I'm Carried to the Table...

God's Love in Action

2012-01-03T20:54:00.000-08:00

"But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" Rom. 5:8

Just felt led to share this: I am a sinner desperately in need of a Savior. and God the Father, in His great LOVE for me, has graciously revealed to my heart the fact that i AM a sinner and that He has provided a way out from my bondage of sin...through His Son, Jesus.

Also, now that i'm preparing to become a mother, I realize my child - though beautifully created in the image of God and precious in His sight - is also a sinner in need of a Savior. I pray i can be a humble, Spirit-led mother in my training of her and other future little ones...praying for them, instructing/ disciplining them with grace when needed (though i'll do so far from perfectly - that's why I'm desperate for HIM to help me), setting an example of living a life of daily repentance & worship unto the King, and Lord-willing guiding them gently unto a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

What do the words 'sin' or 'sinner' do to your emotions? Are you put off by them? if so, I pray this passage changes that for you. Understanding or comprehending the depth of our sin that separates us from God before salvation and even our tendency to battle real sin struggles as a believer should make us fall on our faces before the King in grateful worship for what HE has DONE, not shy away or water down the truth! on the flip side of the coin, we are not to focus more on our sin than on the One who has set us FREE and FORGIVEN us from all sin. A healthy balance of asking for illumination into our hearts, recognizing our desperate need for help, wrestling with sin struggles while also living in the reality of your RISEN Savior and all that HE has accomplished for you is essential. leaning on one side of the equation leads to despair and over-introspection while the other side can lead to weak Christians who don't think much of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

He's paid it ALL and, if you are in Christ, you are now counted forgiven, pure, cleansed, worthy, and RIGHTEOUS because of the blood of the Lamb. He took upon Himself all of our sin and exchanged it with His perfect righteousness.

Don't be afraid of these terms. Don't shy away from calling yourself a 'sinner' because that is what you are if you have not yet put your hope in Jesus and, Believer, that is what you were before you knew Him. even the truest Christian still sins daily and is in need daily of repentance and forgiveness. but now it's available to you, for you are HIS - the presence of sin remains until we are with Him in Glory but the power of it has been broken through the Cross and Resurrection and you are now a precious SAINT! Amen!!

The name above all names

2011-12-24T09:00:00.001-08:00

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." Matt. 1:21

...this verse brought me to tears recently while reading it with Luke during our nightly advent candle tradition. "...He shall save His people from their sins". one simple line. one universe-altering implication.

Thank you Yeshua (Jesus) for coming to this earth as a tiny babe born to a young unwed mother in the lowest circumstances; obediently growing up in a humble carpenter's family; working hard under your earthly father's loving tutelage while daily communing with, listening for, and walking in your Heavenly Father's perfect redeeming plan; ministering for three years to the lost, the broken, and the hurting on this earth; and ultimately giving your life away on that old rugged Cross...perfect blood spilled. sin & death defeated. all for me. for my sins. and for the sins of your people.

my heart swells with hope, gratefulness, tearful worship unto you, My Savior & King.

Merry Christmas! He reigns!!

I Heard the Bells

2011-12-19T17:21:00.000-08:00

so before you just click on the two links below, humor me by reading this lil post ;) i first heard this song while driving into work one recent sunny morning. since then, it's quickly become one of mine & Luke's favorite Christmas songs. the lilting piano strains arrested my attention. i guess you could say i'm an artist at heart - sensitive to outward stimuli, my environment, light, the seasons, and well...good music. something about this song captivated me. i was intrigued by the rather melancholy 'feel' to it. a few days later, i was listening to the local radio station and the dj was interviewing Mark Hall from Casting Crowns. listen to the interview below about the story behind the song, it's truly beautiful. then click on the youtube link below that to listen to the actual song. Merry Christmas, everyone.

Radio Interview: Background behind the Song, 'I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day'

The Song, 'I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day', Casting Crowns

funky Christmas party pics

2011-12-17T19:36:00.000-08:00

We attended the annual Coast Guard Christmas Party (organized by my amazing husband, might i add) and it was a blast! they had this little photobooth set up and we took some fun pics in it. one of my friends said they got a kick out of how Luke's facial expression barely changes from one pic to the next while i'm all over the place! haha!!!

Christmas Card 2011

2011-12-16T19:55:00.000-08:00

Foodie Friday #25

2011-12-11T12:34:00.000-08:00

Southwest Shrimp-Corn Chowder

This dish is perfect for a winter day. Of course, we really don't get those here in Florida, but it's delicious nonetheless! Beware: it is a tad on the spicy side, but you can modify that by changing the number of peppers used. I love a 'kick' to stuff so keep that in mind when looking over the ingredients! haha! It's rich & creamy without being in the least bit 'heavy'...no butter, no cream so it's healthy for you and packed with veggies. I serve it with tortilla strips and chopped cilantro on top alongside a crusty chunk of warm bread. yum!

Original recipe can be found HERE. my modifications are below...

~ used olive oil instead of butter

~ chopped a whole yellow onion instead of green onions

~ chopped a whole red bell pepper

~ chopped two serrano chili peppers and 1/2 of a poblano pepper

~ two cans of undrained green chilies

~ added a bit more flour than it called for since i added twice the amount of green chilies

~ 2 c. each of milk and chicken broth

~ 2 c. potatoes

~ a bit more salt than called for.

~ rounded teaspoonful of cumin

~ 1 (7 oz) can of Mexicorn (Green Giant brand of corn, red/green chopped peppers), drained

~ 1 (15oz) whole kernel sweet corn (NOT cream corn!!), drained

Using modifications above, follow recipe. Serve with homemade cheese quesadillas or fresh loaf of French bread. done!! freezes well for future dinners.

Christmastime is here...

2011-12-10T10:27:00.000-08:00

so decorating this year has been a work in progress. we've both been so busy with work and holiday/church events that this process began a few days after Thanksgiving and I just put the 'finishing touches' on everything today - two weeks later! oh dear. anyway, it's done now and lookin' mighty cozy around here. This is my absolute favorite time of year...the cooler weather (mid to low 60's for us Floridians), upping the 'cozy factor' in our little nest with all the lights and decorations, the joy of gathering with dear friends & family, the fun holiday treats (which i'm enjoying way too much! yikes!!), the Christmas movies, precious memories made, and most of all anticipating the birth of our precious Savior, Jesus Christ. I just read in the Word this morning that we live not as those without hope. We have HOPE. He was born long ago to a young unwed mother in a humble stable - a helpless babe come to save sinners and redeem the lost. All is meaningless apart from Jesus. It's all about Him! Hallelujah!! Gory to God in the highest and on earth, PEACE to men!! Please click HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE to view a few of last year's Christmas posts (ha! ya think i wrote enough about Christmas last year?! lol!) What is one of your favorite Christmas memories? Leave a comment about it! I can't wait to read them! I will share a few of my own in my next post. stay tuned!!! and...

Merry Christmas, friends!!

found this at a Michael's post-Christmas sale. couldn't pass it up!!

my 'Christmas' pillows...actually, they stay on my couch pretty much from

November-February!

a lovely poinsettia plant from my sweet friend/next door neighbor, Corrie.

we spend a lot of time in here so it had to get decorated, too! ;)

i can just picture our little 9-month-old being enthralled by all the lights next year!

haha! excuse the 'commode' in the left hand corner!

my little hedgehog friend, Henry.

one of the (many!) sweet 'teacher' gifts from days past...

a whimsical bunch of Christmas characters!!

aren't they precious?!

love this ornament...simple, elegant.

from Walmart. no lie.

bought this ornament the day after we got engaged at one of my all-time favorite Christmas shoppes, the Pine Tree Barn in Wooster, OH.

got this for Luke when we were long-distance courting/dating. we wrote innumerable letters to one another! i guess you could say we're a bit "old fashioned", he and I ;)

another beloved Pine Tree Barn ornament.

when we were engaged...young and in love!!!

made by the very talented, Katie Thomas!!

kinda dark but can you make out the letters? that's right: "K" for "Korday" and "G" for my new last name, "Grant".

aaaah, Paris...

Oh, Tannenbaum...

(the 'elegant tree skirt' is a simple burgundy fitted bedsheet from Walmart! haha!)

more fun with my cam...

i guess you could say my style is "old-fashioned, vintage Christmas".

beautiful Christmas card we got from Luke's grandmother last year.

My Jingle Bell Tree!!

gotta have a little touch of 'Santa' ;)

German hand-painted heart (stays on my doorknob all year round, actually)

and the cards have started pouring in...love it!!!

my latest 'holiday vice'!!

St. Nick & Frosty help make our hot drinks extra yummy!!!

goodie bowls!

vanilla candle resting atop Bon Appetit.

Christmas in Florida, baby!!!

sorry so blurry. napkin rings i got long ago as a single gal. glad i bought stuff on sale back then and kept a treasure chest of home goods. they are all coming in handy now!!

my "Christmas Newsletter" basket ~ found at Michael's for 50% off! woot!

love these iridescent creme & burgundy berries. they look good enough to eat!!

will have to keep them away from baby next year! ;D

Mary, swollen with Savior, on her way to Bethlehem.

my 'Cradle to Cross' Advent/Lent wreath. Thank you, Mom Grant.

please click HERE to find out more about this precious rendition of the traditional Advent wreath.

each night, Luke & I light the number of candles for that day of Advent. We turn on Rachmaninoff's Vespers and read portions from the Gospels of the Christmas Story. on the first night, we opened to the book of Matthew (chapt 1) and when Luke read verse 21,

"She will bear a son and you shall give him the name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

Silence. With tears in my eyes, i wondered why he had suddenly stopped reading and was thinking to myself, 'uh, babe. are you gonna keep going?" Then i looked over and he had tears in his eyes, too. We were both struck by that last line...He will save His people from their sins.

Thank You, Lord, for being not only a Holy Ruler God but also a Humble Savior God.

mulled cider ~ one of our favorite wintertime treats.

(apple cider, orange slices, cinnamon stick, grated fresh nutmeg, small handful whole cloves)

inside the little Victorian house i found at....yes...Walmart!!!

our Nest. my prayer ever since i was a brand-new bride is that our home would truly be 'home' to anyone who crossed the threshold. we pray that everyone feels welcomed, loved, and accepted when they come into our little abode, be it the road-weary traveler passing through, a new person at church who is trying to meet people and make friends, family members, the UPS guy dropping off a box and is offered the glass of water or lemonade, anyone.

last but certainly not least, my prized 'Willow Tree' Teacher Angel. reminds me of my teaching days of my past...and my future!!!

Disney Adventures!

2011-12-08T21:29:00.000-08:00

this past Monday, Luke & I got to go to Disney World with our dear neighbors, Harry & Diane. They are retired and work part-time there; hence, they can get friends/family in for FREE (and park hopper passes to boot!). We opted for Epcot & Hollywood Studios since baby 'n' I can't really go on any rides right now - a bit too bumpy for our liking ;) We enjoyed the lovely weather, shopping (Luke bought some adorable plush toys for his nieces - he just gushes over them...man, what is he going to be like with his own little girlie?! haha), watched a couple shows, and attended the Christmas Reading. It was (amazingly!) very Gospel-centered and celebrated Jesus' birth, life, and work on the Cross! In between the speaker reading from sections of the Gospels, the choir & symphony would perform ethereal versions of songs such as, "Oh Holy Night", "What Child is This?", "Oh, Come All Ye Faithful!" and the like. Near the end, he talked about Jesus being raised again and we all stood and sang the Hallelujah chorus with the choir. It was truly a highlight of this Christmas season for me, and probably in my life too. no exaggeration. loved to see the name of JESUS magnified, celebrated, and lifted up in such an environment! wow! Below are a few pics I thought i'd share. So have you visited Disney World and/or Disney Land? What is one of your favorite memories you have there? I would love to hear them in the comments below. thanks! (sorry for the weird orientation of pics at the end of this post - not sure what was happening! haha)

me, (baby!), and Diane :)

Hollywood Studios

Mickey's Magical Hat

me 'n' babes

yes, Disney has 'stroller parking lots'! we got a kick out of them!!

realistic-looking movie backdrop ~ San Fran.

Indiana Jones Show

We loved Beauty & The Beast!!

28 wks aka 7 mos aka 3rd tri!!

2011-12-04T20:13:00.000-08:00

Baby 'n' me at 28 weeks. Baby Girl Grant is a very active little thing, especially early AM and late PM (haha! times when mama wants to sleep!). She's quite active all around, though...punching, rolling, kicking, and her latest trick as of today is hiccuping! too cute!! She is now about 2 1/2 lbs and almost a foot in length. She has hair, eyelashes/eyebrows, and can hear, see, taste, swallow, suck, 'cough' (yup, babies in utero practice the swallowing and coughing reflexes) and touch. We sing to her, pray over her, and just love to talk to her. She seems to really respond to Luke's voice, especially. She loves it when i rub my belly - she gets very active. Baby Girl doesn't care too much for the Bella Band because every time i try to wear it, she kicks at it! too funny!! :)

I am currently reading many books. Some have been fantastic, some good, and some more as a reference guide that i refer back to if needed. you can find the titles on the left hand side menu, if interested. Luke & I are also taking a 12-week in depth Bradley Method birthing class. It's been wonderful!! We learn so much each week and our instructor is a Spirit-filled believer, wife/mother, and professional doula. We are considering hiring her for our little one's birth. Our prayerful goal is to have a completely gentle, natural water birth within the hospital setting. That may sound like an oxymoron to many of you, I know. But we actually feel the Lord has really led us step by step in finding a loving, supportive Birth Team who is willing to work with us and for that, we are humbled & thankful. My OB/GYN consists of an O.D. (Doctor of Osteopathy - fully licensed medical doctor who has a more natural, wholistic approach to health) and a CNM (certified nurse midwife). The hospital my OB/GYN works with also has a long-standing reputation of kind, caring nurses who really support natural birth and who strive to provide a warm environment for birthing. With all that said, the Lord has recently given me such PEACE about this whole process and is helping me to surrender it all to Him - He is in control and will guide this birth according to His perfect plan and by His gentle Spirit. I know I can rest in that truth. Thank you, Lord!

And I realize every mama has to find her own personal 'comfort zone' when it comes to labor & birthing, so I am in no way trying to promote 'my own way' in this post but rather simply sharing what we are hoping to do for our own family :) why, you ask? just because i'm so excited about everything and love writing about this beautiful journey, i suppose! and take heart, not every post from here on out will be baby-related! haha! I have a few other posts in the works totally unrelated to baby stuff that i'm excited to soon share with you.

Thanks for reading!

Signs of Baby

2011-12-01T17:41:00.000-08:00

here are a few of baby's things. some are heirlooms, some are treasures from my childhood, some are consignment shop finds, and others are precious gifts from friends who already love our little girl. We love her too and are pretty excited to meet her. Nursery is upside down right now but just thought i'd share a few photos representing our deep excitement & anticipation of...well...what's to come in our lives! Y

"Blue Baby" was given to me by my great-grandmother, 'Grammie', at the hospital the day i was born. I now get to pass her on to my precious daughter.

Phoebe & Percival were lovingly crafted by the very talented, Rebekah Hewitt.

I just know my little girl is going to love them!

these bears are very special to me. the one on the left remains unnamed and was given to me by my dear friend, Libby, who passed away tragically seven years ago. the bear on the right, also unnamed, was our first 'baby' gift. it came from our neighbors upstairs who are already 'surrogate' grandparents to our babe. they often ask me, 'So, how's our little girl doing?' :)

i bought this before i knew the sex of our baby but figured yellow duckies could totally go either way. fun consignment sale find. i also found there a bag of assorted bath duckies and registered for a duckie hooded bath towel & matching wash clothes. here's to hoping i'll get it. hee hee.

these are my "baby dedication" booties.

we hope to don our little girl's feet with them when her turn

comes around to be dedicated unto the Lord.

bought these on a whim at Anthropologie on a DC 'girlfriends' trip years ago.

never used them before and often wondered why i bought them in the first place, but now i know why ;)

splurged on these knobs (also from Anthropologie). actually, they were pretty affordable ~ $8 each. i figured that since someone blessed us with her dresser (that will also serve as her changing table), i could 'dress it up' with pretty paint & knobs. pics of the final product to come!

cute little card that came with gifts (see below) from Mighty Nest.

Thank you, Dr. & Mrs. DiBlasio!

natural toys! gotta love it!

This is the Air I Breathe

2011-12-01T10:27:00.001-08:00

wow. um, where do i begin? i have SO much to catch up on...memories, snippets of life, website links, pictures, ugh. I am the type of person that gets easily overwhelmed by picking up the pieces from a past project or venture (read: "blogging" in this instance!) that if i haven't kept up with that particular THING, I tend to just throw my hands up in the air and give up or at least push it on the back burner. I have this tendency to fear doing things halfway. I would rather spend three hours editing a beautiful montage of pictures and THEN post them rather than jut snap a few pics and post them. because it's time consuming to do things thoroughly, i tend to just want to throw in the towel and say, 'forget it. i don't have the time. it must not be worth it. " okay, i'm rambling, i know. the point is. I want to keep up with this blog. i want to post pics, write stories, share what the Lord's been doing in my heart/life lately, post more pics, share funny stories, etc etc. I just have been bad about laying down my pride in the pursuit of perfection and picking up a humble, reasonable mindset to just post something. the compositon/color/exposure of every pic doesn't have to be PERFECT. the grammar/wording of my shared thoughts don't have to come out PERFECT. basically....I don't have to try to be PERFECT.

I'm hidden in the One who already is.

That said...

I want to share a bit with you today. and hopefully, with the Lord's help, I can get back into the routine of writing on this blog. I love to write. I believe it's a gift the Lord has given me and my heart really is bursting with much to share. okay, where to begin...

let me just start with where Luke & I are at right now in life (i'll post some pics of our 'Christmas decorations', my latest prego belly pic, etc hopefully by this weekend. hang in there with the pics, people! lol!):

Luke is busy flying and heading up MWR (morale, wellness, and recreation) on base. He loves what he does - FLYING and helping people!! :) I am often reminded of Psalm 18 when it talks about how the Lord drawing us from the deep waters and setting our feet high upon a rock. I see how that's fleshed out in the physical realm through my husband's unique calling. In between keeping up the whole 'cool pilot' thing (hee hee), he's busy with duty, officer responsibilities, planning parties for the service members' families, and other fun events. Recently, his division secured box seat tickets to the Tampa Bay Lightning Game, Tampa Bay Bucs, Tampa Bay Rays, etc. yeah, he's good.

on a more serious note, I am seeing how the Lord is really growing him to be the man He's called him to be...a thoughtful, caring, observant man who loves to speak of what the Lord has done and is doing in his life (often not without a tear or two). He inspires me to daily get into the Word, to reach out to the new person or loner at church, to watch/wait/observe/pray more before speaking out (I am a Peter - verbal, impetuous at times!).

Apart from Jesus, Luke is my rock and is already a loving daddy. He prays over baby girl every morning and sings a special song to her. She will immediately kick and squirm at his voice. aah. I'm crying right now just writing all this. When he speaks to his daughter - still growing in the dark womb - I'm reminded of how my Father in heaven loves to speak to me, a babe still stumbling along in the 'dark womb' of this fallen world. I want to be still long enough to listen to His voice, to respond with joy. So many times, I shut out His voice with the din of my 'busy life'. oh God, forgive me. You ARE my life. Everything else is peripheral. Show me that in increasing measure. Help me.

Luke & I are very active in our church, Lifebridge. We love the people, the community life, the strong Gospel-centered teaching, and that fact that we are seeing good fruit both in the lives of our brothers & sisters there and within our own lives. I have never felt more compelled to see myself as a sold-out, radical missionary for the GOSPEL of JESUS CHRIST than in this particular season of my life. Before I'm a wife, a mother, a sister/friend/...I am His. He is Mine. I'm called to share the Good News, no matter the cost.

I am busy with holiday photo sessions, crisis pregnancy center work (i will quite my time there in January - have loved every minute of it and hope to continue serving there in the coming years, as the Lord leads), church responsibilities (currently serving in Sunday School and within our Women's Ministry), housekeeping, about a million different holiday crafts i committed myself to (haha!), hospitality, and of course...preparing for SWEET BABY GIRL! We just bought her crib (well, my in-laws graciously BOUGHT it for us - we just picked it out. Thank you so much, Gramma & Grandpa Grant!) and a cute plush recliner/rocker. We have everything painted and it's now a matter of setting everything up and adding all the final touches. I promise to post pics! :) We are taking a wonderful 12-week Bradley birthing class, touring the Birth Center next month, and reading/talking/asking questions/praying/preparing as best we can. Ultimately, it's in the Lord's hands...more on that in the next paragraph...

so for those of you who know me...you know i can tend to be a perfectionist (read: pride) and rather impetuous at times and yes, I even battle fear & anxiety (read: wanting to have control of [you fill in blank]). now some of you probably think, 'Man, Lizzy you really don't have to spill all of your dirty laundry on us. Everybody's got junk. Why are you telling us all this?" Well, I will tell you. This past week, our Pastor gave a wonderful...um, really stellar...message on the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit. Listen to it HERE.

You know those times when you're sitting in church and you sense the Lord is speaking DIRECTLY to you? Yes, it was one of those times. oh, and let me add that our women's ministry has also been going through a great book called Idols of the Heart by Elyse Fitzpatrick. Man, it's good. If you desire to know your heart better and how full of idols it is and how much your God loves you and wants to refine you and set you FREE from those idols, then read this book. Anyway, Pastor Joe talked about availing ourselves to the activity of the Spirit and allowing Him to take over our lives. Near the end of the message, I just began weeping (quietly) in my seat, my heart bursting with a deep desire to 'know and be known' afresh by my God. I hunger for more of the Spirit. I desire him to wrest the reigns of fear-based control from my blistered hands. I'm tired of trying to hold onto them. I desire to be emptied out of myself (fear of man, guarding my 'reputation', not wanting to be sold out in sharing the Gospel) and filled up with HIM.

At one point in the message, my pastor referenced the time when Jesus was fellowshiping with his disciples on the beach shortly following His resurrection. Picture it: it's a cool morning. a crisp gentle breeze blowing the sea into lapping waves on the shore, bare feet in the damp sand, a fire going with fish sizzling, a bunch of guys hanging out with the SAVIOR. laughing, sharing, crying, praying. some more laughter. Then Jesus turns to Peter and says, "Peter, do you love me?" Peter replies, "Lord, I love you." Jesus goes onto ask Peter two more times the same question. Peter finally says, "Lord, you know I love you." I can just imagine him saying this in a quiet, reflective tone of voice while looking straight into the eyes of Jesus. Keep in mind this is following on the heels of Peter vehemently denying the Lord with curses right before the crucifixion and again, looking up to find Jesus looking at him straight in the eyes. It's just like God to give us a second chance. When Joe quoted, "Peter, do you love me?" i heard, "Lizzy, do you love me?" Spirit penetrating, piercing with His characteristic beautiful pain. Something snapped. Tears followed. O Lord, I love you. Help me make time for you FIRST before anything else in my life. I'm desperate for you.

So this past week, I had yet another opportunity to see how the Lord is after refining my heart of idolatry and disgusting sin. A certain situation arose where I was tempted to give into fear and feeling overwhelmed. I attempted to try to 'fix' things in my own strength and perhaps stepped on a few toes in the process. My one dear friend said, "you need to stopping stressing over [xyz] and just let go." The truth of her words far surpassed the immediate situation at hand. It reflected my current struggle for control over the impending birth of my first child. yeah, it's great to pray, plan, read, prepare, take classes, and all the other great stuff but it doesn't 'fix' my heart to be in a place of worshipful surrender to my King. I am battling fear, trust, control, letting go.

This afternoon, I decided to get caught up on some birth class homework which included writing an "ideal birth story". I had read others and they all sounded so nice and tidy. I put my 'birth songs' playlist on and commenced to write out my own 'ideal' story. As i was writing everything out (trying to remember all the terms, tips, and techniques we have learned), my pen took a sudden change of direction and i scribbled down words that dealt with a hypothetical complication. I wrote about the fear of losing control of 'THE BIRTH PLAN', of something going on that was not merely just out of my comfort zone or my preference but something being 'wrong'. I have no idea where it came from but I just kept writing and then I began weeping. Yes, some of it was definitely pregnancy hormones making their lovely presence known, but I truly felt taken over by the Spirit in those moments.

Something was being birthed from deep within me. It was like I was delivering up some ugly chains of bondage that I didn't even see before. It was painful, healing, and freeing all at the same time. My pen then went onto talk about how I chose to cry out to my God and ask for His Spirit to take over. The problem was resolved but not without a few procedures having to be implemented that I initially balked against. The end was full of tears, worship, rejoicing, and the miracle of new life. Granted, this was a totally hypothetical situation. The real thing may go better or perhaps not quite like I would anticipate, but what this time of pouring out my heart onto paper - motivated by the Holy Spirit - showed me was it's ALL about Him. He will ultimately deliver this child. He will draw her from the dark place...just as He done for me. i was reminded of Psalm 18. check it out HERE. I went back and read it through my veil of healing tears. Then, my 'birth songs' playlist played, "Breathe". check it out HERE. the Lord graciously ushered me into a time of repentance and sweet worship with Him. He is at work in me...He is wooing me out of my fear....just as He did with Peter.

I'm broken, fallen, and weak.

...but He makes whole, lifts up, and strengthens.

Well, that's where I'm at right now. more to come!!

Thanks for reading.

Foodie Friday #25

2011-08-18T20:56:00.000-07:00

so it's late and baby & i should be in bed (in fact, this night owl girl who used to stay up until unmentionable hours of the morning...er...night has been going to bed for the past few months no later than 10:30/11:00!) but i'm waiting on a load of towels to finish the spin cycle so i can throw them in the dryer. plus, i've got a touch of heartburn and the LAST thing i want to do when this happens is lie on my back - yuck. anyway, i thought i would take this opportunity to write my latest 'Foodie Friday' post...a type of post that has not been written in a shameful amount of time! the recipe below is adapted from one given to me by my dear Coastie friend, Ivey. She and her hubby enjoying cooking together much like Luke & myself. it's SUPER easy, healthy, makes a ton, and quite delish! bon appetite!

Festive Black Bean Soup

yellow onion (1 large)

celery

carrots

garlic (i use 3 cloves)

4 cans black beans, rinsed (or soaked beans)

6-8 cups chicken broth (i used low sodium, organic)

salt

pepper

cumin

chili

hot sauce

garlic powder

whatever else strikes your fancy!!

chop veggies and pour into large stockpot. saute in oil until soft but not mushy. add black beans, broth, seasonings to taste. Cook for about an hour until flavors 'marry'. Stir occasionally. now, you can either serve it as is or puree in food processor or blender. We typically eat it un-blended. Serve over white rice to make a compete protein (optional).

'Festive' Toppings...

cilantro

chopped tomatoes

chopped green onions

assorted spicy peppers

black olives

avocado

sour cream

4-cheese Mexican shredded cheese or plain cheddar

hot sauce

whatever! :)

the 'healthy' version (Luke's!)

the 'yummy' version (with sour cream & melted cheese!)

a sampling of toppings!!

Me for Me

2011-08-18T15:47:00.001-07:00

odd post title, i know. but okay where do i begin?...today, i was driving to work and flipped on the radio - Joy FM for all you locals - and JJ Heller's "What Love Really Means" was playing. Her lilting voice and poignant lyrics serenaded my halfhearted-listening ears while I battled nausea/fatigue & weaving in and out of (crazy!) Florida traffic. Worked all day. Walked back to my car in the sweltering heat and again popped on the radio....wouldn't you know...same song, same exact moment of the song when i had turned on the radio this morning! no joke.

"Okay, God, what are you saying", I thought. So i decided to really listen to the lyrics this time. (as you are listening now!) The line, 'me for me' stood out. I began to realize how so much of my life has been taken up in sinfully striving for affection, admiration, applause, accolades (you know, all the A's!! haha!) for 'what i have done' or 'who i will (insert: wish to) become'...you name it, prettier, stronger, more accomplished, popular, loved, whatever. I tend to see my life as a stack of things i am proud to have 'achieved' (ie. college, career as a teacher, starting my own business, marriage, a baby of my very own on the way) VS things i regret, wish i was better at, feel that i'm lacking in: working out, physical beauty, past mistakes, wrongs done to others, ongoing sin issues, becoming better at MEETING MY GOALS (believe me, i am a type-A, get 'er done, goal-setting kinda gal. nothing wrong with that unless you worship it like i often do), the list goes on and on.

So...as the line 'who will love me for me?" flowed from my speakers on the drive home, i kinda slowed the car down, sighed, and then heard a voice inside say...

"I do."

It was Him.

His tender voice.

He accepts me...for me. Even when so often i can't accept myself for me.

I broke down into tears. I'm messed up, inadequate, weak, wandering, sinful, and yeah feeling physically worn down (despite my elation, gratefulness and deep JOY at new life growing inside of me!) and yet, in that moment, I was filled afresh with His sweet presence and knowledge of His abiding LOVE for me.

Really, it's not about me anyway. it's about Him and His love is what makes me whole, beautiful, worthy.

Thank you, Jesus. For fully accepting me as I am and loving me in spite of it...

time's a passin'...

2011-08-15T18:28:00.000-07:00

um, wow. I can't believe i haven't blogged (and done any 'real' blog posts at that) in a very long time...too long. So much has happened since May 30 (last post). Let me start out by saying i'm hoping to take more pics and keep this ol' blog going.

Readers, you are so kind to read my stuff and i sincerely apologize for not maintaining this blog better. Right now, i'm feeling a bit queasy (more on THAT later! :) and am staring at a pile of dishes and a sticky rice cooker all patiently waiting for a good scrub. I promise to post something interesting and/or exciting soon and do better at this thing. for now, good nite!!

love, Lizzy

Memorial Day Tribute, 2011

2011-05-30T09:40:00.000-07:00

Baby Crew

2011-05-27T22:14:00.000-07:00

My (second) cousin, Caitland, and her family just adopted a precious little boy from Rwanda named, Crew. and boy is he CUTE! check out their story below...

please click HERE.

Little Caleb

2011-05-26T12:25:00.000-07:00

our dear friends, the Masers, are in the process of adopting an adorable 9 month old boy from Ethiopia. In order to accept what's called a 'referral', they need to pay $8300 in exactly 7 days. that was two days ago. would you like to help bring little Caleb home to his forever family? please click Melissa's blog link below to find out how you can help. thanks & God bless you!

please click HERE.

Life is Beautiful

2011-05-02T20:08:00.000-07:00

yeah, this pic kinda touched my heart.

if you look closely, you can see how sun's gentle orb hugs her belly

...growing with the beauty of LIFE.

please click HERE to view the rest of this session.

and now for some comedy relief!! :D

2011-04-30T13:21:00.001-07:00

what we call 'food'

2011-04-30T13:04:00.001-07:00

below is a link from my friend Bethany's blog.

in her words, 'every momma needs to watch this'.

very thought- provoking.

please click HERE.

Arsons for Christ

2011-04-29T20:50:00.001-07:00

"Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire."

~ St. Catherine of Siena

This was quoted in the wedding ceremony of Prince William and his beloved Kate.

I pray that the Lord moves upon the hearts of this couple to truly set Great Britain 'on fire' for the Gospel!

highlights from the 'wedding of the century'

2011-04-29T18:52:00.001-07:00

3:16-3:18 is my favorite. you'll see why... :)

ahhhhhhhhh, this is the LIFE....

2011-04-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

can't remember the last time i turned on the TV (maybe during the Japan tsunami crisis on March 11??) or watched a movie (well, i did go to see Jane Eyre earlier this month & liked it!)...also taking a much-needed break from facebook for the indefinite future....and i'm LOVING every second!! my blog is slowly but surely returning to its busy old self with thoughts & ideas i am looking forward to posting about and i'm enjoying the time otherwise spent on social media or the boob tube to read, research, create, dream, plan, DO!! ;)

my lens is falling in love...

2011-04-27T19:23:00.000-07:00

if you can't tell by now, i kinda dig this 'brown sweetness' photoshop action ;)

this was a precious shoot...more to come.

Redeeming Love

2011-04-26T07:19:00.001-07:00

don't have much time to post but wanted to share this book with you. i am not one to read a ton of fiction - much less romance novels - but this book was recommended to me by a few close friends mature in the Lord when we would happen to be in casual conversation about 'good reads' ~ you know....books that catch your attention yet are substantive & redeeming. in my opinion, this is one of those. i loved it. the last few pages (including the author's testimony at the back!) are a bit wrinkled in places from falling tear drops. it's an allegorical romance based on the Old Testament book of Hosea and is also a picture of us & Jesus. that's all i'll say.

disclaimer: 1) since this book reflects the mature situation of Hosea & his prostitute/adulterous wife, these themes do comprise a better portion of the book. it is done very tastefully but due to the sensitive nature of Redeeming Love, i would recommend it strictly to married women (who find themselves in struggling or thriving marriages), previously married women healing from past wounds, or in some unique cases, single women whom the Lord has redeemed from a sexually sinful past but are still struggling with humbly receiving the full forgiveness & cleansing of the Savior. Although excellently written and tastefully composed, I would venture to say it is not suitable to just all single women - only the scenario mentioned above. I'm reminded of the verse in Song of Solomon, "Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires...." 2) i make it my personal practice to never read romance novels - even Christian ones - since they can be a snare/temptation for me to put myself in the place of the main character and then be tempted to have romantic feelings toward the male character in the book. just gonna throw that out there and be very honest. perhaps, many of you are stronger than myself in that area and this would totally not be an issue for you. but I can remember reading a slew of Christian romance novels as a teenager - they were very clean & positive but even still i struggled as a result and had to stop. i made an exception for this book based upon the good opinion of my godly friends & doing some personal research on the author and her books prior to reading one of them.

Resurrection Sunday 2011

2011-04-24T19:01:00.000-07:00

this morning, i woke up feeling blah...just plain old blah. you know what i mean...we all have those days. i was running a tad late to our beachside Sunday service (thanks to making a wrong turn and having to back track. and i couldn't find a parking spot to save my life and was forced to walk about a MILE to get there). needless to say, this 'drama' did wonders for my attitude. i seriously considered just driving home. pitiful, i know. here it was. the DAY had finally arrived. it was Resurrection Sunday! the day i should have been bursting to the seams with joy & gratefulness when all i felt was tired, worn down, discouraged, frustrated at stupid parking lots that said 'FULL' and feeling sorry for myself...I don't (yet) have a chubby cherub to call my own, so there was no yummy candy or pastel-colored Easter baskets or bonnets or exciting egg hunts going on at my house (although i do have some fun decorations that i'll take a pic of at some point and add them to this post). and, honestly, that kinda got me down. my husband was flying and that added to the gloom. all my family lives very far away and well that was rather depressing, too.

isn't this turning out to be a fabulous Easter post? hee hee. hang on...

so i *finally* arrived and let's just say I was so glad I didn't make that u-turn 20 minutes earlier to stew in my self-pity back at the ranch. our church (Lifebridge) was set up on Pier 60 (a fun landmark @ Clearwater Beach). worship music was streaming out onto the sun-dappled beaches. a surprising number of non-attendees flocked to the service, many staying for its entirety. Our pastor, Joe Walser, gave a compelling and very clear message of the Gospel, specifically how Jesus is our Prophet, Priest, and King. He also spoke on the Father's heart for redemption, our sin & need for a Savior, the atoning work of the Cross, and Jesus' complete & final death, burial, and resurrection. We then had a baptism service and some brand new converts who had given their lives to Jesus earlier that morning were also baptized!!! Praise God!

our church sign

glorious' Easter Sunday' weather!

thank you, Pastor Joe, for being like Paul - boldly proclaiming the TRUTH of the Risen King to the listening crowds...

passionate about King Jesus

Miss Abby, fashionista!

sisterly love Y

kids splashed while the saints were being baptized :)

this pic moved me.

Little Trevor excited about Jesus and what He's doing in his life!!

yet another one gets 'dunked' :)

this family is SUCH a testimony of God's saving grace!!

We love you, Paula, Don, and Cathy!

thankful you are a part of our church family!

although i enjoyed going and was blessed by the reminder of what Jesus did for me, was happy to see my friends, enjoyed the warm sunshine, my soul was still amiss, 'off'. i left still feeling rather blah. but something happened later that day to change all that...

you see, at one point during the baptism segment of the morning, a little girl named Brianna (my friend Melissa's daughter) entered the gently lapping waters, her little hand tightly clutching her daddy's strong, reassuring one. as they walked further into the ever-deepening water, a beaming smile spread across Pastor Joe's face and he lifted up his arms in praise, almost like he was welcoming Brianna into this heavenly moment of being outwardly consecrated to the King.

at the time, i really didn't think anything of it. i was just being my normal 'snap happy' self with the ol' cam. it was only when i got home and saw that image on my computer screen that the Holy Spirit broke down my walls of discouragement, self pity, ungratefulness, and 'blah-ness' (sin)...He spoke, "That's how I will welcome you one day."

that did it. hot tears welled.

Because of Jesus, open arms await me. when it's my turn to enter that celestial shore and cross over into beauty eternal, nail-scarred hands are opened wide for me. perfect love flowing forth from a heart that was once broken by my lack of love. joy etching the lines of His face.

why??

surely not because of anything i did - all of that is worthless.

apart from Him.

but I can, even now, bask in His enthusiastic LOVE & approval of me - a pitiful, weak, sinful, fallen human being, a speck of dust in the scope of time, space, and history.

why??

because of an EMPTY tomb...

Triune ties severed for the first and last time.

a Father's heart breaking as He turns His face away....

from a Son crying out to his Abba.

indescribable pain. agony of soul.

blood & water flowing down.

for me.

that's love. and it didn't stop there.

on the third day, breath entered his perfect lungs, eyes opened to early morning sunlight.

the stone was rolled back. grave clothes neatly folded.

the KING had conquered sin, death and fully satisfied God's wrath. for once and for all.

HE is RISEN.

for you.

for me.

forever.

He is RISEN! He is RISEN INDEED!!!!!

(pass it on)

Foodie Friday #25

2011-04-22T06:22:00.000-07:00

i made this the other evening for a dinner party. A few of us Coastie couples get together every few months to share a meal. It's a lot of fun and is always a great time to try out a new recipe. this one was a winner. the crunch of the broccoli & bacon coupled with the smooth cream curry dressing was simply delish.

Curried Broccoli-Almond-Bacon Salad

Salad…

1-1/2 lbs broccoli crowns (or two medium-sized bunches)

1/2 cup red onion, chopped

1/2 cup dark raisins 

1/2 cup roasted slivered almonds (I just broil them for a minute or two)

Dressing…

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1/2 cup sour cream 

3 Tbs granulated sugar 

3 Tbs cider vinegar 

1 Tbs curry powder

1/2 tsp salt

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Cut broccoli crowns into little trees. Place broccoli in large bowl along with onions, raisins and almonds. In separate bowl, combine mayo, sour cream, vinegar, curry powder and salt. Stir well. Pour dressing over the broccoli salad and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2-hours. Sprinkle bacon bits over salad just before serving.

(sorry, no pics! we ate it too quickly! hee hee)

new fave

2011-04-21T18:49:00.000-07:00

this is my new favorite song.

i told Luke that if i go before him, I want this played at my funeral. really.

click HERE to listen.

"I will not leave you as orphans..."

2011-04-18T20:56:00.001-07:00

this is my friend, Christina's beautiful adoption story....i was bawling by the middle of it so grab some tissues. didn't realize the Word had so many verses about redeeming the orphan...

ahhhh....a lovely break from fb....

2011-04-18T20:52:00.001-07:00

...and time to kick it into gear with blogging again! yay!!!

Cathy's portrait session...

2011-04-10T22:02:00.000-07:00

'Sneak Peak' image to my latest session. more coming soon!!

Amazing Karis

2011-04-10T18:59:00.001-07:00

the link below is a blog post written by some dear church friends who have just an amazing story of loss and redemption....truly, a "beauty from ashes" testimony. i pray it encourages you.

The Waulk Family Blog: 'Amazing Karis'

the rest of Maggie's pics...

2011-04-09T17:52:00.001-07:00

please click HERE if you would like to see the rest of Maggie's senior portrait session. if you are local and in need of pictures, please contact me!

thank you!!

Our Walk for Life

2011-04-04T20:02:00.000-07:00

Dear friends & fam ~

i am participating in a local Walk for Life on May 7. The last time i did this, i raised $400 in a few days thanks to my very generous church family and friends from back home. i have 'upped the anty' a bit to $1,000 for this time around!! :)

Would you kindly consider in partnering with me to reach this goal? ALL proceeds you donate on my page will go directly to Kimberly Home, one of the centers participating in the Walk. We are teaming up with another center, Bay Area Pregnancy Center, and are excited to see how the Lord moves upon people's hearts to give and give generously.

Your donation provides diapers, food, clothing, and other much-needed supplies to little ones whose mothers simply can't afford them. These moms are so blessed by your generosity...believe me, i've seen it first hand working there. Thank you so much for your gracious consideration. May God bless you for how you actively choose to bless others!!!

Love, LizzyY

ps - we are also a licensed ADOPTION agency, so your donation will help fund that noble cause as well :)

please click the link below to donate. thank you.

Lizzy's Fundraising Page

A Praying Life

2011-04-03T11:20:00.001-07:00

i just began the book, A Praying Life, by Paul Miller. Let me just say...it's excellent. an easy read but so full of gracious truth and simple yet substantive encouragement for anyone. whether your prayer life is full & thriving or you cringe with inner condemnation at the current state of your times of communion with the Lord, this book provides a cool drink of refreshment to your soul. i personally can't put it down and already see how the Lord is speaking to my heart in this area that we all too often neglect amidst the swirling busyness of life. below are some excerpts that i pray are encouraging to you...

"American culture is probably the hardest place in the world to learn to pray. We are so busy that when we slow down to pray, we find it uncomfortable. We prize accomplishments, production. But prayer is nothing but talking to God. It feels useless, as if we are wasting time. Every bone in our bodies screams, 'Get to work'. "

Our best times together as a family are at dinner. At home after a meal, we push our dishes aside and linger over coffee or hot chocolate. We have no particular agenda; we simply enjoy one another. Listening, talking, laughing. If you experience the same thing with good friends or with family, you know it is a little touch of heaven. When Jesus describes the intimacy He wants with us, he talks about joining us for dinner. 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.' (Rev. 3:20) A praying life feels like our family mealtimes because prayer is all about relationship. It's intimate and hints at eternity. We don't think about communication or words but about whom we are talking with. Prayer is simply the medium through which we experience and connect to God. Oddly enough, many people struggle to learn how to pray because they are focusing on praying, not on God."

"Consequently, a praying life isn't something you accomplish in a year. It is a journey of a lifetime. The same is true of learning how to love your spouse or a good friend. You never stop this side of heaven. There is far too much depth in people to be able to capture love easily. Likewise, there is far too much depth in God to capture prayer easily...There is not one magic bullet but a thousand pinpricks that draw us into a spiritual journey or pilgrimage."

(about finding time to pray amidst the busyness of life): "If we love people and have the power to help, then we are going to be busy. Learning to pray doesn't offer us a less busy life; it offers us a less busy heart. In the midst of outer busyness we can develop an inner quiet. Because we are less hectic on the inside, we have a greater capacity to love...and thus to be busy, which in turn drives us even more into a life of prayer. By spending time with our Father in prayer, we integrate our lives with His, with what He is doing in us. Our lives become more coherent. They feel calmer, more ordered, even in the midst of confusion and pressure."

"A needy heart is a praying heart. Dependency is the heartbeat of prayer."

"Jesus wants us to be without pretense when we come to Him in prayer."

(talking about how parents rejoice when their child reaches a milestone such as taking a first step or saying a first word): "...This is the gospel, the welcoming heart of God. God also cheers when we come to Him with our wobbling, unsteady prayers. Jesus does not say, 'Come unto me, all you who have learned how to concentrate in prayer, whose minds no longer wander, and I will give you rest.' No, Jesus opens His arms to His needy children and says, 'Come unto me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28)

Foodie Friday #24

2011-04-01T19:58:00.000-07:00

so HERE is the recipe for this edition of Foodie Friday. BUT...i made a few changes. check 'em out below. i made this soup on a cool, stormy spring day (actually, yesterday) and paired it with a homemade..ahem..Panera made crusty french baguette. it was delish, makes a ton, and isn't so bad for you ;)

Lizzy's changes...

1) i added more celery, onions, and mushrooms than it called for. why? just cuz.

2) to make it a bit lower fat, you can substitute the 3 T. of butter for EVOO. i didn't. i heart butter.

3) i used a cup of whole raw milk instead of 1/2 cup of half and half. worked great.

4) i added 3 T. cooking wine. again, why?? just cuz.

thoughts...i didn't have time to roast chicken pieces, so i just sprinkled 3 organic chicken breasts with salt, fresh ground pepper, and Tastefully Simple's Garlic Garlic mix; i baked them in the oven at 450 for about 10 minutes on each side. perhaps a bit longer. then i took two forks and shredded the meat. super easy. and think next time i'm going to add more broth. the rice really soaks up the liquid so the next day, you are left with more the consistency of chicken 'n' rice casserole but it was still very yummy. sorry, no pics. i had a 4 hour photo shoot today and i'm kinda pictured-out at the moment! lol!

Jewels He is preparing for His Crown

2011-03-29T11:00:00.001-07:00

This is Yubelina.

She loves Jesus.

Because of her love for Jesus, she was severely burned at the hands of those who hate Him.

does this image offend you?

do you wince & turn your eyes away in disgust?

many people did when viewing this image and wrote to VOM asking to cancel their subscriptions. they called her 'wretched', 'disgusting', a 'nightmarish, ghoulish vision'.

mind you, these are Christians we are talking about. those who (say they ) love the Lord, go to church, attend Bible study, follow the laws of their communities and pay their taxes.

have we, as a society, been so conditioned to think that - in the words of Tom White, President of VOM - "those with a remarkable Christian faith [somehow] cannot have marks inflicted upon them? was Jesus described as attractive or beautiful in the Bible? No. He was depicted as a man of sorrows, rejected, and one from whom men hid their faces (Is. 53)

many well-meaning parents and pastors said they would NEVER show this image to their children. Tom White received permission to speak with a number of Sunday School clases of 5-8 year olds. He shared how he knew of a young lady named Yubelina who loved Jesus so much and wanted to live for Him. He shared how she was attacked and burned. Then he showed them her picture. He says: "No one cringed; on the contrary, they were intensely curious. Their comments were, 'Pray for her...Help her...What happened to her eye?...Jesus told the blind man to go to the river....This makes me feel sad, how can we help her?"

Later, Tom's 2 1/2 granddaughter saw Yubelina's image on the coffee table, put her chubby little hand to her chest, and said, "Oh, I feel her better."

...from the mouths of babes.

i want to have a child's heart towards suffering, pain, ugliness, disappointment.

instead of trying to cover it up, turn my face away, run from it. i want to ask questions, pray, and put my hand to my own chest and weep for those who are truly in pain.

Yubelina is a beautiful young woman.

The joy she experiences from her walk with Jesus cannot help but radiate from her scars.

No amount of plastic surgery can make someone truly beautiful.

What's inside of us is what counts.

What is radiating from you to others?

lately, i've been so convicted in my heart of how i crave man's approval.

i love recognition and accolades. my heart lusts after them.

i love to look good. to be thought well of. to be liked.

and then i see a picture like this and my world seems so small and petty.

my desires, so stupid and shallow.

my sin, so ugly and offensive.

i want to be so caught up in Jesus like Yubelina is.

God, forgive me.

like i often do, are you trying to live in a nice little world, insulated from pain, ugliness, & hurt?

do you strive and claw after order, physical beauty, control?

how does it leave you?

content, satisfied, radiating with joy & peace?

i know how it leaves me and it's certainly none of those things.

below are some words written in response to Yubelina's photo that brought tears to my eyes:

"Praise God that VOM doesn't water down these atrocities. This woman's beauty doesn't lie in what you physically see; it's in the joy of the Lord!" ~ David W.

"What will they see when they get to heaven and see the scars Jesus received in order that we may be saved?" ~ Candace W.

"When I look at her "wretched" face, i see a transcendent joy and beauty that thousands of dollars of cosmetic surgery or makeup cannot accomplish." ~ Becky T.

"I recall that the early church considered it a privilege to suffer with Christ." ~ John H.

"These people featured inspire me like nobody else can. These people are truly the rare exquisite jewels He is preparing for His crown." ~ Julia A. (emphasis added)

"My very first thought was, 'Oh, what joy!' She knows her real daddy!" ~ Tim M.

"At first I thought, 'That poor little girl'. Now I realize I'm the one who is poor because she deserves praise not pity. Yes, she is beautiful; she has beauty of the spirit that can never be taken away from her." ~ Cathi M.

Peering back at me

A single eye staring at me

What some men should see

Horrors of a violent world

Is very beautiful to me

Beyond the scars

Behind the blazing marks

Heaven can be seen

I see Jesus looking at me

-poem by the Leggans Family

"This newsletter happened to arrive on a day when I was facing a lot of struggle, and Yubelina reminded me of the strength and joy that God gives us. I am grateful for this sister!" ~ Ruth S.

"My heart's desire it to know more about the lovely Ms. Yubelina. It really touched me to see her face on the front cover of the January 2011 VOM magazine. My heart goes out to her and the pain that she had to endure. I am a firefighter who was also burned in a house fire, and I can almost feel her pain; I will continue to pray for her and her loved ones. " ~ Tony D.

that last quote got me. i melted into tears.

if you would like to send a note or letter of encouragement to Yubelina, it will be hand delivered to her:

Letters to Yubelina

c/o The Voice of the Martyrs

P.O. Box 443

Bartlesville, OK 74005

click HERE to find out more about Yubelina and others like her.

a few recent pics...

2011-03-26T21:14:00.001-07:00

this is a vivacious, Jesus-loving young lady named Maggie. here is a 'Sneak Peek' image of her Senior Portraits album. the rest of her pictures will soon be featured in an album on my website! i will post the link soon.

a lil something...

2011-03-17T19:27:00.000-07:00

i recently wrote an article for a local magazine that i also advertise my photography business in. just wanted to share it with you! enjoy!

click HERE.

Friendship Quotes

2011-03-11T19:28:00.000-08:00

while i was away in Hawaii, someone at work placed a 'Friendship Journal' on my desk. not sure if it was a random 'Secret Pal' gift or just overflow from when the storage closet right next to my office got a major cleaning! ha! all the same, i mused over the sayings and thought i'd share a few with you, dear blog friend. enjoy.

~~~

"Genuine friends are willing to be there for you; they do not just make hollow offers."

"If you do have a mate...it is ideal to be best friends with your mate as well as lovers..."

"Even children need guidance in how to develop and maintain friends."

"As your life gets busier or more complicated, it is too easy to discount how essential friendship is for you, whatever your age or marital status."

"The right friends can make you feel worthwhile. The right friends can even help get you elected president. School, work parenting, and even old age are better and more fun when shared with friends."

"A key way to have friends is to be likeable and interested in others."

"No matter what your house looks like, you let friends in."

"Friendship, like love, requires an investment of time and effort."

"Friendship is a virtue" ~ Aristotle

"Shared values are more important in predicting the longevity of a friendship than shared interests."

"Friendships are the crown jewels that one owns. The stock market might go up and down, but friendships only grow in their value."

There are two elements that go to the composition of friendship...one is Truth...the other...is Tenderness." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson (love this quote!)

"Too often friendships, especially long-standing ones, are taken for granted until it is too late."

"The more sincerely you listen to your friends, the more your friends are pulled toward you."

"The friendship factor in marriage depends on trusting each other, committing to each other and to the marriage, and spending time together."

"Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other is gold."

~~~

a Pearl Harbor garden, Oahu, HI

(PS ~ Hawaii pics coming tomorrow!)

Foodie Friday #23

2011-03-11T18:33:00.000-08:00

made this soup yesterday...with FABULOUS results! it was a chilly day and this dish really hit the spot. totally a keeper. okay, the original recipe calls for 7 hours of cooking time. i didn't have that kind of time, so i tweeked it a bit and cut it down to 3 1/2 hours. boo-yah! but both versions are posted below. Thanks to my dear friend, Erica, for the recipe!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts

optional toppings:

shredded Cheddar

diced tomatoes

diced onions

fresh avocado
sour cream
crushed tortilla chips (optional) or lime-chili tortilla strips (Target, baby!)

Directions (7 hr version):

1. Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.

2. Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Shred chicken. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve with desired toppings (oh, and we made rice too!)

Directions (3 1/2 hr version):

1. Preheat oven to about 435. lay chicken breasts on cookie sheet. cook for about 20 minutes.

2. Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for high heat, cover, and cook for 2 1/2 hours.

2. Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Shred chicken. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking on high for 1 hour. Serve with desired toppings.

sorry, no pics this week! we ate it too fast! :)

...by ways they have not known

2011-03-07T19:53:00.000-08:00

it's late and i realize i haven't blogged in a looong time, but i still wanted to write something that's been on my heart the past few days. SIDE NOTE: pics of Hawaii forthcoming! just got back on Saturday from being in Oahu for 11 days! it was paradise! okay, back to what i was wanting to share...

bleary eyes. lead head. that's pretty much how i felt after the red eye flight from Honolulu to Phoenix this past weekend. "two down, two to go" was spinning around in my brain, fogged by fatigue, hunger, and general travel 'ickiness'. two, what? - you ask. two BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) lessons on Isaiah that i had yet to finish for Monday night's meeting. i hate to admit it, but they got sorely neglected during vacation and yet i didn't want to show up to discussion time empty-handed. hence, my only solution was to chip away at them during my layover. so, i grabbed a Chai Latte, settled into my black leather seat awaiting flight #596 to Tampa International, popped my glasses on, grabbed a pen, and commenced my study. i was about done with the first lesson when my eyes wandered (yes, i'm ADD at times!) and fell upon a gentleman of Middle Eastern descent and of middle age, as well. He was wearing a gray woolen sweater, black leather jacket, black slacks, black shoes, and carried a black briefcase. He also had black hair and black-brown eyes. what's so special about that? nothing, really. just an observation. but one thing did stand out from that rather ordinary scene - while one hand held his bag, the other, in gentle rhythmic movements, waved a thin, red & white wand in front of his person. it hit me. he was blind. since he was a bit portly, i did not initially notice the airport attendant to his right (behind him, from my perspective) assisting him to find a seat at his terminal. He sat down right beside me and stared off into nothingness. i continued reading.

i noticed that although the gentleman to my left could not see with his eyes, he seemed to possess the keen ability to 'see' in other ways. He sat peacefully, eyes wide open, seeming to absorb the sound waves reverberating all around him...tired babies squawking, airplanes taking off in the distance, overhead speakers announcing boardings, passengers' shoe soles brushing the carpet as they rushed to respective gates. i closed my eyes for a moment and tried to 'see' that way, too. it's amazing how you can perceive sound so much more keenly with your eyes veiled in darkness. at one point, i placed my hand on his shoulder and asked, "is there anything i can get you?" perhaps that isn't the wisest thing for a woman flying alone to do in a regular situation, but this was a bit different. he quietly but politely said, 'No, I'm okay'. I resumed my study and that was that...or so, i thought.

...about fifteen minutes later, what do you know?! a young woman arrived at the same terminal likewise swinging a shiny red & white wand but this time, her father is behind her, gently resting his large hand on the nape of her neck. I watched in wonder as she moved freely and confidently, listening to His gentle voice speaking close to her ear. and, of course, i noticed something...wherever the father wanted the daughter to go, he would ever so gently guide her in that direction with his hand.

my eyes brimmed with tears, thanking God for this holy moment in time. in the midst of a bustling airport smack dab in the middle of the arid metropolis known as Phoenix. I sensed the Holy Spirit's gentle voice speak. "That's how I deal with my children."

that did it. the dam broke and blurry eyes became blurrier. i'm sure i looked like an absolute fool, but i didn't really care. loving Jesus sometimes looks foolish. Since i have been studying Isaiah the past few months, a verse that was fresh on my mind burned into my soul: "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth." ~ Is. 42:16

I was broken. I saw myself in these precious people. I am that man - utterly dependent & vulnerable. I am that girl - blind to the future, helpless without a loving Father.

...and i'm excited to be led down paths i have not yet traversed and to break out from the familiar into the wild unknown, gently led by the tender hand of my Father...no matter what the road ahead holds.

photo courtesy of Google ©

a little poem

2011-01-24T21:59:00.000-08:00

the following poem is inscribed in evergreen-colored paint on a white porcelain egg-shaped plaque. it once adorned my dear Nan's kitchen and is now proudly hanging in my home. it really puts things into perspective...

Only one life 'twill soon be past.

Only what's done for Christ will last.

who are what are you living for today?

Happy 1st Birthday, Nella!!

2011-01-20T20:26:00.000-08:00

one year ago, i read THIS inspiring blog post about a special little girl named Nella. she is now celebrating her first birthday as a smily, cooing, active little miracle. i tear up pretty much everytime i read posts from Kelly's BLOG. enjoy.

My favorite novel turned into new movie!!!

2011-01-16T07:56:00.000-08:00

can you get any more creative??!

2011-01-15T21:49:00.000-08:00

Anthropologie's (only one of my favorite stores!) Spring 2011 window displays are uber creative....and the cool part is, their breathtaking 'creations' were assembled completely from things you would find around your home. amazing!!!

click HERE to feast your eyes... :)

sunrise, sunset

2011-01-11T16:52:00.000-08:00

this past weekend, my very dear friend Sharon paid me a visit!! we had a blast running on the beach @ sunset (more like me taking pics of her running - they ended up being too dark but we had fun all the same! oh, and i was laughing so hard at one point, i started tripping backwards in the sand with my camera and brand new lens! i caught myself at the last moment, though. hilarious!!) We also had fun eating greasy New York-style pizza, talking up a storm, crying a bit, laughing A LOT, shopping, and all that other stuff that girlfriends like to do together :) thank you, Lord, for the gift of friendship.

anyway...ironically enough, i have come to the conclusion that as much as i love taking pics, i am SO bad about snapshots! i guess cuz i hate the 'flash' look and a snapshot is just that - a quick snap. i love to play with the settings on my camera and try to achieve nice composition, solid white balance, perfect exposure, fun bokeh (excuse the hoity-toity photography term) for each image. hence, i did not take ONE pic of us doing fun stuff together! only some sunrise, sunset pics below. they were taken on different days. the sunrise pics were taken @ Feather Sound in Clearwater on the gulf side (basically, my apartment complex - we found a little bench along the water in front of the clubhouse and proceeded to FREEZE our booties off in the dark while we waited for that thing to rise!) and the sunset ones, Sand Key Park in Clearwater on the ocean side. they were all taken with my Christmas present from Luke...Canon 16-35 f/2.8 (love it) and are SOOC (straight out of the camera - no editing)

off in the distance is the bridge Luke takes to work every morning.

getting a tad lighter.

can't get over the tones of morning light...

'peekaboo'

and it's HERE!!! good morning, world.

twilight...another magical time of day...

the colors and composition of this image reminded me of a painting...

peach, violet, midnight blue awash in maritime bliss...

lovin' this wide angle lens

getting darker

that little thumbnail is Mr. Moon

"...His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance."

Rev. 1:15

Kisses from Katie

2011-01-09T22:06:00.000-08:00

'Ugandan Children' ~ photo courtesy of Yahoo

Katie, a young single woman in her early 20s...and a mother to 14 children in Uganda. read her amazing story HERE. note: hard to read, at parts - be prepared with tissues.

Happy Birthday, Love...

2011-01-07T19:55:00.000-08:00

happy bday, baby.

love you!!

really neat

2011-01-04T19:31:00.000-08:00

this little story brought me to tears...i pray that the Lord blesses him...oh, and it's funny too! ;)

"oats, peas, beans, and barley too!" (old song my Grammy used to sing to us)

2011-01-02T18:51:00.000-08:00

lately, i've been conducting a boatload of research on food/health stuff. it's part hobby, part serious. okay, mainly serious but the science/art/beauty behind FOOD is pretty darn fascinating! we are making SLOW changes to fit our lifestyle/family and praying about how the Lord would have us to not make it a legalistic (ie. never touching sweets over the holidays...i mean, really, who does that??) or even something that we are necessarily known by (because, ultimately, if we are children of God, we are NOT defined by what we eat but who we are in Christ).

with all that said, 2011 appears to hold a few further changes in the way of eating. well, let me back up a bit first. having since begun eating more whole foods (we really began making the changes after watching a certain documentary listed below), my hormones have really steadied themselves out (thank you, Lord!), my skin now glows (no more acne) my hair is thicker, i have way more energy, and i just feel better overall. Luke has often said how different he feels when we eat more 'junky' food or foods that are not nutrient dense and as close to their natural state as possible. i have to agree with him.

okay, now about the additional changes...

first, i tend to be VERY intense when working on something. be it photography-related bookkeeping and/or research, playing around with graphic design stuff, editing client sessions, working outside the home part-time, cleaning, etc etc...i actually forget to eat & drink. no lie. Luke has to remind me to drink water, especially. i can't believe i'm admitting this! so the first change i feel i need to commence is making sure i stay hydrated with water and eating whole, nutrient dense foods throughout the day.

secondly, i am bad about breakfast. it needs to be more substantive and consistent. enough said.

thirdly, i gravitate to carbs WAY more than protein. honestly, i don't think i eat enough protein or 'good' fats. so i bought some canned wild-caught salmon, eggs, cottage cheese, unprocessed cheddar cheese, and (still need to get) avacados. we do cook with olive oil, organic butter, and coconut oil so that's good. protein just seems 'heavy' for me or something. fruit, crackers, and bread (all carbs) just seem so much more accessible. don't get me wrong, fruits are essential and totally healthy (obviously). umm, Lizzy, can you say 'rabbit trail'...?

moving on...my friend told me about how she's begun canning. she has two small children, a cottage industry, and a hubby who works out of town a lot. that said, canning totally intimidates me but i suppose i have no excuse! ;) we shall see what happens (if anything) on that front this year...

now, about soaking grains and all that kind of stuff. that kinda overwhelms me too. but again, i have another very talented friend who has FOUR going on FIVE kids and she soaks all her grains, bakes her own bread, etc etc. she even makes her own mayonnaise! she's amazing! okay, i guess i can look into that stuff too. (more about the benefits of soaking legumes, oats, grains below).

baking my own bread. now that's a notion. but every time i've tried to make wheat bread, it's been dry and hard. any suggestions out there?? i think i'll ask this question HERE, too.

we don't really have any good CSA's in our immediate area, so i've decided we will purchase the bulk of our produce from local farmer's markets and produce stands (in this region of the country, thankfully, there are lots!). i found a great health food store, Nature's Food Patch, just down the street from where i work. i also found ONE person who distributes grass fed beef @ a decent price in St. Pete's. and a distributor of free range eggs and Amish cheese in the next town over. Raw Honey in another neighboring town. so that's all going swimmingly (after HOURS of research, i might add! geesh!).

and i just discovered an essential oils/herbs shop right next door to where i work! yippie!

i totally don't expect anyone to read this post, especially in its entirety. it was really more for my sake to 'get it all out' on (cyber) paper and OFF my mind for a bit - all things food-related were getting just a little too crammed up there in the ol' noggin!

for those interested, below are some helpful links/resources.

more fun ramblings about food later!

DISCLAIMER: i don't necessarily agree with EVERYTHING in these 'food' books or on these 'food' sites. so please investigate for yourself -if interested -and take it all with a grain of salt. no pun intended! :)

Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman (very informative and eye-opening)

Real Food for Mother & Baby by Nina Planck (read it, loved it)

Real Food by Nina Planck (have not read this one yet)

Perfect 10 Diet by Michael Aziz, M.D. (have not read it but my one sister has and she claims to have really benefitted from it in her overall health)

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver (own it, read half, need to finish. beautifully written and informative. however, i don't agree with evolutionary/mother earthish standpoint.)

Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan (have not read it. probably will at some point)

Earth to Table by Jeff Crump & Bettina Schormann

(click HERE) ~ let's just say I REALLY want this for my birthday! any takers?? ;)

Food, Inc. (it just might change the way you look @ food)

Green Monster Movement (we love greens and smoothies around here)

Green Pasture (our parents' generation took Cod Liver oil for a reason! ;)

Weston A. Price Foundation (talks about the necessity of GOOD fats and other great stuff)

Spinach Tiger (good stock recipe)

The Nourishing Gourmet (very informative, yet easy to read)

The Nourished Kitchen

101 Cookbooks (love this one!)

Passionate Homemaking (just great, great, great)

...and some more to the left of this post under 'sites i read'.

(note about the following: i've either read or watched all of this stuff. not just randomly finding things to post!)

~ about soaking grains: click HERE.

~ benefits of coconut oil (and its many uses): click HERE.

~ clarification over 'natural', 'organic', etc when it comes to poultry: click HERE.

~ what about BEEF?: click HERE and HERE.

~ plain old butter is better: click HERE and HERE.

~ what does BPA stand for anyway and what's all the fuss about?: click HERE.

~ isn't Aspartame so sweet? what about all other sugars?? well...yes and NO: click HERE.

~ gimme an H, gimme an F, gimme a C, gimme an S. what does that spell? TROUBLE! click HERE.

THIS was really cute and actually quite informative! the littlest girl @ the end is too cute!

go homeschoolers! :)

THIS is a bit dramatic but informative about the hidden dangers within processed foods

and other controversial stuff.

new logo

2011-01-01T16:15:00.000-08:00

yeah, i pretty much dig it.

Thanks, Rippke Design!!

back to Florida we go!

2010-12-30T13:47:00.000-08:00

we got back late last night from our 'Family Christmas Excursion'. enjoyed precious times spent with both sets of parents, brothers/sisters, grandparents, cutie-patootie nieces, and THE adorable nephew. gobbled up great food (this morning, i ate granola for breakfast and veggie burgers for lunch...HAVE to get back into the swing of healthy eating if i want to wear a sundress or two in HI come February! argh) we read, watched movies, talked, laughed, reminisced...oh, and did i mention the 14 1/2 inches of SNOW that blanketed my hometown of Virginia Beach?!! ohmygoodness! gentle flakes commenced their silent fall in the waning hours of Christmas Day...literally, a 'White Christmas' at the 11th hour! Luke, Jacquelyn, & I bundled up in makeshift 'snow suits' and had the best time running around in the knee-deep drifts, hurling powdery snowballs (more like shoving them down each other's backs! can you say 'FRIGID'?!!), and reliving our carefree childhood days. i snapped a few pics (see below).

we drove the 14 hours straight thru last night. i pulled my back out a few days ago and so the drive was...well...let's just say 'barely tolerable'. i put off taking any medicine yesterday but succumbed to popping a few pills today as the pain has increased. scheduled for the chiro in a few days. Luke also begins physical therapy in January for his hip/leg - residual pain from his two car accidents back in September. Thank the Lord, his back is feeling much better - thanks to many chiro visits! i guess we're just falling apart! :) on a more serious note, we would appreciate your prayers - thank you!

Luke orginally thought he was off today but last night, he got called up for an 8am flight. poor thing! all those hours of driving and then up before dawn to prepare for a flight. i am making some soup & bread for dinner tonite and then i think we'll watch 'White Christmas' (the next movie in our Netflix queue. hey, better late than never, right?! lol) and then go to bed early. i had four loads of laundry to tackle, piles of Christmas gifts & luggage to sort thru and put away, and a house in dire need of 'undecorating' (my tree is parched!) and cleaning. haven't even thought about the mountain of paperwork/bills/mail awaiting me tomorrow! oh, well. it's good to be home (and back to 70 degree weather, i might add!). i love vacation, but there's something to be said for the daily routine :)

hope you & yours had a relaxing, memorable Christmas celebration!!

my mom had this hanging on the side porch door...before it began snowing!

looking out into the court area from side porch

clean, pure, white snow ~ reminiscent of what Jesus did for me...

regal boughs laden with sugary snow

my mom & I went out with brooms to 'sweep' off the tops of her bushes -

they were so weighed down by the piles of snow! lol!

Currier & Ives...yeah, pretty much.

hope my dad's wisteria vines hold up! :/

Foodie Friday #22

2010-12-21T22:05:00.000-08:00

i was cleaning my 'Nest' the other day and like the 'ADD Maid' that i am, i began perusing a Martha Stewart Living magazine lying on the bathroom counter (i originally went in there to clean all the glass fixtures but that's another story). i flipped to this scrumpta-licious recipe and decided i just HAD to try it out over the holidays! it makes a delightful lunch al fresco or hearty winter appetizer and it won big points with my 'audience'. hee hee. finally, did i mention it was uber-EASY?! ;) below is my version...

Roasted Portobello Caprese Stacks

3-4 portobello mushrooms (i also threw in some shitake mushrooms)

4-5 roma tomatoes, thickly sliced (or 'beef stake', 'big boy', etc.)

5-6 garlic cloves, cut in half crosswise

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

small bunch fresh basil, finely chopped (or 'dried' works just fine too)

fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2" slices

baguette, sliced (we used Panera bread - great!! and we didn't toast it)

preheat oven to 400. mix about 1/4 c. olive oil and 6-7 splashes of balsamic vinegar in mixing bowl. add mushrooms & garlic - toss to coat thoroughly. place on rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with salt & pepper, and bake for 20 min (on middle rack). meanwhile, place mozzarella slices on a pretty plate and sprinkle basil over them. add sliced bread to plate. now, mix same amounts of olive oil and vinegar mentioned above in that same mixing bowl and add tomatoes. toss/mix to coat thoroughly. place tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle lightly with salt&pepper, and pop in oven along with mushrooms/garlic. flip mushrooms over with flat spatula. cook everything for another 15-20 minutes. i lowered my oven to 350 after about the first 15 minutes. otherwise, it seemed like everything would burn! yikes! anyway, once everything is nicely roasted. place mushrooms, garlic, and tomatoes on another serving plate alongside bread/cheese plate. now, your family and/or guests can create their own little 'stacks': one slice bread topped with cheese and then roasted veggies. this particular dish pairs well with full-bodied red wine. voila!

my 'stack'

okay, so i got a little carried away snapping pictures of it! haha!

oh, and sorry about the 'orangy' tinge to all the pics - didn't want to spend time making the color 'perfect'!

Foodie Friday #21

2010-12-21T21:33:00.000-08:00

this morning, i opened my MIL's fridge, threw a bunch of stuff in a pan, and this is what came out. i was also craving greens, so i threw together some balsamc dressing (recipe HERE) with baby spinach leaves. both were very easy to make. and even better, this duo makes a healthy- but-yummy breakfast, lunch, OR dinner!

Winter Medley Omelette & Balsamic-Glazed Greens

handful broccoli florets, coarsely chopped

handful onion, chopped

handful sliced mushrooms (i used shitake but you could use button or baby bellas too)

5-6 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (i use oil-packed tomatoes)

3-4 garlic cloves, chopped

handful Hillshire Farms Beef Smoked Sausage, chopped (or bacon, ham, pancetta, etc)

olive oil

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

2 eggs

water

finely grated fresh parmesan cheese

handful of baby spinach (pre-washed bulk kind @ Sam's or Costco is the deal!)

dressing (click HERE - you will have to scroll down).

heat olive oil in saute pan on med-hi heat. throw in first six ingredients. turn up heat. saute for a few minutes until onions are translucent. add a splash of water. cover for about 5 minutes. stir. cover for another 3-4 minutes. remove meat/veggie mixture from pan and set aside. rapidly whip eggs and a splash of water. add more olive oil to pan and turn up to high heat. add eggs and push pan back and forth quickly to form an omelette. add meat/veggie mixture to one half of your omelette and flip other side of omelette over. remove from pan. sprinkle a dusting of grated parm cheese. okay, done with that part! :)

toss about two handfuls of spinach (or kale, mustard greens, baby spring mix, swiss chard, etc.) with about 1 1/2 t. of dressing. you don't want the greens sopping just lightly coated.

enjoy!!!

mmm...

Baby, it's cold outside...

2010-12-19T12:42:00.000-08:00

merry christmas

he was distracted by a plane...no joke.

ummm, yeah.

my love & me

Merry Christmas 2010!!!

2010-12-16T09:48:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

Dear Friends & Family,

Warm greetings to you! We pray this letter finds you resting in the peace & provision of our Savior this holiday season. Well, this is our first ‘official’ Christmas letter and there’s so much to write, but we’ll do our best to give you just the ‘highlights’ from this past year of living as Mr. & Mrs. Luke G---! :)

In December 2009, we loaded up all of our earthly possessions and made the trek from Pensacola, FL to the (other) ‘windy city’ of…Corpus Christi, TX! Corpus is also known for its plethora of fast food joints, HEB (the ONE grocery store around – and it’s HUMONGOUS!), crazy frontage roads (Lizzy never heard of them until they moved to TX) and…a wonderful church that the Lord graciously led us to be a part of ~ City Church. We immediately felt engrafted with the body and loved every minute of our time with them! Lizzy began attending BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) and also kicked off her little photography business while in Corpus – both huge blessings in her life. Luke continued to diligently study away in flight school!! Frequent visits to San Antonio were fun diversions from the daily grind!

In May, Lizzy enjoyed a full two weeks of time in VA with her family - especially her adorable nieces, Giselle and Brooklynn - and had the honor of being a bridesmaid the wedding celebration of her longtime (and very dear!) friend, Sharon.

mid-June heralded our FIRST wedding anniversary! We spent a delightful day in Gruene, TX, outlet shopping in San Marcos, and finished out the day with a candlelit dinner on the Riverwalk in San Antonio. Fun!!! late-June was cause for much celebration as Luke successfully FINISHED flight school & finally earned his wings!! Lizzy & Luke’s dad, a retired Coast Guard commander, were blessed to share in the pinning of Luke’s wings. We enjoyed a relaxing week with both of our parents and are so grateful for our loving, supportive family.

July 4 was (already?!) MOVING DAY!!! A crew of buddies from City Church graciously helped us load our truck and we were OFF! Florida or Bust! Luke drove on ahead while Lizzy spread out the trip a bit, visiting family in Louisiana and OCF friends in Pensacola. We absolutely love our new apartment – spacious, sunny, has a garage, nice/quiet location, and beautiful surroundings. The Tampa Bay Area is pretty cool :)

IIn August, we enjoyed a delightful visit from one of Lizzy's dear, lifelong friends named Christen. We carted Christen all around town, everywhere from St. Armand's Key, kayaking in Turtle Bay, and betting on dogs @ the Greyhound Race Track in Tampa!!!! fun times and many laughs! we loved our time with her and pray all of our dear friends & family feel free to come visit us anytime! Speaking of dear friends...the Lord's leading us to Lifebridge Church also took place in this month. We both immediately felt the Holy Spirit's prompting to be a part of this new church plant out of New Jersey (within the A29 Network). The people love Jesus and have a genuine passion to see the gospel advanced throughout their community. We enjoy weekly church meetings, discipleship groups, community group every Wed nite, and other exciting opportunities to serve in various ministries. Late-August/early –September, we visited both of our families in VA & OBX (where Luke’s family was vacationing). We also stopped over in Savannah, GA and Charleston, SC – two Southern landmarks that have captured our hearts. BST started up again for Lizzy, her photography business became 'official' (yay!!) and got off the ground with an increasing number of photo shoots within the Tampa Bay Area. She also began volunteering her time once a week @ a local Crisis Pregnancy Center in downtown Clearwater and soon joined their staff as Administrative Assistant to the organization's Director. She works 2-3 days a week there and absolutely LOVES it!!!! She also began teaching Sunday School for 2-5 year olds @ Lifebridge - what a joy-filled blessing to teach little ones again! Luke continued to study within T-Course (Transition Course) for his aircraft, the C-130. We helped celebrate the Coast Guard’s birthday @ the air station with other CG families & the Clearwater Mayor. Fun!

In October, Lizzy again visited VA for the birth of her NEPHEW, Wesley Haddon VanRyckeghem (finally, a boy in the family!). What a precious addition to the Korday Klan Wesley is! We are thrilled to have him as an adorable nephew :)

November & December are filled with CG & church events, holiday activity, and the just the joys of life as a young married couple. We are incredibly grateful that the Lord has opened up the door for us to spend some precious time with our families over Christmas and are excited to see what He has in store for us in 2011!

We pray that this Christmas season would be a fresh reminder of how Jesus willingly set aside His divinity to come as a helpless baby to then live & die sacrificially for you …because He LOVES you! Merry Christmas & Soli Deo Gloria!

Love, Luke&Lizzy

Oh God, set me free from 'Depraved Indifference'...

2010-12-11T22:23:00.000-08:00

"the special ones in God's kingdom are the weak ones...the way you treat them is ultimately the way you are treating me [Jesus]".

THE Tree, Work, Soup, Defining Moment...

2010-11-30T20:31:00.000-08:00

*began this post a few days back...some of it's outdated but oh well!!*

so, i haven't forgotten to post pics of our 'Christmas cottage'...it's just that it's still a work in progress! hee hee. hoping to finish everything tomorrow once Luke gets home from work. we went out Saturday evening after a yummy dinner of fajitas and found a lovely little Fraser Fir for $19.95! and it's even 6'! Lowe's is the deal. of course, we also had to grab a few boxes of white lights (say 10 or so), a tree stand, extension cords, artificial garlands, and a few other odds & ends. we piled everything into the back of the car, snagged a few fun Starbux 'holiday brews' and headed back to our Nest.

my idyllic image of us 'decking the halls' in blissful holiday harmony was more like screwing holes into sticky pine bark (and, hence, getting that stubborn 'stick' all over our hands - it sooo does not come off with soap&water!) for 45 minutes in order for our handy-dandy new tree stand to operate properly, then stepping back only to realize the tree was pitifully leaning backwards and to the right, THEN scratching the top of our wooden bookcase with the fake garland, and the list continues. all that to say, we pretty much bagged the idea of decorating on Saturday night, had church Sunday night, and both had meetings Monday night, and...

THREE DAYS later, we are still only about 25% finished. aaahhh, oh well. i'm just so grateful for our tree, all the pretty decorations, and the cozy 'spirit of Christmas' that is well on its way to my heart despite that fact that it's still 75-80 degrees EVERY DAY! (went to the pool just yesterday with a friend).

on a total side note, I am really loving my new part-time job working as an administrative assistant @ a local crisis pregnancy center. the environment is so uplifting, all the ladies are friendly & warm, and you just can't work for a better cause - protecting and promoting LIFE! i love it!! i know it probably sounds weird but i am so stoked about having my own desk with my very own computer, a little receipt thingy, printer, paper/pens/officey stuff, and place to put a picture, plant, or other knick knacks. i even went to Walmart the other day and purchased a pretty 'ambiance' desktop lamp. did any of you out there simply bask in the role of 'secretary' or 'typer' (as we girls used to say) as a little child? there's something just SO fun about playing 'office' as a kid! i think that's partly why i became a teacher...other than the fact that i love working with kiddos and sense that the Lord has given me a genuine gift for teaching, i just ADORE all the fun sticky pads, note pads, markers, pens, stickers, and other 'teacherly/officey' hulabaloo like that. lol!!

so i got home from work this evening, exchanged my shoes for slippers, donned my faithful apron, and set about making Black Bean Soup (very delish! recipe coming soon! thanks, Ivey!!). I had asked Luke earlier in the evening if he could somehow program Pandora© to play different kinds of Christmas music. He began fiddling with it and as i poured, chopped, sauteed, and stirred, "O Holy Night" began floating across the room. the lilting melody never fails to bring on the goosebumps (the 'good kind', of course) but it was the lyrics, particularly one line, that stopped me in my tracks. below are the lyrics. guess which line caught my attention and then scroll down to see if you were right :)

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!

keep scrolling...

almost there....

Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

that line did it for me.

'till He appeared'...just think about that for a minute. the Almighty, all powerful, everlasting, infinite Creator and Master of the Universe, the Alpha and Omega, the Ancient of Days, the King of Kings appeared.

He appeared in the form of a tiny life merrily floating around in its mother's protective womb.

He appeared as a helpless newborn warmly nestled amongst the scratchy hay of a feedbox.

He appeared as a playful, inquisitive little boy who loved to explore nature& wrestle with his brothers.

He appeared as a young man working from sun up to sun down alongside his earthly father, hands calloused from woodworking...sweat from the sweltering Middle East summers dripping off his brow.

He appeared to the blind, the lame, the hurting, the forgotten. He appeared to the 'disgraceful', the untouchables, the unpopular. He ate with them, laughed with them, healed them, wept with them.

He appeared...

Immanuel, God with Us

now, onto the second half of this line: "...and the soul felt it's worth."

is that not the heart cry of every human being? to feel a sense of worth? worth...i work in an environment where 'worth' carries significant weight. a little life in the womb is priceless - you can't measure its worth. and yet, millions of children are being tossed aside each year as though they were worthless lumps of tissue.

...worth...as a culture, we are well-versed in the notion of striving for 'self-worth' at all costs. a recent movie that shall remain nameless chronicles one young woman's sometimes tumultuous journey toward finding her soul's 'worth'....even when it meant abandoning her husband, career, friends, and family to set out on a journey of 'self discovery'. sure, she may have gotten a nice new squeeze out of the deal and a few globetrotting expeditions under her belt, but are those 'accomplishments' truly the essence of her worth?

what do you live for? is whatever 'it' is worth it? what gets you out of bed each morning? is it trusting in your career? does that bring you worth? how about investments in silver, gold, stocks, bonds, wealth, ease, comfort, reputation? your spouse? children? body image? good works?

on the flipside...perhaps you are depressed, angry, bitter, and feeling worthless. you ache from being repeatedly beaten with Life's "short end of the stick". you just no longer feel any worth or meaning. your soul is withering. you are about to give up. it seems all worthless.

lately, i have been thinking about my life. not sure if it's getting older or what, but this question keeps popping in my head: 'what do/should i get up for every morning'? yes, we all have responsibilities and obligations but what really makes you get out of bed every morning? Solomon talks about everything on earth being meaningless. as a younger believer, i didn't really understand what he was saying. was he just in a funk when he wrote this book of the Bible? no. he was the wisest man that ever lived. he knew that life is completely and ultimatelymeaningless apart from an eternal King who is sovereignly reigns over all the workings in the universe:

'Meaningless! Meaningless!' says the Teacher.

'Utterly meaningless!

Everything is meaningless.'

Ecc 1:2

my life on this earth will one day be over. it may be next week, it may be in 60 years. but there will come a time when it will be over. done. gone. yes, there may be people who will remember me, but eventually they will depart this earth as well and my physical life and all of its 'accomplishments' will be a blip on the screen or, worse, forever forgotten. not a very lovely thought, huh?

but wait. please keep reading...

and the soul felt its worth...

have you ever watched a very skilled concert pianist (either live or even on TV)? did you notice how passionately they played? fingers dance wildly across the ivory keys; eyes focused intently on the scores; mind, body, & soul fully engaged and working together in electrifying synergy to produce melodies that throb the listener's heart. your emotions, reserved for divine moments like this, bubble to the surface: at times, joy, then sorrow, nostalgia, bittersweetness, calm, a tinge of envy over the pianist's amazing talent, etc. then comes that ethereal 'ah ha' moment. your heart swells with longing....longing for exactly what, you can't put your finger on. you just know your soul is crying out. the music ushers you to another level, perhaps a tear makes its way down your cheek. you've been moved. but you ask yourself, 'moved to what??'

you just want to be lost in the beauty of it all. you want time to stand still.

you finally put your finger on it: you long to know worth beyond all shadows of doubt. not worth based on how you act, how you live your life, the possessions you own, or the things you do. but worth, plain & simple.

All have turned away, they have together become worthless;

there is no one who does good, not even one.

Romans 3:12 NIV

here's a hard truth. you and i fit into the description above. there is NO worth in you -it doesn't matter how many good works you have done or what level of fame, power, wealth, or influence you manage to garner in this world.

your life is worthless...

...apart from Jesus.

a few thousand years ago, He came as a humble child, lived a life familiar with

suffering, loneliness, and rejection, and died a bloody, humiliating death. The same

hands who crafted beautiful wooden structures alongside his earthly father endured the curse of His heavenly Father, his hands pierced by nails to a wooden plank.

He traded you His purity, perfect righteousness, and divine worth for your sin, your

failures, your worthlessness.

He did this for me. He did this for you.

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!

where is my focus this holiday season??

Foodie Friday #20

2010-11-26T17:20:00.001-08:00

trust me, my blog is NOT going to be limited to strictly 'foodie friday' posts!!! argh. it's just that i haven't taken the time (notice i didn't say 'had the time' because the Lord gives us all the time that we need in each day even thought it may not always feel like it!) to write about what's going on in our lives. hopefully, most of you who read this lil' blog will be getting our Christmas card/newsletter in the mail soon. if not, i will post the pic along with an update in a few weeks :) all that to say, here is today's 'Foodie Friday' post...

(the best) Cherry Pie ~ courtesy of my wonderful MIL!!

2 cans tart cherries, drained

4 T. tapioca

1 c. sugar

1 t. almond extract

a few drops red food coloring

butter

Preheat oven to 400. Mix first 5 ingredients. Let sit for 15 minutes. Roll out premade pie crust and follow box instrutions or use the recipe below for 'The Best Pie Dough' from Cook's Illustrated. Fill pie shell w/ cherry filling. Lace pie crust in a criss-cross pattern and brush w/ beaten egg. top pie w/ dabs of butter. Bake @ 400 for 15 min. Then lower temp to 350 and bake for additional 30-40 minutes or until cherry juice is slowly bubbling on top. cool. top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. yummers!!!

The Best Pie Crust

The following pie dough is one in a series for different size pies. When rolling out the dough, roll to a thickness of about 1/8-inch thick (about the thickness of two quarters).

INGREDIENTS

2 1/4	cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1	teaspoon table salt
2	tablespoons granulated sugar
11	tablespoons unsalted butter , cold, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
7	tablespoons vegetable shortening , chilled
4 - 5	tablespoons ice water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix flour, salt and sugar in food processor fitted with steel blade. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture, tossing to coat butter with some flour. cut butter into flour with five 1-second pulses. Add shortening and continue cutting in until flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal with butter bits no larger than small peas, about four more 1-second pulses. Turn mixture into medium bowl.
2. Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of ice water over mixture. With blade of rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix. Press down on dough with broad side of spatula until dough sticks together, adding up to 1 tablespoon more ice water if dough will not come together. Shape dough into two balls with your hands, one slightly larger than the other. Flatten into 4-inch-wide disks. Dust lightly with flour, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling.

Luke made this one ;)

Foodie Friday #19

2010-11-19T07:54:00.001-08:00

wow, i can't believe next week (actually the following week - i'm taking a week off for Thanksgiving! lol!) will be my 20th 'Foodie Friday'! anyway, HERE is a link to an old post that features this week's recipe. it can be found at the bottom of the post. it's so yum-yum!!

Happy Thanksgiving, Friends!!!!

Foodie Friday #18

2010-11-12T18:28:00.000-08:00

have you ever had one of those meals when the last dishes are being cleared from the family dinner table, you just sit back and sigh a happy, contented sigh? well, i think you just might discover that this is one of them. lately, i've been craving baked chicken but Florida 'falls' are not exactly crisp & cool ;) sooo, since today felt a tad like the falls i grew up with, i thought it was high time to bake that chicken. i found this recipe on a free recipe stand at the commissary, of all places. i omitted the bacon for a healthier version but do as you wish! this is a very easy meal to whip up & makes at least four dinners total for us, so it's also cost effective (main dish, salad & cold sliced chicken the next night, Greek Lemon Chicken Soup the next two nights - that recipe is coming soon! it's Luke's mom's specialty - one of them, at least - and, man, is it delish). okay, here goes...

Menu:

Smoky Garlic-Lemon Roasted Chicken

Mashed Potatoes w/ Olive Oil

Napa Cabbage Salad with

homemade Balsamic vinegarette

glass of chilled Liebfraumilch (German sweet wine)

The Chicken...

2 lemons, quartered

1 yellow onion, cut into 8ths (quartered twice)

2 heads garlic, sliced in half across the bulb

EVOO

1 (3lb) roaster chicken

1 T. kosher salt

2 t. fresh ground black pepper

1 t. dried thyme

4 strips bacon (optional)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine cut lemons, onions, garlic in bowl. Rinse & dry chicken. Rub chicken w/ EVOO. combine salt, thyme, pepper in bowl. rub spice mixture over entire chicken. Stuff chicken with lemon/onion/garlic mixture until completely full. Place remaining lemon/onion/garlic mixture in bottom of roasting pan (i didn't have one, so i just used the bottom of a broiler pan. it worked great) and place Mr. Chicken on top. Place bacon strips if you so desire. Roast for 50 min. Remove bacon & continue roasting chicken for another 10-20 min until a thermometer inserted between wing & body registers 165 degrees. Let chicken rest for 15 min before serving. voila!

The Potatoes... (Luke made up)

1 bag yellow potatoes

splash of EVOO

splash of 2% milk (or whatever milk you consume)

salt

pepper

garlic powder

peel & quarter potatoes. place in stockpot with plenty of water & boil until soft but not mushy. drain thoroughly. throw in a splash of EVOO, milk and a dash of salt/pepper/garlic powder. Whip w/ electric beater until light & fluffy.

The Salad... (I made up)

1/2 head Napa Cabbage

1/2 of apple

1 red pepper

1 bunch green onions

1-2 handfuls of mixed nuts (or almonds or whatever)

crumbled bleu cheese (or feta if you prefer)

Wash, dry, and thinly slice cabbage. chop apple, pepper, onions while nuts are roasting under the broiler for 3 minutes. then chop nuts. mix all ingredients together. add cheese right before serving. dress with balsamic vinegarette (below).

The Dressing... (courtesy of my friend, Allyson)

2 T soy sauce

1/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

3/4 c. EVOO

whisk until emulsified. keep in fridge. delish!!!!

hint: once baked, the 'blackened' lemons, onions, & garlic make a nice alternative over your potatoes to butter...amazing to my taste buds. but you will want to soak your roasting/broiler pan overnite in warm soapy water with about a cup of white vinegar :)

salad

dressing

cleaning the plate fast!

yum-yum

more yum-yum pics

freezer bag to hold leftover meat & stuff for stock/broth

Veteran's Day 2010

2010-11-11T16:30:00.000-08:00

Luke G--- (CG, active duty)

Douglas D--- (USAF)

Chet S--- (Navy, WWII)

Samuel K--- (USAF, WWII)

Joseph V. G--- II (Army, WWII)

Joseph V. G--- III (CG, retired)

...to our family who serve(d) and to yours: THANK YOU.

photo courtesy of yahoo

kinda funny

2010-11-10T07:32:00.000-08:00

WHY SOME ATHLETES CAN'T HAVE REGULAR JOBS ...

1. New Orleans Saint RB George Rogers when asked about the upcoming

season: "I want to rush for 1,000 or 1,500 yards, whichever comes first."

2. Torrin Polk, University of Houston receiver, on his coach, John Jenkins:
"He treats us like men. He lets us wear earrings.."

3. Football commentator and former player Joe Theismann:
"Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein."

4. Senior basketball player at the University of Pittsburgh :
"I'm going to graduate on time, no matter how long it takes."
(Now that is beautiful)

5. Bill Peterson, a Florida State football coach:
"You guys line up alphabetically by height.." And, "You guys pair up in groups of three, and then line up in a circle."

6. Boxing promoter Dan Duva on Mike Tyson going to prison:
"Why would anyone expect him to come out smarter? He went to prison for three years, not Princeton ."

7. Stu Grimson, Chicago Blackhawks left wing, explaining why he keeps a color photo of himself above his locker: "That's so when I forget how to spell my name, I can still find my clothes."

8. Lou Duva, veteran boxing trainer, on the Spartan training regimen of heavyweight Andrew Golota: "He's a guy who gets up at six o'clock in the morning, regardless of what time it is."

9. Chuck Nevitt , North Carolina State basketball player, explaining to Coach Jim Valvano why he appeared nervous at practice: "My sister's expecting a baby, and I don't know if I'm going to be an uncle or an aunt."
(I wonder if his IQ ever hit room temperature in January)

10. Frank Layden , Utah Jazz president, on a former player: "I asked him, 'Son, what is it with you? Is it ignorance or apathy?' He said, 'Coach, I don't know and I don't care.'"

11. Shelby Metcalf, basketball coach at Texas A&M, recounting what he told a player who received four F's and one D: "Son, looks to me like you're spending too much time on one subject."

12. In the words of NC State great Charles Shackelford: I can go to my left or right, I am amphibious.

13. Amarillo High School and Oiler coach Bum Phillips when asked by Bob Costas why he takes his wife on all the road trips, "Because she is too ugly to kiss good-bye." (mean!!)