Fabulous Friday Food - Spring Green Risotto

Note: This is a reprint of a post I did last June, but since it's Spring and also asparagus season, I thought this would be good to share again. Have a wonderful Easter!

This recipe comes straight from my cooking muse, Ina Garten. I want to be Ina. I want to cook her fabulous food and work in her fabulous kitchen and live in her fabulous home and throw fabulous parties for my fabulous friends. She is the epitome of fabulous.

Alas, I am not Ina and I'm pretty far from fabulous, but I can make her fabulous food (on Friday . . . get it?).

Let me tell you, this one truly is fabulous. I'm pretty much a risotto freak, and this is one of the best I've ever had. I've made it twice now, and both times it has been amazing.

Let's get cooking!

Assemble your ingredients (there are kind of a lot for this one--and I have no idea why they aren't all in the picture): olive oil, butter, leeks, Arborio rice, white wine, chicken stock, asparagus, peas, lemons, mascarpone cheese, and Parmesan.

Ina tells you to use a couple more ingredients like fennel and chives, but I didn't have them and I didn't feel like using them. My risotto turned out just fine.

Warm your stock in one pan while you heat the oil and butter in another.

Add the chopped leeks to the oil and butter, and cook a few minutes.

I just need to stop and say that I had never cooked with leeks before. Yes, it's true. I was a little intimidated because every time someone on the Food Network talked about leeks they sounded like leeks were such a pain in the neck to clean. I mean, what with all the tough green stems you had to cut off and the sand between the leaves, they made it seem like you could spend the whole day washing the darned thing before you got around to cooking it.

Enter Trader Joe's and their pre-washed, pre-cut, pre-packaged leeks. Can we all shout a collective "Amen" for Trader Joe's and their leek situation? Hallelujah!

Alright. I'm fine now.

Once you've softened the leeks, add the rice and stir it around a little bit to coat it.

Add some wine. And maybe just a splash more. Because . . . you know . . . wine!

Here's where you do the risotto thing. Once the wine is absorbed, start adding the chicken stock a couple of ladles-full at a time. Stir it around a bit so it doesn't get stuck to the bottom of the pan. Because it will, if you don't watch it.

While that's happening, cook the asparagus in some boiling water for just a couple of minutes. Be careful here because you don't want mushy asparagus.

After two or three minutes, pull the asparagus out of the pot . . .

. . . and give it a good old ice bath.

By now, your risotto should be getting all nice and soft, but not too soft.

Add the asparagus and the peas (I don't know where the peas went in this picture!) and cook for about another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in another bowl, mix together the mascarpone cheese and lemon juice.

Add that, along with the lemon zest and some salt and pepper, to the pot, stirring to mix everything together well.

And there you have it . . . Spring Green Risotto. Serve in a pretty dish and enjoy! (I know you will . . . it's that good.)

For a printable copy of the recipe (the way I made it, so it's not exactly Ina's recipe), click here.

Three Signs

“Mom, can I ask you a question?”

I looked up from my cereal bowl.

“Sure. What’s up?”

And thus began one of the most significant conversations and, bonus!, time of prayer with my daughter that I’ve had in a long time.

It did not go unnoticed by me that my computer sat on the table nearby.

Closed.

Later, walking the dog, I was thinking hard about how I haven’t written in a while and how I’ve been trying to balance (not all that well, mind you) being digitally distracted with doing the actual work of writing. Basically, I was thinking about slowing down to see what’s in front of me and what that meant and what that should look like in my life right now.

And then, a goldfinch.

Just sitting on a ledge. Near the sidewalk. Causing me to slow down, take a good look, and smile.

You just don’t see goldfinches around here every day.

Goldfinches require stopping because they’re skittish, goldfinches, and if you hurry or rush to see them they will fly away. Quickly.

Kind of like kids.

Later still, reading a couple of my favorite blogs, I read this from Suzanne. Click over. Read it. Listen to the music (Suzanne plays the BEST music).

Is it middle age? Is it God speaking to me? Is it just the fact that between my family, my church, and my class I have very little time left for this space here?

I don’t know what it is, but today I think I’ve found the balance. For now.

See, here’s the thing. I need to write my thoughts. I love writing those kinds of posts—the ones about the things I’m thinking about. But you don’t always want to read that. I mean, I’m kind of boring and a little strange and not to mention boring, so my thoughts might not always interest you (unless you’re married to me and then my thoughts HAVE to interest you).

You seem to be interested in food. 

Well, I am too. I love food!

But you seem to be especially interested in the food I cook for my family. Go figure.

So where I see things right now, at least until school ends in early May, at which time I will probably inundate you with posts about nonsense and my sorrow about my oldest turning 20 and being gone for the summer and only spending two weeks of 2012 in our actual home . . . *sigh* . . .

Where was I?

Oh yes, where I see things right now . . . is that I like to write deep thoughts (don’t laugh) and you like food. So I’ve come up with a compromise based on the three signs I got today telling me to slow down or let it go or whatever those signs were supposed to tell me. 

And the compromise is this: I will keep writing here. I want to keep writing here. But I will have to, for the next month or so until classes end (oh, I also have a high school graduation in May!) cut back a bit.

So between your needs and mine, I’m going to write one post for you every week, and one post for me. Your post will be called "Fabulous Friday Food," which will allow you a small peek inside our kitchen window, with a recipe to boot. My post will be posted here somewhere around Tuesday and will be something I’m thinking about, concerned about, happy about, or just plain about.

Sound like a deal?

Oh, one more thing. Since I’m giving you a recipe, will you give me something? Like a comment? Or a “Follow”? I’d love it so much, like, with whipped cream on top (but no cherry—I hate those cherries).

So today was productive. I figured some things out, thanks to the three signs I received.

How good is God?!

Photo credit

Fabulous Friday Food - Breakfast Won Tons

I know, I know, it's not technically Friday. Just play along, will you?

Want a quick, easy, make-ahead recipe for when you have out-of-town guests for the weekend? You have GOT to try this one.

As I mentioned last week, my college roommate and her daughter came into town last weekend. We had a blast! It's always great to have them here, and hopefully, in a couple of years, we'll be seeing even more of them when E comes to school here. *fingers crossed*

Anyway, I love creating fun breakfasts when visitors arrive. You don't always know what you'll end up doing for lunch and dinner (although I always have options), but you can pretty much guarantee that everyone will be around for breakfast. I like to offer a little something sweet, a little something savory, and a little fruit. Nothing huge and heavy, but just enough to get us started.

So last weekend I made these beauties that everyone loved. I made the filling a day or two ahead of time and just baked them up in the morning when I needed them. Easy!

You only need four ingredients: sausage, cheese, ranch dressing, and won ton wrappers. You can handle four ingredients, right?

Brown the sausage with a little olive oil.

After the sausage has browned, put it in a bowl to cool just a bit.

Add about a half cup of ranch dressing.

And about a cup and a half of cheese--cheddar/monterrey jack combo.

Mix everything together.

Let me know if you need me to slow down.

At this point you can either transfer the sausage mixture into a plastic container to refrigerate until you need it . . .

. . . or you can bake these puppies up and devour them.

Here's how you bake them.

Take 24 won ton wrappers and carefully shape them into a mini-muffin tray that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Just kind of smoosh it in, like this.

Put the tray of empty won tons in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes until they get slightly brown around the edges.

Now fill the won tons with a teaspoon or two of the sausage mixture.

And bake for another 10-15 minutes, but watch them! They can burn!

You'll know they're done when they are crispy and brown . . . like this.

Mmmmmmm.

Now pile them up on a pretty plate . . .

. . . and enjoy!

Note: this recipe actually makes about 48 won tons. I only baked about half of what I had. 

If you want the printable version of this recipe, click here.

Fabulous Friday Food - Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Sorry I'm a day late here with the FFF. Read on and you'll see why.

***

I often tell my college girl and her friends, "Take a good look at these people because you'll be friends with them for the rest of your life."

They kind of laugh, nervously. They're probably wondering if they really DO want to be friends with these people in 30 years. But they do. They really do.

This weekend, my roommate from college (hey, Jen!) is staying at my house. She brought her daughter for a college visit, which makes me very happy because that means that if her daughter comes here we'll have another girl to look out for (yea!) AND Jen might come visit a little more often (yea! again). This weekend, though, we'll probably drive our kids nuts as we reminisce about all the antics Jen dragged me into when we lived together.

She really was a trouble maker, that one.

Aaaaanyway.

It's going to be a fun weekend, and in anticipation of Jen and Ellen's arrival, I've done a little cooking. Yesterday I made some Italian Beef (forgot to take pictures--sorry!), some Sausage Breakfast Cups (recipe next week!), and a coffee cake that is heavenly.

I'm a sucker for sour cream. How about you? Pretty much anything with sour cream in it is amazing in my book. So when I saw that this recipe called for not one, but TWO cups of sour cream--an entire pint!--I knew I couldn't go wrong. (Besides, my mom has made this coffee cake for me, so I've already tasted it and I know it's amazing.)

The best thing about this coffee cake, though, is that, like wine and women, it gets better with age. The longer it sits, the more moist it becomes. So bake it a day or two ahead of time--if you can resist it that long.

Here we go.

Ingredients are pretty basic: butter, sugar, vanilla, eggs, flour, soda, salt, sour cream, cinnamon (duh!), and nuts (walnuts or pecans, whatever you like).

May I give you a little baking tip here? Set out your butter and eggs at least a half an hour, if not an hour ahead of time. Your cake will turn out so much better if you use room temperature butter and eggs. I didn't believe it until recently, but trust me, it's just better. Everything seems to mix together easier.

This is so easy. Just cream together the butter and 2 cups of sugar until they are light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla.

Now, if you don't worry about things like raw eggs (I don't--I eat raw cookie dough all the time), take a little taste of the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla mixture. Call me crazy, but that's one of my favorite combinations in the world.

(Don't tell anyone at the Food Network. They'll never hire me.)

Moving along.

Sift together the flour, soda, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream. Like this.

Flour.

Sour cream.

Somewhere I read that you should always start and end with the flour, so that's what I did. Can anyone set me straight on that? Is that right?

Once that's mixed together, combine the cinnamon, nuts, and 3/4 cup sugar. I just used the same bowl as the flour--easier to clean up. And I'm all about the easy clean up.

Put about half the batter into a 10 inch tube pan. Yes, a tube pan. I know it's not as pretty as a bundt pan, but there's just too much batter to use a bundt pan. Sorry, I tried it and it didn't work.

Sprinkle the cinnamon/nut/sugar mixture over the top. If you want to be really fancy, you could do this in 2 or 3 layers, but I'm lazy, so I just put it in the middle.

Then put the rest of the batter on top.

Another baking tip for you. Do you have trouble spreading the top layer because the cinnamon and nuts keep wanting to come through the bits of batter? Use a spreader, like the kind you use for frosting, and spread it very gently. I think it works better.

Bake the cake at 350 for 60-65 minutes. Check it with a toothpick to make sure it's done. Cool for about a half an hour before you remove it from the pan, otherwise you'll have a cakey, gooey mess on your hands.

So there--delicious coffee cake to share with your very own college roommate. Why not call her up and invite her for the weekend?

Here's the printable version if you want it.

Now share. What are YOU doing this weekend?

Digitally Distracted

This is going to be ugly and humiliating, so have a seat. We might be here a while.

I’ve been thinking a lot about digital distractions lately.

Our campus was hurt recently by some people misusing Twitter. I won’t go into the details, but it was not good, all around. Our president addressed the situation beautifully in chapel, beginning with the concept of digital distraction.

He suggested that chapel is probably not the place to be digitally distracted—it’s meant for more than just a community gathering time. Chapel is worship and worship might just not be the appropriate place for cell phones.

Using the example of a Christmas Eve service he attended, he explained that the gentleman sitting next to him was on his cell phone, checking email or something else, throughout the service. Our president said he didn’t know what to do. He was so distracted that he couldn’t enjoy the worshipful Christmas Eve service that was unfolding before him because of the person sitting next to him.

I’ve had the same experience during one of my daughter’s orchestra concerts. A gentleman walked into the concert late, sat down next to me, and pulled out his cell phone. The bright light emanating from his phone distracted me throughout the concert, ruining the experience entirely.

Both of these experiences have got me thinking (and here’s where things get ugly and humiliating for me)—have I been digitally distracted?

The easy answer to that question is yes. I know I have.

When I close my computer for the night, then immediately pick up my cell phone and start checking emails, I know I have a problem. When I walk in the door and check Facebook updates, I know I have a problem. When I come downstairs in the morning and read emails before I read my Bible, I know I have a problem.

Here are a few thoughts I’ve had recently as God has spoken to my heart about my own digital distractions.

When we are digitally distracted, we hurt people without realizing it. Sometimes we are so consumed by what’s going on inside the screen that we forget to look up and see what’s going on outside of it. I know I have hurt people by my own actions in this area, something that is so humbling to me I can barely stand to write it. I have also been on the receiving end of others’ digital distraction, so I fully understand the hurt I have caused.

If I truly believe that people are more important than things, I need to look up and out, not into a screen.

When we are digitally distracted, we keep ourselves from doing other things we probably should be doing. Like making dinner, hanging curtains, and cleaning out closets. These are just a few things on my to-do list. What does yours look like?

When we are digitally distracted, we keep others from doing what they should be doing. I wonder if my distraction has so consumed the people around me that it distracted them from other things as well. I wonder if I’ve been like that person in church, just checking my phone real quick, and keeping someone from worshiping God as they should.

So I’ve been wondering what I need to change, and I’ve come up with a few ideas.

Be aware. This process has already started for me, and I am so much more aware lately of how I’ve allowed digital distractions to creep into my real life. I understand that there is a time and a place for technology in my life—I couldn’t work or write without it—but there is also a time and a place to put the technology aside.

Look up, not in. I’m going to try, as much as possible, to close my computer when my kids walk in the room. Hey, I’ve got teenagers, and the conversations don’t always happen naturally. Sometimes they just happen when we’re hanging out, undistracted. I know for sure that my kids aren’t going to talk to me if I barely look up when they enter the room. (Another sentence that is slightly painful to write.)

This sounds like such a no-brainer but I need to limit my time on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Reader. Twitter isn’t that much of a distraction for me—I rarely go there, but when I do I can get sucked in. Facebook and Google Reader, though, are complete traps for me. Again, I don’t think any of this is necessarily wrong, and I find it relaxing to read blogs, but if the amount of time I’m spending there feels like too much, it’s too much.

You might be thinking, What’s the big deal? If my kids are on the computer doing homework, why can’t I just be on my computer too? Here’s why I think it’s a big deal: I think our kids take their cues from us, and if they see us sitting in front of a screen all evening, they will think the same is O.K. for them.

But the truth is, we desperately need to get away from it all. We need time and space to just talk or read or think. And being digitally distracted is not going to give us the space to do that.

Like I said, I need my computer to work and to write, but I don’t need my computer as much or as often as I think I do. This week I’m going to try, especially when my family is around, to live in the real world rather than the virtual one. Hopefully my habits will change and I’ll be a better person for it.

Of course, I might find some other things change too. I might find that I don’t need technology as much as I think I do. I might find that those spontaneous conversations actually can and do happen. I might find that I like myself a little more and that the people around me like me better too.

Trust me, this is so convicting to write, but I worry that it’s not just me who is digitally distracted. We’re raising an entire generation of kids who think they cannot survive without being plugged in. (Believe me, I see it every day at work.)

Glennon at Momastery (a fabulous new-to-me blog that I already LOVE) wrote about this recently, and she said this: “Sometimes I have to turn away from the computer so that I can experience life and then come back and write about what I noticed.”

Yes! I need . . . my kids need . . . an entire generation needs to turn away from digital distractions and simply experience LIFE. I want to be the parent who models this because I want my kids to live in the real world.

And want to live there too.

How about you? Have you been digitally distracted? What did you do about it? I’d love to know your thoughts on this.

Photo credit

Two Camps (or Yes, Another Weather Post)

Unless you’ve been living in a cave, or overseas, you probably know that we’ve been having an exceptionally warm winter, which, in the past couple of weeks has led to a very early spring. It’s a little unsettling, I have to admit, but I’m thrilled.

 Heck, if this were June I’d be thrilled.

We’re breaking all kinds of records right now. Birds and small children are confused. I’ve been sweating profusely for days, and humidity is winning the battle over my hair.

And somewhere Al Gore is sipping a Manhattan, his feet propped up on a leather ottoman, laughing.

This is crazy weather.

I’ve noticed over the past few days, with all of this weather-craziness, that there are two kinds of people: those who see these warm, sunny days as a kiss from God, and those who are waiting for the mid-April blizzard.

I’m in the first camp. I blithely reach for a short-sleeved blouse as I get dressed for work. I happily stroll across campus, basking in the warmth radiating from the sidewalk. I even stop to take pictures of the flowering trees; I’m so taken aback by their early beauty.

And even though I do have fleeting moments of wondering what all this early budding will mean a couple of months from now—will we have flowers in May if they all bloom now?—I don’t really care. I’m simply enjoying every blissfully broken record that comes my way.

 My husband, on the other hand, is in the other camp. Every day he announces (with some sense of authority, I might add) that this cannot possibly last and there’s no way spring could come this early and we haven’t seen the end of things yet.

Two camps. Two ways of looking at things. Two entirely different perspectives.

He says po-tay-to (with a strong Chicago accent!); I say po-tah-to. (Not really, but you get the idea.)

And that’s pretty much how things go around here. We’ll wait this one out to see who’s right.

How about you? Are you blithely enjoying the warmer weather? Or are you getting your snow shovel ready?

Fabulous Friday Food - Lemon Squares

Well, my friends, you've asked. . . . and asked. . . . and asked.

I cannot tell you how fun cool interesting it is to me that you actually like my recipes and want more. So, because you asked, I'm bringing back Fabulous Friday Food.

For one week, anyway.

No guarantees as to what next week will bring.

Who do you think I am, the Pioneer Woman?

I wish.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I shared a little meme which asked the question, "When life hands me lemons I make . . ." to which I answered, "Lemon squares, of course!"

Now, lemons, to me, are not a bad thing. In fact, lemons are good things. They are juicy and tart and bright yellow. Lemons remind me of the sun. Which is what makes this post fitting for this week because we have had SUN! Lots and lots of sun. In fact, we've broken records this week for bright, sunny, WARM March days (all oxymorons, of course).

A couple of you asked me to share a recipe for lemon squares after that meme, so, to re-inaugurate (is that even a word?) Fab Friday Food and to celebrate the warm, lemony sunshine we've been having, I'm giving you my recipe.

Except you have to know something--it's not my recipe. I use Emeril's recipe which you can find here. I've tried a whole bunch of lemon square recipes over the years, and I really do think this one is the best.

You have to know one more thing, too. I looked back to see when I last did a Fabulous Friday Food post (June, 2011--yikes!), and do you know what I posted? (Why would you?) It was Amy's Lemon Cake. Isn't that weird? I think that's weird. I also think I have a thing for lemons.

So are you ready? Here we go! Get your ovens ready because we're making lemon squares.

As always, assemble your ingredients (this really does save time). Lemons (duh!), butter, flour, sugar, eggs, baking powder, salt, and powdered sugar. Simple, huh?

First you have to make the crust, and the easiest way to do this is in the food processor. Just dump in the butter, flour, and powdered sugar and give it a whirl.

Ten pulses or so ought to do it.

Your mixture should look like cornmeal or slightly larger.

Put the crust mixture into a parchment lined 9x13 inch baking pan . . .

. . . and pat it down so the crust is evenly distributed in the pan.

Put this in the oven.

While the crust is baking, make the filling by combining the granulated sugar, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and baking powder. (Are you still with me? This is so easy I thought you might have nodded off there for a minute.)

When the crust has baked, it should be slightly brown. Like this.

Pour the filling over the warm crust. Emeril says that if you add the filling while the crust is still warm it will set up better. Emeril is smart.

Now bake this.

When it's finished it should look like this.

Once your lemon squares have cooled completely, dust the entire thing with powdered sugar. Cut into generous squares and enjoy with a cold glass of milk . . .

. . . on a nice, warm, sunny lemony day.

If you want a printable copy of this recipe, click here: Lemon Squares.

Now, talk to me. Do you really want more recipes? 'Cause I've got 'em if you want 'em. Just let me know in the comments. It's all for you, my friends. All for you.

Guinea Pigs

This kid?

She's a nut. 

But I love her very much.

With my whole heart, in fact.

She’s our oldest. Our first born. We brought her home from the hospital without a clue in the world how to care for her. Or how to parent her—at all, let alone well.

We’ve made many mistakes along the way, and sometimes we’ve just had to throw up our hands and say, “Sorry. You’re our guinea pig. We don’t know how to do this.”

Over the past 20 years there have been a lot of firsts with her. First to play piano. First to walk to school by herself. First to get a job. First to play a sport and first to quit a sport. First to go to college. . . .

You get the idea.

And with each of those firsts we’ve had to decide how, as her parents, we were going to handle each scenario as it came along. Sometimes the decisions were easy; other times not so much.

Last week, we hit another first, and this was probably the hardest first yet. Because last week, B and I became the guinea pigs, heading into parenting territory yet unknown.

As she and her friends began planning their spring break, Kate asked us if they could borrow our my van to drive to Florida.

*huge gulp*

Yes, that’s right. She actually had the NERVE to ask if she could take my van to Florida. My van! To Florida!

Some of you reading might just stop right there and say, “Um, no. Not happening. Not in my lifetime. Find another way to get to Florida.”

But we had a couple of things standing in our way.

First, we had precedent. See, when B was a sophomore in college, he and a friend took his parents’ station wagon to Florida for the week. They drove around, visited his grandparents, hung out on beaches, AND THEY SLEPT IN THE CAR! They went much farther into Florida than our daughter wanted to go, . . . AND THEY SLEPT IN THE CAR!

At least the girls had the good sense to rent a house.

But the second thing we had to consider was our philosophy. I’ve written about it before, but basically we are raising our girls to not need us.  I know that sounds terrible to some, foreign to others, and totally frightening to most, but our hope is to train them to be responsible, mature adults who can handle life independently of us. And we’re training ourselves, slowly, along the way, to let go gracefully.

(O.K., forget the gracefully part. That hardly ever happens. But we ARE trying to train ourselves to let go.)

So, taking into account precedent (I blame B’s parents for that one!) and our philosophy, we felt like we couldn’t say no. Well, we could have said no, but then we’d be kind of hypocritical, wouldn’t we?

Of course, there were some in our family who thought that our decision to let our daughter take a 16 hour road trip in our family car was . . . shall we say . . . irresponsible. 

And maybe it was.

Maybe if the trip had turned out differently, if something terrible had happened, we would have regretted our decision and called ourselves irresponsible for the rest of our lives. I don’t know. What I do know is that we stayed true to what we believe about our kids: they need to be trusted to make good decisions, to be allowed to explore the world, and to grow up. All without their parents’ constant companionship.

So we became the guinea pigs, making a tough parenting call--one that left us biting our fingernails and checking our phones for most of the week. Thanks be to God, the girls (eight girls in two cars) made the trip safely.

We did entrust them into His care last week, but really, we have to do that every day of their lives, don’t we? 

Just ask Anna's parents.

Let's talk. What do you think? Were we irresponsible parents to let our daughter drive to Florida last week? When have you felt like a guinea pig as a parent?

  

Is It Really Here???

Enlighten me, please.

It's March, right? Not May?

Because here's what I saw this afternoon.

Rumor has it that robins have been sighted.

And the happy shouts of children outside surely seem to indicate that something is afoot.

Crocuses are popping up everywhere.

My front door even greets you with its own tribute.

And these?

These beauties were sent to me by a friend and are now perfuming my entire house with their glorious scent.

I'm an optimist. After looking at the weather forecast for the week and seeing temperatures in the 70s every day, I'm starting to think it's here.

Spring has sprung!

How about you? Are you an optimist, like me? Or are you waiting for one last blast of winter?

Bravery Update

What can I say? You all are the best.

Seriously.

When I wrote what I wrote on Tuesday, I really didn't expect the kind of encouragement I got from you. Wow, that was awesome!

And your advice about being brave? Also quite awesome.

I will treasure your comments and go back to them often, I'm sure.

So my dear friends came over on Tuesday night for a little chit-chat about my book idea. We sipped wine, ate cheese, and talked parenting. Again, what an encouraging group!

I specifically chose several younger moms with kids in the 2-10 year range because I was really curious to see what kinds of issues and struggles they were facing. And I actually like hanging out with people who are younger than me--makes me feel, oh, I don't know, younger.

[side note: B and I waited quite a while to have kids, so a lot of people my age actually have kids who are getting married (gasp!) or who are having babies (double-gasp!) making them . . . grandparents. (The dull thud was me falling over in a dead faint.) Yeah, that phase of life is, I think, quite a ways off for us, we're kind of in between stages right now, so it's fun for me to hang out with the "younger moms."]

I have been so impressed by all of these women--they are involved in many activities outside of being moms, they are all serving both their families and the church, and they are all just really fun people to be with. All-in-all, I'd say that, for me, the night was a success. They gave me some great feedback as well as more to think about.

So now I'm off to spend a couple of days at a workshop on teaching the Bible. I went to it last year and really got a lot out of it, so I decided to give it another go. Plus, bonus!, I'm meeting Glenda there, so that's going to be great.

Sadly, my spring break is almost over. I have been home and car-less all week (OH MY WORD, I JUST REALIZED THAT I FORGOT TO TELL YOU ALL ABOUT THAT!), and have loved every minute of it. I spent a good few hours this morning preparing for next week's classes, and I realized that the next few weeks are going to be . . . ugh . . . busy. I hate that, but it just is. Not only will I have 8 more weeks of school, I also realized this morning that I have not one, but TWO girls graduating this spring. One from high school (big deal, for sure), and one from middle school (which also cannot be overlooked).

Anyway, time to head out. I just wanted to say thanks again for just being you. I don't know if I'm any less brave today than I was on Tuesday, but your encouragement this week definitely has made a difference.

On Being Brave

I’m not. Brave.

At all.

In fact, I’d probably consider myself the biggest scaredy cat of them all.

I’ve never lived more than 60 miles away from my childhood home because in our early years of marriage it felt safe to stay close and now it just feels like being stuck.

I’ve borne three children, not four, because I was too afraid of the kind of mom I’d be if I had more kids than I already couldn’t handle.

I rarely confront. I rarely speak out. I rarely challenge.

And I rarely write.

Oh, I write, but I rarely write what I’d like to write because it feels too big, too scary.

I’m too afraid.

Recently I did something that felt a little brave. I invited some dear, young moms over to my house to talk about an idea I have for a book.

They’re coming tonight.

And all day, that small act of bravery has felt like a sickness. A death. Like I want to call them all up and cancel because, seriously, what a dumb idea.

I’m not brave.

At all.

Would some of you brave ones out there please tell me how it’s done?

Aslan's Country

At the end of the movie The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the little mouse, Reepicheep has a decision to make. Will he stay with the children he loves in Narnia or will he follow Aslan to his country?

It doesn’t take long for Reepcheep to make his decision, if there was even one to be made at all. He boldly goes where no mouse has gone before, leaping into the wall of water that will surely lead him to that great place.

C.S. Lewis’s narrative puts it a little differently, but the sentiment is still the same:

     “And suddenly there came a breeze from the east, tossing the top of the wave into foamy shapes and ruffling the smooth water all round them. It lasted only a second or so but what it brought them in that second none of those three children will ever forget. It brought both a smell and a sound, a musical sound. Edmund and Eustace would never talk about it afterwards. Lucy could only say, ‘It would break your heart.’ ‘Why,’ said I, ‘was it so sad?’ ‘Sad!! No,’ said Lucy.
     “No one in that boat doubted that they were seeing beyond the End of the World into Aslan’s country.
     “At the moment, with a crunch, the boat ran aground. The water was too shallow now for it. ‘This,’ said Reepicheep, ‘is where I go on alone.’
      “They did not even try to stop him, for everything now felt as if it had been fated or had happened before. They helped him to lower his little coracle. Then he took off his sword (‘I shall need it no more,’ he said) and flung it far away across the lilied sea. Where it fell it stood upright with the hilt above the surface. Then he bade them goodbye, trying to be sad for their sakes; but he was quivering with happiness.”
            The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, C.S. Lewis

The movie version shows Reepicheep whooping it up, kicking up his heels as he runs straight for the water. He glances back, briefly, at the children standing on the shore, before becoming completely engulfed.

And Reepicheep enters Aslan’s country.

I remember seeing that scene for the first time, unable to control the flood of emotion that came over me, tears pouring down my face. For I knew that Reepicheep had made the better choice. He was following Aslan, receiving his reward.

And yet, the children stayed behind because they knew their time had not yet come. Aslan had other work for them to do. They would follow another time, but not yet.

Would they miss their friend? Oh yes. Their hearts would break for the emptiness they would feel at times. But did they know that Reepicheep was exactly where he needed to be? Indeed, for as the text tells us, “They did not even try to stop him.”

* * * * *

I have written about Anna a few times in the past. Some of you have followed her story of courage, determination, joy, and pain. Many of you have prayed for Anna’s complete healing.

Well, Anna has been healed. Completely. She is now free of pain, completely restored, and walking the shores of Aslan’s country.

Her dad has written about her journey so eloquently, so beautifully, that I could not add anything of value to their story. You can read about it here.

What I can add is my own story of how Anna has touched my life.

Ten years ago I was numbed by the news that my friend’s daughter had cancer. Cancer! Of all things. Nobody expected this diagnosis of a healthy, vibrant, 17-year-old girl.

Over the course of ten years I have watched, prayed, cried, and learned so much from this faithful family.

I have learned that sharing our experiences is much better than keeping them private. Through Anna’s blog, her parents have given so much of themselves to others, taught us how to pray and to care for their family, and showed us some of the incredible results of Anna’s ministry. Surely there are aspects of their story that are private, meant just for them, but they have shared much of Anna’s journey so that we might learn, grow, and be comforted by it. That has been a gift.

I have learned that determination trumps defeat. I will never know how many times over ten years Anna’s parents probably felt defeated, and yet their daughter’s determination to find the next treatment, the next cure, the next glimmer of hope has kept them going. Even when she knew that her fight would end as it did last week, Anna continued to seek experimental treatments so that other children might benefit from her experience.

I have learned that God is completely sovereign, even in death. So many little details came together to make Anna’s final moments God moments. I will never forget how He tenderly made sure that Anna’s oncologist was at their house even as she took her final breath, giving her parents exactly the strength and support they needed at just the right time. Even this is an encouragement to me that God is in the smallest of details.

I have learned that, if we let them, our trials can turn to triumph. From the moment she was diagnosed, Anna knew that this was God’s working in her life, and she was determined to share her faith with the world. Only God (and Anna now!) knows the thousands of lives that have been changed because of her willingness to let this illness be used for His glory.

Oh, it is so hard to let our loved ones go, and Anna’s parents are surely grieving right now as are her siblings, relatives, friends, and even those who did not know her at all. But our grief remains shallow compared to the depth of God’s love for us, and for Anna, with whom He is surely walking alongside today.

 Photo credit

To Anna: A life well lived.

Good Reads

Some weeks are tougher than others, and this has been one of the tough ones for me. I obviously haven't had time to write about it yet; I'm still processing and praying. I'm on Spring Break this week, so I'm sure the words will pour out while I'm home.

Until then, I really want to share some posts I've been collecting over the past few weeks. There is just so much great stuff out there that must be shared. And I'm just the gal to share it.

100 Ways to Encourage a New Mom : Gypsy Mama. I'll be referring back to this one often, I'm sure.

Why I argue in front of my kids (sometimes) : by Shaun Groves on Simple Mom. Oh, I so get this one (although I don't think I'm quite as mature as Shaun is).

What You're Trying to Tell Him When You're Angry {5 Ways to Fight Through to a Loving Marriage} : by Ann Voskamp on (in)Courage. I actually learned a lot about myself and marriage by reading this. So good!

we don't want your obligation : Chatting at the Sky. Tired of the "should's" in your life? So's Emily.

Sea Inspired : Enjoying the Small Things. Need a little beach at this time of year? (Me too.) This one's beautiful.

How to Fall Back in Love with Writing : Jeff Goins. This is a new blog to me, but one I'll be bookmarking regularly, I'm sure.

A Guide to Proper Pintiquette {Pinterest Tips & Tricks} : Positively Splendid. Really helpful if you're a blogger.

O.K., I can't seem to give up my obsession. I just HAD to share this one with you--what your favorite Downton Abbey stars look like in real life. You can just turn away if you're all Downton Abbey'ed out.

Downton Abbey Stars On-Screen vs. Off-Screen : PaperMag

I know, it's a long list, but it's nicely varied so you can choose a few to read. Trust me, they're all good.

Come back this week. I'll hopefully have some time and space to think and to write, and I'd love it if you'd join me here.

To really make sure you get all of my updates, why not follow me or sign up to receive my posts in an email?

Leap Around the Blogosphere

Happy Leap Day, friends!

My friend, Jo-Lynne, was playing this little game today, and I thought I'd join in. Feel free to play along!

1. My childhood nickname was … Shay. Not very creative, but I guess one of my cousins couldn't say my real name when I was born and it came out like that. Funny thing is, I always liked being called Shay--it was a term of endearment.
2. If you want to spoil me rotten, buy me pretty much anything. I tend to not spoil myself much (don't laugh, B), so anything you buy me will be most appreciated. Particularly diamonds, watches, clothing, handbags, and books. :)
3. The television character I most identify with is the Dowager Countess Violet Crawley. I like to think I could replicate her wit and sharp tongue, but I'd never be as quick on my feet as she is.
4. If I had a whole day to go shopping and money to spend, I would go to Nordstrom. Probably 90% of my wardrobe comes from that store, and everything else I need is there too (well, except for the books). Nordstrom is my happy place.
5. The most wild and crazy thing I have ever done (that I can admit to publicly) is followed people on their dates. My college BFF, Jennifer, was a bad influence on me. That's all I have to say about that.
6. The one thing on my bucket list that I am most eager to do is travel to places I haven't been. I inherited the travel bug from my grandfather and would love to keep exploring Planet Earth as long as I have the resources and good health to do it. 
7. My family will always be loyal to each other. I was just thinking this morning about how important my family is to me--I don't know where I would be without their love and support.
8. If I could spend a day with a celebrity I would choose Ellen DeGeneres. She is just hilarious, wears cool clothes, and has fun friends. Plus, she could give me some makeup pointers. 
9. In my opinion, the best invention in the history of the world is the airplane. 
10. When life hands me lemons, I make lemon squares, of course! And I can't believe I haven't blogged that recipe yet. I must get on that one.

So now it's your turn. Why not play along (but come back here to let me know so I can read your post!)?


Linking up with Katja and her Leap With Me post.

Hoodwinked!

We've been duped.

Hoodwinked.

Bamboozled.

Tricked . . .

. . . into thinking that winter was indeed over. Into believing that Winter was not even going to knock on our door this year.

But alas, this morning we woke up to the bleak reminder that it IS still February, even though most of our days lately have felt like April.

So, even though Winter is not my BFF, I still love me a thick, heavy snow like we had this morning. And in honor of that, I bring you . . .

. . . my walk.

Starting in my back yard. I always think it's prettier covered in snow.

This is my favorite kind of snow (if there is such a thing). When the branches can barely stand the weight of it all.

And finally, this is one of my favorite little houses along my route. At least if we have all this snow we can pretend we're in Switzerland!

My mom is arriving from Arizona today. It just figures. Maybe she can convince Winter to just move along.

Enjoy your "snow day!"

The State of the Blog and my life in general

"I'm almost a little glad Downton is done till November because if you take a look at your profile and blog it's kind of been TAKING OVER YOUR LIFE."

This, my friends, is what my daughter posted on my Facebook page yesterday.

Cheeky girl!

But she was right. I had noticed the same thing--day after day and post after post about Downton Abbey. A SOAP OPERA! as my husband likes to remind me.

As much fun as I've had with the Downton Abbey posts, it's time to move on to other things . . .

. . . like . . .

. . . um . . .

. . . ah . . .

. . . like? . . .

I honestly don't know. 

Because here's the thing, blogging has gotten away from me. Real life has come and taken a choke-hold on me, AND THAT'S O.K. 

But here's another thing. I like blogging. I have fun with it. I like all of you and your snappy comments and your funny anecdotes. I'd miss you if I didn't pop in here every now and then to give you a topic to talk about amongst yourselves.

And I like the writing part . . . when I have time to actually sit down and write.

So, the state of the blog is dramatically imperfect. Nobody will ever give me an award for the stellar job I do of keeping this little community going. Or having a niche. Or a platform. Or anything that resembles a "professional" blog, but, again, THAT'S O.K.

Those professionals? They're meeting in Nashville this weekend. I was there a year ago and kind of started to wonder if blogging just might NOT be what God had for me. About two months after that He made it kind of clear that, indeed, blogging "professionally" was not what He has called me to.

THAT'S O.K.

So, now that Downton Abbey is over for quite some time and I'm dry as a bone about what to discuss here, I'm putting out an S.O.S. to you all. Give me some topics, folks. A lifeline, please!

I do intend to write that final Dealing with Doubt post. Soon. Because it's the most important one. But aside from that, I got nothin'. 

So now, want to get a glimpse into my real life?

Here are just a few things I've got going on.

1. Teaching. I'm in the middle of grading a bunch of papers that I have to have finished by Friday. I'll be pretty much a new woman come Friday.

2. Which is great because, good news!, my mom arrives on Friday. Woo hoo! So excited for her visit.

3. She's coming to town because Julia has a huge piano recital on Sunday. I haven't mentioned this much, probably because she's a little shy about it, but Julia plays a mean piano. I love listening to her practice! On Sunday she'll be playing a Mozart sonata and a duet for two pianos that is 22 pages long. I'm so amazed by it because by the end of my piano playing days, I think I could manage a worship song or two, but I never progressed to hymns or chords or anything that could even remotely be categorized as difficult.

4. Have any of you ever served on a Nominating Committee? Have any of you ever chaired a Nominating Committee for a church of over 2,000 people? Enough said.

5. Have I mentioned that I'm leading a high school missions trip next summer? No? Well, I am. And part of that process is sending out fundraising letters that were supposed to go out this week. I'm still trying to figure out how to explain to all of my friends and family that after God called us to go to Switzerland in 2008, He's now calling me to lead a trip to Italy. Suffering for the Lord, that's me!

6. Still hanging out with the junior high girls.

7. And still waiting for one girl of my own to make a college decision. *ahem*

8. And still just being a wife and mom who has to figure out dinner and do the laundry and keep things in general working order around here.

9. Oh, and we had three different groups of people over last weekend, none of which do I regret--it was all wonderful. 

10. There is so much more I could write, but these are some of the things that keep life interesting and busy around here.

But never too busy!

So tell me, what have YOU been up to? 

What posts would you like to see here that don't involve Downton Abbey? 

What's on your mind? 

Spill it!

Hey, check it out! I'm almost to 200 followers after three years of blogging! (Talk about not professional.) Will you help me get to 200? Just click on the RSS feed button and sign up to follow me. I'd hate to have you miss even a single word of this dramatically imperfect mess. :)

Top 10 lines from Downton Abbey’s Christmas Episode or “Earl’s Valet to Swing”

Well, my friends, our guilty pleasure has come to an end, and I have to say I’m a little sad. To put M&M, Lord G, and Grandma to rest for a year just seems cruel to those of us who have come to rely on them for Sunday evening entertainment.

I may have to resort to creamy dips as my next guilty pleasure. Or maybe trashy romance novels, but (imagine Violet saying this) that one I highly doubt.

Anyway, I savored every moment of the Christmas episode because who can’t get excited about scenery like that? It’s like my perfect storm. English manor home? Check. Humongous Christmas tree? Check. Perfectly aligned pastries on a silver platter? Check. Falling snow and a romantic . . . 

Well now, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s just say check, check, CHECK.

Photo Credit

This episode had it all. Mystery (missing dog, anyone?), intrigue (even though I hated the scenes with the Ouija board, they kinda made me laugh), and suspense (Mr. Bates in jail—how long?). Even romance. Oh boy, was there romance.

And romance is what leads me to my number 10 pick. Before I reveal number 10, I have to say that I’m so sorry to place Bates and Anna so far down the list, but seriously, this line, although romantic, was also just a tad bit cheesy for my liking. Which is why it had to land here. I couldn’t leave it out, but I couldn’t very well make it one of my further favorites.

Number 10. Mr. Bates, having just been reprimanded by the prison guard, “NO TOUCHING!”, leans across the table to Anna and declares his undying love for her by saying, “No man can regret loving as I’ve loved you.”

Don’t say I didn’t warn you about the cheese factor.

Still, who doesn’t love Bates and Anna?

Number 9. So there’s this big hunting scene—a pivotal scene in the episode, you have to admit. And the big galoop, Sir Anthony, grinning ear-to-ear or whatever you call it that he does, standing with Edith and Violet, asks after Sybil and her baby daddy, Branson.

Sir Anthony (about Branson): Does he shoot?

Edith: I’m sure he does.

Violet: Only, I don’t think pheasants.

Photo Credit 

Number 8. Again, at the shooting scene after Matthew not-so-subtly rescues Mary from the clutches of Sir Richard the Goon, M&M are enjoying a few minutes of levity in their otherwise serious lives, laughing about Matthew’s inability to shoot. (Side note: since Matthew was practically incapacitated in a wheelchair at the beginning of the previous episode, I’d say he should be laughing it up. Life’s never been better for Matthew!)

Anyway, I loved this line during their “moment” together.

Mary: I never know which is worse—the sorrow when you hit the bird or the shame when you miss it.

You hunters out there will get it.

Number 7. I just knew Downton Abbey was educational programming, and this episode proved it. After Cora tells Robert the joyous news that he is about to be a grandfather, I learned a brand new idiom.

See if you can catch it.

Cora: Sybil’s pregnant!

Robert: I see. So that’s it then. She’s crossed the Rubicon.

Being the researcher that I am, I learned that crossing the Rubicon is a reference to Julius Caesar’s army crossing the Rubicon River in 49 BC during an insurrection. It basically means coming to a point of no return.

Don’t ever say you don’t learn anything here.

Number 6. O.K. so who likes Edith? Anyone? Anyone?

Well, even so, I felt like I owed her a line this time because she’s just. so. desperate. And she really likes that Sir Anthony guy. So much so that she get’s number 6 this week.

Edith to Sir Anthony after he tells her he's too old for her (which, I have to add, he is): If you think I’m going to give up on someone who calls me lovely . . .

Awwwww, Edith. Maybe you’ll get a real storyline next season instead of some silly dalliance with an ugly farmer.

Alright, now we get to the good stuff. My top five lines from the Christmas episode.

Number 5. This one just cracked me up. Even during a crucial turning point in the story, the writers manage to make us laugh.

Cora: Do you remember a Turkish diplomat who stayed here before the war?

Robert: I think I can be relied upon to recall any guest who was found dead in his bed next morning.

Cora: Well, that’s the thing . . .

Number 4. And then came the touching scene between father and daughter. Although, I gotta say, that if something like what Robert found out about Mary ever happened in my house, I have a feeling it might have gone down just a little bit differently.

Nevertheless, I think I may have shed a tear or two here.

And quite possibly shouted a hearty “AMEN!” to the television screen.

Lord G: I don’t want my daughter to be married to a man who threatens her with ruin. I want a good man for you. A brave man. Find a cowboy in the Middle West and bring him back to shake us up a bit.

Yeah! That’s the way to stand up for your girl, Lord G.

Number 3. O.K., I just might have shed a tear or two during the scene between William’s father and Daisy. I know, I know, some of you find Daisy completely annoying what with her indecisiveness and her weak spine and all, but I find her completely endearing. I think it’s her North Yorkshire accent.

Anyway, the scene. Between William’s father and Daisy. Was that not like the sweetest thing ever (to quote my daughter, Julia) when he says to Daisy, “Without you, I’d have no one to pray for. William knew that. So will you be my daughter?”

Yes, William’s father, I’ll be your daughter!

And while we’re on the subject of Daisy, how about the tender moment between Violet and Daisy in the library? Daisy kind of pours out her heart to Violet about how she married William out of pity rather than love, and Violet, in a rare moment of empathy says, “Well to me that doesn’t sound unloving. It sounds like you loved him a great deal.”

Seriously, Violet, I truly will love you till the day I die.

Number 2. You knew it was coming.

Sir Richard: I’m leaving in the morning, Lady Grantham. I doubt we shall meet again.

Violet: Do you promise?

Don’t you wish you could deliver a smack-down the way Grandma does? She’s a gem.

Number 1.  I’m afraid number 1 is a tie this week, and the Crawleys get them both. Matthew and Isobel both delivered such great lines in this episode that I couldn’t decide which I liked better.

So, if you’re a romantic and wanted the episode to end in just exactly the way it did, here’s my first Number 1 line:

Matthew: “Lady Mary Crawley, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

*swoon*

And yes, some further tears may have just fallen for the third time in this episode.

But hold on. If you think the romantic line was just a little too over the top, maybe you’d prefer something a little more tongue-in-cheek. So for you (and for me), I have just the line. Maybe the best-delivered, best subtle jab in the entire series.

Isobel has just given Violet her Christmas gift but Violet is being snide, asking what on earth it is. And . . . wait for it . . . here it comes . . . Isobel says, “It’s a nutcracker . . . to crack your nuts.”

Oh those two. Maybe in Season 3 we’ll get to see them sharing a room in an Edwardian nursing home, growing old together, and verbally abusing one another like old couples do.

And with that, I bid you adieu for now, Downton Abbey. Promise me you’ll be back next year with more great lines and more wonderful characters. But especially promise me that M&M will indeed tie the knot.

Who knows? Maybe Sir Richard will send them a nutcracker.

Just in case you want to read the rest of my DA recaps, here are the links to posts I've done:
Episode 6
Episode 5
Episode 4
Episode 3

Top Ten Lines from Downton Abbey, Episode 6

Well now, wasn’t that fun?

I’m finally catching my breath after a “crazy-busy” weekend (just had to throw in that phrase for certain family members who may be reading). And then there was all the Valentine’s Day baking I needed to do. Oh, and the small matter of a job I had to go to yesterday.

All that to say, I didn’t get to watch Downton Abbey until last night. And a two-hour episode at that! I’m exhausted.

Just in case you didn’t know how things went down in the UK when this was first aired, last Sunday’s episode was, I think, two separate episodes originally (I don’t know why they put them together here this week), and that was the end of Season 2. Those poor folks had to wait several months before they got to see the Christmas episode which will air, I believe, next week here.

So, if you were living in the UK, watching Downton Abbey for the first time, you were left with plenty of unanswered questions about Jane, Mr. Bates, M&M, and even Sybil (but really, who cares much about the Sybil storyline?). What a drought that would have been!

Thankfully, we’ll get some answers next week. I hope.

But for now, we get to ponder some of the best lines in television. You just gotta love that dry, British humor. I am loving the subtlety and the irony and the sarcastic put-downs.

And because I’m loving the banter so much, and because the episode we saw in the US was originally two episodes in the UK, and because it’s Valentine’s Day, I’m giving you a treat.

Oh yes, gentle reader, you’ll not only get my FIVE favorite lines from this week’s DA episode, you’re getting my top TEN lines.

I know you’re thrilled, so let’s get started.

Number 10. Wow! What a debacle in the dining room, huh? I thought Carson was going to blow a gasket up there when Edith showed up with the baby. He couldn’t get rid of her fast enough.

Carson: "Edith, how did you get here?"

Edith: "I took the bus and walked up from the village."

Carson: "Then could you reverse the process as quickly as possible?"

Number 9. Sir Richard was up to his tricks again this week and because of his shenanigans Carson declined his offer to come help with Mary after the wedding. (How dare he?) Mary is back to her Season 1 self when she says to Carson, “So you think you’d be uncomfortable working for a . . . spy master? How disappointing of you. And I always thought you were fond of me.”

Number 8. Speaking of Mary . . .

Sir Richard: "Are you still in love with Matthew Crawley?"

Mary: “Of course not. Would I ever admit to loving a man who preferred someone else over me?”

Seems to me she didn’t really answer his question, did she?

Number 7. 

Lord Grantham (after learning that Matthew can stand): “My dear chap, I cannot begin to tell you what this means to me.”

Matthew: “Well, it’s pretty good news for me too.”

See what I mean about that dry humor?

Lord Grantham was having quite a night, wasn’t he? I hardly know what to say about his Edwardian mid-life crisis. As one of my girls said, “The most disgusting mid-life crisis ever.” But that was kind of central to the plot this week, so I think I have to add a couple of Lord G. quotes.

Number 6. Lord Grantham (to Jane): “I’m a foolish man who’s lost his way and don’t quite know how to find it again.” Then the kiss.

I’ll tell you how to find your way, Lord G. Get a job!

And while we’re on the subject, here’s one more pathetic, whiney quote from the angst-ridden Lord himself:

Jane: “Will you be happy?”

Lord G. : “I have no right to be unhappy, which is almost the same.”

Poor you.

Moving on.

Number 5. How about the scene where Anna tells Mary that she and Mr. Bates are getting married?

Anna: “Can you keep a secret?” Mary gives her a wry glance, harkening the viewer back to the Mr. Pamuk escapade. “Well, I know you can.”

Number 4.

“I, John Bates, take you, Anna Mae Smith, to be my wedded wife.” 

*swoon*

But did anyone else find it creepy when he called Anna “Mrs. Bates” on their wedding night? (“Well, Mrs. Bates, you’ve had your way with me.”) I mean, Mrs. Bates, in my mind, is Vera who is now dead and who, by the way, is still wreaking havoc in their lives.

I think he should just leave Mrs. Bates out of this.

Number 3.

Violet to Edith: “Don’t be defeatist, my girl. It’s very middle class.”

Ah, Violet, I will love you till the day I die.

So, of course, she gets top billing yet again this week for these gems.

Number 2. After much celebration over Matthew’s sudden recovery from some “spinal bruising,” Lord G. asks his mother to stay for dinner.

Lord G.: "Mamma, will you stay?"

Violet: "Oh certainly. All this unbridled joy has given me quite an appetite."

Number 1. My favorite line of the night which will, I’m sure, remain in my lexicon for quite a while, was Violet’s marriage advice to Matthew:

“Just let me say this one thing: Marriage is a long business. There’s no getting out of it for our kind of people.”

With that, I bid you a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Now tell me, what was YOUR favorite line from Downton Abbey this week?

Linking this post with Oh Amanda's Top Ten Tuesday. Jump on over there to read more!

Dealing With Doubt Part 4: know who you’re dealing with

This morning's post is Part 4 of a 5-part series on Doubt. You can find Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 by clicking on the highlighted links. Next week we'll wrap up the series. Thanks for reading along with me!

Remember the old SNL skits with the church lady? How she’d cock her head to one side with a smug, tight-lipped smile and say, “Now who made you say that, huh? Was it . . . Satan?” Her voice would rise up a little as she drew out the word to make everyone laugh.

But it was always an uncomfortable laugh. Because, really, deep down, we all know that talking about Satan is uncomfortable and . . . I don’t know . . . maybe even a little unseemly?

We hesitate to pin too much on the bad guy—it makes us sound a little too “religious” or hyper-spiritual. And so we laugh about it.

I’m not here to laugh today, because I think that sometimes dealing with our doubts can truly become a “church lady” moment when we recognize who we’re dealing with.

Now, before I go too much further, I want to say two things. First, as I mentioned in my first post on doubt, I am no theologian. I know several good ones, and I’m sure they could set us all straight on this topic right away. What I’m attempting to do here is just use my experiences to help others who may be doubting.

Second, I do not believe that all doubt comes from Satan. Sometimes our faith is at a weak place, and we do a pretty good job of planting those thoughts into our own minds. I’m not one of those people who sees Satan standing on every street corner, just waiting to pounce on me. But I am aware. Let’s leave it at that.

What I do believe is that, if we are in Christ, we have an enemy who would like nothing better than to see us falter in our faith. The kind of enemy who delights in telling us lies and who is happier still when we believe them. An enemy who tries to discredit, even destroy, the work of God whenever he can, even if that work is our very soul.

So it follows, doesn’t it, that if we are in Christ and growing toward godliness and holiness, that Satan would do whatever he could to trip us up. At least this has been my experience. The times when I’ve been seeking God wholeheartedly, or when I’ve been serving Him the most, are times when I’ve begun to ask myself questions.

Is this all worth it?

Why am I working so hard at this? For what?

Does God really even notice me or my efforts for His kingdom?

Is He really there?

Is God really who He says He is?

Am I really saved?

These are the types of questions Satan tried to get Jesus to ask when he tempted Him in the wilderness. Questions that would doubt God’s goodness or His work in our lives. Questions that would doubt God’s validity as Savior and Redeemer.

Again, I want to emphasize that, according to Grudem’s Systematic Theology (my helper today) “Not all evil and sin if from Satan, . . . but some is” (420). Which brings me to my point: we have to be discerning. When we are in a period of doubt, we have to remember that the evil one wants more than ever to topple our faith. It would bring him so much success if we decided that this faith thing really isn’t worth it, gave up, and walked away.

So be discerning. Understand who’s voice you’re hearing—whether it’s the voice of the enemy or your own voice—and, either way, choose to not listen.

And be strong.

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” 

I Corinthians 16:13

Next week we’ll talk about the voice we should be listening to, and it’s a good, good voice.

Your thoughts? I’d love to hear them.

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Top Five Lines from Downton Abbey, Episode 5

Have you even been able to come down from Sunday’s episode of Downton Abbey? So many new angles to the story leaving us with so much to think about through the week.

Who is Mr. P. Gordon and will the real Patrick please stand up? Nevermind. That was insensitive of me. It probably hurts like the dickens for him to stand, what with all the burns and everything.

And will Matthew . . . Matthew . . . Matthew ever walk again? He did feel something, right?

Did Bates kill his wife, Vera, or was her suicide one last, desperate attempt to frame him? On second thought, as one of my girls pointed out at dinner last night, Anna does seem to travel to London frequently. . . .

And what about Jane hanging out a little too long where Lord Grantham “just happens” to be? Shouldn’t she be cleaning the little crystals on the chandelier or something? I’ll tell you one thing, she sure shouldn’t be barging into the library, disturbing the great Lord of the Manor while he’s terribly busy reading the newspaper or generally fretting. But she seems to do it anyway . . . a lot.

Ah well, these are the threads of this week that will be left hanging until next week. (Unless PBS has already sent your pre-ordered copy of Season 2.)

In the meantime, we have some great lines to ponder from Sunday’s episode. Here are five of my favorites.

5. Sir Richard, while eavesdropping on Mary and Matthew (heretofore to be referred to as M&M): “Oh dear, should I be worried?” He also muttered that to himself while watching M&M stroll (sorry, push) their way across the lawn. Seriously, he said that same line at least three times in one episode. Is it really foreshadowing if it’s obvi?

4. Violet, referring to Sir Richard: “I don’t dislike him. I just don’t like him.” My sentiments exactly, Grandma.

3. How about that Mrs. Hughes trying to talk some sense into Ethel who, by the way, seems to have spent the past 10 months just sitting in some lonely shack somewhere just waiting for Mrs. H. to bring her some food? Seriously, Ethel, get a life. You have a child, go take care of it (him? her?).

Of course, Mrs. Hughes doesn’t help when she says things like this: “You were ruined already, my girl, so let’s don’t go overboard.” Nice.

2. In one of their soon-to-be-infamous scenes, Isobel and Violet are talking about where best Isobel can “bless” others with her many talents of leadership and doctoring and her general ability to tell others what to do, and Violet is not-so-subtly just trying to get rid of her.

Isobel: “Now you’ve struck a chord.”

Violet: “Have I really? Oh, thank heavens.”

1. Cora gets top billing this week with this most excellent jab at her husband . . . and all of England while she’s at it: “I’m an American; I don’t share your English hatred of comfort.”

With that, I’ll just see if I can get my lady-in-waiting to start my bath. Oh, right, I AM the lady in waiting. (If you haven’t played the “Which DA Character Are You?” game yet, you should. It’s fun. I’m Anna.)

How about you? What was your favorite jab line from Episode 5?

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