So cool that this verse would come up the day Penni is born--It is truly a blessing to see our family tree continuing to bear good fruit.

 "I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and deep and high is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses all knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" (Eph. 3:16-19).  Roots are very nifty little creations--they dig as deeply as they need to go to find water and nutrients appropriate for the plant of which they are a part.  Roots anchor a plant into the soil that sustains it. They also grow together to work in concert, sometimes forming the network that holds a whole orchard together.  We, the same as plants, need our roots.  We need to be secure in the nurturing, sturdy environment Christ has provided for us. As we drink in His word, it moves to every part of us, growing, maturing and sustaining us, just as sap does in a plant.  If we are anchored in a healthy environment, the fruit we produce will be healthy fruit.

A word here for staying plugged in to a local church body:  A friend of mine used to grow citrus trees in Florida. He told us about how, if a producing citrus tree is transplanted, it may be from a year to three years before that tree will produce again. After a second transplanting, again production of fruit will stall.  After a third transplanting, a citrus tree will no longer produce fruit. We need to stay dedicated to the "orchard" in which God has planted us.

 "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit" (Matt. 12:33); "I am the vine and you are the branches, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so it will be even more fruitful" (John 15:1-2);"For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; For figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush" (Luke 6:43).

So what is the good fruit?  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control--that is what we produce when we stay in the  vine, when we stay rooted and grounded in Christ.  And there is nothing more refreshing than good fruit.

 Thank You, Lord,  that You tend the garden and nurture me to become fruitful in Your Kingdom.  Trim me, prune me, sustain me in Your care, and help me to bring refreshment to a lost and dying world, for Your glory. Amen