A bike and a bowl of cherries

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Last night was our annual finale banquet for faculty and staff at ACA, so today felt like the official start of summer (although I'll happily be teaching summer school and freelance editing to fill my time). My roommates and I drove to Cherry Valley where a beautiful pool, cherry trees (I ate far too many cherries), and lounge chairs were the perfect prescription for tired teachers.

And if that didn't signal the beginning of summer break, my Target purchase certainly did. I've been on a bike hunt for awhile now (in an attempt to save on gas!), and I landed a gorgeous little red cruiser on sale. However, Belle didn't fit in my car--not even close, and I'm sure I entertained more than one person in the parking lot as I shoved and pushed and pulled that bike to no avail--so I left behind Ellie (the car) and biked all the way home.

I discovered new muscles in my legs. Or at least I don't think they were there before today...

So now I'm off to meet an old student at Starbucks. A tummy full of cherries, a sun-kissed face, and a smart little bike to boot. Ahhh... God gives days of refreshing.

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Remember?

"But the LORD said to me, 'Do not fear him, for I have given him and all his people and his land into your hand. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.'" Deuteronomy 3:2

I love how God points us to previous victories to help us in our present battles. "Remember, child?" He seems to whisper to our hearts. "Remember how you did it before? Remember how faithful I was to do what I promised?"

And then He calls us to move forward by faith. "Do not fear," He says over and over again. And why not? Because He is there, and just as He has been faithful in the past, He will be faithful in the present and the future.

Deuteronomy 3:22 continues, "You shall not fear them, for it is the LORD your God who fights for you."

Perhaps today's fear is a small one. Or maybe your challenge is close to terrifying. Whatever the battle that creates an anxious heart in us, God is strong and faithful to fight for us. He has been for us all along; why would today be any different? Remember, dear friends, how He helped you win yesterday's battle... and then trust Him for victory in today's!

Adams, Woodruff, Willard, and Anonymous

“Great necessities call out great virtues.” –Abigail Adams

“Hope is putting faith to work when doubting would be easier.” –Anonymous

“Out of the strain of Doing,
Into the peace of the Done.” –Julie Louise Woodruff

“The world is wide, and I will not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum.” –Frances Willard

Prayer is irksome.

If this isn't kindling for a long and loaded conversation, I don't know what is. My (wonderful!) small group has been reading and talking through C.S. Lewis' Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on prayer for the past few months, and it has been more than enlightening: it has been appropriately disturbing.



Here are a few excerpts from this week's reading...

"Well, let's now at any rate come clean. Prayer is irksome. An excuse to omit it is never unwelcome. When it is over, this casts a feeling of relief and holiday over the rest of the day. We are reluctant to begin. We are delighted to finish. While we are at prayer, but not while we are reading a novel or solving a crossword puzzle, any trifle is enough to distract us.

"Now the disquieting thing is not simply that we skimp and begrudge the duty of prayer. The really disquieting thing is it should have to be numbered among duties at all. For we believe that we were created 'to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.' And if the few, the very few, minutes we now spend on intercourse with God are a burden to us rather than a delight, what then? What can be done for--or what should be done with--a rose tree that dislikes producing roses? Surely it ought to want to?"

Wow.

My thoughts later... (Not that we are in need of my puny little thoughts after Lewis' profoundity, but it has been so stimulating to discuss these things as a small group that I thought it'd be neat to pass along a bit of what I've been processing. I wish I could hear your thoughts and insights and responses as well.)

Thoughtful and tasty procrastination

C.S. Lewis
"God is the only comfort, he is also the supreme terror: the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from...Some people talk as if meeting the gaze of absolute goodness would be fun. They need to think again. They are still only playing with religion."

Jonathan Edwards
"O sinner, can you give any reason why, since you have risen from your bed this morning, God has not stricken you dead?"

Sinclair Ferguson
"The holiness of God teaches us that there is only one way to deal with sin--radically, seriously, painfully, constantly. If you do not so live, you do not live in the presence of the Holy One of Israel."

~*~*~*~*~*~*

I should be grading a pile of finals (it's our last week of school), so I'm gonna share a couple of my new favorite healthy recipes instead.


Amazing Sugarless Cookies
(I can't rememember where I found this one... but I love it! And it makes for a great breakfast food!)

1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oats
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cloves
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup nuts

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. (And by the way, these are amazing with iced coffee!)


Carob Treats
(compliments of my friend Dustin Ceithamer)

Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan on the stovetop.
Add carob chips; stir until melted.
Add nuts and raisins to taste. (I personally love golden raisins, pecans, and sunflower seeds. And I add a lot of 'em, so my treats are chunky!)
Spoon onto a cookie sheet and top with drizzled honey.
Stick in freezer until set.

I make a batch of these weekly, keep 'em in the freezer, and eat one almost every day. =)


Chunky Slaw
(This salad and dressing were borne out of one of my playtimes in the kitchen. I love experimenting!)

Chop up and mix together:
apples
red pear
celery
carrots
broccoli
pecans
bean sprouts
raisins (or craisins)

Toss with dressing:
olive oil
apple cider vinegar
honey
lemon juice
liquid amino acids
freshly ground pepper
dash of salt
(Add ingredients to taste; my portions are always a little different every time I make this, but the combination has always been yummy! Just make sure you shake it up well before pouring.)

Photos of the Week

My nephew Beau...



My new creative outlet... (Don't laugh. I'm making this up as I go; if any of you have experience in watercolor-on-canvas, I'd love to learn from you! Here's my first baby. I call her "Trying." But look! You can tell those are clouds and mountains, can't you?!)

Ridding myself of the "with" gods

I am loving my (albeit, very slow) trek through the Old Testament. This morning's "stop-and-meditate" verse was Exodus 20:23.

"You shall not make gods of silver to be with Me."

I've always known, "You shall not have any other god before Me" and "You shall not worship any other god besides Me," but here He says: "You shall not make gods to be WITH Me." The NIV reads, "alongside Me."

On a good day, I may not worship something or someone else more than God, but I'm sorely tempted (on a regular basis) to worship a few other things and people right alongside of Him. To make them equal with Him, as if He could ever have an equal.

In Psalm 50:21 God says, "You thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you."

Lord, You have no equal. Make my thoughts of you BIG today. Enlarge my heart to have HUGE emotions for You. Far outweigh my other loves, commitments, desires, and thoughts. Only then will other gods lose their power.

Photo of the Week

Monday we melted down in a pre-summer heat wave (101 degrees). Thursday afternoon it snowed. In Redlands, California. In the middle of May. I was wearing a knee-length skirt, short sleeves, and flip-flop heels. Have you ever crunched through the snow in flip-flop heels?

Here are a few camera-phone pictures from my drive home and my walk up to my condo.

Beautiful

Her face was weathered,
Wrinkled, altogether
older now.
Facials and lotions,
Expensive beauty potions—
She had turned them in,
For in the end
When life was done,
She wanted her heart
To be the most beautiful part
Of her.
Sure, she missed that second glance—
That look of romance
from the men—
As in her younger days,
When beauty’s ways
Were upon her.
But now people stared long and hard…
At her heart,
Radiant on her face.
Plastic beauties who saw her walk by,
Envied her, the life in her eyes,
Which sparkled, undaunted by aging and time;
And almost mesmerized,
They asked her
The reason for her smile.
And she would—smile,
And then tell them…
(Oh, she told them) of the One
Who made her beautiful.

"Always be prepared to give an answer for the hope that lies within you..." (But are we giving them a reason to ask??)

Gnats

I’m convinced that God has a sense of humor—where else would ours have come from?—and because He is God, it is an infinitely perfect sense of humor. If you’re ever in doubt, start looking for the comedic elements throughout Scripture. They will, at times, have you laughing out loud.

Take, for example, the poor Egyptian magicians who tried to compete with God in the Plague Showdown of 1446 B.C. I crack up every time I think of them trying to outdo Moses, and in the process, making their own water bloodier and land froggier. I mean, turning their staffs into snakes must have impressed the people (even if they were swallowed up by Moses’ serpent in the end). But were the Egyptians really applauding as they watched more of their drinking water bleed and picked twice the frogs off their bodies? Thanks a lot, guys.

However, when it came to gnats, these chumps were out of their league. Snakes, blood, and frogs were kid stuff. Gnats were obviously for the pros. Or should I say, the Pro.

Exodus 8:18 says that “the magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not.” I wrote a note in the margin of that verse that reads, “Why did You decide to stop the magicians at gnats?” It’s hilarious!

But it’s also such an evidence of God’s amazing sovereignty and control. He determines the exact boundaries of His enemies’ power. They have no more influence than He allows them to have. Whether it be gnats in Moses’ case or life-and-death in Job’s case, God says, “This is where you stop,” and his enemies stop.

I love the story of Abraham and Sarah. Love it! But I’d never noticed the humor of Genesis 18:13-15 until Beth Moore pointed it out in one of her Bible studies. Sarah not only lies to God but also argues with Him. Listen in…

“The Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh and say, “Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?” Is anything too hard for the Lord?’ But Sarah denied it, saying, ‘I did not laugh,’ for she was afraid. He said, ‘No, but you did laugh.’”

Again, hilarious! Can you imagine? (Oh, wait. I can because I’ve done it myself. Sounded just like that, too…)

“I did not.”

“Did too.”

“Did not…”

God has determined certain events, He has promised certain things, and there’s no way He is going to be frustrated by us humans—and our hilarious ridiculousness. Sarah’s faithless laughing wasn’t going to stop Him. Moses’ enemies weren’t going to show Him up. And He is not wringing His hands over the messy details of our lives today. “He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live” (Acts 17:26).

I don’t know about you, but this quiets my heart and helps me enjoy the adventure the Lord has planned for me!

“The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; You hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.” Psalm 16:5-6

To the anonymous giver of $500...

Thank you with all my heart. What an unbelievably generous, beautiful, and timely gift!

Were you aware of my need? I assume so... but whatever your motivation, you will never understand how tangibly the Lord cared for me through you. It's a gift I will never forget.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Your Maker is your husband." Isaiah 54:5

My heart is bubbling over tonight. No. Not bubbling over. Full? Overflowing? I guess what I'm feeling is described in the words of Isaiah 60:

"Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy..."

As John Piper says, joy isn't complete until it is expressed. But then, it's so hard to put into words my happiness in my Heavenly Bridegroom; I wish I could adequately boast in the One who has loved me perfectly and completely, provided for all of my needs, filled my heart with His joy, planned out my days in His loving sovereignty, and graciously allowed small sufferings along the way to woo me to Him (to make sure I don't settle for lesser loves).

How I love Him.

And to the anonymous giver of $500: Thank you for letting Christ love me through you.

"What is that in your hand?"

I have a pile of bills to be paid.
Several piles of papers to be graded.
A laundry pile that I've endearingly nicknamed "Mt. Everest."
A pile of soil in the back seat of my car (flower pot tipped over).
And a list of calls, texts, and emails to be returned... two weeks ago.

I just washed a pile of dishes in the sink tonight.

Just like yours, my hands are very full. Sometimes it's "fun full." Juggling a theater rehearsal, dinner party, and a coffee date doesn't exactly stress me out. But I admit, my enthusiasm wanes just a bit when it comes to paying bills, grading, and keeping that dentist appointment. It can even feel like spinning my wheels, causing me to ask the age-old question, "What's my motivation?" Shouldn't life be more... well, "more"? What's really being accomplished in all my daily tasks and obligations?

And then Exodus 4:2 reminds me that God uses the mundane and even monotonous to accomplish His awesome, holy purposes.

In response to Moses' objections to leading His people out of Egypt, God asks Moses, "What is that in your hand?"

"A staff," Moses said.

Or a red pen.
A bill.
A phone.
A load of laundry.

"Throw it on the ground," God instructed.

So Moses did, and it turned into a snake.

"Put out your hand and catch it by the tail"--so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand--"that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you."

Sure the circumstances are a bit different: God was preparing Moses to perform awesome signs and wonders with this simple staff. But how much more could we, filled with God's Holy Spirit, glorify God and see Him do wonders in our lives when we simply offer to use what's in our hands?

Last week I dragged myself to Wednesday chapel. I was dying to "ditch" and use the time for other things: grading, running errands, catching up. But I knew I should be there. A student cornered me afterward to ask me some amazingly deep life questions. God was working in her heart, and we talked through our lunch break--even got teary-eyed together as we realized God had ordained a very special conversation. And I walked away with a very full heart as I realized that being faithful in a mundane responsibility meant an amazing ministry opportunity.

How many times have I missed such opportunities? Too many to count...

Lord, help us be faithful to wash these dishes, pay these bills, clean this house, talk to this person, and finish this task--with the confidence that You will take our humble service and use it to Your great glory and for Your awesome purposes!

32

Sunday was my 32nd birthday, and I celebrated with Mickey Mouse. Lol. I'll always be a kid at heart.

But on a more reflective and meaningful note, I've compiled a list of top joys and journeys of this past year of life. Most of you won't weather the entire list, but it's been a wonderful exercise for me to compile and post it, reflecting on and boasting in God's great goodness and blessings--even in the midst of life's stresses and challenges. I am loving my thirties!! God is faithful...

In no particular order, here are 32 of "my favorite things" from this last year:

1. Returning to the stage after a seven-year absence! (see #2-4!) Yay theater!!
2. "Noah and the Ark"
3. "It's a Wonderful Life"
3. "Snow White"
4. "The Visit"
5. Returning to the classroom last August.
6. Discovering I actually love 8th graders! (I'd always sworn it was the one grade I'd never teach.)
7. Taking my annual trip to visit best friends in Washington, D.C.
8. Moving back to Redlands (I love this quaint little town! You can't go anywhere without seeing someone you know. Just like Mayberry.)
9. Continuing my voice lessons with Guy Babusek in Orange County. Guy is fabulous!
10. Renewing some old friendships and making some new ones (Dustin Ceithamer, Sarah Beth Mollner, Tai Wazdetsky, Erin Allen, Tim Mahoney, Sarah Ayotte.....). These dear ones have greatly encouraged me in the Lord, made me laugh my head off, taught me oodles, and inspired me to keep growing and living my life to the fullest!
11. Living with two amazing roommates, Sarah Day and Merea Price--two girls who have patiently loved me, encouraged me, forgiven me, and taught me so much by their lives of faith.
12. Breaking free from some major spiritual strongholds!
13. Talking to, learning from, enjoying, and adoring my mom in huge ways.
14. Hanging out with my not-so-li'l siblings: Katy (14), Christopher (12), Nathan (10).
15. Road trips, outings, and heart-to-heart talks with big siblings: Jonathan, David and Heather (due with Lil Langley in August!).
16. Laughing with and learning from my dear dad. He is still such a provider and protector for me.
17. Trips into L.A. and Hollywood.
18. Memorizing chunks of Scripture to music.
19. Celebrating my Papa's life at an amazing coronation service last June.
20. Receiving grace upon grace and forgiveness upon forgiveness from too many people to list here.
21. Karen Race's visits here... and my surprise visit there for her 30th birthday.
22. Attending too many theater shows and productions to count. Makes me so happy!
23. Hosting dinners and brunches and lunches in my home(s). Such a joy!
24. Angels baseball. Gators football. Enough said.
25. Running 2 miles on a fairly regular basis. (This is a big deal. Be impressed.)
26. Getting a pixie haircut. Scary, crazy, risky. Bows and flowers are lifesavers.
27. Shopping at Trader Joe's where several employees are now my friends.
28. Disneyland trips.
29. Cleansing for two weeks. (This included giving up coffee and living to tell about it.)
30. Loving my church family and seeing God do awesome things in our midst! (A shout-out to my amazing small group!!)
31. Missing best friends who are faithfully serving Jesus around the world.
32. Enjoying my Lord in new and precious and rich and deep ways. He has filled my heart with a greater contentment and hope than ever before. Knowing, loving, and serving Him is such an adventure!

A roommate, a marriage, and a mission field

Our dorm rooms were across the hall from each other during my first year of college, but for all practical purposes, we were roommates. Some called us inseparable.

Nina was sunshine and laughter (still is), and we packed in more memories in those days than seems humanly possible now. Staying up all night helped the cause.

Nina met the man of her dreams at our college (San Diego Christian), and my initial dislike for him quickly turned to admiration and respect. Brooks and Nina were perfect for each other (still are), and shortly after God blessed them with little Beau, He sent them to minister to a remote tribe in the heart of Papua New Guinea.

You can read of their amazing adventure on their blog (link to the left). And pray as this precious tribal people hears the gospel for the very first time.

I wish bestest friends wouldn't move away. But eternity will show how necessary it was that they did.

The Importance of Gender

This last week was Spring Break... and a much-needed visit with best friends in Washington, D.C. One of the highlights of this annual trip is attending Karen and Carlynne's church, Capitol Hill Baptist, where Mark Dever pastors. His sermon on Sunday was phenomenal--a must-hear! =)

Click on the link and enjoy!

http://chbcaudio.org/