Black Bean Brownies:
A dear friend of mine gave me this recipe.
box of brownie mix
can of black beans
1/2 cup water
Instead of adding the oil and eggs to the brownies, only add the black beans (pureed with the beans and water in the can) and water to the mix and stir. If the consistency I believe it is about a cup. Then bake according to the package. For you adventuresome ones, this creates a healthier snack, and I must say, even my skeptical husband loved them
Pumpkin Muffins: my mother in law just did this one and they were fantastic.
Can of pumpkin puree
Box of chocolate cake mix.
1/2 cup of water
Mix together and place in muffin pans. Then bake according to directions on the back of the box. They are really good and not only will kick that chocolate craving but also will give you all the benefits of pumpkin, considered a super food, in this yummy dessert
Friday, August 21, 2009
Humility in Crossing Cultures
Tucker and I are looking to move to a part of town in Atlanta that is truly the area where internationals from all over the world choose to make their home. Tucker is currently working in apartment leasing at one of these locations, a place full of Latin Americans, African people, and your occasional Caucasian neighbor, and I do mean occasional. The opportunity to cross cultures so close to home is incredibly exciting, and after years of telling short term participants that the foreign field is all around them with all the immigrants moving to the states, we are excited to start this adventure and work alongside these people. The other day, however, I realized that I have a lot to learn.
After working in Mexico for three years, first at the school and then discipling women in the small market town where I lived, I developed a pretty defined picture of what my role was on the team I ministered with. Meeting women and making relationships with people has never been a difficulty for me, I simply would just walk into a shop and start a conversation. I am a very outgoing person, fear or uncertainty never really stopped me in those situations. The friendships I developed as a result were extraordinary and I found myself assuming that my style of interaction would be how I would do things, no matter where we ended up. In my limited experience with cultures, I unconsciously determined that this pattern of relationship making would cross any culture.
Now two months later, I have found that the place I held on the front lines of relationship making has been changed, and I know that I will need to trust in God all the more in this next step. While my confident husband goes out meeting Ethiopian men in the market, Indian restaurant workers in the food court, visiting Mosques and various temples, I have found myself patiently waiting to learn how I must dress and what are the taboos I must not do in order to meet the women in these local places. A couple of days ago, I accompanied my mother-in-law and husband to the Global Mall to eat Indian Food. This Eastern, and pre-dominantly Indian setting has become a favorite dining place for my husband who works only a few miles away, and I must say I love the fact that we are often the only Caucausian people there. After lunch we began to explore, and found a gym offering martial arts classes. As introductions took place, I confidently stuck my hand out to shake the man's hand. His reaction was polite, "Sorry mam, I can't. I am Muslim." This single event has began a series of humbling and life changing thoughts as we look to heading to an Eastern country someday. My whole approach to ministry for the last few years must change as I go to countries that place a high importance on the place in society for women. This is good.
Lean not on your own understanding, the Lord keeps urging me, and yet I find myself trying to gain confidence in my own ability. "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." To see the Kingdom come in the life that God has destined for our family, I must humble myself and be led by my husband Tucker and ultimately Him, Trusting in the Lord, and not my own assurance or confidence. And as Tucker and I look to being led into this cross-cultural lifestyle, I must be willing to let Tucker go first. This may seem easy for many of you, I however thrive at being the adventuresome one, the first one or at least among the first ones. And so, as I pray that the Lord refines me and us, I have found that refinement is touching every aspect of my life that may intimate or breed pride and cutting it off. Lord, I pray that I will accept whatever you will give me, and whatever place I must take as we live among these people that define the roles of women so differently.
After working in Mexico for three years, first at the school and then discipling women in the small market town where I lived, I developed a pretty defined picture of what my role was on the team I ministered with. Meeting women and making relationships with people has never been a difficulty for me, I simply would just walk into a shop and start a conversation. I am a very outgoing person, fear or uncertainty never really stopped me in those situations. The friendships I developed as a result were extraordinary and I found myself assuming that my style of interaction would be how I would do things, no matter where we ended up. In my limited experience with cultures, I unconsciously determined that this pattern of relationship making would cross any culture.
Now two months later, I have found that the place I held on the front lines of relationship making has been changed, and I know that I will need to trust in God all the more in this next step. While my confident husband goes out meeting Ethiopian men in the market, Indian restaurant workers in the food court, visiting Mosques and various temples, I have found myself patiently waiting to learn how I must dress and what are the taboos I must not do in order to meet the women in these local places. A couple of days ago, I accompanied my mother-in-law and husband to the Global Mall to eat Indian Food. This Eastern, and pre-dominantly Indian setting has become a favorite dining place for my husband who works only a few miles away, and I must say I love the fact that we are often the only Caucausian people there. After lunch we began to explore, and found a gym offering martial arts classes. As introductions took place, I confidently stuck my hand out to shake the man's hand. His reaction was polite, "Sorry mam, I can't. I am Muslim." This single event has began a series of humbling and life changing thoughts as we look to heading to an Eastern country someday. My whole approach to ministry for the last few years must change as I go to countries that place a high importance on the place in society for women. This is good.
Lean not on your own understanding, the Lord keeps urging me, and yet I find myself trying to gain confidence in my own ability. "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." To see the Kingdom come in the life that God has destined for our family, I must humble myself and be led by my husband Tucker and ultimately Him, Trusting in the Lord, and not my own assurance or confidence. And as Tucker and I look to being led into this cross-cultural lifestyle, I must be willing to let Tucker go first. This may seem easy for many of you, I however thrive at being the adventuresome one, the first one or at least among the first ones. And so, as I pray that the Lord refines me and us, I have found that refinement is touching every aspect of my life that may intimate or breed pride and cutting it off. Lord, I pray that I will accept whatever you will give me, and whatever place I must take as we live among these people that define the roles of women so differently.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Leaving one world and Entering another.
This is my family, the Martin's. So different from my own, but wonderful just the same.
I almost felt like royalty when taking this picture, so different from hiking through the dust in Mexico.
Aunt Lydia and Me, I love how family grows through marriage
We have been told we look alike in this picture, I am flattered, but don't see it.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Pam's Quirks
Although I am sure that many of you who have been a part of my life for a while could think of many unusual qualities I possess, I am only going to write about one in particular that has come to my attention more evidently since starting to wait tables at a Mexican Restaurant. . . .
On a warm weekday in Georgia, one can enter through the doors of a small, nicely decorated Mexican restaurant and be welcomed with an Hola and the delightful smell of sizzling fajitas in the air. After being seated in a dimly lit booth they are greeted with a smile and a Buenas Tardes, by their cute, energetic waitress. With orders in mind the waitress goes to fill two glasses of water and run to the bar to pick up a couple of margaritas, with salt of course. But then, . . . ( this is when the scary Jaws music begins to play ) . . . as the waitress comes back with the drinks, she trips over an invisible raise in the floor and spills the waters all over her customers, barely saving the alcohol from toppling on top of them as well. The startled customers barely know what to say, and yet after the waitress with the big eyes apologizes profusely, their surprise/anger diminishes.
Yes, I am that waitress. Today, I walked into another waiter carrying a tray. Unfortunately the waiter was a little taller than I and the tray hit my neck, causing the piping hot cheese dip he was carrying to slide up my neck and down my shirt. Wow.
I have recently noticed that as I walk through the kitchen all the other waiters quickly jump out of my way, knowing full well that my tendency to run into walls, them, and drop things consistently very well may slow there stride down as well. I am not exactly sure how to solve this, but am hoping for some kind of remedy. Clumsiness is just one of those things about me that make people laugh, or slowly shake their heads in pity. When asked what the best word in Spanish was for clumsy, my hostess friend looked up at me with a smile and said "Pamela."
On a warm weekday in Georgia, one can enter through the doors of a small, nicely decorated Mexican restaurant and be welcomed with an Hola and the delightful smell of sizzling fajitas in the air. After being seated in a dimly lit booth they are greeted with a smile and a Buenas Tardes, by their cute, energetic waitress. With orders in mind the waitress goes to fill two glasses of water and run to the bar to pick up a couple of margaritas, with salt of course. But then, . . . ( this is when the scary Jaws music begins to play ) . . . as the waitress comes back with the drinks, she trips over an invisible raise in the floor and spills the waters all over her customers, barely saving the alcohol from toppling on top of them as well. The startled customers barely know what to say, and yet after the waitress with the big eyes apologizes profusely, their surprise/anger diminishes.
Yes, I am that waitress. Today, I walked into another waiter carrying a tray. Unfortunately the waiter was a little taller than I and the tray hit my neck, causing the piping hot cheese dip he was carrying to slide up my neck and down my shirt. Wow.
I have recently noticed that as I walk through the kitchen all the other waiters quickly jump out of my way, knowing full well that my tendency to run into walls, them, and drop things consistently very well may slow there stride down as well. I am not exactly sure how to solve this, but am hoping for some kind of remedy. Clumsiness is just one of those things about me that make people laugh, or slowly shake their heads in pity. When asked what the best word in Spanish was for clumsy, my hostess friend looked up at me with a smile and said "Pamela."
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