Bad Bruschetta Happens

I love bruschetta. It’s a refreshing appetizer or a light meal that tastes too good to be healthy (but it is). This particular bruschetta looks especially appealing, with tomatoes, garlic, and basil on toasted baguette slices – mmmmmm. But alas, this was NOT the bruschetta I had last weekend, when I was visiting my dear “life friend” Connie.

It was a “Girl’s Weekend,” an indulgence we allow ourselves once a year, if possible. There is always heart-to-heart sharing, great shopping, and fabulous food involved, and last weekend was no exception. We’d already enjoyed two wonderful meals out, and had decided on Italian Saturday night. The restaurant was low-key, with a well-deserved reputation for simply excellent food. We ordered chicken piccata entrees and bruschetta for our appetizer. The chicken was wonderful – fork tender with a buttery smooth lemon caper sauce – but the bruschetta left something to be desired.

It wouldn’t have been too bad, but the tomatoes could have been riper, the bread thinner, crisper… Still, I’m pretty easy to please. After all, it’s not like I had to actually make bruschetta, so I just shrugged it off and focused on my chicken piccata. But Connie, who eats out more often than I do, was thrown off by bad bruschetta. She mentioned it a couple of times over dinner, and when we were walking out to the car afterward, she referred to it again. By now, it was more than just bad bruschetta; it was the WORST bruschetta EVER.

Please understand: We were chuckling about it then, as I am now, because I know she’ll read this and chuckle, too. But even as we were laughing I turned to her and said, “Connie, BE FREE of the bad bruschetta!” She laughed and said, “I know … bad bruschetta happens.” (But she brought it up one more time the next day.)

At work I’m known for “releasing” people from the little things that nag at them and steal their joy … as if I could really do any such thing. But all the same, I’ll thrust the heel of my palm toward their foreheads and say, a la televangelist, “You are RELEASED from __________!”

Drama queen? Sure, but I’m usually halfway serious, trying to bring their awareness to this “thing,” whatever it is, that they’re obsessing about. We all do it, but sometimes we can’t see ourselves doing it as easily as we can see others. It’s the “Plank in Our Own Eye Syndrome.” And when I’m focused on some petty annoyance it can easily eclipse the blessings all around me, as well as the opportunities God gives me to serve Him.

In his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul wrote, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” ~ Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

That’s quite a challenge, especially when, in my human weakness, I’d rather wallow in the bad things that are going on in my life (or even the things that just aren’t going the way I think they should). But our thoughts determine so much of the way we live our lives, and I don’t want to waste time focusing on the negative … giving myself over to the bondage of the little things that have no eternal value or glorify Him.

So, when bad bruschetta happens … just let it go, and focus on the entrée. Or, "Keep the main thing, the main thing."

Get Your Feet Wet

My daughter Hannah went to the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion last weekend and got this great shot she calls, “Hippie Kids.” We don’t know who they are, but all they needed to have a great time that day was a puddle and their bare feet. They were living in the moment, the way I wish I did more often. They were trusting that all was well with the world and were content with life at that moment in time

We can learn a lot about living from children. In fact, if we think hard we can probably remember a lot about living from when we were children. You know, I do remember jumping in puddles … catching lightening bugs … waking up to a whole day ahead of me, filled with nothing but possibilities … and being tucked into bed at night, where I closed my eyes and fell asleep instantly, without a care in the world.

But somewhere along the way to becoming an adult I started picking up responsibilities, which I carried along the road with me. Those responsibilities took time, filling up my days and night, and they often came with worries, additional weight on the path to “maturity.” Don’t get me wrong; I’ve got no regrets. It’s just been a long while since I’ve had time for puddles and lightening bugs. My days are pretty well planned out before my feet hit the floor, and it’s not always easy to fall asleep at night.

Maybe that’s why Jesus said,

"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
~ Matthew 18:3 (NIV)

What He was actually talking about here was humility, because the disciples were bickering over who would be the greatest in heaven. (I love to imagine that, if I had been a disciple, I wouldn’t have acted so petty in front of my Lord and Savior … but I probably would have.)

In addition to being humble though, I think we need to trust Him more, like children trust their earthly parents. And we need to count our blessings, but we need to enjoy them, too.

So the next time it rains, thank Him for His provision … then peel off your shoes and socks and get your feet wet. I like this prayer from Garrison Keillor, one of my favorite storytellers:

"Thank you, God, for this good life and forgive us if we do not love it enough."

Conundrum

A non-Christian reaction to the Christian drug of choice.

What Are You Afraid Of?

There’s a jar of chocolate candy on my bookshelf at work. The candy in the jar changes from time to time – it may be Hershey Kisses (I’m partial to the ones with cherry cordial flavored filling), Riesens (they don’t last long either), or dark chocolate (justified as “health food.”). But it’s always chocolate, and it’s always there for anyone having a chocolate attack, brought on by stress, a mid-afternoon sleepy spell, or just a powerful craving.

A perennial favorite in the jar is Dove chocolate. And, in addition to some of the best chocolate on the planet, you also get a “promise” inside the wrapper, sort of like a fortune cookie. Some of them are pretty silly, like, “Remember your first everything,” or, “Wink at someone driving by,” or, “Go to your special place,” whatever that means. But awhile back I got one I stuck up on my wall with a thumbtack: “Be fearless.”

It just struck a chord in me, resonating in my soul, unlike those ridiculous “No Fear” bumper stickers. Anyone with any sense knows it’s just insane not to have ANY fear. There are plenty of things a reasonable person would be afraid of. For instance, there are little things, like spiders, snakes, heights, crowds, darkness, flying (especially on 9/11), getting mugged in a big city… Actually, I suppose these things seem pretty big if they strike fear into your heart. But they’re small in comparison to some other things we fear: Losing friends or family to death, our children becoming ensnared by the world, being laid off from our jobs, disease, terrorism, failure, and our own inevitable mortality, just to name a few.

And countless times in the Bible we’re told that a good, healthy fear (i.e., respect) of the Lord is a good thing. But to “be fearless” … that’s another thing altogether. It’s something to reach for, and also Biblical:

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” ~ 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)

Knowing this basic truth about my spirit is a great encouragement to me, because if I were to just go by my feelings, I’d say I’m a wimp. I detest confrontation, and have spent a lot of my life avoiding it when it would have been so much wiser to just face it head-on. But experience comes with age, and God is teaching me when and how to be bold. I’ve also dealt with many of the fears I named, and by His grace I’ve overcome some of them.

I’m still a work in progress, and I doubt I’ll ever care much for snakes. But that doesn’t mean I’m not striving to “be fearless.” After all, 1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…” and I’m trusting in His perfect love for me. So what do I really have to be afraid of?

Perspective

I’m glad to say a friend's brother recently arrived home safely from Iraq, where he served in the U.S. Air Force. On his return, he wrote a letter to family and friends, which my friend shared with me. I am so grateful and humbled beyond words for the selfless service our military performs. My friend's brother has a wonderful way with words, and they seem particularly appropriate this week. So with his permission I am sharing his thoughts here. I think they speak for themselves...

“As I close this short but significant chapter in my life, I do have a new perspective on life. While I had no near death experiences or ‘close calls,’ I was always in danger. Just when I started feeling safe a bump in the night and a run for the bunker reminded me of my mortality. Your prayers were working though. Personally, I grew to value my relationships more than ever: First, my relationship with my savior, Jesus Christ – I always knew his hand was working on my behalf and my family's; second, with my family – we are so blessed, even if the car breaks down, the house implodes, the kids break toes, keys, remotes are lost, and the floor-mopping robot breaks down ... you name it, Cheryl dealt with it; third, with the rest of my family – all were so supportive, and we were really blessed that so many live close by to help out, and others not so close by helped out beyond expectations; fourth with friends – so many sent packages or just a helpful e-mail; and last but not least, with my country – in this respect, I mostly refer to our heritage, the ones who stood firmly for our freedoms and who died to secure them. We take so much for granted, myself included. Even in the short time since I've been back, it's so easy to forget we are a country at war.

“If asked, and I have been, what I think about the war, I say that things are getting better and worse. There are a lot of good things working for the country of Iraq, but the horrendous attacks tend to detract from those efforts. I do think we will be there in some capacity for many years to come, and that's what it will take to get them on their feet again. As Inigo Montoya said in the movie, The Princess Bride, ‘Let me essplain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.’ We find ourselves now caught between Iraq and a hard place. :-) (Am I the first one to come up with that? Well, in mind I am, and that's all that matters.)

“Just continue to pray for the safety of our folks over there, certainly the troops, but also the thousands of government civilians and contractors devoted to the same mission and subject to some degree of danger no matter where they are.”

Post Postscript

I felt affirmed in my previous post when I read the following in the September/October 2007 issue of Healing Lifestyles & Spas today:

"Gratitude. Unlike eating leafy greens of practicing yoga, it’s not something we usually consider “good for us.” Yet a recent study by psychologists at the University of California-Davis and the University of Miami shows that giving thanks is indeed beneficial for our psychological well-being. Conducting “gratitude interventions” with such varied groups as college students and adults with neuromuscular disease, researchers Robert A. Emmons and Michael E. McCullough found that individuals practicing gratitude on a regular (daily or weekly) basis displayed a more positive general outlook, greater optimism, and less stress and depression. Other benefits found were higher levels of alertness, energy, enthusiasm, and determination, as well as a greater likelihood of being generous, empathetic, and aware of one’s interconnectedness with others."

Or simply put, "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." ~ 1 Chronicles 16:34 (NIV)

Cause for Celebration

This past weekend was one of celebration.

For one thing, it was a holiday weekend, although I’m not sure how I really “celebrated” Labor Day, other than taking a day off from my paid job and laboring around the house (my unpaid job). But there were other reasons to celebrate, as well…

On Saturday afternoon my son Ben, starting his third year at Appalachian State University, called and asked, “Hey, are you watching the game?”

“No, I’m cleaning the house. What game?”

“ASU and Michigan … we’re beating them pretty good right now. Um, you really should turn it on.”

So I put down my dust cloth and found “the game” on the Big Ten Network, which I didn’t even know we had. It was early in the third quarter and ASU was indeed beating 5th ranked Michigan, much to their delight and Michigan’s dismay. I sat down to watch. I’m not a huge football fan, but it certainly beat cleaning the house, and even I knew this was BIG.

In the end, Appalachian’s Mountaineers – National Division I-AA Champions for the past two years – stunned Michigan 34–32 in one of the biggest upsets in college football history, ultimately knocking Michigan clean out of the ranking of top 25 teams. A great cheer for underdogs everywhere went up across the country, but nowhere was it louder than in Boone, North Carolina, where they tore down the goalpost and paraded it down Main Street to the Chancellor’s house. And I hear the Hardees’ sign read, “Where is Ann Arbor?” It was a not-so-subtle reply to the geographically challenged sportscaster who wondered where in the world Boone was. When the team returned that evening there were thousands of fans waiting to welcome them home. In short, it was one heck of a celebration.

Late Sunday afternoon Hannah and I enjoyed another celebration – the marriage of my friends and co-workers Amberly and Josh. It was a simply beautiful service, held in a perfect outdoor setting on a warm September afternoon. I could feel fall in the air on the banks of the South Holston River, and was glad to know it was exactly the sort of day they had dreamed of and planned for the past year. We were blessed to be a part of their big day.

ASU’s victory and my friends’ wedding were big celebrations, hard to miss in the parade of days we march through routinely. But life is filled with lots of small things to celebrate, too. Rather than once in a lifetime, these small causes for celebration happen more often, but are less noticeable.

My friend Sue keeps a “Joy Journal,” in which she lists things she can celebrate every day. Some days her pages are filled with the blessings she sees all around her, but other days she has to look hard for something to celebrate. It may be something as simple as, “It didn’t rain today,” or more likely this summer, “It rained today!” Either way, it really doesn’t matter what she’s celebrating, but that she’s aware of her blessings on a daily basis. She cultivates “an attitude of gratitude.”

Here’s a Biblical truth that also bears remembering daily:

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” ~ James 1:17 (NIV)

So find something to celebrate and thank God for each day. A grateful heart is a content heart, and big or small, He’s the source all of our blessings.