GROWING SEEDS: The Parable of.....THINGS

 

The Parable Of........THINGS

The Parable of....the mustard seed.

The Parable of....the yeast.

The Parable of....the wheat and weeds.

The Parable of....the hidden treasure and the pearl.

The Parable of....the fishing net.

Same story......different examples.....all within 20 simple verses.  I find the critical thing in each of these parables is not what the man gives up, but his reason for doing so.  His REASON for doing so. 

Jesus wanted you to know that when you find Him, all else seems valueless. 

I love my things, which is quite evident when you shop in my attic.  A girl of "Things".  But something interesting has been happening over the past few years.  These beloved things I used to cherish, have become less and less beloved...less cherished.  That's why they seem to be finding their way into our attic and not into my living room anymore.  In reality, they should be finding their way onto the Mt. Vernon Online Garage Sale site or the Tabor trash can out front.  I have discovered that as I let go of my vice-grip on these beloved "things" of this world, my grip on God seems tighter...stronger for some reason. 

See, it's not the removal of these "things" that has brought me closer to God.....it's the reason for doing so.

Oh, I still love a beautiful necklace and a nice dining table.  Yes.  Oh yes.  But now, I'm not invested in those things.  If the house burned down tomorrow....or flooded....I wouldn't cry over them.  I probably wouldn't even miss them.  But if I lost God....if I didn't have this Man who loves me more than all the stars in the sky and asks only that I allow Him to become more important in my life than these "things"....these things that weigh us down and block our view of Him.....well, if I lost Him, I would have no reason to enjoy that beautiful necklace or sit at the dining table.

He IS my beloved.....He IS my hidden treasure.

Pinch Me, Ant Ellie.....Pinch Me

My sweet Ant Ellie died in her sleep a week ago.  She hadn't been sick a day in her life, had just moved from Florida to the one place on this earth she loved and always longed to return to; the piney woods and red-clay of Alabama.  She loved this place with every inch of her robust body.   

And this was the place she wanted to die....someday......but not last Friday.

Ellie never had children of her own, so she borrowed her siblings' kids.  She was the kind of aunt every niece dreams of...the FUN aunt....the one that will squeeze-her-3x-sized-rear-into-the-roller-coaster-seat-next-to-you kind of aunt.  Who at 79 was about to purchase her first 4-wheeler to cruise around her 60 acres of land she lived on...alone.  

And she and God met up in these Alabama woods.  As she sat drinking coffee on her front porch last year in this place she loved so, God sat with her.  Quietly and expectantly.....He waited.  He would soon be calling her Home, but she didn't know that.

And then she heard Him.  Like a wind whispering to her, she heard His Spirit speaking to her heart. And she picked up that old dusty Bible sitting in her bookshelf and opened it for the first time in years.  His love leaped off the pages and straight into her heart.  And she made the decision to be baptized this year at the mighty-but-not-too-late age of 79.

"And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! 

We go through exactly what Christ goes through. 

If we go through the hard times with Him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with Him!" Romans 8:25 (MSG)

And so we blow her a kiss and say "Goodbye for now, sweet Ant Ellie.  And warm up the 4-wheeler....we expect a tour of Heaven soon." 
 

https://youtu.be/mmG9lftvHOg

(click on link above)

GROWING SEEDS: Our New Life

 

My sweet Ant Ellie died in her sleep a week ago.  She hadn't been sick a day in her life, had just moved from Florida to the one place on this earth she loved and always longed to return to; the piney woods and red-clay of Alabama.  She loved this place with every inch of her robust body.   

And this was the place she wanted to die....someday......but not last Friday.

"The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. 

God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!" *

Ellie never had children of her own, so she borrowed her brothers' kids.  She was the kind of aunt every niece dreams of...the fun aunt....the one that will squeeze-her-3x-sized-rear-into-the-roller-coaster-seat-next-to-you kind of aunt.  Who at 79 was about to purchase her first 4-wheeler to cruise around her 60 acres of land she lived on...alone.  

"This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. 

It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” *

And she and God met up in these Alabama woods.  As she sat drinking coffee on her front porch last year in this place she loved so, God sat with her.  Quietly and expectantly.....He waited.  He would soon be calling her Home, but she didn't know that.

"God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. 

We know who He is, and we know who we are: Father and children."*

And then she heard Him.  Like a wind whispering to her, she heard His Spirit speaking to her heart.  And she picked up that old dusty Bible sitting in her bookshelf and opened it for the first time in years.  His love leaped off the pages and straight into her heart.  And she made the decision to be baptized last year at the age of 78.

"And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! 

We go through exactly what Christ goes through. 

If we go through the hard times with Him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with Him!"*

And so we blow her a kiss and say "Goodbye for now, sweet Ant Ellie.  And warm up the 4-wheeler....we expect a tour of Heaven soon."

Growing Seeds - "When Your Church....Changes"

  

When Your Church......Changes

When I was 10, the Nelsons, an African-American family of four, asked to join my hometown predominantly white church located a spit north of downtown Dallas.  You would have thought the Nelsons were green and from Mars by the way the congregation handled this request.  There were closed-door meetings about it.....committees formed.....talk around the dinner tables.....and many were mightily against allowing this first black family to move into this all-white church kinship. 

Turns out, this all-white church had no grounds to refuse the Nelsons' request....and accepted them between gritted teeth and shaking heads.  I remember several older, long-time members leaving because of it.

However, within a year, Mr. Nelson was leading a Sunday School class and was made an Elder in this all-white church.  He grew that church to a size never before seen single-handedly by his boldness and love for all human beings, regardless of race.  He was one of the kindest men I've ever met.  I've often wondered why Mr. Nelson would have wanted to join a church of people he knew didn't want him there....who didn't want to change a "tradition" they had grown accustomed to.

I tell you this story because I believe Mr. Nelson knew change can be a good thing.  A necessary thing.  Even for a church not wanting to change.  Especially for a church not wanting to change.  Whether it's the color of our skin, merging contemporary church music with traditional music, new pastor or new carpet, change can open minds that have been padlocked closed and lead to a deeper relationship with God.  Often times, churches are so used to the old ways and traditions of the past, that they almost would prefer to let the church die rather than change.  And what we forget is......these old ways were once new ways....and had someone not allowed change to occur, we might never have heard the words to Amazing Grace.

Friends, churches are always changing....if they are alive.  It's the dead ones that don't. 

GROWING SEEDS: Our Comforter

 

Growing up, my parents made sure our family of five kneeled at the edge of the plaid living room sofa in our tiny 850 square foot house each night before bedtime and prayed.  Dad, in a weary, tired voice, would pray a prayer thanking God for keeping us all safe and helping us kids from being expelled from school that day. When he was finished, he would always lead us in the Lord's Prayer.  His prayers always included thanking God for the Holy Ghost in our lives.....and I must admit....this ghost business really creeped me out. 

The Holy Ghost.....aka, Holy Spirit....well, it confused me.  If we had God the Father.....and Jesus the Son.....who was this Holy Ghost (Spirit) dude and why did we need Him?  What I've discovered....and this may seem extremely simplistic.....is after Jesus left this earth and went to be with His Father in Heaven, we confused-Christians here on this earth needed a Comforter....Someone to guide us through the right and wrongs of our days.

"But I will send you the Comforter - the Spirit of Truth. 
He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me."
John 15:26

My Mom was a great comforter during her time here on this earth.  It was her gift.....and her family still feels her comforting presence daily in our hearts.  It's much the same way with the Holy Spirit.  Although Jesus has gone to be with His Father in Heaven, He left His Spirit behind in us, so we can still feel His presence.....hear His voice.....see His existence in every part of our day.  It was His gift to us when we chose to believe in Him. 

I like to call it His "Inner-Mom-Voice"!

"The same power that raised Christ from the dead is living in YOU." 
Romans 8:11