Noonday Notes

Volume 2, Issue 5

June 12th, 2026

“I can do all things through…”you probably know the rest. Maybe it’s a tattoo or bumper sticker you got just after that WWJD bracelet. I thought of that scripture this week because the past couple of weeks I have felt a particular stressor in my life. Per usual, I took that thought of Philippians 4:13 and dove into the entire letter instead of just that one line.

In classic Paul fashion he wrote this letter from prison to his longtime supporters in Philippi, home to the first church he planted in Europe. He basically tells them in banker lingo that he doesn’t seek their gifts so much as the “fruit that increases to your credit” (Phil 4:17). Giving to God is not just charity, it is worship.

But this week what pierced me were the verses just before the infamous 4:13. “...I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” (Phil 4:11-12 ESV)

Paul didn't just discover contentment. He learned it. Remember, he’s writing this from prison. He's not on some Greek island eating pita and hummus, saying “thanks for all the money and high fives over the years. It's been super swell, you guys are the best. Love you so much.” No, he's saying “I've been through it y’all, good times and bad times.” Me too, Paul.

I’ve been in debt. I’ve been on Medicaid and SNAP. I’ve been fired from jobs. I’ve been so depressed I needed medication and inpatient treatment. AND I have also traveled to 16 countries in 4 continents, am healthy, and I have a loving family and community.

But the secret to contentment in any and every circumstance is just before his famous line. The capacity to endure is rooted in our relationship to our Creator. It is through/in Him that we can be content.

And it’s not any different for the farm. The ability for plants to endure is rooted in their relationship to the soil. Whether it’s been a drought or too much rain, a plant survives or thrives because of the soil it is rooted in.

We can’t escape hardship and abundance isn’t forever, but our secret for contentment is in our roots, because they go deeper than any of our circumstances.

The Philippians didn't rescue Paul from hardship. They joined him. They supported him spiritually and financially. If you read these Notes, give your time, talent, or treasure to Noonday, provide encouragement, then you are a Noonday Philippian.

Your support of this mission is evidence that I’m not alone. God hasn't left me or abandoned me. Every healthy ecosystem depends on relationships. Crop failures and bumper crops in life, it does not matter; contentment is found in our roots. So, what are you rooted in?

Read the rest of the newsletter here.