Family.

I live with my mom and step-dad in Riverside, ca. Like every family we have our days of fighting and most days our schedules allow us to see each other in 5 minute segments. However, there are moments that make you remember what family is all about. Of course days like baby showers and weddings and funerals draw us together, but I value the unexpected moments above all.

Tonight after dinner we were all standing in the kitchen while my mom did the dishes. My step-dad, Bob, a lawyer, casually pulled out a handful of snap-peas from his pocket. In a weird western twang he said "Oh! I almost forgot my magic beans!" My mom and I almost peed our pants we were laughing so hard.
 "Make sure you put them in the refrigerator Jack, because last time you forgot magic beans in your pocket I found them in the wash. I used to find money and now I find magic beans," my mom said. Bob now happily spends most of his time tending a vegetable garden in our backyard instead of at the office. He is much more the farmer, builder type. We were all giggling again and somehow I started doing slavic dance moves, which prompted my mom to ask if I had eaten the magic shrooms instead of the magic beans.

Bob whispered to me not so slyly, "They aren't even really magic beaaans!"
"They only give you the gas? They make you do the slavic dances?" I asked in my slavic accent.
"That reminds me...I was going to let the dogs in," Bob said.
"I could see how our dogs would remind you of slavic dancing and gas," my mom said.

And the laughter rolled again.

This probably sounds completely ridiculous to everyone else on the planet. But the point to my posting this silly moment in my life is to ask you to look at your family. I don't mean just your parents and siblings, although if you have them you should. But look at your church family, your friends, the people you live life with. And with a new appreciation for them, remember to have fun, let loose every once in awhile, and enjoy those people you love.

Easy end of summer treat.

Angel Food Cupcakes!

As summer winds down, these are the perfect treats for the last weeks of hot weather and calendars that becoming fuller and fuller.

The title almost explains everything...buy an angel food cake mix, follow directions to make the batter, and fill cupcake tins 3/4 of the way full (should make about 36).

I used an icing tip that made my frosting look like small swirls of whipped cream and then added sliced strawberries and blueberries. They were a hit at the bonfire I brought them to!

Welcome Autumn with Chai Honey Cupcakes.

Say heeelllooooooo to fall with these wonderfully spicy cupcakes.... this is my favorite recipe on the planet! They are perfect breakfast treats and also work with coffee on a chilly evening with colorful leaves blowing off trees in the background...maybe with the fireplace going as well!

ingredients:

3 chai-spice tea bags

1/2 cup of boiling water

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cups brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

 1/4 cup of honey

4tbsp butter, melted

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

directions:

preheat at 350

steep the tea bags in the boiling water for 5 min, discard bags, let cool

whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt

in a large bowl combine the honey, melted butter, buttermilk and egg

add the dry ingredients using an electric beater

add the cooled tea and beat until just combined

bake in muffin tins (makes about a dozen)

add a drop of honey to homemade vanilla frosting and swirl into small circles

Enjoy....feel free to double or triple the recipe :-) 

the second law of thermodynamics and your life.

Here is a random thought I had in science class this summer:

ENTROPY: A MEASURE OF THE DISORDER IN A SYSTEM

LOW ENTROPY = HIGHLY ORDERED 

HIGH ENTROPY = VERY DISORDERED OR MESSY

SECOND LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS: 

IN ANY CLOSED SYSTEM (MEANING THAT NOTHING ENTERS OR LEAVES), NO PROCESS CAN OCCUR IN WHICH THE SYSTEM'S ENTROPY DECREASES.  IN OTHER WORDS, A CLOSED SYSTEM CAN'T BECOME MORE ORDERED (LESS MESSY) AS TIME GOES ON.

THEREFORE, THE AMOUNT OF DISORDER IN A CLOSED SYSTEM EITHER INCREASES WITH TIME OR IT DOESN’T CHANGE WITH TIME.  USUALLY, THE ENTROPY INCREASES WITH TIME, IN OTHER WORDS, A CLOSED SYSTEM GETS MESSIER AS TIME GOES ON.

In order to have growth and order in our lives we need to accept help from God and His body. When times get tough we cannot become closed systems that hide away from the world...if we do we will never grow and will become more disorderly by the day.




let us cast our cares on Him for he cares for us and His greatest desire is to see his children free from all the woes that he saved us from on the cross. Be transparent with our Abba and gain new strength from Him, be transparent with the church so that you can get advice, wisdom, and love when you need it and give life when others need it. My prayer is that the church would always be an open system...always gaining new energy from each other and God, casting all of our troubles on HIS shoulders, because He is infinitely able to handle it. That everyday we would grow in strength and order and grace.


Cast your cares on the LORD
       and he will sustain you;
       he will never let the righteous fall. psalm 55:22

Whitman and fish.

This morning I had time to sit and eat breakfast outside. I prayed a little but mostly just sat and felt like a child looking out at the trees and unending sky. Below my deck we have a little pond with koi in it. Today they were magical and splendid. They were fleeting dashes of color, full of wonder and dreams.

"And the fish suspended themselves so curiously below there- and the beautiful curious/ liquid,/ and the water-plants with their graceful flat heads- all became part of him."

-Walt Whitman "There Was a Child Went Forth"

I dare you to look at the world like a child today...

Champagne Pear cupcakes.

Is there really anything better than a glass of cool champagne in summertime?

(these cupcakes are not better than a glass of champagne but they go nicely with one)

ingredients.

1.5 cups of flour

1 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

1 stick of butta

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 ripe pears pureed

1/2 cup champagne

1 flute for drinking.

Preheat at 350

sift dry ingredients in one bowl.

in another beat butter and sugar together

add eggs one at a time

mix in dry mix alternating with champagne and vanilla

add pear mix last, making sure the batter is not drippy pancake goop.

16-18min to golden perfection

ice with vanilla frosting.

ta-da.

Happy Birthday to my nephew Corban.

One year ago today my beautiful nephew Corban was born and also went home to be with the Lord. He was absolutely the most beautiful baby I have ever seen. Today I want to post the letter I wrote for him and read at his funeral. I believe the Lord gave it to me.

My dearest nephew Corban,

You have never met me; I am your aunty Nata. Even though we have never met my sweet little boy I don’t think I could love you any more than I already do. I remember the day your beautiful mommy called me; I was the first one to know you were alive besides your daddy. I was in San Francisco with Nathan when your mommy called and we screamed and danced around the room for what seemed like hours, tears of joy poured out of my eyes. We had waited for you for 3 years! Even before I knew you were here I bought you little boots from Italy.

I hope that even when you were so little you could somehow hear or feel or know the love that has surrounded you since your first moment of existence. Your Daddy had been so anxious for you to be here and never stopped talking about how much he wanted you. From that phone call on every Thursday the whole family and the church that loved you too would ask what size you were. First you were just a tiny dot but soon strong boy you were a grain of rice, a blueberry, a peach, softball, a honeydew melon, and stronger and bigger you got. We watched mommy’s stomach grow knowing that God was forming the most wonderful man inside of her.

At first, I’ll be honest; I thought you were a girl. I’m sorry! But before the doctor told us God gave me peace that you were a boy and I couldn’t have been happier about it. Who were you going to become? What gifts and quirks was God weaving into your heart? My heart dwelled on you day and night. I think Mommy’s favorite times with you were spent with Abba. Every morning she read you the bible, she prayed for you and with you. Baby boy you have been prayed for more than anyone I have ever met. So many hopes and dreams were prayed into your life. You are so special and cared for, you would have to be coming from the two best parents anyone could ask for.

It is very hard to know that I will never get to baby-sit you or throw a big first birthday for you with Mommy, it is very painful to know that your perfect little spirit is not matched by a perfect little body. But how blessed I am to have seen your beautiful face that long night at the hospital. Yes my precious one many tears of love have been cried for you. Your Mommy and Daddy love you so much and they don’t want to say goodbye. Everyone wants to hold you and play with you! Little man there is one who loves you even more than Mommy and Daddy; can you believe that? He is your Abba, your Daddy in heaven; he is your best friend, your king, and your savior. Little one you get to be with him right away. Your life here on earth has already been hard, and we are so sorry that you ever had to have anything less than the best. But now you can run, play, jump, hug, learn; you get to be the man God has created you to be, fulfill an amazing purpose in heaven, and live in the unbroken and perfect relationship with your Abba that all of us down here crave. May you be blessed and loved beyond measure baby boy. We are all in a hurry to get where you are so that you and Abba can show us the ropes of perfect beauty, purpose, love, and relationship.

You are loved little one. Forever and ever and I am anxious to hold your perfect little hand.

Your aunty

Nata