pass your basket

“The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" Galatians 5:22-23 (New Living Translation)
I love this translation of this passage! The Holy Spirit "produces this kind of fruit." Just picture it, The Holly Spirit out in his overalls, standing by your “fruit orchard” ready to cultivate the soil, plant the seeds, turning on the hose to water them, nurturing them until it is time to harvest each fruit in its own season.
It is no secret that this has been a very difficult year for me, to say the least. It all started in February when Tommy fell from the ladder. Then my birthday came and I hit 'that number.' In the month of June Kevin moved out. However, through all of this I have been able to see the fruit that has been produced in my life. In the last eight months I have not only been given one or two pieces of fruit, the Holy Spirit has blessed me with a complete basket of fruit!
Here’s some background information, I think there are two types of people in the world the “the rippers” and “the peelers.” A ripper is someone who rips the Band-Aid off, is sometimes brutally honest, and just says what is on their mind, not being rude, just a real person, a kind of "here I am attitude, like me or not." Rippers usually have high energy, can be closed minded, and seem to think that there is only one way to do things, their way.
A peeler is the exact opposite of a ripper they take their time going slowly and trying not to hurt your feelings, they want people to like them, and are careful about how they say what’s on their mind, if they say it all. They seem to move at slower pace and are more likely to see other opinions.
I classify myself as a ripper; sometimes it hinders me to see the good in people. Well I am pleased to report that through a horrible turn of events, I have changed a lifetime of thinking. Don’t get me wrong I’m still a ripper, but I think I am going through some sort of blending process…stay with me, I do have a point.
Even though my marriage is over with no hope of restoring it, I have allowed myself to slow down enough to experienced true love and kindness from people who otherwise I would have been to busy to notice that they care about me. Did you get that, “I would have been to busy to notice.” How sad is that? There were people in my life I was to busy to notice. Not anymore, I have slowed to notice who is around me and to thank them for all they have done for me and for Kyler.
I have permitted myself to feel the peace and gentleness that comes like manna from heaven. He is the only reason I can get out of bed and make it through the day. Even though this is the hardest road I have ever traveled I have a peace about the journey. I know that there is a gentle hand guiding my steps and calming the waves when I ask Him to help me.
I have witnessed the real goodness and faithfulness of people for the first time in my life. After Tommy’s accident people lined up to help, they did not care what was asked of them, they just wanted to help in someway not wanting anything in return. I have realized that people are not always looking out for themselves; they don’t all have hidden motives. After the accident a trust was set up to help relieve some of the financial burden of the cost of Tommy’s care. I have held in my hands checks ranging from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. However, the one that means the most is the one that comes every month from a woman who is easily in her seventies and on a fixed income. Every month she is faithful to send a $25 check and a note, it is always the same, “Please put my small contribution with the others and God will be faithful to bless it just the same.” By seeing these acts I have been blessed beyond words. I have seen that under all the talk and garbage people can throw at you people really are kind and giving.
I have found that the last three fruits are bittersweet and the hardest for me to accept, self-control, patience’s, and joy. I never really had a large quantity of these gifts before this year. So it is very unusual to say that I seem to have an abundance of them now. I’m not sure if I have been given more of these gifts or that I have learned to implement them in my life now. I find myself thinking about what comes out of my mouth now. I want what I say to be an encouragement to someone not a discouragement. I am showing patience’s to others because patience’s was shown to me when I was on my "sabbatical". I find joy in the littlest of things. It is truly amazing what you can find to smile about when you look hard enough!
As promised here is my simple point, the Holy Spirit knows what fruit you need and when you need it. So don't be picky when He gives you a piece, "you get what you get and don't throw a fit" just pass your basket and say thank you.

follow-up to "Armor of God"

IT'S WORKING!
Last night when I was asking Kyler about his day, he started to share about an incident that happened on the bus. He said that another boy was trying to get him to throw paper balls. When Kyler told him he didn't think it was right and that it was distracting to the bus driver the boy started to tease and pressure him, just a little. Kyler said it was no big deal and he just blow it off. He said the boy was still trying to get him to throw some. Kyler kept telling him no and then the bus driver stopped the bus and made that boy come sit up front by him and was going to turn his name into the office in the morning. Kyler said that he kept hearing "take your stand against the devil's schemes."
I realize this is a small example, but at least it is sinking in!

"Armor of God"

As always on the first day of school, I took Kyler's picture, then it was off to the donut shop for our annul First Day of School Breakfast. As Kyler started middle school this morning, I prayed that God would keep a hedge of protection around him. Then God pressed it on my heart to start reciting the "Armor of God" passage everyday on our way to school. It is my hope by doing so Kyler will be reminded that God is with him all day, everyday, to continue to make good decisions, and be equipped to face the many challenges that he will be facing this year. I have provided the passage below if anyone wants to print it off and stick it your car and do the same!

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. ~~Ephesians 6:10-18

hate the sin, love the person

Do you still love Kevin? That seems to be the question of the day, everyday. The answer is yes. As a child of God I am commanded to love him, no matter what has happened. In Matthew 5:43-44 Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." (I am not saying Kevin is my enemy or that he hates me or curses me, the truth is I'm not sure.) Even before this happened, I have struggled with loving those who hurt me, I tend to be one who tends to hold a grudge. However, over the last few months after I pray this verse keeps entering my mind. So I started thinking, how many times does God tell us to love one another? With a little help from WikiAnswers.com I found that the phrase 'love one another' is used twelve times in the King James Bible. I felt it necessary to share them below:

John 13:34 - A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
John 15:12 - This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
John 15:17 - These things I command you, that ye love one another.
Romans 13:8 - Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
1 Thessalonians 4:9 - But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
1 Peter 1:22 - Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
1 John 3:11 - For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
1 John 3:23 - And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
1 John 4:7 -Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
1 John 4:11 - Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
1 John 4:12 -No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
2 John 1:5 - And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.

Twelve times! Do you think He was trying to tell us something? When I ask Kyler to do something and on the rare occasion he doesn't acknowledge me I will ask him again and say, "I should only have to tell you once." How many times does He have to tell us before we acknowledge His request?
I struggle with my situation everyday. I won't sugar coat it, it stinks, it's horrible, I hate it, I don't recommend it, and I can't change it. For a short time I thought God was punishing me for something. Then I realized that God didn't do this to me. He gave us free will and the opportunity to decide right or wrong. Sometimes we make decisions that touch others and the "others" become collateral damage. I can't reverse the decisions that have been made, I can just move forward and not let my circumstances steal my joy. I am required as a Christian to 'love one another' and I am able to do this because of the love God has for me.

GRAPE STOMPIN IN TONTITOWN

What started out as a picnic over a hundred years ago is now a Northwest Arkansas tradition. The Tontitown Grape Festival has been going strong for 111 years. Somethings have changed, but the core of the event has remained the same and so has the famous homemade Italian Spaghetti Dinners! One of the annual attractions is the grape stomp. Last night I took Kyler and Aaron to do just that...stomp some grapes!