The Choice is Ours......

It all began with an apple. To eat or not to eat? That was the question. Or was it?

In life the choice is always ours. To be or not to be? To believe or to not believe? To follow, or not to follow?

In an individualistic society as we have today--it all boils down to my own person or God's person? Nicodemus was told that he could have the kingdom of heaven in John 3 if he were born again. The rich man in Matthew 19 was told he could have the kingdom of heaven if he sold all he had and followed Jesus.

Each of these men--including us--have that choice. Do we want to hold onto all we have on this earth--in this world? OR do we want to choose the life that God has for us?

If only it were as simple as to whether we will eat the apple, or not. Heck, I'd give up apples for eternal happiness and bliss.

But, will I give up control? Will I give up the notion that I am the center of my universe? Will I give up the possibility of the self made life of glamour and grandeur that the media promises me daily?

Sunday morning I felt the tug at my soul. There was the sobering thought as I came to the morning light. 'Many--though I don't like the implication of this word--will choose self over God.' It will be more important to use the 'free will' God has given to be the individual self separate from God than to be with God.

To some individuals-with myself at risk as well--the cost/risk of losing God is of less importance than being all that we want to be--right or wrong. Has self bravado and the mark of individuality become more important than being in the image of God?

In the beginning was the choice. Woman and man chose self. Jesus came to offer us another chance at the choice. What will you choose?

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." Phil 2:3-5

Do not grow weary......for you will reap a pepper!

A motivational speaker stated, it's not how many seeds in the apple that count but rather how many apples in the seed. In my case- peppers.

My saga began during the first week of August 2008 when I cut open a red bell pepper and decided to take the core of seeds and plant it in a 16oz bright yellow smiley face mug. I scooped in some dirt, placed the core of seeds(I didn't even bother to spread them), covered them with dirt, added water, placed them on a sunny window ledge and hoped for the best. After about a week and a half passed, I noticed a few green sprouts. I quickly scooped up the yellow mug and took it for a tour of the office. "Look, I'm getting pepper plants!" Everyone nodded politely and went back to their work. Vigilantly I watered, watched and waited expectantly for the next milestone of pepperhood.

Reluctantly, I left for vacation with strict orders to my staff, "Don't let anything happen to the pepper plants!" They complied and my pepper plants had grown about another 1/2 inch by the time of my return. And so it went...water, watch and wait. Water, watch and wait.

The time had finally come when I could count about 24 sprouts in that mug. It was time to separate this growing family and leave them room to thrive in separate pots. I took a family portrait and stuck it to the side of the indoor greenhouse plastic. This way they could remember their heritage and the bright yellow mug they came from.

With so many changes coming to the pepperdom, I consulted with my seasoned gardner/father for advice. It was not the news I wanted to hear. "You won't get peppers." he said matter of factly.

" But what if I keep the plants indoors...in a greenhouse?" I was grasping for straws.

I had made it this far. What was I to do? I couldn't just give up, stop watering, and neglect this new life that had come to be. Could I? His response to my protests--"It isn't very likely".

As in all things, time passed. I continued to water and watched as the plants became sturdier and the leaves green and plentiful. During the holidays I gloated as a proud parent to my own parents on the growth taking place. My mother, ever the practical one, stated that the plant could have all the leaves it wantd but without flowering there would be no fruit, ahem 'pepper'.

Not too long after this conversation--lo and behold I had not one, but two flowers come to rest upon one of the pepper plants. I was beside myself with joy. Again the plant made it's rounds among the staff and residents. This time I got a little more than a nod and my consistent vigil started up once again. It was with great disappointment that I had to report that the flowers dropped from the leaves and no pepper was in sight.

Life went on. I learned to knit. I continued my blog, my children needed me more, the snow fell and winter colds came and went. Through it all I watered, watched and waited. Then, not too long ago, I noticed a couple of flowers popping out not on just one plant, but now two! I took these two plants from the pepperdom and set them right near my desk and windowsill.

Last Sunday evening--March 1st I spoke with my father over the phone in regards to summer gardening. Again the topic of the pepper plants came up. "Do you think if I put them outside this summer I might get some peppers?" I waited for the answer I wanted. "No, Carm, I don't think there will be any peppers from those plants." I sighed. Perhaps I could start again with a new batch.

Later that evening, I went into work to catch up on a few things. I glanced up over my computer toward one of the plants. The flowers seemed to be sticking to something. I stood up to get a closer look. It was a green bump. "By golly...could it be...Lord, of all things...a pepper!!!"

Heaven and earth moved. I sat down in that moment and wrote on a post it note--" Let us not grow weary of doing good for at a proper time we will reap a harvest -if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9