Perspectives Kick-Off!

I can probably pinpoint about five monumental markers that have shaped my faith. Reading certain books, attending certain events, specific relationships with specific people at specific times in my life.

And taking Perspectives.

Perspectives is a course that examines the worldwide Christian movement from historical, biblical, strategic, and cultural perspectives. At least, that's the tagline. The truth is that Perspectives is a game-changer. I know this because I experienced it when I took it in college. So when Perspectives approached WHC about hosting the class, Grant contacted me to see if I'd be interested in helping.

Um....YES!

Last night was our first class and it was uh-MAY-zing. Nearly 100 people were in attendance (including not one, but TWO former students!) and Sean Cooper of The Traveling Team did our first lesson.

 

I had forgotten that in the first lesson they drive home the fact that the Bible is ONE story. It's often seen as a multitude of stores that involve God, but the truth is, it has a plot structure complete with all the elements of plot. It has a main character and, guess what? I'm not the main character. We are not the main character. HUMANITY is not the main character. GOD is. And when we take verses like Psalm 46:10:

We put the first half on bumper stickers and coffee mugs and home decor. We leave out the last part, why? BECAUSE WE AREN'T IN IT. The truth is, God's heart is for the nations. Not just Westerners. Not just Americans. Not just republicans/democrats. Not just the righteous. Not just the wealthy. ALL THE EARTH. There was so much good MEAT to everything he said. After the first half, my notes looked like this:

I had to get more paper. I didn't look at the clock once. I was writing nearly as fast as he was talking. Things like:

• The Old Testament tells the story Jesus completes and declares the promise Jesus fulfills.
• God didn't give us the "great commission" in Matthew 28:19-20. He gave it to us in Mark 16:15, Luke 24:47, John 20:21, Acts 1:8 - there are over 1500 references in the Bible to the "great commission."
• Every epistle is a fulfillment of Genesis 12 - Corinth. Galatia. Ephesus. Philippi. Colossae. Thessalonica.
• Jesus never traveled more than 90 miles from his hometown, yet he reached Samaritans, Canaanites, Centurions, Gentiles, Gadarenes, Romans, etc.

When two hours were up, I couldn't believe it. It was SO GOOD. I went straight home and filled Rick in - I talked as fast as I could because I was afraid something important was going to slip out of my head before I could tell it to him.

I am so excited about next week!

Trash Mountain

My husband is leaving the country. Exciting, right?

For the last few years, our church has partnered with an organization called Trash Mountain. Trash Mountain works with trash dump communities in developing countries all around the world to provide them with clean water, food, and sustainable living. International travel and missions are both passions of mine, so when my husband was offered a place on a team traveling to the Philippines in 2015, I wasn't sure how to feel. On one hand, this was an amazing opportunity for my husband. It was an opportunity to see a part of the world he has only heard about (his aunt, uncle, and cousins served in Manilla for more than 20 years). It was an opportunity to expand himself professionally, as he will be leading worship with ministry leaders while he's there. It's an opportunity for him to grow spiritually, because, let's face it - you can't NOT grow when you see God's grace and providence in environments so vastly different from your own. On the other (far more selfish and way louder) hand, I knew this was going to be a time of trial for me. I LOVE LOVE LOVE things like this and haven't gotten to go since before our kids were born. Truth be told, I wish it was me. This is also the first international trip that we haven't taken together. It's also a ten day stretch of me with the kids. Alone. Like, by myself. Right when school starts back. And it means the kids will be apart from their dad for longer than they have ever been. So...I'm a bit torn.

To help myself get over my selfishness, I tried to focus my energy on Charlie. To explain this to him, Daddy pulled up a map on the computer. He showed Charlie where we are and where the Philippines are. He explained that he was going to help little kids just like him in the Philippines. He also told him that he was going where Aunt Pam and Uncle Ben are from, to which Charlie responded, "No Daddy, they are from Singapore." Yes, that's where they are now. Good memory, kid. We talked about how Aunt Pam and Uncle Ben got to tell people in the Philippines and now in Singapore about Jesus. Wasn't that exciting? I told Charlie that Daddy would be meeting kids who didn't have a house like him, didn't have peanut butter and jelly like him, and didn't have toys like him. I asked him if he wanted to go through his toys and see if there was anything he would like Daddy to take as a gift to the boys and girls in the Philippines. About ten minutes later, Charlie came back to me with this bag FULL of planes, trains, cars, and other toys.

As much as Charlie and Lucy (and Mommy) are going to miss Daddy, it's important for all of us to understand and recognize that Daddy is going to do one of the most important and powerful things we as Earth-dwellers can do: SERVE OTHERS. And, even though we can't go with him, we can do things like give up our toys, give up our time, and shoulder more work. In this way, we are still contributing because he is serving on our behalf.

And THAT is exciting. Details to come!

International Students!

I dream about living overseas. Every time I have gone, it has been an energizing, heartfelt, and life-changing experience. After we were first married, we went somewhere international every year...until we had kids, and in fact, I was planning a trip to Indonesia when I found out I was pregnant with my first. As a result, our overseas ministry efforts slowed to supporting missionaries through prayer and giving, and, beginning this year, working with international students!

Meet Yukie! We got hooked up with her through the Topeka Friends Network, an organization that seeks to give international students cultural experiences that revolve around family and faith.

A little fuzzy (nice photo bomb, Matthew)

Not quite...

There we go :)

For instance, the typical exchange student does not experience Thanksgiving unless they are invited by a fellow college student, and, let's face it - how many college students do this? Through TFN, American families are partnered up with students to help give them these experiences.

So far, we've connected with Yukie four times. The first was our introductory cook out at the home of our friends who coordinate TFN. Yukie LOVED the kids and immediately got down on the floor and started playing with them (which was kind of nice, since it was the first full day of school and I was EXHAUSTED!). Yukie and her friend Chen have come to church twice. The first time I picked them up, but I felt awful because only one of them had an actual seat in my tiny car and the other had to squeeze in between the car seats in the back. :( But she did not seem to mind in the least. That is one thing I  have noticed over and over again about the Chinese - they don't mind a little inconvenience, and they are perpetually enthusiastic. I introduced them both to Lindsey at church and they jumped up and said things like, "Hi, nice to meet you!" before I even had a chance to get through her name, and with so much enthusiasm that Lindsey was a bit startled and had to take a step back before she laughed and shook their hands.

We also introduced Yukie and Chen to "American" Chinese food at our favorite quick stop, Dillon's. Having been to China, we knew that actual Chinese food really isn't much like what we have here in our Chinese restaurants. They had NO idea what crab Rangoon was (they ate a bite with their chopsticks and politely put it down and did not touch it again), and, though they had seen egg rolls before, they don't eat them frequently in China. They stuck to sticky rice (white rice) and veggie dishes.

Yukie is only here until December, but we are excited to continue to connect with her this semester!

Upward - Reflection

This year, I coached Upward basketball, just like I did two years ago.  Only this year, I also added "Commissioner" to my title.

And it was AWESOME.  I still don't know anything about basketball.  I still forgot to send emails, left names off the list of people I DID manage to send emails to, had to send people running in all directions to get stuff I forgot, and have a LONG list of things I will do differently next time.  But, just as in teaching, it's really not about all the details, it's about the kids.

And Lindsey and I had one GREAT group of kids.  But before I start on the kids, I need to brag on Lindsey.  She is such an awesome basketball coach.  She was patient, kind, and able to give the kids actual basketball instruction at the tender ages of 4, 5, and 6.  And, she somehow kept track in her head of how the kids did each game.  I told her I was thinking of carrying a clipboard and writing down every time a kid passed or took a shot, and then she rattled off the names of everyone who passed and took a shot.  Whaaaaaat?  How does she do that?

We had eight boys and one feisty girl.  I mean it when I say feisty - she was all over that ball and by far the most aggressive player on our team.  We had one adorable 4-year-old who was just so stinking cute, even though he couldn't dribble or shoot.  I could tell several stories about these kids, but I'll limit myself to just this one...Joey.  I'll call him that just so I don't break any confidentiality codes.  We had heard ahead of time that Joey was kind of a pain - didn't listen, wouldn't follow directions, etc, and while he never misbehaved, it was clear he wasn't into basketball.  He was glad when he got to sit on the bench, always wanted to head for the water fountain, and never really did much with the ball when he had it.  In short, he reminded me of what I would have been like if I had played basketball at his age.

At devotion time, we learned about three virtues over the course of the season - honesty, patience, and kindness.  Since music is how I best learn, I taught the kids a silly song about the fruits of the spirit based on Galatians 5:22 (the video version is slightly different than what I taught them, but you get the idea).  As the kids were preparing for Awards night on Sunday, our very last meeting of the season, the director, killing time before it was our turn to go down to the gym, asked if anyone wanted to come up and sing a song.  Joey's hand SHOT into the air.  Bryan called him up, and that boy sang the ENTIRE song into the microphone. With gusto.  And that's a lot of words for a little kindergartner.  And when he was done, he literally JUMPED into my arms and squeezed tight.  I wish I could post the video I got of him singing.  It was adorable, and it made me tear up, thinking and hoping that this song might be something he remembers after he has forgotten where the baseline is, or how to bounce pass, or to keep his elbows down when he shoots.  Because Upward isn't just about basketball - it's about loving kids, and showing them that Jesus loves them, too.

Looking forward to next year.

Tips for MASSIVE Freezer Cooking

When Lucy was born, my dear, dear friend Melissa did the most amazing thing for us.  She cooked, like, a gazillion meals for us, froze them, and sent them up to us (she lives two hours away).

Twice.

It was the. best. thing. ever.

Now in terms of domesticity, Melissa is Michael Jordan and I am the kid across the street who can't hit the broad side of a barn.  She is Jimi Hendrix and I am the 7th grade guitar class at school.  She is Adelle and I am a screeching cat.  But Rick's sister is having a baby, and I thought this was a good idea...

Tip #1: Having Meals in the Freezer is the Best Thing Ever
I think I already said this, and it's not really a "tip," but it bears repeating. I learned this when Melissa brought the meals while I was on bed rest.  (NOT something I recommend, btw.)  It was amazing to just be able to pull something out of the freezer, let it thaw, and throw it in the oven!

Tip #2: Take it Slow
My original plans were a bit more grandiose, but real life and a growing understanding of what I could actually accomplish, given my lacking skill level, full-time job, two children, fitness schedule, and cooking for my own family, brought me swiftly back to Earth.  Thankfully, we have 1/4 of a cow in our freezer, and thanks to one of the freezers going out and me spending four hours cooking 60 lbs of ground beef, that part was already done.  I spent about three sessions of five-hour stretches in the kitchen, and then bits and pieces here and there.  Between cooking and organizing the guidebook (which was actually my favorite part of the entire process), I probably spent a good 24 hours on this over the last month!

Tip #3: Have a Plan
Here is my menu:

I kept a Google spreadsheet of what meals required what ingredients, what ingredients I had and which ones I still needed to get, etc.  Obviously, the plan changed, but that was okay.

Tip #4: Have Partners
My husband was a rock star while I was doing this.  He took the kids across the street to the park, or just kept them out of the kitchen, sometimes for hours on end.  And my mom was awesome because she offered to pay for all the disposable bake ware, which is a necessity when you are freezer-cooking for someone else!

Tip #5: Break the Cooking into Segments
I did this in shifts, and invariably, the shift that I thought would be two hours ended up being five.  Plan for that.

Tip #6: Try to Cook HEALTHY Stuff
Now that I have spent 15 weeks eating plant-based whole foods, it's hard for me to go back to thinking about preparing white flour, processed foods.  I purchased a few ingredients I hadn't purchased in probably 6 months (like Velveeta, for instance), and to be honest, I had a little internal battle as I was preparing these things.  If I don't want to be eating these, should I be making them for someone else?  Melissa's meals were all super healthy - shouldn't mine be, too?  So I compromised.  Rick's sister is not a fan of veggies, but I made three dishs (meatballs, sloppy joes, and "mashed potatoes"), that have "sneaky" veggies.  I'm particularly proud of the "mashed potatoes" because I didn't have a recipe and they turned out SO GREAT!  I'll share the recipes at another time.

Tip #7: Think about Convenience
Do things that are going to be easy.  Almost all of these meals can be thawed in the fridge overnight and tossed in the oven 30 minutes before go-time.  You don't want meals where you have to do a lot of prep.


Tip #8: Use everydayhomecook.com for Pretty Much Everything
Allow me to GUSH for a moment.  This is a MUST on your list of food blogs.  It's run by a friend of mine (who I absolutely adore) and it's awesome.  This is hands down my favorite cooking site.  It's so easy, everything is step-by-step, and the food is DELICIOUS every time.  I used her refrigerator dough, bierocks, monkey bread, bread sticks, cookies, and taco seasoning all directly, but then I used variations of several recipes as well.  GREAT resource.

Tip #9: Have a Guidebook
This was really for my own sanity, but I know how helpful it is to have a guide because Melissa made up great instructions for us.  I used Google Docs (PS Kallie, if you are reading this, Luckiest Guy is my new favorite font!) and generated a Meal Plan (above) and a Table of Contents:

an inventory sheet so she knows how much she has and where it should be:

and a page for each dish explaining what goes with it, how to prepare it, and the recipe, in case she ever wants to make it herself:

(As I said, I'm really most proud of this part.  I'm a nerd like that.)

Tip #10: Enjoy Dropping it Off!

One bag was for the pantry, and the rest was for the freezer.  Hope they enjoy them!

MealTrain.com

(image from mealtrain.com homepage)

I always end up being the coordinator of meals for friends who have babies.  I like this job because 1) I get to organize, 2) it's an opportunity to serve, and 3) this was such a huge help to us when my son was born.  What I don't like - sending and receiving a bajillion emails getting it all coordinated.

Enter MealTrain.com.

I have a good friend who had her second child on Thursday, May 10th.  I entered her name, email, and drop off address.  It allowed me to enter information about preferred drop off times, family members, allergies, favorite/least favorite meals - it looks amazing.  I am going to give it a shot.  I will write a reflection post when all is said and done!