BEING ME Being close to God One of the stanzas of Dorothy Frances Gurney's poem titled God's Garden says:
The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.
Perhaps I am close to God in our garden, but really, I don't think about it. I just vege-out in the garden, and it is very relaxing not thinking about anything! However, what I am aware of in the garden is the plants shining in the sunlight or gleaming with deposited dewdrops; the little lizards scurrying away from me to hide where I can't see them; a beautiful butterfly cleverly evading my camera; birds singing from the branches or perched on the back fence - and so the list could go on. I am certainly near to God's creation out there in the garden, and I feel the beauty of nature wrapping its folds around me.
But rather than looking for God-out-there, I am confident in my awareness of the indwelling Holy Spirit whose presence is within me.
Moses Was Moses close to God?
The relationship between God and Moses was a unique one. Moses could walk up the holy mountain and he and YWEY could talk face to face.
With the Hebrew people, after the tabernacle was constructed in the wilderness, it was only one priest from the tribe of Levi who could enter the inner room where God had come to dwell, and even then, it was only once a year, and only after a sacrifice for sin had been offered.
But Moses, well, he was specially chosen for the unique God-given task of leading a group of people who were destined from slavery to freedom, to be something very special on the earth, as God's chosen people to love the LORD their God with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their strength, and to fear the LORD their God, and serve him only, not following other gods. reference Deuteronomy chapter 6 However, the commission was not fulfilled in Moses' lifetime with the Hebrew people in the wilderness not unanimously loving, worshiping or obeying YWEY. But, yes, Moses was close to God.
Garden An organic garden
Why grow an organic vegetable garden? Well, it is better for the veges, for the fruit, for the ecosystem and for us!
Organic fruit and vegetables are not sprayed with harsh chemicals or poisons. Organic gardeners use natural, biological ways of protecting and growing their crops. To achieve this you just need to think a little bit ahead. You should plan where you place your vegetable patch, what you dig into the soil, what beds you plant your vegetables in, what vegetables and herbs you grow together and what preventative and proactive measures you take. Organic gardening is more about preventing disease and insects then reacting to disease and insects. And for organic growers any sprays used are natural sprays, without harsh chemicals. By growing your own fruit and vegetables organically you are guaranteed not to consume chemical and poison residues.
Growing your own also means growing healthy fruit and vegetables. The seeds you sow will grow into fresh fruit and vegetable varieties which have been grown in some cases for hundreds of years. They have not been genetically engineered or had their genes spliced to look perfect and only need to travel from your vegetable patch to your kitchen. In short, the vitamins and nutrients haven't been tampered with. They're natural.
Once you've tasted your own organically grown produce you won't go back. The taste and satisfaction you get from organic fruit and vegetables is astounding. I hate it when I've harvested all my lettuces and tomatoes, or run out of potatoes and have to begrudgingly buy their tasteless poor cousins from the store. I really mean this, your own home grown organic vegetables taste the best.
Your plants will also be better off with organic gardening. Insects and diseases are fighting back against chemical sprays. Chemicals and poisons might work in the short term but as insects and diseases mutate and become resistant to particular sprays, chemicals and poisons become increasingly ineffective. Poisons also kill indiscriminantly. They kill just as many beneficial insects as pests, upsetting the natural balance of life. By following organic principles your plants will be healthier. Don't expect your fruit and vegetables to look 100% perfect. You will occassionally get some slight problems, and you might lose the odd one or two vegies or fruit, but you need to be pragmatic about these things. In the long run your plants will thank you for it.
Unlike chemical growers, organic growers don't feed their plants, they feed the soil. Healthy soil creates healthy plants and healthy people. The American organic pioneer J.I.Rodale coined this phrase 50 years ago. And it means just as much today as it did back then. Healthy soil should be seen as a living, balanced whole, rich in humus and micro-organisms including fungi, moulds, yeasts, bacteria and larger creatures like earthworms. When chemicals and poisons are used they upset the soil's natural balance. You can't have healthy soil if it's indiscriminantly or carelessly treated with unnatural chemical fertilizers. Many of the living things maintaining the balance are destroyed. Over time the soil will lose its life and structure. The sensible method of maintaining the soil's balance is by organic gardening. By digging in aged manures, green manure, compost and other natural items and following the principles of crop rotation you can help build up the quality of your soil. And with healthy soil you'll have healthy fruit and vegetables.
With the Hebrew people, after the tabernacle was constructed in the wilderness, it was only one priest from the tribe of Levi who could enter the inner room where God had come to dwell, and even then, it was only once a year, and only after a sacrifice for sin had been offered.
But Moses, well, he was specially chosen for the unique God-given task of leading a group of people who were destined from slavery to freedom, to be something very special on the earth, as God's chosen people to love the LORD their God with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their strength, and to fear the LORD their God, and serve him only, not following other gods. reference Deuteronomy chapter 6 However, the commission was not fulfilled in Moses' lifetime with the Hebrew people in the wilderness not unanimously loving, worshiping or obeying YWEY. But, yes, Moses was close to God.
Garden An organic garden
Why grow an organic vegetable garden? Well, it is better for the veges, for the fruit, for the ecosystem and for us!
It's only since the Industrial Revolution that society turned to harsh chemicals and poisons to boost yields. Non organic methods seem to work for a while, but in the long term more and more people believe it's fraught with disaster.
So what exactly is organic growing? It's all about growing vegetables, fruit and other plants in natural ways.
This also means protecting them naturally from disease and pests. Organic growing uses the tried and tested methods. The Chinese have successfully done this for thousands of years. It's only now that scientists (and fortunately more and more farmers) are getting a better understanding about why it works so well. Now lets look at the ways organic growing is better.
This also means protecting them naturally from disease and pests. Organic growing uses the tried and tested methods. The Chinese have successfully done this for thousands of years. It's only now that scientists (and fortunately more and more farmers) are getting a better understanding about why it works so well. Now lets look at the ways organic growing is better.
Think about the last lot of fruit and vegetables you bought from the store. They probably looked perfect to the eye and tasted avergae. But what about the chemical and poison residues left on them? Sure enough they can be cleaned (by you and before they get to you), but wouldn't it be better to eat fruit and vegetables that you were 100% certain were totally safe for you and your family?
Wouldn't it also be good to know that the fruit and vegetables you ate were packed with healthy nutrients and vitamins? Chances are the fruit and vegetables you buy from the shop came from hundreds, if not thousands of miles (or kilometres) away. Scientists and geneticists develop varieties which can be transported these vast distances without being blemished. Think about it. When you buy some tomatoes from a shop don't you always look for the best looking ones? How can you guarantee that vitamins and nutrients won't be traded off with cosmetic perfection?
And while the fruit and vegetables you buy at the shop look perfect, how do they taste? Once again, an essential quality of fruit and vegetables, taste, is traded off for cosmetic perfection and transportation. When was the last time you bought corn whose taste really knocked your socks off?
Organic fruit and vegetables are not sprayed with harsh chemicals or poisons. Organic gardeners use natural, biological ways of protecting and growing their crops. To achieve this you just need to think a little bit ahead. You should plan where you place your vegetable patch, what you dig into the soil, what beds you plant your vegetables in, what vegetables and herbs you grow together and what preventative and proactive measures you take. Organic gardening is more about preventing disease and insects then reacting to disease and insects. And for organic growers any sprays used are natural sprays, without harsh chemicals. By growing your own fruit and vegetables organically you are guaranteed not to consume chemical and poison residues.
Growing your own also means growing healthy fruit and vegetables. The seeds you sow will grow into fresh fruit and vegetable varieties which have been grown in some cases for hundreds of years. They have not been genetically engineered or had their genes spliced to look perfect and only need to travel from your vegetable patch to your kitchen. In short, the vitamins and nutrients haven't been tampered with. They're natural.
Once you've tasted your own organically grown produce you won't go back. The taste and satisfaction you get from organic fruit and vegetables is astounding. I hate it when I've harvested all my lettuces and tomatoes, or run out of potatoes and have to begrudgingly buy their tasteless poor cousins from the store. I really mean this, your own home grown organic vegetables taste the best.
Your plants will also be better off with organic gardening. Insects and diseases are fighting back against chemical sprays. Chemicals and poisons might work in the short term but as insects and diseases mutate and become resistant to particular sprays, chemicals and poisons become increasingly ineffective. Poisons also kill indiscriminantly. They kill just as many beneficial insects as pests, upsetting the natural balance of life. By following organic principles your plants will be healthier. Don't expect your fruit and vegetables to look 100% perfect. You will occassionally get some slight problems, and you might lose the odd one or two vegies or fruit, but you need to be pragmatic about these things. In the long run your plants will thank you for it.
Unlike chemical growers, organic growers don't feed their plants, they feed the soil. Healthy soil creates healthy plants and healthy people. The American organic pioneer J.I.Rodale coined this phrase 50 years ago. And it means just as much today as it did back then. Healthy soil should be seen as a living, balanced whole, rich in humus and micro-organisms including fungi, moulds, yeasts, bacteria and larger creatures like earthworms. When chemicals and poisons are used they upset the soil's natural balance. You can't have healthy soil if it's indiscriminantly or carelessly treated with unnatural chemical fertilizers. Many of the living things maintaining the balance are destroyed. Over time the soil will lose its life and structure. The sensible method of maintaining the soil's balance is by organic gardening. By digging in aged manures, green manure, compost and other natural items and following the principles of crop rotation you can help build up the quality of your soil. And with healthy soil you'll have healthy fruit and vegetables.
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| Creating living soil For the seeds we like to sow, Watching as sun shines on, We wait for healthy plants to grow. Robyn |
May our plants flourish in a healthy ecosystem
from Robyn
from Robyn
Robin in a flowering gum
Painted by Brenda, Robyn’s mum