Sabbath In The Woods

1 June, 201316 November, 2014Marissa

This Sabbath is our local church group’s bi-annual meeting in a log cabin (it’s a very nice cabin made out of old pine electric poles with meeting room and a kitchen). We have a potluck (I baked blond brownies) and, if the weather holds, we’ll have a chance to go walking on some lovely hiking trails.

I don’t think there’s any better place to spend the Sabbath than surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handywork,” and the same can be said of the earth (Ps. 19:1).

For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse (Rom 1:20).

This passage always amazes me. It seems to be saying that even if we didn’t have the Bible, there’s enough evidence in the world around us to reveal God. And yet, the people who spend their lives studying the world come up with some pretty bizzar theories to explain away God. For example, here’s a passage from Michio Kaku’s Physics of the Impossible:

There are scores of “accidents” involving the constants of nature that allow for life. Apparently, our universe lives in a “Goldilocks zone” of many parameters, all of which are “fine-tuned” to allow for life. So either we are left with the conclusion that there is a God of some sort who has chosen our universe to be “just right” to allow for life, or there are billions of parallel universes, many of them dead. (page 240-241)

What amazes me is that when confronted with the option to believe in God or the multiverse, so many people would rather believe “there are trillions upon trillions of possible universes” (page 239). If this version of string theory were correct, these universes are like soap bubbles floating in “eleven-dimensional hyperspace. These bubbles can join with other bubbles, split apart, and even pop into existence and disappear” (page 239). And apparently this makes more sense than believing in God.

Perhaps Dr. J Budziszewski was right when he said, “Though it always comes as a surprise to intellectuals, there are some forms of stupidity that one must be highly intelligent and educated to commit” (Escape from Nihilism).

Potato Soup and Bread

29 May, 20138 July, 2014Marissa

Chunky Potato Soup with my unimpressive bread

I tried something new for dinner last night. I’d been feeling like potato soup and a nice crusty bread for days, and finally decided to make it. I couldn’t find a potato soup recipe I really liked, so I combined elements from this recipe and this recipe. I must be getting better at doing this, because it was such a hit I’m not going to have to do any more tweaking.

For the bread, I started with this Rosemary Olive Oil Bread recipe. But since I had no rosemary (and the texture reminds me of pine needles) I altered the recipe a little. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out quite like I hoped. I thought it was a complete failure, but the rest of my family said they liked it. Or, more specifically, my brother told me “Maybe I like it ’cause it tastes like flour and I like eating flour.” Needless to say, I’ll be doing more work on that recipe.

Speaking of working on bread recipes, I’m going to start experimenting with gluten-free, egg-free breads leavened with baking soda. I like a cooking challenge, so this is going to be interesting.

Chunky Potato Soup

3 cups/ 4 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 small carrot, chopped

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

½ cup sour cream

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped chives

½ cup shredded cheese

In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes, carrot, broth, and dried seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add 1-3/4 cups milk. Combine flour with remaining milk; stir to form a smooth paste. Add to soup, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Add a small amount of hot liquid to sour cream; stir to mix. Gradually add to soup, stirring constantly; heat through but do not boil. Add fresh herbs. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese until melted.

Weddings

25 May, 2013Marissa

I’m about to leave to attend a friend’s wedding, and it has me thinking of that future wedding day the Church will share with Jesus Christ.

Rev 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Rev 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

‘Wedding Day” by Casting Crowns has become my favorite contemporary Christian song. I hope you enjoy it, too. Happy Sabbath, and God bless.

God’s Love Story — PDF online

19 May, 2013Marissa

The final version of what I’m going to call an “e-booklet” is now online. You can download “God’s Love Story” and read a chapter outline at this link.

Here are a couple excerpts. This first is from the introduction.

One reason we gravitate towards tales of heroism, rescue, and love is that there is a basic need in our souls for a relationship with God and His Son. Stories where the handsome prince rides up and rescues the fair princess speak to our longing to know the Prince of Peace, Who laid His life down to rescue His bride from captivity to sin. Jesus Christ is the most powerful, most loving, and most perfect hero-lover to ever exist, far surpassing even the most ambitious human attempts to fashion a story’s hero. The Bible is a living, dynamic book that includes instruction, history, prophecy, and a revelation of the plan of God which reads like a story. My personal theory as to why the Bible reads like a story is because our idea of what makes a good story comes from the sequential narrative God uses to reveal His plan.

This paragraph is from a discussion in Chapter 5 about the Greek words translated “love.”

While agape is a higher kind of love, I think there is something amazing in recognizing that it is not the only love God has towards us. Before His crucifixion, Jesus told His disciples that after His resurrection, “ye shall ask in My name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father Himself loveth you, because ye have loved Me, and have believed that I came out from God.” (Joh. 16:26-27). The Father has phileo for those who have phileo for His son. This means the Father Himself has common interests and friendship with those who love and believe in His Son. In this context, it is certainly not a lesser love than agape. Philos is an incredible kind of love to share with the creator of the universe.

I hope those of you who choose to download and read the full e-booklet find it edifying and encouraging. I would love to hear your feedback.

General Tso’s Chicken

16 May, 20138 July, 2014Marissa

This is one of the recipes that has earned me the title “Red-Headed Chinese Chef” here at home. The original recipe came from a forwarded e-mail, and I don’t know the exact source. It’s one of the more involved Chinese recipes I make and takes at least an hour to prepare (count on longer for the first time making it), but it’s well worth the effort. We mainly cook this for special occasions — it is the dish my mom requested for Mother’s Day.

The most important step for this dish is frying the chicken. You want to make sure the breading is sticky, almost to the point where you can’t stir the chicken/breading mixture. That will make for a nice crispy coating that won’t get soggy once you add the sauce.

General Tso’s Chicken

Chicken/Breading

3 lbs. chicken meat (this recipe tastes best with thigh meat, but chicken breast works as well)

¼ cup soy sauce

1 tsp pepper

1 egg

1 cup tapioca starch (corn starch will work as well)

Cut chicken into medium-size chunks. In medium bowl, mix chicken, ¼ cup soy sauce and pepper. Stir in egg. Add 1 cup tapioca starch and mix until chicken pieces are coated evenly. Chicken should be sticky with coating. If breading seems too thin, add more starch.

Add a little vegetable oil to help separate chicken pieces. Divide chicken into small quantities and deep−fry until crispy.

Sauce

½ cup tapioca starch

¼ cup water

1 ½ tsp. minced garlic

1 ½ tsp. minced ginger root

¾ cup sugar

½ cup soy sauce

¼ cup rice vinegar

¼ cup rice wine

1½ cup hot chicken broth

For sauce, mix cup tapioca starch with water. Add garlic, ginger, sugar, ½ cup soy sauce, vinegar, wine, and chicken broth. Stir until sugar dissolves. Refrigerate until needed.

Place a small amount of oil in wok and heat until wok is hot. Add 4-10 hot peppers and stir−fry briefly. (The number of peppers depends on how hot you want the dish and the type of peppers you are using. Lately, I’ve been using frozen cyan peppers, and I need 4-6.)

Add desired vegetables and stir-fry. (I use broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower. Some General Tso’s Chicken is served without vegetables, others with only broccoli and water chestnuts. It’s an individual choice.) Stir sauce and add to wok. Place chicken in sauce and cook until sauce thickens. Serve with hot rice.

A Love Story

11 May, 201311 May, 2013Marissa

Once upon a time there was a family of two mighty Beings. Their relationship of love was so close that They were often known by a single name. One day, They decided that They wanted to share Their love with others. But instead of creating little robots, They made people who, like themselves, had freedom of choice. They made a beautiful home for these people and created marriage to give Their creation a taste of the relationship they were intended to have with their Creators. The new people were also given one simple rule to follow.

But these people would not follow their Creators’ rule. This made the mighty Beings sad, because They knew that the penalty for not obeying this rule was an eternal, final death which would exclude Their creation from being part of Their family. In Their infinite love, one of these Beings promised to come to the world one day and die in their place.

As the years passed and the people increased in multitude, He chose a special people to whom He spoke and whom He loved more fully and purely than the best of husbands loves his wife. He rescued them from flood, fought against their enemies, and freed them from slavery, but they turned away from Him like an unfaithful wife. He was jealous and angry, but He never stopped loving them. And true to His promise, He did come to their world and took on himself the penalty justice demanded for His people’s wrongs. In doing so, He gained the name of Son and the Being who sent Him became known as the Father.

The first marriage the Son had made with His people, the marriage to which they had been unfaithful, ended with His death. But the love that these Beings had for their creation did not end. His Father brought Him back to life and gave back the power He had before coming to the world They had created. They offered Their creation a new marriage agreement which was faultless and eternal. They offered redemption and an opportunity to live forever with Them as the Son’s beloved bride.

Some people did not believe anyone would dare to die for them. Some did not believe that anyone needed to die for them. But there were others who realized what the Son had done and were so in awe of Him that they devoted their lives to making themselves ready for this marriage. They knew that the One who loved them enough to die for them would return to bring them into His Father’s house as His bride.

It felt as if they waited a long time. But just as He had delivered His people from perils in the past, so did He powerfully aid His bride for the time that she had to be away from Him. And finally, in a triumphal victory over evil and death, He returned to claim the bride who had made herself ready for him.

The wedding feast was grander than anything ever imagined. The family, finally grown according to the plan these Beings envisioned when They first made creation, overflowed with love.

And They lived happily ever after.

This is the short creative piece that I use to introduce my longer study paper/short e-book “God’s Love Story.” I’ll be posting the full text of this paper next weekend.