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| Thankful for this mighty brood! |
The sweet, fleshy product of a tree or plant that contains seed and can be consumed as food. The biproduct of a healthy, growing, thriving agricultural item. And one more for the medically minded, (specifically the Labor and delivery nurse) ... A fruit is a mature, ripened ovary, which includes the ovule-bearing reproductive structure in the plant flower ... what can I say, I'm passionate about reproducing life!
If one nurtures or cares for said tree or plant, it will produce a delicacy so irresistibly sweet your mouth is salivating just thinking about it! Waiting a year for a pineapple to produce ... soooooo ridiculously long that I take for granted the fact they are plentiful year-round in our climate! Speaking of patiently waiting, let's talk peaches and mangos. Dear God, why can't these mouthwatering, nature's bounty be as plentiful as apples and bananas?
I've been pondering another sort or fruit. The melt in your mouth, drip down your chin, sugary sweet fruit of ... repentance. Did your taste buds immediately turn into a lip puckering sour stance? Logically in my mind, repentance = needing to turn away from a wrong I did, a rearranging of my thoughts in another direction, and regret or remorse. I don't rationally think, "Oh I can't wait to sink my teeth into a big juicy bite of repentance!" I would much rather feast on love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These fruits leave me longing for more of said delectable fruitiness.
What if this concept of a six-step apology was as natural as breathing, or as natural as the fight or flight response, or as natural as tripping or slipping for the hidden cameras of Americas Funniest Videos? What if repentance would happen without a second thought? Would we not be experiencing a little taste of Heaven here on earth?
I know. The digging to expose the roots, the stink of the fertilizer ... "No God, it hurts too much. That is too uncomfortable, I don't want that exposed. No God, I don't want anyone to see that. I can't admit that, what would they think ..." He gently whispers to the depths of my soul, "The fruit of your repentance makes the fruits of My Spirit so much sweeter. Discipling others starts with humbly acknowledging your own need of repentance. My hands and feet will smell much sweeter bearing the fruit of repentance." Speaking to the 'little white lies' and what feels like 'the black mark on our souls'. Freedom awaits! Would you care to feast on the savory sweetness of repentance? Our marriages, parenting, ministries and lives depend on this life-giving fruit.
Humble repentance ... Fruit of freedom ... Pure redemption
Praises
Wise counsel and time to process next steps
3 Teams announced, God unite them!
A successful year of school and first semester of college
Connections and a job for Joseph
Daily treasures that fix our gaze on Father
Tropical fruit year-round
Prayers
Team unity and preparation for outreach locations
Six Hoovers under one roof for 2 weeks in December
Heart connections for Jedidiah
Connecting with new neighbors
El Nido Christmas parties, let them see Jesus
Root exposure, repentance, freedom
Obligatory fall pictures to bless Mom's heart!
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| Adam Luke, 9 years |
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| Jedidiah Lynn, 15 years |
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| Joseph Andrew, 18 years |
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| Micah James, 19 years |
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| Micah's team to Honduras! Two other teams heading to Spain and northern Costa Rica! |
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| Cheering on CR in the World Cup! |
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| Celebrating good grades in their second language! |
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| These two clean up well! ... Mud run 2022 in the books! |
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| Of course they needed an annual picture ... |
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| The beautiful women in our family ... We may have just beat the mighty men in our escape room! |
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| These dear ones fill my heart with mother/daughter bonding ... |
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| I have no explanation ... Maybe he was hungry from bread? (stopped at our local bread store!)  |
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| Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. |
