We’re here to help you learn and grow, so naturally, we share affiliate links for products that we use and love. When you click on one of these links, we will earn a small amount of money, at no additional cost to you, which we’ll use towards keeping the lights on here! You can read our full disclaimer here.

[alert color=”black”]TODAY’S READING – Part 4 – How to Use This Guide  (Pg. 143 – 148)[/alert]

In the last few weeks we’ve covered a lot of material; twelve chapters to be exact.  Contained within is a plethora of inspiration, moving testimony and a sprinkling of challenging questions.

Some of us are caught up in our reading, some of us have even finished the book (I’ll admit, I’m not one of them) and others have fallen behind.  No matter where you are in your reading (or effort to catch up), you’re doing just fine!  TODAY is the perfect opportunity to slide your bookmark in place, marking where you left off, and join us in Part 4, where we will be focusing our attention for the next three weeks.

A few years ago a friend of mine bought me a Christmas cactus in good fun, knowing full well how poorly I do in tending plants.  She promised that I couldn’t kill the sprout that had grown out of the damp dirt, but I wasn’t so certain.  Sure enough a few months later, despite my best efforts (okay, my somewhat attentive efforts) that poor little sprout had shriveled up and died.

So when I began reading Lara’s introduction to Part 4, I couldn’t help but laugh.  A whole section on gardening illustrations in relation to cultivating the purpose God has called me to just made me chuckle.  If my efforts in cultivating my purpose have any correlation to my attempts of growing and sustaining a little Christmas cactus, I might as well call it quits.

But that’s the beauty of God’s love and grace.  He doesn’t pour into only those who are perfectly equipped for the task, but to those who believe in Him and that He has called for His purpose.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. {Romans 8:28}

So since I’m not so great at gardening or growing little sprouts of cacti, I thought I’d just share some of the wisdom that Lara extends in this introduction, as a way to help our dreams flourish into a life lived on purpose:

Essential Gardening Rules

• You Cannot Grow Anything Without Light: We need His light in order to grow and to know where to go.
• You Can’t Grow Things in a Bubble: Have clear boundaries, but make sure they are purposeful, allowing for relationships and good growth.
• You Need a Community of People From Whom You Can Learn: We need other people who can teach us from their own experiences, encourage us when we get frustrated, and help us fix problems.
• Grow What’s in Season: God determines what flourishes and what dies in our lives.  Whatever season you’re in, lean in.
• Know That Good Things Come With Time:  Sometimes the most lasting things in our lives are those that grow slowly, over time, with great care and patience.
• In Order For Something New to Grow, Something Has to Die: Leaps of faith mean giving something up for the sake of something better, letting something die in order for something new to be able to grow.

A little music for the journey…

Just like that little seed that has to retire so that something bigger and more beautiful can sprout, we need to live the words of John 3:30 – “He must become greater; I must become less” and this song is such a GREAT reminder!

 

 Supplies for the journey…

• Have you joined our exclusive Facebook group?
  The Intentional Filling is a place to grow in your faith individually, but also grow through the life experiences, prayers and support of the community members.
• Want a daily reminder to be strong and courageous?
  Order the Print Pack of 3 – 8×10 digital prints designed by the community’s own Betsy Gettis, exclusively for the Intentional Filling community.

[divider type=”dashed” color=”grey”] [row-start] [three-fourths]Bree Blum is a 32 year old cardigan-wearing blogger who loves Jesus.  She lives in Wheeling, WV where she serves in her church as a sign language interpreter and works full time as an Administrative Assistant for a technology firm.  She has a passion for women’s ministry and speaking life into others despite her own introverted tendencies.

You can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.[/three-fourths] [one-fourth][/one-fourth] [row-end]