Thanks to JR Briggs for this insightful and amusing visual demonstration. (via The process of spiritual growth: a visual)
Saint Mary of the Sea - Barcelona, Spain
So over the next month, I will be highlighting experiences we had while traveling through Spain in November. This church you see here was finished in 1383 and is a pretty cool place. We enjoyed visiting it after going to the Picasso Museum in Barcelona’s La Ribera district.
Cooking Adventures: Seekh Kebab
As you may notice, I have a thing for trying to make food from other cultures. And when it comes to world cuisine, no food captivates me more than Indian cuisine. Perhaps this is because Indian food is as widely varied as its people. Many Americans, if they even know Indian cuisine at all, think that all of it is exactly the same. Well if a country with 1/3 the population and only 300 years of history can create nearly countless variations on BBQ, imagine what thousands of years of culture has done for Indian food.
The goal today was to make Seekh Kebabs. So technically the meal could have been Pakistani or Indian. If you’ve never had Seekh Kebabs, they’re supposed to look like this:
(Image courtesy of About.com/Getty Images/Brian Stablyk)
I didn’t make them from scratch. This time I had a mix. And any committed Hindu would have a heart attack upon hearing that I used beef. I’ll just have the heart attack later in life from eating the beef. So I followed the recommendation of the mix…kinda.
What went into the kebabs? Meat, ginger, garlic, a little oil, onions and a long green chili pepper all went together. Everything had been finely chopped or blended before mixing, which created a sloppy-joe like consistency. And there was the spice packet, the part where I cheated. It looked like it had garam masala, coriander seeds, turmeric and some dried greenish thyme-ish stuff. And I’m sure a few preservatives.
I didn’t think that the consistency was really correct. I thought about adding some egg to make it stick to itself better, but I just went with it. So what happened?
The skewers were completely pointless, to be honest. The meat was just like loose meat. But when you eat it over rice with some sauteed onions, yogurt and top it all off with some fresh chopped cilantro, it tasted fabulous. A little spicy, but not overpowering. Our visiting guest even enjoyed it! (Yes, I dared make this when a close friend was coming over to our place).
We also had some leftovers. I mixed the leftovers with yogurt, crumbled cornbread and shredded apple. It was really tasty.
So, as for my first food experiment of the year: Moderate success. Though next time I think I may do the spices myself (now that I’ve tried it) instead of using a packet.
Great Thanks: To my sister for implanting this idea into my head by buying me a bunch of Indian groceries a while back.
Eros is Coming!
Eros is a near earth asteroid. And it’s going to pass relatively close to us on January 31. So everyone get out your tin foil hats; prepare the secret spaceship! Ok, not really. This big hunk of rock 34 km long will be 16,000,000 miles from us – not exactly close, but not too far.
What is also interesting is that the study of near earth natural satellites seems to be a hot topic in astronomy. And it provides an interesting area for study when such rocks come near. We’re actually starting to place equipment on and near these things.
So don’t think that Space travel isn’t cool. Because it is. And we should do more of it.
"
The sensation felt at the top of the mountain
The chilly breeze as acceleration begins
The adrenaline spike at peak velocity
The muscle burn through the moguls
The expansion of time while flying through the air
The reward of arriving gleefully at the base
Is sublime
Please, do yourself a favor. Go skiing.
"— An Ancient American Proverb, Author Unknown
Lovable Lyrics - Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus
Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus says the Lord!”Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.
I just love the words to this hymn. I love the chorus and the line “how I’ve proved him o’er and o’er.” This is especially important for me. It isn’t an apologetic or scientific proof. It’s a life experience proof. It’s a relational proof.
I was never really into cars. Then I went to the Philly Car Show. Going to a car show is a truly fabulous experience. You get to see new car models from all sorts of manufacturers, from the cheapest Hyundai to the ritziest Rolls (though I haven’t seen any Bugattis or Koeningzeggs). So if you have never gone to the car show in Philadelphia before, you should go this year. If you’re looking for a friend to go with you, you should ask me! My love of Top Gear has made me even more into cars than I was in the past. However, my love of thrifty money management still makes me hesistant to purchase a fancy vehicle.
The One Year Wardrobe
I’ve never been much of a fashion guru. Other than 27 sets of cuff-links, a Versace shirt, a Gucci shirt and a nice suit, I’ve never really had anything one could consider “high fashion.” And I’ve certainly never been down with the latest fashions.
I have, however, generated quite a collection of clothing over the past 25 years of life. And since I haven’t grown much over the past 10 years or so, the collection has grown dramatically in this time.
As I stood in front of my closet some time ago, I knew something needed to be done. I needed to scrape off the dross.
Luckily, a post some time ago on Get Rich Slowly gave me an idea: I decided to design my own One Year Wardrobe project. That is, I took every article of clothing I own and removed it from its normal location. I relocated all of my clothing to the guest bedroom closet and furniture.
Each day, as I consider my outfit, I check my closet before going to the guest bedroom. Is there a good outfit in the closet right now? No need to grab another one. After all 4 seasons have passed (1 year), I am going to find a new home for the clothing that remains in our guest bedroom.
One small step to minimize the excesses of modern American life.
MANifesto Revisited
Last year I posted my personal MANifesto. Ever since then, I have kept a framed copy of these words hanging on my wall at work to remind me of who I want to be. Throughout the year, I will be discussing each one of these points in a more focused, more intimate light.
To be a man whose self-interest falls to the wayside in considering the needs of others, and to ultimately be drawn into a wholly sacrificial love toward my fellow man.
To be a man who understands grace and mercy enough to face my most regretful moments and not fall into devastation.
To be a man whose humility speaks louder than his ability.
To be a man whose words portray reality and thoughtful wisdom.
To be a man fully fixated upon life’s intangible assets, un-distracted by the decaying hubris.
To be self-controlled yet passionate.
To be patient yet timely.
To be kind yet firm.
To be joyful yet understanding the pains of this world’s sufferings.
To be committed to living today to its zenith.
