Recipe Hide*And*Seek

Word of the Post
Today's word is: indagate
/in"da*gate/ verb
To seek or search out.
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It is funny what will trigger memory. Pictures, smells, words, and conversations each have a way of bringing up old information. Smell is thought to be the most powerful. My most readily available trigger is language. I have been searching my house, trying to find the recipe I know I have for Crock Pot Apple Butter. It is awesome, and I have it, somewhere.

Through my diggings, I came across another Apple thing, that brought up a funny memory. Yet here I sit crying. I guess past times make me happy and sad at the same time. Let me explain this one.

When I was in Junior High, we lived in a little house made of river rocks and mud. It was the oldest inhabited house in our city. It was the second oldest house still standing. It was surrounded by trees; mulberry (really, they don't smell like the candles!), fig, apricot, black walnut and quince. We used to collect the fruits, and make various dishes. We canned, froze and cooked them all.

One year, we were borrowing a large dehydrator. We dried everything from the grapes that grew at the house across the street, to the one or two figs we saw. I still have nightmares about and food aversion from apricots. But dad discovered the candy that mom could not argue: Dried Apples. We got huge amounts of apples that year, and dad dehydrated most of them. We also made apple leather (fruit roll ups), apple butter, apple pies and baked apples with pancake syrup all over them. YUM. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Ahem. Back to the story.

I packed my lunch to school, because I couldn't stand to have the milk forced upon me, as I am allergic to it. Every day, for most of a year, I had a sandwich, carrot or celery pieces, a Capri Sun drink or other such juice concoction, and a huge handful of dried apples.

One day at lunch, my science teacher, Mr. Gage, saw me eating while he was monitoring the lunchroom. I offered him one, and he made the funniest, grossed-out face. He said he thought of something, and dashed out so fast, he almost ripped his pants on the way out the door. I sat there, wondering what I had done so bad that I needed to have the principal called into the matter, and waited for his return. When he came back, he handed me a piece of paper. A photocopy. He had rushed off to the library. I looked, and laughed. I have never again had such a fun teacher who took an interest in my life because of a simple lunch.

I don't know the name of the book, because it wasn't on the copy. The chapter was entitled "Humor and Whimsey", and the page number was 455. The poem is attributed to "Unknown" (the single most prolific author of writing ever to walk the earth!). Here you will see why my search for a recipe makes me laugh, and the memory of this moment makes me cry (but still in a happy way):

DRIED APPLE PIES

I LOATHE, abhor, detest, despise,
Abominate dried-apple pies.
I like good bread, I like good meat,
Or anything that's fit to eat;
But of all poor grub beneath the skies,
The poorest is dried apple pies.
Give me the toothache, or sore eyes,
But don't give me dried apple pies.
The farmer takes his gnarliest fruit,
'Tis wormy, bitter, and hard, to boot;
He leaves the hulls to make us cough,
And don't take half the peeling off.
Then on a dirty cord 'tis strung
And in a garret window hung,
And there it serves as roost for flies,
Until it's made up into pies.
Tread on my corns, or tell me lies,
But don't pass me dried-apple pies.

~~~Unknown~~~

I am looking at a book that I made in college, a 3-ring binder, full of the best of the emails I had, jokes, recipes, and random ideas I had collected up to that time. I don't know when, but I put that copy in this folder. I found it anew today, looking for a recipe that I have lost.

And I am sitting here in my office, laughing, crying, wondering what happened to Mr. Gage after he moved to California. I am wondering how ancient he must look now, if he still lives, since he looked so old when I knew him, 18 to 20 years ago. I used to wonder what he would have done if he actually tore his pants pocket on the door that day? What if he had not come back to give me the poem? I wouldn't be thinking about him today, and THAT would be sad.

Sophomoric Significance Studied

Word of the Post
Today's word is: tmesis
/TMEE*sis/ noun
In grammar and rhetoric, the separation of the parts of a compound word, now generally done for humorous effect; for example "abso-bloody-lutely" OR "what place soever" instead of "whatsoever place".
In two words, im possible. ~~ Samuel Goldwyn
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This has been an interesting week, and yet, nothing of significance has happened. Well, I guess even that is not a totally true statement. Significance is in they eye of the beholder, so to speak. What seems significant to you may not appear so to me, and vice versa.

Since last we saw our heroine, she has observed 5th graders taking the C.R.T.'s (national testing for the No Child Left Behind Act), met new people from the radio station chat, toured the radio station with the chat group, gone to two minor league hockey games, gone to three birthday dinners, found out that two more of her friends are pregnant (and for sure that she is not), and painted two miniatures for her growing interest in Dungeons & Dragons. The miniatures, at least.

Coming attractions are to attend a baby swap with the in-laws on Friday night, a wedding on Saturday, Family Day at church on Sunday (with the return baby swap), several birthdays and anniversaries to (forget) make phone calls for, and even attending a wedding on my own birthday..."and Guilder to frame for it. I'm swamped!"

I ask you, if you pray, please pray for my friend Ani. She is the sweetest kid you could ever meet. I have been her "Auntie Chelf" since she was born, and her mom is one of my dearest college buddies. Ani is 4, and she is having back surgery early in May. She is getting rods put by her spine, to force it to grow straight. This is a rare and new slant on a tried and true procedure. Today, she was at the doctor's office getting x-rayed and pricked and poked and measured, for pre-operational information to use in May. I have asked for this help before, and I ask it again in this time of stress for her family.

I have been carrying on three different Bible studies online.
The first is with several girlfriends, contemplating Marriage/Divorce/Remarriage from a Biblical perspective. I am finding that Christians around us can be hateful about the past. While we agree that marriage was designed to be mating for life, the waters get muddy when we try to determine what happens next when reality hits. The divorce rate in the church is almost identical to the rate outside the church; about 50% of marriages fail. Period. We are trying to determine what to do about new marriages, and questions about what constitutes a "Biblical" divorce and a "Biblical" remarriage.

The second is a study with a young man from my church. He is doing more study now than he ever did growing up, and he is answering questions posed to him by his coworkers. I have been helping temper his passion with contemplation and scripture. He knows what is right and wrong, and gets frustrated when people don't listen. He asked me just tonight to come to a chat he is in, to help calm him down. I am honored that he feels that I know more, because I bet I don't. I love the challenge, though. It keeps me IN the Word.

The third is to help my friend, Ferret, to keep a Verse of the Day going on our chat. She wanted to up her post count. She is using this to think about God every day, and to encourage us all to do the same. We post a scripture, and then type a small thought about it. It amazes me how much this has helped me. She asks in the chat where in the Bible the idea is, and I find the actual scripture for her, and she posts it, and opines away. I have filled in a few, when she has been distracted or away.

A little note about Wisdom here, and then I shall be finished for the evening. Proverbs 8:1 "Does not wisdom call, And understanding lift up her voice?" Proverbs 8:17 "I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me." Proverbs 8:32-36 "Now, therefore, O sons, listen to me. For blessed are they who keep my ways. Heed instruction and be wise, And do not neglect it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts. For he who finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the Lord. But he who sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love death."

Solomon prayed for Wisdom. He was granted that, and many other riches as well, in reward for his humility. It is very wise to seek Wisdom, and wise to fear Fear. If one scoffs at learning, one has sinned against Wisdom. God holds all Wisdom, possesses it and uses it. When we seek the Lord, we seek also His Wisdom. It is wise to believe in God.

John 3:12 "If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how shall you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" God knows that Wisdom comes in stages for us. As we seek, He will reveal what we can process, and then add more. Like a child learning to eat solid food, we start with milk and then move to meat. Wisdom builds on itself. As we continue to seek more, God provides Wisdom.

Thought for tonight: God doesn't believe in atheists, therefore, atheists don't exist!

Imus-shamed

Word of the Post
Today's word is: your
pronoun, possessive
The second personal pronoun, in the singular number, denoting the person addressed; thyself. Your person, you. The term denoting ownership of a thing by the second person, as in "This is your ball".
This term is often misused by people in print form, intending to say the contraction "you're", meaning you are.
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With the Freedom of Speech comes Responsibility. In these great United States of America, we are granted the right to say whatever we think. We can do this in voice, in print, in action. We are not warned oft enough that the implications of our speech may be far-reaching, and the consequences painful.

In recent weeks, a radio show host named Don Imus has been fired, for exercising his rights. I don't really care too much for sports, that is DH's thing. I don't even listen to sports or opinion shows unless they are on my local talk radio. This issue has been the newest issue in a long line of junk mail from the television to me. The man called a women's basketball team by a nasty turn of phrase. The words were not vulgar in nature, nor were they intended to be hateful. They were critical of the appearance of the players, and intended as a joke.

The part that most people are missing, I think, is that racism is usually spread through jokes and stereotypes. The sad part, to me, is that if Don King had been the one to say it instead, nobody would have noticed, beyond the players themselves. The reaction to the words, not the words themselves, was racially hateful. The fact that a white man said the words makes it bad, when the black "artists" of rap say the same thing, using worse terms, every day, and nobody seems to get mad at them.

The hatred that comes out of a person starts in the heart of their opinions. If a person is hateful, we expect hateful things from them. Imus was not hateful, but trying to be provocative. He was doing exactly what he has been doing for the past 30 years, much longer than the college players have been alive. Nobody called him out before, for far more offensive comments. Nobody calls out the rappers who invented the word "ho" as a shortened version of "whore". The women who were called by this name have every right to be angry, because it was a slur on their character. They have the right to demand an apology, which they did, and received. The matter should have been over at that meeting. Like Anna Nicole, it will just not die. The press is making a spectacle of Imus, and his staged persona.

I think that the network was wrong to fire him. They have been paying him millions of dollars to be provocative, and when he finally achieves it, they punish him. Not fair. Life is hard, and is rarely fair.

Numerology In The Bible

Word of the Post
Today's word is: triskaidekaphobia
/tris*kahy*dek*uh*foh"bee*uh/
noun
A morbid fear of the number 13.
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I often wonder if I am making any difference in this world. I try to educate whenever possible. I like to joke with people, but I know when it is the time to be serious. I have made an effort to show mercy whenever the opportunity arrives. Sometimes I wonder if anyone really notices.

Throughout my life, I have met many highly educated people. Each had a different background, a different goal in life. But not many have stopped to ponder small things with me.

On Wednesday this week, the 11th of April, 2007, I was granted a compliment from one of those educated people. Mr. James O. Baird, III (Professor of Evidences of Christianity at Oklahoma Christian University's Bible College, Doctor of Theology from Oxford), was talking to DH. "I like the way your wife thinks." I am sure it was a small thing to him, but it was an honor I did not expect. It humbles me to think that I have spoken so well, thought so much, to be considered thoughtful by such an educated man.

You see, we had been in our Wednesday night Bible study class, and we were talking about King David. The only man to be called "after God's own heart". We were considering what this meant, because of the many bad episodes in David's life. We found that the good really did offset the bad. David was willing to repent for his many sins. He always knew when he had gone too far, and God honored him for it.

We then moved to the New Testament, and the descriptions of Jesus. This starts with the three promises made to Abraham. 1. You will have the land. 2. You will be a great nation. 3. Your seed will be a blessing to all the nations. For his obedience, God gave David another promise: 4. Your Seed (Jesus) will be on the throne FOREVER.

In Matthew 1:17, the generations are counted. From Abraham to David, fourteen generations. From David to Babylonian captivity, fourteen generations. From Captivity to Jesus, fourteen generations. Add all those generations up, you get 42. Which, if you will recall with me, is The Answer for everything. (To really get this, you must read or see the movie of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy)

On Sunday, previous to this, we had been studying the Revelation of John chapter 11. This is full of numbers that seem strange at first, but consider with me further.
Rev. 11:2 - 42 months.
Rev. 11:3 - 1260 days (equal to 42 months).
Rev. 11:9 - three and a half days (42 months is 3 1/2 years, I think this may be related).
Rev. 12:6 - foretelling the birth of the Christ, mother nourished for 1260 days (again 42 months).

Now, I don't claim to know the mind of God. I don't think that it is coincidence that I was shown both of these things in such close proximity. This seems to be a poetic statement. Jim said on Wednesday that Matthew was figuratively beating people over the head with this significant number, because this is the number to show the earthly descent of Jesus from David. This is the one you are looking for, here is the proof!

I spoke to Jim after the class, and pointed out the similarities in Revelation and Matthew, and how the two lessons connected. He was astonished that he had not noticed, as he was the one who prepared both lessons.

Numbers are important. Record keeping and math and finance, and even computer technology, all rely on numbers. Patterns or sums of numbers. Those numbers are part of God's plan. I think He put them in the Bible for us to notice. It is no accident. This universe has a plan, a Creator. He is the perfect 3 in 1, gave us to the count of 42, and sent us the 1 who would take us home. If you count Matthias, Jesus had 13 apostles. He even defeated the 666. Now watch, the stairway to Heaven will have 13 steps. Wouldn't that be funny?

And they say numerology is a bunch of bunk!

Stars Shining Bright Above You...

Word of the Post
Today's word is: dream
/dreem/
Verb: To dream; have ideas or images in the mind while in the state of sleep.
Noun: The dream; the vision seen while sleeping.
"There sober thought pursued the amusing theme, Till Fancy colored it and formed a dream." ~~Pope. {1913 Webster}
Dreams can be effected by indigestion, a late supper, fitful thoughts of something unresolved, or by simply picturing a new thought in the mind before falling to sleep. Mine usually involve running away from something on the top of a skyscraper or dull conversation that will happen in 13 years or so.
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Dreams are a different sort of experience. Some can be forgotten with the waking breath, some stick in your mind like nails in a wall.

I was shopping in a mall in Wichita. I got somehow shuffled into applying for a job in a Hallmark shop. There were about 10 of us, men and women, who were there. Most of them were girls younger than me. We spent a whole afternoon playing around, some inside the dark halls of the "employees only" underbelly of the mall, and some outside in a mess of leftover mush from a recent snowstorm. We were supposed to be watched by the manager, who couldn't have managed a vending machine.

We moved indoors to a large hall of small conference rooms that were decorated quite nicely. Told to wait, we piled into a room where there was just enough seating for 8 of us. Thankful that two were immediately pulled away, we talked about nothing important. We were directed in one by one to be interviewed by one of a lottery of different people. This room looked like a large classroom, with about 6 circular tables, and as many interviewers. My person was a writer for Broadway Plays. There was also her partner, who was more loud than the first; a man who looked like a Kindergarten teacher (he was asking how many children each person had, and if they knew how to calm a room full of children); an artist (who apparently drew my picture-question); and one woman who looked a lot like the boss I didn't like at a job I had a few years ago.

My first question was a picture. The picture was a colored pencil drawing of 6 or 7 tall thin women in dresses somewhat like flappers, and they were all lounging in a room. I was asked which one jumped out at me as significant. I answered with a green one that was to the right of center. She was the only one that looked... real. She had green and cream on her dress. She was in front of a woman in a pearl colored dress, who looked mean. I noticed that the interviewer wrote down on her card that I was exactly what she was looking for.

She liked me a lot, but I finally told her that I did not live in Wichita, and if the store was not willing to let me telecommute, I was not interested. It seemed a shame to tell her that I could not work, because I had other things to do, different goals in mind.

I awoke before I could find out if I would have been telecommuting to proofread Hallmark cards. I woke with two depressing realizations: 1. That this was a wasted-time dream, I learned nothing from it, and I was still tired. and 2. That I need to stop eating so late. It gives me strange dreams.

Drinking Isn't The Sin, Idolatry Is

Word of the Post
Today's word is: predicate
/pred"i*cate/ verb
1. The word in a preposition that is designed to affirm or deny a characteristic of a subject. i.e. Paper is white. The word "is" in the sentence is the predicate. (often pronounced: /pred"i*cut/)
2. To cry in public, to proclaim; to preach. (often pronounced: /pred"i*cate"/)
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Back to the subject of Alcohol.

I do not personally abuse alcohol. I do, on occasion, have a sip of a cordial or drink a wine cooler. I do not drive after consuming alcohol. I keep some alcohol in my home for cooking and yard work as well. (You may laugh, but the guy who invented the stuff said that his yard is always green, and weed-free. Now if I just had the patience to water the yard...) The possession of alcohol is only illegal if it is being transported within reach of a cabin occupant while in a moving car, or if being purchased or held by a person under the age of 21. Open containers, whether full or not, are also a crime in a car, unless the containers are part of a cleanup effort like collecting empty aluminum for recycling.

Many in the Church of Christ will tell you that I am sinning, by keeping alcohol in my home or letting it ever touch my lips; I do not believe so. I do not offer alcohol to guests, unless the group invited knows that there will be such adult beverages planned. I do not drink in front of guests that I know to have a former or current addiction issue, or those with an opposition to their own intake of alcohol. I have no children in my home to accidentally stumble across the alcohol. I have acted in a responsible way toward alcohol. I have never found anything that I liked enough to drink enough of it to become drunk. I have only once even tried to get drunk, and all I got was an angry headache. It was miserable, and I will never bother again.

Let's move to the Bible, since that is where the issue starts. Ephesians 5:18 says, "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit," In this passage, Paul is instructing the readers about imitating God. He tells them to learn what will please God. (5:10) He tells them not to participate with darkness, not to be foolish, not to be drunkards. He also continues the thought with how to deal with each other and how to praise God. He goes on beyond here to talk about marriage, and family, and to arm ourselves with God's truth. Here we see direct instruction to pay attention to the Spirit of God, and not to allow alcohol to rule our thoughts.

Similar thoughts are expressed in 1 Thessalonians 5:7 and following, where we are told to be sober in the light of day to encourage one another. In both these passages, the subject is started by the people having feasts in the worship time (which is good) and admonishments about being selfish, starting without the others, and getting drunk before the others can have a sip of the wine (this is bad). Drinking isn't the sin here, idolatry is. Anything that takes the place of God is an idol, and worshiping that instead of God is a sin.

1 Timothy 5:23 says, "No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments." By this, I gather that the Great Physician granted permission to use alcohol as medicine. The current medical convention is that one glass of red wine with dinner is good for one's heart health.

Christ's first miracle was changing water into wine, for a wedding at Cana. I have heard many (pointed out twice just with the previous post) who will tell you the lie that Jesus made juice, which made it OK to drink. The scripture plainly states otherwise. John 2:10 is a record of the host speaking about the quality of the wine. He says that the good, strong wine is used first, so that once people are sloshed, you can give them the cheap stuff, and they won't notice. He compliments the Groom at the wedding, on keeping the best stuff for last. Niki said it best: "I'm sure the God of the universe...the one who made EVERYTHING knew good wine when He tasted it." I don't think Jesus turned the water to grape juice, He turned it into the expensive bottled stuff that would be appropriate at a wedding.

The scripture section that was used as an excuse to attack an older, stronger Christian is one that is commonly taken out of context. It is often used as a weapon to get someone's attention, or to get one's own way in a questionable gray area. 1 Corinthians 8:9 has been used to describe much more than the original example of meat. The custom of the day, in Corinth, was that Jews who were converted to Christ were eating meals with Greeks converted to Christ. Jewish tradition had many laws that limited what a person could eat, and the Greeks had no such laws. The Christians there were told to go to the marketplace, and not ask if the meat they were buying was previously sacrificed to idols. The history of the meat was important to the Jewish converts only, and if it became an issue, was only then to be avoided.

This is mostly a question of freedom in Christ. How free are we? Grace has come to us where we are, but the Amazing part is that it picked us up, and moved us closer to God. We have awesome freedom in Christ. We can go to anyone and speak of the love of God. We can go to any home and eat a meal that was previously considered unclean. We can go to a friend's house or to Mexico, and drink wine (not simply because the water is dangerous). We are free to go to all mankind, where they are, and use what they know to teach them the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Reputation is what people think of us. Character is what God and the angels know of us.

With freedom comes responsibility. Every action, good or bad, has a corresponding consequence. We must pay attention to what we do, no matter who is watching. The scriptures are very clear that each individual must answer to God for their own actions, and any consequences. If you know your brother has an issue with alcohol, you must show care to not drink in front of him. We also have the obligation to teach. How can a brother learn what is sin and what is not, unless he be told? We must teach by our words, but we can also teach by our actions. Paul said that if he knew that it was such an issue for a brother to see him eat meat that was sacrificed to idols, he would choose to abandon meat for the rest of his life in order to save his weak brother. Jesus did the same for us. He is quoted in John 15:13 saying, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." We need to take Jesus and Paul seriously when they instruct us to do the best for our brothers, and think of ourselves after.

GRACE is simply defined: God's Riches At Christ's Expense. Jesus died to bring us together, not to separate us from one another. We need to celebrate Jesus and live His words every day.

Lift your glasses, no matter the contents and say, "Cheers!"

Quotes From A Hurty Brain

Word of the Post

Today's word is: fool
/fool/
Noun: A person who lacks sense or judgment; court jester, person with a job to entertain.
Verb: To spend time idly or aimlessly; to meddle or tamper ignorantly; to joke; to deceive.
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I wanted to share some thoughts from my friend, Dustin D. Check out his blog on my list. I have been thinking about this very subject, and how I wanted to deal with it. He got on my brainwaves, and said it better than I could, so I got permission to steal it.

I will comment on my own points on this same subject in the next post.
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Sunday, March 25, 2007

Alcoholics Go To Hell!

Okay, that headline is a bit melodramatic, but it's been on my mind this week. I know we've already discussed this topic a bit, but as you'll see, it has been thrust into my mind.

I don't want to gossip negatively about anyone, so please take my comments as criticism of someone's viewpoint, not of them as a person. A new person at our church is a very 'Church of Christ' type of person. If you've ever attended a Church of Christ, then you probably know exactly what I mean...

Last Wednesday night, this guy told this (paraphrased) story during class:

"I was a new Christian and I was working at a grocery store. One of the prominent men in my church came in and he didn't see me working, but I saw him. He picked up some beer and some whiskey and bought them.

That really confused me as a Christian. I mean, he could have a good reason for buying alcohol - maybe he was marinating some meat in it! - but should he have bought it? How did that action affect me, a new Christian?"

UGH.

This is soooo typical of my chosen sect of Christianity. They take an ambiguous topic like alcohol, take the most conservative stance possible, and basically act like anyone else's opinion is evil.

If I had felt bold (I didn't), I would have responded with this:

"First of all, the Bible doesn't say anywhere that drinking alcohol is wrong. Jesus drank wine, and his first miracle was turning water into wine so people could drink it. In fact, the host of that party said that Christ's wine was better than the wine they had already drunk!

Second, a person isn't sinning when they buy alcohol. It isn't illegal, it isn't against God's law, and it isn't even immoral by any but the strictest standards. That man didn't need to be marinating meat. If his behavior buying a legal product caused you to stumble as a Christian, then perhaps your faith wasn't strong enough to begin with. If you base your faith on the behavior of other people, you aren't being very wise...

Third, get off your high horse! The Pharisees in the Bible were known for being outspoken about other people's choices. They would make up rule after rule, law after law, then live by the letter of the law. When they saw other people not living up to those same rules, they would call them out in public to make themselves look better.

Christ condemned this kind of behavior. It's legalistic nonsense, and it really ticked him off. Don't take the rules of the Bible ("Don't be a drunkard") and change them to fit your own conceptions, then act like I'm going to hell if I drink a beer or two. I don't get drunk. I already follow the letter of the law."

Does this kind of thing bug anyone else? I know it bugs my brother...

The truth is, I know what my sins are, and drinking alcohol isn't one of them.