Dinner and Divinity - May 19th - Knowledge

With the last day we had before leaving for a two week trip to Finland and Norway, Tanja and I decided to host our twice monthly Dinner and Divinity. We absolutely love opening our home and watching our community of friends grow. You may enter as a stranger, but I promise you this, you will leave as a friend.

Earlier in the day, Tanja and I went over to Alma's from TakeBackTheKitchen and shot a little food preparation video for her blog. We decided to make our favorite salad - a cranberry pear goat cheese salad, tossed in a nice balsamic vingerette. The video went great and will be up her blog sometime next week. We served the salad at our dinner and it was a hit as usual.

After dinner, we gathered together for some music, a short story, and some interfaith devotions. We had little drummers (ages 4 and 5) who did a great job of keeping the beat! The story we read as a group was about Majnun and Layli, the folktale of two lovers, lost in separation. As Majnun is being chased by the police, cursing them and their injustice, trapped, he climbs over a wall and lands in the Layli's garden. Reunited with his love, he blesses and prays for the policeman, recognizing that this test was leading him to his desire. Therefore, we should see the "end in the beginning" and know that difficulties that cut us, are making space for our joy to fill us.

Here are some photos from the evening. See you next time, Saturday, June 12th - 7pm.

Kate, Josh and Nicky

Dinner: Mashed potatoes, salmon, broccoli bake, canjun chicken drumsticks and the aforementioned salad.

Broccoli bake - it's like a quiche with out the crust! The recipe is here.

Reza, Atridad and Arvin

Andrea, Greg and Jada

Josh and Kate. Okay, enough posing. Hasta luego!

Dinner and Divinity - April 30th - Reflections on the Soul

After a delicious dinner of lasagna and salad, Hayden led the divinity portion of this week's gathering. Hayden shared that just as our eyes developed in the womb to be used in this world, so too are our souls developing for a non-physical existence. Here is one of the quotations we discussed:

"In the beginning of his human life man was embryonic in the world of the matrix. There he received capacity and endowment for the reality of human existence. The forces and powers necessary for this world were bestowed upon him in that limited condition. In this world he needed eyes; he received them potentially in the other. He needed ears; he obtained them there in readiness and preparation for his new existence. The powers requisite in this world were conferred upon him in the world of the matrix...

Therefore in this world he must prepare himself for the life beyond. That which he needs in the world of the Kingdom must be obtained here. Just as he prepared himself in the world of the matrix by acquiring forces necessary in this sphere of existence, so likewise the indispensable forces of the divine existence must be potentially attained in this world."

This wonderful evening was capped off with some music and dessert. See you next time!

Hayden guiding the discussion

Jeff and Mo the Monkey hanging out

John and Nassim from Caldwell

Naseem and Tanja

Me and the adorable Valentin. :)