Jesus, be the Center

I regret that I haven't kept up with blogging recently, but my reason is good. All of my writing time has been spent trying to stay on top of my book "launch" deadline! I can't call it an official book launch because it will not be available to the public until further editing is done, but the first copy will be published by December 25th!

Since my book is on the topic of spiritual formation, my mind has been entertained by the spiritual journey God has taken me on in the past few years. As I began reading the gospel of John last week, I was hit afresh by the necessity of placing Jesus in the very center of my life. It's unfortunate that I often forget some of life's most essential truths until I'm hit with turmoil or strife. I came across some old, familiar anxieties a few weeks ago and simply could not rest. I was not sleeping well and found myself thinking in worrisome circles.

Then I remembered how I used to begin every morning. For a season in high school, I would wake up, roll out of bed and onto my knees, quite literally. I would turn my hands away from me and simply whisper, "I surrender this day to you". It was possibly the most important moment of my day. I don't remember an intentional end to this habit...I probably stopped doing it when I moved to college (I had a lofted bed, which would have made the rolling out a bit complicated). When I remembered my old ritual the other day, however, I wondered why I ever stopped.

So with these memories of sweet and sleepy mornings playing through my head, I sat on my bed and made that same motion. That hands-turned-away-this-is-not-in-my-control motion and said, "Jesus, I surrender". Surrender is not a one time decision. A fulfilling life really is lived in a constant motion of chosen surrender and that choice is something I should probably reinstate as a daily habit for myself. I don't know how I forget that if Jesus is the center and my life is all about bringing honor to the Father through him, everything will really really be ok...but I do. It's akin to forgetting that if I stop breathing, I'll die!

Well, anxiety and fear, you can take a hike. I making this familiar choice once again.

My Happiness Project~~Part II. November is the new January!

The Happiness Project has begun! Yesterday was the first official day of my year-long resolutions project. I'm aiming at an attitude of learning...learning about what happiness, joy, contentment, and gratitude are and how I can tap into these things on a more daily basis. Of course, I believe that such emotions (or experiences) can only come when I'm living in the reality of Christ's salvation over my life. The writer of The Happiness Project is not a believer, so her project looked much different than will mine. If you're curious about how this began, read here.

So this is how it works: each month, I will be focusing on a new theme or area of life. With each topic will come a number of tangible resolutions I plan to begin. The resolutions will, ideally, carry on through the rest of the year. But I plan on failing here and there, finding certain resolutions that just don't work for my life (let me get it out now that I don't think I'll ever really be a consistent bed-maker). My goal, you may ask? Well, I wouldn't necessarily say my goal is to be a happier person, though I would love for that to come about. For now, my goal is just to meet goals that have been a long time in the works and to develop a handful of new lifestyle habits, which I pray will foster more joy in my life. I actually considered changing the title to "My Joy Project", but it didn't sound as catchy to me.

Here's the game plan:

November-"Finish What I Started"
-Complete 2012 New Year's Resolutions:
Be a prayerful woman.
Keep my areas and my home cleaner.
Exercise 3-4 times a week and eat right.
Publish a book.
Be there for Laura and Gracelynn.
Get plugged into a community after graduation.
Have a 3rd annual Sleighbell Sisters' Soiree.
Travel (near or far).


December-"Home is Where the (Sane) Heart is"
-Break my habit of clutter.
-Have more consistent cleaning routines.

January-"The Healthiest Me"
-Make a plan of attack for physical health.
-Be stringent about diet and exercise.

February-"The Rx for Relationships"
-Make Valentine's Day count for the girls around me.
-LOVE people.
-Keep up with long-distance friends more consistently.

March-"Career Path"
-Take a step toward my career...go to a conference, apply to a school, meet with a dean, etc.

April-"Get Serious About Hobbies"
-Find crafting mentor.
-Learn to read a crochet pattern.
-Figure out sewing.
-Work on publishing a cookbook?

May-"22, Flirty, and Thriving"
-Build and work on my confidence.
-Go to a trend show.

June-"No Pain, No Fun"
-Get serious about alleviating chronic pains.
-See all those pesky specialists (i.e. the dermatologist).

July-"Every Spiritual Blessing"
-Maximize spiritual gifts.
-Learn 1-2 new worship songs on guitar/piano per week.
-Write more encouraging notes.

August-"Work Hard, Play Hard"
-Focus on attitude at work.
-Maximize variety.
-Put effort into being better prepared each day.

September-"Back to Learning"
-Read at least 3 new, interesting books in full.
-Visit museums.
-Do an in-depth study of an unfamiliar book of the Bible.

October-"A Joyful (and Grateful) Heart is Good Medicine"
-Keep a public, daily gratitude journal.
-Review the past 12 months and decide which resolutions to keep, reinstate, throw out, revise, etc.

Wow! I know that was a lot, so if you're still with me, hopefully that means you're interested. I would appreciate all the encouragement I can get because this project is a little obscure and a lot ambitious. But I am hopeful! I'll write an update on November's resolutions soon.

Eyes, Ears, Mouth, and Nose~~October

It's All Hallow's Eve which means the end of another month. As promised, I've fully immersed myself into everything fall (though the weather is still, still, still kind of warm). Here's where my eyes, ears, mouth, and nose have been this October:

The new Mumford and Sons album has satisfied me and I've also been enjoying a self-curated "Lady C's autumnawesome" playlist on Spotify. Parenthood is very emotional this season, but I can't stop watching. The writers and actors have a way of making everyday life so special. Tia and Tamera are back on their reality TV show, which I just find so funny and sweet...though my sister and I are not twins, a lot of the things we do remind us of them. Kindred spirits, indeed. And Tia and Tamera is not a trashy, life-sucking reality TV show either. Lost , season 2 continues to be the boyfriend's and my favorite weekend veg-of-choice. We were also able to agree on a movie recently: Ocean's Eleven, a crowd pleaser for both sexes!

In the kitchen, there has been an explosion of apple and pumpkin EVERYTHING. I love, love, love cooking with these ingredients. They are so versatile. As far as pumpkinning goes, there's been: at least four batches of these pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bars, and a pumpkin infused simple syrup for my coffee (recipe soon!). A trip to the apple orchard a few weeks ago brought my culinary creativity to apple land. I bought 40 pounds of apples and have made LOTS of apple crisp and chunky applesauce. I threw some apples into a pork roast the other day too, which was pretty tasty. I've also been really into chilli this month. I think I've made at least four batches of that as well (one of which was intensely spicy). Keep in mind that I cook on a daily basis for my families, so not all of this good-wholesome-fat food is going to me.

The wardrobe has taken a slight turn toward cozy. We've had a handful of days that have called for sweaters, boots, or scarves. I'm enjoying my red linen pants because they're light-weight for this temperamental weather, while still providing a very autumn-inspired style. I have to say that I love rocking the upscale soccer mom look (yoga pants, posh shirt-and-scarf, running shoes, and great hair and makeup) when it's cool out and I have a lot to accomplish.

Lastly, I've been preparing for my very own Happiness Project. I'm pleased to announce that it starts tomorrow!

Happy Halloween, everyone.

He doesn't work that way.

Two days ago, something kind of difficult happened. The sun and heat came back, in full-force. I mean not to complain with this post. I'm rather attempting to share the extent to which weather affects my mood and the process I'm going through to suck it up and be grateful anyway.

Sometime around the third week of September or so, I loose my patience for summer. I believe I thoroughly expressed that here. I know that living in LA means unpredictable weather day-to-day, but pretty predictable seasons. For instance, it rained last week. Hooray! But it's totally still summer weather on the whole. Here's the breakdown: we do not have a winter. Spring lasts from around the beginning of February to the middle of June. Summer arrives pretty much on time, at it's equinox and lasts until the end of September or October. And fall is from November-January. I'm no meteorologist, but I do believe this to be a pretty accurate summary of Southern California's seasons.

So tell me: why can't I just deal with the heat like a grown up? Well, I jokingly shared with everyone on Sunday, as the 90s re-emerged:

"I was so grateful for the rain and cool weather last week. I felt so happy! I kept saying, 'Thank you, Lord! Thank you!', and forgive me if I'm wrong, but I thought God might just reward Southern California for my gratitude."

The thing is, he doesn't work that way.

Who am I to spend so much energy complaining about such a temperamental thing as the weather? The God of the universe is taking care of thousands, nay millions of his children in my very area who have great and real needs. I do not mean to suggest that our tedious prayers bother God or waste his time, nor do I mean to say that prayer can't change something as expansive as the weather. What I AM saying is this:

God has been very patiently been teaching me over the past few months what it means to be a real grown up.

Go to work and stick out all 8-9 hours a day because you need to.

Submit to authority. It's good for you.

Stop complaining (about the weather).

He is patient and I am fickle, OH so fickle. So rather than harping upon my bad mood (which really only makes a bad mood worse, wouldn't you say?), I must choose gratitude.

Thank you, Lord for air conditioning. Thank you for a job that doesn't require me to be outside unless I want to be. Thank you for a few extra weeks to figure out my central heating and cold shower situation at home. Thank you for teaching me to be an adult and for doing so without being condescending or condemning. Thank you that you do work that way.

Oktoberfest Pumkin Muffins

Here's the situation: It's pouring rain, I got done with work early, and I am CRAFTING AND BAKING AND WATCHING PERSUASION. On a day like today, I am so thrilled to have time for hobbies. Thank you, kind Lord.

Out of my (half) day off, I've created a recipe to share. These are healthy pumpkin muffins that are smelling up my kitchen right now so lovingly. They are missing lots of the fat and high-glycemic-index sugars of other muffins and they'll make for great breakfasts!

You'll need:
3 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. white flour
2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. ginger
1/2 t. cloves
1/4 t. nutmeg
1 c. raw sugar
1/2 c. agave nectar
3/4 c. cinnamon applesauce (I made mine from scratch so it's chunky, but premade works too, of course.)
4 eggs
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. maple extract
1and1/2 c. buttermilk

Mix first 8 ingredients, set aside. Mix next 7 ingredients, sifting soda and spices. Add dry to wet and mix 'til well-combined. Add buttermilk. Pour into greased or paper-lined muffin tins. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 min. Yield: 2(large)-3(smaller) dozen. (If making smaller muffins, bake for 15 min.)

Enjoy!

Recipe developed from Ellie Krieger's recipe here.

Gifts, of the Spiritual Nature

I've taken a handful of spiritual gifts tests in my life. And whenever asked on ministry applications or whatnot to list my spiritual gifts, I've always listed encouragement and prayer. I used to be really good about writing notes of encouragement to people and I used to be really diligent about prayer.

I still strive to be this way...

But since college or so, prayer has taken a lot more effort. And I haven't made encouraging note-writing a weekly discipline or anything. I never considered the fact that my spiritual gifts may have changed.

For my weekly discipleship group, we were instructed to take a spiritual gifts inventory. Sitting on my couch yesterday afternoon, feeling less than joyful due to an extreme lack of sleep at the Jr. High all-nighter the evening before, I didn't expect much. I expected to get my homework assignment done and to perhaps receive confirmation that I'm an encourager and prayer-warrior. But once I started answering questions, I realized that my difficulty in prayer might actually point to a deeper discovery.

Prayer, along with evangelism and manual labor (ha!) were among my lowest scores.

I didn't know writing was considered a spiritual gift, but in this particular inventory, it was included. And it was my primary gift! In second, came a tie between a few gifts: exhortation, arts & crafts, vocal music, and hospitality.

So, while I know this doesn't mean I should stop trying to pray and evangelize so hard, I am more convinced that I should consider where my spiritual energy is going. Because if these gifts really do speak truth about my skills set (and they do), then maybe I should be investing more energy into serving God and his church through writing, exhorting, crafting, singing, and hosting. What does it look like to write for the betterment of the body of Christ? My mind feels a little narrow on the topic, but the wheels are beginning to turn. Thank you, Lord, for this discovery.

Eyes, ears, mouth, and nose~~September

In my Eyes, ears, mouth, and nose series, I'll be sharing the things I'm into every month. What am I consuming? What trends have captivated me? What new things have I learned from all sorts of media feeds? So here are where my eyes, ears, mouth, and nose were in September:

If you've never met me, you should know this: September is my least favorite month of the year. So I am happy (nearly thrilled) that October has finally arrived. Everything surrounding us in September tells us that times are shifting, new activities are starting, and the school year calendar is beginning. But the weather (at least here in LA) is hotter than ever. August and September are the height of summer and there are moments that feel exhausting and...I just think Greenday said it best with "wake me up when September ends". So because of September and all its warm baggage, my wardrobe has been a little lacking this month. I mean, I'm still wearing clothes (very much so). But I'm growing tired of my normal summer ensemble of skirts, tanks, and sandals. What you'll usually see me in these days is just that, though I did buy my first ever pair of skinny jeans (major step!) for when the weather changes. I've taken a new (again) liking to my Birkenstocks and ever since my marvelous boyfriend gifted me with brand new Rainbows, my feet have been pretty happy in one or the other of my arch-supported pairs.

I have been listening to the Lumineers (since I'll be seeing them live in concert this weekend!), Ingrid Michaelson-a faithful standby, and a lot of pop. It's great for driving but terrible for falling asleep...the genre that won't get out of your head. I've been watching Gilmore Girls DVDs (currently roaming through season 6), Parenthood (it's back!), Lost, and a couple Wes Anderson films. The boyfriend is to thank for the latter two. He really does enrich my media knowledge.

I am into cooking baby food, since niecey just started solids. It doesn't take much skill to boil/steam/blend fruits and veggies though, so I've also been into some grown up foods. Among recently concocted recipes: potato pancakes with homemade applesauce, pumpkin pie, chicken pot pie, and many creative pasta creations. I'm thanking the Lord for AC as I turn on the oven and fall-fake-it. Soon, very soon, the weather will reflect my culinary longings.

I'm reading "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" and "The Happiness Project". With it, I'm starting my own happiness project! This has been exciting.

My eyes, ears, mouth, and nose are super excited for fall to finally, actually arrive (though you better believe I had a little celebration on September 21st). Because they will be into autumn pallets, warm beverages, pies, and everything cozy by the end of this month!