praise for the sweetness

As I’ve perhaps alluded to in the past, those people afflicted with Seasonal Affective Disorder (aka SAD, very fitting) should probably not make Minnesota their place of residence…especially during the months of February-May.  The temps and varieties of precipitation are all over the place…on Sunday, I wore long corduroy pants and a sweater and on Thursday I’ll probably wear a tank top as the temp is supposed to be 77.  Not a good home for those who prefer to have a steady predictable forecast and want spring to come when spring is supposed to come!  But, for those of us who live here and tough it out, when spring does finally come (and stay!), I think we appreciate it perhaps a bit more than those folks who have sunshine and warmth all the time.  Case in point, my roommate Jenilyn and I cheered yesterday when we noticed that the tree outside our dining room window was finally budding.  Those bright green little leaves were such a welcome sign.  Here is a photo of them…perhaps a little blurry since I took it through the screen, but you get the idea. 

Seeing the buds and the increasing verdure of spring, I can’t help but think of the words from “Morning Has Broken,”

Morning has broken like the first morning;
      Blackbird has spoken like the first bird.
      Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning!
      Praise for them springing fresh from the Word!

  Sweet the rain’s new fall sunlit from heaven,
      Like the first dew-fall on the first grass.
      Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden,
      Sprung in completeness where His feet pass.

  Mine is the sunlight! Mine is the morning,
      Born of the one light Eden saw play!
      Praise with elation; praise ev’ry morning,
      God’s recreation of the new day!

 I can’t wait for the lilacs and tulips to start gracing us with their presence!

beauty

Alright, I admit it.  I jumped on the bandwagon and watched the YouTube video of the British woman, Susan Boyle, who sang on the tv show the other night.  Well, there is a reason why people are buzzing about it.  Who she is, how well she sings, the crowd’s response to her, everything about it just gives you warm fuzzies.  Probably not surprising, I teared up watching it…especially because I LOVE Les Mis and know the soundtrack and the context of the song she sings. Here’s the link for those who haven’t seen it.  Be sure to have a Kleenex close at hand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

It is so easy

…to make someones day…or night, in this case. I stopped by the Uptown Rainbow after volunteering tonight because I needed to pick up a few groceries. I was certain that the cashier who was helping me was from Ethiopia so I greeted her with “denahnesh,” which basically means “how are you?”  I’m sure it probably isn’t the most proper way to address a female who is older than me and a stranger, not to mention it was night time and I’m pretty sure that there is a more appropriate way to say “Good Evening,” but it didn’t matter.  Her face lit up and we spent the next few minutes talking about how she was from Eritrea (formerly part of Ethiopia) and how did I like Addis, the food, the people, etc.  She was so excited that even after I had paid and started bagging up my groceries, she told the next girl in line how I had been an English teacher in Ethiopia and wasn’t that just the greatest thing?! 

I was glad that I made the decision to take an interest in her.  I fortunately don’t have the filter that many do that prevents them from reaching out to people they don’t know…I’m usually willing to pay a compliment to a stranger (I’m talking appropriate compliments such as “I like your purse”) or ask them a question if I need help.  There are definitely times that I don’t, of course.  But, my point of sharing is that I know that I made this lady’s night tonight by simply greeting her (albeit inadequately) in her language.  In a culture in which we continually become more and more removed from those around us, especially strangers, I encourage all of us to be bold and take the opportunity to connect with other people.  Frankly, seeing her enthusiasm about the fact that I had been to Ethiopia made my night, too.  So easy.

Tenebrae

I attended the Tenebrae service at my church tonight to celebrate Maundy Thursday.  The service was solemn.  The altar was stripped of all of its adornments and the sanctuary grew darker as the service progressed.  The scripture readings were pulled from Mark’s account of the events leading up to the death of Christ on the cross.  Each of the seven readings from Mark were then followed by a solemn reading from one of the Psalms. During each of the Psalm readings, one of the eight candles lighting the front of the sanctuary were extinguished.  In the end, only one candle, the Christ candle, still burned.  But, during the last reading, it was removed from the sanctuary in order to symbolize how after His death, there was a time in which Christ did not dwell on this earth.  Fortunately, the candle only disappeared for a moment.  At the end of the very last Psalm, a loud crack echoed from the rear of the sanctuary and all of us in attendance drummed as loudly as we could on our pews in celebration as the acolyte returned the Christ candle from its concealment. 

This service was cool.  There was a lot of silence.  Darkness.  Stillness.  It was really moving to simply sit and really listen to the account of Christ being beaten, spat upon, mocked and knowing that he chose to do it on my account.  He went willingly.  Let’s just say some tears were shed.  After the service, we were free to go as we felt ready.  I sat around for a few minutes, praying and giving thanks that Christ didn’t leave this world permanently.  I think for honestly the first time, it really hit me that these next few days prior to Easter represent the darkness of what could have been had the resurrection not occurred.  I don’t even want to think about it.  Instead, I’m glad that the Creed reads as follows:

“For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.”

Recipe

I emailed this along to my friends Abby and Emily who asked for it and figured I would post it here, too.  I’m sure there are many other recipes out there, this is just the one I used.  Super easy and yummy.  Enjoy!

Hummus

15.5 oz can of chick peas (garbanzo beans)

1/3 cup tahini (comes in a jar, looks like paste)

Juice of 1 lemon

1 clove of garlic

Salt to taste

3 tbsp olive oil

dash of cayenne pepper

(optional garnish) 1 tbsp chopped parsley and sprinkle of paprika

 

1. Drain can of chick peas and add to blender with all other ingredients (except for garnish). 

2. Blend on high for 30 seconds.  If too thick, add 1 tbsp of warm water at a time to achieve smoother consistency.

3.  Spread on plate and garnish with olive oil, parsley and paprika, if desired.

(I found the tahini at a middle eastern store in Mpls called the Holy Land…I’m sure you can also find it in the ethnic row at your grocery store). 

homemade

Why have I never attempted to make hummus before tonight?!  I just made my first batch.  Six ingredients into a blender and 2 minutes later what do I have?  Absolute deliciousness is what I have, let me tell you.  Don’t worry, I’ll be making more…I kind of have to: the jar of tahini I have is huge. 

I guess my point of sharing is that there are probably lots of things like hummus that I/you can put together yourself and save money as opposed to buying it pre-made.  Another idea that comes immediately to mind is homemade peanut sauce.  I have a couple of recipes that are totally tasty, easy and so much cheaper than buying it in a bottle at the store.  Three cheers for cost-effectiveness…and freshness!