“He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”
– Deuteronomy 8:3

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THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS...

“But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Against such things there is no law.” — GALATIANS 5:22-23

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“Dried or Juicy Fruit”
by Ron Moore

Do you remember coming home from a hard day and examining one of those shiny red apples you left chilling in the refrigerator, expecting sweet, juicy, crisp pulp as you bite into it? Your mouth waters in anticipation of being refreshed soon to be gravely disappointed as you discover a mushy, tasteless, dry inside.

Many people in our world, at home, work, school or community have experiences which leave them “dry and wanting”. They are looking for something that will refresh their tired soul, add nourishment to their worn spirit, and uplift their bowed down head.

God has placed precious fruit in us that can do just that. It is up to us to cultivate it, nourish it so it can grow and mature, ready to be picked and consumed by those who need it most.

When the unloved, joyless, agitated, faithless, tossed about and out of control individuals encounter those of us who claim to know God and influenced by His Holy Spirit, when examined, should find us full of the sweet refreshing taste of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

They wait in anticipation as we respond to their need, fully expecting a pleasant sweet experience only to be gravely disappointed as they discover a mushy, tasteless, dry “inside” of us. How often have we left them in the same condition or worst because we have not allowed God's Holy Spirit to complete the work in us, making us mature.

Let us be encourged this week to make every effort to display our fruit for those who need it most. Strive to be “picked” by the fruit inspectors fit for use instead of “rejected” as bad fruit.

— Stay Spiritual

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AN APPLE A DAY...
HEALTH BENEFITS

An old proverb attests to the health benefits of the fruit: 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away.' Research [4] suggests that apples may reduce the risk of colon cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer. Like many fruits, Apples contain Vitamin C as well as a host of other antioxidant compounds, which may reduce the risk of cancer by preventing DNA damage. The fibre content, while less than in most other fruits, helps regulate bowel movements and may thus reduce the risk of colon cancer. They may also help with heart disease, weight loss and controlling cholesterol, as they do not have any cholesterol, have fibre (which reduces cholesterol by preventing reabsorption), and are bulky for their caloric content like most fruits and vegetables.

A group of chemicals in apples could protect the brain from the type of damage that triggers such neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer's and Parkinsonism. Chang Y. 'Cy' Lee of the Cornell University found that the apple phenolics, which are naturally occurring antioxidants found in fresh apples, can protect nerve cells from neurotoxicity induced by oxidative stress. The researchers used red delicious apples from New York State to provide the extracts to study the effects of phytochemicals. Lee said that all apples are high in the critical phytonutrients and that the amount of phenolic compounds in the apple flesh and in the skin vary from year to year, season to season and from growing region to growing region (November/December 2004 issue of the Journal of Food Science). The predominant phenolic phytochemicals in apples are quercetin, epicatechin, and procyanidin B2 (PMID 14558772).

The seeds are mildly poisonous, containing a small amount of amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside, but a large amount would need to be chewed to have any toxic effect [1].

Pesticide contamination is linked to an increasing number of diseases, and they are mostly found on the outside of fruits and vegetables. Washing or peeling before eating may reduce pesticide intake[2] but peeling will also reduce the intake of the beneficial nutrients.