Fundamentally Filled

I was reading a depressing article in the Times about religious fundamentalim in the United States. The comments at the bottom of the page made me think of Ravi Zacharias. What would he say in response to the claim that religion has done nothing good?

I went to his website, and didn't quite find the answer to that question, but I found an article where he explains how he became the man he is today. It is quite amazing. And it is a relationship with the Living God, not religion, that filled him. It is a relationship with the living God that influenced William Wilberforce, Abraham Lincoln, and the heroes of IJM who have done so much good-- who have righted injustices and evil and brought harmony and peace. While the skepticism at religion, especially fundamentalism, is understandable, I hate to see people arrogantly belittling my God, when what they are angry about is politics. Ravi's story encouraged me to remember His ultimate, transforming power.

RZ: I came to know Christ at the age of 17 while living in New Delhi, India, where I was reared. My father worked for the Indian government. Growing up in India, I faced many struggles, not the least of which was academic competition in a highly stratified culture. One day I realized that I really didn’t have any meaning in life. So, at the age of 17, I attempted to take my own life by poisoning myself.

Then, when I was recovering in a hospital, a friend brought me a New Testament. Because my body was dehydrated, I was receiving fluids and I could not hold the New Testament in my hands. The Scripture read to me was John 14, where Jesus said to His apostles, “Because I live, ye shall live also.”[16]

I knew that whatever else that Scripture meant, it meant more than physical life. I said, “This is the life that I have yearned for.” I made my commitment to Jesus Christ and have never looked back, except to remember how He rescued me and put a new song in my heart—new hungers, new desires, new life. He put a new hunger into my heart, a hunger for God Himself. Prior to that I was more concerned about success, good grades, good jobs. I was constantly thinking about what others thought about me. God refocused my attention on Himself.

I knew that this was not some kind of motivational therapy but a new kind of relationship. There is a difference between a person who hungers for love and one who has found love. God put in my heart that great hunger for Him, even as I knew that in Him I had already begun the process of being filled. Before I heard those Scriptures I was completely empty. Now I had found through the Person of Christ how I could be filled.

Exposed.

What was barely covered
is now exposed
the table cloth
was slipping off
pulled by the heavy load

the linen had covered
much more than wood
crumbs and moldy scraps from meals
neglected pieces which should
have been cleaned long before, should
have been seen at the kitchen door

but dirt, crumbs, and scraps they build
day by day by day
so eyes become accustomed
and noses used to smelling rotten

I can deny anything.

I can deny anything
until it is exposed to another
whose eyes won’t lie
about the table uncovered
whose nose won’t ignore
the rotting odor
whose love will provide
grace over and over.

If our sins are exposed and we confess them with faith in Christ, the blood of Jesus cleanses us.
1 John 1:9

Far bill Subsidy Myths

This was quite an interesting distillation of farm bill subsidies. Having a guide like this for the political debates would also be helpful!

--------------------------------------

Myths From the Mainstream Media
About U.S. Farm Policy
Excerpted with permission from the Institute for Agriculture
and Trade Policy.

The complete list of the top 10 myths
is available at tinyurl.com/farmpolicy.
1. Myth: Rich farmers get all the money from the Farm Bill.
Reality: Sixty-eight percent of the Farm Bill goes to nutrition
programs. Eleven percent goes to farm commodity programs.
And eight percent goes to conservation programs.
2. Myth: Farmers don’t need government support. They’re
getting rich off rising food prices.
Reality: Farmers receive less than 20 cents of the food dollar.
Costs of production have skyrocketed. Since 2002, farm
expenses have increased 45 percent.
3. Myth: Rich farmers benefit most from the Farm Bill.
Reality: Big agribusiness companies like Monsanto, Cargill
and Archer Daniels Midland are the big winners. They reap
the bounty, while farmers do the work and take the risk.
4. Myth: Only rich farmers receive subsidies.
Reality: Middle and small scale family farmers also receive
subsidies—and in some ways are more reliant on them to
survive when times get tough.
5. Myth: If we eliminated subsidies, the market would level the
playing field for family farmers.
Reality: Without ensuring a fair price, family farmers would
more easily succumb to market volatility.

Picture: Mine. Soybeans in Blairsberg, Iowa.

A Sort of Edible Treasure Map

A partnership of awesome local food policy/ag related organizations:
The University of Minnesota’s Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Land Stewardship Project, and the Minnesota Project
are coming together to create totally new concept: “Mapping Minnesota’s Local Foods Infrastructure.”

Using GIS, a graduate student will create "an interactive map of Minnesota’s local foods infrastructure. Maps will include entities such as: fruit, vegetable, dairy, meat, poultry farmers, artisan food producers, as well as restaurants, retailers, hospitals, schools, food distributors, and processors that sell local foods."

I'm excited to see what this will look like-- and will people use it? Their aim is that "This project responds to the expressed need for baseline data on existing local foods infrastructure by local, regional, and state policy makers, economic development agencies, and planners. Researchers and non-profits can use the maps to guide further initiatives and projects in areas such as food distribution and processing, and to address inequities in healthy food availability. Farmers, restaurants, retailers, distributors, and processors will have a tool to determine potential local food supply or demand in an area." That would be awesome to see happen.

Aware (or just thinking too much?)

Working at the U of M, there is a lot of bureaucracy. With an "Office of Service and Continuous Improvement," you don't wonder as much about tuition hikes... But hopefully there is progress somewhere in the mix. I gleaned this truth from an article where people reflected on the benefits of a leadership class.

"I now better understand how I can help students align their real selves--that is, their actions and behaviors--with their ideal selves, or their values and goals," says Stacy Crawford, assistant academic adviser for the School of Fine Arts.

It boggles my mind that there is such a disconnect between who we are and we want to be. But I see it in myself! There might even be a third aspect-- who we perceive ourselves to be, which is different than who we are and who we want to be.

The training aimed to make people more self-aware, so they can then help others become more self aware-- and hopefully in being self aware, our real selves will become more like our ideal selves.

Building Green

Move over vinegar and baking soda volcanoes-- there's a new use for 2-liter soda bottles! It's a green house. This is just about the coolest idea do-it-yourself pop bottle idea I've ever seen. And it would look pretty snappy in the back yard.



Photo from Blue Rock Station

poet-try

Try might be the key word. But here are some words I wrote for my best friend. I want to, and hope to, share more.


All that was broken in the first garden, He redeems.

Assured and
Comforted by confession
After a dark night in the garden

Still with hesitation,
Regrets.
But let there be no doubts--
He who has comforted
Will comfort
He who has led
Will lead.

Assured and
Comforted by solace
After grace spoken in the garden

Still, with hope
And still with hope--
Is the moment
The gate latches
We depart.

Investing intelligently in science for development

My Alumni CFANS' Magazine published an article by Becky Byers. In it Professor Phil Pardey recommends more strategic investment in agriculture. YES! Things have slowed down dramatically from the 60's and the Green Revolution.

He and colleagues have created an interactive database for agriculture in developing countries called HarvestChoice Project. What an awesome resource to find out about crops and growing conditions in the developing world!