Indirect Heat

It’s changed my life…grilling with indirect heat.  Have you done it?  If not, use it this coming weekend before the barbecue season is over.

Grilling over indirect heat is placing the meat to the side of the heat source instead of directly over it.  It is used to cook larger or tougher foods.  My favorite is ribs.  With indirect heat, you use the heating elements on the sides of your barbecue instead of using the full burn.

Here are the steps…

1. Turn on all the elements and heat your grill to 500-degrees.
2. Turn off the middle elements, whether one, two or three.
3. Turn the outside elements down to give you a moderate heat level of 275 and 350-degrees.
4. Grab an ice tea and slow cook…this will take hours.

Why wait hours for your food?  I could say “Good things comes to those that wait” but the reality is the slow cooking of the meat allows for deep, fall-off-the-bone meat flavoring.

Enjoy this last taste of summer.

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Half-Price on Madison Ave.

If you are in Everett and want a delicious, greasy burger and fries for cheap, you have to visit the Madison Ave. Pub on Tuesdays.  They have half-price on all the classic burgers all day on Tuesdays.  I have taken advantage of this deal many times, both by visiting for lunch and picking up to go orders for dinner.  It’s a fantastic special.

If you are ordering to go, I would call ahead of time.  They will take your order over the phone.  Be in the neighborhood or on the way, because this kitchen gets the food out quickly.  If you have kids you’ll have to get take out, as this always a 21-and-over-only establishment.

If it is just adults, you can certainly dine in.  The service is very friendly.  Just be warned that you’ll be surrounded, usually, by a true tavern crowd that is more interesting than anything happening on one of the 24 wall-mounted televisions.

BTW, the Pub Burger is giant and could be split between two.  It’s two patties, bacon, cheese and goodness.  Also, don’t be afraid to get a salad instead of fries.  It’s nothing special, but there is a lot of it.

Enjoy the Madison Ave. Pub.

Perfect, Stablish, Strengthen, Settle

These four words from I Peter 5:10 are for me as I start this week.  May they bless you as well.

God has made you perfect.  Whether you want to accept His work or not, God’s work is done.  In His incarnational work, God sent His son and Jesus’ redemptive work has given you perfect status in the eyes of God.  Own it.  It’s yours.  Let is soak to your core.  May everything you encounter this week bounce off this truth, “For by that one offering he forever made perfect” (Hebrews 10:14a).

When we accept this work, we are stablished in relationship with our Creator.  Colossians 1:23 says we are “established and firm” as we continue in faith.  In this shaky world with our wondering minds, we must remember that once accepted we are stablished.  As Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished.”

This “one offering” wasn’t made just so we could say we were perfect or feel stronger, but it is something we must strengthen.  It’s a work for those that “are being made holy” (Hebrews 10:14b).  While the work is done and we are established, there is a level of personal responsibility to work at it.  This is an important relationship and we should work to keep it strong.  As they say at 12-step meetings, “Work it because you are worth it.”

Finally, settle.  Is there a word that I need more in my life today?  I can’t help when I verbalize it, but to say it slowly and go long with that short e…seeeettle.  Say it now.  Say it not in your head or throat, but deep.  Settle.  God has made us perfect and established us in His love so that we may strengthen ourselves, but not that we will run ourselves ragged.

Today, I am perfect, stablished, working to strengthen my relationship with God but remembering that work starts by settling.

Rain Responsiblity

Yes, it was one week ago that I shared that summer was dragging on and on and I was ready for fall.  Since that post, we’ve had windstorms, rain every day and wide-spread power outages.  I just want to publicly say, “I’m sorry.”

It’s one more reminder to enjoy where you are and what you are doing at this very time.  It’s time with family?  Embrace it.  Embrace them.  Time watching TV?  Decompress with some veg time.  Working late?  So be it.  Rain, sun, clouds, wind… which we had all of today… enjoy it.

Enjoy your day today… whatever season, storm or situation may befall you.  Today, I’ll enjoy another day in the 50’s with rain.

“Victory”

This morning, in a meeting with a group of guys, I shared that yesterday I had “Victory.”  It was a good day.

That made me reflect, why was it a “victory?”  A few factors contributed, offered in sequence rather than priority.

• I took public transit and it was smooth
• On the bus, I listened to a great sermon
• Significant time was spent reading the Bible, journaling
• I wrote
• My work included wonderful people, people I love to work with
• Meetings were challenging, they were significant
• Work projects were also challenging and significant
• Talked to my wife on the phone, laughing, short and sweet…the call, not my wife
• I spent time thinking
• The day had interruptions that were warm and full of smiles
• I had important, meaningful conversations
• I exercised hard and was pushed by those biking around me
• I ate healthy, light…lots of good fruit and no dessert last night
• Picked up one of my son’s favorite dinners, took it home and he ate it all
• I complimented my 17-year old
• I listened in on Murdock laughing a playing with his friends
• Bedtime was at a reasonable hour
• Our dog, Zeus, slept with me on the bed
• My soul was content, not sure why, but it was

If you had asked me at any time yesterday, “How is your day?” I probably would have answered with the proverbial, “Fine.”   In the midst of the day, I didn’t even realize the quality of the day.  That was, until I reflected.

Two lessons for me.  Maybe lessons for you.

1. Reflect on your day.  At the end of the day or at the start of a new day.  We have a fresh start every 24 hours.  What a gift.  How did yesterday go?
2. As you discover the good days, repeat them or repeat aspects of those days.  Do the same stuff again.  Tonight I’m bring Murdock a burger from our favorite greasy joint (half-price on Tuesday).  That’s one of a few items I’ll repeat from yesterday.

May you have a “Victory” Day today!  And even more so, may you reflect on yesterday and find that it was also a “Victory.”