The Term Is Over, the Holidays Have Begun

With that nod to C.S. Lewis, OneWord Journal has a couple of summer recipes for you to try, and some summer reading suggestions to enjoy as you sit on the back deck and savor the long days and lovely summer evenings.

Sweet Tea
 

• 2 large family-size tea bags
• 2 c boiling water
• 1 ½ c sugar
• 1 (6 oz) can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
• 1 (6 oz) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
• Mint leaves

Steep tea bags in water for 10 minutes. Stir together sugar, limeade and lemonade in a gallon container. Add tea and fill with water, so as to measure one gallon of tea. Add springs of mint. Of course, a sweet tea recipe would be from Carolyn Litfin

Strawberry Angel Food Dessert

• Boxed angel food cake mix
• 2 C whipping cream
• 2 8oz packages cream cheese
• 1 ½ C powdered sugar
• 2 large packages of frozen strawberries (and juice)
• ¼ C cornstarch

Preheat oven to 350
For the Cake:
Grease large sheet pan or jelly roll pan.
Prepare boxed White Angel Food cake according to directions on box. Spread batter in pan about two inches deep (try to build up batter around the edges of the cake so topping will stay on cake better). Bake about 15 min or until golden brown

For cream cheese topping: 
Whip 2c whipping cream
Cream together two 8oz packages of cream cheese and 1 ½ c powdered sugar
Combine whipped cream and cream cheese
Spread on cooled cake

 For strawberry topping:
Thaw two large packages of frozen strawberries (the berries frozen with juice). Drain the juice into a pot and thicken with 1/4 c cornstarch, bring to a boil until thickens. Add strawberries and let cool. Spread on cream cheese topping. Chill. Can be made a day ahead.
Becky Garrett has made this dessert for church gatherings. It is delicious.

 Summer Reading from Our Church Leaders

These novels are on Board of Missions Chair Jeremy Taylor's summer reading list.

City on a Hill by Ted Neill

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Finders Keepers by Stephen King

Gutenberg’s Apprentice by Alix Christie

Diana Clem, board of deaconess, listed Becoming a Woman of Strength by Cynthia Heald, and Dan Haase, a member of the Christian Education Board, has Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry and Idiot Psalm: New Poems by Scott Cairns.

We will post more book titles for your summer reading throughout the month.

My Mother-in-law's Potato Salad

by Lorraine Triggs

My mother’s slide into dementia was gradual. I noticed it more in what turned out to be her last extended visit with us. And it was around this time of year.

She really wasn’t comfortable coming to church, so that particular Sunday, we turned the radio to WETN, turned the volume way up and headed to church.

Before I left, I took out my recipe card for my mother-in-law’s potato salad and set it on the counter next to a bowl. I also put the potatoes in the pot on the stove.

“What can I do?” my mom asked anxiously. During this visit, I discovered that Mom was the happiest when she had simple tasks to do.

“Nothing yet. You can help me make the potato salad when we’re home from church,” I assured her.

“What can I do?” she asked again.

“Just wait till we’re home,” I repeated.

When we returned, I walked into the kitchen to start the water boiling for the potatoes—no pot on the stove. And the kitchen looked a lot cleaner than how I left it.

“Mom?” I called. “What did you do with the potatoes in the pot?”

“They’re in the refrigerator,” she replied calmly. “But I had to use a bigger bowl.”

Now I was getting scared and made Wil open the refrigerator. . . .

He pulled out a bowl of perfectly made potato salad. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“Your mother-in-law knows how to make a good potato salad,” my mom pointed out.

We laughed.

Here’s my mother-in-law’s famous potato salad.

• 5 lbs. boiling potatoes                                  
• 1 dozen eggs                                                     
• 8 stalks of celery (tops included)                              
• 1-2 large onions
• 6-8 dill pickles
• 1 qt mayonnaise (or less depending on your preference)
• 1-2 T mustard
• a dash of pickle juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes in jackets. Cool thoroughly. Peel and cut into bite-size pieces. Boil eggs 10-15 minutes; immediately immerse in ice cold water. Peel and chop and add to potatoes. Chop celery (including tops), onion and pickles. Add to eggs and potatoes. Add mayonnaise to taste. Add mustard, pickle juice salt and pepper. Stir mixture thoroughly—She always said to use your hands to mix it. Refrigerate until well chilled.

Two Parties

The month of May is full of family celebrations and parties--Mother's Day, graduations, spring weddings and Memorial Day cook-outs. In her post, Cheryce Berg writes about two parties and the best "party" invitation we will ever receive.

I observed two parties today, one right after the other. All were invited, but only some came.

The first involved a story teller who wore a blue bathrobe--the "Jesus Robe"--and stood in front of dozens of adults from around the world. Whispers in many languages surrounded me as I studied the beautiful shades of brown skin and prayed for softened hearts to what what they would soon hear. 

The wine ran out, the coins were spent, and the so-called friends stripped the younger son of his robe and left. He begged for disgraceful work but soon grew tired of it, his belly craving something other than the pig food he had before him. Meanwhile, the father stood at home, his hands shielding the sun from his eyes so he could look the distance. Watching, waiting, loving, longing. The older son kept digging.

The younger son came back slowly, dejectedly, begging. The father rushed to meet him and held him close, tears on both faces. Food was called for, robes were found, work stopped. There was love and laughter and forgiveness and grace. The older son was invited to join in, but he kept digging. 

The storyteller explained to my friends and me the love of the Father, the One who forgives and waits and longs for restoration. She told how all are invited, but only some come. She challenged those of us who are “older sons” to give grace and to welcome in those who need more forgiveness. She begged us to stop digging and join the party when they are restored. In silence, I prayed fervently for my friend at my side, wearing her Muslim head covering. I prayed that she would one day join the party and that I would be there to celebrate.

The story ended and my friends and I walked to a different classroom for another party. Some things were the same: there was food, laughter, gifts and grace. It was the last day of ESL classes, and there were thank-yous to be said, certificates to be distributed and ethnic foods to be exclaimed over. We ate together, squeezing in last words and hugs, eyes meeting across the table in shared memories and laughter. I ached for my friends who didn’t come, who were too busy. They were missing the party.

My heart felt full—of  joy or tears—I couldn’t tell as I sat at the second party and reflected on the first. Who of these friends would join me at the final party, the day when we go home to the Father? Am I too busy digging instead of seeking them out to tell them he is watching, waiting, loving, and longing for them? Have I shown them his invitation to the party?

And he said to him, "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.” (Luke 15:31-32)

Thoughts from a College Church Cook

Julie Busteed first learned how to cook for crowds while attending Moody Church in Chicago. She brought her love of cooking to College Church, when she and her husband, Todd, became part of the church family here.

Julie Busteed loves what happens around food and a meal together. "There's something about food, about eating together. Relationships happen and connections are made in sharing the meal." 

If you've been around College Church for any length of time, there's a good chance that you've enjoyed one of Julie's meals.

"I remember cooking dinners for Summerfest back in the early 2000s with Jymette Seager, Lynn Kubat and Shelly Wildman," Julie recalls. The list of ministries for which Julie has cooked doesn't stop there. Julie has created meals for STARS events, missions festivals, Keenagers, Visitors Brunch, children's ministries appreciation dinners, HYACKs, Women's Bible Study and the Workshop for Biblical Exposition.

"One of my greatest joys is to have good food, real food, that nourishes the body in a venue that nourishes family and friendship," Julie relates. And if you've ever eaten Julie's pork tenderloin with chimichurri sauce, goat cheese mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus or Brussels sprouts and spice cake with cream cheese frosting, you know what Julie is talking about.

Julie is in her element--Commons Kitchen getting ready to prepare a scrumptious meal.

Many of Julie's recipes are from classic chefs Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa) and Julia Child. In fact, Julie's favorite piece of advice for cooks is from Julia Child, who said, "Make no apologies." Julie explains, "Never apologize for anything. If you burn something, then that's the way it was meant to be served."

Julie also adds her own wisdom, "When you're cooking for people, don't be a stressed-out host. Plan a meal so you can enjoy it with your guests. It's all right to leave one or two dishes for the last minute, but not the whole meal."

Whether Julie is opening her home to guests or preparing a meal for someone in need or cooking for a crowd at church, she opens her heart and, from her perspective, "Food becomes the vehicle to set in motion the truly important things of family and friendship." Thanks, Julie for sharing your heart and your meals with the church family.

A Family Roller Coaster Ride

In this video, Eric and Sara Channing talk with Mark Berg about their family's roller coaster ride these past few months and God's good hand throughout all of it.

Finding Family in the Church

OneWord Journal welcomes this post by Alyssa Carlburg, who did find work in Wheaton. Alyssa is the development/communications assistant at Mission Eurasia.

Growing up in College Church, I never really thought of the church as a family. But that changed when I graduated from Hope College in May 2012 and returned to Wheaton to look for work. Now I found myself avidly seeking a community of believers. I heard about Threefold through one of my mom's co-workers, and I went to the first Group Connect event in September.

After only a few short months in a Threefold Bible study, I had formed some of the most encouraging and spiritually challenging friendships that I had ever experienced. Not only was I engaging with Scripture in a deep, meaningful way, I was also learning to confess my sins and pursue God as my ultimate source of satisfaction and joy. More importantly, I was learning how to support others in their personal walks with the Lord.

During the past two-and-half years, my friendships in Threefold have grown, and through them, God is teaching me to find love and support in the church body. Truthfully, it has been challenging for me to find contentment in my singleness, particularly because the church doesn't seem to know quite what to do with us young singles. God is using my community to encourage me to seek my contentment in him, not in my desire to have a marriage, which is how it should be for everyone, regardless of their marital status.

As I search for joy in singleness, I have found that God has removed some of the bitterness that I felt toward the church regarding its view of those who are single, and have found that it is possible for married and single people to form friendships and learn from one another.

As I reflect on this, I can see that God has provided a family for me at College Church. One that is not dependent on blood relations, but one that is rooted in the redeeming blood of Christ.

In this family, I can use my gifts to serve, and God has provided me with several opportunities through which to do this, particularly in the STARS disability ministry. The past three years, I have had the privilege of serving as a teacher's aid in the teen STARS Supernova classroom on Sunday mornings and helping out with Friday Night Fun. I became involved in STARS to minister to others, but quickly realized that I was learning just as much, if not more, from the STARS as I was sharing with them.

My growing involvement in the church led me to become a member in fall 2014, and in this new role, I trust God to continue to grow my relationships with my fellow church family members.

While I know that my spiritual journey will continue for the rest of my life, I also know that God has provided significant spiritual growth through my experiences in Threefold and STARS. He has also challenged my prejudices by immersing me in a family that is blind to the lines of race, socio-economic status, IQ and gender . . . lines that were erased at the Cross.

Aftershocks

The death toll from the massive earthquake in Nepal on April 25 has now killed more than 5,000 people. It has been estimated that 8 million people have been affected by the earthquake. Vast tent cities are springing up in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital city. Relief agencies focus on the basics of food, water and medicine. This is not a time for feasting in Nepal nor is it a time for despair.

Prior to the earthquake, College Church member and missionary Anita Deyneka was in Kathmandu for a Nepal Without Orphans Summit. Typically, Anita spends much of her travel time in meetings, but she had the joy of meeting the Kabi family, who have adopted 14 orphans. The parents both grew up in Christian families, in a poor village in eastern Nepal. Even after they moved to Kathmandu, the couple would return to visit their village, where they realized there were orphans living in caves. The mother told Anita that she wanted to adopt all of these children to give them a family and to help them know God; they instead adopted 14 of the children. (Anita is pictured below with the children.)

Today, these children want to be doctors, nurses, teachers, artists, pilots and followers of Jesus. Says Anita, "Unprompted these children talked a lot about God. They were delighted with their English copy of Ken Taylor's My First Bible. Now sons and daughters of the Kabi family and their heavenly Father, dreams they had never dared from their cave days can come true."

On April 28, Anita (who serves with Mission Eurasia and World Without Orphans) and the staff of partner organization A Family for Every Orphan received an email from Tek Prasad Rijai who is in Kathmandu. Tek reports that

• Two churches collapsed during the quake and people died while worshiping.
• People are trying to return to their villages but there are no buses.
• Communication remains spotty at best.
• The cost of goods is increasing as the demand increases.
• The immediate needs are for food, water and temporary shelter because people are unwilling to return to their homes.

Tek asks prayer for the most vulnerable victims--children, the elderly and the sick as they sleep outside; prayer for the many who are grieving as they continue to search for loved ones or who have lost loved ones in the earthquake; prayer for the families and individuals who lost their sources of income in the earthquake; and pray that outbreaks of disease will be kept at bay with a weaken systems for medical care and sanitation.

Agua Fria

God's Word is full of images of being hungry or thirsty and finding satisfaction, of lacking and suddenly being full. Cheryce Berg writes about that longing and satisfaction, feasting if you will, found only in Jesus.

Agua Fria. Cold Water.  A misnomer if I ever saw one. The semi-desert canyon held no water, cold nor hot; in fact, dust devils chased each other down its sandy paths. I crossed it many times while visiting Arizona and tried hard to envision the rushing water that courses through it after a rare rainstorm. Everything bursts into bloom afterwards, the cactus flowers surprising you with color—I’m told.  New life.

A metal drinking fountain on the side of the path. Meant for golfers, but a welcome sign for a runner not desert-savvy enough to carry water. I lapped up the agua fria like a dog, desperate to dispel the grainy dust from my tongue. My dragging feet were revived, my sun-spotted vision cleared, and I was ready for more miles on the path. New life.

Why do I take water for granted? Agua fria drips outside my window as I write, the cold raindrops blurring my view of the squirrel on the fence. My own cup of agua fria sits beside my keyboard. I have plenty.

At dinnertime, a few weeks earlier, I had asked my family what the Bible means to them in one word. We had just read Psalm 19: God’s precepts are gold and honey to David. “Wisdom,” “cool” and “interesting” were the responses of my boys. They are in the treasure-seeking stage of studying God’s Word.  “Comfort,” said my husband. He feels the weight of friends and family who suffer, and Scripture is a balm.

I had to think longer about my answer. Finally, while running that day in the desert, it was clear.  God’s Word to me is water. It is Agua Fria. Cold water. New life.

 When the poor and needy seek water,
and there is none,
and their tongue is parched with thirst,
I the Lord will answer them;
I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
Isaiah 41:17

I drink in his Word. It brings into bloom the parts of me that are dead. It revives my steps, clears my vision, gives me strength. It quenches my thirst. I have plenty.

 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied. Matthew 5:6

What about my friends who are still thirsty? What about my beautiful hair stylist, my self-sufficient 92-year-old neighbor, my dear friend who watches our dog? Do they have God’s Word to quench their thirst? What am I doing to draw them to the Word himself—Jesus Christ?

 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:37-38

They hide their thirst, their parched tongues and weary feet.  But I carry living water in my heart. It can quench their thirst forever. New life. Agua Fria for the soul. How long will I wait to share it?

They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Revelation 7:16-17