Thursday, July 31, 2008

Mandles



Mandles....

....just what the manly man in your life needs the most!

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Kamut

My husband and I have committed to embark upon a new, whole food journey.

As a result, I have discovered a new breakfast cereal. It's called Kamut.

"Kamut is an ancient relative of modern durum wheat. Although the Kamut brand wheat is thousands of years old, it is a new addition to North American grain productions. Kamut, is two to three times the size of common wheat with 20–40% more protein, higher in lipids, amino acids, vitamins and minerals, and a "sweet" alternative for all products that now use common wheat. Nutritionally superior, it can be substituted for common wheat with great success. Kamut brand wheat has a rich, buttery flavor, and is easily digested

Kamut's origins are intriguing. Following WWII, a US airman claimed to have taken a handful of this grain from a stone box in a tomb near Dashare, Egypt. Thirty-six kernels of the grain were given to a friend who mailed them to his father, a Montana wheat farmer.

The farmer planted and harvested a small crop and displayed the grain as a novelty at the local fair. Believing the legend that the giant grain kernels were taken from an Egyptian tomb, the grain was dubbed "King Tut's Wheat." But soon the novelty wore off and this ancient grain was all but forgotten.

In 1977, one remaining jar of "King Tut's Wheat" was obtained by T. Mack Quinn, another Montana wheat farmer, who with his son Bob, an agricultural scientist and plant biochemist soon perceived the value of this unique grain. They spent the next decade propagating the humped-backed kernels originally selected from the small jar. Their research revealed that wheats of this type originated in the fertile crescent area which runs from Egypt to the Tigris-Euphrates valley.

In 1990, the USDA recognized the grain as a protected variety officially named 'QK-77'. The Quinns also registered Kamut as a trademark. Perhaps the most significant aspect of the introduction and cultivation of Kamut brand wheat is that it is an important new crop for sustainable agriculture. This grain's ability to produce high quality without artificial fertilizers and pesticides make it an excellent crop for organic farming."
(Information cut and pasted from this website HERE.)

I don't know about you, but I think this is simply fascinating!

Not only does this grain have an intriguing pedigree, but it is an organic grain, has excellent nutritional value and tastes fantastic!

Kamut!

This is one grain that lives up to its name.....it truly is the "soul of the earth"!

****
PS~I purchased my Kamut through Bob's Red Mill.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Grrrrr!



Oldest Daughter looks grrreat modeling her footed jammies.

Just in case you were wondering, she made them herself.

I found (and then copied) this photo on/from her myspace page.....

At a time when most young women are scantily clad and/or modeling much more provocative lingerie on their myspace pages, we consider ourselves exceedingly fortunate that our Oldest Daughter chooses to have a fairly modest presence on the internet.

I don't know about you, but I think Oldest Daughter is ready to take on the world.










Friday, July 25, 2008

Crash

Last night, at approximately 10:00 pm, the world came crashing down around the lives of one of the families in our neighborhood....literally.

Their home had been raised nearly eight feet in the air to allow for repairs and remodel work. They were told it was safe to stay in the home while the work was being done.

Apparently, it wasn't quite so safe.

The home split in two and crashed to the ground with the family inside.

We haven't heard yet whether there were any serious injuries; although we do know that the mother was removed from the home by emergency personnel.

We've known this family for five years. Our children went to pre-school together.

I pray that they are all safe and well this morning.

I pray that our neighborhood will pull together, that we will serve this family and minister to them as they rebuild their home.

I pray that God will shine through us in this dark and difficult time.

Amen.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Because...

....love never fades.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Turning

We must turn inward and destroy in ourselves all that we think we ought to destroy in others.
Source: "An Interrupted Life" by Etty Hillesum

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Decapitation



This is what happens when a two month old kitten takes on a stuffed lemur!

D*E*C*A*P*I*T*A*T*I*O*N

Her latest play prey includes a stuffed beanie bat.

It's hilarious to watch her lug that stuffed bat around the house.

Kittens....

....they're just good for whatever ails ya!

Friday, July 18, 2008

Interdependence

I really liked this YouTube video.

Watch it and then tell me what you would write in your own personal Declaration of Interdependence.

Just one line.

What would you declare?

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Struggle

All around me, my friends are struggling.

One friend's marriage is crumbling.

Another friend's sobriety is in jeopardy.

Still another faces financial insecurity.

I've answered late night calls and I've taken early morning walks. I've advised and I've listened. I've cried and I've prayed. I've suffered alongside their pain, their brokenness, and their loss.

That is all I know how to do.

I don't have the answers to their pain.

I cannot restore a marriage that has been shattered beyond repair.

I cannot remove a friend's desire to drink.

All I can do is be there when they call, listen when they speak and pray for God's providence in each of our lives.

I am humbled by the fact that these seem like such little, insignificant acts; and yet, these acts are precisely what each of us requires from the other if our lives and our relationships are to continue to unfold.

I am beginning to understand that it is in the face of our shared struggles that we find our solace, our hope and the strength to carry on.

There is immeasurable power in such knowledge, God's power.

...and to sense that I have touched upon that power has left me both wildly elated and crazily deflated.

I am, in this moment, the perfect union of two polar opposites.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Sporks

Jerri is a Spork!



Jerri has a playful, eccentric sense of humor.

She is creative. She sees the world in bold colors.

Jerri is a dabbler. She loves to experiment.

She isn't an expert in anything, but she knows a little about everything.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Open Hands

Four years ago, I had one of my "Jesus dreams".

It was a particularly powerful and intense dream.

I've never written about this dream and for whatever reason, I feel as though I need to share this dream now, to write it down, and to celebrate the beauty of its meaning with whomever might happen by and read this blog post today.

Most of you probably remember Mel Gibson's movie, "The Passion of the Christ." Well, imagine me, sitting in my dream movie theater watching Mel's graphic and gory cinematic production.

There I am. Watching.

I see Christ's blood spurt under the onslaught of cat-o-nine-tails as I witness the beating inflicted by Roman soldiers. I hear Christ's groans and tortured breathing as he labors through Jerusalem's streets, struggling under the weight of the cross he was forced to carry.

...and I am so in the moment, so caught up in the Passion, that I am more than a little surprised when I suddenly find myself distracted by the loud, popcorn munching noises of another movie theater patron who is seated one row behind me and slightly to my right.

(C'mon now, just put yourselves in my place. On screen, Christ is being brutally tortured and all the while, some fool sits behind me, gleefully eating popcorn as if there's no tomorrow. Now, under the circumstances, wouldn't all of that loud crunching and munching strike you as, oh, I don't know, WRONG?)

So, in my dream, I turn around and in one of those really hushed, harsh whispers that only a Mom can ever truly master I say, "Dude! Enough with the popcorn already..."

And as I turn to chastise with my eyes, who should I see sitting there, cross legged in his chair, popcorn kernels in his beard happily eating his way through a buttered, jumbo-sized movie theater popcorn?

Yeah. You guessed right.

Jesus. It was Jesus.

I am, of course, more than a little stunned to see the Lord of Lords sitting there. I'm even more stunned when Jesus vaults over the row of seats to sit beside me.

"Popcorn?" Jesus offers as he settles in next to me.

I'm so agitated that I find myself at a loss for words , so Jesus simply smiles, points to the screen and says, "Great movie, huh?"

...again, I find myself completely incapable of speech, so Jesus says, "Listen Jerri, when they get to the part where they stretch me on the cross, pay close attention to my hands. Will you do that for me?"

I mutely nod my affirmation. To which, Jesus says, "Thanks." Then, poof! Just like that, Jesus is gone, popcorn and all.

I have spend the past several years pondering this dream, wondering why Jesus would ask me to pay such close attention to his open and crucified hands.

When I think about the way Christ lived his life I am struck by the fact that he held nothing back. He lived his life with open hands, reaching out in love to all people. I think that Christ met his death the same way...with open hands. He did not demand vindication, or proclaim his innocence. He moved through his Passion with open hands, and if he clung to anything, it was his love for the Father, the Father's love for him and their shared love for all of us.

I've often wondered, if this dream wasn't Christ's way of calling me to live my own life with open hands. I cling to so many things. I cling to my creature comforts (like the toilet and the air conditioner), to my material blessings (like the cash that allows me to buy my iced venti half-caf lattes), to the beliefs/judgements that I hold about who I am and who you are, who is worthy and who is not. Perhaps Christ is calling upon me surrender these things to him and to open my hands, my heart and my life to the perfect will and love of our Father?

It is so hard to move through life with open hands and outstretched arms. I leave my inner most self, my most vulnerable parts prone to evisceration when I do.

In short, I risk my own crucifixion. And yet, I am convinced that this is exactly what Christ has called me to do....

To say that this dream has touched me and has changed me in ways I cannot even begin to articulate is an understatement. I'm not even going to try.

I'm just going to end with a prayer.

Dear God, help me to live as Christ lived....with open hands.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Happy Birthday!

As many of you know, Middle Daughter recently celebrated her 13th birthday!

Here's a video clip of our new teen blowing out her birthday candles.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

F.Y.I.

Blogging.

It's good for ya.

Don't believe me?

Well, Scientific American Magazine says it's true.

Read all about it by clicking here!

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Snapshots

Three snapshots of what I've either watched or read on the internet today.

To vote or not to vote?

Profane dining?

An inspirational Iron Nun!

.....just in case you were wondering what I do with all of my free time!

Monday, July 07, 2008

FIP

Our little kitty, Izzy, has been very sick.

Last week, Izzy spiked a temperature of 104 degrees, became lethargic and seemed quite ill.

We took her to the vet where Izzy was rehydrated and tested for several diseases, held over night and released the next day.

At that time, the tests ruled out feline AIDS ect and we believed that Izzy might just have a nonspecified viral infection. Unfortunately, Izzy still isn't doing to well.

Today I took Izzy back to the vet and learned she's lost weight since Saturday. The vet believes she may have the feline corona virus, which in turn, may or may not have mutated into FIP or feline infectious peritonitis.

More tests were done, more subcutaneous fluids were given, as were several cans of take home nutritional suppliments.

We left understanding that FIP is not treatable and that it is nearly always fatal.

If our kitten has FIP, that will mean RIP for little Izzy.

So now, we wait for the test results and we pray.

And all I can say, is that the whole situation really sucks. It really, really sucks.

Sunday, July 06, 2008

McDonalds




Guess what?

Oldest Daughter has a job!

Yup, that's right!

She's going to be flipping burgers for McDonalds.

This Momma's lovin'it!

Saturday, July 05, 2008

God's Passion

This video has been around for a while, but it's a good one.

If you have four and a half minutes to spare, it's worth watching.

For a long time now, I have known that there is a passion living and breathing through my heart and soul, that is not my own. A passion to see all people safe, educated, fed, healthy and clothed. A passion to end hunger, and homelessness, poverty and genocide. A passion to live in peace with my neighbors both near and far.

I feel this passion in my inner most places...and I know beyond knowing, that this is God's passion. God's passion living and breathing in my soul, through my lungs, through my nostrils.

It's God's passion that stirs my imagination, my hope, my actions....

Oh, just watch the video and let me know what you think after you do!

Did it stir anything within you?


Friday, July 04, 2008

Awe

One of my friends is going through a very difficult time right now.

Although I hate to see her in such a difficult situation, I am so privileged to watch her face her circumstances with such dignity and grace.

I am awed by this woman, simply awed.

Grace and dignity are not my strongest suits. I'm too self-absorbed, too fucked up to exhibit either grace or dignity when I am under duress. More often than not, I become a raving lunatic whenever I am confronted with even the smallest challenge.

I like to make things all about me, because well, everything is all about me. Ok, so maybe I'm not that bad...but truly, I really do have this awful habit of making things all about me, especially when they shouldn't be all about me.

Like this post for instance.

When I began writing I wanted to write about this amazing woman and her awe inspiring grace and dignity. I wanted to tell you how I believe that such grace and dignity inspire such awe because they are God breathed and thereby holy. I wanted to say, that yes, my friend is amazing, but it's God's grace in her that has released the awe in me. I wanted to tell you how I think her serene, old soul dignity is God's gift to her as she moves with such honesty and transparency through a difficult life transition.

I wanted to tell you about how small I feel in the face of my friend's grace and dignity and how appropriate I believe that feeling is, because in so many ways, I am so very small.

I wanted to tell you that there is greatness in our smallness....that God himself choose to enter into this world as a fragile newborn and that Christ's smallness contained mankind's greatest treasure.

But what did I do instead? I did what so many of us often do, and I shifted my focus and I began to make this all about me.

The truth of it is, life is all about God...His life in us....our life in Him.

Don't ask me how, but somewhere along the way I had forgotten that fact.

...and all I can think about now, is how very much I want and need Jesus Christ.

I have found salvation in that longing and just for today anyway, a certain kind of peace.


Oh and just thinking about this whole freedom/salvation thing has reminded me that today is the Fourth of July.

So Happy Fourth of July Everyone!

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Poverty

37 Million Americans

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Simply Stated...

In other words, the Bible isn’t there simply to be an accurate reference point for people who want to look things up and be sure they’ve got them right.

It is there to equip God’s people to carry forward his purposes of new covenant and new creation.

It is there to enable people to work for justice, to sustain their spirituality as they do so, to create and enhance relationships at every level, and to produce that new creation which will have about it something of the beauty of God himself.

The Bible isn’t like an accurate description of how a car is made. It’s more like the mechanic who helps you fix it, the garage attendant who refuels it, and the guide who tells you how to get where you’re going. And where you’re going is to make God’s new creation happen in his world, not simply to find your own way unscathed through the old creation…

The Bible is there to enable God’s people to be equipped to do God’s work in God’s world, not to give them an excuse to sit back smugly, knowing they possess all God’s truth.

~ NT Wright, "Simply Christian"











Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Taglines

A friend of mine sent me an e-mail yesterday.

This was her tagline:
I'm going to live my life in such a way that when my feet hit the floor in the morning, Satan shudders and says 'Oh shit....she's awake'.

I LOVE that!

Don't you?