Ashes to ashes

Pondering on Ash Wednesday...

Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, Genesis 18:27

Mortality, the world around us doesn't generally encourage the topic. The daily grind is a great distraction from the bigger picture. The world wants you to be busy, and thus we are told to work hard and to buy more - time and again offered the assurance that we can purchase comfort and security. Worse yet, we seek fortune, fame and celebrity -  as then we will be comfortable, known and surely not forgotten. 

Well Dearest Reader, hate to break it to you - but its a crock of shit. You will be forgotten - you are just a speck - the briefest breath - a fleeting moment in time. Even the greatest among us are forgotten by most. To live only for this world is death itself.(John 12:23-50).
You can choose to only live in the moment, to be apathetic  - or selfish - or you can choose to bear witness that you are a part of a much bigger story.  
We are each of us supposed to live this life to the fullest, Christ died not just for your salvation but so that you could enjoy this life now. In the face of hardship and trial we can take comfort in the knowledge that we are loved. The reality is that life is fleeting and as my Aunt Billie June would say, "everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die". 

By the sweat of your brow

    will you have food to eat

until you return to the ground

    from which you were made.

For you were made from dust,

    and to dust you will return.” Genesis 19

I believe that the lost don't need to be told again how lost they are, they instead need to know God loves them in spite of it all. There is right and wrong, there is truth. He punished His own son instead of you. There is MERCY, peace between God and Man was won at Calvary's cross. God is no respecter of persons but He would have walked to Golgotha if only just for you.

"So I walk on uplands unbounded

and know that there is hope

for that which Thou didst mold out of dust

to have consort with things eternal."

- Thanksgiving hymns/The Dead Sea Scrolls

One Solitary Life

Dearest Reader, 
I choose to believe there is more than this world, than this life. 
Many would respond, isn't this world & life enough? Aren't you just being greedy? Childish even? Silly and naive enough to believe in myth and fairytale, finding comfort in stories- tales designed by men solely for the purpose of providing just that. 
Well, maybe so, thanks to freewill, each of us is entitled to our own opinion- however - 
everything within me declares there IS more.
After spending many years as an arrogant "thinking" atheist, I discovered that existence required far more faith and belief in mankind than I was ever going to be able to drum up.

I don't just believe but I KNOW, mankind is different from his fellow mammal - from the beasts of the field. We are filled with wonder, we -unlike any other - are made in the image of our creator. We exist in a universe created FOR US, it is not by a series of a million accidents that we are here, there is a designer - an architect.
My beliefs are based on more than just a warm fuzzy feeling, I was a person who needed proof - what I felt in my heart needed also to make sense in my mind.

Of all the world's systems of belief, Christianity happened to be the one I was most resistant to. I could possibly rationalize that this "Jesus" was an actual character of history - perhaps even a great teacher, but God on earth? Puh-lease. A laughable thought. And then there was his church, doesn't the corruption of that establishment PROVE there is no God? Well, it seemed that way to me.
Thus began my search, setting out with my own preconceived ideas - I found myself surprised at every turn. 
First- the documented evidence that 2000 years ago a poor boy from Bethlehem, a rough neck nobody carpenter from Nazareth lived an unselfish life of good for his fellow man and then died an unwarranted death is indisputable --- As is the fact that he rose from the dead, conquered the grave, a feat achieved by no other.
Second - He claimed to be God. This makes him one of two things: a madman/liar or exactly who he said he was.

I ask you to examine the evidence for yourselves, its abundant. 
The message of this one man is different from any other who has walked this earth. I believe His message, and if I am able to share it in this fallen & dark world - than I am blessed. There is meaning, there is purpose, there is hope.

In my experience it seems we humans have a hard time seeing beyond or looking behind our own lifetimes - we are people of NOW - all about immediate gratification and "living in the moment". I am a student of history, and the more I examine it , it seems all we do is repeat it. 
I believe there is a reason that mankind has been telling the same "stories" for thousands of years, why the same archetypes and heroes exist, there is nothing new under the sun. From culture to culture across the eons  - our stories don't change. We just get more and more full of ourselves, pride goeth before the fall (and increaseth steadily after, IMO). The more we "know", the more we advance - the more we are are able to delude ourselves that we no longer need God.

My Grandma Mahota was opposed to organized religion, but she was a bible believer and a follower of Christ. During my "search for truth" she often let me know I made things far to difficult and added a level of drama to my journey that was truly unnecessary.  For her the following short essay summed up her thoughts on why a through examination of this one solitary life was warranted:

"He was born in an obscure village, the son of a peasant woman.

He grew up in another village, where he worked in a carpenter's shop until he was thirty. Then for three years he became a wandering preacher.

He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a house. He didn't go to college. He never visited a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He did none of those things one usually associates with greatness.

He had no credentials but himself.

He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. He was turned over to his enemies and went through a mockery of a trial. He was executed by the state. While he was dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing, the only property he had on earth. When he was dead he was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today he is the central figure of the human race and the leader of mankind's progress. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that One Solitary Life"

http://www.john3-16.net/OneLife.htm

http://evidencebible.com/witnessingtool/scientificfactsintheBible.shtml

http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/ChurchAndMinistry/Evangelism/What_Makes_the_Christian_Message_Unique.aspx

Storms

When I think of the blessings of my life, I am overwhelmed - why is it we allow ourselves to lose sight of truth, to become so distracted by the pressures of this planet that we forget He has overcome this world and its troubles.  

We spend our days sometimes filled with worry, rarely choosing contentment and gratitude - allowing anxiety to overtake us. When truly we need to see the joy in such small things as a child sitting on your lap while you read to them....warmth, firelight, a garden, being with those you love and listening to their stories....breaking bread with friends & family, singing, dancing - these are the most precious of gifts. 

The treasures we should store having nothing to do with gold or silver and everything to do with the memories of times with those we love. 

Our Father in heaven rarely gets credit for these times, instead He gets the blame for the storms that rage - the "acts of God". 

However, let me remind you Dearest Reader, the act of God is the shelter in the storm - the love, compassion, care giving & generosity of our fellow man...beauty and goodness simply for loves sake.

In the face of fear, find strength in knowing He is bigger than any storm and He values you as His own child. Even at our worst, we love our children when they are rotten, even when they don't love us in return. In spite of them turning away from us we remain steadfast in our love for them. God's love is more than this,  far greater than any love we could comprehend - never with motive of self. 

Oh you of little faith. Be Bold. Be brave. Be strong. Be courageous. Be Happy. Believe. 

One God is different from all others, coming and living as one of us, a man of great sorrows who knew what it was like to bear the pains & burdens of this fallen world  - no other offers what Christ can give. 

All others ask "How good can you be, how much can you give?"  Christ says:  

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”  Matthew 8:23-27 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reM-Wbzzp2g

Weaknesses?

You know those days you feel were designed to just bring you down? Where you're sent the curve ball, Murphy's Law seems in full force, reminded at every turn that its an uphill climb, the people who show up are the most irritating---naysayers & know-it-alls? Big sigh...WELL, 


Take that Lucifer, now back the F off.
-jlrg

ExTrAorDinAry Mac n Chz

The BEST cheese sauce (I’ve ever made) for ExTrAorDinAry Mac n Cheez

1 stick of butter

½ c flour

2c Chicken stock

8oz cream cheese (super soft)

 ½ c sour cream

¼ c warm milk

2 c Grated Sharp Cheddar, Swiss & Parmesan
1/2 tsp Nutmeg

Tabasco, Salt & Pepper to taste (I use A LOT)

Make your roux, remove from heat & blend in cream cheese, sour cream- add ½ of the grated cheese…layer macaroni with remaining grated  cheese & sauce ( I usually end up w/2 layers) bake until bubbly 20 min @375 degrees J

Hanukkah Dinner 2012

Hanukkah dinner menu 2012

For your entertainment… “Jew z rap” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJVHPPIAWyw

BRAISED LAMB CHOPS:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/braised-lamb-chops-en-cazuela-with-potato-artichoke-gratin-and-red-wine-reduction-recipe/index.html

ingredients ( I THREW IN SOME CRAISINS….)

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

·         4 lamb chops, shoulder cut, 1 1/4 inches thick

·         Salt and freshly ground pepper

·         1 Spanish onion, coarsely chopped

·         2 carrots, coarsely chopped

·         2 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

·         1 cup red wine

·         1 cup port

·         4 cups chicken stock

·         1 bay leaf

·         fresh ROSEMARY & MINT, plus chopped leaves for garnish

·         2 tablespoons cold butter

DEEP FRIED Oreos, http://oukosher.org/index.php/recipes/single/deep_fried_oreos_dairy/

1 large bag of Oreo cookies 
2 cups of pancake mix 
1 1/2 cup of milk 
2 eggs 
4 teaspoons of oil

Bisquit donughts from Paula Dean  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/canned-biscuit-dough-donuts-and-holes-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

·         Peanut oil, for frying

·         1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         1/4 cup sugar

·          

Icings:

·         2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided

·         5 tablespoons milk, divided

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         1/4 cup cocoa powder

·         2 cans large buttermilk biscuits

• POTATO LATKES (RACHEL RAY)– I doubled the onions & skipped the carrots http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/quick-potato-and-carrot-latkes-recipe/index.html

·         1 (24-ounce) bag shredded potatoes for hash browns

·         1 large carrot, peeled

·         1 medium onion, peeled

·         2 eggs, beaten

·         2 teaspoons salt

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         3 tablespoons matzo meal, cracker meal or all-purpose flour

·         Vegetable oil, for frying

·         2 cups chunky apple sauce

·         1 cinnamon stick

·         1 cup sour cream

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/quick-potato-and-carrot-latkes-recipe/index.html

SUGAR COOKIE CUTOUTS

we  cheated & used a bag mix for the cookies – then made some quick confectionary icing, Nicholaus did the best decorating J

Noodle kugel

• 1/2 pound wide kosher for Passover egg noodles
• 1/2 stick butter, melted
• 1 pound cottage cheese
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Boil the noodles in salted water for about 4 minutes. Strain noodles from water. In a large mixing bowl, combine noodles with remaining ingredients and pour into a greased, approximately 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Bake until custard is set and top is golden brown, about 30 to 45 minutes

That wasn't me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNmo8I4dEQE

Hang on, just hang on for a minute
I've got something to say
I'm not asking you to move on or forget it
But these are better days
To be wrong all along and admit is not amazing grace
But to be loved like a song you remember
Even when you've changed

Tell me did I go on a tangent?
Did I lie through my teeth?
Did I cause you to stumble on your feet?
Did I bring shame on my family?
Did it show when I was weak?
Whatever you see, that wasn't me
That wasn't me, that wasn't me

When you're lost you will toss every lucky coin you'll ever trust
And you will hide from your god like he never turns his back on us
And you will fall all the way to the bottom and land on your own knife
[- From: http://www.elyrics.net -]
But you'll learn who you are even if it doesn't take your life

Tell me did I go on a tangent?
Did I lie through my teeth?
Did I cause you to stumble on your feet?
Did I bring shame on my family?
Did it show when I was weak?
Whatever you see, that wasn't me
That wasn't me, that wasn't me

But I want you to know that you'll never alone
I wanna believe do I make myself a blessing to everyone I meet
When you fall I will get you on your feet
Do I spend time with my family?
Did it show when I was weak?
When that's what you see, that will be me
That will be me, that will be me
That will be me

Heavens waiting

Show a little faith, there's magic in the night....

On a prayer, in a song...

I'm so thankful that on a prayer, in a song - I hear my Grandmother's voice, 

When I am the most homesick, lost & wandering - in my ear, a whisper <3

Oh, how I love this song - I choreographed one of my FAvOrItE pieces EVER to this song after 9/11 ----- thinking of you DWG girls & family :)

There’s a ship out on the ocean,
At the mercy of the sea.
It’s been tossed about,
Lost and broken,
Wandering aimlessly.
And God somehow you know,
That ship is me.

‘Cause there’s a lighthouse,
In a harbor,
Shining faithfully.
Pouring its light out,
Across the water.
For this sinking soul to see,
That someone out there still believes in me.

On a prayer,
In a song,
I hear your voice,
And it keeps me hanging on.
Oh, raining down, against the wind.
I’m reaching out,
‘Till we reach the circle’s end.
When you come back to me again.

There’s a moment,
There we all come to.
In our own time and in our own space.
Where all that we’ve done,
We can undo,
If our hearts’ in the right place.

And again I see,
My yesterday’s in front of me,
Unfolding like a mystery.
You’re changing all that is and used to be.

On a prayer,
In a song,
I hear your voice,
And it keeps me hanging on.
Oh, raining down, against the wind.
I’m reaching out,
‘Till we reach the circle’s end.
When you come back to me again.

When you come back to me again.