Every Day Life: Random Workings of the Human Mind

By Lara

All weekend, I have been unsure about what I would write for my article this week. I did see Beth over New Years, but we didn't have any huge adventures. Beth had just gotten over the flu, so we had a rather low key New Years celebration that involved playing board games and watching DVDs. Granted, sometimes that sort of celebration is nice as well. Still. That doesn't take a lot of words to communicate. You already have the picture in your mind, don't you? Two women sitting around a coffee table with a board on it eating rice krispie treats. There you go.

Earlier, while sitting in Panera enjoying a chicken Caesar sandwich, I started thinking about possible article topics. They had one of those folding advertising things on the table. I was slightly pre-occupied, but started absently reading about their fresh and tender chicken. I only started paying attention to the content of the advertisement once I saw the claim that their chickens are fed "a totally vegetarian diet."

My brain stopped. When it started again, I thought, "Carnivorous chickens, really?"

I wonder how many people per year are brutalized in attacks by voracious chickens. One minute they're scratching around in the dirt; the next minute they're flapping in your face and going for the jugular. I'd like to see more media coverage on these tough and less fresh carnivorous chickens. Perhaps an expose on 20/20 or 60 Minutes...

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Defining Moments

By Chuck (Sharing Compassion)

Here we are again at the start of a brand new year. Not only that but it is a start of a brand new decade. It seems really hard to believe that ten years have gone by that quickly. We started the decade worrying about the Y2K crisis. We saw 9/11 occur which impacted our lives in so many ways especially in the way we travel.We have watched an idea called Facebook grow and change the way we network and communicate.  Finally we have ended this decade going thorough one of the worst recessions in our lifetime. If you take a moment and sit down and reflect we all have been touched in one way or another by these defining moments. These are events that at the time we may not realize it but they are impacting us in ways that will change our lives and touch us in important ways.

Let me share with you personally how those three events have touched and changed me as a case in point. Travelling prior to 9/11 was easy. I used to work a job that required travelling. I could easily breeze through airports with no worries with what I was carrying or the time needed to get from one gate to another. Can I say that now? Facebook is now a major player in my life. I never used a MySpace or a blog but several years ago I began to Facebook (see even the terminology has changed), it has allowed me to connect with others in a ministry in a whole new way. Farmville aside it has proved to be a great ministry tool in connecting sponsors to children. The recession obviously caused me to be laid off for a period of four months and to find a lesser paying job (I'm still grateful though) and of course our investments became devalued. Each of these touched me in ways that I never anticipated.

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Love

By Pat

One of the most well-known and oft-quoted passages of scripture in the entire Bible, in my opinion, is probably 1 Corinthians 13, in which the apostle Paul gives us a very concise and direct description of the word "love." As I recently read and re-read this beautiful chapter, which I have always been very fond of, I was happy to learn that I have done a lot of growing through the years of walking with the Lord, but appalled to discover what a long way I have to go to achieve true, Godly love. This is very disheartening to me. I had always thought of myself as a loving person, and I am; but unfortunately more on my own terms and conditions than God's.

First, are my motives always driven by love alone? When I do something kind for someone, do I want anything in return, or maybe seek a little pat on the back, or a little applause or glory? I have to admit, reluctantly, that I do like a little praise sometimes. Although I have grown and matured in my walk, I still have a long way to go. Paul clearly states in verses 1-3 that unless the things I say and do are said and done solely with love, I gain nothing. It's a disappointment in the only eyes that matter: God's. I must give and love expecting nothing in return. Otherwise, I am not exhibiting Godly love.

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It Was A Good One

By Ginny (MAD21)

My desire to remain in my own reality and have Christmas vacation last forever has come to an unfortunate end. I tried ignoring the fact that time was screaming by at a completely unfair speed, but it just didn't work. Hubby is back at work and the girls go back to school tomorrow. I'm left with... well, everything else.

We had a lot of prayers and wishes answered in the last two weeks:

We got to take the girls to their first real show at a theater. We went to see The Voices of Christmas at the Living Waters Theater in Pennsylvania (part of The Sight and Sound Theater). I'm not sure if I had more fun watching the show, or watching my girls watch it. It was truly a blessing on all counts.

We got to go to the Udvar-Hazy Center (part of the National Air and Space Museum) and see some really amazing aircraft such as the Enola Gay and the Enterprise (no, not the one from StarTrek!). This was a fun adventure in general, but the museum has special meaning to my hubby and I. Before the collection of aircraft was brought together at the Center in 2003, it was located in what can only be described as a giant warehouse that looked like someone's garage. It was called the Garber Restoration and Storage Facility. It was the first place my hubby and I ever went to together as a social thing before we got married, or were technically even dating.

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Tasty Bites: Split Pea Soup With Ham

By Beth V

I promised a recipe to use leftover Christmas ham and here it is. Some of you may be thinking, “Yuck, I really do not like peas, so why would I like split pea soup?“  Well, I don’t like peas either, but I love split pea soup. Split peas are high in fiber, protein, B-vitamins and many minerals. This is a simple and satisfying soup that comes together quickly and does not require any soaking. And, it tastes really good, I promise.

Heat one tablespoon of oil over medium heat and add a chopped onion, four chopped carrots, three chopped celery stalks and a tablespoon of dried thyme. Sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon salt and some a few shakes of pepper over the vegetables. Cook this for a few minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.

As a side note, here is a great tip for preserving celery. When you get it home from the grocery store, wrap it in foil, covering it completely, and then put it in the refrigerator. The foil allows just enough moisture and air exchange to keep it really fresh and crisp for a very long time. It extends the life of the celery up to a few weeks.  Try it, it’s pretty amazing. After you use what you need for a recipe, just make sure it is wrapped well in the foil and return it to the refrigerator.

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