God On The Golf Course?

Usually, I try to write my posts beforehand and really study them to be sure they are just so..... but, I'm just writing this one as the thoughts come to me.  Recently, our pastor spoke about "individual spirituality" versus "corporate worship".  He had some excellent points about people who don't attend church and make the excuse that they find God in other places, like on the golf course or in the garden.  Don't get me wrong.  I believe, as Christians, we benefit greatly from the group worship experience and the fellowship with other believers and I think that should be a regular part of our spiritual experience.  But, I, like those who espouse their "private spirituality", find God in my surroundings.  Maybe the golf course is a little stretch, but one of our members did skip church that same morning of this sermon to play golf and he ended up with a hole in one!  Hopefully, he was praising God!

Many times when I feel worried or stressed or discouraged, God speaks to me through the vivid hues of the sunset across the water, or through the intricate and fascinating details of a single brilliant garden flower, or in the quiet morning watching creation begin a new day.  These are powerful and spiritual moments when, like a river, God's peace and comfort flow over me and carry me through the day's trials and joys with renewed purpose and strength.

Appreciating and truly seeing the natural beauty of creation around us expands our faith.  It is a way we can "see" God.  Faith is believing in something you cannot see, but I think our faith is strengthened when we take time to study and admire God's handiwork because it gives us a small glimpse of the goodness, perfection and magnitude of the God we serve and who we will someday worship face to face!

Be blessed!

Tammy

What to do with garden's bounty?

I have been so blessed this year with a great garden! Thanks to God for answering my prayers on this! However, I forgot to pray for wisdom, time and energy to make the best use of all the food he gave us! Oh dear! In case you don't know - I'm a novice Gardener and an "infant" in the area of preserving garden harvest.  But, I'm learning as I go and it is fun (for the most part)!

Tonight, I chopped and blanched yellow squash and zucchini from the garden!

Then after draining, cooling and patting dry, put it into freezer bags for future enjoyment!

Now, I can grab a bag for soup, pasta, casserole or whatever - and have organic, home grown veggies in my cooking all winter long!  Most importantly, when you start this process though - you MUST have a qualified supervisor!!! 

May yours be just as sweet and loyal as mine!  Happy Gardening!

Be blessed!

Tammy

OCEAN 911

The devastating oil “spill” in the Gulf (how can it be called a spill when it is gushing millions of gallons of oil?) has deeply saddened and distressed me. Who would have ever reasoned that oil will still be pouring into the ocean more than 11 weeks after the explosion at the BP oil rig that claimed 11 precious lives?

The lives lost can never be replaced, and the grief the affected families face is incomprehensible. Perhaps the accident could have been prevented. Time and investigations may reveal the whole truth. I hope so.

But, the environmental impact grows exponentially each day. With tar balls now washing up in Galveston, Texas, this environmental disaster has reached all 5 Gulf States, from Florida to Texas. Worst hit has been Louisiana where sticky oil has coated rare marshlands, home to a large variety of wildlife. I can no longer bear to watch the images of helpless oil coated pelicans unable to even stand up. Ironically, just last year the brown pelican was removed from the endangered species list after efforts in Louisiana to restore their natural habitat enabled the bird population to thrive. Sadly, this tragedy may put this magnificent bird back on the endangered list.

Some people believe that stopping deep water drilling is unacceptable because of the jobs that will be lost. But, those lost jobs are a minute consequence in the big picture. An entire, precious ecosystem is threatened by this unprecedented catastrophe. The gulf coast fishing industry, a $3 billion annual micro-economy, could be ruined for decades, financially devastating thousands and thousands of Americans. Scores of restaurants, dive shop owners and others will be negatively impacted. The affect on tourism in numerous beach areas across the Gulf States may never be fully measured, but to be sure it will be crippling to countless businesses, communities and families who rely on vacation dollars spent by people who want to enjoy pristine white beaches and swim in clear clean ocean water.

We all need to be concerned about the future of our oceans and our planet. All of us should take action to help protect against the contamination of our natural resources. Since fish supply the greatest percentage of the world’s protein consumed by humans, what are the long term consequences if we pollute our oceans until our food is toxic?

Make no mistake - this is one of the most critical issues of our time. If our oceans become a polluted wasteland we will perish. I urge you to take action to protect and restore our planet. Here are some things you can do right now.

• Contact your federal representatives and let them know you want to protect our oceans
• Reduce your energy use – drive less often, use less electricity, be energy efficient
• Use less plastic and don’t put it in our landfills – reuse containers
• Don’t litter and pick up litter when you can
• Use only organic fertilizers and pesticides
• Avoid phosphates and use eco-friendly detergents like Seventh Generation or Mrs. Meyers
• Buy or make your own eco-friendly household cleaners (see http://www.yellowrosenaturals.com/pages/tips.php)
• Use washable cleaning rags, sponges and napkins
• Start a compost bin or pile
• Eat local produce and sustainable seafood
• Recycle – recycle - recycle