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Crayon Box Christianity: Coloring in the Fruit of the Spirit

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
— Galatians 5:22–23

Ever opened a fresh box of crayons and just paused? The smell of wax. The vibrancy. Each one sharpened and ready—full of promise.
That’s how the Holy Spirit works in us: coloring our lives with divine traits that reflect God’s heart.

Let’s color it in:

❤️ Love is Red – Bold. Foundational. The base coat of grace.
💛 Joy is Yellow – Bright. Uplifting. The sunshine that refuses to be dimmed.
💙 Peace is Blue – Calming. Steady. A cool current in chaotic waters.
💚 Patience is Green – Growing. Grounded. Gentle strength in every season.
💕 Kindness is Pink – Tender. Compassionate. Soft enough to heal wounds.
🧡 Goodness is Orange – Vibrant. Honest. A visible virtue.
💜 Faithfulness is Purple – Loyal. Regal. Not swayed by storms.
🌸 Gentleness is Lilac – Subtle. Strong. A whisper that moves mountains.
🖤 Self-control is Black – The outline. The boundary. The wisdom that holds everything in place.

Every day, the Spirit hands us the crayon box.
The question isn’t “Are you gifted?”
It’s “What fruit-color are you letting shine today?”

Even if you’re feeling broken, worn down, or only good for scribbles, God can still use you to create beauty—on someone’s heart, in someone’s storm, through someone’s doubt.

Stay tuned: this is just the first stroke of the canvas.
Next up, we’ll dive into each Fruit of the Spirit—one color at a time—and see how God’s palette transforms our walk.

Make sure you sign up to receive all devotionals in this series: Coloring in the Fruits of the Spirit.

WHERE HE LEADS ME: Reflections on this great hymn

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THE WATCHMAN’S REPORT

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The Watchman’s Report

Discerning the Times, Declaring the Truth
Vol. 1 – June 26 2025

🕯️ Opening Word

“I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night.”
—Isaiah 62:6

This report is not for the distracted—it’s for the discerning. For those who feel the midnight wind stirring but refuse to sleep through the shift. The timepiece of heaven is ticking toward midnight, and though many yawn in the pews, the watchmen are beginning to rise.

🌐 God’s View Behind the News

A prophetic lens on three headlines that echo eternity.

🧨 1. Russia-Ukraine Escalation: From Proxy to Pressure Cooker

Ukraine’s massive drone assault on Russia’s long-range missile bases prompted the largest wave of retaliatory strikes since the war began. The bear is no longer just posturing—it’s lashing out.

Prophetic Insight:
This could be the fuse that lights a broader northern storm. Ezekiel’s references to “the far north” remind us: the bear still has a role to play. Watch for alliances that echo Gog and Magog, and for tremors that crack foundations deeper than politics.

🔥 2. Paris Riots After Soccer Victory: When Celebration Turns to Chaos

After Paris Saint-Germain’s championship win, the city erupted—not in joy, but in fire. Riots, looting, and chaos broke out with chilling coordination.

Prophetic Insight:
Even joy has become a trigger for destruction. As 2 Timothy 3 warns, “Men will be lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” When peace becomes a pretext for rage, you’re watching a society under judgment.

🕯️ 3. Israel & Iran: The “Hook in the Jaw” Turns

Israeli and U.S. forces launched coordinated strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran retaliated. The world gasps—but the Word already spoke.

“I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army…”
—Ezekiel 38:4

Prophetic Insight:
This is not random. The “hook in the jaw” isn’t about enticement—it’s about divine orchestration. God Himself is pulling rebellious nations into alignment—not to destroy Israel, but to reveal Himself. Keep your eye on the coalition: Iran. Russia. Turkey. Gog’s shadows are moving again.

💧 Devotional Insight: Desert Praise

Inspired by Psalm 63

When the sanctuary feels far away and the Spirit seems quiet, do you stop singing? Or do you lift your hands to a God you remember?

David didn’t wait for the rain—he worshiped in the dust. Psalm 63 isn’t written from a throne but from exile. And yet, his soul clung.

  • “O God, You are my God…” — Even in the dry place
  • “I have seen You in the sanctuary…” — Even when memory is all you have
  • “Because Your love is better than life…” — Even when the night is long

Reflection:
You may feel like you’ve been wandering in silence, but the desert isn’t proof of God’s absence—it’s the proving ground of your devotion. Worship now. Cling hard. Remember loudly.

🕊️ A Time for Reflection & Prayer

Reflection: Has your spirit grown dry in this season? Are you watching… or just scrolling? Has your worship survived the wilderness?

Prayer:
Lord, awaken my heart from spiritual slumber. Shake off the dust of apathy and restore my hunger for You. Let me see with eyes wide open—both to the hour we live in and to the nearness of Your presence. I want to stand on the wall, not slump in the pew. Let the whisper of Your Spirit be louder than the headlines. In Jesus’ name, amen.

🕯️ Devotional: “Safe in the Storm”

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🕯️ Devotional: “Safe in the Storm”

Random Ramblings from the Resident Raptor

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. — Psalm 46:1 (KJV)

The storm is not just weather—it’s the midnight of the soul. It’s the moment when thunder drowns out reason, when waves of sorrow rise higher than hope. And yet, in that very place, the psalmist declares: God is our refuge and strength.

Not was. Not will be. Is. Right now. Right here. In the middle of the lightning and the wind.

And we are not the first to cry out in the dark.

Job, stripped of everything—his children, his health, his livelihood—sat in the ashes while friends accused and his own wife urged him to give up. But Job clung to the storm-wracked truth: “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him.”

David, chased through caves and hunted by a jealous king, looked back over a lifetime of trials and declared: “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”

Stephen, the first Christian martyr, stood before an angry mob with his face shining like an angel. As stones rained down, he looked up and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. His final breath was not fear, but forgiveness: “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.”

Joan of Arc, a teenage girl with a sword and a vision, faced the flames with a cross in her hand and the name of Jesus on her lips. She was not rescued from the fire—but she was not alone in it.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, imprisoned for resisting evil, wrote of costly grace and discipleship from a Nazi cell. He was hanged just weeks before liberation, but his final words were, “This is the end—for me, the beginning of life.”

Some were delivered. Some endured. Some were taken home in the middle of the storm. But all were held—in the hollow of His hand.

And as Mosie Lister’s lyric echoes—“Keep me safe, ’til the storm passes by”—we remember: God doesn’t always still the storm, but He stills His child. He doesn’t always part the sea, but He walks with us through it.

So breathe. Let the image speak. Let the music stir. Let the Word hold you.

You are not forgotten.
You are not alone.
You are not without shelter.

The storm will pass. But until it does… He is your refuge.
Pray along with others who have weathered the storm…“Keep me safe, ’til the storm passes by”

Check out my brand new devotional booklet. 14 day journey from “Ichabod to Glory” finding your way back to His presence.

This has been a VIEW FROM THE NEST And that is the way I see it, what say you?

#Faith in the Storm,#Mosie Lister #Christian Devotional #Keep Me Safe, #Gospel Reflections, #Storm Passes, #ViewsFromTheNest, #Trusting God, #Spiritual Encouragemet

GOD’S ODD BALLS

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Why the Castaways Still Carry the Crown

THE LATEST EDITION OF A VIEW FROM THE NEST

They called them outcasts. Madmen. Mystics. Men who raved in the wilderness, cried in the streets, wore rags for robes, and spoke words that no one wanted to hear—yet couldn’t afford to ignore. Their lives didn’t follow the script of cultural acceptance; their obedience made them strange, and their calling made them dangerous.

From Noah’s hammer pounding dry earth, to Jeremiah’s tears on prison walls, from Hosea’s aching marriage to John the Baptist’s blazing sermons in the wild—Scripture is full of voices that came from the margins. And none more so than the One called a demon by His own people—Jesus, the cornerstone the builders rejected.

But rejection is not the end of the story. It is the beginning of divine disruption.