(With a nod to Prince for the inspiration for this title)
You already know, if you have been reading this blog very long, that I love the sky. Sadly, I feel a little separate from it now. Sometimes, it seems like there is a new crisis everywhere I look.
You, too? I suspected I wasn’t the only one who was feeling it.
But I couldn’t miss the Strawberry Moon this month. That is, of course, the name of the full moon in June. I had trouble getting a clear picture, but when Beau struggled, too, I knew it was the hazy sky (and not my shaky hands) that was to blame.
In the same day, I was also working on my Sunrise Project, which is so terribly overdue. There are thousands of pictures to go through, and so many of them are amazing! But as I was working yesterday, I came across the Strawberry Moon from 2024.
At that time, when I first began to shoot, my light setting was wrong; however, I liked how it made the moon look. And then the moon slid behind some machinery; and with the difference in color, I thought it looked interesting.
So as I was going through all of these, I thought about all that had happened in the year between 2024 and 2025, and it occurred to me to look for the Strawberry Moon from 2023. Sure enough, I found it.
So much has happened since the Strawberry Moon appeared in 2023. But that’s from OUR perspective. Imagine what THE MOON sees: Can you imagine looking down on the earth, and then being able to zoom in on each little space, each house, each person, and then into each mind?
Maybe the moon can’t see all that, but God does. God sees it all. He knows when a little rabbit gets lost, or a sparrow falls. And He watches His creation, with a heart full of love, for He is Love. And it must therefore hurt when the creatures that he has made, suffer.
So we shouldn’t be surprised when “happy coincidences” come our way. You know how the lights are all green when you are running late on your way to work? (Usually they are all red for me.) But if that happens, we think of that as “luck,” but there is no such thing. It is God’s favor, and He loves it when we notice. He loves it when we thank Him!
Have you ever been watching a movie or tv show, and the hero of the story is in a seemingly dire situation for most of the time, but then suddenly something completely unexpected happens, and everything is fixed? VOILA! A happy ending emerges! At our house, we call that a “Dukes of Hazzard” ending! But that technique is officially known as deus ex machina, or the “God in the Machine.” Even in our literary terminology, we understand that God is the One who fixes things. We never use that term to describe a situation when things suddenly, inexplicably go wrong.
Much of the suffering that happens in this world occurs because of man. Evil is here because Adam started it, and we are finishing it. Our selfish grasping, our jealous brooding, our spiteful reactions: Much of it comes from the evil in our hearts. But it wasn’t ever meant to be that way.
And while the thought that we are doing this to ourselves might seem depressing, consider this: Since man is the author of so much suffering, then man, when he desires goodness, also has the power to relieve suffering.
But HOW? For wouldn’t we love to relieve the suffering on this earth?
Well, we can’t do it on our own, that’s for sure. For one, we need God. For two, we need each other’s support.
How is it done? We need wisdom. And who better to ask than the One who knows how everything ticks?
The wisest man who ever lived, King Solomon, wrote the following to explain why he wrote his Proverbs:
“Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline,
to help them understand the insights of the wise.
Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives,
to help them do what is right, just, and fair.
These proverbs will give insight to the simple,
knowledge and discernment to the young.
Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser.
Let those with understanding receive guidance
by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables,
the words of the wise and their riddles.” (Proverbs 1:2-6 NLT)
Then he follows it by saying, “Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” (v. 7)
All of the things King Solomon wrote were grounded in and came from the fear of the Lord. His wisdom, and all wisdom, comes from God.
Later, James wrote, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” (James 1:5)
So we can get wisdom if we ask God for it, but what is it we need the wisdom to do? What is the goal? Well, we need to understand what God’s will is for this earth that He made and continuously holds into being.
“Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven,” Jesus taught us to pray. Have you considered what God’s will on earth would look like? God’s will means peace on earth (freedom from fear of each other or of God’s anger), and good will toward men (good will toward each other, and good will from God). That is what the “multitude of angels” proclaimed when Jesus was born. Jesus came to pave the way for God’s will to be done on earth; He came to restore the connection between God and man.
“My yoke is easy,” Jesus said, “and my burden is light.” It’s easy to do things that you really want to do, even if they are difficult tasks. Our desire makes it easy. And when our desire aligns with God’s will, we are given the strength to do it. But even that, the desire to do good things, comes from God; for it is God that gives us our good desires. The world “enthusiasm,” which means “a passion for doing something” could be translated from the Greek root as “God within.”
Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that only the things that are hard for us to do are worthwhile. But is it hard for a plant to bloom? Is it hard for a bird to sing? While it takes energy to bloom or to sing, it is the desire of the creation to do these things. Everything loves most to do the thing it was designed to do.
God commanded the world to “be fruitful and multiply,” and it has been busy obeying His will ever since. It is only man who disobeys, and then uses fear to control others and to make money. With God, there is plenty of everything, as long as you are walking in obedience to Him. There is joy in walking the paths God has planned for us to walk, because He blesses us for obedience.
Some of the disobedience of people:
People invented birth control, and convinced women that they should hate and fear potential children.
People invented plants that are infertile, by genetically engineering fruits without seed (so that you have to buy new plants instead of growing your own from seeds.)
People invented toxic herbicides, which end up poisoning us by remaining in our water and soil for a long time.
People have narrowed our food choices down to only a marketable few, instead of the rich, nutritious variety God intended. So eat the (clean) weeds! (But check to see which ones are edible, first.)
People try to tell each other that the air they breathe out, full of carbon dioxide, is poisonous for the planet! How much more hated could you be than to be told you breathe out poison? To the contrary, you are dearly loved!
All of these things listed above go against the will of God and cause misery and depression. They are based on lies, and we don’t have to believe them. Every green thing desperately needs carbon dioxide, and the richer the air in carbon dioxide, the greener and more lush the plant and tree life. Did you know that some greenhouses actually pump in carbon dioxide to help their plants produce more? Look it up. The plants on this earth love the fact that we exist because they need what we breathe out.
And just as our bodies, by breathing, help the plants on the earth, so we need every green thing. When we eat the green things, our bodies tend toward health. God has made us to heal when we eat the foods he provided (every green thing). So many of the greens around us (you know, those things called “weeds”) are actually potent healing agents, designed to bring health to our bodies.
Dandelions, for example, have incredible healing potential for everything from reproductive health to DNA protection, rejuvenation of the liver and even cancer protection. Alfalfa is another super-common plant that has demonstrated the possibility to rejuvenate the pancreas! So don’t weed them out; find ways to eat them!
You can find these kind of things out for yourself, just like I did. Buy old herbal books to get an idea of which plants have what kind of actions, and then use what you learned to target searches to look for new research to verify it. You’ll be amazed!
So fear not! God is sovereign. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords allows all of this messed up stuff for a time, but when He draws the line, it will be over. Then all the lies will be exposed, and all the works of darkness will be destroyed. His mercy is all that keeps this going right now, because in so many ways what is happening on this earth is an insult and an abomination to Him. But He waits because He loves us. He wants everyone who can be saved, to be rescued by Him. He doesn’t want to leave anyone behind.
So what do we do? Our part is to create some healthy boundaries. Get above it. Turn off the electronic reprogramming and be with the other things that are still faithful to God. Breathe the oxygen-rich air that comes from the plants, instead of what is piped in to your workspace. Put your bare feet in the soil. Taste a sun-warmed strawberry right from the plant, and pay attention as it electrifies your taste buds and nourishes your body. Look up at night and watch the stars twinkle. All these things blissfully serve God.
You are not helpless, though it might feel that way sometimes. You do still have control over yourself. Get quiet, and be alone for a while without anything to distract you. Become used to the sound of your own thoughts again, and then listen for the still, small voice of God. Read the Bible so you know the kind of things His genuine voice says. He will never go against his Word, and He does not change.
And once you have gotten into a quiet space, direct your attention to the things you care about. God puts good desires into you. Do you crave beautiful music? Listen to it, and feed beauty to your soul. Guard your heart. Cherish the tears that come when you are happy or sad. They are yours, and are a natural expression from a heart has not been destroyed. Even Jesus wept.
Take a moment to breathe in the air. Expand your lungs so that every little inside part gets some fresh air. Now exhale. You have expressed value, silently into the world. The air you let out feeds all of the plants around you. The carbon dioxide feeds the tiny creatures (phytoplankton) that live on the surface of the ocean, too. In grateful response, they pour oxygen into the air.
After a time of healing, you can celebrate! Then make the investment of time into your own ideas. For when you are inspired by God, the things you produce are valuable. And it is a joy to produce them!
We are all part of this world. Yes, it’s broken, and so are we. There is so much that goes terribly wrong. But it won’t be this way forever, and you are not helpless. Protect your darlings in whatever shape they arrive, be it plant, animal or cherished loved one. Shade them, comfort them, feed them, and take shelter in the friendships they offer, as God intended when he said, “Love one another.”
Have a beautiful day, my dear friends, and don’t miss out on the strawberries while they are in season!
Some articles that might interest you:
Dandelions are good for your heart!
Dandelions helps lots of other things, too! (A comprehensive review)
Alfalfa helps repair the pancreas!
Interesting article on the supplementation of carbon dioxide on greenhouse plants from Oklahoma Extension.
Info from FloraFlex Media about using Co2 in the greenhouse to increase cannabis yeild.
Proof we need Jesus.
The Fullers Four 