I can cook!!

I can’t believe it, I actually cooked a meal tonight that I really really loved!  I’m not a horrible cook or anything, and I usually enjoy our meals on most nights.  But rarely do I just think with every bite that I take how amazing the food is and how I can’t wait to cook it again soon!  So, being the nice person that I am, I thought I’d pass along this little recipe to you. 

It all started on Monday at the grocery store when I thought I’d like to branch-out a bit on the kind of vegetables I buy.  So I went for some greens.  Mustard and collard, to be exact.  This recipe involved the mustard greens (at least I think so, I had them both in the same bag, so I kinda just guessed which one was which!  I’m sure it wouldn’t matter much anyway).  Because I have no idea how to cook fresh mustard greens, I headed over to my best friend www.AllRecipes.com,  (I really hope you have visited this site, it’s amazing) where I found this. 

Now let me first warn you that I am Queen of Substitutions when I cook.  I only used a few of the actual ingredients this recipe calls for, the rest I substituted.  I definitely went the cheap and easy way with this based-on what I already had in my pantry, but it turned-out great, so I can only imagine how much better it would be if I actually made it the way I’m supposed to!

Curried Mustard Greens with Beans

First, I made some Basmati rice to serve it over.

Second, I cut-up an onion and sauteed it in olive oil.  To that I added a can of stewed tomatoes (would be better with tomato sauce) and a can of Northern beans. 

To that I added some curry powder, ginger powder, garlic powder, pepper, and hot sauce. 

Meanwhile, water was boiling for my mustard greens.  I rinsed them off, chopped them in large chunks, and then threw them in a pot of boiling water for about 5-7 minutes.  Drained, and put them back in the pot. 

Then I mixed my onion/tomato/bean mixture with the greens.  Added some milk.  Stirred it up real good.  Served it over rice.

(I never measure anything, I just eyeball all my spices and milk)

It doesn’t really sound that great, but it WAS!  It had kind of an Indian flavor with the curry and the ginger.  I can’t wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow for lunch!  Someone else please try this recipe so you can tell me if you love it as much!  (you can do the real recipe or my own ghetto version!)

“Happy enough” being a Protestant

   iMonk has written a great post about why he’s “happy enough” being a Protestant despite sharing a few similar beliefs and desires of fellow Catholic and Orthodox believers.  He speaks for those of us who are not ignorant or closed-off, rather we have opened our hearts to learn, and while maintaining a deep respect and appreciation for those traditions, we remain unchanged in our desire to be Protestant.  He has invited his readers to write their own statement of why they are ”happy enough” to remain in the Protestant church, and here is my contribution. 

  I’ve had your typical Southern Baptist upbringing, devoid of creeds and anything resembling tradition older than 20-30 years, and full of suspicion for any church, particularly Catholic, that did not share our version of the truth.  My experience with those of the Catholic church was limited to friends who had no true faith or knowledge of what their church was really about, so my assumption that Catholics probably weren’t “real” Christians appeared accurate. 

   My world was rocked when I studied spiritual formation and spiritual direction in seminary.  Suddenly, I was reading Augustine, Julian of Norwich, Henri Nouwen, St. John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, St. Francis of Assisi…and being surprised when I noticed that they had a very vibrant faith!  I spent time taking retreats in monasteries, reading their literature and watching their monks. Over time, my eyes were opened to the wealth of the history of the Church that I had never known.  I was introduced to the beauty of Mass, liturgical prayers, and the richness of contemplative worship. 

   Over the next few years I started to feel a little alone in the evangelical church as my desires for liturgy and a greater connection with tradition were lost in the world of loud worship bands and trying to do everything new.  Several of my friends converted to Orthodoxy which led me to learn more about another completely unfamiliar stream of Christianity.  I’ve stayed open about hearing where God wants me to be, and for now, I am completely “happy enough” being a Protestant. 

  I desire and reasonate with a worship style that is quiet and contemplative, and though I have deep appreciation for the Catholic and Orthodox services, I’m “happy enough” that there is much freedom Protestant worship.  I’d rather be a part of the solution in terms of opening my Protestant brothers and sisters to the riches of liturgical worship instead of abandoning ship and going where the contemplation is.  The beauty of Protestant “freedom” is that we CAN have a church that worships similarly to a Catholic service…we can light candles, sing the same songs, recite liturgy, and hang a crucifix.  Those things don’t have to be mutually exclusive to Catholic worship, and I think it is within the realm of possibility that Protestantism could open to that in some places.  I’m appreciative that within Protestantism there is an acknowledgement that God speaks in different ways and we are free to respond to Him in more than one prescribed way.  There is a potential for great balance in worship styles in the Protestant church, and I know I’d miss the celebratory nature of my church’s worship. 

   I’m “happy enough” being Protestant because as iMonk said, “The debate about ‘what is the true church?’ is not a compelling one for us, because we believe that all of us who belong to Christ are joined with him in his church.”  I fully embrace the idea of the universal church, and I could not leave behind Protestantism’s robust theology of a personal faith that saves despite church affiliation.  I love working together with different traditions of Christianity, learning from, and sharpening one another.  Each stream has strengths and emphases that do not look the same in other manifestations of the Church.  I see Protestantism as the place where those streams have the most potential to converge and create an ever-deepening understanding and experience of Christ as we learn from one another instead of closing our ears and looking inward.

   I’m extremely grateful for the work that is being done in evangelicalism with the poor and oppressed all over the world.  While of course we don’t have a corner on the market in compassion, Protestants are highly motivated to serve and evangelize.  The modern missions movement has its flaws, of course, but creativity, passion, love, and worship are hallmarks of those who risk their lives every day for the love of the Savior and His people.  I’m very happy to be a part of a tradition that places great emphasis on seeking-out those who are walking in darkness and showing them the Light of Christ.  

   Although I’m grieved over the divisions caused by the Reformation and wonder if change could have occured within the Catholic Church rather than splitting from it, I see ways God has brought good from it.  I desire for Protestantism to honor historical tradition, to bring our beliefs and practices more in line with the early church, and I think that because of the nature of Protestantism as consistently changing and growing, there is real possibility of that happening.  I’m happy to sit under the teaching of ancient mystics and church fathers, yet I see them as fallible humans who didn’t have all the answers either.  I’m also happy to be taught by modern spiritual teachers whose faith and gifts of the Spirit I can’t deny. 

   I am “happy enough” to be a Protestant for many reasons other than these, mostly just theological convictions I can’t let go of.  Part of me is very attracted to the Catholic and Orthodox traditions of faith, and they stir-in me a desire for greater connection and unity in the Body of Christ.  I love the mysticism that I see in their worship.  I think there is a lot that Protestants should learn from them.  Have I considered the concept of converting?  Of course.  But at the end of the day, I can’t quite bring myself to agree with everything that I’m told I must agree with in order to join one of these churches, and I’m quite satisfied that Protestantism has a wide-open future full of potential for growth and change ahead of it.  In the meantime, I’ll keep listening to and learning from my Catholic and Orthodox friends, my heart will remain open to the Truth found in their traditions, and I will look for opportunities of greater unity and closeness among us.

Are you a…..(gasp!)…liberal?

OK, so I’ve been thinking. 

I wouldn’t consider myself a liberal.  Not politically.  And I couldn’t align myself with all of the self-proclaimed liberal positions of Christianity, so I don’t think I’m a liberal Christian either.  However, a few of my thoughts and positions on things have definitely shifted in the past few years.  I tend to still think of myself as a Christian conservative, but it seems like every day I see another reason why I’m probably not that either.  At least not in some of the positions Christian conservatives would define themselves by. 

I really don’t care about labels because Jesus surely didn’t go around claiming to be liberal or conservative… what I do mind is when people slap a label on you, such as “liberal,” in order to discount your point of view without really having to listen to it.  Or even, labels aside, when people refuse to truly consider another theological point of view because then they wouldn’t fit quite so neatly into the package of the ____ Church.  I think Evangelicalism has become such a subculture (especially in the South!) to where we have these concepts of what is okay and what is not okay/weird/liberal despite what Biblical evidence might say. 

Here is my point:  There are several issues within Christianity that the Bible is not crystal clear about.  People on both sides of these issues cite the Bible as evidence and reason for their stance on the issue.  People on both sides love Jesus and seek with honest hearts to follow him in the most biblically accurate way possible. 

Here are a few of those issues:

• Women in church leadership
• 7-day creationism
• free will/sovereignty of God
• church government structure
• role of psychology in the spiritual life
• gifts of the Spirit
• complementarianism vs. egalitarianism in marriage
• significance of the Lord’s Supper
• infant baptism vs. believer’s baptism

   I realize that I’ve left-out many issues and points of conflict within Christianity, but those are the ones that immediately come to my mind.  Some of these issues are rarely debated, and some of them draw intense debate and strict line-drawing for who is “out” and who is “in” our little circle of knowledge.  A handful of these issues are ones that I’ve changed my mind about recently.  In doing so, I’ve noticed a real prejudice among some Evangelicals.  I’ve noticed a tendency to write-off my position because “that’s not what the Bible says” despite the fact that it’s the Bible that actually made me change my mind.  I’ve noticed how easy it is to slap a label of “liberal” upon anyone who might believe differently than the prescribed position, and in doing so, transport them to the camp of “those people who don’t really believe the Bible.”  This lets you off the hook for exploring the possible truth of where I’m coming from.  Because if I’m “one of them,” then you don’t have to listen to what I say since you already know it’s wrong.

Please do not misunderstand me.  I believe very strongly that God has a definite opinion on these issues, and there is a truth to be discovered.  I’m not saying that it doesn’t matter what you believe about these things or that you shouldn’t feel confident about what you see revealed in the Scripture.  I am saying, however, that people on both sides of all of these issues would point to the Bible as their foundation for understanding.  Both feel confident that God is the one guiding them.  Of course they can’t both be right, but how much of that can we really understand in this life? 

What if we showed each other the grace to acknowledge that while you may hold a different opinion on something than me, I realize that my understanding of the Bible could be flawed, you could possibly know something I don’t, your position on ____ does not make you a heretic, and you just might love Jesus as much as I do.  How about we listen to each other.  How about we realize that our blind statements of “because it’s what the Bible says” and “that’s unbiblical” may be a slight overstatement in light of the fact that I’m trusting the authority of the Bible in the same way you are.  What if we were open to listening to different ways of interpretation that might be unfamiliar and scary before deciding that they’re wrong.  What if we saw the person on the other side of our issue as we do ourself…seekers of truth amid diffcult issues…not someone who is in flagrant disregard of what God teaches. 

I’m not a liberal, but I may not believe some of the same things you do.  Let’s listen to each other and search the Scriptures and heart of God together.  I won’t call you a “fundie” if you don’t call me a “liberal.” 

Rocking thoughts.

Yeah, scratch that about being uninspired.  There’s nothing like rocking your baby to sleep that will inspire the heart. 

Evelyne goes to bed at 7.  While we’ve had our major ups and downs, over the past few months she’s become a wonderful nighttime sleeper.  Clay has been reading her books and rocking her almost to sleep and then putting her to bed lately.  He’s not home tonight, and while that’s usually not a problem, apparently something was off with her.  She cried after I put her down, so I gave her just a couple of minutes and then went back in there to rock her some more since she hardly ever does this.  Put her back down.  Cried again.  She never does this.  Went back in and rocked her to sleep.  She woke-up 10 minutes later and fussed off and on for the next 30 minutes while trying so hard to get back to sleep.  (we have a video monitor, so I could see her squirming around with her face in the mattress)  I just went BACK in there to rock her after she started really crying again (this was an hour after I put her down originally!).  I *hope* she’s down for the count now.  She didn’t wake-up when I put her down.

ANYWAY.  I was rocking her and she was just so sweet with her head next to my cheek and her little feet dangling…  Since I rarely rock her to sleep anymore, every time I do it seems like I get super sentimental about her growing-up.  She’s already big enough to where it’s getting a little tight in the rocking chair, we have to do some manuevering to get her comfortable.  In less than a year she’ll be 2.  It was NOT that long ago that she was a tiny infant… I mean, really not that long ago!  Is this how I’m going to feel with every stage of her life, that baby Evelyne was just five minutes ago? 

I was thinking of how God gives us no guarantees in life about what’s going to happen.  Pretty much everything is up in the air.  I don’t know if Evelyne’s going to live until she’s 4 or 94.  I don’t know if I’m going to live another day or another 50 years.  I don’t know if she’ll love me or hate me in another 15 years.  All the what-ifs seriously scare the crap out of me when I really think about it, way more than it used to before I had her.

 But the big thing that I always think about is how I really really hope that she knows when she’s older how much I love her.  I mean, REALLY.  I always wonder what would happen if I die while she’s still so young… when she’s 18 is she going to have any concept of how loved she was?  Will Clay tell her how many tears I’ve shed over her?  Will she ever know that my whole life revolves around her? 

Will she still let me kiss and cuddle her in another few years?  How old is she going to be when she starts pulling away from my kisses?  Will she still love me as much as she does now when she’s older?  I can’t wait to see the person she’s going to become, and for that I look foward to the future.  But I’m desperately sad about losing my baby.  And for that I wish time would freeze and we would always stay just like we are now.  I had no idea that watching her grow-up would be such an intensley emotional experience for me.  I’m actually crying writing this and thinking about how I can’t hold-on tight enough to keep her from growing-up and one day leaving me.  I know it’s the way God designed things to be, but it is gut-wrenchingly painful to watch every bit of her life being another way she is slowly separating from me.  From the time she was born and the cord was cut to learning to crawl, to weaning, to walking…  I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m an indecent emotional mess at her wedding.  Maybe I should sit in the back row instead of the front. 

This morning we had Evelyne’s Baby Dedication at our church.  I was thinking last night about how I’m not quite to that point where I fully GET the fact that God created her for Himself, not just for me.  That her life has the potential to make a great imact in the kingdom.  I have a hard time looking that far ahead in the future…. it’s just not real to me.  I know that God created her soul in His image and designed her to reflect Christ.  And I pray that I will look foward to the future when He grows her into the woman she is destined to be.  I know that our relationship will change, and part of that will consist of mourning and letting-go…but a great part of that will be rejoicing and happiness for the future our relationship has. 

 Father, teach me to hold her with an open hand and be willing to slowly let go of her as she gets older…

See also Scary Love

I haven’t forgotten you, O Internet

Sorry for the lack of updates, I’m just uninspired. 

Baby Fever

You know you’re getting it when you start tearing-up just listening to a woman on tv talk about how special it is to bring her newborn home from the hospital.  Ok, I admit it.  I was watching A Baby Story.  There’s another sign–You know you’re getting baby fever when A Baby Story suddenly becomes interesting to you again. 

You know you’ve already forgotten the pain of childbirth when you cry at any and every tv birth you see. 

You know you’re getting baby fever when you look at old pictures of your 16 month-old when she was 6 months and you can’t wait to have another little chubby baby to drive you crazy.  Oh yeah, and you forget how all you did at that stage in her life was sit on the floor with her playing in-between your legs because if you sat one foot away or even–heaven forbid–went to the kitchen for a drink, she’d burst into tears at the thought of you not touching her. 

You know baby fever is very contagious when your husband says, “I really can’t wait to have another cute little baby!”  You know it’s really hit when you hear him say, “I’d love to have another girl next because girls are so sweet.” and you know it’s just because he loves the 16 month-old so much. 

You know you have baby fever when you try to have sex all the time so you can MAKE A BABY!  (no announcement, give us a dang few months, people!  I can’t work under such pressure!) 

How I Save Money on Baby Stuff

 

Well, since my How I Save Money at the Grocery Store post was so popular, I thought I’d follow it up with a little info on how I save money on baby stuff.  Honestly, there will be no revolutionary concepts in this post, nothing much that you haven’t heard.  But, I really don’t spend much on Evelyne, and there are a few corners I cut, so here they are:

1.  I just don’t buy that much stuff!  OK, that’s my big secret.  I just don’t really buy her very many things other than necessities like food and diapers.  It is definitely tempting to buy her something every time I walk past the toy section in Target, but it seems like any time I do, she doesn’t even play with what I get her anyway!  She’s happiest these days playing with random things around the house.  For instance, right now she’s playing with a plastic pitcher and shaking a (very well sealed!) bottle of vitamins.  Littered across my living room floor I see a coat hanger, a water bottle, photos, and DVD cases… all things that she plays with on a daily basis.  Nowadays I just ask myself if something can hurt her or if she can break it and if the answer is no, it now becomes her toy.  Easy enough, and it cuts down on spending. 

2. I use Luvs diapers and I buy them really cheap.  I LOVE Luvs!  Little-known-fact: They’re actually made by Pampers.  I started buying them for Evelyne when she fit into a size 3 because that’s when they start making the “bear-hug stretch” tabs and sides.  (I don’t think they make this for sizes smaller than 3)  Seriously, they’re almost exactly like Pampers Cruisers, maybe just barely not quite as soft.  Same shape, same stretch, same absorbency.  I love them because they are CHEAP and I really don’t feel like I’m sacrificing on quality.  Some babies need to wear certain brands because of skin sensitivities, but unless that’s the case, I really don’t see the reasoning in paying so much more for other diapers just because they’re well-marketed. 

Luvs sends-out tons of coupons, too.  Target regularly has Luvs coupons on their coupon generator, which means you can print-out as many as you want.  Recently they even had a $2.50-off coupon.  Around the same time they’ll often put Luvs on sale.  So rather than paying full price of $15.99 for 92 size 3 diapers, I buy them when they’re $14.99 and use a coupon.  Then I buy 3 or 4 boxes at a time.  A couple months ago I bought about 5 boxes at $12.50 a box, so I saved almost $18. 

3. I buy her clothes on sale at the end of the season and at consignment sales.  This is definitely easier if your child grows predictably and wears the same size as her age, but if you do have a predictably-growing child and you’re willing to think ahead, this can save tons of money.  At the end of last summer, when Evelyne was 8-9 months old, I found tons of clothes at Target and Wal-Mart on clearance for $1.  I got her a bunch of really cute size 18-month shirts and shorts and skirts to wear this summer.  It was so nice to spend next to nothing and simply pull the clothes out of the closet when the weather started getting warmer.  I already have several size 2T items for next winter.  I got some super-cute courderoy pants from Children’s Place for about $3.50 for the fall.  I already have a pair of size 3T pajamas that I got for $1.  I don’t mind the minimal storage, and she’ll definitely wear them at some point.  I’d rather buy them way early than realize I don’t have them when I need them and run-out and pay $10-15.  Keep your eyes open for great sales toward the end of each season, and think ahead by buying larger sizes.

I buy a lot of her clothes at consignment sales as well.  We have several sales around my area that are HUGE, and there are racks and racks of cheap clothes to sort through.  I admit, some of them are truly tacky.  But some of them are incredible deals on barely-worn namebrand clothing.  I rarely buy anything that’s not under $4, and most of what I’ve bought is Gymboree or Children’s Place clothing.  If you’re willing to dig a little, don’t be afraid to buy gently used clothing.  

4. I buy toys at consignment sales.  Most sales will have both clothes and toys, and you can definitely save a TON of money buying gently used toys!  I’ve seen several things for sale that are less than half the price I paid at the store, and I really can’t tell that it’s been used.  Sales are especially good for big-ticket items like swings, strollers, outdoor toys, and tiny baby toys. (do NOT buy a used carseat at a consignment or garage sale!)  I saw about one million toy blocks and links and teethers at the last sale I went to–all plastic items you can quickly disinfect and give to your baby.  Is it really worth it to spend $6 on a piece of plastic that you can get for $1 when the baby won’t know the difference anyway? 

5.  Make your own babyfood.  I did this for a month or two until I got a great coupon deal on Gerber jars and bought 150 of them for pennies.  It was SO easy, please don’t be intimidated or think it sounds like something only supermoms do.  Take sweet potatoes for example:  I would cook a sweet potato or two (any way you like, baking and steaming keep more nutrients than boiling), and then puree it.  I used an immersion blender which made it super-easy, but you can use a food processor or blender.  Then I spooned it into ice trays, covered with foil, and stuck them in the freezer.  I calculated that it cost me about $.05 per ounce doing it this way (depending on the food you buy) and the jarred stuff is around $.10-.20 per ounce.  I think I spent around 15 minutes pureeing and spooning into ice trays and it lasted Evelyne weeks.  www.wholesomebabyfood.com is a great resource if you’re looking to make your own babyfood.

Those are just a few things I do to save a money on baby stuff.   The biggest thing, though, is just applying the frugal principle of asking myself “Do we really need this? Can we afford it? Will I regret it if I don’t buy it?” before I buy anything.  The answers to those questions usually keep me from spending money on frivilous outfits and toys and prepackaged foods that simply aren’t necessary. 

Does anyone else have any frugal tips to help save money on baby stuff?

I love free!

Just got back from picking-up my free-after-rebate items from Rite-Aid!  I got three toothbrushes, a bag of chocolates, and some mineral make-up.  For free.  Seriously, there’s just no reason not to! 

 Here are the deals

American Idol Finalists: My take on Broadway night

 

I haven’t really made my feelings about American Idol public yet, but I suppose with six contestants left, now is the time.  I love it.  I always have loved it, I always will.  Even when it’s ridiculous and people who shouldn’t be there don’t get kicked-off and awesome people don’t stay… it’s a fixture in my life.  I can’t deny it.

I was so excited to hear that tonight was all about Andrew Lloyd Webber songs, that’s such a classy step up for the show.  I’m not gonna get into all the ins and outs of everything, but here is my brief assessment of the performances:

Syesha- I loved it!  It was pitchy in places, and let’s not forget this was the second time she’s utilized the ol’ getting on top of the piano scenario….but I thought it was one of her best performances and she did great.

Jason- Dude.  It sucked.  It’s a big song and he has a small voice.  Clay liked it ok, but I had a hard time listening to it without cringing.

Brooke- Eh.  Not great.  I felt so bad for her when she forgot the words, we’ve all done that at some point.  She definitely lost the magic after that.  But she’s also one with a rather small voice, and I don’t think it could handle Broadway, even that song.

David Archuletta- As expected, fabulous.  I liked that he switched it up a bit.  But, as Simon is fond of saying, so what.  I just can’t get myself to care about him.  He needs to sign a deal with Disney and be the next Hannah Montana and get off American Idol.

Carly- I loved it!  Not my favorite song in the world, but she totally rocked it.

David Cook- Oh, he is definitely my favorite by a longshot!  I loved what he did with the song tonight, as always it was innovative and vocally spot-on.  The high notes, especially the one at the end, were incredible.  He can sing anything, and tonight proves it. 

Ryan Seacrest- Oh yes, let’s not forget his tiny serenade at the end of the show!  Seriously, what WAS that?!!!!  hahaha!!! 

 

Pictures of Evelyne.