thankful thursday #158

Thanksgiving is low-key around here, and it's welcomed.

I thoroughly enjoy a lazy morning, a brisk run, some killer food, a food coma nap, a college football game, time to read for pleasure, and a crackling fire in the hearth.

In the spirit of honesty, though, I can't help but feel a hint of sadness over the reality that our family isn't all together today.

We're not all together because generations before us have passed on. Cousins and aunts and uncles and siblings are spread across the country, celebrating with their intermediate families. Jobs prevent travel home. In-laws claim a share of children who belong biologically to another set of parents.

It's the way life goes, and sometimes it just feels incomplete.

Last year after Thanksgiving, I cried a lot at this realization. It all seemed so unnatural, to be separated from family, and frankly, discouraging, to accept the fact that those times will likely be few and far between for families like ours, who grow and expand and live a full life.

And so it goes. God never promises that our families will be together for all of time, and he never promises that we'll get the pleasure of enjoying all of our families at any one time.

I'm grateful to spend the time I do with any of my family, and look forward to the times undetermined, when we are all together at one time.

Be thankful for any and all family you had the privilege of seeing this year at Thanksgiving. Go on, be grateful!

hello monday (on tuesday)

Monday kind of punished me. Let's move on and greet the week today instead, shall we?

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Hello, second-to-last-football-game-I-have-to-work this year.

Was happy to do it by this gal's side.

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Hello, family and friends.

Glad that while I was working, you got to enjoy the game. (And that I got to pop into this pic!)

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Hello, cold and rain.

I wish you'd come on a day I never had to get out of bed.

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Hello, Thanksgiving.

You've come out of nowhere, but I'm glad you're finally here.

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Hello, Christmas decorations.

I'm mentally preparing myself for you.

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Hello, splitting headache.

Move on, already. You're slowing me down.

Wishing you a holiday week that's warm and cozy, headache-free, and spent with friends and family you love!

thankful thursday #157

Much to be thankful for this week!

Some excellent press happening for Kari and her book, Canyon Road. So proud of her.

Heading home tomorrow to see the fam. Love walking through that door.

There are two more weeks of the regular football season. Praise you, Jesus.

It's boots weather.

Had some unexpected encouragement this week.

Christmas shopping is well underway. All online. Glory.

Having a mini-reunion tomorrow with a couple of Peru trip friends!

Been running a little bit in the mornings. The wake-up calls are dreadful, but I'm grateful for the crisp mornings and gentle sunrises.

Hoping you have a weekend full of appreciation, especially for the ordinary things. Go on, be grateful!

for the love of church (dream)

Our church is in the midst of a season of vision and strategy.

We recently reflected on the past forty years of ministry, and now we are looking ahead, dreaming for the future as it relates to our place and our role in God's story.

While we've been praying corporately over this initiative, this dream board has been perched in our lobby, inviting anyone and everyone to share a prayer for our church:

These prayers come from all ages and stages and maturity levels, so they run the gamut. But do you see that one in orange? It says, Dream, as good as God!

I love that one. It's so bold, and it speaks to how our God is good, and how he has big, big plans for his people.

Or how about the one that says, Help those who can't help themselves, both spiritually and physically. That's a command for us. Oh, that we might be obedient to that call!

And speaking of commands, let's just Love. Yes? Yes.

Although it goes against our flesh that acts on individual interests and personal agendas, I hope sincerely for our dreaming to be done with a plural pronoun. Unified. Aligned with God's purposes.

At the very least, all of these sweet dreams come from broken people. We are certainly unified in that.

all hail the sweet potato, part deux

Here are my thoughts on sweet potatoes.

The summary is this: I used to hate 'em, now I love 'em, and I'm always looking for sweet potato goodness in a recipe.

Try this one! It's so yummy. (And I made it up, so pretend like the name is clever.)

Maple Sweet Potatoes with Gorgonzola
Serves 4-6

3 lbs. of sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1/2" pieces
1/4 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. EVOO
salt and pepper
1/2 c. Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.


2. Place sweet potato cubes on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle syrup and EVOO, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.


3. Spread potatoes into a single layer on the pan. Roast for about 20 minutes, stirring once half way through, and redistributing back to the single layer.


4. Sprinkle the Gorgonzola cheese evenly across the potatoes, and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, until the cheese barely melts. Serve immediately.

* Quantities are just guidelines. If you're needing to make more or less, plan for about 1 potato per person. And estimate the EVOO and maple syrup; I just drizzle evenly on the potatoes until it feels right. No need to be legalistic!

* Cooking times may also vary. Ovens differ, or you may like your potatoes firmer than I do. Let your nose guide you! Check them when they start to smell delicious, and go from there.

* I have what I call a magic baking pan, and NOTHING sticks to it. Ever. It occurred to me that this maple syrup may cause a problem, so you may try spraying your pan (although I think the EVOO should do the trick). No one loves to scrape burned sugar off a pan.

Couldn't you just eat your fall favorites every night?

thankful thursday #156

On some Sundays growing up, when Dad was out of town and Mom was in the choir, I'd sit in church with a friend and her mom. To keep us occupied -- and quiet -- during the sermon, her mom would place a King James Version bible in each of our laps, open them to a seemingly obscure passage, point to the chapter, and in so doing, silently imply our instructions.

I distinctly remember feeling like I was reading a foreign language. Who is "Thou?" What are they sayeth-ing?

Some things change: These days, I don't typically read from the King James Version bible.

Other things never change: Sometimes I still feel like I'm reading a foreign language. No matter the translation, some of the words still trip me up, and for whatever the reason, I struggle to understand concepts that seem way over my head.

Fortunately, though, this path of following Jesus isn't meant to be traveled alone! I'm feeling grateful tonight for the people in my life who hash out the Truth with me, give me permission to ask questions, share with me their insights, and encourage me to keep digging for answers.

I bet you have people like that around you, too? Show them some appreciation this week. Go on, be grateful!

thankful thursday #155

About six months ago, within a period of two weeks, two of my work siblings announced they were leaving. Their offices flanked mine, so they were closest in proximity, but they were also my closest friends at work. I was sad to see them go.

These days, I'm not quite so sad, because it's fun to see them living new adventures, and taking risks, and growing in new ways. But I sure do miss them.

Tonight I got to visit with one of them and his family (including their newest baby), and it was so great to catch up. I feel happy and full.

Some friendships are seasonal, and certainly some work relationships are, and while sometimes those seasons change, they don't altogether end. They look different. And maybe they don't ever feel the same, but they can still be fulfilling.

I'm feeling thankful tonight for this friendship, whose season changed, but didn't end.

When you think on your friendships, take a second to appreciate the ones that have weathered the changing seasons. Go on, be grateful!

a confession about resenting gratitude

I'm seeing all kinds of gratitude expressions this month.

Facebook is showered with daily thankful posts. Thankful trees are taking up residence in homes (like this one).

These are good things! I support gratitude. I've written 154 installments of Thankful Thursdays, for crying out loud.

If I'm being honest, though, I caught myself in a little wrestling match with cynicism over this "month of gratitude," because it all seemed trendy, forced, and obligatory.

There, I said it. I'm a terrible person. Because I thought things like this:

These thirty days of gratitude are going to turn very quickly into thirty-one days of consumerism and greed, come December 1.

Why aren't we as intentionally thankful every other month of the year?

That "thankful" person complains every other day of the year on Facebook.

Behavior modification is temporary, but heart transformation is not.

Are my own attempts to practice intentional gratitude just as futile?

See what I mean? Cynicism's dirty like that. (As is my judgmental nature.)

And then I dug a little deeper, because who in their right mind would take issue with sweet, intentional expressions of thankfulness? (This girl, actually, and she's not proud about it.)

I've been studying the Old and New Covenants in the Bible recently, and when Jesus ushered in the New Covenant, a myriad of supernaturally beautiful things occurred. In particular, I am love, love, loving this promise that God made to his people:

I will remove their cold, stony heart, and replace it with a warm heart of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19b, Voice). 

Let that sink in.

To those who humble themselves, and accept the offer to live under the direction and authority of the Holy Spirit, our great God is faithful to give us a heart capable of transformation. Capable of contentment, and eternal perspective, and joy. Grateful in all circumstances.

And because I think he's more interested to see us settle into a permanent posture of thankfulness, rather than a short-term behavioral shift, God's working overtime to take our new, warm hearts of flesh, and fashion them into vessels that overflow with gratitude.

Including mine. (Glory to God!)

So if our thirty-day gratitude challenges, or our thankful trees, or our Thankful Thursday posts are the tiniest evidence of that work, then let's be grateful for it.

Lord, may I steward well this new heart you've gifted me. I know it's wired to pour out goodness and kindness and gratitude, but only when you're the One filling it up. Let my heart overflow with gratitude for a lifetime, and not just for a month.

the granola where less is more

Back in February, I made this granola, which was tasty, but apparently not tasty enough for a second batch (yet).

But then I received this recipe from a dear friend, and it was worth trying because I had all the ingredients on hand. And it screamed fall to me.

And this one's so good, I'll be making a second batch in a few short days. Not even exaggerating about that.

Meghan's Granola
(because she sent it to me without a name and it deserves a name)

3 c. old fashioned oats
1/2 - 2/3 c. sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 c. sliced almonds
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/3 c. honey
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a microwave or in a small saucepan on your stovetop, melt the butter with the honey and salt. In a mixing bowl, toss honey and butter mixture with the rest of the ingredients. Spread onto a cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool, and store in an airtight container.

* The recipe actually calls for unsweetened coconut, but sweetened is all I had. Maybe that's what makes it so delicious?

* I had closer to 1 cup of almonds, so I did increase the butter and honey amounts to 4 Tbsp. and about 3 ounces (you know, just a little more than 1/3 c.).

* There are a few good nuggets/clumps, but mostly this is loose. I suppose to get more bite-sized pieces, you could add more of the honey-butter mixture, or use less of the dry ingredients.

* Some folks like their granola extra-crunchy, so just keep baking away until it's perfect for you.

* I've eaten mine as cereal, as well as a mix-in with vanilla Greek yogurt, and it's divine. (And I like green grapes as my other mix-in. So. Good.)

Happy munching!

let's chat (about fall goings-on)

The clocks have fallen back, and the temperatures are dropping. We should chat, and celebrate the goodness that is fall, no?

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I'm a little bit obsessed with these shoes I bought a couple of weeks ago. Wear them almost every day. Would it be terrible to get a second pair (only with the discount, of course)?

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Speaking of shoes, Nikol's and my fall shopping tradition has been delayed too long. (How did it get to be November 3rd?) Thank goodness that on Friday, it will commence.

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My Christmas cards will be ordered soon, following my annual whine session. I'm so grateful for creative people who can make my ideas become reality.

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I signed up for a cooking class next weekend called "Preparing the Perfect Holiday Menu." As if I'm hosting a holiday meal. Please.

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By God's grace I managed to turn the power off and on fix my own ice maker, sparing me yet another visit from a service man. I dodged a bullet.

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Until last night, when I turned on my beloved Keurig for my first hot beverage of the season, only to have it laugh in my face. I had to walk away before I went crazy and bought a replacement without troubleshooting first. I live in the House of First World Problems.

What're you chatting about with your friends, in this most wonderful season of (f)all?