Kombucha:

Well, the kombucha is not doing as I’d hoped. It definitely smells like a fermented drink at this point, but no “mother mushroom” is really forming. Don’t know what went wrong. Maybe I didn’t use enough of the pre-made kombucha in my batch. Maybe it wasn’t a warm enough atmosphere. I searched high and low for our heating pad when I first made the batch, but couldn’t find it. This may have helped, although the cabinet I kept it in is above our frig and stays very warm from the heat given off by the frig. The heating pad has been found now, so maybe I’ll add that to the recipe next time. In the meantime, I’ve spent about $16 buying kombucha at Whole Foods – a little less than one a week. I’d like to not spend ANY money on it at some point! Will give it another go in the the new year!

Hot Chocolate:

We had so much fun participating in the Northampton Hot Chocolate 5K Run this year. Cooper ran this year as part of his “Quest” or the series of activities and tasks we challenged him to meet before he turns 13 in April. He was nervous that he had not trained enough, but he ended up doing great. At the end, he said it was so fun and easy that he’d like to do it again next year “just for kicks.”

Nervous?

(Rocky theme song starts)

Here are Coop and Robert making their way through the streets of Northampton – past the Edwards’ Church, around the back of Smith College, and then back down main street to the finish downtown. This is my third year to run it, and they have changed the course every year. It benefits our local domestic violence shelter called Safe Passage, and this year the race raised $90,000 on its behalf. LOTS of folks from our church ran it as well which made it extra fun.

and WATER!

The very next day, our church held a celebratory baptismal service. Each December and May, those who have received the gift of Christ’s forgiveness and salvation are invited to declare it publicly through baptism. What an amazing gift to the Krum family to have witnessed this over 20 times in the 10 years we’ve been here. In the service, each person who is being baptized has their “story” read to the congregation. Each one always brings me to tears as I listen to the unique ways the Lord has worked in each person’s life. He is redemptive in ALL of His ways, and it is never so evident as on these occasions.
What a privilege to be a part of it.

Congrats to Tabby, Greg, Agya, and Kristen!

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
Colossians 2:8-14