Anam Cara

Sing to Me, O Muse...

I am on a quest to see all five Best Picture nominees before the Oscars.  Today I saw The Reader. 

This is an intense film that explores complex questions about morality and law and context.  In the midst of her trial as a Nazi war criminal, Hannah is asked about the role she was required to play in "selection".  Every couple of weeks, each guard was required to choose ten people to be transported to Auschwitz for extermination.  In response to the relentless grilling, she finally asks, "What would you have done?"  What indeed?  What would I have done?    Later, a law student is discussing with his professor the horrors of the holocaust and the shame he feels as a German citizen. He asks him, "How could you let this happen?  Why didn't you kill yourself when you found out?"  How very easy it is to be indignant from a distance.  How very different it might have looked had you been there...   

Moments of extravagant beauty punctuate moments of excruciating pain.  Hannah has a profound capacity for lovliness.  One senses that her life has been precious short of it.  The words of Homer or the singing of children can completely devastate her.  As a young man who has grown up in a stifling, repressive atmosphere, Michael receives this like air...like life. 

The film explores the idea that there are encounters in our lives that shape us forever, and that a single memory can be a source of both delight and torment.  Hannah remained a part of who Michael was for the rest of his life, for good and for ill, just as he was a part of her.

There are several storytelling/filmaking devices I find particularly arresting.  I love that the first words he reads to her are the opening lines of the Odyssey, beginning, "Sing to me, O Muse..."  What could be more appropriate for the woman who has such a need to be read to?  There is a moment in the latter portion of the film which features a parallel dressing sequence.  It is an intriguing portrayal of the oneness of the two main characters.  .  In one of the most poignant moments of the film, Berg visits a former concentration camp.  He does not speak.  The camera moves very slowly and deliberately allowing us to visit with him.  No one tells us what to think.  We must experience it for ourselves...as must he.  The cinematography in the closing scene, just before fade, is exquisite.  The colors and the composition are gorgeous 

Finally, the film explores the power of language. Those who are deprived of the ability to communicate are without an essential part of themselves, an absence that is keenly felt.  They live on the outside of what seems an insurmountable barrier.  And words...words are life.  They are story.  They are dream.  They are beauty.  They are adventure.  They are love. 

Stricken With Awe...

 

"Even the very creation broke silence at His behest and, marvelous to relate,
confessed with one voice before the cross, that monument of victory, that
He Who suffered thereon in the body was not man only, but Son of God and
Saviour of all.  The sun veiled his face, the earth quaked, the mountains were
rent assunder, all men were stricken with awe.  These things showed that
Christ on the cross was God, and that all creation was His slave and was
bearing witness by its fear to the presence of its Master."

~St. Athanasius

We Have No Time....

Leisure

WHAT is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?—

No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep and cows:

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance:

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began?

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

W.H. Davies

My Tuesday morning Book Study group has been talking about time...about sanctifying time...about being fully present in the moment.  We talked about the tendancy we all have to preoccupy ourselves with worries or dreams regarding the future and guilt or nostalgia regarding the past.  When our minds are so full, it is difficult to see the beauty, the opportunity, the sacredness in a moment.

In April of 2007, The Washington Post conducted an intriguing experiment to explore this very phenomenon.  They invited one of the preeminent violinists of our day to play at a busy Washington D.C. Metro station.  The question:  Can the siren call of exquisite beauty entice busy commuters to step out of the insanity for just a few moments?  How would they respond? Here is a video teaser and the beginning of the article to get you started.  Click through to read the rest.

Pearls Before Breakfast

Can one of the nation's great musicians cut through the fog of a D.C. rush hour? Let's find out.

By Gene Weingarten

Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, April 8, 2007; Page W10

HE EMERGED FROM THE METRO AT THE L'ENFANT PLAZA STATION AND POSITIONED HIMSELF AGAINST A WALL BESIDE A TRASH BASKET. By most measures, he was nondescript: a youngish white man in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a Washington Nationals baseball cap. From a small case, he removed a violin. Placing the open case at his feet, he shrewdly threw in a few dollars and pocket change as seed money, swiveled it to face pedestrian traffic, and began to play.

It was 7:51 a.m. on Friday, January 12, the middle of the morning rush hour. In the next 43 minutes, as the violinist performed six classical pieces, 1,097 people passed by. Almost all of them were on the way to work, which meant, for almost all of them, a government job. L'Enfant Plaza is at the nucleus of federal Washington, and these were mostly mid-level bureaucrats with those indeterminate, oddly fungible titles: policy analyst, project manager, budget officer, specialist, facilitator, consultant.

Each passerby had a quick choice to make, one familiar to commuters in any urban area where the occasional street performer is part of the cityscape: Do you stop and listen? Do you hurry past with a blend of guilt and irritation, aware of your cupidity but annoyed by the unbidden demand on your time and your wallet? Do you throw in a buck, just to be polite? Does your decision change if he's really bad? What if he's really good? Do you have time for beauty? Shouldn't you? What's the moral mathematics of the moment?

On that Friday in January, those private questions would be answered in an unusually public way. No one knew it, but the fiddler standing against a bare wall outside the Metro in an indoor arcade at the top of the escalators was one of the finest classical musicians in the world, playing some of the most elegant music ever written on one of the most valuable violins ever made. His performance was arranged by The Washington Post as an experiment in context, perception and priorities -- as well as an unblinking assessment of public taste: In a banal setting at an inconvenient time, would beauty transcend?

The musician did not play popular tunes whose familiarity alone might have drawn interest. That was not the test. These were masterpieces that have endured for centuries on their brilliance alone, soaring music befitting the grandeur of cathedrals and concert halls.

The acoustics proved surprisingly kind. Though the arcade is of utilitarian design, a buffer between the Metro escalator and the outdoors, it somehow caught the sound and bounced it back round and resonant. The violin is an instrument that is said to be much like the human voice, and in this musician's masterly hands, it sobbed and laughed and sang -- ecstatic, sorrowful, importuning, adoring, flirtatious, castigating, playful, romancing, merry, triumphal, sumptuous.

So, what do you think happened?

   

Read the rest HERE.

HT: Phil

"A Buoyant Hymn to Life"

 

Mike, Kelsey and I went to see Slumdog Millionaire this afternoon.
It is a remarkable film.  I, quite honestly, was speechless at the
end...a situation that doesn't happen very often. :)  This is some
of the most masterful...most artfully subtle storytelling I have ever
witnessed.  It is a difficult film at times.  As a mother, I felt my
heart torn in two for these children.  I wanted desperately to
protect them...to love them...to tell them how incredibly precious
they were.  But, it is also a triumphant film as loyalty and
perseverance and sacrifice and hope burrow themselves deep into
a young man's soul, despite his circumstances. 

I borrowed words from Time magazine for the post title because I
thought they were so appropriate.  Here follow some of the other
words that have rolled round in my head over the intervening hours.

Destiny.  "It is written."
Family, Loyalty, Love

Suffering, Hunger
Heartache, Loss, Grief

Terror, Courage
Resilience, Perseverence, Faith
 
Brother, Betrayal
Anguish, Disillusion, Pain

Relentless Pursual,
Sacrifice, Surrender, Rest

Safety, Completion
God......is good.
 

You Have a Job To Do, Soul...

You have a job to do, soul, and a great one, if you like:
Examine yourself, what thing you are, and towards what you are turning;
Where do you come from, and where shall you end,
And is life this very life you’re living, or something else besides?

You have a job to do, soul; by these things cleanse your life.
Make me to know God and God’s mysteries.
What was before the universe, and why does the universe exist for you?
Where has it come from, and where is it going?

You have a job to do, soul, by these things cleanse your life.
How does God guide and turn the universe:
Or why are some things permanent, others transient,
And us especially, in this changing life?

You have a job to do, soul: look to God alone.
What was my glory once, and what this present hubris?
What my interweaving, and what the end of my life?
Of these things inform me, and check the mind from wandering.

You have a job to do, soul: may you suffer no injury in the labor.

by St. Gregory the Theologian

Atlas Shrugged: From Fiction to Fact in 52 Years

A recent article from the Wall Street Journal draws upon one of the most significant books I have ever read for thoughts regarding the current financial crisis and how it should be handled.  It is a challenging, thought provoking article.  Important food for thought.

by STEVEN MOORE

Some years ago when I worked at the libertarian Cato Institute, we used to label any new hire who had not yet read "Atlas Shrugged" a "virgin." Being conversant in Ayn Rand's classic novel about the economic carnage caused by big government run amok was practically a job requirement. If only "Atlas" were required reading for every member of Congress and political appointee in the Obama administration. I'm confident that we'd get out of the current financial mess a lot faster.

Many of us who know Rand's work have noticed that with each passing week, and with each successive bailout plan and economic-stimulus scheme out of Washington, our current politicians are committing the very acts of economic lunacy that "Atlas Shrugged" parodied in 1957, when this 1,000-page novel was first published and became an instant hit.

Rand, who had come to America from Soviet Russia with striking insights into totalitarianism and the destructiveness of socialism, was already a celebrity. The left, naturally, hated her. But as recently as 1991, a survey by the Library of Congress and the Book of the Month Club found that readers rated "Atlas" as the second-most influential book in their lives, behind only the Bible.

For the uninitiated, the moral of the story is simply this: Politicians invariably respond to crises -- that in most cases they themselves created -- by spawning new government programs, laws and regulations. These, in turn, generate more havoc and poverty, which inspires the politicians to create more programs . . . and the downward spiral repeats itself until the productive sectors of the economy collapse under the collective weight of taxes and other burdens imposed in the name of fairness, equality and do-goodism.

Go HERE to read the rest of the article.

HT: William

Paint Made Flesh

 

A somewhat astonishing, and most assuredly intriguing new exhibit opened yesterday at the Frist Center in Nashville.  According to curator Mark Scala, the artists in Paint Made Flesh achieve "a kind of incarnation; not the sacred 'Word made flesh', as the Bible describes Christ, but the secular 'paint made flesh' as artists transcribe humanity".  He points out that this is achieved in essentially three ways: Physical Representation: the unique ability of oil paint to produce a surface very like skin.  Empathy: the ability to help us identify with the plight, the feelings, the anxiety, the soul of another through the shared medium of the body.  History:  a meshing of history with contemporary reality.  In a two day symposium, artists and experts in the field of art explored various facets of the exhibit and the culture that helped create them.  I offer you a brief encapsulation of some key themes.

"Image and paint are intertwined."  These are the words of William de Kooning, the same man who said, "Flesh is the reason oil painting was invented." One hundred years earlier Eugene Delacroix had stated, "In painting the form is one with the content."  This idea of integration is very prevalent in these works, and was a common theme in the lectures.  Interestingly, I noticed that there was a preponderance of "Do not touch" signs posted throughout the exhibit, far more than usual.  Sometimes it is all you can do NOT to touch.  The works have a distinctly kinesthetic element, not surprising since some of the artists applied paint with their hands. 

In one of my favorite pieces, Joan Brown's Girl in a Chair, the paint is several inches thick in places.  Some sections have a mottled, chunky texture much like fresh asphalt, others are smooth and glossy. The bold, decisive colors are vibrant and alive.  She said of the work, "I loved the application as well as the look of the paint, right out of the gallon can.  I loved what happened when I was using a trowel, the physical exuberance of just whipping through it with a big, giant brush."  Regrettably, I could not find an image to share with you, but honestly it would not begin to convey the experience of standing before the work.  

Age of Anxiety:  These paintings are all drawn from the years following World War II til the present, a period characterized in the W.H. Auden poem as an Age of Anxiety.  Dr. Emily Braun reminded us that some of the deepest experiences of pain defy description with words...only an image can truly tell the story.  Eric Fischl is one of the artists in the exhibit.  He spoke to us today.  These are his words, "Can one look back over the last hundred years of modernism, connect the dots, and get a coherent picture of our growing discomfort, frustration, confusion, and intolerance toward our vulnerability and mortality?"

This plays out in various ways. Daniel Richter uses an integration of political and social views with pop culture, psychadelic and punk rock influences in works like Duisen (at top of post).  This image explores the plight and impact of Immigrants who have thronged across the southern border into Germany.  Arnaldo Roche-Rabell tells the story of racial exploitation and colonialism in his native Puerto Rico with layers of paint applied and scraped in furious, energetic gestures in We Have to Eat (upper right).  Kenyan native Wangechi Mutu creates collages combining paint, curving colored paper, images taken from fashion magazines and traditional African objects.  They explore ethnicity, womanhood, fashion, sex and health.  Squiggly Wiggly Demon Hair is shown on left.

"To paint, to write, to teach in the most dedicated, sincere way, is the most intimate affirmation of creative life we possess in these despairing years."  ~Philip Guston

The Post-Human Age:  Our final speaker, Dr. Michael Bess, alerted us to the fact that, "Our society is rapidly acquiring the ability to drastically alter the human body."  Pharmaceuticals, bio-electronics, and genetics offer endless possibilities.  This will radically impact how we think about, not only our bodies, but about what it means to be human.  Are we ready to answer those questions?

Go see Paint Made Flesh.  Be prepared to be challenged.  Give yourself time to linger.  Read the notes.  Look at the work slowly and carefully, and let it speak to you.  And let me know what you think. 

 

Coming to Nashville!!

One of the most outstanding performances I experienced at Oxbridge this summer was Tony Lawton's one man play adaptation of The Great Divorce.  The Great Divorce is one of my very favorite C.S. Lewis books.  I have read it several times.  I find I see myself...some part of myself..in every character.  It is not always pretty, I must admit.  But the tone is not punitive.  On the contrary, it is filled with redemption. 

Lawton's adaptation is fabulous.  All the dialogue is lifted directly from the book.  To keep the performance to a reasonable length, he has had to eliminate a couple of characters, but the essential story is all there.  He moves fluidly from narrator to character adopting accents, gestures, and even bodily postures that bring the characters vividly to life.  I laughed and cried.  It truly is one of the most extraordinary stage productions I have ever seen.

The Humanitas Project is bringing Tony to Nashville.  He will perform The Great Divorce at Belmont Church on Friday, February 6th at 7:30.  I bought tickets for my family five minutes after learning he was coming.  I strongly urge you to attend.  Click HERE for ticket info.  Incidentally, it is not necessary to have read the book to enjoy the play, but it will certainly enrich the experience.  It is a quick read.  You will love it.   

The video below is a compilation of excerpts from the performance this summer at Oxbridge.  It will give you a hint, but only a hint, of what to expect.  If you do not have time to watch all of it, forward to 5 minutes in for the bossy wife followed by the cynic.  Hilarious!  And if, like many of us, you find the red lizard story to be one of the more compelling moments you can see a bit of that around 7:30.

 

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

"Space," it says, "is big.  Really big.  You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is.  I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space..."

My gorgeous, bookish friend Jen just introduced me to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.  I read it earlier this week.  When I opened the introduction and saw that it was entitled "Some Unhelpful Remarks from the Author", I knew this was going to be fun.  The book is an hilarious compilation of witty advice, enigmatic storytelling and bewildering situations.  For example:

Witty advice:  "...the fabulously beautiful planet Bethselamin is now so worried about the cumulative erosion by ten billion visiting tourists a year that any net imbalance between the amount you eat and the amount you excrete while on the planet is surgically removed from your body weight when you leave: so every time you go to the lavatory there it is vitally important to get a receipt."

Enigmatic Storytelling:  In Ken Davis' Dynamic Communicators Workshops, he talks about the importance of constructing a presentation in such a way that you are always moving your audience toward the point of your talk, but do not reveal it until the very end.  This keeps them actively engaged.  The author constructs each chapter this way, hinting and tantalyzing, but not uniting all the pieces and parts until the chapter is nearly over.  And then, frequently, he ends with an enticing taste of what is just on the other side of the page so that you can't not go on.

Bewildering Situations:  Each of the characters has been somehow impacted by a device known as the Improbability Drive.  As the name suggest, it has the ability to disrupt the time-space continuum and make things happen that are completely improbable.  In fact, I found myself wondering if maybe one of these is buried on the Lost island......  I digress.  The space ship they travel in is constantly reconfiguring itself into entirely new shapes, with bizarre decorating schemes.   Two missiles that are homing in on the ship are turned into a sperm whale and a bowl of petunias, after which we are given a detailed account of the thoughts running through the mind of the whale before his rather speedy demise.

As a person with a deep infatuation for words, I find his descriptions and dialogue scrumptious.  In describing an impossibly vast wall with a barely perceptible curve he says, "The wall defied the imagination--seduced it and defeated it."  When faced with the possibility that a computer will discern "Ultimate Truth", a young philosopher argues vehemently, "...we demand rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty."  It is, in some ways, like a science fiction version of Monty Python.  Clever and fun...so fun that I must be off now to The Resaurant at the End of the Universe.  What to have?

America's Song

Written by David Foster
Featuring Bono, Seal, Mary J. Blige, Faith Hill

HT: Gail

Reflections upon an Historic Moment...

 

No matter how you voted, no matter who you are or where you live, if you are an American, you must understand that today was a once in a lifetime moment.  I suppose each of us has processed it in our own way.  I watched most of the inaugural address with my Bible Study friends.  Twitter friends have also been exchanging observations all day.  But, this afternoon I sat down with the words of our President's address and read them slowly and reflectively.  I looked through images, read Rick Warren's prayer, and let the events of the day wash over me.  Here are some thoughts.

First, the irony of the inauguration occurring on the day following our nation's commemmoration of Dr. King is inescapable. I watched as the cameras panned the crowd, looking away in the distance to the Lincoln Memorial.  I thought of Dr. King standing on those steps almost 46 years ago and daring to dream.  Could he see it?  I could not help but wonder if at times President Obama felt as if he were looking across the mall at him as this next chapter was commencing.  Certainly, he understands the legacy he has inherited.  A friend shared this quote from John Perkins with us this morning.  It eloquently expresses the lineage of which Barack Obama is now part.  "Rosa sat so that Martin could march so that Barak could rise so that we could stand. Now, stand we must."

"Without a vision the people perish." The inaugural speech does not define policy, but it is certainly a pivotal opportunity to communicate what matters most...to say this is what I dream for our country.  Though the hard work of implementation is ahead, I do like many of our President's dreams.  And, I believe by and large he did an artful job of communicating them, with a little help from a friend.  Though there does not seem to be that single statement that sums up the essence of the speech...an "Ask not what your country can do for you..." or "We have nothing to fear but fear itself.", here are some of the words and thoughts that most resounded with my spirit.

Speaking of our forefathers:

"...they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint."

To those who wish us harm: 

"We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you....To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.  To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist."

Especially dear to my heart were these words to the impoverished, and this challenge to those of us who have more than enough: 

"To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds.  And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect.  For the world has changed, and we must change with it..."

"...Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations." 

May it be so.

And finally, I echo these words of Rick Warren's prayer on behalf of our President and our nation:

"...Help us, oh God, to remember that we are Americans, united not by race or religion or blood, but by our commitment to freedom and justice for all.

When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you, forgive us. When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone, forgive us. When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the Earth with the respect that they deserve, forgive us.

And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes, even when we differ.

Help us to share, to serve and to seek the common good of all.

May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet. And may we never forget that one day all nations and all people will stand accountable before you.

We now commit our new president and his wife, Michelle, and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care...."

Remembering.......

I say to you today, my friends, that even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true.

So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

2008: The Year in Review

Perhaps I'm a bit late to the game here.  But, I was cleaning up photo files on my old computer this week.  As I scrolled through the photographs that tell the story of our life over the past 12 months, I remembered sweet moments of commemoration, experiences of delight and anguish, struggles and triumphs.  And because I share everything with you, whether you want me to or not, I share a few of the more significant events of '08 for our little family.


January was a quiet month.  A month of beginning again.  I took 3 or 4 days away to be alone with God and to get direction for the new year.  He met me at the little cabin where I was staying in the most delightful way.  He filled the creek with dazzling ice formations.  I took way too many photos.  You can see the rest in an album to the right.




February was a once in a lifetime, never to be forgotten family trip to Disney World.  We built precious, precious memories on this trip.  Memories that would still be dancing in our heads as the unexpected events of March unfolded...

   

March was a month of ecstasy and agony all mixed up.  First the ecstasy: Kelsey commemorated the unique road she had been walking with God in baptism.  It was a beautiful thing.  The radiance she wears and her determination to know God have not come to her without cost.  But they have come.  And we celebrate!

March brought its share of heartache as well.  My nephew Tucker has had to fight for his life from his very first breath.  Three open heart surgeries in his first two years.  In March, complications from the third surgery sent him back into the hospital.  While there he suffered a devastating stroke.  Life for Monty and Candy, Anna, Ethan and Tucker changed drastically on that day.  I have watched them over the intervening months walk with astonishing faith and peace and persistent hope.  Does it hurt?  You bet.  Every day.  They have been vulnerable and honest about that.  But, they have also continued to love one another well and to celebrate Anna and Ethan and make sure they know they are loved.  And every day they love Tucker just as they always have.   They celebrate every victory, and he has had many.  Every smile, every turn of the head in response to a voice, every sigh...  They make the tough decisions....decisions no parent should have to make.  And then, they climb into the arms of their Father and trust Him to do what is best.


April was Joshua's eleventh birthday and Kelsey's first prom, as well as the second Country Music Half-marathon for Mike and me.  Good times.




May was bittersweet as I celebrated graduation with the seniors in my life, anticipating farewells at summer's end.  And as we bade farewell to our beautiful home in the country and moved back into town.  You can read my morbid series of goodbye posts along with lots of photos in the May archives. :~)


June was the month that Kelsey lost her heart.  She lost it in Malawi.  This summer, she hopes to go back and find it.  Kelsey has always had a heart for Africa, participating in Invisible Children and Blood Water Mission, and sponsoring a Compassion child from Africa.  But, when she hit the ground there, she knew she was where she belonged.  She loved the children more than she ever imagined she could.  She enjoyed the adults.  The way of life...the pace, the priorities...suit her.   It was a pivotal trip...her first, but definitely not her last.  You can see some of her remarkable photographs in an album on the right.

 July was crazy busy.  Mike and I went with friends to see Keith Urban and Kenny Chesney and friends.  I participated in my first triathlon.  Anna and Ethan came and spent a week with us, and Tabitha came a week later.  I got my first tattoo.  And at the end of the month, I flew to England to attend Oxbridge.

August opened while I was still in England.  We moved from Oxford to Cambridge.  I enjoyed experienceing the very different atmospheres of the two cities...each exceptional in its own way.  At home we attended two weddings, met little Elijah Jarnagin, and returned to school.

In September we met our beautiful new niece Ellie.  Ray, Lori, Alex, David and Keeli all made the trip to China to bring her home, and it was apparent from the moment they got off the plane that they were a family already.  Ellie is funny, exuberant, and smart.

In October, my grandparents celebrated 70 years of marriage.  Wow!  Mike served on a mission team to Malawi.  He got to meet the wonderful people Kelsey had fallen in love with in the summer. 




November brought Joshua's dramatic debut.  He played the role of Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island.  He loved it and did a fabulous job.  Mike and I ran in San Antonio.  My first marathon.  SO much fun!!  November is also birthday month for my two oldest.  Kelsey turned 17 on November 22nd and Jake 15 on the 24th.  Party on!

In December we celebrated the Incarnation of the Son.  He very graciously allowed us to keep His presents. :~)  It was a sweet time of family and faith.  In typical "we have teenagers at our house" fashion, the family Mullican celebrated New Year's Eve in diverse locations.  Kelsey pulled an all-nighter with fellow seniors, Jake partied with friends south of town, and Mike, Joshua and I headed up the hill to party with neighbors and friends.  Not a bad way to bid farewell to a full year, and joyfully anticipate that which awaits... 

Permitting the Twilight

 

"Mysticism keeps men sane.  As long as you have mystery you have health; when
you destroy mystery you create morbidity.  The ordinary man has always been
sane because the ordinary man has always been a mystic.  He has permitted
the twilight.  He has always had one foot in earth and the other in a fairyland."

~G.K. Chesterton

Happy Birthday, Dearest Erin...

Twenty years ago, Mike's parents met their very first granddaughter.  Ray and Lori became parents.  Mike became an uncle and I became an aunt.  The baby was a beautiful blond haired, blue eyed little girl named Erin.  Erin's first friend was a Puffalump. (sp?)  It was this little smooshy pastel lovie that was conveniently machine washable.  But, what Erin loved most about it was the silky tag on the back.  She loved it so much that she would worry it to shreds.  Lori would sew a new piece of silk onto it, and the cycle would begin again.  She also loved Beanie Babies, American Girls, and books.  And she really loved her little sister Alex.  Kelsey had a sleep-over the year she turned 6.  Erin and Alex both brought sleeping bags...and about a dozen stuffed animals...each :)  But, when it was time to go to sleep, I looked over and the two of them were snuggled into one sleeping bag.  It was so precious.  Erin was an old soul, even as a little girl, the kind of kid you could talk with about things that mattered.

Just over eleven years ago, Lori, Erin, and Alex were driving home when they were struck by another car.  For the past eleven years, Erin has celebrated her birthday with Jesus.  I miss her.  I miss her singular way of looking at the world.  Anyone who knew her remembers....  Anyone who knew her knows her life was blessed.

Erin's story has been a story of grace.  Ray and Lori have walked an honest and vulnerable, and remarkably radiant road in the years following the loss of their daughter.  God gave them a completely supernatural love and sympathy for the young man who drove the other car that night.  He gave them the ability to see him just as He saw him.  He has given them opportunities to minister to other families who have lost children.  They were asked to travel to Columbine several years ago to love on the families there...to listen...to understand.  And just a few months ago, they walked with very close friends as they mourned the sudden loss of their own little one.  These are only two of dozens of like stories.

One of the dreams most parents share for their children is that they will become the fullness of who God intended them to be...that the purpose He has for them will be fulfilled.  I don't think anyone could have imagined what that would look like for Erin.  But, I do believe it happened.  I believe lives are different today because of a little girl....a little girl named Erin.

Happy Birthday, dear one!  Looking forward to the day when we celebrate with you again....

*Photograph by Lori Mullican

An Evening of Music

Mike, Kelsey and I enjoyed a lovely evening of music last night at Exit In in Nashville.  All the players were friends, as were about half the audience (a packed house), AND the music was fabulous!

Josh Cassidy opened the evening with wailing blues and his crazy mad guitar skills.  How to describe Josh?  An enigma to be sure.  His guitar style certainly has echoes of Clapton, Mayer, B.B. King, even Muddy Waters, but in an incarnation uniquely his own.  I had played with Josh at church for a long time before finally hearing him sing.  He has this great gravely, earthy voice filled with pathos.  Interesting, given his keen wit and light-hearted personality.  But, over the years I have come to know Josh as a very deep, complex person.  You can hear this when he sings.  I loved watching him own the stage last night.  Stellar.

Joel and Luke were last night's headliners.  We have known these two since they were little boys.  It has been a joy to watch them grow into young men who give themselves so generously to others.  Joel has discipled a group of young men for the past several years.  Now, he is helping lead a small group of which our Jake is part.  Luke is doing the same for kids at Spring Hill.

These two come from a very musical family and literally grew up on the road.  Perhaps it is inevitable that the hunger would strike them.  How tragic if they had not had the talent to support the desire.  No worries.  Both are talented vocalists, engaging performers, and, as it turns out, very capable songwriters.  "Broken Lullabies" and "My Lovely" have been favorites since first I heard them.  Both are sweet and poetic.  But, last night, they pulled out a new tune.  I would guess the title is "Hey, Hey" or maybe "Too Cool for Radio"  It is clever, energetic, good-natured smack.  The rollicking, percussive arrangement was precisely right.  And, these two very nice guys, had no trouble selling the in-your-face attitude.  Everyone was quickly singing along and I could easily imagine it becoming a cult classic.  Joel and Luke have been smart enough to surround themselves with excellent players and sophisticated lighting and production.  All combine to produce an engaging, completely delightful show.

Thanks, friends, for a marvelous evening.  

For the Tough Times

Max Lucado has a remarkable ability to bring fresh perspective to truths I have heard all my life. In this brief but potent book, he examines how a person of faith negotiates difficult times.  It could not be more timely.

The thoughts that have lingered most in my mind wrap themselves around words the author repeats from Romans 8:31, "If God is for us, who can be against us?"

God is for you.  The One who laid earth's foundations and brings out the starry host one by one. God is for you.

God is for you.  At this moment.  Wherever you are, whatever you have done. 

God is for you.  So much so that He will do anything it takes (including using Satan!) to refine, awaken and teach you.  Startling, I know.  Read it!  Compelling!

God is for you  Ah, this is the best part. The man who reported Lazarus' illness to Christ called him "the one that You love".  Substitute that phrase in any prayer.  Lord, the one you love is sick.  Lord, the one you love needs a job.  See how that makes you feel.  Because it's true, you know.  You are the one He loves.  

It's a good word for tough times...for any time.

The Kingdom of Heaven is Near....

Greek mythology tells of a king whose name was Tantalus.  He was a son of Zeus, and as such was invited to visit Mt. Olympus.  There, he was permitted to partake of the ambrosia of the gods.  Not satisfied with this great honor, he proceeded to steal the ambrosia and bring it back to his mortal friends.  This angered the gods.  To appease them, he invited them to a banquet.  As a sign of his fealty, he cut up his son Pelops, boiled him, and served him to the gods.  Knowing what he had done, they refused to eat...all that is except Demeter whose grief over the loss of her daughter blurred her vision.  She ate a small portion of the shoulder.  Zeus ordered the boy brought back to life.  Hephaestus fashioned a shoulder of ivory and Demeter presented it to him.

Such a reprehensible crime warranted strong punishment.  Tantalus was banished to Tartarus, the deepest level of Hades.  There he stood in water up to his chin, but whenever he dipped his mouth to partake of its refreshment, the water would recede leaving him parched.  Near his head hung luscious, fragrant fruit.  But when he reached for it to assuage his fierce hunger, the wind would blow it just out of his reach.  And so he lived eternally within sight of that which he craved, but unable to attain it.

Father Stephen opened a compelling homily with this story today.  I have not been able to get it out of my mind.  The gospel reading was from the fourth chapter of Matthew.  The beginning of this chapter tells of Christ's own encounter with tantalization.  After forty days of fasting, he was confronted and tempted by Satan.  But Jesus renounced Satan.  And when he came out of the wilderness and began his ministry, he invited us to do the same.
  

"From that time on Jesus began to preach, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near'."
~Matthew 4:17

Father Stephen pointed out that Jesus was inviting his listeners to make a choice.  They could choose the kingdom of this world or they could choose the kingdom of heaven.  The kingdom of this world offers us many things: wealth, success, power, pleasure, achievement, friends.  But many of us have learned the hard way that when we chase true fulfillment and meaning through these things, we are like Tantalus...always almost there, but not quite.  Every pleasure is tinged somehow by a nagging sense that something is missing.  I only wish this were not so very familiar.  The thing is, the kingdom of heaven is not necessarily the absence of those things.  But, in the kingdom they are redeemed and assume their proper place.

Just before Christmas I had the pleasure of attending the Baptism and Christmation of my friend Holly and her family.  There is a profound moment early in this service when the participants are asked a series of questions.  The participants turn their backs to the altar to answer the first two, "Do you renounce Satan?"  and "Have you renounced Satan?".  Each is asked and answered three times. "I renounce him."  "I have renounced him."  The communicants then face the altar and answer these questions, "Do you join yourself to Christ?" ("I do join myself to Christ."), and "Have you joined yourself to Christ?" ("I have joined myself to Christ.")  Father Sthephen reminded us that this is a visual enactment of that which we are purposing in our hearts.

It is a choice that must be made every day.  Will I, today, pursue the elusive phantom of instant gratification?  Will I place my perceived needs first?  Or will I, today, in this moment, renounce Satan?  Will I choose to breathe, and speak, and act as though the kingdom is very near?  Because.....it is. 

Two kingdoms.  Your choice.

Do you renounce Satan?
Do you renounce Satan?
Do you renounce Satan?

Do you join yourself to Christ?
Do you join yourself to Christ?
Do you join yourself to Christ?
       

Foodie Friday: Le The'

Tea is the most commonly consumed beverage in the world after water.  It has been at the heart of significant ceremony, as well as political intrigue.  It has brought warmth to those who are cold and refreshment to those who are overheated.  It has crossed cultural barriers and geographical borders.  To what does this tasty brew owe its universal appeal?

Health Benefits:   The brew made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant has manifold health benefits.  It's plentiful antioxidants make it a powerful ally in fighting many forms of cancer.  Tea increases the metabolic rate improving insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance.  It boosts mental alertness and lowers chances of cognitive impairment.    The theanine in tea helps boost immunity.  Green tea is believed to help prevent diabetes.  Drinking black tea has been proven to lower stress hormone levels.  The caffeine in tea is a bit of a double edged sword.  It can interfere with the absorption of iron when consumed with food, but it also increases cognitive function and can improve athletic performance and combat headaches. 

Romance:  As somewhat of a health freak, I am certainly impressed by the information above.  But I have to tell you that the principle reason I drink tea is for the experience itself.  The fragrance enchants me before I ever take the first sip, and remains an important part of the encounter all the way through.  The warmth.  I love holding the steaming cup in my hands.  Sometimes I torture myself like this, holding and inhaling before I will allow myself to drink.  Delicious agony.  When I finally allow myself to take that first sip, I feel the warmth as it glides down my throat and becomes part of me.  And the taste!  Ahhhhh, the taste.  Rich and exotic, almost otherworldly.  If you have never drunk tea that is not already packaged in a little bag, you might not understand what I mean when I say that it is soft.  I do not know how to express it more accurately.  Each sip feels like a caress.

Ceremony:  Tea forms the pivot point of some of life's most delightful occasions.  My most elaborate tea encounter was at the Orangery at Kensington Palace in London (pictured right).  My family and I indulged in sandwiches, cakes, and scones with cream and jam, accompanied by two different varieties of tea.  All was served with delicate style in a stunning setting as we gazed out floor to ceiling windows into the garden.  But I have also enjoyed tea in a friend's home where my daughter and her little friend dressed in antique jewelry and hats, and we all used our best manners.  I had a delicious cream tea alongside the Iris river at Magdalen College this summer, and was served a hot pot of tea every morning with my English breakfast in Oxford and Cambridge.   I have sipped Earl Grey on a cruiseship and in an ancient church.  Just this week, my daughter and I went to a local tea house, World Cup of Tea, to sniff and select six lovely varieties.  We came home and started brewing.  We have had the best time sampling and trading evaluations and opinions.  Tea is very social.

Variety:  The leaves of Camellia sinensis come in four varieties that have to do largely with when they are harvested and how much they are processed: white, green, black, and oolong.  But that is only a starting point.  To these are added flowers, fruits, spices, chocolate, and more to create endless options.  For example, Kelsey and I selected Raspberry Truffle (bits of raspberry and chocolate, WOW!), Kyoto Rose (rose petals and cherry blossoms, fragrant delight), Earl Grey with Lavender (bliss), Cranberry Autumn (dried cranberries and oranges, fruity deliciousness), China Chai (exotic spices with black tea, mmmmmmm), and Hot Cinnamon (3 types of cinnamon, orange peel, and cloves, hot and sweet).  And this is just a start.  Herbal teas constitute a whole other category.  But, that is a post for another day....

If you are looking for a beverage to warm your winter nights, might I invite you to linger over a fragrant, steaming, cup of deliciousness?

*Artwork in the post by Robert Masla and Mary Cassatt

Just for Kicks...

Sick
Shel Silverstein

"I cannot go to school today,"
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
"I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
'I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more-- that's seventeen,
And don't you think that my face looks green?
My leg is cut, my eyes are blue--
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke--

My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb,
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my spine is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is--what?
What's that? What's that you say?
You say that today is... Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play!"

Favorite Reads of '08

One of the truest things about me is that I am CRAZY about books.  Sometimes I devour them.  Sometimes I savor and linger and reread.  Sometimes I underline and write notes.  Sometimes I allow the words to just wash over me. 

I love having a place here to record the books I read.  You can see the 20 books I have read since mid-August in "Recent Encounters".  But, in the secret chambers of the inner world of my blog, I can see all of the more than 40 I have read this year.  It has been fun looking back through them, remembering where I was when I read them, and remembering how they affected me.  I tried to put together a nice round number of favorites, like 10, but I just couldn't.  In fact, I had to make some pretty excruciating cuts to get it down to 14.  And, hey, it's my blog.  So, here they are; the best of the best (in no particular order):

For the Life of the World: Sacraments and Orthodoxy (Schmemann)  "...the world, be it in its totality as cosmos, or in its life and becoming as cosmos and history, is an epiphany of God, a means of his revelation, presence and power...and is in itself an essential means both of knowledge of God and communion with him, and to be so is its true nature and ultimate destiny."  Need I say more?

Crime and Punishment (Dostoevsky)  Brilliant, provacative, intense, complex, nuanced and ultimately redemptive.  Read my thoughts HERE.

A Thousand Days in Tuscany (Marlena de Blasi) Perhaps it is that I loved Tuscany so much when I was there.  Perhaps it is because I cherish deep in my heart the dream of plopping myself down in some little European village for a couple of years myself.  Perhaps it is just that de Blasi is a gifted writer who writes evocatively of fascinating people, beautiful places, and exquisite meals.  Whatever the reason, I loved luxuriating in this book.  If you have wanderlust in your heart or a love of good food, I have an idea you will too.  Short excerpt HERE.   

Concerning the Spiritual in Art (Kandinsky) Brief look inside the mind of one of the most daring and innovative artistic voices of the 20th century.  A sampling of his words from the book (along with images of his work) HERE, and some of my impressions HERE.  

Jesus Wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto for the Church in Exile (Bell)  What would it look like if we, the Kingdom of God, really lived out our destiny to be the image of God here on earth?  That is the question posed in this book.  Compelling, challenging and inspiring.  Read more HERE. 

Candide (Voltaire)  "Voltaire alone declared war against the coalition of all the social iniquities, against that enormous and terrible world, and he accepted battle with it.  And what was his weapon?  That which has the lightness of the wind and the power of the thunderbolt.  A pen.  With that weapon he fought; with that weapon he conquered."  ~ Victor Hugo  Hilarious AND brilliant.  More thoughts in Scintillating Satire.

Perelandra (Lewis)  Thus far I have read only the first two books of Lewis' space trilogy.  I liked Out of the Silent Planet, but I loved Perelandra.  I found the story so intriguing.  I posted my thoughts HERE. 

The Picture of Dorian Gray (Wilde)  A disturbing, but terribly important book.  You might very well see things in yourself that you have never seen.  "All art is at once surface and symbol.
Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril.  Those who read the symbol do so at their peril.  It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors." My experience. 

The Everlasting Man (Chesterton)  This book was my first adventure with Chesterton, but it certainly will not be my last.  I actually read it twice, because I wanted to more completely absorb every precious word.  How could I not love a man who describes God's Word with phrases like these: strangely beautiful stories, startling pieces of advice, passages of almost impenetrable darkness.    

The City of Falling Angels (Berendt)  If it is possible to fall in love with a city, then I totally fell in love with Venice.  So, I thoroughly enjoyed this book which took me deep inside the city and introduced me to a great many of her more colorful characters, whilst exploring the circumstances surrounding a perplexing crime.  Oh, and this tale, like Berendt's more famous Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, is true.

Mornings on Horseback (McCullough) A fascinating life...a fascinating story...well told by one of the best in our time.   

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life (Lamott)  Anne Lamott is irreverant, opinionated, and sometimes brutal.  BUT, she is also funny, creative and remarakably talented.  This book captures all the above.  It contains some of the most helpful advice on the art of writing I have yet encountered, and delivers it in an engaging style you will find a pleasure to read.  A little taste HERE.

The Judgment of Paris: The Revolutionary Decade That Gave the World Impressionism (King)  This fascinating book gives a behind the scenes look at the goings on of the art world in late 19th century Paris.  It tells of those who were favorites, and those who were renegades doing something audacious and new.  It tells the personal stories of the principal players, and lets you see how their lives intertwined.  Quite remarkable.

From Achilles to Christ: Why Christians Should Read the Pagan Classics (Markos)  Do you believe it was only in the stories of Israel that God forshadowed the coming of his son, or might he have planted them in pagan cultures as well?  This is the question explored by Louis Markos in this compelling book.  Intelligent, winsome, thorough, and accessible.

A Journey to the Ancient Christian Faith

Yesterday afternoon  I began reading Peter Gillquist's Becoming Orthodox.  I finished it before bedtime.  It tells the fascinating story of a group of Campus Crusade superstars who grew very concerned about what was happening to new Christians after conversion.  As they saw one after another leave the faith, they became convinced of the importance of helping them plug into a local church body that would embrace them and educate them in what it meant to live life as a follower of Christ.  The question was, which church?

This question began an odyssey that would last well over a decade.  The goal: discover what the real New Testament church looked like, and either join or start churches like that.  Gillquist was a part of this group and he tells of their questions and their concerns, and the answers that were often astonishing.  He tells of frustration and disappointment and of moments of great joy.  Ultimately, their research led them to create something they believed to be very similar to the first century church, but virtually non-existant in the 20th century.  What a delightful surprise awaited them!

Truth is, this church has existed in unbroken succession for 2000 years.  When a former associate became aware of what they were doing, he told them that they were Orthodox, they just didn't know it yet.  As they began to learn more about Orthodoxy, they discovered that he was right.  So here began their quest to become part of an Orthodox body.  This was more challenging than they perhaps had anticipated, but in the end they were "welcomed home" to the Antiochian Orthodox Church.  Between February and April of 1987, more than 2000 converts were received into the Orthodox Church along with the ordination of a great many priests and deacons.

I had a particular interest in the story because one of the congregations that was born out of this movement is St. Ignatius where I have worshiped several times, and where I have good friends, some of whom have been there since the beginning.  Father Gordon Walker, who was part of that original group, was the first priest at St. Ignatius.  Though he no longer handles the principle shepherding duties, he still participates in the services and is an invaluable source of wisdom and counsel.  What I did not expect was that, sandwiched in the middle of the story is a basic introduction to Orthodoxy.  It flows quite naturally from the narrative as the author simply shares what they were learning.  He adresses tradition, authority, the position of Mary and the sign of the cross.  But, the section that was most meaningful to me was the chapter on worship. 

He opens with the beautiful passage from Isaiah 6 where Isaiah sees the Lord "high and lifted up"  He goes on to illustrate Isaiah's multi-sensory experience of worship and compare it to the Orthodox service.  "We who gather as the church here on earth are called to join in and participate with Heaven's hosts.  And to do so, we take great pains in our worship to make it consistent--and not to clash--with the worship before the throne of God...'on earth as it is in Heaven'."  Isaiah SAW the Lord.  Icons offer a visible representation of God.  He heard the angels sing "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts".  The centuries old Trisagion hymn--Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy upon us--is it's echo.  After Isaiah confesses his unworthiness, the angel touches his lips with a live coal to cleanse and purify him.  Confession in the liturgy precedes the receiving of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ--taste and touch.  In Isaiah's vision, the house if filled with smoke.  Incense was burned by the Israelites from the beginning...it is how God smells.  Listen to these words written by Malachi: 

"For from the rising of the sun, even to it's going down,
My name shall be great among the Gentiles;
In every place incense shall be offered to me name,
And a pure offering;
For my name shall be great among the nations."

Isaiah's response to this dramatic encounter with God is an eagerness to be God's instrument in the world.  Toward the end of the liturgy, there are several exhortations from the priest to "commit ourselves, each other, and all our lives unto Christ our God".

Wherever you are on your spiritual journey, I think you will be challenged and inspired by this remarkable story.  I highly recommend it.

Till We Have Faces...

"Child, to say the very thing you really mean, the whole of it, nothing more, or
less, or other than what you really mean; that's the whole art and joy of words."

"A glib saying.  When the time comes to you at which you will be forced at last to utter the speech which has lain at the center of your soul for years, which you have, all that time, idiot-like, been saying over and over, you'll not talk about joy of words.  I saw well why the gods do not speak to us openly, nor let us answer.  Till that word can be dug out of us, why should they hear the babble of what we think we mean?  How can they meet us face to face till we have faces?"

~C.S. Lewis in Till We Have Faces

Foodie Friday: "Fast Food"

I love preparing delicious, artistic meals for my family and friends.  I love planning and buying and cooking, then lingering and savoring.  But, let's face it, there are many days when that is NOT a possibility.  With two teenagers and an eleven year old, I am on the run a great deal, as are you.  When this happens, what do you feed your family?  There is a temptation to grab something at the drive through and be done with it.  But, if your refined palette balks at food wherein the primary seasonings are mayonnaise and salt, or if you would like to be kinder to your body and not fill it with hydrogenated oils, perhaps there is an alternative.  I would like to share with you a few of my favorite products (and a recipe) for getting a tasty, nutritious meal on the table in minutes, plus a couple of healthy on-the-go snacks.


One of my most ardent allies in this quest is Alexia Foods.  Alexia offers a range of products.  My particular favorites are their potatoes and their artisan breads.They make killer sweet potato fries.  I keep a couple of packages in my freezer at all times.  18 minutes in a 400 degree oven, sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper and enjoy.  Their roasted potatoes come in a variety of seasoning options:  Olive oil, rosemary and garlic, Olive oil, sun-dried tomato and pesto, and more.  My favorite of their artisan breads is the ciabatta with rosemary and olive oil.  Crisp and satisfyingly chewy on the outside and soft inside.  They also offer focaccia, french bread, Garlic loaves, biscuits, and hearty whole grain rolls.  Ten minutes freezer to table.  You can find Alexia at Whole Foods or in the health food section at your local grocery store, Costco, Target or Walmart.

I prefer cooking with fresh vegetables anytime that is an option.  But, frozen veggies retain most of their nutrients and, if you choose carefully, most of their flavor.  Cascadian Farms produces consistently tasty frozen vegetables, and they do not burden them with seasonings or preservatives.  Bring a couple of cups of water to a boil and pour in a package of Edamame.  Cook one minute if shelled or three to four if not.  Drain.  Sprinkle with soy sauce, or with sesame oil and salt and enjoy.  *Note: If you are new to edamame, you do not eat the pod.  Hold the stem end.  Slide the shell gently between your teeth and the beans will free themselves into your mouth and you will also enjoy the seasoning from the pod.  Cascadian Farms' sweet corn is like candy.  Pop into a saucepan with a bit of real butter and salt and a little water.  Eight to ten minutes and you are ready to eat.  Again, find these in the health food section.

Nothing warms a winter chilled body like chili.  Some chili recipes require hours of preparation.  Here is a healthy, tasty, short cut alternative.  It always receives rave reviews, even from the most die hard carnivores, despite the fact that it is meatless.  And, all ingredients are pantry or freezer items that can be perpetually kept in stock.  Saute half an onion, diced, in one tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan.  Add one can of black beans and one can of kidney beans (both drained), along with one can of diced tomatoes with chilis.  To this, add half a can of water, two to four tablespoons of chili powder (to taste) and one sleeve of Boca crumbles.  (Boca crumbles come three sleeves to a box.)  Stir together and cook over medium high heat until hot (10 minutes or so).   This will feed four or five people.  The recipe is easily doubled or tripled.

Finally, I always keep snacks and water bottles in my car so that I do not fall victim to cravings that drive me to buy something unhealthy because I'm starving.  Kashi makes my favorite granola bars, and they are crazy healthy.  All the flavors are good, but the Pumkin Spice Flax really rocks.  Four grams of fiber and six grams of protein make them really satisfying.  Trail mix is my other car snack.  Read labels carefully though to make sure your trail mix has not been loaded down with lots of added sugar and oils.

Be purposeful about what you put into your body.  You will feel the difference.

Lord, Thy Kingdom Come

 

"Then Christ will say to us, "Come you as well, come drunkards, come
weaklings, come forth ye children of shame." And we shall come forth without
shame and shall stand before him. And he will say to us, "Ye are swine, made
in the Image of the Beast and with his mark, but come ye also." And the wise
men, and those of understanding will say, "O Lord, why do you receive these
men?" and he will say, "This is why I receive them, O ye of understanding, that
not one of them believed himself to be worthy of this." And he will hold out his
hands to us and we shall fall down before him...and we shall weep...and we
shall understand all things! Then we shall understand all things!...........Lord,
Thy Kingdom come."

~Fyodor Dostoevsky

Artwork:  Oil Pastel by Jake Mullican