Birds of a Feather

Cherishing the Special Moments

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0000

There's nothing I love more than the thought of dropping my responsibilities at any moment and snuggling up on the couch with the kiddos and reading a good book together. It is such a special time to be able to just sit and cuddle with the kids and as they grow older, the opportunities for that cherished time together will become less and less, I'm sure. Reading to my kids is something I've done since they were infants and I'm so thankful that, no matter what they're doing, they'll drop what they're doing and come running if it's storytime. It doesn't matter what we're reading, really...it's more the joy of just spending that time together.

Every day, we all look forward to our storytime (and sometimes we even have extra storytimes just for fun!) Usually it's before bedtime, but sometimes it's also in the afternoon or on the weekends, on a lazy morning after we've all slept in. On days where we occasionally have to skip storytime, we all miss it so much and feel like the day isn't quite complete without it.

Not only is it such a sweet time to spend together, it's a great opportunity to share ideas and things that I want to teach my children. I love choosing stories that will teach them a great moral lesson or something that has really had an impact on my own life. I also love experiencing different things with them through books...things we might never get to experience together otherwise. Oftentimes these stories generate wonderful discussions about everything under the sun. They give us an opportunity to share things with each other that we might never think to bring up otherwise. And sometimes they're just plain fun and silly so we can giggle together!

I'm so, so thankful for the gift of time to spend with my children and so grateful that we can spend time reading and sharing in this way. It is such a blessing! I think I'll be taking an extra few minutes the next time we read together just to enjoy it even more!

History of Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 02:38:00 +0000

*Caution: There are images and movie clips that are inappropriated for children in this film.

View with them at your families' own discretion.*

While the filmmakers of the documentary below see no harm in it, I don't advocate celebrating Halloween or participating in these practices because of where they come from. However, I appreciated the thorough history they showed in this film about how the celebrations that take place on this day began...as well as how they evolved into what they are today, so I thought it was worth sharing.

The video has 5 parts, but the first 3-4 are the most informative about the actual history of why the day came to be celebrated.

This Is The Day

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:36:00 +0000

I LOVE summertime in the rocky mountains! Today was just one of THOSE days...the weather was absolutely perfect...not too hot, not too cold. Our view (as always) of the mountains was breathtaking. We had a little garden work to do this morning, so we headed out into the beautiful sunshine and were picking peas. After about 20 minutes of this, the kids were starting to get bored with our "chore," so my daughter, always the entertainer, burst into song. And this is what she sang,

"This is the day,
(my son and I had to echo) This is the day,
That the Lord has made,
(echo) That the Lord has made,
We will rejoice,
(echo) We will rejoice,
AND PICK PEAS IN IT!"

Well, needless to say, we all burst into laughter...I just love the spontanaity and joy that children bring into our lives! We're so blessed! It certainly was the day that the Lord made...and every time I pick peas now, I'll be singing a new song...

Honey-Pecan Crusted Salmon Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:57:00 +0000

This is one of my favorite salads…especially in the summertime, when the temperatures are hot and I don’t want to spend much time in the kitchen. (You can also grill the salmon this way in tin foil if you don’t want to heat up the kitchen by using the oven.) It’s just the right balance of sweet, salty, and tangy. Enjoy!

TO PREPARE SALAD:

Romaine Lettuce, enough for 4 salads
Roma or Campari Tomato
Sun Dried Tomato
Red Onion
Capers

Chop lettuce, top with diced fresh tomatoes, chopped sun dried tomatoes, diced red onion, and capers. Drizzle with Lemon-Caper Vinagrette (see preparation below). Top with Honey-Pecan Crusted Salmon (see Preparation below).

LEMON-CAPER VINAGRETTE

1 Tbsp. nonpareil capers
2 Tbsp. champagne vinegar
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3/4 tsp. fresh garlic, minced
3/4 Tbsp. dijon mustard
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 cup olive oil
Handful fresh parsley
3/4 tsp. dried tarragon

In a blender, combine 1/2 capers with vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and mustard. On low setting, slowly add in olive oil until well incorporated. Fold in remaining capers and herbs. Drizzle over prepared salad.

HONEY-PECAN CRUSTED SALMON

4 Tbsp. honey
1/2 c. chopped pecans
3 Tbsp. melted butter
Salt
4 salmon fillets

Sprinkle each fillet with salt, top with pecans and drizzle with honey and butter. Broil on bottom shelf (so as not to burn pecans) 12-15 minutes or until salmon is cooked through. Serve on top of prepared salad.

Criminal in the Congregation

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 00:37:00 +0000

I want to bring attention to something that I’ve dealt with several times in my life as a believer. Sometimes, Christians can become too accepting because we want to demonstrate forgiveness. The concept behind this, at it’s heart, is very commendable. However, when it comes to forgiveness, the lines between right and wrong can become very grey.

As a member of a law enforcement family, I’ve learned that in this occupation, the lines between right and wrong, by nature, must always remain staunchly black and white. It’s much easier to tell the difference between right and wrong because it leaves out the personal desires of those involved. When a person is convicted of breaking the law, they receive the consequences. Regardless of whether the offended person forgives them, the convicted person still reaps consequences (when the system works like it should, anyway). This is a very Biblical concept. We see, time after time, where God forgives someone of a sin in the Bible, but the person still has to face the immediate consequences of that sin. This is called “justice.” Our God is a very just God. Thank goodness! If He weren’t, we’d all be in a heap of trouble because the world, even more than it already is, would instantly go into a tailspin of ruin because no justice would ever be meted out, allowing lawlessness to became rampant. It would be a bad day for us all.

Back to how this impacts Christianity… Oftentimes in congregations, we’re faced with people who have done terrible things but then come to faith, or even people who’ve come to faith and then done terrible things. The other people who are members of the congregation have to decide how to handle the situation. Do you allow this person to assimilate (or re-assimilate) into your community? If so, to what degree? What expectations do we impose on them if they want to be a part of the community?

First of all, we have to recognize that the issue is not really forgiveness. If the crime wasn’t committed against anyone in the congregation, it isn’t the congregations “job” to extend forgiveness to that person. That is between the offender, God, and the victim. However, the congregational leaders can coach them on how to seek forgiveness. If it was a crime committed against a congregational member, and if that victim needs help in working through unforgiveness, the congregational leaders and members can help them in that, but it is up to that person alone to forgive. Forgiveness is not something that can be granted collectively by the church as a whole or by anyone who just might be serving as a leader of that congregation, and it cannot be forced upon a victim.

Secondly, the reality is that the consequences are not done away with just because the offender is “forgiven.” It is nobody’s place to judge whether or not they’re forgiven by God or by the person they harmed. So is it right to impose consequences? Obviously, the person will have criminal charges that they might have to work through in the justice system including restitution, jail time, etc. In addition, if a person is going to try to function fully within a faith community, they need to take steps to avoid temptation to commit that or any other crimes again. It is the job of that individual, as well as that of congregational leaders, to protect the innocent people who are then becoming involved in the situation through participating within the same fellowship group as the convict. Taking such steps also ensures that the criminal is not afforded opportunity to hurt others again. Those are logical “consequences” that are simply imposed as a way of protecting all involved.

I have seen two different approaches taken when this happens in congregations. I feel the following approach is not Biblical…it can be very ineffective and dangerous. First, the offender seeks forgiveness. Then, the people in the congregation extend their sympathy and compassion toward the offender and do not request/require that the offender take precautions to prevent the crime from happening within the congregation and he/she is allowed to behave in any way they like. Initially, many people probably feel a great deal of discomfort with that person’s involvement in the congregation, but everyone wants to show the convict the “love of Messiah,” so they just go about business as usual. This method doesn’t work in most cases. Here’s why. This method ensures that all the innocent people are unknowingly desensitizing themselves to the harm the criminal has caused to other people. When the offender has not had to change anything about their behavior, they are way more likely to repeat the behavior again at some point. The nervousness of the well meaning innocent people eventually goes away and they are no longer cautious around the criminal. That is when temptation strikes the offender. Hopefully, they don’t give in to it, but what about when they do (as is often the case)? Then another innocent person is subject to harm (sometimes very serious harm), all because we want an offender to feel loved, welcomed, and forgiven. Is this what Yeshua (Jesus) meant by turning the other cheek?*

Absolutely not! Had the congregation made that thief, child molester, or violent person accept a few consequences and precautions, the second offense would never have happened! Further harm wouldn’t come to the criminal because of the consequences of a second crime and, even more importantly, a second innocent person wouldn’t have been hurt. The thief should have been disallowed from having anything at all to do with anything financial. The child molester should have been disallowed from ever being alone with children at any time (concrete steps would have been made to ensure this happened). A violent person’s past actions must also have been addressed accordingly, such as having an armed security officer always present in the congregation when the convict is there, etc. A person who’s committed a crime against a child should have not been allowed to have any involvement with children. Steps are taken to ensure the safety and security of all the innocent people willingly subjecting themselves to the possibility of having harm come to them through the criminal. These steps may seem drastic to some, but if you don’t take such steps, what could the cost be? Naivety does not help to protect the innocent. We must keep in mind that in a congregation, we’re not just dealing with innocent people, but we’re dealing with families and with defenseless small children. Church is a place where families go to nurture their faith in a safe environment, not to allow their wives, teens and small children to be subject to harm. The people in the congregation should not be asked to make exceptions and lower their expectations of how a person should behave. Instead, the convicted person needs to assimilate their actions to the regular accepted behavior of the community.

In addition, leaders must be aware that a criminal allowed to be a part of your congregation will be representing your congregation to the public in any community setting that they are in. They need to be held to the same (and sometimes an even higher) behavioral standard that any other member of that community is held to…no exceptions…and they should not make excuses if the convicted person does exhibit bad behavior towards people outside their congregation.

Does this mean that we have to “punish” a criminal for their crimes forever? No. If anyone who has committed a crime is truly repentant, they will willingly take steps to ensure that they will never do that thing again; they will willingly face their consequences and make every attempt to right their wrongs (make restitution). The offender should exhibit prudent transparency with anyone they will be involved with. Congregational leaders should set the expectations but it is not up to any congregational leader, member, or any other person except the offender himself, to meet those expectations. The expectations should not be lowered to help the convicted person feel better. If the convicted person does not follow through completely, their infractions need to be examined with great seriousness by the leadership. Doing this will protect the criminal, protect those who interact with them, and it will allow the criminal to begin to rebuild their credibility. Depending on the seriousness of the crime, it make take years, decades, or even a lifetime for that redemptive process to be complete in their lives. Those are the consequences of sin. That is justice. But that is how we are made right with fellow man and with our Creator.

_____________________________________________________________

*I recently read this and thought it was something worthy of making note of: “Generally, if one is struck on the right cheek, the one doing the striking must have used his/her left hand, an indicator of their pretense at superiority; by turning to them the left cheek, you invite the striking with the right hand, thus compelling the attacker to acknowledge you as an equal.” For more on what the meaning of Yeshua saying this, go to Hebrew 4 Christian's Weekly Torah Portion Reading.

Grain Free Blueberry Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 20:29:00 +0000

These muffins are delicious! The texture came out perfectly…not too eggy and not too dense. Enjoy!

3 Eggs

1/4 Cup warm Water

1 Tbl. Flax Meal

2 Tbl. Butter or Coconut Oil, melted

2 Tbl. Coconut Milk or Whole Milk

¼ Cup Honey

¼ Tsp. Salt

1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

¼ Cup Coconut Flour

1 Cup Almond Flour

¼ tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 Tsp. ground Cinnamon

1 Cup frozen Blueberries

Combine flax meal with warm water and let soak a couple minutes. Combine eggs, honey, butter, and coconut milk in mixing bowl. When flax meal is prepared, add to liquid mixture. To the liquid mixture, blend in salt, baking powder, cinnamon, coconut flour, and almond flour. Stir blueberries into batter. Pour batter into a lined/greased muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes (until toothpick inserted comes out clean).

Grain Free Pancakes & Waffles

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Sat, 21 May 2011 19:49:00 +0000

We recently created these grain free waffles (and the recipe works the same for pancakes!) They are soft and chewy and yummy…you can’t even tell they’re grain free…YUM! And they’re super easy to make. Who says grain free can’t be delicious and enjoyable?

6 Eggs

4 Tbl. Butter or Coconut Oil, melted

6 Tbl. Coconut Milk or Whole Milk

4 Tbl. Honey

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 Cup sifted Coconut Flour

1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

First blend together liquid ingredients and then stir in coconut flour. Let sit for 3-5 minutes so that the coconut flour can absorb some of the liquid and add a bit more liquid if necessary. Pour onto greased waffle maker or onto pan to make pancakes. Flip pancakes when bubbles form in the middle of the pancake and it's done enough to hold together, but don't overcook because they burn easily.

Makes 3-4 belgian waffles or 7-8 pancakes.

Grain-Free Chewy Brownies

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 01:05:00 +0000

These are the yummiest grain free brownies! I happened to stumble upon a similar recipe and adapted it to our dietary needs and the results were delectable! It results in chewy, chunky, chocolatey goodness!

2/3 c. Almonds
1/4 c. Prunes
1/4 c. Butter or Oil
2 beaten Eggs
3/4 c. Honey
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 c. Cocoa Powder
1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
3/4 c. Chocolate Chips (optional)
3/4 c. Walnut pieces (optional)

Puree almonds and prunes in food processor until finely chopped. Add in butter, eggs, honey, vanilla, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt and process until mixed sufficiently. Stir in chocolate chips and walnut pieces (optional). Put in greased 8x8 baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for appx. 35 minutes.

Why Would A Christian Want To Celebrate The Passover?

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 20:55:00 +0000

A question has been asked of me a few times recently and it’s a topic that I think warrants fair discussion. The question is, “Why would a Christian want to celebrate Passover?” Especially where we live, we’re surrounded by a decidedly “Christian” culture. Our society celebrates Christmas & Easter, we go to church on Sunday, we work hard, play hard, and we generally try to live lives as good people. So why rock the boat? It’s a fair question.

First, I want to share a true story with you. Growing up, my grandparents had some friends who were married. This couple, although married, did not live together. They loved each other, went places as a married couple, and they were committed to each other in a legal marriage. But they lived in separate houses. As a pre-teen, I thought this was really strange, so when visiting my grandparents one time, I asked the wife why this was. She explained to me that although she loves her husband, they had a very hard time getting along peacefully when they lived together. They didn’t want to divorce, so they decided to live in separate houses. Interesting. And it worked for them, I suppose. However, now that I’m an adult and am married, I think I would find that kind of marriage very unfulfilling. There is so much more to a marriage that you miss out on if you don’t live in the same home. Who would look forward to you arriving home each day? Who would you share your quiet, spare moments with just snuggling on the couch? Who would you steal kisses and hugs from, just because you want to? So much of the intimacy would be lost.

Now, onto another analogy. When we make new friends, we often invite them into our homes for a meal so we can get to know them better. Then, usually, they’ll invite us to their home for dinner and in their home, we get to know them a little more when we see what their life is about by how they live. Now imagine staying with them for an extended period, weeks or months or a year, maybe. Being welcomed into their home – their daily activities – is far more intimate than just spending the dinner hour with them. You get to see them as a person operating in their daily lives. The longer you spend with them in their space, the better you get to know them and what they are about as a person.

This is the relationship I want to have with Jesus. For my own benefit, I want to know who He is in His life, His time, and His culture – His home. When you get to know a person in this intimate capacity, it would be very difficult to walk away without somehow being deeply touched by their life. I don’t want Him to just be my dinner guest. I am the depraved one – I don’t have much to offer for His benefit in my home other than maybe a tasty meal, but oh, the benefits I can reap from dwelling with Him in His! I think this is why the Christian walk is likened unto a marriage. When we “dwell” with Him in that way, His life will touch ours in ways we could never imagine.

This is where celebrating Passover comes in. It’s not just that one thing, though. We can read about His teachings in black and white print and it’s like a black and white television show. It’s a great read…a great show! However, when we learn about His entire culture – what the people of His time and in His culture thought like, how they lived, how they conducted their lives, the black and white show comes alive into vibrant color, in 3-D, High-Def! I’ll never be able to watch the black and white television with the same satisfaction again.

So where do you learn about this culture He was part of? Well, we know He was Jewish so we can start with that. However, a quick history study will show you that Jewish culture today is quite a bit different from the Jewish culture of Jesus’ day. This we have to learn through a study of history and learning about what they’ve found through archaeology. Thankfully, the Jewish people are excellent historians and they’ve kept very detailed records for us to learn from. It’s also helpful to learn the history of all that has changed since Jesus’ time so we know how we got from where He was to where we are today. Only then can we effectively bridge the gap between now and then.

A dear friend warned me about getting caught up in a culture basically just because it’s something to be part of. She’s right, there are very real dangers in that. It’s dangerous to become part of anything we don’t fully understand, so we must educate ourselves and understand it as much as possible. If I want to join myself to Jesus, I’ve got to understand Him as much as possible. It is just as dangerous to participate in a Jewish culture we don’t understand as it is to participate in a Christian culture we don’t fully understand. I submit to you, though, that I feel safe with doing anything Jesus would have done because He’s the ONE man who did do things right!

After learning about why we do some of the things we do in our Christian culture, It really made me take a step back and ask myself if I was okay with doing those things that are nowhere in the Bible. And history teaches us that many, many believers in Jesus have had the same struggle. I guess the best thing to do is ask ourselves, “What would Jesus have done in our situation?” That is why it is SO crucial to understand what He did do in similar situations in His own culture, as well as what He taught the apostles to do.

So, why do I celebrate Passover?

My easy answer is, “Because Jesus did.” For a more legitimate answer, though, did Jesus just celebrate the Passover (and the other Biblical feasts) simply because it was part of His culture, or was it more than that?

Well, we know that in the Old Testament, God instructed all of His people, Israelite and Gentile alike, to celebrate these feasts. He gave the instructions to do so at Mount Sinai. We know from Exodus 12:37-38 that the children of Israel were present at the mountain that day as well as a mixed multitude of people that also left Egypt with the Israelites…people who also wanted to be part of God’s children. The ten commandments, instructions for the feasts, and all the other instructions were given to Israel and Gentiles together. We can learn from a quick study of the Hebrew language that when Moses recorded the “Torah” (Genesis – Deuteronomy) that “Torah” means “instruction.” This section of the Bible is for “instruction” for God’s people on how to live our lives. Simple enough. We’re free to carry out those instructions with whatever traditions we choose to create, however the instructions themselves are concrete and are for our benefit.

References in the rest of the Bible to the “instruction” section of the Bible (the Torah) are often translated “law.” That is also a fair translation because laws are instructions. In civil society, we make laws to keep us safe. One example is a speed limit. We are, in fact, free to drive over the speed limit, but in accordance with the law, we can be penalized for doing so because it puts ourselves and others at higher risk. The worst consequence would be having a crash happen at high speeds that might injure us or take our lives. Civil laws are given for our instruction and benefit and we’re also subject to consequences if we break them -- the same as the laws or instructions of Torah.

Some feel that these “laws” were “fulfilled” when Jesus died on the cross. Let’s read His words about this topic in Matthew 5:17 and following,

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

If we dig into these words of Jesus a little deeper, we find that “fulfill” in verse 17 means “to complete or to fully preach.” After these three verses, Jesus goes on to explain deeper meanings of obeying the commandments…He’s teaching that NOT ONLY is it important to obey or do them, but it is just as important to have the right attitude about things, too. He’s more fully preaching how to obey! Having the right attitude will keep us from falling into harmful sin. Deitrich Bonhoeffer (a prominent Christian theologian during the time of WWII), in his book The Cost of Discipleship, explains Jesus’ words regarding the rule of law. He writes:

The law Jesus refers to is the law of the Old Covenant, not a new law, but the same law that He quoted ot the rich young man and the lawyer when they wanted to know the revealed will of God. It becomes a new law only because it is Christ who binds his followers to it. For Christians, therefore, the law is not a ‘better law’ than that of the Parisees, but one and same; every letter of it, every jot and tittle, must remain in force and be observed until th eend of the world. Jesus has in fact nothing to add to the commandments of God, except this, that He keeps them. He fulfills the law, and He tells us so himself, therefore it must be true. He fulfills the law down to the last iota.”

Other places in the New Testament teach these same concepts, so we know the apostles were also teaching these things. 1 John 3:4 gives us a definition of sin, “Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” The only Biblical law recorded at the time this verse was written was that of the Old Testament. When reading any of Paul’s writings, we have to be extremely careful to understand the context of the things he was saying because he was so well educated that he often wrote right over people’s heads because he often assumes we understand the intricacies of the Torah and he was often addressing a very particular situation in his congregations. To properly understand anything Paul wrote, we must keep in mind that Paul was a “Pharisee of Pharisees” (Acts 23:6), which means that He was an ardent law-keeper. In Acts, he was being put on trial for possibly teaching people against keeping the Torah (law), but was found to be innocent. If he had been found guilty, the religious leaders would have put him to death at that time for being a heretic. We consistently see the apostles and Jesus keeping the law both before and after Jesus’ death. They were keeping the feasts (Pentecost, when the Spirit fell on the believers, is even a feast from the Torah!) and even making sacrifices up until the time of the destruction of the Temple.

So, we know that Jesus, as well as the apostles, kept Passover because they were following God’s instruction. We know that Jesus often went against Jewish traditions such as not healing on the Sabbath day, but we never see Him breaking the instructions/laws of the written Torah. In fact, if He ever did break a Torah law, that would have made Him guilty of sinning according to 1 John 3:4 and then He could NOT have been the sinless sacrifice! Well then, since He kept all the laws perfectly, doesn’t that release us from having to obey? No. Going back to Matt. 5:19, He teaches us we should not break the commandments or teach others to do so. We see him celebrating the Passover with his disciples and He even explained to them during the Passover seder (meal), “This do in rememberance of me.” (Luke 22:19)

So, what are the benefits to the feast days? Each of them teaches us about some aspect of God’s redemption plan. Some teach us about Jesus being our High Priest so that we can approach God, some teach us about Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins, some teaching us about God’s desire to dwell with us, among many other things. They all have incredible meaning for Jewish people who believe in God, but they are even more meaningful if you believe in Jesus, too! We know that God has already carried out parts of His redemption plan through Jesus, so we have more to celebrate!

If we choose not to celebrate these feasts, admittedly, the consequences probably aren’t immediate. However, over the course of generations, if it weren’t for the faithfulness of the Jewish people, we might have lost much of this knowledge of God’s redemption plan. I don’t want to risk that happening any further in my family, so I will teach my children these things. The feast days are God’s way of ensuring that we and our children KNOW the promises God has made to them. And when we physically participate in activities taught in the Bible, it goes from being a black and white lesson on paper to a 3D, High-Def, in-living-color movie! So much better! And the lessons we learn through them are invaluable for our lives as God’s people. They give us peace and hope for an even brighter future!

Click the photo for a TV program that discusses this same topic:

Bring Light

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 03:27:00 +0000

Today I was running around town doing some errands and I noticed how downtrodden everyone looks. Not once (other than store clerks who are paid to be pleasant) did I see a smile! I went to 3 different stores and people were just walking around with these glum looks on their faces. I take that back…I did get one smile from a precious little boy who was just bursting with happiness. Literally, that one smile made my day! So refreshing!

When we turn on the news, it’s nothing but doom and gloom. I live in a small town and usually there isn’t enough worth reporting on that half the news is just silly things to report on. Not so much lately…it’s global stories of catastrophe, political unrest, and everything else completely depressing.

Aren’t you ready for something wonderful to happen? If nothing spectacular is happening in our lives at the moment, it can be difficult to find something to smile about amidst all this sadness. In reality, we have so much to be thankful for! If we have our health, we can be grateful for that! If we have food to eat for the next meal, lets be happy about that! If we have adequate clothing, another reason to be happy! Most of us, in America anyway, have what we need and so much more so we really have no good reason to be depressed. Do you have a safe place to lay your head? Whether or not it even belongs to you, it doesn’t matter…you can rest knowing you are not in danger. Another blessing! If it’s warm, yet another thing to be thankful for! A child who loves you? A spouse who loves you? Enormous blessings! This is just the tip of the iceberg…we can count our blessings all night long and truly find much to be happy about.

Let’s not be brought down by our worries and fears. Worrying certainly won’t help us today.

Matt. 6:30 says, “If this is how God clothes grass in the field — which is here today and gone tomorrow, thrown in an oven — won't he much more clothe you? What little trust you have! So don't be anxious, asking, 'What will we eat?, What will we drink?' or 'How will we be clothed?' For it is the pagans who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. But seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Don't worry about tomorrow — tomorrow will worry about itself! Today has enough trouble of it’s own!”

Instead, count your blessings and I’m certain that you’ll find you’re abundantly blessed in many ways. Turn those blessings into a smile to share with someone else. If you have more to give, share some light with others in different ways…offer to help someone with a need they have -- be it a ride, helping with something around their house, an encouraging word or card, a meal… When you bless others, it’s amazing how those blessings will multiply back to you and you’ll find your sadness melting away!

So count your blessings today and -- at least -- share a smile!

You’ll be blessed!

What Could Be Better?

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 17:04:00 +0000

I love it when the kids are off school and we get to have them home with us all the time! If it were just up to me, I’d be a homeschooling mom so I could keep them with me every moment of the day… There’s nothing better than cherished time with family (and friends…because they’re really just an extension of family!) I think nothing brings more joy and solidarity to my life than just chillin’ with my peeps! Don’t ya think?

Just my thought for the day…and now I’m of to have more quality time with the rugrats before they head back to school!…

This is just a pic of some of our silliness -- the kiddos pretending they’re tree frogs. Yes, those are olives on their fingers which they proceeded to gobble up after we took this photo…hehe!

The Christ-Mass

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 23:39:00 +0000

I ran across these two quotes from one of the most respected historical Christian theologians and authors – Charles H Spurgeon.

“We have no superstitious regard for times and seasons. Certainly we do not believe in the present ecclesiastical arrangement called Christmas: first, because we do not believe in the mass at all, but abhor it, whether it be said or sung in Latin or in English; and, secondly, because we find no Scriptural warrant whatever for observing any day as the birthday of the Savior; and, consequently, its observance is a superstition, because not of divine authority.” (Charles Spurgeon, Sermon on Dec. 24, 1871).

“When it can be proved that the observance of Christmas, Whitsuntide, and other Popish festivals was ever instituted by a divine statute, we also will attend to them, but not till then. It is as much our duty to reject the traditions of men, as to observe the ordinances of the Lord. We ask concerning every rite and rubric, “Is this a law of the God of Jacob?” and if it be not clearly so, it is of no authority with us, who walk in Christian liberty.” (from Charles Spurgeon’s Treasury of David on Psalm 81:4.)

I found them very surprising, considering the source! A friend of mine recently did a little research on when the birth of Christ might have occurred by studying Scripture and she gave me permission to share it:

“’Luk 1:5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.’

“We know what ‘of the daughters of Aaron’ means, right? Elisabeth was a high priest’s daughter. Obviously Zacharias was a priest. What does ‘of the course of Abia’ mean? Who is Abia? Obviously a priest, but which one? Why does God even tell us about him at all in this passage? I won’t claim to know all the reasons why, but I do believe it at least helps us to ascertain when Messiah was born. I’ll show you how.

“1Ch 24:7 Now the first lot came forth to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah,

“1Ch 24:8 The third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim,

“1Ch 24:9 The fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin,

“1Ch 24:10 The seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah,

“1Ch 24:11 The ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah,

“1Ch 24:12 The eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim,

“1Ch 24:13 The thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,

“1Ch 24:14 The fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer,

“1Ch 24:15 The seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Aphses,

“1Ch 24:16 The nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezekel,

“1Ch 24:17 The one and twentieth to Jachin, the two and twentieth to Gamul,

“1Ch 24:18 The three and twentieth to Delaiah, the four and twentieth to Maaziah.

“If you read that whole chapter, you will see that King David divided the high priests into sections. This helped determine when a certain high priest’s family would serve in the temple, to divide the work more evenly. You see that Zacharias is in the 8th section (Abijah, which is pronounced a-bee-yah in Hebrew, just like Abia in the Greek). There are 12 months in a year. There are 24 sections of high priests. That gives each high priest’s family about 2 weeks. The Biblical year starts in late March/early April usually. (Exo 12:2 “This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.” –The rest of the chapter describes Passover, which obviously normally happens in early April.) This loosely puts Jehoiarib and Jedaiah in April, Harim and Seorim in May, Malchijah and Mijamin in June, and Hakkoz and Abijah in July. Abijah is more in the second half of July or early August, specifically.

“Luk 1:23 ‘And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. 24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived,’

“In Lev 15, it says that if you have relations with your wife, you’ll get struck dead if you go into the temple before the next sundown. So we know it’s been a minimum of 2 weeks since Zacharias and Elisabeth have been together. It’s not that far of a stretch to consider that they likely had relations when he got home, and that would have been when she conceived. This puts John the Baptist’s conception at late July/early August.

“Luk 1:26 ‘And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary…. 41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.’

“So we’re told that when Elisabeth is 6 months along, Mary goes to visit her. Elisabeth refers to the ‘fruit of [Mary’s] womb’ which means Mary has conceived. 6 months from late July is late December” (around Hanukkah/Christmastime; they sometimes intersect). ‘Considering that a pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks (closer to 10 months than the common count of 9), this puts John the Baptist’s birth right around Passover.’ We’re back at the first part of the Biblical year again. Since we know that Messiah was born 6 months after John the Baptist, then it’s more than likely that Messiah was born in late September/early October.

“Now, I’m sure you’re thinking, ‘DUH! I already knew He wasn’t born on December 25!” My question is, ‘Then why do you celebrate it on that date?’ I know the usual answer is, ‘Because we don’t know when He was actually born.’ That answer used to be good enough for me, but now I wonder why. I wonder why I never thought to ask who came up with that date.” Why don’t we just pick a date in September or October to celebrate His birth if we really want to do so? “If the study can’t be refuted, then there is no Biblical reason not to. In fact, there is no Biblical reason to celebrate it in December at all. There is only Catholic tradition. Doesn’t Protestantism pride itself on non-conformance with Catholic tradition?”

I happen to agree with my friend. Why don’t we, as Protestants, step away from the Catholic traditions? Why don’t we leave the Christ-mass to the Catholics? We hold to the claim of “Sola Scriptura!,” so why aren’t we? Just a little food for thought…and maybe a little fire under the pot.

If you are interested in learning more about these Catholic traditions, you can click the link to watch a video called Truth and Tradition.

The Merry Happy Jolly Ho Ho Holly Christmas Day That Wasn’t Always So

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 04:45:00 +0000

To Christmas or not to Christmas…that is the question in some (well, a few) circles these days. However, the “few” circles seem to be growing in number each year.

Christmas is a celebration that most modern Americans grew up looking forward to every year. It is often a time for gifts, family, food, gifts, decorations, shopping, celebrating, more gifts... I love listening to Glenn Beck, being the unashamed freedom-celebrating conservative that I am. In a very recent show, he pointed out that Christmas became a civic holiday in the late 1800s. Glenn’s motivations are to de-materialize this day that has lost virtually all of it’s religious meaning for much of the general public, so he’s attempting to put faith and family back into the day. While I respect his noble motivations, here I have to stop to disagree with Glenn. Usually he’s very well researched, but this is a topic I had to consider further when he said that the day wasn’t widely celebrated (or at least it wasn’t made a national holiday) before the late 1800s because it was too sacred a day. I believe there are virtually always two sides to every story so I’m sure that may have been the reasoning for some Americans not celebrating the day, but there is a dark side to this day that was the reason that it had been previously outlawed by some of the foremost of our founding fathers.

Christmas is a “holiday” essentially created by the Roman Catholic church, it’s name deriving from “Christ-Mass.” Early medieval Catholicism essentially made-over pagan religious celebrations into a new “Christianized” holiday. It is not a Biblical holiday. While it has been “Christianized,” it is a day found nowhere in the Bible. I saw a church bulletin board the other day that quoted something along the lines of, “Holiday Means Holy-Day, Remember to Whom It Belongs.” This is a beautiful sentiment, but the application to Christmas is fallible. I’m going to jump right in and get both feet wet here. In the Bible, the word holy essentially means “set apart.” So in a way, it is true that Christmas is set apart, but it is set apart by man. There is absolutely no Biblical mandate made by God for people to celebrate Christmas. In the Bible, God sets apart several days that are to be celebrated, but Christmas is not among those.

Some of the earliest Americans knew this. Here comes the history lesson:

Following the Protestant Reformation of the 16th Century, new religious sects sprang up in England based on the strict teachings of John Calvin and John Knox. Following the rise of Oliver Cromwell and his “roundheads” in 1642, Christmas festivities, considered a “heathen practice” were outlawed, including singing Christmas carols, nativity scenes and any other obvious attempts at celebration. The Puritans made a point of abolishing the calendar of Christian feasts and saints’ days, which included Christmas, Easter, Whitsunday, and other saints’ days and holy days.

Puritans arriving in Massachusetts during the 17th Century brought this same disdain for Christmas with them. While Thanksgiving was an acceptable holiday in New England, Christmas certainly was not. In 1620, Governor William Bradford forbid any of the Pilgrims to observe the holiday. Instead, he noted that they felled trees and worked on building houses. Business as usual.1

The outlawing of Christmas persisted through the 17th century. Boston was among those banning it’s celebration.2 New England did eventually have many people who celebrated Christmas, especially as more and more settlers began arriving from Europe through the 17th and 18th Centuries. This trend is apparent in 1686 by a repeal of a 1659 law that fined people five shillings for feasting or any other perceived merriment on December 25th. Despite people’s growing acceptance of Christmas, it wasn’t made a civic holiday in New England until 1856.

The current practice of Christmas gift-giving and merriment did not start until the late 1800’s. People usually worked on Christmas. Newspapers of the era are filled with disturbing accounts of what Christmas was really like in those days: widespread rioting and drunkenness, and in the Puritan mind, Christmas was associated with the “Lords of Misrule.”3

The Puritans were on to something. The original roots of Christmas go back much farther than the 19th century to early days of medieval pagan worship practices, many of which are still practiced today in the pagan Wiccan religion.

The modern version of Christmas is a mixture of many pagan traditions from early civilizations, especially that of the ancient Romans. In modern times, the day is associated with decorated trees and gaily lighted houses, get-togethers with family and friends, feasts and parties, and of course weeks or months of shopping for the perfect gifts. Among some Christians, the day is celebrated as marking the birth of Jesus Christ, and entails masses, hymns, and other religious observation. The Christmas of the Middle Ages combined a mixture of secular, pagan Druid customs with the evolving religious Christian traditions. The Christmas celebrations of medieval times included roaring fires, Yule logs, and boar's head on a platter. Many of our modern traditions originated from that time with holly and mistletoe and carolers going door to door. But what most Westerners recognize as Christmas has a very long history, one that originated in pre-Christian rites and rituals.

December 25th

The winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, has been commemorated by ritual probably since neolithic times. By the modern calendar, the date of the solstice falls around December 21st; ancient peoples, noticing the sun appeared not to move for three days before its re-ascent into the northern sky and the lengthening of days, celebrated the solstice — from the Latin meaning “sun stands still” — as a sort of rebirth of the sun. Many cultures recognized the event as a sort of birthday for their particular gods — the Egyptian sun god Horus, for example, was purported to have been born on December 25th. In fact, the ancient Romans, from the year 274, celebrated the festival of Sol Invictus, the “birthday of the unconquered sun,” on December 25. The Christian Church did not fix the date of Christmas at December 25th until the fourth century, and the celebration was not actually called Christmas until the ninth century. Prior to that, it was simply known as the Midwinter Feast, and celebrated as a combination of Saturnalia and the Norse Yule Festival.

Gifts, Feasting and Santa Claus

The ancient Romans are also responsible for most of the merrymaking associated with the modern version of Christmas. Saturnalia, a week-long festival celebrating the dedication of the temple of Saturn, featured feasting, drinking, slaves switching places with kings, and gift giving. The festival was immensely popular, and as Christianity overtook the Roman Empire, it added its own customs to the already existing pagan traditions to ease conversion. This blending of myths may also be responsible for the figure of Santa Claus, whose origins are believed to lie in the Norman Lord of Misrule, a red-robed character who oversaw the festivities of Saturnalia, mixed with the Christian St. Nicholas, patron saint of children.

Christmas Trees and Mistletoe

The earliest recorded instance of a lit tree being erected to celebrate Christmas dates from 16th century Germany, in particular to a church in Strasbourg in 1539. But the veneration of evergreen trees as a symbol of fertility and rebirth dates back to pagan times. Likewise, the custom of hanging mistletoe is pagan in origin; the Druids considered it a sacred plant, and Vikings hung it on the doors of their houses as a welcome. Kissing under the mistletoe is thought to be associated with Saturnalia and with ancient Roman marriage rites.4

So it seems the Puritans and many other early Americans, in their desires to reform and worship the God of the Bible in an unadulterated manner, refrained from participating in Christmas for good reason, not because it was too sacred at day. Rather, they despised the day that was taken from pagan worship practices and “Christianized” to become a religiously observed holiday. It’s roots, however, are not so holy according to what the Bible regards as holy. It’s a day full of tradition and meaning for many, but to many others, the pagan rituals and origins of this celebration are too numerous too overlook.

To learn more:

1 http://www.suite101.com

2 http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1967/1/1967_1_107.shtml

3 http://askville.amazon.com

4 http://www.suite101.com

Hanukkah: MJ Style

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 18:15:00 +0000

This is simply a repost taken from Messianic Jewish Musings. I just loved it so wanted to pass it along.

The first candles of Hanukkah will be lit on December 1 (a Wednesday night). People are already searching for Hanukkah articles and information. Here is a Messianic Jewish Musings Classic, a telling of the Hanukkah story Messianic Jewish style. Enjoy.

The actual miracle of Hanukkah is not about burning oil that lasted longer than was naturally possible. The story of the miraculous oil is a very late one and almost certainly didn’t happen.

The miracle of Hanukkah is like the miracle of Purim. It’s the kind of miracle we see in our world today. Bodies of water do not stand up in two heaps as caravans pass through. Theophanies from the midst of a storm do not speak down from mountains. But God is saving, healing, and preparing all things to be renewed. He preserves his people Israel and he spreads his name among the nations of the world as well.

The miracle Hanukkah is the preservation of God’s people Israel and preparing his people for the days of Messiah. If it had not been for Hanukkah, there might not have been a Jewish people for Messiah to be born into. The covenant promises of God would perhaps have failed. But history will never work out this way. Seen or unseen, God’s hand drives history in the direction of the world to come.

Great empires rose and fell. The Israelite prophet, Daniel, spoke of four kingdoms succeeding one another. Babylon fell even while Daniel was living there. The Medes and Persians arose and Persia covered almost the whole earth. Greece came later with the sudden and overwhelming conquests of Alexander as Daniel describes in his eleventh chapter. After the Greeks would come a fourth kingdom, but only in the days of Messiah’s birth, and our story does not take us there as yet.

Daniel said that Alexander would be a mighty king with great dominion. But his kingdom would be broken four ways very soon after it arose. And two of the four parts of the Alexandrian legacy were the Ptolemies of Egypt and the Seleucids of Babylon and Syria. In between them were the people of Judah, those who had returned from exile in Babylon and dwelt with a rebuilt Temple in their midst.

All around Judah the world was changing. Hellenism was the fashion. Cities built hippodromes for public chariot races and horse races. Stadiums were built for games and the fashion was for athletes to participate without clothes. Races, wrestling, and other games entertained the people of the cities. The city was called a polis and there were libraries, courts, temples, and places for discussion and learning.

Judah was a backwards sort of place and for the most part the people wanted nothing to do with Olympian Zeus, nude games, and the Greek way of life.

But among the nobility, there were compromisers, people who wanted to see the old traditions disappear. Circumcision, they said, was barbaric. It was embarrassing for Jewish young men to participate in nude games where all could see their circumcisions. Some had unreliable and dangerous surgeries to try and reverse their circumcision. And many wanted to see the end of Torah study and Hebrew and Aramaic writing and conversation. The common Greek which was growing to be the world language was the language of sophistication.

Meanwhile, the Seleucids came to rule over the territory of Judah and put the Ptolemies back into Egypt. Eventually a new Seleucid monarch arose in 175 B.C.E., Antiochus Epiphanes. He called himself Epiphanes, manifestation of the gods. The Jews called him Epimanes or crazy one.

Antiochus Epiphanes put in his own high priest, someone not from the line of Aaron at all. He strongly supported the nobility in their desire to Hellenize the Jews. Antiochus loved Olympian Zeus. In time he built a hippodrome and made decrees forbidding circumcision. He installed a statue of Olympian Zeus in the Temple and had priests, many of whom were already Hellenized, offer swine in the holy Temple of Hashem.

But Antiochus read the whole situation wrongly. The enthusiasm for Greek ways was only a thin veneer or nobles who aspired to greater wealth and power. The people of Judah were not with these changes.

So, when a envoy came to the town of Modi’in to enforce the new ways, Mattathias and his sons rose up. There were already Torah-faithful groups who had given martyrs and formed bands in the wild places of Israel. Mattathias and his sons became the leaders of these groups of Hasidim, pious ones. It would be Hasidim versus Hellenists in Israel.

The Hasidim quickly grew and the Hellenists would have been in trouble except that Antiochus had the greatest armies in that part of the world. But God had already been at work and there was another factor in the favor of the Hasidim. The armies of Antiochus and the wealth of Antiochus had already been harmed by trouble with Rome. Rome was not yet an empire, but they were already a force to be reckoned with, having defeated Hannibal and the Carthaginians in a great battles in Africa. Antiochus’ father had supported the wrong side and made an enemy of Rome. Rome had demanded a huge tribute from the Seleucids and had greatly reduced the military which Antiochus had available.

In many battles the Hasidim, led by the sons of Mattathias, who were now called the Maccabeans, the Syrian mercenaries were defeated. Eventually the Maccabeans took the Temple back. They cleansed it and declared an eight day celebration, since the people had missed Sukkot. Hanukkah is eight days because it was in that year a late celebration of the Feast at the Temple.

Hanukkah is about the time the Jewish people were almost exterminated. There was no Haman or Hitler here, but something more subtle. Even Antiochus was not as much the bad guy as the temptation among the Jewish people to assimilate and adopt the ways and customs of the world.

We know from the Israelite prophet Daniel that other Antiochuses will arise. In the last days there will be a ruler who also makes decrees against the ways of God. People will be tempted to go along with economic advantage and the pull of popular power.

But God promises that Israel in the last days will be circumcised in heart and will not give in to the wickedness of smooth things. And in the history of Israel there have been some leaders whose voices called for a renewal within that would bring such renewal to Israel in the here and now.

The greatest of these was Yeshua, the son of Joseph the Nazarene. One Hanukkah he stood in the Temple and challenged his generation to a renewal which was far more important than war, kingdoms, and power. Who are your shepherds, he asked his people, the kind who rob and steal or the kind who lay down their life for the sheep?

Yeshua said that his sheep would hear his voice. His sheep would have the eternal life of the last days here and now. At Hanukkah he declared that he was the good shepherd, the last David, who would bring his people home. But his generation was not ready. When he declared that he was not only sent by God, but also one with God, the people around him wanted to kill him for blasphemy.

Yet Yeshua did have disciples, Hasidei Yeshua, the pious ones of Yeshua. And the early ones became men and women of great renown. James, the leader of the Yeshua-followers in Jerusalem, was a man of unimpeachable reputation amongst the Jewish leaders and Torah-faithful of the time.

The miracle of Hanukkah is the preservation of Israel’s people and the continuation of the covenant promises that God will heal and deliver Israel. The one who heals the people of Israel is Yeshua, the man who said at Hanukkah he was one with the Father, the one who said he is the good shepherd of Israel who leads his people to circumcised hearts and eternal life.

When a new Antiochus will arise, as foretold in Daniel, and will greatly trouble Israel again, it will be Yeshua who comes to deliver his people. In the meantime, we are the Hasidei Yeshua, the pious ones of Yeshua, who stand firm in faithfulness to God’s ways and who do not compromise. Great movements of salvation do not usually look impressive, but when the times get difficult, the ones who shine are revealed.

Waste Not, Want Not

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 02:47:00 +0000

With Thanksgiving just behind us and looking at all the ways I can use up the bounty of leftovers in my refrigerator, I got to wondering how much food goes to waste in America. The US produces about 591 Billion pounds of food each year and up to HALF of it goes to waste. Did you know that annually, Americans waste around $100 BILLION dollars on unconsumed food? For the average household, we throw away around $600 dollars a year in food waste. There are a lot of ways I would rather be spending that $600 bucks than dumping it in the trash!

Being a frugal farm girl at heart, I really try not to throw anything away that we can avoid. We’re always re-making leftovers and composting for the garden. That reduces the garbage some, but I know that there’s still a lot that goes to waste. Evidently some of the most common ways we waste food is by purchasing items for recipes that we never actually make, buying impulse items that never get eaten, or washing extras down the food disposal. I suppose that could partly be remedied by making a food menu and strictly sticking to it, not wasting the money on impulse buys just because it looks good and not dishing up more than we’re going to actually eat.

The sad thing is that the waste begins at the farms themselves, which really surprised me. Lettuce, for example, has an average harvest rate of 85-90%. The rest, the heads that don’t look or feel perfect on quick inspection, are just left to rot in the field. One cucumber grower said that at least half the cukes on his farm aren’t harvested at all, mostly because they are too curved (making them hard to pack for shipment) or because they have small blemishes such as white spots or cracks. The losses are generally higher for hand-picked fruits and perishable vegetables than for machine harvested commodity crops like corn and wheat; about 9% of such crops planted in this country aren’t harvested at all!

Just think of all the hungry people we could feed if they were allowed to glean in the fields as the Bible instructs us to allow them to do! It would eliminate the problem of feeding the hungry in our nation! Then we could take all that extra money that would no longer be wasted and use it to feed the hungry in the rest of the world!

Making Irish Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 21:40:00 +0000

Two of my favorite adult treats are homemade Kahlua and cream and homemade Irish Cream. This year I decided make gift baskets filled with coffees and treats that go well with coffee, including chocolate and Irish Cream, of course!

A friend shared this recipe that she found in a book called “Cheaper and Better.” I agree, it is better than the brand name Irish Creams that you would spend a fortune on at the liquor store! We have dairy intolerances in our family, so I also made dairy free substitutions so I will post the original recipe as well as my adaptations.

Irish Cream (original recipe)

2 eggs

2 c. sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp. chocolate syrup

1 tsp. instant coffee

2 c. vodka

2 c. heavy cream

Beat eggs until thick and lemon-colored. Slowly add the rest of the ingredients one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour mixture into sterilized dark glass bottles (dark plastic will also work) and let it rest for one week before drinking. It will keep 1 month in the pantry or 3 months in the fridge.

Irish Cream (dairy-free substitutions)

2 eggs

2 c. vanilla coconut milk creamer

1 tsp. chocolate syrup

1 tsp. instant coffee

2 c. vodka

2 c. plain coconut milk creamer

Follow instructions above using substitutions. I also ran a bit short of vodka so I just substituted the extra with some vanilla Brandy I had brewing.

I made the dairy free version and it turned out soooo yummy and creamy…and STRONG…so don’t plan on driving after drinking this stuff! Make sure to let it age for a week in a dark spot so that the alcohol can denature the egg proteins. I also doubled the recipe so we’d have a little for us and plenty to share. Delish!

Wintertime Fun!

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 23:30:00 +0000

Winter has finally arrived in the rockies! The roads were drifted shut for two days but were finally opened back up today. We had a blast spending some time outside playing in the snow, sledding and building a snow cave. More snow in the forecast for the next couple days…happy wintertime!

Chocolate Swirl Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 19:50:00 +0000

Here's another grain-free experiment that turned out soooo yummy! It's a perfect fall treat!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 pan.

CRUST
2 c. almond meal
4 tbsp. raw sugar
1/2 c. butter, melted
2 tsp cocoa powder
Mix above ingredients together and press into bottom of pan with a fork.

FILLING
1 8 oz. block cream cheese or yogurt cheese, softened
1/2 c. plain kefir or yogurt
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
couple dashes cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. semisweet chocolate
Blend together all filling ingredients except chocolate until mixed. Set aside 1 c. pumpkin mixture and pour rest of filling into pan. Melt chocolate on double boiler on stove. Stir the remaining 1 c. pumpkin filling into the melted chocolate. Drop dollops of chocolate mixture onto pumpkin mixture in the pan and swirl with a butter knife. Bake 40-50 minutes or until bars are set but still jiggle slightly. Cool and serve. Can top with whipped cream if desired.

The Cute Factor

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 15:23:00 +0000

Does covering something ugly with something cute rid it of it's inherent ugliness? No. Like a new slipcover on a ratty old couch, even if it's outer covering is adorable and sweet, underneath, it's still a run down, ratty old couch.

There was a time when we used to take our kids trick-or-treating and participated in all the cute Halloween stuff. However, does making it cute rid the day of it's inherent evil? Truly, it IS "just another day." It's not a Biblical religious holiday, so it is a day that is just as common as any other. So what does it matter if we dress up in adorable (sometimes) costumes, and go door to door, begging treats from our friends and neighbors? What harm is there in that?

On the surface, it is harmless...it's cute and fun, just like the new slipcover. But the reasons behind WHY these traditions started are not cute or fun at all. It's still the same old nasty couch underneath. Is it really okay for our children to be groomed to accept these things as normal and fun and okay? As a society, I think we're blurring the lines of right and wrong for our kids; we're sending mixed messages. What could Halloween mean to a young, pre-teen girl dabbling in witchcraft for fun? As a kid, I know myself and most of my friends participated in something like that at some point, and usually it revolved around something having to do with Halloween. I want my children to know what dangers lie lurking beyond these seemingly harmless spells and chants and where the traditions of this day come from, so they aren't duped into thinking it's all just harmless fun. Beyond a certain point, it's not just fun and games anymore. And for the struggling teen girl (or boy), what if in a few years down the road, it does turn into something more? Does she know it's just another day, like any other?

Some people have been unknowingly led to believe that this is a holy day. There is a difference between what the Bible considers holy compared to what some churches and denominations consider holy. Holy means set-apart; October 31st is not a day that is set-apart for the Lord anywhere in the Bible. Some faiths have deemed it to be a holy day for their religion. I guess the concern there would be whether or not you're content to follow the teachings of a church if they're creating (or in the case of Halloween/All Saints Day/All Hallow's Eve/Day of the Dead/Hallow mass/Fall solstice, re-creating) their own holy days without precedence from the Bible.

There is no harm in having a dress-up party. For most people, that is why they love Halloween...it is fun to dress up and get together with friends and be silly. There is just no reason why it is good for us to do it in association with these cultic celebrations and there are plenty of reasons why it can be harmful. Let's become set-apart from these things. Do a fund-raiser costume party or do it just because. Just let it be completely unassociated with cultic rituals. Those who have come out of the Wiccan religion cannot understand why people, especially those who claim to be Christian, would want anything to do with these pagan celebrations. Here are a couple short videos that teach us more about the cultic practices that are what we now call Halloween.

A little more info on the original cultic practices that are behind Halloween.

Seasons Change

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:03:00 +0000

I'm am just in one of those seasons of life right now where I am just content. Things are good.

I feel blessings in every aspect of my life, even the challenging parts. I'm content with family, faith, friends, and material blessings. For once, I don't feel the need to add "or the lack of" and it's not that we have anything more than we had in any point in the past...in fact, we've got less at the moment. Sometimes I get to feeling that I'm too content and am not growing enough, but this time, for now, it's a good place to be.

Despite the contentedness, I'm still learning new things about God's greatness and still growing, but yet somehow I feel free from all the trappings of the world, religion and everything else that seems to ensnare us at times. Despite hardships we've been facing lately, I just have this peace that everything is okay. Maybe it's the fruit of working out all the kinks in the things I've struggled with for so long...maybe it's just a season God's going to allow me to rest in for a while. In the past, whenever things go well I just have this fear of what might be coming next, but that fear is not there for the first time. It's still work...we work hard every day to learn, we work hard at our relationships, we work hard to bless others. Maybe that's what it is! Life is it's fullest when we're able to work at the things that truly matter. Thank you, God, for freeing me to be able to do that!

Knowing the way to get somewhere is entirely different than being on the journey to get there. And we must take joy in the journey, but the journey itself is pointless unless the destination is worth arriving at! "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another." Rom 14:17-19

Seasons change, life brings it's ups and downs, and for today, I'm just enjoying the ride and soaking it all in. If this is the peace that we're promised...it's wonderful and I'll take it! I love this place. I hope you are are every bit as blessed wherever you are today!

Adventures in Geocaching

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 04:48:00 +0000

One of our new fun activities is geocaching. Well, we've actually been doing it for a while but the kids were never very excited about it until recently. I think part of it has to do with the cool Garmin my sister has that they had a ton of fun using on our last adventure!

Geocaching is great because it gets you outside exploring areas you might not otherwise go. It's educational, too! You learn how to navigate and investigate your surroundings and there's a reward at the end. And don't forget the most important part...it's FUN! You can learn more about it at the Geocaching website. It's fun to do when you travel to new places, too!

We just had a couple extra hours the other day so went on a quick walk on an easy local trail to find us a cache. It was such a beautiful, autumn day! I love fall!

The Galligator Trail

The boys found the first Geocache!

Love the Mountains!

Playbreak!

Beautiful scenery, beautiful weather, beautiful times!

Our Little Home Away From Home

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 02:34:00 +0000

So a few months ago we were blessed enough to attain another project...a little fixer-upper camper just the perfect size for us! We've been tent campers for many years now, but having a tent in Montana often limits where it's safe to camp because we're surrounded by grizzly country. When we had the opportunity to get this little gem, we jumped on it! We invested a little money in new tires and the materials for new cushions, cleaned it up a bit, and got things working. Now, I'm not a sewer AT ALL. So, the cushion upholstering turned out to be quite the adventure! I'm so glad they're done (seemed like it took forever!) and every minute of making them was a trial for me, the most unexperienced seamstress ever. I didn't even take a home-ec class in high school, for goodness sakes! At least they turned out useable enough for us...many mistakes and all!

We cannot wait to head up into the mountains into our new (to us) little home away from home! The kids were begging to just sleep in it tonight...it really is the simple things that bring the most happiness, isn't it?!

See my handiwork? (I will not show you a close-up in an attempt to camouflage the crooked stitching and goofy looking corners! LOL!)

Our little home away from home...we'll see you on the mountain!

Little Birdies & Little People

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 01:48:00 +0000

Today is a combobulation of random things, very much like my life at the moment! We're in the midst of celebrating the Biblical fall festivals and are having a great time with the current one, Sukkot. We haven't built an "official" sukkah (we intended to do some camping out in our little old home-away-from-home camper, but unfortunately I still do not have the cushions done for it because of an unexpected out of town excursion...), so we have a sukkah built out of...drum roll please...POPSICLE sticks! And "Little People" are dwelling in it for the week. Yes, Little People :-D.

See them? Aren't they cute?

Next year, I hope to build a real sukkah as cool as theirs is!

On my unexpected out of town excursion, I had a really great find. Since I love birds, I was so excited to stumble upon these adorable little salt & pepper shakers!

And they go so well with the sweetest appetizer dishes that I had recently purchased!

Tonight on those adorable dishes, we enjoyed great new twist (and it's even grain-free) to the old classic rhubarb bars. It turned out so tangy and delicious! The kids were raving about them. Here's the recipe if you want to give them a try!

GRAIN-FREE ORANGE RHUBARB BARS

Filling:
- 4 c. chopped rhubarb
- 1/3 c. honey
- zest & juice of 1 orange
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tbsp. corn starch (okay...i confess i cheated GAPS a bit here)
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 c. raisins
Boil all ingredients except vanilla and raisins in saucepan for 5-10 minutes, until rhubarb is fully cooked. Stir in raisins and vanilla. Set aside.

Bottom crust:
- 2-3 tbsp. butter (enough to thoroughly moisten almond meal)
- 1 c. almond meal
- 2 tbsp. honey
Spray 8x8 baking dish. Melt butter and mix with almond meal and honey. Press in bottom of pan. Layer rhubarb sauce on top of bottom crust.

Crumble topping:
- 3/4 c. almond meal
- 1/3 c. pitted dates
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 c. grapeseed oil
- 1/2 apple cut into slices
- 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 c. walnuts
Put all ingredients except walnuts in food processor and process until it forms a coarse meal. Add walnuts and pulse a couple times to just coarsely chop them. Layer crumble on top of the rhubarb sauce in pan. Bake, covered, at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes and then bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes, until baked through. Cool. Can serve topped with ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

Kitchen Experiments

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 01:18:00 +0000

So for our Shabbat meal tonight we decided to go with homemade (grain-free) pizza and the kids picked a Peanut Butter Pie (also grain-free) for dessert. They both turned out super delish!

Peanut Butter Pie (Grain-Free)
- 6 eggs
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 2 cups carrot pulp (leftover pulp from juicing carrots) OR grind up 2 cups of carrots in the food processor until they make a "carrot meal"
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 cup ground almonds
- 2 lg. cooking apples
- handful of raisins

Core and cut the apples into small pieces and layer in bottom of greased pie pan. Top with the raisins. Blend all the remaining ingredients together and pour over top the apples and raisins. Bake at 300 degrees for 50-60 minutes, or until it is baked through in the middle.

We thought it tasted a bit like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with the raisins in there! Yum!

Grain-Free Pizza

- 2 1/2 cups ground almonds (or other walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts)
- 1/4 cup softened butter
- 3 eggs
- 1 tbsp pizza seasoning
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 jar organic pizza sauce
- favorite pizza toppings (we like red onions, garlic, olives, red and green bell peppers, turkey sausage or venison summer sausage, and peccorano romano cheese)

Stir together almonds, butter, eggs, pizza seasoning and salt. Add a little water if necessary to make a spreadable consistency. Spread on greased pizza pan (we love stoneware for a chewy/crunchy texture). Bake crust at 300 degrees for 20 minutes or so, until baked in the middle. Top with pizza sauce and favorite pizza toppings. Put back in the oven at 325 and bake for 20-25 minutes or until pizza toppings are heated and melted.

Both recipes are taken from "Gut and Psychology Syndrome" by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. They're both absolutely worth the effort it takes to make them!!

Two Sides to Every Story

noreply@blogger.com (Trishia) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:36:00 +0000

Right now is the season of repentance as we're heading into the fall Biblical holidays. One issue (of several!) that I am trying to work on in my life is the issue of passing judgment too quickly. It is so easy sometimes to just make a quick judgement, isn't it? We look at a situation and so often, it's a "what you see is what you get" mentality. I think this is one of the hardest parts of marriage and parenting! When the kids are bickering, who do you believe when you weren't there to witness it? Lately, my kids have taken to the "he/she started it first!" reasoning. Drives me nuts! As a parent, I want to punish appropriately and fairly, but sometimes it's hard to know what that is, isn't it?

My solution these days is to remove them both from the situation until they can both tell me their version of the story without the other one their to jump in and say "no...that's not how it happened!" Most of the time, they feel like they are the only ones who've been wronged and somehow it was most certainly the other person's fault. Usually, they were both at fault in some way. How often do we grown-ups find ourselves doing the same childish things in our marriages and other relationships? I know I do, far too often.

The Bible has a few things to say about this topic of passing judgement without having concrete evidence. Deut 17:6 says, "The death sentence is to be carried out only if there was testimony from two or three witnesses; he may not be sentenced to death on the testimony of only one witness." We read in Deut 19:15, "One witness alone will not be sufficient to convict a person of any offense or sin of any kind; the matter will be established only if there are two or three witnesses testifying against him." Matt 18:15 also has something to say on the topic, "Moreover, if your brother commits a sin against you, go and show him his fault — but privately, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he doesn't listen, take one or two others with you so that every accusation can be supported by the testimony of two or three witnesses." We see the concept reiterated several times, so it's definitely something worth considering...even in minor situations. When we go around judging one another on even the small matters, it blossoms in to bigger problems and then we have a vicious cycle of the blame game on our hands. We can kill (figuratively speaking) each other with our assuming and judgmental words, so we have got to watch how we're accusing each other.

It's an act of love to overlook the wrongs that have been done against us, especially considering that so often, the other person wasn't trying to offend. "People with good sense are slow to anger, and it is their glory to overlook an offense," Prov 19:11. In home life, there often aren't two witnesses to every wrong doing. That's probably to our benefit...if we don't have two witnesses we have no right to carry out "punishment" against them. We have no right to vengeance. I think of all people, it's hardest to forgive our loved ones, but they are the ones that we should be forgiving the quickest. After all, there are two sides to every story.

Every truth has two sides;
it is as well to look at both,
before we commit ourselves to either.