{"id":21697,"date":"2024-03-17T12:05:24","date_gmt":"2024-03-17T17:05:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/?p=21697"},"modified":"2024-03-27T13:25:03","modified_gmt":"2024-03-27T18:25:03","slug":"happy-st-patricks-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wlbott.com\/?p=21697","title":{"rendered":"Happy St. Patrick’s Day!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Honoring Karyn<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Today’s post honors Karyn<\/strong>, daughter of an Elder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Karyn <\/strong>wanted to become a professional singer, and wanted to share her financial success with the homeless. She is age 18 here, and had just done a street mission project in Calgary with an organization called the Mustard Seed<\/strong>, that was originated in Edmonton by First Baptist Church. I hope her story is inspirational.<\/p>\nR.S.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Karyn <\/strong>has a beautiful rendition of Danny Boy<\/strong>. You can listen to it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Mustard Seed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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I assure you that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, \u2018Go from here to there,\u2019 and it will go. There will be nothing that you can\u2019t do.<\/p>\n\u2013 Matthew 17:20<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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For over 35 years, The Mustard Seed<\/strong> has been a safe, supportive haven for individuals experiencing poverty and homelessness. We offer services and supports to those in need with the goal of helping them make positive, lasting change in their lives.<\/p>\nThe Mustard Seed<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Our History<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea for a street ministry came from Pat Nixon who founded The Mustard Seed <\/strong>in 1984, opening the first location in Calgary. Today, the organization operates in multiple cities, including Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Medicine Hat, and Grande Prairie in Alberta, Kamloops in British Columbia, and Saskatoon in Saskatchewan. All locations offer an expansive range of programs and services to serve our most vulnerable community members.
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We come alongside our community, offering a hand-up rather than simply a hand-out, and journey with them as they move towards a life of wellness and independence.<\/p>\nThe Mustard Seed<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Seniors, Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon, alongside Mustard Seed<\/strong> CEO Stephen Wile, announced the new emergency shelter spaces, bolstering Calgary\u2019s roster of available services for women in need. The provincially funded beds will be located at the Mustard Seed\u2019s downtown location, providing spaces for women experiencing homelessness \u2014 demand for which has soared of late.<\/p>\nCalgary Herald<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>

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And the Seed Itself<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Mustard seeds are the small round seeds of various mustard plants. The seeds are usually about 1 to 2 millimetres (1\u204432 to 3\u204432 in<\/strong>) in diameter and may be colored from yellowish white to black. They are an important spice in many regional foods and may come from one of three different plants: black mustard (Brassica nigra), brown mustard (B. juncea), or white mustard (Sinapis alba).
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Grinding and mixing the seeds with water, vinegar or other liquids creates the yellow condiment known as mustard<\/strong>.
\"\"<\/p>\nWik<\/a>ipedia<\/a> \/ Image By Novalis at en.wikipedia – Own work<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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In culture<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mustard seed is frequently referenced in world literature, including in religious texts, as a metaphor for something small or insignificant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Bible, Jesus<\/strong> tells the Parable of the Mustard Seed referring to faith<\/strong> and the Kingdom of God<\/strong>. There, Jesus says, \u201cThe kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are references to mustard seeds in India from a story of Gautama Buddha<\/strong> in the fifth century BC. Gautama Buddha told the story of the grieving mother (Kisa Gotami) and the mustard seed. When a mother loses her only son, she takes his body to the Buddha to find a cure. The Buddha asks her to bring a handful of mustard seeds from a family that has never lost a child, husband, parent, or friend. When the mother is unable to find such a house in her village, she realizes death is common to all, and she cannot be selfish in her grief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jewish texts<\/strong> compare the knowable universe to the size of a mustard seed to demonstrate the world’s insignificance and to teach humility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mustard seed is mentioned in the Quran<\/strong>: “And We place the scales of justice for the Day of Resurrection, so no soul will be treated unjustly at all. And if there is [even] the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it forth. And sufficient are We as accountant (21:47)”, and according to the Hadith, Muhammad said that he who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride would not enter Paradise.<\/p>\nWik<\/a>ipedia<\/a> <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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In Canada, commercial mustard production began with 40 hectares planted in southern Alberta in 1936. Since then, the crop has become a valuable option in the brown and dark brown soil zones. Today, Saskatchewan producers are the world’s largest mustard exporters.
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Eric Giesbrecht, a chef and owner of Brassica Mustard, in a mustard field in Langdon, Alta. PHOTO BY THE CANADIAN PRESS\/HO-RORY MAYER<\/em><\/p>\n
The Saskatchewan Government<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Getting to Know Calgary<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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Calgary <\/strong>is the largest city in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is the largest metro area within the three Prairie Provinces region. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Calgary area was inhabited by pre-Clovis people<\/strong> whose presence traces back at least 11,000 years<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[wait – a few miles separate a monsoonal climate and a subarctic climate?]<\/span>
Calgary experiences a semi-monsoonal<\/strong> humid continental climate (K\u00f6ppen climate classification Dwb) within eastern parts of the city and a subarctic<\/strong> climate (K\u00f6ppen climate classification Dwc) within western parts of the city, largely due to an increase in elevation.<\/p>\nWikipedia<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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WLBOTT Wonders:<\/strong> When do these guys set out their tomatoes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rounding up cattle for the first Calgary Stampede in 1912. The Stampede is one of the world’s largest rodeos.
\"\"<\/p>\nWikipedia<\/a> and By Provincial Archives of Alberta<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Grandma’s Irish Soda Bread Recipe<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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WLBOTT: Official Twine Sponsor for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Colcannon!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish with potatoes, cabbage, leeks, cream….<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are even a few Tex-Mex colcannon recipes out there!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We’re going with the Bon Appetit<\/a><\/strong> recipe<\/p>\n\n\n\n