For many years, I have been reticent to read or study about the fruits of the spirit. I haven't wanted to read about them because something made me feel like it was a formula for trying to fix myself. A different way of looking at self-help, but self-help none the less. I am reading The Fruitful Life by Jerry Bridges and like his other books, he has this amazing way of communicating that our choices are intertwined with God's will. We are neither to take no action or to take all actions without regard for God. Here are a few good quotes from the past two days... From the chapter on Peace... "But the more ordinary adversities of life rob us of peace because we have a tendency to try and deal with these events ourselves. We worry, fret, and scheme over distressing circumstances, and we envy or resent other people who appear to get a better deal in life or who mistreat us in some way." p. 91 "We cannot have peace within or with other people until we first ...