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.

Widows in their distress

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress..." -James 1:27

I was listening to a podcast one day when this verse came up in the discussion. The host mentioned that we, as Christians, really love this verse, especially the part about orphans. We sponsor starving children from third-world countries, we help out at fundraisers and events to raise money for orphanages, and some people even go to the point of adopting these children and providing them with a safe and loving home. While all of this is wonderful, we do not do very much to care for the widows. Why is that? I have a few ideas, but I am not entirely sure. What I do know is that they do not have easy lives. Think about your great-grandmother (or grandfather, or an elderly person in your church, or the next-door neighbor...). What are a few little things that would make a big difference to this person? It may be as simple as just sitting down and talking with them. Having a simple conversation, listening to their concerns, desires, feelings, etc. and offering some of your own. Or playing a game of cards. Or delivering some groceries. These are not hard things, so why aren't we doing them?

Check out this video, which inspired this post. The Seales are in the process of adopting a little girl from Ethiopia. As part of the adoption process, they participated in a Both Hands Project and made the day of a widow in their community. So cool.

A Few Updates

Hello! Happy February! :)

Starting this past Sunday (January 29) I have been taking a break from facebook. It completely eats up my time and I don't like that at all. There are so many other things I could be doing. So I made a plan. For seven days, I would not go on facebook or twitter. We're coming to the close of day five and it's gone really well! I am proud to say that I have not logged into either of those sites since Saturday evening.

In the meantime, I've been spending more time on pinterest (follow me here) and reading other blogs. To find inspiration, I looked at my sister's blog and the ones that she follows, and discovered a few that look really interesting! Maybe I'll share some favorites at a later date, after I've read more. If you have a blog, hit me up with the link! I'd love to read your thoughts.

Also, I am planning to start my cooking challenge this weekend, so keep an eye out for that!

Learning to Cook

I really like the idea of cooking. Food is great, and cooking is fun, plus it is an important life skill. The problem is, I never do it. And, since I've started Pinterest-ing, I've found even more recipes that I want to make! Gah!

Source: http://cookinginstilettos.com/2009/08/09/julieandjulia/

 I really want to come up with some cooking challenge type thing that will help me improve my cooking abilities and keep me accountable. I don't need to be the next Julia Child or anything even remotely close to that. These meals will not be gourmet, but they also will not come straight out of the freezer. At one point I was going to make dinner for my family once a week... that lasted about two weeks. My current thought is that maybe my goal will be to will make a recipe (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, dessert, whatever) once a week. Unless I have a realllly good excuse not to do it one week. But it would have to be at least twice a month.

I think this would be realistic and allow for lots of freedom while still challenging me. What do you think? Also, if you have any delicious (and fairly easy) recipes to recommend, send them my way!

Talent Show

In case you didn't know already, people are really talented. It's so cool to see some of the things that different people are able to do! Seriously. It blows my mind.

Here are some super cool and gifted people I've discovered within the last week or so that I think you should know about too!

1) Jenny & Tyler.
Jenny & Tyler are a married couple who love Jesus and have a band. They are fantastic musicians, and their lyrics are pure truth. Check them out at jennyandtylermusic.com. If you like what you hear, sign up for their email list and get some songs for free! P.S. If you live in or near Newberg, they're gonna be performing at George Fox in a couple weeks.

2) Blimey Cow
Two brothers, Jordan and Josh, make funny (yet so true!) youtube videos. And there's a new one every week, so if you become obsessed with them and watch all of them in a day, no worries. There's more to come :)



If you like this one, I strongly suggest that you go watch some of their other ones on youtube! If you don't like it... well... God likes people with bad senses of humor too. :)

What great talents have you recently discovered?

Decisions, decisions

People say that your senior year of high school goes by fast... and they are right. Seriously, there's only one more week left of this semester. I am halfway through my last year of high school! It's actually a really unbelievable, overwhelming, and yet exciting feeling.

In August, I'll be heading off to college. Where... I'm not sure yet. I have applied to and been accepted to two great schools. It's not too long until I have to commit to one of them. The thing is, decision-making is not my strong suit. Actually, I kind of hate making decisions. It's hard, and scary, and I don't want to make a mistake!

The problem I'm having is that these schools are really similar, and I think I would do well at either one of them. One of them is quite a bit more expensive than the other... but that one is also much closer to home.

If you wouldn't mind taking a second to pray for me, that I would make the right decision, I would be really grateful. Also, if you have any advice about choosing a college, please let me know!

Thank you so much! :)

Random Q&A Fun Time!

I'm back! Due to an extremely busy last couple of weeks (dance performance, homework/projects/tests, work, etc) I took somewhat of a hiatus from blogging. But, now that Christmas break is here (yay!) I finally have time to post.

A few weeks ago, I asked my friends on facebook to give me some random questions to answer for a fun, getting to know me, blog post. Several of them responded. Here are my favorites:

1. Are socks and sandals okay?
Personally, I don't wear socks and sandals together. I really don't see the point of it. But I guess there would be a few times I could excuse it: a) There's an emergency and you need to run out of the house as fast as possible. b) You're just going out to get the mail, or take the dog around the block, etc. c) You are having a lazy day and you really don't care what you look like. Other than that... just say no.

2.  What is your favorite movie, and why?
Favorites are like the hardest questions to answer ever. I love so many movies, it's really hard to pick just one! Also, my favorites tend to change very frequently. But if I have to choose my current favorite movie, it would probably be Despicable Me. Funny + adorable + well-written + animated = a nearly perfect movie. :)

3. If you were a cartoon, who would you be and why?
Jessie the Cowgirl, no doubt about it. Ever since I saw Toy Story 2, I have loved her. I don't know why, I just do.

4. If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?
One superpower I would love is the ability to stop time. How great would that be? For one thing, you could use it to do something you want to do or need to do, for a longer amount of time! There's not enough time to finish your homework? Pause. You want to sleep another hour before getting up? Pause. You could also use this power to pull some awesome pranks on people. Think about it.


5. If you had to live a month with no tv, cell phone, computer, movies, technology in general, what would you do and where would you do it?
This is a really good question... I am a child of the digital age, so I have never had to face this dilemma. Even when the power goes out, after a few minutes, I'm bored. If I was suddenly transported back in time 100 years, or converted to being Amish, I would definitely read a lot. I love reading, but I don't do it very much. Hopefully I would also spend a lot more time outside, going on walks, maybe doing some gardening or something. And I could do a lot more baking and cooking (again, something I am interested in, but rarely actually do). In a way, this actually sounds like a lot of fun.. but I've read enough Amish romance novels to know that it is a lot of work too :)


6. How would your life have been different if you'd had three brothers?
If you know me at all, you probably would not use the word "tough" or any of its synonyms to describe me. I am often called "soft," "sweet," and "quiet." If I had grown up with three brothers, I'm sure I would be much more tough and probably more competitive than I am. Other than that, I'm not sure. That's not really something I can know without actually living it.


Do you wear socks with sandals? Do you want the ability to stop time? Are there any other random questions you'd like me to answer in a future post?

Dear Santa...

I am a list-maker. To-do lists help me when I am stressed and overwhelmed. Shopping lists, of course, make sure I don't forget something really important at the store. If I try to pack for a long trip without a packing list, I go crazy and practically have a mental breakdown. So, yeah, I like lists. And now, with Christmas coming, it's time for a new list! These are not necessarily things I am expecting to get, just a few ideas for anybody who might be wondering what I'd like. :)

1. A nice black soft shell jacket. This really seems like a necessity for living in Oregon. It's warm, water-resistant, and looks nicer than a sweatshirt for times when you want to look a little more put-together.

2. Some cute scarves. I love scarves, but I literally only have two. They are a great way to make a simple outfit more interesting, plus they are warm! (Do you sense a theme here?)

3. Gift cards. Especially for Amazon (Kindle books!) and itunes, but really any gift cards will be used :)

4. Cash. Because nothing says "I love you" like a tall stack of Washingtons.


So there you have it! But remember, this list is not exhaustive. :) What's on your Christmas list this year?

Oh For Joy--A Music Review

Happy Belated Thanksgiving! I hope you laughed a lot and ate way too much pumpkin pie! :)

One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is that it officially marks the beginning of the Christmas season. After the fourth Thursday in November, it is generally acceptable to play Christmas music and put up red and green decorations everywhere, and nobody can complain because it's after Thanksgiving.

As part of my planning for this glorious holiday, I went on itunes a couple days ago and filled my wish list with new Christmas music to buy after Thanksgiving. The only full album I bought was David Crowder Band's Oh For Joy.

First of all, if you are familiar with DCB's music, then you already know it's going to be great. If you're not, let me tell you a little bit about it! The album is short, sweet, and to the point (just like me! haha. short jokes.). Eight songs in total, and while none of them are original songs, the arrangements definitely bring something new to the table. "Angels We Have Heard On High" bursts out sounding like a hoedown, complete with fiddles and banjos (the band does hail from Texas). But if you're not a country music fan, don't let that turn you away. There is something for everyone here, all the way to "Carol of the Bells" performed on electric guitars.

All in all, this really is a great album. If you love Christmas music, go get it! Seriously. It's only $6.99 on itunes. How can you pass that up?

A Little Inspiration For You

If you have not listened to the music of Gungor, you are really missing out. Really.

So for today, I want to share this video of one of their many amazing songs. It's a little on the longer side, but I really encourage you to listen to the whole thing if you have time.

P.S. If you ever get the chance to see them live, do it! I was fortunate enough to see them last month and they blew me away.

Enjoy!

Privileged

This year, my school is undergoing a lot of changes after receiving a large grant. A brand new astroturf football field has been installed, and the baseball and softball fields are in process now. Portable buildings are being taken down, new classrooms and courtyards are being built... it's going to be a pretty snazzy place when it's done. I think it is great that our school is upping its game and making it a better place for students to learn. But it frustrates me when I still hear students and teachers complaining about the poor quality of the school's technology, or the lack of electives offered.

It can be easy to think that in order for students to be successful, the schools have to have the latest technology. However, that is not true.

All of these pictures were taken at schools that I saw during my trip to Honduras this past June. None of them had electricity--that means no computers, no Active Boards, and no lights. They had windows to let in light, and school only meets during the day, so why would they need electricity? None of these schools had turf fields either. A dirt field or an open clearing will do just as well. But, amazingly enough, the kids that we saw were still learning.

I hope that this post doesn't come across as overly cynical. I understand that technology can be a very useful tool in education. I just want people to realize that it is a privilege, not a right.

What's in your bag?

NiceGirlNotes is my favorite new blog. The author, Roo, is adorably hilarious. I'm sad I only just found this blog, but I found it at a good time! This week, NiceGirlNotes is hosting the What's In Your Bag linkup, a fun way to snoop without feeling guilty :)

And now, without further ado.... my bag!

I love my purse. My dad bought it for me in Cambodia when he was visiting Rapha House, an awesome charity that saves girls from the sex trade and helps them recover. The girls learn life skills, including sewing. They make these purses and sell them for an insanely cheap price. And, in addition to the cool back story, I think the bag itself is so cute and fun. Who doesn't love elephants? :)

I was surprised after emptying my bag how few things were in it. Normally I would have receipts and candy wrappers and spare change floating around in the bottom, but this was legitimately everything that was in it.

Here are all the items in a general left-to-right, top-to-bottom order (more or less):

1. Burt's Bee's Lip Balm (the "replenishing" kind.. nowhere near as good as the original)

2. Trident Original Gum (possibly my favorite gum!)

3. My keys

4. My wallet from Honduras (look at me being all cultured!)

5. A Red Cross flier about giving blood (i'm not by the way)

6. My ghetto phone

7. CD Case for what is currently playing in my car

8. My iPod

9. My Kindle, inside its pink case

Well, there you have it! Apparently, these are the things that are important enough for me to carry around all day. Or at least this day. If you liked this, look inside other people's bags or play along yourself! Here is the link: http://www.nicegirlnotes.com/whats-in-your-bag-linkup