Invictus

I have always been so inspired by the strength and resilience of Nelson Mandela in his darkest days. Even through all the torture and repression of his life, he rose up and became a beckon of light to his country and the world. He changed our hearts and inspired us.

I had the incredible fortune of meeting him once at a private party in Bel Air about 12 years ago. I was one of several people hired to take care of him at a private function. Although I was one of the mere staff at the event, he made it a point to introduce himself and his daughter who accompanied him, to each and every one of us. He made it a point to remember our names. It was important to him. He looked me right in the eye and shook my hand sincerely. I will never forget it and it remains a highlight of my life. I guess when you have suffered as much as he did all those years, your value for life and it's inhabitants is so much deeper. I meant something to him in that moment; as a citizen of this world...connected.

I recently watched the movie Invictus and was so moved by it. The poem that kept him moving forward and never giving up while he was in prison for 27 years was Invictus by William Ernest Henley. I wanted to share it with you. It is a reminder that this world cannot oppress us. We must be the very best version of our self...The master of our fate; unafraid and convicted

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me

Black as the pit from pole to pole

I thank whatever God may be

For my unconquerable soul

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud

Under the bludgeoning of chance

My head is bloody but unbowed

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms the horror of the shade

And yet the menace of the years

Finds, and shall find, me unafraid

It matters not how straight the gate

How charged with punishments the scroll

I am the Master of my fate;

I am the Captain of my soul.

Tortilla Soup

At the request of my sweet friend Susanne, I am posting this recipe.
The recipe is from the Real Food Daily cookbook but I added a few little tips of my own.

Ingredients
1 Lb of tomatoes, diced
6-8 cups of vegetable or chicken stock (homemade is always better)
1/3 cup of tomato paste
1 jalapeno, chopped
12onions, coarsely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tsp of cumin
8 corn tortilla's, coarsely chopped
1 tsp of oregano
2 tablespoon of Tamari (or soy sauce if you are not Gluten intolerant)
1 tablespoon of canola oil
2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro

Method
Heat oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Saute garlic and onions until onions are translucent. Add jalapeno, cumin, tamari, oregano, salt and pepper. Saute for 1 minute longer. Add Chix stock and tomatoes. Cover and bring to boil Lower heat and simmer for 10 mins. Add tortilla's and simmer for another 10 minds until tortilla's are falling apart.
Using a handheld immersion stick, blend the soup in the saucepan until smooth. Add cilantro.
Garnish with diced avocado and crunchy corn chips, pico de gallo and sour cream.


Homemade Tortilla strips

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon of canola oil
6 corn tortilla's
1 tsp of blended chili powder
1/2 tsp of maple crystals
1/4 tsp of sea salt

Method
Heat oven to 350 degrees
Brush oil over both sides of tortilla's.
Cut into strips.Spread tortilla's on baking sheet.
Mix together remaining ingredients and sprinkle over tortilla's. bake for 15-20mins, tossing occasionally, until golden brown.

Bleeding heart

Today my precious Lily fell out of our tree and landed smack on her face!!
It was so hard to stay calm in that moment as my friend Jaime rushed her to my arms with blood all over her face. I wanted to scream, shout, cry...but I held my composure and took care of my baby girl. My heart was in my throat. Don't you just wish in those moments that it was you?
This has been a particularly trying week for me as a mother. I have felt incompetent on many levels. God gave me this moment to snap me back into reality. I was able to redeem myself as a mother but tending to my hurt child. To be tender, loving and make her feel safe again. To be grateful that she was OK and celebrate that it wasn't more serious.
I am humbled in this moment.

Transitions

Hello lovely people ; )

This has been quite an emotional week for me already.
Lily had her last official day of preschool on Monday. It is the end of an era! She brought home a little folder filled with some art projects and a little message from her teachers about moving on, that made me get all teary eyed. It said:

It's time to say goodbye
Our year has come to an end
We've made lots of cherished memories
And many more friends

We've watched your child learn and grow
And change from day to day
We hope that all the things we've done
Have helped in some small way

So it's with many happy memories
We send them out the door,
With great hope and expectations
For what the next year hold in store

It made me reflect on why this is such an emotional transition for me personally.
Shouldn't I be excited for this new stage in my child's life?
Will she need me as much?
How is it going to be without her for 5 hours a day, 5 days a week?
What changes will occur now i have less control of her friendships and influences?

Not to mention the fact that I absolutely LOVED her teachers at preschool this year. We have been part of this amazing little preschool that is so warm and loving and safe.
It is always scary when you are stepping into unfamiliar territory.

It's all about letting go!

I know a lot of you are feeling the same way. Our babies are growing up! I always joke with my children and tell them "Please don't grow up. Just stay this way forever!"
But they do grow up....and it is wonderful.
Every stage of there precious little lives is filled with more wonder, more joy and of course the moments you want to pull your hair out ; )

Being a parent is the greatest gift of my life.

So, as we all go forward into this new stage of life with our children, we should remember to savor each moment because it goes by so fast. I remember the anticipation of pregnancy. Wondering who this little person was going to be. 5 years later, I barely remember my life without her in it, nor do I want to!
She reminds me how to be more accepting, how to love, how to give, how to be truly happy, how to be kind and considerate. She helps me be a better person. She is my little piece on heaven here on Earth. God must think I am doing okay, to trust me to mother this little angel.
And so... I am going to trust him to watch over her as she enters elementary school and this next phase of her life.

The Leaky Faucet

Proverbs 19:13
A foolish son is the calamity of his father: 
and the contentions of a wife are a constant dripping.


No one likes a dripping faucet, it ranks right up there with nails along a chalk board and a whiny child, however the Bible describes me as a "constant dripping" when I have contentions. I wasn't sure what contentions were so I looked them up...according to Webster's Dictionary contentions are "something (such as a belief, opinion, or idea) that is argued or stated". Well, I've never considered myself a quarrelsome or contentious wife however I definitely argue and almost always state my beliefs and opinions when they disagree with my husband. So I asked myself the question "What do I say/do that reminds Josh of a dripping faucet?" 


Please Lord, forgive me and please Josh forgive me for being contentious and unknowingly making you listen to my faucet that was a constant dripping. Lord, help me to continue to learn to bridle my tongue.