Mother's Day in the Midwest is generally assumed to be a 'safe' time to put tender starts and flowering plants into the ground. Rarely will we experience a freeze after this date to threaten the young garden seedlings. But we know that planting is only the start of the bountiful harvest or beautiful bouquet to come later in the year. In faith, gardeners plant, water, and nurture toward a hoped-for outcome. In that same kind of faith, we plant seeds of love into those around us, water those seeds with kindness, and nurture with grace until God produces a bounty of hope and promise. On this Mother's Day, thank you to all who tend the spirits and lives of others with care, and mercy, and faithfulness. Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WEEou5PeCM

The pressure is real. Marketers present images of perfect bodies, perfect homes, and perfect families. Our social media feeds give us a constant stream of our friends' cute kids, picture perfect vacations, and heart-warming moments with loved ones. And just a few quick errands on Saturday afternoon can lead you to compare your car with others in the grocery parking lot; your children's behavior with those of the apparently perfect family in the next aisle; and your day-off, comfy clothes with those of every other person your age. The world seems perfect, and we generally seem so not perfect. But it's OK. God didn't create us to be perfect. He didn't make us to be perfect partners or spouses, parents or friends, moms or dads. We were created in love, for love, and to love by a perfect and loving God. And even on our most imperfect days, that's enough. Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZDVFSiYZgU