September « 2009 « Sidewalk Theologian

open your booty!

30 09 2009

Reuben has been cracking us up lately with the random things he says & the ways he says them. I love life with a toddler even when it can be really crazy and tiring. Here are some of the hilarious “reuben-isms” as of late:

He likes to sing baa-baa black sheep with a Beatles twist as in “baa baa black sheep, have you any wool? yeah-yeah-yeah- three bags full.” He seems to like to riff on songs, if you remember his “old mcdonald had a coffee drink” song

sitting on a giant pumpkin at Meijer gardens

He often congratulates us when we successfully use the toilet because that’s what we do for him. So often as we’re flushing, Reuben will encourage us with a “good job mommy! good job!” He’ll also tell me not to be afraid if something falls apart- as in his tower of blocks we’ve built together comes apart and he’ll say “it’s o.k. mommy, don’t be afraid!”

We were meeting for Bible study with our church care group on Sunday & we had a bunch of markers and colored pencils to highlight portions of the text. Reuben has loved playing with markers and coloring with them. And of course, he loves to color himself with these markers. So, to prevent him from doing this, Dave sat on the packet of markers to hide them from Reuben. This didn’t work & so Reuben shouted at Dave- “daddy, open your booty!” so he could get the markers Dave was sitting on I just about died.

Reuben gave his trains a "time out" the other day. When I asked why he replied "they threw them off the track." Notice how they're all facing the wall

We’ve been teaching him to pray each night as we put him to bed and ask him who he wants Jesus to bless. Typically he asks God to bless his cousins, aunts & uncles and friends. We often point out squirrels to Reuben as we run with him in the jogger stroller. One night I asked him who he wanted to bless & he replied “Jesus bless the squirrels, help them to find the nuts.” heart melt!

Any random Reuben memories you have of cute stuff he’s said or done around you?

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Tags: cute things toddlers say, fredrick meijer gardens, squirrels, toddlers
Categories : mom blogs, Reuben stories, Uncategorized

last day(s) of strive for five!

29 09 2009

So, for those of you who took my challenge to “Strive for Five” fruits and vegetables over the month of September, how did it go? I know we still technically have the rest of today & tomorrow, but I’m guessing you’re going to go the distance and eat a few extra carrots (you go mr. banana grabber man- get down with your tomato devouring self lady-friend!)

go Mr. Banana Grabber go!

This has actually been my best month yet- I think knowing that I’d photograph my sticker calendar at the end of the month to post on my blog was good motivation! Each month I try to beat my record- my best record was 18 out of 31 days eating 5 a day. This month I broke the record & went 26- not counting tomorrow! I feel proud! And more importantly, I feel healthy.

So how did it go for you guys? What was one change you noticed internally or externally when you began to strive for five? Some people have told me they’ve lost weight. Others have told me they’ve discovered they don’t actually like fruit. Still others have told me that they’ll cut up veggies now & put them on their pizza instead of just eating it with meat. All great ideas to get in your veggies! Here are the top five things I noticed for myself while I’ve done Strive for Five:

It can be too easy to fall into perfectionism when it comes to eating. A few weeks ago I went apple picking with my family & ate like, 5 apples & peaches and handfuls of raspberries in three hours. My mouth actually hurt later from all the fruit acid. Needless to say, I did NOT feel like eating any fruit the next day. I hadn’t skipped a day yet but I finally thought- “hey! I don’t need to be perfect! It’s o.k. if I have an occasional day where I don’t hit my goal!” Eating isn’t about being being perfect- it’s about enjoying what you have and exercising self-control. I should have eaten LESS fruit that day!
even gluttony with fruit can be a bad thing as my sister & I recently learned.
Indulgence feels better when you’ve earned it. I was craving chocolate chip cookies last week so I whipped up a batch. Thanks to the tip of my brilliant sister- I froze 1/2 of the dough for later. This way I’ll have the dough made the next time I want warm cookies & I also don’t have 2 dozen huge cookies laying around that I “have to eat or they’ll go bad” When I hit my goal each day, it was really nice to sit down at night with a warm cookie & milk and savor it rather than mindlessly sneak them all day and feel guilty about it later. Anyone else feel me on this one?
When I’m thinking about what I eat, I’m more thankful for my food. As my sister, Dave and our kids crouched over raspberry bushes to pick the luscious red berries, I felt so happy at the diversity of food God has given us to enjoy. I felt thankful for the farmers who grew it and the sun and rain that enabled it to bear fruit. At one point my sister started singing the doxology which she was going to sing in church the next day. If you don’t know it the words are: “praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above ye heavenly hosts! Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.” I couldn’t think of a more fitting response to a bounty of glistening raspberries picked with people whom I love.
Trying to eat more veggies helps me to be more creative with what I cook. With anything, it’s easy to fall into a rut- boring steamed broccoli on the side of your plate every night. A bag of dried out baby carrots in your lunch bag or a bruised apple. When I’m trying to consume so many veggies and fruits, I find that I begin to find new ways to use them or to try things I’ve never eaten or cooked before. Things like dragon’s lingerie beans, chinese cabbage, leeks or pickled turnips.
Planning what I eat and when I eat it curbs impulse foods. Because I’m always thinking of when I can get my next helping of fruits or veggies, it helps me to plan ahead. It’s easier to incorporate fruits or veggies when I sit down for a meal- I’ve already planned and cooked (or packed) what I’m going to eat. But the hours between 10am and 1pm and 2pm and 6pm are the times of precarious eating for me (how about you?). I typically always need a snack at some point between meals & if I remember this before I run out for an errand that will take me a few hours, I’ll grab an apple or banana that I can eat in the car. Or I’ll drink a glass of water or mug of tea and eat some carrot sticks with dip and hour or so before dinner so I’m not ravenous & end up overeating.
whether in Texas or in Michigan- drive thrus are everywhere!

Overall I’ve felt really good this month- healthy, energetic and enjoying food. I even ended up losing a few pounds! I wasn’t trying to do but is the kind of thing that seems to happen when you’re making decisions about what you eat rather than reacting to when your tummy is rumbling and you grab the first bag of chips thing in sight.

Here are some ideas I’ve had for the next month of blogs on eating/food. Would you vote for the ones you’d like to read about the most? Pick your top four & I’ll go with the top picks for the next four tuesdays in October.

What’s a portion of veggies/fruit? It can be confusing knowing how much is enough/too little. Tips for clarifying how much you should be getting.
Eating on the go/for busy people. I’ll be traveling a lot this month & have been thinking about how to keep eating healthy while on the road/in airports & figured I’m not the only one who could use help with this.
My favorite healthy (and fast recipes) to help you get your daily veggie servings. I’d love to share recipes! Best cooking resources for healthy eating. Some quick tips on wading through all the websites, magazines and cookbooks.
What’s the cost of veggies? How to get the most bang for your buck buying produce.
Getting derailed on healthy eating. How to get back on track when you’ve eaten your way through a weekend (or month) of pizza, wings, beer, cookies, ice cream…..pick your poison
Fast food- is it even possible to eat healthy when you’re going through a drive- through? Learn the best & worst fast food picks to stay on track with healthy eating.

So, pick your top 4 for this month & I’ll blog away. Way to go to everyone who did strive for five! I hope this month has set some healthy patterns into motion that will stick around for the months to come! Even if you didn’t do it this month, there’s always next month

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Tags: creative cooking, healthy eating, impulse eating, mr. banana grabber, strive for five
Categories : cooking, food, inner world, nature, Uncategorized

stray cats

28 09 2009

As I was sitting & reading in our backyard I had a knot of anxiety in my stomach that I was trying to ignore. We had just received a letter informing us that an annual grant we receive of $4,000 wouldn’t be given to us any longer. I was trying to calm down and let my mind stop spinning with questions like: how are we going to replace those funds in this crappy economy? and the questions went on and on like this until and long after I ate a raspberry cream cheese muffin and washed it down with a mug of decaf vanilla coffee. I hate when I emotionally eat

Stray cats often wander into our backyard much to the excitement of our own cats Conan O’Brian and G.K. Chesterton whose tails flick back and forth as they watch these free-roamin’ kitties from their perch on the window sill.

conan really likes playing Settlers of Catan with us, though he is a bit of a card hoarder

When I was outdoors that day reading Red Moon Rising, about the 24/7 prayer movement across the world, the sky was streaked with clouds & it was one of those glorious cool-yet-sunny autumn days. Yet I still felt anxious, stressed and tired even as the sun warmed my face. As I read through story after story of God’s faithfulness to people- to answer prayers for rain in a country that had experienced severe drought, to heal people of physical conditions, to make the impossible possible it did slightly encourage me & help me to be reminded- o.k. Jesus, even when things seem like they’re in the crapper- you are still present, you are still in control. But it still felt like- “well, you do cool things for these people, but what about the stuff that’s happening to me today?”

At one moment I heard a sound near my feet & I looked down to see one of our stray cats, white with striped spots. It was purring & nuzzling my chair, clearly longing to be petted and scratched. My heart melted- much to the chagrin of some family members, I’ve become a cat person. These stray cats never come near us, they always run away and eye us warily if we go back to the back yard to pick a tomato or let Reuben play in his sandbox. When white kitty was nuzzling my chair & I was stroking the soft while fur I just looked up to the wispy clouds & thought- “God, you knew that I needed this today, you knew I’d need to be encouraged by an unlikely presence & reminder that you care for me.” You might think I’m a total nutter to think that the God of the universe speaks to me in the form of a stray cat begging to be petted, but Jesus often shows up at weird times in my life and catches me off guard. But thats the funny thing about Jesus he cares for each of us in such deeply personal ways when we have a relationship with him! He knew that rather some deep theological truth about prayer that I was reading about, that I would be best encouraged by a white cat who almost seemed to smile showing his pink gums & pointy teeth as I scratched his chin.

umm, I look at http://icanhascheezburger.com/ every night at pictures like this. pathetic? yes.

Our instinct is to compartmentalize and polarize- God is either big and majestic, far away doing too many important things to be triflin’ with our pleas that the grocery store will still be open to buy milk & eggs. Or God is like a friend, there when we need to pour our hearts to someone who cares, someone who leaves us little notes of encouragement to say “hey, I’m thinking about you.” When I look at my life and I look at these perspectives of God I can’t help but see both. I can’t help but see a God who powerfully delivered the Israelites from slavery when they were being oppressed by the Egyptians any more than I can’t help but see a God who spoke to murderous Saul on Damascus road and asked “Saul, Saul why do you persecute me?” I can’t help but see it this way because this is what Jesus has been like in my own life- powerful and majestic and yet close as a friend. Yes, there have been times where I have felt alone and abandoned by God- but then I’m able to read a note of encouragement from Jesus himself that says “never will I leave you, never will I forsake you” even if I feel like he has. Even if it takes me a long time to feel this and not just know it.

In her book, Traveling Mercies Anne Lamott likened Jesus to a stray cat waiting outside her room to be let in. I remembered this later that day after white kitty had nuzzled up against my chair. Whether you are a “religious” or “spiritual” person, I’m guessing that if you reflect on moments in your life, even if you don’t see it recently, there have been times where it’s been like Jesus shows up like a stray cat in your life- scratching at the door wanting to be let in, hanging around letting you know he isn’t going anywhere. Eating garbage scraps out of your trash can. Oh wait, no, that’s not Jesus, just cats do that. Chalk it up to what you want, but I believe there is a majestic and personal God named Jesus who would love nothing more than for you to acknowledge his presence in your life.

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Tags: anne lamott, crazy cat people, i can has cheezeburger, israelites in slavery, red moon rising, saul's damascus road conversion, settlers of catan, traveling mercies
Categories : books, jesus, pets and animals, spirituality, Uncategorized

friday fluff day- ArtPrize!!

25 09 2009

We watched a gem miner last night in live action during ArtPrize competition, the worlds largest art competition taking place in Grand Rapids, MI. Our uber-creative friend and artist Adam Wolpa sculped a gem mine and then did performance art to “mine” the gems, shining a light on the sparkly rocks and gems. It was so creative and beautiful! Thumbs WAY up Wolpa!

mr. miner, Adam Wolpa

vote up for wolpa!

We were treated to the performance art piece as Adam mined the gems. Showing nightly at 7:30 on Division!

There were so many beautiful sculptures and paintings scattered across outdoor downtown Grand Rapids and tucked into boutiques, coffeeshops and churches. What’s really cool is that the public votes on the piece that they like best and the winner gets $250,000! It is definitely worth checking out if you are around in the next few weeks- plus, it’s free! That was a nice perk for Dave and I to enjoy, plus we got to walk around instead of sitting on our butts eating a giant tub of popcorn at the movies Here are some shots of pieces that we enjoyed- check out the ArtPrize website to see more (and better shots):

there was everything from the bizarre to the beautiful at ArtPrize

this picture doesn't really capture the coolness of this water wheel that acted as a moving picture machine as well. It's located in front of the Gerald R. Ford museum

this piece by Mario Moore is entitled "The Mother"

I was especially moved by the piece pictured above. Check out Mario’s profile to see more of his paintings. I always feel so invigorated after spending time looking at art- whether disturbing, abstract or impeccably detailed. When I spend time in a gallery or even just looking at books about artwork, something inside me feels like it’s unlocked, like the things I can’t even put words to are expressed in the images or sculptures I see. I’m amazed at the creativity God has given to so many people that give us a mirror to experience the world in a different way. Even if you can’t make it to GR to see the pieces in person, clicking through some of the pieces on the ArtPrize website will provide a window to the talented people who have graced GR with their creativity.

Dave and I capped off the night with a visit to the Ritz Coney Island (so- no tubs of popcorn, just chili-cheese fries & hotdogs

yummmmm.

I swear, I could eat hotdogs everyday if I let myself.

What are your plans for the weekend? Any movies you’re looking forward to seeing? Projects you’re hoping to complete? People you’re going to see? Hotdogs you’re going to eat?

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Tags: adam wolpa, artprize, grand rapids, mario moore, ritz coney hotdogs
Categories : art, dating, Uncategorized

am I getting stupider?

24 09 2009

When I was about to graduate from Michigan State University I was afraid of my brain turning to mush in the 9-5 world so I asked one of my professors “what can I do to make sure I don’t get stupider after college?” Dr. Kotzin, a wizened Jewish woman whom I had taken an intro to philosophy class & a class on Aristotle would wheel her briefcase down the busy sidewalk to her office as I asked her questions about class and feminist theory. When I asked her the question, she looked at me intently and with a little chuckle said “keep reading, don’t ever stop reading!”

“Aristotle maintained that women have fewer teeth than men; although he was twice married, it never occurred to him to verify this statement by examining his wives' mouths.” -Bertrand Russell

About two years ago I was invited to join a book club with some women from the Grand Rapids area. They invited me in as their “token outsider” as I began calling myself. By this I mean that I was and am the only one in the group that didn’t go to Calvin College or work at Calvin College- in case you didn’t know, Grand Rapids is dutchy-dutch-ville and everyone seems to be connected through Calvin College somehow. We dubbed ourselves “read wine” as in- “we read the book and now we’ll have a glass of wine and discuss it!” get it? the past tense of read sounds like red, as in red wine! Nerd alert!

Last night we met to discuss the book “The Memory Keepers Daughter” a disturbing and beautifully written book about the secrets that destroyed a family. It reminded me a lot of Revolutionary Road.

thumbs up! I'm such a cheeseball...

Book club is mostly a chance to hang out with friends, eat and drink yummy things but also to make sure we aren’t getting stupider by reading and discussing books regularly. o.k. so we really just talk about old Saved By The Bell Episodes and the blogs we read. Some of our favorite books have been:

the legacy of the architect of the Chicago World's fair & the mayhem of a serial killer who lured women there to murder them! creepy, true yet fascinating!

Eat, Pray, Love- we loved her writing- didn't like her as a person so much! This book will give you the travel bug!

Eat, Pray, Love- we loved Elizabeth Gilbert's writing- didn't some of the choices she made! This book will give you the travel bug!

loved this book! you can check out her blog at www.orangette.blogspot.com. So many great recipes!

notice a pattern? We've really liked reading books about FOOD! When we do this, we'll usually make recipes from the book we've read.

We typically just come with recommendations we’ve heard from others, check the NYT bestseller list or NPR’s recommendations. We’ve felt like Oprah led us astray with her recommendation of “Love in a time of Cholera” which none of us liked, so we don’t trust Oprahs’ pics so much anymore.

thumbs down Oprah! Boo to Love in the Time of Cholera!

Next month we’ll be reading Stealing Buddhas Dinner which is a memoir set here in Grand Rapids, MI! You can bet we’ll be making some Vietnamese food or Asian food in the very least! Anyone have any good recipes that would be a nice addition to the night? What has been a book you’re really enjoyed recently? Yours for watching Saved By the Bell reruns getting smarter every day.

Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: a homemade life, animal vegetable miracle, aristotle, book clubs, devil in the white city, eat pray love, love in the time of cholera, New York Times Bestseller list, Oprah's book club, stealing buddhas dinner
Categories : books, food, friendship, Uncategorized

subversive humility

23 09 2009

Stick it to the man- learn how to subvert the system through practicing humility. Check out my podcast to learn how at the link below!

when I wasn't preaching we got to enjoy some time hiking as a family

I initially preached out of this passage, Phillipians 2 at Cedar Campus to a group of about 200 college students from InterVarsity chapters across Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. Recently I spoke on this same topic at my church, Madison Square in Grand Rapids, MI where this was recorded. My pastor who introduces me at the beginning of this recording even plugged my blog much to my amusement and surprise! Enjoy!

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Tags: cedar campus, grand rapids, madison square church, MI, phillipians 2, subversive humility
Categories : inner world, jesus, sheer vanity, spirituality, Uncategorized

with a little help from my friends (or how I lost 20 lbs)

22 09 2009

I’ve been having so much fun doing strive for five with you guys! It almost makes me not want to stop blogging about it on Tuesdays in October when we’ll shift our focus to a spiritual challenge! I was thinking about possibly continuing to blog about food/eating/recipes/being healthy on another day because I’ve personally enjoyed it & have loved hearing from many of you how strive for five has been going & the creative things you’ve been doing to challenge yourself to eat healthier. So what do you think- keep blogging about food stuff on another day besides Tuesdays? In October we’ll focus on the challenge of integrating prayer into our daily routine but I’d love to help keep us encouraged to continue healthy eating habits. Let me know what you think!

My sweet friend Michelle sent me this email recently & I asked her if I could post it in my blog today to encourage others:

Hi Jessica,

I just wanted you to know how much I appreciated your blog about striving for five. I’ve been taking your challenge seriously for over a week now, and lost 2.8 pounds last week! I’ve been following Weight Watchers, but never really paid attention to their suggestion to get 5 servings in each day. I can’t believe the difference… especially in my mindset. Instead of thinking about what I should be avoiding, I’m thinking about when I’m going to eat my servings. It really has made a massive change in me… hopefully to stay. Anyway, just thought you’d like to hear it!

Thanks, girl!
Michelle

words of affirmation are one of the ways I feel most loved so this meant a lot to me! I hope it encourages you too- to either start doing strive for five or to keep at it! With women, so much can be about competition and comparison especially when it comes to our bodies. I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t struggle with this at times especially when I see how cute skinny jeans look on other people but am horrified that they seemingly magnify the size of my thighs so that I look like a giant pair of thighs with a head floating above them.

Michelle’s email was particularly encouraging for me both because it’s nice to know that what I’m writing isn’t just floating out there into blog abyss. But it was also encouraging because Michelle is a writer, and the author of this awesome book Wanting to Be Her: Body Image Secrets that Victoria Won’t Tell You.

we are bombarded with images that make us dissatisfied with ourselves.

I’m thankful that many of the women I interact with encourage each other to make healthy choices rather than make those offhand digs that you often find in conversations. You know what I’m talking about- “wow, those jeans look great on you! you must eat nothing besides celery!” “I could never get away with a dress like that!” ugh. I hate comments like this- is there any diplomatic way to respond?

A few of the biggest encouragements for me have been the women who love to eat and to enjoy life while doing so in moderation. That’s the key right? Yet it is so rare to find. The women in my book club love to eat and try new foods- we’re meeting this Wednesday to discuss “The Memory Keepers Daughter” (awesome book!). I can’t wait to see what everyone brings for us to snack on! My mom and sister have also been a great encouragement too- both of them love to cook and are really creative in the kitchen- I am amazed at the stuff my sister can just whip up! We have all had our struggles with a healthy perspective on weight in some way or another but it’s been great to have family members that try to balance the enjoyment of pecan pie at Thanksgiving with a healthy serving of asparagus during the meal. Lastly, I stumbled upon a blog called Carrots n’ Cake- a food blog devoted to healthy balance when I was looking for a Real Simple recipe a few months ago. Tina, the blogger simply writes about her daily food & exercise choices & for whatever reason it is so motivating to see what this is like in the life of a regular person- not in the pages of a slick magazine or on the latest episode of Access Hollywood. I read Tina’s blog regularly & it’s been a fun way to see different ways to eat oatmeal (who knew there could be so many possibilities!) and learn about new foods or workouts. When I found this site I forwarded the link to all my girlfriends because I enjoyed it so much!

Who are people in your life that help you to make healthy choices? One of the biggest struggles can feel like you’re doing it alone- without the help of people at your gym, workplace, family or friends. So let’s keep encouraging each other!

Comments : 3 Comments »
Tags: carrots & cake, i wish i could wear skinny jeans, love languages, strive for five, wanting to be her
Categories : exercise, food, jesus, Uncategorized

finding my voice in Adventureland

21 09 2009

Recently Dave and I watched adventureland the latest flick from the Judd Apatow click directed by Greg Mottola who worked with Apatow on Superbad.

adventureland-poster-final-fullsize

While I’ve seen most of Apatow’s movies- (I actually went into labor the night my husband and I saw Knocked Up in the theatre) this was much more of a dark comedy than we expected it to be. Most of the Apatow crew movies are coming of age stories cloaked in raunchy earthy humor & I think one of the reasons they’re so popular are because of the sweetness that lies interspersed with the ahem, earthiness. In Adventureland, set in the 1980′s the main character Jesse Eisenburg plays James, a recent college graduate who due to his parent’s financial misfortunes isn’t able to go backpacking in Europe before beginning grad school at Columbia. Though he spiffs up his resume to apply for jobs (which he’s never had because of his parents wealth) he’s left with few options besides working at a crappy amusement park called Adventureland.

There is a lot I could say about this movie- I liked how it captured the despair and the feeling of being trapped between the weird stage in life of becoming independent yet still making poor choices. But the other thing that lingered in my mind as I watched Jesse Eisenburg awkwardly interact with the other Adventureland employees was; “wait- why does he seem so familiar?” and then it hit me- because this seems so much like the characters Michael Cera plays.

eisenburg left, cera right- these guys even look alike.

If you don’t know who Michael Cera is- watch this episode of Arrested Development on hulu & you’ll get hooked on his comic awkwardness. Seriously, stop reading my blog and watch it now. Back to Adventureland…it was a little annoying feeling like I was seeing a Michael Cera clone uncomfortably relate to the girl he liked- but then I felt bad for him, knowing that there were probably a lot more people, critics who probably thought and wrote the same thing. And there were.

This got me thinking about how difficult it is to find your own voice. I can’t even imagine how nervewracking it must be to be an actor who constantly sees other people putting their own spin on a character and thinking- “shoot- that’s a lot better than I can do” or “maybe I should try that tone of voice.” This past sunday one of the pastors at our church, Joy Bonnema preached a sermon on finding our identity. It made me think of the comparisons between these two actors who are just trying to find their own voice and share it with others on the big screen. From all I can tell, Jesse Eisenburg is just trying to do his thang as much as Michael Cera is- but it’s human nature to criticize and compare. And it’s in our nature to do the same without remembering that the person we’re criticizing, (even if it’s harsh critique of ourselves) is loved and created by God.

Joy shared about her struggle to remember the voice that’s most important to listen to in her life. Despite all her accomplishments doubts and anxiety still nagged her and she would find herself either despairing over what she felt she hadn’t done right or focusing solely on plowing through the tasks that lay ahead of her. Listen to the sermon to hear her story because she does a lot better job telling it than I can recount it here.You can click here to listen to a podcast of it or just go to this website and click on the top sermon to listen to it.

I felt so encouraged throughout the service as Joy challenged us to be reminded both who we are and whose we are. At the end of her sermon she invited all of us to come forward to grab a sharpie that had been laid out and write on our hands “in Christ” as a reminder that no matter what we have done or have left undone- it’s whose we are that matters most. No matter what I think of myself, no matter how I screw up or the amazing things I may do someday- whose I am is far more important than what I can produce, the insecurities that tell me I’m should just keep quiet and not let my voice be heard, or even the criticism people have of me (oh, and they do- because there will always be haters out there). When we are found in Christ his presence becomes like a force-field of love in our hearts allowing us to say “peace” when someone tries to stun us with criticism. To say “joy” when we feel like we are crumbling inside. To say “hope” when we see the pain in the world. And we can say these things not because we have love enough to make it happen- but because he loves us enough to make it true for us and the world.

And yes you did read that right- I said “force-field of love.” Is there anything wrong with a little sci-fi nerdiness thrown in with the Jesus love? I think not. That’s just what you’ll find on Sidewalk Theologian.

Discuss- is Jesus stronger than Jessica Alba in Fantastic Four?

Discuss- could Jesus create a stronger force field than Jessica Alba in Fantastic Four?

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Tags: adventureland, forcefields, identity, jesse eisenburg, Jessica Alba, joy bonnema's awesome preaching, Judd Apatow, michael cera
Categories : inner world, jesus, movies, pop culture, Uncategorized

friday fluff day (aka- jillian, boots, leeks)

18 09 2009

This week felt craaazy long! Good thing I had the tears of Jillian, the inspiration of sweet leather boots & the yumminess of leeks to help see me through.

So- did anyone watch The Biggest Loser (TBL) premiere this week? I was starting to feel a cold beginning to set in so I curled up on the couch & caught the last 1/2 of TBL and was ASTOUNDED to see Jillian crying during the weigh in! TBL is the only reality TV I watch, mostly because I love seeing how as people’s external worlds are transformed by weight loss, their internal world changes too & they begin to become a different person. Also, this past spring I met Pete Thomas at one of my friends birthday parties & got to hear about his experience as a contestant on TBL. Pete is a cool guy despite the fact that he roots for U of M!

Abby (below), one of this season’s contestants shared that despite personal tragedy of losing people close to her, she wanted to press on in her life to be her best self and that death would be an easier option than doing the hard work of losing weight.

Abby's determination brought Jillian to tears during her weigh in this past Tuesday

As Abby worked through her tears Jillian teared up & shared “I’ve always said, if I lost someone close to me, I would just kill myself. Watching Abby walk through her losses and press on will make me a stronger person too.” Wow. It’s moments like this that really hit me- Jillian is famous, beautiful, healthy, rich & accomplished….

the infamous Jillian Michaels!

…and yet she still said she’d kill herself if someone close to her died. After watching this my two thoughts were- despite all you have in life no amount of stuff, beauty or accomplishments can take the place of people you love. No amount of stuff can help us cope with personal tragedy when we are grieving- not even someone like Jillian. My second thought was that I am AMAZED at the human capacity for hope! I’m speaking at U of M Flint on the topic “is there hope” in a few weeks & so I’ve been thinking a lot about hope lately. Abby lost her family in a car accident yet she is still hoping for a full & healthy life. This just seems like the grace of God helping Abby to press on & the grace of God to Jillian to see someone else pressing on despite tragedy. This is also why we need community- to help us keep on’ keepin’ on when we are giving up hope. I was inspired!

On to more fluff!! There are a million things I could write about why I love September and autumn in general, but one of my other favorite things is the transition from flip-flops to boots! I have always been a bit of a shoe horse & God knows where I’d be if I actually made enough money to indulge in the footwear I ogle online when I’m fantasizing about the latest pair of Manolo’s! Here are a couple that I’m really digging right now:

macys.com- these would be so cute with leggings & a dress!

i love these cowboy boots! They would look so cute with a pair of electric blue tights I have.

payless.com- I'm always surprised what kind of cute stuff payless has.

Ahhhh. I could look at boots/try on boots/dream about boots all day. Whenever Dave and I visit his family in Ithaca, NY I love going to Fontana’s Shoes in collegetown next to Cornell. They have an amazing selection of beautiful footwear. One Christmas awhile ago my in-laws took me there to pick out a pair of boots for myself after the ones they ordered online for me didn’t fit. I happily ended up with these:

the "tetra launch" cute, weatherproff & goretex lines- what more could you ask for?

Shoes have been and probably will be one of my favorite presents to receive My brother gave me a pair of sling-back maryjanes for Christmas when I was in 10th grade- still probably one of my favorite gifts, along with the pair of boots pictured above Thanks guys for hooking me up with snazzy footwear!

On to the leeks!..

One of my commitments during strive for five during the month of September is to try a new fruit or veggie each week. We started getting leeks in our CSA share & though I’ve eaten things with leeks in them, I’ve never cooked one myself. This is again where I love the Simply in Season cookbook- it tells you how to process each of the fruits and veggies that are in the recipes in the cookbook. I decided to make potato leek soup from In Season cookbook this week.

freak-a-leek

chopped & simmering.....

The onion-y smell of the leek and the potatoes cooking together brought back memories of my Grandmother Leep’s kitchen. She was the wife of a potato farmer & always had something delicious on the stove. The soup ended up being velvety creamy & tasted great with the loaf of rye bread I had made in our bread machine earlier that day. We also had some sliced yellow tomatoes & cucumbers on the side.

you could probably leave it chunky but it was so deliciously creamy after blending it.

i loves me some rye bread....

If you’re interested in making this, or a soup like it, check allrecipes.com for potato leek soup options. Or just see if your local library has this cookbook like I did.

So, what celeb stories/tv shows/fashion/recipes have you been enticed by this week? What are you looking forward to this weekend? On Saturday my family & I are going apple picking at an orchard- hopefully we’ll still be able to snag some peaches & raspberries too! Happy Friday!

Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: biggest loser, boots, creamy soup, jillian, pete thomas, potato leek soup, rye bread
Categories : fashion, food, inner world, random things I like, sheer vanity, Uncategorized

We should mate, uh, I mean date!

17 09 2009

Doesn’t dating make you crazy sometimes? I was out with some girlfriends awhile ago on a Saturday night at Republic and as we were watching the brigade of mini-skirt clad ladies make their way upstairs, primly holding stems of martini glasses to make sure not to spill, we mused on life as married women who have taken ourselves off the meat market.

“I’m so glad that I don’t have to get hooched up anymore hoping to hook up with a guy when I go out!” quipped one of my friends as she popped a salted edamame out of it’s fuzzy pod and into her mouth. “Yeah, it gets so tiresome hoping you’ll find someone- I don’t miss that at all” chimed in my other friend. ”true- but remember the anticipation of getting ready to go out? Not knowing what will happen, who you’ll meet, where the night will end up? I replied. Now when we get ready to go out, we’re usually with our husbands and there’s no anticipation. You know you’ll go home, have sex and then go to sleep.” We all were silent for a minute, listening to the clink of glasses and the soft thump of techno music in the background- probably thinking about the difference of how it felt anticipating a night out with your spouse instead of a night out with, well anyone you might meet. “yeah” said one of my girlfriends nodding wistfully. “true” said another one smiling.

Despite the feelings or ideas that single people are having more fun, better sex and are free to generally enjoy life more, there has been numerous books written on the topic of married sex from all sorts of perspectives- sociologial, psychologial and spiritual. A quick amazon search of “married sex” yielded these books results:

The Case for Marriage: why married people are happier, healthier, and better off financially

Intended for Pleasure: Sex Technique and Sexual Fulfillment in Christian Marriage

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus: The Classic Guide to Understanding the Opposite Sex

One of my friends Lorilee has written books on “how to keep the spark alive” once you’re married, and especially if you have kids in books like Date Night in a Minivan and the one below:

check out http://www.lorileecraker.com/ for more of her books!

The truth is that sometimes when you’re married it can feel a lot like the quote from Ben Stiller’s character in Dodgeball that I used for the title of this blog “we should mate, I mean date” than the exciting gut-wrenching anticipation of dating as a single person. Though research claims that Married People have better sex than single people- a bunch of data doesn’t really do much to spice up your love life!

Lorilee and I joked awhile ago that shows like The Bachelor or Bachelorette should throw couples in real life situations rather than these crazy idealistic and romantic situations! How’s this for a plot line: “a bachelor sees which 12 women he best connects with as they figure out how to divide household chores, cook dinner together and babysit a toddler.” I think it’d be like a cross between SuperNanny/WifeSwap/and The Bachelor

Last week Dave and I went on a date to the sixth street bridge park in Grand Rapids. We packed a picnic of sandwiches, veggies and dip, homemade dilly potato salad that Dave had made earlier that day. Rather than just doing paper plates and plastic forks, we wrapped our real plates, glasses and cutlery in blue cloth napkins and tucked a blanket into the bag to sit on while we enjoyed dinner.

there is a sweet little park overlooking this bridge and the river of downtown GR

As we sipped wine from the vineyard in Ithaca, NY we visited on my birthday we enjoyed the sunlight glinting off the Grand River, the clouds drifting through the blue sky and the sound of cars creaking over the historic bridge. I simply felt content and happy.

six mile creek vineyard is such a quaint place- check it out at http://www.sixmilecreek.com/

It was so enjoyable to sit and relax uninterrupted conversation, take a break from the routine of life, catch up with things we’d been thinking about and just savor each others company. Thank God for grandparents who love to babysit! We walked around downtown GR & listened to some music that was playing outdoors & then headed to dairy queen where we got some dessert. This date cost a total of $4.51! Sometimes I think that the things that are the simplest can be the most enjoyable because there isn’t so much hype around them to have them “feel special.”

So, if you’re married what are ways you’ve enjoyed “dating” your spouse? Whether you’re married or single, what has been one of your favorite dates lately? If you’re not dating- what did you do with a friend lately that made you feel loved and appreciated?

Comments : 4 Comments »
Tags: ben stiller, dating, dodgeball, grand rapids, intended for pleasure, lorilee craker, married sex, men are from mars, MI, six mile creek vineyard, sixth street bridge, the case for marriage, women are from venus
Categories : dating, food, friendship, marriage, sex, Uncategorized

Sidewalk Theologian