Soul Food

Moving sites

2006-11-20T14:16:00.000Z

I have decided to move my blog over to Wordpress and so after a short blogging history at Blogspot, Soul Food is moving on....

Please visit http://soulfooduk.wordpress.com from now on!

Favourite things

2006-11-17T10:11:00.000Z

These are a few of my favourite things.....

Smoothies For those of you like me are not fruit-bats and can't be faffed with peeling grapes, smoothies are the way forward. Innocent Seasonal Smoothie is just yum. Drinking it makes you feel virtuous, as if you are consuming something extremely healthy! A mixture of gooseberries, blackcurrants, oranges and other good stuff. And I love the Innocent ethos.

Baths The best ingredient for a good bath is a bath bomb from Lush.

Books Have just finished reading another Commissario Brunetti mystery set in Venice by Donna Leon and am looking out for some holiday reading....

Coffee and chocolate When I lived in France and Italy, going to the local bar for a petit cafe with a square or two of chocolate was one of those small pleasures in life.

Candles Scented, plain, tall, small candles- light them to relax, light them to remember, light them to get the air smelling fresher.

Journals Lovely, beautifully formed books for me to write my rubbish in!

No one is perfect

2006-11-13T10:04:00.000Z

I am not
who you think I am.

This face is a shop window
Elegantly dressed
To entice you closer
To draw you in
Smiling, chattering
Laughing.
The eyes sparkle
Lights illuminating
Here you think
Maybe you are safe

Yet I am hollow
The glass panes are
cracked, blurred
On closer inspection
The wares on show
Are worn and threadbare
Behind the initial glow
There is darkness
Deep, enveloping

I am not alone
We are all shop windows
With blemishes
To hide

It is easier to deceive
than to confront
reality

Honestly
Bravely
can I admit my frailty?
I am not always who you think I am
By the grace of God
Will I strive to be
Continually broken
reconstructed
Renewed.

There has been much talk in the news and on blogs about the American pastor Ted Haggard and his dismissal. It is much easier to criticise, condemn people who fall from a great height. I am starkly reminded that we are all as crippled by sin and dirt as the next person. I loved this gracious open letter from Floyd McClung about this situation and it challenged me to write the words above.

Today we walk humbly, meekly in the light and pray that the Holy Spirit would equip us to battle with temptations and help us live lives that mirror the life of our Saviour.

A Month today.....

2006-11-07T11:36:00.000Z

After almost 2 weeks of blogging silence, I'm writing again! What with wedding preparations, work, being off sick and winter impending, I have not had the time or energy to sit at the computer and compose anything. And now I'm back, there are a hundred and one things to write about! Today the wedding is a month away! eeeek. I am having my first dress fitting this evening and slowly but sure things are falling into place.

Dave and I also finished the final session of the Alpha marriage preparation course last night. It has been really thought provoking, looking at the issues surrounding commitment, keeping love alive, dealing with conflict, shared values and goals and much much more. It has raised questions and thoughts about myself, about Dave, about us together and it has already deepened our relationship in 5 weeks. If you're engaged, I recommend you try finding a course near you!

Roll on 9th December!!

Mission in the Community

2006-10-22T12:07:00.000Z

Today my bones ache! Yesterday a team of volunteers went into the local area to St Georges to work to litter pick, prune back bushes, collect and dispose of discarded furniture and appliances and plant bulbs. In the morning we spent time in the terraced streets near the hospital, where we cleared a garden that had been used as a dumping ground for people's crap. We found bizarre items like full bottles of wine and mouldy milk (?), a gold bowl, a broken hoover full of coal and countless car mats. The smell emanating from the litter as we moved broken bottles and cans was horrendous and not just a few times did we have to stand back to avoid retching! It wasn't pleasant. The garden was cleared out and raked, with the overgrown branches of the privet hedge cut back - it was transformed. Despite being heckled by a group of lads who wondered if we were 'from the telly', one of our team, Dave P, managed to engage them in conversation and chat about who we were and why we were doing this.

In the afternoon we went over to the Rosebank Millenium Green and started to clear up there. In one spot, somebody had left streamers of old video tape across the path and bits of soggy cardboard were strewn. I picked up a dirty old plastic bag weighted by water and as I tipped out the stagnant rainwater, I felt the sunshine on my back - it was as if as we cleared up the mess, God's light was able to shine a little brighter. God really did bless us yesterday - the weather forecast was torrential rain yet apart from a five minute shower mid morning, the skies were blue-bright and sunny all day. It didn't properly pour until 7pm long after we'd finished. As we were winding up, I met a guy, a graffitti artist, with his 2 kids checking out what we were up to who told me he was pretty impressed with what we were doing.

Being out onto the streets and making a visible difference to our surroundings was really rewarding. I'm really encouraged that across the Uk, churches and christian organisations are steadily getting more and more involved in making an impact in the local community. I've just read in the New Wine magazine about Hope 08 which is planning a year of activity for 2008 - very exciting!

Halleluiah for the morning

2006-10-20T08:44:00.000Z

Good morning! The weather outside is horrid, it is the end of a long week but this morning as I made my way into work, this song reverberated in my mind. If you go to Alli Rogers website below, you can hear the song played for yourself.

For the Morning

He knows the forest floor
and the way that it moves
like waves on the ocean
He rises with the sun
just to see the light shine
on the path before him
And sometimes he feels like he’s walking on water

It’s the miracle of day and it beckons him to stay
and he says halleluiah for the morning

When night is closing in
and he feels like a child backed into a corner
He can’t communicate
with the weight that he has
wrapped around his shoulders
And sometimes he feels like he can’t bear the darkness

But the miracle of day beckons him to stay
and he says halleluiah for the morning
halleluiah for beginning again
beginning again

It feels like life and death
until he gets it off his chest
And he screams into the dark that the night won’t take his heart
At those times he feels like he’s moving a mountain

It’s the miracle of day and it beckons him to stay
and he says halleluiah for the morning
halleluiah for the morning
halleluiah for beginning again
beginning again
And sometimes he feels like he’s walking on water

Alli Rogers - www.allirogers.com

Enjoy your Friday!

Chocolate Cloud Cake

2006-10-18T11:05:00.000Z

Chocolate Cloud Cake

Here's a recipe for something totally luxurious courtesy of Nigella Lawson - just in case you thought I was getting all holy and serious on you!

This one is made without flour, is totally decadent and probably one I won't be making until after the wedding dress! As she suggested, perhaps a dessert for a New Years Eve party...

Enjoy!

Opening the door

2006-10-18T08:49:00.000Z

I read this poem by Mary Oliver a while back. For me, it speaks of simplicity in prayer; daring to take small humble steps in the prayer-relationship with God, starting with the ordinary everyday. Are you like me? Intimidated by the apparent spirituality of other people and thinking your self unworthy to pray? Feeling as if you can't open your mouth to speak to God for fear that what will come out is totally unsound? Or bogged down by the bombardment of life's responsibilities and commitments - not knowing where to begin your prayers? This poem is for you - to know that God is the God of all, the small seemingly insignificant details. He desires to hear from you. It doesn't have to be intricately worded or perfect. You are before God, not in front of a panel of judges - there are no prizes for the best prayer nor punishments for the worst. Focus and concentration are required, coupled with boldness and faith. Praise Him for anything, everything He has done. And when you have spoken or even before you start, be still. The still small voice of God longs to whisper to you.

Believe God's eyes are upon us always and His ears are attentive to our prayers.

The Heavenly here on Earth

2006-10-13T14:54:00.000Z

Can you remember moments when you have heard about God's intervention in people's lives in a tangible way? Do you get tingles down your spine, goosebumps down your arms and a welling in your throat?

I read 'The Heavenly Man' about Brother Yun's miraculous experiences a while ago and recently an article on 24/7 Prayer's site containing this extract that made me feel that same tingle of awe and wonder - the heavenly here on earth:

"Actually, I have quite the story from the prayer room with the underground church – the pastor of this church wanted me and another girl to help some of his students set up the prayer room. We did so, and he invited me to return to spend the night in the apartment with the women who were going to cover the night shift. I took my good friend along, and what happened through the night gave us an experience akin to that of many Chinese underground church leaders – as the two of us white foreigners ran from the apartment at 4:30am by order of the Chinese believers, we ran face to face into some uniformed Chinese policemen. [It’s illegal for foreigners to be with the Chinese in any religious meeting that’s not registered with the government, and a 24-7 prayer meeting breaks all the boundaries.] It was a Heavenly Man sort of experience, though, where the police looked right past us and we left down the elevator, and they only questioned the Chinese believers briefly and then left. I was seriously scared – legs-shaking kind of scared! No ramifications came of that encounter to the Chinese church, though, praise Jesus."

When I read testimonies such as this, I sometimes wonder if in the ordinary pattern of my life, I will ever sense God reaching out to shield me or to speak to me.... but then I am reminded of the many things God has already worked in me and that I am a forgetful being - in the Bible, Israel was a forgetful nation:

Deuteronomy 4 verses 7- 13
"What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when he said to me, "Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children." You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain while it blazed with fire to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness. Then the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice.He declared to you his covenant, the Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets."

Look at what miracles they experienced and yet how they quickly let everyday life overtake their regard for a holy God!

I think I am longing to see more of the glory of God in our city (Leeds) and to sense more of the tingles down my spine as I hear stories of lives restored, attitudes changed.

God, use me to do your will;

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Slimming down...

2006-10-11T14:22:00.000Z

For all of you who, like me, struggle with feeling fat and fluctuating weight - this is for you!

With the forthcoming wedding looming, over the past few weeks I have been trying to lose a bit of weight so wearing my dress on the day I won't feel too self conscious.

*Speaking of weddings - a huge congratulations to Jo and Al who just got engaged this weekend! *

Anyway, I've mentioned before that I go to a Rosemary Conley class with my mum (Fat Club) that does work if you stick to it - low fat/GI diet, weigh in and aerobic exercise - but sometimes the low fat diet Rosemary proposes doesn't do it for me. There are too many lovely foods that I don't really want to miss out on ....creamy pasta dishes, homemade bread spread with real butter, a ripe oozing camenbert cheese on crackers, rich chocolate pudding..... (yum) which is probably why I have always struggled to keep my weight down.

I love food, as you probably have gathered, and there is a danger for me to be gluttonous - huge portion sizes, rich dishes. Yet, recently I read a book: French Women Don't Get Fat and have found for myself that there is a way to enjoy good food and stay slimmer. All you need is a little self control, self discipline and some encouragement.

The book recommends a diet of fresh nutritious food, balanced portions and eating for pleasure. The author Mireille Guiliano teaches us to enjoy our food, to savour every morsel and to eat slowly as French women do. It is an antidote to the contemporary fast food, microwave meal culture. I've discovered that eating that way, not snacking between meals unless I really have to and doing some regular exercises including 20 sit-ups before bed have helped me to slim down a bit.

It is a mindset that often needs changing. From obsessing about what I'm going to eat for my next meal, I've learnt to think less about it and make more sensible choices when shopping for food. It also helps to have a goal - the wedding has focussed my mind somewhat, knowing there will be all those eyes staring at me. A friend also sent me this article which was if you pardon the pun, food for thought....

Autumn

2006-10-10T08:49:00.000Z

I feel that I have been so busy recently I can barely focus on getting anything done - even coming to write this has seemed a mammoth effort. Its cyclical - I have a hard day at work, am occupied in the evening by something to do with church or the wedding and end up going to bed late. I get up early and begin the cycle again, more tired than the day before. By the weekend I feel like melting in a heap and not moving. I speak often of being too busy but never seem to resolve the issue. Sometimes it feels as if I'm coming away at the seams.

Autumn

The leaves are falling, falling as if from far up,
as if orchards were dying high in space.
Each leaf falls as if it were motioning "no."

And tonight the heavy earth is falling
away from all other stars in the loneliness.

We're all falling. This hand here is falling.
And look at the other one. It's in them all.

And yet there is Someone, whose hands
infinitely calm, holding up all this falling.

Rainer Maria Rilke

We went to see the History Boys by Alan Bennett at the Alhambra on Saturday and one of the lines of the play stuck in my head 'Literature is consolation'. After reading this post on The Sacred Art of Living about Lectio Divina, I sat down and read through 'Autumn' and the poet's words not only consoled me but God spoke to me through them. I know I do not suffer as many do on this earth but God understands and cares for me even amongst my anxiety with the trivial frippery of wedding arrangements. He sees the frail leaves of my life falling; stress at work with difficult characters, the delicate balancing act of family expectations, someone close who is in prison (whom I ache and grieve for because they are going through hard times), the general fatigue of being too busy, the lack of time spent with Dave. He sees these fall but all the while He holds me up. He is constant when everything else is unsure.

Psalm 18 v. 2

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Finding God in the ordinary

2006-10-09T10:50:00.000Z

A theme that is dear to my heart - check out this article from Third Way - Reading the everyday .

Christ in my every day - be my everything.

Simple things

2006-10-02T16:04:00.000Z

2 fantastic simple things from last week- prayer and bread.

1.Prayer

Last week, a Lifestyle cluster meeting was held at St Georges focussing on the UP element of our core values. James, Chris, Beth and Dave spent time setting up the church with different stations with prompts for prayer. We watched a short Nooma film on 'Silence' and then the lights were dimmed and we were invited to spend an hour or so exploring the stations and learning to pray in different ways.

At one station, using a series of passages in Luke's gospel and an icon (a beautiful deep gold, rust and amber illuminated picture of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus), I was able to understand something of God's desire for me, a revelation as more often I realise my need for Him. To see Jesus as a child, vulnerable, clinging to his mother spoke volumes to me. Becoming aware of how much God wants us to turn to him and learning to love him as we would love our children or our spouse is a stepping stone in developing a reciprocal relationship with God - no longer just us leaning on Him but us caring for him by being committed to Him. Such a simple concept but one I overlook, particularly when I feel unworthy and unloveable.

“We have almost forgotten that God is a person and, as such, can be cultivated as any person can. It is inherent in personality to be able to know other personalities, but full knowledge of one personality by another cannot be achieved in one encounter. It is only after long and loving mental intercourse that the full possibilities of both can be explored.” A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

2.Bread

I never realised how straightforward breadmaking is! Dave and I baked 2 loaves on Saturday night, lovely fresh bread; satisfying and cosy.

500g Wholemeal bread flour
a 6g sachet of fast acting yeast
1 1/2 tsp of salt
350ml tepid water

2 small bread tins, lightly greased

Put the flour, salt and yeast in a bowl, then add the tepid water. Using a round bladed knife mix the ingredients in and as they bind to become dough, use your hands to finish off the mixing. This is the messy part! If the dough is too wet, add extra flour. When you have a ball of dough, take out of the bowl, put on a flour dusted board or work surface and knead with the heels of your palms for 10 minutes until the dough is pliant and elasticated. Place in a clean bowl, cover with cling film or a clean tea towel and leave for an hour to rise.

After 1 hour, take the dough out of the bowl and punch to let the air out. Shape into 2 ovals and place in the greased bread tins, cover and leave for another hour.

Towards the end of the last hour, heat the oven to Gas Mark 8/ 230 degrees celsius. Place bread in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven after cooked, slip out of the tin and to check if cooked through, tap the base of the bread which should sound hollow. If it doesn't, place the bread back in the oven on the shelf to cook through. Leave on a cooling rack until ready to serve or store away.

Couscous and comfort

2006-09-25T14:31:00.000Z

We held our first Soul Food small group meeting of the new term on Sunday. It was a lazy afternoon time at our new apartment. I prepared lunch; a main course of Moroccan inspired dishes- marinated lamb, spiced vegetables and couscous (recipes below!) and the others brought soft drinks, wine and pudding. None of us has a problem chatting (!) and so the conversation freely flowed from day to day life to serious issues such as our thoughts on the 'Prosperity' gospel teaching that seems prevalent. We prayed particularly for a group member who is going through a tough time and also for changes at St Georges as more staff arrive and the congregration increases in number (St Georges on Sunday evening was packed out!).
It was an afternoon that embodied the vision of Soul Food and I can't wait for next time!

We'll be meeting next on Monday 9 October - give me a shout if you want to come.

Moroccan Menu:
to serve 4

Marinated Lamb

8 small lamb chops
a large tsp of ground cumin
1/2 a tsp of paprika
2 tablespoons of freshly chopped coriander and parsley
a small onion, finely chopped or grated
a clove of garlic crushed
juice of half a lemon
2 tablespoons of olive oil

Put all of the ingredients in a large glass bowl, bar the lamb, and mix up. Add the lamb chops and using your hands, make sure they are coated with the marinade. Cover the bowl and put in the fridge for 2 hours.

When you are ready to cook, pre-heat the grill and place the chops on the grill tray or in a baking dish. Cook under the grill for 5 minutes or so then turn and cook the other side for 5 minutes again. If you like your lamb done so there is no pink in the flesh, leave under for a while longer. Serve.

Spiced Vegetables

1 small butternut squash
3 carrots
1 onion
2 courgettes
runner beans
olive oil
1 tsp of ground cumin
1 tsp of paprika
1 tsp of ground coriander
chopped dried apricots
150ml boiling water

You can use any vegetables you have in - these were the ones I used. wash, peel if necessary and chop the vegetables into small chunks (1 inch size), apart from the onion which you can chop in segments like a Terrys Chocolate orange!. Place them in a pan with the olive oil to fry for 5 minutes, then cover with a lid and leave to cook for 10 minutes or so. Add the spices, apricots and boiling water and leave to simmer for a short while until the veg is tender and ready to serve. This can be made in advance and heated up as the lamb is grilling.

Couscous (this needs to be done at the last minute)

250g Couscous
250ml boiling water
1 vegetable stock cube
handful of raisins or sultanas
1 tsp of cinnamon
sunflower seeds

Put the kettle onto boil and whilst you wait, measure out the couscous, place it in a bowl and crumble one stock cube over the top. Stir the stock cube crumbs in and add the 250ml boiling water. It has to be precise otherwise the couscous is too dry and bitty or too damp and claggy. As the water absorbs into the couscous, soak the raisins or sultanas in a small amount of boiling water and cinnamon. After about 5 minutes the couscous will be ready, so fluff the grains up with a fork. Drain the dried fruit and add to the couscous along with the sunflower seeds. Stir up to make sure the fruit and seeds are evenly distributed and serve.

Artichoke Risotto

2006-09-20T14:21:00.000Z

Have you ever seen fresh artichokes? There are many different varieties available but the one that sticks in my mind is one that looks like a spiky purple-green cabbage on a stick. When I lived in Lyon, I used to stroll along the riverside where an arts and food market was often held. I remember buying artichokes there, like big armfuls of flowers and taking them home to steam. After steaming the flowers, you peeled off the petals to dip in a vinaigrette. I read this poem and it took me back....

Ode To an Artichoke by Pablo Neruda

The artichoke

of delicate heart

erect

in its battle-dress, builds

its minimal cupola;

keeps

stark

in its scallop of

scales.

Around it,

demoniac vegetables

bristle their thicknesses,

devise

tendrils and belfries,

the bulb's agitations;

while under the subsoil

the carrot

sleeps sound in its

rusty mustaches.

Runner and filaments

bleach in the vineyards,

whereon rise the vines.

The sedulous cabbage

arranges its petticoats;

oregano

sweetens a world;

and the artichoke

dulcetly there in a gardenplot,

armed for a skirmish,

goes proud

in its pomegranate

burnishes.

Till, on a day,

each by the other,

the artichoke moves

to its dream

of a market place

in the big willow

hoppers:

a battle formation.

Most warlike

of defilades-

with men

in the market stalls,

white shirts

in the soup-greens,

artichoke field marshals,

close-order conclaves,

commands, detonations,

and voices,

a crashing of crate staves.

And

Maria

come

down

with her hamper

make trial

of an artichoke:

she reflects,

she examines,

she candles them up to the light like an egg,

never flinching;

she bargains,

she tumbles her prize

in a market bag

among shoes and a

cabbage head,

a bottle

of vinegar; is back

in her kitchen.

The artichoke drowns in a pot.

So you have it:

a vegetable, armed,

a profession

(call it an artichoke)

whose end

is millennial.

We taste of that

sweetness,

dismembering scale after scale.

We eat of a halcyon paste:

it is green at the artichoke heart.

A jar of roasted artichoke hearts given to me for my birthday last March by the lovely Jo has been sitting in the cupboard, waiting for her to come round and eat them! She came round the other night with her boyfriend Al for dinner with Dave & I and we had artichoke risotto.

Artichoke Risotto

1 white onion

1 tablespoon of olive oil

275g arborio risotto rice

1 glass of dry white wine

1 litre vegetable stock

1 jar of roasted artichoke hearts

grated parmesan

Finely chop the onion and put in a heavy based pan with the olive oil on a medium heat to sweat. When the onions are translucent, add the rice and stir for a couple of minutes. Add the wine and allow the alcohol to evaporate (the smell will go) and then add a ladleful of stock. Risotto is a labour of love; you need to add a ladleful of stock at a time and stir in until all the liquid is absorbed into the rice, then add another ladle and stir and so forth until all the stock is gone. To check if its cooked, bite a rice grain and the texture should be soft but firm, the rice holding in all that lovely stock.

Drain and chop the artichoke hearts into pieces, then stir into the rice. Cover the pan with a lid for a few minutes to warm through then serve with sprinklings of parmesan.

Rib coating comfort food for autumn!

From the heart of Habakkuk

2006-09-18T09:30:00.000Z

Last night at St Georges' evening service, Jonathan Clark, the rector of the church preached on Habakkuk 3 and one of the points he made was that Habakkuk was a songwriter - his final prayer, chapter 3, was annotated with 'selah' a musical term that is untranslatable. We don't know whether he wrote the music but he is a fine poet! As a response to the sermon, some of us were able write down our own prayer songs and here is mine:

From the heart of Habakkuk

A child abused and now healed
addiction vanished; a man set free
the deaf enabled to hear
Lord, do it again - in my day.
disability defeated, a lady can walk
a relative, thought dead, is alive, restored
war ravages unending, yet a chance for peace talks
Lord, do it again - in my day
Infidelity beaten, trust renewed
famine a distant memory, abundance of food
drought reversed, harvest fields sluiced
Lord, do it again - in my day
Environmental damage, the reactions reversed
HIV and Aids undone, a lift of the curse
Injustice broken, the widow and orphan come first
Lord, do it again - in my day
Pervading terror halted, freedom now found
A church worships in the open, emerging from underground
A country of unbelievers now heavenward bound
Lord, do it again - in my day
Such wonders have I heard and miracles shall I see
a nation humbled, brought to their knees
Your coming again, a fulfilled vision, dream
Lord, do it again - in my day.

Small Group

2006-09-12T13:43:00.000Z

'Soul Food'- the blog is a product of 'Soul Food' the Lifestyle small group at St Georges Church, Leeds. So this post is to let anyone who is interested in joining our small group find out a little bit more of what we're about.

Soul Food is a raggletaggle bunch of people, different backgrounds, different ages, male, female.... what we all have in common is that we love food, we enjoy sharing meals, cooking, chatting and we love God. As a group we explore who God has made us to be and how we serve him, serve each other as a community and how we serve the world around us - reflecting the UP-IN-OUT structure of the Lifestyle groups.

Simple things, simply life.

UP - when we meet, group members bring something to the group to share about God, for example; from personal bible study someone may bring a passage that has taught them something, a song that we can all worship to, a meditation, a prayer, a testimony of an occasion which God has spoken through....... Just meeting together in God's name is often our worship.

IN - We meet, cook food and eat together. As we grow into a community of friends, we feel able to share our experiences, our burdens, our joys and we pray for each other.

OUT- At the moment, Soul Food group members are encouraged to join the volunteer rota to serve food to the homeless at St George's Crypt - please see a previous post 'Examen of Consciousness' for more about what that is like.

At the moment, we don't have a set day each week for meeting - we meet when we can.

The aim of the group is to grow to be like Christ as a community.

Mighty Rivers

2006-09-11T09:22:00.000Z

On the mount of crucifixion
Fountains opened deep and wide
From the floodgates of God’s mercy
Flowed a vast and gracious tide
Grace and love like mighty rivers
Flowed incessant from above
Heaven’s peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love

At the weekend, we visited High Force in Teesdale, apparently England's largest waterfall. I sat at the edge of the pool on rocks that had been smoothed by the blast of the water and watched the waterfall spill over. The pool was a reddy brown colour because the volume of water had churned up the peaty mud at the bed of the river. What struck me was the immense noise of the rushing water and the verse of the popular hymn above came into my head. People may have made this observation many a time:

God has lavished a mighty river of grace upon me but in the knowledge of that, do I bestow my best to others around me?

As Christians, do our actions of grace and love drown out the voices of our critics & sceptics?

A Chinese Feast Updated

2006-09-04T13:04:00.000Z

*UPDATE* I forgot the main ingredient so apologies to anyone who tried this and it tasted rough!

Whilst on holiday last week, Dave persuaded his mum to teach me how to cook the Chinese food that he grew up with. So one evening, armed with pen and paper I took notes as she prepared each of the dishes; Char Siu barbecue belly pork, steamed ginger & spring onion trout, stir fried crayfish, veg & noodles, chicken & pepper stirfry, foo yung (like an omelette) and egg fried rice. For me it was fascinating to see Dave and his brother and sister eat with chopsticks and bowls with utter ease whilst his step-dad (welsh) and I (english) laboured on, swilling our rice around the table and getting sauce on our chins.... :-)

Here's the easy recipe for the delicious bbq pork:

4 strips of belly pork
Clear, runny honey
Soy sauce
Tomato puree
Rice wine/white wine vinegar or sherry
Olive oil

Mix 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and clear honey together with a generous splash of the rice wine. When the two are combined to make a brown liquid, squeeze in enough tomato puree and stir to make a loose smooth paste. Chop the belly pork into small bitesize pieces ( you can take the rind off or leave it on). Pour over the marinade and leave for an hour or two, covered, in the fridge or even overnight.

In an oven proof dish put a small amount of oil and pour in the meat. Put the oven on a gentle heat maybe Gas Mark 4 or 180 C and put the pork in the oven to roast slowly for an hour or so. If you are preparing other dishes such as quick stir fries, the pork will cook as fast or as slow as you need. Before serving, place under a heated grill for 5-10 minutes to crisp up the meat. Serve with fluffy boiled white rice and a sprinkling of spring onions. Yum.

At lot of my measurements and cooking times are guesswork - different ovens/kitchens produce different products. It's worth experimenting to see what works for you.

Crash - a film not to miss...

2006-09-02T10:30:00.000Z

Last weekend, we sat down to watch the DVD of the film Crash. A profoundly thought provoking film. Set in Los Angeles, the plot weaves the lives of diverse characters together to meet at the scene of a car crash. The film opens with the police investigating the highway for clue and one of the first lines in the film is a police officer saying that in L.A. nobody touches anyone else when walking down the street - it is only when they crash together that there is human contact.

As the film goes into flashbacks of the previous 48 hours, slowly the themes behind the plot are unravelled - this is a comment on issues facing modern America; gun culture, immigration, race relations, violence, police corruption.

The film hits you like a fist against a punch bag, it turns your own stereotypes and prejudices on their heads portraying supposedly bad people doing acts of heroism and apparently good people sinking to lower depths. Swathed in a depressive gloom whilst watching the first hour, I didn't know if I could watch anymore - it certainly didn't feel like a good saturday night's entertainment but I couldn't tear my eyes away either. By the end, I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the conclusion.

The film demonstrates the world's very papable need for love. Everyone fears everyone else, sometimes for good reason, often not. But fear is futile. And corny as this may seem, as I write, the power of redemptive love heals, rebuilds and restores community. As a Christian watching 'Crash', I am compelled to hand over my fear of the 'other' and to reach out in love to a world that has yet to experience the greatest love of all.

See this film if you can. It will speak to you and change you.

Heard of Myers Briggs - try this out.....

2006-08-25T09:58:00.000Z

My Bloginality is ESFJ!!!

The bookworm

2006-08-24T14:35:00.000Z

I love reading and don't get to read often enough. There was a short quiz on someone elses blog about books that appealed to my bookworm nature called 'One Book....' - here are my responses, what are yours?

Name One book that....

changed your life - 'Whats so amazing about grace' by Philip Yancey
you read more than once - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
you would want on a desert island - The answer I think I should put! - 'The Bible' (Perhaps the Message translation.)
made you laugh -'Showbusiness - the diary of a rock and roll nobody' by Mark Radcliffe
made you cry -'Expecting Adam' by Martha Beck
you wish you'd written -'The Vision and the Vow' by Pete Grieg
you wish had never been written -'Mein Kampf' Hitler
you are currently reading -'The Fourth Bear' Jasper Fforde
you have been meaning to read- 'The Divine Conspiracy' Dallas Willard
reminds you of your childhood - Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
you'd like to write - a story about finding life in the simple things

Let me know your number one books!!!

Fabulous lower-fat Fish and Chips

2006-08-21T10:15:00.000Z

My fiance's favourite meal....well one of his favourites... is fish and chips. He probably likes it because of the greasy, starchiness of the chips and the batter - Dave seems to have taste for all the foods that are just lethal for you cholesterol levels! My mum and I attend "Fat Club" - a Rosemary Conley diet and fitness class, neither of us are particularly religious about sticking to the diet (in fact we blatantly flout the rules!) and mainly go for the exercise but the discipline does us some good. I hope that Rosemary would be more approving of this Fish and Chip recipe than the real thing from some fatty takeaway outlet but I doubt it is within the regime's less than 5% fat guideline....

Fabulous lower-fat Fish and Chips with Tartare sauce

2 pieces of white fish such as cod or haddock
plain flour
salt and pepper
3 large potatoes
Olive oil
Mayonnaise (extra low fat Hellmans mayonnaise if you're really virtuous)
2 small gherkins
capers

Cut the potatoes into chips and use my previous recipe for the best chipped potatoes.
Meanwhile, finely chop the gherkins and capers and mix in a bowl with a generous amount of mayonnaise. Refrigerate until needed.
Finally 10 minutes before the chips are ready, in a shallow dish put a small amount of plain flour and season with salt and pepper. Drag each piece of fish through the flour until totally coated. Gently heat a shallow layer of olive oil in a frying pan and put the fish into fry. Cook each side for about 4 minutes until the flesh is white and firm and serve with the chips and Tartare sauce. Try not to overcook white fish as it goes dry, flakey and tasteless.

We like to eat this with mushy peas - an acquired taste which most people don't share - a tin from the supermarket will do.

Disturb us Lord....

2006-08-17T09:00:00.000Z

A prayer attributed to Sir Francis Drake, written over 500 years ago that has recently been doing the rounds. (I read it on someone else's blog and saw that a few others had put it on theirs...) It spoke volumes to me about the 'comfort' I allow myself to wallow in and the potential Christ has given to me in life that I have yet to unlock. I shall print it out and stick it on my noticeboard to challenge me.

Disturb us, Lord,
when we are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

Examen of consciousness

2006-08-16T14:08:00.000Z

After writing the post on savouring each and every moment the other day, I found a sheet I printed out on Ignatius's Examen of Consciousness. Monday evening, using the sections and questions of the examen, I recalled the good, the bad and the ugly things that had happened throughout the day. This quietening down for 20 minutes at the end of the day, unburdening my mind of activities and pressures and focussing on God's presence made such a difference. Evening prayer suits me better as mornings are usually so horrific for me; I usually mutter a hurried prayer before crawling out from under the bedcovers and limping to the bathroom in the manner of Quasimodo from the Hunchback of Notre Dame. So I did the examen yesterday too and really started to benefit from it. Here's an example:

Every 3rd Tuesday of each month, Sally a girl from my small group (Soul Food) and I volunteer in the kitchen of St Georges Crypt, a homeless outreach centre. I've only been doing it a couple of months and was extremely nervous, even scared about doing it but am really, really enjoying it. Last night, I was serving tea and coffee at the hatch, chatting to some of the clients who can drink inordinate amounts of liquid with 3-4 large teaspoons of sugar each (ugh!) and rebuffing requests for my phone number! When I came home and sat quietly working through the questions, I remembered being aware of God's pleasure when I was serving. Not because I was doing anything noble or praiseworthy by volunteering but because he was teaching me and I was learning and enjoying a simple task. Let me explain. On the streets of Leeds, some of those who have reached rockbottom in life can appear to me as threatening, dangerous, unpleasant not least because of the substances they use to numb their pain. They are dangerous but they are also children of God just as I am. In the Crypt, God is breaking down a part of me that would keep the people I'm scared of at a distance and teaching me to see them through his eyes.

Glazed redcurrant and rosemary lamb

2006-08-16T13:33:00.000Z

This is a hearty lovely dish that is bursting with flavour - its one of Dave's favourites and is simple enough for him to cope with if he ever ventured into the kitchen :-)

Glazed redcurrant and rosemary lamb

Serves 2

2 lamb chops/steaks trimmed of fat
A sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves removed and chopped
Thinly sliced clove of garlic
A glass of red wine or genrous splash of port
Two tablespoons of redcurrant jelly
a dash of balsamic vinegar
a dab of olive oil

In a non-stick pan, gently fry the garlic in the dab of olive oil until slighlty translucent. Add the meat and chopped rosemary leaves, then begin to brown the lamd either side. As the meat's texture changes from flesh to lightly browned, add the wine or port and simmer to reduce - the alcohol smell should decrease quite a bit and the consistency of the liquid will become slightly thicker. At this point add the redcurrant jelly and balsamic vinegar. As the jelly melts, keep turning the meat over each side to cook further and stirring the sauce at the same time. As soon as you're happy that the meat is cooked (lamb can be served pink in the middle) and the gravy is glossy and thick, serve immediately pouring the sauce over the lamb. Creamy mashed potatoes and green veg like broccoli or curly kale are particularly good with this!

Savouring every moment...

2006-08-10T19:48:00.000Z

How often do you sit at a table or in front of the t.v. to eat and barely notice what you put in your mouth? Is it a daily experience to eat in hurry so you can make it on to the next meeting or appointment? How regularly do we sit around with good friends putting the world to rights over coffee, laughing late into the evening? Do we stop each morning on the way to work to look at the cloud formation in the sky and marvel at the sun rising? Do we find it hard just to capture a moments peace to take in the view and exhale?

I love the French film 'Amelie' because many of the characters are introduced by the things they like and dislike in life and the plot is based on people learning to enjoying simple pleasures and learning to live life. I'm envious of some of our European counterparts as they seem to have got the good life down to a tee. (I'm sure they haven't really but they do give a good impression!)

Holiday is a time where we can take space to unwind and truly relish what surrounds us. This past weekend, Dave and I went up to Swaledale in the Yorkshire Dales to walk and to meet with friends. On our walk, we crossed green fields observed by nosy sheep that amused us. We climbed through woodland on the Nun's Causey, a set of 300 steps from Marrick Priory up the hill that had been laid there for centuries. Along the top of the moor, on Fremington Edge, we watched rabbits race amongst the purple heather and sat (in a rather biblical scene) at the foot of a lonesome pine to drink water and refresh ourselves. Sensing the history of the area, seeing the expanse of the dale and being closer to nature drew my attention back towards the creator God. Returning home, with the satisfaction of exercise and the gentle ache of using muscles that have lain dormant for too long, we drank tea in the village, bought local cheese & gourmet chocolate and read the paper. Meeting with friends, having holy communion in a simple church and talking through thought-provoking issues the next day - all these things are part of the rich tapestry of life. We thoroughly enjoyed every single one!

Yet holiday has to come to an end and in a life swung recklessly between work and church and relationships, I find my capacity to enjoy everyday moments diminished. I just can't seem to find the time or energy. In stressful times, the relationship I have with God ebbs like the tide. Friendships with others become strained. A people pleaser, I am wracked with guilt when I don't spend time with people I feel ought to and I become frustrated and angry when I perceive them to be making demands from me I can't meet. I often shy away from contact at all if it becomes too much. Sometimes I feel as if I'm holding my breath underwater, waiting to rise to the surface for a gulp of air. I'm tired of being in a rush and running on empty. I dislike 'busyness' but can't seem to break a habit of a lifetime. It makes me ungracious, irritable, unpleasant. YET I know that God has more in store for each of us; He longs for us to savour each moment of the life we have been given. It is through knowing Him that we can do just that and learn to reverse the habits of a lifetime.

John 10 v. 10: I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full

Psalm 34 v. 8: Taste and see that the LORD is good;

Jamie Haith, one of the guys preaching at Holy Trinity Brompton, London has captured what on earth I'm rambling on about in his sermon of last week - check it out, its called the Eloquence of God.

My challenge for the next few months is to seize moments of awe and wonder not just on holiday but also in the mundane; to see God through his lens - not my perspective. To allow Him to speak to me, to trust Him with the tiniest details.

As an endnote to myself, last year I was at dinner with some friends, one of whom is an asylum seeker who experienced and continues to experience terrible things. Spending the evening with this person was enriching. Despite the loss and suffering they knew, they could say:"Every morning I wake up and I thank God that I am breathing".
Their words remain with me now. I, who have much in the way of good fortune and possessions - is this my heart's daily prayer - 'Thank you Lord I'm alive'?

Chicken Tarragon and the best chipped potatoes

2006-08-02T11:09:00.000Z

I spoke to Beth, the youth worker at the church, last night and she was really enthusiastic about this blog although she doesn't like salmon - so this little recipe of my Dad's is especially for her....

Chicken Tarragon

for 2

2 Chicken breasts
French dijon mustard (the light brown smooth kind)
Fresh tarragon leaves (you can use dried too but fresh herbs are always more aromatic)
Olive oil

If using fresh tarragon, chop the leaves to bruise them and release the flavour.
Mix the tarragon together 2-3 teaspoons of the mustard and a tablespoon of olive oil until you make a paste.
Using a brush, a spoon or just your hands, coat the chicken with the mustard tarragon paste, place in a covered bowl in the fridge and leave to marinade. My Dad often does this at lunchtime in time for dinner or even the night before.

When ready to cook, heat the grill and place the chicken on the grill pan. I find with grilling it does well to stay by the grill and keep an eye on the meat to make sure it doesn't burn. I would cook the meat for maybe 5-7 minutes each side and continue to grill each side until you're sure it is cooked. Chicken is lethal if not properly cooked so make sure the flesh is white and firm - if it looks at all pink or jelly-like, you need to keep cooking it!

The chicken is best served with fresh green salad leaves and chips:

The best chipped potatoes

for 2

3-4 large good quality pommes de terre (Maris Piper, King Edwards)
olive oil
salt

Peel and cut the potatoes into chip lengths and place in a pan of salted water.
Put the oven on at gas mark 6-7 and in a roasting tin add a glug of olive oil. Place the tin in the warming oven to heat up.
Bring the pan to the boil and as it reaches boiling point, turn off the heat and drain the potatoes.
Fetch the tin from the oven and tip the drained potatoes into the tin - watch out for spitting oil as it is hot oil. Turn the potatoes over and round in the tin with a wooden spoon to make sure they are coated with oil.
Put the potaoes in the oven to roast for 40 minutes or so. Open the oven and give the tin a shake every so often to make sure they cook on all sides.

These are the best chips ever ! And because only a small amount of oil is used, they're better for you than the deep fried variety.

It's not all about food...

2006-07-31T09:59:00.000Z

Just wanted to prove that it's not just my stomach that prompts me to write but my heart too!

I find food one of the most easiest things to write about but when it comes to my Christian faith, I get a bit tonguetied because I'm scared of writing something theologically incorrect or repulsed by what I write because it sounds so corny. It amuses me that we Christians come up with our own Christian vocabulary that it probably seems like code to anyone outside of church - and I'm just as guilty of using it as anyone else!

I thought I'd start by telling you a bit about how I came to be a Christian. My parents are Christians and my Grandpa is an Anglican vicar so I definitely grew up in a church environment but I wouldn't say I truly understood it for myself until I went away to University. My first year was spent partying (with a guilty conscience that something wasn't quite right) and it wasn't until my second year that God started to move in my life. I hurt my back and was diagnosed with sciatica that kept me in bed for a month. I'd been seeing this guy who was a cheat and I was pretty miserable. One night, I woke up with a creeping, fearful sensation that I had to split up with him and it is now with hindsight that I can see God was speaking to me directly to get me to change my life. I remember battling in my head with the decision, being scared of ending up alone, and not feeling peaceful until I'd made it. A few months later at a Christian conference, the female vicar from my church drew me to one side and asked me how I was - and I wasn't ok. She talked me through what becoming a Christian meant and asked me to think about it. It took me several days but after praying with a good friend to ask Jesus into my life, I went back to see her. Like doubting Thomas, I didn't feel any different and that frustrated me, so she prayed with me and as she spoke, I felt my arm tingle as if someone were touching my arm, holding it as if I needed supporting. That was the Holy Spirit. As I went to bed that night, the same sensation covered me like a blanket, protecting me. Nothing would be the same. That was over 5 years ago.

I'd like to say that from then on, things were amazing and I never looked back but that would be a massive lie. Some days I still battle with myself to believe. However today, just writing this and reminding myself how gracious God is, I know that my life was nothing until I allowed Jesus into my life and will amount to nothing unless I let God continue to finish the work he has begun in me.

Tell me about your journey with God (see - Christian vocab!).......

Raspberry Blush

2006-07-31T09:09:00.000Z

So I tested the salmon out on my friends/guinea pigs and I think they're still living. If I do say so myself, it was pretty good! The sweet/sourness of the caramelised ginger is a great match with the roast salmon. Jo (guinea pig 1) said she couldn't stand salmon served with hollandaise because the creamy sauce doesn't do anything for it - I think fresh flavours such as citrus or ginger complement the fish much better.

For pudding, my guinea pigs received another experiment which I have titled Raspberry Blush:
dead simple, you can make it well in advance and when you serve it, people are really impressed.

Raspberry Blush (Serves 4)

Fresh raspberries
Small pot of extra thick double cream
Small pot of natural greek yogurt
chocolate biscuits (I used Mcvities Moments - Belgian Chocolate chunks (!))

4 ramekins/small bowls

Using 3-4 biscuits, place in a bowl or plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin until the biscuits are reduced to fine crumbs.
Line the bottoms of the bowls with the biscuit crumbs and place 4 raspberries on top.
Leaving 4 raspberries to one side, mash the rest to a pulp with a fork and mix together with the greek yoghurt and cream.
Spoon the raspberry cream mixture into the ramkins.
Decorate each top with a raspberry and then refrigerate until needed.

Sportsmans Salmon

2006-07-27T12:01:00.000Z

Yesterday was the Careers Centre Staff day out - a pub walk from Pateley Bridge to The Sportsmans Arms for lunch and then back. Away from the buzz of the computer and the stuffy office (these temperatures!) into the fresh air and quiet of Yorkshire was liberating. Back at work today I feel re-energised by the break in the routine. God is good, providing us with just what we need when we need it!

The Sportsmans Arms is a hotel/restaurant pub nr. Wath which has lovely food. I ordered a delicious Roast Salmon with ginger and spring onions and I'm going to make a stab at recreating the recipe - not got accurate measurements but am imagining I am cooking for 2.

2 pieces of fresh salmon fillet (125g x2)
handful of spring onions chopped into 2-3cm lengths
a knob of fresh ginger finely chopped
butter
honey
lemon wedges (use 1 for marinade)
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsps of olive oil

Marinade the salmon with a small tablespoon of olive oil mixed with ginger, honey and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Put oven on at 180-200 C/gas mark 4-5.
Take the salmon out of the marinade and brush off any excess ginger.
Roast in the oven for 20 minutes or so until cooked (flesh should be a matte pink colour and not glossy!)
Meanwhile take the rest of the ginger, honey, sugar and butter, place in a heavy bottomed pan (le creuset pans are pretty good though v. expensive - a normal saucepan will do but watch that the ginger doesn't burn!) and caramelise over a low heat.
Just 5 minutes before serving the salmon, pan fry the spring onions in the rest of the olive oil until translucent.
Put salmon on plate, scatter with spring onions and pour over the caramelised ginger sauce. Garnish with lemon wedge.

Serve with boiled new potatoes and any green veg - peas or mange tout are pretty good with salmon.

Will try this out and get back to you with how this salmon experiment works!

Inspired to write...

2006-07-24T12:09:00.000Z

Why have a blog? First, I've been reading a couple of blogs about food - 'A Spoonful of Sugar' and 'Chocolate & Zucchini' and one or two others about faith and Christianity and really loved the idea of making a regular commitment to write about two of the things I'm most passionate about. Plus, I sporadically write a diary and am challenged to do this in a different way, maybe I'll be more dedicated if I can do this online. (My dad will be laughing so much at my attempt to try to be on the cutting edge - he's only jealous....)

Why call it Soul Food? The Bible verse that resonated most with me as I became a Christian over 5 years ago was Revelation 3:20 "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." The image of Jesus coming to meet with me over a meal - thats right up my street. And thats what I would want for everyone - to know Jesus, be part of His family and to be nourished spiritually and physically. So if, in this blog, I get to share some great recipes for good food and some stories/thoughts about the power of God to change lives, I'll be a content woman indeed.

In the beginning

2006-07-24T11:43:00.000Z

My first blog - just to check out whether this works or not!

Soul Food

Moving sites

Favourite things

No one is perfect

A Month today.....

Mission in the Community

Halleluiah for the morning

Chocolate Cloud Cake

Opening the door

The Heavenly here on Earth

Slimming down...

Autumn

Finding God in the ordinary

Simple things

Couscous and comfort

Artichoke Risotto

From the heart of Habakkuk

Small Group

Mighty Rivers

A Chinese Feast *Updated*

Crash - a film not to miss...

Heard of Myers Briggs - try this out.....

The bookworm

Fabulous lower-fat Fish and Chips

Disturb us Lord....

Examen of consciousness

Glazed redcurrant and rosemary lamb

Savouring every moment...

Chicken Tarragon and the best chipped potatoes

It's not all about food...

Raspberry Blush

Sportsmans Salmon

Inspired to write...

In the beginning

A Chinese Feast Updated