We are one month into a new year. The first month and quarter of the year can be quite stressful especially after an election year and a new president taking helm of the nation. In fact, in conversation with the director of one of the leading funeral homes in the country, he noted that more people pass in the first quarter of the year than any other time of year, with January having the most losses and they’re not sure why.

Some people are excited and hopeful of what the year will bring, and yet others are filled with anxiety and fear around the possibly of what might be coming and they don’t know which way to turn. The Proverbial writer sends us all words of encouragement for any season in chapter 3:5-6:

V5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; V6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

First, the writer encourages us to trust in the Lord with every fiber of our being, which is the Old Testament equivalence of New Testament “faith”. In Mark 11:22 Yeshua told His disciples to have faith in God. So why should we trust in God for the direction for our lives? Well Psalms 18:30 says “As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him".

Where we place our faith or trust matters. In fact, without it, it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). And it’s not safe to lean on our own understanding. Have you ever thought you had a good understanding of something only to find out that your thoughts were way out in left field or in orbit somewhere? Just imagine, if we have this natural proclivity with natural everyday things, how easy would it be for us to miss the spiritual things of God leaning on our own understanding?

Through the pen of Isaiah (55:8-9) the Lord speaks to Israel in context and also to us down through time: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than
the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Given this information, who better to consult in all our ways than the One who has promised to direct (make plain, straight or navigate) our paths? The steps of a believer are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in His way (Psalms 37:23). Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in His ways (Psalms 128:1). Make up your mind to truly live for the Lord. A person with doubleminded or twin mind is unstable in all their ways (James 1:8). Make His Way Your Walk.

~From the desk of Pastor AZ Jones, Jr.

Although scripture tells us to seek the Lord, many saints struggle with this command. Some are so distracted by other interests and responsibilities that God is only a minuscule part of their goals and desires in life. When confronted with their responsibility to pursue him, they often feel guilty but don’t know how to begin.

When desire for the Lord surpasses our eagerness for other pursuits, following through becomes more natural. The more we pursue Him, the greater our hunger will be. However, if we ignore Him, what little appetite we have will diminish even further. Do you find that the latter describes your experience? If so, ask the
heavenly Father to whet your appetite for Him and follow through by making the effort to seek Him.

Begin with the scriptures and prayer. Set aside time each day for meditating on God’s word- listen for his voice, slowly digest what you read, talk to the Lord, ask Him questions and apply what you learn to your life. Begin studying the Bible. Some of you may say, “I’ve never been into that.” My advice: get into it! The deep things of God don’t just drop into our brains; they are placed there through diligent study.

Seeking anything requires time and effort. Will you invest your life in the pursuit of the Eternal One- the source of all contentment, joy and hope? Or will you go after that which is fleeting? By neglecting the Lord, you cheat yourself of all the benefits he promises to those who diligently seek him.

Source: Stanley, C. F. (2019). In Touch Devotional, April 2019, volume 42, 2019 (42nd ed., p. 1724). Zondervan and Thomas Nelson.

The overwhelming amount of news and chatter that floods our devices every single day tells us that the world has gone to hell. But what if I told you that it doesn’t have to be this way?What if I told you that the world is full of people like you and like me: many of whom simply need a recalibration to live with the kind of generosity and goodness they were made for?

So often, I overcomplicate being a follower of Jesus. Now, I’m grateful for all the smart people around me who have gone to seminary to help me have a clearer understanding of Jesus. But if we’re talking about keeping it simple, that’s one thing that Jesus did well. He kept it simple. If you gave someone who had never heard of Jesus one of the gospel accounts of his life let’s say the gospel of Luke—and asked them read it, they wouldn’t need a doctorate to let you know how Jesus lived and what He was all about. I’m certain after their reading of the gospel of Luke they would say Jesus was about two things: Loving God and loving people. It’s that simple for us.

Love God and love people.

If you fall in love with God, it allows you to love people in impossible ways. Jesus showed that over and over in Scripture. He simply loved. In Jesus’s humanity, He taught others how to love in simple ways as well. In John 15:12 he states it so simply: “This is my commandment. Love each other as I have loved you.”

When we take a step back, we see how Jesus did this. Throughout His ministry, He showed His love for others by blessing and serving the poor, the sick, and the distressed. I mean I don’t need to do a deep dive into theology for us to understand this part of Being Human. Now I’m not saying that loving someone can’t get complicated. But the beginning of love, the human decision to make someone feel loved, that isn’t complicated. So let’s start here, let’s keep Being Human as simple as it gets. Find ways to love God and love others.
~Carlos Whittaker

Why does loving God lead us to love people What is one way you can show your love for God through loving people this week?

Source: bible.com/reading-plans/35292/day/1?segment=0

The Sunken Garden offers beautiful floral shows, updated seasonally. This ever-changing display is as artful as it is fragrant. Perfect for a romantic walk or a curious exploration. Enjoy amazing azaleas and festive poinsettias in winter, multicolored tulips in spring, prized roses and geraniums in summer and cheery chrysanthemums in autumn. Visit our current exhibit today.

Winter Flower Show 2025
January 12- March 16
The winter flower show features a stunning display of flowering trees, shrubs, bulbs, and blooms. Pink velthiemia, dark red pansies, crimson dianthus, hibiscus, delicate poppies, fragrant sweet peas and phlox are featured in this winter display.

Spring Flower Show 2025
March 21-April 27 and May 2-June 8
The first installation of the spring flower highlights flowers in shades of lavender, light blue, pink and peach. Bulb selections include blue hyacinth, pink daffodils, purple crocus, with a blend of lavender, white, and pink tulips. Blue delphinium, peach foxglove, and pink snapdragons will complement the flowering bulbs. The second spring flower show includes purple, blue, and white flowers. Tall spires of blue delphinium and purple foxglove will be the backdrop for a cottage garden collection of flowers including calendula, stock, ageratum, and more!

Source: comozooconservatory.org

Changes in behavior always start with a radically new way of thinking because what we believe shapes what we do. The same is true of becoming more like Jesus (Romans 12:2). Therefore, in order for us to change our thinking, we must learn about the spiritual treasures that are part of our salvation—things like freedom in Christ, free access to God‘s riches, spiritual resources, the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and the immeasurable love of God. The Bible says that as followers of God, we have every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

As saints, we become more like Jesus by drawing on these Christ-given riches to enable us to behave like the new creations that we are (2 Corinthians 5:17). We determine to be humble, loving, pure, grace giving people. When we make mistakes and bad decisions, we confess our sins and repent, which keeps our relationship with the Lord strong. When we discover our weaknesses, we draw on God’s wisdom and power for help. No one can become more like Jesus without having close relationships with other believers. As the body of Christ, saints need to know one another to grow. We need a church in which fellow believers are speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) and the Bible is being preached so we know how to do good works of service in Jesus’ name (Ephesians 4:12). In addition, saints have always found that practicing spiritual disciplines-- regular bible reading, prayer, fasting, solitude and giving — provide deep insights into their own souls and open pathways into Christ-likeness.

Finally, we must reckon with God’s discipline (Hebrews 12: 6). As a loving father, God sometimes invests in our growth by allowing us to experience painful situations that arrest us in our sinfulness, reveal our weaknesses and
build into our lives a deeper reliance on Christ and His Word (Hebrew 12:4-13).

Source: (2011). NIV Quest Study Bible (p. 1724). Zondervan.