I've been thinking a lot about a verse lately. As a kid, it was one of the ones that always made it onto the memory verse song tapes (Steve Greene's are the ones I'm thinking of).
"Do everything without complaining..."
It was a great tune. I still love it, and it still goes through my head pretty often.
"...without arguing..."
Then, with the song surprisingly close by in my ears, I often complain anyway. Out loud. Inside. The Bible doesn't say complaining is fine as long as it's internal. It simply says not to do it.
And it says there's something we can become if we follow its directions. Something I really want to be.
The KJV puts it like this: "Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world." Philippians 4:14, 15
Remember that word murmuring? It's used a lot when the Bible talks about how unthankful the Israelites were in the wilderness, even in the face of God's amazing miracles. The Bible says we can't be the light of the world that Jesus wants us to be if we're always murmuring. And how could we? When we talk and think about the negative things, how can we be spreading good news about our good God?
The version they used in the song went like this: "Do everything without complaining or arguing so that you may become blameless and pure children of God."
So when we are complaining, we're not only missing out on being the light, but we're also missing out on being God's children at all.
Pretty serious stuff. And just in case you're wondering? I wrote this post for me. I'm sure none of you ever get tempted to complain or gripe about anything like I often do. :)
So just a reminder for myself--when life gives you lemons and plenty of them, make lemon juice and use it to fight a cold. Or do something else nice with them. If we're even a little bit patient, it doesn't take long to see that God really is working everything out for good.
My husband's teaching schedule this fall makes for an early morning breakfast and a lunch break around 2:30 p.m. We've always kind of liked the idea of having two larger meals a day instead of three, but this is the first time such a meal plan would have remotely worked.
While I like the idea, it takes some re-thinking and new brainstorming to come up with breakfasts that are filling enough to last so many hours! Most of my kitchen things will be here soon, which will make it easier, but for now, I have to have very simple things to prepare, as well as hearty things.
I don't know about you, but when I think of fruit, I usually think of a light meal. I LOVE fruit, and so does my husband, so I've wanted to have lots of fruit in the mix even though we need good solid meals.
Thus I was excited to remember something my former social-committee coworker who taught me how to make sweet coconut rice.
Here's how.
Start with whatever amount of brown rice you need for your family, and omit some of the water you would normally add. When the water is almost cooked out, add a can or two of coconut milk (look for whatever brand that has the fewest ingredients). You want the end consistency to be rice that will stick together.
When the rice is done, add honey, to taste.
Top the rice with all manner of fruits and nuts. Today, we did it with apples, bananas, raisins, almonds, peanut butter, and pumpkin seeds. Other times, I've had it with pineapple and other tropical fruits. Both ways have been delicious.
The combination of coconut milk and whatever nuts or nut butters we add make this meal one that sticks longer than, say, your average bowl of hot or cold cereal.
Making jam last week and this week was a delightful first for me. I wanted to make it last summer, but comprehensive exams may or may not have stood in the way. Oh, and moving. That stood in the way too.
This year, I was determined to pick and freeze strawberries, as well as make jam. While it's not the season yet for a lot of you, and the farms here are saying it will be another week or so for us, I did do some price checking. At Costco, they are selling the berries for ten cents a pound less than the you-pick place I know of. You can guess, right, that I did not wait to pick my own?
Because I'll do a lot to save a dime, but if I save a dime and actually work less to save it? Sign me up.
And because there are changes coming in our household, and I don't know from day to day what I'll be doing or where I'll be, let alone where I'll be living by July. (That surprise place may come before then, even).
Thus, NOW is a good time for strawberries. They won't go in the freezer, since frozen goods don't travel well. And rather than give up on preserving berries because life is full of change, I want to be resilient in the midst of the changes. Which means preserving so that the berries will not be perishable. Which means making jam. And possibly fruit leather....but that doesn't last long when I'm around!
As a result, there are a dozen or so little jam jars sitting full around the house, ready to be packed for a move or eaten, whichever comes first.
{Being ignorant of jam making and somewhat in a hurry since the strawberries were already in my car, I just bought pectin and followed the recipe on the container. It worked exactly like it said it would, and the jam is yummy. In the future, though, I want to try low- or no-sugar options, or freszer jam. Would love to see recipes and hear experiences from any of my readers who know more than I do!}
I've struggled so many times with how to get soup safely to potluck. So let me just go on record with an award of brilliance to the person with the rubber bands, who I don't even know.
Here's how it worked: The pot had two handles on the side, and a handle on the lid. One rubber band wrapped around a side handle and the handle on the lid. The other rubber band wrapped around the second side handle and around the lid as well. That lid wasn't going anywhere!
Thank you, person whose name I don't even know, for saving my future pots of soup from sloshing all over the car.
