The Fullest Year To Date

I graduated from college.. one of the coolest days of my life.

Participated in my senior Graphic Design Program exit show. Months of late nights and stressful moments to finally be completed for a great night.

Celebrated my 22nd birthday with some of the sweetest people in my life to date. The most fun surprise!

Left a church family of almost four years. Being apart of these people helped shape who I am today. Happy our roots are tangled.

Got engaged! Another sweet day of my life's story. A surreal moment.

Spent the summer catching up with my sister and family, memory-making with the best.

Married! Incredible day. Too many special moments to count. Thankful to the Lord for such a day.

Spent a great week in Asheville, North Carolina for our honeymoon. Hiking, eating, relaxing, quality time together.

Our first home together. Learning our lives together. Enjoying each other.

By the grace of God, and the presence of the Holy Spirit, and the love of my man, I have been growing, and learning, and loving. The year was full, beautiful, bittersweet, emotional, joyful, sweet, peaceful. I will always look back on this year, 2014, and smile.

Some Advent Thoughts

A call to simplicity. A prompt to be in the present moment, not hurrying, not manipulating.

“Every moment I live, I live bowed to something. And if I don't see God, I'll bow down before something else.” Ann Voskamp

My man and I were talking about what we want for this week -- a focus, a goal, a meditation. It's our first married Christmas. We've got two families to spend time with -- lots of conversations to have, food to eat, gifts to give, memories to make. J said, "I don't want to rush moments." I jumped off that thought in realizing that sometimes the best days are ones that aren't manipulated or rushed. For me to be as present as possible in helping my mom in the kitchen, or in a conversation with a brother-in-law, not worrying what time we have to be where, or what else the day holds. Presence.

I also can't help but relate this to my relationship with God.

“God gives God. That is the gift God always ultimately gives. Because nothing is greater and we have no greater need, God gives God. God gives God, and we only need to slow long enough to unwrap the greatest Gift with our time: time in His Word, time in His presence, time at His feet.”

Time with.

Time with God. With my husband. With both my families.

Moments and encounters. Attention and conversation.

“Joy is a function of gratitude, and gratitude is a function of perspective. You only begin to change your life when you begin to change the way you see.”

Here's to seeing in a new way.

crushing on: Christmas version

Apple cinnamon bread

Christmas Crunch

Frozen Yogurt Bark

A Christmas tree for the creative

Give your napkins some Christmas charm

Twinkle lights in the hallway, anyone?

A great use for small sticks at Christmas time

Merry Christmas Eve, friends!

Maybe It's Not So Complicated

"A simple, childlike faith in a Divine Friend solves all the problems that come to us by land or sea."

I don't know about you, but I have a tendency to make spiritual things complicated. If I'm honest, it stems from a lack of love of myself, a lack of real belief of God, and a mindset that salvation and Love come by earning (which is opposite from truth).

In and out of seasons of life, I find a call to childlike faith beckoning me. Convicting, directing, challenging me.

This call makes sense, because of these words...

“Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. Mark 10

As a mature adult from a worldly perspective, I am pretty self sufficient. I am blessed with a job so that I have money to buy what I need. I have my health. I have a wonderful husband who I love and adore. But the key word there is "worldly."

The truest of realities of life is that God is my provider, and Jesus is the reason I am acceptable to God (Colossians 1:22) Jesus is the Way to God, my connection to God. I'm dependent on the Lord -- He cares for me, pays attention to me, loves and protects me, challenges me, continually washes me clean, makes me whole, etc. Salvation has nothing to do with my achievements or failures, and everything to do with God Himself -- His mercy -- and the sacrifice of His Son so that I might be saved. Eternally saved, loved, and free.

It's simple. Yet I let the world, and my flesh, snowball the simple into complex.

I don't want my faith, my personal and intimate relationship with God, to be affected and infected by letting it get complicated. I want to cling to and stand rooted in the simple truths of God. I want to stop putting so much pressure on myself, letting Christ's work on the cross, and God's good and holy nature be enough... because it is. Like Jesus said, It is finished.

"The response of the natural to the spiritual should be continuous conversion, but this is where we so often refuse to be obedient. No matter what our situation is, the Spirit of God remains unchanged and His salvation unaltered." O. Chambers

Thankfully, my Heavenly Father has reminded me once again what faith looks like. It's not in myself, it's in Him. Him and all He is.

Simple, like a child.

Let all of life spring from the well.

Creamy Chicken Quinoa and Broccoli Casserole

It's wintry outside... hello, casserole and soup season.

I happen-stanced upon this recipe over the weekend, and thought it perfect to make this week because my man is out of town for work and I wanted leftovers for lunch.



 

Quinoa. One of those ingredients most people will make a funny face at. I'll be honest and say in some dishes I'm not really a fan of quinoa. Texture thing. But in this dish? It was great.

If you’re looking for canned cream of something soup, look no further than a casserole. That is the nature of a casserole and I never question it.

Nothing from a can. Everyone = happy.

Ingredients

• 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth


• 1 cup milk (I used 2%)


• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning


• ½ cup flour


• 2 cups water, divided


• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed


• ¼ cup cooked, crumbled bacon (optional... sort of)


• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts


• 2 teaspoons seasoning (we often use something like Nature Seasoning, but it can be whatever you like)


• ¼ cup shredded cheese (any kind will work)


• 3 cups fresh broccoli florets

Instructions

1. Sauce: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and generously grease a 9x13 baking dish (seriously, be generous because it really really sticks to the sides). Bring the chicken broth and ½ cup milk to a low boil in a saucepan. Whisk the other ½ cup milk with the poultry seasoning and flour; add the mixture to the boiling liquid and whisk until a smooth creamy sauce forms.


2. Assembly: In a large bowl, mix the sauce from step one, one cup water, quinoa, and bacon and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Slice the chicken breasts into thin strips and lay the chicken breasts strips over the top of the quinoa mixture. Sprinkle with the seasoning. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.


3. Broccoli: While the casserole is in the oven, place the broccoli in boiling water for 1 minute until it turns bright green and then run under cold water. Set aside.


4. Bake: Remove the casserole from the oven, check the mixture by stirring it around in the pan, and if needed, bake for an additional 10-15 minutes to get the right consistency. When the quinoa and chicken are cooked and the sauce is thickened, add the broccoli and a little bit of water (up to one cup) until the consistency is creamy and smooth and you can stir it up easily in the pan. Top with the cheese and bake for 5 minutes, or just long enough to melt the cheese.

Other thoughts

You will know the quinoa is done when it is soft and looks as if it has popped open. Also, if it's watery, don't worry -- with enough time, it should get that moisture soaked right up into a creamy sauce. PS - it serves about 6. As you can see I may or may not have added an absurd amount of cheese... doesn't necessarily need that much. Unless you just really dig cheese. Enjoy :)

recipe

A 'Vegas Neon' Verse For Me

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love." 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

This verse I relate to my marriage. It's one I have started preaching to myself often, to remind myself. Because honestly, I need this verse, along with Colossians 3:13 - "Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." -- in Vegas neon in front of my eyes.

This is what I do, I meditate on a verse and then I take it apart to see what gold it has for me. It helps give the verse (and truth) roots.

Be on your guard.

We have to be vigilant: over our hearts, which can be led astray; over our thinking, which can become negative or defeated; and over the enemy, who seeks to divide and destroy us. Be on guard against all kinds of doubt: self-doubt, doubting my husband's character, doubting God's goodness and faithfulness to be present with us always. This is what I challenge myself with: stay on guard against selfishness when it rears its rather larger head. For me? Be on guard for the moments when I become easily offended over something small because of my own pride or insecurity.

Stand firm in the faith.

Our faith is what sustains our love. It’s the reason for our love. It’s the source and strength and purpose of our love. The best way to love my husband is to love God first, in all scenarios. For me, it's a step of faith to always believe the best about my husband, to choose compassion and kindness when my flesh wants to get frustrated. It's a way of trusting the Holy Spirit to work in and through me.

Be people of courage.

It takes courage to live in a covenant marriage: the courage to lovingly confront, when appropriate, but also the courage to receive a confrontation. It takes courage for me to be an active help-mate for my husband. It takes my own studying of the Word -- my own ongoing conversation with His Spirit -- so that I draw from His Truth to be bold. It takes courage to say 'Yes' to Jesus.

Be strong.

I need strength to forgive, strength to pursue intimacy, strength to persevere if we are carrying our marriage seemingly by ourselves (but always with God within us, of course). It takes strength to push through apathy, to fight back physical weariness and spiritual temptations to become one as a couple. For me, it takes strength to be honest, to lovingly confront sin or struggle, to confess fault.

Do everything in love.

This sums it up, doesn’t it? Living a life motivated by love. A sacred marriage calls me to be someone who knows I am deeply loved by God, someone who opens my heart, daily, to receive his love, who lives empowered by his love, and who is passionate about spreading that love. Being continually made into the likeness of Christ, we become a people carried by love. We become givers of it, expressers of it. I think it's a special, exciting, rich purpose given to us by our Father.

So I pray these words over myself, my man, and over all those who love Jesus and embark in the adventure of loving others.

And I ask God for the help to walk it out... and He goes. Because He's good.

Current Read: Look and Live

"The call is this: Make your life one unflinching gaze upon the glory of Christ."

Matt Papa and I go way back. Not sure he would agree with that statement, but here's a glimpse of back story. When Matt and his band really started traveling to play, the church I grew up in hosted them a good bit. In high school I met his girlfriend (now wife) when she came to visit with him. She and I have remained friends, and I'm thankful for her presence in my life.

Matt then committed to, wrote, and published his first book, Look and Live. I figured it would be a great read, I just didn't know how great. I've always known his heart to be genuine, to be real, to be honest. And all of those, and more, are evident in his writing.

"We cannot not worship."

"Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship."

This idea is striking to me. The idea that as humans we are always worshipping something; that it's my choice what my target is. Causes me to look inward for a self-check.

I'll confess there have been things that have come and gone, some who still rear their heads,that I worship that are not among the genetic makeup of God.

But, Matt makes a challenging statement: "Everything crumbles under the weight of worship except God... Whenever we place "glory" on any created thing, the thing is devoured and the soul is disappointed. The insatiable must have the Inexhaustable. We were made for only one glory." 

One Glory. Anything else will break my heart.

I desire my life to be built on THAT substance. The 'I AM.'

The One whose greatest glory is that He is good. Always good. 

He references idols in a way that has stuck with me: the throne of my heart. Something will always be sitting on it.

"We worship our way into sin, so again, we must worship our way out."

That idol moving occasionally from the throne of my heart is not what will grace me with abundant life at the feast of God's table. Putting something (Someone) else there -- putting God there -- will.

Seeing the glory of God in the face of Jesus. Beholding Him. Giving glory where it is only due. Experiencing Him.

I'm only halfway through the book, but the Holy Spirit is already rewiring my thinking, my believing, my choosing. And I'm so thankful for that Mercy.

A Season of Lingering

"Is there a greater Gift you could want or need or have?

Christ comes right to your Christmas tree and looks at your family tree and says, “I am your God, and I am one of you, and I’ll be the Gift, and I’ll take you. Take Me?”

This, this, is the love story that’s been coming for you since the beginning.

You don’t want to miss it — miss Him." Ann Voskamp

December is a sweet month. A mixture of busyness and stillness. Colder weather, Christmas decorations everywhere, holiday music to jam to all day long, the fun of seeking the perfect gift for a loved one -- all those things make me buzz with excitement. Yet.. I find my soul in a contemplative state. An unhurried state. A place of wanting to linger in a moment, to look around, to behold my Lord. Where I want to remain small, and walk filled with all of Him I can get.

Last year I caught Ann Voskamp's book The Greatest Gift at the tail end of the Advent season, enough to excite my bones to read it all the way through. I'm thankful for a husband who does not want to bypass these days and the purpose they can hold. So daily we'll read, we'll pray, we'll linger, we'll behold.

"Advent, it is made of the moments —

all this slow unfurling of grace."

First Thanksgiving Day Married

It was a great first Thanksgiving as a married couple.

Time with both families. Crashing his family tradition of spending the night around a campfire. Meeting 'new' aunts and uncles and cousins who hugged like they already loved me. J is undoubtedly what I'm most thankful for this year, and I'm honored to live life next to him.