Planted With Purpose

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Well, hello, my valued listeners, and welcome to a brand new month of living in your power.
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I'm your host, Dr. Marlene Greenleaf, and I am so grateful that you've chosen
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to spend this time with me today.
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As we step into the month of June, we also step into a new season,
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because today marks It's not only the beginning of a new month,
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but also the beginning of meteorological summer,
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a season often associated with growth, warmth, and flourishing.
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And perhaps that's exactly what many of us are longing for right now.
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To grow, to bloom, to become more fully who we were created to be.
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So this month our
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theme is freedom to flourish growing into what god has planted because flourishing
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doesn't happen by accident it begins with understanding that where you are planted
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matters and more importantly who planted you.
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So today's episode, the first in our June series, is entitled, Planted with Purpose.
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So let's dive in.
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Have you ever looked at someone else's life and wondered if you were behind?
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Honestly, I think we all have. I mean, have you wondered if you missed an opportunity?
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Wondered if perhaps you should be somewhere else by now?
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Yeah, I think most of us have. And there are seasons when we question our timing.
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We question our path. We question whether we're in the right place.
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And when growth feels slow, it's easy to believe that being planted is the same as being stuck.
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But they're not the same thing. Being stuck feels hopeless.
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Being planted means something is developing beneath the surface. Roots are forming.
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Strength is being established. Something is growing even if you can't see it yet.
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And sometimes the very place we tempted to leave is the place where God is doing his deepest work.
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In Jeremiah 17 verses 7 through 8 in the New King James Version,
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it says, Blessed is the man that trusted in the Lord and whose hope is the Lord.
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For he shall be as a tree planted
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by the waters and that spread it out her roots by the river and shall not see
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when heat cometh but her leaf shall be green and shall not be careful in the
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year of drought neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
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Now what stands out to me in this scripture is that the tree experiences the
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same conditions as every other tree.
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The heat comes, the drought comes, the challenges come, but the tree continues to flourish. Why?
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Because of the way its roots are connected.
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Its strength isn't determined by its circumstances. Its strength is determined by its source.
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And that is such an important reminder, dear listeners,
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because we often spend so much time trying to change our circumstances that
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we neglect our connection to the one who sustains it.
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One of the most fascinating things about growth is that it often begins where no one can see it.
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I mean, before a tree grows upward, it grows downward first.
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And before the fruit appears, the root deepens.
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And before the harvest comes, the seed develops.
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And the same is true in our lives. because some of the most important growth seasons are invisible.
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They are the seasons where character is being formed, where fate is being strengthened,
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where wisdom is being developed, and where patience is being cultivated.
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These seasons rarely receive applause, but they prepare us for everything that comes next.
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And if we're not careful, we'll dismiss these quiet seasons because they don't look impressive.
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Yet these are often the very seasons that make flourishing possible.
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Now let's return to the image of the tree planted by the water.
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It was not striving, it was not chasing, not comparing.
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It was just simply rooted, connected, growing, and trusting.
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So now your empowerment prompt for this week. I want you to take a few minutes
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to reflect on these questions.
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Where has God planted me in this season?
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Am I viewing this season as stuck or planted?
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What roots might God be strengthened beneath the surface?
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And how can I deepen my connection to the source of my strength?
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I'll repeat those for you. Take a few moments to speak to reflect on these four prompts.
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Where has God planted me in this season?
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Am I viewing this season as being stuck or being planted?
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What roots might God be strengthened beneath the surface?
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And how can I deepen my connection to the source of my strength.
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I want you to remember that growth is not always visible, but that doesn't mean it isn't happening.
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So in closing, my dear listeners, I want you to know that you were not planted by accident.
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No, absolutely not. Your experiences, your gifts, your journey,
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even this season you're walking through right now, none of it is wasted.
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Trust the roots that are being formed.
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Trust the process that is unfolding. and trust that what God has planted,
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He is fully capable of sustaining.
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So I want to thank you for joining me for this first episode in our June series,
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Freedom to Flourish, Growing into What God Has Planted.
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Next week, we will continue the conversation with pruning for growth.
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So until next time dear listeners I want you to continue to live boldly in your
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power today And if it gets tough Just breathe,
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You've still got the strength to rise So I'll see you next time And continue to live in your power.