5 P's in a Marriage Pod

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and walking into any store you are inundated with displays of chocolate, greeting cards, red roses, jewelry, wine and lingerie.

Valentine's Day is a good reminder of all things love and romance, steamy and passion. It is great to remember these things in our marriages. It is great to remember them more than once a year. But, these things are only one facet in the marriage union.

Marriage is much more than roses and chocolate, romance and sex. Marriage is a God established institution. God created the world, the star and galaxies, and man in Genesis 1. It didn't take long for the need of a woman to be apparent. In Genesis 2 God created Eve from Adam's rib. 

God had several reasons for creating marriage. Here are 5 reasons I have found in the Bible, and they all begin with a P...

1. Pairing-Genesis 2:18-And the Lord God said, "it is not good that man should be alone; I will make a help meet for him. Meet is the idea of fitting. The perfect match. It brought to mind the role of a sommelier-a person who matches food and wine. A sommelier has an extensive knowledge of both food and wine so they can make matches that work in harmony.

God created each person in His image, and created each person unique. And knowing best our strengths and weaknesses, He pairs us with the one who makes us whole. One flesh. The Divine Sommelier.

2. Partnership-also from Genesis 2:18, the help part of help meet. The term "partner " has fallen on rough times in our permissive culture. It usually either implies a couple not married, but cohabitating, or equality of the genders. A partnership doesn't automatically assume equality. I feel there are definite roles in a marriage, man being the head, and woman submitting. By definition, a partnership is associates in an activity, endeavor or sphere of common interest. Marriage is a partnership. Our endeavor is to glorify God together. Our endeavor is to raise a family together if given children. Our endeavor is to serve the Lord together, best using the gifts He has given us individually and as then a couple. Together...

3. Picture-Ephesians 5:22-33, highlighting verses 32-33-This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife, see that she reverence her husband. 

Marriage is a picture of Jesus Christ and His relationship with the church. Jesus Christ loved the church so much, that He died for it. The church sees that sacrifice, and desires to submit to Him. Our marriages are to picture this mystery-the wives in submitting to their husbands, and husbands in loving their wives. Observers should be able to look at our marriages, and think, "aha, I get it." 

But, just like with normal pictures, sometimes we are more photogenic than others. Sometimes we have a bad hair day. Sometimes we really look like so and so. How can our marriages look most photogenic? 

Follow Ephesians 4:25-32. Speak truth with each other. Be angry-sin not. Don't let the sun go down on your anger. Don't steal. Don't give place to the devil. No corrupt communication, but what is good to the use of edifying (building up). Put away all bitterness, anger, wrath, clamor, evil speaking. Be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving. Just like God, for Christ's sake, forgave you. (that picture again.) This is a high calling. Maybe even the highest calling.

4. Passion-the passage for this is Song of Solomon. Passion is something that is desired intensely. Our "passions" are things we put time, effort, and resources into. We are passionate about food, fitness, fishing, scrapbooking....We need to be passionate about our marriage, and about our partner. 

Song of Solomon isn't a laid back book. Solomon and his beloved are passionate about each other. The girls ask her, "what is your guy more than any other guy?" (Barefoot Hippie Girl translation) And she gives quite the answer. And it isn't, "oh, he's a godly guy."  No, I don't want to know your details, but you should be able to fill in the blank. 

Song of Solomon mentions coming away. Marriage takes time-just the two of you, by yourselves. No kids, no technology, no distractions. I love the verses in chapter 8:6,7-Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is as strong as death; jealousy is as cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man were to give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. That is passion!

5. Purity. Purity is preached before marriage, but it is just as pertinent after marriage. Our marriages are constantly under a barrage of temptation from outside sources. From magazines in the checkout lane, to readily accessible porn online, to VS displays in the mall, to scantily dressed figures everywhere you look. Talk about inundation! It is a fight to keep our minds pure-both men and women. But, it is a necessary fight. Fight to keep your marriage bed holy. Fight to keep it pure and undefiled.

The fight starts, and is often won, in the mind-in our thoughts...

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true
                            whatsoever things are honest
                            whatsoever things are just
                            whatsoever things are pure
                            whatsoever things are lovely
                            whatsoever things are of good report;
if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8)

Can you think of any other P's for marriage?

Carb Convenience vs. Protein Power

Fun poetry to end your spring break on. 

Last day of spring break. Bummer! But only 7 more weeks of school, and then we can have months of break.
I just finished the girls' dresses. I will post pictures on Monday-with them actually wearing them.
Meres has a cold. Poor baby. She is snotty and watery eyed. And she is working on two more teeth. Like I said, "poor baby."

Some advertising from the Hippie offspring

We eat hummus. It keeps us looking like stair steps.

I love carbs. They are so tasty. So delicious. So convenient. Though when I run a lot, my body craves protein. Give me some red meat. Protein builds muscle. But carbs are energy. And they are always right there. Bread, cookies, granola, granola bars, fruit.  Protein takes work. Opening a can of tuna, and making tuna salad. Cooking fish, chicken, or meat. Pouring that glass of milk with cookies.=) Yogurt, cheese, nuts and beans are all good sources of protein. But, nuts make my face look like a teenagers-and I don't mean wrinkle free either. And who just wants to eat a can of beans? Yuck!

Hummus is my favorite way to eat beans, namely garbanzo beans. It is very easy to make up, and packs a protein wallop. It is delicious. Personally I prefer mine, which is heavy on lemon and garlic. Hummus experts say that hummus is best at room temperature, not cold. Personally, I think it is best right out of the blender, but any temp will do.=) Hummus is good on fresh bread, pita bread, pita chips, bagel chips, pretzels, crudités, or just with a spoon(or finger) right out of the blender. I make it probably about once a month, and I enjoy having it right after a run. Here is my top secret recipe. The key is in blending it for a good long time. You want hummus to be a smooth thick dip rather than a clumpy paste. But not too thick. It should have little granules in it. But they shouldn't be noticeable as you are eating it.

Bernadette's Hummus
2 cans garbanzo beans, reserve liquid from one can
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup tahini paste
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp salt

-Add all ingredients to the blender before adding beans. Pour half of the reserved bean liquid in the blender on top of the beans, and pulse until smooth. Add more liquid as necessary to get the thick dip effect.

In my quest to try a new recipe every other week or so, I have stumbled upon some good ones. Here is an amazing pasta recipe. The key ingredient is the spicy Italian sausage. It makes it. Don't try it with mild sausage. It won't be the same. Trust me on this. This a a recipe from the March Food Network magazine, with a few Hippie adjustments.

Pasta with Spicy Sausage
16 ounces medium shell pasta
2 Tbsp olive oil
5 links of fresh spicy Italian sausage
3 spring onions-white and light green parts only
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese.

-Cook pasta in salted boiling water until done. Drain and reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking liquid.
-Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove sausage from casings, add to skillet, breaking up with a wooden spoon until it begins to brown, about 3 minutes.
-Add the onion, and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
-Add the garlic, mushrooms, salt, and pepper to taste; cook, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms start to brown, about 3 minutes.
-Add the cherry tomatoes, and cook until they soften lightly-about 3 more minutes.
-Add the broth to skillet and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Remove from heat.
-Place all in a large serving bowl, with pasta and cheese, and reserved pasta liquid as necessary to moisten. Serve with more cheese and the darker green tops of the onions.

*This is how I have made it, but I think it is a good base that can be changed up a bit. I am going to try switching mozzarella for the parmesan. I also think broccoli or broccoli rate would be a good switch for the tomatoes. I am going to play around with the ingredients the next time I make it. Though, come to think of it, why mess with a good thing?

And, that, my friends, is two for the price of one. Have a wonderful Easter weekend!

Christ is Risen Indeed!

What did Tennessee? She saw what Arkansas!

Sometimes I put off the simplest tasks just because.... I often think they will take more time than they end up taking. Or I know that if I start this particular thing, it will lead to other things, and I will get way in over my head. I often find that the most dreaded tasks weren't as bad as I expected, and the "just take a minute" tasks end up being humdingers.
Signing up for the 5/3 Riverbank run yesterday was in the humdinger category. I got sent to another site, and then the register icon was not very obvious. It took forever for the page to load my info. And then I decided to change my shirt size-which took another forever. But it was done. Then I tried to do an online donation, and it just wouldn't go through. Until I cancelled it, re-found the page, and reentered all my info. Then, and only then, did it go through. I can feel my hair graying on paperwork days.
Printing up Brian Marcus' photos last week fell into the way easier than I imagined category. We gave him a camera for his birthday, and his cousins gave him a gift card for printing photos, and a photo book to fill. He has been asking to print up pictures for months. I finally did it. It was a breeze to load them on SnapFish, choose the ones I wanted, and order them for pickup at Meijer. Actually, 1, 2, 3...done.
It was fun looking back through his pictures, and my pictures from the second half of the year. Particularly our vacation pictures.
We weren't going to take a vacation last year because of a new baby and all. But we decided about May that it would just be great to get away right before school started up again. We reserved a cabin the Smokies, about 20 miles from Gatlinburg, and started planning what to do and where to go. We have been to this area several times, and we love it. We have favorite restaurants, and favorite activities that we wanted to hit up, as well as try some new things.  We actually stay in Townsend, TN, a little town right near the entrance to the Smoky Mountain National Park. Townsend is billed as the "quiet side of the Smokies". And it is a quiet place, definitely geared for tourists, but not as hyped up as its near relatives, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. Brian and I planned all summer, and anticipated the trip. And we kept it from the kids, until a couple days before we left. Even then we didn't tell them we were going to TN until the day before or so.  They were very surprised!
Our cabin was right on a slow creek in a valley between the mountains. It was beautiful and quiet. We had a hot tub on the back porch, there was a big fenced yard for the kids to play in, and there was plenty of room for all of us. The property was one of many owned by a family in Townsend. I think the best part was the pool on the main property. We spent hours there everyday swimming and playing. We usually had the pool to ourselves. The kids improved their swimming skills, and got more and more brave as the week went on. The nights and mornings were cool, but the days got up into the 90s. I love that kind of weather.
We spent a day in Cades' Cove, an old settlement right there in the Smoky Mountain National Park. We climbed in and out of the car, exploring old homesteads and churches. We drove, and walked, and had a great time. The Cades' Cove loop is like 13 miles, after you drive almost that far into the park. But it is beautiful, with all the mountains, and valleys, and waterfalls.
We spent a day at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. If you have never visited the Biltmore, and are ever anywhere near there, you should go. It is the biggest privately owned residence in the United States. It was built by the Vanderbilts in the 1890s. The house is amazing. And the grounds are beautiful. It is fun to wander through the house, then over the grounds. We saw the bridge used in one of the first scenes from the Last of the Mohicans film. There is a winery, with a tour showing how they make the wine. Even the kids thought that was interesting. There is a petting farm, and quaint shops. It is a great activity for families. With a lot to see and do. It is rather pricey. Adults are $50 at the gate, but we got our tickets online for $35. Kids were free last year, due to a grant, but usually they are only $5. It is definitely worth the expense. Ethan has a special memory from the Biltmore...as does Brian Marcus. There is a huge fountain in the front lawn that gets turned off with a key. The gate keeper let Ethan turn off the fountain. He was very pumped. Brian Marcus fainted in the billiard room. You can ask him why.
A new activity was the Smoky Mountain Museum, that they built in Townsend since our last visit. There was a lot of great information about the railroad and lumber industries in the mountains, plus cool movies, interesting tidbits about the Civil War, and its affects in this area, and also neat buildings that have been transplanted to the site. We saw a still that was in operation until maybe 30 years ago. There was a church, and homes and barns that you could explore. There was also a detailed history of cantilever barns, that are found almost exclusively in that area of the country.
Our most crazy activity was visiting the Tuckaleechee Caverns. They are the biggest discovered underground caves in the United States. It is slippery and wet, and we were carrying Meredith. And I hadn't gotten over my fear of heights thing from driving through the mountains. So it was cool, but we wondered just what we had been thinking. It falls into the category of stupid things you do in your youth.

petting horses in Cades' Cove

One of the old houses in Cades' Cove

Meredith happy in her stroller

A water wheel for a mill

Meredith's first swim suit. Boy has she changed!

THE fountain

the mountain view from the Biltmore.

the Last of the Mohicans' bridge

a pretty boat house

a clock tower near the winery

On the back porch of the cabin

enjoying a campfire

drinking lots of Dr. Pepper

Meredith snuggling with her Wishbone, from Cades' Cove

Tuckaleechee Caverns

We had a wonderful, refreshing time. We made great memories, had good laughs, watched a lot of Hogan's Heroes, played games, ate great food and enjoyed our time together as a family. While it seems like we have been going ever since we got home, I am so glad we went.


Viva Tennessee!