Feeling loved... (Thankful Wednesday)

So here is the thing. People keep asking me what I did for my birthday. I tell them that the best parts came before and after my birthday. I went on an awesome, long, fast motorcycle ride. I also have a friend who made 4 birthday cakes until she found one that was an "acceptable birthday cake." Let me add, they were all terrific. I know this because I tested them all. On a good day, I would say that I am maybe worth one birthday cake. The icing on the cake, her younger daughter singing Happy Birthday. Those things are priceless.

My Latest Recipe

So I was dabbling with a dip recipe for a certain anonymous pregnant woman when because of an issue with too much garlic I had to become creative. It literally burned the whole way down. The dip is a feta base with toasted nuts. In order to mellow out the garlic I added some cream and made a very tasty pasta sauce which was good enough to serve to company. The first time I made it, I added turkey bacon, wilted spinach, and some peas to add protein and veggies. I didn't have those ingredients on hand so this time I used summer squash and zucchini (must always have a vegetable). I served this over a nice brown rice pasta (because wheat is evil and fiber is good).

Pasta Sauce

Feta cheese (from your favorite ruminant)-let's guess 1 cup
Toasted walnuts-let's go with 1 cup again
garlic
sour cream-I used Soy "Better than Sour Cream"-to desired richness
olive oil
fresh herbs-parsley, oregano, pick your fav.
green onion
If you get along well with dairy then you can add milk to control the consistency.

Chop. Mix. Heat. Serve. It is that simple and very good.

If Life Were A Song...

mine would be twangy, full of guitar, and very repetitive. Yes, my life would be a country song. My research is based on a crop so I have the ag thing. I drive a manual transmission truck and when I am not careful "all y'all" and "you'ns" creep into my sentences. The thing that seals the deal is that my birthmark is literally a red neck. I could go on but that is not the point of this post. The thing that caused this thought pattern is the song that I wish fit me. It is "How Can I Keep From Singing". Now I know that the version that I am listening to is the modern Chris Tomlin version and that the song is actually quite old. My favorite line is "I know I am loved by the King and it makes my heart want to sing." Last Sunday, the sermon drew from Psalm 146 and verse 2 sticks out in my mind. "I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long." Now I know that this idea is not unique to this particular psalm or this particular song but last Sunday they happened to follow each other. After leaving church, that was the song playing in my truck and it has stayed with me all week.

So in light of all that I am going to stop bemoaning my birthday and embrace the next year. Quite frankly, I am glad that this year is over because it has not always been a pleasant one. I praise God for bringing me through it with what I believe is a more mature and stronger walk with Him. I praise Him for not just leaving me alone in my sulking but reminding me of His goodness all around. I praise Him for people like my uncle who are not afraid to tell me things they know are painful but good for growth. I praise Him for opportunities like today where I get to talk with my peers about why I make the choices I make, what I truly believe, and why it is the most important thing in my life.

Today I feel so overwhelmed with love. It is a beautiful day full of the promise of eternity.

Another One Bites the Dust

As I prepared to mark another year by the calendar I made a mental checklist. One year older: check. Wiser: ? I didn't like that answer so I took the next logical step and starting reading the wisdom books. I made it through "All is vanity" or as the NIV puts it, "Everything is meaningless."The solution is to fear God and keep His commandments. I can get behind that. I am currently in Proverbs. I have not quite made it to "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain" but since I am not preparing to be a capable wife I figured it was okay if I didn't get there by my birthday. I do want to share some of my favorite verses with you.

4:7-The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom
11:14- Where there is no guidance, a nation falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
11:22- Like a gold ring in a pig's snout is a beautiful women without common sense.
12:1-Those who hate to be rebuked are stupid.
12:25-Anxiety weighs down the human heart, but a good word cheers it up.
14:4-Where there are no oxen, there is no grain: abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.
10- The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy.
29- Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but one who has a hasty temper exalts folly.

So am I any wiser? Maybe a smidgen but there is still a long way to go.