Sunday, 22 March 2009, the teaching series - A Heart Like Mine - concluded at New Life Church in Spokane Valley. Cindy shared from the last chapter in her book - What is Your Heart Disease?

At the end of the service, the congregation was encouraged to fill out a card with trials, cares, or difficulties they needed to let go of and give to the Lord. After people came forward, the cards were collected and placed in a copper fire pit at the alter.

The worship team came back to close the service with Chris Tomlin's song, I Will Rise and the church elders carried the fire pit, containing the burdens of God's people, to the front of the building. People made their way to the front entrance of the building where the elders then placed firewood and kindling in the fire pit and set it ablaze. The smoke rose up to gray skies above--letting those burdens go for the Lord to eradicate them.

As they left, each was given a small but significant gift--a young, tender flower growing in rich soil to signify the new work of the Lord to be done in their lives.

Later on, the ashes from those burden cards were used to cover the cross to the left and then it was preserved with a special coating. The cross hangs in the sanctuary at New Life Church where time allows the ashes to change color and hue. A reminder of the constant care our Lord takes to bless our lives.

ISAIAH Chapter 61

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,

2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,

3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a PLANTING of the LORD  for the display of his splendor.

10 I delight greatly in the LORD;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise
spring up before all nations.

You have a chance to plant your life in new soil.
God will bring a new planting of righteousness—He will trade beauty for ashes.