behind but looking forward

I am, once again, foolishly behind on posting to this blog. When I last wrote I was feeling contented and filled with joy. Now, I can't say that I have been on a continual high since that last post but I can definitely attest to still holding those feelings in my heart. Here are some joys I would like to share with you.

marriage: 
Rob and I have been blessed with more than we could have ever imagined only two years into marriage. We love each other, like each other, and make each other laugh... what else could I ask for? We are nearing our two year anniversary and it seems impossible that it has simultaneously flown by and "only been two years!" Currently we are in the middle of re-watching the whole Harry Potter series; you can call us nerds if you like ;)

employment:
Rob has been at his job with Digitas for a whole year... time flies. After 11 months of praying and pleading for God to provide him with a job, he was hired. Now, a year later, we have been blessed with this position for longer than we prayed for it and we couldn't be more thankful! I am working here and there which allows for a more relaxed schedule and ability to also do some things I want to get done around the house/crafting! (shameless plugs: www.etsy.com/printsbypoppy and www.theposterpromenade.com)

dogs:
In our two short years we have had two amazing Australian Shepherds. Jack, whom you all know, was a perfect little companion for Rob when he was home day in and day out. He lived his little doggy life to the fullest even though it was only 1.5 years long. We miss him but wouldn't trade our time with him for anything! Now we have Oswin, currently a six month old spitfire who (we're pretty sure) is smarter than we are. She is an amazing animal - so calm when it is required of her and also so willing to work when the time comes. We hope that she will be around for quite a while to come!

Beyond this list, I have much to be thankful for and much to rejoice in but I won't share it all at once. What would I post about next time if I did? :)

We hope to share some fun news with you in the next month or so... stay tuned!! (no, we aren't pregnant haha!)

it's the simple things

I was driving home today and was overwhelmed with the most tangible feeling of joy. Nothing specific brought on this feeling but it was the happiest drive through the rain I have ever taken. I looked in the seat next to me and saw Oswin, our little Aussie puppy, sleeping so peacefully and I couldn't help but smile. Such a simple act of peace, sleep is something so normal, but it was so sweet to see. I realized that I might have finally started to live according to the encouragement I try to post in this blog and am now seeing and feeling the results. In previous posts, trusting and living with patience prove to be my biggest struggles and I have been praying and working to rely on the Lord's timing. I will never claim to have "arrived" but I can certainly say that each day of trusting in the Lord's plan for my life, for the life that Rob and I are building day by day, is bringing me greater peace and deeper joy that I have yet to experience in my 24 years. The fretting that comes from lacking patience creates blinders that make us miss all the simple things and I think it's in those that true joy lies.

Phillipians 4:7
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Jesus Christ."

Psalm 118:29
"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever."

trusting with patience for joy

So I have been thinking that there is so much in life that we wait for... school, jobs, spouses, children, houses... etc. We KNOW that we are to rely on the Lord's timing in our mind but that becomes so difficult as things seem to take "too long". A recent bout of waiting has made me think what we can do to change this process that so many of us dread. The only place I knew I could turn was scripture; we have such clear cut instructions on how to handle life situations and I so often forget that. After some digging, reading and praying (even in the midst of a crazy day at school) I started to see a pattern. 

TRUST in the Lord.           Be PATIENT.            Find JOY. 

Everything starts with the leap of TRUST. It can be so hard, but when we know we have a God who has sufficient grace and abounding love we can allow Him to shape our hearts and heal our worry, reassuring us of His timing for our lives. 

'Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal' // Isaiah 26:4

'Blessed are those whose strength is in You...' // Psalm 84:5a
'Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.' // Psalm 84:12
'In God, whose Word I praise, in the Lord, whose Word I praise - in God I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me?' // Psalm 56:10-11
'Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you.' // Psalm 86:4

Trust does not come easy, often it comes with great pain and growth, therefore, we must be abundantly PATIENT in our waiting (the hardest part). Patience is the opposite reaction most people - including myself - have to waiting, but it is a necessary skill attained through prayer and petition. I was shocked when I realized that almost every time the word "patient" is used, it is a command, a "be": we have no choice.

'Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.' // Psalm 37:7
'Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him." The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; is is GOOD TO WAIT QUIETLY for the salvation of the Lord.'
// Lamentations 3:22-26
'Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.' // Romans 12:12

The result of this labor is the JOY that we find in the Lord. We are blessed beyond measure and our waiting is perfected in the Lord's timing. Though the answer might not be what we had hoped, at least in the timing we expected - we are guaranteed a JOY that surpasses all earthly pleasure. The most amazing thing about the God we serve is His generosity - we are often granted the wants of our hearts along with the needs.

'Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things... Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music' // Psalm 98:1a & 4
'The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.' // Psalm 126:3
'Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.' // Psalm 26:5
'When I said, "My foot is slipping," you unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.' // Psalm 94:18-19
'Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.' // Psalm 90:14

I have struggled to accept that the greatest JOY comes from enduring TRUST and PATIENCE. While it is a constant battle to "consider it pure joy", we are commanded by the Lord and I have to realize that it must be in my best interest.

how big is a corner?

Ruth is chalk full of lessons that are so easily missed. We understand the story to be about Ruth and Naomi and the handsome "prince" Boaz. It would be wrong to say that the book isn't about those things, but what Ruth, Naomi and Boaz have to teach us goes far beyond just a romantic fairytale.

One of the turning points in this book is when Ruth confronts Boaz about gleaning in his field. Back in those days, gleaning was a common practice of field owners and therefore her confrontation seems odd. What I didn't recognize is what Ruth was actually asking... she wasn't asking to stick with the common practice of her time - not at all - she was asking to break the rules, to follow the harvesters before any paid worker came by to gather. In other words, she wants to step out of "line" and get a better result for her labor in order to provide for Naomi. What I had failed to see in the past was that Boaz wasn't just being generous, he was being obedient. "The letter of the law says, 'Let them glean." the spirit of the Law says, 'Feed them.' Two entirely different concepts. Ruth's bold proposal exposes the difference." (Custis James, 102). Boaz was motivated to serve Ruth's needs not out of a sudden infatuation for her but instead because he had a heart for the Lord. The parameters of obedience to the Lord are limitless and Boaz saw that through Ruth's request.

As a Christian, I can be so set in my ways that I ignore new ways to be obedient to the Lord. It's odd to me that in the world we live in, with new ideas springing up around us daily, I can put a limit on faith. Boaz had to make decisions about how much he would leave behind for the gleaners: how wide are the edges of the field, how thoroughly should workers clear the grain, how big is the corner? Today it is no different, we all have questions that beg us to stretch our obedience beyond our comfort zone and we have to answer with generosity of heart.

How big is your corner?

THE BEST LIFE.

I AM MARRIED TO THE MOST HANDSOME, 

MOST WONDERFUL MAN

& 

WE HAVE THE MOST AWESOME DOG. 

ALL IN ALL - WE HAVE THE BEST LIFE. 

the tools you need

Our little Jack is his new "big boy crate"!! 

We have been going through some struggles with our little dog, Jack. He is suffering from epilepsy. It's so hard to watch a little animal struggle like that, especially without any knowledge of what is happening. We have been overwhelmed watching each movement he makes hoping that he doesn't seize again! Thankfully after two over-night stays at the emergency vet and LOTS of medicine, he is stable and hasn't had any problems in almost two weeks! Rob was so great through the whole situation, he cared for Jack and didn't let me panic (though that's all I wanted to do!). I have been blessed with a husband with a clear, level head.

My Valentine's gift from Rob! 

My journey with Julia has taken a halt as her recipes take time and money that we can't afford to spend frequently. I've decided that cooking with Julia will be for special occasions and once a month dinners! That doesn't mean that i've given up on cooking though. Rob got me the "Gordon Ramsay" cookbook for Valentine's Day and i've been finding delicious recipes on Pinterest! I am so thankful for modern technology as it allows us to save time and money and still be adventurous in the kitchen!! (Rob is thankful for the new meals as well!) 

We had our parents over for Super Bowl Sunday which was so fun and also a great excuse to cook and try all kinds of new recipes. 

Take a look!!

For the Super Bowl I made Buffalo Chicken Dip, Pizza Monkey Bread, Mini Greek Tacos with homemade Tzatziki and Hummus, homemade Guacamole, and other snacky items. It is so hectic to cook so many different things but SO FUN - I really love the challenge - especially when the outcome is good! 

Also, at Rob's request, I made some chocolate chip cheesecake bars... woah are they awesome and super easy to make! 

Here's the recipe: Layer a 9x13 pan with chocolate chip cookie dough (store bought is easiest). Mix an 8 oz package of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 egg. Layer the mixture on top of the cookie dough. Add another cookie layer on top of the cream (this can be messy, you'll have to break apart the dough and puzzle piece it onto the cream). Bake in the oven at 350 until the cookies are done (about 30 mins - keep an eye out - start with 15 mins). ENJOY!! 

More than anything through the last month and half dealing with Jack and other personal issues that have come up, I realize that in life (just like cooking) we need to have the right tools. Struggles are always going to speckle our lives and we aren't going to be able to avoid that, but we can do everything in our power to prepare our hearts and minds for them. In our lives as Christian women (and men) we must cling to Jesus as our life "tool"- He is our greatest asset in dealing with trials. However hopeless or heart-broken I might feel about certain things, I always find myself clinging to some memorized truth and calling out to Jesus' name. I find myself repeating over and over the words to beloved songs: "All of my life, in every season, You are still God - I have a reason to sing, I have a reason to worship!" We memorize verses when we are young because we are given an assignment or encouraged by our parents, but what we don't realize is the fact that those verses are the ones that plague our minds during struggles: Proverbs 16:9 "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps" - Psalm 59:16 "But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love, for YOU are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble" - Phillipians 4:6 "Be anxious for nothing, but in EVERYTHING through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, make your requests be known to God." We are in the hands of an all-knowing and awesome God. He has the power to bless us beyond measure, it just doesn't always look the way we've planned. I am learning to rely on the the knowledge that I am never out of reach for God - He knows the hairs on my head and the worries of my heart and will answer me in His perfect timing. Even as I write this I struggle to wholeheartedly fall into His arms but if I don't, if we don't as Christians, we are limiting ourselves from all we have the potential to be. 

"And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us,
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?"

a female Job

Total Loss, Heartache, Suffering and Pain: one man typically comes to mind when people scan the Bible for these themes - Job. There are 42 chapters dedicated to his story and his suffering. In comparison, Ruth is a fleeting book with only 4 chapters, but what people don't stop to recognize is that the amount of suffering and heartache she and Naomi encounter could fill a book much larger than Job.

To explain this drastic statement, there is really one point to make and it is so easily overlooked: the book of Ruth is written from a woman's point of view (Naomi). By reading, we are actually getting the chance to view God through a woman's eyes. This view point is unusual as we study the Word but when it is recognized, the story is seen in a new light and our ability to understand what Naomi and Ruth encountered vastly improves.

So, what is different about the suffering of Ruth and Naomi? In Ruth we have a woman, Naomi, who is living in a land which is not her own and because she is a woman who has no husband and no heirs, she is left without any earthly possessions. She has no friends or family except for her two daughters-in-law who are both barren. In biblical times, a woman's status was decided by her relationship to men - a husband, father, or even her male children - so a woman left with none of these relationships in a foreign land was one of the lowliest people in the social chain. I'm not saying Ruth is a greater story that Job,  impossible circumstances were overcome in both books because the characters were able to regain faith in God, but the viewpoint of Ruth (once society is taken into perspective) is a more interesting and dynamic view of suffering.

It is rare to get a women's point of view in the Bible, so we should take a chance to appreciate Ruth. Sometimes seeing something through a new "set of eyes" lends to a much greater understanding of a well known and beloved story.

READ RUTH, it's worth it!!

and we're off!

  

In the last post, I pictured the book in it's
mint green cover, but once removed this beautiful
salmon hardback cover is unveiled.

            Well it has begun, my copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking came in the mail on Saturday and, after calming our Aussie - Jack - who freaked out due to the sound of the doorbell (ha), I settled onto our couch and started paging through over 500 recipes and 684 pages. Needless to say, it took me quite a while!
  

Here's an example of a recipe:
Unlike today's recipes, the ingredients are listed
to the left of the step in which they are needed.
See what I mean... confusing!

            It's overwhelming at first when you venture into such a large book, let alone when the book is full of foreign recipes AND on top of being unfamiliar, the way the recipes are laid out is confusing. To combat that, I started by reading the whole introduction and everything that preceded Chapter 1 (for perhaps the first time in my life) and thus, I learned quickly that this would require patience.

            Once I got the hang of how this lovely cookbook is set up, I realized that it is truly a beautiful work. The book is filled with drawings of techniques and diagrams, charts, and comments abounding with classic Wit! Never does Julia Child or her co-authors make the reader feel less than up to the task.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking is littered with hand-drawn images like this one.

"We have not given estimates for the time of preparation,
as some people take half an hour to slice three pounds
of mushrooms while others take five minutes." (Forward xxvi)

               So, after a day of scouring the pages I settled on three simple recipes to lend me some practice at deciphering the way Julia thinks. Our first Julia inspired meal consisted of the following: "Artichauts Au Naturel" (pg 424), "Pomme De Terre Sautèes" (pg 526), and "Suprêmes De Volaille À Brun" (pg 270). Overall, everything was great! It was different than what we were used to but so delicious!!

Artichokes, Potatoes and Chicken all done "Julia Child style"!

Bon Appetit!

Ruth and Julia

I'm revamping my food, both spiritual and tangible, and two ladies are going to help me on my way - wish me luck!

Reasons:
Physical: I've started to feel stale in certain areas of life, therefore I am mixing some things up. I have fallen into a stupor in regards to my studies in God's Word which creates a distance and that isn't something that I relish in; so here I go, diving head first into a new book to spark this dull flame!
Tangible: After over a year of marriage Rob and I have learned what our "favorite meals" are and we eat them... a lot... Rob has asked to try something new! So here we go... little by little I will work my way into the world of a real cook. 

My Ladies:
Ruth:
I just started a new book about Ruth: The Gospel of Ruth by Carolyn Custis James. It is a testament to all of us who wonder sometimes how the Bible applies to women. Though God's Word was meant for all humankind it sometimes seems geared toward men and their roles in this world. This book approaches a well known story from a new point of view and with new perspective on what world Ruth and Naomi were living in looked like. It is jarring to realize that when we read this story with our current worldview it totally changes the power and strength Ruth exemplifies for us - it's inspiring to transform back to Ruth's time and identify her struggle. I am excited to learn more about being a woman of God from one of the greatest examples we have been given. It's worth the read - pick it up!

Julia:
Yes, I am speaking of Julia Child. I am not, I repeat, not trying to duplicate Julie and Julia. For one, Lindsey and Julia doesn't have a great ring to it (haha) and mostly, I am absolutely not ambitious enough to recreate 527 recipes in 365 days AND boning a duck sounds terrible!! I simply want to learn something new about cooking and broaden my horizon when it comes to dinnertime. I am not used to recipes and cookbooks as I have always just looked a picture and figured it out on my own so this will be interesting. At the very least, I will learn something from one of the great female cooks of all time and feed my husband something different along the way!

BON APPETIT !!!