A New Year Is Here!

Soooo, it seems as though I took quite the hiatus from blogging, both here and on our family blog. I sure can tell it too! This is my therapy...free therapy and boy have I missed it! :) I hope if you are here reading, that means that you missed it too and will make it a habit to drop by to see what the Lord has laid on my heart. I vow to do a better job at blogging on a regular basis.

Since my last post, Halloween came and was fun. Thanksgiving came and brought it's own joy and before we knew it we were officially in the Christmas season. Along with Christmas came busy schedules, baking, family and friends and the celebration of our Lord and Savior!

Now, here we are! January 2015. A New Year! For some, it is a year of new beginnings. Learning to do some things all over. For some, it is experiencing things for the very first time. For others, it is going back, fixing where you messed up and trying to move forward. One thing that remains the same is the love that our Father has for us.

I have thought a lot of resolutions and what it truly means to resolve to do something. This year, I (along with some friends), decided that I would set goals. Things that I want to see come to pass. Does it mean that it may all happen within this year? Maybe not. Does that make me a failure? Absolutely not! I do vow to work my hardest at seeing these things through. What about you? What goals have you set for yourself this new year?

Personal goals are probably the most popular to set and may possibly be the easiest to obtain. Try to smile more. Be more friendly. Give back at least once a week. Lose a pound or two or ten! But what about spiritual goals? How easy are those to write down? Pretty easy. How easy are they to see through? That's the hard part. That's where dedication comes in. Your spiritual life and growth is the most important part of life as a believer and follower of Christ. Without growth, we become complacent and we no longer bear fruit. This is where we must be careful. The word specifically states that we will be known by the fruits that we bear. "This is my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." John 15:8. Looking back over the past year, did you bear "good fruit" or "bad fruit"? Were you shown faithful as a disciple of Christ?

Before we dive into how to know if we obtain good fruits, let's discuss what "good fruits" are. Are you ready? You may see some characteristics that you have noticed in yourself!

Good Fruits:
Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control

How do obtain these good fruits? Walking closely with the Lord, studying His Word and committing it to heart, praying and asking for God's guidance. Sounds easy enough, right?! I have found that when I am my most dedicated and faithful is when Satan tries to get a strong hold over me. He (Satan) likes to see us fail. He likes to see us bring disappointment to the one who loved us enough to die for our sins. Let's break these fruits down one by one:

Love
Is love always easy to show? Not always--but it is a requirement. God states that as His children, we are to love one another! Can we always do this without the love of God dwelling in us. Nope! Scripture tells us so! God is love and in order to love, you must know God! When others are hurtful and unkind, show love to them so that your fruit will be pleasing to the Lord!

"But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." Luke 6:35

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." Romans 12:9

"And now these three remain: faith hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God." 1 John 4:7

Joy
The joy that comes from the Lord is unlike any emotion that you could experience on its best day! The joy of the Lord dwells from deep down inside and is so hard to contain! It will completely consume you and just bubble out--spreading its goodness to others!

"May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." Romans 15:13

"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22

"These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." John 15:11

Peace
Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a situation, not sure which way to turn, then all of a sudden have a wash over you that everything is going to be ok? That is the peace from the Lord. No other feeling of complete surrender and calm can even compare! The peace of the Lord can not be mistaken nor can it replicated. When the Lord's will is being fulfilled, you know the peace that reigns above all understanding.

"The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace." Psalm 29:11

"Come to me all those who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27

"For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace." 1 Corinthians 14:33

Patience 
Oh my! Have kids then talk to me about patience! Waiting is one of the hardest lessons I have ever had to learn (I think the Lord is still working on me). Ever wanted something so badly that you could literally taste it but the Lord just says, "No, not now!" That response will feel like a kick in the stomach! When the Lord dwells within you and you are walking as closely with Him as possible, He grants a tolerance to sit and wait that can come from no one else but Him. It is not our natural desire to be patient. We are an I want it now kind of society. Sometimes, the biggest blessings come when we wait on Him!

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9

"Be still and wait patiently on the Lord. Those who wait on the Lord shall inherit the land." Psalm 37:7,9

"Endurance produces character and character produces hope" Romans 5:4

"But they who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount on wings as eagles; they shall run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31

Kindness
Ever been around someone who was genuinely kindhearted? How does simply their presence make you feel? Good, right? Kindhearted people exude sweetness and you just want to be near them. Being kind to others does not come natural to us. We are born sinful, selfish people. Kind people are usually putting other's feelings and concerns before their own. They truly understand what it means to love others before themselves. Anyone come to mind? Do you exude a kind heart?

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ has forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32

"Love is patient; love is kind." 1 Corinthians 13:4

Goodness
The goodness that can only come from the Lord is so rich. His goodness is pure. This kind of goodness causes you to truly think about your actions before they happen (ah, to be filled with His goodness). To not be self-centered, but to be Christ centered. I long for His goodness. Unfortunately, most days, I feel like I fall a little short.

"Let love be genuine. Abort was is evil; take hold of what is good." Romans 12:9

"Give thanks to the Lord. for He is good; His love endureth forever." Psalms 107:1

"O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him." Psalms 34:8

Faithfulness
Being faithful comes in all forms. Faithful to others, faithful to situations, and faithful to Christ. Are you one who others see as a faithful person? Can you be counted on when the chips are down? Christ has proven himself time and time again to be as faithful as they come. He never leaves nor forsakes us, even at times when we feel our most alone. Christ has traveled the road before us and knows and understands where we are headed. When we are followers of Christ {and are living our lives to exemplify Him} we should stand faithful and true. Spouses should never have to question our faithfulness because our actions show us to be, friends should know that they can count on us to be there, our employers should know that they can count on us to set our best foot forward, and Christ should know that we love Him with all of our hearts because we have shown by our actions that we adore Him. Are you faithful in your study of His word, in your prayer life? If this is an area where you struggle, call a friend and find someone to hold you accountable. Ask them to pray with you that your heart may become more faithful to the things that you hold dear.

"Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindess to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments." Deuteronomy 7:9

"The Lord will repay each man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered you into my hand today, but I refused to stretch out my hand against the Lord's anointed." 1 Samuel 26:23

"Your love oh Lord, reaches to the heavens. Your faithfulness, to the skies." Psalm 36:5

Gentleness
Often times, gentleness is viewed as weakness; however in fact, gentleness is actually being meek, mild, tender to others. To exude complete and total gentleness to others takes such self-control, especially when facing difficult situations where you may find yourself standing at cross-roads with others opinions and personalities. To be gentle is to completely surrender oneself to Christ and allow His goodness to shine through. To handle situations with gentleness instead of anger, shows a sign of maturity and spiritual growth.

"So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love." Ephesians 4:14-16

"And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." 2 Timothy 2:24

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Proverbs 15:1

"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering without hypocrisy." James 3:17

Self-control
Oh my goodness! This one {or lack of} probably reaches each one of us at various points in our lives. You may struggle with lack of self-control when it comes to shopping (me!), eating sweets (me!), "filling our friends in on the know" (gossiping) (sadly, me!), thoughts and feelings of jealousy (me!), allowing other forms of entertainment to come between your time with the Lord (*sigh, me!), and quick tempers. I have been REALLY honest about this one, haven't I? :) Truth is, we all struggle, but that does not mean that we can't strive to have Christ help us with this daily. Can you imagine how much self-control Jesus must have possessed when faced with those who did not like him (that is putting it mildly)? When faced with situations where your "self" is trying to rear it's head, lean on the Lord for control like none other.

"A fool loses his temper, but a wise man holds it back." Proverbs 29:11

"Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 2:5-9

"A man without self control is like a city broken and left without walls." Proverbs 25:28

So, now that we know what they are, how can we tell if we obtain them? Believers bearing fruit are not controlled by their environment. Situations arise, but it is all in how we handle them! Life is not always a bowl of cherries, but through the Lord, we can stand the test of time. Have you ever met a person who was battling a tough illness, a death of a loved one, a lost job, but they never seemed to be without joy in their life? That is being filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is in complete control-not their circumstances. Another way to tell if we obtain the fruits of the spirit may be shown in how we recover from negative experiences. Do we sit and wallow in self-pity or do we bounce back, ready more than ever to face the world with a brave face and unbroken spirit? Life happens and sometimes our days seems dark, but as Christians, the light of the world dwells within us. He is our hope. He is our tomorrow.

Now, what kind of fruit are you bearing? What kind of fruit will you bring to  2015?

Blessings,
Heather