What's in a cup?

God is the true vine. If we are part of Him, we will bear fruit, the fruit of kindness, peace, love, joy. Many times I have done things that I knew did not belong to the way of Jesus Christ. I would leave the vine, so to speak, and follow my own will rather than the will of God. I lost my way because I stopped looking at the way. I stopped checking who was holding the source of the light. And that is dangerous. For there is evil and trickery in this world, and we can be deceived. God is the lamp onto my feet. But Satan masquerades as an angel of light. So we need to check our sources. We need to make sure that the truth we are receiving is indeed from our heavenly Father who loves and protects us. His truth, when it hurts, will be for our good, and it will keep us in the vine. And if we persevere, we will bear fruit.

To work is to toil. To work is to earn an honest living. To work is to live out our purpose. It is part punishment and part purpose. We spend 80% of our weekday at work, so it must mean something to us. The workplace is where I complete tasks, communicate with colleagues and service providers. It is here where people see me at my best and my worst. It is the place where I am both boss and slave. The workplace is where I experience my greatest joys and sorrows. I grow in character. Sometimes I do not like what I see. In myself and in others. What I know for sure is that God watches us. He deems it a good thing when someone is hard-working, and God says that we should work for Him. We must not work only when the boss is looking. We must work as though we are working for the Lord Himself. The author and perfecter of my faith. May you bless my enemies, as I remind myself why I am really here.