Yum!

Sunday noon dinner was a delight, Kristi and Adam joined Julie and I. It is always fun when we try new recipes. Today we share with you Slow Cooked Cherry Pork Chops and Whipped Angel Raspberry Torte. The torte was a succesful idea which Kristi thought up on her own, email her kdbeun@gmail.com for details.

Cletus take the reel

This has been a full week! Every evening we were somewhere.

Enjoy the parody on Carrie Underwoods "Jesus take the wheel," click on this link www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfs3BJZxKkc&feature=related

The point: isn't it often through friends and strangers enabled by the Holy Spirit, sometimes unaware, that Jesus intercedes.

I need a home!

Dear friends and family of Henry and Julie:

I am looking for a good home, please tell your friends and family! Please have them call Henry and Julie ASAP - thank you for any leads you can give.

Meow,

Bridgette

excerpt from"Mosaic"

I've completed Amy Grant's book, Mosaic; Julie is now reading it. Among the many reflections of living life that caused me to stop was this one:

Loss
The question is "How do we live with loss?" The cycle of investment/loss is manifested time and again in our lives.

We invest in children. They grow up and move on.

We invest in partners, and eventually that familiarity is susceptible to some level of contempt. We invest in friendships, and circumstances change, and loyalties turn to lip service and loss.

Sometimes we're blindsided by it.

The ways I learn to deal with loss might be useful tools for my children. I must remember, "We mourn, but not as those without hope."

God's view of life, of us, is eternal. Loss is temporary. (page 173)

A year ago our sister-in-law Deb was dying; these days we often think of her journey, her loss, the family's loss, our loss ... While Amy Grant's words certainly bring hope to the losses we experience in death of those we know and love, her words speak to the many other losses of life.

A letdown: surgery postponed

Henry was to have surgery today. However, the surgery is delayed because one procedure, the "tongue stitch," is relatively new and has not been done at Aultman hospital. The surgery has been rescheduled for Feb 7.

The postponement resulted in an intriguing dilemma: suddenly two weeks I had blocked out for surgery and recovery "opened" for ... The postponement is a letdown as I had steeled myself for what was to come.

The joy of life are the dynamic paradoxes of each new day. I'm reminded of the saying in Lamentations, "... his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning..."

Jim Brickman concert

The last several years we have enjoyed Jim Brickman's holiday concert; it is a "gift" to each other. Brickman is a "romantic pianist." Joining Brickman were Richie McDonald, Anne Cochran and Tracy Silverman; you can "google" any of these artists to discover their genre of music. Check out http://jimbrickman.com/ for more on Jim Brickman.

Two memories we will carry with us from Sunday's concert:
1) Brickman reflected briefly on "being in the background." He named the variety of "places" he, and his piano music, are in the background: ads, Olympic spots, Delilah show, in the home, in the office, at celebrations, in the life's of couples, etc. Brickman claimed a contentment with being in the background - he even quietly demonstrated this as he shared the stage with the other artists.

The subtle challenge is to recognize all the opportunities we may have to make a difference, while being in the "background," enhancing life for our family, friends, co-workers, and ... This also makes me wonder and marvel: the power of God's love which is in the background of our daily life; may we always hear God's background music. Or is it the other way around: am I to be in the background while God is on the main stage?

2) On a more "romantic" note (ha, catch the pun!). To our right sat a couple certainly their upper 70's. The gift they gave us: enfolded hands as they listened and enjoyed the music. We left further committed to still enjoying each other's touch and hoping we can have that intimacy 25 years from today. Although that moment of touch is sweet ... the reality is that the constancy of our friendship and growth regardless of what ever our life experiences will be necessary for the gentle but deep touch to be a reality.