Saturday, August 26, 2023

What It all Means...


Truth be told, I have been accused upon occasion of being ¨too deep¨....and that may be true once in a blue moon.....
Today my deep thought was about what these summer rains gushing into Ontario might mean.

Our city is overgrown with all kinds of planted and ¨volunteer¨ plants that just pop up without invitation. It´s like one small shrub finds a juicy spot to grow and then it sends a wire over to it´s cousins to come take over the place.

There is all manner of everything growing up here in Simcoe County. Wild apples, planted apples, wild raspberries, planted domestic raspberries....wild mullein. And then there is this weird looking invasive vine-ish plant that is trying to climb up and over almost every tree in every forest or meadow.

It isn´t that I need to hear a mysterious reason for this affluence of growth....but the rains have been a blessing. There is no better word for it....than a blessing. Why? Because rain means growth for plants means more food for animals and ultimately for the many humans that grow in my city and the surrounding territories. While we are not considered a ¨bread basket¨ of Canada, we might be referred to as corn row. There are farms that circle the outskirts of my city....with tidy rows of machine fed corn.....towering high into the fluffy blue clouds.

In the business world, of which I am a part, mankind feels so powerful, that every little decision weighs so much and is so important to the present and future tense of the business.

But when we step outside and walk quietly on an overgrown path in a dewy forest that fosters exquisite wild birds calling out to the stranger in their midst, we are reminded that we ain´t that big a deal. 

At the end of the day, it isn´t us that controls the rains here. We don´t have the forest fire smoke anymore that haunted us a few weeks ago....We don´t have rampant unemployment. We don´t have floods.
We have loads of ¨normal¨.
Normal days of normal work and plans for normal school years. We eat normal foods on normal days and watch somewhat normal news on the telly.

We send normal cards to normal folks on normal days of celebration. We pray for rain and then we pause. Oh ya, we already have that....loads of that.

And so, dear God, in case I didn´t mention it....I thank you for the rains....the extravagant growth that reaches into all corners and up to the wooded hills. Thank you for the cooing doves that sit on our fence in a pair. Thank you for the hand drawn picture of a blue jay from my nephew´s little one.

Thank you for growth and thank You for normal. Loads of growth....and loads of normal. Amen.






Thursday, August 3, 2023

If You Are A Woman and You Have Goals


If you are going to be a woman who sets goals and actually accomplishes them.....you just might come up against some opposition.

Folks will be offended by your ¨driven¨ qualities and may even call you the ¨b¨ word.  You are going to have to learn to carry on in spite of that stuff. They are just distractions trying to keep you from your chosen path.

I want to encourage you today ladies. I see how even today a woman resented my confidence and productivity and proceeded to call me an offensive word in a public place. Of course, this was not what you would call a ¨glamourous¨ place I was at, but still, it was a bit shocking to have such a loud and unpredictabl outburst from a total stranger.

But there is a verse in the bible (Ephesians 6:12) that talks about how ¨we do not fight against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities and against the rulers of the darkness of this world...( there is more to this verse...but you get the general idea)
What does this mean? It means that what seems to just be a weird natural occurence, may actually be a malicious movement by the powers of darkness. 

Now why would anyone care about your success or feel threatened by your movement towards your goals? Perhaps because the devil knows when you get some momentum going you are going to be unstoppable! Unstoppable goal oriented women are POWERFUL! Unstoppable goal oriented women CHANGE the WORLD!

So, if someone starts behaving differently towards you since you started making new progress in life, please don´t be  alarmed. They are just part of that ¨ old structure¨ that resents change and likes to hold women in obscurity.

Sisters, friends, cousins, mothers, daughters, please write down your goals and do not loose sight of them.
Know that the time you invest in pursuing your goals is not wasted time or money. Don´t give up! Go full force! Don´t let anyone stop you! Don´t let any emotion or ¨feeling¨ or weird occurence slow you down.

You are powerful because you know the power of a certain decision, a focused choice.
Someone who can stay on target and move with all their heart towards one written goal is a force to be reckoned with!


Well, friends, that´s all I got for you today. 
Be blessed, be powerful....be good.

Peace,
Carla



Saturday, July 22, 2023

Calm and Earthy....Sand and Gentle Suns





There is a certain kind of nervana....not sure if that is the right word....but sounds just about right. It´s not nervous energy....not flighty thoughts of paradise or hyper productivity, but a certain quiet peace that comes when all is right around you. When communications with friends and colleagues are pleasant and patient....and when the sun has a chance to bake through the cosmos of our little suburban haven.

I am growing Mullein, that beloved herb that most folks think is just a weed....but it is valued highly among my people. I bought the tea bags of organic Mullein leaves from online....and using it to heal the coughs that afflicted me some weeks ago. Have been gently surprised that it works.....so quietly. You forget the power of a gentle herb. You forget the power of prayer and quiet contemplation. 

I walk slowly through my neighborhood, nodding ever so subtly at those who recognize my gait. It is nice to be known...to feel the hedges of shelter by those who have grown familiar with the sight and presence of my thoughtful meanderings.

I hope the neighbors also feel that sense of peace, of quiet confidence and security that comes from being recognized...of someone knowing and recognizing their soul. Some neighbors I have never known nor thought to ask their last name. It doesn´t matter. Their souls have inhabited this block of modernity for more than a decade. Their children have grown up with my children.

There is a blessing in the clouds, and sometimes in the valleys. When it rains too much, we hunker down....we don´t go out. We prep the furnace and hide the furniture from any outdoor sprinkles.
To slow down is serenity. To slow down is the let the world stop spinning. To pause the spin. To enter in...that peaceful place of calm and quiet observation. 

To say to the Lord, of heaven and earth, that we exist in peace together, not yelling, not raising our voices, but no....staying quiet and entering in. There is a verse from deep in the scriptures...that says ¨Be still and know that I am God¨. This is where I rest. This is the sacred rock of truth.

I have all that I need. 

Peace.
C.

Sunday, July 16, 2023

Are We Alone?

















As a church goer, I thought i would have a little chat with you, my friends about the possibility of ¨alien¨ or other kinds of creatures living on other planets.

The approach I want to take is simply to address what I feel needs to be said about Christianity and the possibility of the existence of aliens.

I am going to keep this chat really short, because I feel strongly that we need to come against the weird fear that seems to creep up on those consider themselves to be people of faith.

So, in a nut shell, this is my humble opinion. I have no idea if there are any people or creatures living on other planets other than earth. But I do know this....that if we as a human race, begin to interact with people or creatures from ¨elsewhere¨...then, the christian folks will simply explain the story of Jesus Christ to them, in whatever manner or language that they can understand. It would be a grand privilege to share the existence of Jesus with another type of being. It does not change the message. Jesus´s love and awesomeness does not change if there are other creatures that exist that we have yet to meet.

Knowing Jesus is the greatest honour of my life. I am not afraid of the unknown and I don´t feel that any other Christian should be afraid of what is or what will be. We are people of faith and courage and joy. We have the great gift to know our Creator and our Saviour.

We live by faith, not fear. And no, the existence of aliens would not shatter my faith in God. It would merely give us another frontier in which to spread his beautiful message of love, healing, peace and joy.

Peace out,
Carla


Yay! I recognized a Native Herbal plant growing in my own City



I´ve been an amateur noob forager for years....always interested in learning how to find local edibles in the natural environment of my home town in Northern Ontario, Canada.     I´ve watched too many youtube videos and finally had a breakthrough this week. I was able to find and identify a local plant that I had seen described as Mullein. The leaves and flowers of this plant can be dried and made into a medicinal tea. It has been described as helpful for many areas of human health. Note that this post is not intended as medical advice. All medical advice should be obtained from a licensed medical professional. 
The leafy parts you can see better in the photo below.

I had recently purchased tea bags of the Mullein Leaf to make tea at home to do a cleanse of the lungs. I do find the tea to be calming and has a similar taste and feel as nettle tea.



Rob Greenfield is a radical forager from the USA that I must admit I have learned a lot from. He has learned so much about what is readily available in his American environment to nibble on and assist him in living a healthy natural lifestyle.

It is that bond that nature lovers have with the earth that has always drawn in my respect. ItÅ› not that we worship the earth. No....we worship God who created the earth and all that there is. There is a big difference between worshipping God and worshipping what He has made.

Anyway, there is a wonderful earthiness that I appreciate when I can make a connection between what I can find and identify in my environment and what I choose to eat. In this case, of finding wild Mullein... I have not yet chosen to harvest what I found, as I am using the tea bags that I purchased on line. But it is a big step for me to be able to even name something in the wild that I did not previously know and that does not come up in casual conversation.

So friends, have you ever found something in the wild that you were able to identify and actually consume? Did it work out well? Did you feel ok after consuming it? Or better yet, did that plant make you feel healthier? Calmer? Or more connected to the natural world?

Do tell :)
Blessings from Northern Ontario,  Canada.
Carla





Saturday, June 24, 2023

To Pray or Not to Pray





Perhaps you are wondering if prayer is a waste of time or not. 
I want to help you understand that prayer is one of the most powerful tools a human being can hold in their hands.

I was thinking this week about how to put this into words based upon my own experience. 

I have experienced that prayer determines my life and path. Life is not the boss of you. Your prayers literally create and direct your timeline and experiences. If you choose to not pray, you are allowing other forces to control and direct your destiny. Wouldn´t you rather be in the driver´s seat? Wouldn´t you rather see God move in your life and in those for whom you pray?

Never believe that lie that prayer is wasted time. Prayer is one of the most valuable expenditures of time in the universe. Prayer moves promotion. Prayer moves healings into place. Prayer moves protections into place. Prayer removes temptations.  Prayer provides opportunity for growth.

I want to add one more thing if you are deciding to invest some precious time into prayer. Be aware of who you are praying to. Pray to God the Father in the name of 
Jesus. It is the best way, in my humble opinion.


Don´t be afraid to make mistakes in prayer. God appreciates your willingness to try and communitcate with Him. He will welcome your presence before Him with open arms. Allow Him to bless you in this area of life and you will begin to see other people get blessed too, when you take the time to pray for them by name.
Thanks for listening.

Carla












Sunday, June 18, 2023

Land was barren. He dug 10-acre underground village & orchard


This, my friends is the story of a maker. Back in the days when no one needed permits to build or dig....the man simply created whatever he imagined in his own mind to create. No one stopped him. Perhaps some people tried....but he was persistent. Clever use of land and hand held tools....acres of rooms and indoor orchards designed to protect and nurture a perpetual harvest.

I was reading the comments beneath this video as it is posted on youtube....and one person commented about how the modern notion of permits stops folks from doing things like this. But I would have to say....that if God has given you the desire to build...you must obey what God has given you to do in this life. Yes, fight for the right permits....but never stop building.


Peace,
Carla