Sundays with Jean

Dave and i are almost caught up with our reading after our travels! Here are a few favorite quotes from our recent reading.

Some of my favorite Augustine quotes:

"O man! Learn by precept what you ought to do; learn by rebuke that it is by your own fault that you have it not; learn by prayer whence you may receive what you have to desire."

To will is of nature, but to will aright is of grace.
(1.5.14)

Unless God helps, we shall be able neither to conquer nor to fight.
(1.5.14)

And some clear Calvin:

If anyone wants a clearer answer, here it is: God works in his elect in two ways: within, through his Spirit; without, through his Word.

...God's majesty is too lofty to be attained by mortal men, who are like grubs crowling upon the earth.
(1.6.4)

For the Lord then freely bestows all things upon us so as to add to the full measure of his kindness this gift also: that not rejecting our imperfect obedience, but rather supplying what is lacking to complete it, he causes us to receive the benefit of the promises of the law as if we had fulfilled their condition.
(1.7.4)

For if by the law coventousness is not dragged from its lair, it destroys wretched man so secretly that he does not even feel its fatal stab.
(2.7.6)

This means that, dismissing the stupid opinion of their own strength, they come to realize that they stand and are upheld by God's hand alone; that, naked and empty-handed, they flee to his mercy, repose entirely in it, hide deep within it, and seize upon it alone for righteousness and merit.
(1.7.8)

Now, the law has the power to exhort believers. This is not a power to bind their consciences with a curse, but one to shake off their sluggishness, by repeatedly urging them, and to pinch them awake to their imperfections.
(1.7.14)

Consecrate the secular...

If worldlings desecrate the holy, then let Christians consecrate the secular.
~George Grant

Warm food for a cold day

This morning we awoke to several inches of snow on top of several inches of ice. And Dave's work is cancelled, so we are having a bonafide snow day even though it is almost April! Last night as the cold front began blowing in, I had a a hankering for warm food, and several requests have come in for recipes. So, here is last night's dinner. It's a good one for chilly weather!

Pide (Turkish flat bread)
This recipe is courtesy of Elsa, who retrieved it from a web site somewhere and thought it very much like what she ate in Turkey. We loved it.

1 pkg yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 3/4 cup warm milk
4 cups flour
1 TBS salt
1 TBS olive oil

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in 1/4 cup of the warm milk. Stir well to dissolve, and let sit and bubble for 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour and salt. (I might use a little less salt next time...) Add in the bubbly yeast mixture and the rest of the warm milk. Mix, then place on a lightly floured surface and knead about 5-10 minutes, until smooth. Coat the inside of a clean bowl with some of the olive oil, place dough in bowl, and top with the rest of the olive oil. Cover with a damp tea towel and allow to rise about 1.5 hours.

Punch down the dough to remove the air, then cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Knead each piece and shape into a ball shape. Cover with damp tea towel and let rest another 15 minutes, then roll out each one with a rolling pin until flattened and thin. Poke several holes in each pide with a fork. (Next time, I will poke a bit more vigorously.) Place each pide on parchment paper on a cookie sheet, and bake in a 450 degree oven that has a dish of water place in the bottom, for about 10 minutes. Then enjoy!

Lentil-Barley Stew (this is one of my standards from the More-with-Less Cookbook)

Saute 1/4 C. margarine, 3/4 C. chopped celery and 3/4 C. chopped onoin in a large pot. (Alternatively, brown pork sausage or pork shoulder, draining most of the grease, then add the onion and celery and cook until soft.)

Add 6 C. water and 3/4 C. lentils, and cook for 20 minutes.

Add 1 qt diced tomatoes (I use a little more, about 2 14-oz cans), 3/4 Cup barley or brown rice (we LOVE the barley!), 2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, 1/2 tsp. rosemary, and 1/2 tsp. garlic salt. Simmer for 45-60 minutes.

5 minutes before serving, add 1/2 C. shredded carrots. Enjoy!

Wilted Spinach Salad
This is something new I tried last night, and liked!

Heat a little olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of your frying pan) Add a clove of garlic, crushed or chopped, and heat for a few minutes. (I think you could add a little onion here, too, and it would be good.) Add several handfuls of fresh baby spinach- enough to feed your family. Toss and heat this until the spinach is wilted slightly. Turn off heat, and add a little balsamic vinegar (we used white balsamic last night, and it was yummy!) In a small bowl toss fresh, diced veggies, dried fruit and nuts. (Last night we used cucumbers, cashews, snap peas and craisins). Serve the spinach on a plate or bowl, topped with the veggie/fruit/nut mixture. An added benefit is that the dressing is GREAT to dip the hot pide in!

Now I have to think of another warm, inspiring meal for tonight.

Ben's baby

No, it's not a REAL baby... it's an electric guitar and amplifier! We were treated to mini-concerts while in Bloomington. His playing is always improving, but I must confess that I am glad he and the guitar and amp are now living with Elsa...

A visit with B & E

It's hard to believe that our long-awaited visit with Ben and Elsa is already over. It was such a joy to see them in their native environs, and to get to "know" them better as a couple.

Here are the other three gathered around the breakfast table. Elsa has made their little townhouse a real home.



Dave had time to help Ben with a few household chores.


We enjoyed some great museums, like the Art Museum in Indianapolis, and below, the home of the first president of Indiana University, which is being restored to its mid-1800's style.


We also visited the Lilly Library on campus at IU, and enjoyed its amazing puzzle collection. Below, Dave and Ben put their minds together on one of the puzzles.


We also enjoyed walking around the beautiful IU campus. We were just a little early to see the magnolias in full bloom, but we enjoyed the daffodils and the small star magnolias. For more of my photos around campus, look here.


Perhaps the best part of the trip, aside from spending time with B & E, was seeing their church and how plugged-in they have become. We really enjoyed attending worship and spending an evening with their fellowship group. We had a wonderful trip!

Absence

I hope you will be patient, Gentle Readers, with my lack of communication while in Indiana. We are having a lovely time being part of Ben and Elsa's life here in Bloomington for a week, and there is not much time nor easy access to the computer!

Yesterday we enjoyed a wonderful Sabbath....We enjoyed worship at B&E's church, had a lovely dinner made by E, and enjoyed a fascinating time at the home of David and Carole Canfield, who host the small group B&E attend on Sundays. In addition to the brilliant Dr. Canfield, the group includes two PhD classicist students (one who is from Sri Lanka), and B & E. The conversation was full and enjoyable, if sometimes over my head. But what a treat to be included in their lives in this way!

Tomorrow we will head back to NM late in the day. And then normal posts about the boring details of my life should resume.

Having fun

I am enjoying time in Bloomington with Ben and Elsa. Dave is on work-related travel, so mostly I had a date all day long with my eldest son! We played music for each other, browsed through book stores and game stores, met Elsa for a lunch picnic on the beautiful IU campus (in 70-degree weather, beside blooming magnolia trees!), played games, and now will end the night early with a bit of reading (on my and Elsa's part) and guitar playing by Ben.

Tomorrow, we head up to Indianapolis to pick up Dave and check out the Indy Art Museum.

What a blessing it is to have this time!