The Garden

When we moved into our newest home in Madison, we were thrilled with the size of the lot. We own roughly 1/2 an acre... which is a lot of room in town. In fact, there are three full back yards and a smidgen of another that butt up to our property! Why were we so excited??? We could finally have a garden!!

During all of the years that we lived in the Pekin area, we had a garden. Each year we put out tomatoes, peppers, squash, and green beans. Every year, Mickey canned salsa for himself, and green beans that were enjoyed at nearly every family function. He does make THE BEST green beans you've ever eaten. I no longer try!!!! While they are tasty when he has fixed those bought from the store, using his canned green beans makes them even better.

Last year we had no garden, our Wolf Trails home just didn't have room for one. By Easter of this year, we were using the last three quarts of our home canned beans. So when spring rolled around, we put in a small garden - 7 rows of beans, 10 tomato plants, two jalapeno plants, and green onions. I must say, the green beans have already outdone themselves!!

Our first pick, Mick was able to can 35 quarts and we gave a "mess" to my in-laws. The second pick, Mick canned 19 quarts and I fixed a huge amount for the family to enjoy on Saturday. This morning I walked out to check the garden after all of our rain, and the beans are ready to pick again!!! Mick said he guessed we'd just keep picking and canning until we ran out of jars!!!

I must admit, when I first walked up to the garden this morning I thought, "Oh no... we will have to pick beans again!!!"  However, I was quickly reminded that I need to be THANKFUL!!!!!

I should be THANKFUL that we have the space for a garden, where so many would just love a yard of their own.

I should be THANKFUL for more beans than we anticipated, when so many go without even a mouthful of food in a day.

I should be THANKFUL for the rains and the sun that God provides that help our garden to grow, while so many areas of our country are in a drought.

I should be THANKFUL for a husband who takes the time to can what we have grown. You see, I am terrified of the pressure canner... yes.... I'm a chicken!!!


I am reminded that I need to be THANKFUL IN ALL THINGS.... not just in those times that I get what I want, but at ALL times!!!!

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says:  Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.  

It is God's will that we BE THANKFUL....  so I think that it is time to change my way of thinking!!! How about you??

Have a Blessed Day!

Lynn

Are your True Colors Showing???

Our Community Group recently finished studying the book of James.... what a wonderful book to dig in to!!!  Seems like I spent most of that study thinking wow... just... wow!!!! I mean, come on... the first chapter starts out powerful! No "sliding in to a topic", BAM... right to the point!

James 1:2-4:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete,

 not lacking anything. ... NIV

That is powerful.... but I LOVE looking up different versions, they sometimes make things a little more clear. The Message translated these verses this way :

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. 

You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its 

true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work 

so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. 

This is one of those instances where I feel that the message really opens up the Word, in particular where it says your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. That really makes me sit back on my heels to ponder what colors (if any!) I show when I'm under pressure?

How true it is that when our lives are going great, and we have "balance", our faith-life looks pretty good. We go along saying the right things, doing our best to do the right things. We go to church, we smile, we sing songs of praise, and then we leave the building with God tucked right back in that little box, all safe and snug, to be taken out again the following week. From the outside, we look pretty good to those around us. We 'have it all together', so to speak. It is pretty easy during this time to have our colors shine like a sunset... calm and serene, the picture of contentment.

What happens when we come under fire? When the pressure is on? When our life starts to resemble a roller-coaster ride instead of a leisurely ride on a carousel? What do we look like when our faith-life is forced into the open then? During times such as these do people look at us only to find a total lack of color? Do they find that our contentment is gone? That our smiles falter? That our songs of praise have lost their fervor?

What is MY true color? Have I become mature in my walk with Christ? Am I deficient? Where will I stand when the "heat is on"?? These are really hard questions... and I think that James is right on target when he says that we must "consider it pure joy... a sheer gift.... when we suffer trials... when we are tested... when we are challenged". I think it is then when we learn how deeply our faith is Christ is rooted. It is then that we either choose to  draw closer to the one who sustains us and let HIS light shine for the world to see, or we choose to keep Him in that box we've created for him and only take him out when it is convenient.

The gift we receive?? Christ IN us... where he holds us up... where he gives us peace and comfort... where His light shines through us so that others can be drawn TO Him.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.  James 1:12

Have a Blessed Day!
Lynn

Fat Tuesday

Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday. It is also known as Mardi Gras Day or Shrove Day. It is a day when people eat all they want of everything and anything they want as the following day is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of a long fasting period. In addition to fasting, participants also give up something special that they enjoy. So, Fat Tuesday is a celebration and the opportunity to enjoy that favorite food or snack that you give up for the long Lenten season.

While I don't give up anything for Lent, I know several people who do. They give up things such as soft drinks, chocolate, bread, and there are even those who laughingly give up items such as broccoli and brussel sprouts! (I have a feeling those last two don't count, especially if you don't like them to begin with!)

Today, especially in New Orleans, Fat Tuesday will be celebrated with parades, costumes, and the "tossing" of beads, coins and stuffed animals. People will indulge in things into the late night hours so that they can "get through" the Lenten season.

I have often wondered if the symbolism of Lent is supposed to mirror the 40 days that Christ spent in the wilderness. Maybe someone who is more familiar with Lent can let me know the answer. But, if it is, I have to wonder if Christ took that day before he entered the wilderness to indulge in all the things that he would miss. Somehow, I think that if he had, we would have read about it somewhere in the bible. And that got me to wondering, would our most trying times come when we were filled... or would they come when we are the most empty?

My point... I think that if we are living our lives according to God's word, and following his leading, we don't need a "Fat Tuesday"... nor do we need to "give up something we enjoy" just for the sake of tradition... if we aren't using this time prior to Easter to reflect on Christ's life, and more importantly, his resurrection, then we are missing the point. And before you comment, please know that if you do participate in Fat Tuesday, this isn't a slam... this just isn't my thing, but for many of you, it is your beginning to the Easter Season. I just don't understand those who participate and don't even know why they do it... they are just "following the crowd".

So today, I won't be over-indulging, and tomorrow I won't be giving anything up. I will spend the next 47 days reflecting on the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and work on living my life in such a manner that when those trying times come, and they will come for all of us at some point, I am ready to climb into the arms of a God who is more than willing to carry me through them.

Hot off the press...

I just finished putting together a 40 day devotional for our church to use beginning this Wednesday. I have to tell you, I really enjoyed it. I have missed putting the paper together so this was fun.

When one of our elders approached me about this project I couldn't wait to get started. We talked to numerous individuals who agreed to write for the booklet. I was so excited to open my emails each day to see what I might find. Having only been told to write about Jesus' suffering, death or resurrection, I wondered if there would be many devotionals that would overlap. Surprisingly, there weren't any... all of the the thoughts, while centered on the same subject, were vastly different.

I can't wait to see what God does through this devotional... so many people on the same page each day... how amazing it will be to see where this will lead us as a congregation!!!