Three Years and 1550 Blogs Later: Fig Trees and a Look at How Far We've Come

{NOTE: I expected to have Sam's project ready to announce this morning. My blog's ready to go, but the project page (photos, links, donate button) isn't ready yet. I expect them to be ready in a few hours... What better way to celebrate my anniversary than to help others? I hope to make the announcement mid-day today. Please check back.}
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"Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:19 esv

Just over three years ago, I was happily practicing medicine. Things were going exactly according to my master plan, when I began to think God wanted to expand my borders. It turned out that He wasn't just expanding  borders, He was about to rock my world.

It started with a blog. I didn't know what a blog was, and I certainly didn't know how to start a blog. When that Still Small Voice whispered, "Google it," I thought I might be in for an adventure.

I was.

I wrote twice a day. Learned how to tell a story. How to organize my thoughts and write fast. How to write accurately and decrease the typos. 

Today marks three years since that first blog post that changed my life. You, my precious readers, have encouraged me, responded to my words, allowed them to change you. You've become a part of me, and I'm better for it. 

1,550 posts later, I know at my core that I was born to be a story teller, but I wouldn't be here without you, the sweet people who've read my blog, liked and shared posts, left comments, given encouragement. You helped me keep writing, because writers need readers. I'm grateful to God for you. Thank you. 

This is a day for remembering my beginnings and celebrating what God has done, so here's my first blog post. (It didn't have a picture, but I've added one.)

What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming? Because if it’s deadwood, it goes on the fire.” (Luke 3:9 MSG)

The fig tree at my home has been there for decades. When I first moved there, it bore a few figs, but gradually the yield was less and less. After a few years, there was essentially no yield at all. As the fig  count waned, my frustration with the tree grew. Nothing I did helped it. 

Finally, I just cut it down, nearly to the ground. Imagine my surprise a few years later when Sam, my farm worker, said, "Hey, have you seen that tree you cut down? It's loaded with figs!"

I'm not an expert on trees, but it seemed clear to me that all the non-productive parts of that tree needed to go. A severe pruning (to the ground) saved it.

It's easy for us to allow dead wood to accumulate in our lives, isn't it? It's not so much that it looks dead as that its non-productive. When I prune, I lop off the branches that look diseased, but also the ones that don't bear fruit. 

In our lives, it's not just the sin and hurt (diseased branches) that need to go. Those things in our lives that do not make us more like Jesus or demonstrate the love of Christ to a lost and dying world may need to go too.

Just about anything can be deadwood in our lives. I have a friend who says she didn't have time for Bible study until one day she realized how much time she spent reading the newspaper every morning. When she stopped beginning her day with the news and started it with the Good News through Bible study, she found she had plenty of time for God, and now has a life that bears much fruit for him.

Just about anything can end up being deadwood because it keeps us from doing what Christ intended. Internet browsing, Pinterest, Facebook, shopping can all be good things. They can also be time-stealers that keep us from something better.


What is the deadwood in your life? 

Take a serious look at your life today and at all the activities you include. 

Does it make you more like Jesus? 

Does it demonstrate Christ to a world that is perishing? 

If not, it's time for some pruning. Choose today to have a life that is "green and blossoming", then do whatever it takes to get there.
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Here's a hint about Sam's big project:

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In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: When Hope Came to Hope 

#celebrate #Christian

Being Altogether Joyful

In the midst of Deuteronomy's chapters about the law and punishment for disobedience is a chapter about feasts and parties. The Jewish year began and ended with feasts and celebrations before the Lord.

The first month, known as Abib (the Canaanite name) or Nisan (the Jewish name) is in early Spring. (March/April). In the month of Abib/Nisan, they were to celebrate the Passover. For the Christian, this is a reminder of Christ's sacrifice on the cross for our sins. 

For seven days, they were to eat only Unleavened Bread. All leaven was to be purged from their houses. This was a symbolic purging of sin and represents the importance of not just repenting of our sin but turning from it. It was to be celebrated with a solemn assembly. (A worship service and time of both individual and corporate repentance)

I fear that, as believers, we are often a little like Scarlett O'Hara; not terribly sorry we sinned, but very sorry we were "caught" and have consequences for that sin.

Repentance involves not just saying sorry, but allowing God to remove our sin from us, so that we stop doing the sin of which we have repented.

The Feast of Booths was celebrated at the end of Tishri, after the autumn harvest. The week-long celebration was a reminder of the years of living in tents in the wilderness on the journey from Egypt. I love how this feast is described.

"Seven days you shall celebrate a feast to the Lord your God... 

because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce 

and in all the works of your hands, so that you shall be altogether joyful." 

Deuteronomy 16:15 nasb

Over the course of the year, the people would have several feasts that reminded them of their slavery in Egypt, the deliverance of God, and His abundant provision. They would symbolically remember the price of sin and celebrate removing that sin from their lives.

At the end of the year, they would celebrate the deliverance of God and His ongoing provision. 

Remembering the past was done to bring rejoicing for the future. Celebrating the removal of sin prepared the way to rejoice over the purity only God could provide.

They were to plan, in advance, for a celebration of the abundant provision of God because it would be given. They didn't have to worry or be afraid. God promised to bless them in their produce and in every work they did with their hands. 

The blessings of God were not simply to give them enough to eat. The blessings of God were to result in complete and total joy.

Jesus began His ministry on earth at a wedding celebration (a party) and His last time with his disciples before His crucifixion was spent celebrating Passover (another feast/party). 

We serve a God who delights in celebration. In rejoicing. In total joy.

We, as followers of Christ, should be the most joyful of people, for we have much to celebrate. 

Christ has come. Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ is coming again.

Let us live as those who have been redeemed, so that the world can see the joy only God can give. Rejoice today, for our God is a Holy, Mighty, Good God and He is able to deliver and provide. 

Be sure to check the updated Prayer List 

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In case you missed one of the past week's posts, here are the links:   Faith and Hope: We Do Not Wait Alone, God Uses Everything, Even Manwich, The Angel-Talk: Fear Not, How Will We Respond to God: Fear or Faith?, The Infinite Pi and the One Who Created It, What God Requires, Casting Stones, Forgiving, and Forgetting

 #celebrate #altogetherjoyful #feast #faithlife #linesfromleanna #leannahollis

The Healing Party

It was incredibly busy at work. The schedule was jam-packed, but somehow I managed to get all the patients seen and spend a little time with every person. 

I had finally made it to the last patient of the day. By that point I was pretty tired, so I was hoping for a wound that was doing well and that did not need a procedure. 

When I walked in, he was smiling and said, "I think it's gonna look really good when you get through cutting." 

Yep. It was going to need a procedure. 

I sat down and got started. One of my favorite things in this world is to gently cut away the dead tissue and find healthy tissue beneath. Even better (but rare) is to find intact skin under all the dead tissue. I worked slowly as I cleared away the debris of the wound. A thick callus had also developed, and needed to go. 

As I cleared the callus, I realized that there was some good skin. The nurse saw my smile and leaned over for a look, but I quickly covered the wound. "Nope. No peeking until I'm done."  Another few minutes, and all the dead tissue and thick callus were removed. In their place was fragile but healthy skin. Intact skin. 

I could hardly believe it! We had been working on this wound for years. Most of that time, we'd been trying to convince the patient about the importance of decreasing the pressure on his foot and getting proper nutrition, especially protein. A few months ago, he finally understood, began following recommendations, and had enjoyed a steady improvement ever since. 

"See what you think," I said. He pulled his foot up, got a good look, and let out a whoop! "I told you it would look good when you got through cutting!!" He was laughing and smiling. 

A spontaneous healing party erupted. 

He was whooping, I was clapping, and my nurse was laughing at us both. We took pictures of the wound, pictures of patient and physician together, congratulated each other, and laughed some more! We shared the photos with every staff person in our clinic. He was as thrilled as could be. 

I may have written this before, but it's worth repeating:

What I don't understand about the body of Christ is why we don't get that excited about spiritual healing.  

When I give something to Jesus and manage to leave it with Him, I'm pretty happy. 

Celebrating is such fun to me that I celebrate something almost every day anyway, but I also celebrate what Christ does for me and in me with my friends. 

I hardly ever see a spontaneous "I gave up bitterness" celebration, though. 

If there has ever been an "I gave up unforgiveness" party, I was not invited. 

Is our failure to celebrate spiritual healing because we aren't allowing healing, we don't want to admit we needed healing, or that we don't think a healed heart is a miracle worth celebrating? 

I'd really like to know.  

Here's my challenge to you. 

Let Jesus heal something. 

Anything. 

Let Him have a hurt, some bitterness or unforgiveness, jealousy, greed. Let Him have anything really, as long as it's something you need to be rid of and can't do yourself. When He does it, rejoice and find someone who will rejoice with you! Have a celebration. 

I think you'll find such joy in the healing and the expressions of gratitude that you will want to give Jesus something else, just because it's fun!  

(photo courtesy of freeimages.com)

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If you've been touched or encouraged by this post, please share it. Your likes and shares, offered as a kind of digital mission work, greatly increase our reach.

In case you missed yesterday's post, here's the link: The High Maintenance Missionary and the Frontal Assault 

#prayer