Tag Archives: family

The Fruit of Faithfulness

VineWords Devotions and More

  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. ~Galatians 5:22-23a CSB “Come say ‘Hello’ to Mary.” Billy smiled as I approached their table. I was about to see the fruit of faithfulness.   I was sure she did not remember me. Her brain tumor had taken this once-talented artist and turned her into a shadow of her previous self. But as I greeted Mary, she shared the same gracious smile … Continue reading →

Obedience Rules Reasoning

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And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat ~Genesis 3:6 KJV Early in our marriage, my husband explored woodworking. He learned the value of rubbing the sandpaper with the wood grain and sanding after each layer of … Continue reading →

The Fruit of Kindness

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“Would you be so kind as to give us a drink of water from your well?” Someone needed the fruit of kindness.   My mother passed down a story told by her grandmother, who grew up on a farm located on a dusty, rural road. At that time, many people walked wherever they went, having no access to any type of transportation. One hot summer day, a family traveling on foot stopped by my great-grandparents’ farm for a drink of … Continue reading →

Weary Traveler

VineWords Devotions and More

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”                          -Matthew 6:33 NIV     I was a weary traveler.         “No. It’s not okay.” “Well, why not?” “Because it’s crooked. We aren’t going to settle.” Settling for Second Best I cannot tell you how many times my husband and I have had this discussion while building … Continue reading →

Growth Spurts

VineWords Devotions and More

For spiritual growth, the Bible is our measuring scale. It guides us as we go through life. Gaining knowledge from the Scripture is our protein, and grace is our carbohydrates. When we exercise these spiritual building blocks through godly living and prayer, we mature and grow as God intended.

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The End of the Roll

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Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ~1 Thessalonians 5:18 HCSB Seeing that tiny tail at the end of the roll of toilet paper hanging there was like hearing nails on a chalkboard. At least a half dozen rolls sat a mere inches away under the sink, but the people living in my house were preoccupied with other things. We had had polite chats about being thoughtful of others by replacing the roll, … Continue reading →

Freedom to Fail or Succeed

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By the time high school arrived, I’d lost all interest in school. The wrong kind of friends, followed by the wrong type of actions, took over. My parents continued to goad me to do my best, just as they had in elementary and middle school. I didn’t listen. Regardless of their efforts to push me forward toward a college education, I continued to slide backward with a don’t-care attitude…

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