Monday Musings

My Monday started off with a bang.  Or maybe I should say a hiss.  I headed out for a bike ride and at some point ran over something.  No matter how hard I pedaled I kept getting slower and slower.  Going slow on Monday is not unusual, but this was slower than slow!  I stopped at one point and saw that my rear tire was losing air.  I limped along, hoping to make it home.  Unfortunately, about a quarter of a mile from home I had to get off and walk the bike. 

Before my Monday got Mondayed, I was enjoying myself and remembering a conversation from yesterday.  I chatted with a young man who went to camp last week.  When I asked if he had a good time, I got more than I expected.  This 15 year old told me all about the preaching by the day time speaker, Pastor Ron Garrett.  He talked about each message and I could tell he had been greatly impacted.  It did my heart so much good.  I know this young man is hitting an age where he will start choosing the things of God or the things of the world.  His parents have influenced him, but with each passing year he will be making more choices of his own.  Once again, I'm so thankful for youth camp!

While driving home from the grocery store I was listening to Dennis Prager.   He said something that I did not want to forget:

The vast majority of those who are famous are not significant and the vast majority of those who are significant are not famous.

I thought that was so good!  The people who have had a significant impact on my life are not, and probably never will be, famous.  I may not be famous, but I pray that my life will be significant.  It was on that positive note that my Monday turned back around.  Because hating Monday every week is a horrible way to spend one seventh of a lifetime!

Summer Time

Happy first day of Summer!  Summer for me as a kid meant two things:  swimming and youth camp.  We couldn't have survived the heat of Fresno without our pool and when it was time to get away, youth camp was a great place to go.  I've written dozens of posts about camp through the years and they usually contain these two pictures:

Junior camp, 1974, the year I received the Holy Ghost and Senior camp, 1989, the year Les and I met.  There were a lot of camps in between those two monumental occasions.  Growing in God, meeting new friends, being a camper and being a counselor.  There's just something about youth camp!

I made my way to the Ventura County Fairgrounds last night for Pacific Coast Camp.  It was my only chance to be there this year, but it was wonderful!  It was great to see so many friends, but the highlight was watching children and young people sing, worship, and pray.

Choose Joy

One of my favorite songs lately is simply called "Joy" by For King and Country.  It's an upbeat tune that focuses on choosing joy in the midst of a trying world.  I run just a little faster, with a smile on my face, when it comes on.  The song starts with these two lines:

Lately, I've been reading, watching the nightly news

Don't seem to find the rhythm, just wanna sing the blues

I will be very honest here, I can hardly stomach reading the news.  Our world is crazy!  The realization that we are entering another presidential election time fills me with dread.  I know I need to be an informed voter, but the negativity is too much. So today I'm choosing to look at pictures that evoke memories of times that brought joy.  This little munchkin (who graduated from high school last month) jumped on her rocking horse one night and giggled and rocked as hard as she could for at least 30 minutes!

Mom's face as she held her three grand babies is one of utter joy!  She wrote about it in her grandmother's memory book "When I first became a grandmother, I felt like a Queen. I couldn't stop grinning; I got 3 grand babies in 10 weeks! Ryan, Krysten & Lauren."

 
The look on my face in this picture captures the joy I felt crossing the finish line of my first marathon.  There was a lot of pain getting to that point, but the joy I felt for finishing was worth it!

I wrote a post called "Don't Decorate Your Cell" in October 2010.  I focused on Rod, and how he lived a joyful life...

Nothing ever kept him down! He was determined that hemophilia was not going to keep him from life. Everyone who knew him saw him in pain more than once, but they also saw him singing, worshiping, participating in dramas, working in bus ministry, playing volleyball and softball. He did not decorate the prison of his diseased body.

I don't know how much pain Rod was in when this picture was taken.  My guess is he was in at least some pain.  He was obviously having trouble with his legs and required help getting around - he never just carried a crutch for attention.  But he turned his crutch into a guitar and chose joy!

If you've been singing the blues lately, I encourage you to choose joy.  Your circumstances might not change today, but keep looking up, keep choosing joy, a better day is coming!

Out Of Milk

When I went grocery shopping last week I accidentally left my list at home.  I had several errands to run and the temperature was rising, so I just decided to do my best.  I have used an Excel spreadsheet for years when creating my grocery list.  Nothing fancy, but it works.  I was able to pull my list up on my phone via Dropbox but I still managed to miss a few things.

I decided it was time to up my game.  I Googled "best grocery list apps" and found several that looked interesting.  One that caught my attention was "Out of Milk."  This app had a 4.6 rating.  After downloading it, I realized it not only has a mobile app, but a web app that syncs.

The first thing you need to do is start building your pantry list.  There are two ways to add items.  You can scan them with your phone or type them in manually.  I found manually to be much quicker.  I chose to do that on the web page.  This also makes the items generic, i.e. Peanut Butter, vs. brand specific, i.e. Jif Creamy Peanut Butter 40 oz.

It's helpful to create categories as you go to keep things organized, i.e. produce, meat, canned goods, etc.

Once you have items in your pantry you can add them to your shopping list.  If you add an item to your shopping list it will not automatically be added to your pantry list, so putting it in your pantry list first ensures that it is available the next time you want to go shopping.

If you create your categories as you go, then your items will be sorted on your shopping list by category.  This keeps like items together, hopefully keeping you from making three trips to the produce section after two trips to the meat department!  Through the web page I was able to put my categories in order by the way I shop.  I usually go the produce department first, then canned goods, keeping refrigerated items until last, so having my list in the same order was very helpful.

You can create more than one shopping list as well.  I have my main list called Shopping List.  I also have a list called Valley Produce for when I go to our local produce store.  If  you're planning to shop in more than one store I think a separate list for each location would be helpful.  You could even create a Christmas shopping list to keep track of what you've purchased and who on the list you still need to buy for.

Once you're at the store, when you add something to your shopping cart, you check it off your list and it gets moved to the bottom.  No more scratching off things you haven't picked up yet.  Or when your pen dies and hoping you got everything because nothing got crossed off!

I created a To-Do list called Pre-Travel.  There are certain things I do every time we are getting ready to head out of town and I always have them written down.   I also think this will come in handy when I'm not at home and need to remind myself of something that needs to get done.

I used this in the store today and I felt SO organized!  I got everything that was on my list (and a couple other things) and only made one trip down each aisle.  Actually, I skipped the cereal/coffee aisle because I didn't need anything there.

Obviously this is only my first time to use Out of Milk, but so far so good.

The Superpower for the All of Us

Twenty five years ago this week Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were murdered.  I have a ton of emotions when I think about that case.  Not because of the actual murder, although it was horrible, but because it reminds me of the last conversation I had with my dear brother, Rod.  I wrote about it ten years ago:

On June 12, 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were brutally murdered. Nicole's former husband, O.J. Simpson, was charged with the murders. On Friday, June 17th, instead of turning himself in, O.J. became the object of a low-speed pursuit in a white Ford Bronco SUV.

The next day, Rod and I talked about this on the phone. It seemed many were in shock that someone "so great" could commit such a horrible crime. Rod told me, "Kathy, that's why you have to be careful who you make your heroes. You can't choose athletes as heroes. They might do great things on the field, but that doesn't make them great people. True heroes are people of God."

That was the last conversation we had, as Rod passed away the following Wednesday. Those words resonate in me still. We have to be so careful whom we choose to admire.  I have thought about those words so many times through the years and was thinking about them again this week.

I believe the desire for heroes has made the superhero movie craze what it is today.  More than 100 movies have been made about men and women who defy the odds to beat the bad guys.  Many have a "superpower."  The original superhero movie came out in 1920 - The Mark of Zorro.  Zorro was simply a man with a mask, fighting the mistreatment of the peons by rich landowners and the oppressive colonial government.  Advengers: Endgame, the superhero movie playing in theaters right now has already grossed over $2.7 Billion.  People flood to watch good triumph over evil.

I read an insightful article from the New York Times written last June.  "Why Are We Obsessed with Superhero Movies?" by Mark Bowden takes a deep look at the subject.  About a third of the way into the article he talks about the Cult of Self:

If heroes are idealized humans, then today’s reflect an exaggerated Cult of Self. They are unique, supremely talented beings who transcend laws, even those of nature. Hollywood has always cherished mavericks, but these are, literally, cartoons — computer-generated.

They celebrate exceptionalism and vigilantism. The old American ideal of succeeding through cleverness, virtue and grit is absent, as is the notion of ordinary folk banding together to overcome a threat. Gone is respect for the rule of law and the importance of tradition and community. Institutions and human knowledge are useless. Religion is irrelevant. Governments are corrupt and/or inept, when not downright evil. The empowered individual is all.

Normal humans are mere bystanders, when they are not being crushed or vaporized. The average person is powerless and depends for survival on the good will of the gods.

The articles goes on to compare various superheroes to Greek and Roman mythical gods. "Superheroes just have one or more extraordinary physical traits. In comic book movies, villains just want to conquer and kill. They are not looking to slake their lust, amass great riches, build monuments to themselves, create utopian societies or engage in sadistic torments. They just want to win."

So what about the rest of us?

In the past 25 years, I've continued with Rod's sage advice in where I find my heroes.  Mine don't come from comic books, TV shows, or movies.  They don't play in stadiums or on stages.  My heroes continue to be family members, friends, preachers, teachers and missionaries.  My heroes have a superpower, it's one available to all.   Galatians 5:22-23 tells us about it, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."  Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible gave an excellent breakdown of these superpowers:

Love -  An intense desire to please God, and to do good to mankind.  The very soul and spirit of all true religion; the fulfilling of the law, and what gives energy to faith itself.

Joy -  The exultation that arises from a sense of God’s mercy communicated to the soul in the pardon of its iniquities, and the prospect of that eternal glory of which it has the foretaste in the pardon of sin.

Peace -  The calm, quiet, and order, which take place in the justified soul. Peace is the first sensible fruit of the pardon of sin.

Long-suffering - Long-mindedness, bearing with the frailties and provocations of others, from the consideration that God has borne long with ours.

Gentleness - Benignity, affability; a very rare grace, often wanting in many who have a considerable share of Christian excellence. A good education and polished manners, when brought under the influence of the grace of God, will bring out this grace with great effect.

Goodness - The perpetual desire and sincere study, not only to abstain from every appearance of evil, but to do good to the bodies and souls of men to the utmost of our ability.

Faith -  here used for fidelity - punctuality in performing promises, conscientious carefulness in preserving what is committed to our trust, in restoring it to its proper owner, in transacting the business confided to us, neither betraying the secret of our friend, nor disappointing the confidence of our employer.

Meekness - Mildness, indulgence toward the weak and erring, patient suffering of injuries without feeling a spirit of revenge, an even balance of all tempers and passions, the entire opposite to anger.

Temperance - Continence, self-government, or moderation, principally with regard to sensual or animal appetites. Moderation in eating, drinking, sleeping, etc.

Against such there is no law - Those, whose lives are adorned by the above virtues, cannot be condemned by any law, for the whole purpose and design of the moral law of God is fulfilled in those who have the Spirit of God, producing in their hearts and lives the preceding fruits.

The New York Times article stated, "They are unique, supremely talented beings who transcend laws."  Those of us who exhibit the fruit of the Spirit can truly transcend laws. 

I'm still cheering when good triumphs over evil, but it's the real life good, not the Hollywood version.  Jesus showed us that on the cross - He triumphed over all.  When we live according to His Word, we have all the superpower we need.  No cape or mask required!

Friday Foodie

One recipe that was completely missing from my blog is one I made two years ago for our International Picnic.  I decided to go Hawaiian that year and made Kalua Pork.  This is something we really enjoy when we are in Hawaii and it ended up being a tasty and easy dish to make at home.  Kalua pork is traditionally the meat from a whole pig that’s been roasted in the ground.  I'm pretty sure our town would frown upon that method so I found this recipe on line and it's a good one!  I made it again this week and took a few pictures along the way.

Slow Cooker Kalua Pork
Ingredients:
1 2.5-3.5 boneless pork shoulder (butt) roast
Sea salt (pink Hawaiian sea salt if you can find it; SMOKED Hawaiian sea salt if you can find that)
Hickory-flavored liquid smoke (if you can’t find smoked sea salt, or for a little more smokey flavor)
Shredded cabbage

Instructions:
Rinse the pork roast and pat it dry. Pierce the entire roast with a fork. Sprinkle generously with the liquid smoke (about 1 tablespoon, more if you have a very large roast) and sprinkle with the sea salt (start with about a little less than tablespoon and see how far it gets you; you can always add more after it cooks).  If using traditional kosher salt, decrease salt to 1-2 teaspoons.  Rub the salt into the roast.

Place the roast in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until the meat shreds easily with a fork.

Remove the roast from the pan and place it in a serving dish or on a serving platter. Shred it, discarding any large pieces of fat. Drizzle enough of the cooking liquid over the pork to re-moisten it and keep it from drying out.

We like to eat ours as Kalua Pork and Cabbage, so after shredding the pork, I take enough meat for what I think we'll eat for that meal and put it in a skillet.  Add some of the cooking liquid and cook for a minute or so.  Add cabbage (I use about 2/3 as much cabbage as meat.)  Cook about 3-5 minutes.  Use this same method with leftovers, just cook the meat for about 5 minutes before adding the cabbage. This is good with rice and it makes great sliders!  Kings Hawaiian rolls make the best choice.

I also made a new recipe.  It started when I saw the recipe for Orange Creamsicle Muddie Buddies.  On that post was a link for the original recipe by The Girl Who Ate Everything.  There was a link on her post for Orange Creamsicle Cookies and that's what I ended up making!  These kicked off our summer season in a big way!

The original recipe is here.  I started with a cookie mix because I'm lazy that way!

Orange Creamsicle Cookies

Ingredients:
Sugar cookie mix (I doubled the batch, so I used 2 packages that make 3 dozen each)
2 large eggs
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
2 tablespoons orange zest (for me that was the zest of 2 oranges)
2 cups white chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream butter and eggs until light and creamy. Stir in vanilla and orange extract until smooth. Gradually add cookie mix until combined. Stir in orange zest and white chocolate chips.

Drop rounded tablespoons onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Do not flatten cookies; it will make them dry. Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Do not overcook! Cookies will be plump. Cool for several minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

These were SO good!  I think a little more orange zest would have been good - the flavor is subtle, but you know it's there.  This also gave me some ideas for a few other flavors I might try in the future.

Updated Friday Foodie Page

Most Monday mornings find me sitting at the table with a notepad trying to plan my menu for the week.  I was especially tired this morning and found no inspiration.  I pestered Les with "any food requests this week?"  I flipped through cookbooks.  I pulled up my Friday Foodie page on my blog.  As I was looking through recipes, I realized there were quite a few missing.  My Friday Foodie page is now up to date! Here is what has been added:

Main dishes:
Toasted Pecan Chicken
Acai Bowl
Chicken Alfredo Roll Ups
Chicken Cordon Bleu Roll Ups
Fish Tacos
Club-Style Turkey Enchiladas
Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Peppers
Tortellini Primavera
Pizza

Soups:
Chicken Taco Soup

Side Dishes:
Broccoli and Cranberry Salad 
Southwestern Potato Casserole

Desserts:
Baked Pears
Mini Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Loaves
Shortcakes
Orange Creamsicle Muddie Buddies
Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream

I still haven't finished my menu plan, but at least I've accomplished something!