6 Ingredient Grilled Chicken Tacos

Wow! You know, I am always surprised when another week has clipped by. And at a good pace too.

I picked 52 pounds of strawberries on Tuesday. Well, with the help of two of my kids. This involved leaving our house at 6:45 that morning, and picking in muddy fields in the rain. And it still only took us a little over an hour to pick those babies. Not bad, I'd say.

Then I get home and I have buyer's remorse. All those berries that must be dealt with. And let me tell you, it take a whole lot longer to hull, wash and slice 50# of berries than pick them. I made a batch of jam and a pie and froze the rest. And I called it good.

It has been a great biking week despite the rain. So, far I've pedaled 86 miles in 6 days. We have tri practice tonight, which will top off my week's miles at just a smidge under 102. Not bad. I can feel the muscles developing. Right over my knees. In my calves. In my buttocks. (how often can you use the word buttocks in a blog post?)

Yesterday the kids shipped off to cousins' campout, and Brian and I shipped off to a hotel. We have dreams of staying up late and sleeping in. Drinking coffee that someone else prepared. Biking and swimming for fun, and running for the sweat factor. We are going to walk our botanical gardens hand in hand. And basically we are going to pretend we don't have 4 kids for a couple of days. We are going to date and all that good stuff.

Well, today I have this amazing recipe for you. You can thank my amazing BFF, who is also an amazing cook, and has an amazing eye for amazing recipes.

6 Ingredient Grilled Chicken Tacos. Be still my racing heart.

Wow!

I don't know why this recipe works, but it does.

Maybe it is the grilled whole chicken breasts that are then sliced to perfection.

Maybe it is the puffy, slightly charred goodness of the grilled tortillas.

Maybe it is the subtle bit of the chipotle peppers and adobo peppers mixed with the sour cream.

Maybe it is the fresh flavor of the cherry tomatoes and garden fresh cilantro.

Whatever it is, they are amazing. I'd recommend running, not walking, to the store to get the ingredients for these tacos for your menu this weekend!

6 Ingredient Grilled Chicken Tacos
*you can thank my marvelous BFF for this amazing recipe. BFFs rock!
cherry Tomatoes (8 ounces)
1 can Chipotle Chile Peppers in Adobo Sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8-12 (8”) flour tortillas
fresh cilantro

-Heat grill to high.
-Trim chicken breasts, pat dry with paper towel, and season with salt and pepper.
-Grill chicken breasts over high heat (12-18 minutes) turning once. Remove from grill. Let sit 5 minutes. Julienne.
-Meanwhile, wash cherry tomatoes, and chop. Place in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.
-Mince 2 tsp of the chile peppers with sauce. Add to the sour cream with 1/2 tsp of salt.
-Chop cilantro.
-After the chicken is done grilling, grill the tortillas, about 20 seconds per side, until almost charred.
-Serve the chicken on tortillas topped with sauce, tomatoes and cilantro.

See you on Tuesday! 

My Fear of Falling

I'm on a roll this week.

First I wrote about what is wrong with modern Christian bookstores.

And then I wrote about why I refuse to feel guilty about the origins of my food.

Today I am writing about falling.

(I promise, tomorrow will just be a recipe.)

I've noticed another worrying trend in our world today-that of being afraid to fall.

Not fail. Fall.

When I was a young wart hog girl, summer was not summer until I had colossally scraped not one, but both, of my knees. I'd sport half dollar sized (or bigger) ugly scabs. It was from playing and running and riding a bike and being a kid and falling.

I can count on one hand the number of times my 4 kids combined have had scraped knees.

This is a tragedy.

They are missing out on an authentic childhood experience.

Don't worry, I have no plans to push and shove my kids so they get scraped knees.

I thought about this falling thing recently in light of my new bike pedals and clip in shoes. Everyone warns you about falling. You hear horror stories of scrapes. And bruised egos.

I was petrified. But, guess what? I've fallen 3 times. (I know, I like to make sure I to do things thoroughly. And I'm also a slow learner. What can I say?) I scraped my knee and the palm of my hand. I definitely bruised my ego. But, I survived. I didn't die. I didn't even wipe out. I just toppled over at a stop.

It wasn't a big deal. It hurt, but not awfully.

You pick yourself up. Dust yourself off. And start all over again. (thanks, Natalie Cole)

LC is learning to ride a bike without training wheels. She is scared of falling too. I get it. I know it hurts to fall. But, I also know that she will survive, and soon she will be scooting around on her bike, wondering what all the fuss was about.

Our fear of falling has permeated our whole world view and life experiences. It is now considered idiotic to ride your bike without a helmet. (I wonder how my generation ever survived.) Kids don't run and jump, climb trees or do tricks on parallel bars. We protect our kids within an inch of their lives.

Because they might fall. They might break a bone. They might scrape their knee. They might get hurt.

Falling and dying-that is an issue. Falling and getting hurt-that is life.

We fall physically, and we fall figuratively. We fall in love and fall from grace. We fall into sin and we fall apart.

Nelson Mandela said, “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” 

David said, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholds him with His hand." (Psalm 37:23, 24)

That's my favorite verse in the Bible. You might say it's my life verse.  

I do fall. I fall colossally. I make huge mistakes. I sin. I shake my head and cry over the awfulness of my words and actions. I've fallen in love and experienced the poignant joys and hurts that come with that particular brand of falling. 

We fall because we take risks. We fall because we are fallible. We fall because we live. We fall because we are moving.

God picks us up-

Every.single.time.

It is impossible to live perfect Christian lives. It is impossible to continue on without falling. We hurt ourselves and others. We hurt our prospects and relationships.

But, we shouldn't throw in the towel or give up. We don't have to wallow.

We confess our sins, and we look to the Lord to pick us back up. He does. With His grace. With His right hand.

The Lord upholds all that fall, and raises up all those that be bowed down. (Psalm 145:14)

A just man falls 7 times and rises up again. (Proverbs 24:16)

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. (John12:24)

Falling isn't necessarily ideal, but it doesn't have to be catastrophic either.

Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling and present your faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. (Jude 24)

God is able to keep us from falling when and where He doesn't want us to fall. He also is more than capable of lifting up and restoring us when we do fall.

Are you afraid of falling? Are you more afraid of never falling?

Why I Refuse to Feel Guilty About the Origins of My Food

A few weeks ago I watched this video clip. It covers the topic of ethical farming practices and how we all have embraced cruelty to animals.

Because we don't care how our food (and in particular, our meat) is raised.

It is a clip about how food is marketed. It talks packaging and verbiage. It talks about how consumers are the guaranteed factor of marketing. We choose to buy and thus to ignore.

As you watch the reactions of the people in the audience on the clip, you see expressions of horror and disgust. The scene ends with the presenter walking off the stage. To silence. Not applause.

Everyone feels horrified and guilt stricken.

Except I don't.

Yes. I agree that I am part of the problem. If I (and a bunch of others like me) refused to buy meat raised on these farms, the farmers would eventually have to sit up and take notice.

I don't embrace cruelty to animals. Cruelty to anything defenseless is despicable. And I am not particularly thrilled with the amounts of hormones in my food.

But I refuse to pay exorbitant prices for food because it is raised free-range or hormone free. And thus I continue to be part of the cruelty problem.

But, even more than refusing to pay exorbitant prices, I refuse to feel guilty about these animals.

I've got much bigger fish to fry.

When abortion is no longer legal or practiced, then I will feel guilty about where I get my meat.

When human trafficking is eradicated, then I will feel guilty about thousands of chickens stacked on top of each other.

When children are seen as a blessing and not an inconvenience, then I will worry about pigs and cows.

When children are not put into a category of something we can or can't afford, then I will consider paying more for certain ethically raised food.

When our society places as much value on our most valuable commodity as Jesus Christ did (the commodity being humans, and the value being His life and death), then I will focus more energy on the treatment of animals.

It's all a matter of perspective. And priority.

In the book of Amos, God delivers a scathing denouncement on Israel and Judah and the nations around them. He doesn't bother with topics of animal cruelty-though it happened even back then. God judged these nations because of their excessive cruelty to other human beings.

That's a sobering thought.

I'd say we have a whole lot more to answer for than some chickens and cows.

(More food for thought...it isn't that God doesn't value animals either. There is the verse about how God knows each sparrow that falls. But the the thought emphasized after that is how much more, speaking about human life.)

Do I emphasize what God emphasizes? How do my priorities line up with His?
 

The Travesty of Modern Christian Bookstores

So, last week I experienced a shock when I crossed the threshold of our local Christian bookstore. Well, to be perfectly honest, it was series of shocks.

I mean, first off, where are the books? To be fair, I must admit that this franchise dropped the "book" part of their name a couple years ago. It's now just a store. A Christian store. So, I guess the emphasis is no longer on the book part of the store.

Which is rather obvious when of the available merchandise real estate, less than 25% contained books.

I went to the bookstore looking for several copies of Passion and Purity. There was not a single copy of this book on the shelves! (or even in the back) Now, I know that this is partly my fault for waiting until the last minute. (okay, 90% my fault) But, it's a classic, people! Reading it changed my life.

But, this is not the end of the day's travesties.

There was not a single copy of any book written by Elisabeth Elliot! Not one. Not Shadow of the Almighty or Through the Gates of Splendor. Not A Chance to Die or Let Me Be a Woman. Not a copy of any of her more than 20 titles. None.

That's a sad commentary on any store that carries Christian books.

But the saddest thing of all is that the girl manning the register had never even heard of Elisabeth Elliot. That was shocking to me. How can you mingle in Christian circles in the USA and not have heard of Elisabeth Elliot?

She knew of Lisa Terkeurst and Ann Voskamp and Jennie Allen. She'd heard of Jesus Calling, Prayer of Jabez, 40 Days of Purpose, 1000 Gifts, and Duck Dynasty devotionals.

Which brings me to the last (and maybe not least) shocking thing about the bookstore that is not a bookstore.

Duck Dynasty.

I love watching Duck Dynasty. It makes me laugh. I applaud their stand on issues. I'm a fan.

But, I must not be that be that big a fan because I am not a fan of walking into my Christian bookstore and being inundated with DD. (especially when there is no EE to temper things)

It would be one thing if there was a display containing all the DD episodes on DVD. But, that is only the tip of the tragic iceberg. There is a plethora of DD merchandise in the gifts section, t-shirt section, and media section.

And, while they may not carry Elisabeth Elliot's classics, they do carry Duck Dynasty titles in most of their book genre sections. Men's issues, women's issues, marriage, dating, Bibles, devotional, Christian living, biographies and even charismatic. It hasn't hit fiction yet, but I'm sure it won't be long...

I wish I was exaggerating.

I bet Miss Kay knows who Elisabeth Elliot is...

Maybe my Christian bookstore expectations are too high.

I think it must not be a commentary on the store, so much as on the general populace. Because stores carry what sells.

So, if they aren't carrying much more than DD, we must not be buying it.

And therein lies the real tragedy.

Are we more willing to read books that tickle our ears than books that convict our hearts and are the impetus for changing our lives? Have we lost our discernment? Have we traded meat for milk?

Do I just need to change my Christian bookstore?

Maybe all is not lost...I was able to purchase 4 copies of My Utmost for His Highest. Another classic. Another life changer.

What are your thoughts on Christian bookstores?

Toffee Cheesecake Bars

It has been a week! A good week. A good tired week. A week full of good stories, good music, good fellowship and good rain.

My garden is growing like crazy. I think it was exuberant about the torrential rain we got on Wednesday. Those thirsty plants just drank to their fill. Rain nutrients and lightening are the best for plants. Water from a hose is just not the same. I don't know the why's, but the garden always has a growth spurt after a good rain. My basil is doing better than ever before. I practically have basil trees. I am thinking thoughts of fresh pasta sauce and more pesto. Thank goodness pesto freezes well!

I've clocked almost 55 miles on my bike so far this week. I am hoping to get in another almost 40 before Sunday rolls around. I am getting used to my clip pedal-shoe combos. I had my first (2) falls. Nothing tragic. Just toppling over at a complete stop. The one time at a fairly busy intersection. (when the traffic was not going my way) That did a lot for my pride. Nothing says graceful and sauce like toppling over for the world to see...Big sigh...

I taught at VBS several days this week. And let me tell you, telling stories and teaching makes me come alive as the modern saying goes. I love telling stories. I love helping others to use their gifts. This week is one of my favorite weeks of every year.

Meres turns 3 today. She was an early morning baby-7:11, or something close to that. She radically changed our lives from Day 1. She is my different child. She makes me laugh and cringe. I love that she looks like her dad. I love and am annoyed that she acts like me.

I tried a couple new recipes. Including a spinach, strawberry, kiwi, chicken, poppy seed dressing salad. So fresh and summery and good! I'll share that recipe in another week or two.

A few weeks ago it was my turn to cook for the BFF, and I made this recipe that I had bookmarked a while ago. I loved it. These bars are very easy to make, and they are very rich. I'd advise cutting them into 24 or 36 bars.

There is a thick cake layer, topped off by a cheesecake layer that is chock full of chocolate and toffee bits. So good!

Toffee Cheesecake Bars

For the bottom layer:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 large egg
1 stick butter, melted

For the top layer:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup Heath bar pieces

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly spray a 9x13 pan. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, 1 egg, and 1 stick melted butter. Mix until well combined and press into bottom of prepared pan.

In the same bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Take the time to beat it until there are no lumps and it is fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, beating to make sure it's well combined. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter. Fold in the chocolate chips and Heath bar pieces.

Pour over the cake base and spread evenly. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the middle is gooey but not liquid. Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting into bars.

What are your weekend plans?

A Chance to Live

I was probably 9 or 10 the first time I read the story of the 5 martyrs in Ecuador. I remember being impressed with how much they had accomplished for God in their short lives (27-33 years). I remember being challenged by their example to make tracks and live my life all out for God too.

I have read the various and sundry accounts of their lives many times since then. I am always challenged to serve well in the time I have, as it may be short.

This year I am telling these men's stories to the kids at our VBS. So, once again I read their stories. Through the Gates of Splendor. Pete Fleming. Unfolding Destinies. Dayuma. Jungle Pilot. Shadow of the Almighty.

And, once again, I am challenged. I'm challenged by their lives.

They were normal guys. They weren't "super" spiritual fanatics. They were guys-like most any 20-30 something guys you'd run into. They liked to laugh and have fun. They played football and basketball and wrestled.

They faced the same struggles we do. They didn't have an edge on Christian life victory that we know nothing about or can't possibly experience. They had fears, and challenges, physical issues, relationships, personalities, faults and failures. They were human. They were sinners. They were not perfect.

They were obedient. They were faithful. They were vessels used by God.

My life span is already longer than each of the martyrs'. I don't know how long my life will be, but my race would no longer qualify as a sprint. I'm in it for the long haul. The marathon.

I've not been called to a foreign field. So far, I've not been called to die for the Lord.

But, I have been called. I've been called to be a wife and a mother. A teacher and a blogger.

I've been called. 

My call is to be faithful. To earnestly and whole-heartedly serve the Lord in the day to day. In the mundane of laundry and cooking and schooling and cleaning.

Am I being faithful to my call? Am I as devoted to Christ? As loving of people? As disciplined?

Am I being faithful to the whatever? Am I putting my all into into my call? Is it no holds barred? Or am I reserving corners of myself, my life?

the 5 widows in 2002 (source)

I'm also challenged by the wives' lives. All but one remained missionaries in Ecuador after their husband's death. None felt their call to serve God had ended because their husband had been killed. Because their world had been rocked by the killing thrust of a spear.

They were faithful to their call too.

Hmmm...

You and I-we've been given the chance to live for the Lord. How are we doing at it?

Perfect in Weakness

Here it is, ministry season again. And here I am, feeling weak again.

Like, way weak.

My back went out on Wednesday. For no apparent reason. And by "out" I mean no walking, sitting, or standing without pain. I spent all Wednesday afternoon prostrate upon my bed. Thursday I visited the chiropractor, and sat most of the day, except for the 2 hours I spent flat on my back in the late afternoon.

Weak.

And why?

I really don't have an exact answer. But, here is what I do know.

Friday I had the opportunity to spend hours teaching a group of teenage girls how to teach the Word of God to children. And this week we are running a VBS together.

I love teaching. I think you could even say I have a gift for it. I love facts and sharing those with others. When I am teaching is when I feel most alive.

But, God reminds me graciously (almost every year) that it isn't about my mad skillz, but it is about Him and His glory and enabling.

I need Him. He needs me empty of myself and dependent on Him.

So, He lays me flat on  my back. Where all I can do is look up and pray. Where I know there is nothing I can do to heal myself. Where I know that if this week is going to happen, it is only going to happen because of Him.

His strength made perfect in my weakness.

His grace sufficient.

His glory shining through this cracked pot and (physically) broken vessel that is me.

"Without Me you can do nothing."

Amen!

"Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then am I strong." (1 Corinthians 12:10)

Can't say that I am quite to the taking pleasure part yet, but I get the heart behind this....

I think I am taking most of the rest of the week off from blogging. I will be using my writing time to study for VBS. Pray for me, and have a lovely week!

Grilling Merlot Burgers and Making Broccoli Salad

Do you eat radically different in the summer than in the fall and winter? We do.

Fall and winter eating is soups and casseroles, leftovers galore. It is comforting familiarity. Stuff that sticks with you and fills in the cracks.

Summer eating is light. It is more salads-both entree salads and side salads. The meals are simpler. We grill several nights a week. We trade in cooked vegetables for fresh fruit. 

I like both seasons of eating. But, I am so glad it is summer eating time now.

We just bought a new grill around Mother's Day. And I am putting that baby to work. Day after day after day. We have grilled chicken and burgers, brats and pizza. It has been so good! 

I enjoy grilling because the high temps cut cooking time way down. I enjoy grilling because it keeps the heat out of my kitchen. I enjoy grilling because it adds a unique flavor to the things being grilled.

Today I am sharing the meat and salad part of a meal we had recently. Merlot Burgers. Broccoli Salad.

I love the sweet, salty, crunchy, colorful combination that is Broccoli Salad. I actually use less sugar-like probably half of what is in this recipe. And, a huge time saver tip is using Hormel Real Bacon Bits. Think corresponding cup measurements for pounds of bacon. 

1 cup= 1 pound

1/2 cups= 1/2 pound

Etc. etc...

Broccoli Salad
2 heads fresh broccoli
1 red onion
1/2 lb bacon (or use 1/2 cup real bacon bits)
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1 cup mayo
1/4 cup white sugar (or less or more according to taste)
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

-Slice bacon into 1/2” pieces. Cook in a large skillet over medium high heat until brown and crispy.
-Meanwhile, cut the broccoli into bite sized pieces. Chop the onion.
-Combine the bacon, raisins, broccoli and nuts.
-In a small bowl, mix the mayo, sugar and vinegar. Pour over the broccoli. Stir well to coat.
-Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours to chill.

Do you ever read a recipe and know it will be good? Merlot Burgers is one of those recipes. What can't be good about onions stewed in red wine? Seriously? The first time I made the recipe, I topped the burgers with shredded cheese, because that is what the recipe called for. I decided to go with sliced cheese instead. It stays on the burgers better. Oh, and these 6 burgers are BIG burgers.

Merlot Burgers
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
3/4 cup red wine (like Merlot)
3/4 tsp dried thyme
2 lbs lean ground beef
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 tsp kosher salt
black pepper
chunk sharp cheddar cheese (6 oz)
6 Hamburger buns
lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard,

-In a small skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 8-10 minutes, or until
soft and lightly browned.
-Add the wine and thyme and reduce until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat
and set aside.
-In a large bowl, combine beef, onion mixture, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and form
into 6 patties.
-Grill over medium high heat, flipping once. (10-15 minutes) Top each burger with a slice of
of cheese for the last 2 minutes of cooking.

Both of these recipes are great for your weekend. Simple, quick. Delicious! Which one are you going to try?

You Can't Afford Not To

You can't afford not to...

-read this blog. But, obviously you already knew that because here you are reading it. If you stopped reading, you might miss some witticism or at least a great recipe...

-plant your own herbs. They are so easy to grow. And they are much cheaper to use from your own pots than from the store.

-exercise. It increases your energy levels, the sweat cleans out your pores and the sunshine gives your complexion a healthy glow.

-laugh. Laughter is better than medicine. Those great belly laughs. Snickers. Whatever. Laugh.

-get a She Plans Dinner subscription. At just $5 a month-for 30 complete dinners with recipes and assembled grocery list. Think of the time and money you will save! New menus go out on Sunday. Are you signed up?

-read my post about finances (and things you can't afford not to do with your finances) on Womanhood with Purpose today.

So go read that post and then go outside and enjoy today!

My Personal Balancing Act

Yesterday I wrote about Finding Balance in Life. And I wrote about bicycles.

So, here is the thing about bicycles and balancing...everything can be going along fine and then an outward force or element throws a wrench in the works.

My wrench in balancing on a bike this week is clip-in pedals and shoes. They probably have a more technical name than that, but you get the idea.

These pedals are like ski bindings that clip on to brackets on the bottoms of your shoes. The result is a certain (theoretically profitable) attachment to your pedals. They supposedly immediately help you go faster since you are able to use the ups as well as the downs of each pedal revolution.

Can I just say that I am nervous as all get out about these things? What if they don't just pop off when they are supposed to? What if I wipe out (for all the world to see)? Is this really a good idea? 

I mean, I've got to get my feet down at stop signs and lights so I can stay upright! I have visions of myself stationary with my shoes still clicked in, just kind of falling over...

It's that balance thing.

It is bringing a new element to my rides that I know will be a good thing. But, it is taking practice and adjustment to my cycling style.

This is such a basic and key concept when it comes to life. New element=adjustment.

It is a key concept for me currently because I am still navigating the waters of work-life balance.

Who would have thought that owning and running a business would take hours every week? I mean, obviously. But, not obviously.

There is the obvious time consumer of putting together the menus and grocery lists and imputing recipes into the computer.

But what about the non-obvious? Writing four bi-weekly emails? And mailing them out? Coming up with fresh private page content? Taking pictures of food for emails and private pages and social media? Watermarking the photos? Advertising? Keeping up with another set of social media accounts? Completing orders?

It all takes little chunks of time.

Now, realistically, it is only taking about 5-6 hours per week. Which (out of 168) is not that many.

But, the 5-6 hours are coming out of my traditionally "down" day, Thursdays. My free day. My day for baking and reading and generally kicking up my heels.

The 5-6 hours a week is not astronomical. It's feasible.

But, it is requiring some recalibrating. Some no's and yeses. Learning the new element and making room for it.

It is making me look again at my priorities. Who/what is most important to me? What has to be done? What should be done? What do I want from this season?

So here I am, with my scale. (And, if you were in the room with me, you'd see me making a scale motion with my hands, because I talk with my hands like that...)

I have all my available time and energy on the one side. It is my finite and measurable constant.

On the other side are the things I want in my life. That I need in my life. That are just plain IN my life. Husband, kids, school, summer, business, ministry, reading, writing, cooking, cleaning, sewing, studying, running, swimming, bicycling, down time, concerts, dates, people, family.

So, I ask myself, "What do I want this season of my life to look like?" What is going to give so that other things can take priority?

-Some things are giving way this week and next. I am busy with teaching and VBS ministry at church. If my floors aren't shined to perfection (that's hyperbole, fyi) next week, that will be okay. I have reading to get done before next Monday, which means that I may actually not have time to blog one afternoon this week. This reading is important and necessary for my VBS stuff next week. It is urgent. Other things may fall by the wayside.

-My business is a priority, and it is marching on. The give and take for this is dedicating most Thursdays to working. A nice long, uninterrupted day. I hire a sitter and I get out of Dodge. I type, and assembled and plan and get a lot done. And then I pretty much close up shop for the rest of the week, except for finalizing orders.

-Blogging has already taken a hit. But, I am okay with that. I am writing posts for only 4 days a week. It is enough to give me breathing room. And living room.

-It is summer. And I hate having to-do lists miles long in the summer. Instead of daily lists, I am doing weekly lists. And I trying to be intentional about slowing our schedule down, and leaving room for friends, family and fun. I am taking time to read, and sleep in the afternoons. I am enjoying summer.

-March through September is training and racing season. I am spending 1-2 hours every day running, swimming, and/or biking. It is purposeful and seasonal. I rest the 5 months from October through February. In those months I have more on my plate in the way of school, and I have less time available to train. In the summer months, the structure of school is gone, which is leaving me with more training time. I can get back from a run or bike ride at 9:30 and not feel guilty because my kids are still sleeping and not hitting the books.

-An interesting business casualty has not been my cooking, but my baking. I am not making cookies nearly as much as formerly. Because I used to do that on Thursdays. But, this is okay. It is looking good on my waistline. And all of us are getting a bit weaned from sugar consumption. It is becoming more of a treat than a necessity.

Are you seeing the the give and the take? It all boils down to what I feel God wants me to pile on the scale. And then letting everything else go. To not hold myself hostage to my own expectations of everything getting done. It all could.

But, then I would be missing out on the summer rhythm.

It is a myth that any woman or man does it all. But, we all aim to do the all that means the most to each of us personally.

For me, that is summer, my kids and husband, business, training and reading. With a little bit of cooking and cleaning thrown in for good measure.

What means most to you right now? How are you balancing in the things that are the most important to you?

Finding Balance

In our day and age, the word balance is almost a dirty word. Life balance is unattainable, if not just plain undesirable. But, what exactly is balance?

According to the dictionary, balance is:

an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady; a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions.

Often when the idea of balance is eschewed, it is because everything can't be equal. Duh! Sleep, work, taking care of kids, play, hobbies, etc, can not have equal/even-steven time and effort.

But, life can be in proportion. Life can be distributed in correct proportions so a person can remain upright and steady.

Life balance is like an old fashioned scale. On the one side you have the weights. On the other side you have the items being weighed.

The weights are constant. A five pound weight is always 5 pounds. No more, no less.

The objects being weighed can vary in size and weight. But, they keep getting piled on the scale until both sides are equal. Neither is higher or lower than the other.

Time and effort and energy are like the weights. They are pretty constant. Finite. Measurable.

Life is the objects being weighed. Sometimes we pile much, and sometimes we pile little, onto the scale, until it inevitably balances with available time and energy.

Everything put on the scale is not equal in time or energy consumption. But each takes its own chunk of the available. Life balance isn't about everything being equal, it is about the weight being in the correct proportions. Because only so much can fit. 

It involves a give and take. A reckoning with the unchanging scale of available time and energy. It means unequivocally, that every yes requires a no.

More exercise may mean less sleep. More school may mean less exercise. More cooking may mean less cleaning. More child care may mean less reading. More career may mean less blog posts. More cups of coffee on the porch to the tune of birds chirping may mean less frenetic to-do lists.

Balance may look like a jam packed schedule one week, and a fairly open schedule the next. 

It is not necessarily a matter of good and bad. It is often a matter of better and best. It could be a matter of quality rather than quantity. Or even of necessity over preference. Urgent or important. Life seasons.

Constant adjustments and shiftings of weight and proportions.

Life balance is like a scale. Life balance is like riding a bike. That renown activity that once we learn, we never forget...

Balance on a bike is crucial. But, it doesn't always mean that everything is even. Balance on a bike requires leaning in to curves to stay upright. Balancing on a bike with a toddler on the back means exerting extra pressure on the front handlebars to counteract the burden on the back. Balance on a bike requires momentum and forward movement. Only the most talented amongst us can balance on a bike at a full stop.

Balance in life means doing what we need to do to stay upright and steady. It means that if we are going through a season of burden and weightiness, we can only add so much more-whether light or heavy. Balance in life means adjusting our expectations-of ourselves and others. 

What do you think of the idea of balance? Is balance something you strive for or do you think it is a pipe dream?

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

I am a big lover of coffee cake. Which, incidentally, means that I love it a lot, not that I am BIG. Just sayin'...

Coffee cake consistency is very similar to that of muffins. But it is way.less.work. Obviously. Pouring batter into one large pan or 24 small muffin cups? Muffin cups are always a headache. Is it only me, or does anyone else have a problem with batter drips, spoons stuck to paper cup linings, and paper cup linings turning head over heels-full of batter? Oh, it's only me?

Anyway...

I love coffee cake still warm from the oven, accompanied by (what else?) a cup of coffee. Such a delicious morning treat.

This recipe is great, if you have a plethora of rhubarb (like I had last week). It is great even if you don't have a plethora of rhubarb. The recipe combines the tangy sourness of rhubarb with a sugary streusel topping for a magnificent end product.

You need about a pound of rhubarb to get 3 cups of chopped rhubarb. (I just googled that to make sure and I was right on. All I have to do is remember those numbers when I get rhubarb-happy next spring)

Without further ado (or further parenthetical statements)...

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Batter:
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup sour cream
3 cups diced rhubarb

Streusel Topping:
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
ground cinnamon, for dusting

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking dish.
-In a large bowl, stir together 1 1/4 cups sugar, baking soda, salt and 2 cups flour. Stir in the eggs and sour cream until smooth, then fold in the rhubarb. Pour into the prepared dish and spread evenly.

-In a smaller bowl, stir together the remaining 1 cup sugar and butter until smooth. Stir in 1/4 cup flour until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the cake then dust lightly with cinnamon.
-Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Gardening's Manure of Knowledge

the carpet of pink are the fallen blossoms from my red bud tree

Knowledge is power. 

That is so true, isn't it. Knowledge is power to share or be superior. To hurt or to encourage. To hoard or to help.

And to quote Dolly (Barbara Streisand) from Hello! Dolly,

Money is like manure; it's not worth a thing unless it's spread around encouraging young things to grow.

Which is actually a quote quoting a quote (say that 10 times fast), because Thorton Wilder said it first.

my iris bulbs came from a good friend. They remind me of her every spring.

I think knowledge is like manure too. It is worth a whole lot more as it is spread around encouraging young things to grow.

Interestingly enough, gardens flourish when both manure and knowledge are generously shared.

 

My gardens are the results of the gleanings of many people's generously shared knowledge. For which I am so very grateful.

I have several friends who are much more knowledgeable about flower gardening than I am. They have given me tips, bulbs and cuttings, plus they've directed my plant shopping.

I have spent a lot of time (for me) over the past 3 springs, growing a perennial shade garden. It is finally getting to the place I want it. I am not the biggest fan of hostas-which are the favorite low maintenance plant for shade. I want color and blooms. Lots of color and blooms.

It has taken some trial and error, but I've ended up with some orange common day lilies (transplanted from my back yard), and some yellow and red ever-bearing lilies. The red flowers in the picture above are something annual. I also have spindly red and green plant which gets some kind of flowers, but also looks pretty without flowers. I have a low ground cover green and white plant that you can see in the top picture. Not sure what it is either, but, I will also be thinning that down next year. There is also a variation on bleeding hearts.

There is also a rose bush that I cut down almost to the ground every year, and it still comes back with pretty pink flowers.

New this year, I added small plants that will get yellow flowers. I also added pink ever-bearing hydrangeas (they are called something like dancing in the moonlight) that already have flowers plus I have blue ones that are still coming. I have two kinds of hostas that I will thin out as they spread to keep them under wraps. 

I like the variation. Lots of leaf color, lots of flower color. All are tailored especially for shade. And most are very low maintenance.

curly parsley, basil, chives, cilantro

I also have two vegetable gardens, plus my herb pots. Everything has taken off like gang busters the past 10 days. I think it is the warm weather. My herbs are full and ready for use. I will be making pesto this week, and I am also on the lookout for recipes that use fresh oregano. I have a ton.

My bean plants just broke the soil 2 days ago, and do you see the tiny tomato on the tomato plant? So exciting!

How does your garden grow?

If You are Willing

Last week, I was reading Luke 5. In that chapter there are two back to back stories that caught my attention.

First was the story of the leper. (vs 12-14) This leper approached, prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus touched him, said, "I am willing. Be clean."

The second story (vs. 18-26) is about the paralytic with the four friends-who unceremoniously made hole in the roof and let their friend down, mattress and all, to land at Jesus' feet.

And what did Jesus say to this man? "Be whole? Be healed?"

No. He told him, "your sins are forgiven you."

Which sparked some internal debate in the Pharisees present. The man ended up walking away from his encounter with his sins forgiven. And with a whole body.

Sandwiched between these two stories is a phrase, "and the power of the Lord was present to heal them." It sheds some light on both of the stories.

The power of the Lord was present to heal whom? The leper? The paralytic? Yes and yes.

But also the Pharisees and lawyers in the crowd.

See, physical healing is not a matter of whether God is able, but whether or not He is willing. The leper recognized that. He didn't doubt Jesus' ability to heal.

Leprosy. Most Biblical scholars agree that disease presents a good picture of sin. According to the law, lepers had to remove themselves from society and had to call out "unclean, unclean" whenever they were by people. The leper asked for cleansing, not healing. Cleansing was the antidote.

The Pharisees and lawyers had whole bodies, but they still needed healing and cleansing. Spiritual healing and cleansing. All needed their sins forgiven-all were sinners.

As God sees it, our biggest problem is not physical, but is spiritual. Sin is the much bigger problem and the much greater need, superseding even broken bodies.

God still heals today. He heals broken and sick bodies on a regular basis. But it is not always His will to heal. That is why cancer and accidents and other diseases regularly take lives. Even the lives of people whose situations have been fervently prayed over.

God is more interested in our spiritual health and growth and healing than our physical wholeness or comfort. 

That may require an ouch amen, but it requires an amen nonetheless.

God puts us in situations that will produce the most praise and glory for Himself, and cause the most progress in the process of conforming us to the image of Christ.

That is God's ultimate will in any believer's life.

It often isn't fun. It may be ugly. The who's, what's, how's and when's don't often make any sense to me. But, the why's-that I can understand.

The trials are for our personal benefit. They are for the benefit of those observing our lives.

And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen paradoxes today." (Luke 5:26)

Safety First

I am all about strong, independent women, but I am also all about caution and safety too.

Women are as a rule, more vulnerable than men. Why? Because women, as a rule, are weaker than men. (weaker doesn't mean weak.)  That's fact. A man is more likely to attack a woman than another man. The advantages are in his favor. The disadvantages lean towards the women.

This doesn't mean that women are helpless or that we should feel helpless. It means we should be smart. We need to realize this vulnerability and to put our safety as top priority when we are engaging in any form of fitness outside.

Whether running, walking, roller-blading, biking or whatever else there is. Safety should always come first.


Here are my top 10 safety tips...

-Exercise in daylight or in well lighted areas.

-Exercise in the morning. It's the way of the world-creepy people tend to be out more at night than in the morning. At least, in Gotham City and Batman, they are.

-Exercise without earbuds, or use only one. I mentioned this last week, but it bears repeating. Last week I was biking and there was a girl ahead of me roller blading. She was wearing earbuds and didn't see or hear me approaching. I hollered at her twice, letting her know I was going to pass. She didn't hear me. I had innocent intentions. Not everyone does. If you are drowning out the noises around you, you are leaving yourself vulnerable.

Also a safe music alternative is an exterior speaker. Play those tunes, loud and proud for everyone to hear. (Well, actually not too loud or you'll get to the drowning out level again.) Run with an 80's giddio-blaster. Or not...

-Exercise with your phone and even with pepper spray. Or a whistle. (that gets attention) And have them readily accessible.

-Exercise with a partner or exercise in a well trafficked area. I run with my husband about 50% of the time. For my other runs and bike rides, I choose my routes through areas that are highly visible to pedestrian and vehicle traffic. I don't use obscure trails-even in the middle of the day.

-Let someone else know your route and when you should be back.

-Alter your routines and routes. This way someone can't set a clock (or any other devious plans) by the regularity of your route and schedule.

-Exercise with some form of identification on you. That way, if something happens, people know who you are.

-Keep moving. If harassed, keep moving. Get to the nearest safe place-a store, business, restaurant.

-Stay on high alert. Be aware of people around you. Be aware of the terrain. Be aware of vehicles.

What are your safety tips for outdoor fitness?