In my kitchen...

  I have a little obsessive compulsion when it come to the handling of uncooked meat.  While I am not to the degree of carnophobia, and I wouldn't classify myself as having a fear or phobia of germs, I am very careful when handling meat in my kitchen.

Don't ask Aaron though, he thinks I'm crazy.


I always imagined it as though the juices from raw meat were like red paint.  If you weren't careful you could end up with red paint all over the place.  The knife and cutting board of course, but think about even the sink handles and the soap dispenser, the counter tops, the sink! Hopefully no one is running back and forth between the kitchen and the grill (oh that just opens up a whole 'nother world of spreadage)!!

I use a glass cutting board.  I know, I know, it dulls your knives (controversial), but I first used one at my parents' house, that makes it okay.  My own wooden and plastic cutting boards just never cleaned up as nice.  I could never get those "softer" boards, with all their cuts and groves to get as clean as I would've liked.  Glass on the other hand...and its shiny-always a plus!

 When I am cleaning up I have a little soap on the side of the sink I put there before I started so I don't have to touch the soap dispenser.  I wash my hands. Twice.  Clean what I have used as well as the counter surface-and this is where Aaron thinks I'm crazy-then I sterilize the sponge I used to clean by microwaving it for 30 seconds. 

I'll admit, I may be on the extreme side, but what a little neurosis in the hopes of keeping my family healthy?

Anyone want to come over for dinner?

Exodus 33:7-11

Have you ever had a passage of scripture just stick with you for a while? You keep thinking about it and turning it over again and again in your mind?  I have been really stuck on a passage from the book of Exodus lately, "stuck" in a good way, but stuck I am.  So I'll share why this has grabbed ahold of me.


You can read the passage here if you like.  Basically, its just after God brought the people of Israel out of Egypt, they have witnessed so much of His power in Egypt, then His provision thus far on their journey in the desert.  Now they have been set apart for God and after vowing faithfulness they wait for Moses to come down from the mountain where God is.  Moses takes longer than they thought and the people lose faith, they persuade Aaron to make for them an idol (and that is a whole other subject!) and we all pretty much know that didn't turn out well.  


So anyway, after that Moses set up a tent, outside of camp and called it "the tent of meeting".  In Exodus 33:7 it says that "everyone who sought the LORD" would go to the tent.  And then the next verse tells about how when Moses was going out to the tent all the people would stand in the entrance of his own tent and watch Moses walk out there.  When Moses would enter the tent, the pillar of cloud (representing God) would come and rest at the entrance of the tent and God would speak with Moses.  All those people watching Moses, standing at the entrance of their own tents would see that cloud and they would worship.


There is such imagery in this passage to me.  Moses walking through the camp with everyone getting up and standing in the doorways of their tents watching him.  Maybe millions of people waiting to see that God still was with them in some way. All those people worshiping at that sight.  


But what struck me was the repeated reference of the people standing, watching, worshiping from their doorways.  


Also, at verse 11 you see Joshua, it says that when Moses would leave the tent that Joshua stayed. He stayed at the tent of meeting. 


And this is what I have been mulling: The contrast between the people in the their doorways worshiping God from afar, and Joshua who stayed as near to God's presence as he could. 


 At first I was just blown away by Joshua, and my first inclination was to want to ask Who am I more like? Do I stand in a doorway trying to worship God from where I am most comfortable, or am I like Joshua-staying as close to God as I can?  


But then I realized (and this is the awesome part!) I'm not like the either one, I can admire Joshua for what he did, and even sympathize with the Israelites' insecurities.  I'm not even like Moses, who was able to talk with God face-to-face, like a friend.  


I am a child of God, I have access to His throne 24 hours a day.  He lives inside of me. He lives inside of me! Praise God. 


Has anything stuck with you lately?

The Paris Wife

I've been thinking of Hemingway lately. Remembering the trip to the Keys when I was in High School and visiting Hemingway's house. Cats everywhere.

Also, on my sister-in-law's recommendation, I recently read A Moveable Feast by Hemingway. For the first time. How does that happen? I really enjoyed it!

I am now interested in this book:

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

Have you heard of it?

To read the story behind the line: "I wish I had died before I loved anyone but her."

I'm going to read this book.

Easter is coming!

Do you know her?

She measured her expectations and sprinkled her hopes with little flourishes. Crying her heart into the onions and peeling potatoes with her frustrations.

Patience learned waiting for a boil, precision in her temperatures, confidence in bold strokes; she purified her spirit as she washed lettuce, emerging also fresh and bright.

She sought solace in familiarity. She tasted the world off the end of her spoon, travelling tiny adventures in her spice cabinet.

Her spirits lifted with the aromas that wafted from her kitchen, carrying along with them all her pleasure and love to those who would receive them.

With the exhalation of that drawn breath, a lightening of an unnamed or unrecognized burden, and the trace of a smile.

2010 Christmas pictures

The Bonner cousins

The Boys

Luke & Joel

The Girls

Madison & Hannah

Anybody out there?

I haven't been blogging lately-SORRY! (That is IF anyone is reading this...) 

I have been very busy lately.
I couldn't think of anything to post.
My camera died and my keyboard stopped working.
The boys were suddenly very shy.

There really is no excuse. I thought about deleting this blog and just focusing on Facebook, but I like the blog better, and honestly, I've been more and more aware of just what Facebook owns and doesn't own...hmm.

So, I vow, I plan, I hope to be putting more pictures, video and other fun stuff up here soon and often! Come back!

Joel is learning Spanish too!

Learning to say "No" in Spanish

Luke's Spanish 3

Luke's Spanish 2

Luke's Spanish 1

Joel Praying

Joel counting

Joel singing his ABC's