Waiting. And Stuffed Peppers.

"Biblical waiting looks to the Lord. Unfortunately, our waiting doesn't always lead us that direction. We often fill the gaps of life with something else. This struggle with waiting shows us where we place our trust when we're not in control. Waiting reveals what we hope in. That can be good or bad. And it's usually hard." ~Mark Vroegop, "Waiting Isn't a Waste"

Waiting is a huge part of our lives right now. Aaron is waiting to get back to the Solomon Islands, or at least to be able to work via Zoom with the translation team. I'm waiting for my next round of scans during the first week of December. I'm also waiting to see how my role develops as it seems that I will be staying in Arkansas longer than anticipated. Just being in the orchestra classroom once a week instead of every day has given me the "gift of availability". I get to use my time and energy to do things like attend my grandmother's family reunion.

She is the oldest of the remaining siblings, and this family is modeling so beautifully what it means to stay in touch and show up for each other.

Being home more also gives me opportunities to cook more, which is good for our bank account and our bodies. I also really like to cook, and I enjoy sharing when I can. My favorite farmer, Shaky K Farm, had some beautiful, colorful peppers, so stuffed peppers with my mom's meatloaf recipe filled our bellies. To help combat my anemia, I've been buying local ground beef from Flying C Ranch that has 10% heart, 10% liver, and 10% kidney mixed in.

Mama's Meatloaf

1 lb ground beef

1 chopped onion

1/2 chopped bell pepper

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 egg

1/2 cup oatmeal

Mix all together. Press into peppers and top with a thin layer of ketchup. Bake at 350 degrees F 30-40 minutes until meat is firm and juices are clear.

So many of our orchestra students do extraordinary things outside of rehearsal. I love going to cheer them on whenever I can. On an early Saturday morning, I got to go hoot and holler for one of our string bass players who set her personal best running cross country.

I'm trying to read and/or listen to more books, and this book about waiting encouraged and challenged me in this season of life. I highly recommend "Waiting Isn't a Waste".