Add To It

2 Peter 1:1-8 (NKJV)
¹ Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
² Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
³ as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
⁴ by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
⁵ But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,
⁶ to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,
⁷ to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.

 8. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 Awesome! Just after posting my blog a few nights ago, "Rotten on the Vine", I woke up the next morning and my Uncle Glenn had sent me this passage in an e-mail.


So how do we keep ourselves from going rotten on the vine? How do we keep from becoming unfruitful? We "add to". After Peter provides a formula filled with "adding to's", he points out that "if these things are yours and abound, you will neither be barrren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord..." It is an "if, then" scenario. If you add to, then you will not be unfruitful.


Speaking of "adding to", I have started a compost pile (to fertilize my garden of course). In this case, I WANT IT TO ROT! And even in the rotting process, I have to constantly be adding to to it. Empty cases of eggshells stay in my refrigerator until I haul them, along with potato peelings and other vegetable scraps, down to the pile to add to it. Every time we mow the grass, we add fresh clippings to the pile. Then, when we rake leaves, they too are added to the pile. Did you know that to create a rotten pile of compost- for the "rottening" to take place- there is actually a formula? Yep- you can't just toss on some leaves and scraps and hope for the best- (I have learned).


According to http://www.howtocompost.org/,

Composting is a dynamic process which will occur quickly or slowly, depending on the process used and the skill with which it is executed. A neglected pile of organic waste will inevitably decompose, but slowly. This has been referred to as "passive composting," because little maintenance is performed. Fast or "active" composting can be completed in two to six weeks. This method requires three key activities; 1) "aeration," by turning the compost pile, 2) moisture, and 3) the proper carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio. Attention to these elements will raise the temperature to around 130=-140=, and ensure rapid decomposition.

The proper carbon to nitrogen ratio, by the way, is 30 to 1, meaning, to every 30 parts carbon, one should add 1 part nitrogen (live stuff). Who knew that making something ROT could be so complex? Even dirt takes work!


Kaleb and his Mama sat on our couch as I told them about this post- giving them my ideas and reading to them about composting. "I know about taking stuff to the pile," Kaleb said. Sylva was grinning. "Yeah- we dumped all our stuff on that pile, but it never made any dirt," she said. Then Kaleb, youngest of 3, who was apparently the all-time "hauler-outer" said (in his intentionally country accent), "Yeah, but we sure added to it, though."


So I too just keep adding to mine. I forget about it sometimes. But when I think about it, I start adding to it again.


It's interesting to me the order in which Peter calls us to "add to". He gives a formula of sorts. Beginning with the foundation of faith. Our faith is where it all begins for us. Christ's sacrifice to redeem us is very real and sufficient. But it is not until we have faith that His justification for us occurs, and His sanctification process begins.
To faith, we are to add virtue: moral goodness or moral vigor. So- the first thing we add is a general moral goodness. Seems basic enough.
To that, we are to add knowledge (learning Truth and who God is and who we are to be in Him). So basically, don't settle for just moral goodness.
To that, self control (the practice and application- actually allowing our knowledge of Him and His word to change us- to apply it to our lives- becoming more like Him, evidenced by controlling our own behavior)
Then- perseverance- continue in the faith and learning and self controlling! Pressing on toward the mark,we are moving toward...
Godliness- actually beginning to act like Him- and look like Him- reflecting Him to others.
And to that, we add brotherly kindness (be sweet)- which, when practiced looks like. . .
Love! (be selfless)


I love this stuff!


Now, I encourage you to read back over the first part of the composting process above.
Take a minute. . .


Hmmmm...


Lord, let me not be passive and my process be slow. Move me toward godliness and love. Let me be diligent as your word says. Let me always be adding to.

And for those who are interested- again from www.howtocompost.org, below is a list of tips. Enjoy your dirt making!

1. Gather all grass clippings and green yard waste but be sure to mix with the "brown" materials like leaves and shredded paper to add carbon. You will need both, but if you only add grass clippings your pile will compact and start to stink.
2. Do not compost meats or pet droppings. Stick with food scraps and yard waste only.
3. Avoid all pesticides and/or herbicide treated material.
4. If you add weeds to your pile make sure your pile is good and hot. It should be steaming hot, not just warm otherwise it may not kill the seeds.
5. Turn your pile as often as you can. Each time you turn it will speed up the process.
6. Keep your compost damp but not wet. As you add material to your pile make sure that each layer is moist as it is added. During the summer your pile will dry out and the composting process will slow down.
7. Got too much material to compost? Make a second or third pile. Stop adding material to a pile that is underway and start a new pile. This will insure you get a chance to use the compost this season.
8. Add compost to your garden a few weeks before you plant. Let the compost have a chance to work into the soil. Try to mix it in and let it sit before you plant.
9. Bugs, worms and most bugs are ok. No need to go crazy trying to keep bugs out of your compost.
10. Since the compost process works best at temperature between 120 and 150 degrees composting in the warmer months is easier to do, if this is your first attempt at composting best to try in the summer.