Meet Michael Hyatt

I have not shared with you any new Ministry Highlights because in all honesty, I have not come across any recently that just gave me a “wow” experience. 

This is not a ministry per se, but God has used Michael Hyatt to minister to me, and I have definitely been wowed! As a Christian and former CEO of the oldest publisher in the US and the leading Christian publisher (Thomas Nelson) Michael knows his way around writing. 

He has a blog, tweets with regularity and to great advantage, and has a speaking career that has grown so much in recent years that he now speaks and writes full time (exactly what I want to do!). 

Michael lives out his purpose in Christ and the fruit of his life has been like a feast for me. He speaks and writes about leadership, productivity and social media. Michael's latest foray in these areas is the book Platform. 

I am part of a small group of about 100 reviewers (out of the 400,000 readers of his blog and the nearly 800 that applied) that have been given an early copy of Platform. 

I am learning so much about strengthening this site and my voice so that I can deliver my message to you with clarity, with focus, and with power. 

In the upcoming week I will finish reading this book and will review it here on A Year in the Spiritual Life. My hope, as is Michael’s, is that you would buy the book (which will be priced perfectly for launch week between May 21 through May 25) so that it can climb to the top of the New York Best Seller’s list. 

I am adding a link to Michael’s blog on the “Worth a Look” section to the right. I hope you check it out, and become a fan as I am. 

Are you a fan of an author or speaker? Share with us who you like so we can check them out too!

Four Gardens - God's Plan for Fellowship

More on Gardens

There used to be a song we sang when I was growing up that said "I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses". This song and the post yesterday has me thinking again about Gardens. This time though I want to talk about four very special gardens.

The Garden of Eden

The garden of Eden was created by God. It was His original plan. Protected, secluded, it was made for man to dwell in so He could fellowship with them in the cool of the evening. Here man missed the mark, they sinned and forever after that were made to earn from their labor everything God had automatically provided before. Now they would face hardships and pain. This garden was lost forever.

Garden of the Sepulcher

The Garden of the Sepulchre was the garden that held the tomb Jesus was buried in. Here Jesus redeemed the first garden by his death, burial, and resurrection. Here he rose to greet the morning and found a woman completely unsuitable by the worlds standard to be the first one trusted with the life changing gospel:Jesus is alive! 

A woman partook of the fruit that separated man from God in the first garden and now a woman was bearing the first fruits of this garden. The first Adam missed the mark and became separated from God forever, the second Adam, Jesus, made a way for God to be reunited with man forever. This place held the redemption of man as much as the cross, if not more because this in this place Jesus had resurrected!

The Garden in Heaven

The garden in heaven: two trees separated by the river of God. One one side the first tree of life, bearing fruit and on the other side a second tree of life, bearing fruit. Each tree bore 12 fruits, 1 a month. God's plan completed. We will rule and reign with Him in heavenly places. We will stand before the throne, from which the river of God flows and see the plan of God fulfilled in those two trees.

Your Secret Garden

We are talking about gardens. In biblical times they were places of solitude and peace. Walled or hedged in these places were protected from the outside world. 

Here all of your senses were engaged: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. You could see the lush greens and hear the sounds of birds and babbling brooks. You could touch the flowers and smell and taste the fruits of the garden.

Jesus sought a garden (Gethsemane)  to pray to seek God. Here He solidified His resolve and honed His purpose. This is something we should do: find our secret garden. It may not be a green space, but it should be a space that engages your senses, that evokes tranquility and allows you time alone with God. 

That is all God has ever desired: time alone with you, walking in a "Garden" together. A place where personal fellowship and worship are the focus. 

It was God's design in Genesis, it was good enough for Jesus, and we should follow this plan too.

Question: Do you have a place you like to go that is like this for you- your "garden"? Share with us you favorite place to be alone with God.