“The finest men in all the world are not to be found in the warm, genial climates, where the earth has only to be tickled with a hoe, and it laughs with plenty; but the strongest and the most enterprising spirits have been found at the back of the north wind, where there are frosts and ice, and long, dreary winters, and men have a hard struggle for a livelihood. They become really men under that stern training. Now, if there were no thorns and thistles, no struggles and no trials, should we have any brave Christians? Should we have any great and noble souls at all? When did the Church yield her best men for her Lord’s service? It was in the persecuting times, when they had to swim through seas of blood to hold fast the truth of Christ. These are silken days, and we have wretched specimens of Christians everywhere; but if the times of persecution were to come once more, with the rough winds blowing, and the whole sea of the world tossed in tempest, we should then find brave sailors who would put the ship’s head to the wind, and ride safely over the stormy billows in the name of the Eternal God.” Spurgeon, C. H.
From the Thorns and Thistles Sermon, Vol 39.
Organics, Monday, April 17, 2006
Once again, large corporations are making a big profit at the expense of the poor farmers. Do you drink Starbucks, Nescafe, Folgers, Maxwell House or any of the other major brands? You money is likely going towards funding a large corporation at the expense of some poor farmers in an already poor country.
Read a full article on MSNBC: Click Here
There is a way to stop this madness. “Fair trade” labeled coffee is one way, and there is also a program called the “Cup of Excellence” that provides a way for connecting coffee farmers directly to the roasters and coffee houses all around the world. The programs literally change the lives of farmers and the communties around these farmers. To learn more about Cup of Excellence, Click Here
I purchase my coffee from a roaster in Santa Rosa that purchases Cup of Excellence coffees and has relationships with the farmers. He’s an awesome roaster of very delicious coffee, Andrew Barnett at Ecco Caffe Click Here.
There are a number of other Cup of Excellence coffee roasters. If you want me to look one up in your area, drop me an email.
Organics, Wednesday, March 29, 2006
This spring I’ve discovered that organic / farm fresh strawberries are tastier. The chemical fertilizer and irrigation methods of conventional growing methods make the strawberries grow faster, but it just make them taste more watery and less like a strawberry. Organic methods produce a smaller strawberry, but those little berries pack a tasty punch and have better texture.
Now, Some scientific research done a Texas university has quantified that the organic produce is often more nutritious. Click Here
Organics, Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Kids are very susceptable to pesticide poisoning from food from birth to 2 years of age because of the reduced ability of the extcretory system to process and reject these pesticides. Little is known about the effects of the pesticide levels in kids, but we do know that pesticides are a neurotoxin that can dramatically effect brain function.
The original article was from United Press Internationl. I found it through Organic Consumers Association: Click Here
