Cincinnati Chili

This picture is my actual Cincinnati chili that I made. Right after this photo, I ate it. It was good. Follow this recipe. You're going to love it!

Ingredients...

2-1/2 lbs of ground chuck
1 quart of water
1 can of tomato paste (the little ones)
1-1/2 tbsp of white vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
some garlic powder or a clove of real garlic (chopped fine)
2 tbsp of chili powder
5 bay leaves
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
2 tsp cayenne pepper (leave out if you're not so brave)
1-1/2 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa
Salt to taste

In a pot, brown the beef and leave most if not all the juice in there...I drain a little but it's supposed to have it in there. The leaner the beef the less of a problem this will be.

Add the tomato paste and mix it in with the beef then add water till it covers the beef without making it too soupy. Bring it to a boil.

Reduce to simmer and add all the spices. let it simmer for about an hour (if you can wait that long).

Serve it over pasta like spaghetti (I like to use angel hair or "thin spaghetti") and top with cheddar cheese and fresh, chopped, raw white onion and oyster crackers. A nice Tabasco or pepper sauce is good too.

The Cincinnati way is...

Two way - Chili and pasta
Three way-Chili, pasta and cheese
Four way- Chili, pasta, cheese and onions (what we usually make)
Five way- Chili, pasta, cheese, onions and Kidney beans (I get this when at Skyline Chili in Kentucky and Ohio)

Enjoy!

Not For Sale

David Batstone's "Not For Sale" is an important book. In it, he presents the realities of the global slave trade in an accessible, story driven style. I'm so thankful that I found out about it. Mr. Batstone has travelled all over the world and interviewed many of what he calls the "new abolitionists". They are missionaries, social workers, activists and just plain ole people that could not turn a blind eye to the hidden oppressed. The book details stories of slavery and freedom happening right now starting in Thailand, Cambodia, India, Peru, Asia and finally, yes, actual slavery here in the United States. Just because it's against the law doesn't mean that it doesn't happen here.

I highly recommend it as it not only show the problem, it shows real people and how they have responded with compassion and zealously have given their lives to help free slaves. The book ends with an entire chapter about what we can do to join the new abolitionist movement. If you are near me and want to borrow it, you are more than welcome. Here is the books website for you to order your own...notforsalecampaign.org

New YWAM Modesto Blog!

Check out our new YWAM Modesto blog! This will be a communal effort to more frequently share about our work and perspective.

The two shall become one but this is ridiculous!

Podcast!

Alrighty folks, some changes are coming down the stream here in a bit but there is a new Whitler family podcast available.

To listen online go here...Podserve

You can subscribe right there OR search in itunes for "A Very Whitler Podcast". In this episode are some stunning selections from my little vinyl record collection. Have fun and let me know what you think!

God's Smuggler

This is a classic Christian book that I have not read. Well, I read it...wow! What a cool story. This book is the testimony of a Dutchman who became a Christian and slowly found his mission to encourage and comfort the suffering church in communist states. This chronicle of miracle after miracle is quite challenging. Brother Andrew (a name he became known by due to his need to keep his identity a secret) traveled all across communist Europe with quite a few close calls. Brother Andrew is still going too...you can find out more about their work in "closed" countries at the Open Doors website.

The real challenge is the way the Christians in eastern Europe viewed the scripture. They could not believe when Brother Andrew came and brought them this precious book
that so few people could get a hold of. It's a difficult thing to relate to. We in the west have access to so many Bibles...so many kinds There are about 6 in the room I'm in right now. And even more weird is the fact that it is so available and so little read.

Let's read the Bible more. The actual one. As a favorite preacher of mine used to say, "the best Bible to read is the one you read." I usually carry around a pocket version in case I run into someone that could use it. Inside the "Gideon" pocket Bible is this inscription. I love it...

"The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you.

It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's charter. Here Paradise is restored, Heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed.

Christ is its grand subject, our good the design, and the glory of God its end.

It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgement, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents."

From The Gideons International

Support this man.

OK, right now, he's not doing so much. He's playing a football video game. But usually Dave is working hard at changing the world...which is no small task. I just finished meeting with young leaders from all across Canada that Dave has somehow talked into trying to change the world too. These folks also work on university campuses to try to convince others that they can also change the world. How? They go to the world. part of our impromtu meeting was to create a statement about Global Youth Network which is Dave's organization that was birthed out of YWAM and now is it's own thing. Here's what I wrote...

"Global Youth Network is a non-profit organization that provides opportunities for growth, education and a world perspective for university students on justice and poverty issues. Global trains young leaders and facilitates teams for work in 15 countries (and counting), partnering with grass roots efforts on the ground that serve the poor and oppressed. Out of these trips comes vision for developing leadership and investment in long term projects with the end result of greater understanding, improved ways of relating and making the world a better place."

The meetings were a good start to better organization. Why was I there? We're part of that "leadership training" statement in Modesto. Each year, Dave brings a handful of his leaders to Modesto to spend time with us. It's a great partnership. The leadership team that I met with may even come down in the Spring to have more discussion.

I'll write more later on how you can help Dave but for now go to the Global website.

I can actually think of no other person in my life that has influenced me more than Dave. You'll never see him as the key note speaker of a huge conference. He'll probably never be all the buzz or have written the next best book on international development or missions or something. He's too busy for all that...usually having coffee with some young person, through relationship, quietly and faithfully convincing them that they can change the world.

Canada galore

Well, yesturday I borded my 2nd flight to Canada in 2 weeks. This time, I'm in my ole stompin grounds...Kitchener, ON. I'll be at a round table discussion with Global Youth Network, a justice organization associated with YWAM in Canada. Well, it's actually a round "campfire" meeting cause we're camping. But since we have left Canada, we've partnered with Global in various ways. But most recently, Global has commited to sending their leadership training group to Modesto every Spring as they prepare to take teams all over the world in May! We've had a blast with these teams in the past and I'm excited about the future.

There's no electricity so I will have to pitch my tent far away from the others in order for them to get some sleep! (I have the apnea in case you didn't know. I think I had a hand in it as my friends up here have completely converted to Mac. If that were all I'd been able to do, it has been worth it.

Ah yeah!