I am woman, hear me ROAR!

Yeah!!! I survived the Thanksgiving feast with only minor injuries. Maybe in honor of the Holiday the kitchen was more inclined to give me a break. I tried not to expect too much from it. In all honesty, I've truly dreaded the day I would "host" (others might not call it that) a turkey dinner at my home. I was at ease with the guests we invited and I wasn't dreading it this year. I was kind of excited. I was a little stressed over the planning, but I actually enjoyed all the cooking. I am quite proud of myself. I actually removed the neck and innards from the turkey cavity all by myself! Not only that, I STUFFED the turkey, which was a little awkward.

Here was my portion of the menu, guests provided other yummy dishes:
Turkey (first soaked in brine and later stuffed)
Some pretty mean Mashed Potatoes (this recipe is definitely a keeper! - YUM!)
Broccoli Salad
Green Bean Casserole
No bake PB cups (this is a keeper too! Man, I can't stop eating them...choc and PB are my weaknesses)
A failed attempt at gravy (I will master this one day!)

It was a tiring, but good day!

We also started a neat family tradition! I'm really excited about this. The idea came from Blues Clues. We started a Thanksgiving journal. Each year we will take pictures and the family and guests will write about the day and what they are thankful for.

The day was enough of a success I would be willing to try again, with the Kitchen's permission, of course!

And, while I'm bragging on myself,
I actually "coordinated" my first wedding Saturday. I was rough around the edges, but the bride and groom's families seemed to be happy with it. Not sure this is really my "cup of tea", I was sort of drafted into it simply because my hubby officiates them. Due to some last minute confusion, during the ceremony, I was in the bathroom on the phone with our pastor's wife asking how to coordinate the reception! This was really a lot of fun when she answered, "I don't usually do that part of it, the photographers do." Which would have been okay if the photographer hadn't just told me "I usually leave it up the the coordinator." AHHHH! Well, no time to panic!
Thankfully, all went well.

My Conviction

If you're wondering what to give back this Thanksgiving...may I share my own conviction? My conviction is to give Grace. The kind of Grace that is beyond my own ability. Grace I don't want to give. Grace that relies on strength, courage, love, understanding beyond my capabilities; but not beyond His availablity to me. In my experience, it seems only to come from an earnest, desperate search to find understanding. Luke 11:1-13. It's a Grace that learns to admit my shortcomings, failures and weaknesses so that I may find the needed courage to pass on the grace I'm given. It requires courage because I don't want to give it. It takes a risk to give more than I feel I'm capable of giving. It requires setting aside "my rights", the ones I feel I'm entitled to, so I can give the grace and understanding to others that I so desperately desire for myself. (I desire this Grace from others, but in Truth, it's something I already possess.) I suppose it seems obvious, the "Golden Rule", but I'm finding I'm required to give grace even from those places I've kept to myself. The places that were untouchable to others, places I claimed as "my territory", my rights. It's easy to give what I want to give, what feels safe to give, to give when I'm not in need, to give when my cup is already overflowing. It's much harder to give when I am scared, angry, or my cup is empty. It's in these times and in these places that I don't want to give. It's mine, not yours; it's my time, not yours; it's my turn, not yours. Please understand, this is not a grace given because I force myself to give it. This grace begins when I am genuine, not disciplined. The strength to give this grace comes only when I am raw, honest, naked before my God. It comes when I am ready to give my anger, my rage, my rights to Him. It comes after pleading and earnestly seeking the Truth. A willingness to obey and let go NO MATTER THE COST. Trusting the risk is worth it; it's worth it to give up the doubts, fears, struggles, chains. Trusting that the person I want to become, the one I will become, will catch me if I fall.

It frightens me to even type these thoughts.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Let's just say...I'm no Betty Crocker

Well, Tom and I have decided to host our very first Thanksgiving dinner. I'm excited and it's a bit scary since I've never cooked a turkey before. Besides the fact that having to clean and prepare a turkey churns my stomach, I'm not known for my "skills" in the kitchen. The kitchen and I sort of have a mutual understanding. We allow one another to coexist in the same house, but we are not to cross one another's paths. When we do, the result is bedlam. Just last night I was boiling water to engage in my much loved past time, hot tea. The reality is - one can boil water too long. Not only that, one can cook an empty teapot long enough that it will stick to the stovetop element. Yes, my teapot stuck to the element! Once I removed my teapot, I did what any Betty Crocker in training would do, I tried to put water in the teapot. You see, I was thinking that with the teapot so hot, the water would heat pretty quickly, so I wouldn't even need to turn the stovetop back on to enjoy my anticipated Chamomile tea! I think it was pretty logical. As I held the teapot under the faucet, I quickly found my Sherlock Holme's deduction to be true! The water steamed on contact with the superheated teapot and I scalded three knuckles. You see, I invaded the kitchen's territory. I just hope we can work out a more amicable agreement for Thanksgiving!

Starry, Starry Night

Josh Groban
Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)

"weathered faces lined in pain, are soothed beneath the artists loving hand"

I love this line in the song. The song refers to Van Gogh, but I always picture my Creator and me. Being the artist that created me, He is aware of my flaws and every need. To picture Him as the artist soothing my weathered face lined in pain gives me comfort.

Subject to Change

O.K., due to the volume of responses indicating a need for change (haha), I am going back to the original template. It looks cleaner to me or something.

Which template?

Just taking a poll...if anyone else reads this...haha! I'm wondering if I should keep this template, or go with the first one. Any suggestions?

Being Snow White isn't all it's cracked up to be...

One of the things I love about my job is the fact that it is an open campus. I walk up and down the outside ramps several times a day. Sometimes, I admire the birds nesting in their houses. Sometimes, I admire the bright sky, a cool breeze, an approaching storm. Sometimes, when the breeze is blowing just right, I can smell the ocean...this one is my favorite. I am also amused at times by the squirrels scurrying around and burying their winter food. Today, a beautiful day, I was casually walking down the ramps and admiring the perfect weather. Enjoying my stroll, I noticed a friend and co-worker with quite an interesting expression on her face. She appeared amused and stunned at the same time. Too curious to ignore the expression, I stopped to inquire. She proceeded to tell me (through her laughs) that as she was leaving a classroom, she happened to walk by one of the trash cans. Nothing is usually eventful about this experience...until today. As she approached this trash can, she noticed a squirrel rummaging around it. She took note, wondering what the squirrel was finding. As she passed by, all of the sudden, the squirrel leapt towards her and scrambled through her hair! I am a witness to her slightly disheveled appearance. We laughed together, sharing our dismay that noone else saw the event. I had to admit I was also a bit envious. Afterall, many little girls dream of trash can squirrels being drawn to them by their beauty and grace.

Let Me Fall

Josh Groban
Let Me Fall


Let me fall
Let me climb
There’s a moment
when fear
And dreams must collide

Someone I am
Is waiting for courage
The one I want
The one I will become
Will catch me

So let me fall
If I must fall
I won’t heed your warnings
I won’t hear them

Let me fall
If I fall
Though the phoenix may
Or may not rise

I will dance so freely
Holding on to no one
You can hold me only
If you too will fall
Away from all these
Useless fears and chains

Someone I am
Is waiting for my courage
The one I want
The one I will become
Will catch me

So let me fall
If I must fall

I won’t heed your warnings
I won’t hear
Let me fall
If I fall

There’s no reason
To miss this one chance
This perfect moment
Just let me fall

Anyone looking for courage? I've listened to this song for two years and finally appreciate it's message. I love the message that we have to step into the unknown and depend on the person we hope to become to catch us. Relying on the hope there is a place where "fear and dreams must collide." Experiencing freedom from fears and chains.

Tom and I have been discussing plans for our future. There is a fear that surrounds the unknown. It is our desire; however, to leave Gracie a legacy of tried and failed attempts, rather than a stagnant life controlled by fear. It's a lot easier to type this than to live this!

Good Gifts

Have you ever experienced those moments when you finally realize you're not the only one? For so long you've wondered if you're alone, and then....You have a conversation, you read something and realize at the least one other person has shared the same questions or thoughts or observations. Those secrets you may or may not have shared with others. Maybe you've tried to share them with others, maybe you've not had the language to express your thoughts and so it's something you've always kept to yourself. And then....you receive a gift from God. That moment, that time, His time. You realize that someone else exists that possibly understands those precious, treasured thoughts or observations. I've had such a moment recently. I found myself "frolicking" through the house. I was skipping around and throwing my hands in the air shouting "Yes!! Yes!!" I glanced down long enough to notice my beautiful daughter laughing, "silly, mommy!" So I asked her to join me...And we frolicked together shouting "Yes!!". What a glorious day....

Danger: This Product Contains Christian Elements

I appreciate Rob Bell's mention in his book Velvet Elvis of the danger of denying truth can exist outside of our safe "Christian" environment. The thing we Christians try to do is take something from the "world" and Jesus it up. We try to make it ok for Christian consumption. I've done this myself. I've tried to take things and wrap my little Jesus label around it. As if He would be proud I wouldn't defile myself with anything that doesn't have the mark of the fish. We set out to separate ourselves from others and from things that do not claim to be Christian. Why? Have we forgotten we are all humans and we are all falliable. Christian or not. Even if we don't identify ourselves with "Christ," we can and likely do have something good about us. Even if we do identify ourselves as "Christian" we have faults. You see, truth can be anywhere. If the REALITY is that God is present everywhere, then could we say that truth can be anywhere? Even if something is not overtly labeled "Christian"? I love this point Bell makes: in the book of Acts, Paul affirms the truth and claims it wherever he finds it (p. 79).

whatever happened to peace, man?

I got an e-mail the other day with the subject line "silence the opposition." The purpose was to sign a petition in support of the new supreme court nominee. Why would I want to "silence the opposition"? Whether I agree with their view or not, they have a right to voice their opinion as much as I have a right to voice mine. I scanned the e-mail and then deleted it. I was a bit turned off by the approach. The practice of silencing those in opposition to your view seems unwise. It breeds an "us vs. them" mentality that disrespects and ignores the views of those who don't agree with you. I've been around long enough to have learned that my views are subject to change. I am not always right. I need others around and I need to give an ear to their views. It's really the "golden rule". If I want to be heard, then I need to be willing to hear. If I want to have the opportunity to express my views, even as they change, then I need to be willing to allow others to do the same. I prefer the approach of discussion and dialogue.