A Joy-ful Week

We had a nice weekend and now are enjoying a good start to the week. I hope you all are too.

Syd smoked a pork roast...oh the smoky smell and great TASTE!

...some of this was for us to enjoy with company, some to share with neighbors.

Syd's been keeping his eye out for a mower deck to go on his tractor. The Lord opened one up, and very reasonably priced too!

Mom's property was in BAD need of mowing - haying really! We are praising the Lord for this blessing.

Our friends, Denny and Dottie, came for a visit. Here they are with Mom, Ruger taking in the view (actually looking for squirrels, of course)

Syd has taken the week off, his first in quite a few years. Very exciting for getting things done around Darling Hill. I love just having him around.

Syd bought boards (shiplap, but he'll be putting them up like clapboards). Eventually I'll post before and after shots of the gable ends of the house)

Syd's first day off was spent entirely on brush-hogging (but all by hand, using a trimmer with saw blade) down behind our house - phew! then mowing the top of Darling Hill.

Such a blessing was in God's Word this morning reading the section in the gospels describing our vital relationship of abiding in the Vine in order for us, the branches to bear fruit. Verse 5 says that if we are truly abiding, we WILL bear fruit, much fruit. It is amazing that our minds can become so self centered that we could think that we humans could just bear this fruit by effort. Impossible. If we could get our hearts always wrapped around the fact that the Lord does the work, what a transformation that could be in our Christian lives. "If ye abide...and God's words abide...continue ye in my love" (the same love that the Father has for the Son, the Son has for us) "keep my commandments"...these all the result of abiding. 

The last verse in this section hit me, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full." In the past I've focused on this portion of Scripture having been given so that we'll "abide", yes, then get out there and bear that fruit!  I'm glad that the Lord never gives up on us.

It is a rich blessing to continue learning that God does the fruit-bearing and would stoop to using vessels such as us; but obedient vessels only. Oh, by God's grace, may I learn these lessons.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”

"These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."

John 15:4, 11