What Season Are You In?

One of the first things that I found to be important for me to is to know that we go through different seasons in life. This is just like in the vineyards.

There is a season of newness where the vines are being planted and sprouting all kinds of new buds for grapes and leaves. There is pruing to be done in this season.

There is a season of growth where there are leaves in full bloom and where the grapes are growing and the fruit is multiplying.

There is the season of harvest when the fruit has come to fullness and it is time to take that fruit and use it for it's purpose.

Then there is the season of dormancy. This comes after harvest and the vines are dorment for a time due to the winter. There is not growth that can be seen on the outside. This is also the time where there is heavy duty pruning that is done by the farmers. They really get in there and cut off vines that are dead and cut back the fruitful vines so that they can produce even more fruit the next season.

I know in my life...I have been through this process many times just like the seasons come each year. I think it is important not to get discouraged if you do not feel like you are growing and producing fruit like you want. God's timing is perfect and His ways are higher than ours. Just like the seasons, you will see much growth at some points in your life and then there are the times of dormancy (after harvest) where there is a lot of work to do in your life. This is a painful process, but a very necessary process. I have learned I have to let go the control I try to have and let God be in complete control.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-14
A Time for Everything

1 For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
2 A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6 A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.

9 What do people really get for all their hard work? 10 I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. 11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. 12 So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. 13 And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.
14 And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him. 15 What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again.

Abide In Him

Just last week, I added the sitemeter to my blog. I like to look at it see how someone got onto my blog. There have been several people just in the last few days that have at least clicked on the blog because when you google the words "abide in him" my blog will come up in the results. This really got me thinking about the fact the there are people out there searching this subject and that I could use my blog to show what I learned through Bible study, life experiences and other books on this subject.
Over the next few posts I am going to try to communicate all of this to you. I am praying that the Lord will use this as a tool to help minister to others.

To start off this "series" I'll begin with John 15:1-11 (English Standard Version)

1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full".