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Gina DiMartino

~ finding beauty in pain

Gina DiMartino

Monthly Archives: October 2012

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27 Saturday Oct 2012

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double portion, lecrae, more

We’re nearing the end of our Beth Moore study on James. This morning I french pressed my coffee and sat at my table in my room basked in sunlight. We’re on chapter five. Talking about money, hoarding, patience and rewards. I prayed about my money situation. Or lack of money situation. I prayed I wouldn’t be someone who has more things than I need. I prayed that I would be generous with all that I have and that I would remember that everything I have really belongs to God.

Then we were talking about the sufferings of Job. Job didn’t know why he was being tested, but he never doubted God. In the end God blessed him with a double portion. He gave him more than he had at the beginning. I prayed for a double portion. I prayed for wisdom concerning my job and I begged God to help me find a way to make some extra money because I don’t know how I will pay all the bills I have due next week. I have been living only on my tip money since I came to Kansas. I think I have been very frugal. But I still feel like I am burdened by my debt and that’s not a feeling that is very comfortable. I want to honor God with my money and I want to be wise and debt free. That is something I am striving hard towards. But sometimes it does seem like an endless journey. I know my suffering is NOWHERE near that of Job. I’m not trying to compare myself to him in any way. But I do want to have the same response that he had. I want to trust God completely and never doubt Him. So I left my morning reprieve refreshed and confident that no matter what job I have, God will provide.

As I washed my car before work Lecrae blasting in my ears reiterated what I had just been studying.

Your goodness. Your mercy. (More!)
I’m hungry. I’m thirsty. (More!)
Your love and Your grace. (More!)
I just need a taste. (More!)
Your peace and Your passion. (More!)
Your joy and compassion. (More!)
You got it I need it. (More!)
I just gotta have it.

And I’m dieing to know You. Wake me up and let me read.
Treat Your words so if they cut me this is what I bleed.
Give me a double feature.
Give me a triple portion.
I’m coming back for seconds, thirds, fourth, more, more, more!

When I got to work it was as usual. Chaos. Busy. Loud customers demanding coffee to satisfy their cravings. I sank into the chair in the back room for a few moments of silence before stepping onto that riotous scene. There was a note in my work mailbox. I pulled it out. Based on Gina’s review 9/28/12 and her excellent score of CE (that’s the highest I can get) she will be getting a bonus for the quarter in the amount of $xxx.xx (more than my weekly paycheck) Upon processing this bonus, I realized that she had never been awarded her bonus from last year 9/28/11 so $xxx.xx (same amount) will also be added to her bonus this year… I read it five times. I handed it to my manager and asked her if it said what I thought it was saying. “You’re getting all that money…Yes!” YES! Oh my goodness! I prayed this morning that God would bless me with a double portion. And in my head I was thinking double portion of grace, mercy, patience…it never entered my mind that it would be MONEY. But here staring in my face was a DOUBLE bonus! What an amazing blessing. It won’t clear all my debt. But it will help immensely. And what an answer to prayer. And how humbling. As Beth said this morning, “God knows how everything will turn out. And for every single person who belongs to Him, it turns out well.” May I never doubt Him. May I always ask. I know the answer won’t always be so immediate and so visible, but as Job so finely puts it…

I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes – I and not another. How my heart yearns within me!
Job 19:25-27

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low rider

24 Wednesday Oct 2012

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I have been here 2 months! I feel like I have been gone forever. I miss everyone so much! And church. I miss Northridge so much! I am more used to being here, but I have decided that NY will always be “home”. At least for now. I love being with Liz. We are having a great time just doing life together. She is such a blessing to me. We are doing a Beth Moore bible study on James which has been both challenging and encouraging. It is with a group of girls from Liz’s church and it has been great to fellowship with them and get to know them. I have made a few friends both from church and work, so that is great! It’s not easier to be away from the friends that I love at home, but at least it’s allowing me to build some good relationships here as well.

We have found some coffee shops to hang out at. One guy makes fun of my “extra hot” latte every time…as if its odd to ask for extra hot. Silly. Fall is in full swing. It’s so windy here that the leaves blow all over. They do have the most beautiful sunrises here. Maybe we have them in NY, but I never had to get up so early there so I rarely saw a sunrise! Also it is so dusty. I don’t know if it’s from all the construction or what, but my car is always caked with dirt. Probably Kansas is just dirty. The cars even get dirtier when it rains. As if that makes sense. Today I washed and waxed it. We’ll see how long that lasts.

I still don’t have a permanent Starbucks. I am bouncing around between two stores currently. It has gotten very frustrating. They won’t let me have off for Thanksgiving and are being very sketchy about me being able to have Christmas off to come home. So I am just praying a lot about my job and for wisdom about that situation and for doors to open if I am supposed to work somewhere else. I have been applying for anything that seems interesting.

That’s about all that’s going on for now! Gungor liked my book review and I’m so excited for their concert on Saturday. Liz will be out-of-town visiting friends from NY who now live in the middle of nowhere somewhere far out in Kansas, so she’s missing the concert, but I am going with Laura and Sue. Should be a great night! Can’t wait! Let me know how you’re doing! I miss everyone at home 🙂 Thanks for your prayers. They are so encouraging to me.

 

The Crowd, The Critic, and The Muse by Michael Gungor

09 Tuesday Oct 2012

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Gungor, Michael Gungor, The crowd the critic and the muse

I was hooked by the opening lines. By the time I had completed the introduction, I knew this would be a book that was raw, honest, passionate, and true. A book that would reach in and touch my soul. Shake me up. Wake me up. I am an artist. A creator. This book was for ME.

Michael Gungor is the head of the musical collective Gungor; in my opinion one of the most talented groups I have encountered. The music comes from their souls and you can tell. In his new book, Michael opens his heart and shares stories about his growth and struggles throughout life that have molded him into the artist and musician he is today. As he does with his music, Michael Gungor captures his soul, wraps it up with words, and speaks into existence something beautiful. Something alive. Creative. Breathing.

He reminds us that we will never be the person God intends us to be if we are constantly trying to please people and create what they expect us to create. We need to be less concerned about what people think and create what comes from the soul. Only then will we be satisfied and only then does the art truly come to life.

He wraps it all up with this profound statement: “You are the body of Christ, the light of the world. Pick up your hammer. Your brush. Your trumpet. Your skillet. Your pen. Lift up your head. And walk. Run. Dance. Fly. The great Artist, the future God, calls you into being. So go into your world, your valley, your garden, and create with His grace and in His peace.”

Everyone should read this book. Especially every creator. Every artist. How refreshing a place this world would be if all artists created things the way that Michael Gungor approaches his art. How unique and beautiful. Perhaps we wouldn’t pass through life without noticing. Without appreciating all the beauty around us. If all art were filled with soul, if all art were living and breathing, it would be impossible to ignore.

I highly recommend this book and am so thankful I had the opportunity to read it. If you would like to purchase a copy of the book, you can get it from Gungor’s online store https://missinginkshop.com/gungor/store

One last thing, I am really looking forward to Gungor coming to Kansas City October 27th at Westside Family Church. If you are in the area make sure to be there! It will be a concert you don’t want to miss!

Roasted Grape, Goat Cheese & Honey Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

04 Thursday Oct 2012

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goat cheese, recipes, roasted red grapes, sweet potatoes

Roasted grape, goat cheese, & honey stuffed sweet potatoes

I made this dish for dinner tonight. I was very happy with how it turned out. Delicious! This is a great side dish or even a meal. And its low-fat and gluten-free!

Preheat oven to 350. Poke holes in the sweet potato with a fork, wrap tightly in foil and bake in the oven for about an hour until soft.

When the potatoes are soft, slit them open with a knife and gently remove the flesh of the potato. Mix potato flesh, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg and honey.

Lay grapes on a nonstick baking sheet and drizzle with grapeseed oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper, then toss to coat. Roast at 450 for 20-25 minutes, or until grapes begin to burst. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Stuff potato shells with mashed potatoes. Top with roasted grapes, additional cheese and drizzle with honey. Delicious!

Roasted Grape + Goat Cheese + Honey Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

makes 4 potatoes

4 sweet potatoes

2 cups red, seedless grapes

1 teaspoon grapeseed oil (or another high heat oil)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 ounces goat cheese

2 tablespoons honey + additional for drizzling

pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350. Poke holes in sweet potato with a fork, and wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Unwrap foil and cut a slit down the middle of each sweet potato. Let sit until cool enough to handle.

Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Lay grapes on a nonstick baking sheet and drizzle with grapeseed oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper, then toss to coat. Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until grapes begin to burst. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Once sweet potatoes are somewhat cool, gently remove the flesh with a spoon, trying to keep the potato intact. Add the sweet potato to a large bowl, then mash with 3 ounces of goat cheese, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper and honey. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired, then scoop flash back into the potato skins. At this point you can re-warm the potatoes (if you let them cool completely) in the oven, then top with remaining goat cheese. Add grapes on top and serve with additional drizzled honey.

Recipe from http://www.howsweeteats.com/

 

too much to ask

03 Wednesday Oct 2012

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ask, James 1:5-8

We ventured out in the early gray morning and drove downtown to Hi Hat. It is one of our favorite coffee shops. It is in a tiny little brick house that looks hundreds of years old. Its so small there’s barely room to get inside, stand in line and place an order. Maybe six people can fit in there. Usually you have to wait outside for your drink to be ready. But we love it. The girls who run it are so genuine and their coffee is some of the best. You have to sit outside. They have a patio out front and on the side of the building. There are benches and chairs and picnic tables and mismatched patio furniture. Its unique, and it has character. I think that’s what we look for mostly when trying to find a coffee shop to call home. Character. Hi Hat has it. It is nestled in one of the richest areas of Kansas City. Sort of on the outskirts. A few blocks away are some of the largest most impressive houses you have ever seen, but the surrounding houses are tiny cottage-like homes that although small, must cost a fortune. It’s almost like a fairy tale land.

Today is cool. We bundle up in sweaters and scarves and fall attire and enjoy the crisp morning air with our hot coffee. It is so refreshing. We will be sad when winter comes and it is no longer warm enough to sit out on the patio and enjoy the atmosphere. A large group of older men sit at a large table, drinking their coffee, reading the paper, chatting, talking to and about everyone who shows up. They know all the regulars and a little girl comes in with her dad and runs over to the old man group and jumps up on one of their laps. She doesn’t have school today and is so excited. You can tell they are all adopted grandpas.

Having a dog is a status symbol here. People walk here with their proud dogs. They love for them to be noticed. They all have impressive big important dog names; they are all purebreds and they are all so well-behaved. They lounge around on the patio bricks and act like they don’t care when other people notice them. Liz really wants a dog. It would sit proudly beside us at our table and he would have a big impressive name like Eustace, or Earl, or…

There’s no internet at Hi Hat Café. So that gives me no distraction. No pinterest or facebook or job searches. Just me. My books and my thoughts.

We’re doing a study on the book of James. And today something really stood out to me. It’s not something new. It’s not something I haven’t learned before. Maybe it was just something that I needed to hear today. Something that I needed to realize or put into practice or re-learn. Verses 5-8 of chapter 1 is the focus of the study today. Well actually, I am behind, so it’s the focus of like Thursday last week, but whatever, it was my focus today.

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double minded man unstable in all he does. (James 1:5-8)

Well the author of the study asked why we have to ask. God always knows what we need. So why do we have to ask. And her answer was the same as my first thought, well God wants a relationship with us and he wants us to communicate to Him our needs and ask Him for things. But I paused there. My mind continued to wander. Sure, God wants us to ask, He wants it to be a two-way street, He wants our communication. But what is deeper than that? If God always gave us what we needed without us asking for it, we would never know that it was coming from Him. We would never be on our knees pouring out to Him and begging him to provide. We would never recognize His provision, our trust in Him would never grow. We would never need Him. Or we wouldn’t know that we needed Him. We wouldn’t know that it was Him giving to us if we weren’t asking. So would we slowly trust Him less? We would think our lives were pretty good. We always had what we needed and we never asked anyone for it so we were pretty lucky. God? He’s just a far off dude. I’m not really sure what He does. I’m pretty good without Him actually.

Nope.

I can’t see God working like that! But when we ask Him for things and trust and pour out our hearts and beg to not be left alone in the dark, but for Him to come be beside us and provide for our needs, He GIVES. Not always in the way that we want or expect, but He never fails us. And when we ask and He gives, we are amazed, and our trust grows, our relationship with Him grows. And maybe at first we only ask for small things, but He is faithful and small things grow into bigger things and the relationship grows and THAT is right where God wants us to be. That is why I think God wants us to ask.

I don’t think I really ever ask. I discussed it with Liz this morning over coffee. I don’t. Not usually. Unless its something big that I can’t figure out myself. Or if its something for someone else that I can’t fix. I like to fix things. I like to figure the problem out. I like to solve it. Fix it. I don’t ask God.

I gave the example of my financial situation this week. The computers at Starbucks were broken last week so the manager was unable to process payroll. Therefore no one got paid. I had budgeted in a way that my paycheck would be enough to cover my rent and car payment which are both due this week. But the paycheck didn’t come. No one else at Starbucks seemed to think this was a big deal. We’ll just all get paid next week for 2 weeks worth of work. But to me, who was depending on that paycheck to pay my bills, it was a HUGE deal! Now my rent and car payment will be late. I don’t pay my bills late. I’m a first-born child. I’m responsible. To me this is a tragedy! And I know for certain that if I asked my dad, he would somehow find some money and put it into my account so I can pay my bills on time. I know that for a fact. But I realized today that I never even THOUGHT to ask God for help. I didn’t even talk to Him about the situation. I didn’t ask for money or an extension on my payments or for wisdom in the situation. I didn’t ask. And how much more does God love me and want to provide for me than my dad does?

I know my dad would do anything for me. But shouldn’t I have that same trust and belief about my all-powerful Heavenly Father? He probably wouldn’t have sent me a check in the mail or deposited money into my account, but I’m sure He would have provided me with some wisdom in the situation. Or given me grace to handle it. Or helped me lose some pride and be ok with paying some things late. I never asked. So I’ll never know.

I think we would be amazed at the things that would start happening in our lives if we started depending on God more. Started asking Him for more. Maybe we wouldn’t become independently wealthy, or have all the things that we want, but we would always have all the things that we NEED. We would have the relationship with Him that He wants. And I know that is a place that I want to be living. I know it will take a lifetime to learn this. I might forget it by next month and need to be reminded again. But for right now, I’m going to start asking. And I’m going to start believing that He who gives generously to all without finding fault, will be right there answering me.

Gluten-free Pumpkin Bread

01 Monday Oct 2012

Posted by ginamd in Uncategorized

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baking, gluten free, gluten free recipes, gluten-free pumpkin bread, pumpkin bread, recipes

I made pumpkin bread this morning. It’s the first day of October, so it seemed fitting. Sue decked our house out with fall decor so filling the house with pumpkin smell seemed to be the next step. I’m doing my best to be gluten-free, so I searched for recipes and adapted one to my liking.

Ingredients
3 ½ cups multipurpose gluten-free flour mix (I used Bob’s)
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp all spice
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
4 large eggs
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup orange juice
2 cups Libby’s pumpkin puree
3/4 cup walnuts (or other nuts), chopped (optional)
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and lightly flour 3 bread pans. (with gluten-free flour)
2. In large bowl, add all dry ingredients, mix well.
3. Add all other ingredients (except nuts and chips), mix until smooth and creamy.
4. Fold in nuts and chips
5. Bake in preheated over for 1 hour or until toothpick poked in the middle of each loaf comes out clean.  Mine took a little less than 1 hour. Cool in pan. Enjoy!

It really turned out delicious and moist! The original recipe had 3 cups of sugar and I took it down to 2 1/2 but I think it would be just as good with 2 or even less. The apple sauce and orange juice add sweetness. I might keep playing around with this recipe to see if I can get it to be even healthier! I know I can substitute Greek yogurt for the oil so I will try that next time. Let me know if you try any good variations.


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