Growth Requires Pruning

After the Rain By: Loneangel

I was reading O Pioneers, by Willa Cather, a book about the Swedish land settlers of Nebraska. The main character, Alexandra, is a strong-minded, resourceful woman. She stoically takes over the family farm after her father passes away and creates a successful , thriving business that expands through risk, hard-labor and sacrifice but with a price of loneliness.  She is nearing middle age when a past love interest returns to the homestead. Before she can even begin to think about the possibility of settling into happiness, Oscar and Lou her brothers, make their case against any companionship for Alexandra. They site many selfish reasons for her to withhold going forward in a 'foolish' decision to get married; her love interest is a loafer and wants to be taken care of, he wants to take the property from the family, she is too old for thinking of marriage and should have done that when she was young and they finally get to the crux of their real concern; they worked harder for the land then she did. They disregarded her wit, slighted her ingenuity and her strength to make hard decisions against the grain of the town and come out on top. They essentially wanted more even when they had plenty and at the cost of someone else's happiness.

They went as far as accusing her of being hard on them...
                            "Hard on you? I never meant to be hard. Conditions were hard.
                             I didn't choose to be the kind of girl I was. If you take even a
                             vine and cut it back again and again, it grows hard, like a tree."


Her last sentence stuck with me and shouted out the goodness behind God's pruning sheers on my life.

I have two rose bushes in my backyard that the previous owner planted. One Fall day I was looking at the gangly things and not exactly knowing what to do and not caring too much I whacked them down to the ground. I figured, I don't really care for rose bushes anyway and not having to look at the mess of unorganized leaves was better then trying to shape them. When I was finished I looked at the nubs poking out of the ground and thought I did them in for sure. I even chuckled at the bad haircut I gave them thinking some avid rose gardener would scold me intensely. Not a thought entered my head about those rose bushes until the next Spring when I had a mass of red flowers blooming that were breathtaking to view from my kitchen window. The beautifully mounded bush had every inch covered in color, and I began to like the rose bushes against my fence. They brought birds and bees to the backyard to watch and enjoy.  My harsh pruning brought forth a beautiful display.

This is also true of our walk with God. Many lessons can be learned from the harsh pruning God wants to administer to us in our walk. I happen to be going through one of those right now. Circumstances are sheers in which He prunes away the branches that don't bear fruit. He looks at the shaggy parts, even when we think they aren't that bad and artistically cuts a branch here, trims a leaf there or even knows that when harsh conditions are prevalent a total cut back of the plant will be a life saving  decision in the long run. The plant may look ugly or dead but it can do one of two things; it can wilt and die or it can rest in the Winter season so it can thrive and grow to produce a bountiful harvest in the following season.

I have had my share of tears, fears, worries, emotions and questions but it comes down to this...am I going to trust that He knows what is best for me even when the outside view seems foolish, ugly or unfair? He is the artist, the tender of our spiritual garden, the grafter of vines and branches, the master gardener along the narrow path. Unlike my unthoughtful onslaught on my rose bushes, He removes those branches tenderly at the right time and in the right way. All we have to do is be aware, willing to respond and be patient in waiting as the growth takes place for the next season where we can bear fruit and be a strong, beautiful testimony to His handiwork.

Alexandra made a great point when she said, "cut it back, again and again, it grows hard like a tree." There is something to being harshly pruned, stripped to nothing; it builds character and a resolve to keep growing into something unmovable. (James 1, Hebrews 10:32-39 and 11)

By the way, I've let those rose bushes grow on me, they now have a special place in the backyard where I'll let them be.

John 15

Jeremiah 18

A Long Walk

Sixty Paces etched in time will test the demands on body and mind.

No matter the elements, terrain or aptitude;

traversing the course requires a fit attitude.

Along the way sojourners happen by,

some just wave and others stop to say hi.

The best companions on a long walk are similar in kind

and may be connected by blood or a contemplative mind.

Smart travelers on a long walk take pause

 and glean lessons that give life cause.

To mention;

Nature gives canvas to philosophic theme

and points to discussions of

The Supreme Being.

Or

An expression or two weave a web

through well traveled terrain

and some get lost on a path

between thoughts and a dream.

                                            But

Young and old on a long walk will ponder this question from time to time,

"How many paces have I till trails end?"

In causerie fashion they wonder,

"It could be a long haul or just around the bend."

For those in the know,

A long walk lends an open view to years and

measured time that focuses on true substance

and how to use the one's supplied.

Chandra Brown

"Don't just count your years,

make your years count."

Ernest Meyer

Dedicated to my Father on his 60th birthday celebration. Thanks Dad for setting the pace and showing us how it's done!

 

Chronological New Testament: A Few Thoughts



"Do whatever He tells you"
by andycoan


I've been reading The Chronological New Testament, and have been eating up every page. As I read the books of the New Testament on the timeline in which they happened, I find certain dynamics being revealed in such a way that it caused me to feel as if I was reading The New Testament for the first time.

I wondered why the members who debated, studied and eventually put together the twenty-seven books known as the New Testament Canon, did it in the order they did. I've heard some evidence points to the notion the books in the order we are use to were aligned this way in order to help make doctrinal issues clear. Without going into that tangent; following the order of events as they took place in time has only helped make doctrine clear for me and I've read the New Testament in "traditional" order many many times and have never seen things as clear. The problems that arose and how they were addressed, the struggle to keep the church pure, the teachings of Jesus born out in believers life through real experiences all follows the sequence and definately reveals a pattern that if we pay attention shows us clearly how the church should function.

Does the modern church live this pattern out? There's some homework for ya!

There have been many moments where the words have popped off the page and started a brainstorm of thoughts. Since being part of the church means sharing your experiences with the Lord with other believers I thought I'd at least share how this book, put into action by a believer so others could benefit, has at least on a basic level helped spur me on in my understanding of how to walk with God and be an active participant in His church (I Corinthians 16:15-18 CNT WebVersion).

The book starts off with the preparation of men who were to take God's message out into the world, Acts 1-11. Paul's experiences have a great impact on the church and as the text unfolds I notice I can relate as the Holy Spirit has taught me some of those same things through my own personal experiences and have also given me reason to keep trying for those things I know I lack.

I read 2 Corinthians 11 and 12 and I can understand Paul's point, talking about his weakness is made strong in Christ. In chapter 11 he talks of being unskilled in speech yet he speaks boldy the things of Christ. There are times I feel the worlds weight glaring down on the truth and my flesh wants to quiver and hide, yet through the Holy Spirit's strength and guidance He has made my mind sharp and strong able to dispell the world's reasoning in order to show Christ's glory for what it truly is. I am honored and humbled this vessel was used to Christ's gain.

I read chapter 11 verses 22-33 and if you look at that account of peril through fleshly eyes it makes no sense that someone would go through all that for his fellow believer and to be obedient to Christ. Why would someone choose this path of constant struggle and pain? Then in chapter 12 the Lord sends a demon to keep Paul in check, he even asks for it to be removed and the Lord says no and Paul responds with gladness. Paul understood the principle of sumbission at all cost because his gain was Christ. His spiritual life meant more to him then the fleshly, time condensed one he had now. Being able to go through this willingly and gladly has to have personal, knowledge and devotion to something alive and tangible and utterly true. From a fleshly point Paul would look insane but when someone has found the truth and knows it, they are a rock unmoveable and it doesn't matter what the rest of the world thinks.

I ask myself the hard question, Could I go through what Paul went through to follow Christ? (Remember Christ was our ultimate example in what He gave for us)

The more I talk to God, get to know Jesus and follow what the Holy Spirit teaches me through real life events, I'd like to think, YES. Experience to experience I am being transformed by the reality of Christ in my life and the joy given only by God surpasses any worldly sorrows.  There is gladness in my weakness because He is being glorified for who He truly is and I get to be part of something I don't deserve. I am coming to understand what taking up your cross really means through the personal teaching of the Holy Spirit as He reveals to me what I need to do or what He wants to do, confirmation of it in scripture and then relating it to other believers carrying their cross too. Now that is the real church and I am proud to be part of it.

As the first lines in the Chronological New Testament say, "The first church was not the one in Jerusalem; it was Jesus and the 12 disciples. The real pattern cannot be based on mere assumptions drawn from letters Paul and others wrote. Jesus set the example for His church."  It is based on relationship.

Paul is a shining example of following Jesus' pattern, as were countless others in the New Testament, and we must include the righteous in the Old Testament as well. The fact I am offered the chance (my life) to try and follow the example and pattern too makes my spirit soar....

Thanks to Ken Brown and James Dinsmore for putting together the Chronological New Testament!

Note: The picture above has special significance pertaining to my walk with God...2 Kings 4...when I found this on the photosite I use the title the photographer gave it sealed the deal for my choice in using it with this post...

Tend Your Garden - Post #4 - Growth

"Many things grow in the garden that were never sown there."

 Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732

It has become my daughter's and my daily ritual to examine the new growth in the garden. We log the details in our minds as we scan each plant, it only takes a moment but much data is recorded.

Things we noticed:

1. Some critter thought our garden was the perfect digging playground. We suspect a squirrel liked the soft, dark, rich soil to hide his winter stash of nuts in.
2. All the seeds sprouted except the basil.
3. The new growth was too tempting for bugs. A caterpillar was found guilty of chewing on the spinach, plucked off and flicked across the yard. One beet fell prey to another devouring bug.
4. The dog managed to upset the potted strawberry plant, leaving dirt clod trails as a "bread crumb" path to make sure I found the evidence of her discontent. Thankfully, she controlled her temper tantrum on the strawberry enough so I could salvage the plant and re-plant it. I wish I could get my points across as well as that dog!
5. A few nut grass weeds made their way in the bed.

The owl did a decent job keeping the birds away...so far!

The thing that irked us the most was the pesky insects. We couldn't see them having their banquet on our goods and we didn't want to spray pesticides to get rid of them so we are attempting to rid the garden of them by planting marigolds. If the bugs have to have a buffet I hope this distraction works long enough to let the new growth mature.

Needless to say, I always like to get back to the quotes I use in the post. Thomas Fuller's quote, "Many things grow in the garden that were never sown there," applies in our daily lives as well. We live with a sin nature, it is something we battle our entire lives. If we don't tend our spiritual garden on a regular basis those things that we don't like tend to take a little more of the bed then we intended and we know what happens when a garden is left alone for far too long, the weeds take over and choke the nourishing plants out or the pesky insects eat them to a nub. 

How important it is to take the time daily to scan our "spiritual" garden, assess what is lacking and ask the master gardner (The Holy Spirit) how to handle it. There are times He even tells you about a problem before you are even aware of the fullness of it. The beauty in this relationship is the trust that is built through active obedience and submission. When The Holy Spirit points out a weed (sin)  that needs pulling or even tells you to prune a healthy branch (restraint and shaping) on a maturing area in your life, you come to know that it is for your benefit. 

Spritual gardening "tools" to live by:

Hebrews 12: 11

James 1:2-26

Thank You Lord for helping me tend my spiritual garden!

Doing Nothing

I accidentally took this picture while attempting to put the lens cover back on my camera. When I downloaded the pictures onto my computer I saw this one and it made me stop. I didn't remember consciously taking a picture of relaxing by the sea with a book. I liked looking at it, it made me feel as if there were no other pressing things on my docket, it took me back to the ocean with all the sounds and warm breezes. I felt relaxed, I captured a moment without even trying. Do you feel the calm, uninhibiting call to put the grind behind you and mesh with nature where you can get away from it all; the urge to delve into a book, where your mind can escape? A place conducive to transporting your mind to a pace where time slows down and you feel yourself catch up, wind down and have a moment to just be?
The older I get the more I just want to slow down and enjoy! At times life tends to be a task master, your schedule the constant reminder that you should try to be super woman and get all the items checked off the list. The more you do the better you are, the less idle time you have the more successful you feel. It's a race against who? Oursleves, friends, The Jonses', society? But I ask, with all this time eaten up with; do-this, go-here, juggle-that, where does the time fit in for nothing? Nothing to many people means laziness, boredom, lacking in ambition, a vice that can lead to bad habits. Keep going lest you stop long enough to be tempted. Tempted to what? Tempted to get to know yourself, tempted to let your mind rest long enough to listen to your conscience, tempted to actually talk to God. Being still long enough to spill out the sludge of stress, to get away from monotonous everyday life chatter and embrace the void can be excruciating to humans because we hang on to what's tangible, instant and comfortable, even if it exhausts us and makes us feel good on some level. The idea of nothing scares us! It is a place where we don't have control and may end up facing the fears of the unknown or the fears of facing the bigger questions of self or God.
Are you afraid of nothing?
I guess I didn't mean to let my thoughts take me this far, this post started as thoughts about relaxation. In the end my point comes full circle....in order to relax, doing nothing has it's place.
What does "doing nothing" mean in your life?

A Few Good Men

I am fortunate enough to say I have some awesome examples of top of line, cream of the crop, grade A MEN in my life. This post is for them.

The picture to the left is of me and my marvelous Dad. Let me tell you, as far as Dad's go he is the BEST. I know I should be saving this post for Father's Day, but when you feel so lucky to know somebody any time of the year is good to tell it to the world. He made growing up special for me with his acts of creativity. You knew he was thinking about you when he made a poetic scavenger hunt for Easter, personalized a tin with your own set of crayons and coloring books at Christmastime and fashioned homemade wooden decorations you got to help paint and put on the tree. I always loved doing school projects with my dad. One of the most memorable projects we did together was the Battle of Midway. We read about it at the library and collaborated on a model that was out of this world. We made Aircraft Carriers and painted Japanese and American fighter planes. He added the coolest detail by stringing fishing wire across the top of the model to make the airplanes look like they were in battle flight. I give my dad the credit for instilling in me an interest in history and World War II. We have this common bond now that I am an adult because he took the time to make learning fun. He's still doing creative, fun things for his grandchildren. He made them their very own Tree House with a loft and deck. My nephews can use it as an Army Base for their war planning. My nieces can use it as their doll or club house, and yes, the adults like to sit on the deck and hang out in there too.

I must mention one of my favorite things that my dad never fails to do every year. He is the Valentines Day King. He showers all the girls in the family in his own special way. Each one receives a card with a message that uncannily fits their personality, along with flowers or photo books and always chocolate. He will hand deliver these tokens of his love to their work or home as well. I look forward to that holiday because my Dad has made this his tradition of love and it takes you back to when you were a kid and felt safe, secure and loved for just being you. (You know more posts will follow about him, he's quite the man and has some other wonderful traits I'd love to expound on)

In the picture to the right is my wonderful Dad-In-Law and my love able Hubby. Papa Ken as I like to call him has been an influence in my life that I am eternally grateful for. His spiritual guidance and the fact he lives the way he teaches has been a gift from God to behold. His determination to do what is right and fight for the truth has been an example that can best be seen by his writings. Click the link to see what I mean www.voiceofonecrying.com His research and devotion to finding the Truth will challenge you. He's a stability to the family that I believe gets taken for granted. It's easy to do that to people we love, I'm guilty of this, that's why I take the time to post my thoughts. It doesn't matter if they are read or commented on, it is my way of praying, of getting what's inside out and letting those close to me know I'm thinking of them. In my opinion, Papa Ken writes what he learn as an act of love for his family as well as being compelled by God to be obedient. I am thankful he's chosen to give of himself. He's sacrificed much. Thanks Papa Ken!

Of course there is my Hubby who fits in the "Good Men" category. I'd like to say as his wife it has been an honor to be chosen as the one who gets to see the day to day, months to years growth of his manhood. It's kind of neat being witness to the workings of something great. It makes me feel darn good of myself to know I saw the goodness in Nathan when I first met him and my instinct wasn't wrong. We've been together over ten years now and through all the crazy obstacles and challenges life throws at you we can look at each other and know that if all else fails, and the world comes crashing down, we've got each other.

(Of course there is subject matter here that I can write volumes about...future post material)

I feel lucky, blessed, fortunate and like I've won the lottery having these Men in my life. Who are the "Good Men" in your life?