#THEY RATTLE REASON OUT THROUGH MANY A SIEVE

[leninqrad]

in shambles over poem

[castyourline]

“After one moment when I bowed my head And the whole world turned over and came upright, And I came out where the old road shone white, I walked the ways and heard what all men said, Forests of tongues, like autumn leaves unshed, Being not unlovable but strange and light; Old riddles and new creeds, not in despite But softly, as men smile about the dead. The sages have a hundred maps to give That trace their crawling cosmos like a tree, They rattle reason out through many a sieve That stores the sand and lets the gold go free: And all these things are less than dust to me Because my name is Lazarus and I live.”

GK Chesterton

[idratherdreamofjune]

@featheredthings said:

“The sages have a hundred maps to give That trace their crawling cosmos like a tree, They rattle reason out through many a sieve That stores the sand and lets the gold go free: And all these things are less than dust to me Because my name is Lazarus and I live.”  - GK Chesterton

This one was a challenging, but ultimately it reminded me strongly of a character in a book I hope you haven’t read but suspect you may have... Jean Valjean in Les Miserables very much experiences a “rebirth” to match those lines, and the philosophical tone of the book often matches as well. ^^ It contains many musings on life’s value and ultimate meaning.

[apesoformythoughts]

“After one moment when I bowed my head  And the whole world turned over and came upright,  And I came out where the old road shone white.  I walked the ways and heard what all men said,  Forests of tongues, like autumn leaves unshed,  Being not unlovable but strange and light;  Old riddles and new creeds, not in despite  But softly, as men smile about the dead 

The sages have a hundred maps to give  That trace their crawling cosmos like a tree,  They rattle reason out through many a sieve  That stores the sand and lets the gold go free:  And all these things are less than dust to me  Because my name is Lazarus and I live.”

— G.K. Chesterton: “The Convert”

[nuclear-reactions]

i’m on an angst binge and i’ve had this scenario in my head for days!! how would the companions from fallout 4 react to sole suddenly leaving without a trace, only leaving behing a letter or a holotape with an apology about them not saying goodbye in person?

(Dogmeat and Strong can’t work nor understand holotapes so they’re excluded)

“If I got thenerve together to go through with this, you’re wondering where I am.I would have given  you a proper goodbye, God knows you deserve that,at the very least. But I knew, if I stayed, if I brought myself tomeet you and say to your face ‘I’m leaving’… I know I wouldn’t havebeen able to. Don’t try to follow me. You can’t follow me throughthis. I’m sorry. This is goodbye.”

MacCready- He’dalways been expecting something. A knife in the back, getting leftbehind when one of the bullet maelstroms they endured proved too muchfor Sole, their friendship too tenuous and unimportant for them tosuffer for him. They surprised him every time they helped pick himout of the dirt after a fight. It had always been too good. He knewit was. But somewhere in the back of his mind, he had hoped, foolishand idiotic as that was. Hoped he had found someone to trust, someonedeserving of it. Someone he could give his all to, knowing they hadhis back. And here he was again; alone. He’s angry, understandably.He kicks chairs and curses after he finds the holotape. He wants tothrow it against a wall so hard it shatters, smash it under his heel,with an anger he hasn’t felt in so long he almost isn’t sure what todo with it. But he hesitates when it’s in his hand. If they didn’tcome back, this would be the last time he hears their voice. He’storn between the white hot anger that bobs in his throat and theinexplicable need to keep something of theirs close. The need winsout in the end. He tucks the holotape away in his rucksack and goeson, alone, as he’s always been.

Preston- In theback of his mind, he should have known things couldn’t stay the waythey were. It was dangerous to put so much weight on one person’sshoulders. He had thought if the burden was ever too heavy, theycould share it with him. He had prayed to God or whatever benevolentdeity that was gracious enough to let him wake up in the morningsalive, whatever force brought them together, he had hoped… this wasa person like him. Better than him. Kind enough to want to tilt theworld back on its axis and strong enough to see it through. Succeedwhere he failed. But that had always been the fatal flaw of PrestonGarvey. He hoped. Worst of all, even as he surveys Sole’s room, emptyand cold as the day they wandered back to Sanctuary, he still hashope. Hope that one day he’ll see their shadow on the horizon again.He leaves the holotape where it lays and walks out into the streets,shaking off the foggy daze in his head. There’s work to do. Too manypeople depend on him for him to linger too long on the dense pit inhis stomach.

Danse- People cameand went in Danse’s life, too many for him to even remember most oftheir faces. Even some of the faces of soldiers he’s buried blur atthe edges. He’s no stranger to loss. Yet the striking sense of losshe feels when those words crackle from the radio, that’s somethinghe’s not prepared for. He has to play it several times for themessage to really sink in, and each play leaves him angrier than thelast, his brows furrowing, chest tightening. It didn’t make sense.They had faced down monsters together, the military might of theBrotherhood, they saved his life several times over, and now they hadleft without so much as a proper goodbye. Or a reason. What could bethe reason? What could be so important or dangerous that he couldn’tfollow them? The thought they might be in danger, alone, makes hishead spin. He never got to really thank them for all they did. Henever repaid them. What if now he never got the chance? No, hedecides, climbing into his armor. He wasn’t going to spend his dayswondering, hoping to see them some day long from now, dreading theywere rotting somewhere far from him. Whatever they thought they werewalking into, or walking away from, they were not going without him.

Curie- She’sconfused, hurt, as much as she knows she has no right to be. Curiehad always planned on going off on her own someday. Or at least, shehad thought that at first. She had always wanted to see the world,learn what she could, and when she left the Vault, she had alwaysintended to do that alone. In all her visions of her own future, Solewas never in them. After they met, the change was subtle, enough shedidn’t notice it. With their departure, she realizes she had seenthem together in all those lofty dreams she had once dreamed alone.She feels a heat behind her eyes too late, fat tears streaking downher synthetic face before she has a chance to stop them. “Why nottake me? Huh? Why can I not follow?” She shakes her head, blobs oftears slipping loose from her jaw to plop softly to the tabletop.“This is unfair. You are being unfair!” She would have let themcome with her, whatever dangers she might have faced. She couldn’thelp thinking they thought her weak, or worse, she had somehow grownfonder of them than they had her. Both prospects filled her withequal parts anger and grief. She shoves the holotape as harshly awayfrom her as if it had burned her, turning on her heel to march awayfrom the offending farewell. She had never thought herself quitecapable of hate. Now, she hated the person she cared most for, nomatter how dearly she wished not to.

Piper- The firsttime she listens to the holotape left behind, she’s too stunned tothink much of anything. Sole’s voice pours through her brain like asieve. Nothing quite sticks enough for her to make sense of it. Thesecond time, she argues with just about everything it says, aloud.“-if I stayed, if I brought myself to meet you and say to your face‘I’m leaving’-” “Oh, what you would think twice? Why on Earthwould that be a good idea, huh? Thinking twice about something, no,that just wouldn’t do!” “-n’t try to follow me. You can’t followme thr-” “No, you know what’s the best idea, to creep out in themiddle of the night like a- like a-a vampire or something! A selfish,stupid, blood sucking-” “I’m sorry. This is goodbye.” Herbreath catches in her throat, mid disapproving finger wag at the tapeplayer. A long stretch of silence follows the click of the tapecoming to an end for the second time. “No.” She swipes up thetape, stuffing it in her rucksack, along with an armful of suppliesoff the counter. “No, no, no. You don’t get to do that, Blue. Youdon’t get to ghost off mysteriously into the fog without so much asan explanation. You better hope I don’t find you because you will bethat! A ghost I mean!” Too flustered to properly berate the emptyair she imagined Sole would have occupied had they not been an ass,she shoves everything she can fit into her bag. The door rattles onits hinges when she slams it shut. This is why you can’t disappear onan investigative journalist- they find out the truth in the end, andlittle stands in their way.

Cait- She hardlygets through the message. Before Sole is finished saying goodbye,Cait’s fist collides with the player, caving in the speakers. Garbledstatic and the distorted remnants of what Sole was trying to saylinger until she brings down her knuckles on it once more, smashingit over and over and over again, until the crumbling shell of theholotape player and its contents are all that remains. Pieces shredher skin, blood mingling with frayed wires and scattered shards ofplastic. She shouldn’t have been so angry. One more let down washardly a surprise, nor was disappointment new to her life. Hot tearsstill struggle past the lump in her throat, and she feels so stupidfor crying over someone who doesn’t deserve her tears. If they did,they wouldn’t have left some pussy message and ran away like acoward. She buries her face in her bruised hands, cursing, hatingSole and the trembling in her limbs and herself for letting them getso close. What had she expected? This was always going to be theoutcome. She had been a fool to think otherwise. When the ragesubsides, she regrets letting it get the better of her. The tape shedestroyed might have had a clue where Sole had gone. She tellsherself she would want to know so she could find them and beat theirface in like they deserve. Really, she just wants to know where theyare. There’s nowhere she wouldn’t have followed, no matter what theysaid.

Deacon- He canhardly blame them. It’s practically a page out of his handbook.Vanish in the night, leave behind cryptic message, never be seenagain. Hell, it wasn’t just one of his plays, it was his retirementplan. But then, he was a spy, a habitual liar, and wholly unattached.Sole was another story. Deacon leans against the table, tapping hisfingers against the holotape left behind. He understood the need forsecrecy. Sometimes you just need to disappear. Understanding doesn’tmake it sting any less. They were honest with each other. As honestas one could really be. There was something comforting about havingsomeone else hold onto some of his secrets for him, and stick closeenough he always knew where they were. To know they were out in thewild somewhere, he feels suddenly exposed, like when he felt his wigssloughing off to an angle on a job. Not like Sole would go blabbingto everyone the deeply personal things he had shared with them, butstill. “We tell each other shit, y'know?” he says aloud, as ifthe holotape would respond. “You coulda told me anything.” Healmost takes the tape with him when he goes. Almost allows himself anattachment. He buries it instead, truly leaving no trace of Solebehind.

Nick- There was amoment, a few long moments, even after he files the holotape away andcontinues his work in Diamond City, that he thinks about going afterthem. Missing persons werepractically his specialty at this point. Finding people, especiallyones that didn’t really want to be found, made up a good percentageof the cases that came across his desk. Sole was different. He knewthem too well, respected them too much, to go against their wishes.They had gotten close since their first meeting in that Overseer’soffice, when they came to his rescue. They became one of the fewpeople he trusted without second thought. That was the only reason hedidn’t go after them. If they had vanished without proper goodbyes,they had a damn good reason, that he was sure of. Every now and then,glancing over to the empty chair they so often occupied in hisoffice, a seed of doubt unfurled somewhere in his chest. You betterhave a good reason, he thinks. And you better not stay gone. Despitethe finality of their goodbyes, he expects to see them every time thedoor of Valentine’s Detective Agency swings open, and they occupy histhoughts in the moments of quiet between cases.

X6-88- His ordershad been to follow them, do as they say, within the bounds of his ownprogramming. The news of their disappearance displeases hissuperior’s in the Institute, but X6 finds he doesn’t much care fortheir reactions. More than anything, he’s struck by how much heappears to miss them. The two of them had become familiar with oneanother, in a fashion that came dangerously close to fondness. Heknew better than to reveal this to anyone. He’d be sent off forbehavioral recalibrations if he ever expressed how empty the hallsfelt without them walking shoulder to shoulder with him. How quiet itfelt without them making idle conversation. It was almostoverwhelming at times, how the quiet pressed in, how asphyxiating theemptiness felt. Weeks later, when he’s assigned the task of trackingthem down, he’s glad. The way his pulse leaps at the prospect ofseeing them again should concern him like it would concern Father andthe others, but he doesn’t give it much thought. He has to hide theslight tilt at the corners of his lips when he accepts the mission tofind Sole, whatever the cost. 

 Hancock- Theirvoice is filled with such sadness, it weighs heavy on his heart longafter he turns the holotape off and pockets it. Something was wrong.It had to have been, if they couldn’t share it with him. They hadtaken on everything the Commonwealth threw at them as a team. Neveronce had something been so bad they felt the need to protect Hancockfrom it. Whether that was a rampaging Deathclaw or the revelation hisonly brother had been replaced by a synth. As hurt as he is to beleft behind, he’s more concerned than anything. He pulls every stringhe can get his hands on, calls in every favor, until there isn’t aneye in Boston that doesn’t belong to him. Every wisp of smoke that somuch as resembles Sole’s figure is relayed back to him. The search ismostly fruitless, and he suspects it’ll remain that way. Sole is aperson who can get lost if they really want. He keeps it upregardless, for both of them. If he lives his life never knowing whatbecame of them, it would eat at him for the rest of his very longlife. If they end up in bad straights, they would be grateful for hisefforts, no matter how badly they wanted to disappear. Either way,he’s not letting them go sight unseen.

Codsworth- Thegears click in his head, spinning uselessly as he tries to make senseof what he’s hearing. If he had olfactory senses, he might havesmelled the coppery tang in the air of his circuits burning hot inhis chassis. He was a machine, made to serve the express purpose oflooking after a family. Without that family, he had no purpose. Hehad suffered it once before, been without them for centuries. To seethem again filled him with- there was no way to put it, really.Filled him with things he couldn’t begin to understand or quantify.They had made him think he might get to live out his purpose again.What would he do without them?  He replays the tape several times,until eventually he simply puts it on loop and lets it run while hefloats about the town, aimless. He never ventures far from home, andthe sound of Sole’s voice is never quiet for long. Just a few secondsbetween plays, while the tape rewinds. He answers to no one, andafter a few months, no one in the settlement tries to coax anythingout of him. He’s left to float the streets, the quiet hum of hisengines and Sole’s voice the only sound the bot makes.

[wisdomfish]

The Convert

“After one moment when I bowed my head And the whole world turned over and came upright, And I came out where the old road shone white, I walked the ways and heard what all men said, Forests of tongues, like autumn leaves unshed, Being not unlovable but strange and light; Old riddles and new creeds, not in despite But softly, as men smile about the dead.

The sages have a hundred maps to give That trace their crawling cosmos like a tree, They rattle reason out through many a sieve That stores the sand and lets the gold go free: And all these things are less than dust to me Because my name is Lazarus and I live.”

G. K. Chesterton

[bosnmateswcc-blog]

“Convert” by G.K Chesterton

After one moment when I bowed my head

And the whole world turned over and came upright,

And I came out where the old road shone white.

I walked the ways and heard what all men said,

Forests of tongues, like autumn leaves unshed,

Being not unlovable but strange and light;

Old riddles and new creeds, not in despite

But softly, as men smile about the dead

The sages have a hundred maps to give

That trace their crawling cosmos like a tree,

They rattle reason out through many a sieve

That stores the sand and lets the gold go free:

And all these things are less than dust to me

Because my name is Lazarus and I live.

[joannrochaus]

One of the most moving articles I’ve ever read

Michael Gerson was President George W. Bush’s chief speechwriter and senior policy advisor and is now a nationally syndicated columnist with the Washington Post. It was my privilege to meet him and to work together at a recent Dallas Baptist University event.

He has been named one of the “25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America” and is one of the most popular and respected conservative voices in American culture.

He also suffers from clinical depression.

Gerson preached last Sunday at Washington National Cathedral. His sermon was adapted into a Washington Post article titled “I was hospitalized for depression. Faith helped me remember how to live.” It is one of the most moving and illuminating articles I have ever read.

If you have time, I encourage you to stop and read it before continuing with this Daily Article. If you do not, I hope you’ll read it as soon as you can.

“Despair can grow inside you like a tumor.”

Gerson describes his disease: “The brain experiences a chemical imbalance and wraps a narrative around it. So the lack of serotonin, in the mind’s alchemy, becomes something like, ‘Everybody hates me.’ Over time, despair can grow inside you like a tumor.”

There are times when the body is incapable of healing without medical intervention. God calls medical professionals just as he calls pastors and missionaries. Faith is a key part of the solution, but depression and other clinical conditions require clinical responses as well.

That’s why Gerson offers this crucial advice: “I��d urge anyone with undiagnosed depression to seek out professional help. There is no way to will yourself out of this disease, any more than to will yourself out of tuberculosis.”

However, as he adds, “Those who hold to the wild hope of a living God” find help and grace in him.

I found myself wondering, are there resources the God of Scripture offers that no other source can?

Help for the past

Much of the despair of life comes from guilt over the past.

We know that we need forgiveness from those we have hurt. However, we don’t even know all the people we have hurt.

Nor can we ask forgiveness from everyone we know we have hurt. Some are deceased. Others might be injured further by our attempt to make amends (as Step Nine of the Alcoholics Anonymous “Twelve Steps” program notes).

But God is different.

David prayed after his affair with Bathsheba, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4). He did not mean that his adultery with Bathsheba and the death of her husband were not sins against them. He meant that his sin was ultimately against the holy God who made him and who rules the universe.

The good news is that this God can and will forgive every sin we confess (1 John 1:9). He then separates our sin from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12), buries it in the depths of the deepest sea (Micah 7:19), and will “remember [our] sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12).

No one else can make this promise.

Help for the present

Much of our discouragement comes from struggles in the present. We carry burdens too heavy to bear and face obstacles too high to climb.

But Jesus knows what you are feeling today. He was rejected by his hometown and mocked by his own family. He experienced overwhelming stress in the Garden of Gethsemane, horrific pain and torture after he was betrayed by his friends, and abandonment beyond anything we can understand (Matthew 27:46).

Now he is praying for us with empathy and passion (Romans 8:34) and assures us, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

No one else can make this promise.

Help for the future

Much of our despair comes from fears about the future. But God testifies, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come” (Isaiah 46:10 NIV).

Our timeless Lord sees tomorrow better than we can see today and promises to lead us “in paths of righteousness” (Psalm 23:3).

No one else can make this promise.

“My name is Lazarus”

Let me repeat Michael Gerson’s statement: Depression is a medical condition requiring professional treatment. But for those suffering from depression–and for the rest of us on this fallen planet–there is help and hope in Jesus that we can find nowhere else.

In testifying to the transforming power of his conversion to Christ, Gerson quotes G. K. Chesterton’s poem, “The Convert”:

The sages have a hundred maps to give That trace their crawling cosmos like a tree, They rattle reason out through many a sieve That stores the sand and lets the gold go free: And all these things are less than dust to me Because my name is Lazarus and I live.

Gerson then cites “God’s promise”: “That even when strength fails, there is perseverance. And even when perseverance fails, there is hope. And even when hope fails, there is love. And love never fails.

“So how do we know this? How can anyone be so confident?

“Because we are Lazarus, and we live.”

The post One of the most moving articles I’ve ever read appeared first on Denison Forum.

source https://www.denisonforum.org/columns/daily-article/one-of-the-most-moving-articles-ive-ever-read/ source https://denisonforum.tumblr.com/post/182990521212

[denisonforum]

One of the most moving articles I’ve ever read

Michael Gerson was President George W. Bush’s chief speechwriter and senior policy advisor and is now a nationally syndicated columnist with the Washington Post. It was my privilege to meet him and to work together at a recent Dallas Baptist University event.

He has been named one of the “25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America” and is one of the most popular and respected conservative voices in American culture.

He also suffers from clinical depression.

Gerson preached last Sunday at Washington National Cathedral. His sermon was adapted into a Washington Post article titled “I was hospitalized for depression. Faith helped me remember how to live.” It is one of the most moving and illuminating articles I have ever read.

If you have time, I encourage you to stop and read it before continuing with this Daily Article. If you do not, I hope you’ll read it as soon as you can.

“Despair can grow inside you like a tumor.”

Gerson describes his disease: “The brain experiences a chemical imbalance and wraps a narrative around it. So the lack of serotonin, in the mind’s alchemy, becomes something like, ‘Everybody hates me.’ Over time, despair can grow inside you like a tumor.”

There are times when the body is incapable of healing without medical intervention. God calls medical professionals just as he calls pastors and missionaries. Faith is a key part of the solution, but depression and other clinical conditions require clinical responses as well.

That’s why Gerson offers this crucial advice: “I’d urge anyone with undiagnosed depression to seek out professional help. There is no way to will yourself out of this disease, any more than to will yourself out of tuberculosis.”

However, as he adds, “Those who hold to the wild hope of a living God” find help and grace in him.

I found myself wondering, are there resources the God of Scripture offers that no other source can?

Help for the past

Much of the despair of life comes from guilt over the past.

We know that we need forgiveness from those we have hurt. However, we don’t even know all the people we have hurt.

Nor can we ask forgiveness from everyone we know we have hurt. Some are deceased. Others might be injured further by our attempt to make amends (as Step Nine of the Alcoholics Anonymous “Twelve Steps” program notes).

But God is different.

David prayed after his affair with Bathsheba, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4). He did not mean that his adultery with Bathsheba and the death of her husband were not sins against them. He meant that his sin was ultimately against the holy God who made him and who rules the universe.

The good news is that this God can and will forgive every sin we confess (1 John 1:9). He then separates our sin from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12), buries it in the depths of the deepest sea (Micah 7:19), and will “remember [our] sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12).

No one else can make this promise.

Help for the present

Much of our discouragement comes from struggles in the present. We carry burdens too heavy to bear and face obstacles too high to climb.

But Jesus knows what you are feeling today. He was rejected by his hometown and mocked by his own family. He experienced overwhelming stress in the Garden of Gethsemane, horrific pain and torture after he was betrayed by his friends, and abandonment beyond anything we can understand (Matthew 27:46).

Now he is praying for us with empathy and passion (Romans 8:34) and assures us, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

No one else can make this promise.

Help for the future

Much of our despair comes from fears about the future. But God testifies, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come” (Isaiah 46:10 NIV).

Our timeless Lord sees tomorrow better than we can see today and promises to lead us “in paths of righteousness” (Psalm 23:3).

No one else can make this promise.

“My name is Lazarus”

Let me repeat Michael Gerson’s statement: Depression is a medical condition requiring professional treatment. But for those suffering from depression–and for the rest of us on this fallen planet–there is help and hope in Jesus that we can find nowhere else.

In testifying to the transforming power of his conversion to Christ, Gerson quotes G. K. Chesterton’s poem, “The Convert”:

The sages have a hundred maps to give That trace their crawling cosmos like a tree, They rattle reason out through many a sieve That stores the sand and lets the gold go free: And all these things are less than dust to me Because my name is Lazarus and I live.

Gerson then cites “God’s promise”: “That even when strength fails, there is perseverance. And even when perseverance fails, there is hope. And even when hope fails, there is love. And love never fails.

“So how do we know this? How can anyone be so confident?

“Because we are Lazarus, and we live.”

The post One of the most moving articles I’ve ever read appeared first on Denison Forum.

source https://www.denisonforum.org/columns/daily-article/one-of-the-most-moving-articles-ive-ever-read/

[castyourline]

“After one moment when I bowed my head And the whole world turned over and came upright, And I came out where the old road shone white, I walked the ways and heard what all men said, Forests of tongues, like autumn leaves unshed, Being not unlovable but strange and light; Old riddles and new creeds, not in despite But softly, as men smile about the dead. The sages have a hundred maps to give That trace their crawling cosmos like a tree, They rattle reason out through many a sieve That stores the sand and lets the gold go free: And all these things are less than dust to me Because my name is Lazarus and I live.”

GK Chesterton

[sherristockman]

How to Grow and Enjoy Arugula Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola While known as a salad green with a tangy, slightly peppery kick, arugula1,2 is actually a relative of the cruciferous family, which includes radishes, Brussels sprouts, kale, cauliflower and broccoli. Like other members of this family, arugula contains a number of medicinal nutrients, including cancer-fighting compounds and carotenoids known for their importance for good eyesight. It’s an excellent source of fiber, vitamins A, C and K, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and manganese. Arugula also provides high levels of protein, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, zinc, copper and pantothenic acid (vitamin B5).3 Its flavonoid content helps improve blood vessel function, increase blood flow, lower blood pressure and lower inflammation. Arugula even has cleansing properties to counteract the poisoning effects of heavy metals in the system, particularly in the liver,4 and helps eliminate pesticides and herbicides from your body. Arugula has long been considered an aphrodisiac, and modern science supports this notion, showing trace minerals and antioxidants help block absorption of environmental contaminants suspected of impacting your libido. Arugula Is a Heart-Healthy Food Arugula also contains about 480 milligrams (mg) of nitrates per 100-gram serving, which your body uses as raw material to make nitric oxide (NO),5 an important biological signaling molecule that supports normal endothelial function and protects your mitochondria. Acting as a potent vasodilator, NO helps relax and widen the diameter of your blood vessels, supporting healthy blood flow and oxygenation of your tissues. It also carries away waste material and carbon dioxide. A diet high in nitrate is a natural strategy recommended for the treatment of prehypertension and hypertension6,7 (high blood pressure), and helps protect against heart attacks. Raw beets are perhaps the most well-known for their ability to lower blood pressure (thanks to their nitrate content), but arugula actually contains the highest levels of nitrates of any vegetable. For comparison, 100 grams of whole red beets provide a mere 110 mg of nitrates to arugula’s 480 mg.8 How to Grow Arugula Arugula9 is a cool season crop, and can be added to your fall garden plantings. It’s forgiving in that it can tolerate low-fertility soils and frost, and is really easy to care for, although it does best in humus-rich soils with a pH between 6 and 6.8. Seeds germinate best at temperatures between 40 and 55 degrees F. Plant your seeds directly into your garden bed, but avoid planting them in a spot where you just harvested another cabbage family crop. As noted in the video above, there are two main types of arugula.10 Common arugula (Eruca sativa) is best for eating and cooking, as it produces large, lush growth, while the wild Italian arugula (Eruca selvatica) — which does have a bolder flavor — tends to be more stemmy. The Italian variety will also bolt faster. Plant your seeds about one-fourth inch deep, 1 inch apart. Rows should be about 3 inches apart. Seedlings will sprout in about 10 to 14 days. Arugula will do well planted next to lettuce and peas. For a continuous harvest through the fall, plant new seeds every two weeks up until about four weeks before your first frost date. Dry, hot weather will speed bolting. If temperatures are still on the high side, you can slow bolting by providing shade and making sure the soil doesn’t dry out. Addressing Pests A common cabbage family pest is the flea beetle. Row covers can be used to protect tender seedlings. Another protective measure is to sprinkle food grade diatomaceous earth around the seedlings. Diatomaceous earth is available at most garden centers. One drawback is that it will kill any soft-body insect, so in addition to fleas, it could also have a detrimental effect on worms and even bees. For this reason, it’s best to use it only when absolutely necessary. Another alternative suggested in the video above is Reemay fabric. Used as a row cover, it allows about 75 percent of sunlight through, and is permeable enough to allow water through — but not the pests. Simply pin the fabric down so that it’s loosely covering the plants, allowing for growth. Harvest — and Eat Mature arugula is ready to harvest in about 40 days. “Graze” harvesting means selectively picking just a few leaves here and there to add to your cooking. The smaller the leaf, the milder its flavor will be. Alternatively, use a pair of garden shears to cut back about one-third of each plant, selecting the largest leaves in each bunch. The remainder will continue to regenerate and grow back. Once the arugula starts to flower, it’ll start turning bitter. At this point, your best option is to pull the whole plant out by its roots. Salvage whatever leaves you still find edible and compost the rest. The arugula tends to bolt quickly, so keep an eye out for the telltale signs of flowers (shown in the video above), and harvest right away. Ideally, harvest at a time when it’s cooler and shadier, as the leaves will wilt quickly when cut in full sun. Arugula is a popular salad green, but can be added to any number of dishes, such as sandwiches and hot or cold pesto, although it will lose some of its peppery punch when cooked. For a delicious side salad, try my grapefruit and arugula salad with avocado recipe. How to Save the Seeds Arugula seeds are easy to collect and save, and can be stored for up to five years. The plant will produce small, white flowers. Once flowers emerge, small seed pods will start to form along the stem. If you like, you can actually eat the seeds. They have a strong spicy kick, similar to a radish. Once the plant bolts, the leaves will turn bitter and begin to brown. There are a number of ways to collect the seeds. Some will cover the stem with a nylon stocking to catch the seeds as the pods break open. Alternatively, clip the stem, tie a paper bag around it and hang upside down to dry. To check if the seeds are ready to be collected, gently shake the seed pod. The seeds are ready when you hear them rattling around inside the pod. Eventually, the pods will break, releasing the seeds, or you can crush the pod if you like. To separate the seed from the chaff, Heirloom Organics suggests the following method:11 “If your seeds are in a bag already, you can shake the bag or stick your hand in the bag and crumble the dried seed pods. You'll end up with a pile of tiny dark seeds mixed in with papery seed pod chaff. To separate this out, you can do it the old-fashioned way, which is to put everything in a shallow pan and blow the chaff off the top of the pile. The seeds weigh more than the chaff, so they will stay put. Another way is to put them in a sieve that has holes bigger than the seeds, but smaller than the chaff and shake.” Store your seeds in a paper envelope or jar in a cool, dark, dry place. Alternatively, store them in a zipper bag in your refrigerator. Try Arugula Microgreens A simple and inexpensive way to boost your nutrition is to grow microgreens. Any regular herb or vegetable, including arugula, can be turned into a microgreen simply by harvesting it while the plant is still young. It’s simply a matter of not waiting until it’s fully mature. A microgreen or “baby” green is harvested when just a week or two old, when it’s reached a height of about 2 to 4 inches. Many of the benefits of sprouts and microgreens relate to the fact that, in their initial and early phase of growth, the plants contain more concentrated amounts of nutrients.12,13,14 Vitamins like A, B-complex, C and E also increase in sprouted foods, sometimes by 20 percent within just a few days of germination. As a result, you need to eat far less, in terms of amount, compared to a mature plant. As noted in the book, “Microgreens: Novel, Fresh and Functional Food to Explore All the Value of Biodiversity:”15 “Microgreens are … increasingly used by haute cuisine chefs to prepare gourmet dishes intended to satisfy the needs of modern consumers, more and more health conscious and particularly attentive to their health, diet and food quality. Although [they] are often used with the main aesthetic purpose of garnishing dishes, microgreens also have a very good nutritional profile and … are considered ‘functional foods’ or ‘super foods’ as … they can also provide bioactive compounds able to improve some functions of the organism and/or reduce the risk of diseases.”

[joannrochaus]

One of the most moving articles I’ve ever read

Michael Gerson was President George W. Bush’s chief speechwriter and senior policy advisor and is now a nationally syndicated columnist with the Washington Post. It was my privilege to meet him and to work together at a recent Dallas Baptist University event.

He has been named one of the “25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America” and is one of the most popular and respected conservative voices in American culture.

He also suffers from clinical depression.

Gerson preached last Sunday at Washington National Cathedral. His sermon was adapted into a Washington Post article titled “I was hospitalized for depression. Faith helped me remember how to live.” It is one of the most moving and illuminating articles I have ever read.

If you have time, I encourage you to stop and read it before continuing with this Daily Article. If you do not, I hope you’ll read it as soon as you can.

“Despair can grow inside you like a tumor.”

Gerson describes his disease: “The brain experiences a chemical imbalance and wraps a narrative around it. So the lack of serotonin, in the mind’s alchemy, becomes something like, ‘Everybody hates me.’ Over time, despair can grow inside you like a tumor.”

There are times when the body is incapable of healing without medical intervention. God calls medical professionals just as he calls pastors and missionaries. Faith is a key part of the solution, but depression and other clinical conditions require clinical responses as well.

That’s why Gerson offers this crucial advice: “I’d urge anyone with undiagnosed depression to seek out professional help. There is no way to will yourself out of this disease, any more than to will yourself out of tuberculosis.”

However, as he adds, “Those who hold to the wild hope of a living God” find help and grace in him.

I found myself wondering, are there resources the God of Scripture offers that no other source can?

Help for the past

Much of the despair of life comes from guilt over the past.

We know that we need forgiveness from those we have hurt. However, we don’t even know all the people we have hurt.

Nor can we ask forgiveness from everyone we know we have hurt. Some are deceased. Others might be injured further by our attempt to make amends (as Step Nine of the Alcoholics Anonymous “Twelve Steps” program notes).

But God is different.

David prayed after his affair with Bathsheba, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4). He did not mean that his adultery with Bathsheba and the death of her husband were not sins against them. He meant that his sin was ultimately against the holy God who made him and who rules the universe.

The good news is that this God can and will forgive every sin we confess (1 John 1:9). He then separates our sin from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12), buries it in the depths of the deepest sea (Micah 7:19), and will “remember [our] sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12).

No one else can make this promise.

Help for the present

Much of our discouragement comes from struggles in the present. We carry burdens too heavy to bear and face obstacles too high to climb.

But Jesus knows what you are feeling today. He was rejected by his hometown and mocked by his own family. He experienced overwhelming stress in the Garden of Gethsemane, horrific pain and torture after he was betrayed by his friends, and abandonment beyond anything we can understand (Matthew 27:46).

Now he is praying for us with empathy and passion (Romans 8:34) and assures us, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

No one else can make this promise.

Help for the future

Much of our despair comes from fears about the future. But God testifies, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come” (Isaiah 46:10 NIV).

Our timeless Lord sees tomorrow better than we can see today and promises to lead us “in paths of righteousness” (Psalm 23:3).

No one else can make this promise.

“My name is Lazarus”

Let me repeat Michael Gerson’s statement: Depression is a medical condition requiring professional treatment. But for those suffering from depression–and for the rest of us on this fallen planet–there is help and hope in Jesus that we can find nowhere else.

In testifying to the transforming power of his conversion to Christ, Gerson quotes G. K. Chesterton’s poem, “The Convert”:

The sages have a hundred maps to give That trace their crawling cosmos like a tree, They rattle reason out through many a sieve That stores the sand and lets the gold go free: And all these things are less than dust to me Because my name is Lazarus and I live.

Gerson then cites “God’s promise”: “That even when strength fails, there is perseverance. And even when perseverance fails, there is hope. And even when hope fails, there is love. And love never fails.

“So how do we know this? How can anyone be so confident?

“Because we are Lazarus, and we live.”

The post One of the most moving articles I’ve ever read appeared first on Denison Forum.

source https://www.denisonforum.org/columns/daily-article/one-moving-articles-ive-ever-read/ source https://denisonforum.tumblr.com/post/182957401982

[denisonforum]

One of the most moving articles I’ve ever read

Michael Gerson was President George W. Bush’s chief speechwriter and senior policy advisor and is now a nationally syndicated columnist with the Washington Post. It was my privilege to meet him and to work together at a recent Dallas Baptist University event.

He has been named one of the “25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America” and is one of the most popular and respected conservative voices in American culture.

He also suffers from clinical depression.

Gerson preached last Sunday at Washington National Cathedral. His sermon was adapted into a Washington Post article titled “I was hospitalized for depression. Faith helped me remember how to live.” It is one of the most moving and illuminating articles I have ever read.

If you have time, I encourage you to stop and read it before continuing with this Daily Article. If you do not, I hope you’ll read it as soon as you can.

“Despair can grow inside you like a tumor.”

Gerson describes his disease: “The brain experiences a chemical imbalance and wraps a narrative around it. So the lack of serotonin, in the mind’s alchemy, becomes something like, ‘Everybody hates me.’ Over time, despair can grow inside you like a tumor.”

There are times when the body is incapable of healing without medical intervention. God calls medical professionals just as he calls pastors and missionaries. Faith is a key part of the solution, but depression and other clinical conditions require clinical responses as well.

That’s why Gerson offers this crucial advice: “I’d urge anyone with undiagnosed depression to seek out professional help. There is no way to will yourself out of this disease, any more than to will yourself out of tuberculosis.”

However, as he adds, “Those who hold to the wild hope of a living God” find help and grace in him.

I found myself wondering, are there resources the God of Scripture offers that no other source can?

Help for the past

Much of the despair of life comes from guilt over the past.

We know that we need forgiveness from those we have hurt. However, we don’t even know all the people we have hurt.

Nor can we ask forgiveness from everyone we know we have hurt. Some are deceased. Others might be injured further by our attempt to make amends (as Step Nine of the Alcoholics Anonymous “Twelve Steps” program notes).

But God is different.

David prayed after his affair with Bathsheba, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4). He did not mean that his adultery with Bathsheba and the death of her husband were not sins against them. He meant that his sin was ultimately against the holy God who made him and who rules the universe.

The good news is that this God can and will forgive every sin we confess (1 John 1:9). He then separates our sin from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12), buries it in the depths of the deepest sea (Micah 7:19), and will “remember [our] sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12).

No one else can make this promise.

Help for the present

Much of our discouragement comes from struggles in the present. We carry burdens too heavy to bear and face obstacles too high to climb.

But Jesus knows what you are feeling today. He was rejected by his hometown and mocked by his own family. He experienced overwhelming stress in the Garden of Gethsemane, horrific pain and torture after he was betrayed by his friends, and abandonment beyond anything we can understand (Matthew 27:46).

Now he is praying for us with empathy and passion (Romans 8:34) and assures us, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

No one else can make this promise.

Help for the future

Much of our despair comes from fears about the future. But God testifies, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come” (Isaiah 46:10 NIV).

Our timeless Lord sees tomorrow better than we can see today and promises to lead us “in paths of righteousness” (Psalm 23:3).

No one else can make this promise.

“My name is Lazarus”

Let me repeat Michael Gerson’s statement: Depression is a medical condition requiring professional treatment. But for those suffering from depression–and for the rest of us on this fallen planet–there is help and hope in Jesus that we can find nowhere else.

In testifying to the transforming power of his conversion to Christ, Gerson quotes G. K. Chesterton’s poem, “The Convert”:

The sages have a hundred maps to give That trace their crawling cosmos like a tree, They rattle reason out through many a sieve That stores the sand and lets the gold go free: And all these things are less than dust to me Because my name is Lazarus and I live.

Gerson then cites “God’s promise”: “That even when strength fails, there is perseverance. And even when perseverance fails, there is hope. And even when hope fails, there is love. And love never fails.

“So how do we know this? How can anyone be so confident?

“Because we are Lazarus, and we live.”

The post One of the most moving articles I’ve ever read appeared first on Denison Forum.

source https://www.denisonforum.org/columns/daily-article/one-moving-articles-ive-ever-read/

[castyourline]

After one moment when I bowed my head And the whole world turned over and came upright, And I came out where the old road shone white, I walked the ways and heard what all men said, Forests of tongues, like autumn leaves unshed, Being not unlovable but strange and light; Old riddles and new creeds, not in despite But softly, as men smile about the dead. The sages have a hundred maps to give That trace their crawling cosmos like a tree, They rattle reason out through many a sieve That stores the sand and lets the gold go free: And all these things are less than dust to me Because my name is Lazarus and I live.

GK Chesterton