A cloak-and-branch pathway (Prayer Devotional for the week of March 25, 2012)

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Imagine being one of the disciples walking toward Jerusalem with Jesus, and he asks you to run ahead into town and borrow a colt that you’ll find tied to a post. If anyone asks why you are borrowing the donkey, you are to tell them that the Lord needs it. So, you do as he says and fetch the colt for him.

When you realize that Jesus is about to ride the animal bareback, you take off your cloak and drape it across the colt’s back. Others do the same; many more even spread their cloaks on the ground for him. Still others take branches from trees and rushes from nearby fields to pave a pathway for him to ride across.

People start cheering for Jesus, shouting, “Hosanna!” and “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38). The crowd gives a royal welcome to Jesus, the King of the Jews.

Not everyone is so happy, though. Matthew (ch. 21) reports that some are “unnerved” by the groundswell of affection toward Jesus. Luke (ch. 19) says that the Pharisees tell Jesus to get control of his disciples’ behavior. John (ch. 12) paints a picture of the Pharisees throwing up their hands in frustration.

All four gospel accounts describe this event from their own perspective. Nowadays, we commemorate this important story as Palm Sunday. It is a significant part of the gospel narrative because Jesus’ death is drawing near. We have the advantage of history to know what’s about to happen in the story, so in the days leading up to Palm Sunday, let’s focus our hearts on praising King Jesus, who was and is and is to come.

Foodie Friday: Homemade spaghetti sauce

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Prepping the tomatillos

I recently discovered shirataki noodles, a naturally gluten-free, low-carb pasta substitute derived from the konjac “elephant” yam, or in some cases, they are made from tofu (soybeans). The boys were having lasagna the other evening, and I was in the mood for spaghetti. There are a few ready-made brands of spaghetti sauce on the market with relatively low sugar, but I decided to try to make my own.

Here’s the recipe I concocted:

  • 28 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 2 tomatillos
  • 1/2 tsp cardamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 Tbsp oregano
  • 3 Tbsp dried minced garlic*
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Peel the papery wrapping from the tomatillos, cut off the stem tips (like you would a regular tomato), then cut into large chunks. Combine with other ingredients in a food processor, on low or pulse setting until blended. *The minced garlic adds a distinctive texture to the sauce; if you prefer a smoother sauce, you might use powdered garlic, instead. Just adjust the amount, as you prefer. The amounts listed above make enough sauce for about one small package of spaghetti.

After draining the shirataki noodles, I ladled sauce over it and microwaved the dish for a couple of minutes, until warm. It was a bit too juicy, so for future batches, I think I will let the sauce simmer a while on the stovetop, to reduce the excess liquid.

I was really pleased with the flavor. The tomatillos and cardamon gave the sauce a sweet little zip, while the oregano and garlic kept it authentically Italian flavored. The lettuce from our garden is still doing well, so I made a little side salad.

Also, the dish pairs well with a glass of Malbec. 😉 Hope you enjoy!

Bluebonnet memories

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I can’t claim to be a native Texan, since I wasn’t born here, but there is one thing about growing up in the Lone Star State that I know to be a requirement: you must take childhood photos in a field of bluebonnets (<<the state flower, in case ya didn’t know).

It’s a tradition that I’ve tried to keep with my own kiddos, although we don’t do it each year (especially not last year because of the severe drought across the state).

Check out that totally rad muscle shirt! 😉

However, we got some much-needed rain over the past couple of weeks (ironically, a bit more than we needed all at once, but come August, I suppose it’ll be good when the lake doesn’t dry up), and the wildflowers are blooming again!

The highway embankments and grassy medians have never been more lovely, not to mention the splash of color sprinkled across open fields.

The boys are already asking if we’ll take pictures in the bluebonnets again, so I need to find a field where we won’t be trespassing … or perhaps at the local arboretum … and take some snapshots. I’m happy that they enjoy sharing a tradition that Nathan and I did as kids, also.

Because of the deep connection with childhood memories, I can’t help but think about this old photo of my brother when I see bluebonnets.

I love you & miss you, Nathan!

Wednesday Words: Viruses

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I have not gotten a darn thing accomplished school-wise for the last two nights. The reason is that my computer got sick. It still worked, but I could tell by some quirky behavior that it had contracted a virus. Unfortunately, I couldn’t shove a Sudafed in the USB port and make it all better. 😦

I normally use Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, but it didn’t detect this icky Trojan. Lesson No. 1: there’s a difference between malware and viruses. I guess it’s like an ear infection vs. a cold. (On a side note, I noticed as I was searching techie forums for advice that I started seeing condom ads in the sidebars. Classy, marketing gurus … not that kind of Trojan, sheesh.)

It’s times like these when I wish I could pick up the phone and call my uber-geek brother. Instead, I vented to a techie friend who recommended Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) to check for viruses and CCleaner to get rid of extraneous files (basically a thorough cache purge). I added both, and MSE immediately turned red as it detected and purged the bug each time it cropped up … but that’s just the problem … it kept popping back up. I was still getting redirected from websites, and my computer didn’t want to shut down. MSE did a good job of immediately detecting the problem, but it only deleted it temporarily.

Finally, after reading several trustworthy recommendations, I ran the free scan from HitmanPro, which identified the same file that MSE had been, so I activated the free trial (30 days, if I recall correctly) to get rid of it. I rebooted and ran a few Google searches, and so far (knock on wood) – no redirects! MSE has also been nice & green for a while now, too. *Hopefully* it’s gone now.

I feel so … violated. 😦  I like to think that I’m a pretty tech-savvy person (for an end-user), and I maintain strict privacy settings, use Web of Trust for browsing, etc., so it ticks me off that I somehow got duped. Oh, well – I just have more catch-up work to do for my classes, but at least the papers aren’t due right away.

“Grandpa” and his legacy

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I’ve heard it said that God puts people into your life for a season, for a reason. “Grandpa” Randall was someone like that — not only to me, but also to countless other students at Stephen F. Austin State University. He and his wife opened their house, situated on the outskirts of town, nearly every week/end for students to hang out and make themselves at home.

Their hospitable tradition was well entrenched by the time I arrived at SFA, and I heard that it continued long after I left. In fact, everyone I stay in touch with from our college days fondly remembers “Grandma & Grandpa” and could share countless stories to tell of our time spent in their home.

This week, we lost a prayer warrior who embodied the Biblical concept of loving one’s neighbor. Heaven, on the other hand, welcomed home one of its finest unsung heroes. Thank you, “Grandpa” Randall, for letting Christ’s love shine through you. I look forward to seeing you again!