In the past, we have posted updates
about creating a ministry called The
Lavender Pavilion. In particular, we described the vision God gave Julie for a prayer garden where women (mostly) can come to
pray, reflect, and experience God’s presence [see “Pursuing a God-Sized Dream”
– July 16, 2010 and other later posts labeled "Lavender Pavilion"].
This dream was born early in
2010 in our former hometown of Fullerton, California. With God’s continual prodding
and encouragement, the dream continues to be fulfilled at our current home in Springfield,
Oregon.
After arriving here in the
fall of 2010, we spent a great deal of time clearing the land to build a prayer
garden. About a third of our property (a century-old farmhouse) was an unused
pasture surrounded by barbed wire and full of decades of debris: blackberry
bushes, weeds, a rotting 3-stall stable, piles of old cement and lumber, and
more. We cleared the property down to bare dirt, carved out a parking area,
laid out an initial path in the garden, and have done quite a bit of planting.
We’re also close to completing a labyrinth (prayer path) that will the
central focus of this “quiet garden.” Much work still needs to be done, but it
is rewarding to watch this piece of dirt slowly become a garden.
The
original goal was to create a non-profit organization, and Julie would develop a
ministry for women based around the prayer garden. That idea was formed back in
southern California, when we considered purchasing a piece of property where the
ministry could take place. Here in Oregon, we faced a different challenge
because the garden would be built on our own residential property. This created
some major legal hurdles. We won’t bore you with the details, but – after an
initial consultation with an attorney - we realized that turning the Lavender
Pavilion into a non-profit would be a difficult and costly endeavor.
So we decided to simply forge
ahead on our own and develop the garden as our gift to the community. This
place on our land will be known as The Lavender Pavilion.
Meanwhile, we went through the
necessary steps to create a new non-profit ministry called the unfolding soul. This organization now has been up and
running for more than a year. It’s a registered Oregon non-profit corporation
and has received tax-exempt status as a religious organization from the IRS. the unfolding soul serves as the
umbrella for Julie’s ministry to (primarily) women; a ministry that is slowly
and steadily growing here in the Pacific Northwest.
Much of Julie’s ministry takes
place away from our property. But several times a year, she offers ministry
events in our home. At times, these events will take advantage of the adjacent
prayer garden. Even when an event does not use the garden, we expect that women
may linger afterward to enjoy some quiet moments of rest and reflection.
In the next couple of posts,
we will offer a more detailed description of both The Lavender Pavilion and the
unfolding soul. The vision has evolved, but it still is being fulfilled.
We’ve learned that when God gives us a vision, the specifics may emerge in ways that are different from what we originally conceived. And yet if we are patient...if we are faithful...the vision can become a reality.
We’ve learned that when God gives us a vision, the specifics may emerge in ways that are different from what we originally conceived. And yet if we are patient...if we are faithful...the vision can become a reality.
-
Julie & Bruce
