My Christmas Wish: No -Ites

Scriptures teach us about many groups of people. Sometimes they got along, other times there was war and contention. In an ideal society, we wouldn’t have those -ites (class distinction, gender disparity, fear of different religions, etc.). One of the things I love about Christmas time is the emphasis on family and on treating each other well. We give presents to friends and family. We send cards to those we don’t always see or keep in touch with and remind them that we care. We think of those who don’t have everything they need. Essentially, we have less -ites. As a Christian, I frequently feel bullied into a box that says that I don’t accept other people or that I think I am better than others. I sure hope that isn’t true. The Christ that I believe in teaches me to love everyone. He asks me to be kind and to love others. Others might disagree with me, pray differently, not pray at all, but the Christ I believe in asks me to see them as my brothers and sisters and treat them accordingly. I’m okay if we disagree, brothers and sisters squabble, but at the end of the day they are also fiercely loyal to one another. To me, that is the Spirit of Christmas. I consider myself a very fortunate girl that I have some incredible humans in my life. Just this week I drank hot chocolate and looked at Christmas lights with friends (who rescued me from a dead battery thanks to the 4 degree cold). Then I made gingerbread houses with some other friends and their great girls, and got snuggle time with my favorite little man. We don’t all think or believe the same but we all care about each other. I want more of that in my life and it was one of my goals this year to cultivate that. It is an amazing thing to love others just for the sake of loving them. My wish for you this Christmas is the same in your life. More love, less -ites.

Faith and Sacrament and Civility

This election season has been the most contentious that I can remember. Always the mud-slinging and one-upping, but it seems as if it has fallen to new lows. When Christianity comes into politics, it seems as if it instantly becomes a contest of moral high ground. As I ponder on what faith in Jesus Christ means to me, I’m fairly certain He would be disappointed with this election season. I don’t mean with the candidates, but how we have been treating each other. There is so much shaming and hatred. When did civility become so out of fashion? Christ walked and talked with sinners. He refused to cast a stone at the woman taken in adultery. He taught love and kindness. This doesn’t mean He condoned sin. One of my favorite examples of modern civility was the friendship between Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Supreme Court Justice is arguably the most important position in government and Scalia and Ginsburg were diametrically contrary in almost every decision they made. When the robes were off, they were the best of friends. Scalia loved to hunt and Bader’s husband would often cook what he caught and the couples would share a meal together. They treated each other kindly. They respected the intelligence and intentions of the other person, even when opposed to their own. I am far from perfect. I depend on my belief that through partaking of a weekly sacrament I can be forgiven of my sins, shortcomings, weaknesses, etc. I try my best, but those errors are part of being human. I believe in the goodness of other people. I believe in a Christ who has given me more chances to try again, to do a little better than I can count and therefore it would be foolish of me to not offer that to all those around me. I have faith that trying our best matters and that Christ paid the price for all the times we fall short. 

How to do Fall

With the exception of post holidays into the remainder of winter, I love changes in seasons. There is something new to look forward to. Fall is no exception! Football, school supplies, changing colors, crisp air, pumpkins! Fall gives me a renewed sense of energy going into the home stretch of a year. I still feel like I have time left to work on my goals before the end of the year.

There are basically two ways to do Fall. First, you can post a cute meme on social media and drink a pumpkin spice latte. That's fine, but may I suggest something better? (Don't worry Starbucks, we aren't breaking up.) Dive into fall like you are jumping into a giant pile of leaves, better yet, actually jump into a pile of leaves. "I'm an adult you say, I don't have kids you say." What's your point? Fall is a perfect time to not live life waiting on someday. Make a Fall Bucket List. Pick apples, go to a pumpkin patch, watch football, sit around a fire pit with friends, eat a s'more, make all the pumpkin things.

Why settle for buying a pumpkin spice flavored drink when you can create some seriously amazing pumpkin flavors in your own kitchen. The first fall kitchen adventure involved my favorite food blog and Maple Pumpkin Cookies. They were delectable. Maria is a wonder in the kitchen and I have never had a recipe fail. I don't have any pictures because I took these morsels to work, where they disappeared.

The pumpkin adventures continued. I made pumpkin curry! I love a good curry and the combination of the pumpkin and coconut milk created such a smooth sauce.

I am by no means a food blogger, so don't let the iPhone picture fool you into thinking this was anything less than wonderful. This is how you do Fall!

Blog Resurrection

I have decided to resurrect this blog. I want a space to share the beautiful moments of a highly imperfect life. Also, I want this space to serve as a more personal counterpart to a blog I hope to start about mental illness. It is a conversation that so many people don't know how to have, or where to begin, so I hope to create a safe, educated place to do just that. If you have suggestions or questions about mental illness you think would be beneficial to address, feel free to comment. The next challenge is to figure out the aesthetic side of this blog, because right now it drives me bonkers!