watching the sun rise (i don't do this often) | panera's sweet tea | when the rain stops | nearly having a project completed | colored houses in Bautzen in Saxony, Germany (above) | sauerkraut
Thursday, September 29
watching the sun rise (i don't do this often) | panera's sweet tea | when the rain stops | nearly having a project completed | colored houses in Bautzen in Saxony, Germany (above) | sauerkraut
Sunday, September 25
Yesterday at the Feast of the Hunter's Moon... yum.... sassafras tea, sauerkraut stew, pumpkin pie, apple fritters and apple cider.
It sounds like a lot but if you'd known everything I didn't eat (roasted corn ears, pea stew, venison brat, buffalo burger, apple dumplings, homemade root beer, lemon shake-up, fry bread, hickory chicken, rabbit stew, etc)
I think sauerkraut is one of those things with a distinct taste - a thing worth craving. And after the sauerkraut stew yesterday, I woke up craving more sauerkraut.
So I dumped some chopped onions and carrots, chicken broth and slivered/chopped chicken into a pan and boiled it (all the while eating sauerkraut straight from the can)... once it had boiled several minutes, I added the sauerkraut, pepper and garlic powder.
It's pretty decent. I just need more.... :)
Saturday, September 17
I guess sometimes we.. or at least I know that I.. I get caught up in my plans for my life. I know that whenever Christ calls me home I'll be ready to go, but at the same time, I'm fine with living out my life.
Whats interesting is Philippians 1:23-24 "For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you." Paul makes it clear that if others didn't need him sharing Christ with them here, he would much rather leave.
I guess its a scary thought to me how unimportant this life is. It's all I've known.. and it really doesn't matter at all.
Recently a minister asked what would you do if you had 3 hours to live. The question annoyed me. You can't accomplish anything in 3 hours.. you may as well just leave for Heaven now.. ha.
But then I began thinking about it.. and if I had 3 hours left to live, it wouldn't be about me. I'd spend that time telling as many people I know about Christ. At least I hope my dying wish would be that others would come to know Christ.
And then I thought... the most important thing would be to tell others about Christ. So why is it so hard to do now? Once we've made the decision to follow Christ, we're of little importance. We don't need to graduate college, get married, travel, have grandkids..... no, once we've made the decision to follow Christ we're of little importance unless we're sharing Christ with others.
Like Paul, we should have a desire to be unobstructedly with Christ... we should only want to stay here for others.
I guess I feel pretty selfish.
Wednesday, September 14
"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot..." - Exodus 21:24
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also." - Matthew 5:38-39
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also." - Matthew 5:38-39
(I don't want to get too much off topic explaining how I got to this topic but..... ) I was on abcnews earlier today and came across this article, Death Row Bloggers Get Help From Victims. The article mentioned and had a picture of Thomas Whitaker - his name and story were familiar to me as his dad, Kent, wrote a book, Murder by Family, which I've read (so insane).
Thomas Whitaker was mentioned in the article as one inmate who has started a website/blog with help from his dad and a few others. He cannot get online himself so others run the site and upload his writings for him. So I clicked the link to Minutes Before Six and skimmed through some posts until I came across The Killing Machine by Ronald W. Clark, Jr, #812974.
And he made some gripping statements...
"Human’s blood lust for vengeance seems to over ride human decency. And the death penalty is an act of revenge, the thirst for death. One day a time will come when a more civilized society will look back on us with the same contempt and disgust as we have looking back at the murders and executions of the Roman Empire. But until that day the killing machines in America will continue to spit bodies out because of our blood lust for vengeance."
"I knew what was going on under me. Murder in the fraudulent name of equal Justice! Bull----!! It’s not Justice, it’s freaking revenge!!"
I guess it's always something that has bothered me. Do we find any peace in treating people the way they've treated us? The justice system condemns someone for murder... and what's the answer?.. murder the murderer.
I know it's silly to think we can pound the gavel and yell "forgiven" each time someone convicted of a crime walks into the courtroom.... ridiculous to even hint at the idea of letting guilty killers back into our safe neighborhoods....
But somehow I feel that punishing them with the same thing they were condemned for doesn't add up. But maybe that's just me... I've never believed that it's a human's right to say when it's time for another human's life to end.
Tuesday, September 13
Being the super kind sister that I am, I got up at 6 am to head to the co-rec to sign my sister up as the new captain of the legendary Lightning Turtles (soccer team I started last spring and definitely not legendary). As I was driving back, the wispy clouds were making stripes across the sun. And this was on the radio....
This chest is full of memories
Of gold and silver tears
I’ll give you more to own than
All of this
And I’ll give you more than years
For you were once a child of innocence
And I see you just the same
Your burdens couldn’t win or
Lose a thing
Oh, I’d tell you once again
But you’re always on the run
Slow your breath down
Just take it slow
Find your heart now, oh
You can trust and love again
Slow your breath down, just take it slow
Find your smile now, oh
You can trust and love again
If you leave I’ll still be close to you
When all your fears rain down
I’ll take you back a thousand times again
I’ll take you as my own
I would sing you songs of innocence
‘Til the light of morning comes
‘Til the rays of gold and honey cover you
In the sweetness of the dawn
But you’re always on the run
You’re not alone
You’re now a part of me
You feel the cure
I’ll feel the toil it brought you
Thursday, September 8
First of all...
fall | fall breezes | pumpkins | pumpkin spice lattes | pumpkin pies| apple cider | corn mazes | leaving the window open | hoodies | scarves | the smell of woodsmoke | feast of the hunter's moon | thanksgiving | the air smells like soccer air (and i feel like i should be heading to practice) | boston in the fall...... k, that one's still to come....
twinkle lights | coconut water | downtown | downy comforters... so cozy | down time: taking my lunch break at work on the back dock watching the trees sway under the perfect blue sky | rainy days when i have nowhere to be | the prisoner in the third cell by gene edwards | pureed sweet peas
