tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10166165858405284712024-03-12T19:14:29.589-06:00suzanne elizabeth andersonWeekly Helpings of Faith and Foodsuzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.comBlogger958125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-23740007310107325712021-05-10T12:10:00.002-06:002021-05-10T12:10:16.672-06:00The Unexpected Benefits of Chocolate Covered Donuts<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCck8H0C4uJ4Y-wCS16v367Y8pIX24gZXrdzdw2XWkDlqwt-VyjU9tvjOq6qCxTZuw6VZMauU-0U0o_oXrrKhkXqIJuGseAnhmNHI7sw_rYu0uH4YYRpIe4O6Ul-Ks6KAdcajzfas5UQs/s1000/chocolate-glaze.jpg.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCck8H0C4uJ4Y-wCS16v367Y8pIX24gZXrdzdw2XWkDlqwt-VyjU9tvjOq6qCxTZuw6VZMauU-0U0o_oXrrKhkXqIJuGseAnhmNHI7sw_rYu0uH4YYRpIe4O6Ul-Ks6KAdcajzfas5UQs/s320/chocolate-glaze.jpg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>photo: epicurious.com</i></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I’ve begun attending 8 AM Mass at St. Mary’s on Sunday mornings. If you’d told me a year ago, I’d be doing this, I would have laughed because I’ve never been a morning person.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">On a recent phone call, I told Mom I began going to the 8 AM Mass because Ken brought donuts from Daylight Donuts along with freshly made coffee.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I’ll do just about anything for a chocolate covered donut, or two.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">8 AM Sunday Mass is a natural outgrowth of attending 8 AM Mass on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, which is again something that I never thought I would find myself doing. Again. Not a morning person.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">But I’ve discovered that if there’s a good reason I’ll get up. In this case, my good reason is I really enjoy Mass, even four early mornings a week.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Perhaps more surprising for an introvert like myself, I came for the chocolate covered donuts, but stayed for the community. There’s always a small group who hang around after Mass, ‘fellowship’ is the term Mom would use.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">After a year of attending church services online, speaking in person with friends I’ve only seen through a computer screen feels like a literal breath of fresh air. Which got me thinking about the importance of community and wondering how our online worship services might evolve as we move back into in-person services.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">For the past year, I’ve attended a daily evening prayer group at 5o’clock via Zoom. This Friday, for the first time, we will meet in person for evening prayer and Adoration at Our Lady of Peace in Silverthorne, followed by a social hour. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We’re hoping to continue this in person gathering monthly and will continue to meet online the rest of the week because our far-flung group includes people from as far away as Kremmling and Blue River, as well as parishioners who have moved to other parts of the country over the past year. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The other morning, I was talking to my friend Pat and said I would be perfectly happy if I only had to leave the house to go to Mass, work, and the grocery store. I am happy as a clam when I am close to home with my dogs, my knitting and my books. But that’s not very healthy. Loneliness is an insidious weed that can choke the joy out of our lives, especially for those of us who may live alone, struggle with depression, or are mourning the loss of a loved one, all of which can leave us feeling isolated, even when we attend religious services online.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Last Tuesday I dropped in on my friend Larry’s online Bible study and encountered friends I hadn’t seen in a year, friends who are currently living in Texas, Ohio, and Florida. Zoom allows Summit seasonal residents to become year-round participants in our spiritual communities. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Perhaps we will create a hybrid approach of meeting online and in person, especially for weekday services. This will make it easier to combine the fellowship of in-person services with the convenience of online services for parishioners who are far-flung, homebound, or have work commitments.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I have discovered, thanks to chocolate covered donuts after Sunday morning Mass, I need my spiritual community.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Loving God and growing in my relationship with God is something I mostly work on in solitude.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Now I understand the fellowship of other people is as important to my spiritual journey as my private prayers and time alone with God.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Seeing Maggie and Barb, both in their 80s, laughing together on a bench last Sunday after Mass, enjoying the sun and each other’s company. Getting book recommendations from Father Stephen, laughing with my friend Larry about my questionable singing voice for the Psalms, these are the spontaneous moments which bind us together as a spiritual community and help us to remember one another with greater insight when we pray for one another.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The Bible says that when two or more are gathered together, God is with us. I believe this applies not only when we are in formal worship and prayer but also when we share our informal moments of fellowship. These create the memories that remind us we are not alone, we are part of the larger body of Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I’d love to hear how your faith community is approaching the question of online and in-person worship? Please write to me at: suzanne@suzanneelizabeths.com<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I’m reading through the Gospels this year. This week I’m reading the Gospel of St. Mark chapters 1-2. Won’t you join me?<o:p></o:p></span></p>suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-37973269100747077022021-02-08T14:59:00.003-07:002021-02-08T14:59:36.607-07:00The One who never leaves us<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-03Vzior-z48yp2S1MBxWlVEqzNXjloH1s1k8XEP5D374AsJthPjcxdyU4IvOmPIgLAJzN-1_KU_HXGD_uqiqQYfcogF6qLNfzVnoLdsQaqVE3z_wpE2wTbSBJ80F6RbIvFdi_OLuXM/s4032/IMG_2457.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-03Vzior-z48yp2S1MBxWlVEqzNXjloH1s1k8XEP5D374AsJthPjcxdyU4IvOmPIgLAJzN-1_KU_HXGD_uqiqQYfcogF6qLNfzVnoLdsQaqVE3z_wpE2wTbSBJ80F6RbIvFdi_OLuXM/s320/IMG_2457.HEIC" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Dear God,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">First, thank you, it’s snowing. I believe we’ve received 20 inches. We so dearly need the snow, thank you very much. In fact, I won’t mind if you send a lot more snow over the coming month or two. I love snow.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">I’ve been watching the snow all day as I write. And now night has fallen and still it snows, and I watch it from my darkened room.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">As the piles of snow grow, it is cozy inside my little home, but I am also reminded that I am alone and in the still night the aloneness may turn to loneliness.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Sometimes then, my thoughts turn to the future and I worry about growing old alone. Isn’t there an old saying that many hands make light work? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">But God says: “</span></i><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">because of them, for the </span>Lord<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> your God goes with you; he will never leave you</span> <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">nor forsake</span> <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Is it this fear of the future or my inability to experience your presence at times, which causes me to lose faith if only for a moment or a week or a month or a year?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">And God says: W</span></i><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">hen you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. </span></i><i><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">You will seek </span></i><a href="https://biblehub.com/hebrew/853.htm" title="853: ’ō·ṯî (DirObjM:: 1cs) -- Apparent contracted from 'owth in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self."><i><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-decoration: none;">Me</span></i></a><i><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></i><a href="https://biblehub.com/hebrew/4672.htm" title="4672: ū·mə·ṣā·ṯem (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConjPerf-2mp) -- To attain to, find. "><i><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-decoration: none;">and find Me</span></i></a><i><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></i><a href="https://biblehub.com/hebrew/3588.htm" title="3588: kî (Conj) -- That, for, when. "><i><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-decoration: none;">when</span></i></a><i><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></i><a href="https://biblehub.com/hebrew/1875.htm" title="1875: ṯiḏ·rə·šu·nî (V-Qal-Imperf-2mp:: 1cs) -- A primitive root; properly, to tread or frequent; usually to follow; by implication, to seek or ask; specifically to worship."><i><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-decoration: none;">you search for Me</span></i></a><i><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></i><a href="https://biblehub.com/hebrew/3605.htm" title="3605: bə·ḵāl (Prep-b:: N-msc) -- The whole, all. Or kowl; from kalal; properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every."><i><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-decoration: none;">with all</span></i></a><i><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></i><a href="https://biblehub.com/hebrew/3824.htm" title="3824: lə·ḇaḇ·ḵem (N-msc:: 2mp) -- Inner man, mind, will, heart. From labab; the heart; used also like leb."><i><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-decoration: none;">your heart.</span></i></a><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></i></b><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">I </span></i><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #001320; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">will be found by you, declares the LORD (Jeremiah 29:12)</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">When I feel most alone, I feel the flame of my faith dimming. So, I must offer you the dying ember and hope it is enough for you to rekindle.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> <i>And God says,</i> <i>“I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.” (Jeremiah 24:7)</i></span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">But I love you God, even when I cannot feel your presence, even when I feel alone. I hope you will help me when my faith falters. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">And God says:<b> “</b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)</span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">What am I to do when I feel age and loneliness have left me with a life without purpose or companionship? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">God says,</span></i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> <i>“For I know the plans I have for you, plans to give you a purpose and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> <i>And God says:</i> </span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” (Jeremiah </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">31:3)</span></i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Sometimes God, I wonder if you tire of hearing my lowly prayers?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">And God says:</span></i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.<b> </b>God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ (Acts 17:24-28)</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">When I fear facing the future alone, I will hold your promise that I am never alone because you are with me, you knew I would face this moment, and you promised me before I was born, to help me through it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">You have searched me, Lord,<br /> and you know me.<br /><b><sup>2 </sup></b>You know when I sit and when I rise;<br /> you perceive my thoughts from afar.<br /><b><sup>3 </sup></b>You discern my going out and my lying down;<br /> you are familiar with all my ways.<br /><b><sup>4 </sup></b>Before a word is on my tongue<br /> you, Lord, know it completely.<br /><b><sup>5 </sup></b>You hem me in behind and before,<br /> and you lay your hand upon me.<br /><b><sup>6 </sup></b>Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,<br /> too lofty for me to attain.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><sup><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">7 </span></sup></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Where can I go from your Spirit?<br /> Where can I flee from your presence?<br /><b><sup>8 </sup></b>If I go up to the heavens, you are there;<br /> if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.<br /><b><sup>9 </sup></b>If I rise on the wings of the dawn,<br /> if I settle on the far side of the sea,<br /><b><sup>10 </sup></b>even there your hand will guide me,<br /> your right hand will hold me fast.<br /><b><sup>11 </sup></b>If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me<br /> and the light become night around me,”<br /><b><sup>12 </sup></b>even the darkness will not be dark to you;<br /> the night will shine like the day,<br /> for darkness is as light to you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">(Psalm 139:1-12)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Let’s Read Through the Gospels in 2021 – this week we’re reading: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Matthew Chapters 3 & 4.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><i>“I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Matthew 3:11 <o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">A note on Bibles</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">: Please use any Bible you are comfortable with or download a free Bible app to your phone. I’m using the</span><a href="https://www.wordonfire.org/bible/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> Word on Fire Bible</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">...it contains only the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. But it's packed with artwork, short essays, and brief, understandable explanations. The paperback version is a very reasonable $29.95 with free shipping. </span><a href="https://www.wordonfire.org/bible/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">https://www.wordonfire.org/bible/</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p>suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-88186274083961999532021-02-01T09:14:00.001-07:002021-02-01T09:14:23.867-07:00Let's Begin Again<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkCKfwjJOAnoB5aPA1UKEO7XrtGSdtbkoNfRWPmkVFqh05IhDg5iMLeFgU5BWzmbIzSH4CV4l-7cnl0R-DIo3Jq7gbuI5cFUmVuygyLtRy3Fz_bucF42f_rcx3Vd8BkREtc1BVExhb7o/s2048/FD25B0F3-FAB5-4309-914C-D7FB6471A7BA.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkCKfwjJOAnoB5aPA1UKEO7XrtGSdtbkoNfRWPmkVFqh05IhDg5iMLeFgU5BWzmbIzSH4CV4l-7cnl0R-DIo3Jq7gbuI5cFUmVuygyLtRy3Fz_bucF42f_rcx3Vd8BkREtc1BVExhb7o/s320/FD25B0F3-FAB5-4309-914C-D7FB6471A7BA.heic" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I often read at Tuesday morning Mass which means Monday evening I read the assigned Bible passage to prepare. A few weeks ago, I practiced a passage from the New Testament book of Hebrews. I read it once and then I read it a second time and then I prayed, <i>Dear God, I don’t really understand this passage so how can I read it in a way that will make it understandable to our congregation?</i> And then, I left it in God’s hands and went to sleep.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">The next morning, I said a familiar prayer, “Not my words, Your words. Not my thoughts, Your thoughts”. I say this prayer before I read at Mass and before I write this column. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">That morning I read the passage slowly and carefully from the podium at the front of the church. As I read, it was as if God was revealing what the words meant, so that I could read them in a way that was meaningful.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">This experience of God speaking through his Holy Word in the moment only happens, I believe, when I first admit my lack of understanding and complete reliance on God through the Holy Spirit, to uncover what I’m reading. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">This insight is available to anyone when we pray and come to God in humility, with an open mind and an open heart. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Last night I read the transcript of Pope Francis’ latest Wednesday Audience, in which he spoke of the importance of praying before we read the Bible. Suddenly I understood exactly what is happening as I read God’s word after I have prayed. Pope France wrote, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.15pt;">“The words of the Sacred Scripture were not written to remain imprisoned on papyrus, parchment, or paper, but to be received by a person who prays, making them blossom in his or her heart.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“<span style="letter-spacing: 0.15pt;">The Bible should not be read like a novel; it must be accompanied by prayer. This is where prayer leads you because it is a dialogue with God. That Bible verse was written for me too, centuries and centuries ago, to bring me a word of God. It was written for every one of us. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.15pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.15pt;">“This experience happens to all believers: a passage from the Scripture, heard many times already, unexpectedly speaks to me one day, and enlightens a situation that I am living.” (</span><a href="https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2021/01/27/pope-francis-bible-wednesday-audience-full-text-239831" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.15pt;">Pope Francis, Vatican Dispatch, America Magazine, 1/27/2021</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: 0.15pt;">)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Our prayer before we read the Bible can be as simple as, <i>God help me to hear you</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lectio Divina</span></i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> is the process of reading the Bible in a prayerful way to understand what God wants to say to us in each moment.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">We start by praying for God’s guidance and then read a passage from the Bible. It can be as long as a chapter or as brief as a verse. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Then we sit quietly with what we have read. Perhaps we will read the passage again two or three times, and prayerfully ask what God wants us to learn and apply to our lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">We may want to grab a notebook to write down our thoughts. I have started doing this in my daily journal.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Will you join me in a special project for 2021? Beginning this week and through the end of the year, let’s read through the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">We will read two chapters each week. It will be a wonderful opportunity to practice <i>Lectio Divina</i>, as we incorporate prayer into our Bible reading, and see what a difference it makes in what God reveals through his holy word, and in our personal relationship with God. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">You may use any Bible you find most comfortable to read. If you don’t have a Bible, you can download the free Bible app to your phone. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Each week at the end of my column, I will mention the reading for the coming week.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I hope you will join me. I believe our walk through the Gospels will give us a fresh perspective of what Jesus said and stood for. Whether you are religious or not, whether you have read the Bible for years, or this is your first time, I believe our faith will be deepened.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">Let’s Start Here – Read this week’s chapters and choose a passage that speaks to you:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">Gospel of Matthew, Chapters 1 & 2<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;">All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel-which means, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:22-23)<o:p></o:p></span></p>suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-15803441012717964552021-01-25T13:20:00.000-07:002021-01-25T13:20:10.954-07:00How to Choose Your Word of the Year<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #221e20;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKh7tn-6Yr7Lz2W8yRfgnbbeFOYJQ3VTwKExU0lcMWUdz8pRqnZUOnsux1ZxH23uLg84Ynstr3S-bDwMmq0M_GljJra5u_dQcOERoSZJjjtrezUzB4eS2eKwWAGFEdoUvwk-M9VUvGrY/s2048/0F87AD1E-0735-4657-9024-AEE91563D00C.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKh7tn-6Yr7Lz2W8yRfgnbbeFOYJQ3VTwKExU0lcMWUdz8pRqnZUOnsux1ZxH23uLg84Ynstr3S-bDwMmq0M_GljJra5u_dQcOERoSZJjjtrezUzB4eS2eKwWAGFEdoUvwk-M9VUvGrY/s320/0F87AD1E-0735-4657-9024-AEE91563D00C.heic" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #221e20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #221e20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #221e20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I had not given much thought to the idea of a word for the year. It was more of a musing I had after listening to a podcast on that topic at the beginning of January.</span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #221e20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So as I drove to work, I considered what word to choose. I wanted something inspiring or aspirational, and so I tinkered with the word “finish,” as in, I want to finish writing the mystery that is two-thirds done and has remained so for the past 10 years.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #221e20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Then I thought, no, let’s go bigger. I’ll choose the word “success.” After all, isn’t that what we want for all our endeavors? Yes, success would be my word for 2021. Then just before I turned onto Main Street in Frisco, a question popped into my mind: What about trust?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #221e20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Trust, as in, do you trust in God’s plan for your life?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #221e20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I wanted to roll my eyes, but I was driving. Because trust in God’s plan, when I could find no evidence of it, was an ongoing issue intrinsically tied to the word success in my mind and part of a tired conversation I’ve been having with God for years.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #221e20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I preferred success.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #221e20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Later that day, I was discussing this with my friend Amy, and she laughed and said that’s just the way it worked. It wasn’t that we chose our word but that the word chose us, and usually they are two very different words.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #221e20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Later, she emailed me a paragraph that did a wonderful job of explaining the greater significance of choosing a word for the year.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #221e20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“We can ask for a word through meditation, and it will come to us in different ways,” Amy wrote. “Sometimes, it just keeps showing up and it stirs something in us. It keeps repeating itself until we stop and pay attention to it. We do not select it. It selects us.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #221e20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Christine Valters Paintner, of Abbey of the Arts, also explains how the word can choose you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #221e20;">“In ancient times, wise men and women fled out into the desert to find a place where they could be fully present to the divine and to their own inner struggles at work within them. The desert became a place to enter into the refiner’s fire and be stripped down to one’s holy essence. The desert was a threshold place where you emerged different than when you entered.</span></i><span style="color: #221e20;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #221e20;">“Many people followed these ammas and abbas, seeking their wisdom and guidance for a meaningful life. One tradition was to ask for a word. This word or phrase would be something on which to ponder for many days, weeks, months — sometimes a whole lifetime. This practice is connected to lectio divina, where we approach the sacred texts with the same request: ’Give me a word,’ we ask — something to nourish me, challenge me, a word I can wrestle with and grow into. The word which chooses us has the potential to transform us. A word which contains within it a seed of invitation to cross a new threshold in your life.”</span></i><span style="color: #221e20;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #221e20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have to say, I was a skeptic. But trust chose me. It has shown up time and again in conversations, in Bible passages and finally in the prayer I’ve included below.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #221e20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I now think of my word like one of those smooth stones that are carried in the pocket and held onto for comfort. A talisman of reassurance to fall back on as we walk into the new year. Our word is a reminder of what we may need for the journey.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #221e20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Learning to trust God is one of the most difficult paths on our journey of faith. The courage to let go and trust after we have fought the good fight and failed again, when we are broken and believe we are alone.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #221e20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That is exactly when we need to trust God most. Always present, God only asks us to become quiet long enough to experience his presence and his love and know that we are never alone and always helped.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #221e20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What is your word for the year?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #221e20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘<b>Patient Trust’</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #221e20;">Above all, trust in the slow work of God.</span></i><span style="color: #221e20;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #221e20;">We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay.</span></i><span style="color: #221e20;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #221e20;">We should like to skip the intermediate stages.</span></i><span style="color: #221e20;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #221e20;">We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.</span></i><span style="color: #221e20;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #221e20;">And yet it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability — and that it may take a very long time.</span></i><span style="color: #221e20;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #221e20;">And so I think it is with you; your ideas mature gradually — let them grow, let them shape themselves, without undue haste.</span></i><span style="color: #221e20;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #221e20;">Don’t try to force them on, as though you could be today what time (that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will) will make of you tomorrow.</span></i><span style="color: #221e20;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #221e20;">Only God could say what this new spirit gradually forming within you will be.</span></i><span style="color: #221e20;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #221e20;">Give Our Lord the benefit of believing that his hand is leading you, and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.</span></i><span style="color: #221e20;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #221e20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">— <i>Prayer of Teilhard de Chardin</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><i><span style="color: #221e20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson’s column “Walking our Faith” publishes Saturdays in the Summit Daily News. Anderson is the author of 10 novels and nonfiction books on faith. She has lived in Breckenridge since 2016. Contact her at</span></span></i><span style="color: #221e20;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <i><a href="mailto:suzanne@suzanneelizabeths.com" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0645ad;">suzanne@suzanneelizabeths.com</span></a></i>.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-79221065815927104282021-01-18T11:06:00.004-07:002021-01-18T11:06:36.239-07:00Grace for Tough Times<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIksrH4X0nbGCTx5sUrWsEktqxJnzKcldQv5_yaNH5XtYkiZqIH1YtIDoHF-CuJpGgOKVG27waGHYJ5v_k54IP71ydH_NHnXvZV2rJcXdLJbL6_LdmwdS7szL2I_WaL04Xush-waVriM/s2048/2CB42CBF-F8B7-4FA9-BB43-03FE77C3610C.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIksrH4X0nbGCTx5sUrWsEktqxJnzKcldQv5_yaNH5XtYkiZqIH1YtIDoHF-CuJpGgOKVG27waGHYJ5v_k54IP71ydH_NHnXvZV2rJcXdLJbL6_LdmwdS7szL2I_WaL04Xush-waVriM/s320/2CB42CBF-F8B7-4FA9-BB43-03FE77C3610C.heic" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>I sat at my desk on Wednesday morning and scanned the headlines of the Summit Daily News. I</p><p>saw the article on expansion of Covid-19 vaccine sites would now include City Market and</p><p>Safeway.</p><p>I click through to the government website and then clicked on the link leading to City Market.</p><p>There I was asked to fill in a brief registration that included my date of birth and asked to pick a</p><p>15 minute slot that afternoon.</p><p>I was overjoyed. The shot would place me one step closer to getting on a plane and flying down</p><p>to Florida to see Mom. </p><p>I was so excited about the expansion of vaccine sites that I texted my knitting group with the</p><p>good news. A little while later my friend, Natalie, texted back that the vaccine was still only</p><p>available to those 70 years and older and by taking the shot that day would have mean skipping</p><p>ahead in line.</p><p>I’ll be honest, all I could think of was all the open vaccine appointments that I saw when I</p><p>registered and I wanted to rationalize that it would be OK if I took one of them.</p><p>But then I got up from my desk and went over to my big chair and sat down to do my daily Bible</p><p>reading. And as I read from the 11th chapter of Matthew I realized that the annoying unease I felt</p><p>in my heart was my conscience telling me that skipping the line wasn’t right.</p><p>So I called City Market’s pharmacy and canceled my appointment. Once I hung up my</p><p>conscience felt better, but honestly my very human heart was still sad and angry and frustrated.</p><p>I miss Mom so much even though we talk by phone daily. I’d hoped the vaccine rollout would</p><p>happen more quickly. But it hasn’t. In fact my 93-year-old mother still has not received her first</p><p>shot.</p><p>Next week Joe Biden will be inaugurated as our 46th president. About half the country feels</p><p>some degree of anger and frustration about that outcome. Little we can say will make the anger</p><p>and frustration that those who wanted a different outcome still feel. What we all need right now</p><p>is more of God’s grace.</p><p>The definition of grace is “unmerited favor”. Prosperity preachers say it’s akin to winning the</p><p>lottery. But I’d like to suggest a more sustaining definition taken from the words of Jesus,</p><p>himself:</p><p>“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke</p><p>upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your</p><p>souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)</p><p><br /></p><p>I understand now that grace is God’s extended hand of compassion in difficult circumstances.</p><p>When grace is the last thing we want to give ourselves, or our neighbor, God asks that we let him</p><p>carry that burden.</p><p>I believe we need to dedicate the coming week to prayer. Let’s ask God for an outpouring of</p><p>grace on our country. We are all weary right now. Weary of the pandemic, of economic</p><p>uncertainty, of political rancor. Our hearts are broken and mistrustful of those in authority.</p><p>Sometimes it feels as if we are pushing against the wind. Which is exactly when we need God’s</p><p>grace to lift our weary shoulders and show us the hope that is in front of us.</p><p>Let’s pray that God will give us the grace of patience and compassion toward those we disagree</p><p>with, whose political or religious views we don’t share, whose choices we don’t understand.</p><p>Let’s ask for an outpouring of God’s love on our country to heal our divisions. An outpouring of</p><p>the Holy Spirit to refresh our beleaguered souls.</p><p>Let us pray for God’s grace to see through our own pain and anger and frustration to understand</p><p>the same in our neighbor and friend. Let’s ask for the humility to extend a hand of kindness to</p><p>lift one another up.</p><p>Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:</p><p>where there is hatred, let me sow love;</p><p>where there is injury, pardon;</p><p>where there is doubt, faith;</p><p>where there is despair, hope;</p><p>where there is darkness, light;</p><p>where there is sadness, joy. </p><p>O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek</p><p>to be consoled as to console,</p><p>to be understood as to understand,</p><p>to be loved as to love.</p><p>For it is in giving that we receive, </p><p>it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, </p><p>and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.</p><p>Amen.</p><p>(Prayer of St. Francis)</p>suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-28722075243754098682021-01-11T15:25:00.003-07:002021-01-11T15:25:14.240-07:00Children of God<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQTjxRx9AkRngWAhBvhinT_bgOd4gI17zyRUNfGJHS5DVxvETab3tjbFN2RQAs9c_xUWhVxBTupL8lZHjegwiELGt9IyN2up0RB6ynJxP4-LwOJd7ZO0qF2h6OMsVfp0Psvw5TG7kJR-M/s2048/0AECAAE2-518C-411B-9192-FB183B75D8CA.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQTjxRx9AkRngWAhBvhinT_bgOd4gI17zyRUNfGJHS5DVxvETab3tjbFN2RQAs9c_xUWhVxBTupL8lZHjegwiELGt9IyN2up0RB6ynJxP4-LwOJd7ZO0qF2h6OMsVfp0Psvw5TG7kJR-M/s320/0AECAAE2-518C-411B-9192-FB183B75D8CA.heic" /></a></span></span></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><br /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">Oh I was going to be late, I thought to myself as a rushed through the front door of St. Mary’s on Thursday morning. I was in fact two minutes late as evidenced by Father Stephen’s presence at the altar, singing the opening prayer. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">Normally, if one is late for church, you slip into a pew at the back of the church, hoping not to be noticed. However, because I’d signed up to be the Lector at that morning’s Mass, I had to go right to the first pew. I made it with only a minute tto spare before I had to climb the stairs to recite the first reading, from the First Letter of St. John.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">As I began to read, my heart smiled. The passage seemed to reflect what I’d begun to write the night before, after my first column topic was changed by the events I’d watched on tv.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 22.5pt 0in 7.5pt;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Let us love, then, because he first loved us.<sup>20</sup> Anyone who says 'I love God' and hates his brother, is a liar, since whoever does not love the brother whom he can see cannot love </span></i><a href="https://www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/view.php?id=5217" style="color: #954f72;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif">God</span></i></a><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> whom he has not seen. <sup>21</sup> Indeed this is the commandment we have received from him, that whoever loves God, must also love his brother.</span></i><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><h3 style="background-color: white; break-after: avoid; color: #1f4d78; font-family: "Calibri Light", sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17.1200008392334px; margin: 15pt 0in 7.5pt;"><i><sup><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black;">1</span></sup></i><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black;"> Whoever believes that </span></i><a href="https://www.catholic.org/clife/jesus" style="color: #954f72;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Jesus</span></i></a><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black;"> is the </span></i><a href="https://www.catholic.org/clife/jesus" style="color: #954f72;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black;">Christ</span></i></a><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black;"> is a child of God, and whoever loves the father loves the son.<sup>2</sup> In this way we know that we love God's children, when we love </span></i><a href="https://www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/view.php?id=5217" style="color: #954f72;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black;">God</span></i></a><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black;"> and keep his commandments. <sup>3</sup> This is what the love of </span></i><a href="https://www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/view.php?id=5217" style="color: #954f72;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black;">God</span></i></a><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black;"> is: keeping his commandments. Nor are his commandments burdensome,<sup>4</sup> because every child of </span></i><a href="https://www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/view.php?id=5217" style="color: #954f72;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black;">God</span></i></a><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black;"> overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith. (</span></i><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: black;">1 John 4:19~5:4)</span></i><i><span color="windowtext" face="Arial, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></i></h3><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">Usually, I come up with the topic for this column on Monday and sit down to write it on Wednesday. For this week’s column I had two topics or ideas to choose from, both inspirational essays on New Year’s resolutions.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">But then something happened in Washington, D.C. and like the rest of the country, I spent the afternoon riveted to my television, wondering if our government would be overthrown.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">The last four years have been politically tumultuous and our country has been torn apart as a result.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">Most difficult for me as a person of faith is to see that even among people with whom I share the same beliefs we are on opposite ends when it comes to politics. Up until Wednesday, I took that divide in stride and hoped that after the Inauguration later this month, things would improve.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">After the insurrection in our capitol on Wednesday, we received a warning that our country is at a dangerous crossroad. And we must choose what we as a country, as people of faith, will do next. We can no longer, politely decline to discuss politics with those we share a pew.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">I believe that we need a national day of prayer. Not to pray for a particular political leader but to pray for our country, not as an abstract concept, but for our survival.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">We need to put aside our political differences and even our religious differences and pray.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">We need to repent of our sin and our arrogance in using God‘s name as a cudgel to claim the moral high ground and to judge one another. We use God‘s name to divide ourselves, brother against brother to claim that God is either a Democrat or Republican and doesn’t like the other side, which is of course nonsense.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">We must repent of taking God’s name in vain. Because that is exactly what we do when we use the name of God to divide ourselves against one another. If you find this difficult to swallow, please read the passage from the First Letter of St. John, again.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">We must humble ourselves and admit God‘s sovereignty as the only real leading figure who can save our country at this time. Not any political ideology, not any person. Only God can save us, but we must be willing to humble ourselves and repent of our arrogance and our anger and how we have used both to separate ourselves from one another.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">Perhaps once we have done this, once we have humbled ourselves and repented of our sins, our eyes clearly see that the person that we hate because of their political beliefs is actually our brother, a person who is a fellow American.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">Once the scales have fallen from our eyes, perhaps we will see that we are one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. These are not just words, but the foundation of our strength and our success.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” </span></i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">(Matthew 5:9)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222; font-size: 12pt;">We are all children of God. And so we must all become peacemakers now. And settle for nothing less from ourselves and those who lead us. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-44526310952930573882021-01-04T18:30:00.010-07:002021-01-04T18:30:01.673-07:00Our year of miracles<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLXVqXT1jitumNlMmf9dDmZPM5amwyktHAU0kRHKVhHPJw6drm6kj4rQSnXmJQlIX-S8DMYWqn1W86FedIJ3qhCnE6dAlfRpCahc2Aaf-wMB1YHE5awZlZb1YDkGj44EZp6aBmGGJt8A/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLXVqXT1jitumNlMmf9dDmZPM5amwyktHAU0kRHKVhHPJw6drm6kj4rQSnXmJQlIX-S8DMYWqn1W86FedIJ3qhCnE6dAlfRpCahc2Aaf-wMB1YHE5awZlZb1YDkGj44EZp6aBmGGJt8A/" width="180" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">There were white out conditions on Hoosier Pass and in the morning, the wind was still whipping snow sideways as the temperature hovered above zero.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I’m tucked under a blanket I knit, in my big chair, Yo-Yo Ma is playing the Bach cello suites softly, there’s a stack of books on the marble-top table next to my chair with my journal and a cup of milky tea. I’m reading “The Friendship of Women” by Joan Chittister. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">There’s a quote that speaks of the friendship, yes friendship, between God and us. “Saint Ambrose saw a human friendship as a necessary part of the outpouring of God’s friendship. ‘Because God is true,’ Ambrose argued, ‘friends can be true… Because God offers friendship, we can be each other’s friends’.” (<i>The Friendship of Women</i>, p. xvii, Joan Chittister, 2006)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Years ago, I asked God for the gift of close friends. In the six years since my move to Breckenridge, God has answered that prayer more fully than I could ever have dreamed. This year has shown me what friendship can do for a community.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Most of us want to race to the finish line to put this year behind us with perhaps a swift kick in the pants for good measure, as it departs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">2020 has been tough. I remember where I was when I received the news that we were going into lockdown for the first time. I had just come home from City Market, my birthday was a few days off, and I was heading down to Florida to celebrate it with Mom.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">When the pandemic began, I used to write the number of cases and deaths at the top of each page in my daily journal. I stopped after the numbers became too staggering to capture the heartache they held.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">But that is not what a whole story of 2020.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The pandemic which by necessity turned us inward, caused us to take note of our citizenship in this community, and helped us to notice those in need. More often than not, we reached out to our neighbors and asked, how can I help?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">After I told you about the free Sunday community dinner at Father Dyer’s church, managed by Vicky Holcomb, and the Smart Bellies non-profit founded by </span><span style="color: #04182a; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Sarah Schmidt and Margaret Sheehe</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> to feed hungry school children and their families, Vicky received volunteers and Smart Bellies received a $10,000 check from a very generous woman who’d read of their good work and decided to help.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I often write about how we are the hands and feet of God. 2020 showed us how true that is. God’s friendship with us, arms open wide, reaching out to help when we are hungry or cold or in need of an ear to listen, is what God asks us to do for one another.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">2020 is the year we did. We saw it in the tireless work of our neighbors who are healthcare providers, educators, grocery workers, pastors and priests, who kept us going through the pandemic because they wouldn’t give up. We saw it in our neighbors, the restaurant and small business owners who worked to keep their doors open and employees paid, so we chose to shop local this year. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">There were many miracles this year. The vaccines that were created by scientists, the women at Smart Bellies who decided no child in Summit County should go hungry. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Sometimes, we mistakenly think miracles only come in big packages. But as I thought about this year, it occurred to me that small acts of kindness, like the persistent friend who calls every day to make sure you’re okay, can feel like a miracle to someone who is depressed or mourning the loss of a loved one.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">In her book on friendship, Joan Chittister wrote, “The love of a friend comes always with a lantern in hand.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">That’s what we saw this year, people in our community carrying lanterns of love, running toward those in need. Turns out that in a year of terrible loss of loved ones, of jobs, and savings, in a year of devastation for so many people, this was also a year of gratitude for friends and neighbors who did not allow us to go through it alone.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">2020 was a no-good terrible year, but it was also our year of miracles.<o:p></o:p></span></p>suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-61073169998093752572021-01-04T12:57:00.002-07:002021-01-04T12:57:32.337-07:00Quick and Elegant Dinner for Two - Chicken Breasts with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Mushrooms in Cream<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsEz_6y-tufFa4qx37aNbiA9U5GcuZg1iPTI-DKyD5_hy7TdfZfre-MBVzY21K0dMnZblXviJnks6-wovSoNWiPUK8yk2Y0vVwtarbXRlBtJOQQqHjeWmzVa6Mcr7adrZSbg6sXAp0N2Q/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsEz_6y-tufFa4qx37aNbiA9U5GcuZg1iPTI-DKyD5_hy7TdfZfre-MBVzY21K0dMnZblXviJnks6-wovSoNWiPUK8yk2Y0vVwtarbXRlBtJOQQqHjeWmzVa6Mcr7adrZSbg6sXAp0N2Q/" width="180" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Ingredients:</p><p>2 chicken breasts (~1 lb)</p><p>3 oz package of sundried tomatoes</p><p>8 oz sliced baby Bella mushrooms</p><p>2-3 minced garlic cloves</p><p>1 Tablespoon butter</p><p>1 Tablespoon EVOO</p><p>3 sprigs fresh thyme</p><p><br /></p><p>Equipment:</p><p>1 small sauce pan</p><p>1 frying pan</p><p><br /></p><p>Directions:</p><p><br /></p><p>1. Into the small saucepan, add the cream, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and thyme. Simmer for 10 minutes over a low heat to infuse the cream with other ingredients.</p><p>2. In the frying pan, heat the oil and butter, add the slices chicken and brown the chicken. Then add the sliced mushrooms and sauté until browned and the chicken is cooked through.</p><p>3. Remove the frying pan from the heat and pour the cream, tomatoes, garlic and thyme into the frying pan. Gently spoon the cream sauce over the mushrooms and chicken.</p><p><br /></p><p>Enjoy!</p>suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-5705754236025702032020-12-21T15:03:00.002-07:002020-12-21T15:03:32.216-07:00Home for the Holidays<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtsLB4gRPNENeweDdnJwqNpxpQuCwo8tpgyvkRKhIBVeJcxWOvybQj0AHk_L9FrV_lh86hpjD5YdStqlEdmVyyW-mxFVjkPgCeIg5ZE9Fo9umL18oEbLdsQf-aI_z3YTeCrf-XhD4Bl0/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtsLB4gRPNENeweDdnJwqNpxpQuCwo8tpgyvkRKhIBVeJcxWOvybQj0AHk_L9FrV_lh86hpjD5YdStqlEdmVyyW-mxFVjkPgCeIg5ZE9Fo9umL18oEbLdsQf-aI_z3YTeCrf-XhD4Bl0/" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Dorothy Day wrote, “It is no use saying that we are born two thousand years too late to give room to Christ. Nor will those who live at the end of the world have been born too late. Christ is always with us, always asking for a room in our hearts.” (<i>Room for Christ</i>, Dorothy Day: Sacred Writings, 1983)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It seems no matter which way I turn this week I can’t escape imagery of Christ coming to live amongst us and ultimately live within us if we allow him to do so. It isn’t just the familiar nativity creche with Mary and Joseph and the darling barn animals, it’s a stirring in my heart, which makes this Christmas feel different.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I suppose it’s very natural that I am thinking of home as Christmas draws near, because longing to be with my mother on Christmas morning, is also where my heart is.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">But over the last nine months home has taken on many different meanings for us as we have had to spend more time in our own homes, while being far from the homes of our loved ones.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We have learned how to worship in community over Zoom calls. We have found this a poor substitute for being in the real presence of the Eucharist or our church family.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Yet on the other hand we have formed weeknight prayer groups that meet at 5 o’clock on video calls and we pray together. I don’t believe these nightly groups would have begun organically and persisted over the many months, if we had not been forced to meet this way because we found ourselves at home and needing community. And yet, what began in necessity, has blossomed into blessing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This coming week we will celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior. God who came to earth as an infant and grew into a man. God who took this form so that he could come into our homes and sit at our dining room tables and share a meal with us and laugh and cry and listen to all we had to say.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">All too soon after his time on Earth, he left us and returned to his father, our father who art in heaven, but before he did he promised he would not leave us alone, and sent the Holy Spirit. And as Dorothy Day said, Christ is still with us to this day, in our hearts, in our minds.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">After we recognize his presence within us, we find Christ in the face of those we meet in our journey. He is the sick person who lies in an ICU bed battling Covid afraid and alone. He is in the mother who has lost hours at her job and wonders how she will make ends meet and fill the refrigerator with food for her children. We see Christ in the tired faces of our priests and pastors and front-line workers, the nurses and doctors who have worked nonstop to care for all of us, spiritually and physically. In their exhausted faces we see Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">CS Lewis used another metaphor of home when he described the discomfort that sometimes arises when Christ comes to live in our hearts:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> - </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">C. S. Lewis, <i>Mere Christianity</i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As I read the paragraph by C.S. Lewis I knew exactly what he meant. Over the course of this year, I have certainly experienced the feeling of Christ undertaking some major renovations, not only in my heart and mind but in the way I live my life and the choices I make. It has been at times uncomfortable, but ultimately has been a source of joy because I understand that Christ is making room in my heart and in my life for him to live more fully.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">More importantly, I believe Christ wants to do the same in your heart, as well. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I believe this year and this Christmas will be remembered for the rest of our lives for what we have lost and what we have gained and most of all what we have learned about caring for one another, especially for those who cared so much for us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I hope this Christmas you will welcome Christ into your home and into your heart. Merry Christmas!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p>suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-71228366417584536052020-12-14T09:29:00.001-07:002020-12-14T09:29:40.164-07:00The Darkness before the Dawn<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHoWDXV8Qx2SvU_ja_VShsaNzHI67iiLF-hfwGpvUivFscZr8Ngkxag9zuUJJ71m06d_glzmL9RO77ztNOxCAdP6JBFi8SQ5p1YRmVyOsFCuthuLqcoZheTBLcWabVTSwVQ_Q4vw0R0o/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2609" data-original-width="1205" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHoWDXV8Qx2SvU_ja_VShsaNzHI67iiLF-hfwGpvUivFscZr8Ngkxag9zuUJJ71m06d_glzmL9RO77ztNOxCAdP6JBFi8SQ5p1YRmVyOsFCuthuLqcoZheTBLcWabVTSwVQ_Q4vw0R0o/" width="111" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">My </i><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i>iPhone</i></span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </i><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i>lock screen</i></span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> is a picture of me and Mom</i></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">I read the sad story of a young man in Texas who took his life this week because he could no longer tolerate this up-ended life of being home and away from his friends. He was a football player and in high school and his entire life lay before him with all its wondrous potential but all he could see was the despair of this moment not the joy or the light of the future beyond. My heart breaks for him and for his family and friends. But I also understand the despair which can make the present darkness feel impossible to bear.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">This week my mother and I made the difficult decision that I would not fly to visit her for Christmas. I haven’t seen Mom since March. I bought my tickets for this two-week visit back in September. And with every day that brought my visit closer we talked more excitedly about how we would spend our time together. Since Thanksgiving, Mom has been counting the days until my arrival.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">We cried on the day that we finalized the decision and we’ve cried a few times since. Tears are always at the ready if we mention anything about Christmas, so we try not to. Because Mom is ninety-three, we hope she will be one of the first people to receive a vaccination. Then I will be able to see her, hopefully as soon as March.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Although I know the months will fly by between now and then and although the darkness before the dawn is just a thin veil, our despair is palpable.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">It’s 6:30 AM as I write these words and the darkness of the night before still clings to the earth. Although this is the darkest part of the year, six months from now when summer has returned, at 6:30 in the morning the sun will have already breached the mountains by an hour, and I will have to close my curtains if I hope to still be asleep at this hour. It’s difficult to remember that in the present darkness.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Sometimes we can only see the darkness, even when dawn is so close. But sometimes it feels too difficult to reach out and pierce the thin veil between despair and hope.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">But we must. So here’s another perspective for our darkest hour. Bear, my newest adopted Newfoundland dog, on occasion wakes me at 2 or 3 a.m. with a need to go outside. Awoken from my nest of down comforter and pillows to brace myself for coldest hour of the night, is never a favorite thing. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">However, this otherwise miserable hour is also when the stars sparkle brightest. And that is my reward. A reward which I argue outweighs the discomfort of the cold and interrupted sleep.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Our exhaustion can lead us to succumb to the darkness to forget to look up and outwards, even as the breaking dawn outlines the mountaintops. But I want to remind you of this: Our greatest joy comes from the darkness, illuminates the night, and heralds a new dawn. Joy. Joy. Joy!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 15pt 0in 7.5pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><sup><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">8” </span></sup></b><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. <b><sup>9 </sup></b>And </span><sup><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt;">[</span></sup><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+2&version=NKJV#fen-NKJV-24983c" title="See footnote c"><sup><span style="color: #517e90; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt;">c</span></sup></a><sup><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt;">]</span></sup><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. <b><sup>10 </sup></b>Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great JOY which will be to all people. <b><sup>11 </sup></b>For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. <b><sup>12 </sup></b>And this <i>will be</i> the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a </span><sup><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt;">[</span></sup><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+2&version=NKJV#fen-NKJV-24986d" title="See footnote d"><sup><span style="color: #517e90; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt;">d</span></sup></a><sup><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt;">]</span></sup><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">manger.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><sup><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">13 </span></sup></b><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b><sup><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">14 </span></sup></b><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">“Glory to God in the highest,<br />And on earth peace, goodwill</span><sup><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt;">[</span></sup><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+2&version=NKJV#fen-NKJV-24988e" title="See footnote e"><sup><span style="color: #517e90; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt;">e</span></sup></a><sup><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt;">]</span></sup><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;"> toward men!” (Luke 2:8-14, NKJ)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Many years ago, I lived in New York City. At two or three a.m. if I looked up towards the heavens I would see a grey sky, perhaps a haze of white, reflecting the ever present lights of the city. The stars were still there of course, but invisible behind the man-made lights below.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">The stars I see now are visible because I live on the edge of wilderness. The city lights are a distant memory and in my home in the woods, darkness is welcome. The darker the night, the brighter the heavens.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">This is the hope I must hold onto. Every day between now and when I fly to Florida to see my mother will be a time of darkness. There is no way to sugarcoat it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">But we can also see it as a time to draw closer to one another by phone and video chat. We can look forward to our reunion. We can share our Christmas faith. We can wait to see one another, just as we wait again to celebrate the coming of our savior, Jesus Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Hold on dear friends. It may be darkest before the dawn, but the Light which overcame the darkness is on its way.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-14320987399004749852020-12-06T07:00:00.008-07:002020-12-06T07:00:08.105-07:00Be a Bringer of Hope this Season<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1-i6Il1w5fbbsqDcKcJq0HrC2xTmouHYM5Vf5NI1TGvPQdr6OGKlevADclIS8Pz6CqgqxnR6pxV-V_OKpaIWnRrdP7bNsZHuLwe75ZjK8syP9039KUwHx_ySzGV-wnmny4U7KgWVANk/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1-i6Il1w5fbbsqDcKcJq0HrC2xTmouHYM5Vf5NI1TGvPQdr6OGKlevADclIS8Pz6CqgqxnR6pxV-V_OKpaIWnRrdP7bNsZHuLwe75ZjK8syP9039KUwHx_ySzGV-wnmny4U7KgWVANk/" width="180" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Vicky Holcomb is doing God’s work. In a time when many people have lost their jobs and don’t have enough to eat, Vicky is feeding them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Last Sunday as the sunset created shadows on the ski slopes of Breckenridge, I dropped off a spinach mushroom and pumpkin lasagna at Father Dyer’s Methodist Church in Breckenridge for their Sunday community dinner. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Every Sunday, Vicky and her volunteers provide a hot meal for up to eighty hard-working people, who may or may not have enough to make ends meet despite holding down jobs around town.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">On alternating Sundays, volunteers from the churches of Saint John the Baptist Episcopal church, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and Father Dyer drop off warm casseroles to be served by other volunteers. Vicky also receives generous donations of food from Mountaintop Cookies, Ridge Street Kitchen, and Soupz On.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Vicky needs help because she’s been carrying much of this project on her shoulders for a long time. Yet the number of people that she feeds each Sunday has doubled from 35 to 75 people. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Food insecurity is a real issue in our community. If you or your church or community group would like to help, please contact Vicky because she needs additional hot dishes and volunteers to serve them. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Father Dyer Church also runs a food pantry on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and they are always in need of canned goods. If you want to help Vicky feed our neighbors, contact her at: jmuvicki@gmail.com<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">On the other side of our county, Smart Bellies is feeding children and their families who are facing food insecurity. Here’s what they are doing about it and how you can help:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“Smart Bellies strives to eliminate childhood hunger in Summit County by providing nutritious food for kids to enjoy every weekend. Since the pandemic, Smart Bellies has opened its program to all students and families enrolled in Summit School District. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“Currently Smart Bellies is providing weekend food for around 350 children a week from 155 families through a home delivery service. The third week of December, ingredients to prepare a holiday meal will be included in each delivery. If you would like to donate, please go to </span><a href="http://smartbellies.org/holidays" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">smartbellies.org/holidays</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">. A $25 donation will purchase ingredients for one family meal. If you would like to volunteer this holiday season, please go to </span><a href="http://smartbellies.org/volunteer" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">smartbellies.org/volunteer</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">.”</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">In a generous community like Summit County, we strive to make sure no adult or child goes to bed hungry. If we each make a small contribution of time or money, we can wipe hunger out.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I have sent in my check to Smart Bellies and I’m on a team to provide casseroles for Father Dyer’s Sunday dinner. I am sharing this because I wouldn’t ask you to do something that I wouldn’t be willing to do myself. So, I am asking you to help feed our neighbors in need.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Hunger comes in many forms and during this season, many of us may be experiencing spiritual hunger. After our bodies have been fed, we may recognize a spiritual hunger which I believe is our soul seeking God. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It’s a hunger I feel when I haven’t been to church in a few weeks, when I haven’t received the blessed sacrament of holy communion. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Spiritual hunger is my soul telling me to pursue a closer relationship with our Creator and source of Love. This means I turn off the TV and spend 30 minutes talking with God, reading a spiritual book, and praying for others. Most of all, it means that I simply ask God to come closer, to come into my heart and live there and make a difference in my life.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">During this second week of Advent, let’s make this a priority. Let’s spend a few minutes each day asking God to feed our spiritual hunger.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">During the month of December, I’m reading one chapter a day from the Gospel of St. Matthew, to remind myself why I believe. I invite you to join me.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Advent is about waiting with anticipation for the arrival of Jesus Christ, who came and walked among us, to teach us how to love one another better. The fact that we do this every year and have for centuries with the same sense of joy, speaks to not only the importance of Christ’s arrival but his lasting impact on our lives. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Once we’ve been spiritually fed, let’s feed our community with God’s love and real food. What better way to live the spirit of this season, than giving your time, food, or money, to feed your neighbor?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">To find out what you can do to make sure no child or family goes hungry this Christmas, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">please contact Vicky at Father Dyer’s ( jmuvicki@gmail.com) as well as the good people of Smart Bellies ( </span><a href="http://smartbellies.org/holidays" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">smartbellies.org/holidays</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> or </span><a href="http://smartbellies.org/volunteer" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">smartbellies.org/volunteer</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> . <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Suzanne Anderson is the author of <a href="Be a Bringer of Hope this Season" target="_blank">The Best Christmas</a>, an Advent devotional.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-53561414740163810302020-12-05T17:52:00.000-07:002020-12-05T17:52:08.734-07:00Get your greens for breakfast - 3 easy breakfast sandwiches<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Get Your Greens for Breakfast<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS75fFaARUa5k8cNCpznUQxCBg4mNzkVc2zFeHqe4RiJfS48T3O3Be1fbidsSI4hBxIx75sKFMBjYeslUF_K8K5OL2-YHpQU5pOdvc9ZnKVU5VhxzOXlpjdXXo1uj53zFRaNnqybnNFVE/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS75fFaARUa5k8cNCpznUQxCBg4mNzkVc2zFeHqe4RiJfS48T3O3Be1fbidsSI4hBxIx75sKFMBjYeslUF_K8K5OL2-YHpQU5pOdvc9ZnKVU5VhxzOXlpjdXXo1uj53zFRaNnqybnNFVE/" width="180" /></a></div><br /></span><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">I’m one of those adults who isn’t a natural salad eater. If I want to eat my veggies, I resort to tactics that might be worthy of a clever mom with a recalcitrant toddler.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Recently though, I found inspiration in a delicious raw veggie and hummus sandwich on focaccia from Soupz-On takeout in Breckenridge. It was like eating a salad between two slices of fresh garlicky bread. I love bread as much as chocolate, so I was very happy.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">If you’re like me and always looking for a way to sneak more fresh vegetables into your diet, allow me to share three quick and easy breakfast options to start your day. The secret is to pile on the vegetables. Not a single wilted lettuce leaf, I’m encouraging a pile of mixed vegetables that’s at least as thick as the two slices of bread. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Experiment with the variety of vegetables you use. I’ve now begun piling my lunchtime turkey or roast beef sandwich with grated carrots, spinach, mushrooms, cucumbers, slices of roasted peppers or eggplant. The possibilities are exciting!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">And now a plea. Two of these breakfast options include bagels. I’d like to put out a call to Breckenridge bakers…would someone please open a bagel shop?! <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>An Everything Bagel with Everything You Need for Good Health<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">The name says it all, you’ll enjoy Omega 3 fatty oils from the smoked salmon, and you’ll be a strong as Popeye when you pile your own choice of greens. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Slice in half and lightly toast an Everything bagel. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Slater one side with cream cheese. Top with smoked salmon.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Next layer with fresh baby spinach and thin slices of cucumber and green onion.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>Another Everything Bagel with an Omelet<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">It’s been said that the sandwich was invented by a medieval earl to hold his supper between two slices of bread as he rode his horse. Similarly, here we have an omelet between two halves of a toast bagel.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Slice and toast a bagel. (I like to butter the bagel halves and place them under a broiler.) Whisk together two eggs and a splash of milk (or half and half). Into a small frying pan add a tablespoon of olive oil and heat over a medium heat, until the oil shimmers, then add the eggs. Don’t disturb the eggs until you see that the edges are set. Then gently place a handful of your favorite steamed veggies on top of the eggs. I used 3-minute steamed asparagus. Using a spatula, gently fold the eggs over and allow them to cook. I won’t mind if you add a ¼ cup of your favorite grated cheese before you place the omelet on the bagel.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>Spinach, Mushroom, and Cheddar frittata – without a bagel<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">No bagel here, which is probably a relief to my GP who wants me to lose 25 pounds.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Preheat the oven to 350F. In a small frying pan, add a Tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive oil and allow to heat on a medium heat until the oil just shimmers. Meanwhile, whisk together two eggs and a splash of milk or half and half. Into the oil, add a handful of baby spinach leaves and sliced portabella mushrooms. Quickly sauté until the spinach and mushrooms are just wilted. Pour the egg mixture over the spinach and mushrooms, add a ¼ cup of grated cheese. Place into the oven until the egg custard is just set. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-55323156759826897852020-11-30T10:30:00.002-07:002020-11-30T10:30:22.655-07:00Peace for troubled times<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWViLFYX2MVnWJCQG3-A5fyO8hK5c9qjq1SNPgA1IYN86-ZTR44O2KqkZIq7ooQR0facqUTi1qXgORrRKby5XqlLondK-mVuQPsbrv60jKLcjQQlpgrDPfXFhnTDKhgFmsu7XD2h7xPVo/s2048/3FB188A9-607E-4617-845A-6A8359760003.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWViLFYX2MVnWJCQG3-A5fyO8hK5c9qjq1SNPgA1IYN86-ZTR44O2KqkZIq7ooQR0facqUTi1qXgORrRKby5XqlLondK-mVuQPsbrv60jKLcjQQlpgrDPfXFhnTDKhgFmsu7XD2h7xPVo/s320/3FB188A9-607E-4617-845A-6A8359760003.heic" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222;">God laughed. That’s the only explanation for a snowstorm which confounded expectations. On Monday afternoon I took Bear and Kiki, my beloved Newfoundland dogs, for their afternoon walk and was dismayed to see my dirt road was dirt and not snow covered.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">The weather forecast said we might get a few inches of snow by Tuesday morning but when I woke there was already 10 inches of snow on the ground and by the time it finished the totals were closer to 24 inches of snow.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">And that’s just the way it is sometimes when you’re waiting for things to change and it seems like you’re amid a drought and then the floodgates open and the deluge is greater than what we’d planned for. Of course, that’s the good kind of outpouring, but sometimes it’s not so good. Covid-19 cases rise, businesses close, jobs are lost, savings are depleted, for the second time this year. We’d planned for five inches of snow but received twenty-four.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">This moment feels like that. We enter the season of Advent on Sunday, four weeks of anticipating the birth of Christ. We will light a candle around the Advent wreath to mark each week. One for peace, hope, joy, and love.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Our bellies are likely still full of Thanksgiving dinner, but this Thanksgiving was very different for most of us. Many of us ate dinner alone this year to keep loved ones healthy and the pandemic at bay.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Many of us are planning for fewer presents under the Christmas tree because jobs are scarce, and budgets are tight. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">And then there’s an election season which seems to have no end.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">What we need is peace. What we long for is the nourishing balm of goodwill toward men.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">“…they shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:5)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Sometimes war is not waged with guns. In a divided nation what can we do to bring peace? As we wait for the Prince of Peace, how can we be bearers of peace to our neighbors? Overcome fear and loneliness, with love and comfort?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">God is at work in us and through us, when we allow ourselves to be conduits of God’s fairness, justice, and kindness. When we work to find common ground with people who do not share our faith, our political views, or moral compass. When we are the first to admit that we are wrong.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">What if each day we choose to create one small act of kindness – dedicated to God, dedicated to bringing God’s peace on earth?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">When we are waiting for the storm to end, we may find ourselves impatient with waiting. We tire of wearing our masks, being distant from family we haven’t seen in ten months, in turning the other cheek.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Yet the season of Advent calls us to wait, not with exhaustion but with anticipation. To lay down our troubled spirits and rest and renew ourselves to continue forward until the journey’s end.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">We glimpse a glimmer of hope in the distance. It’s there, we can feel it, a momentary glimpse of blue sky behind grey clouds. We can exchange our troubled impatience with a trusting spirit of anticipation, knowing as Hebrews 11:1 promises, that what we hope for will be seen in due course if we hold onto our faith.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">As I sit in my living room warmed by the fire, I can wait for the snowstorm to end and remain at peace because I know the storm will pass and the sun’s warmth will be felt on my shoulders. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">I curl into the depths of my chair, content with the silence, an opened book nearby, a pen in my hand as I scribble these words in my journal. I can rest here because I have come in from the storm.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">God is calling each of us to come in from the storm. Not to hide from life’s challenges. But to find rest in God’s peace. And after we are renewed, to take that peace into the world and share it with our neighbors. To heal broken spirits and broken hearts. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">“Peace be with you, my peace I leave you”, Jesus the Prince of Peace, promised. And so, we wait for Him. And until He comes, we take His peace and share it with the world, one person at a time.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"> <o:p></o:p></p>suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-48261672484327104732020-11-15T11:19:00.004-07:002020-11-15T11:27:16.960-07:00No shirt, no shoes, no service<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmxkp2GhBSA_wcRruA5ml45y1uPJ8cVgdKxP9mmsgHZrm6x2KNH5WpDJRlwMsom_JVtasmwfNanCgjlV77OfHISSfrudz9bqv0it_f_JNJLFsFXla_T4yFF-TyeeZmWAa-JnTlbQzciH4/s2048/8B7DFE3E-0551-4B3E-9F54-C7C3BF55FDDD.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmxkp2GhBSA_wcRruA5ml45y1uPJ8cVgdKxP9mmsgHZrm6x2KNH5WpDJRlwMsom_JVtasmwfNanCgjlV77OfHISSfrudz9bqv0it_f_JNJLFsFXla_T4yFF-TyeeZmWAa-JnTlbQzciH4/s320/8B7DFE3E-0551-4B3E-9F54-C7C3BF55FDDD.heic" /></a></span></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">Every night at 5 PM Adrienne and Jim Sielaff would sit together in their living room and pray.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">Jim had lived with a crippling illness for years and you would think they would have spent their last evenings together praying for Jim. I’m certain they did. However what Adrienne told me was the long list of other people they prayed for each evening, as well. I know this because Adrienne told me that I was on that list. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">On their last evening together, they had finished their prayers and Adrienne asked Jim if he would like some ice cream, Jim said yes, and as she stood to go into the kitchen Jim said as he did every evening, “Stand up straight and look beautiful”. When Adrienne returned from the kitchen with their ice cream, Jim was still sitting in his chair, but his spirit had flown to the embrace of Jesus.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">I had the honor of reading a passage from 1 Corinthians 13:1-5 at Jim’s funeral Mass last Saturday morning. If that passage sounds familiar it is because it is the famous Bible passage about love that is read at almost every church wedding.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">It is not, to my knowledge, read at many funerals. Yet it was the perfect passage to memorialize the fifty-year marriage of enduring love and respect between Adrienne and Jim. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">This was the message which Deacon Jim use eloquently convey in his homily, a love between two people so overflowing, they had more than enough to share every night as they prayed for others.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">I write often of the parable of the Good Samaritan who stopped to help an injured stranger. The Samaritan not only stayed to tend the wounds, but also took him to a local inn and paid for the injured man to be cared for. It is one of my favorite parables of Jesus’ many parables because it speaks of our call to put faith into action.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">It’s easy to say we love Jesus and leave it at that. It is so much more difficult to live by the example Jesus taught through parables and ultimately, his own life. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">I spent the first eighteen years of my life living in South Florida about a mile from the beach. In a seaside town, it is not uncommon to see on doors of restaurants and shops a sign which reads, “no shirt, no shoes, no service”.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">Amazingly, people comply with this simple request. Nobody suggests that wearing shoes or a shirt in public impinges on their personal freedom. We take it for granted that these are agreed-upon rules in our society, that we cover our chest and feet when we go about our business in public.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">Which is why I am unable to understand why some of the good people of the United States of America will happily wear shoes and a shirt yet are unwilling to wear a simple cloth mask over their mouth and nose to help their community tamp down a pandemic that has now caused the deaths of a quarter-million of their fellow Americans.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">Most disheartening has been church services filled with good souls who seek medical attention when they are sick yet ignore the pleas of doctors to wear a cloth mask and sit or stand six feet apart, while worshipping together. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">I assure you; we are no closer to God when sitting too close to our neighbor in a pew. Our praise and worship is heard by God just as well when our mouth is covered by a mask, as when it is not.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">If you don’t believe me or the doctors, at least believe what Jesus Christ said when he said we should love one another as we want to be loved, and care for our neighbors as Christ cared for us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">Wearing a mask and sitting every other pew is not an infringement on our religious liberty. Local governments have asked every public establishment to abide by the same rules for distancing. It’s a matter of science, not religion.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">To comply might mean conducting smaller services (and maybe more than one a week) to accommodate fewer people sitting six feet apart, wearing masks throughout the service. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">For example, at my church, St. Mary’s and Our Lady of Peace, Mass is limited to 50 people, sitting every other pew and six feet apart. Our beloved priests provide at least 5 Masses a week to accommodate everyone. Other churches are doing a combination of in-person and online services.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">Recent scientific studies have revealed that wearing a mask not only protects you, it also protects those around you. That means my mother with congestive heart failure or your child with asthma will be protected when you choose to value the health of your neighbor, as yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">When Jesus asked us to love one another it wasn’t with words alone, it was in the day-to-day respect shown by simple acts of kindness. Yes, like wearing a mask because you care about your neighbor, as you hope they care about you. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">Adrienne and Jim Sielaff didn’t have to spend their last week’s together praying for other people. But they did because they lived the teachings of Christ in the most authentic way. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;">I hope we will learn from their example. I hope that in this most dire time, we learn to love one another not only in words, but also in deeds. Please walk your faith and wear your mask.<o:p></o:p></span></p>suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-56635872682861299142020-11-14T14:36:00.001-07:002020-11-14T14:36:03.793-07:00How to save money and time at the grocery store and add variety to weekly meals<p><br /></p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGSwoRXsREI_J_UBmMJu_i4-hIPOsXER85qknORMUbJyHtJgmT6IQGbRL9K4AB00V_qcyeAxaUI2XtaP0OFyjHzDvhO2sdDNI3eDDXEUQoO7ukePF1JyZWu1BwkurMnlynRCcJOe2K_8/s2048/B5BE5D28-515E-4BD0-9C21-5A934124A6B1.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGSwoRXsREI_J_UBmMJu_i4-hIPOsXER85qknORMUbJyHtJgmT6IQGbRL9K4AB00V_qcyeAxaUI2XtaP0OFyjHzDvhO2sdDNI3eDDXEUQoO7ukePF1JyZWu1BwkurMnlynRCcJOe2K_8/s320/B5BE5D28-515E-4BD0-9C21-5A934124A6B1.heic" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I find grocery shopping relaxing. I can happily spend hours wandering up and down the aisles.</p><p>However, what is not relaxing is reaching the checkout counter after two hours of grocery store</p><p>grazing and encountering a $350 grocery bill.</p><p>Overtime I have developed habits that help me to save money while eating more interesting</p><p>meals.</p><p>Shop once a week – I save time and money by limiting my trips to the grocery store. It is</p><p>inevitable that every time I run in for “just one thing”, I end up with ten items I “had to have”.</p><p>Make a list of that’s week’s dinner meals – The night before I do my weekly shopping, I sit at</p><p>my desk with a slim 8 x 5-inch notebook that goes with me to the grocery store.</p><p>On the top half of the page, I write 4 or 5 dinners I’d like to make in the coming week and on</p><p>the bottom half of the page I create a grocery list based on what I don’t already have in my</p><p>pantry and need to buy.</p><p>What about breakfast and lunch?</p><p>Unless there’s a specific dish I want to try, I’m casual about breakfast and lunch. For breakfast, I</p><p>keep yogurt, granola, eggs, and bread on hand.</p><p>For lunch, I love soups, salads, and sandwiches. I make one soup a week and then shop for</p><p>ingredients for salads and sandwiches.</p><p>How to create a week’s worth of dinner ideas?</p><p>Download and use your grocery store’s app – I use my grocery store app every week to see</p><p>what’s on sale and I download digital coupons before I head to the grocery store. Let sales on</p><p>meats and produce inspire the next step, finding meal ideas.</p><p>Subscribe to favorite food sites for seasonal recipes</p><p>There are many paid meal plan apps, such as “emeals” which allow you to choose from a</p><p>variety of curated meals. Then the app provides the recipe and a grocery list. Very convenient.</p><p>This is a great option for busy families, and you’ll save money by using common ingredients in</p><p>two or more meals.</p><p>If you have more time and enjoy cooking, subscribe to free (or in some cases paid) newsletters</p><p>from your favorite cooking sites. For instance, I’m currently enjoying southernliving.com,</p><p>eatingwell.com, and 177milkstreet.com (and mine! Suzanneelizabeths.com)</p><p><br /></p><p>These websites expand your culinary horizons and encourage you to cook seasonally, which is</p><p>another way to save money at the grocery store.</p><p>Keep a pantry of staples - A pantry is essential to preparing meals on the fly.</p><p>In my case, it’s two shelves of canned beans, tomatoes, tuna, coconut milk, pumpkin, almond</p><p>milk and chicken stock in shelf-stable containers.</p><p>Rice, dried lentils, couscous, pastas</p><p>Butter, eggs, half and half or buttermilk.</p><p>Vinegars: apple cider, red wine, white wine or champagne vinegars, balsamic.</p><p>Oils: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, grapeseed, coconut, and sesame oil.</p><p>Condiments I use frequently: soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, teriyaki marinade, capers,</p><p>mayonnaise, mustard, tahini, white miso paste.</p><p>Nuts: walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, peanut butter.</p><p>Baking: all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, white sugar, brown</p><p>sugar, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips.</p><p>When a meat, poultry, or fish I use frequently goes on sale, I buy two extra packages and</p><p>freeze them (but remember to use them before they get freezer burn!)</p><p>Please remember, you don’t need to buy everything at once, build up your pantry over time by</p><p>buying a few extra ingredients each week.</p><p>Let ingredients do double duty – Create two meals with the same ingredients: The other day I</p><p>bought a butternut squash, cut it in half, cleaned out the seeds, rubbed it with a neutral oil</p><p>(grapeseed) sprinkled with salt and pepper, and roasted it, cut side down on a sheet pan, in a</p><p>400F oven until the flesh was easily pierced with a sharp knife (about 20-30 minutes depending</p><p>on the size of the squash).</p><p>Next, I filled one half of the squash with a mixture of crumbled sausage, 4 oz. sliced</p><p>mushrooms, ½ diced onion, and ¼ cup dried cranberries, all of which I had quickly sauteed in a</p><p>pan while the squash cooked. I sprinkled the stuffed squash with swiss cheese and put it under</p><p>the broiler for two minutes until the cheese melted and enjoyed the stuffed squash for dinner.</p><p>After dinner, I removed the meat of the other (now cooled) squash half from its skin, placed it</p><p>in a medium Dutch oven with the other half of the diced onion, one medium diced apple, and</p><p>4-5 cups of chicken or vegetable stock. Cook until the onion and apple are softened, season</p><p>with a pinch of fresh nutmeg, or cinnamon, or curry powder, then blend the soup with an</p><p>immersion blender until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a</p><p>dollop of plain yogurt.</p><p>Stick with your list – Always challenging as I roll by the cookies or chips on sale.</p><p>Stick to your shopping list, but also build in wiggle room for a special treat. In my case, that</p><p>means dark chocolate always finds a place in my shopping cart.</p>suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-35842928973966804432020-11-12T14:34:00.006-07:002020-11-12T14:34:47.884-07:00The Prayer We Need for the Coming Weeks<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9cKlzEususDgk-5wMdr_NgalfeWfIgVqmZR0vJJ0Umw_otJkXbKWvq_ApgWfC3wufxQjuBD-dSNT-44j4gurKz-a9auOw-ZTIpXykze5nrdMJ0wBaW8PxPA0hjGONrJmavnSDus1A_rg/s2048/DAC961A3-58B4-4AD9-B5E9-A2D77F9447E5.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9cKlzEususDgk-5wMdr_NgalfeWfIgVqmZR0vJJ0Umw_otJkXbKWvq_ApgWfC3wufxQjuBD-dSNT-44j4gurKz-a9auOw-ZTIpXykze5nrdMJ0wBaW8PxPA0hjGONrJmavnSDus1A_rg/s320/DAC961A3-58B4-4AD9-B5E9-A2D77F9447E5.heic" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Jesus gave us a prayer which will not only get us</p><p>through the next few anxious weeks, it is a prayer that will get us through every</p><p>day of our lives because it is the prayer that Jesus gave his own disciples when</p><p>they asked him how to pray.</p><p>Most of us repeat this prayer every Sunday during church services.</p><p>Unfortunately, because it’s so familiar, we repeat the words without truly</p><p>considering their meaning.</p><p>I believe in these words are the comfort and direction we need to find real peace</p><p>during these anxious times.</p><p>Matthew 6:9-13</p><p>Jesus told them, &quot;Pray then like this:</p><p>Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. </p><p>To ‘hallow’ means to declare God’s name sacred and our trust in God’s power to</p><p>change our lives. This is a great assurance in these turbulent times when we</p><p>have felt powerless.</p><p>But pay attention to how we are to think of our holy and powerful God…Jesus</p><p>tells us to call him, our Father.</p><p><br /></p><p>What a contrast. We are told that the most high and holy God cares for each of</p><p>us as his own child. Abba. Daddy. Hallowed be Your name.</p><p>Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. </p><p>Now that our vote has been cast and we’ve encouraged all in our community to</p><p>do the same, we must let go of our anxiety.</p><p>When we say, ‘Your Kingdom come’ we are inviting God to not only return in all</p><p>his glory, we are praying that God will bring us the love and peace that only he</p><p>can provide.</p><p>We are saying, Lord help us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, help us</p><p>to create peace in our communities.</p><p>Thy will be done, Lord, is not a passive statement. We still must vote. We must</p><p>endeavor to live the Sermon on the Mount. And as we live God’s</p><p>commandments, we ask God to participate fully with us in creating just and</p><p>peaceful communities.</p><p>We are asking God in his infinite wisdom, that his will be accomplished not only</p><p>in this election but in our day-to-day lives.</p><p>Give us this day our daily bread,</p><p>Not everyone has been able to return to their jobs, too many people are visiting a</p><p>food bank for the first time in their lives. Too many are wondering if they can</p><p>make their next rent or mortgage payment, too many children are being asked to</p><p>skip a meal because there’s not enough food in the house.</p><p>So we pray, ‘God give us our daily bread’. We’re not asking for riches; we’re</p><p>asking for just enough. As we pray these words, we might also look around our</p><p>community and see where we can help, where our extra few dollars might go</p><p>toward the FIRC food bank or the Smart Bellies school food program or</p><p>Thanksgiving to Go gift cards. No matter how little we have, each of us can be</p><p>the hands and feet of God and provide daily bread for someone in our</p><p>community.</p><p> and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. </p><p>If you spend any time on social media, you know there is no shortage of harsh</p><p>words and recriminations on both political sides.</p><p>Perhaps we can reduce our time on social media for the next few weeks. What if</p><p>for every hour we spent scrolling through social media, we spent ten minutes in</p><p>prayer for our country?</p><p><br /></p><p>Imagine what a difference that would make in our community.</p><p><br /></p><p>And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.&#39;&quot;</p><p>The next few weeks will undoubtedly be filled with anxiety and fear and anger.</p><p>One side will win this election and one side will lose. There will certainly be</p><p>recriminations and 50% of our country will be upset with the results, which can</p><p>lead to dangerous behavior.</p><p>We must resist the impulse to side with anyone who tries to divide our country.</p><p>We are all Americans.</p><p>We need to pray that God will deliver us from evil. Pray that no matter the</p><p>outcome, we will work toward unifying our country so that we are once again, one</p><p>nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.</p><p>Jesus said, “This, then, is how you should pray:</p><p>Our Father in heaven,</p><p>Reveal who you are.</p><p>Set the world right;</p><p>Do what’s best—</p><p> as above, so below.</p><p>Keep us alive with three square meals.</p><p>Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.</p><p>Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.</p><p>You’re in charge!</p><p>You can do anything you want!</p><p>You’re ablaze in beauty!</p><p> Yes. Yes. Yes.”</p><p>(Matthew 6:9-13, The Message)</p>suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-39482628446254030872020-10-22T10:25:00.003-06:002020-10-22T10:25:00.314-06:00Bold Flavors for Quick Dinners and My Quest for the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie Continues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SFdgIYYLw_LAeUjIEUoMyOmlnuGl4KW4x9n8eixsftAzFQPLFOjcR7aUbzrwsV4ibmt-kUNT1qWjYnV58ozHuUzSJMuaJ9t8CO4qMQWck5brDM19KtUIKOv4wMDQFB1c1MUGCRqRhpo/s2048/7304466A-3528-45E1-9FE6-CF18030C9920.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SFdgIYYLw_LAeUjIEUoMyOmlnuGl4KW4x9n8eixsftAzFQPLFOjcR7aUbzrwsV4ibmt-kUNT1qWjYnV58ozHuUzSJMuaJ9t8CO4qMQWck5brDM19KtUIKOv4wMDQFB1c1MUGCRqRhpo/s320/7304466A-3528-45E1-9FE6-CF18030C9920.heic" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Yes, you can get dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less. And yes, this dinner can be made from whole foods, with bold flavors, and be worthy of inviting a friend or two to join you outside on the deck. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">If you can plan a couple hours or a day before, you can serve these dark chocolate chip cookies for dessert. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Enjoy!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>Skirt Steak, Sweet Potato Fries, Kale Salad with a Avocado Cilantro Dressing<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">½ lb of skirt steak per person<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">1 sweet potato per person<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">1 bunch of Lacinato kale<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">1 lemon<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">3 Tablespoons of grated parmesan<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Directions:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Marinate the skirt steak in your favorite marinade, (I used a teriyaki sauce) for 30 minutes up to overnight. 15 minutes before cooking remove from fridge, pat dry.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Preheat oven to 425F<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Peel potatoes, cut into fries, place on baking sheet. Sprinkle with EVOO, salt, and a Southwest seasoning. Bake fries for 15 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Cook the skirt steak for 3-5 minutes, turning frequently. Remove steak and allow to rest.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Make the kale salad: remove the kale from the stems, tear leaves into bite-sized pieces. Massage kale for 1-2 minutes to “soften” the leaves. Sprinkle with EVOO and the juice of one lemon, and the grated parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to rest for 15 minutes.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Avocado Cilantro Dressing<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">1 bunch of cilantro (remove bottom 2 inches of stems)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">1 avocado<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">1 clove of garlic<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">½ cup of plain yogurt (for this I love Nancy’s non-fat yogurt, which has an appealing tart taste)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Juice of one lime or lemon<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Salt and pepper to taste<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Directions:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Put all ingredients into bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. If you want a thinner dressing, add 2-3 Tablespoons of water.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>Roasted Tomato, Shrimp and Feta <o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">This could not be easier or more delicious! Serve it with a crusty bread to dip into the sauce. Serve this with a simple salad and you have the perfect dinner to enjoy with friends.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">2 – 15 ounce cans of diced or stewed tomatoes<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">1 block of feta cheese<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">1 lb. of large shrimp (you can use frozen shrimp)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Hot pepper flakes to taste (optional)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Directions:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Add all ingredients to a baking dish, drizzle with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil). Bake at 400F for 15 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool for three mintues.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>Chocolate Chip Cookies<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Honestly, I never get tired of trying new chocolate chip cookie recipes. They are my favorite cookie. Lucky for me, there are as many versions as there are bakers.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">2 sticks of butter<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">1/3 cup sugar<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">1 cup brown sugar<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">2 eggs<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">1 Tablespoon vanilla<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">¼ teaspoon cinnamon<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">2 cups all-purpose flour<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">½ cup cake flour<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">1 teaspoon baking soda<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">½ teaspoon baking powder<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">1 teaspoon kosher salt<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">¼ cup half and half<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">2 cups dark chocolate chips<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Directions:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Cream together the butter and sugar, until fluffy. Add in vanilla, eggs, cinnamon. Then mix in the dry ingredients, the chocolate chips and nuts. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">At this point, I like to scoop the cookies into large egg-sized balls, place them on a cookie sheet, cover with plastic, and let them rest in the fridge for two hours or overnight. The point is to bake them when they are cold, so that they will spread less.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Bake at 375F for 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them so that they are not over-baked. Allow to cool before enjoying.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-8871490890535939732020-10-19T10:25:00.000-06:002020-10-19T10:25:08.221-06:00When We Doubt<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">When we pray for something which is very important to us, to our health, or financial security, and when we don’t receive an answer which we can understand, it is natural for us to wonder at God’s silence.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We might at some point even begin to doubt God’s love for us or God forbid, even His existence.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This week I read a book on prayer by Sister Wendy Becket, best known for her BBC series on Art History which many of us enjoyed watching years ago.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3AJXCYqZyER9HKrCFNsCyO2YahnKE6Q6gOZMo64gxygQJr_DJidfAPEiZE9ZFuMJoDh3iXLqyW51f0PuRysSW5BnoDeDGLFAhKmWcshw_l3oJoaJyaxM7uo7nKDXAJ1PQl4oYa2Zj35Q/s2048/IMG_2948-EFFECTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3AJXCYqZyER9HKrCFNsCyO2YahnKE6Q6gOZMo64gxygQJr_DJidfAPEiZE9ZFuMJoDh3iXLqyW51f0PuRysSW5BnoDeDGLFAhKmWcshw_l3oJoaJyaxM7uo7nKDXAJ1PQl4oYa2Zj35Q/s320/IMG_2948-EFFECTS.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I want to share the following quote from Sister Wendy‘s book. It got me thinking about what it means when we say we doubt God.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“The holiest person I know has never had the slightest interior intimation that God exists. All she gets back from her prayer is doubt and darkness. She experiences a terrible fear that her life with God is all imagination that there is no God, that living as a nun is a mockery. With this agonizing sense of her own personal weakness and her own absolute absence of felt certainty she chooses. She chooses to believe. She chooses to act in accordance with that belief which means in practice a life of heroic charity. This woman and others like her, because she is not alone in this heroism, is giving to God the real sacrifice of faith. This woman chooses to love God and to serve Him and to believe in Him even if she gets nothing back. It is a glory to know that she exists and that there are others like her.” (<i>Sister Wendy on Prayer</i>, Sister Wendy Beckett, 2006)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Often the perceived silence of God in response to our most ardent prayers can lead to a very desperate and vicious circle. We begin to believe that God has not answered our prayer because we have done something wrong or that we are unworthy of His response, or worse yet that He does not love us and this can lead us to distance our self from God and in the worst case to turn our backs on God and believe that He does not exist.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I am currently participating in a 54-day rosary challenge through the Hallow app. I’ve discovered that when I say the rosary before bedtime, the meditative rhythm of the repeated Hail Marys and Our Fathers help me to get a good night’s sleep, which is a relief to my middle of the night insomnia. This is a blessing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">But during this twenty minute prayer I also ask God why my prayers for a second part-time job, a job which is meaningful and uses my talents, have gone unanswered for so long. God’s silence is a challenge to my faith, because I love God with all my heart and I know He wants the best for me.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">And so this passage by Sister Wendy was both a consolation and a relief to me to know that there exists out there in the world a holy nun who also struggles with her faith and yet makes the heroic choice to continue to serve God, even as she doubts His existence.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">On Tuesday morning I hurried to Mass because I had signed up to be the Lector that morning, to do the readings from the New Testament and the Psalms before the Gospel is read by Father Boguslaw. Unfortunately, I arrived minutes too late and entered church as my friend Larry was reading the verses I should have been reading. I slipped into a pew in the middle of the church which gave me a different perspective of the beautiful stained-glass mosaic of the Madonna and Child which reaches from floor to ceiling behind the altar of the church.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As I gazed at the beautiful portrayal of the child Jesus reaching out his arms to us I understood that while it is perfectly natural for us to doubt God as we struggle with our faith, what God says back to us is that His love for us is never diminished for one moment or by any degree even when we doubt His very existence.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">When we are in this place of darkness, I want to offer this prayer: Jesus, I trust in you. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Repeat it as many times as necessary. There have been times when I have repeated it unceasingly in the middle of the night when I could not sleep. It is a real consolation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">God loves us so dearly. God never leaves us, He is always with us even when our fear and our sorrow blinds us from His very near and real presence. God is with us and God loves us more than we can ever know, and nothing can ever separate us from the love of God.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p>suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-25564650851781239092020-10-14T07:00:00.000-06:002020-10-14T07:00:07.799-06:00Ham and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich and Sheet pan Chicken dinner with a twist<br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPpHU-QOXM9QsFF4SKYfP8CuvO_cTyvTsCD84ymqFvd5kVeuhFVy-CLC7y5dIbb-N8j7KpSasllhCfjv8M7j0cQ9-j457-hQX36z3D4f6Po3bAp58SWliZ74y9ekxKoovGSMboQmvxmI/s2048/779564BD-496C-4628-9BFF-32D7E3E964DD_1_201_a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPpHU-QOXM9QsFF4SKYfP8CuvO_cTyvTsCD84ymqFvd5kVeuhFVy-CLC7y5dIbb-N8j7KpSasllhCfjv8M7j0cQ9-j457-hQX36z3D4f6Po3bAp58SWliZ74y9ekxKoovGSMboQmvxmI/s320/779564BD-496C-4628-9BFF-32D7E3E964DD_1_201_a.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">The recipes I share aren’t based on Google trends of what’s popular, they’re simply what I’ve been cooking for myself over the past week.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">For instance, I love breakfast but after weeks of scrambled eggs and toast, I wanted something different. This easy take on a Monte Cristo sandwich captures the sweet and salty combination that we all love for breakfast.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">I also love a roast chicken dinner. This one becomes something special when we drizzle the roasted chicken and vegetables with a tahini yogurt sauce.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">By the way, don’t throw out the chicken carcass! Remove the meat and place in a covered dish for another use. As I write this, my stripped chicken carcass is simmering in a large pot of water with onion, garlic, carrots, and parsley, to create a delicious chicken stock I’ll use for soup. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">The leftover chicken meat will be used for sandwiches, soup, or a chicken pot pie. Stay tuned, I’ll cover that in my next column!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>Easy Monte Cristo Breakfast Sandwich<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">This breakfast sandwich is a quick and easy version of a Monte Cristo <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Here are the ingredients for one sandwich. Increase proportionally for additional sandwiches.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">1 egg<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">1 Tablespoon of butter<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">2 slices of bread (I used challah)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">2 slices of ham (I used thin-sliced deli ham)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">2 slices of swiss cheese (I used medium sliced swiss cheese)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Maple syrup<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Directions:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Pre-heat broiler.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Whisk egg on a large plate, dip each slice of bread in the egg, coating both sides.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Melt butter in a frying pan, then fry the bread slices until lightly browned on both sides.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Place bread on sheet pan, add ham and cheese to each slice of bread. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Place under broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly. Place bread slices together to form a sandwich, cut in half and drizzle with maple syrup.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Enjoy!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><b>Sheet Pan Spatchcocked Chicken Dinner with Tahini Yogurt Sauce<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">This effortless sheet pan roast chicken dinner is elevated with a quick tahini yogurt dressing. It’s easy enough for a weeknight, but special enough to serve for dinner with friends.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">1 roasting chicken – cut out backbone and flatten so that chicken lays flat, breast-side up<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">1 lb fingerling potatoes - cut into quarters and soaked in water for 30 minutes<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">1 bunch broccolini – ends trimmed<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">2 Tablespoons of butter<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">2-3 garlic cloves finely diced<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Juice of 1 lime<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">1 tablespoon of finely chopped rosemary leaves<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Directions<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Pre-heat oven to 375F.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Place spatchcocked chicken and potatoes on a sheet pan.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">In a small saucepan, over a medium heat, melt together the butter, oil, rosemary, lime juice, and garlic.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Spoon the garlic butter over the chicken and potatoes. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Roast the chicken and potatoes for 45 minutes to one hour, until chicken meat is cooked through. Spoon the drippings over the bird 1-2x as it cooks. If you’d like a crisper skin on the chicken, increase the heat to 425F for the last 15 minutes of roasting. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Remove chicken and potatoes to a plate and add the broccolini to the sheet pan, allowing the broccolini to absorb the drippings. Roast for 10-12 minutes, keeping an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Drizzle the chicken, potatoes and broccolini with tahini yogurt sauce. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Tahini Yogurt sauce<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">1/3 cup tahini<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Juice of one lime<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">¼ teaspoon of garlic powder<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">¼ teaspoon ground cumin<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Salt and pepper to taste<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Directions:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Mix all ingredients together, thin with a splash of water if too thick.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">Drizzle over chicken, potatoes, and broccolini.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">It’s also a delicious dip for raw vegetables.<o:p></o:p></p>suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-70029447560553781082020-10-11T15:31:00.004-06:002020-10-11T15:31:00.846-06:00Live fully in this moment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQA2Wq37QWX16xfFc9xRIRC_2kNpox7gDM0xT3iI-GyeHS8JNhdLF-lm_jLgVRbyx_qTzd0gsnNtMufLWCpMQgpJfsFDXUarDmWuqq_NyNaq3piHqfiiVIRJcZ9dISgIXaww3YHM2-tE/s2048/B74AE9DC-B075-47E1-A5A5-C59C61C9D6C4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQA2Wq37QWX16xfFc9xRIRC_2kNpox7gDM0xT3iI-GyeHS8JNhdLF-lm_jLgVRbyx_qTzd0gsnNtMufLWCpMQgpJfsFDXUarDmWuqq_NyNaq3piHqfiiVIRJcZ9dISgIXaww3YHM2-tE/s320/B74AE9DC-B075-47E1-A5A5-C59C61C9D6C4.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">My office faces the Historic Park on Frisco’s Main Street. When we moved our offices here during the summer, I looked across the street at Mount Royal and I imagined that is where I would see the beauty of the Aspens in autumn.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">But as I sit at my desk facing the little park, the glorious autumn beauty is in fact right across the street. The majestic Cottonwoods that encircle the park are in their full golden splendor. I find myself through the day watching how the light burnishes the leaves, harvest gold in shadow, fiery yellow in sunlight, and it reminds me how often I forget to notice the blessings right in front of me.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I am often guilty of this. Always waiting for something far ahead, beyond my reach, always propelling me forward, wanting something more or better than I have in this moment. I live in a state of constant yearning.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Through the afternoon, the wind blew through the Cottonwood trees scattering leaves across lawn. Those leaves will not be replaced until next spring and while I worry, I am in danger of missing the beauty outside my window.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">This morning before I left for the office, I sat on the edge of my bed, bowed my head and prayed. I spoke with God about my worries of the future, about my mother so far away in Florida, my search for another job to supplement my part-time income, and my dream of a little cabin of my own in the Blue River woods. With rejection, my mind paints a worst-case scenario and I think badly of myself for being 58 and so uncertain of my future.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 118:5-6)</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">And so, I pray, a lot. Some prayers are answered immediately, but these prayers, I have prayed for a very long time without an answer and I am left wondering what to do, if I cannot count on God’s help. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I know I am not alone in this. Many people in Summit County, and around the country are facing uncertainty right now. Like the golden Cottonwood trees, this season will not last, but the insecurity of this season can leave us fearful.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">I remind myself that God has always answered my prayers eventually, not always as I would wish, but with grace and mercy that is sufficient for the day.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“<i>Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">To live fully even in a season of uncertainty, I must work diligently but remind myself to look up from my job search, at the birds at the birdfeeder, at the mountains that appear close enough to touch, and give thanks for the happiness I experieince living here.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Stop for a moment right now and look around. Find beauty where you are. Recall a time when God answered your prayer. Know that God will never leave you. To overcome our season of uncertainty, let’s must remind ourselves that “the joy of the Lord is our strength.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Now, I ask you to continue reading about a very special Summit County tradition which will have a different look this year and will only be successful with your help!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.693333625793457px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"> </span></p>suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-23090411922323476452020-03-21T13:03:00.001-06:002020-03-21T13:03:37.251-06:00Quarantined? Here’s a Week’s Worth of Pantry Dinners and my Favorite Cookies<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnvFLePxwmkqfjdN7WQjQRx6_h-3-QKLsjdhRggHSatAb4Q6MH-r4OFTd7n7n3zSYHbN-73Ph699KwmLzB43CBQXvqrJQYOUZouB2oyQcs-KGNFu6ytOlUxRRiaUXWqiMBPoS5D5Ztak/s1600/fullsizeoutput_49d4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnvFLePxwmkqfjdN7WQjQRx6_h-3-QKLsjdhRggHSatAb4Q6MH-r4OFTd7n7n3zSYHbN-73Ph699KwmLzB43CBQXvqrJQYOUZouB2oyQcs-KGNFu6ytOlUxRRiaUXWqiMBPoS5D5Ztak/s320/fullsizeoutput_49d4.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">On Sunday morning, I made a grocery run with Pat. We arrived shortly after 8:30 a.m. hoping the early hour would find the grocery store relatively empty. It was, but so were the shelves. I was perversely happy to see that people had cleared out meats, vegetables, beans, in other words, whole foods rather than processed foods, which tells me you’re ready to start cooking!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Please remember, if the shelves are empty, don’t panic. Farmers and food companies are working overtime to get food to the grocery stores and re-stock shelves. If you can’t leave the house: You can order many food staples from Amazon, meat and fish from ButcherBox.com, local grocery delivery may also be available, depending on your area.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Please get outside and take a walk each day if you can. We need to keep our spirits up and our bodies healthy right now. Healthy comfort food is essential, but so is connecting with the natural beauty of our surroundings. Keep in touch with friends, especially those living alone, through email, social media, and phone. Let’s take good care of ourselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">I’ll begin with a list of pantry staples, then provide recipes using these ingredients. Going forward, I’ll continue to provide pantry-staple recipes until we’re through this. If you want recipes to use a particular ingredient in your pantry, email me at: </span><a href="mailto:suzanne@suzanneelizabeths.com" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">suzanne@suzanneelizabeths.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Be well, friends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">My Pantry Staples for this week’s recipes</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Oils & Fats:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), butter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Seasonings:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> Salt, Pepper, my homemade Southwest Seasoning (recipe below), curry powder, nutmeg, soy sauce, lemons (or lemon juice in a pinch) garlic cloves, fresh rosemary, turmeric, smoked paprika<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Root vegetables, hearty greens, and fruit</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">: potatoes ( your choice: sweet, Yukon, red, or fingerling potatoes) onions, red bell pepper, 1-2 lbs whole carrots, 2-3 beets cooked or raw, 1-bunch kale, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Your choice of vegetables for roasting: bag of broccoli florets, 1 lb of Brussels Sprouts, butternut squash, baby arugula or spinach, red apples <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Canned food:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> beans: chickpeas, white beans. 1 can full fat coconut milk, 1 - 32-oz can whole tomatoes, 1 - 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Proteins and dairy:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> eggs, cheddar cheese, plain Greek yogurt, half and half or whole milk, skinless/boneless chicken breasts or thighs, whole roasting chicken, frozen salmon filets<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Pasta and Rice and Grains:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> One loaf of hearty bread, white or brown rice, lentils, quinoa. If you’re cooking for 1 or 2, try the pre-cooked rice and lentil packets for convenience, or cook extra rice and lentils and use it for other meals during the week, it keeps well in the fridge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Baking:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> All-Purpose Flour, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, chocolate chips <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">You can find more recipes like this in : </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3djw5xw" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">A Year in the Mountains Cookbook</a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Southwestern sheet pan salmon and roast vegetables </span></b><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Preheat oven to 400°F and on a sheet-pan place salmon filets (or chicken!) fresh or frozen - I actually tried both and it didn’t make a difference in taste. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Toss the vegetables you want to enjoy with your fish. For instance: Brussels sprouts, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, slices of acorn squash, sprinkle extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) over both the fish and the vegetables.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Then sprinkle with southwestern seasoning (or maple syrup, or lemon pepper or soy sauce, or your favorite seasoning mix). Roast for 15- 20 minutes until the fish and vegetables are cooked through but not over done!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Suzanne’s Southwest Salt-Free Seasoning Mix<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">I use this seasoning mix on everything! It’s smoky, savory, and a little spicy. I don’t include salt in my seasoning mixes because I want to have control over how much salt goes into a dish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">In a small jar combine:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">2 Tablespoons chile powder<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 Tablespoon paprika<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 Tablespoon dried oregano<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 Tablespoon garlic powder<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 Tablespoon coriander<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 teaspoon smoked paprika<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">2 teaspoons ground cumin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 teaspoon turmeric<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 teaspoon ground pepper<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">One-skillet lemon rosemary roast chicken with roasted potatoes and vegetables</span></b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 roasting chicken<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">4 sprigs of rosemary<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 lemon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 stick of butter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">2 cloves of garlic<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">2-3 potatoes (your choice of color) cut into large skin-on chunks<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Roasting vegetables of your choice, corn on the cob cut into 3-inch pieces, or acorn squash cut into half-moons<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Directions:<br /><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">1. Preheat oven to 375F. I love roast chicken. I like to spatchcock the chicken, which means I cut alongside the backbone so that the chicken is now lying flat, breast-side up. I believe you get a more even roast this way. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">2. Into the bottom of the skillet, toss your potatoes and vegetables. Then rest the spatchcocked chicken on top of the potatoes and vegetables.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">2. Into my food processor goes a stick of butter, two sprigs of rosemary, the juice of half a lemon, two cloves of garlic, pinch of salt and pepper. Process ingredients until the butter forms a soft ball. (You can also combine the ingredients by hand with a fork, room temperature butter and minced garlic, in a small bowl.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">3. Then gently lift the skin between the breast and about 1 ½ teaspoons of this flavorful butter into the pocket between skin and meat on each breast. Spread another 1-2 Tablespoons all over the chicken. Use remaining butter to place dabs on the potatoes and vegetables. Slice the remaining half lemon and put the slices on the chicken. Place remaining rosemary sprigs around the chicken.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">4. Roast the chicken in a preheated oven 375° for one hour to one hour and 15 minutes. If the skin does not reach the golden brown you want, turn on the broiler for 1-2 minutes and that will do a nice job of crisping the skin. Remove from the oven and allow the bird to rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Slow-cooker butternut squash and kale curry stew <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1-quart chicken or vegetable stock<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 14 oz can diced tomatoes <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 14 oz can Garbanzo (chickpeas) beans<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">2-3 cups butternut squash cut into 1-inch cubes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 14 oz can full-fat coconut milk<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 each onion, red bell pepper - diced<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 bunch kale – remove stems and tear into bite-sized pieces<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 Tablespoon curry powder<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 Tablespoon Turmeric<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Salt and pepper to taste<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Directions: Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker, turn on high for 1 ½ - 2 hours, or low for 4 hours. Taste and adjust seasoning to suit your palate. A pinch of red pepper flakes will add a nice touch of heat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">When you don’t feel like cooking: Smoky tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">In my mind, nothing caps a cold day better than curling up in front of the fire with a good book, a cup of tea, and this wonderful soup and sandwich combo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Once you taste the depth that smoked paprika and alder wood smoked salt add to this super easy tomato soup and the richness of the butter, for less cost than buying a can of soup...well, you'll never visit the soup aisle of the grocery store again. I promise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Serve with a grilled cheese sandwich and apple slices.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 – 32oz can whole fire-roasted tomatoes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 medium onion cut into large chunks<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1/4 teaspoon Alder wood smoked salt (optional!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">pinch red pepper (optional!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Splash of red wine or balsamic vinegar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">salt and pepper to taste<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Directions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1. Add onions, canned tomatoes, and butter to saucepan and cook on medium-low heat. Allow to cook for 20-30 minutes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">2. Add in seasonings. Stir. Then using an immersion blender, blend until the tomato soup reaches the chunky or smooth consistency that you desire, add a splash of vinegar. Taste and adjust seasonings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">4. If you're feeling so inclined, finish with a dollop of pesto, plain Greek yogurt, or a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Arugula (or spinach), quinoa, white bean, beet and carrot salad<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">4 cups of baby arugula or spinach<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 cup cooked quinoa<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">3 cooked beets, chopped into matchsticks<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">3 carrots peeled and cut into matchsticks<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 14-ounce can of white (Canellini) beans drained and rinsed<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Directions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Toss ingredients together in a bowl and top with a simple vinaigrette dressing (2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, salt, pepper to taste) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">To make it a meal:</span></i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> Top with pan-grilled chicken breast, salmon filet, or tempeh!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> <b>Zucchini (or broccoli) rice and cheddar casserole<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 1/2 pounds of zucchini grated (or broccoli florets chopped)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 1/2 cups of cooked rice <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">3 eggs <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 cup milk or half-and-half <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Salt, pepper, and paprika to taste<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Directions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Put the shredded zucchini into a strainer sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for 15-20 minutes. Wrap zucchini in a dish towel and squeeze to remove more liquid. If using broccoli, steam the broccoli until just tender, drain and rinse with cold water, lightly pat dry. Meanwhile, mix together the eggs, yogurt, milk, and seasonings. Into a lightly greased 9 X 9 baking dish toss together the zucchini, cheese, and cooked rice. Pour over the egg custard mixture. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350F for 40-50 minutes until cooked through. Serve with a small side salad. Great cold then next day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Suzanne’s Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Self-imposed quarantine calls for cookies!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">2 cups all-purpose flour<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">½ teaspoon baking powder<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">½ teaspoon kosher salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 cup (2 sticks) butter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">1 teaspoon vanilla<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">½ cup light brown sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">¼ cup sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">11 ounces semi-sweet (or dark) chocolate chips<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Directions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes). Slowly add the dry ingredients. Fold in the chocolate chips (and walnuts if using). Form the dough into balls and place on a sheet pan, cover with plastic. Allow the cookie dough to rest int the fridge for 2 hours up to overnight (you can also freeze the cookie balls in a freezer container and take out a few at a time to bake). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325F. Place the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden (these cookies will not get dark brown like traditional chocolate chip cookies). Allow to cool and then enjoy with a glass of milk or cup of tea!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">You can find more recipes like this in : <a href="https://amzn.to/3djw5xw" target="_blank">A Year in the Mountains Cookbook</a></span></div>
suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-69390902011355168132019-09-25T14:45:00.000-06:002019-09-25T14:45:36.322-06:00Three Easy Weeknight Meals - Vegetarian Enchiladas, Italian Sausage and Broccoli Rabe White Pizza, Pesto Salmon Zucchini Rice Bowl<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria, serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
These three dinners have one thing in common – they were created at the end of a long day when I had little energy to cook but still wanted a “real” meal. I’ve provided shortcuts which make them essentially one pot meals that can be ready in under 30 minutes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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This is a ‘clean out the vegetable drawer’ meal, (which means you can use any variety of vegetables you want…these are the ones I had in my kitchen that needed to get used). It’s also a great way to get reluctant vegetable eaters to eat their veggies. Oh, and it’s incredibly delicious!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif;">Ingredients: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif;"> 1 small head of cauliflower chopped into small pieces<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif;"> 1 red bell pepper diced<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif;"> 1 red onion diced <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif;">1 head of kale chopped <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif;">1 Anaheim chili diced <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif;">1 -14 ounce can of black beans drained<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif;">1-2 Tablespoons southwestern spice mix <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif;">8 flour or corn tortillas <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif;">2 cups of red enchilada sauce store-bought or homemade (I’ve included a recipe for homemade enchilada sauce below, it’s nearly as quick as opening a can)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif;">2 cups of shredded Mexican cheese blend <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif;">Directions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif;">Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large frying pan, add all vegetables and sauté in 1-2 Tablespoons of neutral or olive oil, until softened. Stir in the drained black beans and sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon of southwestern spice mix. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif;">Into a 9X13 baking dish, pour a thin layer of the enchilada sauce. Holding a tortilla in one hand, add a scoop of the vegetable/bean filling and a sprinkling of cheese, then roll up the filled tortilla and place seam-side down in the baking dish. Continue until all tortillas are filled, then pour enchilada sauce over the filled tortillas and top with more cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes until warmed through, top with more cheese in the last 10 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif;">Homemade enchilada sauce: 2 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, ½ - 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, 2-3 teaspoons of southwest seasoning, pinch salt, 2 Tablespoons butter, 2 Tablespoons flour or ground corn maize<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: -webkit-standard, serif;">Directions: In a saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the flour or maize, stir for 2-3 minutes until the flour is cooked through. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, taste and increase seasonings to taste. That’s it! And yes, it’s actually better than the canned sauce.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>Italian Sausage and Broccoli Rabe White Pizza<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Broccoli Rabe is my favorite vegetable. It’s a dark bitter green that pairs deliciously with garlic and Italian sausage. (The only place I’ve found it locally is Whole Foods in Frisco) <o:p></o:p></div>
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Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 lb of ground Italian sausage (hot or sweet)<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 bunch of broccoli rabe chopped into 2-inch pieces<o:p></o:p></div>
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2 cloves of garlic minced<o:p></o:p></div>
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2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 pre-made pizza dough<o:p></o:p></div>
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Directions:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Pre-heat the oven to 450F. In a large frying pan or Dutch oven, saute the Italian sausage and broccoli rabe together until the sausage is cooked through and the broccoli rabe is thoroughly wilted. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Meanwhile, toss, stretch, or roll out the pizza dough to fit a sheet pan or pizza stone. Top the pizza dough with sausage, broccoli rabe, and garlic. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake until the pizza dough is baked through and the cheese is melted. Allow the pizza to “rest” for five minutes before slicing the pieces. Note: feel free to add a base of tomato sauce on top of the pizza dough before adding the rest of the toppings.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Other meal ideas: After the sausage is cooked through, stir in a can of whole tomatoes, gently breaking up the tomatoes. Then serve the mixture over cooked pasta, use it in a baked ziti, or lasagna. I promise, you’ll love this flavor combination.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Pesto Salmon Zucchini Rice Bowl<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Two shortcuts: You need two cups of cooked rice. I cooked the rice using my $15 rice cooker (a good investment if you cook rice often), while the salmon and zucchini roasted. If you want an even quicker shortcut, buy pre-cooked rice packets and zap it for 90 seconds in the microwave. Second: I made my own pesto, but you could use store-bought pesto if you’re in a hurry.<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 salmon filet per person (I use frozen filets)<o:p></o:p></div>
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½ zucchini per person, quartered and sliced into two inch wedges<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 cup of cooked rice per person<o:p></o:p></div>
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Pesto – I made a very quick pesto using 1 bunch dill, 1 bunch basil, 2 peeled garlic cloves, ½ cup walnut pieces, and about 2-3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, processed in a food processor.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Directions:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lightly spray a sheet pan with oil, place the salmon filets on the pan, add the zucchini spears, sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 15-20 minutes until salmon is cooked through and the zucchini is softened. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Place the cooked rice in a bowl, add salmon and zucchini, then add a dollop of pesto. With a fork, gently break up the salmon into large pieces as you mix the zucchini, salmon, pesto, and rice together. Serve immediately.<o:p></o:p></div>
suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-90695678119509366342019-09-23T10:58:00.000-06:002019-09-23T10:58:16.175-06:00How Do We Know if God is Listening When We Pray?<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">“O my Lord, make the world a better place. Help the people with stone hearts and make them pure with love. Hear my prayer, O Lord and help us to make sadness, happiness. Come to me, hear my prayer, love us endlessly and make us feel welcome in this big world. Amen.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As I left Saturday evening Mass at St. Mary’s, Lauren Hammer stopped to say hello and shared the beautiful prayer above, written by her daughter, Veronica. It is a prayer filled with the optimism of youth and deep trust that God loves us and wants the best for us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Veronica’s words got me thinking about prayer. My prayers range from the repetition of sacred words given to us by Jesus in the Our Father, where we are instructed to reach out to God not as a distant, unapproachable entity, but as Abba, Daddy, who we ask to provide our daily bread.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZsZBrGwutwDluPko0bXSQfyQwkY6fBKl-f9vXKgSm9SheHlc34lWqgDlcyouxE8VI9Xo9WvshKoilCHTA3rpyklCgUnNt3VQNBKLvzqD5FSCCSxXuTNnbPbpC4NgGTjtlzxJjusnERLc/s1600/file3751334604150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZsZBrGwutwDluPko0bXSQfyQwkY6fBKl-f9vXKgSm9SheHlc34lWqgDlcyouxE8VI9Xo9WvshKoilCHTA3rpyklCgUnNt3VQNBKLvzqD5FSCCSxXuTNnbPbpC4NgGTjtlzxJjusnERLc/s320/file3751334604150.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Or the repetitions of the Hail Mary, as we say the rosary. Not mindless repetition, but a simple salutation that never fails to calm me as I reach out to the Mother of Jesus to share burdens which only a mother would understand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Last Sunday, I went for a walk in the woods to take pictures of the small signs of autumn, dandelion leaves that are now deep purple, foxtail rust colored, and willows vibrant yellow. Perhaps this week or next the hillsides around my home will be blanketed in gold and I will make my annual pilgrimage over Boreas Pass with my dogs in the back of the car, riding beneath a canopy of quaking Aspen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">But before I savor the magnitude of autumn’s full splendor, I want to notice autumn in its infancy. The incremental changes. I want to catch each one, to appreciate this most visible evidence of the passage of time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Yet what I discovered was no matter how close my observation, when I turned around I discovered the next day something I had missed. Leaves that overnight had turned from green to gold, patches on the hillside that had two days ago been chartreuse were suddenly gilded. How did I not notice? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmGerTP6w6f4nhk1Iw0VHw1OzbRiJAVTHBGYzBTItmPPLQsjdWAE7YYSDTp9VQburNJcxfadgSrz4hbLFYz2lhyb1UrVWHjqpbSp3cT2mncyjSvhxP2w5iY0TSBUR5JpHJbuniMNDso7A/s1600/IMG_5588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmGerTP6w6f4nhk1Iw0VHw1OzbRiJAVTHBGYzBTItmPPLQsjdWAE7YYSDTp9VQburNJcxfadgSrz4hbLFYz2lhyb1UrVWHjqpbSp3cT2mncyjSvhxP2w5iY0TSBUR5JpHJbuniMNDso7A/s320/IMG_5588.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Perhaps searching for God’s presence in my life is like my autumn safari. I pray all the time. I pray when I’m driving and when I’m at church and when I’m in bed. I pray intently and then look for signs that God has heard my prayers, that something has changed, that all these petitions that spill from my mouth or run through my mind have had some impact.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">What I am really looking for is some sign God has heard me that I matter that I can affect some change in my life, when instead it feels as if I’m pushing the wind. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Sometimes, as with my experience this autumn, I turn and see things have changed, not by my own doing, and I wonder how I missed it, how I missed God’s presence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">At other times, I turn and as when I see the entire hillside covered in shimmering golden Aspen, I turn and see the tapestry of my life and it is only from that distant perspective I see that by God’s grace, all the difficulties and joys and wrong choices and terrible mistakes all led me to this point and there is nowhere else I would rather be than here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">And somehow, I understand that the thousands of prayers I recited during those desolate times, the prayers of thanksgiving I tossed toward Heaven in good times, the silence that broke my heart when I felt as if I could not go on without God’s consolation, they were all threads in the tapestry of my life. They were the individual leaves of gold I captured with my camera, while I was unable to notice the forest that changed behind my back. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I don’t really understand how prayer works, but we all pray whether we know it or not. Even atheists pray, though I suspect they are not aware that their admonitions against the existence of God are actually their own soul’s longing to be answered in the negative. We all pray, because we can’t help ourselves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I don’t believe the prayers I say when driving into town are any less sacred than the prayers I say when kneeling in a pew. I believe what matters to God is the sincerity of our hearts. Because God can see into our hearts even deeper than we, because he knows us better than we know ourselves, he understands our prayers more than we do, and as the Bible says, when we are at a loss for words it is the Holy Spirit who interprets our groans and prays on our behalf.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Let us continue to talk with God in all the ways that we know. In formal prayer, or as we walk through the woods enjoying God’s good creation, in joyful thanksgiving, and in sorrowful pleas, let our hearts always be open to speaking with God, and to listening for his quiet reply. As Veronica prayed, I also pray we will discover God’s ever present love for us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-24707909190068834852018-09-11T16:05:00.000-06:002018-09-11T16:05:21.440-06:00Collard Greens with White Beans - A Vegetarian Take on a Classic<br />
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Could a vegetarian version of collard greens ever compete with the traditional goodness of collard greens cooked with a smoked ham hock?<br />
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I was skeptical until I made this recipe. It is every bit as delicious. Taking the place of the ham hock is the rind of parmesan or other hard cheese. I keep a small plastic bag of cheese rinds in the freezer, they are the perfect flavor enhancer of stocks and soups, and now collard greens.<br />
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Similar recipes call for dried beans, but sine I live 10,400 feet above sea level, dried beans are always a challenge unless I'm using a pressure cooker. For this recipe, I opted for canned beans and am just as happy as can be.<br />
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This recipe is quick, easy, delicious, and so rich and satisfying a bowlful with a slice of garlicky olive oil toasted bread makes the perfect week night dinner. It is also a satisfying side dish.<br />
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Let's get cooking!<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
1 bunch of collard greens, touch center stems removes, leaves torn into large pieces<br />
1 14 oz can of Northern White Beans or Cannelli beans<br />
2 - 14 oz cans of water or 28 oz of chicken or vegetable stock (I used water)<br />
rind of parmesan or other hard cheese<br />
1 good sized clove of garlic<br />
1 medium onion diced<br />
1 glug of EVOO<br />
splash of apple cider vinegar<br />
small pinch of salt, pepper, healthy pinch of red pepper flakes<br />
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Directions:<br />
Add a quick glug of EVOO to the bottom of a dutch oven, saute diced onion until just wilted, add the garlic and torn pieces of collard greens, stir to coat all with the EVOO. Add the beans, water (or stock) seasonings, turn stovetop to medium-low, cover and cook until the collard green are stewed and soft. Taste, add a light splash of apple cider vinegar, this brightens the dish, stir, taste and adjust seasonings. Enjoy!<br />
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<br />suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016616585840528471.post-40117206519314938972018-03-22T22:48:00.001-06:002018-03-22T22:48:07.069-06:00Open to the Spirit - Book Review<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "Brandon Text", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Open to the Sprit is like reading a letter from a friend. McKnight writes a very accessible introduction to the Holy Spirit and its role in our spiritual life. McKnight uses several stories from his life and others to share how the Holy Spirit consoles and deepens our daily spiritual walk. A terrific book for those seeking an introduction to a relationship with the Holy Spirit.</span>suzanneelizabeths.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14304462740451230118noreply@blogger.com0