How Rats Changed My Life (yes, seriously.)

I just watched Trujillo Rat # 15, more commonly known as Leland (named after the news caster of our dreams, Leland Vittert), cross the bridge. I have become more numb to watching the little fellas die, but I can't say it ever gets easy. It's an odd thing to say that rats changed my life, but it's a very true statement and I'd be lying not to acknowledge it.

Just to give you an example, I would not be a Master Herbalist without having loved rats. My first rat, Nosi, died after only six months with me from a respiratory infection. Having very little "rat experience" at the time, I didn't do a whole lot to help her. I actually didn't even realize she was sick at all until one day I noticed she wasn't breathing well. I pulled her out of the cage and held her close to me, quickly coming to the understanding that she was dying in my arms. My 14 year old heart broke that day. After Nostalgia's death, I scoured the internet for information on what happened to my sweet friend.

The next time I had a sick rat I took her, Jumper (can you guess why we chose her name?), to the vet. I quickly found that vets know very little about rats. For some reason there's not really a high demand for rat health care. So I studied home remedies and became quite successful at putting together little "potions" to ward off respiratory infections, shrink tumors, and give over all good health to rats who were bred as nothing more than "snake food". As I got older, I wondered why the same types of remedies could not be applied to humans to give a better quality of life at a lower cost using natural remedies. Thus the MH and FH certifications. All for the love of a rat named Nosi, who died too soon.

For six years now I have been proud of my eccentric little pets. How many people actually have pet rats? As with many things in my life, I seemed to have a difficult time not becoming obsessed with my interest in rats. My little pets became a huge part of my identity. I studied rat health, rat training, rat nutrition, rat fashion, rat breeding, rat standards, and so on. My senior project was on rat health, care, and nutrition. I marketed my very own base rat diet. I designed my own rat hammock pattern and modified it for the more sophisticated rats who enjoy pockets. My persuasive speech in high school was about rats as pets. Notti, my first hooded lady, sat politely on my shoulder the entire speech- further proving my point.

I distinctly remember going through a stage of being enthralled by the thought of rescuing rats, to the point of driving my family crazy. I had dreams of opening "Nostalgia Rat Sanctuary" and adopting rats out to good homes. Every empty building I saw was the PERFECT rat shelter, if only my parents would buy it for me. Several of my rats came from "feeder" tanks anyway, but I was looking for actual rescues. I saw an ad in the thrifty nickel for a free rat and I begged my dad to take me to get him. Dad drove me across town on a dark rainy night to pick up the scariest, most gigantic, dare I say it... ugliest rat in the world. This was the kind of rat you expect to see beating up an alley cat in a New York City sewer. His name was Bartholomew Bogey, and I fell in love with him. He was from a tiny, dirty apartment where he was constantly harassed by cats and dogs. His diet was mediocre and he had very little human interaction. I quickly discovered that Bart needed very little to begin bruxing as if he was in Heaven. He needed Classical music, a corn cob, and a yogurt drop. He lived out his life in his mega black cage listening to Bach and chewing on corn.

Fifteen rats and I remember each distinctly because there is something very special about rats: they have personality. I quickly saw that each rat was very different. They had unique likes and dislikes. Some were quiet, some were loud. Nosi loved to cuddle. Margie didn't like being held, but she loved hanging out in her little pirate ship for hours and hours. Francie never stopped moving. Jumper... jumped. Mysty was in love with my brother (She would spend all day in her pocket hammock ignoring us. But if Karl walked by, her little head would pop out immediately.) Bart loved his Bach.

We spent hours watching pairs of rats run on their wheel, doing flips and all kinds of tricks. We watched rats run up and down the levels of their cage with mouths full of paper towels to add to their bed. We watched healthy rats take care of sick rats. We saw rats bruxing and eye boggling- signs of contentment. Our nails and hair have been groomed by rats. We cheered as our boy rats presented us with boxing matches.

I sought every opportunity to convert people to "rattism". Even the local newspaper took notice. I was immediately successful with my dad, who would watch TV at night while Nosi sat on his shoulder wrapped in a blanket. It took a little longer with my sister, since Notti saw fit to stick her tail in Sarah's mouth the first time they met. Notti was one of the rats that I will remember the most because of her constant antics. She strove to live up to her name. Daily. Disappearing into the couch, screaming during baths, jumping several feet onto my mother, chewing holes in computer cords, sticking her tail in unsuspecting mouths... After Nosi died, Notti showed a definite decline in her naughty habits and became quite the calm cuddly girl.

Through owning rats (truly being owned BY rats) I learned many things. I saw how excited baby rats get when they are introduced to new foods, given a cage of their own, and covered with a fleece blanket. I experienced bonding with tiny little beings who depended on me entirely, loved me unconditionally, and worshiped me willingly. I gained great debating skills through defending animals who are so misunderstood thanks to their wild relatives. I learned about providing for those I was responsible for by spending over half of my fast food pay checks on bigger cages, better bedding, hammock materials, natural remedies, healthy food, and lots of yogurt drops. I saw the connection rats make with each other, and how sad they became when a friend died. I helped them fight for their lives when needed. I had the difficult responsibility of deciding when we should stop fighting even though my rats couldn't tell me when they were through with the fight. And I learned to help my best friends cross over to Rainbow Bridge with as much love as I could. I saw the value of life even in these tiny animals.

Now that I'm a little older, I understand that I can't actually save the rats of the world by opening a shelter. But I can help everyone understand what amazing little creatures they are. Everyone, that is, except for the mail lady.

It's the end of the rattie era for me. So goodbye Nosi, Notti, Jumper, Mysty, Francie, Margie, Nilla, Wafer, Donovan, Bart, Scout, Opal, Zebedee, Forney, and Leland.

Why is a balanced view so difficult?

Osama Bin Laden is dead. A great evil has been removed from this earth. Praise God.

Christians have a right to celebrate today. Americans have a right to celebrate today. The world has a right to celebrate today.

Does celebrate mean get drunk and dance in the streets, cheering? No. An appropriate celebration would be to remain solemn, thank our military for a job very well done, and thank God for this victory. Let us also remember the many innocent people murdered by the efforts of a man who, thanks to our country, will never harm another innocent person. Let's be happy for the families of these innocent people, as they have been given a reason to celebrate.

I have not seen inappropriate rejoicing from Christians, so I'm not sure where people are getting that idea. The inappropriate celebrating I've seen has been on the news, a bunch of college aged partiers who will use any excuse to get drunk and "celebrate", mob-style, in the streets. These people do not understand what they are celebrating. They just like their beer.

For those who would condemn any form of joy over the death of a mass murderer, saying that it's wrong to celebrate a soul in hell- how do you know? I thought it was God's place to judge. Yes, Bin Laden lived a terrible life and did many wrongs, obviously. But ultimately it is not our job to judge if someone is in hell, so I don't understand why Christians feel the need to act like those of us who are proud of America today are celebrating a soul in hell. We are celebrating an evil man who has finally been taken from this earth, because of the efforts and victory of our military. There will be some who take it too far, but that does not make this occasion any less of a victory.

I am thankful for people willing to dedicate their lives to keeping me safe. I am thankful I serve a God who brings evil to justice. I am celebrating a victory over evil.

How to Describe Dean

Life is an interesting thing. Death is a strange thing. It was brought to my attention that four years ago today, my friend Dean Teter died. He has been enjoying his Lord for four years now. Not that four years means anything to him- he has eternity. But to me, and to the rest who are still here and loved him, years mean something.

Four years ago yesterday I got in the little green Subaru with my dad and drove up to Dean and Nancy's house to say a prayer and to say goodbye, as I realize now. Truthfully we didn't know how long Dean had left in his house on this earth with his Nancy, but we knew it wasn't long. Dean was always a picture of strength to me. That didn't change even as I saw him in his last hours and gave his forehead a goodbye kiss.

I was just talking to my mom about the significance of this day- the day we lost Dean four years ago- when something hit me. New people have come into my life in four years, some of them on a very close level. New people have come into the church in four years. These people do not know Dean. I can't describe how that makes me feel, other than to say that Dean was such a huge part of my life that it hurts to not be able to share memories of him with people I love. It is so much better for him to be with God, but he has left a void here that can't be filled. I look forward to sharing time with him again, when I have joined him where years have no meaning.

Even with the realization that we will someday join Dean, the feeling that he cannot be described is haunting. That's why death is so strange. Dean has left this life but he left many who love him here, so bits of him remain. Even as I begin to describe him, please know that I can never do his life justice.

Dean:

Prayers. Long, sincere, beautiful prayers filled with respect, awe, and wisdom. I sat through many prayer meetings with Dean. His deep, strong voice would carry through any room- praising, thanking, and making requests of His God. The steadfast prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Maybe that's why my parents would call Dean when they felt in need of prayer. Whether it was a personal request or a church issue, often times the first thing my parents would do during a difficult time was to give Dean a call so that he would pray with them. What a testimony to him- a true person of prayer, sought after by others for His sincerity when approaching God.

Laughs. Where Dean was, laughter was. "Dean-isms" were well known at Pleasant Valley. "The J.A. Pan Company". "Them Hanyaks." and the list goes on. His huge smile and loud chuckle would make anyone happy. Joking with the young people in the church seemed to be one of the things that brought him the most joy. Kids of all ages loved Dean. My family commented after his funeral that we couldn't believe how many kids had been there. He took time to appreciate young people and to encourage them through jokes and kind comments. He genuinely cared about their lives and many of us had our own special nick-names from Dean. My sister was "The Blue-eyed Brat." I think that my generation may, in some ways, be difficult for older people to connect with. We are often caught up in our own lives. Somehow Dean broke down that barrier and was loved by the youth around him. Even as Dean aged, he did what he could to encourage the young. He hosted events and targeted specific groups of kids to encourage- such as the Bible Bowl participants.

Strength. Dean was probably the strongest man I've ever known. He was a strong leader in the church. There are so many times I can think back on that would have turned out so differently without his leadership. Dean was never an Elder in the church, but I have to say that I saw him as one. He was the person to go to for loving guidance based on the truth. He cared to check up on people and to truly be involved in their lives. Dean was a man who was not afraid to make a stand based on what he knew was right. He was also a strong man physically, and I never stopped seeing him that way. In his last years, Dean walked hunched over with a cane. But he never lost his strong appearance. Just recently I saw a picture of him standing upright and it shocked me at how much can change in a few short years. But really nothing at all changed. Dean was strong, no matter what his body was telling him.

Work. Dean worked hard. I remember him crawling all over my kitchen floor only a few days before his knee surgery, because he wanted to get the floor laid while he could! He spent endless hours doing those thankless tasks throughout the church building and on the grounds. I could go on here, but it wouldn't end. Dean spent his life working hard.

The sting of death might fade with time, but somehow it doesn't with Dean. Thinking about him today has as much joy and hurt as it did four years ago. And so I sit here typing, looking at what I've written, and realizing that I've failed. Such a significant part of my childhood and teen years can't be described in an article or facebook note. I can say all the good things about him and all my memories of him, but his life was lived in such a fashion that can't be summed up. Experiencing his friendship and learning from observing him were gifts that I was somehow fortunate enough to receive.

I am thankful that I have memories. I am also thankful for my church and Dean's family, because they know what I mean! Pleasant Valley has experienced his leadership and his family has experienced his love. I am thankful for his wife Nancy, who is a vital part of our congregation and a great friend. And I'm thankful for the beautiful roses in the church yard, planted in Dean's memory, that will be blooming soon.

A New Kind of Seen and Not Heard

I don't believe in children being seen and not heard. I believe children are a vital part of the family and should be included in conversations all throughout the day. The idea that children show respect through silence may be a thing of the past, but we have a whole new kind of seen and not heard today. We rid ourselves of our children through any avenue we can, as early as we can. Day care, preschool, grade school, extracurriculars, and so on. And
when we DO have them, we set them in front of the TV.

I just saw a news story about a grocery store offering carts for children with a built in TV screen to play cartoons. I remember grocery shopping with my mom as a child. We would pick recipes ahead of time and choose out the ingredients together. It was a time to visit with mom, learn to compare prices, and help plan meals for the week. It was a time to count out my own money that I had saved to buy something special. I was included in the experience and I'm sure it was early training for what my mom hoped to be good shopping habits later. It was actually a special time spent with my mom. But somehow parents today think a TV screen is the answer for entertaining their children during grocery shopping trips.

How sad. But I shouldn't be surprised. Road trips used to be times of looking for license plates from different states, playing I Spy, noticing the beauty of the surroundings, and conversing. Now every mini van has a screen to entertain the kids and keep them quiet. And to top that, some have two or three screens. Because we all know it would be the end of the world if little Johnny had to share a TV with his sister.

Meal times used to be times to pray together, enjoy a meal, and catch up with one another. Now families entertain themselves at the dinner table with the news, a cartoon, or a movie. TV is even used for "educational purposes" which, to throw my opinion out there, seems to be used as just one more reason to place kids in front of a screen instead of involving them in life and educating them through experiences.

What it boils down to is that we like to get kids out of the way. We check "have kid number 1" and "have kid number 2" off our life list, then we spend their childhood doing everything in our power to make sure they don't inconvenience us. Send them away, let someone else raise them, ignore them, distract them with the TV. It's so much easier to plop the crying child in the cart to watch Sponge Bob than it is to actually discipline. It's easier to let Sesame Street do the teaching than to sit down and teach a child to count. And it's easier to let Yo Gabba Gabba (yikes!) put your child to bed than it is to read him a story and rock him to sleep. So now we have a bunch of kids who are dependent on a screen to get them through the day. They can't eat breakfast without it, they can't go on a trip without it, they can't go to sleep without it, and NOW they can't sit in the shopping cart without it.

Instead of teaching our kids to be seen and not heard for the purpose of respect, we are now teaching them to be seen and not heard because it's easier than having to deal with them ourselves. What's next? Changing tables with built-in TV screens? Sand box sets that include a wide screen and speakers? Swing set cartoon stations?

Children deserve better. I hope we won't buy into TV parenting. I hope we'll take pleasure in the everyday tasks that come along with raising children. Children are eternal beings and life is too short to waste theirs in front of TV screens.

An Epidemic of "Happiness"

"As long as you're happy." seems to be a common theme in our culture. We seek happiness at every turn. In every part of our lives we strive to make ourselves, and those we love, happy.

What if I told you that I care very little about your happiness? The truth is, my goal for the people around me is not that they live happy lives. I believe the pursuit of happiness has become an epidemic, as we have tossed everything else aside in order to be "happy".

The pursuit of happiness has infested every area of our society: relationships, occupations, religion, education, etc. Happiness is such a shallow and relatively unattainable goal on its own. Yet we reach for it and turn to it as an answer to all of the big questions in life. For a nation that spends so much time seeking after happiness, is anyone actually happy? At the end of the day can anyone honestly say that they have arrived- that they have truly attained all that would make them happy?

I want something so much more than happiness for the people I love. I want them to live God-glorifying lives and to live forever in His presence when their time on this earth is finished. If that is the goal, we need to pursue something much more worthy than happiness, which will fade when real life hits. If you are living life to the full, you will probably have many unhappy times. What will replace the happiness is a peace because you know you are right with God. What results from peace is true joy, which is better than the momentary happiness of this world.

I want the people I love to have joy rather than happiness. When my friends choose men or women to spend their lives with I want them to focus on finding people who passionately love God. I do not wish for them to find guys and girls who "make them happy". There is so much more at stake than your happiness right now. Will he lead your home? Will she love you with a Godly submission? Would he die for you, as Christ did for the church? Will she raise your children for Heaven? Will he provide for you? Will she keep your home? Will he teach your children daily to love God? Is she worthy of praise? Is he a man after God's own heart? Read Ephesians 5:22-33.

"Godly marriages proceed from an obedient heart, and the greatest desire of an obedient heart is the glory of God, not the happiness of the household." -Douglas Wilson

When the people I love seek a church to worship with I don't want them to find a church that makes them happy. I recently heard about someone telling a group of young people to make sure the church they chose made them "comfortable". Well, it is not the church's main concern to make you comfortable or to make you happy. The Church's job is to glorify God and to save the lost. There is very little room for personal "happiness" when the goal is to please Jesus Christ, the One who died for the church, considering the fact that what makes me happy may be very different from what makes you happy. There is very little comfort in saving the lost from a dying world, when you consider that we are at war with the worst evil in existence in order to save those lost. But there is plenty of peace and joy in knowing that you are worshiping the Holy God the way HE loves to be worshiped. And there is plenty of peace and joy in knowing you did everything in your power to bring the lost to Him.

I fear that even the church has fallen into the happiness epidemic to some extent- adding all kinds of special groups, fun programs, and watered down teaching to draw more people in. If this culture of fun is supposed to save more people, why are the young people leaving in droves? Isn't the church making them happy enough? Or maybe there's something to be said about the simplicity of Biblical teaching and God-focused (rather than ME-focused) worship.

As the people I love choose a career/education path I do not want them to pick based on making themselves happy. I hope that they will choose their career based on the desire to use the talents and passions God has given them to glorify Him and to provide for the people they are responsible for.(1 Tim. 5:8)

When making entertainment choices, I hope the people I love will shun what is evil and cling to what is good. (Romans 12:9) The fact that a form of entertainment makes you happy is not enough of a reason to let sin into your life. It is not worth a laugh to be accepting of what you know to be wrong. Your soul is not worth losing over entertaining yourself for happiness rather than for edification.

I do not wish many friends upon the people I love for the purpose of happiness. The people you let intimately into your life will shape who you are. (1 Cor. 15:33) You may be happy and popular but headed toward destruction. It would be better to live without friends than to be led into a shallow lifestyle dependent on friendships. I want the people I love to be able and willing to stand alone when they have to. And I want them to cling to the edifying, true friendships they are blessed with- those friendships that lead them toward Heaven.

I don't want happiness from wealth for the people I love. (Mark 10:25) There is something to be said about living within your means and being content with "food and covering". (1 Tim 6:8) If you cannot have joy in poverty, you won't have happiness in wealth.

Chasing happiness leads to an unfulfilled and destructive life. Seeking to glorify God leads to a life of joy. Really, the truly happy times in life are a result of the true joy that comes from doing what's right- not from spending life in the pursuit of happiness.

So my hope for you is not a life filled with chasing happiness. I hope that you will chase after what you were created to accomplish. I hope you will pursue glorifying God with your life.

Eccl 12:13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commands, for this is the whole of man.

Call me a threat to national security...

http://gantdaily.com/2010/12/14/child-nutrition-law-supports-healthier-school-menus/

At the risk of aiding in the national security threat of obese children (as referenced by Mrs. Michelle Obama after her husband signed the new school lunch bill), let me tell you about "healthy" school lunches. Every day I serve 150+ middle school kids. They can choose from usually about 10 meal options. There are deli meals, grill meals, pizza, and "ala carte" options. To qualify for free, reduced, or school lunch prices the meal needs several components. Typically I serve a steamed vegetable with the main meal choices. With grill meals the kids get fries. With deli meals they get chips. The student then must pick up a juice or milk and we make the "assumption" that he or she also visits the salad bar.

You should see the looks I get when I put steamed broccoli on the tray next to macaroni and cheese. Sometimes I get loud protests of "I don't want the green beans!" My garbage disposal in the dish room eats more steamed vegetables daily than the entire student body combined. I don't blame them. I don't eat the steamed broccoli either.

As much as we post "Eat your green veggies!" signs all over the lunch room, I see an average of maybe 10 trays (out of approx 150) each day that have any evidence of having been anywhere near the salad bar. And the evidence is usually a half-eaten pile of baby carrots drenched in an ocean of Ranch dressing. Of course, the number jumps substantially when we put pudding on the salad bar. Then nearly every tray has obviously been there.

We are required to have daily vegetarian options. This includes pre-packaged salads, veggie wraps, etc. We throw them into the compost pile. All of them.

From the "higher up" folks we hear constantly, "Let's sell more school lunches!" and "Let's get those lunch counts up!" Let me tell you right now that my most faithful customers are those who come every single day for their pizza or cheeseburger or spicy chicken sandwich. Pizza comes with nothing other than a milk or juice and the potential of salad bar. Cheeseburgers and spicy chickens come with fries and salad bar. The kids who DO choose a main meal option (i.e. the meals that come with steamed veggies) are always happy to pay an extra dollar to add fries to their meal. My garbage disposal doesn't even know what a french fry looks like.

My second most faithful customers are those children who don't even buy school lunch. They just keep us in business by buying snacks: muffins, fruit roll ups, chips, popcorn, fruit by the foot, gushers, cookies, brownies, etc. They never ask to purchase the salad bar. Even when there's pudding.

So how exactly are we supposed to make our lunches more healthy than they already are? Serve MORE vegetables to the garbage disposal and compost pile? Take away the fatty Ranch dressing from the salad bar? Then kids won't even eat the carrots. And if you get rid of the pudding, few kids will even bother to check the salad bar in anticipation of pudding days.

I know exactly what will happen if we try to make school lunches more healthy. Our faithful customers will leave us for sack lunches filled with powdered donuts, fruit gushers, and sodas.

Good job, Mrs. Obama.

Embracing the Role of Helper

When you think of a strong, powerful, worthy woman- what do you think of? In the beginning God created man. But God saw that man was lacking something... someone. God then created woman from man, and thus began a beautiful love story that has continued through generations until now. God knew that Adam needed Eve.

Gen 2:18 Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him."

Even from the very start we see two distinct roles given to man and woman. Man was created to lead. Woman was created to help. They complete one another. Things have not changed. Things have not changed because God knew then and knows now that His creations have true joy and purpose when they fulfill the roles that they were created to fulfill. He, our Creator, knows full well that we- through our roles- complete one another.

So I ask you again: when you think of a strong, powerful, worthy woman- what do you think of? I fear that today we see women imitating men and think that they have truly attained worth and strength. We see women pushing men into the role of coward and we think somehow that this makes those of our gender more powerful.

The truth is, women cannot fill the role of leader. Women are helpers. It's just a matter of helping well or helping badly. Men cannot fill the role of helper. They lead well or they lead badly- but they always lead. So what we have in our society is an excess of worthless leaders and failure helpers.

Are you helping the men in your life lead well? You cannot strip them of their role, because it was placed within them by God. If you are not helping them lead, you are failing at your role of helper and becoming a weak woman rather than a strong one. Women who spend their lives seeking to be what they are not- men- are weak in their purpose. We wonder where all the real men are as we trample them in our goal of becoming what they should be.

The role of helper is most clearly seen in the marriage relationship when a woman becomes a help-meet to her husband. But I believe that if God created women to be helpers, we have that responsibility in all stages of life. The role of help-meet to a husband is a specific and special role- different from that of helper to anyone else. But that does not mean that outside of marriage women are not to excel at helping those around them. When we choose to serve ourselves as unmarried women, perhaps attaining male-like character qualities, we miss out on what God has in store for us as women. He knows the innermost desires of our hearts and He has set before us a path where we can truly attain honor and glory through our service, and through our help to the men in our lives. I would like to state very clearly that even women who remain unmarried their entire lives should never be made to feel that they must fill a more masculine role to have worth. A lifestyle of godly femininity is something all women should seek.

It really doesn't matter what you or I think, or how we see women. What matters is how God sees us. Are we pleasing Him? Do we understand the role He has set before us and are we striving to do His will? Or are we giving into the lies of the world and forgetting why we were created? God said that He was creating a help-meet suitable for man. And we, women, were designed to be that help-meet. What can I do today to encourage the men in my church? How can I make sure my brother knows I support Him as he becomes a leader? Does my dad understand how much I appreciate his protection and leadership? How can I help them become even better men? Do I envy their role, or do I rejoice in the fact that God has placed good men in my life? If there are men in my life who are not leading well, do I try to steal their role or do I seek to encourage them to be better? Do I spend my life trying to be a man through my endeavors, or do I cherish the role God created me for?

Let us love and support and honor the men we have been blessed with. Let us spur them on in their role of leadership. Let us seek to raise up more Godly men. Let us do all of this instead of trying, and failing, to become men ourselves. Let's stop asking, "Where are all of the real men?" while we forsake our role of becoming real women. I hope we will embrace the job God gave us to do and pursue true womanhood. This is how we become strong, powerful, and worthy in His eyes.