View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Recently I learned that the root systems of aspen trees are different from the root systems of other trees. Each aspen tree in a grove of aspens is a shoot from a single root ball with their roots connected and intertwined - each tree coming from one single source. When Jesus prayed with his disciples on the night he was betrayed he not only prayed for them but also for us, his disciples who would come in the future. He prayed that his disciples would have a kind of unity like that of an aspen grove. He prayed that our roots would be intertwined like his were with Father God. He knew that we would need each other to walk through this life. He knew we would only find the source for life and strength in him as he found his strength in Father God. He prayed for complete unity made possible by God’s love. Dear friends may we seek to be intertwined with each other like the aspen trees, many shoots with one source, our Father God.
Prayer Lord Jesus Intertwine our hearts. Show us how we can love each other as Christ loves us and let our unity lead others to you. Amen
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View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Today I saw something that I have missed before in these familiar words of Jesus. On the night that he was betrayed, the night he would face his greatest temptation, the night before his crucifixion, he gave thanks.
He gave thanks. Because Jesus gave thanks in his darkest hour we have a hope that allows us to give thanks in the dark days we face now. Today I give thanks for the simple beauty of the blossoms on my cherry tree. What will you give thanks for this day? Prayer Jesus, Our Lord We bow our heads in gratitude today for your great love that gives us hope. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice. You can still see the tree in the picture of the night sky. It doesn’t go away when the sun goes down. The interesting thing is that if you sit long enough in the night and watch it get dark you will see wonderful things. You have to wait and waiting isn’t easy but there is reward. Our lives can be like this and for many of us it is right now. We see the dark coming. We are crying out in the depths, whether those depths are the cause of something beyond our control or our sin. We have an assurance that our loving God is still there even in our darkest night. In him we find forgiveness. We can put our hope in the Lord and wait - for hope is an intensive form of waiting. While we wait we can serve him and he will show us how.
Prayer Lord God, We cry out for you in the darkness. We put our hope in you and wait. Show us one way we can serve you this day. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “In many ways are trees are like Jesus. They give, and they keep giving. They give life and beauty. They give shade and rest. They make and clean the air. They hold back erosion. They offer shelter, food, and projection.”
From Reforesting Faith by Matthew Sleeth Ask yourself this question when you see a tree today - How can I give beauty and shade and rest to those around me? Prayer Lord Jesus, Giver of Life Make us like trees that give beauty and shade and rest to all those we meet today. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; I wonder how many springs the buds have appeared on those beautiful branches. I wonder if the person that made the fence also planted the tree. We do not know who planted the tree or made the fence but we do enjoy its beauty each season. In the same way we do not always know who will benefit from the work we do. Ask for the Lord’s favor and his strength to work on what the Lord has given you this day. It may not be the job that you thought would be doing today, but if the Lord establishes it then your work will accomplish his purpose.
Prayer Lord God Strengthen our hearts and show us the work you have for us today. Establish the work of our hands. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. While the tree’s branches are still bare the daffodils herald the coming of spring. They remind us that winter will soon be past and the summer is coming. As we look at the difficulties facing our world right now we can look to our God who brings the joy of a field of daffodils on a clear, spring day to our hearts. Remember God’s love and care. Sit in quietness in his presence, see his beauty, and find in his unfailing love a calmness and peace that will replace all anxiety.
Prayer Lord God Calm our fears. Help us to remember your love and bring joy into our lives this day. Help us become a calming force for those around us. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. Ancient words to comfort and encourage with my special tree in the cove.
Since we hear Jesus speak the first verse of Psalm 22 from the cross, I wonder if, in his agony, he quoted these two Psalms to himself as he hung there. Prayer Lord God, Shepherd of My Soul Calm our hearts as we follow the paths you set before us this day. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! The Psalmist begins this Psalm calling other people to join him in worshiping the Lord, the God of Creation. Today, even though the day maybe both physically and emotionally cloudy, worship the God who not only created the trees and the mountains and the skies but the God who made us and makes us his people. Like the grass and trees who brim with new life in the spring, God brings new life to us through Jesus Christ. Spend time today in God’s creation and be amazed by its range from a sky filled with dark clouds to a clear, blue sky with white fluffy clouds, from the smallest blade of grass to the biggest tree, from the deepest ocean to the highest mountain.
Prayer Lord God Creator We bow and worship you this day. Thank you for the beautiful world you have created and for making us your people, the sheep of your pasture. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Standing out with its beautiful fall colors was this little tree growing between the rocks along the seashore of this sheltered cove. It can’t have been an easy place to grow with the salt water crashing on the rocks below and the tall evergreens that surround it. Yet it has endured and now it shares its beauty with all who drive by. You can’t help but notice it.
Paul wrote to the Romans to encourage them to stand and endure the hardships that they faced. He reminded them that because God’s love had been poured into their hearts their suffering would not be wasted. From their suffering would come endurance, from endurance character and from character would come hope. It wouldn’t be a surface hope easily worn away, but a deep hope based on dependence on Jesus. Today we face difficult times in our world. Only when we trust God to carry us through those times will our suffering produce endurance, endurance character, and character hope. It is this hope that runs deep in our lives that we can share with a fearful and hurting world. Prayer Lord Jesus Give us strength to endure the days ahead and show us ways to help those around us who are struggling in difficult times. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; The branches of this strong, old, oak tree spread out and provide protection for the birds who nest here and the animals that take shelter under its branches in summer storms. We have a God who is our protector. He doesn’t promise that the storms won’t come, only that he will bear us through them under his loving care. We only need to accept his care and and trust his authority.
Prayer Lord Our Maker We bow before you grateful for your care. Teach us to rest under your loving arms. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” Moses was going about his business watching the sheep. He could have just looked at the bush with the unusual light and thought, “Wonder what that is too bad I have to look after these sheep and get back to the tent before dark.” That isn’t what he did. He went to see that bush and it changed his life forever. He had an encounter with God and the bush and the ground become holy because he stopped to listen.
This is one of my favorite pictures. This tree stands almost at the entrance to the loop road in the horse pasture. The day I took this picture instead of hurriedly driving past to get to the place where I had planned to photograph, we were walking on the road. I noticed the tree for the first time. It was just so beautiful to me, serene and calm in the fog. While this wasn’t a burning bush, God used this tree to remind me of his beauty and his greatness. Now this tree has become something that I long to see because it reminds me so much of God. We can miss so much of God when we move through each day at breakneck speed. Notice that God did not speak to Moses until he stopped to investigate the burning bush. Prayer Lord God Teach us to take the time to notice your presence in the world. Open our hearts to hear your words and let them change us. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” I was drawn to this little tree because of its position. It wasn’t big and beautiful; it wasn’t straight and tall; it wasn’t standing in the forest. Even though it was small it still had an unique place on the cliff overlooking the ocean. In this story after Abraham was willing to follow God’s command and offer his only son, God stopped his sacrifice of Issac. Abraham had trusted God even when it meant doing the unimaginable. And then in a small tree the Lord provided the sacrifice. God will provide for us when we seek to follow him even when we feel like this small tree on the cliff wondering how long we will be able to stand in the place where we are planted.
Prayer Lord God We trust in you to provide for us. Walk with us closely today as we seek to serve you in the unique place where we are planted. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked Lent is a time when we can plant ourselves more firmly in God’s word. It is a time for us to root ourselves in him and spend time doing the hard task of discerning God’s purpose for us.
Prayer Lord God, Draw us closer to you and help us to plant our roots in you our living water. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project I love you, Lord, my strength. These trees in the Canyon Region of Yellowstone stood straight and tall on the wall of the 1,200 foot deep canyon. The canyon's walls were formed from geysers and mud springs and are easily eroded. Still in these harsh conditions these trees stand. We have a refuge, a rock, and a strength to stand when we walk in harsh times. Look to God and take refuge in him.
Prayer Lord, Our Strength May we run to you first in difficult times knowing that you are our rock, our fortress, and our deliverer. Amen View the post for February 27 for an explanation of my Lenten Project Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. On clear, cold, winter days like this one I imagine the trees worshiping in the warmth of the sun. God made us to worship him. Sing with the trees this day.
Prayer Lord God We sing your praise with the tress of the forest. We worship you for your abundant grace. Amen |
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Soli Deo Gloria,
1 Corinthians 10:31
© 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Karen Milligan
1 Corinthians 10:31
© 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Karen Milligan