Volume 2, Number 2, March, 2005

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#99CC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="1552c963.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="mailto:wmeades@gmail.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:wmeades@gmail.com"><U><IMG SRC="6799c150.png" border=0 width="156" height="21" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://practicalspirituality.wordpress.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://practicalspirituality.wordpress.c"><U>Practical Spirituality Blog</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="counseling.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Pastoral Counseling"><U>Making an Appointment</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="printableform.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Forms"><U>Information Form</U></A> </div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="map.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Directions to Office"><U>Map to My Office</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="speaking.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Speaking and Teaching"><U>Speaking and Teaching</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="enneagram.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Enneagram"><U>The Enneagram</U></A> <A HREF="enneagram.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Enneagram"><U> </U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.wfmhc.org/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.wfmhc.org/"><U>Waco Foundation for Mental Health Care</U></A></div> <div> <B>____________________</B></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Practical Spirituality"><U>Home</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="aboutme.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Me and My Work"><U>About Me and My Work</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="personalspiritualdevelopment.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal and Spiritual Development"><U>Personal and Spiritual Development</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="helpfularticles.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Helpful Articles"><U>Helpful Articles</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="booksummaries.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Book Summaries"><U>Book Summaries</U></A></div> <div> <A 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BORDER="4" CELLPADDING="5" CELLSPACING="10" WIDTH="770" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#660033" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#DDDDDD HEIGHT= 331 WIDTH="151"><bR> <div> <A HREF="#announcements" TITLE="Volume 2, Number 2, March, 2005"><U><B>Announcements</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#two_favorite_quotes" TITLE="Volume 2, Number 2, March, 2005"><U><B>Two Favorite Quotes</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#a_book_that_has_shaped_me_" TITLE="Volume 2, Number 2, March, 2005"><U><B>A Book that has shaped me</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#the_eades_essay" TITLE="Volume 2, Number 2, March, 2005"><U><B>The Eades Essay</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#a_website_to_explore" TITLE="Volume 2, Number 2, March, 2005"><U><B>A Website to Explore</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#recipe_for_chocolate" TITLE="Volume 2, Number 2, March, 2005"><U><B>Recipe with Chocolate</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>                                                     </B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=3><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="25f2c3c0.png" border=0 width="300" height="316" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>     </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Volume Two</div> <div> Number Two</div> <bR> <bR> <div> March, 2005</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#DDDDDD HEIGHT= 803 ><NOBR><div> <B> <A NAME="announcements"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Announcements</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#___" TITLE="Volume 2, Number 2, March, 2005"><U>back to top</U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=3 WIDTH="537"><div> <B>Would you forward this newsletter to a few folks?</B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>*****</B></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>The Waco Foundation for Mental Health Care </B></FONT>has finally gotten word that we'll be give our non-profit status by the IRS.  We'll soon be, how shall I put it, seeking donations, to support counseling for folks who cannot afford the full cost.  For more info on the WFMHC, please click here: <A HREF="http://www.wfmhc.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.wfmhc.com"><U>http://www.wfmhc.com</U></A></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>*****</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Have you seen this?</B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >(This most recent version that a friend sent is the sanitized version!)</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>Taoism:</B> <I>Crap happens.</I></div> <div> <B>Confucianism</B>: <I>Confucius says, crap happens.</I></div> <div> <B>Buddhism</B>: <I>If crap happens, it isn't really crap.</I></div> <div> <B>Zen</B>: <I>What is the sound of crap happening?</I></div> <div> <B>Hinduism</B>: <I>This crap happened before.</I></div> <div> <B>Islam</B>: <I>If crap happens, it is the will of Allah.</I></div> <div> <B>Protestantism</B>: <I>Let crap happen to someone else.</I></div> <div> <B>Native American</B>: <I>What is the medicine of crap?</I></div> <div> <B>Catholicism</B>: <I>If crap happens, you deserve it.</I></div> <div> <B>Judaism</B>: <I>Why does this crap always happen to us?</I></div> <div> <B>Pantheism</B>: <I>It's all the same crap.</I></div> <div> <B>Atheism</B>: <I>I don't believe this crap.</I></div> <div> <B>Agnosticism</B>: <I>What is this crap?</I></div> <bR> <div> What would you add?  Surely we can come up with some angles on some of the several hundred other religions and denominations.  How about...</div> <div> <B>Baptist</B>: <I>Crap is what happens when you dance or drink.</I></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>*****</B></div> <div> <B>Thanks to you who contributed to my Counseling Session Follow Up Form  Project!</B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>*****</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Interim pastoring in Reisel, America: </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >I'm continuing to have a very sweet experience with these dear people who live halfway between Waco and College Station.  (For those of you from outside of the area, this puts them between two fine universities, Baylor and Texas A&M, and they mostly support the Aggies of A&M.)</FONT></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>*****</B></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#990033" FACE="Arial" ><B>Video lecture: </B></FONT><B>  </B>If you'd like to see and hear me walking through my interpretation of the Garden of Eden story, then click on this link: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.baylortv.com/video.php?id=000713" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.baylortv.com/video.php?id=000"><U><B><U>Eades Lecture</U></B></U></A><B><U>.</U></B></FONT>   </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#DDDDDD HEIGHT= 113 WIDTH="151"><div>  <A NAME="two_favorite_quotes"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660033" FACE="Arial" ><B>Two Favorite Quotes</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#___" TITLE="Volume 2, Number 2, March, 2005"><U>back to top</U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=3 WIDTH="537"><div> <B>Past the beggar and the suffering walked he who asks, "Why, oh God, do you not do something for these people?" To which God replied, "I did do something, I made you." </B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>--Sufi Saying</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>--from a College Essay</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#DDDDDD HEIGHT= 301 WIDTH="151"><div>  <A NAME="a_book_that_has_shaped_me_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660033" FACE="Arial" ><B>A Book that has shaped me</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> Do you have a book you'd like others to be aware of?  Send me the title and a few words on why this book matters to you.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="#___" TITLE="Volume 2, Number 2, March, 2005"><U>back to top</U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2><NOBR><div>  <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=practicalspir-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0425174484&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lc1=0000ff&bg1=ffffff&bc1=&lt1=_blank&f=ifr" width="120" height="240" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>  </div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="366"><div> Wes-</div> <div> The newsletter is great and I truly enjoy your ideas and links to the resources. Recently in CPE [Clinical Pastoral Education] we read the book <I><B><U>Expecting Adam</U></B></I> by Martha Beck. I think she has been around for awhile, but it is my first read from her. This book challenged my ideas of success, experiencing God supernatually, and what life is like for a mother who is expecting a child with Downs Syndrome. It is a fast, wonderful read. I would recommend it to your readers because she experience all emotions in a healthy, universal way that reaffirms the human experience. </div> <bR> <div> Jeremy</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Thanks Jeremy!</B></I></div> <bR> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#DDDDDD HEIGHT= 2038 WIDTH="151"><div>  <A NAME="the_eades_essay"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660033" FACE="Arial" ><B>The Eades Essay</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#___" TITLE="Volume 2, Number 2, March, 2005"><U>back to top</U></A></div> <bR> <div> These essays are a compilation of ideas that I've been promising myself to get into book form for years now.  Each edition of the newsletter will feature a single, brief chapter.  The working title for this expedition is</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><B> </B></I><I><B>When Faith </B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Doesn't Work: </B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Practical Reflections </B></I></div> <div> <I><B>for the Journey.</B></I><I><B>  </B></I></div> <div> (c) Eades, 2004</div> <bR> <div> As new editions of the newsletter are published, archives will be available at <A HREF="id332_newsletter_archives.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Practical Spirituality Newsletter"><U><B>Newsletter Archives</B></U></A><B>.</B></div> <bR> <div> You are welcome to copy and distribute if you properly reference this site as the source.</div> <bR> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=3 WIDTH="537"><div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="502" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#DDDDDD HEIGHT= 205 WIDTH="490"><div>  </div> <div> The goal of these essays is to reach the following three audiences:</div> <bR> <div> <I><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a73007700b433006600.png" HEIGHT="12" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">regular folks</B></I> who find that their faith and religon have been pushed to the side because spiritual things don't seem very relevant to their lives.</div> <div> <I><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a73007700b433006600.png" HEIGHT="12" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">therapists</B></I> who've never had much formal training in how faith and religion can shape a person and how to respond to religious dilemmas.</div> <div> <I><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a73007700b433006600.png" HEIGHT="12" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">ministers</B></I> who struggle to find fresh ways to communicate ancient and wise perspectives on how to live a life that matters.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>The introduction to the series can be read here: </B><A HREF="v01n01_the_eades_essay.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Volume 1, Number 1, November 1, 2004"><U><B>The Eades Essay</B></U></A></div> <bR> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>Faith: What Gets You Up in the Morning ? </B></div> <div> <B>(or keeps you awake at night?)</B></div> <bR> <div>      When you are six weeks old, you live to eat, poop and sleep.  Some would say that many of us men never move beyond this, but if your surroundings have been trustworthy (see Note 1), then by the time you are three, you awaken with the need to explore.  As you grow physically and intellectually stronger in early childhood, you are driven to experiment with more complex forms of play and learning.  Whatever interests you have in things religious or spiritual are tied very closely to the quality of the snacks in Sunday School.</div> <bR> <div>      By late childhood you have added "best friends" to the mix.  You hop out of bed with a desire to run next door to see your buddy.  Games involve both cooperation and challenge.  Anxieties about fitting in and competing take shape.  Religious life is more about being with friends than being with God (though we become quite proficient at answering the God questions correctly).  </div> <bR> <div>      As romance is aroused in adolescence you awaken each day thinking about that special someone that is either in your life, or that you are trying to figure out how to make a part of your life.  But adolescence also brings a full flowering of your brain power.  You may develop an intense interest in performing music, or solving math problems, or reading books.  You begin to get ideas about what you really want to do when you grow up.  The same hormones that unleash romantic passion may also energize your spiritual life.  Many of us report that our first experiences of being deeply touched by God occurred in our teen years, often at church camp.</div> <bR> <div>      Assuming that one navigates the anxieties of adolescence in a good-enough fashion, young adulthood brings a new spin on motivation.  You are pushed along by the call of a career and by the desire to find someone you can spend the rest of this great adventure with.  You face a variety of challenges.  You need to write papers for class or solve problems at work.  You want to figure out how to afford some of the good things in life.  You are pushed to make difficult moral and ethical choices, without having a parent standing over your shoulder.  All of thi<IMG SRC="5b942de0.png" border=0 width="322" height="222" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">s is leading towards a goal of standing on your own two feet.  And it is all complicated by the deeply biological and deeply cultural pushes to find a mate. </div> <bR> <div>        Up to this point, what gets a person up in the morning is shaped by a growing body and developing brain.   The rules of your family and broader culture also pressure you to focus attention in particular directions.  Here's an example of some rules:</div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a73007700dc00000000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The most important thing in life should be finding a mate who will take care of you.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a73007700dc00000000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The most important thing in life should be making as much money as you can.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a73007700dc00000000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The most important thing in life should be doing whatever your parents tell you to do.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a73007700dc00000000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The most important thing in life should be to take as much as you can from anyone who has more than you.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a73007700dc00000000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The most important thing in life should be....</div> <div>      Each of these is a kind of faith proclamation.  That is to say, whatever you feel most pressed to pursue when you get up in the morning is what you believe will bring the most meaning to your life.  </div> <bR> <div>      Operating behind the scenes in this drama is the fundamental biological directive: You must survive.  Failure to recognize the power of this directive is, in my opinion, the single biggest stumbling block to spiritual maturity.  Edward O. Wilson puts it like this: "[The] brain is a machine assembled not to understand itself, but to survive." (Note 2) </div> <bR> <div>      And this is where the dilemma for those interested in pursuing a spiritual life gets interesting.</div> <bR> <div>      If you've been keeping up with these essays, then you already know I believe that, if you claim to be a Christian, then you are declaring that what "should" get you up in the morning is the full-bore all-out pursuit of sacrificial love.  Trouble is the biological push for personal survival, plus the cultural rules to pursue success can really gum this up.  Pursuit of authentic spiritual maturity is, therefore, no simple task. This is affirmed by the Apostle Paul, whom most of us consider no spiritual slouch:</div> <bR> <div> <B>Sometimes I just don't understand myself.  The things I know I should do, I DON'T do.  The things I know I shouldn't do, well, those are the very things I DO! </B>(My paraphrase of Romans 7:15)</div> <bR> <div>      How does one overcome this dilemma?  In a word: Discipline.</div> <bR> <div>      There's much more to be said on this subject, but for now I want you to ask yourself these questions:</div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a73007700dc00000000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">If it seems like my faith is not working, could it be that I've underestimated the role that biology and culture are playing in my soul?</div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a73007700dc00000000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">What does get me up in the morning?  How does this square with my faith commitments?</div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a73007700dc00000000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">What does keep me awake at night?  What do these anxieties tell me about my faith commitments?</div> <bR> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Wing0a73007700dc00000000.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">In what ways have my survival and success directives shaped my religion?</div> <bR> <div> -------------------------------------</div> <div> <B>Note 1</B>: This description assumes "good-enough" parents, that is, parents who are not perfect, but who are mature and loving enough to be able to focus on the needs of their children.  Many of you reading of this may well have not been born into such a family...</div> <bR> <div> <B>Note 2</B>: Edward O. Wilson, Consilience, (New York: Knoph, 1998), p. 96.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#DDDDDD HEIGHT= 487 WIDTH="151"><div>  <A NAME="a_website_to_explore"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660033" FACE="Arial" ><B>A Website to Explore</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#___" TITLE="Volume 2, Number 2, March, 2005"><U>back to top</U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=3 WIDTH="537"><div> <IMG SRC="5c6ff820.jpg" border=0 width="511" height="386" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Okay, I'm giving in to my bizarre sense of humor by recommending that you take a look at <A HREF="http://www.despair.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.despair.com"><U><B>Despair.com</B></U></A><B>.  </B>I've never been a fan of those cheesy motivational posters that are plastered all over some workplaces.  Despair.com offers a hilarious take on the dark side of optimism.</div> <bR> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#DDDDDD HEIGHT= 924 WIDTH="151"><div>  <A NAME="recipe_for_chocolate"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#660033" FACE="Arial" ><B>Recipe with Chocolate</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>because Chocolate IS a spiritual experience</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#___" TITLE="Volume 2, Number 2, March, 2005"><U>back to top</U></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=3 WIDTH="537"><div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="496" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 52 WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="52" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#660033><NOBR><div> <B>Each edition of this newsletter will feature a </B></div> <div> <B>recipe that includes Chocolate.   </B></div> <div> <I><B>Please send me your favorite chocolate oriented recipe.</B></I></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="40"><div> '</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> The path up the mountain was growing steeper, along with her apprehension.  She first sensed the presence among the trees on day three of this week long adventure.  Invisible hiking "buddies" -- curious animals along the path -- were certainly common on these treks, but rarely did they tag along for longer than an hour or two.  </div> <bR> <div> To say she was confident in her survival skills was an understatement.  Her marine drill sargeant daddy had certainly tried to impress upon her the importance of a realistic estimation of one's ability to make it in the wild, but she'd simply never been in a situation she wasn't sure she could handle.  </div> <bR> <div> Darkness was now falling on her sixth day on the mountain.  Last night was the first time she'd caught sight of the large, glowing-red eyes back in the foliage.  Now, as she positioned herself against the trunk of an ancient tree, she looked at her rock hard calves and thought, "Will I need all you have to give tonight?"  </div> <bR> <div> She laid out her evening meal, and began to nibble on the hard bread.  Straight ahead the eyes glowed in the darkness.  They seemed to be moving towards her now.  Next to her left boot was the Camillus survival knife that her grandfather had passed down to her.  She was strangely calm as she lifted dessert to her mouth.  She said to herself, "There's never been a situation I couldn't handle as long as I had a slice of Patty's Wacky Cake....."</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Wacky Cake</B></div> <bR> <div> INGREDIENTS:</div> <div> 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour </div> <div> 1 cup white sugar </div> <div> 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder </div> <div> 1 teaspoon baking soda </div> <div> 1/2 teaspoon salt </div> <div> 1 teaspoon vanilla extract </div> <div> 1 tablespoon cider vinegar </div> <div> 6 tablespoons vegetable oil </div> <div> 1 cup water </div> <bR> <div> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div> <bR> <div> DIRECTIONS:</div> <div> Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). </div> <div> Sift flour, sugar, salt, soda, and cocoa together into an 8x8 inch ungreased cake pan. Make three depressions. Pour oil into one well, vinegar into second, and vanilla into third well. Pour water over all, and stir well with fork. </div> <div> Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Frost with your favorite icing. </div> <bR> <div> (My friend Patty sent me this recipe.  I saw online that this cake was originally invented during the depression when cooks had to work with simple, cheap ingredients.)</div> <bR> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>