Study | Pt. 2

STUDY

For this time of study I'll be watching my sucker fish OS X Leopard. I want to figure out what exactly the purpose of a sucker fish is. Are they really called "Suckerfish"? or is there something else they're really called. Do they really just lay around on the floor of fish tanks across the country with nothing to do? What can I learn from these little fish that can teach me something

THE EXPERIENCE

So here I sit, and here my little sucker fish sits. I decided to google him just because all I know is that he's an algae eater fish. Here's what I got. Plecos, Hypostomus punctatusare, widely known as "the" algae eater at the fish store. Though it is seldom they tell you that they grow to be a foot long and will destroy your plants as they get bigger. They have also been known to get a bit more aggressive as they get older. They do a decent job of cleaning the glass. Bristle nose and rubber mouth plecos may be the best choice for a planted tank. The bristle nose stays a bit smaller than its cousins and is a nice addition to any planted tank, eating many forms of algae.

Plecos, or the Sucker-mouth Catfish, are ideal in a very large tank ( 300 liters and up ), with other large feature fish. Include some drift wood for them to use as a resting place and retreat. They are nocturnal so it is usually best to feed them at night time. Omnivorous. They do eat algae. As well green foods such as lettuce and peas, cucumbers, plus vegetable-based flake foods. Will also accept small live or frozen foods. They will eat any fish that can fit into their mouth. Also, they have been know to latch onto the side of larger fish. They can be quite destructive when moving around the tank, lashing plants and dislodging rocks with a swipe of their powerful tails. Plecos will often eat the plants in the aquarium. They grow up to 60 cm, need a pH around 7 and temperature 25'C (http://www.aquariumalgaeeaters.blogspot.com/)

There's a lot to this little guy. A lot I didn't know. For one I didn't know I should be feeding him algae flakes or tablets. I didn't know he could grow quite as large as they say or that when he gets that big it's possible he may even eat my other fish.... yikes. This guy could be just like a monster. At times we all have monsters in our lives don't we. There are all things laying dormant on the bottom of our tanks that we feed and let grow until they take over our lives. At first they seem small and helpless, we feed them and enjoy them. Then before we know what happened they have destroyed everything we hold dear and snack on the bright and colorful healthy areas of our lives for lunch. What area's in my life are monster's lurking in the deep laying shallow and quiet, but growing. What are those things that could potential destroy all I love? I must not become victim to this bottom dweller. If I let it go unchecked. It could ruin everything.

Meditation | Pt. 3

MEDITATION

This will be my third and final practice of the spiritual discipline of meditation. It's been an interesting journey so far to say the least and I am excited to be taking part in these things. I've come to the conclusion that there is a fine line to be drawn when it comes to meditation. Things like the "lotus" position and the like come from Zen Buddhist practices. While there may be some "good things" in other religions practices those "good things" stem from truth and have been distorted. The only source of anything good and true is Jesus Christ. All truth comes from Him. He is truth (John 14:6)

Todays meditation comes in the form of focusing on an aspect of creation to reveal something about the nature of the Creator. I will specifically be focusing on the fish in my fish tank. I have some Fruit Salad Tetras: (2 - Blueberry & Pineapple); a Rainbow Tailed Guppy (Cobra); and a Suckerfish (OS X Leopard).

Any aspect of creation will do. "Choose something in the created order: tree, plant, bird, leaf, cloud", you get the point. I'll only be doing this meditation for today, however Richard Foster recommends exercising this meditation for about 5-10 minutes a day for a few days and in addition to one of the first two meditations I've already blogged about in my previous 2 posts.

This meditation begins much like the others with focusing on breathing by slowly inhaling and exhaling. After arriving at a state of openness and calm ask God to fill your mind with truths about Him from His creation. Focus in on the one aspect of creation you have chosen. What thoughts does it bring to mind about God? Spend some time meditating on those things. End this meditation with a time of praise and thanksgiving to God for what He has revealed to you and for what He has still to reveal.

THE EXPERIENCE

I began this meditation sitting down in a chair at my kitchen/dining room table, closed my eyes, and slowly began to inhale and exhale focusing myself on hearing from God. I opened my eyes and just watched my fish for a while. The first thing that came to my attention was Cobra. Being a Rainbow Tailed Guppy means you come with a really bright tail. He's by far the most colorful and fidgety of all the fish in my tank and the patterns on his tail are simply beautiful. I began thinking about how amazing of an artist God is to create just this one fish to be so breath taking. Then I thought about how Cobra is just one of probably millions or billions of guppies and there must be more like him and some maybe even more intricately patterned as well.

The Fruit Salad Tetras in my tank are quite different from Cobra as are they all different from the OS X Leopard AKA Sucker Fish. They each have unique characteristics and qualities about them that make them pleasing to watch and marvel at.

I pondered this idea of God being a unique and creative artist and different races and faces started flying through my imagination. There are so many people in this world. Each one unique in his or her own way. Each one beautiful and created by a Creator who loves them and longs to know them personally as Savior and Lord. Every person on the planet has something about them, a characteristic or quality that makes them pleasing for God to watch and marvel at.

God marvels at me.

He created me and shaped me and molded me to who I am.

He is continually feeding me and molding me into who I will become.

There's a line in the song Our God Reigns by the band Delirious? in which singer Martin Smith croons

"God didn't screw up when He made you. He's a Father who loves to parade you."

It's so comforting to know that God created me how I am for His purpose and His pleasure.

Huh. Who would've thought all this from fish.