Saturday, August 24, 2013

(25) Things I Learned in the Jungle (About Food)

So the thing about married life is that there's two perspectives on an abundance of topics. Sometimes we're completely together on an idea and sometimes our views are quite opposing. It just makes life fun.
I gave Jacob the idea for this blog post and as he started writing, I got super jealous. So I wrote my own. We collaborated only on topics, not on wording. And then we shared our lists with each other and were delighted. Now we share them with you! (My list is reordered for beautiful parallelism!)
Check out Jacob's List Here!!

(25) Things I Learned in the Jungle (About Food)


  1. Green coconuts, like Gatorade, are more satisfying on days heat stroke might kill you.
  2. Life can be hard when you don't know how to cook with local ingredients. One thing you can always rely on: Curry.
  3. I'm afraid of wild mushrooms, even if the nationals are eating them. 
  4. Pizza isn't so much Italian cuisine as it is flat bread with random ingredients baked on top. Shrimp, potatoes, whatever's laying about. 
  5. Aussie's don't like pumpkin spice lattes, and this is heartbreaking. 
  6. Cheese in PNG is very expensive. And totally worth it. My comfort food
  7. I'm not very good at baking bread...
  8. or granola....
  9. In PNG, sweet means good. So when you're looking for English potatoes as opposed to sweet potatoes, don't ask vendors if their food is sweet and then walk away disappointed when they say yes.
  10. There's something more delicious about fish you've caught yourself. Until a bone gets stuck in your throat. 
  11. There are better cooking techniques than boiling. Trust me. 
  12. Passionfruit looks like monkey brains. 
  13. Spices. They make a world of difference. 
  14. The weevils in the flour are just an added source of protein. 
  15. Homemade Australian Ginger Beer is way better than ginger ale could ever hope to be. 
  16. Saksak is disgusting. 
  17. Missionaries pay children for chores in salt. Like 2 cups. Apparently it's eaten like candy and will be gone in a few hours.
  18. Orange Mango Schweppes is the best.  
  19. If an Aussie asks you what kind of spider you like, you say Orange Mango Schweppes and Vanilla!
  20. Apparently, you can't just toss food in a freezer to freeze it. Something about blanching....
  21. Pigs are too valuable to kill. (And cute!)
  22. Some food just tastes better far far away from civilization. Like custard. Dang, that custard was good.
  23. Blue Mountain Coffee is awesome. Goroka coffee is not. Ask your barista before you order PNG coffee.
  24. The nationals will bring potatoes and greens in abundance to sell to you. But good luck trying to get fruit. Some things are too good to share. 
  25. If you're hungry enough, you can eat just about anything. 

Why I Pray For Stuff

More Thoughts from My Homework:

Unfortunately, our beliefs swing like a pendulum.
We take things to one extreme, until we realize that something's not right.
And then we go to the other extreme, until we realize that something is still not right.
And we seem to forget what wasn't right about the first way and swing back again.

For example,
To St Francis of Assisi is attributed the quote, "I preach the gospel at all times and when necessary use words."
But then we see a problem. People using this statement as a crutch not to proclaim the Gospel. "I don't have to have an awkward conversation and make myself vulnerable, because I can just live like a good person and that's enough."
So we swing.
I recently saw a post that bashed this idea with an aggressive and solid blow and a wild swing to the far side. Unfortunately, I can't recall it verbatim. But the problem that will come from the swing approach is the problem of Christians who talk the talk but don't walk the walk. People who use the rebellion against that quote as license to live as they want.
But we need to fall in the middle.
It's a both thing.
Live like Christians and tell people about Jesus.

Ok. Here's my point:
You know how people are all, "you shouldn't ask God for stuff, you should just ask the His will be done"?
"God isn't your Santa Claus"
"Prayer's are powerful. You shouldn't be asking for dumb stuff. You should pray that all the orphans are adopted! Our God is big and can do stuff. You need to pray big!"
While there is truth in these statements,
I HATE THAT!
It makes me feel like a horrible person!
Because then I'm all, "But my car is broken and I really need it to be fixed..."
"My husband is sick and I want him to be better."
"I really need the motivation to get all this work done."
And then these statements make me feel BAD for asking silly stupid things for myself!
But I don't feel like this is biblical.
Jesus says: "ask and you will receive". Later in the same passage it says "Your Father in heaven will give good gifts to those who ask Him."
Later right before Jesus dies, he says (paraphrase), Hey I really don't want to die on the cross. Like, I really don't. Please give me some other way. But your will be done.
And Jesus, per usual, gives us a great model.
Ask for what you want.
But God isn't your genie.
He's going to do what He wills.
So keep that in mind.
If God didn't grant you your request, it doesn't mean He doesn't answer prayers.
He has good gifts coming.
Like Salvation for the Entire World.

Ask for the little things. Ask for everything. Pray continuously.
Don't take this to an extreme! That was the point of my preamble!
Prayer involves praising and thanking and confessing too!
But God the Father wants to hear about your day. And wants to seek Him when you have want for anything.
He's just awesome like that.


God is not your Santa Claus.
Ask for big things because God can totally answer big prayers.
But ask for little things too.
Because God loves being sought.


This was actually something a book said that I disagreed with, so there's no point in naming the book here. 

Friday, August 23, 2013

Dream Journal: Superheros And Baby Alligators

I was trapped in a room. A prisoner. But the room wasn't too shabby. I don't know if I was a superhero or some kind of deity but I had powers. But the room had a force field around it to keep me in. Someone from the outside, be it another superhero, deity, or titan, (my dreams aren't very good at fleshing out the back story and such...) smashed the room and the walls separated from the ceiling and the force field broke. So I pushed one wall and it fell off of the cliff into the sea. And I was like, I wonder if they heard that. So then I went up to the ceiling and pushed it back onto the rest of the house. And I was all, they definitely heard that. So then I jumped out into the sea, flying out almost parallel with the water until I slipped under the surface. And then I SHOT UP! OUT OF THE WATER! And there was a pillar of water splashing up with me and I was spinning and it was AWESOME! And then I went back into the water and continued escaping. But suddenly I couldn't fly anymore. Why? Because... it's a dream, ok! And then I was walking in the grass at night, which I never recommend in Dallas because you can't see the tarantulas, but I wasn't in Texas, I was in Louisiana, and it wasn't tarantulas that bit me it was little alligators, a cubit long. And they'd nibble at my feet like my cat. And I was like, NO! NO! NO NIBBLING ON ME! So I'd pull them off and then I got on the lip of this fountain to get away BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE IN THE FOUNTAIN! So I tried to wave down a passing policeman to help me but he didn't see me. And then the alligator started crawling out of the fountain to get to me!! (I had forgotten that they do that!!!) and I started to run away. A bike gang also passed me without helping. And I jumped down on the sidewalk and there were alligators everywhere and then there was a poisonous snake in the middle of the sidewalk and I was like OH NO IMMA DIE! But then the snake bit the alligator and they started thrashing like crazy and I jumped into the grass again so they wouldn't accidentally hit me and I would get bitten by the snake and ANOTHER ALLIGATOR BIT ME! So I jumped back on the sidewalk after the snake/gator scuffle and pulled the gator off my foot and threw him and then my alarm clock went off and I woke up.

THE END!

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

God Doesn't Like Burritos of Self-Loathing

My readings for my Missionary Formation class have mostly been Christian Living types of books. The other day something stuck out to me. It applied really well to my personal walk. Talking with a friend shortly thereafter, the same words applied to her as well. In that same conversation, we identified an area of growth that she needed to work in. The next textbook I picked up was for that exact thing and, turns out, while my problems in that area are harder to see, it only means it's easier for me to live without addressing that failing, but it applied to me as well.

So I'm going to share some thoughts about my homework on this blog. The ones that might change my life, the ones that make me angry, the ones that are eloquent. And maybe you, my dear supporters, will appreciate them as well.


Brother Lawrence wrote that whenever he fails, he confesses his sins to the Lord and says, "I can't do any better if you leave me to myself." And then walks forward, away from his transgression, with the Lord.
(The quote isn't verbatim and and his words don't imply that Christ left him, so don't read it that way.)

I love that. I love the freedom I have in being completely incapable.
"Oh, no! I did something wrong!"
Surprise, surprise!
I'm a filthy sinner.
I'm powerless to do anything, except cling to Christ.
So, when I mess up, I say, "Yeah... sorry. I'm going to need more of You."
And most importantly, let go of this absurd expectation of myself that I'm not going to screw up, let go of the guilt I have for messing up, and experience the freedom that Christ promised His followers.

BAM!
Liberating!

I just don't feel that I can bask in the presence of God if I'm too consumed in pointing out all of my flaws and wrap myself into a blanket burrito and cry.
God is all, "Um, yeah. You mess up a bunch. But Jesus, remember Him? He took care of that. So stop focusing on yourself and just hang out with Me. Because... well... you're kind of doing it again. Failing. You're being really prideful, all wrapped up in yourself. So stop. And just be with Me."  
"What? Self-loathing? That's not a thing?"
"Yeah. That's not a thing."

Friday, August 16, 2013

I'm a Lazy Workaholic

Everyday I wake up and list to myself the things I need to get done. Every evening I berate myself for all the things I didn't do.
I mock the time I spent on Pinterest and Facebook. The time I spent watching TV.
And then I try to think of SOMETHING that I accomplished that day.
And my list is often HUGE!
Today for example:
I finished reading the articles I had for one class and contacted the department head for the other resources.
Attended my class, planned my semester project, and emailed the person who's brain needed picking for my research. And I read one of two of the articles due on Monday.
I cooked delicious food for my husband and cleaned the kitchen.
I contacted the author who's book I'm editing (an odd job I really enjoy) and the professor I'm doing a work study for about when and what they want me to do, respectively.
At it's only 6:30 pm, which means I have another 7 hours before I go to bed.
Half of that time will probably be spent doing something stupid. And every moment of that time I'll berate myself for not being productive.

I have the mentality of a workaholic without the conviction of one.
I am a lazy workaholic.

I need to give myself a break. A day where I don't expect myself to work and don't degrade myself for relaxing. I need to give myself hours of the day for nothing and for something. So I can enjoy the rest, instead of feeling guilty the whole time.
(If only the Bible would have commanded me to do something like that so I wouldn't have found myself in this self-destructive pattern to begin with! Oh wait! It did!The Sabbath! It's just like, God knows. God is so smart. I should just listen to Him.)

So I'm hereby instituting Saturday as my day of rest! (I know, this is super profound and insightful and original.) And on this day, I will do whatever I fancy! If I want to do book editing because I like it, I will. And if I want to clean the house because I read this blog on organizing my life and got super excited about it, I will. And if I want to lie in bed all day and stare at the ceiling fan, I will.

I also need to come up with a daily plan, but Saturday is like tomorrow and I have so much to do right now if I want to be lazy and do nothing tomorrow. ;)

-recovering workaholic