trust.

recently, i was in the car and heard an interesting story on the radio. it was a short blurb about a man who had traveled to india to work with mother theresa (or something along those lines). he met with mother "t" and asked her to pray for him for clarity.

she said, "no, clarity is the last thing you're holding onto. i have never asked for clarity, but always asked for trust. i will pray that you will trust god."

i sat listening, shocked, and convicted.  i can't tell you how many times (recently) i've prayed for or asked for prayer for "clarity"... "discernment"... "understanding", when maybe i should have been pleading for a heart of trust. i don't think there's anything at all wrong with seeking clarity from god, sometimes he wants us to ask for it, and he wants to give it to us.  but the problem comes when, instead of trusting god in every situation or circumstance, we focus too much on trying to "discern" the situation...which is what i do all to often.

maybe clarity is the last thing you or i am holding onto, and not giving over to god. he requires trust, not understanding...

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
(proverbs 3:5-6)


Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
(psalm 20:7)

He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD
(psalm 112:7)

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
(isaiah 12:2)


May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
(romans 15:13)

his sovereignty.

"the sovereignty of god is the biblical teaching that all things are under god's rule and control, and that nothing happens without his direction or permission. god works not just some things but all things according to the counsel of his own will ("it's in christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. long before we first heard of christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone." ephesians 1:11)
-borrowed from www.theopedia.com (emphasis mine)

god is sovereign, and we are so blessed because of it. this doesn't just mean he's got a great plan, and if we're lucky enough we'll find out what it is and get to follow it. this means everything, literally everything, goes through him first. there isn't a blessing, or any form or discipline, crisis or suffering that doesn't go through him first.

while sometimes comforting, that's also a hard pill to swallow. most christ followers (well most people for that matter) believe when they're blessed it's from god, and that's absolutely true. but as followers do we also believe that when tough stuff comes along it's from god too...and he's doing it or allowing it as "part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone"?

i'm in the middle of studying isaiah and also in the middle of a sermon series on job, and whoa, god allowed some pretty rough stuff go on. but it wasn't because he hated his people in judah or because he hated job. it was because he loved, loved, loved judah, and job (and you and me for that matter). in the case of judah god used discipline to bring his beloved people back to him, he even used war and hostile take overs to get their attention! in job's case, god used job's suffering (the suffering satan himself was allowed to bring to job) to bring himself glory.

this certainly doesn't explain the mysteries of god's awesome power and plan, but it certainly gives us greater insight into who he is. he is our father, who loves us enough to discipline us when we get off track. he is our king who deserves glory and honor for ever and ever. he is also god...he is creator...he is sovereign.

i want more than anything to look back on my journey and realize that even the times when i told god to shove it...he was there. when i told him i could do it on my own...he never left. when i was hurting from sin and separation from him...it was because he loved me enough to let me learn for myself. and when i went through growing pains...he was disciplining me.  to learn that there is nothing, nothing greater than following the most high, sovereign king.

"... i will extol you, my god, o king, and i will bless your name forever and ever."

psalm 145:1

bad blogger.

confession: i haven't blogged in almost a month.  i am a truly pitiful excuse for a blogger. i derserve no blog followers (not that i have hardly any now) and no blog comments (again, rare occurance) and slap on the writst!

o.k. now that i'm finished beating myself up we can all move on.

i've been so busy since school started back that i haven't had a chance to share my ever-so-exciting life with you friends.

the most exciting thing that's going on at the moment is that it's almost fall! fall is the most superior season, for so many reasons. you get to wear sweaters and scarves, watch horse racing in kentucky, carve pumpkins, and drink warm beverages while you try to find your way out of a corn maze. sounds fabulous doesn't it?

it's not officially fall yet, but this past weekend was the first uk home game of the season so it's pretty much the unofficial start to fall. uk played my alma mater, wku. the tops got beaten miserably, but we held our own and i had a great time with all my beautiful friends!

other fun things this weekend included my church, center point, turning five years old! we had a big celebration in the park with lots of food, fellowship and worship. the best part of the evening was this magnificent inflatable.

if you're ever torn between this jesus inflatable or any other inflatable. go with the big guy. he's a crowd pleaser.

i'm also working on a new fun craft project! i'll share all the details once it's complete, but i'll say now that it's going to be adorable, sentimental, and will warm my heart and body.

i have a whole stack of recipes waiting to be cooked, including this one that i can't stop thinking about.

this is "pasta with tomato cream sauce" by the amazing ms. ree drummond, aka the pioneer woman. if you've never checked her blog out check it out here, you're really missing out!

I am also currently dreaming of owning a new fancy camera. my birthday is soon (how old will i be you ask? none-of-your-dang-business. that's how old i'll be. now be quiet and never speak of this again.) so maybe this fancy new camera will somehow get worked in with that ever so important national holiday. (wink, wink) i'm also going to be visiting portland oregon in a few weeks, and there will surely be much to tell after that trip!

happy monday friends!

wednesdays = greatdays

snack

i love wednedays! it's that nice little day that falls right in the middle of the week. it's halfway to friday. it's my "off" day from the gym. it's just a good day.

as i'm typing this i'm snacking on my THIRD (in the last 10 days) batch of black bean salsa!!!! again...sickly obsessed. i made it similarly to the recipe i shared here, but this time used a can of mild rotel instead of just plain ol' diced tomatoes and it really heated things up!

WHOA my tongue is a tinglin'!

i also added the juice from half of ona these babies...a lime!

limes just put you in the mood for margaritas, or coronas, or really any delicious summer drink paired with yummy mexican food...

so anyway, yeah the lime really kicked the salsa up a notch

score = perfect 10




dinner

last night i also prepared a delicious dinner. there is an upside to cooking for just one - it's all for me!!!!!

• i simply sauteed some garlic in E.V.O.O. (extra virgin olive oil) and added about 24 medium raw shrimp (with the tails still on 'casue i'm tryin to keep it fancy) just a couple of minutes later the shrimp are plump and pink and juicy looking. i moved the shrimp to a plate.
• to the same pan i just added a tad more e.v.o.o. then threw in some chopped onion, sliced zucchini and corn (straight outta the can!) i just sauteed all this until the veggies were slightly tender, added the shrimp back in until everything was warmed up, sprinkled on some salt and pepper and voila! you're ready to eat.
• just for kicks i also added the juice from the other half of my lime and some chopped cilantro at the end. OH EM GEE. it was delish.

i ate half and threw the other half in some tupperware to bring to work for lunch today (another reason why wednesday=greatday) this meal was soooo flippin' good, and all around pretty healthy and low cal! if i've said it once, i've said it a thousand times, i'm a good chef (and humble too)

on a side note, but related story: while at meijer purchasing the goodies for my dinner i clearly chose the wrong check out lane. i always choose the wrong check out lane. always. after i had unloaded my goodies onto the conveyor belt i notice something strange i hadn't notice before i unloaded all my goodies. the lady in front of me had approximately 40 cans of pringles and 20 packages of pickle snack packs. i am not exaggerating. i wish i was. this alone would have been weird. but, it. got. weirder. the lady then proceeded to check out. in five separate transactions. each with a coupon. each with cash. it took ten minutes. i could do nothing but stare in disbelief and calculate the time it would take me to remove my goodies from the conveyor belt and choose a new checkout lane. i stayed. i prayed for patience. and giggled.

people are SO weird.
 .

treat

I also discovered a fun new blog this morning courtesy of yahoo! news page. thanks yahoo!

her name is marisa and she is my new bff.

her blog is entitled "new dress a day". just click on the blog title to discover your new bff too! she basically got the idea from the Julie & Julia movie/book. she takes one thrift store found dress a day, and transforms it into something new, exciting, and totally cute every. single. day. for $1!!!! her plan is to do this for an entire year, 365 days of amazing sewing projects! she's on, like day 262 right now, so you can scroll through days and days and days of history to get amazing ideas for yourself! this girl has got talent! and she's really funny and super cute so you will definitely want her to be your new bff. definitely.

stuff i like.

4. salsa. black bean to be precise. HOMEMADE black bean salsa (if you want to get technical)

i am obsessed.

i've made two batches in the last week.

it it delicious, fresh, and it just tastes like summer! it's so easy to make & so easy to eat...

it would be a crime if i didn't share how to make this perfect snack with you, so here ya go:


Black Bean and Corn Salsa:

• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 to 1 (depending on how much of a pansy you are) small can diced jalapeno peppers
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• A few full sprigs of cilantro (or a lot more if you're like me and cilantro makes your heart sing with joy), roughly chopped
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix all this glorious-ness together, grab some corn chips (or a spoon!) and ENJOY! 

YOU'RE WELCOME.


5. teeny bopper stores, in particular FOREVER 21.

don't judge me.

you know you like it too. trendy tops and jewelry for cheap as far as the eye can see, you'd be crazy not to like it.

But, alas, there is no FOREVER 21 in lexington.

this makes me sad.

maybe we should start some sort of petition or letter writing campaign..."bring FOREVER 21 to lexington!"

i am willing to start this up, but need some support.

6.  peanut butter + nutella + wasa crackers = heavenly concoction created by god to bring joy to his children.

it's a simple equation, really. my friend amanda, who is in dietitian school, introduced me to this amazing snack.

she said it was dietitian recommended.

step 1: remove one whole grain wasa cracker from package.
step 2: spread peanut butter onto cracker.
step 3: spread nutella over peanut butter.
step 4: eat it.

i'm am NOT joking...it tastes like a kit kat bar!!!! but it's actually healthy and can give you energy, and when you eat it, you reach new heights of pleasure formerly unattainable through ingestion of a snack.

it's good.

daily expect the day of god, eager for its arrival...

"Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness." - 2 Peter 3:11-13

this verse is convicting. god reminded me as i was doing my bible study homework last week that i should anticipate his return and my place in his eternal kingdom just as i would anticipate any upcoming journey, and i should be prepared.  my bible study is doing an awesome beth moore study on the book of daniel, the second half of daniel is filled with prophesy from visions and dreams god gave to daniel while he was in captivity in babylon. it is awesome, exciting, and a bit challenging at times. studying eschatology ("a branch of theology concerned with the final events in the history of the world or of humankind" - merriam webster) can be overwhelming, but i've discovered it is essiantial to study the truth of prophesy in order to "...look forward to the day of god..." what better way to look forward. anticipate.  eargerly except.  than to study what he says he will do?  when i am preparing for a trip i highly anticipate it, i am constantly researching where i'll be staying, looking for fun things to do, planning the route there, imagining all the fun i'll have...

do i do this with the journey i'm taking into his eternal kingdom?

and, equally as important... do i "live a holy and godly life as i look forward to the day of god"?

we are living in the world right now. but it will be in the blink of an eye before we're part of an eternal kingdom, a new heaven and earth. one that will not pass away. one that will be filled with wonderful things beyond our imaginations (1 corinthians 2:9)

my challenge is - do i live my life in a way that shows i am earger for the arrival of the day of god?  am i visibly "daily expecting the day of god"?

do i think & talk about the day of god as if it is the greatest journey i will ever go on?  because it is.

 

the war.

we are in a war.


we are soldiers in the fight for our LORD to be lifted high. HE WILL be lifted high. count on that, it's the ONLY thing you can count on.

my current battle is a huge sense of confusion, an unsettled feeling, which is slowly morphing into a boat load of unmotivated-ness, geez, laziness really.

i'm 26. i have a bachelor's degree. i have a career, a ministry to serve through, a community...

but is the place i'm at, the place i should stay?

i don't mean geographically, although that could very well change if god wills it, i just mean my place...in life. i've felt this way before, and either overcame it or brushed in under the rug. if i brushed it under the rug, well i guess it's resurfacing.

do you ever wish you could google "what should i do with my life?" 

well, don't because all you'll find is this book, which i'm sure doesn't have the answers i'm looking for. but since it was the #1 new york times bestseller, i'm going to guess other people have googled this same question.

there are a number of things that go through my head when i think of new paths (teacher, full time ministry, artist, student, nightclub singer, counselor, business owner, chef, lotto winner, homemaker) some of these are attainable with some work, and almost all of them carry some huge obstacles along with them, and some of them are just silly but hey, no dream is too big right?

basically, i just need to be quiet and listen for HIS WILL for my life...since it's not mine anyway.  please pray for a settled spirit, a peaceful heart, and an obedient will, that is aligned with HIS.