Clean Slate

Jesus Saves. Simple and true. Two words that can change an eternal life. Two words that when accepted, believed, trusted and obeyed have the power to change today, tomorrow and beyond.
   Spurred by the insight and humor of my hometown friend's blog,http://redneckineurope.blogspot.com/, I have finally decided to activate and use this blog. I named it back in my days as a wine and spirits salesman. Clean Slate Riesling was a personal favorite of mine. A fine and affordable example of what quality Riesling can be. My wife enjoyed it too. I will still use the title because it can certainly lend itself to other thoughts. The wine was clean and crisp and the grapes ripened on slate-covered hills with the sun reflecting off of the stones and the stones themselves making sure that the growth of the vines was not as simple as growing vines in the sun-drenched California soil.
   The vines have to struggle. They can't just grow like gangbusters and produce copious amounts of fruit. Since the yield is less than say a Central Valley vineyard, the concentration of flavor tends to be greater. The struggle produces a deeper mixture of aromas on the nose in the finished product and a wonderful blend of flavors as well. It is much like our lives. Without struggle, we may produce like a wild bunch of kudzu but is it worth anything to us, our family, friends, neighbors or our Lord? Kudzu can take over a field but what is the use or point of it?
   I'll try to keep my posts both regular and short as to both hopefully keep people interested and not bored while also leaving a few wanting more like a buffet line that has run out of banana pudding by the time you get there. I'll try to keep my wafers crisp and not soggy and keep those bananas from browning.