Consider the Cross: A Book Review

Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.  The author also linked this blog on her website.

I met Kirsten Oliphant in graduate school when we were both TAs for the English department.  Since we have graduated, I have kept up with her through Facebook and her blog I Still Hate Pickles.  After reading her book Consider the Cross, I wish I had more of an opportunity to get to know her while we were still in school together.  Kirsten's writing on her blog is often funny and frank, but is also reflective and raises serious or provocative questions.  These latter qualities take the forefront in her new book.

Consider the Cross is an Easter devotional.  Released on Ash Wednesday in order to be read through Lent, it contains forty devotions focusing on the last week of Jesus's ministry before the crucifixion.  At the beginning of each day's reading is a primary scripture reference, along with parallel references from the other gospels.  The text of the Scripture is not provided, and while this does de-emphasize translation issues (since you will use whatever translation you have), toggling between Bible and devotional on an e-reader is tricky--you'll probably want to go old school with your print Bible.  Each entry is short--a reflection on the scripture and several thought-provoking questions at the end.  Oliphant intentionally avoids getting into study-driven theological issues.  She writes, "These daily devotions are less me trying to teach you something, but more to engage you in thinking about what God might have to teach you" (2).  The approach is well-suited to the Lenten-season when we often reflect and meditate on the meaning of Christ's sacrifice for us.

I think one of Oliphant's biggest strengths is in setting a scene by pointing out details: for example, the intimacy of the Last Supper or the look Christ gives Peter at his denial in Luke's account.  Her second strength is in the questions she raises: they are pointed, even piercing, but they are clearly questions she has already asked of herself.  Although some of these questions are best-suited for self-reflection, I think that many of them would be great for group conversation--the book as a whole could be easily adapted for group study.

Ultimately, I enjoyed the experience very much.  I find it difficult sometimes to truly focus and prepare for Easter--we often are so busy that it is over and gone before I even let it touch my heart.  Reading through this devotional for the last six weeks has given me an opportunity daily to reflect on Christ's work and love.  Although I plan to return to it again next Lent, it certainly does not have to be reserved specifically for Easter-time.  Anytime is a good time to "consider the cross."

Kirsten's book may be purchased from Amazon, here: http://www.amazon.com/Consider-Cross-Devotions-Lent-ebook/dp/B00BF9C6C0/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3

Check out Kirsten's blog here: http://www.stillhatepickles.com/

Wood-burning and Watercolors

And now, for something completely different....

I have had this box for years.  Many years.  I received it one Christmas when I also got a wood-burner.  Although, I used the wood-burner for several projects, but never got around to this.  Recently, I decided to give it a go.

To me, wood-burning (or "pyrography" if you will) is both fun and slightly terrifying.  You basically have a super-heated stylus that you use to draw on the piece of wood.  Occasionally, carbon builds up on the tip and emits some sparks.  For this project, I used a regular number 2 pencil to draw the design (inspired by a Tiffany window at the Met called "Dogwood").  Then, I went over it with the wood-burner.  

I used a regular colored pencil in white for some of the petals, but for the rest I used water color pencils.  I love these, and I think they worked out well for this project.  For the most part, I used them dry, then went over it with a wet brush, but for some of the more pigmented sections of the background, I used the pencil on sections that were fairly damp.  I touched up a few places with dry colored pencils at the end.  Although not perfect (the "frame" in particular got a bit messy in places), I am pretty pleased with this project, and plan to try a few more wood-burning/colored pencil projects.  So, what do I put in my fancy new box? 

Lipstick.

Recipe Roundup

Lots of people joke about Pinterest being a great way to waste time.  I don't consider it time wasted--not when it gives you things like this.  Below are my results with a few recipes discovered on Pinterest.

French Breakfast Muffins from Velvet Lava.  I made these yesterday, and they are pretty amazing.  They have my favorite muffin texture, which is dense, slightly crispy, and crumbly.  They have a cinnamon-sugar topping that is fantastic, but they were actually quite easy to make.

Baked Avocado Fries by Baked In.  I love avocados, but can't find enough to do with them (other than guacamole), and they seem to go bad so quickly.  Enter avocado fries.  They are a bit messy to make (check out the author's hands in her post to get the idea), but the results are great--creamy avocado inside, crispy breadcrumbs on the outside.  I like them with ranch dressing, but Jordan thinks they are just fine on their own.

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup by Recipe Swagger.  Mmmm, I love tortellini.  And tomato soup.  So, here is the best of both worlds.  I think that the next time I make this, I might use the homemade tomato soup recipe I have from Martha Stewart instead of the Campbell's, but even with the canned stuff, this is pretty good.  A sprinkling of bacon pieces on top wouldn't go awry, either.

Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies by Watching What I Eat.  These were a bit of a miss for me.  They tasted pretty good at first.  But, then next time when I got another one, they were damp.  Like, not just moist, but damp.  Cookies aren't supposed to be damp (they were stored in a Ziploc container on the kitchen counter, by the way).  I like the idea of these cookies, though.  Jordan and I eat granola bars as an afternoon snack, but they kind of freak me out.  I suspect that they are really just candy bars masquerading as health food.  And, have you ever looked at the ingredient list?  The ones we were eating contained glycerin.  Like, soap.  So, I would like a healthy cookie/ bar recipe without a lot of sugar to replace the store-bought stuff.  Any suggestions?

Yay, for Pinterest!

Bathroom Closet Organization; or, Novel Uses for Shoe Organizers

I like for things to be organized.  It makes me feel good, and it calms some vaguely panicky nerve in the back of my mind that whispers, "something is unsettled."  Clearly abnormal, I know.  However, for the last few months, every closet in our house has been is a state of unsettled disarray.  I finally got around to tackling the bathroom/linen closet. (Pantry, you are next!)

I can't believe that I am showing the messy contents of my closet, but, you have to see the "before" to get the big picture.  Since I have organizational inclinations, I own things like fabric bins.  I also have some genetic impulse to save things that I don't necessarily need, like old shoe boxes and college-era shower caddies.  So, a fairly cobbled-together organizational system that isn't really working.  I especially like that the shoe box holding our meds is sitting askew on top of toothpaste and contact lenses.  Nice.

First, I pulled everything out.  Here, you really get the full effect.  Lots of stuff.  In random collections.  Although I love having the closet where it is, it can be a bit annoying because it is both deep and narrow.  I got the idea for using a pocket shoe organizer from a YouTube channel called HomeOrganizing.  The woman in the video uses hers on the back of a bifold door, but, of course, it works just as well on a regular door.  The only problem I had with mine is that it was wider than the door, so I had to fold one column of pockets back.  It is still functional, it just doesn't look as nice as it would on a wider door.  

I sorted everything into various categories by row and then by pocket.  So now, I have a pocket that just holds headache meds; one pocket just for sunscreen; etc.  I would like to find a way to label the pockets, but I haven't quite figured that out yet.  The two fabric bins went back on the shelf: the larger one has oversized items, like the packages of cotton balls and cotton swabs.  The smaller bin contains beauty products that I consider "seasonal"--I'm not wearing bright pink nail polish in winter, so there is no point in keeping it with my regular makeup.  Overall, I really like the outcome.  Now, our sheets are on a shelf all by themselves (by the way, placing your folded set of sheets into one of the pillowcases keeps everything neat and together).  I can access everything and know exactly where it is.

Here is a little bonus shot of my vanity drawer.  It is really shallow, but it works for this type of stuff.  The white bins came from Wal-Mart and the clear ones came from Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

So, it seems a bit strange to be showing off my closets and drawers, but I thought the shoe organizer was a really useful tip, so I wanted to pass it along.  Anyone have any special tricks for organizing bathroom items?

Preparing

Spring is coming.  I am feeling a bit ironic as I write this, since I am sitting in front of a window watching the snow falling.  I live in a place where snow is rare and exciting, and I wouldn't have it any other way (on both counts).  But, still, it will be warm before we know it, flowers will bloom, and my students will decide it is tanks-and-shorts-weather.  There are things I like about each season, but I think most people really look forward to spring each year.

I have already been out in the yard, working.  This is our first year of owning "a bit of earth" as Mary says in The Secret Garden.  When we lived in our apartment, I longed for a yard.  Last weekend, I raked out flower beds and set out bulbs.  Yesterday, we took advantage of the warmer weather and completed some epic tasks: transplanting a crepe myrtle, a dogwood tree, and a small magnolia, as well as pruning all the crepe myrtles.  It was very hard, messy labor, but I loved it.  And, even though all our work is being currently covered over with a blanket of snow, I know that beneath the soil, the plants are getting ready.

Spring is a time of preparation.  For Christians, we prepare to celebrate Easter.  Although many of us, especially in Protestant churches, don't give the days before Easter as much thought as we do about the weeks leading up to Christmas, I certainly think that this is a perfect time for reflection.  This year, I am working through an Easter devotional recently published by my friend Kirsten, called Consider the Cross: Devotions for Lent.  It contains 40 days of devotions that reflect on the last week of Jesus's life before the crucifixion.  What I appreciate about the book is that although it is not a heavy, exegetical study, it is a serious reflection that asks some really intriguing questions.  The goal, as a Christian, is to always know Christ better, and this allows for such an intimate look at this point in His life.  I will be doing a more in-depth review later on, but right now, if you are interested in adding an Easter devotional to your day, you should certainly check this out.

Lent is an interesting word, by the way.  If you are Baptist, like me, you might view the word with a bit of suspicion.  Growing up, my only exposure to the concept was hearing Methodist friends discussing what they were "giving up" for Lent.  At a conference last year, a fellow panelist offered me the cookie that came with our box lunches, explaining he had given them up as a Lenten vow.  "Sure, thanks," I said, "I'm Baptist, we eat our cookies all year."

The word lent comes from an Old English word for spring (actually from a word that means "lengthen"--as the days get longer in spring.)  The word was adopted in the Middle Ages by the church to indicate this period of preparation during which many people fasted, prayed, and reflected on the Cross.  While I am not planning on giving up cookies this year, I do think that observing a period of reflection is a good idea, no matter what denomination you are from.

Help Me Guess What's Growing in My Yard!

It's time to play "Help Me Guess What's Growing in My Yard!"  Since we moved into our new house in August, we haven't had a lot of time to pay much attention to the yard.  The previous owners were fond of plants (though not necessarily of landscaping or design), and the property is covered with a variety of plants, particularly shrubs and ornamental trees.  Jordan's dad identified a few things for us, but others remain a mystery.  So, I am looking for help--do you recognize any of these?

Baby Bright Afghan

Although this afghan began life as a different project, it became clear pretty quickly that it was just meant to be a baby blanket.  Although the pattern isn't difficult, it does eat up a lot of time--mostly because I agonized over each color combination for each block (I really didn't want any repeats).  I have seen a few afghans like this where the outer rounds are all the same color (or two colors) and I really like that look as well.  This is a great project for using up your loose ends; just don't give yourself a deadline for this or you might go crazy.

One innovation I introduced with this afghan is a slit in the middle (look at the pictures again, you'll see it!).  This feature was actually requested by my brother-in-law; they like to throw a blanket over the baby's carrier, but he says that it is hard to grip the handle through a blanket--so, voila!  Dad can grab the handle and baby stays warm.

The other neat thing I figured out while working on this was how to organize the rounds as I was working.  All the little bits had a tendency to disappear into my work basket, so I strung them onto one of the flexible cords that came with my interchangeable knitting needles and put the stoppers on the ends.  This way I could add and subtract without any problems.

Well, clearly there is now a knitting/crochet void in my life.  However, expect an update sometime soon featuring knitting with Cool Whip bowls.  Yes, I kid you not.  It is pretty awesome.