Monday, December 31, 2012

Radiant Girls of God

Well, we are starting up girls' group again! This time, we have a whole new resource blog for all the girls to use! On this blog, I have added the tab "Girls' Group," which leads directly to the girls' group blog.

Also, I would like members to contribute; I don't want to be the only one that contributes. Therefore, members will be able to access the blog as a writer and become a coordinator of a certain department.

We will be following the curriculum The Choice Is Yours by Terrie Chapell. This curriculum includes workbooks, and you can get one at www.strivingtogether.com. {They only cost like three dollars, excluding tax and shipping.}

Our first meeting will be {God-willing} on Tuesday, January 8th. We are utilizing our webcams, so more people can participate.

If you would like to join in, contact me at medaho831@gmail.com with the subject line "Girls' Group." Hope to talk to you soon!!!

Friday, December 28, 2012

A New Year?!?

A whole new year... Thinking about it almost makes me wince.

What if i mess it all up?

What if some drastic change happens, like last year?

What if I realize some great truth that I've been missing out on for fifteen years?

What if my sixteenth birthday party isn't what I expect?

What if I don't mature?

What if I do mature? Will life ever be the same?

What if... and I am sure you can fill in whatever your anxiety is.

You've probably seen where I've gone wrong. First off, every one of the above questions started with "What if..." I was just building off of an assumption! And secondly, I was getting all worked up about it!!!

Hmmm... I'm spotting another area for improvement. A certain verse comes to mind:

"Casting all your care upon him, for he cares for you."

Yeah, that verse kinda says it all. I don't have to be anxious about the year coming up. Because HE knows what lies ahead, and He cares for me. That means I don't have to worry. It's a circle, see? A wonderful circle of comfort that takes a load off my and your shoulders. Take your anxiety to God! There's really no reason to be worried about this next year when you're close to a Guy like Him.

Monday, December 24, 2012

The Twelfth Day of Christmas

A knock on my door tells me it's time to wake up.
I scurry upstairs with my brother, hoping he'll like my gift.
We each grab a Reese's peanut butter cup from the days til Christmas chart.
We wake our parents up.
We sit down around the Christmas tree.
There's not much under there; we already got our gift-the trampoline.
My Dad cracks open his Bible.
We read Luke 1:68-79,
then Luke 2.
We pray.
We start with the gifts.
Everything goes well, so far.

~And the day continues, following tradition. Soon we will be at my grandparents' house. Who knows what could happen??? :-)

All through this Christmas season,
I mostly thought I knew the reason.
Christ came to save us sinful men,
And so was born in Bethlehem.

Only something was different this Christmas;
There was that feeling deep in my heart,
That I was missing something.
Indeed I was.

It was just this past weekend,
When I realized where I had been
Wrong.
When I understood, I wished to break out in song!

For I understood this truth:
The story is not to be misused
As a long-ago tale
Or, by some, a humble fail.

No, Christ did not fail,
When He chose to be so frail.
After leaving His heavenly home,
He didn't even moan.

No, the reason He came
Was not to be born
But to die.
For you and I.

And He never failed,
For out of love He prevailed!
And He chose this way:
To change lives.

For He knew this whole plan
Before we began;
He knew what would happen
Before our ugly sin.

But the point of the story
Is that we are not lonely!
For He loved us so,
To the cross we need not go.

I am understanding love
Not a lot,
But a little.
And it's so hard to put into words.

If you've experienced it,
You know what I say;
If you've not,
For your knowledge I pray.

The 'leventh day of Christmas: The Gift



It's my dad's b-day today. I know, right? Christmas Eve! Well, we will be holding a little celebration for him later this evening. For the next paragraph, I want you to clear your mind of all the "Christmas buzz" in there and think about what I am about to say.

Let's say it's your birthday. Let's say it's the day of your birthday party. Picture all your friends around you, smiling and laughing with you. Your parent, who's running the party, announces "Present time!" Everyone scurries to get their gift, but surprisingly, they don't look like they are about to give any to you. Instead, they are giving them among  themselves. Okay, something's wrong with this picture.

Do you think that might be how Jesus feels on Christmas Day? Sure, we know it's about Him, and celebrating His "birthday," but,

in the midst of His "birthday party," we are giving gifts among ourselves, and not really giving gifts to Him.

Let me ask you this question:

What are you giving Christ for Christmas???

There are plenty of options. Just remember, what would He like? Something like an ipod, or something like your heart?

I challenge you to give something to Him this Christmas. Something meaningful. Something that will better your relationship with Him. Something special!




Sunday, December 23, 2012

The Tenth Day of Christmas: The Christmas Carol

I was sitting there in the third pew from the back. The Christmas program was beautiful. Next up were the Patch kids. I knew that they were very rambunctious from past experiences. They scrambled up onto the stage, in a loose single-file line. The lines were said and acted, and the song began to play. The kids started singing. Well, I was surprised at how loud seven kids could be! {Of course, one in particular belted out the words the best he could.} The first verse rolled along quite quickly, and the kids invaded on the chorus.

"LOVE REACHED DOWN TO ME!!!"

My mind started racing. What? I had heard many patch the pirate songs before, but this one struck me in the heart. Do those kids even know what love is? Here it came again:

"LOVE REACHED DOWN TO ME!!!"

They didn't write that song; I thought. Ron Hamilton did. And I'm sure he understands what love is. But, these kids???

And again,

''LOVE REACHED DOWN TO ME!!!''

But they seem so persuaded of it... And then a cracked note interrupted my thoughts. I smiled remembering being up there myself.

Next, my friend sang a solo. If you've never heard "A Breath of Heaven," you should find it and listen to it. Her voice, void of background soundtrack due to technical difficulties, attracted my mind. I listened to the lyrics... describing how Mary may have felt... wow. I don't think I ever realized how much her and I have in common. But then again, she was favored of God. I didn't think that I was as special as she.

The pastor started his message. About the Christmas story, of course. But not in Luke 2. In Luke 1. Luke 1 is like the prequel. About what happened during those nine months that Mary was pregnant. You know what? She praised God for His goodness and mercy. But then again, she was favored of God.

After the message, we sang a Christmas carol out of the thick maroon hymnals that had the word "Majesty" printed on them in gold letters.

"Hark, the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth, and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled!
Joyful, all ye nations rise!
Join the triumph of the skies!
With th'angelic host proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem!

Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King.

Well, sounds familiar, right?

Christ, by highest heaven adored;
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of the Virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail the incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with man to dwell;
Jesus, our Emmanuel.

Hark, the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King.

Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Risen with healing in his wings,
Light and life to all he brings,
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness
Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace.

Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King.

Come, Desire of nations come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the Woman's conquering Seed,
Bruise in us the Serpent's head.
Adam's likeness now efface:
Stamp Thine image in its place;
Second Adam, from above,
Reinstate us in thy love.

Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King.
{~Charles Wesley}

If you just skimmed through those lyrics, read over them slowly and carefully; the words are powerful! And so they were while I stood there singing. What a message I was receiving! At this point, I felt like belting out the words like that one particular kid in the patch group. Only the song was over, and I may have sounded crazy with my mix of sobs, bad key, and loud voice. :-)

Saturday, December 22, 2012

The Ninth Day of Christmas: The Star


The star. The star that shone so brightly that wise men followed it. The star that led these wise men to Jesus and his family. The star that, well, plays a big part in the modern retelling of the Christmas story.

Does it really have to do with us? I mean, the thing did shine, like, over two thousand years ago! Can it really affect our lives two thousand years later??? These were kinda my thoughts when I felt God lay this post on my heart. I mean, what am I supposed to write about?

Well, yes, the star does apply to our lives. It applies to our attitude and actions, as a matter of fact.


The star can help us examine our attitude. While the star was not a living object, I think we can apply it. You see, if we want to shine radiantly like the star, we have to have the right attitude. We must be filled with the Spirit to shine for the Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit, which we already talked about this Christmas season, are listed in Galatians 5: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. What we haven't talked about yet are the stuff we gotta get outta the way to shine. We must avoid the fruit of the flesh. Galatians 5:19-21 says,

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."

Long list! And we can't do it on our own. We must do it through Him.

I've been focusing alot on this subject in my posts. But it's important.


The star also helps reveal what actions we must take. The star didn't just shine in a one-mile radius! No, the star had to reach pretty far. Even uncomfortably far. Even so, we must reach out, and not stay in our little bubble. Reaching out means we must act. We must act out of the Spirit, and act out of love. If we act out of strife, our actions will be pointless. Literally. When we act out of the Spirit, we share the gospel with others. God's Word is like a double-edged sword, and it will do its job! But when we act out of strife, we are basically throwing a plunger at a brick wall. Not gonna work!

The star also led people to Christ. When our attitude and actions are in line, people notice. And what's better than leading someone to Christ? That should be our goal, to glorify God by helping others who are blinded and deceived. If they choose to accept the light of the truth, then they will secure their eternal life. What a great thing to lead someone to do!

So, as we think of the star, we should remember how it relates to us, and how it relates to our relationships to others.


Friday, December 21, 2012

The Seventh and Eighth Days of Christmas: The Deal with gift-giving



Sorry about not posting yesterday.... Things just get so busy, especially around Christmas. Why? good question. Maybe it's because we spend so much time making, buying, sending, and giving gifts for others.

Or so we think.

Maybe the last part of that isn't exactly true. Maybe we're not doing it out of the spirit of giving.

Maybe we're actually doing it out of the spirit of selfishness.

You may be thinking I'm nuts. How is it selfish to sacrifice tons of time out of my life to get these great gifts and cards ready for all these people? How is it selfish? It's all but selfish! It's considerate!

And maybe you are being considerate! However, many times, I find myself in that yucky mode of selfishness, even during Christmas-time. And, honestly, I think others struggle with it, too. 

When we get so caught up in making the gifts and cards perfect, many times we are not focusing on the details for the good of the other person, but we want to receive credit for doing "such a good job." Sometimes we focus on what others will think of us when they open the gift, not the happiness they might receive when they recognize that we have put time, effort, and thought into their gift.

It's not wrong to put nice detail into a gift; that's great! What's wrong is when our focus shifts.

Our focus should always be on Christ; when our focus is on Christ,we will bear fruit.  I already posted on bearing fruit this Christmas, and on e of the fruits of the Spirit is kindness. I think that includes giving gifts. But we must remember Hosea 10:1. Israel chose the wrong option, and bore fruit to herself. Her focus shifted from God to herself, and therefore she bore fruit to herself. We have to be careful to not let this be our motive.

So happy gift-giving! And, keep guard against selfish motives.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

The Sixth Day of Christmas: The Angel

I am sure that you have been listening to the radio or reading blog posts about the Christmas angel, Gabriel. Today, I'd like to put a perspective on it. It may not be what you expect, but we'll see how it comes out :)

So, last night, my mom was really stressed out, and she exclaimed, "I need an angel!"

Well, I thought about that for a few minutes. What did angels do in the Bible? Some of them fought the spiritual battles, some of them brought good news to people, they praise God, and some set people free from prison. You know, angels interest me ALOT. I'd like to learn alot more about them; that's one of my goals for 2013. However, with my primitive knowledge of angels, something struck my heart when my mom said that she needed an angel.

I felt like maybe I could do something.

And, maybe, I can. I mean, I can't transform into an angel, but I can attain some characteristics of them. Yes, God made angels and humans for different purposes, but I think we might share some similarities.

I already listed some of what angels do, and I think that's where the similarities begin. We are told to praise God, encourage others, fight the spiritual battle, and bring good new to people! My point is,

maybe we can act like angels for those who need it.

Christmas isn't about us, it's about Christ. He calls us to love others as He loved us.

Why not spread the love of Christ this Christmas?

Even if we are not angels, I think that God wants us to do some of the same things. Here's a list of activities we can do to spread the love.


  • Pass out gospel tracts.
  • Go to a nursing home or care facility and spread the news.
  • Read the Christmas story to someone, on a day other than your traditional day.
  • Bake some cookies for someone you don't talk to or see often, and include a note or gospel tract.
  • Make a card for someone you don't talk to or see often; maybe even a cashier!
  • Tell your family that you love them. Then make sure to follow that up with acts of love.
  • Write down your "worst enemy." Give them a homemade card and maybe some cookies, pray for them, and follow up for the rest of 2013.
  • Pray with someone who is hurting.

These are just a few activities that we can complete together, and carry on through 2013. In 2013, I will posting about angels and their similarities and more activities. We will call this the "Angel Project." It is one of my resolutions for the new year, and I hope it will be one of yours, too!

Monday, December 17, 2012

The Fifth Day of Christmas: The Snowstorm (prt. 2)

So, yesterday we started on the snowstorm. We talked about God as our refuge in the storm of a trial or emotional distress. But today, I have a different application.



A snowstorm isn't new; it's happened before, right? Just like a trial or emotional tragedy! It's happened before to someone else; maybe the same person who is going through the trial has been there before.

My point is, we have a Book full of true stories of real people who have gone through the same kinda stuff we go through. Okay, so maybe the culture was different, but didn't God know that when He wrote His sufficient Word? The stories in the Bible are entirely applicable to our lives.

1 Corinthians 10:11
Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

1 Corinthians 10:13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.



Another circumstance that requires action is when we have gone through the storm already. We are to recognize God's hand in the past storms, and praise Him and thank Him for it.

Psalm 105:5
Remember his marvelous works that he hath done; His wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

*Psalms are full of passages like these. Look some up for yourself!

_________________________________________________________________________________

Now, for another metaphor. A snowstorm is storm of snow. So you know how complex one snowflake is??? and they are all different!

Yes, we are like snowflakes. Unique and beautiful, in figure and soul, we display the Creator's handiwork.

Psalm 139:14
I will praise thee: for I am fearfully and wonderfully make: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

We are unique. God did not create us all the same; if He had, this earth would be filled will robots! No, He made us each individually. He has an individual plan for each of us. I know I need to learn this, but this is why we can't compare ourselves to others. As I write this post, I think that point is clicking in my brain.

Did you know that God's snow is so beautiful and complex, but man-made snow is just plain blob-like? Take a look!



In the same way, when we try to create the plans for our life, it won't come out pretty. But when we let God take control and do it, our lives will be beautiful.

So, remember this Christmas season, as you may be going through the storm, that we have examples of people who have gone through it. (Don't forget your parents and godly counselors!) And remember the times that God carried you through in the past. You are unique; God has a unique plan for you; don't attempt to build your life. Instead, hand it over to Him!

It's not the end; it's only the beginning of something more beautiful.

The Fourth Day of Christmas: The Snowstorm


A blizzard.... what connotations does that word have to you? Does it remind you of the bitingly crisp air or the beauty of the billions of snowflakes riding the wind like a roller coaster?

We can apply a snowstorm to different aspects of our lives. Since there is so much that can be applied, we will only cover part one of "The Snowstorm" today.



A snowstorm is like the trials we go through as Christians. From the perspective of the person lost in the blizzard, the storm is a disaster. It may even seem that all is lost, or that nothing good can come of it. But from the perspective of One Who already knows the outcome of the storm, a beautiful white blanket covering earth, the "storm" is a beauty to watch, and this One will walk through the storm with all who trust Him.



A snowstorm is an example of a trial that we may go through in life. Though we may not know the outcome, or though it may seem a loss to us, we can walk with the One Who knows that this storm will make us more beautiful. We may think that nothing good will come of it, but God knows better. A storm could also represent emotional distress. Check out these verses on God and storms.

Nahum 1:3
The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked: The Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of his feet.

Psalm 107:29
He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

In Mark 4, Jesus calmed a storm with His words!

Isaiah 25:4
For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

And there are so many more! We can always trust God and run to Him, even in the storm.

So next time you're going through a storm, take time to recognize that God's in it, and He will take care of you! And, hey! When the snowstorm hits, make a snowman :)

Sunday, December 16, 2012

The Third Day of Christmas: The Candle


*sniff* mmmmm... smells good! Have you ever had a really great candle that just smelled lovely? Or maybe a Scentsy flavor that just, well, pleased your nose? Well, as I learned today in church, we can be a sweet-smelling savour to our Lord.

Ephesians 5:1-2 says, "Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour." So, from verse 1, we understand that we are to follow God as His dear children. And then, in verse 2, we are told to walk in love, as Christ did, and this includes offering ourselves as a sacrifice to God as Christ did. And when we do that, our sacrifice produces a sweet-smelling savour.

There are plenty of verses that speak of our sacrificing of ourselves, and also the sacrifice of praise. Romans 12:1 says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." We are to present ourselves a sacrifice unto God, holy and acceptably. In the Old Testament, Israelites had to go to the temple to have the priests sacrifice for them. I don't think that God was looking for the lamb's death, although it was a symbol of Christ. I do think that God was looking for the sacrifice of obedience. But just think... God has made us priests, in that we can sacrifice our lives for our Lord!

Another sacrifice is the sacrifice of praise. Really, the sacrifice of our lives is a sacrifice of praise, and it produces that sweet-smelling savour, as a candle. Hebrews 13:15-16 says, "By whom therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." Our praise is a sweet-smelling savour to God. There is so much more in these verses, why don't you read them over again?



We should attribute to God the glory that is due to Him. A great example of this is in the Model {Lord's} Prayer. At the end of His prayer, Jesus says, "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever." Another example of praise and giving glory to God I Psalm 29. Take the time to read it now! God is the One who lights us as candles!



A candle not only smells good, but it also produces light! Matt. 5:14-16 says, "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works. and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Well, there's a handful {or much more!} of meaning in these verses! We are candles to the world, set on a candlestick for everyone to see. When they do see us, and our good works {the fruit that we talked about yesterday}, they will glorify God! Weren't we just talking about that?!?

Well, alot was packed into this little post! But I pray that it spoke to your heart. We are to be a living sacrifice to God, praise and glorify Him, and be radiant about it!


Saturday, December 15, 2012

The Second Day of Christmas: The Christmas Tree {prt. 2}

So, yesterday I posted about how a Christmas tree represents the body of Christ, and I also mentioned the consequences of not bearing fruit, or being an empty branch. {Hosea 10:1; John 15:2} As we are branches of Christ {John 15:5}, we can represent Him by bearing fruit. But there's alot more to it than that.

Bearing fruit requires some prerequisites: we must be filled with the Holy Spirit and abide in Christ. Galatians 5:21 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit..." (we will come back to this verse) It is the Spirit that fills us that allows us to bear fruit, or else we are empty, as Israel was in Hosea 10. Also, we must abide in Christ. John 15:4 says, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; mo more can ye, except ye abide in me." We cannot do anything without Christ, but Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ which strenghtheneth me." That includes bearing fruit!


What fruit does a branch filled with the Spirit and abiding in Christ bear? Well, Galatians 5:21-22 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance; against such there is no law." The fruit we bear is a major part of this study, for it helps us examine ourselves to see what we really are bearing. Galatians 5:19-20 says, "Now the the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Maybe you are not a murderer; maybe you have not committed adultery; maybe you have. But you've probably stirred up strife, or had bitterness in your heart. Things like this do not give us rewards in eternity, and they are the fruits of the flesh... rotten and slimy and definitely not beautiful! What is beautiful is the fruit of the Spirit! Let us desire to bear such fruit, and let our hearts, those ornaments on the Christmas tree, be radiant in Christ!



A branch that produces good fruit must be purged. We have talked about the Spirit and Son, but here's the part where the Father comes in. John 15:1 says, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman." The Father is the One who purges the fruitful branches. John 15:2-3 says, "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it , that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." We are purged through God's Word, the Bible. The Bible is like a cleanser, to get all the yucky stuff out and the good stuff in!

There is even more action to be taken! A few verses after teaching on bearing fruit, Christ discusses love. Verses 9-10 tell us to continue in Christ's love. Wow! what a challenge! He also says in verse 11, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." Then He again commands us to love one another. He really makes His point in this chapter, and I do not have the time to discuss all of it, so please read it through, letting it sink in. :-)

So remind yourself to be radiant every time you see those beautiful ornaments hanging on your Christmas tree, and remember the little simile mentioned in prt. 1. Your heart is the ornament hanging on the branch, which represents you as a branch of Christ.


Friday, December 14, 2012

The First Day of Christmas: The Christmas Tree

Ok, so maybe when i said in the last post that prt. two was "coming soon," I was wrong. Writing about ministry is alot of, well, learning first. Today's post is actually not prt. two of ministry; today is the first day of Christmas! So here's some encouragement for you on the "first day of Christmas"....

~The Christmas Tree~

A Christmas tree..... so pretty, delicate, and beautiful, standing daintily upright in a warm family's living room. In the backround,  a small family laughs at past Christmas memories as they happily sip hot chocolate. They are all wrapped in blankets snugly, making the impression of a caterpillar in a chrysalis. They decorated the Christmas tree last night, adorning her with hand-made paper ornaments. Christmas is coming soon, and the children are excited to see the looks on their parents faces when they open the presents.



Decorating the Christmas tree is a tradition in my family, and I always enjoy it. The Christmas tree brings unity to my family and community. But the Christmas tree can also be used as a metaphor.

Yes, the Christmas tree is a symbol of unity. The unity among this wonderful family of Christ. The star at the top represents Christ, the head of all of us. The body of the tree represents the church as a whole. Then, of course, we must include the ornaments! The ornaments that dangle peacefully off the branches represents our individual, blooming hearts, as we are the branches of Christ. {John 15:5~ I am the vine, ye are the branches...} I encourage you to take the time to open your Bible and read John 15; It's a wonderful chapter, and much of the inspiration for this post. The tinsel or ribbon that we wrap around the tree represents the Word of God, which binds us all together!

Now, I have been reading alot about bearing fruit as a branch of Christ. We have a choice to be empty, as Israel was, bearing fruit to ourselves, but not profiting us at all, for we only bring on our destruction {Hosea 10:1-2~ Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land the have make goodly images. Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty: he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their images.} {John 15:2a}

We also have the option of bearing fruit, being radiant for Christ. I will be posting on that the second day of Christmas {tomorrow :) } In the meantime, read John 15!