Smelling Like Sheep

God's Spirit is always growing us, right? Molding, shaping, and refining us into the person He originally created us to become. I love that about Him. He loves me so much that He will not stop until I have fulfilled the purpose He has created particularly for me and me alone. (see Philippians 1:6)

In this process, I get what I call whispers and glimmers of where He's taking me and how He's going to accomplish His work in me. This is one of those seasons on my Journey where I've been intersecting with Scripture, books and sermons that are prompting me...okay sweeping me...toward His delight for me. 

As I've been memorizing 1 Thessalonians, I was especially struck by this verse: Having so fond an affection for you that we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but our own lives, because you had become very dear to us. (I Thess. 2:8) 

This is what I see fleshed-out in places like the Kensington neighborhood of  Philadelphia where The Simple Way lives, loves and worships. It's what I hear happening in my daughter as she serves with Mission Year in Houston, Texas. It's the humbling I sense when I engage with people who are being transformed through their service with Tent Day or the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky. I want to know that passion, love and purpose in my life too, don't you? No wonder this verse in 1 Thessalonians hit me in just the right way.

But I'm also reading a book that is the "guideline" for the ministry of Pope Francis. I'm not Catholic, so I don't know what may be a better description of this dissertation, but I'm reading it as part of the Blogging for Books program and I can only digest a few paragraphs at a time. Once again, God's Spirit used the perfect phrase to describe what I'm feeling. My whole life I've heard the biblical comparisons to how Jesus is our "Good Shepherd". A Shepherd lays down his life for His sheep, He will leave 99 behind to hunt down the one that is lost. What Pope Francis reminded me though, is that shepherds smell like their sheep.

I have to enter into the lives of those I'm serving. I cannot be set apart and removed either physically, emotionally, spiritually or in any way. One of my absolutely favorite verses from The Message translation of the Bible is this:  The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. (John 1:14)

What does that mean for me? What does that mean for you?

I know it will look different and manifest uniquely in each of us. For some, it means moving into impoverished and abandoned neighborhoods so we can live, love, worship and develop "Beloved Community" with those who are marginalized in our culture. For others, it will awaken us to the spiritual poverty that is all around us, no matter how affluent our neighbors are. 

The point is, if God's Spirit dwells in me, then God has already "moved into the neighborhood". I think it's time that I started to smell like some sheep.

Where Do We Go From Here? #Ferguson

I'll be upfront and honest. I have no answers, because I don't have all of the facts. Period.

But this I do know:  I have been, in turn, sad, angry, frustrated, and confused throughout the course of events that has taken place since August, when a young, black man was killed on his city streets. Did he deserve it? I serve a King who loves everyone and live in a country where I've been taught that we are all innocent until proven guilty, so my conclusion is No...he did not deserve to die the way he did, without a trial by a jury of his peers.

I readily admit that I don't know much about how the world works. My world is very small. I live in a mostly white, affluent suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio. I am not affluent, but most of the neighborhoods around me are. Because of my color, my gender and my geographic location, I do not know the shame of being followed by clerks when I enter a store. I do not know the pain of seeing a woman clutching her purse more tightly because I pass her on the sidewalk. I have not witnessed a family distressingly glancing over their shoulders because they wrongly found themselves in my neighborhood. I did not attend schools that were lucky to have one beat up computer in a classroom, had 30+ kids in each class, had dripping ceilings, textbooks falling apart, and chaos running rampant throughout its halls. So who am I to tell someone that they are wrong in their anger at how they have been treated by their fellow countrymen?

Is destruction and violence a justifiable reaction to the inequality and rampant racism that pervades every crevice of our society? Again, I turn to my King who says that when we're slapped, we should offer the other cheek as well. (see Matthew 5:39) This is not a "lie down and take it" mentality. It is a defiant grace that exudes confidence in a God who will fight my battles and seek vengeance on my enemies.

Then where do we go from here? 

Wow. Honestly, I don't know. I truly wish there was a formula, a 12-step program or a book to shed some light on how we right the wrong of racism.

Oh wait!...There is! And the Author told me that the two greatest things I could do are to love my God with absolutely every fiber of my being and the second is to love my neighbor in the exact same way that I would love myself. And I can study the lives of Jesus, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Ghandi for bigger-than-life sized examples of how to flesh this out. 

What does "loving my neighbor as myself" look like in this situation? Well, when I do something destructive or horrendously stupid, do I want to be written off as a lost cause? Do I want people to say there is no hope in my restoration? Do I want people to point fingers, call names, say/write hate-filled comments, or deduce that I deserve what I get? NO! Nor should I participate in any of those Kingdom-opposing activities.

So what does "loving my neighbor who has just destroyed their neighborhood because they are sick and tired of being treated like second-class neighbors as myself" look like? It looks like reading books about race and reconcilliation. It looks like following voices that cry out for justice (i.e. Pope Francis, Shane Claiborne, Jim Wallis, etc.) It looks like embracing people of various backgrounds as friends. It looks like my daughter and her teammates making pies all day long yesterday for their mostly African American neighbors. It looks like, on these days leading up to Thanksgiving, she and her teammates going into the local prison to pray with those that want to pray.It looks like volunteering in a school where you are the only ginger and the children can learn to love this sweet little lady that looks nothing like them. It looks like attending opportunities that help you Understand Poverty. It looks like Tent Days where a group of people are breaking down racial and economic barriers because weekly they share life with people in their community. It looks like supporting organizations such as  Mission Year and CityMerge who seek reconcillation and love for all people. And it looks like putting a halt on listening to the media voices that chronically tell us one set of people are "good" and another is "bad". 

Basically, "loving my neighbor as myself" means I must question and set aside every culturally-instilled notion I have about what my life and the lives around me should look like and instead embracing a Kingdom-ethic of loving absolutely everyone no matter their color, gender, economic status or the past sins of themselves or their ancestors. 

Isn't that how I want to be loved?

Kale Crunchy "Croutons" (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

I love a good salad loaded up with lots of dressing, croutons and other tasty, crunchy goodies. That doesn't necessarily fit into a healthy, vegan, gluten-free lifestyle though. I refuse to pay over $6 a bag for gluten free croutons, so I've been on a quest to find a decent replacement. My daughter, Leah, recently began making roasted chickpeas which I admit were an adequate alternative.

But today, after juicing my breakfast, I found myself wistfully thinking that it would be great if I could find a use for all of the pulp remnants I've had lately. Sure, I can feed them to my worms, but they have had a plentiful supply since I've been mostly drinking juices for almost a week. I know you can also use pulp in place of eggs in fruit breads, but kale bread just doesn't sound very appetizing and I don't currently plan to start making gluten-free dessert breads.

Which brings me to my epiphany for the day: Instead of making kale chips (like everyone else does), why not make kale "croutons"!

Granted, they aren't square and you won't crack a tooth on them or break a tine trying to impale one on a fork, but they turned out pretty well and I thought I'd share with you how I did it.

Basically, after I juiced my kale, apples and carrots, this is what was left:

You can see in the bowl that I'd already begun to separate out the kale. Next time, I'll empty the kale pulp out of the juicer before I add any other fruits or veggies. I was using curly kale. I'm not certain that you'll get the same effect with a lucinato-type kale.

At this point, most-to all of the liquid has been removed, so I drizzled a little olive oil and sprinkled some garlic powder on them, laid them on my toaster oven pan, and began to roast them. I attempted to dehydrate them on the lowest toaster oven setting I have, which is about 150 degrees. I wanted to keep them RAW, but after 15 minutes, not much had happened to make the texture crunchy. I then roasted them at 200 degrees for 10 minutes and they were perfect. Since I had two different temperatures and times in total, here's my best recommendation and I will update this post when I make them again with more accurate information:

• To keep them RAW, use a dehydrator or an oven/toaster oven on the lowest setting (about 150-170 degrees) and check every 15 minutes until you have the desired texture. Toss them every time you check them.
• To get them crispier, roast at 200 degrees, evaluate every 5 minutes and toss them each time you check.

Now...I'm looking forward to my lunch salad today!

Note: I think you could use any seasoning/flavor combination that you'd like. I personally will be trying some nutritional yeast on the next batch to give them a cheesy taste.

American Addict: A Movie Review

Okay. What you need to know up front is that this is not a bunch of hippies trying to convince you to eat organic. If you were to tally the number of years spent in higher education by the interviewees of this documentary, I am certain it would be a total worthy of your attention.

Every American should watch this movie.

Did you just read that? I said every American.

We all want to complain about socialized medicine and how we just keep getting sicker and sicker...but here is the proof as to why. The doctors, psychiatrists, addiction therapists, lawyers, drug reps, and researchers that collectively shed light on the tragic state of our medical system have one common thread throughout the film: There is something tragically wrong when a government agency, charged with being the "watchdog" for an industry is itself mostly funded by the industry they are supposed to watch. 

That's just the tip of the billion-dollar iceberg.

Are you aware that in the U.S., we are only 5% of the world's population, yet we consume over 80% of the anti-psychotic drugs in the world?

Are you aware that we are one of only three developed nations that allow direct-to-consumer advertising? Those E.D., low T, and other like commercials that pervade my football viewing aren't only embarrassing with my son by my side...but if I lived in almost any other country in the world...they would be illegal too.

Are you aware that when a new drug comes out for a new "disease", there is a direct correlation in the increased diagnosis of that "disease"? (i.e. Restless Leg Syndrome)

Are you aware that the number four highest cause of deaths in the U.S. is adverse drug reactions? Yet, Ebola deserves a banner on my Facebook feed after one death and a handful of infections. How about a fundraiser to sue the pants off of the companies that are killing us and causing more health problems as they supposedly fix the ones we have.

Are you aware that to be prescribed an over-the-counter drug that has been FDA approved for a specific disease, let's say schizophrenia, and is used for anything else, let's say situational depression, is called off-labeling...and is illegal?! Yet up to 50% of anti-psychotic drugs that are prescribed in our country are for just such a purpose.

I struggled with whether to post this review or not because I know we all get very up in arms about our doctors and our medicines. But today, when an article popped up in my Facebook feed that states Robin Williams had been prescribed an anti-psychotic medication for his depression and it was known to have suicidal tendencies as a side effect...I felt compelled to speak up.

We have to stop abdicating all control for our health to someone else...even our physicians. The recommendations made in this film are spot on. Be aware of possible side effects; ask if there is an older, less prone to side effect medication that will accomplish the same purpose; and always ask your physician if the drug you are being given has been FDA approved for the diagnosis you have received.

The most profound take-away for me from this film was what one psychiatrist poignantly said about what it means to be "human". We will at times be sad. We will at times have pain. [For an example of what life looks without these, watch the movie or read the book The Giver.] This doctor points out that some of the medications we are being prescribed are to curtail our pain and remove all inconveniences that make us who we are and begs us to ask the question Why are we here?

I may not know much, but I do know my purpose isn't to remain anesthetized and emotionally disengaged with humanity. Watch the movie, currently available on Amazon Prime and I'd love to hear what you think.

Entrusted

"Why O Lord, do You trust us with the responsibility of furthering Your Kingdom???"

I wish I had a dollar for every time this question has crossed my mind. I know I am faithless, flawed, frail of spirit and often forlorn at all the nastiness I see around me...from myself! Why would the Creator of the Universe, who possesses all knowledge, wisdom, and creativity use a ragtag bunch of followers to enlarge His territory? You'd think He, being able to see us for who we really are, would rethink this plan.

Yet, here it is:

"...but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel..." (I Thessalonians 2:4a)

In black and white, with ink on parchment, Paul, Silas and Timothy confirmed what we know in our hearts to be true...this is the only Plan. There is no Plan B. God in His infinite wisdom chose to give us the privilege and responsibility to take His Love, mission, grace and care for one another out into the world all around us.

Were Paul and his cohorts trustworthy in their mission? "For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit..." (I Thessalonians 2:3) Apparently so. Can we be entrusted too? I think so. But there's a little key in the second part of that fourth verse that is our "insurance" against missteps. Not that we'll ever get it perfect and without fault, but it provides a guiding light for how I can begin to trust myself.

"...but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts." (I Thessalonians 4, emphasis mine)

If you know me, I may not seem like a people pleaser, on the surface, but I am. I don't like confrontation any more than the next person. I would greatly enjoy a steady stream of peace, joy and love surrounding me. Calm waves are pleasant waves, right? But this last summer as the Holy Spirit began uncovering my idols one by one...at the top of the list was people pleasing and it had to be told "Be Gone!" (see Isaiah 30:20-22)

Don't misunderstand me...I am not looking for confrontation, but avoiding it cannot be my impetus for operating in God's Kingdom. My actions, words, and thoughts will be examined by God, so my "measuring stick" comes from Him...not man.

Sigh! If I could always operate out of a heart that seeks to please Him alone, and when the doubts assail or I'm labelled a radical (hippie, as my kids call it) or my life looks entirely different than everyone else around me, isn't the peace found in knowing that my God entrusts and approves?

Understanding Poverty; City Gospel Mission, Cincinnati, Ohio

Saturday morning, the kids and I participated in a training event at our church that was given by City Gospel Mission . I hope they don't mind that I'm using their photo, just as I don't mind that they took a photo of us sitting at the table in the foreground. The photo shows though, how diligently I was taking notes and that my children were all engaged in the speaker, the videos and also the small group discussion at our table.

I have to confess what I loved most was that this was not just First Church folks. People from the community, local schools and future volunteers at City Gospel, all came together in an attempt to grapple with some pretty difficult realities and some very discouraging statistics.

City Gospel and so many other great organizations like them, believe that relationships and love are the key to "Breaking the Cycle of Poverty and Despair...One Life at a Time." I know they are on to something, because I know that when I think about the rampant poverty around the world and how we privileged white folks take so much for granted...I have to confess it is pretty easy to despair. What I have already experienced and had confirmed again through this training is that I have more to learn from those who live in poverty, than I could ever teach them. Coming along beside someone not only has the potential to change their poverty, but also my despair at a world that has gone wickedly awry.

In each of their own ways, my children had their eyes opened. Leah was crushed to learn that one of the "measuring sticks" for the state of Ohio's Department of Corrections is literacy. Dr. O'Dell Owens, of Cincinnati State was quoted as saying, "If you don't know how to read by the end of the Fourth Grade, the state is building you a prison cell." That's a harsh reality for a sixth grader to hear. It must have spoken to Noah also, because he looked it up online to verify it later and discovered that California, Texas, and most other states follow suit.

Rebekah was impacted most visibly. I don't know what God has planned for this unique child, but she is often moved to tears by injustice, inequality and poverty. She definitely will be one that fights vehemently for the "underdog" in the coming years.

I wish everyone, Christian or not, in some way, whether through mission trips, books, movies, workshops or conversation, would take the time to step into the world of the deeply impoverished. Shane Claiborne writes in Irresistible Revolution that he has to believe that most people do not do more to end poverty, simply because they do not know anyone that is poor. Become friends with someone who lives in poverty and you begin to care deeply about how your own choices impact their world. It's no longer the faceless masses, vilified and condemned by our corporate-operated media. Instead it's Joe, Sue, Fred, and Frank. 

If you are a Christian, I ask you to just read your Bible. If there is no other venue open to you with which you can engage with the poor...go straight to the heart of Jesus (himself a poor man) and witness the compassion, mercy, grace and lenses of love through which He approached those whom society would much rather push to the margins. I can guarantee you that I know what you'll find:

A heart that beats with passion for those that His Father never forgets.

So shouldn't ours?

Lemon Spinach Quinoa Salad

This is another Kroger deli salad that we have enjoyed and for which we've created our own recipe (see also Super Food Salad). It's delicious and pretty easy. Plus, it's a good source of vegetarian protein. With 14 grams of protein in 3.5 oz of quinoa, this is one reply for all of those questioning doubters who ask vegans, "But how do you get enough protein?!"

The lemon vinaigrette dressing is a recipe I found on Epicurious. Otherwise, this recipe is just my best guess at how to replicate the Kroger version.

Dressing: 1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp. sugar or honey

1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. sea salt

3-4 Tbsp. olive oil

1 cup dry quinoa, cooked according to package directions

1 1/2 cups mango, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 c. wheat berries (soaked for 1 hour before placing in salad), optional

mixed greens, power greens or baby spinach- as many as you want to make a good sized salad

Mix all together. This is a salad that can be eaten warm or cold. If you want to leave out the wheat berries to avoid all gluten, you won't even notice a difference and could probably even substitute sunflower seeds.

Enjoy!

It Always Looks So Desolate! (End of October Update)

Although it's a gorgeous 60+ degree day for November 3rd, many of my plants met their demise thanks to the hard frost we had Sunday morning. It was time to pull up all but the last tomato plant and the rest of the marigolds, nasturtiums and impatiens. They fought valiantly, but mid-20s was just too much for them to handle.

As I pack up the patio garden each year, I'm always struck just how desolate it all feels. I'm thankful to have the mini-greenhouse now so that my spinach, collards, chard and green onions have a chance to linger a little longer. But other than green...the color is gone for the year.

I looked back in my journal and the first planting I documented outside this year was on March 31st. Seven months of continuous (and counting!) outdoor planting is pretty awesome for our Ohio River Valley climate.

With the start of my indoor experimentation last winter, I have been continuously growing food since April 2013. It's not enough to notice a huge dent in our grocery budget, but it's enough to have fresh options every day if we want them. It may be aloe vera juice, wheat grass, rosemary, basil, cilantro or alfalfa sprouts...but it's still fresh.

With my continued attempt at hydroponics, after less than two weeks, I actually have some semblance of kale, collards, Belgian endive, salad greens, and chard. I'll try to keep you posted on this part of the adventure. I'll concede intimidation, but I'm getting braver every day. 

The wormery continues to produce amazing organic compost. I can totally hook you up with some worms (pun intended!) if you're ready to start an indoor bin. 

The lemon and lime trees all look great. I have five of them at various stages in growth. I will probably start more this winter and hope to have a few of these older ones ready to sell by spring or summer 2015.

For the first time I had the courage to bring a tomato plant inside to see how long I could let it grow. Today, Leah and I enjoyed our first indoor vine-ripened tomato and the picture shows the second that will probably be ready in a day or two. I still haven't been able to successfully pollinate the blooms, but there are blooms. I just need to do a little more research on how to prompt the fruit to grow.

That's it for now. My passionate desire is to see blooms, buds, fruit and harvest year round. With the help of grow lights and the new deep culture hydroponics system, it may actually now be possible.

Vegan Holiday Cooking from Candle Cafe': A Book Review

One of the great dilemmas of embracing a Vegan lifestyle is what to feed company when you're entertaining. The chefs of Candle Cafe' have eliminated the guesswork and have provided recipes even picky guests will enjoy.

The photos look delicious. The ingredients are healthy. The chefs are known for their Vegan recipes that impress New York patrons throughout the year. Thus, this book is a must-have for every Vegan entertainer.

I stopped counting at 20. That was the number of sticky notes I'd placed between the pages of this book before I stopped keeping track of what recipes I wanted to try. With every major U.S. holiday included, even Super Bowl and Chinese New Year, there are several recipes I will be cooking before the appropriate holiday arrives.

Grilled bok choy with sesame-ginger sauce; lemongrass-infused celeriac soup with matzo balls; flourless chocolate cake with macaroon crust; chickpea crepes with berries and vanilla-lavender cream; crispy black bean tacos; baked maple pinto beans; roasted squash soup with almond cream and spice pumpkin seeds; snowball cookies; and pecan pie with cinnamon ice cream...this is just a sample of the delicious recipes you'll find among the pages. There are also multiple cocktail options for each occasion.

Ten different holidays are represented and between them all they cover game day foods, Chinese, Mexican, Kosher, summer grilling and traditional holiday comfort foods. Even if you're not entertaining a crowd, there are enough options here to use for family dinners throughout the week too.

Last year I scanned recipes for hours on Pinterest to find healthy, vegan options for our Thanksgiving dinner. Not so this year, the chefs of Candle Cafe' have already taken the guesswork out of my preparation. Instead of my Kindle propped up on the counter, this year, you'll find this wonderful recipe book in its place.