Steele (the Day)

7 Quick Takes Friday

// November 28th, 2008 // 2 Comments » // Uncategorized

Click on over to Jennifer at Conversion Diary for my 7 Quick Takes inspiration ala Mr. Linky.

One.
Praise the Lord! I found a redeeming quality of that horrible Strawberry Pretzel Salad I’m obliged to make every holiday – I get to use my offset spatula! I love that thing! (But I still hate the salad).

And a two.
Made 6 soups in 4 days this week. My name is CJJ16, and I’m a soupaholic. I live in Iowa. It’s winter. ‘Nuf said. Whipped up some great combinations, including the butternut squash soup that I forgot about but was reminded when someone dear to me bought it at a restaurant. I think the entire batch cost me less than $2.00 AND I got to use another of my favorite gadgets – my immersion blender. Brrruuummm. Brrruuummmm. Used lots of other fun stuff this week like wheat berries, cous cous, quinoa, brown basmati, and multiple kinds of beans.

And a three.
I dragged out the old Kirby this week to vacuum the basement. It’s been on loan and bagless for a while, and I only need it for downstairs. While unwrapping the cord, I swear I heard my youngest say “Tirby too loud, Mom!” But not possible. He’s no longer 3 (he’s 28), and no longer lives here But I heard him say it; I really did. And it was perfectly blissful nostalgia. Until I turned it on and my cat went postal on me.

And a four.
Psalm 51 rocked both Ron Burgundy and me this week. I’ve read it at least 4 times after listening to Pastor John give an awesome prayer message about it last week. Go for it. It’s worth the listen. Or you can find it in iTunes.

And a five.
I’m feeling very cheap. One of my favorite bloggers wrote about how “Christians Are The Worst Tippers Ever” this week and I felt convicted and determined to be more generous starting today. I’ve always tipped according to etiquette (I thought) but stopped there out of frugality (read: stinginess). Ron Burgundy, however, is one of those very generous ones, tipping the less-than-stellar servers simply because that’s who he is. Generous, almost to a fault. One of the blog comments particularly struck a chord with me…”Frugality is not a fruit of the Spirit.” Can I get an Amen?

And a six

Harold is tucked in the corner of our bedroom for the winter, basking by the bay window, and happy as a clam. Chuckie and Sam, however, didn’t make it. Chuckie never got past the seedling stage, and Sam just got too old, straggly, and listless by summer’s end. Hopefully I don’t get taken to the compost pile when the family notices I’ve become the same way.

The Ultimate Thanksgiving Post

// November 27th, 2008 // 2 Comments » // Uncategorized

***UPDATE***

Angie has removed the post I referred to below. Suffice it to say it was beautiful, poignant, and heartfelt. That being said, her challenge was for us to give thanks for something in our life that we really aren’t too happy to have, as God has commanded us to be thankful in all things. The link below will now take you to Angie’s main blog page.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was all going through my mind this morning as I awoke in the dark. Deep, cold dark. I wanted to write an awesome Thanksgiving post about all the things in my life that I am grateful to God for giving me. Because I am so very grateful. Ron Burgundy. Kids. Home. Job. God’s grace.

I grabbed my laptop, but made the mistake of going to my feed reader first.

Oh. My.
Blow.
Me.
Away.

I could never do a Thanksgiving post that says it better than this. Thank you, Angie, for humbling yourself, for allowing us to see our true selves, and for blessing us with your exquisite writing. Your pain has brought us gain in God’s grace. I pray you’re feeling Him with you today.

And I accept your Thanksgiving challenge. With gratitude.

“The test of thankfulness is not what you have to be thankful for, but whether anyone else has reason to be thankful that you are here.”

Tea today: Snow Water Green Cloud

Cleaning my heart for Christmas

// November 25th, 2008 // 2 Comments » // My Fabulous Life

Let me be very clear. I love Christmas. I am not a Scrooge. Sure, I pester Ron Burgundy about the enormous excess of lights and decorations while he feverishly competes with the disordered electrical chaos of Clark Griswold every year, but I also know that’s one of the pleasures he finds in the Season, and that it really isn’t about “the lights” so much. He considers it a gift to the many who drive by with ooohhs and aahhhhs.

But please, this year, can we put the manger with Sweet Baby Jesus next to Mary and Joseph rather than among the reindeer?

I really do love Christmas.

And the peace that’s supposed to come with it.

But…

I stress over some of the baggage the holiday season brings, and I don’t like the fact that the passion of the celebration has moved from the manger to the mall with multiple stops in between. Black Friday. Massive gift lists. Overeating. Time constraints. Getting the house ready (as in the yearly cleaning). It just takes away from the passion of how I intend to celebrate the birth of my Savior better this year.

I’m getting some perspective…. old habits die hard.

Tea today: Green with Chinese flower

"Not me!" Monday

// November 24th, 2008 // 4 Comments » // Uncategorized

I did not show my bum to everyone who was behind me and to my right in the gym on Saturday. My well-traveled exercise pants seriously need to be converted to a dust rag. Perhaps my house could benefit as well. But that thread-bare spot on my right cheek? Nope, not mine.

Closely related to above, I did not go to work last week looking (and thus feeling) frumped out every single day. Every sense of sass, spunk, or style left my being. Think: 80′s cotton turtlenecks (I had have one of every color in the Crayola box), 90′s crew neck sweaters, a once-trendy denim jacket abandoned in a closet from one of my sons’ long-ago girlfriends (even Gap stuff gets old), hair straggly & badly in need of a cut & hilight, and one day I even wore navy socks with black pants. Hey, it’s dark when I leave in the morning. Those obligatory “green” light bulbs don’t shed much light for tired, trifocaled eyes. Goal for this week is not a makeover of minor proportions.

Tea today: Young hyson

Doggone "C" word

// November 23rd, 2008 // 2 Comments » // Uncategorized

Lucky’s not feeling well today. But probably better than I am. He seems to have a better peace about him than I do. ***heavy sigh***

7 Quick Takes Friday

// November 22nd, 2008 // 4 Comments » // Uncategorized

Slip over to Conversion Diary for the inspiration of my Friday ramblings.

One.
Strawberry pretzel salad for Thanksgiving dinner is always my assignment. It is not a salad. It is a sugary and gross dessert. But for all things good and holy (read: family peace) I will make it. Ughh.

And a two.
My co-workers are the bomb. I’d never get staycation without their hard work and insistence that I leave. I’m taking that as either 1) compassion or 2) recognition of burnout.

And a three.
Say a prayer for my kids this weekend. I’ll spare the details. Just pray, please? Amen.

And a four.
Conan replacing Leno is like….just not right. I predict ratings will plummet. They will at my house.

And a five.
I came this close to stopping and buying french fries (just small ones!) on my way home from work today. I haven’t had a grease craving forever and can’t even remember the last time I bought fries. Settled for a diet pop and came home for wheat berry salad. So glad I did!
***Update*** Godwink to MckMama! She’s having another contest so stop by her awesome blog!

And a six.
Jerry Bridges will keep me awake tonight – even though I’m exhausted. Ron Burgundy isn’t home, so I won’t be sleeping, or sleeping fitfully at best. Thanks Jerry. And God, for Your Word.

And a seven.
The turducken has to be the most disgusting food item ever created. Cooks on crack? Until I saw one of these, I thought the running gears in a single turkey leg were gross. I seriously don’t think this was God’s intent when he had Noah load up that ark. For all things good and holy, get a tofurkey.

Why to my “good and holy references” always refer to food?

Tea tonight: Harney & Sons green with citrus

Baby Tears

// November 21st, 2008 // 3 Comments » // Uncategorized

I cried twice today.

Every mother’s prayer. Babies. Her babies. Those seemingly perfect-in-every way babies that grow up to be imperfect human beings who need each other and learn the hard way how much they need the Lord. So what was so sad about this beautiful picture I’ve put in your mind?

I didn’t say I was sad. I merely said I was crying.

I held a baby boy this evening, almost 16 weeks old. Peach-fuzz-baby-smelling head. Chipmunk cheeks. He fussed, then I did the baby sway with him (I haven’t forgotten how because I still do it in church with no baby in my arms). He fell asleep on my shoulder, so I sagged my weary back into the couch and this onesied-bundle did the baby-wriggle-gonna-nestle-up-real-close-heavy-sigh REM sleep thing on my chest. And as I covered him with his blanket, I cried. It was a moment that took me back 31 years and that overwhelming feeling of baby passion just overtook me. Sometimes it doesn’t even matter whose baby it is.

And then.

I went to see the unveiling of the engagement pictures of my eldest baby and his beautiful fiance. Fresh faces. Brilliant leaves. Autumn sunshine. Adoring smiles. Sappy (albeit tear-jerking) music background.

I cried again.

I cried out of gratitude for three healthy grown babies and a soon-to-be daughter-in-law. I cried out of angst for days gone by. I cried over mistakes I’ve made and things left undone that may or may not have changed anything at all. The embrace of His grace now brings me peace in my exhaustion and I’m ready to fall into that snuggly sleep just like those babies used to. Without the onesie.

But just one more time, I think I’ll cry.

Three times today.

Tea tonight: Numi Monkey King

"Not me!" Monday

// November 17th, 2008 // 4 Comments » // Uncategorized

I did not have some deep tearful prayers for friends and family last week. I did not want them to feel God’s presence in the midst of the storm, and to understand that He doesn’t always calm the storm, but He does calm His children in the storm. He’s looking for them. I hope they find Him. These words hit me hard in church Saturday and I did not cry (from Came to My Rescue):

I called….You answered…And you came to my rescue…And I want to be where You are

I was not blown away by the number of hurting people out there who responded when MckMama offered to pray for them. It didn’t break my heart to see how much hurt, angst, and need there is in our broken world. I did not post one myself, and upon hitting the “publish post” button, feel a peace over me that this, too, is going to be ok, but only through the power of so many people praying to our loving God, even though He knows what we need. He just wants us to talk to Him.

and on a lighter note…

Tea today: Yogi green with triple echinacea

7 Quick Takes Friday

// November 15th, 2008 // 4 Comments » // Uncategorized

7 Quick Takes Friday is God’s answer to that dreaded disease Blogger Block. 7 random thoughts. I roll well when asked to be random. Go visit Conversion Diary for the Mr. Linky and some great posts.

One.
When you’re done praying fervently for something to change/happen/get fixed, how often do you then continue to pray just as much and often out of gratitude? Or do you just go to God when there’s something desperate in your life? Today has brought me an attitude of gratitude. Enough said. For now.

And a two.
When pomegranate season is over I’m going to be in withdrawal. This is a premature comment because the good poms are just now starting to appear and I have at least two months to hoard them. And I have been. They are hidden. Do not steal my poms or I will have to send the men with trenchcoats and guitar cases after you. Let me rephrase that….only if you show deep appreciation for the beauty of a pom from pickin’ to eatin’ will I share with you. They are a Biblical fruit and must be treated as such. And yes, I’ll take your recipes, but I really like them naked the best.

And a three.
I’m debating whether I should taked any more pictures of my dog as he nears the Bridge, or if the only pictures I have of him should remain young, healthy, vibrant, and without visible signs of cancer. I’m not talking gross pictures, but should I take some that show how he is right now? I just wonder….and I really wish he’d talk to me. Like when he falls or trips over his own feet or over the feet of his imaginary playmate – is he embarrassed? Does he hurt? Is his brain confused? I do know he still loves me. And yes, the blind can see.

And a four.
I am so proud of my daughter’s honed spiritual writing skills. I wait for Sunday nights with anticipation like I used to wait for my favorite TV show to come on – a constant that just sort of swept me away from the present. Now my TV is never on but my feed reader is.

And a five.
I’m back into reading more of Jerry Bridges. This time it’s “Trusting God Even When Life Hurts.” It has me much more comfortable about the state of our nation, the state of our world, and the state of my spirit. What state are you in? Besides, like Iowa, I mean. Don’t pity me; it’s really a wonderful place.

And a six.
Tomorrow is a no-commute, no-alarm, flexible plan day. It makes shopping for vacuum bags and browsing the Treasure Chest and Roots a dream come true (how pathetic is that)? I look forward to working out at the gym without wondering how fast I have to move to get home fix supper (and then decide not to eat). If I wake up at 5 am, I’m really going to be mad, but I assure you it won’t happen. If, however, I wake up at 9, I’ll never get those vacuum bags. Again.

And a seven.
Can’t wait for this week’s podcast from Lifechurch.tv’s Practical Atheist series. Groeschel’s hit some spiritual nerves with me the past couple of weeks.

You call yourself a Christian.

Are you who you say you are?

His sermons have been a huge blessing that emerged from my dreaded commute. I’m sure that’s why gas is now $1.84 a gallon. Can I get an Amen?

Tea Today: Tazo Zen

(Un)Comfortable in My Own Sin

// November 14th, 2008 // 2 Comments » // Uncategorized

I just finished reading (and studying, and discussing) Respectable Sins, by Jerry Bridges with an awesome group of women at church. It was a book I could have finished in a day, and normally would have, but taking a book like this and really digging in for 10 weeks and studying, soaking up the concepts, and feeling convicted, rather than just reading and thinking “How true” or “He’s exactly right”….well, it was just an experience I really want to have again. Soon. That, coupled with getting to know other women who are 25 years younger and 25 years older, yet sharing common bonds of being stuck in those sins we tolerate as women, wives, mothers….it was truly a spiritual experience for me.

It’s one thing to be comfortable in your own skin (which has taken me many years) but to be comfortable in your own sin, now that’s a different story. And one I plan to rewrite. Thank goodness for that Gift of Grace, for it’s never too late to write your story.

What’s your story about His glory?

Tea tonight: Republic of Tea Honey Ginger