Earth Day 2017

I would say that it all started forty-seven years ago with the first Earth Day celebration, but that kind of short-sighted view of history might miss the bigger picture. It was 47 years ago that people around the world "officially" started setting aside a day to think about and take action with regard to creation care and stewardship,  but I feel like that day and those continuing practices have been taking place throughout history with human beings working in relationship with the land, and trusting this relationship, to a degree, to yield a bountiful harvest among other things. I believe this is a remarkably old idea; the Bible's opening chapters tell the story of a man and a woman working in a garden, naming the animals, and being entrusted with the care of creation, so again, it seems that this practice is not new as much as it is one of the most ancient practices of the world.

Each year Jamie and I try to think about ways we can "lower our footprint," live a little more simply, and do our part to care for the environment. We always have done this with a thoughtful focus not only on our own lives but on those of future generations as well. But now, with the arrival of Sylvia in our life, these steps have a more immediate and tangible inheritance being considered. What kind of world are we stewarding for our daughter's generation, and her grandchildren's grandchildren?

Here are a few practices we have historically engaged in as well as some new ones for 2017. It is my hope in sharing them, that there may be one or two you would want to start as well.

1) Consume less energy in the home. This takes various forms in our home, but one of the simplest is that we strive to turn off lights when we are not in the room. We also have devices that operate by remote like our TV plugged into a power strip, so we can turn off the power strips and reduce "phantom charge" as these appliances are constantly using a trickle of electricity any time they are plugged in. We have also converted many of our lights from incandescent to CFL and then to LED bulbs. Doing this is not only good for caring for the environment, but it also saves money.

2) Walk and spend time outside when possible. You know what else saves money? Walking instead of driving when possible. Thankfully, Jamie and I live in the middle of a town where we can walk just about anywhere we need to go locally. By doing this we are not only saving money on gas, but we also are getting regular exercise. And there's so much cool stuff to see outside!

3) Buy locally. Since 2013, Jamie and I have been members of a local CSA called Mountain Harvest Farm. The farm is run by a former Peace Corps worker (who also happens to be friends with one of my teammates at Nuru), and her husband. Buying locally means that we are supporting local businesses, the food we eat does not have to be shipped hundreds (if not thousands) of miles for us to enjoy, and as funny as it might sound, it tastes better too!

4) Plant a garden. Since 2007, we've had a little truck patch outside the house where we grow corn, beans, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, collard greens, brussels sprouts, and sundry other foods. Similar to buying local food, growing your own food tastes better. There's nothing quite like being able to pick and eat a tomato right off the plant. Also, as Sylvia grows, spending time in the garden with her will help her develop an understanding of our relationship with the land.

5) Buy renewable energy certificates. A little over a month ago, thanks to a friend's post on Facebook, we discovered Arcadia Power. This company allows you to purchase renewable energy certificates. We made the switch to paying our electric bill through Arcadia Power, and have seen very little difference in our monthly bill while we are investing in renewable wind energy. Switching to Arcadia from your current provider only takes about five minutes, and you can either switch to 50% wind power for FREE (you read that correctly), or go to 100% wind energy for typically $5-10 more than your current bill. Intrigued? Check them out!

6) Use an electric or reel mower. The year we got married, I bought a high-powered gas mower, and it was plagued with problems over the five years we kept it. Four years ago, we transitioned to a reel mower, and while we love it, our travel frequency made cutting grass (particularly in the spring) a bit more labor and time intensive. My friend Stu told me about his electric mower, and offered to let me borrow it and take it for a test drive. After that experience, we drove to Home Depot and invested in an E-Go Mower. That mower doesn't need gas, and it cuts better than any mower I've ever used!

7) Repair or replace heating and cooling units. With the addition of Sylvia to our family, we decided to take a look at replacing our furnace and air conditioner. I called Grogg's Heating and Air Conditioning, and they came to the house and gave us an estimate for replacing/repairing. During the visit we found out that our furnace was nearly 50 years old, and our air conditioner was nearly 30. We also learned about how much units have improved in efficiency over the last 30-50 years and we have invested in replacements from Grogg's. In addition to having more high efficiency units, Jamie and I have also practiced keeping the set temperatures a little higher in the summer and lower in the winter to both save money and reduce energy use.

These are just a few of the practices we have in place in an effort to practice good stewardship, and I thought I'd share them as an encouragement to you on Earth Day. In my view, stewardship is a daily practice, but days like Earth Day help us each to stop and consider ways we can make improvements. May we each continue in the longstanding tradition of stewardship, and may this Earth Day find you celebrating family and this wonderfully created world in which we live!

Reflection: Squash Blossom 2016

Each year, as our garden grows, I love to see the emergence of the squash blossom opening its petals in the early morning glistening and greeting the sun. My ancestors, and many other Algonquian speaking peoples have woven squash blossoms and vines into artwork for centuries. These large open flowers fill my heart with joy each summer as I spend time around our small garden. Almost every year, I take time to pause and admire these flowers. I attempt to take time to write a brief reflection.

The squash blossoms are large, beautiful, and frail, and they point to the arrival of summer and fall foods. They are also a source of nourishment for our body themselves, and if we are willing to pause, I believe they are a source of nourishment for our souls. I often wonder if this is why my ancestors had such a deep love for squash blossoms and included them in so much art. They are a small gift that reminds us, if we are willing to listen and witness, that life is fragile and beautiful—all of it, and that we should step delicately on the earth, and savor each passing moment. These flowers only emerge for a small season, and in the sweltering heat of summer they invite us to refreshment for our spirits, and to look forward to a satisfying harvest in the weeks ahead.

Even as I write this, these blossoms are giving way to squash and zucchini around the garden, and we are beginning to be able to enjoy the harvest. May we each take time to enjoy the simple beauty that God blesses us with each day, and may we learn to walk the earth in this beauty as well.  In addition, may we each look forward to the wonderful future gifts that these flowers point us toward, but not so far forward that we fail to enjoy the wonder of the present moment.

Garden Planting 2016

Growing up, we relied a lot on being able to produce food from our garden. Sometimes my dad would be working two or three small plots for corn, beans, squash, tomatoes, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and peppers. As the harvest would arrive, we would enjoy as much of it as we could, give away to neighbors and relatives, and can whatever remained. I can remember my sister and I going out to the garden after school in the spring and picking green onions and dipping them in salt as a snack. I don't think I fully appreciated back then just how unique our experience was, and how much my parents were covertly instilling in me an appreciation for the magic of where our food comes from.

Since 2007, I've had a small garden almost every year in Morgantown. Before that, as an adult away from home I would spend time planting on my tribes land with a few other folks, but there is something far more intimate about having your garden so close to home. My dad has had a garden for as long as I can remember, and even at 75, he and his brothers still plant crops together and share the produce. Our Shawnee ancestors considered the time just before planting the start of the new year and a time to embrace forgiveness and reconciliation. Maybe the work of preparing the soil for planting and looking onward to weeding and caring for crops was a reminder of just how much we need one another, and just how important our relationships are.

This year, I planted the Shawnee traditional three sisters (corn, beans, and squash) along with some tomatoes (cherry and better boys), collards, brussels sprouts, zucchini, bell peppers, and some sunflowers just for fun. I'm looking forward to sharing and feeding friends and family with some of the produce from this little truck patch. There's something especially delicious about picking a tomato, a pepper, or an ear of corn right off the plant and eating it right then and there, that people who only get their food from a grocery store really miss out on. 

Nowadays, it seems like it is a little more trendy to have a small garden, but I applaud anyone who, for whatever reason, is willing to get out and work with the soil. I believe the act of preparing and planting a garden does so much for the household or individual that attempts it. It is a profound reminder that, as much as technology is moving forward, the Creator of the universe has orchestrated it such that our food comes from the earth, and from our relationship with it. Farming or having a garden of whatever size reminds us of our role of stewardship and care, if not for the whole earth, at least for this small area near our homes. It also reminds us that we are dependent upon the rain, the sun, and good healthy soil to ensure that our plants grow, and that we have food to eat. Maintaining a garden also roots us to a deeper experience of place, and in a world that is always on the go, being rooted is a gift. 

As the summer moves forward, I look forward to watching the magic happen and the garden transform from soil, seeds, and small plants to a productive plot of magical gifts from the land. And as I think about the arrival of our child this fall with the harvest, I am hopeful to continue the tradition of teaching another generation of Shawnee about our relationship with the land and how God blesses us with food to eat. It warms my heart to think that every year, as our child celebrates another birthday, we will also be celebrating the late harvest here in these West Virginia hills. May we continue with each generation to to encourage good relationship with the land, the air, and the water. 

Garden Planting 2015

Sunday afternoon we were finally able to get the garden prepped and planted. We have had a lot of rain this spring, and days of sunshine have not worked out well in our schedule so far this year for getting our little truck patch set up and ready to go. Better late than never, and the way we see it, this just means that we will be able to share in a late harvest with family and friends! Plus, the rain has been great for other friends and farmers. Without regular rain, the crops just won't grow.

There is so much meaning in this little square patch of ground. Every year while I was growing up, Dad and Mom would work one or two plots of ground planting a wide variety of vegetables. Through the summer and fall, we would have plenty of food to eat, and my folks would send me around to neighbors with buckets of fresh vegetables to share. Mom would be hard at work in the kitchen canning beans, making sauerkraut, and pickles (among other yummy foods).

Back around the time Mom was in the last rounds of her fight with cancer (which she eventually lost and is now in the presence of her King), I plowed up a little spot in the yard here in Morgantown. I was coming to a realization around that time that my generation was quickly losing its relationship with the land, and we were not maintaining some of the traditional skills that we had witnessed our parents and grandparents participate in regularly. Things like growing food, repairing homes, sewing, cooking, and maintaining home and land seemed to me to be becoming less and less practiced.

So, since 2007 I have planted a garden each year with one exception. Jamie and I gave the land a sabbath after seven years as a reminder that God is our ultimate provider, and just like you and I need rest, the land needs rest as well. Each year, I plant some tomatoes and some peppers and potentially some other yummies, but I always make sure I plant the Three Sisters. Planting the Three Sisters helps me to keep connected to foods my family has always grown, but in a larger scope it is a reminder and a connection to our cultural heritage as Shawnee people.

My ancestors would take time as they planted (planting marked the new year), and they would seek to forgive others and make amends where needed. In fact, it was forbidden to carry a grudge or some form of unforgiveness into the new year. Each year, at the time of planting, everyone would start on a clean slate. I think our world would be a little brighter if more folks today practiced a similar tradition. As I worked the ground and dropped corn, beans, and squash into rows, I also took a little moment to give thanks for the provision of the Creator of the universe who sustains all things. I asked God to bless the crops in the hopes that they would provide me, Jamie, and many of our friends and family meals, sustenance, and that the harvest would be plentiful, and allow us to extend these gifts to others as well.

While our garden is not quite big enough to provide for all of our needs, I believe that it keeps us sharpening skills that farmers the world over employ to make sure their families are fed. It becomes for us not only provision, but also an opportunity to stand in solidarity with our neighbors around the planet who are farmers. And here in the US, it keeps us rooted and connected to the land. Honestly, as we spend time in our little garden, the act itself refreshes our spirits. Personally I feel more alive as I am working this little plot, and the food that comes from this garden tastes WAY BETTER than what folks buy in stores--it's always been that way too.  There's something about having a little dirt under our fingernails as we work the land that is healing and magical.

Not only that, but every day we spend working this little patch, it's a small but poignant reminder that food comes from the good earth and from the provision of the creation. Real food doesn't come from a lab. It doesn't come from a box. It doesn't come in plastic and cardboard packages. It comes from the earth. As we tend and care for the earth, it takes care of us as well. Sometimes I think we forget that truth, and we become users instead of caretakers. We become users of both earth and people, and that leaves our relationships with both fragmented and broken.

Even if you can't plant a little spot on your land, maybe look around for a community supported agriculture (CSA) initiative or a farmers market. Doing so might be a small step of solidarity with farmers, and a good reminder of where our food comes from. It also helps the local economy as well! Here in Morgantown we are part of Mountain Harvest Farms CSA, and we supplement our food needs from time to time with a quick stop to the Morgantown Farmers Market or by making meat and egg purchases from Working H Farms.

May we all be blessed in this Shawnee new year with a greater spirit of forgiveness as well as a stronger relationship with the land that provides so much to us.

Harvest Time At The Williams House

During our journey to Kuria, and in the weeks since that trip and our trip to Minnesota, Jamie and I have been in an ongoing harvest of our own in Morgantown. While our small strip of land does not allow us the opportunity to grow enough food to carry us through the next year, it has been an ongoing source of lessons taught for us and for some of our friends as well.

Since late July, we have been pulling yellow squash, acorn squash, and zucchini out of the garden at a rate that has kept us with plenty of food to eat and to share with others. Our small crop of corn has allowed us to share the bounty of our harvest with family and friends who do not have gardens of their own.  And while we were away some of our friends brought their children over to pick beans, corn, squash, and tomatoes.

What is really amazing about this bounty is that it came from a few seeds. We have been able to eat fresh tomatoes every day for nearly a month. We have been able to eat other vegetables for an even longer time. We have had friends and family visit and shared multiple meals with them. We have been able to take squash and zucchini as gifts when we visit friends. All of this has been the result of a few seeds planted.

Jesus of Nazareth once said, "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." Jamie and I did not plant wheat. I honestly know very little about wheat. I never planted it, and to my knowledge, neither did many of my ancestors. I do know a thing or two about corn, beans, and squash though. And I know a little something about tomatoes too. I'm not a horticulturalist at all, but my experience is that an amazing miracle takes place when we plant seeds in the earth. They grow, and produce a harvest.

When Jesus spoke this truth about planting and harvesting, he was using it as a metaphor for people who are willing to lay down their own lives and their own self-interest in the interest of others. Laying down one's own interest seems about as unreasonable as burying a seed (which could be eaten) in the earth, and gaining a harvest as a result.

Around the United States, we are entering into a time of year that my Shawnee ancestors called the Harvest Moon. When it comes to growing food, there are ideal times for planting and harvesting, and one does not want to miss these times.

But, when it comes to laying down one's life in service to others, the more immediately we undertake this exercise, the better. As you go through your day today, perhaps you can begin to take a step toward planting seeds with your life, so that there may be much fruit harvested one day in the future from your gestures. You may never see the harvest that comes from your life, but who knows how many people will benefit from the choices you make each day to be continually planting.

Early Harvest

Well, it was just a few weeks ago when Jamie and I planted a variety of corn, beans, and squash, and while the summer has been incredibly dry for the most part, our squash and zuccini plants have been doing incredibly well. In fact, every day, we are producing more than we can eat in recent days. It seems that each day, we wake up to more and more produce being yielded from our little plot.

The good news is that we have been able to share this food with others. We have baked zucchini bread, cooked frittatas, and even grilled & sautéd a few variations for good measure. It is absolutely amazing to see so much come from working the land, planting, weeding, and waiting for God to do his work. It really is an amazing gift that we plant and weed, and where there were only dirt covered seeds at one time, there is now an abundance of food.

This may sound a little strange, but it has been my experience when eating food I've planted or that was planted and grown by others, it just tastes better. And here in the states, I believe that people are forgetting how to grow their own food. There is an art to preparing the land, to planting, to weeding, and to harvesting. There's a rhythm to all of it that many don't experience. I know that for me, as I left home to go to college, I didn't pay a ton of attention to the work that was being done by my parents and others to grow food, and I didn't plant anything on my own for many years.

Since I've started planting, I've been amazed at both the yield of the land, and the yield to my spirit and body. There's something about taking the time to work the land that is good and wholesome physical labor with a purpose, and there is something about the process, that reminds us that most of what happens on this earth takes time. In a world of fast food, email, and instant results, we can lose sight of that reality. It takes time to grow food. It takes time to prepare food. It takes time to work the land.

It takes time for us to grow as well. May you not become disheartened at growth that is at a slower pace than what you want, and may you see a great yield of produce from your fields and from your life.

Squash Blossom 2011

One of the most beautiful flowers I believe I have ever seen is the squash blossom. My ancestors thought so much of this flower that it was incorporated into clothing, footwear, jewelry, and accessories for hundreds of years. The squash blossom in its simple beauty also served as a reminder that some of the bounty of the early harvest was coming soon. It was a portent of the late harvest to come as well.

It was and is a symbol of beauty and fragility too. For the last four years, I have kept a garden at my house, and every year I write a post as I see the squash blossom open early in the morning to sunbathe it’s delicate saffron petals. I feel like skills like growing food are becoming quickly forgotten in the West. In my family, we have always grown food, and we have had a longstanding tradition of sharing our harvest with friends and neighbors, and canning some of our harvest to store for the winter months as well.

I realized that I was missing a great deal by not having a garden. I was missing an understanding of where food comes from. I was missing an awareness of what it means to labor for my food. I was missing the joy that comes at harvest time when there is food to eat and grand celebration. My family is Shawnee, and many of my tribe’s ancient ceremonies are intricately tied to planting and harvest.

This year, I have had the distinct joy of planting together with my wife. It is the first time in her life she has planted any crop. And it is exciting to watch her eyes light up as well when she sees the seeds that she planted earlier this year provide food for our new life together and food that we can share with others.

There is an unexplainable sense of gratitude I feel to the Creator of the universe that I experience uniquely when I taste and see the harvest coming. All I did was prepare the soil and drop a seed in the ground, and then amazingly that seed becomes a plant and that plant produces food. Around the world and throughout the history of humanity, I believe that farmers around the world experience that wonderful mixture of gratitude and joy that happens when they see the growth of their crop and they prepare for the harvest and celebration of food to eat for their families.

And for me and my wife this year, we look at the beautiful bouquet of squash blossoms erupting from our garden as an indicator of the harvest to come, and we are thankful.

Squash Blossom 2009

For the last few years, I've been growing a garden in my yard in Morgantown. This year, I think I've taken fewer photos, but I've been trying to spend more time in the actual maintenance of the garden. Recentyly I've started waking early to run and get started with work for the day, and by the time I make it to the garden, the blossoms on my squash and zucchini plants have closed.

I'm getting plenty of zucchini and yellow squash from these plants though. In fact, me, Joel, Jamie, and Derek have been enjoying quite a few meals featuring rice, squash, zucchini, basil, and onions (all but the rice is coming from the garden).

It's pretty cool to think that during these summer months, I can get a large part of my sustenance (and also feed others) from a small square garden in a little corner of my yard. What's even cooler is the idea that I'm joining in solidarity with the majority of our world who still live through small subsistence farms--I'm not even growing enough for subsistence, but I must say there is something different about eating vegetables that have come from a small piece of land 50 feet from your doorstep.

It's a good reminder that God is the one who causes growth, and that He brings good things from the earth. I planted the garden, and my roommates and I cultivated the soil, but God has brought much food from a small grain of seed that fell to the ground and died. Much of what Jesus said about fields, about grain, and about farming can only be understood superficially or in theory by those who have never grown crops. Next year, regardless of where you live, plant something and watch it grow and produce miraculously.

I think you'll be amazed at it all. God not only produces a lot of food, but He produces beauty while He's at it. He takes the time to make the flower on the squash one of the most beautiful large flowers around. It's a reminder. We in the West are caught in the snares of pragmatism--we work for efficiency. God does something different. He produces, but He always takes time for the aesthetic, for the beautiful.

Take a look at your life. There may be the pain from dying to yourself like a seed. There may be productivity from all of the work of your hands each day. But more than anything, there is a deep and abiding beauty in your life, and in the lives of others as we are faithful to the calling God has entrusted to each of us.

May you catch a glimpse of your own God given beauty as you are faithful to your call today and every day!

Corn-u-copia

Corn-u-copia, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Last week, I harvested the corn from my garden. I haven't had as many photos of my garden here in Morgantown this year simply because I have been out of town so much.

But I've been in Morgantown for most of the last month now. And I was able to eat a lot of corn, and share it with friends. There was enough corn for a nice roast--everyone who wanted an ear could have one. The remainder, we cooked up and froze--I'm looking forward to some mid winter corn from the ol' garden.

It's amazing how much food can be produced in just a tiny square of your yard. And this food was produced with very little up-keep. We had sugar dots, silver queen, and some kind of red sweet corn. All were yummy.

I can remember celebrating green corn each year with my tribe in the past. We would have a big kettle in which we would cook all of the corn, and there would be plenty for everyone. It's a time when we remember and thank our good God for His provision, and we enjoy a meal together. Even though I wasn't with my tribe this year, I was able to celebrate green corn in an unconventional way with a few of my non-native friends who love Jesus and corn!


Now I'm just sad that green corn time only comes once per year. At least I have friends year round tho!

Garden Planting 2008

Garden Planting 2008, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Before leaving Morgantown for Wilmington, I had to accomplish at least one last task. I had to get my garden planted. As gas prices sky-rocket, and people look to save money, gardening may be one way to do just that. Gardening is filled with spiritual lessons too. Many of Jesus' parables had to do with farming and planting seeds and things of that nature.

One of the most important parts of the garden is the soil. Last year, I converted part of my yard to a garden, and I mixed in about 400 lbs of topsoil and humus to improve the quality of the soil for the first year--I did the same thing this year. I also burned off the remnants of last years garden so it could be more available for nutrients for the current garden.

My roommates, my buddy Curtis Delong, and I all spent time turning over the soil with shovels. Then we ran a small mantis through the soil. We ran the mantis through about three times, to break up clusters of hardened soil, separate rocks, and get the soil broken up fairly deep. You see hard, clumped soil is not good growing soil. Imagine trying to grow plants in soil that isn't well cultivated.

Now imagine our hearts before God. God softens our hearts, so that we might receive his word more easily. We can also do things that help cultivate his word and His life in us. We can allow our hearts to get hard, and that's when we need Him to bust up the soil. We can also prepare the ground of our heart for the seed of His word and watch for abundant growth to take place.

On the morning of our planting, we had to quickly cover the seeds of corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers we planted because there were birds circling all about waiting for an opportune moment to pounce. There's so much that goes into that initial preparation of a garden. If you take the time to labor in the beginning of the summer to insure that the soil is well prepared, you can reap dividends by the end of the summer in a bumper crop. Most people don't take time to prepare the soil though. They just dig and throw some seeds in the ground, and they wonder why they don't see much produce.

As you read this, consider taking some time to prepare the soil of your heart to hear from God today. What might be helpful for you to soften your heart? It's worth taking the time to break up those hard places so that Christ might reign more fully in your life.

Big Bloom

Big Bloom, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

A little over a week ago, my sunflowers finally bloomed. When the bloom started to come out, they hit a growth spurt and shot up an additional 1-2 feet. This particular flower is over 10 feet tall.

I'm so glad I added these flowers to my garden. I have no idea how I am going to harvest the seeds or extract any oil from them, but sometimes we just need to see and remember beauty.

I've felt a need to be extremely pragmatic and efficient with my time and efforts over the last few days, and this flower is a reminder that you can be efficient and pragmatic and still let beauty shine. The sunflower's broad leaves and thick stalk are two traits that reflect it's effeciency and pragmatism. There is no way a plant could grow this tall without having those broad leaves to catch the sun's rays and a thick stem to give itself support.

The flower uses its limited resources to grow and develop so that it can flourish. In our lives we have limited resources of time and money (among many other things). How effectively do we use them? Is something beautiful coming out of our efficiency and pragmatism? Is there something coming out of our efforts that makes people pause and say--what a wonderful gift, and what a beautiful use of resources.

As we put in long hours this week on the cafe and in preparation for the return of students this is my prayer. It's also my prayer for you. That you would use the gifts, skills, and talents that the Creator of the universe has given you to bring beauty into your world--that He may be glorified through your efforts!

Watermelon

Watermelon, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Over the last week, I have been traveling a lot. I've logged over 1000 miles on my car in my travels. My brother and nephew have been in town, and it has been awesome.

Over the last week, I have driven to Morgantown four diferent times. I've been privileged to share a lot of what I do vocationally with my brother, my nephew, my sister, and my dad during those times.

It has also been crunch time for me and the people I work with as the beginning of the school year is just around the corner. Folks have been working really hard to get sozo ready, and to get ready to welcome the 27,000+ students who will be arriving in Morgantown in a little over a week.

And I've got a watermelon in my garden. I'm pretty fascinated by the watermelon in general. I mean, just think, from a single little seed there are several feet of watermelon vine in my yard, and now watermelons are starting to grow along that vine. One tiny little seed is producing that. I'll probably talk more about that thought in another blog in the future, but today, I've been thinking about this aspect of the watermelon.

As I deal with the joyful fatigue of pouring my life into family, community, and vocation, I think about the watermelon. It starts as a tiny little seed, that yields its life to yield all of the vine and all of the fruit. From that seed, God takes it, and expands it, and makes it something far greater than outward appearance lets on.

I think that's kind of like our lives. As we yield ourselves to the Creator, He takes our small lives, and makes them grand. He stretches us, and we have a greater capacity to love, to give, and to yield fruit. As I have been driving and doing over the last few days, I have felt extremely stretched. But when I look at the variety of beautiful experiences I've been part of, I get a vision of what God has been doing in me.

When we lay down our lives for others, we have no idea the beauty and the fruit it produces.

Sunflower Bud

Sunflower Bud, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Saturday evening, while enjoying some fresh cooked squash from the garden with my roommates, I noticed a change in the row of sunflowers I had grown. They all had buds. I wanted to capture a decent photo of one of these buds, but in order to even get this angle I had to climb on top of a chair.

I don't know how much you know about sunflowers, but I've been trying to glean as much as I can from watching these broad leaf plants grow. These particular sunflowers can grow up to sixteen feet tall. I can recall memories of little league and mouthfuls of sunflower seeds tucked into my cheek (when I wasn't chewing rain-blo bubble gum, or, for special occasions, big league chew). My sister woudl get sunflower seeds for an after school snack too, and my first experience with these seeds was probably bumming them from my sister.

But I haven't seen too many sunflowers in my day. We had a few planted on my tribe's ceremonial grounds a few years back, but that garden didn't lend itself well to day-to-day observation. Honestly, I just remember seeing huge drooping flowers.

I planted the sunflowers in the garden this year because I thought they would look cool, and I wondered how tall they would get. I also figured they would make a cool "pole" on which some of my beans could grow.

I used to think that the sunflower got it's name because it looked like a big yellow sun when it was fully mature. But after some observations I'm beginning to see other reasons. For one, the sunflower grows taller than any other plant in the garden--so its like they are growing closer to the sun than any other plant in the garden. They shoot straight up. Their huge leaves absorb massive amounts of sunlight. And, the sunflower bud is called heliotropic. It likes the sun and the bud actually moves during the day. It points eastward in the morning, and gradually moves west as the day progresses. This photo was taken around 6.30PM on saturday, so can you guess where the sun might have been in the sky based on where the bud is pointing?

I've been learning a lot about spirituality from this garden. The sunflower has been teaching me about standing strong--it's stalk is probably 1-2 inches thick at its base. It not only firmly roots itself in the earth, but also, it keeps an intense focus on the sun. It's leaves open widely to receive whatever blessings might come from above. When I think about this flower and what it understands about survival, I am shamed in my faith. How often do I keep that kind of focus, that kind of thankfulness and supplication, those firm roots? May we all aspire demonstrate this kind of devotion to the One who makes the sun rise and who is the true sustainer of all life.

Corn Flower

Corn Flower, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

I certainly hope folks aren't getting tired of pictures from my garden. I'm just so fascinated by the thing that I keep taking pictures and writing notes and exploring all that is going on in this little square of my yard. To me, it is just soooo cool that from a few seeds, some dirt, some water, and sunshine emerge all of these plants. I remember when there was nothing in that little square of my yard, and now--it's going like gangbusters.

So I've been learning some stuff about corn. Of course Indigenous people here in america are credited with giving corn to the world. In shawnee the word is Tah-MEE. Our three main ceremonies of the year celebrate God's gift of corn to the people. In fact, there is a ceremony that comes up in August called the "green corn ceremony" ; it celebrates the arrival of corn for the people and the provision of God for food for another season.

My old chief used to talk about corn and corn flowers in such beautiful terms--I may blog more about it in the future. You see, what most of us call corn silk is actually a corn flower. What we call corn tassels, is also a corn flower. The corn silk is the female flower. My ancestors used to talk of the cornflower as the hair of a beautiful maiden who gave of herself to provide for the people. Each strand of corn silk goes down into the husk to one kernel of corn. It's almost like the cornflower is really a bouquet of cornflowers. Each strand nurturing one seed, one kernal, one gift of life.

It's pretty amazing when you think about it. In a day where most of us get our food from a grocery store, it's kind of cool to think about where that food comes from. Somebody has to grow it. Somebody has to plant a seed, and it takes a measure of faith to believe that little seed will grow into a plant that will produce beautiful flowers and food.

So when I look at these beautiful strands of "hair", I'm reminded of the One who gives life and nurtures each one of us. The One who provides every good and perfect gift. The One who lays down his life--unless a seed falls to the ground and dies it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

Pretty amazing that so much comes out of this beautiful, and yet unexpected flower. Be sure to take a moment as you enjoy the provision, to thank the provider.

Butternut Squash

Butternut Squash, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

My garden is growing like crazy. I've been trying to make it a tradition to go out every morning and enjoy these beautiful blossoms. My old chief used to say that if you spent enough time with a blossom, you would see God. I think there's a lot of truth to that statement. After all, the book of romans says that his eternal power and divine nature can be seen in what is made. It's like he has left His fingerprints everywhere, and we just have to look around.

I was pretty stoked about how this picture turned out, because for some reason I have a hard time with the macro function on my camera. But this picture captured many of the waterdrops that were gathering on this butternut squash blossom. I'm really looking forward to eating some butternut squash soup later this summer and fall--it's absolutely delicious. Isn't it amazing how lenses can bring out some of the details, like the waterdrops, or the tiny hair like texture of the flower itself. Absolutely amazing how much detail is in this one little blossom. In the movie The Last Samurai, one of the main characters says a man spend his whole life looking for the perfect blossom, and it won't be a life wasted. That's the thing about beauty--it's worth searching for--it's worth treasuring.

There's something beautful about these flowers. And I think there is something about beauty that we hunger for in our world. It's like when we are close to it,or more realistically, when we open our eyes and become aware of it, something comes alive in us.

Take some time today, or this weekend and enjoy the good earth God has created. Go for a hike. Spend time with family. Soak in the beauty that is all around. I believe it will restore and renew your soul. As you do it, keep in mind the source of all beauty. Like John Piper said in that video earlier this week. Let's enjoy the Giver over the gift--He is behind every good and perfect thing that we enjoy--and He is the source of true joy and beauty.