Cheese Farm in Central Maine

So, we went to a farm today for my son's cub scout outing. All of the people that went we already knew, and it was pretty fun. At this farm they have dairy cows and pigs, but the main objective for the entire farm is making cheese, not cutting cheese mind you, that comes naturally. But it was pretty interesting. We got schooled in how the milk is processed and the cheese is produced, stored, aged etc.... There was actually a cave under the guy's barn/house where he has a dumbwaiter to drop the cheese down and store it there. Taste testing was a must and it was really good, albeit rich stuff. We bought a hunk at the end and only then did I realize that the outside is all molded and you have to cut away to get to the center to eat. Wasn't real excited about that. Not to mention you lose about half of it after you cut away all of the mold. I'll take a fresh batch, please.

Fruit

Had a great service today, and I have a group that I minister to and so many battle depression and negativity and with that (which is the root) so many have lost the joy of the Lord. I think over the years they have lost the joy of salvation and forget just what it means to be saved. If I have nothing else I am happy with the fact that I am redeemed. Everything else is just icing on the cake. But God never just leaves it there, he gives abundantly. Lessons are never easy but they can be EASIER if I attack them as such and just realize that my hope and joy are in Him alone. God wants us to bear fruit, but what is fruit and how do we produce it when we are so spiritually empty. Well first of all there has been a serious misunderstanding of just what the fruit is that we are to produce. Many people and ministers have equated fruit to be a physical thing that can be measured and looked at and admired (ie. church building, big group, etc...). Fruit is actually listed in Galatians 5:22 as love, peace, joy, longsuffering, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. When these are displayed and truly lived out through the spirit, (God knows we don't have these on our own) then people are naturally attracted to you and them. We can try to compete with the world all we want to woo people to God, but these things the world just cannot offer no matter how much it thinks it can. But the Lord gives them freely. We have a tendency to try and overcomplicate the gifts of God and the salvation of God. He says "my yoke is easy, my burden is light" Matt. 11:30. Living for Him should be that way. It's when we try and please others and our own selfish desires that we muck it up and complicate it. Freedom is so...well, FREEING, for lack of a better term. The Lord bless you.