Straight from "The Vine"
Submitted by April on Mon, 06/29/2009 - 20:40
What does straight from “The Vine” mean? As the team started “seeding” last week, I thought it was rather appropriate to talk about sowing and reaping and now, as The Online Grapevine launches its site, it’s time to talk about what “The Vine” means to me. I’ll break it down threefold.
#1: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 St. Joseph Medium Size Edition)
Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. It is telling us to stay connected to Jesus and the Word. If we want to flourish in life and bear great fruit, we cannot forget about Him, since He provides us with all we need. For the most part, my blog entries will provide some type of spiritual or religious reference which is due to my background and upbringing. I like to apply the Word to my life and hopefully it will provide our readers with some insight and a different perspective.
#2: “The Vine” refers to Irvine, a source of familiarity and family.
This is a term that my brother and I call the city of Irvine. I told myself that when I went to graduate school that I would never come back to Irvine. Never say never. I ate my words and have found myself back with my brother and, coincidentally, have started writing for The Online Grapevine at the same time. My brother came at the right time in my life when I needed support and helped bring myself back to life. “The Vine” provides nourishment and support, just like my brother does for me because he is the closest family I have.
#3: “The Vine” is where the three initial writers for The Daily Vine, Rachel Wagoner, Karen Ang, and myself, earned our undergraduate degree, which is at the University of California, Irvine.
All three of us came from Vallejo, California, which is located in the San Francisco Bay Area on the northeastern shore of San Pablo Bay. We branched from our roots and attended UCI. For me, it was a big step moving away from my big Filipino family. This is where I learned to become independent and on my own. Eventually, my brothers would come to settle here as well and it became my home away from home. My undergraduate education was a stepping stone in furthering my success and it was the starting point in my life where I became aware of the world around me.
Straight from “The Vine” is a perspective I hold due to those three things: the Word, my family, and my education. These are the three things that help form my foundation. I am still growing as a young woman and on this journey, I hope that staying connected and grounded in these three things will guide me to make great choices that can somehow impact the world.
Sources:
Farrel, P. (1999). The 10 best decisions a woman can make (p. 191). Eugene, Oregon
New American Bible St. Joseph Medium Size Edition
