Food Waste Confessions

Along with my paintings, I will be posting a blog with pictures (usually) every week of the food that has gone bad and I have had to throw out.  I find this subject an interesting one to investigate in that the average family supposedly wastes 1/4 of their food and times that by the amount of families in America and it is hugely important to consider.  I have always felt a little naughty every time I have to throw something away, not surprising with the history of my childhood.  I was born into a family of six children from parents of immigrants trying to make a living and while I was a young child, we had no running water, electricity, indoor plumbing, or phone, but we did have large holes in our house that small animals such as raccoons would sneak in at night and climb up our chest of drawers and steal our candy bar packs while we lay in the dark and just listen to the thievery.

We had a group of  about 12 geese that seemed taller than I and they would chase me like they wanted to kill me every time I would go across the yard to the outside bathroom (outhouse). Terrified, and not surprisingly I did not make many trips, especially after dark.  But even though I considered most of these geese evil, there was one that I loved because he was friendly and his name was Herman.  One day Herman was missing.  Coincidentally, we had eaten a dinner of goose that my mother had caught and beheaded and plucked out the feathers and cooked to feed her beloved family.  When someone asked "Where is Herman?" in unison we all caught on to what must have accidentally happened to our favorite pet and of course I cried.  Now it seems natural that I would absolutely abhor wasting anything as I do and I do not understand people and kids who do it without a blink.

So that is why I am going to include a blog spot occasionally on the food that is wasted in my household.  Please feel free to comment on your experiences of waste also.  They say confession is good for the soul and I need some good happening asap.  Maybe it will soothe my soul a little if  I journal the guilt I feel in throwing away food...even though it is not my doing that it decays...but then again I should have made sure we ate it in time...lol...must laugh about it...rather then cry...right?

So what have we wasted last week?  I did not take pictures because I did not know that I was going to write this blog but I will say that I had already been thinking about the waste and had tried my best last week to make sure I did not forget to use something for a meal and I did much better than previous weeks. But I did clean out the freezer and found some frozen raw chicken that looked freezer burned so that had to go.  I did not use all the carnation instant canned milk that I put in our tea and coffee and it was past 3 days so that too was pitched.  I must find out how long canned milk can be kept in the frig after opening.  Why don't they put this on the can?  I have several condiments that need to be thrown out of the frig. but it makes me feel so guilty to waste anything that I put off the discomfort and like the canned milk, I do not know how long these things last in the frig.  I will try to get my husband or daughter to throw them away if I can ever get a few minutes of their time to help me with the dastardly dead.

I admit it, I am a wimp at throwing anything out. After all, think of all the starving children that eat dirt and would have died to have a morsel of that wasted food...and they died without it …warnings from my childhood just to make me eat my food are reminiscent in my head.  Wasting is bad although sometimes unavoidable, like accidents.  (Update - I got no comments or reactions in seven years about this article so I did not bother to continue writing...maybe I had better stick to art although I do not get any comments or reactions now with that either...so I may quit that also.

Painting Of Blue Flowers

Painting Of Blue Flowers

Painting of Panda Bear And Flowers

Painting Of Panda Bear And Flowers

Painting of Sunset On The Ocean

Painting Of Sunset On The Ocean

Original Painting Of Spiritual Warfare

Spiritual Warfare

The war between people and nations has an insidious perpetrator who uses lies and deceptions to cause hatred and strife. Our battles here on earth are representative of the spiritual warfare being waged in the heaven lies and as it is done in heaven, so it is on earth. This fantasy oil painting of “Spiritual Warfare” depicts this. It is a new religious Christian painting painted on canvas.


For "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of the world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." - Ephesians 6:12

When one finally realizes this, how much easier it is to forgive others. These demonic forces can influence humans lives and can come as accusing voices, whispers in the heart, and even murderous or lustful thoughts coming from no where. Thankfully, most of the angels of God are still with Him and can give the feeling of peace and protection and even show up physically as a heaven-sent helper while one is in crisis.

There have been many corroborating stories throughout history of angels walking and talking in human form and protecting us. One angel can destroy a whole army as they have done for Israel.

On the other hand, the demonic fallen angels can possess, torment, and cause physical illness to humans. They can impose on our thoughts and influence wrong decisions. The devil (Lucifer the fallen angel) can cause disasters, disease, and death with the permission of God.

But there is much hope because Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and he defeated him on the cross. Once we know this, we can use the Word of God as a sword to defeat every attack by resisting Satan and using the Word against him. Without reading God's Word, one is open to all kinds of lies and deceptions. Christians are especially attacked and must engage in spiritual warfare by coming against it by the power of the Word (the name of Jesus because He is the Word of God) or the Word in Scripture as Jesus did when Satan tried to tempt him. We are given authority over the devil and his demons by Jesus to do what he did in His name to defeat them.

The battleground of the mind is fighting the feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness and helplessness by knowing and repeating scriptures that help us and give us hope and tell us we are the righteousness of God and we were all created in His image and that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us with power to overcome the wicked works of these evil ones.

We are told to continue the works that Jesus did while He was on earth which consisted of spreading the gospel of the good news that we can be saved from hell and have eternal life now because of our sin debt being paid by Jesus death on the cross because God's law requires that there be a payment of blood for a debt of sin. We should also heal the sick as Jesus did. Much of the time when He healed the sick, He cast out demons as they are often the perpetrators of sickness and disease.

Unfortunately, even though Satan has been ultimately defeated and we have been given the marvelous gift of power over him and the chance for eternal life, Satan has not yet been cast into the lake of fire and is still roaming about seeking who he may devour as the scriptures proclaim.

But as present calamities play out and prophesies are just about culminating in fulfillment, it is quite probable that very soon he will be imprisoned in that burning lake, no longer to reek havoc amongst humans for 1000 years and that should give us all hope. We are given the awesome promise that if we overcome all of the this and prevail to the end of our lives still believing in Jesus Christ as our Savior, then we will inherit eternal life with our Lord.