Good Morning Garden

Most people feel intuitively that the simplest things in life are the most important, or, if you prefer, that the most important things in life are found to be the simplest. This is a very profound discovery. What is more important to us than breathing, for instance?

Another simple thing that is of great moment is a smile. A smile affects your whole body from the skin right in to the skeleton, including all blood vessels, nerves, and muscles. It affects the functioning of every organ. It influences every gland. Even one smile often relaxes a number of muscles, and when the thing becomes a habit you can easily see how the effect will mount up. Last year’s smiles are paying you dividends today.

The effect of a smile on other people is no less remarkable. It disarms suspicion, melts away fear and anger, and brings forth the best in the other person – which best he immediately proceeds to give to you.

A smile is to personal contacts what oil is to machinery, and no intelligent engineer ever neglects lubrication.

Rejoice evermore (1 Thessalonians 5:16).

Brothers and sisters,

Smiling on,
Z gardener

Of what does the consecrated life consist?

Your life is a consecrated one when you are ready at all times to do the will of God – when you are willing and anxious that God may be fully expressed through you, through your thoughts, words, and deeds, during every hour of the day.

You are not concerned with the question of results. Results belong to God.

Here am I; send me (Isaiah 6:8).

Are we really willing and anxious to go where God sends us? For God to fully express his will through us, we must empty out the self and replace it with God’s spirit, will and consciousness. This is a very hard thing to accomplish, and it takes most of us all our lives to get there. To put God and others before ourselves turns every human instinct on its head. Turning the other cheek, forgiving the transgressor, serving instead of being served and giving away our treasures are all hard things to do. But the reward is priceless.

Being sent,
Z gardener

Man controls his own life. The Bible says that God has given him “dominion over all things,” and this is true when he understands the Truth; and the Truth is that our outer conditions – your environment – are not cause; they are effect. You are not happy because you are well. You are well because you are happy. You do not have faith because things are going well. They are going well because you have faith. You are not depressed because trouble has come to you, but trouble has come because your realization of the Truth had first fallen off.

The secret of life then is to control your mental states. To accept sickness, trouble, and failure as unavoidable, and perhaps inevitable, is folly, because it is this very acceptance by you that keeps these evils in existence. Man is not limited by his environment. He creates his environment by his beliefs and feelings. To suppose otherwise is like thinking that the tail can wag the dog.

If you have been thinking that outer conditions are stronger that you are, say to yourself: “Tail wags dog” and immediately reverse the belief.

… who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? (Galatians 5:7).

All we experience inwardly and outwardly is a result of our mental state. That is not to say that the death or illness of a friend is caused by our attitude. It does mean that how we react and respond to that death is purely a mental state, and that is what determines our environment. All “objective reality” is subject to our mental states, and most of it is created by some past decision, perspective or action. We are where we are, as a result of our thoughts and the words and deeds that flow from them, much more than the environment in which we operate.

Living the truth,
Z gardener

There is no use in merely saying that everything will be all right. Thinking rightly, of course, means putting God into all your affairs and expecting him to change them. For example, if you are living in a shack it is not any good pretending that it is a palace. Cheap optimism is never spiritual. Realize that you are living in a shack, but claim the Presence of God to guide you to something better.

Teach me the way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path … (Psalm 27:11).

Thinking rightly is the gateway to positive change. That does not mean we can change things by thinking they are are changed. It does mean changing the way we think to reflect God’s will. When we alter the way we think in order to become loving, giving, patient, tolerant, faithful and the other traits required by our faith, then we can expect our circumstances to change for the better. Just saying we believe is not enough. We must change our thinking and our behavior so God can then lead us to our true garden.

Being taught,
Z gardener

Try this experiment today. Select one particular thing in your life that is not going well and you wish to make right. Next consider the matter in the light of your knowledge of God and of prayer. Realize that this thing cannot remain inharmonious or negative once you know the Truth about it. Realize that you are now knowing the Truth and claim that the divine Power in you is now healing the condition completely and permanently.

Then give thanks. Remember that praise and thanksgiving are the most powerful prayers of all.

The next day, repeat your thanksgiving, until the answer comes.

In between prayers you must keep your thought right concerning the problem. This is vital. All-day-long guiding of your thought cannot fail to bring your demonstration.

My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord (Psalm 104:34).

When we effectively contemplate any problem in light of our faith in and understanding of God, it will yield. The hard part of this is accepting the blessing hidden in our pain, frustration, fear or faults. Yet God’s unbreakable promise is that our faith and trust in God will bring us to our best good.

In sweet and glad meditation,
Z gardener

When your knees are knocking together, and you do not know which way to turn – think of God and His goodness.

When prosperity seems out of the question – give thanks for God’s abundance.

When you want peace of mind – dwell upon the Presence of God.

When your health is under par – speak the healing Word.

When you need inspiration – browse through the Bible.

When the situation seems to need a miracle – remember that nothing is too difficult for God, and the He is performing miracles every day.

I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee (Joshua 1:5).

When we center our thoughts, wills, consciousness, spirits and feelings on God, all else falls into place. Whether expressing gratitude, looking for help, facing the insurmountable or just getting through a big job, we find our surety and protection in communion with God. Whatever our needs or fears, God can and will provide for our best good. Sometimes we may have to endure that which we dislike, but God will always provide that which we need if we just ensure that our lives revolve around our relationship with God. In communion with God, our lives become the garden we lost so long ago, but is now made available to us again through our Lord, Jesus.

Leaning on the Lord,
Stan

The Bible tells us that God can heal us, that He can deliver us from our destructions, that He lifts up the weak, that He leads and guides us. But just how much can God do? Well, God can do almost anything. That may sound strange to those who have been taught that with God all things are possible. But there are some things that God cannot do, and it is fortunate for us that this is true.

God is a God of love and rules by principle, and because this is so, He cannot change His nature. He cannot break divine law. He cannot bring disease, or suffering, or lack.

He is always the loving Father, ready to hear and answer prayer.

How much can God do? He can bring heaven here and now – not by breaking the law, which is impossible to God – but by fulfilling it.

Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law (Psalm 119:18).

As this writer and his son hiked the Appalachian wilderness last week, our eyes were opened to see how much God can do. In the most literal sense God delivered us from our destructions, lifted us up when we were we weak, led and guided us when we lost our way, And in the process, God brought us heaven here and now. God opened our eyes, hearts, souls and minds to to behold many wondrous things in the garden created for us. And upon homecoming, reacquainted us with the beautiful garden to which we returned enlightened, encouraged and emboldened.

God can,
Stan