Musing about Lenses

We all see life differently, as if we were looking through a camera. What we see, what is in focus, how wide a view we have, etc. is all dependant on the setting we have on our 'camera,' our life. These settings are our beliefs and attitudes. The image we see is also influenced by filters on the lens, such as Christianity, morality, etc. 

What filters do I have on my life? 

What settings are my life currently on?

I recently read Job 38-39 with the settings of my mind changed, due to the book I had just read (The Bible Jesus Read by Philip Yancey.) As I read the words God spoke I was not thinking of them as God's response to Job's (and mine, and my friends') suffering, I read them seeing someone who is passionately enthusiastic for what HE made (which just so happens to be the natural world that I also love.) The words of Job 38:19-20 in particular created a beautiful 'photo' is my head:

Where does light come from, and where does darkness go?
Can you take each to its home?

Can you also see the little houses for the light and the dark, they look like little Toadstools. There are also ones for the rain and the moon and all the other elements of nature which we can't always see. When they are not 'on duty' they all come out of their little houses and play fun games together. Jesus often joins them and they laugh together and remember the day he first made them...

This photo was taken the other day when I was playing with the settings on my new camera and discovering how much it changed the picture when I did that!

Musing about rocks

On Woman's Day afternoon the PE Herp Club (that is a bunch of people who like the idea of going into the bush to look for snakes and other reptiles) met to spend a few hours looking for reptiles! I have been wanting to do this for ages, but they are good at planning these outings when I am working... Finally, I was joining the fun!! Armed with hook sticks, pillow cases, zip lock bags, small plastic jars, my camera and water we spread out over the area we intended to cover. Basically, all you do is walk around looking at the ground and any rock you find is picked up, hoping there will be something interesting awaiting you under it. Most of the time there is just sand, so you put the rock back (although there is nothing there at present, something might live there and we don't want to go around destroying all their homes, cos then next time we come there may be no animals left!) then you walk until you find the next rock and pick it up only to find sand... This can go on for a long time, with nothing to show for it. But, then, when you have almost decided to give up, you pick up a rock, and there is some creature. Quickly you grab it or a plastic container or your hook stick, depending on what the creature is. Hook sticks work well to keep the animal in a ceratin vacinity while you get the correct container to put it in. Once it is safely enclosed in whatever container suits it best, you can look at it properly and show it to those around you. Then you turn around to pick up more rocks with renewed enthusiasm, hoping to find some other fascinating creature!! Finally, everyone got back together and we showed off all our relative finds and I took loads of photos of the various reptiles and things we found. Apparently most of the time I was taking photos I had one of the spiders crawling around on my pants, cos I lay down to get a better angle on one of the lizards or something, and someone behind me had been looking at the spider, which promptly fell on my leg. They didn't want to disturb the photos!! I didn't mind though I am glad I did not hurt the little guy!! Finally, we released all the animals again! We are there to find out what is around, not take them away. There is development planned for the land so any venomous snakes would have been relocated to ensure the safety of the construction workers, but nothing we found was deadly, so they could all go back home!!

My finds for the day were:

Some random spider

A Spotted Sand Lizard (Pedioplanis lineoocellata pulchella)

And a Cross-marked Sand Snake (Psammophis crucifer)

That evening we had a meeting with a visiting church from Cape Town and during worship I was thinking about how a bunch of people had spent the afternoon searching under rocks for life, rocks which most people would not even notice as they walk past. We were so excited about the possibility of finding life, and stoked whenever we found even the smallest little gecko or scorpion (despite the fact that 6 other people had already found 3 scorpions each, or some such notion). It made me think of how, as Christians we also get so excited about the life hidden by a rock! On that first Easter Sunday Jesus was behind the rock, but he was very much alive. So many people in the world today know about that rock, but never stop to think about it, or even realise what awesome life was behind it. Just like the reptiles we found were no longer hidden under the rocks, Jesus is no longer behind the rock either. I was so stoked to show others the reptiles I had found, but definetly don't have the same enthusiasm to share about the exciting life which was behind the rock on Easter. Something, to muse over...

My favourite photo of the day (which I sent into the Weekend Post) was a complete accident. How many times do amazing things happen to us, almost by accident? Are they really accidents, or is someone trying to get our attention?

Musing about PESP

The Port Elizabeth Snake Park aka PESP, last of the three old greats! Transvaal Snake Park is now a rave club and Fitsimons in Durbs is busy transforming into a parking lot (My heart is breaking for the loss of these once amazing places!!) Here at Bayworld the PESP is, quoting from Saturday's Weekend Post "a shadow of what was once the complex's other big animal attraction but now has less than 25 per cent of its former snake population, while the once popular Tropical House is being converted into a special events venue." While there is no denying that the article was very bad publicity for us, I cannot deny that we are down to 25% of what was once here. However, that does not mean that the PESP is a lost cause. In the last two years or so, since Mariëtte and I took over (from no one) things have improved steadily. As I have just been writing for a report, our focus has been on improving our skills and techniques. The main aspect is that all the animals are healthy!! Yay, yay!! We have even bred some of the species, even though we are not consciously trying to breed any of our animals. Celebration was definitely called for with 3 clutches of Tiger snake (Telescopus semiannulatus) eggs and a baby Armadillo Girdled Lizard (Cordylus cataphractus). Yes, there are financial limitations at times, but never does this mean the animals lack in food, cleanliness, veterinary care or any of the other essential needs. Sometimes it means we can't rebuild an enclosure to the beautiful new design we feel would be perfect, but instead must get the other departments to adapt what we have, in between all the other work they are doing, or some such idea like that. Ultimately, the improvements do happen, just slower than we would hope. Good things do happen as well, out of 5 staff, 4 of us have level 3 first aid with the 5th hopefully going soon. All of the Snake Park staff as well as a couple of other staff in the complex, have recieved the best (and most expensive) training on Snake bite and Venomous Snake Handling available in this country. {If you are looking for training of this kind, Mike Perry of African Reptiles and Venom is the man to contact!!} I have been to visit numerous reptile facilities around the country and staff get the opportunity to attend conferences regularly.

The environment I work in is not perfect (and I am not talking about the fact that I face animals which can kill me on a daily basis...), but then I do live in a fallen world. I don't always see eye to eye with some of the people I work with, even sometimes with those who I must obey, and others also disagree at times, which can does not result in a positive atmosphere around the complex all the time. BUT, it is still my choice whether I will choose to react in a negative manner or look for the silver lining and how I can make the best of the situation. The truth - I often choose the negativity, cos it is easier (at least in the short term!) I know I would find less stress and probably less insane headaches if I chose to be positive, even in the face of mass negativity.

The other question would be: Why does God want me here? Watch for another musing about that...

Musing about Names

So, I have joined the world of the Blog, where anyone in the cyber world can get a glimpse inside my mind - however scary that might turn out to be. To start with I have been thinking lots about the meaning of my names, probably cos its nearly party time and the theme for my birthday is the meaning of my names, as is the title of my Blog. For those who don't know, my full name is Varla Fiona King. I have been known as Fiona for most of my life (and still am in some circles) as my mom and gran both have the same first name as me. My parents put Fiona as my second name cos my initials would have been F.V.K. and sometimes a V looks like a U... Anyway, last year at Easter Camp God told me it was time to start using my first name. I have often hated that name cos I used to get teased about it, and for years I would not even tell anyone what it was. A good friend (and my youth pastor at the time) Craig helped me understand that by hating my name, I was hating myself, and I eventually got to the point where I could tell people what it was, but would not let people use it. God continued his healing work and in an intense prayer session with Craig, Tandy, Rudi and Vince at Easter Camp 2007 it became clear to me that God wanted me to start using that name more, as a sign that he was doing this healing work in my heart. It took a while, but now everyone at church calls me Varla (although some of my older friends and people at work still call me Fiona or Fee).

I love both of my names, actually all three of them!
Varla is Scandinavian and means Warrior Princess and the verse which God gave me for that is Joshua 1:5: No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.
Fiona is Gaelic and means fair and pure and the verse for that is Matthew 5:8: God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.
King is just another reminder that I am of royal blood cos I am God's daughter!!
The colours which remind me of these meanings are purple, white and silver - including my beautiful new silver car, JT (for James Too)!!

So, that is why I chose the title I did...