Gleanings of Wheat

He Who Began a Good Work...

2012-01-02T09:32:00.000-06:00

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. (Romans 6:4-5)
Perhaps what is most interesting to me right now, is the hope...the basis for our santification does not begin and end with Christ's atoning work on the Cross. Oh, it most certainly starts there! But it continues on through His resurrection. Christ is not in that tomb, rather He is at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us - and it is that fact that should give us our hope for today.
We come boldly because our King bids us come. We cry "Daddy" because our Savior is risen. We make war because we have armor and strength that is not our own. We have hope because of an empty tomb! When I feel as though I will never have victory over my sin I can remind myself that I am free not only from condemnation, but since it is God at work in me I can be sure that He will enable me to fight, He will finish what He has started. It won't always be like this, I won't always be at war with myself...and when that day comes, when I stand before my Father I will praise Him for the sustaining grace that got me there. What a glorious thought.

Well hello there

2012-01-02T09:31:00.001-06:00

Yes, I exist. It's kind of awesome. Shout out to my favorite 11 year old pest (this means you, Hannah!)...

Enough

2011-11-11T19:39:00.001-06:00

I just finished reading through Helen Roseveare's "Enough" (very brief book, easy to read, encouraging) and as I read chapter 6 it occurred to me how shallow my trust is. Even though I know God is huge, and powerful, and endlesslessly merciful, somehow I still manage to have this poor view of God's sufficiency for me in Christ. As I read the chapter (really the whole book, but it clicked particularly in this chapter) I realized that when I hear the word "enough" I think of it as something like "skimping through, enough to get by...but barely" rather than what Ephesians 3:20 says:

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

Immeasurably more than I could ever imagine. Enough. That's what Christ is for me.

He Giveth More Grace

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

Faultless before the presence of his glory

2011-10-10T21:57:00.001-05:00

This was my reading from Spurgeon's Morning & Evening devotional today. So encouraging!

Morning“Faultless before the presence of his glory.” (Jud1:24)Revolve in your mind that wondrous word, “faultless!” We are far off from it now; but as our Lord never stops short of perfection in his work of love, we shall reach it one day. The Saviour who will keep his people to the end, will also present them at last to himself, as “a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but holy and without blemish.” All the jewels in the Saviour’s crown are of the first water and without a single flaw. All the maids of honour who attend the Lamb’s wife are pure virgins without spot or stain. But how will Jesus make us faultless? He will wash us from our sins in his own blood until we are white and fair as God’s purest angel; and we shall be clothed in his righteousness, that righteousness which makes the saint who wears it positively faultless; yea, perfect in the sight of God. We shall be unblameable and unreproveable even in his eyes. His law will not only have no charge against us, but it will be magnified in us. Moreover, the work of the Holy Spirit within us will be altogether complete. He will make us so perfectly holy, that we shall have no lingering tendency to sin. Judgment, memory, will-every power and passion shall be emancipated from the thraldom of evil. We shall be holy even as God is holy, and in his presence we shall dwell for ever. Saints will not be out of place in heaven, their beauty will be as great as that of the place prepared for them. Oh the rapture of that hour when the everlasting doors shall be lifted up, and we, being made meet for the inheritance, shall dwell with the saints in light. Sin gone, Satan shut out, temptation past for ever, and ourselves “faultless” before God, this will be heaven indeed! Let us be joyful now as we rehearse the song of eternal praise so soon to roll forth in full chorus from all the blood-washed host; let us copy David’s exultings before the ark as a prelude to our ecstasies before the throne.

Spurgeon on trials

2011-07-19T11:43:00.000-05:00

I've been in the midst of a trial for some time now - I think in large part to the fact that I just don't learn. Though God has provided in huge ways yet I am prone to worry, I am still prone to try and control situations on my own...at the bottom of it I'm still prone to unbelief, to distrust. It is easy for me to be discouraged by this, but I'm also aware of the fact that I've grown (by the grace of God) a lot in the past few years. I know I'm more aware of my sin, I see it better than I used to, and that gives me great hope because I know that I would not see it if it were not for Him...I see these things because He loves me. It is my hope to fight my flesh, to see these trials as tender mercies from His hand, to grow more deeply in love with Him.

I've been reading a lot of Spurgeon lately; I've always loved what I've read by him, but it seems like my reading plan has me going through a lot of things dealing with trials. I thought I'd share a few things I've read recently.

Evening

“Let not one of them escape.” (1Kings 18:40)

When the prophet Elijah had received the answer to his prayer, and the fire from heaven had consumed the sacrifice in the presence of all the people, he called upon the assembled Israelites to take the priests of Baal, and sternly cried, “Let not one of them escape.” He took them all down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. So must it be with our sins-they are all doomed, not one must be preserved. Our darling sin must die. Spare it not for its much crying. Strike, though it be as dear as an Isaac. Strike, for God struck at sin when it was laid upon his own Son.

With stern unflinching purpose must you condemn to death that sin which was once the idol of your heart. Do you ask how you are to accomplish this? Jesus will be your power. You have grace to overcome sin given you in the covenant of grace; you have strength to win the victory in the crusade against inward lusts, because Christ Jesus has promised to be with you even unto the end. If you would triumph over darkness, set yourself in the presence of the Sun of Righteousness. There is no place so well adapted for the discovery of sin, and recovery from its power and guilt, as the immediate presence of God.

Job never knew how to get rid of sin half so well as he did when his eye of faith rested upon God, and then he abhorred himself, and repented in dust and ashes. The fine gold of the Christian is oft becoming dim. We need the sacred fire to consume the dross. Let us fly to our God, he is a consuming fire; he will not consume our spirit, but our sins. Let the goodness of God excite us to a sacred jealousy, and to a holy revenge against those iniquities which are hateful in his sight. Go forth to battle with Amalek, in his strength, and utterly destroy the accursed crew: let not one of them escape.

Morning

“The Lord our God hath shewed us his glory.” (Deu 5:24)

God’s great design in all his works is the manifestation of his own glory. Any aim less than this were unworthy of himself. But how shall the glory of God be manifested to such fallen creatures as we are? Man’s eye is not single, he has ever a side glance towards his own honour, has too high an estimate of his own powers, and so is not qualified to behold the glory of the Lord. It is clear, then, that self must stand out of the way, that there may be room for God to be exalted; and this is the reason why he bringeth his people ofttimes into straits and difficulties, that, being made conscious of their own folly and weakness, they may be fitted to behold the majesty of God when he comes forth to work their deliverance.

He whose life is one even and smooth path, will see but little of the glory of the Lord, for he has few occasions of self-emptying, and hence, but little fitness for being filled with the revelation of God. They who navigate little streams and shallow creeks, know but little of the God of tempests; but they who “do business in great waters,” these see his “wonders in the deep.” Among the huge Atlantic-waves of bereavement, poverty, temptation, and reproach, we learn the power of Jehovah, because we feel the littleness of man. Thank God, then, if you have been led by a rough road: it is this which has given you your experience of God’s greatness and lovingkindness.

Your troubles have enriched you with a wealth of knowledge to be gained by no other means: your trials have been the cleft of the rock in which Jehovah has set you, as he did his servant Moses, that you might behold his glory as it passed by. Praise God that you have not been left to the darkness and ignorance which continued prosperity might have involved, but that in the great fight of affliction, you have been capacitated for the outshinings of his glory in his wonderful dealings with you.

And finally:

Because God is the living God, He can hear; because He is a loving God, He will hear; because He is our covenant God, He has bound Himself to hear.

Baked Oatmeal

2011-06-29T13:04:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine mentioned that she bakes her oatmeal to me a week or two ago...craziest thing I've ever heard! Turns out it is really good! I made some today for the kiddies, here's the recipe I used.

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried cranberries
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Beat in milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir in dried cranberries. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.

The Next Story: Wrapping It Up

2011-05-19T11:07:00.000-05:00

I'm cheating today and going to work through chapter 9 and the epilogue of Tim Challies' book, The Next Story. Chapter 9 deals with the subjects of privacy and visibility.

Digital Footprints
It is commonly known that everything you do on your computer will typically leave traces behind. Between cookies and caches and system event logs one can glean a lot of information about a person's computer usage. This is often why people addicted to online pornography are so habitual about clearing their browser history, they try to remove traces of their addiction - of their sin. But even if you successfully clear all evidences of your browsing history and computer usage from your computer, are you aware that those evidences are ~~often~~ likely still out there?

Every time I search for something on Google that search is logged into a database. Somewhere out there, perhaps in multiple backups, there is info about my search history. Tim points out, quite rightly, that on some level Google may know my interests, my fears, my habits better than I do. Where I'm prone to forget, the database - barring some sort of digital catastrophe - never forgets.

Data is rarely deleted from databases - even if you want it to be. Facebook is a great example of this fact, not only do they regularly change their privacy settings and standards, forcing you to go into your account settings to ensure that your embarrassing spring break photos aren't made available to the general public, but they also make it incredibly difficult for those who would choose to leave the site all together. And should you successfully "delete" your account - they still have all your photos, all your status updates, all your interests and contact info you've entered into the account for 14 days. Any interaction with the site during those 14 days will cancel your deletion request.

Our bank websites, every form we've ever filled out, every forum we've joined and posted in - all digital footprints, all evidences of our lives online. Here's what struck me the most about this chapter:

Facebook maintains a record of our past relationships, the messages we've sent to old boyfriends or girlfriends, the things we said before we were Christians and the things we have said since.

(pg 180)

Forget about Facebook for a minute, expand that to the entire web and then think about that for a minute. Everything you have ever said, everything you've ever searched for - the things you may not admit to anyone in real life - all available on the web. I don't know about you, but I'm often horrified of how I acted, spoke, and thought before I was a Christian (indeed I still am horrified by the way I act, speak, and think now) - most people in my life didn't know me back then. It's freeing in a sense, but you know something?

Somewhere all that info still exists. The horrible poetry I used to write, the garbage I used to read, the things I searched for - all of these things revealed my heart at the time and all these things are still out there somewhere. If a person were to compile all that info into a profile for me it would certainly reveal a teenage girl who was in need of a Savior. But if they were to compile all the info I've created since coming to faith would it reveal a slightly older girl who is trying to live a life in light of the fact that she's been saved? Our lives, because we're Christians, are to be marked by integrity, by honesty, by graciousness - these expectations do not stop to exist simply because we're on the internet. After all, do we not serve a God who sees and knows all? Do we not serve a God who instructs us to be a light to those around us? Let us ~~walk~~ type in light of that fact.

A Series of 1s and 0s
Do you have a store loyalty card? I do. I love it because it allows me to save money on the things I need to buy, but I'm also aware of the fact that the only reason the store allows me to save that money is so that they can track my purchases. It allows them to compile data that will evaluate the effectiveness of their advertising, it allows them to determine what vendors are doing well and which need to reconsider their product placement. But to the people that analyze this info I'm not a a 20 something single mother who has a sarcastic flair and loves to hike, to the people that analyze this info I'm a mother who buys a lot of bread, peanut butter, and jelly. The things that make me who I am - in a real sense - don't matter to these people because all they see are the computer generated reports. Somewhere in the transmission of those 1s and 0s my personal traits are lost.

We were not people who had paid every bill and met every obligation. Instead, we were a series of numbers - incomes and expenses and liabilities. In the end, a computer processed the numbers and found that for one reason or another we simply did not qualify as borrowers. And that was that. The bankers had no ability to change the rules and no right to plead our case. The numbers had spoken. It was strangely distressing and dehumanizing...In a not-so-subtle way, the Numerati are teaching us to see other people, not as real flesh-and-blood people created in the image of God, but as objects - numerical data that can be used to satisfy our own purposes.

(pg 181-182)

Seeing and Being Seen
According to Tim we live in a culture that fosters exhibitionism - I think he is probably right. MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube - what's the common theme? Being seen and connecting with people. The most mundane things are often some of the post popular things on YouTube - we want to be seen. We want to share our lives with each other, we want to feel important. Television knows how drawn we are to seeing the mundane - I think this is precisely why reality TV is so popular. "Regular" people live their lives, or shoot for their dreams, in front of our eyes. We rejoice when they do well, and we mock when they fail. On some level we love to watch the failures more than the triumphs. I know a great many people that love American Idol - or they did when Simon was still on board - because of how the people who couldn't sing would get torn apart in front of millions of viewers.

But where is the respect for one another when we mock those who experience tragedy, when their suffering becomes our entertainment?

(pg 190)

Wrapping It Up
Tim says that "our actions betray the state of our hearts" (pg 190), if this is the case we need to constantly be willing to examine what our lives are saying about our hearts. The digital explosion has made it easy for us to share information and aspects of our lives without putting much thought into how we're portraying Christ. As Christians, we must examine ourselves, we must examine the way we think and relate to people, to media, and to the devices that connect us.

This is my last post on The Next Story, it's been an interesting read. There was a lot of information covered, but I think Tim did a great job keeping everything really accessible to the reader. It was a challenging read as well - I'd certainly recommend it to everyone, but perhaps especially to those of us who work on computers.

Realistically I spend anywhere from 8 to 13 hours a day on the computer - that's a lot of screen time, and I'm often not thoughtful about it. I don't think about whether or not it is the best use of my time when I'm playing - I have to be on it to work so I probably can't dramatically get under 8 hours, but I can be more intentional about having set work hours and not trying to do other things (read: Facebook, Twitter & Google News) on the computer during that time.

Certainly your mileage will vary, but I think all of us could benefit from analyzing our media intake and prayerfully considering what changes need to be made. Maybe your screen time won't decrease, but perhaps what you do during that time will change, or perhaps you'll just think through the way these technologies are influencing your spiritual life. Whatever it looks like in your life, I hope you'll find freedom in it.

My Previous Posts on The Next Story
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 6 - Rabbit Trail
Chapter 7
Chapter 8

The Next Story: Chapter 8

2011-05-16T06:58:00.000-05:00

I know I'm running behind schedule with these posts on The Next Story, but this time the delay was Blogger's fault. Anyway, this chapter deals with authority and truth - specifically how the technologies that exist are reshaping the way we define truth and downplaying the importance of authority.

Truth according to Wikipedia
Wikipedia is huge, with over 15 million articles (3 million of them in English) to say that there is a wide variety of information available - for free - is the understatement of the year. One of the amazing things about Wikipedia is the fact that anyone can update an article. If my son knew about it he'd likely be on there reading everything that has to do with Star Wars and could probably fix a few errors he might find. This is great news in that an article can quickly be fixed if something false is found in it; no need to wait until the next edition like magazines, newspapers, or an encyclopedia.

The downside? Not everything that gets published is actually true. Politicians, religious leaders, and corporations have been found to edit articles to remove controversial things that would cast shadows on them. Additionally, Tim raises the concern that things like Wikipedia is subtly training us to think that truth comes from consensus rather than being objective. As Christians, we know that this is not true, we know that all truth comes from God and that truth does not waver. Tim encourages the reader to speak truth because we are to be like Him.

Because God is holy, we too, are to be holy. Because God is love, so we are to be loving, to express love in every way we can. And if God is true, then, of course, we must love truth, emphasize the truth, and always be seeking truth. All we say is to be marked by integrity as an expression of the integrity of God.

(pg 161)

Tim goes on to note that Wikipedia comes up as the first or second result in search engines for words like knowledge, authority, affair, truth, history, power, Jesus, God, justification, baptism, and Christianity. "This shows that Wikipedia is now the first answer to many of our most important questions - questions about truth, authority, knowledge, wisdom, power, God, and salvation" (162).

The problem with relying upon Wikipedia for these answers is also the reason why Wikipedia is so remarkable. Anyone can edit the articles, a PHD candidate has no more clout than a 10 year old kid. Furthermore, you're relying upon people. Fallen, sinful people. Wikipedia and other wikis like it function under the assumption that we're all basically good and want good to prevail. As Christians we know that we're given to sin - we're so thoroughly entrenched in our sinfulness that even what seems like a good thing can be done with a wrong heart and we're likely to be blind to it.

When we have a model that ignores human nature and combine it with too little oversign, we will inevitably run into problems related to the misuse of authority.

(pg 165)

Truth according to Google
After dealing with how technologies like Wikipedia seek to democratize truth he moves on to dealing with how search engines seek to determine truth by relevance. Google is helpful in that takes what I'm looking for and pulls up the pages most often the most relevant to that query. I'll be the first to admit - I'm a Googler. I Google a ton of stuff, I love Google, it has made my life a lot more easy - but who knows if there's a nugget of gold buried on page 6 of my search results that just doesn't have the page rank to get it better placing?

In many ways I rely on Google, I trust Google to bring me the very best. And so we set ourselves up to think that all things we need to know, or want to know, should come so quickly, so easily, and so nicely sorted out. Are there ways in which I've transfered this way of thinking to the rest of my life? Do I tend to accept the easy, readily available answer - the one I don't have to fight for - as the best answer to life's issues? How has the effected the way I read my Bible? How has this effected the way I pray? If God's knowledge has more depth to it than the ocean, why do I often feel like I've settled wading in a kiddie pool?

How has this effected the way I view His steadfastness, His love? With my mouth I would tell you that His love is unending, that He never leaves us, that He is faithful to the end. But is my heart's cry these truths, or do I see the trials in my life (or my family's lives) and refuse to look past page one of the search results? Do I have a shallow view of suffering; how has my expectation for answers to life's questions to be neatly printed on my screen in order of relevance shaped how I walk through the uneasy times, through the times when I ought to be diving in and going deep? Am I looking for truth, for comfort, for depth? Or do I simply look for a quick verse, taken out of context, but tagged on the internet as applicable to my current life situation, to slap on as a spiritual band-aid?

Futhermore, because just about anyone can, and does, have a website or blog - we ought to be discerning when reading or watching their content. Though something may appear spiritual, Christian even, is their use of Scripture appropriate and true? Are there subtle lies that we're believing simply because the website was easy to find on our search engine of choice? But submitting ourselves to and ingesting these untruths - how long will it take, how costly will it be in our lives for us to unlearn them? Will we even want to unlearn them? Are we willing to weigh the information and claims against the Bible and trusted authorities in our lives, or do we simply want the quick, easy (and possibly misleading) answer?

Toward the end of the chapter Tim discusses a film called Loose Change, in which clips and quotes dealing with September 11th were taken out of context and manipulated in order to put forth the idea that the Towers fell not because of terrorist attacks, but because of the Bush administration planting explosives in the building. There of course was a commission into the claims - it took 2 years and 15 million dollars to research, talk to experts, and then publish. There was no evidence to support the claims, but the film is still being watched, still being ingested, still being spouted off as truth. Why? Because it's on the internet and easy to find.

Other interesting quotes
Consensus opinion and Scripture are often opposed to one another. (pg 167)

My Previous Posts on The Next Story
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 6 - Rabbit Trail
Chapter 7

The Next Story: Chapter 7

2011-05-11T21:20:00.000-05:00

In chapter 7 of The Next Story Tim addresses the idea of "more is better" in regards to information and argues that "[amid] all of our information, we have little time for wisdom" (pg 139). The question is - what is wisdom?

My church is currently going through a bible study on the book of Proverbs in our small groups and a couple weeks ago we defined wisdom as "rightly applying the truths of God to our lives," in other words, wisdom is walking out what we know is true. Wisdom in action is James 2:17 personified. But how do we gain wisdom? Our starting point as Christians must be God.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. (Proverbs 9:10)

But what of the world? What of the technologies and trends permeating our culture? Is there a desire for wisdom or merely for the collection of data, of the sorting of that data into information? Tim notes a trend present, that we hear little of the application of our information that's been gathered, rather it seems that the goal is often simply to have this information. With tools like Wikipedia and Google one can know a bit about a ton of things. We fill our minds with information that we'll never need on a daily basis to the point where we have difficulty remembering the important things - like where I left my keys this morning.

Our information age encourages us to become information gluttons, and because we've embraced this pace, these distractions, this partial focus on multiple things we've begun to feel as though we have some sort of disorder. And maybe we do!

At the beginning of the chapter Tim referes to Dr. Edward Hallowell who has termed an ADHD-like disorder, ADT - attention deficit trait. The difference between ADHD and ADT? ADT is a self-imposed disorder. Tim says, "I don't anticipate that attention deficit trait will ever be recognized as an official disorder, and I'm sure it is better this way," (pg 139) however with the way our society likes to label and medicate everything it wouldn't surprise me if we start seeing kids being diagnosed and medicated in the coming years.

Regardless of whether or not ADT becomes a common place diagnosis like ADHD, we as Christians ought to fight against it. If we're supposed to "take every thought captive" (2 Corinthians 10:5) how can we rightly expect to do that if we're gorging ourselves on information we don't need and isn't helping us to think deeply about God?

Tim offers some practical advice; unsubscribe from blogs that do not encourage you to think deeply, unfriend or hide posts from people on Facebook that you find distracting or tempt you to remain unfocused in your pursuit of wisdom, consider mechanically working through some issues rather than using the technology in front of you to do it, and finally:

And seek to move that information to knowledge and to wisdom. Make every bit of information you access count.

(pg 156)

Other interesting quotes

We have our passports filled with little stamps telling everyone just how many places we've been, but we don't stop to ask what the purpose is of traveling the nations if we have not actually experienced them. (pg 148)

We have hundreds of people flitting around on the edges of our lives, but perhaps fewer than ever with whom we are intimately involved. (pg 148)

This leads us to care more about accessing information that will make our lives immediately easier, that will fix our little problems, than to carefully and thoughtfully consider the morality of what we do with that information. (pg 149)

My Previous Posts on The Next Story
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 6 - Rabbit Trail

The Next Story: Chapter 6 - The Rabbit Trail

2011-05-10T14:08:00.000-05:00

Earlier today I was working on the Chapter 6 walk through of The Next Story and I typed up a nice little section of content based on one quote that really didn't fit with the rest of the post. I got sidetracked and followed a rabbit trail. I know, a chapter on distraction and I'm all over the place. It's awesomely funny. Anyway, I really wanted to share those thoughts but didn't want to clutter up the original post. Here you go:

Following a rabbit trail

What if our consumption and use of these devices has trained us to assume that greater speed and greater capacity are universal virtues? What if we have transferred the virtues of digital devices to our own lives?

(pg 122)

This isn't where Tim goes with the rest of the chapter, but this last quote really got me thinking about my kids. I'm so used to doing things efficiently that I'm (to my shame) often impatient with them because they don't approach things as I would, or get things done as quickly as I would. Certainly, this is just my own pride working itself out in my relationships - but how has the technology I've surrounded myself with fostered this pride, this impatience?

My kids are one of God's greatest tools in my life - I ought to treasure them more highly than I do - I see my same impatience, my same pride, my same fears in my son*. Looking at him allows me to better understand myself. God's been kind in that and as he struggles to learn to obey and I struggle to learn how to parent better I'm constantly reminded of God's grace in not allowing me to continue to be blind to certain sins in my life.

My daughter on the other hand, looks exactly like me but is nothing like me personality-wise. She's joyful and outgoing, she's quick to forgive when sinned against, quick to repent, she's fearless in situations that make me tremble and somehow still longs for the protection of her Mommy...I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before, but she has some developmental delays that cause her to think and act like a kid 1-2 years younger than she actually is.

You know something? God's even used those delays to work in me. When I want to zip through something my son is getting up to speed and more often able to follow my train of thought and directions, but my daughter? Her needs are constantly calling me to slow down, to simplify, to rework my directions so she can grasp them better. God is using my kids, especially my daughter, to work patience in my heart. And I'm so grateful He is, that He hasn't left me to my sin, to my blindness...to my distraction.

My Previous Posts on The Next Story
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6

*Please don't take this to mean I'm getting down on my son. I adore him, and he can be incredibly kind and generous and thoughtful, but I see so much of myself in him.

The Next Story: Chapter 6

2011-05-10T13:56:00.000-05:00

The sixth chapter of The Next Story deals with distraction, which is fantastic because I feel like I'm always distracted! In fact this post was interrupted by Twitter notifications via TweetDeck and I'm not gonna lie, I clicked over a few times before finally exiting the program.

Have you ever noticed how much beeps and notification lights fill our lives? The alarm clock that wakes you up, the dryer going off, the cell phone in your pocket, the list could go on and on. We're called, from the moment we awaken, from one task to another by notifications and beeps. Is it, then, any wonder that we find it so difficult to focus on one thing?

Eventually the problem of distraction becomes more than something that just happens to us; it defines our identity...We become so shaped by our devices that we lose our ability to focus. We are transformed from people who respond to the beep to people of the beep.

(pg 116)

Tim argues, and I would tend to agree, that as we have allowed our devices to reshape our lives we "are quickly becoming people of shallow thoughts" because if something cannot be worked through between texts and tweets it's probably too much work. The problem is that when we start thinking shallowly, when we only want to focus on things for brief amounts of time, how can we expect to rightly plumb the depths of Scripture? If we cannot know Scripture, what is the likelihood that it is going to effect our hearts and mold us into mature Christians that can (by the grace of God) withstand difficult trials?

Rather than doing life well, we seek to "do more, accomplish more, be more" (pg 117). This shallow thinking, this shallow living - in some ways it almost seems as though we're blind to it. That because we're so busy trying to do more, we've trained ourselves to think that the busyness is better.

Multitasking
I don't know about you, but I often think I'm being more productive if I'm working on more than one thing at a time. When I first started freelancing I would check my email, check my voice mail, and check my social media accounts all while trying to secure more work via Craigslist postings and working on current client's projects.

Do you know what the result was? Burn out.

Meanwhile, if we surround ourselves by too many stimuli, we force our brains into a state of continuous partial attention...When in this state of continuous partial attention, 'people may place their brains in a heightened state of stress....Once people get used to this state, they tend to thrive on perpetual connectivity.'

(pg 125)

Is this not the case? It certainly is for me! But what happens to the Christian when they've gotten used to this heightened state? Do we serve God better? Do we pray more earnestly? Do we love more deeply? I don't know about you, but I don't do any of those things well unless I'm intentional about slowing down and spending some quality time with my Father.

Efficiency is a dangerous mind-set to bring to our faith...there are multitudes of One Minute Bibles and Two Minute Devotionals available for those of us who just can't spare the time, for those who need a spiritual fix for the sake of conscience but aren't willing to sacrifice more time...[God] does not call us to study his Word or to worsship him more efficiently. God calls us to read his Word meditatively

(pg 126)

Skimming
Tim goes on to discuss skimming and how studies have been done to show that the average user scans a website in an F pattern. Starting at the top left they scan the top page, then jump down a couple inches and scans again, only this time they may not scan all the way over before jumping again and finish scanning the rest of the page.

The issue for the Christian is that we have to fight the tendency to transfer this habit to our Bible reading. If God calls us to read his Word meditatively - and He does - then scanning the page is not going to nourish our souls. We are to mimic the Bereans of Acts 17 who "received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so" (vs 11). Can we examine something eagerly while only skimming? We need to focus on this precious gift God has given us. We need to treasure it. And to do that we can't be distracted by the beeps, lights, and buzzes of our lives.

My Previous Posts on The Next Story
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5

The Next Story: Chapter 5

2011-05-09T21:54:00.001-05:00

In the fifth chapter of The Next Story Tim addresses the concepts of mediation and identity. His illustration for how digital revolution has shaped our cultures and lives is by comparing and contrasting the two greatest military tragedies of the US - Pearl Harbor and September 11th. Because we are so surrounded by technology, news travels faster, we're able to hear more about an event as it unfolds. Where the people that lived during the Pearl Harbor attacks waited days and even weeks for more detail about the events of that day; the generation that lived in the US during September 11th were not only able to find out something had happened, but were even able to tune in and watch the tragedy unfold.

Tim points out that unless you were near Pearl Harbor on December 7th, you're not likely to remember exactly where you were or what you were doing when the attacks happened. Conversely, because of television millions of people watched as the towers fell and can tell you with amazing detail what they were doing the moment they found out.

Now, as we approach the 10th anniversary of September 11th we're even more inundated with technology. In fact, I'm able to find out breaking news faster than the television can air it because of services like Twitter and Facebook. Osama bin Laden's recent death is the most example of this.

But what is the effect of all this screen time on the Christian? "[At] church we watch our pastors on screens before returning home to watch sermons on the internet. Life is mediated by the screen" (pg 69). In one sense all of human history after the Fall has involved mediation of sorts. Where Adam and Even once walked and talked with the Creator of the universe, because of their sin that communication, that relationship was cut off...disconnected. After the Fall God used mediators to interact with humans, even our way of salvation was through mediation. But we can now "come boldly unto the throne of grace" - why can we as sinners, as those deserving His wrath, come to the Father?

Because of Christ's atoning work on the cross we have a way of approaching...this is not a timid approach, but a bold one! Bold because we've been washed clean by the Lamb and now He sits in heaven interceding for us. So even now, and until we get to heaven, we rely upon a mediator.

In this life, while mediation is good, we know that the spiritual intimacy we long for - the direct presence of God - will be so much better.

(pg 94)

Even though we approach God through Someone else we were still created for relationship and this applies to every aspect of our lives. We long to connect, to communicate. Our screens allow us to do that in a much more broad manner than previous generations experienced. More and more we as a culture turn to our screens, and our face to face interactions decrease. The effect is that what was originally a supplement to our lives has become the primary way we get our information - and in some cases, interact with the world.

Today, as we increasingly use e-mail or text messaging as replacements for face-to-face communication, we no longer have access to the signals of voice and body language that are an integral part of oral communication...As a result, the tone of e-mails is misunderstood more than half the time, compared to just a quarter of the time over the phone and even less often face-to-face.

(pg 95-96, emphasis mine)

How often do we I trade true intimacy and clarity for the convenience of mediated communication even though I know that Paul made it clear that actually being and speaking with people is so much better (see Romans 1:11, 2 Timothy 1:4, Philippians 1:8)?

Some interesting stats

Adults ages fourty-five to fifty-four accumulate the greatest amount of screen time, totaling none hours and thirty-four minutes per day.

About a quarter of that screen time is "combined time," meaning that dduring these periods people are using more than one screen at once.

(pg 90)

An involuntary community
My church sets aside a few weeks each year to hone in on different subjects relating to family and the church - everything from budgeting, to lust, to forgiveness, to hospitality, to children's classes on the importance of obedience - it's always very encouraging. It just so happens that I'm reading my way through this book while the church is having the seminars.

I was fortunate enough to sit in on the hospitality session recently (unfortunately I was unable to get it recorded - technology fail whale) and one of the things that was discussed was the fact that God chose us even though we were His enemies, He sent His Son to die for us, and His Son did not fight back or exhibit bitterness as He was brutally murdered. In light of that fact - ought we not love our brethren? Ought we not show love to those who don't love us - even to those who grate our nerves? Tim echoes this call to selfless love in the latter part of the fifth chapter:

"Church" is not an event. It is people - people whom God calls us to love. What is more, it is in a very important sense an involuntary community of people: we don't choose our brothers and sisters - God does. And sometimes (oftentimes) those people are not terribly compatible with us - not the people we would choose to hang out with...It can be difficult to love those who are unlike us, which is exactly why God calls us to do so. And we are to love them as the Bible instructs us to - through real-life situations, in the real world, from house to house, even in the laying down of our lives for one another.

(pg 108-109, emphasis mine)

Since we are called to love and to be in each others lives, what will that look like as we communicate? What ought it to look like in our daily habits? What will it look like in terms of my computer usage?

My Previous Posts on The Next Story
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

Kitchen 101

2011-05-09T20:16:00.000-05:00

Make has a great compelation of kitchen tutorials you all should check out.

In completely unrelated news, I'll be posting tonight from The Next Story. I ended up having a pretty full weekend, so expect a few posts to happen more closely together.

The Next Story: Chapter 4

2011-05-06T06:26:00.004-05:00

In Part One of The Next Story Tim guides us through the history and way our digital revolution has come about and shaped our culture.

In chapter 4 he begins to probe the implications of the digital revolution specifically for the Christian. The theme - communication.

Tim begins the chapter talking about the straits of Gibraltar and what the implications of this were on society during the slave trade. He discusses how as men traveled and they got past Gibraltar they felt free from the moral, familial, and religious constraints of their home. "[E]very man became a bachelor once he was beyond Gibraltar" (pg 67). This anonymity lent itself well to indulging in sin - after all, nobody would ever know! You know, except for God. The problem? This new found freedom was just a different type of constraint, a different type of bondage.

Without law and without oversight, there was great freedom, and yet, as Newton would testify, there was also great captivity. In all the freedom to sin, he became bound by his sin, enslaved to it...When visibility was lost, as with those men who sailed byond Gibraltar, so too was accountability. And hard on its heels was morality.

(pg 68)

Tim likens this anonymity, this "freedom" to what we can find online...and what we must strive against. Throughout the chapter Tim encourages the reader to live on and offline the same life - a life pleasing to the Lord. He offers some practical suggestions for online accountability - let your pastor know what you're blogging, allow people in your "offline" world to be part of your online one so that when you stray they can lovingly show you, ask them for input as to the amount of time you spend online (or whatever your fixation may be).

Further, Tim exhorts us to remember that though we may deceive ourselves, though we may deceive others, God sees into the heart of the matter. Additionally, it is not just our time that we ought to be concerned with - but the quality of that time. We have opportunities to interact with more people than any other generation before us - as Christians, ought we not seek to use these opportunities to build up the Body?

Tim deals with the fact that we're called to speak, and not only just to speak - after all there's plenty of that going on, just check Facebook - but to speak truth and to speak it in love. Tim argues that we can't neglect either truth or love as we interact with other people if we're going to be fulfilling the command to build up the Body and encourage each other. As I was reading I couldn't help but think of John 1:17:

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Jesus exemplified what truth and love out to look like for us. He came to ransom wretched, undeserving sinners. He showed His love toward us by dying for us, yet His entire earthly ministry sought to shed light, to speak truth. Often those truths were hard to hear, but always spoken with care and concern. He was never quick to speak and slow to hear - and yet the technology before us encourages just that. "Quick and impulsive replies dominate the landscape; thoughtful, longer replies seem out of place and unnecessary" (pg 77).

As Christians, this ought not mark our conversations - online or off - we're called to take every thought captive (2 Cor 10:5), to restrain our lips (Proverbs 10:19), and to bridle our tongues (James 1:26, 3:2-6). Because of the possiblity of being able to interact with so many people we should be encouraged, we can encourage our brethren and show the Gospel's beauty to the lost in a capacity that we never could before - after all, God still speaks through His Word.

Words are powerful. In fact, it was words that brought the universe into being, and it is the Word who now brings life to the dead heart.

(pg 79)

The entire chapter was incredibly helpful, I've only touched on a couple things that were particularly challenging to my sinful tendencies, so as always grab the book yourself.

My Previous Posts on The Next Story
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3

Adventures in the Kitchen: Sesame Chicken a la "J"

2011-05-05T21:22:00.000-05:00

So, my game plan tonight was to make this version of sesame chicken. I asked J if she wanted to help, she said no, so I started making dinner. I went to check on her brother and I came back just in time to see her tip the bottle of sesame seeds upside down. You know how in the movies something is falling and they shoot it at half speed to make it dramatic? You know how the inevitable "No!" really sounds like "NNNNNoooooooooooo!"?

Totally what happened.

I thanked her for her help and sent her off to finish her movie while I finished dinner. This is what she left me with:

This is the end result:

Considering there was way too much sesame, it was pretty good! I'll remake it without her help and let you know my final verdict.

Recipe
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
5 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 yellow onion, cut into wedges
1/2 cup green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce (I made my own using this recipe!)
2 tablespoons honey

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine flour, 1/4 cup sesame seeds, black pepper, five-spice powder, and red pepper flakes. Place a few pieces of chicken at a time into the bag, and shake to coat. Remove to a platter.

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Place chicken into skillet, and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken, and set aside. Stir onion wedges and bell pepper slices into skillet; cook until slightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove, and set aside.

Return chicken to skillet, and reduce heat to low. Mix in teriyaki marinade, 1/4 cup sesame seeds, and honey; stir until sauce thickens. Return onion and bell pepper to the skillet. Warm through, and serve.

The Next Story: Chapter 3

2011-05-05T06:05:00.030-05:00

Chapter 3 of The Next Story is a great history lesson. Tim walks us through what he calls "Digital Prehistory" - think pony express - right on through our current place in history as far as technology goes. It's a lot of ground to cover, 200+ years, but you certainly come away with a feel for how fast the digital revolution happened.

I feel silly rehashing this chapter, so just go get the audio book and listen to it for yourself. I will, however, leave you with a few really interesting quotes.

Quotes
Though they [Americans in the early 1800s] lived eighteen hundred years after Jesus, they could make their way across America no faster than Jesus made his way across ancient Palestine. (pg 48)

Until the telegraph, information was valued for its ability to assist in understanding and solving particular problems...But in the age of telegraphy, information became an end in itself and was increasingly disengaged from context or local....Its value was not in its usefulness or applicability but in the speed in which it could be communicated and the level of human interest it contained. (pg 49)

By the late 1990s, the average American home had a television on for more than seven hours per day, and individuals averaged between three and four hours a day staring at that screen. (pg 53)

The television image is extraordinarily stimulating to the brain, and not in a healthy, 'this discussion about politics is so stimulating' way - more like the sugar-is-stimulating-the-body way. (pg 54)

As we began to give our thoughts and our memories - our very identities in many cases - over to computers, we allowed them to do more and more things that could have been done in other ways. We found that if we could have it done by computer, we wanted it done that way. (pg 58)

My Previous Posts on The Next Story
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2

The Next Story: Chapter 2

2011-05-04T06:25:00.004-05:00

Yesterday's post was pretty long, but necessary to touch on most of the chapter. Thankfully chapter two doesn't go to so many different topics; rather the aim of chapter two is to understand technology and how it shapes cultures.

Tim opens the chapter by discussing how new technologies always involve risk and opportunity. As a society we tend to focus more on the opportunity of new technologies while the risks may not become apparent for years down the road, "[we] find ourselves naturally drawn to the benefits and opportunities...but rarely pause to consider the risks" (pg 36).

Example: I remember when we first got cell phones we were excited to not have to worry about missing a call from a customer or if the car broke down we could call for help. That's the opportunity. The risk? Never missing a call. Once people know you have a cell phone there becomes this expectation that you're going to answer it 24/7. You go long enough like that and you end up feeling naked if you don't have your phone.

Every technology solves some problems while also introducing new ones

(pg 36)

By focusing only on the benefits and blindly embracing new technologies we tend to be slowly, subtably changed by them. The change is imperceptable if you're not looking for it.

We do not really understand American Idol until we understand how it has shaped us...We will not have understood the internet until we've studied and understood the subtle messages it feeds our minds and our worldviews as we interact with it and use it day after day.

(pg 39)

Technology is Ecological & Biological
Tim goes on to state that technology is "not additive but ecological," that is to say that new technologies are not simply added to our lives but have the power and tendency to reshape our lives. Is this not the case? How many of us saw the internet reach the general public while we were in middle school, high school, or in our early college years? Do you remember what it was like to have to go to the library, use the card index, & then locate a book when you wanted to know something?

Now all I've got to do is fire up my browser of choice and millions of websites seek to give me the answer I'm looking for. Now that I've been on the internet for 13-14 years it's become normal to me. I expect the immediacy of Google results. The internet didn't just add to our lives - by in large it has replaced the way we used to do things. My son will probably never use a card index. References to the Dewey Decimal System are practically lost on him.

Now, I'm not saying that's a bad thing - I love getting answers quickly. But here is the bad thing as I see it - we have come to expect everything to come quickly and easily. I remember when I was writing a research paper my senior year of high school - I had stacks of books and articles to dig through. I spent hours on that sucker. I was focused, I was determined to find what I needed.

Now? I'm certainly more scatter brained than I was when I was 17; I know some of that is just age and the fact that I've got kids, but surely part of it is that now I'm used to getting info right away. Having to dig for answers? Frustrating. Heck, I can barely focus on one thing at a time anymore - I've trained myself to be thinking about a zillion different things at once, and when I need to think about one thing my mind tends to wander.

And here's what I'm wondering: How has this retraining of my mind effected the way I look at Scripture? Am I willing to plumb the depths, to wade in with single minded determination to learn of the One who saved me? Or am I scatterbrained here as well? Am I thinking of what I'm going to make for dinner, what the kids need to do after school, the client's calls I need to return and the errands I need to run all while I'm on my knees before God? How much of this is because some part of me doesn't want to be on my knees before God, and how much of this is because I've trained myself to be incapable of simply being "still and knowing [He] is God"?

After years of self induced ADD is it any wonder we, the Church, are prone to want entertainment and slick slideshows during our services? Now, I know that on some level this entertainment mindset as probably always existed - after all, we've all been sinners since the Garden - but it seems to me, based on conversations I've had with people who grew up in churches before the advent of PowerPoint that our ~~need~~ desire for flashy things to hold our interest is much higher than previous generations.

What's worse is that we rarely think about it. Have I ever come away from a service and thought "I just didn't get much out of the sermon today" and it's because there wasn't anything else for me to think about? You get used to chaos and eventually peace seems unsettling.

My Previous Posts on The Next Story
Introduction
Chapter 1

The Next Story: Chapter 1

2011-05-03T06:25:00.002-05:00

I'm a big fan of writing in books - I know some people are completely horrified by that, but for me it is a huge indication of how much a book is making me think. If a book is really picking at my brain/heart there's marks all over the place - this is precisely why I hate the library. Don't get me wrong, the cheapskate in me loves not having to pay for books, but then I have to constantly write down interesting quotes on a paper. It's such a hassle. Recently I've taken to Facebook messaging myself the quotes, that way I don't have to risk losing them or having my kids color all over them.

What does this have to do with The Next Story? As I was reading the first chapter I was especially glad that Zondervan gave me this book...lines and notes galore.

Chips Off the Ol' Block & Mythic Proportions
Tim starts of the chapter with a story about how his son paces through the house when he is on the phone and how Tim realized that it is because he also paces while he is on the phone. His point was simply that we inherit traits from our parents. We were created in the image of God and because of that fact we - even in our fallen state - exhibit traits of Him.

God, the Creator of all that exists, saw fit to share with us many of his divine attributes...We are able to love...And we are able to create.

(pg 22)

Just as God created all things, as His children we have the desire to create. For some of us it is art. For some of us it may play out in the form of creating a new move in sports. Others will create music. In all cases, we create because God has given us this desire. Tim goes on to say that, "Technology is simply the practical result of the creative process."

I don't know about you, but that really struck me. I guess I don't think often about the creativity that is displayed in the technology that surrounds me. I'm so used to things like cell phones, Netflix, online banking, and even the internet at large existing that I forget that things like this weren't really around 20 years ago.

Now, that isn't to say that it never occurs to me - every time I see something awesome in the web design realm I'm struck by the creativity of it, but eventually the awe fades and I simply expect to see new concepts implemented everywhere.

This acceptance of technologies as the norm is what Tim calls "mythic":

When a technology has become mythic, we no longer view it as a strange outsider to our lives. We forget that it was invented by humans, that it was introduced into society by humans

(pg 26-27)

This acceptance happens because it is easier to adapt our lives to the new technology than to fight the tide. "[We] assume that we must or should change to accommodate the new technology...We give technology the power to shape and fashion us, remaking ourselves in its image." (pg 27) This is precisely how something we've created can ensnare our hearts. Things created to serve us instead become our taskmasters.

The Morality of Technology

Though they enable us to survive and thrive in a fallen world, the very aid they provide can deceive us with a false sense of comfort and security, hiding our need for God and his grace.

(pg 24)

This quote, of course, reminded me of my phone-less weekend. My phone is a good thing, it allows me to communicate, it allows me to look up information I need when I'm on the road, it allows me to take photos to remember things that are going on...but somewhere along the line I began to rely upon it, to trust it, and that's where things went haywire.

Tim goes on to talk about how something that was created for good can enable us to become enslaved to sin. The person consumed with lust can find countless ways of fanning that flame on their own, but you add a computer and the internet into the mix and the addiction can be taken to a whole new level.

Tim wisely advises that we must be "[d]iscerning the intended use of a technology, examining our own use of it, and reflecting on these purposes in light of Scripture" (pg 25). Tim goes back to his preface example of Tsar Bomba and how the energy from that device had a crippling effect on the landscape, yet had the technology been put to use with a different purpose in mind the energy could have provided heat for countless people.

The same technology that allows doctors to operate on an unborn child, repairing its body within the womb, allows those doctors to also tear the baby from the womb. In other words, it is not the technology itself that is good or evil, it is the human application of that technology.

(pg 25, emphasis mine)

Since the human application of technology is such an important factor in how it gets used, it stands to reason that Christians ought to "restrain it and we must redeem it" (pg 25, Albert Borgmann, emphasis mine). We must redeem technology. I know often there is a fear of new technologies, but if we're to influence and guide society shouldn't we be seeking to use new advances in ways that would benefit the world as a whole? Tim rightly says we must exercise discernment - our hearts are wicked and deceitful, prone to creating of idols, and we must be wise as we engage and create new technologies that we're doing so with a heart that is humbly reliant upon the master Creator.

The allure of a new technology isn't simply the appeal of something shiny and bright, with buttons and lights. It's a desire that arises within my heart. And it can be incredibly powerful. It can be an idol.

Our idols like to hide from us, staying at a place in our hearts where we barely notice their existence. And yet, when we pause to consider their place in our lives, we simply cannot imagine life without them.

(pg 28)

I don't have a proper ending to this post - I promise to try and do better tomorrow - so I'm going to leave you with some quotes from the chapter that I thought were really interesting. I'm not, however, typing up an entire passage that reminded me of the movie Terminator. If you want to read that pick up the book.

Other Interesting Quotes
God is glorified in our creativity, whether that leads us to craft a painting that moves our hearts to praise or to design a plow that will better allow us to plant and harvest a crop. (pg 23)

What becomes mythic is only one step removed from becoming idolatrous. (pg 27)

Instead, our modern idols reflect our inner desires for comfort, security, significance, and ultimately salvation. (pg 29)

My Previous Posts on The Next Story
Introduction

The Next Story: Introduction

2011-05-02T07:14:00.005-05:00

On Friday I babysat my nephew for a few hours, and while I was babysitting I decided to do some laundry while I played with him. At the time I was wearing a sweatshirt and Sammy got it pretty dirty so I tossed it in with the load in the washer...

Fifteen minutes later I realized I didn't have my phone. It came out of the spin cycle looking quite clean, and effectively a brick. My 8 month old smartphone was now less useful than the dumbphone I'd had for 2 years before this one. Try not to envy me guys. I know it's hard.

All of my contacts were in that phone. With the exception of five phone numbers I couldn't get hold of anyone because I don't actually know most people's numbers. My schedule and important dates, my apps, my mp3s, my pictures...basically every thing that I use on a daily basis, gone. You know something? It was pretty scary. As I drove the 45 minutes back to my apartment I felt exposed - what if the van broke down? How would I call for help? How would I Google a near by tow company?

Never mind I've been driving for quite some time and until 2004 didn't ever have a phone on me. I'm so used to its constant companion, not having a phone seemed really strange. I had plans for that night and no way to confirm them because I couldn't call anyone - and not everyone stalks Facebook or email like I do.

My world didn't end in the three days I was phone-less. Eventually it stopped feeling so strange, though it certainly remained inconvenient as I don't have a home phone. The new phone arrived this morning, I'm plugged back in. Call, text, mention me on Twitter - I'll get the notifications now.

The timing of all this isn't lost on me. I'm about to start reading The Next Story, I lose my mind and forgetfully wash possibly the most important item I own (aside from my laptop, that is)? Apparently I needed a reminder as to how much I use - and in a real sense, am dependent upon technology. I've got a funny feeling this is going to be a good book for me to be reading...hopefully I can complete it without wrecking anything else.

From the book

Tim discusses Tsar Bomba, the most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated, in the preface to The Next Story. What struck me most about it initially was this:

Christian Audio is giving away The Next Story for free during the month of May. Check it out.

The flash of light from the explosion was visible over 600 miles away, though it would take 49 minutes for the sound to reach that distance.

-(Page 9)

You could see the detonation long before you could hear it. I realize this isn't technology based, but how true is this reality in our own lives? Often times people observe our lives long before they ever get to know us. They see our lives played out before they hear the words we speak. What does my life look like to someone who doesn't know me? To the people around me this weekend - did they see someone consumed with frustration and an inability to function because I didn't have my phone?

I'd love to say no, but realistically that's probably exactly what people saw - despite the fact that I don't want what I have to define my life, and despite the fact that I would never verbalize it like that, it sure seemed to be the case on Friday. This is to my shame, and I'm grateful for God's mercy in revealing my heart. But how do I move forward? How do I use my laptop, my phone, my camera in such a way that I don't become entangled by it? If I drop my new phone in the sink - how ought my heart respond if I'm truly treasuring Christ above stuff?

These questions seem to be precisely what the aim of Tim's book is, and I'm looking forward to diving in.

Blogging through "The Next Story"

2011-04-28T15:55:00.001-05:00

I'm quite excited about reading Tim Challies' latest book, The Next Story - though I expect I'm going to walk away from it very challenged about my technological usage.

As I mentioned to a friend recently, I've been having difficulty actually finishing books lately. I start tons of them, get about half way through, and then start the next one. Months may pass before I finish the initial book. I think it has only encouraged my scatter brained-ness, so my plan is to blog my way through this book without starting another one. At just 196 pages of actual reading I plan on covering it in 11 days, starting Monday...I want to finish John Piper's "A Sweet & Bitter Providence" first.

See you Monday!

Easter 2011

2011-04-26T17:26:00.001-05:00

Now that the kids' dad is more involved in their lives I don't have them full time on holidays anymore - I know they're glad to see their dad, and I'm happy for them, but I miss how laid back things like Easter used to be. This year I got them for Good Friday and half of Saturday so I tried to make the most of it.

Friday we visited the grandparents and cousins - always a lot of fun, always exhausting. Since I wasn't going to have them for Sunday we celebrated the Resurrection as a family Saturday morning. When they got up they raced to the fridge to grab the stuff to make our Empty Tomb treats - they've been looking forward to it all week. Now that they're older and have a better understanding of the Gospel they get more out of it than just the treats. J is still surprised when our "Jesus marshmallows" disappear, though. It's a lot of fun to talk about how much more amazing the real Jesus and His resurrection is. Once we got done we headed to church to set up for the Easter service.

The next day, of course, was Resurrection Sunday and was insanely busy for me despite the fact that I didn't have the kids. The Easter program was beautiful, as always, and I had the pleasure of spending the rest of the day with some dear friends and rejoicing with them over the Savior's resurrection and our redemption.

Busy. Lovely. Exhausting.

Event for Sammy

2011-04-25T21:49:00.000-05:00

Here is another flyer you can print out for the event taking place on July 31st. Please spread the word and help keep Sammy safe.

When: July 31st
Pancake breakfast available: 8-11am
Registration: 9-12pm
Kickstands up: 12pm

Where: Start off at the Joliet American Legion (705 S Larkin Ave, Joliet, IL) and join us later at Fat Daddy's in Seneca (176 W Jackson St, Seneca, IL)

Cost: $15 per person at the door

Join us for a pig roast, live music, party and auction!

You can RSVP for this event at Facebook, please come out and show Sammy your support.

To download a printable flyer right click and save this link.

Derek & Sammy

2011-04-19T13:55:00.001-05:00

If you follow my business blog, sorry for the duplicate content, I just wanted to cover all the bases so that as many people as possible would hear about Derek & Sammy.

I'm going to get a bit personal on this post, but it's for a very important reason so bear with me. I've got two small children and until February 17th this year I had four nephews who were all younger than my kids. Now I only have three nephews. I only have three nephews because Derek was murdered. He wasn't even two years old yet. There is a lot surrounding the circumstances of his death that, frankly, doesn't add up.

Sammy, Derek's younger brother, was also hurt - though we still don't have a straight story on that either. The wonderful thing is that Sammy is fine. His broken leg healed, and he's home with his father - where he ought to stay. This brings us to the purpose of this post - Derek & Sammy is a website that we as a family set up in order to have a place to share Derek & Sammy's story.

There are also buttons, shirts, bumper stickers and other gifts available for purchase via Zazzle and CafePress.

It is our hope that these things will serve as catalysts for dialog about the importance of having safe support system surrounding families with small children, responsibly choosing who is involved in children's lives, and more than that will hopefully serve as an aid to helping keep Sammy safe from future injury or dangerous situations.

Please visit the website and/or "like" Derek & Sammy on Facebook. Help spread the word so that we can keep tragedies like this from happening to other families.

Lemon Poppyseed Cake

2011-04-14T06:50:00.000-05:00

Carla, my favorite displaced American blogger who lives in the Great White North, posted this yesterday. Not only does it sound delicious, it's also healthier than the original version of the recipe! I've included the ingredients list, click over for instructions.

1 pkg. (2-layer size) lemon cake mix
1 pkg. (85 g) Jell-O Lemon Jelly Powder (sugar free)
1-1/4 cups water
1/2 cup ~~oil~~ unsweetened applesauce
4 eggs
1/4 cup poppy seed
1/2 cup (1/2 of 250-g tub) (light or reduced calorie) Philadelphia Cream Cheese Spread
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
2 Tbsp. shredded peel and 1 Tbsp. juice from 1 lemon, divided
*alternatively - use freshly whipped cream with a dash of lemon flavoring for the "frosting"

I'm a bit short

2011-04-05T07:21:00.000-05:00

The 50 states. Strike throughs are the ones I've been to. Bolds are the ones I want to go to.

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
~~Arkansas~~
California
Colorado
~~Connecticut~~
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
~~Kentucky~~
Louisiana
Maine
~~Maryland~~
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
~~Missouri~~
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
~~New Jersey~~
New Mexico
~~New York~~
~~North Carolina~~
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
~~Virginia~~
Washington
West Virginia
~~Wisconsin~~
Wyoming

4 C's: Cranberry, curry, cinnamon, & chicken

2011-03-16T17:52:00.000-05:00

Sorry guys, I forgot to take a photo...Tonight I played mad scientist in the kitchen - and my 8 year old commented on how good it smelled. Regardless of how it tasted I declared the meal a success b/c he is so incredibly picky. It gets better though, not only did it smell great it tasted great! Here's basically what I did:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp ground curry
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp lemon zest
1 can cranberry sauce
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350. Add a bit of olive oil to a baking pan, season the chicken with salt & pepper. Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the rest of the ingredients to a bowl and mix together. After 20 minutes top the chicken with the cranberry mixture (reserve 2 tbsp per person for dipping) and bake until the chicken is cooked through.

I served this up with some white rice.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

2011-03-10T17:55:00.002-06:00

I'm a sucker for some good Chinese food, the problem is Tong's Tiki Hut (Google it) has absolutely ruined Chinese food for me. Their food is the standard by which I judge all other Chinese food. The problem is, I don't really live near Tong's and the cheapskate in me can't stand the idea of spending money on gas AND then on food - even for as much as I love it.

I've tried making Chinese at home before, I'm never satisfied with the results - they've always been mediocre or down right bad. About a month I go I treated myself to a bargain bin Chinese cookbook from Barnes and Noble. Tonight I made my first recipe from it. Incidentally it was also the first time I've used my wok.

The results? Actually not bad! I mean, it certainly wasn't Tong's and didn't taste the same as the sweet and sour chicken I'm used to, but the flavors were pretty good*. Coupled with a Trader Joe's egg roll, and I'm a pretty happy girl!

2 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
6 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp veggie oil
1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
3 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 c chicken broth
2 tbsp apricot fruit spread
1 can (11 oz) mandarin orange segments, drained
2 c cooked white rice

Combine vinegar, garlic, soy sauce, ginger & red pepper flakes in medium bowl. Cut chicken into 1/2 inch strips, toss with vinegar mixture. Marinate 20 minutes at room temp.

Heat oil in wok over medium heat. Drain chicken, reserve marinade. Add chicken to wok, stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add bell pepper and green onions.

Stir cornstarch into marinade. Stir broth, fruit spread and marinade mixture into wok. Cook and stir until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens. Add orange segments, stir until heated through. Serve over rice.

From the Chinese at Home: Favorite Restaurant-Style Recipes

Happy Valentines Day: How He Loves

2011-02-14T08:01:00.002-06:00

I'm not a super big fan of Valentines Day - I don't remember making a huge deal about it when I was married, but now that I'm not it's even less interesting...the exception being the vast amounts of chocolate that will be on sale tomorrow. That interests me greatly.

But today I'm thinking about the greatest love I'll ever know - God's love toward His children. It is wonderful, and overwhelming, and completely undeserved, but it is there.

How He Loves - David Crowder Band:

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

And we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…

That He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

Adventures in the Kitchen: Chicken Wraps - with lettuce?!

2011-02-03T17:41:00.000-06:00

The problem

So last night I put some chicken breasts in the fridge to defrost. After lunch today I was faced with a dilemma - I had some lettuce, tomatoes, & green bell peppers that needed to be used within the next few days or risk them going to waste.

I pulled up Food Network, and Martha Stewart's website to try and find something to make. Meanwhile I sent out a tweet asking for ideas and I also pulled My Fridge Food, plugged in some ingredients and started reading. I take food going to waste pretty seriously.

I had a few things that looked interesting and with some encouragement I decided to go the wrap route...but instead of going and buying tortillas I decided to use the lettuce as the thing to hold everything together.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words

How I got it

Dice two chicken breasts, a tomato, and a bell pepper.
Slice a potato and a cucumber.
Mince a clove of garlic.

Season liberally with salt & pepper.
Heat a skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat.

Add the ingredients minus the tomato to the skillet and cook until the chicken runs clear and is no longer pink.
Lay out your lettuce leaf, scoop cooked ingredients into it, add tomato and cheddar cheese, and roll closed.

On the side

While all that jazz is going on drizzle oil on a cookie sheet, spread the potato and cucumber slices out, and season. Throw those puppies in the oven on 350 till the potatoes brown.

Other stuff

This worked great b/c my kids could pull the entire thing apart, dump a pound of ketchup on it and eat it with a fork.
Add your favorite salad dressing (thick ones work best) for added flavor.

Need tortilla chips?

2011-02-03T11:04:00.000-06:00

Reason #8525265 why LifeHacker.com is awesome. My kids downed the last of the chips while being snowed in during Snowpocalypse 2011, so frying up my own is a great alternative - and much more fresh.

Put at least 1 inch of oil in a deep pan on the stove and turn the heat to medium-high; bring to 350°F. The broader the vessel, the more of these you can cook at once, but the more oil you will use. (They cook very quickly, so don't worry if your pan is narrow.)
Stack the tortillas and cut them, pielike, into 4 to 8 wedges. Fry as many at once as will fit without crowding, turning if necessary. Total cooking time will be about 2 minutes; the chips should not brown but just begin to darken in color. Remove with tongs or a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels or paper bags. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot or at room temperature.

Martha's Best Buttermilk Pancakes

2011-02-02T12:12:00.001-06:00

I got another one from my Martha Stewart recipe book. I made this last night for dinner and the kids declared that they were the best pancakes they'd ever had. I guess they like buttermilk?

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups buttermilk (I made buttermilk using this recipe)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1/2 teaspoon for griddle

Heat griddle to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, and 4 tablespoons butter; whisk to combine. Batter should have small to medium lumps.

Heat oven to 175 degrees. Test griddle by sprinkling a few drops of water on it. If water bounces and spatters off griddle, it is hot enough. Using a pastry brush, brush remaining 1/2 teaspoon of butter or reserved bacon fat onto griddle. Wipe off excess.

Using a 4-ounce ladle, about 1/2 cup, pour pancake batter, in pools 2 inches away from one other. When pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around edges, about 2 1/2 minutes, flip over. Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute.

Repeat with remaining batter, keeping finished pancakes on a heatproof plate in oven. Serve warm.

Roasted apple, potato, & onion soup

2011-01-26T10:18:00.003-06:00

I got this recipe out of my Martha Stewart Living cookbook. The second I read the title of it I knew I had to try it. My kids, however, could not be convinced to try it. It was really quite good, I saved the left overs and plan on having it for lunch in the next day or two.

1 tbsp whole fennel seeds, toasted
1 lb white onions, quartered
3 lg Yukon gold potatoees, peeled & quartered
3 tart apples, such as Fuji or Granny Smith
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
3 1/2 to 4 c chicken broth, skimmed of fat
3 sprigs fresh tarragon

Transfer the seeds to a spice mill, and grind into a fine powder. Reserve 1 1/2 tsp of the ground fennel.

Preheat the oven to 450, arrange onions & potatoes in a large roasting pan. Core 2 apples (skin on) and add to the pan.

Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with cumin, ground fennel, 1/2 tsp salt, & pepper. Roast 25 minutes.

Remove apples from pan & let cool. Meanwhile, turn the vegetables over and continue to roast until the onions are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife - 25 to 40 minutes.

Remove 2 potato and 2 onion quarters, cut into bite-sized chunks, & reserve. Transfer remainder to a food processor. Add 1/2 c stock to the pan, place over medium heat, and scrape up any brown bits with a spoon. Add warm liquid to food processor.

Add 1 1/2 c stock to the processor, puree until smooth, then transfer to a stockpot. Remove peel from cooked apples and discard. Add the apple flesh to the processor, 1 1/2 c of the stock, and puree until smooth. Transfer to the stockpot, stir, & warm over medium heat.

If the soup is too thick, add the remaining 1/2 c of stock. Season with salt & pepper.

Peel & core the remaining apple, cut into 1/2-inch chunks, heat the remaining tsp of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples and cook until crisp and golden brown - about 10 minutes.

To serve, add the apple, potato, & onion chunks; warm over medium heat. Season with salt & pepper. Sprinkle with tarragon sprigs.

I don't even know how to explain this

2011-01-25T16:11:00.000-06:00

So, I tried for two days to find a nice, concise way of explaining just how wonderful God has been to me and my kids lately but I just can't do it. Every time I sit down and start typing the post ends up really long. Like really long. My attempt today shall be bullet point format!

Providing a home for our lovable basset hound where she'll have room to run and play and grow
Getting us out of a not great situation where we were previously living
Providing a wonderful apartment (2 bedrooms, 1.5 bath, private deck, TONS of kitchen space
Providing us with a ton of furniture and stuff for the kitchen we needed that I couldn't afford to buy after paying the deposit and first month's rent
- Showing me just how much I wasn't trusting Him in this situation
- Loving me anyway
- Loving my church members and thus causing them to care for my kids and I in super overwhelming ways
Providing a new tire and windshield wipers for the van
The kids are doing wonderfully at their new school, which is helping me to not stress about royally screwing them up by moving in the middle of the year

So, bullet points are the way to go. Really, I wish I could just copy and paste the prayer/praise emails I'd been sending out over the past few months - then you'd really get a sense of how tender my Father has been to us - but there's stuff in them that just doesn't belong on the open web. God is good, guys, God is good.

Back in 1994 - the time of the pilgrims

2010-12-10T21:01:00.000-06:00

Ok, since I'm the awesome mother that I am, I occasionally ~~am too lazy to tell my children a bed time story~~ have my kids make up their own stories in order to encourage their imaginations and communicative skills. Tonight my almost 8 year old was in charge of the story. Here is my transcription of it, as best as I can manage from memory, minus all the "Um"s.

Once there was a boy named William, and he lived in a village in Massachusetts. And while he was there he made two friends, Michael and Andrew. They lived in a tent made out of sticks way back during the time of the pilgrims - in 1994. Then in 1995 he got a book and started studying how to write with a feather pen. Then in 1996 he sailed across the sea to Wisconsin and built a new tent out of sticks and twine, but this one was bigger than the last tent. It had 3 bedrooms, and 5 doors - two of them were for exits - and 2 backyards. The end.

I'm not gonna lie, I think I was distracting the kids with how hard I was laughing.

In the mood for Indian

2010-11-20T15:33:00.001-06:00

Here's my game plan for the next week:
Chicken Jalfrezi
Vegetable Samosas
Shrimp and Pineapple Curry
Garlic and Cilantro Naan Bread

**11/22/10 update**

I made everything on the list but the shrimp & pineapple curry. Outcome? Delicious. Seriously. I don't generally like cooked vegetables but the samosas were amazing, especially with the dipping sauce.

Cranberry Cornmeal Cake

2010-10-29T11:44:00.000-05:00

Giada posted this on her website earlier and it sounds incredibly interesting!

3/4 cup ( 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature. plus more for the pan
1 cup all- purpose flour, plus more for the pan
1/2 cup fine yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup grated orange zest (from 2 large oranges)
3/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and orange zest. Place 3 tablespoons of the flour mixture in a small bowl. Add the chopped cranberries and toss to coat.

Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the egg yolks and whole eggs, one at a time. Gradually add the flour mixture until just incorporated. Using a spatula, gently fold in the cranberries.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan; smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake until the cake is golden and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cut the cake into wedges and serve. (The cake can be made 1 day ahead. Store in an airtight container.)

Homemade Latte

2010-10-23T17:48:00.000-05:00

Who is a big coffee fan? Me. Starbucks (and even McDonalds) is too expensive for me to justify having coffee from them on a regular basis, so when I came across this latte recipe I thought I'd give it a shot. As usual I didn't actually measure anything, but since I've got a pretty good idea of what amounts look like cooking I was probably pretty close. Honestly? Very nice. If I'd gotten the milk a bit more frothy it'd be even better.

The recipe assumes a 16oz. mug (2 cups).

Start a double-strong batch of coffee. You only need about 3/4 of a cup.

While the coffee is brewing, heat 1-1/4 cups of milk until it is almost boiling. (I put mine in the microwave for 3 minutes.)

Depending on what equipment you have available, do the appropriate step to froth your milk:
If you have a milk frother, use it to froth the milk for about a minute.

If you have a blender, it will also do a good job frothing the milk. *
Otherwise, use an egg beater or a whisk to stir some air into the milk.
Pour coffee into the mug first, then pour the milk in, layering the foam on top.
Add vanilla extract and sugar to taste.

It's as easy as that. Enjoy!

Excerpts from Chapter 6 of Future Grace

2010-10-22T09:31:00.001-05:00

Belief is not merely an agreement with facts in the head; it is also an appetite for God in the heart, which fastens on Jesus for satisfaction. (pg 86)

Pride does not like the sovereignty of God. Therefore pride does not like the existence of God, because God is sovereign. It might express this by saying, "There is no God." Or it might express it by saying, "I am driving to Atlanta for Christmas." James says, "Don't be so sure." Instead say, "if the Lord wills, we shall live and we shall get to Atlanta for Christmas." James point is that God rules over whether we get to Atlanta, and whether you live to the end of this page. (pg 92-93)

[The] happiest moments are those when we forget our precious selves and have neither [self-regard and self-approval] but have everything else (God, our fellow humans, animals, the garden and the sky) instead... (pg 93, quoting C.S. Lewis)

Boasting is the response of pride to success. Self-pity is the response of pride to suffering. (pg 94)

Anxiety does not look like pride. It looks weak. It looks as though you admit you don't control the future...But the admission does not kill pride until the proud heart is willing to look to the one who does control the future and rest in him. (pg 95)

"But let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

Future Grace

2010-10-21T09:36:00.000-05:00

I purchased Future Grace by John Piper sometime ago and haven't been very good about actually reading it. It isn't that I haven't want to, well that's not entirely true b/c I'm sure if I wanted to read it badly enough I'd actually have done it, but I've lacked the discipline to do so.

Anyhow, I'm reading it now - a chapter a day along with my regular Bible reading (I'm in Mark right now, today's reading was the crucifixion - I'm reading about God's grace toward me while recounting His greatest act of mercy, if my heart doesn't burst with wonder I'm going to think something is wrong!) and thought I'd post a few quotes of what stood out to me yesterday and caused me to stop and think a bit more deeply about God's grace.

You can't deserve to be created. You can't deserve, as a non-being, to be put into a lavish garden where all your needs are met by a loving Father. So even before they sinned, Adam and Eve lived on grace. (Pg 76)

Suffering constrains pity, but sin kindles anger. Therefore grace toward sinners is the freest of all God's acts. (Pg 78)

When God says, "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious," he means: I am free in showing grace...In other words, God does not look outside his own will for an impulse to move his grace. (pg 79)

As [Paul] describes our dead condition before conversion, he realizes that dead people can't meet conditions. If they are to live, there must be a totally unconditional and utterly free act of God to save them. This is the very heart of grace. (pg 81)

Pear Fritters

2010-10-20T12:59:00.000-05:00

Canola, peanut, or veggie oil for frying
1lb (grapefruit-sized pieces) prepared dough
1 firm pear, peeled, cored, & grated
1/3c firmly packed brown sugar
1/2tsp ground cinnamon
2tbsp flour
1/4c currants
1/4c finely chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2c confectioners' sugar

Fill a medium saucepan w/ 2 inches of oil and heat till 360 degrees. While the oil warms, cloak the dough, then on a well floured surface, roll it out into a 9x12-inch rectangle.

Combine the pear, brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, currants, & nuts in a small bowl. Spread the mixture over the dough, stopping 1/2 inch from the edge. Starting at a long end, tightly roll the dough into a log, then pinch the seam to seal it. Cut into 1/2 inch-thick slices.

Fry in batches for 1 minute, then flip & fry until golden brown. Transfer to a plate, drain, & dust with confectioners' sugar.

Perfect Caramel Apples

2010-10-17T21:09:00.001-05:00

I got this one at Food Network's site, I'm a huge fan of caramel apples but the whole idea of paying $2 for 3 is insane.

2c sugar
1/4c light corn syrup
1/2c water
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Mix 2 cups sugar, 1/4 cup light corn syrup and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Cook, swirling the pan (do not stir), until the mixture is light amber and a candy thermometer registers 320 degrees, 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat; slowly whisk in 1/2 cup heavy cream, then 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Return to low heat and whisk until smooth. Let cool until the caramel is thick enough to coat a spoon. Insert sticks into the stem ends of 6 apples and dip the apples into the caramel, letting the excess drip off. Roll in toppings if desired, then let cool on a parchment-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

The Saving One

2010-10-17T20:52:00.000-05:00

I've been hearing this song from Starfield a lot the past few days and I've just been super encouraged by it.

What mercy was revealed
What tenderness and peace
My fate was surely sealed
Until he rescued me

His pardon for my sin
His bounty for my need
From slavery and chains
I am redeemed

Chorus:
And heaven can’t contain
The glory of the son
Jesus is the Christ the saving one

His love has made a way
The grave is overcome
Jesus is the Christ the saving one

Verse 2:
No fear can hold me down
Nor darkness steal my joy
For blood has been poured out
The enemy destroyed

Death could not hold him down
The cross was not enough
To steal away his throne
For he is god

Chorus:
And heaven cant contain
The glory of the son
Jesus is the Christ the saving one
His love has made a way
The grave is overcome
Jesus is the Christ the saving one

And anyone who calls upon his name
They will be saved, they will be saved
And anyone who calls upon his name
They will be saved, they will be saved

My Favorite Fall Recipes

2010-10-06T07:13:00.000-05:00

I don't think I've done one of these posts before - and don't have time for a real post - so today you're getting a list of my must have fall recipes!

Chocolate Chili (aka Cincinnati Chili)
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Pumpkin Pie
Make Your Own Face Paint

Oreo Cream Cheese Balls
Cookie Cake Pie

Cinnamon Rolls
Diet Hot Chocolate - BTW, this isn't really considered diet if you drink a gallon of it, I think.

School daze

2010-09-07T09:13:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted in almost a month, what a shock. Depending on where you live your children may have headed off to school for their first day today. My kiddies have been in school for almost 3 weeks already! When my son started kindergarten I wasn't super emotional, at that point Julianne had already been getting bused to her preschool for 8 months so William going off to school wasn't a big deal in a lot of ways. But now that he is in 2nd grade? Somehow that just seems like a huge deal. He's almost eight! When did he stop being my adorable baby? Wasn't that just yesterday?

J's transition to kindergarten has been good in a lot of ways, but still difficult for both of us. She's in a wonderful program with a very small class size specifically for kids with IEPs. The teacher and aid are lovely ladies, but still there is this twinge of sadness for both of us. She likes her new teachers and new school, but she still misses her teachers from the preschool a lot.

At least a few times a week she asks to go back to her old school and I have to lovingly remind her that she can't, that she's grown too much and has to go to the "big kid" school. It breaks my heart a little - she loves those teachers. They faithfully and lovingly poured into her for 2.5 years. They helped her learn and grow so much during that time and I'm so grateful that God put women like that in J's path. I sort of wish they could be like Mr. Feeney from Boy Meets World and just follow her each year through the school system. :P

There really isn't a point to this post, I'm just missing my babies today I guess.

Peach cookies

2010-08-09T11:39:00.002-05:00

These look so yummy.

150 ml (2/3 cup) butter, room temperature
125 ml (1/2 cup) sugar
1 large egg
2 ml (1/2 tsp) pure vanilla
425 ml (1 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour
2 ml (1/2 tsp) lemon zest
1 ml (1/4 tsp) salt
175 ml (3/4 cup) apricot jam
Yellow, orange and red sugar crystals

Preheat oven to 180º C (350º F). In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla and lemon zest. Combine flour and salt and add to butter mixture; mix until just blended.

Roll dough into 4-cm (1 1/2-inch) balls. Cut each ball in half with a wire cheese cutter or dental floss. Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for approximately 15-20 minutes, until lightly golden. Watch to make sure they don’t get too brown.

Melt apricot jam and brush the bottom half of each cookie when partially cooled and attach the other half. Brush the entire cookie with the melted jam and roll in a combination of yellow, orange and red sugar. Tuck in a sprig of thyme, a candied leaf or a sliver of a green gumdrop. Cool completely and serve in cupcake liners for easy handling.

Monday Morning Reflections

2010-08-02T10:45:00.001-05:00

Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway. And know ye this day: for I speak not with your children which have not known, and which have not seen the chastisement of the LORD your God, his greatness, his mighty hand, and his stretched out arm, And his miracles, and his acts, which he did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and unto all his land;

And what he did unto the army of Egypt, unto their horses, and to their chariots; how he made the water of the Red sea to overflow them as they pursued after you, and how the LORD hath destroyed them unto this day;

And what he did unto you in the wilderness, until ye came into this place; And what he did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel: But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the LORD which he did.

Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it; And that ye may prolong your days in the land, which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land that floweth with milk and honey. (Deu 11:1-9)

I was doing some reading/research yesterday in regards to the biblicality of preachers...well...preaching when I came across this passage. I've read this passage a ton of times, and I was struck anew with the reason we ought to obey God. In this passage Moses is directing the Israelites to keep the commandments of the Lord that he is laying out for them because they are the ones who have experienced all God's works. They're the ones God rescued from slavery, they're the ones that witnessed the plagues, they're the ones who were spared from the final plague. They walked through the Red Sea, they watched as God wiped out the Egyptian army.

Moses implores them to obey and worship their redeemer precisely because they are the ones God acted upon. And so it is with the Christian today. We're not called to a legalistic set of moral rules by a God we have not known, rather we're called to worship Him in "spirit and in truth" because we know Him. We have been acted upon and granted faith by the creator of the universe. We worship Him because we know Him. We know Him because He reached down and gave us the gift of the cross.

Steak and Cheese Hoagies

2010-07-21T06:57:00.000-05:00

So the other day when I watched the Food Network Sandra Lee did this recipe. I'm not a huge steak fan (have I mentioned that?) but I had a top round steak in the freezer I needed to use. This turned out great! Seriously.

I didn't have any shredded cheese, though, and couldn't go to the store so I tried to use cheese from a shaker. Just so you know, that "cheese" WILL NOT melt. Ever. In fact, I'm convinced it could withstand a nuclear attack and am in the process of building a fall out shelter with it.

1 1/2 pound top round steak
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary leaves
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 hoagie rolls, sliced down the middle
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon hot sauce

Heat an outdoor grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Preheat the broiler.

Season the steak with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill the meat until it is medium-rare, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

In a large bowl, whisk together the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, mustard, rosemary, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

Remove the steak from the grill to a cutting board, cover it with foil, and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Slice the steak thinly and toss the slices in the Worcestershire sauce mixture.

Spread the rolls open and arrange on a baking sheet. Sprinkle each roll with a 1/4 cup of the cheese and put them under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 1 to 2 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and hot sauce. Spread the mayonnaise onto the bottom of each roll. Put a quarter of the beef into each of the rolls. (Reserve 4 pieces of beef for the Round 2 Recipe Couscous Stuffed Tomatoes). Cover with the roll tops, cut in half and serve.

Recipes coming soon

2010-07-19T16:58:00.000-05:00

I watched the Food Network today for the first time in months (I've been so busy, guys, it isn't even funny) and have new recipes I'm dying to try. Oh, and William likes Bobby Flay. Here's my to do list for the next couple of weeks:

From Sandra Lee:

Shrimp Scampi with Pesto Couscous - the left overs from this will allow me to make Shrimp Bruschetta.

I don't know if my kids will eat S'mores Pudding Parfait, but I know I sure will.

From Bobby Flay:

Thai BBQ Chicken
Thai-Style Grilled Vegetables

Korean Grilled Chicken
Bibimbap Salad

What's For Dinner

2010-06-30T20:48:00.000-05:00

At last, a real post about food! Tonight for dinner I grilled some chicken breasts after seasoning them with salt, pepper, and a touch of cilantro.

For sides, I cheated and used Uncle Ben's Santa Fe rice, sliced some potatoes and threw them in the oven till they were a bit crispy. By the way, those were seasoned with salt, pepper, cilantro, and thyme. To top the chicken I sliced 3 cloves of garlic, mixed them with some sliced mushrooms, and threw that in a skillet with about a cup of milk; cook those puppies over medium heat until the milk is thick like a sauce. If it won't thicken, add a tablespoon of flour.

Here's how it turned out: The chicken? Yum. The potatoes? Yum. The rice was a tad dry, and the mushrooms were nothing to scream over.

Flower shaped peanut butter & jelly

2010-06-29T12:41:00.000-05:00

Actual content will come eventually, but for now I'll share a photo from my best friend's bridal shower:

Since the flower girls are so little I figured ham sandwiches and potato salad weren't going to cut it, so I borrowed a pair of cookie cutters from the mother of the bride. Super cute, IMO.

Long time no post

2010-06-17T10:08:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted anything in a month, but that isn't b/c I haven't wanted to. I just haven't had the time! I've got some recipes I'm hoping to share this weekend, so look for stuff then.

What I've been up to since May 16th

Work! Two websites and a few other smaller projects.
Taking the kids to visit their aunt & cousins for a week.
Babysitting the cousins!
Learning about how to prepare food for kids who seem to be allergic to EVERYTHING.
Dealing with not having my own computer for two weeks b/c the system board died.
Dealing with Enterprise screwing up and telling the state I had a rental car that got a $65 fine for running through tollways without paying when I didn't.
Going to Shedd Aquarium.
Getting ready for VBS

Cake out of a box

2010-05-16T15:30:00.004-05:00

The kids and I just mixed the batter for a chocolate cake...we didn't have any oil in the house so I substituted butter. I'll let you know how it turns out.

After dinner update: Not bad. You really couldn't tell the difference. Just so you know, it is a 1:1 ratio, so if the recipe calls for 2/3c oil that's how much butter you'd need.

Food for the soul

2010-05-12T22:38:00.000-05:00

I'd like to direct you over to my left side bar - if you're reading this via RSS or on an imported Facebook note, please click over, it's worth it. There you'll find the RSS feed for my church's sermons, always good biblical stuff over there, but in particular I'd like to point you over to our Family Life Seminar 2010 series. Really good stuff. If you want to be challenged, check it out.

Oldest to newest in the series w/ a brief description when needed:
Portraits of Glory: A Wedding Picture - How marriage can help you see and treasure Christ that you'd otherwise miss as a single
Picking Fights: Knowing when to Confront and when to Overlook
Respectful Love: The Role of the Husband
Nothing More than Feelings: Living by What is Real vs What You Feel - Aimed particularly at women, an examination of how the inner man can effect how we think, feel, & act
A Father's Love A look at how being a parent can help you see how the Father relates to us and how that should spur us to love our children

Experiments in the kitchen: Mushrooms & Tilapia in White Wine

2010-05-11T17:44:00.000-05:00

So tonight I decided to use some mushrooms up before they went bad, but didn't have an actual recipe or any real inspiration.

I added about a table spoon worth of butter to a skillet over medium-high heat, tossed in my pre-cut mushrooms and a few table spoons of white wine and let it cook down until the wine evaporated. Once the mushrooms cooked down I removed them from the skillet, added some more butter & wine, & added my tilapia filets that I previously seasoned with salt, pepper, & minced garlic.

The outcome? Fish - nice. Mushrooms - blah.

Funniest Story Ever

2010-05-06T19:16:00.000-05:00

Or at least, that's what I'm calling it.

Back story: My daughter inherited not only my looks (she's practically a mini-me) but also my clumsiness. She's constantly falling and getting hurt - her knees look as though she's been to war - which is a major problem b/c she's going to be a flower girl this September. Scars are kind of discouraged by the bride and bride's mom.

Today, J ran straight into the door knob of our back door. Not a huge shock, considering a few weeks ago I sliced my finger open on the front door knob, but ever the wise and watchful parent I look for opportunities to bestow motherly wisdom on my children.

After I got her to calm down and she asked to go play I told her to be careful b/c "Miss Nancy is gonna kill you if you fall on your face again." About a month ago she fell, literally, straight on her nose and scraped the crap out of it much to the dismay of BFF's mom, Nancy.

So, earlier this evening the best big brother in the world threw one of J's Care Bears over the fence into Nancy's yard. Nancy took it inside and sent me a text message, and I told W to come with me to get it. J wanted to tag along. I let her. Funniness is about to ensue.

W can't find the Care Bear (b/c it isn't in the grass anymore! Shocking!) and I tell him to knock on the back door. What does my fine, respectful little boy do? Walks straight in the house...AGAIN. He's been doing this a lot now that he's not afraid of Nancy. I promptly yell at him to close the door and knock. When Nancy opens the door W starts telling her about the missing Care Bear.

Meanwhile J and I are still in the grass, but not for long. Once the door opened J decided she wanted to be on the porch, but didn't want to use the stairs like normal people do, so instead she climbs up the side of them, slips, and lands on her back on the ground.

I've never seen this kid move so fast in her life...as soon as she hit the ground she lept onto her feet and ran for our front gate. Nancy, of course, wasn't actually going to kill J but apparently the poor kid took me seriously.

Eventually we were able to coax her back to Nancy's house where she received a big hug from Nancy and I received a slug in the arm. Funniest thing ever.

Smothered Pork Chops

2010-04-28T11:18:00.000-05:00

I'm fixing pork chops for dinner tonight - pork is one of those things I'm not great with, so here's hoping this Tyler Florence recipe turns out great!

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 pork chops, 3/4-inch thick, bone-in
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup buttermilk
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Put the flour in a shallow platter and add the onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels to remove any moisture and then dredge them in the seasoned flour; shaking off the excess.

Heat a large saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat and coat with the oil. When the oil is nice and hot, lay the pork chops in the pan in a single layer and fry for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove the pork chops from the pan and add a little sprinkle of seasoned flour to the pan drippings.

Mix the flour into the fat to dissolve and then pour in the chicken broth in. Let the liquid cook down for 5 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly. Stir in the buttermilk to make a creamy gravy and return the pork chops to the pan, covering them with the sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes until the pork is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Grilled Chicken with Aunt Peggy's Grilling Sauce

2010-04-20T10:22:00.000-05:00

I'm using this Paula Dean recipe tonight on my chicken. My alterations to follow.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 lemons, juiced
Chicken:
2 (2 1/2 to 3-pound) chickens split into 2 halves, to yield 4 halves
House Seasoning, recipe follows

Heat butter in a skillet. Add the Worcestershire sauce, peanut butter, and lemon juice, and blend well. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Prepare grill for direct grilling. When coals are white hot, spread them evenly and place grate on grill to heat. Spray grate with cooking spray to avoid sticking. Rub chickens thoroughly with House Seasoning. Place chicken halves onto your grill to begin the cooking process, this could take up to 1 hour depending on your coals. Turn as often as necessary to prevent burning. About 10 to 15 minutes before serving, start basting with the grilling sauce on both sides, turning constantly. Chicken is done when leg moves easily at joints.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

Alterations:
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Creamy peanut butter

Pralines

2010-04-12T15:49:00.000-05:00

Got this one from here.

1 quart heavy cream
3 cups sugar
1-1/2 pounds (apprx. 6 cups) chopped pecans
juice of 1 lemon

In a heavy saucepan slowly simmer cream and sugar over low heat until the mixture becomes golden brown in color and reaches the soft-ball stage (234 degrees F. on candy thermometer). Add pecans and lemon juice and continue to cook until the soft-ball stage is reached again.
Drop from a large kitchen spoon onto an oiled baking sheet. Spread each cake out with back of spoon to about 1/4 inch thick and 4 to 5 inches in diameter.* Let harden, then lift from plate or slab with a spatula.

Pralines will keep for 2 weeks in a covered tin at room temperature. If they last that long.

I prefer my pralines on the thin side. This is where you either spread them thinner or allow them to stay thick.

Sesame-Crusted Tilapia Fillets

2010-03-28T16:54:00.001-05:00

I'm making this for dinner tonight. I just wanted to use some of the sesame seeds I had sitting around and this was one of the first things that came up as I was searching.

Also, I've had some people ask about nutritional value, so as I'm able I'll be posting that info at the bottom of the recipes.

4 (6-oz. size) tilapia fillets
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
6 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Place fish in single layer in shallow baking dish. Drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil; sprinkle with pepper. Let stand 10 minutes. Press sesame seeds onto both sides of fillets.

Heat vegetable oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add fish; cook 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown and fish just begins to flake, turning once.

PER SERVING: 300 calories, 16.5 g total fat (2.5 g saturated fat), 35 g protein, 2.5 g carbohydrate, 90 mg cholesterol, 375 mg sodium, 2 g fiber

Memphis Trip 2010

2010-03-21T14:49:00.000-05:00

I was in Memphis this weekend - very briefly - and had the opportunity to do some touristy things. Not a lot, b/c I'm cheap and didn't have a ton of time, but some. I saw some of the most beautiful skies during the trip - God truly is an artist.

The band geek in me wanted to go see the Peabody ducks marched into the hotel while King Cotton March by John Phillip Sousa played but it would have thrown off my schedule too much. I plan on trying to see it the next time I'm in.

I did take the kids to see a US Army Reserve center that was by our hotel, we also played in an AWESOME Southern Magnolia tree. After that I drove by Graceland (I'm too cheap to pay to go in, and frankly I don't think Elvis is interesting enough to warrant the lines that were involved) went to the botanical garden (well worth the $5) and then to the Elmwood cemetery. I'd heard there were a bunch of Civil war soldiers buried there - thus the visit.

At some point, though, I came across a headstone for a young man who had died recently. Someone visited the site recently and left a note and a pack of gum. Somehow that turned the whole trip into something more real. This wasn't just history. These soldiers, these mothers, these children - people loved them. People had to bury them. People miss(ed) them. My mind turned to a church family who lost their child last year during birth. I can't imagine having to bury my children - frankly, I pray I never have to know what that is like.

Some of these people went on to a fullness and joyfulness in Christ, some of them didn't though. Some people that mourned did so as those who don't have any hope beyond the grave. But some (like the family from my church) mourned in a different way, in a way that pointed to the Cross and the greatness of God. It was a very somber end to my first Memphis visit, but I think it was a good way to end it.

Save for later

2010-03-08T22:22:00.000-06:00

Ignore me, I'm posting a bunch of recipes I want to try ASAP.

Chicken
Chicken Sate with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce
Butterflied Chicken Greek Style
Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Fish
Blackened Tilapia Sandwich with Cilantro Lime Mayonnaise
Grilled Tilapia with Peach BBQ Sauce

Misc Seafood
Crab cakes with lemon dill sauce - side dish

Other
Orange Spiced Chai
Lemon Potatoes - side dish
My Sweet Italian Angel - dessert (booze involved, anyone know a substitute for limoncello?)
Grilled Pizza Brushed with Butter, Cinnamon, Sugar and Star Anise, served with Chocolate Sauce - dessert? dinner? amazing?!

Jess' Sloppy Joe Sauce

2010-03-08T06:38:00.000-06:00

My BFF keeps hounding me to try this, and I'm going to the next time I buy ground beef, so I'm posting it so I don't lose it.

1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
3/4 cup ketchup
3 teaspoons brown sugar
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Mix it up and cook the brown beef like you would for canned sloppy joe mix.

Modeling Chocolate

2010-03-07T17:20:00.000-06:00

This recipe was linked to over at Charm City Cakes (Ace of Cakes on the Food Network), I found it after attempting to find a photo of their red dragon wedding cake. BTW, if you have an image of that thing please email me! Anyway, I'm posting this in case any of you want to try making a big chocolate dragon. ;)

7 ounces (200 grams)bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup (60 ml) light corn syrup

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Modeling Paste:

7 ounces (200 grams)semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

3 1/2 - 4tablespoonslight corn syrup

White Chocolate Modeling Paste:

7 ounces (200 grams)white chocolate, chopped

1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Milk Chocolate Modeling Paste:

7 ounces (200 grams)Milk Chocolate

2 1/2 - 3 tablespoons light corn syrup

Note: To prevent the corn syrup from sticking to the measuring cup or spoons, spray with Pam or grease with vegetable oil before measuring.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir the chocolate until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir until smooth and cooled a bit.

Stir in the corn syrup. The chocolate will stiffen almost immediately. Stir until completely combined. Transfer the chocolate to a sturdy plastic freezer bag and refrigerate until firm (about two hours).

When the dough is firm, remove from the refrigerator, andkneadit until it is soft enough to work with. If it is too hard, cut off small pieces, andkneaduntil pliable. Grease the counter where you are working with oil or spray with Pam so the chocolate won't stick.

At this point you can make the chocolate into whatevershape you want. Some ideas: It can be formed into a long rope or braid and wrapped around the base of the cake. It can also be placed around the outside top edge of the cake.

This dough can also be used to make ribbons to cover a cake. To do this pat your dough into a disk shape and roll dough out to desired thickness using a rolling pin or else use a manualpastamachine. This dough can also be used to make flowers, leaves, or any other decorations.

Well wrapped it will keep for months. If it gets hard to work withkneadin a little more corn syrup until it is pliable again.

Grilled Chicken with Oregano, Cinnamon and Paprika

2010-03-06T10:11:00.000-06:00

I made this for dinner last night - sorry, I forgot to take a picture - and it was awesome and super easy. Served it with white rice. Next time I make it I think I'll back the cinnamon off just a bit.

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon paprika

6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

2 cloves fresh garlic, shaved***

Whisk first 7 ingredients to blend in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Add chicken to dish and turn to coat with marinade. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour, turning occasionally. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Spray grill rack with nonstick spray; prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill chicken until cooked through, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes. Transfer to plates.

***I added two cloves of garlic (shaved paper thin) to the marinade and cooked the chicken in a skillet with a couple tablespoons of evoo instead of grilling it.

Tilapia with Purple Potato Crust and Chive Rosemary Oil

2010-02-26T18:43:00.001-06:00

I made this for dinner tonight...regular potatoes instead of purple though. It turned out great. The chives really brightened up the dish a lot. Even my kids loved it.

4 (4- to 6-ounce) tilapia fillets
8 to 12 ounces purple potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary leaves, plus 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup minced fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the fish fillets on a work surface and season with salt and pepper. Top each of the fillets with enough slices of potato to completely cover the surface of the fish, overlaying the potatoes like shingles. Sprinkle the potatoes with a bit more salt and pepper, and the 1 tablespoon rosemary leaves.

Heat a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and the butter. When the butter is melted and the oil is hot add the fish, potato side down. Place the skillet in the oven and bake until the fish is cooked through, about 15 to 17 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the extra-virgin olive oil, chives, the remaining 1 tablespoon rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

To serve, place the fish on serving plates, potato side up. Drizzle the fish and the plate with the chive oil. Serve immediately.

Planning my garden

2010-02-13T07:24:00.000-06:00

Obviously tomatoes & bell peppers are on the list of things to be planted this year, and assuming my raspberry bush survives it's second winter I'll have that, so what else? Any suggestions from Chicagoland gardeners? What grows well for you?

List of stuff I'd like to grow
Strawberries
Basil
Oregano
Cilantro
Carrots
Lavender
Oranges - yes, I know that's a pipe dream

J has requested pink roses this year, which if I plant them next to the yellow rose bush W got me for Mother's Day, could be very pretty.

Childhood icons on Twitter

2010-02-02T20:47:00.000-06:00

So, I know it is kind of silly but I follow roughly three or four "stars" that I adored as a kid. Today one of them retweeted (for those of you not in the Twitter-know that basically functions as the "Share" button on Facebook) something from one of those actresses I used to love but simply hadn't thought of. So hurray! The actress? Kellie Martin - I can't recall for sure, but I believe Christy was where I first saw her - and she blogs...about her kids...about her life...and about food. Ahhh more recipes! I'm so excited.

Oh, and if you want to know who else I was super into as a kid check out these links:

1. Soleil Moon Frye (Punky Brewster)
2. Melissa Joan Hart (Clarissa of the Clarissa Explains It All persuasion)
3. Jewel (Admittedly, I got into her in middle school so she's probably the last on the list as far as time line goes that I follow on Twitter)

/ Kristina geeky post

My first attempt at scones

2010-02-02T11:03:00.001-06:00

A couple days ago my BFF (and I have to mention her or she'll throw a fit <3) asked me to find her a recipe for scones. So I found this one from the Food Network. This morning I planned to make them...except I forgot to buy heavy whipping cream so I found a substitute on Google and moved forward.

If you use the substitute make 1 1/2 cups worth - the batter was too dry. The three in back were how they originally turned out, the three in front had a bit extra milk added.

Also, my BFF suggested freezing the butter and then grating it - it made incorporating it much easier. You should know, I've never actually had a scone before, so I can't tell you if they turned out how they were supposed to, but they did taste good and even my kids enjoyed them.

Blueberry Scones:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut in chunks
1 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing the scones
1 cup fresh blueberries

Lemon Glaze:

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 lemon, zest finely grated
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Sift together the dry ingredients; the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Using 2 forks or a pastry blender, cut in the butter to coat the pieces with the flour. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in the heavy cream. Fold everything together just to incorporate; do not overwork the dough. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Take care not to mash or bruise the blueberries because their strong color will bleed into the dough.

Press the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 12 by 3 by 1 1/4 inches. Cut the rectangle in 1/2 then cut the pieces in 1/2 again, giving you 4 (3-inch) squares. Cut the squares in 1/2 on a diagonal to give you the classic triangle shape. Place the scones on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush the tops with a little heavy cream. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until beautiful and brown. Let the scones cool a bit before you apply the glaze.

Technically you should make this simple lemon glaze in a double boiler (i.e. over a pot of simmering water with a heatproof bowl set on top) but it's even simpler to zap it in the microwave. Mix the lemon juice and confectioners' sugar together in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon zest and butter. Nuke it for 30 seconds on high. Whisk the glaze to smooth out any lumps, then drizzle the glaze over the top of the scones. Let it set a minute before serving.

Heavy Whipping Cream Sub

Ingredients:

3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup butter

Preparation:

1. Melt the butter.

2. Pour it into the milk, and stir.

3. Use in place of one cup of heavy cream.

Note: This substitute while not whip.

Tip: If you use low-fat milk, add a tablespoon of flour to the mixture to thicken.

Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake)

2010-02-01T10:54:00.001-06:00

I came across this yesterday, and despite my general distaste for cabbage it looks really interesting. So interesting I may consider making it!

Photo via Closet Cooking

1 cup flour (I used whole wheat flour)

3/4 cup dashi (or water)
1 egg
1/4 of a cabbage, about 2-3 cups packed (shredded)
1 carrot, about 1/2 cup (grated)
1 small zucchini, about 1 cup (grated)
1 green onion (chopped)
3 slices bacon
okonomiyaki sauce (or Worcestershire sauce)
mayonnaise
green onion (chopped)

1. Mix the flour, dashi, egg, cabbage, carrot and zucchini in a large bowl.
2. Heat some oil in pan.
3. Pour in mixture and top with the bacon slices.
4. Cook on medium heat until golden brown on both sides, about 5-15 minutes per side.
5. Top with okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise and green onion and slice.

Chicken Saltimbocca with Cannellini Beans with Herbs and Prosciutto

2010-01-31T10:54:00.003-06:00

Tonight I'm making an old favorite. Both portions of the dinner are from Giada, you can find the links here and here. I made this for the first time about 4 years ago and it was such a hit I made it two nights later for some friends. I've been craving it lately, so I decided tonight was the night to make it again.

Chicken Saltimbocca

6 (3-ounce) chicken cutlets, pounded to evenly flatten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 paper-thin slices prosciutto
1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 (14-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Place the chicken cutlets flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Lay 1 slice of prosciutto atop each chicken cutlet.

Squeeze the frozen spinach to remove the excess water. Season the spinach with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, toss the spinach with 1 tablespoon of oil to coat.

Arrange an even, thin layer of spinach atop the prosciutto slices. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over each. Beginning at the short tapered end, roll up each chicken cutlet as for a jellyroll. Secure with a toothpick.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice, and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Simmer the cooking liquid over high heat until it is reduced to about 2/3 cup, about 5 minutes. Season the cooking liquid with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove toothpicks from the chicken. Drizzle the reduced cooking liquid over the chicken and serve immediately.

Cannellini Beans with Herbs and Prosciutto

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed, drained
2 ounces prosciutto, coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups arugula or mixed baby greens

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the sage and thyme. Add the tomatoes. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the beans. Simmer until the tomatoes are tender and the juices evaporate by half, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in the prosciutto, being careful not to overcook the prosciutto. Season the beans, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Arrange the arugula or mixed baby greens over a platter. Spoon the beans over the greens and serve.

7 years ago

2010-01-26T08:24:00.000-06:00

I have a seven year old. How did that happen???? And what a boy he is. When he got up this morning he told me he'd been dreaming of "Batman's car" and that it was just the right size for him to drive.

I was exhausted, I'd been up about 24 hours at this point, spent 3 or 4 hours pushing, and still ended up having a c-section.

This is one of my favorite photos from just after William was born. His uncle (who was like 10 at the time) came over to visit and William kept crying when DJ would try to hold him so we stuffed DJ's shirt with a pillow and after that William was fine.

December 2009

Preying on the destitute

2010-01-21T08:10:00.000-06:00

This made me angry, really angry.

Driscoll and Macdonald also saw a glimpse of what lies ahead for many young girls. His posting on line:
If u want a phone, cigarettes or a teenage girl you can get them here in Port au Prince. Like the American who said he's on a relief mission and bought a hungry girl despite our confrontation.

I asked Driscoll more about that scene in a brief phone interview with him last night, minutes after his return last night to the USA.
We were downtown loading up our film crew. There were no police, no medics, to be seen by a huge park with hundreds of people camping out with no where else to go. There was a little cart with a red umbrella and a man selling cell phones and cigarettes -- and a few young girls.
"You want to buy loving?" the guy asked me. I said, "What in the world are you talking about?"
But there was another guy there, who claimed to be a translator for a relief agency, who was negotiating a price for a girl. I asked him what he was trying to do. He said, "Oh, she's a friend of mine. We're just trying to connect."
That's ridiculous. A young girl. A man 20 or 30 years older. I told him this was unacceptable. MacDonald confronted him, too. But there were no police and you could argue all you wanted but the girl took his money and they walked away."

As if a girl being sold in sex trade isn't horrible enough, to be someone who is supposedly there to help these people recover from a natural disaster and do this? Despicable doesn't even begin to cover it. And yet even this is not unseen to God. This man may face no earthly consequences for taking advantage of this girl's situation, yet it won't go unpunished. When I first read the article I was angry, now I'm just sad and hopeful. Hopeful that God would deliver the girl, that He would keep her safe, but even hopeful for the man (and people like him) - even these things can be forgiven. Now my heart breaks thinking about how enslaved to sin this man is (as countless others are) and I pray that God would grab his heart and grant him repentance. His sin will be dealt with, and I sincerely hope he finds it dealt with on the cross of Christ.

Adventures in the kitchen: Day 2 - Dinner

2010-01-16T07:48:00.000-06:00

Ok, I did this dinner like a week ago, I just keep forgetting to post. I was feeling incredibly lazy when I did this, and it turned out great. I had some frozen (uncooked) jumbo shrimp in the freezer that I wanted to use up, but I didn't really have anything that felt like it went with it.

Problem, yes? Not for super me! I ended up dicing one small onion, mincing two cloves of garlic & browning them in a skillet. Then I added sliced green bell peppers and cooked that for a few minutes. Pull it out and keep it near.

Add the shrimp to the same skillet, sprinkle with lemon juice, once the shrimp were almost opacque I added the pepper, garlic, onion mixture back to the skillet. Meanwhile I cooked up some white rice. Once everything was done I threw it all on a plate with some lettuce & topped that with oilve oil & vinegar dressing.

Super yum, guys, super yum. AND it looked pretty. And it only took about 20 minutes. Sorry about the lame picture, I couldn't find my camera so I used my phone.

Adventures in the kitchen: Day 1

2010-01-04T07:15:00.000-06:00

As promised, here is my first experiment! I wanted eggs for lunch (I had cookies for breakfast) so I decided to attempt making hash browns for the first time and decided to dress it up a bit by adding cheese & onions. I started off by dicing 1/4 of an onion I had sitting in my fridge and adding it to a hot skillet with a tablespoon of butter. I cooked the onion till they just started to brown - about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile I got my handy IKEA cheese grater* out and shredded a small potato over it. I tossed that into the skillet and mixed up the contents and let it cook for about 5 minutes before adding a handful of shredded cheese to it.

Results

Honestly? It was pretty ugly looking. Not golden brown like I'm used to, but it tasted great! Next time I think I'd use 1/8 of a onion or a larger potato, I'd also let the onion cook a few minutes longer. Other than that it was great. Went great with the eggs. I'm pretty happy about it.

Next experiment will be posted tomorrow!

*I've never actually used my grater to grate cheese. I did, however, use it to grate chocolate over my oatmeal last week. I know. I'm healthy.

Adventures in the kitchen

2010-01-01T14:45:00.000-06:00

So I've decided to do a mini series of posts where I'll be cooking using no pre-existing recipe. Just gonna make things up as I go with whatever I have lying around and then I'll post about how it turned out. Good or bad. I'll do at least one breakfast, one dinner, and one dessert. Look for the first installment on Monday!

Onion Dip

2010-01-01T13:49:00.000-06:00

This one come from Alton Brown of Food Network!

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups diced onions
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

In a saute pan over medium heat add oil, heat and add onions and salt. Cook the onions until they are caramelized, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Mix the rest of the ingredients, and then add the cooled onions. Refrigerate and stir again before serving.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T16:40:00.001-06:00

I've been reverse pick pocketed

2009-12-24T09:52:00.001-06:00

Christmas style. Yesterday I took the kids to Navy Pier's Winter Wonderfest (so expensive, but fun) and when I got home I noticed something in my purse I'd never seen before. A cd sampler from Northern Light Orchestra (MySpace link). Classic rock takes on Christmas carols? Yes please. This thing is really well produced, and I got it for free! No idea who these guys are, or how I got this, but I'm enjoying it a lot.

You can check out their site here.

Caffe Mocha

2009-12-22T09:59:00.000-06:00

I was recently discussing "fancy" coffee with Carla and she mentioned that she makes her's at home. I'm a big fan of mochas in general so I figured I'd give this a shot.

Place chocolate syrup in bottom of a tall, thick glass or large mug.
Prepare 1 shot (1 to 1 1/2 oz.) of espresso.
Steam the milk.
Add 3/4 of the milk to the glass or mug and stir gently.
Add the espresso and stir again.
Add the rest of the steamed milk.
Place a dollop of whipped cream on top of mocha and sprinkle with chocolate shavings or cinnamon for decoration.

Grandma Mahaney's Christmas Cookies

2009-12-21T19:57:00.000-06:00

Ok, so she's not my Grandma, but since the girls decided to share I thought I'd pass this along too!

Merry Christmas!

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg slightly beaten
¼ cup sour cream
½ tsp. nutmeg
3 cups sifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt

Work butter until creamy. Stir in sugar gradually, then beat until fluffy. Stir in egg and sour cream. Mix well. Sift together flour, nutmeg, soda, and salt; stir into mixture. Mix thoroughly. Chill one hour. Set oven for 350 degrees.

Roll out a small amount of dough at a time, ¼ inch thick on a lightly floured board. Cut with Christmas cookie cutter. Place on greased baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool. Decorate with colored frosting and red-hots.

Frosting:
In a medium bowl, stir together until smooth:
4 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons water

Adjust the consistency as necessary with more powdered sugar or water. Color as desired. To store, cover the surface of the icing with a sheet of plastic wrap. This keeps for up to 4 days at room temperature or about one month refrigerated.

Series of awesomeness coming

2009-12-15T18:39:00.000-06:00

My BFF is coming home next week (AH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and we're planning on cooking dinner...which has turned into a yum fest. Realistically we've picked out three days worth of food - and yes, almost everything I've picked out is chocolate - so either we're gonna be really fat or we've got to cut it back to one day's worth. I'm not sure which is gonna happen.

Hope's Song

2009-12-15T08:09:00.001-06:00

A few years ago Rebecca St. James was part of a Veggie Tales' project - VT redid A Christmas Carol, but spun it for Resurrection Sunday/Easter. It still wigs my kids out a bit, so we don't really watch it, but in the video Rebecca's character sings a song that has stuck with me since the first time I heard it. This morning as I was praying and reflecting upon Christ's birth the song popped in my head again, so I thought I'd share it.

There’s a story that started on Christmas
When a baby was born in the night
And those who came far, who followed the star
Were seeing a heavenly sight ...
a heavenly sight.

Well the years hurried by, and the boy, now a man
Could make the blind see with a touch of his hand
He was born to be King -- he was Rabbi and Priest
But the best that he had, he gave to the least ...
He gave to the least.

He was born and he died, almost 2,000 years ago
He laughed and he cried, he felt all the fears we know
But what does it matter? A story so strange ...
Even if it is true, what does it change?
What does it change?

Well he spoke like a prophet -- like no one they’d heard
This simple young carpenter -- crowds hung on every word
He hated injustice -- He taught what is right
He said “I’m the way, and the truth, and the light.”

His friends soon believed that truly he was the one.
The Savior, Messiah, God’s one and only son.
But others, they doubted, they did not agree
So they took him, they tried him,
He died on a tree ...
He died on a tree.

God has made a way
for all who mourn and grieve
Death will never be the end
if you just believe.

There is nothing left to fear
nothing Heaven knows
For he died for us to give us life
and to give us hope He rose
He died for us to give us life
And to give us hope He rose.

A Scrooge Transformed

2009-12-13T23:37:00.000-06:00

You know, when I decided to start enjoying Christmas I really didn't expect it to be a huge change. Honestly, I didn't. I ~~knew~~ thought things might be a bit different, but I wasn't expecting a whole lot out of it. I guess that's me thinking God doesn't do big things, I guess that was me (unknowingly) believing a lie.

It started small, when I'd hear "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" for the 100th time that day I just wanted to be able to grin and bare it while out in public. Now, I'm not saying I like hearing it - or anything - 100 times a day (and I swear, I doubt that's much of an exaggeration) but I'm honestly not just gritting my teeth trying not to complain anymore.

Confession time? I've been having a bad few months, spiritually. Not gonna go into detail other than to say I've been ~~struggling~~ not struggling as much as I should be with certain areas of sin in my life. I've had these moments where I know God breaks through and I can see how these things are hardening my heart in some way, and if you want to know the truth there is part of me that thinks it would be easier to just give in. To just not fight.

But you know something? I know that's a lie. I've been on the other side of this battle, I've been in a place where you don't do battle with sin in your life. And it isn't easier. It is heart wrenchingly depressing.

And you know something else? You know how God promises in Scripture to never leave us? That He will deliver us from our bondage? From our sin? I know that's true. Over the past few months, and especially in the past 2.5 weeks, I've seen His unyielding faithfulness to me - to an ungrateful wretch - and I've seen Him stir my heart for others. I've seen Him move in my heart in ways I'd never expected Him to this side of glory...and I pray others would begin to see that as well, and that they would glorify Him for it.

Tortellini with Balsamic Brown Butter

2009-12-10T07:17:00.000-06:00

Love & Olive Oil has this yummy looking recipe up - and of course it is a Giada recipe.

18 to 20 ounces fresh ravioli or tortellini
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the ravioli and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. Drain ravioli onto a large serving platter.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the foam subsides, and the butter begins to turn a golden brown, about 3 minutes, turn off the heat. Let cool for about 1 minute. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Transfer the ravioli to the pan saucepan with the balsamic brown butter. Sprinkle walnuts and Parmesan over the top. Serve immediately.18 to 20 ounces fresh ravioli or tortellini
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the ravioli and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. Drain ravioli onto a large serving platter.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the foam subsides, and the butter begins to turn a golden brown, about 3 minutes, turn off the heat. Let cool for about 1 minute. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Transfer the ravioli to the pan saucepan with the balsamic brown butter. Sprinkle walnuts and Parmesan over the top. Serve immediately.

OMG EXCITED

2009-12-09T21:32:00.002-06:00

MckMama is giving away a touch screen computer. I want it. I need it. Ok, maybe I don't need it. But I really really really want it. Does three reallys count as needing something? If it does don't tell my kids. You can enter here, but really - don't. Because I want it. And then you'd be competing against me. So don't click, don't tweet about it, and certainly don't blog about it. Thanks!

God does big stuff through little people

2009-12-09T08:14:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned before, the Stuff Christians Like blog helped raise $30,000 in 18 hours back in November. That blew the end of the year deadline out of the water by a mile. Then Jon doubled what he was trying to raise. And guess what? God delivered. An additional $30,000 was raised before the deadline was even close. $60,000. Two schools. Hundreds of kids will get an education. Amazing.

Great Christmas music for free!

2009-12-05T09:00:00.000-06:00

Last month I downloaded JJ Heller's Christmas album b/c I could get it for free. She's got a wonderful voice, the album is marked with lots of acoustic guitar & piano, and a meshing together of her own words and traditional carols. Anyway, you can get it at her site for free till the end of this month, and I suggest you do. It is a wonderful album.

From her site:

WAKE UP THE WORLD (2007) **FREE THROUGH 12/31/09**
This Christmas EP features a tasteful blend of JJ's voice, Dave Heller's acoustic guitar, piano by Ben Shive, and very light percussion.

Recorded, mixed and mastered in Nashville, TN during the summer of 2007.

Strawberry Brownie Bites

2009-12-04T10:47:00.000-06:00

This is awesome looking, and really, who doesn't love strawberries & brownies?

1 box prepared brownie mix
1 jar of frosting
fresh strawberries
sucker sticks

In a greased mini muffin tin, make the brownies.

Remove, let cool on a wire rack. Frost.

Stick a sucker stick through a strawberry and into a brownie bite. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Chocolate Cherry Delight Cake

2009-11-27T09:07:00.000-06:00

Got this from here after seeing a picture of it. Hello yummy.

1 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup HERSHEY'®S Cocoa
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
Dash salt
1/2 cup nonfat milk
1/4 cup frozen egg substitute, thawed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup boiling water
Whipped Topping (recipe follows)
1 can (20 ounces) lower calorie cherry pie filling, chilled

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line bottom of two 9-inch round pans with wax paper.

2. Combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add milk, egg substitute, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water. (Batter will be thin.) Pour into prepared pans.

3. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Carefully remove wax paper. Cool completely.

4. To assemble dessert, place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread with half of Whipped Topping; top with half of pie filling. Top with second cake layer. Spread with remaining topping and pie filling. Refrigerate at least one hour.

Whipped Topping Blend 1/2 cup cold nonfat milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 envelope (1.3 ounces) dry whipped topping mix in small, deep narrow-bottom bowl. Whip at high speed with mixer until topping peaks, about 2 minutes. Continue beating 2 minutes longer until topping is light and fluffy.

What Shall I Render to My God

2009-11-26T09:03:00.000-06:00

I found this over at Rebecca's this morning - she posted it about 10 days ago and I missed it then. Love it. Happy Thanksgiving!

What Shall I Render to My God

What shall I render to my God
For all His mercy’s store?
I’ll take the gifts He hath bestowed,
And humbly ask for more.

The sacred cup of saving grace
I will with thanks receive,
And all His promises embrace,
And to His glory live.

My vows I will to His great Name
Before His people pay,
And all I have, and all I am,
Upon His altar lay.

Thy lawful servant, Lord, I owe
To Thee whate’er is mine,
Born in Thy family below,
And by redemption thine.

Thy hands created me, Thy hands
From sin have set me free,
The mercy that hath loosed my bands
Hath bound me fast to Thee.

The God of all redeeming grace
My God I will proclaim,
Offer the sacrifice of praise,
And call upon His Name.

Praise Him, ye saints, the God of love,
Who hath my sins forgiven,
Till, gathered to the church above,
We sing the songs of Heaven.

—Charles Wesley

Scrooge no more

2009-11-25T16:17:00.000-06:00

It is no secret to the people who know me IRL that I generally don't enjoy Christmas. Until today I would have told you I hated it, in fact. I'm not going to try and explain why, b/c that's not really what this post is about and frankly I can't explain it well enough to bother trying.

This semester I started an internship that requires me to work on site three days a week - it is the first time in about three years that I've been surrounded by unbelieving coworkers, and it's been a bit of an adjustment. Not to say I don't enjoy the work, or the people, it is just a major shift from working in a Christian bookstore. Anyway, with Thanksgiving upon us (Happy Thanksgiving everyone in the US!) and Black Friday just around the bend - I've been faced with the fact that Christmas is just weeks away.

If you've read my posts this month you see that I'm trying to be more intentional about being thankful, and I've been thinking lately that while I might say I'm thankful and say I love God my attitude towards Christmas probably seems pretty counter to that. I mean, to an unbeliever what does it say about God when a Christian can't stand the time of the year when they are free to talk about Him with liberty?

Let's face it, the culture doesn't want to hear they need a Savior, but it certainly is more acceptable to talk about it at Christmas. And if that's true, how can I fulfill the Biblical command to be ready to give an account for the hope I have if I'm busy being grumpy about the shallow understanding of Christmas many unbelievers display? Grumpy attitudes tend to trump any words of hope I might speak.

So, starting today I'm not going to be telling people I hate Christmas anymore. In fact I'm going to seek to be thankful for Christmas. After all...

This is the season of the year when, whether we wish it or not, we are compelled to think of the birth of Christ. There are no probabilities whatever that our Savior Jesus Christ was born on that day...However, I wish there were ten or a dozen Christmas-days in the year; for there is work enough in the world, and a little more rest would not hurt laboring people. Christmas-day is really a boon to us, particularly as it enables us to assemble round the family hearth and meet our friends once more.
- CH Spurgeon

Thankful for Veggie Tales

2009-11-23T07:41:00.000-06:00

I've loved VT since I discovered them when I was 16, now that I have kids it is socially acceptable for me to watch them, but honestly I'd watch them even if my kids didn't want to. At least - I'd watch the older ones. The post Jonah era often lacks something, in my opinion. Anyway, here are a few lyrical samples of why I love the Veggies.

Thankfulness

I thank God for this day,
For the sun in the sky,
For my mom and my dad,
For my piece of apple pie!

For our home on the ground,
For His love that's all around,
That's why I say thanks every day!

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart!
I'm glad for what I have,
Thats an easy way to start!

For the love that He shares,
'Cause He listens to my prayers,
That's why I say thanks every day!

God is bigger

You were lying in your bed,
You were feeling kind of sleepy,
But you couldn't close your eyes because the room was getting creepy.
Were those eyeballs in the closet?

Was that Godzilla in the hall?
There was something big and hairy casting shadows on your wall.
Now your heart is beating like a drum,
Your skin is getting clammy,

There's a hundred tiny monsters jumping right in to your jammies!
Bob: What are you going to do?

Junior: I'm going to call the police!

Bob: No. You don't have to do anything!

Junior: What? Why?

Bob: Because...
God is bigger than the boogie man.
He's bigger than Godzilla and the monsters on TV.
Oh, God is bigger than the boogie man,
And he's watching out for you and me.

Stand Up

My Mummy always told me to do what's right;
To wash behind my ears and try to be polite.
She says she loves me so.
(That's beautiful.)
It's like she tells me what I need to know.
(I've got alot of respect for that woman.)

But sometimes when I'm playing with a buddy or two,
They're doing things you're not supposed to do.
(Do you go along - even though the things they do are wrong?)

I remember stand (Stand up, stand up)
For what you believe in, believe in,
Believe in God (He's the one to back you up)
We'll stand with you!

When everybody tells you that you have to be cool,
Remember what you learnt in church and Sunday school.
Just check it out - the Bible tells us what it's all about.
(Oh, you know that's right.)

So if you have a question, go ask your Dad,
And he can tell you if the thing is good or bad.
You'll make they're day,
If you remember what you're parents say (what they say.)

They told us stand (Stand up, stand up)
For what you believe in, believe in,
Believe in God (He's the one to back you up)
We'll stand with you!

Oh, stand (Stand up, stand up)
For what you believe in, believe in,
Believe in God (He's the one to back you up)
We'll stand with you!
He'll stand with you, oh yeah.

The battle is not ours

Mordecai: You wanted to know why you became queen.
I tole you God must have a reason.
Perhaps he put you here, for such a time as this.
perhaps This is the reason.

Ester: Tell me why, I don't understand.
Tell me why, or show me your hand.
Tell me why because I can't see my way through ~
What now...should I...do ~

(music plays )

(drums play)

The battle is not ours
We look to God above~
For he will guide us safely through
and guard us with his love

I will not be afraid
I will not run and hide~
For there is noting I can't face
when God is at my side
No, there is nothing I can't face
when God is at my side

The battle is not ours
We look to God above
For he will guide us safely through
and guard us with his love

Thankful for this promise

2009-11-22T19:13:00.000-06:00

The days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: (Jer. 31:31)

Thanksgiving on the swings

2009-11-20T14:58:00.000-06:00

Today my kids and I played at the park after school - we haven't done that in a couple months, so it was a nice treat for all involved - and while we were there my almost 7 year old and I sat on the swings for most of the time. After running through the normal "what'd you do today" conversation I mentioned that next week he only has school for two days. The little girl next to him pipes up and says "that's because it is Thanksgiving!" before running off to play with her friends.

I asked my son what he was thankful for and the first thing out of his mouth was, "I'm thankful for you, Mom." Go ahead, say it with me, "Aww, he's so cute." After that though he told me he was thankful for "everything," the swing he was playing on, the pizza he had for lunch, the whole world. Then he told me he wanted to go to Africa and visit the "Indians" - I can only suppose he means the tribal communities. So very out of the blue, but there it is.

As we walked home we talked about the different plants we encountered and how God created them. I can't remember the last time I stopped to inspect a rose bush's thorns and why God chose to put them there, it was a good walk. So, today, I'm thankful for the swing conversations.

Thankful for thanksgiving reminders

2009-11-19T12:19:00.001-06:00

On Sunday my pastor had post it notes in the bulletin (go listen to the sermon, it'll make more sense) for us to write things that we were thankful for on. Today he emailed us all what was written. It was a nice reminder of the things God has done in the lives of my church family.

I am Thankful For:

My Family
the women that serve so faithfully with our children, for their prayers and care in helping shepherd the kids
the people in this church
the life and people that God has given me. For God’s precious gift of Jesus!
For my family and friends always coming through
God allowing me to have a house
This church
my family and friends
going to bed
The church
Everything I’ve been through this past year
Prayer and for my prayerful church family
My house and family
Letting me go to Northland Camp
For my Family
The birth of our daughter
God bringing us back to Calvary because we (our family) have been blessed by the good teaching
That God gave my older son a job
Church, house, and Bible
My dad getting cancer – it has humbled him and me and has magnified God
Carl’s sermon a few weeks ago
Kristi’s work of service in numerous CBC ministries
The growth of Changed Life ministry and continued engagement with Morningstar Mission
God and Thanksgiving
My sister Abbey, and my doggie Sammy for bringing such joy
The love of this church
Jesus died for our sins
Having such a hard-working mother
my saved and unsaved friends
My family
God for all he has provided
my salvation
God letting me live
That Chuck can come back from vacation
God has graciously expanded our lives. Financially, God has met every need above and beyond in revealing himself to us this year.
Thank you for your care this year
House sold
God blessing me with a new friend, hope, and strength. I am grateful that he saved me
Salvation of Bryan Paul and Gywn
Our worship time
Expository preaching
A servant’s heart in our church people
My sister Ashley
Grace
God has met our financial needs this year
Church that worships God
Letting me not be scared to talk to my friends about Jesus
God making my family
Close friends and family
Trucks, friends, and family
God on the cross
My life and my family and friends
A second chance
Being more in God this year as a family
My family and friends
Family, friends, new church family
My friends an family and my new found family and Calvary Baptist
The sweet fellowship of the body of Christ
Letting me have a good start in high school
That Jesus made us so we can serve him
Small Groups
Our pastors and their families. What a gift from God to our church
My wife and our salvation
God making us
Food, music, family, water, pastors, church, free country, Jesus, and Bibles
Christ Jesus dying for my sins and for my family and for saving me and my family. For protecting my house from sin
Having holiday dinners at church
Church and thankgiving dinner
God continues to extend his grace and mercy to me and allows me to grow and serve his people here- in spite of my stumbles
The unique poignant and loving ministry of small groups
Saving all of my family
Grandkids: Ian, Calvin, Brady, Cooper, Sydney, Geneva, Etc
Good health for family
His grace while waiting for his will and time
Going to church
This world is not my home
Ian got saved
Saving my husband and watching God grow him in his grace and for blessing me with him for 40 years
The gift of His son and the treasure of his word
Providence of God in my life,
Times of want/times of plenty
Small groups, working in other peoples lives.
my daughter‘s cancer gone
Christmas trees
God’s wisdom of making life
A loving church family
Helping me financially through my current situation. Providing my sons safety at this time
Devan, Austin, and Carl for all they do with the teens
Christ fulfilled the law.
Jesus is coming back.
Those who serve me in ministry
My marriage and church family
Carl being in Joliet
The fellowship I have with Jesus and the fellowship I have with other believers
Allowing relationship with family/friend to be restored through Christ’s love for me. Counseling with Pastor Ryan and Kristi to help me see through the darkness

Blackened Sockeye Salmon

2009-11-18T12:12:00.000-06:00

4 6oz fresh sockeye fillets
1/2 c melted butter
Blackened seasoning

Brush fillets on both sides with 1/4 c butter and sprinkle evenly with seasoning.

Drizzle one side of each fillet of 1/2 of remaining butter.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook salmon butter side down for 2 to 5 minutes.

Turn fillets, drizzle with remaining butter, and continue cooking till fish is easily flaked with a fork.

Garlic Shrimp

2009-11-18T12:03:00.000-06:00

1lb raw shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 16oz package of rice
1/3c butter
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4c fresh chopped parsley
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste

Prepare rice per package instructions.

In large skillet, heat butter over medium-low heat. Add shrimp & garlic, then saute turning frequently until shrimp is just about to turn pink, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the parsley, lemon juice, and salt. Stir well.

Serve over fresh, hot rice with steamed snow peas.

A freeman and a king

2009-11-17T11:40:00.000-06:00

“Outside of Christ we are slaves, the best of us are all slaves. In Christ, the lowest of all is a free man and a king.”

- Richard Sibbes, Glorious Freedom, 28

From here.

Today I'm thankful for this truth!

Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. (Romans 5:9-11)

For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. (Romans 7:22-25)

Thankful & stirred up

2009-11-16T09:34:00.000-06:00

Confession time? I used to be a huge Angelina Jolie fan...that pesky Tomb Raider movie did it, mainly b/c I loved the video game in high school...when Notes from My Travels came out I purchased it in part b/c she wrote it and in part b/c I had heard she was getting involved with UNHCR and relief work. Honestly, aside some rough times in middle school I never really had to worry about not having a home or food.

I remember reading her book shortly before I got pregnant with my daughter and being shocked at how little some people had...sure I knew poverty like that existed, but somehow it never really hit home for me until then. These people weren't just out there, they were real people with real names and real (often heart breaking) stories. Though her book wasn't written from the perspective of a Christian, I got brief sense of God's heart for the destitute because of that book.

A couple years later as my home crumbled and my heart broke I read the book of Ruth for the first time and I saw God's care (again) for the poor. This time it was hitting home on a whole new level. But God met me there, He provided for me and my children just as He always has.

All over the Old Testament there is an exhortation to remember what God has delivered the Israelites from, this theme is continued right on through the New Testament to today. God wants us to remember His deliverance...and His care for His children. His mercy towards us should spur us on and inspire us to show mercy towards others.

There are millions of people around the world today that don't have something to eat or clothes that will keep them warm, and here I sit at my laptop - my hunger is satisfied and I have clothes to wear. He has more than provided, and for that I am extremely grateful.

How then, ought I to live? How can I show His kindness to others? Can I donate to build a couple schools? Can I cut back on Christmas and birthday presents for my family in order to send a package to a child who would not have Christmas otherwise? Can I serve my local church family in some way, can I rejoice in how God has cared for them this year? Can I spare $42 to give water to three people for the rest of their lives? ~~Can~~ How ought I pray?

Thankful for Thanksgiving!

2009-11-15T16:17:00.001-06:00

I'm moments away from heading out to my church's annual Thanksgiving dinner. I look forward to this every year, there's always great food and plenty of fellowship to be had. This year, Lord willing, we will have plenty of visitors as well as new members that haven't been able to do this with us yet. I pray in the midst of all the fun and food we, as a body, would be mindful to give thanks for God's grace. I'm so glad God has brought me into this church family!

*To see thankfulness posts from other people check out Rebecca's site.