JSUK - It is Beatrix Potter's Birthday!

You may, or may not know that Beatrix Potter is the author of several children's books including, "The Tale of Peter Rabbit." All that I could really recall about this book (that I surely heard numerous times during my childhood) was that Peter disobeyed his mother by going into Mr. McGregor's garden for a feast. What I learned after doing a little further research is that his mother asked him not go to to Mr. McGregor's garden because his father was in an unfortunate accident there and was made into pie!!! What a sad story - but, I suppose the moral is to listen to your mother, or you may be made into pie.

Guess what else? Beatrix Potter was a mycologist - she studied Lichens & Spore Germination. What a strange combination a mycologist and a children's author. Just goes to show you, you can do anything you want - don't put yourself into a category!!

Favorite Photo Friday

Reasons that I love this photo: DDR!! Dance, Dance Revolution. It is an arcade game where you get points for following the screen and tapping out the correct moves with your feet, to the beat. It is fun. Diana & Mindy were visiting us in Pennsylvania and we decided to go to a new restaurant/arcade that opened. This picture makes me laugh everytime I see it because we had to wait quite awhile just to get on the game. There were these two boys on the game for forever - AND they had been on it so long that they were sweating. The game is really fun, and I still concede that I would play it everyday if i had one in my basement! Also - I like this photo because everytime I get together with Mindy and Diana - I always have my cowboy boots handy - Diana loves to wear them. I think she has her own now, but I'll still be bringing mine, just in case. ...And the boy that did not want to share his game, See! I told you, he really is sweating!!

Ironman Triathlon

Re-Using Dirt

Sometimes I have these moments where something slips out of my mouth, and before I can realize how "blonde" I sound (i.e. not intelligent) - Dave jumps right in and cracks a joke. 2 actual examples: "Does all cotton come from trees?" ; "You can re-use dirt?".... ah, yes, I really said those things - and for a moment I can sympathize with Jessica Simpson when she's been caught on tape saying, "Is this chicken or is it tuna, because it says - 'Chicken of the Sea'? Which is what she asked her husband while eating a can of tuna. [Of course - I could never make this error because you will never catch me eating tuna - I can smell it a mile away.]

When we moved from PA to MI - I was getting rid of a plant that had died, and Dave told me to save the dirt because we can re-use it. To which I said, "You can re-use dirt?" To which Dave has gotten many, many laughs out of since then.... of course I know that you can re-use dirt, I just wasn't thinking when I said it. Just last week as we were re-planting a few things he was able to bring that line up again, and laugh about it some more, which certainly will not be the last time he gets a good laugh from the dirt comment.

So lately I have been thinking about the idea of re-using dirt. In fact some of the dirt that I was re-using came out in one big clump because the roots from the previous plant were so engraved into the soil that I had to break it apart bit by bit to get the soil that I needed. I stuck my hand in between the roots and took out all of the rich soil that the roots were clinging to. And, at the very end as I shook the roots the last remaining soil crumbled off very easily.

Sometimes Christians forget that God re-uses dirt all of the time. He wants to re-use dirt. He says, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

In fact, haven't we all been dirty at some point? I do not mean being dirty physically. I mean being "life-dirty." Sometimes the dead roots cling to the rich soil and don't want to let it go - should't we reach out to those with dirt in their lives? "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."
1 Corinthians 12:27 From a song: If we are the body, why aren't his arms reaching, why aren't his hands healing, why aren't his words teaching?

So, if we are all part of the body of Christ - how do you think Christ would prefer that we make good use of his hands? I would humbly suspect that he would want us to reach out, and love those that have stumbled in their walk.....and welcome the "dirty" with open-arms - where else will they be welcomed home?

....sometimes it just takes time and prayer to get rid of the dead roots and let the rich soil prepare for something new, and beautiful.