Discipline

from InterfaceLift

"A wife of noble character who can find?
       She is worth far more than rubies.
 Her husband has full confidence in her
       and lacks nothing of value.
 She brings him good, not harm,
       all the days of her life..."  
 Proverbs 31:10-12



Oh, that I might be like the Proverbs 31 woman!

I feel like God is calling me to a spending fast.  Through prayer this morning, I feel like He's asking me to only buy groceries, gas, and essentials (like medicine, toiletries, etc) for the next three weeks.  That may seem easy, but that excludes eating out, coffee, spontaneous purchases, clothes, and fall decorating items!  It also means that even if I have a gift card somewhere, I won't be able to use it because I don't think it's about the money per se, it's about my heart.  Wow.

Honestly, though, I probably could have seen this coming from a mile away.  I feel like this year one of my heart's prayers has been, "Lord, I want more discipline.  Lord, I want to be obedient unto You.  Refine me.  Make me more like Jesus."  I will be the first to say that it hasn't been super easy for me to be obedient to all that He's asked of me (e.g. He called me to run a half marathon, oh LAST JANUARY, that I'm just now going to run in November), but the discipline--or at least the desire for it--has been good for my soul.  I want to be rooted deeply in God so that all that I do is fruitful and honoring to Him.  Through this process, I feel like God has been convicting me of living in my "comfort zone"... always being comfortable, not letting myself get too stretched or too challenged.  Training for this half marathon is one specific way that He is breaking me of that.  Most of my runs are hard for me and I want to give up, but, thanks to my wonderful husband, I don't give up and I press in.  This is working discipline and perseverance into my spirit.

Money is also another area where I have always experienced comfort.  I grew up in a family that was blessed financially and with a dad who is a hard worker and dedicated to providing for his family.  So I never experienced the discomforts of not having.  (Not to say that my parents said "yes" to every one of my wants.)  After I graduated from college I went straight into the nursing profession, so I have had a steady income from the get go, when a lot of my friends have struggled in different ways financially, which has caused them to lean on God in different ways than I have.  I am so thankful to the Lord for my job and the way He provides for Andy and me through our incomes and our jobs, but I will be the first to admit that I don't lean on God for finances.  I live in the comfort zone.  I don't want to live in the comfort zone!  I want to know that every single penny I have comes from heaven and that I am simply a steward of the money God gives me.  I want to experience the "pains" of not having and live in the stretching, uncomfortable zone -- where I lean on, depend on, and look to God for everything.

Ahh, so this leads me to a spending fast.  My prayer is that in these next three weeks (starting this upcoming Tuesday), I will experience holy discomfort.  I pray that I will find myself leaning on God to meet my needs and meet my longings.  I pray that I will discover that the longings I may have for the things of this world fade away in light of God's presence.  I pray that the truth God is more than enough for me will be more and more real to me.  I pray that I may become more disciplined like the Proverbs woman, and in turn may become more of a blessing to my husband.  I pray that my spending habits will be refined.  I pray that God will be glorified in my feeble attempts to become more like Jesus.

Forgive me for any rambling or run-on sentences in this post.  I just wanted to get it out right away.  I want to be kept accountable to this.  Thanks for reading!

P.S.  The reason I'm starting next Tuesday is because Andy and I are going to a farm on Columbus Day to buy apples, cider donuts, flowers, and pumpkins... or at least just enjoy the autumnal experience of a farm in October!  Check back next week for pictures!

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Celebrations

It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted, and I feel like so much has happened! My parents sold, packed up, and moved out of our Houston home... they bought and began to move into a new home in Marblehead, MA... I turned 25... So, as the post's title indicates, there has been much to celebrate.

The move out of 11905 Heritage Lane was emotional for our family. We have a lot of memories in that house, but after 14 years, it was time to say goodbye. I'm thankful Andy and I were able to visit one last time this past June. I don't think it has really hit me that we won't be going "home" there ever again, but I learned from God a few years ago, when I was in college and didn't feel like I could call my dorm room "home"--I didn't feel like I had a lot of friends and didn't feel comfortable in my own room, that if I first make my home in the Lord, then I will be able to feel "at home" anywhere I go. This is a heart lesson that I'm sure I will draw on when we move ourselves out to Arizona! Anyway, my parents have always wanted a home in Marblehead, where my mom grew up and where most of her family still lives. The setting is gorgeous--an idyllic New England coastal town, rich in history and full of beauty. They finally settled on a home that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean--and that's a few houses down from where my mom grew up! Andy and I were able to help out a little bit as they began to unpack this past week through the weekend. Here are a couple pictures, one of the view from the deck and a picture of the back of the house, which faces the ocean...

The Atlantic Ocean

Back of the house

The whole family is excited to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas in the new house in a couple of months!  We also celebrated my birthday last weekend, which is always fun :)  It was a busy weekend... we went to the annual Pops on the Heights gala at BC, which we've been going to for the past 7 years.  The Boston Pops play, and there is always a guest Broadway singer.  The BC Chorale performs a few songs, too, so that was fun to see Victoria sing!  We also tailgated before the BC v. VTech game, went to the game, and then I came home to a surprise party Andy had orchestrated for me (along with some of my faithful friends...)!  It was a fun weekend!  Unfortunately, I wasn't a very good photographer.  I only have a few pictures from the tailgate and game.

Chili, sandwiches, cornbread, pepperoni bread, fruit salad...

VTech blew out BC... oh well, it was still fun!

I wore an ASU shirt!  shh... don't tell...

 As I write this, it's a chilly 47 degrees outside!  Fall is really upon us!  I love it.  (Except for the fact that I can't find my black flats, so I have to wear sandals to church.  Not fun.)  I wanted to post about this Pumpkin Spice Granola I made last night because it filled our home with the most delicious of autumnal scents...  You should try it!  So easy to make. 

I put mine in little mason jars and made labels. 

Wouldn't you want to receive this as a little gift?  So cute!

I'm bringing a meal to our pastors who just had another little boy last month.  They eat very healthy, so I'm bringing this, bran muffin batter (that's good for 30 days in the fridge!), homemade hummus and veggies, and (I think) Asian lettuce wraps.  I think those are all pretty healthy things.  I can't wait to hold the little guy! 

One last picture...  I made this yummy and super easy skillet meal the other day, and I was just so excited about it.  Skillet Chicken and Mexican Green Rice from Mel's Kitchen blog.  We loved it!  Another pretty healthy dish, especially if you replace the white rice with brown (but who wants brown rice in a Mexican dish?)  Enjoy, if you make it!

Everything goes in the pan, and the total cooking time is about 30 mins! 

mmm...delish!

Best Brownies Ever

I just posted yesterday, but I have to blog about the brownies I just made!  I've been trying to perfect the homemade brownie but can never seem to get them right.  They're usually too cake-y or too dry.  I almost decided to give up and stick to the tried and true, never fail you, Duncan Hines box... when I remembered a posting my friend Pam Neave wrote one time on her blog about how homemade brownies are her most favorite secret indulgence.  So I when I bumped into her at church on Sunday I told her my dilemma and asked her what recipe she uses!  She said that she actually has two different recipes that she loves, and one of them is from King Arthur Flour.  Really?!  I have some King Arthur Flour at home!

Lo and behold, on monday I conquered the homemade brownie...

I ended up using this recipe, but afterwards I saw the recipe I really wanted was on the back of my bag of flour!  (They're basically the same except for a couple of steps.)  I'll post the recipe here for you to try and enjoy.

The Best Fudge Brownies Ever (King Arthur Flour)

1 cup (8 oz.) butter                              1 Tbl. vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups sugar                                   4 large eggs

1 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa            1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp salt                                            2 cups (12 ounce bag) chocolate chips

1 tsp baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350.  Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan.

In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine.  Return the mixture to the heat (or microwave) briefly, just till it's hot, but not bubbling; it'll become shiny-looking as you stir it.  Heating the butter and sugar a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.  Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl.

Stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, and vanilla.  Add the eggs, beating till smooth; then add the flour and ships, beating till well combined.  Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the brownies for 28-30 mins, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out dry *I always allow for a little bit of batter towards the bottom of my toothpick to prevent over baking*.   The brownies should feel set both on the edges, and in the center.  Remove from the oven, and after 5 minutes, loosen the edges with a table knife; this helps prevent the brownies from sinking in the center as they cool.  Cool completely before cutting and serving.  Yield:  2 dozen brownies.

Andy testing out a brownie...

Success!

A much needed vacation... and Welcome Fall!

Here's a little shot from our vacation in Arizona last week...  pretty nice, huh?  We went to Scottsdale, AZ for 6 days for some much needed R&R.  We were SO thankful to the Lord for it.  As you can see, it seemed like we had the whole resort to ourselves!  We spent our days eating big, delicious breakfasts, laying out by the pool, praying, reading, playing tennis, going for walks, and driving around the area.  We both came back home feeling physically, emotionally, and spiritually REFRESHED.  God is good! 

As you can see, too, the setting is absolutely gorgeous, and we were both overwhelmed by the fact that this area will be our home in 9 short months.  Our vacation choice was somewhat strategic--we wanted to get out to Arizona again before we move next June.  Our last trip there, which was over Easter, was good, but I still felt like I wanted more time there.  I've been praying and thinking a lot about our move over the summer, and I feel like God has just expanded my heart and grown my excitement about it all. Before my sadness of leaving Boston over shadowed my excitement for what's ahead; now I feel free to dream and get envisioned about moving to Tempe.  Here's a shot of just one of the beautiful desert sunsets we got to witness...

Wow!  The colors are just so vibrant and breathtaking.  We also enjoyed good food... like Old Tortilla Factory and In&Out burgers.  In & Out is probably my new favorite place to grab food.  I hope I am able to limit myself when we're out there.  Cheeseburgers are my favorite food, and theirs are JUST SO GOOD!  (as you can tell from the picture...)

                               

Me savoring my last bite of cheeseburger.

The weekend before we left was our annual College Leaders' Retreat, which is a time when all the small group leaders in college ministry at our church can come back together after the summer and get re-envisioned for the year, get encouraged, worship and pray together, and just have some good fellowship.  Andy and I are section leaders in the college group, so we were there, too.  The retreat was in Limington, Maine--a litter further northwest from Kennebunkport.  It was great, as usual, and really fun to get excited for the upcoming year with the students.  We are believing for Boston College (and the other schools in Boston) to be changed by Jesus this year!  This past Sunday was our church's "kickoff sunday" and we already met tons of new BC students.  Andy and I are committed to pouring our lives out to see students' lives changed because this is what we have received in our own lives, so it's always exciting to see the ministry growing and developing.  And this is what we'll be doing out in Tempe at ASU, so we pray that our 5-6 years of experience in college ministry in Boston will serve us well out west :)

So, Fall is upon us!  (Ok, maybe not according to the calendar, but according to me!)  I LOVE LOVE LOVE autumn.  It is my favorite season by far.  I love the cozy smells, the changing leaves, apple picking, farms, apple cider, cider donuts, pumpkins, baking breads and muffins and cookies and pies, the crisp, autumn air, weekend football games... everything!  I added in that last one for Andy.  He is a diehard Jets fan (J-E-T-S, JETS JETS JETS!), and I am trying to learn more about the stinkin game so I can actually watch and understand the games with him.  haha!  And we're just beginning to see the change in weather a bit, too, which I love.  The weather has actually been really nice... in the 60s with blue skies.   I'm hoping we get to go apple picking in the next few weekends...maybe for my birthday?  But until then, I'll leave you with a picture from our apple picking adventure last year.  

Last days of summer...

I can't believe it's already the end of August.  Right now it is rainy, dark, and cool outside--I love it!  But it's another reminder that summer is coming to an end.  Well, maybe not completely... because Andy and I have our "summer" vacation yet to go on!  We leave for a week in Scottsdale on September 5th.  We are SO looking forward to 5 days of lying by the pool, reading, spending time together, and relaaaxing.  We're also excited about being able to drive around Tempe and spend some time in the town we're moving to in less than a year!  When we decided on when to go on vacation, we were thinking we'd go to some tropical island, but everything seemed too expensive and hurricane season usually starts around September.  So anyway, we both separately thought that Scottsdale would be a nice place to go since it would give us another chance to visit Tempe.  We're staying at a beautiful and luxurious resort.  Yay, I can't wait! 

But in the meantime, the end of August is pretty busy around here.  Next Sunday is a big day at church.  Our church, CFCF, is planting a new local church in a few towns over, Waltham, MA.  The River Church will be pastored by our lead pastor at CFCF!  It's a long story, but Sean's last Sunday, as well as the rest of the Waltham team, next week.  So it's a big celebration service and picnic.  Sean Richmond has been the lead pastor at CFCF for the past 11ish years, so this is a bittersweet day!  Of course, they'll just be "across the river", but it's a big deal.  I'm excited about all that God has in store for The River and also for all of us at CFCF, though!  Unfortunately, it's my weekend to work, so if you're reading this, please pray that someone will switch days with me so I can get sunday off.  I've been going to CFCF for 7 years.  This will be a day I want to be a part of.  Also, the annual college leaders' retreat is at the end of the month.  This is a time of the college faithgroup leaders to come together again after the summer break to pray, worship, and get envisioned for the new school year.  Andy and I are section leaders in the college ministry, so we attend the retreat.  It's going to be interesting since we have new college pastors (our good friends, Dave and June Doran!) now that Travis and Joy are preparing to move to Tempe, too.  The retreat is always a fun time of getting pumped up to see what God has in store for the new year.  (funny, around here, the new year starts in September, not January!)

Ok, so now I'll post some food I've made in the past few days.  One is a delicious new dish that I think I'll make A LOT.  It's so easy and really delicious.  I got the recipe from my aunt Cindy, who got it from her friend (I think?), Shelly Kohler.

Basmati Rice and Chicken Salad 
Salad:
1 c. basmati rice (I used Jasmine)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 c. cooked, cubed chicken
1/2 c. thinly sliced green onion (4-6 onions)
1/4 c. chopped sundried tomatoes
1 tsp. grated fresh lemon peel
1 16-oz can of garbanzo beans
1 8-oz jar of artichoke hearts (I think I used a 16 oz can!)
Dressing:
1/4 c. chicken broth
3 Tbl. lemon juice
3 Tbl. olive oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard (um, totally missed this ingredient!)
1/4 tsp each of salt, pepper, and oregano


Basically, cook the rice with the garlic, let cool.  Mix in the chicken and other ingredients, then pour the dressing on.  Mix well.  You can serve this luke warm (like right away after you make it) or cold (from the fridge).  I mean, I'm sure you could heat it up, too, but I think it tastes better slightly cold.  Oh, and I also sliced up little balls of mozzarella. 

Sooo good!

Up close and personal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also used up some lemons I've had lying around by baking these cookies from my favorite blog, Annie's Eats. 

Delicious lemon poppy seed cookies!

So easy to make!

"This is your best meal ever!"

Today is my parents' 29th wedding anniversary!  Wow.  Congratulations, Mom and Dad!  I am so inspired to be committed to Andy for life just like they are to one another.  Thank you for setting such a wonderful and loving example to us kids about how strong the bond of committed love is supposed to be.  Next sunday is my dad's parents' wedding anniversary.  I'm not sure their number... I think 55 years?  Another inspiring couple in my family.  We have a lot to live up to!  

So, one way I have committed myself to Andy is to cook him lots of delicious food.   And, last night I think I found the most direct way to his heart...through chicken chimichangas.  I saw a recipe in a little cookbook I bought at the grocery store earlier this summer and was inspired to make my own.  He said numerous times that this was the best thing I have ever made.  They were so easy!  I just made my "everything but the kitchen sink Mexican chicken" in the crock pot, filled little burritos with the chicken, mixed with sour cream and shredded cheese, then pan fried the burritos in vegetable oil.  I'm not sure if this is technically what a chimichanga is, but I'm going with it.  The crock pot chicken is basically 2-3 chicken breasts, a jar of salsa, a bag of frozen corn (or a can of corn), a chopped pepper, a chopped onion, maybe some canned beans, maybe some Ro-tel, maybe some cumin, maybe a packet of taco seasoning, salt and pepper... whatever you have on hand that is remotely Mexican... and set the crock pot for 8 hours.  When it's done, the chicken is so amazingly shreddable, I can't even stand it.

Here's a picture of the chicken after I took the fork and shredded it around in the pot:

Mmm... so good!  You can use this chicken for enchiladas, burritos, or just serve it over rice.  It's super easy and delicious. 

Here are the chimichangas...

See that cheesy goodness?  Andy loved it.  I made mine with a whole wheat tortilla.  Try it!

Indonesia and 1 Year Anniversary

Hello, everyone! 
I haven't posted in a few weeks because Andy has been out of town and there hasn't been much to say!  But, he returned to the states after 15 days in Indonesia, and it has been great to have him back.  He and his team shared the Gospel with many Muslims who were searching for truth and saw many people healed of physical ailments.  There were several people who, after hearing the story of the redeeming love of Jesus, prayed to receive him in their hearts.  Overall, many many people in the largest Muslim nation in the world were touched by God.  Andy had a really good time--he enjoyed spending time with our friends on the team and loving on the people of Indo.  Here are a few pictures of his trip:  

some sweet children that followed Andy's group around all day!

The CFTS day school team together as they visited a mosque.

Surabayan children

A man whose back was healed after they prayed for God to heal him!

Needless to say, we were happy to be reunited on August 3rd.  5 days later, on August 8th, we celebrated our 1 year anniversary.  Wow!  How did the time fly?  We both feel like this year came and went so quickly, but it was jam-packed with so much goodness.  Some memorable moments:  apple picking for my birthday, Thanksgiving in CT with my family, Christmas in NJ with Andy's family, my missions trip to Haiti, Caroline visiting in February (and seeing her back pain healed by God!), Nick living with us for a month (fun!), taking a cooking class together in Cambridge, accepting an offer to help plant a church in Arizona in 2011...  and so much more!  We celebrated our anniversary a day early by spending the day in Kennebunkport, ME and going to dinner at The Melting Pot.  We had a great day!  Here are some pictures from Maine.  (Unfortunately, we didn't get any photos of us together!  Ironic.)

Pretty flowers as we walked along Ocean Avenue.

Andy thanking God for being married to me ;)

Sitting along the pier at Goocher's Beach

To end, I just wanted to post a yummy side dish I made a few weeks ago.  Roasted corn, zucchini, and squash with garlic and olive oil.  It is a great way to use all those delicious summer veggies!

I added parmesan cheese, tomatoes, avacadoes and balsalmic vinegar.  It can be served hot or cold!