A little experimenting

It has been a while since I posted about a new recipe. I have tried several in the past month or so, but have been quite busy and had very little time to post anything. I really love trying new recipes and sharing them here as much as possible. I was reminded of that tonight when I tried two new simple recipes for dinner and felt quite refreshed and satisfied when I finished preparing.

There are just some things in life that really fill us up and give us joy, making something delicious is one of those things that really fills me up.

Tonight I made Crispy Corn Cakes & Roasted Cabbage Wedges which both turned out delicious. I didn’t have any green onions or fresh corn for the corn cakes, but they were still great.

This weekend I made snickerdoodle bread for the girls group on saturday. The recipe was super easy, but the finished product was delicious! Like the perfect piece of Cinnamon Toast. (Photo credit: www.lilluna.com)

Every Tuesday I try to make something special for breakfast, so last Tuesday I tried this amazing recipe for Baked Oatmeal. It is baked oatmeal with strawberries, banana and chocolate chips! It was perfect, even better than it sounds!

Last, but not least, my very favorite of all! I have already done this several times as a snack when I am craving something sweet, but somewhat healthy, Apple Nachos! These are amazing, sweet, crunchy and perfect!

I hope that you have a chance to try some of these recipes. The ingredients are simple, but the combinations are perfect!

Soul Surfer

Talk about making lemonade. Seriously. This girl has amazing fa!th and character! Lately I have been getting so much inspiration from this film and from Bethany Hamilton’s life. Particularly how many obstacles she has overcome to do what she loves and what believes Papa wants her doing: Inspiring lives and being a huge light for him.

I realized that my all time favorite films are true life stories where people have been put in difficult situations but yet they overcome the odds, not just by winning, but in their attitude. Even in the end of the film Bethany doesn’t win the competition, but her attitude is what wins, she says “I wouldn’t change what happened to me because then I wouldn’t have this chance in front of all of you, this chance to embrace more people than I ever could have with two arms.”

Of course there are periods where these people want to give up or just quit, but the fact that they continue on and work hard to overcome the odds and in the end have a positive attitude is what really inspires me. I definitely have times when I just want to quit, just stop trying to do what I know G*d wants me to do and just live life all for me. But those moments don’t define me, it is the moments when I get back up, even if I just walk through life a little lost for a couple weeks or months. The fact that I get back up and keep going eventually is what defines my life. This is true in Bethany’s story and many others as well.

If you haven’t seen this film I cannot recommend it enough. Watch it and be inspired by this young lady as I and many others have been. Also don’t miss the documentary “Heart of a Soul Surfer” which is also included on the DVD under Special Features.

A little New Year's Inspiration

Dear Master for this coming year
Just one request I bring:
I do not ask for happiness,
Or any earthly thing—
I do not ask to understand
The way Thou leadest me,
But this I ask: Teach me to do
The thing that pleaseth Thee.

I want to know Thy guiding voice,
To walk with Thee each day.
Dear Master make me swift to hear
And ready to obey.
And thus the year I now begin
A happy year will be—
If I am seeking just to do
The thing that pleaseth Thee.
–Unknown Author

A series of Christmases

This season went by in a whirlwind of pain and joy. The loss of our friend definitely changed our perspective this holiday season. Despite the grief we felt, we put our hope in the writings of Paul to the Corinthians:

“When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

“O death, where is your victory?

O death, where is your sting?”

 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to G*d, who gives us the victory through our L*rd Gsus Chr!st. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, alwaysabounding in the work of the L*rd, knowing that in the L*rd your labor is not in vain.”  (1 Cor. 15-54-58)

Despite the difficulties we were also able to celebrate with all of the usual Christmas festivities. In fact I did about two weeks straight of baking!

Here are a couple new recipes I tried out this month:

By far my new favorite Christmas cookie: Chocolate Chip Peppermint Crunch Cookies

Another good one: Candy Cane Blossoms

I also tried out an idea that I have seen before, but never done myself, for Christmas Gifts this year:

My Russian Teacher loved hers!!

Curtis said that I am not allowed to Bake or entertain again till Valentine’s Day! I agree that I will probably not bake on a large scale till about Valentine’s Day, maybe just here and there for pure joy and nothing more!

So, what did I do all this baking for anyway? You wouldn’t believe the amount of gatherings that we had this season!

First we had a gathering with all of the expats in town to sing Christmas Carols and just be together corporately for Christmas.

Then we had our annual Student’s Christmas Party. I will tell you, it might have been the last time we do it here. It felt like a little too much this year and since we have so many friends now, and we have the café in the English Center, we might just have our friends over next year and do a small party for our students in the Café.

Despite the difficulty, the party was fun, we did a gift exchange, ate lots of sweets and even got to share the story of the very first Christmas 

That was the Sunday before Christmas, and the week before Christmas was filled with many more festivities with friends, co-workers and teammates.

On Thursday we had a work party, we ate good food and our “Secret Angels” were revealed. It is basically the same thing as Secret Santa. It was a lot of fun.

That afternoon we made sugar cookies with our students. I prepared the dough and frosting ahead of time and they rolled them out and decorated them. It was a lot of fun, but also a lot of work!

On Friday we fed the homeless as a part of our monthly service program that we call “Prosto Tak.” It is basically something that we do each month to serve the community “Prosto Tak” – which translated directly means “simply so,” or because we can.

On Saturday (Christmas Eve) we had another gathering with our team. We all brought something to give to Gsus for his Birthday. It is a really special tradition that we have been a part of since we came here. I brought my earbuds (headphones) because I want to spend more time in silence before Gsus, listening to Him. Curtis brought his Calendar because he wants to give him his plans and his days. He has been extremely busy and knows that it will continue as he continues to work on the curriculum for his new class, but he wants direction from our Father in how to spend his days, busy or not.

Saturday night, Christmas Eve, we had some of our closest local friends over. It was another opportunity to share the Christmas story and just relax with friends. It was a real blessing and far from stressful. It was probably the most relaxing gathering of all besides the one on Christmas Day 

We had lots of gifts to open because we received two packages before Christmas, one for Chris (Curtis’ Mom) and one from my sister Tara.

Curtis and I also exchanged gifts, we both got a little creative this year. He made me an ornament and I made him some nifty coupons.

We had to wait a couple more days for my sister Angela and my mom’s package to come, but when it did, we had a second Christmas!

We also hosted Christmas dinner for the very first time, which wasn’t as stressful as I thought it might be. It was a simple chicken pesto pasta dinner since we had turkey and pork the day before. I also made Guthrie salad, carrots and garlic bread and for dessert we had pumpkin pie with real homemade whipped cream!

We didn’t have a white Christmas, the snow came late, but boy did it come! We got a dumping of snow last night! It looks like New Year’s will be white, which is special for the people here since New Year’s is their special holiday 

This season was crazy, but truly a blessing because we were able to really enjoy those around us and not focus too much on the sadness we felt at times. Though we miss you all dearly, we do feel blessed to have those that G*d placed in our lives here. These people are very special to us and we are truly grateful for the beauty and the support of the body around us and back at home as well.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!

A dear friend

It’s been two weeks now since our worlds seemed to be turned upside down by events that for a while we were unable to talk about, but when we were given the permission I just felt too tired to think about it, write about, share about it. And to be honest, I just didn’t know what to say, nothing can really sum up the way that this has affected us. But I will try nonetheless.

Also the fact that we had the responsibility of sharing this terrible news with so many people in our city left me with little energy to share with friends at home. Because of the sensitivity of the situation, for a few days when people asked how we were doing, we had to smile and say, “I am doing good.”  We would quickly ask them how they were doing and try to focus on their life.

It still doesn’t feel real. Even though I have told so many people about it, talked about it hundreds of times and turned it over and over in my mind even more times. I had trouble sleeping at first. I couldn’t believe the repercussions of this event, but as things were happening it all made sense.

On Friday December 2^nd an American friend of ours, a 23-year-old young man, died under unknown circumstances.

I can’t share much else about the situation at this point, but I can say that we are not in any danger, we are just very sad. Mourning the loss of our young friend, at times wondering why, at times seeing a little light in the midst of a dark situation.

I know that Dad is stirring something in the young people here. It has been painful and difficult to try to focus on that. But I know that is the reality. It just seems confusing to me that he would allow so many of his workers in this city to be taken out of a place where the students are so hungry for the truth.

This young man was so special. He was outgoing and loving towards everyone that he met. He was always encouraging and filled with joy. After talking to many students about our friend, we have begun to see what an impact his life has had on them even though he was only here for a little over a year. I just wish he could have been here longer. In my selfishness, I even wish that we had had more time with him while he was here.

I try not to think too much in that way, to understand that Dad is always going to work things for the good of those who love Him. I have so much more peace now than I did before. I went through many feelings of anger and frustration, so many times asking “Why?” I know Dad is here, I have seen Him working, taking care of His people and giving us the strength to support our friend’s team and to do what is needed to help them in this black time.

I have felt devastated, distressed, depressed and downcast. I have wanted to scream, run away, wake up from this nightmare or just close my eyes and make it all go away.  I have felt supernatural peace and strength at times, even joy in realizing how precious life really is.

I am still processing this and thinking a lot about our friend’s team, who left shortly after his passing. We will dearly miss them all. Please be “thinking” about this group of young people whose lives were totally turned upside down by this event. Please also be “thinking” about his family, his mother & father and two younger brothers.

This Sunday, tomorrow, is the memorial service. We had our own service last Sunday with those who knew him here in our city. But our hearts are heavy as we think of our brothers and sisters who have been plucked from this work and sent back to America for some time to grieve the loss of their teammate and close friend. They will be able to attend the service tomorrow, but we know that there will be much heartache and tears. Please be “thinking” about them at this time.

I don’t know what else to say other than, this has probably been the most difficult two weeks of our time here. We have seen Dad’s sovereignty and peace in new ways, and we know that these are the times that we grow. We continue to feel sorrow about this, but with Dad’s strength we will persevere.  We just ask that you would “think” about us even more at this time, as it is a very difficult time. Thank you all so much for your love and support.