Recipes!

Time to post some more recipes!

This is a cookie recipe. These are the best cookies I've ever tasted, and they're pretty healthy. They contain alot of oats and nuts and not just batter and chocolate.

The recipe calls for brown sugar, and I previously thought that brown sugar was unprocessed sugar (making it distinctively healthier than white). It may have been unprocessed in the frontier days, but in modernity it's just white sugar with Molassas added! Sure burst my bubble. But the brown sugar is distinctively less puckeringly sweet, so the cookies aren't just lumps to raise your blood sugar. Enjoy.

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup soft brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3-4 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
generous 1 cup rolled oats
6 oz chocolate (morsels or chopped baker's chocolate)
1 cup nuts, chopped (pecans or walnuts are ideal)

1. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. Add beaten eggs, milk, vanilla and beat thoroughly
2. Sift in the flour, baking powerder and salt, then stir in until well mixed. Fold in the rolled oats chocolate and nuts
3. Chill the mixture for at least one hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease baking trays (unless you're using stoneware, an infinitely better choice).
4. Place mounds well apart on teh trays and flatten with a spoon or fork. Bake 10-12 minutes until the edges are just coloring, then cool on a wire rack.

Recipe two is a sandwich wrap of my own invention. I made it for some of the ladies in my bible study before an outing. It's very portable and a nice change from normal American breakfast foods. There aren't any quantities listed with these ingredients, so adjust their proportions to suit your taste.

10" whole wheat tortillas
mushrooms cut in matchsticks
spring greens
asparagus, steamed
goat cheese
walnuts
watercress
alfalfa sprouts

1. lay the tortilla flat and bisect with a strip of spreaded goat cheese. Add the steamed asparagus, spring greens, watercress, mushrooms, walnuts, and alfalfa sprouts. Wrap filling up inside the tortilla. Wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap for portability.

One of the girls added a little olive oil and balsalmic vineger to her's to moisten it a little. I can see most vinegrettes working well with this dish.

Happy eating!

God's point of view

"Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. ... For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

--1 Corinthians 1:20, 26-31

This was part of what I read during my quiet time this morning. I had to ask myself why I ever aspire to be strong, smart, or powerful by the world's standards. This passage makes clear God's stance toward those who believe themselves to be wise, strong, or praise-worthy: he will use the 'foolish', the 'weak, and the 'despised' to bring them down. Why? So no human will boast before God.

Scripture is full of stories that show how God chooses the lowliest of the lowley to accomplish his purposes, the seemingly uneducated to bring down the smart, and the small to bring down the huge. Look at Gideon, look at David, both in his battle with Goliath and his being chosen as king - look at our savior, Jesus. Few births and lives were in more humble circumstances than his. God even chose to save us through actions and circumstances that seem utterly foolish and illogical to the world. This is the greatest and most profound act he's ever put his hand to, and again, he didn't choose the fanfare and glory worthy of heaven. He chose to do it in a way that 'made foolish the wisdom of the world'. To show us that we don't understand a thing.

This passage show's God's opinion of our human reasoning and powers of debate. God has 'made foolish the wisdom of the world'. God has repeatedly used those who were lowely to do great things - because then the newspapers the next day don't say "KARI DID GREAT THINGS!!" - they say "God did great things!" How else can great feats be explained when they were performed by inadequate people? It can only be God.

I have to watch myself - I become cocky real easily. I think I'm smart. I think I'm wise. I think I measure up really well. But God is always faithful to use something as simple and 'foolish' as the Gospel to put me back in my place. And it happens - When I look at the Cross, I am stripped of all reason for boasting in myself.

So how can I be truly wise? How can I boast? Paul doesn't mince words: "[God] is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." My wisdom is Christ. My boast is Christ. My focus should be on him in everything.

Jesus the Gypsy

I like video games. But here's the caviat: it's gotta tell a good story. Those are just like reading a good book. I have one game where you have the option of entering a desert. I've stumbled into this dessert more than once while playing. When you pass through one screen, hoping the next will be different, it looks exactly the same as the last. I've done this for hours, trying all directions, hoping there will be a breakthrough - but it can seem there never will be. It's just endless dessert as far as I can see. Sometimes I wish there were buttons to push on my handheld controller to make my character just sit down and cry.

Well, I wandered into the dessert last night. I fell into an old sin, one I thought I was making progress on. It seemed I looked up and there was just endless desert all around me - desert that I'd already walked through. I thought I'd already fought my way through this desert and come out on the other side, putting the strenuous journey behind me...but here I was, back at the starting point again. I'd backslid.

I've mentioned the Valley of Vision book I use during my prayer time before. Here is a prayer I find especially helpful when I've stumbled into sin, when I look back from other side of the encounter, back over all the ground I feel I've lost, when I'm convinced I will never change...

The prayer is titled Backsliding, and I feel I do this so often...so often that I never make any headway.

Backsliding

O Lord,
When the world's unbelievers reject thee,
and are so forsaken by thee
that thou callest them no more,
it is to thine own thou dost turn,
for in such seasons of general apostasy
they in some measure backslide with the world.
O how free is thy grace
that reminds them of the danger that
confronts them
and urges them to persevere in adherence
to thyself!
I bless thee that those who turn aside
may return to thee immediately,
and be welcomed without anything
to commend them,
notwithstanding all their former backslidings.
I confess that this is suited to my case, for of late
I have found great want,
and lack of apprehension of divine grace;
I have been greatly distressed of soul
because I did not suitably come to the fountain
that purges away all sin;
I have laboured too much for spiritual life,
peace of conscience, progressive holiness,
in my own strength.
I beg thee, show me the arm of all might;
Give me to believe
that thou canst do for me more than
I ask or think,
and that, though I backslide, thy love will never
let me go,
but will draw me back to thee with everlasting
cords;
that thou dost provide grace in the wilderness,
and canst bring me out, leaning on the arm
of my Beloved;
that thou canst cause me to walk with him
by the rivers of waters in a straight way,
wherein I shall not stumble.
Keep me solemn, devout, faithful, resting
on free grace for assistance, acceptance,
and peace of conscience.

So If I could make my video game character sit down and cry, would I ever get out of the desert? Nope. Would I ever finish the game? Nope. Philippianss 1:6 says "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." God isn't going to save me and begin the work of making me like his Son only to let that work drop into the sand. This is a promise. But I have to be careful not to throw this promise back in God's face (you know, sit down in the sand and cry) but believe that he will help me regain ground and move me on to His goal.

One day when I'd wandered into this desert I discovered the secret to getting out. A gypsy wagon came by and the driver said two words to my character: "Need help?" I then had the option to get on his wagon or keep trying of my own strength to escape the endless desert. I opted to get on, and the gypsy took me right out of the desert immediately.

My husband is God's grace in my life - He's such an example. He recounted a time when he was growing angrier and angrier, but he checked himself and prayed that God would help him change his attitude. He said that within a matter of moments God had given grace for a better attitude. He doesn't just keep running hoping to find the edge where the sand turns to grass. He stops and scans the horizon looking for that gypsy, and heads straight for it.

I often find that that is exactly what I don't do when I'm in the heat of my sin. I need to seek help from God immediately. I need to stop and pray. When I find myself sinning, I'll think things like "boy, this really isn't good..." "I should really stop doing this..." "This isn't glorifying the Lord..." But I don't make the jump to thinking "I should really stop and ask for God's help..." I need to grow in that. God is where my hope lies.

My thoughts reveal that I'm looking to myself for strength. I forget that God already knows I'm imperfect andincapablee of overcoming my sin alone. That's why he provided a savior, Jesus, to be perfect on my behalf. He knows I can't escape the desert alone - that's why he sent the gypsy to get me out of there - but I have to accept the ride.

Something else I've discovered on my game is that every time I wander into this desert, that gypsy always comes by and offers me a ride. I can count on it. And the quicker I start searching for him, the quicker I regain the ground I lost.

One of my favorite lines in this prayer is "I bless thee that those who turn aside may return to thee immediately, and be welcomed without anything to commend them, notwithstanding all their former backslidings." What hope! I can't be bad enough for God to reject me. I can't spend enough time in the desert for him to never come help me out. Jesus the gypsy will always come by and ask "Need help?" Next time, by God's grace, I'll have the presence of mind to say "yes, I do need help."

If you aren't a Christian and haven't accepted Christ's death in your place, I'd encourage you to think about getting out of the desert of your sin. All it takes is saying "yes, I do need help." See the post called the gospel for December 22 for details on this.

Words

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. ... Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:29, 31-32

I just had a run in with "corrupting talk". Unkind, hurtful words seem to decay everything they touch. The words weren't even spoken to me, but I heard them, and I feel their effects. My heart goes out to the reciever of the words...

I myself often struggle with being a person who speaks corruting talk. I have a very sharp tongue, to my discredit. It's a major temptation for me. I have to watch myself every second. This is a helpful passage for people like me. This is a great "don't/do" passage.

DON'T: allow any "corrupting talk come out of your mouths"
DO: allow "only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

Scripture doesn't allow any wiggle room here. "Let NO corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but ONLY such as is good for building up..." (ephasis mine). We're to completely refrain from words that are going to discourage growth in godliness, and only speak words that will encourage growth in godliness. That's what the passage means by "as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." We have to consider what's needed by the reciver of our words and, as fits to occasion, seek to empart that grace which will help them grow in godliness.

What does this look like? Well, the next couple verses tell us: "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice." If any of these things are coming out of our mouths, that's corrupting talk. All these things discourage growth in godliness. "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." Here's the kind of talk God is looking for.

The context the corrupting words I just heard were in was that of correction. Someone was correcting a behavior by someone else. This begs the question though, if someone is sinning and needs correction, can we not tell them? Certainly we can - we must, we're commanded to. Remember, the point is to encourage growth in Godliness, not just keep people feeling happy about themselves. But the Bible isn't going to contradict itself - permit correction only to allow corrupting talk. The two can coexist. That being the case, we must assume that it is still possible to bring correction to others without being bitter, wrathful, angry, clamorous or slanderous, but while being kind, tenderhearted, and humble - realizing that we should forgive others as God in Christ forgave us.

A tough line to walk, I know. I fail all the time. It's important to remember to lean on God for the ability to do this, and not on myself. Frankly put, of myself I'm doomed. But by God's grace I really want to try though - every time I remember the times when I myself have been the target of corrupting talk, I want to strive to never make another person feel that way.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOSH!!!

Today is my little...."little" brother's birthday! So this is a tribute to him, because he's the best little..."little" brother in the world!

Oh dearest Yosh, the only scottish yo-yo in my life - I wish thee well, on this, the day of thy birth. May dryer-sheets abound for you, and may you always be safe from the Fantasia lava (but you're an adult now - do you have the special shoes? I never got a pair...). May Banjo! Banjo Banjo! be ever with thee. And always remember: Tissues won't suffice - "Find TOWELS!!" May your pets never shed (Meow...PUFFFF!!!!). May your hair never zod. Look out for Nit-raw gan ("a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas--" "Nitrogen, Scott!" "Aw rats...") Always remember that Lufia, Donkey Kong Country, The Prydain Chronicles (Black Cauldron books) and any stripe of Final Fantasy RULE. In closing I'll say: Glacial....EHHHH!

All inside jokes aside (I hope you get some laughs out of our memories), I want to encourage you with this scripture. It's a prayer by a prophet named Habakkuk. He saw some terrible trouble in his day (he discribes some of his circumstances in this passage), but his faith and trust were in God. I certainly don't have faith as strong as his, but I admire his faith, and want to share it with you.

Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
GOD, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer's;
he makes me tread on my high places.

Habakkuk 3:17-19a

Ok, the finale!

I know what you're thinking..."Ew, pink..." What else could you expect from your sparkle-loving sister?

Alright, signing off! Happy Birthday dude!

Love, Sister Sassafras

Pride...

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. --Proverbs 16:18

This is some scripture that even non-christians know. We hear it so much. "Pride comes before a fall". Biblical language is a little more severe though. Pride goes before destruction, as well as before a fall.

I've recently been sick. I've had a terrible bought of something. It may have been flu, it may have been just a terrible cough, but whatever it was, I hadn't experienced such a thing in years. Don't misunderstand - I've been ill from things I've eaten, from exhaustion, from over exertion - but I haven't caught a virus that I couldn't shake over night since 5th grade. And that time I had to be hospitalized.

Pretty cool huh? I sure thought so. I was always the one who visited sick friends with confidence, telling them "I don't get sick." So when my husband fell ill last week, I didn't take any precautions to guard myself while I tended him. I just didn't get sick.

Well, I got sick - and I've stayed sick. I'm well into my second week off work. It's awful. I never was able to understand why people with colds couldn't just suck it up and get on with their duties - but man, if they felt anything like I do, they probably feel horrible! No wonder! All these sicky sensations are pretty new to my adult mind. I couldn't remember what a fever felt like from 5th grade. And all this hacking and wheezing - and what was this stuff gurgling in my lungs?! Blech - just let me lay here and stare into oblivion. Maybe if I stop breathing it'll go away...

We were at the dinner table last night and my husband shared an impression he got while he was praying for me during his quiet time. He said that he felt the Lord really wanted to give me back my health, but once he did, I needed to acknowledge to him that my stregnth against sickness wasn't my own doing - it was his gift. He sustains my heath, and I needed to stop acting like it was something I'd accomplished and I had the right to boast in.

Well, God had been sending me this same message ever since I fell ill. I told my husband he was absolutely right and thanked him for sharing with me.

Stephan said something else that was actually very wise last night: "It's amazing how true the Bible is sometimes!" He said it somewhat in jest, humbly trying to convey to me how in our pride we're sometimes surprised when we see biblical principle work out in life - although we shouldn't be. He's right. Why was I surprised when I got sick? I'd been boasting about my immune system for years. That would definitely classify as a "hauty attitude". Why was I surprised when God destroyed my reason for boasting? It's right there in scripture!

This just shows how dangerous pride is. It blinded me. (and this wasn't the first time!) I was so wrapped up in my self inflation that I didn't even see my fall coming. But through being sick these two weeks I was able to readjust my persective on myself and my health, and am now in a much safer place - in God's favor.

"...God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." --James 4:6

I'd rather be recieving God's grace than his opposition - and now I will be since I've stopped boasting in my 'own' ability to stay healthy and started deflecting the glory back to God - who deserves it. Scripture promises it. God promises it.

I need to be aware of two things:

1. This sickness was God's mercy on me - it revealed this terrible pride! That's far kinder than just letting me stay proud and boastful - and standing dead center of God's opposition.
2. That I'm prey to this same sin again - I'm not immune to any sin, and this same pattern could arise again. I need to be aware of it and pray against it.

Boy, when I started praying to learn humility, I didn't expect the lessons to come at such a rapid-fire pace, but they are. I hope I can keep up. Think of the fruit this could yeild in my life?

afFLUenza

My church is doing a phenomenal series on greed right now called Affluenza. Affluenza is some word a clever sociologist came up with to discribe the pandemic of materialism in American society. It's a mush of Influenza (a terribly infectious disease that spreads quickly) and Affluence (having much).

It's a three part series set to conclude this coming sunday. The first two parts, however, are available online. Click here to access my church's sermon archive. They're labled Affluenza. Set up the computer and play these next time you have to clean the kitchen or have alot of filing to do.

And hey - check out the other messages in the archive as well.

The Kid Book

I got another journal =)

I seem to have a reputation of liking new journals. Well, I got another one. It's got purple lilacs on the cover. It's very pretty.

This journal has a specific pourpose. It's my Kid Book. I've recently become accutely aware of the Hurculean task it will be to be a parent. (And let me just state: NO STEPHAN AND I ARE NOT PREGNANT.) However, we may be someday, and given that, I don't want to wait until the test reads positive to start preparing.

So I started The Kid Book. The Kid Book is simple. It's a book with nothing more than a list of bulleted points, some only a couple words long. It's where I've started taking notes on things I've learned from people who are parents already. Like what my pastor said in his sermon about teaching his 4 year old to 'turn off her 'wanter'' whenever they went into a store - he's teaching her contentment and not to be greedy. Or that book my new-mom friend raves about, Shepherding your Child's Heart. Some things are profound, like "never be too proud to ask their forgiveness, even when they're very young - use it as an opportunity to show them mommy needs a savior too, just like them." Other things are simple, simple enough for me to come up with myself: "READ TO THEM."

Some of these things I can't practice until I'm actually a mom, but there is one thing I want to start doing now, and that's praying for my kids. There are a couple reasons for this. The first is that I want it to be deep set habit long before they arrive, just like praying for my husband. But also, Stephan and I have a huge heart for adoption, so for all we know, our kids may already be born.

I want to pray simple prayers for their salvation, but I want to be more specific as well. I have a prayer book called Valley of Vision. It's a compilation of puritan prayers, and it's absolutely amazing. I read them and my head just bobs continuously in agreement. There are two prayers that I'm using as templates for praying for my family - including my kids. They're called "The "nevers" of the Gospel" and "True Religion." You may find them helpful in praying for your family and friends also.

The "nevers" of the Gospel

Oh Lord,
May I
Never fail to come to the knowledge of the truth,
never rest in a system of doctrine, however scriptural, that does not bring or ruther salvation, or teach me to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, or help me to live soberly, righteously, godly;
never rely on my own convictions and resolutions, but be strong in thee and in thy might;
never cease to find thy grace sufficient in all my duties, trials, and conflicts;
never forget to repair to thee in all my spiritual distresses and outward troubles, in all the dissatisfactions experienced in creature comforts;
never fail to retreat to him who is full of grace and truth, the friend that loveth at all times, who is touched with feelings of my infirmities, and can do exceeding abundantly for me;
never confine my religion to extraordinary occasions, but acknowledge thee in all my ways;
never limit my devotions to particular seasons but be in thy fear all the day long;
never be godly only on the sabbath or in thy house, but on every day abroad and at home;
never make piety a dress but a habit, not only a habit but a nature, not only a nature but a life.
Do good to me by all thy dispensations, bu all means of grace, by worship, prayers, praises,
And at last let me enter that world where is no temple, but only thy glory and the Lamb's.

True Religion

Lord God Almighty,
I ask not to be enrolled amongst the earthly great and rich, but to be numbered with teh spiritually blessed.
Make it my present, supreme, preserving concern to obtain those blessings which are spiritual in their nature, eternal in their continuance, satisfying in their possession.
Preserve me from a false estimate of the whole or a part of my character;
May I pay regard to my principles as well as my conduct, my motives as well as my actions.
Help me never to mistake the excitement of my passions for the renewing of the Holy Spirit, never to judge my religion by occasional impressions and impulses, but by my constant and prevailing disposition.
May my heart be rigth with thee, and my life as becometh the gospel.
May I maintain a supreme regard to another and better world, and feel and confess myself a stranger and apilgrim here.
Afford me all the direciton, defence, support, and consolation my journey hence requires, and grant me a mind stayed upon thee.
Give me large abundance of the supply of they Spirit of Jesus, that I may be prepared for every duty, love thee in all my mercies, submit to thee in every trial, trust thee when walking in darkness, have peace in thee admist live's changes.
Lord, I believe, help thou my unblief and uncertanties.

Self-Evaluation

My quiet times have been very sweet lately. God's been teaching me things through my reading the bible that I've never gotten before. Study bibles are da bomb - as is the illumination of the Holy Spirit.

One passage that I've been spending a long time on has been Romans 12:9-21. It's basically a rapid-fire list of dos-and-don'ts. Some may take it as a bunch of rules to be followed. But it's intent is to help us see our sin and turn from it to pleasing God.

If you haven't really taken a good look at yourself lately, I'd recommend this passage for evaluating yourself. Take each of the commands and turn it into a question. I'll give an example. Verse 11 reads "Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord." Based on this, I asked myself "When am I most tempted to be slothful in my zeal for God?" I came up with three main circumstances:

1. When I'm discontent with my circumstances
2. When I don't seem change
3. When I don't see immediate reward or pay-off

When I'm complaining about having to work and not being able to be a full time wife and homemaker, I'm not as zealous in my gratitude to God for what I do have. When that person I've been praying for for years shows no signs of putting their faith in Christ, I'm not as zealous in my prayers for them. When I don't see how I'm rewarded immediately for being kind to an irritating, unsaved person, I'm not as zealous to persist in kindess and showcase the difference the Gospel can make in a person's life.

See how much sin I identified just with that one question?

Give it a try. Here's the rest of the passage:

9Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited. 17Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." 20To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Once you have your list, pray for each area of sin you identify, that God will give you grace to overcome it to His glory.

Oh, and take it in little bits =) Don't try to change everything all at once. We can't eat our whole plate of food at once, neither can we mortify all our sin at once. Take it bite by bite.

Help

I apologise if you now have a Beatles song stuck in your head, but the post title has nothing to do with them.

Ever needed help? In my quiet time today I read this phenomenal piece by Charles Spurgeon in his awesome work Morning and Evening:

"'I will help thee.' It is but a small thing for Me, they God, to help thee. Consider what I have done already. What! not help thee? Why, I bought thee with My blood. What! not help thee? I have died for thee; and if I have done the greater, will I not do the less? Help thee! It is the least thing I will ever do for thee; I have done more, and will do more. Before the world began I chose thee. I made the covenant for thee. I laid aside My glory and became a man for thee; I gave My life for thee; and if I did all this, I will surely help thee now. In helping thee, I am giving thee what I have bought for thee already. If thou hadst need of a thousand times as much help, I would give it thee; though requirest little compared with what I am ready to give. 'Tis much for thee to need, but it is nothing for me to bestow. "Help thee?" Fear not! If there were an ant at the door of they granary asking for help, it would not ruin thee to give him a handful of they wheat; and thou art not but a tiny insect at the door of My all sufficiency. "I will help thee".'

"I will help thee, saith the Lord" --Isaiah 41:14

This begged the question: have I asked lately?

Humility

I have a cousin whom I haven't had much interaction with throughout my life. But recently we began talking, and it's been such a blessing! She's such an example to me in a certain area (though not only in that area): She's a God-watcher.

She's always on the lookout for how God is teaching her, helping her, correcting her or loving her. Nothing happens without her tying it back to God and his kindness. She's always faithful to ask me "So what's God been doing lately?" I hope it's contageous!

So here's something God's been doing lately. I've kind of got a pride issue. Well, not kinda. I've got a big pride issue. I'm proud, terribly proud. And the sad thing is, I've only come to accept it as truth in the past year or so. The happy thing is I serve a merciful God who revealed it to me and promises grace to change!

If you read my post on 10 questions to ask yourself at the start of a new year or on your birthday, one of the questions in this phenomenal list was "What book do you want to read most this year?" Given that I have a pride issue, I wanted to read the newest book by my church's old senior pastor C.J. Mahaney, appropriately titled Humility: True Greatness. Last week as I was praying, my desire to read this book came to mind. I briefly told God that I really wanted the book, but wasn't going to ask my husband if we could spring for it. I asked that he'd somehow provide me with the book, bringing it into my life when I needed it. I then went on with my prayer list.

This past Sunday, after service, I left my husband to run to the bathroom. He said he'd wait in the church bookstore. When I rejoined him, I asked what he'd been investigating. He said he was looking into a study bible. I told him I'd support that purchase if he felt it would enrich his quiet times. He said he felt it would, and went to get it. He approached the cashier to pay for the bible and, after his first subtotal, he said pointed to a shelf behind the cashier and said "Let's throw in a copy of Humility too."

I had to leave the bookstore because I was crying.

When Stephan rejoined me, I told him the story. Within days! Without even voicing my desire for the book for months, God laid it on my husband's heart to buy it for me. God is so kind.

Of course, this really really confirms my pride issue - my prayer was that God would bring it into my life when I needed it. Apparently I needed it right away. But how merciful of God to put into my hands a tool to mortify my pride and grow more humble? I'm not insulted, I'm grateful.

Check out the book if you think you may have a pride issue like me: Humility: True Greatness.

Book Reccomendations

I've been meaning to do this for a long time, then a good friend of mine finally updated her blog - with new year's resolutions. One resolution was "read more" (YES!! It's catching!). She asked generally for input on books, and instead of emailing her, I'll just post them here.

So here we go. There's a bunch!

"Godbooks" --

1. The Enemy Within, by Chris Lundgaard. An excellent anatomy of sin and how it works. A must-read for any Christian. Nothing (besides grace and scripture, of course) will aid you more in the fight against the flesh.
2. Knowing God, by J.I. Packer. A helpful read to understand God fundamentally. Packer hits on alot of topics in this book, all the while giving us a de-blurred look into God's character through the lens of scripture.
3. The Holiness of God, by R.C. Sproul. The other book I'd recommend if you're battling sin. When you understand this character trait of God, you're more amazed by Grace, and you want more than anything to please God.
4. The Gospel for Real Life, by Jerry Bridges. Buy it, read it, reread it (every year), and never move on from it. I've never read a more helpful book to understand what exactly happened when Jesus died on the cross.
5. The Cross Centered Life, by C.J. Mahaney. A practical book on how to make the Gospel your compass. It's only 60-ish pages long. It's worth the hour you'll spend reading it.
6. The Edge of Eternity, by Randy Alcorn. A big symbolic fictitous story, very helpful to get a good grasp on biblical principles. I'm definitely reading this one to my kids, as well as rereading it myself.
7. The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis. Another fictional work ment to call attention to how sin and temptation works in our lives. One of my favorites from Childhood.

Ok. Those are the Godbooks. What about just literature?

Well, I'd personally recommend staying away from pretty much anything written after 1940 or 50. Around the 60s and 70s is when writing started to become leud and crude. There may be a couple exceptions below. I'll try to warn you.

Number 1, hands down:

1. The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis. A must read. I've read them 7 or 8 times. They're full of christian imagery and lessons. Do not pass them up.
2. The Sherlock Holmes Mysteries, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. My absolute favorite short stories and novels. The father of modern forensic science. The plots are such fun and teh conclusions so off the wall you can't help but just chalk it all up to extravagance. The mentality of the time period sometimes makes me whince, but it's not an overriding theme in any of the stories.
3. Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. Didn't think I'd like it, but ended up loving it. The plot is well woven, and hey - it's a modest love story. What more could a girl want? The language is a little thick, but it becomes easier as you read on.
4. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. IT'S NOT LIKE THE MOVIES! I found it raised alot of questions about my own sins of judgments and pride as I read the account of what happens to Frankenstein's monster. You're really left asking yourself "what would I have done...?" Another one I'll read to my kids - when they're old enough, of course.
5. In the Heart of the Sea - The tragedy of the whaleship Essex, by Nathaniel Philbrick. Read Moby Dick? Now read the true story that inspired the tale. (CAUTION: it could be classifed as a little stomach-turning. Life on Whaleships was not easy, and being a castaway was even harder)
6. Why we Hurt - The Natural History of Pain, by Frank T. Vertosick Jr., M.D. A neurosurgeoun's musings on pain (not biblically informed, but very interesting none the less)

In closing I'd say anything by my all time favorite author, Robert Lewis Stevenson. Just get his collected works and a cup of tea and dig in. You'll be glad you did.

HAPPY READING!!!!

CATS

You've got to hear this story.

When I was young, my family took a trip to London, where I had the life changing experience of seeing CATS performed by the London Company. I was never so captivated by a performance. It quickly became my favorite (only recently almost-rivaled by Les Miserable, but the two plays are in completely different categories.)

So CATS came to Baltimore last night! Stephan and I had gotten tickets last year to see it, and we set out to get there early. The show was at 8. We ended up walking into the theatre at 7:50, after not a little worry as we skuttled in from the parking lot. We did not want to miss one second of this performance!

We sat down (and our seats were great), and within minutes the house lights went down. They went through the first number (which we called "epeleptic's bane" - a series of strobe lights, colored lights and flashing lights set to music). Then came the actual opening number, where the performers actually come out on stage. They began, and within a minute of starting we all noticed a bright, rhythmic flashing coming from the house walls. At first we thought it was part of the performance - after all, they'd had that seizure inducing number just before this. It seemed strange to me, nonetheless. As a veteran CATS-viewer, it just didnt' seem to fit. I then did what I do on plane rides - "watch the stewardesses", or in other words, the people who should know what's going on. I turned my attention to the performers. They'd know, right? At first they just persisted in their performance (much to their credit). But then they all slowly stopped as we heard the flashing lights start talking to us...

"May I have your attention please - a fire has been detected in the building. Please walk to the nearest exit"

Needless to say the cats all left the stage at this point and people started looking around, confused. The ushers (who aren't any more in the know that we), opened the doors to let people out. I started gathering my things when we heard a voice come over the speaker (the same one who had told us to turn off our cell phones). Voice said that there wasn't a fire, and asked us all to stay seated.

We sat. One of the ushers postulated that that a theatre smoke sensor had been left on. Some of the special effects in the play were haze and smoke, so they had to turn off the theatre sensors for certain performances. A fire marshal had to be on-site to do it though. Luckily, there were two fire marshals at the performance (by law) and did a sweep of the sensors and the building just to make sure there wasn't really a fire. The show resumed within 5 or 6 minutes.

They bagged the Epeleptic's Bane number and went right to the performing number. At exactly the same point in the dance, the lights started flashing again. No one moved this time - unless they were getting up to leave out of annoyance (which I didn't really find neccessary). Voice came on again and said there wasnt' a fire, and asked everyone to stay in the theatre while the firemarshals tried again to locate the problem.

By this time we're all suspecting a really cruel practical joke - or if you're like me, terrorists. What if someone was just trying to drive them to disarm the fire alarm system, then start a real fire? The possibilities were endless. Within a few minutes (during which I saw alot of poeple leave and come back with drinks that definitely weren't sodas...) Voice himself came out on stage! He was the stage manager for the traveling company, and was giving us an update. He said the next time they started, the play would show in it's entirerity. That finally happened about an hour later than the original curtain-up time. Stephan and I couldn't help joking about how we could have taken longer at dinner, and could have been less stressed on the drive up...or even could have jumped the front row seats of the people who'd gotten up to leave out of annoyance.

Was it worth it? YES! Though no dance company was perfect and, as a dancer myself, I probably notice more flaws than most, the one dancer I had set all my hopes on for a bang-up performance didn't dissapoint me:

Magical Mr. Mistoffoles!

(the above isn't the same performer as our company last night.)

The demands on the Mistofolees number are high. It includes alot of gymnastics as well as some pretty crazy spins (you know how ice skaters can keep spinning on the ice? this dancer has to be able to do it on solid ground). Did our Mistofolees deliever? Well, lets just say I didn't feel sick any more while he was dancing. He made the show worth it.

My kudos to the entire company for their professional-ness under the fire alarm fiasco, and my thanks to Mr. Mistofolees, for not dissapointing me.

Raw

I've mentioned that my husband and I are near vegetarians, not because we have moral issues with eating meat, but just because we prefer veggies. So I've taken to browsing the vegetarian cookbook section at Borders whenever we go there to read together. Stephan loves variety and adventure, so I'm always on the lookout for something new.

So in my browsings I'd started seeing an increasing number of unusual cookbooks popping up. In fact, they weren't cookbooks at all - they were full of recipes on how to prepare raw food.

My first thought was "oh, a bunch of salads!" (which we love). So I'd bring these books back to the table and look through them. It wasn't just salads folks - how does spicy thai peanut topping over young coconut noodles sound?


Sounded awesome to a veggie-lover like me. I presented the idea of having an experiemental "raw week" to Stephan and he said sure.

Well, we didn't even last a full day. We realized that we like our food to be warm in the winter, and that we just love cooking - we love being in the kitchen together preparing food with one another. We love food from all over the world, and most cultural traditions involve cooking the meal. So an all-raw lifestlye just wouldn't cut it for us. We also decided that this wouldn't be the best way to raise kids, and that we're too active for this kind of diet to sustain us. We aren't educated enough to get all the nutrients - let alone calories - we need from raw food.

But did any good come of it? Well, we're eating fruit for breakfast now instead of bagels every day. I discovered that the best snack in the world is an avacado. Yep, just an avacado with a sprinkle of salt. And we walked away from it with some really cool "salad" ideas =)

But there's more. I have a friend who's almost as much of a hippie as I am (she's prettier than me and has better fashion sense, so that puts the hurt on her hippie points =). She's tried a raw diet before (for a whole month!) and we were able to talk about it. It was one of the best conversations I've had in a while. We were both able to share our experiences, and I saw how my choice of diet could potentially become a threat to God in my life. I don't mean to say that God is threatened by my diet - but God's rightful place as Lord over my life is threatened. And the threat doesn't really come from the diet - it comes from me. I could see how desire to control my life was expressed through my diet. I could see how a fear of having a short, unhealthy life was expressed through my diet. I could also see how much time it took out of my day to learn how to be healthy eating this way, and saw how dangerous that in itself was. If my priority was on my food, it wasn't on the Lord. I could see very quickly how this could have potentially robbed God and my husband of the time God commanded me to give them. Would the increased time in preparation have lasted? Maybe not, but would it have been worth it? Not when I feel just as great eating minestrone soup or vegetable pizza!

It was a good reality check to see where my focus was. It was encouraging to me to be able to lay down this experiement immediately when I saw threats to and competition with my relationship with God and my husband looming in the distance. But it's always a helpful question: what has captivated my attention? Just because I wasn't consumed by a new way of eating and was able to lay it down quickly doesn't mean I'm immune to the sin of idolotry - it means I serve a merciful God who supplies grace. I need to be on guard constantly, and take up that grace daily.

So, what's captivated your attention?

Where've I been?

Tending a sick husband...then getting sick myself. But the worst has blown over now, and we're on the mend.

Hope, not Cope

Yesterday was a tough day.

I'd been struggling with something, and this something has been going on for years. There was a particularly bad episode night before last. As I fell into a fitful sleep, by soul resonated with the words Paul penned in his second letter to the church in Corinth:

"For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death..." -2 Corinthians 1:8-9a

I woke up the next morning with one thought on my mind: What can I do to cope? Mistake number one. Coping will only prolong my dispair and struggling. I sat in that very position for most of the day. Then the spirit in his kindness reminded me of something...

"...But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many." -2 Corinthians 1:9b-11

I was sinning. Are we surprised? I had submitted to the sin of self-sufficiency. I was relying on myself to get through this trial. I wasn't taking the opportunity, as Paul did, to rely on God for my stregnth and grow in dependence on him. When I rely on myself, all I can do is cope. But if I rely on God, I can hope.

So I learned two things from this passage.

1. Put my home in the God who raises the dead - meaning the God who loved me enough to send his son to die in my place. That is what gives me hope in my circumstances. Apart from the Gospel, I indeed have no hope at all.
2. Pray - Paul's closing in this section is asking the Corinthians to pray because prayer works. I need to go before God in prayer and ask for strength to do more than just cope, but to hope.

And wouldn't you know, as I did these things throughout the day, I saw change that very evening? Isn't God kind?

Renaissance

So I want to share a little dream of me and my husband's...

Has anyone heard of the Renaissance Festival? Well, if you haven't, it's a sort of fair. Many people wear kilts, medieval clothing, as well as fantasy costumes. There's a heavy focus on magic and craftsmanship in the Merlin/King Arthur sense, and they serve a lot of food all ending with "...On a stick".

I despise the Renaissance Festival.

Not necessarily because I'm annoyed by kilts and costumes, or even food on a stick. What bothers me is that none of that has anything to do with The Renaissance.

It's generally agreed that The Renaissance (which means "rebirth") began in central Italy around the end of the 13th century (1200s). It's titled The Renaissance because it was the 'rebirth' of classical thinking. Ancient texts of Greek philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were rediscovered, and their ways of thinking were applied to the arts, sciences and everyday life. It's critical to understand that The Renaissance terminated what was known as The Middle Ages, that ambiguous time after the end of Classical Antiquity (when Plato still taught at his academy in Athens). During the Middle Ages all thought and knowledge dissemination was controlled by the church, so no one really had 'their thinking caps on'. But the Renaissance changed all that. A semi-common thread that ran though all classical thought patterns was the power of reason. So basically, it could be said that during the Renaissance thinking came into style.

We want to own a coffee house, and we want to call it Renaissance.

Now I have to ask you to overlook a little tiny detail, being that coffee didn't come to Europe until the early 1600s, and the first coffee house didn't open until 1652. The beautiful ideal of the coffee house as a stage for idea exchange and discussion didn't come on the scene until about the same time, during the Age of Enlightenment. But before The Enlightenment people had already been thinking for hundreds of years. We think the 'epiphany' and 'waking up' connotations that are associated with the Renaissance are much more beautiful. So Renaissance it is.

And what would we do there? Well, we'd vend coffee, of course. But it would only be fair-trade coffee (coffee grown on farms where the farm-masters treated their workers well and paid them fairly). We'd also serve tea, also only fair-trade. We'd want to have some more delicate choices, like white teas from Asia, and some more unusual choices, like red teas from Africa. And let me tell ya, the "Chai" you get at Starbucks doesn't hold a candle to the real thing, originating in India. (I'll have to have Stephan do a guest post to tell you about our coffee ambitions - he's the coffee drinker.) We'd like to serve food too, probably mostly vegetable dishes (but not completely) and only organically grown. We'd hope to have a functioning library on site, and probably a used book store too, as well as a book swap. We'd want to showcase art, music, and writing. There'd be live music and open mic nights. We'd also want to offer tutoring for all school grades, as well as host guest speakers and discussion groups. Of course, we'd offer free wireless internet connections and big tables for students to spread their stuff out on. Maps would adorn all the walls along with some of our favorite pieces of art. It would be well lit for reading - and hey, maybe we'd even be able to sell Renaissance mugs eventually. The whole point would be to foster an environment conducive to learning, and get people thinking again.

It's a beautiful dream, and we aren't sure the Lord has it in our future, but we still talk about it none-the-less. So if one day you're walking though a college town and hear of a little fair-trade coffee shop called Renaissance, stop in and see me. I'll be behind the counter - probably with my nose in a book.

That time of year...

Well, it's that time of year again. The time when everyone's making New Years Resolutions and trying to get right all the stuff they got wrong last year. I've never partaken of these 'traditions' - at least not conciously. But this year I've noticed I'm doing it without meaning to. I guess it's just the natural flow of the season: after the holiday hubbub has died down, but the work-life hubbub is just getting it's momentum back, we find ourselves in a relatively quiet eddy. I always find myself organizing, picking-up, and reevaluating. I usually depart from the eddy resolved to make some changes. ...well, isn't that a resolution? I think so. So what are my resolutions this year?

1. Love my savior more/hate my sin more: My plan of attack for this is to spend more time (but not all my time) learning about God's holiness. The last time I studied this attribute of God, I had alot of helpful perspective adjustments. I also noticed an increase of gratitude in my heart as I came to understand that God didn't have to save me - he didn't owe me my salvation. But he gave it to me out of love - he gave me what I didn't deserve. Having this perspective resulted in alot of changes to my practical life as well as my thought life.
   
2. Purpose to cultivate a gentle, quiet spirit: "Do not let your adorning be external--the braiding of hair, the wearing of gold, or the putting on of clothing-- but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. " That's 1 Peter 3:3-4. To be honest, I haven't really done any study on this topic. But if this quality is 'very precious' in God's sight, I want to posess it.
   
3. focus on building relationships: I've been a meany all my life. Yep, it's true. My attitude was always "if you don't pursue me I'm surely not pursuing you." Well, with an attitude like that who in they're right mind is going to pursue a friendship with you? Only a very brave few (you know who you are, and I thank you for putting up with me during that time of life.) But God's been kind to teach me alot about relationships and their value. I want to work harder to be an encouraging, engaged, consistant, honest, humble, sacrificial, and appreciative friend.
   
4. Be more purposeful in sharing the gospel: In every circumstance, I want to be someone who's looking for an opening to share the gospel. If the conversation lends itself, I want to be ready to convey it quickly and simply, but accurately. And even if the conversation doesn't lend itself, I want to be aware that my actions are even then portraying the gospel - so I must make sure they're portraying it accurately.
   
5. Purpose to make sure my husband knows he's the most specialest guy in the world! - because he is! He should know it all the time! I should show him in my words, actions, and priorities.
   
6. Read more: Why? Why not? Readers are learners. I want to learn more about everything, espeically God. What cheaper, faster or easier way is there? Plus, I have one specific project I want to begin work on this year...
   
7. Plan my children's school cirriculum. Stephan and I are still exploring how we want our children to be schooled, but we're seriously leaning toward home schooling them. I don't want to arrive on the doorstep of their educational advent and be unprepared. This is another reason I want to read more. If I'm going to be teaching, I need to know these things myself. I also need to identify my areas of weakness so I'll be prepared to compensate with the help of others.

So, in closing, if anyone reading this has any resources they can offer on any of these topics (i.e. if you know any good books written on God's holiness, or if you were homeschooled or were a homeschooling parent) please tell me about it! You can post a comment or go into my profile and click the 'email me' link. Thanks!

Happy New Year Everyone!

Awesome God

We're starting something new today: CD reviews! We're starting out with a CD called Awesome God, put out by Sovereign Grace Ministries (who write and produce the best praise music in the world). Now, to business.

The CD's target audience is actually children. (The "choose your own cover" feature should give that away. Kids can choose from four CD covers.)


The purpose of the recording was to equip parents with a tool to begin teaching children about God, his character, his Gospel, and how they're to respond to these things. The great part of it is that truth is truth, no matter how old you are. These songs aren't anything like "this little light of mine", which doesn't really minister to an adult's heart. They're jammed with doctrinal and practical truths that remain unchanged when laid against backdrops of different ages, circumstances, and seasons of life.

Almighty Creator: This has to be one of my favorites. Someone very dear to my heart has told me for years that they just want to know God's purpose for their life. This person speaks in a sense of vocation or 'calling' - but unfortunately has overlooked that God has a common purpose for all people - indeed, all things. A few of the lyrics: "You made all things to show your glory, formed all things to bring you praise. You created me to worship you. You created me to love you. You have made me to delight in you. All glory to your name!" This is an essential perspective for kids to have from a young age.

Forever God: A simple song with simple lyrics with a simple message: God isn't like us, he goes on forever!

You are always with me: Another life-shaping truth - Jesus is always with us. A true grasp of this informs our behavior when 'no one is watching', as well as when we feel 'all alone'. This song drives the truth home.

Who is like you?: A great way to teach kids about what their posture should be before the Lord, and teaches them humility by acknowledging their smallness and unworthiness in light of God's greatness and majesty.

Soveriegn one: Another indespensable. Listen to these lyrics: "When I'm all alone and afraid...When things in my life don't make sense...When I don't get to have my own way...When tears begin to roll down my face...I will trust in you, for you are good." The song goes on to tell of God's sovereignty in our lives - how nothing is beyond His control, and he's working all things to his perfect plan. What a comfort this truth could be to a troubled little heart! (or a troubled big heart, for that matter.)

Mighty Mighty Savior: The bad news has to come before the good news, right? This songs spells out how no one is good enough to earn God's favor and heaven, and we need someone to help us - then points our minds right back to our mighty mighty savior Jesus!

Jesus came to earth: This song sings about how exactly Jesus acted out being our mighty mighty savior, then flows into why he's worthy of our praise.

Your love: I have a personal history with this song, so it's very near to my heart. I've been learning alot myself about how God shows his love for me by his correction of my sinful behavior. That is the heart of this song, that God's correction is an action of his love. I'm really thankful that a song is on the CD that shows this connection, because so often children can equate correction with anger. It's essential that they know their heavenly father doesn't correct them because he hates them, but because he loves them.

Three in one: A simple song about the trinity - something even I as an adult am still coming to understand better. It tells plainly the different roles of each of the persons in the godhead - father, son, and spirit.

For you are holy: God's holiness is something I am so excited to teach my own children about one day! This is the one area of study that I would attribute most of my spiritual growth to. Understanding that God is holy puts so many other things in perspective - grace, the gospel, myself - many things. This song kind of lists out what it means to be holy, and highlights God's absolute uniquness in being holy.

The gospel song: "Holy God in love became perfect man to bear my blame. On the cross he took my sin. By His death I live again." An absolute jewel of a song, simply and clearly stating the truth of the Gospel. What a weapon to arm children with from their young years onward!

Have you heard?: Another gem of a song. It asks the question "Have you heard about Jesus? Do you know who he is?" and then goes one to answer these questions. This song lays out the gospel in more specific, practical terms. It walks the listener through not only who Jesus is, but why we need him, and what exactly we have to do to accept the Gospel. It is truly, as the song states in the chorus, "The best news that we could ever hear." Don't we want our kids to hear it?

Overall I (even as an adult) love this CD. I can listen to it and remind myself of the basics - the stuff I learned in the bootcamp of my faith. I need to be reminded of these things. These are the simple foundations that we never move on from - we just build on top of. The gospel isn't just for unbelievers - it's for Christians of many years as well! Everything we try to put on top of this foundation will crumble if we don't keep the foundation strong. This CD is a great tool for building that foundation in our children while they're young. Even if they don't understand every line immediatley in an intellectual sense, they'll be armed with a vocabulary that will only become more and more exciting as they grow in years and in understanding of the Awesome God they serve.

Much thanks to Sovereign Grace for producing this CD. I can't wait to share it with my kids.

Hi!

Well, welcome back everyone! I've had trillions of post ideas racing around in my head since I last posted, but I haven't had the internet connection neccesary to do it. So they'll probably show up throughout the day today.

Until then, a helpful new-year link. (Most people who read this probably also read the GirlTalk blog - I got this link from there.) However, if you haven't, check it out:

10 questions to ask yourself at the start of a new year or on your birthday

This article opperates on the assumption that the reader is already a christian. If you aren't, I'd urge you to consider only one question:

Have I given the Gospel enough consideration to really truly disregaurd it with confidence?

(If you're unsure of what the Gospel is, see the post for December 22.)

Happy new year!