iowa
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The Goodness of Gardening Friends
“All my flower beds are filled with this ivy,” I texted two of my friends this afternoon. “Should I pull it or let it be? It’s pretty but seems to be taking over…” I snapped a picture to accompany my text, hoping as I sent it that my friends would reply, “Oh, that’s a rare Continue reading
author, blogger, blogging about gardening, Christian friendship, church friends, faith, faith and friendship, faith and gardening, flowers, friends, friendship, fruit of the Spirit, Fruitful Worship, fruitfulness, garden, gardening, gardening and faith, gardening lessons, goodness, honesty, iowa, Iowa life, lawn, learning, midwest living, nature, pulling weeds, spirit-filled singing, weeds, writer, writing, yard work -
Be [Weeding Out] Sin or It Will Be [Weeding Out] You
![Be [Weeding Out] Sin or It Will Be [Weeding Out] You](https://ryannemolinari.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/pexels-photo-189791.jpeg?w=1024)
In Iowa, you could watch the grass grow and not be (too) bored. My husband will mow our lawn, and if it rains even a little, the grass will spring up an inch by the following day. The same, unfortunately, is true of weeds. So. Many. Weeds. As my music work winds down for the Continue reading
analogy, be killing sin or it will be killing you, Christian devotion, Christian growth, church, conviction, faith, flowers, fruit of the Spirit, fruitfulness, garden, gardener, gardening, God, God the gardener, good soil, gospel coalition link, iowa, john owen, life of faith, pastor's wife, pulling weeds, puritan, reflection, sanctification, sarah sparks song, sermon illustration, theology, weeding, weeding the garden, works of the flesh, writer, writing -
This is the Day the Lord has Made I Guess
There is a wind chill of -40. Negative. Forty. While my Arizona-raised mind cannot fathom this stark reality, I was just outside and my chilled hands can confirm: this is my third winter in Iowa and this weekend alone has rendered it the most brutal. I knew this day was going to be nasty when Continue reading
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A Midwestern Take on Matthew 5:13-16
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light Continue reading
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Lessons from a First-Year Pastor’s Wife
One year ago yesterday, we closed on our house in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. One year ago tomorrow, our church laid hands upon us, and my husband became a pastor—and I became a pastor’s wife. This year has flown by, and it’s been one of the best yet. I thought my career as a musician was Continue reading
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Cross Pollination
It is no coincidence that, as I am writing a book on the fruit of the Spirit, I am also learning to be a gardener. I recently discovered that my yard features a cherry tree, an apple tree, two different kinds of grape vines, and numerous different ornamental flowers. I have also planted several types Continue reading
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“Water, Water, Everywhere”
The value of poetry is often found in its ability to capture the core of nuanced situations. Prior to moving to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, I did some research on the area and was shocked to discover this article by The Gospel Coalition: It’s an article worth reading, at once eye-opening and encouraging. It lays bare Continue reading
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Little Church on the Prairie
My life has been turned upside-down lately, but I am beginning to catch glimpses of the wondrous story it is becoming. I am also being forced (abruptly, but necessarily) to reckon with my own doctrinal stances, specifically regarding the Church. Since engagement, my now-husband and I were confronted all at once with “richer and poorer, Continue reading
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