Wordless Wednesday: Time Flies
Topic: Photo entries

This is Emma, then 2, reading to Baby and Bear. And now, 15, sweet as can be!

**For more WW photo entries go to Wordless Wednesday or Five Minutes for Mom.**

Modern abolition
Topic: God things
I ran across this amazing interview on CNN with Zach Hunter, a modern day abolitionist today while visiting Crystal's blog. God gave this young man a mission and it is no small thing.

We also went to see Bridge to Terabithia today. It is not what you expect, but it IS a powerful movie....so many good themes running through it to talk about with your kids. I recommend it.

And yes, expect my summary of our women's retreat coming soon. We had a great time....which may be why I am struggling to get my brain in gear. =)

Friday's Feast #132
Topic: Humor/memes
Appetizer
Where on your body do you have a scar, and what caused it?
On my face I have a 2 centimeter scar from when I was 5 years old. I was sitting on the edge of my neighbor's driveway, eating popcorn. (no microwaves back then...it was actually popped on the stove top then drizzled with real butter and salt) My neighbor's dachshund, Molly, was sitting next to me watching every kernel from the bowl to my mouth *crunch*, bowl to mouth *crunch*, bowl to mouth *crunch*.

I noticed her intensity in watching me, so I hammed it up.

Bowl, waving it in front of the doggie's face, to my mouth, *crunch*

**BITE** "yeeeeeooooowwwwwwww waaaaah"

I was rushed into neighbor's house and set on the kitchen counter. I remember screaming my head off, the unchewed popcorn still sitting in my mouth. It was very traumatic. No stitches, just a big bandaid and put to bed. From then on, whenever I was at their house and Molly would come prancing in, I would jump on the furniture and scream. I must have been very annoying!

Soup
What is something that has happened to you that you would consider a miracle?
When Jesus drew me to Himself and took me as His own. Spiritual rebirth is a huge miracle.

Salad
Name a television personality who really gets on your nerves.
Oh I could name a lot! I'll have to say a certain, unnamed news show anchor who talks over the people he is interviewing and doesn't let them finish their thoughts. grrrrrrrr My husband likes to watch his show and if I"m in the room, he drives me crazy going 'blahblahblah' louder than anyone else on the show!

Main Course
What was a funny word you said as a child (such as "pasketti" for "spaghetti")?
Whatever I may have mispronounced was at once humiliated out of me by my older siblings. They were all teens when I was little. You didn't get away with things you could be made fun of around our house! So I have no memory of saying cute things like that....I feel robbed! ;)

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I have always thought ______ was ______.
I have always thought making people laugh was a great talent to posess. (it's too bad dachshond's don't have a better sense of humor....sheesh)

To join the Feast, click here!

I am off for our annual women's retreat tomorrow.......back on Sunday!

Let's give it up.......for Lent!
Topic: Holidays/Vacations
This is a reprint from 2 years ago...I can't believe I can measure my blog in years now! I love this holiday season.....I hope you make the most of it this year! Our church is doing a prayer emphasis, complete with booklets!...this year. We're praying for the entire world in 40 days. We're going through a daily prayer guide called Seek God for the City 2007, put out by WayMakers organization. Day one is today and we are seeking God on behalf of the Americas and the Caribbean.

So I guess this year, instead of giving up something, we are doing something extra....making time each day to pray for our world. However you remember the Lenten season, just make sure it's about Him and not about you giving something up.....I know that is always a struggle for balance for me when I do it!

Here were my thoughts from Ash Wednesday 2005:



Lent....something which a lifetime Baptist is a little ignorant about. I remember growing up in suburbia with Catholic friends coming home on Ash Wednesday with smudges on their foreheads....curious. Then the thought that they had to eat fish on Fridays.....horrid! None of them could reasonably explain these mysteries and so I didn't think much about it until the past few years. Now when I see the ashes smudged on foreheads, I think of sackcloth and ashes...of grief over one's sin in preparation of the Easter season.....remembering a Savior's suffering for my guilt. It is a good thing, the Lenten season. It's good to set aside 40 days of reflection, prayer, fasting to prepare for Easter.

As a mom and teacher, I've been searching for years on how to make Easter a truly spiritual celebration instead of just a fluffy Springtime holiday. The past few years I have been studying Passover and the rich theological comparisons and prophecies about the perfect Lamb of God. If you've never done that, I recommend it. =) Although the Passover studies have been really enriching and meaningful, Lent causes great personal reflection and action...it's a time of growth and sacrifice....and things that cause change.

So at the school we are observing Lent and preparing ourselves for a celebration of the most amazing event in history....the Ressurection of Christ. I would absolutely love it and be really really, if not eternally, grateful for any suggestions you may have on observing the Lenten season....especially if they are for kids' activities or devotions for kids.

So repent and be baptized,
prepare ye the way of the Lord,
behold the Lamb of God
and let's all give it up for Lent! =)

Wordless Wednesday: Edith's front porch
Topic: Photo entries

**For more WW photo entries go to Wordless Wednesday or Five Minutes for Mom.**

Explanation on first comment.

Brown rice and black bean salad
Topic: Crickl's Recipes
I am trying to include more whole grains in my diet, as well as my family's (yes, husband, that's you). So here is a really good recipe which uses brown rice. Since I'm not a big fan of brown rice (I grew up on Minute Rice and Rice-a-Roni), I love finding ways to make it more tasty. And this is truly a yummy salad!

This is from my friend Sally. It is a vegetarian main course as well as a good side dish or a filling for tortillas. (cold or warm!)

Brown Rice and Black Bean Salad

2 cups cooked brown rice (I use long grain), room temperature
1 15-oz can of black beans, drained
1 11-oz can of corn, drained
1 medium red onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper (I prefer yellow)
1/3 cup cilantro (or parsley or even spinach)

Combine all of these ingredients. Then prepare dressing:

Dressing
1/2 cup tomato salsa
1 tsp olive or canola oil
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1 orange, juiced (about 1/2 cup)
1 lime, juiced (about 1/4 cup)
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine dressing ingredients in small bowl and whisk until blended.

Both Sally and I have found that for the best taste, dress the salad just before serving.

Serve as a salad or in a pita bread, cold or in a tortilla with shredded cheese, warmed up.

Makes 4 servings. Each serving counts as:
1 1/2 vegetable
1 whole grain/bread
1 bean/protein

Each serving has:
325 calories
12 g. protein
3 g. fat
10 g. fiber

Additional information that was included in the recipe from a health magazine...the name of which, I am sorry, I do not have.

Most of the ingredients are rich in fiber, folate, antioxidants, and other phytochemicals that are thought to protect against cancer. The onion is a rich source of allium compounds, which may decrease the production of tumor cells and block the action of cancer causing chemicals, and the citrus juices contain a host of protective phytochemicals. And most importantly, this powerful combination of nutrients delivers a salad that is bursting with flavor.

Hello east coast!
Topic: Blogging
And the Chris Tomlin concert tour keeps moving along. They are on the eastern leg of the tour right now, as evidenced by the hits on my sitemeter.

It is cracking me up how people go home from that concert and do what I did after the concert: immediately get on the internet to find all that information for themselves. Here's the post they are looking at when they search:

How Great is our God?

***So everyone wave hello to Illinois, Ohio, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Indiana!****

Good movies
Topic: People/Family stories
We are enjoying President's Day. Thank you to all you presidents who gave us a day off! My 2 teenagers invited a group of kids over to watch a movie and I made a big pot of pinto beans, along with tortillas for them to munch on....brownies will be ready in a few minutes. I love days like this and I don't mind the extra work (usually) while my teens have company. I like to know their friends and I like to know exactly where they are and what they are doing on days like this. So they have the living room, watching Radio, while I am hunkered down in Maggie's room finally adding a post here after almost a week!!

Many times this week, I've thought about posting something, but couldn't get inspired. It's feast or famine in my brain!

The Blogging Chicks have a carnival of blogs every Sunday, so I was browsing there yesterday, when I found some useful information! Michele, who runs the Blogging Chicks sight, has a movie review of Bridge to Terabithia, a new movie that began in theaters last weekend. Now I can't wait to see it! The story is about a boy and girl who begin to write a fantasy story together, which is why you see fantasy scenes when you see the previews. It is mostly about relationships and friendship though, and that is why it interests me.

Does it seem to you that kids these days are different (scary different) than they were just a few years back? I want to see a movie that depicts the innocence and wonder of childhood without the kids becoming rock stars or over-glamourized symbols. So I will let you know what I think in a few days....or a week. We are planning on seeing Amazing Grace when it comes out next weekend too! *can't wait...it looks very good*

In a world where you can't turn on a television without seeing the minute by minute reports on what misled, very sad superstars are doing to themselves or others, it's exciting to have some good things to view....to take your kids to and just enjoy a good movie.

And remember, just go to Plugged in online to see Christian movie or television reviews on any little thing that may be offensive in today's entertainment industry. They really do write about every little thing that could offend someone, so you can decide for yourself if it is worth paying to see!

Happy President's Day!

The Most Important Love
Topic: God things


The Greatest Commandment

Mark 12:28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

29-31"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

32-33"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

34When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

To be a liberator
Topic: God things
A week ago I wrote an entry on feeling kind of helpless when I see a homeless person asking for help on street corners. My friend Kim, who I went to college with and is a very wise and intuitive person, wrote a comment which I wanted to share with you. She graciously agreed. The following is her comment. She offers very practical advice about how to handle the street corner situation as well as actually making a difference in the lives of these people if they choose to take a step to getting on their feet.

From Kim:

Your Q: But what can you do for a man with a sign at a busy intersection?

Good to pray for God to work. But, is it a situation that only falls in God's bailiwick? Could Christians take it one step further and dedicate time in their busy lives to pray and think critically about developing a personal approach and doing whatever their part is? Save a miracle, these problems will continue to be here 2 years, 5 years, 10 years from now, with Jesus' return as a caviete. So why not prayerfully plan a meaningful response that includes both faith and works? I am not downgrading the prayer approach blessing our friend on the street- but asking to go farther.

Getting out of guilt and developing a thoughtful approach is more equipping. As a former chaplain on skid row in LA- I have ideas. Read if you are interested, if I go on too long, please forgive. Biblical times, which Christians use as a yardstick in our faith - were both somewhat kinder and somewhat crueler to the disenfranchised than our era. At least in the Old Testament there was thought to leaving grain in the field at harvest for poor people to gather with the dignity of their own effort. There was the Year of Jubilee to help people get out of any financial bind they were in (just 2 examples). But, there were many injustices in biblical times as well.

What we face in our large, anonymous American culture is almost no active thinking, no developed social constructs to support disenfranchised people through family, church or law. No prayer for personal direction that is ongoing and thoughtful. Most families and churches do not want to really think about it OR have these people around- I suspect that is one of the first things that Christ might want to chat with our faith-professing people about. As a result we have eliminated any personal, civic or corporate reality to assist them that ever was in place on this continent. As an example: mental institutions no longer received government funding to care for many of these souls in the 70's, I think. We have lost a personal and corporate sense of community care. I knew a woman who would bum change, with her child at her side, and was making about $60 an hour. AND she was higher than a kite while doing it. And she loved Sundays near the mega-church, as they poured out of the service...

This is our generation's shame. Most have not had the collective will to think hard and long and do anything large and bold. Or small and steady. I don't see guilt as a motivator here, there is plenty of it floating around and it actually does not really help these people. If it did we might have seen plenty of results by now. It does make for good fund-raising for homeless shelters, but it is a demoralizing milieu to further subject these people to. I don't know too many people who, after handing change to the disenfranchised feel good.

You cannot blame the disenfranchised - when I worked with them closely, I found that many of them had a greater faith that had been more tested than my own. Many of them had developed belief systems that they could articulate - not a ruse. They had biological problems, runs of bad luck, cruel addictions, lack of cunning or abusive situations that they were trying to escape. It rains on the just and the unjust- and there by the grace of God we all go. Most of us in America are about 3 months away from financial fragility. A run of bad luck or a triggering event or physical or mental illness. This is what we should think about it when we see them - because we can see a version of ourselves in a harder situation, not because they are so "other". Do onto others....

I have found that having a 2 pronged approach - personal and civic- that I have prayed over and chosen to be worked out in my life is equipping. It is a way to be present and courageous in the face of this horrible situation in our country. Dignity and no guilt. I have prayerfully provided in my daily life a certain budgeted approach that I can afford toward this problem through a local agency. I take active interested in seeing our laws change and urging an increase of grants through government given to independent social service agencies that can contextually address specific community shortfalls. In my neighborhood I make a point to know where the social services are located so that I can direct people there. If they ask for change, I will say that I give my money through this particular organization and how to reach them. I keep literature in my car on the agency. Some don't respond nicely- but I have had some speak a blessing over me because of this. And, I receive it gratefully.

If we pray for direction on what our part is- and yours might look different than mine - then we are liberators. There will be moments when a unique situation requires ingenuity and a spiritual power encounter, but truth be told, most of these are generally the same type of scenarios week after week. The guys peering into your car on many off ramps from the freeways. I actually feel more hopeless when I look at LA women driving Escalades or I see previews of the "Real House Wives of Orange County”. Sorry to go on and on- but there is truly no reason for people to be stuck on this issue. And if you pray to get yourself past it into whatever you are going to do, you will do your part. Knowing you, Christie, you will become more and more liberating. We can all grow as liberators.



***Thank you to Kim for allowing me to post this and thank you for reading it. I urge you to pray and think about what you could do to be a liberator! (SUCH a cool word!)

I was going to post the verse she referred to in James chapter 2, but the entire chapter is about this subject. So if you took the time to read this post, you should really take a few more minutes and read what God's Word says about it.

Banana Pancakes
Topic: Crickl's Recipes
My 3 oldest daughters love to listen to Jack Johnson's music. And last week Emma was playing one song over and over....Banana pancakes. It's a silly song about being lazy, but I've had banana pancakes on my mind ever since. I've never had them before, but we made them this morning and YUM....they are worth writing a song about. =)

Banana Pancakes

INGREDIENTS
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 ripe bananas, mashed

DIRECTIONS
Combine flour, white sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together egg, milk, vegetable oil and bananas.

Stir flour mixture into banana mixture; batter will be slightly lumpy.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Cook until pancakes are golden brown on both sides; serve hot.

****I tripled the recipe because Emma had some friends spending the night. And I used brown sugar instead of white and used about a teaspoon of vanilla. Next time I may try using my whole grain pancake mix from Sprouts with mashed bananas in it.

Referrals
Topic: Blogging
I have been finding some new websights lately and want to share them with you in case you need some inspiration or maybe a laugh. =)

My friend, Crystal has a video up on her blog this morning. It is for parents, but it's a big (huge) social statement as well as parental reminder. Please watch it. I found it here, on Youtube too. It is a little raw and rough to watch, but I think the message will stay with you.....it's worth a watch and less than 2 minutes long.

There is a 'place' here in cyberspace called Bloggityville and once you find yourself involved, it is hard to put into words the community you find there. Christian women bloggers are rapidly growing in number and have a distinct (and sometimes hilarious) voice out there! I quickly recognize the names of bloggers I've seen in comment boxes, encouraging each other and giving shout outs on their own blog to advertise a new blogger sister out there. I will be trying to put more of my regular stops up on my sidebar, but for now, just a little newsy thing. And my own Phoenix church girls will LOVE this.

Beth Moore has a blog! It's called The LPM Blog and she is a blogging sista if ever there was one. She and her daughter Amanda blog almost daily and they are seemingly melding right into Bloggityville. Go and welcome them. Beth has been given a powerful ministry from God and if you've never done one of her Bible studies, why not!?? Here is the main website for Living Proof Ministries.

E-mom has another very good set of articles this week on Knowing God's Will. Go on over to Chrysalis to check it out. I was really moved and challenged by e-mom's own testimony of listening to God's leading in her own life.

And now, here is a very silly website. I hope there is nothing too off color here *in way of disclaimer*, but so far it has seemed ok to me. I've been going there and just listening to him ramble on in the background while I surf the net. It cracks me up! So go here for Clearification.

Wordless Wednesday: Expectant Sky
Topic: Photo entries


A building in Israel, pointing to the expectant sky.

**For more WW photo entries go to Wordless Wednesday or Five Minutes for Mom.**

This is war....
Topic: Prayer
On our way home from the mall tonight, we were stopped at a freeway exit ramp traffic light. And there he was, our delimma, standing there with a weathered sign, asking for help. He looked younger than us, 30ish, and he was jabbering on to himself or maybe to the cars he was scanning with his eyes....wanting to make that eye contact...that connection....and some cash.

I really am not being cynical. I know that is what he wanted, why he was there and I am seriously conflicted at that point. Charles and I have worked with homeless people quite a bit and money never changes their situation. So we make it a point not to hand them cash. I have handed out food to someone like this man, crackers or something quick that I could reach. And I've bought hamburgers for a homeless, hungry looking soul in Burger King. My husband talks to a lot of people coming to the church, looking for help. So he takes them to buy gas or gives them a bag of groceries. And he talks to them about Jesus while he's doing it.

It really is a delimma these days for Christians. The Bible says to give to all who ask....to be as wise as serpents, as gentle as doves...to give a cup of cold water, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, visit those in prisons. And we definitely should!

But what can you do for a man with a sign at a busy intersection? I knit my brows and thought about it for a moment, then I prayed for him, silently. He didn't know, he was jabbering at cars and concentrating hopefully on windows rolling down. I didn't assume he was on drugs or mentally ill, but I prayed for God to draw this man to Himself....to break his chains and set him free.

Because prayer changes things.

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
James 5:16

So the next time you see a situation you can't change, pray. I'm still thinking about that man tonight....and it prompts me to pray again for him. I'll never know, until that Day, what may change for that man because of a prayer of spiritual warfare, whispered while waiting on a traffic signal, but I think I can trust God with that. I know something is going on because I keep thinking of it. So I do what I can....and that is the most effective thing we can do....PRAY.

I never want to underestimate what God wants to do....and how He may want to use me to do it.

From Isaiah 59
14 So justice is driven back,
and righteousness stands at a distance;
truth has stumbled in the streets,
honesty cannot enter.

15 Truth is nowhere to be found,
and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.
The LORD looked and was displeased
that there was no justice.

16 He saw that there was no one,
he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;
so his own arm worked salvation for him,
and his own righteousness sustained him.

17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate,
and the helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on the garments of vengeance
and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.

And Ephesians 6
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

God wants us to intervene for the helpless.....so I want to dust off that armor, polish that breastplate, and sharpen that Sword.

And I won't just pray for the homeless men I see with signs at busy intersections. I'll pray for that tired, irritated mother of preschoolers in the grocery store, for the angry young man, covered with tattoos at the movie theater and for those emo kids who skateboard past my house every day.

And I will be keeping watch......God wants to cause change.

And He will.

Hit me baby!
Topic: People/Family stories
I am tracking something with my sitemeter. A sitemeter shows you when someone visits the sight (called a 'hit'), where their server is located, and how they got there. For example, if they do a search, it will say google search and show you the search words. Or if they are clicking in from another blog or an email it will say the email server's name or the blog name. It is cool to see where people are coming from.

Ever since I wrote about the Chris Tomlin concert, I have been getting numerous hits on my blog from people in the cities the concert has just gone through. The hits are all from people doing searches on msn, google or other search engines with the words laminin or Louie Giglio. I can literally tell you where he had a concert the night before! It started with my own city, where the tour actually began, Phoenix. Then I got hits from all over California, then Las Vegas, Colorado and now Texas. Next week they go to the midwest, starting with Wisconsin.

Hello Wisconsin! *waves*

And I can tell you why they search. It was an amazing concert and such a thought provoking sermon from Louie Giglio. I was driven to find out more about this scientificly based information including evidence of Jesus in the outter reaches of the universe and also in the most intimate, smallest detail of our bodies....the very protein that holds our cells together.

So once again, here are those links!

Louie Giglio's teaching

Chris Tomlin concert review

Oh, and welcome to all those who are searching for more scientific tidbits (the tip of the iceberg really) that build your faith.