Running Mind

It's interesting the things that go through your head when you're running/walking.  A song came on the ol' iPod- "Show Me" by Audrey Assad.   I started to think about the finish line after my very first 5k last spring, and how I almost totally lost it.  I had no idea why I was struggling so hard to compose myself, but it occurred to me last night that it was because I felt...free.  Free from her, free from that body, free from past mistakes, free from a life not lived well, just...free.  God delivered me-no, helped me to be free from these things.  It occurs to me that we tend to think of God as a vending machine.  We put in our coin-like prayers and expect him to give us what we want.  Instead, we get what we need.  Help, not necessarily deliverance.  There is truth in that old saying: "God helps those who help themselves". 

Bird Poop

A bird swooped into my bedroom the other day.  It fluttered around frustratedly for a bit and pooped on my bed before I'd had a chance to get the blinds open so it could get out.  Weird.

Thank You Sir, May I Have Another?

As a child, I was...a challenge to my parents.  Of this I am sure.  I was spanked or smacked with a wooden spoon on more than one occasion, and of course at that age, I resented such actions as unfair or unnecessary.  Sometime in my late 20's, I was shopping at a grocery store and, as happens sometimes, a particularly unruly child was raising a ruckus in the next aisle.  I didn't think much of it at the time, but as the tantrum increased in volume and intensity, the situation became impossible to ignore, and I found myself wondering just what sort of parent would allow this sort of behavior.  It was at this point that I looked back into my past and realized what my parents had done for me.

As many of you know, this past winter turned on me like a raging pit-bull, and I will always bear scars from it.  In the midst of such pain, I turned to God to rescue me, and felt disappointed on many occasions by his apparent lack of action.  I knew I was supposed to praise him in the midst of the storm, but you can imagine how difficult that prospect can actually be when one is actually faced with it.  The only encouragement I felt came from verses such as these:

"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised" -Hebrews 10:35-36

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." -Hebrews 12:5-11


"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do." -James 1:2-8

"Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him." -James 1:12

"Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." James 5:10-11

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins." -2 Peter 5-9

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." -Romans 5:3-5

"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" -Hebrews 13:5

As I lay in bed this morning, everything feels...good.  The sun peeks over the neighbor's roof, through my window, and caresses my face with the promise that he he didn't leave me, he didn't forsake me.  And I weep as I thank him for what he did (and continues to do), and for the beauty he has brought to my life.  I weep because he loves me like a son.

Chicken Nuggets

A new recipe to try:

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/recipes/crispy-chicken-nuggets/

On the Seventh Day...

God created the universe in six days, and on the seventh day he rested (but also may have made some ribs).  I'm incredibly blessed to have stumbled upon the best ribs I've ever had, and I just happen to have a recipe for it.

This time, I used a rack of spareribs I'd purchased from the West Michigan Co-op.  Specifically, this particular rack came from S & S Lamb near McBain, MI.  I've known the owners, Pierre and Sharon Schierbeek (for the non-Dutch among us, it is pronounced "skeerbick"), for near 12 or 13 years now.  I'd prefer to use a baby-back or loin-back rack, but I'll use whatever is available.

First step: create the rub.
-1/2 Cup brown sugar
-2 Tablespoons kosher salt
-1 Tablespoon chili powder
-2 teaspoons freshly-ground pepper

The second thing to do is to get rid of as much sinew as possible from the back of the rack.  It helps to use a paper towel to get a hold of the slippery stuff.

Once that is accomplished, rub the rub on the ribs, and wrap them in plastic wrap or put them in a big zip-loc bag.  Let them marinate in the refrigerator like that for 3 hours or so, or even overnight if it makes is more convenient. When you pull them out, they'll look something like this:

Then go watch a movie or something.  I'd recommend the Shawshank Redemption.

The next task is to get the grill ready.  First, soak some apple wood chips in water for 30 minutes.

Next, get your charcoal going, and when they're white, arrange them so they are piled on the opposite side of the grill from the vent.  This way, the heat and smoke have to travel over the meat to escape.  Place a drip pan under the rib side, place the ribs under the vent, and drop a small handful of wood chips directly on the coals.  Close the lid and check on them in 30 minutes.

Flip the ribs every 30 minutes or so, and after 2 hours, apply some Sweet Baby Ray's.  Keep flipping and basting with the sauce two or three more times over the course of an hour to an hour and a half.

Now, you will be very tempted to just start digging in, but don't.  Take them off the grill and keep them wrapped in tin foil for 30 minutes.  While you're waiting, make yourself some lemonade or a nice micro brew, put on some Billie Holiday, and chill (save the stogie for after).  Thank God for ribs at this time, maybe.  then again, you'll probably be thanking him anyway after you taste these suckers.  Have fun!

A Couple of Thoughts

I pity people whose world is small.

I find it interesting how the worst thing that ever happened to me is also the best thing that ever happened to me.

The Genographic Project

     It was at Christmas at my parent's place in Iowa a few years ago that we were gathered around the dining room table discussing something that eventually led to my Dad pulling out what he had of the family tree.  I was hooked from the start.  I think there were probably 10 names or so on that piece of paper, and that just wasn't good enough for me.  I wanted to know more.  I wanted to know who these people were.  What was their world like?  What made them who they were, and what about them remains in me?  It's the Big Question.  Who am I and from where did I come?  So I started Googling names, visiting libraries, going to Heritage Hall at Calvin, and doing lots of research.  Three years later, I had increased the number of names in my family tree to around 750 (I don't know for sure- haven't counted).  At one point, I was able to find my earliest ancestor, "Jarich Hainga", who was born sometime around the year 1380.  So that just begged the question: "What was life like for Jarich?" The only answers would be found in what was left of the historical record through sciences such as archaeology.  And before that?  Anthropology and...genetics?  I'd hit a wall at the year 1380, and I wanted to know more about Jarich's ancestors, too.
     With the advent of population genetics, one is now able to estimate what route their ancestors took out of Africa, as well as what people share most of your DNA.

     It came in the mail the other day.  The project on which I have wanted to work for almost 2 years now.  It's called the Genographic Project by National Geographic.  https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/lan/en/index.html
     After working on my family tree for a while now, I can say with some confidence that I am 100% Dutch/Frisian.  However, there may be a surprise or two in the results, which should arrive on my doorstep in approximately eight weeks.  If there is a surprise, such as some Native American or African markers, I will be....surprised, but intrigued at the same time.  It's another puzzle for me to figure out, and I love me some puzzles. 
     My academic record is abysmal.  I have ADD and didn't know it until I was a junior in High Shool.  It went untreated, and I continued to fail at school.  So it may be understood that, until I started work on my family history, I was unsure as to whether I possessed a fair amount of intelligence.  My successes in this area boosted my confidence to the point that I went back to school to pursue a B.A. in History, and I hope to get a Master's (or, dare I say it?  A Doctorate?) also.
      So, with a new-found focus, I made the Dean's List for the first time in my life, with a GPA of 3.898- something I would never have thought possible.  A friend pointed out to me the other day that I have my ancestors to thank for this.  She was right (thanks Terri).

West Michigan Co-op

     I've been on a green bent for the past couple of years, but I'm committing myself to it more and more these days.  I am reading "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan, and it has a tendency to keep me up at night.  It has inspired me to eat more locally, and as part of this movement, I have joined the West Michigan Co-op.  I picked up my purchases today after work: cherries, multi-grain bread, organic Gouda, mesclun, pork spare ribs, sirloin, eggs, milk, and a weird mix of snap beans.  I hope to use our local farmers on a more consistent basis.  By the way- the Gouda is fantastic!

Hot Yoga

As part of my journey to a healthier me, I vowed to get more exercise. When a friend told me that she was doing something called "Hot Yoga" and that she was loving it, I thought I'd give it a try, as the first class is free anyway.  When I walked in, the reception room felt warm.  When I walked into the studio, I missed the time that I'd spent in the reception room.  In the practice of hot yoga, the studio is kept at a temperature of 95 degrees, whilst you and your cohorts are subjects to the sadistic whims of the instructor for 75 minutes.  "Fold!", "Get your butt up higher!", "Back straight!", etc...  Just out of curiosity, I weighed myself before and after the class.  The difference was five pounds.  That was just the first class.  In my fourth class- yesterday- the power had gone out in the neighborhood and the reception room was at what seemed to be 95.  The studio itself then was a much warmer 100 or so.  All I know is that it was much hotter than average.  In my first class, I made it 30 minutes into the workout.  In my second, I made it for 50, and in last night's class, I made it for an hour!  It was the most amazing workout I've had in years!  Sweat pours out of you and falls into your towel, and you know that you're doing something right.  Something that's good for you.  Something metamorphic. 
     As of today, I have lost 100 pounds.  Only 43-68 more to go...

Another Go

This is not my first blog.  I think I was uncommitted to the first, and therefore there are only a handful of posts.  I've decided to give it another try.