Lessons from the Rose Garden
      It's rose pruning time in Baytown...the marker is Valentine's Day.  Today was sunny with a cool breeze.  Couldn't ask for nice weather to be in the garden.  As I trimmed the tea roses, I found myself considering the ways that God prunes us.  The rose pruning rules are:  cut away dead branches, crossed branches, and anything small than a pencil.  Seems like God uses those rules, too.  When we have an unproductive area of our lives, he cuts it away.  Sometimes small rose branches appear to have good buds, but if left on the bush they produce weak roses.  Some areas of our lives prevent us from being really fruitful, even if they appear to be doing good work.  They are not God's will for our lives, no matter how good the ministry.  He has another purpose for us.  And then there are those areas that tire us out and are at crossed purposes for our lives.  God wants us to bloom for Him!