Am I ripe, or am I still just a bit green, needing to sit on the counter a bit longer to allow my flavor to deepen so the fullest, most delicious bite is its finest? I first completed an extensive study on the above verses with Pam Thompson. She was a pushover for any study where “joy” was an included element. So, Beth Moore, here we come, and full speed ahead! Since that long ago summer deep dive into Beth’s study on the well-known and loved Galatians Fruit of the Spirit passage, I’ve experienced a maturing of the flavor of my Fruit. I would certainly hope so; I’ve been on the counter a good while by now. However, in some ways, I’m still there, awaiting the perfect maturing of all delightful essences of this Fruit, two of which are self-control and faithfulness.
Jesus is Our Vine
My husband was once having a spirited conversation with a colleague on the topic of “who is the Vine” spoken of in John 15 of the Bible. Our colleague argued that Israel is the Vine, and my husband pointed back to John 15:1 to answer, “Jesus is the True Vine!” So, I thought that would be a great place to start this blog post – with a central point of importance being that Jesus is the Vine. The crux of Jesus making this statement is to show us that by our nature we are empty and dry, set to wither away (verse 6) without our being grafted into Him.
Rooted Doctrine: Be Like A Weed
If you were a child in my house growing up, you spent Spring Saturday mornings in the yard. You would be picking weeds, mowing, or doing any other sort of lawn/outdoor chores. But most likely, you were picking weeds. There were a lot of weeds. We had big flower beds in our front yard and a garden in the back. Anyone who has an intimate relationship with pesky little growths in their flowerbeds knows that you really have to get deep down in the dirt around a weed if you want to… shall we appropriately say…nip them in the bud. Some weeds have roots that are surprisingly deep, and require a shovel to get the roots loose enough to pull out. I’m sure it was because I was trying to hurry through the task and just pick the leaves off the weeds, but my dad had to teach me that to really pick weeds, one had to get ALL the root too. Without digging deeply, that weed would be right back next Saturday.
Mary's Story, Our Story
Her eyes opened, still swollen from endless tears over the past two days. Had she even slept at all? Asleep or awake, both seemed like a nightmare; eyes open or closed, she still saw Him hanging there. Her Lord, the promised Messiah. The One foretold from generation to generation, yet now dead and buried in a tomb.
The Mission of Motherhood
When we began our family over seven years ago, I did not fully grasp that a mission field was also being birthed. We, of course, prayed over each of our babies and dedicated their lives to the Lord. As our children have grown and developed, a greater calling has been given to me to make Jesus known to each of them in hopes that they will walk with Christ someday and make His great love known to others.
Manage the Heavy with Hope
We have so much information at our fingertips that it is overwhelming. It is hard for me to think this is best for our mental health to have access to all the devastation, all at once, at any given time. It is difficult to stay grounded in Truth when we are bombarded with constant news of destruction, pain, loss, etc.
Lessons from a Teacher
If you are looking for Patsy George around CRBC, you will more than likely find her in the Children’s Department where she has been serving for over 35 years. The classroom is a second home to Patsy. She has been an early childhood educator for the past 40 years and loves working with children. I was able to sit down with Patsy for a few minutes to ask her about her time in the classroom: