Monday, August 26, 2013

this fall.

i am so ready for fall. so ready. growing up in pittsburgh means that i am used to fall actually being here by the time the calendar says "autumnal equinox," so i still get antsy for it every time the calendar turns to september [or in this case, is anywhere close to it!].

yes, i adore fall.

{via mybluecanoe}

{via seasonallove}



{via scandifoodie}


{via google.ca}

{via 4.bp.blogspot}


i mean, what's not to love?

what does this have to do with anything? you ask. valid question. 
stay with me.


have you ever thought about God's grace in relation to the seasons? we could live in a world where the weather never changed at all. where every day monotonously followed the one before. where the word "season" simply denoted the changes in life, if it existed at all.

but God blessed us with changes of season. every day does not look the same. and if you are anything like me, that is a good thing. 

but not only that. not only did God give us changes in the seasons, he made them all beautiful and wonderful. he gave us constant reminders of birth, and growth, and death, and rebirth.

he didn't have to give us trees, but he did. he didn't have to give us a variety of trees, but he did. he didn't have to cause the leaves on those trees to turn brilliant colors as they age and die, but he did.

to me, fall is a reminder of so many things that we are blessed with, but don't deserve. it's easy to wish things were different - to wish things were better, or more than they are - but take a look at the many things we have that we don't have to have. the things we take for granted as just being a part of life.

God's abundant grace overflows daily, even in something as simple as the changing of the seasons.

so as you send your kids off to school, cozy up under a blanket, sit next to a bonfire, or simply notice the changing colors of the leaves, remember how much God loves you. remember that he created it all, and he made it good and beautiful. and remember that no matter what season of life you are in right now, his mercies are new every morning.

happy fall to you!

xo,
katie

Monday, August 19, 2013

Where Are You Rooted?

"Tree roots anchor the tree in the soil, keeping it straight and stable, and absorb water from the soil. Tree roots also take nutrients out of the soil and use them to produce what they need for the tree’s growth, development, and repair." (from the internet)
 
I know, kind of an odd way to start a Vine Life blog...  Why on earth do you need to know about tree roots?  But Doug's sermon on Sunday (you're going to have to stay with me a little longer for this to make sense!) reminded me of something I read years ago, "A tree draws 98% of all that it needs for life through its roots."  I'm not an arborist, so I can't completely verify that percentage, but I know for certain that roots are essential to the growth and life of a tree...  And as a believer, our root system is equally important!
 
Colossians 2:6-7 says, "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving."
 
"Rooted in Christ..."  If I think about my life compared to a tree, I need to ask myself...  Are my roots firmly anchored in Him?  Is He (and His Word) my nourishment?  Do I draw living water from Him?  Do I trust Him to be the source of all that I need?  Or am I looking somewhere else to find life?
 
In Doug's sermon, we saw how Lot trusted all the wrong things to give him the life he desired and if you remember, when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, it caused him a lot of misery.  And that's what happens when we root our hearts in something (or someone) besides Christ.  We may not lose our physical life, like Lot's wife, but we lose the abundant life that Jesus came to give us!
 
Let's take a few minutes today and ask God to show us if we're trying to draw life from somewhere else besides Jesus.  I think it's pretty safe to say that most of us will have some area of our life that God, our Master Gardner, will show us is in need of some serious care.  Don't be afraid to surrender that area of your life to Him and trust Jesus to be the strength and portion of your heart (Psalm 73:26)!

Happy "heart" gardening!
Sharla        

Monday, August 5, 2013

Busy

Is it possible to be busy in our culture and at peace? I wonder.
So many times when I ask my friends how they are, they say, "Busy!" with a sigh of exasperation.
It saddens me.
Much of our busyness in America is our own choice, but most people don't see it that way.
Their child simply must be in three sports and they wouldn't be "good Christians" if they didn't serve on four committees. I've been there, done that.
We have forgotten a powerful, grace-filled word: NO.
One of my favorite quotes is "The enemy of the best is the good." We choose daily between good and best (or sometimes even bad). Do we spend our time on good things or BEST things? And what are the best things?
I think they are God, my husband, my children, then the rest of life. In that order.
But I sure don't always act that way.
Jesus was busy obeying His father and doing His will. So it's okay to be busy as long as we are doing what God wants us to. Christ was purposeful and peaceful. To be at peace means we are not at conflict with God, which means we submit to His will. We recognize our place in His grand story and trust that the Author will finish His work.
I want to be like that - doing what God tells me: no more, no less. Taking on His agenda and not my own (so hard!). Saying no to the many possibilities and yes to the assignments God has clearly given me.
What are you saying no to this week? How are you choosing what's on the fall calendar?
Be busy, yes, but be at peace.
- Kathryn