Innocence

"I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil."

Romans 16:19b

Read more...

Love One Another

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

1 John 4:16

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

John 15:12

Photo by Lucas Schuurmans

Read more...

REAL Fruit

Can you guess what season it is :)? What a fun time of year! Lucas, Jewel and I went strawberry picking this morning and picked 20 pounds (exactly *sigh*... I made sure of that... measuring bucket by bucket, relocating strawberry by strawberry to a different bucket when we were one ounce too high...) of yummy, juicy berries. 10 of the pounds were for a friend to help replace the ones her little (I stress: little) daughters had so graciously taken care of for her (while she was sleeping, they somehow managed to eat 10 of her 16 pounds; If they're not careful they'll have 3 little... or maybe big... strawberries for daughters.) What I really wanted to share with you, though, was not the business of our yummy morning, but some of what the Bible has to say about a different kind of fruit: "...love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: ..." (Galations 5:22-23) since the abundance and purity of these 'fruits' in our lives are the evidence of the strength we have in our walk with Jesus Christ.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified,
that ye bear much fruit;

John 15:1-8a

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore

by their fruits ye shall know them.

Matthew 7:16-20

Read more...

Suffer Little Children

Well, it's been a very full week as I traveled with some very good friends of mine to Warroad, Minnesota! If you've worked for a week with kids, kids and more kids, you probably know the challenge it can be to keep up with all the, "What does this mean? Can you help me? Where is this? How do you do that?" etc. etc.! Piles of kids tugging on every corner of your skirt asking for help to say verses is precious, though :). Children exemplify so well the energy, enthusiasm, purity, honesty and tenderheartedness that we as Christians should have!

"Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not:
for of such is the kingdom of God."

Luke 18:16b

We ladies were so blessed to be able to catch the Strong in the Lord Conference which just happened to be the very weekend we were available to go and still in Minnesota anyway (I don't think it was "by chance", do you? We serve a pretty awesome God!). Although this was mainly steered towards younger ladies, all of us went away feeling exhorted, encouraged and refreshed with the fellowship of like-minded believers.

Read more...