May 31 – John 15:7

John 15:7 Amp If you live in Me — abide vitally united to Me — and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will and it shall be done for you. Incredible words, huh?! You think He really means it? : ) I think that that “If” might be the key to the promise. Our hearts would beat to the tune of His, our desires would be His desires, His words would be our life, our marching orders. His answer to our prayers would... Read More

Preparing to Move

Last week my parents and one of my husband’s brothers came for several days to help me get a head start on packing. The guys would have liked more “manly” things to do, beyond changing the oil in the tractor and running errands, but they were good sports about how much I needed someone just to watch the kids so I could string two thoughts together and make thousands of little decisions. Building Lego cars to entertain kids is valuable work around here! Daddy... Read More

May 30 – John 15:6

John 15:6 Amp If a person does not dwell in Me, he is thrown out as a [broken off] branch and withers. Such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire and they are burned. A hard saying — one we would like to ignore, but as true as the other parts. But you know from experience, just like I do, that sense of “withering” as we get too busy or distracted. No time to “dwell,” to be connected to our Vine. How do you go from checking off “quiet... Read More

May 29 – John 15:5

John 15:5b Amp However, apart from Me — cut off from vital union with Me — you can do nothing. Does He sound like He’s repeating? He is. This is His last time of instruction before He dies. (He must have taught them more after His resurrection, but we don’t hear much of that.) This is important. And John passed is on to us. This is important. Nothing that you do amounts to anything eternal unless it’s done through your vital union with Jesus.... Read More

May 28 – John 15:5

John 15:5a Amp I am the Vine, you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. This bearing fruit is such a natural thing if you stay connected. Your conversation will naturally be full of what you’re living in. You will find yourself doing those “Jesus things” so naturally. No force, no fake, no “ought to,” no religiosity that tastes so rotten to those around you. The fun part is your own surprise and delight... Read More

May 27 – John 15:14

John 15:14b Amp (again!) Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. He doesn’t say it’s HARD to. He says you CAN’T. We can’t reproduce that Seed-bearing fruit unless His Holy Spirit is flowing in us. Just like in the creation when God made “trees bearing fruit in which was their seed, each according to its kind,” we can only reproduce according... Read More

May 26 – John 15:4

John 15:4b Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. Have you thought about what fruit is, Annie? That fruit isn’t for the tree’s benefit; it’s for spreading the seed. It’s for producing more that are like the parent. Even that wonderful, delicious flesh surrounding a peach seed is just to make it so desirable that we would take it and carry it off,... Read More

May 25 – John 15:4

John 15:4a Amp Dwell in Me and I will dwell in you. — Live in Me and I will live in you. This is it in a nutshell, isn’t it? As long as we keep ourselves attached to Him, Jesus’ life- giving sap, the Holy Spirit, will nourish every part of us, filling our cells, bringing to fruition the promise that was in the Seed planted in us. And our work? We abide. We abide. We abide. Consciously living in His Spirit, being made new by His Word, living in continuous... Read More

A Packing Push

This morning we’re right in the middle of a packing blitz, a flurry of boxes, a push to the Pod: My regular Wednesday post will be delayed several days. Looking out toward new – and much flatter – horizons! Thirty-four more days! Share this:EmailFacebookTwitterPinterest Read More

May 24 – John 15:3

John 15:3 Amp You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the Word which I have given you — the teaching I have discussed with you. In just a couple chapters — same last talk He has with them — He says, “Sanctify them — purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy — by the Truth. Your Word is Truth. As we read His Word, His living Word, the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts. When you really thing about what’s happening,... Read More