If you are thinking about getting married or if you are already married, you should turn to God so that you can learn truly what being married means. You should do so to ensure that Christ is at the center of your bond between you and your spouse or future spouse.

Marriage is a permanent bound to your spouse, so it should be entered into with both seriousness and joy. It is a representation of Christ’s love for His church – and just like that bond – your marriage should be a serious, lasting commitment. We are human, so remember that even if you love your spouse truly, bad things can happen within the marriage. If there is strife within your marriage, that doesn’t mean you should abandon it.

You must realize that there is no such thing as a fairy tale marriage – the real love you should have in a marriage is a deep, Christian love. It might not be perfect, but it is the love of God, of your partner, and of life. Life should be celebrated with your chosen partner, even when the going gets tough.

#11 – Proverbs 12:4

A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that makes ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.

As Christians, we should seek out virtuous people whenever we are looking for spouses. We want to add as many positive people to our lives as we can and it is especially important to find a virtuous person when choosing a spouse. You will want to both love and respect your partner in life – and it will be impossible to do so if they are a bad person. That’s why this verse in Proverbs says that a virtuous woman is a crown to her husband; if a wife if truly good, then she is something to be cherished publicly. If she is nothing but negative and sinful, she shames her husband. When you are looking for a serious partner in life, make sure you find one that shares the same love of God that you have.

#10 – Proverbs 18:22

Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor of the LORD.

Our Lord wants us to be married – to be united with another human being with His love, just as Jesus was united with the Church. If we are married or about to be married, we must be aware of the fact that we are very lucky. If you find someone that you can truly love and make a part of your Christian life, then you have found a great treasure. These men and women are NOT a dime a dozen. They are rare and special and should be treated as such. And if you marry the person you find, then you obtain even more of the Lord’s favor! He wants us to celebrate our love with marriage.

#9 – Ecclesiastes 9:9

Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of the life of your vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all the days of your vanity: for that is your portion in this life, and in your labor which you take under the sun.

This touching verse from Ecclesiastes speaks of the joy that you can feel if you marry the right person. You will be able to live joyfully with the wife you truly love. This is why you should marry prudently and be faithful to the woman or man you choose to marry. A marriage is a union supported by our Lord; this is why we should take the selection of our spouses so seriously. We should love them, but we also need to consider whom we are going to be most happy with. Don’t make your decisions based on the pressures of others. Otherwise, you won’t be able to successfully fulfill your duties as a spouse.

#8 – Matthew 12:25

And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:

This is a verse from Matthew that we have heard often in our lives – but have you spent time to think about it, truly? Any kingdom that is divided against itself is brought to desolation. You should think of your marriage and household as a kingdom. Everyone in your family should work together, love each other and respect each other. If not, then the family will be lead to ruination. It is important to keep some parts of our lives free of drama, anger, jealousy and all of those negative feelings that are in the world. A marriage is a safe place to let your guard down and become more firmly united with your one partner in life. Keep it strong!

#7 – 2 Corinthians 6:14

Be you not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion has light with darkness?

If we surround ourselves by unbelievers, then it becomes frighteningly easy to forget our faith. It is not because we are bad people, but it is in our nature to seek acceptance of our peers. If we decide to surround ourselves by negative influences, then it can only lead to our faith in Christ being tainted. This is why you should seek a life-long union full of light. If your spouse has similar beliefs, then it will be easy to grow in that faith. The love between a Christian husband and wife will grow faith – not hinder it.

#6 – Colossians 3:18

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.

Although this verse in Colossians may seem sexist – remember this came from an earlier time! Our society has grown and changed since then, but the meaning of this verse still holds true. Wives should fully submit to their husbands (and the husbands should do so to their wives as well). All that this verse means is that you need to truly, deeply commit to the one that you are choosing to marry. If you do it without passion and with hesitation, then you will not be able to fully give yourself to your spouse. Once you do marry the person you choose, no matter how hard things may get, you should always remember to be respectful and loving. No matter how much you want to give into your negative emotions. A marriage will require strength, no matter if you are the husband or the wife.

#5 – Colossians 3:19

Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

Although this is very simple advice taken from Colossians, it shouldn’t be ignored. Being able to truly love the person you are with can be difficult. Many people become bitter and resentful at their spouse because they are unable to live a life free of responsibilities. Although these situations are always very unfortunate, they shouldn’t happen. They are usually a result of a marriage that is unhappy at the very core. – or a marriage of two people who weren’t truly ready to commit to each other. This is why we must ALL seriously consider our actions when we are getting married. Do not rely on feeling alone – you need to think rationally when you are choosing a spouse. That way, you know you will be able to love your husband or wife and not be bitter against them.

#4 – 1 Timothy 5:14

I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

It is good for young women in their prime to be married – whether they are single or widowed. This is because it is natural and good of a woman to create a family and make that her life purpose. Times have changed, as they always will, but it is still important to be part of a Christian family. It will keep you tied to your faith and hopefully it will help you grow in your faith. There are many women in the world who are proud to be wives and mothers – and it is right of them feel that way! Being a wife and mother can be the hardest job of all that requires a lot of dedication.

#3 – Hebrews 13:4

Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

This verse in Hebrews seems strict, but it should be adhered to. Marriage is a serious, sacred act. It should not be defiled by lust, adultery or other sin. God will judge those who abandon or defy their spouse. This is why it is of the utmost importance that a marriage should be entered into with the full knowledge of what it is. It is a lifelong partnership of two people who love each other, respect each other and have no intent of straying. This is why marriage is so hard for people to commit to – it means being only with one person for the rest of their lives. Sometimes, that is too hard for selfish people to handle. If you feel bitter at the thought of marriage, then you are not ready for it and you should meditate about what you truly want in life. God will help you find your path.

#2 – 1 Peter 3:1

Likewise, you wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

No matter what day or age it is, this verse in Peter holds truth. Men are often seen as the head of the household and their wives should not attempt to usurp them. This does not mean that wives should be blindly obedient. Instead, we should consider this an order to be respectful of your spouse. Whether it is the man or woman bringing in the money and helping the household along, there should not be strong discord between the two. Instead, they should act as one and be in agreement. If there are disputes within the household, it should not be used as ammunition. Instead, these disputes should be worked through together and seen as room for growth in both the marriage and their faith in the Lord.

#1 – Ephesians 5:25

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

This famous verse from Ephesians does a perfect job of explaining the love that should be at the center of every marriage. The love between and man and a woman should be modeled after the love Christ had for the church. His love was unconditional. It even lead to His death on a cross. We may never be able to be just like Christ, but we should try both in our day-to-day lives and in our marriage. Marriage is a serious, life-long decision but that does not mean it is not joyful. Marriage should be happy and full of love – a celebration of life with your chosen partner. God Bless and I pray that you all find happiness and contentment in life!

Tags: Bible, Marriage, Understand, Verses

Article Sources: 11 Bible Verses to Help You Understand Marriage

In the town of Parur, India, in the southern state of Kerala, the polished stone floor of the old church of Kottakkavu gleams so brightly that it mirrors the crimson, pine green, and gold-upon-gold altarpiece like a reflecting pool.

Around the altarpiece, painted clouds hover in a blue sky. Small statues stand in niches backlit with brilliant aqua. On a rug near the church wall a woman in a blue sari witha purple veil covering her hair kneels motionless, elbows at her sides, hands upraised. In a larger, newer church adjacent, a shard of pale bone no bigger than a thumbnail liesin a golden reliquary. A label in English identifies the relic as belonging to St. Thomas. On this site, tradition says, Thomas founded the first Christian church in India, inA.D. 52.

In Parur and elsewhere in Kerala exotic animals and vines and mythic figures are woven into church facades and interiors: Elephants, boars, peacocks, frogs, and lions that resemble dragons—or perhaps they are dragons that resemble lions—demonstrate the rich and decidedly non-Western flavor of these Christian places. Brightly painted icons are everywhere, of Thomas and the Virgin Mary and Jesus and St. George. Even Hindus pray to St. George, the dragon slayer, believing he may offer their children protection from cobras. At Diamper Church in Thripunithura a painted white statue of the pietà—the Virgin Mary holding the dead Jesus—is backed by a pink metal sun radiating rectangular blades of light.

Kerala’s Thomas Christians—like Christians elsewhere in Asia and in Africa and Latin America—have made the faith uniquely their own, incorporating traditional art,architecture, and natural symbolism. And so a statue depicting Mary flanked by two elephants shading her head with a bower seems at home among the palms of southern India.

Thomas, or Doubting Thomas as he is commonly known, was one of the Twelve Apostles, disciples sent out after Christ’s Crucifixion to spread the newborn faith. He was joined by Peter, Andrew, James the Greater, James the Lesser, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thaddaeus, Simon—and Matthias, who replaced the former disciple and alleged traitor, Judas Iscariot. In time the terms “apostle” and “apostolic” (derived from the Greek apostolos, or messenger) were applied to others who spread the word. In the case of Paul, he claimed the title of apostle for himself, believing he had seen the Lord and received a spiritual commission from him. Mary Magdalene is known as the apostle to the Apostles for her role of announcing the resurrection to them. Although only two of the four Evangelists—Matthew and John—were among the original Apostles, Mark and Luke are considered apostolic because of the importance of their work in writing the New Testament Gospels.

In the first years after the Crucifixion, Christianity was only the seed of a new religion, lacking a developed liturgy, a method of worship, and a name—the earliest followers called it simply “the way.” It was not even a formal sect of Judaism. Peter was the movement’s first champion; in the Acts of the Apostles we hear of his mass conversions and miraclemaking—healing the lame, raising the dead—and in an un-Christian flourish, calling down a supernatural death upon one couple who held back a portion of their donation tothe community.

In its earliest days the movement was too insignificant to attract wide-scale persecution, and Christians, as they came to be called, had more friction with neighboring Jewishsects than with the Roman Empire. The faith’s first martyr, according to the Bible, was St. Stephen, a young Christian leader who enraged a Jewish community by suggesting thatChrist would return and destroy the Temple of Jerusalem. After he was tried for blasphemy, around the year 35, his accusers dragged him out of the city and stoned him to deathwhile he prayed for them. The young Saul—who would soon become Paul in his celebrated conversion on the road to Damascus— observed Stephen’s execution, minding the cloaks of those who stoned him.

In the year 44 King Herod Agrippa I imprisoned and beheaded James the Greater, the first of the Apostles to die. In 64, when a great fire in Rome destroyed 10 of the city’s 14 quarters, Emperor Nero, accused by detractors of setting the fire himself, pinned the catastrophe on the growing Christian movement and committed scores of believers to death inhis private arena. The Roman historian Tacitus wrote: “An immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind … Coveredwith the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, whendaylight had expired.” In the year 110 Ignatius, the bishop of Antioch, was arrested by the Romans under Trajan, shipped to Rome, and condemned to death ad bestias—by beasts—at the public games. Bloody episodes like this would recur sporadically for the next two centuries.

Tradition holds that 11 of the Twelve Apostles were martyred. Peter, Andrew, and Philip were crucified; James the Greater and Thaddaeus fell to the sword; James the Lesser wasbeaten to death while praying for his attackers; Bartholomew was flayed alive and then crucified; Thomas and Matthew were speared; Matthias was stoned to death; and Simon waseither crucified or sawed in half. John—the last survivor of the Twelve—likely died peaceably, possibly in Ephesus, around the year 100.

In the early days, Columba Stewart, a Benedictine monk and historian at Saint John’s Abbey in Minnesota, told me, “the organizational structure, the great institution of the church—signified for Roman Catholics today by the Vatican and its complex hierarchy—simply wasn’t there. There was an apostolic band of followers. There were missionary efforts in major centers, first in Jerusalem, then Antioch, then Rome, but certainly no sense of a headquarters. Instead you had this tiny, vulnerable, poor, often persecuted group of people who were on fire with something.”

The Apostles were the movement’s cutting edge, spreading the message across the vast trade network of the ancient world and leaving small Christian communities in their paths.”To study the lives of the Apostles,” Stewart said, “is a bit like what we’ve been doing with the Hubble telescope—getting as close as we can to seeing these earliest galaxies. This was the big bang moment for Christianity, with the Apostles blasting out of Jerusalem and scattering across the known world.”

Thomas the Apostle went east, through what is now Syria and Iran and, historians believe, on down to southern India. He traveled farther than even the indefatigable Paul,whose journeys encompassed much of the Mediterranean. Of all the Apostles, Thomas represents most profoundly the missionary zeal associated with the rise of Christianity—the drive to travel to the ends of the known world to preach a new creed.

Mark the Evangelist too spread the word, bringing Christ’s message to Egypt and founding the Coptic faith. But for some Catholics, Mark represents most emphatically the saintas political symbol, powerfully linked with the identity of Venice. Although a figure from the ancient past, he retains a stronger grip on the consciousness of modern-dayVenetians than Washington or Lincoln holds on most Americans.

If Thomas is the iconic missionary and Mark a political cornerstone, Mary Magdalene epitomizes the mystical saint, closely associated with grace and divine intercession. Othersaints, including Thérèse of Lisieux and Teresa of Ávila, play a similar role among Catholics, but none has exerted a stronger pull on the imagination, or created morecontroversy, than Mary Magdalene. Once maligned as a reformed courtesan, venerated today by millions worldwide, she was a significant presence in Christ’s inner circle.

Although one tradition holds that she died in Ephesus, others maintain that she traveled from the Middle East to southern France. But establishing with scientific certaintythat Mary Magdalene came to the hills of Provence, or that Thomas died in India, is likely to remain outside our grasp. Scientific analysis of relics is invariably inadequate,often confirming only that the bones are of the right gender and period. Advances in testing and archaeology, together with the discovery of yet unknown manuscripts, willcontinue to refine our historical knowledge of the saints. But much will remain inconclusive. How best, then, to understand these individuals if the reach of science is limited?As with most of the earliest Christians, we must rely largely on legend and historical accounts, acknowledging the power these mythic figures still exert today, some 2,000 yearsafter their deaths.

THE GREAT MISSIONARY

Many historians believe that Thomas landed on the palm-lined coast of Kerala at a site now called Cranganore. He is reported to have established seven churches in Kerala andto have been martyred 20 years later on the other side of the country, in Mylapore, now a neighborhood in Chennai. At Palayur Church in Guruvayur, Thomas is said to have raisedthe first cross in India and performed one of his earliest miracles: When he encountered a group of Brahmans throwing water into the air as part of a ritual, he asked why thewater fell back to Earth if it was pleasing to their deity. My God, Thomas said, would accept such an offering. He then flung a great spray into the air, and the droplets hungthere in the form of glistening white blossoms. Most onlookers converted on the spot; the rest fled.

My guides in Kerala were Columba Stewart and Ignatius Payyappilly, a priest from Kochi in Kerala whose connection to Thomas is personal. He and his mother nearly died duringhis birth, but his grandmother and mother, the latter slipping in and out of consciousness, prayed fervently to St. Thomas. “And we were spared,” Payyappilly told me.

Stewart is the executive director of his abbey’s Hill Museum & Manuscript Library, which has been preserving religious manuscripts around the world since 1965. Payyappilly andhis small staff spearhead the effort in Kerala, digitizing and preserving thousands of inscribed palm leaves and other manuscripts. Theirs is a race against a humid climate,which destroys manuscripts if they’re not properly cared for. Since 2006 the team has accumulated 12 terabytes of digitized data—one million images of manuscripts. The oldest document in their possession, a collection of ecclesiastical laws, dates to 1291. These extraordinary documents are important to Thomas Christians, linking them to the founder of their faith.

In India, Thomas is revered as a bold missionary. In the West, he represents the believer who wrestles with uncertainty. “The classic portrayal of Thomas,” Stewart said, “isthe doubting Thomas. That’s a little inaccurate, because it’s not so much that he doubted the resurrection but that he needed a personal encounter with Jesus to make theresurrection real. So you might think of him as the pragmatic Thomas or the forensic Thomas. The guy who’s so experiential that he said, ‘I need to put my finger in the wounds inhis hands and in his side.’ And this experience gave him the fuel he needed to do amazing things.”

Thomas’s moment of incredulity has proved a two-edged sword in the history of Christian thought. On the one hand, some theologians are quick to point out that his doubt isonly natural, echoing the uncertainty, if not the deep skepticism, felt by millions in regard to metaphysical matters. How can we know? That Thomas challenged the risen Christ, probed the wounds, and then believed, some say, lends deeper significance to his subsequent faith. On the other hand, his crisis of doubt, shared by none of the other Apostles, is seen by many as a spiritual failure, as a need to know something literally that one simply cannot know. In the Gospel of John, 20:29, Christ himself chastises Thomas, saying, “Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

His skepticism notwithstanding, St. Thomas still stands as the direct link between his converts in Kerala and the founding Christian story on the shores of the Mediterranean,clear across the known world of the first century. Unlike later Christian groups in Asia who were converted by missionaries, Thomas Christians believe their church was founded byone of Christ’s closest followers, and this is central to their spiritual identity. “They are an apostolic church,” Stewart said, “and that’s the ultimate seal of approval for aChristian group.”

Article Sources: The Apostles – Pictures, More From National Geographic Magazine

To begin Monday morning’s Christian-Jewish Dialogue at Congregation Beth Ahm in Verona, the Rev. Laurin McArthur of Roseland Presbyterian Church read aloud two verses from the Gospel of St. Luke.

“If we get through this, we’ll set a record,” the reverend prefaced, chuckling.

Such is the nature of weekly round table discussions in which McArthur, the Rev. Lucy Ann Dure of The Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, Rabbi Aaron Kriegel of Beth Ahm and laymen participants pore over the Bible in intimate detail.

In the confines of Beth Ahm’s library, digression is not only accepted – it is welcome.

During this particular class, a few words of Scripture are expanded into an in-depth discussion on teaching and learning principles. As the conversation hops from one place to another – politics, architecture and everything in between – so does the source material in discussion. The New Testament transitions to the Torah which transitions to the teachings of Plato and then onto Martin Luther and various other biblical translations before the circle connects again.

“Much of what the Gospel is is derived from Judaism,” said Kriegel during the discussion. “It may have changed completely, but the root is still there. That’s why we’re here.”

The weekly dialogue, according to Dure, is a branching off of a program originally housed at First Presbyterian Church in Verona. After that program stopped, Kriegel was interested in continuing the Scripture study and reached out to Dure, who he knew from Verona’s interfaith 9/11 events.

Originally, the group alternated between Christian and Jewish passages. However, they have recently committed to finishing the Gospel of St. Luke – a project they have been working on for about a year, an indicator of how detailed their discussions become.

Aside from better connecting with religious texts, the program tries to connect the past to the present.

Often, participants, which range in number from half a dozen in smaller meetings to 20 or more some weeks, bring their own experiences into conversation as a way to relate.

“We always try to get back to something to do with daily life,” said Dure.

The dialogue serves as learning experience for more than its participants.

After Monday’s dialogue, all three leaders said that they learn a great deal from each other and the conversations that arise based on biblical passages.

Kriegel said that the discussions’ evolution of topics forces him to reorganize and reevaluate what he already knows. Dure and McArthur both said that Kriegel’s knowledge of ancient language help them put the verbiage of Scripture into better context – knowing not only what words and phrases have come to mean today, but also their intended meaning when actually written.

Article Sources: Christian-Jewish meeting in Verona promotes 'learning for the sake of learning'

Culinary historian Michael Twitty’s love affair with his ancestors’ cuisine sprouted early.

“Everyone in the family — male, female — that’s the way we did it. Though we all had our specialties,” recalls Mr. Twitty, 34, with a chuckle. From his father, William, for instance, he learned how to make killer barbecue; as he chats by phone from his home in Rockville, Md., he’s stirring together Jamaican BBQ sauce.

“The tradition of the Deep South,” Mr. Twitty says, “is one of self-reliance.”

It was in his early 20s that he made the rich culinary history, traditions and flavors that he took for granted as a kid his a life mission. In 2006, he published his first culinary history “mix tape,” a small book titled “Fighting Old Nep: The Foodways of Enslaved Afro-Marylanders 1634-1864,” containing recipes collected from the writings and descendents of slaves.

That publication led to his new career as a historic interpreter when His Lordship’s Kindness plantation house in Clinton, Md., asked him to give a presentation on American food history. Before long, he was giving regular demonstrations on what slaves cooked and ate on plantations and blogging about it on afrofoodways.com. In 2010, he started afroculinaria.com, a website exploring the culinary traditions of Africa, African-Americans and the African diaspora.

“Once you get that drive and passion to do something, it’s infectious,” he says.

Six months ago, his journey grew even more personal. He started thinking, What if in addition to collecting stories, he lived them, by taking the show on the road into tobacco, corn and rice fields? And what if people also could follow him into high- and low-plantation kitchens to see first-hand the skill and creativity required by slaves to put food on the table?

While he was at it, why not explore how the “Old South” figured into his own family history in slavery and segregation, and then stitch it all together into a narrative as educational as it was entertaining?

That’s the goal of his upcoming Southern Discomfort Tour, a two-month journey to the counties and plantations where his ancestors were enslaved. Hoping to promote a greater awareness of African-American contributions to the development of Southern cuisine, he’ll give demonstrations and workshops, record stories and collect living artifacts such as recipes and heirloom seeds.

During his 60 days on the road, he also hopes to track down and break bread with descendents of the white families who owned his family and in some cases are related to him by blood, and in the process bridge the gaps created by the racial injustices of the past.

“We don’t want to get into their face and fight with them, because it’s not their fault,” says Mr. Twitty, who began blogging about the project at thecookinggene.com last month. “But we do want to cook with them.”

The tour doesn’t officially kick off in Baltimore until May 22. But Pittsburghers will get a prequel on Thursday, Feb. 16, when Mr. Twitty gives a talk at Carnegie Mellon sponsored by the school’s Division of Student Affairs. “More than Slave Food: The African Roots of American Foodways” will address food’s critical role in the development and definition of African-American civilization, as well as touch on the politics of consumption and cultural ownership.

Mr. Twitty also will give his audience an opportunity to taste the past by demonstrating — with samples — three vegetarian dishes that connect Africa with the New World: Hoppin’ John, okra soup and stewed greens.

Despite his D.C. roots, Mr. Twitty is well acquainted with the ‘Burgh: many of his mother’s relatives moved from Alabama to the manufacturing cities of the north, including those in Western Pennsylvania, after the Civil War, and he still has cousins in Aliquippa. Even without that personal connection, Pittsburgh would figure into the story, as it was a popular stop on the Underground Railroad for freedom-seeking slaves, abolitionists and anti-slavery activists.

“We realized in constructing the tour that we would have to go North as well, to the places where the slave trade built wealth and people escaped to,” says Mr. Twitty, who is on the advisory panel for the “From Slavery to Freedom: Pittsburgh and the Underground Railroad” exhibit that will open at the Heinz History Center in November.

To raise the $8,000 needed for the 4,500-mile trip from Maryland to Louisiana and back, Mr. Twitty is “crowd-funding” through May 5 on IndieGoGo.com and looking for folks who will allow his team of six to work their cotton, tobacco, rice and sugarcane farms. He also hopes churches and other religious organizations will host the occasional dinner and is asking local museums to hire him for presentations. He’s certainly got the cred:

Colonial Williamsburg is among the many sites that have taken advantage of his expertise and in July he’ll do a cooking demonstration at the History Center on how slaves would have survived in the wilderness on their flight to freedom.

“A lot of people know about African-American foodways, and the contribution it made to Southern cuisine, but very few know how in 1837 slaves would have prepared a meal, and can connect all the dots,” says Sam Black, curator of the center’s African American Collections. “He brings an architectural and historical perspective to our understanding.”

“The guy’s incredible,” agrees Kate Livie, director of education of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels. “Watching him cook over an open fire in 100 degree heat in bare feet … he wants to get as close as possible to the experience of the enslaved person.”

On the flip side, he’ll pump at least 80 percent of his budget back into the local black communities he’ll be visiting, and the team will do at least seven community service projects, such as setting up or rebuilding community gardens.

“There are a lot of African-American farmers, fishermen and food producers who need our help and exposure,” he says.

Raised in a nominally Christian household, Mr. Twitty studied anthropology and African studies at Howard University. Drawn in part by the strong relationship between food and spirit in the Jewish faith, he converted to Judaism when he was 24, and today teaches at Temple Beth Ami and Temple Shalom religious schools in suburban Maryland.

Twitty readily admits he’s still perfecting his interpretive cooking skills. The few cookbooks from the early 19th century were meant for the middle class and gentry (slaves couldn’t read or write), and ingredients would have been particular to the season and land. He’s learned largely by trial-and-error and by accident.

It’s just the start to recreate recipes gleaned from slave narratives and interviews, and then figure out how to cook up to 25 of them at one time on an open fire, with water you’ve carried on site. (He’s burned many a hair off his arms and eyebrows.) He’s also had to interpret the correct utensils and clothes and learn how to fish, forage, raise chicken, butcher hogs and grow his own heritage vegetables.

He says, “Much as you’d love to go to the local grocery store to capture the past, you can’t.”

Nor should modern-day soul food be mistaken with what slaves would have eaten. Those who worked the plantations lived in a kind of “sumptuous peasantry,” with occasional seasonal bounty sandwiched between long periods of want.

“There wasn’t this weekly pile of greens, or mac ‘n’ cheese and ham on the table,” he says. As for their owners, food was a tool of power and control, he says.

Once he’s in parts of the country where some people still fly Confederate flags, Mr. Twitty knows he’s bound to raise some hackles, and that not everyone he meets will be open to starting a dialogue.

“We have our work cut out of us. This is not a pleasure cruise,” he says. But he’s nevertheless “on fire.”

His ultimate goal is to not only help teach people about the legacy of slavery in the world of Southern food, but also give humanity and dignity to his ancestors.

“I was so tired of people talking about ‘the slaves,’ ” he says. “It wasn’t just a job description: it was people being separated from humanity. These are real people who had real names and ate real food.

“I’m not crazy,” he adds. “I’m doing this for them so they can hold their heads up with pride.”

You can read his blog at thecookinggene.com or follow him on twitter @koshersoul.

Michael Twitty’s talk, “More than Slave Food,” is at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, at Carnegie Mellon’s Rangos Ballroom No. 3, 5000 Forbes Ave., Oakland. It is free and open to the public. More info: 412-268-2084 or cmu.edu/uls.

Heritage Black-Eyed Peas

Black-eyed peas, which actually are beans, are thought to have migrated from West Africa to the Southern states in the 1700s with the slave trade.

“The Manding people call them ‘soso,’ and the Wolof call them ‘niebe,’ ” writes culinary historian Michael Twitty. “A millenia-old staple of the diet in Senegambia and its hinterlands, the black-eyed pea grows well in hot, drought-conducive conditions and is a symbol of resilience, mercy, and kindness. Niebe are the kind of cooked food one gives as sadaka — righteously given charity — to beggars on the streets of Senegal. They continue to be seen as a sign of blessing and are paired with greens as good luck food on New Year’s Day.”

• 1 pound dried black eyed peas or any cowpea
• 1 ham hock, a small piece of salt pork or slices of bacon, or smoked turkey (vegan alternative — 1/2 teaspoon of liquid smoke and 5 cups of non-meat chicken stock)
• 1 cup chopped onion
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 1 small crushed dried fish or cayenne pepper
• A few teaspoons of sorghum molasses (optional)
• 1/4 cup of fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)
• A few sprigs of fresh or dried thyme (optional)

Sort your peas, making sure you check for pebbles or bad peas. Soak the peas for several hours or overnight, or if in a rush, soak them in boiling hot water in a covered pot for an hour before cooking.

Prepare a stock of salt meat and onion and season with salt and a hot pepper. Boil these together for 15 minutes and add the soaked black-eyed peas. Add enough water to just cover. If you like you can add some molasses for more flavor, or the fresh herbs.

Gently cook for an hour and a half. Pair it with corn pone or serve with cooked long-grain or basmati rice.

First published on February 9, 2012 at 12:00 am

Article Sources: Southern Discomfort: a tour through early African-American foodways

Tomorrow many will queue up in different churches to receive ashes on their foreheads as a sign that they have turned away from sin to be faithful to the gospel, thus marking the beginning of the Lenten season.

Fr Fred Jjenga, the Director of Holy Cross Family ministries, explains that foreheads are marked with ashes to humble Christian hearts and remind them that life on earth passes away as in the biblical teaching: “Man came from dust, and shall return unto dust”.

The ashes are also a symbol of penance to help the church develop a spirit of humility and sacrifice. Besides, these ashes are made from palms used in the Palm Sunday celebration of the previous year and are sanctified with holy water and scented by exposure to incense, before use. After receiving these holy ashes, Fr Jjenga adds that Christians are expected to reflect on their sins, fast and honour penance to prepare for Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday.

This takes 40 days and Fr Jjenga emphasizes that as Christians this period is about renewing spirituality and practicing charity and prayer. With these, Christians are expected to fight sins such as fornication, drunkenness, theft and unhealthy relationships. To mark Good Friday, Catholics are advised not to eat meat on Fridays, because that is when they mark a mini-passion for the death of Christ.

Whereas many have mastered the essentials that come with lent, Fr Jjenga advises that these 40 days be also about sacrificing for the less fortunate. For example, when one ‘fasts’ beer intake, they could reduce on the number of bottles they take and give the rest to those who need it. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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Article Sources: The Observer – Lenten season starts

US Rapper Pitbull is to receive the prestigious president's prize at this year's BMI Latin Awards, organisers have announced.

The top award is presented to artists who have "distinctly and profoundly influenced the entertainment industry".

Last year the 31-year-old had a string of hits including Give Me Everything, Shake Senora and Rain Over Me.

Previous recipients of the award include Taylor Swift, Gloria Estefan and Willie Nelson.

Born in Florida to Cuban parents, Pitbull's real name is Armando Christian Perez.

His music incorporates a wide range of genres, from reggae and hip-hop to dancehall and Miami bass.

Although his lyrics are often bilingual – in Spanish and English – he refuses to be pigeonholed by his background.

"I'm not a Latin rapper," he told one interviewer at the start of his career. "I'm a rapper that happens to be Latin, you feel me?"

Pitbull hit number one in the UK last April with Give Me Everything, which went on to become the sixth best-selling single of the year.

His album, Planet Pit, went to number 11 later in the year.

The BMI (Broadcast Music Inc) Latin Awards take place on 30 March at the Encore Wynn in Las Vegas.

Article Sources: Pitbull to receive top Latin gong

Samuel Lee Hull, age 67, of Oak Ridge, died Monday, Feb. 13, 2012, at his home.

He was born July 3, 1944, in Pulaski, Va., the son of Virginia Lee King and Constantine "CC" Cardinal Hull.

Mr. Hull was a graduate of Oak Ridge High School, class of 1962. He graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a BS in business and was a post graduate in economics. He also graduated from the Vanderbilt School of Banking.

Mr. Hull was a member of First Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon and trustee; he was also active in Bible Study Fellowship.

He retired from Citizens First Bank, of which he was an originator, executive vice president and a director. He was full of life and enjoyed traveling, camping and swimming.  His passions included his family, his friendships and his love of God.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann Hull; daughter, Connely Beth Hull Donovan and husband, Matt, of Knoxville; son, Patrick Van Hull and wife, Patty, of Huntsville, Ala.; grandchildren, Abby Hull, Josiah Hull and Levi Hull of Huntsville, Ala.; brother, Ronnie Hull and wife, Faye, of Kingston; sisters, Marylou Wadley and husband, Larry, of Hixson, Barbara Prewett and husband, Powell, and Yolonda Briggs, all of Oak Ridge; sisters-in-law, Carolyn Maples and husband, Wally, of Murfreesboro, Lucy Maples and husband, Larry, of Bowling Green, Ky., Nancy Northern and husband, Donnie, of Nashville, and Judy Bentley of West Plains, Mo.; brothers-in-law, K. Don Faulkner and wife, Ginny, of Dickson and Joe E. Faulkner and wife, Marilyn, of Nashville; and numerous nieces and nephews, to whom he was very close.

The family will receive friends from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012, at First Baptist Church of Oak Ridge, with a service to follow at 6 p.m. with the Rev. David Holland and the Rev. Tim Borchert officiating.

A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday at Oak Ridge Memorial Park.

Donations may be given to First Baptist Church or Choices Resource Center of Oak Ridge in lieu of flowers.

Weatherford Mortuary is handling the arrangements. An on-line guest book can be signed at weatherfordmortuary.com.

Samuel Lee Hull, age 67, of Oak Ridge, died Monday, Feb. 13, 2012, at his home. He was born July 3, 1944, in Pulaski, Va., the son of Virginia Lee King and Constantine "CC" Cardinal Hull. Mr. Hull was a graduate of Oak Ridge High School, class of 1962. He graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a BS in business and was a post graduate in economics. He also graduated from the Vanderbilt School of Banking. Mr. Hull was a member of First Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon and trustee; he was also active in Bible Study Fellowship. He retired from Citizens First Bank, of which he was an originator, executive vice president and a director. He was full of life and enjoyed traveling, camping and swimming.  His passions included his family, his friendships and his love of God. He is survived by his wife, Mary Ann Hull; daughter, Connely Beth Hull Donovan and husband, Matt, of Knoxville; son, Patrick Van Hull and wife, Patty, of Huntsville, Ala.; grandchildren, Abby Hull, Josiah Hull and Levi Hull of Huntsville, Ala.; brother, Ronnie Hull and wife, Faye, of Kingston; sisters, Marylou Wadley and husband, Larry, of Hixson, Barbara Prewett and husband, Powell, and Yolonda Briggs, all of Oak Ridge; sisters-in-law, Carolyn Maples and husband, Wally, of Murfreesboro, Lucy Maples and husband, Larry, of Bowling Green, Ky., Nancy Northern and husband, Donnie, of Nashville, and Judy Bentley of West Plains, Mo.; brothers-in-law, K. Don Faulkner and wife, Ginny, of Dickson and Joe E. Faulkner and wife, Marilyn, of Nashville; and numerous nieces and nephews, to whom he was very close. The family will receive friends from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012, at First Baptist Church of Oak Ridge, with a service to follow at 6 p.m. with the Rev. David Holland and the Rev. Tim Borchert officiating. A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday at Oak Ridge Memorial Park. Donations may be given to First Baptist Church or Choices Resource Center of Oak Ridge in lieu of flowers. Weatherford Mortuary is handling the arrangements. An on-line guest book can be signed at weatherfordmortuary.com.

Article Sources: Samuel Lee Hull

Steamboat Springs — Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday morning concluded their on-site inspection of the plane that crashed Sunday at Yampa Valley Regional Airport, killing two people. The investigation will continue next week after the plane is transported to a hangar on the Front Range.

Airport Manager Dave Ruppel said a team of investigators from the NTSB, the Federal Aviation Administration, Cessna and Continental, which manufactured the plane’s engine, spent Monday and Tuesday taking photos and measurements at the crash site in an effort to determine what caused the Cessna 414A to crash short of YVRA’s runway, killing pilot Hans Vandervlugt and passenger Gaby Humpal.

Airport officials reported the private plane crashed as it attempted to land in a heavy snowstorm with zero visibility.

Messages left with the lead NTSB investigator who traveled to Hayden were not returned Monday or Tuesday.

Still recovering

Sara Humpal, 10, the youngest survivor of Sunday’s plane crash, remained in serious condition at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora on Tuesday evening.

Her father, Scott Humpal, and her brothers Tad, 18, and Dillon, 13, also survived the crash and were released from Yampa Valley Medical Center in Steamboat Springs at about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday after they were treated for injuries ranging from broken bones to cervical instability. The family was traveling to Aurora on Tuesday night to be with Sara, family and friends reported.

Vandervlugt, 75, was flying Scott and Gaby Humpal and their three children from Corpus Christi, Texas, to Steamboat for a ski vacation when the Cessna 414A crashed 30 to 40 yards short of the runway at YVRA.

Russell Hanks, a friend of the Humpal family who works at one of the physical therapy clinics Scott Humpal owns in Corpus Christi, reported Sara was able to move her arms and legs after she had procedures at YVMC to reinflate collapsed lungs and fix fractures to her legs. He said that the boys were recovering well and that Sara had another surgery Tuesday morning to treat a compartment syndrome in her leg. He added that a procedure doctors initially planned to fix a fracture in her T6 vertebrae was not performed Tuesday afternoon and may be unnecessary.

“She still has some lung issues they are trying to correct,” he said. “Last I heard, she was stable.”

A devoted mother

Family and friends of Gaby Humpal, 44, said Tuesday that she always will be remembered as a loving mother.

“Gaby hated for you to ring the doorbell. She would just expect for you to come in, and she would always greet you with a warm hug and a smile,” said Michelle Braselton, who met the Humpals through a couples Bible study group Gaby started with fellow worshippers at the Bay Area Fellowship in Corpus Christi. “She was very warm and hospitable.”

Braselton said Gaby met Scott Humpal while living in Monterrey, Mexico, and was a strong Christian woman devoted to all of her children’s endeavors. She added that Gaby loved to entertain.

Robert Vasquez, Gaby’s brother-in-law, said she was an avid tennis player and jogger, but most importantly, she always put her children first.

“She was a striking woman with a beautiful character, and she was very, very lovable,” he said. “She was a devoted mother and wife, and she lived her life for her children.”

To reach Scott Franz, call 970-871-4210 or email

Article Sources: Steamboat Today: Hayden plane crash investigation ongoing as family continues recovery

• Worthington Christian Church, 8145 N. High St., will hold four different services Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 24-25.

Three Christmas Eve services are planned at 4:30, 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.

Family Christmas Eve service featuring carols and the children’s choir will be offered at 4:30 p.m. A petting zoo featuring the kind of animals that would have been at the manger will be housed in the Family Life Center before and after the service.

Two candlelight Christmas Eve services follow. The adult choir will sing at the 6:30 p.m. service.

On Christmas morning, a combined worship service for adults and children will be held at 11 a.m., with senior minister David Roberson delivering the message.

Visit worthingtoncc.org or call (614) 885-8389.

• Highlands Presbyterian Church, 6909 Smoky Row Road, offers a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service beginning at 8:30 p.m. with a recital of instrumental and choral music, followed by worship at 9 p.m.

Christmas carols and the sharing of candlelight concludes the service of celebration. Holy Communion will be served.

Details may be found at Highlands-presbyterian.org, or by calling (614) 764-2134.

Article Sources: Christmas services

SHELBY — Police charged two teens in the throat-slashing attack on a Shelby mother and, sources say, one of the boys arrested was her 15-year-old son.

Lindsay Wood, 32, read the Bible for more than an hour to her attacker after he used a knife to cut her throat. That attacker, police say, was 16-year-old Miguel Lopez.

Police arrested Lopez Tuesday. They also arrested the 15-year-old Tuesday but didn’t release his name because he is a minor. They did release the charges against him: conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder.

Lopez, of the 400 block of Martin Street in Shelby, faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, secret assault and first-degree kidnapping.

Lopez is being held in the Cleveland County Detention Center under a $1 million bond.

Because police have not released the 15-year-old’s name, The Star does not know where he is being held.

Wood’s mother, Jane Hamrick, couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday. A man at the Hamrick house said the family, “really, really wants their privacy.”

Hamrick previously told The Star the details of her daughter’s attack were “something you’d see in a movie.”

She said Wood is a strong, firm believer in God’s word.

‘He’s protecting someone’

Aurelio Lopez answered the door of a Shelby home Wednesday, his red eyes rimmed with tears.

His voice shook with emotion when he said his 16-year-old son, Miguel, wasn’t at home.

Aurelio Lopez described his son as a good boy and a good student.

“I think he’s protecting someone,” Aurelio Lopez said of his son, adding that he didn’t think his child would slash someone’s throat. Miguel Lopez is a student at Cleveland Early College High School, according to Cleveland County Schools spokeswoman Donna Carpenter.

Faye Cooke, who lives across the street from Wood’s Royster Avenue house, is concerned the crime is gang-related. She said she saw a gang symbol carved on Wood’s red car. That’s the first symbol like that she’s seen around the neighborhood, she said.

The symbol, etched on the driver’s side door, is a six-pointed star.

“I never, never thought this would happen,” Cooke said.

Shelby police stated in their press release Wednesday that the crime doesn’t appear to be gang-related.

Police handed the case to the district attorney’s office for prosecution. Shelby Police Chief Jeff Ledford said Wednesday he couldn’t release any more details about the case.

‘She invited him to church’

Shelby police said Wood’s attacker slashed her throat Feb. 1 as 32-year-old Wood and her teenage son returned from church to their Royster Avenue home. According to the initial police report, Wood’s son went to the front of the house to get a trash can and saw a man run past him.

Wood’s son then told police he went to the side of the house, crouched on his hands and feet and heard a man with a deep voice talking to his mother, the incident report states.

That’s when the attacker ran behind Wood and cut the right side of her neck with a knife, according to police. With a deep gash in her neck, Wood started talking to her attacker about Bible verses and church, said Shelby Police Capt. Rick Stafford.

They spent about 90 minutes together, police said.

“She even invited him to her church,” Stafford previously told The Star. “He kept saying he was sorry, and then walked away.”

Wood called 911 after the attacker left. Emergency responders took Wood to Cleveland Regional Medical Center the night the attack happened. A doctor told officers it would take around 20-25 staples to repair Wood’s injury, the incident report stated.

Wood isn’t listed as a patient at Cleveland Regional Medical Center. Earlier this week, Hamrick told The Star her daughter continues to recover but it is taking longer than first expected.

The story of Wood reading the Bible to her attacker has generated interest from around the world, including media outlets in Germany and England.

Article Sources: Son charged in mom’s throat-slashing