by Cathy Baker | Faith |
by Cathy Baker
Do you sometimes go to a particular spot to pray?
I have a friend, Dee Dee, who lives in the NC hills. Actually, a hollow. When introducing me to her several years ago, Beth used the words prayer warrior. Now I know why.
Many a day, Dee Dee has headed outdoors to her prayer bush on my behalf or that of my family. At times she places a ribbon on the bush as a reminder of a particular request. I’m hoping she’ll blog in more detail about her special place of prayer in the near future.
While a bush itself holds nothing special when it comes to prayer, I took two things into consideration when picking mine out:
- I searched for an evergreen as a reminder that Jesus always lives to intercede for me. (Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Hebrews 7:25). And unlike deciduous shrubs, evergreens remain the same regardless of the season. (Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8)
- Fragrance was a must. Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice! Psalm 141:2
The winner? A four-year old Fragrant Tea Olive. It just so happens to be one of my favorite shrubs (which explains why I’ve planted 6+ in our yard.) It’s not the prettiest shrub in my yard, but then again, neither are my prayers. They’re simple, not eloquent or poetic, just as my Father desires.
So, how about you? I’d love to hear one of your favorite places to pray and/or what shrub you would choose from your yard to use as your prayer bush.
Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this
fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by
those who are perishing. 2 Corinthians 2:15
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
by Cathy Baker
As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever. Psalm 125:2
Welcome to the makings of a Psalm 125:2 Tea Gathering! The purpose of this particular gathering is to surround a person with love, encouragement, and prayer. The honoree may be currently going through a difficult time or will soon be facing one.
Consider ahead of time: Ask those who will be in attendance (except the honoree) to be praying about a specific verse they feel God would have them share with the honoree during your gathering. Also, they may want to consider a word of encouragement to accompany their verse. This will be one of the most meaningful moments during your gathering, so giving your guests a week or more to prepare their thoughts will enhance your time even more.
Click here to get all the details on this gathering from the setting to closing out your time together. Feel free to change it up! These are simply suggestions I’ve discovered to be helpful along the way.
What’s your favorite part of a tea party? If you’ve never attended one does it sound like something you’d enjoy?
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Every other Wednesday, you’ll be greeted with a NEW gathering idea. Most times, the focus will be on tea gatherings but I’ll be sure to include girlfriend gathering ideas along the way as well. On Wednesdays in between, you’ll find favorite recipes, along with thoughts and ideas on hospitality in general.
Today, I’d like to begin by sharing some basic tips on planning a tea party, with our main focus on relationships rather than hosting the so-called perfect tea. Keep your gathering as simple as you’d like. Feel free to choose none, one, some, or all of the tips below!
- Prayer is to our gathering what a tablecloth is to a tea party—foundational. Everything else is built upon it. From the get-go of our preparations, let’s begin praying for those God would have us invite. We never know what God has up His divine sleeve! By immersing our time in prayer we provide an opportunity for an unforgettable God-glorifying gathering.
- Invitations. Is there anything more inviting than a handwritten note? With the big picture in sight, any type of invite will work (yes, even a call, email or texting) but taking the time to write a note is pretty special these days.
- Music. Choosing instrumental selections for background music is ideal. Piano, harp, Windham-Hill, etc. Play it lightly. If guests are having to raise their voices, even a tad, it’s too loud.
- It’s nice to keep in mind that not all care for tea (gasp!) so we’ll want to offer an option such as coffee, hot cider, etc., based on the season.
- Non-scented candles are always a must. Some, like myself, are allergic to strong aromas and trust me, the last thing we want is Frasier fir mixing with Earl Grey. 🙂
- Greenery. If snipping from our yards, we’ll want to be sure to give it a quick spray in the kitchen sink to remove any pesticides or bugs that may want to crash our tea time. Nothing says Welcome! like a spider creeping over a cup.
- And last, but not least, there’s the empty chair. Leaving one chair empty at our table is a tangible reminder to everyone that Christ is present and desires to fellowship with us.
Do you have a tidbit or two you’d like to share? I welcome the opportunity to learn from you.
Questions? Feel free to leave it in the comment box area, email, or message me via Facebook. If I don’t have the answer, I’ll try to find it for you!
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing… 2 Corinthians 2:15 NASB
If you’ve read my blog over the years you know my Grandmother Knighton and I shared a love for heirloom plants, such as the early 1900’s jonquil above. According to her, heirloom flowers have a stronger scent than some of the more modern varieties. I suppose that could be debated but one thing is for certain:
No one had to tell
the jonquil treading water in my vintage glassware to release its
primitive perfume. It couldn’t do otherwise!
I think of Jesus and how the fragrance of heaven’s glory exuded from everything He said and did, drawing men, women, and children near to His Father.
When I lowered the polka dotted glassware to my two-year-old granddaughter’s level, she drew closer. A smile erupted as she inhaled deeply,
which led to a hearty, “Mmmmm!” Before I could lift the glass back
to its place on the windowsill she reached out, wanting one more whiff of loveliness.
When the living Spirit indwells, one can’t help but release His sweet aroma as it knows no bounds, emitting the character of Christ through every pore of our being—pleasing the Father, and ushering the presence of His love to mankind.
Though I falter, my greatest desire is the fragrance of Christ’s presence to be released through every aspect of my life. As ink flows to pen, I pray He will be glorified in every blog post, article, journal entry, poem, etc.
I’d love for you to join me on this NEW journey as we discover fresh and creative ways to become more intentional in seeing Jesus in the details of our ordinary days. Each week, posts will highlight specific ways to stir the sweet aroma of Christ through prayer, Scripture-based tea gatherings, hospitality ideas, and serendipitous moments. At times, you’ll also meet guest bloggers whose presence is like a breath of something beautiful for God.
“The apostle wished that his life might be a sweet perfume, floating on
the air, reminding me, and above all reminding God, of Christ.” (Meyer)
**If you’d like to receive each update in your inbox simply insert your email address in the side bar to your right. It’s that easy! You may unsubscribe at any time.
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
A prayer-filled friend is a powerful foe—not to the befriended—but to the father of lies, the deceiver, the sly one.
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:16
I
recently met with Kay, a godly mentor of twenty years. I’d not seen her in awhile but during an extended time of prayer the week before, I sensed God prompting me to ask her to meet me. I’d been on a roller coaster ride for six months, and trust me, there were no Mickey ears in sight.
I knew from the moment our meeting was penned on her calendar Kay would begin praying, but I was especially humbled to learn how on that morning, she covered us in prayer from 5:00-6:15 a.m.
After returning home, I phoned another friend who was aware of my meeting with Kay. Before I could share all God had accomplished, she said God woke her up at 4:30 a.m. to begin praying.
An unspeakable appreciation swelled in my spirit as I thanked God for these friends, and those like them who I know would drop everything, wake up early, or stay up late to pray on behalf of others.
God used my prayer-filled friends to wield the weapon of truth in the face of my enemy that morning and life took a different direction as a result. Prayer-filled friends are incredibly powerful foes, which is why we so desperately need each other in the battle. I plan to share more about my non-Mickey roller coaster ride in the near future, but until then, please know this:
Prayer-filled people are not perfect people. They are, however, people who know who they are in Christ, have a clear understanding of Who they are praying to, and have faith that God has the power to accomplish His desires for those being lifted before His throne of grace. Prayer-filled people also tend to repent quickly and find deep abiding joy in their community with other Christ-followers.
Is there any doubt why James tells us that their prayers – those who are “right” before God – are powerful and effective?
Let us appreciate our prayer-filled friends — but may we also seek to be one ourselves.
“Prayer strikes the winning blow; service is
simply picking up the pieces.” S.D. Gordon
“I would rather teach one man to pray than ten men to
preach.” Charles Spurgeon
