Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Paninis

I tend to make up recipes off the top of my head. Sometimes they don't turn out so well, and I feed them to the dog. But this tomato soup is so yummy and quick. You can hardly call it homemade since it uses a can of Campbell's, but you'd never know to taste it!

Pour the can of condensed tomato soup into a microwave-safe bowl. Fill the empty can with 3/4 chicken stock and 1/4 heavy cream. (I didn't say it would be low-fat!) Sprinkle in some basil, mint, onion powder, garlic salt, pepper, or whatever spices you like. Then just heat it until it's nice and steamy.

It so yummy! Perfect with a grilled cheese...I squished these on the panini press for an added crunch! So tasty on a cold winter day -- comfort food to the max!

How do you do it?

Okay, I'm wanting some input on marking up my new Bible. I recently purchased an ESV single-column reference Bible, which I love. The only think I don't love about it is the pages are rather thin and require some special pens in order not to bleed through. I have black, pink, orange, red, blue, purple, yellow, and green fine-tip pens. I have used various Bible-marking methods in the past, but a lot of them included a highlighter, which this particular Bible will not tolerate. How do you guys mark your Bibles...colors, symbols, just notes, etc? I'm all ears!

Game Day Potato Skins

Another yummy recipe from my test kitchen! While not low-cal, these are definitely scrumptious. Great for game day! Try them for yourself:

1) Give your potatoes a rub-down with a bit of canola oil and salt

2) Bake them in the oven at 450 for about 45 mins

- While the potatoes are baking, cook 1-2 slices of bacon per potato

3) Split the potatoes open and scoop out most of the insides

4) Brush the hollowed-out potatoes with oil and sprinkle on some more salt

5) Put them in the oven hollow-side down for about 7 minutes

6) Pull them out and fill them with a hearty amount of your favorite cheeses (I combined sharp cheddar, colby jack, and mozzarella)

7) Crumble the cooked bacon on top

8) Stick them back in the oven to let the cheese melt into bubbly goodness

9) Serve to your drooling guests before they rush the oven in a mad craze

10) Have some sour cream, ranch, and green onions on the side for good measure!

Cooking...Pioneer Style

So I tried Pioneer Woman's chicken parm, and boy was it good! And so easy...I prepped, cooked, and cleaned up the whole meal in about an hour. If you'd like to try your hand at it too (and you should...it's yummy!), you can find the step-by-step recipe here. If my co-workers were drooling over the microwaved left-overs in a plastic ziplock container, you can imagine how tasty it is! Try it out and let me know what you think, foodies!

Pioneer Woman

My sick computer has been healed! Well, actually I buried it in the backyard under the oak tree. But now I have a new (and very welcome) addition. I have now entered the Mac World, and am finding it a very nice place to be.

My new favorite place to wander in Mac World is the Pioneer Woman's

blog. I was first introduced to Ree through her cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks. She's a city-girl turned country-lover, homeschooling mother of four, and creative to the core. You should wander on over too!

I made her chocolate chip cookies for work the other day...yummy. They have a nice heaping teaspoon of instant coffee granules that give them that special little something. I'd post a picture of them if they weren't already gobbled up. Maybe next time...I've got my eye on her chicken parm right now. I think a trip to Wal-Mart may be in store for the day. So, while I head to the store, hop on over to visit the Pioneer Woman. But beware, you might drool a bit as you browse through her cooking section, so have a paper towel or bib handy!

Girls' Discipleship

After a long absence in the blogging world, (as a result of a sick computer stuck as an inpatient at Best Buy hospital for over 2 months) I have returned! I'm so exited to be starting up girls' discipleship again today. I'll be taking a small group of 10th-12th grade girls through Jerry Bridges' Respectable Sins, which I've heard is one of those great books that just gets you right where it hurts! Any one read it? Let me know what you thought. I'm praying that the Lord will use this book in each of our lives to change us into more holy imitators of Christ.

Lipstick on the Wall

When my brother was about 2 years old, he took my mom's lipstick out of her purse and "decorated" his room with it. It was everywhere...on the walls, his toybox, the door, and all over him. With all of the red, it looked like a gruesome murder scene. So some kids paint their walls with lipstick, others give themselves a haircut, but my little pooch seems to be content destroying things that she is not even supposed to touch.

This morning I was awakened by the jingling of her collar as she sat so angelically by my bedside waiting for me to wake up. As I got out of bed, I praised her for being such a good dog and not acting the fool to get me out of bed. But then, I walked up front...

To my great surprise, my living room rug was scattered with shards of CDs, random bits of paper, and a few other things that I'm still not really sure what they used to be. I keep a basket of random tv-related things under my tv, blockade in with books and baskets so that she can't get to them...or so I thought. Apparently, my little mischief-maker spent some time figuring out how to get into the basket and then made several trips back and forth to the rug with her new-found treasures...and then proceded to tear them into shreds.

Apart from the mess, there were no great losses, a few CDs to replace and papers to tape back together. My "While You Were Sleeping" DVD now has a nice imprint of her mouth...if only dogs needed dental records. I wonder if the police could use it to identify her if she ever ran away? Another of her victims was an instruction booklet on how to use her gentle-lead collar...she's always hated that thing...maybe this sparked the ransack.

I think this is one of the things I'm supposed to laugh about some day. Perhaps that will come after I've vacuumed all of the shards of broken CDs out of my rug. I suppose this is tame compared to what she could have done with a tube of lipstick...I don't even want to imagine that!

Knit Souls

Every year in February, my best friends from my years at the U of A get together for girls' weekend. Though I don't see these girls much more than this annual trip, it is so fun that we can always pick back up right where we left off. It's so much fun to have friends like that...the ones that you don't have to explain everything to...they just understand you. It reminds me somewhat of the friendship between David and Jonathan, "As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul" (I Samuel 18:1). That's what we are...knit souls, or "bosom friends" as Anne of Green Gables calls them. I so enjoyed my time hosting these ladies this year and am already looking forward to Girls' Weekend 2010!

Fishers of Men

I received this picture from a friend in India who was visiting the seaside. How staggeringly it brings home Matthew 4:19-20: "And he said to them, 'Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.' Immediately they left their nets and followed him."

Like a Storm Against a Wall

Four baby funerals in one day just seems like too much. It's been a pretty rough couple of weeks at work, culminating today with four funerals of children less than 2 years old. All of them were very traumatic and pretty unexpected. One got hung in the mini-blinds at home and was strangled to death. The other was playing with his mom in his hospital bed one minute and then pouring blood out of his mouth and nose the next. Another was finally starting to get well and had a seizure. Another had just come in for a clinic visit earlier that day and been fine, and went home and died later that day. Forgive the vivid descriptions, but it's difficult to explain just how really horrific and tragic they were without knowing the circumstances.

It's really rough times like these that I have to remind myself of God's sovereignty and that all His plans are for His glory and our good. As Isaiah reminds us, His plans are from of old, and they are faithful and sure.

"O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name,for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure...For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall, like heat in a dry place...He will swallow up death forever;and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken. It will be said on that day, "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation." (from Isaiah 25)

I'm so thankful that during these times that seem as though I'm being beaten down with a storm against a wall, that I can trust in the Lord whose plans are faithful and sure. He makes no mistakes, and all that He does is good. So, I encourage you whether you've watched 4 babies die this week or gone through some other difficulty, rest in Him. He is our shelter from the storm. May we wait for His rescue that is coming when He will swallow up death forever and wipe away all tears. Let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation, for this world is not our home. This life is just a camping trip...we are seeking the city that is to come (Hebrews 13:14). May we live with that in mind.

Meet Callie!

A girl that I work with was giving away lab puppies, and I picked Callie up on Sunday night. She is the runt of her litter but very playful and rambunctious. Though she still whines a little when I put her outside, she had adjusted really well. Callie is very active and loves to pounce on all of her toys and always be underfoot. She loves to chew on fingers and toes too...a habit which I am trying to break! She's so sweet...right now she's asleep on my foot, exhausted from romping around the back yard. It's so fun to have her!

House photos...finally!

Hello, all! I have no idea if anyone even checks this blog anymore...I haven't been very faithful to posting lately. Between the busyness of work , getting my house in some sort of working order, and preparing to teach a girls' discipleship group, my schedule has been more than full! But, I'm happy to report that I finally have a few photos of my new house. It's not totally together yet, but you can at least get an idea of what it looks like! It's such a blessing to be back in a house...so quiet and much more suited to my night-time schedule! I can vacuum at 3AM if I want to now...it's great! Enjoy the pictures...I'll try to be more faithful to regular posting in the weeks to come!

Guess that's enough for now...more to come later!

I bought a house!

Well, after a long and arduous search, I signed papers on my first house today! I don't know that it's really been able to sink in yet, but I'm excited! Here's a little peek at the front...I'll post more pictures later!

Decisions, Decisions

"He has made everything beautiful in its time." It's been decision time for both me and the P's. I've been praying over returning there, starting grad school this Fall, buying a house, and what my ministry here should look like. The P's have been deciding about staying where they are doing what they are doing or taking another route for ministry at this time.

I'm so pleased and grateful to say that decisions are being made on both fronts. I've decided to wait a year or two before starting back to school, and the P's have decided that D will start a 3-year seminary in south India before returning to their home. While vastly different implications are hinged on these decisions, the Lord's will is being made beautiful in His time through both of them.

I'd been wondering and praying through why the Lord would allow me so much time and a burden for that area yet seem to say that now is not the time to return there. And here is the answer! Had I decided to return there at this time, the P's would not be there, which would mean that likely I would not be able to be there without them. I'm so thankful to the Lord that He is sovereign and gives us the desires of our heart even before we know why we have those desires!

So for those of you have been praying for me and the P's, thank you, thank you, thank you, and keep praying! Though decisions are being made, there are still many unknowns and opportunities to walk in faith. Pray for both me and the P's that the Lord will provide a house of His choosing even across oceans. Pray for decisions we know still need to be made and those we don't even know about yet. May we have hearts of wisdom that desire to glorify God above all.

A Return to the Simple Things

Being back in the hustle and bustle of the States is such a stark contrast to India. While I was always busy in India the pace was just different. Everyone takes a break for an hour or two at lunch because of the heat of the day. Life is crazy difficult but at the same time sweetly simple. When I saw this ladder made out of bamboo, sticks, and wire, I was reminded of how simple things are there.

Last night at the hospital, I took a boy down to the morgue in a body bag. He had just gone to his prom the night before he came to the hospital. From the time I received him from surgery until the time he died, he received the maximum amount of medical intervention I think that I have ever seen, and yet the Lord had appointed his day to end on May 14, 2008.

It is such a comfort to know that the Lord is sovereign over every one of our days and already know the number of them. It reminds me of how important it is to live each day for His glory because we do not know how He has sovereignly numbered our days. "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12). Though life here on this earth can be crazy and demanding, our task is simple. "But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14). May we strain forward on this numbered day.

Where are you looking?

"Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward" (Genesis 13:14). Are we looking all around us for opportunities to spread the name of Christ? I often find myself getting so focused on the tasks at hand that I forget to "lift up my eyes unto the hills from whence comes my help."

We should be continually asking Him to lift up our eyes from the entanglements of this world to see the true mission at hand. "Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel" (Philippians 1:27).

Hide Away

Missionary life can be very wearisome. Every day is steeped in dying to self. Visiting the P's reminds me of how important it is for us to remember our missionary families in prayer constantly. You wouldn't imagine how difficult simple tasks such as mopping the floors or going out for a walk in the neighborhood are. However, there is such joy in serving Christ and selflessly loving others.

Sovereign Grace Ministries has just released an excellent CD called Come Weary Saints. This songs speaks of the refuge Christ is to those who are weary and of the unspeakable joy that awaits the faithful. I pray that you will pray for a missionary today and think of a tangible way to encourage them...an email, a care package, etc. What we may think of as "nothing" can go a long way to encourage a weary soul!

"Hide Away in the Love of Jesus"

Come, weary saints, though tired and weak

Hide away in the love of Jesus

Your strength will return by His quiet streams

Hide away in the love of Jesus

Come, wandering souls, and find your home

Hide away in the love of Jesus

He offers the rest that you yearn to know

Hide away in the love of Jesus

Hear Him calling your name

See the depths of His love

In the wounds of His grace

Hide away

Come, guilty ones weighed down with sin

Hide away in the love of Jesus

The freedom you long for is found in Him

Hide away in the love of Jesus

Come, hopeless hearts, do not despair

Hide away in the love of Jesus

For ten thousand joys await you there

Hide away in the love of Jesus

Here are four of my favorite little girls in the whole world. Yes, they are all girls despite what we westerners think of as "boy" haircuts. Just as a side note, did you know that there is no such thing as boy-colors and girl-colors in India? I remember one little boy was so proud to show me his new pink flip-flops or "chuples" as they're called in India.

These sisters with AG are the daughters of Momina, who you met on the previous post about House Church. They are a Muslim family who live and work on the mission compound. S told me that though they had been exposed to the gospel many times in the past, no one had ever really sat down with Momina or her family members to really explain the gospel to them. Yasmine, the oldest in the black shirt, is the one who was looking at the picture of manna that I so badly wanted to talk to. Lahje, on the left, is possibly the most joyful child I have ever met despite the very challenging circumstances in which she lives every day...she has no idea that her life is hard! The baby is on the right and her name escapes me at the moment. She always had a bit of a mischevious twinkle in her eyes!

I've had this picture on my desktop since I left India, and every time I look at it, it makes me a bit homesick for them. None of them are yet believers and are being raised in a Muslim family. It makes me tear up a bit just to think about it. I pray that the Lord may scoop them up in saving grace and that they may be tremendous lights for Him in the midst of darkness.

Here's a short clip of them playing outside...it's really short but I thought you might want to hear their voices. Just like normal sisters, they play and laugh and sometimes yell at each other. I hope that you will get a little glimpse of just how special Yasmine, Lahje, and baby are and may pray for them as the Lord brings them to mind.

Looking for the flock

"And a man found him wandering in the fields. And the man asked him, 'What are you seeking?' 'I am seeking my brothers,' he said. 'Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.'" -- Genesis 37:15-16

Found this verse today and it so reminded me of this picture. A man walking down the road in India. I do not know his name. I do not know where he is going. I do not know what he is seeking, but I do know that he is sought. He is sought after by two...one for death and one for life. "Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." Can you not see a lion rushing out of that field to his right and devouring him right there?

Yet, he is sought by One who would give life. "But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him." Though the chances that this man will even every run into a believer are dismally small, the Lord knows him by name and knows his eternal destiny. May this man and others like him be found not as prey but as worshippers. May he find where the flock is pastured and come under the protection of the good Shepherd.

State-side!

Hi, everyone! Just wanted to let you know that I'm back in LR after a wonderful trip and a fairly uneventful trip home. Again, thank you all for your prayers! This is a picture from the drive home. I plan to add some more pictures soon but just wanted to let you know that I've arrived safely...missing people in India but happy to be home!