31 Days of Restoration: FAITH

I’m really bad at keeping plants alive; try as I might, when it comes to plants, I just don’t have the midas touch.  Sometimes I’ll be walking around a store and a beautiful plant catches my eye and I tell myself, as I’m approaching the checkout counter, this time it’s going to be different.  I’m going to take good care of my plant.  I’m not going to forget to water it – ever!  I’m going to turn over the soil.  I’m going to nurture my plant and talk to it so it will grow.   My intentions are good, but my follow through, not so much….And sadly once again, I’m stuck with a dead plant.

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.   James 2: 14-26

Faith is like a plant – if we want it to flourish, we must do the work required.  Water is to a plant what the word of God is to faith – it’s food and the best way to sustain our faith!  When we feed our spirit the word of God, we are in fact feeding and growing our faith.   The moments when I’m knee-deep in an issue and fearing that it’s not going to work out, I have to remind myself that there have been other times when I’ve been here and God saw me through; I have to remind myself to turn it over (that’s the soil) to God and He will work it out!  Most importantly, I am a witness that my faith flourishes when I nurture it.  For me, that means building my relationship with God.  I imagine that some people think it’s crazy to talk to a plant.  And those same people likely think it’s crazy to talk to God.  I talk to God in my car ALOT.  I talk to God when I’m walking around in the store.  I talk to God all throughout the day – it’s my follow-through; my way of ensuring a flourishing faith.

PRAYER OF RESTORATION:  Inspire in me, O Lord, a brand new faith!  A faith that flourishes like a simple, potted plant develops into a beautiful, healthy tree.  When I’m lacking in faith, God, remind me that I have everything I need to grow my faith bigger and stronger.  Amen

31 Days of Restoration: LOVE

As a little girl, I remember the beautiful feeling of falling in love with ballet. Reminiscing back to a time when Mama and I would ride the el downtown to the tall, gold building on Michigan Ave. where I took ballet lessons every Saturday morning. At the tender age of six, I fell in love with the classical ballads, the thrill of fearlessly leaping through the air and the slow, steady ebb and flow of a waltz. It was magical! Ballet filled my soul…. After adolescence, I lost touch with ballet, and now, 30 years later, I’ve returned to love. Yes, love, for who could have known that ballet taught me so much about love, so much about God….

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable and keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice, but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance.” 
I Corinthians 13: 4-7


Falling in love with God is sorta like falling in love with ballet – it’s a dance. In the beginning, we take that fearless leap of faith and it’s thrilling and exciting until life happens; until we become dizzy from the spins and twirls. We begin to falter with the steps, a little less confidant of the dance. Somewhere along the way, we forget to feel the music; we forget to become one with His rhythm. We forget that He is grace and strength. We forget He is our partner, leading the dance.

PRAYER FOR RESTORATION: O Lover of my Soul, I long to have a closer walk (dance) with you. When I lose sight of you, restart the music. Order my steps that I may follow your lead. And restore me to fearless faith, that I may trust you in ALL things. Amen!