Comments on: Prophetic People in Testing Times: The Reason for the Season http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog/2009/08/07/prophetic-people-in-testing-times-the-reason-for-the-season/ Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:46:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Helen Calder http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog/2009/08/07/prophetic-people-in-testing-times-the-reason-for-the-season/comment-page-1/#comment-57 Helen Calder Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:39:13 +0000 http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog/?p=161#comment-57 Yes Jenny, I sure hope I don't need any 'major cutbacks' again anytime soon! But isn't it such a familiar process to all of us? Especially when we consecrate our gifts to God. I'm glad, too, we're in such loving Hands! Yes Jenny, I sure hope I don’t need any ‘major cutbacks’ again anytime soon! But isn’t it such a familiar process to all of us? Especially when we consecrate our gifts to God.
I’m glad, too, we’re in such loving Hands!

]]> By: Jenny Wake http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog/2009/08/07/prophetic-people-in-testing-times-the-reason-for-the-season/comment-page-1/#comment-54 Jenny Wake Thu, 13 Aug 2009 07:59:23 +0000 http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog/?p=161#comment-54 Helen, when I read your comments I had this sense that you have been 'looking through the window of my life' - and I agree with the excellent points you make! Having lived on an orchard for many years I observed how the trees were pruned every winter - they looked so dead, but come the Spring the blossoms appeared, followed by the fruit. I am so thankful that I am 'grafted into the vine' and my Father is the gardener. He knows whether I need a major 'cutback' or just a 'light prune' to keep me growing in Him. It can be painful, but the 'fruit' that comes later makes it all worthwhile. Helen, when I read your comments I had this sense that you have been ‘looking through the window of my life’ – and I agree with the excellent points you make!
Having lived on an orchard for many years I observed how the trees were pruned every winter – they looked so dead, but come the Spring the blossoms appeared, followed by the fruit. I am so thankful that I am ‘grafted into the vine’ and my Father is the gardener. He knows whether I need a major ‘cutback’ or just a ‘light prune’ to keep me growing in Him. It can be painful, but the ‘fruit’ that comes later makes it all worthwhile.

]]> By: Ray Keefe http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog/2009/08/07/prophetic-people-in-testing-times-the-reason-for-the-season/comment-page-1/#comment-48 Ray Keefe Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:42:56 +0000 http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog/?p=161#comment-48 Very relevant to today. Simplexity is a term that identifies the inherent complexity of things but also recognises that we have to simplify in order to manage them. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplexity Decluttering is a recommended process. One theory I have heard but don't subscribe to is that you should move house every few years because this forces you to evaluate the STUFF you have and prune. I have decided to prune without the moving. Besides, I like where I am living now. But I recognise the power of the idea. Review and prune intentionally. To develop the skills you need in the future, you have to have a vision of the future you want. I think we often allow the circumstances to carry us along rather than being intentional and forward thinking. This is a challenge for me right now as I am looking to the future and trying to get the clarity required to choose the best path. As Prophetic People you would think that should be the easy part. But even here God seems to prefer faith to micromanaging it for us. Soren Kierkegaard said something like this: "Life is a process that must be lived forwards but can only be understood backwards"! So ultimately we have to choose and then review. We can't predict or calculate everything. I'm not good at inaction. But sometimes stopping to review is the best choice. For me, pruning and weeding includes our thoughts, motives, skills, associations and possessions. Testing Times come when we need to grow. Otherwise they would not have meaning. And I also have a few messes to declutter. Ray Keefe http://www.successful.com.au Very relevant to today.

Simplexity is a term that identifies the inherent complexity of things but also recognises that we have to simplify in order to manage them. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplexity

Decluttering is a recommended process.

One theory I have heard but don’t subscribe to is that you should move house every few years because this forces you to evaluate the STUFF you have and prune. I have decided to prune without the moving. Besides, I like where I am living now. But I recognise the power of the idea. Review and prune intentionally.

To develop the skills you need in the future, you have to have a vision of the future you want. I think we often allow the circumstances to carry us along rather than being intentional and forward thinking. This is a challenge for me right now as I am looking to the future and trying to get the clarity required to choose the best path. As Prophetic People you would think that should be the easy part. But even here God seems to prefer faith to micromanaging it for us.

Soren Kierkegaard said something like this: “Life is a process that must be lived forwards but can only be understood backwards”!

So ultimately we have to choose and then review. We can’t predict or calculate everything. I’m not good at inaction. But sometimes stopping to review is the best choice. For me, pruning and weeding includes our thoughts, motives, skills, associations and possessions.

Testing Times come when we need to grow. Otherwise they would not have meaning.

And I also have a few messes to declutter.

Ray Keefe
http://www.successful.com.au

]]> By: Junette Keefe http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog/2009/08/07/prophetic-people-in-testing-times-the-reason-for-the-season/comment-page-1/#comment-47 Junette Keefe Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:24:39 +0000 http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog/?p=161#comment-47 Great post and one that I can really relate to! My own garden is a shambles, tree debris litters the sides of the driveway, plants have overgrown their garden beds, weeds are springing up like crazy. Indoors is a little better but still needs work. My life is a little like that, too. I have let the weeds of life clutter my mind and other areas of my life. It's time to step up and move out of that phase. Time to unclutter and prune my own life in so many ways. I'm not waiting for tomorrow. I'm starting today. It's time to let the seeds that God has planted sprout and come into full bloom and time to prune the stuff which is not bearing fruit. Great post and one that I can really relate to!

My own garden is a shambles, tree debris litters the sides of the driveway, plants have overgrown their garden beds, weeds are springing up like crazy. Indoors is a little better but still needs work.

My life is a little like that, too. I have let the weeds of life clutter my mind and other areas of my life. It’s time to step up and move out of that phase. Time to unclutter and prune my own life in so many ways.

I’m not waiting for tomorrow. I’m starting today. It’s time to let the seeds that God has planted sprout and come into full bloom and time to prune the stuff which is not bearing fruit.

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