my careless contagion

The fruit of the spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23 are listed above. Grammatically, they are listed in the verses as one entity, but they are nine distinct properties. Rarely does one person exhibit all these fruits of the Holy Spirit. Or they do so only for a time. The fruit of the spirit is born out of labor. It isn't free. It doesn't just happen. We have to work to bring it forth, just as we have to tend to our trees and plants to make them produce. Much labor brings forth fruit.  The woman I was in love with consistently exhibited many of these characteristics through the years. As long as I knew her, she was like that. Not only did she exemplify the virtuous woman in Proverbs, but she also exhibited many of the fruits listed in Galatians 5:22-23. This further reinforces what I feel about her being a treasure for any man. It certainly makes her a wonderful role model for her children and ex-husband, as well as many others.  Of course, I know no one is perfect. But you'...

I have thought a lot about divorce over the past several years. I have wrestled with the concept, actually. I hate divorce, though, concerning my divorce, I felt I had no other recourse. It's like cutting off your leg to save your life. This blog was deployed to help me navigate my divorce, yet I didn't write much about it. My suffering was too much, too deep, and too personal to share. But am I destined to hobble about the rest of my life?  I sought my God heavily before, during, and after my divorce. Malachi 2 :16 seems a straightforward verse concerning divorce, though this article caused me to rethink that. In fact, this article was about the closest I've come to how my conversations with God went before, during, and after my divorce. I felt God accepted my reasoning and desire to end my marriage and consented to it. I felt released from my marriage for Biblical reasons. I never felt judged or that I was wrong. But that didn't stop the carnage in my soul — t...

Eight months ago, when it felt like God just wanted to break me and give up the girl I was in love with, something strange happened.  It wasn't unusual that God took me by the collar and made His point. I feel like I've channeled Jacob much of my life, and with the same results. The story of Jacob and Esau is a study in desire. Jacob wanted the things of God more than Esau did. Jacob didn't know how to go about getting those things so went about it all wrong in his headstrong way.  Eventually, God humbled Jacob and wounded him while wrestling, crippling him. Anyone who has been stubborn with God can attest to the futility of wrestling Him. Jacob must have been in a league of his own. The one thing he had going for him was his thirst for the things of God.  When I was wrestling with God in December, I fully expected the answer to be that I had to give this woman up, this woman I loved. I was ready for that. To my astonishment, His answer was quite the contr...