Note: The following piece was published in the February Maple Crest newsletter. Its author is Bill Herr, chaplain

I found an old picture of my dad standing in front of his Massey-Harris tractor.

He was about the age that I am now. This reminded me of how values transfer fromgeneration to generation. I have, among other things, been a farmer all my life.

Just as my father passed love of the soil and farming on to me, our Heavenly Father, who created us in his image, passes his virtues on to us. Of course God gives us the freedom to choose whether or not we develop these virtues in our lives. Our earthly fathers give us freedom to choose our life paths after we come of age, and, similarly, God allows us choices of where we journey in life.

He doesn't care what career we choose; He will always support us and guide us through his Word in the Bible if we study it. But God will be pleased if we cultivate the fruit of the Spirit. He desires that
we grow in the virtues of joy, love, peace, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, patience and self-control.

Jesus was the model for each of these and God wants us to become more like Jesus.Recently I read a wonderful line written by a devotional writer. He writes, "God stores up goodness in each of us to use when it is needed." Perhaps God alsostores up the other fruits in us - to be used as needed.

Think of it this way. Every day God gives us a certain amount of these virtues to use in our relations to God andto our fellow humans. He wants us to use all of the stored virtues; otherwise they are lost. We should empty the storage bins every day. What a way to please our great God!

May we actively seek to grow in the fruit of the Spirit. Joy will follow and Iguarantee it will thaw a cold February and produce in us a warm attitude.
In Christ,
Bill Herr
Chaplain