Dear Friends,

Lately I've been doing a spot of gardening, cutting back bushes which have not been pruned for years (gardening is not normally my thing) The vine growing up the front of the house was literally going through the roof! When it finally came down it took the paint and some plaster off with it!

As I cut away with my pruning sheers, I noticed how easily the young shoots are snipped away, one little snip, with hardly any effort and they are gone. Older more established branches are hard work. Some were just to difficult to cut through so I left those alone. I didn't cut back anything with fruit or flowers on and some big bushes had to be cut back really hard as they seemed to be stifling the growth of the smaller bushes underneath. Unfortunately as I pulled up weeds I lost a few really nice plants that weren't very well rooted. As I pulled up roots and weeded through the borders I couldn't help meditating on the spiritual parallels...

Faith is a journey, like the growth of that vine climbing up the wall Christ holds the roots and we grow healthily only when connected to Him. Young faith, like young shoots, need protecting or they can be easily 'nipped in the bud'. Well rooted faith is hard to move and those with great faith need to take great care to nurture, but never stifle young faith. Too much shade from the big bush, meant the small ones seemed to struggle to reach the light and where the roots were tangled up, the small plant either didn't have space to get rooted or was simply up-rooted when the larger bush was lifted.

Those bearing fruit or flowers are far too beautiful to be pruned..... and of course I'm reminded of how God in His love generosity and wisdom, prunes, tends and cares for us, like the loving gardener He takes great delight in you, He loves when you shine for Him with arrays of flowers and fruit, the church, a beautiful garden!

Now is your season, the summer has come, time for the well rooted faith to put those feelers out. The idea you wrestled with, wondering if it was God, until it was rationalized away.... take another look. A little step of faith today could be a huge tree tomorrow!! Take good care of those young in the faith, help them to grow, but don't stifle them, so none of the vulnerable will be lost.

We will be exhibiting at New Wine this summer, the dates are: July 26th - August 1st at Newark July 26th - August 1st Shepton Mallet and August 3rd - 9th Shepton Mallet. We will also be at Grapevine Festival in Lincolnshire at the end of August. I do hope to see you over the summer, till the... consider the lilies!

Love and blessings in Jesus,