The Road to the Cross

I imagine some of you were wondering if I was going to miss a day with the blog; well no, it is just later than usual.

My Sundays are a time of reflection and of doing things that I’m not able to do during the week. Dave and I attend on-line church services, go for a walk together and if I haven’t heard from the Lord for a morning devotional I wait until I do. That’s the way it went today.

Realizing that Easter Sunday is the end of this month the Lord put it on my heart to share what I am calling “The Road to the Cross”. This may be a bit different than your used to but I feel it will be a time of reflection for all of us.

The first steps on the Road were taken in the Garden of Eden.

“The Lord God called out to the man and asked, “Where are you?” 10 The man answered, “I was naked, and when I heard you walking through the garden, I was frightened and hid!”

11 “How did you know you were naked?” God asked. “Did you eat any fruit from that tree in the middle of the garden?” 12 “It was the woman you put here with me,” the man said. “She gave me some of the fruit, and I ate it.”

13  The Lord God then asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The snake tricked me,” she answered, “and I ate some of that fruit.”

14 So the Lord God said to the snake: “Because of what you have done,
you will be the only animal to suffer this curse—For as long as you live,…15 You and this woman will hate each other; your descendants and hers will always be enemies. One of hers will strike you on the head, and you will strike him on the heel.” Genesis 3:10-15 CEV

Here, a perfect couple, living in a perfect environment, communing with perfect God, had a freewill and used it to go contrary to what God had said. Instead of wiping them off the face of the earth with a simple brush of His hand God made provision for mankind to be restored.

21 Then the Lord God made clothes out of animal skins for the man and his wife.” Genesis 3:21 CEV

An animal was killed, blood was shed and forgiveness was enacted.

“The Law says that almost everything must be sprinkled with blood, and no sins can be forgiven unless blood is offered.” Hebrews 9:22 CEV

There in the Garden, that perfect place, death occurred physically and spiritually. Spiritually, man separated himself from communion with His Father and Creator. Physically, an animal died to provide a covering for Adam and Eve.

It was an action that would have eternal consequences.

“Adam sinned, and that sin brought death into the world. Now everyone has sinned, and so everyone must die. 13 Sin was in the world before the Law came. But no record of sin was kept, because there was no Law. 14 Yet death still had power over all who lived from the time of Adam to the time of Moses. This happened, though not everyone disobeyed a direct command from God, as Adam did.

In some ways Adam is like Christ who came later. 15 But the gift of God’s undeserved grace was very different from Adam’s sin. That one sin brought death to many others. Yet in an even greater way, Jesus Christ alone brought God’s gift of undeserved grace to many people.” Romans 5:12-15 CEV

For the next several days and possibly weeks, we will be looking at God’s steps from the Garden to the Cross. From man’s rebellion to Christ’s restitution; from a beginning that was sin free to relationship restored.

I encourage you to walk this road with me. We’ll make stops along the way, we’ll see God’s patience, His mercy and His unconditional love all which add up to one thing – His Grace!

Peace, Sweet Peace

I’ve been up for quite a while now and have been unable to find just the right thought for the day until now.

Peace – the gift of God’s love!

Maybe you’re like me and things have been pretty hectic this week. Go, go, go. It’s time to stop, take a deep breath, say a quiet prayer and let the Father fill you with peace.

Imagine if you will a rolling meadow, green pastures, wild flowers and a gentle stream. What does that sound like?

Peace.

It also sounds like the very thing a young shepherd boy was describing in Psalm 23.

“The Lord is my shepherd. I will always have everything I need. He gives me green pastures to lie in. He leads me by calm pools of water. 3 He restores my strength.  He leads me on right paths to show that he is good.Even if I walk through a valley as dark as the grave, I will not be afraid of any danger, because you are with me. Your rod and staff comfort me.” Psalm 23:1-4 ERV

I was just telling someone this last week that the Lord doesn’t let me teach something I haven’t lived. I have certainly had years of learning to live in God’s peace in the most troubling of times. Each circumstance that was meant to cause fear, distress and dis-ease, when committed to the Lord has ended in peace.

“I have told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have troubles. But be brave! I have defeated the world!” John 16:33 ERV

“And you will live safely in your land. I will give peace to your country. You will lie down in peace. No one will come to make you afraid. I will keep harmful animals out of your country. And armies will not come through your country.” Leviticus 26:5b-6 ERV

“God’s love will come together with his faithful people.  Goodness and peace will greet them with a kiss.” Psalm 85: 10 ERV

I don’t know what your day or your week has before you but God does.

“So you will go out from there with joy. You will be led out in peace. When you come to the mountains and hills, they will begin singing. All the trees in the fields will clap their hands.” Isaiah 55:12 ERV

“God, you give true peace to people who depend on you, to those who trust in you.” Isaiah 26:3 ERV

You may not be able to go to the country and find a peaceful meadow so take a few moments to stare at the image I used this morning. Let God bring peace to your heart.

I’ll leave you with the words from an old hymn and then I will go out and sit on the patio and watch the sun come up. I’ll start my day with peace. I hope you do too.

“Peace, peace, sweet peace!
Wonderful gift from above!
Oh, wonderful, wonderful peace!
Sweet peace, the gift of God’s love!” from Sweet Peace, the Gift of God’s Love

My Rock & Defense

“I love you, Lord! You are my strength. The Lord is my Rock, my fortress, my place of safety. He is my God, the Rock I run to for protection. He is my shield; by his power I am saved. He is my hiding place high in the hills.” Psalm 18:1-2 ERV

Have you ever stopped to look at the life of Peter?

Strengths: Outdoorsman, Co-owner of a fishing fleet. Tough, Outspoken. Born leader. Loyal, Committed. Determined. Repentant. Teachable, Usable.

Weaknesses: Overconfident, Speak First Think Later. Self-Promoting. Folds Under Pressure. Proud. Impulsive.

Peter cut off a soldier’s ear in the Garden when they came to arrest Jesus. He denied Christ three times in the courtyard. He was one of the first to run to the tomb and find it empty but then he went back to the disciples, and they locked themselves in. Fearful.

50 days later he was in the upper room when the Holy Spirit filled the 120 with God’s power. He spoke boldly to the crowds, pointing out that they were the ones responsible for killing Jesus. But he preached forgiveness and over 3000 repented at the first preaching.

Then in Acts 4, Peter and John were arrested for preaching Jesus. No denial here. In fact, Peter spoke boldly to the religious leaders.

“Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and you older leaders, 9 are you questioning us today about what we did to help this crippled man? Are you asking us what made him well? 10 We want all of you and all the people of Israel to know that this man was made well by the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth. You nailed Jesus to a cross, but God raised him from death. This man was crippled, but he is now well. He is able to stand here before you because of the power of Jesus! 11 Jesus is the ‘stone that you builders thought was not important. But this stone has become the cornerstone.’” Acts 4:8-11 ERV

This man who had denied knowing Jesus to a servant girl now stood before the rulers and proclaimed openly that he was a follower of Christ.

“So the Jewish leaders called Peter and John in again. They told the apostles not to say anything or to teach anything in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, ‘What do you think is right? What would God want? Should we obey you or God? 20 We cannot be quiet. We must tell people about what we have seen and heard.’” Acts 4:18-20 ERV

What made the difference in Peter? The Holy Spirit!

Jesus said they would receive power when the Holy Spirit baptized them. Power to be witnesses, power to be bold, power to heal the sick, power to preach!

Are there things in your past that you are ashamed of? Times that you feel you have failed, not just failed yourself or your family, but times that you have failed God? Those failures don’t disqualify you from service.

If Peter hadn’t of failed, he still would have been self-confident, prideful and not felt he needed a Savior. He wouldn’t have been willing to yield his life to the Holy Spirit.

We need to let go of the past and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us with power.

Thank you, Father, for changing my life from self-confident to God-confident. Thank you for seeing me as usable and trusting me with Your message of love and forgiveness!

Good Tree – Good Fruit

When the Lord wants to teach us a principal, don’t be surprised if we find it on every page in the Bible.

“A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. ” Matthew 7:17-18 CEV

We will always be in a state of fruit production. We are destined to be fruit producers. Sometimes are fruit can be a little sour because it is fully ripened but that doesn’t mean our fruit is bad. However, there are some trees that do produce bad fruit.

Take for example the ornamental orange trees that grow in Arizona. The branches are thorny, and the fruit is so sour that not even the wild animals will eat it. It looks beautiful hanging there on the branch, so inviting, but do not eat it.

Kind of reminds me of some people. They look good but once you begin to listen to them talk and see their actions you know they aren’t. Remember, we had already discussed the verses Jesus taught, “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks”.

The Apostle Paul had a similar warning in his letter to the Christians living in Corinth.

“Don’t be fooled: ‘Bad friends will ruin good habits.’”  I Corinthians 15:33 ERV

Such good advice. We need wisdom in establishing relationships and business associations. The following words come from King David; he made these statements about his closest advisors and friends.

“I will sing to you, Lord! I will celebrate your kindness and your justice. Please help me learn to do the right thing, and I will be honest and fair in my own kingdom. I refuse to be corrupt or to take part in anything crooked, and I won’t be dishonest or deceitful.Anyone who spreads gossip will be silenced; no one who is conceited will be my friend.

I will find trustworthy people to serve as my advisors; only an honest person will serve as an official.No one who cheats or lies will have a position in my royal court. Each morning I will silence any lawbreakers I find in the countryside or in the city of the Lord.” Psalm 101 CEV

Such good advice.

 “If you want good fruit, you must make the tree good. If your tree is not good, it will have bad fruit. A tree is known by the kind of fruit it produces.” Matthew 12:33 ERV

I am so thankful that God’s word has given us “good seed” and the Holy Spirit is in us to produce good fruit.

No Law Against It

By now I hope your garden is well planted. Seeds of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control.

“God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, 23 gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways. 24 And because we belong to Christ Jesus, we have killed our selfish feelings and desires.” Galatians 5:22-24 CEV

Planting God’s word in a heart of good soil is always an effort that brings good results.

“The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. But they start worrying about the needs of this life and are fooled by the desire to get rich. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything. 23 The seeds that fell on good ground are the people who hear and understand the message. They produce as much as 100 or 60 or 30 times what was planted.” Matthew 13:22-23 CEV

I hope you have written down our “seed” verses over the last several days. We need to keep them fresh in our memory so that our hearts continue to bear fruit – some 30, some 60 and some 100 times as much.

The Apostle Paul tells us that there is no law against these characteristics that Christ develops in our lives. But his message stirred up hatred, jealousy, and anger in the hearts of some who heard it. No one was ever arrested or maligned for doing good and righteous things. However, Paul was beaten and imprisoned for sharing God’s love by those who were convicted by his stand for Christ.

“God’s Spirit doesn’t make cowards out of us. The Spirit gives us power, love, and self-control. Don’t be ashamed to speak for our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, just because I am in jail for serving him. Use the power that comes from God and join with me in suffering for telling the good news.” II Timothy 1:7-8 CEV

Standing strong is the real test of the seed, or what God is developing in our lives. A tree withstands the storms of life. The rain, wind, lightning, hail, frost and snow. It stands resilient in the face of hardship. It’s rooted deep.

 But you must stay deeply rooted and firm in your faith. You must not give up the hope you received when you heard the good news. It was preached to everyone on earth, and I myself have become a servant of this message.” Colossians 1:23 CEV

We must stand guard so that the weeds – the cares and anxieties of life – don’t choke out the seed.

 Always be glad because of the Lord! I will say it again: Be glad. Always be gentle with others. The Lord will soon be here. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.” Philippians 4:4-7 CEV

Paul wasn’t arrested because of the good he did. Jesus wasn’t crucified because of the miracles He performed and the compassion He showed. Persecution and death came because of the hatred in men’s hearts.

Will we be tested and face trials in our stand for Christ? Yes, yes we will. But just like Paul, Peter, John, James and Jesus our fruit will continue to produce as long as we don’t let weeds of bitterness and self-pity choke it out.

There is no law against God’s love.

Say What?

Oh boy! This morning we are going to open a big package of “self-control” seeds.

 “But the fruit… 23 being gentle, and being the boss over our own desires. The Law is not against these things.” Galatians 5:23 NLV

One translation that I looked at today shows self-control as continence or self-restraint. Ruling over our own desires. So, let’s jump right in and get some seeds planted.

“O Lord, put a watch over my mouth. Keep watch over the door of my lips.” Psalm 141:3 NLV

Our words can be devastating, harmful and destructive. Wrong eating habits can destroy our bodies the same way that wrong behavior can harm our souls.

“We all make many mistakes. If anyone does not make a mistake with his tongue by saying the wrong things, he is a perfect man. It shows he is able to make his body do what he wants it to do…The tongue is also a small part of the body, but it can speak big things. See how a very small fire can set many trees on fire. The tongue is a fire. It is full of wrong. It poisons the whole body. The tongue sets our whole lives on fire with a fire that comes from hell… With our tongue we give thanks to our Father in heaven. And with our tongue we speak bad words against men who are made like God. 10 Giving thanks and speaking bad words come from the same mouth. My Christian brothers, this is not right!” James 3:2-10 NLV

Not a lot of explanation is needed here. If we control our speech, we show maturity and restraint. If we don’t, it’s just not right.

 And keep Your servant from sinning by going my own way…14 Let the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing in Your eyes, O Lord, my Rock and the One Who saves me.” Psalm 19:13-14 NLV

“The words of his mouth are sinful and false. He has stopped being wise and doing good. He plans wrong-doing upon his bed. He sets himself on a path that is not good. He does not hate what is bad.” Psalm 36:3-4 NLV

These two passages compare and contrast the life of someone with self-control and someone without it. Pleasing words, pleasing thoughts versus sinful and false words.

Jesus said that out of the abundance of our heart our mouth speaks. If we want to change what we say and how we say it, we need to change our hearts.

“Christian brothers, keep your minds thinking about whatever is true, whatever is respected, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever can be loved, and whatever is well thought of. If there is anything good and worth giving thanks for, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8 NLV

Speak the truth with love.

“Love should always make us tell the truth. Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head” Ephesians 4:15 CEV

 When you talk, you should always be kind and wise. Then you will be able to answer everyone in the way you should.” Colossians 4:6 ERV

Weeds of sarcasm and criticism must go. Destructive words that burn the heart must be quenched. When we have self-control, our words will be seasoned with love!

Seeds of Faith

 But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.” Galatians 5:22-23 MSG

I used our foundation verses from The Message translation this morning because the seeds we are planting today are the seeds of faithfulness and I like the way The Message describes it – loyal commitments.

Jesus said that the world will know that we are His followers by our love for one another. It takes loyal commitment to walk in love. That’s one of the biggest reasons that cause relationships to fall apart.

No commitment. No faithfulness.

Feelings get hurt, pride says I’m right and you’re wrong, we don’t agree and so we argue and relationships are severed.

Let’s get this straight right now – not one of us is always right, not one of us has the right opinion or fully represent truth in every situation. That is, no one but God and we aren’t Him!

“Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. Love doesn’t strut, Doesn’t have a swelled head, Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” Doesn’t fly off the handle, Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,” I Corinthians 13:4-6 MSG

Faithfulness: “Biblically, being faithful means being reliable, steady, and unwavering in your beliefs, actions, and commitments, especially in your relationship with God.” Faith – filled – action.

Jesus tells a story that I believe is a description of faithfulness and believe it or not, it’s about a seed.

“Finally, Jesus said: What is God’s kingdom like? What story can I use to explain it? 31 It is like what happens when a mustard seed is planted in the ground. It is the smallest seed in all the world32 But once it is planted, it grows larger than any garden plant. It even puts out branches that are big enough for birds to nest in its shade.” Mark 4:30-32 CEV

Jesus’ compares God’s kingdom to a seed. The smallest seed ever, planted in the ground, grows into a large tree, giving shelter to those around it.

God’s kingdom is a kingdom of His love and forgiveness. When that seed is planted in our hearts it will grow, it will stay planted and become an immovable force, giving shade and shelter to those around us. That’s seed results in faithfulness to God and to others.

Water it well and watch it grow!

For Goodness Sake

“But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their sinful self. They have given up their old selfish feelings and the evil things they wanted to do.” Galatians 5:22-24 ERV

I hope you took the opportunities you had yesterday to be kind. Today we will be planting seeds of goodness, which may look very similar to kindness but there is a distinct difference.

Kindness is something we do for others. Anyone can do random acts of kindness, but goodness is an attitude of the heart.

Goodness is a moral excellence.

“People who try hard to do good and be faithful will find life, goodness, and honor.” Proverbs 21:21 ERV

“God’s love will come together with his faithful people. Goodness and peace will greet them with a kiss. 11 People on earth will be loyal to God, and God in heaven will be good to them.” Psalm 85:10-11 ERV

There are several places in the Bible where goodness and fairness are linked together. Some refer to our actions toward others and some refer to God’s heart toward us.

“You must always be fair. You must not favor some people over other people. You must not take money to change your mind in judgment. Money blinds the eyes of wise people and changes what a good person will say. 20 Goodness and Fairness! You must try very hard to be good and fair all the time. Then you will live and keep the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” Deuteronomy 16:19-21 ERV

“Lord, your faithful love reaches to the sky. Your faithfulness is as high as the clouds. Your goodness is higher than the highest mountains. Your fairness is deeper than the deepest ocean. Lord, you protect people and animals. 7Nothing is more precious than your loving kindness. All people can find protection close to you.” Psalm 36:5-7 ERV

Here the character of God is in full view – His faithful love, goodness, fairness and His kindness. Because God is love, His heart is good, His thoughts are fair and His actions are kind.

Jesus taught about this attitude of the heart.

 Every tree is known by the kind of fruit it produces. You won’t find figs on thorny weeds. And you can’t pick grapes from thornbushes! 45 Good people have good things saved in their hearts. That’s why they say good things. But those who are evil have hearts full of evil, and that’s why they say things that are evil. What people say with their mouths comes from what fills their hearts.

46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but you don’t do what I say? 47 The people who come to me, who listen to my teachings and obey them—I will show you what they are like: 48 They are like a man building a house. He digs deep and builds his house on rock. The floods come, and the water crashes against the house. But the flood cannot move the house, because it was built well.” Luke 6:44-48 ERV

A good heart is one that is obedient and grounded on God’s word. A good heart will produce kind actions. Let’s all be good, for goodness’ sake!

Doing Good

“God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, 23 gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways. 24 And because we belong to Christ Jesus, we have killed our selfish feelings and desires.” Galatians 5:22-24 CEV

What does it mean to do good? Have you ever really thought about that? God’s Spirit makes us good and gives us the desire to do good.

Luke wrote in the books of Acts that Jesus went around doing good.

“God gave the Holy Spirit and power to Jesus from Nazareth. He was with Jesus, as he went around doing good and healing everyone who was under the power of the devil.” Acts 10:38 CEV

When He did good people were healed – physically, emotionally, and spiritually and they were freed from the power of the devil. Their lives were changed. He told sinners to go on their way and sin no more. People like Zacchaeus were changed from dishonest tax collectors to benevolent members of society. Prostitutes were changed from women of low reputation to women who served their communities with kindness. A salty, boisterous, braggadocious fisherman was changed to a powerful preacher of the good news of Jesus.

How? By the goodness of God.

“You surely don’t think much of God’s wonderful goodness or of his patience and willingness to put up with you. Don’t you know that the reason God is good to you is because he wants you to turn to him?… God will reward each of us for what we have done. He will give eternal life to everyone who has patiently done what is good in the hope of receiving glory, honor, and life that lasts forever.” Romans 2:4,6&7 CEV

Doing good is life changing.

“The lifestyle of good people is like sunlight at dawn that keeps getting brighter until broad daylight.” Proverbs 4:18 CEV

“Whoever works to do good will find love and loyalty. It is a mistake to work at doing evil.” Proverbs 14:22 ERV

Christians, we who love God, should be a reflection of His character. God is good.

 Don’t get tired of helping others. You will be rewarded when the time is right, if you don’t give up. 10 We should help people whenever we can, especially if they are followers of the Lord.” Galatians 6:9-10 CEV

“She must also be well-known for doing all sorts of good things, such as raising children, giving food to strangers, welcoming God’s people into her home, helping people in need, and always making herself useful.” I Timothy 5:10 CEV

Finally, I want you to see this prayer that the Apostle Paul prayed for the Christians that he was ministering to. It’s my prayer for all of us.

 I pray that your love will keep on growing and you will fully know and understand 10 how to make the right choices. Then you will still be pure and innocent when Christ returns. And until that day, 11 Jesus Christ will keep you busy doing good deeds that bring glory and praise to God.” Philippians 1:9-11 CEV

Each of these verses is a seed of goodness that we can plant in our lives. Each seed will produce a harvest and will bring glory to God.

Time to plant some seeds! Don’t grow weary!

Kindness For All

I have to ask – were you able to plant some seeds of patience yesterday? Make sure you water them each day so that they grow to be healthy and productive plants.

One way to keep them watered is by using the seeds we are planting today, the seeds of kindness.

 But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things.” Galatians 5:22-23 ERV

Gestures of kindness are not forgotten.

When we were a young family, we were having a very hard time financially. We were a home of two working parents, we lived as economically frugal as possible and still we were unable to make ends meet.

We had friends who lived a good 30+ miles away and one Saturday morning they arrived at our door saying, “we were just in the neighborhood”. They proceeded to carry in bag after bag of groceries. They even had planned what we would have for lunch and stayed to make it with us and enjoy a day of swimming, friendship and encouragement.

This was an unforgettable kindness.

“I pray that the Lord will bless and protect you, 25 and that he will show you mercy and kindness. 26 May the Lord be good to you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-25 CEV

“Our Lord, you keep your word and do everything you say. 14 When someone stumbles or falls, you give a helping hand. 15 Everyone depends on you, and when the time is right, you provide them with food. 16 By your own hand you satisfy the desires of all who live. 17 Our Lord, everything you do is kind and thoughtful, 18 and you are near to everyone whose prayers are sincere.” Psalm 145:13-18 CEV

Kindness isn’t something that needs to be described. I think everyone understands what it means to be kind. However, it is something that needs to be planted and cultivated. If we don’t produce kindness, we will have a hard and calloused heart.

“Then the ones who pleased the Lord will ask, “When did we give you something to eat or drink? 38 When did we welcome you as a stranger or give you clothes to wear 39 or visit you while you were sick or in jail?”

40 The king will answer, “Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.” Matthew 25:27-40 CEV

God takes our acts of kindness personally. He sees our actions as an outreach of his hands. When we are being kind and caring for “the least of these”, the unimportant ones, the forgotten ones, He sees it as a service to Him.

“Your kindness and love will always be with me each day of my life, and I will live forever in your house, Lord.” Psalm 23:6 CEV

The seeds of kindness that we plant not only grow in our hearts but it is seed that we can plant in the lives of others.