Eat the Meat and Spit out the Bones

I saw this post on my friend Sheryl's blog and it got me thinking about our tendencies to discredit a person - famous or not - because of one thing that they say or do. I had a friend tell me years ago that the truth is the truth even if a liar speaks it - and I have tried to filter what I hear or read through that thinking ever since. Sometimes the deepest, most profound truths can come from the most unlikely sources.
I personally find Oprah and Dr. Phil a bit new-agey, self-helpish. It doesn't mean that I am never interested in what they have to say or find helpful information. I take what I feel is useful - and discard what is not. It is like eating meat and spitting out the bones. A lot of people discard things that are said by children or teens -as if they have nothing to offer us. My take on it is this - if we are all created in the image of God - no matter what particular bend our marring by sin may take - we all have something to offer each other.
I haven't watched Oprah in many, many years, and I have never watched Dr. Phil - but I have had occasion to see an interview or humanitarian story, etc. When I do hear them, I take what is useful and reject what is not, or what I know to be untrue. Sometimes you'll hear someone say something like "the power in you" or speak of a "higher power" - and while they are not naming the power - I know that it is God, even if they do not yet.
I see so many people around me being so anti-this and anti-that - when what we need to do is stand for truth, grace and mercy. I think of Jesus, and his response to the woman at the well. I always picture Him from her eyes, at His feet looking up - and I feel so grateful that He didn't go and discredit her to the community. He spoke truth, He showed love, and He went on His way, allowing God to continue the work His words of truth began.

Everything - -

I don't post videos often, and since I already posted one this morning it may seem that I have spent my day browsing videos - but that isn't the case. I was reading blogs on my Google Reader - one linked to another that I have never been to before, and I saw this video there. I almost didn't watch it - having too much to do, but something continued to compel me to come back and watch it. (Was that you Father?) If you ever take 5 minutes to do anything online, I would ask you to take the time to watch this. Please, you won't regret it.

Our Window Garden

I was so excited when I heard that the last frost for our area in SE Texas was the 1st of March! I can't wait to get my garden started. I have really gotten excited about it this weekend because the weather has been so sunny and nice. Last Friday afternoon, Kullen and I covered the 7 x 5 island in my kitchen with dirt, and pots, egg cartons, and seeds of a large assortment. I had purchased these shelves to sit near a sunny window and start my seeds, so I figured I had better get them going. After we were all finished, I really and truly wondered if we would actually grow anything. But yesterday (only 2 1/2 days after planting them!) we started to see some sprouts! Zucchini and squash, melons and cucumbers are all coming up first. Some of the other plants, such as tomatoes, peppers and some of the herbs I planted seem a bit more reluctant. We started some of the seeds in soil, and others in a sort of terrarium environment with these neat pellet things that you expand with water and push the seeds in their centers. This is actually where we're seeing the best results so far. We are also using a "plant" light - as it has been so rainy here in east Texas that I wasn't sure there would be enough sunlight to get these babies going! Kullen is very excited about it- and he even gets upset with me if I happen to water it without him. I think this is one of the best learning experiences of all. I am enjoying the opportunity to work on it with him. I love the lessons of nurturing something and watching it grow! I love getting your hands in the dirt. I love it that we just recently read Genesis 1 again - and learned that each living thing produced seed "after its own kind" - and as Kullen and I planted, we talked about how neat it was to think that the very seeds we were planting descended from the first of those kind in Creation! All of life truly is an opportunity to worship!