Ellen Chauvin | Soaked & Sprouting

Soaked in God's Word, Sprouting Seeds of Faith

Thankful for All God’s Creatures

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November begins at a leisurely pace and then escalates exponentially, rolling right into the December holiday rush. That’s why I like to take a minute to enjoy pictures I’ve taken throughout the year. Rather than spending time writing new blog posts, I browse through my pictures, slow down, and reflect on the memories. They remind me of the many reasons I have to be thankful to God. I hope you enjoy them, too!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Then God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that crawl, and the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. So God made the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that crawl on the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:24–25 CSB

 

 

Are Mushrooms Growing in the Soil of Your Heart?

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Restless, that’s what I was. It was so hot outside this past summer, that even the mosquitoes weren’t moving. But I needed to get out of the house. I grabbed the camera, and went on a field trip in my own yard. Funny, the things you see when you open your eyes!

This first thing that caught my eye was a lot of mushrooms growing in the yard. The mushrooms had sprouted after a recent rainfall. But there were TONS of them!

Did you know that mushrooms are the tip of a fungus that lies buried under the soil? A fungus grows by breaking down organic matter. In a lawn, that organic material could be buried timber, a stump, or tree or shrub roots that remain underground after plants have been removed. Who knew?

We had cut down a very large pin oak. It was sucking all the moisture out of the ground, possibly causing foundation damage to our house. After a time, the mushrooms even sprouted on the stump. 

Think about it. A nasty fungus, breaking down something that shouldn’t be there, and making it more useful. 

It reminds me of what James said:

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials…” James 1:2 (NASB)

James knew nasty, stanky, fungus-filled trials can produce endurance. The bad, producing good; the mushrooms of life, making the soil of our heart more productive. 

Grace be with you,