Plant the Right Stuff

Spring! Go to Lowe’s or any home and garden shop, and if you’re lucky enough to find a parking place, you can count on a long line once you find your plants and flowers. Whether it’s tulips, trees or tomatoes, this is the time when people are getting them in the ground. Planting tulips? Expect beautiful hues of reds, purples and pink petals. Plant an apple, peach or cherry tree, and in time, you will enjoy some fresh fruit. Get the garden growing and soon tomatoes, cucumbers and summer squash will be on your dinner table. When we plant, we plant with expectations. Flowers with no petals, fruit trees with no fruit and a garden with no red ripe Indiana tomato is just not acceptable. As we celebrate Spring, be reminded that the same laws of sowing and reaping that applies to plants and flowers apply when it comes to what we plant in our lives and families. If we plant unfaithfulness in bible reading, prayer and attending God’s house, expect our kids to do the same. Be faithful in devotion, a worshipper at church and serve others and watch your kids flourish spiritually.  Be a person who gossips, is sarcastic and negative and you will find those are the type of people you will attract. Be a person who encourages, shows grace and extends mercy and you will find when you need the same it will be in abundance. A word to the wise, plant well both in your garden and in your life. Plant your flowers and plants in good soil and plant your life in God’s Word. Keep your plants watered and your life saturated with prayer. Then, in time, you will see beautiful flowers and plants in your yard and a spirit of peace and joy in your heart.

A Guy Named Fred

His name is Fred. Though I have never seen him, Fred has been a part of the Hudson family for years. We really don’t know how he got his name or where he came from, he just showed up one day. We’ve been amazed by Fred’s knowledge and expertise in so many areas. Through the years my mom, sister and I often heard dad and Fred having conversations. Fred helped dad with projects in the garage, yard and mini barn. Fred solved lawn mower issues, assisted in installing fences and helped with landscaping. Sometimes I wonder what my dad would have done without Fred, would projects have gotten completed, cars fixed, or fences put up? Now some clarity about Fred. The reason none of us have ever seen Fred is because he doesn’t exist. Its dad talking to himself when he’s working on projects. We don’t know why we named him Fred, it just seemed to fit. And though he is not real, he has definitely been a help to our family. Fred has been dad’s lifelong helper. He’s got him through tough moments, gave him clarity on projects and answers when he was about the give up. In John 14:16, Jesus tells His disciples that when He ascends into heaven, He will send a helper. That help is the Holy Spirit, it will come to give us understanding, truth and bring things to remembrance when we need it. Jesus tells his disciples that His Spirit just won’t be with us, but in us forever. When we don’t have silver and gold, we’ve got the Spirit. When we don’t have words, we have the Spirit. When we can’t see our way through, we have the Spirit. May I encourage you to embrace the Spirit, lean on it and ask for His help. As I reflected on our life with Fred, I realized how much Fred was like the Holy Spirit. The only difference? The Spirit is real and always there to lead, guide and give us help as we walk through this life. Be full of the Spirit. Live in the Spirit.

We Need a Little Christmas

Why did I start a Christmas Series in November? Great question. Because it has been a long and difficult year and we needed some joy, something to make our hearts merry and a word to encourage our spirits. Nothing does that quite like a song, especially a Christmas song. In Ephesians 5:19, Paul encourages us “to speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord.” Christmas songs remind us of the hope found in Jesus. Sing Joy to the World, and you can’t help but feel the hope in Jesus. Sing Silent Night, Holy Night and calm and peace surrounds you. Other Christmas carols cause us to reflect on days gone by. Sing, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire and whether you have a fireplace or not, or even if you have never tasted a Chestnut, you can still feel the warmth and nostalgia. Still other tunes take us to dreams of another place. Sing songs like Walking in a Winter Wonder Land or Let it Snow and whether you’re in Florida or the Rockies you want to grab the mittens and gloves and make a snowman or have a snowball fight. The simple point is this, Christmas and the songs changes the spirit of the heart. We become more reflective, kinder, and tend to have hearts that long to give. Proverbs 17:22 says that “a joyful heart is good medicine.” So, I invite you, click on your favorite Spotify Christmas list, pull out some old vinyl’s or dial up the Christmas radio station and start the joy early this year because as the song says, “We need a Little Christmas, Right this very Minute…”