Debi amazes me.

So, I have been thinking a lot about a conversation that my friend Debi and I had the other day while we were sitting in the church office during service. We were talking about my recent return to vegetarian/veganism and she brought up an excellent point that I think so many people tend to forget. Debi said that she thinks it’s great that people have a passion about animals or the environment but what makes her mad is when they don’t have a passion for people.

And you know what…she has a valid point.

I think for me personally, since one of my passions is people I don’t realize that for so many others it’s an afterthought or even a non thought. I know several people who are passionate about how we treat pigs, cows, chickens and fish but don’t think twice about the millions of people in this world suffering with AIDS. Or the people who compost every possible piece of trash they can and recycle everything that can possibly be recycled but never think twice about the person that is trafficked across a border and sold into slavery each minute of each day.

Don’t get me wrong. I definitely do NOT believe in cruelty to animals or in ruining the planet that God so graciously placed us on, (although we have already pretty much done that.) Let’s be honest, I have made a lifestyle choice because I don’t agree with the treatment of animals and their situations. It’s just been on my heart how accurate Debi’s statement is. People just don’t seem to care about people.

I am starting a small group next Wednesday and it’s gonna be rough! I thought long and hard about the book that I wanted to go through for the group. I knew that since we would be starting the small group when our twentysomethings group is going through a series on human trafficking that I wanted to choose a book that addresses some of the global issues and social injustices. I chose a book by Tom Davis called Red Letters: Living a Faith that Bleeds. His book focuses on the words in the bible that are in red, Jesus’s words. “In many bibles, Christ’s words are set apart in red letters. This distinction reminds us that when God becomes Man and speaks, it’s probably something we cannot afford to miss. So why doesn’t the church take these “red letters” to heart? Why aren’t we being the hands and feet to the poor, the disenfranchised, the weary, the ill, the fatherless, the prisoners? Why has the church shirked its responsibilities, leaving the work to be done by governments, rock stars and celebrities?”

I am so excited for this book, and this study. In the beginning of his book Tom Davis acknowledges the millions of people who are infected with AIDS who deserve to know they are loved and respected. That is just awesome to me. It’s going to be a tough book, but it’s going to be amazing to watch the change it makes in us. We are here to be Christ’s hands and feet to the world. THE WORLD.The world is a huge place but there is so much we can do to help.

I love that God gave me a passion for people and that he put people like Debi here who realize that we are here to serve one another no matter how near or far. I know that here in America it is hard to remember those suffering so far away and there are issues that we never even think about because we live in a place where they just don’t happen; but I challenge you to be convicted by Debi’s statement and to get angry. Be uncomfortable. Learn what happens to the majoritiy of the people in this world and be affected by it. Be outraged, be beside yourself and do something about it. Make the world a better place. Remember, if everyone made just a drop in a bucket eventually the bucket would be full. Your drop can make a huge difference.

Thank you Debi.

Adventures in Tofuland!

There are two things that come to my mind, (well used to come to my mind,) when I think of preparing tofu myself.

#1 ugh…scary…
#2 it’s gonna be BAD.

Well, come to find out my adventures in Tofuland were neither of those two things; well, the tofu was a little scary at first…but that kind of went away quickly. I decided to prepare a “Blessed Broccoli Stir Fry” from my wonderful birthday present from Sara, La Dolce Vegan. (It is turning out to be an amazing vegan cookbook.)

It was a pretty simple stir fry. Dark sesame oil, onions and firm tofu cubed. Saute that in a wok until the onions were translucent and the tofu started to brown and then add in carrots, broccoli and tamari, (which is a dark soy sauce.) Cover and simmer until your veggies and soft and then VOILA! Serve over rice and you have an AWESOME stir fry. It was seriously SO GOOD. My tofu stayed together in nice little cubes and was absolutely delicious. Here are some photos for your viewing pleasure.

here i go again...

So…this is actually my second blog. i must be losing it. My other blog is dedicated to business purposes so this blog is dedicated to my personal adventures and ramblings, probably more ramblings than adventures.

Over the past week I have been contemplating beginning a personal blog. I think that blogs provide us with a way to put our personal experiences out there, (there meaning out in the world for all to see,) without really feeling vulnerable. I mean realistically if you don’t know me personally if you happen along the pages of my blog it will be merely coincidental and should you choose to comment, (which most people will not,) if you comment negatively how seriously will I really be affected by the comments of a stranger? It’s almost like blogs are a way to say how you feel without being subjected to the responses of others. So…basically…they are AWESOME!

The first topic I think that I want to approach is my recent return to vegetarianveganism. Yep, vegetarianveganism. I aspire to live a mostly vegan lifestyle however I realize that I am not quite ready, or educated enough, to make the best egg and dairy free decisions.

I made the mistake of reading too much about what happens to the animals we call breakfast, lunch and dinner. I think it is the worst legal form of animal cruelty. These animals are raised in horrible conditions and often die or are killed in even worse ones. It makes me sick to my stomach to think about what happens to the food we eat and the clothes we wear before they arrive at the stores we purchase them from. I am not against eating meat; I am against the way the animals are treated. My dad raises chickens, and has raised pigs in the past, for eggs and food and he treats them well, feeds them well and kills them in the most humane way possible. I am not against this kind of meat or eggs, or even dairy where the cows aren’t pumped full of hormones. The fact of the matter is that most of our food is not supplied in this way and I just choose not to contribute anymore. It’s an extremely personal choice…one that I don’t expect everyone to make. But it seems to be the right one for me, for now anyway.

Here’s my newest favorite thing…they are DELICIOUS!