Listening: October 2020 Recap
Photo by Jamie Street
This month went by so quickly. There's something about having something on the horizon pulling you along that makes you not feel the time. The year is winding down. The US election is finally going to be over. Raúl and I travel in a matter of days. With all of the hustle and circumstances in our community, taking time to listen has felt more important than ever. A lot of times, that takes place in worship nights with Lindsey. Sometimes, that looks like paying attention to the threads God weaves into the books I read, the papers I write for class, and the conversations I have with others. In one of those aforementioned worship nights, I felt like the invitation to listen as a prayer movement is stronger than ever. So often, the Christian community pushes for revival and intercession, but I rarely see the listening part of those things emphasized. We do need outreach, and we do need to intercede. However, part of loving anyone well is listening. We can't know how to be obedient to carry out God's plans and strategies without listening to Him. We can't possibly connect with people in desperate need of hope without also listening. And we can't identify our own lacks of empathy without tuning into our own mind and emotions and without listening to ourselves with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. There is so much of the world we don't understand. There are so many perspectives and experiences we will never know personally and can only access through listening to others. As we continue to navigate COVID as a world, and as we grapple with the results of the US election, I can't stress enough the importance of listening. In Honduras, we have a saying: "Cada cabeza es un mundo" which means that every head is a world. We may not know why people act, think, or believe the way they do, and we don't have to agree with them. But, we do have a calling to be ministers of reconciliation as it says in 2 Corinthians 5:16-21:
"So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
If we regard no one from a worldly view, that means we view them in light of eternity as souls who were created by God and hold the value of Jesus' sacrifice. Over and far above being ambassadors for any political candidate or social stance, we are ambassadors of Christ. Anything that we say or do, the attitudes with which we conduct ourselves and how we treat others must be guided by the weight of that role and by the reality that we may be the only righteousness of God that someone sees. Truth is important, but Truth is a Person. I think any of us, if we are honest, can concede that we want to be heard and understood. There is no substitute in building a genuine foundation of friendship. If we want to share the Person of Truth, we have to be willing to engage in genuine relationship by humbly listening.
What I Read:
1) The Girl with Seven Names: Escape from North Korea by Hyeonseo Lee. Of all of the books I have read this year, this one was without a doubt a standout and has stuck with me even weeks after finishing it. This memoir follows a North Korean woman as she becomes a defector and has to build a whole new life and identity in China. Then it follows her journey in reconnecting with her mother and brother and how she rescues them out of North Korea to seek asylum in South Korea. The book begins in her childhood, and it is fascinating to get insight into the daily life in North Korea, the culture and mindset, and the way that their society works. This book stirred so much compassion and prayer for North Koreans, and it left me thinking deeply about government, cultural identity, immigration, propaganda, and the power of the individual. I highly recommend it! The author also has a Ted Talk where she shares some of her story that is featured in the book. Here is a link to that video:
https://www.ted.com/talks/hyeonseo_lee_my_escape_from_north_korea?language=en
2) Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry. This book is a continuation of the series that starts with The Giver. I read The Giver a long time ago--probably in high school--and liked it. I had previously had no idea that there were more books related to it until I stumbled across this one. This book follows Kira, a girl who is recently orphaned as she adapts to her new life in a dystopian society. She and others have special creative and artistic gifts that prove to be more valuable than previously expected. The book has excellent imagery, and the characters are also endearing, especially Matt. The book does include some good twists although the style of the book is not necessarily a thrilling page turner; it's quieter, but that's not necessarily negative. The book does leave the reader with a lot of questions that I hope will be answered in the book that follows in the series.
3) Start with Your People: The Daily Decision That Changes Everything by Brian Dixon. This book is really geared toward small business owners and entrepreneurs, but it does have some good practical tips and advice that can be applicable for anyone. While I really value relationships and do feel like they should have more importance within the business world, I do think that there are some arenas (especially as a missionary and in ministry) where the mantra of placing people first needs to be considered through Heaven's eyes. It is important to help people and to be relational in any field, but if people and their needs are always driving every aspect of a ministry, I think we can lose the strategic direction God is giving. God cares about people's needs, and He also knows how to best care for people's needs. People aren't always great about knowing that themselves, and when we let them always be the ones to dictate what that needs to look like rather than checking in with God about how He would like to lead, it can cause us to burn out or be enablers. With that said, this book is worth checking out for the many eye-opening anecdotes and helpful tips for specific relationships like those with your kids, your spouse, and difficult people.
What I Watched:
1) Chef Show. I've written about the Chef Show before because I think it's a fun dynamic to have someone like Jon Favreau who is so good at his own craft of directing and producing movies and TV shows try his hand at improving in an area that isn't his normal craft--cooking. His friendship with his guide, Roy Choi, is full of humor and playful picking. This set of new episodes, Season 2, Volume 1, wasn't as fun as past episodes. I'm not sure why. My first instinct is to think in some ways that's because a lot of the food seemed less accessible to the everyman in terms of the ingredients used. Part of the appeal is that Favreau is kind of the everyman in terms of cooking, so his presence makes the viewer feel like they can be equally as empowered as a student in the kitchen. But, in some episodes, they are making everyday staples like spaghetti and meatballs, hamburgers, and grilled cheese. My favorite was the first episode which includes baking with the charming Christina Tosi.
2) State of Play. I love a good journalistic thriller though I tend to be drawn more so to those based on true stories. This movie is not based on a true story, but it has a stacked cast and an interesting story line with various twists. A team of journalists, played by Rachel McAdams and Russell Crowe, investigate the death of a Congressional aide who had a connection to a close friend of one of the journalists. It kept my attention enough to stay up later than normal, and it was particularly fun to see actors I didn't expect pop up.
3) The Trial of the Chicago 7. This movie just came out on Netflix, and it is based on a true story. It's also very good and another one of those movies that I started with the idea that I'd watch half before going to bed and finish the next day and then ended up staying up very late to finish it. The movie follows the trial of seven (initially eight) men who were accused of various crimes related to protests involving the Vietnam War and other social issues. The protests took place in proximity to the Democratic National Convention in 1968 in Chicago. I know that people can tend to feel like they don't want to get their history through the lens of Hollywood because of the possibility of bias in how it's presented, but here's the thing--I didn't know about this story at all. If the art of cinema does nothing else, it captures our attention and makes history come off of the page and out of the archives to feel personal. Then, when something feels that personal, you can be inspired to seek out your own education on the subject, just as I did. There are a few elements of the movie that differed from the actual events, but the heart of the story is infuriatingly captivating. And, if it weren't for this movie, I would have had no knowledge of events that are worth knowing as part of the American narrative and that feel incredibly relevant today. Be prepared to be angry at seeing a black man denied his rights in a US court of law, and then do your research and be prepared to be angrier when you realize that what gets depicted on screen was a fraction of what that man actually endured. I am not normally a Sacha Baron Cohen fan, but he was excellent as Abbie Hoffman. And the whole cast is in the running in the supporting actor Oscars category with good reason. If you need further convincing to watch here's a link to the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVb6EdKDBfU
What I Ate:
1) White Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwich. I'm not a stickler for any particular kind of barbecue. I generally like whatever I eat that falls into that category, but I didn't have a ton of experience with white barbecue sauce and felt I needed to add it to my list. It was really good! Here are a few recipes I used as references:
https://spicysouthernkitchen.com/slow-cooker-pulled-chicken-with-alabama-white-bbq-sauce/
https://houseofnasheats.com/alabama-white-bbq-sauce/
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/242155/slow-cooker-alabama-pulled-bbq-chicken/
2) Chicken Tinola. I had never heard of chicken tinola, so I won't pretend that my version was super authentic. Sometimes, I get into a food rut and feel the need to internet searches to discover foods I've never heard of before. This is a Filipino dish that, if I'm honest, I expected to be bland because it's so heavy on the green leaves and vegetables. It was actually very flavorful. If you've never heard of chayote squash, it is what is featured in the picture above. In full disclosure, I used kale instead of spinach and cabbage instead of bok choy (ya gotta work with what you have available). Don't skimp on fish sauce, and just know that I doubled the garlic and ginger amounts. Here is the recipe:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/212929/chicken-tinola/
There is also a version of this by a different name that uses coconut milk, so since I did add coconut milk, mine probably wouldn't actually be considered a tinola.
3) Butternut Squash Risotto. As much of a wanna-be foodie that I tend to be, I had never made risotto before. Rice is just kind of meh for me, so I often wondered what the big deal was. Turns out, risotto is a big. delicious. deal. It's not a food I'd make all of the time because it does require some active babysitting and standing over a stove for a while. But, the result is pretty worth it. Here is the recipe I used as a reference: https://cookieandkate.com/roasted-butternut-squash-risotto/
I did not use brown arborio rice because we're pretty lucky our local grocery store even started carrying white arborio rice.
4) Jalapeño Popper Pork Loin. I have made this several times before, so I was surprised it had never made it into a blog post. It's a really delicious special occasion kind of food. The biggest challenge is butterflying the pork loin, but that's what they make YouTube videos for. Here is the recipe:
https://iambaker.net/jalapeno-popper-pork-loin/
Photo by Christine Kramer
5) Peanut Butter Cookies. One Sunday, Raúl and I wanted to do something out of the ordinary, so we decided to make cookies. We made a bunch of cookies including peanut butter ones. I hadn't had peanut butter cookies in a really long time, and they were delicious and cause for nostalgia. Here is the recipe we used: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/10275/classic-peanut-butter-cookies/
We rolled ours in sugar before doing the criss-cross pattern because that's how my mom did it growing up.
6) Marinated White Beans. We're fans of beans at my house, so I'm always looking for a new way to serve them up. This recipe is simple and also delicious! Here is the recipe: https://www.howsweeteats.com/2017/03/marinated-white-beans-olive-oil-toast/
I didn't have red wine vinegar, so I used a different kind.
7) Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies. Of all the cookies we made, these went the fastest and were the favorite. We just used the recipe straight off of the bag of Craisins. Here it is:
https://www.oceanspray.com/en/Recipes/By-Course/Desserts-and-Snacks/Craisins-Dried-Cranberries-Oatmeal-Chocolate-Chunk-Cookies
8) Chili with Cornbread Muffins. I feel like everyone has their go-to chili recipe, so I'm not trying to tell you how to live your best chili life. My version usually includes ground beef, a variety of beans (get over it, Texans), corn, chopped tomatoes, peppers, and onions, and from there, I just go with whatever I have on hand that I can add that tastes good. The real game changer this time were the cornbread muffins. I live in a very corn-based country, but for the life of me, I cannot find cornmeal. I'm sure I could grind the corn myself and blah, blah, blah ain't nobody got time for that. So, I found this recipe that uses canned creamed corn and no cornmeal. It was good! I couldn't really tell that it had cheese in it, and in terms of texture, these were stickier than your standard Jiffy mix muffins. But, at least I now have a way to enjoy the joys of cornbread even when I can't find cornmeal. Here is that recipe:
https://www.rivertenkitchen.com/no-cornmeal-cornbread-muffin.html
9) Zucchini Lasagna. I tried this recipe after my mom shared that it had become a new favorite for my dad. They had a surplus of zucchini in their garden this year, and this is how they have been using it up. This is the recipe for reference though it is pretty versatile and something you can tailor for your likes or what you have in your pantry: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/172958/no-noodle-zucchini-lasagna/
I did not use spinach or mushrooms. Instead I added some chopped fennel and chopped tomatoes.
10) Spinach Artichoke Chicken Soup. I love soup, and I love spinach artichoke dip. So, when I came across a recipe for this soup, I figured I had nothing to lose. And, it delivered! I used this recipe for inspiration: https://www.modernhoney.com/creamy-spinach-artichoke-soup/
I used fresh spinach instead and doubled up on the artichokes. It's not a health food by any means, but it is a a great fall comfort.
11) Chicken Flautas. As I am using up the stuff in my fridge in preparation to travel, I made these with a hodge podge of ingredients. Chicken flautas or taquitos are generally made with flour tortillas and fried. My version of filling included shredded chicken, roasted cauliflower, some cream, some homemade salsa verde, some onions, and variety of the usual spices (chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, etc.). We wrapped that filling up in flour tortillas and fried them. Then we topped them with a cabbage/carrot salad, guacamole, and grated cheese. So good!
12) Popeye's Chicken Sandwich. So this line-inducing phenomenon arrived in Honduras recently, and the response was similarly line-inducing. They sold out pretty quickly the first few days. Here's the thing, though, Lindsey and I tried this together and both decided this really wasn't life-changing, and we were super hungry! I am a sauce fiend, and while there was a a sauce on the sandwich, there either wasn't enough of it or it just wasn't noteworthy. Given the sheer variety of sauces offered at Chick-fil-A and that I can choose my own adventure in the sauce world, there is just no contest because all of the other ingredients are more or less equal between the two sandwiches. And, if we're going from a health perspective, Popeye's sandwich has 690 calories while Chick-fil-A's has 440 calories (though that number is likely sans sauce). With that said, we don't have Chick-fil-A here in Honduras, so if I get a hankering for a chicken sandwich, unless I am Stateside, Popeye's it is.
Playlist for the Month:
Here is the link to the playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLERDDFsw5e_onEk_-9qDVGmsueVyOIokQ
1) "Spirit Pour Out" by Andy and Rachel Graham
2) "New Wine + Spoken Word" by Hillsong
3) "Pour Me Out" by Brandon Lake
4) "Paint Your Picture" by Julie Meyer
5) "Are You Listening" by United Pursuit featuring Brock Human
6) "Voice of God" by Dante Bowe featuring Steffany Gretzinger and Chandler Moore
7) "I'm Listening" by Chris McClarney featuring Hollyn
8) "Gently Held" by Steffany Gretzinger
9) "Patient Kingdom" by Sandra McCracken
10) "Safe in Your Arms" by Josh Baldwin featuring Kalley
11) "Yeshua" by Alessandro Vilas Boas and Lindy Cofer
12) "Satisfied in You (Psalm 42)" by The Sing Team
13) "To You" by Maverick City featuring Chandler Moore and Maryanne J. George
14) "Hold Me Jesus" by Rich Mullins
15) "I Am" by Jill Phillips
As we wrap up this year, I pray that we would all seek God as to how we can be ministers of reconciliation and instruments of peace. I pray we would strain to see the Lord and hear His voice in any of the ensuing noise of circumstances. He has a plan, and He is the only one who sees all of eternity at once. We are part of His story. I pray we would hear His voice with clarity and feel deeply the confidence of being children held in His hands. May we be patient as He shows us how His Kingdom is unfolding on earth, and may we find our safety and security not in a presidency or in vaccine but first and foremost in His arms. He will always be constant even when we are not.
Comments
Post a Comment