thought for today...

Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart; 

a wise person draws from the well within.

Proverbs 20:5

The Message

This week, in the U.S., the birthday of Martin Luther King was celebrated.  There were many quotes of his posted on Facebook and Twitter.  One of them stood out for me above the others...

The time is always right to do what is right.

 The older I get the more empowered I feel.  I remember when I turned forty my Auntie Martha told me that I was now old enough to do what I want to do.  As I get closer to fifty I realize how much more courageous I am becoming.  Meaning that I feel more at ease speaking my mind, having an opinion, and acting on what I believe.

 The verse from Proverbs reminds me that knowing what is right is important.  Quite often I know that right thing deep within my heart. It is usually my head that needs convincing.  Drawing from the well of wisdom in the heart challenges me to do more and to not just think about it.  So, for me, whether that means speaking up about injustice, confessing the pain in my heart or even talking about my issues with food...I know that this year I will be more inclined to surrender to the call to do the right thing.

And like Dr. King said the time is always right to do it. 

Is there a right thing you need to be doing?  

linking up with:

Tasty Tuesday- Cream of Something...

There are many times when we cannot find exactly what we want here in the markets.  Times when we can find it...but it is outrageously expensive because it is imported.  And times when it was available a month ago but not now.  Those are the times when I turn to my cookbooks or get online to find a substitute.  As I was looking through recipes that I have saved on Pinterest I found one that will come in handy for sure.

Cream of "Something" Soup Mix

photo from One Orange Giraffe

 

 recipe

1 cup non-fat dried milk

3/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup bouillon, your choice of flavor (if you have cubes you have to smash them up)

4 Tablespoons freeze dried minced onions 

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme or parsley 

1 teaspoon pepper

For the equivalent of one can of condensed cream soup,

 mix 1/3 cup dry mix with 1 1/4 cup water.

 Cook until thick.

I have most of these ingredients on hand so all I need to do is run to the store for some bouillon and I can make a batch today.  If it works it will be a money saver for sure!  If you have recipes for other dried mixes just let me know...I would love to give them a try.

counting the gifts...

Just like many of you this was a busy weekend for us...

*we had a banquet to attend Friday night for Christian Leaders out at the YWAM base in Banana Bank.  We met several new people.  We were amazed by the turn out. Close to 100 people in attendance. I think most of the various ethnic groups and denominations here in Belize were present.  We had a great dinner, an inspiring speaker and awesome fellowship with other leaders from around Belize.

*Saturday morning was the first class of the new semester at Belize Bible Center.  We had 16 students show up for this second course on Christian counseling...some returning students and some for the first time.  And we were told to expect new people next week as well!  Tom taught on Defense Mechanisms and he was thrilled to be teaching again.

*Saturday evening Spencer came by with some of his YWAM friends.  It was a great time of laughing with them and getting to know them a little better.  

*Sunday service at church was refreshing and the message shared was right on time and in tune with what I needed to hear.  Next week because of the number of Asian believers in our church we will be celebrating Chinese New Year with a meal together after the service...and that is exciting to look forward to!

502.  morning walks with Tom

503.  a hot cup of tea with a friend

504.  great conversations that you don't want to end

505.  crispy salads loaded with veggies and salmon

506.  warm garlic bread

507.  a buffet line with a glimpse of Spencer in the background

508.  a tasty dinner and dessert while chatting with some leaders from the Mennonite community.

509.  candlelight and fresh cut flowers

510.  a free book of choice for each couple or single that attended

511.  Having Spencer spend his free day with us on Sunday.
512.  A timely message from Pastor Underwood for me to process the week.
513.  the sun shining after the rain.
514.  being inspired by Tom's commitment to walk more.
515.  experiencing the calm that comes from breathing in deeply and letting it out
516.  realizing that although we don't have much materially...we truly are rich.
517.  Time with Spencer's new friends from YWAM
518.  the joy of five sugar free days last week

519.  learning not just to sing but to pray this chorus:

Lord, prepare me

to be a sanctuary.

Pure and holy,

tried and true.

With thanksgiving

I'll be a living sanctuary for You.

520.  appreciating the difficulty in this process of surrendering all that I hold dear to Him.

521. the delight of knowing that we are exactly where God wants us to be.

522.  a counseling client who is growing and changing and experiencing a fuller life!

523.  teens who desire to work through their feelings and issues in counseling.

524.  the diversity of cultures here

525.  Reading The Hunger Games late into the night.

526.  watching documentaries with Spencer on a quiet Sunday afternoon

527.  a bag filled with oranges from a gracious couple at church

528.  the calming smell of a freshly peeled orange permeating the air.

529.  homework from Tom's class that challenges the mind and the spirit

530.  for His enduring love that becomes more palpable each day

joining in with the gratitude community:

God, grant me the serenity to accept my cravings!

Does the Serenity prayer work for sugar addicts lovers?  I am trying to understand my cravings.  What they mean and why I have them.  I went five days without sugar or caffeine.  And that is probably a good thing.  

My headache is gone.  I am not as tired.  The fog has lifted.

Today I promised to have tea with a friend.   And Tom and I are attending a banquet tonight.  What temptations will I have to face?  I am not sure.  I know that moderation is the key.  Before the holidays I would only bake once a week.  I didn't feel compelled to eat a cookie or indulge with a candy bar everyday.  I was able to keep treats in the treat category and not move them into the field of entitlement.

You know how the entitlement thing goes right?  

I deserve this because... 

 I earned this because...

I find that I can talk myself into or out of whatever I want to talk myself into or out of. 

Don't we all? 

 Or is it just me?

During my year of Surrender I am looking at my eating habits.  My goal is to have freedom with restraint.  To set limits and stick to them.  That is why I took the sugar break.  To get my mind right.   To refocus. To pray about this year with a clear head.  And I made it through.

Even with a Butterfinger candy bar in the freezer...I didn't cave.  

I set a realistic goal for myself knowing that I had the power to reach the goal if I really wanted to.  

And I did.

Next week I am thinking of giving up bread...that one might actually be harder!

Seven years without a dryer...

During the rainy season here in Belize I find myself daydreaming about dryers...exciting, huh?

Seriously, though.  No lint on the towels or dog hair in the socks. Joy!

Since we left California we have not owned a dryer.  When we lived in Russia a washing machine was given to us as a gift from a small group in Kansas.  And we had a drying rack inside the house.  Dryers there were unbelievably expensive.  Perhaps prices have come down now.  Back then we thought that $1200 US for a basic dryer was a luxury we could not afford. 

We got used to this life.  Washing clothes a day or two ahead of when you need them.  The real sacrifice is with jeans and towels.  However, if you add enough fabric softener they come out okay.  With towels you can even iron them if you want that soft warm fresh out of the dryer feel.  

Here in Belize we have a washing machine, a clothesline outside and a couple of drying racks inside for when it rains.  Today as I was hanging up clothes in the laundry room I caught a glimpse of the space where the dryer would go.  Dryers here range in price from $650 to $1500 US.  

I got to thinking though.  We live in a good neighborhood.  Many of our neighbors are professional people.  There is a doctor behind us.  An architect a couple houses over, a few university professors live close by. 

Everyone hangs their clothes out on the line.

There is sun here pretty much year round.  

Even in the rainy season you can hang clothes out at least once a week.  

this photo was taken in a small village not far from Belmopan

I love the seeing clothes sway in the wind. 

 I love how they smell when you take them off the line. 

So we have adapted to the culture around us.  I don't have a strong overwhelming desire to buy a dryer.  It would be nice to have some days.  The dry season is coming on strong.  It is getting warmer every day. If we were going to buy an appliance to make my life easier I would rather have an air conditioner...but that is another post.  The cost of electricity here is outrageous!

thought for today...

No matter what direction we are going in our car this compass always has the same reading.  I didn't notice it at first.  Because I don't use it to navigate around town. It was on our trip to Maya Beach for our anniversary when it dawned on me that something was wrong.  The problem is that it has a leak in it.  And the ball is stuck now in one position.

I feel like that sometimes.  Stuck.  

Our life is still moving forward and our ministry here in Belize is growing and active.  

But, there are days when I feel like I should be farther ahead than what I am spiritually and emotionally. 

 Tom and I turn 49 this year.  50 is gaining on us.  We should be grown ups by now.  

Following God's direction gets me back on course.  Time in the word helps me move forward on the path toward Him.  Toward spiritual growth and emotional healing.  I love this verse in the The Message because it reminds me that I won't stay stuck if I keep moving toward Him.  I will make it.

linking up with:

Tasty Tuesday...kind of.

This is a melancholy post...so be warned!  I don't often do this publicly.  Seven years ago we sold our home in California and embarked on this missionary journey.  We stayed in various homes in several different states until leaving for Russia in April of 2005.  We have said  goodbye a lot since then.  But, whether it is a life change or a location change it still is a change... and that means letting go of what was to accept and embrace what is.  And I am trying to doing it sober.  For me, that means not medicating with sugar as I would love to  do.  After all of the holiday indulging however, today is day three of no sugar.

I would love to eat my feelings away.

I mean...these would help, right?

Baked Apple Empanadas

or this

Cinnamon Roll Cookies

I could easily bake a cake or fry some donuts and get lost in the flavors and aroma for a while.  But that would be self sabotage.    So, I need to remember to breathe, let go and move again today.  Why is this so hard?  I mean, seriously?  I think it is because today I miss the daily interaction from when Nathan and Spencer still lived at home.  You know, the talking face to face and the hugs. Now we are all back to texting and Facebook to stay in touch.  Growing up sucks.

There are ribs in the crock pot and veggies in the fridge that need to be turned into something to go with the ribs. Tom is out doing the shopping and running errands.  So before I chicken out of letting you all know how I am really feeling today, it is time to hit publish, jump in the shower and finish my pity party with a good cry while I wash my hair.  

counting the gifts...

breathe, let go and move on.

Spencer moves out to Banana Bank today to work at the YWAM base there.  We know we are letting him go into good hands.  And that he will be a 15 minute drive away.  And yet, it still feels like a loss.  We had a family Skype time with Nathan and though I could see his face and was grateful... it makes it hard to wait for June when we will all be together again.  I am struggling learning to breathe, let go and move on to whatever comes next.  

This will be our first full week back in the counseling office since the holiday break began. There is a banquet on Friday night for Christian leaders and their spouses.  On Saturday Tom starts teaching the second counseling course at Belize Bible Center.  We have a full week ahead.  So we must breathe, let go, and move on with the tasks before us.  

and I am so grateful that there are gifts to count along the way...

487.  dinner with our new friends Dion, Andrea, and their children, Kaelen, Janae and baby Zaira

488.  making enough pizzas for us all.
489.  the joy of watching the children eat several slices of pizza and the salad to go with it.
490.  carrot apple slaw.
491.  Skype calls with the whole family.
492.  long lazy Sundays.
493.  homemade treats from Mom & Dad Sharp.
494.  Christmas gifts for Harley, our dog, too!

495.  watching 1940's House

496.  discovering Downton Abbey

497.   bursts of color in our front yard

498.  watching the hummingbirds enjoy the flowers

499.  and the butterflies

500.  being moved to tears by a few of the poets and their stories

while watching Louder Than a Bomb.

501.  the opportunity to breathe, let go and move on.

joining in with the gratitude community:

Facebook Challenge...wanna play?!

Several of my friends are playing this game on Facebook:

1.  Find the song that was number one during the week of your birth

2.  Find the video on YouTube

3.  Post those videos on your wall without shame.

So here goes!

The day I was born:

I Will Follow Him by Little Peggy March

But, I happen to like this version better:

If you were born in 1963, like me,  you can click this link to find out your song:

1963 Number Ones

or for other decades click here

Number Ones

This all started on the Facebook wall of  Pop Culture Madness.  Now they even have a chart where you can look up when you were conceived so that you can figure out what the number one song was then too.

I wonder what they will think up next!?

Getting Crafty in Belize

Discovering Pinterest has led to a desire to do a few craft projects that I might not have attempted otherwise.  A fun one that I was inspired to take on is making a Plastic Tote bag from grocery bags.

First you have to make "plarn".  And you can find  instructions illustrated here or in done in photos here.  The number of plastic bags needed depends on the size of the tote you want to make.  I cannot remember how many grocery bags I used.  Tom remembers we had to go shopping a few times before I could finish.  Getting the white bags here was hard.  Most of the ones in our local shops here in Belmopan are various shades of black with blue lettering on them.  The white bags came from our trip to Spanish Lookout and from Tom's trip to the hardware store.

I didn't use a pattern I just made a chain for how wide I wanted my tote to be and then began crocheting in rounds until I had the length I wanted and finished with the handles.  You can find a pattern here if you need one.

I love my little tote bag and if we ever collect enough bags in a different color I will make another one!

There are over a hundred different projects over at The Artsy Girl Connection.  

Go over and check them out if you are interested.

Has Pinterest inspired you?!

thought for today...

Surrendering to the Call of Showing Gentleness

There are times in life when gentleness can accomplish that which force and fierceness cannot.

  Gentle answers can turn away wrath, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.  

I am to be clothed in gentleness, to pursue gentleness,

 and to give answers about the Hope I have with gentleness and respect.  

There is a gentle side to me and I am being asked to show it.  To make it evident. 

 I believe that showing gentleness is not the same as showing weakness. 

 It means showing a Christlike consideration for others.  That is something I can do.

May gentleness permeate my being during this year of Surrender and may it be evident to all.

linking up with:

Tasty Tuesday

Since we had Spencer with us for the holidays I decided to do a Russian style feast on New Year's Eve. 

 If you ever get a chance to visit Russia over a holiday being there on New Year's would truly be a treat. The celebration there has been called a Super Holiday.   Think Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, the Fourth of July and New Year's Eve all combined.  Typically gifts are exchanged this night, families are all gathered together, children and some adults will dress up in costumes, and the fireworks displays are just unreal!

It was just the three of us so I only made a few things. I started the night before with preparing this Poncho cake.  I will have to reveal how to make it later because I want to test out a few different things before I post the final recipe.  We will make the sacrifice of taste tasting until we get it just right!!  The cream was perfect...I just want to work on the sponge recipe before posting it.

It is basically a vanilla and a chocolate sponge cake cut up and soaked in a sour cream mixture then covered with the same mixture and drizzled with chocolate.

I think it turned out great!
Poncho Cake

and though my camera gave a yellowish tint to the photo you can still see the inside here...

The next morning I got up and made this Vinegret Salad

click for recipe

Crab Salad

This one is very simple:

1 can of corn, drained

1 can of crab meat

1 cup of cooked rice

4 Tbsp of mayonnaise

mix it all together and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.

Olivier Salad

click here for recipe

The Olivier is very popular in Russia and each woman has her own recipe for making it.  

I used chicken in mine and added in corn...one of our language school teachers made it that way.

It is also best to prepare a day ahead.

  It really tasted yummy on the second day!

and finally I made Plov (Pilaf)

Click for recipe

I used chicken and added raisins...my friend Djamila from Azerbaijan makes it that way.  I didn't have all of the spices listed in the recipe.  Again each woman would make it differently depending on what she is used to and has on hand.  I used mace, marjoram, cardamom, ginger, salt and pepper.  Just a little of each gave it just the right taste that we all remembered from that evening at Djamila's house.

It was a fun night for us...celebrating our second New Year's Eve in Belize,

 eating Russian food, and watching the American celebration on tv!

continuing to count the gifts in 2012

When I sat down to think about the days following Christmas I realized that the holidays bring the pace of life to an even slower beat than usual. We are learning these rhythms of Belize, holiday by holiday, as we go along.

Today and yesterday have been cool and rainy. The birds are calling back and forth. That is about the only sound on the street other than the occasional burst of fireworks.

Our neighbors are beginning to return from visiting their families in various villages and towns.  This is Spencer's last week full time with  us.  He will be moving to the YWAM base in Banana Bank to serve out there for the next ten months.  We are grateful for the three months he spent with us...but we knew he would be moving on to where he feels called.

My word for 2011 was joy.  I learned the joy of transition, the joy of flexibility and the joy of  living out our calling.  We spent this year serving at three different churches.  Speaking, teaching and preaching.  Learning more about the culture and getting accustomed to life.  We had never gone that long without a church home...and it was weird.  Finally, our service here was narrowed down to the counseling center at the Child Development Foundation and Tom teaching at Belize Bible Center.  As our counseling load grew we knew we were exactly where we supposed to be.  That realization was a joy in itself.

As I continue to count the gifts in 2012 I have also chosen a new word.  A word that reflects what I need to do and how I need to live.  I need to let go of Russia and fully embrace Belize.  I need to open my heart and soul to where I am right now.  I need to experience the joy of Surrender.  Not the kind of surrender that is giving up but the kind that means accepting.  Giving absolute control to a Power greater than myself so that I can fully live for Him.

471. The fullness of His love makes it worth it all.

472. raindrops on budding flowers

473. dogs who drink rain water off the porch

474.  driving through Corozal on our way to Chetumal, Mexico.

475.  my first time driving across the border of Belize and into Mexico

476.  meeting up with an online friend and her husband

477.  Spencer being so excited to make a new friend and add another countries stamp to his passport.

478.  Tom having a good time with our new friends too!

480.  A beautiful cutting board made from a 100 year old piece of mahogany wood.

481.  attending a multi-ethnic church and feeling at home

482.  listening to Spencer laugh in his room

483.  hearing Tom yell with excitement while watching an NBA game

484.  having people call us friends here in Belize

485.  smelling soup boiling on the stove on a nippy January day.

486.  the joy of surrendering to a new chapter!

joining in with the gratitude community:

Happy New Year!!

Merry Christmas!!!

I wish you the Merriest Christmas ever...

may you rejoice in the birth of Christ and be filled with exceeding great joy!

Silent Monks Singing Halleluia

I remembered this video from last year and thought you all might enjoy it...I sure did!