Norfords' Ramblings

Sunday November 30, 2008

From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it, Matt. 11:12

Hmmm. Here’s a text that is desperately liable to misinterpretation. Take over the world by force? Is this God’s tough love? Perhaps the crusades were not out of line after all! Maybe Richard Dawkins is right that religion is the primary cause of war. Forceful men, no less, are taking hold of it. But force can describe a number of attitudes besides violence. Just being determined in any legitimate endeavour is a kind of force. Maintaining one’s faith against opposition or in adversity requires a forceful spirit. And the Kingdom of Jesus Christ will advance without violence or warfare for “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight,” John 18:36.

And I am going to require a certain kind of force if I am to maintain some change in my diet. Remember the cottage cheese and flaxseed oil? Breakfast meant cereal with milk and yoghurt, to which I added both the unmentionables. Couldn’t taste either. Maybe it won’t be so bad if I can camouflage the less tasty offerings. Not that I am averse to the change, but it is surely an acquired taste. Is this change a cancer killing operation? We’ll find out, but a healthier intake certainly won’t do any harm! Let’s see if I can remember the principles: Less omega 6, more omega 3, cut white: bread, rice, flour, sugar . . . Oh! And it’s time to add flaxseed oil to cattle feedlot diets too! After all, how can I avoid fatty acids if the steer I eat consumes it?

But as I said yesterday, we had a joyful family time, great food and greater company. Today they left this morning, not without a touch of sadness in my heart. The house felt empty when they had gone. But seeing the paraphernalia they brought to ensure a secure and happy baby, we were so appreciative of the effort they made to be with us. And happy baby she was, living up expectations of our title of Adorable Norah. So the day was one of cleaning up, recovery and some quiet time of required reading for the cancer war—thanks to the forceful encouragement of my womenfolk.