The culture we live in today wants everything to be instant. They want to go from fat to thin in a week. They want to go from broke to wealthy in an instant. We have even Googled shortcuts to almost everything in our lives. A lot of believers have taken on that same mentality. They want everything to be microwave fast without putting forth the effort to grow. When God made mushrooms, He took about 6 hours to mature them. When God made an oak tree, He took about 60 years to mature them. A lot of people are seeking for a mushroom life instead of desiring to be an oak tree. (Ephesians 4:24 And to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.) The Holy Spirit will make changes in our lives far beyond anything you thought was possible, but they’re not going to happen overnight. My prayer is that through the work of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God and with support from other believers we will be more mature, more Christlike, and further along in our purpose at the end of this year than where we are now. I can look back over the past 4+ years and see the development in my life from my faithfulness in my morning devotions. This is how we become more like Jesus. This is the key to becoming an oak instead of being satisfied as a mushroom. (2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.) Our walk with God is a daily developing relationship. Stay disciplined and there is no limit to what you can become! Pastor Don [image: image.png]