Joplin Tornado and Possible Help From Your Garden

Dear Friends,

As you know our Ozark neighbors in Joplin have been hit by an EF-4 tornado. So many folks have no home to live in. A large number of wonderful volunteers have made their way to Joplin to help their neighbors. All these people will need to be fed.

If you are starting to get produce out of your garden and live close to Joplin, please consider donating any extra produce that you have. Some outlets will include local churches and food pantries. The situation is very dynamic at this point, so there will be many opportunities provide food. It is amazing how healing a bit of normalcy can be in this type of devastation. A fresh spinach salad or fresh leaf lettuce can bring back some happy memories plus provide much needed nutrition in a suddenly torn apart world.

If you still have garden space, consider tossing in some extra tomato plants, green beans, squash, and herbs. There will be a need all summer to help these folks. It will take time to pick up all the debris, get new houses built and get the infrastructure back to normal. People who normally helped local food banks and church-based relief activities may now find themselves in need of help. It is time to pay it forward if you can.

If your garden is too small to provide any extra that is okay. I am sure our neighbors would appreciate your prayers. The numbers of people who lost their life is absolutely mind numbing. Their families will need the comfort that only the Great Healer can provide. Unlike the produce which is perishable and needs to be grown close to the disaster, prayer has no expiration date. It can be transported over many, many miles without any wilting or spoilage.

Thank you for considering planting an extra row of crops to help. Thank you for your prayers and help. While I don’t live in Joplin, my heart aches for my neighbors and I so appreciate any comfort you can give these folks. Blessings to you and yours.

Ray Province, the Celtic Ozarkian
www.celticozarkian.com

Ten Thousand Missouri Gardens

If you live in Missouri and have a garden, do I have the website for you. The state of Missouri is trying to get 10,000 new gardens registered across the state. This project started small with a goal of 1,000 gardens several years ago. That goal has been met so it is on to bigger and better goals.

All gardens are welcome to be registered. You don’t need a huge truck garden to feel comfortable in this group. Any garden is welcome to apply. Whether you are growing food for your family, or flowers to feed the birds and butterflies, take a look at this site.

Actually, that is one of the reasons I love gardening. I can grow great tasting food for my family and have a little corner that produces food for the birds. I love growing sunflowers for the birds. Some people place net bags over the heads of the growing sunflowers to keep the seeds safe. I however, just let the birds eat them whenever they want them. It doesn’t necessarily make for the prettiest sunflowers, but I feel good about feeding the critters. It is my garden and I can grow it my way.

If you haven’t started your garden, it is not too late. In fact we are moving this summer so I don’t have a summer garden in this year. For the first time in forever, there are no fresh tomatoes coming from my labors. However, we will be settled in time to start a fall garden this year.

I may get in a few tomatoes before it is all said and done, but I plan to buy the majority from farmers markets this year. However, I will be planting rosemary and thyme as soon as possible. Then as the summer starts to cool, I will be planting lettuce, spinach, peas, and some corn salad or mache.

If you don’t have space for a garden, consider growing a small garden in pots. Herbs love to grow in pots, and there is nothing like fresh cut herbs to brighten any sauce or salad. I love to grow rosemary both inside the house and in the garden. I keep a pot of rosemary on the window sill for a quick snip for a sauce, a dice to throw in a loaf of bread that is rising to bake, or to toss a couple or sprigs on a baking chicken. It is so fast and easy and really makes a huge difference. I even just brush the leaves gently to release a wonderful aroma as I am standing at the sink doing dishes. All of that from one little pot of rosemary that I got on sale at my local nursery at the end of the season.

If you have a garden space but it has been too wet to get your tomatoes in, have no fear. Go ahead and plant your tomato plants now. It is really to late for seeds, but tomato plants will catch right up with your neighbors in the coming hot days. In fact, we have still had some pretty cool nights that have slowed down the growth of any tomatoes already planted.

Now is a great time to get beans and squash in the ground. If you can just find a day when the ground is dry enough, it has been a bit rough in this part of the Ozarks this year. But that is the life of a gardener. Too much rain, not enough rain, hail, and strong winds always make being a gardener a challenge! Speaking of challenges, here is the website I promised. Sorry I got so wordy; I just love all aspects of gardening. http://ping.fm/M1DNO

5 Reasons Why People are So Unhappy

Today we will look at 5 reasons why people are so unhappy. We will be looking today at some verses from Luke 10: 26-28 to help us. When asked about what it takes to be able to live forever, Jesus replied:

26“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

27He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

28“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

Jesus was sharing about the requirements to have eternal life. What the crowd may, or may not, have realized is that eternal life was also there. If we are going to live forever, that time period starts a new every day, and we get a chance to live by the words of Jesus.

So, let’s look at some reasons why people are so unhappy in our day. Keep in mind the priorities that God set for our lives.

1. People that are so unhappy often focus only on outcomes, versus the process of getting there.
   We often spend all our energy on outcomes. But when we stop and love, we often are not concerned with highly goal driven outcomes. We are focused on being in the moment with that person, and doing what we need to get done.
2. People that are so unhappy often see failure is not a stop sign, instead of a sign post. It’s like the old saying, “if at first you don’t succeed, quit.” In the eyes of love, failure tells us we need to find another path to travel. Doing the same thing consistently, with the same unsuccessful outcome, is a big factor for people who spend a lot of time unhappy with life.
3. People that are so unhappy often think rejection is just about them. Most of the time, they are wrong. Ideas, concepts, plans get rejected all the time. Even Jesus rejected certain ideas and principles. For whatever reason, we think we are so important that the rejection must be about us. In love, have a five minute pity party, and move on.
4. People that are so unhappy have a constant internal battle of the mind and heart. In other words, unhappy people lose the ability to follow their heart. Often, the voice inside us is the right one.
5. People that are so unhappy are often never grateful for anything. When we can put our love of God and humanity ahead of ourselves, we can remember to be grateful for all the good we see every day. It’s like the old Neil Armstrong song, “Wonderful World.”Practicing these 5 reasons why people are so unhappy is the hard part. So, try this plan: try practicing just one of the 5 reasons why people are so unhappy every day. Make it a goal to practice the opposite behavior, whether you emotionally believe in it or not. Over time, the act of changing your attitude and beliefs will change you.

Here’s to your happiness,

Raymond C. Province, M.Div.