Scene of the week - Trouble I tell you

Scene of the week - Sweet Victory

Abishai makes it to the 1st ridge, something he has been scared to do...

Mashed Chickpea Pitas

A yummy new recipe I found in this months Cooking Light.  Love it!

Mashed Chickpea Pitas

(serves 4)

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 Tablespoons greek yogurt or plain fat free yogurt

2 Tablespoons reduced fat mayo

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup cucumber, diced

1 Tablespoon dill (I used Thyme)

1 carrot shredded

2 6 inch pitas cut in half

4 leaves lettuce

Combine first 6 ingredients, through chickpeas and mash to desired consistency. Stir in cucumber, dill and carrot.

Line each pita half with 1 lettuce leaf and 1/2 cup chickpea mixture.  Enjoy!

Calories 185, Fat1.6g, Protein 9.5g, Carb 33.4 g, Fiber 3.8g

Scene of the week - "God does nice things."

Scene of the week - Nutella

Small but Neccessary Part

In San Diego we got to visit the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier, tour all its intricate parts, and learn about how they launched and landed aircraft, among other things.  It was awesome and definitely a highlight of our trip.  But the one thing I have taken away is this: that this huge ship, with over 4000 people on board, was a huge lesson in team work. To make it all happen each person had a job, one they must carry out exactly to order.  Even the mundane or menial jobs, like cooking or laundry, needed to be done to keep everything going.  No one person could survive without the other. No one person could be lazy or slack in their job.

It was a tangible example to me of the importance of everyone living out their different roles for the glory of the whole.  In my Christian life I have encountered within my heart, a less than willing spirit to do that which seems mundane, anticlimactic, or non-essential.  There have been times when I ached for the natural ability or gifting of someone else, simply because it seemed more useful or more "crowd pleasing."

I read these verses the other day:
"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 3:10
"So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.  We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us." Romans 12:5-6
I find it so ironic that we all ache to stand out and be different yet spend SO much time trying to be just like someone else...
Today I am going to remember that aircraft carrier, and try to embrace the fact that my calling in life is different than many others.  And in that way, I can work my part of the ship to the best of my ability.

Firsts

We made the decision awhile ago to home school our kids.  And this process officially begin this week.

It felt a little like jumping off into an unknown pool, of unknown size and temperature.  For weeks I stood at the edge, knowing looking wasn't going to make it any better.  One of these days I was going to have to just jump off.

What was so hard?  Well, I'll be honest.  While for some mothers sending their kids off to school meant hours of quiet time, additional time for exercise and coffee dates, etc.   For me it meant more death to my own selfishness.  ( Not that sending your kids to school doesn't require sacrifice.  You sacrifice having them near you, you sacrifice time driving and dropping off and packing lunches and making their homework happen. ) In reality I thought I had already denied enough parts of myself.  I had given my time, my hobbies, my body, and not kept much in reserve.  But we are always called to sacrifice that one more level.

Now, in the mornings school must come first.  Play dates and errands and even cleaning would have to be given up if necessary to make school happen.  Otherwise we would never stay on schedule.  "What I want to do" was now even further down on my "todo" list.  To say a part of my heart was and is reluctant might be an understatement.

Earlier in the week, as I was preparing for school I also encountered my first "what am I thinking?  Can I really educate my child?"  I was supposed to iron on a label on a bag for our reading curriculum and it wouldn't work.  My good friend, Christine can attest to my confusion.  All I kept thinking was, "I cannot iron on a stupid label, how on earth am I going to actually teach the curriculum?"

Well, so you all know.  The first week was fun, smooth, and successful.  Anibel stopped me every few minutes the first day to say, "I am having SO MUCH FUN!" And I find that little bit of freedom I had to give up, isn't really missed at all.  And I did finally get that stupid label on the bag...

The horse is made ready for the day of battle,

but victory rests with the Lord.

Proverbs 21:31

Scene of the week - Coffee, Mama?