Jeepers Cheepers?

This is Pecky.
This is Pushy.

I now have 4 chicks:two older ones, and two new little ones. Fortunately they are all getting along great. Now we just have to wait and see if they are hens or roosters.

These two are Twitch and Hermes.

121-130

121. My mom and sister flying half way around the world to visit me!

122. Lizzy's back!

123. New photo possibilities with a new camera... hopefully more to come... once I figure out how it works... =D

124. The sound of my sister waking up in the morning.

125. My mom making a whole pot of coffee in the morning.

126. Pecky and Pushy nesting in my sister's hair.

127. A tan sky about to pour rain

128. Sugarfree cinnamon gum

129. Waking myself up in the middle of the night speaking Kurdish

130. Ten copies of "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp to give away (soooo excited!)

Good Work...

There are some days where I enjoy nothing so much as housework. Today was one of those. I dread the pile of grading that awaits me. But cleaning my house for the arrival of a good friend, my mom, and my sister thrills me to my toes.

I have realized however, that my house looks a little ghetto. Nothing matches. I've been so blessed to inherit things from a wide variety of households (this means I actually have enough bedding, etc, to host people!), but it also means that none of it was bought with any thought for the other things in the room. Thus, coordinating colors or decorating themes are not even to be dreamed of. That combined with the style and patterns found in Middle Eastern items makes it even less cohesive than it might otherwise be.

Part of the amazement in this is that I don't normally notice these things anymore. I don't think about it again until I try to look at it with my mother's eyes. When I see how my sister (who's amazing decorative abilities have painted nearly every wall in her house) might see these places and items, I'm a little embarrassed. It's a good thing she's so nice!

But none of that makes it not worth it for them to come. I'm SOOOOO excited! =D

The Smell of Warm Dust

It is amazing how certain smells, however unpleasant, can be the triggers of amazing feelings of home, warmth, or happiness. In the winter it is the smell of kerosene and the heater fumes which although minimal, permeate everything. The other day I walked past a man who was smoking a cigar and it smelled exactly like a smell in my pastor's house in the States. I also once met a man here that wore the same cologne as my brother and it really caught me off guard. But now, in April, there begins a new smell... a summer and adventure smell... the smell of warm dust. It blows in and coats every thing every day. I hate dust. But the smell of warm dust is exciting and full of promise to me. I know; odd. But it is one of the many things I am thankful for.

110. Brightly colored flash card pile

111. That chicks have distinctive personalities... who knew!

112. Finding a notebook with colors and words that I am not ashamed of carrying around... it says "Nautre show charm to express the greatness of God." Misspellings and grammar problems included for everyone's enjoyment!

113. My students helping me with confusing vocabulary.

114. Finding the Odyssey read aloud by Ian McKellan

115. The birthdays of little girls and seeing people grow

116. Being considered a ravishing beauty here... trying to be thankful... it does feel nice to be admired... right? Being thankful even when it creates awkward situations because I don't know how God might be using it in the lives of the people who see how I respond... (like everyone in the grocery store).

117. Star Trek... comforting in an odd sort of way... reminds me of home and when I was young.

118. Prshing... sunbeams!

119. Having a headache go away

120. Bananas that are more amazing than any I've had in the States

101-109

101. People who will brave the crazy sandwich shop to get me dinner.

102. My parents willingness to research and advise on camera choices.

103. How thrilled people are here when I dress in their traditional clothing.

104. All the birds that live on our house.

105. Coffee in the morning.

106. Vacation where I can spend an hour reading (not school stuff) and not feel guilty.

107. Eucalyptus mint lotion from Bath and Body Works.

108. Feeling very protected and safe, even on a busy street full of people, even when I stick out with my blond hair.

109. Having accomplished a lot on my lesson plans.

Happy Newroz!

94-100

94. New camera anticipation. I've been dreaming of taking pictures again for weeks now as I researched various brands, prices, bells and whistles. Decided on the Panasonic FZ40 as a good balance for my needs here.

95. The smell of hyacinths

96. Spring temperatures

97. Dinner and games with friends with no two people from the same country!

98. According to above... that I even have friends!

99. Happy flashcards (bright colors and unusual combinations!)

100. My parents who buy me whatever I want (the day after I send them a list) and send it to me! (Aren't they just so sweet to me!)

On Buying a New Camera

Ok... so as some of you might know, my camera is taking a long (most likely permanent) vacation in a lost and found storage room somewhere between Seattle, WA and Istanbul, Turkey. Since then I've been searching around for a new camera. Now, I like taking pictures and I do need one for some of my work here. I've saved up some money, but certainly not the thousands of dollars needed to buy a truly fantastically amazing more-than-I-could-ever-need sort of camera. I'm not interested in one of those anyway. But I've learned more and more about photography and I do want something beyond your most basic point and shoot. Did you know there are about 3million options out there online? How's a girl to know? I've read tons of reviews. There are pros and cons to every product. One person raves about a camera's awesomeness... another says it was the worst purchase EVER! Scary. And a purchase here isn't some short term trial. There's no send it back the next day sort of thing, someone has to carry it back halfway across the world in a suitcase.

The one I'm looking at right now is Canon SX30IS. Anyone know anything about it? I've read tons and it looks like it could be a good fit and would allow me to take images from a safe distance as I hate to feel the tourist in the place where I LIVE. Awkward.

Pondering

• Ancient Greek History... condensing years of education into roughly a month of classes.

• The Odyssey... interesting, fruitful, and self-directed activities relevant to 10th graders.

• Kurdish Language... verb tenses, pronouns agglutinating into verbs, and vocabulary in general.

• Plants... when will they grow!

• "I will glory in my Redeemer..."

• Conflict and Confrontation... how does one communicate these sorts of things without freaking out, how does one know when these things ought to be communicated.
  

• Vacuuming and Clothes in the Dryer... waiting for the city power, will it come back before midnight?

85. Successfully hosting team dinner
86. The plant selling Arab man's smile
87. Quiet
88. The pigeon-dove cooing with the hymns playing
89. The orange-red chicken on my sidewalk this afternoon
90. Wind-- the rusha-ba
91. People who hug me and help me with dishes
92. Understanding the "Betterness" of some things
93. Dreams that seem so real and tangible that they teach something

74-84

74. My first sprout in my garden... one in the flower box!

75. A cherry tree near my language teacher's house in full bloom.

76. People who care about me being alone.

77. Getting through my whole stack of language flashcards before my next lesson.

78. Sangria

79. Settlers of Catan game nights with friends

80. Beautiful journals with small lines

81. A clean kitchen

82. Friends to serve

83. God's peace after a storm

84. Two weeks of holiday!

Not Exactly Twitterpated

Twitter is a huge fad: one I always hoped to avoid.

Then the people I work for decided that this huge fad would be a good way to communicate and hopefully do some recruiting for more teachers in my area.

So, today, I signed up for twitter. I officially made my first "tweet". And I gave myself one more thing that I have to keep track of.

Why are they called "tweets" anyway? Is it because "a little bird told me"? Sounds like the perfect excuse for accelerated gossip to me. But what is used for evil the hands of some, God can use for good. So here goes...

Fix-it Success

For over a year now, our dryer has had some sort of problem with it's handle. It wouldn't spring back after it shut. It took some fidgeting to get it to latch so that the dryer would actually run. Today, it suddenly occurred to me that I should see if I could fix it. I took out all the screws in the door and it came apart pretty easily. Then I had the handle in my hand and two little pieces of rusty metal wire of some sort. This is what it is supposed to look like:

On ours the two metal wires with loops were broken off about half an inch past the plastic. It took me a while to figure out what it was supposed to look like... searched and found this image online where you could buy a replacement part for a different brand. Hmmm.... heavy duty wire, that bends, but returns to it's original shape... This is not something I have in piles around my home. But, being a teacher, I do have these:

So I took one of the silver metal parts and fit it into the handle next to the broken wires. (They were still holding some parts together.) And then I tested it out. It worked! Our dryer handle is fully functional now... just hope it stays that way.

Thanks to my awesome parents who taught me to think creatively and how to fix things!

67-73

Knowing when it is the right time or topic to confront someone is a tricky thing. It doesn't matter what the issue is, big or small, but it stresses me as I walk and pray and walk and pray. It is something I would choose NEVER to do if I had my way. If people don't understand what I say and become defensive, I get nervous and even more unclear. It's all lost at that point. I should just walk away. My inner child (if I have one) crawls in under the stairs and weeps. It might be something else weeping down there. And this leads me to some of the reasons I am thankful...

67. I work with a team of people who are gracious and will forgive.

68. They say thank you even when I've been a jerk.

69. They teach me not to assume that everyone understands things the same way I do.

And in other things...

70. Electricity in the morning

71. Food in the house so that I can cook

72. Progress on the compost bin

73. Sunshine and warmer weather

What's in YOUR Wallet?

Marijuana

I need the perfect, sinless sacrifice of Jesus Christ who can take all the broken messes and make them into mosaics of Grace. --Ann Voskamp

My students laugh at me when I tell them all things are grace. They tell me that I sound like I'm on drugs. I am... I've found the cure.

Blessings

Did you know that some people buy ambient noises for their homes, like ocean waves and birds chirping. Well, here, that's the kind of thing we get for free! Not the ocean sounds, unfortunately. But there are some birds nesting in the hole in our wall that is for the AC/heater cords and hoses to go out. It makes for some interesting listening in the morning especially. I think they are some sort of sparrow. It was a little unnerving one morning, however, when I found a feather on our floor under the hole.

59-66

59. Dirt and the hope of a compost bin

60. Reminders of God's promises from others

61. Going jacketless to language lessons

62. Having people I can e-mail when I'm broken

63. A 'cuppa' with some old friends

64. Getting my grades entered into my computer

65. 800 mg Ibuprofen

66. Being totally out of my comfort zone

55-58

I don't feel like being thankful today. But I am thankful:

55. That no one is threatening my life.

56. That I enjoy my Kurdish class even when I'm tired.

57. That God convicts me of sin and that even when I don't want to let my bitterness go I see that it is worth it because God is worth so much more than my hurt feelings.

58. For my quiet bedroom.

A Day in My Life...

The alarm went off at 5:55am, which wasn't too bad since I'd been to bed on time the night before. I got up, called my mom and we talked for about an hour until the power went out at 7am. I took a shower, got ready for the day, and began my fifteen minute timers. Fifteen minutes in the living room, fifteen in the kitchen, fifteen in the bathroom... I skipped my bedroom one because I cleaned it pretty well yesterday and used it to mix up a batch of bagels instead. I took the trash out that Molly had bagged up, removed the "Die America" sign from the windshield of my car, and carried up a new propane tank. Did you know that if you want that rusty colored jeans look all you need to do is carry a large rusty propane tank up your stairs! Voila! $100 dollar jean look for only 7,000 dinar! It's a deal! I did some grading and got the bagels in the oven. Now I'm off to a homeschool mom's meeting and it's only 11am! Happy Day!

The Disciplined Life

Today: Feeling convicted. How often am I one of those who "joyful rise"? Do I offer each morning to God? It's his anyway. Why don't I? Elizabeth Elliot put it well:

We make a huge joke about our self-indulgence and treat with amusement our failure to pull ourselves out of bed early enough to get to work without a hectic rush. An eighteenth-century hymn by Thomas Ken would seem quaint nowadays:

Awake my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run:
Shake off dull sloth and joyful rise
To pay thy morning sacrifice.

46-54

46. Pouring drenching brown rain that turns everything to mud including the tile patio, but it makes the sky clear!

47. Not getting days off for local rioting because it means my kids (students) aren't curiously wandering about the streets getting hurt.

48. Helping resolve issues peacefully between friends.

49. Ranch dressing... enough said.

50. Talking with the neighbor lady and being able to be a friend who knows what it is like to live in a different culture and learn a new language. (She's used to living in the UK, but doesn't speak English.)

51. A water bottle full of Airborne to drink all morning in class.

52. Being caught up on my grading (even if it was only 12 hours!)

53. Whoever it was that switched on the neighborhood power breaker to our house (we were running the dryer)... thank you!

54. Reading Psalms with my kids... we can't get to God... SO MUCH TRUTH!

I can't even think about anything else anymore except good conversations with my students as they walk themselves through their own depravity. The Word is so logical. Everything follows. How amazing is that!

Praying

I think I am learning to pray for things that I've never thought of. I prayed for a table and God has promised me one. I've prayed for years for the harvest here and I was told it was here, ready, now by a great man. And now, when I go to pray for something that is not as big and certainly not as important, I hesitate. Is this really what God wants? Is this really something worth praying for?

As a young girl I remember my mother teaching me that nothing is too small to pray for. Having searched through the shoe basket what seemed a hundred times I was then praying to find my lost shoe to put on for church.

NOTHING is too small for the God who made cells and atoms and electrons and amoebas and fingerprints and isn't this a horribly and amazingly complicated "backdrop" for the story that God is so flamboyantly writing?

So I pray for books. Enough to give away to aching expat women. Pray with me.

40-45

40. Pictures of my friends babies. (So cute!)

41. Texts that wake me up at 3am from a dear friend 11 time zones away.

42. The toys and puzzles in my house getting played with.

43. Green tea and white pear scented candles.

44. Relying on God for provision in every area of life... and how this becomes a habit after extended practice.

45. Having lasted longer in the psychological war with my students than they expected. (They tell me they are now going to bring out the big guns!)

Happy

34-39

34. The smell of bacon cooking. I live in the Middle East; this is truly an amazing thing.

35. My yellow tablecloth.

36. Asking God for some kind of extra time off and actually getting it. (Who knew that a celebration of Muhammad's birthday could be an answer to prayer.)

37. A clean house.

38. Listening to sermons on Ecclesiastes. I'm so excited to teach this next week.

39. Molly wearing a camo adventure hat.

My students' next writing topic...

What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man's spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. Worship is pure or base as the worshipper entertains high or low thoughts of God. For this reason the gravest question before the Church is always God Himself.”

- A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy.

Molida

Here, there isn't 24 hours a day of electricity. The city provides anywhere between 6-12 hours of power which lately has been at about half power, leaving lights dim and the refrigerator off. Then we have Molida, or a neighborhood generator. This gives us what we pay for, about 6 amps. It isn't enough to run heaters or the hot water heater but does great for lights, computers, and the internet. We've discovered that it will also run the microwave... but only in segments of time less than 30 seconds. After 30 seconds it will flip our neighborhood fuse.

This all leads up to the point that I just spent almost 10 minutes heating up my soup in 30 second increments. Sometimes I wonder where the time goes... this is one of the places.

26-33

26. Gerbera daisies in bright colors

27. New lamps with bulbs that are more than 20 watts! I love light!

28. A team who loves me in spite of my faults.

29. The book of Judges and how it, too, points to Christ

30. The aroma of Highlander Grog Coffee

31. The eyes of someone desperately concerned about their sin

32. Making dinner for a large group of people! (As a single girl with one roommate this isn't everyday for me!)

33. Having made it to the age of 27.

I Win!

I managed to celebrate my birthday without my class being in an uproar, without a super dry oil frosted cake, without silly string or crazy snow, and without any perfume being given me as a present. I win!!!

Thankful... trying...

I am remembering that this large pile of grading means that I have students who are working hard and turning in their homework and learning things.

21-25

21. Seeing God work in students through the prayers of many

22. A white cloud shaped like a flower seen through a hole in dark grey storm clouds

23. The song "I will glory in my Redeemer" running through my head on repeat

24. Cranberry Juice

25. Perfectly timed sunbreaks in a freshly cleaned kitchen

18. Being able to talk in Kurdish for 2 hours... however incorrectly!

19. Coffee with Baileys.

20. Overcoming the fears of becoming a student again.

15. My meeting was postponed and I get to spend the evening at home!

16. Gentlemen who carry things for me... thanks Erik!

17. Learning to live without a camera... it is good.

Walking through the water...

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
² When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
³ For I am the LORD your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;"
--Isaiah 43:1b-3a

Amazing... we walk through the waters on dry land.

One Thousand Gifts

One of the things I'm thankful for is for Ann Voskamp at A Holy Experience. My mother first introduced me and God uses her. I am reminded of how to revel in the simple glories of God, how to even see them. So I continue my list that I've begun so many times but always forget what number I'm at.

11. Buying flowers from a man who rattles quickly at me in Arabic like I can understand

12. Dancing wildly in the kitchen alone

13. God made miniature lemon trees

14. All the different kinds of laughter, how each is like a fingerprint for each person

8. Feeling well again after food poisoning!

9. The cozy warmth of fleece sheets.

10. A hot shower in the morning.

4. Cutting fresh parsley

5. Fresh squeezed lemon juice dripping down my arms

6. The moon large and close to the mountains reflecting brightly with snow

7. Earthquakes--get your heart pumping, no exercise needed!

Thankful

I am thankful:

1. for the man who ran to the nearby shops to look for Energizer batteries when all I really meant was that I needed a battery the same size as the one I brought in, not the same brand.

2. that I was able to find the right kind of short concrete nails so that I don't have to mess with cracked plaster and bent nails.

3. that my room is really well insulated and keeps in the heat.

Music and Video

Watching music videos in another language can be an interesting way to pass the time. You watch the video and try to figure out what the song is about or what the storyline is. This becomes a bit confusing sometimes. It is a popular thing in hotel lobbies and restaurants in the ME to play a music video on a television screen. However, the music playing over the speakers does not often match the music video.

Example: At this moment I am listening to love songs, this one has a Spanish flair... but the video on the screen is something of a rock band, head banging, flashing lights, strange face paint. Hmmm...

Another Round of "I'm an Idiot on My Way to Istanbul"

(In case you have forgotten first round was several years ago when I showed up in Istanbul with only 14 dollars and had to beg the rest of the money for my Visa.)

This year, I came prepared. But then in Seattle, I lost my wallet. I still don't know how. By God's grace, I was with friends who were able to gather up enough cash for me to make my way back across the world. I felt horrible. All my enthusiasm (there hadn't been much) for travel was gone.

But that's not all! I got a two for one deal on losing stuff this time around. Somehow in an airplane or airport I (groggy, dazed, and half asleep) also managed to lose my camera. Fabulous, isn't it. So... instead of taking pictures around the beautiful and sunny city of Istanbul, I'm writing a blog post.

I rarely lose things. So why now? I hear the ever selfish question, "Why me, God?"

But God knows what he is doing. He is faithful. And I felt I had the answer as I read a passage from an anthology of George MacDonald's writing arranged by C.S. Lewis.

"For love loves unto purity. Love has ever in view the absolute loveliness of that which it beholds. Where loveliness is incomplete, and love cannot love its fill of loving, it spends itself to make more lovely, that it may love more; it strives for perfection, even that itself may be perfected--not in itself, but in the object... Therefore all that is not beautiful in the beloved, all that comes between and is not of love's kind, must be destroyed. and our God is a consuming fire."

I know my God loves me. And as he consumes the self-reliance, pride, and independence in my heart, it might hurt, like Eustace's dragon scales coming off. But this is only to make me more lovely and more like Christ.

'Tis the Season

It is the season where people tie a Christmas tree to the top of their cars and drive about each one with a giddy look on his face.

Which one of these things is not like the others!

My grandfather used to collect clocks. You had better carry your own timepiece with you in his house or you will never know what time it is! These are just a few The second to last one was dug out of an old barn in Norway!

First Snow (In Which I Take Pictures of Red Things)

I like the color red. Or maybe it is more accurate to say that some red livens up things and makes them look cheerful. Therefore, as I walked and took pictures, I only ended up taking pictures with something red in them.

Snow's Early Arrival

My sister has decided that she really wants something called a "wallflower" for the basement. It is an air freshener that works really well and she hopes that it will mask the rather potent smell of my brothers body spray. It smells great on him in person, but it should have a label warning against the choking fumes that fill the basement every morning.
Thus I have begun keeping tabs on sales and specials at Bath and Body Works where they sell these wallflowers. Today an advertisement popped up with the fragrance Snow Apple Mint. Now, generally I find fragrance names somewhat melodramatic. Nothing like the difference between "Exotic Coconut" and "Creamy Coconut" to make you give up entirely. Or how about "Moonlight Path"? What is that supposed to smell like? Whatever the case, I can usually come up with the idea that that thing or situation would smell like something. But Snow? Snow doesn't smell... Sure, other things smell when you have snow. I associate the smell of snow with wood and sap because that was always on my snow gloves from having hauled firewood as a kid. But that is not typical.
I also object to the fragrance name because snow, apple and mint sound like a very strange combination. What are these people thinking?

Community

Universities gather people together in the same stage of life and experience (generally) and puts them all in the same bale. But afterward everyone is threshed and beaten. The grain of who each person is mixed in with people from other parts of the field. Some grew near the edge with the weeds. Others weren't fertilized the same. A few were near the path and barely escaped being eaten by the birds.

And while this metaphor breaks down at a certain point, I have come to realize that after some life is lived it is hard to find others at the same point in that growth. It is hard to build community when my life experience is so wildly different from most people I know. Getting to know people is hard and complicated.

I had a friend visit this week. One of my dearest friends, Katie lived with me for 2 years in the ME. She and I talked for hours and hours and hours. We never ran out of words before we ran out of energy for speaking. We didn't even just talk about our time in the ME. We know each other's hearts.

I have come to be so much more thankful for the friendships and community that God has given me over the last years. It wasn't always easy, no... but God provided kindred spirits and fellowship. He will do so again.

Berries on A St.

I never cease to be amazed at how God provides beautiful things for us everywhere if we are willing to open our eyes and see.

Frolicking in the Colors

Click on the collage for a closer look!

Feeling Inspired

I don't feel inspired to write. But I was reading a blog today by a professional writer that said that she wrote everyday even when she didn't feel inspired. Lots of people go do their jobs when they don't feel like it. They have to... so also, she had to. I don't HAVE to, but that doesn't mean that I shouldn't put in the effort to even try.

I'm working on learning how to do some things with my writing. I want to play with words, be poetic, make pictures and laugh. I want my words to somersault and back flip across people's minds.

So, I think.

The Witch

He comes in every week to chat with me. He tells stories and laughs and laughs. He loves to play with word images and some of the ones that come out in our conversations are fascinating. He knows about Christians, occasionally quotes Bible verses, but doesn't really understand the heart of the gospel. But I think he's beginning to get curious.

The last couple of weeks we've been talking about light and sunsets and color. It all began with a discussion about my upcoming newsletter that I was writing.

Then today he told me that a group of Christians had a party in or near his front yard (not sure where exactly). And they glowed with light like we had been talking about. He enjoyed that light and basked in it in his living room rocking chair like someone who goes to California for vacation sun. But he can't live there, he said. He's too dark.

He does things like go to the Burning Man festival. They burn some huge statue or something. He admitted that that was a man-made fake, a counterfeit attempting to be real light. We discussed how its size is trying to make up for the lack of true light, that it is missing reality.

It made me think of the Israelites in the desert making a golden calf because although they had experienced God they wanted something earthly.

But he says he's too dark. God is showing him light.

What to do?

Do you know how old these 5 and 1/4 inch floppy disks are? Do you know how many people keep these things? Do you know anyone who has the capabilities of reading them?

Work and Having Lost My Camera

Those are my excuses for it having been three weeks since I last posted. The first is a lame excuse since I don't actually work as much as I should. It was the second that really devastated me. Unfortunately for Mr. Procrastination who was getting fat and happy, I found my camera yesterday. Now I only have to go get photos of all the things I thought of taking pictures of for the blog... yeah.

A FENCE OR AN AMBULANCE

‘Twas a dangerous cliff, as they freely confessed,

Though to walk near its crest was so pleasant;

But over its terrible edge there had slipped

A duke and full many a peasant.

So the people said something would have to be done,

But their projects did not at all tally;

Some said, “Put a fence around the edge of the cliff,”

Some, “An ambulance down in the valley.”

But the cry for the ambulance carried the day,

For it spread through the neighboring city;

A fence may be useful or not, it is true,

But each heart became brimful of pity

For those who slipped over that dangerous cliff;

And the dwellers in highway and alley

Gave pounds or gave pence, not to put up a fence,

But an ambulance down in the valley.

“For the cliff is all right if you’re careful,” they said,

“And, if folks even slip and are dropping,

It isn’t the slipping that hurts them so much,

As the shock down below when they’re stopping.”

So day after day, as these mishaps occurred,

Quick forth would these rescuers sally

To pick up the victims who fell off the cliff,

With their ambulance down in the valley.

Then an old sage remarked: “It’s a marvel to me

That people give far more attention

To repairing results than to stopping the cause,

When they’d much better aim at prevention.

Let us stop at its source all this mischief,” cried he,

“Come, neighbors and friends, let us rally;

If the cliff we will fence we might almost dispense

With the ambulance down in the valley.”

“Oh, he’s a fanatic,” the others rejoined,

“Dispense with the ambulance? Never!

He’d dispense with all charities, too, if he could;

No! No! We’ll support them forever.

Aren’t we picking up folks just as fast as they fall?

And shall this man dictate to us? Shall he?

Why should people of sense stop to put up a fence,

While the ambulance works in the valley?”

But a sensible few, who are practical too,

Will not bear with such nonsense much longer;

They believe that prevention is better than cure,

And their party will soon be the stronger.

Encourage them then, with your purse, voice, and pen,

And while other philanthropists dally,

They will scorn all pretense and put up a stout fence

On the cliff that hangs over the valley.

Better guide well the young than reclaim them when old,

For the voice of true wisdom is calling,

“To rescue the fallen is good, but ‘tis best

To prevent other people from falling.”

Better close up the source of temptation and crime

Than deliver from dungeon or galley;

Better put a strong fence round the top of the cliff

Than an ambulance down in the valley.

--Joseph Malins

Flowers of Flame

I'm starting to notice a pattern here. Are you?

These seemed to become part of the sun...

As a teenager people told me I was all about Jesus and flowers. I remember feeling a bit miffed that they thought I could be so easily defined and put in a box. But if I were going to be "all about" only two things... these would be a good two.

Pots of Sunshine

We painted these flower pots yellow.

The tomatoes were just sitting there on the windowsill.

And God made the sunshine!