The “Hort” Doctor

Pruning for the learner...

I've been studying horticulture mixed with landscaping this year and loving (most of) it! Learning about stuff like monocotyledons, vascular bundles, deflocculation of the soil, and the fact that a totara tree belongs to the podocarpaceae family. Everyday conversation stuff really.

But, coming down to earth now........one task that I have learned a bit about and have also had a range of experience with, is the                                 topic of *pruning*. 

Pruning is a pleasant and very satisfying task, however there are certain techniques that can come in handy, especially when well-meaning hubby ventures out into the garden armed with secateurs, loppers and a vicious chain saw!

Jesus gives  His followers a brief pruning lesson in John 15, which is kinda cool. He says in verses 1-3 in the NLT ” I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more“ 

Notice it says that He prunes the ones that do produce fruit...! Puzzled? Let me explain....

Pruning 1.01

When I am faced with a fruit tree or a tangled vine to prune, I first apply the 3 'Ds'

Dead - Diseased - Damaged. First, remove any branches that fall into these categories. They are useless. This principle of course applies to our relationship with God too...(need I say more)

But then what??? Once these useless branches are off, I am thinking about pruning to give the tree a nice shape or to train a vine along a trellis, I am also looking for branches that are rubbing against eachother or crossing over the centre-line of the tree. Both of these are not a good look and they can open up a tree for disease too. The thing with these branches is that they are all fruit-producing branches...so why cut them off? Jesus says, so that they will produce even more.

There are some things in our lives like these branches, which are good things and have produced some primo results in the past and still do today. But there is a season for some of these things to be pruned off our lives. And it is usually unpleasant for a short while, but God is after fruit, more fruit, MUCH FRUIT!  And the result is a more glorious *You*. We've just gotta go with it. Sound kewl. That's all from me.

P.S. Please don't ask me how to grow petunias or when's the best time to sow your carrots...I don't deal a lot with these...teehee. Ask me about rock walls though...Off the Chizee!

Predictably unpredictable

So there's this Mutemath song called 'Chaos' which contains the opening line, 'Complication's my claim to fame'. 

I have to say that this is one of my very life mottos...Not that I think I'm famous, but the phrase tends to dominate the way I think from time to time. Let me explain...

Pastor Brian Houston once preached a message entitled, 'Predictably Unpredictable'. He was saying that there are certain things that should be predictable in our lives; eg loyalty, reliability, vision etc. (And the fact that Symon's favourite movie is 'Anne of Green Gables')

However, the heart of the message was that we should be Unpredictable in things like 'sponteneity' and 'creativity'. Can I hear an amen???

In other words, live life with that element of surprise...I like to throw people curve-balls; To get them saying, 'Well I wasn't expecting that'... Perhaps this whole thing has something to do with my blog page being pink haha. One of the things I love about Mutemath is that, from what I see of their shows, they have gone out of their way to ensure that you won't see just another rock concert.

And here's another thing...Originality is the key. A somewhat obscure life example is as follows. If I encounter someone with a broken arm, chances are I won't ask them, “What happened to you?” or “Howja do that?” Because I can guarantee that 19 other people have asked them the same question and the person is well over explaining. 

(Yes, you have my permission to think I'm weird.)

And what's with being a follower of the crowd??? Especially in fashion... Wouldn't you like to lead the crowd? Actually it's not that difficult in Whangarei. All you need to do to be a trend setter in this town, is look at what Auckland was wearing 2 years ago, and imitate that.

Another of my life mottos is 'Try anything once'. Now I will admit that there are some things that I have experimented with and, safe to say we won't be visiting that clothing store again lol. But, then you never know until you try. And sometimes people will dare not to be different for the fear of being cut down by other's opinions. If that happens, simply apply the 'If at first you don't succeed, destroy all the evidence that you tried' technique. 

As I conclude, this post is not simply about clothes or fashion. It's a lifestyle. Dare to be creative! Dare to try something that hasn't been done before! Live with that 'On the edge' mentality. We serve a Saviour who has made us in His creative image. And the more you observe what He has designed, the more intricate, and complex, and complicated you discover He is. 

Hope your brain is still in tact...

Jase

Can I come in please?

Gday everyone...it's 10 to 10 and I'm trying to navigate my way around piecing one of these 'Blog' things together. 

So, maybe I haven't been so wonderful at letting people inside this earthsuit in the past; But maybe,  I might be able to improve with a little assistance from modern technology.

I count myself incredibly blessed to have grown up in the family I did. The youngest of three, I share sibling-hood with one brother and one sister. 

Skating was a fun past-time for me, until a combination of 6th form homework, a rural house location with no concrete, and an injured knee ruled that party out.

So I guess drumming has since been the order of the day. Yaaaaaaaaay!

I never intended on  being a singer, rostered semi-regularly for a youth church, funnily enough. I just got a band together once for a talent quest and sang because I knew the song. 

Perhaps God had other ideas...not sure. So anyway, 9 years down the track I still find myself behind a voice amplifier about every 3 weeks. Strange that. And there have been plenty of acolades thrown from here and there...which is nice...but sometimes it's not always the way it is.

I got the chance to to this 'interlude talk thing' in a Kirk Franklin song at Flame once. It's got the lines 'this song is dedicated to people like me, those that struggle with insecurities, acceptance, and even self esteem...etc.'  

It is an interesting little blurb and I made one of my flat-mates so sick of that song when I was learning the blurb hehe. But, I think there are some people who kind of sniggered when I was reeling off those lines...Perhaps they thought, 'that couldn't be true of him'...'He doesn't struggle with that'...

All I can say is ya can't judge a book by its cover. Teehee. Maybe there are some people among us who seem to have it all together, but are actually crying out on the inside saying, “Is who I am, Ok?”

Hope I haven't made ya too emo but hey, I'll wind up by saying, 'God give me the grace to love people for who they are inside and to accept them like You do.'