Year of the Garden

For myself, and several of my close friends, New Year’s Eve is a time of celebrating, but also a time of remembering where we’ve been. It started 5 years ago on a road trip across the country. We spent New Year’s Eve in the town of Goodyear, Arizona, and we spent a lot of time talking about where we’ve been, where we’d like to go, and where God is working in us. Something unique came out of that experience. For the first time, we set a theme for the upcoming year. At the time it was a theme that resonated with where we were all at, and meant a great deal for us. From that point on, every year you can find us together debriefing our years and setting a new theme. The themes have varied over the years, whether it be, “The Year of Being Direct,” or “The Year of No Excuses,” or our current theme, “The Year of the Garden.”

            As we were thinking through this new theme, it seemed appropriate for where our lives were heading, full of new endeavors, and for some of us, continuing on, doing what we’ve been doing. The Year of the Garden brought a profound picture to our minds. A picture of planting. A picture of tending and working. Overall, a picture of cultivating. For us, we saw our new year as a plot of land. We could either choose to plant and tend our garden, or we could sit back and do nothing with it. The funny thing about all of this is that the garden is completely reliant on God for anything to happen at all. For some of us, this means we need to plant something new, and for some of us this means we need to tend and cultivate what is already there. Either way, we need to do some work, and see how God will work through it.

            I feel like a garden is a great image for our spiritual journeys as well. You have the ability to not do anything with your garden, but then it’s just an empty plot of land. But you also have the option to plant and tend your garden, and with God’s blessing, the rain will fall, your plants will sprout, and you’ll have a bustling crop. So if we lay our spiritual walk aside and don’t pour into it, it will likely remain distant and barren, but if we pour into our spiritual lives, taking time to be in God’s word, and taking time to pray and be in community, we will be amazed what God can do. I’ve heard it said, “the grass is greener where you water it,” so my encouragement is to invest in your garden, and see what God will do. 

So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.  The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.  1 Corinthians 3:7-8

- Jake Houf

First Love

But I have this complaint against you.  You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!

Revelation 2:4

In Revelation 2:2-3, eight signs are mentioned showing the zeal of the church at Ephesus, but there was one bad sign.  The Lord said:  ”Turn back to me again and work as you did at first.  If you don’t, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches” (verse 5.)  What was this sin?  “You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! “  They forgot their first love.

Are we committing this same sin in our churches today?  Are we doing good deeds, and working hard, persevering for His Kingdom, and enduring hardships without growing weary, yet … are we missing what God values the most: tender, fervent love for Him and for each other.

We can be good Christian examples in all that we do and are accomplishing, but if we don’t have that tender love for Jesus that shines through how we love each other, then all our activities and hardships are nothing in the Master’s eyes. 

God desires our heart above all else.  He came to this earth to love us; to suffer horribly on the cross to make a way for us to be in relationship with Him.  Let us not forget that He ultimately did all that He did so that we could be in personal fellowship with Him. 

When you reflect on that, does that stir something within your soul?  Your First Love for why you do what you do!  Francis Chan says in Crazy Love, “When we work for Christ out of obligation, it feels like work.  But when we truly love Christ, our work is a manifestation of that love, and it feels like love.” 

Don’t forget your Fist Love!  When you are alone with Him enjoy Him!  When you are gathered together as a body of believers, embrace joy and worship Him!  When you serve Him, show others how to love Him.  “Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself.  It is as if they are showing you the way.”  Blue Like Jazz 

May your life be a dance for joy! 

Dance for You

May I dance for You, Lord, today and every day.

Days your song is joyful and alive,

May my soul be enraptured by Your tune,

As I dance for You.

Some days the music is powerful and vigorous,

May my steps keep in Your time,

As I dance for You.

There are days the melody is slow and sad,

May my arms reach up though my head hangs low

As I dance for You.

Waiting for the day that my pulse will quicken to Your glorious beat,

May my lips sing Your praise and my all respond,

As I dance for You.

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.  Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

Psalm 30: 11, 12

- Sue Parrott

Importance of Prayer

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.

Luke 6: 12 

If Jesus who had no sin to confess would spend entire nights in prayer, then is not prayer so much more than simply confessing your sins and making your requests known to him?  Absolutely.  Prayer is what strengthens us, as it was for Jesus.  The fellowship we have with Him is cultivated, developed and renewed through prayer.  We have no power on our own to maintain our spiritual life.  Our strength comes from communing with Him, seeking His face, listening to Him without distraction.

If we are to have our whole heart turned towards God, we must have it turned away from man, from all that occupies and interests, whether of joy or sorrow.

Everything that is not God, that excites or fears or stirs our efforts or awakens our hopes or makes us glad, hinders us in our perfect waiting on Him.

When it is seen that waiting on God is itself an unspeakable blessedness – one of the highest forms of fellowship with the Holy One – the adoration of Him in His glory will of necessity humble the soul into a holy stillness, making way for God to speak and reveal Himself.

Waiting on God, Andrew Murray

How often do we get away, and spend more than just a few minutes in hasty prayer and reading a few verses?  Are we taking the time to come into His presence in all seasons of our life, whether we are having moments of happiness and peace and enjoying life, or facing unexpected circumstances that causes us unrest and fear.  Just as Jesus needed to get alone with God away from all that distracts, the good things as well as the stressful things, it is imperative that we grasp the importance of this…and do it.

“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you,” declares the Lord…

Jeremiah 29: 12, 13

Father, I yearn for you, yet how often do I let the distractions of life get in the way.  Give me the discipline to find time to be with you.  Make it evident within my soul when I am in need of getting away to be alone with you whether it be a few minutes within a busy day or an entire afternoon in your presence alone, or perhaps longer than that.  Help me have the discipline to find time with you and to do it.  And through that time, grant me the strength I need to continue to serve You in your kingdom.  Thank you for the example of you, Jesus. Amen.

- Sue Parrott

HIS Passionate Commitment

I don’t know where you are as you begin to read this…whether you are at your office in the midst of distractions and noise, or in the quiet of your home… or not so quiet home, in line waiting for something or traveling in your car, but, wherever you are and however your state of being is, this is my prayer – that before you read through this, you first intentionally tune out this busy world and silence yourself to allow God’s Words to fill your being and move your soul.

Because this is the gift He brings to us…remember why we Celebrate and Rejoice!!

And… my dear brothers and sisters…those of you that are in the darkness right now, these words are for you, as I earnestly pray that you will cling to this hope and know His passionate commitment to you.

Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.

For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.

You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice.

They will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest

and like warriors dividing the plunder.

For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders.

You will break the oppressor’s rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian. The boots of the warrior and the uniforms bloodstained by war will all be burned.  They will be fuel for the fire.

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.

The government will rest on his shoulders.

 And he will be called:

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

  Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

His government and its peace will never end.

He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.

The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!

Isaiah 9:1-7

Father, I pray we will know you as our Counselor, may we cling to your strong arm as you guide us.  You are our Mighty God, and your arms which hold us are full of strength. You hold us dear as your sons and daughters for You are our Everlasting Father, may we grasp your unconditional love for us, and may we rest in Your protection as You are the Prince of Peace.  As this world is full of darkness, may we know Your light, and understand how passionate You are to rescue us from the darkness.  Thank You, we love You, Jesus,

Amen

- Sue Parrott

Gift of the Cross

Recently I was re-arranging a room in our church that we had a cross leaning upright in a corner.  Nailed onto the cross was a large variety of cards in which people had written down things they wanted to ask forgiveness for, and then pounded the card onto the cross.

I began to carefully pull the cards off and lay them on the ground; not thinking too much about the task at first as my mind wandered to Christmas and how I was going to decorate this room for the season.  My mind continued to focus on thoughts of the gifts I had yet to purchase, and the various plans I needed to complete for the holiday season.

I paused at my task, as my mind wandered. Slowly I blinked and my eyes refocused on what I was doing.  Glancing down, in my hand was a card that said, “Forgive me for being angry at my wife.”  I then looked down before me and saw all of the cards scattered at the foot of this cross.  Each one representing a broken person asking God to forgive them for all kinds of things. I reverently continued to take down these cards one by one, as silent tears slipped down my cheeks; I placed them at the foot of the cross. Overwhelmed with the understanding that this…, this is His gift.  This is Christmas.  He gave Himself, his birth, his life and his death for forgiveness to the broken.  Forgiven and restored so we can be in relationship with Him.

 And as we celebrate Christmas, how can we truly reflect what His gift means to us?

Celebrate! And share joy with others!  The giving of ourselves, our joy to others that are broken.   Sharing this gift Jesus has given to us is the best gift we can give, better than any gift we place at the foot of a tree.  This gift we receive at the foot of the cross.

"He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed."  I Peter 2:24

- Sue Parrott

Christmas Measuring Stick

He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain--first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” (Mark 4:26-29 NIV)

 

One Christmas when our children were very young, their artisan granddad surprised our family with a six-sided, solid oak, measuring stick. One side serves as a seven-foot ruler while the remaining sides are dedicated to recording the growth of our five kids. Every year at Christmastime we take that stick from its resting place, and with all kinds of anticipation, the kids gather ‘round to see how they’ll measure up against the previous year’s mark. It’s usually an uproarious occasion because, more times than not, our kids are shocked and delighted by their growth.

 

 

 As we near the end of this year, and if we could hold a measuring stick up to the full height of our spiritual selves, like a child at Christmas, would we laugh with surprise at our growth? If we were able to hold a mirror up to our inner man, might we gasp in wonder to detect a tiny resemblance of the Savior?

 

 

When we spend time in the presence of the Lord, we are changed. We don’t know how it is, but it is!  Just lately, like me, have you begun to notice a deeper, heart-felt compassion for those you are interceding for?  As you’re led to confession, does your sin seem more offensive and God’s grace greater?  Are you quicker to turn complaint to praise and fear to trust?  Has a quiet, intimate, listening to The Word become an exercise you can’t imagine living without?

 

 

Jennifer Dean in her book, Live a Praying Life, puts it this way: “Through the ongoing discipline of prayer, we are brought into direct and intimate contact with the Father’s heart. As we continually behold His glory, we are changed into His image. Miraculously, our lives begin to reflect Him; our desires begin to mirror His desires. As He has constant access to us, He aligns our vision, recreates our desires, reproduces His heart.”

 

Our Father in heaven, thank You for the growth You are bringing about within us. Spending time with You is such a joy. Just being with You, listening, abiding in Your presence, has changed us.  We don’t know how that is, but it is! We know it’s true. Thank You for the invisible work You are doing within us, Your church.  Please continue the job until it’s complete so that we might be used for Your glory alone.  In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

- Dianna Lanser

Power in Prayerful Praise

I’ve noticed about myself as of late, that my eyes have been looking at the trials or the negative things around me and it is overwhelming me.  The result is not a pretty sight within my soul.  Thankfully, God being the loving Father that He is, sends me gentle reminders to look to His Word for answers.  Here is a powerful story in the Old Testament that speaks to my soul and re-aligns my eyes back on Him.

In II Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat and the Israelites are faced with an overwhelming army that is ready to destroy them.  Jehoshaphat is notified and calls for a fast and then assembles all the Israelites.

Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard  and said:

“Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven?  

You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. 

 Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.

 Our God, will you not judge them?  For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us.  We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

Power and might are in your hand….we have no power, we do not know what to do.  His prayer starts with praise acknowledging God’s powerfulness, and then humble recognition that we do not have power and do not know what to do.   How freeing is that?!  To remember who has the power and to simply and humbly let go of the need to know what to do!

 
Jehoshaphat hears a word from the Lord and he says…

 ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army.  For the battle is not yours, but God’s.  Tomorrow march down against them…. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”

After he says this they all begin to worship and praise God.  They did not have the answer of HOW God was going to do this, and they did not wait for God to DO this.  They simply began to praise Him.

The next day they head out in a most extraordinary way.  They lead their army with a choir singing praise. 

“Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.”    

As they marched forward in worshipful prayer, God moved in response to their obedience and destroyed the army before they even stepped foot on the battleground. 

With joyful hearts they returned to their city and entered the temple, singing and praising God for His faithful rescue. 

They faced their trial with prayerful praise, they entered into their trial with trusting praise, and ended with celebrating praise. 

So yet again, with a thankful heart, I put my headphones on, crank up the music, and sing His praise,… remembering who has the power.

Hands open, palms up,

A visual of the unseen.

Letting go of my way.

Arms raise to You,

Act of giving –

Giving of self, of life, of needs and wants.

Head bows.

Accepting in pure humility,

Helplessness of self.

Face smiles

As praises pour from lips,

Cannot be contained.

Heart accelerates;

This mystery of dying to self,

Brings joy.

Hands close in fists

Clinging to Your strength and power,

Which is to be revealed.

Not for self,

But for self and life, needs and wants

To shout – Look At God! Look What He Can Do!

Father, You are all Powerful, to You be the Glory.  Thank you that I don’t have to face these trials on my own power.  Thank you that I don’t have to have all the answers.  Thank you that I can trust you as I continue my journey, one prayerful step at a time.  My heart sings your praise.

In Jesus Name, Amen

- Sue Parrott