Different Translation. Helpful Truth.

I read this in The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges and found it both interesting and provoking. Bridges references the "Kenneth Wuest translation" of the Bible (he's someone who originally was a part of the team that created the New American Standard Bible). Sometimes hearing truth phrased a different way is very helpful to me.

2 Corinthians 5:14

"For the love which Christ has (for me) presses on me from all sides, holding me to one end and prohibiting me from considering any other, wrapping itself around me in tenderness, giving me an impelling motive."

ESV "For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised."

Enchiladas Redux

Every Tuesday I get to cook for anywhere from about 8 to 15 of some of our closest friends. (Plus any who come after dinner and raid our fridge for leftovers or sandwich fixings.) It's quite a different kind of cooking than the usual cooking for two I do with just Dre and I in our little home. We both love being a part of the KG and learning about God with them. Making dinner for them and sometimes with them is just an added bonus in the year or so since we started doing "KG Dinner" before our meeting starts at 7:30.

I posted this recipe a while back but it's oh so yummy and with the food processor Grandpa and Grandma gave me for Christmas last year it was easy to multiply for a larger group. It's made an easy new baby meal to bring and is just all around tasty. My allergy has increased my enjoyment of tasty, simple, flavorful food that can be enjoyed just as well without dairy. (This could be converted to gluten free easily too if you changed the sauce--or made your own--and used corn tortillas instead of flour.) Plus since I have a less significant allergy to tomatoes and enchilada sauce is traditionally made with peppers and not tomatoes it's even better for my little silly tummy.

Mom's Chicken Enchiladas (Eating for Life cookbook)

Ingredients

• 4 portions chicken breast (approximately 1 lb.)
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 3 cans (10 oz. each) green enchilada sauce (red if you prefer)
• 8 corn tortillas
• 1 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a 9" x 13" baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Boil chicken breasts.--Drain and cool but do not let them get too cold. While still warm shred chicken by pulling apart with two forks. Set aside. [This is when I put it in the food processor. When it's that much chicken, chopped is just as good as pulled.]
3. Lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Add green onion, cilantro, and jalapeño; saute for 2 minutes. Add shredded chicken and 1 can of enchilada sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. About 5 minutes.
4. Pour the 2 remaining cans of enchilada sauce into a medium bowl and microwave until warm, about 2 minutes. Dip each tortilla in the heated sauce and fill with about 1/8 of the chicken mixture. Roll up and place, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish.
5. Pour remaining heated sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until enchiladas are heated through and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes or less.

(Approximately 50 minutes. Creates 4 servings.)

Extra bonus of KG dinners? Miss TayTayBoomBoom makes dessert for us every week. I don't think I've made dessert since she joined the group after high school. It's a treat and something that everyone in our group has come to enjoy and expect when they see Taylor's face at the door.

Tay made a giant cookie with KG-memories written on it and also a pumpkin pie this week. She's the bomb.

Thanksgiving (5) Hope. Forever.

And finally, on Thanksgiving itself, we are so thankful for the eternal hope we have through the grace of God. There are so many rich quotes full of the truth of what that means and so many verses that I could use. One that struck me a few weeks back when I read it was the quote below. It's in a book that the history major in me is loving because it combines primary source documents with a few pages of preface for each section and traces the solidifying and defending the doctrine of Christ. I am so grateful that even in a world that despises God and often the belief in God that through His grace I know that He is real and I live for a life after this one and a world that I was made for where there will be no more tears, no more pain, and no more death. I just love the way this quote puts it as Ignatius defends against the idea that Jesus did not really come to earth as fully God and fully man.

"But as for me, I do not place my hopes in one who died for me in appearance, but in reality... He was crucified in reality, and not in appearance, not in imagination, not in deceit." Ignatius in "The Epistle to the Trallians'" quoted in For Us and For Our Salvation

Thanksgiving (4) Technology in 2009

It may seem like a small thing but on certain days I can't help but think of how different life would be without what I consider "modern technology." Life is so busy and full right now but at least for me and several of my friends the majority of our days are spent on the computer. The fact that I can "chat" my friends and still experience meaningful conversations that both challenge my heart, make me laugh, and keep us all in touch is such a unique part of the blessing of living in 2009. I can't imagine how much more I would miss Pate if there were no g-chat conversations or group chats with her and Rach or text messages to be shared to include her in Jan's labor. I can't imagine how much more I would battle with being a supportive and God-fearing wifey without being able to IM Jan on a rough day of battling my heart. I can't imagine how much farther away my little seester would feel without random texts back and forth and being able to know that she tells creepy guys that hit on her that her name is "Rebecca." (I'm flattered... I think?) I love being able to see what's going on with Diana via FaceBook or keep in touch and watch baby Lucy grow on Beth's blog.

Technology can be a distraction and an unhelpful one so much of the time. But at the same time there is much about it that I am grateful for and grateful for the tool that it can be for good things.

Thanksgiving (3) Care Group...Plural.

Goodness. Can we imagine our lives without the KG? I don't think so. I never would have expected, and I'm sure Dre couldn't either, what exactly leading a care group of 18 year old singles would be like. We never would have expected how these "kids" (:-P) have wiggled their way into our hearts, how much we love the ease with which they take over our home on Tuesday nights and eat our pickles, and the provoking way with which they are seeking to live their lives in a manner worth of the calling they have received (Ephesians 4). I never knew how dear the girls in particular would become to me. They are my friends; I love all 16 of them and love knowing each of them and living my life along side them. I love laughing 'til we cry in ladies meetings, meeting for lunches and coffees and random chat time in parking lots with them. Goodness. I am so grateful that God created this group and let us be a part of it. KG, we love you.

As care group leaders we get to be in a bonus care group: our marrieds care group led by Josh and Kelley Murphy. Again, we had no idea how much we'd fall in love with this group or be affected by the fellowship and help we've already received in it in just a few short months. The affect it has had on our marriage is going to be long-lasting I am certain of it. Some of my favorite times this fall have been laughing together at the kitchen table at the Murphy's and being challenged on the deck at their house as well. It's a joke in our group of friends to say that "God knows your size" meaning that God knows exactly what is best for you. This care group has truly been an expression of God's provision for us in knowing exactly "our size" for these months of waiting and wondering. There just aren't words for how grateful I am for this group and that we get to be a part of living life with these people. We love you guys.

Thanksgiving (2) Work

It's been a season of waiting and wondering what the future holds especially for my dear Andreecito. One way that God's provision has been very real and tangible has been in providing work for us.

I love my job. Working for and with the people of Sovereign Grace Church of Frederick has been a dream job I didn't know I had. My bosses are the best in the world who not only are skilled at their jobs but care about the people they serve and me. Mondays tend to be one of my favorite days of the week because I get to sit with them, laugh with them, and learn from them. It's certainly a unique situation working all together but from three separate locations but for now it has worked and I am grateful for how God has built this church. My job is certainly unusual in the fact that I work for a church I love but am not a member of and my job description is kind of an "all of the above" type of position but it has been such a wonderful, at times challenging, and fun job.

Dre has been faithfully pursuing work and possibilities " in the meantime" while we wait and I'm so challenged by his willingness to work at things that aren't his preference and get up each day and leave the house in order to faithfully provide. I'm so, so grateful to God that He has recently provided him with a job that he enjoys at the Montgomery Mall Apple Store.

Like the quote I posted last week said: "God’s grace has given wonderfully, but not wastefully; freely but not foolishly; bountifully but not blindly." And goodness. I am grateful for the provision of His grace evident through work and the enjoyment of work.

Thanksgiving (1) Each Other

After spending a full 24 hours with each other how we can we not start "Thanksgiving week" without expressing thankfulness for each other? I can't even put into words how much different marriage has been that I expected and I'm sure Dre did too. It's been way harder but so, so much richer and fun than I could have imagined. I am so grateful that in what God has ordered for our lives in the last year + of being "in between" and of waiting that I have had Andree to hold onto. He has been a tangible expression of God's goodness, provision, and love for me. The way he has specifically pointed me to the cross and to truth over the last few months has been one of the biggest helps in this "season."
It's been a busy few months and we're looking at more weeks ahead with little time together and little time for each other other than saying goodnight. We spend more time together when we're asleep than we do during the day--but hey at least we have that. :-) I'm so grateful for how hard my husband is willing to work to provide for us and to pursue work in a way that demonstrates grace-motivated diligence.
I love you darling. More and more every day. I'm so proud of the man you are and the man you desire to be. I respect you much and can't wait to be aware of how much more God has done in and through you next year.

we're anything brighter than even the sun
(we're everything greater
than books
might mean)
we're everyanything more than believe
(with a spin
leap
alive we're alive)
we're wonderful one times one
--e.e. cumming

I'm an Aunt!

I told Jan that if all I got for my birthday was a little Meeper I'd be happy. And she delivered. (No pun intended?) Goodness. I just can't stop saying how amazing tonight was. My friend was a champ and simply incredible. And little Audrey is beautiful. What an amazing, amazing experience being there tonight was.*

Love you Remy's--all 3 of you now!

*Special thanks to my patient hubby for letting go of his plans to surprise me in order to allow me to be there with my best friend welcoming her first little one into the world.

look where I'm planning to spend much of tonight??

Getting ready for some Meepin'!

Recent Favorite Quote

"So he supplies perfectly measured grace to meet the needs of the godly. For daily needs there is daily grace; for sudden needs, sudden grace; for overwhelming need, overwhelming grace. God’s grace has given wonderfully, but not wastefully; freely but not foolishly; bountifully but not blindly." (John Blanchard)

Homemade "Starbucks"

We're moderate coffee drinkers in this house. We can't compete with Seth's 19 cups a day (maybe I'm exaggerating...) but we enjoy the taste and the benefits of a cup of joe or two every day. Since Dre used to work at Starbucks and since we both enjoy a little specialness to our daily coffee I thought we'd enjoy this frugal tip I found on the kitchn blog.

make Milk Foam without a foamer or any special tools...
1. Fill a jar with a lid with as much milk as you usually put in your coffee.
2. With the lid on shake the jar for all you're worth for about 30 seconds or until the milk has doubled in size.
3. Remove the lid and microwave for 30 seconds.
4. Pour the milk into the coffee, hold the foam (on top) back while you pour, and then top with foam.


And boy do we enjoy this! So fun and so real. It's like having Starbucks without paying a penny. Try it for yourself!

(Another idea from the same blog is this make-your-own pumpkin spice latte for those who have the hankering outside of when Starbucks has it on their menu board.)

Imperfect Surprise

Last weekend Dre had job training for his new part-time job Friday-Sunday in Annapolis. He had to be there by 9 am and wasn't scheduled to be done until 6pm over the weekend (meaning he would be leaving before 8 and not getting home until after 7). That essentially meant that my dear hubs and I would barely be able to see each other essentially until Tuesday when he had the morning off of his other part-time job. (Have I mentioned my love is a hard-worker?)--So knowing I would be very sad to not see Dre for that long I made a plan. I found a hotel near where Dre's training was, made arrangements for us to be "covered" where we were supposed to have Saturday night, and did my best to keep it a secret. (The hardest part is not telling him that I have a surprise cuz then he might figure it out.)

My plan was to drive to his training site, sneak into his car and leave a note with the address and then meet him at the hotel hoping he'd be completely shocked. A slight hiccup was when I made the choice to go to the hotel and check-in before going to leave a note in Dre's car. Dre called me as I was pulling into the hotel parking lot an hour-and-a-half before he was supposed to get out of training. I got really flustered and made him sit in the parking lot at a Koon's for 10 minutes while I made up something. I used my iPhone to email him a map link to where I was and told him to come meet me for dinner. While he wasn't totally surprised in the end, he was very surprised that I was down there and that we were going to have a night to ourselves so it was worth it even if it was imperfect. ;-) -- We had a great night just being together. We did a little shopping and then got Carrabba's to-go since I wasn't feeling very good and ate dinner in bed and watched a movie. While it was just a quiet night and not a huge romantic weekend, it really was one of my favorite times in the last few months. I love just being with my husband and don't get to do it nearly enough these days. I'm grateful that this period of extreme busyness won't last forever but also grateful for how much it's revealing about my husband's diligence, perseverance, and just general increibleness. I respect him so much. And love him tons!

(Me & My Man in Florida last November.)

So anyways... point of the post, other than to share a fun weekend in our life, is to share about Aloft Hotels. We stayed at the one near BWI which is right at Arundel Mills. For the price (under $80 with tax!) I loved the hotel; at a regular rate I would have still liked it a lot. (If that makes sense, it does to my wifey mind.) We were impressed by the cleanliness, modern take on essentially a Sheraton, and, even though we didn't wind up having time to check it out, any hotel with a clean indoor pool is a bonus for Dre. Hooray for hotel deals! Even if it wasn't at my favoritest favorite hotel in all the land. ;-)

One Night 4 Years Ago...

My wonderful man proposed to me. The proposal was perfect, everything I wanted (which essentially boiled down to him, with a ring hopefully, and I wanted to be surprised). I didn't care if he did it in the parking lot of Wendy's (where I first knew I loved him) or anywhere that suited us. He chose the World War II Memorial in DC where we frequently went to talk or "re-set" whenever we needed a change of scene. Anyway, I thought of posting the letter I gave him that night (I had written in eight months before) after we were engaged, but after reading it today it felt too personal for the internet. ;-) So instead here's the email I sent to my aunt with the details of our perfect proposal. I love remembering and seeing how much our love, that felt so big then, has grown and increased in its depth and maturity over the few years since and knowing that by God's grace it will only continue to grow.

"So anyways...The story...
Andree told me sometime early last week that he was going to take me out to dinner on Saturday for our "ninth-a-versary." (We first got together on February 9, 2004 and for the last few months have been taking turns "celebrating" it by little dates or big dates or whatever our budgets, time, and creativity allow for.) Wednesday was the ninth but we had Alpha (an outreach program at the church that he is a leader in) so that's why he told me we'd go out Saturday. I didn't think anything of it (and for good reason since Dad didn't give him "permission to ask me" until Wednesday!) because he likes to take me out on dates and try and make me guess where we're going, etc. (I hate guessing so I rarely oblige him.)
Mom was acting a little fun early in the week (ie. on Thursday she plops down on the couch next to me and starts going on and on about how yesterday had been the ninth and wanting to know what we had done or our plans to celebrate, etc. when usually she never remembers the ninth, etc.) but was out of the house on Saturday all day. I was a little suspicious during the week and on Saturday morning that maybe Dre was gonna propose that night but by the time we went out to dinner or at least left dinner I had no concerns or suspicions that this would be the "big night."
Dre picked me up a little bit after six and we drove down to Georgetown. He had made reservations at this very nice and romantic restaurant called Sequoia (apparently there's one in Manhattan too). Our reservations were for 8 but we got there early and our table was ready so we ate at around 7. It was a nice dinner. Good food. Good company ;) and just nice to be together on a date after a busy week. At one point during the dinner I think I told him how grateful I was that I knew him so well for some reason or another -- in my head I was saying it because I had made a point of looking him the eye and trying to "read" him and I was certain that there was nothing he was hiding from me or nervous about so he couldn't be proposing tonight. Sometime on the way out I patted his pocket too to try and see if there was a ring in there but didn't feel anything. I didn't really check but somehow I was convinced.
After dinner Andree drove over to the World War II memorial where we tend to wind up on most of our dates. We have a "spot" there that we like to sit and talk and just enjoy being quite and alone in such a beautiful place. When we got out of the car I had to pee soooooo bad. Like seriously. It was an emergency. The memorial has a nice, unusually clean bathroom next to it so we stopped there before walking to the memorial. When I came out of the bathroom he was crouched down tieing his shoe. I thought he looked so cute like that I asked him if he was planning on getting on one knee when he proposed to me someday in the future. He kinda looked at me and was like "Uh... Do you want me to?" I told him I did not knowing that he was going to moments later. Andree led me over to "our spot" and honestly this is where I should have been suspicious. He was walking really fast. I had to tell him to slow down. And there was no looking around or taking in the memorial tonight. He was very focused on getting to this one spot immediately. I didn't really think anything of it though. ... So we get to our spot and he's hugging me and telling me all these things he "likes" about me. I thought the whole "like" thing was a little weird since he had told me he loved me a few months back and while we were careful about using that word we did use it and this was a very intentional use of the word "like". He then said something about Devon stealing his proposal line (one of our friends got engaged last Saturday) but how he had come up with some of his own. This whole time I'm just kinda like "yea ... ok ... sure ...", thinking we're sharing a special moment but nothing huge. Then he kinda looks at me and goes "sooooo..." and gets on one knee!!! That was whoa. That's when I knew -- obviously -- what was happening. And he told me he loved me and that he was so amazed that when God made him he had made someone perfect for him and when God made me he had made someone for me too and asked me if I would marry him... and I nodded.
So that's that. The whole she-bang! And now it's all typed out and I can send it to anyone else who asks me for it. I love my ring. I love my boy. I'm still in shock that this is real. I can't believe we're really attempting to plan a wedding. I'm doing my best to not do much other than get the date and the sites lined up before I finish this semester."

(One of our engagement pics taken by Mark & Jen Schaefer. Way back when before there were two little gorgeous Schaefer girls running around. :-))

Love you Baby! Thank you for asking me to marry you and for being the perfect husband for me. I love you so and can't wait to continue making memories and celebrating special anniversaries with you.

(Post-engagement. Happy.)

Fall Dinner: Pecans, Chicken, Squash

I actually made this for the first time as a KG meal I think over the summer. But we ate it the other night and it was a lovely, and easy, fall-feeling dinner.

Pecan-Crusted Chicken from Rachael Ray
- 1 c. pecans, toasted (I've never toasted mine...)
- 1/2 c. bread crumbs
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (~ 1 1/1 lbs.; like with other recipes I usually pound the chicken to make it thinner and make it go a bit farther, it's more like chicken tenders that way.)
- 1/4 c. honey mustard (I usually just mix up my own)

• Preheat the oven to 400.
• Grind the pecans into fine crumbs in a food processor (or crush however).
• Mix pecan crumbs, bread crumbs, and basil together. Season with salt and pepper or any additional spices that sound good. (I usually add a bit of paprika because I use plain bread crumbs.)
• Rub each chicken breast with honey mustard and then coat with pecan mixture.
• Place on a nonstick baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake until cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.

This past week we had it with acorn squash with sage "butter" and made it all the more seasonal. (Though actually I didn't have any sage so it was browned "butter" with maple syrup.) I've got a bunch of squash I bought at our Farmer'sMarket's last week of the season. I'm using it up slowly.

Squirrels Like Baseball Too

Well now that the World Series has ended I have to admit I actually kind of miss the non-stop baseball watching in this house. (Oh don't worry. We're not confused. We know the Nats weren't in the Series. We found ourselves in an odd position of having to choose to root for the Yankees or the Phillies. Andree's heart in particular was very conflicted.)

Our dear friend and pretend-extended-family-member Rach (aka the Squama) showed this crazy squirrel to us (found on the Mental_Floss Blog) and considering it was perhaps one of maybe five YouTube videos Dre's actually ever willingly watched I thought it was blog worthy. We haven't seen anything this exciting at a Nats game. Sometimes there are giant owls with handlers at the stadium but that just frightens me. A lot. I'd rather seen a crazy squirrel try and do the army crawl.

Enjoy! :-)

Come Back?

I'm thinking this blog should be revived. Somehow. Someway. At least with more than every four month postings.

For now, check out Dre's photography blog for what the Hubs did two weekends ago: he was a real deal professional wedding photographer for a couple in Arlington. (Pictures HERE!) So proud of my man and so impressed by how hard he works. The last few months Dre's weeks have often gone far beyond Monday-Friday 8-5pm.

and PS, encouraging read of the week: "Sometimes faith is little more than a simple clinging to Christ in a sense of utter dependence...God gives his people the propensity to cling. Though this is a very simple sort of faith, it is a very complete and effectual form..We can cleave when we can do nothing else, and that is the very soul of faith." (Spurgeon, Triumph of Faith)
Add any and all of your favorite "but God...!" verses (Ephesians 2, Titus 3) to that and oh man, what power and majesty are displayed on the cross and in the "everlasting arms" (Deut. 33:27) of our heavenly Father.