Summer Means Ice Cream!

I've been enjoying ice cream this summer. Here's some recent experiences:

* Tillamook Fireside S'mores - I don't normally like chocolate ice cream, but Tillamook is so smooth and creamy I can't resist. This flavor has a swirl of marshmallow (it's pretty subtle) and little pieces of graham cracker. I tried to take a picture of it to post here, but I'm having technical difficulties, so please use your best chocolately-creamy imaginative skills. 

* Pink Lemonade frozen yogurt - Go to one of those build-your-own frozen yogurt places, get a pink/strawberry lemonade flavor, and top with berries and gummy bears. Tart and tasty and refreshing. 

*Salt and Straw's Cinnamon Snickerdoodle - Salt and Straw is an ice cream shop in Portland, OR. I really enjoyed my cone, which tasted just like a snickerdoodle. I also appreciated that the taste-testing spoons were reusable and the only garbage my snack created was a small compostable napkin. They also advertised their use of local and organic ingredients. 

YUUUUUUMMMMMMM. 

"Eiffel's Tower"

Photo I took in June 2007

I don't like leaving books unfinished. It bothers me. So when I discovered the book Eiffel's Tower, by Jill Jonnes, lying around recently, I knew I had to read it all. I was given the book for Christmas (not the most recent Christmas, either) and I started it soon after. I found it interesting. But for me, interesting nonfiction often gets trumped by more interesting fiction. So it sat around for eighteen months.

My second attempt went much better. The book is all about the construction and beginning months of the Eiffel Tower. I was intrigued to learn that most Parisians were opposed to the idea of the Tower. They thought it would be an ugly mark upon their city. Ironic, of course, because today the Eiffel Tower is one of the most recognized and beloved landmarks in the world.

The book also talks at length about the Paris World's Fair - the reason the Tower was constructed. I was surprised to find a substantial part of the book talked about Annie Oakley and Buffalo Bill (not what I think of when I think of Paris). But their Wild West show was a prime attraction at the World's Fair, as were Thomas Edison's displays of his inventions. Artists and journalists of the time were also frequently featured in the book's chapters. All this non-Eiffel Tower related content was helpful in seeing a snapshot of Paris in 1889. But I felt like there was a bit too much of it. I was more interested in learning about the construction, details, and impact of the Eiffel Tower.

All in all, it was an enjoyable read. It was a mental mini-vacation to Paris. If I ever re-read it, though, there are some parts I will skim. If my compulsive must-finish-the-whole-book nature will let me.

The Fruit of the Spirit - Patience

Right before I discovered the new trail last week, God led me to study the Fruit of the Spirit. Here's my journal entry (with a few little revisions/additions):

I was drawn to Galatians 5:22 this morning - The Fruit of the Spirit. Looking at different translations, here's the Fruit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience (Forbearance, Longsuffering), Kindness, Goodness (Generosity), Faithfulness, Gentleness (Meekness), and Self Control (Temperance). 

Focusing on Patience, I found that Forbearance means "restraint under provocation" (according to Wiktionary). So it's not just sitting quietly and waiting, which is what I usually think of first. It's using our Spirit-given Self Control to be Peaceful and Kind even when our buttons are being pushed. As you can see by the three other parts of the Fruit I just mentioned, God's been freshly showing me how this is all one Fruit - all nine concepts overlap and interact with each other. 

I did a Beth Moore study on the Fruit a few years ago (Living Beyond Yourself) and today I revisited the part about Patience. Highlighting the Greek word makrothumia and the way it is used in other places in Scripture, she explained that this Fruit is all about the way we respond to other people. Reacting to circumstances with endurance is a different thing (Greek word hupomone), which is based on hope. Patience towards people is rooted in mercy. 

In Christian Doctrine, Shirley Guthrie says that "the presence of the Spirit means a new relationship with God that is expressed in a new kind of relationship with other people." The word Patience/Forbearance/makrothumia is used other places in the Bible to describe God's heart towards us. In Romans 2:3-4, Paul says, "Do you imagine, whoever you are, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?"

 I see afresh how God's patient mercies to me can be re-expressed in my patience with others. 

Barefoot Sandals

I crocheted these "barefoot sandals" for a coworker's granddaughter:

The top part goes around the ankle and the bottom loop goes around a toe. So the bottom of the foot is bare and the top of the foot has a pretty flower on it. The pattern is based on this one from The Misadventures of Handmade. I got the idea from another coworker who saw something similar on Pinterest and asked me to make some for her daughter. Here's the first pair I made for her:

They fit well, but the part around the toe was a bit too thick, so I changed that on the next pair I made:

As you can see, I tried a different flower every time. Baby footwear is fun to make - quick, easy, and a great way to use leftover yarn. 

Delightful

God's been encouraging me to schedule time for him on my calendar. After all, I schedule time with family and friends, so why not Him, too? God wants to be part of my entire day, of course, but intentional one-on-one time is also important. Today I had several hours for one of these "God Dates".

We started out in the Word. It was very good. Maybe I'll share my journal/thoughts about it later. God Date = Success. A little bit of time remained, so I decided to spend it outside. I thought that we would just walk and pray, no big deal. The main event (diving into Scripture, receiving new insights) was over, right? Wrong. That's something I love about God - he's full of good surprises. 

We went to a place I've been to countless times. But God directed me to a little (or so I assumed) trail I had never taken before. It turned out to be a mile of this:

So peaceful. So calm. God and I walked and prayed our way down this trail and back. Now I feel relaxed and rejuvenated. That trail had been there all along, but I had never experienced it before. This surprise adventure filled me with delight. To sum it up, God + Nature + Exercise + Prayer = More Than Enough!

Six Small Strawberries

I bought this strawberry plant for $1.50 two years ago. It was on clearance late in the season, so I wasn't surprised when I didn't get any berries. Last year I had higher hopes. It had spread significantly and pink berries were appearing all over. But I only got to eat one. All the rest were eaten by some other critter (possibly a combination of critters). I put out beer to catch slugs, but the only result was that I had to get rid of slug carcasses. Ew.

This year is better. I haven't done anything special, but this week I've gotten six small strawberries. Some animal has gnawed little holes in some of them, but I cut those bits off. Not perfect. And I haven't yet gotten my money's worth of strawberries. But I'm calling it a victory. That's my vegetable garden philosophy in a nutshell - if I harvest something, anything, it's good enough.

What I've Read Recently - The Resolution for Women

Sometimes I read a passage in a book and realize that the author has expressed something I've always felt but never been able to articulate. This happened to me recently while reading The Resolution For Women by Priscilla Shirer. In fact, it happened to me several times. Not only did she capture some elusive concept and state it clearly, but she also backed it with biblical support.

Needless to say, I did a lot of underlining. Bible in one hand, book in the other, I read each chapter at least twice. The book is divided into thirteen resolutions for women to make in their lives. In her introduction, Shirer explains, "we need to make sure the banner that flies over our lives and announces to the world who we genuinely are is one that says what we want it to say, one that changes things in us and around us for the better." The resolutions are commitments to living in a Godly manner in every aspect of life. 

Topics range from marriage and mothering to listening and forgiveness. I received new insights on balance - sometimes it's not about having everything balanced perfectly. Sometimes God wants me to focus on one area of my life and pour my best effort into that. Which means something else might need to be set aside for a season. Not everything has to be perfect (oh, how hard that is for me!). 

Another resolution that stood out to me was: "I will not tolerate evil influences even in the most justifiable form, in myself or my home, but will embrace and encourage a life of purity." Again, I love the way Shirer expresses this concept, saying, "We know when we're not just observing the grittiness of real-life issues but are finding it personally provocative, enjoyable, almost (almost?) desirable. Instead of being repulsed by certain behaviors and grieved at the lies being foisted on our generation, we find ourselves more accepting of them, willing to watch and laugh, considering them suitable viewing with a side of popcorn." Whoops. Sometimes I get caught up in whatever I'm reading or watching and don't realize where I've ended up. I don't see the line until well after I've crossed it.  In other situations, however, I can tell I'm engrossed in something that is healthy entertainment. It feels clean and fresh.  

One thing I'd like to do on this blog is highlight media (books, specifically) that are either uplifting and true or just good clean fun. After all, the Bible tells us in Philippians 4:8 to think about things that are true, right, lovely, and pure. Sometimes I want to read something makes me think or encourages me. Other times I just need something that is just relaxing enjoyment. The Resolution for Women fits into the first category. It clearly expresses ideas that are essential to my life. You should read it, too! 

Welcome!

I'm diving in. I'm starting a blog. After much prayer, God finally said, "just do it already." Or at least that was the gist of it. The Lord made it clear that, if this isn't His plan, He'll let me know. The worst thing that can happen is that I start a blog and it fizzles out. Which isn't such a big risk, really, compared to other life decisions. 

With the decision made, the next step was picking a blog name. I don't anticipate having any trouble filling this blog with content, but a name was difficult. Brevity is not my strong suit. I want to fully explain everything. No short one-sentence-expresses-it-all for me. To complicate matters, I want the freedom to blog on a wide variety of topics. What kind of title could encompass everything? 

Prayer led me to a specific verse: "It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God." That's 2 Corinthians 3:5 in the NLT. Other versions say that our "power", "ability", "sufficiency", "adequacy", and "competence" come from God. Basically everything I do, I can do because of Him. Anything I'm lacking in, He supplies according to what I need. 

That verse made my soul say, "yes!", but it didn't help me pick a blog title. I considered "Our Adequacy/Qualification/Competency/Ability/Power/Sufficiency Comes From God" but for some reason that didn't sound right. I couldn't pick just one of those words - all of them are so great! See what I mean about my difficulty with stating things simply and briefly? Fortunately my Mother-in-Law is more skilled at this than I am. She suggested a plethora of options. The one I chose is God+Anything=Enough. 

Of course God=Enough all by Himself. I like the addition (literally addition, since it's a math equation) of "Anything" for two reasons:
1) No matter how firmly I know that God is enough, sometimes I forget that God is still enough even when x, y, or z comes my way. 
2) This means I can blog about absolutely anything, by definition. 

That's how I got here, making this first blog post. We'll see where this blog takes me!