Once-A-Month Cooking - Tucker Style

A Brief Pre-Requisite Update on the Tuckers - which most of you already know...

Duane is back to work, driving locally, and home every night. He's gone to Hermiston, Prineville, Springfield, and equivalent lengths North, and West. But most of his runs are around Portland, or down to Albany/Eugene. He starts at 7am (just 5 minutes away from home), and gets home around 7:30pm (though sometimes he surprises me by getting home as soon as 5). The key fact though, is that he's home every night. Yay!!! When offered jobs that would take him away for a couple nights a week, he declined, saying that his marriage was more important to him than his job. Major husband points, right there! Somehow we survived for three years with him doing over-the-road trucking, but I just couldn't go back "there" again. He provides so much stability for me, and I just love having him around. I'm glad we get to be a team!

Meanwhile, I'm back to work full-time (30 hours/week) with Child Evangelism Fellowship as Office Manager and Director of Training. I'm also taking full-time online courses through the Degree Completion Program at Multnomah University. I'm majoring in Business Management, as a number of those classes line up with what I am doing at CEF. I attend class one night a week, and have 15 or so hours of homework in preparation for each class.

Currently Duane's weekend is Sunday and Monday each week, and I'm able to juggle mine to Saturday-Monday, so I have Saturday to study before I join him in spending our weekend together. Romeo and Jada don't exactly appreciate the long days by themselves, but we try to minimize that as much as possible.

I've also been going to bed at around 8pm, when Duane does, so I can join him in rising early, as I can. He gets up at 4am, and I get up as early as my still-recovering-body allows. Sometimes that means I'm up at 4:30, sometimes that means I barely stir to receive his good-bye kiss and sleep until 8. Some of you will laugh to hear me say that I found out it's actually kinda fun to get so much done before 8 in the morning! I'm just glad for the days my body cooperates!

Food for the Tuckers

All of that was to say: we're busy!!! Since Duane has been our main chef for so long, it's an adjustment to try and sort out the cooking when he's gone so much. On top of that, most of you know, I've never had any desire to be THE COOK. But now that I'm home more than he is, I'm trying to figure out ways to make this survivable by both of us.

The goals: 

• Food for Duane to cook when he wants to cook (since he enjoys it so much)
• Food that we will both enjoy 
• Food that's safe for me to eat (ie Gluten-free, no/very-low sugar, limited dairy)
• Healthy food that will nourish our bodies
• Maintain a predictable budget 
• Require limited time for food prep and cooking: I need something with about 2 minutes of prep when I get home exhausted after work and the last thing I want to do is cook. Also, Duane often gets home at 7:30, and goes to bed at 8, so not much room for waiting on food!

The Ideas: 

• We tried the Home Chef program (they box up your prepared food supplies and send it to you, ready to cook)
• Lovely idea
• Too expensive
• No leftovers
• Not enough "safe" meals
• Still some prep time involved
• Duane likes the food, but doesn't get to maintain his flexibility to cook ("recipes are great for YOU, Cora...")
  NOTE: I also looked into Blue Apron, as you can get gift cards at Costco, so that it's basically 20% off, but they don't have gluten-free meals yet. 
• Growing up, Mom Johnson tried the Once-A-Month Cooking plan talked about on Focus on The Family: Prepare and freeze your meals ahead, then pull it out and cook it.
• Loved it growing up
• Great meals!
• Low-Cost
• Not enough "safe" meals
• E-Meals (a menu-planning service to help keep cost down and simplify the planning)
• Once a week shopping
• Too much food for us in a week
• Still too much organization, since I had to cut down the menu AND do the shopping (see above)
• Great food and variety! Many of the foods on our "favorite" list came from them.
• Challenged us with new and usually tasty foods!
• Simple prep and instructions
• Still requires time preparing and cooking
• Could work for our budget, but not ideal
• Again, doesn't give Duane flexibility to cook what he wants to cook
• Dining out regularly (funny how this isn't the top of the list!).
• Too expensive (duh).
• This Project: Once-A-Month cooking, Tucker-style
• Minimal food prep time
• Predictable budget (yet to find out: is it IN our budget?)
• Flexibility so Duane can cook
• Most of the meals are already favorites (a favorite meal EVERY NIGHT!?!?! Yay!)
• All the meals are safe. 

So here's the cute little cover for my notebook that I adapted from a gal online: 

The main plan is this: 

• I have the same set of meals every month (eventually I can do an "A" month and a "B" month, so we won't have the same meal for two months)
• I do all the shopping from my pre-planned grocery list (no thinking!) once a month. 
• I take one day and put everything into packages by meal for the month, ready to freeze (or in some cases refrigerate). If I time this right, I'll rope Duane into helping, and it should only take a couple hours. 
• Each night, I'll pull out whichever package I want to use for dinner the next night, and put it in the fridge. I chose not to try to plan particular main dishes to go with certain sides, or to establish a monthly "menu". If you're more by-the-book, or have other reasons this would be helpful, I say "go for it!", but I've learned about us Tuckers that life doesn't revolve around a chart. I'd just get frustrated that I wasn't doing it "like I planned", so this plan lets us stay flexible, yet prepared! Depending on the week, I might sit down when I'm planning my week's schedule and sketch in some basic plans, which will help me know what to pick up for the fresh-veggie side dishes, but it's also not a "requirement."
• When I get home from work, I can get to cooking, and not require any prep. Some meals are crock-pot friendly, so I can get them going in the morning before I leave... like on Thursdays when I barely have time to get home before class time... much less eat...
• Bonus: I build into the budget $20 once a week, so Duane can go out and pick up the stuff for something else he's in the mood to make, just in case it's not something already on our list. Anyone who's had one of his meals, knows that there are usually leftovers, so really that's a 2+ meal budget! :)

So each week, I plan to: 

• Pick 3 fresh veggies to buy and serve 
• 1 meal Chef’s choice ($20)
• Pick 6 main dishes from freezer
• Pick 4 veggie dishes from freezer

My suspicion is that we'll still have too much food, so this is, quite possibly, the "Tucker 1.5 Month Plan". Which would make the budget even more likely to work for us. Some of the recipes are really big enough that we'll have two or more meals from each one. Which is handy, because that takes care of our lunches, as well. 

So here's what I did: 

1. I found our favorite recipes, new and old. There are plenty of favorites left, but I selected some that would have similar ingredients (not as expensive getting a bunch of DIFFERENT stuff). 
2. I entered these into the free online-and-android app called BigOven (also available in the Apple store for you weirdos those of you who have apple products). This app allowed me to enter and store my recipes from my computer, make and edit a grocery list from the meals I selected, and also have my grocery list with me at the store on my android device. It also has a menu planning feature, but I think that works mostly with the paid version, and I didn't need it for this plan anyway. 
3. I went through by recipe, and decided how things would be packaged (These ingredients go in bag 1, these other ingredients go in bag 2, a couple items just need to stay in the fridge, etc.). This also helped me figure out what I will need to do on Prep day for each recipe (slice the veggies, cut the meat, etc.). I was pleased to find that most of them don't require much prep: it's mostly just tossing it in my freezer-ready packaging. 
4. I assembled my handy-dandy notebook with the following sections
1. Prep: 
• My list of meals (both main dishes and side dishes)
  NOTE: You'll see that each meal is used twice, but I can serve them with weeks in between, or use them together when company comes!
• The shopping list
• Instructions for Prep Day
2. Frozen Meals - Recipes for the frozen meals
   NOTE: these were easily printed off the BigOven app, with the added bonus that I can re-print them later if I need to do any editing, or add some personal notes.
3. Fresh Meals - the side dishes that I'll need the recipes for, but won't purchase until the week-of

My Meal List
Each meal is offered twice, and
I can check off each meal as I serve it,
so I know what's left to choose from.

My Grocery List I also have this on my BigOven App
Prep Day Instructions A summary of steps required on "Prep Day"

So you're joining me for the progress. I plan to start this program when I return from a conference next week, so watch for another post after I actually do the shopping and prep day, and probably another after I actually survive the month. I'm sure there will be changes and "tweaks" to the plan. And then again, it may end up as another idea on my list with bullet points of pros and cons as I look for another option. If it DOES survive as our new routine, I'll share my recipes and documents so you can easily make it your own, but until I've had a chance to test it, I'll try not to confuse you with any faulty methods. :)

Now... I'd better go remind Duane to try to use the stuff from the freezer while I'm gone, so there's room for a month's-worth of meals!

Time with Family and Friends

The last couple weeks have been a great time of visiting different family and friends!

Thanksgiving

We celebrated the first Thanksgiving with Grandpa and Aunt Janet in their new house. Though not every one made it, we had a substantial turn-out. It was so reminiscent of the Thanksgivings as we grandkids were growing up: the table(s) piled with food, the table for the "kids" in the living room, playing games of Skip-bo, and the family time together. Now many of the grandkids have kids of their own, and we've had the joy of sharing with them our family traditions. 

From Out of Town

Last week we had impromptu visits with friends from Sprague River (Klamath Falls area), here in Portland. One couple was here in Portland for medical procedure, and another was on their way home from Seattle, where there had been another appointment. What fun to get together for lunch here in Portland, and catch up with our friends!

Immediate Family and Friends

We enjoyed a visit to Elmira this last weekend with my parents, a brother and my sister. Mom was hosting a table at the ladies Christmas tea at their church, and I had some fun china and flatware to share. We had such a grand time! 

Duane and I had the privilege of attending Olivet Baptist Church in Veneta on Sunday, (where I had attended for a number of years before being called down to Klamath Falls in 2006). It had been such a long time since our last visit - we were glad to make those connections!

Still Working on Gathering Addresses...

Until you've done it, it seems like such an easy-breezy job: gathering addresses for a mailing. But I'm in the middle of a third week of gathering those addresses, and still have a ways to go. It seems kinda silly, but could you pray for this process to go smoothly and quickly, so I can get back to the other parts of ministry? Thank you! 

Oh, and if you're reading this and would like to receive a newsletter, could you make sure I have your mailing address and/or email address? I'd like to snail mail a prayer card to you this time, but it would save money down the road for other mailings if I could send correspondence to your email. My CEF email address is cora.tucker.cef@gmail.com 

• Pray for me to get the addresses gathered quickly and the newsletter mailed
• Praise God for so many friends and family you share my joy in ministry!

Blessings on you!

Ministry Musings November 25, 2014

The Lord is My Shepherd...

     At the CEF Staff Retreat a few weeks ago, we were given a great little book by Robert Morgan, called "The Lord is My Shepherd". I'm still not sure how some people I know have been able to slam through that book, because there is SO MUCH on every page that makes such an impact. I'll give them one thing though... I DON'T want to put it down!
     One thing that grabbed my heart is his statement that "The Lord is my shepherd" is NOT a promise. It's a fact. It's not that he SOMEDAY will shepherd me, or that he has been a shepherd to others, but instead, the Lord IS my shepherd. That's just the way it is. What a great comfort!
   

Helping to start a Good News Club...

     I had the privilege of joining a team as they prepare for their first Good News Club in the school. This team is part of a larger church that has a vision to reach the children in the community, so has already been working hard to develop relationships with the schools. It is fun to watch this team - each individual experienced in various children's ministries, coming together in a fun club! It's also great to see our newest Staff-member, Mary Hunter, stepping up to lead this team. Her creativity makes the learning process so much more fun for the teams she's working with.

• Pray for her to adapt quickly to being part of the CEF team, and to learn the things she needs to know. 
• Please pray for the school and school district to quickly give permission to meet and to distribute the fliers for the club. 

Raising Support...

     I've finally had a little bit of time to work on developing my support team for CEF! I have my newsletter just about ready to send out, and my letter ready to go. Now I just have to get a fresh picture for our prayer card, finish and have those printed, and then just gather almost 200 addresses into a format that I can use to print address labels, and of course fold, stamp, and mail all of those. No biggie. Ha ha!

     It has been several years since I've done much in the support-raising department, and I really feel bad. Indeed, it's hardest to spend time to raise support when you're busiest in the ministry, but that doesn't change the fact that that results in neglected, ill-informed supporters, who eventually give up. Ouch. So now I get to basically start from scratch, needing to raise 90% of my financial support, not to mention the prayer support that is so vital to this ministry. 

• Pray for me to know who to contact about partnering financially, and for supporters to be distinctly called by God to be involved.

Thanksgiving...

     Duane and I spent an early Thanksgiving in Klamath Falls last week, when we were able to visit with Duane's parents and brother and sister-in-law, as well as retrieve several items from our house in Midland. This week, we look forward to celebrating at the new home of my Grandfather and Aunt, and being joined by parts of my family, as well. How are you going to celebrate? Add a comment below!

May you be blessed greatly as you set aside time to thank our Creator for his abundant blessings!

Cora for the Tucker's

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.”—Martin Luther

It has been awhile since I have written.  There have been several false starts for me as I look at my ‘drafts’ file for this blog.  As a result, I shall endeavor to inform you of the current ‘seasonal changes’ in our life.

Waiting on the Lord

“Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!”  Psalms 27:14

A Brief History

In May 2011, Cora and I journeyed to North Carolina to the International CEF conference.  As I told the story in my previous blogs, I believed I was to “go and listen” and in His timing, God would show me what was next.  That ended up being the word “surrender.”  I needed to learn what that meant, not only for me, but also for both of us.  Cora and I began to pray for me to get out of the truck so I would be more available for Gods leading.

Life Lessons

During this ‘season’, we worked on our finances with Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University.  We were doing ok, but we saw where we needed more some discipline in areas.  God was working in our hearts and teaching us multiple lessons, showing us areas that we (mostly me) needed to work on.  Please bear in mind that the majority of these lessons have been a major paradigm shift for me.  I have to think more now about my wife and how decisions affect us, rather than me.  I never had to think that way for 48 years.  Yet, the more we prayed, the more restless I became.  I knew that God was preparing me for something but I was not sure what it would be, when, and for how long.  My attitude began to be “God will let us know when we are ready, even if we do not think we are.”  I was right.  We were not ready for Him.

Attitude

"The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin … Exo 34:6b-7a

Being a child of God is not so easy in this world.  Of course, if I look at being His child in America, I might think otherwise.  Oh, I have it soooo tough.  “Uh God, I really want this other thing … could you work it so it would work out to my/our advantage so (insert your situation here)?”  Yes, there are people dying all around us because they want a Bible, want to go to church, have a desire for more than food for the body.  They hunger for the Word of God and the fellowship of other believers.  What have I been doing … other than whining to God that things are not going according to the way I planned them?  I do not like it this way.  I will just call on God to change these things, that way I do not have to deal with it.  It is in God’s hands now; I prayed about it.  ‘Nuff said/’nuff done.  Yeah … right.

I see so many Christians today (please note, I am talking about me) that really are a bunch of spoiled, stubborn and stiff-necked people.  It reminds me of another bunch of similar people.  Let’s see … who were those folks?  Um … oh, I remember now … they were God’s chosen people, the nation of Israel.  How could I forget that?  Most times, I am in so much deep and hot water with God.  Given the nature of man (me) and the fallen state of man (me), I am surprised that God has not turned this particular man into an unobtrusive grease spot, at some remote location in the universe.

Worship the LORD with reverence and rejoice with trembling.  Psalms 2:11

A couple of months ago I read a book by Joseph S. Carroll called How to Worship Jesus Christ.  It is from Moody Press.  It is only 90 pages, but it took me a couple of days to go through it.  I am going to start it again.  Then I will re-read another book called Humility by Andrew Murray.  A very special friend of ours, a lady of great wisdom from CEF headquarters, gave this book to Cora and me as a gift.  It is one hundred ten pages of short, succinct, and amazing steps to humility in and with a relationship with the God and Savior of this universe.  I have come to understand my relationship with the Sovereign God should be the attitude of Job, after God finished talking to him.  “I am a worm.  Who am I to give God counsel on how to run the universe?”  Job 40:4; 42:3

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.  Isa 55:8

I like listening to podcasts of R.C. Sproul, John McArthur, John Piper and others.  These are just a few of my “Hero’s of the Faith” in this generation.  In one of R.C.’s lectures, he explains how he is usually very tactful and sensitive to the needs of those in pastoral counseling.  However, in this one particular session an angry man was shaking his fist at R.C. and complaining about how his (R.C.’s) God was not a Merciful God.  The angry man had just lost his child to SIDS.  R.C. explained in his lecture that he usually did not take the particular tack that he did.  R.C. bluntly asked the man why God did not strike the man down where he stood because of the blasphemous words coming out of his mouth at that moment.  Consider in that lesson that the spiritual 2x4 had been applied right between the eyes, at full force.  It affected me in the same manner.  The reasons why God does things are not ours to contemplate.  They are God’s to know the reasons why.  I need to learn how to accept them with the gratitude of a sinful slave that has been redeemed by the Master.

As a result, I have had to do some evaluation on some of the things in my life.  A ‘re-setting’ of values and priorities.  Obviously, this is NOT an overnight process.  Nor is it completed in a season.  This is a constant re-adjustment from the things of man to the things of God.  Questions I have been asking myself are, “Do I NEED this?”  “Is this necessary?”  “Will this honor God … or man?”  “Who benefits if I do/don’t do such and such?”  “Is my heart in it for God … or elsewhere?”  These are just some of the questions that I am continually asking myself.  Other questions can and/or should be asked … for each of us.  The process is called sanctification.  It is something that all Christians must go through, never being completed until we stand before God.  This process of sanctification is a very humbling one and I am very grateful to God for helping me to comprehend, apply, and accomplish it daily.  I must mention that I do spend a lot of time getting up from where I fell down in this process.

"Be still, and know that I am God.  I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth!"  Psalms 46:10

In mid-August of this year, my driving position at the trucking company was abruptly terminated.  After several weeks of thrashing about in anger, frustration, and selfishness—disguised as the “poor me” syndrome, I began to pray and pray more earnestly about what God would have us do.  In this current economy, not too many people are willing to hire a grumpy, old, used and abused, worn-out truck driver … especially trucking companies.  I did manage to find a temporary job running a “spud truck” for the potato harvest in October to carry us through the transition period.  Now that spud truck job was a unique experience and I will not go into much detail about it.

When I was in high school, I was in the Future Farmers of America.  I learned enough about the field part of the harvest to know that it was not something to be taken lightly, but I never went into any depth.  With this temporary job, I learned what a harvest operation entails.  As a result, I have been using the knowledge learned to apply in my own life.  I could fill the pages here with metaphors … but I will spare you.  You’re welcome.  Once that job ended, I needed to see what was next.  I was not sure what God had in mind for us.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  Pro 3:5

Cora and I had been praying for “the next step” in this evolution of trusting God.  What would the next job be for me and how would it affect my relationship with God, Cora, and family, etc.  All I could do was wait on Him.  I began thinking over the things that God had put me through and what some of those lessons meant to me.  I also wondered what He might be preparing me to do.  Before I married Cora, I had a quiet hunger to attend some sort of Bible College.  I mostly blew it off as a ‘pipe dream’ ... too old, too busy, too broke, too … whatever excuse I could use.  I had attended a local community college in 2003 and found that I had a hunger for knowledge I did not know I had.  Now with me being married, I needed to focus on securing the things that made us “comfortable” so we could lead that quiet life of following Christ.  See 1Th 4:11 and 2Th 3:12 for further explanations.  I was thinking college is not a viable option; there must be something else on the horizon.  God knows what we need and His next step was for us to re-evaluate our priorities.  Because of that re-evaluation, the old desire for Bible College came back, quite vigorously I might add.

Faith

“And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith."  Mat 21:22

I kept thinking, “Bible College …at my age?”  We started looking in earnest.  I wanted to make sure this was not a ‘panic button’ decision, mid-life crisis, or some such.  Prayer was our first step, seeking peace in and for the future.  This was followed by trying to find a ‘college’ to see if this was what we were to do.  We looked at Moody Bible College, both campuses:  the main one in Chicago, IL and the satellite campus in Spokane, WA.  Our preference was the Spokane campus because it is in the Pacific Northwest and closer to family.  We looked at George Fox U., Corban U., New Hope Bible College, Northwest Christian U., and Multnomah U., and several other schools.  It boiled down to ‘the most bang for the buck’ in a school that would equip us to go wherever God wanted us to go when we finished.  That turned out to be Multnomah University in Portland, OR.  They require a dual degree:  one degree in Bible and Theology, a passion of mine, the other, a major or minor in your degree of choice.  I was impressed with their “New Testament Greek.”  Because of this choice, I believe I need to invent a rapid hair growth tonic so I can pull out my hair in frustration as I learn ‘Koine Greek’.

I have since started the application process to Multnomah University or MU if you prefer.  There is still no guarantee that I will be accepted into the programs I want, but I have placed that worry in the Lords hands.  For me, I have a peace about the direction that my life is about to take.  I cannot answer for Cora.  I know that she does have concerns, as she has voiced them to me and we have talked them over.  She is very good at helping me to evaluate options that I did not think of, did not think to look at, or refused to look at.  I am VERY grateful for her input.  This decision process would not have been very easy without her help and support.  I am praying that God will clear the way to see the goal He has for us, albeit one day at a time.  I believe that it is at MU, studying Theology and New Testament Greek and that is what I am praying will happen.

“Yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”  Hab 3:18

So this is what we are aiming for:  This step of faith.  We are trusting that God will lead us through this season of transition.  Faith that God knows what we need, that He will provide it when we need it and He will not give it to us until His time is right.  We just have to be willing to wait on the Lord, trusting that He is Sovereign and that we are His children.  Will you pray with us, please?

For His glory only,

 Duane

Cora’s Perspective…

So we’ve been quiet on here for a while. Not because there hasn’t been anything happening, but because there just aren’t always the right words to tell the world about the craziness God has seen fit to walk us through. We still aren’t out of the craziness – not by a long shot, but it just seems like time to finally try to verbalize these adventures.

For me, it started around the first of August. I knew that I’ve struggled with stress and worry, and not handling it right. I usually don’t really stew on stuff for very long, but my body knows I’m in a stressful situation, and obliges with sufficient adrenaline to knock my health for a loop. Soooo… I picked up a book that I’d been meaning to read for quite a while: “Anxious For Nothing” by John MacArthur. As I read it, I could never read much more than a page or two, as God was just slamming me with its truths. I’d read a little, then think and journal about it, then come back for more. After two weeks, I had gotten so much out of it, and had changed so much that I thought “Hey! Now that God’s taught me so much, there’s gotta be a reason for it – maybe to teach others or something!” Yeah. Uh huh. It was that same day that we found out that things were about to get very stressful. Duane had lost his job.

Now, we had prayed for quite a while for him to be able to get out of the truck. While Duane had had visions of owning his own truck, we really just wanted him to be able to be home every night. Or even MOST nights. There had been many times that a sticky situation or a cranky boss could have put an end to the job. And we’d had the sense to “fear” that. Instead, God had seen fit to protect that job through it all. And NOW, He had seen fit to drop the floor out from under us. As Duane had planned to clean out his truck for a week-long vacation, his boss told him to just clean out the truck for good, and not come back.

Ouch.

Each of us had our own reaction, but neither of us liked it. Duane was hurt and angered by the situation. I was freaking out that my “security” had evaporated. And we both scrambled to figure out what in the world just happened. We may never know what caused the boss to “snap” that day, but we’ve at least figured out now, as Joseph once said to his brothers: “What you meant for evil, God meant for good.”

But that process sure hasn’t been overnight. Daily we would take turns freaking out – thankfully, most of the time God allowed the other of us to be strong for the weak one. Duane will tell you about surrender. I’ll tell you about patient trust. And we’ll both tell you we’re still learning these things.

Since August I’ve wanted to know – “what’s next!?” I wanted to know how God would provide for our mortgage and other bills. I wanted to know what the next job for Duane would be. I wanted to know how God would provide for our food and gas and basics. And most of the time, I haven’t known any of those. Yet God has provided for every need. Every day.

So far it’s been pretty tight on the mortgage, but God has provided what we needed when we needed it. We have never gone hungry. Not for ONE meal. Not even close. And when we needed it most, Duane had a temporary job driving a potato truck. Unemployment finally even kicked in after three months without a job (another story for another time!).God has proven himself faithful through some crazy, crazy times.

So now… the main question is: “What comes next?” While only God KNOWS the future, we finally have a plan for the next steps. Duane has wanted to attend Bible College for quite a while now, and that’s only intensified over the last years. After his potato truck job, we finally had enough gas money to make a visit to his top prospect for a Bible College, Multnomah University in Portland, OR.

We had checked out a number of schools over the phone and internet, finding some great schools in the northwest, but none had quite what Duane was looking for in majors, etc. When we investigated Multnomah, we found that they had the majors we are looking for, has the reputation of a solid Biblical education, and is near enough to family. The only major draw-back in my view is that it’s in Portland. Ya know how you’re always told “Don’t ever say ‘Never’ to God”? Yeah, I was totally okay with Africa, but Portland? Please, God! DON’T send me to *cue super whiny voice* Poooortland! Yet by the time we were heading home from our campus visit, we knew: yep, Multnomah is the one. Duane plans to double major in Bible/Theology and New Testament Greek.

For the past couple weeks I’ve been alternately weepy and excited about the possibilities as we begin to tell our family and friends about the plans. We know that God can tweak and/or earthquake OUR plans at any time, and I can’t say that it’ll even surprise me, but for right now, it seems that attending Multnomah is in our future.

As it sits right now, the plan is for Duane to attend Multnomah starting in January for the Spring Semester, while I stay home and wrap things up with CEF and the house. Then the thinking is that I’ll move up there with him starting in May, between his terms. We THINK he’ll attend classes over the summer, which starts at the end of May, so it’s a pretty short window of time. I’ll probably still need to work up there part time, and we’re praying about the possibilities – there are definitely possibilities there, but we don’t have any announce-able plans yet.

For right now, we’re getting him ready for school, and then we’ll start getting the house ready to sell or rent. To our Klamath Falls friends, please pass the word that we’re looking for someone to rent, lease (w/ option to buy), or buy our 3-bedroom home in Midland. For our friends in the Portland area, do you know of someone that would have at least an inexpensive room to rent for January through May, and/or a one-to-two bedroom home available starting in either January or May? For January to May we won’t have the three dogs with us, as they’ll still be in Midland with me, but after that, we need a place that is pet-friendly. It is possible that Duane will be able to stay on campus during the Spring term, since we won’t have the dogs up there, but since there’s a no pet policy, we’ll need to figure out something different for May. Confused yet? Join the club!

For those of you in the CEF family, you need to know that the ministry in Klamath Falls WILL GO ON!!! As we discovered over my year-long sabbatical, the committee did a FABULOUS job of keeping things going - the ministry even GREW while I was gone. The leadership is still in the process of organizing the "what's next" specifics, and will let you know as soon as possible more details. Please be patient with them! I'd rather have waited to tell you until that point, so I could reassure you in the same breath that even though I was leaving, we have plans A, B, and C in motion. However, too much was happening too fast, and word was getting out to some people and not to others, leading to hurt feelings and the potential for not-fun rumors. I wanted to make sure that YOU would know as much as I can tell as soon as I can. From here, please just be patient, and know that GOD has a plan for his ministry, and as He shows US what that is, we'll be glad to share that with you!

I was telling a friend this weekend about how much I’ve learned about just waiting on God’s timing. Living in the moment that God has given me, instead of stressing about what the future holds. And later that night I was once again freaking out about where in the world we’ll be living in the next few months, and how miserable it’ll be to be apart from Duane for so long, and, and, and… And again I remind myself “Be still and know that I am God.” Translated into Cora’s heart-language, it probably sounds more like “Okay, Cora, it’s time to just sit down and shut up… I said SHUT UP… and remember that I’m in charge, not you… Did I mention to shut up? No buts about it! I AM in charge! Oh, and by the way, Cora? You DO know that I love you! A lot.” Believe me, I know that God wouldn’t be that crude, but it usually takes Him being that pointed with me. I’m so thankful for his patience with me!

As you think of us, would you please pray for us? Pray for continued peace, pray for clear direction, and pray for me to figure out the right balance of busyness and relaxing (i.e. not to become overwhelmed by all there is to do and just shut down!). Pray for my dear old curmudgeon, er uh, hubby as he prepares for school and the challenges that will bring. Also please pray that we’ll be able to get a computer for him to take with him to school. We have a laptop, but if he took it, then I wouldn’t have one here to be able to Skype with him – a key part of our plan to survive the months apart. Also, please pray for the house situation – pray for favor with the board that decides whether we get housing assistance from the state of Oregon (would pay our mortgage for a year), and for the house to have new occupants, and for us to have the right place(s) to move to at the right time. While you’re praying, I’d be remiss not to ask you to join me in thanking Him for His great provision for us thus far: thank Him for abundant food, clothing, home, time together, growth closer to Him and each other, friends, peace, and relief from a major chunk of the debt!

Thanks for taking the time to read this. We are ever grateful for your partnership in this journey!

Cora,

for the Tucker Tribe
Oh, and Duane's Perspective is just around the corner! 

Checking In

Howdy!
Well, I figured it was time to check in with y'all again!
We've both been keeping busy lately, but thankfully not TOO much in the "can't come up for air" kind of way. Duane's been driving each week, Sunday through Friday. He DID finally get to be home for church a couple weeks ago, and I think he will again this week, but we're still hoping for the time when he'll be able to be faithfully home for church each week.
We've been busy working around the yard, putting in flower beds, keeping it watered, and generally trying to keep it mowed. When I get up in the morning, I love to take my breakfast out on the back deck and have my Bible study outside while the dogs wander around or soak up the sun.
I also get to putz around in the garden frequently, weeding, and now finally starting to pick some of the produce! Our lettuce is going like gang busters, and I think we're going to be able to start picking peas any day now. I got some strawberries early this summer, and in addition to struggling to survive Romeo's digging expedition, they've had to fight heat with sometimes irregular watering (like when I was gone for a week). As a result, I was super pleased to notice that I have one larger strawberry almost ready to pick, and a bunch more coming on. So much fun!
We're also getting ready for the Klamath County Fair, which starts next week, and CEF will be there to tell Bible stories to the kids. We had the fair training last night, and the awesome team of volunteers put together a great meeting! It was soooo nice to just show up and do my part, instead of feeling like I was carrying the whole load. I thought the team did awesome BEFORE my sabbatical, but this time, I was so hugely blessed by their involvement and ownership in this meeting.
I've still been struggling with my health, as regards to Adrenal Fatigue. I have times where I'm doing awesome, and times where I'm sleeping a lot. Lately, it's been more of the sleeping a lot, which frustrates me when I want to be doing so much more around the house. I'm still working on it though, and trying to figure out what I need to do different/better. I'm so grateful for Duane's patience in this process!
So those are the basics from our end. We'd love to hear how things are going for you!

The Big Razz

Duane has a new girl in his life now... And she is DEFINITELY new! Duane's boss bought a brand new (2013) Kenworth T660 for the company, and Duane gets to drive it! Combining the truck's color, and D's personality, it is known as the Big Raspberry.
He spent most of the weekends getting stuff from the old truck arranged in the new truck exactly how he wanted it. I ask riding with him now as I type, for its first full day of work, from Klamath Falls to Clackamas, to Noti (yay for the visit to the hometown!), and back to Klamath. It is so much fun, with all it's gadgets and gizmos. Maybe I'll get Duane to tell you all about it. :)

Thanks, Romeo

The first "major" catastrophe in gardening this year has arrived. And the culprit was Romeo. I arrived home one afternoon to find that the dogs (Romeo was the one who was cowering and running away) had dug to the bottom of my strawberry pot on some adventure.

I was very much bummed to find how much he had destroyed. I'm hoping they survive the experience after I got them replanted.
By the way, the starry tablecloth was what I was using to cover the plants a couple nights ago to keep them from freezing. The high yesterday was 89. Welcome to Midland weather!

Catching Up With a Few Pictures from this Spring

On Loon Lake for Mother's Day

Grandpa brought a birthday cake to Loon Lake to celebrate
Grandma's birthday for the first time since she went to heaven.

In May I needed to bundle up to enjoy my coffee and
Bible reading on the deck. Now it's 60+ in the mornings.

Trying out a recipe for a nacho bake. Mmmmm!

Anna spoiled me with an "almond decaf mexi latte breve"

An effort this spring to make bleu cheese stuffed pears

Anna came for Spring Break and helped me on the yard work,
as we tried to wake up the yard from winter.

Duane make several fruit platters for the Easter
breakfast at church. What a feast for the eyes!

Our First Garden

It's been a work in progress, but we finally planted our first full garden. When we first moved in, we were blessed with some produce to harvest from Chris and Linda's garden when they moved out, but this is OURS! yay! Duane worked hard to prepare the ground for it, tilling in peat moss and steer manure, then using a heavy sled to drag a bunch of dirt from the bottom of the slope up to the top. I helped some, but Duane got the heavy work.
Today Mom Tucker and I got to plant everything. We took a break, but we still got done in just a few hours.  I was really glad to have the help, wisdom, and experience of Mom T in the process.

The dogs love "Grandma time"!

At the end of the day, here's our freshly planted and watered garden! Yay!

Now to see if it survives the summer! It'll be a bonus if we get yumminess in the process.

General Post about the Tuckers

Howdy!
I'm kinda surprised that I've found the time to post so quickly after that last post - several weeks ago - but here I am! :)
This last weekend, Duane came home on Thursday and left on Saturday, which was a little different from our routine of Friday PM through Sunday afternoon. By the time Saturday night came, I couldn't tell whether it was Thursday, Saturday, or Sunday... All kinds of Crazy!

On Friday, we traveled to Medford (1.5 hrs from home) to run a few errands. Mom Tucker wanted to get out of the house too, so we took her, and left the dogs with Grandpa (Dad Tucker) for the day. We enjoyed the errands, and they enjoyed the spoiling. When we got back, they all piled on Grandma's lap! Romeo in particular loves to give kisses and tell us all about his day!

Over the last few days, Jada has provided the entertainment here at home. She loves to watch "TV", however she can. Last night, she was trying to watch the malamute puppies I pulled up on Youtube for her. Meanwhile, I had a friend I was messaging on Facebook, so I'd keep switching screens on her. Whenever I was on the messaging page instead of her TV, she would nudge my hand, push my arm, or otherwise get in the way until I switched back. Another night, she decided that the clothes dryer would be her entertainment, and pushed up on the step-stool so she could watch the clothes go round and round! When she got tired of that, she would watch in the reflection on the stove, where she could see herself and me. Tonight I finally pulled out an 18"X30" mirror and set it out on the floor for her. She started to charge by, then did a double-take, and can't stay away from it now. The poor girl!!!

A bonus for me this week was finding a yummy, mostly "legal" (for my health-required diet) dessert.

I was pretty stoked! Meanwhile, last time Duane was home, we fixed an oh-so-delicious dinner of Steak with roquefort and mushroom topping, apple-cottage cheese salad, and fried cabbage with oil and balsamic vinegar. My friend, Mindy, and I also made a yummy chicken salad using mojito-lime marinated chicken, cilantro, apple, oil and vinegar dressing (I can't have many of the other dressings, so I'm learning to really like the oil and vinegar!), cheese, and mushrooms. Sooooooo yummy for the tastebuds! It takes time to prepare the foods that I can have, but I'm gradually adjusting and really liking it. Duane even joined me in the new year in most of the diet, with a few variations. It's great to be on the same team!

So news-blurbs for this week:

• Duane left Saturday for Phoenix, delivered his load of lumber in Phoenix on Monday, then picked up a load of soil additive in Phoenix. He delivered that on Tuesday AM in southern CA to the Links at Spanish Head in Pebble Beach, CA (he was glad to rub that in for my golfer Dad - not a good way to score points with the father-in-law, though! lol). He picked up another load in Monterey, I think (seems like there might have been another pick-up/drop-off in there).  He then dropped those spas off at the fairgrounds in Sonoma County this morning, and picked up another load in Red Bluff today (OCC - or cardboard to recycle), and is currently on his way to Springfield, OR. At this moment, the word is that he'll pick up a load of lumber for Phoenix again in Eugene when he's done with that. 
• I had to go to the dentist today for an emergency appointment to deal with an ever-increasing toothache. I got relief from that one, but found out I might have to get an upper wisdom tooth pulled. I'm just grateful Duane has offered to take the day off to watch over me if/when that happens. He's mostly just excited to find out what it's like when I pass out, as I did LAST time I had my wisdom teeth pulled (the bottom ones that time). 
• I've got a "business trip" coming up, so have spent most of this week getting ready for that. Traveling and presentations tend to "take it out of me", so I'm not excited about that part. Just hoping I can have time to recuperate when I get home, before the next round comes up, and that Duane and I will be home at the same time! We've gotten used to only seeing each other on the weekends, but it's a whole 'nother ball-game when we have to go any longer than that!
• I've been involved in counseling three different ladies one-on-one, mostly through weekly Bible studies, while attending a small group ladies bible study, in addition to facilitating a bible-based study on leadership for our leadership team in CEF each week. God has a sense of humor as he answers my prayers for helping me to stay in the Word and prayer every day!

Blessings on your day! Hope you've enjoyed this window into our lives this week!

Adventures

(warning: I'm here to catch you up on almost 7 months of Tucker's Tales, so it might take you a few minutes to read, but I think you'll find it worth the read!)

Diagnosis X 2 

There's good reason for it taking so long to post another blog. The first few months after the May post, life was so wonderfully boring that I remember wondering what was interesting about our life that I could even post. Duane was still driving truck, and I was still on sabbatical from CEF, enjoying every moment. I had hoped to have one more trip with Duane before returning to work, and gradually add a responsibility here or there, trying to get back into the "groove" with the CEF ministry. Alas, it was not to be. Instead, God had some crazy adventures for us. 

It started in the middle of August, when I followed up on a recommendation from a friend to visit with her Naturopath in Bend, OR. Having watched me struggle with my health for as long as he had known me, Duane had been on my case to find a naturopath that could help me find out what healthy was like. That Monday I nervously made my way to Bend and brought all my paperwork to Dr. Michelle Jackson. Having been to a naturopath in my youth, and with Heidi's recommendation, I wasn't too worried, but I wanted to know how Dr. Jackson would handle things. As I visited with her, I was assured that if/when her ability to help me ran out, she would have no problem directing me to someone who could (you'll see in a moment why this was so personal to me). With that assurance, I began to share all the crazy symptoms I have. I shared about my fatigue, how I would "crash" frequently and stress easily, had heart and blood-pressure issues, had been tested for sleep apnia, my frequent sinus infections (2-3 times a year), weight issues, intestinal issues, PMS issues, and headaches. With such a laundry list, I figured it would take quite a few visits to even scratch the surface, so when she diagnosed me almost immediately with "Adrenal Fatigue", I thought the next visits would start to look at the issues other than fatigue. I would only realize later that Adrenal Fatigue actually is either causal or symptomatic of EVERY ONE of those symptoms I had brought to her. She told me to get the book called "Adrenal Fatigue" by Dr. James Wilson, and started me on a series of blood, urine and saliva tests meant to give her a more specific diagnosis of which supplements my body needed. With this news, I was a little overwhelmed, but relieved to have at least one symptom diagnosed definitively. I was told to eat regularly, eat healthy, and to back off on stress. Yeah, what a brilliant idea. 

That afternoon, I continued my journey around Oregon, planning to visit my Grandparents in Portland, where Grandma was in the hospital, and then spend Tuesday night with my parents in Elmira (near Eugene), then finish the trip on Wednesday with a return home. Plans are great. But they don't always match up with what God has in mind. 

We knew that something was definitely wrong for Grandma to be in the hospital. We knew she had serious intestinal issues, as it was the middle of August and she hadn't been able to eat, much less "keep down" a full meal since July 4th. She had been trying to handle things on her own for months, using all the healthy vitamins and supplements she could get her hands on, but she'd finally succumbed to meeting with a doctor. But only if it was a naturopathic doctor. Getting an appointment took another week or two, and when she made the visit to the Salem doctor, he immediately sent her with a note and an urgent demand to check in at Oregon Health Sciences University ASAP. That had been the previous Thursday, and they still didn't have a diagnosis, but they had performed procedures to open up her blocked kidney, as well as to do some of their many tests. 

By the time I got to visit Grandma in the hospital, we realized that we really WERE talking serious stuff. We were afraid to say the word cancer, but it was on everyone's mind. By that Friday, I was present when the doctors came into Grandma's very cramped room to tell the bad news. We knew it was coming, but I'll never forget the team of doctors telling Grandma that she had cancer, that it was very fast growing, that there was nothing we could have done, and that, short of a miracle, it was now a matter of weeks that she had on earth. She chose to spend those remaining weeks at home with family. 

For the next month and a half, insanity reigned. Every week or two, I was traveling to Portland or points in between to help out. After a week or so, I would return home to collapse and rest and try to recuperate, utterly exhausted from the physical and emotional drain on my system. Meanwhile I was trying to learn more about this adrenal fatigue. What a time to try to start eating healthy, eating regularly, and back off on stress! 

After nearly a two week-stint of helping out at Grandpa and Grandma's house, I returned to my parents' house on Wednesday the 26th of September, as I was scheduled to speak at the training camp for the local CEF chapter on Thursday. As I finished that last leg of the journey on the 27th, I received the dreaded call. My Grandmother was in heaven. Though I had known it was coming, was prepared mentally and emotionally, my body couldn't handle this final news. I spent that entire weekend in a sleepy mental coma, only doing what I had to do to survive, definitely not participating in the training camp. Everyone thought that I was just taking Grandma's death hard, and yes, I was grieving. But how could I explain to myself, much less family members, that after helping at Grandma's death-bed for several weeks, I couldn't even think about participating in the memorial, much less helping with preparations?

I was scheduled to go back to work for the first time after my sabbatical that next Monday, but instead drove to Portland again, where I met Duane at his truck, and attended Grandma's memorial on Tuesday. Without him being there, I know I would not have even made the trip, much less made it through the service. I actually didn't go to her graveside service the next day for that very reason. I am SO grateful Duane's boss was able to get him to the right spot at the right time (thank You, God!). 

Learning More 

In between all this craziness, I'd been learning much about this condition called Adrenal Fatigue. For a great summary, you can check out www.adrenalfatigue.org. I started taking a few supplements, and as each test result came back, Dr. Jackson would add one or two more to my list. Thankfully I was able to do all pursuant appointments over the phone, saving me from the extra stress that travel causes. 

For me, I began digging into the book Dr. Jackson had recommended. I felt like someone had sat down and wrote a book all about me. I learned that Adrenal Fatigue is the result of the adrenal gland being overworked too hard, for too long, until it doesn't know which end is up, and over-produces the cortisol I need to handle stress. I also learned that stress doesn't always mean mental stress. The adrenal gland is meant to handle anything that causes fight-or-flight situations. Basically, when I went to Bible college in 2001-2002, I lived and breathed adrenaline. I was taking 18 credits, pulling honor-roll, in student leadership and choir, and working four part-time jobs at a time, and loved doing it. However, I would get to Sunday night and be exhausted and depressed facing another week of minute-to-minute adrenaline rushes of tests, projects, responsibilities, friends, and excitement. Once I "got" Adrenal Fatigue (or AF), I couldn't get rid of it without giving my body a chance to heal, which of course, I wouldn't do anyway! 

AF causes me to have a much lower tolerance for stress in the first place. People thought I was crazy when I would get stressed about a situation and say "I'm not stressed in my head, but my body won't believe me!". I really could rationally tell you that God was in control of a situation, and know and believe it whole-heartedly, not meditate on it or consciously worry. But I would be exhausted and get sick. I would get so frustrated as a staff member for the week-long (Saturday to Friday) training for teens every June. I was one of the youngest staff members for a number of years, yet the load would kill me by the middle of the week, long before the senior staff-members, and I would get sick before I ever left. I began to learn that my defense system would be weakened as a result of AF, and the mucosal linings (nasal and intestinal) were so thin that it was an open invitation to all sickness, disease, and infection. Thus, my frequent illness. Even from my Bible college year, I had been sick every holiday or vacation. 

I also found out that part of AF is being borderline hypoglycemic. I'd had blood-work done by my family practice doctor looking for stuff like that, but hadn't been diagnosed. But basically I deal with blood-sugar issues. I don't do blood tests, pricking my finger or anything, but I do have to be conscious to make sure I keep my blood sugar pretty even-keeled. 

Learning to Cope

So how do I deal with AF? Very carefully. I'm not even all the way through this amazing book on Adrenal Fatigue, but I've learned so much (and still have much to learn). 

I've learned that sleeping on a regular schedule is important. I need to be in bed by 10:30, and ideally I need to sleep until I wake up. I always functioned SO much better when I had a chance just to wake up naturally, but along with everyone else, I thought I was lazy. Come to find out, a key time for my body to get the best rest is between 7 and 9 in the morning. Who knew? 

I also need to eat frequently and on a schedule. I now have Breakfast #1 anytime before 10am. I have Breakfast #2 at 11am, and Lunch at 2pm, Dinner at 5pm, and a before-bed snack to top things off. This regular schedule is designed to give my body the chance to digest everything at a regulated pace. But in order to do this, every meal has to have at least these three basics in balanced proportions: fatty acids, starchy carbs, and protein. These each digest at a different rate, so things stay pretty even keel. However, this gets tricky to have all of these AND eat healthily. A burger from McDonalds may have all of those, but will only harm my health. 

SOOOO... Any food that will either raise or lower my blood-sugar rapidly is a no-no. Dr. Pepper and fu-fu coffee was the first to go, as no caffeine is allowed. "But", you say, "you can get DECAF fu-fu coffee, can't you?" Ah but that would be too easy. Alas, I can't have sugar either (insert gummy worms here!). I'm still a little fuzzy on the sugar substitutes that I can or can't have but at least some of them give me instant intestinal issues anyway, so I don't go exploring much. Also, white flour is a no-no, as it turns into sugar so fast. Whole grains are okay though, so I've found a few breads I can have. The natural sugar in fruit is so high, that I can only have a little bit, and that only in the afternoon or evening. Even the lactose in milk turns to sugar too fast, so I've discovered rice milk as a solid alternative when I need it. I've actually discovered some great recipes and alternatives that I can have, it just takes time and preparation. 

Progress

A week after my scheduled start-date, I started back to work on October 8. Knowing then what I was dealing with in regards to my health and the Adrenal Fatigue, the CEF committee (board) was very gracious to me. They assured me that they would continue to carry the load they had carried during the year I was gone, allowing me to fill in the gaps doing the "directorly duties". I was scheduled to work about half-time each week, all day on Monday, but Tuesday through Thursday I work in the afternoons (ie I get to sleep in!), and I have Fridays off. My duties are light, but there are plenty of them, as my To-Do list grows daily. 

Coming back to work I had decided that I wouldn't make any drastic changes for the first several months, giving everyone a chance to "ease" into our new normal. God musta laughed. I had been back for about two or three weeks when we were "evicted" from our upstairs, corner office in the IYS building. They had very graciously allowed us the space for 6 years on a temporary basis, until they needed the space for someone else. Well, now they needed the space, as they were expanding and adding another program to their organization. Before I had a chance to even stress about this though, they also offered us a different location. They had a small duplex office building that had come with another property they wanted, but they didn't have a use for it. Instead, WE could use it for the cost of utilities. Praise God!!! I won't elaborate here on the amazing blessings of this, as that could be a whole other blog entry, but suffice for now to say that God has blessed us like crazy! In my first two months back to work, there's been very little "easing" into anything, and yet God has had us ready for every step of the way. 

I have learned that Adrenal Fatigue is treatable, but it isn't easy, and it isn't fast. Basically I'm told that it'll take at least 6 months to two years to recover. I'm hoping that the year off on sabbatical will significantly reduce that time for me, but I'm willing to go the long-haul. I've already begun to discover what health looks like, and it's amazing. I've begun to have energy again. Our house is starting to be at least tidy on a regular basis, if not down-right clean. I've started to like people again (when I started my sabbatical, I REALLY didn't). And I'm not falling asleep during the day nearly as often. Symptoms are not nearly as pronounced, though I can definitely tell the difference when I forget to take supplements or get out of balance on my  eating. Really it's just been amazing to find a whole new life, one day at a time. Enjoying time with Duane when he's home, being more relaxed, learning my boundaries, and enjoying ministry again. Despite the stress of it all, God has blessed us SO much, and we're SO grateful. 

I'll close with the lyrics of a song we recently discovered that summarizes the last several months for the both of us. 

"Through"Gaither Vocal Band

When I saw what lay before me, Lord, I cried what will you do?
I thought He would just remove it. But He gently led me through
Without fire there's no refining, without pain no relief, 
Without flood there's no rescue, without testing no belief.
Through the fire, through the flood, through the water, through the blood 
Through the dry and barren places, through life's dense and maddening mazes
Through the pain and through the Glory through it all 
we'll tell the story of the God whose power and mercy 
will not fail to take us through