Organic movement...

Sunday was an interesting experience and one I will treasure in my heart for a long time. Our winter here in West Virginia has been harsh with lots and lots of snow. I cannot recall such a snowy winter since the late 90's! And funny how none of the global warming groups have uttered a word...I must laugh!

Church services were cancelled due to weather conditions. The steep incline leading to the Living Grace building is one few are brave enough to go up this time of year, despite numerous trips by the snow plow. Instead, we gathered at the Pastor's home for worship and prayer. We shared communion and a meal together as well. God was so wonderfully gracious to meet with us there! His love runs deep for us and Sunday was no exception. I wonder if that was perhaps His Valentine's Day gift to us. For me, I believe it was.

Long before the meeting that morning, the Lord brought to my mind the word 'organic'. Being a gardener myself, this was not an unfamiliar term. Organic gardening methods do not employ chemicals for fertilizer or pesticides. There are no growth hormones or artificial stimulants used to produce or maintain crops. Additionally, a truly organic garden will use heirloom seed, not hybrid or genetically altered/reproduced seeds. Heirloom seeds are those that are harvested from a plant each year and replanted the following growing season. Basically, it's a what-you-see is-what-you-get kind of thing. If you harvest tomato seeds, you will grow tomatoes, not okra.

Have you ever planted a seed from a hybrid plant? I did one year, not realizing I have saved hybridized seeds. I got the most beautiful, lovely pepper plants that year. They grew nicely, flowered abundantly and appeared to be the most vigorous plants in the garden. Only they never produced fruit. Not a single pepper all season, despite multiple flowerings and bushy, strong plants. While I did not use any chemicals in my garden, the seed was not true - it was sterile and could not produce life.

Organic gardens are thriving, living and breathing places. Even Webster's defines it as "of, relating to, or derived from living organisms". Compost is frequently used to rebuild and nourish the soil. It's another interesting thing that the very plants from the previous year are used to provide nutrients to the next seasons plants. Compost is like a wise old soul, seasoned and prepared for a long time before it's best use comes forth. And that use it for the next 'generation' of sorts.

A commercial or traditional garden may 'appear' healthy and productive but it is often laced with poisons, chemicals and other stimulants just to keep it going and keep disease or bugs at bay. Any fruit that is produced must be picked early before being fully ripened so it can be shipped off. After all, there are quota's and deadlines to be filled. The resulting land is frequently barren of anything of real substance. In order to grow anything, one must continually cover the ground within temporary things, those proverbial 'quick fixes' that only lasts for short while.

So, it was not surprising that this analogy of gardening came to mind. The church, the Body of Christ, must guard itself against those temporary quick fixes and things that make it look good on the outside. It must remain 'organic', full of life and, as Webster's also says, "forming an integral element of a whole". We are parts of Body of Christ. We cannot operate as separate pieces, i.e. some legs, some arms, others being eyes or ears. We must come together under the one true Head and that is Jesus Christ Himself. A living, breathing and organic thing, this Church is a moving entity. It flows from a seat of Mercy, Grace and Love...nothing less is expected of us. He leads, we follow. Little Christ's, Christian's, reflections of Him to those around us.

Matthew 11: 28-30 reads, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you will recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of Grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you, Keep company with Me and you will earn how to live freely and lightly." (The Message)

Let it be so, Lord. Let it be so!

How are you, Madrina?

Today, I received a letter from the little boy I sponsor in Honduras through Manos Extendidas. His name is Josue and he will 8 years old in April. I got to meet him for the first time in August of 2008 while on a mission trip to the capital city of Tegucigalpa. Josue was quiet and shy, barely mustering a quick hug before dashing out the door with his lunch in hand. That was kind of unexpected to me, as I had hoped to sit with him for a few moments and introduce myself. I had brought a small gift with me and really wanted to watch him open it. But, that was not happening that day. Isn't it funny how kids can surprise us?

Anyway, I was so blessed with his letter, I wanted to share my joy with you:

Hi, how are you Sponsor? I hope that God shines His light of blessings upon you. That is my greatest wish. I want to tell you that I am in the first grade. I do all my homework and get good notes from the school. I am very happy to know you. Thank you for the present you gave me when you were here and thank you for your hugs. It made me happy. I care for you will all my heart and since Christmas has already come, I want to wish you happy Easter as well, next to the people that surround you. Those are my true wishes.

The word "sponsor" is translated by these children as Madrina, which really means Godmother. I was not aware of that until my last trip and when you introduce yourself as Madrina, the children know exactly what you are talking about. I guess the ministry partners who share the hearts of those who want to help them, the name sponsor seems kind of formal.

Josue goes to regular school, which requires shoes & uniforms. Although education in Honduras is free to the 5th grade, if you cannot afford shoes or cannot buy (or make) the uniform, you cannot attend. Education is huge need in Honduras. Without it, the circle of poverty and enslavement to its vicious cycle seems bleak.

The Christian ministry of Manos Extendidas' Child Sponsorship Program is one I have seen work first-hand. There are no 'extra' or cushy expenses, no salaries to pay and certainly no 'fluff' you see in many organizations of this nature. 100% of the monies go directly to the day care and feeding program. For many, this meal may be the only food a child receives each day. The monies go into supporting the children in five(5) main areas:

1. Education (spiritual and academic)


2. Medical/Dental


3. Food


4. Clothing


5. Emergency Fund

There are many ways you can impact your sponsored child. First and foremost is to pray for them. There are many battles they must face, spiritual and otherwise. Your prayers protect them in ways you will not always know. Writing a letter, sending a photo or small gift makes their day! Don't worry if you don't speak Spanish ~ there are folks there who will gladly help translate your letter for you.

Want to know more? Visit http://www.mehonduras.org or just email me!

True Transparency...

I've taken some time off from posting to this blog, among other things and it seems to be the right time to begin again. Perhaps from the start of a new year, a new decade or simply because winter has set in so fully, there is not much else to keep me occupied (aside from housework).

New Year's Resolutions have never been a top priority for me. The reasons vary really....mostly from knowing I won't keep something up for very long, unless it burns deeply within me. Even then, the routine of of it all tends to draw down on whatever reserves I may have set aside for continuing on. This year isn't really any different other than the fact I have had some realizations during this time off.

During my much need de-tox from the obligatory church attendance, I found myself swirling around somewhat aimlessly at times. One of the most important realizations I stumbled upon was how my relationship with the Lord was more tangled in my own perfunctory attendance that I ever imagined. It's kinda easy to sit back and be the one who talks about what all is wrong with mainstream 'church' and not totally embrace its profound effect within my own life. A scripture comes to mind where Jesus talks about removing the log in my own eye before attempting to help my brother with the splinter in his. (See Luke 6:41) Other translations include the phrase "thou hypocrite", which exactly describes my attitude at times.

One must be wary as to what they speak for or speak against. I have seen first-hand how one can become the very thing we supposedly detest the most. I've seen in it others but I have seen it in myself as well. Perhaps, in some way, that may be a fine example of how we receive judgement upon ourselves when we judge others. I don't' know, that is merely a thought that crossed my mind. An interesting thought, to say the least....

So, if I were to make a resolution of sorts, it would be something like this:

As I rely on God's Grace, I will not try to be anything or anyone that I am not. I will not adapt myself, my morals, my convictions or my beliefs to any one situation to fit in or be accepted by another. If I have 'sold out' totally for my Lord, then what another thinks is insignificant. I will not compromise my relationship with my Father for relationship with a man, a woman, a cause, nor even my own morals, convictions and beliefs. My relationship with Christ far outweighs my need for any of those things, as they are temporal and fleeting. As I rely on God's Grace, I will look upon others with compassion, not judgement for their failings are no more impressive than my own. I refuse to wear any mask, religious or otherwise, that would belittle my fellow brother or sister, regardless of their actions. I will clothe myself in the inexhaustible Love of Jesus, extending the same hand to them as is extended to me from Heaven. The blood of Christ was shed so that ALL might come to Him and know Him personally as Savior and Lord.

As I rely on God's Grace, I admit my own short-comings and failures, for they are indeed many. I will not, however, use that precious Grace as a crutch to continued sin. As I bare myself before the Father, I am certain He accepts me just as I am. His love pours out upon me without any effort of my own. He adores my brokenness and is closer to me at any given moment than the air I breathe. It is in this brokenness, that I am made whole in Him. There is nothing I can do, good or otherwise, to earn His love and acceptance. It is already there and always has been. He loves me way too much for me to comprehend, to begin to fathom that leaves me awestruck.

As I rely on God's Grace, I will allow myself to feel again. Emotions may be fickle and not trustworthy but God gave them to us for a purpose. They are not to be relied upon but I do realize that Jesus 'felt' things as I do. He wept, he was angry, he became frustrated, upset and so on, just like me. It was during these times, He clung to His Father all the more, doing the will of His father, not His own. I must allow His grace to overtake me completely, in my emotions too so that I can maintain my love walk with Him. Denying hurt, pain, joy or happiness only creates another facet of the fake me. I will not do that.

And finally, I acknowledge "...all things work together for good to those who love the Lord, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) I want His purposes to be be my purposes. THE MESSAGE reads that same verse as "That's why we can be sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." I cannot despise my past, for every detail has been shaped into God's purpose. My past does not dictate my future but has definitely had an effect on who I am. Nothing has gone unnoticed by my Father, nothing at all. I rest in the assurance He is fully aware of where I am, yet He remains unshaken in His good will towards me. His love is unfathomable once gain. Awe and wonder prevail!

So, as I attempt to continue writing, blogging, sharing (whatever you want to call it), I first want to be transparent myself before the Father. I don't want people to look at me and see me, my accomplishments, my musings or anything about me. I simply want people to know Jesus and the Lord chooses to work through me, I want to be fully aware of His presence and His will for that given moment. If He chooses simply for me to minister unto Him, then so be it. What an amazing calling!

Only in Him do I find completeness...