Prayer Part Seven

Be beautiful, don't be sexy.

Those words still resound in my ears after nearly 22 years.

I heard them as a super hormonal-seeking-the-boys-attention teenager during a talk by a teacher at my high school. She was speaking to all the girls and she brought more light to being a young woman than I had heard before and really have not heard much of since. I am so grateful for those few words. They have helped guide my choices and thoughts.

Our culture certainly throws around the word beauty and beautiful a lot. We also throw around the words hot and sexy. And there are probably more words in that vein that I am not privy to. I think the words have become muddled, interchanged, and communicated so much and to younger ages these days, that a girl grows up with some confusion as to what beauty really is and how she can or should exemplify it What's more, the images out there are numerous and at the forefront of most media.

What's the difference between being beautiful and being hot? Do we even have examples of one or the other so a distinction can be seen?

I would offer that beauty is lasting, it is not fleeting. It's what makes one shine in the world as herself. It is what takes little effort but is greatly appreciated and noticed for its genuine-ness. It is that natural glow and smile that makes one happy and content being around you. It is seeing or catching a glimpse of the awesome creative work of the Father in that person.

Again, it is lasting. It is what endures when the body starts to go.

And I think it is what you would want your spouse in the end to most appreciate. It is what you would want your spouse to appreciate in the beginning.

It is what you might hear a husband say after 50 years of marriage. She is more beautiful now than the day I met her. I believe this is a sentiment that can be realized in a marriage. It goes to the depths of what one sees in the other and how one cherishes and holds the other up as precious, special, and unique.

What would you rather hear your husband say to another person? My wife is hot. Or, my wife is the most beautiful person I have met. I am so grateful to be with her. Look at her.

I cried more than once through a Christmas letter we received this past December. It just held a lot of what I want and long for in family life. Anyway, the husband and father of four wrote the letter and in it he brought out the personalities of his wife and children as he recounted their typical morning. It was really a beautiful letter. What struck me in particular was the way this man honored his wife for her hard work and for her beauty. He is still struck by her beauty even in the early morning as she rushes out the door to spend the entire day at her job. She sort of blows him off, but you can just tell he adores her. Her. For all she is. For who she is. I can't recall his specific words; they just spoke truth about the way he saw her.

She was the model of beauty for him.

So today's prayer for your husband is simple, but it really goes against the grain of what we see on a daily basis in a lot of relationships. Therefore, it takes some courage and boldness and vulnerability to say:

Make my image the model of beauty for him.

Prayer Part Six

There's a lot of help going on in today's prayer for your husband.

But, we all need help. It is not always natural or automatic to embrace and carry out the roles of friend, supporter and lover.

I believe we can call on the grace of God to provide us courage and strength to be a friend when he needs it, a supporter of all he does, and a compassionate and passionate lover of him.

Maybe for you these all three came quite naturally when you first met. Maybe you recognized your limitation in one area or another, or two, but you were so enamored you were willing to make a commitment to grow in that area til death do you part.

I think one of the blessings of marriage is the time one has to work and grow on just about every area of life.

I pray to God I am only in the first fifth or sixth of my marriage. I would love to be like the couple we observed at the Cathedral of St. Paul one year who were celebrating 80 years of marriage to one another. Can you just imagine the growth of love in that relationship? The blessing to have 80 years to help, support and love someone? That is amazing!

Are you your spouse's advocate? His closest confidant? His nearest source of comfort, help and joy?

Pray that he has the eyes to see you as such.

Pray that you have the grace to act as such.

Good things will happen.

I looked up the reference here to Proberbs 15. My Bible, The Message, does not mince words. It's pretty clear. Stay faithful, stay supportive, ask forgiveness when you fail. Pray for a forgiving heart in return.

Help him see me as his helpmate and help me that I can be his best friend, supporter, and lover (Proverbs 5:18-19)

Pew News Quiz

Take the quiz here to test your knowledge of the current political climate in the world.

I got 10 out of 11.

I really need to go with my gut more. I mean really. It has proven correct 11 out of 11 times, so to speak.

When I start to think and reason, sometimes bad things happen.

Like missing number 11.

Next time, I suppose.

Good Luck!

News Flash

In my de-cluttering and cleaning I often find notebooks and pads of paper filled with creative stories, scripts, and letters. Our 11 year old is quite the writer.

Tonight she wrote a newspaper article or newsletter of sorts.

Here it is in full.

Your first issue is free. Subsequent subscriptions will cost you $1.99 each.

Someone is saving her money.

Eleven year olds have goals.

Maddie's Observation and News
Sunday, April 3, 2011

Hi there, folks. Lucky today we didn't get any snow as expected. In fact, most of the snow is melting after that uneventful storm.

UCONN and Butler play in the NCAA championship game tomorrow, Monday, April 4. Here is the team my family is cheering for:

Butler
Dad
Mom
Maddie
Kate

UCONN
Izzy


Dad spray painted our chandelier dark brown; we have been having problems with that lamp since Mom tried to lower it.

Kate, Izzy and I have been reading lots of good books: Kate, the Dear America series; Izzy, Her Bible with mom; Maddie, Black Ships Before Troy and American Girl books.

More News

• Izzy's getting glasses for school
• Twins (MN baseball team) seems to be doing well
• Timberwolves lost against the Heat
• Golden Gopher men and womens gymnastics is going great; both made it to the championship meet!
• Staubles and Cunninghams work together by sharing a garbage can to save money and create compost, though smelly, very colorful.
• Mom and Dad have been doing prayer together regularly.

Mushroom Lasagna

I made this recipe on Friday night, a good meal for our 4th meatless Friday of Lent. We also had company over so I choose to make one new lasagna and another one that I could make in my sleep.

The adults and even some of the kids even liked this one!

I made some adjustments to the ingredients based on the baking dish I used and what I had in the house already.

Here is the recipe with my adjustments in blue.

Sorry. No pictures. But trust me, it is so good.

Ingredients
4 T. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 onions, thinly sliced (1 onion)
1 pound wild mushrooms, such as porcini, oyster, shiitake, morel (1.5 pounds, a combination of baby bella and shiitake)
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 T. chopped fresh thyme (none, I didn't have any to add)
1/2 cup dry Marsala wine (2/3 cup Sweet Vermouthe)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
1 cup beef or vegetable broth (chicken broth)
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded Fontina cheese (a new cheese to me to use in a recipe, soft like Gouda, but more pungent)
12 spinach lasagna noodles (regular kind, Barilla brand, that you don't have to boil first.)
1 cup shredded Mozarella
1 cup grated Parmesan


Directions
In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onions and saute, stirring ofter until tender, 6-7 minutes. Add mushrooms, parsley, and thyme and saute 5 minutes longer. Stir in wine and simmer 5 minutes. Set aside.

(By this time you will want to just eat what's in the pan and not go any further. It smells soooo good.)

In large saucepan, melt butter. Blend in flour and nutmeg (I used a wire whisk.) Cook and stir until bubbly. Gradually add broth and milk. Cook and stir until sauce boils and thickens slightly. Stir in fontina and cook until just melted. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In bottom of 12 x 8 inch baking dish arrange 1/3 of the lasagna noodles in a single layer. (I used a 9 x 13 inch baking dish). Spread with 1/4 of the mushroom mixture and 1/4 of the sauce. Repeat layers with remaining noodles, mushroom mixture and sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan.

Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes.

Cut and serve.

The recipe was shared with me by my neighbor and I'm not sure of its origin so I can't give proper credit. Sorry about that. Just make it your own in any small way. Get creative!