Suffering

While visiting with a couple of friends recently our conversation turned to suffering. Not the most delightful of conversation topics I know. Each of us has dealt with or is in the midst of some form of suffering. Really who of us hasn't dealt with suffering? The whole world deals with suffering.


I have been thinking about this conversation a lot, because our conversation wasn't full of complaints. Which it certainly could have been. It wasn't about our worries, our fears, or our frustrations. Which would be completely understandable. Our conversation was instead about the good that suffering can work in us. 


Yes, I said good. 


Don't get me wrong! I'm not about to start asking the Lord to give me extra suffering so that I can experience more of that kind of good. Yet, maybe I should. But really, I would be willing to never suffer again! I don't like it! I don't like it when I suffer! I don't like it when others suffer! However, I cannot deny that if we let Him, God takes our suffering and turns it into something good. Something compassionate. A testimony of His mercy and love, while granting us joy and peace.


God is not immune to our suffering. He feels it. He suffers with us. Joshua 1:9b Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. I believe when God says He is with us, He is saying I am experiencing all you experience, and I will see you through. He is not just a bystander. He wants to be in it to win it (so to speak) with us! Because suffering isn't just about the moment. There is a bigger picture. Jesus knew that!


It helps me to know that Jesus too wasn't keen on the idea of suffering. His request was, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done. Luke 22:42. Jesus was facing taking on the sins of the world, being beaten, and then death on the cross. I too would want that taken from me! 

And Jesus never sinned. I remember my own outrage the few times in my life when I've gotten stuck with the blame for something I did not do. I wonder if that ever crossed Jesus mind. But He was looking at the bigger picture. Jesus accepted suffering for our sins so that we could be forgiven. So that we could have the hope of eternity with God. An eternity free of suffering! So that we may one day live in the perfect world God intended, instead of the one we cursed with sin.


Jesus did not waste His suffering! He allowed God to work something awesome through it! All He asked in return is that we believe, repent, and follow Him.


There are many who would say that God in His goodness should simply remove suffering and make life better. I admit, I would kinda be alright with that plan. But then I wonder, what would we gain? What would change in us? Wouldn't we, if left in our sinful state, end up right back where we are now? It's sin after all that has brought about suffering.


Though I too would be glad to let the cup of suffering be taken from me, I do not want to waste my suffering! Instead I will pray it creates compassion in me! That it brings hope bubbling to the surface for all to see! That it makes in me a generous heart to help those in need. That it brings into focus the bigger picture for anyone who does not yet believe. Because though we suffer now, our eternity can be suffering free!


Christine

Stuffed Pasta Shells

This meat-filled pasta dish is comfort food at it's finest!


It's a meal that takes time but it's so worth the effort! It easily serves 8 people. So it's a good dish to serve when inviting friends over for dinner! Or you can freeze half for a night when you need an easy dinner. Or my favorite, you can take half to a family that just had a new baby, or other hospital stay, and could use a little help with getting a meal to the table! Add in a nice salad mix and a loaf of crusty bread and voila! I like that word! Voila!!

Begin by cooking a package of large shells according to the package instructions.

Drain shells and cool in a single layer on a foil lined jelly roll pan.

While pasta cooks, brown 1 pound ground beef and 1 pound ground pork in a large skillet. Drain.

In a large bowl combine browned meat with 3/4 cup bread crumbs, 1 cup shredded mozzarella, 3/4 cup finely chopped onion, 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

Mix in 4 lightly beaten eggs. 


Fill each shell with about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture.

Cover bottom of two 13x9 baking dishes with a thin layer of your favorite pasta sauce, about 1/3 of jar. Place filled pasta shells in a single layer in baking dishes. Cover shells with remaining sauce, top with shredded mozzarella and a sprinkling of parmesan. The recipe calls for 1 cup of mozzarella. I don't measure. I top with cheese until I think it looks like enough. We like mozzarella. 

You can also use more pasta sauce if you prefer it a little more saucy!


Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 to 55 minutes in a 350˚ oven. Bake until hot and bubbly. 

Oh that looks nice!!


It takes about an hour and fifteen minutes, or so, to make this meal from beginning to end. But just look at that!

And it's tastes every bit as good as it looks! Totally worth it!


Christine

Success

I did it!

I made good bread!! Oh happy day! 


The family called it heavenly!


The crust was perfect. 


The bread was soft and delicious! 


I was elated!


What was the difference from the last time I made bread, that turned out so awful, you might ask. 


Armed with a little advice from friends and family; make sure the yeast is still good, knead the dough a little longer, etc...I tried the french bread recipe again, heeding the instruction I had been given. However, the real difference was discovering that I had misread an ingredient amount. oops


When a recipe calls for 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of oil, misreading the amount and adding 1 and 1/2 cups of oil will ruin the bread. That's right 1 and 1/2 cups instead of 1 and 1/2 tablespoons. Definitely makes for bad bread.


Please feel free to laugh out loud. 


And remember...if at first you don't succeed, try try again, and read the directions twice, measure once.


Now I'm going to go eat bread!


Christine

Disappointment

Tuesday's snow globe morning...beautiful! I was so excited! Turned into Tuesday evening's rain. BAH!


Instead of 8 to 10 inches of snow, Wednesday morning dawned with ice covered trees and slush puddles 8 to 10 inches deep.

The girl's school day was not cancelled. sniff

There was no playing in the snow. bummer

There was no warming up with cups of hot cocoa. ho hum

Nope! The day was filled with the usual chores, and there was a long list of things to do. Hmm...that may have played a small part in my overwhelming desire for there to be a snow day. I never mind a good reason to skip out on the to do list! I do not mind at all! No such luck though.

Probably a good thing as laundry was on the list. Oh boy did I need to do some laundry...

Not really the point!

In between loads of laundry I had some time. I decided to make bread. French bread! 

Goal for the year is to better my bread making skills!

My good friend Jean and my sister-in-law Lara both sent me bread making cookbooks to help me in my bread making endeavor. I love them for it! 

I found what appeared to be a simple french bread recipe.

I combined my ingredients.

I kneaded.

I allowed the dough to rise.

I formed my loaves.

I let them rise again.

I baked. Oh joy and elation! Everything was going so well!

Oh my word it smelled wonderful!! Heavenly!

It looked so good, all golden and crispy on the outside!

On the inside...it was dense and awful! Look how flat that loaf of bread is!

What am I doing wrong? I would be ever so grateful to any bread bakers who would be willing to share some bread baking tips with me. Clearly I'm missing something! 

What a disappointment!

And to add insult to injury...the girls walked in the door after school and I had to tell them that the wonderful smell was all they'd get to enjoy because Mama can't make a decent loaf of bread! Then I sent them out to play in slush puddles! Not really. But I thought about it.

Christine

Keeping My Fingers Crossed

This winter there haven't been many faces covered in snow.

There wasn't a snow covered path for the sleigh ride at our local Winter Wonderland celebration.

There haven't been any afternoons playing in the snow, building snowmen or throwing snowballs.

Therefore there haven't been any red nosed, frozen children running inside for hot cups of cocoa with whipped cream and sprinkles.

Nope. There hasn't been any of that!


All of that is supposed to change today!


The weather forecast has been calling for 8 to 10 inches of snow beginning this afternoon! Yippee!!


Of course the closer we get to this afternoon, the more we keep hearing the total possible accumulation totals drop. Bah!


I want a snow day!


I want school cancelled!


I want kids, frozen from playing in the snow, who need cups of hot cocoa!


I want snuggling around the fire!


I want wet mittens drying by the heat vents!!


Please let it snow!


Keeping my fingers crossed for 8 to 10 inches of the fluffy white stuff!

Christine

Let the Drawing Begin

Walls were prepped!

Painting commenced! Clearly someone in the other room found the whole process rather boring!

Waited 4 hours, applied second coat!

Waited 4 more hours until the next morning to apply a third coat. Probably not absolutely necessary, but definitely worth taking the time to do.

Done! Kind of. Painting was done! Waiting 3 days to condition and use the new chalkboard wall began...and was painful for the girls!!


Upon returning home from school the day I painted the final coat of chalkboard paint they were so excited to begin drawing! They both moaned audibly when I told them the instructions say to wait for 3 days before drawing on it. 


"Three days?" 


Patience young chalkboard drawers! Saturday you may draw!


Saturday we went to see Star Wars: Phantom Menace with a few of Miss Sofia's friends in tow for her belated birthday celebration as we had been so busy with the school play the weekend of her birthday.

She has been trying to figure out how to use the Jedi mind trick on me ever since.


"You want to give your daughter a second piece of birthday cake."


Yeah, it wasn't happening! Mother's are immune!


Now that the chalkboard wall was finally ready to be drawn on, and I had several eager drawers, I told Miss Emma Bean and Miss Sofia and Miss Sofia's friends they could draw on the wall as long as they would do the conditioning for me first!


They happily agreed!


The five girls made short work of conditioning the board. Lucky me!


Did you know you should condition a chalkboard before you use it?


Conditioning is just applying a layer of chalk to the board and then erasing it. It makes erasing easier. However, you can just use a damp sponge to wash away chalk marks that don't easily erase if you don't want to coat the entire wall.

With the chalk wall conditioned the girls began to have some fun!

Cute.

Smarty pants!

Philosophical? 

Too funny!!

The chalkboard wall is a big hit!

Now that I'm in a painting mood it's time to choose a new color for the rest of the kitchen!


Christine

I Don't Ski

The Husband and I do not ski. No we do not. Not that there is anything wrong with skiing. I'm sure it's a fine sport. Sorry that's a lie. Careening down a snowy hill while standing on two thin planks of wood, hoping one can stop before slamming into someone or something does not seem like a fine sport to me! Therefore the girls do not ski. 


The girls have each gotten to try skiing once though. Not because the Husband and I decided to take them so they could grow up with a well rounded variety of experiences. No siree! Because it's one of their 5th grade field trips.


Miss Emma Bean's class went skiing yesterday.


She was nervous and excited while getting her boots on.

All of the students began their skiing adventure with some basic instruction.


These are skis!

This is how you get your skis on.

So far so good! Thrilled with her progress Miss Emma Bean broke into a little dance!

Oh yeah I can do this! Uh huh I got my skis on! That's when it dawned on her, "We have to get all the way over there!??"

She was doing a great job as she finally proceeded to ski down the bunny hill.

She was feeling cool and confident. 

However stopping and turning proved to be a little tricky. Whoops! 

Miss Emma Bean got a little coaching from my very good friend Amy, who also has a 5th grader. Amy and I were there because we were chaperoning the field trip. She was ski chaperoning. I was photo taking chaperoning. I don't ski.

I was very grateful Amy was there to give Miss Emma Bean some tips. Amy is a good friend like that! She loves my kids like her own. I love her kids like my own. I love her for loving my kids!


It took the better part of the day, but Miss Emma Bean finally got the knack of turning and stopping!

And there it is folks! The photo that made the whole day!!

I still don't ski.


Christine