Monthly Archives: August 2008

Iowa Girl

6 Looking Back // Memories!, Stuff I Actually Think, , ,

My “home” state has had a hard summer.   Most recently it has been in a pretty severe heat wave.  

In June, though, much of Iowa was flooded and was declared to be in a state of emergency.   This photo was sent by my old junior high friend, Lorri.   It depicts a highway just south of Mount   Vernon.   The damage done throughout the state has made it hard on city commuters and farmers alike.

Iowa takes a hit with comedians as being a little podunk or backwards, but it is a beautiful state where things grow easily  in the rich, black soil and summers are sweet.   Kids enjoy a good educational system and  chase lightening bugs in warm weather.   Corn on the cob, in the self-proclaimed “Corn State” is the sweetest you’ll find and I have lots of wonderful relatives who live there,  all city folk!  

I was born in Des Moines and lived there until I was 10.   Then we moved to Davenport for about 3 years, then on to Cedar Rapids, where I spent 8th and 9th grades and a couple of months  of 10th grade.   After I married Dave, we lived in Sioux City for 2 years.   So even though less than 18 years of my life total were spent  in Iowa and my parents and siblings haven’t lived there for more than 30 years, they were important ones for me.   Does that make it my home?   I last passed through there on my way to somewhere else in 1997.  

I read an apt description in an Oprah-recommended novel once, that when you move a lot, “home” isn’t a place, it is a collection of experiences and stories and people.   Where I am “from” sort of changes each time my parents move.   Even though I have never been to Springfield, MO that I recall, they just retired there, so I guess that is “home” now in some ways.   But deep in my heart, I am an “Iowa girl.”

I  wholly and truly love corn on the cob, too…Jeanie

NOTE TO SELF: Plan a trip to go back to Iowa.   Explore roots.   Remember.   Understand.

Everybody has a Story

1 Christ is All, Stuff I Actually Think, ,

This is a BEFORE and AFTER video, an extreme makeover that counts.

Before watching-keep in mind that this video is a  local church thing and was originally used before taking an annual offering, I think.   But no matter how you watch it-it is powerful.   It’s basically a bunch of people lining up to give their “cardboard testimonies” on one side of a piece of cardboard telling who they once were.   The other side proclaims who they are now in Christ.   I cry everytime I watch it and it inspires me to look at people, really look at them – even when they are being the most annoying of Christians and wonder “What is your story, anyway?   How did Jesus Christ change you?   What did He rescue you from?”  

The two that get me the most are the brain tumor and the couple who couldn’t have children.  

I am trying to think about what mine  might be.  

Maybe, side one: rule-following, religious, pious, rage-filled church girl.   Side two: exposed, accepted in the Beloved, dancing and singing, joyous worshipper.

Where were you when He found you?  

Unfaithful Politician

Stuff I Actually Think, , , ,

John Edwards admitted doing what he has been denying for months-cheating on his wife.   In this Nightline broadcast (aired 08.08.08) he says he takes full blame.   See the Nightline video here:   http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=9203582&ch=4226716&src=news

I wrote a long blog, opining, full of disappointment, but I erased it all.   Now I will just say, with great sarcasm: An unfaithful politician ~ quelle surprise.

August 8: It’s a Zucchini Holiday

4 Home & Garden/Food & Seasons, Stuff I Actually Think, , ,

No kidding.   Today is really an “official” Zucchini Holiday, better known as “Sneak some Zuchini onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Night.”   Most of the “celebration” happens after sundown, apparently.  

I sent Stephanie home yesterday with an armload of zucchini and she  was searching  www.allrecipes.com  for a fresh and creative way to serve it and happened across the article on how to properly celebrate this holiday.   I am only printing portions of it here, but you may verify the whole thing by linking the title in the first paragraph.

By the way, my 3 favorite ways with zucchini are

  1. Tossed in an extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkled with garlic powder, salt and pepper, maybe some Mrs Dash or crushed red pepper flakes  and grilled just long enough for some beautiful black grill marks, as it caramelizes and gets sweet.
  2. Same as above, except popped under the broiler until you see the carmelization begin.
  3. Severed into 1/4″ succulent slices, dipped in Tempura batter (grab a box from the Asian food aisle for the simplest, crispest breading ever using very cold water) and fried in canola oil until light and crisp (not brown).   Dip in Ranch dressing.   This breading and frying technique works for mushrooms, cut up leftover chicken or pork, green tomatoes, corn on the cob.   Mmmmm.

Dave, of course, still prefers his zuchini shredded beyond recognition and turned into sort of a “stuffing-type” casserole.   Yes, he likes church-dinner food.

The article:

Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Night

By:   Allrecipes Staff

Celebrate this fun holiday on August 8!

Established by Pennsylvanian Tom Roy, this day encourages sharing. “Due to the overzealous planting of zucchini, citizens are asked to drop off baskets of the squash on neighbors’ doorsteps.”

 

About the holiday

A few suggestions from Tom Roy’s “Top 20 List for successful sneaking of Zucchini or otherwise ridding yourself of unwanted surplus summer squash:”

(Note:Allrecipes does not endorse any of these activities.)

(ANOTHER NOTE:   Nor does Jeanie)

 

  • Carefully place a dozen or more zucchini in a large, sturdy black plastic trash bag, then add a couple layers of unwanted clothing. Drive to nearest Goodwill or Salvation Army, hand over bag to nearest volunteer. Politely refuse any offered receipt. Leave quickly.
  • Look for out-of-the-way places which have signs posted, “Clean Fill Wanted.”
  • Under light of full moon, either stark naked or wearing full army camouflage, carrying a machete or any garden implement, run amuck in your zucchini patch, cutting and slashing. Be sure to thank Mother Nature for her bounty before and after this cathartic experience.
  • Gather all available plastic containers and freezer bags.  Puree all zucchini, even if it takes all night. Package, freeze,  and create an artistic, holiday label: “For Zucchini Nut Bread Recipe.” These  gifts are now ready to be freely given, along with copies of recipe, to  everyone on your Christmas list.

 

Do you have any ideas to add?…Jeanie

 

NOTE TO SELF: I am keeping mine: Zucchini summer pasta…zucchini brownies…stuffed zucchini…zucchini marmelade…zucchini parmesan…zucchini relish…stir-fried zucchini…Mexican zucchini soup…Crab-stuffed zucchini…chocolate chip zucchini muffins…need  I say more?

 

 

 

Blog: Three Hundred

6 Looking Back // Memories!, Stuff I Actually Think,

I started this blog on November 29, 2006 during a dark time when I just needed to be able to talk and was hoping I could find a place to tell the truth even when it hurt me or exposed my ugly side (as if it couldn’t already be seen). I wasn’t always forthcoming, it took awhile, but it was freeing to expose my darkness and hit “post”! There, done. Never to be retrieved. Freedom!

It took me me until September 26, 2007 to get to the 100th post, which was a full 10 months, but only a scant 6 months to get to the 200th post, for which no fanfare or mention was made and I can only guess happened on or about March 21, 2008. Here we are at number 300, just 4 months and some days later and I am barely hitting my stride! Ha!

I can make fun of myself as a blogger. I had a friend laugh that she actually got mad when people asked her how she was doing. She was like, “Well, haven’t you read my blog?” The nerve.

Bloggers realize they are graphomaniacal. We madly write a post with passion and gusto and then wait to see if anyone reads and leaves a comment. If no one comments, we think we will never write again. But we do. We cannot help ourselves.

So, I shall blog on -for the thousands and thousands of people who read my blog daily, hourly even, and just choose not  to comment, as they wrestle through the issues I have raised, are dumbfounded by the awesomeness of my thoughts, or must meditate on on the wisdom I share. Yes, I’ll continue on for all of them. Or maybe just because I know my mom wants me to. Could it be she is my only reader? Well, it matters not, tomorrow there will be another blog, #301. Tomorrow is another day!

NOTE: I am happy to report that somewhere between the beginning and now (and very recently, at that), my mom has learned to post comments.

Keith and Hill in Hobart

9 TV & Movies/Books & Entertainment, Stuff I Actually Think, , ,

 

I recently stumbled across these internet images from Hillary’s campaign stop  a few months ago  in Hobart, IN (a Chicago-area community where my brother, Dan and his wife, Dawn still live with their family and attend the church my dad pastored for 18 years).  

This is Hillary Clinton with Hobart Mayor, Keith Snedecor  (Brian Keith Snedecor, now, I guess) an old church pal from the late 1970’s.   He still attends my   “home church,” and was just one of the nicest people ever (which he surely got from his very sweet parents).

Keith  is proof that you can be a Democrat and still be a Christian impacting the world for Jesus Christ, for those of you who have doubted this.  

I remain unaffiliated, however (does this surprise you?), and hope I, too, can impact the world for Jesus Christ…Jeanie

NOTE TO SELF: Vote.   Pray first.

Free Woman

1 Christ is All, Stuff I Actually Think, , ,

Fun activity:   Go to www.biblegateway.com  (I LOVE this site!) and choose a book of the Bible.   Turn up the speakers and let Max McClean read it to you.   Have some paper and a pen and just write the phrases (don’t take dictation) that stand out to you – words that sizzle and pop in your heart!

Today I listened to  a book with 6 chapters.   You could listen and  hear a totally different message, but you can see, for me, with a lifelong history and struggle with ‘fear of man’ (approval addiction, craving affirmation, jumping through people’s insatiable hoops, strong need to please) the power-phrases are about living to please God and God alone.   In this book, the church was being led back into bondage through the issue of circumcision, but in our day it can be a prayer meeting (people either inviting you and treating you like less of a Christian if you don’t go, or even being told there is a prayer meeting going on that you are not invited to because it is only for deep intercessors)  or your giving record  or your church attendance or serving or lack thereof, really, any psuedo-super-spiritual way one Christian  uses to make another feel less holy, condemned, enslaved.   But here, God is saying You’re free.   You’re a child and heir to the Promise, born to a free woman.   Live a life of faith expressed in love.   Receive grace and walk in the Spirit (not man-made law and control).   There is good fruit there!

Guess which book of the Bible I was hearing and receiving….

sent not  FROM men nor  BY men…grace and peace from God and Jesus…who gave Himself to RESCUE us…I am astonished…you’ve turned to a different gospel…if anybody is preaching a different gospel – let him be eternally condemned…I received by revelation from Jesus…zealous…I did not consult any man…I went in response to a revelation…sent to spy on the freedom we had…to those who seemed to be important – they meant nothing to me…recognized the grace given to me…REMEMBER THE POOR…afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision…faith IN Jesus Christ, not by observing the law…If I rebuild what I destroyed I prove I am a lawbreaker…Who has bewitched you?…Are you trying to attain your goal by human effort?…believers are children of Abraham…The righteous will live by faith…Christ became a curse for us…To Abraham and his seed – one person, Christ…the law did not do away with the promise…the law…was because of transgressions…if a law had been given that could impart life…locked up until faith should be revealed…Baptized INTO Christ…Abraham’s seed and heir according to the promise…full rights as sons…no longer a slave, but a son, an heir…WHY ARE YOU TURNING BACK TO THOSE WEAK AND MISERABLE PRINCIPLES?…What has happened to all your joy?…zealous…for no good…It is fine to be zealous provided the purpose is good…slave woman – free woman…The women represent two covenants…(Be glad, o barren woman, Is. 54)…YOU…are children of PROMISE…we are NOT children of the slave woman, but of the FREE WOMAN…it is FOR FREEDOM that Christ has set us FREE…you have fallen away from grace…the ONLY thing that counts is FAITH expressing itself in LOVE…as for those [circumcision] agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves…live by the Spirit and you’ll not gratify the desires of the sinful nature…but the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS…Keep in step with the Spirit…

His yoke IS easy and His burden IS light.   Just trying to keep in step with the Spirit today, joyfully, freely…Jeanie

NOTE TO SELF: Lift my standards and demands off people’s necks, too, so they can stay free.   If I am requiring anything of them God doesn’t, I become the ‘bewitcher’ – the yoke-inducing controller and manipulator, the one Paul curses to eternal damnation for preaching any other gospel…

google image

Heaven Fest by Other Observers

Stuff I Actually Think,

 

Others  who have written  about Heaven Fest.

My friend, Donna, wrote about her husband’s ministry to Nathan.

Rob Kelly, one of the most gracious pastors of the very generous and gracious church who allowed us the use of their property for Heaven fest, and just basically gave us anything and everything they could, wrote about Heaven Fest here and here and here.   Maybe he wrote more, too…

Pearl and Bryan helped sow the seed, build the event and clean up afterwards.   They participated through and through.   Read Bryan’s account here.   This is a cropped version of a snapshot Bry took during Main Event.

A miraculous healing for Traci.   God was watching out for our crew!

Carol Ann  (my Maui partner-in-crime) was hanging with the ‘importants’ at HF.   She was the HF liaison (Director)  to the stars, aka “artists.”

A family I don’t know,  but found on google attended and wrote about the Main Event.

A couple of girls who experienced life-changing encounters with God at Heaven Fest wrote about it here.

This musician   (Jeremy Riddle’s drummer, Brandon McCoy, it turns out) was impacted by people he met during Heaven Fest.

One of the stage managers, a guy right in the middle of the fun, Joel F. wrote his thoughts.

Jeremy Camp did a video blog at Heaven Fest.

This blogger’s comments have given me lots of things to consider as we evaluate HF and things we need to do better.   Thank goodness for God’s grace for the stuff we missed!

I really enjoyed this young guy, Hector’s, observations on what happened at Main Event!

And this young guy really sensed people were there for God!

The people of Heaven Fest  I met and the ones I didn’t-I am amazed by them all.   But the HF leadership team was outstanding!   In the end, we had 21 “directors” over the various parts (modules).   We were new at this and they were our  “guinea pigs.”   We handed them what we had, which for many was not much.   And most were able to turn our best, but  less-than-wondrous-at-the-time-they-got-it  work into gold, pure gold!   I am so thankful God allowed me to be a part of Heaven Fest and to work side-by-side with the directors and some  really wonderful  managers, as well.

Add to that leadership team  the remarkable volunteers that showed up from all over the place and  you can understand why HF worked.    It was the people!   The people who worked (directors, managers, volunteers)  cared  enough about the people who came (12,000+)  to lay aside their time and efforts and resources, to give up just relaxing and meandering  with a snow cone, to work until they were bone-tired, to make HF happen.    I am absolutely in awe.   HF Leadership, I am amazed at your total lack of self-centeredness, at your complete eschewing of entitlement, which is  too prevalent in these days, even in the church.   Thank-you for pouring out your life in this way!

I still cannot get over seeing the Body of Christ work together like this.   Beautiful!…Jeanie

NOTE TO SELF:   So many thank-you’s to write,   many people to appreciate.

pictured: some views from a plane early in the day by Mark Aiken.   Note how small the 80-foot wide stage looks (top, right corner of 2nd photo).   The church even looks small!

Send Us Out

1 Christ is All, 2 Mi Familia, 5 Songs I am Singing, Stuff I Actually Think, ,

Mission’s Flame by Matt Redman

 

Let worship be the fuel for mission’s flame,

we’re going with a passion for Your name,

we’re going ’cause we care about Your fame,

send us out.

 

Several of my family left Friday for the Home of Refuge in Venezuela.   Our deal is: if they go, I pray.   There is an awesome group of 11 who went including Mary Jean (my co-mother-in-law) and Tredessa who are leading the group, my baby girl, Stormie, my niece, Elise, and Stef,   who worked so hard alongside us for Heaven Fest that I have practically adopted her.

 

Here are some things you can join with me in praying about as they are already there and hard at work:  

 

  • That the kids in the neighboring village will hear the good news of Christ and be  eternally impacted  through the day camp they are having.
  • For wisdom and guidance for Mary Jean and Tredessa  in leading this team of  9 young adults.   Pray Ephesians 1.17-19 for them and for Tony & Rosa, the leaders fo HOR in Venezuela and Honduras.
  • For supernatural energy coming  off of these busy last few months, and especially just following Heaven Fest-during which almost every single member of the team was intricately involved.
  • For unity as a team.   No offense or problems.
  • That God  would  awaken  His vision and  unique calling for every team member on this trip.
  • Pray for the physical health of each team member – with all the change, demand and even shock that a mission trip can bring, a vulnerability is created which wears down the physical body. Also, the heat and humidity can be draining. Pray for wisdom for each of  them – that  they would listen to  their bodies and take proper care of themselves.   At least 2 team members were dealing with health issues before going.   Also, the  scheduleis to be  very demanding.
  • Inflation is completely out of control in Venezuela. The rental for an OLD bus – and gas at 18 cents a gallon – is costing $1000 one way. 1 chicken (for dinner) costs $30.   Pray for continued  provision.
  • They are focusing  their efforts on leadership development of the older kids at HOR. The kids  will be assisting  the team  in running a 3 hour/day “camp” for the younger kids at HOR plus the kids in the surrounding neighborhood.
  • Venezuela has passed some new laws which make the country more tight, more controlled, more corrupt and more dangerous. Pray for safety and freedom from harm.

I miss you, my ones, but  I also hear your cry toward heaven to be sent out.   He has sent you and so I pray…Jeanie aka mom

 

NOTE TO SELF: “May the Lamb who was slain receive the reward of His suffering,”  (the Moravian cry).  Those sweet orphans are His reward.