May 2023 Craft: You Turn My Mourning Into Dancing

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By Commissioner Debi Bell (Retired)
North West Valley, AZ Corps – Southwest Division

Note: This can be used as a Mother’s Day or Women’s Tea Craft.

You turned my mourning into dancing. You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, so that my whole being may make music to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I thank you forever.
Psalm 30:11-12 EHV

Every major holiday is a mixed bag of emotions for people. They bring joy and sorrow depending on the life experience of the individual. Mother’s Day is especially hard for those who have lost their mothers, were not blessed to have been mothers or have been hurt by either a mother or child. The majority of people are celebrating and enjoying the day and nobody wants to take away from their joy. It is important to recognize there are women and men in your congregation and groups that will be grieving the loss of mothers, children, and the opportunity to be able to enjoy either. Personally, Mother’s Day is awkward for me during the gift giving time when they ask all the mothers to stand so gifts can be distributed. I do not stand because I was not able to give birth to a child. Then the gift distributers are confused because they do not know my story. Would it not be easier on all to have all the women stand give them a gift no questions asked? It should be the same for the men on Father’s Day. Then nobody is publicly humiliated because of an empty womb or an empty nest.

This craft is one that can be adapted in so many ways to suit the needs of a group and their age or ability. The basic idea is from Pinterest. Credit has been given and the website is listed so that you can go see the pictures to get even more ideas. Following the craft instructions are ideas on how you can adapt the craft for your needs.

This Ballerina Craft Idea is from Pinterest. https://www.thebestideasforkids.com/

You can get free ballerina silhouettes from this web site and adapt different tutu materials or use the coffee filter idea below depending on how sophisticated you want the cards and what age your craft group. These would make great table favors for a Mother/Daughter tea. Program cover idea as well. Go to The Best Ideas for Kids to see pictures and a video demonstration.

Adapt this idea for your purpose.

Supplies Needed to Make a Ballerina Silhouette Craft

  • Liquid Watercolors
  • White Cardstock or Watercolor Paper
  • Coffee Filters
  • Free Printable Ballerine Silhouettes from Best Ideas for Kids

How to Make a Ballerina Silhouette Craft

  1. First, print off the ballerina silhouette templates on your white cardstock. The template is available to subscribers as a gift.
  2. Once you have your printouts, apply a light color wash to your paper, and then let this dry. You can use regular watercolors or we prefer liquid watercolors. With liquid watercolors, you can use just a little drop with water and dilute the drop of color as much as you want.
  3. While your paper is drying, you can decorate your coffee filters with watercolors. Lay out some wax paper to protect your surface for this step. Apply two different color watercolors to each coffee filter. You can paint with brushes or use droppers to drop the colors on the coffee filters.
  4. Your coffee filters will need to dry overnight. Let them dry on a paper towel over your wax paper.
  5. Once dry, fold over until you get a triangle shape. Then cut off the tip to match the size of where you are going to place the ballerina’s tutu.
  6. Get another coffee filter and make it the same size.
  7. Now glue the coffee filters to your paper and you are done! We left the top coffee filter flat but you can also flare this a little bit to create a more ruffled look.

How to adapt for your groups’ needs:

Add a complimentary color of ribbon around the waist of the coffee filter tutu for an extra flourish.

Use tulle and ribbon instead of coffee filters.

To complement the program covers, table favors, you can purchase bud vases from a discount store, glue colorful tulle around the middle of the vase, and add a complimentary ribbon. Put cut flower bouquets into your “ballerina” vases.

Use the ballerina silhouette as clip art if you are going to make program covers, table favors, or greeting card using the theme, “You Turn My Mourning into Dancing.” You can also go a different direction by changing the spelling of mourning to morning. (You Turn My Morning into Dancing.) The theme is about dancing and joy when you make that change. (Did you dance for joy this morning?)

With this theme, you can use silhouettes of many kinds of dancing where there is some kind of skirt or costume. The ballerina idea is easy and easy to adapt by using different costumes. Celebrate different cultural dances by using material to look like the Jalisco dress from Mexico, the Hanboc from South Korea, Clogging, or Square dance dresses, Mumus from Hawaii, Grass skirts, Dashiki from Africa, Vyshyvanka from Ukraine, and you get the idea.

You could have a monthly program feature of different cultural dances using the theme “You Turn My Morning or Mourning into Dancing.” Each month features a different dance costume. Tell of its history and learn a few steps. Feature food from that culture. If anyone in the group is familiar with the costumes because it is their culture or they lived in the country, have them share memories. Learn a few steps from the dances if you are able to do so.

Have fun and make memories. Share the joys and sorrows of your group members so that all can acknowledge that God does turn our mourning and our mornings into dancing when we give Him permission.

Download printable directions for this craft:

Craft-for-May-2023-Download

May 2023 Bible Study: Processing Grief

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Submitted by the Southwest Division

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:1-5


We know that God never promised that life would be easy. Never in scripture do we see The Lord and creator of the universe communicating that if we accept and love Him that we would coast on easy street. Our logical brains know that to be true, but so often our emotional brains start to creep into the mindset of prosperity gospel and that if we love Jesus’ life should be exclusively full of blessings and sunshine and prizes.

When I was a teenager the first time I heard God communicate with me through scripture was in reading from the beginning of Romans 5 that I should “rejoice in my suffering because suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character, and character hope”. Context matters, and in this context in my life I was a 15-year-old kid in foster care and my birth mother- the only family I had- had just kicked me out of the house. I’m sitting on the bed of my group home; I turn to this passage of scripture, and this is what I read.


My 15-year-old brain thought that if God was real, he was either a jerk or a joke. If he could see me, know me, love me, and want the best for me- why would He point to this passage? I am thankful that God is so good. That He knows just what we need in the dark night of the soul, even if it’s drastically different than what we might think we need.

The Lord was telling me that my struggle was not just mine, and that I wasn’t the only one with struggle. That God can use our grief, and pain, and suffering for His glory; but for that to happen we have a part to play in addressing the struggle. We can’t ignore it. We must look our grief and pain dead in the eyes and say, “I belong to the Lord. You are real, and you hurt, but you do not define me, and you cannot separate me from my creator”.

We can’t just “pray it away”. We might need to talk to a trusted person or go to a professional counselor. We must be honest about the struggle, move through it, and on the other side we will find healing, a strengthened character, perseverance we didn’t have before, and a hope that God really is who He says he is. That is a promise we can hold tight to. I’m glad that God showed me that truth in my adolescents because it has shaped my whole life. It’s not too late to claim that truth in your life as well.

Questions for reflection:

  1. What are some things in your life that cause grief, pain or sadness?
  2. How does the Lord fit in those tough seasons?
  3. What do we need to do to partner with Jesus in the healing and restoration of those things?
  4. How can we use those situations to be a support to the body of Christ?

Jesus never tells us that we will be without struggle or grief, but He does say that He will be with us in the storm. With Jesus, life will for sure still be hard, but we will never ever be alone again.


May 2023 Devotional: Mourning into Dancing

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By Lt. Jayerica Tumale
South Mountain, AZ Kroc Center – Southwest Division

There have been mornings, evenings, nuggets of time, and even extended seasons where we have wept and mourned. 

We have mourned over a death of a loved one.
We have mourned over disappointments.
We have mourned over illnesses.
We have mourned over tragedies.
We have mourned over sins that we have made. 
We have mourned over all kinds of things that we love.

Mourning is the state of being in deep grief. We mourn over a profound loss. We mourn over our mistakes and sins as we strive for a pure heart. Though painful, mourning is a part of human life. 

Throughout scripture, we witness people mourning. Ezra mourned over the sins of his people (Ezra 10:6). Nehemiah mourned at the news that his beloved Jerusalem lay in ruins (Nehemiah 1:4). Naomi was introduced as she displayed the depths of grief and mourning (Ruth 1:20-21).

Throughout the book of Psalms, David writes about his season of mourning. Amidst the loss, grief, and mourning, God promises to comfort and turn our mourning into dancing and great joy.

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever. Psalm 30:11-12

When David wrote this portion of scripture, he had been going through a painful time. He had been weeping and crying out to God for His mercy. God heard his prayers. David put on new clothes of righteousness that brought about joy in his life. The purpose of the new clothing was to give God praise and tell others about what God had done. 

Life will always be filled with overwhelming situations because of the unknown. As I reminisce about my life, the Lord has always comforted me. He has turned my mourning into dancing and provided the most unexpected miracles! Mourning is a process that we all encounter. Although painful it can help us align our hearts with the heart of God, scripture reminds us: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4) We need to lean on God and trust Him and His process as He comforts us. But while we wait for our situations to change, let’s sing and dance before the Lord just as David did. We have such an amazing God who redeems us and that is worthy of dancing about!

Flourishing Story: Joyfully Serving

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By Envoy Belsy Martinez
Bellflower Temple, CA Corps – Southern California Division.

God always answers our prayers.

I was born in Colombia, South America and came to the United States in the year 1998 seeking a better life for my family. I am completely sure that God by his never ending mercy and love brought us to The Salvation Army where we have been serving Him together ever since with my husband Manuel and our daughters Angie and Kelly.

It was always my prayer to God that He would guide us to a ministry where we could serve people in many different areas, meaning not only in their spiritual needs but also through counseling, emotional help as well as material assistance.  God answered my prayer, and that is how He guided us to Santa Ana Temple Corps where we were welcomed by the Officers and remained serving the Lord there for 11 years. 

I am grateful because Santa Ana Temple Corps has been a place which the Lord has used to equip and prepare Latino believers to serve Him in ministry. It was a wonderful time and opportunity that the Lord allowed so we could get involved in ministry. Not long after, we became Soldiers, and we started to receive training and the opportunity to help in different programs and activities at the Corps.

I still remember the first time I rang the bell as a volunteer; it was a great challenge, but it was the program which the Lord used to make me fall in love with our great Army. When I understood the importance and the outreach of the Christmas Kettles I never stopped helping. Praise the Lord, mission accomplished, soon it’ll be 25 years supporting this great program.

My family also served in different ministries at Santa Ana Temple and through those ministries we were able to learn better the different challenges that Latino families faced. I have been greatly blessed because after our time at Santa Ana Temple, the Lord sent us to serve Him as Ministry Leaders at the Santa Fe Springs Corps and at Bellflower Temple Corps, where we currently serve Him together with our daughters, our sons in law and our four grandchildren. These have been beautiful and enriching experiences in the pastoral ministry as well as in the social service ministry. 

As a leader I have been able to help women in a personal way, as a minister, a friend and a counselor. I have been able to witness how the Lord tends to the needs of many families through women who are willing to allow God to use them as an instrument to bring His love, His word and His promises into their homes.

It’s not about providing them with help to fulfill their material needs, but also
about listening to their life experiences, learn about their struggles, being aware of their worries and knowing how to guide them to trust in God’s promises. Now I can say that more than 50% of the women in our congregation have been reached through our Social Services programs. 

When women come through our doors seeking assistance, I have been able to pray with them, and invite them to join us as volunteers, and later to be part of our women’s meetings. By the grace of God some of them have become soldiers y continue serving God as active members of The Salvation Army. 

In the same way, in my personal experience being involved in our social services, I have been able to see day after day God’s hand working in families and individuals. It has been a beautiful opportunity to interact with the community in helping to fulfill their material needs and also help with their spiritual needs. It’s great to see one of our well known motto come to life in giving “Our heart to God and our hand to men” and see the impact it has on people. 
 
I am very grateful to God for bringing my family to serve Him in this great Army as we have been greatly blessed throughout these years serving in all the different communities. 

April 2023 Flourish Newsletter

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Spring has sprung and this year we celebrate the resurrection of our Savior in April. It is a great time to be filled with joy. Flourishing in the joyful season is the focus of this month’s newsletter.

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said…” Matthew 28:5-6

Download this month’s issue:

April-2023-NewsletterDownload

Need previous issues of the FLOURISH Newsletter? https://usw-womensministries.org/march-2023-flourish-newsletter/

Previous issues of the Inspire Newsletter are still available on our website: Previous issues of the Inspire Newsletter are still available on our website: https://usw-womensministries.org/september-2022-inspire-newsletter/

April 2023 Craft: Floral Letter Decoration

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By Lt. Stephanie Philpot
Inglewood, CA Corps – Southern California Division

Spring is near, and it is almost time to bring out the spring décor. Floral letters are a great way to bring a pop of color into our homes, and together we are going to create something beautiful. The best part about this project is majority of these supplies needed can be found at your Corps/ Home League closet. If you are unable to find these supplies you can easily find them at your nearest Dollar store, Michael’s, or Hobby Lobby.

Materials Needed
⦁ Wood letter of your choice or if you want you can trace out your letter from carboard/foam board.
⦁ Faux flowers, colors of your choice
⦁ Scissors or wire cutters
⦁ Glue gun
⦁ Ribbon or picture frame command strips

Instructions

Step 1: Get your wood letter and let’s get started! however if you do not want to purchase one. You can cut out your desired letter using carboard or foamboard.

Step 2: When using faux flowers, it is easy to pop the bloom off the stem, if not you can use your scissors/wire cutter to cut the bloom from the steam.

Step 3: Once all your flowers and greenery is cut, you can start gluing them on to your letter. Using your glue gun place a small drop of glue on your flower and place your flower on your letter, holding it down for a few seconds. I started off with my bigger flowers and then repeated with the smaller flowers, until my entire letter was covered.

Step 4: Once my letter was mostly covered, I went and added greenery in some areas for extra filler.

Step 5: Once complete and everything was dried. I cut some ribbon to my desired length and glued it to the back of my letter. This step is optional since you can hang your letter, or have it propped up and if you do not want to use ribbon you can also use command stirps for picture frames.

Download printable of instructions of this craft:

Craft-by-Lt-Stephanie-PhilpotDownload

April 2023 Bible Study: Living in the Fullness of God

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By Lt. Melissa Jones
Seattle, WA Social Services – Northwest Division

On a recent trip to New York City very early in the Spring, I went to one of my favorite gardens in Central Park. However, I was a few weeks too early to see the garden as it began to bloom. Yet as I sat down, I began to notice that the buds on the trees had just a hint of green in them. From a distance they could appear dead and lifeless, but the trees, and plants and flowers were all very much alive. They were simply being prepared to properly bloom. In the same way God uses the various seasons of lives to prepare us for the full lives he intends all of us to live. When God chose us as His children he always intended for us to grow and develop into the fullness of all He has for us and the Church. In Ephesians 3:14-19 we find a beautiful prayer by Paul for the development of the church body. While he sent this prayer to the churches in the city of Ephesus and the southern region of Asia, this is a prayer we can all pray and take note of for ourselves and the global church.

Paul’s Letter to Ephesus
The book of Ephesians is one of Paul’s many letters to the churches he planted and discipled throughout his ministry. While Paul never met Christ, his conversion experience was so powerful that he became a primary apostle, church planter, and disciple of the early church. Most of the books or letters in the New Testament were written by Paul, and he played a major role in the development of the early church at its theology. His letters were often for encouragement, discipline, or to address a specific issue within the church, but Ephesians was very general. Although it was specifically titled to the church of Ephesus, most scholars believe that the letter was intended to be passed around to all of the churches in the region surrounding Ephesus. Ephesus was a major hub of the Roman Empire, similar to a major city like San Francisco, Los Angeles, or New York, and had a major influence on the surrounding areas. So sending this letter to such an influential place was very strategic. Paul also knew that the people of Ephesus and the surrounding areas would need this letter and this prayer so that they could withstand both the external and internal struggles that they would face. Please take some time now to read through Paul’s prayer for the church so we can begin to discern what it means.

Paul’s Prayer – Ephesians 3:14-19

  1. Read through Ephesians 3:14-19 once. Then read it again taking careful note of words, phrases and ideas that stand out to you.
  2. Write down the parts of the prayer that stand out to you, give you hope, or resonate with you the most.
  3. What does Paul do before he begins this prayer?

There are two major parts to this prayer, but before Paul begins, he does something very significant, he bows his knees before the Father. There are many prayer positions that are mentioned in the Bible. Many Jewish prayers take place standing up, while others are mentioned lying prostate on the ground in full surrender, and David is seen dancing and praying before God. Daniel, who prayed three times a day to the Lord while in Babylonian captivity, also knelt before God each time he lifted up a prayer. In The Salvation Army you may find our members and soldiers kneeling before the Lord at the mercy seat as an act of surrender and repentance, and that is likely what Paul as doing here. Before bringing his petition before God, he knelt in surrender acknowledging his power and majesty. Paul also mentions that the Father is the source from which every family in heaven and on earth takes its name, to reiterate that Salvation is for everyone.

Paul’s Prayer – Ephesians 3:14-19

  1. Read through Ephesians 3:14-19 once. Then read it again taking careful note of words, phrases and ideas that stand out to you.
  2. Write down the parts of the prayer that stand out to you, give you hope, or resonate with you the most.
  3. What does Paul do before he begins this prayer?

a. Paul first prays that – according to the riches of God’s glory that we may be strengthened in our inner being with power through the Holy Spirit. The main thing he asks is for the church/people to be strengthened in power, but how is that accomplished? First, we can see that the power is according to the riches of God’s glory. Think for a moment about how powerful, vast, all knowing, and all containing God is. Imagine everything God has created and spoken life into. This is the same power that God is strengthening us with. Second, we are strengthened with power through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the third part of the trinity and has always been present, but until the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we could not be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. And now Paul is praying for this power to fill us and strengthen us to do mighty works for the Lord.

i. Have you experienced the power of the Holy Spirit?
ii. Read Acts 1:8 to hear Christ speak of the power and purpose of the Holy Spirit.

b. Secondly Paul asks that Christ may dwell in the hearts of believers as they are rooted and grounded in love.

i. Read John 3:16, Deuteronomy 6:4-9, and Luke 10:27 – what do these scriptures say about love?
ii. Why is it important that Christ Dwell in our hearts? Before the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the presence of God only dwelt in a physical temple. During the reign of King Solomon in the Old Testament the temple, or The Tabernacle was built according to instructions from God so that His presence could dwell there. When King Solomon built the temple, the Spirit of God powerfully descended upon the temple, filling it and even overflowing out of it. But God’s presence remained in the physical building accessible to only a select few. God is now offering us this same gift and presence. When Christ died the curtain that separated us from the presence of God in was torn in two, and it became possible for Christ to dwell in all of us. We, both individually and the church body, are now the temples or Tabernacles where God dwells, representing God here on earth. But we must be prepared for Christ to dwell within us, offering Him a Holy and surrendered place.
iii. Do you feel as though you are offering Christ a holy place to dwell in? If not, what changes can you make in your life to help you get there? (Ephesians 4:17-5:5 has some suggestions if needed)
iv. Why do you think it is important for the church to be rooted in love? Do you think Christians show love like we should?

Part 2 – Ephesians 3:18-19

  1. Read Ephesians 3:18-19 – slowly and sit and bask in the depths of God’s love and power.
  2. This is the second part of Paul’s prayer and in it he illuminates the majesty, power, might and glory of God. Why do you think it was important for the church fully comprehend, experience and know the breadth, length, height and depths of God’s love and power?

Earlier it was mentioned that Paul wrote this prayer to help strengthen the church from both internal and external factors that would come against it. Ephesus was a major influential city in the Roman empire, and it was also a center of Pagan worship. Ephesus was deemed the guardian of the temple for the pagan god Artemis, and many of the converts to Christianity used to practice some form of pagan worship. Which meant that they purchased icons and statues, and spent money on other forms of worship. And when they stopped buying those items, the people that profited from their sin became very mad. So mad that an angry mob chased Paul out of the 25,000 seat stadium in the temple for Artemis several years before he wrote this letter. While Paul left, the churches and Christians who had converted had to remain in this hostile environment every day.

In addition to the people in and around Ephesus, Paul knew that the church would also have to live through the persecution of the Roman government. Paul was writing this letter while sitting in a Roman prison for preaching the gospel, and many other Christians had already been tortured, imprisoned, and even killed for preaching the gospel. The Romans saw themselves as gods, and any devotion that came before devotion to Rome was a threat to them and Pax Romana, or Roman peace and control. And the Ephesians and south Asia would not be spared from their violent rule.

Lastly, Paul prayed this prayer so that the church might be unified where there once had been discord. Paul was called to preach to the Gentiles, but many Jewish people had converted to Christianity and were not always welcoming to the Gentiles. Prior to Christ there as a lot of hostility between the Jews and Gentiles and this did not disappear once they were converted. Some Jews thought the gospel was just for them, while others expected Gentiles to continue to uphold strict Jewish rules and principles in order to become Christians. Paul had to remind them that they were one in Christ, brothers and sisters under a new Covenant. They were under one God and one Church, and that the old had to pass away as they became a new family.

And this new family, this new church of believers needed a prayer and a reminder of the all powerful, all knowing, expansive God that they served. They needed to know in their minds and hearts that their God was bigger and more powerful than any human or pagan god could ever be, and that they needn’t worry about these earthly attacks. There was no government authority, ruler or business person that could stand a chance against their God. They needed to live and breathe that truth from the depths of their being so that they could withstand the trials and tribulations they would face. They also needed to deeply know and experience the love of Christ in a way that would make every division amongst them fall away. Because when you act out of the overwhelming love of Christ it changes you. Paul reminds them that the love of Christ is so vast that we will never understand it, but we must try. Especially when it concerns our brothers and sisters in Christ. And Paul reminds us that we can and must pray for these things.

  1. What are some of the issues facing the church today? How can this prayer help them?
  2. Take some time now to contemplate the vastness of God’s power and love. Sit in it, reflect upon it, experience it in a mighty way. Let it overcome and overwhelm you until it cannot be contained. Let this love be your driving force as you grow deeper and deeper in Christ.

Questions for Reflection & Summary

  1. As you read through this prayer again, what one thing stands out to you the most?
  2. After reading this prayer, have you realized areas in your life that need to change? Have you been influenced by the world too much lately? Are you letting outside forces weaken your faith? Are you upset with another brother or sister? How can you take these to God in prayer?
  3. How can you pray specifically for our country and the Church to be more loving and kind, more filled with the power of God, and a true place for Christ to dwell?

Download a printable version of this Bible study:

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April 2023 Devotional: Planted in Joy

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By Captain Aimee Docherty
Retired Officer’ Representative & Order of the Silver Star – Southern California Division

I know I’m not alone in this. I know I’m not the only one who took on some sort of new activity during the Pandemic because we were home all the time. While some took on running, or cleaning the garage out, or perhaps even knitting…I took on gardening. I took these little seeds, lovingly germinated them in the Instant Pot and planted them in the freshly toiled soil in my raised garden bed that my husband built for me. I took great pleasure in watching my baby plants sprout. It was a process that took patience. Every day I would stroll out in the morning with my cup of coffee and watch for signs of the little green sprouts which would become my cucumbers, beans, peas, or my favorite…a perfect little pumpkin. I gently tugged any weed out that threatened my baby seedlings. Faithfully watering them throughout the long dry Summer. Allowing the water to seep deep to the little seeds, even when I wasn’t sure what was going on under the ground and whether they had survived the planting process. I was intentional and careful with my “plant babies” watching them grow and flourish with a happy heart, and then harvesting my precious garden with so much care. It was so satisfying and joy giving.

And then a whole year passed, and this Summer arrived, and things have changed again. The pandemic has seemingly gone away, and we are no longer home all the time together. Instead, we are busier and our hearts are distracted by all of the things in our lives that have so easily snuck back into our lives. So, what of my garden this year? Well, it’s not so lovingly tended any more. I’ve no seeds that I’ve germinated planted with care. I’ve not planted, visited, watered, and lovingly tended. You would imagine that my garden might be barren, empty, and full of weeds. And it might be so…

However…All the work I invested in my garden last year has allowed seeds that I didn’t purposely plant to spring back to life. My marigolds, which last year I had planted to prevent pests, came back in full bloom all over the whole garden making my garden a lush wonderland! The strawberry plants which had failed last year came back to thrive! We have gorgeous strawberries to eat without investing a moments work! I even have one little pea plant which has made its way back all on its own, sprouting and growing, and maybe it might even produce some yummy peas in time. Of course, the weeds made their way back too, so I’ve managed to spend a few moments weeding here and there. By investing those minutes in weeding I’ve been rewarded with a flourishing garden that has allowed my heart to flourish as well.

As our hearts and lives get busier with post pandemic life, what will we allow to take root and flourish in our hearts? It’s surprisingly easy to fall back into that distracted state of busyness. Lack of focus in any one area because we are busy in all the areas. God falls into the back seat because we’re too distracted to notice. Our hearts become hardened, and the weeds pop up taking root. We’re no longer intentional in caring for the garden of our hearts. Worry, anxiety, anger, frustration, disappointment begin to take root and flourish. But, just like my surprise garden, God is there. Working. Waiting. Seeking our attention. Calling us by name. When we stop and look to see what He has to whisper into our hearts we will discover the joy and love that He has for us. The words of His love are like those strawberries on the plants I didn’t tend, waiting to be harvested. The beautiful Marigolds like the work of His hands are blossoming everywhere in front of my eyes, but will I stop, rest, and soak in their beauty? Will I stop to recognize the work of His hands? He is inviting us into His presence. He is calling us, come to Him so that He can fill our hearts with the joy that we seek so that our heart will flourish in His beauty.

In John 7: 37-38 Jesus extends an invitation to our dry gardens “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

Let’s take a deep drink and allow the waters of His love to refresh our soil, bathe our dry roots, and restore our wilting hearts. Let’s take a deep drink and find healing and wholeness where we feel dry and distracted, let’s take a deep drink and find love blossom in replacement of anger, let’s take a deep drink of His water and find Salvation take root and grow in the unlikeliest places. Let’s take a deep drink and allow our garden to blossom and bloom so that others can see His work in our lives and might know His beauty.

Download a printable version of this devotional:

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March 2023 Flourish Newsletter

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Life can sometimes be hard and painful. Flourishing through the tests and trials seasons is what this month’s newsletter focuses on.

And we know that in all things God works for the good for those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Download this month’s issue:

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March 2023 Bible Study: Faith to Tackle the Storms

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By Major Nancy Halverson
Denver Citadel, CO – Intermountain Division

It was 4:31 a.m. on January 17,1994 when the scariest “storm” of my life jolted us awake. It was an earthquake that caused a lot of damage throughout Southern California, and a lot of damage to our sense of security. As we felt the shaking and heard the groaning of the house, for a moment, I was scared we weren’t going to survive. For days we felt the effects of that earthquake with numerous aftershocks, it was a scary time that affected us emotionally and mentally. Luckily, the physical cleanup at the house was not too hard for us, but the emotions and fear left behind was harder to sweep away. We had to turn to our faith in God to walk us through the aftereffects of the “storm”.

Storms, trials, struggles, are a part of life that we all experience. Do you hold onto your faith through them? Do they make your faith stronger for the next storm? Are you walking through a storm right now where you need to put your faith into action?

As a Christian God is deeply invested in your spiritual growth. He uses the storms of life to wean you from dependence on yourself. He’ll intentionally put you in situations where you need to trust Him more fully.
Consider three passages from Matthew as you consider how God is trying to build your faith through the storms of life.

1. Faith that Follows where Jesus leads

As we grow up, the best way we learn is by following the example of someone else. In many cases that is our parents. When we learned how to tie our shoes, or cross the street safely or to cook, we likely didn’t do it on our own, but followed closely as they showed us what to do. In this text the disciples are learning and growing in their faith by following where Jesus leads. They followed Jesus as he led for three years, but in this instance, it was into a storm.

Read Matthew 8:23-27

23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” 26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. 27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Jesus led the disciples onto the boat. At this point they believed in Him, and they obviously trusted him to lead them, otherwise they would not have followed. It is one thing to believe in something, it’s another to trust and even more to obey. We need all these to follow Christ. We must be willing to trust and obey Christ as Lord of all things in our lives. Our faith is built up when we follow where Jesus leads no matter where that takes us. Sometimes it is into a storm, but our faith tells us that Jesus is there with us in it. In this passage Jesus was asleep on the boat. This is an example that we can live by.

“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8

  • Is there somewhere right now you’re afraid to follow Jesus because it might be into a storm?

2. Faith that Follows when Jesus Tells you to Go

The beginning of our faith journey is like learning to walk as a baby. We depend a lot on our parents to help us, pick us up and keep encouraging us to try again. When we’ve been walking in our faith for a little while we become like teenagers. As a teenager, sometimes we just need to listen to what we are told to do because it’s what’s best for us. Now we look at a time after the disciples have been walking with Jesus for a while and He sends them out without Him.

Read Matthew 14:22-33

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Jesus MADE the disciples get into the boat without Him. He knowingly and purposely sent them into the storm, it was no accident. They could have refused but instead they obeyed the word of the Lord. During this storm they did not have the luxury of waking Jesus to help them because he wasn’t there. He let them struggle in the storm for hours in their own strength before he came to them on the water. When he showed up, he did not explain anything, he just offered his presence in the storm. Here he showed them his power over creation and control over chaos not just from within the boat but outside the boat as well.
When they realize that it was Jesus, Peter makes a bold move and asks to meet Jesus in the tumult. Jesus tells him to come but doesn’t calm the storm for Peter. In faith and obedience Peter walks on the water, but then he becomes scared by the wind. He takes his eyes off Jesus and begins to sink. Jesus asks Peter why he doubted, He does not question Peter’s faith, for he stepped out of the boat and obeyed Jesus’ words.

Here, Jesus is stretching and growing Peter’s faith through his obedience. The disciples are slowly learning to trust when Jesus is with them in the boat AND now when they are unaware of his presence in the storm. This story holds the promise that Jesus comes to us during the storm and reminds us we need not be afraid because He is present with us. We need only to trust and obey.

This is the story of every Christian. Our story too, as we move back and forth between doubt and faith, sometimes focused on the storm and sometimes focused on Jesus.

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Psalm 56:3

  • In what situation in your life do you need to put your faith to work and step out in obedience?

3. Faith that is Tested

How do we know when we’ve truly learned something and grown in our knowledge of a subject? In school we had tests to determine whether we were learning and growing in knowledge. Sometimes we did well and sometimes we did not. Do you recall a time when you did not pass a test?

So, too, as we grow in our faith, we will be tested in many circumstances. The disciples faced many kinds of tests of their faith during their time with Jesus. As they’re nearing the end with Jesus, they will face one of the biggest tests of all.

Read Matthew 26:31-35

31 Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:
“‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’[a]
32 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” 33 Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” 34 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” 35 But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.

The disciples had been growing in their faith as they travelled with and served alongside Jesus. Peter’s walk of faith is shown throughout the gospels as he tries, learns, and fails. In this Scripture portion we see his confidence in himself, but he seems to forget that on his own he is weak. We, too, must learn to trust God’s strength for help in every situation. Our faith is consistently tested as we weather the storms of life. We can be confident only when we look to Him for our strength.

God allows testing because He knows we need trials to deepen our roots and our relationship with Him. If things are easy, we are quite content to just drift along. We go to church, pick up our Bible now and again, and hang out with others who call themselves Christians. We consider ourselves strong, mature, and a prize among God’s saints. However, our roots are actually shallow. Unless we are tested, they will remain shallow. If you talk to people who have been through great trials, they will often tell you how much their faith grew during that time. When they were at their weakest, they had to trust most fully. And that is when they found the Lord to be most faithful.

Recently, I experienced a time where my faith was tested. May of 2020 my husband and I were told that we would be moving to a new appointment. It was in the beginning of COVID, in the height of uncertainty and fear. I asked God over and over to change this situation. When moves were announced nothing had changed, so we began preparing to move, yet hoping that God would change the outcome. I had to either accept that God wanted me to walk in obedience and faith on the path that lay ahead of me or step out of that path toward something else. It was a decision we struggled with and though we accepted that path we continued to struggle with the decision. I’ve felt like a caterpillar during these past two years. I’m in the cocoon where I’m supposed to be but struggling with the process before turning into a butterfly. I feel like I’ve been battered a bit by this storm, but God continues to work in my life as we go through it. He has shown His presence in it and I’m thankful because I couldn’t do it without Him.

Peter went through a serious testing as Jesus was taken away. He had been so confident that he would never desert Jesus but when the time came, he gave in to fear and denied the Lord. Peter wasn’t the only one who faltered that night. The other disciples ran away. This test of faith was a hard one, but it brought the disciples to even greater faith that would lead them to do great things for the building of God’s kingdom and the church. Even when we fail, God is there to restore us when we come back to him. As long as we don’t turn our backs completely, if we repent, God will restore us and our faith will grow stronger through the storm.

Song #498 in the Salvation Army songbook talks about different aspects of faith. Verse 4 says:

“The faith that cannot fail,
That makes salvation sure,
Anchored within the heavenly veil,
The faith that will endure.”

  • Can you think of a time when your faith was tested? How did you hold up, did you fail or come through it stronger?

No matter what storms you might be going through, hold fast to your faith that cannot fail. It is a faith that will endure and will be strengthened by the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. With God, your faith can tackle any storm, nothing is impossible with Him.

Download a printable version of this Bible study:

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