Refreshing Awaits

I married a gardener. A lady that likes to dig and plant. Someone who understands seasons, watering and waiting, imagining how things will look growing together within the frame of nature’s canvas. She delights in simple things like sprouting and blooming and seems to know the gentle power of working within God’s design.

 I am better because I know a gardener, but I didn’t think so at first.

 Growing up, I perceived gardening to be a joyless intrusion into whatever else I wanted to do. We had a vegetable garden that never seemed to love us back. A large yard with a very small mower. Shrubs and hedges that begged to be put out of their misery and mounds of leaves that no one took time to jump in. Gardening was another chore on a day when I wanted to ride my motorcycle, hang with friends, or fish with my brother. I wish I had not harbored that perception so late in life.

Fast forward to a property my gardener and I purchased in the winter of 2017.  An acre of land that the previous owner had turned into one big flower garden with no lawn. What delight we had as we watched the vibrant play unfold in arrays of color planted before we came. I was amazed as my gardener kept showing me the latest plant or bud and that she knew the names of things I can’t remember seeing before. Our Father in heaven invited us to name our property “restoration” and, for me, it was a beautiful time of slowing down, learning that my Father thought up different seasons, learning how to sync physical labor with natural patterns, and l seeing with new eyes. It restored my soul. And I grew closer to my beloveds because of it. God Himself had waited a long time for my soul to enjoy siting and walking with Him in the “cool of the evening” and I felt like I came to understand more of both my gardeners love for me.

Peter, on the day of Pentecost, challenged people to repent, be converted, so that their sins could be blotted out, and that times of refreshing might come from the presence of the Lord. Coming to times of refreshing as individuals or as a church follows the process of gardening. Break up the ground, plant seeds in the ground, wait for the seed to release life, and then enjoy refreshing new things.

At LFA, in this season, we are in the middle of this process. We are turning our face toward Him, repenting, being converted, becoming transparent and unafraid to admit our need and areas of failing, watching new life break forth, and waiting for a new season of refreshing to come. We want to catch and enjoy all there is for us each step of the pattern that God wove into nature and invites us to embrace. Let’s not rush ahead by being impatient and trying to force grow our plant. Times of refreshing will come in due season and others will see His blessing in and through us.

 I’m glad I married a gardener and that we, together, follow and are loved by the master gardener who knows how to tend our heart-gardens until they are refreshed and display His beauty.

*Please be advised that this blog represents the views, opinions and beliefs of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of our church leadership or denominational affiliation.

What Helps You Anchor Your Heart in Hope?

I would venture to say that the number one obstacle to anchor our hearts in hope is our lack of silence. And by this I don't simply mean the absence of noise. What I have in mind is the reduction of noise inside our soul that makes space for us to hear from God.

Before I suggest an exercise that may help you reduce the noise to hear from God so we can anchor our soul in hope, I want to ask you to take a moment to ask yourself: "What makes the most noise inside of you?". We all seem to be prone to some noise that trumps other noises. Here are some examples: fear, doubt, regrets, the pressure of perfection, rejection, hurts, persistent temptations, anger, frustration, a sense of abandonment, and the list goes on. Pick your most noisy noise, find a quiet place, eliminate some noises around you, turn off or silence that phone, and read Psalm 62: 5-12. After taking a few breaths, try this...

1. Lord, I want to give you my silence (pause).

2. I want to hear from you so that I can hope in you (pause).

3. Lord, I need you to save me from _______________ (list the things that are noisy in your soul and that tend to demand your attention or influence your actions).

4. Take time to "pour out your heart" before the Lord. (don't rush it)

5. Admit to God what you have been trusting in to make your life work (let the Holy Spirit reveal things to you).

6. Acknowledge and reflect on the two most wonderful realities we can experience in God as humans: He is all powerful and his "hesed" (loving kindness) is always toward us.

7. Finish this exercise affirming your heart in hope: "If God is all powerful and His loving kindness is always toward me, I can rest/hope in Him regarding ________________" (fill in the blank!).

To finish, I want to encourage you with this thought. God is neither a teddy bear nor a tyrant. A God who is only loving but lacks power is a teddy bear. A God who is all powerful but lacks loving kindness is dangerous. Good news: our God is both "all powerful" and "loving" at the same time. He has the power to do what is loving toward us and, He is loving in all He does!

—Diego Cuartas

*Please be advised that this blog represents the views, opinions and beliefs of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of our church leadership or denominational affiliation.

Get Off the Orphan Train

As suspicious as I am of these new-fangled cell phones everybody has glued to their ears, I reluctantly must admit that I often find them pretty handy. That was the case last summer.

On our road trip through America’s Heartland, heading to a family reunion in the Black Hills of South Dakota, we whizzed by a couple of signs that read, “Orphan Train Stops,” apparently designating the communities we were passing. Had I read that correctly? What on earth? I don’t think I had ever heard of an orphan train before. Being honest here, I didn’t immediately think of looking it up on my phone. But our lovely granddaughter, our traveling companion, was all over it.

We were captivated by what we read about this little known yet significant slice of American history.

From the 1830’s to the 1920’s, east coast cities were flooded with homeless, abandoned, and orphaned European immigrant children. Some found refuge in over-crowded and under-resourced institutions while thousands lived on the frightening and dirty streets. It is estimated that more than 10,000 children, at any given time, were trying to survive on their own in New York City alone.

There were no federal or state social safety nets to address this horror until 1930, so some well-intentioned religious and philanthropic organizations made attempts to do something. One of their solutions was to load these already traumatized children onto trains and carry them hundreds of miles to midwestern farming communities where they would be “adopted,” which more accurately could be called indentured servitude, according to Christina Baker Kline, author of Orphan Train. While I’m certain some of these children were happily adopted into loving homes, many others were not. There are many sad stories. You can only imagine.

It is estimated that more than 200,000 children made that fearful journey into the unknown.

I was greatly moved by what Casey read to me from Wikipedia that sunny June afternoon. And by what I have researched since.

Maybe you are wondering why I’m sharing this obscure American social experiment with you. I guess it’s because I relate to the plight of these dear children so well. I’m wondering if you might too.

You see, I have been a spiritual orphan. Have you?

I’ve been on that crowded train, empty and alone, clacking rhythmically over the rails, heading to some distant place I can’t name, longing, searching for home, a place of provision, of protection, of security, of significance, of rest, of kindness, and of love. A place where I am known. A place where I belong. A place where I have a Father.

Jesse gets it. Did you hear what he so beautifully expressed last Sunday morning on the video when he and Mary encouraged us to be baptized? He told us that he had been physically orphaned as a young boy. That made him feel he was not a part of things, that he always had to try to make himself likeable, accepted. He continually had a fear of being rejected. But choosing to be baptized solidified for him spiritually that he is part of a family and that he has a Father Who loves him and cares for him, One who has proven to Jesse throughout his life that He is constantly there for him.

Jesse’s story greatly moved me too.

I was reminded of Ephesians 1:4-5 in The Message. “Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!)”

After reading those incredible words, could you ever feel more wanted? God Himself DECIDED before you were even BORN to adopt you, to make you His own child, to be your true Father forever and ever. No degrading whistle stops to have your teeth checked and your muscles squeezed. No more being rounded up and boarded back on the train, hoping that at the next stop, somebody will want you. No one telling you that you aren’t pretty enough or old enough or young enough or strong enough or smart enough or talented enough or educated enough or religious enough or brave enough. No one telling you that you talk funny and don’t have the right pedigree or background. He, King of the universe, the only wise God, chose you and adopted you into His forever family through Jesus. Amazing.

No longer orphans, aliens or strangers, we are reconciled to God and graciously placed in His family, members of His household with all the rights and privileges of sons and daughters (Ephesians 2:19). We now can “approach God with boldness and confidence” (Ephesians 3:12) and enjoy unhindered and unlimited access to Him (3:18). We find ourselves in a huge, worldwide family of faith (and a local one!) where there is mutual support, encouragement, accountability, purpose, and enjoyment of and gratitude for our Father’s lavish love for each of us.

Fear or doubt could easily make us feel like an outsider, keeping us from fully accessing the benefits of being part of God’s family. But hear and embrace once more the reality of God’s free and generous gifts of love and bask in the wonder of being His. (Lisa M. Samra, Our Daily Bread)

So get off the train. No need to travel any farther in your search to belong. You have been adopted, by faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross, for God the Father Himself. You are no longer an orphan. You are home, loved, known and accepted, right where you belong.

You have an incredibly special Father.

You have a church family.

Make sure you thank Him every day.

You don’t even need a cell phone to do it.

—Eileen Hill

*Please be advised that this blog represents the views, opinions and beliefs of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of our church leadership or denominational affiliation.

How Will You Rise?

When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. “Be careful,“ Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” Why did Jesus give His devoted followers this specific warning? For the answer, we must first take a closer look at yeast.

Yeast is a special, single-cell, living organism that needs food, warmth, and moisture to survive. When given the right environment, it converts its food – sugar and starch – through fermentation, into carbon dioxide and alcohol. Though the science is interesting, most appreciate yeast for another reason. It is the most widely used biological leavening agent. 

It can be used to make bread rise. It can bring something hard and flat to life.

With this in mind, we can better examine Jesus’s warning. What was the “yeast” of the Pharisees and Sadducees? What were they depending on to rise? What did they trust in to bring dead things to life?   

According to their teaching, God could be pleased through efforts of the flesh. In turn, God would bestow the blessing of life. Though one focused more on the power of the individual and the other on the power of community, both ultimately trusted in the efforts of man to rise to God. This is the way of ascension that the enemy offered in the garden and continues to offer today. The prince and the power of the air offers a way to become like God apart from God to please God.

Subtly, the yeast of the Pharisees spreads throughout our world, even into the corners of our churches, homes, and hearts. This leaven leads to hypocrisy. We must sweep it out completely since a little yeast can spread throughout the whole batch. To be saved on the first passover, the Israelites had to do more than place the blood of a perfect lamb over their door. They also had to remove all the leaven from their houses.  

May we head Paul’s warning to the Galatians:

Are you so foolish?  Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

You and I must continually consider and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. By His Spirit we will rise.

In Christ,

—Roger Garrison

P.S.  Salt stops the spread of yeast ;)

*Please be advised that this blog represents the views, opinions and beliefs of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of our church leadership or denominational affiliation.

Avoiding Death, Enjoying Life

It’s strange to note the range of conversations one can have in a week when you are involved in people’s lives. An average week ranges from discussions about marriage defeats to victories, a loss of financial security to financial blessing. There are moments of excitement when someone finds new love or the burden of grieving with someone who loses a life-long love. Life is best lived with the heart engaged with God in all of it.

Sometimes our hearts are stirred in intercessory conversation with God for someone on their way to emergency treatment or for someone’s life to be spared from destruction. Other times we share joyful thanksgiving when we see Father showing up to give mercy and grace to someone we know and we see something good is about to break forth. However, it’s still a crazy world out there, and the sheer weight of caring for people around us does tend to weary and numb the human soul.

One of the conversations Denise and I had, with a young couple from another state, caused me to think about the pastors and leaders I have known over the years. I’ve seen good people who became tired people. Soldiers on the front line who cared too long in the weary campaign of life and death and did not notice that, in not caring for their own soul, the enjoyment of their Savior became more duty than life-giving. Their life and dreams atrophying on the vine.

This young couple, by comparison, is choosing a different path. Both have a pastoral gift on their lives and after a stint in pastoral “ministry” have noticed some “fault lines” in their lives that they, out of passion for Jesus, know they must address. These beautiful people simply don’t want to lose Jesus in serving Jesus, and they have chosen the better way of sitting at His feet to be taught and loved some more. I predict an ever-expanding life of adventure and fruitfulness for them if they keep stirring their passion to be the real deal before God and man.

The apostle Paul put it this way:

“But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.” Philippians 3.13-15 ESV

This is how we stay fresh, green, and curious in life. We keep running to be alive in God in Christ Jesus. It’s more important than what we do and what people think or expect of us. When we do, our story has an ultimate victory and a long line of people who get stirred for more in God in ways that our sheer duty can never produce on its own.

In this way, we change our whole conversation from death to life.

—George Davis

*Please be advised that this blog represents the views, opinions and beliefs of the writer and does not necessarily reflect those of our church leadership or denominational affiliation.