Everlastings and the Everlasting

Last week I finally pulled my green thumb out and weeded one of my horribly overgrown garden beds.  Our place was starting to look very dero, so it was a job well done.

I've had a packet of everlastings that I've been planning to plant in that garden bed for a while.  Now they have finally been scattered onto the soil and raked in.

The process got me thinking about Matthew 13:1-23.  The only part I was playing in potentially growing everlastings was scattering the seed.  I can't make them grow, only God can do that.  As I scattered, I realised I was scattering over all types of soil....even in the one garden bed.  Some patches are rockier, some would be classed as 'good soil'.  But it isn't up to me to determine which everlastings will grow and which won't.  My role is to scatter the seed.  Years ago, a friend preached a sermon at our old church about how we often view non-Christians with 'Terminator glasses' on.  There is a scene in one of the Terminator movies where the Terminator is naked and needs some clothes.  He scans each potential person with his eyes to determine whether their clothes would fit.  So often we do that with non-Christians.  We size them up before telling them the gospel, trying to decide in advance whether our efforts will be fruitful or a waste of time.  We look at people's lifestyles and decide, No, they're in a de-facto relationship or a homosexual relationship, they won't want to hear about Jesus, because it would make things awkward with their partner if they became a Christian.  

But if we really believe God is sovereign and can transform even the hardest heart, then we will scatter without reservation.

Image from here

2014 Hopes: How I Went

This is how I went:

1.  Get fit.  A friend of mine is the local Zumba instructor.  I've always swore I'd never do Zumba.  I'm the most unco-ordinated person on the planet, and anything that involves dancing, I look like I have too many legs all tripping over each other.  But I've decided to eat my words and give it a go.  There's no other high impact aerobic exercise available locally, and I like to exercise with others as it gives me the motivation to give it my all.  Netball is out of the question because there is no team at my level and it hurts my back.  So, there....I'm go to be Zumba-ing it up on Monday nights this year.  Duncan has promised to be home from work in time to look after Rory.
I started off well, going to Zumba most Mondays and really enjoying it.  Then the Zumba instructor (my friend Asha, whose husband works with Duncan) decided to not run it during winter because of low numbers.  At the start of May, Asha had a terrible horseriding accident, fracturing three vertebrae in her back.  It hasn't healed properly so Zumba is on hold for a while yet.  I did start going to ladies' tennis again more regularly (while Rory was at daycare) and now Sunday afternoon tennis has resumed as well.  But I'm far from fit.

2.  Read the Bible regularly.  Whether I can be a part of a Bible study or not, I need to really feast on God's Word.  I'm not interested in set plans, so I'm going to continue on with the devotional I'm doing, read a Psalm a day, and keep up with the verses and discussion we receive from our pastor via an iphone app.
Epic fail!  I'm so thankful for a God that loves me, regardless.  I will keep trying.

3.  Finish editing my book!  Surely this has got to be the year! 
So close, yet STILL no cigar.  I finished the second major edit, so that was good.  Now I'm just doing a quick read through (and finding MORE mistakes, unfortunately).  Then I just have to write the synopsis and cover letter and it's off to the literary agent.

4.  Shop ethically.  Recently, I've been evaluating how my faith in Christ impacts my grocery and clothes shopping.  Expect a post on this very soon.
This was the post I did and I really did give this a go.  It's hard in a country town, where some 'ethical' brands are just not available, and you have to pick the best out of a bad lot.  Sometimes I got lazy and couldn't be bothered checking the app before making a purchase.  Sometimes I was too tempted by what was on special.  I'm aiming to keep on with this this year.

5.  Take Rory to playgroup.  I've been putting off trying the local playgroup because friends of mine told me they found it very cliquey.  Now I've decided that I should give it a go and make up my own mind about people instead of listening to hearsay.  A former workmate told me she is planning to go with her new baby so at least I'll know someone.  It's hard at the moment because it's on from 9:30-11:30 and that clashes with Rory's morning sleep.  When he drops to one sleep a day, then we'll go.
I just squeezed in with this one...we didn't get to playgroup until December due to playgroup being on Thursdays and the ladies' fellowship at church being every second Thursday.  It took me a long time to get the guts to go.  It IS a bit cliquey, but I'm persevering and SLOWLY getting to know more mums...when Rory's not wanting me to help him climb the fort, that is, and I can actually sit down and talk to people.  Sometimes I feel like a real idiot because I have nothing interesting to say - I suck at small talk.  We went to Storytime at our local library a fair bit, and also to 'Play in the Park' a few times, but building relationships when you're an adult is slow, hard work.

Stay tuned for my 2015 hopes next week.

Shopping Ethically

Image is from here

Duncan and I watched a documentary on SBS about the clothing industry in Bangladesh last year.  Appalling working conditions resulted in buildings collapsing, killing and maiming many people.  Those who were left amputees could no longer work and had to be financially supported by their families.  Their pay rate was disgraceful.  What really hit home was that I shop at the clothing chains responsible for all of this.  Greed!  It's such a blind spot for all of us.


After that, I couldn't buy any clothes made in Bangladesh with a clear conscience.  Now some Christians would argue that boycotting is not a solution, that if we don't buy the products then the people will be out of work, resulting in them being poorer still.   I was glad to see that Oxfam has released a list of the clothing companies that have signed the Bangladesh Worker Safety Accord.  There is a petition here to sign if you're interested.

But this only addresses the building safety and does nothing for fair wages and workers' rights.  I wish I could shop at some of my favourite stores now that they're on the 'nice' list, but, the truth is, they still fail in many other areas.

Shop Ethical is an online consumer guide (they also have a booklet and a smart phone app available) which details and rates each company behind popular brands according to their environmental and social impact.  And some of them fail big time - oh my!  Definitely a big conscience prick there!  They are evaluated independently (so not by any company seeking to badmouth their rivals or blow their own trumpet) - see the FAQs for how it works.  It's NOT about persuading people to buy the more expensive brands instead of cheaper ones - some of the classier brands receive a bad rap as well.  Nor is it about product quality - the product itself could be excellent, but the company who makes it exploits their workers in developing countries, tests on animals, and uses poor environmental practices.

Now I've taken the hard step of trying to shop ethically when it comes to food and clothes.  It's not easy!  Some 'good' brands are not available in small country towns.  Some of my favourites don't get a good rap. I love a bargain as much as anyone.  It's very tempting to pretend I never saw that documentary, that I never visited the Shop Ethical website or bought the app.

But I can't.  If I claim I love Jesus, then I must love my neighbour.  Not turn a blind eye because I want to shop how I want.  Not continue on my merry way because it inconveniences me, a rich, white Westerner.  Not support companies which exploit people made in God's image for profit.

This is one of my hopes for 2014 and beyond.  We each can make a difference.


This post has been entered in the January edition of the Christian Blog Carnival.  If you're a Christian blogger and would like to enter one of your recent posts, submit it here today.

The Pendulum: Christians and the Environment

With climate change and the carbon tax still featuring prominently in Australian politics, it seems that many people I've spoken to seem to fit into one of two camps when it comes to election time:

The Environment Religion
We need to be spending our time saving the planet by reducing waste, taxing companies which pollute, having environmentally-friendly homes, recycling...and even having less children.

The Environment Doesn't Matter
If I want to get in my car and drive 10 seconds down the road instead of walking, I'll do it.  If I want to litter, I'll do it.  Recycling is too hard and I don't want to be bothered.  Bring on disposable plates, utensils, nappies...  God is going to create a new earth anyway.  Who are you to tell me how to live?

When it comes to following Jesus, I think there is a third way.  It's the way that recognises that making God's name known should be our number one priority, and that our main focus should be people...not animals, not the earth.  Yet, this way also recognises that God appointed people to rule over creation on His behalf, and that rule involves not abusing what He has made, but caring for it as we have been commanded to do.  Just because our world is marred by the effects of sin does not excuse God's people from this command.  The creation is still 'very good'.  Yes, God will make a new heavens and a new earth, but that does not free us from our obligation to care for this one.

I also believe that we are to enjoy this creation.  We are to delight in what God has made and thank Him for it.  We are to feast on the abundance of good things He has provided us with.  We are to worship the Creator and delight in beautiful beaches, forests and gorges.  The trouble is that the world gets this confused.  Many people make 'saving the planet' their religion and forget about the God who created it.

The other extreme is frugality.  Years ago there was a segment on Today Tonight called 'Perth's Biggest Scrooge'.  This featured people who reused their teabags and Glad Wrap, but the winner was a guy who refused to let his wife have a hot bath!  I'm not sure if these people were being frugal to save money or to save the environment, but I don't think this is the right way to live.  You can be wise in the way you use the resources at your disposal without being a stinge.

Personally I think many Christians could learn a lot from their non-Christian friends who try to live more sustainably.  I remember not long after I became a Christian, I got a lift with some Christian friends.  I was eating in their car and asked them if they had a rubbish bag.  Suddenly the window next to me came down and the driver turned around and smiled at me, indicating I should toss my rubbish onto the road.  Ummm....no!  I've met Christians who don't recycle because they think it's too hard or they don't read the instructions for what goes in the recycling bin and end up chucking in a pizza box with old pizza still inside it.  Yuck!  Come on guys.  It's not that difficult.  Each city/shire will indicate which items are recyclable and which aren't.  I don't know why some people ooh and aah like I'm some kind of saint when they find out we recycle.  It's such a basic thing that everyone can do.

Caring for the environment is not a religion.  Christians should be focused on telling the gospel to all who will hear so God's name will be praised throughout the earth.  But caring for what He has made is something we should do to bring glory to Him.

Amanda wrote an excellent post three years ago called Environmentalism or Frugal Living (or a Bit of Both).  Check it out.