Chilli Cook Off

Chilli and winter go together.  I love a bowl of chilli on a crisp winter day.  I can't say it felt much like winter on Wednesday when our church held their annual chilli cook off.  It was a beautiful 65 degree January day, but that didn't dampen my spirits for the event.

 I've been excited about it for weeks and with a little schedule tweaking, Paul and I cleared our evening.  The pastor has been bragging about his recipe for several Sundays while wearing his chili pepper necklace. He was determined to conquer the first place winner from last year.  

The categories were:

• Chilli from a can
• Chilli from scratch
• Salsa
• Cornbread
• Brownies

I've never cooked for competition, but thought it sounded fun.  So I called up my friend and well renowned cook, Emilie.  Sure enough, she had a tried and true cornbread recipe.  Finding those special southern ingredients proved to be a challenge in California, but I decided to adlib and go for it.  I also made a batch of peanut butter brownies.

Each chilli pot had a stack of small, numbered styrofoam bowls beside it.  It's amazing how different they all were.  Some had steak, some sausage, some ground beef, a variety of beans and so on.  Our table was covered in these small bowls as we sampled each one.  

 

The cornbread, salsa, and brownies were also numbered.  As I added my cornbread muffins to the table Pastor David said, "I am competing against you, but I can pray you come in second."  

How do you pick?

You try a little of each!

When the winners were announced, my cornbread muffins came in third!  (Thanks Emilie!)  Sure enough, Pastor David was second.  When he received his ribbon he said, "You lost to a better man."  

It's undeniable that fellowship is sweet, but it also has some spice. :)

This winter finds me rooted in James.  I'm two weeks into the study and the treasures God has stored in this book are not only being engraved on the pages of my book, but also in my mind.  In the first chapter he addresses indecision, temptations, the purpose trials hold, etc.  

and... the poor

I'm learning that James, Jesus' half brother, had a heart for the poor.  Perhaps this was stirred by his ministry in Jerusalem to Jewish believers stripped of their possessions after they confessed faith in Jesus as Savior. He was their shepherd.  My study asked why God places such an emphasis on the poor in his word.  All I could write was, "because he loves them."

Often, in the depths of my spirit I strongly hear him say, "I love them."  I tell him, "I know you do, otherwise I wouldn't love them this much."  We have this conversation and the faces begin flashing in my mind. God was faithful to honor my request to engrave the people and children in Tanzania on my heart and mind.  

I know that God does everything with purpose.  We will keep having these conversations until he makes it very clear the way he's preparing.  Right now, I don't know what he has planned, but I do know the ministry I served with is in great need of teachers.  Please pray for this.

Tonight, I came home processing this and found Jenna had posted pictures of her trip to Tanzania in November.  You should check them out.  You'll see the faces in my mind. 

to be known

As I was driving home tonight God spoke to my spirit, "you are known." 

The power of the word "known" brought a heavy comfort on my heart. In the past six months God has provided a genuine group of believers to worship with, students to love and teach, and infinite opportunities for growth and refinement. Yet, there are many days I long to sit down with a friend who has "known" me throughout seasons.  Tonight I felt like he said, "I gave you that longing. It's part of the eternity I set in your heart."  He knows my strengths, weaknesses, sins, deepest thoughts, hurts, and joys.

Instead of focusing on flesh to know me, I'll join David in turning my focus to praise a God who knows me better than I know myself,

"O LORD, you have searched me and known me!"  Psalm 139:1