"...so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19

I grew up in a garden...

My grandmother had the gift of cultivation; everything she touched grew lavishly, as if it sprang from the earth and flowered just to put on a show for her. I learned to walk in her garden, and then to dig, weed, sow and transplant. I loved cool black dirt almost as much as peonies and forget-me-nots, but most of all I loved kneeling on the ground next to my grandmother, watching and learning and admiring her working partnership with God. Together they made beauty, fragrance and food to share. Everything my grandmother did helped me grow.  I wanted to learn how to sew, so she bought me a small kit and we began with buttons. I was slow to read, but when I saw the movie Gone With the Wind, I decided I had to read the book- all 1037 pages of it. I was only eight, but my grandmother bought me a copy and encouraged me every day of the three months it took me to get through it. When I announced I wanted to be a writer, she purchased a ream of lined paper for me to get started. One day, when she caught me in a white lie, she had me write an essay about honesty. She died when I was thirteen, but her encouragement still feeds me daily.  Our homes, workplaces, schools, churches, and communities are all fertile ground for cultivating love, truth and hope. God meant for Adam and Eve to be gardeners, and so are we.

This is the mission of Sow Love, to

Boost     Buoy     Brighten     Cheer     Comfort     Console     Embolden     Energize     Enliven     Excite     Exhilarate     Galvanize     Gladden     Fortify     Hearten     Inspire     Instigate     Rally     Reassure     Refresh     Restore     Revitalize     Rouse     Spur     Strengthen     Steel     Stir

you as you hope and trust in the Lord, and to help you do the same for others.

Many of the posts will be accompanied by prayers written directly from Scripture to help you pray for your family, friends, church, or yourself. Fill in the blanks with the names of whomever you are thinking of, worried about, or grateful for; chances are God has you thinking about that person for a reason. I will also use hymns, poems, and other writings to point us to Jesus, but Scripture is always your first and best resource. After all, it's the Living Word of God to man, essential if we ever hope to get to know the One Who loves us so.

Fresh Faith

Fresh Faith is a devotional book for students heading off to college.  Written from a mother's heart, the book serves as a "field guide" for students in their first semester at college as they experience life on their own for the first time.  In the book, local Birmingham author and mom, Anna Meade Harris discusses topics such as time management, money, temptation, loneliness, homesickness, friendships, and much more! (read more here)