House Hunting

Last Thursday, we made an offer on a house in Lake Elmo, Minnesota. The house is not very updated except for the kitchen.

However, it is close to my husband’s work, has fast speed internet, has deeded lake access and sits on a pretty piece of treed property.

The sellers countered our offer. We countered their offer. They countered our offer. And now, we have to decide whether to counter again or just take this offer. If we take it, the closing could be the end of April.

If we don’t accept their counteroffer, we have two other possibilities. One possibility is the house in Lino Lakes which is the one with the septic problem. The sellers have come back to us to re-negotiate although we don’t have an offer on the table. The other house option costs a lot more but it is brand new (2010), is in Wisconsin and has a swimming pool.

Decisions, decisions. It sure would be good to be in a house in May.

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Helping People

 

Mississippi River in Newport, MN

Throughout my short life, I have seen many instances where people wouldn’t help other people. Most of the time the help needed is money but sometimes it’s a person’s time.

Scenario 1: A person who is on drugs will ask for money because they are going to be homeless if they don’t pay their rent.

Hmmm … are they really going to pay their rent or are they going to use it for drugs? And, if they use it for rent will that free up any other money they have for drugs?

Scenario 2: An alcoholic who has recently joined Alcoholics Anonymous asks for a ride to the meetings. You prioritize your time around their meetings only to be stood up over and over again. Now they are pleading with you and state that for sure they’ll make it to this next one.

Hmmm … should I keep wasting my time showing up when they don’t?

Scenario 3: A homeless person says they’ll work for money but they don’t show up numerous times for the work you have for them.

Hmmm … Do I keep scheduling them for the work or give it to someone who is more interested?

Scenario 4: You help a person who is in need over and over again. One time, you need their help and they tell you no. You know they have the time but they just don’t want to do it.

Hmmm … Do I continue helping them when they won’t help me when I need help?

I like this quote that I read in a book called Ministry of Healing:

“Many of those who came to Christ for help had brought disease upon themselves, yet He did not refuse to heal them.”

If I follow in Christ’ steps, my response would be to continue helping in spite of what I get out of it in the end and in spite of what they have done previously.

Having said that, it’s not easy to do.

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Pain

Between not chewing on the left side of my mouth and taking Ibuprofen when I do chew, having a root canal and a crown done at the same time is taking a toll on me.

I don’t tolerate pain very well.  I went back to the dentist for the 4th time regarding this.  He is not able to duplicate the pain I get when I chew on the left side. It’s really strange.  He gave me something to chew on and I felt nothing — which is what I’m supposed to feel with a root canal because they took out the nerves.

However, the dentist tested for cold sensitivity.  Nothing. Then he tested for hot sensitivity.  Bingo! But not on the upper part of my mouth where I think I’m feeling the pain. The hot sensitivity is on a lower tooth that needs a cavity filled.

The dentist explained that sometimes the brain does not know where the pain is coming from. He filled the lower cavity and now we wait to see if it takes care of the problem.

In the meantime, another Ibuprofen to help alleviate the pain.

 

 

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Visiting Family

This weekend we headed into Illinois to visit family. A two-fold trip, to visit grandbabies (and their parents of course) and for my sister’s 64th birthday dinner.

All went especially well. The grandkids are getting so big. They have enough energy for a few people.

I saw my Mom who recently turned 85 years old. She is starting to slow down more and more. But, she made me arroz con dulce. She likes to make it every time I come over. I’ll try to post the recipe for it soon. It’s a Puerto Rican rice pudding.

Our trip back home was very long as there was construction and we were almost at a standstill for 5 miles.

Monday means I have to get back to my routine. So … back I go.

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Yellow Pepper

While making spaghetti sauce, I pulled out a yellow pepper to add to the sauce to make it more tasty.

Yellow Pepper

I think this pepper was confused.  It wasn’t sure if it wanted to be yellow or green.

Isn’t that just like us humans?  When we’re young, we want to be older and when we’re older we want to be younger.  But we can never go back to the past. So, it’s always better to live in the present.

 

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Rejoicing and Suffering

My Sabbath School lesson this morning pointed me to this Scripture:

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.  Philippians 3:10-11

The speaker is a man named Paul who was a devout and dedicated Jew until he “met” Christ on the road to Damascus. You can read the story by clicking here.

The above verse intrigues me because of what Paul is saying.  His relationship with Christ was so intimate that he not only wanted to share his life by knowing the power that Jesus had but he also wanted to share in his sufferings “becoming like Him in His death.”

I see very little in our society of people wanting to share in other people’s sufferings.  When things go well, people are there.  When things don’t go well, people don’t want to be around you.  It’s not always the case. But it’s the case too often.

One might say that the life Christ lived is idealistic. Going the extra mile, turning the other cheek, dying for one’s enemies — who does that anymore? Or, who wants to do it?

But, when someone actually lives it, how magnificent!

I know someone who is an alcoholic. He’s dying. The people he wants close to him the most are the people who purposefully stay away.  I’ve heard comments like “he’s done this to himself.” So what? Can we not offer compassion? Can we not help him in his sufferings?

Paul wanted to share in Christ’ sufferings. Here on this earth we can do that partly by helping our fellow humans in getting through their suffering.

As Christians – it’s the least we can do.

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My First Minnesota Breakdown

I have been fighting the urge to buy anything for the apartment we live in because we have our things in storage in Seattle and they will be here “soon.”

However, house hunting hasn’t given us a house yet and it will be 5 months since our things have been in storage.

My cooking life has been hampered since I lack the utensils to do things properly.  Yes, I can whisk instead of blend in a mixer.  But it’s not the same.

So, the other day, I broke down and bought a new blender. I had a recipe I was trying and needed to pulse the ingredients. Can’t pulse very well with a whisk.

I dragged my husband with me to Target and we picked out the blender. It’s an Oster and works beautifully so far.

Oster Blender
Oster Blender

I just hope that I don’t break down and buy all new kitchen utensils.

 

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Broccoli Sunflower Seed Soup

I came across this recipe for Broccoli Sunflower Seed Soup.  It sounded a little odd but the soup is really good.

Broccoli Sunflower Soup

 

This recipe was originally created to be Vegan but I used Greek Yogurt instead of Soy Yogurt.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb broccoli
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 onion
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 1/4 cup sunflower kernels
  • Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
  • Splash of Tabasco
  • 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup Soy Yogurt (I used Greek)

A note regarding the red pepper flakes.  Adding “a pinch” means you like a little “bite” to your soup. I would have added less than a “pinch” or none at all.

Directions

  1. Chop the onion and celery
  2. Cut broccoli in small pieces, leaving a few larger ones for garnish
  3. Heat oil in a large soup pot
  4. Add onion and celery and saute
  5. Add broccoli pieces
  6. Stir to mix flavors well
  7. Add red pepper flakes and bring soup to a boil
  8. Once boiling, lower heat, simmer for 5-8 minutes
  9. Add sunflower seeds and continue cooking
  10. Remove a few broccoli florets from soup for garnish
  11. Remove from heat and let cool a little while
  12. Using a blender, put half of the soup in and puree
  13. Add the remainder of the soup and puree
  14. Add the yogurt and mix all together in blender
  15. Add salt (I didn’t find I needed to), Tabasco and lemon pepper seasoning
  16. Return soup to pot and serve using the broccoli florets as garnish

This makes about 4 servings. Since the soup is thick, I added a little more yogurt for a creamier consistency.

I found this recipe at vegalicious.org.

Enjoy!

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Clean or Unclean

The big piles of snow in Minnesota are melting.  They are no longer pure white but show the dirt beneath and inside.

Minnesota Snow in March

This is how I look inside.  Sometimes I do good.  Sometimes I do bad. I tend to measure myself by how much good I do. If there were a scale, would my life be balanced equally between the good and the bad or would one side be weighed down more than the other?

Romans 3:23  For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

All includes me.  And if I stop at this Scripture, I would not see any hope for me. But, as Paul Harvey used to say, here’s the rest of the story.

Romans 4:7  Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.

I have a “covering.”  A robe that Christ puts over me.  A robe that is clean –righteous.  It represents the life He lived.  And He covers me with it if I believe in Him.

No longer does God look at my life and see all the dirt.  He only sees goodness because I am covered by the life of Jesus.

Romans 3:22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.

And I am happy inside.  Now the challenge – to look at other people the same way.

 

 

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