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i need to see the beach again!

it felt like early spring here yesterday. in fact we have new green grass coming up and may need to mow soon. i had a great afternoon pulling weeds and doing post travel clean up on my car. it won't be so warm today, but i sure did appreciate the brief reprieve.

you might live in the country if...

you pass this on the side of the road every day


when the toilet initially appeared here it was only broken into a couple of pieces. how much would you give to see the insurance adjuster's face when he hears, "Well, I ran over a toilet..."?

Christmas thoughts?

It's been a good Christmas for us, as far as Christmases go, but I don't have anything particularly special to say. I keep thinking how I used to always have some heart-warming thoughts in my head at Christmas and where did they go.

A Jewish friend recently commented about being sucked into a holiday that isn't even hers. I identified so much with that, as I feel that Christmas is no longer my holiday either. I don't know if I lost Christmas or if it lost me. Somewhere along the way my faith and my holiday parted ways. I have both, but they're not interconnected as I suppose they should be. Maybe that's heresy, but so be it. I love God. I love Jesus. It's just easier for me to worship when there isn't all this holiday mess going on.

I think the Church is as much at fault as the retail industry. We put on program after special program that stress families out because you have to go to/be in the Christmas program or what does that say about you? The children have a program. The choir has a program. We have church parties that come with special guilt tie-ins due to the Christmas connection. We even have a special service for putting up the decorations for goodness' sake!

So. I said all that to say, Merry Christmas. I hope you're having a nice break from work or school and have been able to visit with family and friends. And I pray that the pace of it all doesn't leave any of us the worse, because that would be a great insult to the one we claim to be celebrating, the one who came to save us--wouldn't it?

home-made gifts

I was asked on my facebook page for recipe/directions for our home-made gifts. Here they are:

Home-Made Marshmallows

I can't find the url for this recipe, but there's a link to the original source. I've copied it in it's entirety here. The only thing I changed is that we didn't have the vanilla bean seeds so we added a cocoa/confectioners sugar mixture / crushed peppermint after folding the mixture into the cooling pans.

Home-Made Marshmallows-

Ingredients
adapted from Alton Brown

3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 cups cold water, divided
12 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
1 cup light corn syrup (or glucose)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 vanilla bean, seeds removed
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Nonstick spray

Method
Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment standing by. In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.

Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Add the vanilla seeds. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows.

Combine the confectioners’ sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Line a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with aluminum then spray with pan spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use. When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel or sharp knife dusted with the confectioners’ sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks

Snow globes

Snow Globes- Martha Stewart

The shimmering magic of snowfall is always transfixing, whether it's outside your window or inside this classic toy. Homemade globes let you create a wintry scene straight out of your own imagination. Almost any jar works for this project: Baby-food, pimiento, and olive jars are good choices. Look for plastic or ceramic figurines (metal ones are prone to rust) at flea markets and hobby or model-railroad shops. Synthetic evergreen tips are available at many floral-supply stores. If the jar lids are not in seasonal colors already, paint them with oil-based enamel paint. Sand the inside of the lid until the surface is rough. With clear-drying epoxy, adhere the figurine to the inside of the lid, and let the epoxy dry. Fill the jar almost to the top with distilled water; add a pinch of glitter and a dash of glycerin (available at drugstores) to keep the glitter from falling too quickly. Don't add too much, or the glitter will stick to the bottom of the jar when it's flipped. Screw on the lid tightly, being careful not to dislodge the figurine. Turn the jar over and back again -- and let it snow.

Comment: 8/04/08 at 3:18 p.m. ET
I made a couple of these to give as gifts, but ended up keeping them because they leaked!! I suggest sticking a slim "ribbon" of plumbing tape on the jar threads before filling the jar with water. This way there is a sealant layer between the glass and the metal lid. By the way, I found great bottles at Container Store...

Cindy’s Notes:
*The Teflon plumbers’ tape was imperative. Even though we chose not to invert our jars, they still leaked when being turned up and down repeatedly.

*We used plastic mini-tree ornaments for our decorations-- just took off the eye hooks, etc.

*After testing several types of glues, I ended up going with All Purpose Goop. It is the thickest and has a slower bonding time which allowed for repositioning.

*We used more than a pinch of glitter! We used some colored glitter and some tiny iridescent glitter. The smaller glitter is most effective because it floats longer.

*It took about ½ to 1 tsp of glycerin for each of our small jars (I didn’t measure). The key, which I didn’t read about in any of my research, is to put a drop of dish detergent in the jar. The detergent keeps the glitter from clumping together and sticking to the figurines. We had to figure this out through trial and error. You should have seen our furry snowmen at first!

technology

I thought I'd share with you my latest exchange with the company who provides our telephone and DSL service. Tell me if the conversation strikes you as a little odd, too.

ME:
I'm trying to change my bank routing number for online billing, but the
system doesn't seem to be accepting my edited information. I can't pay
with my old account as we have changed banks. Please assist.

THEM:
Dear Bryan,

It will be my pleasure to assist.

Sometimes this occurs and the only way to resolve it is to re register 
as if you had never done it before instead of attempting to edit the 
current registration.

Should you need further assistance or have other questions, please reply
back to this e-mail and the AT&T Online Customer Care team will be happy
to help you.

Thank you for doing business with AT&T online. 
The irony of it.
Ha.

gratitude

From Why We Are Waiting:

"While you are waiting today - review your day-to-day life and work out what makes you feel alive and what drains you; make a note of them.

"In an experimental comparison, those who kept gratitude journals on a weekly basis exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic about the upcoming week compared to those who recorded hassles or neutral life events (Emmons & McCullough, 2003).

"Spirituality: Those who regularly attend religious services and engage in religious activities such as prayer and reading religious material score are more likely to be grateful. Grateful people are more likely to acknowledge a belief in the interconnectedness of all life and a commitment to and responsibility to others (McCullough et al., 2002). Gratitude does not require religious faith, but faith enhances the ability to be grateful.

"Materialism: Grateful individuals place less importance on material goods; they are less likely to judge their own and others success in terms of possessions accumulated; they are less envious of others; and are more likely to share their possessions with others relative to less grateful persons."

Source Robert Emmons, Professor of Psychology, University of California, Davis, USA, author of Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier (Houghton-Mifflin)

truth

From The New Christians, Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier by Tony Jones:

"Most persons who follow God would without reluctance affirm the assertion that 'all truth is God's truth.'

"...Few human beings would be so arrogant as to presume to have the ability to definitively sum up God.

"...And yet, surprisingly, many people claim an ability to fully articulate truth, and when someone questions their ability to do so, they get rather feisty. But there's a disconnect here. The same one who claims that God is truth and that God cannot be fully described cannot go on to claim that truth can be fully described. What emergents claim is that talk of truth demand the same humility as talk of God."

banking

We hate our bank, so, though it's a huge inconvenience, we're looking for a new bank.

Does anybody out there LOVE their bank and highly recommend it? We're hoping to find a smaller more local bank, but that has its difficulties too, so we might consider another national or regional bank.

i'm sorry

I'm sorry to those of you... well- you know who you are.

Feel free to take pot shots.

late for church

Late for "church"

This entire post is from Danno's Dangerous Mind, via Jim's google reader :

Philip Yancey shared this story he heard from a friend in his 'What's So Amazing About Grace' video series:

When I'm late to church, people turn around and stare at me with frowns of disapproval. I get the clear message that I'm not as responsible as they are. When I'm late to Alcoholics Anonymous, the meeting comes to a halt, and everyone jumps up to hug and welcome me. They realize that my lateness may be a sign that I almost didn't make it. When I show up, it proves that my desperate need for them won out over my desperate need for alcohol.

I have to admit, I sometimes get irritated when people are late for our Sunday worship gatherings (or Small Groups, dinners or whatever). For some it seems like a lack of discipline or concern for others. But Yancey makes a good point.

I often fail to recognize just how much of a struggle it is for some people to overcome their brokenness and seek out help through the church. And if anyone ought to be welcoming, it should be the followers of Jesus.

This reminds me of the parable in Luke 18: 9-14 where two men prayed very different prayers. One was confident of his righteousness and looked down on everyone else. He prayed that he not become "like them." The other could not even raise his eyes for shame. He simply asked for mercy. Jesus said it was this second man who went home justified.

Sunday worship gatherings (or "services") are odd things. On the one hand, they are meant to be FOR God. It is a time for people of faith to come together to worship and praise Him. Yet, could it be that the greatest form of praise we can give is to bow before him in our awkward brokenness and ask for mercy? Is God impressed by our 'dressing up and doing something for him'; or is it our humble confession that we desperately need him and his church, and that sometimes we don't even know how to go about proper worship, that is more pleasing in His eyes?

I think we have a fairly welcoming church, but I pray that we might become even moreso. May we celebrate the late-arrivals, and most of all, the One who welcomes all of us as we ask, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

a simple prayer

From Why We Are Waiting:

12th December
While you are waiting today thank God for five people who mean a lot to you.

Lord God,
thank you for the gift of Advent,
the gift of time and of waiting,
thank you for the gift of other people,
and especially those who have shared my life
and mean so much to me:
for …..[name]*
for …..[name]
for …..[name]
for …..[name]
and for …..[name].
And as you have blessed me through them,
so, I pray, bless them today,
through Jesus Christ, our friend and brother. Amen.

school work

My daughter hates to write or type (although she will happily tell an elaborate story that lasts half an hour.) Hence, she has become quite succinct in her written answers.

Here's an example from yesterday's school work:

Question: Tell a little about the place of women in ancient Israelite culture:

Answer: they were as good as men but they still had to mind the kids

what else is there to say?

favorite Christmas music

What's your favorite Christmas music (right now)?

I'll start- Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Lost Christmas Eve

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year 2008

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year 2008

1. bailout (noun) :a rescue from financial distress

my idea

I've decided to do away with everything about Christmas except the music.
Who's with me?

new churches

From The New Christians, Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier by Tony Jones:

As you know, I rarely comment on quotes. I figure that quoting somebody is a pretty good indicator to you that I either agree with the author or am at least intrigued by what he or she is saying. I will comment on this one, however, after you read it.

"Emergents start new churches to save their own faith, not necessarily as an outreach strategy."

Although I have never been involved in starting a new church (nor do I have plans to do so), if I were to do such a thing, this would be at least 90% of my reasoning. Probably more.