Everything came to a screeching halt when we received the text... the next three weeks were a whirlwind of elation and exhaustion! Now that it's over we plop our weary bodies down, shake our heads in amazement, and with broad smiles sit back in wonder... WHAT just happened?!
Faith. Yes, it's a belief and, yes, it's a hope. But it's so much more! Faith has a sort of substance to it. It doesn't stay silent and it can't remain hidden. Faith can't help but expose the heart from which it flows, leaving behind evidence ... of things unseen...
The tiny hand of my gardener in training slowly opens to reveal her treasure... And with it comes a revelation... The heart of a believer should be marked by certain qualities, "fruits of the Spirit" as the Apostle Paul puts it. But what happens when we go after the fruit instead of the Spirit? Is there a such thing as artificial fruit in the life of faith? If so, what's the difference between that and the real deal?
"There's no rathers," said my 4-year old self. I didn't want to choose, I wanted BOTH! Choosing is hard for kids. It's just as hard for adults! The desires change but the struggle remains. And sometimes Jesus makes us choose...
Living in beautiful Durango, I still pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming! The outdoor enthusiasm and athleticism create a unique culture in this town, not one that I naturally fit into. But when my favorite sport brings fresh perspectives to my faith then I'm all in!...
We'd like to believe our worst days are behind us, that our sins are in the past. But when struggles remain and shame lingers, how do we deal with that? We live in the "present"...
Do you ever wonder if what you're doing really matters to anyone? Ever grow weary in doing good, questioning if it even makes a difference? Do you sometimes think your time could be better spent elsewhere? I do. By noon last Tuesday I was ready to give up on the day. AND THEN! Wow...I was blown away when I discovered THIS... Be encouraged as you read on!
We plant. We weed. But who really brings the harvest? It's a tricky question, isn't it? It's human nature to want credit for our labor. We kinda want people to know that we found seeds - we prepared soil - we planted - we watered - we weeded - we harvested. We all want to be seen as valuable, knowledgeable, and recognized for a job well done. There's something we must understand in this labor of sowing and reaping. If we can grasp this - wow - we will harvest far more than we ever sowed! Here it is...
How do you and I nurture our hearts in such a way that our lives become bountiful gardens that nourish, refresh, and entice others to stop and partake of the beauty? Yes weeding is necessary (as we discussed in the previous post), but beautiful gardens don’t exist simply because someone diligently tackles this chore. Something has to be PLANTED in order for something to grow - a seed has to be sown. Our heart is like soil. Fleshly attitudes are like weeds. What then are the seeds we need to plant in order to produce a harvest of righteousness?
In tending to the garden of our hearts we must do a little weeding from time to time if we want to reap a beautiful harvest. In this post we'll discover two particularly sneaky weeds that, if left undetected, will breed more weeds and eventually choke out the life in our garden...