home made

Home Made Coffee Creamer! Yum Yum Yum

Remember the times you did that thing that made you feel good and at peace? You were being productive and happy and felt like you were doing what you were meant to do?

We should do more of that.

My "things" have generally revolved around home... creating a feeling... getting my hands in the soil... baking... homespun.... being inspired... inspiring someone else .... surrounding myself with beauty ... writing...

Maybe I should open a coffee shop. I sure enjoy going to them. Or a book store. I like them too. Or a coffee shop that has books lying around.

Hmmm... maybe not, but ... something....

I don't know...

Just thinking.

car accident

Today I was reminiscing about my car accident history. My first was soon after I got my license at 17 or 18 years old. My little car was hit broadside by a much bigger stronger-built vehicle which did mine a lot of damage. It wasn't my fault as the other driver was in the wrong, but it probably could have been avoided if I had more driving experience.

The second accident was when I was 22 years old. The driver was on my side of the road unfortunately, coming from the other direction. He crossed over the line and hit me head on. I was hurt and badly shaken up and taken away in an ambulance, my car totaled. I remember knocking on someone's door in the area and using their phone since it was way before cell phones... back in 1982. I was lucky or blessed or whatever you want to call it. I didn't have a seat belt on and had some cuts and scrapes. I got stitches and two black eyes to deal with for a while since my head hit and broke the windshield.

This accident wasn't my fault either.

The driver was going much too fast around a corner I could not see around... nor could he ... and the road was wet. This could have ended my life right there. I got a bit of insurance money for the car and for pain and suffering... I bet I could have gotten much more if I were the suing type.... I still have the scars....

Yesterday's accident was much less dramatic. I was slowly stopping at a red light near my home. I was stopped when the car behind me decided he'd use my car to stop his... instead of his breaks.

Again, not my fault. This guy was definitely a distracted driver and only he would be able to tell what actually happened. Was he talking on his phone? Was he texting? Was he looking down at messages. Just what was he doing other than paying attention to actually driving? There are unfortunately many people like that on the roads today.

So I'll now need to get it repaired and all the inconvenience of that. But the good thing is of course that no one was hurt.  It could have been worse ... and it reminded me that I haven't been in an accident in 35 years! Certainly something to be grateful for!

breakfast sausage from scratch

Without a doubt there is a difference between something you buy in the grocery store and something you make from scratch with fresh ingredients. Ingredients that you know are in their purest form with no preservatives or additives that cannot even be pronounced.

This is by far one of the best and tastiest things I've ever made. And it was easy. I made a big batch for freezing and the flavor is amazing. I'd be here for a long time if I had to think of all the wonderful adjectives to describe it. I will be making these again... probably for Christmas and Easter and Thanksgiving and anytime whatsoever.

Fresh garlic, thyme and sage

If you ever wonder if fresh herbs are worth buying over ground dried herbs in a jar ... use fresh if possible... It really makes a difference.

ground turkey and ground pork and pure maple syrup

The recipe is HERE ......  and HERE. 

Not sure I could ever enjoy store-bought sausage again. 

health and when we hurt

I believe I have hurt my health over the more recent years by taking on the pain that I assume others are feeling. I had imagined Edd's pain, not just physical, but emotional and mental, and suffered with him. He actually seemed pretty happy most of the time. But I was deeply suffering. Then after he died I continued ... The same when I lost mom and I felt my dad's pain and loss (as well as my own) ... and the same with other family members. But we weren't meant to carry another's pain as our own. God says we are given grace for our own pains and burdens, not for someone else's.... I've been learning and relearning this for the last few years ... making progress, but it's still something I have to continually work on.

We can (and should) feel empathy for others and offer our love and kindness and help, but letting their suffering or pain become our own is not a burden our bodies are capable of bearing. It does absolutely nothing to help the situation and in fact makes things much worse.

How can we stop though? It is a form of anxiety and worry and a lack of trust that God is active and aware and present and cares. We need to revisit (if we've strayed) and once again embrace the fact that we do have a God who empathizes with us, hears us when we pray, sees us and knows how we feel. We do not have the power to change every bad situation as much as we might wish we could.

I've sometimes felt paralyzed by seeing so much suffering. I know there are many wonderful things happening all around the globe, but the horror stories can cause such anguish as we think of what some people have to endure because of their own failures and choices...  or by no fault of their own.

So no I can't make everything better or solve others' problems. We aren't meant to carry all the suffering of others.

But ... and here's the most amazing thing...  Jesus DID.

I read in Isaiah 53:4 that "Surely he has borne our sufferings and carried our sorrows"....

From what I understand, this was part of a string of prophesies about Jesus as our suffering servant and savior. It mirrored what he actually did on the cross for us. Did Jesus really do this? He bore our suffering and sorrows? He felt them? He took them upon himself? When he died for me, he took upon my pain and the pain of others and felt them in his own body? From what I know of taking on the pain of others this act of Jesus' is more than I could ever even imagine. It humbles me. It somehow comforts me and makes me grateful because I know he understands human suffering.

God works in mysterious ways. Remembering that and really embracing that truth is also helpful. It takes time for situations to work out and lessons to be learned. Sometimes people are lost in the process and that hurts. But giving our sorrows and sufferings to the one who understands is the best place to be to find spiritual health.... and physical, mental and emotional health as well.