Early Morning

I woke up around 5 a.m. this morning thinking of something that I didn't pick up at Office Depot yesterday for one of our church staff. Then I started thinking about the fact that the bug guy is coming sometime between 8-10 a.m. and I needed a shower before he got here. Then I couldn't get back to sleep. :-) So I was in and out of the shower at 6 a.m., have already let the dogs outside, and Noelle is probably set to sleep for another 45 minutes or so. My schedule is all thrown off with Travis gone . . . I'm sure that's one reason I woke up early and then couldn't get back to sleep. I also felt like I needed to be praying for someone, but it was fussy who I was supposed to be praying for - does that ever happen to anyone else? A friend of mine is due with her 2nd baby any day now, so I just spent some time praying for her before I got up.

I don't really have anything big or profound going on right now . . . my job for the church is kind-of crazy this week. Lots of irons in the fire. I'm meeting a door guy at the church today and the carpet cleaners there tomorrow. And, things are picking up for fall and there is much work to be done on our Missions Conference, Awana start-up, and ordering stuff for the women's Bible study. I would like to read through 1 Samuel before we start our fall Bible study just to give a big picture of what the book is about. I love that we get to study David and Samuel. That's one of my favorite periods in Biblical history. One of my favorite Bible studies that I have done was Beth Moore's A Man After God's Own Heart. At the time that we did that, I had a lot of time to work on the study and journal while doing it and really enjoyed her insights into the Psalms as we read them along with what was going on in David's life. I found my life verse going through that study . . . Ps. 52:8:

"I am like an olive tree, flourishing in the house of the Lord. I will trust in the unfailing love of God, forever and forever."

I love how God has used the picture and example of an olive tree throughout scripture to illustrate his love and care for us. John 15:1-11:

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full."

~He prunes me so that I may bear more fruit for Him.
~If I am not bearing fruit, He takes away.
~I cannot bear fruit if I do not abide in the Father.
~I do nothing apart from Him.
~The Father is glorified when I bear much fruit - it proves that I am His disciple!

So, be an olive tree today! :-)