Untie the Knots

A Quiet Calm Delight

 Five Minute Fridays! LisaJo inspires a word, and we write, five minutes, (mostly) un-edited, confined by the clock, yet free to soar and sail on streams of words. A huge part of the fun is connecting with other bloggers,  to read what they wrote and hear their voice.

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

lisajobaker.com


This week: Quiet

Someone speaks harsh words to me. I do not lash out in words. I am quiet. Deeply quiet. Too quiet.

I stew on it, I think about it. The perfect words come two and a half hours later. The perfect biting, stinging, caustic reply. And I am grateful the acid words were not spoken aloud.

I go to the Lord. I sit quietly with Him. He hears my silent, unspoken words. His still, small voice reverberates through my heart: the tone of His love, the ringing of His mercy, the notes of His grace, like the last melodious pluck of a harp string, the sound hanging in the air, held aloft, heard even after the soundwaves are gone, quiet. Still.

I think of Colossians 1: 11-12. With calm delight (chara), say grace (eucharisteo). Those are the quiet words I want to say. A thankful heart, a heart of joy, a heart full of calm delights.

I want to say grace, to speak grace, quietly, with calm delight.

Bake Bread, in a Crock Pot?

Yes! This is something I have tried a few times, with varied success. This recipe, from healthybreadinfive.com, does the trick.

Artisan Bread (basic recipe)
3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tbsp yeast
1 1/2 tbsp salt (I used 1 tbsp)
6 1/2 cups flour

Mix ingredients together with a spoon in a large bowl. No need to knead!

Cover loosely with a towel and let rise about two hours, up to five hours.

Dough will be sticky. Add just a little flour if needed to shape the dough into a round and place on a heavy baking tray.
This makes two one-pound batches of dough. Refrigerate or freeze half of it for another day.
Let rest about 40 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees, twenty minutes. Place bread in oven with a pan of water on the lower oven rack.
Bake 30 minutes until browned and crisp.

Crock Pot Version
http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/2012/05/29/crock-pot-bread-baking-fast-bread-in-a-slow-cooker
following the recipe above:
Place a sheet of parchment paper in the crock pot.
Place half of the recipe, shaped into a round on top of the parchment paper.
If you are saving half for another day, it works well to put the other round on a sheet of parchment paper, slide it into a gallon zip lock bag, refrigerate, and it is ready to go for the next time.

Cover, cook on high, about an hour, check - when top of loaf feels firm it is done (my crock pot takes about two hours)
This gives a loaf with a soft crust. If you want it crispy, run it under the broiler for five minutes (watch it carefully)


This is a great way to bake bread. The timing is not critical. You can go for a walk, read a book, run to the store, get lost in a project, work in the garden - and when you come back, the house smells incredible and the bread - mmmmm!

Bread Sticks
Yesterday, I took the other half of the dough and made bread sticks.
Roll the dough out into a long rectangle. This will require more flour to keep it from sticking.

Spread butter and parmesan cheese on the rectangele.

Fold in half. Roll out again into a long rectangle.

Spread with butter and parmesan, again.
Repeat two more times.
Using a pizza cutter, cut the rectangle into long strips.

Pick up each strip, twist it into a spiral - perfection is not the goal here!
Place on greased cookie tray.
Let rise about 45 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees, about twenty minutes until slightly browned.

Delectable.

Your Four Year Story

Whether your post-election response is throwing a party or singing a dirge, this post, by Donald Miller is well worth some thought.

"What do you want to have accomplished four years from now? Because four years from now is coming. And it's coming fast."

                                                                                  - Donald Miller

What are your four-year promises: to yourself?
                                                     to others?
                                                     to God?
 Lots to think about here.

To Spend or Not to Spend

Are you a big fan of sales?
Do you love a great deal?
Does a bargain excite you?
Does two-for-one draw out your wallet?

Do you want to know the best deal of all?
How to save the most?

Don't spend.

What we choose not to spend has great value.

You can't list the non-amount in a checkbook or on a ledger, but what we do not spend has intrinsic value. 

Have you heard of a no-spend month? My friend is doing this for November, and I know it is tough for her. But it is a choice, valuable not just for her finances, but for her character as well.

Some of us live this way, either by choice or necessity. Either way, it is good, coming into the holiday season, to think about our spending. To evaluate purchases wisely, carefully and honestly.

How? Use what we have. Re-purpose. Re-think. Discover gratefulness for all we do have.

And, if you are spending (not always a bad thing), a group called Pure Charity is sponsoring an event, now through December 25th that connects with stores, and a portion of on-line purchases goes to children in Haiti. A wise way to put some heart in our spending. 
Go here, to check it out: http://www.deidrariggs.com/2012/11/01/this-is-you-changing-the-world-booya/
Or, here: www.purecharity.com

As Deidra says, "This is you. This is me. This is us. Changing the world."

On a humorous note: I was cutting the ads out from today's mail for the photo above when our son walked into the room. He looked over my shoulder.
"What are you doing - writing a ransom note?"

The Just Right Ending

"Peter's mother put her arm round him suddenly, and hugged him in silence for a minute. Then she said, 'Don't you think it's rather nice to think that we're in a book that God's writing? If I were writing a book, I might make mistakes. But God knows how to make the story end just right - in the way that's best for us.'

"Do you really believe that, Mother?" Peter asked quietly.

"Yes," she said. "I do believe it - almost always - except when I'm so sad that I can't believe anything. But even when I can't believe it, I know it's true - and I try to believe it. You don't know how I try, Peter."

from The Railway Children

by E. Nesbit

joining Deidra and the quiet Sunday community

For the Love of Art

Our daughter has a new website to display her art and promote her commission work. She will take a photo you send her - a pet, a family member or friend, anything, anyone, really, and turn it into a drawing. She does white pencil on black, pencil drawings, or a touch of color in a black and white drawing. Her latest technique is to draw on canvas, like a painter would use, but she does her pencil drawings on it to create a more finished product. She loves a challenge, stretching her skills to discover a new technique and fresh abilities.

http://littlebitzoart.wix.com/littlebitzoart#!home/mainPage

Explore, browse through her website to see more of her completed drawings.

Granted. I am the proud mother. What do you think? Draw a black lab on black with a white pencil. Don't you want to scratch this lab behind the ears? I could take her home.

She also has a blog, http://littlebitzofart.blogspot.com/