advent

Advent is one of my favorite times of year. I always enjoy the traditions we celebrate in church, relishing a time of anticipation and taking time to think about what expectant waiting really means.

Unfortunately, I have not yet found an evangelical church in Honduras that really embraces these traditions of advent that are so dear to me. I tried to explain it to my coworker and fellow church member and his eyes glazed over a little bit as I tried to explain an advent wreath. Oh well...at least I tried.

So this year and last I tried to make time in my own prayer life to focus on some advent reflections. My mom sent me a cool advent booklet of reflections by Henry Nouwen which I have been enjoying. I just wanted to share one passage in particular that really spoke to me.

 In the last days
   the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established
   as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
   and all nations will stream to it.
 Many peoples will come and say,
   “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
   to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
   so that we may walk in his paths.” Isaiah 2:2-3 

"As prayer leads us into the house of God and God's people, so action leads us back into the world to work there for reconciliation, unity and peace. Once we have come to know the truth we want to act truthfully and reveal to the world its true nature. All Christian action--whether it is visiting the sick, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, or working for a more just and peaceful society--is a manifestation of the human solidarity revealed to us in the house of God.

It is not an anxious human effort to create a better world.
It is a confident expression of the truth that in Christ, death, evil, and destruction have been overcome.
It is not a fearful attempt to restore a broken order.
It is a joyful assertion that in Christ all order has already been restored.
It is not a nervous effort to bring divided people together,
but a celebration of an already established unity.

This action is not activism. An activist wants to heal, restore, redeem, and re-create, but those acting within the house of God point through their action to the healing, restoring, redeeming, and re-creating presence of God."

Good food for thought. May you be filled with a sense of joyful anticipation of the second coming of Jesus as we remember the first time the world witnessed Emmanuel in the flesh.

Feliz Navidad and Merry Christmas :)

good eats.

It has been a busy week or two since I last posted about Thanksgiving, and it seems that time is only going faster and faster as the holidays approach. Not that I am sad about that prospect! I am glad to have weeks that are busy and weekends that are full of activity and social events.

This past weekend I was able to host 4 MCC friends in Santa Rosa~ our connecting people's coordinator plus the 3 SALTers. It was a busy time, making sure they knew how to get around and figuring out meals and taking them here and there, but it was fun. I enjoy showing people around town and sharing the people who have become important in my life in Santa Rosa.

In showing off my mad baking skills to my MCC buddies (yep, I made brownies in my toaster oven), I realized that I have not shared my latest cooking adventures with my blog readers.

warm apple crisp...a little more "crisp" than intended...

carmelized onion, spinach and olive oil bread
...good til the spinach started to smell funky

my most colorful meal yet!
my own version of un-stuffed pepers and stir-fried zucchini

brownies in the baby oven! even made portion-controlled brownie cups

fresh squeezed orange juice, anyone? the fruit was from ladies in the community where we work.
soooooo sweet, no sugar needed

I have also been excited to begin advent season, though I greatly miss the traditions of the church that I have become used to as part of advent preparation. I will share some thoughts on advent things in the near future.

Hope you are enjoying the anticipation of the holidays wherever you may be.