Friday 1 October 2010

Looking for balance in your life?

What am I really about?
What am I trying to do?
What am I trying to accomplish?

My father said, “Try many things. When you find what you love, do that. Then figure out how to make a living with it.” What wisdom!...When people ask me, “Where do you work?” I answer, “Everywhere.” They say, “I mean, what is your job?” I say, “I have no job; my work is my life—teaching, healing, loving, decorating, playing, struggling, helping.” . . . The Native way is more freeing, more celebratory. You get all the “work” done—meeting the needs of housing, feeding, clothing, transporting, etc. But you do it in harmony, in union with all Creation and the life cycles. Jose Hobday

John 15:1-17
"I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn't bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken.

"Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me.

"I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.

"I've loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you'll remain intimately at home in my love. That's what I've done—kept my Father's commands and made myself at home in his love.

"I've told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I'm no longer calling you servants because servants don't understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I've named you friends because I've let you in on everything I've heard from the Father.

"You didn't choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won't spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you.

"But remember the root command: Love one another.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just wanted to say that though I do not often comment, I am grateful for you blog. It encourages me and reminds me of what it really important. My husband and I lead a smaalllll home group in our neighborhood and sometimes it gets discouraging. You blog keeps me focused on what is important. Thank you!

Stew Carson said...

Thank you for the encouragement. You & your husband are on the right track - keep going!

Hebrews 10
"Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching."