Illness Update

So, I am still sick. Nice, huh? Well, last week I went back to the doctor and here is where I am today...

On Friday the doctor took some blood work and when I heard back from the doctor they said its no longer strep and its not mono. The trouble is an elevated liver count. They are running additional test for things like hepatitis, etc and they should have the additional results back in a week. In the meantime I am on prednisone. They say the prednisone should help me to feel better and more awake. So far I am barely staying awake. I do very little and I am exhausted. In the past week I have worked about 2 hours... and after the 2 hours I could barely keep my eyes open.

This isn't the first time I have had blood work come back with an elevated liver count so who knows what will come of it. I just ask that you keep me in your prayers and once I know more I will definitely let you know again.

However, I am still very lucky. I have the best friends anyone could ask for who have brought me soup and flowers. And I include the people I know from work in the friends category... they have kept up with my illness and have even sent me flowers! My boss has told me every time I have tried to work to go back home and get better. I can't ask for more. Want to see my flowers?? Check them out...

From Work!

From Work

From Erinleigh & George

Its nice to look around and see such beautiful flowers! I am super lucky!

Missing Life

Once again MIA. Well, this time I blame it on strep. I have been out of life basically since last Wednesday and I am tired of sleeping!! I have spent the last 6 days either on my couch or on my bed. I had to go out today to get a few medications that I ran out of and I have to say it was nice to move but it made me sleepy.

When I think of the fun times that I was supposed to have this past week (my friend Victor's birtday party, seeing Nick Arrojo with Heather, small group, Oasis, Atlanta Challenge Celebration, Church, seeing my friends both at work and outside of work) I am a little sad however I need to get better.

So, medication will be taken and back to the couch I head to lay back down. Hope everyone else is feeling better than me!!!

Rich People Problems

Tonight for small group we went out to Seasons 52 and I had a great time! I love my small group and had never been to Seasons 52 before and was excited to go. The premise of the restaurant is that there is nothing over 500 calories. Tiffany (who is also vegan+) and I decided to split two of the entrees... Salmon Flatbread and the Autumn Market Vegetable Plate. To go with it, everyone in the group had a glass of wine. Everything was wonderful and I would recommend this restaurant to anyone. The service was slow, however it was just fine because we each had so much to talk about it made time just fly! Let me say that this part of the evening was more than I could have asked for... I had a blast.

But the rest of this is going to be written before all this healthy rage wears off...

Seasons 52 is in a retail/business area called One/Two Buckhead Plaza. I have been to the Plaza before to go to J. Christophers, a breakfast restaurant, and the first time I parked in the wrong parking garage and ended up paying more to park than I did to eat, needless to say I was frustrated.

However this time I searched and searched until I found the correct parking garage, it was a maze to get into and I passed complimentary valet parking but because I was being really cheap and didn't want to pay the tip to valet, I parked myself. Where I parked was for retail customers and was 2 hours free parking. Or so they said.

However, when I tried to get validated they said that Seasons 52 is not a retail shop. I question what it is then? I defined retail in this setting as something other than business. Since I am going somewhere to pay them money for a product (aka food) I figure this was retail. Crazy me.

So then I go to exit (and luckily it was evening) and I ended up paying $5 to park. Not that $5 is a lot of money, however I was expecting free. And more than that I feel like they purposefully made it complicated just so they can get money off of people like me (and had this been during the day it would have been $6 per hour or in this case about $15). And more than that, this isn't downtown Atlanta where there is no free parking to be had, this is Buckhead where its free to park pretty much anywhere. And more than that I could have done complimentary valet, pulled up to basically the exact same place and I could have tipped them this money, which I prefer to do, I was just being really economical (or cheap).

As I was driving home and I was stewing over this and basically just making myself more and more angry I started thinking about Oasis and Andy Stanley.

The anger training that we just went thru in Oasis class talked about healthy anger. And since I wanted to hurt someone over this means its not healthy anger.

And as Andy would say, this is a rich people problem.

I was able to eat, inside a restaurant, I was able to pay for the food with my own money, I was able to drive in my own car home, and I have a home to go home to. If any of those things were not there, this would be a real problem. Me having to pay a parking garage to be able to park my car is a rich people problem. And really, I need to just get over it.

So why am I still upset?

JJ Heller

During my run on Friday a song popped into my iTunes that I had downloaded from here but hadn't listened to it. The song is called 'Not Mine Anyway' and it made me smile...

More and more away to you
It’s not mine anyway

I could not ever try so hard
I could buy a place in your heart
But here I am
My name written on your hands
Because you paid the debt I owe

Without you we all fall down
Without you we all fall


As most of you know, I have felt a strong pull from God that the way I was living my life needed to change. There has been many things that I have prayed over and changed in my life to live the way I feel God calling me to. And the last sermon series at Buckhead Church really fit into what God has been showing me in my life.

Namely, you are what you think. Where are your thoughts leading you. My notes from the sermons are as follows:

You think. You are.
Clay Scroggins

Week 1 - What Was I Thinking?

Philippians 4:8

- Your thoughts drive your actions.
- Thoughts that hold us most, mold us most.
- Use this passage as filter for your thoughts. Filter all your thoughts thru this grid.

Week 2 - Above the Influence

What was I thinking? Thoughts drive our actions.

Changing your mind is a very difficult thing to do. Any human system of self control is frustrating.

Colossians 3:1-4

Jesus died for the things that we can't change on our own. But then he rose and we have been raised with Christ and are in eternity with Christ. This should be the backdrop for your mindset, for everything you believe.

I am not a slave to my mind. You can not change your mind, Christ can. What will He change?
- Your general perspective
- There is ultimate hope in every circumstance.
- Recalibrate your heart to what's really meaningful.

I Feel Like I Am Falling Behind

I noticed that I am not updating as much as I have been... where do the days go!! I had a great weekend. Friday became my day of rest and what do I do on my day of rest... I run for an hour and a half. Well, not really run the entire time, but most of it! I was going to go on a 4 mile run, which should have taken about 45 minutes. However as I started running I wanted to try a new course so I ran around different streets, thinking I knew where I was going. However, about an hour into the run I realized I had no clue where I was. Luckily I had my trusty I phone on me so I pulled it out, used GPS to find my location and mapped my way home. I was about 2.5 miles away from home!! I couldn't believe how far I had gone, and I would have to go about 2 miles down Peachtree to make it home. I don't like running on such a busy street so once I got to Peachtree I called my mom and talked to her on the rest of the walk.

The rest of the day was then resting. I sat on the couch, took a nap, had lunch and dinner, and knitted. It was great!! I am making Victor a scarf for his birthday, which is this week, however it may not be done on time. If not, he will get it a little late! Oh well, I am actually impressed on how far I already am on the scarf since I just started it last weekend!

Yesterday I worked out again in the morning, but this time I played it safe and went to the gym. I ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes, did 30 minutes of cardio-kickboxing, and 30 minutes of yoga. Since the cardio-kickboxing and yoga are done to FitTV (and they have commercials) I did a few minutes of weightlifting during the commercials.

After the workout I ate some lunch and went to my friend Erinleigh's house for her dog, Bauer's, 2nd birthday party!! It was a lot of fun and I got to meet some new people which was very cool. After the party the ladies wanted to go to an art fair so we left around 6pm to head over there... however the fair closed at 6pm so by the time we got there all the booths were closed up. The guys were going to another house to play video games so us ladies headed over to that house to hang out. The game the guys wanted to play was missing some key parts so indeed we played Apples to Apples. I hadn't played it before but it was a lot of fun! Around 9pm Erinleigh got hungry so she, her husband George, and I went to La Fonda Cantina for a little Mexican food.

The Cantina (on Peachtree) is very close to my apartment and I had been there before but just for drinks. Their food was pretty good. I had the veggie tacos and Erinleigh got the salmon fish tacos. Since we each got 2 tacos with our order we decided to split them. We both preferred the veggie. We also got dessert to split... Apple Empanadas. They reminded all of us of apple pies from McDonalds. I wouldn't get the dessert again but I would go back for the main course. And, like all Mexican restaurants, they had chips and salsa. The salsa was super fresh and super good! And, for those that care, the price was very good.

Coconut Cupcakes... or Muffins

I am following a few vegan food blogs and in my reading one day I came across this Coconut Cupcake recipe, so I made it last night in preparation for Oasis tonight. In the end, I had one extra so I tried it and I would call it more a cross between a muffin and a cupcake. I liked it :)

I haven't iced them yet but I have added the icing recipe below as well. I will be icing tonight.



Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unsweetened, reduced fat coconut flakes (dehydrated)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup lite coconut milk
2/3 cup raw sugar
5 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp coconut extract or vanilla

Directions:
Preheat 350F
1. Mix flour, flakes, soda and salt in a bowl
2. Combine coconut milk, sugar, applesauce and extract
3. Mix wet until dry, stirring as little as possible until just combined
4. Spoon into a greased muffin tin 3/4 full
5. Bake 15 minutes

Coconut Creme Frosting

Ingredients:
4-5 tbsp reduced fat coconut flakes
3 tbsp non-hydr. cream cheese
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp coconut extract or soy milk

Directions:
1. place 2 tbsp of coconut flakes on a cookie sheet
2. bake 5 minutes at 350F until light brown
3. mix another 2-3 tbsp flakes, cream cheese, sugar and extract or soy milk
4. whip using electric beaters until blended and creamy
5. add another 1/2 to 1 tsp extract or soy milk if its too thick
6. ice cupcakes and sprinkle with toasted coconut

imago dei

Front Note: This posts is mostly for me. Something as a reminder for when I check past posts and remember where I have been and where I am going. But please, read on...

As I have talked about previously in posts, I am going thru Oasis (divorce) counseling thru North Point Ministries. Since my divorce, I have struggled with the idea of dating and marriage post-divorce. What good, Godly man would want to date/marry a lady who has been divorced? Would that make him/me an adulterer? There is some harsh punishments (i.e. stoning) in the Bible for divorce so what does that mean in this present day... does God see someone who is divorced as unlovable, unworthy, or unforgivable?

I have had to believe that God does forgive, that I am worthy and lovable. And there are so many other Christian people who have gone thru this so I know that it is possible to get remarried. However I have continued to struggle.

On Thursday I had some work to do so I stayed pretty late. During part of the work I was transferring data so I started looking at the website Blue Like Jazz and was looking around and then remembered the church Don talked about a lot, imago dei, and started poking around there. I really would love to visit the church some day but that's a completely different topic.

As I was poking around I found their stance on divorce and remarriage. It gave me hope...

Position
Imago Dei Community seeks God’s help to build strong marriages and families. Marriage is God’s gift for believers and unbelievers (Genesis 2:24); but, in a broken world, marriages will fail and we must be ready to respond with grace and truth.

The New Testament allows, but does not require divorce for sexual unfaithfulness. God’s grace encourages us to forgive and have hope that God’s transforming power can redeem even the most broken marriage. However, when there has been sexual unfaithfulness, divorce and remarriage are allowed, and do not constitute adultery. The marriage bond includes a covenant and then uniting sexually in “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Biblically, a marriage is viewed as ending when one spouse dies (Romans 7:2). It can also end when two things occur: (1) the one flesh has been violated (sexual unfaithfulness) and (2) the legal covenant has been revoked (divorce); if only one of these two things has occurred, the marriage continues to exist.

If someone divorces without a valid cause, they are still married in God’s sight. If one of them remarries, their new sexual union is adultery against their former spouse, and the first marriage is ended. Their union forms a new marriage. The new couple should repent of adultery, receive God’s forgiveness, and seek to make their marriage faithfully permanent. The former spouse is now single and free to remarry (Matthew 19:3-12).

One further exception is the so-called “Pauline privilege” in I Corinthians 7:15 (the believer “is not under bondage in such cases”) . The “bound” condition is best understood as the marriage bond (I Corinthians 7:39). In a marriage of believer and unbeliever, the believer should seek to preserve the marriage (1 Corinthians 7:13-14; 1 Peter 3:1-2). However, if the unbelieving spouse deserts, the believer, after patient prayer, may divorce and remarry.

Unmarried sexual cohabitation is an expression of sexual sin that seeks intimacy without commitment. The couple should either separate or make a marriage covenant in harmony with Scripture and state law (Hebrews 13:4; Romans 13:1).

Qualifications for church leadership involve one’s current life style. No one is disqualified because they did not meet the requirements in the past. The “husband of one wife” qualification for elders and deacons (I Timothy 3:2; 3:12) requires a person to have a reputation of living faithfully with their current spouse. The qualification is an idiom meaning a “one wife kind of man” not someone who has never been divorced or never remarried. For a single person this would require a reputation of sexual purity. Taking the phrase literally results in the unlikely view that it excludes single men like Paul, and those who have remarried for any cause. (Kostenberger, God Marriage and Family, chp. 12; Strauch, Biblical Eldership, 189-193).

It's kinda long so I cropped it. Check out the site if you want to see their position in its entirety.

Red Lentil Curry Soup

As I was going thru blogs the other day I found a recipe for Red Lentil Curry Soup from this site. It sounded really good and I had all the ingredients on hand so I made it this weekend.

PS this weekend I slept all weekend long... I don't know what was wrong but I literally slept in my bed or on my couch about 90% of the weekend. I was awake just enough to eat and watch a few movies... but I would wake up and fall asleep in the middle of most of the movies.

Anyway, back to the recipe. As usual, I changed it up a bit so check out the link above for the original. Here is what I did...




Ingredients:
3/4 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups of water, plus a little more1 cup uncooked red lentils
1 cup vegetable stock
16 baby carrots, sliced
1 tsp bay leaf
1 tsp mild curry powder
1″ fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp cilantro
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp cloves
1-2 tsp garam masala
1 cup lite coconut milk
salt/pepper to taste

Directions:
1. line a large pot with a thin layer of water
2. turn heat on high and add onions
3. boil/saute for three minutes, add garlic
4. continue to cook until most of the water has cooked off
5. add vegetable stock, water, lentils, carrots, bay leaf, curry, ginger, cilantro, flakes and cloves
6. bring to a boil
7. cover and reduce to low
8. simmer 20 minutes
(or until lentils are cooked and most of the water has absorbed)
9. stir in garam masala
10. let sit (no heat, but covered) 5 minutes - optional
11. transfer to a blender
12. add soy milk or coconut milk
13. puree until smooth and creamy
14. salt and pepper to taste

Note: the older the soup gets, the more flavorful it becomes– if you can, make it a day in advanced.

I am eating some right now and am loving it!! Its a nice fall soup!!

Another Tofu Recipe

A few days ago I made a Savory Tofu and Vegetables Over Tomato Couscous recipe. Its another recipe from the Vegetarian Times. I made it pretty much according to the recipe with only a few minor changes. If you want to see the original please click on the link. Otherwise see below for what I made.

Ingredient List

• 1 6-oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 1 16-oz. pkg. extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. black pepper, divided
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 medium carrots and about 8 baby carrots, thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 large leeks, white and light green parts thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup couscous
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
• a few basil leaves

Directions

1. Combine artichokes and liquid, tofu, cumin, and 3/4 tsp. pepper in nonstick skillet. Cook over high heat 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring constantly. Transfer to bowl, and set aside.
2. Heat oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots, leeks, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Cook 10 minutes, or until carrots are tender and leeks are lightly browned.
3. Meanwhile, bring tomatoes and liquid and 2/3 cup water to a boil in saucepan. Stir in couscous, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with fork.
4. Add garlic, basil, and reserved tofu mixture to vegetable mixture in skillet. Cook 3 minutes over medium heat, or until heated through and garlic is fragrant. Serve tofu and vegetables over tomato couscous.

I really did like the recipe and will have to make it again!! For you meat eaters you could substitute chicken for the tofu and I bet it would be pretty good too!

JJ Heller

I was checking out a friend's blogs and came across a free download... thought I would pass it along to those who read this one.

Just in case you are interested...

Blue Like Jazz

I just finished maybe the greatest book I have ever read... Blue Like Jazz. I love the author, Donald Miller, and pray that maybe one day I will be lucky enough to meet him. On the cover it states the book is 'nonreligious thoughts on Christian spirituality' and I love the explanation. I love the way the book flows. I love the thought patterns presented. Some of the things I took away from the book are:




I just finished maybe the greatest book I have ever read... Blue Like Jazz. I love the author, Donald Miller, and pray that maybe one day I will be lucky enough to meet him. On the cover it states the book is 'nonreligious thoughts on Christian spirituality' and I love the explanation. I love the way the book flows. I love the thought patterns presented. Some of the things I took away from the book are:

Wasting time - this is why the devil tries so hard to get Christians to be religious. If he can sink a man's mind into habit, he will prevent his heart from engaging God. Pg 13

I am the problem. Pg 20

God is not here to worship me, to mold himself into something that will help me fulfill my level of comfort. My problem is not that God is not fulfilling, my problem is that I am spoiled. Pg 92

The trouble with deep belief is that it costs something, it carries responsibility and if I believe these things I actually have to do something about them. Pg 107

Passion about nothing is like pouring gasoline in a car with no wheels. It isn't going to lead anybody anywhere. Pg 110

What I believe is not what I say I believe; what I believe is what I do. Pg 110

A person who thinks of himself unlovable cannot be in a relationship with God because he can't accept who God is; a Being that is love. We learn that we are lovable or unlovable from other people. That's why God tells us so many times to love each other. Pg 146-147

"I think it would be easier to trust God if I had extra money to trust him with." "That would not be faith, then, would it?" pg 196

It comforts me to think that if we are created beings, the thing that created us would have to be greater than us, so much greater, in fact, that we would not be able to understand it. It would have to be greater than the facts if our reality, and so it would seem to us, looking out from within our reality, that it would contradict reason. But reason itself would suggest it would have to be greater than reality, or it would not be reasonable. Pg 201

The problem with Christian culture is we think of love as a commodity. We use it like money. Pg 218

Instead of withholding love to change someone, pour it on lavishly. Nobody will listen to you unless the sense that you like them. Pg 220

Pray often that God will give you the strength and dignity to receive love. Pg 226

And so I have come to understand that strength, inner strength, comes from receiving love as much as it comes from giving it. I think apart from the idea that I am a sinner and God forgives me, this is the greatest lesson I have ever learned. When you get it, it changes you. My friend Julie from Seattle told me that the main prayer she prays for her husband is that he will be able to receive love. And this is the prayer I pay for all my friends because it is the key to happiness. God's love will never change us if we don't accept it. Pg 232

Amazing. My little quotes don't do it justice. I suggest reading it if you haven't done so already.

Do it immediately.