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Joan Ambu

Scripture Faith Inspire Life Lessons People

Self-Freedom

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read639 views

Self-Freedom, Breaking Free from Bondage, Mind Healing, Seeking the path to Serenity, call it whatever you want as long as it means being at peace with ourselves and our surrounding.

“I freed a thousand slaves I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.” – Harriet Tubman

Image Source.
Image Source.

We are all slaves of the mind and each one of us in our way is still struggling to break free (often without realizing it). We struggle with honesty, patience, understanding, gratitude, pride, shame, envy, bitterness, gossip, revenge, acceptance, communication, broken promises, forgetfulness, forgiveness, deceits, betrayal, illnesses, letting go, we compete for love, for perishable things as well as nurturing other bad habits just to name a few. Our lack of knowledge is the main cause for us missing on opportunities and being rewarded for what is rightly ours.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. – Hosea 4:6 (NKJV)

When you stay true to yourself, live in accordance with and act in obedience with the Word of God, you change not only the way people view you, but you change people as well. Once you believe and come to terms with the fact that the Word of God is precise, clear, true and that everything you learn and relate back with the World can be found in Scriptures, then and only then will you achieve self-freedom and break free from bondage.

Stand your grounds, guard your heart and thoughts, do not let anyone fool or use you and do not willingly put yourself in a compromising situation. Know and understand the God you serve and trust that His Words, which are alive and active will prevail and free you from the hands of your oppressors.

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

My heart goes out to the Boston Marathon bombing victims. I pray that the souls of the departed rest peacefully in the Almighty’s arms and wish a painless and swift recovery to the injured.

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JM Perez By JM Perez
Flies Insects

Still Pictures: Green Bottle Fly

JM Perez By JM Perez1 min read576 views

Walking around my Rose Garden this morning, I spotted a couple of Common Green Bottle Flies on my Chicago Peace® Hybrid Tea Rose (possibly feeding on aphids or their feces). Click here to learn more about this fly.

Common Green Bottle Flies.
Common Green Bottle Fly.

It’s a windy day here in the High Desert. I hope you are all safe and having a good time.

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JM Perez By JM Perez
Scripture Personal Quest Inspire Life Lessons

Identifying and Dealing with a ‘Bad Seed’

JM Perez By JM Perez4 min read1.1K views

“To understand the phenomenon of a bad seed is to recognize that we could be someone else’s bad seed.” – Joan Ambu

There’s an old Elm Tree across from our Home which releases white seeds by the hundred during Spring and unfortunately for us, those seeds land in our yard. I often gather them into piles using an outdoor broom and I either use a dustpan or my garden vacuum to collect the seeds before disposing of them. At the end of the day I still have a few more hundred lying around my property. As long as they are non-existent in the area I want, I let the others be. There’s no way I can possibly get rid of them all as their light shape makes it easy for the wind to move them from one location to another. All it takes for those seeds to germinate is a little bit of water as they seem to thrive in any type of soil (I know because I have spent countless hours pulling the seedlings).

The same scenario applies to Weeds. How do you feel about those weeds growing on your property? If you are like me, I bet you don’t like them (at least not all of them). Year after year you weed, you use chemicals and do everything you can think about to get rid of them yet, they keep coming in the numbers. After a while you realize that it’s not about preventing the weeds from growing or your method of weeding which is questionable. It’s about understanding how those seeds end up on your property and how to prevent them from spreading too much since it’s impossible to completely eradicate them.

Image Source: RelicsWorld.
Dealing with Weeds Dealing with People
»  Know your geographic area
»  Learn about the different types of weeds (to recognize those growing on your property)
»  Figure out the weeds you can live with and those you don’t want
»  Find ways to control them (fencing, chemicals, hand weeding, etc)
»  If you don’t mind the weeds, then just let them be.		 →  Be aware of your surroundings
→  Learn more about the people around you
→  Figure out those who are true to you and those you don’t need around you
→  Find ways to maintain peace with everyone
→  If you don’t care, simply allow bad energy to free-float around you.

Bad seeds are everywhere and chances are, we are a bad seed in someone else’s life.

Some Characteristics of Bad Seeds:

  • Answer to no one
  • Is their way or nothing at all
  • Are resentful
  • Have nothing positive to say about others
  • Play tough and ‘seem’ to have no remorse
  • Erratic behavior when overtaken by guilt
  • Play the victim when hell breaks loose
  • Hope to be forgiven yet withhold forgiveness

The truth about bad seeds is that they can be found everywhere and they are here to stay, just like every other living thing. Their various sizes often make them hard to see and by the time we spot them, they have spread, using their roots to seek out nutrients from other plants, subsequently draining them in the process. Weeds fight for survival, for that last drop of water (not caring about the other plants around them). How does this relate to people? Most of us have become an attention seeking species with a dangerous taste of perfection, which unfortunately, is not of this World. Our quest for self-worth and self-acceptance often cause us to put others down, give ourselves too much credit just to feel superior in comparison (which is self-destructive).

How to Break Free from becoming a bad seed:

  • Be grateful
  • Live your best life
  • Love, respect yourself and know your limits
  • Identify your personal issues
  • Seek peaceful ways to overcome your weaknesses
  • Recognize that all lives have value
  • Be accountable for your own actions
  • Respect others regardless
  • They are many solutions to a problem
  • Practice humility, acceptance
  • Release judgment and remove prejudice
  • Find strength and joy in small things
  • Practice the Golden Rule
  • Forgive others

We often withhold forgiveness as a mean of punishment (“If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” ― John 20:23 (NIV)) and often because somewhere in our twisted minds we think we are better than the other person. Withholding forgiveness is simply fatal to our spiritual growth and the pleasure we get from it is just temporary. In the end we are the ones with a heavy load in our heart and on our mind: unable to find peace, happiness, to think straight, to love ourselves and unable to receive the graces of God (“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” ― Matthew 6:14-15 (ESV)).

Forgiving someone is your gift to yourself to be released from bondage, to start healing and experience joy.

“How much time he gains who does not look to see what his neighbor says or does or thinks, but only at what he does himself, to make it just and holy.”― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

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JM Perez By JM Perez
Spring Gardening High Desert

Deadheading Roses

JM Perez By JM Perez2 min read753 views

Here in the High Desert, the first two weeks of Spring are awesome. The weather is simply at its best (not too cold, not too hot) and one is able to get out and get things done. After this time, we are ‘blessed’ with what seems to be a 24 hour high and gusty winds, which will go on for a few more weeks before finally settling. Gardening is not impossible at this time, just challenging as you have to go out there well equipped and armed:

  • Safety Goggles to protect your eyes from dust and allergens in the air.
  • Safety Nose Masks (protection from dust and allergens).
  • Beanie hats, bandana, Sombrero, or whatever you can think of to protect your forehead from the cold wind.
  • Water resistant Gloves. They will keep your hands warm, protect them from blisters, thorns, handling gardening tools, sharp edges. They will prevent dirt from getting under your nails and prevent your hands from drying).
  • Dress warmly to protect your skin from the wind and cold.

It has been two weeks and a half since the beginning of Spring and the first Rose blooms in my garden are fading. I had only a few days to enjoy them and now snip them off like they were never there in the first place.

Deadheading Roses.
Deadhead Roses.

I was busy all morning going around my Rose Garden snipping off dead flowers from my Roses to give the plants a cleaner look and to encourage more flowering. For the past six years, it has become a task in which I take great pleasure in accomplishing and I do it once a week after the Rosebushes start flowering until the plant goes dormant. Here in the High Desert, it gets so hot that our beautiful flowers fade a few days after blooming and in extreme conditions they fade before fully blooming and sometimes the Rose’s buds dry out giving an unattractive appearance to the plant and subsequently, to the yard. To me, that is just unacceptable.

Happy Gardening!

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JM Perez By JM Perez
Weeding Do-It-Yourself Maintenance Nature High Desert

Our Half-acre Weeding Tips

JM Perez By JM Perez3 min read1.6K views

It’s Spring, right? If you are like me, then you’ve been waiting for this time of year to sit back and watch those gorgeous bulbs you planted last Fall bloom. You’ve been looking forward to cutting a few Rose Stems and placing them in a Vase or Vintage Cruet. You’ve been busy planning a few Summer parties and having some friends over. While the pictures are perfect in your mind, reality suddenly sets in: those weeds growing all around your property are not setting the mood for festivities and worst, they are not inviting.

Weeding is a time consuming activity which no one really enjoys doing. Here in the High Desert, weeds are a nuisance and a year-round problem for Home and Business owners. Those of us with huge, open lands know exactly what I am talking about.  I don’t mean the task of removing weeds on your Lawn or Garden/Garden beds. I am talking about weeding open fields with wild plants growing on them. No matter what we do and how we handle them, they simply won’t go away. Most weedkillers (especially Chemicals) are expensive, harmful and often ineffective. Let’s explore some temporary options to consider:

  • Gravel. You could spread a thick layer of gravel on top of a landscape fabric. This is good for a few years until the fabric start degrading and you have to remove all the gravel and replace the fabric. Keep in mind that weed can still grow over the fabric and other elements will get trapped and pile up since the landscape fabric prevents natural soil filtration to occur. When you look at it this way Mulch seems to be a better alternative.
  • Tractor. Use it to cut weeds and then level the ground. You will need to repeat the process the following year.
  • Herbicides. Keep in mind that just like people, plants too are different. So not all herbicides work on all plants.
  • Chemicals. These should be your last option and must be used cautiously. They are not Eco-friendly and could be harmful to other plants as well as animals.
  • Herbivorous.  Animals such as Goats, Horses, Cows, Rabbits, Tortoises, Sheep, Donkeys, Kakapos, Geese and many others can help rid your property of weeds by eating them.
  • Grass is not an option. Aside from being costly (installation and maintenance) it doesn’t solve the weed issues.
  • YOU. You have to figure out what your desire is and then connect it to your determination.

Weeding Tools:

  • Your two hands
  • Hoes: long or short
  • CobraHead Weeder and Cultivator
  • Shears, Scissors, Pruners, Gardener’s knife
  • Garden Kneeling Pad/Bench
  • Weed Eater, Weed Eliminator, Weed Grubber
  • Spades, Shovels, Forks, Broadforks
  • Lawn and Leaf Rakes
  • Gloves (Synthetic, Latex, Heavy-duty, Arm Protectors)
  • Gardening Shoes

Our Approach: Divide and Conquer

If you can, remove weeds before they set seed to keep them from seeding and spreading.

Weeding Tips: Divide and Conquer.
Weeding Tip: Divide and Conquer.

When weeding, we only use three gardening tools: The Rake, Hand Shovel and the Draw Hoe.

  1. We start weeding as early as the last two weeks of February (when the chances of a Snow Storm are minimal, the ground is still slightly wet from the rain/snow). At that time the weeds are a lot easier to pull since they have not yet established a strong root system. One advantage of starting early is that the weather is much cooler and we don’t feel as exhausted as we would have on a hot day.
  2. Our ‘weeding trips’ are never planned. We only weed when we feel like doing it. By not focusing and obsessing too much about the weeds we are able to plan a strategy on getting the job done the best way we can.
  3. Divide and Conquer! This is the key to getting the job done on time. We divide the job into small squares and then tackle one square at a time. It makes it easier to see your progress and will take you about a minute to do each square and another to rake the weeds out of it.

How many times have you made up you mind to go out there and weed just to get there, fully prepared and be paralyzed with an overwhelming feeling – not knowing where to begin?

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JM Perez By JM Perez