Wow, can’t believe we’re here!! Issue 02 of the Flourishing Heart Magazine – BLOOM – is ready for pre-sale! What! I still remember when I was a teenager, thinking, ‘wouldn’t it be cool to have a magazine one day’… it’s pretty surreal to have number 2 here.
Thought I’d share a little about the heart behind BLOOM. Issue 01: WILLOW, was all about being deeply rooted. It was about having strong foundations and sturdy roots deep in the ground so that you can withstand the storms of life that come your way. We talked about how the deeper and wider the roots of a tree are, the bigger it can grow.
Well, after a tree has developed strong roots – remember, a foundation must be built first – it can begin to BLOOM! I believe this is a beautiful metaphor for your life. You were created to thrive, prosper, flourish and bloom in life. You were designed to live in freedom, seeing life in full colour.
You have innate and inherent value – GOLD – inside of you. It’s who you are, who you were created to be. You might be walking through a wilderness season right now – one where your heart and soul feels dry, barren, and empty. But I believe the time has now come for you to be planted, and BLOOM!
Isaiah 35:1-2 says, “the desert and parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.”
Did you know, the winter crocus flower (which has been beautifully illustrated on our front cover by Tanya Frazier) is one of the very first to blossom after a long, dry winter? During the desert wilderness season, the crocus flower actually builds its strength and endurance. The crocus flower blooms in the most unlikely places – often out of dry, rocky ground.
Sometimes we go through seasons in life where we feel like we’re walking in the wilderness; in a dry and parched desert land. Life feels like a trudge, we can’t see where we’re heading and we’ve lost our hope and joy. I don’t know about you, but in those seasons I feel more like a dried-up withering plant instead of a gorgeous blossoming flower!
But what I’m beginning to learn is that God is an incredibly talented gardener of our souls, and He is well-equipped to bring back to life what seems to be withering or dead.
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” // ISAIAH 43:18-19
I hope you’ll join me throughout the pages of this magazine as we discover together what it looks like to BLOOM. Simply click here to order your copy of this issue today!
