Urban Farming Fun

In earlier posts I mentioned our brief involvement with Urban Farming in Saint Louis. One of our cronies has a particular love of all things gardened and organic and I know that she has had her eye out for like-minded service opportunities. (I won't, however, mention my near-debilitating envy of her green digits. It seems each year that she throws some seeds out the window and soon enough has a garden that puts the rest of us to shame. At least she is good about sharing her spoils. My little bean-eaters can't get enough.)

Well, check this out:
http://www.newrootsurbanfarm.org
http://www.stlconfluence.org/article.asp?articleID=272
http://www.flickr.com/photos/urbanreviewstl/sets/72157602652476008/

In the infancy of our little organization here we stumbled across an article about these folks and were inspired. While we didn't exactly move downtown and rehab abandonned buildings "off the grid", it has been influential in fueling our developing vision of community and sustainablity and service. Here is the article: http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2007-01-31/news/cool-to-be-kind/full.

I think we'll be looking into a tour and some volunteering to help New Roots out a bit. Really, though, what we are learning time and time again is that while our efforts may be of help to others, they are of help to us as we develop servants' hearts and start to chip away at the ways we think we know things, that we might be re-educated, better educated by the Spirit.

Stay tuned. I'm excited about this.

The Thousand Gifts

"Let them give thanksto the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men -" Psalm 107.

And with this we begin a prayerful list of a thousand gifts. What lists have you made lately? I know mine - groceries, chores, books to read, movies to see, but what are these but counting what we do not have?

Instead, we turn with gratitude and pray for eyes open wide. Let me see the unending stream of gifts, Lord, that you so graciously bestow upon us. Open my eyes, that your gifts not go unnoticed, unappreciated or unrecognized. It is all from you, Father, Provider.

As John Milton wrote: "Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world."

Change me, Lord, that I will forever experience your world with awe and gratitude.

1. Tiny feet sneaking through the darkness for a hug.

2. the sweetness of piano falling on thoughtful ears

3. warmth on a blustery, wet day, the crackle of pipes warming

4. a hand on beloved's back as we settle into sleep

5. the temporary thaw, the squish of mud and the laughter it brings





6. feverish child comforted by mama's heartbeat

7. a family larger and stranger and more beautiful than we ever could have dreamed

I'll be scratching out my own list daily, posting some to share occassionally. One thousand gifts. And somehow I'm sure that will only begin to gesture toward just how much we are given. We are so blessed.

Thank you.