by

Gotcha

Salt in the sugar bowl? Cups of water balanced on the top of the door? April Fool’s Day is only two days away. It’s time to get creative. Why waste your efforts on pranks that have been pulled since Fred short-sheeted Wilma? Yes, my mom always stuck an April Fool note in the middle of my sandwich. But that sort of thing is small potatoes compared to some April Fool’s jokes.

The best April Fool antics are simple to execute, are creative, and harm no one. (If it isn’t funny to everyone involved, it fails, in my book.)

A little research uncovered some pretty amazing stories. Here are a few of my favorites:

Continue reading →

by

Sprouting a Harvest

The calendar says it’s spring, but here in Colorado, the snowflakes are still flying. Even if we could plant outside, crops take time to grow. It may be way too soon for homegrown tomatoes, but in less than a week you can have fresh crunchy greens for your salad and sandwiches. How? Homegrown sprouts are easy to produce right there on your kitchen counter.

Alfalfa sprouts have been popular for decades, and are a good place to start, but there are many other options. Clover sprouts are delicious, reminding you of spring. Mung bean and lentil sprouts may be eaten raw or added to stir-frys. Broccoli and radish seeds have a decided zing to them, while onions will wake up your taste buds. Among the grains, wheat berries and rye are your best choices.

Continue reading →

by

Prayer is a Two-way Conversation (Part 2)

This is the conclusion of part 1 that I posted last week.

Now that I’ve laid out my case for God’s desiring a two-way conversation with us, rather than a monologue, it’s time for some hard questions. How do we go about achieving this ideal? How can we listen to God? How do we know it’s Him speaking?

God is the initiator of the relationship we have with Him. Immediately after Adam and Eve sinned, and hid from God, He came looking for them. Genesis 3, verse 9 is the beginning of a long dialog among Adam, Eve, and God: “But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’”  Even though Adam and Eve had sinned, God still wanted their company—and God still pursues us today.

I’m grateful that God wants to talk to me so much that He’ll go to great lengths to do so. Think how foolish Balaam must have felt, when God had to speak to him through his donkey! I certainly don’t want to take after Balaam. Since Jesus died to restore my relationship with God, I want to make it easy for Him! I want to open my ears and eagerly join the conversation.

Continue reading →

by

Eagle’s Flight

I recently added Eagle’s Flight to my blog roll (see the column to the left). Maybe you didn’t notice. Today I’d like to introduce Clark, and let him tell about his blog in his own words.

Pete and I have known Clark for years—since our college days. He’s one of the most insightful people I’ve ever met. He also has an amazing way of stringing words together into blank verse. I have a hard time reading poetry—he manages to do an exceptional job of writing it.

I’m so glad that Clark is willing to share his work with us. You can read each poem as he posts it to his blog, or wait and purchase them all together in his soon-to-be-published new book, Eagle’s Flight. Meanwhile, his first volume, The Walk of the Eagle, is available from Amazon, and no, I’m not getting a percentage of sales.

Continue reading →

by

Prayer is a Two-way Conversation (Part 1)

Recently, I spent an entire day in prayer. A very close friend was having serious surgery, and I felt compelled to wait before God on her behalf. Not so many years ago, I would have been unable to maintain an attitude of prayer for anywhere close to an hour, much less a day. While I would have had the same good intentions, I just couldn’t think of that much to say to God. Then I realized that prayer is a two-way conversation.

A few days later, I was discussing this with another friend:

Friend: I hate repeating myself in prayer. That’s why I don’t do as much of it as others. One reason, at any rate. I either find myself quickly addressing all the things on my heart and then ending the call, so to speak, or I keep digging and stretching and reaching for little things and obscure people to bring up, just to meet some bizarre prayer length quota.

Me: Try listening instead of talking; it’s very hard to have a one-way conversation with anyone.

Friend: I already feel like I’m talking to the ceiling. There’s never been much to hear. Sorry, but revelation is not for me.

Me: Sorry, I refuse to believe that. But listening is a learned skill, and you might need practice.

Does God, who must be awfully busy running the universe, actually talk to us? All of us? Or was this person right in assuming they just weren’t special enough to hear from God?

Continue reading →

by

Spontaneous Generosity

Giving away money should be fun.

In 2 Corinthians 9:7, Paul says, “God loves a cheerful giver.” Cheerful could be translated hilarious. Yet, how often do we end up with a big smile when we drop our tithes and offerings into the plate? Most of the time, we give because it’s what we do as believers. We don’t put all that much thought into it. In fact, I know a couple who arranged for their tithe to be automatically deducted from their bank account. While that certainly simplifies things, it somehow lacks the personal involvement and excitement I believe God desires.

At the beginning of every year, my husband, Pete, and I sit down to figure out our giving for the next twelve months. We list all the ministries we want to support, starting with our local church. Then, we look at our projected income and budget. Of course, things can change, but you have to start somewhere.

Continue reading →

by

Stop Complaining!

I don’t complain to God as much as I used to.

That’s not to say I’ve got it perfect and that I always rejoice in God’s choices for my life. Rather, I’m finally old enough to have some perspective. (There has to be some benefit to getting old!) I’ve learned that what I might not like at the moment may be critical to my well-being later.

It’s sort of like getting a tetanus shot. No one enjoys being stabbed by the needle, and suffering the sore arm afterwards, but we’re willing to put up with the discomfort because tetanus is much worse.

Continue reading →

by

Celebrating a Blog-a-versary

It’s my anniversary. Not my wedding anniversary, it’s my blog anniversary. Compost is one year old today.

I’ve learned a lot about blogging in the last year. My first lesson was that the crowds would not be beating a path to my URL. It takes time to show up in the search engines. It takes time for interested readers to find my blog. I want you to know that I treasure each and every one of you who comes my way, whether you drop in once and move on, or whether you hang around and even comment occasionally. Thank you all.

I also want to thank those who have been guest bloggers on this site. My husband Pete, my son-in-law Jeremy and his brother Andrew… you’ve all contributed articles I was proud to post. (Would you write some more, please?)

Continue reading →

by

Vegetable Korma

This recipe is adapted from The 30-Minute Vegetarian Indian Cookbook, by Mridula Baljekar. I would like to put in a plug for this book. I absolutely love Indian food, but the long preparation time most dishes require isn’t compatible with my busy schedule. Baljekar simplifies traditional recipes to the point where I can make them every week. For this, the author deserves a medal!

This is wonderful with fresh warm chapaties for scooping. (Silverware isn’t used in most parts of India. Instead, you scoop with your right hand.) I serve it as an accompaniment to a meat dish, but you could give it top billing in a vegan meal.

Continue reading →

by

Scared: a Novel on the Edge of the World

Imagine that you have only one outfit, and it’s dirty and full of holes. Imagine that you only have enough food to eat once every few days—maybe once a week. You live in a one-room mud hut. You’re physically abused. Two other people are totally dependent on you. Then it gets worse.

Now imagine living like that if you’re only twelve years old, and you’re an orphan.

Scared is a novel, but the conditions that twelve-year-old Adanna faces are drawn from real life. She’s one of millions of orphans, struggling to survive in Swaziland, the part of Africa hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic.

Continue reading →