Fried Rice

This is one of our favorite "everything in the pot" left over recipes. 

Fried Rice

Ingredients:

Olive oil

Sesame oil (if you have it)

1-2 eggs

½-1 cup chopped carrots

½ cup onion

½ cup celery

1 tsp fresh ginger (optional)

2-4 cloves garlic (optional)

½ cup peas (frozen or canned)

½ cup corn (fresh off the cob, frozen, or canned)

1 cup chopped chicken or chopped ham

1-2 cups already cooked white rice

1-2 tbsp soy sauce

3 green onions chopped

Use a little olive oil and a little sesame oil to scramble and cook the egg(s).  set aside. 

Using the same pan, add a little more of each oil. Add the chopped vegetables (ginger and garlic if desired, not the green onion). Cook 8 minutes on medium heat.   

Add the already cooked meat. Add the cooked/cold rice. Stir and mix thoroughly.  

 Add soy sauce, 1 tbsp at a time. Combine well (you do not need much here).   

Remove from heat.   

Add egg and onions. Serve hot. 

Best practices

This year we moved to a new church and I'm trying to institute some new practices for better sanity & fruitfulness at home and in the office. I'll share them for whatever thry might be worth.

#1 keeping sabbath (this is actually a carry-over I've been doing for 12 years. My study of Scripture has taught me the Sabbath is meant to be life-giving and restorative.  So my prohibition of activity normally includes things I "have" to do (aside from the mom things like changing diapers and getting food). It's most often a family day.  We try to think "What would restore us?" "What would feel life giving?"

(The new stuff)

#2 making meals on Saturday to have ready food for lunch on Sunday.  I hate dealing with lunch on Sunday.  I'm tired. The kids are normally cranky. And even "putting something in the oven" seems to take far too long. So having cooked food ready to reheat has been great. 

#3 Late start Monday: this is a chance to find a little order and peace before jumping into the week of work.  It might be extended coffee on the porch,  or cleaning the bathrooms,  vacuuming, or laundry. A few of the chores i refuse to do on sabbath that make home a little better to come home to. 

#4 Work from home Wednesday: frankly, I don't enjoy sitting at a desk or working in an office,  but it's part of the job.  But sometime's it's nice to stay in my pj's and sit on the couch and do some sermon writing,  or read for a class, or leadership dev., or whatever.

I love what I do.  I get great joy from pastoring. I also get great joy from being a mom.  Sometimes there's a pretty decent tension between the two.  So much of this is an attempt to find a better balance for it all.

Preaching Prayer

Loving God,

 Send your Spirit to be upon me.

 Give me the words to speak 

and the message to share with your people.   

Energize me as I prepare to share the Good News.

 Open my ears that I might hear your message for me this day too, 

even as I share with others.   

For all the places that need your grace this day,

 I ask that you would infuse and infiltrate us with your love.   

In Jesus’ name, amen.