What I shared in Clifton:

Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls.

TREE OF LIFE

Gen 2:9 "The Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden."

THE FRUIT THAT COMES FROM THE TREE OF LIFE

Gen 3:6 describes the fruit found in the garden. " a delight to the eyes".  It was appealing, attractive and approachable.  " desirable to make one wise" It was something that would make one wise.   It could change a person.  It would instill wisdom to the one who took it in. It would benefit the one who ate it.

WHERE THE TREE WAS LOCATED

Gen 2:9 "the tree of life was located in the midst of the garden.  Gen 2:10 "Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden (one source) and became four rivers (same water dispersed to cover the land's irrigation needs).

LIVING WATER

Living water is water that is fresh and moving, clean, refreshing, the source to sustain life.

Jesus is referred to as The Living Water.  John 4:10  Jesus answers the Samaritan woman at the well, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."  Jesus, The Living Water, is our one source to feed us, nourish us and refresh us with His watering.  John 7:37 " If anyone is thirsty let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in me , as the scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water."

The water is dispersed through the garden.  The tree was located in the midst of the garden which was watered by the one source delivered by tributaries.  The church body is where we are to be in the midst of where The One Source, the Word of God, flows through the preaching and teaching of the Word.  Here it is shared and lived out among fellow believers in the body.  The way to be watered in order to thrive and grow is to be in the Word and in the church, in the midst among the body hearing,sharing,and living out it out there.

THE FRUIT THAT IS PRODUCED

The Lord produces the fruit, the fruit of the Spirit.  Galatians 5:22-23 "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control."  God brings forth the fruit in the believer's life.  This fruit is appealing, attractive and approachable.  The same as Eve found the fruit in the garden.  It will be the thing that attracts others to you.  They will want what you have, that they see in you which they don't have and are missing.  They will be desiring the fruits.  How does your fruit look?  Is it fresh, connected to the source or shriveled, distant from the nourishment?  God produces the fruit in the believer.  If you want God given fruit in your life you have to take in the nourishing water from the one source, the Word of God regularly.

The tree of life needs the water from the One Source.  The tree is to live in the midst of the garden receiving the One Source through tributaries-preaching,teaching,and sharing of the Word which is also to be lived out among each other.
 
     Be a tree of life.
           Be watered by the Word.
               Be in the midst of the garden.
                    Be displaying fruit.
                         Be appealing, attractive, approachable.
Plant a seed by sharing fruit.  The seed from which a plant will grow is found in the fruit.  We just need to share the fruit of the Spirit.  That is what will draw someone to desire what they see in you which is Jesus.  Share Christ produced love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self control that is in you.  And in that relationship, that becomes attractive to the non believer, then the seed of the Word, the Gospel can be shared.

Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls.
Proverbs 11:25 The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered.

Be generous.  Generous with sharing your time, friendship and truth.  Be living out the truth.  Be a conduit for living water to flow to others, then you too will be watered, refreshed and grow.

This I did not share in Clifton but add now.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord.  For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit."

Live close to the source, Jesus!

The reason and purpose for this blog.

     As I was riding home from our visit to New Jersey yesterday, I was reviewing my time there.  I was blessed to be able to spent time with and share a devotion with some of the women from Christ Our Hope Church. This has made me think about doing this more regularly.  I've never blogged before and right now am intimidated with the idea of it but I feel like this is something the Lord is asking me to step out in faith to do.  My husband and I are on sabbatical this year from our church ministry.  This year we are dedicated to prayer before the Lord to discern His will for our further ministry.  Sabbatical is a rest but it does not mean I do nothing.  My intention through this blog is to record the nuggets I am learning as I wait for that next door of ministry to open. My prayer is that these nuggets would encourage you in your faith walk.