hit & run

Rosie & Sufjan?  Be still my indie-lovin' heart. 

(source)

Hit & Run Vol. 1

Joy

Need some inspiration?  Take the next 13 minutes and watch this segment on an incredible orchestra from the Congo.  Even in the poorest country in the world, beauty exists.  

(found via marvelous kiddo)

Love + Money

A very thought provoking talk on poverty, money and love.  Watch it.

this moment

Inspired by Soulemama:

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

this moment

Inspired by Soulemama:

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

this moment

Inspired by Soulemama:

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

p.s. notice the box of panda puffs?  my daughters believe the recycling bin is their own personal toy box ;)

For Every Meal!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have discovered the most satisfying veggie burger, ever.  

EVER.  

they taste much better than they look, I promise

This veggie burger is dairy free, soy free AND gluten free.  Do you know how difficult it is to find recipes like that?  We are just figuring this little fact out.  Due to some hidden allergy symptoms, we took dairy out of Z's diet around Thanksgiving.  We took soy out around that time too.  We just recently removed gluten as well.  The dairy and soy were so much easier to eliminate than gluten!  But we are navigating through all the information, little by little.  Thankfully, we have some great friends that are dairy/soy/gluten free and have been such a wonderful resource through all this allergy stuff.  

Anyways.

These burgers took about 2 hours for me to make.  Yup, 2 hours.  I really doubt it would take you that long, though.  The recipe says it takes about 60 minutes.  I'm pretty sure that having an almost 18 month old strapped to my back added an extra 30 minutes.  Especially since she has a new found love of pulling my hair and scratching my ears.  Oh, and the 4 year old asking me questions like "Mom, why is the moon made out of brown, stinky cheese?" probably added another 30 minutes.  So, if you don't have an 18 month old and a 4 year old I'm sure these would be a breeze to put together ;)

The 2 hours was worth it though.  Up until now, I have had trouble finding a veggie burger recipe that I would want to make again.  The end result didn't justify all the prep and work involved. Plus, there are some pretty good pre-packaged options.  It just wasn't worth it to make them from scratch.  But this one, oh, this burger.  Friends, it's full of flavor and not at all dry.  It stayed together really well and tasted amazing between two slices of Udi's whole grain bread with some organic ketchup and mustard.  

The thing that sealed the deal for me was when my aforementioned 4 year old declared, "Mom, this is really yummo!  You should make these burgers for every meal!".  The only other time she has uttered these words was when I made this winner. Now, this is the same 4 year old who we have to spend 45 minutes convincing to take 4 bites of her supper each and every night.  The same 4 year old who refuses to try anything new.  She even ate the burger completely on its own, no bread!  It's really that good.  

So while I may not be making this for every meal, it will show up on our dinner table again.  

this...

...is what I needed to read today.

Lent is not a pass/fail endeavor – it’s not a test, but rather a mystical means of healing and enlightenment I’d be very, very foolish not to take advantage of. The work of fasting won’t make God love me more - I’m very thankful to already, no matter what I do or don’t do, be loved by Him unconditionally. On my prayerful days, my forgetful days, my relapse days, my exhausted days, He is forgiving and full of grace. It will however affect the quality and fruitfulness of my day-to-day life here on earth. Waking up to a soul that’s been tended to feels tranquil and meaningful. I’m more generous, hospitable, courageous, patient, when I’m a good and faithful steward of my spiritual blessings.

                                                                                            --Molly Sabourin

(read the rest of the post here or listen to the podcast here)

this moment

Inspired by Soulemama:

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Currently Playing...

....for our after-dinner/pre-bedtime dance parties:




(thanks to my brother for giving us this album!)

One Body of Many Members

If any of you are fortunate enough to remember Slim Goodbody, you will remember that he wore a skin tight suit that showed all the bones and organs of the body, while he pranced around and taught kids (and maybe adults) valuable lessons on how to stay fit and healthy. The memory brings an awkward smile to my face. Wasn't that suit a little inappropriate to wear around little kids? I could be wrong. Anyway, the reason I bring him up in this post is that people like, and have liked for as long as I've been sucking wind, to be given advice on how to feel great and live longer. We want slim, good bodies (budum ching). I'm here to reflect on what it means to have a healthy Church body in this post. I don't know if people are as hungry for this information as they are for that of Slim's ilk, but "ni modo" as they say in Spanish.

It struck me today during church that there is something so fitting to be assembled with people who hold the same beliefs as me saying, in effect, in unison "isn't our God beautiful?" Say what you want about group think or brainwashing, to corporately praise something, especially the thing that you believe is the most deserving of praise is fulfilling, satisfying. It does a body good, also.

After our service this morning, in preparation for Lent, we had a forgiveness ceremony. During this service every person in the church says to every other person, "please forgive me if I've offended you," while bowing to the other person, who then says the same thing back. Both exchange a kiss on both cheeks, then one more for good measure (we are Trinitarian, after all) while saying, "I forgive you (in the name of Christ)." Awkward as this was, it made me think of learning how to dance with my wife. As we went around the circle I found myself moved by the love of each member in our small Parrish. Jesus Christ was truly, really there. I heard a Catholic speaker say once that, next to the Eucharist, your neighbor is the holiest thing presented to your senses. I felt that way today.

I have more to say on the topic of membership, but I'll wrap up for now with a small excerpt from C.S. Lewis' lecture of the same title:

No Christian and, indeed, no historian could accept the epigram which defines religion as "what a man does with his solitude." It was one of the Wesleys, I think, who said the New Testament knows nothing of solitary religion. We are forbidden to neglect the assembling of ourselves together. Christianity is already institutional in the earliest of its documents. The Church is the Bride of Christ. We are members of one another.

...makes me smile

Hello friends!  It's been awhile since I've done my Monday "makes me smile".  I'm going to try to get back into this weekly feature.  I think it's good for my soul to list what I'm thankful for each week.

Here's what made me smile this week...

Spending some time at the Lied Lodge...

A beautiful (but quickly melting) snow....

The super bowl halftime show...

Freshly brewed (decaf) coffee waiting for me in the morning...

Bidding on books of this nature on Ebay...

Planning for my sister's coed baby shower...(have any inspirational links for me?!)

This indoor tepee...

New Field Music...

Lu's sudden new love for books...

A much needed phone date with my dear friend...

Tell me, what made you smile this week?

this moment

Inspired by Soulemama:

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.