The Fruits of the Orchard and the Sprirt.......

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

Galatians 5:22-23

Today I did my chores in the orchard and was reminded of this verse.  It happens often, both the chores and this verse.  Especially in the spring when the trees are revealing their first fruits......

These are the oranges:

They smell heavenly in February when they are just orange blossoms...

These are the pomegranates:

Every year in September or October we juice these to make Pomegranate jelly.  We give them away at Christmas time.

These are the figs:  

 I don't care for figs but I hear they are tasty.  We sell them at our local farmers market.

These are the apples:

They always make excellent apple pies in the fall.

Believe it or not, these will be macadamia nuts:

These will be the pears:

We still are not exactly sure the name of these.  We think they are the star fruit or a Mexican fruit:

These melt in your mouth like butter......

These will be the peaches.....

unless the critters get to them first.....

These are the avocados:

Probably our favorite fruit, ever!!! Did you know they were a fruit???

That's what our orchard looks like today if you took a stroll through the stone pathway we laid in it almost 10 years ago.  Its peaceful, its alot of work and its also a place where you can hear the whisper of God.  Mostly in the spring, mostly in May and June....when the the trees are green with life and they have to be trimmed away from the walkway as they practically reach out for your ear.....when the first fruits begin to paint themselves with the color of the nourishment they promise...

That's when they speak the loudest....when they are bursting with the promise of wholeness....when they whisper the nourishment they so long to share with us.....

the kind that only God can fill us with....