Bored?

It is one of those things that we do. We walk into a room where (preferably) there are other people present, and in the loudest, most obnoxious way possible, we sigh saying "I'm booooooored". It isn't just saying the word bored either, its drawn out, passed through with our sigh, falling through the scale to land at the perfect monotone note that indicates just how incredibly bored we are. I mean really, what do we have to do? You flipped through all 300 channels, opened your book, closed your book, looked at facebook 17 times, checked your email, texted a few friends, thought about that novel you still want to start, read some news, watched ten videos of cats on youtube, opened the closet and looked at the soccer balls, bad mitten net, Frisbee. Nothing seems exciting. There is nothing to do.

So you walk into the room, and with a loud sigh, you draw out the word "booooored". There is an expectation in that word, the expectation that whoever has heard you will answer, will provide, will drop whatever they are doing to entertain you. Or at the very least, draw you into whatever it is that is entertaining them. 

But have you ever really thought about what boredom is?

I recently was confronted with the sin of boredom. Yes. Sin. The sin of an ungrateful heart, of a selfish spirit, of taking things for granted. 

Wait just one minute. Just because I can't think of anything that I want to do doesn't mean that I am sinning, does it? It's my own affliction, something that I decide, something that I want to or do not want to do shouldn't be a sin. FREE WILL FREE WILL FREE WILL!!!

Temper tantrum much? Who has provided you with all that you have? Who has given you the ability to do anything and everything? Who provided you with the money to watch Television? The feet for walking or running or playing? The eyes to read? The mind to comprehend? Who inspired the writers, the athletes, the actors? Who has given you everything? 

Would you walk into the room with Jesus, and plopping yourself down on the couch, proclaim "I'm Bored."? I don't think you would. Because what boredom really is, is throwing all of the gifts that God has given us back in his face and ungratefully saying - "give me something else". How incredibly selfish! 

So - challenge time: next time you are wavering toward boredom, think of all the blessings you have received, and all of the things God has gifted you with, and do something to glorify him. 

Zucchini Anonymous

Welcome. Welcome all you Zucchini growers. We experience this phenomenon every year. Spring time comes, and with blissful ignorance (pretending like last year and the year before and the year before that never happened) we rise and shine and plant our zucchini plants. Yes. Plants. Plural. Then, as summer draws towards August, it begins.

Piles of Zucchini start appearing in our kitchens, make their way to our workplaces to meet and greet with other Zucchini's and have daring conversations about who would like to take them home. Mounds of these squash sit lonely and dejected waiting for the one person in the office who didn't recognize this tradition of growing the prolific squash and doesn't already have more than they can handle at home.

Now normally, at this point in the summer, you have already sauteed your way into Zucchini hell. There is only so many times you can have fresh Zucchini before you grow to loath the little buggers and wonder what could have persuaded you to make this same mistake again! If you are anything like my family, by now you have already consumed dozens of loafs of zucchini bread, with nuts, without nuts, with chocolate chips, without chocolate chips. Warm with butter, cold for breakfast. You are realizing also, by this point, that all those loafs aren't just disappearing, they are reappearing. On your hips.

So welcome to my Zucchini mission: find new and exciting ways of making Zucchini in an attempt to curb the pounds and hold back on the frying pan. I have had a few successes. Between the two of us, my mother and I have incorporated Zucchini in: Lasagna, Quiche, and a delicious Tomato Zucchini Casserole.

Anyone else have ideas? My Zucchini are still growing...