"Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary..."
by Gail Cresswell

So, how does your garden grow? "Contrary" to any talents I may have, gardening is definitely not one of them. However, flowers are some of my favorite things; not only do they refresh, but their beauty always reminds me of the incredible creation of God.

So, I decided to become a gardener. How hard could it be to pick out some plants, dig a hole, throw in a little water and da-dah …beautiful garden! My quest began last year. I started asking my friends who knew a lot about gardening; at least they appeared to because they used those big words when they talked about flowers and plants. Next was checking out nurseries; looking, reading, trying to become educated on the subject. Finally, a friend let me borrow about 25 gardening magazines. It was a little bit of overkill until I happened on just the right article. It had everything. A map with all the flowers strategically placed and a nice directory telling you what the names were (the really big names and the ones you can actually pronounce), where they need to be planted, when they bloom, need to be fertilized, sprayed for bugs/disease, ...the whole scoop; plus it was called the Hardy Northern Garden. Perfect! We live in the north.

Let the fun begin! First of course the soil had to be prepared. We had a local nursery come to plant trees, so they prepared the gardens for me too - well, that was easy:). Next came choosing the plants. With my Hardy Northern Garden guide in hand, I made my way to the local garden store and talked with the experts. We picked out perennials (they're the ones that come up every year on their own) that would fit in my well defined garden space and paid (hmmm, plants are not cheap!). Off I went with my little garden in the back of my van and my mind just picturing how perfect it would be.

Read More...

Refreshing Streams
By Gail Rodgers

It had been dry too long. Even our trees were showing signs of distress. The welcome rain poured and streams ran bringing the much needed refreshment. Right where you are today God is with you. It may be in a dry place. There may be signs of distress around you. Yet God says that His Holy Spirit is in you. He can bring streams of living water flowing out from within you. You can bring refreshment into your environment. Listen to what Jesus said...

"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit..." John 7:38-39

Do you see yourself as God's vessel bringing refreshment? Or do you feel as dry as some of your surroundings? It is the Holy Spirit who works in and through us to change us and enable us to be a refreshing presence in our little corner of the world.

• Ask Him today to help you replace negative and critical attitudes with a tolerant and grace-filled attitude.
• Pray silently for those in your path today who are dry and distressed.
• Take time to smile and be pleasant and courteous.
• As you encounter difficult people and situations today, remember to quietly ask Your Heavenly Father to give you wisdom and strength.
• Plan your own quiet time with God to be refreshed yourself.
• Specifically ask the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh today right where you are. You will be surprised at how refreshed you become as you seek to be a refreshing presence in your world.

Father God,

Fill me afresh with Your Holy Spirit today. Help me to be aware of ways to bring a refreshing presence into the circumstances of my day. May I be a plus and not a minus in my interactions with others. Fill me, refresh me and flow through me today. In Jesus' strong name I pray, amen.

Copyright. Christian Women Today 2009. Used with permission. http://www.christianwomentoday.com If you would like to reprint this devotion, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for permission.

Modesty Exposed!!
by Cyndi Moreno

Have you ever seen the TV show "What Not to Wear"? A person is chosen to be on the show because they have been nominated by their friends who think they are making bad fashion choices. Then two fashion designers bring in this poor, unsuspecting "victim", critique EVERYTHING they own as being too short, too frumpy, too drab, too hootchie, etc. Then, the "victim" gets a shopping spree and makeover! It can be pretty interesting to see what led them to their previous poor fashion choices and see the new choices they make.

When I was asked to write this article I was very unsure as to how to go about it. Who am I to write anything on the subject of modesty? After MUCH prayer I believe that God has shown me that how we present ourselves (our appearance) really IS important.

What exactly does it mean to be "modest"? It's WAY more than just how we dress, but that's often the first thing that comes to mind. If we're modest, we're not vain (because vanity calls attention to itself); modesty and vanity (self-pride) are polar opposites. It's possible to be prideful about our abilities, appearance, possessions or achievements - but God values modesty in us; after all, He is the One who makes us who we are! But have you ever thought that you may appear vain? Modesty is being moderate - it means we value decency in behavior, speech, dress, and character, instead of vanity. So how does this translate into our daily lives?

While online recently, I came across a very thought provoking website about dress. Over 200 Christian girls submitted their questions to this site and over 1,600 Christian guys (12 and up) responded. There were the obvious questions about strapless dresses/tops, spaghetti straps, bikinis, shorts, etc. but also things I have never considered, such as exposing the lower back, low rise pants as well as attitude/behavior and much more. The answers showed me that guys care as much about how a woman dresses as we do, only not the way you might think. They are more righteous than we give them credit for. If you are interested, you can check out the survey for yourself, at www.therebelution.com/modestysurvey. Bob Lonsberry's column written June 10 is also a very interesting commentary on the topic of cleavage. (It is pretty strongly written, no offense intended), at www.lonsberry.com/writings.cfm?go=4. As long as you are reading online, there is a very well-written article from Today's Christian Woman titled "A Decent Proposal", at www.christianitytoday.com/tcw/2003/mayjun/3.46.html. It's definitely worth reading.

Read More...

Distant Sisters
by Sue Anderson

Sue Anderson ministers alongside her husband Dennis, they are missionaries for IAM; African Missions.

Romans 15:30 and 32 says, "Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake and the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed."

This is my prayer and praise, that we pray for one another and as we come together we have great joy and are refreshed in the Lord Jesus Christ.

All through our Christian life, I believe we go through many times of being refreshed. Being refreshed is being renewed, restored, regenerated. As we go through our daily life we find that we get into a routine. We can get into a slump and our service for the Lord becomes a routine. The joy of doing work for the Lord fades and we may find ourselves slacking off on serving Him.

God's timing is always so perfect. God had been trying to give me some refreshing for some time, and my focus was not where it should have been to see those times He was trying to reach me.

Read More...

Learn more about the Andersons by visiting the site available by clicking online here .

"Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary..." (cont.)
Gail Cresswell

Once home the plants were placed according to plan. Turns out there were a few too many. No big deal, we'll just put them somewhere else. After rearranging several times I began to dig. Hmmm, you know what those nursery guys do when they put in trees, shrubs and mulch for you? They lay some mesh cloth, a special covering, on the ground to keep the weeds from breaking through and choking out the plants. So, scissors were added to the collection of tools and the mesh was cut away so I could get to the dirt. Of course, then the question was raised as to whether or not to put the mesh back on the plants or just leave it off; I decided to do both, giving myself a 50/50 chance of dealing with weeds.

Finally, the garden was in. It didn't look bad, except by following the instructions all the plants were pretty far apart from each other. I know they'll grow, but I was hoping the finished product was going to look...you know, finished. Filled in, perfect, beautiful. I guess I'll just have to wait.

The parallels between my little garden and God's word are bountiful (that's a gardening word). Although I'm a better gardener than what I've let on, I'm nothing like the Master Gardener.

Gardens must have been really important to our Lord. He placed Adam and Eve in the garden. Kings were buried in gardens. Gardens and all the things associated with them like water, soil, vines, branches, are mentioned throughout the scripture. Our Jesus prayed to His Father in the garden, "And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt."Mark 14:36. He was buried in a garden and resurrected from a garden. I'm thinking there are going to be beautiful, bountiful, incredible gardens in heaven! Amen!

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your spiritual garden grow? Sometimes we may all be "contrary"; to the spiritual garden that God intends for us. That can be called pride, pure and simple. Praise God, He is faithful. He gives us the choice to plant a spiritual garden. Let's call it the garden of our hearts. How do we plan and plant that garden?

First, the soil needs to be prepared, and a plan for the plants and where they'll be located will have to be in place. Our great God is sovereign. That means He is over all things. Right from the beginning He knew there would be a you and a me! He planted us here, in this country and in this time for His purpose and His pleasure. He put in the soil of our hearts a seed: the desire to know Him. "And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father." John 6:65. That means He gets all the credit! (Even for our desire to know Him.) In the story of the sower and the seed (Luke 8), the Lord gives us a perfect explanation of the kinds of soils He has created for that seed. What kind of soil is in your garden?

Next in line is buying the plants. Did you know you were bought with a price as well? A price far more expensive then any plants we will buy and yet, here's the wonderful thing...Jesus paid the price. A terrible, wonderful, miraculous price...His life, His blood, His suffering. All for us. And the price to us? Just to accept what He has already done. That means our spiritual garden is a FREE GIFT. Halleluiah, amen!

My plants need water, sunshine and a good root system. They need to be protected from bugs, disease and weeds, just like the garden of our hearts. God waters our gardens with living water. One of the greatest accounts of Jesus' love for us is His journey through Samaria where He encounters the woman at the well. Jesus asks her for water and the woman questions why He, being a Jew, would even speak to her - a Samaritan (this is a picture of a sinner...you and me)

Jesus answered and said unto her, "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again::But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." John 4:10-14

My plants need plant food to help them grow. So, too with our spiritual garden. That food is the Word of God; the bread of life, Jesus Christ. "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever..." John 6:51

Remember the mesh? It is the covering to keep out weeds. We have a spiritual covering and it is the righteousness of Christ. Inside our mortal bodies, sin still lives; but the weeds of sin are covered with the righteous blood of the Lamb of God. Do you have any idea how many different plants there are out there? Just like us; each different, each special and unique; all part of His perfect plan, placed in His spiritual garden; spaced out perfectly, giving us room to grow. Sometimes we feel too alone, and sometimes we feel too crowded. God’s "spacing" in our life is always right.

My plants are perennials; they come up every year. In order for that to happen they actually die or go dormant in the winter. We too must die: die to self so that we can trust, wait and be given newness of life in His timing. So we go through seasons of life and spiritual growth. That certainly fits in with planting and gardening.

Last year we had some hydrangeas planted. They were a beautiful blue. Through the season they turned colors; from blue to purple to a rosy pink to white. Can you believe that one plant can actually do that? In the winter the snow was piled on them. In the spring they looked deader then a doornail. Guess what? They have now become beautifully green with large buds on them just waiting to open. Our lives are like that. There are times when we are in full bloom, living for the Lord, involved and content. But there are times when the wind blows, and our roots have to hang on for dear life. We lose our foliage and blooms and are burdened by the heaviness of life. There are times when we feel unproductive and "dead". Praise God, like the hydrangeas, it can be only for a season. There will come a time when we are renewed. There will come a time when the snows of winter have melted away. There will come a time when the sun shines warm again and the living waters feed our thirsty souls. Another season, another blooming. A process...life, death, and life again.

Of course, last but not least, the waiting. Just like my garden of plants, I wanted them to be perfect, complete, finished. Our spiritual gardens will never be finished until the Lord calls us home or returns as He has promised. That is a great thing…it means we can continue to grow...and growth is a process. Once again, part of the Master Gardener's plan: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jeremiah 29:11

No matter what garden or season we're in, God is our Master Gardener. He prepares, plants, waters, feeds; He sends the snow and wind to strengthen our roots. He provides the Son to warm us and keep us in His care. His righteousness covers our sins; His love shelters us. We blossom in His garden.

Sisters in Christ, may you always bloom where God plants you.

Isaiah 58:11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

Modesty Exposed!! (cont.)

Cyndi Moreno

As women, we ALL enjoy feeling beautiful. I dont know any woman who wants to be thought of as ugly. We all want to look attractive. Being fashionable and attractive is NOT wrong in and of itself, but there are ways to do it. You can be beautiful, fashionable AND modest... it IS possible. I know the world doesn't make it easy on us, it can be very hard to find modest, attractive clothes. It takes a little thought/prayer and maybe a little additional time shopping more carefully.

Modesty isn't a list of dos and don'ts but a matter of the heart. 1 Peter 3:3-4 says, "Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." We need to examine ourselves carefully. Why are we wearing what we are? What are our motives? What are we drawing attention to and why are we trying to draw attention to whatever that is? There are ways to look beautiful and feel attractive without being a stumbling block to others. We need to develop convictions in this area based on what God shows us in His Word.

Jesus said, "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." (Mt 5:28). We know the men around us are easily moved by what they see, but we have a responsibility to do whatever we can by not tempting them with our bodies. Romans 14:13 instructs us on this saying, "No man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way." This also applies to us as sisters in Christ. Titus 2:4 tells us that the "older" are to teach the "younger". Teaching is done not only by words, but also by actions. We need to remember that we are all an example to someone else, our friends (saved and unsaved), younger women in the church, and let's not forget the lost we are trying to reach. You really show love for others, both Christian brothers and sisters when you dress modestly. We need to pray about what we wear and let the Holy Spirit guide us.

Many struggle with this issue. I had a wedding to go too recently, bought a "great" dress and asked a friend what she thought - I just wasn't sure if it was appropriate. Her opinion was that it wasn't and she was right, it wasn't so great. If you are married, ask your husband's opinion. If you aren't married, ask your father or another woman in the church - someone who will tell you the truth, not just what she thinks you want to hear. Dannah Gresh, the author of "A Decent Proposal" had a great idea. 'If you feel even a twinge of conviction as you read this, I'd encourage you to have a "fashion trashin' party." Invite a girlfriend over and trash anything from your closet that's questionable. Your friend's there for the things you're not sure about. Whatever she says is questionable goes.'

Let's give our men the gift of safety and a rest for their eyes. I know from reading over 100 comments on the "Modesty Survey" website that they would appreciate it more than we could possibly know. Our brothers deal with enough attacks from the world and the devil in the area of lust; let's not add to their burden. Instead let's help them; let's lead the way for our friends, our children, our church. Above all, let's glorify God in modesty that begins in our hearts and carries over to all we do.

Distant Sisters (cont.)
by Sue Anderson

We moved to Florida a couple of years ago. We were looking forward to what God was going to have us do here in the church. Dennis had the IAM ministry to tend to, but I was not sure how God was going to use me. It was not long before I was involved in planning some events and helping out with another ministry. It was a wonderful time of refreshing for me as I felt I had a purpose again.

As time went on, I got involved in choir, and God also allowed me an opportunity to speak to a lady who was having a hard time being away from her family. Our years on the mission field and how I dealt with leaving friends and family proved to be very useful. Again, it was a time of refreshing.

Pastor Green had started preaching on different aspects of faith. He touched on Abraham and his obedience. I looked at my life and asked the question, "Am I really being obedient to God?" I thought I was, in most areas, but I knew in my heart I had at least one area I was not following God's direction. I looked at Abraham and saw the opposition he faced, and I knew what I face today is nothing new. He took opportunities and forgot the circumstances.

God got a hold of my heart and I asked Him to not only give me opportunities to witness for Him, but that I would take them when they came. Since then, I cannot count the number of times I have been able to sit and talk openly and freely about my God. It is even more than I could have hoped for. It has not been one-on-one, but God has had several people sitting around and they may have acted like they were not listening but they could not help but hear. It was a magnificent time of refreshing for me.

One day as I was downtown walking my dog, I walked on the pier along the lake. A couple was sitting under one of the little rest areas there and I said, "Hi." Of course, they made a comment about my Madison and I told them that her name meant "gift from God'. That led into a wonderful time of fellowship as they told me where they went to church and how God was dealing with the husband (David) about missions. God allowed me to spend time talking about our mission experience and to stand there and pray with them. It was such a blessing and as I walked away, I found myself singing about the wonderful name of Jesus. I continued walking and singing and I am sure people must have thought I was a bit crazy, well I am, crazy about the Lord and how He keeps refreshing me! I felt as if I was wading in the cool waters of a mountain spring on a hot summer day!

God has now allowed me the opportunity to get a Ladies' Bible Study going. It is something I have wanted to do since we got here but it was not God's timing until now. This truly is a time of refreshing as I again can see why God has put us here. One of the great things about this is they came to me asking me to start it. What I mean by that, is they saw a need for it in their own lives and I feel privileged that God would use me in this area of ministry. It is a small group and my prayer is that as we leave each week, we will go away with a feeling of truly being refreshed in our relationship with our Lord and Savior!

As we go through life, we must look for those times of refreshing and cherish each one of them. They are a blessing from the Lord! He knows what we need and when we need it. If we are doing as He commands us out of love for Him, our hearts and minds and spirits will be refreshed.

May you be refreshed in His love daily.

Back to the Top...