Skating in the Garden in High Heels under my Alb.

A True Gentleman

2012-01-25T07:01:00.000-06:00

If last night during the State of the Union Address you saw a lone Republican standing during parts of President Obama's speech, it was not because he suddenly had Democrat leanings. He was Representative Jeff Flake of Arizona's sixth district. He had the privilege of sitting next to Gabby Giffords. And every time she tried to stand up and cheer the president, he helped her up, rising himself. Now that is a true gentelman.

Friday Five -Movies

2012-01-20T08:50:00.001-06:00

RevGalBlogPals has a relatively easy assignment - Movies

1. At home or at a theater?

I don't get out to the theater much, but I do love the whole going to the movies experience. I love the previews (although not this new nasty practice of showing commercials. Really I pay $10 and still have to watch commercials?), I love the large screen, the sound, the other people. A movie in the theater is always better than it really is.

But there is much to be said to snuggling under the covers on a snowy Saturday to watch an old movie at home.

2. With whom?

I always enjoyed taking my kids to the movies. But I don't mind going to see a movie alone. I think going to see a movie is a bad first date. First date you should go to dinner together so you can talk and get to know each other better. Also nowadays all the movies have sex scenes and I find it excruciatingly awkward to watch an explicit sex scene on a first date. Can't help thinking "sure hope he doesn't think I'll be doing that for him later..."

3. Movie you look forward to seeing?

I always think I want to see more movies than I actually get out to see. Wanted to take the kids to see War Horse on Christmas, but all the dinky theaters around here were showing was Alvin and the Chipmunks. And I'm torn because the idea of using horses in battle makes me so upset.

4. Movie you like to see repeatedly?

There are seasonal movies that must be seen a certain time of the year. Must watch the Charleton Heston "Ten Commandments" during Holy Week. (I keep threatening to play a drinking game - chug every time someone moans "Moses Moses") Must watch "Elf" around Christmas. It used to be "It's a Wonderful Life" but I kind of got my fill of that for a while.

5. Food with a movie? Popcorn with butter and salt. Junior mints that I try to buy somewhere else for 1/4 the price. The mints are good to offset the salty popcorn then I don't have to drink as much and then I don't have to get up and go to the bathroom as many times during the movie.

It's Not Really About Forgiveness

2012-01-16T08:50:00.001-06:00

I didn't really pay much attention when the hullabaloo first began over outgoing Mississippi Governor Haily Barbour's pardons. I began to pay attention when I heard his defense that the convicted murderers he pardoned had committed "crimes of passion". It was disturbing to learn that Mississippi has a history of tolerance for "crimes of passion." That's often code for "He killed his wife and she probably deserved it". It was a little disturbing to learn 8 of these men murdered their wives.

I didn't have much luck finding out how many of those pardoned were women. There was a wealthy woman who killed two doctors while driving drunk.

I do know who he did not pardon. He did not pardon Jamie and Gladys Scott, two sisters who were paroled last year on the condition that Gladys donate a kidney to Jamie.

Jamie and Gladys Scott were serving LIFE sentences for being in the same car with some teenaged boys who robbed someone for $11. The boys who actually did the robbery only served a couple of months in jail.

Barbour defended his pardons by saying "You do not want to take away hope and the opportunity for a second chance, particularly when you see what our religion says," he said.

Second chances for wife killers - but not these women? I call bullshit. A lot of these so called "crimes of passion" are no better than the "honour killings" that we claim to be so outraged about when committed by people of a different culture and religion. And it was an honour killing that Jesus stopped when he turned away the powerful men who sought to stone the woman caught in adultery. To invoke Jesus to excuse and pardon honor killing is a travesty.

No doubt there is politics involved in these pardons as in all pardons. But there's an ugly undercurrent of sexism and misogyny going on here too, wrapped up in Christian smugness and fake piety. Like I said, I call bullshit.

What am I Missing Here?

2012-01-15T15:07:00.000-06:00

I don't like Suze Orman. Mostly because she is from the Dr. Phil "I won't help you until I've totally humiliated you and made sure you realize what a stupid piece of sh*t you are" school of "self help" (which isn't self help at all) television.   I also don't like that she's always calling her viewers "Girlfriend"   Girlfriend, I am not your girlfriend. I don't like her because she perpetuates the stereotype that all women are idiots when it comes to money and if it wasn't for her we would all be in the poorhouse.

Now I don't like her because I think maybe she's proving that we are all idiots. She's hawking her own pre-paid credit card that is the greatest card ever, if she does say so herself.   Its so wonderful because she's made a deal with one of the credit reporting agencies to report your usage of this card and maybe someday it will improve your credit score.

Um. No. It won't. Because a pre-paid credit card is not credit. You can't miss a payment.   You can't screw it up. So you can't prove that you can handle credit because it's um, NOT CREDIT!

Am I the only one that sees this? I've heard this woman interviewed by half a dozen people on this and NOBODY has asked her about this little detail. What am I missing?

Meat Loaf!

2012-01-11T13:32:00.001-06:00

I remember the first time I went grocery shopping after both of my kids were away at school. I wandered aimlessly down the aisles thinking "That's what Isaac likes, I don't want that. What DO I like?" It was so odd to shop only for myself. And then I saw the ground pork. MEATLOAF. I hadn't made it since my husband died because my kids won't eat it.

I love my meatloaf. And it doesn't go bad because I have it cold for sandwiches the next few days. I once had a roommate who claimed she couldn't stand meatloaf until she tried mine and then she ate practically the whole thing.

I can get my daughter to eat my meatballs, which don't tell anyone...are the same thing only in balls rather than a loaf.

1 lb hamburger
1 lb ground pork
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 tsp garlic granules
1 Tbl sugar
salt, pepper
1 Cup dried bread crumbs or pulverized crackers or a combination of the two

Mix 1/4 cup tomato sauce and everything else together in a large bowl. Yes, with your hands. Put it in a loaf pan. Pour the rest of the tomato sauce over it. Spread a little ketchup on top. Bake it for an hour or a little more at 375.

That's all there is to it. This is comfort food, Baby!

More Wild Life in My Back yard

2012-01-03T17:05:00.000-06:00

Looked out my window today and saw this:

Then I realized there were two of them

I love my zoom

Then I went outside and got closer.

A little too close. She flew off

"We, O Church, owe it to Margaret and yes, to Ben, to ponder this more deeply"

2012-01-02T21:18:00.001-06:00

Margaret Kritsch Anderson, a 34 year old Park Ranger at Mount Rainier and mother of a 3 year old and 1 year old was shot and killed in the line of duty by a troubled veteran. She was a friend of ELCA Campus Pastor Jayne Thompson. You need to read what she has to say on The Lutheran Blog. Margaret. That's all.

Bourbon Glazed Pork Chops & Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage for Dinner

2011-12-29T19:45:00.000-06:00

We're too boring on New Year's Eve for my daughter so she's taking off to spend it with her friends. This was my last night to cook for her. She doesn't eat much meat at college. The pork chops I made for her tonight should be enough meat for a month.

I'm really impressed with folks I know publishing their own books. I think I'm going to publish a cookbook. I've already got a lot of recipes I've posted here. So you will probably see more recipes here as I start putting them together. Here's tonight's dinner.

I usually marinate pork chops in white wine but I didn't have any. Then I saw the bourbon. What a great idea. I started with two thick Iowa Chops that I don't believe you can get outside of Iowa. And if you could you'd have to sell your first-born to afford them.

Mix a dry rub of kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder and brown sugar and rub both sides of the pork chops with it. Then pour a cup of bourbon over them. Let them marinate for 30 minutes to an hour. Turn them over every once in a while.

Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage

1/4 stick butter
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 granny smith apple, peeled and sliced
1/2 red cabbage, sliced.
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/2 Cup water
1/4 Cup brown sugar

Heat the pan to medium, melt the butter and cook the onions until translucent. Add the apples and cook for a few minutes, then add the balsamic vinegar and cook for a few minutes. Add the sugar and stir. Add the cabbage, cider vinegar and water. Turn up heat until it boils, then turn down to a low summer and cook for about 20 minutes until cabbage is tender. You could add some bacon to this too.

You should get a George Foreman grill. Those things are great for cooking chops and steaks. Heat up the grill. Put the chops on the grill and pour the marinade in a sauce pan, add about 1/4 cup brown sugar and cook down until it is syrupy. When the chops get some color on them brush them with the bourbon glaze every time you turn them, every 5 minutes or so. They will cook on this grill in little over a half an hour.

Disrespect for Young People

2011-12-28T10:57:00.005-06:00

One summer at a family reunion I sat across from cousin in law and listened to her diss her teenaged son right in front of him. He was lazy. He never listened. He had no common sense. Expected her to pick up after him. As we drove home my kids and I talked about how unkind that was to talk about him like that in front of him. And my daughter said "If he's like that, whose fault is that?"

The first time I saw these "rules" going around facebook (they first showed up without the chalkboard") I disagreed with rule #1. I never have believed in telling children "Life is unfair. Get used to it" I'm not saying I never said it because we all get tired of hearing that whine "That's not FAIR!" from our kids. But what I hope I taught my children was, "Yes life is unfair...do NOT get used to it. Never get used to it. Work to make the world more fair"

But as I see this being shared more and more around facebook it's not just the "life isn't fair" It's the whole arrogant "Aren't young people lazy and stupid and aren't we so much better than them?" attitude that bothers me so. I leave comments disagreeing on every single one of them and nobody seems to appreciate it. In fact one person called me intolerant.

I mean seriously look at the world we have created. Why should young people pay any attention to any "rules" we might impose on them?

Young people are different than we are. Some of that difference is a good thing. Some isn't. Some kids are lazy and feel entitled. Some kids have been overprotected by their parents. Many many young people have been neglected and abandoned by the adults in their life. If we despair that young people do not seem to act like "adults", why is that? How much time to children actually spend with adults? Very very little. Why should they know how to be adults when we've paid so little attention to them?

I've been reading Hurt 2.0, Inside the World of Today's Teenagers and it is an eye opener. Young people have pretty much been abandoned and neglected by the adults in their lives. I think that is why I have such visceral reaction when I see that STUPID picture going around. I see so much selfishness and disregard for children going on among adults. How dare we get all self-righteous and smug about what is wrong with young people? How about we pull out that plank in our own eyes first?

I am, at heart an optimist. I have faith in the new generation. They will figure it out. Just like we rebelled against some of the flaws of the generation before us, they will push the pendulum that has swung too far in this generation. They will figure out what doesn't work and survive. And they will push the world a little too far in a direction and will be annoyed when the generation that follows them pushes back. And so it goes.

But if you are my facebook friend and you post that picture, be prepared for a rant from me.

Pajamas in Church? Just Say No.

2011-12-27T06:35:00.002-06:00

So apparently a number of churches had a "Wear Your Pajamas to Church" service on Christmas. It was to "promote a sense of intimacy."

It seems people are just too darn lazy to put on some clothes when they get out of bed and if we promise them they don't need to make that effort maybe please God they'll come to church.

I"m sorry but I think the practice of people over the age of two putting on clean clothes and maybe even washing their face before they leave the house is a good one.

I confess I already have a bad taste in my mouth about this public wearing of bed clothes from when my daughter was in high school and they had pajama days. Really? I'm already fighting the skimpy dress code and trying to keep the boys off my daughter and now they are ENCOURAGING them to dress like they all are going to one big co-ed slumber party????

"Well we just want to encourage people to come as they are. That everyone is welcome." Well then, why don't we just all come butt-naked? I say for the same reason we don't come to church naked, we don't wear our bed clothes. A little modesty. To show that coming to church and worshiping God and being with fellow Christians IS worth the effort it takes to put on a clean pair of clothes?

Don't have a pair of clean clothes? Well then let's buy you a washing machine and give some nice clothes and work for a world wear you can have clean clothes. Isn't that better than saying - "oh fine just wear whatever you sleep in."

I hear some pastors even showed up at these things in bathrobes over their clothes. That's just stupid. They haven't come as they are, they've put on a costume. So now bathrobes replace church vestments?

Not to mention it takes the focus off of Christ and it becomes all about "Look how clever and funny we are - we are wearing PJs to church!"

"It's for children." Well I still think teaching children that we put our clothes on when we get out of bed is a good habit to encourage. Even on Christmas.

Please. Next year. Just say no to Pajamas Sunday.

Why yes, I DO have an elephant in my nativity set

2011-12-24T07:12:00.001-06:00

My husband and I bought a Fontanini Nativity Set for our first Christmas. I was already pregnant by then and mostly we liked it because the figures were unbreakable. They were very popular at the time and you could find them in every Hallmark store. They are not as available anymore though you see them here and there. What I grew to like about them was all the unusual characters you could buy. Including women and girls. And every character has a story. And animals. Every year we would buy one or two figures. As you can imagine, 24 years later, I have quite a collection. I need two tables to set them all up

One year we saw this elephant. I fell in love with the elephant. It was $30.00. This was when I got paid barely the salary of a seminary graduate and my husband took care of our young children. $30 dollars for a nativity figure was out of the question. I reluctantly put the elephant I had been longingly stroking back on the shelf.

No doubt you've figured out the end of the story. That Christmas eve, that was the gift my husband had bought me. It is surely my favorite.

Lefse!

2011-12-21T15:46:00.001-06:00

Lefse is a Norweigian Flatbread made with potatoes. My husband made good lefse and even made his own lefse stick for turning them. My daughter and I made them a few years ago and she decided she wanted to make them again so that's what we did this afternoon. It's time consuming and tricky. Most people make them on electric griddles but I used an old fashioned cast iron skillet. Worked fine, but did result in brown spots which WE like but purists would frown upon.

This is the recipe we used:

5 lbs potatoes, peeled, cooked and riced. The ricing is the hardest part as far as I'm concerned. I had some old ladies try to tell me I could use potato flakes but I don't eat that stuff, why would I cook with it?

I made two batches - this makes 1 batch:

4 cups riced potatoes

1/4 Cup melted butter

1/2 Cup whipping cream

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 Cup flour

Mix and then form patties. This is tricky because you don't want to work it too much or it will taste rubbery, but you do need to work it enough to make sure there are not cracks on the edge, so that it will roll out nice and round.

Pastry is not my thing. I cannot roll. I can barely roll out sugar cookies. Sarah was a very good roller. You want these to be pretty thin. A lefse roller has grooves in it to prevent air pockets. Look how nicely she rolled that out!

Then you slip the stick underneath in the middle and roll it over into the pan. This takes some practice. This is why you rice 5 pounds of potatoes. Some lefse will go into the trash.

It will bubble like this when it is time to turn it. Again you use the stick to turn it.

And you use the stick to take it out of the pan. Stack them up about ten at a time, and then fold them into fours. Ours are pretty small because we make them cast iron skillets. If you make them on a lefse griddle you can make them much larger. Of course then rolling and handling the stick is even more challenging.

We have lefse sticks and we know how to use them!

Katie's Last Years

2011-12-20T09:53:00.002-06:00

Today is the commemoration of Katherine Von Bora Luther, Martin Luther's famous "Katie".

Okay so we all know the story of her escape in the pickle cart. (Although Father Anonymous is such a spoil sport about these stories he probably will refute them). I personally love the way she refused all the husbands Luther tried to throw her way and said she'd only have him.

It's kind of a love story in a more real sense. No great romance at the start, Luther married her more to set an example than anything else. But they grew to love each other and faced life together, she bore six children, one died at birth and a daughter died at aged 13. They also raised four orphans. She cooked and cleaned, gardened, brewed beer and held her own against Luther himself.

But her last years are really sad. When Luther died in 1546 she was left with no income and asked to move out of the abbey they lived in while she still had children at home. Although she refused, she ended up having to flee the Smacaldic war. When she was able to return her properties were ruined by the war and she and her children lived in poverty. Then when the plague broke out she had to move again. She was badly injured when a horse was injured in the move. She died a few months later at the age of 53 on December 20, 1552. Because of the war she could not even be buried by her husband in Wittenberg and was buried far away in Torgau.

I'm but a stranger here,
Heav'n is my home;
Earth is a desert dread,
Heav'n is my home.
Danger and sorrow stand
Round me on every hand;
Heav'n is my fatherland,
Heav'n is my home.

Gaudete Sunday and that Pesky Pink Candle

2011-12-18T19:09:00.002-06:00

I've spent most of my advent career arguing with ushers about the pink candle on the Advent wreath. It has been my joy and pleasure to have been the only pastor who ever told them that we light the pink candle on the THIRD, not the fourth Sunday in Advent. Or so they tell me. All the while knowing I would undoubtedly be followed by a pastor who didn't give a flying fig what candle they lit.

I thought I had made progress and settled into the pew to enjoy the Children's Christmas Program which was all about decorating the church for Christmas. Imagine my dismay as a little 9 year old girl reads from her script about how the pink candle is lit on the fourth Sunday in Advent.

Originally Advent was a time of fasting and preparation, similar to Lent and purple in color like Lent. The Third Sunday, with its readings emphasizing joy, became a break in the fast. "Gaudete" meaning "Rejoice" was the first word of the introit for the Mass that day. Rose colored vestments were used for that day and still are in the Catholic church and some Lutheran churches that still have some regard for tradition.

I can't find any reference to it online or where I read it but I swear I read somewhere that when we moved from purple to blue, we made the whole rose colored "Gaudete Sunday" irrelevant. The change to blue for Advent signified a change in mood for somber repentance to subdued hope. Nobody got that memo though and once when we needed to order new candles for the advent wreath I tried to avoid the whole pink candle conundrum by ordering 4 blue candles. That was not an option at Augsburg-Fortress. I wonder how much of our congregational liturgical practice is really dictated to us by our publishing house?

Silly me to think that being part of a liturgical tradition means we actually FOLLOW liturgical traditions, not make up our own or do whatever we please. I don't know why it matters to me, but it does.

Ah well. It will still be Christmas. The baby will be born. The angels will sing. The shepherds will rise up and follow. And all will be well.

The Real Miracle of Mary's Faith

2011-12-16T11:44:00.001-06:00

I guess this is an offensive picture to some people. St. Matthews in the City in New Zealand posted this on a billboard . I guess it shows Mary a little "too far from perfect".

They put the picture up to get people to think and it makes me think. It makes me think how Mary could have reacted in such a situation. Even with single motherhood so common today, it's still a frightening prospect to consider having a child on your own. I was raised by a single mom and swore I would not do that to my kids. Some things just aren't in your control.

But this is in a part of the world where to this day, women are imprisoned for being raped, and stoned for adultery. How interesting that God chose to challenge this obsession with the purity of women by coming into this world this way and the church ended up using Mary to reinforce that purity obsession.

Anyway this is where some of my thoughts about this picture took me for my sermon...

Mary is not particularly amazed or shocked at the news that she will bear the son of God. She is more confused by the fact that she is going to have a child at all. She may be young but she knows where babies come from and since this baby is apparently not coming the way most babies to, she wants to know how this is going to happen. The angels accepts it and she accepts it.

She accepts it all. She accepts that she is going to have a son that will not just be her baby but will belong to the world. She accepts that God will use her to bring a Savior to the world. She accepts that she will be unmarried and pregnant. She accepts that God will take care of her and that this is all good news!

To me the miracle of Mary's faith is not that she believed she would conceive a child without a father. Faith is more than believing in miracles. In fact I think you can believe in miracles and not have real faith and I think you can doubt miracles and have faith. True faith is trusting God and believing that it will all work out for the good. And the true test of faith is believing that when it doesn't look as though things will turn out well at all. If Mary was perfect it was in that complete trust. She trusted that God would take care of her.

And God did. Not that she had an easy life. She had to give up her son. She had to accept that he was not just her little boy, but that he belonged to the world. You hear about mothers having a hard time giving up their sons to their wives - imagine giving your son up to the world! And kneeling at the cross watching the life you carried in your womb and nursed from your breasts, whose scraped knees you kissed dying before your eyes.

And still we read of her in the upper room praying with the disciples after her baby boy rose from the dead. If we had that kind of faith, we would not stress out over a picture of her with a pregnancy test, or get all upset that someone's blog claimed she was far from perfect. We would know what God could do with someone who is far from perfect.

We Don't Need the Immaculate Conception and neither does Jesus.

2011-12-12T08:32:00.001-06:00

"The Annunciation" Brigid Marlin

My friend and former secretary, Anita wrote this wonderful mediation about Mary, Mary: Less is More. And a couple of comments got hung up on the her opening statement that she was "far from perfect". Okay I can understand Roman Catholics and Orthodox not liking that perspective. But the name of the blog is "Living Lutheran" And surprise - we Lutherans see things differently!

I agree that Lutherans need to reclaim some appreciation for Mary but Mary being perfect and sinless? Um, no. In fact, I think the whole idea of the Immaculate Conception, that Mary HAD to be conceived without sin in order for her womb to be worthy to hold Christ kind of chips away at the whole idea of the Incarnation and God entering this messy sinful world. And it begins with entering the womb of a young girl who was, like the rest of us, far from perfect. Mary doesn't need to be perfect to hold Jesus. And neither do we.

And don't even get me started at how this image of a virgin mother totally messed up expectations of being the perfect woman.

I have to quote Jen Vannette's comment, because she expresses it well:

I get tired of focusing on "perfect, sinless" Mary. She really can't teach me anything. I loved this reflection, Anita, because you are right. From today's perspective (and even from Mary's own time perspective), she wasn't the ideal choice.

The Mary that hesitates, I can relate to. I can learn from her faith. The Mary that was a ridiculously strong women when you really consider what she went through: public ridicule for getting knocked-up and at first without Joseph's protection until he wised up and got on board with the plan (which I can also relate to and learn from), the mere idea of riding a donkey while in labor (I barely handled a car ride while in labor!), giving birth, unattended in a barn?! This is one strong woman! I can learn from that Mary.

But, perfect, unassuming, Mary? Not much she can offer me. I'm not perfect, gentle, quiet, or immediately willing to follow God. I may have my moments, but on a whole, not so much. Yet, God used Mary so wonderfully. I loved your line, Anita, "We, too, have received the Holy Spirit through our baptism. Imagine it! What has God conceived — in us?" What, indeed? Praise God! Amen.

Legend of the Tabby

2011-12-12T07:17:00.000-06:00

It was cold in the Manger and Baby Jesus was shivering and fussing. Mary asked the stable animals to move in closer to provide more warmth. A tabby cat jumped into the manger and curled up beside the Baby Jesus who settled down and fell asleep. In gratitude Mary bestowed her initial M on the tabby's forehead. To this day every Tabby cat has a notable M on their forehead.

This is a true story, I don't care what Father Anonymous says.

December 6, St. Nicolas

2011-12-06T07:16:00.000-06:00

This is what I said two years ago and I can't think of anything better to say:

Somewhere, hidden in all the legends and pagan myths, there is a real person. A kindly, humble, Christian soul with whom the poor and children identified, who exemplified Jesus words that the Kingdom of God was “for the least of these” Christians need not ban Santa from our celebration of Christ’s birth among us. But let’s emphasize who he really is. He is not the Great Judge who determines who is “naughty or nice” He is not the Great Provider who gives us whatever we want. He is an example to us of remember the poor and needy—a reminder that Christmas is a time of giving. During this holiday season, instead of letting Santa do our giving for us, let him be an example for us so that we can be Santa for the children and poor of the world

Advent is a Gift, not a Law

2011-11-28T14:36:00.001-06:00

Here we go with the Advent Wars. A lot of church people just don't get Advent. "Why can't we sing Christmas carols?" The newest lament is that children don't sing them in school so they don't learn them because we don't sing them enough in church. My comeback, is "yea but then when will they learn Advent hymns?" Plus I schedule Christmas hymns well into Epiphany.

And forget about holding off the Christmas decorations. A few churches I've been able to save one or two Sundays for Advent only. And usually people find the stark simplicity quite moving. As long as they can have the tree up by Sunday School Program which has to be schedule in the middle of December because is out of town for Christmas.

And now the pastors are arguing about it. Pastors are so competitive and so defensive. If you aren't doing what I'm doing, you must be wrong. Which really means, I may be wrong so I better tell you how wrong you are before you figure how wrong I really am.

So you have the pastors who have been able to keep a pure Advent. Of course they think that's all because they are such good pastors and able to whip their church into shape (no credit goes to the congregation at all or the context) And they make the pastors who compromise feel defensive.

But now there is pushback and there are pastors who have decided in order to get the church to relate to the culture and be hip and all that - we need to just throw out Advent and get with the program. Bring out the tree, sing all the Christmas carols. All in the name of being relevant to the culture. No pastor ever just says "You know, I just got tired of fighting and so I gave up" And now pastors who are hanging on to Advent are on the defensive and must justify themselves.

Advent is a gift. It is not a law. And even if it were a law as Lutherans we are not justified by how pure we keep Advent, nor by being hip and "brave" enough to toss it out.

I'm still in the hang on to Advent camp, but I'm all for compromise. If singing a few Christmas songs and putting up the tree early will help people experience the gift of Advent, by all means be "impure". Lord knows Jesus broke a lot of purity laws. One of my churches has all the decorations up. But I took baby Jesus out of the manger and told them I was going to hide him until Christmas. So they could have something to look forward to.

It's a gift, people. Don't fight over it.

Famly Advent Wreath

2011-11-28T13:29:00.000-06:00

I bought this little advent candle holder many years ago when the kids were still small. It's a ring of children from around the world holding banners that say Joy, Peace and Hope.

Poor girl nearly lost her head

The years have been hard on what was not exactly meant to be a family heirloom. I wonder if it was even meant to hold real burning candles as part of one girl's head has been burned off by hot wax.

A few years ago I thought it was time to throw it away. "NO!" my high school aged kids protested. It held special memories for them as we would light a new candle every week in Advent during dinner.

When my college senior daughter was home for thanksgiving she reminded me to be sure to bring it out for Advent.

Friday FIve - Gifts

2011-11-25T17:47:00.001-06:00

From the RevGalBlogPals:

Following on from Thanksgiving, and picking up the "Black Friday" theme of boycotting the Christmas rush for bargains I thought it would be good to set a simple Friday Five yet one to get you thinking. I am sure that you'll agree that some of the best gifts we receive do not come in fancy wrapping paper but might be the gift of an unexpected afternoon with a friend or coming across a long forgotten photograph, or- well the list is endless.
So take a bit of time to think back over the last year and ponder the gifts it has offered to you, then list five of those gifts, in no particular order- there is only one rule- all of these gifts must have been free, neither you nor anyone else should have spent money on them!

Okay. Well first I want to say that I do not believe in boycotting Black Friday. I just didn't go today because there's nothing I want, my daughter wanted to relax this weekend and I have no money. I just don't see anything wrong shopping for bargains. I don't see anything wrong with shopping. It's like eating. Some people misuse eating. It doesn't mean eating is bad. Although seeing the news today about the bad behavior of shoppers makes me think it was wise to stay home.

But I can certainly think of the free gifts I received this year. Although I'm probably NOT going to follow the rule of no money spent. Because I don't think money is evil. And I received gifts that involved money and I don't believe they should be shunned or discounted or disrespected.

The gift of living in this parsonage in the country for a year. I've had deer and skunks in my backyard, a fledgling hawk on my front porch, cows in the pasture I could see from the kitchen window (and in my front yard when they got out) and I got to watch a full season of soybeans grow right out my window. I always enjoy watching the seasons --it is the only thing that makes winter bearable for me but this was especially a gift.

I love all my kitties Tommy is my oldest. He's such a good kitty. He used to love to run outside with the kids when they were playing outside at VBS. He would let little children pat him and pull his tail. I don't know how old he is, I thought maybe he was a a couple of years old when I found him 11 years ago but the vet thinks he probably is older than that. He was a fighting Tom when I found him but any cat I brought into the house he accepted calmly as a member of his family. All that fighting though had a price and he has FIV. Which is not a death sentence at all but between that and his old age, I consider all the time I have with him a gift.

The gift of the celebration of my 25th anniversary of ordination. That took a little money but the real gift was a parish that was willing to do this for their interim pastor

A roadtrip from California to Iowa with my sister. I was able to do this because my parish gave me a gift of money for the trip when my mother died. Gifts of money can be very meaningful.

My kids, of course!

In Case You Forgot How to Set the Table

2011-11-24T09:51:00.000-06:00

Pie (or more specifically Pie Crust)

2011-11-23T18:54:00.001-06:00

I made a pie crust from scratch this morning. Seems like a simple enough thing but this is a skill that has eluded me for years. I had tried several times, several recipes and most of the time the dough ended up being thrown in the trash in a very tantrum like gesture. People would give me recipes assuring me it was foolproof. And give this really helpful advice "The trick to so not work the dough so much" Yea but THAT was the problem, I could not get the dough to roll out enough for a pie. It would come apart, it would stick, it would take so much handling it became worthless.

One of the things I brought home from my mom was a large good quality food processor. And armed with that and Melissa D'Arabian's recipe, I finally successfully made a pie crust. The trick is definitely the food processor and cold butter, adding a little ice water at a time and wallah! You have the dough exactly the consistency you want. Yes I know Grandma never had a food processor. Maybe you can make dough without one. I'm happy to have one. I'm happy to make food that's less processed and has more pure ingredients. The pre-rolled stuff tasted fine but this is better.

I'm 54 years old and I've learned to make pie crust. This summer I saw the Grand Canyon for the first time. There's a lot more for me to learn and see in this world. Just one more thing to be thankful for.

Oh and I made pumpkin pie. The secret to my pie is that I use sweetened condensed milk. I think it makes a creamier pie.

As if it were up to us to keep Christ in Christmas

2011-11-22T16:08:00.000-06:00

I know it's not even Thanksgiving - but I love this Poster from The Fat pastor

ELCA Pastors on Facebook

2011-11-21T20:13:00.000-06:00

There's a group on Facebook for ELCA Clergy. It's a lot of fun. We discuss/argue about theology, give advice, share stories. There are more than 3200 members in the group and its growing everyday.

There are some people in that group that drive me nuts. Some about whom I think "YEE GADS - These are ELCA PASTORS???"

And then it occurs to me. There are people thinking the same thing about me.

Heh. Don't ya love it?

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2011-11-21T19:00:00.001-06:00

"Make me something spicy" says my sick daughter who is coming home for Thanksgiving. This is what I came up with.

1/2 red bell pepper

1/2 green bell pepper

1 onion

1 jalapeno pepper

1 clove garlic

Tops & leaves of about 3 celery stalks

4 skin on bone in chicken thighs

1 cup chardonnay

1 small can cream corn

1 small can tomatoes and chillis
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ancho chilli powder
1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
1/4 - 1/2 tsp Chipolte powder*
(I get all my spices from Penzeys)
2 T olive oil
4 Corn tortillas

Heat the pan. Add 1 tbl olive oil to pan. I use an iron cast kettle. Dust the chicken thighs with a little ancho and chilli power, salt and pepper. Brown them in the pan. Cut off the parts of the peppers you wouldn't normally use and throw in the pan. You can add the rest of the pepper later or use them for something else. Cut the onion in 4 pieces and throw that and the garlic clove and celery leaves in there, stir them around so they are covered in oil and chicken grease. Add some salt and pepper and the rest of the spices. Add wine and simmer until it is really thick and before it burns and sticks to the pan - about 10-15 minutes. You have to stay and watch it. Then add 4 cups of water, turn down to a low simmer, put the lid on and go take a nap for an hour or so.

When the chicken is cooked after an hour or so, take the chicken out and strain out the vegtables. Take the skin and bone out of the chicken and put it back in the broth. Now at this point you can saute the rest of the peppers and add them if you want a more chunky soup but I didn't do that this time. Add the canned tomatoes and cream corn, add another cup of water, bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for another half an hour.

Preheat oven to 400. Brush olive oil, salt and chilli powder on about 4 tortillas, bake for about 10 minutes. Cut in strips when baked. Put strips in a bowl. Pour soup over it. Good for what ails you.

PS If you can't handle the heat, leave out the jalapeno and the chipolte. Ancho and cumin is not hot.

Friday Five -Thanksgiving

2011-11-18T12:59:00.000-06:00

Usually when I hit a blogging block, I turn the the RevGalBlogPals Friday Five to get me to write something. ANYthing.

Last Thanksgiving I was VERY grateful although a little stressed out because I had just a few weeks to pack and move and get out of town. But I did make turkey and all the extras.

1. Where will you be on Thanksgiving Day? With whom?

My son, my daughter, my seven cats and I.

2. Are there any family traditions or memories associated with Thanksgiving?

From the time I was married 24 years ago we went to my husband's sisters in La Cross Wisconsin for thanksgiving. His aunt always made lefse and gave everyone a package to take home. When we lived several hours away we would leave Wednesday night after church, with the kids in their pajamas so they would sleep during the drive.
That night we would always go to the Riverside Park along the Mississippi where the Rotary Club put up the Midwest's largest light display. We'd either drive through the park if it was too cold or walk if it wasn't too bad.

When the kids were older we would drive two hours up to Minneapolis, spend the night and do the Black Friday shopping at the Mall of America. That's right, I did the evil shopping thing. Had a great time too. Found the crowds amusing and entertaining. Would give the kids some money to go buy me a Christmas gift. One year they got me a whole season of the West Wing.

3. What will be on your Thanksgiving menu?

Turkey with Cherry Stuffing, mashed potatoes (cook the potatoes in chicken broth for some extra flavory) and gravy, green beans or broccoli, depending upon what looks freshest at the store, Squash and Apple casserole (I may post that recipe soon because that is some good stuff) Cranberry Raspberry Jello, canned cranberry sauce for my son and this year I made some jalapeno and cranberry relish. Pumpkin pie with REAL whipped cream, and I may try to make a pie crust again. I never have much luck with that but I have my mom's Cuisinart this time and I think that may make it easier.

4. Are you trying anything new this Thanksgiving?

No but I think we may make lefse while my daughter is home. We did it a few years ago with some success. I have a new potato ricer so that part of the job should not be so difficult.

5. What is the weather forecast for this day (next Thursday)? High of 43, partly cloudy small chance of precipitation. That is walking around watching the lights weather but we are staying home this year.

Time to Make the Fruitcake~2011

2011-11-15T14:21:00.000-06:00

Last year about this time I was desperately packing to be ready to move at the end of the month so I did not have time to make my usual Christmas fruit cake. I posted this recipe two years ago under the same heading "Time to Make the Fruitcake

Yea I know all the jokes about fruitcake. Just try it. This year's is especially good because

I could not find any candied lemon and orange peel so I made my own - with this really easy recipe from the Food Network

These were so good they did not all make it into the fruitcake. Some fell into some dark chocolate. I may never buy these again.

Do not skimp on these ingredients. Yes it is rich and unhealthy. So what? You make it once a year, you give all away except one loaf (unless you are having a party). Enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 C chopped dates
1 c golden raisins
1 c. candied pineapple, thinly sliced
2 c. red candied cherries, diced
1 c. green candied cherries, diced.
1 c. candied lemon peel
1 c. candied orange peel
1 c peach preserves
about 1 c Apricot Brandy
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c pecans, coarsely chopped
1 c butter
2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 pinch cloves
1 c. dark brown sugar
6 eggs

Directions:

The night before you bake, combine raisins, dates, cherries, pineapple, preserves with 1/2 C. brandy and vanilla in bowl. Cover. Let stand at room temperature overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 300. Grease and flour four 9 x 5 loaf pans. Actually nowadays I spray the pan and then dust them with sugar rather than flour, works the same to keep from sticking but it make them EVEN sweeter. And it's all about the sugar with fruitcake.

Add nuts to fruit mixture. Set aside. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar. Beat eggs separately and add to butter and sugar. Add spices. Add flour. Pour batter into fruit mixture and stir to get all of the fruit covered. The batter is just there to keep the fruit together.

Pour into loaf pans. Pat down with fingers. Decorate with half candied cherries and whole pecans. Sprinkle with red or green sugar if you like. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for two hours. Remove foil and bake 30-40 minutes or until cakes are browned. Cool completely in pans on wire racks.

When cakes are cool, pour 1/4 brandy over each. Cover tightly with aluminum foil or wrap in cheese cloth and store for at lease two but no more than 6 weeks before eating.

Note --if this is too much booze, you can pour orange juice over the cakes and it will be good too. But not nearly as much fun.

A Bad Week for my Opinion of Humanity

2011-11-10T07:05:00.002-06:00

First it was Herman Cain comparing having past sexual harassment charges made public to being lynched. Really Mr. Cain? Really?

Then the allegations of a serial pedophile having access and free reign to rape and assault troubled children. And the reaction to it at the time can't even be called a cover up as much as a "oh well, just don't use our locker room". Then when the board of Penn State, more as damage control than anything else fires the man who knew about it but only did the bare minimum to cover his own ass -- students rally around him in a disgraceful and totally insensitive to the victims display. Between this and Herman Cain's backlash at his accusers (there will be more but they are all liars too). No wonder victims choose to just keep their mouths shut and deal with their pain in silence. Oh yea and if you don't think the fact that many of the boys abused were African American doesn't play into this and the unwillingness of anybody to stand up - then you are very naive. Just think about that and then tell me about "lynching".

And I wish they would stop calling it a damned "sex scandal" This is not some sordid tabloid story. This is a rape and sexual assault case.

And then there is the story of body parts of soldiers killed in action being treated cavalierly.

Oh yea and the Black Rhino has been declared extinct. Just makes me want Jesus to come back. Today.

How to Appreciate Advent and NOT be a Scrooge.

2011-10-28T10:59:00.000-05:00

It's not even Advent yet and the anti-commercialism scolding has begun. Now it's "Occupy Advent" on Facebook who are urging us not to post anything about buying things for Christmas. This seems like the most bizarre movement ever. Go ahead and buy stuff, just keep it secret. Because, you know, shaming people into good behavior ALWAYS works so well.

It's not that consumerism is not an issue all times of the year. It's the scolding and the shaming I am just durn tired of. I've written of this before. I like buying presents. I like Christmas trees and lights and even Santa Claus. Do I think any of that has anything to do with Jesus? Well yea, I do. Christmas is about the incarnation, God entering into our human lives. We don't have to put Christ back into Christmas, he's there whether you want him there or not. He is in the shopping malls. He is in the face of the harried mall clerk who could perhaps benefit more from a kind word from a shopper than someone boycotting the mall all together.

The Advent Conspiracy has been around for at least 20 years. Preachers have been haranguing about consumerism on Christmas as long as I can remember. Let's ask ourselves a question. HOW'S THAT WORKING FOR US? Apparently not so well.

If the meaning of the coming of Christ into our lives has nothing to do with things, then let's stop focusing on things. Buy gifts, make gifts, don't buy gifts. Post it on facebook, don't post it on facebook. Whatever. That's not what it is about.

Is it about the poor? Well yes but I'm pretty sure people are more charitable at Christmas time than any other time of the year so really I don't think we need more scolding about that either.

What is it about? It's about God with us. All year round. In all parts of our lives. It's about God claiming all of us. Even the part of us that thinks we can make everything better for children's first Christmas without their Dad by buying a bunch of toys. Deep down we know better but we are so desperate to see a little joy in them for a few minutes we'll take what we can get. (Okay you know I don't mean "we" right?)

God claims the part of us that is all self-righteous because we didn't get our hands dirty at an evil mall and we've hand made all our gifts.

God claims everyone, the people whose livelihoods depend on the money that comes in from Christmas shopping and the people who line up at the food pantry and rejoice that they got the last box of cheese its and are going to wrap it up and give it to their child as a Christmas gift, because they too, want to see a little joy in their child's face.

Christmas is a gift. Let's just accept the gift and stop trying to earn it by either buying or not buying gifts. Maybe that's the best way to prepare for Christmas.

"Safeguarding God's Children"

2011-10-23T19:40:00.000-05:00

For the past few years I would get the same email from the synod. Apparently some years ago some resolution passed at the Synod Assembly that all us rostered folk had to attend a "Safeguarding God's Children" training on how to protect youth against sexual abuse in the church. It was always on a Sunday afternoon and it was always an hour or so away. I never want to do anything on a Sunday afternoon, so I pretty much ignored the emails.

The last one said they would not recommend my name to a congregation until I took the training. So today, after THREE services, I got in the car and drove an hour to fulfill my obligation, rolling my eyes and bitching about it to my visiting sister right up to the end.

It was excellent. I should have done this years ago. I should have brought the education committee from all the churches with me. What was really telling was the information that pedophile networks (you know there are such things, where they advice each other how to find and groom victims) are advising one another to go to church. Not to find Jesus. To find little boys and girls. Because for years now the other youth organization, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Boys and Girls Clubs, ect, have been on top of this and have pretty much made themselves inaccessible to predators. As usual, the church is woefully behind on this issue, sticking our head in the sand, claiming we don't have to worry about such terrible things taking place in OUR congregation.

I think of some of things we used to do. I once took a group of kids in my van, with only me, to a confirmation retreat in a hotel. They were farm kids who didn't get out much and a hotel with a pool was a big deal. We had a bible study by the pool. And all the youth gatherings with six girls and two beds and me in a hotel room. I remember how I used to take the chest measurements myself of all the confirmands for the robes because it was easier than waiting for the parents to get them to me. No more of that.

"Oh what a shame we can't do that anymore because we have to worry about THAT" is the standard response. No --what a shame we did not worry about THAT in the past. What a shame we exposed young people to abuse in the past. I don't have a problem with never ever letting children or youth being alone with an adult (even me) again. Actually I'm kind of relieved to be able to say "Sorry but if I don't get some adults to go with me, we just are not going to be able to go on this trip"

It isn't that the problem is worse now. It's that we are AWARE of the problem and are doing what we can to prevent it. That is not a shame. That's a good thing.

And good for my synod, the North Eastern Iowa Synod, the COOLEST synod in the ELCA for nagging us rostered types to give up a Sunday afternoon for this. If your synod is nagging you to go to one, stop procrastinating and get yourself to one. And if they are not, nag THEM to make that training available.

Of course now comes the part that is even more difficult than giving up my Sunday afternoon nap--convincing the congregation that we need to put these safeguards in place.

Catching Up...

2011-10-20T17:44:00.000-05:00

Road Trip Sight Seeing

Sometimes this blog goes neglected because I have nothing to say. The last few weeks have been frustrating because I've had a lot to say but no time to write.

Sooo... I drove to California from Iowa. I thought I could do it in three days and two nights but the third day I visited Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanub, Utah,

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in a beautiful Canyon Setting

then lost two hours taking the wrong road. After about 15 minutes I realized it was not the right road, but there was no tower so my GPS did not work, there were no way off the road, nor was there even a shoulder to pull over to look at a map and forget about turning around. That was pretty frustrating. I ended up stopping at a Motel 6 in Barstow, California about 2 hours away from my mom's house, but I'd been driving 14 hours, it was dark and I just couldn't go any farther. This is what I learned about long distance road trips. You can drive 12-13 hours about two days in a row. Then you can't.

When I got there, I began the rather surreal tasks of going through my mother's things. She had a lot of things. She had a lot of nice things. She had a lot of tacky, stupid things. Forty three pairs of pants. Close to a hundred beautiful lace handkerchiefs. Dozens of cans of beans. Lots of beautiful quilts she made. None of which she ever made for her children or grandchildren.

Then we found the hats. About 25 of them from the 30s and 40s when she was a Roman Catholic and hats were a must. 25 hats. This was when my sister was a little girl and she had to steal money out of my mom's purse to go the drug store to buy shoes because my mom never noticed or cared she needed new shoes.

We divided up the quilts. We invited her friends to come over and take whatever they wanted. We let the housekeepers take whatever they wanted. Then we had a two day yard sale. Sold a lot of stuff. Made $500 on the yard sale. But there was still a lot of stuff left. We dragged it all back in the garage for my brother to deal with.

We were going to leave the next morning. My sister came back with me. Since we had a little money I suggested we leave that night, drive a few hours, stay in a nice hotel and then we would not have to drive as far for our first stop - the Grand Canyon. That was a very good idea. That house was oppressive. All that stuff. All those friends who loved her. One of the son's of her friends asked to buy something of hers. He also told a born again story so I offered him her bible. "You take it, I can't sell her bible" I said. He actually wept. As my brother said "How could she have so many close friends and be so estranged from her own children?" It was just very freeing to get out there. That chapter is over. Done. Complete.

The Grand Canyon was spectacular. I had never seen it. Neither had my sister and she's 66. There are a lot of things I still haven't done or seen but seeing this made me feel good about the chances of me seeing and doing a lot more exciting things in the future.

If you do go, I suggest the Cameron Trading Post and Motel in Cameron - It's about an hour and a half drive from the Grand Canyon but an hour of that is driving through the park and seeing lots of over looks and road signs that warn of mountain lions crossing. It's a charming little place with Native American decor. Very reasonably priced. You must have breakfast there - the Huevos Rancheros are the best I have ever had in my life. And Indian fry bed.

The Night Before

2011-09-12T19:37:00.001-05:00

Well the To Do List is pretty much done. Trying to get the car packed tonight because I have a planned departure time of 5 am. I want to be relaxing in my hotel room in Sterling, Colorado well before sunset. These are my sister's boxes I am taking to her. I want to put them in the car but I hate to disturb Tommy.

These are all the cards I got yesterday. Some even had cash and checks in them. Back in my traveling days I used to print out labels and then take them to slap on postcards. This time I had the secretary print out labels and I am going to use postcards as thank you notes on my trip. Clever, eh?

I have my IPod loaded with Lady Gaga, Brandi Carlile, Paul Simon and lectures on "Turning Points in American History" from the Learning Company. Got a couple of bottles of Samual Adams for the evenings and even a bottle opener. I even threw my skates in the trunk. You never know!

The plan is drive about 12 hours to Sterling, Colorado tomorrow. That is BEFORE the moutains so I will be fresh to tackle them. Second night is at Kanab, Utah. The next day I'm going to take a tour of the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, which will give me a later start, but then it's only about 7 hours to Granada Hills, CA. And it just so happens that right in the middle of my drive is Las Vegas!

My sister will be coming back with me and we are going to come back by way of the Grand Canyon. But before that we have to go through my mom's things. I guess she was something of a hoarder. My sister called me to day she found 43 pairs of pants. Most them blue. Okay. THAT is going to be interesting.

Wonderful Day

2011-09-11T16:06:00.001-05:00

Celebrated my 25th Anniversary of Ordination today. It was just wonderful. It was a beautiful service. We had the best organist. A member of the congregation played the trumpet. The bishop talked about what has happened in the last 25 years, talking about how terrorist acts have become more and more a part of our reality, how children who have grown up in the last 25 years have known nothing but a world with this reality. But he also talked about hope and grace and the wonderful gift of the church. Oh yea he said some nice things about me too. He made me cry. Damn I knew I should not have put on mascara for this!

The pastor who was the senior pastor at my first call came. Now I had been a pastor for one year as an interim while waiting for a call. Then I get called to be the Associate pastor. He was kind of (okay more than kind of) a control freak. It was um, difficult let us say. But it was only for a couple of years. He preached at my wedding. His son (who died of ALS a few years ago) was my son's godfather. He stayed in my life long after our working relationship. He was a much better friend than a "boss". I love him dearly. He and his wife came. A classmate of mine from PLTS (both of us ended up in Wisconsin) came. My son got up and went to church. They had balloons. One former congregation (that pretty much let about 3 people run me out) sent flowers. It was everything you could want. I love the church. I will remember this day on those days when I forget how much I love the church.

This is my favorite picture from the day. This is what it is all about.

What I'm Doing on 9/11

2011-09-10T18:32:00.000-05:00

Having a party. This year is my 25th anniversary of my ordination. The actually date is July 6, 1986. September 11 is the earliest my bishop had free. And I wanted the bishop so September 11 it was. After what I've been through this year I'm just so damned grateful I'm still a pastor.

This is what I wrote in my pastor's letter in this month's newsletter:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
          I am so looking forward to the celebration on September 11 of my anniversary of ordination.

I hope this doesn’t seem egotistical because what I am looking forward to is not a celebration of ME but a celebration of the church, the ministry of the whole church and how grateful and happy I am to be a part of it.
          I really wanted our Synod Bishop Steven Ullestad to preach. Not because he’s so wonderful (although I actually think he is) but to include the wider church in this celebration, to emphasize this is about what a gift the church is to us. It just so happened that he was not available to come until September 11. I understand the tragedy of September 11, 2001 is imbedded profoundly in this nation’s memory, especially this being the 10^th anniversary. It gave me pause to wonder it was inappropriate to have a celebration on this day.
I know something about grief.    I know that even in grief , celebration is essential. Even in grief, you must be open to finding joy or you will sink in despair.   The last 25 years have not been a cake walk. I served in some very difficult situations. I have stood and prayed over the graves of babies, children and teenagers. I have seen people in the church do truly evil things in the name of “being Christian”
But I have seen people rise above the evil and pettiness and selfishness that surround us and shine with the love of Christ so brightly that it hurts my eyes just to think of it. I have been forgiven and I have forgiven. I have been upheld and sustained by the prayers and faith of the church when I was too sad, too tired, too overwhelmed to lean upon my own faith.
There will always be sorrow, tragedy, unkindness and hate, not only in the world but in the church until Our Lord returns. Until then, we live with chaff. And too often we ARE the chaff. But there will always be love and there will always be forgiveness and there always be grace. And until the Lord returns and it is no longer needed, we will always have the Church. And that is what I hope you will come and celebrate with me on Sunday, September 11.

“And be of good courage, for God has called you,
and your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

I found another Cooking Pastor

2011-09-09T11:03:00.000-05:00

She's had beautiful photos of the process of cooking. Check out Sarah at The Strength of Faith.

I'm leaving on a road trip to California in a few days. My plan is blog every night. Ha ha ha. That depends on how good my internet connection is and how tired I am after 11-12 hour drive.

What the Church Can Learn from Gordon Ramsay

2011-09-03T09:30:00.001-05:00

Gordon Ramsay is the guy that screams and humiliates wanna-be chefs who take it for a chance to work for him (and take even more of it I suppose) on "Hell's Kitchens" and tells people their food is crap and they have their heads up the wrong part of their body before saving their failing restaurants on Kitchen Nightmares. What on earth can the church learn from him you may wonder.

I've been watching back to back episodes of Kitchen Nightmares, where failing restuarant owners ask him to come and turn their business around. They always think they have wonderful food and are always shocked when he tells them their food is crap. He always asks them "What is wrong with the restaurant?" and the answer is always "We don't have enough people" The look on his face when they tell him that is really worth watching it over and over even though it's always the same story.

So when you ask a congregation what do they need to do to improve, what do they always say- "We need more young people!" What's wrong with the church? Not enough young people!

If you push it and ask "Well why aren't their more young people?", the answer is "they are too busy, their priorities are screwed up, they were not brought up right"... blah blah blah. There is nothing wrong with the food we are serving, it's just that the people don't appreciate it....

Just saying...

It all Began at Churchwide

2011-08-25T12:27:00.000-05:00

Just got this from my Northeastern Iowa Synod office:

ELCA Hay Lift Update

Three to six semi trucks will be loaded with hay at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 29, at two Luana farms as part of a hay lift sponsored by the Northeastern Iowa Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The trucks will leave Northeastern Iowa on Monday for delivery on Wednesday to Texas ranchers affected by that state’s severe drought.

The hay lift is spearheaded by Pastor Harold McMillin of St. John Lutheran (ELCA), Luana. While visiting with Texas residents at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Churchwide Assembly in Orlando, Fla., last week, Pastor McMillin learned how Texas ranchers were having to sell their herds due to a lack of food. McMillin suggested a hay lift, and the three ELCA bishops from Iowa met with three ELCA bishops from Texas to plan a joint project. They decided to designate the Northeastern Iowa Synod as a pilot synod to get the hay lift project off the ground. If this initial effort is successful, plans are for Iowa’s other two ELCA synods to organize hay lifts statewide.

So far five local farmers, including four from St. John Lutheran (ELCA), Luana, have donated hay for the project. Lutheran Disaster Response has contributed $25,000 to purchase additional hay and to pay for trucking costs. Plans are to help the ranchers have enough hay to last until they are able to have their own crops again. The biggest challenge has been finding the trucks and drivers to deliver the hay, but McMillin says that as word spreads, people have been coming forth with referrals of drivers and equipment

I love my church. I love my synod!
Iowa Farmers Organizing Hay Lift for Texas

Enough with the Depressing Family Crap - Have a Pickle!

2011-08-24T10:56:00.001-05:00

I have NEVER had so many cucumbers as this summer. Really there's only so much you can do with cucumbers. But there are a lot of ways to make pickles. I've made sweet spicy pickles (I also have a lot of jalapenos in the garden) Today - Spicy Garlicky Pickles!

About 10 medium sized Cucumbers, quartered. (I cut the spears in half because I didn't have quart jars and this way they fit in pint jars)

1 jalapeno, seeded and sliced

6 cloves of garlic

3 sprigs of fresh dill

1 tsp dill seed

1/2 tsp turmeric

3 tbl Kosher or pickling salt

1/4 Cup sugar

2 Cups white vinegar

Pickle Crisp Granules (optional but it does keep them from getting soggy)

Bring vinegar, 1/4 Cup water, sugar, salt and spices to a boil.

Sterilize 3 pint jars. Fill each with 2 cloves garlic, 1 sprig of fresh dill, 1/3 of the chopped jalapenos and 1/8 tsp Pickle Crisp. Then pack cucumber spears in tightly. You may or may not get ten cucumbers in the jars. Honestly I didn't count and it depends upon the size of the cucumber. If you have left over cucumbers, make a salad or something. Fill the jars with the boiling vinegar mixture. Cover cucumbers and leave about 1/4 inch space from top. Water bath 5 minutes.

I swear my mouth is watering just writing about this but they say you should wait a couple of weeks.