November 1

November 1 always comes in a flurry and doesn't stay around longer than 24 hours, which left me a predicament!  I've accepted the fact that today is not November 1, and am choosing to write for each day of thankfulness this month!

So here goes!

November 1 was a beautiful day, a Sunday actually!  It is unusual for Kansas City to be so warm this time of year (although, I've realized that "normal" doesn't happen most any place!), and most city-ans are taking advantage of the sunshine.  This was me.

I am thankful for God's handiwork in creation.  You know, it really does SHOUT His glory to every creature.  The trees are filled with color--He made--to tell the story of time and seasons--He set in place.

The heavens declare the glory of God,

    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

2 

Day to day pours out speech,

    and night to night reveals knowledge.

3 

There is no speech, nor are there words,

    whose voice is not heard.

4 

Their voice goes out through all the earth,

    and their words to the end of the world.

In them he has set a tent for the sun,

5 

    which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,

    and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.

6 

Its rising is from the end of the heavens,

    and its circuit to the end of them,

    and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

As I walked along this path, I was overwhelmed and silenced by the beauty.  This is what God has done.  Here is what He made and sustains.  These thoughts stirred me to bring back to mind His faithfulness and the hope of a new creation, far better than we can imagine.  

P52: new heaven and new earth

Just as God created the heaven and earth by the words from His mouth, so He will create a new heaven and earth.  For those of us who know God as our Savior have the hope of the new which is to come.  We have no need to sorrow as those who have no hope, but we live with the eternal perspective that this world is not all there is to see.  We see the next.

We will finally see Jesus, the One who made Himself a substitute for our sins reversing the curse of death with the promise that one day we could stand before Him.  He is our Advocate, the one who goes before God on our behalf.  He is our Propitiation, the one who satisfied God's wrath against sin by dying on a cross and rising from the dead.

Beware of the slimy temptation to think that this world is all you have to live for.  When the thoughts about heaven become too far-off that you forget and begin to live like it doesn't exist.  Watch out for that day and the times when those thoughts appear!  Look to Jesus.  Look to His word and see the truth, the end that surely comes.

He is coming again.
He will wipe the tears from our eyes.
He will take away pain, death, sorrow, fear.
He will reverse the curse of sin and death completely.
He will make all things new.


Amen.  Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

P52: the Four Loves

Crafted by C.S. Lewis in the mid twentieth century, "The Four Loves" paints a masterpiece on of the subject of love.  In description and action and thought, love is taken and dissected and analyzed in order to understand what it is, where it comes from, and what it consists of.  

I first started this book several months ago, but, getting distracted by something else, wasn't able to finish it.  When I picked it up again, I had to start at the beginning again--if you've read anything of Lewis' you know what I'm talking about.  However, this time, I was able to grasp what he was communicating in a more full way.  

For love, as Lewis explains, is a "Gift-Love" and a "Need-Love".  The gift-love is a kind of love which must give in order to be love.  It is like a father working for his family, giving of himself, in order to provide for them.  The need-love is love which needs.  It is need-love that drives a child to a mother's arms or a friend to friend conversation.  Humans can and do express these loves, both gift and need, but only in a limited fashion.  God alone is perfect love.  He ultimately gives of Himself, by Jesus Christ, in the gift of salvation and sustaining grace on the universe He created.  And He created us to need Him for life, breath, and every move we make.  

Affection 

It is described as the "humblest" of all the loves.  It focuses on something or someone familiar, and perhaps, it's greatest enemy is change.  

"Affection would not be affection if it was loudly and frequently expressed; to produce it in public is like getting your household furniture out for a move.  It did very well in its place, but it looks shabby or tawdry or grotesque in the sunshine.  Affection almost slinks or seeps through our lives.  It lives with humble un-dress, private things soft slippers, old clothes, old jokes, the thump of a sleepy dog's tail on the kitchen floor, the sound of a sewing machine a gollywog (child's doll) left on the lawn." (Lewis, 34)

"There is indeed a peculiar charm, both in friendship and Eros, about those moments when Appreciative love lies, as it were, curled up asleep, and the mere ease and ordinariness of the relationship (free as solitude, yet neither is alone) wraps us round.  No need to talk.  No need to make love.  No needs at all except perhaps to stir the fire." (Lewis, 35)

Friendship 

It is called the most uncommon and unnatural of the loves.  It is the love between persons who have something in common, who are functioning at their highest level of "individuality".  They are not looking at each other, as Affection or Eros might do, but side by side, they are focused on an object or subject of common interest.  They are always talking, though never about the "friendship". 

"Friendship arises out of mere companionship when two or more of the companions discover that they have in common some insight or interest or even taste which the others do not share and which, till that moment, each believed to be his own unique treasure (or burden).  The typical expression of opening Friendship would be something like, 'What? You too? I though I was the only one.'...It is when two such persons discover one another, when, whether with immense difficulties and semi-articulate fumblings or with what would seem to us amazing and elliptical speed, they share their vision--it is then that Friendship is born.  And instantly they stand together in an immense solitude." (Lewis 65)

 

Eros 

It is the love of "being in love".  This is both a gift and need love, and the lines of which are blurred out of necessity.  It is seen in the relationship between a husband and wife, a deep desire for one another in fullness.  

"Very often [being in love] what comes first is simply a delighted pre-occupation with the Beloved--a general, unspecific pre-occupation with her in her totality...If you were to ask him what he wanted, the true reply would often be, 'To go on thinking of her.'  He is love's contemplative." (Lewis, 93)

Charity  

It is the love of God; God is love.  This is love of and from God, demonstrated in creation, in Jesus Christ by His sacrifice for sins, in the gift of salvation, and in the fullness of His plan for restoration and redemption of the created world.  God's love is "poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom He has given to us." (Romans 5)  And in this love we are to love God and one another. 

"Do not let your happiness depend on something you may lose.  If love is to be a blessing, not a misery, it must be for the only Beloved who will never pass away."  (Lewis 120)

"Christ did not teach and suffer that we might become, even in the natural loves, more careful of our own happiness...We may love him (others) too much in proportion to our love for God; but it is the smallness of our love for God, not the greatness of our love for the man, that constitutes the inordinacy." (Lewis 122) 

"In God there is no hunger that needs to be filled, only plenteousness that desires to give...God, who needs nothing, loves into existence wholly superfluous creatures in order that He may love and perfect them...This is the diagram of Love Himself, the inventor of all loves." (Lewis 127) 

"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.  The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.  

Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.  

And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure." 

~ 1 John 3:1-3

P52: food lovin'

This post is terribly overdue, but nonetheless here!  I've been pondering doing a food blog for a while, however, when I start to cook/bake I usually forget to take pictures to document the progress.  Then I think to myself, "I'll do it next time!".  And now, it is "next time".   

I've been growing in new appreciation for atypical "health" food. *I think Pinterest has a lot to do with this fascination.*  In all the pinning, I ran across a couple of recipes for muffins loaded with protein, fiber, and flavor.  The first recipe are the Blender Muffins.  Containing only 6 ingredients, these dense little monsters are quick and easy to whip together.  The coconut flour cinnamon muffins are lighter, but have a unique texture due to the coconut flour.  They have a wonderful flavor, very similar to cinnamon bread, which pairs well with a warm cup of tea or coffee.  

So here we go!  

Blender (or mixer) Muffins 
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter (natural)
1 medium ripe banana
1 Lg. egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla 
2 Tbsp. honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup
1/4 tsp. baking powder

Blend the eggs, honey, vanilla, banana

Mix remaining ingredients; beat till smooth

Fill muffin liners; top with chocolate chips or other topping.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 min.

Voila! Let these babies cool and enjoy!

Coconut Flour "Cinnamon Bun" Muffins
1/2 c. coconut flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
4 eggs
1/3 c. milk (or coconut milk)
1/2 c. honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup
Cinnamon Topping:
2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
4 Tbsp. honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted (or coconut oil) 

Start by whipping the eggs.  

Add milk and honey; mix till blended 

Stir in dry ingredients till combined. 

                           

Drop by spoonfuls into muffin liners. Top with prepared cinnamon topping

Top muffins with remaining dough.

Stir gently for marbled look

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, and enjoy!

P52: Downton is reality

From the vast marble halls, plush libraries, and elaborate dining room, to the plain, yet extremely practical kitchen and servants hall, many of us have found something intriguing about the lives and story of Downton Abbey.  For those faithful who have made it through five torrential seasons of drama, mystery, laughter, pain, death, life, love, and war, there is a common appreciation about the topic.  I am one of the so-called "faithful".  When I first heard about the British television period drama sen in the early twentieth century, I was interested in watching it too.  Over the next summer, my room-mates and I spent many an evening watching one or two seasons borrowed from the library.  We were soon lured into the majestic residence of Downton Abbey and the lives of it's occupants.  For us, we enjoyed watching a tastes of history unfold before us.

The story starts right after the sinking of the Titanic, moves through World War I, and presently in the roaring twenties.  The world changes so much, and viewers have a chance to see a family and their servants work through the changes and hardships as well.  It is a fascinating process.

For those unfamiliar with the story, I'll give a short synopsis.  The story involves a family in Yorkshire, England.  They are the land-owners of a very large estate of status, responsibility, and leadership in the community.  Not only this however, because their estate also provides jobs for many agricultural families as well as those who work service in the "big" house.  The family is composed of two parents and three daughters, a highly respected and witty grandmother, the male heir to the estate and his equally witty and opinionated mother, plus a vast array of suitors for the daughters, farmers, doctors, maids, butlers, footmen, kitchen maids, cooks, and chauffeurs.  

With this many characters, one can only imagine the drama that ensues in daily life (or one can imagine the same drama in their own).  Many times, this family is faced with the challenges associated with changing times and major events.  During the war, their lives were turned upside down.  Their beloved England put on a face of grim determination to withstand against oppressors.  Withstand they did, at the cost of thousands of lives.  Even the Abbey's small community changed.  Everyone wanted to be involved in the cause for freedom.  After the war, society struggled to find "normal" again, especially where the nobility were concerned. They were learning anew the task of the traditional status-quo of family, place, and responsibility, while the world was heaving and changing from the traumatic event.  When the world moves, the people move along too.  Each of the the characters are found constantly dealing with major choices and decisions, the struggle to work and live together, how meet conflict from the outside, and finding conflict within themselves.

Upstairs, the lords and ladies work so hard to preserve the tradition and grandeur bequeathed to them.  They laid in shadow to their true feelings, always having to put on the face of dignity and respect.  Throughout the story, the viewers see the family's struggle to maintain this posture, while struck with inner turmoil to be themselves.  Behind closed doors, they are different people, arguing about petty issues and striving against the changing society.

Downstairs, it is the same story.  There is tension between the servants and their own hierarchy system.  Those who know their place in the house are rewarded for doing a good job.  They work hard and are honored to be serving such a respected family, and fight to keep their position in the house, yet many search for something more than what they have.  They wish for a life out of service.  Conflict within the close-quarters of the Servant's Hall happens on a regular basis. 

At the end of the 5th season, I began to think through the story of Downton.  It intrigued me more than any other story or show that I've watched (and that doesn't say much, because I haven't watched many television series...).  As I rehearsed the drama in my head, I soon became frustrated with the reality of it all.

Downton is reality.  It gives a picture of the hopeless searching and unfulfilled life people find for their own lives apart from eternal life in God.  Perhaps this is the reason so many enjoy watching the show.  They are able to see themselves in the personalities and stories of the characters, as they struggle to make a difference and do something really worthwhile.  Instead of "being" anyone important, they just find themselves searching and looking for validation in what they see around them.  Downton shows on the screen what reality is for people who have no life in Christ.

Time demands perspective.  It moves on and on, to an end.  The Creator put the world into motion and order, setting a course till He reigns supreme on earth.  What does a person live for when they do not know or believe in a God?  There is no hope a part from God.  There is no reason to live if there is not a God in control, ruling and reigning over the universe.  Downton has no hope.  Over and over again, both the lords, ladies, and servants ask themselves if they are doing the right thing at the moment.  

Should they do this?  

Should they keep this secret?  

Are they making a difference? 

Is there something more?  

What happens when the world changes?  

The more and more they question like, the more we see the hopelessness of life.  

There is nothing to trust.  Some of the episodes reveal the characters attempts to trust the one's they love or their country for safety and security.  But people die.  War ravages lands.  Things change.  

One of the most beautiful characteristics of God shown in Scripture is unchangeableness.  

 "God is not man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. 

Has He said, and will He not do it?  Or has He spoken, 

and will He not fulfill it?" 

Numbers 23:19

 "For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, 

O children of Jacob, are not consumed." 

Malachi 3:6 

When a person comes to understand (through the Bible) that God does not change, they can trust--ultimately God.  And they have hope in living each day and making a difference as they have opportunity.  They understand that though time is moving on, there is a Being who hasn't changed since He made the world, and will not change till eternity comes.  

Oh, Downton, you are a picture of the world.  There are thousands of Edith's, Mary's, Branson's, Lord Grantham's, Carson's, Bates', and Violet's in our world.  

We can see them.  

We can help them see truth, trust, hope, joy in God.  

P52: Spring Break Nebraska Style

Even though I'm not technically in school, I still got to have a "spring break"--not technically, because I'm a part-time graduate student who works full-time.  Anyway, my brother was planning to go home, and since I was also planning on making a trip back to "The Good Life" state, we combined them and road-tripped together!

The week at home was just as prescribed by my boss: fun and restful.  Well, mostly restful...haha!  If anyone knows my family, then you also know that we had something going on everyday, even if that was just needing to clean the house.  For late March in Nebraska, the weather was beautiful, boasting several 60s and 70s on different occasions.  There was even some green grass peeping it's head through the brown.  It won't last long however, if they get a good snow storm, which would also be perfectly normal for that area of the world.

We traveled down over the weekend, breaking up the trip in half by stopping at relatives along the way.  The drive was very uneventful--even though we took my unpredictable, yet surprisingly reliable car, Gabriella.  I only had to coax her up a few hills!  Driving across Nebraska is lovely; you see a lot more than corn-fields, and hear a lot of interesting things.  The first of much laughter came when I exclaimed to my brother to look at some sheep in a pasture!  I mean, they looked like sheep, at first glance.  He burst out that those white creatures were actually cows.  No, I haven't spent too much time in the city!  They were white cows.  I rarely see white cows.  I was also driving, and just had a moment to look at the animals (Yes, I'm trying to justify my claim; my brother didn't think it worked either!).  Anyway, it was good for a laugh, and a trip joke for the rest of the time!  A road-trip also provides lots of time for listening to music.  Somewhere in the middle of nowhere Nebraska, where all the radio stations a person can listen too are either talk-radio or country, we heard the most unique weather alert.  The DJ was reading the forecast for the next few days and was talking about the chance of rain.  However, instead of talking about a "chance for rain" or "drizzle" or "light rain", he said, "tomorrow will bring some sprinkles..."  Sprinkles??  What color?  This little slip-up made for quite the laugh--I was crying actually--and the story to tell the family when we arrived.

Time at home was wonderful.  We did some work to re-model and organize my dad's office, including moving/dusting/re-organizing all of his books to put on the new bookshelves.  It was a task, but his new library is quite stunning!  I also tried my hand a spray-painting.  No, I didn't add graffiti to a road-sign, instead the once-tan file cabinet is now covered and hidden in black.  I had lots of time to do some reading and writing, more like catching up on much needed "personal reflection/thinking" time, and most importantly extra unhindered time with the Lord through His word and prayer.  On a couple of afternoons, I headed out for a run along the highway that heads north of town.  After about a quarter of a mile, I've completely passed all the buildings and am jogging in the open country--very invigorating!  My little sisters had some basketball games over the weekend, so our family packed up and headed to cheer them on!  Oh, how, I've forgotten (and missed) the excitement of junior high basketball games.  The girls do a great job; no doubt learning all their skills from big-sister!  (Okay, not quite ALL) :)  My new nephew was another diversion from the mundane schedule.  We took a day trip to visit him and his parents; he's such a cutie and great addition to the Parker family!  One of the evenings before I left, my sisters and I decided to go to see the new "Cinderella" movie.  It was great "sister-time".  We talked and laughed and joked and teased all the way there and back (it was a 60 minute drive).  Since there is quite an age gap between us, this was probably the first time we've been able to spend time doing something we all enjoy and can comprehend.  Little sisters are the best.  And brothers are pretty cool too.  Without them, I would have been alone for the road-trip; I wouldn't have a nephew; my sisters and I wouldn't have gone out for ice-cream after the movie; and I wouldn't have had someone to tease about his "learners-permit" driving skills!

And now back to normal life--for two days!

Thank you, Lord, for family and a place to call home.  Thank you for friends and people who know know me, and have loved me since I was very little.  Thank you for small towns and the reminder of Your purpose and plan.

                     

                Grand"mom" and Grandpa with Silas

Look at that sweet face!  

we have matching facial expressions; just enjoying life! 

She's shooting a free throw.

She's playing defense.  

                          

                                          This basically sums up the trip--except that I was driving most of the time...

P52: a song

Oh Lord, let Your words be on my lips,

in my mind, 

and in my heart.

Like a distant melody, which awakens the soul;

more tender thoughts of You, Your Son, Your Spirit, Your Word.

Oh, that I may know You as You are!

Not shrouded through earthly eyes,

but with redeemed eyes behold Your majesty.

For my feeble eyes cannot begin to take in all the facets of who You are;

they must be made new to comprehend in perfection the glory of God.

That You chose to be stained for us; we cannot truly know nor grasp the sacrifice.

Ever learning, tracing the Lamb who was slain and raised so that we can have eternal life.

No work can we credit our Redeemer for what He has purchased; 

striving for our account, then seems to make His worthless.  

And His all the more 

glorious, 

beautiful, 

holy, 

gracious, 

merciful, 

loving, 

coming from the Father.