Easiest Meal Ever

You will need:

9x13 casserole dish
2-3 cups brown rice, uncookes
package of onion soup mix (dry)
chicken pieces (I use a bag of frozen chicken thighs)
water

Put rice and seasoning packet into casserole dish. Add twice the measure of water as you put in rice. Arrange as many chicken thighs on there as you can fit. I overlap them, and get a whole bag on there, as they shrink when cooking (8 thighs or so). Drumsticks work well, too.

Stick in oven and bake at 400 degrees F. for about an hour and a half.

If you use white rice, you have to thaw the chicken first, or the rice overcooks.

This literally takes three minutes to do and is very good.

Fasting version:

Use lentils instead of chicken pieces, and increase water (twice rice measure plus twice lentil measure). This version, I do in a crock pot. Also very yummy. And quick and effortless.

I usually serve chicken and rice with peas and a salad.

Bad Fibro Cycle

(The cane I want.)
I'd appreciate anyone's prayers. I am currently in a really bad fibromyalgia cycle. I'm to the point on the guaifenesin protocol that I don't cycle as often as I used to, so when I do cycle, I'm not used to it, and it really sets me back and slows me down.

My mantra is "God's will be done". I did not choose this. But God made me, and I have this, so I hope that in it, God will somehow be glorified. For the opportunity to glorify God, even in this nasty chronic illness, I am grateful.

But it's also hard. Right now my hip is really bad, and I've been on my not-very-ergonomically-correct cane more often which makes my wrists hurt. And, I've not been very able to exercise. Which slows down my weight loss efforts, which gets me discouraged. And the pain makes me want a glass of wine, and then I get the munchies...so I get even more discouraged about my weight loss efforts. But I keep trying, (except when I'm not trying...) or I keep starting to try over and over, and eventually and very very slowly it adds up and I do succeed a little bit. It all feels rather pathetic. (Most people would have lost their 50 pounds by now. Seriously.)

Just little things wear me out much more quickly than they would otherwise. And it's perpetually frustrating when I don't have enough energy to do house work, and so the house is messy. Tomorrow I will rally the troops (kids) and get them to do a tidy-sweep of our main living areas. Today they were very helpful in switching out laundry loads and I managed to cook the world's easiest dinner (chicken and rice bake and peas) and wash dishes...well, most of the dishes, and run a couple of errands.

But right now my hip is really bothering me, and I wish I had a plug for my tub, so that I could take a hot bath. I keep meaning to buy one at the store, and then when I'm there I forget, or run out of energy to go to the hardware section. Perhaps I could improvise with a baggie full of a wadded up wet washcloth, or something like that.

So, that's my life when I'm in a nasty fibro flare up. The good thing is, while I was resting this afternoon, I got the rest of Deuteronomy read, the epistle of Jude and am almost half way through Joshua. I'm glad to be out of the Pentateuch and into the Historical Books.

And, it was interesting to recently have read about the rebellion of Korah, and then read about it mentioned in Jude.

Forgive me if this post sounds whiney. I don't mean for it to be.

Why, Why, Why?????

Can I sit down, with a cup of coffee, fully intending to pick up my Bible and read some more, but get sucked into the world of facebook and myspace and morningcoffee, instead. An hour and a half...wasted.

I do not love God enough. God have mercy!

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Bible Challenge Update

I finally finished Numbers this morning. I hadn't had much reading time this week, as I've really been working on "being present" with my kids during the day, instead of tuning them out in favor of reading. Hence the slow-down.

And, quite frankly, I find Numbers to be the most boring book of the Pentateuch. I did, however, get a little bit convicted about the complaining and murmuring thing.

Glory to God for all things.

Humor from the Spectrum

I am neurotypical. Unfortunately, this means I have a strong herd instinct, and will tend to do exactly what everyone around me is doing. I cannot help this. It is innate.

"So, what happens when an NT like me lives with people on the spectrum?" I ask, while shuffling my feet and gazing at the floor.

{This is a joke. Sort of. Directed at NTs. We tell many such jokes around our house. And we ALL laugh.}

a picture

Inspired by women with icons

A Few Details

I'm noticing so many points of continuity between Old Covenant Worship and Christian Worship as I plow through the Pentateuch.

***Confession-Numbers 5:5-7 "And the LORD said to Moses, "Say to the People of Israel, When a man or woman commits any of the sins that men commit by breaking faith with the LORD, and that person is guilty, he shall confess his sin which he has committed; and he shall make full restitution for his wrong, adding a fifth to it, and giving it to him to whom he did the wrong."

And I'm wondering...how could it not be?...when a person brought a sin offering, did they not have to tell the priest what it was for?

And we Orthodox Christians make confession in front of our offering: Christ and the cross of Christ.

***The cost of worship: The tabernacle, the holy things, etc. all very costly. But it's a both-and proposition, not an either-or proposition for the people of God when it comes to a balance between worship and caring for the poor in their midst. The argument is still heard today, the same one Judas used when objecting to the woman with the expensive nard.

***Priestly vestments: "And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty." -Ex. 28:2

***Icons: The Mercy Seat had icons of cherubim on it. As did the veil (Ex. 26:31 between the Holy of Holies and the Sanctuary. What were the cherubim, but the mediators of the covenant? Hebrews 2:2: "For if the message declared by angels was valid and every transgression or disobedience received and just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?" My point is, in the Old Covenant worship, the Church had icons of the bringers of the covenant on their screen and in their holy space. And in the New Covenant worship, the Church has icons of the bringers of the covenant (God himself: Jesus Christ, his "mercy seat" the Theotokos Mary, his proclaimer St. John the Forerunner) on it's icon screen as well.

It is very interesting to intersperse reading the Epistle to the Hebrews with reading the Pentateuch.



***A Kingdom of Priests-"Now therefore, if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my own poessession among all people,s for all the earth is mine, and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel." -Ex. 19:5-6

Being a kingdom of priests does not mean there is not a priesthood in their midst: "Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests-" -Ex. 28:1

ergo: "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."--1 Peter 2:9 has since the earliest Church not precluded a ministry of the Episcopate.

OK, that's all for now. I gotta go start my day...

Which Austen Heroine Am I?

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A Lady's Meme

Outside My Window … it is dark.

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I am thinking … about when Wes will get home from work and if he's died in a car wreck.

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I am thankful for … quiet.
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From the kitchen … a low fat turkey sandwich with mustard and sprouts.

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I am wearing … a nightgown and a bath robe.

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I am creating … yet another blog post.

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I am going … nowhere.

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I am reading … Numbers and Luke.

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I am hoping … to be with God someday.

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I am hearing … the hum of the computer and traffic far off on the larger streets in the neighborhood.

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Around the house …all is quiet and asleep.

One of my favorite things … sitting on my back porch, snuggled up in my sleeping bad with a cup of coffee, lit candles and a prayer book.
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A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...take the kids to the dentist, go to Weight Watchers, Bible Study, keep schooling them and reading as much as I can for the Bible Reading Challenge.
***



Here is a picture thought I am sharing … Proof that I am domestically challenged.

If you are reading this, consider yourself tagged. If you complete this meme on your blog, please leave a comment.

My kids

have checked a Latin-English Dictionary out from the library and are busy making up new "Harry Potter" spells to go with the sanded down sticks with duct tape handles that they are calling wands.

Classical Un-schooling, I say!

And no, I did not put them up to this...

This is just SO God:

"If you meet your enemy's ox or his ass going astray, you shall bring it back to him. If you see the ass of one who hates you lying under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it, you shall help him to lift it up." Ex. 23:4-5

It sounds like the same God who said:

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing that others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."--Matthew 5: 43-48

WHY had I never noticed that juicy little morsel in Exodus before???????

The Happy Homemaker

Whenever I read blogs by women who just glory in home-making, I'm a bit flummoxed. I will freely admit, that I don't quite "get it". See, I have this love-hate relationship with my whole "homemaker" status. Since graduating from seminary, I've never been anything but a stay-at-home mom. And now a homeschooling mom on top of that.

And I like my life. But I HATE the "homemaking" part of it. OK, the fun stuff is fun. I like making things...sometimes. I like baking and cooking...sometimes. I like having the freedom to set my own schedule. I like being with my kids each day. I like teaching them.

But I loathe housework. Did I use a strong enough word? The dusting, scrubbing, washing parts. Just. Hate. It. Because it's nasty and has to be done again and again. And it stays nasty. And it keeps getting undone. And my house is shabby without the chic. So I feel perpetually defeated by the grungy reality of it all.

Cleaning house is so not creative. One reason I like making things, is that it's a way to spend my time productively, and I'll have something nice, like a shawl or a quilt to show for it, that I can point to and say: I made this and it is good.

The cleaning is not like that.

I wish I could walz though my days with a good routine (think flylady) and a decluttered house and breezes blowing through the windows and a vase of flowers on my lace-bedecked table. But alas, it is not so. I can't ever seem to make myself.

And we are all suffering a BAD case of homeschooling-this-year burn-out. Unfortunately, because of my dd's illness last winter, there were many weeks when school just did not happen. And now we have about five weeks of doubling up on lessons in order to get done and have a bit of a summer break before we launch into another school year. So my son stares at the wall, and my youngest dd needed me to take her by the hand and walk through much of her lesson orally. I'm ready to do that with ds as well, just so he'll be done for the day and I can go for a walk or something.

Furthermore, I wish I weren't so negative so often on my blog. The reason is, I tend to be a bit of an Eeyore in real life as well. My background noise sounds more like penitential psalmody than twinkling fairy music, I guess.

And I suppose it's impossible to change one's basic personality. And I suppose I should channel some of these restless feelings into a nice angry bout of housework. OR a nice non-angry bout of housework. Now THAT would be an accomplishment!

But the fact is, if I were to succeed in charming the birds from the trees, I'd have bird corpses to contend with.