Refocusing

Taking the day to get away with God.


No long post for today!

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but 

let God transform you 

into a new person 

by changing the way you think. 

Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, 

which is good 

and pleasing 

and perfect.

Romans 12:2

Getting away to refresh and transform with my Jesus.

See you all tomorrow!

Happy Thursday + My First....

Happy Thursday blog world!  I am so glad it's almost the weekend, and I really love Thursdays.  Even though I have two classes left today, I have this lovely break that I'm spending at Barnes & Noble - arguably the most wonderful place in the world.  The smell of this place just calms me, not to mention they have books everywhere and Starbucks coffee.  Simply lovely.

Anyway, KA over at Medical School Mrs. just gave me my first Blog Award!  I'm so honored because I love her blog and have enjoyed forming our little blogger-friendship!

Well, this award comes with conditions (which I am so excited to comply with!) :

1. List 6 things you are a master in.
2. Pass it on to 6 bloggers you think are masters at friendship, and make blogging so awesome.

6 Things I am a Master in:

1.  Reading all of the time.  Especially Christian Romance novels. Since becoming an English major, I have been enlightened that these are not really quality writing, but they just are so wonderful!  One of my favorite authors is Lori Wick.  The first book I ever read of hers was The Hawk and the Jewel, and to this day, I go back and read my favorite parts of it, just for comfort's sake.

2.  Being the Biggest Bare Escentuals Fan ever.  Everything I use makeup-wise comes from them.  I have the Bare Minerals foundation, blush, warmth, and Mineral Veil (which is a must-have!).  I also have their liner-shadow, eyebrow color, lipgloss, and mascara.  Oh, and one of my all time favorite products is the Skin Rev-er Upper.  It's just glorious for your skin!

3.  Loving Billy.  I am so far from being the best wife, but I don't know that anyone could love my husband as much as I do.  Or at least, I'm glad to be the one who gets to love him best!

4.  Trying new recipes.  I am a master at trying but not always succeeding.  I love to attempt to be good, though.  (Check out my post, Gourmet!)

5.  Speaking Starbucks lingo.  I have got it down, people.  I'd work there if I wanted a job (and if I was hired, of course).  But seriously, they compliment me on it.  It's not really a gift - I think it's a learned skill from having such an addiction. 

 

6.  Using Parenthesis.  I think I use them all of the time.  They are quite useful!  I just overuse a little much.  If it bothers you, I sincerely apologize!!

6 Bloggers I'm Awarding:

Cait from The Blessed Life

Jane from Wishful Thinking

Amy from Our Journey Together

Taylor from A Little Slice of Heaven...

Anna from Small Things with Great Love

Carissa from Lowercase Letters

Again, Happy Thursday!  

Don't you love this picture?!

I can't wait for watermelon & summer!

(photo credit here)

honorable mentions:  Chelsie, Mandy, & Melissa have lovely blogs!

March Love List

Melissa over at Operation NICE just gave a "nice" assignment a couple of days ago, and I thought it was so adorable!

Write a March love list:

(What I love about March)

• The surprise I get when it arrives because of February's abrupt ending (28/29 days...)
• Spring Break (especially from Shakespeare)
• All of this rain (really, I do love it!).  I think its romantic...
• Change of weather just as we get tired of coldness and heavy scarves... Well, maybe not the scarves, but chunky stuff is out the window soon.  Can we implement scarves in summer?!

• In middle school, I designated March 12 as Snickers day and it caught on with my friends - we celebrated until we graduated high school!  I still like to eat one on my self-appointed holiday.

• March 12 is really Girl Scout Day!  I was one! Actually, I was only a brownie, but I have great memories of learning how to make homemade ice cream and learning pledges (I'm such a dork!).  But my favorite part about any Girl Scouts are:

• I really just love it because it's what is coming next.  I always get excited about the next season.  When spring is done, I'm ready for summer, and then fall, and then Christmas.... Anyway, I love life and I love new things!

My nice assignment really did make me feel nicer!  Try it!

What's Your Beef?

This month, our 18-20something ministry (Genesis) is doing a series called "Beyond" that focuses on outreach.  We're super excited because Billy (my hubby) is interning there as the Outreach Coordinator.  Needless to say, this is our heart.  If you read my blog, you'll find many posts about it because it is a passion that just overwhelms our lives.
I believe that many passions stem from things that we want to see changed - things that we have a "beef" with.  For example, I have one big issue (with smaller issues that fall underneath) that I hate:

Bondage.  I hate oppression - spiritual and physical.  Since I was young, I have connected with this verse as if Jesus had spoken it right into my heart instead of Isaiah's:

This is the kind of fasting I want: free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you.  Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. (Isa. 58:6)

Underneath this, however, there are some specific things that I feel a burning passion to change:

Child Prostitution.  Even now, I feel my blood boiling.  Can you believe this little girl has been sold for unmentionable abuse?  I have researched lots of types of this, and it is just terrible.  I want to do everything I can to spread the word and to make a change.  International Justice Mission is my favorite organization so far because they work on the political side to help make a lasting difference.

Girls who believe lies.  This is something I didn't know until the past couple of years that does fall under bondage.  Lies are told to girls and women by their parents, fathers especially, boyfriends, friends, and themselves.  I hate to see a girl that is oppressed because she believes lies about herself.  One of my passions in writing, communicating, and specific personal relationships is to boldly help girls and women find God and learn that he can give them freedom and love that they won't find anywhere else.  I believe this with all my heart, and it comes from the hate I have inside for Satan's lies and oppression and bondage in the hearts and minds of women.

Religions that teach lies.  This is at the Basilica in Mexico City.  There is a large courtyard before you reach the very elaborate cathedral.  And if you look in the background of this picture, you'll find people on their knees.  Nope, they're not thanking God for his forgiveness through Christ, they're paying for their own.  They drag their knees, sometimes until they bleed, in penance for their own sins, totally taking away the freedom Christ already paid for.  This is not the only religion that requires followers to work hard for rightness with God; there are so many.  I want badly for them to know God's true freedom.

What's your beef?  

Where's your passion? 

Gourmet!

Since I have become a wife, I have loved becoming a homemaker. Seriously. It may be weird, and perhaps it'll wear off (I doubt it!) but it's true! I love cleaning and laundry and organizing (and, like my blogging friend Amy, I get a little crazy at times).

Anyway, my absolute favorite part so far has been cooking! I received lots of cookbooks for the wedding, and I just love them. Don't get me wrong, I'm no Julie Powell, but I have been trying out lots of new recipes.

Here are some that went well, and/or not so well (but my husband will never tell me):

• Crispy-Skinned Chicken a l'Orange - this turned out lovely after we had to put it back in the oven three or four times. The chicken was pink and I had not yet bought a meat thermometer (consequently, I have one now).

• Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Vinaigrette - I made this on the same night. It was really good, but awful as leftovers. The asparagus became soggy and weird.

• Twice Baked Potatoes - I made these with Chelsie Denson and they were so lovely. However, potatoes take forever to bake, and doing it twice is just a lot. You can find a good recipe here - but if you need to know where to find prosciutto, don't ask me!

• Pork Tenderloin - Crockpot - I glazed this with brown sugar, lemon juice, and a small amount (teaspoon?) of Dijon mustard. Yum. The last hour that you bake it in the crockpot, drain the juice and add more brown sugar on the top. This had no complaints. Plus, it's a really great cut of meat.
• Pork Tenderloin - Baked - First, I browned the edges in a frying pan. Afterwards, I salted and peppered it liberally and put it in my Pyrex baking dish. I blended one can of Pepsi, 2 cloves of peeled garlic, and some salt, pepper, onion powder, and chili powder. Then, I poured that mixture over the meat and used my newly-bought meat thermometer to cook it until the internal temperature was 160. Wonderful!!!

Anyway, I am looking for something to cook tonight.

Any ideas? What is your favorite meal? Or what have you tried that doesn't work?

Let me know! I'd love to try anything!