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Last Saturday, I was repotting several plants. I found that, though they looked to be flourishing and beautiful above ground, beneath the surface, the plants were completely root-bound. The roots wound around and through one another making balls so tight they were choking and strangling themselves while rotted and decaying roots threatened the health of the plant.

Simply transplanting to a larger pot would not solve the problem.  I knew I would have to unbind and free the roots for the plant to survive, much less to thrive. Sometimes we have to be drastic. Sometimes we have to cut away the old so that something new can grow.

This root work can be tedious and painful, depending on how root-bound the plant is. When my Nana transplants flowers she uses an old kitchen knife to separate the roots. Like I said, it can be a painful process!

But the simple truth is that no root-bound plant can thrive, just as no person stuck in their past can move forward in their walk with Christ.

As a plant is stuck growing in the same circular pattern, bound by the confines of its pot, we are often stuck in the same negative patterns we have so long lived by.

The sins and decisions we’ve made in the past may not be visible to anyone but ourselves and Christ, but they can continue to grow unseen until we choke the life and the light from ourselves.

But there is a way to thrive. To free the hidden secrets that bind us inside our potted lives.  Like Nana does, we can sever the unhealthy parts and lay them at Christ’s beautiful feet to make way for new and healthy growth. 

We can let our roots run deep by trusting that He has already taken the weight, the shame and the burden of that sin for us.

Colossians 2:13 says, “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.”

What will it take for you and me to thrive? What has to be cut away and laid before Jesus? Our past can be an offering laid before Him, knowing that we trust Him enough to carry the sin, the shame and the burden we have carried for so long.  

By trusting in Him, we can choose instead to carry our cross and to leave our sin behind, paid in full. In Luke 9:23 we are reminded, by Jesus, that

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”

Jesus calls us, daily, to leave our past behind and to embrace a faith-driven, Jesus-filled life.

I want to thrive in Christ. And while I hope it won’t be a painful process, I recognize that there are still things that need to be cut away. Those parts of my past that are preventing my continued spiritual growth.

There is a clear process of renewal that involves pruning the old and decayed so that something new and beautiful can flourish.

I will tackle this; strong in the knowledge that what God has planned for me is good and that He will use the entire process for His glory. Then someday, I can enter His beautiful garden healthy and strong in His image. 

“Your life is a lot like a quilt,” Barb said, “a masterpiece tapestry made by the Master Craftsman Himself, God.”

I was sitting in my kitchen, still in my pajamas, late in the morning, with a coffee cup in one hand and a phone in the other.  My two year-old hanging on my knee.  I thought, “Disordered tapestry, yes. Masterpiece, no.”

Barb Procter has spent years attending, and then facilitating, MCC Women’s Community Bible Studies.  I know she has been where I am now.  But more than that, I want to hear how she survived it.  What had studying the Word meant to her?  How had His presence made these times easier?  How had the relationships she developed, the moments of vulnerability, and the stories she heard from other women during these Bible studies helped her in the day-to-day?

As she spoke, I was reminded of Romans 8:28, “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.”

Barb drew a beautiful word picture for me about how it is that God stitches together each experience, memory, and emotion to make something completely unique, completely you.

Yes, your life is like a beautiful tapestry; there might be days it feels more like a dishtowel than a masterpiece, but every single stitch, fabric, color and design are there for a reason.

Barb said, “The Lord weaves our lives together with wonderful colors of bright purple, royal blue, orange sunsets and yes, on occasion, darker colors too.”

While we may wish that every fabric was bright and beautiful, and mourn those dark colors, or hard times, there is a reason for those, too. In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, we are reminded of this when He says, ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3).’  Barb reminded me that the tapestry of our lives wouldn’t look the same without these experiences.

I was taking notes as Barb continued, “Our life, this beautiful masterpiece, is a testimony of God’s work, in our lives. The stitches woven throughout our life, our quilt, are His Word; woven into every moment of our days, weeks, and years. It is the strong thread of His Word that holds it, and us, together.”

That image, this word picture, absolutely stuck with me and keeps me wondering what my tapestry will look like when it’s all said and done.  When I stand beside Jesus.

I have to think that it is good to consider where we are at. Are we spending enough time in prayer?  Enough time in the Word that He, our Master Craftsman, might stitch together the broken bits along with the brightest and most beautiful moments, the everyday and mundane?

What might he stitch together to bring something remarkable, Godly, and God-glorifying to and of our lives?

Is God, right now, weaving the experiences of your life together to make a unique tapestry?  Have you welcomed those stitches, the thread that weaves these experiences together, or have there been times when you wanted to pull them out? I’ve done both, sometimes on the same day!

My conversation with Barb has convinced me that there are women here who can help.  My mundane and terrifying is their melody and tenor.  And that the MCC Women’s Community Bible Study is just the place for our washrags to be transformed into tapestry. 

As Barb points me back to God’s constant and unchanging Word, I realize she is an example of how to thrive, not just survive.  My knowing that God is using every moment – even this one- to make a tapestry that I will laugh over, cry over, smile and sometimes mourn over, makes me happy to be His work of art. 

We have four amazing women's Bible studies at MCC going on right now! Today is the perfect day to get involved! Click here to see all the Women's Bible Study options!

Gentlemen,  

God holds us accountable for leadership in our families. How are you doing with it?  How well equipped are you to lead, spiritually?  God wants to reveal Himself to each of us.  He has a plan for each of us that is rich and full.   

Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) is a rich, effective means to study God's word. I started attending BSF years ago as a sympathizer, not yet committed to Christ.  As I studied, my questions and reservations were answered and it became clear that the Bible is God’s word to us and that Jesus is His Son, the only One able to reconcile us to Him.  That reconciliation is His desire.  All I had to do was trust Jesus and to ask for it.   

None of my training in physics, math, and engineering had anything to do with this.  God’s plan is simple and direct.  I trusted Jesus and He transformed my life. Over 30 years ago I made that step. Since then, as my life and relationship with God grew, I saw hundreds of men (and women) make the same commitment to follow Christ; on this continent and on others.   I saw far more grow in their relationships with Him and in their service to Him.  That’s simply what He does, with His word, when we cooperate with Him.  The word of God truly is “sharper than any double-edged sword.” (Heb 4:12). 

When we study and apply Scripture, we enjoy fellowship with God, we serve as a light in our families, and we are a blessing to our community. But scripture is something we have to engage in, be actively involved in, and be seeking.  

At MCC we have a very active men’s BSF that meets weekly and includes men from a number of churches in the East Mountains. These are men from every walk of life, some with very little biblical background and some well-versed in scripture. All come hungry to grow in the knowledge of God and His Word.  We meet in a small-group setting to discuss the daily lessons provided throughout the week.  There is fellowship, investigation, manly support and accountability, as well as a communal lecture on the topic of the week.   

Let me personally invite you to study the Book of Romans with us through BSF. We’ll meet at the MCC Library at 6:55pm on Sept.12^th to begin our 30-week study in Romans.  For professionals, military, business travelers, or vacationers there are ways to participate in BSF where the Lord puts you worldwide during this year.   

If you are new to BSF, we will tell you about it.  There is no cost and no pressure. Just come and see. There are other BSF opportunities, as well. A women’s group meets Thursday mornings in Edgewood.  Additionally, there are men’s and women’s BSF groups in Albuquerque which provide age-appropriate biblical training for children. All studies will examine Romans at the same pace.  It provides a great opportunity for husband and wife (as well as children) to study the same verses and discuss them at home during the week, drawing closer to each other as well as to God. 

For more information on transforming your life through BSF, call me (leave a message) or snag me at Church. 

Three years ago, I met cousins Robert (8)* and Phillip (5)* while participating in the Juntos tutoring program.  Robert and Phillip had a special relationship, relying on each other for support and encouragement.  Over the course of time, I would learn why. 

During the “get-acquainted” portion of the program, Robert told me that he lived with his mom and some men whose names he didn't know.  At this time, Robert was very much on edge and obviously nervous about almost everything.  My heart broke for him.

Over the next several months, during weekly study-halls, I found that simply keeping Robert's focus on anything nondestructive was a success.  He was constantly acting up, misbehaving, and being destructive. Eventually, I learned that both boys were routinely pulled out of their home in the middle of the night by child protective services.  Yet, I would see them the next day and they would act as if nothing had happened.  One foster family told me how the boys would sleep with the lights on, their dog at their sides, their lives filled with fear and uncertainty.

But my time with them was special.  I would play ball with them, read to them, and help out with Phillip’s art interests.  Tutoring of school subjects became secondary to building a trusting, healthy relationship.  In reality, I may have been the only adult male they knew who treated them with respect, love, and encouragement.

Eventually, we began to discuss things of significance: like what they might do with their lives and how to deal with hard times, like when an older school friend was killed on the street.  The weight of the issues these children deal with is staggering!  Robert, though, still had challenges.  He was kicked out of one school for fighting.  Still, I always tried to let them know they were loved. 

It was often with the simplest gestures that real relationship was formed. When I brought his favorite pineapple-and-bacon pizza to our meeting, Phillip was amazed that I had listened to what he told me.

Fast forward three years.  Robert and Phillip are still involved with Juntos.  There have been some improvements in their family life, but times are still tough.  After a recent meeting, though, I reflected on the remarkable transformation in their lives.  Robert is more controlled, shows less anger, and seems like a genuinely happy soul.  Phillip, always a smiler, now has a focus to his activities and is excited to be learning and growing.  I believe the love and care these boys received at Juntos changed the paths of their lives.  They still have hard times ahead (as do we all), but they can take heart in the promise of Jesus: that through Him we can overcome this world.

How can you be part of this miracle-making program?   You can volunteer your time and show a child he or she really is loved.   And, after 12 years of stories like this, Juntos is finally able to work toward purchasing a permanent facility in the target neighborhood!  With suitable buildings becoming available, the funding needs are significant, but certainly achievable.  A new facility negates costly van transportation and increases access.  Click here to donate to the building fund.

(Individual photo taken by Jasmine Mostrom)

The first time I met Amy she was blowing a large stream of bubbles through a sawed-off water bottle, one of the many creative uses for discarded items you learn at Juntos.  As the stream grew we talked about her growing up and what she wants to do with her life.  Julie is 10 and her answer shocked me.  “I want to be like my friend’s mom”, she said, “She gets paid for playing video games all day.”  Now she had my attention.  If Amy had really figured out a way to get paid for gaming all day I wanted in.

It turns out her friend’s Mom, like many others in Amy’s circle of influence, is on public assistance.  It’s not that she gets paid for gaming; it’s that she gets paid because she isn’t working. So this is Amy’s aspiration: to chill at home, playing video games.  I was glad for the chance to tell Amy that God made her for something more.  That the gospel tells us that God made us to flourish, to thrive.

The Bible also tells us, as Christians, what we need to do with the gospel. When Jesus told us to go with the gospel, He said go local, go regional and go to the ends of the earth (Mark 16:15).  It’s not a multiple choice; it’s a mandate to take the gospel to Amy and to others in the nearest and farthest regions who don’t yet know that they have been made to thrive.

It’s a privilege to go local with the gospel and to hang out with Amy and others like her at Juntos.  There is a certainty in my faith that I’ve gained from seeing God at work in Juntos. To see people like Manny, who grew up in Juntos and has now graduated from UNM, works fulltime and is a leader at Juntos, thrive!  To hear stories like Danny’s, a dad with two kids in Juntos, who teaches on Monday nights. His story about how God takes our brokenness and makes us flourish is one of the most inspirational I’ve heard. What a blessing to learn people’s stories, to see how God has transformed their lives and how he uses people just like you and I to do it. I’m so glad for the gospel and for a place like Juntos to see it grow.  For me, it takes God’s kingdom out of the abstract and shines the light on its reality here and now. 

I just know that Amy, and other Juntos kids, are going to make a difference in their neighborhoods.  Someday a kid is going to say, “I want to be like Amy, she is thriving.” If it weren’t for Juntos I might miss it.

Click here to learn more about Juntos and how you can support this ministry.