Pruning. It is a remarkable task that leads to growth, yet it is so hard to do. Wouldn’t you agree?
Recently, the Lord reminded me of the pruning I went through 12 years ago when He led me to shut down my blog and ministry dreams right when they were taking off. I was sitting in the middle of my rose garden, tending to a dozen bushes. The Lord said, “Lis, you can have lots of bushes with hardly any blooms or a few bushes with lots of blooms.” I tearfully obeyed and I am so glad because the blooms have been beautiful in the last decade.
Ironically, I am in a different house now with one pathetic-looking rose bush that the pup keeps trying to steal petals off of on the way out to the yard. I can’t help but see how this bush has been an annoying yet welcomed reminder of the timeless lesson of pruning. Yes, it is time for me to prune again, even though so much appears to be thriving, for the sake of the whole bush.
Simply put, it is time for necessary endings and new beginnings in order to embrace whole-hearted breakthrough and authentic life transformation that results in aligning with God’s best. Yes, this requires a mindset shift away from what the world values compared to what is required of us to steward our heart, mind, body, and soul needs in order to love the Lord, ourselves, and others well. What does this process look like in your life? Join me, and my treasured co-host and friend, Kalie Kelch, on this episode of the More to Be Podcast where we dive into John 15 as well as Joshua 3 and 4 to explore what God’s work looks like in our everyday lives and how to join Him in it by faith.
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Truths to Remember
What do you need to prune to gain quality over quantity? – Lisa
He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. – John 15:2
God’s grace is my strength and portion. – Lisa
God is our sustainer. – Lisa
How do you make decisions to end something when you don’t want to be a quitter. – Lisa
Don’t make a decision at high highs or low lows. Instead a decision then live with it for 30 days without announcing it or making the actual changes at that point. – Lisa
Balance isn’t about doing less. It is about doing what is best. – Lisa
Don’t prune your bush like someone else’s bush. – Lisa
Know your core values. – Lisa
God’s pruning is for the purpose of producing more fruit in our lives. – Kalie
Necessary endings lead to new beginnings. – Lisa
New beginnings are scary. – Kalie
It took the priests stepping into the water before the plan unfolded. – Kalie
“Give this command to the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant: ‘When you reach the banks of the Jordan River, take a few steps into the river and stop there.’” – Joshua 3:8 NLT
Can we rest in God’s arm, believing that He has us? – Kalie
Healing of our heart and soul takes action of our mind and body. It is a sacrifice and commitment. – Lisa
God hasn’t failed you. Period. – Lisa
“We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.” – Joshua 4:6-7
“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” – Ezekiel 36:26
Pruning does create beauty. – Lisa
Helpful Links
- Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud
- Core Values Assessment
- Learn about EMDR
- Learn More about Life Coaching
- Check out the Coach Prep Program before you commit to becoming a coach!
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