Tuesday, April 2, 2013

For Guidance in Our Calling




The time when we wait for our vicarage assignment or call can be...well, tough. We know that the Lord truly knows our inmost thoughts and desires, but sometimes (we are human - and He knows that) we still worry. All of the unknowns. All of the questions. There is fear. There is excitement. Anxiety. And prayer. 

Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

The following is a prayer from the Treasury of Daily Prayer (p. 1,315) that helps keep our focus on Him.  Graphic design is not in my repertoire, but I turned this message into a printable. It is hanging in our home where we can see it and be encouraged. There are two versions you can right-click, save and print for yourselves. (I insert this jpg into a Word document to get it evenly spaced on the page.) Enjoy, friends!

Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that Your hand is leading us and Your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
         

"For Guidance in Our Calling" full size printable in black and white:








"For Guidance in Our Calling" full size printable in color:


Sunday, March 24, 2013

Clump of Grass

The dreams about call day have begun. 
Last night's was that instead of being told where we were going, we were given a clump of grass (dirt still attached). This particular grass was indigenous to a certain region. That was our clue and we had to figure it out from there.







Friday, March 22, 2013

You know you're in seminary when...

(This post is a compilation of sentiments from our own experience as well as others' experiences.)

...your DVD collection suddenly becomes netflix. You told your boxes of movies "toodles" a couple moves ago.

...your CDs have also joined the DVDs in storage and Pandora is your new source of music. (I mean, after so many moves, may as well operate in "camping mode".)

However, despite downsizing the DVDs and CDs, half the moving trailer is filled with boxes of books. Theology books. Lots of them.

...you can cook Brakebush chicken five billion different ways. Yes, five billion different ways.

...until corrected, thought "gemutlechkeit" meant "beer and theology". (It actually means "friendliness". Similar. Kinda.)

...Pinterest boards become your collection of recipes. Goodbye, heavy cookbooks. I don't want to move you one, two, three FOUR times.

...you really really really want to reorganize all of the closets in the house. But...you'll be moving in just a few months, so why bother.

...you've heard the saying "you can do anything for a year".

...there's this awesome local deal on furniture. But...you have no idea what kind of home you'll be moving into next year, so it's a no go.

...you know what time Applebee's closes on Tuesday nights.

...you have countdowns. Multiple ones. One for vicarage assignment day, moving day, call day, moving day...and the baby's due date.

...you pay the large month to month renting fee in the summer as you gear up for the move to vicarage or call.

...Tuesday is grocery shopping day...beginning at 6:30 a.m. because the hubby leaves for class at 7:30 a.m. and the food co op closes before he gets home from class and work.

...a precious new baby is born nearly every week within the seminary community.

...you've got at least one vehicle that needs to begin its funeral plans.

...you long for "home".

...you know which moving boxes you like best. Lowe's or Home Depot? (Lowe's. They have handles.) Or boxes from behind the local grocery store.

...March and April suddenly become the longest months in the whole year.

...you know what "Zap, North Dakota" means.

...you get extremely frustrated when you can't find the end of the packing tape roll. (You know what I'm talking about. This is when you go to the store and buy not one, but two tape dispensers to save your sanity.)

...you've spent hours comparing moving truck rates between four different companies for the best deal. This comparing adventure includes any other discounts the companies may offer including AAA, clergy, Lutheran and student.

...you've had eight different jobs over a course of only four years, simply trying to provide for your family.

...getting a pet is something your family would like to do, but you don't know if vicarage housing would allow pets.

...you have a pet, but your vicarage housing doesn't allow animals. Sad goodbyes.

...you can list the top four popular apartment complexes for seminary families.

...you can list, by memory, all the staffing agencies in Fort Wayne.

...you learn that fog delays do indeed exist.

...you visit the seminary campus on a snowy day. It is breathtakingly beautiful and peaceful. A sight you will always remember.

...you received a much needed check at precisely the right time for the exact needed amount from a generous church. And then, on your knees, you cry tears out of thankfulness and awe of the Lord's providence.

...something that has been on your wish list suddenly shows up at the co op. And then you cry again.

...you've met wonderful friends that become more than that. They become cherished members of the family.

...you experience trials and tears...but the seminary community is there supporting, encouraging and praying for you.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt has been a staple in our house for about a year and a half now. We like it because it is a bit different than regular yogurt, in that it is a bit more firm and has a lot more protein. Protein. That's really why we like it. In this new year we have been striving towards better health and combined, we have lost over 30 pounds! Eating healthy means not forgetting the protein and, in our house, eating lots of Greek yogurt. 

As you know, Greek yogurt is not cheap. After some persuasion, I (Sarah), finally took the plunge and made our own Greek yogurt. I was nervous because, well, making yogurt is somehow different than baking a cake. I was afraid of somehow making it bacteria ridden and killing someone. However, I had some a couple days ago and am still alive! Making this yogurt is pretty easy and as long as you have some milk, a cheese cloth, a crock pot and a cup of Greek yogurt, you can make it too! 

Eating from the Ground Up has a fabulous recipe for Greek yogurt. She describes each step so well and it is easy to follow. Hop on over and find her recipe here. (To the friends at seminary: the food co op always has milk. Free Greek yogurt, anyone?)


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Veggies are a great side dish for any meal. If you're having fresh veggies, consider the following recipe. We made this over the weekend but omitted the feta cheese and green onions. Instead of salt we added sea salt. We used fresh spinach rather than frozen.

Ingredients
1/4 c chopped onion
4 green onions, chopped
1 T minced garlic
8 oz frozen chopped (1/2 of l lb package)
1/2 t salt
1/2 t fresh lemon zest
2 t fresh lemon juice
1 c Greek yogurt
1/4-1/2 c finely crumbled feta cheese
2 t dried dill
freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
Microwave frozen spinach, onion, green onions until onions are limp. Drain. Pulse in food processor until pureed. Add remaining ingredients. Pulse once more.




Sometimes you've just gotta have brownies. Why not add a lil boost of protein? With these healthier brownies, you don't need to feel as guilty after a lil dessert.
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Skinny Mom has this nifty recipe. I actually just baked these. The kitchen smells delicious and these brownies are, too (it is only proper to sample one's cooking, to make sure it is tasty enough for others). I added about a 1/4 c of chocolate chips and a 1/2 c of chopped walnuts to the mixture before spreading it into a 9 x 13 pan.
Ingredients
1. 1 6-8 ounce container of fat free yogurt. (You can use any type of non-fat yogurt. Greek is thick so you will need to add some water to thin the batter down a bit. If you use regular non-fat yogurt, you may not need to add water to it at all. The thicker the batter- the thicker the brownie so really it is to your taste.)
2. 1/2 cup of water
  • 3. Box of brownie mix. (You can use any brownie mix of your choice. Usually, I buy the reduced fat brands)
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. In a mixing bowl, add the brownie mix, the entire container of yogurt and slowly add the water (if using Greek yogurt).
3. Use a zero calorie spray (such as PAM) to grease the baking dish.
4. Pour batter into pan and stick in preheated oven.
5. Let cook 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean of the center.


What are your favorite recipes using Greek yogurt?




Thursday, January 31, 2013

Spinach!

Spinach has been a key ingredient lately. Sometimes the co op carries a large bag of spinach...it's just so packed full of spinach that I don't pick it up because I'm afraid I won't use it all...and I'll feel wasteful.

However, I found the following recipes!

Green Monster Hummus from Namely Marly

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Ingredients:
1 can chick peas
1/4 cup tahini
1 t garlic powder
1-2 T lemon juice
1 T Bragg (an alternative to soy sauce)
1/2 c water
1/4 c olive oil
1 t salt
1 t dried oregano
1 t dried basil
2 c raw spinach

Directions:
1. Pour all hummus ingredients into a food processor and pulse until well-combined.
2. Scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl and then process until you achieve a fine consistency.
3. Pour the hummus into a serving bowl and garnish with olive oil, pine nuts, and sliced black olives. Serve with pita bread or your favorite crackers.



Another great spinach recipe is this green smoothie. The blogger says it is a great smoothie for during pregnancy, but this healthy smoothie would be great for anyone - pregnant or not. :-) (And no, I am not pregnant!)

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Ingredients:
*Blender
*Crushed ice
*Water/{Orange} juice
*Spinach
*{Mixed} frozen fruit
*Banana

Pop these in the blender and voila! I usually add 1/2 a cup of Greek yogurt for the protein as well as some milk or soy milk. I know it may sound weird to add spinach to a smoothie, but you can seriously hardly taste it! 


In light of the new year and the popular resolution of getting healthier, we have been using these recipes quite often and enjoying them quite a bit.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Wait - Where am I?

Wait - where am I?

I've asked myself that a few times lately. For example, I'm in Wal-mart and try to find pretzels. I push my squeaky cart to where I think they'll be...and they're not there. Ohh, that's right. The pretzels are in this area at the other Wal-mart.

Or I'm in Barnes and Noble, turn and walk towards the cafe and expect the bathrooms to be to the right. Nope. Not at this Barnes and Noble - I was confused with a different Barnes and Noble...one in a different state.

Or ponder the idea of visiting the local animal shelter to browse at kitties, I'll just pop on over there after going to Target, because the shelter is just down the road from Target. No, that's in a different city than Fort Wayne. Not here.

Driving down a main road in town I look to my left and recognize a friend. I get excited...but then realize that she is from Chicagoland. She doesn't live here. It's not her. It just looks like her.

When we got home from Christmas vacation I forgot how to operate our bathtub faucet.

Moving every year for the past several years gets confusing.

Maybe someday...someday I'll remember what is where and who lives where.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Slow Cooker Recipes

It's the new year! And you know what that means...healthy living, healthy recipes and getting more active seem to be the top resolutions for this time of year. I (Sarah) am not a resolution type of person, however I do try to make healthy choices. Perusing Weight Watchers recipes I discovered the following: 


Slow Cooker Lentil Soup
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Ingredients:
2 medium uncooked carrot(s), peeled, cut into large chunks   
2 rib(s) (medium) uncooked celery, cut into large chunks  
1 medium uncooked onion(s), cut into large chunks 
2 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced 
2 cup(s) dry lentils, picked over   
3 leaf/leaves bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed  
1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste  
1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste 
8 cup(s) canned chicken broth   
4 oz uncooked Canadian-style bacon, diced (4 or 5 slices)   

Instructions:
Place ingredients in a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker in the following order: carrots, celery, onion, garlic, lentils, bay leaves, thyme, salt, pepper and broth. Cover slow cooker; cook on low setting for 6 hours. Uncover, stir in bacon and heat for 30 minutes more; remove bay leaves. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.

Notes:
To thicken soup, remove 1 cup of cooked lentils and puree in food processor; stir back into soup. 
For a lighter flavor, replace 4 cups of chicken broth with 4 cups of water.



This soup was quite delish! The fact that it is inexpensive is definitely a plus. (Beans are a daily staple around here.) Another great thing about this recipe, other than it being inexpensive and easy, is that almost all of these ingredients can be found at the seminary food co op! 



Slow Cooker Pulled Barbeque Chicken Sandwiches
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This recipe was easy, too (do you see a theme? ;-)). It filled our home with a mouth watering aroma of barbeque! This Texan loves that smell. Recipegirl.com is a fun website to click through and easy to navigate. Her delicious recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup barbecue sauce (a flavor you like)
1/3 cup Italian dressing (reduced-fat or fat-free okay)
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons chicken broth
additional barbecue sauce, if desired
rolls, for serving as sandwiches
bread and butter pickles, optional


Directions:

1. Place chicken in the slow cooker. In a medium bowl, whisk together the barbecue sauce, Italian dressing, sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4 1/2 to 5 hours.
2. Remove the chicken to a cutting board. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and chicken broth. Stir it into the sauce in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high until the sauce is thickened and heated through (10 to 15 minutes). Meanwhile, use two forks to shred the chicken. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir. Add additional barbecue sauce if more sauce is needed or desired. Cover and continue cooking on low for 45 minutes. Serve chicken piled onto rolls. Add pickles, if desired.
Tips:
*The brand of barbecue sauce that you use can make a big difference in the flavor of the chicken. I like Sweet Baby Ray's!

The sides I chose to serve with this main course were yummy, too. I made acorn squash like this. Then some sweet potatoes like this. I also had a cold pasta salad left over from the day before, which is similar to this recipe.