This My Ebenezer...

Two or three weeks after planting seeds in our vegetable patch, this portion from James was running through my mind: "See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it until it receives the early and the late rains." I think this passage is talking about waiting on God in suffering, but it has likely kept me from up-earthing things. If God uses farmers as an example of patience, then I should be patient (not that I have any claim to be a farmer)! I am not very patient. I want my garden to look like a garden, like my neighbor's garden, which was started with young plants. My garden looks like a patch of dirt. Yet, if you squint and look very closely, you might see what could be a tiny carrot or tomato plant (or is it something else?) In my impatience I'm tempted to figure it out somehow--pull up what I think are little grass stems around it--which might damage the little sprouts, if they are ones. Growing a garden takes longer th...

This is a testimony of God's grace that I was able to read at my baptism in July 2019. A longer version can be found here . I grew up in a Christian family. From a young age, I knew I was a sinner and that Jesus died for my sins and rose from the dead. At four years old, I “asked Jesus into my heart.” That was when I first understood that only Jesus could take me to heaven, but I don’t think I saw my sin before God and need of forgiveness at that time. It’s been a gradual process of God applying those truths to my heart. As a preteen and teenager, I enjoyed Bible studies and looked up to godly people. However, I also struggled with a critical attitude towards others, a longing for approval, a lack of openness with my parents, and a selfish focus on my outward appearance, which for a time was harmful to myself. In my early twenties, I started asking for help. Although I wasn’t always open about my heart, I do remember asking for prayer because I didn’t trust God. I didn’t se...

This time last year, I was anxious--so anxious to teach reading that I was afraid to start--afraid of failing, afraid that my daughter would hate school. I needed help! Practically, wisdom came from a seasoned homeschool mom. I was going too fast and was lacking a reading program to guide me. Spiritually, the Lord used the first part of James to drive me to prayer: "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." I had not been relying on the Lord for wisdom and strength, but was trying to figure it out all on my own! I needed to trust that He would help me. As I sat down with my daughter for her first reading lesson, I was filled with fear, but we prayed that the Lord would help mommy to teach and help her to learn. And the Lord has been faithful. He's helped us both to learn together, to work hard, and make adjustments as needed. In the process, it's been such a ble...