Being Alive

My friend, Kari, gave me this book for Christmas. I am only on page 48 and yet I can't read more than a few pages at a time because I have to stop and process for extensive periods of time after every page or two.

Yesterday's question posed in my reading was one I desperately needed to be reminded of: When is a time in your life when you felt most fully alive?

It meant so much to me, that I asked my kids a similar version, with "What makes you feel most alive or fuels you?"

You see, I've been distracted...highly distracted.

God's beautiful Spirit taught me a life-changing lesson at the beginning of November. It was so huge that if I fully embrace it and live it...my life will be forever changed. Yes, I am given to melodrama, but I am not exaggerating in the least.

This lesson was so big that not-surprisingly, He prompted our women's director at church to ask me to speak in our current winter Bible study of the life of Joseph. To say He put some pieces into place is a magnificent understatement. As soon as I was asked, I knew what He wanted me to share because it is perfectly exemplified in only two people in Scripture...Jesus and, you guessed it...Joseph, the son of Jacob.

Now, when I learned this lesson, I wasn't blogging for some very different reasons...reasons that were more important than blogging. In hindsight, I recognize that He wanted to continue to grow this lesson in me and help me figure out the human words I should put to this "direct download" (to use my friend Chandra's phrase) that He gave me back in November.

But back to my current distractions. 

I kept getting frustrated with myself for wasting so much time in the recent month or so. I've felt like I've just been spinning my wheels in every area of my life. Here I'd had this huge revelation about how God wants me to live out His Kingdom in my life...and I'm struggling to get into His Word, spend time alone with Him and even pray about much of anything.

When I brought my frustration over my distraction to God last week, I remembered that my Enemy would love nothing more than to keep me distracted from the things of God...which is really all that matters in this life. If I really...wholeheartedly...live out what He's showing me...then there is no limit to the possibilities of what God can do.

Yet, I still couldn't get myself out of this cycle of distractions.

Then yesterday, Freeman's words cut through me in just the way that I needed. But the question was preceded by a discussion of uncovering your desires, what are your first thoughts (which are often your best, truest thoughts) and why do we think it is selfish to pursue the things that make us feel alive? Without weighing in with logic and analysis...what is that thing that you know you were created to live out?

By the way...this is precisely part of the revelation God handed to me back in November!

My reading in Freeman's book today followed up with this provoking thought: Maybe I'm not living it out because I'm afraid of where it may lead.

And there it is.

I've been distracted because I've been conditioned by a lifetime of a world, culture, family, friends, churches, peers, etc., etc., etc....telling me (and you) that it is foolish to become the person I was created to be.

I still have the fear demon to wrestle with, but I know from past experience in my life, that just discovering it and naming it is about 75% of taking it to the mats.

So in the coming weeks, you'll see me posting more (hopefully!) about this "direct download" I received in November. I'm speaking about it on February 6th and plan on developing it more fully on here so I can refer the ladies in our study to it for more in-depth discussion. Now that I've set up this big introduction, I have to at least leave you with something to look forward to, right?

Here's the gist of it all: We know from Scripture that God has a vision for each of our lives...something that He has designed for no one else and is perfectly suited for our time in history, the talents He's given us and the context in which He has placed us.

What if we finally awakened to the reality, that the vision is now?

**********************************************

And the quote from Freeman's book that finally prompted me to rise up and meet this challenge and start grappling with my fears? Right there, on page 48...where I could read no further after the confrontation with the Truth that I needed to know: "Life in man is the glory of God; the life of man is the vision of God."--Irenaeus of Lyons

It seems that, as I expected...my "direct download" wasn't the first!

Crumb Cake- Vegan Version

Originally I found this recipe in Grandma's Kitchen cookbook by Gooseberry Patch. I "vegan-ized" it about three years ago. I haven't made it in a long time. But on a morning when the real-feel temperature is in the minus double digits, my kids and I loved the warm, yummy goodness right out of the oven.

Cake:  2 Tablespoons oil

1 flax meal "egg"

1/2 cup milk of choice (almond, coconut, or rice)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup Sucanat

1 1/2 cup Organic White spelt flour*

2 1/2 teaspoons Aluminum-free baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Topping**:  1 1/4 cup Organic White spelt flour*

1/2 cup Sucanat

1 1/4 teaspoon organic cinnamon

Scant 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled

1. The most "difficult" part of this conversion is the flax meal egg. If you've never made one, don't worry. Just add 1 Tablespoon flax meal to a cup and an additional 3 Tablespoons water with it and stir. Let it set for a moment while you gather the rest of your ingredients and it will be good to go!

2. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Put coconut oil from the topping in a medium bowl and  place the bowl in the oven to melt while you begin your cake mix.

3. Combine all of the cake ingredients in the order given above in a medium bowl. Sucanat has a coarse texture. If you add it to the liquids, stir and let it sit while you measure out your flour, you will avoid any crunchy tidbits in your cake. [Remove coconut oil from oven, if you haven't done so already.]

4. Once combined together, add to an ungreased 8 X 12 inch pan, spreading to the edges of with a spatula.

(As you can see from the photos, I only had a deep-dish pie pan available. It's a pretty flexible mix.) Don't over mix spelt. It is a gentle grain and if you over stir, can become chewy.

5. With the coconut oil, combine the rest of the topping ingredients. It will be crumbly. Even if it is fairly wet, it will still taste great. Just cut down on the amount of coconut oil the next time.

6. Sprinkle crumb topping over the cake batter and place in oven.

7. Bake for 30 minutes. Since spelt is a wetter grain than traditional bleached white wheat, you may have to bake a little longer or up your temperature 5 or 10 degrees to get the middle set. That's what you want, a set middle. You can stick a knife in the center to test doneness of the cake, but bear in mind that some of the topping will most likely stick to the knife and does not mean the cake isn't done.

8. Remove from oven, cool (if you can wait that long) and enjoy. If you want a little extra sweetness or panache...dust it with powdered sugar before cutting.

Notes:  *I sometimes substitute up to 1/3 of the white spelt with whole spelt for additional health benefits. I have even used 1/3 gluten free flour, 1/3 whole spelt and 1/3 white spelt for the cake batter, but you will need an additional flax egg and possibly a little less liquid. After making the traditional cake a few times, you'll have a good idea what the batter should look like.

**The original recipe called for DOUBLE the amount of topping I have indicated above. But for us, that was just too much sugary topping.

Gluten-free note: Spelt is NOT gluten-free, but is low gluten and can be tolerated by many who are gluten-sensitive.

The Global War on Christians- A Book Review

Given the frequency of how often this topic comes up these days, I welcomed the opportunity to read The Global War on Christians by John L. Allen Jr. Over the last year, Hobby Lobby, Duck Dynasty and I'm sure many more that I have forgotten, have been just some of the names bandied about by U.S. Christians as proof that there are, in fact, more and more incidents of Christians being publicly denounced and persecuted.

While offering countless examples of Christian persecution around the world and providing textbook-like documentation and accuracy, what I most appreciate is that from the onset of the introduction, Allen offers a more accurate understanding of the "global war on Christians": "...meaning violence and overt persecution directed at individual Christians as well as their churches and other institutions on the basis of their religious faith, the works of charity they perform, or the virtues they exhibit."

By contrast, "A 'war on religion' in the West, (is) a phrase that many commentators in Europe and North America use to refer to what they see as a growing climate of secular hostility to religion, and to Christianity in particular." The perceived hostility in the West, quite frankly, pales in comparison to what our brothers and sisters in Christ face everyday in every other corner of the globe.

Allen also gives broad examples of what true Christian persecution may involve:

• Societal discrimination
• Institutional discrimination
• Employment discrimination
• Legal discrimination
• Suppression of Christian missionary activity
• Suppression of conversion to Christianity
• Forced conversion from Christianity
• Suppression of corporate worship
• Violence against individuals
• Community oppression

And if you doubt the existence of such actions against Christians, Allen reminds us that "leading demographers of religion...have performed an exhaustive statistical analysis of Christian martyrdom, reaching the conclusion that there have been seventy million martyrs since the time of Christ. Of that total, fully half, or forty-five million, went to their deaths in the twentieth century..."

And we lament a grandpa in the bayou being removed from a cable television program.

Allen's book is a call to the Western Church to wake up. Recognizing true persecution is the first step. Doing something about it should soon follow. When we think of Christian persecution...India, Indonesia, Iran, China, North Korea, Sudan and Somalia most likely jump to the forefront of our minds. Yet, in our own hemisphere lies what the Vatican calls "the single most dangerous place on earth to be a church worker"...Colombia.

Instead of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists or government officials attacking Christians, Colombia has "large areas of the country...controlled by criminal organizations, drug cartels, revolutionaries, and paramilitary groups," that have no qualms over killing relief workers, priests, nuns or missionaries who dare to dream of freedom from oppression for the peasants under the control of the territorial tyrants.

I confess to having read the book in small "doses". The tales of torture, murder and desecration became overwhelming, although Allen treats them all with dignity and heartfelt care. My soul was disturbed though at the plight of my kinsmen that takes place right under my nose.

If this were happening in my country, how would I want my fellow Christians who are free to practice their faith do? Speak up...of course. That is precisely what Allen does and encourages us all to do.

Sign those petitions for freedom of Pastor Saeed Abedini who is currently imprisoned in Iran; forward the e-mails and repost the links that call attention to true Christian persecution; and, don't circulate the popular media attacks against Christians that have just been misquoted or misunderstood. Can we admit that we've all jumped on all of these little "inconveniences" so often that when a real tragedy is taking place, we have become desensitized to it? If I'm right...then maybe we should stop overreacting at each little infraction so that we have the appropriate outrage at the human rights violations that actually occur everyday.

I leave this review with the wise warning given by Allen in the postscript to which all Christians should take heed: "Christians must always be on guard against the stirring of prejudice in their own hearts, and should not use the suffering of their coreligionists to evade that examination of conscience."

Once again, the Truth of Christ begins within and claiming some sort of privilege because of our standing in Him does not excuse our negligence as to the plight of others. Nor, does it give cause for us to retaliate...ever.

Cuban Black Bean Soup

Cuban Black Bean Soup pictured with Pamela's Old Fashioned Skillet Cornbread

Given the way cold winter we've had, I have been breaking out some of our tried and true soup recipes. I found this one a few years ago on a Bob's Red Mill black bean package. I modified it to make it vegan and we've loved it ever since.

1 pound dry black beans

4 cups water

*Soak beans overnight or heat in the 4 cups water, cover and boil 2 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand for one hour. I have also successfully cooked them all day on high in a small crock pot *optional use of 2 cans black beans cuts cooking time to less than half. if you use canned beans, do not use this 4 cups of water.

1 3.5-inch piece of kombu (size is approximate!)**

3 cloves garlic, pressed

 1 bell pepper, med., chopped (2 jalapenos will add a spicy alternative!)

1 onion, medium, chopped

2 teaspoons paprika

3 teaspoons cumin

2 bay leaves (or 1 teaspoon crushed bay leaves)

4 cups vegetable stock (or the equivalent with veggie bouillon)

1/4 teaspoon chili powder (can substitute cayenne for more kick)

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

sea salt and black pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to beans except salt, pepper and wine vinegar. Cover and simmer for two hours if using soaked dry beans or about 30 minutes for canned beans. Add salt, pepper and vinegar. Bring to a simmer, heat through and let stand. If you used whole bay leaves, remove them before serving.

This soup can also be served over cooked brown or white rice.

**Kombu is a wide leaf, deep growing sea vegetable that is used in soup or soup stock. When you add it to dried beans, it helps to tenderized them and cut cooking time considerably. it also contains natural sodium, thus cutting the amount of sea salt needed for flavor. One 3.5-inch piece has 170 mg potassium and over 100% the RDA of iodine, 6% RDA of magnesium and 2% RDA of calcium, making it an excellent addition to a vegan diet!

No Bake Cookies, Vegan Style

My friend, Heather, asked me for this recipe recently and I realized that although I would be a very rich woman if I had a dollar for every time I've made these, I have no recipe down on paper. So...here it is.

The original, my older siblings brought home in a Mulligan Stew comic book when I was in early elementary school. By the time I was in high school, I had it memorized. Here is the original contents:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup milk

2 cups sugar

2 Tablespoons peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 Tablespoons cocoa

3 cups quick cooking oats

To be honest, I foresee no way to make this recipe "healthy". Instead, I can offer the following as a healthy-ish option.

1/2 scant cup coconut oil

1/2 cup coconut or almond milk

2 cups evaporated cane juice or rapadura sugar (these are usually Vegan)

2 Tablespoons nut butter of choice

1 teaspoon vanilla (preferably Fair Trade)

2 Tablespoons cocoa (preferably Fair Trade)

3 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking)

1. Place oil, milk, sugar and nut butter in 2 quart saucepan.
2. On medium high heat, stir occasionally and bring mixture to a boil.
3. IMPORTANT- set timer for one minute and allow mixture to boil while stirring only enough to prevent it boiling over.
4. When timer goes off, immediately remove the pan from heat.
5. Stir in cocoa, vanilla and oats until blended.
6. Lay out enough waxed paper for cookies (about 15-18 inches) on a countertop.
7. Drop cookies by desired sized spoonful.
8. Allow to cool.
9. Enjoy!

If you've prepared them properly, the first ones dropped onto the waxed paper should be setting up by the time you put the last ones in place. 

I have successfully learned how to cut this recipe in half also, but I wouldn't suggest attempting it until you're familiar with the consistency,as the timing does need adjusted lower, but not completely in half.

The Book of Mormon

I had the opportunity to see The Book of Mormon Friday night at the Aronoff Theatre. It is a great show filled with amazing performances. I debated on whether to post a review or not, because throughout the satirical performance, most people I know would be offended at least in some way.

Written by the same creative team behind South Park, part of the "schtick" is shock-value. And it works. Very well.

There is not even a list of songs in the Playbill. I'm not certain why, but I'm just guessing that the song titles alone would give away too much of the story.

The acting, singing and dancing were phenomenal. I really think it was one of the most well-performed shows I've ever seen. I now understand why it won so many Tonys. And I don't know the background of the writers, but someone knew their Mormon stuff...right down to the holy underwear. That's right...holy underwear.

If you're in the Cincy area, if you don't mind to be at least partially offended and if you can still get tickets (most shows are already sold out, but there is a ticket lottery every night), I think you would enjoy this show.

Bedol Water Clock

I knew I would have difficulty keeping up with the My Favorite Things series during the 12 Days of Christmas. But I couldn't leave off without sharing just a a few more. 

This item is actually my husband's...purchased by me, for his Christmas gift. And yes, you read the title correctly: Bedol Water Clock.

My children are calling me a "hippie". I think I'm just dedicated to finding Earth-friendly alternatives to some of our standard products. Since I can't afford things like $3000 organic, non-toxic mattresses, I purchase the items that I can. 

The Bedol Water clock simply runs on water...no batteries, no electricity. Fill it up with tap water and the ions in the water keep it running for six months. You will see from the photo that he hasn't given up his traditional alarm clock yet. We are all so accustomed to the brightly lit time, that an adjustment period is expected.

But as I hope to get us back into the rhythm of nature, and the fact that Dale and I have rarely ever needed alarm clocks to arouse us, this clock is perfectly suited for helping us free up our dependence on electricity and even with power surges or outages (which have always been common in our complex), we won't have to fret about oversleeping.

If you would like an eco-friendly alternative for your alarm clock and at the same time reduce the electromagnetic frequencies running right next to your head, consider purchasing a Bedol Alarm Clock.

Some People Rescue Puppies...

I, on the other hand, rescue plants.

I am learning quickly that I've become a soft-touch for clearanced plants. In this photo above, you can see my discounted cala lilly and amaryllis that I picked up on Manager's Specials at my local Kroger. Today, the great find was the Sago Palm I discovered at Lowe's...no doubt, just days from the trash bin. 

I wisely avoided stores for a few days after Christmas as the poinsettias were being moved out. But I have to admit...sad little, root-bound baby plants tug on me and just cry out for me to bring them home.

Now the only problem becomes where to find space for the next one!

Are Your Wise Men on the Move?

Nearly a decade ago, I read a little something in a children's magazine about a cute and clever way to commemorate The Day of Epiphany on January 6th. Considering I did not grow up in an orthodox, Catholic or other mainline denomination, this was a new concept to me. As someone that has always wanted to penetrate what I have been told about Scripture to get to the truth of what it really says...I embraced this little holiday completely.

Each year we pick one set of Wise Men to make the journey. This year, I chose my favorite tree ornament. The picture above shows their current location in our hallway. 

Although after all these years we don't always do it perfectly or consistently...the Wise Men making their journey across our family room, bedrooms or kitchen to arrive at the nativity, although not completely accurate...does remind me of a few things that we often forget about the real story:

• The wise men did not arrive at the stable. So while it's cute and sweet, wise men in nativity sets are not historically accurate.
• We are told that they were wise, not rich. We are making that assumption based on their gifts to Jesus and their reception by King Herod. But whether they were wealthy or not, their journey was long, arduous and at great peril to themselves and their companions. 
• Scripture hints at the length of the journey when the Wise Men do not return to give Herod the report he has requested. Herod has his own men calculate the timing of the appearance of the Star and then has all male children that age and under slaughtered. Two years is the age given. If this is two years by our reckoning, then it is three Jewish years. A person's age was calculated from birth as year one. Thus, our two year olds in ancient Jewish terms were in their third year. Whether Jesus was two or three when visited by The Magi, their journey was a great distance. This was no two week journey through my family room. (see Matthew 2 for the full story)

My entire purpose for starting this tradition was to remind myself and our children that there is always  more to the story, if we will just take the time to plum the depths of it.

On January 6th, we celebrate in a small way...either with a small gift, a little candy or a special dinner. The point is simply to remember the risk these great men took to meet the Savior. This year I need to be reminded that my willingness to leave all behind to follow my Lord needs to be just as compelling when He calls. 

As an added bonus, I have a challenge to all of the "elf on the shelf" people out there who also call themselves by the Name of Christ. I don't want to chastise you for having fun and playing the elf game leading up to Christmas...it's your family, thus it's your call. I would simply like to invite you to spend a little less time and energy on a new tradition...one that teaches history, love, dedication and determination to get to the Savior no matter the distance. Sure, there's a little gift at the end of the journey, but that wasn't the point was it? No pressure to be "good", no threatening letters when bad, or shenanigans in the middle of the night...just a passion...a fervor...a daring to risk it all just to meet my Messiah.

I think that is a tradition worth embracing.