Deserving

I was talking to a friend this weekend, nearly lamenting about all I have that I don't deserve. It made me realize that I should be infinitely more thankful for what I have because what I truly deserve is endless misery. I am thankful for so much, especially knowing how much I am blessed with that I could never possibly merit.

Family and Other Thoughts

I spent the weekend with family--two of my sisters, one sister-in-law, and one niece. As I drove home, I was listening to Proverbs, and I kept hearing the same words over and over.

Wisdom, evil, righteous, wicked, folly, prudence

I realized that all of these applied to us, the women of the weekend, to our family as a whole, and to me--in differing degrees at differing times. What a blessing it is to see how we love each other through all of the folly, all of the wickedness, and all of the evil, in ourselves, and in the world. What a gift it is to me to know that the love I feel from and for my family is merely a shadow, a glimpse, of the love of our Savior for us.

Often I have to let go of simple fantasies of what could be in this world and remind myself that some day--Lord willing--we will eat, laugh, dance, and sing (to borrow images from Tim Keller)in the presence of One who loves us perfectly, and who does so in spite of ourselves. When I am able to let go of this world for brief moments of clarity, I realize that no matter how I think I am at home here, my true home waits for me, and it is so much more than what I could ever conjure or imagine on my own.

Like I needed one more waste of time...

...but I found a few new blogs today that are, for lack of a better word, delicious. Check out www.bakerella.com and www.thepioneerwomancooks.com. Bakerella looks more like recipes I could actually make than the other, but the pioneer woman is not afraid of anything...and her recipes sounded amazing! They would be more for the days I wanted to pretend I was fancy, and a good cook.

As a fan of quick-read blogs, I also check out www.onesentence.org. Not for the faint-hearted, as that one sentence post could be about ANYTHING!

So...

Do you think anyone carries keys to the White House? With all that security, would it really be necessary? If no one carries the keys to the White House, do you think there is a set safe somewhere, just in case?

Delicioso!

I tell people I don't like to try new recipes because I cannot be sure that they will be worth sharing with others.  Tonight may have changed my mind.  I cooked with my sister and made 3 all new recipes for chicken, potatoes, and salad.  They were amazing, and definitely worth making again and sharing with others.  Next time you come over for lunch, don't be surprised if I ask you to help me put the meal together.  The cooking together, then sharing the meal, made these recipes, and this meal, even more special.  Cheers!  

Curious?  Go to www.foodnetwork.com ->cooking for real ->bistro night in  then enjoy!

It's true...

I am my mother's child...I am planning a very late night of cooking and Christmas preparation.

I am also my father's child...I think it is critical that everything I make gets taste-tested for approval.

I don't think this the looming midnight hour is such a good time to have those traits exhibiting so strongly.

more randomness

I was listening to an interview with an author today. He had written a novel about a father with 13 children. The host asked, "Do you think it is possible for a father to love all thirteen children equally?" The author, one of only two kids, said no. He thought the father could remember isolated accomplishments well enough to pretend to love his children equally, so they felt love, but not to actually love them equally.

I disagree. Though my father loves all 13 of his children differently, I think we are all equally loved. As in any relationship, there are seasons when that love is felt more deeply, but I know my dad (and my mom) love all of us.

It makes me sad to wonder how this author was loved, and whether the love from his parents was unconditional.