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! =)
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:
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!
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.
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.
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.
Horsing around Topic: Photo entries
You've got to watch this video! Kelsey, from Holy Mama shared the link and I am amazed. It is of a freestyle horse show competition. Turn up your sound to hear the music and commentators and watch the whole thing. Notice the tail action too. This horse looks like she's having a blast! I don't think you've ever seen a horse do this:
ABC Day Topic: Humor/memes
This is a meme (blog questionaire) about the media. I found it over at A Gracious Home. If you want to join in and do it too, make sure you let me know or add your name to Sallie's list on the Gracious Home sight.
It's an ABC theme, which is funny because today I found an old packet of Alphabet pasta which I added to our chicken noodle soup! Maggie loved it and then used the dried pasta to make Emma a birthday card. =)
Action – Favorite action movie? National Treasure, Batman Begins
Beautiful – Most beautiful performer? Audrey Hepburn
Comedy – Favorite comedy (TV or movie)? Just one??? Gilmore Girls, Everybody Loves Raymond (ha, can't help it!) And oldies: MASH, Northern Exposure
Drama – Favorite drama (TV or movie)? Cold Case (like CSI but no gore), Smallville =)
Event – Historic event that kept you riveted to the TV? 9-11 of course, and Hurricane Katrina coverage
Favorite – If you could only own and watch one DVD the rest of your life, what would it be? The one my husband made of our family videos and pictures would be first. The 5 hour A&E version of Pride and Prejudice for the epic quality and beauty of the setting, as well as an all time great story and acting. but also because if I can only choose one, it better be long! =) OR You've Got Mail I don't know why, but I'm a cult follower of it, memorizing lines from it and ritually watching it. (usually with my daughter Hannah)
G – Favorite G rated movie? Finding Nemo! It is so original and creative and always cracks us up completely!
Head over heels – Which star were you in love with when you were younger? Is this to show our age or what??? Peter Tork from the Monkees (yes, it was a tv show and yes, I'm really that old) and also Bobbie Sherman from Here Come the Brides....heehee
Ice – Did you see the “Miracle on Ice” live (tape delayed) in 1980? Nope, or if I was at someone's house watching it, I don't remember, but we love and have the dvd Miracle, a retelling of the story with Kurt Russell.
Justice – Did you watch any of the famous O.J. Simpson chase down the freeway? I saw part of it. Weird.
King of the Thriller – Favorite Hitchcock movie? I LOVE Alfred Hitchcock movies! Although I've never seen Psycho or The Birds all the way through. They both freak me out too much. My favorite is Rear Window.
Laettner – Did you see Duke’s Christian Laettner make the winning shot against Kentucky? I don't even know what that means!
MP3 Player – Do you own one??Several ;) 2 that play mp3's off of burned CD's and we have 4 iPods among us. Our 2 dvd players play mp3's too.....oh, and in the car.....lol
Never get enough – Which movie have you watched the most times and how many times have you seen it? I don't count....that would be incriminating! Probably You've Got Mail.
Opie – Opie or the Beaver? I refuse to choose between those 2 icons! Let me just throw into the mix though, for your consideration, Ernie Douglas from My Three Sons. We saw almost all of the reruns of it a few years ago and he is hilarious!!!
Pride and Prejudice – Do you prefer A&E or 2005 release? A&E, but I do love some of the scenes in the 2005 one, like the scene in the pouring rain, when Elizabeth and Darcy meet 'by chance' (as they are in the habit of doing). With our surround sound system, it sounds as if it's raining IN our living room!!! I also love the scenery and settings a lot better in the new one.
Quality – Best TV show of all time? 91210 of course....NOT! lol I've actually never seen it, so it very well may be a real worthy show, but I'm thinking not. That is a really tough one.....The Cosby Show is up there in the greats, but let me please add: The Andy Griffith Show and MASH
Remote control – Who is in charge in your house? Whoever is fortunate enough to grab it first...ha! Actually, on Monday nights, only 24 is allowed on the big tv. This decree is by my husband, who is an addict...I know...sad. On Tuesday nights I get to watch Gilmore Girls and the rest of the time, there really isn't much TO watch.
Super Bowl – Game or commercials? Commercials please.
Television – How many in your house? 4 *blush* one of them only plays dvd's (in the teens room) and one of them has a video tape player and can tune in local channels, but only one is permitted=PBS for kids' shows only. One is in our room and the other one....the monster, with surround sound....is in the living room.
Ultimate – Who is your favorite movie star? I love movies with Tom Hanks or Colin Firth/Meg Ryan, Sandra Bullock, Emma Thompson, or Julia Roberts in them.
Victory – The best sporting event/game you’ve watched live on TV? *blank stare* Oh yeah! I actually watched the World Series when the AZ Diamondbacks won!
Walkman – Did you ever own a Sony Walkman? Yes, but we don't use it much...what with ipods around. ;)
X – Movie you wish you had never watched? Road to Perdition=easily the most violent movie I have ever, EVER watched. Also, Reds because it was a serious waste of time. (I promised the friend I went with that I wouldn't leave though, so I stayed. When I found out that at intermission there was more movie to come, I think I almost cried.)
Yesterday – How many hours of media did you consume? 2 Hours? I was really busy yesterday and I think the only tv/music I saw/listened to was a Sesame Street best of video and the little electric piano toy we have that my little 11 month old nephew watched and played with. I was babysitting. =) Oh, after he went to bed, we watched Ice Age 2.
ZZZ’s – Best music to fall asleep to? I can't fall asleep when music is playing....I tend to listen to the words. So...maybe instrumental? Although I have a feeling that would be distracting too. I usually have a big fan that roars to block out all noises. lol
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. 
