Melchizedek

Tonight's sermon was on the priesthood of Melchizedek, a type of Christ. Meaning, not a preincarnation, but a foreshadow of the one to come. Check out Hebrews 7. Then Genesis 14:17-20. Then Psalm 110. All connected, and all point the way to Christ. Fascinating!

Poetry Sunday

For your didactic pleasure.


Autumn turns the brass doorknob
waiting shyly behind, in glory
of redgoldsiennacopper

Peeking just through the door
but the light bends the corner
preceding streaming ahead

announcing her presence
before the grand entrance
to the fete of seasons.

Brittle

is brittle indeed. I tried making almond brittle last week. In case you're unfamiliar, brittle is a very finicky candy. He doesn't like moisture, he must be watched constantly, and he must be handled with care. He can't be in the hot seat for too long or he burns and stinks up the house. My first batch turned out only slightly edible, if you don't mind a mild burnt taste. The second batch, today, was completely burnt and cooled into a beautiful crimson stained glass.

So I made pumpkin pie instead.

Nevada

Meredith and I drove down to Nevada over Labor Day weekend for Tys' baptism. We got bombarded by a rainstorm on our way out of town, for about an hour. But there's always a rainbow somewhere in a storm, and we got to see this one somewhere in Oregon...

And of course we had to have sustenance for our trip.

We had a great time, eating my cookies, answering Meredith's thought provoking questions, and trying not to drive off the road while doing both at the same time.

But we really came to see this little person...

And this tiny little new person...

And these people...

A good time was had by all. :-)

The last few drops of August

Sorry I haven't posted in a while everyone! If it makes you feel any better, the new shoes haven't seen the light of day yet either. But that will change in a few short minutes, as soon as I'm done eating my ice cream.
I made irish cream ice cream last weekend for a group of friends (which all of you know about already because you make up my 3-person strong reader base) and it is just so good. Most of the goodness has to do with the base recipe, and less to do with it being irish cream. BUT, irish cream always makes everything taste better, right?
I also discovered the blog of a young man named Ian who was in a severe car wreck last fall. He and his family are Christians, and the blog is an incredible example of how God uses adverse circumstances in our lives for our ultimate good. He still remains in a coma, after almost 11 months, and his family never gives up on him or God. He had been dating a girl named Larissa, and even though they weren't married, they were planning on getting engaged soon. Many people told her to move on with her life when Ian came home from the hospital with brain damage, but she's stayed by his side every day, praying for a full recovery. You have to read it yourself: www.prayforian.blogspot.com.
I've also been cooking a few things... Mexican cornbread with corn, cheese and chili flakes. That was pretty good, but a bit spicy because I accidentally tipped the chili jar too far. Everything is remedied with a little maple syrup and a glass of cold milk. I also made chicken pot pie, which I will continue to eat for the next 4 days. Good thing it was a low-fat recipe. And I left the topping off and instead baked up some of those reduced-fat crescent rolls. They are SO good. mmm... thinkthink.... I also made date-walnut muffins. Mixed results on these. They are very dense, very nutty, and great for breakfast! Just not 3 days in a row. :-/
It amazes me how I used to read so much when I was younger, literally several books a week, and now I can barely fit in a few books a year it seems. So with cold weather coming up I'm getting a head start on my book stack and starting off with Knowing God by J.I. Packer. I started it in college (required reading!) and never finished it. I did pass the test though. Funny how that was my M.O. throughout school. How did I do it? The test fairies were with me.

Ah, the bliss of happy feet

No, this isn't a movie review involving penguins.
I have a love/hate relationship with shoes due to an unusual foot size/shape, so I was ecstatic to finally make today's big purch... conquest. They even have that new shoe smell, which is nice. Unless that's considered toxic now too.

Gone huntin'

I love how this butterfly looks like he's dressed up in camo. Pretty clever. At least he doesn't have to worry about trying to get away from the tiger like poor Eeyore there.