My Garden

I love having my garden close to my house. I can take a quick look at it everyday I’m home and see how it is growing. It is amazing how fast the plants have grown and how healthy they look. Planting good seeds into good soil filled with good food and nutrients and giving both […]

I love having my garden close to my house. I can take a quick look at it everyday I’m home and see how it is growing. It is amazing how fast the plants have grown and how healthy they look. Planting good seeds into good soil filled with good food and nutrients and giving both plenty of water has made for a beautiful garden.

 

My garden reminds me, this is the way God would have me to be.

 

Am I the good soil that willingly receives the seed, the word of God? Do I let that seed penetrate my mind and my heart? Do I read it? Do I think of it continually? Do I allow it to guide me, teach me, correct me and shape me?

 

If I am striving to receive the word of God, how deep do I allow it to grow in my heart? Do I just keep it on the surface or do I allow it to go deep into my soul and control my being? Do I struggle to find and dig out the deeper meanings of the word and seek to find all of its treasures? Do I search it to find the heart and mind of God?

 

Am I the good soil that maintains focus on the word and will of God? Or, do I have so many other duties and desires that I find myself being pulled away from the things of God and having less and less time to be involved in them?

 

I anxiously wait the fruit of my garden. The blooms and tiny immature fruit are already visible. My Lord looks at me in the same way. Is he finding the fruit He longs for? Is He seeing the image and likeness of Himself? Is He seeing the life devoted to Him? Is He seeing one who has been with Jesus and strives to abide in Him?

 

Heart of the Gospel

The heart of the gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Paul expresses it in this manner: 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that...

Eclipse

An eclipse is an exciting thing. It was evident Monday at about 2:00 p.m. when I was driving back to the office from making some visits. The traffic was minimal. I even saw several vehicles pulling off the road to catch a glimpse of the moon covering the sun. I even...

The Same Story

Frank Wampol did an outstanding job on Sunday morning directing our hearts toward a better understanding of the emotional and physical agony that Jesus experienced during his crucifixion and the time leading up to it. Before Sunday, I knew that Frank was going to...

You’re Kidding

We were in Pigeon Forge with some of Jane’s family. While there, we visited the replica museum for the Titanic. A very interesting exhibit. We were at the bottom of the replica of the grand staircase listening to the guide explain the rich details of this beautiful...

Theme Verse

You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O LORD, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established. (Exodus 15:17 ESV) This is the theme verse for this year’s Leadership Training For Christ...

Changing Seasons

I need spring to come and winter to end. Honestly, this has been a constant thought in my mind since mid-January following a series of unfortunate events: a trip to the ER, an ablation scheduled, missing a conference due to heart issues, waiting for the ablation,...

Jacob and Esau

I’m sure you remember the story of Jacob and Esau. But if the following brief summary is not familiar to you, read the whole story beginning in Genesis 25:19. 24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out...

I Voted

I voted today. I took advantage of the right given to me as a citizen of this country to cast my vote for those who will lead our nation, state and county. I was even given a sticker to declare to others that I had voted.   It was only one vote, but it was my...

My Thoughts

My thoughts are mine! Aren’t they? One of Jane’s favorite expressions is, “I knew you were going to say that.” She loves to make me think she knows everything I’m thinking or that I’m going to say. I have to admit, she gets pretty close. But she’s not always right....

Our Comforter

Kimberly and I adopted our first dog together in 2013. She was a husky/German shepherd mix named Chloe. She was a big dog with a very loud bark. When I served in youth ministry, I often traveled out of town overnight. Kimberly traveled with me on occasion, but when...