What Happens When We Need Help?

Just a quick scan of the internet will tell us stories of the “Good Samaritan” are alive and well—we just must look for them a little harder. A mother searches for the good person that saved her daughter from drowning out of the kindness of his heart; a stranger pays someone’s fuel bill without asking anything in return; someone helps another avoid a suicide attempt, and a neighbor's cat is rescued. We all wipe away tears when we hear of these heartwarming stories.

However, caring for others may not come naturally. We tend to become preoccupied with our own wants and desires ignoring the needs of those around us. We can even justify to ourselves and friends and family that we each should take care of our own responsibilities and not be bothered by anyone who needs help. This is sometimes the mindset of those who don’t want to become involved even when someone is in danger or in an emergency.

Why Should We?

What happens, then, when we ourselves need help? And, of course, at some point in life (maybe right now), we will, indeed, be in a situation when that occurs. No one can go through life totally alone and expect to never need another to help us out. Recently an article mentioned that we, unfortunately, may only ever know no more than two of our neighbors at any one point in time. And that is just a friendly wave or a one-syllable “Hi.” Knowing the names of people living around us is an additional step. Inviting that neighbor for coffee or dinner is almost unheard of in our world.

What is the point of becoming that person who is willing to drop everything and become a good neighbor/Good Samaritan? Why should we in the first place? If we choose to have compassion for another person, we step out of ourselves and may, then, avoid our own pity party surrounding problems in our lives. Amazingly, we may even arrive at a solution during others’ dilemmas.

Of course, simply helping someone, when we could just walk away, will help us grow in unexpected ways as a human being. Selfishness is a childish trait that is not extremely attractive in an adult. We would never want to admit such a thing or be known as that kind of person. In fact, we may have lived with a person who exhibited this very same personality characteristic and it was difficult and frustrating for us to deal with such a lack of compassion. We are better than that, so consider these personal benefits showered on us when we demonstrate a generous nature.

Nine Blessings of a Good Samaritan:

·                     We naturally become givers in all things

·                     We will prosper and be refreshed in our souls

·                     We are protected against criticism

·                     Wisdom, faith, and knowledge grow

·                     Goodness will be heaped upon us

·                     Our reputations will be remembered

·                     We will have influence and honor

·                     We will “reap what we sow”  

·                     Our world is filled with joy and light, rather than darkness

We are given unique abilities by God and born into a certain time and place whereby, we have what we need to help those put in our path. As humans, we can recognize our own responsibilities and duty when it comes to being that neighbor whom everyone can count on to help. Someone who is always there. Being neighborly can catch on fast, so let’s be the first on our block!

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Galatians 6:9 NLT).

 

More Than One Use for a Pumpkin

Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere!

Tis' the season...for pumpkins, that is. Harvest season is here in so many fun ways! Various crops are harvested in America right now and pumpkins, a variety of the winter squash family, are colorful, healthful, and sometimes, very, very large. One of the most well-known contests is the All-New England Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Topsfield, MA. In 2012, one person grew the largest pumpkin of all-time: one ton!!




Be Adventurous!
Most Moms, however, purchase their regular size pumpkins at the grocers. They can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to two months. And many enjoy the best eating around with these delicious seasonal delights. Instead of carving them and ruining the contents, many cooks use them for salads, preserves, casseroles, and even butter as they are low calorie and high in vitamins. Start something different with your kids and try pumpkin fries, pumpkin seed guacamole, and for dessert, there is pumpkin tiramisu or pumpkin ice cream. Mmmm!

Orange Is Happy!
Of course, decorations can be gorgeous, too, using pumpkins on the table, entryways and mini ones in wreaths. With the strange and primitive tradition of carving pumpkins into weird and sometimes scary faces (never mind wearing costumes next week), one would think we had no other uses for this beautiful orange plant. But actually, pumpkins have numerous uses including health benefits for heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, hypertension and aging to name but a few.   

Crazy, But So Cool!
Try some of these non-traditional ways to enjoy your pumpkins today:

Try a pumpkin body scrub!

• Use as a body scrub or try this facial mask:
• Wash face completely
• Combine & mix in a small bowl the following: 
• pumpkin puree
• honey
• milk
• Apply to face
• Set 20 min and remove

The results can be amazing!

"He said to his disciples, 'The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields'" Matthew 9:37-38 NLT.

Celebrating October in Style

What could be better than this time of year? The colors, smells, and cooler weather are a time to rejoice. It's fun to begin by gathering leaves, nuts, straw, acorns, pine cones, and corn husks to craft into door wreaths.  Fall is a favorite with so many people that we have created holidays and festivals to enjoy throughout the season. Lots of things to do. Places to go. People to meet. 



Hands of Love
Of course, our ancestors didn't need to make special days, it just naturally happened with all the gathering of farm crops; a lot of work for sure! More work than most of us would willingly want to do. Although, obviously, we still have farms to grow our food, sadly, we have much less of them in the 21st century. 

So, whether we are farmers, or not, having time to celebrate the harvest is a very good thing! During October and way into November, we can be thankful for all the blessings we have received by continuing or even creating new traditions for ourselves and our families.

Hearts of Gold
Harvest is a time for celebrating many crops that are grown and picked all over the U.S. at this time of year. Depending on what part of the country we live in, apples, grapes, corn, and pecans are among the many Fall crops that can all be enjoyed. Farmers especially in Virginia, North Carolina, and Washington are busy plucking apples, the Northern Midwest states are knee deep in the Corn Belt, and New England wades in the cranberries. [A bit of disclaimer here: I am definitely not a farmer, so don't shoot the messenger, o.k. - smile!]  

Harvest of Pumpkins
Pumpkins grow best in full sun. So it's a bit curious the Top Five states for pumpkin growing are Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California. They are, of course, popular anywhere in the Fall. Many towns have pumpkin farms open to the public so people can pick their own. These are sometimes combined with baking competitions, horseback rides, and hayrides. Most have country stores that sell handcrafted items and yummy homemade goods. It wouldn't be the same without the jams, apple butter, and pumpkin pie. What a delight!  

Combine these for a Quick Treat: Pumpkin Chocolate Yogurt
Greek yogurt
Pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin
Honey
Cinnamon
Cocoa powder

Enjoy. Nothing easier!

"You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance" (Psalms 65:11 NLT).