SOIL of your SOUL

I was hesitant in my DIRECTION with moving ahead in the
Blue Book

{as I indicated on my last blog post towards the end of it}

However, we continued with our One Word focus with the 4 word phrase:
SOIL of your SOUL
this metaphor is used to describe the
"spiritual health and potential growth within a person"
SOIL often is used spiritually to represent
the human heart or SOUL, and the human condition
JESUS
gives us an illustration of 4 different types of soils in His 
"Parable of The Sower"
in Mark 4
[which we spent 3 days this week reading]
So, this is the week in review ... kinda

... SOILS: the path where birds eat up the seed; rocky ground where there isn't much soil for the seeds to put down roots; thorny patches where the cares of the world choke out the seeds; and the good soil that brings forth a harvest ...

In the Parable of the Sower, the "good soil" signifies a receptive heart, while the other "SOILS" represent different levels of spiritual readiness.

For most of us, we have understood these different levels and the impact of 

external influences: like birds or thorns, rocks & weeds that hinder our growth

Perhaps"Seed, Soil and Spirituality"will help you more than I cannot being a "gardener"I have very little knowledge of earthly gardens or planting.
I'm sure many of you are much more qualified to write a blog post about
SOIL or SOULS
and that I'm "preaching to the choir" and not the
SOULS
of any who need my tending or words but the
SOULS
 that know much more than I about cultivating
BUT 
GOD, the Master Gardener 
 wants us to Invite Him to Cultivate our SOULS
at least that's what
I've seen and experienced throughout my life
God preparing the SOIL of my heart
then God enriching the *SOIL of my *SOUL[*Bible Hub links]

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:16-20

And the connection this has with one of my 2025 One Words: ABIDE

"... Like a vine connected to roots, Jesus is our direct connection to God. He clarifies that because He is in the Father, good things will grow as we abide in Him. He explained in John 14:11, “I am in the Father and the Father is in me,” and then in John 15:4, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” "

Nurturing our SOULS and tending to other's SOULS calls for:
Preparation (tilling & fertilizing) with daily practices ofprayer, reflection & seeking guidance
Cultivation (similar to tending to a garden) our spirit needs thenurturing of positive qualities & developing virtues as weactively engage in spiritual disciplines & practices
and our
Responsibility to keep tending to the SOIL of our SOULS ensuringit remains fertile and capable of growth,mindful of our thoughts & actions,actively choosing to cultivate positive habits & qualities
{excuse me for being judgmental, but looking at the condition of our nation, our world; WE have not been tending very well to the garden of many SOULS; in my opinion,many seeds have fallen in "thorny patches", "rocky paths" and apparently"the birds" have been gathering much of the good seed & robbing the SOIL of growing a good harvest, because there is far too muchnegativity and cruelty - and I daily see many "weeds" crowding out life and fruit of the Spirit in our SOULS}
🙏
Each day of the week

" Father,      Allow the soil of my soul to be a place that is fertile and receptive to all that You desire to plant in my heart.  Tend it carefully and nurture all that has sprung up in me that is of You; {and please weed out what should not be there} that I may be a garden of Your delight. Through Jesus. Amen"(JLB)

{my insert between the brackets, but it's taken care of in this next one}

... "Grow Your good grace in me, O God.  Make me receptive to the ways that You water and tend this garden of my heart.  Prune me where I need pruning, nurture me where I need nurturing, weed me where I need weeding, and care for me tenderly where I need Your tender care.  I love You, O Gardner of my soul.  In the tenderness of Jesus.  Amen. (JLB) 2014

Weekly Scripture Readings (p.274)

Monday Mark 4:1-20; Tuesday Mark 4:26-29; Wednesday Mark 4:30-32; Thursday Matthew 13:24-30; Friday John 12:20-28; Saturday Isaiah 5:1-7; Sunday 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

I am so glad I continued in this DIRECTION with SOIL of my SOULbecause my SOUL was thirstyand the SOIL was drying up!

[Timeless Hebrew Tunes: Empty Vessel - Psalm 51]
"BE STILL MY SOUL (in You I Rest)" Kari Jobe
💚 "Be Still" Kari Jobe 💚
{I meant to post this on Weds.}