to my favorite person in the whole world...

David, thank you for washing dishes every single day,

for being a man who stands firm,

 

for being a man who is growing and moving forward and taking me with you,

 

for cherishing me,

for being my family.

 

I love you so much. And I really am serious, so far this is the best year of my life.

xoxoxo

the fierce urgency of now

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.

Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.

We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

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.

(excerpts from the I Have a Dream speech, given by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1963)

------
What dream do I have? May it be bigger than me, bigger than my life.

May we stand with faith, hope and discipline. May we stand for justice. Let  freedom ring!

baked potato soup

I originally got this recipe from Laurel Jenkins when I visited their newly-three family in Germany :) Now it's one of our winter favorites. I bake the potatoes when I'm hanging around the house doing chores and leave them on the counter to cool until it's time to make dinner.

8 slices bacon, cut up into little pieces

     Cook over medium heat in Dutch oven til rendered and crisping. Remove with a slotted spoon onto paper towels. Pour off about half of the fat from your pan. Add:

1 medium onion, chopped

     Cook in drippings until translucent. Add:

2/3 c flour

     Stir to prevent lumps. As they turn golden slowly pour in:

6 c hot chicken stock

     whisking until liquid thickens. Bring to a simmer. Return bacon to pot and add:

6 medium baked potatoes, partially peeled and diced

2 c whole milk or cream

1/4 c chopped parsley

2 t garlic

2 t basil

1 t Tabasco or a few chopped up little red chili pepper

1 t salt
1 1/2 t pepper
     Simmer 10 minutes. Don't boil! Add:

1 c grated cheddar cheese

1/4 c chopped green onions

Yum!

Serves 6.

thoughts

Could we be missionaries in a foreign country before we pay off all our student loans?

Death and mourning--How to do it well? Why is it always so uncomfortable? It feels stupid.

Grandma is NINETY-EIGHT!!

Becoming a praying wife.

When do I say 'no' to something that will drain me/us and when do I say 'yes'? Not accidentally saying no to the things that are actually my top priorities.

How do I help a kid remember the sound that a letter makes?

Why do I get so distracted?

How to be a friend.

Are my five loaves and two fishes enough? Ha ha! No--of course not!

How does ongoing forgiveness fit with covering the shame fit with telling the truth?

In the process of forgiveness, how important is it that the offender ask for forgiveness?

What is a church? What do we do on Sunday?

Hurt, people and pain in the church.

Finding new recipes. Getting out of this cooking/eating rut that we're in.

When to think about money and when to not think about money?

Keeping the house on the cleaner, more inviting end of the spectrum so that it is a welcome place for us and others.

I don't need to own something to enjoy it.

Celebrations.

Love. Hope. Victory.

He daily bears our burdens?!

mexican salad

Although I’m sure it would earn an enthusiastic What the hell is this? from our dear and authentically Mexican neighbor, this is a new favorite among the authentically non-Mexican Burnham family.

I wish I had a picture because it's really pretty.

Salad

1 head Romaine
1/3 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped

      Toss together.

2 tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
red onion, sliced, to taste

1 avocado chopped

1/2 can black beans

1/2 can whole kernel corn

1 1/2 c cheddar and/or jack cheese

      Combine into salad.

corn chips

Dressing (My variation of Catalina. Bottled would work fine, I’m sure.)

1/4 c ketchup
slight 1/4 c sugar
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t Worchestershire sauce
1/2 t minced garlic
s & p

      Whisk together.

1/2 c oil

      Blend other ingredients and slowly drizzle oil while running the blender to emulsify.

Set corn chips and dressing on the side for people to assemble it themselves. This is the trick to not making this into a disgusting and/or soggy taco salad.

Serves 6.

Optional: Grill and slice a chicken breast on top. Fajita seasonings or blackened chicken would be good. Corn chips can be easily made by brushing corn tortillas with oil, lime juice, and salt, slicing and baking at 350 for 10-20 minutes. Watch closely.

christmas and all it's ornaments

For any party, any celebration, for any pre-meditated giving of hospitality there is a normal preparation process: grocery shop, clean the bathroom, vacuum the floors, chop, cook, bake, snap at David, tidy the kitchen, say sorry to David, light the candles and set up the patio or the table and then wait for the first knock.

Last time we were getting ready for guests I got frazzled (as usual) and David asked if it will always have to be that way.

Um........
......
.........
no....

And I realized, hey! No! It doesn't have to be this way! And, good grief, why is it that way? Why do I get snappy? Stress is normal and fine. But two questions--what exactly am I feeling pressure about? And why?

I have this vision of what "right" or "put together" looks like. And then anything less than that is a failure and makes me look bad. Uh...what kind of pretty is that? It's empty and certainly not welcoming.

Desire for a guest to be welcome, blessed, loved--those are good reasons for a pretty home. Those are good reasons to give a pretty present. Those are good reasons for a little pressure, but not good reasons to be rude or snide. A good intention is so easy to accidentally squeeze lifeless. I have to hold the intentions gently, with an openness and joy that generosity requires.

So, I've been wondering about Christmas. Thinking a lot about why we all do what we do. Why am I already feeling stressed and a little snappy about Christmas dinner? Why did I demand a Christmas tree (in the nicest possible way, of course)? Why do I feel like a chicken with my head cut off when I think about the procurement of Christmas gifts?

I think of the celebration. This is one of our happiest times of year. We celebrate Emmanuel--God with us! We celebrate a bright spot in all of eternity, but it's so easy to accidentally get tangled in the lights and ornaments. So easy to accidentally squeeze the life out of it.

Instead, I'm pondering reality.
Pondering the great generosity of our Good Father.
Pondering a heavy Maria riding on a donkey, stumbling into a damp stable toward a scratchy manger.
Pondering a star in the darkest night.
Pondering angels singing over shepherds.

Thinking about how I can give Jesus a good gift. How we can really celebrate him--have a real party for his birthday!

It's a little bit of pressure. A little stressful. And so real, so normal. We will celebrate with family. Celebrate with an unmarried mother. Celebrate with lights in the darkness. Celebrate with rich food and tired people. So profoundly real and true and right. I long for beauty on the inside and the outside. I long for people to be welcome and blessed and loved. I long to give and I long to receive.