Fasting

The idea of fasting has intrigued me for a while now. Not complete fasting (no food at all), more like the kind of fasting people do for Lent. Finding one thing, giving it up for about a month, and spending time getting closer to God. I am considering fasting from something during the month of May as a little personal challenge. I'm just not sure what to give up.

I thought about chocolate, but then I would just make up for that loss by eating other sugary things. I could give up added sugar entirely. It scares me but that's kind of the point of fasting, isn't it? :)

I've also thought about doing the social media fast (no Facebook, no Twitter, no Pinterest, maybe even no blog). Or maybe giving up any drinks besides water.

Have you ever fasted? What did you give up? What did you learn from it?

Home!

After a wonderful two-week trip to Thailand and Cambodia, I arrived home this last Friday night around 8:00 pm. I hope to write more later on some of the highlights, but for now I'll just give you a little sneak-peak of the trip.

 This kid was playing some tribal instrument at the market and ROCKING out!

 Some girls from a children's home working in the rice fields

Our day at Angkor Wat (the history of that place is amazing!)

Love God and do as you please

"Love God and do as you please." -St. Augustine

I have read this quote exactly three times in the last couple of weeks. First in a book by Robin Jones Gunn. Then in an article in Relevant Magazine. And finally on a Facebook post. I swear it is following me around! And if you know anything about teaching, you have probably heard that if you want your students to remember something, you should tell it to them at least three times. I don't really know if this is just a coincidence or what... but I do think this is something I needed to hear at this time in my life. I recently made a big decision about college. Even though I feel good about it, I still occasionally question myself. Did I make the right decision? What if God wants me somewhere else? Etc, etc.

Here is the full quote from Augustine:

“Love God and do whatever you please: for the soul trained in love to God will do nothing to offend the One who is Beloved.”

And that pretty much says it all.

Bon Voyage

If you didn't know already, I'm going on a trip to Thailand and Cambodia in a week and four days (March 15-30). I've been getting excited with it coming up so soon, but it still seemed really far away for some reason. Today we had a meeting with everyone who is going (9 of us total) and it is finally starting to feel so real! I only have 8 days of school between now and then, and one more full weekend. Aaahhh! Like I said, I am way excited, but pretty anxious too. I would love it if you would remember to keep my group and I in your prayers, both as we prepare and when we leave, for safety, health, and that we would make a positive impact. It's going to be a crazy awesome adventure and I can't wait to see what God will do.

Oh and p.s. if you have any great tips for surviving across-the-world flights, let me know. That's the part of the trip I am least looking forward to.

the journey continues!

About a month ago, I wrote about my frustration in choosing a college. Well, since then, so much has happened! I am so happy to say that I have decided to attend Northwest Christian University next year. It's a really great school, and I am looking forward to it so much! Just a few days ago I sent in my form of intent and a deposit on my tuition, so I'd consider it pretty official :) In the meantime, I have been applying for lots of scholarships. Can be tedious, but definitely worth it in the end.

BUT, I get a little break from school in three weeks (!!!) when I go to Thailand and Cambodia! Whaaat?! Three weeks. I can taste it. I'll be going with my parents and six other people from our church, as a mission trip/sight-seeing adventure. Please pray for us as we finish up our preparations for this amazing adventure!

True Love

Today, I am celebrating the One who loves me no matter what. The One who will never let me down. The One who gave up the most precious thing he had in order to save all of us. And I hope that you are too.

"I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." 
-Ephesians 3:16-19

Why did I not know this before?

I absolutely love flour tortillas. The best ones I have ever had were homemade in Honduras. YUM. So thick and delicious. They hardly even compare to the store bought ones.

So... for my first cooking challenge, I decided to make tortillas! I found this recipe by doing a google search for "easy tortilla recipe" (or something along those lines). Even though I have been wanting to do this for a while, I finally got up the courage yesterday. The results... success!

Not only are they delicious, they are so simple and fast! There are only four ingredients--flour, salt, vegetable oil, and water. Basic things, but they come together in a beautiful way.

Note: You will have to experiment with different thicknesses, but I found that I like them fairly thin. Not paper thin, but most of mine I made too thick and then under-cooked a little due to lack of patience. However, even slightly underdone, I would still highly recommend them.