I have seedlings in my kitchen this spring, our first attempt at seed to flower gardening perhaps ever. I have told myself for years that I’m not a gardener, and while I have successfully provided casual [INSERT: neglectful] care of a few houseplants, outdoor plants are another story.
When we moved to our home 16 years ago, there were flowering bushes in front of our house, but we gradually removed them as they either outgrew the space or work was done on the house in that area. We’ve transplanted some day lilies and set a peony bush in a far too shady spot after rescuing it from my husband’s family home before it was sold, but our only other yard maintenance has been raking and mowing.
Despite friends reassuring us that perennials are often forgiving (the peony persists, despite not enough sun!) and that we can’t go wrong in adding some color to the yard with annuals, I’ve remained wary. What if we go away and the neighbors forget to water on a particularly hot day? What if pests overtake the plants and whatever money we have invested in the yard goes to waste?
Suspecting that this anti-gardening streak was linked to lingering perfectionism, and needing a sign of life as the pandemic era grinds on, I purchased some seeds and a few flowering bush root balls earlier this spring. We mixed our seed starting soil, pushed these tiny balls of energy and possibility into the damp darkness, and waited. When the first glimmers of green appeared, my husband and I would call to one another through the house, “There’s one! No, two! No, three, four, five, six…. Come see!”
Now I have multiple tabs open on my phone about how to start and transplant seedlings, and I’m studying weather charts to know when I need to start giving them visits to the outdoors. I watch our seedlings relentlessly, stroking them as I walk through the room at the suggestion of a friend who said this would make them more resilient. I search Google to determine whether and how to fertilize while they’re still at this delicate stage. And I hope, hope, hope this effort will come to reward, knowing that we will inevitably lose a few along the way.
I’m gardening for the possibility of a more lively and colorful yard, but also to remind myself that I can still rewrite my narrative. Despite not growing up in a gardening household, I do have relatives who nurtured ever-expanding flower and vegetable gardens in their later seasons of life. It’s never too late to learn.
In the same way, it’s never too late to learn about nurturing a healthy financial life. Those of us who grew up in financially struggling households sometimes inherited stories that “we aren’t money people” or that drowning in debt is the only possibility available to us. But there’s Google and books and small experiments we can take toward trying out more active financial management. Yes, we might make a mistake or two. Yes, there are instances—in the yard and in our financial garden—when we would benefit from an expert’s opinion and assistance. But all of us can read, ask questions, study, and test out our learning in real time. The Center for Continuous Learning is dedicated to providing financial education for ministry leaders, and we have both live and on-demand options for doing so. We have a few spots remaining in this spring’s “Foundations for Faithful Finance” course—just planting the seed that you might want to join us!
FOUNDATIONS FOR FAITHFUL FINANCE
Thursdays, April 20 – June 1, 2023
4–5 pm ET / 1–2 pm PT
Register now for a live, virtual cohort with Judson Press author Shayna Harvey (6-weeks) and special guest Grace Pomroy (BONUS week on “Couples and Money”).
In this video link, Shayna Harvey, Foundations for Faithful Finance instructor, shares her hopes for the participants of this cohort course.
Ministry leaders of all kinds are welcome to participate in the course. Pastors who are currently serving American Baptist congregations may be eligible for a debt relief grant after participating (available to pastors who have not previously received debt relief from ABHMS).
To register, answer a few questions about your ministry context and your financial realities (complete by Monday, April 17th). The cohort is limited to the first 30 people so take 10-15 minutes to register today!
I have seedlings in my kitchen this spring, our first attempt at seed to flower gardening perhaps ever. I have told myself for years that I’m not a gardener, and while I have successfully provided casual [INSERT: neglectful] care of a few houseplants, outdoor plants are another story.
When we moved to our home 16 years ago, there were flowering bushes in front of our house, but we gradually removed them as they either outgrew the space or work was done on the house in that area. We’ve transplanted some day lilies and set a peony bush in a far too shady spot after rescuing it from my husband’s family home before it was sold, but our only other yard maintenance has been raking and mowing.
Despite friends reassuring us that perennials are often forgiving (the peony persists, despite not enough sun!) and that we can’t go wrong in adding some color to the yard with annuals, I’ve remained wary. What if we go away and the neighbors forget to water on a particularly hot day? What if pests overtake the plants and whatever money we have invested in the yard goes to waste?
Suspecting that this anti-gardening streak was linked to lingering perfectionism, and needing a sign of life as the pandemic era grinds on, I purchased some seeds and a few flowering bush root balls earlier this spring. We mixed our seed starting soil, pushed these tiny balls of energy and possibility into the damp darkness, and waited. When the first glimmers of green appeared, my husband and I would call to one another through the house, “There’s one! No, two! No, three, four, five, six…. Come see!”
Now I have multiple tabs open on my phone about how to start and transplant seedlings, and I’m studying weather charts to know when I need to start giving them visits to the outdoors. I watch our seedlings relentlessly, stroking them as I walk through the room at the suggestion of a friend who said this would make them more resilient. I search Google to determine whether and how to fertilize while they’re still at this delicate stage. And I hope, hope, hope this effort will come to reward, knowing that we will inevitably lose a few along the way.
I’m gardening for the possibility of a more lively and colorful yard, but also to remind myself that I can still rewrite my narrative. Despite not growing up in a gardening household, I do have relatives who nurtured ever-expanding flower and vegetable gardens in their later seasons of life. It’s never too late to learn.
In the same way, it’s never too late to learn about nurturing a healthy financial life. Those of us who grew up in financially struggling households sometimes inherited stories that “we aren’t money people” or that drowning in debt is the only possibility available to us. But there’s Google and books and small experiments we can take toward trying out more active financial management. Yes, we might make a mistake or two. Yes, there are instances—in the yard and in our financial garden—when we would benefit from an expert’s opinion and assistance. But all of us can read, ask questions, study, and test out our learning in real time. The Center for Continuous Learning is dedicated to providing financial education for ministry leaders, and we have both live and on-demand options for doing so. We have a few spots remaining in this spring’s “Foundations for Faithful Finance” course—just planting the seed that you might want to join us!
FOUNDATIONS FOR FAITHFUL FINANCE
Thursdays, April 20 – June 1, 2023
4–5 pm ET / 1–2 pm PT
Register now for a live, virtual cohort with Judson Press author Shayna Harvey (6-weeks) and special guest Grace Pomroy (BONUS week on “Couples and Money”).
In this video link, Shayna Harvey, Foundations for Faithful Finance instructor, shares her hopes for the participants of this cohort course.
Ministry leaders of all kinds are welcome to participate in the course. Pastors who are currently serving American Baptist congregations may be eligible for a debt relief grant after participating (available to pastors who have not previously received debt relief from ABHMS).
To register, answer a few questions about your ministry context and your financial realities (complete by Monday, April 17th). The cohort is limited to the first 30 people so take 10-15 minutes to register today!