About the Author

Jennifer is an artist living in rural Nebraska with her US Army veteran husband. She loves to create and seeks to reflect the beauty of Christ and encourage others in meaningful, beautiful ways. You can find her and see more of her art on Studio JRU.

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
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(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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  1. What a great tangible picture of weeds in our spiritual life need be rooted out just as weeds in the physical realm must be dealt with.
    Our family refers to Phil 4:8 as Viv’s verse. As our godly mom disappeared into dementia she frequently answered any questions with “whatever”. In an especially frustrating conversation with her trying to discern a need & only getting whatevers in response God brought Phil 4:8 to mind. The rebellious appearing whatever response became the rallying cry of truth, honor, just, purity, lovely, commendable & excellence. Helped alot to look beyond the weeds of miscommunication & incomplete responses to see the excellence glimpsed from the past or periodically in the present. She has been with the Lord for 6 years now truly focusing on those excellent whatevers of Christ!

    • This is beautiful, Ruth! Thank you so much for sharing your family connection to Phil 4:8. What a beautiful rallying cry! And a beautiful gift that He brought to your mind with Phil 4:8 in that moment.

  2. This is a timely message. I love the imagery of the farm, the crops and the weeds the way you described it I can picture it in my mind. Worry is a weed, perfect analogy. Thank you for putting it in a way I can remember. God bless you and your family.

  3. Good reminder to actively cultivate God-honoring thoughts and remove those that aren’t. Also, I have “walked beans” and detassled corn so I know what you’re talking about!

  4. Thank you for a message about the weeds in our lives. How easily they appear and how rapidly they can grow! Also, as a former Iowa girl, many of my friends walked beans. I never had that pleasure. I detassled corn, which many people don’t know about, either!

  5. This was the most perfect timing for this reading. Thank you for such an inspiring message and reminder to get rid of the weeds so that I can grow in every way!

  6. Your post answered my prayer this morning. I have huge abandonment issues and it’s getting in the way of my life. Thank you.

  7. I love this post, and how interesting you chose this verse, it’s the same one in my daily devotional for today.

  8. Very convicting words and so needed! Seems like I am constantly fighting negative thoughts these days and I’m sure I’m not alone. But you’re right, we have to remove them so they don’t suffocate us from breathing the goodness of our God that is all around us.

  9. love this analogy… and THIS is how I grew up.. walking beans.. accidentally pulling out the beans sometimes and trying to replant… hmmm didn’t work so well. Hard good manual labor as a teen, taking out the weeds to the good plant can grow. Lord please help me to remove the weeds of my heart so your good fruit can grow in and through me! In Jesus name – Amen!

  10. Your story about “walking beans” has provided the perfect example for me today. Last night I asked God to help me remove all the negative distractions in my life so that I could simply focus on Him and His Truth. So reading this today has felt almost like a personal conversation with Him. Amazing! This illustration will forever remind me and reconnect me to my very favorite scripture, Philippians 4:8.

    • Yes, amazing! I love that, Jann! Thank you for sharing that so I can see how He is working through me. I am so glad it met your heart today. Praying for you as He helps you pull those weeds (negative distractions) in your life!

  11. Jennifer what an excellent word. We have to make sure we don’t let the weeds get into our lives. By especially. If you hear something about someone. It is then when it is like tasty food to our soul. We want to pass it on. The Devil will try and get us to pass it on to as many people as possible. What we should be keeping our mouth closed. Praying for what we just heard about that person if it true or not true. Not passing it on to someone else. No matter how tasty it my seem. As if we do we are letting the weeds of Gossip into our lives. That is wrong in God’s eyes. God would not want us to be Gossiping about any one. Instead praying for them. Yes it can seem very tempting. If the person who is telling you the things about someone is saved. What they told you is true. If you can if they will listen. Tell them nicely. Would God want you to be Gossiping about this person. You should be praying for them. As things like this because tasty to us. That is letting the weeds of Gossip in. That wrong in God’s eyes. If we did do it. We have to ask God to help us not to do it again. Help us pull those weeds of Gossip out of our lives. As Friend of mine said who is in Glory not once said. Bidden or not Bidden is watching. If we have nothing good to say about anyone. My friend that is in Glory said pray for them when alive on earth. What she said this friend of mine who is in Glory now said is so true. As if you talk about them and pass it on to someone. You are only letting the weeds grow in your life. That is what the Old Devil wants. He will be that weed in your life and make you do things like this. To say I got them. They are not doing what God wants wants. They are doing my work. Gossiping about people. You don’t want to be seen doing this. You want to be doing what Jesus would have you do. That is pray for them. Not Gossiping. As you know the more you Gossip about them. The more The Old Devil put those weeds in your life. So tightly you find them hard to get out of your life. When you then realise you done wrong in Jesus eyes. As say you told so many people about what you heard as it was tasty to you when you heard it. The only way to get rid of the weeds now is to pray to Jesus and ask him to forgive you. Help you kill these weeds in your life. That if you hear something about anyone else or more about that person. You will not Gossip about them. You will pray for them. Not let this type of weed in your life. Thank you again for what you shared Jennifer. Excellent. Love Dawn Ferguson-Little xx

  12. Feed on the word of God. Sounds simple, right? We are always so busy trying to get things done, that we sometimes forget that we need to feed on His word. It is a simple road to victory in Christ Jesus.

  13. Jennifer,

    An anecdote for weeds is Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. We must be in the word daily. Be careful what you watch & listen to. What goes into your heart, mind & soul is what will come out. Like anything else we develop the habit of thinking rightly. Prayer is a good way to begin. Asking God to remove all evil thoughts, sins, etc. from your mind & heart. The more we focus on God, His word, Christian music & teachings the more we will be able to remove all weeds from our life. For me this looks like listening to SirusXM Enlighten (gospel music) channel, listening to our church sermons on line, & watching pastor Steven Furtick on TV. The more of God’s goodness I put in the more good comes out.

    Blessings 🙂

    P.S. How are you doing? Still praying for you & your family.

    • Yes, Beth! So important to put good in so good comes out. Thank you for the examples of ways to be doing just that! I am so grateful for your prayers, they truly mean so much. Still working on some answers, but doing ok. xo

  14. My mind and my life have become FULL of weeds over the last several years. I am retired for 6 years now. I am deep in debt, have some medical problems. It seems that I just do enough to get by and that was NEVER ME. After reading this piece I said to myself it is time to get out the WEED EATER and get to work. I just hope I can do it and I TRULY hope our Lord will help me. I KNOW I can’t do this on my own. Plus I have become the world’s BIGGEST procrastinator. PLEASE pray for me!!!!

    • I love hearing your enthusiasm to get out the weed eater and get to work, Clarence! That encourages me as well. (Fellow procrastinator.) I know He will be helping us. Praying for you!

  15. Jennifer
    This is inspiring.
    May I learn to uproot the weeds in my heart and mind every minute.
    God bless you