Pressure Cooker Boils Over

Saturday morning, Hubby and I relaxed with our ritual cups of coffee and morning reading. When our two turbo-toddlers woke up, I expected the day to errupt in a frenzy of noise and activity, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that they played quietly most of the morning.

My plan was to spend the day canning corn. My husband picked a crate full of cobs, shucked the ears and brought them to me. After reviewing several websites for canning directions, I began cutting the corn from the cobs. In a few minutes, I found a comfortable rhythm and corn was quickly accumulating in my biggest pot.

After a short lunch break, I cooked the corn and readied the jars, lids, and bands. I poured 2-3 inches of water into the pressure cooker, set it on the burner and turned the heat to high. Once the jars of corn were filled, lids held in place with the bands, I set them in the pressure cooker, locked the lid and set the timer for the 10 minute venting period. It was then I realized I had not stirred the corn inside the jars to release air bubbles before I lidded the jars. New as I am to canning, I didn't know if it was a big issue or not. But, better safe than sorry, so I turned off the burner, let the cooker cool, opened it and took out a jar to see if I could stir the bubbles out.

Eeesh. What a hassle. After one jar, I decided to take the risk and just can them as they were, extra air bubbles in the jars. Back into the canner the jars went. I locked the lid in place again, set the timer for another 10 minutes and waited. I put the jiggler in place and prepared to wait again...until the pressure hit 15 lbs and the jiggler started...yep...jiggling.

Just moments later, the sound of boiling water hitting the electric burner caused me to run back to the kitchen. The canner was hissing, spewing clouds of steam, and spraying water from under the lid. It looked like an angry thunderstorm had errupted on my stove! I quick grabbed the children and started to run outside. Then I realized that I was going to have to turn the stove off so the thing would not explode. So, here I am, yelling at the kids to get back, running to the stove and fast as lightning trying to reach around this terrifying pot to turn the knob to off without getting burned, scorched or exploded on! By this time, the commotion had reached such a frenzy that the overflow had sprayed all over the stove and run down onto the floor. I turned the knob to off and rushed outside with the kids. I stood on the deck shaking all over. I have never been so afraid in my life.

We waited outside for awhile and then my husband went inside to check it out. It was finally safe to go back in, so we all traipsed inside. I tried to figure out what happened...was it because of the air bubbles? I called my mother-in-law and a friend, but couldn't reach anyone. Finally, I got in touch with my friend and found out that the air bubble issue was not an issue. It would just mean that there would be less liquid trapped in the jars when the canning process was complete.

I discovered that because I used our tap water (well water--HARD water) that it can leave buildup and harden the rubber seal on the pressure cooker. Several hours later, when I was sure it was safe, I removed the jiggler, waited some more and opened the canner. Ping, ping...ping...the jars started to seal. THIS was a problem. Yeah, they're sealed, but the corn (a low acid vegetable) hasn't been cooked long enough or hot enough to destroy all the bacteria. I ended up having to pop all the lids off the jars and heat new lids to use. (Since the lids were off, I stirred the air bubbles out.) I soaked the rubber seal in hot water for several minutes. Cleaned the pressure cooker and started over with the jars inside.

Thankfully, everything worked that time. Now, I have corn put away for winter and a (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime story.

Just Me--Heart to Heart

I knocked on your door last night. You opened it a crack and I could see everyone sitting around the table. Fine china, silver candlesticks, happy faces, friendly chit-chat, plates piled high with fancy food.

You were busy, you said. I thought maybe you heard my stomach growl because I saw you glance down. But, I didn't tell you that I hadn't eaten for days. You had company, you said. It just wasn't a good time. You closed the door and I turned away, but I could hear your muffled voice answering that it was 'you know who'.

Honestly, it surprised me to be turned away from your house. You told me if I ever needed anything, I should come to you. Then, since I heard you talking about me from inside, I sat down to listen.

"Who was that?"
"That, was 'you know who.'"
Murmured 'oh's' were voiced around the table.
"What'd he want, anyway?"
"I thought he'd left town days ago"
"I didn't ask him," you said matter-of-factly. "But, seriously, who shows up uninvited at suppertime? It's just rude!"

I became your special topic of discussion for the rest of supper. Now I know why people say that churches are filled with hypocrites. Talking about me behind my back? Discussing my moral failures? I heard all the judgment in your voices. And what's worse is that you don't even know my side of the story. Oh yeah, that's because you never asked. I doubt you'd believe me if I tried to tell you. Oh, nevermind. I'm done here.

The visitor stood up and dusted off his pants. Silently, he walked away from the house of someone he thought had been his friend. He simultaneously labeled Christians as hypocrites, God as dead and life as meaningless. He never visited a church again. Whenever he flipped through channels on the TV, he made sure to avoid the religious ones, knowing they were just a bunch of phonies anyway. He died at age 52. His family and friends mourned his departing.

Of course, you never cared to know any of that. You wrote him off when he was nineteen. When you didn't see him in church the next Sunday, you were kind of relieved that you wouldn't have to pretend to be interested in his situation. A sort of satisfaction came over you because you knew from the start that he wouldn't make it anyway. That's why you didn't bother wasting too much time on him.


What Have I Done?
by Joy Wegener

Heed the cry of desperate people
No tuning it out. No looking away.
No plugging the ears
as they, falling, begging, slip further away.

Away and over and down, down, down.

Because cavernous, hungry, darkness needs
the blinded, wounded, the bitter, deceived.
The proud and oblivious, the naive and agnostic.
Digested, expelled. The beast craves more.

Mouth open wide, he eats whoever falls inside.

Where is the watchman? Where is the shepherd?
Something is missing! Where is the man?
Someone to warn them. Someone to stand.
A friend or brother, son or daughter!

They're distracted, busy, too tired to care, too timid to preach.

Then a face, a hand, a finger is seen.
Recognition. You know me. I remember.
I stand unmoving, frozen stone and ice
and your eyes ask 'why?' as you slide by.

All my reasons...not one of them is good.

You're gone. Over the edge, the beast grunts.
Still eating, still hungry. Smiling as he's continuously fed.
Still growling, more, more, more!!
And I hear screaming, terrified.

What have I done by not doing anything?



Friends,

It's so easy to ignore the real needs of people around us. It is too easy to not even see. Our friends and families, the people we work with, go to school with and eat lunch with put up a good front. Unless we purpose in our hearts to look past their tough or satisfied exteriors and ask God to help us address the issues of their hearts, we will fail to reach them.

Deuteronomy 32:46-47 "Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day...they are not idle words for you. They are your life."

When did we stop recognizing God's word as our very life? Slowly, we let one thing and then another and another fill up our lives and we ran out of time to read, to pray, to study, and even to care about people. Instead of life being about getting to know God and bringing others to know him, it became just an endless to-do list. Rushing from one task to the other from dawn to dark and always knowing that there's too much to do, but never being able to cut back on activities...some of us live like that.

When we are confonted with an opportunity to help someone, we shrink back because we're exhausted from the incessant rigamarole of life. Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen the important thing and it would not be taken from her. What had Mary chosen to do? To forget about the mess around her and sit at the feet of Jesus, just focusing, listening to Him. Really, she just became so captivated by Jesus that everything else seemed so unimportant.

The world tells us to set time aside for yourself. Love yourself. The Bible says the exact opposite. Forget yourself, your needs, wants and focus on Jesus. Because here's what happens. When you actually focus your life on Jesus and you do this day in, day out...he defines you! What He wants over shines what you want. What you want changes into and becomes what He wants.

There is a closeness to Him and of Him that can be experienced on this earth that we have fallen far short of. He can lead us, strengthen us, cause us to rest. He keeps us from wasting time and from missing opportunities. He gives us energy and strength and causes us to lay our heads down at night and sleep peacefully, waking up satisfied from a good night of sleep. He steers us clear of danger and takes us on wild adventures. He opens our eyes to wonderful things in his word and speaks through us to others.

There IS a degree, a level of closeness to Him and of Him that we have thought was impossible, but it is not. It's not impossible when you turn the TV off, shutdown the computer, open the Bible and spend time with God. When the focus of our lives becomes knowing Him, pleasing Him, loving Him, and serving Him instead of WIIFMs or 'what's in it for me' great things can happen, even 'impossible' things.

These are just some things that have been on my heart and I wanted to share them with you.

-Joy