Pumpkin Project Ahead

In the spirit of cooler weather and healthy competition, my boss handed each of us a pumpkin at yesterday's meeting.

"Get these decorated by next Monday--any way you like."

Ooooooooo. :)

As much as I've bucked all my life against forced creativity required for school projects, this is one time when I feel liberated by the mandate to make something pretty. No, I can't do laundry or cook right now. My boss told me to decorate this. 

Here are the links to my current sources of inspiration:

• A black and white design
• Finger-painted flowers
• Following the geometric trend
• A slew of cute ideas from Better Homes and Gardens

We will display them in the lobby until Christmas is more in style...and then I have a feeling hubby and I will be eating pumpkin pie. :) 

Being Like the Blond

It was the year I turned five, and her hair was bottle-blond. Blond and curly.

That’s all I can remember about my Sunday School teacher’s appearance, but I vividly remember the love I felt in her class. She gave soft, frequent hugs, and her excitement about Jesus was magnetic. She probably didn't have a great singing voice, a perfect figure, or a seminary degree, but she loved two people well: me and Jesus.

Flash forward to another teacher, a taller, ganglier me. This time I remember the lipstick. It was sunset orange, and whenever she saw me it was stretched wide into the most welcoming smile. Ms. Kay had sadness in her life—I found out later—but she was full of Jesus’ joy and it spilled out on all of us.

(found on the website for iHeart Radio)

Even as a kid, I saw the impact that their love and willingness had on my own attitude toward Jesus, the Bible, and ministry. Jesus wasn't only for adults. We worshiped him kid-style: with fun tunes and hand motions and wiggling that exactly expressed how I was learning to know Him. We were kids and He was the One who held kids on his lap, who loved us and our Picasso-esque attempts to color him.

So why share the memories with you today?

After years of being a kid in the class, a teenage helper, and more recently a volunteer teacher, I'm humbled and thrilled to take on the role of Sunday School Coordinator for the older classes!

I will be working under one of our pastors, helping to choose the curriculum, stock the supplies, and train our awesome volunteer teachers and helpers. We're even dreaming of how to use the puppets and costumes that I have stashed in a box in my living room!

I don't have a degree in kid's ministry or elementary education, and I am the first to admit that any parent will probably know how to manage their kid better than I will. Honestly, when I let myself dwell on my inadequacies and the magnitude of what I've signed up for, I start to tremble a little in my new Chacos.

But God loves to use small stuff and weak people. Like the beloved ladies of my past, I don't have all my junk together, but I'm learning that God cherishes willingness and humility more than talent. May I be so.

Salty and Everlasting

One of my best and longest friends got married this weekend!  But before we all indulge in the gorgeous photos, I have a question: Have you ever heard of a salt covenant?

Instead of a unity candle, my beautiful friend and her new husband poured salt from two containers into a common one as part of the marriage vows.  Just as you could never return every grain of salt to it's original owner, their covenant will never be broken.

This might sound similar to the newly popular unity sand that some couples choose to do, but because the salt itself is a throwback to ancient Biblical offerings to the Lord, it means far more than inseparability. In the Law of Moses, it says:

"Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings." Leviticus 2:13

The pastor explained that in ancient Middle Eastern culture, salt was essential for curing wounds, preserving food, and was even used as money. Soldiers were often paid in salt rather than gold, which is why we still refer to a good worker as "someone worth his salt". (You always wondered, didn't you?) Wars were fought over access to this essential mineral, and it was seen as a symbol of permanence and purity.

It was valuable, which meant that it cost the giver something.
It was used to heal.
It was used to season and preserve the goodness of food.
It could cleanse impurities.
And it created thirst.

My friend and her husband were charged to be like the salt of their covenant, and I, listening, was stirred to do the same.

Here is a link to the blog where I believe the pastor got most of his information about the salt covenant. 

The Best Fruit Tart in the World!

Soon after I got married to a husband who can't tolerate gluten in his diet, my family decided--independently of our influence--to try life without gluten. After finding that they had more energy, less allergies, and less digestive problems, they made the switch permanent. I certainly don't mind; it makes it easy for us when we visit!

The last time we visited, Mom made this mouth-watering fruit tart for my birthday that is quickly becoming my favorite dessert of all time. I asked her for the recipe, and then realized....hey! My bloggy friends might enjoy this too!

So here you go: I'm sharing the love. 

INGREDIENTS:

• Gluten free cookie mix. (We used the Betty Crocker GF chocolate chip cookie found at WalMart in the regular cake section)
• 2/3 c. sifted powdered sugar
• 12 oz. softened cream cheese
• 1/2 c. whipping cream
• 1 T. orange juice
• Various fruits--whatever is pretty and in season
• Glaze:
• 2 T. apricot preserves
• 1/2 T. orange juice

Make the crust using GF cookie mix. Form it on a pizza pan with parchment paper under it. Bake according to box instructions.

Whip together cream cheese, powdered sugar, whipping cream and 1 T. orange juice for the filling.  Spoon onto cooled crust and chill 1-4 hours.

Arrange fruit on top such as kiwis, raspberries, strawberries, papaya.....

Heat topping ingredients until liquid.  Drizzle over fruit. Enjoy!

NOTE: for those who are not gluten intolerant, you can of course use a normal cookie mix for the crust. :)

My 25th Birthday!

This post is now more than one month overdue. *sheepish grin* Who knew that being one-quarter century old would bring with it so many time-consuming responsibilities?

As a special calendarial treat, my birthday fell on the long, Labor Day weekend. So of course we had to celebrate with a road trip to see my family. Bank holidays cannot be wasted when one is a bank teller!

We drove...

Upon arrival we devoured my mom's FABULOUS gluten-free fruit tart instead of birthday cake.

We finished the evening with an excellent indy film that was simultaneously edgy and heartwarming. Not the best for young kids, but the perfect discussion-sparker for highschool and college students.  If you haven't seen the movie rendition of Don Miller's popular book, Blue Like Jazz, then you should!

The next morning, we enjoyed a traditional tea-party breakfast that is usually reserved for Christmas...

And took a few whacks at a pinata with some good old friends before driving south!

Oh, and I can't forget the awesome present my hubby gave me. Yes, I have caved and joined the free-trade granola brigade. I am now the proud owner of Chacos.  You can blame Colorado.