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I’m a gardener at heart. If I can’t play in the dirt come spring, something is missing in my life. At a minimum, I’ve had to do with a few houseplants to curb my green thumb cravings, but in recent years I’ve had wonderful fenced areas behind the house to dig, grow, and best of all – harvest!

I suppose that’s why the article got my attention. Seriously, carnivorous plants?  How, as a gardener, had I missed something as intriguing as meat eating plants? Had I slept through Mr. Schuller’s biology class that day? (More likely – daydreaming of weekend plans.)

Well, it had my attention now. How diversified of God to throw in some meat loving vegetation. I couldn’t help but wonder a lot of things about these special plants so down the Google Trail I journeyed. 

First, I learned that these plants, as a whole, thrive in poor nutritional conditions as far as plants are concerned. Many of them live in boggy areas where bugs abound. Makes sense. Here in the United States we have at least five different types of carnivorous plants including the pale pitcher, sundews, bladderworts, butterworts, and the most well known – the Venus Flytrap. Most of them are activated to catch their prey by sensing movement of an insect on a certain part of their foliage. This foliage can then turn itself into a bug or even a small frog catching trap.

   The one carnivorous plant of the United States that does not rely upon movement for eating, is the pale pitcher plant also known as the yellow trumpet. The design of the plant itself facilitates capture. Once the naive insect lands on the lip of the funnel like trumpet and enters the mouth, the waxy inner surface propels the bug to the bottom. There is no pool of fresh, cool water like you would find at the bottom of a water park slide, but a pool of digestive juices instead, waiting to start the process of decomposing soft body parts. Ah ha! And dinner is served as healthy nutrition is absorbed into the plant.

   The Venus Flytrap is native to only North and South Carolina. Folks have been so intrigued with this plant that at one point it became an endangered species, prompting growers to cultivate it in greenhouses. The colorful leaves of this plant are lined with stiff hairs. When anything touches these hairs enough to bend them – Smack! In less than a second the two lobes of the leaf snap shut, trapping whatever bug was nosing around. Again, the softer part of the bug dissolves in digestive juices and provides nourishment for the plant. When that process is completed in five to twelve days, the leaves open up again and the hard exoskeleton of the insect either blows away in the wind or is washed away by rain. (There’s a great video on You-Tube showing Mr. Bug being captured.)

As I read about these plants, I couldn’t help think of the traps that entwine us if we are not on guard. Just like the different carnivorous plants, these traps come in all shapes and sizes. Maybe you can think of a trap or two in your lifetime that have ensnared you. I sure can.

Even Jesus was presented a trap by the Pharisees in the story of the “adulterous woman” in John 8:1-11. They knew that the law of Moses gave them the right to stone her. “Teacher, what do you say?” they asked. If Jesus said she should not be stoned, they could accuse Him of violating Moses’ law. But if He did give them the go ahead, then they would report him to the Romans, who did not permit Jews to carry out their own executions. Either answer created problems…a deliberate trap. For those of you familiar with the story, you know what Jesus said. “All right, stone her. But let those who have never sinned throw the first stones!” Of course, not one of them was without sin and they slipped away one by one.

I can always hope that I would have the wisdom that Jesus had to see myself out of a trap. But for me it may be more realistic to ask – is this  too good to be true? If the answer leans to “yes” I best proceed with caution. Or, like the bug nosing around on the Venus Flytrap, I should just high-tail it out of there.

Until, next month, keep on readin’ and I’ll keep on writin’.

(Feel free to share this blog on FB if you have any buggy friends that would benefit.)

 

The United States is known for it’s innovative ideas that have reached around the world. For example the first transistor was created at Bells Lab In New Jersey in 1947. It is a component in every piece of modern electronic equipment. The swivel chair is credited to Thomas Jefferson who sat in his newly crafted chair to draft the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Blue jeans made their appearance in 1873 when a tailor in Reno, NV used heavy woven cotton fabric called “duck cloth” to make a pair of sturdy pants; then reinforced the stress points with copper rivets. And yes, even the chocolate chip cookie was born in the United States when the owner of the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts created it quite by accident.  Whipping up a batch of her favorite cookies for guests, she discovered she was out of baker’s chocolate. She substituted with chunks of semi-sweet chocolate she cut from a block that Andrew Nestle’ had given her. She naturally thought they would melt but when the chunks failed to do so – Presto! We have  America’s most popular cookie.

Although the United States has been a leading country in innovative ideas, on occasion we have borrowed ideas from other parts of the world. Sometimes they have surprisingly come by way of third world countries.

Dr. Dixon Chibanda, is one of only twelve psychiatrists in all of Zimbabwe – a landlocked country of 16 million people in southeastern Africa. Along with poverty, Zimbabwe has a high incidence of HIV, a history of wars, unemployment, and other problems that contribute to depression. After Erica, one of Dr. Chibanda’s patients hung herself in 2006 because she couldn’t afford the $15.00 bus fare to travel the 160 miles to see him and get help, he felt he had to do something to make mental health more accessible to Zimbabweans. More than ninety percent of the people in Zimbabwe at this time had no access to evidence-based talking therapies or modern anti-depressants. 

He had hoped to be able to utilize nurses but there were none available. The country’s nurses were too busy with HIV related issues and maternal and child health care. And when he asked about space in the clinics to run some sort of program – he got the same answer – none available. What he was given was 14 community volunteers in the form of minimally educated grandmothers with no mental health experience. And for space – he could use the grounds outside the clinics. He did not let these factors deter him. He began training the 14 women with little or no support from his colleagues.  “This is nonsense!” they collectively agreed.

Dr. Chibanda ignored their negative comments, placing benches outside of the clinics. A trained grandmother was assigned to a bench and The Friendship Bench Project was launched. Word got around that if you were suffering from kufungisisa (the Zimbabwe word for depression, meaning “thinking too much”) there were grandmothers available to talk. The women soon found themselves listening to HIV positive men and women, drug addicts, people suffering from poverty and hunger, unhappy married couples, lonely older people, and pregnant unmarried young women. 

In 2016 a control study was conducted to see just how effective The Friendship Bench Project was. Six hundred people with depression were split into two groups. What they found was that the group seeing the grandmothers had much lower symptoms of depression. There are now over 400 grandmothers participating in the program in Zimbabwe. They deliver their service for free in more than 70 communities.

The Friendship Bench Project is spreading to other countries, including the United States. There may be subtle differences in the programs from country to country, but the idea is the same – to make mental health affordable, accessible, and effective. In New York City the benches are bright orange and the either sex counselors are called “peer specialists”.  Many of them have overcome addictions and other life challenges themselves, making them the perfect confidant from the client’s standpoint. Just as in Zimbabwe, their services are free. In 2017 when The Friendship Bench Project was launched in New York City, it attracted 30,000 visitors in the first year. I encourage anyone intrigued by this project as I am, to visit some of the many videos on Youtube.

Who would have guessed that such an idea would have come out of one of the poorest – if not the poorest – nation in the world. Dr. Chibanda took what he had and is revolutionizing mental health around the world. It’s none too soon. According to the World Health Organization, depression is the world’s leading cause of disability, affecting more that 300 million people. Depression has become so common that it affects every one of us – whether in ourselves or a loved one.The death tole attributed to depression is recorded as 800,000  per year.

All I have left to say, comes from the lips of the Beach Boys. Go Granny, Go Granny, Go Granny, Go!

Until next month – keep on readin’ and I’ll keep on writin’.

If you like this style of writing and would like to know how to purchase my Christian Fiction books, please go to the “Book” page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What does it feel like to be forgiven? Let’s ask Terri Roberts from Strasburg, PA. Who is she, you might ask. She is the mother of Charlie – the man who in 2006 entered an Amish school, bound and shot 10 girls ages 6 to 13 before shooting himself. Charlie was a father himself. Five of those girls he shot, died.

Terri and her husband, along with their son Charlie, his wife and their children all lived in this same small community of 2800 people. Strasburg lies in the heart of Amish farmland in well known Lancaster County. Terri and Chuck Roberts live outside of town – next to Amish neighbors.

One of those neighbors is Henry Stoltzfoos – a man the Roberts have known for years. When Terri saw him through the window, walking up to their front door following the horrible ordeal, she could only imagine how this was going to go.  Terri knew that some of the girls that had died were the daughters of Henry’s relatives and friends. Before going to the door, she glanced at her husband (a retired police officer) who was still slumped over the kitchen table; a dish towel covering his face to control the flow of tears.

Taking a deep breath and fearing the worst, she opened the door. Henry’s countenance took her aback. Where she expected to see hate and anger – she only saw compassion. Seeing Chuck in total despair, Henry immediately went to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Roberts,” he said, “we love you. This was not your doing. You must not blame yourself.” When Henry Stoltzfoos left an hour later, Chuck was sitting upright. A great deal of the burden had been lifted from his shoulders by the unnatural, outpouring of love from his Amish neighbor.

When donations started to come in to help the victims’ families, the Amish families insisted that part of those funds go to the killer’s wife and children. They too, have had a tremendous loss, they said. At Charlie’s funeral, the Amish not only came in their funeral attire,  but moved into position to form a solid black wall between the family and media photographers. It was all Terri could do to keep it together when Chris and Rachel Miller approached her and Chuck to express their condolences. “We are so sorry for your loss,” they whispered. Terri was well aware that the couple had lost their beloved Lena and Mary Liz at the hands of Charlie’s rampage.

In her book, Forgiven, Terri explains how this was a moment of clarity for her. She now understood what the Amish man on the news had said to be true – forgiveness is not a feeling; but a choice. In her heart, she knew these sweet parents that had come to console her were as grief-stricken as she was. There choice to forgive her and Chuck, allowed her the freedom to forgive her son of the heinous deed he had done.

I  wonder how different life would be, now, for those that chose to forgive –  had they not. Or for Terri and Chuck, had they not received this forgiveness. I would imagine that hearts would have been quickly hardened and filled with an explosive of bitterness and hatred. Instead, a group of people – as difficult as it was, made the choice to not fall into a miserable pit they couldn’t climb out of. Not only did their choice impact their lives and those of Terri and Chuck, but it left an impression on anyone watching the news that night of October 1, 2006.

For weeks, people across the country were talking about it; how the Amish had lovingly responded. It goes so against what society expects, but oh my, when the stakes are the loss of innocent children’s lives, yet forgiveness is the choice,  it leaves an impression on our souls as deeply ingrained as a century old fossil.

Maybe this is why God commanded us to forgive (Ephesians 4:32) – not because it’s easy , but because it’s what frees us. He loves us and knows that living in harmony with our neighbors, (or any other relationship) is what lightens the load of all involved.

Until next month, keep on readin’ and I’ll keep on writin’.

 

We all have past Christmas stories and this year we will have the chance to make new stories. Although I am grateful for many heartwarming Christmas’s past I am choosing to write about a Christmas subject I knew nothing about until the last few days.

That is – Christmas Island and a couple of it’s inhabitants. That’s no ho-ho-ho. It’s a real place in the Indian Ocean, between Australia and Indonesia. Although closer to Indonesia it is owned by Australia. And get this – 63 % of the 135 km (33,359 acres) area is a national park, famous for its caves and coral reefs. The population of the small dog shaped island is about the size of my hometown – 1843 people. Why is it named Christmas Island? Well, because an English sea captain named it on Christmas Day.  I may be wrong, but I’m thinking English sea captains may be lacking when it comes to  imaginative skills – at least this particular one.

But, I suppose you could say the English sea captain was a “naming” pioneer of sorts as the fellas that named the Christmas Island Red Crab and the Christmas Frigate Bird obviously followed in his footsteps.  Can you imagine these three men,  sitting around a small round table in a pub somewhere in Flying Fish Cove (the capital of Christmas Island) and feeding off of each other’s lack of ingenuity? 

On the other hand, maybe these critters aren’t so wrongly named as this crab is endemic to Christmas Island and the Christmas frigate bird only breeds on this particular island.  As amazing as that is in itself, each specimen has other special qualities.

The Christmas Island Red Crab makes the same migratory trek each year to the sea – climbing over whatever is in it’s path. The park service personnel do their best to keep them manually swept off the roadways, but it’s no easy task to keep the estimated  150 million crustaceans viable. The purpose of reaching the sea is to take a dip which replenishes the’ crab’s body moisture and salts. Once the males are satisfied that their bodies have been reconditioned, they return to the shore and dig burrows for mating. The females, unlike the males, do not make the trek back but stay put to bear their young. Before the males start their journey back from where they came they dip one more time.

The Christmas Frigate Bird is a large seabird with a wing span of 7.1 feet. Unlike other seabirds, it’s feathers are not waterproof. I found this to be a bit dis-concerning. What happens to a poor seabird if he doesn’t have feathers that repel water? No worries – God made them masters of staying aloft – for as long as 10 days. They feed primarily on flying fish, tuna, herring, and squid which they grab from the surface without getting wet. And if, on a certain day, the fish just aren’t to be found, they resort to harassing other birds to the point of indigestion and regurgitating. Maybe not as good as fresh, but it will do!

I realize this hasn’t been the typical Christmas story, but on the other hand, maybe it’s not so atypical either. We’ve learned about some of God’s magnificent creations and gifts he’s given us through nature. His greatest gift, however, was given to humankind in the form of a baby in a manger, 2000 years ago on a Christmas night.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only  Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16. If you’ve not yet accepted this free gift, you can make it your story this Christmas.

      

Until next month, keep on readin’ and I’ll keep on writin’.

 

 

Even when our children are small, we can often pick out special attributes God has given them. For instance, my oldest son, Daniel, was an “on the go” child. He was much too inquisitive to enjoy sitting around on anyone’s lap for more than a couple of minutes. He fought sleep; fearing he might miss out on something. He enjoyed learning about everything. My youngest could lie down in a roomful of strangers and be asleep in a matter of minutes. He was more of a hands on learner; books were a bother. While Daniel bordered on Type A personality, Caleb was submerged in Type B -a fly by the seat of your pants kind of kid. But Caleb possessed one special trait that he was adamant about and this became evident when he was six years old.

Caleb met Justin the first day of kindergarten. He did not know the name of what made Justin different; he just knew that he was. And so did every other kid in the class. At parent-teacher’s conference that fall I learned that Caleb was befriending the classmate with Down’s syndrome. “Out on the playground he protects him like a mother hen would, getting after anyone making fun of Justin,” his teacher reported. “In class he makes a point to sit beside him in case he needs help which he often does.”

As the year went on, I heard more and more stories about Caleb’s friendship with Justin. Caleb would come home from school and often have a tale of his own to tell me. Maybe it was something he had helped Justin do or sometimes he was excited to tell me about a certain, simple task Justin had accomplished on his own. It was obvious that Caleb and Justin were becoming good friends, and I was proud of my son for taking an active roll in helping someone less capable.

I was the Emergency Room nurse the day the ambulance brought Justin into our small hospital. My heart sank. My son’s little friend – writhing with abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Had it been any other six year old, my first thought would have been “flu” or “appendicitis.”  But Down’s syndrome carries a high risk of the chance of malignancies. I wanted so much to know this wasn’t the case with Justin. Labs and xrays were taken and before I was off shift, my fears were confirmed. Justin was diagnosed with a Wilm’s tumor – a malignancy of the kidney.  I hurried to finish paperwork required for air transport to Children’s in Denver. My mind worried both for Justin and for my son. How was I going to tell my six year old his friend could die?

Caleb was playing quietly in his room when I got home. I plopped down on the floor beside him, handing him various Lego pieces while we chit-chatted about his day.  “Justin wasn’t in school today,” Caleb remarked. I took a deep breath and dove in. “I know,” I said, “Justin was brought in by ambulance today. He is very sick and we had to fly him to Denver.”  I thought this would begin a line of questions that might make it easier to have the needed conversation, but instead Caleb responded calmly with a matter of fact statement. “That’s where people go to get better.” 

Unfortunately, Justin did not get better. I worried how a six year old would process the death of a friend his own age. Would this shake his child-like faith?

I wondered whether I should take Caleb to Justin’s funeral service, but he wanted to go. I hated to think that his first funeral would be that of a young friend, but I knew it might help him accept the reality of it.

A week later, I watched through our picture window as Daniel and the neighbor kids rode their bikes down the lane. Heart breaking tears trickled down my cheeks as I watched Caleb running behind them again, trying desperately to keep up. I knew why he was leaving his blue Christmas bike untouched in the garage.  On the way home after Justin’s service he had very decisively said to me, “I’m giving Justin my bike. He couldn’t ride a bike here, Mom, but he can now.” That bike might as well have been in heaven, because to Caleb it was.

I pondered my words. I prayed. I sat on the couch with Caleb that evening. “Caleb,” I began, “you know what – Justin might want a red bike or a green bike. He can have any color he wants, you know.” I paused to let him think about that. “It was really a wonderful thing you did for your friend and I’m proud of you, but I think he would like to pick out his own bike.” Caleb was quiet and I prayed a silent prayer again. Just when I thought I might have hurt his tender feelings, he looked up at me with a huge smile. He nodded.

The next evening I watched again through the window. This time it was happy tears that trickled down my face. Who was leading the pack of neighborhood kids on bikes? Of course – a joyful, dark headed six-year-old on a blue bike!

Until next month, keep on readin’ and I’ll keep on writin’.