The Whole World Is In My Hands

Sorry guys, but I don't think you're going to be getting any more pictures. Those took me forever to draw and they weren't that great. I hope this doesn't devastate you all too much.

For my Composing Personal History class we have to read a memoir and I've been reading Julie and Julia. If you don't know what it's about, this girl Julie Powell who lives a regular life with her husband in New York, decided that she wants to cook her way through Julie Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year. There isn't really any big amazing thing that happens or anything, it's just her cooking and whatnot. Anyway, I was reading a part today where she was talking about cooking lobster and having to kill them. I've never killed a lobster myself (I think that I would defiantly opt for the boiling method rather than the sever the spinal cord method) but I've seen my parents do it.

The most recent time that I remember having lobster we had put them in our fridge before we were going to eat (still alive mind you) and later my sister went into the kitchen to find them crawling around on the floor! I don't know how they got out of the fridge but the poor things were clearly trying to escape.

Ok I lied, here's one picture for you.

So reading about those lobsters and thinking about similar experience that I've had, with a perspective of thankfulness, has got me thinking (warning, somewhat hippie like statement to follow) about how I'm grateful for the earth and the stewardship that mankind has been given over it. Over the past year or so I've been thinking a lot more about nature. Maybe it's just the contrast between where I live now and where I'm from or maybe all of those crazy eco-nazi people finally got to me, I don't know, but I've recently come to realize more ( I don't want you to think I was totally oblivious before or something crazy like that) just how awesome it can be. As I'm sure you all know, I believe that the Earth was created under the direction of God, for the use and benefit of mankind, but also that we are trusted with the dominion to be righteous stewards over it. So everything on the Earth, while it is to profit mankind, must be use with righteousness and gratitude. Although, not gratitude to the earth itself in a "mother gaia" sense, but gratitude to God, in the gift of the earth that He has given us.

Don't worry, I'm not about to run out and live in the forest, become a vegan, stop using paper, or some other weird thing. After all, like I said, it's not about the "mother gaia" praise the earth itself aspect. Besides, the scriptures also say that the earth was "ordained for the use of man... that he might have abundance." and refusing to use the resources that we've been giving would in its own way be wasteful. I think what this means to me is just to go about with a greater attitude of appreciation. Especially when it comes to things like meal prayers. Instead of just glossing over them I want to think about it and really say what I mean. The earth really is a great place, I'm grateful for it, and I hope to be able to use it well.

P.S. This does not change my stance on Wall-E. I still hate that movie with a fiery passion.