I recently commenced studying for my Masters.  As part of this course I am undertaking what is referred to as Clinical Pastoral Education - it is learning by reflection in a Clinical Pastoral setting.  Hospital Chaplaincy.  I am learning that it is not about religion, but rather, it is about holding a person where they are at and supporting them in a crisis, or just supporting them.  There is a lot of tension in this course.  Not the kind that is negative - rather I am becoming conscious of tension in life in general.  I've always seen things in black and white before.  I mean - how can something be both black and white?  Or soft and hard?  And yet, while I am enjoying this course, there are aspects of it that are difficult and I don't particularly like!  But all of it means that I am learning and growing.  In my reflections of this, I started to think about the tension that God must have experienced.  It being Easter and all.  I mean, long before this world was created even, God's son made a promise that should these created humans, choose to sin, then He would take our place and die so that we might have the opportunity of living with Him in a perfect world one day.  It's easy to make a promise.  It can be harder to fulfill the promise.  Ever made a promise you didn't want to keep?  You didn't realise how hard it would be?  When my son was very young, we were mucking about the pool one day - he was swimming, I was teasing the dogs and making them bark while I was supervising my son.  I was dressed for work.  My dog thought I was falling in the pool and getting quite excited about it all.  My son caught the excitement and said "go on Mum.  I DARE YOU!"  I said to him "what do you dare?"  In a fit of confidence (well, I mean, what mother is going to jump in the pool, fully dressed and ready for work?) he said "I promise I'll give you my allowance for SIX MONTHS!"  I jumped in. 

He learned that day (and the following six months...) how hard it is to keep some promises.  And to be more careful in daring someone else!  But God knew exactly what He was promising.  He knew what separation from His Father meant - He knew the risk.  And yet, when it all boiled down, He kept His promise.  Despite the shame, the heartache, the pain, the separation - He kept His promise.  Talk about tension!  I'm so grateful that He kept His promise.  I'm grateful that He was victorious - because that means that He bought me with a price, and THAT means that He has adopted me.  I'm His daughter - with all the rights and privileges that a daughter of the Most High God has.  

The photos below are ones I took when visiting Jerusalem in 2007.  I thought you might like to visit them with me... 

The slab where the body was laid

The sign on the door

The garden tomb area.  A sacred place.

The garden tomb. 

We don't know if this was the actual site where Jesus was laid and was resurrected.  I like to think it was.  There are two "traditional" sites in Jerusalem, one being inside the Dome of the Rock, and the other being this one. 

Edible Food Containers

I'm a member of The Daring Kitchen.  Have been enjoying the challenges that are put forth each month that the Daring Cooks create and test.  My family is very patient with me and tolerate the new concoctions that are now developed in the kitchen each month.

The Daring Cooks challenge for April was to make edible food containers.  This conjured up many things to the members and some of them were amazing, to say the least.  My imagination wasn't quite so adventurous, but it was very much appreciated!  I actually made two edible food containers, the first one was a great hit with the family.  The second one, not so much - the only time the MOTH (Man-of-the-house) likes soup is when we are out visiting.  So I enjoyed the soup and damper, they all enjoyed the tortilla...  

I made an edible food container out of a baked tortilla, which was shaped inside a pudding bowl, and then baked.  The tortilla was put into the microwave for 15seconds on high to make it more pliable and then baked for about 15 minutes in a moderate oven, until crisp.  The bowl was filled with chilli beans and served with salad...

Chilli Beans

500g dried red kidney beans

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

chilli to taste 

1 500g can tomato soup

500 g tomatoes, peeled and diced

Method:

I cook the beans in my slow cooker - rinse the beans first, then for each cup of beans, add 4 - 5 cups of water, 1 teaspoon salt and cook on high in the slow cooker for about 8 hours.  Once they are cooked, drain.

Saute the garlic and onion in the olive oil.   Add the chilli (I used powder, but you can also use finely chopped fresh) and fry for a few minutes, until aromatic.  Add the tomato soup and the tomatoes and the beans.  Mix well.

Pumpkin Soup in Australian Damper

Pumpkin Soup:

Saute 1 large chopped onion and 3 cloves minced garlic gently in 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Add 1 medium large diced potato, 2 cups diced pumpkin (kentish or Queensland Blue pumpkin is ideal) and fry gently for a few minutes, and then add 100 g washed red lentils.  Add enough water or vegetable stock to cover the vegetables and simmer gently until all are cooked.  Blend until smooth.  Serve in a bowl fashioned from Damper (recipe below) - you can also use sour cream to garnish.  This family isn't a lover of sour cream, so we used the parsley instead.

Australian Damper

This recipe is said to have been a favourite during the depression and is one used by the outback matilda, as it is easy cooked over the campfire.  I remember as a kid, we used to get the dough and wrap it around a stick (duly washed and cleaned of course!!) and held over the coals until it was cooked.  You then take the cooked dough off the stick and fill the hole up with golden syrup, jam or honey.  A great favourite.  Here's how to make it:

2 cups self-raising flour

1/2 tspn salt

1 - 11/2 cups milk

2 teaspoons butter

Rub the butter into the flour and salt.  Add most of the milk all at once and cut into the flour with a knife.  The dough will be sticky.  Add the rest of the milk if the dough is too dry.  Place on a well floured surface and form into round loaf.  Cut a cross into the top of the bun and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees celsius.  When cooked, hollow out the bun, and fill with pumpkin soup.