Up, Up, and Away

It doesn't matter how many times I fly across the country, it still amazes me that a giant aluminum object can carry 200+ people (and all their stuff) thousands of miles up into the sky. Something about flying also greatly increases my prayer life momentarily...even though I know it is more dangerous to drive in a car or ride a train or whatever the statistics say about accidents, flying in an airplane still worries me every so often. Especially when the plane starts making funny noises. I want to knock on the pilot's door and ask, "Is that supposed to be doing that??"

Friday night as my flight was leaving from Seattle I was praying for the pilot and flight crew (as per my usual pre-flight prayer) and what popped into my head? None other than the theme song from last summer's VBS.

"Up, up, and away we go,

Into the great beyond,

Wherever we go and whatever we do, 

We're trusting God all along."

Suddenly I was thinking that being a passenger on an airplane is somewhat like following God. I am trusting that the pilot and crew are trained to fly this huge thing and land it properly in my final destination. Shouldn't I also be trusting that God is directing my life in the way He sees fit? When I'm sitting in an airplane I can't see out the front window, I can hardly see the ground for most of the flight. If its a clear day maybe I'll get a glimpse of a mountain or the ocean and as the plane gets closer to the ground perhaps I'll start to recognize a few landmarks. When God is directing my life, its true that I can't see the whole picture, but I do get glimpses of what the future holds. And looking back I can see that I where I ended up is right where I should be.

Sometimes I'm frustrated that I can't see out the front window or that I don't understand why I'm experiencing such turbulence. I think that maybe if I was flying the plane I would be able to do a better job, when really I have none of the qualifications to do so. In the end I'm so thankful to not be in control of that plane.

No matter where I am, what people do, or how I feel.... trust God!

Thanks VBS, for still teaching me things as an adult.

You are good.

When the sun starts to rise and I open my eyes
You are good, so good.
In the heat of the day with each stone that I lay
You are good, so good.

With every breath I take in, I'll tell you I'm grateful again.
When the moon climbs high before each kiss goodnight,
You are good.

When the road starts to turn around each bend I've learned,
You are good, so good.
And when somebody's hand holds me up helps me stand,
You are so good.

With every breath I take in I'll tell You I'm grateful again
'Cause its more than enough just to know I am loved,
And You are good.

So how can I thank You, what can I bring?
What can these poor hands lay at the feet of a King?
I'll sing You a love song.
It's all that I have, to tell You I'm grateful for holding my life in Your hands.

When it's dark and it's cold and I can't feel my soul,
You are so good.
When the world is gone gray and the rain's here to stay,
You are still good.

So with every breath I take in, I'll tell You I'm grateful again.
And the storm may swell, even then it is well and You are good.

Reflective Ramblings on Robinson

Tonight I went and saw the new movie about Jackie Robinson, 42, and it gave me the same feelings I always have when I watch (or read) something about someone who struggled through such strong prejudices. I feel angry. I feel sad. I feel mad. I feel determined. There was more than one occasion during the movie that I wanted to yell at someone or throw my popcorn at the screen. How could people be so cruel? How could they say such hurtful things? More importantly, how could you think that God loves someone less because of the color of their skin? One of my favorite lines in the movie is when Branch Rickey, President of the Brooklyn Dodgers says something along the lines of, "How are you going to feel when you meet God someday and he asks you why you wouldn't play baseball with a black man? What are you going to say then?"

How many situations in my life does that apply to? What am I neglecting that God wants me to see? How would I have responded if I lived in 1947 and was raised to think differently than I have been now? I struggled with this when I read and saw The Help two years ago and when I first saw Hairspray five years ago. So much segregation. So much prejudice. How can I make a difference, even today, when there are still prejudices out there that need someone to stand up for them? Lord, help me to see these needs and do something about it.

The most redeeming part of the movie for me was not actually part of what I watched on screen, but what I saw (and heard) in the theater. There is a scene in the movie where Robinson and the Phillies coach are going to shake hands and Robinson picks up a bat and suggests that they shake the bat so the coach wouldn't have to touch a black man. A few seats down from me a young boy, probably 10 or 11, turns to his dad and asks, "Why would he not want to touch him?"

Prejudice and racism are things we learn. Not things we are born with.

Knowing that this little boy didn't understand what was going on meant that he is living in a world where prejudice does not rule (or so I am assuming). We are not born with the instinct to think less of someone because they are a different color, race, religion, or ethnicity. How we interact is a learned trait from parents, friends, culture, and more. My prayer is that each generation would know less and less prejudice in every aspect of life.

"And he answered, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.'"

Luke 10:27 ESV

Cookies and a Cabinet Mount

So I saw this recipe on Facebook (not Pinterest, shocking right?) and thought I would give it a try (and, of course, alter it a bit). They were advertised as cookies, but I don't know if I would necessarily call them that. Maybe more like granola bar bites? I think they would be good for breakfast with a cup of coffee, but maybe not for dessert...

Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

3 mashed bananas

1/3 c. applesauce

1/4 c. almond milk

2 c. oats

1/2 c. raisins

1/2 c. chopped pecans

1/4 c. cranberries

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine all ingredients and scoop onto a cookie sheet. Use your fingers to press the cookies down, otherwise they will just bake as a ball and won't flatten out. Bake for about 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees until they look like this:

Only 57 calories per cookie. Not bad!

On another note, I finally got a kitchen cabinet mount for my iPad! It was in the clearance bin at Target for $20 so I bought it and I'm so excited to use it while I cook. I had it up today and it was incredibly helpful. It can be adjusted to different size tablets, so anyone who uses their tablet for recipes or music or anything in the kitchen...buy one!!

Pinterest, Pinterest, Pinterest

Bored during a commercial break? Pinterest. Waiting for someone? Pinterest. Kiddos napping at work with nothing else to do? Pinterest. Long evenings home alone? Pinterest. Need a recipe? Pinterest. Nothing new on Facebook? Pinterest.

Whatever would I do without the Pinterest app on my phone?

Probably have a lot more time to do other things and feel a lot better about myself. ha!

I was reading an article recently about how so much social media stuff is making people depressed about their own lives. Which makes sense for anyone who has ever been on pinterest....the dream weddings, clothes, homes, craft projects, meals, and more that are all perfect. Or so it seems. They don't show the whole picture: the mess of the kitchen after making that meal, the money it took to create that wedding, the hours spent at thrift stores to find the perfect item to upcycle into something crafty, etc, etc.

I have to keep reminding myself of these things. NOTHING is perfect. Why am I comparing myself to people and things that are only portraying the good {perfect} parts of their life, job, family, etc.? Sometimes I have to intentionally not be around any source of internet access and, ya know, actually read a book or talk to someone face to face without technology distracting us to remind myself that my life is full of blessings.

All that to say, it's fun to go on Pinterest and get new ideas for things, but I try to remember not to take it too seriously....otherwise I'll just get jealous and sad and lonely. And that's no good! SO tonight's pinterest trials are as follows:

#1 Vinegar/Orange cleaning spray.

You can find this on a million different websites and pinned all over the place, and I finally decided to try it since the kiddos ate oranges at work today. I had a whole bunch of orange peels and didn't have to eat tons of oranges to get them. Score! You're supposed to let this sit for two weeks (say a prayer I remember to get this out of the closet then...) and then pour in a spray bottle and clean away. Some websites advised mixing water in with this mixture, so we'll have to see how potent it ends up.

#2 Coconut Peanut Butter Magic Cake Bars

So many good things in one small bite! After work I whipped these up to take to an Alumnae Falconette Board meeting tonight and they were a big hit. SO easy to make, the recipe can be found at averie cooks. I used white chocolate chips instead of the butterscotch chips and I think they were just as yummy. 

All in all, I don't think Pinterest or social media of any kind is bad, as long as I can remember to keep everything in the proper perspective. Should I spend all my time browsing things that I wish my life was like? No, because that's not healthy. Is it okay to browse every once in a while and try new things? Yes, absolutely. 

Thanks, Pinterest, for inspiring me and helping me out when I'm stumped about a food/craft/decorating idea.

Spilled Milk

Excerpt from Just a Minute by Wess Stafford....


A famous research scientist was being interviewed by a newspaper reporter, who asked him why he thought he was able to be so much more creative than the average person. What set him so far apart from others?

He responded that, in his opinion, it all came from an experience with his mother that occurred when he was about two years old. He had been trying to remove a bottle of milk from the refrigerator when he lost his grip and it fell, spilling its contents all over the kitchen floor -- a veritable sea of milk.

When his mother came into the kitchen, instead of yelling at him, giving him a lecture, or punishing him, she said, "Robert, what a great and wonderful mess you have made! I have rarely seen such a huge puddle of milk. Well, the damage has already been done. Would you like to get down and play in the milk for a few minutes before we clean it up?"

Indeed, he did. After a few minutes, his mother said, "You know, Robert, whenever you make a mess like this, eventually you have to clean it up and restore everything to its proper order. So, how would you like to do that? We could use a sponge, a towel, or a mop. Which would you prefer?" He chose the sponge, and together they cleaned up the milk.

His mother then said, "You know, what we have here is a failed experiment in how to effectively carry a big milk bottle with two tiny hands. Let's go out in the back yard and fill the bottle with water so you can discover a way to carry it without dropping it." The little boy learned that if he grasped the bottle at the top near the lip with both hands, he could carry it without dropping it. What a wonderful lesson!

This renowned scientist then remarked that it was at that moment that he knew he didn't need to be afraid to make mistakes. Instead, he learned that mistakes were just opportunities for learning something new, which is, after all, what scientific experiments are all about. Even if the experiment "doesn't work," we usually learn something valuable from it. (151-152)


What a powerful image of giving kids an opportunity to make mistakes and let them know that it's okay. I pray that I can remember this story when my kiddos make a huge mess or spill something. Instead of responding in anger, I hope that I can respond with patience and the kindness of this mother.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Things I love about Sunday:

• My ritual of listening to worship music on Pandora while I get ready in the morning
• The sound of an excited "Hi Miss Emily!"
• Catching up with people after a busy week
• Singing with the kids
• Chatting with a puppet about Jesus and things we can learn from Him
• Problem solving when something doesn't run smoothly
• Sitting in the back of the church foyer chatting with a mom and their baby who doesn't want to be in the nursery (or quietly sit through the service)
• Seeing happy kids leaving KidTown, excited to come back again
• Taking naps on the couch

Things I love about THIS Sunday:

• The comfort of gray skies and rain that is still coming down, making the earth a lovely shade of green
• New curriculum to teach the K-3 kids
• Lunch with my brother at Orrapin on Queen Anne
• Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies
• Laying on the couch and reading my newest book, Just a Minute by Wess Stafford

Praising the Lord for all that is good and right on this Sabbath day.

"I say to the Lord, 'You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.' Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body will also rest secure." 

Psalm 16:2,9