Category: Our Walk

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Visit a Great Garden

And many believed on Him there. John 10:42
Philbrook Museum: Tulsa, Oklahoma

Nothing can inspire a gardener more that a visit to a great garden. It is like looking at a work of art painted by one of the Masters, or hearing one of the famous symphonies being performed by a top orchestra. Gardens tended by top professionals that showcase beauty and artistry, give us a whole new standard to borrow from and use in our own gardens. I always come away from a visit to one of these places with a whole new set of ideas and inspiration. I particularly enjoy observing the interplay of selected plants that convey beauty and interest in a whole new way.

Inspiration is a wonderful thing. It calls us to reach for a little more out of our lives, and to do what we normally do, a little better. It can allow for our message and work to have a greater and far reaching impact. As Christians, a visit to an uplifting concert, or listening to a message from a skilled speaker can often do the same thing. From time to time we absolutely need to be impressed at what God is doing in someone else’s life. Sometimes it’s just seeing a new angle or way of looking at the Gospel message, or, to simply be uplifted and energized by someone who knows how to share the great gifts God has given them.

Recently, I visited the home of the late Luther Burbank. He was one of the most famous gardeners and plant breeders in the history of our country. He developed hundreds of new varieties of flowers and crop plants, many of which are still the standard varieties used today. I was not so much struck by the beauty of this parklike garden, but more by the incredible vision and drive this man possessed. During his lifetime, he was constantly devoted to his work of developing plants that would produce greater tonnage and greater quality. He also, did not neglect to produce many new and improved varieties of ornamental flowers, some of which grow in my gardens today. He was a man who made a great impact with the life he was given, and though he was not a Christian, I believe God used his life to benefit us all.

God can use our lives to lift the lives of many all around us. It doesn’t matter who we are or to what level of stature we have attained, He can take the least of His saints and use them for purposes that are both marvelous and far reaching. Think about the many accounts in the Bible where the weak and unnoticed are inspired to do important history changing acts. One of the most exciting things in living life, is to live out God’s love throughout the days you have been given. What gifts has God blessed you with that He might use and share for the blessing of others?

It is our responsibility to go out and get inspired. Attend a concert or listen to an interesting speaker; visit a beautiful garden where its peace and inspiration can seep into your pores and start you thinking in a new way. There are a million places to go where you can be uplifted.  Of course, in these times be safe and don’t take unnecessary risks. Visit a place where you might come back with more than you had when you left. Isn’t that what sharing gifts is all about?

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The Wondrous Love of God

Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. Daniel 12:4

The love of God is a fearful thing. It is a force so great and so wide that we fall short to comprehend it

It is found in the fabric of our lives and exists in every part of creation. So powerful is the love of God, that it changed the course of history and rerouted the destiny of man.

By it, He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Yet, we often forget what He has done. We neglect to praise Him who has given us our very breath and who brought us in to all the dimensions of this wondrous life.

Blessed is the one who remembers their God. Who treasures all of the gifts that He has bestowed upon them. They who give sincere praise to Him, will inherit the blessings of His love for them

How can we take our lives for granted? And think of them as an effort of futility. When did we forget that life is magical? A gift of infinite value; An opportunity for joy and adventure at every turn

Give thanks to your God for the gift of your life. Lift up praises for the wonder and beauty of His creation. For He has made you and fashioned you in incredible ways

Sing a song of love to Him. Call out to the maker of all there is; the one who loves you as His child

Is there not a thing that you have that He has not given you?

Are you not rich, because of Him?

Even if you do not have the things this world values, you are rich, exceedingly rich, because of His Spirit and love

Castaway, my friend, those things that trouble you. Let go of everything that takes away from God’s life in you. For they are only lies, distractions, even dangerous traps, that sap the Spirit of His life from working inside you

Instead, lift up praise unto Him who loves you. Stir up a spirit of thanksgiving toward your God

Bless our God, and He will energize your life, and then fill you with the joy that living was made to know

For our God is good. His love is for His children

He loved us so much, that He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die upon the cross, so that we might live a life so full and complete; And for all of eternity in His presence

Open your mind and your heart towards Him in love. For this is the reason that you were made and the purpose of your blessed existence 5/27/2020

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The Value of Our Faith

What good is it for a person to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can a person exchange for their soul? Mark 8: 36-37

All of the earth seeks after riches and possessions. We toil night and day to secure them. But God looks out upon the earth’s people to observe who’s faith shines brightly and is guided by His love.

He looks not at what mankind believes is valuable, but to those who’s hearts are inclined towards Him

We seek after money and power; precious materials; and how we might gain from them.

We labor to become skillful in the ways of our economy, but God’s ways are more valuable than this

Our material ways can only bring us so far. That which we can gain on earth, can only bless us for a time. For unless God is part of our effort, all our striving for wealth will become a trap that will leave us empty and misguided

Riches and possessions alone cannot help us. They might even tear us apart, or destroy us. At best, they are a tool that helps us survive in this world, but too often we become lost in the pursuit of them.

Better then, is to learn the ways of God, who is the source of all true riches and the power that guides the entire Universe.

Of more value then, is to trust in His Word and seek after His good council, so that we might gain true riches

For our relationship with God is of infinite value. Worth more than the sum of all earthly riches

His wisdom and love, lived out through our lives will purify us and make us rich, no matter what our sum of earthly possessions might be

For our time here is fleeting and our security only an illusion. Yet our faith in Jesus Christ protects and upholds us and links us with the eternal

Christ will change us. He will reassess our value, and proclaim us as priceless  by His summation

Our Lord overcame this world. He died upon the cross, and was raised to life again, victorious. He can raise up all those that He knows as friends and give them eternal life. By His power He can save our souls.

How infinitely great is our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. How wonderful and beautiful is He. For our lives are not meant to be spent in futility, but to be fully enriched through Him.    1/31/2011

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Press On

Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phillipians 3:13-14

I am not perfect. No, I am far from being that. Nor have I attained greatness in any way.

But in spite of my lack, I press on that I may reach that which was given me to reach. So that I may lay hold of the things for which Jesus Christ has also laid hold of me.

For there is a purpose I my life. There is a reason that I am here; That I may glorify my Father in heaven with all that I have and with all of my life.

I have not reached yet what He has placed before me. I feel like I have not come close. But, one thing I do is to forget the things that are behind me and reach for those that lie ahead.

For there are many things from my past that I wish had never happened; And if I let them, they would weigh heavily upon my soul. They would place a drag on my life and keep me from being all I could be.

I thank God then that He has forgiven me, and taken away the sentence of sin that hung heavy upon me. That through His Son, Jesus Christ, I have a new life, where I can live in freedom to be my best for Him

I no longer look back on my life in regret, but look forward to all the exciting things which God has in store for me. In eager anticipation, I reach forward towards all that lies ahead.

No, I am am far from attaining any measure of success. But, I continue on nonetheless. I let God worry about how much of an impact I am making for Him, knowing that there is really no way for me to measure that, anyway.

I simply press on, following His lead, excited to be a part of something so grand.

I remember that God has set aside a prize that awaits all those who pursue the upward call; and a reward to all those who seek His will.

Even though I may stumble and fall many times a day, I pick myself up and brush off the dust that clings to me, and set out again upon the pathway He has laid.

Though I may tire along the way, I rest and take nourishment from His Words; And when my strength has returned, I press on again, knowing that His way is the only way to life

For I have come to the conclusion, that any other way that I could go is just a counterfeit path, for only in Christ, does my life achieve any meaning or purpose.    1997

 

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Bolting When The Heat is On

 

Kale that has bolted

 

I often plant Cole crops early each Spring in my vegetable garden. These plants prefer cool weather to grow and mature, and include Broccoli, Mustard, Kale, and Cabbage. Some seasons I have problems with these plants, because they are sensitive to early hot spells. When the heat comes on too soon, these plants can become stressed and are quickly activated to begin flowering. Sometimes this can happen when the plants are quite small, but most often, just as they start to become productive. This phenomenon is called bolting, and it is a serious problem, since the plant rapidly jumps to flowering mode and bypasses the best stages of harvesting a good crop.  The only thing a gardener can do if this happens is pull up the plants and plant something else.

How many of us Christians decide to bolt and go to seed when things get difficult or when the heat suddenly sets its focus upon us? There is a passage in the Gospel of John chapter 6, where Jesus spoke about having faith in Him by using some particularly difficult metaphors. He said, ” I am the bread of life, they who come to me shall never hunger and they who believe in me shall never thirst”.  He went on to say ” I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread, they will live forever; and the bread I shall give is my flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world”.  He said this speaking figuratively, of how He must die, and of His resurrection, so that He might be able to save all those who trust and believe in Him. But these words were hard to understand by many who had followed Him, and upon hearing this, they decided to leave Him and go back to their former lives.

To put our faith in Jesus Christ is the single most important choice a human can make. It is all encompassing, there are great blessings that result, but also distinct trials. Through faith we are allowed to have access into the kingdom of God, but we are also asked to give up the right to ourselves. Most of us are eager to gain the things given, but grudgingly submit to God’s requirement to lose our self for Him. Jesus will never force us to go with Him, He prefaces every invitation with an if; “if any one wishes to follow me, then He must leave all and…” That is when difficulty comes and the great battle of will is waged inside us.

The wonderful part of giving up your life to Jesus Christ, is that His life and Spirit becomes joined to ours, and we begin to gain His strength and wisdom in so many ways. We find character that was never within us before, and a capacity to love that is supernatural beyond anything we understood prior. We soon see His purposes working out through our lives against every odd and in ways that sometimes seem impossible, but true. It is amazing to sense the power of our very Creator at work in our life. He upholds us through trials, and gives us strength to weather affliction, so as we begin to see this at work in our life, we experience a deeper more meaningful joy and purpose.

So when difficulties arise and the urge come to bolt and retreat, hang on to your faith in the life of Jesus Christ. Don’t go to seed, but remain in His presence, for He has a tremendous purpose and incredible blessing to work out through your life.

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Buy the Field

‘And you have said to me, Oh Lord God, “Buy the field for money, and take witnesses! -yet the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans”   Jeremiah 32:25

I once managed a community garden that was truly a wonderful place. It was blessed with many talented people, who each contributed to making it one of the most productive and beautiful volunteer gardens I ever worked at. One cold winter day, when the north wind blew strong through its quiet rows, we received some devastating news. The nearby community center was going to be expanded and the footprint for the new building was to be located directly upon the garden. The city was going to break ground on the project in Spring, and we were told to clear the site within the next month. I can still remember how shocked and devastated everyone was. For many, it was a place to be with their friends, others used it to conduct field trips and educational work for local schools and community classes. After twelve years of existence, we were deeply going to miss our shared place of community.

Everyone was too upset to do anything for a few weeks, so the garden just laid dormant. Then in March we came together to meet and decide what was needed to dismantle and decommission the garden. After many minutes of complaint and anguish filled comments, a man stood up and said a very surprising thing. He told us, ” Let’s go ahead and do our normal Spring planting.  We should act like nothing is going to happen to this wonderful place. Be optimistic, these city projects often get tied up at City Hall for years and I happen to know that this project has some opposition that will likely force some long delays”. At first, nobody could believe that this might happen, but after much discussion a feeling of optimism began to grow. Within a week we had begun cleaning up the garden and planting the most ambitious effort in all our history.  We wanted to show the community and the council just how important and valuable the garden was for our town. To this day, the community garden lives on and remains a blessing to the community.

The prophet Jeremiah once gave a speech similar to the one this man gave to our community garden. He was spending time in the Jerusalem jail for speaking God’s Word to the King of Judah, Zedekiah. Even though the enemy was about to take and destroy the entire city, then lead many of its people into captivity, He told them he was going to do something very odd, but optimistic. He was going to purchase a piece of property, a field to grow crops.. a place to grow a garden. He wanted to make it clear, that even in that dark hour, God was at work. Our Lord God wanted to tell His people that this was not the final chapter of the Jewish nation. He said, ‘be optimistic even when destruction and doom lie at the very door’, because I have a plan and a heart of love for my people. I will someday bring them back to this place and they will live in abundance once again.

Spring 2020 has brought illness and loss that have caused many to lose hope in their future. Some of us have lost loved ones, others have lost their way to make a living. How this all ends up is still quite unclear. But there is one thing that we should never lose, and that is our trust  in the love and saving work of Jesus Christ. Remember His promise, “I will never leave you or forsake you”.  He is there with us through every trouble and trial that befalls us. Look up to Him and pray, even when there seems to be no hope. Grab ahold of Him with all your strength, and He will give you reason to rejoice, even in times of despair. Jesus will encourage you to carry on with life  and to be optimistic, even when it seems everything is going in the wrong direction. Praise be, to our God!

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A Late Night Cry for Healing

“Take heart, your faith has healed you” Matthew 9:22

Lord, heal the wounds that have been inflicted upon my life. Pour out your mercy, so that I may be made whole.

Bring about renewal in my heart, so that am made sound and strong

Speak your Word deep unto me, so that I may know the truth, and listen, for your will and your council

Lord, I humbly go before You. I stand at the feet of your throne, confessing my sins and my lack of faith, so that you might heal me and correct every way that is crooked

Pour our your Spirit. Do what only you can do. Bless my life with your presence, and heal me, so that I may again, glorify You

Help me run with endurance. Train up my heart and my mind. Convince my spirit with your Truth, and by the revelation of your perfect love, so that I may serve You each day

I rest in You, and quiet my soul before You. I meditate upon your ways

The things that I have schemed for, I leave aside, so that your will becomes my all in all

My life has become weak, because I forgot to seek You each day. I focused upon earthly things, and not those of heaven. What great affliction has overtaken me!

Yet, I will return again and give glory to my God, through the entire expression of my life

I have been healed by God before. He has pulled me up from impossible places, where there was no light or hope, and now, I will trust that He will help me again.

For He is a God who loves His children. All who go before Him that are sick and broken, can be healed and made new again.   6/27/2007

 

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On This Good Friday

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, and sat down at the right hand of the thrown of God. Hebrews 12:2

On this Good Friday, I give thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ; Our God and Savior, the one who has loved us throughout time

I praise Him for His sacrifice on this day so long ago and for His obedience to His Father in heaven, so that all His children might live and not perish

How painful His death, nailed there upon that wooden cross. What an incredible act, to bring a forgiveness of sin, for all of mankind, so that we might have hope through the power of His resurrection

Jesus Christ, you are the beginning and the end. The one who spoke this universe into creation. You blessed our world with a richness unlike any other, so we might live in all fullness before you

You thought of us since the beginning of time, and have loved what you have made, for it is good

How ugly and filled with depravity, then, is our sin. It leads us away from You and separates us, so that we become weak and confused in our lives; Falling into all kinds of misfortune and loss

Sin is separation from God

Jesus Christ is the healing power that returns us to Him

On that cross, Jesus carried the weight of all our sins. He shouldered the entirety of them, because He was God

As He died, He cast them away forever. He laid them to rest, so that our guilt might not condemn us, So that we might have hope in life; And hope in life, after death

Great was the sacrifice of Jesus Christ

How wonderful, that our God would love us so completely. That He would give up the life of His Son so that we might live, and suffer the pain of the cross plus the weight of all our sin;  so that we might find our way back to a communion with Him

We were made to live our lives in close friendship with our God, designed to be in love with Him. So that we might experience the true abundance of life as a human; To feel joy in life and to give joy to our creator

Blessed is the one who comes before Christ and gives thanks to Him. Who recognizes the incredible work that was accomplished upon the cross

They will begin to be transformed by the workings of God, and made pure by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ

None of us will be perfect in this world. We will do things and experience wrongs that are not right

But we do have a blessed hope of forgiveness that will never fail or falter. Both on this Good Friday, and for the rest of eternity   4/10/2020

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Give Thanks to the God of Creation

 

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.            1 Thessalonians 5:18

All you, who call yourselves believers in Christ, give thanks to your God. For He has blessed you far beyond any earthly measure

Cultivate a thankful spirit within your life, so that you might honor Him who dwells above the heavens. Yet, who also makes a home within our hearts

Look unto the grandness of His creation. Observe the stars of our Milky Way, the wonder of the Sun, and the beauty of the yellow Moon as it rises softly in the east

Give thanks to Him who spoke them all into existence

He arranged them just so, with the stroke of a master artist touch. In such fine precision and alignment, man’s greatest minds are speechless in wonder

Give thanks to God for creating this wondrous Earth. Who placed it within the perfect swirl, within a swirl, within a swirl…

How awesome are the assemblage of elements here. So stirring the sunrise, and so bright the cloudless sky. All the colors that the rainbow gives, dwell richly all across the world

Give thanks to our God for the fullness of His provision that sustains our lives. It has all been bestowed to us through His loving generosity and by the awesome work of His hands

Give thanks! Be thankful in all things. Try and recall all the blessings He has placed into your life

Bow before Him and speak prayers filled with thanksgiving. Sing songs overflowing from a joyful spirit

Give thanks to the God who loves you. For He has given you life and health, and filled all of your days with hope

The God of the universe is awesome and powerful. He dwells in inapproachable light. Purely righteous are all His ways, yet, He is filled with an infinite love towards us

He once cast off all of His heavenly glory and made Himself as a man, Jesus Christ. He dwelt on earth as a humble servant to mankind; though He was actually our King, our God, and our Creator

He went as far as to sacrifice His life and die upon a torturer’s wooden cross. So that we might know the taste, feel, and incredible blessing of salvation unto eternal life

Give your greatest thanks to our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. Who stepped into time and this good creation and altered the course of history, forever

Give thanks for His goodness, mercy, and grace.

Praise Him for His Spirit, who dwells within every heart who believes Christ lives. For the Spirit helps guide all our paths towards salvation

Let all mankind be filled with thanksgiving; for our God is good.  1/15/2006

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The Value of Wisdom In These Times

God’s Word

A virus has been born and it threatens our lives and our ways

The whole earth has been shaken, and a wave has spread out across our planet. Like a Tsunami, it sweeps across the lands causing panic, and dread, destruction, and loss

These are times of unprecedented fear. Suddenly, our bright future has become darkened, and what is to come is unknown and foreboding.

It is a good time to honor and respect good wisdom. We should always try our best to make the right choices. Don’t let fear overwhelm you and lead you away from the truth

Protect yourself. Look to what is true, and right, and good. Don’t put your hope into what are lies, or be mislead by those who wish to protect themselves first,  at a cost to others

Defend life, protect your families and your communities. Believe in those who have the best information for all. Who make wise recommendations for the health of you and your neighbors.

Beware of trusting first in money, for it is fleeting. Instead, value life, and strive to save as many people as possible. Money will return to those who act wisely and in good faith towards others. It will be given back, in adequate measure, to those who are faithful and true

Trust in those who speak with wisdom and love. Believe in those who tell the truth. Act and decide upon what is best for your families. Don’t betray others, but try to help as you can, for we are all in this together

Justice and life will prevail in the end

Carefully examine the facts. Judge them by the character of whom has presented them.

Know that God is all in all. His will and His love will prevail in the end

We are up against an unseen enemy that has no mind or conscience. How and why it came to be we will never know for sure. Its only function is to propagate and grow

We have but one choice against it. To reduce its spread, manage it, and then, try to stop it cold.

It will surely test us, but we must act according to our good character. We must choose wisely and use every bit of wisdom that we can muster

Be strong, honest, and good. Pray. Increase your faith and trust in God

Don’t give in to the fear that surrounds us, but use your energy and your wisdom to act out in love

Always go with God, for he will continually walk beside you through it all

3/26/2020