Lord of the Fries

I have experienced an new culinary delight. Keeping up to it's tradition of fried foods the south has created a new fried delicacy: Fried banana pudding.
Yum! As a cousin to deep fried candy bars, and deep fried oreos, this deserts extended the challenge to Joe American's never ending quest of "Can I dip this in batter and fry it in grease?" Answer: Darn right I can!
Some of his better known discoveries of things that can be deep fried are the corn dog, chicken, and potato wedges. But Joe American has also deep fried bacon, hot dogs, and surprisingly, ice cream.
It seems crazy in this day when 65% of our population is overweight. It's horrible! It's a shame! It's an outra-...Err...What's that you say?...Deep fried twinkies?.... Ummmmm...Excuse me while I get off my soap box.... I need to go and get my spot in line.

Respect My Author-itah!!!!!!!

Do y'all know Eric Cartman? Yes I'm talking about the little fat kid on South Park. Sometimes as I flip through the channels I catch a commercial for South Park with Eric Cartman in a police uniform screamin,' "Respect my author-itah!!!!" Not sure what the episode is about, but the commercial sure is funny. It always makes me think of this analogy I heard once. It goes like this:
Policemen… women...er… police officers are given authority in our towns to do certain jobs. We have to respect their authority or we fall subject to the appropriate consequences. For example, they might stand in the street and direct traffic, or put on their flashy lights and pull our car over. And we have to do what they say because they have been given authority to do these jobs.
Well, if we were kinda sneaky, we could dress up in a police uniform and wave flares around and get drivers to go in new directions if we wanted to. We don't actually have the authority to do so, but some unsuspecting driver just might not know any better and fall for our silly prank.
In the same way Satan often tries to "fake the funk" to get us to do things we really don't have to do: get sick, worry, fall into fear, give into temptation, doubt God etc. I just picture him as this short, little Eric Cartman screamin', "Respect my author-itah!!!!!!"
He tries to get us to believe he's still the king of this world.

"I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them-because they are mine to give to anyone I please." (Luke 4:6)

Satan once had author-itah, (oops! Sorry.) authority over this earth. God had originally given authority over the earth to Adam at the time of creation, but he it was handed over to Satan in the garden. So God found a righteous man, by the name of Abraham whose bloodline bore Jesus Christ. And the Bible says time and time again that Christ, as God's son, re-claimed the authority from Satan.

"The time of judgment for the world has come, when the prince of this world will be cast out" (John 12: 31)

"My Father has given me authority over everything." (Matt 11:27)

Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. (John 13:3)

"It has happened at last- the salvation and power and kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ! For the Accuser has been thrown down to earth… And they have defeated him because of the blood of the Lamb…" (Rev. 12:10-11)

Cool! So what did Jesus do with it, after he reclaimed it? Take it with him back to heaven?

Nope.

He gave it to me.

And you.

And your momma.

And every born-again believer.

"Yes," He told them, "I saw Satan falling from heaven as a flash of lightning!" And
I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk
among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. But don't
rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered as
citizens of heaven." (Luke 10:18)

So we have the authority to heal the sick?

Yup. (Matt 10:1)

The authority to know God?

Yup. (Matt 11:27)

The authority to take the message of repentance to all the nations?

Yup. (Luke 24:47)

The authority to tell people everywhere of what God has done for them?

Yup. (Rom1:5)

The authority to teach and encourage people?

Yup. (Titus 2:15)

Even the authority to cast out demons?

Yup. Even that. (Mark 3:15)

That's a lot or privileges. We need to take this seriously! Recognize the lies of the Devil and stand firm in your identity. Don't fall for his tricks and tell him who has really has the author-itah!

Full Circle?

I was looking over my blog today, and the very first post I ever put on here in May 2005 was about Swaziland. I wrote it just 2 weeks shy of a year ago. It's about waiting and waiting. And subsequently, the other posts written in the following months are all about direction, waiting some more, and learning from the experience. Looking back almost one year later, I can see His fingerprints all over the situation.
Now as I prepare to go permanently, I'm feeling a lot of the same things all over again, but this time in a more confident way. Waiting it tough, but it's not so bad,- in fact I can see it's good for me. Direction is sometimes hard to accept, but always for the best.

Hell Hath No Fury...

A short while ago, I heard a story about a husband who was trying to protect his wife and kids. They were in a dangerous situation and the man, being a good husband, defended the family against the attackers. Good for him. But as I was listening to this story, I remember thinking, "We'll I'd be out there with him! Who'd be protecting him while he's protecting me?"
I know I'm not very strong and don't have many street skills but I'm scrappy! Something within me thought, given that situation, I'd be right up in the mix protecting my man, screamin' "I gotcha back, baby!"
(Picture, a younger, thinner, whiter Madea.) Kinda of a silly thought huh? I've always felt this way, but society seems to think it's foolish so I never said anything. I guess if a man is trying to protect me, I should let him, - play the role of the damsel in distress for once in my life. Right? Ummm…. Maybe not. I just might be more feminine than you think.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say there is something instinctive about women fighting on behalf their loved ones. Now of course we recognize any woman would fight to protect her children. Don't mess with momma bear's cubs, - we all know that. But a mate?

Well check this out. In the book of Deuteronomy, in the list of family regulations, there is this rule for the Israelites:
"…If two Israelite men are fighting and the wife of one tries to rescue her husband by grabbing the testicles of the other man, her hand must be cut off without pity…."
Deut 25:12
(I swear it's in the bible. You can't make this stuff up!) So you realize this had to have been an issue if they were making a rule against it. Right?

So I'm not alone in feeling this way? Oh no no. In the book I'm currently devouring, Captivating, by John and Stasi Eldredge they point out an interesting fact about the creation of Eve:

…When God creates Eve, he calls her an ezer kenegdo. "It is not good for the man to be alone, I shall make him [an ezer kenegdo]" (Gen 2:18 ALTER). Hebrew scholar Robert Alter, who has spent years translating the book of Genesis, says that this phrase is "notoriously difficult to translate." The various attempts we have in English are "helper" or "companion" or the notorious "help meet." Why are these translations so incredibly wimpy, boring, flat…disappointing? What is a helpmeet anyway? What little girl dances through the house singing "One day I shall be a help meet?" Companion? A dog can be a companion. Helper? Sounds like Hamburger Helper. Alter is getting close when he translates it "sustainer beside him."
The word ezer is used only twenty other places in the entire Old Testament. And in every other instance the person being described is God himself, when you need him to come through for you desperately.

There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help
you…Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He
is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. (Duet.33: 26,29)

I lift my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from? My help comes from the
LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. (Ps. 121: 1-2)

May the LORD answer you when you are in distress: may the name of the God of
Jacob protect you. May he send you help. (Ps.20 1-2)

We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our Help and our shield (Ps. 33:20)

O house of Israel, trust in the LORD- he is their help and shield.
O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD- he is their help and shield.
You who fear him, trust in the LORD, - he is their help and shield (Ps. 115:9-11)

Most of the contexts are life and death, by the way, and God is your only hope. Your ezer. If he is not there beside you…you are dead. A better translation therefore of ezer would be…"lifesaver." Kenegdo means along side, or opposite to, a counterpart.

You see, the life God calls us to is not a safe life. Ask Joseph, Abraham, Moses, Deborah, Ester- any of the friends of God from the Old Testament. Ask Mary and Lazarus; ask peter, James, and John; Ask Pricilla and Aquila- any of the friends of God in the New Testament. God calls us to a life involving frequent risks and many dangers. Why else would we need him to be our ezer? You don't need a lifesaver if your mission is to be a couch potato. You need an ezer when your life is in constant danger…
…That longing in the heart of a woman to share life together as a great adventure-that comes straight from the heart of God, who also longs for this. He does not want to be an option in our lives. He does not want to be an appendage, a tagalong. Neither does any woman. God is essential. He wants us to need him-desperately. Eve is essential. She has an irreplaceable role to play. And so you'll see that women are endowed with fierce devotion, and ability to suffer great hardships, a vision to make the world a better place. (P.31-32)


Oh yea! I loved reading that. I've always wanted to be girly. I guess I have been all along! ;0)

Return of the King!!!

I went to Swaziland after reading a children's book that stated quite clearly: There are no lions in Swaziland. HRUMPH! that was enough to make me want to call the whole thing off. But I went anyway and you can imagine my excitement when we traveled to Hlane Park for a safari and read that lions had been re-introduced in '94. Hurrah!!!!
So here are a few safari photos. Lots of cutie cubs, a cheetah (which I spotted. no pun intended...well maybe a little) a lovely warthog who had just finished her mud bath, and my new favorite,- the rhinos!!!!
It was one of my favorite days on the whole trip. The weather was great, and the trip was so much fun. One the way out I got to see a lot of the country side and on our way to lunch two warthogs darted in front of the car. That's something you never experience here in the states! Thanks Patrick for not hitting them.

part II

A warm meal, and a warm heart

One of the coolest things I did was visit the care points. We arrived in time at one to participate in feeding the kids.
As we arrived they were gathered together singing praises and then prayed to bless the meals.
They first lined up for pap (pronounced like pop. It's mealy poridge from corn) and then I served the beans and veggies over it.
Most kids had little bowls or tupperware to eat out of. But the one that tore me up was a boy who brought a pencil box. I almost lost it. It's such a small thing that my students take for granted, and yet it's the only thing this boy had to eat from.
I showed my students this picture and they caught it right away. They also noticed that most kids didn't have shoes.
They've been facinated with all the stories, trying to grasp the idea of their poverty in Swaziland. If nothing else, I hope they can understand how truely fortunate they are for what the basics they have,- parents, food, and clothes. They amaze me with their compassion. One little girl decided she was going to go to Swaziland with her parents.

No way!!!! Yes, Way!!!

I honestly beleive I prayed a Hardee's into existance in Virginia. But I can't take credit for this one. Swaziland has Kentucky Fried Chicken. And I must say it's better than in the US. If that's not a sign from God that I need to return, don't tell me what you think is.

Martha

This is Martha, Jean's favorite house girl. She worked for them until she was too sick and hopes to return now that she is feeling stronger. I was amazed by this woman's character. We drove 45 minutes to get to her homestead. By bus it would take two hours, although there were occasions that she had to walk. And she was never late to work.
Jean explained that she lives with a son and grandchildren at her homestead. Her husband, like many Swazi men, took his cultural liberties and had many mistresses. When he got sick with AIDS he returned home, and Martha nursed him until his death. He is burried in her corn field. I can't imagine the heart and strength it would take to recieve a husband home after that.

Martha takes great pride in her home and her family. As you can see she lives well below any American standard. No heat, no electricity, no running water. Only mud walls and cow manure floors, yet she keeps her home as if it were a palace,- making sure the mud cracks are patched right away.
The day we visited her, she was feeling strong and had been working in her corn field. And the entire time, she just beamed from having her friends visit her. She just kept saying over and over, "Oh madame! I'm so happy to see you. I'm just soooo happy!"
What a lesson in humility and contentment.

New life in the rocky soil...

This is a cool photo I snapped on the way back from Martha's homestead. It was very common to see trees like this on the boulderous mountain side. Did you notice how the tree has actually split the rock in two, and is growing in the middle? Dave likened it to the seed of the Gospel on a rocky heart.
I like that.

Sunrise, Sunrise

As I flew out to Africa I was traveling west against the sun. It was amusing that we were only in the air for a few hours, and the sun began to set. Then it was night for a few hours more and the sun began to rise.
As I noticed the sky getting lighter, I opened my window shade to watch the sun rise. Slowly the sky turned from black, to purple to rose. And as the sun began to crest over the horizon I looked down and saw land for the first time. It was the coast of Africa! It was a beautiful sight to behold, - hours and hours of oceans finally giving way to land.
Suddenly I heard that line from the song My Redeemer Lives, "Who told the ocean, 'You can only come this far'?" It made me realize that all creation, under heaven and on earth will ultimately submit to His authority.
He is all powerful.

The Power of Prayer

It was out of character for Nhlanhla to be late. But when Jean awoke on that Saturday morning, Victor, the night guard was still on duty. Nhlanhla arrived a short time later, eyes red from crying. His four-year old boy was sick. He said it was the flu. Everything in Swaziland is the flu. Flu was the sickness that had taken his 2 year old boy from him just 2 weeks before my arrival.
Jean and Dave describe Nhlanhla as a rare Swazi father,- he loves his sons so much. He cares for them, he provides for them. And one by one he feared he was loosing them.
We all spent the day praying for Nhlanhla's little boy and spread the word to others to pray.
Before he left his shift, he'd heard by radio that his boy was recovering.

That evening we attended a birthday party with a dozen children from local missionary families. A toddler, Lacy, was tugging on her ear and fussing.
The next day, as we prepared for Easter dinner Susan got a call saying Lacy was very very sick. She'd been in and out of the clinic for 12 hours. With a fever of 105, the doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong. They suggested meningitis.
A small panic began to spread. If Lacy indeed had meningitis, then 11 other children has been exposed at the party.
again we began to pray, and befor the dinner dishes were washed and dried Susan recieved another call. A doctor had taken one last look in Lacy's little ears and had found an infection behind her ear drum. She was on the proper medication and would be fine. We all breathed a sigh of relief.
It amazing how these families, in a country where medicine and doctors are a joke, depend so heavily on prayer. For many situations, it's the only option. And God responds with favor when they turn to him. It was powerful to see in action!

home (not so sweet) home

I've been home almost a week now and things are starting to settle into their old routine. My sleep is almost normal, and my work has been caught up. It is pretty much just as it was before I left. But a piece of my heart is back in Swaziland. I'm longing to be back there with the cows on the highway and the boulderous mountains surrounding me. No, it's not a perfect country, -in fact it's quite flawed. But there's something there that I'm drawn to.
The day before I left I was hugging the Rodger children goodbye. Levi (5) asked me, "Are you ever going to come back to Swaziland?"
Touched, I answered, "Yes, I hope so."
"Will you bring me some pop tarts?"
Now who could resist a request like that?
I really need to return. Not just to take him some strawberry pop tarts, but to settle the urge inside of me. I feel this is a calling, so I'm praying and stepping out in faith to return as part of the Children's Cup team.

Beauty fades

We have become a generation obsessed with appearances.
Weight loss programs are a multi-billion dollar
industry. We have tv shows where people get plastic
surgery, and we call it entertainment. Botax is
available at the spa 1/2 mile from my house. Yikes!
Do you know you can actually get plastic surgery on
your vagina now?...Why?
But it's nothing new really. I know you've heard it
all before. A parent says, "I spent $xxx on christmas
presents and after they were opened the kids only
wanted to play with..... ( you know the answer don't
you?) the box!!!

Why would a child care about packaging? Probably
because they don't understand the value of what is
inside.

Okay ladies read that last part again, and let it sink
in. I'll wait.......

We underestimate ourselves as women. We allow our
whole lives to be consumed with being thinner, taller,
blonder, more hair free, and when the sun sets on our
lives what difference will it really make?

I just remember good old Timothy writing, "A woman
should make herself beautiful by the things she does"

Okay just to make a point that beauty fades I built
myself a time machine and went into the future with my
digital camera that mom got me for christmas. I drove
in my flying car to hollywood to snap a few photos of
some well known celebs. Think beauty lasts forever?
Think again.
Now have a good smile and a laugh and then look in the
mirror and love yourself today. Even is you are still
short, chubby or too brunette.

Yes, it's a snake

Yes it's a snake in my classroom, and yes, I'm holding it. Aren't you proud of me?

Praying Rocks

Hey, remember Luke 19 where Jesus says if followers remain quiet even the rocks will praise him? Check out this cool photo. I wish it were real!

say what?...part2

okay, most of you know I have an facination with sayings and customs. I love to get the scoop on where they came from. My dad just sent me these, oh i'm so excited!

In the 1500...

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of "carrying a bouquet when getting married".

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying ... "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water".

Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house.. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floors were dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying ... "Dirt poor".

The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the saying ... "A thresh hold".

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables, and did not get much meat. Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could "bring home the bacon". They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and talk. Hence the saying ... "Chew the fat".

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach into the food causing death due to lead poisoning. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous. Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knockout the drinkers for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of "holding a wake".

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night to listen for the bell; hence, the phrase ... "Graveyard shift". Thus, someone could be either "saved by the bell", or was considered "a dead ringer".

And that's the truth ... now, whoever said History was boring!

Parable of the Wandering Jew

Last fall my mom gave me a plant called a Wandering Jew. She said it was pretty low maintenance. I was excited about that.
But I think I was over zealous about the absence of care I had to give it and actually neglected it. It went for a while without even being watered. Oops, - not that low maintenance.
I didn't remember until I saw some dead leaves and then thought, "Oh crap!" So I did my duty, gave it a drink, then and tried to pull off the dead leaves so my mom wouldn't notice when she came to visit.
I think it worked too because every time she visits, she comments on how nice it looks. Perhaps she doesn't remember how full it had been when she gave it too me. Now it looks kinda spindly, but I hang it up high so it's harder to get a good look at it. I fertilized it and I notice some new shiny leaves on the tips. That's a good sign right?
Today I took it outside to give it some real sunlight. I was disheartened when I took a close look. Lots of the foliage is bright and healthy on the ends. It has beautiful shiny purple and green leaves just like it's supposed to.
It's a façade.
Some of the stems originating at the soil have withered away. Not the roots. Not the leaves. Just the stems.
They're dry.
Brittle.
Atrophied.
And with one gentle tug, the whole thing breaks away, -shiny leaves and all.

Not that low maintenance after all.

Say what?

okay I know you will appreciate this.
In the 16th century, houses were often built with
straw thatched roofs. They retained heat well so it
was not uncommon for a stray animal to climb up to try
and stay warm.
Well in the event of a big rainstorm, the straw would
become slippery and the animals would slide off.
Anyone looking out the window would only see a cat or
dog falling with the rain. Hense the expression...
It's raining cats and dogs.

Which way?

I recently took a trip to Williamsburg, VA with some friends. On the way back from the conference I realized I didn't know how to get back to the house we were staying at.
"Don't worry," my friend, Wes, said. "Just follow me."
And so we started off. Easy plan. But somehow things got all mixed up. As we merged onto the free way I had to give way to two overzealous drivers. With two cars between myself and the leader, I began to feel nervous in the heavy traffic. So I decided to pass in the right lane and catch up. Unfortunately I couldn't squeeze behind Wes' truck in line and an impatient driver forced me to pass Wes end up in the front of the line. That driver also thought it was a good idea to simply ride there in the right lane and so Wes couldn't pas me to take his rightful place as leader. So I was forced to ride along with my guide behind me!
What a mess. I kept thinking, "How are we going to get out of this?" Heidi helped me navigate by watching in the mirrors. "He's put his blinker on. I think he wants us to get off at this exit!"
I feared it would be a while before we could give way and let him back into his rightful place. I suddenly got the giggles.
"Heidi," I laughed. "I think there is a sermon somewhere in this! How many times do you and I take off too quickly and get ahead of God. And then we spend all of our time looking over our shoulders wondering if He's following us,- watching for signs of which direction to go in next?" We both had a good laugh.
It's funny 'cause it's true.