Happy Monday everyone. I hope you all found a way to have a great time celebrating the Fourth of July weekend. My family spent a lot of time sitting on our back patio playing yard games and even got to spend some time with some friends on Lake Washington... One of these years I'm going to learn the proper way to apply sunscreen. It was a nice relaxing weekend and I hope you all had a great one too.
Seems now summer is in full swing. It's hot and humid. It's hard to believe snow has ever blanketed the ground. Of course in the winter time when its so cold it's hard to believe the snow will ever go away. I really enjoyed Pastor John's message this past Sunday. He's right it truly is picnic season. We haven't done any picnics at the park yet but we have spent a lot of time eating out on our pack patio. We have gotten a black stone flat top grill this year and breakfast on the patio has been one of our go-to Saturday morning rituals. Pancakes, hash browns, omelets, whatever the family wants I enjoy whipping it it. We have our first camping trip coming up in a couple weekends too and we may just end up taking a watermelon along. Probably wont take any to the Boundary Waters thought with the youth at the end of the month.
I liked in the message too about how we are the branches and there good fruit is grown. Fruit that we bear through God can feed the kingdom of God. We can't do anything with out God the "Master Gardener." As I've thought about it I like to think about being rooted in God. I think that what a lot of it comes down to. If we are finely rooting in God and we follow Jesus and grow good fruit that is the true reflection of God. All good things grow through God.
I know we're already a few weeks into the summer series "In the Garden with Grace" but I really like the idea of it. I like how right now at Grace we're in such a growing period. Pastor John newly ordained last year. Me new to Grace in December and even though we've had many challenges that have caused us to grow in different ways these last few months I'm excited to see how we continue to grow. The storms my come and the rain may come but all that does is water us and help us grow.
Peace
-Ben