Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall

All the King's horses

and all the King's men

couldn't put Humpty Together again.

We've all heard that nursery Rhyme.  The tale of a poor egg-man who fell off a wall and couldn't be put back together.  I don't remember exactly when it struck, but on day I was hit by this thought: Horses? Really? Why would they try to put him back together with horses?  Then it hit me just how much like poor Humpty Dumpty we are in our walk with Christ.

We sit on a wall all lifted up and proud.  Usually we are by ourselves and trying to accomplish a lot on our own, just so we can stroke our own egos.  Then as will always happen, we fall.  Our life gets shattered into a million pieces and we just can't put it all back together again.  

In the Humpty Dumpty rhyme it seems as if they let the horses have a go at putting Humpty back together again first.  At a horses disposal is their mouths and their hooves to use as tools to put Humpty back together.  They are very poorly equipped.  Egg shells are fragile and delicate, and I'm sure that while trying to put it back together, no matter how much good intent they had, that pieces were shattered even more.  I can very confidently say that Humpty would have probably been a lot better off if they had allowed the King's men to have a go at it first.

How often after a fall do we try to either fix things ourselves or look to something else to medicate us? In today's society we have so many more "addictions" than ever before.  We have addictions to sex, shopping, drugs, alcohol, food, and the list goes on and on.  None of these things fix a problem.  They just further shatter our lives and we are left nearly impossible to repair.  The good news is our fate isn't as dire as Humpty Dumpty.  

We CAN be repaired! All it takes to repair us is the King's lamb, Jesus! 

Colossians 1:20-22 (KJV) states:

 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies  in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

God is so holy that he cannot be near sin.  Our sins no matter what they are separate us from God.  It could be anything from murder to something our society has deemed so innocuous as gluttony.  No MATTER WHAT, sins will ALWAYS separate us from God and make it impossible to clearly hear his voice.  There is good news! The verse above shows us that Jesus is the way to being repaired and regaining closeness with God!

God in all his glory and splendor wants us to be close to him. So, he made a way for us to be able to be close to him.  He sent his perfect, blameless son Jesus to die on the cross for us.  When we turn from our sin and believe on Jesus, then we will be cleansed and made in right standing with God.  When we are in close communion with God, he is then able to pick up the pieces and make us whole again! No matter what afflictions or trials, God is enough to complete you! Jesus made the pathway to God and because he was victorious over the grave when he rose, we have victory over our sins!

So, when you've fallen like Humpty Dumpty, don't let the horses of self of stuff try to put you back together.  You'll only end up being even more shattered.  Instead, let God do the work in you! He won't be like the King's men who were incapable of putting Humpty back together.  He will be like God and put you back together more whole and blessed than you were before you fell!

Sour Cream Enchiladas

Cinco de mayo is coming up tomorrow,  so I figured I'd share one of my favorite tex-mex recipes.  Yes, gringas like me would probably think this was "real" Mexican food.  But I married into a Mexican family so I know better :)

My aunt used to make this for my family and it quickly became one of my favorites.  I swear it's better the next day, IF you can stop everyone from eating them up so you'll actually have leftovers!  They are easy to make a double batch to share an extra pan with friends or pop into the freezer for later!  (I'll post a picture soon!)

Ingredients
1 lb of lean ground beef, turkey, or chicken
1 packet of taco seasoning, or the equivalent in your favorite recipe
1.5 lb tub of sour cream
large can of cream of mushroom soup (the huge family size one)
1 can of chopped green chilies (get the slightly larger can)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or the "Mexican blend"
approximately 20 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Prepare the ground beef with the taco seasonings following the directions on the package.  While meat is browning, combine the sour cream, green chilies, and cream of mushroom soup.  After the meat is finished, put about a 1/4 c in the center of a tortilla.  (warming the tortillas before hand will make it easier to roll, but isn't completely necessary) Roll the tortilla around the beef and place in a 9x13 pan with the ends of the tortilla facing down until you have filled the pan with enchiladas.  Place about half of the sour cream mixture over the rolled enchiladas and sprinkle with half of the cheese.  Do the same for another pan.  I'm usually just a few enchiladas shy of 2 full pans.
Place in the oven and heat until the cheese is melted and bubbly and brown and delicious and the sauce has warmed through!