Women of the Bible: Ruth

Ruth is one of those biblical women that I think we all grew up learning about in Sunday School. As I contemplated a study of Ruth for my next post in my Women of the Bible series, the thought crossed my mind that maybe it was not a good choice, since everyone knows the story already. However I was pleasantly surprised when I opened my Bible and re-read the story. Sure, it’s one we all know, perhaps even by heart, but it is also a story with a lot of great nuggets of truth and encouragement for women in all different stages of life. Let’s take a look at what Ruth can teach us!

Ruth did the unexpected and sacrificed her own needs for those of her family. Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah found themselves in the worst situation imaginable: all three were unexpectedly widowed. Naomi, in an attempt to do what she thinks is best for her two daughters-in-law, makes an offer you would think they could not refuse. In Ruth 1:8-9 she says to them, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” When they refuse to leave, she makes it even more clear that they need to return to their homes, explaining that she is too old to have any more children even if she did remarry, so there is no reason they should stay with her. She is convincing enough for Orpah, who takes off, but Ruth stays by Naomi’s side, delivering the beautiful famous words of love, “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God” (1:16). Naomi literally had nothing to offer Ruth, and Ruth knew full well that staying with her meant no hope of marriage or children, but instead would be a life of shared misery. Yet Ruth’s devotion to her mother-in-law is astounding. We have no way of knowing if she acted out of love, loyalty, or whatever else it may have been, but what an awesome example of putting personal needs on the back burner in order to sacrifice out of love.

Ruth gets busy. When Naomi and Ruth arrive in Bethlehem, Ruth wastes no time in providing for herself and her mother-in-law. Since it was the time of the barley harvest, she immediately decides to go to the fields and begin gathering grain. She could easily have wasted time, becoming depressed about the fact that she had lost her husband, was in a foreign land, etc. but that is not Ruth’s style! Instead she quickly gets busy providing for her family! We can assume that Naomi was too old to gather grain, so Ruth takes it upon herself to be the “breadwinner” in the family. It is also important to note that Ruth is busy working, not busy fretting over whether or not she is ever going to find a husband. Although I have been blessed with three years of marriage, I can still vividly remember my single days of worrying about whether or not I would ever get married. I spent so many nights crying, questioning God and his plan for me. I wish I could have taken a page out of Ruth’s book and kept myself busy just doing what needed to be done, instead of wasting time whining about my circumstances. Which brings me to my next point…

Ruth is not actively looking for a husband, and this is what gets Boaz’s attention. When Boaz gets to his field, he notices Ruth and asks the foreman about her. The foreman gives a ringing endorsement, saying, “She is the Moabitess who came back from Moab with Naomi. She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ She went into the field and has worked steadily from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter” (2:6-7). Boaz seems to be impressed by Ruth’s hard work, and asks her not to glean in another field, but instead to continue working in his field. Ruth agrees, at which point Boaz tells Ruth that he has heard about her and the kindness she has shown Naomi and how much she has sacrificed for her. Clearly, her selflessness has made an impression and gotten his attention. Notice it is her selflessness and her hard work that attracts him, not her flirtations or attention-seeking games. Ruth does what she needs to do, and gets noticed by Boaz in the process.

Everything makes sense in God’s plan. My last point is one we looked at in our study of Sarah as well, and I dare say it will be a recurring theme in the lives of all the women we study! Boaz marries Ruth and together they have a son, Obed. Does the name sound familiar? It should, because Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David – all ancestors of Jesus. I can only imagine the questions that must have been running through Ruth’s mind when her first husband passed away. Perhaps she questioned God’s plan and his intentions. I doubt she ever expected to marry again, and I can pretty much assure you she did not think she would be the grandmother of a king, much less a part of the lineage of God’s Son! But in God’s plan and God’s timing, it all made perfect sense. Ruth did what she had to do: sacrifice her needs for those of her mother-in-law and work hard to provide for them. God took care of the rest, and what an invaluable role Ruth played in the redemption plan for humanity.

Ruth is a woman from whom we all can learn much. Whether we are single and looking for Mr. Right, or married and struggling with doing what is right for our family, Ruth’s example is beneficial for us all. I don’t think we could find a much finer example of self-sacrifice, love, and hard work, all coming together in the goodness of God’s plan.

Gardening Update

Yesterday we were able to enjoy our first full-meal from the fruits of our garden! Even though it was just a simple salad it was really exciting to know that everything we were consuming had come from our garden, not a store! Hey gardening pros, don’t laugh at me, I’m still new to all this!

Really Ryan is the master of the vegetable garden and I take charge of the flowers. I was super excited to come back from our trip to Ohio to discover that my White Obedient Plant had started blooming! I’ve heard that it can be really invasive, but at this point I don’t care because it is one of the only flowers blooming and it’s just so pretty!

We’ve been enjoying the beauty of my blue delphiniums, but we are not the only ones. I spotted this fuzzy little bumblebee enjoying them this morning! (Click on the pictures individually for larger images)

It’s really fun for me to think that this time last year I was miserable working in cubicle, tired of living in a tiny apartment, and dreaming of July 25 when I could shed it all and move to Kentucky. I was looking forward to a new opportunity in full-time ministry, but I was also looking forward to little things like having a porch and enjoying the fruits of a garden. Nearly a year later it is a reality, and I couldn’t be more excited!

Book Review: Trespassing

I think this is the first “adult” book I’ve been able to review here at mere musings. That’s what happens when I actually get a week off from teaching and finally get a library card! Yay!

While I am shouting a big “Yay!” let me go ahead and give another one for Uzma Aslam Khan’s Trespassing. I absolutely love it when I read a book that is so phenomenal that I just want to shout it from the mountaintop! Trespassing is most definitely one of those books. After reading Persepolis a few weeks ago, I decided to continue my quest to read more books about the modern Middle East, so that is how I came across Trespassing.

I will attempt to quickly summarize a somewhat lengthy and engrossing plot: in many ways Trespassing is a Romeo & Juliet-esque story of forbidden love set in Pakistan in the early 1990’s. However, the beauty of Khan’s novel lies in her decision to divide the book into sections, each narrated by a different character. Through this ever-changing narration, we learn about each character’s past as well, so it becomes more than just a story about the taboo love affair happening in the present, but also how the past has had its influence on each character in the present. I can’t say much more without giving away some major spoilers! And there are some great plot twists in this novel that I would hate to give away!

As I was reading Trespassing I kept thinking, “Okay, pretty basic story. This could really be set anywhere, right? It doesn’t have to be Pakistan…or does it?” Well, yes, it does have to be Pakistan. If this story were transplanted to anywhere in the West it would completely disintegrate. On the surface it is a basic story about forbidden love, but, if we delve deeper, Trespassing is a story about culture clash. Several of the characters wrestle with their identity as Pakistani, and, furthermore, several of the characters study in the West and struggle with their identity as Pakistani in light of the personal awakenings they experienced while out of Pakistan. Also, Khan puts the issue of women’s rights in the forefront of her novel. This could not be such a unique and multi-faceted issue if the story were set elsewhere.

Trespassing is one of those novels that has given me food for thought and that I can feel is going to haunt me for the next few days – exactly what I am looking for in a good read. This is not some average run-of-the-mill romance novel, but instead a thick, lush, intricately-woven tale of not just forbidden love of another person and the complications that come with, but also conflicting love and hate towards one’s country, one’s family, and one’s own identity in light of all of that. I am declaring it a treasure of a novel!

Admitting is the First Step to Recovery

I think it’s time I admit that I have a problem, an addicition. I guess it all started in college. Small-town girl gets to the big city, you know how it goes. I started using it at first because I thought I “had to” in order to survive college life, then it gradually turned into a social thing and something I did just to fit in with everybody else. Everyone really was doing it, so I had too as well. But what started as just an enjoyable leisure activity soon turned into something more serious.

I started using it more than once a day. I would seek out the best places to get it and hide out there for hours. My excuse was that I was working on a paper or something for class, but I know deep down what the real reason was. I was simply feeding my addiction.

The fall semester of my junior year of college I was able to study abroad in Germany. Three months in Europe only caused this monster to become more out of control. I mean it was Europe! Europe was able to give me stuff I had never had before. Real stuff. Pure stuff. That’s the stuff! My three months in Germany finally came to an end, and it was back to the U.S., but I was beyond the point of no return. I continued to feed this addiction. Old habits die way too hard. I had to have my daily fix. The alternative was not pretty.

In the past year I feel like I have really hit rock bottom. This is the worst I have ever been. My addiction is so strong that I have started importing what I need from Africa, that way it can be as fresh and as pure as possible. If I don’t get my daily fix these days I experience withdrawal symptoms. I’m moody, irritable, and the headaches….oooh the headaches. They bring unbearable, crippling waves of pain that I have never experienced before.

With my addicition comes shame. I know it is taking a financial toll on my family. We can’t afford a daily fix, we can’t afford the good stuff from Africa, but I just have to have it. I’ve started to get sneaky, thinking about how I can get what I need without anybody knowing about it, without having to feel the same of being an addict. Often the need is so strong that I will settle for a lower-quality substance just to ease my pain. I feel like I’ve hit rock bottom, but I’m sure I can go even lower. It’s a vicious cycle, and I’m caught right in the middle.

Coffee, my coffee. Why do I love what hurts the most?

**Obviously this post is in jest, but I have recently been trying to wean myself from my friend Mr. Coffee and have been experiencing hellacious withdrawal symptoms! Anybody successfully beaten this monster and have any tips or advice?**

It’s Not Your Parents’ Wedding

Yesterday Ryan and I had the privilege of attending the wedding of one of Ryan’s friends from college. It was the first wedding ceremony done completely from the Book of Common Prayer that we have attended since our own, so that was really fun for us. This couple chose not only to do the complete wedding ceremony from the BCP, but also to have a full Communion service. When I saw this in the wedding program I was both ecstatic and impressed. Clearly this was not their parents’ wedding, and I wholeheartedly commend them for this.

Both our friend and his new bride grew up in traditions other than that of the Episcopal church. Similar to Ryan and myself, I believe they have found a home in the Episcopal/Anglican church since forming a new life together as couple. But instead of appeasing their parents, friends, and numerous others in attendance who probably were not completely excited about or comfortable with the idea of a BCP marriage ceremony complete with Communion, they did what they wanted to do and what they felt was right.

So many times a wedding turns into this monster of its own where the bride and groom find themselves being pulled into whatever anyone with an opinion thinks they should do for their wedding. It can often result in something that is not at all what the couple would have wanted, but instead something that has been created so that nobody’s feelings are hurt or no one is offended.

On the flip side, when a couple chooses to do what our friends did yesterday, and completely take charge and make their wedding ceremony theirs and theirs alone, people also often get offended. Sometimes you just can’t catch a break. I don’t understand why that is, and often get saddened by what I see at weddings or hear what the bride and groom had to do simply to appease someone, but yesterday was quite different. It was obvious some people were uncomfortable with the couple’s decision to include Communion, and I heard through the grapevine that some family members were not even pleased with the choice to do the BCP wedding ceremony, but who cares? I thought the ceremony was wonderful in and of itself, but more wonderful and more refreshing was this couple’s choice to stay true to themselves and what they wanted. It is their wedding after all!

Book Review: Persepolis

So I think I am going to label myself a lover of novels about the modern Middle East. That’s actually a ridiculous claim for me to make, considering I have only read three novels by modern Middle-Eastern authors, but I have really loved each one, so I’ll go ahead and take the label! I had heard about Persepolis for the first time a few years ago when the movie came out (which I still have not seen, by the way), but have just now gotten around to reading it. I have nothing but praise to give Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel. It is simply exquisite!

If you are completely unfamiliar with Persepolis I will quickly summarize. It is subtitled “The Story of a Childhood,” and that’s basically all there is to it. Satrapi recollects her unique childhood growing up in Iran in the 1970’s and 80’s – a volatile time in the country’s history to say the least.

As I was reading the novel, I kept having to ask my husband questions about Iranian political history, because I was quite confused. I will put out there as a disclaimer that Satrapi does not do the best job in making everything clear to someone like myself who took a college course entitled “Politics of the Middle East” and still wonders how she passed, but I think that is intentional. She is telling us the story as her childhood self – a character that was not completely clear herself about what was going on. Instead of knowing the nitty-gritty details about the politics of Iran, we instead know more personal details, like which neighbor was killed in a bombing, or which family friend was tortured as a political prisoner. This was Satrapi’s reality, not necessarily what was reported on the BBC’s nightly report.

The beauty of Satrapi’s novel lies in her ability to parallel her own journey into adolescence with her country’s political journey. The anger and confusion she feels about events like her uncle’s execution or the increasing frequency of the bombings manifest themselves in normal teenage reactions like giving up belief in God and sneaking a cigarette in the basement – perhaps remarkably normal reactions given the complete abnormalities of this coming-of-age experience.

In many ways Persepolis is just a very simple story about growing up, staged against an explosive (pardon the pun) backdrop of 1970’s and 80’s Iran.  For me, the unique location and situation of Satrapi’s childhood experiences are what made the story engaging, along with the stark black and white illustrations. Most certainly worth a read.

I should also add that the other two books under my Middle-Eastern reading list of a belt are Mohsin Hamid’s Moth Smoke and The Reluctant Fundamentalist. I was introduced to Hamid’s writing during a college course on Post-Colonial World Literature a couple of years ago, and I cannot sing his praises enough. Both of these novels revolve around modern Pakistan and are fantastic reads. If you had to pick just one, I would recommend The Reluctant Fundamentalist, but why read just one when they are both brilliant?

Women of the Bible: Sarah

I’m going to be starting a new series here at mere musings. I want us to take a look at various women of the Bible in order to see what their struggles were so that we can learn from them and find some bits and pieces we can take away to apply to our lives as modern Christian women. The first woman I want to look at is Sarah, a woman whose story should inspire and encourage any woman with an unfulfilled desire to be a mother. So, if you fall into that category, join me at taking a look at what we can learn from Sarah.

Sarah and Abraham were able to enjoy wealth, travel, and the company of extended family, all while following God’s call. Genesis chapter 12 tells us that God told Abraham to leave his country and his father’s household and go to the land God would show him. We are not told that Abraham or Sarah asked any questions of God; they simply packed up their entire life and followed God to Canaan. They took with them all of their possessions, their people, and even Abraham’s nephew, Lot. This journey took them to some exotic locations, even as far as Egypt, but they believed this was part of God’s plan and they obeyed. We are not told how old Sarah was at the time of this journey, but Abraham was already 75, so we can assume she was not far behind. Once they reach the land of Canaan, God tells Abraham that the land will be given to his offspring (Gen. 12: 7). Again, we are not told that Abraham or Sarah question this statement, but instead we are told that Abraham builds an altar to the Lord as an act of submission to God’s plan and faithfulness. When I put myself in Abraham or Sarah’s position, I can only think how preposterous God’s promise must have sounded! “Um, God? Yeah, did it slip your mind that I am 75 years old? It’s a little late for offspring…right?” But we aren’t told that any such question leaves anyone’s mouth. Abraham builds the altar and trusts that God is in control. Clearly, God’s call to Abraham and Sarah was an exciting one, but also one that was still somewhat unclear. They simply obeyed, and in the process were able to see new places, enjoy a somewhat luxurious life, and spend time together and with their nephew. Obeying God’s call was their first priority, and because of this obedience they were able to reap the benefits.

When Sarah takes matters into her own hands, the result is disastrous. If we continue reading the story of Abraham and Sarah, we notice that God continues to mention that offspring are part of the plan, but doesn’t seem to care about the fact that this couple is well past their child-bearing years. Sarah becomes impatient and decides to solve the issue herself. In Genesis 16 Sarah instructs Abraham to sleep with her maidservant, Hagar, in hopes of producing a son that way. Abraham agrees, and Hagar becomes pregnant. We are told that when Hagar realized she was pregnant “she began to despise her mistress” (16:4). This creates chaos in the household, and eventually leads to Sarah mistreating Hagar and, subsequently, Hagar running away. God watches over Hagar and, eventually, her son Ishmael, and demonstrates that He has a plan even for them, but it also becomes evident that Sarah should not have taken the control away from God. If she had trusted God and his plan, she would not have had conflict with both her husband and her servant. Direct connections can be made to our lives today. First, we must leave everything in God’s control. So many times life just does not make sense and we cannot understand what in the world God must have planned, but we must trust that He does have a plan and it is not our place to try to figure it out or manipulate it in any way. Also, for those of us struggling with wanting a child, the conflict between Sarah and Hagar teaches us that we need to check our jealousy. We also need to not abuse or mistreat others in any way, whether it be spoken abuse or simply hateful, jealous thoughts, simply because we feel afraid, forgotten, or insecure with what is happening in our own lives.

As God’s plan gets closer to fruition, He gives Sarah a new name. Over a decade passes, and still no offspring to inherit God’s promised land. However, one day everything changes: God gives Abraham and Sarah new names. God changes Abram to Abraham, meaning “father of many” and Sarai to Sarah, explaining, “I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her” (Gen. 17:16). God had a completely unique and special role reserved for Sarah, so unique and special, in fact, that it required her to take on a completely new name – a new identity. What is God’s role for you and for me? Up to that point in her life, Sarah’s role had not been to be a mother. Only when God deemed it time did this become her role. We should not give ourselves a role that we are not meant to have. God will determine what our role should be, and if it needs to be changed he will determine that as well. It might not be as life-changing as Sarah’s change of name, but it will be just as clear to us.

Abraham and Sarah practice hospitality. In Genesis 18 God sends three very special visitors Abraham and Sarah’s way. They are more than welcoming to these three strangers, with Abraham bringing them water to wash their feet and some food to eat. They are acting as impeccable examples of hospitality. In his book Reaching Out, Henri Nouwen writes, “Our children are our most important guests, who enter into our home, ask for careful attention, stay for a while, and then leave to follow their own way. Children are strangers whom we have to get to know.” If we view parenting as an act of hospitality, then welcoming a child into our home is no different than welcoming three strangers. Abraham and Sarah do not have to have a child to practice this, and neither do we. If we feel we are ready to welcome the tiniest infant into our home and our arms, we should feel ready to welcome the poor, or homeless, or hungry. Instead of feeling saddened or embittered by not having a child for whom we can practice hospitality, we should follow Abraham and Sarah’s example and practice hospitality towards everyone we meet, in preparation for perhaps one day having the honor of practicing hospitality for our own children.

God is gracious to Sarah, and everything makes sense in the end. Finally, in Genesis 21:1 Sarah is given her long-awaited son: “Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised.” I think it is extremely important to note the word “gracious.” God’s gift of a son to Abraham and Sarah was an act of grace. It was not something they bartered for, or something they deserved for being good and patient people. It was purely grace, exerted by God’s goodness. Sarah names her son Isaac, meaning “he laughs,” because in Genesis 18:10, the three visitors announce that they will return again in a year and Sarah will be pregnant. Her response? Laughter, of course! As if she could become pregnant in her old age! Yet once Isaac is born, the joke becomes very real, so real that Sarah has the last laugh by naming her son Isaac. What once seemed merely a proposterous idea being thrown around by three strange visitors, now manifests itself in a tiny baby in her arms. For Sarah it must have all made perfect sense, right down to the name for her son. God had a plan, a plan that often seemed ridiculous and nonsensical, but in the end it was the perfect plan all along.

Sarah’s story is one that teaches us that it’s okay to be confused. It’s okay to realize that we don’t have a clue what God is doing. It’s even okay to laugh and show emotion! But at the end of the day we should trust God above all. He does have a plan, and it does make sense. We might have to wait decades for that “Aha! moment” when it all just clicks,  but that is okay too. In the meantime we should enjoy the adventure of following God’s call, relax and not take matters into our own hands, take joy in the role God has given us, and practice hospitality in whatever ways we can. God will be always be faithful.

Fabulous Etsy Find

I think I am a few years behind, but I have recently discovered Etsy and just cannot keep myself away! In doing some early Christmas shopping this evening I discovered seller nothingbutsoap. This shop sells handmade soap made from high-quality vegetable-based ingredients – a perfect solution for anybody trying to use more natural ingredients in and on their body. Check back soon for my review of their Eucalyptus Hemp & Tea Tree soap.

The Desires of My Heart

The messages I have heard in Chapel the past three days have all dealt with a similar topic: God and our desires. I will unashamedly admit that there are some days in my school’s daily Chapel service that I completely zone out, or other days that I just get preoccupied with making sure that my students are behaving and staying awake, but the past three days I have been intently focused on the message, because it’s been one of those topics that has hit really close to home, so close that it was kind of scary.

This is a topic that I have been dealing with personally in a major way recently, and an area I have always struggled with. I remember reading a book a few years ago (the author and title now escapes me) about God’s will. The author’s basic claim was: live your life in accordance to the Bible’s teachings and in a way that honors God and you will, subsequently, be fulfilling God’s will. Pretty simple, right? It is, but there are periods in my life when I struggle with this a lot. It doesn’t always seem that simple.

But I’ve been reminded of this simple truth the past three days, and unfortunately it has been a tough pill to swallow, and a pill that has left me with a lot of questions this time around. Questions like: how do I know if I am “seeking God’s kingdom first?” What does that even look like? How can I stop trying to control the things I desire and trust that God knows best? How can I get rid of my inclination to view life as a big game of chess where I make a move and then wait to see if God’s next move will, essentially, “checkmate” my desires. How can I stop “laying out fleeces” that only leave me disappointed anyway? Like I said, it’s a tough pill to swallow.

This evening Ryan and I drove past a local church and I couldn’t help but look at their sign. I love noticing church signs because nine times out of ten they will say something just ridiculous. This one did say something slightly ridiculous, but also something that hit me where it hurt. The sign read: Positive Thinking Gets Positive Results. While I was able to laugh at the absurdity of that being on a church sign considering that the Bible teaches nothing of the sort, I also could not help but laugh at the fact that this is how I usually approach the things I desire, i.e. if I try to be a good person and stay upbeat and do all the things I think God wants me to do then surely I will get what I want…right? Of course if that is the case, why are there still things out there my heart desires that I have not received? Clearly there is more to it than positive thoughts, and that’s the cud I’m still chewing on.

My evening only got more interesting, though when we ate dinner at a Chinese restaurant. The bill came, along with our fortune cookies – my favorite part! (the cookies, not the bill) As I said already, I tend to play games with God, playing little mind games, laying out fleeces, etc. I always do this with fortune cookies. It’s not that I believe they are a real prophecy or something, but I like to see how well I can make them fit in with whatever is going on with my life at the time. SoI broke open my cookie, all ready to see what it had to tell me about a current desire I have been obsessing over, only to discover that my cookie was empty! No tiny slip of prophetic Chinese wisdom in sight! I couldn’t help but glean a deeper meaning from this. I mean here I have been drinking up these Chapel messages the past three days, letting my heart marinate on what I know is true but find so difficult to believe and implement, only to have the rug pulled out from under me! God wasn’t even going to let me have the chance to mess around with stupid mind tricks and games. He showed me with a fortuneless fortune cookie!

But it’s okay. I need to remember the lesson of the fortuneless fortune cookie more often. The plan of my life is not something mapped out for me in invisible ink, waiting for me to find the magical substance that will make it legible. I need to get rid of that way of thinking altogether! I need to learn to trust God with every breath, every step, and most certainly every desire. What a task that is.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I love chicken tortilla soup, and have tried several different recipes, but I came upon this recipe somewhere and thought it sounded delicious. I tried it today and, sure enough, it was! My only disclaimer is that for me, kind of a lazy cook, the prep was a lot of work, but I can assure you that the end result is worth it!

Tortilla Soup

1 tablespoon oil (virgin, unrefined coconut oil or good quality olive oil)
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced

3 cups water
2 cups V8 (spicy or regular) or tomato juice
1 can cream-style corn (regular corn works well too)
8 ounces diced mild green chilies
1 large tomato, chopped or 1 small can petite diced tomatoes
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt

3 corn tortillas, cut into strips
shredded chicken breasts or thighs (optional)

cilantro snippets
lime wedges
shredded cheese (preferably raw)

Heat the oil in a soup pan over medium heat, then add the onion and garlic and saute until soft.  Add the water, V8 or tomato juice, corn, chilies, tomato, cilantro, jalapeno, chili powder and cumin.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Season to taste with salt.

Just before serving, stir in the tortilla strips and, if desired, chicken and heat until warm.

Serve with extra cilantro, lime, and cheese.

Serves 4 as a main course.