Whats really in our food

I've been working on a policy inititaive for one of class assignments, it is addressing the issue of food and the differences in quality and pricing. While researching, I came across a policy written by the green party about food, titled Greening the food basket. Ironically it's main points are exactly what my main points were, but better. Here's the link, this is what the standard of our food should be and despite how much income you earn, the quality of food that you buy is the same for everyone.
www.greens.org.nz/policy/food

The demand for better quality of food is based on peoples increasing awareness of the impact on the enviroment, peoples hardship due to the way it's produced and the effect on one's health. The more people are aware and educated on the subject, the pressure remains to change the current to better standards of how our food is produced. A movie called Food Inc has been released in America, soon to be available here.

International day for the remembrance of the slave trade and it's abolition

On sunday the 23rd August, International day for the remembrance of the slave trade and it's abolition. IT'S NOT OVER YET and still continues to this day, the least we can do is share about why this is still happening and how? Next Sunday speak out, tell your friends, family and congregation. Share the amazing story of grace and what we can do....



Here are some websites to visit:
http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/
http://www.humantrafficking.org/
http://www.stopthetraffik.org/default.aspx

Thoughts from a gardener.

Imagine thousands of different varieties of veges and fruit, many types of the same each having a different shape and colour, with differing ph soil levels, zones required to grow. Unfortunately many varieties have been lost and destroyed, of the rare types of fruit and veges either have been patented or held by a few. A group known as seed savers exchange are dedicated to keeping heirloom seeds and some live stock around to share with others and for future generations, they have over 25,000 different types of veges and fruit. It is unbelievable how many different types of apples you can get which many will never even know about and all the people that could be fed by the huge amount of food we have been given, yet much of what could feed millions is kept by a few. In a world driven by profit, greed, selfishness, has the ability to maintain what GOD has given us gone.
"Modern civilization relies on factory style agriculture and horticulture that is motivated by profitability and economic rationalism. Unfortunately this drives farmers to try and squeeze the maximum productivity out of their land in a way that is unsustainable. Govts and society can no longer afford, however to ignore the massive problems of soil erosion, sulinity, weed invasion and chemical pollution that have become the inevitable consequences of unsustainable farming practices. This zero tolerance of pests, diseases and imperfections makes it almost impossible for farmers to work in sustainable ways."
And to make it worse "Genetically modified plants present a different set of problems. genetic engineers are combining genetic material from organisms in ways that have never been possible in nature. Going on previous scientific experience we know that changing one part of an ecosystem will always result in some kind of knock on effect, resulting in other directions that lead to enviromental problems".
Everything depends on something, there is a hierarchal order where the bigger functions depend on the little structures. Man's solution to anything that gets in his way is to eliminate it. David Cavagnaro, master gardener, believes "that human beings need to understand and respect the principles of nature that govern natural ecosystems, and that we should model our co-creative gardening process after those principles. "We should never use any poisons or interventions that are designed to annihalate anything, but rather keep things in some kind of balance."
Taken from (Organic gardening for NZ gardeners(2004). Random House Publisher)

It is only till people stop trying to be God, turn to him and accept their place will suffering end.
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will i hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" 2 Chronicles 7:14

The Dark Side

Val Valerian, in his Matrix III, establishes broad categories to classify humanity into, with rough percentages.
It relates somewhat to the light-dark polarity. [13]
Valerian did not present his data to expressly deal with the integrity issue, but it has a relationship and gives rough numbers.
Valerian sees it in terms of those who give away their personal power.
It can also be seen as serving themselves.
Most people do not want to be responsible for their lives, and arriving at a new level of integrity and taking back their responsibility has a price.
When faced with the decision to be responsible for one's life, more than half of humanity at this time readily falls back into complacency, easily controlled, giving up their freedom for comfort and "security."
As Ben Franklin once observed, those who give up their freedom for security deserve and receive neither.
About a quarter of the human race feels there is something wrong with the picture, but shuffle along with the herd nevertheless.
About ten percent know there is something not quite right, and have tried to do something about it at some level, but were repressed in one way or another and still shuffle along with the herd.
A few percent have figured it out and have broken away from the herd.
About five percent of humanity are committed self-servers, and actively and knowingly use others for their own ends.
Those numbers are handy and relate to the integrity issue.
Those few who have broken away from the herd are mainly other-serving.
The ten percent have tried to be other-serving and are to a degree, but have been beaten back into line.
About ninety percent of humanity makes up the "Great Herd" and is easily manipulated.

Those are general categories and percentages, and are only for illustration, not to be taken literally.
That category of five-percent dark path initiates has various levels of accomplishment and commitment.
The dark path is not forever, either.
Eventually, all dark path initiates wake up.
Not many reach that highest level of dark path evolution and meet the Creator, to be told they cannot get home on their path.
Most figure it out before then, getting a belly full of the pain and suffering that attends their path, and eventually revert and pursue the light path.
An initiate who attains the "mastery" of the dark path, equivalent to a Genghis Kahn is far less than five percent of the population.
A Genghis Kahn is one in many millions.
On the light path, a Jesus or a Buddha attained levels of mastery that have proven to be one in billions on planet earth, so far.

Taken from The Dark side, (although don't totally agree with some of this person's thoughts, but can agree on this though), to read full article:
http://www.thewe.cc/contents/t/dark_side.html

The story of Sara

Imagine being diagnosed with terminal cancer in your early twenties, having to go through chemo, painful treatment,a cocktail of drugs, only to be told your probably not gona make it. But what a strong person my friend Sara is, against all odds she did. There have only been two people in New Zealand to have survived such a deadly illness, Sara being one of them. what made the difference was her faith, it was her faith that saved her, her belief in a GOD BIGGER THAN THIS is what saved her. She has been a blessing to my life and what an inspiration.
yet sadly she has been diagnosed with multiple tumors, one situated on her brain and just like that it's back, why she has to go through this again is a mystery,our prayers are with her.

people are united by pain when it is shared. All those differences suddenly don't matter. At the end of all that has happened it's the one's you love that really matter, don't be too busy for them, make time.

For Sara
God is near

Good will everywhere

Everywhere their are people, communities doing acts of good, fighting for what is right, what is good. Although they cannot always be seen, they are there.
It is these things that need to be heard in such a time, all we hear is much about evil acts.
Unite
The idea of competition is prevalent among even the good intended people,orgs, groups etc...
competition for resources, popularity, attention, but what is most needed, what could make a difference is cooperation. people who will say, I will support you, aid you, because you fight for what is good, we will help each other. We will unite and put our petty differences aside to effect more effectively.
Dialogue is the key.

The only way to overcome evil is by doing good.

The corporation

Michael moore statement in the doco, "I'm convinced that after watching this a few good people are going to get up off the couch and go and do something, anything to get this world back into our hands"(collective)