 Miklweed With Ahpides |
Milkweed is a host plant for the Monarch butterfly. I have quite a stand of it in a sunny location on the east side of my house. The Monarch feed on the flowers and the Monarch caterpillar eat the leaves, sometimes stripping an entire plant in a couple of days if there are a lot of caterpillars.This plant is covered with aphis (or more properly with aphides, the plural of aphis). It would be nice to get rid of them, but any method I have researched would also kill the Monarch eggs or caterpillars…so eradicating the aphides is not an option if I want to host the Monarch.Fortunately, although I have many plants that are susceptible to aphides infestation, Crape Myrtle being one of them, none seem to be susceptible to the variety of aphis that infest the milkweed. |
Taxes
Has anyone else noticed that when the government raises taxes, it’s on the “rich” but when the government reduces taxes it’s on everybody who pays them? Then when the government gives everyone the same-percentage tax cut, the folks who pay little taxes complain that the “rich” got a bigger tax cut.
Dunedin
 Dunedin |
Here’s another daylily that’s blooming now. This one is a fairly long bloomer…last year it bloomed for 107 days. As with LeeBea Orange Crush, I have two clumps, one more shaded than the other, so I expect to increase the bloom period this year.This is one of the varieties I brought from Indianapolis when we moved in February 2004. At the time I didn’t realize that this variety was named after a town on Florida’s west coast just north of Clearwater. It certainly is thriving unlike some of the varieties I hauled down here with me. |
Dual Life Trend
Here is some disturbing news from the Ivy Jungle:
The Dual Life Trend: At Urbana and two state youth conventions, the Youth Transition Network met with more than 500 high school students asking them why so many students fall away from church when they go off to college. One of the consistent top reasons among the two dozen given was hypocrisy among youth group members. Students said that many live an “intentionally deceptive” “dual life”. They believe that between 75% and 95% of the students in their groups lead such dual lives. (YTN Memo April 17, 2007)
This is especially disturbing to me. Charlene and I work with youth in our church and have worked with youth for around 20 years. We know hypocracy exists in the church youth community–just as it exists in the whole church body–but the notion that church youth are leading “intentionally deceptive” “dual lives” at the rate of 75-95% is hard to believe.
Really. Teens gravitate to people who are “real” in their walk with God. Most of the teens I have mentored are struggling with sin, just like I do. But to be intentionally leading a dual life deceptively is a rare occurance to me. I can think of several reasons for the survey results:
- I’ve been completely fooled by all the youth I’ve mentored over 20 years and they really are leading intentionally deceptive, dual lives.
- The youth surveyed have misinterpreted others’ struggles trying to reconcile their sin on the one hand with their desire to lead a life pleasing to God on the other. (I think all Christians struggle with their desired walk conflicting with their actual walk. Can someone really desire to act one way but actually act another? Absolutely!)
- Maybe I’ve gravitated to the teens who are the 5 to 25% of teens who do not live “intentionally deceptive” “dual lives”.
Regardless, the survey tells us that teens are human. We all want to protect our darkest secrets from the people whom we respect and admire. Thus, our focus in youth ministry–indeed any ministry–needs to be on God’s grace rather than God’s judgement. God’s grace, as disbursed through His ambassadors, allows people to shed their facade; reject their dual lives; live in the Light. When the threat of judgment is removed, people can become brutally honest.
I believe we spend too much time in ministry trying to “disciple” folks into a set of rules instead of encouraging people into a loving realtionship with God. God want’s to forgive. God wants to wrap His arms around everyone and give them love and peace. God wants to accept people the way they are.
When we communicate judgment, we force people to hide their real selves from us and try to hide their real selves from God. When we communicate grace, people are free to be themselves and to allow God to work in their lives…
Another Daylily
 LeeBea Orange Crush |
I’ve got four daylily varieties blooming now. Here’s one of my favorites. It’s a cute little thing, only about 14 inches tall, but is very prolific in it’s midpoint of blooming. It only bloomed for about a month last year. I’m hoping for much longer this year. I have two groupings of them, only one of which is blooming now. The other has more shade, so that should delay it and extend the season. Here’s hoping. |