When Carrots Expire

Consider the humble bag of carrots.

bag of carrots
humble bag of carrots

There it goes down the conveyor.

down the conveyor
there it goes

Whoosh!

down the conveyor
whoosh!

But wait! Look at the date on the package.

date on the bag of carrots
11.09.12

Best if used by 11.09.12. 

By then, the election will be over. We hope.

If the carrots can make it, so can you.

Hang on. It may come down to the wire.

But don’t give up!

Smile and think of the day when carrots expire.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV

Don’t Give Up by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush. A little melodrama goes nicely with beta carotene.

Name a root vegetable without repeating any named in the comments before yours.

Halloween Polka-Dot Pumpkins

drilling pumpkin
thank you, honey!

Today I have a quick Halloween Pinterest success story to share. 

Like our last triumphant Pinterest project, simplicity is the genius of this idea. You know, the “Why didn’t I think of that?” factor.

Besides finding the pumpkins and the pin, I can’t take any credit for this. My husband did all the work. He scooped out two large pumpkins and power-drilled holes in them. The results are warmly glowing, other-worldly jack-o-lanterns, polka-dotted with candlelight. These are the classiest pumpkins ever to grace our front porch!

The white dotted jack-o-lantern is especially magical, I think.

white glowing pumpkin
subtle glowing jack-o-lantern

The idea for polka-dot pumpkins is available on many Pinterest pins from sources like MarthaStewart.com and Creative Connections for Kids.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.”
Matthew 5:14 ESV

The Light in Me by Brandon Heath.

What’s the best part of making a jack-o-lantern?

NOW APPEARING ON PROJECT UNDERBLOG

Today I’m honored Dear Mr. Zuckerberg is appearing on Project Underblog: a submission-based, collaborative writing project honoring the smaller voices in the blogger community. What a brilliant concept. Go see what we small and mighty have to say.

Crockpot Southern Greens Recipe from A Half-Baked Life

The quest for easy and delicious recipes continues. Today we’re cooking Southern comfort food in a crockpot. There are so many things right with that last sentence, I don’t know where to begin.

Our recipe comes from Justine at A Half-Baked Life. Justine writes stories of luxurious prose and caps them off with delicious recipes. Genius. Click the link for today’s recipe details and to enjoy the exquisite writing that goes with it:

Crockpot Southern Greens with a Kick
by A Half-Baked Life

Now watch me cook this, simple and quick:
(Video link: http://youtu.be/5ubJ20mshZU)

crockpot southern greens
crockpot southern greens

If you have a crockpot, you can totally do this. I cannot believe how easy it was and how complex the flavors. The “kick” Justine adds sets these greens apart. This dish makes a great meal or unexpected side to accompany an entrée. It’s the perfect earthy and warm recipe for cold autumn evenings.

Thank you, Justine at A Half-Baked Life, for bringing this savory recipe to us. Bon appétit!

For the despondent, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast. Proverbs 15:15 NLT

Alison Krauss & Union Station with The Lucky One. Greens are lucky, right?

If you make this recipe, let me know how you like it!

Should Christians Vote?

If you are an American citizen, you should vote. 

washington monument
Washington Monument

I don’t care who you vote for. Well, I do care, but it’s more important that you vote, no matter what your convictions may be. That’s the way the republic works. Use it or lose it.

This post, however, is specifically for my Christian brothers and sisters in America. Not only do we have the responsibility as citizens of the United States to vote; if we follow Christ, we have the responsibility as Christians to vote.

The Bible directs us to be good stewards of all God has given us.

If you live in America, you have been given a representative form of government and a Constitution that protects your freedom to worship as you choose. This is a gift many Christians in the world do not enjoy. You demonstrate good stewardship of this gift when you fulfill your responsibility to vote.

Pastor Perry Noble of NewSpring Church in South Carolina recently wrote a post, The Church & Politics = A MESS!. Noble correctly ascertains Christians are to be about pointing people to Jesus. Our political leaders cannot save us and will ultimately disappoint us. Politics are not the answer; Jesus is.

When Christians receive statements like this from Christian leaders, I wonder if some get the idea they should shun politics all together. It doesn’t matter how they vote or even if they vote. They now have an official excuse from the pulpit not to participate in an imperfect democratic process, not to engage the carnal culture, and instead to isolate themselves in the name of Christ.

But our faith does not operate in isolation from the rest of our lives. What good is it if it did?

Our convictions as Christians will influence and inform the decisions we make, including political choices. Dr. Erwin Lutzer of the Dwight L. Moody Memorial Church in Chicago writes of the same calling to the Gospel as Noble does:

“We are to be agents of grace, mercy and forgiveness in a harsh and cruel world. We cannot let our cultural revolution obscure our primary calling. We must exercise that calling within the context of our cultural debate.” (from The Truth About Same-Sex Marriage, p. 98, 2004)

Our current presidential election raises new challenges for Christians, especially conservative evangelicals. One candidate says he follows Christ while at the same moves to restrict the religious liberty of Christians. The other candidate says he’s a Mormon, which is doctrinally quite different from an evangelical Christian. There are independent and third-party choices. But when it comes down to who will most likely be elected, what are we to do?

Are evangelical Christians to choose the lesser of two evils? 

A wise friend reminded me only God knows the hearts  of the candidates. We do not know what they believe only what they say and do. Still we have to choose.

While neither candidate is ideal (will any ever be ideal?), they do have some philosophical and policy differences. I Side With offers a comparison of their views. Think through what you value most as a Christian and choose the candidate who lines up better with that. Not perfectly, but better. And I’m not telling you who that is; it’s your decision.

American Christians are a diverse lot. We have different opinions about what the most important issues are and how best to address them. Some of us will prioritize the social welfare of the poor. Others the protection of the unborn. Others the preservation of Constitutional rights. There is Biblical evidence that all of these issues and more matter to God. Prayerfully consider the choices and vote your convictions.

One more thing.

flag Christmas ornament
flag Christmas ornament, as seen at Walmart

If we are displeased with the candidates this round, there’s nothing stopping us from raising up better candidates for the future. That’s another gift of a representative government. Involvement in politics at a local, state, or national level is an honorable service. We need Christian people to take active roles of leadership in government, same as we need them to lead in education, medicine, law, social services, the arts, business, media, and commerce.

The notion that Christians should not express political viewpoints or participate in politics is destructive. Please don’t sit out the election.

Pray. Get to the polls on November 6th. Vote your conscience fearlessly and with thanksgiving as directed by Christ. Then trust Him with the care of our country.

Therefore, let all the godly pray to You while there is still time,
that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
For You are my hiding place;
You protect me from trouble.
You surround me with songs of victory. Psalm 32:6-7 NLT

Woke Up in America by Matt Maher.

How will you exercise your calling within the context of our cultural debate?

Email Subscriptions Issue

Hi, everyone.

A reader and friend alerted me she was no longer receiving emails of new posts even though she had subscribed. WordPress says it was a glitch that has now been resolved.

If you are a subscriber, did you receive an email of today’s Wednesday Words to Remember post with Dr. King’s quote? Please leave me a yay or nay in the comments if you don’t mind so I know if the emails are indeed working again.

Thank you! See you tomorrow with a brave new post about Christians voting.

Shopping with the Stars

Shopping for glasses for my husband was a star-studded event. 

We met Drew Carey.

DC
Whose line is it anyway?

Arnold Schwarzenegger.

AS
Hasta la vista, baby.

Elton John.

EJ
She packed my bags last night pre-flight.

And John Belushi.

JB
I’m a soul man.

Much of the joy in life is about who’s traveling with you.

S
Have your people call my people.

If the frame fits…

A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face; a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day.
Proverbs 15:13 The Message

Take your Vitamin C and Smile.

Who travels with you in life? What or who do you have to smile about today?

 

 

Tex Mex Lasagna Recipe from The Wife of a Dairyman

Last week, I reached out to some of my favorite cooking bloggers because I was in dire need of new recipes. Today I made the first recipe in the series. It’s from my friend Nancy at The Wife of a Dairyman. Click this link for the details:

Tex Mex Lasagna by The Wife of a Dairyman

Here’s how it cooked up in my kitchen.
(Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FJC1J4iPq4)

tex mex lasagna
tex mex lasagna

The results were fabulous. If you like Mexican food, you’ll love this recipe. It’s more sophisticated than tacos, but still simple to make. I served it with chips and queso, fresh tomato, shredded lettuce, salsa, and more sour cream (of course!).

You can easily alter the recipe with another meat like ground turkey, diced chicken, or steak. You can also bake it with lower fat cheese and leave out the sour cream, as Nancy suggests, for a low fat version. For more spice, turn up the heat with your favorite seasonings and peppers.

Thank you, Nancy at The Wife of a Dairyman, for a new favorite. Bon appétit!

For the despondent, every day brings trouble;
for the happy heart, life is a continual feast. Proverbs 15:15 NLT

Kick it up a notch with Livin’ La Vida Loca by Ricky Martin.

If you make this recipe, let me know how you like it!

 

 

 

The Politics of Friendship

It’s mid-October. The leaves are changing. The frost is on the pumpkin. And Americans are sick of politics. 

seesaw
seesaw

That’s understandable. We’re in the heat of a presidential election. The airwaves are filled with negative ads. Conflict permeates the country.

Within this microcosm of months leading up to the 2012 election, I co-founded a public forum to discuss the issues with Lisen Stromberg, a writer who usually disagrees with me. Am I a pundit? Hardly.

I’m just an American citizen who discovered she, like every other American citizen, has a voice with which to speak about issues that matter to her.

Notice I didn’t say I discovered my opinions. I wrote about controversial topics like Food, Inc., Roe v. Wade, and Chick-fil-A before the election stage was set. My views have been formed by my beliefs, experiences, and observations. Same as yours have been. I simply began to voice my views more formally and in good faith that civil discourse would rule the day.

My sharing has been met with applause in some camps and disdain in others. There have been retweets and hate tweets. I’ve been unfriended and blocked. I’ve picked up a subscriber or two along the way.

Funny thing is, all this posting and dialoguing takes place outside the context of real life.

My closest friends see me as a person, not a 600-word opinion. We don’t hold identical beliefs. Do I love them any less? Of course not. What kind of friend would I be if I did? Two of my best friends don’t even read my blogs. Another nearly stopped reading once she realized we see things oh-so differently.

These women humble me and keep me real.

Perhaps I am the neighbor who offered a coat and waited with her for the fire truck when her preschoolers locked her out of the house in the snow. I am the postpartum disaster who fell asleep on her living room couch while she rocked my infant son. I am the wardrobe coach who commandeered the dressing room as we shopped for clothes for her to wear when she returned to work. Or the lady who lunched beside her and spoke freely of losing loved ones to disease. Or the nomad who lost her spaghetti colander in the move.

At the end of the day, at then end of the election, regardless of who wins or loses the White House, we will all be left with each other. Does that mean we stop voicing our opinions? Stop talking about issues in order to preserve the peace?

My late friend Alex would say yes. Why let politics get in the way of friendship?

Silence is certainly a strategy. But as my husband told me, your friends love you for who you are. You are free to speak with respect and without fear in their presence and they in yours.

They love you none the less.

A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. Proverbs 17:17 NLT

One Thing Remains by Kristian Stanfill. Reminds me of true unfailing love.

Is it better not to speak to preserve the peace or to speak trusting your friendships will hold fast?

 

Swim Noodle Boot Stuffers

winter lace up boots
swim noodle + tall boots = genius

This is Monday, and I said I would be back around mid-week. Monday is not mid-week, but some things are too important to wait to share. Like this quick Pinterest success story. An idea so simple, so ingenious, so must-do.

Swim noodles cut to size and used to stand tall boots at attention! 

Less than five minutes with a bread knife and two worn-out swim noodles resulted in four pairs of boots set upright and ready for winter weather. If only all things in life could be this easy and common sense. Reduce, reuse, recycle!

Pinterest logo
Pinterest success!

This idea came from a Boutique Narelle pin. The author measured the swim noodles, cut with a saw, and vacuumed the edges of her boot stuffers, none of which I had to do because of two magic words: bread knife.

She’s skilled in the crafts of home and hearth. Proverbs 31:19a The Message

These Boots are Made for Walkin’ by Nancy Sinatra.

What are your Pinterest success stories?
Please include links to your pins!