Garden Snapshots

Snapshots from my morning stroll around the yard....

As you can see, Brian has been putting the pavers in place according to the master plan he designed last year. This summer, we'll begin the digging process required to put them permanently in the ground. One step at a time, right?


Just call Brian "The Mulchin' Man".

How Much Growth Are You Anticipating?

While prepping for last Sunday's lesson on making room for God to grow in our lives (Isaiah 55:1,2), I was reminded of my time in the yard earlier that day.

I was planting a new flower bed (aka, lots o' digging) when I found myself measuring the diameter of the hole my new plant would vacate. Why? I've learned the hard way that if I dig a hole just large enough to set the plant in, chances are, the roots will continue growing in a circular fashion (aka, root bound) and it would eventually choke itself out.

But, if I take the time to dig two to three times larger than the pot size and add nutrients (Natures Helper from Home Depot is the best!) I am doing so in anticipation of having a stronger, healthier plant. Preparation is the key!

In the same way, if I am anticipating God to do something in my life only He can do, I must make room for Him. I must "enlarge the place of my tent" as Isaiah puts it. That means, for me, decluttering my mind and time, keeping it open for His filling, among other things.

All too often, the "holes" that are dug are too small -- the anticipation is lacking -- and the willingness to sacrifice in order to prepare for larger "God moves" is sparse.

Living the Christ-follower life in a "hole" just big enough to get by is not only powerless, it's sinful.

We love a BIG God -- serve a BIG God -- and live for a BIG God!

Hand me a shovel, and let's get 'diggin!

A "Ruff" Day for Rup

It was a "ruff" day at the groomer.
Needless to say, Rupert is glad to be home.

He is SUCH a creature of habit.
I can't relate.
I wish.

Living Life Backwards

Steven Covey in Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, challenges his readers to imagine attending their own funeral at the end of their lives. What would they desire to hear spoken about them? What legacy would be listed as the crowning achievement of their lives? Who would be there to pay respects and honor what their lives had meant?

He then goes on to say, "What are you doing NOW to make sure these are the things that really will be said about you? Each of us must live life backwards - begin at the end, and then begin working toward that clear goal."

After this introduction, I gave the class an opportunity to put this exercise into action. Our handouts were fitting:


When the idea initially came to mind I admit for a moment it almost seemed borderline morbid -- but the Lord quickly reminded me that there is nothing morbid about living intentionally.

I recalled how a couple weeks ago I was driving and suddenly realized I was further down the road than I last recalled. I was basically driving "unconsciously". Many in the class could relate. (Scary thought, huh?) But here's the point: If we're not careful, we can easily live our lives in the same way. A day goes by, a week, a month, a year... a decade -- and where did it go? What do I have to show for it?

We then took a few minutes to write down those things which we would like others to remember about us. Basically, it's like asking the question, "What would we like our children to tell our grandchildren about us if we never had the opportunity to personally know them?" It was interesting to hear the comments, to see the facial expressions, and to observe the "wheels" turning in their minds.

The toughest question closed out our time together: "Are you willing to make the necessary sacrifices in order to see this list come to fruition?"

The truth of the matter is that we cannot live life backwards, but we can certainly learn from it.

You Know It's Going to Be A Good Day When....

Your dad calls to say he is coming over to (1) bring a Smoke Tree and (2) to help plant some things I needed to get in the ground before Brian goes on a mulching rampage this weekend.

It was a lot of fun digging in the dirt with him again. Growing up, he had a nice size greenhouse full of tomato and pepper plants that we enjoyed selling to the community. Now, whenever I walk through a greenhouse (which I love to do!), the mixture of humidity and soil bring back a sweet aroma that will always linger in my mind.

Thanks for all your help today, Dad!

Not For Everyone

Some friends of ours attended the Greenville "TEA" party last week. When they saw this sign which includes a teapot -- and KOOL-AID -- with the caption, "Which One Are You Drinking?" they couldn't resist snapping a shot for us.

Not everyone will understand this posting, but that's okay. It's probably for the best.

Rest assured, we're drinking tea!

Bigger Plans

While prepping for yesterday's lesson, a couple continually came to mind. I finally got the "hint" and invited Bo and Jeannie to come to the class and share their testimony. And what a testimony. They lost their 18 year-old son, Andrew, last February when he was hit by a car while running.

Initially, the "organized" part of me (yes, Brian, it exists! ha...) wanted to suggest we stick to a particular time frame in order to have enough time to finish the lesson. Thankfully, the "teacher" part of me overrode that type of temporal thinking real quick. I encouraged them to share whatever the Lord laid on their hearts -- we had the time. And we did.

The wisdom that flowed from their mouths left most of us speechless. Two things Jeannie said especially stuck in my mind:

• She CHOSE joy. Chose it. Philippians 4:4 had never seemed so real to me as it did in that moment.
• She doesn't allow herself to remain down when their are periods of sadness because she knows it could become an open invitation for the enemy to get a toehold into her emotions.

Bo shared from Psalm 39, "... Show me, O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know fleeting is my life." They trust God's bigger plans and purposes for their lives as well as the plan God had for Andrew.

This couple personifies active faith and it's an honor to call them friends.

I had plans for yesterday's class. God had BIGGER and oh-so-much better plans... as always.

Reflecting on the Day

Today was my kind of day (and still is!)

Why? It consisted of two "favorites": preparing for Sunday's class and working (feels more like playing!) in my yard. I also knocked out a couple of projects that have been hanging over my head.

This afternoon, while catching up on a few emails, I noticed an elderly man sitting on the curb in the First Baptist parking lot (my computer faces the parking lot). He walks around the perimeter of the lot almost every day so it was a bit startling to see him seated. I stepped outside to make sure he hadn't fallen. To my surprise (and delight) I found him seated, arms extended back and face lifted up towards the sun. There was no doubt that he was simply enjoying the warmth of the sun on his face. Did I mention he resides at a nearby nursing home?

Today was full of simple reminders of God's presence and the indescribable joy that comes when I slow down enough to recognize them.

It's A Date!

Plans have been made...

We are heading to the Lake Lure area for our summer vacation this year! The home is located in a resort so we'll have access to all their amenities (a lazy river, pools, courts, putt-putt course, golf courses, etc).

Although we're not on Lake Lure, the home is lakefront to a private lake within the community. It comes stocked with a paddle boat (my legs hurt just thinking about it!) and a canoe.

It should be a lot of fun! Here are a few pictures of the place...




I'm already feeling relaxed.

What's the Catch?

I won't bore you with WHY I love the show "Deadliest Catch" (for a quick reminder check out my blog post from last year), but I will, however, bore you with HOW I plan to celebrate it's season opener tonight (9:00 pm, Discovery Channel).

A few minutes prior to 9, I plan to scoop out my own little treasures from the salty water -- in the form of fresh shrimp! Sorry, I don't do crab -- but it's the thought that counts, right?

Why couldn't they be fishing for lobster?

Why We Celebrate Today

While my mind can't begin to wrap around the multitude of reasons how we, as Christ followers, are transformed as a result of Jesus' resurrection, I can list a very specific and special one to my heart today.

"No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him..."
1 Corinthians 2:9

On Easter 2008, Shari Bajan prepared the food, and most importantly, her heart, to lead our CRCC Adult Bible Class through the Passover. As a Messianic Jewess, Shari brought forth an authentic and powerful perspective. One that will not be forgotten.

Today, on Easter 2009, Shari is experiencing a glorious homecoming in the very presence of her Yeshua.

That is why we celebrate. Because of our Savior has risen from the dead, we have no doubt - not one shred of doubt - that she is celebrating in His presence in a way we can't begin to imagine.

How fitting for her homecoming to be today. Her suffering is over. Her joy has just begun.

I'll never forget her singing (and attempting to teach us) the song , "Dayenu" during the Sedar. The word translates closely to the term "it would have sufficed". Three lines from this song go like this:

If God had merely rescued us from Egypt, Dayenu, it would have been sufficient. If God would have merely given us the Law (the Scriptures), Dayenu, it would have been sufficient. God has given us Yeshua the Messiah, and He is sufficient!

Shari is reveling in the marvelous wonder of His sufficiency at this very moment... and will continue to do so for an eternity.

That is why we celebrate our resurrected Savior and Lord today -- and every day.

Thank You Jesus!

A Quick Recap

Where has this week gone?

Here's a quick recap since my last post.

I met my dad for lunch on Wednesday. I've always enjoyed spending time with him, but when we start sharing ideas about teaching class on Sunday (he also teaches an adult class) the time really flies. This week we talked about the Passover and how Christ is symbolized in every aspect of the celebration. I'm really looking forward to teaching on it this Sunday.

Zach and Sarah came home Thursday! That's always a delight to this mother's (and future mother-in-law's) heart. We headed over for a game of frisbee golf for the first time since last Fall. Actually, they played... I walked. The most exciting moment came when Zach threw my tie-dyed frisbee in the cedar tree. He proceeded to throw my water bottle in an attempt to dislodge the frisbee... and it, too, became stuck. Now that I think about it, the most exciting moment came when both Zach and Brian attempted to climb the tree to get it out. Let's just say that's an image that neither Sarah nor myself will soon forget.

Brian took today off from work and he's out and about on this beautiful day. I'm getting ready to buckle down and finish prepping for Sunday's lesson. It's still hard for me to believe that it was only one year ago when Shari B. prepared and presented the Passover Sedar for the CRCC Adult Bible Class. Today, she is in the final hours or days of her life. Soon, she will behold the Lamb of God who takes away our sin... face-to-face. She has been on my mind every time I've worked on this lesson and she will be especially so today.

Today is Good Friday... but Sunday's Coming.

The Scene From My Window

Thanks to the freeze warning predicted for tonight, I had a good excuse to clip some of my old-fashioned lilacs to enjoy inside. I also "worked out" for about an hour draping sheets over some of my favorite plants. I knew it was time to stop when I ran out of sheets. Freezing temps should come as no surprise this time of year... but I could do without them! I'm ready to PLANT!

This was a great day, though, because it began with my meeting Desi (Megan's mom), Oma (Desi's mom), and Vicki (Desi's best friend) at the mall. It's always fun catching up with these ladies. Always! I feel so blessed to be a part of their extended family. :)

The Risen Christ

Last night, I joined several others from our class to enjoy FBC's Easter musical,"The Risen Christ". The choir and orchestra have been practicing for weeks and I can testify that not one moment was wasted. The choir, orchestra, and drama team were simply spectacular!

One of my favorite songs of the evening was "The Power of the Cross", written by Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend. Men and women in the choir and drama team were spontaneously raising their hands and arms towards heaven in a genuine expression of their gratitude. It was one of the most moving and meaningful Easter presentations I've ever attended.

Here is Townsend singing, "The Power of the Cross" at a church in CO. Enjoy.

Where's Zacho?

Zach ran in the Cooper River Bridge Run today in Charleston. Sounds like he had a blast!

A Mother's Perspective

Last summer I had the pleasure of meeting Edie Melson, a local freelance writer and speaker, at a Christian Writer's Circle. Little did I know at the time that Brian and I would end up at FBC, allowing our paths to cross once again.

Edie's most recent article was sold to a secular magazine, "Centered". God swung the doors of opportunity wide open for her to share about her trust in Him during the recent deployment of her son, Jimmy. The editor liked it so much he made it their featured article this week. Check it out!

His job is working a bomb dog.
Here he is with his best buddy, Seger.

Please join me in keeping Jimmy and his troop in our prayers. May God bless all those who serve our country so faithfully!