Have Some Fresh Fruit...

Look at how beautiful this new growth is on our spruce trees. Somehow these beauties delight me with their velvet soft tender new sprouts that grow off the end of the branches and are as soft as velvet (for now!). At least this spruce is not only alive but thriving.  Thriving means to grow or develop well or vigorously.

I love the early summer and watching the way the flora and fauna are progressing in their growth!  It shouldn't be too long and I may be able to see my yellow Lady Slippers appear (although they can be a bit fickle in where they show up.) We have a small ravine that runs through the back of our property so we can have all kinds of interesting plants that grow along the waterway that don't grow on the higher ground.

But...all that to be said that in our personal life, are we seeing growth in who we are becoming?  Are we making visible the fruit of the Spirit that indicates that we aren't standing still but growing forward?  

Galatians 5:22-25 gives us a beautiful snapshot of a maturing life in Christ:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit."

Make an assessment of the fruit in your life by honestly looking at each element of the fruit of the Spirit to see where you are in your spiritual growth. Maybe take one of the elements and pray that God would show you where you need to "add a little fertilizer" to your day to improve upon the output, so that it would grow and thrive vigorously! Could be through a bit more quiet time or maybe an accountability partner that you will allow to speak honestly into your life and encourage encourage you along in your journey.

Father, I want to grow and not remain stagnant.  I want to produce goodness out of Your abundance toward me!  Let me risk taking a look at my life with You and then dare to ask You to prune me so I would continue to grow more and more into Your beautiful image, amen.