There are times when I lie in bed before sleep succumbs me and I think. Think, dream, call it what you may, but my mind wonders off into a world of ideas. One of my most recent ideas was a restaurant.

I think I'll call it Cookies & Milk. The sign would be a bold all capitol "cookies" while the ampersand and "milk" will be in some fancy script overlapping. The idea is a simple clean sit down restaurant, where every meal comes with dessert. And dessert is always Cookies&Milk. I like the idea of a restaurant with few choices. So I'm thinking you don't have a lot of choices. The sou chef will make cookies without nuts and cookies with. Oreo's will be available for the kids or the kid in you. Maybe go with Chocolate or White Milk, Skim for those who are kidding themselves, and there you have it.

I've thought a lot about the other menu items as well. Again I like the idea of utter simplicity. Perhaps a Single sheet menu that changes daily. My wait staff would be pleased with a total of ten choices. One choice will be the sandwhich. One day turkey and avocado on a nine wheat bread another brie, lettuce and tomato. Other choices include steak, chicken and pasta. Every day the dish a little different, but always the same price. And always including Cookies & Milk for dessert. Want to come?

Well yesterday was inventory. Economics has always interested me in forms and fashions. Retail stores of course operate by selling various selections of merchandise at a price that is higher than what they purchased it for. It isn't unethical. Because of their quantity and consistency vendors, publishers, wholesalers, etc. offer them products at a cost that they would not offer a normal customer. And so all retail stores succeed or fail, by how effectively they make money, by sales, from what they spend, by purchasing product (as well as payroll, fixed costs, etc.)

While cycles revolve of sales and restocking of inventory (ie product) each store keeps an idea of what they have sitting on their shelf. This is called their inventory and most of the year it exists in the form of a soft number. If I had this on Monday, and I got another one of these on Tuesday, and I sold one of those over there on Wednesday, On Thursday I should have this plus one of these minus one of those. (Confused yet? :) In short you can spend the year adding what you buy and subtracting what you sell, but there has to be a time when you definitively measure everything you have so you have a more accurate number to add to and subtract from.

And so this time of the year is very important for retailers. Their inventory measurement will reflect on the way they have run their business, how well they have sold things at the right time, and what potential sales they can have for the next year.

At 6pm yesterday evening an outside auditor came to perform our yearly inventory. There were many of them, but they weren't as skilled as they should have been, so they didn't finish until 5:45 am this morning. Now some of you may know that I live about 40 minutes away from the store that I work at and when viewed in the light that we had a shipment of new merchandise coming in at 7am this morning I had an hour and fifteen minutes before I had to be back to work. So I went to IHOP and had a little breakfast. ( I did get to leave work at 11am this morning, so I was only there for 23 hours :).

As I sat at IHOP though I read from the book of James. The scripture came to life inside those dead bones, "Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works." Bro Benson had preached Sunday morning in Bro McLaughlins absence on Not Being Weary in Well Doing. One thing that echoed so true was that "our good works are the world's proof of our power." I was tired and drowsy, and I almost fell asleep before I got my food. But how merciful is our God to even when my enthusiasm was lacking to still speak to me. To still remind me that it really is putt up or shut up. I remember the playground banter of ain't nothin to do but do it. Whatever smack your giving me, whatever you think you will do with that basketball or rather with your faith, ain't nothin to do but do it.

Life Tabernacle has two of the most beautiful little girls in this world. One of the reasons I just love Sis Elm's blog are the pictures of her beautiful grandbabies and this one just tugged my heart strings this morning.

I don't have as many pictures of Onjolyce, but she is so adorable too.


A really old picture of Alayna.

I have not nor do I now think that I will ever understand a man who would not want to dance with his wife. I find it tearful that the world would treat something so seemingly intimate profane by engaging in the practice with friends, coworkers, complete strangers and the like. I think so fondly of an evening that I can hurry home. Make a fire, dim the lights, find a soft CD and push the coffee table aside. To hold her and softly move to the music. What a beautiful joy I envision - the dance.

There is another dance that I think of today. The dance of initiation and response. From creation the plan and design of God was for man to initiate and the woman to respond. In creation, in relationship, even in physiology God's design is so beautiful when done according to His will. It is so aptly referred to as a dance. Two softly engaging, one leading tenderly, the other respectfully responding. One holding and choosing direction. The other being held and trusting. What a beautiful dance of initiation and response.

Of course the greatest gift is that dance was created to display the ultimate in intimacy. The intimacy that the bride of Christ can find in her Lord's arms. As I prepare for marriage and look to fulfill the role of initiation, I seek even more to find my place in response to my Lord. I long to life a life of grace and beauty, waltzing in His mercy. How I wish for my life to be a clear picture of my Lord gently leading me, my life warmly responding. How I long to learn His slightest leading... how I long for my response to warm His heart for He knows how close I am and how intently I am searching for His initiation.

Except the Spirit draw Him - Initiation. No man commeth unto the Father - Response. When I think of the goodness of Jesus and all that He has done for me - Initiation. My soul cries out Hallelujah - Response. And you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you - Initiation. Ye shall be witness unto me... and unto the uttermost part of the earth - Response. I long to enjoy the dance of initiation and response with my wife, but I thank you today Lord for the ability to enjoy the greatest fulfillment in You.

It is a simple thing really. Two or three eggs fried in a pan with various ingredients to add flavor. It is a common name that most people know and a few have used to make fun of my own. The etymology of the word omelet is not for certain. The French are most widely known for omelettes (yeah yeah yeah the resemblance is striking), however most credit the Roman epicure Apicius who used to make an overmele which consisted of eggs with honey and pepper. Either way the omelet is also very similar to the frittata which is basically mixing your additives in with the eggs instead of folding the egg around the mixture.

However I have most recently became acquainted with how much I enjoy making omelets. I have never been a skilled chef. Joseph was the creative accomplished workman, Mom was always quite an improvisionist, but I just floated by. There was a season when we were all working jobs, Joseph and I in school, and so we all took a night. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday were all divied up. My night was always reserved for something simple like burritos, tacos, spaghetti. Creating in the kitchen just wasn't my forte. But recently I have found quite a bit of pleasure in it all.

There are a few universal necessities in an omelet. Salt and pepper - I'm beginning to think you cannot cook anything without them. Butter - real butter, make up for the points someplace else it just isn't worth it here. Medium Heat - if your blessed enough for stainless steel then go down to Medium Low. Cheese - as we will cover later the type of cheese is optional the presence of it is not. And an 8-10 inch pan. I prefer 8 but if you can manage a 10 your better than I and probably don't need any of my advice.

Eggs are beat with a smudge of milk added in and salt and pepper. Have your additives ready for quick access. Don't cook anything prior in your pan or at least anything that requires more heat because you don't want it to get too hot. The butter goes first an eight of an inch off a stick should be fine, and then pour the eggs in the pan. No need to wait long for the ingredients. They go in the pan and are best placed around the center of the eggs. Then comes the hardest part. The wait. You want to be sure and let the eggs cook a little while so that you can fold. I usually start with one fold. I take one side and fold it toward the center. Wait a little while longer... then the other side. Either way you want the center of the omelet to be covered majoratively with eggs. If you have to you can try and roll the omelet over letting a few uncooked eggs to run out and produce a covering for any left over parts. Either way, a big key is to even after you have folded both sides over to let it cook. Your low heat comes into play here because it will be a while before you burn anything, and by letting the omelet sit there you are letting the eggs inside to fully cook and mix with your ingredients.

As far as ingredients I like mostly the Mexican flavor. Some Rotel, Mexican blend cheese, and Sausage is always good. Cilantro adds great flavor and little sprinkled on top looks rather cool. I did try something different for Julie and Sis Jones one Saturday morning. I diced tomatoes, mixed a few red onions (Julie just loves onions), some black olives, a touch of mango's and some feta cheese. It tasted really well. When I served it I sprinkled a little oregano on it and that shredded Parmesan cheese... mm mm good.

To make a long post longer... I would have to consider the joy I find not necessarily in the omelet or the kitchen, but rather in the ease of a Saturday morning. The time that I have to relax and put a little more of myself into something that is usually stolen by the important things in life. I wonder this morning how many pleasurable things I have missed in my life because I robbed them of the time that would bring to them simple joys.

Last night I listed again for the first time to the strong and powerful words that were spoken in the “symbolic shadow” of Abraham Lincoln on August 28, 1963. I have never been the follower of History that one should be. I know briefly of the figures that brought about a most pressing change in the United States, and know less of their persons. Black History month would come and go but I had neither the facilitation nor inclination to learn more than what I would consider to be an average understanding.

Even still I believe that there is a power beyond my comprehension found in the spoken word. When the word spoken is true, just, and righteous it stirs the soul. There are songs that open my heart and allow emotion to pour in. There are words that bring pause and consideration. But, then there is truth. Truth that moves, stirs, excites. I’ve heard it from the pulpit. I’ve read it on my brother’s blog. And thanks to contributors like MLK I’ve read it from the pages of my history. I don’t post to proclaim this man as more than what he was. Perhaps I will find Patrick Henry’s birthday and write some small epilogue near that day for such words as “give me liberty or give me death.” Perhaps I will write as well about those men who had consecrated Gettysburg “far above our poor power to add or detract,” but regardless I will say that Martin Luther King Jr. stood just a short time ago and with powerful words of truth hewn a stone of hope out of the mountain of despair. I think my world is better for it. I hope you had a wonderful Martin Luther King Jr. Day. If you would like to read and listen to the entirety of “I Have a Dream” you can do so here. It will take about 18 minutes.

I have had a new beginning. I have recently changed homes, changed jobs, and changed churches. I have started fresh and new. I remember the thoughts of a high school junior who searched for himself a little differently. I had analyzed what I thought being cool was all about and why some kids had it, why I didn't. It just had to be the time they spent together. They interacted at football games and dances, clubs and organizations, and so many other things that I rarely attended because a youth function or church service fell on the same night. I wanted to be cool. I decided to join them. I entered every club and organization I could. I made every excuse in the book to be a part of anything and everything at Wichita Falls High School. I found my name recognized. I found a number of 'friends', but I also found my soul wanting. At the end of that year there was a high school junior that wanted a new start. He wanted a new opportunity to set the priority. To be what he was raised and taught and knew to be. It would just make it easier. If I could go to a new school I could start over. I wouldn't have to listen about the 'old' Jason...

Well here I am. A new start. I don't have quite the same motivation for a new start. Not at all. But Lord, I want to approach it with a similar vision. One that says I have the opportunity to be all that You have shown me to be in this short life. I don't want to ignore my past and all the ways my lessons have been learned, NO not at all. But I do want to take all the newness that I have woken up to this last week and embrace it for the wonderful and merciful gift it is from God. I am starting a life with the most wonderful woman that God formed for me. I am joining a church led by a man led by God. There is a family of believers that have welcomed and loved me and believed in me without question. I am starting a job when I can lead as I see fit with no question or regard to mistakes made. Thank You Lord. Thank You for my new beginning.