Which is a Hill and Which is a Mountain?

Hi! If anyone is still reading this…cool! Thanks for sticking with me 🙂

I took a very long leave of absence over the summer. Partly because I

had the fantastic priviledge of living in a rural mountain village of Peru.

The Andes Mountains are behemoth; they’re an incredible sight to behold.

They’re so odd though because they take components from deserts, as well as

sights that remind me of the backwoods of southeast Georgia and combine them with a mountainous

landscape. Just to reiterate, it’s an odd compilation, but beautiful just the same.

The Andes are a mountain range in Peru, just as technically, the Blueridge is a mountain range here in

South Carolina.  However I’m almost certain that if any of the villagers I lived with there were to see these,

they would certainly agree, “why yes, they’re also beautiful, but they’re nowhere near mountains. They remind me more of hills.”

You see on the grand scheme of things, things that may appear like mountains to us, are some body else’s hills.

P.S.-check out my pictures for some of both places.

Plus and anecdote to come that’ll expound on this idea.

“Casting” new thoughts sometimes are as hard as iron

Dear readers,

If you are indeed reading this, I profusely thank you. For this means that you-in spite of my aweful attempt at title-have

chosen to read this post anyway. Therefore, I give a hardy, “here, here” and a toast in your honor.

Now, onto the point of this story.

As I rinsed the dishes that were piled precariously in the kitchen sink today before loading them into the dish washer,

I came across the dreaded cast iron skillet.

Now if you are not familiar with these babies, just reference the beauty that Rapunzel from Tangeled has clutched in her hand.

If these are put through the dish washer enough times they will eventually rust over. In today’s world fewer people buy them for this very reason.

(They are extremely useful though, as they are much heavier than other pots or pans and resist the tendency to buckle over time due to excessive heat. The result is that they offer much flatter surfaces on which to cook which entails a more evenly cooked course. )

I usually dread washing these, because we usually cook the greasiest of food on them, and I have to scrape all the grease out.

Today though I had a thought, what we just simply washed every dish, then put them away immediately  forgoing the washer altogether? It might actually use less water and it wouldn’t be that much more added time to me anyway.

At that moment I stopped seeing the cast iron skillet as a drudgery, as an enemy.

Instead I began to view it as something very useful, a friend so-to-speak.

What if we did that with people? Do you have any enemies who maybe don’t really “deserve” to be?

Some food for thought from Jesus Christ-“I say to you: Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!”

The Planner

This brief post is just to ask if anyone can relate to the following circumstance.

The other day I sauntered into my suite mate’s room and proceeded to boast that, “Wow! I have a lot of free time, I have nothing to actually do! I’m going to____, and _____, and _____…”

I’m so excited about the prospect of a “free” day that I snatch up my planner and envision myself flipping to that day’s

date and marking a huge check mark over it.

When lo and behold, my memory has failed me yet again!

A very time tedious assignment had yet to be finished. Needless to say, you know how my afternoon was spent.

This shift in thinking reminds me of a passage from James 4:13-17.

Specifically verse 15 says, “Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will we will live, and do this or that.’ ”

What’s a “paradigm shift”?

I’d rather not list my name so let’s just leave it as I’m a person who is interested in seeking the Lord God and encouraging others to do the same.

2 Timothy 2:15-
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.”

I’m not claiming to be able to answer every question out there; but what I do know, I will present in order that God may be praised.

                               Now, to answer the question presented in the title.

A paradigm shift is defined as, “a radical change in underlying beliefs or theory”.

The basis for this blog is that the word of God, namely the Bible, creates this type of change in a person’s mindset which in turn

creates a paradigm shift in peoples behavior and speech.

Consider this excerpt from Isaiah 55

9“As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10As the rain and the snow

come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

11so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

12You will go out in joy

and be led forth in peace;

the mountains and hills

will burst into song before you,

and all the trees of the field

will clap their hands!

I may not use verses from the Bible in every post, but my overall purpose will remain as stated. I very sincerely thank you for reading and hope you will visit again!