Houston? We Have a Problem

Hi, just here in Houston. Didn't expect me to be here? Me neither, so I'm trying something new, blogging from my phone. So there won't be any pictures and there could be some horrible spelling. Sorry.
I'm on my way home from Florida. Maybe sometime later I'll get to writing about that. My flight today was to leave from Orlando at 3:30 but the plane arrived there a bit late. Then weather was moving in so we had to get a new flight plan. Getting that and more fuel caused us to get behind in the take off line up. We lined up behind the other planes waiting to take off. It was like the slowest drive thru ever. In that time the storm rolled through and we were grounded during it. I'm thankful for that.
But that put our whole flight an hour late getting off the ground. Free sodas and granola bars were handed out. I'm thankful for those. Once off the ground, there was unexpected turbulence, but we made it through and guess what the Sun is always shining above the rain, lightening, and turbulence. I am thankful for that. We landed in Houston and I missed my next flight from Houston to Des Moines, so I'm spending the night in a lovely Holiday Inn, with food vouchers and free shuttle service and care kit, all courtesy of Continental Airlines. I'm thankful for that. I had supper at the "Good Eats" restaurant that is in the hotel and it was food. While I can't scream to y'all (I'm adapting very quickly to the Southern accent) that it's the best good eats I've ever had, but I can't complain either. It is sustenance and way more than many others have and so I'm thankful. My room is nice. The bathroom is clean. The seat on the toilet was left up and the toilet paper was folded over into a triangle. Two signs that the bathroom has been cleaned. Either that or a guy came in, went standing up, thus never using toilet paper. In which case, I'd be hard pressed to be thankful. I don't think so, though.
I remembered to bring my charger for my phone. Thankful. I got to talk to the kids tonight. Thankful. Someone will help fill in where I was suppose to tomorrow. Thankful. There is a shuttle every half hour to the airport. My luggage is safely tucked away at the airport. It will probably arrive home before I do. Thankful anyway.
Get the idea?
I just read this today from Crazy Love by Francis Chan.
"We are consumed by safety. Now, I'm not saying its wrong to pray for God's protection, but I'm questioning how we've made safety our highest priority. We've elevated safety to the neglect of whatever God's best is, whatever would bring God the most glory, or whatever would accomplish His purposes in our lives and in the world. Would you be willing to pray this prayer? God, bring me closer to You during this trip, whatever it takes..." p.133
I did pray that little starter prayer during my flight and now I'm here in Houston, staying overnight, without my luggage, eating at a restaurant that people on the shuttle bus encouraged me to eat the pasta and I ordered a burger 'cause I need protein and there isn't a gift shop for me to get a t-shirt to sleep in that says "I love Houston" or even "I heart Holiday Inn" and the tv in my room doesn't even carry the Food Network!!!!!
I'm fine. I'm going to get to finish my book and have some alone time with God. I'm thinking I could get closer to Him that way.
Houston, we've got a problem? Cancel that.

To the Dentist

We’ve been waiting a while to see our dentist. He started his own practice in the fall and we finally got in to see him. Oh, there’s not a huge waiting, I’m just not always on top of scheduling things.

We could not wait to see Dr. Overman. After going to his open house, the kids were very excited about the kids’ room, where there are toys and books and a tv. Luke, especially thought there were snacks every where since that was the way it was during the open house. He didn’t seem to disappointed though when we told him he wasn’t going to get any snacks.

His assistant with the help of her assistant taught the kids how to properly brush their teeth. (I’m sorry for the blurry pictures, smudged lens.)

Then they went into the examining room and they are so efficient there they can do two kids at once!! Okay, no, not really. But she did a good job prepping the boys on all the fancy tools and equipment.

Luke was a bit hesitant when it was his turn. I took him in and after getting some cool shades, he got to see his teeth up on the tv, so that was fun. Thank goodness we were not there for any teeth extracting, but we will have to go back. (sigh) He’s got some cavities that need help.

Why is this so important to tell all of blog-land about my kid’s dental appointment? I guess it started with Luke’s traumatic visit last year and this is the first follow up after that. Mainly, its for the grandmas and grandpas who read this. And to not leave anyone out, I will need a filling replaced sometime, Bill’s are fine and Audrey’s are perfect. Ben’s will probably come in fine, though when I look at his mouth now, I swear he will have to have braces but Dr. Overman isn’t quite as sure. And now you know all about our teeth.

P.S. Absolutely everyone who see’s Luke’s missing tooth asks him about it. I told him to say “Dr. Overman pulled it out.” so that he would know how to answer and people are very fine with that answer. Now he has shortened it to “It got pulled out.”

Banana Muffins

The other side of the counter loves these muffins. They are perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, mid-afternoon snack or any other time of the day someone is hungry. They freeze wonderfully, too, so double up the recipe if you can. This was originally a recipe for banana bread, but muffins work better for us.

Banana Muffins

• 1/2 c. butter, melted
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 c. mashed bananas (2)
• 1 3/4 c. flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Combine melted butter and sugar, mix well. Add eggs and mix. Add vanilla and mashed bananas. Combine (if you want, but don’t have to) flour, baking powder, soda and salt and add to wet ingredients. Stir to combine. Scoop into muffin tins. Bake at 350^o about 15 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

 

Now I know everyone has their favorite banana bread/muffin recipe and to tell the truth, I don’t try anyone else’s, though everyone swears that their recipe is the best. So here’s a little story for you.

This recipe comes from a friend from college, Michelle. I had some questions about what was acceptable in dating in the college ministry she and I were both a part of so she and I went out for supper to talk. She told me that dating was actually okay but that there had just been a whole bunch of couples who had gone off and gotten married and The Salt Co. was kind of couple-less at the moment, so my question was legit. When I got home, the phone rang and it was Bill asking me out!!

Later, Michelle gave me this recipe for Banana Bread, that she said Bill liked. So the story behind that is that she used to make this banana bread recipe for Bill on a regular basis. I asked Bill and he just thought she was being nice. But Michelle’s side might indicate that she felt a little differently. Who knows? Anyway, one night she didn’t make any for him and he cracked a joke about it and that was the end of the banana bread for him, at least from her.

Michelle is one of the nicest, most sincere women I know, so how that story really all played out was probably skewed from my in-love, hearts all aglow perspective. I’m really thankful to her for giving me her recipe. I think of her every time I make them.

What’s the story behind your banana bread recipe?

Not Thursday and That’s Ok

I started the Thankful Thursday thing, but guess what? I haven’t posted anything on Thursday for 2 weeks. I hate not being able to keep my word so I’m going to loosen myself from the idea of posting about thankfulness to Thursdays only. It’s Friday today. So what? Let’s just be okay with that. Besides God doesn’t say to be thankful on Thursday anyway. He says to be thankful always.

I have been reading the book “One Thousand Gifts” and the premise of it is that we can learn to live fully in the life God has given us by giving thanks. It’s titled One Thousand Gifts because a friend challenged her to find 1,000 things that are really gifts, in turn naming them back to God and giving thanks for them. I have read it over and over and have turned the idea over and over. I wrestle with the fact that my life isn’t marked by continual thanks- peace and joy aren’t hallmarks that represent my life, an offspring of a life of thanks. Then I wrestle with the fact that I just want to rebel and don’t really want to count 1,000 things. Which in turn means, not that I can’t count to 1,000, but that I don’t want to slow down and find the thanks, the gifts, the grace, in everything and every situation. I don’t want to give God glory.

I decided to dig further in. When I came to my self- ugly conclusion, I really wanted to grasp the idea of thankfulness deeper. I went to biblestudytools.com (Carolyn would be proud) and did a word search. Here’s what I got from Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology (I know- wow!)

“Thanksgiving is a motive for Christian life and conduct, a general attitude toward both the blessings and trials of life, a central component of prayer, and the context for the proper use of material things.”

“We retain our joy and peace especially when “in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, [we] present our requests to God.” Phil 4:4-6” (within context)

I opened my devotional this morning and guess what greeted me? This…

“Let thankfulness temper all your thoughts. A thankful mind-set keeps you in touch with Me. I hate it when My children grumble, casually despising My sovereignty. Thankfulness is a safeguard against this deadly sin. Furthermore, a grateful attitude becomes a grid through which you perceive life. Gratitude enables you to see the Light of My Presence shining on all your circumstances. Cultivate a thankful heart, for this glorifies Me and fills you with Joy.”

He has shown me this three times now so I’m thinking He really wants me to get this whole thankfulness thing. He wants me to learn, to practice, to be thankful in the small, in the everything. When you give God his proper place, give Him his sovereignty, His authority over all (and that my friends, is another matter highly worthy of some good wrestling with!), when you come to the place of grace (go- wrestle with grace), you will recognize that the gifts of now are to point to the gifts of forever. Then, as you practice, as I practice thanksgiving, peace and joy, among other things will pour forth.

Now, let’s practice…

Thankfuls

• that faith does not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power (1 Cor. 2:5)
• friendship that loves across the miles into sandy beaches
• for gray days that make us crave for the sunshine
• for a new van

What are you thankful for?

my SISTER’S ultrasound

My sister had her ultrasound for baby last week. Back when I was pregnant, there wasn’t any fancy emailing of ultrasound pictures. You got 7 or 8 printed out and that was it! Technology! I love it!

Oh, back to baby. Well, the baby’s healthy! And has all of it 2,000+ parts! But I can’t show you certain pictures because there aren’t any ambiguous, you can tell if you know what you’re looking for, kind of picture. There is one really obvious picture. And that is not going to make it on Aunt Mindy’s blog.

For those of you who are not ultrasound savvy, certain parts tend to make the highlight reel better than other parts and that’s how you know.

The ultrasound room was crowded. Mom, Dad, 2 sisters, 1 brother and a grandma. Good thing Grandma was there because Ariana burst into tears when she found out and Grandma had to take her out of the room.

Later, when I congratulated Ariana, her reply was “I’m not too happy about it.”

When I asked Chiara what was in Mommy’s tummy she said a teddy bear. But then she recounted the whole scene complete with what really is in Mommy’s tummy.

I’m still so excited. I texted Beth earlier in the morning to tell her to say hi to the baby for me! (I also regularly talk directly to her stomach to baby. I’m like the aunt whisperer!)

Taco Filled Pasta Shells

This recipe is for a cousin of Bill’s, Melinda, who had done the meals for a month kind of cooking. You buy a bunch o’ ingredients, get together with a friend and assemble, cook and freeze an entire month’s worth of meals. I’ve never done an entire month, instead I look for meals that double easily, making one for now and one for later. This recipe falls into that category, well, depending on how much your family eats. Just like the ham balls, you will be so glad you have these in the freezer.

Taco Filled Pasta Shells

• 2 lbs. gr. beef
• 2 envelopes taco seasoning
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 24 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
• 1/4 c. butter, melted

Additional Ingredients for each casserole:

• 1 c. salsa
• 1 c. taco sauce
• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 c. shredded Monterey Jack or Mozzarella cheese
• 1 1/2 c. crushed tortilla chips
• sour cream
• chopped green onions

Brown ground beef and drain off fat. Add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Add cream cheese, cover and simmer if needed to melt cream cheese. Transfer to a bowl and chill for 1 hour. Cook pasta shells to package directions; drain. Gently toss with melted butter. Fill each shell with about 3 Tbsp. taco meat mixture.

Place 12 shells in a greased 9” baking dish. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. (WooHoo!!)

To prepare remaining shells, spoon salsa into another greased baking dish. Place filled shells on top and drizzle taco sauce over the top. Cover and bake at 350o for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheeses and chips and bake 15 minutes longer or until heated through. Serve with sour cream and onions.

To use frozen shells: Thaw in refrigerator. Add salsa to dish, etc. Bake at 350o for about 40 minutes. Uncover and proceed as above.

 What I actually do:

• The cream cheese doesn’t have to be perfectly softened. It will melt faster if it is somewhat softer than if you just pulled it out of the fridge.
• I don’t melt the butter. That dirties another dish. Instead I throw it into the hot pot the shells cooked in, then toss the hot shells on top of them.
• When I freeze the extra ones, I don’t put them in a greased casserole dish. I have some Tupperware freezer mates (of course), and I stick them in there. You could freeze them on wax paper lined sheets, then toss them in freezer bags if you wanted to. Save a casserole dish!
• I don’t thaw them in the fridge (shh- don’t tell anyone). I pull them out ahead, if I can, but I set the on the counter.
• I eyeball the salsa, taco sauce, cheese (use whatever you have!), chips. Use the chips from the bottom of the bag!
• I do a happy dance when I have these in the freezer!

Read This, Watch This, Hear This, Attend This

Need help focusing your mind and preparing your heart during Lent? Are you seeing your ‘giving up’ as a burden and drudgery. Read this blog, A Glad Surrender, as you walk with Christ in the days leading up to Easter.

The Discovering David Dansville DVD is now available. We’ve watched it a couple times already and it is good and there’s this really cute orphan in it, too. You can get one by going to the Cornerstone online store and ordering them. It’s really easy. Get yours today. Also, get the Anthem albums there, too. Rock and worship like you never thought possible from a “church band.”

Wednesday, March 23 at 6:30 at Cornerstone, the current Rosebud Host Families will be sharing a snippet of their life with a Rosebud student. Yours truly is going to be there, though I hope to pass the mic to Bill and let him do the speaking. This is for the curious, this is for the not curious, this is for the not faint of heart, this is for the faint of heart. Hear from those who have been willing to “help widows, orphans, and those in distress”. Witness as they testify to how God is loosening the chains. Have your heart be broken for the lost.

Now this one is ladies only. But men (if there is any men reading this), you will want your lady to attend this. Or maybe you won’t. Because she will come home wanting to be a better woman, a Godlier woman, a Biblical Woman, and that my friend, means God will be working on you. Not married? Don’t worry- God speaks to ALL women. Not perfect? Perfect!! Neither is the speaker and the other women you will meet. But you will be encouraged and we women need that (even more than a massage and a pedicure!)It’s at Cornerstone Church, in Ames, on Saturday, April 2nd from 9-2, with lunch! Click here to register!

Sorry to be so bossy. These things are mucho important! As Christ followers, He calls us to choose the narrow path, not the wide path. The wide path may seem easier, but it leads to death. The narrow path is hard, but it leads to life. Let me say that again. The narrow path is HARD!! That’s why we need resources like these. These encourage us on our journey. They confirm that life on the narrow path means you do things the rest of the world, the wide path, doesn’t do. They set our mind on things above because we forget, in the middle of the hardness, that this path leads to life. I need reminders. Like ALL THE TIME! That’s what these things are for. Use them, please.  

 

Spring Breaking It

Does that title make any sense? Probably not. It’s been Spring Break this past week and though the to-do list loomed large, I just decided I wasn’t going to spend my time trying to get those things done. I’ve got kids to be with!!

We’ve been:

• sleeping in until way later because Daylight Savings Time messed us up
• staying in our jammies and lounging until way later
• going to a hockey game with a buddy
• going to Perfect Games for some bowling and game playing
• going to the library
• teaching some piano lessons because I’m going to be gone later on this month
• playing with friends at their house
• playing with friends at our house
• learning how to knead bread dough
• making chocolate dipped banana pops, chocolate dipped strawberries, chocolate dipped Girl Scout shortbread cookies
• going on hikes
• learning how to ride a 2-wheeler
• vacuuming out the vehicles
• running outside
• riding motorcycles
• going on a date
• going to a movie 
• going to the Science Center
• going to Trader Joe’s
• attending a baseball camp
• girl shopping while boys are at baseball camp
• being flipped upside down by Uncle Philip on the trampoline
• doing dishes by hand because we’re out of dishwasher detergent
• playing outside in the dark
• finding constellations
• having sleepovers two nights in a row
• going to bed early the next night
• visiting Great Grandma in the hospital
• winning 2 adult x-large t-shirts playing basketball in the hospital cafeteria
• trying to figure out what day it is

It’s been a great Spring Break. Tell me, what did you do on your break? I hope it was great!

A Captured Kiss

Unclog Your Drains

I’ve been noticing our shower drain has been draining much slower lately and decided I needed to take a look at it. I unscrewed the drain cover and found myself face to face with the most disgusting goo I have ever seen. I did not take a picture. Do clogged shower drains ever happen to anyone else?

I grabbed my Queen of Clean book and here’s what she said to do: Pour 1 cup salt (any salt, I used rock salt because I had a cups worth) and 1 cup baking soda (I buy it at Sam’s because baking soda is a great cleaner) into the clogged drain. Then follow it with a kettle full of boiling water.

I did and it worked!! It loosened up the nasty stuff to the point where I could pull the mass out. I did the whole thing again because I wanted to make sure the drain was clear. She doesn’t say to do it again, but after seeing what I saw, I wasn’t going to stop until I knew the whole thing was working 100%.

For regular maintenance of drains, she suggests pouring a handful of baking soda followed by a 1/4 c. vinegar into them once a month. I suppose you could add a few drops food coloring and let the kids have homemade volcanoes! It’s non-toxic and cheap!

Here’s another little clogged drain story. When we were first married, Bill and I managed apartments. The owner had this little duplex that a couple of foreign guys had rented out for a while. They call us to say their kitchen sink is clogged. Bill calls Roto-Rooter, who comes over to snake the pipe. The Roto-Rooter guy calls Bill back and announces that they’ve struck oil, in the bathtub!! Eew! They had been pouring all their cooking grease down the sink!

Now that I’ve left you with that nasty image, go unclog some drains!

 

Chocolate Raspberry Bars

These are some seriously yummy bars. Do not make them if it’s going to be you only because you will eat all of them. I started taking this picture with two bars, ahem. I made them for the women’s group that met at my house this week.

Chocolate Raspberry Bars

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 c. powdered sugar

1/2 c. butter

Filling:

1/2 c. seedless raspberry jam

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp. milk

1 c. (6 oz.) white chocolate chips, melted

Glaze:

3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 Tbsp. shortening

In a bowl, combine flour and powdered sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Press into an ungreased 9” square baking pan. Bake at 375^o for 15-18 minutes or until slightly browned. Spread jam over warm crust. In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and milk until smooth. Add melted vanilla chips; beat until smooth. Spread carefully over jam layer. Cool completely. Chill until set, about 1 hour. For glaze, melt chocolate chips and shortening together, stir to combine; spread over filling. Chill for 10 minutes. Cut into bars, then chill another hour. Store in the fridge. Yields about 3 dozen

At Thankful Again

Whew! Here we are again at Thursday! Have you been thinking about your next set of thankfuls? I have. But truth be told, I fell off the bandwagon for a while. I haven’t been thankful very much lately. I’m a sour puss. Know what I mean? But here’s the thing: God loves me in spite of that!! What I’m losing out on when I’m not thankful for every single little grace in my life, every single little gift, every single thing good or bad, I’m missing out on a relationship with Him. So, I’m going to keep this thankful thing up. I need to.

I’ve tried to make it as easy as possible for you to leave your thankfuls. I’m not really going for number of comments, but it is encouraging to hear your thankful thoughts.

My thankfuls:

chocolate raspberry bars (recipe coming tomorrow)

cabinet jobs that provide

music teachers who encourage you to follow your calling

James 4:6 “But he gives us more grace.”

 

Ben Loves Basketball

How I’m Doing

Many of you have been asking, which always surprises me. How am I doing? Doing? Doing what? Then I remember- oh yes. How am I doing now that Victoria is gone? And again, the answer is not easy, it does not simply, briefly surmise. How I wish it did! I’d love to rip off a couple of one-liners. Here’s my life now, in a nutshell. But that just isn’t the way it’s working out.

Initially, after she left, Bill and I were expended. I describe it as us just having run the hardest race of our life, the last 200 yards we pushed and pushed. And when we crossed the finish line, we didn’t come slowly to a stop, stay in our lane and wait for the timer to get our name. We collapsed into the grass and threw up (that actually happens). And, thankfully, no coach came over and said, get up, get over it, there’s another race to run.

But any runner will know you aren’t done running once the race is over. Unless you are in severely bad shape, there are the cool down laps to run. You don’t skip those. (Believe me, Mr. P., my high school track coach, got very irate about a certain team of 4 x 4 runners skipping cool down laps!) I’m not certain the exact reasons for the cool down run, only to guess that after exerting yourself, you need to gradually cool your body down so that muscles and lactic acids and stuff don’t mess you up. But, man, I wanted to skip the cool down. I wanted to run away, sort it all out, get a new game plan and then come back. However, life plowed ahead. There were events to attend, work to do, laundry, lessons, friends, fights, attitudes, emails… and in the very least, 3 hungry mouths to feed at least 3 times a day every day!

I thought I was doing okay. I knew I was going through some loss type issues that I shared with my friend, Deanna. I knew from my time the immediate Sunday after, that I need Him. And I needed Him to lead me. And I was willing to go where He lead. I was willing to be laid down in the green pastures and given quiet water to drink. So when I’d get up on my feet and try a few steps, I was caught by surprise that I was wobbly still. I’d be with friends, sharing the Word together, and out would tumble confusion. Heh. Hi. I’m apparently not okay. I’d be with still more friends, needing friendship that just is, and 2 hours in, I was done. I’d kind of shut down. I needed to go home.

So I’d go home. And I was quiet. But my quiet came in a uneasy sort of way. What is the rhythm of our life now? How do we live now? The one thing that we had focused on, the one person that consumed the larger portion of our time, energy, efforts, conversations, and in a sense, our serving was gone. So now what? And I started sliding. Sliding towards a pit. I could barely handle life. I needed quiet. But I knew I needed a good quiet, not the quiet I was forcing on everyone.

One day it was over-whelming. I curled up in my chair. I cried. I knew I wasn’t to rush into another “thing”. I was to listen to Him, follow His lead. Where was He leading me? What was I supposed to do?

His answer: Well, you have a husband and three kids.

Me: Really? That’s it?

Him: Yeah.

Me: But that’s not exciting. In fact, I don’t really want to.

Him: That’s it.

Me: (stunned) …God?

Him: (dial tone)

Well, He didn’t just up and leave me. He’s never left me. It’s just that this is His plan for me. And so that’s where I am. I’m home. I’ve got this little thing called family and God really wants me to take care of them. He’s showing me more of Himself, more of myself, my need for Him, more of Him in everything. I’m watching, listening, letting Him lead. These are my cool down laps. Or are they warm-up laps?

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12: 1

Thankful Thursday

I’m going to try out something new. It’s related to a new book I’m reading. I’m not going to tell you the name of the book yet, because I’m not done and my verdict isn’t in yet, but Lori and Nicole know which book I’m talking about. I’m sucked into the book, so I’ll probably finish it very soon (compared to the stack on my bedside table).

Anyway, my point here is to listen, look and be aware of any moment to be thankful for. We are going to include ANYTHING: good, bad, happy, sad, easy, trying. If we limit to thanking God only for the good things in life, then we’re mis-understanding him. In a nutshell, we say to God, I only have faith when things go my way. That’s not who or what God is or does.

It’s reader participation. Leave your thankfuls in the comment section. I’ll remove the log-in section so that more can join. It can be one, it can be many. Look for them. We’ll do it on Thursdays because I like alliteration (words that start with the same letter). It’s corny and cheesy, but it is also easy to remember.

My thankfuls:

watching piano students examine their music for better understanding

listening to dinner banter of 2 boys and 3 girls

the quiet of a house and not feeling lonely at the same time

the heat of a shower

Made With Love

Today, because I love my grandma, because she fell over the weekend and had to go to the emergency room, because I know she loves us with every threading of a needle, every stitch sewed tight with love, I’m showing you these pictures.

Great Grandma has 9 biological great- grandchildren and for each one she has made an ABC book. Each page has a letter with a picture starting with the letter. She has cross-stitched these for each of her 9 great-grandchildren (and is working on #10!).

She has also made at least 9 blankets. They are usually blocks of plain and patterned fabric, backed with a solid fabric. Great-Grandma blankets are what we call them. Love is really what they should be called.