Painful Pruning
Last summer we planted rosebushes in the backyard in honor of my Abuelita—my grandmother. She was like a mother to me, and even though she died 10 years ago I still miss her terribly. Wild and sweet-smelling roses grew around her house. The roses I was planting would be a beautiful and constant reminder of her—a tribute.
a love song
The lyrics of one of my favorite worship songs lifts up the idea of praising Jesus with all that I am. When I sing it, my focus is solely on my Savior who sacrificed His life that we might receive true life, completely on the One whose heart beats with passionate love for us. As I sing the beautiful chorus, it helps me express my deep, deep love for Jesus.
connected
Assigned with keeping up my mom’s garden while she was out of town, my kids and I headed into her backyard to see the anticipated jungle. Walking out from the patio, we were greeted by a messy bed of veggies as some of the string-bean tendrils stood out like cowlicks in an otherwise orderly row. As we worked, my son explained the necessity of coaxing the wayward tendrils onto the runners: Left unsupported, the weight of the growing beans would pull the vine to the ground where it would become more vulnerable to pests and its produce would be damaged.
walk worthy of God
Congratulations for doing so well!” Friends and family recently showered me with kudos. But it was due to the fact that my daughter had done exceptionally well in her national examinations. As a father, I couldn’t have been prouder of my daughter’s achievements. Likewise, we do our heavenly Father proud when we live our lives “in a way that God would consider worthy” (1 Thessalonians 2:12; see also Matthew 5:16).
expecting fruit
My neighbor planted some apple tree seedlings. Several years later, the mature trees bore fruit. But there was a problem. The first bushel of apples my neighbor picked contained some unwanted guests . . . uh, pests. Worms were found, leading his wife to conclude that a few bad apples do indeed spoil the whole bunch! Since that fateful day, the only things that have munched on my neighbor’s apples are wild deer (and worms).
i am a branch
A young boy was planting an apple tree in the backyard. As soon as it was planted, he exclaimed to his grandfather, “Pop-pop, we just planted an apple tree. Now we’re going to put apples on it!”
The boy’s attitude reflects the way we sometimes view fruitfulness in our life. We often behave as if we can bear fruit by…
pests we tolerate
What kinds of pests would you tolerate in your home? A recent survey revealed some surprising results. Researchers found that people would pay for an exterminator when the following pests were found in their home: Twenty-four percent would pay an exterminator to kill spiders; 27 percent would pay to get rid of ants; 56 percent would pay to banish the…
life in the vine
Most people say I look like my father. When I was in the third or fourth grade, a young girl looked at my dad and me and exclaimed, “Look, twins!” Like most sons, I was eager to grow taller and gain some muscle. I wanted to grow up and be like my dad. There wasn’t much I could do to…
even better
The text message from my brother was terse: “Dad just passed away. Come to ward now.”
My 84-year-old father had vacillated between life and death for 2 months. He finally took his final breath. Dad had lost his battle with cancer, and losing him deeply saddened me. And yet I also rejoiced, for he hadn’t really lost the battle. He…
amplified
Despite the recent economic meltdown, most people would agree that free markets have improved the lives of billions of people. Many people today are living longer and wealthier than anyone ever has, in large part because free markets incentivize us to create products that other people want to buy. Entrepreneurs who knew that they would profit from their efforts invented…
prepare for action
As a chaplain for athletes competing in the 1998 Nagano Winter Games, one night I stayed out particularly late serving at the figure skating venue. Cold and exhausted, I finally headed back to my room at 1:00 a.m. On the way, I was shocked when several members of the USA Men’s Hockey Team walked by—boasting about the partying they were…
lambs on the lam
Last year, two convicts broke out of a maximum-security prison in Argentina, only to find that they could be easily spotted in the spacious sheep pastures surrounding the penitentiary. So what to do? The duo sneaked into a local ranch and stole some wooly hides that included sheep heads. The fake lambs remained on the lam by hiding among the…
making life grow
I love food fresh from the garden, particularly tomatoes. A couple years in a row, I had idyllic visions of growing our own crop and having a limitless supply of red, juicy deliciousness.
The first season, a vicious fungus ravaged every last plant. The second season, our 2-year-old son ravaged every last plant (sneaking into our garden and snatching every…
