2 Years Later, and I Still Have Weeds in My Garden
A little reintroduction, a new gardening section, subscription options, and dealing with weeds among the crops.
In July 2024, the first post for The Persistent Christian went live. Whether you have been following along since then or just started reading recently, thank you. I am grateful you are here! The Persistent Christian started as a place to share devotions from my personal walk with God. Over the past two years, with growth and change, the overall message has stayed the same:
The faith life takes persistence. God wants to walk with each of us, and we were not meant to walk alone in this life. We are meant to support each other, encourage each other, and walk together as we navigate this life that God has graciously gifted each and every one of us.
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” - Galations 6:2, RSV-CE
“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” - Matthew 18:20, RSV-CE
On the blog, you will find a variety of devotions and reflections that are near to my heart and journey with the Lord. Topics include: mental health, grief, the seasons, chronic illness, faith, and more. Perhaps they are topics that may have also touched your life.
A Little Reintroduction
If you are new here, hi!
I’m Lauren, and I’m a persistent Christian. I am a cradle Catholic from the beautiful state of Oregon. I attended Carroll College in Helena, Montana for undergrad, and Gonzaga University for my master’s. As a former preschool teacher and youth minister, I have always had a passion for sharing the love of Jesus with others. After five years of sharing the Good News with the littlest members of the Church, I made the transition to writing for us “big people.”
My transition to writing was not an easy one. In the summer of 2023, I was diagnosed with chronic bartonellosis and Lyme disease. I learned that I had likely had these vector borne infections most of my life, and I had no idea these infections were a likely cause of my health issues. This prompted my resignation from my youth ministry position to pursue treatment. It was a major turning point in my faith life. Either I keep my struggling to myself, or I turn the pain into something beautiful in pursuit of Jesus. I felt the Lord calling me to Himself through writing.
I created The Persistent Christian as a place to share devotions from my walk with Jesus. My relationship with God affects all aspects of my health: physical, mental, and spiritual. Two years later, I continue to post devotions here on a regular basis, and I have also completed my first full-length, nonfiction manuscript.
You can find me spending my days writing, reading, baking, gardening, exercising, and playing with my corgi, Tank.
A New Section of The Persistent Christian
In my latest newsletter for the month of July, I posted a poll about gardening. If you missed the newsletter, check it out below:
In the poll, I asked readers if they’d be interested in a gardening specific section. In response, I will be launching a Gardening topic for The Persistent Christian.
Yay!
You can find this section by visiting the homepage of the blog, and the link is on the far right of the task bar. This section will explore gardening topics, as well as the relationship between gardening and the Christian life. Whether you are a seasoned gardener or just love fresh, seasonal produce, this section will be all about seeking conversation with God through the gift of gardening. You don’t have to be a gardener to read it, and I hope you will join me!
An Exciting Change Coming Soon
The Persistent Christian has always been and will continue to be completely free. I write because I enjoy it but also in obedience to the Lord. He has called me to be a writer, and this is my ministry and occupation.
I have received multiple pledges for a future subscription, and I am excited to share that a paid subscription option will be available soon . The paid option will be completely optional. All subscribers, paid and free, will receive the same content. The paid option will simply be a way to support my writing and the continuation of The Persistent Christian!
I am grateful that I have received these pledges from some generous readers, and I will be launching the paid option at $5 per month or $50 per year on August 1, 2026. If you feel called to support The Persistent Christian in this way, you can submit your pledge below to be converted on August 1 to a paid subscription.*
Or, if you prefer to support one time, you can do so via “buy me a coffee”.
*Please note that I will not be enabling a founding tier. It is listed as an option when submitting a pledge, but it will not be utilized in the paid model going live on August 1. If you choose to pledge, please only select a monthly or yearly subscription. Thanks!
Thank you for reading! I can’t believe it has been 2 years since I started this blog, and it is truly a blessing to write. In honor of 2 years of The Persistent Christian and a new gardening section, below please find one of my very first devotions, ironically about gardening.
-Lauren
Weeds Among the Crops
8/30/24
“And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears, listen!’”
- Matthew 13:3-9, NRSV-CE
Have you ever noticed how sneaky weeds can be? They grow absolutely everywhere! They have the ability to pop up unnoticed and grow until they are big enough to take over the space where a plant is growing. The weeds rob the plant of the essential nutrients it needs, and they can manage to grow among the crops.
In my own garden, I find that I am constantly battling the weeds. It seems just as I have spent an hour weeding, the next day I find more weeds sprouted up. They like to hide underneath the plant leaves and in spaces that are not easily noticed. I find myself having to resign to living with them in the garden!
I think the same can happen in the spiritual life. There are things in our lives that are robbing us of the spiritual nutrients we need. Yet, we have resigned that we simply just have to live with them. But, we have free will and there are choices we can make in life. We can choose to weed out the distractions in our lives, but we must continually do so, just as weeds constantly come back in garden soils.
So in this life, distractions will continually present themselves.
In the parable of the sower in Matthew 13, Jesus teaches about the foundation we need for the word of God to be able to bear fruit in our lives (Matt 13:23). Jesus presented several scenarios where the seed, representing God’s word, is attempted to be planted, but various circumstances of this world prevent it from taking root. Jesus taught that when seed falls among the thorns, the thorns choked out the seed, so it was unable to grow grain (Matt 13:7).
It is critical that we pull the weeds out of our lives. Weeds that choke out our ability to hear God’s gentle voice, and weeds that interfere with our ability to grow. Thorns are inevitable in this life, but it is important to recognize them for what they are: thorny, unwanted distractions.
What are some weeds and thorns in your life that need to be maintained? How can you ask Jesus for help in weeding these out today?
In Christ,