The Pedestal Predicament Part 2

Chances are you've done it. You noticed the life of another woman and admired her. She seemed to have it all together. She had a thriving marriage, great kids, and seemed to be successful at every turn. You wanted to be like her, then maybe you too would have the contentment and joy that seemed to fill her heart. One day you came to the conclusion that if you could be like Mrs. X you could finally be happy. In your mind you placed Mrs. X on a pedestal. What's so dangerous about that? Well...actually, a few things...

 

Squash Casserole

This recipe is anything but fast and healthy. You'll have to invest a little effort into preparing this dish and a whole lot of effort into working it off. Trust me, it will be worth it.

Slice 4-5 medium yellow squash into circles. Combine with 1 coarsely chopped small yellow onion and bring to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt. Cover and boil about 20 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, combine the following in a large bowl:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers, crushed
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
two pinches cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon thyme

Drain squash and onion well and combine with mixture in bowl. Pour mixture into casserole dish (9x13 works well) sprinkle top with additional 1/2 sleeve of crushed Ritz and 1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar. Cover with foil and bake at 350 until set (about 30 mins). Remove foil and cook for 10 minutes longer.

I tweaked the recipe several times and finally settled on this version. I've been making it for about 10 years. The recipe is fairly forgiving, play around with it and make it your own. I get lots of requests for this one, it's a real crowd pleaser.

A Slow Decline

I'll explain my reason for asking this question later...

Why do most people assume that marriage gets worse as the years go by?

I'm interested to hear your feedback then I'll tell you the story and give you my take on the issue.

You are not defenseless.

¹ I love you, LORD, my strength.

² The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:1-2

Life isn't fair and that's OK. People will hurt and disappoint you. People will betray you. They may misunderstand you or they may twist something you said or did in an effort to hurt you. People may attack you with malicious intent or may wound you because of carelessness (never realizing the hurt they inflicted). The truth is that we have all been on both sides. We've been the offender and we've been the one to suffer. When you're hurt remember this: God loves you. He alone is your defender, don't try to help Him out - He's got it under control. If you are in Him, He is your stronghold. He uses even our suffering to accomplish His purpose. Not only does He love you - He loves the one who wronged you.

The Pedestal Predicament

Don't place someone on a pedestal. She didn't ask to be there and she won't like the way it feels when she comes crashing down. It will happen...and it will be costly. You'll both feel the sting.

I've been learning a lot about this subject. More to come...

Down time is over and I'm happy to be back in blog land. I have a lot to share!