Vinegar Jim's

This Arlington restaurant I think is highly underrated. I love hole in the wall type places with home cooking types of food. And this is kind of in that category.

We went on a date there Tuesday night and my meal was probably one of the best I've eaten in a while. The steak was perfect and the marinade unbelievably good.

You know its a good meal when it starts like this:

Love drinking out of a mason jar although I'd never do so at home.


And ends like this:

Yea it tasted as good as it looks.


We'll def. need a repeat date night here!

Intimacy with God

I'm still trying to process the fact that I don't have to do it all. Trust me I have enough laziness in me to get this concept, but that doesn't always resonate to my people pleasing responses.

From my bible story with my class this morning, quiet time, and now from my book... it's amazing that there's nothing we HAVE to do. There are things that we gladly GET to do now because of what Christ has done, but nothing we HAVE to do.

I was talking to D last night about different religions and how exhausting and sad it must be to think you have to constantly be better, do more or try to achieve or else you won't gain "eternal life." And he reminded me that's what makes Christianity different and what Christ did so amazing. I don't have to achieve any particular level or do so many good things. All I have to do is surrender.

There's no need to get caught up in the long list of Christianity do's and don'ts in our feeble attempt to have intimacy with God. Not when we have this reminder:

"My sole responsibility is keeping my connection to Jesus solid and secure. The formula for intimacy with God is the same today as it has always been."

"PRAYER + the WORD + TIME = INTIMACY with GOD"

Doing it All

I don't know about you, but I'm willing to bet I'm not alone in this struggle. The struggle being: wanting to do it all. The struggle to keep the house clean, laundry put away, consistently workout, date nights, volunteer for church activities, fix dinners for people, minster to my neighbors, spend time with family and friends. Its exhausting really to think about everything I'd love to do. I'd love to do so much more than I'm doing, but God has shown me I can't do it all and whats better: ITS OK.

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World is a book written for me. I've talked about it before on here and this chapter that I'm on is just as convicting as the last one I wrote about.

This chapter is called The Cure and for good reason. It's a cure for our tired bodies and spirits from overworking ourselves for the sake of "ministry" or doing God a favor. I love to help, serve, do whatever... I don't even mind taking charge when needed. I want to fix desserts for the cake walk, volunteer to teach that class, I want to help in children's church, volunteer for this... there's nothing wrong with these things. They are great things, but it doesn't necessarily mean that God has called me to do them.

This paragraph made everything hit home:
"I realized that there are many things that need to be done, things I'm capable of doing and want to do, however, I am not always the one who needs to do them. Even if I have a burden for a certain need or project, my interest or concern is not a surefire sign that I need to be in charge or help. God may only be calling me to pray that the right person will rise up to accomplish it. Whats more, I may be stealing someone elses blessing when I assume I must do it all."

I might actually be stealing someone elses blessing?! Another realization is that when we are knee deep in projects or too exhausted from the last thing we did to be obedient to what God has actually called us to do then there's a serious problem.

This does not give us a reason to be lazy. This does not let us off the hook to go shopping or lay on the couch all the time. This simply means we need to evaluate our lives. What is taking up most of our time? Is it beneficial? Is it what God has called us to do or what we took on ourselves?

Most of the time we have no one to blame but us. The ones closest to us are the ones we hurt because we are so worn out. We need to learn how to say No. We need to know that its ok to say No. The decisions to take on different projects need to be prayerfully considered... no matter how big or small. There's no need to give an immediate answer. It must be more than a prideful yes or no, but a certainty that you're being obedient to what God has called you to at that time.

Hopefully this is a lesson I can learn quickly.

Try It Tuesday

Holy moly- did I find an amazing recipe on pinterest. Never would I have ever attempted a home-ade strawberry cake. I mean that's the kind of stuff only grandmothers can do, right? Wrong. This is kind of bold, but I think I like this cake better than both of my grandmothers.

You see we supported one of our students who was selling strawberries for a fundraiser at school. Well, we had more strawberries than 2 people could possibly eat in a reasonable amount of time.

Enter pinterest.

I knew I could find some strawberry desserts and thankfully we had a couple of different events this past weekend so I was able to try them out. This was one of them.

Ingredients for 12 Servings

• 1 (18.25-ounce) Package white cake mix
• 1 (3-ounce) Package strawberry gelatin
• 4 Large eggs
• ½ Cup sugar
• ½ Cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
• ½ Cup milk
• ½ Vegetable oil
• 1/3 Cup all-purpose flour
• Strawberry Buttercream Frosting (see below)
• Garnish with whole and halved strawberries

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat cake mix, strawberry gelatin, eggs, sugar, chopped fresh strawberries, milk, vegetable oil and all-purpose flour at low speed with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Scrape down sides, and beat at medium speed for 2 more minutes, stopping to scrape down sides, as needed. (The Strawberries should be well blended.)
2. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 23 minutes, or until cakes spring back when pressed lightly with a finger. Let cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely (about 1 hour.)
4. Spread the Strawberry Buttercream Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with whole and halved strawberries. Serve immediately, or chill for up to 1 week.

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
• 1 Cup butter, softened
• (32-ounce) Package powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 Cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
Preparation
1. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy (about 20 seconds). Add sugar and strawberries, beating at low speed until creamy. (Add more sugar if frosting is too thin, or add strawberries if too thick.)

Now I have to be honest and say that my cake looked NOTHING like this picture! In fact, 2 of my round pans even with cooking spray stuck. So I ended up taking one cake pan to a family gathering and then I stacked the cake that came out clean just on top of the other stuck cake. Classy, I know. So I smeared my icing in between the cakes and on top and around the edges however my icing was a little runnier... so we ended up having an icing fountain with the cake. It was the ugliest thing ever, but it was delicious. I won't say how many pieces I ate!

Hopefully if you try this recipe it will turn out prettier than mine! But I assure you no matter how it looks it will taste yummy!

Do It For Ben 5k

Saturday I ran in a 5k with one of our students, Madison.



She attends Fayette Academy where several of our students attend. There was a tragic accident involving a 6th grade student at Fayette Academy named Ben. We did not know him personally but from what we heard he had a great impact on people even from an early age and this 5k was a way of honoring his life. His whole family was there racing along with a couple hundred friends, classmates, teachers, coaches, and people from the community. It was obvious that Ben's life had touched many people.

It was a beautiful morning for running. The course they drew up for us was also enjoyable. It took us along the Fayette Academy property, down Hwy 64, through a beautiful neighborhood, through the woods, and back to the football field where we began. Here's a before picture. Tyler who was a former FA student and is one of our college guys also ran. He is actually the marathon runner friend who helped inspire my running.

Here's us before:



And now a little sweatier afterwards:



This was Madison's first 5k. She was hoping to finish around 30 minutes and we crossed the finish line at 28:30 minutes. She also got first place in her age division. I was so proud of her!

And our little cheerleader.

10 Things I've Learned...

These just aren't any 10 things. These are 10 things I learned about my husband while he was gone. Well, really they are things that I appreciate that I may not have realized before.

10. He knows where every tool we own is... including the flashlights.
9. He makes the bed every morning.
8. He empties all the trash and drags the big trash can to the street every Wednesday.
7. He kills the bugs.
6. He cleans up the bug if I happen to be successful in the killing process.
5. He carries the heavy laundry basket up the stairs.
4. He consistently manages our finances.
3. He is excellent at his job. Organizing and speaking several times a week isn't always easy.
2. He washes and keeps our cars clean.
1. Being at home isn't the same without him.

So thankful for this man.

Happy Birthday, Sister!

Today is my sister's 23rd birthday. Yes, I had to think how old I am and subtract 4 years. No, that does not mean I love her any less- it just means I'm old and senile and I can't remember her age.

You are def. my favorite girl on earth. Your jokes always make me laugh even when no one else does. Your 'shoot it to me straight' opinions are appreciated even if I don't seem happy about them at the time. Your laughter is contagious. Your passion for the Lord is challenging. Your rebounding/put back skills make me envious. Your dimpled smile is gorgeous... and you have pretty great eyes too.

So thankful God gave us you 23 years ago. Our lives are def. better because you're in them.

Happy Birthday to my favorite sister!

Try It Tuesday

I decided to try one of my pinterest dinner recipes last night. We had volleyball so I didn't have a lot of time but this was do-able. And it did not disappoint! It's def going into my favorite recipe categories.

Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake

• 8 oz uncooked rigatoni (or any noddle)
  
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 c chopped onion
• 1 (10 oz) pack frozen spinach, thawed
• 3 c cubed, cooked chicken breasts
• 1 (14 oz) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 (8 oz) container Philadelphia chive & onion cream cheese
• ½ t salt, ½ t pepper
• 1½ c shredded mozzarella cheese

Prepare rigatoni according to pkg directions. Spread oil on bottom of 11×17 in baking dish; add onion in a single layer. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or just until tender. Transfer onion to large bowl, set aside.

Drain chopped spinach well, pressing between paper towels. Stir in rigatoni, spinach, chicken, & next 4 ingredients into onion in bowl. Spoon mixture into dish & sprinkle evenly with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake covered at 375 for 30 minutes; uncover & bake 15 more minutes or until bubbly.

Daniel doesn't like onion so I left it out. He isn't crazy about spinach either so next time I'll use less... I was hoping his aversion to it would be magically erased by the other delicious flavors. I love spinach and its a great way to incorporate some more veggies into your meal so I will def be keeping the spinach, I just won't add as much next time. He did say he liked it so score one for me... even with a spinach dish.

Need a delicious, easy dinner... this is a must try!

My Man is Home!

For the last 10 days D has been in the Ukraine. I didn't tweet or blog about this because I didn't want to broadcast to the world I was home alone for 10 days. Thank you Sheila for instilling this overcautiousness in me.

He went with 9 others on a basketball mission trip. Ukrainians are normally pretty cold to the gospel but love the game of basketball and they respect Americans. So when 9 American basketball players come in they automatically have respect and a platform. So they played in a big basketball tournament and preached the gospel at half time, at churches, and at the local seminary. They were also able to visit an orphanage and lead basketball clinics.

The team

Unfortunately their trip didn't go quite as they had planned. They knew it was going to be rough over there, but they weren't expecting such dirty play. In one of the first games, the leader of the trip went head to head with another player and got a concussion, another guy bruised his tail bone pretty bad, there were ankles turned, sore legs, and lots of bruises. On top of all that I got a text from D one morning at 4:00a.m. our time saying that he was going to the hospital because they thought he had appendicitis! He had been running a fever for over 48 hours and had a pain in his side, his body ached like he had the flu... so they finally convinced him to go to the hospital. After many tests and 4 bags of fluid and antibiotics later, they concluded he was dehydrated and had a bad infection. The boys went to the hospital a total of 3 times. Boy am I thankful for close medical care... even if it was in the Ukraine!

Dave icing his legs

He was weak but much better the rest of trip. They left on a Thursday and he started getting sick Sunday night. By Wednesday he was better and back to playing and ministering. I was so thankful. I was able to talk to him everyday which I didn't expect. I even got to skype with him most days.. which is what brought on my thankful for technology post a few days ago. It helped getting to see and talk to him when he was sick rather than having to guess how he was.

They had a great trip though despite the injuries and sickness. They were able to build some great relationships and minister to many. The gospel was boldly proclaimed and the kingdom multiplied.

10 days is a really long time though! It was the longest that we've ever been apart. It was def. do-able but I'm sure glad to have him home. God taught me so much while he was gone. It was by no accident that I was suppose to teach on worry that Sunday morning. The Friday before I taught that (the day after he left) I was laying in bed. It was about 11:00pm and I was playing on my phone. I heard a big BOOM and then our power went out. I knew it was most likely a transformer that had blown, but I began to slightly freak out. I had no power and I'm alone! I didn't know where a flashlight was and my phone... my only source to call for help was fixing to die! Then I remembered my message on worry that I was going to teach on in 2 days. Worry is choice. I can choose to sit here and think about all the what ifs. I can let my concern turn into a billion different fear droplets or I could be a big girl and trust that God is taking care of me. I can be thankful for this scary opportunity to live what I'm going to teach. I prayed and went to sleep and guess what... I survived.

Not only did I need 1 lesson on worry, God decide I needed another. I was laying in bed Tuesday morning and at 4:00a.m. I received that text from D. I really began to worry. He is across the world and possibly having surgery! He will be cut open by a Ukrainian in a foreign country! What if he gets an infection?! What if they mess up?! Then I remembered the message that I just taught 2 days before. I have a choice. I can worry about all the what ifs or I can trust that God is taking care of him. I can stop worrying, start praying, and be thankful that God is in control.

Needless to say God did a work in me while D was gone.

I learned many things while he was gone:
-forget diamonds- pedicures are a girls best friend
-location of his stash of flashlights which I remembered he had in fact told me about
-I am thankful for medicine world wide
-massage gift certificates may be one of the best gifts ever
-Thrive- if you haven't heard of it check it out (massages, nails, waxing etc.)
-I can stay at home by myself for numerous nights and be fine
-clean, sweet chick flicks though they may not be true reality- they are good for a woman's soul
-worry is a choice
-I love teaching
- I love technology
-I could never be a military wife- I have the utmost respect for those who are!

So thankfully he's back and well. We've agreed that if another 10 day trip comes along, I'm going with him!

Habits

I am currently teaching through the Girls Gone Wise book. It is awesome. Its not just for wild women to read. This is for every woman. Because we are sinners, we all have a wild woman in us waiting to come out: its called the flesh in us. This book is a great reminder of all the warning signs so we don't fall into this trap or allow our daughters or granddaughters.

I'll be honest and say its an easy read to actually read... its very difficult to accept what she's saying and apply it... because you know shes talking directly about and to you. I am being drop kicked with conviction. This particular topic being one that left me the most bruised so far.

Fifth Point of Contrast between a wild and a wise woman—her habits—that is, her priorities and routines. (All of this is from Mary Kassian's A Girl Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild book with a bit of my own two sense in there too.)

Girl-Gone-Wild: self-indulgent

Girl-Gone-Wise: self-disciplined

Old saying for identifying rattlesnakes: Red touches yellow, kill a fellow. Red touches black, venom he lacks.You can identify which is dangerous by looking at their patterns. The same is true when differentiating between a ggwild or a ggwise- observe her patterns of conduct and its a dead giveaway.

Just like the catchy poem to identify the dangerous snake, here's one for identifying the dangerous woman: “Homeward faced, wisdom graced. Out to the max, wisdom she lacks.”

Out to the max doesn’t mean she’s out having an affair or doing ungodly things though this could be true. What Mary is talking about here are her priorities. The problem is not that she went out, but that she went at the expense of what she should be doing.

And there's a blow straight to my stomach.

This could mean that: the house is messy, laundry undone, dinner unmade, pantry unfilled, can’t remember the last time you studied the bible... her priorities aren't homeward faced.

Our homes must be a priority b/c its more than a residence. Its our private sanctum. This is where the most important stuff happens. So we must stop focusing on ourselves and remember this is true for our husbands and kids as well.

This is painful to say but its true: if a woman’s home is out of order, normally so is her life. Sadly her neglect of the home affects more than just her. So we're actually hurting the people we love most by our laziness or lack of discipline.

This chapter was specifically named habits not priorities for a reason. We can say our priorities are one thing all day, but our habits reveal what our priorities really are. There's no reason for us to go around proclaiming to others what’s important to us. How we spend our time says it all. Its not about what we say, but what we do. If you look at what you routinely do, it will reveal what your priorities are.

Evaluate your priorities: Does what I do match up with what I should do?

Habits of a ggwild and a ggwise are very different. Both are busy, but busy with very different things.

Wild thing: busy indulging herself, neglects home

Wise thing: attends to her home life- habits are self disciplined, directed by the needs of her household

Working at home- keeping the house neat, food prepared, pantry stocked, laundry done... and in my case put away! etc. are important but tending to our homes are so much more than just those things. We are to cultivate relationships here, meet the emotional, physical, relational, spiritual well being of our families... all here at home.

This is not just for older women. I have teenagers that are coming to my class and I have to encourage them though they aren't running their own homes yet they still play a big part in this too. They can invest time with their parents and siblings and help without being told to. This will help prepare them for when they do have homes and families of their own.

All this stuff is good, but there’s a problem: most of us aren’t disciplined enough to do this on our own. If you're like me you at times feel like a hopeless mess. Will I ever put the laundry away quickly?!

But girls, I have great news: There’s hope and help!

You see in our own strength, most of us aren't capable of being productive and disciplined like we should. Thankfully we have a God who not only loves us in spite of this problem, he gives us what we need. If we need strength and discipline all we have to do is ask for it. He provides what we lack on our own.

Thankfully we can define success as depending on the holy spirit and not on our own capacity.

So now its decision time:

-lay around or be productive

-eat that junk food or choose a healthy snack

-go out or tend to what needs to be done around the house

Here's the real question: Do I gratify the desires of my flesh or do I surrender my will and walk in the power of the spirit of God?

We make dozens of small decisions each day. These may seem inconsequential, but they add up to be a habitual pattern that is either life giving or life quenching. And remember these habits/patterns identify whether a woman is a girl gone wise or a girl gone wild by the patterns of her habits.

Girl-Gone-Wild: self-indulgent

Girl-Gone-Wise: self-disciplined

Ministry

I tweeted this last night, but its something I'm still thinking about today. Outside of leading someone to the Lord, having deep, meaningful conversations with students is my favorite part of ministry. Not just surfacey stuff, real talk. Real concerns. Real problems. Real fears. Its a rare moment when they let you in. They let you see the rawness of their lives. For a moments time, you get past the front they give everyone else and share their fears, hurts, and dreams with them.

Tears don't bother me anymore. I certainly don't want to see someone cry or hurt, but tears no longer make me uncomfortable. They make me appreciate the one shedding them even more.

I love how most of the these conversations are never planned. One topic leads to another and then there they are... I am so thankful for these sweet times. Whether this conversation happens at church, in the car, at the gym, the bowling alley, or over a cupcake... I cherish these times. I cherish the openness, realness, and transparency of the moment. I cherish the fact that they trust me enough to share the very thing they may not want to share with another.

Ministry is a crazy adventure. Exhausting, fun, and emotionally draining at times, but man is it worth the ride. If I haven't said it before, I love being a minister's wife. I love that our lives revolve around people and for now teenage people. I love that week after week we get to pour into their lives and how they pour right back. I love seeing the gospel change lives. I love seeing them understand it. I love when a student finally heeds a warning b/c they see we're surprisingly right.

I love ministry.

I love that I'm married to a man that is passionate about what Jesus has called us to: Love God. Love People. Make Disciples

Ministry is certainly not easy. It is certainly not always fun. But its the most exciting and rewarding thing that I've ever been apart of. And I look forward to what God is going to do through the ministry he's called us to.

Technology

Where would we be without technology? Its hard to imagine what I did before I owned an iphone. I was one of the late comers too, yet I can't imagine my life without it. Could I live without it? Sure, but man is it convenient and helpful. I can check/send email, text or call, update my blog, stalk other people's blogs, check fb and twitter, play games, get directions and so much more... all from one small device that fits so nicely in my purse or my back pocket. And this is just my phone.

Its crazy to think how far technology has come just since I've been alive. I mean I remember having a home computer with a green screen and I thought I was cool stuff. Now a days there are lap tops, ipads, and even cooler things like skype as well. Skype may be one of my favorite inventions. It allows you to talk to people... not only listen to them, but see them while they're talking as if you were simply sitting across from one another... even if they're on the other side of the world. Today, for many reasons, I am very thankful for technology. I am thankful for all the brainiacs that probably got made fun of in school but now are bazillionaires because of their genius inventions.

So thank you smart kids (and God) for the wonderful technological tools that I own. I am lazier and happier thanks to you, but oh so appreciative!

Trust me there's a story! Several actually... I'll explain soon.

Try It Tuesday

Thai Bistro

Last night I went to dinner with some friends from work. One of them suggested this place and we all said why not. I don't know that I have ever had Thai food, but what I had there I loved. It was boring chicken and rice (I figured you can't really go wrong with that combo) but even it had fantastic flavor.

This restaurant is next to Bonefish grill on Germantown Pkwy. Its a nicer restaurant so the prices are a little higher than a normal restaurant. Its perfect for a date night! And definitely worth trying!

Worry

I had the amazing opportunity to teach yesterday morning. When D asked me to teach last week, it was a no brainer on what material I'd actually teach on. God had been and still is teaching me about how important it is for us not to worry. So it was simply a given. Then after many prayers... it was confirmed that WORRY was the topic.

Worry

Many of us would raise our hands quickly if these questions were asked:
-Do you believe God is in control?
-Do you believe God's word is true?

I actually had everyone raise their hands and just like I predicted everyone raised their hands.

Then I asked them to raise their hands if they worry. Again most hands went up.

Whats wrong with this picture though? Everyone just stated they believe God's word is true and that he is in control. We say it, but do we really believe it?

If we really believed God's word then we'd understand what exactly His word says about worry. It in fact says: DON'T.

Phil. 4:6-7 was our verse for the day.
"Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

My goal was for them to see:
-why we worry
-why worrying is wrong/harmful
-how we fix this worry problem

Ultimately because of the fall of man/sin... the product of that was that now we live in a fallen world. There is going to be pain, trials, and struggles. But what God has taught me is that yes, these things are evident but we have a choice. Many claim they were born worriers. I even claimed this, but guess what its a lie straight from the enemy. It is not a characteristic of who we are. God did not put it into our DNA. Worry is a choice we make everyday.

What are some of the things we worry about?
school, work, bills, family issues, health, friend drama, the future...

These are legitimate concerns. But you see there's a difference between concern and worry. Concern is when a problem is brought to our attention. Worry is when we take that conern and dwell on it. Most of the time we do so in a very unhealthy way. It overtakes our life. It consumes us. Concern draw us to God but worry pulls us from him.

One of the places that I'd love to visit one day is London. One thing London is known for is their fog. For those who fell asleep during science class, fog is a cloud of water droplets suspended near the earth's surface. London's fog can be so thick that you can't see your hand when its right in front of your face. We're talking fog banks that are 100 ft deep and can cover 7 city blocks. But, if you were to take all of those water droplets and put them together they wouldn't even fill up 1 glass. You see the fog is divided into billion of water droplets. Though there isn't much substance to it, it still has the power to bring an entire city to a standstill.

This is exactly what happens to us when we worry. Our minds dispense problems into billions of fear droplets. They begin to over take our minds and can have the power to take us down, to make us ineffective.

So why is worrying really wrong? We just saw that it can make us ineffective, but more importantly its sin. We must claim it for what it is. Worry takes our focus off of Christ. We doubt who God is and what he's able to do. Worry actually becomes our god.

If we believe scripture like we claim then we need to believe John 16:33, "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

If God has overcome the world then surely he is able to take care of us and our problems.

Not only does worry make us ineffective, not only is it sin, but it actually weighs us down. Prov. 12:25 " An anxious heart weighs a man down."

Dr. Charles Mayo from the Mayo Clinic did a study in his day-worry affects circulation, glands, the whole nervous system and it profoundly affects the heart. Since then they've established connections between chronic worry and weakened immune systems, cardiovascular disease, neurological imbalances, depression and other physical and psychological dysfunctions- not to mention anxiety related panic attacks and obsessive compulsive disorders

All from worry! It makes us ineffective, weighs us down and harms our body.

Sad thing is…

40% are things that will never happen

30% are about the past- that can’t be changed

12% are about criticisms but others, mostly untrue

10% are about health, which only gets worse with stress

8% are about real problems that can be solved

So what do we do?

The bible tells us more than 350 times “Fear not.” This isn't a suggestion from God. Its a command. But this is much easier said than done.

How do we really flesh this out though? We look back at Phil. 4:6-7. It teaches us 3 things.

1-Be anxious about nothing- don’t worry- creator sustainer is on our side working for our good

We do live in a fallen world so we need to…

2-Be prayerful about everything- bring concerns to God immediately- don’t let them multiply into billions of fear droplets

3-Be thankful for all things- He uses things in our lives to draw us closer to Him (health problems, family/friend issues, big decisions)

Challenge: Remember worry does us no good- only harm and it takes our focus off of Christ… so we must

-be anxious/worry about nothing

-be prayerful about everything

-be thankful for all things

If we do these things, then we're promised to experience God's peace like never before.

Lately

Lately... I've been daring with my nail color- navy and now teal.

Lately... I've realized I'm getting old b/c when I run... my hip hurts.

Lately... I've learned breakfast food really is my favorite. I could eat anything breakfast related 24/7.

Lately... my cooking skills have been at an all time low or maybe its just my brain because last night rather than putting vanilla in my choc icing I put lemon extract. Yea and there's no real way to save that.

Lately... I've discovered once again my love for reading. If you need a good read, one that will challenge you and step all over your toes then get Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild. Its excellent... excellently convicting for sure!

Lately... I can count on NO fingers how many times I've seen my sister. Thankfully that's changing tonight.

Lately... I've realized that I might have an addiction to oreos. I blame you, Heather.

Lately... I've discovered phone games. I've never been a gamer... until now. My 2 favorites are scramble with friends and draw something.

Lately... I've realized I've become a picky eater. I don't really like to try new things. I know, I'm boring and predictable.

Lately... I've realized its time to clean out cabinets and closets... boo.

Lately... I've realized I have not been very productive... mostly because of all the things listed above.

Heavy Heart

I don't get teenagers sometimes. I mean I feel like we were right there not too long ago. Was I this hard headed? Was I this so unwilling to listen to the godly wisdom from the people that God put in my life?

I am seeing so clearly how important true surrender is. When you truly surrender all of yourself to Christ you want what he wants, you hate what he hates. A truly surrendered person won't tolerate, put up with, hang around, or associate with the same stuff that Christ hates. Its contradictory. Now you can do all of that but if you claim to be a Christ follower and are okay with (or date people who don't honor Christ with their lives) I'll tell you straight up you don't know the Jesus I do.

(Yes, we need to associate with non-believers because how else will we share the gospel... but these people shouldn't be our closest friends or significant others.)

If you claim to be sold out then you're decisions, actions, and words will back it up. There's no denying a life sold out for Christ. So why don't we as Christians understand this? Adults and students alike... what's keeping us from truly surrendering all we are to Christ: self.

Sadly, that's what I'm seeing over and over again. The same story... maybe just different faces. And my heart is breaking because I'm seeing students and adults makes decisions for Christ when its convenient. We aren't called to convenience though. We are called to know Christ and make Him known... period.

I'm not living with my head in the sand. I know we live in a tough world. I know there are temptations out there. I know there are things we'd rather watch and participate in that aren't Christ honoring. I get that... but don't claim to be a Christ follower when you don't stand up for Christ, when you don't take a stand against the things he hates.

I am by no means saying we need to go bang our bibles against people heads or yell at the person next to us b/c they keep using foul language. No, as believers we're to be known for our love. We should be known more for what we're for, not for just what we're against.

My heart is just heavy because I so badly want our students especially to get it. I want them to understand true surrender. Not convenient surrender. I want them to taste and see... because I know when they get a little glimpse of who Jesus is their lives will be dramatically different. What they do on the weekends, at school, who they date or are best friends with... will not be the same because when you know Jesus you can't help but be changed.

Happy 100th Birthday, Oreo!

Without a doubt my favorite sweet, reasonable indulgence is oreos and milk. Now I'm not crazy like my friend, Heather, who can eat 2 sleeves in one setting, but I have been known to throw down some oreos... which is why I have to run-to burn off those delicious calories.

Today Oreo celebrates its 100th birthday... a random useless fact that Heather knew I'd appreciate.

So in honor of Oreos 100th birthday I think I might just go buy a new package of Oreos... because I may or may not have just eaten all of our other one.