Praying For...Sammy, our smart as a whip little Chinese granddaughter. Well, she's not really Chinese but speaks a mean Mandarin...that she will discover, accept, and develop talents and scholarship that will bring her confidence, faith, joy, and keep her on the straight and narrow...bless her family, friends, and foes with health, strength, daily needs, peace on earth, and good will toward all...bless the leaders of nations to lay aside power mongering and contention long enough to see what they are doing to the grandparents, parents, siblings, wives, spouses, and children of the world...help them make choices and policies that promote peace and family unity.
Jesus' Word..."And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment," Mark 12:30. I've been thinking about this idea today. Love comes from the heart--we can't live without the heart, therefore we can't live without God. True, some profess to know or need no God. However, this life is not the end. Justice and mercy will prevail. I'll just spend my time loving God and improving my little corner of the world. Since I've put it to the test, I know life without faith and purpose makes one a slave.
Bibliophilia...re-reading Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy again with a student. There are so many lessons to learn from the sad book. I quite enjoy exploring the ideas that my young people glean from the pages of classic literature. Also re-reading Toilver's Secret by Ester Brady and The Cabin Faced West by Fritz with some granddaughters.
Movement...I absolutely love riding my bike outdoors and the use of Joseph's desk bike. Asking for a bike was a good idea. Since it is easier than walking but somehow better exercise, I feel stronger already. The desk bike helps me stay more active while doing sedentary chores.
Garden Gate...I've been nurturing some stevia, moringa, pigeon pea, and tree collard plants in the window, which I planted out the other day. Hopefully, they will do well while I'm away. With automatic watering and rabbit protection, they at least won't die of dehydration or become rodent dinner.
Cucina Fresca...nothing new on this front. I'm just continuing my plant-based lifestyle. While out to lunch with my mom, I had a roll-my-eyes moment. When my order of whole beans, steamed veggies, and corn tortillas arrived at the table, the server asked which one of us had my order. Mom said. It's for the skinny one. That made me laugh, but what really got me going was the server's comment. 'OK, then, rabbit food for you. Burritos for the others.' I'll accept the label of rabbit-food-eater if that means I don't carry around excessive extra weight or subject myself to self-inflicted degenerative diseases. Life is hard enough without obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc. Besides, I've discovered that my old favorites don't taste nearly as good as my new ones from the produce department. My very veggie miso soup with rice is much tastier than pizza or cake, but it's amazing how the sight or smell of those things brings out old cravings like alcohol or drugs to the drunk or druggie. I'm so much happier and healthier without the anaphylaxis, indigestion, bloating, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, rashes, acne, eczema, hypoglycemia, kidney infections, arthritis, inflammation, and so on and so forth that animal foods, fats, wheat, soy, and nuts give me.
