Archive for December, 2011

24 Dec

Light of the World

Posted by Pam in Israel Prayer Garden.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:1-5).

During this season of celebration, we give thanks that the Holy Spirit has opened our eyes to the truth of the Gospel.  His light dispels the darkness of sin and condemnation and opens the door to revelation and restoration.  As we lit the menorah in the garden for the first time during the Festival of Lights, we rejoiced that we are partakers of the light.  May the Light of the World–Jesus–shine on you in a whole new way this season.

Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas from Texas,

Pam and the Israel Prayer Garden Crew

7 Dec

Frosty Beginnings

Posted by Pam in Israel Prayer Garden.

On days like today, when the nighttime temperatures dip into the twenties, I miss the triple-digit heat of the dependable Texas summer!  Winter gloves are cumbersome, and pruning back perennial foliage is precise work requiring more dexterity than those gloves provide.  When fall wanders into winter territory before its time, I turn to the book of Job for consolation:

Does the rain have a father?  Who fathers the drops of dew?  From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens when the waters become hard as stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen? 

In spite of the fact that cold weather is a challenge for me in every possible way, I take comfort in knowing that God has His reasons for winter.  As we continue putting the garden to bed for the cold months ahead, I can trust that this time of rest will produce good fruit.  Spring will come again, and with it the new growth from plants made stronger because of this dormant season.  And as I wait for spring–even before winter has officially arrived–I can rejoice in the faithfulness of God, who makes all things beautiful in every season in His garden.

Shalom!