Laugh & Learn: Four-Legged Angels of Love
Cathy Lee Phillips
Millions of cat lovers populate our planet.
I am not one of them.
In a world obsessed with political correctness, some may judge my words harsh and inappropriate. But I am an American, a committed champion of the First Amendment – the one granting freedom of speech. I take that freedom seriously and, therefore, have the right to openly admit my aversion to felines. I can do that in America. And in America, you have the right to completely disagree with me.
There were cats around our farm when I was growing up. In fact, a male named J. R. Mewing comes to mind. He was less offensive than your typical cat and I actually did enjoy listening to his soothing purr at times.
Still, I find the average cat to be a snooty creature whose very demeanor proclaims, “Yes, you may worship me. That is why I exist.”
I don’t do snooty. Besides, the creatures make me sneeze.
Life is all about making choices. I choose to share my home with a cuddly puppy that almost wets himself whenever he sees me. My dog, Stoney, absolutely believes I am the most wonderful person alive. Don’t try to tell him otherwise; he won’t believe you. He loves me when I am grumpy. He loves me when I’m not wearing make-up. He loves me when I have cramps, hot flashes, or bad hair days. He loves me enough to meet me at the door when I come home, his eyes sparkling, his face shining, his body twitching with excitement at the thought of just being in my presence. I admit it – I like being adored. Stoney loves me so much he follows me from the kitchen to the den, from the office to the bedroom. In an astonishing act of unconditional love, he even follows me into the bathroom, sticking close whether I am in there for a short or prolonged period of time and whether I use air freshener or not.
That’s a friend!
Most cats turn up a nose and treat us with disdain or indifference unless, of course, the cat wants something. A dog has a master; a cat has a staff. Perhaps that is why I don’t feel too badly when I hear about a kitty that accidentally takes a spin in the dryer or gets trapped beneath the hood of a car. I don’t wish them harm . . . usually. It’s just that I don’t do snooty. And they make me sneeze!
So I’m sticking with Stoney. He worships me. And at this point in my life, I really need someone or something to admire me, not vice versa.
While I exercise my right to free speech, I do not want to offend my cat-loving readers. God bless you and your little Fifi or Topo or Midnight. It takes all kinds of people – and pets – to make the world go ’round. Love is universal. God created enough love go to around and it comes in many ways – a soft touch, a tight hug, a tender kiss, a newborn grasping our finger for the first time, the words of our teachers, the wisdom of our elders, and the countless blessings we, in our frantic pace, overlook every day. Love also comes to many of us as a jumping, panting dog or a soft, purring kitten.
Never be afraid to seek love in all its forms. And when that love comes from the animals God created, lift your hearts and praise God for these four-legged angels and citizens of the planet who, without words, speak love to us every day.
God bless all the creatures of the world.
But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish of the sea inform you.
Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.
Job 12:7-10, NIV
Cathy Lee Phillips can be reached at (770) 938-3911; P. O. Box 365, Tucker, GA 30085, or cathy@cathyleephillips.com. Visit her new Web site www.cathyleephillips.com
Tech Talk: Going Green with Technology
Chris Branscomb
On April 22, many people around the globe celebrated Earth Day. A day established in 1970 in order to inspire awareness of and appreciation for the Earth’s environment. I began working on this column shortly after this day so I began to think about how technology often affects our environment. One of the problems with a lot of the technology we use is that it can produce a lot of waste: waste that often ends up in landfills. Some of this waste is considered hazardous to the environment.
Rechargeable batteries are one of the largest waste problems we have when using technology. Just think about how many devices you own that have rechargeable batteries in them: cell phones, laptops, toys, cordless phones, mp3 players and many others. I read a report that said the average person uses six devices a day that contain rechargeable batteries. The problem is that many of these rechargeable batteries contain chemicals that are toxic to the environment and rechargeable batteries do not last forever. Instead of throwing these batteries in the trash when they or the device dies, they can be recycled. There are actually many drop-off sites in most cities where you can recycle your rechargeable batteries. The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (http://www.rbrc.org) is a good website to go to in order to find out more about recycling these types of batteries. The site also has a location finder so you can find a place near you to drop off your batteries to be recycled.
Another technological waste problem we have is toner and Inkjet cartridges. Almost everyone has some sort of printer, fax machine or copier in his or her home nowadays. Businesses and churches often have many of these devices. Just think about how many toner and ink jet cartridges you go through in a year. I personally go through about a toner cartridge a month using my church’s laser printer. When I used an inkjet printer, it was usually more often than that! The great thing is that most of these cartridges can be recycled. All of the larger office supply stores (Office Depot, Office Max, Staples) have programs where you can drop off your cartridges.
Cell phones can also be recycled. The average user replaces their phone every 18 to 24 months. Most of the time, when you upgrade your phone, your provider will return your old phone to you. Many of these phones are still in operable condition, the user just wanted to upgrade to a newer device. So what do you do with those phones? A good way to dispose of them is to recycle them too. Most cell phone providers have a way to recycle your phone if you would like them to.
But, wouldn’t you like to help the environment and help raise some money for your church in the process? There are a few companies that will allow non-profits to recycle some of these devices as a fundraiser. Empties4Cash (http://empties4cash.com/) deals solely with inkjet cartridges. GRC Wireless Recycling (http://www.grcrecycling.com/) and ReCellular (http://www.recellular.com/) deal just with cell phones. Phoneraiser (http://www.phoneraiser.com/), Smart Recycle (http://www.smartrecycle.com/), and Funding Factory (http://www.fundingfactory.com/) will pay for both phones and inkjet cartridges. And I even found one company, EcoPhones (http://www.ecophones.com/) that will pay to recycle a variety of devices including cell phones, inkjet cartridges, laptops, digital cameras, MP3 players and DVDs.
With most of these companies, all you have to do is set up an account, collect the items they will pay you for, box them up, and mail them to the company with the company even paying for the shipping. It’s a pretty simple way to raise a little extra cash for something that would have ended up in the trash.
I just had the opportunity to touch on a few things in this column in dealing with recycling technology, but there are many other items like electronics and computers that can be recycled as well. A little research on your part can help make our world a much greener place to live.
The Rev. Chris Branscomb is pastor of Williamstown UMC in Mineral Bluff.
Staying Fit : Body Is A Temple
John Page
Could you use some encouragement or insights on how to live healthier? For instance, as you are physically able, you can choose to walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator every time. The next time you’re at the mall, park further out and enjoy the vitality of walking (and try to enter somewhere besides the food court so temptation for a Cinnabon is kept at bay). If you’re in front of a computer a lot, get up and move around every 45 minutes or so. When you get that jug of milk out of the fridge, do a few bicep curls with each arm before you put it back in (remember to have the cap on!). It’s not as hard as you may think it could be. We’ll explore these and other fitness topics in this column so I hope you’ll join me in the journey.
You want to be healthy, or healthier, but do you find that it’s tougher to make the changes you want? You wake up with every good intention of exercising during the day but there’s that breakfast at your daughter’s school, then a quick errand to the post office before the staff meeting, followed by a working lunch, which will leave you just enough time to finish the letter to your clients, before clearing out the email from your crammed inbox this afternoon, right before you grab a bite to eat, just prior to the council meeting that evening that lasts until nine. But now you’re too tired to do much but sit and watch Dancing With the Stars. Your head hits the pillow with less energy than the day before and just tad more guilt about not caring for yourself like you intended.
Are you at the other end of the spectrum? You do exercise regularly and feel pretty good about it. Maybe you could use some new ideas on how to exercise in a different way so you don’t get bored. You wonder about how to integrate your spiritual devotion with your physical motion.
Perhaps that’s not it all.
It could be that you don’t know where to start. You might be overwhelmed or intimidated by the thought of going to the gym. Your doctor just gave you the results of your latest check-up and there is “cause for concern.” Or the idea of exercising makes your cringe. You. Just. Don’t. Want. To.
As an ordained pastor, I know of the time pressures and stress that makes it difficult to exercise and be healthy. I have struggled with getting off my “rusty-dusty” and in motion (especially in the cold months). I have been discouraged when I’m not consistent with my exercise choices. But I’m also a certified fitness instructor, so I know of ways to overcome those obstacles—and feel the joy of a good healthy sweat and taking care of myself.
So, wherever you are in the fitness/exercise spectrum, my hope is that through this regular column I can offer some help to you. Feel free to contact me at the email below and I’ll try to address your questions or topics in future columns. I may not have all the answers but I will try to be of assistance. Much in the same way Chris Branscomb helps you with computer/tech issues, I will speak to exercise/fitness issues. Let’s move forward together!
The Rev. John A. Page can be reached at glowbutz@hotmail.com. His book, The Almighty in the Ordinary, can be found at www.amazon.com He is the pastor at Graysville UMC.
