Happy 2nd Birthday La Bonne Vie!

So I guess I took a sabbatical. I traveled a bit, cooked a little, tried a lot of different foods, wines and cocktails. It was good. I needed some time to rest and reflect.

I love that today is La Bonne Vie 2nd Birthday...and that this is the first blog back from a short break.

Today, I just want to take time to remember.
I want to remember Mason. I want to remember why I began cooking and logging it all into this diary in the first place. I want to remember my favorite pictures and foods. 

And I want to celebrate it!

Mason & How It All began...

Mason...

I lost my dear friend, Linda H. Mason in May 2014. You will see me refer to her throughout this blog as Mason. 

The loss is tremendous.

And Thus It Began...

So what did I do...I began to cook! 

Mason and I loved food! Mason had a few standby recipes...a cheese ball, cornbread...oh- and a fudge recipe that was out of this world!!! Other than that, she really didn't enjoy cooking. But we loved eating what I cooked. I thought: I should begin cooking, creating, and exploring as a way to heal through the loss of my friend.

She always encouraged me in my writing too. I would often take my work to her home and read my manuscripts to her.
Why not combine these two things...the cooking and the writing?

Mason also loved anything French. I love French food. One of my favorite movies is Ratatouille- a movie (set in France) about a rat who becomes a chef. (I named my cat after the main character, "Remy"!)

It was coming together: Mason lived "the good life"- "la bonne vie". She had many friendships, cooked, ate, enjoyed the company of others...enjoyed French stuff...

Yes- that's what I would do! I would begin a blog to diary recipes, tastes, smells, and adventures that remind me that:

life is good. 

It doesn't have to be stuffy food, or expensive food, or require super-skills in the kitchen...just easy, creative, fun, "catching up over a good meal" kinds of dishes. We humans often connect over a good meal. Mason and I always did our best "catching up" over a lunch or dinner.

So join me, won't you? Join me on an eating, drinking, cooking journey to explore the good life...the way Mason would- over a good meal!

Favorite Pictures and Food...

One of my first pics and one of my first food blogs!

The famous fig tarts from Christmas! Also the cover of my Facebook page.

You know I love Halloween!!! This one was especially fun!!!

Probably my most favorite blog I have ever written, and it had almost nothing to do with food.
If you haven't read it, it is called We Are Stewards. This picture was featured in that blog post.

Awesome Asparagus Tart!

Loved my Kitchen Decor this past Christmas.

Naughty Nog with Peppermint Rim.

Food and Wine Festival in Disney World this year!

Merry Mice!

Dennis' favorite meal from this year: Pumpkin Risotto!!!

Savory pancakes with Smoked Salmon and Sour Cream.

The most adorable Turkey Cheese Ball Ever!!!

It's been a good year! 

As I look back and remember, I'm filled with joy all over again.

I remember the verse that has given me so much hope:  "What, what would have become of me had I not believed that I would see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living!" 

Ps. 27:13 AMP

So now, I invite you to celebrate with me! What goodness have you seen in your life over the past year? 

Now- Celebrate it!

La Bonne Vie Y'all!

We Are Stewards!

Bamenda, Cameroon at sunset

There has been much in the news lately that has upset me. 

The stories of shooters gunning down innocent people is horrifying. Last month it was in a church and at military recruiting and training facilities, and this week it was a movie theater. Lord- help us! These crimes against human beings are horrible.  

Then I heard the story of Cecil the lion. 

Humans ravaging the earth...it does not take long to realize that things are not as they was meant to be...

Cecil the lion

There is no doubt that I have a great love of animals. At this point I might lose some of you, thinking that I some how value the lives of animals over people. Nothing could be further from the truth. Human lives are so very precious. I do believe that how we treat all of God's creation is important.

I want to use this situation to illuminate something.

We are stewards. Of this earth. And all that is within it.

"Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened.

Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!" Genesis 1:28-31 NLT 

I researched Genesis 1:28 a bit to try and discover what is meant by govern and reign (or in other translations: subdue and dominion). It appears that these are the only occurrences of these particular Hebrew words. And from all commentaries I reviewed, it appears that responsibility in human supremacy over the animals was key. 

So what did I conclude...

Humans were given a tremendous job over the earth. God invited us to partner with Him in His great work. He made the living things and asked us to care, govern, rule (with gentleness following His example), and reign over creation. 

Of course, after such a fall as we had (sin entering the world), and being separated from the One Who thoughtfully, tenderly, powerfully created the world...well, it became a mess.

The first to die were animals so that garments could be made to cover and protect Adam and Eve. Shortly after, Cain murdered his brother Abel...

Here is what I believe: We handed over our birthright, the authority and ability to rule and govern justly, rightly, tenderly, perfectly; and were infected with sin (the not trusting God and choosing to try to "god" (rule/save/govern) ourselves). 

***Ok- I have to stop here for a second and share something I heard from Dr. Timothy Jennings. He shares that God is constantly generous and that you can see His generosity in nature...the clouds give the earth rain, the earth sends water back through evaporation...the trees give oxygen to us, we give carbon dioxide to the trees. He calls it the Law of Love. Now, should someone put a bag over his/her head and say, "I do not want to share with the trees anymore. Get your own carbon dioxide. I'm keeping all of mine." What would happen? Jennings says that the Law of Love (generosity) would be broken and the breaking of that law would result in death. I wanted to share this, because I think it is remarkable, and it sheds some light onto what sin is and how it leads to death and destruction.***

Now, clearly we cannot save ourselves. So I tend to wonder if before the world was even formed, if the Father, Son and Holy Spirit had a great conversation...

I wonder if they thought and shared about what they were to make, with smiles and laughter (Meister Eckhart said that we were born out of the laughter of the Trinity!). And then a hush fell as they knew what would happen...the sound of God's heart as He says with grief in His voice, "Where are you?", knowing full well Adam was hiding in his shame...something he was not meant to experience or feel.

I wonder if, knowing what was needed, Jesus said, I'll get them Dad. I wonder if there were tears in their eyes. I wonder if there was knowing look between them all. 

I wonder if they looked in the future and saw the new heaven and the new earth, with no more death, no more sickness, no more pain, and with great, beautiful courage, love and joy, they laughed us into existence!

When Jesus came to earth, He gave us our birthright back. And as I reach back and touch Him in His death and resurrection, and claim that He took my sin, sickness, and death...and I take His righteousness, health, and life, I'm new. I may not look different outwardly, but inwardly, I'm being renewed constantly. 

So now that we have our authority back, I see why it is so tremendously important that we rely on and place ourselves under Jesus' authority. 

I think about Cecil. Lured out of his protected area, shot and skinned. Those are not the actions spoken about in Genesis 1:28. Those are not the tender, powerfully protective actions of an appointed steward of creation. Where is the responsibility? Oh my...it is simply deplorable to me.

I think about the pain of people in South Carolina, Chattanooga, and Nashville. No- these are not the actions of good stewards.

I found two definitions of the word Steward on Dictionary.com particularly helpful:

1.     a person who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others.

2.    a person appointed by an organization or group to supervise the   affairs of that group at certain functions.

If we are to rule/ govern this earth as an "agent" of Christ (it's Creator) what would that look like?

I just happened to be searching the word "tender" this week on biblegateway.com  I found that overwhelmingly, that word was directly linked to God.

Following my Creator's lead, as an agent of Jesus - Who Loves Me So, I should act tenderly. There is tremendous power in tenderness. God's tenderness towards me has softened my heart, and my stubbornness subsides and gives way to generosity and love.

A few years ago, the Hubs and I had the privilege of going on Disney's Animal Kingdom- Wild Africa Trek. Here a few pictures of the wild, creatively-made, powerful, and graceful creation we are blessed to steward:

Ok- I had to put a picture of food in here! We had a wonderful picnic lunch in a
pavilion overlooking the savanna. Look at the beautiful edible orchid!!!

Disney provided that a portion of our ticket price could go to the conservation effort of our choice. We learned about various conservation efforts on the excursion so that we could make our choice at the end. The Hubs and I chose "Dogs for Cats". Lions and other big cats are a problem for farmers and herdsmen in Africa. These cats will come into cattle or chicken enclosures and kill easy prey for some supper. Therefore, the people of this area kill the lions to protect their livestock and families. This initiative trains dogs to chase these big cats from farms and herds, thereby protecting the livestock, the people, and the big cats! Now THAT feels like ruling, subduing, governing...reigning over creation.  

We Are Stewards. 

#wearestewards

Grace and Peace Friends!

La Bonne Vie Y'all!