Friday, December 31, 2010

Happy Sabbath and Happy New Year!

I was going to post my New Year's Resolutions/Goals today but ran out of time. Sundown is in less than half an hour and I want to spend more time organizing them into something cohesive. I already know what my goals are for 2011, but I haven't fleshed them out yet. For me, without having a workable plan, making resolutions is a waste of time!

So... happy Sabbath! I hope everyone has a great day of rest with the Lord!

And, happy New Year! In Japanese, that would be: あけましておめでとうございます!

Thursday, December 30, 2010

2011 Reading Challenges

This is my last post on books for awhile. I didn't want to make a super long post by including a look back at 2010, what I'll be reading in January, and a list of challenges for 2011. Instead, I split it up into three posts and this is the final one.

While I've enjoyed the majority of my reading this year, I wanted to make a change for 2011. I don't want to read books simply because they have colors in the title or because they fall into a specific fiction genre. Instead, I want to read books that will encourage my relationship with God, strengthen my marriage, and teach me something about the world that we live in and the people I interact with. With that in mind, I found several challenges that match my goals for 2011.

Operation Deeper Faith - This challenge is going to be my biggest focus in 2011. Personally, I feel that without spending time reading the Bible, all other reading is pointless. The first part of the challenge involves studying one book of the Bible and reading it in numerous translations. I own 3 translations and have access to many more (Bible Gateway is a great resource). I'm going to commit to reading one book of the Bible in six different translations.

The second part of the challenge involves reading theology books. I am committing to reading at least 10 theological books, or one each month. I'm very excited about spending some time reading books about the Bible and seeing what other people have learned in their studies. Coincidentally, this part of the challenge lends itself well to the following challenge.

Off the Shelf - The goal is to read books I already own but haven't read. I'm going to attempt the Trying challenge level, reading 15 books from my bookshelves. If I complete January's to-read list, that will be three books complete already.

Foodie's Reading Challenge - From the website: "Together we’ll explore the world of good food writing. That may take the form of a cookbook or a biography or even a novel centered around food." Sounds like fun! I'm aiming for the Epicurean level, attempting to read 7 to 9 books. I have several cookbooks in mind and I love reading travel/food memoirs.

When picking out books to read each month, I want to read one book from each of several different categories:

Christian Living - to will help me develop as a Christian
Theology - to learn more about God
Homemaking - to develop specific skills as a homemaker
Marriage - to encourage me to be a better wife
Memoir/Autobiography/Biography - to learn from other people's experiences
Health/Cookbooks - to learn to be a better cook

These categories will overlap at times. However, I want to utilize my reading time to learn something, to become a better person, and ultimately to be equipped to serve others better. 2011 will be a great year!

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

2010 Reading Challenges - Final Update

I didn't finish everything. Oh, well! I read some books this year that I wouldn't have otherwise, mainly Jane Austen sequels and a lot of Christian non-fiction. Next year's reading list is going to look drastically different, as evidenced by my Nightstand post this month.

Christian Historical Fiction Challenge - COMPLETE! I read some good books in this genre but most were mediocre. If I'm going to read fiction, though, this is the genre I'm drawn to. I can't figure out why, when I rate so many of the books as just average reads. The ones I really enjoyed are in bold.

1. Distant Dreams (Ribbons of Steel, Book #1) - Pella, Judith
2. The Outsider: A Novel - Gabhart, Ann H.
3. Bachelors Puzzle - Pella, Judith
4. Sister's Choice - Pella, Judith
5. How Do I Love Thee? (Ladies of History, book #4) - Moser, Nancy
6. Just Jane (Ladies of History Series #2) - Moser, Nancy
7. Eighth Shepherd (A. D. Chronicles #8) - Thoene, Bodie
8. Her Mother's Hope (Marta's Legacy, #1) - Rivers, Francine
9. Michal - Smith, Jill Eileen
10. The Apothecary's Daughter - Klassen, Julie
11. Lady of Milkweed Manor - Klassen, Julie
12. The Inheritance - Alexander, Tamera
13. A Lady Like Sarah (A Rocky Creek Romance, #1) - Brownley, Margaret
14. The Hope of Refuge: A Novel (An Ada's House Novel, Book #1) - Woodsmall, Cindy
15. A Bride Most Begrudging - Gist, Deeanne
16. A Bride in the Bargain - Gist, Deeanne
17. Queenmaker: A Novel of King David's Queen - Edghill, India
18. The Centurion's Wife (Acts of Faith Series #1) - Bunn, Davis
19. Ninth Witness (A. D. Chronicles, Book 9) - Thoene, Bodie
20. The Hidden Flame - Bunn, Davis
21. The Courteous Cad - Palmer, Catherine
22. All the Way Home - Tatlock, Ann
23. A Measure of Mercy (Home to Blessing, #1) - Snelling, Lauraine
24. Masquerade - Moser, Nancy
Extra - In My Father's House (Shiloh Legacy #1) - Thoene, Bodie
Extra - The Carousel Painter - Miller, Judith McCoy
Extra - In the Company of Secrets - Miller, Judith McCoy
Extra - Though Waters Roar - Austin, Lynn
Extra - Hannah's Hope - Kingsbury, Karen

Biblical Fiction Challenge - I didn't do as well on this challenge as I thought I would, mainly because I started a few Biblical fiction books and dropped them. I don't mind a good retelling of a Biblical story, but only when it is faithful to the original. I don't understand why authors drastically change Bible events. Honestly, I wasn't impressed with any of the Biblical fiction I read this year, even though I really enjoyed the earlier A.D. Chronicles books.

1. Eighth Shepherd (A. D. Chronicles #8) - Thoene, Bodie
2. Michal - Smith, Jill Eileen
3. Queenmaker: A Novel of King David's Queen - Edghill, India
4. Ninth Witness (A. D. Chronicles, Book 9) - Thoene, Bodie
5.
6.

Christian Non-Fiction Challenge - COMPLETE! Surprisingly, I was really strong in this category. I enjoyed a number of the books and look forward to reading more in this genre. Again, books I highly recommend are in bold.

1. How Women Help Men Find God - Murrow, David
2. Cult Insanity: A Memoir of Polygamy, Prophets, and Blood Atonement - Spencer, Irene
3. 3:16: The Numbers of Hope - Lucado, Max
4. Radical: Take Back Your Faith from the American Dream - Platt, David
5. Intimate Issues: Twenty-One Questions Christian Women Ask About Sex - Dillow, Linda
6. Jesus on Death Row: The Trial of Jesus and American Capital Punishment - Osler, Mark
7. Loving Your Man Without Losing Your Mind - Davis, Susie
8. Love Is A Flame: Stories of What Happens When Love Is Rekindled - Bell, James
9. Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires, the Respect He Desperately Needs - Eggerichs, Emerson
10. The Jesus You Can't Ignore: What You Must Learn from the Bold Confrontations of Christ - Jr., John F. MacArthur
Extra - Treasures from Bible Times - Millard, Alan R.

Jane Austen Challenge - COMPLETE! Loved this challenge! I think Jane Austen's books are brilliant. Fantastic character development, interesting plots, and very funny writing. The sequels and spinoffs... not so great. I'll probably avoid them in the future.

1. Emma
2. Emma & Knightley: The Sequel to Jane Austen's Emma - Billington, Rachel
3. Pride and Prejudice
4. Mrs. Darcy's Dilemma - Birchall, Diana
5. Sense and Sensibility
6. The Third Sister: A Continuation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility - Barrett, Julia
7. Northanger Abbey
8. An Assembly Such as This - Aidan, Pamela
Extra - (Related, but doesn't count toward the challenge) Jane Austen's Guide to Good Manners: Compliments, Charades & Horrible Blunders - Ross, Josephine
Extra - The Jane Austen Handbook: A Sensible Yet Elegant Guide to Her World - Sullivan, Margaret C.
Extra - Just Jane (Ladies of History Series #2) - Moser, Nancy
Extra - Duty and Desire - Aidan, Pamela
Extra - These Three Remain - Aidan, Pamela

Colorful Reading Challenge - I failed miserably on the Colorful Reading Challenge. I didn't start early enough in the year and I had a hard time locating quality books that contained colors in the title. Unfortunately, I've learned that this type of arbitrary book selection is not my type of challenge.

1. A Blue and Gray Christmas - Medlicott, Joan
2. Kidnapped: or, The Lad with the Silver Button - Stevenson, Robert Louis
3. Cooking Green - Keyhoe, Kate (still in progress but will finish before the end of the year)
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Memorable Memoir Challenge - COMPLETE! I really enjoyed reading memoirs. I didn't realize how much I would enjoy them! Not all memoirs are good, but most of the ones I read were enjoyable. Those I would recommend are in bold.

1. Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia Gilbert, Elizabeth
2. A Year in Provence Mayle, Peter
3. Sweet Mandarin: The Courageous True Story of Three Generations of Chinese Women and Their Journey from East to West Tse, Helen
4. Cult Insanity: A Memoir of Polygamy, Prophets, and Blood Atonement Spencer, Irene
Extra - A Thousand Days in Venice - de Blasi, Marlena
Extra - Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life - Kingsolver, Barbara
Extra - Between Two Worlds: My Life and Captivity in Iran - Saberi, Roxana
Extra - Grand Obsession: A Piano Odyssey - Knize, Perri

South Asian Author Challenge - Failed challenge due to bad planning.

1. The Sari Shop Widow - Bantwal, Shobhan
2.
3.

Chunkster Challenge - This challenge is not over until January 31, 2011 but I don't think I'll be able to finish it. I have a chunkster on my reading list for January (Bleak House) but I don't intend to read two books of that length in only a month. If the Bible qualifies for this challenge (which I don't believe it does, as it's a collection of books), I read it twice this year!

1. The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home - Bauer, Susan Wise
2.
3.

Support Your Local Library Challenge - Almost every book I read was from the library. And I supported my local library by paying a few more late fees than I'm used to... One month I wracked up $10.50 in late fees. It's easy to do when you have 30 books checked out and they are three days late!

100+ Reading Challenge - I thought I would easily finish this challenge, reaching 100 books. I might have, if I hadn't started dropping books that I wasn't enjoying. I didn't think it was worth plowing through a book I genuinely didn't like just to obtain a larger number at the end of the year. My time is worth more than that! But I still did pretty well in 2010.

1. All Through the Night - Bunn, Davis
2. Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia - Gilbert, Elizabeth
3. Distant Dreams (Ribbons of Steel, Book #1) - Pella, Judith
4. A Year in Provence - Mayle, Peter
5. The Outsider: A Novel - Gabhart, Ann H.
6. Jane Austen's Guide to Good Manners: Compliments, Charades & Horrible Blunders - Ross, Josephine
7. The Jane Austen Handbook: A Sensible Yet Elegant Guide to Her World - Sullivan, Margaret C.
8. The Swiss Family Robinson - Wyss, Johann D.
9. Bachelors Puzzle - Pella, Judith
10. In the Time of the Butterflies - Alvarez, Julia
11. Sister's Choice - Pella, Judith
12. Shanghai Girls - See, Lisa
13. June Bug - Fabry, Chris
14. How Do I Love Thee? (Ladies of History, book #4) - Moser, Nancy
15. The Wisdom Of Eleanor Roosevelt - Wigal, Donald
16. Sweet Mandarin: The Courageous True Story of Three Generations of Chinese Women and Their Journey from East to West - Tse, Helen
17. In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto - Pollan, Michael
18. How Women Help Men Find God - Murrow, David
19. Mona Lisa in Camelot: Jacqueline Kennedy and the True Story of the Painting's High-Stakes Journey to America - Davis, Margaret Leslie
20. Barack and Michelle: Portrait of an American Marriage - Andersen, Christopher P.
21. Now and Always - Copeland, Lori
22. Cult Insanity: A Memoir of Polygamy, Prophets, and Blood Atonement - Spencer, Irene
23. Knit the Season: A Friday Night Knitting Club Novel - Jacobs, Kate
24. Emma - Jane Austen
25. Emma & Knightley: The Sequel to Jane Austen's Emma - Billington, Rachel
26. Just Jane (Ladies of History Series #2) - Moser, Nancy
27. A Thousand Days in Venice - de Blasi, Marlena
28. Beguiled* - Gist, Deeanne and Bertrand, J. Mark
29. The Silent Gift - Landon, Michael
30. 3:16: The Numbers of Hope - Lucado, Max
31. Radical: Take Back Your Faith from the American Dream* - Platt, David
32. Pride and Prejudice - Austen, Jane
33. Eighth Shepherd (A. D. Chronicles #8) - Thoene, Bodie
34. Intimate Issues: Twenty-One Questions Christian Women Ask About Sex - Dillow, Linda
35. Mrs. Darcy's Dilemma - Birchall, Diana
36. Her Mother's Hope (Marta's Legacy, #1) - Rivers, Francine
37. Michal - Smith, Jill Eileen
38. The Apothecary's Daughter - Klassen, Julie
39. Lady of Milkweed Manor - Klassen, Julie
40. The Perfect Match (Deep Haven Series #3) - Warren, Susan May
41. The Inheritance - Alexander, Tamera
42. Jesus on Death Row: The Trial of Jesus and American Capital Punishment - Osler, Mark
43. The Inheritance - Alexander, Tamera
44. A Lady Like Sarah (A Rocky Creek Romance, #1) - Brownley, Margaret
45. The Hope of Refuge: A Novel (An Ada's House Novel, Book #1) - Woodsmall, Cindy
46. A Bride Most Begrudging* - Gist, Deeanne
47. A Bride in the Bargain* - Gist, Deeanne
48. Loving Your Man Without Losing Your Mind - Davis, Susie
49. An Amish Gathering: Life in Lancaster County - Wiseman, Beth
50. Sarah's Garden (Patch of Heaven Novel) - Long, Kelly
51. Queenmaker: A Novel of King David's Queen - Edghill, India
52. Blind Hope: An Unwanted Dog and the Woman She Rescued* - Meeder, Kim
53. Love Is A Flame: Stories of What Happens When Love Is Rekindled* - Bell, James
54. The Centurion's Wife (Acts of Faith Series #1) - Bunn, Davis
55. How Sweet It Is - Wisler, Alice J.
56. How to Read a Book - Adler, Mortimer J.
57. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life - Kingsolver, Barbara
58. Leah's Choice: Pleasant Valley Book One - Perry, Marta
59. The Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life as an Experiment - Jacobs, A.J.
60. Ninth Witness (A. D. Chronicles, Book 9) - Thoene, Bodie
61. The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had - Bauer, Susan Wise
62. Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires, the Respect He Desperately Needs - Eggerichs, Emerson
63. Cooking Basics for Dummies - Miller, Bryan
64. The Hidden Flame - Bunn, Davis
65. Real-Life Homeschooling: The Stories of 21 Families Who Teach Their Children at Home - Barfield, Rhonda
66. The Courteous Cad - Palmer, Catherine
67. All the Way Home - Tatlock, Ann
68. Between Two Worlds: My Life and Captivity in Iran - Saberi, Roxana
69. The Jesus You Can't Ignore: What You Must Learn from the Bold Confrontations of Christ* - Jr., John F. MacArthur
70. A Measure of Mercy (Home to Blessing, #1) - Snelling, Lauraine
71. Grand Obsession: A Piano Odyssey - Knize, Perri
72. Masquerade* - Moser, Nancy
73. The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands - Schlessinger, Laura
74. The Great Conversation: The Substance Of A Liberal Education (Great Books Of The Western World, Volume 1) - Hutchins, Robert Maynard
75. The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays - Wilde, Oscar
76. The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home - Bauer, Susan Wise
77. In My Father's House (Shiloh Legacy #1) - Thoene, Bodie
78. A Blue and Gray Christmas - Medlicott, Joan
79. Letters to Juliet - Friedman, Lise
80. The Carousel Painter - Miller, Judith McCoy
81. The Sari Shop Widow - Bantwal, Shobhan
82. In the Company of Secrets - Miller, Judith McCoy
83. Treasures from Bible Times - Millard, Alan R.
84. Kidnapped: or, The Lad with the Silver Button - Stevenson, Robert Louis
85. Sense and Sensibility - Austen, Jane
86. The Third Sister: A Continuation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility - Barrett, Julia
87. Northanger Abbey - Austen, Jane
88. An Assembly Such as This - Aidan, Pamela
89. Duty and Desire - Aidan, Pamela
90. Though Waters Roar - Austin, Lynn
91. Hannah's Hope - Kingsbury, Karen
92. These Three Remain - Aidan, Pamela
93. Cooking Green - Keyhoe, Kate (still in progress but will finish before the end of the year)

Later this week I'll post my reading plans for 2011. I will be attempting something very different than past reading experiences and am really looking forward to getting started!

Edited to Add:
94. ちょうちょ - A Little Kippers book (English title Butterfly). It only took two hours, but I finally finished reading my first preschool book in Japanese!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

What's On Your Nightstand - January 2011!

What's On Your NightstandMy reading is going to be a bit different next year and my Nightstand post reflects that. I read just shy of 100 books in 2010 and will aim for 52 in 2011. Even though I'm reading fewer books, I want to be more selective about my choices and read higher quality books. I'll explore that idea in a blog post later this week, detailing what challenges I'm joining and why. (Yes, I succumbed to the siren call of reading challenges...)

But for now, here is my reading plan for January.

Christian life - The Walk: Clear Direction and Spiritual Power for Your Life (Review copy)

Theology - Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ (Review copy)

Homemaking - The Well-Ordered Home: Organizing Techniques for Inviting Serenity into Your Life

Memoir/Autobiography/Biography - Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time

Health/Cookbooks - Skinny Italian: Eat It and Enjoy It - Live La Bella Vita and Look Great, Too!

Classics - Bleak House - Hubby challenged me to read it. Not sure it's my kind of book, but we'll see.

I'm also trying to learn how to cook and have a stack of books on my desk to pull from as I have time (Baking, Veganomicon, Absolutely Chocolate, Modern Spice, Easy French Cuisine, Newstart Lifestyle Cookbook). Here is my kitty trying to convince me that his food is more important than mine!

Monday, December 27, 2010

Menu Plan Monday - The week after being sick


This week's menu is mainly what we didn't eat last week. I was sick all week (still have a bit of a cold) and didn't cook at all. At least that makes the menu planning and shopping really simple this week.

Monday - Haystacks
Tuesday - Breakfast Burritos
Wednesday - Sloppy Joes / Potato Salad
Thursday - Spaghetti
Friday - Curry
Sabbath - Lasagna
Sunday - Homemade Pizza (postponed Christmas meal with my mom)

Hopefully next week's menu will be a bit more exciting!

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Happy Sabbath and Merry Christmas!

I think Christmas falling on Sabbath is very special. It's almost a double blessing in one day! Last night, I was thinking about how Sabbath and Christmas are special but are still very different.

God hallowed the Sabbath. For six days, He created our world and all the things in it. The seventh day was special because He rested on it and made it holy. In turn, we are commanded to keep the Sabbath holy, to rest on God's holy day.

By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.

Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made

Genesis 2:2-3.


Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you.

For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy

Exodus 20:11.


Jesus was crucified on Friday and rested in the tomb on the Sabbath day.

Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.

Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there

John 19:41-42.


On the other hand, there is no Biblical command to celebrate Christmas. The Christmas story is covered in several gospels, but it is not something we are told to remember. We do so because Christmas is a celebration of the beginning of Jesus' life. And His life and death are extremely important to us as Christians.

I was thinking about how Sabbath is a day of rest and realized that the first Christmas was exactly the opposite. Joseph and Mary were tired from a journey. They arrived in town and found that all the inns were full. No vacancy. Instead, they bedded down in a local stable. Mary labored to bring Jesus into the world. His birth was preceded by a very difficult work from Mary.

It is ironic that today I am remembering the Sabbath, the pinnacle of creation, by resting in God. I am also remembering the Savior's birth, which required hard work to happen. Two very special days, celebrated on the same day. A day of rest and a day of labor.

Happy Sabbath and Merry Christmas!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Starting to feel better...

I think I'm starting to feel a tiny itty-bitty bit better. Today I mustered the energy to vacuum the apartment, fold some laundry, and tidy up my desk (finally!). I was so happy to be getting back into my housekeeping! Unfortunately, I couldn't do too much as my energy levels are still very low.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll be feeling almost back to normal and will be able to properly prepare for the Sabbath. If I'm still feeling bad, I'll at least wash the bathroom towels and the sheets. I love putting out fresh towels and clean sheets on Friday afternoon. It's a nice Sabbath blessing!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Sick and bored

If this is what it means to be a lady of leisure, I want none of it. I've been sick since Sunday morning, nothing serious, but enough to completely rob me of energy. Almost everything productive has been postponed until I am able to muster energy again. No quilting, no cleaning, no exercise, nothing.

All I've been doing is reading, watching Japanese television (since I can't handle actual study right now but don't want to lose any of my progress), sleeping, and spending too much time on the internet. I want to clean!

Hopefully this will keep me productive once I'm on my feet again. There are so many things I want to do and wasting time keeps me from accomplishing much that I want to do. 24 hours in a day really is enough time if it is spent properly.

I sincerely hope anyone reading this is well and enjoying the last few days before Christmas.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Quilt Top - Complete!

I am so excited! Today I finished sewing together my quilt top. Tonight we're headed out after dinner to purchase the fabric needed for the backing. I also need to buy a roll of batting. Tomorrow, I start assembling the quilt "sandwich." Hurray!



I couldn't hold the quilt high enough to get it off the ground. It's 75" long! I'm only 66" tall. ;) I finally decided to stand on a chair so I could get the entire quilt in the photo without having to lay it out on the floor.

So happy that the top is complete!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Quilt Update

I am trying to get this quilt finished and in the mail before Christmas! I'm not holding out too much hope but I'm trying the best I can. This should serve as a lesson to stop procrastinating. I've been working on this quilt for months but am trying to finish it in less than a week. I'll finish the next quilt in a more timely manner!

When I started working this morning, I had three rows sewn together. Then I realized that I had sewn them in the wrong order and had to take it apart to avoid messing up my pattern. Thankfully, that was the first major mistake I've made. It took quite awhile to undo the stitches and put everything back together the way it was supposed to be.

Then I sewed on another two rows (correctly!) and thus have five rows complete. My goal is to have the other five rows added tomorrow. Hubby and I will be visiting Joann Fabrics after work to pick out the material for the backing and also pick up a roll of batting. I'll be busy for the rest of the week!

Here's a photo of what is completed thus far. Even though I'm way behind schedule, I really like the way this is turning out!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Menu Plan Monday


We're not doing anything great for this week's Menu Plan Monday. The menu is mostly based off of successes from last week, rather than a bunch of new recipes.

Monday - Breakfast burritos
Tuesday - Pizza
Wednesday - Enchiladas
Thursday - Sloppy Joes
Friday - Curry
Sabbath - Lasagna

The only new recipe this week is the sloppy joes and I'm actually going to attempt to create my own recipe based on several others I've tried. Hopefully they turn out. To me, a sloppy joe involves BBQ sauce. Most recipes I've seen use tomato sauce and a few spices but that doesn't taste the same.

We've been watching a Japanese television series titled Bambino. It's about a college student who decides he wants to become a chef. He is hired at a fancy Italian restaurant in Tokyo, but has to start from the bottom rung as a waiter in the dining hall. His greatest love is cooking but instead he only delivers the food to the patrons!

It's fun watching all of the cooking going on in the show and it makes me want to become a good cook. I'm a mediocre cook. I can follow a recipe and I can make a couple things without a recipe (mostly family dishes from my childhood). But I'm not actually skilled at cooking or a baking, especially involving vegan dishes. I want to learn more about cooking and baking but I'm not sure how. Simply following recipes isn't really teaching me more about cooking other than what doesn't work. Are there books or online tutorials that teach cooking skills? I'll have to look into that and see if I can find anything. I love food. I love to eat. Now I just need to learn how to cook!

Friday, December 10, 2010

Sabbath is almost here!

I am so happy that today is Friday and that it is almost sundown. Aaaah, an entire day of rest. No worries, no work, no pressure. Just an entire day to spend in close relationship with God and with my husband.

Friday is rightly called Preparation Day. Luke 23:54 says that "it was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin." Amen and amen! Today was all about preparing for the Sabbath and I am very blessed with how much I was able to accomplish.

I followed my normal morning routine of Bible reading, exercise, and breakfast. Then it was time for work! I surface cleaned the kitchen, emptied the dishwasher in prep for tomorrow's dishes, vacuumed, cleaned the cat boxes, scrubbed down the bathroom, wrote out next week's menu and shopping list, wrapped the birthday present for tomorrow night's party (my niece turned eight this year!), washed/dried/folded/ironed three loads of laundry, and picked up around the living room. Somehow, I also managed to squeeze in an entire hour of Japanese study!

The only thing I was unable to accomplish was preparing tomorrow's lunch meal. It wasn't a lack of time or energy but a lack of planning ahead and having nothing on hand to make in advance. It looks like we'll be eating ramen after church.

Just for fun, here is Luke 23:54 in Japanese. I don't yet understand all of this sentence (maybe 25%), but I'll get there!

この日は準備の日であって、安息日が始まりかけていた。

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Bible in 90 Days - Sign up time!

MomsToolbox

I blogged my way through the Bible in 90 Days program this spring. What a great experience! Reading the Bible so quickly gave me a new perspective on the overarching themes of salvation, God's greatness, and grandiose themes. Covering the entire Bible in 90 days allows you to remember what happened in Genesis while reading through Revelation because you just read Genesis less than 3 months prior!

Earlier this year, I read the Bible in 90 days. Later in the year, I mentored a group through the program. In January, I will again be mentoring. If you're interested, you can request to be in my group.

If you've never read through the Bible, or have never read it quickly, I invite you to sign up for the next Bible in 90 Days session, starting January 3rd. Pray about it. Clear your calendar to set aside time each day to spend engrossed in God's Word. You won't regret it!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Adventures in Cooking Without Dairy

My husband and I are very lucky in that most of our food preferences overlap. Occasionally we run into some minor differences, such as my love/his dislike of peas and his love/my dislike of mayonnaise. Blech.

Probably one of our biggest differences in taste involves soup. I LOVE soups, whether it's vegetable soup, taco soup, tomato soup, etc. Hubby doesn't exactly dislike soup, but he prefers it not to be the main course for dinner. I can eat a bowl of soup and a slide of bread and be content. He prefers something more solid.

Thankfully, hubby is awesome about letting me try out new recipes! I bribed him on this one, promising him a loaf of fresh garlic bread on the side. So, tonight we are finally trying out the curried butternut soup. It looks yummy!

First I found this awesome tutorial on how to peel and cut butternut squash. Oddly enough, I've never done it before and wanted to find a pain free method.



Beautiful!

The only problem with my butternut squash is that it looks exactly like cut squares of cheddar cheese. I've been vegan now for 11 months but sharp cheddar cheese was one of my favorite forms of dairy. Give me a block of Tillamook extra sharp cheddar and I was a very happy person. I used to make pasta salad quite often - WackyMac veggie spiral noodles, olives, cucumber, peas, ranch dressing, and little cubes of sharp cheddar cheese. YUM! I miss my (very unhealthy) pasta salad.

As soon as hubby is finished with work, we'll run over to the grocery store and pick up a loaf of french bread so that I can make garlic bread. One of these days, I really need to learn how to make my own french bread... Hopefully the soup tastes as awesome as it looks in the recipe photo!

Monday, December 6, 2010

On This Day in Christian History - A Book Review

I had a hard time choosing between this book and another "this date in history" book titled The American Patriot's Almanac. As I wanted to get better acquainted with the history of Christianity, On This Day in Christian History won. The tagline says "365 amazing and inspiring stories about saints, martyrs, and heroes."

Unfortunately, I have not yet read this in full as I plan on using it as part of my devotional for 2011. I didn't want to spoil too much of it! So, I read through the preface and the first five days of the year.

I'm excited about reading through this book next year! The very first story is about Ulrich Zwingli, born in 1484. He copied the entire New Testament by hand, making notes in the margins and memorizing Scripture. When he was done with this study, he decided to break tradition and preach through the New Testament verse by verse. This was during a time period when the sermons were decided by the church liturgy and weekly readings. But his local church loved the new sermon styles!

Not only was this man brave enough to break out of tradition, he studied the Bible as much as possible and attempted to live out what he had learned. I want to develop that type of passion!

I received a reader copy of this book from BookSneeze in exchange for an honest review.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Songs at church bringing back memories

Today at church, we sung several songs that bring back a lot of memories from my childhood.

This first one is titled "Side by Side." The lyrics plead with the listener to meet in heaven someday. We'll join hands and sing songs together, side by side with the Saviour.

Side by side we stand
Awaiting God's command
Worshiping the saving King
Living by His grace
And moving out in faith
Jesus will see us through

Meet me in Heaven
We'll join hands together
Meet me by the Saviours' side
I'll meet you in Heaven
We'll sing songs together
Brothers and Sisters I'll be there




This second song is titled "Jesus is Coming Soon." Sorry for the poor audio, but I just love the OLD versions of this song. Beautiful music!



Troublesome times are here, filling men’s hearts with fear,
Freedom we all hold dear, now is at stake.
Humbling your heart to God saves from the chastening rod.
Seek the way pilgrims trod, Christians awake!

Chorus
Jesus is coming soon, morning or night or noon,
Many will meet their doom, trumpets will sound.
All of the dead shall rise, righteous meet in the sky,
Going where no one dies, Heavenward bound!

Troubles will soon be o’er, happy forever more,
When we meet on that shore, free from all care.
Rising up in the sky, telling this world goodbye,
Homeward we then will fly, glory to share.

Chorus
Jesus is coming soon, morning or night or noon,
Many will meet their doom, trumpets will sound.
All of the dead shall rise, righteous meet in the sky,
Going where no one dies, Heavenward bound!


Jesus is coming soon and we are heavenward bound!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Vacation plans

Hubby is on vacation tomorrow, Friday, Sabbath, and Sunday. We were supposed to go to California but our car repairs were a bit more costly than expected. Sadness.

Instead, we've made plans to mostly stay at home and relax. Tomorrow is the only day we'll be out, other than church. We're going to see Tangled and then eat at Republic Ramen. It's our first visit to the restaurant and I'm very excited to try ramen that doesn't come out of a 15 cent package.

The rest of his vacation, we'll be staying home and watching Japanese shows, studying Japanese, playing games, and I'll be trying to finish my quilt. I've also decided that I won't be slacking on my housework this time. Last time hubby had some time off work, I skipped almost all of my housework and then paid the price the following Monday! It took me a few days to catch up and I really don't want to do that again.

I'm still a bit bummed that we won't be going to California, though...