We are so very much looking forward to our beginnings at the market. We have almost everything in place but we have encountered a few delays along the way. We want to have all our ducks in a row before we head out and offer all our yummy treats to you. It does require quite a bit of research to make sure we meet all the requirements in place by various state agencies. So here we are waiting eagerly to serve YOU! In the mean time we get to offer a little tasty sample of our goodies at the Converge Art Show. You will find us there Friday evening from 6pm to 9pm at the Christian Study Center off University Avenue.

Please come out and show your support for the local artists and us (our art is food).

See you there.

Alex

Soul Filling

Every once in a while I have this feeling of absolute contentment. Not that I usually go around in a perpetual cloud of discontentment, but every so often I feel, a momentary fullness, when all is right with the world. It is a mixture of melancholy and some deep memory of the past wakened by a smell, a color, a sight, a taste, or a song. It is different for each of us. That little seed from days gone by that make the past come back to life and form some umbilical connection with the present creates this overwhelmingly satisfying feeling. Like a lingering scent wafting in from the past to tempt the present, to fill the empty moments of the present with its delicious aroma and a heavy fog formed of the intermingling of past sensations and present circumstances. It is like meeting a resurrected friend come to tame today’s loneliness. Suddenly the road that seemed long and hard takes on a well-traveled, comfortable look. For just an instant, I know that I am on my way home and the journey is satisfying. It is usually a fleeting sensation, lasting but a moment, but that moment contains all the colors of life, my life. What lingers on after that moment has passed is a sweet taste, like remembering a dear friend’s smile, or the smell of grandmother’s kitchen, like cinnamon and vanilla, the warmth of a fire, and sound of my name lovingly called. Those are the moments melting away, like a tasty morsel on my tongue, yet leaving their mark behind. Those are the moments when there is no doubt of the goodness and fullness of God and the life he intended for me to live. That satisfied feeling comes from knowing without a doubt that the path of life takes us full circle, we are always on the way home. It is truly beautiful.

For some, though, that feeling never comes; those smells do not evoke joy and satisfaction. Instead, somewhere along the way they jumped lanes and ended up on a road they were never meant to travel. No warm smells that whisper of Christmas past, no grandmother’s cookies to melt in your mouth, no deep and satisfying fullness. Instead confusion fills their heart, this feeling of never belonging, of not having a home is more overpowering than any other thing in their lives. Only uncertainty, loss, and loneliness fill their souls' crevasses.

I am satisfied with my path, the journey I am on; it is colorful, beautiful, and tasty in every way but it is most filling when I practice the ability to take up a lonely hand, guide a lost soul and be a comforting presence. Nothing more. I just love to be there. I do not have all the answers. I do not know where you are going and do not need to know where you came from. I do not know what you are meant to do. But I will gladly keep you company, walk down the lane with you a bit, offer you a cup of coffee, chat comfortably with you as old friends do.

Immediate Needs

If you have been considering donating, this is the opportune moment.

We have two needs which must be met before we head to the farmers' market:

1) Before we start our booth at the market, we need to have insurance. The cost of the insurance premium is $800.

2) We also need a canopy for our farmers' market stand.

We're hoping to make our first appearance at the Union Street Farmers' Market on March 17th.

We are also planning to complete and submit the 501(c)3 status application in the next two weeks. There is an $850 application fee required to submit this form.

If you can help us in any of these ways, please contact us as soon as possible:

Alex Braddy (352)281-5816

Christy Carnell (239)961-5700

theheartandsoulcafe@gmail.com

Reason Speaks, Love Sings

What I love the most about children is their uncanny ability to see the world with awe. A child’s view of the world is unencumbered by what grown ups consider reality or fact. They simply believe and, for them, everything inspires awe. With little effort, creativity springs forth. I know this is why Jesus loves children. They just believe. They ask no questions, need no proof, require no absolute facts. They do not try to justify away love. They just believe and receive. Simplicity and awe are the trademarks of childhood. Tell them a good story and they accept it with twinkling eyes and gaping mouths; they see it come to life and they believe. Offer them friendship and love and they gladly accept it, no questions asked, no proof required, they just accept the gift. They want to be loved and to love. As we grow, the world around us works very hard to dim the ability to see fairy lights, to accept the unseen as truth, to believe in things other than facts. As those abilities dim they are replaced with reason, science, and proof. Le Petit Prince travelled the universe looking for a grown up who could see past the tip of his nose, and Jesus travels the world looking for adults who have the faith of a child, who are able to accept his gift, the greatest love that ever was. Grown-ups are often plagued by what is most valued by this world: reason and justification. They must see things to accept them, know all facts before they believe the truth. Grown-ups even work hard to justify away the love they are freely offered. Precious time is wasted in constant reasoning of why Jesus cannot or should not love us, why such a love cannot be. And yet in each of us, a child lives who very simply wants, craves, desires to be loved and cherished. It is what we were made for and yet we deny ourselves for the sake of reason. But Jesus does not speak to us reason and facts, he sings to us about love.

We can talk all we want, make excuses, justify everything with words and explanations, reason away the days, but Jesus, he just sings and only the faith of a child can hear his song of love.

Update 03/04

I absolutely adore mornings. I sometimes wish these early morning hours before the world truly shakes of its sleepy mantle off night could last all day. I get such immense joy and peace from a cup of coffee in hand, the sounds of little birds slowly trying to waken the sun with their songs, and the look of sleepy children fumbling around as they rise to greet the day. I can hardly describe these hours. I cherish them. I truly hope whether you are an early bird or a night owl that you find in your day these little stolen hours.

I wanted to take a moment to update all of you on our current progress. Amazing things are happening and it is truly awesome to watch them unfold. We have the help of both an attorney and now a very generous and capable business man who is ready to write grants for us. What an amazing gift to be able to hand over such tasks to those far better suited for them than us.

Our beautiful brochure is ready to go to press. It was created by some of the most gifted young people I have ever met. The logo (pictured below) which will also be on our shirts was created by a sixteen year old young man. I just love how God always puts just the right people in your life. Frankly, I just love people.

The shirts are available to all for $15. If you would like to order one please email us at theheartandsoulcafe@gmail.com. Send your check to the following address 2514 NW 31^st terrace, 32605 or bring it in to the first market date.

We will be headed out to the market this month with all our wonderful goods. We will keep you posted on our dates. Most likely, our first market date will be sometime in mid-March. We will also be attending a benefit art show at the Christian Study Center on March 26^th. We truly hope to see your there.

Many of you have asked how you can help. Well, we have several opportunities:

-We need volunteers to help print and fold our brochures during the next two weeks.

-We will need help to set up and take down at the markets and art show.

-We will also need volunteers willing to act at kid wranglers when we go to the market. Ready to play some ball or hide and seek? In order to help in this way, you must get a background check which can be completed at the police department.

Finally, this is really important, we need all of you who are able to pick up brochures to pass them out to family and friends and spread the word about our mission. Let people know what the Heart and Soul Café is doing and ask them to contribute. It is an easy and essential way to help our mission move forward. Brochures will be available at the market, art show and at the First Assembly near the intersection of 39th Ave and 34th St.

Our Progress and Current Needs

We have officially discovered why there are so many lawyers around. For at least the past several hundred years, lawyers have been crafting all the documents pertaining to anything that anybody anywhere might want to do. This is done in an effort to self perpetuate their profession endlessly. They have purposely made these forms as complicated as possible so that even educated people would walk around with stunned looks and perplexed demeanors. For the past several weeks, I have been one of those people, walking around sporting a perpetual question mark on my forehead. How am I supposed to fill out a budget for an organization that was just created? How can I file this form if that one must be filed first but the second is required to file the first? What the heck? This is obviously a grand conspiracy. But with the help of some much smarter than me college students and a very generous attorney, we have completed the majority of the documents and we are now fully incorporated with an official employer ID number. We are official, only one more giant form to go! This merits some big cheers.

So where are we now? We do not have a location yet. Since we are finally official, we can now raise the funds to purchase a location and hopefully open our doors by September 1^st. Know of a perfect location? If you have any recommendations, let us know. We also need individuals ready to help renovate a location once we find it, so keep in touch.

Starting in March, we hope to begin selling products at two of the local farmers’ markets. Just to tempt you, we are including a list of the items we plan on selling. Please spread the word and come visit us once we are there.

We do have several needs that are imminent to the success of the café. Below you will find a list of these needs. Please help us meet these in the next two weeks.

Current needs:

Tables/Chairs/Small tent for farmers’ market stand

Label Maker/Packaging for our farmers’ market products

Sam’s Club Membership

Licensed Kitchen for preparation of farmers’ market products

Funds for:

501(c)(3) status application fee

Insurance

Shirts and aprons to be worn at farmers’ market

Farmers’ Market Products:

Hummus

Tzatziki Sauce

Bleu Cheese Sauce

Pesto

Aubergine Dip

Eggplant Caponata

Banana Bread

Greek Honey Cookies

Semolina Cake

Clafouti

Spice Molasses Cookies

White Chocolate Tart

Chocolate Ganache Spread

The Gift of Hope.

The other night as a storm raged outside, every fiber of my body wanted nothing more than to sink blissfully into a sleep induced by the mesmerizing sounds of the rain. I was instead kept awake, watching my dear little boy trying to find peace and rest in the midst of the sounds that bring him nothing but terror. You see, the sounds that I find peaceful and beautiful, sounds that make me want to sip a cup of tea and read a good book by candle light, make my son shiver with intense fear and seek a hiding place—usually with our dog who suffers from the same phobia.

Once I got over the fact that sleep for me was only a distant dream I began to think (I do this a lot). I realized how this fear, though it plagues him and causes emotional distress, is nothing like the fear that many live with. The world is filled with men, women, and children who live in fear of the abuses they are subjected to daily. These victims are often hardly noticeable from our comfortable homes, through the sounds of rain and whirl of life. They live on the edge of society, a ghost from another time. But if you look closely, you can’t miss the injustice which fills our world, and the people who are its voiceless victims. My heart weeps for the lack of regard we have for human life. We look at the cruelty of other periods and consider individuals barbarians for their behavior, but we seldom look at the atrocities of today. Right in our own backyards, people are harmed and abused without regard to the life and potential behind each set of eyes.

Fear is something that many live with daily, but we can do something about it. Just as when my son lies terrified of a storm and I comfort him, I can work toward alleviating the fear of others who suffer from injustice by restoring their hope. “Hope uncovers new possibilities and shows us what can be done. It wrestles with angels, looks impossibilities in the eye and winks. Hope springs eternal.” --Barbara Johnson.

In our hands is the power to give hope to those who suffer from injustice. That is what organizations like the Heart and Soul Café, Arbor House, and Peaceful Paths do. And you can help: pick up your panties, gird up your loins (I’ve always wanted to use both expressions) and give your time, money, or both. Partner with us to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves, to restore hope to those who have lost it.

Let’s not sit idly by as the storms of life terrorize the hopeless. Let’s give hope.

Cracks on my forehead

Recently my three year old asked why I had cracks on my forehead. After a quick explanation of the nature of wrinkles and an anti-aging shopping spree, I came to a realization: the more I worry the bigger my cracks get but am I really doing anybody any good? The answer is quite obvious, not at all.

You see, it is human nature to think that we are in charge; we are the ones spinning the wheels, making things happen. Because of this, we think we are responsible for all failure and success, for things getting done or not, when in fact none of it is in our hands. Sure, we can’t sit back and watch the world zoom by. I am not by any means advocating laziness but rather trying to remind us that the burden does not lie not in our hands. No, rather what is in our hands are the tools, the time, and the ability to put forth our best effort. Most importantly, in our hands lay the foundations of a prayer life that will bring us closer to God, that will shelter us beneath His wings, that will prompt us forward when needed, and open doors when necessary. This being said, it is still very hard not to fall into this worry “trap”. Things happen. Life changes direction regularly and without warning, leaving many of us, particularly those of us who are creatures of habit, panting for breath before we begin sprinting in the new direction. When this happens I do what almost every woman does: I worry and I talk.

I worry and talk, and worry and talk, until all of a sudden two things dawn on me. I am not in charge after all. The only thing I am in charge of is remembering that I am not in charge and turning my heart toward the One who is. And the One in charge, the One who loves me best, desires only to bless me beyond my wildest dream. These two things I know as hard facts. This does not mean everyday goes perfectly smoothly, that I have all the answers or that I have completely stopped worrying and exist in a state of constant peace. It does mean, when things change or go wrong, I know that “although today He prunes my twigs with pain, yet doth His blood nourish and warm my root; Tomorrow I shall put forth buds again and clothes myself in fruit.” (Christina Georgina Rossetti)

Though the desires of my heart may fluctuate His are constant. He desires nothing more or less than me: to love me, to bless me, to spend time with me. So I will no longer furrow my brow in worry creating cavernous creases along my forehead. Instead I will cup my hands and direct them to the One I love, ready to receive whatever blessings He may have for me.

Taste and See.

I am an educated woman; I have two masters degrees and possibly a PhD (if I can ever figure out how to find the correct person to address my application to instead of being stuck in phone-hold hell). I have taught college for several years and traveled the world. However, I have learned more from being a mother and watching a one year old eat hay than from all the multitude of books and articles I have ever read. Let me explain this hay eating thing.

My kids and I love to go to parks and various nature centers in our community. Frankly, this is even what we do when we can manage to go on our rare mini vacations. It’s free, healthy, fun, and free (on a single mom budget this is really important). So, on a lovely fall afternoon, we packed the car with snacks, strollers, and other paraphernalia required for traveling with this clown crew and headed to one of our favorite haunts: a nature center with a living 1800s farm If you go at the right time of day, you can help feed the animals, watch the farmers prepare meals in the kitchen, and even run the little forge.

Usually due to our failed attempts at leaving the house on time, we miss the animal feeding time. Fortunately for us, cows are messy eaters and hay can be easily found all around the outer perimeter of the cow pen. This is perfect; we can not do any harm to the farmhouse, forge or animals and we get to enjoy the trails and feed the cow by picking up the dropped hay and holding it out for Penny, the cow, to eat.

Before I go on, I need to give you two bits of information that are key to understanding this story. First of all, Penny loves hay in a seemingly deranged sort of way. I have never seen a cow dance or gallop or even smile, but this one does. This crazy bovine knows that when she sees kids bend down around her pen and reach in, she is getting the mother load: hay, hay and more hay. This cow will gallop the length of the pen to arrive at a screeching halt, panting and grinning in a really disturbing blue tongued bovine way, and dance. Yes, I do mean dance. She will dance until the children stick a fistful of dirty hay in her slobbery mouth at which time she will look like she has just achieved the seventh heaven realm of cow nirvana. It looks orgasmic. Penny does not just do this once, but for hours, over and over again, until either the children fall down from shear exhaustion, the sun sets, or the hay runs out--which ever comes first.

Second important bit of information here is that my then one year old has always loved food with a gusto matched only by the most avid gourmet. It is actually pretty incredible. I think it is a gift inherited from my father, this love of food. She will look at an unfamiliar food and you can just see the saliva forming in anticipation of the truly delectable result of tasting something new. Never was there a dish too daunting in its appearance or scent for Sophia. She is willing to try anything. Most interestingly, she also communicates her love of food to others. She is one of those rare individuals who could eat aspic of poached chicken guts and make it look good. Just looking at her eating will make you reevaluate what you thought of putrefied shark (a delicacy in Norway).

Combine this orgasmic cow and a one year old with an adventurous palate and what do you get? A hay eating baby. I saw this unfold before my eyes. It was incredible. As a long time teacher, I have watched this process take place many times before but never found it quite so entertaining. I watched as Sophia picked up handful of hay and glanced over at the overexcited cow. She looked back at the hay and then again at the cow. I saw the wheels begin to grind to life as her little mind processed the cows exuberant reaction to eating the hay. I watched as a light bulb turned on and as the realization came to life that if the cow was enjoying this snack so much, why shouldn’t she? Without a thought to texture or appearance, without a care for familiarity, she proceeded to munch on her handful of hay. I guess the texture was a little off putting, but nothing worthwhile comes without effort, so on she munched as the rest of us watched in awe.

I did learn something that day. I discovered why so many of us adults are limited in our ability to enjoy the world around us and the God who loves us. You see we need an adventurous palate to taste and see that the Lord is good. We train our palates to enjoy the familiar and easy things in life, forgoing the deeper pleasures that require a little daring faith on our part. Little children on the other hand have yet to be trained food or life snobs, thumbing their nose at a handful of hay. This is why Jesus valued children and their open enfettered faith so much: it has yet to be encumbered by the limitations this world tends to place on individuals. We are meant to do and live so much more richly than many of us believe or allow ourselves to. We start out with zeal and enthusiasm only to settle for the first comfortable table set before us. We become so familiar and comfortable with it that anything outside of that seems odd, frightening, impossible, and meant to be avoided. If our own mind does not manage to set limits on the life we live, those around us do: “you can not do that, you have five kid,” “that is impossible, you already do enough,” “taking care of your family is more than sufficient.” Limits, negativity, pessimism, fear, and, ultimately, doubt are the enemies of a life well lived. I could live a comfortable little life raising my kids, doing for those around me, teaching my classes. It is familiar, comfortable and, frankly, easy. But I know and see that there is a pile of hay waiting to be tackled, a life so amazing I cannot even picture it. I want to live the life I was meant for, taste the flavors that were created and melded to fit my palate. I refuse to settle any longer. I will gladly grab hold of the example of a one year old and set out on a new adventure. I hope you join me as we embrace the next chapter of God’s plan for us, shedding fear and doubt. I will no longer settle for comfortable when spectacular is just around the corner.

Feeding People. Nourishing Souls.

On Thanksgiving evening a very dear friend of mine opened her restaurant for family and friends to come and enjoy a potluck together. It was a lovely evening, only made more beautiful through the reality that tragedy and hardship live just around the bend. You see, as the party goers were inside relishing and toasting life in the warm glow of good food, great company, and a general abundance of comforts, just outside the doors lay a now homeless woman who had just been beaten by her ex-fiancé. Many would have failed to even notice her. Since the beginning of modern culture these have been considered the untouchables, those shunned by life and society. But my friend saw her, sat with her, helped her into a friend’s car and made sure she went home with someone.

This love of others is the guiding principle behind the project I am embracing. I have come to the conclusion that the best way to love people is by feeding both their physical hunger and their souls. Let me explain. Food is considered by most a mere necessity for survival, giving terms like gourmand a bad name, one implying gluttony and excess. And so food and the dinner table have lost their social position only to be replaced by prefabricated meals that can be made in a hurry so people can move on to more important things. I will argue that if God had intended for food to simply meet a need we would still be eating manna and quail, possibly in pill or powder form now. Instead we have a loving God who not only rejoices in our survival but chooses and desires to lavish us with pleasures. Therefore, food tastes good, colors are beautiful, scents are enticing, enjoyments are bountiful, and life is inspiring.

You see, I believe that God in his infinite wisdom knew that we would always need to pause in the day and eat in order to survive. He also knew that we can not survive on food alone. Food only feed the needs of our bodies but good food, real food takes time and effort and much love. Real food is offered at a table called life where we are meant to sit and partake in the beauty of other people. We are meant to sit and live together. What better place to do that than a table laden with nourishment and affection?

We have lost something of such great value when we gave up the diner table for the hurried life we live: we lost the ability to show hospitality and truly see humanity, particularly to those who are poor and needy. In our hurry, we have created isolated bubbles for ourselves to live in. We miss the riches of living life with other people. People wonder why they feel lonely despite the fact they may live in one of the world’s largest cities surrounded by people many of which they call friend. I would venture to say it is because of the lost art of the dinner table. Where do you feel the least lonely? In a park filled with people? In a club surrounded by hundreds? In a line at the movie theater? Maybe in bed with yet another near stranger? I feel the most satisfied and content at the dinner table not because of the food but because when you truly welcome people into your home and space they feel it and so do you. As you work to fill their stomachs and their souls something miraculous happens: the isolation of this world falls away like scales, the cold mantle of loneliness is shed, and from the inside out a warm glow begins to spread. This is what love of people will do. It is truly amazing. When you show people hospitality and love they get truly filled. I choose to do more than to quiet the pangs of physical hunger that can only be satisfied by a filling spoonful. I hope to fill the hearts of those I feed with a little humanity. I look at those who come to share my table with the kind of love this world no longer chooses to offer, a simple love of people.

You see, Jesus wanted us to care for those who are poor and needy, he wanted us to help and feed them. A pearl of wisdom has escaped us. Though their bodies are hungry and it is good to feed those needs, many, many more are hungrier still because they feel a deep emptiness in their souls. Jesus never looked at those who were going through a difficult time and forgot that they were worthy of his time, effort and love. Sure you can feed a body by throwing a dollar cheeseburger at it but are really considering the human side of that individual, are you making a change, are you filling them up?

This is the reason I have decided to open the Heart and Soul Café. I will offer to feed any who enter the door great food and good company. I will provide computers and college ministry volunteers to help those who have never used a computer look for jobs. I will offer the food and company I would offer my family and friends with all the care and love I put into every tasty morsel of food and motherly wisdom. This will not be a shelter or a soup kitchen but rather a home away from home. I will serve great food to a varied crowd and offer any who enter a chance to partake in the art of the dinner table.