Rooted in Grace: Intuitive Gardening for Christian Women

Rooted in Grace: Intuitive Gardening for Christian Women

By: Sanda Valcu

Language: en

Categories: Religion, Spirituality, Christianity, Leisure, Home, Garden

A podcast for weary women tending gardens and hearts in small suburban spaces. Hosted by a teacher, pastor’s wife, and backyard gardener, this show blends practical garden wisdom with spiritual nourishment, helping you grow food, faith, and peace — one seed at a time.

Episodes

56 | Rooted Moment - Staying by the Stream
Jan 09, 2026

🌿 Episode 56 — Rooted MomentIn this gentle Rooted Moment, Sanda invites you to slow down and remain near what gives life. Drawing from Psalm 1:3, this short devotional is not about learning something new—but about returning. Returning to God’s Word. Returning to presence. Returning to the stream that sustains you, especially in quiet or winter seasons.

If you’ve felt the pull to rush ahead, fix everything, or measure your spiritual growth by visible results, this episode is a soft reminder: roots grow by staying.

📖 Scripture Anchor

“They are like a tree planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit in every s...

Duration: 00:09:01
55 | Planted by the Stream: Entering a New Year Rooted, Not Rushed
Jan 06, 2026

As the new year begins, we’re not starting with resolutions or pressure—we’re starting somewhere quiet.

In this episode, we sit together by the riverbank of Psalm 1, listening for God’s invitation into a slower, more rooted way of living and gardening. This episode marks the beginning of our January–March formation journey: Planted by the Streams—a season focused on staying planted, preparing the soil, and trusting fruit to come in its time.

If you’re feeling weary, scattered, or unsure how to begin again, this episode is for you.

🌿 In This Episode, We...

Duration: 00:26:23
54 | Rooted Moment - Crossing the Threshold Gently
Jan 02, 2026

A Rooted Moment for the New Year

As we step into a new year, this Rooted Moment is a quiet invitation to cross the threshold gently—without rushing, striving, or dragging the weight of the last season with us.

Before goals.
Before plans.
Before choosing a word for the year.

We begin where we always do: with Scripture.

In this short devotional episode, Sanda reflects on Isaiah 58:11 and the holy pause between clearing and planting—the tender space where the soil rests before it receives seed. Just like the gard...

Duration: 00:09:01
53 | Preparing the Soil of Your Soul: Clearing Space at the Turning of the Year
Dec 30, 2025

Preparing the Soil of Your Soul: Clearing Space for Fearless Living

In today’s episode, we step into the quiet work of winter soil preparation — in our gardens and in our souls. As the year winds down, God invites us to gently clear space, release what’s overgrown, and make room for joy, courage, and clarity in the new year.

Through Scripture, story, and simple practices, we explore how pruning, clearing, and even the debris of our year can become nourishment for what God will grow next.

Scriptures in this Episode:

Psalm 144:15
H...

Duration: 00:21:42
52 | Rooted Moment - After the Arrival, God Is Still Near
Dec 26, 2025

Rooted Moment | A Gentle Post-Christmas Pause

Christmas has passed.
The gifts are unwrapped.
The house is quieter now.

And maybe you’re feeling it—the tiredness, the tenderness, the emotional afterglow that comes when the celebration ends.

In this short Rooted Moment, we pause together in the days after Christmas to remember this quiet truth: God does not leave when the celebration ends.


He comes—and He stays.

This episode is a gentle echo of Episode 51, reminding us that God came in the fullness of time—and that...

Duration: 00:05:54
51 | In the Right Time, God Came Near
Dec 23, 2025

Wrapping Up Advent & Stepping Gently into Christmas

As Advent comes to a close and Christmas draws near, this episode is an invitation to slow down and rest in the truth that God’s timing is never rushed—and never wasted.

In today’s conversation, I reflect on Psalm 145 and the quiet miracle of the Incarnation: that God chose to come near in the fullness of time, not according to urgency, but according to love.

Through winter garden rhythms—rebuilding a fire pit, reshaping garden borders, and composting zinnias that bloomed too soon—we explore wh...

Duration: 00:12:40
50 | Rooted Moment - The Quiet Beneath the Quiet
Dec 19, 2025

In this episode of Rooted in Grace, we step gently into winter’s stillness and explore the kind of quiet that doesn’t demand answers, productivity, or strength — the quiet where God is already at work beneath the surface.

Using the winter garden as our guide, this episode invites you to slow down, breathe deeply, and notice what is quietly growing in you, even when nothing looks active on the outside.

This is a reflective, grounding episode — one meant to be listened to slowly, perhaps on a walk, during a quiet morning, or at the end of a...

Duration: 00:10:44
49 | When the Garden Grows Quiet: Listening for God in Winter
Dec 16, 2025

December can feel loud on the outside and thin on the inside. In this episode, I invite you into the quiet winter garden—a place many of us are tempted to rush past or label as “unproductive.”

Together, we sit with Scripture, Advent waiting, and the slow wisdom of the soil to remember this truth: stillness is not stagnation, and winter is not failure. When the garden grows quiet, God is often doing His deepest, most foundational work.

If your soul feels bare, hesitant, or simply tired right now, this episode is an invitation to listen...

Duration: 00:34:25
48 | Rooted Moment - A Quiet Kind of Room-Making
Dec 12, 2025

A Quiet Kind of Room-Making

Second Week of Advent

In this tender Rooted Moment, we step into the heart of Advent hospitality—the quiet, humble practice of making room for Christ right where we are.

Anchored in Luke 2:7, we meditate on the simple yet profound truth that “there was no room” in the expected places for Jesus—yet God came anyway.
He came into the space that was available.
He came into the ordinary, the imperfect, the makeshift.
And He still does.

This episode is an invitation to prepare inner room rat...

Duration: 00:09:15
47 | Prepare Him Room: Advent Hospitality, Winter Soil, and the Quiet Work of Serving
Dec 09, 2025

In this second week of Advent, we explore what it truly means to prepare Him room—not in ideal conditions or perfectly curated moments, but in the real, busy, often overwhelming rhythms of hospitality, service, and winter stillness.

This episode weaves together the sacred work of preparing a meal for many, the quiet anchoring presence of the winter garden, and the spiritual practice of creating space for Christ in ordinary life. As we serve, as we feed, as we tend, and even as we rest, we are participating in Advent’s holy invitation:
Christ has come. Chri...

Duration: 00:17:24
46 | Rooted Moment - Preparing Room, One Breath at a Time
Dec 05, 2025

Preparing Room, One Breath at a Time

A soft follow-up to Episode 45: Attentive to His Presence—Preparing Room in a Noisy Season

✨ Episode Summary

In this Rooted Moment, Sanda offers a simple, spacious pause in the middle of a noisy season.
Through Psalm 46:10 and the quiet humility of Luke 2:6–7, she invites you to breathe deeply, loosen your shoulders, and make a little room—just one breath at a time.

This short reflection includes a guided practice called “The One-Minute Room,” helping you re-center and return to God’s presence no matter how full your life feels. Duration: 00:07:21

45 | Attentive to His Presence: Preparing Room in a Noisy Season
Dec 02, 2025

Attentive to His Presence: Preparing Room in a Noisy Season

In this gentle beginning-of-Advent episode, we step from the fullness of Thanksgiving into the quiet invitation of Christmas. Episode 45 centers on the A in the GRACE framework—Attentive to His Presence—and offers a peaceful, grounded pause in the midst of holiday busyness.

I share a tender garden story from this week, filling my new raised beds with cardboard, branches, and garden debris—an unexpected picture of Advent preparation and the hidden work God does beneath the surface of our lives. We explore how December often...

Duration: 00:26:27
44 | Rooted Moment - Into the Fire, Into the Manger: The God Who Is With Us
Nov 28, 2025

In this day-after-Thanksgiving Rooted Moment, we pause between gratitude and Advent to remember the God who stands with us in every season.

Today’s reflection weaves together Daniel 3, the quiet beauty of a garden settling into winter, and the hope rising as Advent begins in just three days.

We remember:
✨ The God who walked in the fire with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
✨ The God who descends into ordinary places—into mangers, into gardens, into our hearts
✨ The gratitude that prepares our soil for Advent
✨ The small, tender signs of God’s presence in bo...

Duration: 00:10:18
43 | Thanksgiving Table of Grace: Gratitude That Gathers, Heals, and Prepares Us
Nov 25, 2025

A Thanksgiving Table of Grace: Gratitude That Gathers, Heals, and Prepares Us

This Thanksgiving week, we slow down and gather around a different kind of table — a spiritual table of grace, memory, and gratitude.

In Episode 43, we explore how God meets us in the quiet, unfinished places of our gardens, our homes, and our hearts. From assembling new raised beds to watching pansies settle into place, from baking apple–cinnamon sourdough with my girls to pickling cabbage for Romanian holiday traditions, this episode is rooted in the small, holy details of the season.

Anch...

Duration: 00:20:29
42 | Rooted Moment - Grace in the Middle: An Invitation to Meet God in the Unfinished Places
Nov 21, 2025

This Rooted Moment offers a gentle pause between Thanksgiving and Advent — an invitation to rest, breathe, and recognize God’s presence in the unfinished places of your life.

Flowing out of this week’s main episode on learning contentment in every season, today’s reflection centers on gratitude as the soil where peace, patience, and Advent readiness naturally grow.

🌾 What You’ll Hear:

A simple garden moment that reveals the beauty of “not yet ready”

How gratitude anchors us in contentment

A short guided reflection to settle your spirit

Gentle practices...

Duration: 00:08:25
41 | Learning Contentment in Every Season: Gratitude, Advent Hope, and the Holy RestArt of Being Rooted
Nov 18, 2025

As Thanksgiving approaches and Advent draws near, today’s episode invites you into the soft, sacred work of gratitude, contentment, and holy expectancy.

We walk gently through the G.R.A.C.E. framework—
Grounded in Gratitude, Recognizing God’s Provision, Abiding in the In-Between, Cultivating Contentment, and Expectancy Rooted in Christ—
anchored in Philippians 4:11–12 and woven with comforting Scriptures that guide us into deeper peace.

In this episode, I share the joyful chaos of this week’s gardening adventures—assembling new raised beds, discovering a new nursery, and planting 18 tiny pots of flowers before...

Duration: 00:18:33
40 | Rooted Moment - Grace in Progress: How God Works in the Middle Seasons
Nov 14, 2025

Rooted Moment: Grace in Progress 🌾 Episode Summary

In this short, tender Rooted Moment devotional, Sanda invites you to pause and breathe deeply in the “in-between” spaces of your life — the places where hope has been planted but the harvest hasn’t arrived yet.

Through Scripture, reflection, and a fresh story from her garden, she explores what it means to live Grounded in Gratitude while everything is still in progress.
From clearing a small tree to make way for her new pottager garden, to tending ministry soil all weekend long, this episode reminds us of a healing truth:

...

Duration: 00:08:25
39 | Planting Hope When the Season Shifts: Finding Gratitude and Grace in the Garden
Nov 11, 2025

As autumn fades and Advent approaches, Sanda invites you into a conversation about progress, purpose, and planting hope in the middle of change.

From chopping down an old tree to make space for a new pottager garden to building four raised beds with a circular one at the center, she shares how clearing, planning, and preparing the soil mirror the spiritual work of faith and surrender.

This episode launches the new G.R.A.C.E. Framework—a five-part rhythm for spiritual and practical growth—and begins with the first step: G = Grounded in Gratitude.
...

Duration: 00:20:32
38 | Rooted Moment - When Rest Becomes Prayer: A November Garden Devotional on Psalm 119 and Psalm 65
Nov 07, 2025

In this Rooted Moment, Sanda slows us down for a simple yet sacred truth: rest itself can become prayer.

Drawing from Psalm 65:9–11 and Psalm 119:169–170, she invites you to see your quiet garden—and your quiet soul—as places where the Gardener is still at work. Beneath South Texas soil, peas climb, collards stretch, onions strengthen, and God listens to every unspoken cry of the heart.

Through three gentle movements—Soften the Furrows, Feed the Roots, and Lift the Leaves—you’ll learn how rest, prayer, and growth intertwine as Advent approaches.

This short devotional com...

Duration: 00:08:25
37 | The November Garden Examen: How to Reset Your Soul and Soil Before Advent
Nov 04, 2025

🌿 Summary / Episode Description

In this gentle transition between seasons, Sanda invites you into a November Garden Examen — a quiet, 5-pillar reflection for your soil and your soul.

While the garden rests (at least in theory), there’s still life stirring under the South Texas sky — peas and collards stretching, onions thickening, sage standing strong. Beneath it all, the Gardener is preparing the way for new birth.

Through the five pillars — Remember, Release, Restore, Root, and Rejoice — Sanda helps you look back with gratitude, let go with grace, and lean forward with vision. This episode is both a sacred...

Duration: 00:18:59
36 | Rooted Moment - Even Here, I Will Rejoice: Finding Peace, Presence, and Growth in the Winter Garden
Oct 31, 2025

📖 Scripture Anchor

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines… yet I will rejoice in the Lord.” — Habakkuk 3:17–19

🌿 Episode Summary

The harvest is over, the beds are quiet, and the air has turned cool—but God’s work in the soil (and in our souls) never stops. 🌾

In this tender Rooted Moment, Sanda invites you to pause between seasons, breathe deeply, and rediscover the quiet joy that grows in waiting.

Rooted in Habakkuk 3:17–19, this guided reflection and prayer will help you find peace in the “in-between” and recognize that even when...

Duration: 00:10:55
35 | Harvest & Heal: How to Find Grace, Gratitude, and Growth in Every Season
Oct 28, 2025

When the harvest looks smaller than you hoped and your heart feels tired, God still invites you to rejoice.
In this deeply reflective episode, Sanda closes the Fall Growth Arch with the H-step — Harvest & Heal.

Standing in her South Texas garden after long rains, she watches new seedlings of peas, parsley, dill, violas, sage, and collards push through the soil and remembers: the cycle of grace never ends. From pickled green tomatoes saved from a garden long left behind to compost that feeds unseen life, every story in this episode mirrors the truth of Habakkuk 3 — even when...

Duration: 00:19:56
34 | Rooted Moment - The Gentle Art of Tending Grace, A Christian Meditation for Weary Hearts
Oct 24, 2025

🎧 Listen Now

“I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.” — Psalm 119:58

When the season feels dry and your spirit feels weary, this Rooted Moment offers a quiet invitation to rest, breathe, and receive grace.

In this guided reflection, Sanda leads you through a meditative pause inspired by Psalm 119:58 — helping you release striving and rediscover the slow, healing rhythm of tending grace.

You’ll walk through a spiritual visualization rooted in the five pillars of tending: Presence, Protection, Pruning, Repurposing, and Perseverance.
Each one becomes a pra...

Duration: 00:10:55
33 | Tend: How to Nurture Your Faith and Garden in Dry Seasons
Oct 21, 2025

🎧 Listen Now

“I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.” — Psalm 119:58

When the season feels too hot, too dry, or too demanding, how do you keep tending what God has entrusted to you?

In this powerful new episode of the Rooted in Grace Podcast, Sanda invites you into a conversation about tending — the sacred middle ground between neglect and burnout. Through Scripture, story, and soul-deep reflection, she shares how to keep seeking God’s grace even when the ground feels cracked and your energy is running low.

F...

Duration: 00:23:11
32 | Rooted Moment - Planting Peace in Present Soil
Oct 17, 2025

🎧 Listen Now

Peace isn’t waiting at the end of the road — it’s being planted under your feet right now.


In this week’s Rooted Moment, you are invited to pause, breathe, and plant peace in the soil you already have — your home, your relationships, and your daily rhythms.

🌾 Episode Overview

This gentle reflection pairs with Episode 31: Work What You’ve Got in the Fall Growth Arch.


It’s a guided moment to slow down and recognize that the soil you have today is holy ground — the place where God’s peace is already growi...

Duration: 00:10:55
31 | Work What You’ve Got: Garden Tips for Spiritual Growth & Stewardship
Oct 14, 2025

🎧 Listen Now

Even when the garden feels tired and the season isn’t what you imagined, God is still calling you to grow. In this week’s episode, we step into the “W” of our Fall Growth Arch — Work What You’ve Got — and learn how to find peace, purpose, and beauty right where we are.

🌾 Episode Overview

By mid-fall, the garden looks weary: vines are fading, the soil feels dry, and energy runs low. But this is exactly when God invites us to keep showing up — to harvest faithfully, compost what’s fading, and replant hope for what’s ahead.

Duration: 00:19:22
30 | Rooted Moment - The Stillness Between Seasons
Oct 10, 2025

“Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: ‘Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!’?” — Colossians 2:20–21

This week’s Rooted Moment is a quiet invitation to pause. 🌾

In the stillness between seasons—when the garden slows, the air cools, and life feels heavy or hurried—God calls us to stop performing and start observing.
He reminds us that we are already loved, already rooted, already seen.

Through the return of the bees to tired bas...

Duration: 00:07:00
29 | Observe: Learning to See What God Is Doing
Oct 07, 2025

“Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: ‘Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!’?” — Colossians 2:20–21

Welcome back, Rooted Jesus Girls 💚

In this third step of the Fall Growth Arch — Observe — we’re slowing down to listen, to look, and to let go of performance so we can see God’s hand at work in the quiet places.

This episode invites you into the holy discipline of observation — both in your garden and in your spirit...

Duration: 00:21:38
28 | Rooted Moment - Rise in Small Ways
Oct 03, 2025

“I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” — Philippians 4:13

Life doesn’t always leave room for dramatic breakthroughs. Some weeks are busy, heavy, and full. In those times, rising in faith doesn’t always look like big leaps. It often looks like small yeses—quiet, faithful acts of trust that God sees and honors.

In this Rooted Moment, I share how planting onions and scattering radish seeds reminded me that both long-term patience and quick mercies are ways we rise in Christ’s strength. The onion teaches endurance. The radish teaches encouragement. Both matter to...

Duration: 00:07:44
27 | Rise: Saying Yes to New Life
Sep 30, 2025

“I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” — Philippians 4:13

Fall is a season of slowing down, clearing out, and trusting God for new beginnings. In this episode, we continue the Fall Growth Arch and step into the second movement: Rise.

Rising isn’t always dramatic. Sometimes it’s as simple as planting onions in cool soil, scattering radish seeds, or whispering a prayer in the middle of a hard day. It’s saying yes to the new life God is growing in us, even when the season feels heavy.

Join me in the ga...

Duration: 00:16:00
26 | Rooted Moment - Rooted, Even in the Rift
Sep 26, 2025

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” — Galatians 5:25

✨Rooted Jesus Girls,✨

Sometimes the soil under our feet feels cracked and dry. Relationships feel strained. Silence stings. Discouragement lingers.

In those moments, it’s tempting to believe the lie that struggle disqualifies us. But Galatians 5 reminds us: our very life comes from the Spirit—and because of that, we can keep in step with Him, even in the rift.

In this short devotional, I share a recent early morning in my prayer garden, sitting in the dark befor...

Duration: 00:08:25
25 | Get Rooted: Starting Where You Are
Sep 23, 2025

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” — Galatians 5:25

✨Rooted Jesus Girls,✨

Welcome to the very first week of the Fall Growth Arch—a six-week journey through the G.R.O.W.T.H. framework designed to align your gardening rhythms with your walk with God.

This week, we begin where all true growth begins: Get Rooted.

Fall is the perfect season for this. The garden is shifting—summer crops are winding down, soil is being renewed, and new seeds are quietly being planted. Spiritually, we’re invited...

Duration: 00:18:08
24 | Rooted Moment - Planted by the Water: Trusting God in Every Season
Sep 19, 2025

“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” — Jeremiah 17:7–8

✨Rooted Jesus Girls,✨

This week’s Rooted Moment is anchored in one of Scripture’s most vivid promises: a life rooted in God’s presence is like a tree planted by water. Even when heat comes. Even in yea...

Duration: 00:07:20
23 | Creating Your Prayer Garden: A Sacred Space to Meet God
Sep 16, 2025

“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.” — Jeremiah 17:7–8

✨Rooted Jesus Girls,✨

In this week’s episode, we move from the foundation of Rooted in Grace into practical, lived rhythms. Together, we’ll explore how to create a prayer garden—a simple, intentional space where soil and soul meet, where you can be still before the Lord, and where the rhythms of gar...

Duration: 00:21:41
22 | Rooted Moment - Be Still and Notice: How Observation Roots Us in God’s Presence
Sep 12, 2025

“Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10
“I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what He will say to me.” — Habakkuk 2:1

✨Rooted Jesus Girls,✨

This Rooted Moment invites you into the simple but powerful practice of observation—in the garden and in your soul.

When we pause to notice the weather, the sprouts, the pests, and the gifts of each week, we train ourselves to pay attention not just to the soil, but to the God who is present in every season.

...

Duration: 00:07:44
21 | From Rooted in Grace to G.R.O.W.T.H.: Tools and Practices for Every Season
Sep 09, 2025

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord…” — Colossians 3:23
“Then the Lord replied: ‘Write down the revelation and make it plain…’” — Habakkuk 2:2

✨Rooted Jesus Girls,✨

We’ve come to the final part of my book, Rooted in Grace, and this episode is a milestone! Together we’ve walked through:

Part One: Attentive Stewardship — learning to open our eyes.

Part Two: Faithful Response — offering our hands.

Part Three: Covenant Relationship — yielding our hearts.

And now, in Part Four: Tools & Sacred Practices, we take all of that and...

Duration: 00:18:15
20 | Rooted Moment - Sitting Under the Fig Tree
Sep 05, 2025

“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 abundanc...

Duration: 00:07:44
19 | Cultivating Fruit That Lasts: Spiritual Growth Lessons from the Garden
Sep 02, 2025

“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 G...

Duration: 00:27:47
18 | Rooted Moment — A Small Yes of Belonging
Aug 29, 2025

“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...

Duration: 00:07:44
17 | The Work of Belonging: Finding Covenant Presence with God Through Gardening
Aug 26, 2025

“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 hand...

Duration: 00:16:55
16 | Rooted Moment — Slow is Sacred, Faithful in the Long Haul
Aug 22, 2025

“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 harve...

Duration: 00:05:40
15 | The Long Haul: Faithfulness When the Fruit is Slow
Aug 19, 2025

“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...

Duration: 00:18:21
14 | Rooted Moment - Even This Is Growing Me
Aug 15, 2025

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 dra...

Duration: 00:06:19
13 | Count the Cost: What Gardening Teaches Us About Effort, Grace, and Long-Term Fruit
Aug 12, 2025

 

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 star...

Duration: 00:14:00
12 | Rooted Moment - What’s Actually Mine to Grow?
Aug 08, 2025

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...

Duration: 00:06:19
11 | Choosing What to Cultivate: Discernment in the Garden & in the Soul
Aug 05, 2025

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...

Duration: 00:13:17
10 | Rooted Moment: Clothed in Christ, Rooted in Grace
Aug 01, 2025

🌿 Episode 10: Clothed in Christ, Rooted in Grace

“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” — 2 Corinthians 12:9
“Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.” — Romans 13:14

What do you do when your plans fall apart again? When you’re tempted to spiral, shut down, or self-protect?

In this short Rooted Moment, we reflect on what it means to stay under the covering of Christ—even when the garden (or life) says, “Not today.”

Because wh...

Duration: 00:04:37
9 | When the Garden Says “Not Today”: Growing Within Your Limits
Jul 29, 2025

🌿 Episode 9: When the Garden Says “Not Today” — Growing Within Your Limits

“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’”
— 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

When your tomato plants are wilting, your calendar’s too full, and your energy is spent… what if that’s not failure? What if it’s faithfulness?

In this episode, we’re digging into the real-life tension between vision and capacity—both in the garden and in the soul. I’m sharing the story of a garden bed that nearly broke me, what I learned about asking for h...

Duration: 00:13:51
8 | Rooted Moment - This Isn't What I Planned, But I'm Still Growing
Jul 25, 2025

What do you do when the plan doesn’t work?

In this short, reflective episode, I share a real moment from my garden: how my cherished Romanian tomatoes couldn’t handle the Texas heat, how the basil surprised me, and how my peppers came back stronger after a rough start.

Rooted in Amos 5:4 — “Come back to Me and live” — this is a quiet invitation to release what didn’t go right and return to the One who grows good things anyway. Even in the middle of your disappointment, there is still life. Still joy. Still grace.

🌱 I...

Duration: 00:02:51
7 | Holy Flexibility: How to Respond with Faith When God Redirects Your Plans
Jul 22, 2025

Based on Chapter 4 of Rooted in Grace

When the plan changes—again—how do you respond?

This episode marks a transition into Part 2 of the Rooted in Grace journey: Faithful Response. We’re moving from noticing God’s rhythms to responding to His redirection—even when it’s uncomfortable or unexpected.

Drawing from Chapter 4, Holy Flexibility, and the powerful simplicity of Amos 5:4 — “Come back to Me and live” — we’ll explore what it means to let go of control and lean into grace. You’ll hear garden wisdom, scriptural truth, and practical steps for adapting faithfully—...

Duration: 00:11:11
6 | Rooted Moment - You’re Not Behind: Trusting God’s Rhythm in the Garden and Life
Jul 18, 2025

🌿 Episode 6: You’re Not Behind — Trusting God’s Rhythm in the Garden and Life

Do you ever feel like you’re falling behind—in your garden, your faith, or your life?

In this short reflection, I share a moment from my own garden, a story about bees and beans, and a reminder from Jonah about shade, surrender, and timing. You'll walk away with a renewed trust that God’s rhythm is already at work—even when you can’t see the fruit yet.

Whether you're mid-season in your garden or just weary from the pace of life, this is yo...

Duration: 00:03:09
5 | The Rhythm of God: Shade, Soil, and the Seasons of the Soul
Jul 15, 2025

What if God’s timing is already written into creation—into the soil, the shade, and even the seasons of your soul?

In today’s episode, we draw from Chapter 3 of Rooted in Grace and reflect on Jonah’s surprising shade, the rhythms of nature, and how sacred trust is cultivated when we stop striving and start noticing. Whether you're in a season of waiting, pruning, or quiet growth, this conversation will help you walk more gently with God through your garden and your life.

✨ What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

How sacred rhythms show up in y...

Duration: 00:13:39
4 | Rooted Moment – Start Small, Stay Faithful
Jul 11, 2025

“Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much.” – Luke 16:10

In this gentle Rooted Moment, you’re invited to pause and reflect on the small but sacred work God has placed in front of you. Whether you're tending a garden, folding laundry, or praying for clarity, this short devotional will remind you that faithfulness starts in the quiet, hidden places.

We’ll breathe, reflect, and pray together—anchoring your day in grace and intention.

🪴 Perfect for your garden walk, morning quiet time, or end-of-day reset.

✝️ In this episode:

A guided devotional r...

Duration: 00:03:09
3 | Garden Journaling as Prayer
Jul 08, 2025

“Write down the revelation and make it plain…” — Habakkuk 2:2

In this raw and reflective episode, I invite you into one of the quietest but most powerful spiritual rhythms in the garden: journaling. Not just to track what you’ve planted—but to mark what God is growing in you.

This episode is inspired by Chapter 2 of my ebook, Rooted in Grace. Whether you're a seasoned journal-keeper or someone who’s never written a single garden note, this episode offers gentle encouragement and simple steps to begin.

We’ll explore:

Why journaling in the garden be...

Duration: 00:13:49
2 | Rooted Moment – A Morning Walk With God in the Garden
Jul 04, 2025

Take a breath. Step outside—or just step inward. In this short Rooted Moment, you’re invited to slow down, pay attention, and let your garden (or your imagined one) become a meeting place with God.

🌿 Prayer: “Lord, open my eyes to what You are growing—in my garden, and in me.”
✨ Download the matching journal page at rootedingrace.me

Duration: 00:03:09
1 | The Listening Gardener – Starting With Presence, Not Perfection
Jul 01, 2025

We often rush into gardening—and life—wanting results before rhythm. But what if the first step to growing with God is simply slowing down? In this first episode, I share a story from the summer of 2022, a spiritual lesson from the heat, and the 5 soul practices from Chapter 1 of Rooted in Grace.

✝️ Scripture: Psalm 46:10
📝 Journal Prompt: Where is God asking you to slow down this week?
🎧 Rooted Moment Preview: A Morning Walk with God in the Garden

🌱 Free resources: rootedingrace.me
📖 Get the book: southernsoilsunshine.com/rooted-in-grace
🤍 Coaching info coming soon!

Duration: 00:17:42
0 | What Is Rooted in Grace? A Welcome + Invitation
Jul 01, 2025

In this short welcome episode, I share the heart behind Rooted in Grace, who this podcast is for, and what you can expect as we grow together through the seasons—spiritually and in the garden.

If you’ve ever longed for a slower pace, deeper peace, and a faith that feels grounded again, this is your space.

🌱 Free journal pages & resources
📖 Get the book

Duration: 00:08:09
Welcome to Rooted in Grace: A Christian Podcast for Faith-Filled Gardening and Soulful Living
Jun 30, 2025

Welcome to Rooted in Grace, a podcast for Christian women who long to grow deeper in faith and live more intentionally—both in the garden and in their everyday lives.

I’m Sanda—pastor’s wife, lifelong gardener, writer, and your companion through the sacred, messy middle where soil meets soul. If you’re hungry for spiritual depth, seasonal rhythms, and practical garden wisdom that connects you with God, this podcast is for you.

In this trailer episode, I’ll share what Rooted in Grace is all about:
🌿 Weekly episodes that blend intuitive gardening with Christian...

Duration: 00:02:13