Do you really know what's in that box?

Anyone who knows me knows I love experimenting with food, trying new recipes, comparing recipes and foods. I don't have a problem with throwing away the failures. Sometimes you find something FANTASTIC. I recently tried Schwan's Lemon Butter Shrimp, and yes, it is incredible! Worthy of candles and china and crystal. I also tried Aunt Jemima's Buttermilk Pancake mix. I compared it to Kroger's in-house brand and Krusteaz. I like it. There's one little problem. The latter two mixes come in plastic bags inside the cardboard box. The AJ brand has no plastic bag. I know someone who used to work in a cardboard box factory. They talked about how dirty the work was, how hot and sweaty they got, handling the cardboard boxes. Lately, my brain has been... flighty. Isn't that precious? Great. I'm pouring mix from this cardboard box and I'm thinking of this person's sweaty hands moving the boxing material... think I'll stick with Krusteaz and Kroger's. Not as "green" but a little more mentally appetizing. My mind wandered a little further. Oatmeal comes in cardboard boxes, without plastic liners. I always knew there was something wrong with oatmeal. And for all those pleased with oil drilling moratorium, consider this: No oil, no plastic. Really want to go green? Remove everything plastic from your life, no buildings, all electronic devices gone (phone, TV, PC, printer, ereaders), motor vehicles of any kind (including bicycles and wheelchairs), no gardening (remember those little plastic carry alls your plants come in? or what about the bucket or tote you keep your tools in? or what about the tools themselves, that comfortable handle?), no books (covers), no Legos for the kids. I am ever astonished at how often people will cheer the demise of this or that because they see the end of what they view as evil, without thinking it through. How often have I heard people complain of the evil of the internet? The same internet that connects me to friends all over the world, which I think is a really awesome gift from God. And here we are back at Pancake Mix. Really. Did you know that they laminate a very thin film on those boxes? I did my homework. I found out for myself. Will I buy AJ pancake mix again? Probably not but only because I've had bugs eat through the cardboard but are less likely to eat through the plastic bag. Hate picking bugs out of mac and cheese. The real question is "What is your perspective of the world?" Did you decide for yourself? Or are you letting someone else decide for you? If it's the latter, that isn't why you're here. Why post this, today? I'm endeavoring to learn to decide for myself. I've learned that in order to make a decision, I have to know what the options are. Many of my decisions are made by the values and principles I hold dear, but if I don't know what those are, I will flounder. God asks of me to follow Him. I finally came to realize that I couldn't follow Him if I didn't understand what He was asking. How can I be honorable, if I don't know what honor is? How can I be faithful, if I don't know what faith is? How can I be charitable, if I don't know what charity is? How can I be honest, if I don't know what honesty is? How can I be courageous, if I don't know what courage is? It's one thing to have a working knowledge, it is something else entirely to claim it for one's self, to be possessed of it, to have it be such an integral part of you that you automatically choose what will be honorable, faithful, charitable, honest, because it's who you are. I want to be that, and that means working to be more than the minimum requirement. More importantly, it means that I must accept responsibility for who and what I am and what I become. It isn't easy. I make mistakes. It helps that the picture is clearer now, but only because I've done a lot of homework, studying, searching, digging, asking questions. The ground work is being laid, all part of the adventure.