They’ve chosen us!!!!!
So now it’s our turn to decide if we feel that this is a match for us.
I’m on my way right now to meet with Maria to get more information. Pray pray pray pray!
Monthly Archives: September 2011
On Hospitality
Practice hospitality. (NIV)
Seek to show hospitality. (ESV)
Pursue the practice of hospitality. (AMP)
Always be eager to practice hospitality. (NLT)
Love it! No matter which translation you use, there is nothing in between the lines that says “only after your house is perfect, presentable, and spotless.” “Only when it’s not an inconvenience to you.” “Only every so often.”
Practice it. Seek it. Pursue it. Be eager to do it. Just do it. Sound familiar? Pretty similar to another command we just talked about: Contribute to the needs of the saints.
This is post #12 in Paul’s “Marks of a True Christian” series from Romans 12:9-21. I hope you’ve been as challenged as I have. I’ve really been enjoying this section of Scripture.
Hospitality. Right away, I think of homes where I just instantly feel comfortable. Do you? I definitely know people who have the gift of hospitality. I’m sure you do too. Or maybe it’s you! Certainly we’re not all gifted in that area (1 Corinthians 12), but apparently we are all still called to practice hospitality to some degree. Interesting.
Why?
What does hospitality point towards? Love? Heaven? Jesus? All of the above? What do you think about this quote?
“When I am a good host, I can order the world precisely as I believe it ought to be. It is a world that I have created in my mind and in my own image, and it gladdens me profoundly to see it unfold without original sin, without expulsions and floods and disobedience and illness. When I am a good guest, I have returned to Eden, where everything I need is provided for me, including companionship and a benevolent deity at my shoulder serving me and protecting me. The concept of paradise may be backward-looking but the concept of heaven is anticipatory. Perhaps this is what heaven will be like? A great table of oak worn smooth with age and candle wax; a dimly lit room, a quartet of angels playing Sarah Vaughan in the corner; this blissful throb of quiet, intelligent conversation; bubbling pots and aromatic stews that no one seems to have worked to prepare; and you – you have nothing to worry about, not now, not here, not for all eternity. Leave it all behind at the threshold, forget everything, for here in heaven, you are my guest. ” (Jesse Browner)
If practicing hospitality points to heaven and the hospitality Jesus will show us, His guests, it makes a lot of sense why Paul would challenge Christians to practice hospitality. Pursue hospitality and point others toward Jesus, the Host of all Hosts.
EA Update #4
Got a call today from Maria. It sounds like this donor couple is “looking upon our file favorably.” This doesn’t guarantee anything. They had some questions about us that Maria called to check on (regarding different infertility procedures, etc). Not time to do cartwheels yet. Just time to keep praying. Thanks, friends.
Here’s a great song in reference to this, in reference to other stuff in my life right now, in reference to anything—it’s ah-mazing. Thanks, Sasha.
Contribute to the Needs of the Saints
This is Contribute to the Needs of the Saints 2.0.
“Contributing…” 1.0 just got deleted. Here’s why.
I started to get long winded on the whole thing, and God was sort of like—there’s really not much to say about this one. Just do it.
I was going down this rabbit trail about our responses to being asked to meet a need. We’re very slow to inconvenience ourselves. We’re uncomfortable whenever someone asks us for money or time. We feel guilty and overwhelmed by the depth and breadth and width of ALL of the needs out there. We get tripped by the number and forget the one.
We can’t address every need. But we can address the one. And then the next one. And then the next one. And there are a lot of us. That’s a lot of “next ones” having needs met in the name of Jesus. Come on, guys. We know the starfish story. Cue cheesy music, pan to scene on long flat beach dotted with objects, zoom in on one tiny starfish, catch the tear falling from his eye…”It made a difference for THAT one”, she says. Cheese.
But true cheese, right?
If the need is dollars and we have dollars…do it.
If the need is time and we have time…do it.
If the need is food, clothes, a coffee date, encouragement, discipleship, prayer, friendship, love…do it.
If it’s a situation that needs to be fixed with money and we don’t have any extra dollars, then can we do something about it? Practically, no. Prayerfully, yes. Lift it up to God. Your prayers are still a contribution to the need of that saint.
If it’s a situation that needs to be fixed with time and we don’t have any extra time, then can we do something about it? Practically, no. Prayerfully, yes. Lift it up to God. Your prayers are still a contribution to the needs of that saint.
Bottom line: if we can do it, do it.
If we can’t, pray. And pray for provision of that need.
I want to live like this, you guys. This is super convicting. I’m going to close with a quote I read yesterday on the more broad scale of need from “The Case for Faith” by Lee Strobel:
“On my door there’s a cartoon of two turtles. One says, ‘Sometimes I’d like to ask why he [God] allows poverty, famine, and injustice when he could do something about it.’ The other turtle says, ‘I’m afraid God might ask me the same question.’”
People, both believers and non, have very practical needs. Don’t be quick to dismiss them, saying “Someone else will help with that.” Do everything that you can to be the one to meet the need. And if you absolutely cannot, then praaaaaaay for someone who will. We’re one body with many members and God will provide. Just make sure that you’re not overlooking yourself as the answer to that prayer because you don’t want to be inconvenienced or uncomfortable.
“Contribute to the needs of the saints.” (Romans 12:13a)
This is post #11 in Paul’s “Marks of a True Christian.” Am enjoying your feedback here and there through the series. Would love to hear of a time when someone met a very practical need of yours in the name of Jesus or just to be kind.
Ricotta Ravioli with Spinach Pesto
This is a fairly easy, fairly inexpensive recipe that Jason and I made the other night! When shopping for won-ton wrappers (if one has never done such a thing), you’ll most likely find them refrigerated in the produce section. I learned this after doing 15 laps around the entire grocery store. Overall, pretty delicious and very filling!!! Turns out we didn’t LOVE the hazelnuts (yes to hazelnuts in the pesto, not huge fans of the hazelnuts in the raviolis themselves)—could have done without or added in mushrooms any other yummy little thing!
Word to the wise-the raviolis boil FAST—it seemed like they rose to the surface faster than 3 minutes and so all 26 of them cooked really quickly (in batches of about 7-8). We made the mistake of taking them out and then piling them on top of each other. They were still easy to separate initially, but then we went and ate and by the time I came back the left over 10+ raviolis had formed a new, inseparable colony (duh). I would say the PESTO was pretty delicious—we thought maybe a little to much garlic and maybe just put in a splash of lemon instead of an entire one. If you try it, let us know what you think!!! Pictures and recipe below!!!
Recipe from foodnetwark.com’s Sunny Anderson (Cooking for Real).
Directions
In a small bowl, mix together ricotta, 1/4 cup hazelnuts, nutmeg, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Lay several wonton wrappers on a work surface. Scoop a generous tablespoon of the ricotta filling into the center of each wrapper, and brush outside edges with egg white. Lay another wonton wrapper on top of each, and press firmly with fingertips to press out air and seal ravioli. Transfer ravioli to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers and filling, making 18 to 20 ravioli total. Cover baking sheet with a damp paper towel and transfer to refrigerator to set up, about 30 minutes.
To make the spinach pesto:
In a food processor, combine remaining 3/4 cup hazelnuts, lemon juice, spinach, garlic, parmesan, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste and puree until smooth.
Fill a large pot with water, salt liberally, and bring to a boil. Cook ravioli in three batches, until they are cooked and float to the top, about 2 to 3 minutes. Strain and transfer to serving bowls with a dollop of spinach pesto.
(We did sweet potato fries as a side—not that these two items really go together but I was just really craving some. We cut up yams, tossed them in some olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary, spread them out on a baking sheet and cooked them for about 20 minutes at 400, making sure to flip them around ten minutes—this was a recipe from our friend Lisa!!! Thanks, Lisa!)
