A Song of Hope

Posted by Teen Bean

I am listening to this song as I pray this Monday Morning... there is a part where the singer just yell/sings "THERE IS HOPE!"

then just repeats and repeats and repeats .... "YOU'RE THE LOVE"

It just reminded me how any bit of love I get to experience... from my husband, my friends, my family, my neighbors... its all a reflection, a bit, a glimpse of this great love, Gods great love for me (and for you)....

and it brings such hope in all things.... hope... I love that word. It puts such goose bumps on my skin. All those things I desire to be put right, to be good, to be more.... they can and will happen... that is what hope is...

Have a listen and let Hope and Jesus Love truly wash over you! :D


Only 13 more days until Easter!!!


Garden Adventure #2

Posted by Teen Bean

We headed out to our allotment and planted broad beans and carrots the other day. What blew me away this time was the difference in seeds... broad beans are these massive beans that need to have aggress amounts of space on our allotment. We had to plant them 12 inches across and apart from each other and then we had to cover them with a net. Word on the street is that if we didn't do this the birds will try and snatch them up.The carrot seeds on the other hand were so tiny. We hoed long rows and then just sprinkled in bunches and then gently recovered them in the earth.

Our little allotment has so much potential at this moment.

Planting these two very different seeds made me so amazed by our world. I mean have you seen carrot seeds?? From those little things to get full huge carrots!?! Woah! And Broad Bean seeds feel soooo smooth and round, yet you get these long skinny beans!?!?

Seeds to fruits amazes me. It reminded me that often what we plant looks different from what we will harvest... but its still important that, as we plant we keep the fruit in mind. The beans are going to sprout and get big and bushy... the carrot are going to have to have a couple harvest of little baby carrots in order to let bigger carrots grow... even as we plant these seeds we must remember the fruit that we intend to harvest.

Also, it is a good reminder that small seeds are a bit less work and big seeds need more time and attention. What small seeds of good are you planting in and around your life? Sometimes it's the little things we do for the people around us that really matters the most! This is a challenge for me.. I often think the bigger the seed the bigger the fruit... but as the little allotment is teaching me, that is not always true!

And so my prayers go...

Grow Some Magic!

Posted by Teen Bean in , , , , , ,

Well, with these first few days of March comes the groggy morning stretches and yawning of our little Colchester Boiler Room Community allotment. I went out today just to have a peak at our slightly stirring, slightly snoozing patch. A few greenhouse supplies lay scattered, some winter veggies seem to be nudging their little noses out from the warm brown earth covers and the sweet morning breath of spring eagerly filled my nose. I hope to keep a little dairy of my allotmentting adventure...

Adventure 1: We are hoping to plant brussels sprouts, carrots, spinach beets, broad beans and cauliflower in the next couple of weeks. (I am told these are the hardy veggies that can still stand some of our cold english spring nights).

The carrots, spinach beet, cauliflower and broad beans will go directly in to our raise bed soil (we built and dug them over this winter).
The brussels sprouts will first get planted into a pot to make sure the coldest part of winter is really by us. (I'll report back when we get them into soil).

As I am laying out these 5 packets of seeds I am challenged to think of 5 hopeful prayers I have for my community this summer. Allotmentting is such a great prayer tool! This summer I pray:
1. To see more 20 and 30 year old on our estate fall deeper in love with Jesus and join His community
2. To meet all my neighbors and know them more then just a casual wave
3. To find and come alongside the poor in my neighborhood
4. To have 24 hours of unstopped prayer facilitated by our Colchester Boiler Room
5. To help develop the first steps of a starting a Discipleship House here in Colchester

 If you want to experience a bit of magic this spring/summer come join in planting some veggies this season... and sowing your prayers into them as well. I can testify one of the most magical things a human can experience is seeing a plant through its planting, nurturing, growing and harvesting season! And definitely one of the most miraculous experience a human can have is seeing God answer prayers. I'm so very excited to grow and see some magic!