Plant Good Seeds

Summer was not kind to our yard. An agreement to put down new sod never came to fruition. White grubs attacked the front yard. Weeds ran rampant in the back.  An extra month of Florida's broiling summer temperatures baked the remaining lawn.  If I had a dollar for every dollar weed.....


Still--our grass continues to fight on as I try to remedy problems which have developed over the past few years.  I haven't been able to do much yard work since the birth of our first son.  My boys have only recently allowed me to work on household projects while they amuse themselves.  It's hard to mow and trim with preschoolers clinging to my shirt.  It's been over 5 years since I've been able to help with the yard and it shows.  The condition of my lawn fills me with equal parts despair and determination.


So my heart and mind were primed for a recent sermon illustration.  Pastor told the story of a man who battled crabgrass in his yard, digging it up wherever he found it.  He discovered that he never could get rid of it.  He could dig forever and the crabgrass would spring up somewhere else.  Finally, he asked a lawn expert what to do.  The man told him, "Forget the crabgrass. Plant good seeds."


It took him 3 years of planting and nurturing the good grass, but he looked out one spring and his yard was beautiful.  The crabgrass was on the edges of the yard, trying to get in, but it couldn't. The good grass was too thick. Its roots were too deep.


As I approach this Advent season, it's easy for me to look back over this year and see where I've failed. Resolutions made at the beginning of 2009 were choked out by the weeds of busyness and neglect.  The demands of projects and appointments cling to me, keeping me from tending the garden of my soul.


I could keep digging at these regrets--or I could get busy planting good seeds.  The season of Advent begins next Sunday: the first Sunday of the liturgical year.  Our family will begin a weekly devotional time. I have my "Bible in a year" plan ready.  I've discovered some tips that other busy moms have shared for meditating on God's word during the day--and will share those here. I'm ready to plant good seeds and encourage deep roots. Life's weeds will still be there, but hopefully they won't grow in as far.


Yesterday, I hauled out the spreader and put down the first bag of fertilizer toward reclaiming our yard. We've sprayed for grubs.  I'm preparing to re-sod or re-plug parts of our yard in early spring.  Hopefully one day our lush, green lawn will return. In the meantime, every weed will serve as a physical and spiritual reminder to plant good seeds.


Shalom y'all.

Go and Make Disciples

Today's sermon was on the text of Matthew 28:16-20 - The Great Commission

We're called to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything [Jesus has commanded us].

Why witness to others? Because we are commanded to do this. Jesus did not wait for his disciples to come to him. He called them. He went among the people to share what God is doing and how God wanted them to live: repent, love and worship God, love your neighbor, act justly and with mercy. We're called to share what God is doing in our own lives - not to get into anyone's face, but to be honest about ourselves.

I find this difficult to do because I don't want to be seen as looking for the setup. I want my witness to others to flow naturally, to be real, and not come across like a sales pitch. People who are honest and real have had the greatest impact on me.

My challenge now is to focus on what God is doing in my life and to tell myself this. Then I will be able to share with others. God has done, is doing, and will do wonderful things. Most certainly God is leading me to focus on following him and not to look back to what happened when our previous pastor left NEPC. God continues to reign even when his people make a mess of things.

Spiritual Disciplines

Could the week have gone any faster?

I'm trying to take these spiritual disciplines to heart. The last 2 Sunday sermons have challenged me to incorporate these practices into my every day life. It's especially challenging when I have so many other things tugging at me.

Spiritual Disciplines that enable me to "sow to the Spirit" and not to my own flesh (Gal 6:7-10):

1. Prayer: Ask for guidance; pray for myself and others; pray every day, not just when I feel like it
2. Meditation: Listen to God's word; rehearse God's deeds; remember his works; put myself in a spot where I hear God's voice
3. Study: A process more analytical than devotional; challenge and change the way I think

I need to spend more time doing all of these, but I especially love the idea of rehearsing God's deeds. We're called on to remember his mighty acts. Several Psalms outline God's actions saving Israel from slavery. I know that I don't do this enough.