to find beauty

so there media week!

Over an early supper last night, I looked deep into my husband's brown eyes and asked him if he was ready to begin week 3 of our 'mutiny to excess' fast. Week three is the most dreaded of all weeks for us. Fast from media - tv, internet and all it's glories - does not sound like an appealing week for either of us to participate -- maybe its a sign we need to do it more? We know its possible - afterall, everything is possible with Jesus Christ, but with all the life stuff we are currently juggling taking away my hour or two of mindless entertainment is simply going to make me grumpy (or as Dave would say: grumpier). 

So, after some discussion, we are postponing Media week to another week (maybe during a week we plan to be camping or something, ha!), and will be continuing the fast on Clothing and Possessions. The reality being... we aren't done yet! I still have bags of clothes and shoes to give away in the hall way. We trip on them everyday! We haven't even looked at any other source of excess - movies, books, kitchen stuff - to weed through and give away. 

To be honest, we simply need to give ourselves some grace and more time to do it right. We've been running non-stop it seems, and I think it was on purpose that in the book 7, Jen Hatmaker takes a whole month for each different "fast," and gives herself and her family a couple weeks inbetween to prepare themselves for the weeks ahead. And even one of her friends on the Council has a hard time with media week and does her own limited version. This isn't about following a set of rules, I believe. 

So, we shall continue to unload our earthly possessions, and limit any excessive shopping. And Media week can just wait. We will "watch" our consumption of media this week -- limiting needless usage, etc, because its doable and probably better for us anyways. So there Media week!

 

mutiny against excess and me

I was inspired to mutiny after reading this post.

The author, D.L. Mayfield, was inspired (in part) after reading the book 7 : An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker. (I am half-way through and it's a life-changer book already!)

Not to boast, but I happen to know D.L. (like, in real life!) and have read her blogs for years. She writes with passion for the poor, the voiceless, the refugee, and the Kingdown of God. I confess... not once, not twice but many times I have finished reading something she has written and have felt very guilty. (Or is it shame, I can't remember. Maybe its laziness and apathy? Its all terrible.) 

So, rather than just push those feelings aside this time, I am trying to be a little more pro-active. In my head, I am thinking I could give up Facebook or something (not easy for me.) Afterall, its a very popular choice these days with Lent and the fact so many are addicted to it!

But that didn't seem like enough. And giving up something that I actually use daily in very practical ways seemed, well, impractical. I needed something more. I needed to do something that would challenge me in a very real way, teaching me how to love others better. [note: for one of the weeks, I do have to give up all things media and its going to be a very long week, I anticipate.]

Then I ran into dear D.L. at church, and I knew I couldn't just keep pushing what God was clearly trying to tell me away any longer. (More of Him, less stuff.) So, I pretty much invited myself over for coffee. It seemed like the best idea. If I was going to be starting the Mutiny Against Excess (as outlined in the blog), we couldn't go out to coffee. 

I've known D.L. for years. I know her family. I went to her wedding. But in this day and age (for me at least), actually visiting someone's home rarely happens. Technology always interferes (phones, emails, Facebooks, busyness etc.) Add the hype in my head that this is D.L. Mayfield, the awesome writer and activist... well, let's just say, I felt like I was entering the home of a celebrity. I felt like a total nerd.

Fortunately, nerdiness aside, it was a good visit. I left happy and excited to get started. I left longing to be better friend to her and others.

It was Day One of the Mutiny, and I was feeling awesome. I arrogantly believed that this week would be the easiest. We have a stocked pantry (thanks to my previous extreme couponing prowess). I was allowing myself some limited grocery shopping. Piece of cake.

Ha!

Let me tell you, it is Day Six and I am trying not to feel like a failure.

First of all, my $2 for each day of the week budget was blown. Fast. 

Second, I couldn't resist doing some couponing, which led to some dumb purchases. It also led to some much needed Nyquil for my sick husband.

Third... well, I guess there is no third. It was easy to NOT go out (even after being given a gift card for a favorite restaurant), and I liked cooking at home.... and made some delicious dinners too. 

And I have felt oddly hungry most of the time. I've used this hunger as a reminder to myself to pray for those who don't have a stocked pantry to get food from... who don't have the means and income to eat healthy... or eat at all.

I thought a lot about Nicaragua this week. When I visited in 2008, we walked through the dump where a small city of people lived. In tin shacks. Food was scarce. Clean water was precious. There was a small school inside the dump, which local churches ran. We spent a lot of time there with the kids. We were invited to a special party where the kids were given peanut butter sandwhiches and juice. I remember vividly, watching many of the kids save half their sandwhich for dinner later. Because there was no food later.

It was heartbreaking. 

Saturday night, I made beans and rice for dinner. I prayed for Nicaragua. The Villa Esperanza. The kids we met, and are probably grown now.  And I thanked God for His provision for me and my family.

We have so much.

---

Here is the description for Week 1 from the D.L. Mayfield blog:

Week one: Food
For this week, focus on how much you normally spend on eating: going out to restaurants, getting coffee, and even grocery shopping. Much of the world is living on $2 a day, but we spend much more than that on a single latte. Commit to limiting your food choices and your spending, and at the end of the week you should have cleared our some space in your pantry and freezer, and also be left with a nice sum of money (which we would then encourage you to donate to people in need).

Practical fast:
No eating out/drinking coffee out
Eat from your pantry/freezer
Limit grocery shopping as much as possible. If this means several dinners of beans and rice, then so be it. Enjoy the feeling of solidarity with the majority world!

Prayer focus:
Pray for those with limited access to food and clean drinking water.

 

a stereotypical back-to-the-blogosphere post

Hello? Anyone there?

It's me, Cori. I used to write here. I used to share funny stories about being single and wishing desperately for a husband. I wrote about my cat a lot, too. But then *magic* happened. I met the love of my life and on a chilly January evening (during sunset at the Oregon coast), he pulled a ring out of his pocked and asked me to be his wife. 

We got married. We lived at a homeless shelter. We moved. Our changes jobs changed. And changed. And changed. (Gotta love ministry!)

Marriage is awesome when you are married to your best friend. I learned (a lot about) the world of fake wrestling, discovered extreme couponing, and have logged countless hours playing Facebook games like Sims Social. We are a dual (note: not duel) church family, in that we serve and work for two different churches (of two different denominations, no less!) Our lives continue to spin and whirl before us, leaving precious blank spots in our calendar for friends and family... and well, each other. 

And maybe that's about to change? Maybe it starts with getting back into the saddle of writing to the few and far away. Maybe these next 40 days or so will help that out... Yesterday marked the first day of Lent, and even though I do not attend a church(es?)  that observes Lent in a super-serious way (at least from what I can tell), I've always loved the idea of intentionally choosing to give something up in order to invite Jesus into our heart to challenge, encourage, redeem or convict us... 

However, I am a little "bad" at keeping up with the whole 40 days deal... Blame it on a weak follow-through, even if it is for the Lord of Lords. So, when I read this post, I got pretty excited because even though its for 40 days (or so), it is broken down week-to-week. And each week is different: yee-haw!

 I decided to mutiny.

To put my hands in the air and wave the white flag. I give up. I am burned out and tired. I am drowning in the excesses of trying to do it all and have it all. Of missing friends and family. Of spending more time staring at screens than the sexy brown eyes of my beloved. Tired of tripping on laundry on the floor and piles of papers in the office.... when all I want is to feel freeeeeeeeeee!

I made a couple decisions. One, I am leading a small discipleship group for women. I grow best when I have others around me (according to Monvee, I grow best in the context of relationships.)  I also believe having people over on a weekly basis will force me to have a tidier home. (We'll see about that!) (The irony of adding something to my plate in order to feel less busy, is not lost on me, by the way.)

In my preparation for our first studyto be 'unpacked' tonight and reading over the chapter on Assurance, this verse stuck out at me:

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteosness. 
1 John 1:8-9

Good stuff. I shall conclude this "back-to-the-blogosphere" post with a confession because I wholeheartedly believe that He is faithful, just, and has promised to make all things right:

I need something to change. I want something to change. I profess that something WILL change.

Stay tuned for more rambling and what I may title: 'Mutiny of Excess and Me'.

(Also... I need my wonderfully gifted, handsome husband to help make my blog site look pretty again... hint, hint... so please excuse the boring page.)

emma's soup du jour

Kids can be funny little creatures. I've heard enough stories from friends about their kiddos refusing to eat anything but toast and mac 'n cheese to kids who are scared to poop to know its pretty normal. 

That doesn't make dealing with the stubborn nature of a three year old any easier. Fortunately for me, I am just the aunt... and my time with the (best-ever!) rugrats are limited to hours every other weekend or so... however, I am also the aunt who last Saturday night attempted to feed my neice dinner. Quite the feat!

My sister (the mom) had made fervent pleas that despite Emma's hunger strike (for anything not a cookie, it seemed) to only feed her little girl "healthy things."

The plan for dinner was rigatoni noodles, spaghetti sauce and meat balls. I thought if I engaged Emma with the cooking, maybe she would want to eat it. So, I had her lay out the meatballs on the cooking sheet.

But she got bored. 

So, I gave her a bowl with some tropical fruit cut up inside. She already had a cup of cran-apple juice and there was a small cup of diet coke nearby. I also gave her some cooked green beans. It was like a buffet of nibbles... or the ingredients for soup du jour.

I gave her the little egg beater. She went to work. Mixing all the ingredients with passion not unlike that seen on an episode of Chopped.

I thought to myself... why not, let's make it fun!

I gave her a spoonful of grated cheddar cheese. And a cup of diced peaches. I think she stole a couple meatballs too. (She saw Dave sneaking them off the pan after they cooked...)

She went to work. She was so, so excited about her "Emma soup" and kept saying she was making her own dinner.

Here's the final product:

Looks tasty, doesn't it? 

Dinner time. I gave Emma her noodles and meatballs (sans the red sauce, by request), and I told her to eat up! She took a big bite. I thought to myself: oh yeah, I am awesome. She's going to eat for me!

But then she stopped eating. Pushed her dish aside. Hunger strike?

Not quite.

She wanted her soup.

Yes, this is real. She sipped not one, not two, but three spoonfuls of the sweet 'n odd concoction.

And she said it was sooo yummy!

Oh boy.

The recipe:

Emma's Soup 

1 8oz cup papaya and pineapple in extra light syrup (tropical medley) 
1 4oz cup diced peaches in light syrup
1/4 cup cooked green beans, cut
1/2 cup cran-apple juice
1/4 cup Diet Coke
1/2 tablespoon grated mild cheddar cheese
2 small Italian-style meatballs 

 Mix together in bowl. Serves one wonderful little girl!

my phone

I told Dave I didn't want a new smart phone: No to the iPhone. No to the Droid. No to any phone that isn't worth much without a dataplan.

I've been feeling this conviction for awhile. When you're managing a tight household budget, and each month you're scrimping for gas and groceries and all the other household bills... it's really, really hard to see over $200 go to a cell phone bill. Is it worth it?

I asked myself what I used my phone for - perhaps a good rationalization would sway me to stay with my smart phone (really, just an older Storm Blackberry). But other than checking my gmail account (which honestly is mostly junk mail left over from wedding registries - they don't warn you about this when you register!) and playing some silly games... the bulk of what I use my phone for is... checking Facebook.

Really Cori?! You have a laptop for that... and is it really that important to check FB every hour on the hour?

No.

So, I've been wrestling this feeling to downgrade my phone for a couple months now... and last night I was forced to make a decision.

The screen on my phone went black. I've had the phone a year and half. Already the buttons were failing me, but without a screen, a TOUCH SCREEN phone is pretty much pointless.

I handed Dave the phone. I told him: "I don't want another smart phone. (I have insurance, so I could get another Blackberry for a fee...) Do whatever you need to do, but I want a regular phone. One that makes phone calls and one that I can text with... oh, and I'd like to take pictures still... Cancel the dataplan. I will be FREEE!"

My husband is awesome. He told me: "Cori, we will get a new phone for you and we won't pay anything. I got the skillz to pay the billz."

And sure enough, a couple hours later he called me (well, he called the church where I work, because I don't have a phone... doh!) and told me the great news: new phone, no dataplan, no extra fancy phone features, everything will be credited and removed, no extra charges. 

The new phone? Well, I get it tomorrow. It's an LG Accolade. Less bells and whistles, but the reviews are decent for a flip phone. We'll see if its love at first sight. If I have any regrets or experience envy over any of my friends' fancy phones... I will just tell myself: "You're saving $35 a month. You're saving $35 a month. You're saving $35 a month."

And to be totally honest: it feels really good. Like I am sticking it to the so-called "man"! Resisting temptation and wanting what everyone else has... I can't wait to see the savings on our bill!

Best of all, I feel like I am obeying God and what is best for my family.

french apple pie is delicious

I told my handsome husband tonight we needed to get a pie to celebrate the day.

He looked at me blankly. "Why? What's today?"

"You don't know?" (I can be a smartie-pants.)

"Your mom's birthday?"

"No. My mom's birthday is in October."

"Mardi Gras? St. Patty's Day? Monday?"

"No. And no. And no."

"Give me a clue?" he asks.

"Okay, it's something special about today, specifically about pie."

"I don't know Cori! Just tell me!"

"Okay, its sort of a smart person day." (I should have said it was a mathematical-themed day.)

He thinks out-loud: "It's March the 14th. The 14th of March. Pies. Smart. Huh?"

"You can do it; you're almost there!" I encourage.

His poor face looks distraught. I feel bad. I give up: "Okay, it's March 14th - 3/14... as in 3.14 ... as 3.14 equals pi thus we get pie!" I explain excitedly. Maybe a little too excitedly.

"Ah, well thats a MATH kind of smart thing!" He says - like I should have known better."What kind of pie do we get?"

--

Thus, the yummy french apple pie in front of me. Thank you nerdy math day!

--

(The Recipe: go to Marie Callendar's and order pie. Purchase. Enjoy.)

carrot-fennel bisque

One of the recipes I was looking forward the most to cook up was a carrot and fennel bisque from the Diabetes DTOUR Diet cookbook (pg 110). And I confess, WHY I wanted to make this soup was because I really, really wanted to buy a fennel bulb! Fennel is fast becoming one of my favorite new foods to play with! Its full of vitamin C and other good stuff, and it tastes delicious! I also love carrots... so a win-win for me!

Here's the recipe:

Carrot-Fennel Bisque

4 large carrots, halved lengh-wise [my carrots were more medium sized than big, so I used six]
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, with fronds reserved and cut into slices
1 large onion, cut into wedges [again, my onions were small, so I just two] 
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 cups fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth
1 can (12 oz) fat-free evaporated milk

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the carrots, fennel, onion and garlic on the baking sheet and drizzle with oil, turning veggies so they are coated. Roast for 45 minutes or until browned and very tender.

2. Combine the vegetables in a blender or food processor with 2 cups chicken broth. Blend or process until smooth.

3. Place the vegetable mixture in a saucepan with the milk and the remaining 1 cup broth. Heat over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the flavors meld and the soup is hot. Ladle into bowls (should serve at least 4) and top each with the fennel fronds.

Now, I confess, I added garlic salt and parsley flakes when it was warming on the stove. My own touch!

The recipe is pretty simple - even for me... However, I must have been tired or something... because in making this dish I set off the smoke detector (twice) AND the blender broke on me and soup went everywhere!  Not my best domestic diva moment! Dave tried to assist, but I promptly shooed him out of the kitchen - poor guy! 

Despite the mess in the kitchen, I think it turned out pretty well... Dave actually gave me an eight out of ten (not sure how much of that was pity points, but I'll take it!)

the joy of art

I've had this little art project "saved for a rainy day" for months and months and finally carved out the time to work on it this weekend!

My mom found this canvas at a thrift shop, and gave it to me because 1. she knows how much I love this shade of green and 2. it screamed: be creative with me! finish me! I've actually had the canvas hanging in our apartment (in Dave's bathroom) and was rather sad to paint over!  I quite liked the simplicity and colors.

 

What to do with it?

I recently heard of a fun artsy project from one of my artsy friends that I wanted to try out... Apparently, you paint layers of colors, designs and pictures on top of each other, creating texture and different shapes to emerge. I am not sure the all the specific details, but after you paint several layers, there is supposed to be a dominant image or theme emerge. You then use a Sharpie to outline the shapes and doodles, and presto art!

It was a lot of fun to paint and create just for the joy of it! It's been too long since I've given myself time to enjoy the process of creating something that is what I like: bold and colorful and a little crazy!

My new art will hang in our office and I am sure will inspire me to take time out to be crafty and creative again soon!