November brings thoughts of Apple Cider simmering on the stove – the scent of cinnamon permeates the entire house. Pumpkins have been carved and set on doorsteps. Straw scarecrows stand as guards at the door. Farmers are looking forward to some time off from their hard labor as fields have been stripped and the bounty has been stored or sent off to market.

Thoughts of Thanksgiving sneak into our brains along with the beauty of a formally set dinner table complete with many delicious things to add to our girth.
We all know what comes after November so we take advantage of this month to plump up and get ready for the long hibernation ahead. The squirrels are doing it – right?

God provides us a bounty each and every day. Some days we may feel there is nothing to be grateful for. We may think that God has passed us by when it comes to fruits of His Spirit. We may feel we don’t know how we can be used to serve Him. He does have a purpose for each one of us.

According to Galatians 5:23-23 the fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These are all attributes with positive connotations. What a bounty we receive from the King of Creation. Let’s use those things to prepare ourselves for the winter storms of life and the spring of our new life in eternity.