Equally Loved, Equally Forgiven

I haven't written for a while for two reasons: one, time is always an issue. It's hard to summon the energy to write after a long day, and my thoughts are not always creatively charged with brilliant writing ideas. I'd prefer to wait for those rare moments of inspiration. Two, I'm a little bit of a coward. I've had something on my heart for the past two months or so, and I've been slow to share. Maybe I've just been thinking on it and prayerfully considering what I'd say. But today, on my off-day from work, as I lay in bed scouring Facebook, it seemed like the right time.

I want to do a post on my thoughts about gay marriage. This is scary because of all the hoopla going on right now. I don't particularly love tension and I especially hate conflict. I'm not sure who my audience will be- whether my readers will agree or disagree. But here's what I want to write about: I want to explain the Christian response to homosexuality. On Facbeook lately, I've been accused of being hateful (and not just me, but every Christian). And my latest run-in with a sweet good friend and homosexual, left us "at peace", but with him saying I must be an idiot, to explain away my stance.

So, let me begin: Hi, I'm a Christian. I'm not hateful. I've never hated any person on the planet. The only thing I genuinely hate and loathe are beans. I'm not a rocket-scientist, but I definitely am not an idiot. And I want to explain why I both understand that, as a free nation, marriage equality has to happen, but also why I'm saddened by it.

For me, it starts with our relationships with God.

Some basic background: I'm starting with Genesis, but not in the way you think. I'm not going to bombast you with threatening speeches about Adam and Eve, rather than Adam and Steve. I'm going to talk about the Fall, because everything comes from that. In the Beginning, God created everything, and because He is good and wanted people to see that goodness, he created all of us. But in the garden, we sinned. We (our ancestors) chose to disobey God and break the only rule He had set up. When we did that, we saw our nakedness and sin, and sin entered our hearts. From that first day (however long ago it may be, I'm not arguing about creation), we have inherited our sin nature from our parents and their parents. We all sense it, even if we don't want to admit it. We are broken people, desperately searching to be happy, to be fulfilled, to be loved. We try to fill those gaping bleeding holes with the things around us that promise fulfillment: dream careers, money, family, sex, romance, etc etc. But those things don't bring us complete fulfillment. This is what every religion on earth seeks to answer: why are men broken and what can we do about it? I believe the answer to that is that souls were designed to be in fellowship with God.

Sin separates us from God. In the garden after the Fall, sin literally PHYSICALLY separated us from God. Prior to the Fall, Adam and Eve lived directly in the God's presence. He walked among them. He visited them, like a good friend. Afterward, they lived outside of God's presence, no longer with Him physically. For us today, sin separates us from God. Haven't you felt that? After really going off on someone, after lying to friend, after cheating on your spouse, don't you feel farther from God- like your soul is dirty and your conscious is blaring at you? So, we try and make amends by ourselves. And maybe our friends and spouses will forgive us. But what about our souls? Can we cleanse ourselves?
We can't get there on our own, because (again) we are flawed, sinful, messed-up people, and even our best attempts we have to recognize are selfish and mien in nature. How can people like us approach a perfectly holy and just God? Luckily, we have a promised Savior, a mediator , but I'll get to that later.

I believe engaging in homosexual sex is a sin. I'm not just pulling this out of nowhere because I "think it's gross" or I think I'm better than them. I want you to fully understand this: I understand that everyone sins, and that no sin is greater or worse than other. A gay's sexual sin is no greater than my own sexual sin. That gay man or woman and I are equally loved by God. That gay man or woman is made in God's image, and I am directly prohibited from judging them. But I do believe homosexual sex separates people from God, in the same way that heterosexual sex outside of marriage separates us from God. As a Christian, I believe the word of God (the Bible) is perfect. You don't have to, if you aren't a Christian. If you do profess to follow Jesus and believe the Bible to be failable, then you need to examine why you feel comfortable dismissing verses to fit your own life. The point of scripture is that it's powerful enough to change YOU, not the other way around. So, I encourage you to do some searching on that. Either Bible is true, or it isn't. You have decide that for yourself.

Anyway, here are the verses that have been on my heart regarding this issue:

1 Corinthians 6:9-11: "Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men, nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

This verse shows us that no one can get to heaven on their own, for who on earth hasn't done one of those things: either sexual sin or idolatry (worshipping something other than God), cheated on their spouse, homosexual sin, stole, struggled with greed, drank to escape their problems, spoken badly of someone else, cheated someone out of money, etc etc etc!? The point of this verse is not that homosexuals alone will not inherit the Kingdom of God- it's that EVERYONE will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Two thousand and some years ago, the disciples asked Jesus, "Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” The amazing good news- THE GOSPEL MESSAGE- is that God sent his Son to pay for our sins. This is the fundamental truth of Christianity: that all fall short of God's glory and that we NEED a Savior.

Wrapping it Up
As an American, I understand that the Marriage Equality act is going to be passed. From a secular standpoint- if I was going to forget all this Biblical information I know and the voice the Holy Spirit in my life- I would say it makes sense that we can't tell one group of people they CAN marry and one group they can't. And, I understand that Christians can't thump their Bibles and say "the Bible says this" and expect those who aren't Christians to obey. I believe Jesus is profoundly sad with the way a lot of Christians handle the homosexual issue. If I were a non-Chrisitan person looking at the Christian response with no understanding of the biblical background, I might also say: "you are hateful. How can you limit someone's happiness because of your beliefs". 

But hopefully now you understand what I'm saying: I'm not against equal marriage because I think homosexuals don't deserve to marry, or I think they are sub-human, or I think they are beyond redemption and that heterosexual people are better somehow. And while it does sadden me to see marriage- a creation of God- dismantled and re-created, that's not the issue either. After all, heterosexual married couples have been destroying marriage for a long time. We've perverted God's creation of marriage- the life-long bond between man and woman- long ago with our own sin and selfishness. I can't encourage homosexual marriage because I can't encourage homosexual sin. If all sin is damaging to the soul, and all sin separates us from God, how can encourage anyone to walk into a situation that would promote that soul death?

Directly to fellow Christians who are against marriage equality, I would offer this challenge: We've lived in this "Christian nation" for 200 plus years. Can it be that you've made America your home and hope, instead of heaven? We keep saying, "America is Christian nation"? Why? Because it was founded by Christians? What about the last hundred or so years has been Christ-honoring? Our civil war, the 20's hedonism, the 50's white-washing and perfectionism, the 60's sexual sin, the millions of babies aborted (and the millions of mother's lied to), the high divorce rate (equally high among Christians)... what among that says, "we follow Christ"!?! Beloved, remember that, "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Eph 6:12). Your struggle is not against the politicians, or against gays everywhere or the liberal agenda. Our struggle is, and has always been, against evil, and against the real agenda: Satan's plan to destroy us. So, pray for this country yes. And pray for our homosexual friends ensnared in sin the same way you would pray for your heterosexual friend ensnared in sin. But remember this is not our home. Jesus is coming back, and He will take His faithful to our real home.  It's evident it's about to get harder. We're gonna face real persecution: not the kind of slap on the wrist and name-calling we get now. So remember to fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and protector of our faith. 

“Yes. I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.

The Closing of one door, and the opening of another

Three months ago, a door opened. An opportunistic metaphorical door. I had an in with the SMU music faculty, and I decided I would pursue my Masters. I don't make decisions easily- I fear making the wrong choice. So I prayerfully pursued this opportunity, asking God to let me know if He didn't want me on this path. It takes to faith to move in a direction when you haven't gotten a clear yes or no. I remember hearing sermons on the necessity of waiting on the Lord for everything. And I believe there are times for waiting. But scripture is packed-full of instances when people pray, then try to choose the best option. In the end, God shapes what happens. The decision to pursue my Masters was like this. I didn't have a huge desire to go back to school, but when an opportunity opens, you should try, right?

Fast forward to last week. Friday. It was my last practice with my voice teacher before auditioning today. I sang my songs for her. Then she said six words that changed things quite a bit: "I don't think you should audition". I quietly listened as she explained that she thought I needed to work more on my musicianship, pronunciation and artistry before I audition for grad school. Fair enough advice, especially when you consider how I've been out of voice studies. This was appropriate feedback, and though it was difficult to hear, I was thankful for her honest input. But then she went on to say that she didn't think, as a stutterer, that I should get my Masters. It was a very long speech, so I will paraphrase it. She sited reasons like 'it would be difficult for me', 'I would have to give presentations and answer questions quickly', 'I would not be accepted at the school', and 'if/when I graduated, no one would even consider hiring me as a teacher'. I told her I would consider all this.

It took me a good four days to get angry. When she told me all this, I sort of swallowed it as a very bitter, but truthful pill. It seemed realistic enough advice, and she didn't mean it cruelly. In fact, I think she meant it to be kind. But the things she said were exactly what I always feared hearing: that secret voice that says, "No one will want you because of your stutter. No one listens to anyone you say. You are a joke, ridiculous. You are broken, and unusable". 

But on the fourth day, I did get angry. If I followed her logic, I would have to live under a rock or find a job that involves NO speaking. If anyone with a disability followed her advice, there would be no paraplegics in the Special Olympics, the blind would never venture beyond the safety of their homes, and no person with a disability would be hired. If I followed her logic, I would have to have to limit my dreams (and God's plans!) because of my stuttering. Not get my Masters because it's hard? What does she think- that my daily life trying to communicate is easy? Did she think I fought thru this many awkward conversations, terrible presentations and embarrassing scenarios to give up because "it's hard"?!? I got my BA with a stutter, I have been hired (and promoted!) by many companies, all of whom have said they would hire me again, I teach three students, and both of my current jobs require quite a bit of talking. Not only this, but my experience with the artistic world is quite the opposite: people are happy to hire someone who is capable but stutters. If nothing else, it's good PR! (I mean, come on, who doesn't want a cute stuttering girl as your mascot? lol terrible.... sorry). I understood the stress that would come from getting my Masters, and if it was God's will, I was prepared to meet those challenges. The issues with my singing are legit; I'm not perfect vocally and I need to grow more. But if I thought I had enough personal strength get my Masters, despite stuttering, she had no right to say differently. It was flat out discrimination, something I've never experienced so blatantly. 

So, now that I was angry, I had to make a choice: audition or not audition. For a long while this week, I thought about auditioning just to spite her! I had gleeful visions of standing up there on the stage in front of the panel, and singing their (and her) socks off. In that vision, she slinks over shamefully, handing me a full scholarship. (Evil laughter... ma ha haaaa).

But then I kept thinking. I kept thinking about how I still- after three months- wasn't anxious to return to classes again. I was dreading buying the books, returning to studying, paying that hefty tuition. The only thing I was really excited about was- you guessed it- singing. So, I sought some advice from past teachers and local friends. 

And I finally decided to do the anti-climatic thing and... not audition. 

Why? Because, one, I don't want to get my Masters right now. I finally figured that out, after three months of praying, and after this big event. I can pursue singing without getting my Masters, and paying that hefty tuition. And because, two, if I ever do get my masters, it won't be with that school, especially if what this teacher told me is representative of the whole school's creed on disabilities. Heck to the no.

Instead, I'm planning on taking private lessons locally with a truly amazing husband and wife team. I'm very excited about the vocal growth and possibilities it will bring. 

I'm feeling very at peace about the decision, and glad it's over. I knocked on that door, and it took a while, but I got my answer. "I don't want this after all". I guess sometimes you have to figure out the hard way. And sometimes God answers in a different way then you want. But that doesn't mean He doesn't answer. 

And, funny how things work out- God still provided me with a great, jam-packed artistic month full of choir concerts, performances, caricature drawings and a move to a great new apartment this Saturday.

The only thing bothering me now is the question, "What's going to happen to me now?" I had a plan, and the plan fell thru. Now, I find myself in the same place I've been for the past year and a half- sameness. And I have never liked sameness. I'm always looking for the next thing, and I want the next thing asap. So, maybe God has some more patience to teach me. And in a while, He will open some new door. But, I know God is completely trustworthy, and EVER trial we encounter grows our perseverance so that we will be "mature and complete, not needing anything"(1 Peter). But, I'm sure I'm going to keep singing. It's what I do! It's what God made me for! In whatever capacity He wants, I will keep singing.

"I will sing to the Lord ALL MY LIFE; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live"

Psalm 104:33

A Brief Catch Up

It's been almost two months since I last posted. That's pretty bad by blogging standards, and I offer a teeny-weeny half-hearted apology. Things have been busy.

This January has been an interesting one, and if it had a theme, it would be about waiting, preparation and hard work. Not generally fun themes, but still, necessary and good for stimulating personal and spiritual growth.

I got a promotion at the medical office, and am now working with the regulatory side of research, with the occasional dabbling in drug (don't get excited, I just count the drug shipments). I started this new role in mid-January, and I have to say, I like it more than data entry. It's a detail-oriented position with little hovering, and I get to organize things the way I like, which is just perfect. But it has required a few more hours, so fitting that in has been difficult.

Church work is going great. I love planning lessons, and serving the volunteers and the kids is a great joy to me. Because I'm so passionate about it, I do take our failings (or just areas that need growth) very seriously and often worry about them. I am constantly hoping to grow personally and grow the ministry to it's full potential. Leading is not natural to me, and having to speak to so many people on Sunday does drain me quite a bit. But on those days where the service goes well, and the message and worship hit home, the reward is beyond expression. I love working behind the scenes to do all this. It's a new lesson for this opera diva.

The thing is, with the two jobs and the weird schedule, it's been hard to find a "designated day off". You don't realize how important having one day of is... you really need that day to do bills, finish projects and clean the house. Our small apartment currently resembles that of a hoarder- not because we collect random stuff, but just because it's so small and we have been blessed with so much!

So, I'm happy to say we are moving to Richardson on February 16th. It's in a great location, and the apartments are older and quaint, and, most importantly, BIGGER! Less driving, great local restaurants and a YMCA right across the street? I am fantastically excited... so much so that I am finding waiting to be very difficult. (grrr I hate waiting).

Also, big news: February 9th is my audition date for SMU. Honestly, I'm terrified. I have so much to prepare for it (not only the audition but also a theory and aural test!!!) and very little time to spare. But, I'm doing my best so I can look back and say, "I really did try my very best". Then, it really is up to the Lord whether I get in or not.

Jesse and I are doing well, despite the hectic lives we live currently. We keep each other laughing, and we are different enough that we keep challenging each other, lovingly frustrating each other, and happily enjoying what is still newlywed bliss. That's not to say we live in a dream world; we're aware of our faults and sin natures. But with the help of God, love for each other and our amazing community of friends and family (both far and near), we continue to strive towards our ultimate goal as a married couple: bringing God glory.

God's Love For Zombies

If you know me even a tiny bit, you will probably know that I am afraid of zombies. Ghosts, ghouls, vampires even swamp monsters I can handle. But the idea of zombies terrifies me. It is actually a little funny: I do a lot of things differently because of my fear of zombies. For instance, I specifically chose my loft apartment because it's on the second floor (easier to protect). And I know what to first in the event of a zombie outbreak (block any entrances, fill the bathtub with water as you don't know when the supply will be cut short, and turn off the lights to avoid attracting attention). So, yes, I'm a little ridiculous about it. 

I think what really scares me about zombies- besides the idea of being eaten or trapped- is the symbol of the breakdown of society and how the survivors literally canabilize each other to stay alive. Perhaps more horrifying is the idea that we could easily be bitten, and then we would be the zombies: dead but walking, hungry for fellow-human flesh. I imagine the life (I use the word liberally) of a zombie is pretty awful: no consciousness (I hope!), mindless roaming and chowing down on human flesh... pretty gruesome.

Now that you know the depth of my fear, I can write the following sentence knowing that you will understand the full gravity of what I'm saying:

We all are (or once were) zombies.

In Ephesians 2, the Apostle Paul says the following:

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath."

We were all born into spiritual death. Since the Fall, since we left the Garden because of our own disobedience, we have been spiritually dead. And like the cinema zombie of today, we've walked around endlessly trying to fill our  spiritual hunger. We've hurt people because of our need to fill that hole. There is no cure to make us alive again and save us from following this fate.

Until... 

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved."- Ephesians 2:4&5


God made a way for us by sending His Son to die to save us. For some reason I will never fully grasp, God never gave up on us. He came down to us to live the same life, and then as the perfect sacrifice, He gave us His life, so we wouldn't have to be dead any longer.

Lord Jesus, 
Thank You for what you did on the cross. Thank You for showing us a better way to live, not the "empty way of life that is handed down to us by our forefathers", but a New Life. Help us understand the depths of Your grace and love more and more in every aspect of our lives. And, most of all, thank You for never letting go of us, even when we most deserve it.
Amen.

Messed-up Lady Emotions and Artistic Angst

Tonight I am angry. You ladies will know why so I will just hint that it is "lady troubles" and leave it at that. Jesse knows that it is lady trouble time, and he keeps his distance. I like that- in fact, this is what I asked him to do (that and ply me with chocolate, which he has done), but then when I see him enjoying himself alone, it angers me. Ah, lady time. In my mind, I see a hulked-out Madeleine, ready to "Maddie smash". It's up to Jesse to find the perfect balance of "I love you and will cuddle you, but not so much that you feel smothered, and I will not do anything to make you feel annoyed". Poor man. Good thing this doesn't last long.

I will also blame my poor eating choices today on my lady time. Well, poor 'choice' rather. I did really well at lunch (blackened chicken salad) and even better at dinner (salmon, green beans, mushrooms filled with cheese/pepperoni), but for breakfast... when I went into the kitchen at work, there sat a box of donuts. I wasn't going to "go nuts" with the donuts, but then I saw a vanilla-icing donut with happy little sprinkles. Sprinkles, it turns out, must be my downfall, because I had devoured the entire donut before I even remembered the "low-carb" thing. Donuts are low carb... right?

On to the topic of tonight, which isn't what I promised in the last entry (shhh....). Does anyone else have mad quantities of creative projects constantly circling through their minds? I swear- subconscious artistic me must be a crazy person. One second, I am intent on painting a winter miniature for our first Christmas card. The next, I am convinced I need to paint my desk. But wait- wasn't I going to finish that stained glass project? No, not until I master the art of watercoloring portraits. I can do that in a single painting, right? But wasn't I going to try acrylics? No- first the Christmas card. Or maybe the desk... AHHH!

Are creative sides naturally this sporadically ADD, or is it just mine? If the creative psyche were as organized as the logical psyche, it would get much more accomplished. Or maybe if the logical side just agreed to HELP the creative side once or twice. I envision my Logical Psyche as a businessman, balding  but brilliant, fantastically organized down to his days-of-the-week underpants. He does not want to associate with Creative Psyche, who, I'm sorry to say, looks and acts like a meth addict and just wants to create, be it on a canvas with oils or a wall with spray paint. If the two could just team up and help each other create/organize more together, well then, we'd be somewhere. Maybe we wouldn't be featured at the Louvre, but we'd at least have a finished piece of art, instead of a dozen works-in-progress.

Or maybe it isn't that Logical Psyche isn't trying to help; maybe he is helping with all his might, but he's simply not strong enough to help out his crazed friend. That seems like it could be true of me. It's a good thing I'm married to Jesse, who is very organized. Hopefully, he can keep me calm and rational when all I want to do is fingerprint, but I have to go to work. :)

(By the way, he's doing a good job. He's happily working on his new work iPad yet still giving me a sweet little smile every so often).

Okay, thanks for reading. This is now the end of whatever this post was about (it seems to be about messed-up lady emotions and artistic angst).

I should try to work on the Christmas card idea.

Or maybe I should paint my desk?

An Operatunity (hee hee)

It's been a nice weekend. Today's services went really well without anything eventful or disastrous happening. Things between Jesse and I have been nice and cuddly (*yes "cuddly" is the main adjective that springs to mind... it might be the happy fall weather!), and life continues to skip by at the usual pace. No slowing down, very few things to break up the monotony, no "breaks" (fall, spring, summer or otherwise) as I was accustomed to as a student. Adulthood continues to rear it's mature sarcastic face and say to my naivety: "Welcome to real life".

An interesting turn-of-events: I went to sing for vocal teacher at SMU. I was awfully nervous. It's intimidating enough to go sing for people when you ARE in-voice, so imagine how I must've felt walking into SMU- one of the snobbiest and, well, best schools around. I found a parking space (after 30 minutes, thank God I left early), and walked to the Fine Arts building, enjoying the familiar and seductive college scene. Barefoot students passed me, arms full of books, discussing literature and professors. In the music department, the sounds of violins and oboes wafted in the air... even their scales sounded perfect. Dang, I am out of my league. But I went to my appointment, prepared for a pretty big embarrassment, and instead was pleasantly surprised.

It's true; my German was rusty, my rhythms a little off, but my voice, surprisingly, was still there. I made my high notes. My tone was even. It felt like normal, like returning to riding a bike after a few years. That's not to say it was perfect- as the vocal teacher said, my larynx was a little high, which made for quite a bit of breathiness (hhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaahhhhh). But she seemed to like my voice, saying it was whimsical, pretty, youthful and energetic, very "french" (as in, 'would be good for french songs'), and that she thinks I am a soubrette or a light lyric soprano. When I sang, she nodded in approval and gave very positive feedback. After vocalizing me (warming up to as high as I could go- which was shockingly- still a E-flat- I thought I'd lost my top notes!), she said I have more notes there that I could achieve if I worked on it and worked on loosing my fear of high notes. Best of all: when I commented on how out-of-voice I was, she said, "No, you're not out-of-voice, you are simply out of practice. There's nothing wrong with your voice. There's no tension [I don't know about that... but, hey, ok!], your breathing is great, your french is perfect [!YAY!], you just need the icing on the cake". Thank you, John Brown University music department, for your hard work!

So, I now have a voice lessons with a wonderful teacher! We're going to work on tailoring my repertoire to be more soubrette-friendly. Currently, my repertoire is all over the map. This was great for undergraduate studies and I enjoyed singing those pieces. But some of those songs aren't a good fit for me. I love "Habanera", and loved the chance to sing it, but no one would ever hire me for the role of Carmen. I'm no mezzo. But Mozart operas, Handel, french songs, I can do. And apparently- new fact learned for the day- companies don't like to see variety on a musicians' resume. They like to see that you have a specific voice type and that you can sing it well. As she said: "People aren't very imaginative. It's up to you to tell them who you are and what you can do". Brilliant advice, huh? Pretty good for any career choice and interviewing situation.

Honestly, all that said, I don't know if I want a career in voice. I know I LOVE singing. I know I want to do these lessons. And, as Jesse said after he saw me directly after this audition, I "lit up like a firefly" when I told him about singing. But I'm going to wait before I decide if I want to get my masters. A bachelor's degree is expensive enough. My current loans are going to haunt me til into my late thirties (which is still far enough away that it is daunting). If I'm going to add more onto that bill, I have to be darn sure that this is the direction I want to go in AND that the Lord has for me (the second being more important).


Next week's episode: Discontentment. I'm excited. It's gonna be a doozy.

Feeling sick, another audition and broccoli cheese soup

I left work early today feeling very much like what my husband felt the other day- sick and rundown. I got home, was promptly sick, napped, rallied and then re-arranged the furniture in the living room. When you live in a small space (all 650 sq feet of it- including stairs), the cramped feeling can drive me nuts. So, I have to re-arrange every so often. Plus, it helps force you to clean the room, too.

I have another "audition" tomorrow. Maybe "audition" is the wrong word. The correct word would be an opportunity. I'm meeting with a vocal teacher from a local college to sing for her and discuss what she thinks of my voice. It's a great opportunity- kind of horrifying- but I am also incredibly excited. Fortunately, I've already explained how out-of-voice I am, so at least she won't be under any misconceptions about my voice. ... but still--- eek! I'll let you know how it goes!

I found a great new recipe for Creamy Broccoli Soup. It DOES have 2 tablespoons of flour, so it's not completely carb-free, but it's pretty close. Plus, Jesse liked it a lot. I figure if a MAN likes it, it's hardy enough.

Ingredients:

3 cups chicken broth
1 head of broccoli, cut up
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup shredded cheese (the recipe says optional, but I say "must have")
1/2 dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1) Bring broth to boil. Add broccoli and onion. Cook for five minutes, or until broccoli is tender.
2) In a separate bowl, slowly add milk to flour, and mix until well-blended.
3) Stir flour/milk mixture into broth mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until soup is thick and bubbly. Add cheese; stir til melted. Add seasonings. Done.

It's a really quick meal, and pretty dang good.