Dashen Acorns

by Miss Monica June


When you come to a tree, look at its branches and the ground around it for some acorns. Only oak trees have acorns as their fruits. Acorns have very many different shapes, but all of them pretty much look like acorns.

Just like how all Christians look different, they should all still love God.

From late August through December, many species of oak are ripening for collection. Ripening dates are different from year to year and from state to state by as much as three to four weeks, making it very hard to use actual dates to determine maturity.

The best time to collect acorns, is when they begin falling. Best picking is late September to the first week in November, but it depends on oak tree species and location within the United States. The acorn is perfect when it is plump and the top of it comes off easy.

Now God is walking around picking us up and dusting us off and he WILL use you to create something beautiful (like a tree).

The two most important factors for caring for the acorns that you will plant are: not allowing the acorns to get dried out for a long time and not allowing the acorns to get too hot. Acorns will lose their ability to grow very quickly if they get dried out.

God does not want us to dry out. He gives us water (the Bible) and we will not get hot (have sin).

When you're picking your acorns you need to keep them in the shade, and put them in your refrigerator as soon as you can if you are not planting them right away. Do NOT freeze you acorns!

God will keep us under the shadow of the Almighty. He will keep us in the shade so we do not dry out.

Psalm 91:1 "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."


Germinating and Potting Acorns:
After figuring out when you want to plant your acorns, you should take the best looking acorns (plump and rot-free) and place them into very loose potting soil in one-gallon gardening pots or very deep containers. The tap root will grow very quickly down to the bottom of the containers, but the width of the root is not as important.

The Hebrew word for fat is, Dashen. It means, to be fat, grow fat, become fat, become prosperous, and anoint.
Just how the acorn is fat and plump, we as Christians are fat and prosperous.

When we are in Christ we are plump and rot-free!

Proverbs 28:25 "He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat."
When we put our trust in God and are living in his word, we are plump and rot-free!

Containers should have holes in the bottom for drainage. Place your acorns on their sides at a depth of one half to one times the width of the acorn. Keep the soil moist but still having air. Make sure your pots do NOT freeze!

Transplanting Acorns:
Don't allow an oak seedling’s tap root to grow out of the bottom of the container and into the soil below. This will break the tap root. If it is possible, seedlings should be moved as soon as the first leaves open and become firm. But before the root gets to deep. The planting hole should be twice as wide and deep as the pot and root ball. be very careful and remove the root hall. Gently set the root ball in the hole with the root crown on the soil surface. Fill the hole with soil, firmly tamp it and soak.

God will soak us in His word so we can grow and be a beautiful Christian (oak tree) :D


Miss Monica June is a young teen girl who is homeschooled and is pursuing her artistic talent of jewelry making. She enjoys cooking and encouraging others to share about their education at From The Learning Room.

Subscribe to Growing in Grace Magazine by Email

Branches Grafted In

The Branch in Relation to Christ

Whether it be in a dream (Gen. 40:10), or a parable (John 15:5), the branch is mentioned 90 times in the Bible. It is used to describe days and people. There are many different approaches we could have in studying about the branch, but I am going to take Romans 11 and talk about that for now.

Romans 11 is when Paul is writing about Christ being the root and the good olive tree, physical Israel being the natural branches, and us (the Gentiles) being the branches grafted in.

^"7What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded."

Some Jews obtained salvation, but the rest rejected it.

^"8(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day."

Even to this day, God has allowed some to be asleep that they won't see and won't hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

^"17And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;"

The Jews, the natural branches, were broken off so that we, the wild olive tree, might receive Salvation from the root.

^"18Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee."

We should not be high minded against the natural branches, but we should pray for them to come to the knowledge of Christ.

^"19Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in."

As verse 11 says "I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy."

^"20Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:"

Or, Yes; because of their unbelief they were broken off, and we stand by faith. Not to be proud, but to fear:

^"21For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee."

We should not be boastful, because Christ (in us) cannot be boastful or have anything to do with pride. In Matt. 17:5 it says that God was 'well pleased' not proud.

^"22Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."

We shall abide in goodness because it is of the Spirit. (Eph. 5:9) If we forsake the spirit, we will be cut off as Hebrews 6:4-6 says.

^"23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again."

If the Jews believe in Christ and that he has fulfilled the Law, they will be brought back to the root, which is Christ. Only God is able to do this.

^"24For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?"

"25 If it was possible for us, who are the unnatural branches and of a wild tree, to be grafted into the family of God, how much more possible is it that the natural branches should come back to the family of God."

Since the Jews rejected Christ, they now have the same responsibility and opportunity of choosing Christ as their Savior.

Colossians 3:11 "Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all."

We have been so blessed to be grafted into the TRUE vine. His banner over us is LOVE.




Lady Jess is a teen lady who is homeschooled along with her siblings. She assists her mother in teaching her younger siblings, is an interpreter for deaf ministry, sings in a local choir, and is in training to be a homeschooling parent herself one day.

Subscribe to Growing in Grace Magazine by Email

A Tough Exterior

By Miss Cassandra

Have you ever seen a tree without bark on it? I have. I live in a town full of trees. There are many varieties around my house. Let me tell you, the few I have seen that have their bark removed, for whatever reason, are not what you would call beautiful. They are usually so discolored and scarred that you can't tell what kind of tree it is. If a lot of the bark is missing you might even think that it is just a very overgrown weed.

Merrian-Webster's Dictionary defines bark in this way "BARK: the tough exterior covering of a woody root or stem; specifically the tissues outside the cambium" I had to look up the word cambium. I had never heard it before, but what I found fits this subject so well. "CAMBIUM: a thin formative layer that is responsible for secondary growth "

We are supposed to have a growth in our Christian lives. Something just under the surface that can't help but spring up because we are new creations in Christ.

II Corinthians 5:17 " Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Bark keeps us from seeing the inner layers of trees. We know they are there, but we don't really know what they look like. They are covered, forgotten, hidden and concealed. That is the way God sees our iniquities once we accept His mercy.

Psalm 85:2 "Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah."

Hebrews 8:12 "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more."

Proverbs 16:6 "By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil."

Trees also use their bark for a protection . The cover is needed to keep the inner parts safe from harm, bugs, mold, and anything else that would love to tear it apart. Just like Satan, our flesh, and other people would try to tear us apart. He wants to keep us safe from all harm, but He can't do that if we refuse the covering He has picked for us.

Psalm 59:16 "But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble."

The tree is also comforted, in a sense, by it's bark. The bark keeps out the elements. The heat and cold, the rain or draught, and the smog. All of these things would cause "pain" to the tree if not for the bark. We can avoid pain from life the exact same way.

Psalm 32:10 "Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about."

'Compass about' means to surround and cover. That is the way God sees His mercy on us. Surrounded and covered by forgiveness, compassion, and love.
The Greek word for mercy in the Bible is: ἐλεέω eleeō
- - to compassionate (by word or deed, specifically by divine grace): - have compassion (pity on), have (obtain, receive, shew) mercy (on). - -

In the Old Testament the Hebrew word is:רחם râcham
- - A primitive root; to fondle; by implication to love, especially to compassionate: - have compassion (on, upon), love, (find, have, obtain, shew) mercy (-iful, on, upon), (have) pity, Ruhamah, X surely. - -

God loves the fact that He has extended mercy to us the same way he loves the way He created the trees.

Micah 7:18 "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy."

Genesis 1:12 "And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good."

The word "mercy" is found in the Bible 276 times in 261 verses. That in itself should tell us that God thinks it important for us to be covered in His mercy.


Cassandra is in love with the Lord in a way different than it ever before. She was always brought up to know the Bible. Recently she has come to live out the Bible in a freedom that she never thought was possible. God is showing her things in such a real and close way. She loves knowing without any doubt that He cares about the tiny details of our lives. She blogs at Content of Praise.

Subscribe to Growing in Grace Magazine by Email