When my zucchini is as soft as my heart

When I finally learned that its more than "ok" to not be in control all the time, my life got so much better. Today I smiled on the way home thinking, "I've never been this ok with being where I'm at." I recall telling Chris this weekend about Sheila saying in church that if you think of life as looking forward to a particular moment you can't enjoy the present. A baby's first words, entering kindergarten, etc, life becomes a game of waiting. Who likes to wait? Though even reciting this to myself as I dreamed about my own desires for life, what I anticipated for my soon to be 23rd golden year, I couldn't keep my thoughts of my hopes. At work I started singing a couple words and a coworker who is the jolliest skinniest safety nerd I've ever met caught me. Then he started teasing me when I wasn't singing the next time he came by. What if we had a hope, a dream, a future for the everlasting? What if we knew there was a paradise waiting for us, that wouldn't leave our future even if we kept our eyes on today?
Yes, I'm talking about Heaven. I'm talking about the everlasting treasure I have in my salvation.

My friend once said my blog isn't me, it isn't about me, and I only focus on God. She was right. In order to have the life Jesus wants of me, Christ and myself have to be in the same sentence. Christ delights in myself, and all his children, we should show delight for him through our love!
As I was reading through the Bible today with Chris, and I told him I almost could have cried reading John 21 verses 15-19. How often do we feel reeled in, feel like we are being dragged to do what Christ calls us for?

¹⁵ When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”    “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

   Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

 ¹⁶ Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

   He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

   Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

 ¹⁷ The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

   Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

   Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸ Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹ Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

When will be the moment we follow? How many times do we need to be asked? Christ died for you and for me, he rose again, and walked the Earth once again!
We make assumptions that what God asks us to do will be too hard. We doubt that having a little faith will actually make life easier, but hear this:

²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

 ²⁸ Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

 ²⁹ Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:27-29

When will you follow? When will our actions not quench us? When will we see how glorious He really is? I can tell you with every breath in my body He is so. Believe!

Blood shed over a mushroom 

• 1 portabella
• hot salsa
• Gorgonzola cheese 
• zucchini- sliced
• italian seasoning
• dried basil 
• olive oil

 Grease a sauce pan with olive oil and place a portabella gill side up and fill with salsa. Allow to cook for 5 or so minutes on medium high. Next, add more oil and fill the remainder of the sauce pan with zucchini and top with seasonings. Add the gorgonzola cheese to the mushroom on top of the salsa. Cover and lower the heat to medium-low. After 7-10 minutes check the zucchini. When the zucchini are ready to flip, flip em. At some point the cheese will start melting a little in the salsa mushroom and I it will be desirable to flip the mushroom cap over after the zucchini has had some time to steam. The cheese will melt into a bath of oil, seasonings, and cheese. When everything looks well cooked eat! The zucchini will be very tender. This tastes nothing like mexican food, the flavors blended well into an Italian delicacy!