tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62177112658736907592024-03-13T12:43:06.703-07:00Tree of the FieldNatalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-25641896867752713582013-05-08T17:10:00.001-07:002013-05-08T17:10:32.257-07:00seeing again.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When I look at
my life and I can't remember who God is, can't remember that He can fill the
busted-in holes in my heart or heal the severed limb I left a few blocks behind me on the road of life—when
I can't remember that he is not only capable of fixing and healing the scary
dark hallways of my soul, but actually <i>wants</i> to, <i>desires</i> to
save me daily...all I need to do is go to Antioch, my church (IAmAntioch.com).<o:p></o:p></div>
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I don't mean this in the traditional sense.
Not in the: wear a nice hat, smile a "blessed day, sister" or
"great message, pastor," kind of way (although there was a great
message this week!). But in the ~<i>looking</i>,
the seeing and knowing the lives around me, the lives that have become more
than family to me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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It's in seeing darling Colette
who has spent 12 of the last 24 days in the hospital, including her 7th
birthday, at a level 8 pain...seeing <i>her</i>, Sunday morning in bedazzled
silver shoes and pink-spring-dress dancing around the sanctuary like a prima
ballerina; eyes closed, face upward to Jesus, hopping to "I exalt thee, I
exalt thee, O Lord" and meaning every movement. It's this seeing that
reminds me who my God is, the great redeemer-healer, yes! But also the one who
holds hands at hospital bedsides, and allows mothers asleep on hospital chairs
to wake up to smiling girls with the most precious words in that moment on
their lips, “Mommy, I’m hungry”…and the healing-progress begins there in Him. I
see Him in that mommy on her face worshipping <i>thanks </i>on Sunday morning. And I begin pray “Daddy, I’m hungry…for
more of your love.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s in opening my eyes to my friends, Ben and Tiff, who’ve been trying to
buy a house for months with failed offer after failed offer—who want to fill it
with adopted children—finding out that their dream home has dropped a
miraculous $50,000 into their price range. That their landlord is, without need
of any payback, gifting them thousands of dollars for their down payment that
they couldn’t quite afford. Here, I see God as the joyful gift giver who loves
to see dreams come true, who works in ways we didn’t see coming, who disguises
his angels as investors and doctors and birds and Walgreens checkers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I see <i>Him</i> in all the faces around
me, some as close as relatives to me, others mere acquaintances—knowing about
their lost jobs, newly discovered cancer cells, new babies, dreams coming
true—and all equally with faces upturned and so much joy singing “there is
power in the name of Jesus, there is power in the name of Jesus.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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All that...all that movement…gives me the strength to return home—to
life—the power to remember that the fire that burned so close to my home the
night before with its ashes like bullets aimed at my roof, threatening their
destruction, is something I can say <i>thank
you</i> for. Thank you for the way it threaded my neighbors together in instant
community, kind and soft-spoken watching the flames, opening relationship doors
where there hadn’t been before—and for Him that put out the fire before it
touched anyone or any home. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>“ </b>No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.<b> </b>For
I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither
the present nor the future, nor any powers,<b> </b>neither height nor
depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the
love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.<b>”<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Romans 8:37-39<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<i>So, God, whatever is
left of me in this tired sop of a body, whatever sin and thought and apathy is
clogging the wells of life you have placed in me—take it. Sweep it away—ashes
for beauty. Fill me anew with your pure-water life. I want a whiff of the joy
and peace and resolute purpose that only surface in your arms. The wide-eyed
“wow” that slips past my tongue before I’m even aware of it when water breaks
out of the gray muddled sky, a late spring rain. Enliven me—animate me. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>I won’t run away from
sin anymore. Instead, I’ll just run straight into your arms, straight into
forgetting all those old ways of drain and empty and I’ll re-member fullness
and hope and joy and wonder and awe. And I beg to be led to this decision and
choose rightly, everyday. Amen. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-27868084201398335882013-03-30T18:38:00.002-07:002013-03-30T18:38:59.968-07:00Accomplishment-fed Rest.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Walking out in the sun today, Holy Spirit soul-whisper
rolled through me. Reminded me that the accomplishment-fed rest that settles me
in bed at night, is not all there is. That swift movement and lots of check
marks on my list, meant nothing if I hath not love. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I move through life so internalized on getting things done that
when phone rings, <i>Mom, </i>I half-hover
over <i>ignore</i>, before a tired half <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
‘hello?’ <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
and grumble <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
‘the middle of something,’<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
get back to sluggery
of online glow job ads. Let Pinterest trickle through every 5 minutes or so as
that ‘there’s still bright in life’ relief. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I farm more than just online—there’s gym, date, read, write,
eat right, play, pay, pray, relax, God time, time with family, me time, going
out time, <i>look at the time </i>time, <i>forget the time</i> time, instagram time—<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When my day is checklisted and all to-dos, what life is
there left in me but “I got a lot done today” (practically dead) sleep. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No, that whisper yelled—<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
SLOW.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
DOWN.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>It’s not about how much you get done—<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i> but
how you do it.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And while we’re at it…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Destiny isn’t what you accomplish <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i> But
who you are.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Is not the laughing farmers wife with muddied, glee-eyed
kids greater in destiny than the full-pursed, Armani suit, with cinder eyes? Or
even the serious, downtrodden missionary with no joy left for those he would
save?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s scary, this slowing. This unbearable lightness of just—<i>being. </i>The slow soul that sees dappled
green light leaves, the rib cage that opens enough to listen—the relationships
that pipe fresh when you do…and all the hope that beauty floods. All piling up
on that shambled roof called <i>fear of
disappointment, </i>almost making it crumble. Under the weight, <i>fear</i> whimpers, ‘all will let down.’ Too
heavy, the glory. So we hide. Again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Get out the magazine, distract, list out all we desire. Our
veil hanging by a thread, lace up our feet, all ready to complete more things when<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
BLAM<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some sunset, some stream’s quiet babbling charm, some arm,
some ‘Daddy, up!’, some God-vision, some book, some poem, some dream, all
SCREAM…WAKE! UP!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
“Then you will look and be radiant,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
your heart will throb and swell with joy;<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
the wealth<b> </b>on the seas will be brought
to you,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
to you the riches of the nations will come.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Isaiah 60:5<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He is doing something
majestic in the earth and I want to see it, to really <i>see</i> it. Not just do it, like I have to make a grade, but drink in
His glory with my soul and breathe awe at this human life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because it is not
necessarily about how much you get done, but how you do it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Remember who you are,
be engaged. That your light may be seen bright and not shuffled behind the
busyness of this world.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;">
“Arise,<b> </b>shine, for your light<b> </b>has come, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;">
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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See, darkness<b> </b>covers the earth <o:p></o:p></div>
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and thick darkness<b> </b>is over the peoples, <o:p></o:p></div>
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but the Lord rises upon you <o:p></o:p></div>
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and his glory appears over you.<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Nations<b> </b>will come to your light, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;">
and kings<b> </b>to the brightness of your dawn.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Lift up your eyes and look about
you: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
All assemble<b> </b>and come to you”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Isaiah 60:1-4<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Love, Natalie<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-40891629426236939442012-04-26T12:09:00.001-07:002012-04-26T12:10:21.052-07:00The Poem as Mask<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td valign="top" width="80%"><span class="TITLE" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I am just a little bit obsessed with this right now.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-family: verdana, arial, 'lucida sans', helvetica, geneva, sans-serif;">The Poem as Mask</span></span></td><td align="right" colspan="2" nowrap="" style="font-family: verdana, arial, 'lucida sans', helvetica, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;" valign="top"></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="3" style="font-family: verdana, arial, 'lucida sans', helvetica, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">by <a href="http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/100" style="font-family: verdana, arial, 'lucida sans', helvetica, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-decoration: none;">Muriel Rukeyser</a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="3" style="font-family: verdana, arial, 'lucida sans', helvetica, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2" style="font-family: verdana, arial, 'lucida sans', helvetica, geneva, sans-serif;" valign="top"><div class="crumbs" style="font-family: verdana, arial, 'lucida sans', helvetica, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
<i>Orpheus</i></div>
<pre style="font-family: verdana, arial, 'lucida sans', helvetica, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></pre>
<pre style="font-family: verdana, arial, 'lucida sans', helvetica, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></pre>
<pre style="font-family: verdana, arial, 'lucida sans', helvetica, geneva, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">When I wrote of the women in their dances and
wildness, it was a mask,
on their mountain, gold-hunting, singing, in orgy,
it was a mask; when I wrote of the god,
fragmented, exiled from himself, his life, the love gone
down with song,
it was myself, split open, unable to speak, in exile from
myself.
There is no mountain, there is no god, there is memory
of my torn life, myself split open in sleep, the rescued
child
beside me among the doctors, and a word
of rescue from the great eyes.
No more masks! No more mythologies!
Now, for the first time, the god lifts his hand,
the fragments join in me with their own music.</span></pre>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-75096121716887730272012-03-01T00:09:00.000-08:002012-04-26T12:10:51.329-07:00gypsy.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been obsessed with gypsies lately so here's a little Charles Simic poetry to celebrate gypsyhood:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9xaJSkia4IE/T08umBAEsRI/AAAAAAAAAV4/FPxCRBiPCiY/s1600/gypsies-spain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9xaJSkia4IE/T08umBAEsRI/AAAAAAAAAV4/FPxCRBiPCiY/s200/gypsies-spain.jpg" width="169" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;">I was stolen by the gypsies. My parents stole me right back. Then the gypsies stole me again. This went on for some time. One minute I was in the caravan suckling the dark teat of my new mother, the next I sat at the long dining room table eating my breakfast with a silver spoon.<br />
<br />
It was the first day of spring. One of my fathers was singing in the bathtub; the other was painting a live sparrow the colors of a tropical bird.</span></span></div>Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-91074400672503646542012-01-11T14:44:00.000-08:002012-01-11T14:44:08.983-08:00Easy ways to save the earth: with water.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;">We use to not care a bit where we drank our water from:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xrv1YFRUmcc/TwkGHAFbhYI/AAAAAAAAAUs/EfuuFmO3P-Q/s1600/Boy_Drinking_Water_from_Garden_Hose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xrv1YFRUmcc/TwkGHAFbhYI/AAAAAAAAAUs/EfuuFmO3P-Q/s320/Boy_Drinking_Water_from_Garden_Hose.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;">Now we need an Aquafina, Fiji, or Voss water-bottle to ensure that we are drinking purified and </span><i style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">convenient</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;"> water. I am talking about myself here as well. However, I have been making a conscious effort to decrease the excessive amount of plastic I use. When I am at home I drink water from the refridgerator in a glass, when I'm out I try to bring my refillable water bottle. If you are freaked out by tap water then buy a Brita filter pitcher for your fridge! It's the little things that make a big difference, can you give up or decrease your water bottle usage to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">save</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;"> the world?</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-83912093566860132292012-01-11T14:40:00.000-08:002012-01-11T14:40:38.964-08:00Easy ways to save the world: buy a couch.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;">This blog is inspired by my sister Meghann Ramer and her fiancee Sean Bonesteele. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xy30DzLSWNM/TwkgB9tVbBI/AAAAAAAAAU0/RKF8siXG7jc/s1600/RM06_sod_sofa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xy30DzLSWNM/TwkgB9tVbBI/AAAAAAAAAU0/RKF8siXG7jc/s320/RM06_sod_sofa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;">In preparation for their future apartment they have been trying to save money for furniture and rent and such. Together they came up with "recycling for a couch." They began recycling bottles and cans and setting aside that money earned specifically for a sofa. Pretty soon my entire family got involved, they collected recyclables after parties, I began bringing a bag of bottles in my trunk every time I saw them. Before we knew it their simple idea changed the culture of our family from dumpers to sustainable livers!</span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;">Is there something special you can save up for by recycling? </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;">I</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;">magine earning towards a prize while </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">saving</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"> the world.</span></span></div></div></div>Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-31401017586723625722012-01-09T12:17:00.000-08:002012-01-09T12:17:01.673-08:00Easy ways to save the earth: with your toothbrush.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;">Today we are saving the world while we brush our teeth!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rYac2UfQnhU/TwkCyl010qI/AAAAAAAAAUc/vXHya6SB2Ns/s1600/Toothbrushing-87717342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rYac2UfQnhU/TwkCyl010qI/AAAAAAAAAUc/vXHya6SB2Ns/s320/Toothbrushing-87717342.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;">Awhile ago my professor mentioned this innovative product sold at Trader Joes: a tooth brush made from recycled yogurt cups. That may sound a little gross but they are 100% clean and here is the best part:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;">the toothbrushes come in postal ready, pre-paid packaging, so when you're all done with it you can just slip it back in the original package and mail it off to the company. They re-recycle them and there are no more toothbrushes piling up in our landfills!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;">So, how much does saving the environment cost? $2.99 which includes the shipping cost, not bad for saving the planet!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QoHpVdN7fnQ/TwkEh57dJjI/AAAAAAAAAUk/bQFWocIAZw0/s1600/preservetb-mail-back-sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QoHpVdN7fnQ/TwkEh57dJjI/AAAAAAAAAUk/bQFWocIAZw0/s1600/preservetb-mail-back-sm.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;">Don't take my word for it, here's a review:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;">http://www.greenlivingonline.com/article/product-review-preserve-toothbrush</span></div>Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-65974755348444288752012-01-08T19:26:00.000-08:002012-01-08T19:26:06.079-08:00Easy ways to save the earth: at lunch.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Hey ladies and fellas...<br />
I want to start a new little series of posts that are just periodic... about saving the earth! That sounds so overwhelming so I am just going to post simple ways to be nicer to creation, hope you enjoy!<br />
<br />
Today, we are saving the earth at lunchtime!!!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hOKiX-quOG4/Twj_hzPeP5I/AAAAAAAAAUU/sz6UN7FeIBE/s1600/E0306FA0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hOKiX-quOG4/Twj_hzPeP5I/AAAAAAAAAUU/sz6UN7FeIBE/s320/E0306FA0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;">In my household we have a culture of using paper plates for breakfast and lunch. It's easier, we don't have to do dishes, and you can just toss them in the trash. However, I am now trying to use our ceramic plates and spend the extra time rinsing (with as little water as possible) and sticking them in the dishwasher. We are going to use the energy and water to run the dishwasher every night anyway so I might as well save some trees by using less paper plates. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;">What are some habits of your household that you can change to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">SAVE</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;"> the earth?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><br />
</div>Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-18836073449345281062012-01-07T22:37:00.000-08:002012-01-07T22:37:42.967-08:00Sexy Little Bride Cupcakes.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Happy Bachelorette Party to my beautiful sister, Meg!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0EBNPJDE36I/Twk3SwMr4RI/AAAAAAAAAU8/atxP9dtz5xo/s1600/383586_730324007981_31006425_34234319_1619391632_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0EBNPJDE36I/Twk3SwMr4RI/AAAAAAAAAU8/atxP9dtz5xo/s320/383586_730324007981_31006425_34234319_1619391632_n.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I thought I would post a little blog featuring the cupcakes I made for her party..mostly because I think the names I gave them were worth sharing ;)</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-miGsFVPOA8Q/Twk4BX4f7mI/AAAAAAAAAVc/99D-aydjbuc/s1600/DSC01850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-miGsFVPOA8Q/Twk4BX4f7mI/AAAAAAAAAVc/99D-aydjbuc/s320/DSC01850.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Chai and Honey cupcakes for the honeymoon "sweet and spicy night"</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6vHR4O5E1ic/Twk34UBttDI/AAAAAAAAAVM/q6D_QME9K4U/s1600/DSC01848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6vHR4O5E1ic/Twk34UBttDI/AAAAAAAAAVM/q6D_QME9K4U/s320/DSC01848.jpg" width="217" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She is getting married at Strawberry Fields Farm so this one was a little tribute to that!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mYoN4CgnKhM/Twk39Eu2CPI/AAAAAAAAAVU/MzdqABUDwLA/s1600/DSC01849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mYoN4CgnKhM/Twk39Eu2CPI/AAAAAAAAAVU/MzdqABUDwLA/s320/DSC01849.JPG" width="170" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Haha these ones are my favorites, I was putting the hershey's kisses on top and realized that if I put two it looked like boobies, hence the name "Sexy and Tempting Devil's Food cupcakes (w/ boobies!)"</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B9MC5RDGtZ8/Twk4MtBOqQI/AAAAAAAAAVk/FM6l0XdiuVU/s1600/DSC01852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B9MC5RDGtZ8/Twk4MtBOqQI/AAAAAAAAAVk/FM6l0XdiuVU/s320/DSC01852.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The groom's mom also brought these little treats that I thought were so cute, lingerie cookies!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The big day is coming up quick, love you muff!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div>Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-21126664457104730662011-12-27T00:27:00.000-08:002012-01-07T18:15:23.360-08:00Cyborg.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5tXeH1jRNMY/TvmAX6fd6pI/AAAAAAAAAUM/HpzpWQmblVI/s1600/Cyborg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5tXeH1jRNMY/TvmAX6fd6pI/AAAAAAAAAUM/HpzpWQmblVI/s320/Cyborg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> The Christmas season has come upon us and passed by so quickly... as it does every year. I was planning on writing this blog earlier...but I was too busy eating cookies. This year I have been fascinated by the cyborg element of Christmas. <br />
Typically when we think of the word cyborg, images of half machine-half humans come to mind. However this term really just means the human body in direct collaboration with something else. According to theories by Derrida and Harraway it can include a blending with animal body parts such as a primate heart in a human body. It can even include our use of language (an invented tool) that allows us to think and speak. I want to take that concept a little bit farther and include Jesus as a cyborg, a blending of two things.<br />
<br />
Yahweh had unlimited options of how to get his son on earth: he could have materialized him at age 30, he could have had him be mary and joseph's son, or he could have had him arrive in a whirlwind of fire. But instead, he chose to partner WITH humanity. He overshadowed Mary and created his son as a hybrid of humanity and divinity, fully God and fully human.<br />
<br />
This is the supreme example of what he wants his church to look like. Ever since pentecost Jesus' followers have been cyborgs, fully human and yet filled with God in the person of the Holy Spirit. Our physical bodies are temples for God. God is not interested in doing everything for you while you sit on the couch. God is certainly not interested in you doing everything for him while he sits on the couch. Instead he is looking for a marriage.<br />
<br />
He called his church his bride for a reason, he wants to do things WITH us. When Mary partnered with God it created the most beautiful thing this earth has ever seen, Jesus. In this next season, let's partner with God and see what beautiful cyborgs (partly God, partly human) we can birth.<br />
</div>Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-79069432016873784402011-12-04T19:08:00.000-08:002011-12-04T19:08:53.336-08:00Songs of Freedom<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #626260; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"></span><br />
<h2 class="node-title" style="clear: none; display: inline; float: left; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 29px; list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">In Your Arms</h2><div class="node-content clear-block" style="clear: left; display: block; list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 10px;"><div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-song-reference" style="list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="field-items" style="list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="field-item odd" style="list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="node node-song clear-block" id="node-1650" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #f1f0e9; background-image: url(http://css.wmgstg.com/wmgmandrews/sites/default/themes/meredith/img/node-odd-bg.png); background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: repeat no-repeat; display: inline; float: left; list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 18px; width: 710px;"><div class="node-content clear-block" style="clear: left; display: block; list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="line-height: 1.7em; list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">by, Meredith Andrews</div><div style="line-height: 1.7em; list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yeZ7AMfJQ_4/Ttw1NcKMzRI/AAAAAAAAAUA/9hXDrxVHVS8/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yeZ7AMfJQ_4/Ttw1NcKMzRI/AAAAAAAAAUA/9hXDrxVHVS8/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="line-height: 1.7em; list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I’m turning the world off<br />
Embracing the silence<br />
Walking away from all the voices<br />
That are Screaming in my ear</div><div style="line-height: 1.7em; list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I've been too caught up<br />
I've been so stressed out<br />
All of the noise replaced the whisper<br />
That used to be so clear</div><div style="line-height: 1.7em; list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">So I close every door<br />
Put my face back on the floor</div><div style="line-height: 1.7em; list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">And I'm in Your arms<br />
Where I belong<br />
There's no other place for me<br />
Than right where You are<br />
Some things just don't change<br />
When I call Your name<br />
You never hesitate to wrap me in endless grace<br />
When I'm in Your arms</div><div style="line-height: 1.7em; list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I’m letting my fears go<br />
Giving You control<br />
For You are the one who holds me closer<br />
In my soul's darkest night</div><div style="line-height: 1.7em; list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Everything I see<br />
Is so temporary<br />
So help me to run the race before me<br />
With eternity in sight</div><div style="line-height: 1.7em; list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Now I close every door<br />
Put my face back on the floor</div><div style="line-height: 1.7em; list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">To sit at Your feet<br />
At Your table of mercy<br />
To gaze on Your beauty, my Lord<br />
To drink from Your well<br />
And be changed by Your glory<br />
How could I ask for more<br />
Jesus, how could I ask for more<br />
<br />
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtB9sctwH-A</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-49524452003020968852011-11-22T23:08:00.000-08:002011-11-22T23:08:12.814-08:00Drama queen...or...Poet?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Template>Normal</o:Template> <o:Revision>0</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>283</o:Words> <o:Characters>1618</o:Characters> <o:Company>student</o:Company> <o:Lines>13</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>3</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>1987</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:Version>11.1287</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:DoNotShowRevisions/> <w:DoNotPrintRevisions/> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:UseMarginsForDrawingGridOrigin/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">My whole life I have been labeled:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999; font-size: large;">“drama queen”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;">“overly sensitive”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04; font-size: large;">“dramatic”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Granted, some of those instances I really was just being a pain in the butt. However, a discussion I had in my M.F.A. poetry workshop tonight helped me see myself in a new light. Perhaps this hypersensitivity is a positive quality in my life and not something I should wish to brush under the doormat.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Writers, and poets more specifically, are keen observers, sensitive to the world around them, aware, and not asleep. This is not some fancy way of saying, “ all poets are super emotional.” Instead it is the highest compliment (which, yes, I am indulging in giving myself as a poet). Poets, as discussed in class, are watchers of the world, unafraid to point out the injustices, inconsistencies, and oddities. When most can turn a blind eye and deaf ear to an issue for “convenience” or “comfort” it is the poets sensitivity that will force those issues onto the page until they are heard loud and clear, their words perhaps opening the blind eyes and deaf ears. If I may be so bold as to use this verb, they must <i>endure</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> this sensitivity so that they can be watchtowers for society.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Poets are unafraid of asking questions of the ineffable, pushing beyond even what language can express. They can push beyond mortality, ask questions that stir souls, and baffle readers with an entire experience in a few words.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’ll stop this self-congratulating now and commission writers out there:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Accept this sensitivity as a gift…</div><div class="MsoNormal">Push boundaries farther than you feel comfortable with…</div><div class="MsoNormal">Watch the world around you with everything you have….</div><div class="MsoNormal">Write the truth; write with complete presence of mind heart and soul…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It feels good to find a niche, to realize my personality plays into something I love. So from now on I am going to try and embrace my hypersensitivity and be happy to be a watcher and feeler of the world around me to the fullest extent.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;">Merry cheer and light,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Natalie</div><!--EndFragment--></div>Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-27265487535780390312011-11-16T16:34:00.000-08:002011-11-16T16:35:22.418-08:00Can I getchya s'more cupcakes, ma'am?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-riY_beVMhbw/TsROSKRk8MI/AAAAAAAAATo/ecfht1NY5fE/s1600/IMG_0067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-riY_beVMhbw/TsROSKRk8MI/AAAAAAAAATo/ecfht1NY5fE/s320/IMG_0067.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is nothing more American than toasting marshmallows over a campfire, squishing them between sweet honey graham crackers, and watching chocolate bars melt in the concoction. It screams of fall and camping and childhood memories to me. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Soooo, when my nephew's first birthday party arrived and the theme was camping, I was on a search for the BEST s'more cupcake recipe, and believe me, I've found it. They combine a rich chocolate cake, savory graham cracker crust, melted chocolate center, and light fluffy marshmallow frosting, perfection!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These babies are tedious to make, but (and I don't say this lightly) completely worth it. This might be the most delicious cupcake I've ever eaten. Cute too, right?</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">LET's GET STARTED!!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I've adapted them from foodbuzz.com</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">WHAT YOU'LL NEED:</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
<div align="center" style="color: #a7937f; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div align="center" style="color: #a7937f; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div align="center" style="color: #a7937f; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">2 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar<br />
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour<br />
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
2 large eggs<br />
1 cup whole milk<br />
1/2 cup vegetable oil<br />
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract<br />
1 cup boiling water<br />
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 20 squares)<br />
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted<br />
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (this is a time consuming job, a few bigger chunks won't hurt the recipe a bit) </div><div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: 800;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br />
</span></span></div><div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: 800;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">AND THE WORK BEGINS....</span></span></div><div style="color: #a7937f; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></div><div style="color: #a7937f; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #a7937f; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;">1. Preheat the oven to 350 </div><div style="color: #a7937f; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></div><div style="color: #a7937f; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"> 2. Mix the 2 cups & 2 tablespoons sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into the bowl of an electric mixer and mix ingredients together on low speed.</div><div style="color: #a7937f; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"></div><div style="color: #a7937f; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;">3. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Add boiling water and stir to combine; set aside. </div><div style="color: #a7937f; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></div><div style="color: #a7937f; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;">4. Place graham cracker crumbs, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and melted butter in a large bowl; stir until well combined.</div><div style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">*I used a potato masher to smash graham crackers. After that experience I would say a food processor would be a much better idea. They don't need to be perfect, either way.</span></div><div style="color: #a7937f; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></div><div style="color: #a7937f; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;">5. Place 1 overflowing tablespoon graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Use the bottom of a small glass to pack crumbs into the bottom of each cupcake liner. The remaining graham cracker mixture is for the topping.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4KsxJ4qVS2k/TsRN_ZHw7NI/AAAAAAAAATY/STRxhy7xHwc/s1600/IMG_0061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4KsxJ4qVS2k/TsRN_ZHw7NI/AAAAAAAAATY/STRxhy7xHwc/s320/IMG_0061.JPG" width="210" /></a></div><div style="color: #a7937f; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></div><div style="color: #a7937f; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"> 6. Place a thin layer of chocolate over the graham cracker crust...it should cover the crust. Transfer to oven and bake until the edges of the graham cracker mixture are golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and fill each cup three-quarters full with cake batter. Sprinkle each with remaining chocolate and graham cracker mixture. Return to oven and bake, rotating pans halfway through baking, until tops are firm and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let them cool for at least 10 minutes before removing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UsuY7E7MlGw/TsRNz8w5ekI/AAAAAAAAATQ/O17NhEQ7VLk/s1600/IMG_0058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UsuY7E7MlGw/TsRNz8w5ekI/AAAAAAAAATQ/O17NhEQ7VLk/s320/IMG_0058.JPG" width="306" /></a></div><div style="color: #a7937f; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">MARSHMALLOW FROSTING,</span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">WHAT YOU'LL NEED:</span></div><div align="center" style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div align="center" style="color: #a7937f; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
8 large egg whites<br />
2 cups sugar<br />
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar<br />
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract </div><div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br />
</span></div><div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">THE WORK...</span></div><div align="center" style="color: #a7937f; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #a7937f; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #a7937f; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;">1. Place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set over a saucepan with simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, 3 to 4 minutes. </div><div style="color: #a7937f; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;">2. Transfer bowl to electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat, starting on low speed, gradually increasing to high, until stiff, glossy peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes. Add vanilla, and mix until combined. Use immediately. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">*If the frosting is runny try adding powdered sugar and meringue powder</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FVFuGWVsn0w/TsROKasQoiI/AAAAAAAAATg/JRvDP5bFMf4/s1600/IMG_0063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FVFuGWVsn0w/TsROKasQoiI/AAAAAAAAATg/JRvDP5bFMf4/s320/IMG_0063.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #a7937f;">Then add a piece of hershey's chocolate and a wedge of graham to garnish, it's just like camping! Without showering in a river!</div><div style="color: #a7937f;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #a7937f;"><br />
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</div><div style="color: #a7937f;">Party idea:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4F6ssCwNKbc/TsROYR6DkeI/AAAAAAAAATw/vVhwUaGhFrs/s1600/IMG_0069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4F6ssCwNKbc/TsROYR6DkeI/AAAAAAAAATw/vVhwUaGhFrs/s320/IMG_0069.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I had a lot of leftover frosting so I made it a dip for "mini do it yourself s'mores" on a platter and people were loving it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These are a lot of work but so worth it for this little guy:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t5U2UE_qR4w/TsROZnXhkAI/AAAAAAAAAT4/gsqvpdw39Us/s1600/IMG_1374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t5U2UE_qR4w/TsROZnXhkAI/AAAAAAAAAT4/gsqvpdw39Us/s320/IMG_1374.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Happy Birthday Carter!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Love,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Aunty Mongo</div><div style="color: #a7937f;"><br />
</div></div></div>Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-8763017212712977102011-10-16T18:31:00.000-07:002011-10-16T18:31:43.625-07:00Chocolate Pear Tort<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">So, whenever autumn hits my fever for baking returns. And what says fall like pears? </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eQP5jmuBKa4/TpuEq8YrpKI/AAAAAAAAASQ/pnMBGwyyRv0/s1600/4133145246_e01d81e1be.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eQP5jmuBKa4/TpuEq8YrpKI/AAAAAAAAASQ/pnMBGwyyRv0/s320/4133145246_e01d81e1be.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">adapted from: </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">http://confessionsoftart.blogspot.com/2009/11/chocolate-pear-tart.html</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">This recipe is super easy but actually was a bit too bland for my taste. I suggest adding 2 tbsp. of cinnamon and nutmeg to your water when you poach your pears, adding some kick to the chocolate custard with cinnamon, and dusting the top of the tort with a sugar and cinnamon mixture to give it that warm holiday taste. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">Also, just to keep things easy I used a frozen pie crust, but of course feel free to make your own crust dough.<br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;"><u>For the poached pears</u></span><br />
5 ripe Bosc pears<br />
4-5 cups water<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">*add 2 tbsp cinnamon and 2 tbsp nutmeg for added kick<br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;"><u>For the custard</u></span> (from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Once-Upon-Tart-Salads-Muffins/dp/0375413162" style="color: #5588aa; text-decoration: none;">Once Upon a Tart</a>)<br />
6 ounces good semisweet chocolate, chopped<br />
3/4 cups heavy cream<br />
1/4 cup sugar<br />
1 egg<br />
1 egg yolk<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">*add 1 tbsp cinnamon if desired<br />
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2 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp cinnamon to glaze (optional)<br />
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1.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Thaw the pie crust.<br />
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2. Next, peel, halve and core the pears. Bring 4-5 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar to a boil in a large saucepan and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Put in the teaspoon of vanilla extract and stir to combine. Gently place the pears in the water (add more water if needed to completely cover the pears), lower the heat, and cook at a low boil until the pears are just tender when pierced with a fork (but not mushy). For me, this was around the 10-15 minute mark. Drain the water and set the pears aside.<br />
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4. Whisk the egg and the egg yolk lightly in a medium-sized bowl. Add the vanilla and whisk to combine. In a double boiler (or a metal bowl set over an inch of gently simmering water so that the bowl bottom doesn't touch the water) melt the chocolate with the cream, stirring and folding with a heat-proof spatula to combine into a smooth and shiny ganache. Stir in the 1/4 cup sugar and cook a few minutes more, until the sugar has melted. Set aside to cool.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--SquKxv4Hxg/Tpt5SyN5cjI/AAAAAAAAARg/furVKjdCjVg/s1600/photo-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--SquKxv4Hxg/Tpt5SyN5cjI/AAAAAAAAARg/furVKjdCjVg/s320/photo-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
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5. Carefully transfer your pear halves to a cutting board and, holding each pear with one hand to keep it intact, carefully slice into thin slices. To fan out the pear slices, press the wide end of the pear gently towards the narrow end. Slide the knife under the fanned pears and arrange them in a circle inside the tart pan. As the tin becomes fuller make a double layer of pear slices<br />
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6. To make the custard, slowly dribble about 1/2 cup of the chocolate mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. This warms the eggs, preventing them from cooking. Add the rest of the chocolate in a steady stream and stir to combine.<br />
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7. Pour the chocolate mixture into the tart pan, pouring as much as possible around the pears rather than on top of the pears. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the chocolate custard is puffed and set (it will be firm to the touch and slightly cracked around the edges). Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H62Q8pKQnMg/Tpt75zZ5WsI/AAAAAAAAASA/VBCklYuR9Wc/s1600/photo-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H62Q8pKQnMg/Tpt75zZ5WsI/AAAAAAAAASA/VBCklYuR9Wc/s320/photo-2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
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8. Remove the tart from the tart pan and slide onto a plate. If desired, brush the pears with a little bit of cinnamon and sugar and serve slightly warm with icecream and chai tea lattes</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;">Mine didn't look at good as the picture of the finished product on the top of the blog, but yours may :) happy eating.</span><br />
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</span></div>Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-11355630521856509752011-08-08T15:25:00.000-07:002011-08-08T15:26:19.010-07:00VICTORY...thanks grandpa.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K7XcRN_nNBQ/TkBhwEirAZI/AAAAAAAAARU/FpjxPoDE7h0/s1600/securedownload.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K7XcRN_nNBQ/TkBhwEirAZI/AAAAAAAAARU/FpjxPoDE7h0/s320/securedownload.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div>A few months ago my grandpa passed away, today he gave me a gift.<br />
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</div><div>I have BIG dreams in life, I want to change this place before I go, I want to make a difference and help people. I want to hold the victims of sex trafficking and let me them cry their stories until there is nothing left to be said, I want to feed the children in this world until they are full enough to run after the dreams they were created to fulfill, I want to love my husband with everything I am and be super woman for my children. I want to be a force to be reckoned with and a friend who can always be relied on. I want to be beautiful and loving and fierce and strong.</div><div><br />
</div><div>But today doubt crept in, I felt defeated, unworthy, and hopeless. Mostly I felt alone.</div><div><br />
</div><div>So what else was there to do? I prayed. I crawled into bed and cried, I wept and asked Jesus why I was still single, why I still have a crappy job, why I felt so small, and mostly just asked him to hold me. He did and I slept for a few minutes. when I woke something had shifted. I didn't feel great, I just felt like I wasn't going to give up. I turned on some worship music and just declared that He was big enough in me to do anything through me and WITH me. His love is so much bigger than anything we could ever fathom. How could I feel alone and unimportant? All those dreams I have of fairy tale romance are already true in my life...the prince I've always dreamed of, gave up everything and died for me so he could be with me. He is ravished by me!</div><div><br />
</div><div>I kept repeating "I am victorious! I am Victorious! I am victorious! I am victory! I AM victory!"</div><div><br />
</div><div>That was weird...why did I say I AM victory...like it was my name? And then I remembered a funny story my family always told growing up. When I was born my grandpa hated my name, he refused to call me natalie and for the first year of my life called me Victoria. We used to laugh about how weird and stubborn he was for doing that. But now, I've taken a different perspective.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Perhaps my grandpa felt something about me ...like that name was just right for me.</div><div><br />
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<tr><td style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;" valign="top"><a href="http://www.behindthename.com/name/victoria-1/images" style="color: blue;"><img border="1" height="120" src="http://www.behindthename.com/imagebank/images/victoria-1.jpg" style="float: right; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px;" width="85" /></a><br />
<div class="namepagename" style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;">VICTORIA <span class="tiny" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">(1)</span></div><div class="nameinfo" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 3px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: -10px;" valign="top"><div style="margin-bottom: 0em; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0em;"><b>Gender:</b> <span class="info" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><span class="fem" style="color: #771111; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Feminine</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0em; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0em;"><b>Usage:</b> <span class="info" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><a class="usg" href="http://www.behindthename.com/nmc/eng.php" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">English</a>, <a class="usg" href="http://www.behindthename.com/nmc/spa.php" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Spanish</a>, <a class="usg" href="http://www.behindthename.com/nmc/rmn.php" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Romanian</a>, <a class="usg" href="http://www.behindthename.com/nmc/rom-late.php" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Late Roman</a></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0em; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0em;"><b>Pronounced:</b> <span class="info" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">vik-TAWR-ee-ə <b>(English)</b> <a href="http://www.behindthename.com/pronunciation.php" style="color: blue;">[key]</a></span></div></div><div class="namepagedesc" style="font-size: 13px;">Feminine form of <a class="nl" href="http://www.behindthename.com/name/victorius" style="color: #444488; font-weight: bold;">VICTORIUS</a>, though later it was regarded as coming directly from Latin <i>victoria</i>meaning "victory". It was borne by a 4th-century <a class="ngl" href="http://www.behindthename.com/glossary/view/saint" style="color: #444488; text-decoration: none;">saint</a> and martyr from North Africa. Though in use elsewhere in Europe, the name was very rare in the English-speaking world until the 19th century, when Queen Victoria began her long rule of Britain. She was named after her mother, who was of German royalty. </div></td><td style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;" valign="top" width="140"><div class="nametools" style="background-color: #f9f9ff; border-bottom-color: black; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: black; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: black; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: black; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; margin-left: 5px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; padding-right: 2px; padding-top: 2px;"><br />
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<tr><td style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;" valign="top"><div class="namepagename" style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;">VICTORIA <span class="tiny" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">(2)</span></div><div class="nameinfo" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 3px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: -10px;" valign="top"><div style="margin-bottom: 0em; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0em;"><b>Gender:</b> <span class="info" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><span class="fem" style="color: #771111; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Feminine</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0em; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0em;"><b>Usage:</b> <span class="info" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><a class="usg" href="http://www.behindthename.com/nmc/rom-myth.php" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Roman Mythology</a></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0em; margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em; margin-top: 0em;"><b>Pronounced:</b> <span class="info" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">vik-TAWR-ee-ə <b>(English)</b> <a href="http://www.behindthename.com/pronunciation.php" style="color: blue;">[key]</a></span></div></div><div class="namepagedesc" style="font-size: 13px;">Means "victory" in Latin. Victoria was the Roman goddess of victory.</div><div class="namepagedesc" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
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</div><div class="namepagedesc" style="font-size: 13px;">From a young age I had victory spoken over me...so, no matter what happens I will remember that I don't need to strive for victory, that in Christ it is just who I am. He who is victorious lives in me so I no longer need to struggle, I AM victory, I AM Victoria. So thank you PaPa for seeing something in me that I would one day need to be reminded of, for seeing victory in me when I was too small to show it.</div><div class="namepagedesc" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
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</tbody></table></span></div></div>Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-77804938229477521422011-06-16T22:13:00.000-07:002011-06-16T22:13:26.029-07:00Our beautiful Generation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">This is a a new song...a song of our generation...</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">think about what </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">answers </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">::you have:: </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">available to the ..questions.. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><u>the people around you</u> </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">are asking.</span></span></span><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">Helplessness Blues</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">by, Fleet Foxes</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">I was raised up believing I was somehow unique</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">Like a snowflake distinct among snowflakes, unique in each way you can see</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"><div style="text-align: center;">And now after some thinking, I'd say I'd rather be</div><div style="text-align: center;">A functioning cog in some great machinery serving something beyond me</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">But I don't, I don't know what that will be</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'll get back to you someday soon you will see</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">What's my name, what's my station, oh, just tell me what I should do</div><div style="text-align: center;">I don't need to be kind to the armies of night that would do such injustice to you</div><div style="text-align: center;">Or bow down and be grateful and say "sure, take all that you see"</div><div style="text-align: center;">To the men who move only in dimly-lit halls and determine my future for me</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And I don't, I don't know who to believe</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'll get back to you someday soon you will see</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">If I know only one thing, it's that everything that I see</div><div style="text-align: center;">Of the world outside is so inconceivable often I barely can speak</div><div style="text-align: center;">Yeah I'm tongue-tied and dizzy and I can't keep it to myself</div><div style="text-align: center;">What good is it to sing helplessness blues, why should I wait for anyone else?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And I know, I know you will keep me on the shelf</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'll come back to you someday soon myself</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">If I had an orchard, I'd work till I'm raw</div><div style="text-align: center;">If I had an orchard, I'd work till I'm sore</div><div style="text-align: center;">And you would wait tables and soon run the store</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Gold hair in the sunlight, my light in the dawn</div><div style="text-align: center;">If I had an orchard, I'd work till I'm sore</div><div style="text-align: center;">If I had an orchard, I'd work till I'm sore</div><div style="text-align: center;">Someday I'll be like the man on the screen </div></span></span></div></div></div></div>Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-28726153352359403232011-06-14T11:59:00.000-07:002011-06-14T11:59:33.961-07:00the art of play.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I haven't written in AWHILE! School has been so busy, but in this busyness God is reminding me of the importance of play in His kingdom. I have been so caught up in studying, learning, working, earning, striving, juggling, etc. that when I slow down I just want to sleep or turn off my mind or pray quietly in my room. All of those things are good, but I need to remember that God gave me the ability to laugh and again and again reminds us in scripture to be childlike.<br />
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So here, in the midst of my finals week and in the first week of summer for most people I just want to take a minute and remind you of PLAYFULNESS.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EGkBoPtFS0c/TferSfzoQmI/AAAAAAAAARM/5TrWBJO68I4/s1600/whimsical_girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EGkBoPtFS0c/TferSfzoQmI/AAAAAAAAARM/5TrWBJO68I4/s320/whimsical_girls.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dndtUeuhMEs/TferXZbdZRI/AAAAAAAAARQ/9OMakhQTRhQ/s1600/slumber-party1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dndtUeuhMEs/TferXZbdZRI/AAAAAAAAARQ/9OMakhQTRhQ/s320/slumber-party1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On Saturday night I went to see "Midnight in Paris" with my cousin, Heidi. Overall it was a silly love story but it had all the great modernist writers and artists in it ..</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> Hemmingway</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Dali</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> TS Elliot</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b4a7d6;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> Stein</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> P</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">ic</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">as</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">so</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">you get the point.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The movie was based around people who moved to Paris to dream and create art. I was so jazzed...I want to do that! Maybe not Paris, but I want to live an adventurous life full of art and spontaneity and beauty!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyhow, after the movie we felt like little girls..seriously, we were ridiculous. We ran to cold stone and get ice cream, yum. Drove back to my house, put on PJs, sweaters, and of course 1920s hats and grabbed some blankets and books. We sat out under the stars and read aloud to each other for two hours... poetry and short stories and maybe some of my stuff I'm working on :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It sounds so silly now, but it was so nice to be swirled up in fun, to not feel the weight of responsibility, to be a child who knew how to play still.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's all, very simple, just a call for you to have fun this week :) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Be young at heart.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #111111; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">"And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me..." Matthew 18</span></i></span></span></div><br />
</div>Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-59855911523958217662011-02-05T00:04:00.000-08:002011-02-05T00:04:11.555-08:00mid terms<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q5MBtoFO-TI/TU0D5Jzv3qI/AAAAAAAAARE/iLskbcBYyg0/s1600/Photo-80-300x225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q5MBtoFO-TI/TU0D5Jzv3qI/AAAAAAAAARE/iLskbcBYyg0/s400/Photo-80-300x225.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">As mid-terms of my final months in college come upon me...I think I'll put this creepy woman I randomly found on the internet as my laptop's background to remind myself to enjoy these last few months of essays, lack of sleep, way too much chocolate, and crying.</span></span></div><br />
</div>Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-45945291990621329592011-02-01T17:05:00.000-08:002011-02-01T17:05:34.741-08:00new uses.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q5MBtoFO-TI/TUis00iPL2I/AAAAAAAAAQ8/hQixdgI7YyY/s1600/water-bottle-sandal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="393" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q5MBtoFO-TI/TUis00iPL2I/AAAAAAAAAQ8/hQixdgI7YyY/s400/water-bottle-sandal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>random fact about myself: </b>whenever I am cleaning up my car or snack trash from a table I stuff everything I can into water bottle...total waste of time but I love condensing everything.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Water bottles can be useful in a lot of ways. Consolidating trash. Sandals. recycled into new products in factories. Made into art.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">How can you re-use the ordinary things around you to change the world?</div><br />
</div>Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-14637979602317680402011-01-16T20:45:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:45:11.239-08:00Hiking in puddles with dogs.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q5MBtoFO-TI/TTOThA6vMAI/AAAAAAAAAQE/d3Nm27HuHxA/s1600/DSC00355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q5MBtoFO-TI/TTOThA6vMAI/AAAAAAAAAQE/d3Nm27HuHxA/s320/DSC00355.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q5MBtoFO-TI/TTORX_VqrRI/AAAAAAAAAPY/vj8PBXgwN8U/s1600/DSC00281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q5MBtoFO-TI/TTORX_VqrRI/AAAAAAAAAPY/vj8PBXgwN8U/s320/DSC00281.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q5MBtoFO-TI/TTOS9rqv8AI/AAAAAAAAAP4/OaMSDOAsLB4/s1600/DSC00334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q5MBtoFO-TI/TTOS9rqv8AI/AAAAAAAAAP4/OaMSDOAsLB4/s320/DSC00334.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q5MBtoFO-TI/TTOTLnCarZI/AAAAAAAAAP8/vLRG2zUd4IE/s1600/DSC00351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q5MBtoFO-TI/TTOTLnCarZI/AAAAAAAAAP8/vLRG2zUd4IE/s320/DSC00351.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-35756774230877530032011-01-16T15:58:00.000-08:002011-01-16T15:58:44.809-08:00A Sense of Wonder.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8b7e66; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">This is how God made me feel today: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8b7e66; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q5MBtoFO-TI/TTOF_d_rWhI/AAAAAAAAAOs/hEaYn9cbtrg/s1600/narnia3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_q5MBtoFO-TI/TTOF_d_rWhI/AAAAAAAAAOs/hEaYn9cbtrg/s320/narnia3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8b7e66; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8b7e66; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #8b7e66; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 18px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"They say Aslan is on the move—perhaps has already landed."</span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 18px;"></span></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> And now a very curious thing happened. None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the Beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different.</span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Perhaps it has sometimes happened to you in a dream that someone says something which you don't understand but in the dream it feels as if it had some enormous meaning—either a terrifying one which turns the whole dream into a nightmare or else a lovely meaning too lovely to put into words, which makes the dream so beautiful that you remember it all your life and are always wishing you could get into that dream again. It was like that now. At the name Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in its inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventerous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delighful strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer."</span></i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;">-The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. ( C.S. Lewis)</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q5MBtoFO-TI/TTOGF0pEwsI/AAAAAAAAAOw/Pr_FFPV8E-0/s1600/Aslan-talks-to-Lucy-Pevensie-about-what-lies-ahead-in-her-adventure.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q5MBtoFO-TI/TTOGF0pEwsI/AAAAAAAAAOw/Pr_FFPV8E-0/s320/Aslan-talks-to-Lucy-Pevensie-about-what-lies-ahead-in-her-adventure.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #741b47;"><br />
</span></span>Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-23976637442986436162011-01-12T20:19:00.000-08:002011-01-12T22:23:03.417-08:00Artist's Game of Telephone.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q5MBtoFO-TI/TS59Uvcu5SI/AAAAAAAAAOo/xefrb4TGlrA/s1600/a3621%257ETelephone-Posters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_q5MBtoFO-TI/TS59Uvcu5SI/AAAAAAAAAOo/xefrb4TGlrA/s320/a3621%257ETelephone-Posters.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I am reading this blog for class that was featured in the Huffington Post that is amazing. It is called 7 Rings; An Artist's Game of Telephone. One day a poet posts a poem and a visual artist has 24hrs to respond to the poem with a painting. That painting becomes the next day's post and a new poet has to respond to that painting in the next 24hrs. That poem becomes the next post, and the game goes on and on like that. It is really interesting so I thought I'd share it.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><a href="http://bekandnik.wordpress.com/2010/08/23/11">ring ring ring</a> (<-- click)</span></span>Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-28797853900036666172011-01-09T17:39:00.000-08:002011-01-12T22:23:25.485-08:002 random thoughts.As I spent some time in prayer this Sunday evening at home, I felt two random thoughts come to the forefront of my mind. I thought I'd share them:<br />
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1) I took a trip to Mammoth last week with my quirky <a href="http://Iamantioch.com/">Antioch</a> Family. My friend Jae got a vision from the Lord that really shook me up. He said he saw an arm with really strong forearm muscles and really strong biceps, but the joints in the elbow, wrist, and shoulder were extremely weak. He felt like this represented the church. Individuals are strong but if our connections to other parts of the body are weak we are essentially ineffective. This year let's focus on strengthening not only ourselves but also on connecting more than ever to other believers. I dare you to ask God who in your church to love on this week, who to bless with an encouraging note (not a love note, that is stalking), who to buy a small gift for, who to go to lunch with, who to call that maybe you feel awkward around, etc...let's BE the church.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q5MBtoFO-TI/TSpjL6I0wFI/AAAAAAAAAOk/GIKFXtT9NxQ/s1600/ulnarElbow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_q5MBtoFO-TI/TSpjL6I0wFI/AAAAAAAAAOk/GIKFXtT9NxQ/s1600/ulnarElbow.jpg" /></a></div>2) I try to remember as often as I can to pray for the victims of human and sex trafficking. In my opinion it is the worst crime the world has ever seen, it breaks the Lords heart and consequently my own. Today while I was praying the Lord led me to pray not only for the enslaved but also the captors. It felt weird, honestly. But we are to love our enemies, right? I prayed that the people at the head of this evil "business" would be softened, healed, and fall in love with Jesus. I realized that if they become radical lovers of Jesus, they would be absolutely the most effective people at tearing down the entire operation. So it doesn't have to be human trafficking, but whatever you are passionate about, pray for the people who look like the bad guys. If we can turn the bad guys of all crimes into Christians...what will the victims have to fear anymore? Pray big in 2011, God is moving like crazy..<br />
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that's all. :)Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-9881117414916036682011-01-08T22:12:00.000-08:002011-01-12T22:23:49.585-08:00Maya Angelou and 2011I don't know if everyone can feel it...but most of the people I've heard from can...the excitement of this new year. 2009 passed without much exuberance the same as 2003 and 1994. But something about this new year is different, something about 2011 is worthy of celebration and jubilee. The Spirit of God is moving in a new way, ready to pour out fresh blessings and revelation and growth.<br />
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On 1/1/2011 the Lord put it on my heart to read poetry every night before going to bed. I didn't think I owned any books that I hadn't read yet, but I found one on the shelf called <i>Celebration, </i>by, Maya Angelou. The very first poem in the collection shook me to the core. It almost felt prophetic. It encapsulated all of the things people had been talking about for the upcoming year, all of the things the Lord had been laying on my heart for 2011. As if the butterflies in my stomach weren't enough for me to know that the Lord was using this poem to speak to me....the next night I went to see Narnia (which is amazing) with some friends of mine (Mady and Maritza). Afterwards we went to Borders to look at the C.S. Lewis books and in the church theology section between <i>Mere Christianity</i> and <i>Screwtape Letters</i> was a very familiar book. In the completely wrong section was <i>Celebration</i> by Maya Angelou, just waiting for me.<br />
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We all sat down in the aisle and I read the poem to the girls. We made some Nietzsche fans upset because we were blocking their section for the next 15min as we prayed, but it was a powerful time with God. Anyhow I thought I'd share this poem with you, I've bolded the parts that really stuck out to me.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q5MBtoFO-TI/TSlRnWxLqpI/AAAAAAAAAOg/_YZyCDeunJw/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q5MBtoFO-TI/TSlRnWxLqpI/AAAAAAAAAOg/_YZyCDeunJw/s320/images.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><b><u>On the Pulse of Morning</u></b><br />
<br />
A Rock, A River, A Tree<br />
Hosts to species long since departed,<br />
Marked the mastodon,<br />
The dinosaur, who left dried tokens<br />
Of their sojourn here<br />
On our planet floor,<br />
Any broad alarm of their hastening doom<br />
Is lost in the gloom of dust and ages.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></b></span></span><br />
<b>But today, the Rock cries out to us, clearly, forcefully,<br />
Come, you may stand upon my<br />
Back and face your distant destiny,<br />
But seek no haven in my shadow.<br />
I will give you no hiding place down here. </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b></span></span><b><br />
You, created only a little lower than<br />
The angels, have crouched too long in<br />
The bruising darkness<br />
Have lain too long<br />
Face down in ignorance.<br />
Your mouths spilling words </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b></span></span><b><br />
Armed for slaughter.<br />
The Rock cries out to us today, you may stand upon me,<br />
But do not hide your face. </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></b></span></span><br />
Across the wall of the world,<br />
A River sings a beautiful song. It says,<br />
Come, rest here by my side.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></b></span></span><br />
Each of you, a bordered country,<br />
Delicate and strangely made proud,<br />
Yet thrusting perpetually under siege.<br />
Your armed struggles for profit<br />
Have left collars of waste upon<br />
My shore, currents of debris upon my breast.<br />
Yet today I call you to my riverside,<br />
If you will study war no more. Come,<br />
Clad in peace, and I will sing the songs<br />
The Creator gave to me when I and the<br />
Tree and the rock were one.<br />
Before cynicism was a bloody sear across your<br />
Brow and when you yet knew you still<br />
Knew nothing.<br />
The River sang and sings on.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></b></span></span><br />
There is a true yearning to respond to<br />
The singing River and the wise Rock.<br />
So say the Asian, the Hispanic, the Jew<br />
The African, the Native American, the Sioux,<br />
The Catholic, the Muslim, the French, the Greek<br />
The Irish, the Rabbi, the Priest, the Sheik,<br />
The Gay, the Straight, the Preacher,<br />
The privileged, the homeless, the Teacher.<br />
They hear. They all hear<br />
The speaking of the Tree.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></b></span></span><br />
They hear the first and last of every Tree<br />
Speak to humankind today. Come to me, here beside the River.<br />
Plant yourself beside the River.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></b></span></span><br />
Each of you, descendant of some passed<br />
On traveller, has been paid for.<br />
You, who gave me my first name, you,<br />
Pawnee, Apache, Seneca, you<br />
Cherokee Nation, who rested with me, then<br />
Forced on bloody feet,<br />
Left me to the employment of<br />
Other seekers -- desperate for gain,<br />
Starving for gold.<br />
You, the Turk, the Arab, the Swede, the German, the Eskimo, the Scot,<br />
You the Ashanti, the Yoruba, the Kru, bought,<br />
Sold, stolen, arriving on the nightmare<br />
<b>Praying for a dream.<br />
Here, root yourselves beside me.<br />
I am that Tree planted by the River,<br />
Which will not be moved.<br />
I, the Rock, I the River, I the Tree<br />
I am yours -- your passages have been paid.<br />
Lift up your faces, you have a piercing need<br />
For this bright morning dawning for you.<br />
History, despite its wrenching pain<br />
Cannot be unlived, but if faced<br />
With courage, need not be lived again.<br />
<br />
<br />
Lift up your eyes upon<br />
This day breaking for you.<br />
Give birth again<br />
To the dream. </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b></span></span><b>Women, children, men,<br />
Take it into the palms of your hands,<br />
Mold it into the shape of your most<br />
Private need. Sculpt it into<br />
The image of your most public self.<br />
Lift up your hearts<br />
Each new hour holds new chances<br />
For a new beginning.<br />
Do not be wedded forever<br />
To fear, yoked eternally<br />
To brutishness. </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b></span></span><b><br />
The horizon leans forward,<br />
Offering you space to place new steps of change.<br />
Here, on the pulse of this fine day<br />
You may have the courage<br />
To look up and out and upon me, the<br />
Rock, the River, the Tree, your country. </b><br />
No less to Midas than the mendicant.<br />
No less to you now than the mastodon then.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></b></span></span><br />
<b>Here, on the pulse of this new day<br />
You may have the grace to look up and out<br />
And into your sister's eyes, and into<br />
Your brother's face, your country<br />
And say simply<br />
Very simply<br />
With hope --<br />
Good morning. </b>Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6217711265873690759.post-48455385215568615372010-12-25T23:14:00.000-08:002011-01-12T22:24:13.750-08:00plain scenes (Christmas).<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q5MBtoFO-TI/TRbrNnPBdoI/AAAAAAAAAOc/JXBWWRL9VxI/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_q5MBtoFO-TI/TRbrNnPBdoI/AAAAAAAAAOc/JXBWWRL9VxI/s400/photo.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Saturday December 18<sup>th</sup> was Antioch’s (my church) Christmas Show and it was phenomenal! The evening started with an hour of free desserts, chatting, and fair trade Christmas shopping. The lights dimmed at eight and the show started. Beautiful solo carols were sung, poetry was read, break dancers wowed the audience with their flips, worship was beautiful, and as the night was coming to an end a ballet was performed with a perfect 4 year old angel (Collette Curry) that stole the show.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">There was also a live painter, Ashley Setzler, at the front of the stage all night. Her painting was displayed the next morning at Sunday service as well and as I worshipped, the Lord really brought it to my attention. At first glance it is a rather plain scene, a bare lamp stand, a light bulb with no shade illuminating a shabby brick wall covered in moss. But if you look long enough you realize that the orb of light coming off the bulb forms an ocean blue circle. That is at least interesting…brick isn’t usually blue. Then the moss begins to look too calculated, not just random splotches but perhaps something more intentional. And then the entire message of the painting becomes clear. Here is this rather ordinary looking site that upon closer inspection is actually setting the entire world alight.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> This really ministered to me. So many days feel so ordinary in life. Wake up, go to school or work, take out the trash, worry about spending too much money on Starbucks, make dinner, try and go out every once in awhile, get some sleep, do it again. I sometimes forget that I have the living God inside of me, the same power that rose Christ from the dead, that my Savior came to give me abundant life! Looking at this picture I felt challenged to let God use what I consider to be my very ordinary life to do unfathomable things. I felt challenged to take more risks for the Kingdom, to ask God for more divine appointments in my life, to use me to love a very dark world. In the midst of very ordinary moments God can use us to illuminate the world. When things feel cold, damp, dark, and moldy God surprises us with beautiful miracles that seem to come out of nowhere.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Is this not the first Christmas story? A dark night, a young girl everybody thought was a tramp, no place in the hotels or motels, a baby being born in the coldest most unglamorous place imaginable…and then God did it. Lit the world on fire with the glorious miracle of his perfect son.</div>Natalie Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02465876807470414144noreply@blogger.com0