“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law.”
—Galatians 4:4 ESV
Wow, I thought. This is different.
The pool’s surface lay more than 16 feet below the platform I stood upon. Jumping into its icy water from that height would be a first for me.
Plus, nobody from my company was there to cheer me on.
All of us had been together on our way to navigation class when, at the last minute, I alone received an order to report to the pool.
The only people watching me were there to evaluate my proficiency. And having given me clear instructions, they were all talked out and silent.
Nope. None of this was like anything I had expected or done before.
But wasn’t it also true that, for the previous six weeks, I’d spent an hour in that pool each day, six days a week, whether I’d felt like it or not?
I had become quite comfortable in it.
And hadn’t all my work in those thirty-six sessions led to this moment?
It was time.
So I stepped off the platform and plunged into the pool.
Once I surfaced, I tread water for five minutes and then swam the required width and length of the pool.
And that’s how I graduated from Swim EI (Extra Instruction) class at the United States Navy Officer Candidate School.
So, yay, I could finally get my hair done🙌🏼.
But, the biggest benefit of jumping that day was that it cleared the path for my receiving a commission as an Ensign in the United States Navy a short time later.
(Because no one gets to serve in the Navy without knowing how to swim.)
Is it your time to leap forward?
Is there a simple step you can take to arrive at the next level of your project?
Or, maybe, a leap that looks scarier than it actually is?
Then maybe, just maybe, you should go ahead and do it.
Not because it will change the overall trajectory of your life for the better, although it might.
But because it’s time, and a step forward on the path God is leading you on.
QUOTES FOR CREATIVES BY CREATIVES
⏰NOW IS THE TIME (OR IS IT?)
Is curiosity drawing you forward? Do you have a “knowing” with a sense of peace settling somewhere deep inside?
Is a long-prayed-for opportunity ringing your doorbell? Or is it simply time to take the next step?
Each one of these situations can signal that it’s time to move forward.
And their absence could mean it’s better to wait and hold the ground we’re on.
“And suddenly you know: It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.”
— GERMAN THEOLOGIAN AND PHILOSOPHER MEISTER ECKHART
“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?”
— DUTCH PAINTER VINCENT VAN GOGH
“If your ship doesn’t come in, swim out to meet it.”
— AMERICAN COMEDIAN, ACTOR, AUTHOR, AND PAINTER Jonathan Winters
On the other hand:
Just because we can act doesn’t mean we need to or that we should. The right thing at the wrong time is not the right thing.
—AMERICAN WRITER AND BIBLE TEACHER NATALIA DRUMM
THE FLAVOR TRAIL
🍕PIZZA WITH SOPPRESSATA AND FIGS
Observing the season you’re in is a foolproof way to choose fruits and vegetables at the proper time.
Take fresh figs, for instance. In late summer, when these colorful and succulent fruits ripen, few other fruits rival them for flavor and sheer versatility.
I discovered this during my last trip to Italy. It was June, I’d arrived at the restaurant hungry for something new, and these words on the menu announced: pizza con fighi (pizza with figs).
My beautiful pizza came laden with prosciutto and figs, with a crunchy exterior. I took a first slow bite, and I was hooked.
Good thing, we can enjoy pizza con fighi here, too.
And now, as soon as brown turkey figs come into season — which starts this month — I go looking for them.
Pizza with Soppressata (a type of salami) and Figs has become a late summer, early autumn favorite. It tastes amazing and is amazingly easy to prepare, with only four steps from start to ready-to-bake.
Here they are:
- Gather the frozen pizza crust of your choice, along with some sopressata, mozzarella or another cheese that melts well, and tomato sauce. (I’ve gotten excellent results with Muir Glen’s crushed tomatoes and Cappello’s Naked Pizza Crust.)
- Spread the tomato sauce atop the crust.
- Grate the cheese and sprinkle it atop the tomato sauce.
- Slice the soppressata and the figs; then, alternating them, lay them atop the cheese in five rows, from top to bottom.
Bake it in the oven according to the instructions on the pizza crust box.
Once out of the oven, enjoy! (Perfect for dinner on Italian movie night!) 🇮🇹🎬
As always, I’ve enjoyed sharing stories and exploring the world and its cuisine with you!
Until the next time, enJoy and stay curious!
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