Winter is working its relentless direction towards spring, and soon thoughts will be addressing gardens and flowers and produce. There is much reward for hard labor in the fields, and one can be proud of the results of that effort. In Matthew 7, Jesus talks in similar fashion the building of faith. He likens faith to good fruit coming from solid trees and not thorn bushes, or faith built on solid rock and not on sand. And he warns against false prophets who would distort the word such that faith is given to incorrect beliefs. The gardener can correctly be proud of ...