Here we are…….continuing to whiz through Advent at breakneck speed.
I find myself sucked into the vortex of “intense Christmas Chaos” no matter how hard I struggle to remain calm and focused on Advent Meditations etc!! However, I feel I have made some progress this year, in finding the odd oasis of calm, on the “journey”.
We lit the third candle last evening , and read the prayers. The “we” of my household, currently consists of my McGill Student boarder, Maria, and myself and Maria will be heading home, tomorrow, to her family in Saskatchewan so I know the rest of the candles will need to be lit alone.
I really do not mind being alone for Christmas but it can be a struggle when so much of our celebrations at this Season revolve around “family”,whatever form or shape that takes.
I was reflecting on why there is such a focus,particularly at Christmas,on “family” and then I had a sort of”duh” light bulb moment and realised that the whole Christmas story is about a little family, so of course, the Lord would want us to celebrate all the wonders of being part of family at this time.
Tonight I get to share with my Day Camp Committee Family as we have our December Meeting.
A couple of our student members have had to send regrets due to exams, concerts etc. but we need to go ahead with the meeting since the Epiphany Team Gathering, is just around the corner on January 7th and we also need to forge ahead looking at progress in many areas of our planning
Emma and David have both offered to take recruiting posters and hang them up at their school Christian Fellowships and I’m hoping this might bear fruit in terms of finding older “Team Leader” prospects for Summer 2012.
We now have 1 definite Training Parish Church and a second looking hopeful. I have directly approached the 3 communities that hosted Training Day Camps last year to see if they are up for this somewhat “rocky” challenge, as it is essential to have those key churches in place as soon as possible.
Over the Christmas Holidays I shall also begin work on Training Retreat plans. I usually do all the menu planning at this time of year and also begin to think of likely prospects in terms of Speakers and Workshop Leaders . The Retreat week is such a vital component of our Team Training that I feel it is important to begin planning early so that we can continue to revise and hone the final schedule according to God’s plan and make it as perfect a tool as possible in equipping our Teams for the Summer Ministry ahead .
So what are we EATING at the meeting tonight??
………..Well, I composed a Mexican Christmas menu so we are having a Mexican Turkey Stew with Blue Corn Chips, Mexican Spiced Hot Chocolate and Mexican Christmas Bread Pudding. The bread pudding was fiendishly complicated to assemble so I think I’ll include the stew recipe as it might prove useful, after Christmas for anyone faced with turkey leftovers!
Mexican Turkey Stew
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1clove garlic,minced
- 2 tsps. hot pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsps. oil
- 1 1/2 cups corn kernels
- 1cup lima beans
- 2 cups diced, cooked turkey ( or chicken)
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 4 cups chicken or turkey broth
- 1 tsp. oregano
- 1can pinto beans( or 2 cups cooked dried beans)
- juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Heat oil over med. heat in a large pot and fry onion and garlic and pepper flakes for 5mins. add broth, oregano and potatoes and simmer for 15 mins, or until potatoes are just tender.
Add tomatoes, lima and pinto beans, corn and turkey and heat through.
Just before serving stir in lime juice and garnish with chopped cilantro.
Serves 8