Motives

Each step we take can lead us to beautiful peaceful paths or to strenuous detours. We are selfish by human nature. Even the most gentle person can have an underlying motive for their actions.

Think of a toddler, he or she sees a new object and seeks to explore and learn its use. Toddlers want to hold a ball without wanting to share it.

What is your motive in life? Is it to climb over others to get to some imaginary pinnacle of success? Is it the pride of knowing everything but sacrificing relationships as you seek to best another person by being the one who is always right? Is it towering over peers in materialistic things or career ladders? God wants our life to be directed by Him, period! Not glory to us but glory to Him.

Whether it is a school aged child, who wants others to take notice of his or her abilities in sport or drama. We all have a need to be seen and spoken well of by family and friends. We all want to feel admired. God is who I want to please above all else.

Proverbs 12:14 MSG
Well-spoken words bring satisfaction; well-done work has its own reward.

I want to hear from Jesus “Well done , good and faithful servant!” Don’t you?

Matthew 25:21 AMP
His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little, I will put you in charge of many things; share in the joy of your master.’

Words of encouragement spur all humans to try harder, to achieve next level ability. However words of criticism take down the desire to try again and motivation slows.

When we commit our actions to Gods’ plan things are always best and amazingly beautiful.

Proverbs 16:1-9,13,15-21 NLT
We can make our own plans, but the LORD gives the right answer. [2] People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives. [3] Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed. [4] The LORD has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for a day of disaster.

When we seek the spotlight for our own glory, there is a consequence. Our pride can sink us. Pleasing God by humility ( not weakness) is a key.

Proverbs 16: [5] The LORD detests the proud; they will surely be punished. [6] Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin. By fearing the LORD, people avoid evil. [7] When people’s lives please the LORD, even their enemies are at peace with them.

May we strive to seek godliness over selfishness. Unfortunately human nature can lead to impulsive words and actions unless we let God be the authority in our daily lives.

Proverbs 16: [8] Better to have little, with godliness, than to be rich and dishonest. [9] We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps. [13] The king is pleased with words from righteous lips; he loves those who speak honestly.

May we choose to be a person of honesty, over gossip and comparison.

May we want the King of Kings, Lord of Lords to smile and our lives to count by His standard.

Proverbs 16:15 When the king smiles, there is life; his favor refreshes like a spring rain. [16] How much better to get wisdom than gold, and good judgment than silver! [17] The path of the virtuous leads away from evil; whoever follows that path is safe. [18] Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.

Humility with Godliness is attainable when I can lay my agenda down and seek to trust the Lord for His future.

Proverbs 16:[19]Better to live humbly with the poor than to share plunder with the proud. [20] Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the LORD will be joyful.

I know I need to make some better choices on my words and actions. May we want to be known as a person of understanding and reflect Jesus to others especially when experiencing challenging relationships. Can you relate?

Proverbs 16: [21] The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive.

Prayer prompt: Father God, please transform our lives for Your glory. Please help our words and actions to represent Your ways over our selfish impulsive demands. Help us to seek You first every morning and ask You to give us words of understanding so Your unfailing love can be seen in our actions. We want all people to come to know you, Our King of Kings and the Almighty One true God! In Jesus mighty Name Amen!

Photo credit By H Wisemen

Unshakable

There is so much swirling in the skies, heavens and around the world. Something’s are seen with our eyes and heard with our ears. Unfortunately, many things are at work unseen by human eyes.

These cloud formations were above our country home, what does it look like to you? As a child my imagination would say, God is sending angels coming to say hello? As an adult, I wonder the same thing but perhaps to help His children on earth.

Our God is unshakable! When we are in relationship with Our Father,His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit we are able to remember our peace is not on this earth. Our peace is in trusting Him by faith.

It is not easy placing our lives in the hands of God and our futures in His plan. But there is no other solution. Noah in his time was thought of as crazy building a boat to protect in a rainstorm of exponential levels. But Noah stood with Gods directions!!

Our time is now to trust in faith of God over our need to know the future.

Hebrews 11:1 NLT
Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.

Hebrews 11 is filled with multiple stories of Gods’ children from Noah, To Nehemiah, to Rahab having faith in an unseen future. We can learn to do the same, put our faith with God in the place of fear!!

We have the luxury of reading our Bible for the stories of trials to Gods deliverance. God is faithful even today.

Joshua 24:15 NLT
But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.”

Choose today who you will serve! Man or God!

Our faith in God must be unshakable not only for us but for the legacy of our families.

Hebrews 12:1-3,26-29 NLT
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. [2] We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. [3] Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. [26] When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” [27] This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain. [28] Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. [29] For our God is a devouring fire”.

Pray for our nation and other nations of the world to seek Jesus and love as He calls us to love.

No matter what we see, God is a devouring fire! Call to Him before it is too late. Seek a relationship with Jesus now!

Mighty Army

His goodness is at hand, do not become weary, He will provide, we are His daughters ( from the Complete Jewish Bible).

No matter what it looks like with our eyes, God is faithful! And this scripture, Psalm 68:10-12 was such a blessing to me today.

Between the hurricanes of North Carolina, and the fires of California, distractions, a bound of earthly tragedy.

Our hope must come from God alone. No matter what our eyes may see, I am a daughter of the King and so are you. Or perhaps you are a son of the King. The king is Jesus!

James 5:16 NLT
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

So pray for our nation, and for those who are in the midst of tragedy. In this world, we have trouble, but Jesus has overcome the world, and it gives us the ability to rise above any tragedy when we are His child and walking as His children.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT
Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. [6] Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

Self-sufficient: Rest is possible

Are you tired? Do you need rest? Are you striving for peace but feel like an ADHD human, unable to be still? Is your task list overwhelming each day?

Hebrews 4:1-7,11-16 NLT
God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it.

You can access the only One who can prepare your rest. That was Gods plan, in the beginning, to have an amazing loving relationship with His son and daughter, Adam and Eve. But the sin of pride, took both humans created in His image from the garden of Eden, there was a consequence. They didn’t listen to God to stay away from the tree of knowledge.

2] For this good news-that God has prepared this rest-has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. [3] For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, “In my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest,'” even though this rest has been ready since he made the world.

4] We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day: “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.” [5] But in the other passage God said, “They will never enter my place of rest.” [6] So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God.

God gave another chance through David, but even though he was a man after Gods own heart, he sinned in an adulterous relationship and murdered a man.

Hardened hearts make it hard to follow God. Unfortunately, this is the same problem in our lives.

7] So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.”

God wants to give us rest, we must follow His ways, because He knows what is best for us, He loves us. David did not have the luxury of a Bible to follow the wisdom of God. I’m grateful we can learn from the lives before us. Choices, mistakes, consequences, unconditional love, Grace, mercy, forgiveness are shown in the stories written in scripture.

11] So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.

We all fall from perfection as humans, but God gives us His Word which is all powerful, it cuts between soul and spirit and exposes our fleshy nature.

12] For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. [13] Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

Even knowing we are created in the Image of God and with sinful potential, God sent His Son, Jesus as the bridge for our relationship with our Father God. What an amazing gift of grace, freely given to us, His children. Jesus is the High Priest of heaven.

14] So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. [15] This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.

Don’t be afraid to bend your knee and ask Jesus to be the authority in your life. He loves you so much that He died a sinners death on the cross. We need Him.

16] So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

So are you weary, tired of doing life alone? Call out to Jesus, allow Him to transform your life.

Jesus talked to His Father in scripture about being willing to help His children. Our burdens can be so exhausting, but Jesus wants to help you carry the load and bring you wisdom from God.

Matthew 11:27-30 NLT
“My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” [28] Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

When my kids were little someone exposed me to Scripture Lullabies, a wonderful musical artist that combines scripture and music. “I will never leave you” is one of my favorites. You don’t need to be an infant to enjoy this song and the truth of God’s love that is unconditional for each of us.

I will never leave you Scripture Lullabies

We truly can’t do life alone. Being self sufficient has an endpoint. Let Jesus carry you!

Photo credit by Mary Mesikapp

Stars

Coming soon to the heavens and nighttime skies near you, cosmic connection of planets in a row. I can’t wait to see this amazing light show.

According to earthsky.org , “in January 2025 there are four bright planets – and two faint planets – in the evening sky. Yup. They’re arrayed in a line across the sky”. Many other astronomy experts including NASA, support this premise.

I’m not sure about you, but I sure hope in my state, the clouds will not obscure an opportunity to view this amazing site of planets and stars.

The Creator God, Himself spoke all things into existence, scripture supports this truth.

Psalm 33:4-9 NLT
For the word of the LORD holds true, and we can trust everything he does. [5] He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the LORD fills the earth. [6] The LORD merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.

Even Genesis, the first book of the Bible describes, God made the lands and the seas.

Psalm 33: [7] He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs. [8] Let the whole world fear the LORD, and let everyone stand in awe of him. [9] For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command.

Just as God made the heavens and earth, the skies and the stars, God made you, Perfect in His image for great purpose.

As we begin the year 2025, meditate on the fact a new year brings great new possibilities. Forget 2024 , looking back at the mistakes or challenges, but look forward in 2025. God will be working in your life if you let Him guide.

Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. [9] Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. [10] For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

It is not where you start, but where you finish that matters the most. You are His Masterpiece. Trust Him ( God, Jesus, Holy Spirit) by receiving His free gift of grace and mercy.

Change the trajectory of your life. Stop listening to the lies of the enemy.

James 4:6-10 NLT
And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” [7] So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [8] Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

What is described in James 4: 8 -10, is an explanation of repentance and surrendering your life to God.

9] Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. [10] Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

God has good plans, a hope and a future. But we must seek Him wholly for He is holy!

Jeremiah 29:11-13 NLT
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. [12] In those days when you pray, I will listen. [13] If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

Welcome in a new life 2025. Time is wasting. Time is now!

Photo credit by pixels.com

Rest

Do you need a moment to just breathe? Did you know so did Jesus?

Our fast-paced world with all its distractions can truly drain us, heart, mind, and soul. We must take time to rest, but not in loneliness, but in Him.

I’ve heard it said recently that even Jesus took time to rest before he spoke wisdom or guided the growing crowd of people.

Matthew 13:1 NLT
Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake.

What is your place of peace? Is it in nature? Is it taking a hike in the mountains? Is it walking down the dirt road listening to the birds? Is it finding a water source lake or a river to sit by? Is it just listening to the sounds of nature?? Is it listening to the laughter of a child?

Whether you are single, married, a parent or not, we all need to take time for rest and renewal.

We all have a place that fills our senses with God‘s creation. Nature is a place of peace for me.

If we don’t take the time to spend with the one who created nature, we will never be ready for the crowds of people.

Some people may be sent for us to help and others may just be very draining. We need to ask for the Lords discernment on when to speak and connect with others and when to give the experience and relationship to God.

Matthew 13:2 NLT
A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore.

Our souls need filling by the Holy Spirit! Our minds need wisdom from our Father God. And reading the Word of God, brings a little slice of heaven for us to share with others. Reading about how Jesus communicated in relationship can bring us so many pearls of wisdom.

Find your place in nature that fills your soul and all five senses. See with your eyes, the beauty around you, hear with your ears the sounds of a hawk or a horse whinny or the sounds of a river. Feel the cool, crisp wintry air on your skin. If you have snow, taste of snowflake on your tongue. Share aloud with God your gratitude for good things.

Meditate on the goodness of God as Jesus did. Reread aloud this Scripture:

Matthew 13:1 NLT
Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake.

Rest in the Living water and be filled with His Presence. Then go where He sends you knowing you do not walk alone.

Photo credit by pixels.com

Horses and faith : Doing life

We have an eight year old gelding and a 25-year-old gelding, observing their relationship over the past six weeks has brought me amazing insights into many things emotional and spiritual.

Horses are the most amazing animals. They’re huge and could be scary to some people. Yet they are able to calm humans who have had trauma or need emotional support.

Horses are mentioned throughout scripture. God must have loved horses, He made them with a sense of understanding human emotion. I have experienced this personally and I know many therapeutic horse riding facilities exist because of the horse/ human connection which calms people.

Horses are animals who love relationship and yet they also love time alone. When one horse is tired and chooses to lay down the other horse stands at attention and is on duty against predators.They have each other‘s back basically.

It reminds me of our relationship with God, our Jesus! Jesus wants to be in relationship with us as people created in His image. He, Jesus, at times, would step aside and be with God ( as at Gethsamane) and yet Jesus, also loved community. Jesus is our protector and our comfort.

Just as a horse doesn’t prefer being alone we don’t prefer being alone. There needs to be a herd leader in a horses pasture. There needs to be a leader in our walk with Jesus, and it can’t be us.

Psalm 59:16-17 NLT
But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress. [17] O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love.

The leader of the herd is the one that the others follow for safety and for survival. The leader of the herd provides a wall of protection against others who may want to hurt.

Is Jesus not an amazing refuge, our leader and shelter for us in stormy and challenging times? Yet our relationship with Jesus can bring peace and happiness when we spend time in His presence. Horses are no different, they bring similar calming emotion.

As I watched our gelding horses share a drink of fresh water, I thought how much more happiness I have in sharing life with Jesus. His living water brings refreshment, restoration and fills me with liquid joy.

Psalm 16:11 AMP
You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.

Just as horses need a herd, we need a community of faith to sharpen us in truth and bring His wisdom.

Proverbs 27:17 NLT
As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.

My fellow Christian’s friends in life, in community and on this blog community bring a joy and love that reflects the love of Jesus to me!

I am grateful to all the amazing interconnections by my God that encourage and nurture daily life.

Psalm 20:7 AMP
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, But we will remember and trust in the name of the LORD our God.

Broken yet set free

Did you know your broken pieces can be used to bring glory to God? Did you know that Jesus came to set you free?

2 Corinthians 4:5-10 NLT
You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. [6] For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. [7] We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

Did you know none of us has it all together? Did you know you don’t have to walk alone? Did you know the One who created you is your Father God? Did you know even if a human father has not been the best example you still have a Creator Father whose spark was at your conception? He longs to have relationship with you, however, He will not force this relationship, He gives you free will to choose Him.

Did you know our broken pieces can be used for amazing things? Each of us has a story to tell of our life and the faithfulness of God. The devil would want us to give up. But God wants us to trust in Him.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT
Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. [6] Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

We can experience the joy of a relationship with Jesus. His peace happens when we reach out to our Creator God.

Did you know there is a triune God? The triune God : our Creator; God the Father, His Son, Jesus and the Holy Spirit!

We get to experience Him when we ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior! When we repent of our stupid human sins and let Him direct our lives, our broken pieces are put back together for His glory to shine through our lives.

[8] We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. [9] We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. [10] Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

His amazing grace is available, and His mercy requires your submission; heart, mind and soul to His plans.

Do you want to be set free of the brokenness and be used for His God given purpose? We are not promised a smooth life after we ask Jesus into it, however, we are promised He will not abandon us. Our faith in Him brings endurance and hope regardless of the trial.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NLT
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. [17] For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! [18] So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

The song “Broken vessels” by Taya and Hillsong powerfully impacted me today!

Broken Vessels Hillsong Worship

What are you holding onto that has become an idol but cannot save you? Material things will not last. But faith in Jesus is eternal and can change the trajectory of not only your life but the lives of generations to come.

His grace saved the wretch in me. He comes to bring you a new life with Him. Don’t let the enemy take what God has planned for you. He will use the broken places and seal the cracks into an amazing masterpiece of His creation; you are loved, chosen, made in His image.

God wants to be your everything. Call out His Name, Jesus!

“Jesus, I need you, please forgive me of my sins, I repent and turn from anything that has blocked my relationship with you. I want to know You,Jesus! I fix my eyes on You and teach me Your ways. Thank you for loving me! I give you permission to direct my life. Thank you for giving me a new life with you! I choose you, Jesus, in You Name, Amen!”

He has better plans for you, let Him direct your life. Seek your Creator Today!!

God sees you!

El Roi is the Hebrew name for “the God who sees me.” It is found in the story of Hagar (Genesis 16). There are days when we feel unseen, passed by, invisible. It can be as a result of our timid nature, a struggle of confidence, circumstances done to us or as a result of our own choices.

Hagar was in the unfortunate position of servant to Abraham. Abraham and his wife Sarai wanted a child and were blessed by God to have a son. They were impatient in their old age and decided to have Hagar surrogate their son. Then Sarai was sad because she was not the mom. So Hagar and her son were not treated the best. Hagar took her son Ischmael into the desert to run away. There in the desert she called out to God and God came. What an encounter, the well (place) was named, ” God sees me”.

God sees you. He knew you from the moment of conception. He knew what you would look like, He orchestrated steps, He will be the still soft whisper in your ears, He will be the Shepherd to us, His sheep.

Psalm 119:18 NLT Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions.

God sees you. He knows everything about you, your mistakes, your laughter, your times of despair, your times of triumph. He wants to be in relationship with you.

Psalm 139:23 NLT Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

God sees you. He awaits your voice. He waits for you to reach out to him, He wants you to choose. He wants to spend time sharing wisdom as He did with Hagar. He knows the voice of each of His sheep.

We have one goat, when I hear her loud voice, I know it is her speaking. There are other goats in our neighborhood. These fainting goats have a higher pitched sound. I can tell the difference. If our goat, Loute (her name is German for Loud), makes her voice known, I answer her concerns by checking in on her needs. Usually, her concerns are an alert to let me know her best friend, Opie the horse has escaped his corral.

God sees you!! Call out to Him. Tell Him your concerns. Listen for the Shepherd. He will give wisdom.

Pray this scripture below, Ephesians 1:4-11 placing your name inside it, such as “ Even before He made the world, God loved me ( )He chose me ( )in Christ… God decided to adopt me…etc.” Complete the scripture aloud. He wants to hear your voice.

Ephesians 1:4-11 NLT Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. [5] God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. [6] So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. [7] He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. [8] He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. [9] God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ-which is to fulfill his own good plan. [10] And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ-everything in heaven and on earth. [11] Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

God sees you! He is good. Reach out to Him! It is worth the risk.

Hey grapes…He is the Vine.

Fall harvest brings an abundant crop of grapes soon to be crushed and processed to wine. This photograph is breathtaking and shows a vineyard ready to be harvested. Solid soil, abundant rain and water through irrigation, delicate care and time produce an earthly blessing.

John 15:1-10 MSG
“I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn’t bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken. [4] “Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me.

We are created in the Image of God for great purposes. At our conception, the spark of light shows God is there. He is the Vine, we are the branches as in a vineyard. We need Him to guide our lives.

John 15:5-8 “I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is-when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples. [9-10] “I’ve loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you’ll remain intimately at home in my love. That’s what I’ve done-kept my Father’s commands and made myself at home in his love.

God wants to be an integral part of our life. He loves you, period! He wants to fill us with His wisdom to guide and protect His precious child. In the case of this photo of grapes ready to harvest, my dear friend explained that when the grapes are ripened, birds, coyotes, fox and rabbits will steal the finished product before wine can be produced. ( It is not much different for each of us, there are distractions and others who don’t want you to achieve God’s purposes). The white pouches in the photo of grapes are a protection from the potential loss of this valued crop.

We are no different to our Vinedresser, Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit. He gives us free will to take the umbrella protection of His love and use the wisdom to bring a productive purpose filled life. We have the potential for great things, however, we must bend our knee and turn our will over to the One who made us, God.

I love the simplicity in His love. I have been reading an awesome book, Finding God’s Life for my will. Here is an excerpt:

I love how Mike Donehey, Author of “Finding God’s life for My will” and musical artist with Tenth Ave. North explained this concept. We need to find God’s Life for our will.

We need to let God transform the broken parts of our life, we need Him. He moves toward us in love.

The power to transform us is in Him!

He is the Vine and we must allow Him to tend our lives as a farmer tends the grapes in a vineyard. You are His treasure. Let Him bring His solid ground wisdom ( He is the Rock), may you allow Him to pour His Living Water into the cracked places. The time is today to make an eternal change. May you find peace and purpose as you let Him transform your life today.