Color My World

...no not the old Chicago song, silly. I just heard the song the other night as we were enjoying the company of good friends. It took me back to high school in a flash. But that's not what I want to talk about today.

Color is important to me. It speaks to me. In my home, in my fashion, in my mind....it's all about vivacious, expressive color. Color creates an environment and invites an experience. Color says to the mind - relax or get moving or change or love, or just so many other things.

I can recall vividly several times where fashion color got me into trouble. I would show up to a function in an area of the country where people choose to wear clothes the same color as the dirt and dust where they live. I don't get that. Don't you people see the need to add a little COLOR???!!! . Like red, or purple or blue? God made those colors too and I don't think I see any black, brown or grey in His rainbow of promise.

Taken from the airplane as we landed in Denver. I've never seen a rainbow that came straight out of a cloud and touched the ground.

On these occasions I would be dressed like a usually am with some degree of vibrant color. I would like the way I looked until the pressure of their dullness would make me feel like crawling under a rock. Or turning into a chameleon so I could morph to one of their "earthy" colors and disappear into the landscape. It's just so confusing to me.

I'm not sure why I'm so drawn to color. It just trips my trigger. All I know is that I'm easily bored with neutrals. I just want to ask why? Why would you choose so much absence when there is so much presence at your fingertips?

I'm striving to make that true from the inside out. Why would I choose so much neutral - in my beliefs, values, relationships, work - when there is so much "color" at my fingertips. It makes me want to pursue a purple, blue, green, yellow and red. I want to chase after passion, peace, growth, happiness and courage.

If you're a person that likes neutrals - please! just tell me why??

Hymn Hum

I pray this blesses you today.

Be Thou My Vision

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee, Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for my fight,
Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight.
Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tower.
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heav'ns Son!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.

Bite Size Brain Snack

Chew on this one...

"The absence of opportunity is not necessarily the presence of virtue."

Agree or disagree? Let me hear from you.

Rich Words

I love all kinds of music and listen to a pretty wide variety of stuff. On the menu for me may be anything from country(appetizer) to pop (salad) to Christian (main course) to oldies (dessert). Among the Christian music I love to absorb are some of the old hymns of the faith. They rock my spirit to the core with their bedrock theology,doctrine and hope. I'm always reminded of who I am, who God is and how He wants me to know and interact with Him. From time to time I'd like to share the words from those songs that challenge, sooth, and direct my thoughts toward my God.

Hum along if you like or just read thoughtfully let the words fall on your heart.

It Is Well with My Soul

Horatio G. Spafford, 1873

1. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
   When sorrows like sea billows roll;
   Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
   It is well, it is well, with my soul.
   • Refrain:
     It is well, with my soul,
     It is well, it is well, with my soul.
2. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
   Let this blest assurance control,
   That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
   And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
3. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
   My sin, not in part but the whole,
   Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
   Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
4. For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
   If Jordan above me shall roll,
   No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
   Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
5. But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
   The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
   Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
   Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
6. And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
   The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
   The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
   Even so, it is well with my soul.

Cooking

I'm choosing to call these entries "Cooking" rather than "recipes" because I'd like the freedom to just explore the whole idea of cooking. Sometimes I'll share non-recipes. Other times things like a list of things to always have on hand in your kitchen. Still others may explore how to really enjoy cooking - it's a choice I'm making lately.

So here's the first non-recipe. A non-recipe is something I made in my kitchen that is totally made from what I had on hand. This is something I've been doing more and more lately and almost every time it's turned out great.

Being a good cook is a combination of knowing recipes enough to learn what sauces and spices can be interchanged with various meats and sides. Sometimes recipes shouldn't be messed with and sometimes they should be thrown out altogether for the thrill of adventure. It's FUN!!!

Hope you are needing some additional FUN like I am. So go for it!!!

Fish Non-Recipe

4-5 Talapia fillets [you can use another kind of fish, mine were bought frozen &were paritally frozen when I started cooking]

I took about 3 T. of butter, 1-2 tsp. of minced garlic (jar) and melted it on Med. heat in fry pan.

I added some lemon pepper seasoning and some salt and let it get a little bubbly in the fry pan.

Then I added about 3 T. of cocktail sauce and stirred it good.

I set the fillets in the sauce and rolled them over once to coat.

When the edges were turning white I flipped them over, coating again, and then flipped them once more and let them continue to cook on Med. heat until they were all white.

For just a minute before serving, I cranked the heat up to Med High and let the sauce turn into more of a glaze on the fish. No right or wrong way to do that....just try it for yourself.

I served the fish with green beans that I steamed after drizzling with a bit sesame oil (you can use olive oil) and Teriyaki sauce (I like Yoshida's Gourmet Sauce/Publix). Also added some minced garlic and onion in there. Steam until they are the softness you like - smooshy or tender crisp. Once again - no right or wrong - you get to choose. I tossed with a few sunflower nuts before serving.

I was choosing no carbs that day so I decided to forgo the rice but it sure would have tasted great with this.

Dave was very complimentary about this one.

You brave enough to try this kind of cooking?

One Path

What you are about to read is the backdrop of my thinking. Because I write from my soul, things that are in my spirit will no doubt surface from time to time. The following may help you understand where I'm coming from.

Those who say that there are many paths to God are sadly mistaken. The Bible says that Jesus is the only way to relationship with God. Answering the question - who is Jesus? - is the most important question you will ever consider and answer. I love that the word "quest" is in the work "question". Most questions that are in the deep places of our heart are really about a quest to relate to the God of the Bible. Questions such as "Why am I here?", "What is my purpose?", "What's going to happen to me when I die?". I'm not here to preach at length about the answers to these questions. I would point you to the Bible, the God of the Bible and the redeeming work of Jesus, His Son, on the cross that births our personal relationship with Him. He loves me. He loves you. I relate to Him with each breath I take. You can relate to Him too. I have found peace and security. I have found acceptance and joy. I have found strength and courage. I have not found any of these things inside my "self". My "self" is a weak and miserable portrayal of humanness. I have found these things within my relationship with God. It has been my choice to respond to Him choosing me first.

Go to the Bible. See for yourself that He is Light, and Life and Truth. ( John 1:4; John 14:6)

HAVE A LITTLE VISION, PEOPLE

Undertaking any kind of change - from redecorating, to rebuilding, to moving, to marrying, to starting a new job - can be scary business. One thing I have found that helps is to have a vision of what you want that "whatever" to look like, feel like, accomplish?.

Doing some mental work on the front end allows the necessary steps to get there come into focus. Once you have the end result in your mind's eye you can work backwards to decide how you are going to get there. Let me encourage you that many times there is no right or wrong way to "get there". You and I might want to end up in the same place but take diverse roads to get there.

Let me give you an example. My sister and I both love to plan events. We can easily get a vision for what we want the event to look and feel like, the experience if you will. It's at that point that we take diverse turns. My sister functions best by being fluid and spontaneous in her process. I find more satisfaction in laying out a well thought out plan and executing it step by step. Which one of us is right?

The point is that she has pulled off some spectacular events where everything came together and people felt like things when off exactly as planned. (It's only their perception that's important, by the way) I, too, have pulled off some pretty big deal events where people felt that everything had gone exactly as planned. We both reached the end we had hoped for coming from our own different paths.

Our vision is the most important thing. Capitalizing on our personality traits, gifts and talents helps us figure out how to get there. I love the individuality of vision and arriving at the vision.

What is your vision? How do you plan to get there? Follow your heart and mind right into that change and make it happen.

Key Thought - when it comes to God and our spiritual journey, however, there are not many ways to the same end. See post "One Path". Those who say that there are many paths to God are sadly mistaken. There is only the One True God of the Bible. And He says that Jesus is the only way to relationship with God. Answering the question - who is Jesus? - is the most important question you will ever consider and answer. I love that the word "quest" is in the word "question". Most questions that are in the deep places of our heart are really about a quest to relate to the God. Read more in the "One Path" post.