Posts Tagged ‘Galatians’

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Summer Harvest

June 22nd, 2010

Do you like tomatoes? If so I have some for you!  I am currently picking handfuls of Cherry and Roma tomatoes a day from my square foot garden.   I am also starting to bring in cucumbers,  squash and peppers.  I have a few little bitty really hot peppers that have grown amazingly, I am just not exactly sure what do to with them. If you have some suggestions, I will gladly listen!

Its been a great experience this spring, taking care of these vines by directing their growth and providing support and water.   And finally what a pleasurable experience walking into the house with hands fulls of fresh produce.  Its a great thing being a vinedresser.  I can only imagine the pleasure the Lord gets in when he observes the fruit we bear.  Check this out – still from the Johns:

1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:1-8 (New International Version)

This is to my Father’s glory!   Yep!  The Father loves to walk into the kitchen with a big grin on his face and an armful of fruit – your fruit!  Live today in a way that glorifies the gardener by producing fruit!    Are you not sure what fruit you can produce?  Take a quick look in Galatians and if you know the song sing along while you read it.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

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Oppression and Freedom

June 18th, 2010

I like picture of the day and picture of the week blogs.  There are several sites like that that I frequent.  I think it helps get a perspective of what is going on all around the world.  This week, the WSJ picture blog seemed to be full of pictures of oppression – riots, ethnic fighting, and police brutality.  Its was really heartbreaking to look at those images.  But at the same time it was so motivating to know the freedom we are blessed with here in this land.

So with Juneteenth right upon us as well, It seems such a great time to consider the freedoms we are afforded.  But not only the freedoms we have as a citizen of the country we reside, but the freedom we are given from our Savior.   Many people view following the Christ as a binding and limiting engagement.  But check this out.

23“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. 24Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. 1 Corinthians 10:23-24

and

13You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.  Galatians 5:13 (New International Version)

We are called to be free!  We are blessed that we have been delivered a message that allows us to live, not by a series of laws, but by the spirit of love.   Boy, that something that brings joy and hopefully stokes you up a little bit.  And just imagine the feelings of the American slaves when they realized that the rumors of their freedom were true!

How are you using your freedom?

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Happy Ada Lovelace Day

March 24th, 2010

Its Ada Lovelace Day!!!  The day that girl geeks treasure!

Who, many of you ask, is Ada Lovelace?  Well, Ada Lovelace is the world’s first computer programmer.  Yes, that’s right.  She wrote software for Mr Charles Babbage’s analytical engine way back in the 1840′s!  That’s right again – the 1840′s.  It was really even more then that, she really developed software development!  Talk about bootstrapping!  Learn more about this incredible piece of geekistry here or here.

So all geeks of the world, I being one of them, raise their handheld devices today in honor of Lady Lovelace!

Also, there is a group called findingAda.com, that is rallying around this day to recognize women in science and technology.  So, I thought I could give a quick shout out, in honor of Lady Lovelace, to several of the great women who I develop software with everyday including a fellow daily buffeter – Lisa Ignaszak!  Thanks Lisa for all the great work that you do!  I will raise my sweet tea up to you today!  (Make sure baby-j takes you out to lunch! )

So today, don’t be bound by things that don’t bind.

27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:27-29 (New International Version)

Use the talents that you have been given, and make a difference in the world – one day at a time!

4There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but they all come from the same Spirit. 5There are different ways to serve the same Lord, 6and we can each do different things. Yet the same God works in all of us and helps us in everything we do.

7The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 (Contemporary English Version)

And to finish up a little bit of Ada to celebrate the day:

with Ada.Text_IO;

procedure Hello is
begin
  Ada.Text_IO.Put_Line("Happy Ada Lovelace Day!");
end Hello;

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Go Go Joe!

March 9th, 2010

A few weekends ago I traveled up the road to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee with some local high schoolers and my family to take in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”.    It’s a great and fun show, and the tunes have been stuck in my head for weeks. There was one part of the movie that has stuck with me.  It’s after Joseph has been betrayed the second time (  the first by his brothers, the second by Potiphar).  He sits in jail with no hope.  No way out.  No chance.   It’s in this moment that Joseph sings about how he doesn’t matter and that his life is not important.  But right there in that same moment, the narrator starts to sing to him “Go Go Joe, Go Go Joe”.  In the midst of his despair she starts to encourage him and finishes her encouragement with “We’ve read the book and you come out on top!”.  Its a funny line, but a really really powerful line. 

That’s the part of Joseph we can relate to.  I don’t tell dreams, I don’t have twelve brothers and I dont have a multicolor coat ( oh, well, yes I do…)  .. but really, I can relate to feeling at rock bottom, to feeling that you are alone, or that you have no hope.  And I caught myself rejoicing in my mind when I heard her singing”  We’ve read the book and you come out on top!”  It reminded me of my of my favorite Chris Tomlin songs - I Will Rise

There’s a peace I come to know, though my heart and flesh my fail, there’s an anchor for my soul ,I can say it is well, Jesus has overcome and the grave is overwhelmed, the victory is won, he is risen from the dead, and I will rise!

Yes!

We have read the book, we come out on top.

 24See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25And this is what he promised us—even eternal life. 1 John 2:24-25 

 26You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.  Galatians 3:26-29

And if you are not sure what happens to Joseph or if just you want to see a great show, my son and nephews will be in a rendition of “Joseph” along with the high schoolers at Boyd Buchanan this weekend.  Three shows – 7 on Friday night, 2 and 7 on Saturday.  Come out there and enjoy a great show and rejoice that we come out on top!

Enjoy the day you have been given – its a day closer to the promise.

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March Fourth and Do Something

March 4th, 2010

Its here, the only day of the year that also a command.  March Fourth!  Its a day to get up and go.  Its seems this would be a better day to start with resolutions then Jan 1 when you are all tired from the Holidays.  Plus it’s sound so strong and energetic – March Fourth!

Today, pick something that you have had laying around that you have been wanting to do, and just get it done.  I am going to spice up the front page of this site a bit, so that http:\\www.butcherville.com actually has some content, even though my friend Blue Line has returned to be with me all day today and tomorrow!  What are you going to do? Can’t think of anything?  Here are a few suggestions:

  • share the Daily Buffet with a friend, I know you have been wanting to- maybe some one else is as crazy as you and find encouragement through through this bit of text.
  • mow your lawn ( ok not really)
  • say a prayer for Tennessee Jed.  I have spoken with him a little this week, and he is still struggling with lots of stuff.

It’s amazing how many things we want to do, however  we never stop and take the time to do.  Its like that in all aspects of life – even our spiritual lives.  We have high intentions, but find ourselves wandering.  Sometimes its the battle within ourselves that prevents us from getting things done. Check out Galatians 5.  This is an interesting verse, especially around the end of the 17th verse.

Galatians 5:16-18 (New International Version)

16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

Which is it that we want to do, that we do not do – the sinful nature, or the desire of the Spirit? Anyway. which are you going to let lead you today?  March Fourth leave the flesh behind and be led by the Spirit, then watch what happens!  Do it today – March Fourth!!

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