Rooted in Grace: Intuitive Gardening for Christian Women

20 | Rooted Moment - Sitting Under the Fig Tree

“Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken.” — Micah 4:4
✨Rooted Jesus Girls,✨
In this Rooted Moment, we pause with the image of the fig tree — a picture of both promise and responsibility. Micah 4:4 offers a vision of peace and safety under God’s covenant love. Yet Jesus also used fig trees to give sobering warnings about the need for real fruit, not just leaves.
This short devotional invites you to rest in the shade of God’s abundance while also reflecting on His call to bear fruit that truly lasts.
🌿 In this episode, I share:
The story of planting a fig tree in my prayer garden as a symbol of God’s abundance and peace.
How Micah’s prophecy points to covenant security: living rooted and unafraid.
The warnings of Jesus about fig trees without fruit — appearances without substance.
A gentle reflection on abundance and accountability in our walk with God.
🌿 Reflection for You
Where is God inviting you to rest in His peace, unafraid?
Where might He be digging around you, giving grace to grow?
What kind of fruit is He calling you to bear in this season?
🙏 Closing ReminderCarry both pictures into your week: the fig tree of peace, and the fig tree of fruitfulness. Rest under God’s covenant shade. And rise to bear fruit that reflects His love.
🌱 Join the Free Prayer Garden Challenge → https://southernsoilsunshine.com/prayer-garden/
🧾 Take the Garden Quiz → southernsoilsunshine.com/quiz
💖 Follow on Instagram → @southernsoilsunshine
💕 Join the Facebook community → Rooted Jesus Girls

19 | Cultivating Fruit That Lasts: Spiritual Growth Lessons from the Garden

“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” — John 15:8
“Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken.” — Micah 4:4
 
✨Rooted Jesus Girls,✨
In this episode, we close out Part Three of Rooted in Grace: Covenant Relationship with Chapter 10, Bearing Fruit That Lasts. This is the final core chapter of the book — a culmination of everything we’ve learned about trust, belonging, and covenant love.
Fruitfulness in God’s kingdom is not measured by quick results or flashy outcomes. It’s measured in faithfulness, in abiding, and in the kind of fruit that outlives us.
 
🌿 In this episode, I share:
The difference between visible fruit you can hold in your hands and invisible fruit that God grows in hidden places.
Why Jesus’ parable of the sower reminds us our job is to sow faithfully, not control outcomes.
How years of barrenness or disappointment in the garden — and in life — can still produce endurance, humility, and courage.
The theology of lasting fruit in John 15: fruit that glorifies God and endures into eternity.
My story of planting a fig tree — a Ge Neri variety — as the centerpiece of my prayer garden, a symbol of God’s abundance and peace (Micah 4:4).
How fruit multiplies into legacy: one tree becomes many, one act of faithfulness can ripple beyond our own lifetime.
Four practical practices for cultivating lasting fruit in your spiritual life.
 
🌿 Encouragement for YouLasting fruit isn’t flashy — it’s faithful. Some of the sweetest harvests may never fit into jars or baskets, but they will endure in character, in legacy, and in eternity. You may never see all the impact of the seeds you sow, but God does. And He is faithful to bring the harvest in His time.
 
📓 Rooted Questions
What fruit in your life is visible right now? What might be growing invisibly beneath the surface?
Where are you being faithful in ways no one else sees?
How do you define fruitfulness — and how might God define it differently?
Is there an area where you’ve been sowing but haven’t seen a harvest yet?
What kind of lasting fruit do you long to cultivate in this season?
🌿 Special InvitationI’d love for you to join me in just a couple of weeks for the Free 6-Day Prayer Garden Challenge. Together, we’ll walk through my G.R.O.W.T.H. framework and create simple, sacred spaces where your faith can take root and flourish. Whether you have a backyard, a patio, or just a few pots, this challenge will help you plant both soil and soul with intention.
✨ Sign up today through the link in the show notes — it’s free, and I’d be honored to walk this journey with you.
 
🙏 Closing ReminderYou were never asked to prove yourself by output. You were asked to abide. To sow. To trust. And in due season, God will bring fruit that lasts.
🌱 Join the Free Prayer Garden Challenge
🧾 Take the Garden Quiz → southernsoilsunshine.com/quiz
💖 Follow on Instagram → @southernsoils
💕 Join the Facebook community → Rooted Jesus Girls

18 | Rooted Moment — A Small Yes of Belonging

“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” — 2 Chronicles 16:9
Belonging doesn’t always begin with a grand gesture. Sometimes it starts with a very small yes — a seed in the ground, a rose by the front door, a whispered prayer of presence.
In this Rooted Moment, I share how God used two simple rosebushes to remind me that planting is always a declaration of belonging — and how He delights to strengthen the hearts of those who choose Him, even in the smallest ways. 🌱
🌿 In this short episode, you’ll be encouraged to:
See planting as a declaration of presence
Trust that God honors even the smallest yes
Remember that belonging doesn’t require permanence — it requires presence
Lean into the truth of 2 Chronicles 16:9: God strengthens committed hearts
📓 Reflection Prompts:
What’s one small yes of belonging you can offer today?
How might planting — in soil or in spirit — help you root yourself in God’s presence?
🙏 Closing Reminder:You don’t need permanence to belong. You just need presence. And the Lord Himself delights to strengthen your heart as you keep saying yes to Him.
🌱 Join the Free Prayer Garden Challenge 
🧾 Take the Garden Quiz → southernsoilsunshine.com/quiz
💖 Follow on Instagram → @southernsoils
💕 Join the Facebook community → Rooted Jesus Girls

17 | The Work of Belonging: Finding Covenant Presence with God Through Gardening

“They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” — Isaiah 61:3
“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” — 2 Chronicles 16:9
✨Rooted Jesus Girls,✨
Belonging isn’t just about where we live — it’s about where our hearts rest. In today’s episode, we reflect on Chapter 9 of my book, Rooted in Grace, the second chapter in Part Three: Covenant Relationship.
If Part One was about opening your eyes, and Part Two about offering your hands, then Part Three is about yielding your heart. And this chapter — The Work of Belonging — gets to the very heart of covenant: presence, not performance.
🌿 In this episode, we’ll explore:
Why planting is a declaration of belonging
How every garden mirrors the state of our souls
Scriptural anchors for belonging — from Genesis to Jeremiah to Ruth and Jesus Himself
The truth of 2 Chronicles 16:9 — God strengthens hearts fully committed to Him
Five practical practices for cultivating belonging in body, soul, and spirit
How the G.R.O.W.T.H. framework ties it all together
A special invitation to join the upcoming Free 6-Day Prayer Garden Challenge 🌱
🌿 Encouragement for YouMaybe you’re in a place you didn’t choose. Maybe you’ve been hesitant to plant, afraid to root, waiting for permanence. Friend, belonging doesn’t require perfection or permanence. It requires presence. God honors every faithful yes — every small seed planted, every return to His presence.
📓 Rooted Questions
What does belonging mean to you right now — in your home, your body, or your season of life?
Have you ever delayed planting because you weren’t ready to root?
What’s one gentle yes you could offer today?
Which plants or traditions connect you to your heritage or faith?
Where might God be inviting you to stop resisting and start relating?
🌿 Special InvitationI’d love for you to join me in just a few weeks for the Free 6-Day Prayer Garden Challenge. Together, we’ll walk through the G.R.O.W.T.H. framework to create a simple, sacred space where your faith can take root and flourish. Whether you have a backyard, a patio, or just a few pots, this challenge will guide you step by step in planting a prayer garden that becomes a place of peace and renewal.
✨ Sign up through the link in the show notes — it’s free, and I’d be honored to walk this journey with you.
🙏 Closing ReminderYou are not behind. You are not too late. You are not lost. Belonging doesn’t require permanence — it requires presence. And the Lord Himself delights to strengthen your heart as you stay fully committed to Him.
🌱 Join the Free Prayer Garden Challenge
🧾 Take the Garden Quiz → southernsoilsunshine.com/quiz
💖 Follow on Instagram → @southernsoils
💕 Join the Facebook community → Rooted Jesus Girls

16 | Rooted Moment — Slow is Sacred, Faithful in the Long Haul

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.” — Ecclesiastes 3:11
Every garden begins in hope, but it’s sustained by faith. And often, the most important growth is the slowest and the most hidden.
In this Rooted Moment, we pause to remember that slow is sacred—and that God is faithful in the long haul. Just like roots grow deep in darkness before fruit ever appears, so God does His deepest work in unseen places of our lives.
Even when the harvest feels far away, Galatians 6:9 reminds us: “At the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
So if you’re weary, waiting, or tempted to give up, let this be your reminder: you are not behind, you are not too late, and you are not lost. God is forming something lasting in you. 🌱
🌿 In this Rooted Moment, you’ll be encouraged to:
Trust that slow growth is still sacred growth
See the unseen seasons of your life as God’s root work
Stay faithful when fruit is delayed or invisible
Rest in God’s timing, not your own
📓 Reflection Questions
Where do you need to trust that slow is sacred?
What long-haul calling in your life are you tempted to give up on too soon?
🙏 A Rooted Prayer“Lord, teach me to trust Your timing. When I feel weary, remind me that You are faithful in the long haul. Root me deeply in Your love, and help me remain in You until the harvest comes.”
✨ Ways to Stay Rooted
🌱 Take the Garden Quiz → southernsoilsunshine.com/quiz
💖 Follow on Instagram → @southernsoils
💕 Join the Facebook community → Rooted Jesus Girls

15 | The Long Haul: Faithfulness When the Fruit is Slow

“Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9
Every garden begins in hope. But it’s sustained by faith.
In today’s episode, we step into Part Three: Covenant Relationship of Rooted in Grace. If Part One was about opening your eyes, and Part Two was about offering your hands, then this final part is about yielding your heart.
Together, we’ll reflect on Chapter 8, The Long Haul, and what it means to stay faithful when fruit feels slow or invisible. I share the story of my California garden, how God’s timing is never rushed, why unseen roots matter, and how quiet, repetitive faithfulness shapes us more deeply than quick results ever could.
This is the soil of covenant: belonging, abiding, and bearing fruit that lasts.
🌿 In this episode, you’ll discover:
Why covenant is about presence, not performance
The gift of slow, hidden growth (and why roots take time)
How ordinary, repetitive gardening tasks form extraordinary faith
Why your garden is meant to be shared as ministry and community
Five holy practices for long-term growth: planting legacy, documenting the journey, embracing pruning, leaning into rhythms, and trusting that slow is sacred
🌿 Special InvitationI’m so excited to invite you into something brand new — the Free 6-Day Prayer Garden Challenge!
Together we’ll walk through my G.R.O.W.T.H. framework to create a simple, sacred space where your faith can take root and flourish. Each day includes a short teaching, a Bible reflection, and a practical step to help you build a prayer garden—whether it’s in your backyard, on your patio, or even with a few pots.
It’s free to join, and I’d love for you to be part of it. Follow on instagram @SouthernSoils or on Facebook to get more info! 
📓 Rooted Questions for Reflection:
Where in your life are you being called to persevere, even when the results are slow or invisible?
How has staying rooted—physically or spiritually—shaped you over time?
What rhythms or routines keep you grounded in hard seasons?
What kind of fruit are you hoping for in this season—and what might lasting fruit look like instead?
How do you remind yourself that quiet faithfulness still matters when no one else sees?
🙏 May this episode remind you that you are not behind. You are not too late. You are not lost. You are right where you need to be. And the real garden God is cultivating… is you.
✨ CTAs
🧾 Take the Garden Quiz → southernsoilsunshine.com/quiz
🌱 Join the Free Prayer Garden Challenge → [link in show notes]
💖 Follow on Instagram → @southernsoilsunshine
💕 Join our Facebook community → Rooted Jesus Girls
 

14 | Rooted Moment - Even This Is Growing Me

Scripture Meditation“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”— Psalm 90:12 (NIV)
Rooted Jesus Girls,
This short but powerful episode invites you to pause and reflect:🌾 What is the cost of growth—and what are you gaining in return?
In Episode 13, we talked about how the garden (and life) requires more from us than we expected: time, energy, emotional labor, even grief when things don’t grow. But this moment reminds us of something deeper—
Even what costs you… can become your teacher.Even what drains you… might also be the thing that roots you more deeply.
In this Rooted Moment, we reflect on:
What’s being cultivated within you as you tend what feels slow, hidden, or fruitless
How to see your effort not as lost, but as planted
Why honoring your limitations is not defeat—it’s discipleship
What Psalm 90 teaches us about time, wisdom, and holy exchange
You’ll be reminded that God wastes nothing—not your sweat, not your waiting, not even your disappointment.
✍️ Rooted Journal Prompts
Where in your life or garden are you showing up without seeing results yet?
How have recent challenges grown you—even if the fruit isn’t visible?
What’s one area of effort that feels costly right now—and what might God be cultivating in you through it?
What does it mean to “number your days” in this season?
What are you learning to release so that something new can take root?
🌿 Take the Next Step on Your Journey
🎯 Don’t forget to take the free quiz:What Kind of Garden Grows in Your Soul?Uncover your unique garden personality and get a printable tailored to your spiritual season—whether you’re a Rooted Dreamer, Quiet Tiller, Graceful Grower, or Creative Forager.
This gentle quiz is your access point to the full GROWTH Workshop, launching soon—a 6-cycle, grace-filled experience that walks you through spiritual formation aligned with the natural growing seasons of Zones 8–10.
💛 Stay Rooted with Me:
🛖 Join our private Rooted Jesus Girls Facebook group
📸 Follow along on Instagram: @southernsoils
📚 Haven’t read the Rooted in Grace eBook yet? Now’s the time
🌼 Take the quiz → southernsoilsunshine.com/quiz
Even this… is growing you.Don’t miss the quiet harvest already forming beneath the surface.

13 | Count the Cost: What Gardening Teaches Us About Effort, Grace, and Long-Term Fruit

 
Scripture Reflection“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?”— Luke 14:28 (NIV)
Rooted Jesus Girls,
Today we’re having an honest, grace-filled conversation about the real cost of cultivating a garden—and a faithful life.
This episode is for you if:
You feel tired from the weight of the work
You wonder if the slow progress is worth it
You’re navigating seasons of starting over again (and again)
Inside, you’ll hear:
Why gardening often costs more than we expect—emotionally, physically, spiritually
How to reframe “failure” as part of formation
Why slow, steady, unseen work often bears the most lasting fruit
How to return to your garden (and your life) with joy even after disappointment
And you’ll be reminded that the most beautiful harvest may not be what’s in your basket—but who you’re becoming along the way.
🪴 Take the Free Quiz: What Kind of Garden Grows in Your Soul?
If today’s message stirred something in your spirit, take the next step:👉 southernsoilsunshine.com/quiz
This quick, thoughtful quiz will help you uncover your unique spiritual-gardening type—Rooted Dreamer, Graceful Grower, Quiet Tiller, or Creative Forager—and receive a printable that speaks directly to your season of soul.
It’s the beginning of your journey into the upcoming GROWTH Workshop, where we’ll walk through a 6-cycle framework for spiritual transformation rooted in the natural rhythms of the garden.
✍️ Rooted Questions for Journal & Prayer
What has gardening cost you—not just financially, but in energy, time, or emotion?
What unexpected gifts has it given you in return?
Where are you investing effort that feels slow or unseen?
How do you define “success”? And how might God be redefining it for you?
What would it look like to trust slow, faithful work—even without instant results?
💛 Stay Connected:
🌿 Join the Rooted Jesus Girls Facebook group for encouragement and reflection
📸 Follow along on Instagram: @southernsoils
📖 Grab your copy of the Rooted in Grace eBook if you haven’t yet
🎯 Take the quiz: southernsoilsunshine.com/quiz
You don’t have to be limitless to be fruitful.You just have to show up. Tend what you can. And trust that even what costs you—can transform you.

12 | Rooted Moment - What’s Actually Mine to Grow?

Scripture Meditation“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” — Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
Rooted Jesus Girls,
In today’s short, soulful pause, we’re returning to the quiet center of our garden life—and our spiritual one.
Because when you’re surrounded by possibility—seed catalogs, Pinterest ideas, spiritual goals, dreams for your home and family—it’s easy to forget that you don’t have to grow it all.
Just because it’s beautiful… doesn’t mean it’s yours.Just because it’s “good”… doesn’t mean it’s for this season.
Let today’s Rooted Moment help you gently prune the guilt and cultivate clarity.
We’ll reflect on:
🌼 Why discernment isn’t about less, but about alignment
🧺 How to recognize what’s yours to carry and what can be laid down
🌱 The quiet power of asking, “What brings joy, memory, or nourishment?”
You’ll hear a story from my own garden (yes, kale makes another appearance), and you’ll be reminded that it’s okay to replant, to let go, and to trust what’s growing—even if it doesn’t look impressive on the outside.
🌿 A Gentle Invitation:
✨ Take the What Kind of Garden Grows in Your Soul? quizto reflect on the season you're truly in.👉 southernsoilsunshine.com/quiz
This free quiz is the first step into my GROWTH Workshop—a soul-nourishing space for Christian women who want to root their spiritual formation in their everyday garden rhythms. 🌻
📓 Rooted Questions for Your Journal or Quiet Time:
What are you growing (in your garden or life) that no longer aligns with your needs or values?
Is there something you've been tending out of guilt instead of joy?
What would it look like to plant just three things this season—and give them your whole heart?
💛 Stay Connected:
🌿 Join our Rooted Jesus Girls Facebook group
📸 Come say hi on Instagram @southernsoils
📖 Haven’t grabbed the Rooted in Grace eBook yet? Now’s a great time
🎯 And of course, take the quiz: southernsoilsunshine.com/quiz
 

11 | Choosing What to Cultivate: Discernment in the Garden & in the Soul

Scripture:“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” — Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
✨Rooted Jesus Girls,✨
This episode invites you to slow down and ask a sacred question:👉 “What is mine to grow this season?”
We’re diving into Chapter 6 of Rooted in Grace, where I share one of my hardest-won lessons: not everything that grows in your zone belongs in your garden. The same is true in your soul, your calendar, your home, and your heart.
You'll hear about my stubborn kale (again), the cultural contrast between my childhood Romanian garden and my suburban one, and how I’m learning to plant for purpose—not performance.
We’ll talk about:
🌱 Discernment and alignment over expectation and guilt
🧺 How to choose crops (and commitments) that nourish your actual life
✨ Why your garden is a mirror for your season—not a to-do list
🐛 Why it’s okay to replant (or release) something that didn’t thrive
And most of all, we’ll explore how the act of choosing what to cultivate is a powerful, grace-soaked practice of spiritual growth.
📥 Don’t miss this!
If you’re craving a deeper connection between your gardening rhythms and your walk with God, I’ve got something for you:
💡 Take the quiz: What Kind of Garden Grows in Your Soul?
Discover if you’re a:
🌼 Graceful Grower
🌳 Rooted Dreamer
🌾 Quiet Tiller
🌿 Creative Forager
Each result comes with a free printable and a gentle invitation to reflect on your current spiritual + gardening season.
This quiz is the first step into my upcoming GROWTH Workshop, a faith-based spiritual formation journey built around garden cycles and real life in Zones 8–10. (Launching soon!)
📓 Journal Reflection Questions from Chapter 6
Are you growing anything—literally or figuratively—that no longer aligns with your values or needs?
What crops or commitments bring you genuine joy, beauty, or nourishment?
How does your current garden reflect the season of life you’re in?
What’s one thing you’ve been growing out of guilt or obligation—and what would it feel like to release it?
If you could plant only three things this year, what would they be—and why?
🙏 Let’s stay rooted together:
🌿 Join the Rooted Jesus Girls FB community for encouragement and conversation
📸 Follow along on Instagram @southernsoils
📖 Grab the Rooted in Grace eBook if you haven’t yet
🎯 Take the Quiz at southernsoilsunshine.com/quiz
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