Bringing Back Beavers

Posted on August 1, 2020 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Evening, God

You created an amazing world . . . a balanced world . . . filled with creatures large and small, all playing their parts. But, then we came along. And things haven’t been the same since.

But there are encouraging signs. When the wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone, the elk stopped overgrazing the waterways and the erosion rate dropped. The water got cleaner and vegetation was revitalized. The whole system got back in balance.

And now beavers are being reintroduced to make better use of the water we have. “When you look at the increase in low summer flows, it’s like beaver magically created water,” says Nick Bouwes of Anabranch Solutions — a firm that restores riparian areas.

This is from “Nature’s Ecosystem Engineers,” a story in the August/September 2020 National Wildlife magazine. A rancher in Idaho remembered how healthy Birch Creek used to be when he was a child. Then he remembered that there were beavers there too. (There used to be 400 million beavers and now there are 100,000.) He called Bouwes for help. They constructed 19 Beaver Dam Analogs (BDAs) along the creek in 2015. That created a habitat suitable for beavers. Nine beavers were relocated with the help of the U.S. Forest Service and Idaho Fish and Game. By 2019 there were 149 dams along a two mile stretch and the creek flows 42 more days into summer.

Beavers store water in the spring when there is maybe too much and release it slowly when it is needed. But, it isn’t just better control of water. It is purifying the water, allowing waterborne pollutants to settle and not continue to flow downstream. And they bring back all sorts of fish and creatures to the area.

Maryland is starting to use beavers to help the Chesapeake Bay. This is the sort of news that makes me happy. Happy and Thankful! I’m hoping for more of us to turn toward Nature’s Ways.

Tagged with: Beavers, caring for our land, Ecosystem engineers, riparian water rights
Posted in Caring, clear waterways, connecting, water and love

A doctor on FIRE!

Posted on July 31, 2020 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

Screen Shot 2020-07-31 at 2.46.02 PM Dr. Stella Immanuel on how hydroxychoroquine has cured over 400 patients

Good Day, God

Well, here is a video of Dr. Stella Immanuel of Houston, who is angry that people are dying from COVID 19. She has prescribed hydroxychloroquine for over 300 patients and they have all survived. She says, “They come to see us [with COVID 19] and when they come back 7 or 10 days later the virus is gone.”

She says there are 50 to 100 studies showing hydroxychloroquine works. She said “By taking hydroxychloroquine, Zinc, Vitamin C and Z-pak, tops, maybe $50-$ 60. You have a whole treatment for COVID.” Why then is it banned from being mentioned on social media? What’s the big deal? It looks like old fashioned censorship to me. But, now censorship has been dressed up and is called “protecting the public health by forbidding talk of a “fake” cure.” And if censorship doesn’t work, maybe ridicule will?

In googling her, I saw her “exposed as a quack” and her past thoroughly investigated. Turns out she is an on-fire Christian also! And, God, that too has been used to ridicule and dismiss her. Far from being upset, she is delighted! Before her ministry had only gotten 100,000+ views and now it is up to 600,000+ views.

Losing our daughter Patty to cancer in 1981 has been pivotal in my outlook. The doctors and nurses were loving, kind and smart. But it left me with the feeling that there might be “other ways” to restore us to health. And to me — being FREE — is about having the right to explore alternatives. I have noticed that I learn best from my mistakes. I think being free — to make mistakes and to free to speak — is part of living in a free country. So I say . . . let’s dialogue. Let’s talk. Real science is all about evidence and more evidence — arguing all the way.

So watch the video! She cares! She is fearless! And I think she is right!

Tagged with: hydrochloroquine
Posted in authority over my life, choices, Communication, connecting, courage, Enthusiasm, freedom, LOVE, Personal Power, The Flow of God's Love, the gift of persistent love, The Power of the Spoken Word

Industrial Agriculture strikes again

Posted on July 30, 2020 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

An Iowa cornfield run by the National Science Foundation

Good Evening, God

I seem to be in the pathway of a FLOOD of information I would rather not know. But, since I am a “sharer” I am going to pass some of the information on. From Vandana Shiva I had learned that industrial farming basically destroys the health of the soil. This requires genetically modified seed that can resist the chemicals applied as fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides. Oops! There went my childhood image of the glorious green revolution! Like often happens, the few are reaping the profits while those on the bottom are paying the increasing costs.

However, today I got hit by a new factoid in the book Apocalyptic Planet. Atrazine — one of the most commonly used herbicides in fields like the one above — has been “found to cause reproductive dysfunction in amphibians, fish, reptiles, and mammals.” (Page 196) You can buy it at Target and even on eBay.

Oh, I thought. That probably means lowered fertility. Well, it also means that there is “a common association between exposure to the herbicide and the “feminization” of male gonads in many animals, and sometimes complete sexual reversal, where males actually become females”. Hmm.

It made me think of how — when lead was removed from gasoline — the incidence of violent crime has declined every year since. Yes, toxins do affect us humans.

Sigh.

The BIG Companies involved in Industrial Agriculture have lots and lots of money to lobby and to “explain” why things have to stay the way they are. But, really, God! The Big Picture, doesn’t seem that hard to see! Although, to quote Upton Sinclair, “It is hard to get a man to understand something if his livelihood depends on his not understanding it”. And — I will add — it is hard if his peace of mind depends on not understanding.

Tagged with: Atrazine, Atrazine banned in Europe in 2004
Posted in accepting my need for help, awareness, Betrayal, Books, Caring, Chemicals, Cherishing our Bodies, Common Sense, Common sense and reasonableness, Communication, connecting, earning a living, Eating for health, experimentation, Experts and THE EXPERT, Failure to assess, fears

Clean Teeth . . . Clean Soul?

Posted on July 29, 2020 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Evening, God

Yes, the BIG event of the day was that my wonderful husband Kit and I got our teeth cleaned! WOO HOO! We have been getting them cleaned 4 times a year and the last time was back in January. That was only seven months . . . only seven months. And, in truth, during that time there were days when I could hardly remember if I had even BRUSHED my teeth.

Still, I am ever so thankful and happy to have clean teeth!

As I was reclining there . . . I got to thinking . . . how do we get our Soul cleaned? How indeed? Maybe my Centering Prayer is like brushing my teeth. Something I do daily and preferably twice daily. And Centering as part of a group is somehow a bit more effective for me than when I center myself.

Then there is being with my Spiritual Director. My talking and sharing what is going on inside of me feels cleansing. I’m an external processor and speaking my feelings out loud — so I can hear them — is helpful. Then, too, sometimes her comments feel like a flossing.

What else? Time in prolonged prayer seems to have a cumulative effect. The Morning of Prayer on the third Saturday of the week seems to get into parts of me that I miss normally. Extended periods dedicated to prayer — as in a Retreat — again have a cumulative power.

Then later today I remembered Confession! The only time I actually formally confessed was way back in 2008 at a Christian Healing Prayer workshop. Now THAT was CLEANSING. I remember telling You, God, on the flight home that I wanted a way of sharing the power of confessing. And You answered before the flight was over! Collard greens, sweet potatoes and liver had been eaten in Atlanta’s airport. And before I landed the need to “get rid of them” was overwhelming! Sure enough. I just made it to the ladies room before I upchucked the whole thing! And boy, did it feel marvelous to have it all OUT! It is a great analogy. Sometimes we need that sort of cathartic confession.

And, the idea has now entered my mind that I don’t have to fly to Florida to confess. I can embrace that as something I do . . . quarterly? As often as I go to the dentist? I want to work on this!

But, God, all the ways I listed are just ways of trying to connect more closely to You. Because You are the One who cleanses!

Tagged with: Cleaning My Soul
Posted in a hand up, A Spiritual Spring Cleaning, acknowledging my need for prayer, awareness, being heard into speaking, Being With, Belonging to each other, Centering Prayer, confession, connecting, connections, Conversations, courage to see myself, humility, Prayer, Retreats, self care as self compassion and humility

Boris on a bike . . . pitching health

Posted on July 28, 2020 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

GettyImages-157818989-cropped-0f5624b0518f48b589cea0e1de137387.jpg Boris Johnson taking a spin with Arnold Schwarzenegger. John Phillips/UK Press via Getty Images

Good Morning, God!

In reading a post from Treehugger I had jolly good fun seeing what being in ICU with COVID 19 can do to a man’s perspective. No more ridiculing as a “Nanny State” the idea that perhaps the government could encourage healthy habits . . . .like more exercise and less junk food.

The UK’s National Health Service CEO Sir Simon Stevens has put it very clearly.
The evidence is in: obesity can double your chance of dying from coronavirus. So this pandemic is a call to arms to change what we eat and how we exercise.

Some suggestions are: putting the calorie count on drinks; taxing junk food ads; constructing bike lanes; places to lock up your bike, etc. All worthy, I suppose. But, as had been observed — obesity is a fairly intractable problem.

Here is my suggestion –-June Mitchell doing bamboo sticks part one.

Screen Shot 2020-07-28 at 1.18.37 PM

Why? Because, you are not sore afterwards. Because it is enjoyable. And because it
seems like a gentle way to begin waking up our bodies.

BEGINNING is the First Step.

Tagged with: Boris Johnson on biking, June Mitchell and bamboo sticks
Posted in asking for help for myself, Bamboo stick exercises, Caring, compassion to care for myself, connecting, courage to see myself, Eating for health, exercising, health, Personal Power, Personal Responsibilty, Self Care, self care as maintenance, self care as self compassion and humility, self-compassion, self-control, Self-Respect

Hurricane Douglas and me

Posted on July 27, 2020 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Day, God

I have a new appreciation of the physiological and emotional effects of simply waiting. Hurricane Douglas gave us a near miss (65 miles north) this Sunday. Getting ready for the hurricane on Saturday was actually satisfying. Off to City Mill where I actually found D batteries for a flashlight AND bought two small flashlight plus two that fit on the head like a miners lamp! We already had water. . . so it was just a brief trip to Costco for nuts and canned goods. (As I write this, God, I am overwhelmed at how very fortunate I am. I have so much to lose.)

Back to my hurricane preparation! For the last hurricane I took my 37 potted plants and moved them all into our home. My wonderful husband Kit wasn’t really happy about that. But I was relentlessly over preparing!

For this years hurricane I was up to 47 potted plants and it seemed as if just putting them right up against the walls of our townhouse would work. Once that was done in the front and in the back — I was free to wait.

That night I was unable to sleep — hovering in a state between excited anticipation and dread. Around 2 p.m. I had a wee bit of a feeling it would pass us by, and I fell asleep. Then Sunday it was watch the news — intermittently — and wait for it to have officially passed us by. At that point I was more in a state of lethargy than anything else.

And today? I am happy, relieved, thankful and tired.

Tagged with: Hurricane Douglas
Posted in Adventures, asking for help for myself, Choosing to respond, comfort, connecting, encourage and comfort, Energy, fears, Peace, Praising God for All Things, useful worrying?

More on Self Care and Balance

Posted on July 26, 2020 by a moment with god — 1 Comment

Good Evening, God

This illustration is from the book The Healer Within: Using Traditional Chinese Techniques to Release you Body’s Own Medicine, Movement, Massage, Meditation, Breathing. The Chinese culture is still very strong on this. I remember being out for a walk in China and having an older Chinese lady take me in hand to improve my posture and my walking. It was amazing how clearly gestures and tone of voice can communicate. It was kind of a shock . . . but how good to have strangers “care” . . .to be in a caring community.

As I continue to ponder how best to care for myself — I now understand that BALANCE is at the core. Physical balance as in using the small muscles that help us maintain our balance. To strengthen those muscles my wonderful husband Kit and I start physical therapy at the end of August. But balance is much more encompassing than that!

Balance is not so much a goal to be achieved — as it is an ongoing process of regaining balance. Just as a sailing ship is never “on course” but always striving to return to its course. Seeing it as an ongoing process and not a static goal really helps me. Another help is a dawning awareness that I want to fill my day with more than will fit. Finding balance — isn’t about doing it all. What a counter cultural concept!

Another “new” idea to me is that my Body deserves that same consideration that my beloved family does. So obvious — but again, so counter cultural. Letting go of the “warrior mindset” of take that hill — no matter the cost — is an ongoing struggle. But balancing Doing with Being is opening up a new universe.

And, that is why, God, it is so important for me to begin and end the day with You.

Tagged with: Balance, The Healer Within
Posted in Balance, being repotted, Being With, Centering Prayer, community, connecting, Prayer

Embracing Reality

Posted on July 25, 2020 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Evening, God

There are layers upon layers of Reality. Almost all of them beyond my ability to perceive — or comprehend. But, somehow that feels like what we are called to do. I marvel at what we as a species have been able to understand.

Mostly I enjoy learning. The trouble comes when I learn something about myself that I don’t like. Over the years I have gotten better about accepting that enhanced view of myself as valid –accepting, repenting, and making amends when I can. Seeing more complete view of myself quickly leads to humility. But, now — thank goodness — I have a fuller understanding of humility.

From a Mussar (Jewish spiritual practice) perspective, humility is not making oneself low or little. Instead, it’s about knowing one’s place in the world, taking up the appropriate space based on our situation and leaving room for others.

What are we called to be? What are we called to do? I love the story of Rabbi Zusya who on his deathbed said, “In the coming world, they will not ask me: ‘Why were you not Moses?’ They will ask me: ‘Why were you not Zusya?” It sounds simple. But, I am finding that being me, Margie, is not as easy as it sounds.

While writing this I asked myself what my aspirations are: A. Being curious — as in learning and then seeing possible patterns in what I have learned. B. Being compassionate — as in respecting and encouraging those within my sphere of connections. C. Being creative — as in, can I add to the beauty around me, can I create even a day that satisfies my innermost being.

It is fun to ponder these things. . . and to share them.

Posted in beauty, connecting, Creating, creativity in loving service, humility, Humility or Needing Help!, reality, self care as self compassion and humility, Sharing, the cold snow of reality, the joy of sharing

Suddenly Seeing — What’s Been There

Posted on July 24, 2020 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Evening, God

This is a close-up of Pink Tacoma blossoms. I’ve seen and enjoyed them for years. But, earlier this week I saw these trees on the eastern side of our valley. I saw them for the first time! I am sure they were there for years. And I thought that I had been looking at our valley carefully. But, suddenly, there they were!

I was delighted to suddenly SEE the trees. But, it made me aware of how easy it is to have “blind spots”. Things around us — that somehow we don’t notice. People we don’t notice. Injustices we don’t notice.

Now, I realize that it is impossible to actually take in the magnitude of data assailing us every nanosecond. Still, the sudden appearance of the Tacoma trees, reminds me to keep on scanning my environment . . . to make an effort to extend my focus. Actually, to vary my focus — close up on the blossoms and deeper focus for the sides of my valley.

On a deeper level, I want to be willing to try to step into another person’s reality. This is part of hearing a person — hearing and comprehending as best I can.

Also God, I want to be wiling to be surprised by new insights. That is happening as I continue using my Deep Time Walk app. This is the story of the transformation of our hot and rocky planet into a water planet full of life — over 4.6 billion years. I didn’t expect to be delighted by insights!

Posted in awareness, beauty, Choosing to respond, Compassion, connecting, Curiosity, delight, learning, seeing

Just Talking to Someone

Posted on July 23, 2020 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

Good Evening, God!

The power of just talking to someone is amazing! This is the month — July — where I pledged to take “better” care of myself. Letʻs see . . . July 23 and nothing! But, I did share my desire with two dear friends this morning. The first one observed that “better” was pretty much open to various definitions. And she also observed that I have become increasingly goal oriented this last year. That was a surprise to me. But, I’m not arguing. Just pondering.

The second friend was my daughter Sandy. We were laughing together about my project and just what “better” might mean. Somehow in the talking I decided to ask my Body what she wanted. LESS!, she said. Less food and MORE water. That was a surprise! She didn’t mention fiber which I have increased — chia seed smoothies.

My Body also wanted more Flexibility Exercises. Marion’s Mindful Movement weekly exercises with the bamboo pole are really satisfying. So I will see about watching one of the old ones to review (and write down?) each move. And apparently, weights are o.k. but not as important as stretching.

At that point in the conversation my Mind said she wanted more time . . . like over and hour to just READ! And she meant non-fiction. The allure of fiction has dimmed since I swore off of it for the month of July. I want it

Now, all of this — which I need to post on my mirror — came about because I was talking to a trusted friend — or friend/daughter. I guess it is true: we External Processors don’t know what we are thinking until we hear ourselves say it.

My take away? I’ve already realized that I need to layer BEING (centering prayer and other style prayers) with DOING (getting things done, analyzing what needs doing, and what doesn’t need doing, too.) Now I WANT to layer in ASKING FOR HELP.

Posted in acknowledging my need for prayer, asking for help for myself, Centering Prayer, Communication, connecting, daughters, friends, Prayer, relationships