An Observation on Timing

Sometimes things don't seem to be changing. Day in, day out, they look the same.

But then, in a single day, a lot happens.

Seeing my orchid bloom today reminded me of how impatient we humans can be, and how God has His own timing. However much we try to rush, procrastinate, or prolong things, they will never fail to occur exactly when they are meant to. Lord, help me to be at peace with that fact!

Interwebs

So here are a few sites I've been infatuated with recently, which I highly recommend:

How to Be a Retronaut: Daring voyages into the past via rare photos and video clips. Check out the lovely but haunting Detroit in Ruins.

Sharenator: Pics, Ask, Video... User rankings go up and down based on points they receive on their comments and posts. It seems to be run mostly by nerdy teenage boys who like video games and anime, but it's still fun and funny.

Gives Me Hope: A self-described "FML for optimists," it's sure to brighten your day.

Happy clicking!

Lost & Found

I lost my job yesterday. Quite honestly, I wasn't that surprised it happened, nor was I too heartbroken. The hardest part, I knew, would be that in-between-jobs uncertainty. The challenges would be trusting God, and filling the days to come, so that I wasn't too bored or cabin-feverish.

Yesterday evening, I headed over to my neighborhood Chipotle to grab dinner before a meeting at church. The guy behind me, as I did, had ordered a bowl, to go. The cashier looked up. "Are these together?" He asked. "Nah," I said, "Lost my job today, so I'm not feeling very generous." It was true, but I didn't mean anything by it.

Before I knew what happened, the guy behind me had paid for my dinner! I was so floored, I couldn't even formulate a response, save for getting teary-eyed and thanking him profusely.

I got into my car, still dazed. I felt like God had [lovingly] smacked me and said, "See? You can trust me with this. I will provide for you and take care of you in ways you can't even imagine." That guy was an angel. A bespectacled, Asian angel who likes chicken burrito bowls.

Sullied Snow Day

Nothing kills the buzz of a good snow day off like hearing that one of your co-workers courageously made it into the office to take care of business. Not to mention the fact that she has more business than you at the moment. Rats.

Dreams

I was just telling my co-workers, "I had this dream, where I had to get these routine transfusions of some kind, but the hospital was on a boat, and our boss was the captain, and then there was a hurricane..." Imagine my shame this morning when I saw this cartoon on one of my usual webcomics! Oops!

Daniel Fast: Crossing the Finish Line

"... Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith..." Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)

WOW! Saturday, January 29 was the final day of my Daniel Fast. I am so thankful that I did it, and I am also glad it is over. I have gotten a lot out of this experience.

What I learned about God:

• He's shown me new levels of His faithfulness and power
• He loves me, and wants me to grow stronger in Him
• He provides help and sustenance when it doesn't seem possible

What I learned about myself:

• I can effectively practice self-discipline... when I seek God's help
• I can survive without having the foods I want
• Caffeine, processed carbs, and sugar really had a hold on me
• I'm excited to have my usual foods again, but I'm just as eager to be able to exercise moderation with these foods

Overall, I'm glad I did this fast, and I recommend it highly. It's not just about abstaining from certain foods. It's also about devoting the time to prayer, reading Scripture, and listening to God.

Song of the day

"Airplanes" by Local Natives. I was telling Little Bear about this song, and its awesome accompanying video, this weekend. Here it is!

Whole wheat crepes with fruit and nut compote

OK, I have to brag. I just made the best meal yet on my Daniel Fast! It was beautiful, delicious, nutritious, and surprisingly easy.

I made this recipe, making some substitutions for the sugar, all-purpose flour, and soy margarine with applesauce, whole wheat flour, and vegetable oil. I made the batter last night, covered it, and stashed it away in the fridge.

This morning, I concocted what turned out to be a very tasty topping/filling for the crepes:

-1 C fresh blueberries (or any other berries would be good!)

-1 sliced banana

-A dollop of no sugar added applesauce (maybe 1/3 cup or so?)

-Handful walnuts, crumbled into smaller pieces

-Enough water to make it sort of soupy

-Cinnamon (I didn't have any, but I think it would've been perfect in this.)

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Smush some of the berries with a fork. Heat on high. Allow mixture to boil for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Look for fruit to soften, and sauce to turn purple and thicken up a bit. Spoon into crepes. Roll crepes up. Top with remainder of sauce.

Here's how they turned out!

Daniel Fast: Day 5 Observations

I am now on day 5 of my 21 day Daniel Fast, as you probably guessed by the title of this post. So far, a few things have become very clear to me:

-I eat a LOT more food on this fast! I guess it takes a lot of vegetables, fruits, and nuts to fill me up.

-I also eat much more often- and I normally have 3 meals a day, along with a morning, afternoon, and sometimes evening snack!

-Each day, it gets a tiny bit easier.

-It's surprising how not having my one morning cup of coffee left me with a splitting headache!

-It's great how having a couple ibuprofen with breakfast helps that problem.

-And finally, God is amazing. He's showing me what sustains me; He's providing me with all I need.

Oh, and I heard this song today, and was so encouraged. Enjoy!

Love for the Day

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

-Lamentations 3:21-23

New Year

WOW I can't believe it's been so long since I've blogged! I hope you have had a fantastic Thanksgiving and Christmas. I've been thinking recently about New Year's Resolutions, and I couldn't really think of any...until today.

Allow me to share with you what I ate last night- after dinner, mind you:

-A bowl of oatmeal

-A veggie sausage patty

-3 Rocher chocolates

-A 3 oz. cup of Haagen-Dazs ice cream

Needless to say, I awoke this morning with that familiar feeling of "Oh no, I didn't...I did." I don't know how much of my late-night eating is emotional, and how much is a side effect of my nighttime medication, but the entirety of it is, well, not needed. I get plenty to eat throughout the day.

I get a daily devotional email for women, Encouragement for Today, from Proverbs 31 Ministries. Today's edition contained a verse that really resonated with me:

"... make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance..." -2 Peter 1:5a-6a (NIV)

I pondered this verse. I lacked self-control, but it is something that is added to knowledge. Do I have knowledge? Do I have goodness, onto which knowledge is added? I did a Strong's number lookup for both of these virtues. OK, I concluded. I have faith. That's a start.

Then, somewhere online this evening, I stumbled upon the Ultimate Daniel Fast. It is a three week partial fast, based on that of Daniel. It involves abstinence from certain foods, combined with ample prayer time. Call me kooky, but the idea of fasting intrigues me. It is definitely a neglected spiritual discipline these days. Perhaps it can draw me closer to God and away from food for comfort. The website is here, if you want to read about it for yourself.

Just to be sure, I'm going to read the book of Daniel tonight and pray about it. But I'm considering participating in the January 2011 fast, from the 9th to the 29th.

Sooo... anyone want to try it with me? Anyone??

Thank you, internets...

...For the adorable hilarity that is Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. Squeeeeeeeeee!!!!

Alexander: "Truth"

This song makes me feel so many different things (inspired, shaken, strong, lonely...) I had to share it. I think it's so honest and beautiful.

Heart at Work

Last week at work, the condensation from my drink dripped onto my call sheet. It formed the shape of a heart! I liked it. I picked it up to show my co-workers, that's why it has that drip from the bottom. Here's a pic:

Best Coast: Boyfriend

This song has been sloshing on the shores of my brain for a couple weeks, like some lazy late-summer wave. Enjoy!

Politeness

I really value politeness. I try to be polite to everyone, but I don't adhere to it at all times. I am a firm believer in the hand-written thank-you note, the timely RSVP, etc. So when was watching a rerun of The Office recently, I cracked up when I heard this quote by Andy Bernard:

You give me a gift? BAM! Thank-you note! You invite me somewhere? POW! RSVP! You do me a favor? WHAM! Favor returned! Do NOT test my politeness.

...Not so bad!

Yesterday morning, I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth extracted. I was so nervous- not about the pain, but about the anesthesia. I'd never been "put to sleep," before! Jesse graciously came along to be my driver/ hand-holder/ caretaker. Beforehand, a surgical assistant explained post-op instructions, and gave a similar brochure to Jesse, explaining that I "probably wouldn't remember this conversation." She also cautioned him that I may be unstable on my feet afterwards, and would need a watchful eye walking back to the car.

She took my vital signs and hooked me up to a heart monitor. Dr. Scheideman entered, rocking purple scrubs and round tortoise-shell glasses. He put a reassuring hand on my shoulder, and told me I would take a short nap, and then it'd all be over. I barely felt the tiny pediatric needle to start the IV. I heard him say, "I've started the medicine, let's see how that feels." The ceiling began to ripple, and then I was out. Just as suddenly, I was awake again. I wasn't nauseous, dizzy, or in any pain. In fact, my entire mouth was numb. The nurse tied an ice pack around my jaw. They asked if I felt like I could get up. I did, still feeling fine! I walked, unsupported, to the car. I was pleasantly surprised at my own lucidity. (For some reason loopy-ness was one of my fears about this whole thing.)

Jesse, I've got to say, was awesome. He kept an eye on time (time to change gauze, to take more medicine, put the ice pack on/off). He got me anything I needed or wanted. He rubbed my feet! He definitely deserves a gold star.

And I highly recommend Dr. Scheideman and his whole team if you need to have any oral surgery!

So, long story short, this was another experience that I worried about for nothing. Who has two thumbs and is glad she got it over with?

THIS GIRL!

Thanks, Ma!

It is great how moms can teach you valuable lessons by not doing or saying what you expect!

On Wednesday or so, my boss decided we should have a potluck lunch this Friday. Last night, I was telling this to my mom. "But," I lamented, "I have no idea what to make!" This was her cue. I held my breath for her to say, "Why don't you come over Thursday evening, and we can make (insert usual crowd-pleasing dish here)?" No such luck. All she offered up was, "Make something you like," along with, "I'm sure you'll think of something great!"

I racked my brain. I scavenged the internet. I knew that I wanted to make something healthy and fresh, as well as some sort of sweet baked good. Finally, I settled on Quinoa Avocado Salad, and Pumpkin Angel Puffs.

When I returned home from Target today, ingredients in hand, it hit me: this might be a lot of work! Had I gotten in over my head? Would my co-workers even appreciate these foods? And, more importantly, were they really worth my buying an $11 bag of quinoa?

I shook off my doubts, turned on my Musica en Español playlist, and got to work. In no time, it seemed, I was drying the last of the dishes, with my potluck contributions stowed away in the fridge.

I learned the following from my culinary efforts this evening:

-Quinoa doesn't take very long to cook at all

-Wearing an apron makes me feel like a productive chef

-Angel food cake batter= very fluffy

-Things that touch the oven's heating element, including cupcakes, catch on fire

-Homemade whipped cream is not only easy to make, it tastes heavenly

So thanks, Ma! I never would have learned these lessons without, er, with you!

Here's one of my Pumpkin Angel Puffs:

4th of July

Today my brother's sweet fiancee sent me a pic of Little Bear and I from the 4th of July. I love how she described it, that he looks like he's admiring me, "secondary to the fact that his eyes are closed." I thought the color, composition, and overall feeling of the pic were great- I had to post it here. :)

A Song & Verses for This Evening

Hi friends. Sorry I haven't written in so long! Things have been very busy up here in the treetops. I will try to write more later. But for tonight, I'll leave you with a song and some verses.

So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life- not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time...Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. 2 Tim 1:8-9, 12

Hallelujah!