Suffering, Recipes, Kira and Morning Glories

The suffering saint has always interested me.  Even as a teen, I was drawn to reading biographies of pastors and Christians thrown in Siberian prisons or Nazi death camps.  What is it about suffering that is so fascinating?  Isn't it because of the human capacity to survive and even thrive in the most horrendous circumstances?  The Hiding Place made a deep impression on me as I read how Corrie and Betsy ten Boom trusted God and were able to thank God for major annoyances, like fleas.  The fleas were a blessing to the women because it kept the lecherous guards out of the female bunks.

God continues to stretch and encourage me in this sphere of thinking.  I have been classifying my own suffering as less significant than being thrown in prison for my faith.  Many passages in the Bible, the gospels, James and 1 Peter specifically give encouragement to Christians suffering persecution.  My suffering is not because of my faith, but physical.  However, I was encouraged recently as I was reading Timothy Keller's book, Walking with God through Pain and Suffering.  He used Job as an example, and what an example!  Job was not suffering for his faith.  God called him a righteous man and boasted of his goodness to Satan.  All suffering is suffering, there are no degrees with God.  He is equally compassionate and gracious, no matter what kind of suffering we are experiencing.  So my suffering is legitimate suffering.  I do not need to minimize, negate or explain it away.

Keller quotes Elisabeth Elliot, who is herself a victim of dementia now, in her book, Through Gates of Splendor:  "God is God.  If He is God, He is worthy of my worship and my service.  I will find rest nowhere but in His will, and that will is infinitely, immeasurably, unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to."  I am finite, His ways and thoughts are infinitely higher than mine. 

I decided to read One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp again.  She writes on the importance of thankfulness and how it changes our perspective.  There is every reason to be thankful.  Life is a gift.  We enjoy so many blessings from God's hand.  Even things that seem hard can be a blessing.  So how can I thank God for our current situation? 

1.  I am thankful that I have this time with Andy.  He did not die suddenly so we still have time to enjoy our relationship and have fun together.
2.  I am thankful for Andy's acceptance of his illness.  He is not bitter, resentful and angry but desirous of bringing glory to God even through this.
3.  I am thankful that Andy seems better physically than he was a year ago.  Perhaps the medication is helping, perhaps people's prayers are being answered, perhaps...
4.  I am thankful that social security benefits were granted.
5.  I am thankful that the stress of Andy's job has been relieved.
6.  I am thankful for God's provision of grace, strength to endure, encouragement from His word.
7.  I am thankful for our many friends and family members who support and love and care for us.

And I could go on.

I have been getting back to my interest in cooking and baking again.  My neighbor's garden is producing tons of zucchini so I have been experimenting with different recipes.  This is a super delicious one:

Tomato Zucchini Casserole

1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 2 cloves garlic, minced salt and pepper to taste

2 medium zucchinis, thinly sliced 5 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced 1/4 cup butter 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion 3/4 cup fine bread crumbs

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly butter a 9x9-inch pan.
2.	In a large bowl, combine Cheddar, Parmesan, oregano, basil, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
3.	Arrange half of the zucchini slices in the pan. Sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese and herb mixture on top. Arrange half of the tomatoes, and top with another 1/4 of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers.
4.	Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions, and cook until soft and translucent. Stir in breadcrumbs; cook until they have absorbed the butter. Sprinkle on top of casserole.
5.	Cover loosely with foil, and bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake until the top is crusty and the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. This was sooooo good.

I tried a cookie recipe that used zucchini.  They were ok - they had chocolate chips, zucchini, oatmeal and dried cranberries in them.  I wouldn't call them a favorite and not even sure I would try this recipe again, but you can't go too far wrong with chocolate!  And they're colorful - surely that counts for something.

Zucchini Cookies with Chocolate Chips and Dried Cranberries

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen cookies
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup shredded zucchini
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugars, mix until smooth. Add egg and vanilla extract. Next, add the shredded zucchini. Mix until combined.
4. Slowly add flour mixture until just combined. Stir in oats, chocolate chips, and dried cranberries.
5. Drop cookie dough by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets that have been lined with parchment paper or Silcone baking mats. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

And of course, in the summer, I like to experiment with different kinds of salads.

This is a favorite, combining chicken and potatoes in the one dish (served with a side of zucchini bread - what else):

GRILLED CHICKEN SUMMER SALAD

  2-3 chicken breasts (or 1 can from Trader Joe's)

¼ cup chopped fresh dill

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 large shallot, finely chopped

3 teaspoons grated lemon peel

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

3 tablespoons sour cream

3 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1 pound red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ½ inch cubes

Steam potatoes until just tender, about 12 minutes.  Transfer to large bowl; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Grill chicken.

Combine dill, olive oil, lemon juice, shallot and lemon peel, mayonnaise, & sour cream in large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add chopped celery, chicken & potatoes.  Mix all ingredients together.

It seems like our day off is always consumed with doctor's appointments and catching up on housework and errands.  So I was really disappointed this week when Dawn called to ask if we wanted to take Kira to see a movie.  I had to tell her we couldn't because our day was already planned for us.  But later in the week, Thursday afternoon, we stopped in and asked if Kira wanted to go with us to the park for a hike and to play on the swings.  So we did get to spend some time with her there as well as take her to Chick-Fil-A for dinner.

I am enjoying the beauty of our garden.  The morning glories I planted are stunningly gorgeous.   God has given us all things richly to enjoy. And as icing on the cake of our life, today's worship service included the song, Jesus, Thank You:  VERSE 1 The mystery of the cross I cannot comprehend The agonies of Calvary You the perfect Holy One, crushed Your Son Who drank the bitter cup reserved for me CHORUS Your blood has washed away my sin Jesus, thank You The Father’s wrath completely satisfied Jesus, thank You Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table Jesus, thank You VERSE 2 By Your perfect sacrifice I’ve been brought near Your enemy You’ve made Your friend Pouring out the riches of Your glorious grace Your mercy and Your kindness know no end BRIDGE Lover of my soul I want to live for You © 2003 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music (ASCAP)/Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP). He is constantly pouring out the riches of His glorious grace and we do, indeed, know His unending mercy and kindness. How good is the God we adore!

Summer Fun

I took a vacation day on Wednesday since the boss is away this week and next.  Between him being gone and it's being summer time, work is pretty sparse so it's a good time to take off.  Andy and I left early Tuesday afternoon to get Naomi and bring her back for an overnight with us.  She is such a delight.  Never a dull moment with her.  Each of the grandkids is special in his/her own way.  What I love about Naomi is that she always has something to say.  She is never bored or boring.

With her here we had her favorite dinner:  chicken noodle soup.  It felt a little strange having soup on a hot summer evening, but we compensated by having bowls of ice cream afterwards and watching the movie, Ice Age.  She played plenty of free cell games on the computer and lots of card games with me.  She taught me a new one called "stress."  It did cause me a lot of stress and I lost quite a few of those games.  We also played greedy and parcheesi.  In the end, I won some and she won some so it was all ok in the end.



As we were eating our lunch on Wednesday, I mentioned that since it was so hot, it was a shame Naomi hadn't brought her bathing suit so we could go to the neighbor's pool.  She immediately said she wouldn't mind swimming in her clothes.  So off we went.  That was a really good idea because she and Andy had a lot of fun cooling off in the water.

 Too soon it was time to return her to her family.  She begged us to keep her a few more days and nights but all good things must come to an end.  Back at her home, when we got there, the kids got out their instruments and gave us a little concert.

 

They are amazingly good and it was an enjoyable evening.  Even Claire is learning rhythm and was happy to demonstrate.

All too soon the fun had to end and I had to go back to work the rest of the week.  But Saturday we went to Dawn & Tommy's for Kira's birthday party.  They borrowed our tent and Tommy had all kinds of games and activities planned for the kids as well as the adults.  It was a very fun day.

 
 

 
 It was a great day to be together.  We got to see all 3 of our girls and 8 out of 10 grandchildren.  The rain held off until 1:00, then it poured in earnest and the party was over in a hurry!

The blessings of heaven

God is opening up the windows of heaven and pouring out his blessings on us.

Our church family is loving us in many tangible ways.  In mid-May, the pastors and deacons gave the church the opportunity to express their love to Andy and me by giving us a love offering.  The response was unbelievable, overwhelming and very humbling.  We have not technically received the money yet because they're trying to research the best way to give it to us so that we will not be taxed on it.  Their love and care for us and our needs have been amazing.  We are so close to having our mortgage paid off - only 3 years left on it at our current monthly payment.  However, now that Andy doesn't have a salary, just disability (considerably lower than his salary was), we are not able to make a payment that steep.  BUT God had this all figured out.  Two of the deacons in our church met with us and suggested we contact our bank to see if they would give us a loan modification because of our "hardship."  We have been consistent with our mortgage payments, even making extra payments on the principle, so there is certainly nothing wrong with our credit.  When I called them, they sent out paperwork, which I promptly filled out and returned to the bank.  And we just received word that they are going to reduce our payment by $1,200 a month and not charge any fees or closing costs to do this.  Wow!

Early in the year, before lawn mowing time, Andy and I were wondering how we were going to take care of our lawn this summer.  Our riding mower is 21 years old this year.  Even with Andy being very methodical about maintenance and repairs, in recent years, it seems like we were taking it to the repair shop at least once a season to have something fixed.  But that was when we had Andy's truck and he was able to transport it to the shop and back home again.  Now we don't have the truck and we weren't sure if Andy would even be able to do minor maintenance on the mower, as well as take it to be repaired if it needed it.  BUT God had this all figured out.  In the spring, a deacon contacted the church's lawn service to ask if they would do our property every week after they were finished at the church.  Our lawn never got such great care.  They weed whack around every tree and bush (and there are lots of those!), mow the acre of ground, vacuum all the porches, patios, and even the deck.  And all that in about 30 minutes.  (It took Andy and I an hour and a half when we worked together.  And if I did it all myself, it took me 3 hours!)  And the best part - they're not charging us or the church.  What a gift.

And on Monday, I bought a new car.  Our car savings fund was accumulating and I was eager to spend it (ha, ha).  I was thinking our Camry was getting old with over 106,000 miles on it and with Andy not as tuned into the maintenance, it might be a good time to invest in a new car.  I talked to Dawn about it and she was excited to start researching what kind I should get.  She had just bought a Toyota Prius in October and was very happy with it.  Dawn was every bit as prepared as Andy ever was when we went to make a large purchase.  (She must have inherited that from her dad.)  She called several Toyota dealers on Monday, checked out what my Camry was worth, etc.  What a wheeler dealer she is and it was great fun hanging out with her at the car dealer's watching her work on my behalf.  We came away quite satisfied that we got a good deal from our trade in, as well as 0% financing.  I didn't need to finance at all, could have paid a different way, but why not take advantage of the 0% financing (free money!).  So here it is - a winter gray metallic 2014 Toyota Prius.  It gets 50 mpg and Dawn says she only fills her gas tank once a month.  Just think of the savings I'll be enjoying.

It's pretty shiny.  I'm hoping I can go a long while without getting any scratches or dents in it.

And in the area of Andy's physical state, we are encouraged with how the medicine seems to be working.  We also had 2 sessions of physical therapy so far this week with another session scheduled tomorrow.  The physical therapist has been very helpful, tailoring an exercise program specifically for Parkinson's patients.  Parkinson's Disease causes stiffness and rigidity so that the limbs draw inward.  In Andy's sessions he is being encouraged to make large movements, stretching his arms upwards to the sky, taking long strides (power walking).  Being aware of what the disease does is helpful in trying to compensate and work at overcoming the limitations.The physical therapist is also giving ideas on brain stimulation.  She suggested word games which made me laugh.  Andy has never liked word games - that's my thing!  But there are still other games that would stimulate his thinking.  There are lots available online - we just need to tap into them.

I've been reading a new book by Timothy Keller:  Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering.  I like everything he writes and am enjoying the encouragement God is giving me through this book.  How comforting to know that God is involved with our suffering.  He suffers with us, walks with us in our suffering and understands because he suffered, too.

A dear friend who is also going through great suffering introduced me to an old hymn - one I hadn't heard before:  How Good is the God we Adore.  The words really ministered to me and I memorized it to sing every morning:

How good is the God we adore
Our faithful, unchangeable Friend
His love is as great as his power
And knows neither measure nor end.

For Christ is the first and the last
His Spirit will guide us safe home
We'll praise him for all that is past
And trust him for all that's to come.

I hope that this can be my new theme song.  I want to be characterized by praising him for all that is past, as well as trusting him for the future.