all things. Many times we may not see God's goodness, but we need to trust Him, and remember our HOPE is in HIM. This time, I was able to see God's goodness ten days after I questioned it while I was still in Haiti.

As our team was walking to a nearby village, a little girl who was about four years old but looked like she was two years old was sitting by the road with her father. They motioned our team to come down. This girl's father told them that she has been sick for months and that they are too poor to take her to the hospital. This girl was very malnourished. A lady on our team gave this precious little girl Gatorade, food and vitamins.

I had the opportunity to go back and check on this girl. Her mom told us that this precious child could not keep the food down. I knew at that moment why I had vertigo just six days before our trip. My doctor gave me a RX to stop the vomiting. I took this medication with me on the trip. Some people might try and say it was a coincidence, but it was God's faithfulness and goodness. We broke the pills in small pieces and instructed this girl's mom on how to give the medication. We prayed with this family asking God to bring healing for this child.

"O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago." Isaiah 25:1 NIV