Hi Folks Wow!!!! I have been so blessed the past few days. You remember I asked prayers for guidance in my business? Well, the Lord truly heard those prayers and He is really with me. As if that isn't enough, I went to the dentist yesterday and not only did he tell me I didn't need any work done, but he said the visit was on the house, free of charge! Folks, the Lord has just done so much for me the past few days that I can't even begin to list it all here. Ok, on to the sower. You know the parable of the sower? Well, I like the version in Luke the best (Luke 8:4-15) because of one word in Luke 8:15 - PATIENCE [Luke 8:15 "But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience." - KJV]. Folks, I must admit that I constantly have to guard against being a seed that falls among the thorns, being choked by the cares and troubles of this world because I am easily ruffled and have to make a conscious effort to calm down, relax and turn everything over to the Lord. Now I don't know how many of you live in houses, or in flats (apartments) or townhouses, etc., but I am truly blessed beyond measure to live in a house with a garden. A few months ago we decided to plant some vegetables and those vegetables were more valuable as a lesson for this parable than they were as food. Folks, when you plant a seed you must have patience. You don't plant a seed today and have the perfect plant tomorrow (unless you're Jack and the Beanstalk :-)). Folks, when a seed is planted it grows in darkness until its first shoots push through the soil, it grows as a young plant, gathering strength, growing higher and higher until it eventually reaches a stage where it can bear fruit. Throughout that period of growth it must face every trial possible - storms, wind, rain, even drought; but when it reaches maturity it is able to withstand those trials and still bear fruit with strength left over. Folks, we are like those plants. God uses the trials we face to help us grow, to prune the branches that will be unproductive and to give us strength. Folks, while we face the trials we go through, the one thing that will continually strengthen our faith and help us focus on the Lord is patience. Now I know what some people are thinking - how come my friend has only been a Christian for 6 months and she's bearing more fruit than I have in my whole 20 years as a Christian? Well, don't forget Matthew's and Mark's version of the parable (Matthew 13:23 "But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."]. In the same way as different plants bear different amounts of fruit, so we will bear different fruits of the Spirit. It all depends on our patience and how much effort we put into nourishing ourselves with the Word of God. There's my ramble today :-D Have a blessed day! Earl <>< <>< <>< <>< May God bless you ICQ 58441118 To join the Blessing_a_day list, send a message to: blessing_a_day-subscribe@... or visit http://associate.com for a selection of other Christian lists