Culinary Arts

Well I had my first day as a teacher! It was odd, and fun.

Jr High: The Jr High class is a lot more work. Thankfully, I have 2 rockin assistants! WOW. Erica Bost, and Terry Hartley, as well as Amy Ann Hartley for High School.

There is 30 kids in this class. Of course, the boys grouped together in the middle of room, and the girls had grabbed the other tables. The boys turned out to be quite a problem. I really had to back down, because as the first day goes, I dont even know these boys well. I actually yelled at them at one point, told them to shut up once or twice, and said some other things that I think flew over their heads like:

"If I needed your help teaching my class, I would ask you" or "If I thought your comments on everything everyone else said were relevant, I would ask for your input".

I cannot remember the other things. Anyhow, I dont blame them. I still cant sit still in an environment like that. It drives me crazy.

We broke them up into 5 teams of 5, I think there are more kids however. LOL. Anyway, the girls whined about having boys in their group, but thankfully, God had mercy and distibuted the boys fairly well. They are going to do Lasagna.

Sr High:

This groups is a lot more calm. They still have their moments. Many of them are flat out goofy. One student did bring me chocolate (dark) which I informed everyone in advance that if they did bribe me with dark chocolate, it ensured them an A. Good on him. It is a Fraser boy, and you can see how his Dad got to be such a bigwig! LOL.

This class got broken up into 4 teams of 5. 3 of the teams want to do something with chicken. 1 Team is going to do lasagna. This is harder, but they all wanted to go for it. Each team is offering me 3 ideas, I will pick out of the 3, and we will go for it. Im excited about this class.

One odd thing, I felt very led when I introduced myself to share my story with them. All of a sudden I felt like telling them what my High School experience was like, and the ugly parts of it, and the subsequent immediately after it. I think many of these kids wont have nearly the same experience, I think it is important to share thsi with them anyhow. We will see later why I hope.

I am now part of the establishment. I avoided it for 37 years. Thankfully, I am in a school that is very new, and very different. I think even my own Dad might like the way it works (He and I both hated school). Im challenged, but confident. I love cooking, and I hope that I can helpt hese kids. In reality, this class is just an excuse to encourage, assist, develop, be with these kids as they are making transitions out into the marketplace.

Im Arthur, King of the .....NOT

All I can say is I have been to Arthur Bryants 2 times. This is supposedly the best BBQ in KC, the country, and the world. It is not.

The Burnt Ends are overly salty, mushy, dark, murky and barely passable. The beef was very dry, and flavorless. The Ribs were good, but I have had MUCH better. I think they use MSG in their rub as well, because after, my breathing was a little messed up.

This is a disappointment. Here are the favorites so far...

Ribs (Baby Back): Jacks Stack
Ribs (SPare): Jacks/Gates
Burnt Ends: Jacks Stack
Sauce: Jacks Stack
Pulled Pork Sandwich: Oklahoma Joes (I dont think Jacks does pork shoulder, or they might be the winner here too)
Others:

Fries: Jacks, Gates
Beans: Jacks (I havent had Arthur Bryants)
Cheesy Corn get honorable mention here. IT isnt served anywhere else I know about, but it is a food group by itself.


Notice Gates BBQ on here? Their fries are good, but everything else is VERY salty. Ribs are good at Gates, but for Baby Backs Jacks beats out.

Im going to check out some other, littler places. We also need to go to KC Masterpiece. It seems we like our BBQ upscale. I just hate mushy, murky flavors.

Preggo

Danielle came down the stairs yesterday for our trip to Home Depot with the girls, and looked more pregnant than ever. I dont know why exactly, but it really sturck me. I didnt get great pictures, I was trying to be sneaky. Isnt she cute?

Here I thought I was taking a picture, but it was a movie.

SUPRISE SUPRISE SUPRISE.....

Last week the girls were getting ready for their mom to come and pick them up. What they didnt know, is their 2 aunts (Carolyn and Katie) and their cousin (Ciera, Carolyn's daughter) were in KC to visit them, and were the ones at the door. Due to parental excitement, and technical difficulties, I missed the actual revealing. I should have just put it as a movie.

This is the first hug. The opening of the door, and the shock, and then the subsequent screaming was fantastic.





Then as things began to set in, it was great to watch my girls with some of their very favorite people. Israel practically spent the first 4-5 years of her life, and then the last coule years, with Katie Mae as an older sister, and Carolyn and her husband Chris, along with their children Cameron, Chase and Ciera have been critical to my daughters happiness.

This was such a great surprise. They went off and left me for the weekend! Danielle had to leave as well to do The Nazarite Uprising conference so it was just me and Zeb. And it was LONELY!!!!

Some lost christmas pix

This one is one I took where I found all these girls on a couch and the floor at Angies house. The one on the floor, thata Maria (or "Ahria" if you ask my cute little niece Hurricane)

Left to right, Israel, Judah, Angela, Ava, Leah, and Maria on floor.

This of course is Ava. Plenty of pictures of this one. This is her with her momma.

Lots of things

I realized we had a lot of pictures and things over the last month not posted and un documented. Im going to post some of these over several posts to show how wonderful and sometimes busy our life has been.

Baby Huck

Boaz was not a hero....

A few years back I had a little revelation about Boaz, and how he was fulfilling a commandment.

Basically, Boaz left grain in the fields for the "gleaners". These folks were the poor (widows, orphans, and aliens). There is commandments (not suggestions) in Leviticus that direct any land owner to ensure there is something for the poor. When you read the passages, there is something communicated that I think is even more heart felt.

The idea is that as you harvest, you make sure you DONT go back for the last amounts of grain scattered about when you tied up the sheaves. You intentionally leave it there, around the edges of your farm. This will allow people to come and "glean", or pick up the left overs so they have food to eat. The people allowed to glean are those in the Isrealite society that were incapable of providing for themselves.

The fact the grain is left around the edges is important too. It means that for the most part, someone could gather the grain, without having to be exposed in the middle of an empty field for being poor, and a "gleaner".

But here is the point. This isnt a suggestion. This is a command. It is to be part of your business plan so to speak. This is more than a command, it is THE LAW, or more directly, THE TORAH.

I suggest, Boaz wasnt a hero. He was simply obedient (interesting word here, as I believe his sone was named OBED?) to the Torah. A good Jew.

Now his behavior AFTER was exemplerary, but even then, not unheard of. He was a kinsman redeemer. There was provision for that. Other people did that too. Although it sure is a beautiful story, and helps us see God.

However, what is THE TORAH? It is the revelation of God. It describes who He is. Sometimes by what He is not (check the 10 commandments), but in this case, by who He IS. It is inherent in Gods design and His Heart that He provides for the poor, the oppressed, and the lonely. And to be called one of His people, the Jews were called to The Torah. If they were to be His people, they were to obey. It was a sign to the other nations. The covenant between the husband (God) and the bride (the jew) was Torah.

You cannot be His Bride without His covenant.

What about now?

Some people think Jesus overcame the Torah. But He was clear He came to fulfill it. He never once broke Torah. And what is clear is the 1st century apostles that were born Jews, kept Torah. Jesus didnt put away the Torah, He fulfilled the ceremonial aspects of the 1st covenant by fulfilling it Himself. We dont have to sacrifice to be atoned for, our faith in His atonement is sufficient. There is no more sacrifice. But we dont now go ahead and lie, cheat, steal, commit adultery etc... It isnt as if these things are ok.

The Torah still stand, but the positional and ceremonial aspects of justification are met via faith, not the blood of animals.

This being my conviction, this would mean it isnt enough to give when led. It simply isnt enough. The Law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the Soul. Maybe more than just my Soul? Maybe that perfect Law also demonstrates Gods heart, and His commitment to me, and mine to Him, is
to obey. So I must do more than reflexively give. I must include giving to the widow, the orphan, and the alien as a part of my "business plan".

I cannot escape this. I must generously "leave something in the field". I dont try to squeez out every bit. I slosh a bunch of it around, and make sure no one is exposed by having to come through my field and pick it. In fact, I make it as easy and kind as I can. And I NEVER discriminate as to who comes through. I dont pick only pretty young girls, or Africans, or "full time" ministers who are single, people who fit my paradigm of a "gleaner" etc... I leave that to God.

I encourage you, if you own a business, to consider obedience to Torah as a reality. You simply MUST allow for the gleaners. Not as an afterthought, but as a pro-active commitment on the part of your business. If you dont "own a field", you have work somewhere. You have a harvest. You have the Torah, and you have the revelation of the Torah (Jesus/Yeshua).

Do you need anymore?

Misc and Loose notes

Cloudy 10°F
Feels Like
-4°F

Wheeeeeee haaaa. I knew it was cold the other day. Im actually really built for the cold. Lots of insulation layers etc... I found myself running Zebulun around the other day after I got back from the gym. I was in shorts and a sweatshirt. I realized it was 20 degrees F! That was a little cold for me.

then the other day I took zeb out, and by the time I got to the end of the block, my eyes were tearing, my cheeks hurt, my nose felt like it was burning and all the saliva in the corners of my mouth was frozen. It was actually starting to get painful. I turned around and went home. I found out it was 5 deg F with a little wind, so it was like -1. I hit my limit.

Danielle is back after a very neat conference. She has done a great job, and had lots of funny stories to tell about how when Lou Engle was calling for people who felt very connected to the LIFE movement stand up, Huckleberry started wiggling like CRAZY. I guess Huck Like LIFE (go figure) and probably LOVES Lou. I think all kids do.

Our lives are finally settling down. The holidays are too much disruption for me. Between that and a 3 week break from school for the kids, and then a death in the family, it was pretty chaotic. Im getting so busy that it is becoming evident we need to have som stability around here. A consistent Schedule helps.

It is one of the problems around here. Everything is so active, I have to say no to lots of great things. I am limited in scope, and need to stick to what I know God has told us.

Some things God has led us to believe and pray for:

1. 150 adoptions in the local KC area, especially the IHOP community by 12/31/2008.
2. $1,000,000 in donations to the Zoe foundation by 12/31/2008.

I am also turning my focus to The Daniel Academy. I see a budding, richly diverse group of kids that need to be equipped far more deeply than I needed. Part of this will be just helping organizationally as we see needs, but also teaching. I listened to the Teachers Meeting, and all I can say is I could never see myself able to teach a typical class like Math or English. These people have such a higher level of organization and detail ability than me it is almost sad. I am not built like that, and can really appreciate how much effort they go to in helping my children.

A really sad tragedy struck here in KC. A family Danielle met right before they left for India, the Maas family, suffered the loss of their husband/father. This family sold most everything and left for India, with 4 kids, and gave themselves to orphans. I dont know the whole story, but Im not sure they even got to the place they were supposed to before Dave got sick, and had 2 heart attacks and died. I have not met this family, but Danielle did right before they left.

This is a hurtful story. People giving everything they have, and the hurt and anguish they must be feeling. Having to come all the way back, an exhausting trip, with no resources etc... We all know God will provide, but He often does it THROUGH THE BODY. I cannot say enough. You either help widows and orphans, or you dont. It is clear in scripture. I dont care if it is $5 or $50, all believers are called to help. Those who dont consider themselves "Christians" etc... still find it in their hearts to give. If you want to contribute, we have information. Email me.... Personally, this is a non-negotiable. I may not have much, but that is irrelevant.

Just Another SNOW DAY

Woke up at 3 am, couldnt sleep. So at 4 went down and worked until 6, and snuggled with wifey until she had to get up and go to the airport. She is a VERY Important Person. She is coordinating the Nazarite Uprising Conference for The Call in Ct this weekend.

Im just plugging away doing my stuff. I was supposed to teach my first day at class today, but it is a SNOW DAY. Good and bad. Kids Home,,,, fun but bad because it is hard for them when I am working. Bad that I dont get to try and teach and meet all these new kids Im going to LOVE this semester.

Oh well...

So I shoveled the driveway because it is a PAIN to not do it when it is going to stay cold for several days. My driveway is an ice skating rink. Like a good midwestern boy I did my job.

I love it here. I am so grateful I have a warm house, children, babies coming, friends...I just want to be faithful, and one of the best ways I can thank God is to enjoy it, and appreciate it because He gave it all to me because He loves me.

My Danie

My Wife turned 25 yesterday (well actually 24, it all depends on who you ask). In the haze of some recent events, and the fact that Im just not very organized or aware I simply came upon the day.

It isnt that Danielle isnt important, it is more my mindset than anything else. I dont like birthdays particularly, and could care less about mine. I dont care about getting older, I just simply look at a birthday and think "neat" and move on. Unfortunately, not everyone thinks like that, and once again.... my narcissism catches up with me.

And how many things am I going to be able to say about Danielle that havent been said yet? Anyone who either knows her or reads my blog is going to say the same things. We ALL love her. We all admire her. And I think she is the cutest pregnant lady on the planet.

It has been a sad time the last couple of days/week with her father passing away. The grief is really now just beginning to surface. It is a bizzare time, there is a baby growing in there. It is a stressful time, as working for a disorganization takes its toll on an administrator. It has been a sick time, and just yesterday was the first day out of bed (for some of us anyway).

And all through this, my lovely wife is just so lovely. She is all that she is, all the time. I wish there was ways that could give you the emotional understanding of what it is like to be with someone of this stature (even at 5' 3"). To say something like "She completes me" is a lie. She makes up a good 85% of the real stuff in our marriage and family. The rest is either fluff or personality on my part.

I wish I had been more conscientious Danielle. And to be totally honest, it isnt like I didnt have a few nudges from lots of sources. Im so sorry (yet again). But I do love you, just not well enough yet.