Wednesday, April 30, 2008
"Total Praise"
I LOVE THIS!!!!!!
Speaks to my soul!!!
I recently bought a Richard Smallwood CD (amazing!)and have been jammin out to it....this clip is about as good as it gets! And after hearing these songs done "right" (esp. this one and "Center of My Joy") I feel like a slacker for how I've done them....(not really)! Enjoy!
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Yummy....
Chicken Colombo with jasmine rice
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups jasmine rice, (they called for purple (Alter Eco) but I used just regular jasmine from my grocery store), rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (14 ounces) peeled chopped tomatoes
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound), cut into pieces
2 tablespoons curry
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 pinches ground cinnamon
Cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped, for garnish
Directions
Place rice in a medium saucepan along with 1 3/4 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat; immediately reduce to low heat. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm. (Just follow directions on package.)
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until golden brown. Add tomatoes, chicken, and sprinkle over curry powder; season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring, until mixture has thickened and chicken is cooked through, 15 to 25 minutes. Add coconut milk and stir until well combined; cook 5 minutes more. Sprinkle over cinnamon.
Divide rice evenly among 4 serving plates; top with chicken mixture. Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.
I got this recipe off Martha Stewart and it is really easy and delicious!! I told my parents how lucky they should feel to have authentic Indian food in the comfort of their own home...ha! Definitely use jasmine rice...smells and tastes wonderful. I added a little extra liquid and some cayenne pepper to give it a kick!
On an unrelated note....Happy Birthday to me tomorrow! Can't say I feel exactly happy to be entering "middle-age" (as it were)....but not much I can do about that, unfortunately. Having a massage today then dinner w/family friends tonight...and I have requested and received a "Cheesecake Factory" 3flavor cheesecake for my cake. Gotta smile about all that!:) You have seen plenty of pics. of me lately, so rest assured I (hopefully) have not significantly aged overnight! (sigh)
ps:
-I take back the "middle-age" part...maybe not so much since the lifespan is increasing?!
-the massage and cheesecake were both fantastic!
-thanks for the happy comments, calls, etc. and general
Bday Love....you all are wonderful!
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups jasmine rice, (they called for purple (Alter Eco) but I used just regular jasmine from my grocery store), rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (14 ounces) peeled chopped tomatoes
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound), cut into pieces
2 tablespoons curry
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 pinches ground cinnamon
Cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped, for garnish
Directions
Place rice in a medium saucepan along with 1 3/4 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat; immediately reduce to low heat. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm. (Just follow directions on package.)
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until golden brown. Add tomatoes, chicken, and sprinkle over curry powder; season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring, until mixture has thickened and chicken is cooked through, 15 to 25 minutes. Add coconut milk and stir until well combined; cook 5 minutes more. Sprinkle over cinnamon.
Divide rice evenly among 4 serving plates; top with chicken mixture. Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.
I got this recipe off Martha Stewart and it is really easy and delicious!! I told my parents how lucky they should feel to have authentic Indian food in the comfort of their own home...ha! Definitely use jasmine rice...smells and tastes wonderful. I added a little extra liquid and some cayenne pepper to give it a kick!
On an unrelated note....Happy Birthday to me tomorrow! Can't say I feel exactly happy to be entering "middle-age" (as it were)....but not much I can do about that, unfortunately. Having a massage today then dinner w/family friends tonight...and I have requested and received a "Cheesecake Factory" 3flavor cheesecake for my cake. Gotta smile about all that!:) You have seen plenty of pics. of me lately, so rest assured I (hopefully) have not significantly aged overnight! (sigh)
ps:
-I take back the "middle-age" part...maybe not so much since the lifespan is increasing?!
-the massage and cheesecake were both fantastic!
-thanks for the happy comments, calls, etc. and general
Bday Love....you all are wonderful!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Making Sense? (a long, convoluted post)
I will start with a disclaimer...I wrote most of these thoughts a little while ago and have questioned actually posting them. These big of ideas should be thoroughly fleshed out, and I am aware that I have not fully done so. I realize the 1st quote and my way of thinking here is not exactly "fun" or what's in fashion. Also, I've checked out Dillard's book to see the context but have not read it all and probably will not, so cannot vouch for it's entire message, and in fact I am still mulling over the logical conclusions of this statement. (In no way do I think I "know it all" about this topic...yes, I'm paranoid!)(and please, feel no pressure to comment...)
My Dad has been away on a business trip...we are glad it's almost time for him to be back! Frankly, I don't handle these times all that well. I compensate for the extra stress by not cooking...so we've been enjoying some good eatin-out food! After much looking, yesterday I found a book to give as a gift to a friend....Ravi Zacharias' "Cries of the Heart"....so I've spent some time reading through that before giving it. This is a great, powerful, honest look at some really important questions by a brilliant thinker. So I'm including a lengthy quote from Dr. Ravi at the end of this post which I think may serve as redeeming to some of these more "convoluted" statements!
"God is no more blinding people with glaucoma, or testing them with diabetes, or purifying them with spinal pain, or choreographing the seeding of tumor cells through lymph, or fiddling with chromosomes, than he is jimmying floodwaters or pitching tornados at towns. God is no more cogitating which among us he plans to place here as bird-headed dwarfs or elephant men - or to kill by AIDS or kidney failure, heart disease, childhood leukemia, or sudden infant death syndrome - than he is pitching lightning bolts at pedestrians, triggering rock slides, or setting fires. The very least likely things for which God might be responsible are what insurers call 'acts of God.'
Then what, if anything does he do? If God does not cause everything that happens, does God cause anything that happens? Is God completely out of the loop? Sometimes God moves loudly, as if spinning to another place like ball lightning. God is, oddly, personal; this God knows. Sometimes en route, dazzlingly or dimly, he shows an edge of himself to souls who seek him, and the people who bear those souls, marveling, know it, and see the skies carousing around them, and watch cells stream and multiply in green leaves. He does not give as the world gives; he leads invisibly over many years, or he wallops for thirty seconds at a time. He may touch a mind, too, making a loud sound, or a mind may feel the rim of his mind as he nears. Such experiences are gifts to beginners. (Having seen, people of varying cultures turn - for reasons unknown, and by a mechanism unimaginable - to aiding and serving the afflicted and poor.)" Annie Dillard, For The Time Being
I saw this quote on a blog that I love to read (Jenell Paris)...it came at the right time for me...maybe you don't need it, or even agree...that's OK. I will be forever grateful for the understanding of God my parents gave me...of the experiences in my life that have confirmed His loving faithfulness....for the "education" under wise souls that helped shaped my view of reality....of my small work " in the trenches" of childhood abuse and pain that made it even more impossible to have a picture of a God that "makes" everything happen. This foundation prepared me for the storms I have faced....by His grace I think we are surviving our storms...not collapsing under them. I have not arrived on this subject...there is so much more to discern...at times my ponderings have not been with the purest motives. But I am so troubled by the popular belief that there is a "reason/purpose" in everything. Strangely, the language is very similar whether coming from Christian circles or totally secular/humanistic ones. Does that give us a hint that somewhere along the line it's about our self-comfort? If there is one thing I have learned it is that we cannot box-in God...even when it helps us feel more comfortable or reassured. He invites us to communion with Him in both good and bad circumstances. That relationship should not be contingent on thinking there's something "planned" about it all (a bit presumptive, I think!) but rather contingent on "who" we are in Him whatever happens!
Do we really want to be "participants in His sufferings", or do we always want to be looking around the corner for a rainbow? Yes...."good" will come....in the bye and bye (as the old song says) if not before (of course, His definition of good could be vastly different from our temporal one)....but in the meantime, living day by day in pursuit of his holiness seems to be our preeminent objective.There are things in life that we cannot make sense of...BECAUSE THEY DO NOT MAKE SENSE! They are not supposed to happen...they are contrary to God's plan for living...a result of fallenness and sin...and the pain and heartache that results is not His design. (And, yes, I do believe that while many things are "random", some things (good and bad) may be truly providentially from God's hand.)
In the midst of this struggling world, how gracious and merciful He is to redeem, forgive, and recreate shattered lives. He DOES take the brokenness and make it good (as He promised) (if we allow Him). And what DOES make sense is that He calls us to realistically see the needs around us...then respond as extensions of His Love. I believe He wants us to open our eyes to the vast needs both in the world and across the church aisle and not be so wrapped up in having tidy answers about ourselves. My prayer is that I learn to say "Thank You" more....that I learn to say "Help Me" more....no deep theology here....but if I can manage that, I believe that He will strengthen and uphold me! (Psalm 3:3)
Ravi Zacharias: Cries of the Heart (p. 217-218)
"When we come to Jesus Christ at the cross, where love, holiness, and suffering combine, we find both the answer to why we suffer and the strength to live in this mortal frame for Him. For here holiness and love were attacked in the name of political and religious fervor. Here suffering was poured out without measure, yet triumph awaited. As we come to the cross and from there live out our lives for Him, we make the extraordinary discovery that the cross and resurrection go together. Where love is possible, there pain is also possible. Where the resurrection is promised, there is also the promise of tears wiped away. Heaven is the confirmation of our choice, to love Him and to be with Him.
God's great desire is that we see our hearts before Him as He does, recognizing that we are not qualified to make moral judgement apart from Him. Like Job, when we see Him as Creator and Designer, Revealer and Comforter, Mediator and Savior, we find that He is also the Strengthener and Restorer. On the basis of what we know, we can trust His character for what we do not know. That may be why Mother Teresa's last utterance was four small words as she prepared to meet her Savior. Living in a city whose pain and suffering are proverbial, she found the only answer that was worthy of her being. Her last words were "I love You, Jesus." She took His love to a city and a world in need. Every other answer to the problem of pain not only fails to satisfy, it fails to even justify the question."
My Dad has been away on a business trip...we are glad it's almost time for him to be back! Frankly, I don't handle these times all that well. I compensate for the extra stress by not cooking...so we've been enjoying some good eatin-out food! After much looking, yesterday I found a book to give as a gift to a friend....Ravi Zacharias' "Cries of the Heart"....so I've spent some time reading through that before giving it. This is a great, powerful, honest look at some really important questions by a brilliant thinker. So I'm including a lengthy quote from Dr. Ravi at the end of this post which I think may serve as redeeming to some of these more "convoluted" statements!
"God is no more blinding people with glaucoma, or testing them with diabetes, or purifying them with spinal pain, or choreographing the seeding of tumor cells through lymph, or fiddling with chromosomes, than he is jimmying floodwaters or pitching tornados at towns. God is no more cogitating which among us he plans to place here as bird-headed dwarfs or elephant men - or to kill by AIDS or kidney failure, heart disease, childhood leukemia, or sudden infant death syndrome - than he is pitching lightning bolts at pedestrians, triggering rock slides, or setting fires. The very least likely things for which God might be responsible are what insurers call 'acts of God.'
Then what, if anything does he do? If God does not cause everything that happens, does God cause anything that happens? Is God completely out of the loop? Sometimes God moves loudly, as if spinning to another place like ball lightning. God is, oddly, personal; this God knows. Sometimes en route, dazzlingly or dimly, he shows an edge of himself to souls who seek him, and the people who bear those souls, marveling, know it, and see the skies carousing around them, and watch cells stream and multiply in green leaves. He does not give as the world gives; he leads invisibly over many years, or he wallops for thirty seconds at a time. He may touch a mind, too, making a loud sound, or a mind may feel the rim of his mind as he nears. Such experiences are gifts to beginners. (Having seen, people of varying cultures turn - for reasons unknown, and by a mechanism unimaginable - to aiding and serving the afflicted and poor.)" Annie Dillard, For The Time Being
I saw this quote on a blog that I love to read (Jenell Paris)...it came at the right time for me...maybe you don't need it, or even agree...that's OK. I will be forever grateful for the understanding of God my parents gave me...of the experiences in my life that have confirmed His loving faithfulness....for the "education" under wise souls that helped shaped my view of reality....of my small work " in the trenches" of childhood abuse and pain that made it even more impossible to have a picture of a God that "makes" everything happen. This foundation prepared me for the storms I have faced....by His grace I think we are surviving our storms...not collapsing under them. I have not arrived on this subject...there is so much more to discern...at times my ponderings have not been with the purest motives. But I am so troubled by the popular belief that there is a "reason/purpose" in everything. Strangely, the language is very similar whether coming from Christian circles or totally secular/humanistic ones. Does that give us a hint that somewhere along the line it's about our self-comfort? If there is one thing I have learned it is that we cannot box-in God...even when it helps us feel more comfortable or reassured. He invites us to communion with Him in both good and bad circumstances. That relationship should not be contingent on thinking there's something "planned" about it all (a bit presumptive, I think!) but rather contingent on "who" we are in Him whatever happens!
Do we really want to be "participants in His sufferings", or do we always want to be looking around the corner for a rainbow? Yes...."good" will come....in the bye and bye (as the old song says) if not before (of course, His definition of good could be vastly different from our temporal one)....but in the meantime, living day by day in pursuit of his holiness seems to be our preeminent objective.There are things in life that we cannot make sense of...BECAUSE THEY DO NOT MAKE SENSE! They are not supposed to happen...they are contrary to God's plan for living...a result of fallenness and sin...and the pain and heartache that results is not His design. (And, yes, I do believe that while many things are "random", some things (good and bad) may be truly providentially from God's hand.)
In the midst of this struggling world, how gracious and merciful He is to redeem, forgive, and recreate shattered lives. He DOES take the brokenness and make it good (as He promised) (if we allow Him). And what DOES make sense is that He calls us to realistically see the needs around us...then respond as extensions of His Love. I believe He wants us to open our eyes to the vast needs both in the world and across the church aisle and not be so wrapped up in having tidy answers about ourselves. My prayer is that I learn to say "Thank You" more....that I learn to say "Help Me" more....no deep theology here....but if I can manage that, I believe that He will strengthen and uphold me! (Psalm 3:3)
Ravi Zacharias: Cries of the Heart (p. 217-218)
"When we come to Jesus Christ at the cross, where love, holiness, and suffering combine, we find both the answer to why we suffer and the strength to live in this mortal frame for Him. For here holiness and love were attacked in the name of political and religious fervor. Here suffering was poured out without measure, yet triumph awaited. As we come to the cross and from there live out our lives for Him, we make the extraordinary discovery that the cross and resurrection go together. Where love is possible, there pain is also possible. Where the resurrection is promised, there is also the promise of tears wiped away. Heaven is the confirmation of our choice, to love Him and to be with Him.
God's great desire is that we see our hearts before Him as He does, recognizing that we are not qualified to make moral judgement apart from Him. Like Job, when we see Him as Creator and Designer, Revealer and Comforter, Mediator and Savior, we find that He is also the Strengthener and Restorer. On the basis of what we know, we can trust His character for what we do not know. That may be why Mother Teresa's last utterance was four small words as she prepared to meet her Savior. Living in a city whose pain and suffering are proverbial, she found the only answer that was worthy of her being. Her last words were "I love You, Jesus." She took His love to a city and a world in need. Every other answer to the problem of pain not only fails to satisfy, it fails to even justify the question."
Friday, April 18, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
"L'Chaim"
- "L'Chaim" : To Life!!
- (the most common Jewish toast)
...perhaps I am the only one obsessive enough to have virtually the entire score of "Fiddler On The Roof" memorized...and I've loved the song "To Life" since I was a little girl....you can hardly sing it without dancing in circles, hands in the air like Tevye...somedays you feel more like dancing then others, I guess....
...on the 1st anniversary of Mom's stroke, some friends at our church in Ky. had a little party and we brought a cake with L'Chaim written on it. (not sure if it meant anything to anyone but me, but I thought it was cool!) Today is the 8th anniversary...hard and easy to believe at the same time. Obviously, we do not party every year....but usually we at least mark the date. Today, with these beautiful flowers and Mom's choice: Macaroni Grill. Mom says she "doesn't need to be reminded"....so we discuss how we're NOT celebrating the stroke....but her life...how thankful we are to have her...how amazing she is....how her recovery is still in progress.
L'Chaim......
-to the beauty and the pain
-to blessings...and bruises
-to the things that change us and make us better
-to disappointment and failure, achieving and overcoming
-to forgiveness...grace...restoration that we have to believe is possible
-to living in the truth...facing the ugly stuff
-to doubt...questions (sure would be boring without them)
-to assurance....faith (without them, would be empty)
-to realizing we don't need or have all the answers
-to the providential and the random
-to those who stick around...show up...don't forget
-to Love...greatest of them all
-to tenderness...and toughness!
-to strength...and weakness...and knowing the difference
-to Promise....we know the ending
-to an endless list of Possibilities!
(kpn)
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Florida...
Dearest, bestest friends...
Beautiful Baby Dylan...
...and the rest of the sweet band of brothers
(Ethan, Landon, and Collin)...
So good to share Sunday lunch with Gay...
...and the afternoon with Helen and Kaylin...
Random thoughts:
-I've noticed that I need to take pictures of people not just of me with people...that weakness will be addressed!!:)
-it was grand to be in Fl....specifically to see Kayla's beautiful new place. It is truly miraculous that this happy new home is possible for them (and if you know me, you know I do not throw around such phrases lightly!) The boys were so proud to show me around and Kayla and Harold have worked so hard to renovate the place. They deserve this blessing! (See her blog for pics...) (but the visit was way too fast!!)
-unfortunately, I developed a bad cold in Fl....then have become even more dreadfully sick since being home...can't remember being this sick! I guess this is a result of tiredness, the initial cold, maybe a bad bug from the plane, and frankly, several days of very upset emotions. Say a prayer for me, if you would. Thankfully, I am some better today.
-Mom started back to therapy this week....the therapists are greatly pleased with her progress, so I guess we have been doing OK in the pool. Thus, we will stretch professional therapy by having that 1 day a week and pool 1 day a week for the next 5 weeks....at least, that's the plan...we'll see.:)
-That's about it, ya'll.....I know I've been sick since I've skipped coffee and even blogging!
-wait...one more: feeling better today (fri.) so have one more thing to say!! Did ya'll know that seemingly everybody now has a "facebook" account...even dear ones of our very own!! As for me (and my house such as it is) i just don't think I can handle it...truth be told, I don't "get it"....perhaps one day my understanding will increase and I can join the happy throngs in this facebooky thing. (aren't you glad I added this...yes, a week of jumbled emotions can lead one to post hysterical, mindless rantings....)
Friday, April 4, 2008
A new game of tag...
Dear Jo tagged me....I love her, so will sweetly comply:) but continue my habit of not tagging anyone else:) I actually do like these and the new things we learn about each other by doing them!
What I was doing 10 years ago:
Finishing up graduate school in Lynchburg, Va. I loved living there..the community of friends I had...and the internships/learning I was involved in....it was a happy time!
Five things on my to-do list today:
(It's the end of the day but this is my mostly completed list!:)
1. Get packed for my quick weekend trip to Fl tomorrow....yay!:)
2. Laundry!!!!
3. Grocery store.
4. Cook a big enough dinner so my parents can have leftovers tomorrow night. It was good:)...pork chops with bell peppers and onions, rice and gravy, lima beans, and jello salad.
5. Organize my tax stuff so Dad can complete it...I HATE TAXES and think it very unfair that I have to pay them at all!!!!
Snacks that I enjoy:
Too many....usually I'm good and stick w/Triscuits and cheese....small piece of candy/fruit/yogurt. I buy the mini cans of Coke Zero and that's my favorite drink for afternoon snacking. (but not every day!) Other times it's alot of candy....or ice cream.
Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
-Make it possible for my Dad to quit working so hard.
-give Mom all the therapy she needs.
-pay off mortgages of everybody I love!
-give to missions...go on a missions based trip.
-give, give, give to every worthy cause.
-build another house...I would correct all the mistakes I made in this one.
-travel...visit friends& family...buy art.
-never clean again....get massages at least once a week!
Three of my bad habits:
1. I am too judgmental 2. I am distrustful.3. I procrastinate!
one more...4. I start several books around the same time and some never get finished!
Five Places I have Lived:
Louisiana, Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Kentucky (might as well list all 6!:)
Five jobs that I have had:
-child and family therapist
-church musician
-summer song evangelist!!!
-housecleaner
-notetaker for persons w/disabilities (in college)
What I was doing 10 years ago:
Finishing up graduate school in Lynchburg, Va. I loved living there..the community of friends I had...and the internships/learning I was involved in....it was a happy time!
Five things on my to-do list today:
(It's the end of the day but this is my mostly completed list!:)
1. Get packed for my quick weekend trip to Fl tomorrow....yay!:)
2. Laundry!!!!
3. Grocery store.
4. Cook a big enough dinner so my parents can have leftovers tomorrow night. It was good:)...pork chops with bell peppers and onions, rice and gravy, lima beans, and jello salad.
5. Organize my tax stuff so Dad can complete it...I HATE TAXES and think it very unfair that I have to pay them at all!!!!
Snacks that I enjoy:
Too many....usually I'm good and stick w/Triscuits and cheese....small piece of candy/fruit/yogurt. I buy the mini cans of Coke Zero and that's my favorite drink for afternoon snacking. (but not every day!) Other times it's alot of candy....or ice cream.
Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
-Make it possible for my Dad to quit working so hard.
-give Mom all the therapy she needs.
-pay off mortgages of everybody I love!
-give to missions...go on a missions based trip.
-give, give, give to every worthy cause.
-build another house...I would correct all the mistakes I made in this one.
-travel...visit friends& family...buy art.
-never clean again....get massages at least once a week!
Three of my bad habits:
1. I am too judgmental 2. I am distrustful.3. I procrastinate!
one more...4. I start several books around the same time and some never get finished!
Five Places I have Lived:
Louisiana, Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Kentucky (might as well list all 6!:)
Five jobs that I have had:
-child and family therapist
-church musician
-summer song evangelist!!!
-housecleaner
-notetaker for persons w/disabilities (in college)
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