Rooted and Grounded

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Ephesians 3:17-20 KJV

This past week, I was reading somewhere, if you cut off the core of Romaine lettuce, put it in water on the windowsill, in a few days it will begin to grow more leaves and roots. Really! I knew some root crops could be grown from tops, but I didn't know lettuce could be grown in water from a core. I thought I would give it a try. It seemed like a jump start on a salad garden. I didn't have Romaine, but I did have leaf  lettuce. I would throw the core away anyway. What did I have to loose? I kept adding water every few days when it evaporated.

In less than a week,  I saw little lettuce leaves begin to sprout from the middle of the core. Originally, I didn't have faith that this little core would do anything but rot. Now I saw hope. I'm trusting in a few days I will see roots on that lettuce core. 

Our lives can look a lot like lettuce cores, useless and rotting, but if we allow Jesus to give us the Water of Life, and place us in the Light of the Son, we can be rooted and grounded in Him.

Could your life use a the Water and the Light? Maybe you have a prodigal who needs to return to the Father. Bathing your life and the life of your loved ones in prayer will make a difference.

Blessings,

Gail

Hey Kids:

Have you ever tried to grow vegetables on your windowsill? Now is a good time to get started so you will have plants for your garden. 

In our area, sweet potatoes are a popular alternative to winter squash.

To make a garden full of sweet potatoes, take one or two potatoes.

Place tooth picks around the middle of the potato so they will hold the potato in a wide mouth pint canning jar.

Fill the jar with water almost to the toothpicks.

Hold the jar over the sink while you place the potato in the water. 

In a few weeks, sprouts will come from the top of the potato and roots will grow into the water. 

When the weather warms, pull each sprout loose from the potato and place it in rich garden soil or a hanging basket. 

This fall you will have some "good eating". 

If you want a salad garden try cutting the core from the bottom of several different kinds of leaf lettuces. 

Place them in cereal bowls of water. 

Put the bowls in a sunny window.

Be sure to check the water daily and add more when needed. 

In a few weeks, leaves will appear and so will the roots. 

You can place the lettuce plants in garden soil or pots near your kitchen for easy access to healthy salad lettuces. 

Sprinkle a few carrot and radish seeds around the lettuce to complement the salad.

My Weedy Garden

 

But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. Malachi 4:2

 

With school coming to an end and conferences to attend, my garden is left unattended. The weeds are taking over, especially in the areas where the plants are the smallest. Some I can take out with what I call my wiggle waggle hoe. The rest I’ll have to plow under and start again. A good excuse didn’t stop the weeds from growing. If I had taken time to just give the garden a few minutes attention each day, it wouldn’t be in such a mess today.

Our spiritual lives can be just like my garden, full of things that hinder our growth and testimony. All our “reasonable” excuses don’t stop us from growing spiritually weak. If we take time each day to read God’s Word and pray it will prevent a lot of spiritual weeds. Daily prayer and personal Bible study is important but, there’s more to your spiritual garden than just you.

My garden has many plants. Some are smaller and more tender. That's where the weeds grow the thickest. As a child, I remember Mom and Dad, reading the Bible to us and praying with us. I remember spending the night with Grandma and kneeling with her by the bed for nightly prayers. The examples of my parents and grandparents helped me know I could go to them with questions when I didn’t understand God’s plan. Family alter set the tone for our home. No, it wasn’t perfect by any means but, the positive godly expectations kept us on track even through the teen years. Our families will grow spiritually strong and flourish if we make time for family alter.

I wonder what changes our families, our nation and the world would experience if we who name the name of Christ weeded our spiritual gardens, pulling out the things that hinder our relationship with God and our families and making room for those things that set the tone for eternal blessings.

Blessings, 

Gail 

Deception - There's a Roaring Lion in My Garden

On my way down to the garden, I spied what appeared to be an empty cocoon lying on the ground under the oak tree. When I picked it up, I realized it was the empty egg sac of a praying mantis. It reminded me of an empty tomb, full of death. The Carolina Mantis is a native to my state. It’s also the official state insect. No wonder, because here in the Bible belt, if it has to do with religion we are all about that! A lot of folks like the idea of God creating a bug that demonstrates prayer.  Exactly my point - all about anything that appears to be religious. Even the name mantis has a religious connotation. Mantis comes from the Greek, “mantikos” meaning soothsayer or prophet. How wonderful to have a praying prophet in my garden or is it?

The praying mantis appears to fold its hands in prayer as if asking grace or the blessing as we say down South. But in truth, the praying mantis is lying in wait for some unsuspecting prey. He has long spikes attached to those praying hands that will hold any insect, good or bad, tightly in its grip while it chows down on the live bug. The praying mantis does not care if the bug is good or bad. He may be camouflaged near a flower, waiting to snatch a native bee whose only job is to pollinate and make honey for its hive and for us. He may be waiting on that potato bug that’s chomping on your crop, either way, the mantis just wants something else to devour. It will even eat other mantis if any are around.  After its meal, it uses those strong arms to wash its face, cleaning itself of the deadly deed.

 A praying mantis can turn its head 180 degrees. If someone tries to sneak up on it, it turns its head and looks straight at them, as if daring them to try anything. His sharp mandibles (his chompers) can even cut human skin.

I’m really not afraid of the praying mantis in my garden, but I am watchful for Satan’s emissaries who appear to be religious, maybe even appearing to be an angel from heaven (Galatians 1:8). God’s purpose for His creation is for us to learn from it. Jesus tells us to “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravening wolves.” Matthew 7:15. A few verses later He tells us how to know the difference. We have to become fruit inspectors. Do we know God’s Word well enough to know the difference in the truth and a lie that just sounds good?

This week let us all “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” I Peter 5:8

Blessings,

Gail