The Hiding Place

This is one of my all time favorite books. It would probably be one of the first books I would recommend to anyone. So I am about to lend it out to my friend and thought I would browse through the familiar pages before passing it off for awhile. My book is old and very worn, it smells like an old book (yum!), the pages are yellow and a few are falling out. I don't know how many times I have read this story and it always amazes me and brings comfort. It is the story of Corrie ten Boom whose family hid Jews during the war. It is an amazing story of faith...of their families faith in the Lord to step in and care for His people and their faith during immense trails. Betsie is my favorite character because of her intense unfaltering trust that I only wonder at how she ever could believe so fiercely when I look at my own doubts. Won't ruin anything, but here is a quote from it, one that Betsie said along the way: "There are no 'ifs' in God's world. And no places that are safer than other places. The center of His will is our only safety-O Corrie, let us pray that we may always know it!"

Fall Yumminess

As part of my attempt to help control my Rheumatoid Arthritis I have made some diet modifications. The first and most noticeable one was cutting dairy out of my diet. If you know me, you know that my diet was dairy..I could have been on some commercial eating yogurt, milk, cheese, cottage cheese, ice cream...you name it and I loved it. However, when I cut it out I saw a huge improvement in my pain. Huge! And thus started reading up on the inflammatory effects of certain foods. It has not been easy, but to me it is worth it to try and prevent the damage to my joints. I also cut out meat, which I a might or might not stick with...I have been a vegetarian at various other times mostly because I like it and have never been crazy about meat. Then I read the China Study, which will shake your decisions about meat eating (atleast it did mine). It is not about how animals are treated cruelly, but about various scientific research linking high intakes of animal protein to disease (cancer, heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune, etc). I still think there is room for moderation in that and just being aware of how much animal protein you take in. I think there is still a part of me that knows that my diet has been working and I have been feeling great and am scared to try something and risk the opposite, so until then, I am dairy and meat free.
Wow, what a tangent. I got on here to post a yummy butternut squash soup recipe. I have never cooked with this fall favorite, but I did the other night and it was great. There is another recipe I want to try that is sweet potato and butternut squash soup, but I forgot to buy a sweet potato and I hate going to the grocery store for one item..hate it. So I tried this one instead:

These are the majority of the ingredients: 1 butternut squash, 1 onion, 3 stalks of celery, 4 carrots, 4 cloves of garlic, olive oil, 4-5 cups veggie broth, salt, pepper (that is pepper in the mini corona bottle), ginger and other spices to taste. Cook the chopped onion in oil until soft, then add the carrots and celery and cook until soft. Next add butternut squash chopped (no need to pre cook) and veggie broth. Let cook on medium for 20 minutes until veggies are soft. Add spices to taste (I just used ginger and allspice but I think you could do a lot of different things here, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc). Once cooked, place in blender and blend until smooth. You can add 1/2 c of milk here but I think it would be fine without..I used a little almond milk.
I did not include a final product picture because it is hard to make pureed soup look glorious, but it sure tasted that way. Enjoy.

Wishing...

The past few days I have been wishing I was back at Tenwek. So here's to many fun memories and kids (and some bigger kids) who have touched my heart in so many ways.

A Place You Have Never Been

At church we have been reading through Joshua and talking about leadership...how each of us is being called or is leading in some area of their life and what a Biblical picture of this is. A few months ago Randy talked about Joshua 3 and it is something that has come up again and again for me, thus the post.
In Joshua 3, the Lord is calling the Israelites to cross the Jordan River. Now it describes the Jordan in this way: v 15 "for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of the harvest" So the Lord tells Joshua to have several priests carry the ark of the covenant of Lord into the rushing waters of the Jordan and then for the 40,000 or so Israelites to follow. Not sure about you, but if I was following Joshua I would have a lot of problems with this plan and would be able to tell him about 17 other plans that would work better, not his crazy plan to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord into rushing, overflowing waters (read pride, control). In the Lord's command to do this, he says at the very end v.4 "for you have not passed this way before." Again, I would be muttering under my breath, yea, I have never been this way before because nobody has ever had such a ridiculous plan as this.Oh and the Lord says the Ark is to travel a certain distance ahead of the people.
If you continue reading the chapter you see that as soon as the priests carrying the Ark step into the rushing waters, the water stops. Now the Israelites are following at their specific distance behind the Ark, so they can see that the Lord has provided and that they have a clear, dry path to cross the Jordan. Then all the people cross and before the waters start to rush again, Joshua has the people gather stones from the bed of the Jordan River and pile them in a location.These stones are Ebeneezer stones, or reminders of how the Lord provided for the people, to remind them, for them to tell their children, etc. Remember
In different "leading" roles and really just in general in life lately, I feel like the Israelites might have felt; like the Lord is leading me into this crazy place. But in his statement that "you have not passed this way before" is a glorious reminder that the Lord is the one doing the work...I have not had the experience or the capacity to know how to do what he is leading me into. But He is the one leading, and lets me know that he will provide and that his promises are true, and that my job is to follow where he is leading. They were led by the ark of the covenant of the Lord, by this promise that the Lord made with them...and I am led by promises. I am also told to remember...and for me in remembering I lay aside my fears as I know that he is providing in this circumstance just has he has historically for me.
Keep reading in Joshua...the next thing the Lord does is stop them all to circumcise the men and force them to rest and heal...

Fall Bike Ride

Last weekend we had ideal fall weather, which Leah and I took advantage of. She had never been to one of my favorite bike riding locations in Nashville...the Old Natchez Trace and Del Rio Rd. Some of the sights... I was hoping for lots of yellow leaves. Most of the leaves had fallen so I didn't get that, but it is just beautiful out there.

Little short stop during the ride

Glad we went last weekend because today it is cold and wintery!

Mumford and Sons

Several friends have been telling me, "you would love Mumford and sons...listen to them." So I have been; I made it my pandora station, which has also opened my ears to some other great artists. Anyway, I am enjoying many of their songs, particularly the lyrics. I am a big lyrics person...love wondering about the meaning or the words or what a group might believe. So here are some of the beautiful lyrics from After the Storm:
  And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
  And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
  Get over your hill and see what you find there,
  With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair
Love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears. That was what I looked to love for today...to dismiss my fears and dispel the lies that I so easily believe.

 

Birthday

Happy Birthday to this girl! Can't imagine what my life would look like without her..for all she has taught me, helped me through and given me in her friendship. Happy Birthday!