The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

I do not know if any of you have heard of this book that is on the New York's top seller list. It was written by a Chinese mother who lives in the US and shares her parenting methods. It has been a buzz in the news as it has some pretty radical ideas that goes completely against the Western culture of how you nurture your child and coddle their self-esteem.

I am thankful for Al Mohler's review of the book (that Jeff shared with me) and am now just curious to read the book out of pure intrigue. Has anyone else read it? You can read the review for yourself - just click the link below.

The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother Review by Al Mohler

Psalm 71

Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?

You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. Yo will increase my greatness and comfort me again.

My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed.

from the end of Psalm 71

I was reading these words this morning and the Lord ministered to my heart.

I have been away from the news for awhile and yesterday evening, I was reminded of the turmoil the world is in and the incredible pain and suffering that is all around us...How can we find any hope save in our Lord who is forever good and righteous and great??

Cosette is sick again today.

I think all the upheaval of emotions for her left her weak and vulnerable. I have been amazed at how she has processed - or rather is processing all that has happened. She asked Jeff if cancer was contagious. She asked me how I can go on as if nothing had every happened. (I came home from the funeral and started washing dishes.) She asked her other grandmother at the visitation, "Why does grandma have to be in grey casket? She loved colors. She would have hated to be in a grey casket."

She is actually helping me grieve.

I am not sure how to help her. I suppose there is just some pain that I cannot take away for her no matter how hard I try.

And so today, I will stay by her side, nurse her back to health and perhaps just cry with her....and we will sing praises to our God together :).

Remembering....

Today was mom's funeral. Since coming home, I have busied myself by trying to dig through the mounds to try and find my home again. I realized that I have not really been a homemaker (or mom) for over two weeks since all of this began. Now I am taking a breather and finding therapy in writing...

Since this is my first "real" funeral of someone so close, I had no idea the energy it would all zap out of me (and my poor dad) and how utterly exhausted I would feel afterward. My heart has been flooded with emotions of: sadness - not just for me, but for my dad and siblings and for my children, happiness that my mom's time of suffering has finally passed, joy in seeing old friends and hearing their words of comfort and tender assurances, and also just emptiness...this is one that is hard to even describe.

I was with my mom to the very end and I can testify that the last time she was awake, there was joy in her eyes. She awoke at 4:00 in the morning the day before she died and she looked into my eyes and her eyes broke into the most tender and joyful smile, and she said, "Well hi Jan". Then she would look up past me toward the ceiling and break out into a tremendous smile again. I asked her what she was smiling about and she would close her eyes, shake her head a little and then just smile again.

What an honor to be with her in those last moments....what a privilege to care for her after all those years she cared for me. And amidst the overwhelming flood of tears, I found a joy that she was finally free.

Mom would have truly enjoyed her funeral service today. We, of course sang her favorite songs and Jeff was able to share from the Word, how we are able to grieve with hope because of the assurance we have in the Lord Jesus Christ who took away our sin. He very clearly presented the Gospel in a way that I believe no one there could have misunderstood. After the visitation and funeral, I am amazed at the testimony of Christ she left on so many hearts. She was definitely one of those quiet, unseen servants and I am thankful that I can testify that she was faithful to the very end.

Thank you to all who have sent your condolences - we truly feel loved.

I do not know what happens after this...I don't know when the sadness will end....

Many have asked Jeff and I what we will do next; when we will return to India, etc....I am not even sure what I am going to fix my family for dinner tonight!

So much to think upon, digest, ponder...but more than anything I find myself just remembering.

Remembering my mom

Always serving - this is her washing my dishes in India.

What a memory to have had mom with me when Calvin was born in India!

One of my very favorite pictures!

This was taken just three weeks before she passed away. It was a trip to a B&B for their 47th wedding anniversary. I had asked mom if she would like to wait and go until the weather got warmer and she said, "No, I don't know what will happen in a month, so I would rather go now." They had a wonderful time - the Lord is good!

Solution to cutting onions

The worst job is always cutting up the onions...

Cosette loves to help me in the kitchen but always runs from the kitchen when I pull out the onions. I told her that she is going to have to learn to cut onions even though it hurts her eyes.

So this is how she returned to the kitchen....

And she got the job done!!

New Food #4

Goat Cheese and Herb Stuffed Radicchio Leaves

It is good to take a break from the hospital and bl0g about something light and fun tonight....

Jeff found this recipe and made it for a dinner with our friends and we then offered it to our kids tonight as our new food of the week.

The cubes of goat cheese was marinated in a variety of herbs and olive oil overnight; gently warmed and served with a single radicchio leaves wrapped around it. The cheese was soft and creamy and in my opinion DELICIOUS!

Apparently Radicchio has been used since ancient times and was know for its blood purifying capabilities as well as being an aid for insomniacs. The names of the varieties of radicchio vary depending on the Italian region from which they originated. The one we bought was about the size of a grapefruit, shaped like a cabbage and had the bitterness of an endive. It can be eaten grilled in olive oil or mixed into dishes like risotto. In the US it is most often eaten raw - as we did tonight. If used too much and too long (I guess the roots can be used as a coffee substitute) it can supposedly damage retinal tissue. This has not be scientifically proven, but I have to wonder how many people they got to sign up for this particular research product.

Goat Cheese, as you can imagine is made from goat's milk. Did you know that goat's milk is more similar to human milk than that of the cow? Now this doesn't necessarily get me anxious to drink goat's milk as I have never had the temptation to drink my own milk when I was nursing my child. I actually think, the farther you get from human milk, the better I will probably like it. It comes creamy, crumbly or semi-hard and it is a main staple of that oh-so-good-for-you Mediterranean diet.

And so, this is how our children responded after trying Food Number Four

Hmmmm...this looks interesting...I like how it is wrapped up in this pretty leaf...

EEEEEWWWWEEEEE....it is so bitter!!! (He did like the goat cheese and ate both his and Calvin's.)

Cosette likes EVERYTHING (except oatmeal)

Liked the goat cheese....not the radicchio....politely ate it all.

Yum! I like eating with my fingers!

Oh no! What did I just put into my mouth???

Back out it came...

Chocolate cake and ice cream...now this is more like it mom!

Waiting

I am sitting in the hospital room with my mom waiting....for now not waiting for anything in particular - just waiting.

It reminds me of a Dr. Seuss book, "Oh The Places You'll Go". In it, it talks about waiting and how much of our time is spent waiting - waiting at the bank, waking for the dentist, waiting for the bus, waiting for your life to being or end....

I am not good at waiting as I suspect most of is are not. I want to know NOW what is going to happen. I want to know what I am suppose to do. I always want to be on the other side of waiting.

And now I find myself waiting and strangely enough I am sitting here with my mom who is waiting as well for entirely different reasons.

As I have been waiting anticipating what our next step in life is, I have come to realize that waiting does not mean sit back and twiddle my thumbs. What am I doing during this waiting period?

I have been convicted, especially over the past several weeks as we have been fervently praying about our future.

How well am I using this waiting time?

Am I doing?

Am I listening well?

Am I hearing?

Am I serving?

Am I abiding?

Lord, help me to wait with anticipation and joy. Help me to wait on my knees and on my feet serving. Help me to wait faithfully abiding in you, in the truths you have already given me.

And I pray this for my moms she too waits in this hospital bed for what you have next for her.

New Food #3

This week our new food was.....

Brussel Sprouts

Brussel sprouts may have been originally cultivated in Ancient Rome but were first popular in the southern Netherlands. Much of the brussel sprouts in the US are grown in California. They are supposed to anti-cancer properties to them.

Most people are leery of brussel sprouts because they have only eaten them when they have been completely over-cooked or are repelled by the smell of those little boogers while they are cooking.

Now brussel sprouts are not new to me, but they are to my children. In India, we could not get lettuce, so the kids were very used to eating cabbage. They thought the mini little cabbages were cute and fanscinating, so that was a good start.

I steamed them and then added a pat of butter and some salt and that was it. I personally think they have more of a bitter taste than cabbage. The kids told me they tasted like broccoli.

Conner kept sneaking more on his plate and looking at me at the corner of his eye - I suppose worried that I might stop him from taking more. Cosette too couldn't seem to get enough of them. Cameron very politely ate his share, but I noticed he did NOT ask for seconds.

And here was what was left at the end of the meal. I heated them up last night for our dinner and Conner and Cosette were fighting over them.

Dear brussel sprouts,

Thank you for making such a hit in our family. I am not terribly fond of you personally, but very glad I have found you and that you are another green veggie that my kids will eat. I hope your popularity continues to grow and that you will not be offended by so many who just misunderstand you.