Spy Cam: Who Is Watching?

On my way into the city this morning, I met a young lady. Well... not exactly. She wasn't near enough for me to speak to her, but her actions provoked such prolonged contemplation on my part that I would have sworn that I actually met her. :)

I was on the inside looking out, while she was on the outside of the parked bus, staring at her reflection in the tinted window. We were on opposite sides of the same window, and I could see her, but she had no idea I was there. I rested my head against the back of the seat and watched as she checked herself, fixed the front of her blouse and fussed with her hair. Apparently satisfied with her efforts, she stepped off with a pep in her step.

I wanted to stop her... but I was now too far away. Everything at the back was a hot mess but... hey - if it doesn't cost her life, it costs nothing.

She will probably never know, on this side of the eternal world... but she got me thinking about how we sometimes treat our Christian walk in the same way. As long as everything looks good to the people we come face-to-face with (the ones whose opinions matter), it's all good. The few people who may be perceptive enough to notice the 'mess at the back' are usually left behind at the drop of a hat, because - of course - they don't mean us well/they want to tear us down/they are overly critical and judgmental (pick one).

In the midst of our complaints, we even sometimes neglect to ask our Heavenly Father what HE thinks. Since He is not concerned with how we look on the outside but with the condition of our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7), we ought to be very concerned about His perspective.

Today, let us take the time to think.... Is there an unresolved 'mess at the back' that needs attention? Maybe a bit of hypocrisy still hanging around? A bit of class/racial prejudice? How about an unforgiving spirit? Whatever it is, big or small, our Heavenly Father wants to heal all that ails us and give us a peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

Here is His promise...

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

I need to have that promise fulfilled in my life daily, don't you?

May God continually bless you.

Cow Peas

This is what I referred to as 'cow peas' in my last post...

In the photo above, the pods are approximately one-third of the actual size, while the peas are probably five times the actual size. There are approximately 20 peas in a regular-size pod and they grow on a vine - much like broad beans. If you think there may come a time when you will want to rid your property of these peas, then it would be wise to harvest peas daily, as one dried pod not harvested can result in a host of new vines popping up at will (not that we have a problem with that phenomenon). ;)

In an attempt to eat what we grow, when we can, we have been using these lovely peas to substitute for red peas (kidney beans), which we would have had to purchase. Although, the dried peas are beige in colour, they get darker when boiled and lend a pinkish hue to rice dishes.

Ok, I think I have exhausted my knowledge of cow peas so I will bid you adieu. (Yes, I like Sound of Music too) :)

Blessings,

Garden Update #1

I got a bit distracted with the news that our stand-in church organist is down with the flu. No news yet as to whether the flu is of the 'swine variety'.

While I await an update in that regard, I have an update of my own...

Since the last time I wrote about any sort of gardening, quite a bit has transpired:

The Good:

1. I actually enjoy watching things grow (particularly things I can eventually eat). ;)
2. My original plan went out the window, but our flower beds are being converted a little at a time to accommodate edible greenery.
3. The cucumbers did really well, and the only regret is that we had not planted more. I kept turning the vine to encourage it to bear in a small area, and it worked! (Ignore me, that's my amateur enthusiasm shining through) :)
4. We are now reaping from the okras and (cowpeas?) DH planted. I'll update this post with a photo in a little while... you may know it by a different name.
5. Sometime ago we discovered a passion fruit vine out in the yard. Some pregnant person who consumed a lot of passion fruit 'straight-up' a couple years back must have dropped the seeds. I wonder who that may be? Hmmm.... Anyhoo, we allowed it to overtake our june plum tree. We figured that 'itty-bitty' plums and passion fruit would be infinitely superior to large plums and no passion fruit (the plums will be smaller due to the lack of sunlight, esp. on the lower branches). Anyway, it is just bearing like crazy now, so we are anticipating a summer filled with cool glasses of passion-plum drink. Ahhhh! Serendipity at its Jamaican best! :D
6. There is a melon vine in our front yard now that came about because some little man (less than 4ft tall) dropped seeds where he ought not to. Ah well, I'm not one to complain about more fruit, so let's see what happens.
7. A couple of the tomato plants now have blossoms, and we are praying that we will be able to taste the fruit before a storm hits.

The Bad (sort of):

1. Container gardening does not work for me... well, sort of. It works great for starting seedlings, and there one pepper plant still standing in a container that is doing very well (bearing elongated fruit). What I had planted was a packet marked 'hot pepper mix', so - for now - it is chilli/cayenne/jalapeno/any-other-elongated-variety. As soon as they are mature enough to take inside, I will post a photo and let you decide.
2. Seeds sown from a packet marked 'parsley' are capable of mutating into unidentifiable vegetable matter. Don't ask... we uprooted and returned them to the land from whence they sprouted, and I forgot to take one inside for a photo op.
3. The experiment with celery seeds from the health food store brought about some things that are looking more and more like carrot tops every day. :-? How long does celery take to start getting 'chunky'? It has been months now. Ahem... Ann? I'm looking at you here.
4. Some creature cut the tops off all the beets we had planted. We may have put them out too early? I don't know, but we will definitely be trying again.

There you have it. The pros still outweigh the cons, so we'll keep plugging away and see what comes of it.

Gardening is an excellent way to learn total dependence on God. His loving care and attention to detail amazes me every single day... a constant reminder of how He wants me to live my life. Oh, how great is the faithfulness of our God!

Be blessed!

Choices... The Stuff Life's Made Of

The day I stepped out of the workplace, I had no idea how long it would be until I returned. As we awaited SJ's birth, DH and I knew that daycare was not an option for us, but we eyed the 'one-salary option' with great foreboding. We took our fears to our Saviour (not presuming to ask Him to sanction some other plan, since His will had been made abundantly clear to us) and stepped into the unknown, only being able to see one step at a time.

The choice would not rank among the easiest things I had ever done, but then... whoever said following God was going to be easy? More than three years have passed and I now sing "Great is Thy Faithfulness" with a different heart.... a heart grateful for, and dependent on, that Faithfulness.

Along the way, other choices became necessary. Among other things, we chose to.....

1. Turn off all communication devices when turning in for devotion and rest. What about emergencies? Alone time with God, devotional time for our family, and rejuvenation are emergencies for us... all other persons? Call 119.
2. Say "No" to any project that will hinder spiritual growth or stretch health, finances and sanity to the limit. If God told you to ask us, then we'll wait for His direction. Sorry, we're not budging solely on your say-so.
3. Start a garden. Container gardening is not all it's cracked up to be, so we have been converting our flower beds to make way for veggies, but I'll address the garden bit in another post.
4. Maintain some semblance of an exercise routine. We are still working on this one. :-O
5. Stop the critics on their way. "All my children went to daycare..." Yes, but this one is not yours. :) "Are you going to have another one?" Your guess is as good as mine. ;) "Aren't you going back out to work?" Eventually. Some folks are not easily deterred but... this, too, shall pass.

There are those who have confused 'discipling/educating' a child with 'daycare', and who conclude that (since I am sitting idly day-in- day-out) it is their duty to pile on more responsibilities than my time or health can accommodate. To them I say, {refer to #2} I am occupied with the business of research, operations, financial control, human resource development and community service. Take a number. ;)

Choices, choices, choices.... some easy, some hard, ALL necessary.

It took me a while, but I finally learned that our lives depend on our willingness to follow God's leading in our decision-making NOT on our bank balances. Whether we have one salary or three, we all need to live from God's hand to our mouths... trusting, serving, resting in Him.

Blessings,

Different Same. Help, please?!

You know, I honestly never realised that EVERY SINGLE THING had more than one perspective until I became a mother.

Just yesterday, I decided that - since SJ seemed to have a grasp of the concept of same vs. different in everyday life - I would try one of the Kidzone Comparison Worksheets. This one, in particular.

I explained the instructions, pointed to the triangle at the top, and asked him to draw a line to the shape that matched it.

He promptly said, "Yes, Mommy" and drew a line from said triangle... right across to a square!

Thinking that he didn't understand the instructions, I tried again: "Could you draw the line to a shape that looks the same?"

This is where my education began...

"But Mommy! They look the same. That's a triangle and that's a square. They are shapes!"

I tried again {should have known better}... "How about if you draw the line to another shape that has the same name."

SJ looks at me like I had lost my head, points to the rectangle at the bottom of the page, and says: "Ok, Mommy... rectangle is a shape too?" I think my brain popped.

We put down the worksheet, and he did 'construction work' while I attempted to figure out how we got to this point. I still haven't figured it out.

So... to every parent who has been in this plight before, and may understand this first-time mother's confusion... HELP!!!

Something Is Amiss...

... when I am trying to administer honey and eucalyptus oil for SJ's cold, and he tells me "No EUTYCHUS oil!"

Oh dear Lord! Where did that Bible story take a wrong turn?!

Cultural Creativity

I might have been in my twenties when I heard it for the first time... "Don't ask children to colour within lines... it stifles their creativity."

I remember loving colouring books in my younger years.  I still do, actually.  There... I said it. :D  I do not, however, recall being told that I HAD TO colour within the lines... but, oh how I wanted to!  And I did - eventually.  Many a picture ended up with weird colour schemes, but because they were nicely shaded WITHIN the lines, they looked beautiful... at least, to me.  The lines set a standard, and they gave me something to work towards.

The removal of lines, however, did not begin with the Early Childhood experts.  In the years since my birth, I have observed as we have blurred and obliterated other lines, and if we confined our destructive tendencies to our human traditions, that would be tolerable enough... but we don't.  We have all but destroyed the lines set up by our Creator.

I watched in horror on one visit to the clinic as a child (couldn't have been more than 5 years old) slapped his mother across her face with force that could have belonged to a 30 year-old man.  More horrifying still, was her response - {nervous laugh} "That's just how he is."  Parent-child distinction blurred... and now the children are in charge.  Somehow when Solomon spoke about the rod of correction, I always thought the rod should be in the possession of the parents... but what do I know?

Then, there is the young lady I knew who had 2 abortions, then went on to have four children - by four different men - while unmarried and unemployed.  She told me about her regrets (and nightmares), and in the process she unwittingly taught me that God has the better plan.  I lost track of her over the years, but as I see the 'experts' lobbying for a woman's right to choose, I am incensed... and I want to scream: "It's not about HER!  She had the RIGHT to abstain, and she did not.  Why should that child be robbed of life because she gave up her right?!"  When will they get it?  Unprotected copulation causes pregnancy, and protected copulation sometimes does as well.  Want a surefire way to prevent pregnancy?  Don't do it! ;)  Then there will be absolutely no need to tamper with the sixth commandment.

Our western minds have become so 'wide open' in an effort to be tolerant, that all manner of ideas have traipsed in, and we have forgotten to check to see what our Creator would have us do.  These days, teenage men can be prom queens and women ought to take over the leadership of households and churches.  Let me just say...  No amount of fudging the lines will make a gay man a queen, and the most excellent of mothers can never father children.   While I am at it, I might as well just add that a woman cannot be a "husband of one wife", so when we have decided in our minds that we are going to change the order of things... it would be wise to just leave Scripture out of it. 

In an effort to remove lines and promote 'cultural creativity' we have opened the floodgates of hell, so to speak.  We have destroyed our families and advanced the cause of the criminal elements. (After all, if human beings can be killed in the womb, why not outside the womb?)

May God help us all.

Blessings to you {if you came this far},

Learning to Lean

It's THAT time of year again.

I had forgotten all about it... until the news of a pre-season tropical depression brought it to the fore.  It was nowhere near my neck of the woods - but still...

It took a while for me to realise that I was holding my breath.  I guess I wasn't quite over it after all...

The year was 1988, and I watched from the front door as zinc sheets flew from the hills to settle in and around the areas surrounding the house where we lived with our mother.  All was quiet on our street, and we felt for sure that we would escape the wrath of Hurricane Gilbert.  After all, friends had left their homes for the safety of ours... and why would Gilbert presume to take what Allen had not?

During a period of calm, I headed to my bedroom and nodded off to 'the land of dreams'.  My next memory is the sound of the ceiling caving in... SPLAT! {The rafters and zinc sheets had long gone, and the cellotex was waterlogged}.  I opened my eyes to behold the heavens, as droplets caressed my face.

I have not slept through a hurricane since then!

Two decades have long drifted into eternity - and high school, college, adulthood, professional life, marriage and motherhood have beckoned - but the 'hurricane jitters' keep recurring.  The more things change, the more they remain the same.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." -Philippians 4:6(MKJV) 

Since to trust God implicitly is to overcome anxiety, it seems that 'hurricane jitters' is not my primary problem... Trusting is.

Lord, I have absolutely no control over the elements, but You do.  For 21 years, I have held my breath through every hurricane season... exhaling only at the end of each season.  No more.  I place myself in Your Almighty hands and I thank you for Your amazing grace.  Give me Your peace, I pray... in Jesus' name.