Looking Back- with Jesus

John 15:4

Abide in me and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except in abide in the vine, no more can ye,except ye abide in me.

My Husband, decided He wanted to let the raspberry vines grow,so that He could have a patch of them. He is very happy to have the berries. The berries would not have happen if it was not for the vines. As you can see, the vines have just exploded and are more than I would have thought possible.  The vines did exactly what He wanted them to do, produce berries.  Unfortunately , it was hard to get to them because of the weeds that were also growing so well too. That and the mosquito's that would attack.

In John 15:4, we are reminded that to be a victorious Christian we need to be connected to Jesus just as the berries are connected to the vine.  But as I sat this morning looking down at my husband berry patch, I also was reminded that we need to let the Lord prune our spiritual relationship also.  Is there things in our life's that draw us away from Him? Things we have more time to do and less time to spend with him?  This can cause spiritual weeds, thus stealing our joy.John has decided that he wants to do some pruning and eliminate weeds and line the plants up in rows. Spiritual pruning is a good thing.  The Lord wants a vessel that will bring much fruit.

Those mesquites made it very   difficult to pick the berries.  We had to find some protection that would enable us to pick the  fruit.  As Christians, we want to go to the  word of God, become familiar with it so that we can defeat the snare of the devil.  Ephesian 6:11 tells us to put on the armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Don't let Satan steal your joy!

Chocolate trivia

Chocolate Trivia

We love our chocolates. We love it so much, that Americans consume over 3.1 billions pounds of chocolates per year. On average, each of us will consume over 10,000 chocolate bars in our lifetime!

You will be well served to know some interesting facts and trivia about chocolate, in order to "Wow" our family and friends with your chocolatey knowledge.

Chocolate Trivia:

• Let's dispel one myth right up front.... Researchers have found no link between acne and chocolate. What a relief!
• While 75% of chocolate purchases are made by women all year long, during the days  before Valentine's Day, on Valentine's Day 75% of the chocolate purchases are made by men.
• Chocolate comes from the Cacao or cocoa bean, grown on a Cacao tree. That's right, it is from a plant, therefore, it's a vegetable.
• The average person will consume 10,000 chocolate bars in a lifetime.
• The Aztecs once used cacao beans for currency.
• Columbus brought Cacao beans back to Spain in 1520. It quickly spread across Europe.
• The first chocolate chip cookie was invented in 1937 by Ruth Wakefield who ran the “Toll House Inn.”
• Approximately 40% of almonds produced in the world are made for chocolate products
• Approximately 70% of the world’s cacao is grown in Africa.
• The Mars company invented M&M's for soldiers during World War II.
• Research suggests that dark chocolate boosts memory, attention span, reaction time, and problem-solving skills by increasing blood flow to the brain. This makes chocoholics very smart people.
• In 1942, the first chocolate bar was made by English chocolate company Cadbury.
• The Babe Ruth bar was created in 1920 by the Curtiss Candy Company. It was named after the famous baseball player.
• Cacao originated in Central and South America more than 4,000 years ago.
• .The Cacao tree can live for over 200 years. But, it only produces for 25 years.
• It takes approximately 400 cacao beans to make one pound of chocolate.
• 70% of the world's production of cacao beans comes from West Africa.
• In Hershey, Pennsylvania, the street lights on "Chocolate Avenue" are in the shape of Hershey Kisses. "ya just gotta see it!
• Hershey’s produces over 70 million chocolate Kisses every day.
• A chocolate bar is actually low in cholesterol. A 1.65 oz. bar contains only 12 mg.
• The Catholic Church once associated chocolate with heretical behavior, including blasphemy, extortion, witchcraft, and seduction. Tell that to a Catholic at Easter.
• Dark chocolate has been scientifically shown to be beneficial to human health. Milk chocolate, white chocolate, and other varieties are not.
• Women tend to prefer white chocolate, while men generally prefer bittersweet or dark chocolate. Like 'em both? That's perfectly fine.
• One chocolate chip can give a person enough energy to walk 150 feet. Need the energy to walk a mile? Consume just 35 chips.
• American and Russian space flights have always included chocolate....  I bet that's a sweet ride!
• A 1.5 oz. milk chocolate bar has only 220 calories, less that a 1.75 oz. serving of potato chips at 230 calories.
• Americans consumed over 3.1 billion pounds of chocolate, almost half of the total world's production.
• Chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA), a natural substance that is believed to stimulate the same reaction in the body as falling in love.
• Hawaii is the only US state that grows cacao beans.

http://holidayinsights.com/recipes/chocolate-trivia.htm

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Longest Recorded Marriage

When my husband's Dad and Mom celebrated 50 Years of Marriage, they didn't want a big fan fare. We told them it was important to make a big deal of it.  Their great grandchildren and grandchildren need to see it is possible.  They are growing up in a generation that believes marriage is disposable. If things get tough( and they do!) toss it away , dump the vows in the garbage and move on to a new relationship.  That is not what God planned.  We read in God's word, Marriage is for life. Until death of a spouse.  Its a commitment.  We promise to honor, love and obey till death do us part.

What makes   this possible and easy? When God is a vital member of  the marriage. Put God first, your spouse and than you. Do that and you will realize that you took care of the important stuff first.

Love is Patient

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