We call our home Goose Place. We have at least twenty houseplants of varying styles and personalities trailing about the house, reaching for patches of sunlight. They all survived a blistering California summer. But once winter came, I accidentally left one overnight in the backyard, and it froze to the core. Cold and crispy, the leaves turned black and shriveled. I was pretty sure it was a goner.
Then a wondrous thing happened. After a few weeks of gentle watering and a dash of foolish hope, I saw a brand new leaf unfurl at the tip—bright, green, beautiful. I couldn’t have been more surprised. Despite my neglect, this unabashedly proud little leaf burst into existence almost overnight.
It reminds me of “eucatastrophe,” a term J. R. R. Tolkien coined for a sudden, joyous turn of events. Even when all hope seems lost, something often changes the story’s end. Death in reverse. Hope restored. What comes after is nothing like what came before. There was an old way of doing things, and now there is a new way. Now, when I look at this little fiddle leaf fig, I don’t just see an ordinary houseplant—I see the power of death-reversing, hope-restoring life at work.
Our resurrected life in Christ is like this, only far better. “Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). Just as each bud draws its life from the whole plant—including that decaying yet nutrient-dense soil—each of us draws our new life from Christ’s glory.
When we stop to think about this, it’s wild. God has given us new hearts, new minds, new eyes to bear witness to His miracles. Unlike those in the Old Testament, we live in an age full of first-hand stories that speak to how the resurrection shapes our present lives. Many of these appear in Scripture, and others are happening around us. Even in our hearts!
Christ in us changes everything. We are freed from our “old self” (vv. 6–7), the version of ourselves that is unbridled and keeps us bound to sin. We are healed and restored and have the privilege of partnering with Jesus in healing and restoring others. And we have the joy of walking with Him as our daily companion and friend.
How does the resurrection shape our present life? It gives us a lens for hope. It deepens our love for God and others as we experience His presence—a presence that draws in close and heals our hurts (1Peter 2:24). And it allows something as simple as a houseplant to reflect Christ’s death-reversing, hope-restoring life. Thank you, Jesus, for all you have done for us and continue to do.
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51 thoughts on "New Life in Christ"
I want to be moved in my heart to continuallyo obey
Old self dead and gone. New self, in Christ, will be my strength as we push forward to advance the kingdom and create disciples across the nations. Only through Christ alone is this possible.
It is strange. So much of my life I think my personality told me to do the right thing or else. This is a very old testament view of being a person who fears God. It’s also fairly Catholic the constant need for confessing of sins. Not that confessing sins is bad, but when the focus is on what we have done wrong, our eyes are truly out of focus because they are not Christ focused. The whole of the gospel is that through Christ we are made righteous. Righteous is not doing what is right but being part of that which is right. Christ. It is a deeply mysterious thing, but ultimately if we, if I, can really embrace that, it should give us hope freedom. What a burden to have to be right, do good, try not to sin, all the time. It is impossible! Christ knew it was impossible so he created a new way because he loves us. God did not mess up in his plan, making us people who sin. He knew there would be a better way through Christ. It takes the focus off of the creation, us and our sin, and onto the creator, God and his beauty and his deep love for us.
❤️❤️
Amen
Hi ladies! I just wanted to ask for prayer for my sister. She has recently walked away from Jesus and has started living her own way. She is making some very poor and risky decisions and is pulling away from our family. If you could all pray for her prodigal return, I would so appreciate it!
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I’m not where I want to be but I thank God I’m not where I was!! He is doing a work in me DAILY! So much of my old self to prune off. I just ask that He be gentle:)
@KIMBERLY Z: praying for you sweet girl on navigating the steps of relationships.
Good afternoon dear shes, I loved the analogy of the resurrected plant (fiddle leaf fig is a very finicky plant in my opinion, and the fact that it came back to life is a miracle in itself). There is something about plants that are both tender yet extremely resilient. Sunlight is number one plant food so they can photosynthesize- just like us, we need the light from the Lord to grow. I had many seedlings sowed back in January that are sad looking due to lack of light. We are not much different from plants, are we? Raechel Myers shared her garden in IG and she mentioned the concept of companion plantings that spoke to me. How the Lord plants us next to other plants that are so different from us, but certain plants will attract bugs away from the others and winds are necessary for the hardening of tender ones. Gardening is a whole gospel lesson in itself and it is a fascinating subject to me. There are certain weeds next to the tares that ONLY God can pull, and He might not pull just yet and just let them grow next to us for the sake of us. But as we are the plants in God’s garden, grown from incorruptible seed, may we rest assured that He is a very capable gardener. He deeply cares for the harvest, and He is ever so patient to wait long long years for the first fruits that we can yield. Though the much dreaded pruning process will come and might hurt us dearly (feeling like punishment, feeling like a limb getting ripped of), BUT we know the truth, pruning won’t kill us, it will help to give even more fruits. May the plants (us) continue to thrive, bringing various colors, beautiful fragrance, and wonderful harvest to the Master Gardener- who is so very faithful to sow, to wait and who has laboured much.
@MICHELLE: maybe you can ask the Lord through prayers what is it that the social media has filled you with, what is it that you seek through social media that it has satisfied again and again? (perhaps companionship, joy, connections, vibrancy, visions of happiness? …) may God reveal to you and may He fill that void so you won’t depend heavily on it. The journey on becoming “new in Him” does require some deep digging within ourselves, it takes time, and with God all things are possible.
@MOLLY R: praying for your garden space to be transformed. I recommend Laura from Garden Answer on youtube, she gardened on a 4 acre, and she sectioned them out to zones (vegetable raised beds zone, cut flower zone, green lawn zone to bring rest to the eyes, ornamental trees, etc). You can watch her garden tours and you might be encouraged seeing the harmonious end result:) Good job on the big undertaking of fencing that large space! Bravo.
Be blessed dear sisters.
Oh how I wish to be living in the truth of the new creation He has made me. Why oh why do I continue to struggle so much with my sinful heart and mind!?! He has given me a NEW heart and a NEW mind!!!
Oh Taylor I could have written this post. I feel the same. Thank you.
I pray that I would remember how far I have come in God and how far he wants to take me . He will complete the work he started in me. ❤️
Kimberly Z, it’s no small thing! God cares about all our cares. I’ll be praying that you have a good weekend together and God will give you wisdom and discernment about how the relationship moves forward. ❤️
@Michelle Patire don’t beat yourself up! I have been there and am there everyday. I put limits on but it’s so tempting to ignore them. I pray it gets easier for you and me both!
Over the last few months God has really done a lot to change my heart in many ways. As I ended the year with a really hard heart break I started the year with a clean slate. After spending time in Mexico with friends an old boyfriend came back into my life. He happened to be in Cabo the same time I was with different people. What are the odds?? After talking for a bit I found myself feeling disappointed we weren’t able to meet up. But I swore I wouldn’t go down that path. We live in the same state but different towns (4 hours apart). He moved back to his very small town to peruse his families farm and I stayed in the city. Even though I truly loved him I wasn’t sure I could see myself moving away from my family to no man’s land (haha). After reconnecting I found my heart really wanted to spend time with him. But why? I swore it off. Well he ended up coming to see me and it was great and felt like maybe my heart wants to try this again. The last month or so has been wonderful but now it’s my turn to make the trek to go to his home town for the weekend. I am so nervous as I might still not see myself being up there. I feel silly asking for prayers for such a small thing but when people so much bigger issues than mine. But I pray God will make do what’s meant to happen. I listened to a video this morning that said the will of God will not take you were the power of God cannot keep you. Praying this change of heart for me is a good thing. Praying for all you sweet ladies! Happy Wednesday!
“We were lost sheep, but now we have a shepherd and observer of our souls. “ He gave us a lens of hope, deepens our love for God and others as we experience His presence that draws us in close and heals our hurts.” 1 Peter 2:24
Good morning Shes! I almost never comment on here even though I’ve been a subscriber since 2020, but I’d appreciate prayer for someone God’s really given me His heart for. Please pray for D.H. He professes to be a Christian, but I’m concerned that he hasn’t truly been born again. My heart breaks as I see him chase after and be enamored by worldly things like wealth, fame, and success, which are waterless springs that can’t satisfy. Please pray that God would open his eyes to the truth of the Gospel and that he would truly give his life to Christ and receive abundant life in the here and now and eternal life in the hereafter. May Jesus become his everything, and may he spend the rest of his days following Him, loving Him, serving Him, worshiping Him, and telling the world about Him with the platform he’s been given through recent events. Please come home, D.H.; Jesus loves you.
21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! – Romans 6:21 looking back on my life before Christ I initially thought nothing- no fruit BUT then I realized even in my sin the seeds were planted and growing. It was those moments where God has used the past to fruit the present. It’s really beautiful to be able to see His plan unfold. Praise God that He is in control!!!
@MICHELLE PATIRE- it IS so tough…One thing that helped me overall was turning off ALL notifications. Social apps, email – all of it. I left on text and actual phone calls but that’s it. Now, nothing can ask for my time, I have to intentionally choose to check in.
I am not totally off social media, but years ago I did make a commitment to cut out some of the larger time-consumers I was engaging in. I started with facebook bc at that time it really sucked my minutes up. I had just had a 2nd baby and I felt bad, actually SELFISH cutting it off because we have 2 sets of grandparents that are not local, along with many close friends/relatives that wanted that window into the new baby’s milestones that I typically would post. I didn’t make any declarations as ppl often do before “signing off”, but I did text anyone who I thought really enjoyed seeing posts and I said I would try to be proactive in texting photos/updates and if they hadn’t seen anything recently, they had permission to just text “send an update!” and I would fwd some pics. It was tough the first few weeks, but every time I felt that habitual urge to reach for my app, I would say “what can I do this moment that’s uplifting”.. maybe it was pray for someone, make cookies, read a chapter in a book, WHATEVER. But I have not regretted my choice even a moment. I feel free, honestly. I can’t imagine signing my life back in to that mess lol!! :)
TERESA DONLEY- With ya… it’s like WHY??!!! UHG!!! But the answer is that as long as we are on this side of our perfected bodies, sin will still be a part of our everyday lives. But we have to recognize the distinction that Paul is making over and over- he NEVER says “now we’re free from sin so we won’t sin anymore!” – he reminds us we are free from the GRIP AND OWNERSHIP of sin on our lives. We are no longer SLAVES to sin, forced to obey it’s pull in any direction. We will still sin because we are still human and our God (yay!) already has promised the continued grace for our condition. I want to really encourage you in this- take captive that feeling of “guilt” when it comes. Speak and claim the grace and mercy God has covered you in. Learn from poor choices, talk to your loving Father about it, work on figure out the “why” in what motivates you to do it – but guilt is not from God. He’s covered you. He’s forgiven you. He has zero. condemnation for you. Guilt puts the pressure on us to “perform rightly” which is just another form of pride. It’s part of Paul’s message when he says he’s going to boast all the more in his weakness – because it is in God’s gracious, merciful strength that our lives are changed! :) Praying for all of us- that every sin we participate in today we will see as opportunity to allow God to show us a weakness that we can invite Him in to healing in us. :)
I know that I died to sin when I was baptized into Jesus Christ. How is it then that I still sin? I feel very guilty when I know I have sinned. Yet I know that he has died once for all. He doesn’t have to die to cover my sins every time I sin. His blood was sufficient to cover all my sins past present and future. I pray that God will fill me with his Holy Spirit and give me a heart that strives for new life in him
Thank you Jesus for this Hope!
Next month will mark 3 years at our Someday Acres – a 6 acre property I thought we were years, if not a decade away from finding, AND affording. When I step back and think about the absolute mess and disarray it was when we signed for it, the transformation is crazy! In just 3 short years…
This year’s focus is a GIANT garden that we just recently fenced off! It’s about 5000 sq ft that is fully fenced, and sometimes I get overwhelmed with the potential. God is already teaching me from the garden. Fencing it dramatically changed the area almost instantly, but it will take time to transform it into the visions we have – and the process can be, will be, just as beautiful as the finished product…if it’s ever finished! Right now it may look lifeless, but the seeds have been planted and I go out daily to look for signs of life.
So. Many. Garden. Lessons. Love the reading today, and the reminder that with God there is always HOPE and LIFE!
Taylor Amen! Thank your SRT staff for the two pages in the study book, “Assurances of the Gospel”. Blessings to you all.
@Michelle Patire. Here is what my son did that seems to be working. He put limits on his social media but his wife set the password. He doesn’t know it and she’s his accountability to stick within the limits he set. Hope that helps!
Happy mid week sweet She’s. It’s still cold here in California. At least for me it is. THE very last part in Bailey’s devotional today is something I say all the time. “Thank you, Jesus for all you have done for us, and continue to do.” I never want forget, and I never want to stop thanking my Jesus for how far I’ve come. It’s all Jesus! None of it to me because I could never do this alone. Ironically, I ran into my very first celebrate recovery leader. She remembers how scared and I mean scared I was back in our study in 2017. Thank you Jesus I am not there anymore and I am stronger. recovery was huge part in my healing, and becoming a stronger. All the glory to God!
Sitting here in my apartment reading this, I thank you Bailey, these are words I needed to here to keep me going. As I look around and see the disaster my apartment is I realize that’s not what matters right now. My sister and her affairs and being close to my Lord and Savior are what matter.
Thank you sisters for all your prayers. I am muddling my way through all of this.
Be blessed and hang tight to God, Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Thank you, Jesus, for brand new hope for each day!
@GWINETH52, You’re words yesterday hit home for me. “Stuff” can be so compelling and so useless. I am in the midst of dismissing physical stuff from our home, and in that process dismissing what no longer serves me as I walk with our Lord. Please open my eyes to see what is needed and what is a lie from Satan. May we all see Gods light and the new growth coming out of what appears dead. Prayers for all today.
Good morning She’s!
I love the story of the plant. I experienced the same thing recently because I bought this great vine plant that I had never seen (and I know my plants and flowers!) at the local market for my birthday in Februrary. I usually don’t spend money any more on plants because we live in a jungle yard here in SWF! Anyway, with my foot being broken I wasn’t able to go down our stairs to water my tons of plants. When I did go down about a week later that new vine that was my favorite at dried to a crisp in the sun and was solid brown! Uggh! I turned my wrath on my husband, haha (not really), but when you can’t do the things you want/need to do it becomes so frustrating! But God, after moving it in the shade, giving it some love, and water…it had a green bud. And now only 3 or 4 weeks later fully green and blooming! That is the story of my redemption! I too, like you all, was once dying in sin, turning lush to dried up and crisp, dead….turned to Jesus and gave him my heart. For real this time, not just a “yes, I believe in God” but a Whole-hearted, repent, and renew my life by living daily for him!! He is the bread of life, and I am so in awe of the love God has for his children. We are the Israelites. We are stiff-necked, want our way, world-driven people that need a Savior. Our life will produce fruit if we live in the word. Praise God!! Our living Hope!! Coming from Chicago, I truly lived in anticipation every Spring for the new growth to come from the dead of a long winter! Now in Florida we have green and flowers all year long, so I am not as aware of that longing, but that little plant reminded me!
@Michelle Patire- I wonder if you would like the book that I was looking at for a potential bible study. The first chapter (a sample look) was talking about putting the phone down and putting that time to the Lord in Silence. It’s called “Starved” by Amy Seiffert. I am not on my phone much, I think because I look around and am annoyed that people are always looking at theirs, lol! I see the harm it is causing in our young people with not only their inability to be still and aware in the world around them, but the harm it is doing to their posture (neck and rounded back). My husband will be in lala land as he scrolls fb, and he doesn’t even realize how long he stares at it. I think for people your age, it becomes a popularity/influencer obsessed world. Will pray you find a solution to keep it manageable and only a positive for you!
Thank you for your comment. ❤️ this is me right now. I recently reaffirmed my faith. Now I see how lost I was before and now I walk with a joy and lightness that can only come from God. “Oh the lies I believed” for sure!
@MICHELLE PATIRE girl YESS!! Before I quit my job I worked for the marketing sept of a small mortgage company. I was on social ALL THE TIME. It seeped into my personal life/habits. It has been a huge distraction for me. I’ve read two books/ God is really theming my year so far. 1. Sanctuary: Cultivating a Quiet Heart in a Noisy and Demanding World by Denise J. Hughes 2. Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport (this book specifically will call out exactly why social media fast do not work)
Hope these help!! My screen time has gone down but I’m still a work in progress on this!
Great way to start the morning!
Thank you Lord! The old is gone, the new has come through You! You have conquered death and filled us with eternal Hope!
Amen
I learned a new word today – “eucatastrophe”, and realized that’s exactly what happened to me! I once was on a path that was leading to destruction, But God – who is our merciful, loving God – plucked me off that path and put me on His path that leads to holiness and eternal life – Hallelujah! That was many, many years ago but I will be forever grateful that God did not give up on me. He had a plan and a purpose for my life. So very thankful that I listened to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Now I am dead to sin but alive to God in Christ! (Romans 6:11) Also thankful for all the “buts” in scripture! (Romans 6:22, Romans 6:27 just to name a few)
Jesus is my living hope!
Hope…….that is the message that He has for me today. Don’t ever lose Hope! Thank you @Tina for the story of your rose bush. It brought me to tears. It’s amazing what He uses to speak to us. Thank you, Jesus!
@Searching – I also read that verse in NKJV and it stood out to me, as well. :)
Man, I struggle so much with managing social media in my life. I think I’ve shared this before. Anytime I fast, that is what I fast from. I haven’t fasted from it since January. I used to do this with food. If I restricted myself for a period of time from a food or coffee, then I struggled with self-control when I reintroduced it back in my life.
So I try to read these Scriptures and think, “How can I practically apply this knowledge to my situation?” The Holy Spirit is the key. But living in obedience is, too.
Has anyone found success in balancing social media in their lives? I want to be “in the world, but not of it.” I use my phone for work, so the temptation is always present. There’s a lot of lulls in my job so I find myself scrolling. I delete the apps all the time. I set timers for apps. I do all the things. Lol. this is a little long winded but I know some of y’all feel me. I want to have grace for myself but not continue in sin.
Some days I feel the newness of heart, mind, and spirit and feel strengthened to live out my faith and other days I feel trapped by the bondage of sin and at war with my “old self”. Praying the days of feeling “new” outweigh the days of feeling “old/dead”.
Thankful for this message <3 Love you all!
Romans 6:21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. NKJV
Looking back before I accepted Christ as my Savior, REALLY accepted Him (as in being broken in spirit when the realization hit of who I really was, a sinner without hope, separated from the Almighty God), to sum it up – why did it take me so long to see the truth of Jesus? I had heard the truth my whole life, but it fell on deaf ears. And I can now clearly see there was absolutely no fruit in those things whatsoever – only destruction and pain. Oh, the lies I believed – Lord, thank you for saving me and forgiving me!
I love the insights shared by my sisters here!
TINA – ❤️ picturing that rose bush coming to life
KELLY (NEO) thank you for the reminder that Jesus is our living hope and our ONLY hope
LAUREN GW ❤️
JENNIFER ANAPOL – God does indeed have the last word, thank you
RHONDA J “one leads to more” – may we always be on guard
MERCY – going that extra mile, thank you as that is a rarity these days
GWINETH52 – KEEP COMING BACK! I love that – to God, to our knees, to our sisters here as we lift up each others needs. Thank you.
MARI – ❤️
TRACI GENDRON – liberating us from sin’s power, Yes!
FOSTER MAMA ❤️
MICHELLE PATIRE – beautiful prayer of thankfulness
DOROTHY – praying
My Hope is found in the Lord! Breing dry bones to life please. Restore faith, restore hearts, light hearts on fire for You! In Jesus name, Amen
Thank you Jesus!
Death reversing, Hope restoring! Thank you Jesus for the blood applied, thank you Jesus for saving my life. Thank you for the newness of life we have in Christ ALONE!!
Amen! Thank you Lord for the GIFT of new life! You have given us way more than we deserve. Your grace know no bounds. ❤️
Amen!
I too look at plants and see the promise of the resurrection. Many years back I planted a perennial garden, using “babies” from friend’s gardens. During the first winter I remember my husband putting his arm around me and saying, “I’m sorry, it looks as though you’ve lost everything. The plants have all died.” I said, “just wait!” And sure enough, what looked so dead, came back in glory. Even providing “babies” of its own to share with others. Each Spring, as the plants reach up for the sun I am reminded of the hope of Jesus’ resurrection, new life, and to lift my arms in praise!! Including you all in my prayers! Happy Wednesday!!
Amen. Thank you Lord
Tina! ❤️
A LIVING hope. Jesus, You are my only hope in all the things of this life and the next.
FOSTER MAMA – trusting that God met you in your urgent need. Loking forward to your regular posts again when you are able.
I love your story of the p!ants restoration! That hidden new leaf bursting forth… I love it. ❤
I have a similar story of my rose bush, which beautifully climbed up my cottage to share the limelight with an old wisteria, that was hacked earlier this year, and left with a jagged edge stump, when my hedge was being trimmed. I wept when I saw what had happened. I was hurting for the beauty that was no more..
BUT GOD..
I see this stump every day as I lock up to go out.. With sorrow in my heart I would pray ‘please in your mercy Lord’. Last week I saw shoots of red leaves, I felt so joy-filled.. The words I found myself thinking were ‘what once I thought was dead, lives, Praise God.’
I smile each day now as I see the growth of these shoots.. Praise God indeed!
This was for sure a BUT GOD, moment.. I had given up on my rose ever being restored or surviving, what am I talking about, I believed it was finished… BUT GOD..
In my head there was no way whatsoever and yet.. Today my heart, mind and eyes have for sure witnessed a miracle…❤
Hope, has long since been my favourite word, ever..
There is hope, always has been, always will be in Jesus!
If GOD is for you, who can be against you(or your plants) right?
Thank you Lord God, THANK YOU.❤
Hope filled prayers and blessings being lifted up for each and everyone.. AND as always, wrapped in love and hugs from across the pond..