Transformed.Com

Ah, this time last year I was working like a crazy fool to finishing writing a Vacation Bible School Program. In January it was published, but I didn’t get a copy of the book until yesterday. Better late than never. Fortunately I had seen the book before, since a friend had bought a copy and showed it to me, so the emotion was slightly less. Still to see what you have labored over for so long, actually in print is exciting. It’s always a disappointment when some things are changed and the art is not just exactly what you had envisioned, but then I have to remember, I have really high standards and I saw the stuff in my head, they didn’t.  I am pleased that it is a different kind of topic, using computers and robots and the like to transmit the message of how we are being transformed. I wish I could see some of the churches doing the activities.  I mean I write the stuff all in my room alone and then I wonder if anyone can actually use the stuff in a practical way. I know my ideas are not always easy or clear, so this time I really tried to scale back to make things easier. I wonder if I’ll ever know if I succeeded? I wish there was some way of having feedback. I like writing the VBS, and I offered to do it for the Women’s Missionary Union. I wonder if I’ll get another chance to do one? At least not for a couple of years, since they didn’t ask me to do one for 2012 or 2013.  I have many writing projects on the blocks because I don’t have anyone to publish them. I have a devotional book for women on Proverbs I’ve started; a book of Bible studies on the women of the Bible written; a book of devotionals on cats written for children (almost finished), but without a deadline or publisher, I definitely am unmotivated. What to do?

Now on to the slower cooker. Yesterday I made an apple flavored 4 grain cereal. It has quinoa, barley, steel cut oats and wheat berries. OK, quick question… what are wheat berries?  I mean to find them here in Brazil I had to know the answer to that. I actually had no idea.  In case you are like me, they are nothing special, just the whole, uncracked wheat kernel. They look like TVP (texturized vegetable protein). So I cooked all these whole grains together with honey, apples and cinnamon. Smelled pretty good. I made it last night so I could keep an eye on it, so just heated it this morning. I added a little butter as I reheated this morning and you know it was actually good, despite João asking me if I was eating cat vomit. Are you going to tell me all this whole grain goodness looks like vomit? Trust me, that does not increase one’s appetite.

Everyone tells me that oats fill them up, but me I’m hungry about 5 minutes later, if not starving. Quinoa, however does the trick and carries me through the morning quite well. I’ll let you know if this whole grain cereal does the trick.  I hope so. I have nothing to fix for lunch.

I hope to work up courage to go out walking. My back or hip (who knows which) is on the rampage and I feel like someone is poking hot fire into my left hip/back as I sit, stand and  walk. Lying down doesn’t hurt if I do it just right. I’ve tried ice and I’ve tried heat, but I finally gave up and took Advil. Hope that helps. I don’t do pain! Currently we are without a car, since ours was sold and so far no sign of the new car. I’ll keep you posted!