God's Place at God's Time

What a week it's been. My expectations for this trip were completely shattered.

It was a week full of hard work, and opportunities to minister, which was expected,  but what blew my mind was what God did during our down time, especially on our free day.

Before I talk about our free day, I have to backtrack a little to the day before. I had a bad fibro flare-up and had ended my day fighting back a pity party.

I kept asking God why I was even on this trip if my body was going to give up two days in.

After some prayer and a cool shower I began to feel a little better but the thought still nagged at the back of my mind.

Why was I on this trip?

So back to free day...

Dave, our youth leader, had painstakingly mapped out our schedule for the day having arranged a tour of a local estuary known for something called 'black water'(still not sure what that is) and would include a tour of some of the local birds. We would then head to El Yunque,  the local rain forest to swim in the waterfall pools followed by a trip to a local beach recommended by one of our interpreters.

Sounded great...right?

Wrong!

God had other plans.

As we were about to pull out for our free day, Dave got a call from Estaban,  the gentleman in charge of the estuary tour, who informed us that there was torrential rains and that the hiking trails were closed.

Ok, change of plans.

A smaller group from Georgia was just about to leave so we asked them if they would let us follow them to El Yunque, as our directions were from the estuary not the retreat center and they agreed.

After a few minor navigational errors we arrived at the rain forest and stopped at an amazing observation tower. The view was breath taking,  and I learned, by overhearing a couple ascending the stairs, the tower had 98 steps. I didn't know it yet but I would meet that couple later on that day.

We decided to head to the falls next. We agreed to follow our friends from Georgia to the trailhead for La Mina Falls and off we went.

Well, for some reason we missed the turn-off for the trailhead and end up at the upper end of the trail. We rolled with it and started down the trail, taking pictures as we went along.

A good way down the trail the same couple from the tower passed us stragglers at the end of our group. As we continued on I could see them in the distance and was horrified to see her slip on the path. Her ankle was turned in an unnatural direction.

Instinct took over as I ran back up the trail to find Dawn, she's a nurse practitioner who was with us on the trip. Having explained the situation we hurried back down the trail to find Keena,  as we would learn her name to be, lying on her back with her husband Tony elevating her leg.

Dawn immediately assessed her, doing all the things a first responder should do. 911 was called and I found myself talking with Keena doing my best to comfort her. I lost track of how many times I prayed over her as Dawn and Zaneta, another adult from our group tried to ease the pain in her leg.

We waited for two hours for the EMTs to arrive and finally get her to safety.

The one thing I remember was her thanking me, and thinking this is why I'm here.

I'm here to be his hands and feet.

I'm here to encourage and bring comfort to Keena.

I'm here to show God's glory to everyone who walk down that trail and saw our compassion and heard our prayers.

God is amazing. He truly orchestrated all this so we would be in the right place at just the right time.

If we had followed our original plan, we wouldn't had been at the rain forest, but would have been at the estuary. If we had stopped at the trailhead and hiked the other path to the falls we wouldn't had been where God wanted us to be.

God knew exactly what Keena needed and chose us to be his hands extended.

If that was the end of the story it would be enough.

But it wasn't.

We received an update from Tony on Keena's condition and she was doing well they were able to set her leg and they were both headed home to Texas. He thanked us again for all our help, but that's not the best part.

The best part...he said that Keena and he have grown closer to each other and God through this ordeal.

We don't always get to see the full extent of us following God's will, and even in this case, I'm certain there was even more lives impacted by our actions, but sometimes we get to see a little bit of the big picture.

And that...

Well, that just makes my heart sing.

Mission Trip 2015

So I know I haven't posted in a while (it's hard for me to do during the school year), but as I type this I'm laying in a bunk in a dormitory in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

"Wait what?" You might ask, "how did you end up there?"

I've asked myself the same question many times over the last few months. It all started when my daughter decided that after our grand European vacation she was ready to tackle a missions trip to Puerto Rico. I of course being to great dad that I am asked her if she wanted me to come along as a chaperone.  She of course said yes.

Why did I ask that question? What was I thinking?

I was thinking that it wasn't about me. I will admit that part of my motivation was to help my daughter feel secure in her decision (she has come a long way in regards to getting out of her comfort zone but sometimes needs a little moral support) but it was also to be an example.

Again, it's not about me.

It's not about my comfort.

It's not about impressing my daughter (there are things I already excel at that I could use to stroke my ego.)

It's not about impressing my friends or family.

It's not about bringing myself glory.

It's ALL about God

Its ALL about HIS glory.

It's ALL about being HIS hands and feet.

So here I am in Ponce, way out of my comfort zone, my element, and my wheelhouse, but that okay, because it's not about me.

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” ~ 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Attitude Check

     So, my wife and I decided we would start going to the gym on a regular basis starting this Monday. I went to bed the night before apprehensive but excited to get started getting in shape. Then morning came and the voices in my head screamed that there was no way they were letting my body out of bed.

     Mornings are quite frankly the bane of my existence. I have never been a morning person. (Waking up early for Saturday morning cartoons as a kid  doesn't count.) Every morning my alarm goes off at 7:14 am, at which point I hi t snooze repeatedly until 7:30 at which point I pray read a devotional and, most days, I fall back to sleep until at least 9:30. I then have to get up to homeschool but truth be told if I didn't have to get up I wouldn't.

     I know that sounds terribly lazy, but with FMS some days it takes all I got to escape the comfort of bed. With that said I actually dragged myself out of bed around 8 am and headed off to the gym with the wife. Victory!

     This whole thing got me thinking that often we struggle to worship God with our lives because life is just tough. We often equate worship with music, thinking that if I sing the worship songs I don't like or when I'm not in the mood, I have somehow given a sacrifice of praise, but it is so much more than that. Worship is more than a song, it's our service we give to God.

     Sometimes it is very hard to worship him, to serve him, especially when nothing seems to be going our way. When we are in pain, either physical or emotional, it is very difficult to move our focus off of ourselves and onto anyone else. Also sometimes we just feel drained, like we just couldn't do one more thing, but we feel the Spirit nudging us to volunteer for that special project or to fill-in in Sunday School when someone is sick.

     Dragging myself out of bed to head to the gym was a chore, but it was good for me. And guess what I'm going to go again tomorrow. I can't guarantee I won't complain about it, but I'm going to go, and eventually it will become a habit and the complaining will stop. The Bible tells us to do everything without grumbling and complaining and often I beat myself up over my poor attitude. My experience at the gym has help me to realize that even if I feel discourage that I'm not excused from serving my God. And even if I grumble and complain God still sees my willingness to worship him and to serve him. And just like going to the gym, eventually the grumbling and complaining will stop and I'll make it less of a chore and more of a habit to worship Him in all that I do.

Resonate

resonate: to produce or exhibit resonance

resonance: a sound or vibration produced in one object that is caused by the sound or vibration produced in another

There is an awesome song by Sonicflood called Resonate (listen to it here) that started me thinking about God and his glory. I have often heard it said that we are here to reflect God's glory. I find that analogy to be pretty effective in communicating multiple spiritual truths, i.e we have no glory of our own and it all comes from God. It really is a great analogy, but after hearing the above mentioned song I started to wonder if reflection falls a little short.

Let me back up a second and explain how I got there.

Again, we have always heard it said that we are to reflect God's glory, to reflect Christ and his mercy, to reflect God's love. And again, I think those are great analogies. For the longest time I was satisfied with reflection after all I don't want people to see me but to see Christ reflected in me. (How many of you have prayed similar prayers?) And again there is nothing wrong with that, or is there?

You see a while back someone recommended a great book called Music & Ministry: A Biblical Counterpoint by Calvin M. Johansson. While I admit that I don't completely agree with all of his points, there was one thing he spoke about that stood out to me, "Humble Exhaltedness."

What's that?

Simply put it is being humble with out being self-deprecating. It is recognizing our gifts and talents as given to us by God and not apologizing for using them and being good at using them. It's not feeling guilty for being a talented musician and/or singer simply because it makes others jealous.

And why is that?

God gave us those gifts, talents, skill, and shear mental acumen to bring him glory. It makes God happy when we use the gifts he gave us for the purpose he gave them to us. And, guess what, We can be happy about it with God too.

So, that being said, let's get back to the idea of reflection. When a mirror reflects something it shows you an image of that thing. The less imperfections in the mirror the more accurate the image that is reflected. So if we are to be mirrors so we can reflect God's image, i.e His glory, then we need to remove anything that could distort or distract from the image that is being reflected. On the surface this sounds reasonable, but there is one very huge problem with this.

The unspoken rule that goes along with this is that we must stifle our gifts and talents so they don't distract from the reflection. We are made to feel guilty for taking joy in using our God given gifts and made to feel guilty for being prideful and even more so for not realizing we were being prideful. So instead we either downplay our gifts and talents, or worse yet we hide them and never develop the God given gifts with which we have been born. In some ways this is even worse than pride as we are denying the very tools God has given us to give Him glory.

So what do we do?

We resonate.

I started this article with a definition of resonance, but how about an example.

If I strike a tuning fork it will produce a single note or frequency. If I hold that tuning fork close to the strings of a guitar, the string that is tuned to the same note will start to vibrate as well and produce the same note. It won't sound exactly like the tuning fork but it will be the same note. Take that same tuning fork over to a piano and the same thing will happen. Again it won't sound like the tuning fork, or even the guitar from earlier but it will be the same note. That in a nut shell is resonance.

Now think of God as the tuning fork and yourself as the guitar and I'll be the piano. when we resonate with God we will both make the same note but using our own unique sound. In music we call the unique sound an instrument or voice makes its timbre (pronounced tamber).

Just as each instrument has it's own timbre or unique sound, so to do we each have our own unique gifts and talent, our own timbre if you will. And when we allow our selves to resonate God's glory instead of reflecting it we will each reproduce God's glory in our own unique way. And we can rejoice in each other's gifts and talents as they combine, to take the music analogy a little farther, into a grand symphony composed of many different instruments each playing their own parts in order to show forth the infinite complexity of God's glory.

So my challenge to you? Stop reflecting and start resonating, and if you see someone resonating God's glory keep encouraging them and don't let them downplay the importance of the gifts God has given them.

Life is so not cool

I have come to the conclusion that life is so not cool right now.I have all these ideas running through my head that I want to implement, like sharing our awesome European vacation or the web-comic that never gets past preliminary sketches. That is mostly if not all the fault of my fight with a chronic illness. My Fibromylagia flared up big time over the last few weeks culminating in a "break down" of sorts after our church's VBS. I pushed myself to hard to be everything everyone expected me to be and I paid the price. There is only so long someone can ignore chronic pain before it consumes them. I'm better now though still not 100% and I realize that I need to take things slower and go back to pacing myself. To that end my blog posts are going to be fewer and I will be doing one post on Europe instead of the 6-8 part series I had planned. As far as the web-comic I will be once again putting that project on hold, as School will be starting up soon. On a related note Monday will be my last day at my part-time bookkeeping job. I hope to share more of my thoughts on worship and ideas about managing a household from a guy's perspective and I do have some new recipes to share, it's just going to be a while until I get around to posting.

Vanilla Panna Cotta with mixed berries

This year for our Independence Day cookout I decided to make panna cotta.  I first had panna cotta on our wild European vacation,  and it was love at first bite. It was simple to make that I felt a little guilty serving it to guests. Panna cotta is basically a dairy pudding made with gelatin, and it is extremely delicious.

Vanilla Panna Cotta

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk ( 1 percent will work as well)
1 tablespoon powdered gelatin
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
A pinch of salt
1 tbsp of vanilla extract
2 cups assorted fresh berries

Directions

1. Sprinkle geletin over milk in a saucepan and let stand for 3 to 5 minutes
2. Heat milk over medium heat until geletin dissolves approximately 5 minues.
3. Add cream sugar vanilla and salt and continue cooking mixture until sugar completely dissolves 5 - 7 minutes
4. Remove from heat and pour into containers. (I used plastic wine glasses from the dollar store and filled them approximately 2/3 full). Allow to cool and place in refrigerator to set.
5. Once set add mixed berries on top.

Transformers

Ok so I went to see Transformers Age of Extinction on Friday, and we'll quite frankly it has come in at number 5 in my top movies of 2014. I have to mention that it was also the 5th movie I've seen this year so coming in at number 5 was not a major accomplishment. To be honest it probably won't be at number 5 for very long.

I don't want to give any spoilers but lets just say that a movie that is only 15 minutes shy of 3 hours should probably been made into two movies. The movie suffers from too many protagonists, too many antagonists, and too man u subplots. And as cool as Optimus Prime riding on a robot dinosaur is the lead up to it felt forced.

Overall it delivered in terms of special effects and action but the confusing plot and general length of the movie left me feeling disappointed.

So the current ranking is now

1. The Lego Movie
2. Captain America: Winter Soldier
3. Maleficent
4. X-men: Days of Futures Past
5. Transformers: Age of Extinction

Summer Movie Madness

So we went to see Maleficent this week and I have to say it was really good. I liked the back story and the twists on the original story. It was definitely a step up from the animated film and Jolie's performance was superb, but I wouldn't expect anything less from her.


Overall Maleficent ranks in at number 3 on my favorite movies of 2014, slightly edging out X-Men Days of Futures Past, but still a ways behind Winter Soldier and my number one, The Lego Movie. So Transformers comes out today and yes I will be seeing it, hoping it will prove better than the last two sequels.

Our Wild European Vacation - Prologue

So we just finished our 2 week long European Vacation where we visited Rome, Italy and the southern coast of Sweden. I will be chronicling our travels over the course of the summer, but first I wanted to share some encouragement and advice if your thinking about taking an European Vacation.

Research, research, research

I can not stress this enough. When ever you plan a trip whether at home or abroad take some time to read up on your destination. Find out what is there to see and do, what is the climate and weather forecast, and how much will things cost. When planning our trip to Rome we picked up travel guides from AAA and also viewed travel videos on YouTube. Rick Steves has some great videos here https://www.youtube.com/user/RickSteves.

Pack light and pack smart

Most airlines allow one checked bag and one carry-on piece of luggage per person, some also allow for n additional personal item as well, i.e. a laptop bag, purse, or camera bag. The maximum allowable weight for checked luggage on an international flight is 23 kg or 50 lbs anything over that and you will either be charged extra or they might not allow the bag on at all. Also keep in mind that souvenirs will add to the weight of the bags on the return flight. You will also want to pack a change of clothes in your carry-on luggage.Why? you might ask, because checked baggage can sometimes get lost in transit, especially if you are switching flights half way through your trip. Also, instead of packing one bag per person consider distributing everyone's clothes equally between all your bags. For example, instead of all my clothes being in one suitcase I placed three complete outfits in each suitcase, My wife and daughter did the same. This was to make sure if a bag got lost, everyone would still have clothes. It also evenly distributed the weight across all three bags. Also remember the 3-1-1 rule: 3.4 ounces (100 ml) bottle or less(by volume)of any liquid placed in a 1 quart (1 liter) sized bag per person. This rule is for carry-on luggage, larger sizes can be carried in checked baggage.

Don't Be Afraid to Try New Things

This should be obvious but you may want to prepare your picky eaters to attempt new and exciting things. this goes for you too, mom and dad. Go with the expectation that you will try at least two new dishes if not more. For example, While in Rome both my wife and I decided that we wanted to try Gelato, honestly we had never had it before, and carbonara. Not only did we try those but we also fell in love with panna cotta, and the lemon ravioli my wife had one night was out of this world.

Dress to Travel

I'm not saying you have to throw on lederhosen like the Von Trapps, but you should be mindful of what to wear. First you need to be conscious of how airport security works. Don't wear anything metal if you can avoid it, gold doesn't set off the metal detectors but steel does, so no watches or bracelets. No belts unless you absolutely need one, you will have to remove it to go through security. You will also have to remove your shoes, at least in the USA, so wear something that can be slipped on and off easily. Also no pants with chains or excess rivets unless you like being patted down.With all that being said I recommend wearing comfortable tennis shoes and loose fitting jeans or khakis with a t-shirt or polo type shirt. Keep in mind that the plane is Air Conditioned and is usually a might chilly so unless it is a short flight I don't recommend shorts. Depending on when your flight is scheduled you may be sleeping in these clothes so again keep them loose and comfortable.

Secure Your Valuables

When ever I travel to a large tourist city, even if it is just a day trip to New York. I always keep my wallet  in my front pocket. I've never been pick-pocketed, and I don't plan to be, so I don't make my self a target. Women are not immune either so I recommend either ditching the purse and getting a wallet to put in your front pocket also or if you are using a purse, use one with an adjustable shoulder strap and wear it with the strap crossing your body keeping the purse itself close to the front of your body. Also. as I told my daughter if in a crowd hold onto your purse keeping it against your body, it makes it more difficult to snag and thus reducing your likelihood to be a target. I also recommend that if your hotel room has a safe that you use it. There is no reason to carry all your credit cards and money with you every time you leave the hotel room.

Have Fun

It's vacation after all it should be fun and stress free. Don't try to see and do everything in the country or city you are visiting, just do the things that will create the best memories and remember to plan in some down time to just relax.

Finding Balance

I have been sufering from horrible migraines the last three weeks which have been directly caused by a lingering sinus infection. After repeated failed attempts to rid myself of the infection through natural means (forget water boarding lets just use a netipot on terrorists), I finally broke down and went to the urgent care to get some good old fashioned antibiotics, and some prednisone for the swelling. I know some folks don't like traditional western medicine,  but sometimes it really is just what the doctor ordered, and those that know me know my mantra in all things is balance.

This whole thing got me thinking. As always my thinking brought me back around to my faith in God. I have always tried to base my walk with God on balance. God is the all powerful creator and as such we need to approach Him with all the awe and and reverence that He deserves. He is also our source of comfort and help, He is father (i.e. daddy) to the fatherless,  Husband to the widow, and brings Joy to those who mourn. He is Lord and King, the righteous judge, the drill seargent if you will bringing discipline into our lives. He is also our closest friend and confidant, giver of mercy, and lover of our souls. He allows tradgedy to befall us yet never what we cannot handle and always works things out for our greater good, though we may not realize it at the time.

Worship becomes more of a conversation and a journey through song to where God wants his people to be

This balance naturally influence me when selecting songs for worship each Sunday. The first thing I do is ask 'what does God want to sayto his people this week through worship and what does He want from us in return.' Worship becomes more of a conversation and a journey through song to where God wants his people to be, preparing their hearts to receive the word that will be shared by our pastor. The I try to balance a healthy respect for past traditions and a need to continually move forward when it comes to the actual selection of songs, balancing both traditional hymns and choruses with more contemporary songs, always deferring to which ones will forward the theme God has given me. One of my guiding rules is to select one traditional hymn each week (this doesn't always happen, but the majority of the time I can find a hymn that will flow both thematically and musically). I also like to include songs that that speak about our God to others and songs that allow us to express ourselves to God directly. I do have some personal preferences as well, like wanting the opening song to have some element of inviting people into worship and the closing song having an anthem quality to it.

GOD should always be the focus of our worship.

The most important aspect in our worship, not just our songs by he way, is authenticity. People, whether they are in our congregations on Sunday morning or our next door neighbors,  need to see us worship i.e. serve in Spirit and in Truth. We don't need to puff ourselves up, our worship services are not a concert, and you are not the star. GOD should always be the focus of our worship.

Irish Soda Bread

So We just had our annual Missions Convention at our church, and since we had newly appointed missionaries to Ireland visiting we prepared a meal featuring some Irish fair. I had the opportunity to tryout a new recipe that went over so well that I will be adding it to my repertoire permanently. Since St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner, I have decided to share.

Irish Soda Bread

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups of all purpose flour
4 tbs of sugar
1/2 tbs of Kosher salt
1 tsp of Baking Soda
4 tbs of butter (half a stick)
1 egg
1 tsp of orange or lemon zest
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1 cup raisins or dried cranberries
flour for the raisins

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 375 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the flour mixture. Mix until combined.

In a separate bowl lightly whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and zest. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Add flour to the cup of raisins or dried cranberries and mix until they are coated. Add the fruit to the dough and mix until thoroughly combined.

Turn the dough out on a well floured board or table and kneed it a few times. Make sure the board has plenty of flour as the dough will be sticky. Form into 2 - 4 loaves. (You can bake it as one large loaf but I find  the smaller loaves are easier to deal with. Place the loaves on the cookie sheet and cut an 'x' in the top of each with a serrated knife. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool on a baking rack and serve warm or at room temp.

Note: though not 'authentic' the combination of cranberries and orange zest is out of this world.

Quick Update...

So I haven't kept up with my blog lately but it really wasn't entirely my fault. It all started almost two weeks ago when I was going to post a worship article on a Wednesday morning. That was the morning my shoulder decided it did not like living in it's socket. So that put me out of commission for a few days. (I did the bare minimum that I needed to get stuff done.) Finally Monday rolled around last week and I thought I would spend the evening getting some writing done. Apparently that was not to be as I started to feel pale while waiting in the line of the bank and ended up with a full on Stomach Virus that landed me in bed all day Tuesday. Felt better on Wednesday and had to play catch up with our homeschooling and I had to work in the afternoon and Church that night. Thursday I was still feeling pretty run down but I thought I was on the mend, that was until Friday morning when I woke up with a scratchy throat and a runny nose that wouldn't quit. So now It is Tuesday and I am finally starting to feel better. Hopefully I'll get an opportunity to get some writing in either tonight or tomorrow. This Friday is the first day of our Homeschool Co-op's Spring Semester and I will be teaching 2 classes this time around. The first is a music class for 2nd and 3rd graders focusing on percussion instruments. The second is a class on the Ten Commandments for 3rd graders. should be fun.

Until next time...

Teaching Tuesdays: Making Music

So this semester at our homeschool co-op I will be teach a music class to 2nd and 3rd graders focusing on percussion instruments. This got me thinking about all the ways you can incorporate music into our homeschool programs. First off I think we can all agree that music is highly beneficial to our children's learning, both from an cultural and educational standpoint. Music is one of the few things that can unite people of different cultures all over the world. Studies have also shown that music helps with cognitive ability and logical reasoning.

So how do we introduce music to our children? Many of us have little if any musical background, but that is no excuse in our modern day and age. With the internet we can research almost any topic, music included.

The first thing I would recommend is letting your little ones drum. give them some pots and pans and some chop sticks or pencils and let them experiment with different items. Let them discover that each item has a distinct sound. Older children can learn to repeat patterns and eventually create their own rhythms. 

Musical instruments don't have to be expensive either. Sand pails make excellent drums and don't discount those toy xylophones when teaching about toned percussion. Again older students can use them to create their own compositions. Also inexpensive kits that include tambourines and hand bells are great for little ones to express themselves.

Music can also help to enhance learning especially when it comes to memorization. Set a list of facts to a well known nursery rhyme and you have a powerful mnemonic. For example sing the following to the tune of This Old Man:

North America

South America

Europe, Asia, Australia

Africa and Antarctica

I mean how many remember School House Rock. You can still get them on DVD and there are plenty of Geography and Bible memory song CDs out there.

So next time your homeschool lessons seem to be dragging try adding a little music to the mix and see where it goes.

I would love to here how you use music in either your homeschool or classroom. Leave a comment below!

Stocking Up

So over the holidays, I was perusing my local Ocean State Job Lot when I came across an interesting cookbook. It's called "The Stocked Kitchen Cookbook" and after reading the back cover blurb I was intrigued. The cookbook  stated that with their one shopping list I could prepare over 100 different recipes. Hey I was game.

After reading the introductory pages and scanning some of the recipes, I decided to use their system. Though I would of course modify it because I can never leave anything alone.

The system is fairly simple, I'm sure most folks use a similar system but it was something I hadn't really thought about. The basic premise is that you have one master grocery list that contains everything you need to make all the recipes in the book. It's similar to using a build to list in a restaurant for ordering. Of course as I said before, some modifications needed to be made. For instance, the list included herbs de provence, and poultry seasoning, neither of which I will use, the first due to allergies abd the second due to personal preference, there was also very few sundry items on tge list. Also there were certain items that were missing from the list that I use in many of my own personal recipes, ie. allspice.

After revamping the list based on my own personal tastes, I went through my kitchen and crossed off the items I already had on hand. Then I went shopping.  The benefit of this was that I now had all the ingredients on  hand for anything I wanted to make. I was even able to use a recipe I found online right away because I had all the ingredients on hand.

Overall the system, or at least my modified version, is working for our home. So what about you? Is there a system you use to keep you pantry stocked? Let me know in the comments below.

Busy Season

So after a longer than anticipated hiatus,  I'm back! So to catch everyone up on what I've been up to, here is the run down. We finished our fall semester of co-op ( I was extremely proud of my recorder class and their performance of ' Home on the Range'),  pulled off a Christmas cantata,  celebrated Christmas,  and just celebrated my birthday. Speaking of which my wife and daughter decided to pool their resources and get me a tablet. I'm so excited to use it this week at worship team practice to read my chord sheets.

So as I said I'm back, and I just wanted to apologize for not writing in so long. I've been busy with my new part time job, but that really isn't an excuse. I just fell into a pattern of not writing and that is not a good thing. Im going to strive to write more this year, I know I've said that before, as I really want this blog to be something people really want to read.

Anyway, I've got to head off to that part time job I talked about. I'll write again soon as I have some great ideas for homeschool resources, new recipes and organizational tips, and of course stories and insite gleaned from being a worship leader.

You shall know them by their...

So I was thinking the other morning on my commute to work, yes I am actually employed now, while watching the people drive through the rain and sleet, or rather try to drive. I'm always dismayed by the amazing lack of winter driving ability found among the denizens of Southern New England. I mean come on we grew up here didn't we. Well, no some of them didn't, which is obvious when you are stuck in traffic. I have always said that you can tell a real New Englander by how well they drive in the snow.

This reminded me of something Jesus said, you may be familiar with it, you shall know them by their fruit. That caught my attention. Would people know I belong to Jesus by looking at my fruit, or rather by the way I live my life. Do I show love to others, do I exhibit joy in all circumstance, do I enjoy a peace that can't be explained.etc., Well do I? Do we? Does my life reflect my status as one of the redeemed or do I look just like all the other strangers around me. Could another Christian pick me out in a crowd, simply by observing the way I interact with the people in my life and how I react to the circumstances of my life?

Christmas is an easy time for most people to act like Christians. So what can we do to set us apart from the crow? How can we let the Son of Glory, which dwells in our hearts, shine brighter than the tinsel this year? It's more than saying Merry Christmas, though I will happily greet everyone I meet with the traditional Yuletide cheer. For me it's about seeing beyond the natural and loving humanity the way God does. Even a simple act of kindness like holding a door for someone can speak volumes in a world where such basic social manners have been lost.

We've been given the greatest gift from God above, so this year I'm going to share it with others and let it shine!

Guilty of Being Blessed

I'm guilty.

yes you heard me, I'm guilty...

guilty of being blessed that is.

Those of you out there who are also guilty know exactly what I am talking about, for the rest let me explain.

When my wife and I bought our first home we were extremely excited, almost too excited. We wanted to show everyone all the work we had done on our little fixer upper. I would beam when explaining how I had hung the cabinets myself and installed the dishwasher without getting electrocuted. I was working a very nice paying job that afforded us the luxury of owning a home. We were in a word, "blessed."

We were in a word, "blessed."

So why did I feel awkward talking about our new home in front of people that I knew were barely putting bread on the table? I wasn't bragging about how much money I made, on the contrary my wife and I fully acknowledge the fact that we had been blessed with just the right circumstances to buy a home. We gave all the credit to God, so why did I feel guilty for being successful, or in other words guilty for being blessed?

I really think it stemmed from us being young in the Lord. We had been convinced that if a Christian was successful then they needed to act like they weren't so people wouldn't think they were prideful. Wow, just thinking about that gives me a headache, no wonder so many Christians fall away from the faith. They are so tied up in knots that they can't figure out how they are supposed to have the "Joy of the Lord"

They are so tied up in knots that they can't figure out how they are supposed to have the "Joy of the Lord" 

I realize now that this is crazy, after all why shouldn't we boast about all the good things God has done for us. How else will others see how great he is if we keep trying to dowse the light of His glory in our lives. The flip side is to not try so hard to be "happy" when things aren't going well. I'm not talking about joy, we should always be joyful in spite of any difficulties we are going through. What we don't need, and what others don't need to see, is the plastered fake smiles that hide our true feelings.

Don't feel guilty about how much God has blessed you.

Life can be a roller coaster at times and if we let it can take us along for the ride and leave us bewildered and confused but if we approach everything with a heart full of joy and thanksgiving we can ride out life's ups and downs on an even keel. We should hold on to joy when times are tough but by the same token shouldn't stifle it when times are good or even great.

Don't feel guilty about how much God has blessed you. Embrace it, own it, and boast about it. Shout it from the roof tops just how great our God is and How much he has done for you and me.

Fox Knights for Royal Rangers

OK, I just got finished making these for my bulliten board in my Ranger Kids classroom, and they are beyond cool. We are starting the Fox quarter, where the boys will earn their Fox Advancement, and the theme of the quarter is Bravery. Well, I let the creative juices flow, and what could be more brave than knights, well how about fox knights?

Feel free to share and comment.

Planning Thanksgiving Dinner - Part 2

So, last time I talked about my table setting and decor for our festive holiday meal. This time I want to focus on the food. As I mentioned before I want the food to be simple yet special, seriously turkey is a must for Thanksgiving and I don't care if the Pilgrims didn't serve it at their meal.(They didn't have running water or proper sanitation facilities either, and I don't see anyone insisting we not shower and dig a latrine for the holiday.) All joking aside lets talk about what makes a simple meal special.

The Turkey

We usually stuff our turkey (the stuffing tends to flavor the bird from the inside out.) You do run the risk of the turkey drying out if you stuff it as it has to cook longer, we solve this problem in two ways. First I make some herb butter by mixing room temp unsalted butter with a combination of fresh and dried herbs and spices (remember what I said about something special ;).) This is then rubbed into the bird UNDER the skin. this will help with seasoning the meat, crisping the skin, and adding extra moisture to the meat. We also rub the skin with olive oil and season liberally with salt. Do not under season your bird folks! We then cover the turkey with foil until the last 30 - 60 minutes of cooking.

The Stuffing

As I said we stuff our bird, and always make extra on the side. Our stuffing is actually my wife's grandmother's recipe and consists of stuffing bread, chicken stock, herbs, onions, green and red pepper, hamburger, and Chourico (Portuguese hot sausage pronounce Sher-eese). This hot and spicy stuffing is a family favorite and is very special.

The Potatoes

Basic mashed potatoes are comfort food for me, so I tend not to mess with them. I'm not adverse to adding cheese, but beyond that LEAVE THEM ALONE!!!! What makes ours special is that we use my wife's stand mixer to whip the potatoes with butter and milk. Yum!!!!!

Corn

Okay, here is where I like to get a little fancy. Over the years I have tried various ways to make corn more exciting and this year I will be making creamy corn and spinach with Parmesan cheese. I've made this a few times and everyone seems to love it so, hey why not?

Sweet Potatoes

Candy them with butter, brown sugar, and mini-marshmallows. Do I need to say anything else about them? I didn't think so.

Green Bean Casserole

We don't make this ourselves, but my sister-in-law brings it every year, and it is delicious. Thanksgiving just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it.

Broccoli and Cheese

My mother-in-law loves broccoli and cheese and well, why should I be the only one to get their favorite comfort food. This is one is for you Mom.

Gravy

I can't believe I almost forgot this one. I'm in charge of making the turkey gravy every year, and yes, I make it from scratch and it is to die for.

I hope you enjoyed hearing about my dinner menu. Hey let me know what your traditions are, I would love to hear them. Next time I'll be talking about appetizers.

Thank You and Well Done.

Once again Thanksgiving is just around the corner and like most people my mind turns to thoughts of turkey, family, and the things in life that I am thankful for. This past week though I was taken aback by something very simple. Someone told me they liked the worship on Sunday. I know it's not earth shattering as far as events go, and it wasn't the first time someone commented on the music. I usually say thank you and mention how blessed i am to be used by God, and this time was no different, but something in my spirit stirred a little.

I thought that the well done speach at the end of the race was all the recognition we should require

I've learned over the years not to ignore the nudging of the Spirit, so that night during my prayer time I let God speak to my heart, and what I heard surprised me, "Thank You." Did I hear that right? God was thanking me? He was, and I realized He was thanking me everytime someone was touched by the worship on Sunday morning, everytime I was obedient to his leading, and everytime I helped our congregation to fix their eyes on Jesus.

I let God speak to my heart, and what I heard surprised me

I guess that deep down, I thought that the well done speach at the end of the race was all the recognition we should require, but in reality it isn't. I'm not diminishing the reward we will get in heaven, on the contrary I think as humans we need constant encouragement to continue to strive towards that goal, and God is well aware of this need as well.

God is telling His servants, 

"Thank you and keep up the good work."

I realized that God is using those that come up and tell me how much they loved the music, or what a great voice I have, to let me know He appreciates my willingness to serve, to put myself out there (way outside my comfort zone I might add), and to be obedient to His call. I'm not saying these things to brag or to puff myself up, but rather to remind myself and others that God is telling His servants, "Thank you and keep up the good work."