Life is a series of never ending, and always changing seasons. It cannot be captured in stills . . . or videos, but is lived in real time. Solomon concludes there is a time for everything. The bleak, damp bed in a greenhouse is ground for new starts. The dark, gnarled trunk of a grapevine is the root of vigorous runners that produce juicy, eye-appealing grapes. 

Jesus had some things to say, and illustrations, about viticulture. This picture of the current grape scene from Edna Valley is apropos. The husbandman has pruned the dead branches, and the good ones, so that more fruit can be produced. Spring has come and new sprouts are emerging. 

Now is the time to grow a new crop. Hang in there. Embrace the sunshine. Lift your eyes to the sky. Reach out to those around you. Spend time on your knees. Grow

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” John 15:4.  

—Larry Smith