The Bible uses a lot of metaphors and allegories between our heart and a garden. If you think about it, one of the first occupations of Adam held was to tend to the Garden of Eden, then his own garden. The famous Parable of the Sower is another illustration of how our heart is a garden for our spirit.I found this on the Internet and thought this was just a beautiful picture of what our garden should contain. :) I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did.The Garden of Daily Living FOR THE GARDEN OF YOUR DAILY LIVING, YOU'LL NEED TO: PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS: 1. Peace of mind 2. Peace of heart 3. Peace of soul
PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH: 1. Squash gossip 2. Squash indifference 3. Squash grumbling 4. Squash selfishness
PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE: 1. Lettuce be faithful 2. Lettuce be kind 3. Lettuce be patient 4. Lettuce really love one another
NO GARDEN IS WITHOUT TURNIPS: 1. Turnip for meetings 2. Turnip for service 3. Turnip to help one another
TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN WE MUST HAVE THYME: 1. Thyme for each other 2. Thyme for family 3. Thyme for friends WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE, AND CULTIVATE WITH LOVE. THERE IS MUCH FRUIT IN YOUR GARDEN BECAUSE YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW.
A few years ago I had to change churches. We moved into a new neighborhood and I wasn't ready to let go of the church I had been going to for 11 years--and this was my first church upon being born again. I spent 18 months traveling back and forth to this church, and this was at the height of the WORST gas prices ever. I was not working at the time, and Hubby was feeling the financial strain. He finally gave me an ultimatum that I had better find a local church or I was not going to church at all. : O Sooooooooooo, I start my search.....
I did not want to church hop. Well, I've looked in the phone book for independent baptist churches, and I found one locally, but when I drove by it, I never got a "good vibe" about it. Still, out of all the churches around to check out, I was preparing to look into it. Incidently, I have a methodist church about 3 blocks away in our neighborhood, but the methodist doctrine didn't hit me right (NOT that there's anything inherently wrong w/ the doctrine, it just didn't feel like it would fit w/ me).
Okay, so call this independent baptist church to see when their schedule was. They answered with a different name than what was in the phone book AND on their marquee. Okaaaay. I drive by it again, and I chide myself for discrediting the church b/f I even walk in the door. I prepare my boys that Friday night that we were gonna try out this church, and that was settled. Or so I thought.
Saturday morning, I had an errand to do and I was in an unfamiliar part of my new town. I drive by this church, and I distinctly hear the Lord instruct me to check out this church. Okaaaaaaay. So I wrote down the name of the church and managed to find my way home, which thanfully really wasn't too far away. I look back in the phone book, was pleasantly surprised that it was an independent baptist church, and then I look on the Internet. The VERY KINDS OF NOTES I WAS TAKING FROM MY CHURCH WERE THERE! I was sooooo happy to see this! I tell the boys that we're gonna try THIS new church in the morning instead.
We went to Bible studies as well as church service, and I was blown away by the music ministry (they have a choir and orchestra, and they sing classic hymns AND contemporary songs). Their yearly focus at the time was the names of God, and I was just so in awe of the message. Really wish I could've been there for the entire focus! This church teaches from the old testament as well as new testament. Some of the churches I've been in only address NT, and that's not enough "meat" for me, lol. : } In the meantime, I'm picking up my boys from their respective classes. T14 was telling me about Jeroboam (sp??) and J8 was telling me about Rahab!! I mean, these are names not typically discussed in a child's Sunday school class!! : D That's when I decided I found my church. The hard part was telling my pastor.
THIS part is really, really awesome! I went back to my former church the next week during their service and let them know that I found a new church to attend. As it turns out, after I announced that I was looking for another church, they looked at me with wide eyes and mouths dropped open....THEY WERE MOVING TO ANOTHER STATE!! He had accepted another engineering job in another state! Want to know what's even more amazing??? I found out that the moment the Lord tapped my shoulder to check out my new church is the exact moment that my former pastor was on a telephone interview and accepted the job. THAT, my friend, is the hand of God and NOTHING else! God's Placement System is untouchable by human standards.
It never occurred to me to look up on the Internet the church I was going to try; the one with the name change and the one that did not give me good vibes when I drove by it. AFTER I looked up my current church, I looked up the other one I was going to try.
The first 11 hits were about a scandal that hit, both under the old name AND under the new name. Talk about thanking God for His protection!!
The church is under yet a new name and geared for a different congregation. I pray that the former congregation has moved or will now be able to grow under this new leadership.
