Springtime and Growth.

Springtime and Growth.

Hello.

Yes, Spring has arrived … Major League Baseball is back, which I just love!  I like the familiar voices of my local radio announcers, following the team stats, watching and listening to games. State Cup competition play has just started for Danny (16), and it is such a pleasure to watch the beautiful game, and my son running up and down the field in the effort to move that soccer ball into the goal.  Spring!  Yesterday I was walking my dogs when I noticed my neighbor’s SUV open and three bags of Kellogg’s fertilizer and soil amendment.  Spring is a great time to feed blueberry plants, blackberries, apricots and flowers.  While water, fresh air, sunlight and reasonable soil will cause growth, a few vitamins will cause them to flourish.

  In “Let it be Springtime in your Heart,” www.pastorwoman.com, I suggested that our tending our hearts is akin to tending our gardens.  We might need to identify things that need to be cleared away from our lives; we ought consider adopting or getting back to meaningful spiritual disciplines—like starting our day with prayer, and then too, choosing a life-sustaining verse to memorize. 

Springtime is at the front door of your heart, Christian.  I pray that you somehow sense God’s great love for you, because if you do, surely you will want to move toward it and grow in that love.  Well, besides clearing away debris and securing your moorings, etc. there are a couple other things that will cause your life to flourish.   Most importantly, I believe, is the opportunity to worship God with his people at least once during the week, keeping the Sabbath.

Second to that, you heighten your growth when you find an intimate community of believers to join—one in which you can participate and share love, faith in God, understanding, tears, questions, struggles, joy, trials, and this thing we call life.   We just observed the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  In the 40 days before Jesus ascended into Heaven, he came together with his disciples on several occasions.  And then we read in Acts chapters one and two--important chapters to read--how Christ followers continued to meet and be together.  From them, the first church was born; from them, we learn how beautiful, how meaningful intimate community is in our lives.  Nothing takes its place. 

Need some garden amendment or fertilizer to jump-start the garden that is your heart?  Look around—is there a spiritual retreat or one-day mission project in which you can participate, join or even spearhead? For instance, I will be holding a local half-day retreat called “Thrive” on May 2 in San Juan Capistrano—twill be a rich day intended to grow and challenge women spiritually, physically and mentally.  (Hit ‘reply’ and ask for details if you are local!)  

No, there is nothing quite like springtime to awaken hope and renew our energy—weather, new green leaves and blossoms, whetting our appetites for spiritual growth and rebirth as well.  Explore personal, creative ways to express your worship ~ sing, dance, paint, lift your face to the night sky, and thank God for the constellation you can see with just your naked eye.  Can you imagine what lies beyond?  Do not miss the sights and sounds of nature around you, for they tell of the Creator daily.  Have I mentioned the delight of birds, who never sing out of key?  Plant some flowers, or vegetables, and work with God in growing to nourish and grow them . . .

Let’s Flourish,