Thou Shalt Not Gather nor Sing

What were the rules made against churches during the pandemic? 

First, I think it was OK to gather, but not to sing. Then, I think it was only a certain number of people could be inside the church building. Then, no indoor gathering, period.

What did we do? We worshiped on ZOOM.

Remember when God told Moses to say to Pharaoh, "Let my people (the enslaved Israelites) go three days' journey into the wilderness to worship Me"?

First Pharaoh said, "You  can worship but stay here in Egypt." Then he said, "OK, go into the wilderness but don't go very far away." Then he questioned, "Just who is to go?" When Moses said, "Our young, old, sons and daughters and all our flocks and herds," Pharaoh said, "No, only the men can go." Finally Pharaoh said, "All right your little ones can go, only the flocks and herds may not go."

Each time Moses was relentless. "We must go three days' journey into the wilderness with all our people and animals to worship our God." And you remember what God did to Pharaoh and the Egyptians.

We, too, will worship the Lord our God in the way He has commanded: gather together (ZOOM or in person) and "Sing to the Lord all ye saints of His and  give thanks at the remembrance of His Name." (Psalm3:4) "Praise the Lord! sing to the Lord a new song, praise Him in the assembly of His saints." (Psalm 149:1)

Hm-m-m, this is Super Bowl weekend and I just heard the following instructions: "Don't cheer. Use noise makers." Really? 

Insightfully yours,

Paulita

Covid-19 Vaccinations

 The Bible says that there was a pool in Jerusalem called Bethesda. It had five porches and in those porches lay a great number of sick folk, some blind, some crippled, some paralyzed. There was a certain man there who had suffered a deep-seated and lingering disorder for thirty-eight years. When Jesus noticed him lying there helpless, knowing he had already been in that condition a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to become well?"

The invalid answered, "Sir, I have nobody when the water is moving to put me into the pool; but while I'm trying to come myself, somebody steps down ahead of me."

Jesus said to him, "Get up, pick up your bed and walk!" Instantly the man became well, picked up his bed and walked.

Why, I wonder, does this remind me of trying to get my Covid-19 vaccination? Probably because I'm not eligible to get a shot in a care facility - I live in my own home. Neither can I stand in a long line or carry my own chair because I'm eighty-eight years old. Currently my physician does not give these shots and the pharmacy does not have a sufficient supply of the vaccine. Yes, I do want to remain well. I need Jesus.

Christmas Aftermath from 2019

 I found this buried on my desk. It was written after last Christmas which was not my favorite Christmas. I had spent December running the Christmas marathon instead of looking forward to the celebration of my Savior's birth. The company was gone and I was in let-down mode.

Christmas is over and peace reigns in the house. Sasha, the cat, comes out from under the bed where she has been hiding from the noise, clammer and one two-year old. She sniffs everywhere to find out who has been here and where they might have been before coming to our house.

She finds an occasional crumb that tastes good and others that she only sniffs. When she comes upon a red M&M on the kitchen floor, she decides it's a toy and bats it across the room.

The Christmas tree lights are still on and the packages that must be delivered elsewhere are still under the tree. But the only sound is the heater going on. Sasha thinks that's a good sound because it means a warm grate to sit upon and warm her flanks. Soon the heater goes off and she remembers her red M&M. She bats it from paw to paw until it hides under her food bowl. Life is good!

It will be interesting to see how Christmas 2020 goes.

Insightfully yours,

Paulita

The First Rain of the Season

 Our first rain! How lovely to sit in a warm house and watch the water drip off our roof. I imagine the air is getting washed, the dust is shoved to the ground and turned into mud.

I hear a siren in the distance and realize that the first rain also brings slick roads and I have to be extra careful when I drive. But perhaps the rain will put out our California wildfires. What blessed relief from God who is the One who brings rain. Was it just last year that we had yard signs all over town that said "Pray for Rain'?

My cat is looking in through the glass door. She had wanted out and we do have a covered porch, but I guess she's had enough cool and now wants to sit on one of the heater vents around the house. She has her favorite.

Interesting, the life of a cat. So leisurely. I should talk. Here I sit in my warm house watching the drips fall from our roof. The first rain.

Waiting for Oz

 I'm out on my patio again this morning with my buttered sesame bagel and creamed coffee and my latest writing project. It's light bur the sun hasn't risen above the neighbor's trees yet. Will it be another orange ball in a brownish gray sky or will it's brightness forbid me to look at it?

The sky is once more a light gray. I can't smell smoke or see it drifting in and out of trees, but neither can I see the blue sky I long for. Do I remember what it looks like? I refuse to count the days since we've had clean air for fear of depression, but neither do I want to listen to the T.V. as it tells me how to protect my pet from smoke. This just is. It won't last forever, so I get on with the day's chores - bathe, wash my hair and make it look presentable, purchase new cartridges for the computer, manage my writing, look in the frig and see what I have to transform into balanced meals.

Again this seems to me a time of waiting. I'm waiting for the Wizard of Oz moment when I wake from my black and white life to the red, yellow, green, and especially blue skies of Oz. Until then I will praise the God of my salvation for new and different ways to learn and grow. Yes, God gives us time to hunker down but somehow I don't think it's now. This is a brand new day to discover,explore, fertilize, water and push open.

Insightfully yours,

Paulita

Ashes, Ashes, All Fall Down

 Today my world is covered with a fine coat of ash. There are wild fires all over my state and the wind has blown the ashes into the valley where I live. Yesterday, I couldn't see the sun through the smoke. Today, I see an orange ball in my gray-brown sky. Yesterday, I went out to water my garden and there was ash on all my squash, swiss chard, and bell pepper leaves. Today, it's my patio. When I walk on it, the ash swirls into small piles.

Our son bought us an air purifier and we put it in our family room where we spend most of our time.We didn't realize our need for it until the last two days.

O Father God, You are the one who controls the storms. Please send us a gulley-washer to clean our air and wash away the ashes.

Father, how selfish I am. Many have lost their homes and livelihoods and pets. Some have lost family members. I have lost nothing except my comfort level. Sweep away the ashes that cover my heart and help me, today, to help someone else.  

Insightfully yours,

Paulita

Holding On or Letting Go

 I'm out on my patio again. The air is cool - 70 degrees F. and I don't smell smoke. It's there, but it's high and not sinking down in the heat yet.

Everything is quiet except man and his machines, mostly motorcycles. The only signs of life -  micro life, that is -  are a sow bug that's not moving and a busy spider-like creature.

A humming bird comes to our feeder, tastes what is offered and flies away. No wonder. The ants have found our feeder again. They cleverly climb the posts, cross the beam and go down the wire that the feeder hangs from. Then they clog the feeding holes, gorging themselves on free sugar-water. Bill decided to outsmart them by covering the wire with two-sided Scotch Tape, hoping for a result like tar paper or Sticky Paws, but it hasn't deterred them.

I look back at the sow bug and discover he's on his back kicking furiously with all his legs. I wonder how many legs he has. I also wonder if he can right himself.

I hear there's another storm heading up the California coast. It may have dry lightning like the last storm which ignited fires in our foothills and magnificent redwoods. It is yet to be seen how that will turn out. And now more?

My thoughts go to the story of Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee when his disciples woke him with their cries, "Master, don't you care that we are drowning?" Jesus told the storm, "Peace, be still," and the disciples marveled that he was master even over the wind and waves.

We are fighting a pandemic which all of a sudden seems dwarfed by these wildfires. Then we hear of two hurricanes which may strike our southern border at the same time. "Acts of God" they are called. But I like Peter's answer when Jesus asked if he wanted to leave him and follow the disheartened crowd, "If I leave you, to whom shall I go?"

I also remember how Satan buffeted Job with wave after wave of disaster hoping to turn him away from his faith in a gracious God. Job's livelihood was taken, his family died, and he was covered with open sores. Even his wife said, "Curse God and die." But Job clung to his hope of a living Redeemer.

I see my little sow bug has all but ceased kicking, so I reach down with my napkin and he hangs on. He doesn't move, he just clings. I watch him. Soon his little front feelers move in exploration. He appears to be OK so I relocate him to some dewy lawn and go in  the house to get ready for virtual church.

Fires and Bad Air

 Today I'm back out on my patio. The air is cool, pushing 70 degrees F, and although the sky is still overcast with smoke, I can't smell it. Three days ago when I came out here, the air was brown. When the sun came up, everything looked orange, like looking through brown-tinted sunglasses. Yesterday the air was lightly cooler but had a strong pungent acrid odor. I didn't come out.

This is California. This is the central valley. This is August and it's supposed to be hot, but we've had record temperatures, most between 100 and 110 with a few above that, for over a week.

This is also wild fire season. (I've split that word because these fires are indeed wild.) Most are due to lightning strikes in the mountains. It causes me to wonder who is in charge of lightning - God or Satan? Surely it is God because He is master over all creation.

Right now there is a fire dangerously close to my favorite vacation spot - a Christian camp called Mt. Hermon. Our family spent a week of our summer vacation every year at Mt. Hermon for many years as our family grew up. What a tragedy it would be for this place of spiritual renewal filled with majestic redwood groves and unique yellow banana slugs if it were destroyed by a wild fire.

I have not heard any current news on the fire this morning and I feel rather like Frances Scott Key when he penned the words, "Oh say does that Star Spangled banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"

It is cooler today. In fact there is a little breeze to blow the smoke out of our valley. Does that portend good news? Does Mt Hermon still beacon the weary to come, be refreshed in the redwoods covered in the early morning mist? Come with me. We'll go see if the banana slugs are still awake.

Insightfully yours,

Paulita

Pandemic at Six Months

It is now  six months into the Pandemic. How are people doing? Not too well I would guess by the articles in our newspaper. How are those who have Christ doing?I think better than  most but I can only tell by those I'm in contact with.It takes effort to keep contact because we can only meet for church through Zoom. There are no hugs, handshakes, subtle winks, or knowing glances. But for those who have Christ, His Spirit speaks to others who have Christ, and there is a bond deeper than family or friends. Jesus said, "I will never leave you or forsake you," and He hasn't.

So I follow my normal routine. I get up early, make my coffee, smoothe cream cheese on my bagel, and go outside to my patio. I sit and admire the beauty around me and it's hard to believe an invisible menace exists. I see the birch leaves waving to me from the next street over and the dove on his favorite branch in my neighbor's tree. He calls and I answer in my best dove whistle. I don't think he's fooled but we play this game for a while.

Every day a little flock of ;birds comes through our yard to feast on the bugs on our crepe myrtle, our camelia bush and the Lily of the Nile. I have to watch for them because I can no longer hear their high-pitched chirps. Fortunately they appear at approximately the same time every day - a testimony to the rhythms of life God has ordained.

I sit with my Bible on my lap and read of God's faithfulness and His love and care for me. I will continue my routine for the day, both the mundane and the fresh and new, and I will enjoy both God's sunshine and my house's air conditioning. I will trim expired blossoms and also look for new tomatoes and squash in my garden.

Meanwhile my cat sleeps on a nearby chair with her face towards the sun. She is at peace and so am I.

Insightfully yours,

Paulita

Pandemic Protocol

My first thought when I heard about the plague coming around the world was, "I think this speaks of the end time. I have to look it up in Revelation."

My concern rose when our son brought us two weeks of food - mostly staples like protein bars, meat sauces to mix with rice or noodles, chicken broth for soup, canned vegetables and fruits. Our daughter brought us T.P. and disinfectant wipes. They both knew my method of shopping was to wait until I was out or nearly out of food before I shopped again.

I checked on our supply of Clorox and rubbing alcohol, and I found our oral thermometer. I really didn't feel panicky, but rather awestruck as I asked myself, "Is this the way the end comes, not necessarily for myself, but for my family, my country, the whole earth?"

During the next week, we kind of hunkered down and followed the news. Within a few days, during my regular Bible study time, it seemed God gave me a list of what I should do. This became my reaction to the pandemic.
1. Think clearly.
2. Rely on Jesus.
3. Manage resources well.
4. Obey sanitary rules.
5. Follow my routine.
6. Live one day at a time.

I thought about cleaning out cupboards and closets and even the garage, but I didn't do it. I thought about writing, but that didn't happen either. I thought about what my mother had done with us kids before antibiotics, when we had contagious diseases. There was Milk of Magnesia to assure bowel movements, peroxide, mercurochrome, and iodine for wounds, and there was isolation.

We were confined to bed in our bedrooms when we had measles, chickenpox, or flu. When my sister had Scarlet Fever, I was sent to my Grandmother's for two weeks. During isolation in our rooms,we played with toys on the bed, read, or listened to the radio. We were not allowed to come out except to go to the bathroom. All food, delivered on a tray, was eaten in bed. Our temperature was taken regularly, and we were not allowed to interact with siblings until it maintained 98.6 for at least a day. Three days later we could return to school. Interestingly, my husband rarely missed a day of school.

We are now in our fifth month of shelter-in-place. The hardest part for me has been to accept new ways of doing things. I make a grocery list on my computer and my groceries are delivered by Instacart, mostly what I want although some brands may be different. We changed pharmacies so we could go through a drive-thru to pick up prescriptions. We go to doctor appointments with masks on, and we attend church at home using Zoom.

As I look back, and also look to the future, all that doesn't seem so hard. I think the suddenness took us by surprise, but we have learned. The world hasn't ended yet. We have taken rides together in the surrounding countryside, had pick-up lunches beside a lake and watched the geese parent their new goslings, and ventured into grocery stores during the early hours reserved for "at-risk" patrons. Our family has gotten together in our backyard using social distancing and bringing their own food and drink. We have finally let the cleaning ladies back into our house every other week, and eventually I'll go to the beauty shop to get a cut and have some color put back on my hair. I'm not fond of long, motley gray.

My overall feeling, if I have one, has been that this is a time of waiting. It is hard to wait, and if you give in to it, you can become irritable and restless. So, I go back to what God told me. I start my day with "God time" so I can think clearly. I follow my normal routine so there is order to my day, and I'm beginning to add writing, socializing, and some deep cleaning. If God hasn't opened other doors yet, I'll wait, and continue to praise Him from the hallway.
Insightfully yours,
Paulita

God's Wisdon re. Weeds in the Field

Jesus told His disciples this parable about weeds in the field:

The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

The owner's servants came to him and said, "Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?"

"An enemy did this," he replied.

The servants asked him, "Do you want us to go and pull them up?"

"No," he answered,"because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: first collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn." (Matthew 13:24-30)

Then Jesus told them the interpretation of the parable:

The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and  the harvesters are angels.

As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the  age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.They will throw them into the fiery furnace,where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. (Matthew 13:39-43)

I'm glad God is in charge of the world and I have only a small garden.
Insightfully yours,
Paulita

Weeds

There is a difference between making my garden look lovely, and serious weeding. Often I merely clean up the ground between plants by pulling out the little weeds or cutting them off with a hoe. The last time I did that my husband came along and said, "You know if you'd flood that area first, you could easily pull the entire weed out, root, nut, and all."

I knew he was right. If I didn't pull out or kill each root, I'd only delay its eventual re-growth. The root could even travel underground and erupt elsewhere in my garden.

So goes my life. I can hide my sins for a while, but if I don't allow my heart to be flooded with God's word, and then confess my sins to God, He cannot cleanse and forgive me. The same sins will crop up again, suddenly emerging where I don't expect them. Just looking good isn't enough.
Insightfully yours,
Paulita

Tomatoes

By the time our tomatoes were a foot tall, the leaves began to shrivel and curl up. The plants looked sick and the tomatoes were tiny. My husband said, "No self-respecting tomato worm will bother with our plants."

One day a friend came over and noticed the tomato plants in our garden. "You're watering them too much,"he said. "You should water them only once a week, even if the weather gets hot. That forces the roots to go deeper and makes a healthier plant."

When God looks at our lives, what does He see? Shriveled, curled up, self-indulgent people, or healthy, vibrant, engaging individuals?

The Lord wants our faith in Him to grow and be healthy. So when it seems like He is not listening to your prayers,or He's withholding His blessings, ask Him to help you focus on others rather than yourself. What does He want you to learn? What opportunities is He giving you to trust Him? Remember, everything God brings or allows to come into our lives is only for the purpose of driving our roots deeper in Him.

The Farmer and his Field

     "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop - a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."

     This is a parable Jesus taught. What does it mean? What does it have to do with us?

     When anyone hears the message about the kingdom of God and does not understand it, Satan comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.

     The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. but since he has no root he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.

     The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the woman who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.

     But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the person who hears the word and understands it.That person produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
(From Matthew 13:3-9 and 18-23 with gender attributions by me)

     What are we supposed to produce as the result of receiving God's word? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control - these are called the fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Insightfully yours,
Paulita

Sweet Peas

     It's hard to think of spring flowers when it's late fall in California. It seems I've only just cleaned up the remains of the pumpkin vines when it's time to plant sweet peas. Forcing myself to visualize their vivid colors and deliciously sweet smell, I prepare the ground and sow the seeds. In the still warm earth, the seeds spout and within weeks the baby plants are 3 to 4 inches high. Then  they seem to stall, waiting through the winter for spring. My gardening book says they need this long cool growing period to develop a strong root system. The approach of spring and longer days triggers the top growth and a few months later I have a profusion of fragrant, colorful blossoms, my reward for planning ahead.
     There will always be times in our lives when we want instant results, and God says, "Wait." We move, leaving friends behind and it takes time to form new friendships. We are injured or ill and must wait for recovery. Our job is terminated and we wait for a response to our new application. We wait for school to be out and vacation to start.
     It's been said, "While you're waiting for God to open a door, praise Him in the hallway." In God's eyes, it's not how long we wait, but how we wait. We want our outside circumstances to change, but God is producing strength and character on the inside.
     Finally, the result of sowing in our own life, or in the life of someone else, appears. We see we are changed because or someone's sowing in our life, and we thank God.
     "He who began a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6
Insightfully yours,
Paulita

Fruit Trees

     Wouldn't it be fun to enjoy fruit from your tree the first year it is planted? When we landscaped our large backyard in the Bay Area, we planted four bare root fruit trees: a cherry, a golden delicious apple, an almond, and a freestone peach. We anticipated great rewards, but the first season our cherry tree produced only three cherries, two for the blue jays and one for us. The other trees produced no fruit at all.
     The second year seemed to be magical. We harvested our first delicious apples, our first almonds, and eight more cherries. But we had to wait until the third year for the peaches. Then we got the most luscious fruit we'd ever seen or tasted.
     A "real" gardener will tell you the trees need to spend their first couple of years establishing roots before bearing fruit. Some even advocate pulling off the fruit for the first two years.
     New Christians are like baby fruit trees. Sometimes spiritual fruit appears soon after a person becomes a believer, but more often, really mature fruit comes after time  studying with the Lord Jesus in His Word. Even the apostle Paul spent three years learning what God had called him to do before beginning his ministry. (Galatians 1:17-18)
     Maturity takes time, nourishment, and mentoring: time to experience and process, nourishment from studying God's Word, and mentoring by a pastor, fellow sojourner, or friend.
     Where are you on your spiritual journey? Are you a new Christian? Welcome! Or are you ready to mentor someone else?
Insightfully yours,
Paulita

Pruning, Disbudding, and Thinning

Pruning   
     When I prune my roses in January, I have to realize that when I'm finished, I will have only three or four canes sticking up and pointing in different directions. The pruning looks quite severe and indeed it is, but that's the way I get the biggest and most beautiful roses for the next season. A healthy plant is one that is  constantly renewed, so I try to substitute new canes for old each year. Blooms are produced on new wood.

Disbudding
     How disheartening to twist off all but one bud in a cluster of camellia buds. Wouldn't I get more color if I let them all mature and open? But by taking off all but one bud, I get larger blossoms, ones that look better in flower arrangements for my dinner table or for corsages. It's a choice I have as the gardener.

Thinning
     Have you noticed that nearly every package of seeds tells you to sow the seeds and then when the plants are up a few inches, thin them to six inches apart? How can such a smart idea seem like such a waste? Look at spring poppies and lupine that cover the hills. God sows His seeds freely. But gardening experts are knowledgeable, and I'm still learning. Vegetables, especially, need their own space to produce extraordinary fruit.

     As a busy person, I have found I need to exercise the same discipline I use in the garden when choosing activities for my day, week, or year. Perhaps you, too, have trouble saying "no" when you see needs all around that you know you could meet. How do you prune, disbud, or thin your activities so you can be the most productive and still have time to grow personally? Who else can fill those jobs?
     Suppose God planned something for you, that only you can do? Find that, and give it your all.
Insightfully yours,
Paulita

Easter, really?

     I really don't like sarcasm as a means of humor. It seems, though, that I resort to sarcasm two times a year: Christmas and Easter. Easter has passed and I let it go for a week. But my goodness, how Easter has changed! You'd think the news that Someone had come out of the grave would be all-consuming. Jesus died, didn't He? A Roman soldier attested to His death by plunging a sword into Jesus' side as His limp body hung on the cross. His disciples validated His death, too, by taking His body down from the cross, wrapping it in cloths for burial, and then putting it into a tomb.
     But Jesus had said He'd rise from the dead in three days. The prudent thing to do to prevent any such hoax would be to guard the entrance. So the Jews asked for a guard and the Romans sent a detachment of soldiers for a three-day stint, and placed a seal over the entrance.
     But we know that after three days the seal was broken, the stone across the entrance was rolled back, and the tomb found to be empty except for the grave clothes. Hallelujah! What an exciting story. A mystery. How could it happen?
     Now, hop with me from this awesome tale to a bunny that distributes eggs for children to find.
     I don't hate the Easter Bunny. He's cute. But that's only half the story. Real decorated eggs aren't sufficient anymore. We have  plastic eggs that open, so there must be someone to put something inside for the child to discover. The Easter Bunny, perhaps? These various-sized plastic eggs can be filled with jelly beans, peeps, candy kisses, or money. In our family, this year's top amount was a $20.00 bill.
     For a child, how does that compare to Someone rising from the dead - Someone you can't see, play with, eat, or spend? My, what we've done to Easter.
Insightfully yours,
Paulita

An Ornamental Shrub?

     What joy can there be in untangling stickery  berry vines in the fall, pruning thorny rose bushes on a midwinter's day or coaxing a less than abundant summer garden to grow? Even an avid gardener finds some drudgery in his usually enjoyable hobby. However, weary muscles, dry hands, and dirty fingernails are soon forgotten when he discovers God's truths clothed in nature's exhibits, along the path or among the rows.
     Jesus taught His disciples many lessons using parables from earthly things. During the times when my hands are busy in potting mix or pulling weeds and my mind is free, He teaches me, too. Undoubtedly you've made similar discoveries -- some, perhaps, that have meaning only for you. Here is one just for me.
     When we lived in the East Bay area of California, we planted two kinds of grapes: Concord and Thompson Seedless. Both grew well over the top of the fence and looked healthy; however, only one, the Concord, bore fruit and did so year after year. Each winter we faithfully pruned both grapes so they would produce fruit the following year, but one remained no more than an ornamental fence-cover. After several years, we finally took it out.
     Jesus said,"I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He 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." (John 15:1-2, 5)
     Periodically I ask myself, "Am I one who bears fruit for the Father, or am I just an ornamental shrub?
Insightfully yours,
Paulita

Listening to God in my Garden

     For Christmas last year my daughter and son-in-law gave me three raised garden beds. They sit atop legs that make them about waist high for me. No more hands and knees, but I can still tend a garden.
     I've dug in the dirt since I was a kid. After the stress of a school day, my greatest relaxation was to make roads and villages by myself in the backyard dirt.
     That grew into wanting to clean out my mom's iris beds and cut off the suckers around the roses, but not to pull out dandelions from the lawn.
     When Bill and I married, we planted gardens wherever we lived. Working in the garden became "playing in the yard" again. My hands were engaged and my mind was free to listen to God teach me, like He did His disciples, from earthly things. My strawberry plants became analogies of the life He wanted me to live.
     Healthy strawberries produce luscious berries in the summer. Then they send out runners that root down into the soil and become new strawberry plants. The beautiful delicious berries are like the fruit of the Spirit seen in a life devoted to Jesus - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The runners show me the reproduction of Christ's life in others as they watch believers live and bear testimony to Him.
     I have never seen strawberry plants that don't evidence life in both ways, but notice the order: first come the ripe red berries, then the runners and new plants.
Insightfully yours,
Paulita