Come one, come all.... to the Atwater Village Tree Lighting! Steve will be plugging in the lights and my sister and I...will be Santa's Elves - that is, if we ever finish our costumes! The night will prove to be hometown style fun in the heart of Los Angeles and might feature a surprise guest or two! Bring the kids, bring yourself and bring a little holiday cheer to Atwater, CA!Other sponsors include: The Griffin, Black Eyed Peas / Peapod, dtox day spa, Maid in the USA, tylerspencer design studio, 55 Degree Wine, Atwater Grill, Baracoa Cuban Cafe, Best Buy, Bikram Yoga, Bill's Liquor, Black Maria Gallery, Canale, Christ's Church, Crispy Crust Pizza, Future Development, Grain, Heartbeat House, Importante, Jeromy Robert Photography, Kaldi Coffee and Tea, Luis Lopez Automotive, Mila Children's Boutique, Mortarless Building Supply, Movements, Pampered Birds, Pilates Metro, Pot-ted, Violet Willow, Woof Dog Boutique.
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The more honorable decision seemed obvious, but it stung. Tis the first time I've had to struggle with a monetary decision such as this.
I want to feel God's pleasure when I ride, not His hurt.
And I was a little upset when I asked God why it was that other people didn't struggle with this like I do. How come you don't ask them what you're asking me? But I knew God has other plans.
I was at a medical outreach carnival yesterday. It was organised to reach out to migrants and sex workers in our fringe community, to bless them with a free medical screening. I met a missionary from Mercy Relief who sat me down as we connected immediately. In terms of goals and personality, we had so much in common. Her Story made me cry. She lives frugally, and yet is blessed. She trusts God to provide for everything, even for her desires. I asked her about the roadbike. She didn't discourage me either. God gives good gifts to His children, too, you know, she said. My close friend had told me, I don't think it's wrong, but why don't you wait on God for a bit since He's speaking to you about something?
It ought to be a straightforward decision, but it is symbolic, I think, of the attitude of my heart. And it is the process, more than the outcome I think, that would shape the kind of person I become. I don't think the end-point is as important as what God wants me to learn through this process. He is challenging me about issues of stewardship, money and cent-sibility (pardon the pun). He is revealing to me the weaknesses of my flesh, humbling me and making me aware of my flesh. He is preparing me for the life I may have ahead if He continues to call me to missions.
I know God gives good gifts to His children. So He may still choose to bless me with a bike in the end, but I want to know that the decision was measured and matured, not impulsive and indulgent. I want to feel God's pleasure when I ride. I want to know it is a good gift from Him.
I am learning- I am not perfect. And what He demands from me is not so much an ascetic life as much as a heart that is sensitized to His voice, a heart longing to learn His lessons. I don't know when this struggle will end- but I pray by God's grace, it does, be it in the form of having the peace to forgo the roadbike altogether, or finding a bike which I know was a gift from Him. But perhaps the most important lesson is to wait on God. Just, to wait patiently for peace and the lessons birthed through this experience.
And when I finally do learn what I sense Him teaching me about money, stewardship and sensibility, maybe, just maybe, God might answer in an unexpected way. Or maybe, just maybe, I might find infinite joy elsewhere, too.
Colorful balls and clumps of rolled wool roving are the perfect ingredient for creating playful little monsters. Great stocking stuffer or mini gift!
Materials:
felting wool roving in different colors
hot water
dish soap (hypoallergenic is preferred)
2 large glass bowls
large needle or safety pin
embroidery floss
Buttons for eyes or base
1. Fill a bowl with 6 c. hot water and one Tbsp. dish soap.
2. Working over a towel, form a wad of wool into a ball twice the size the finished ball will be.3. Dip the wad into the hot soapy water, squeeze out some of the excess water and begin rolling the ball in your hands. Don’t use too much pressure at this point; keep rolling for approximately 4-5 minutes, dipping back into the soapy water if the ball cools or dries out. You can also roll the ball on a towel with the palm of your hand. If the ball becomes too wet and/or soapy, roll it on a towel to remove excess moisture. If the ball needs to be smaller, apply more pressure to lock the fibers closer together. 5. To create a teddy bear style critter: Poke a toothpick or sharp needle through each ball before they harden in the spots where you will join the balls to form a bear. Allow balls to dry overnight (a cookie cooling rack works well for drying). Using embroidery floss sew the balls together to form the bear and add eyes and a mouth. 6. To create a monster style critter: form the roving into a blob. Allow the blob to dry overnight. Glue a button to the bottom to form a base. Sew facial features with embroidery floss and buttons.
Don’t let the party end tomorrow night. Chances are your fridge will be stocked with food, and your home filled with friends and family all weekend. So why not give your Thanksgiving meal a second chance to shine?
Keep in mind that for leftover turkey to be safe, it must be stored properly. “Be sure to carve the whole thing and let it cool before you put it away; you don’t want to put it in the refrigerator when it’s warm,” Filian says. She also suggests storing it with little oxygen. “You don’t need to go as extreme as vacuum-packing; if you’re using Ziploc, double bag it.”
Filian is such a fan of leftovers that she has them on the brain when she’s cooking for the main event. “If I know there’s a family favorite, I’ll double it to make sure there are plenty of leftovers.”
One of Filian’s go-to family recipes is cranberry salsa. “Thanksgiving weekend is all about football, so I like to have avocado dip and salsa. I buy salsa from the supermarket’s refrigerator section, drain it and stir in about a quarter of a cup of fresh cranberry sauce, adding more to taste. It’s great because it’s sweet and hot.”
RECIPES:
Turkey Pot Pie
Ingredients:
1 pound turkey, cut into small cubes
4-5 slices of butter
1 large onion
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, corn and carrots (thawed)
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water
2 purchased pie crusts (rolled)
Steps:
Over medium heat in a large skillet, brown the turkey pieces in butter. Once brown remove the turkey from the pan and add thinly sliced onion, cook for 2 minutes, add the mushrooms and cook until tender.
Remove the onions and mushrooms from the pan and set aside. Add the wine to the pan; stir to loosen the any pieces. Add the mushroom soup, Bring to a boil. Stir in the peas, corn carrots, onion mushroom and turkey. Remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 425°. Place one crust into a 9” pie, fill with soup mixture. In a small bowl, blend the water and egg with a fork. Brush the edge of the pie crust with the egg and water, place the second piecrust onto top. Use a fork to seal the edges together. Brush the edges with the egg and water.
Bake 30 minutes
Courtesy of Cathie Filian
Leftover Stuffing Casserole
Ingredients:
2 cups of turkey, cut into small cubes
1 1/2 cup leftover stuffing
1 1/4 cups organic chicken stock/broth
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup cold water
1 package frozen broccoli, cooked & drained
1/4 cup sour cream
Cheddar cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the stuffing evenly across the bottom of a greased casserole dish. Next add a layer of turkey.
Heat the chicken stock to boiling. In a small bowl blend the flour and cold water. Add to the boiling stock. Reduce the heat to low and stir constantly until thickened. Add the broccoli and sour cream, stir to blend.
Pour stock mixture over the turkey and stuffing. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from oven and top with cheese, bake for 5-10 minutes more or until the cheese is melted.
Courtesy of Cathie Filian
