After spending 4 hours at the beach with my grandchildren, Alexa asked, "Nana, what do you do all day?" Of course I chuckled. These children are a high priority for my time. In fact, they are a major reason Ed and I decided to move to Florida just over a year ago. We wanted to be an integral part of their lives and living 8 hours away made that difficult. Like an increasing number of people today, we feel the need to be close to family. I remember studying in sociology classes about nuclear and extended families. While I grew up next door to my grandparents, our children never lived closer than a 5 hour drive to either of theirs. That seemed to be normal in the 80's and 90's. However, with the current state of social unrest in our country, I feel it's important to be close.
It is a well-known fact that how we spend our days is how we spend our lives. I have never wanted to look back with regret for not being a good steward of the time I've been blessed with. There are more "things" begging our attention than ever before. Many can be beneficial. But there is a limit to how many words I can read, how many causes I can support, and how much energy I can expend. So how do we know where to draw the line?
Being semi-retired, I work for myself and get to choose how much time I spend in this endeavor. As a result, I'm always aware of people that I may be able to help in some manner or another. With 38 years of nursing under my belt, it's pretty obvious that I like to help people. Being a force to improve any aspect of a person's life, great or small, gives me tremendous satisfaction. Network marketing fits quite well with who I am and what I consider my purpose. It allows me to be independent, flexible, challenged, and rewarded in tangible and intangible ways. So whether I am helping someone explore a new career path or the benefits of one service over another, I like the feeling that I can make a difference to someone everyday.
Staying informed about local and world events is also important to me. This takes time and discernment. With all the media bombardment these days, it's easy to get overwhelmed. However, I feel a sense of responsibility for understanding and acting on events in my sphere of influence. While I learned a long time ago that I cannot achieve world peace, I can be a voice for reason. It's easy to get swept up in the sensations of news stories. However, all stories are told from someone's point of view and often with a motive. So it takes time to evaluate such information and decide what is important and what is irrelevant, as well as what is true and what is not. So yes, I consider myself an activist. I attend conference calls on National Security. I read news stories. I attend local political meetings and I participate in rallies that I feel passionate about.
Friendships are also really important to me. I am intentional with fostering these relationships. Lunch dates, evenings out, telephone conversations, and even responding to my friends' Facebook posts are important to me. Just last week we bought season tickets to the local symphony to share this time with our friends. And whenever a friend phones me to talk or to schedule a visit, I drop everything unimportant to accommodate their request. Friends and family remain my top priority. When I was 7 years old I learned that we never know when we see someone that it could be the last time.
While these are all important ways to spend my time and my life, there remains yet "a better way." Of course I am referring to time spent in relationship with God, Who nourishes my spirit like none other. The time I spend reading His Word and communing with Him in prayer equip me to make better decisions about everything and especially about prioritizing my time. Since I became convicted about the Holiness of Sabbath, my day of worship has posed a bigger challenge. In the United States Sunday is considered the day of rest for Christians as well as most non-Christians. However, the Bible plainly states that God considers the seventh day of the week, the one westerners all Saturday, to be His Sabbath. "But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates." Exodus 20:10 NKJV So that settles it for me. Most of my family has come into agreement as well.
I thank my granddaughter for asking me what I do all day! It certainly made me take stock of my time to see where I am doing a good job and areas that need to be improved. Just as I must be a good steward of my money, I also must be an equally good steward of my time.
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Compost
Most gardeners appreciate the benefits of compost. To my city friends, this may be a new word. After all, most people try to get over ripe produce, skins, egg shells, and peels out of their homes as soon as possible. To keep this stuff around can result in some disgusting sights and smells! However, we scientific types appreciate the benefits of these "kitchen scraps."
Since matter is neither created nor destroyed, only transformed, composting is an ideal way to "recycle" organic matter. When seen from a scientific perspective, we are performing an organic chemistry experiment. When seen from a spiritual perspective, composting demonstrates the miracle of life and its cyclic renewal. Besides sounding brainy and mysterious, what is the point?
As a gardener, my goal is to have healthy abundant crops in the shortest amount of time. That is why I decided that composting just makes sense. When you consider every banana, potato, onion, and avocado peel, every egg shell and apple core, as well as leaves and grass contain the building blocks for food, it's crazy to just throw it away. And for those of us with chickens, their poop is one of the most organic by-products in the world. The question then is how to transform this garbage into delicious food without having to get too up-close and personal with the whole process. For us, this starts in the kitchen with this Full Circle Natural Cleaning Solutions Fresh Air Odor-Free Kitchen Compost Collector 1.3 Gallon, Green Slate
.
Naturally we don't want things rotting under our noses. This desire has given rise to what are called compost bins. There are many varieties, both store-bought and homemade. Regardless of the type, the principles and outcome are the same. You need a contained area, open or closed, that is easy to water and aerate. A closed bin will turn the vegetation to usable compost faster than an open one. I know this from personal experience. Closing the container causes it to get hotter which speeds up the decomposition. Also, the amount of water matters. An open bin is subject to downpours of rain which will leach the nutrients from the composting matter. However, dry compost takes forever to decompose. This is why dehydrating foods preserves and hydrating causes stuff to rot faster.
Oxygen is necessary so the compost needs to be exposed to air. This is accomplished by mixing up the contents of the bin, which is one of the selling points to a barrel composter. The makers of these barrels tell you to give it a turn a couple of times a week and you're good to go. Some people even put handles on them. Aerating can also be accomplished by manually mixing up the compost with a pitch fork or rake. My sweet husband gave me the perfect tool on our last wedding anniversary. It's called an ames true temper 165117600 True Temper, 4 Tine, Forged Spading Fork,
and I use it twice a week to mix things up. Don't you love a man who knows what his wife really wants?
When I had one open bin, it seemed to take months to have usable compost. Also, I kept adding new stuff to the old so it never seemed ready. When I was planning my Florida garden, I also planned a compost bin. I wanted it close to the garden for obvious reasons. I didn't want to spend a lot of money. And I wanted it to work quickly. As you can tell by my criteria, I'm lazy, cheap, and impatient.
Here's what we used for our homemade compost bin:
1. 10 8ft untreated pine 2 X 4's cut in half
2. nails
3. wire (we used hardware cloth)
4. Tarp
We nailed the boards together in a box shape, alternating them to create openings. We then covered the sides with the hardware cloth and attached the tarp at the rear.
When adding kitchen scraps, we have a "new" side and an "old" side. I put scraps, leaves, grass clippings, egg shells, chicken poop, and wild mushrooms in one side. I continue to turn it twice a week and wet it once or twice a week, keeping it covered with the tarp otherwise. When this side is as full as I want it, I switch the "new" stuff to the other side. Meanwhile I continue to turn and water both sides. The "old" side turns to "black gold" and is ready to use in 6-8.
It makes me feel like a real Earth mother to turn something old, rotten, and smelly into something young, beautiful and delicious. Hopefully compost has now gained some new respect!
Since matter is neither created nor destroyed, only transformed, composting is an ideal way to "recycle" organic matter. When seen from a scientific perspective, we are performing an organic chemistry experiment. When seen from a spiritual perspective, composting demonstrates the miracle of life and its cyclic renewal. Besides sounding brainy and mysterious, what is the point?
As a gardener, my goal is to have healthy abundant crops in the shortest amount of time. That is why I decided that composting just makes sense. When you consider every banana, potato, onion, and avocado peel, every egg shell and apple core, as well as leaves and grass contain the building blocks for food, it's crazy to just throw it away. And for those of us with chickens, their poop is one of the most organic by-products in the world. The question then is how to transform this garbage into delicious food without having to get too up-close and personal with the whole process. For us, this starts in the kitchen with this Full Circle Natural Cleaning Solutions Fresh Air Odor-Free Kitchen Compost Collector 1.3 Gallon, Green Slate
.
Naturally we don't want things rotting under our noses. This desire has given rise to what are called compost bins. There are many varieties, both store-bought and homemade. Regardless of the type, the principles and outcome are the same. You need a contained area, open or closed, that is easy to water and aerate. A closed bin will turn the vegetation to usable compost faster than an open one. I know this from personal experience. Closing the container causes it to get hotter which speeds up the decomposition. Also, the amount of water matters. An open bin is subject to downpours of rain which will leach the nutrients from the composting matter. However, dry compost takes forever to decompose. This is why dehydrating foods preserves and hydrating causes stuff to rot faster.
Oxygen is necessary so the compost needs to be exposed to air. This is accomplished by mixing up the contents of the bin, which is one of the selling points to a barrel composter. The makers of these barrels tell you to give it a turn a couple of times a week and you're good to go. Some people even put handles on them. Aerating can also be accomplished by manually mixing up the compost with a pitch fork or rake. My sweet husband gave me the perfect tool on our last wedding anniversary. It's called an ames true temper 165117600 True Temper, 4 Tine, Forged Spading Fork,
and I use it twice a week to mix things up. Don't you love a man who knows what his wife really wants?
When I had one open bin, it seemed to take months to have usable compost. Also, I kept adding new stuff to the old so it never seemed ready. When I was planning my Florida garden, I also planned a compost bin. I wanted it close to the garden for obvious reasons. I didn't want to spend a lot of money. And I wanted it to work quickly. As you can tell by my criteria, I'm lazy, cheap, and impatient.
Here's what we used for our homemade compost bin:
1. 10 8ft untreated pine 2 X 4's cut in half
2. nails
3. wire (we used hardware cloth)
4. Tarp
We nailed the boards together in a box shape, alternating them to create openings. We then covered the sides with the hardware cloth and attached the tarp at the rear.
When adding kitchen scraps, we have a "new" side and an "old" side. I put scraps, leaves, grass clippings, egg shells, chicken poop, and wild mushrooms in one side. I continue to turn it twice a week and wet it once or twice a week, keeping it covered with the tarp otherwise. When this side is as full as I want it, I switch the "new" stuff to the other side. Meanwhile I continue to turn and water both sides. The "old" side turns to "black gold" and is ready to use in 6-8.
It makes me feel like a real Earth mother to turn something old, rotten, and smelly into something young, beautiful and delicious. Hopefully compost has now gained some new respect!
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Privilege And Responsibility
Privilege and responsibility are foundational to a meaningful life. We often call the privilege to choose our own course of action freedom. The alternative to this freedom is being told what to think, say, and do 24/7. While responsibility literally means the ability to respond, it really means taking into account the rights and needs of others, not just what we want to do at a given moment.
A good example of privilege and responsibility is driving an automobile. To achieve this privilege, one must learn the skills and rules, then obtain a license. To retain the privilege, one must demonstrate responsibility toward others by obeying the rules and laws associated with driving. All drivers know the consequences of irresponsible driving, but some choose to follow their own selfish desires anyway. At best there can be a ticket. At worse there can be loss of life.
From birth, the human tendency is to please self. Because I exercised my free will to believe and follow the God of the Holy Bible and accept His Son Yeshua (Jesus) as my LORD and Savior, I have many privileges and responsibilities. I understand, accept, and DESIRE, that my thoughts, words, and actions be pleasing to God and not just to myself. How does one determine what is pleasing to God? Well, how does one know what is pleasing to his parents, his spouse, or his employer? We ask them and they tell us, right? The same is true with God. We pray, we read His Word, and we seek the counsel of others who already demonstrate an ability to please Him.
Oh how I wish this were simple! Ever since Eve was tempted in the garden, the adversary (Satan) has successfully tempted men and women to doubt what God really said. As a result, we find reasons to question the meaning of every word in Scripture. This undoubtedly gave rise to the legal profession. After all, isn't the word "legalistic" often used to describes people who inject their own interpretation into the words? Inevitably, we have to use what we know and what has been decided in the past, to give understanding to the present meaning of words.
While privilege and responsibility sound simple, they are not. In my lifetime, I have witnessed the loss of many privileges we took for granted. The current world situation has many of us afraid of losing even more. What are we to do as responsible citizens and as Believers? First of all, we must declare our primary allegiance to God and the goal of pleasing Him. So we pray and read His Word as stated above. We are also responsible to His creation, which includes our fellow man. We must stay informed and guard against being led astray by seeds of doubt planted by the adversary. We must also join forces with other Believers to encourage each other and stand firm together.
Our failure to exercise responsibility for understanding and protecting our privileges will result in their loss. Just as Eve's lack of responsibility removed her privilege to dwell in the Garden of Eden, our decisions also determine whether we continue to enjoy God-given privileges as well those currently provided by the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. My prayer is that we all carefully evaluate popular ideas that challenge our privileges. Free Speech, the Freedom to Assemble, and the Right to Bear Arms can be taken from us unless we assume the responsibility to protect them.
The more we read and study the Word of God, the clearer this concept becomes. God clearly told His people what was required for them to enjoy the privileges associated with residing in the Promised Land. Consequences of being responsible or irresponsible are inevitable. We must remain mindful of our responsiblity as God-fearer, spouse, parent, employee, citizen or leader. There are many privileges associated with these titles. These privileges are precious. Let's all take personal responsibility to protect them.
A good example of privilege and responsibility is driving an automobile. To achieve this privilege, one must learn the skills and rules, then obtain a license. To retain the privilege, one must demonstrate responsibility toward others by obeying the rules and laws associated with driving. All drivers know the consequences of irresponsible driving, but some choose to follow their own selfish desires anyway. At best there can be a ticket. At worse there can be loss of life.
From birth, the human tendency is to please self. Because I exercised my free will to believe and follow the God of the Holy Bible and accept His Son Yeshua (Jesus) as my LORD and Savior, I have many privileges and responsibilities. I understand, accept, and DESIRE, that my thoughts, words, and actions be pleasing to God and not just to myself. How does one determine what is pleasing to God? Well, how does one know what is pleasing to his parents, his spouse, or his employer? We ask them and they tell us, right? The same is true with God. We pray, we read His Word, and we seek the counsel of others who already demonstrate an ability to please Him.
Oh how I wish this were simple! Ever since Eve was tempted in the garden, the adversary (Satan) has successfully tempted men and women to doubt what God really said. As a result, we find reasons to question the meaning of every word in Scripture. This undoubtedly gave rise to the legal profession. After all, isn't the word "legalistic" often used to describes people who inject their own interpretation into the words? Inevitably, we have to use what we know and what has been decided in the past, to give understanding to the present meaning of words.
While privilege and responsibility sound simple, they are not. In my lifetime, I have witnessed the loss of many privileges we took for granted. The current world situation has many of us afraid of losing even more. What are we to do as responsible citizens and as Believers? First of all, we must declare our primary allegiance to God and the goal of pleasing Him. So we pray and read His Word as stated above. We are also responsible to His creation, which includes our fellow man. We must stay informed and guard against being led astray by seeds of doubt planted by the adversary. We must also join forces with other Believers to encourage each other and stand firm together.
Our failure to exercise responsibility for understanding and protecting our privileges will result in their loss. Just as Eve's lack of responsibility removed her privilege to dwell in the Garden of Eden, our decisions also determine whether we continue to enjoy God-given privileges as well those currently provided by the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. My prayer is that we all carefully evaluate popular ideas that challenge our privileges. Free Speech, the Freedom to Assemble, and the Right to Bear Arms can be taken from us unless we assume the responsibility to protect them.
The more we read and study the Word of God, the clearer this concept becomes. God clearly told His people what was required for them to enjoy the privileges associated with residing in the Promised Land. Consequences of being responsible or irresponsible are inevitable. We must remain mindful of our responsiblity as God-fearer, spouse, parent, employee, citizen or leader. There are many privileges associated with these titles. These privileges are precious. Let's all take personal responsibility to protect them.
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