A Flower That Blooms In Adversity Is The Most Rare And Beautiful Of All -Mulan

I've kind of got a thing for names...

Natasha has two significant names to me:

The first is Natasha as Mary.  The meaning of natasha has the connotation of birth and even more specifically to Christ's birthday - the Italian phrase for "merry Christmas" is "buon natale!", literally "good birthday!"
One site said, that the name of Natasha comes with the desire for creative, artistic or musical expression in an original way.  http://www.kabalarians.com/female/natasha.htm  And that People with this name have a deep inner desire to create and express themselves, often in public speaking, acting, writing or singing. They also yearn to have beauty around them in their home and work environment. http://www.sheknows.com/baby-names/name/natasha 
This seems to be true of Natasha, She reminds me of Jesus' mother and Joseph's wife Mary related to Christ's birth even in Mary's humility and writing of a song of praise to God.  She also has a natural ability and inner drive to express herself and to make things beautiful wherever she goes.

Second, I was doodling and this came out one day and I thought it might be related to Natasha and the girls...

I felt like God left the phrase “Princess warriors” regarding there home with me which led to the movie Mulan and the phrase, “A flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.  You don’t meet a girl like that every dynasty.”  -Mulan which I thought portrayed Natasha and her life scenario well.  That led me to finding the name "Mulan" which is of Mandarin Chinese origin derived from the words "mu" and "lan" that respectively mean "wood" and "orchid". By itself, "Mulan" means "lily magnolia".

So I decided to buy the girls a Mulan sword and to also see if the Lily Magnolia had any direct significance.  I think it does.

I Believe Natasha is rare and will continue to bloom large with a strength, beauty, dignity, healing touch, and purity about her that will be a blessing to many,  

(You'll see those themes referenced over and over again below talking of lilies & magnolias)

As for the meaning of Magnol, we could not find any definitive etymology on this rather rare surname. It most likely comes from the Latin “magna” meaning “great”. The magnolia tree is typically associated with “splendid beauty” and dignity. The tree stands tall and the flower blossoms are simply gorgeous and vibrant.  But the four-syllable Magnolia is nothing short of a “splendid beauty”. [v]

Meaning symbolism of Lily Magnolia

Magnolia flower is an ancient genus. Having evolved before bees appeared, the flowers developed to encourage pollination by beetles. As a result, the carpels of Magnolia flowers are tough, to avoid damage by eating and crawling beetles. The laurel-leaved garden magnolia expressed dignity to the Victorians. The wild, swamp-dwelling magnolia meant perseverance. The Lily flower symbolizes purity and innocence, and as the flower of the Resurrection and of the Virgin, it is widely used at Easter. [i]

Lily Meaning: Majesty, truth, honor  Lily of the Valley Meaning: Happiness In Season: Spring and summer

The magnolia flowers bloom boldly and are large in size. The flowers that grow in South are scented and therefore the magnolia flowers meanings include splendid beauty and magnificence.  The white magnolias flower meanings include purity and perfection. The pink magnolia flowers mean youth and innocence added with joy. The green magnolias also have the same meaning of joy and is also associated with health and luck. The purple magnolias help in achieving the wishes of luck and health.

In China, the Jade orchid or Magnolia denudata, has been cultivated for thousand of years. The magnolia flowers mean 'certainly' when they are used at the beginning of other sentiments along with other symbols. In China, magnolia flowers are symbols of purity and nobility. In Japan, the magnolia is used as a medicinal and ornamental plant. The flower is called Hanakotoba in Japanese system of flower meaning. This means that the flower is sublime, natural and shows love for nature. Magnolias are associated with the life force and therefore can be sent over on the occasion of birth.

This was all about the magnolia flower meanings and the symbols associated with it. Basically, magnolia flower is associated with beauty and perseverance. It is also associated with nobility and dignity. Sweetness and love for nature are some other attributes attached to magnolia flower.[iii]

China- Just as words have different meanings in different contexts, the meaning of painted magnolias was also fluid. "pure and noble" when depicted with thoroughwort.
Florists-. Floriography--the language of flowers--arises from experiences with the flowers themselves: when they bloom, how big they are, whether they hide primly within foliage or, like the magnolia, bloom boldly and large like a star taking center-stage. In the South, where Magnolia grandiflora blooms with scented, white flowers a foot across, the meanings of the flower include magnificence and splendid beauty.
Colors- Magnolias bloom in white, yellow, green, pink and purple. White means purity and perfection and, thus, things at their beginning. (Recall the magnolia as an appropriate herald of a birth in Hanakotoba.) Pink also can recall youth and innocence, along with joy. Yellow means joy, too, and evokes spring. Health and luck are attributes of green, so a green magnolia could wish a recipient magnificent health and luck. Adding a purple (power) magnolia would amplify those wishes.[iv]

---

[i] http://www.myflowermeanings.com/meaning-of-lily-flowers.html

[ii] http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-planning/wedding-flowers/articles/symbolic-wedding-flower-meanings.aspx

[iii] http://www.buzzle.com/articles/magnolia-flower-meaning.html

[iv] http://www.gardenguides.com/82218-meaning-magnolia-flower.html#ixzz2vbsqy9MX

[v] http://www.ohbabynames.com/meaning/name/magnolia/2855#.Ux5YoF6Lj80

Honoring Lynn Erskine

 I never will have the privilege of meeting Lynn Erskine in person on this side of heaven.  That doesn't mean I haven't gotten to know Lynn at least a little bit though.  I've found that people love to comment on Lynn's happy energy, quirky quick wit, excellent musical performance, and godly wisdom beyond his years.  His enthusiasm and quick drawing "Praise the Lord" seemed to cause people to question his authenticity, yet Lynn convinced people quickly enough of his exuberance and optimism by his consistent and authentic way of living.  That is the Lynn I have heard about as people tell me who he was.

I'm not claiming to have all the insider information on knowing Lynn, but I'm sure there are a decent amount of people in my same position that never met Lynn Erskine but would be curious to know what kind of man he was.  This is what I've found.

A lay member at Emmanuel Baptist was telling me she never forgot this conversation below that I'm paraphrasing.  I asked Lynn once, "Why does it feel like us Christians stray off the path on the way to the cross so much?"  Lynn responded, "You aren't veering or straying off the path but stumbling upon obstacles that are a part of the path instead.  Maybe there are parts to climb over or maneuver around at times and you actually aren't veering off the path at all."

 

 Lynn was a part of the music and missions where he served as a pastor.  Running was a growing passion towards the end of Lynn's life and Lynn was working towards coordinating or running a race involving raising money towards missions.  He was also praying with his wife Natasha about an overseas call to missions in their future before he passed.  A group of his running friends followed through in running the upcoming race that Lynn never got to participate in.

 BELOW IS NATASHA'S RETELLING OF THE DAY LYNN WENT TO HEAVEN  Sept 2, 2012  

2 Months Ago...

2 months ago today, as of this minute, Lynn was enjoying a Daddy-daughter date with Roya.  She loved going on special dates with Dad to Tim Hortons for a donut.  Later, early evening, we all snuggled up on the couch downstairs, the four of us, watching Lynn's favorite... the Muppet Show.  I can picture him... what he was wearing, his laughter, and how he mimicked the characters...

Several times throughout that afternoon, Lynn had shivered unusually, like a chill, saying, Ugh...  I have this nervous energy about my run tonight.

He had originally planned his run for the afternoon after church.  He had his route all mapped out and recorded into his online running apps... (He mapped out his runs well in advance, enjoying the challenge of planning a route according to whatever mileage was suggested on his training app.)  Later, though, he changed his route to accommodate Andrew's schedule, so they could enjoy their first run together since we'd returned after vacation.  He left the house around 7:00pm that evening (I think), waving goodbye in his running gear, running belt in place, some tracker in his shoe, and his IPod strapped to his arm, counting his mileage.

Later that evening, I was reading a book in bed.  I thought to myself.  Oh Lynn.  He's late as usual.  Probably hanging out with the Boone's and chatting up a storm. *endearing sigh

The phone rang.  I missed it.  I saw it was the Boones and assumed it was Lynn telling me he's on his way home (10-10:30pm?).  I called right back and heard Sara's voice.  O, I thought, it's not usually Sara...

Then she's asking me questions.  Lynn's not doing well. The paramedics are pounding on his chest.  I am to meet them at the hospital.  Sara is coming to stay with the kids so I can leave...

I walk around in a daze.  I think, O, Lynn only has his sweaty running clothes on.  I'll pack him a change of clothes for after this fiasco when we're ready to come home.  Sara arrives.  I take my purse and my bag of Lynn's clothes, socks, shoes, and all, and head off to the hospital.

The road is empty and the urgency is building inside.  I run red lights.  I pass a car on a main road across the yellow line.  Like a robot, I get out of the car and walk towards Pastor Cory who's waiting for me at the door.  He doesn't know what happened, either, but was told to come.

Soon I am ushered around the corner.  People are watching me.  Then I am intercepted and led in the other direction to the family waiting room.  The sights, the smells... Inside I know.  I talk to Andrew and ask what happened.  The Doctor comes in.  Three sentences: His heart stopped.  He stopped breathing.  He's dead.  

Andrew cries.  Cory sucks in his breath.  The air is thick and heavy.  The lights dim and hazy.  I stand up and ask (demand actually) to see my husband and they lead me back down the hall.  I walk in and gaze upon the impossible.  My husband... an empty shell.  Bruised and lifeless.  Completely gone.  Empty.

The presence of God was with me, filling me.  I looked at the most traumatic scene, I never could have imagined it, contrasted with visions of glory dancing around the room.  I said, God, I have the faith that you could raise this body from the dead if it is your will.  But this is Your time?  Somehow, I knew it was.

I sat.  I answered questions.  I called my Mom, who screamed and said they're on their way.  I held his hand.  I felt the last bit of warmth leave his body.

Then I went home (Shannon drove me and others followed), with my bag of Lynn's change of clothes, walking into a heavy darkness I had no idea possible, with the comfort of God's presence aglow within my heart...  Only vaguely aware of everything I would have to do and face in the coming days, weeks, months... years?
http://abideinmylove.blogspot.ca/2012/11/2-months-another-pg-warning.html

Excerpts from Natasha's blog remembering Lynn as a person:

I want to hear his laugh again, listen to his ridiculous rants on any particular subject, but especially politics.  I want to hear him shaking up trouble in the kitchen, dirtying every dish in the house to make up some new concoction he got into his head. I want to hear him break into a Pres Medders impression in a group of Baptists who have no idea what he's talking about and watch him not care the slightest bit.  I want to laugh/cringe when he embarrasses me in public by making all kinds of lewd remarks and dangerously approaches the VERY INAPPROPRIATE zone right in the middle of church (my line is pretty conservative, just so you know :)...) I want to walk the streets of Rehoboth and tease him for breaking out into his weird, cool kid, American strut while he starts carrying on in spanish, or with a latino or mexican female accent???  I want to hear him come bounding up the steps, jump on the bed while I'm reading, his smile taking over his whole face, his eyes gleaming with love and excitement, just to see me and tell me about his day...  I want to hear him at the piano, see him talking people's ears off, watch his gifts in action.  I want to see him break into laughter that sends his head down and to the side, a hand goes in front of the face, and his body contorts into this unique, delightful expression of hilarity and joyfulness... I want to know the world is going to be a better place, because Lynn is going to influence it.  To be an Erskine means "to do better than I have already done before"... Lynn Erskine would never have rested before his dying day, no matter how long or not long that would take to come, because every day was the best day of his life, and life was for living, and living was done with excellence.  It always meant being a better you today than you were yesterday.  http://abideinmylove.blogspot.ca/2013/02/6-months-weakness.html

I will never again see Lynn's face as he comes around the corner, home from work, with the girls running to greet him.  Never again will I feel his arms come around from behind me when I'm doing dishes at the sink.  Never again will I answer the phone and hear his voice, Hi Babe! Never again will I feel his presence, exuding passion, energy, and life, or his tenderness as he reaches over and touches my face in the car.  It's the way he leaned back just so when satisfied after a good meal.  The way he oddly hiked up his pant legs in the summer when he was hot instead of changing into shorts.  The way he played music at our piano with two eager daughters climbing all over him.  The way he sparkled when he talked about his favorite composers or what concert he was doing next...

http://abideinmylove.blogspot.ca/2012/12/neverness.html

Lynn, being Lynn, sang back-up once with Steve Green at the church where he did his internship, Central Wesleyan Church in Holland, Michigan.  We were dating at the time, but very quickly falling in love.  During that concert, Steve Green called his wife on her cell phone through the sound system for the whole auditorium to hear and sang to her "their" song - Holding Hands, by Steve Green.  Later, back stage, Lynn asked him, Hey Steve? (Okay, he likely didn't say it like that...) What was that song you sang to your wife?  Steve replied with a twinkle in his eye, When are you getting engaged? Lynn sort of flushed and stammered, Well I'm not, really, yet...  Still, it became our song :)  And lo and behold, (I should have seen it coming), he tried to sing it to me as part of his vows on our wedding day. (I say tried because he wept like a baby and barely got a single word out!!)

This became a song that we listened to throughout our marriage on very special occasions... We danced to it in the night, in a dark and quiet house after the girls had gone to bed... Holding hands always meant something special, a belonging, a loyalty, a commitment...

I remember a few particular instances since Lynn's death when I watched another husband tenderly take his wife's hand in his, holding it as if it was life's most precious gift... It was beautiful, but bittersweet, like tears of joy streaming down your cheeks, while a knife is stabbing at your heart...

On our anniversary, after going through our wedding pictures, I picked up some more of our old cards.  The first one I opened said, My hand misses yours.  And I thought, Yes, Babe!! My hand misses yours!

But as I felt the emptiness of my hands, that still small voice whispered inside my heart... Open hands.

Lynn led our family in radical generosity.  Selfishness was not permitted and would not be tolerated.  I began to say to our children (at least 100 times a day...), We expect you to have a generous heart, and a generous heart means open hands, open hands for sharing... We are blessed to be a blessing to others.

My hand is empty of its companion.  How my hand misses his!!  But Lynn left me with a gift to steward... the gift of generosity.  My hands may be empty, but they are open.  Before, one hand was open while the other one filled... Now they are both open, turned outward, We are blessed to be a blessing...

Lynn's example of generosity impacts me.  I feel a responsibility to steward this gift, though I will never be Lynn and cannot carry forward who he was and is...

All I hear is the echo of emptiness in the big dark cloud that follows me wherever I go, where my husband used to take up residence... The part of me that was him, one with him... just empty.  In that hollow space, my singular thoughts echo loudly... repeating over and over, My husband died.  He died.  Sometimes it says, Lynn would be doing this.  Lynn would be saying that.  Where is Lynn's contribution in this conversation?

http://abideinmylove.blogspot.ca/2012/12/the-darkness-of-december.html

Sunday morning, it snowed.  I picked myself up, got "decked out" in black apparel :), and adorned my neck with pearls (one of my favorite gifts from Lynn), and went to church.

For supper, I made a meal Lynn would have been proud of, sprouted rice with quinoa blend, peas (because Roya eats them), raw carrots (because Roya eats them), and whole almonds I toasted on the stove with a little oil, salt, and chilli powder.  

I called the girls to come to the table and low and behold, they came down for dinner dressed in their Indian outfits Daddy had brought back form his trip to India in February 2011.   Our meal wasn't necessarily Indian, but it seemed fitting nonetheless and brought back many memories with our global-justice minded and culturally savvy husband/Daddy.

My friend.

The rain is pouring down on my rooftop.  The sound is beautiful. rhythmic. mesmerizing.  Lynn loved the rain.  It soothed him.  He was still, tranquil, and romantic when listening to the rain.

It's about that time... This is the time I would be up in bed, waiting for Lynn to get home, knowing that if I wanted to sleep it had to be before he arrived, because otherwise he'd keep me up talking, but also knowing I was too anxious to see him and would undoubtedly stay awake until I heard those sounds...  First the car, then the gravel, the car door, then the front steps, the front door... And soon enough he'd be bounding up the steps to our bedroom to see me.  Sometimes, I'd pretend to be asleep thinking.. Oh no.  He's full of energy tonight.  I soooo want sleep!!  But he knew :)  And I couldn't keep away from him.  Soon we'd start talking.  His day would start flowing.  He'd carry on until I kicked him out.  Then, he'd go downstairs to our living room rocking chair and read running articles or food blogs online on his IPad...  After an hour or so, if he still couldn't calm his brain down, he'd be back for more.  He'd bound into bed, still full of energy, trying to let me sleep but unable to reign in his loving heart.  I was after all, his best friend.  So he'd share some more, then roll over and snore.  Yet, again, I would sigh into his back, roll over to my own sleeping position, and stay up half the night pondering the things he'd shared...  Unable to sleep by both the burdens Lynn had shared, the noise of his snoring (sometimes), and... sheer frustration that he'd done it to me again :).

Being married to my best friend was wonderful.  We shared everything.  We enjoyed every moment of each others company.  The adjustment to parenthood and active ministry was hard, but we were determined to raise the standard and make it work.  We loved each other.

This is the card I read from him tonight, written November 5, 2001, when we had known each other only two months and were not even dating yet :)
Natasha, 
Thanks again for the walk and talk last evening.  I appreciated your openness and welcome you to continue that.  Thanks also for really relaxing me and calming me down.  It's a treasure to have such a close friend with whom I can be completely myself.  Thanks for listening to me ramble non-stop.  It's nice that you pay attention even when I get boring.  You really encouraged me last night, and I hope I can be just as kind to you sometime.  God bless you for your Christ-like heart and uncanny sensitivity.
Lynn

Many years ago, God began revealing Himself to me, opening up my mind and heart to learn of Him, to know Him, beyond any particular denomination or theological context.  Dare to trust me and seek me in the Word and by the Holy Spirit, no boxes, and no limits...  Lynn was so good at this.  He encouraged me in it.  He had no fear when it came to branching out, exploration the true nature of God.  He always said, God is big enough to handle it if I make a mistake.  When we stay grounded in the Word and keep our eyes fixed on Christ, we can dare to trust Him to keep us and perfect us until the day of Christ Jesus...  http://abideinmylove.blogspot.ca/2012/11/glimpse.html

I'm honored to take up the mantel of loving and caring for Lynn's wife and daughters in a way that would make God and hopefully Lynn proud.  He sounds like a man whom God was pleased with.

37 Mosquito Facts - Why Do Mosquitoes and Flies Circle Around My Head?

 

I just finished hiking and camping for 2-3 days and the mosquitoes and flies dominated me! So I decided I would ask Google, 

“DO MOSQUITOES AND FLIES ACTUALLY CIRCLE MY HEAD AND FOLLOW ME AROUND?”   

I realized there weren’t very clear answers.  Amy Gotliffe wrote: 

A ranger at a local park told me that since mosquitoes are attracted by the smell of carbon dioxide, given off by us when we exhale, perhaps the mosquitoes benefit from our jumping about when they try to buzz us, causing more breathing and more carbon goodness. Another expert said it was a little warning sign, a gift from nature, like a snake’s rattle. Another said the tone attracts the male. Then why in MY ear? Does anybody really know?

I don’t have THE answer but this is what I found in the my last hour of reading:

HOW DID THEY FIND ME?

1.     Mosquitoes locate blood hosts by scent, sight and heat. From 100 feet away (30 meters) mosquitoes can smell your scent, especially the carbon dioxide (CO2) you exhale. Biting flies are even better; they can smell their prey from 300 feet (100 meters) away. Because CO2 is present in the atmosphere (plants take in CO2 and give off oxygen), mosquitoes respond to higher-than-normal concentrations, especially when the CO2 is mixed with host-odor. They follow your scent upwind, and can see you at a distance of about 30 feet (10 meters). So….

2.     Mosquitoes’ chemical sensors can smell human breath. They have chemical sensors or receptors on their antennae that detect the carbon dioxide released when we exhale and lactic acid up to 100 feet (36 meters) away. Those plumes of CO2 rise into the air, acting as trails that the mosquitoes follow to find the source. Mammals and birds gives off these gases as part of their normal breathing.

3.     Mosquitoes’ visual sensors help see what’s alive- if you are wearing clothing that contrasts with the background, and especially if you move while wearing that clothing, mosquitoes can see you and zero in on you. It's a good bet that anything moving is "alive", and therefore full of blood, so this is a good strategy.  vs the opinion to avoid darker clothing attracts because mosquitoes are drawn to heat and darker clothes retain more heat than light-colored clothing.

4.     Mosquitoes’ heat sensors mark body heat as the target. Mosquitoes use heat sensors around their mouthparts to detect the warmth of your body – actually, the blood inside it – then land on you and locate the best capillaries for tapping. So they can find warm-blooded mammals and birds very easily once they get close enough.

WHY ARE THEY CIRCLING MY HEAD?

5.     C02 out of your mouth

6.     Heat out of your head and ears

7.     Blood in your body (only females suck blood apparently)

8.     Mating Call to the opposite sex of mosquitoes also have a higher pitched buzzing

IS MY FLY/MOSQUITO BUDDY SPECIFICALLY CHOOSING ME?

9.     Sweat helps mosquitoes choose their victims. Our skin produces more than 340 chemical odors, and some of them smell like dinner to mosquitoes. They are fond of octenol, a chemical released in sweat, as well as cholesterol, folic acid, certain bacteria, skin lotions, and perfume. Certain chemicals in sweat also seem to attract mosquitoes (so people who don't sweat much don't get nearly as many mosquito bites).

10.   Whoever exhales the most C02- It starts with the types of people who attract mosquitoes in the first place. Although mosquitoes can smell blood for miles, they mostly locate their prey by tracking the carbon dioxide that animals exhale. People who exhale more carbon dioxide - large people and pregnant women - are more obvious targets. There is also evidence that mosquitoes prefer women because their skin is thinner, allowing for an easier bite.

11.   TYPES (Especially O Blood Type)- Mosquitoes also uphold the old joke about vampires looking for people who are their "type." Different blood types either attract or discourage mosquitoes. If you have found yourself the sole person among a camping group bitten up, you're probably an O blood type. A group of scientists in Japan exposed people to groups of mosquitoes which had had their biting and sucking parts removed. The mosquitoes landed again and again on the O blood types, ignoring the A and B blood types.  Mosquitoes also have a sweet proboscis. They prefer people whose body chemistry secretes saccharides, which people who remember saccharin know taste sweet, on their skin.

12.   It’s said, Mosquitos may go for the most "prominent" target. If your wife moves more than you (and breathes heavier), her motion attracts the insect more than you. She gets bit. A great mosquito defense is to move (and breath) less than your peers around you. Just like a cheetah goes for the sick and weak, mosquitos go for the moving and breathing.  Mosquitos go after warm spots through there millions of eyes. Because ears are in the head, where humans loose more body temperature, they go after them.

THE BUZZ…. WHAT IS UP WITH THE BUZZ?!?

13.   Both male and female mosquitoes buzz, since they both have wings, but you probably won't notice the whine of the males, because they don't want to drink your blood. So they stay away from your ears, eating nectar, while the females come near to annoy you.

14.   So, their buzz is partially just them flying

a.      The green and yellow part of the wing belowrub together…

15. The Buzz is also a Females mating call buzz where Male mosquitoes also locate females by the soundof their wings. Females can beat their wings up to 500 times per second, and the males pick out the higher frequency of those beatswhen seeking a mate. So it’smore than just a way to annoy you. It's actually important to help them findsuitable mates.

HOW LONG WILL THEY FOLLOW ME?

16.   Most mosquitoes remain within a 1 mile radius of their breeding site.

17.   Mosquitoes can't fly very far or very fast. Most mosquitoes can fly no more than about one to three miles, and often stay within several hundred feet of where they were hatched. However, a few salt marsh species can travel up to 40 miles. The top speed for a mosquito is about 1.5 miles per hour.

BEST WAYS TO FIGHT MOSQUITOES?

18.   DEET & Repellants- mosquitoes simply don't like it because it smells bad to them. Endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), DEET is considered the 'gold standard' of mosquito repellents and doesn't actually mask the smell of the host or jam the insect's senses.  The most effective repellents contain DEET (N,Ndiethylmtoluamide), which repel pests like mosquitoes and ticks. DEET has been tested against a variety of biting insects and has been shown to be very effective. The more DEET a repellent contains the longer time it can protect you from mosquito bites. A higher percentage of DEET in a repellent does not mean that your protection is better just that it will last longer. DEET concentrations higher than 50% do not increase the length of protection.  A product containing 10 percent DEET can protect you for up to 90 minutes.

19.   Two other repellents, picaridin and lemon-eucalyptus oil, have also proven effective and are now recommended by the CDC.  An alternative repellent Picaridin by Bayer, is an odorless and colorless repellent and has been recommended by the World Health Organization for use in Malaria stricken countries.

20.   Thermacell for Hunters- was a personal lifesaver on my last hiking trip… it took about 5-10 minutes before it took full effect but seemed to really help

21.   Lay off banana consumption during mosquito season; mosquitoes are thought to love how bananas react with the body's chemistry.

22.   You can scare off mosquitoes by eating garlic! Garlic is the main component in many herbalremedies. Mosquitoes hate it. Gardeners who eat lots of garlic may find thatthey scratch those mosquito bites far less. Of course, you would have to eat a lot of garlic and you may find that you repel more than just mosquitoes. Nevertheless, organic gardeners use garlic sprays, powders and plantings to help deter the creatures. It may not reduce their numbers dramatically, but when coupled with other natural combatants, you may see a reliable reduction.

23.   Researchers have found that catnip will repel all varieties of mosquitoes. They believe an essential oil found in catnip, the one that gives it its characteristic odor, is actually more effective at repelling these pests that Deet, the chemical used in most commercial insect repellants. Scientists aren't yet certain if it's simply the smell mosquitoes don't like or if the odor is actually an irritant for them, but either way, it is a terrific natural mosquito repellant.Appreciate Many beneficial animals that can greatly help reduce mosquito populations who use water sources to breed. Toads can eat between fifty and one hundred mosquitoes and slugs per night,

IS THERE ANY THING YOU CAN SAY TO MAKE ME LIKE THEM OR HATE THEM MORE?!?

24.   THEY’LL DIE SOON!  The average mosquito lifespan is less than two months. Males have the shortest lives, usually 10 days or less, and females can live about six to eight weeks, under ideal conditions. The females lay eggs about every three days during that time. Females of species that hibernate may live up to six months.

RANDOM FACTS

25.   Antarctica is the only place mosquitoes do not live (just in case you planned on moving).

26.   Only female mosquitoes bite; they needs the protein in blood to help her eggs develop.  Once she's had her fill of blood, she'll rest a couple of days before laying her eggs. A mosquito can drink up to three times its weight in blood in one sitting. Don't worry, though. It would take about 1.2 million bites to drain all the blood from your body.  Both male and female feed mainly on fruit and plant nectar,.. Only female mosquitoes suck blood so that their eggs can mature prior to laying. The blood serves no nourishment. Both males and females feed on nectar.

27.   A mosquito doesn’t "bite", but siphons the blood out by a tube.

28.   Mosquitoes are crepuscular, most active at dawn and dusk.  Mosquitoes do feed day and night though. Some species, like the Aedes are daytime biters, while others, like Culex, start biting at dusk and continue a few hours into dark.

29.   Mosquitoes are considered the most dangerous animals or deadliest “animal” in the world, killing an estimated two to three million people per year. The Anopheles mosquito, in particular, is dangerous because it transmits malaria, which kills more than one million people every year, primarily in Africa. Alexander the Great is believed to have died of malaria in 323 B.C.

30.   Mosquito is Spanish for “little fly.” The word reportedly originated in the early 16th century. In Africa, mosquitoes are called “Mozzies”.

31.   There are more than 3,500 species of mosquitoes. About 175 of them are found in the United States,

32.   Female mosquitoes can lay up to 300 eggs at a time. Usually, the eggs are deposited in clusters – called rafts – on the surface of stagnant water, or they are laid in areas that flood regularly. Eggs can hatch in as little as an inch of standing water. Females will lay eggs up to three times before they die.

33.   Mosquitoes hibernate. At temperatures less than 50 degrees, they shut down for the winter. They're cold-blooded and prefer temperatures over 80 degrees. The adult females of some species find holes where they wait for warmer weather, while others lay their eggs in freezing water and die. The eggs keep until the temperatures rise, and they can hatch.

34.   The bumps from mosquito bites are caused by saliva. While one tube in the proboscis draws blood, a second pumps in saliva containing a mild painkiller and an anti-coagulant. Most people have minor allergic reactions to the saliva, causing the area around the bite to swell and itch.

35.   Malaria is caused by a parasite that lives in mosquitoes. The parasite gets into mosquito saliva and is passed on when the insect bites someone. West Nile and other viruses are passed the same way. Mosquitoes can also carry and pass on canine heartworm.

36.   Mosquitoes do not transmit HIV. The virus that causes AIDS does not replicate in mosquitoes and is actually digested in their stomachs, so it's broken down without being passed on.

37.   The two main mosquito predators are fish and dragonflies. Gambusia, or mosquitofish, feed on mosquito larvae and are used all over the world to help control mosquito populations. Dragonfly larvae, called nymphs, eat mosquito larvae, and adult dragonflies prey on adult mosquitoes. Some towns in Maine release dragonflies every summer as a natural form of mosquito control. Bats do not eat mosquitoes. At least, not very many of them. Mosquitoes make up less than 1 percent of a bat's diet. And purple martins, a bird popularly believed to be a mosquito predator, eat very few mosquitoes. They prefer dragonflies and other insects.

(Buddies using their ol "ferns in the hat" trick to fight off the mosquito buzz)

READ MORE:

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/why-do-mosquitoes-bite-some-people-more-than-others?utm_source=pocket-newtab

http://www.mosquitoreviews.com/mosquito-facts.html

http://www.mosquitoreviews.com/mosquitoes-buzz-ears.html

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/mosquitopesticides#.U7FkkaiZ7j8#ixzz3683xtGrl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9uVyCInhhI#t=17

http://www.control-mosquitoes.com/

http://www.megacatch.com/mosquitofacts.html

God’s Ultimate Goal?

What's God’s ultimate goal?

• To put everything in its rightful place
• To create the most loving, pure, great, and perfect world free of pain, hurt, confusion, worry, mistrust.
• To help people with the best interest of humanity, truth, love, hope, and trust.
• To restore creation and humans into a right relationship with Him.

My goal is not to win an argument

But to love people in relationship to a better life

Which ultimately is found in Christ

(I found this small journal from 5 years ago while I was traveling in New Zealand and thought the question alone was worth pondering and posting.)