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Summer Harvest

Do you like tomatoes? If so I have some for you!  I am currently picking handfuls of Cherry and Roma tomatoes a day from my square foot garden.   I am also starting to bring in cucumbers,  squash and peppers.  I have a few little bitty really hot peppers that have grown amazingly, I am just not exactly sure what do to with them. If you have some suggestions, I will gladly listen!

Its been a great experience this spring, taking care of these vines by directing their growth and providing support and water.   And finally what a pleasurable experience walking into the house with hands fulls of fresh produce.  Its a great thing being a vinedresser.  I can only imagine the pleasure the Lord gets in when he observes the fruit we bear.  Check this out – still from the Johns:

1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:1-8 (New International Version)

This is to my Father’s glory!   Yep!  The Father loves to walk into the kitchen with a big grin on his face and an armful of fruit – your fruit!  Live today in a way that glorifies the gardener by producing fruit!    Are you not sure what fruit you can produce?  Take a quick look in Galatians and if you know the song sing along while you read it.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

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A Fence Around us

This weekend I was out for a nice morning run on very familiar road.  As I approached my turn around point I heard the barking of two approaches dogs.  The sound of the bark let me know these were no purse dogs.  There were Marmadukes.  Dogs that would push me over and stomp me just saying hello.  Dogs that love to “play” with things that run by.   But even though I heard their growls and barks and their approaching paws, I didn’t flinch, nor even turn to look at them.  I didn’t because I knew there was a fence between us.  A fence of protection.  A fence that made me bold and secure.

Immediately, I thought about how we can live life in fear of anything that moves or barks, or we can realize that we have a fence of protection around us.

4 Even when the way goes through
Death Valley,
I’m not afraid
when you walk at my side.
Your trusty shepherd’s crook
makes me feel secure.  Ps 23:4

We have a shelter when we abide with him.

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. [a]

2 I will say [b] of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday. Ps 91: 1-6

What a great way to start out a week, realizing that when you walk with the Lord you can walk without fear, and you can be bold!  You can just keep running when you hear the dogs on your heels.   Be Bold and Fearless today, and put you trust in the promise that will not fall.

35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:35-19

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Oppression and Freedom

I like picture of the day and picture of the week blogs.  There are several sites like that that I frequent.  I think it helps get a perspective of what is going on all around the world.  This week, the WSJ picture blog seemed to be full of pictures of oppression – riots, ethnic fighting, and police brutality.  Its was really heartbreaking to look at those images.  But at the same time it was so motivating to know the freedom we are blessed with here in this land.

So with Juneteenth right upon us as well, It seems such a great time to consider the freedoms we are afforded.  But not only the freedoms we have as a citizen of the country we reside, but the freedom we are given from our Savior.   Many people view following the Christ as a binding and limiting engagement.  But check this out.

23“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. 24Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. 1 Corinthians 10:23-24

and

13You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.  Galatians 5:13 (New International Version)

We are called to be free!  We are blessed that we have been delivered a message that allows us to live, not by a series of laws, but by the spirit of love.   Boy, that something that brings joy and hopefully stokes you up a little bit.  And just imagine the feelings of the American slaves when they realized that the rumors of their freedom were true!

How are you using your freedom?

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The Power of Now

I reached into the clean clothes pile this morning and pulled out a blue shirt to throw on for the day, thinking that it would go great with my eyes.  Anyway this was one of my vendor shirts with the logo of a software company I work with sometimes that has the tagline -“The Power of Now”.  It has all sorts of references to software geeky stuff, but it also motivated me a little bit today about how important each day is.  (Plus all my deep thoughts are a little half baked today!)

So today , realize the power of now, the moment that you are in, and use it well!

6 Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;

7 for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.
Today, if you hear his voice,

8 do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, [a]
as you did that day at Massah [b] in the desert,    Psalm 95:6-8 (New International Version)

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Portable Thoughts

Last night while I was at the Third Day concert at the Chattanooga Riverbend Festival, the conversation of some of the folks I was with turned to how advanced port-a-potties are these days.  That’s right!  The comments where even a little uplifting as they discussed how much better those smelly contraption are then the places they may get to utilize on some of the summer mission trips they will be leading over the next few weeks.  So for some reason that was stuck in my mind this morning, and I was sitting here thinking how much I love the Johns.

No, not the port-o-let version, the Johns – John, 1 2 and 3 John.  I actually remembered last nights conversation while I was reading a little bit of 1 John this morning looking for some motivation and realizing that I don’t have the same energy that I used to have.  Getting starting this morning after a “school night” concert is proving to be a little more to overcome than I anticipated.  But anyway, back to the John, well, back to 1 John.

5Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 5:5

I found this to be motivational today.  Realizing that the victory that overcomes the world is simply our faith! When its boiled down to that it becomes so simple, and yet so motivating.

So, I apologize for the bathroom humor today, I think I am still stuck on Man Day! However,  I hope you can look past that, and find motivation to tackle the day from the awareness of the victory that lies before you!  Also take a look at the whole of 1 John 4 and 5 and see where the leads you today!

57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor 15:57