Well, I got a hunkering for egg salad recently and today I came up with the best recipe I've ever tried - and it included this powerful anti-inflammatory spice! So I thought I'd share...
October 8, 2011
Recipe Time! Egg salad sandwiches
Over the past several months, I've been keeping an eye out for natural anti-inflammatory foods. One of the ingredients I found was tumeric. But apart from Indian foods, most recipes don't call for tumeric. Tumeric is an orange spice which is much like paprika - a mild, peppery flavor. It is also used as a dye, so be aware of that when you're using it!
October 2, 2011
"Premonition" doesn't quite cut it. It feels more like the Holy Spirit guiding and preparing me.
I woke up with this feeling... its going to be a lonnnng day. After getting ready, I headed out the door for church. Even though I was not planning on leaving early, I still found myself asking a friend to take care of things for me after service. I guess I just wanted a break. But the feeling wouldn't go away.
I am so glad I did. The Holy Spirit had prepared things for me so I could get up and leave when I needed to, about half way through service. I cried the whole way home. Finding out someone lied to you is never easy. But I'm glad the Holy Spirit prepared things for me today.
I woke up with this feeling... its going to be a lonnnng day. After getting ready, I headed out the door for church. Even though I was not planning on leaving early, I still found myself asking a friend to take care of things for me after service. I guess I just wanted a break. But the feeling wouldn't go away.
I am so glad I did. The Holy Spirit had prepared things for me so I could get up and leave when I needed to, about half way through service. I cried the whole way home. Finding out someone lied to you is never easy. But I'm glad the Holy Spirit prepared things for me today.
September 23, 2011
Reliving the Past
I have a challenging assignment due next week. Write a story about a difficult event or series of events which you experienced.
Oh, goodness. The possibilities seemed endless but I quickly scratched off experiences which would bring me to tears - experiences too fresh or too painful. Of those left, one stood out: my first Bible college.
This experience - a one-semester-experience - revealed to me a major truth. Evil exists in the world and it is present in the Church. It was clearly a difficult season.
So I began by listing all the pieces of that semester which revealed to me this truth.
The list was long.
And now I must relive the past as I sift through the wreckage and select those items which weave together to create a unified story. It is a jarring process.
...I was about to end this entry, but I don't want to end on that note. I also recognize that God used these four months in my life. And, in the midst of the evil, I found several people who will always be near and dear to my heart. These individuals were the "good" which strengthened me through the long four months and gave me the endurance I needed to run the race uphill. I will always be thankful for these people.
Oh, goodness. The possibilities seemed endless but I quickly scratched off experiences which would bring me to tears - experiences too fresh or too painful. Of those left, one stood out: my first Bible college.
This experience - a one-semester-experience - revealed to me a major truth. Evil exists in the world and it is present in the Church. It was clearly a difficult season.
So I began by listing all the pieces of that semester which revealed to me this truth.
The list was long.
And now I must relive the past as I sift through the wreckage and select those items which weave together to create a unified story. It is a jarring process.
...I was about to end this entry, but I don't want to end on that note. I also recognize that God used these four months in my life. And, in the midst of the evil, I found several people who will always be near and dear to my heart. These individuals were the "good" which strengthened me through the long four months and gave me the endurance I needed to run the race uphill. I will always be thankful for these people.
September 20, 2011
sliding
Once I stood
now I am slumped
in a pile near the floor
leaning against the wall
I crumbled
then was picked up
by well-meaning friends
and leaned against the wall
Slowly I slid
sliding down the wall
till I became a pile
on the floor against the wall
now I am slumped
in a pile near the floor
leaning against the wall
I crumbled
then was picked up
by well-meaning friends
and leaned against the wall
Slowly I slid
sliding down the wall
till I became a pile
on the floor against the wall
September 16, 2011
Responsibility
Strength Finder informed me a year and a half ago that I have the strength of "Responsibility." This is no surprise to me and probably not to those who know me, either. It makes me reliable to those who need me. It also makes my life extremely chaotic.
Anything I do, I want to do well. I also do not want to let down or disappoint those who are relying on me. As a result, even when I am over-committed, I find myself pushing through. If I back out of a commitment, the task now becomes a burden to someone else.
Enter Fall 2011.
I am working three jobs, taking 14 credits, auditing an additional 3 credits, involved in ministry at my church, participating with a chapel worship band, working out 3 days a week, meeting weekly with 2 individuals (not counting the 6 mentor meetings which I have as a part of one of my jobs), and trying to take care of my physical and social lives as well. Something has got to give. I barely have time for homework. One friend observed today that they have not seen me working on my homework once since school started 3 weeks ago; instead, I'm working on grading everyone else's (that's my other 2 jobs). His statement was pretty accurate.
So now comes the time when I let someone down. I say 'no' to something. I might even back out of one of my commitments. This stuff kills me.
Anything I do, I want to do well. I also do not want to let down or disappoint those who are relying on me. As a result, even when I am over-committed, I find myself pushing through. If I back out of a commitment, the task now becomes a burden to someone else.
Enter Fall 2011.
I am working three jobs, taking 14 credits, auditing an additional 3 credits, involved in ministry at my church, participating with a chapel worship band, working out 3 days a week, meeting weekly with 2 individuals (not counting the 6 mentor meetings which I have as a part of one of my jobs), and trying to take care of my physical and social lives as well. Something has got to give. I barely have time for homework. One friend observed today that they have not seen me working on my homework once since school started 3 weeks ago; instead, I'm working on grading everyone else's (that's my other 2 jobs). His statement was pretty accurate.
So now comes the time when I let someone down. I say 'no' to something. I might even back out of one of my commitments. This stuff kills me.
September 5, 2011
Chaos
It seems like a bit of irony that I have had this blog going for a while now and have not once (yet) admitted to the chaos that is my life. But it seems quite appropriate now!
Having just started a new school year a week ago, I've received an onslaught of questioning: "how was your summer?' I must admit, I ask the question frequently as well! My answer is pretty simple.
What summer?
I had a week between Finals Spring Semester and beginning my Summer courses - a week filled with reading the 600-some required pages of reading for the speed course that I took that first week of Summer classes. My classes ended August 11th and I started my leadership position and preparing for the new school year on August 12th. A vacation to visit family was squeezed in at the end of June, but that was about it.
Since starting the Fall semester activities three weeks ago, I have had 2 weekends out of town and helped with our New Student Orientation. I'll be out of town again next weekend (this time for a much-needed vacation which I hope is relaxing).
During the retreat this past weekend (which wasn't as relaxing as I had hoped), I received a challenge: Are you scheduling God into your day or are you spending time with Him?
Conviction.
Just before finishing my Summer classes, my sister-in-law and best friend suggested I spend a couple hours at a park not far away, sitting and waiting on God to move. My answer? I don't have time. I had a lot to get done to finish my classes and a short amount of time to do it. I was up against a deadline. I'll find time next week.
But next week came and went. I still haven't made it to the park, even through I've driven through that area of the city more than once. My time with God is merely a task to check off my daily to-do list, right alongside brush your teeth and eat dinner, possibly slightly higher than wash your face.
Chaos is a part of life, especially for this college-student. But I needed that reminder to seek the calm in the midst of the chaos. This is what life's truly about.
Having just started a new school year a week ago, I've received an onslaught of questioning: "how was your summer?' I must admit, I ask the question frequently as well! My answer is pretty simple.
What summer?
I had a week between Finals Spring Semester and beginning my Summer courses - a week filled with reading the 600-some required pages of reading for the speed course that I took that first week of Summer classes. My classes ended August 11th and I started my leadership position and preparing for the new school year on August 12th. A vacation to visit family was squeezed in at the end of June, but that was about it.
Since starting the Fall semester activities three weeks ago, I have had 2 weekends out of town and helped with our New Student Orientation. I'll be out of town again next weekend (this time for a much-needed vacation which I hope is relaxing).
During the retreat this past weekend (which wasn't as relaxing as I had hoped), I received a challenge: Are you scheduling God into your day or are you spending time with Him?
Conviction.
Just before finishing my Summer classes, my sister-in-law and best friend suggested I spend a couple hours at a park not far away, sitting and waiting on God to move. My answer? I don't have time. I had a lot to get done to finish my classes and a short amount of time to do it. I was up against a deadline. I'll find time next week.
But next week came and went. I still haven't made it to the park, even through I've driven through that area of the city more than once. My time with God is merely a task to check off my daily to-do list, right alongside brush your teeth and eat dinner, possibly slightly higher than wash your face.
Chaos is a part of life, especially for this college-student. But I needed that reminder to seek the calm in the midst of the chaos. This is what life's truly about.
August 21, 2011
The Broken Picker
A nice long weekend away has come to a close. Its bittersweet. I greatly enjoyed the leadership training and time spent in late-night conversation with a couple friends...
A theme began to develop with our late-night conversations: the broken picker.
A psychologist told me that there are 4 reasons why a man is single at my age:
1) he has a broken picker
2) he has a fear of commitment/marriage
3) he is divorced (which means his picker is probably broken)
4) he is a widower
After mentioning this to my friends, we were left to contemplate the question: why am I single? We all began to realize that we, like many men, have a broken picker. We fail to recognize the quality men around us and instead find ourselves selecting men who are broken, entering into broken relationships.
I wonder if these four categories accurately reflect every - or even the majority - of singles in their late- 20's and 30's, but it certainly is some challenging food for thought!
A theme began to develop with our late-night conversations: the broken picker.
A psychologist told me that there are 4 reasons why a man is single at my age:
1) he has a broken picker
2) he has a fear of commitment/marriage
3) he is divorced (which means his picker is probably broken)
4) he is a widower
After mentioning this to my friends, we were left to contemplate the question: why am I single? We all began to realize that we, like many men, have a broken picker. We fail to recognize the quality men around us and instead find ourselves selecting men who are broken, entering into broken relationships.
I wonder if these four categories accurately reflect every - or even the majority - of singles in their late- 20's and 30's, but it certainly is some challenging food for thought!
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