How tight is your grip?

Over the weekend, Mark and I played golf. It is one of our favorite activities to do together. It was very serene and quiet on the golf course...not too many golfers which was wonderful. Mark always says "Today, we played on our private golf course!" We are still getting our feet under this sport, but the quiet beauty that surrounds us and the opportunity to spend time together supersedes our game. We only have our personal head games to deal with when we hit our ball. I am often inconsistent...I have days that my drives are long and I am hopeful...then there are other times that seems to be a frustrating and maddening. I realized that it is all about my grip. Sounds a little like life doesn't it? How tight is your grip on your life?

I love to walk the course as I play; it gives me time to think about what I did incorrectly and sometimes beam with pride because I had a success. Doing something well makes us happy doesn't it?....while doing poorly can cause our alter ego to appear. I didn't have a bad game, but I noticed that when I loosened my grip, my bright yellow ball sailed much further. I began to see that when I became frustrated, my grip was so tight that the ball fell flat or didn't go nearly as far. Sam Snead, a famous golfer said that it was important to "hold the club as if you had a little baby bird in your hand. He said, to keep a bird in your hands, you have to grasp it well enough that it doesn't fly away. But birds are delicate creatures, so you also have to hold one gently enough not to harm it."

Isn't that how life is? This is the time of year when many parents have teens graduating from high school. I remember it being a joyful time of celebration, but the letting go of each of my children was sooo very hard. The tighter we hold on....the more they resist. They are ready to take flight and we want them to remain in our nest. I think as parents we have to learn to hold them gently and allow them to sore so they will want to return home. Letting go, loosening your grip isn't easy when it comes to your children. Proverbs 22:6 is the best scripture to help with this. "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." Of course that is true for girls too!

Maybe your grip is wrapped around an illness, or a crisis. What is your Modus Opertendi? I often go into my "in-charge" mode; trying to be sure everything is under control....only to learn that I am not in charge or in control in so many ways. I have to loosen my grip and look up to God with prayers asking for guidance in the situation. I have always found that God shows up when I loosen my grip.

How tight is your grip right now? Covid-19 has so many scared, and worried about re-entering the world that we all used to enjoy. Friendships, family gatherings, dinners out have been cancelled for a year. How do we begin to loosen the grip of fear from this pandemic? 1Peter 5:7 says "Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." Try looking up to God, the source of strength that we all need. He will give us the ability to loosen our grip a little more each day as we trust Him.

Blessing to you all for this coming week.

Sunday Morning Brunch

After our first year of marriage, we decided golfing would be a fun activity to take-up. I use the word "fun" loosely....as some weekend golfers know there are golf days which can be embarrassing, humiliating, or discouraging....I think you get the picture. On occasion, we actually feel quite positive when we leave the golf club. Whether we play well or not, we love being outdoors and spending time together. We continue to golf on our own, except with our grandson, who will soon surpass our abilities and our close friends that will golf with us despite our failings in the sport!

The year we bought clubs as our Christmas gift to each other, I made reservations at a golf resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. I was amazed and overwhelmed at the long and wide fairways with lots of sand traps...to my dismay. One morning, we went to play and discovered we had been partnered to play with two men. I was mortified...but determined to survive the 18 holes of play. By the time we were at the 5th hole...I had earned a nickname from these two guys which was"Sandi". I'm sure you can guess why...I was had a great deal of practice getting out of sand traps that day! It was a great trip and a place we enjoy returning to with fond memories of those two patient golfers that allowed me to enjoy myself.

One of our favorite things about the resort was the breakfast buffet options! Who doesn't love a breakfast smorgasbord of yummy food when on a holiday? One morning, I saw French Toast on the buffet...it was not cooked the typical way that I usually made French Toast. This recipe had a crunchy outside that was delicious. I loved it so much that I approach the chef to see if he would share his recipe. It was so simple that I returned home with a new approach to French Toast. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!

Crunchy French Toast

Serves: 2-4 (depending on how many pieces a person will eat)

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 6-7 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 slices of bread, cut into quarters (I use Brioche Bread)

• 1 cup Special K cereal (I use the one with Almonds)

• 2 large eggs

• 1/3 cup 2% or half and half milk

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• Canola oil or butter for the skillet

• Butter and pancake syrup

Directions:

1. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Pour this liquid into a pie pan.

2. Next, pour the Special K cereal with almonds or without almonds, and cinnamon to a plastic zip bag to crunch with you hands or a rolling pin. Pour this mix into another pie pan or large flat plate.

3. Heat butter or oil in a large skillet at medium heat.

4. One at a time, take a slice of bread and dip both sides into the egg mixture, then roll both sides of the bread in the cereal mix. I use my finger to lightly press the cereal mix on the bread to be sure it is going to stick.

5. Place each slice of bread into the heated skillet and allow the bread to brown three minutes on each side. The French Toast should be crunchy when ready to serve. Feel free to add a small bowl of sliced strawberries and blueberries in addition to the butter and maple syrup.

Crunchy French Toast

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