I was in my garden the other day cleaning up after the storm that came through and my persimmon tree had lost many of its buds leaving less on the tree. I felt the Lord say to me that the fruit that fell off needed to go as it was too burdensome, too heavy and the tree would not have coped if all had stayed on the tree. The buds that were left was just the right amount in order for those that were left to be fully developed and bear good healthy fruit. If you have been going through some storms lately you are not alone. The storms challenge and shift things in a way that may leave you questioning what is going on, but there are things in our lives that need to go for our benefit. The storms reveal our foundations, what we are holding onto and where our hope lies. The storms remind us of our first love and the call to return to our first love - that being Jesus. Rev 2:5 I believe the Lord is removing those things in our lives that are or will be a burden, those things that