Controversy

Tim has told me that the reason I don't get more comments on my blog is because I'm not controversial enough.  It's true.  I value peace and while I'm working on not being as much of a people-pleaser, I honestly just don't like it when people disagree.  As I learn more about myself I realize it's not as much the disagreeing I dislike, but the value judgments that go with disagreements-- "you must be stupid to believe x, y, or z!"  My desire to have the "right answer" goes all the way back to my school days of being the teacher's pet and probably even before that.  As a result, I find that I mentally rate/rank my blog post ideas based on what might offend which of my readers and what angle on any topic would offend the least number of people... that's hard to do when I know people from so many nationalities, cultural backgrounds, political leanings, and even different denominations in the church!  In fact, the more I think about it, the more I'm likely to postpone my post or even abandon my idea altogether!  I may start to post those thoughts more on here.  Not because I'm trying to stir the proverbial pot (though I have been known to enjoy that on occasion), but because I am who I am and this blog is where I put my thoughts.  Or where I should be free to put my thoughts.  And it's ok to think differently than others-- even other Christians (gasp!)-- and engage with others in meaningful conversation on issues that really matter... it is, right??  We can all be adults here and have an intelligent conversation, right?  We shall see...

So has anyone else been following the drama on the Rob Bell book that's going to be released in 11 days?  :)

-JLR

Snow Ice Cream

A few weeks ago a friend sent me a recipe that I've been dying to try. The recipe is for Snow Ice Cream-- ice cream made from fresh snow! Unfortunately we haven't had much snowfall this year in the greater Vancouver area, so I've had to wait. Then this morning we awoke to a nice blanket of fluffy snow and I immediately thought to try this recipe while we had the chance!Snow Ice Cream Recipe

8 cups fresh snow
1 cup milk (canned, evaporated milk is best for a rich taste. I used 1% milk and ended up with more of an icemilk consistency)
1/2 cup white sugar (can substitute 1/4 c raw honey)
1 1/2 tsp real vanilla extract
a couple quick dashes of sea salt

Put ice cream bowls into the freezer so they are cold and ready for serving. Mix milk, sweetener, vanilla and sea salt with a whisk in a big bowl. Gently fold in snow. This will be soft, rather like old-fashioned homemade ice cream fresh from the ice cream maker. If you add too much snow, it will be thicker but taste diluted. So just add snow until it tastes right. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, nuts, or colored sprinkles before serving. One recipe makes 3-4 servings, so you may prefer to make a double batch to start with!
Enjoy!

-JLR

A Tanzania Moment

Today as I was getting a prescription filled at the pharmacy, I asked the pharmacist whether they sold the day-by-day pill containers. You know, the kind that have little compartments for S-M-T-W-Th-F-Sa and are usually only used by old people? Well, my supplements are getting a bit out of control and being the kind of person who needs a little organization in my life, I decided I'd bite the bullet and risk resembling the old person stereotype. Back to the point. The pharmacist there is very friendly and speaks great English but has a strong accent that is hard to place. I'm thinking middle East somewhere, but I can't say for sure. Maybe Egypt? Anyway, I asked him if they carried them and he said, "no, but I will check." Check what? You either sell them or you don't, right? I shook it off and as I was walking out noticed there was a dollar store two stores down in the same strip mall. Do you think he would have just run down and checked for me at the dollar store? Does that sort of thing happen here in Canada? It doesn't happen in the US, but it happened ALL THE TIME in Tanzania! A store owner in TZ would be totally happy to send a kid (or go himself/herself) from store to store on your behalf to find out if anyone carried the item you were looking for! This was relatively easy since all the food stores are on one street, the hardware stores on another street, the sewing dukas/stores in one section of the market, etc.

As we stopped into the dollar store and found the pill containers I was looking for, Tim and I agreed that he probably was planning to check here for us! Especially if he had a lull in business and could just hop over for a quick look! I love that so many cultures around the world are so helpful in this way-- it made me miss Tanzania and the days of the helpful shop clerks and drive through produce stands that tend to make consumers like me just a little bit lazier... and happier, I might add. :)

-JLR

The Body

I've been seeing a new doctor. She's an N.D. or Naturopathic Doctor and specializes in the area of hormones. I've never seen an ND before and I was really nervous at first. But she's been treating me for hormone imbalance and as she explained to me the connections between stress, cortisol, progesterone and women's issues (for lack of a better term), I was simply amazed. How did I not know all this before? How are there complete gaps in my knowledge of basic human body function? And more importantly, why do my doctors not know anything about this either? It's almost twilight zone-esque sometimes.

So here's the run down as I understand it. Feel free to add or correct if I'm not completely getting it right. I'm not a doctor and like I already admitted I am learning most of this for the first time!

Stress uses a hormone called cortisol. You may already know that Adrenaline is a stress hormone, but it only deals in the short term, giving you an "adrenaline rush." But cortisol is responsible for long-term stress management. Too much or too little cortisol can lead to side effects. (ie: too little can lead to fatigue, too much can lead to anxiety and panic attacks) Ok. are we good so far? Cortisol is actually made from progesterone. So when your body is under stress for long periods of time, it will eventually run out of cortisol and have to make more-- taking from the progesterone supply in your body. Well each person's body needs a certain amount of progesterone to function smoothly. For women especially, a lot of "issues" come from imbalance between progesterone and estrogen, as these two increase/decrease in various parts of your cycle. (As a side note, many people are already high on estrogens because of the environmental estrogen and phytoestrogens... compounds in plastics, refined sugars, processed foods, and even petroleum-based lotions and soaps!) And progesterone... did you know that it is manufactured in the body from cholesterol stores?? Goodness! I didn't catch whether it came from HDL or LDL cholesterol, so sorry about that. Maybe someone can leave a comment and fill me in.

Isn't all that fascinating? Ok, so maybe it's more interesting to me right now because it's actually HELPFUL to me as I get all this worked out. But to see the indirect correlation between stress and hormones was really pivotal in my understanding of how things are (or aren't) working in my body.

And to think that God worked these systems out in our human bodies... can you believe it? What complexities! Scripture tells us "do not fear," "don't be anxious," etc, and with good reason! If we harbor those things long-term we can really get out of balance! It's also a good reminder to be getting Sabbath Rest and to guard that time/energy. It's so easy to work, work, work in North American culture without taking the time to recharge. It's good to think about which activities are restful (as in not requiring much energy-- ie: watching a movie) and which activities are actually life-giving (as in adding more energy--ie: taking a nap or reading Scripture).

I wonder if this topic will be as much of an encouragement to anyone else as it has been to me...

-JLR

On Second Thought...

Joy is not working out for me today. The aftermath of all that's happened in the past week has been more than I can bear emotionally and I'm completely broken. I'm struggling with panic, fear, and stress that doesn't seem to go away no matter how hard I pray, breathe, or talk things through! I suppose it's normal to have good days and bad days, but sheesh.

Yesterday we heard a really good sermon on undeserved grace. I know the point was probably for us to realize how much we need God's grace, but instead God drove home the point that I need to forgive the person or people who broke into our home. I've been shown so much grace and God has loved me since before I did anything good... shouldn't I be an agent of that grace to others? Even if they aren't deserving? (who is deserving, anyway?)
"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-- it is by grace you have been saved. --Ephesians 2:4
I made a first step toward forgiveness, but I know that it's probably not as simple as saying "I forgive them" once. I expect that it will come up over and over as I realize just how much I'm actually forgiving them for.

Am I alone? Has anyone out there had to forgive someone for something that seemed unforgivable or for something that was still producing negative effects? I'd love to hear some other thoughts on this.

-JLR