| "But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will | | | | control. But then things start going wrong. We get |
| produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, | | | | super busy and run out of time. We get |
| patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, | | | | frustrated and go back to our old habits of |
| gentleness and self-control;" Galatians 5: 22 | | | | blaming others for my problems. |
| Because we live close to the Rocky Mountain | | | | Sometimes we try so hard and it seems no |
| foothills and the altitude is so high in Calgary, we | | | | matter how many different tactics we try, no |
| have to adapt our gardening habits. Backyard | | | | fruit appears. That reminds me of the Lily of the |
| green houses are very common or garden | | | | Valley roots I purchased and not one of them |
| frames. I can get a head start on my gardening if | | | | grew. Even my young Peony plant was stunted in |
| I start my plants in the house in early spring or | | | | its growth. This time I knew I wasn't too blame |
| buy young plants at the end of May. | | | | for failure. I had to look further and realized I had |
| This last March I was very impatient. I wanted | | | | bought these roots on sale at a hardware store. |
| spring to come and decided to help it along by | | | | They just weren't healthy roots. I promised my |
| starting my plants, in the house, way too early. | | | | self to buy all of my roots and bulbs at the |
| By the end of April the dahlias were already two | | | | renowned garden centre next year. |
| feet tall and my oriental lilies were already | | | | At times we too forget the source of the fruit of |
| blooming on my kitchen table. When I finally set | | | | the Holy Spirit in our lives. We even attempt to |
| my dahlias out they blossomed beautifully all | | | | grow these fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, |
| summer and even now are displaying huge saucer | | | | kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and |
| size colorful blooms. But my oriental lilies died off | | | | self-control relying on our own strength. Or just |
| within a week leaving the green stems to remind | | | | like my young tender plants that I set out too |
| me of my impatience. | | | | early and a touch of frost kills them; outside |
| One spring I was fascinated by the scarlet | | | | influences overcome our good inclinations. |
| flowered beans that grow to the top of the | | | | Only the Holy Spirit can grow the fruits of the |
| fence. I started some on my window sill. They | | | | Holy Spirit in our lives. We need to be close to |
| sprouted so quickly and their tendrils curled all | | | | God, spending time with Him in prayer and reading |
| over my chairs and TV trays in the dining room | | | | His Word and obeying Him as He leads us. It's only |
| window. By May the snow was gone and the sun | | | | yielding to Him that brings godly fruit into our lives. |
| was shining brightly. When I got up in the morning | | | | Bible Truths to Share with Your Kids: |
| it was at least 10 degrees centigrade. The bean | | | | In the Bible we read about fruits of the Holy Spirit |
| tendrils were already three feet long and I knew I | | | | that God wants to grow in our lives. These fruits |
| was trying my husband's patience with my inside | | | | are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, |
| garden. | | | | faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Probably |
| Then and there I decided I too had had enough | | | | most kids, even you, would like to have these |
| of these plants invading on my dinner plate so | | | | characteristics. We all try to live these values. But |
| next morning out they went. I knew better. I | | | | it's hard to always love, or be good or |
| know you're supposed to harden your plants off | | | | self-controlled when things aren't going our way or |
| before you plant them outdoors but it's such a | | | | we are tired or some one is giving us a hard time. |
| tedious procedure. First you set the plant out on | | | | Well, I have news for you. God doesn't even |
| the patio in the sun for a very short time and | | | | want you to try to be these things all by yourself |
| then take it in. The next day you put it out longer | | | | in your own strength. He wants to grow these |
| and every day a little longer until it gets used to | | | | characteristics in you. He does that when you |
| the outdoor coolness and atmosphere. Then you | | | | spend time with Him. |
| can finally plant it. Even then you may have to | | | | Just like you are influenced by other kids when |
| cover it on cool nights and cooler days. I had lots | | | | you spend time with them and become kind of |
| of writing to do and decided to just plant them | | | | like them, you are influenced by God when you |
| against the fence. For a couple of days I had | | | | spend time with Him and become like Him. |
| beautiful green bean plants running up my poles | | | | You can spend time with God by reading the Bible |
| but slowly most of them just shriveled up and | | | | and listening to what He wants to say to you. |
| slowly died. | | | | You also spend time with Him when you pray to |
| This hard, time consuming work of tending | | | | Him or when you go to a Bible Study or Prayer |
| vegetables and flowers makes me think of the | | | | time at church with your friends. The more time |
| fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We try | | | | you spend with God the more fruit the Holy Spirit |
| different tactics to sprout and grow them | | | | produces in your life if you let Him. |
| ourselves our lives. We even have some success. | | | | Jesus says He is like a vine to us and we are like |
| Just like my plants that did so well in my warm | | | | the branches of that vine. The branches get life |
| sunny kitchen we can display symptoms of the | | | | from the vine so we bear fruit that the vine |
| fruit of the Holy Spirit as long as we practice | | | | bears. We are blessed to be chosen by the God |
| them in a controlled environment. It's easy to | | | | of the universe to be in such a close relationship |
| show love to others and be patient with people | | | | with Him. |
| as long as everything is peaceful and we are in | | | | |