Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s a clear and cool day in Virginia so I wrapped a blanket around myself and met with the Master outside where my Heart is happiest. I began to focus on what He’s doing in the world around me before we examined my Heart. I’m not sure if God gets impatient with me when that happens or not, but I get impatient with myself sometimes when I allow my mind to overrule my Heart because I know I’m in control of my mind! This morning I kept focusing on the trees that have recently been set free from vines…invasive vines that had the potential to completely choke them out. If I didn’t know better, I’d think they are standing taller and stronger these days because they’ve been set free! Isn’t that just the way it is in our Journey of Life too? The trees are strong but they can have the life choked out of them if the vines are allowed to continue to grow…and so can my Heart! What an amazing Reminder straight from the Throne of a Mighty God who Speaks to my Heart even when my mind wanders. Isn’t that the way He speaks to your Heart too?

It can be so easy for us to believe that we’re bigger and stronger than we really are, or that we’re immune from being snuffed out by the vines because we’re “mature”…but that’s not true. One little vine in the Journey of Faith that’s allowed to grow unchecked and we lose our strength faster than we can say “amen.” It takes years for a tree to reach maturity but it takes no time at all for a vine, and as “innocent” as the vine looks on the outside, it has the “power” to snuff the life out of the tree. Vines are persistent and resilient and they won’t go away on their own, and that’s precisely the way it is with the vines in Life too. Even the strongest “tree” can succumb to the vines if we don’t take Action of our own to snuff out the vine before it snuffs out the Heart. I know how to battle the vines on the trees but more importantly, I know how to battle the ones that creep into my mind too! Though God Nourishes my Heart and Soul, He expects ME to “take captive every thought” so that I can address the vines all on my own. So, I do what I’m told to do – “Demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” There’s not a vine in the universe that can survive that kind of Weed Control!

I did a little Spiritual Weed Control this morning and now that the vines are no longer creeping into my mind – they are no threat to me whatsoever. Had I let those vines go unchecked, I would become bitter and cold and these things have no place in the Life of a Follower of Jesus Christ. Of all the “tools” I could use to tackle the vines in my mind, Humility is the greatest Weapon of all. After all, it takes Humility to admit that sometimes we let the vines creep into the mind in the first place! I’m Strong and I’m Mature…Mature enough to know that even I can fall subject to the “vines” if I’m not careful…and Mature enough to know how to do MY part to remove them. I’m taking “captive” every thought that is intended to discourage me and I’m Victorious…again. In fact, if I’m not mistaken, I’m standing taller and Stronger just like the trees are because I’ve been set FREE!

How about you?