I TRIED MY BEST!

This morning in reading group, one of my students was reading a book out loud to the rest of the group.  As she finished reading the last sentence, she made a minor error.  When she finished reading, another little girl across the table quietly corrected her.  As a general rule, I’m not the biggest fan of kids correcting each other’s reading, but she wasn’t being mean, she was genuinely trying to help.  The little girl snapped her head up from her book and shot a glare across the table at the girl who had corrected her. “I TRIED MY BEST!” she yelled.

I quickly conjured up my high-pitched gentle voice and reminded the student that we never, ever yell at our friends in the classroom.  She apologized, but as her bottom lip started to quiver, my heart ached for her.   She was ashamed.  She had tried her best, and she still failed. I told a few jokes and all was well.  All 3 students were laughing and getting along in no time.

For the last 9 months, I’ve been kicking and screaming.  Just like my student, I’ve been yelling “I TRIED MY BEST.”  But that doesn’t always matter.  Sometimes, you try your best, and you’re still reading the wrong words.  Sometimes you read the words that you think are supposed to be on the page, even when they’re not there.  It still sounds fine to you, and no one would be the wiser if someone else didn’t speak up.  We’ve been taught that “I TRIED MY BEST” is the best we can get.  I’m glad that it’s not.  I’m grateful for a good God who will correct my sentences when I read them the wrong way, no matter how painful it is.

Favorite Things Friday: My New Vacuum Cleaner

I have a confession to make.  A few weeks ago, my vacuum cleaner broke.  That’s right.  I said weeks. Now, to be fair, it wasn’t the vacuum cleaner’s fault.  He was built for picking up crumbs off the dining room floor, and we were expecting him to clean our whole, entire, humungous apartment. He just couldn’t take the pressure, bless his little heart.  Anyway, “clean floors” is on the list somewhere after things like “roof over our heads,” “don’t starve,” and “make it to work.”  

Though a new vacuum cleaner wasn’t high on my list of things to buy, I did a bit of research and decided that I have several problems buying vacuum cleaners:

1. They are so expensive and they seem to break so easily. 

2. They all look like toys. Come on.  ”You want HOW MUCH for that? I’m pretty sure my niece has the same one.”

3. Most boring purchase EVER. 

Did I mention it’s been weeks since I vacuumed?  (disclaimer: my mother didn’t raise me like this.) 

I wish I could describe to you (and at the same time, I don’t) how disgusting the carpets were in this apartment.  We have NEVER had a proper vacuum cleaner.  That poor little wisp of a thing has been doing the heavy lifting the whole time we’ve lived here.  Needless to say, my floors were a hot mess. The other day, I got home, looked at them, and almost started crying.

Anyway, a few days ago, after messing with some numbers, we were able to fit a vacuum into the budget, and not a moment too soon. My Dad said he had read about a really good vacuum, so I looked it up.  I was a little skeptical at first, I mean, come on, It’s a vacuum for goodness sakes. But, I was swept off my feet! Seriously, this is the BEST vacuum that I’ve ever used. When David got home from work, I was surprised he didn’t want to take a turn vacuuming the house, just for fun.  

Reasons I love my new vacuum: 

1. AFFORDABLE. 

2. It practically pushes itself. 

3. It looks like a toy.  It’s purple, come on! How cute is that?!

4. My floors are cleaner than they were when I moved in. 

5. Did I mention it’s purple? 

6. 5. year. warrantee.

Since your vacuum will probably break in a few years, keep the Shark Navigator Lift Away in mind, and if you ever want to try one, I’m happy to share mine. 

Favorite Things Friday

This afternoon, while I was sitting in my cube, eating a strawberry, I decided that I would start something called “Favorite Things Friday.”  I’ve just made it up, so I get to include whatever favorite thing I’m enjoying at the time.  Music. Books. Recipes. Hair Products. Kitchen Appliances. Etc. I can think of no better way to kick off Favorite Things Friday than with some FREE MUSIC by a duo that is very close to my heart.

Meet Jenny & Tyler

I started listening to Jenny & Tyler about 2 years ago.  They agreed to come play a few shows at our college, and I fell in love with them and their music.  Over the last two years they have not only been a favorite band, but they have also become friends.  Em and I recently had the chance to hang out with them in Nashville.  Soon, they will be releasing a new album, and rumor is it’s going to be WONDERFUL.  In anticipation of this release, they’re GIVING AWAY their most recent album, Faint Not and it is PURE. GOLD.  You can get their CD at this link: http://bit.ly/wpvPx5.

In addition to that, they’ve covered Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence,” and it’s available on iTunes. This cover is also PURE GOLD, and all proceeds go to fight human trafficking. you can get “The Sound of Silence” here: http://bit.ly/xLV8X4.

As long as I’m going link crazy, you can check out their website here: http://jennyandtylermusic.com.

Go treat yourself to some honest, refreshing, encouraging music written by two godly, passionate people. Go. Treat Yourself. Thank me later.

Happy Favorite Things Friday.

There is Always a Way.

I recently had the opportunity to join some amazing women for a panel discussion with some college students.  One of the questions we were prepared for was this one: “If you could go back and tell your 20 year old self something, what would it be?”  Oh, the possibilities! Now, my twenty-year-old self isn’t much younger than my present-day self, but I feel like I have a lot to say.

Dear 20-year-old self,

Enjoy this time.  Enjoy being stressed out by papers and long chapters to read.  Enjoy watching LOST for 12 hours in a row and not feeling guilty.  Enjoy being able to stay up until 2 am every night.  Enjoy it.  Enjoy the fact that when people ask you what you’re doing with your life, you have a nice short, sweet answer to give them.  Enjoy no one taking you seriously.  Enjoy it.

Up until now, you’ve probably felt a lot of pressure to figure our where your life is going.  Think about the questions you’ve been asked since you were a child.  ”What do you want to be when you grow up?”  ”Where are you going to college?” “What are your plans for after graduation?”  All of those questions deal with the direction of your life.

Somewhere along the way, someone told you that you needed to find the magic key to your life.  They called it your dream.  They told you to live it.  To chase it.  To spend yourself in pursuit of it.  They told you not to give up on it.  To hold on to it.

So you came to college to work on your dream.  To throw yourself into everything that you hope your life will be.  Why?  So that you can give a good answer to people who ask you about your plans for after graduation?  So that everyone around you can see what a full life you’re living?  Out of obedience to God?  To meet your full potential?

Let me tell you something no one else is going to tell you.  Knowing what your life is about is so much more important than knowing where your life is going.  Where your life is going can change in an instant.  car crash.  fire.  rejection letter.  pregnancy test.  marriage. recession. cutbacks. war.  All it takes is one moment outside of your control.  Your dream flickers and the light goes out.  In an instant, the map is blank.  Your life is going nowhere.  You have no choice but panic.  You have no option but to frantically map out a new dream.

But what if you know what your life is about?  What if your life is about being faithful to a God who doesn’t need you to chart a map?  make a plan?  chase your dream?

There is always a way to be faithful to God.

Always.

When the dream flickers and dies.  When the house is gone.  When the war begins.  When the bank account is empty.  There is always a way to be faithful to God. Always.

Please, please remember that what you’re doing right now isn’t a bunch of grunt work that you have to do to get to the future on the other side.  Please remember that what you are doing right now is vital to the kind of person you are becoming.  Please read books.  Have adventures.  Serve.  Meet people.  Travel.  Work hard.  Try new things. Seek the Lord.  Not because it will look good on your resume.  Not because it will make you a better teacher. doctor. writer. scientist.   Not because you desperately need to know what to do with your life, but because you want to understand what your life is about.  Become a person who is faithful to God.  There will always be a way to be faithful to God. Always.

And finally, 20-year-old self, please get a hair cut.  Leave those edgy bangs to people who don’t go to the Hair Cuttery.  Please.  Also, clean your dorm room.  It’s a disaster area.

Love,
Lindsey

Crispy Warm Doughnuts

Is there anything better than a slow morning that includes a leisurely breakfast?  Sitting there, across from someone you love.  Crunching on bacon.  Sipping orange juice.  Lingering over coffee and a crispy warm doughnut.  D often works on Saturday mornings, and I work during the week, so it’s been quite a while since a leisurely breakfast has been an option.  When it is, though I still don’t want to wake up too early, which is why discovering this Doughnut recipe plastered all over the internet was so exciting.  Are they the best doughnuts I’ve ever eaten?  Nope, but I do like them better than the ones I can get at the grocery store.  If you were hoping for something healthy, go away.  These are not for you.

But, if you were hoping for something warm, crispy, sweet, and delicious; something that will compliment your coffee while you enjoy the coming spring mornings on your balcony, continue reading.  All you need is a tube of refrigerated biscuits and some veggie oil.

While you’re heating up the oil (about 1/2 an inch in a med-large sized skillet) on medium heat, use a small cookie cutter to remove the centers of the biscuits.  I only had a heart shaped one, but you could probably just use a knife to cut out the center.  Also, get a plate ready with a few layers of paper towel on it– that way you’ll have somewhere to put the doughnuts once they are fried.

 

Then, once the oil’s had a little time to heat up, carefully place the doughnuts into the oil.  Yummmmmm.  I love that sound.  It only takes about a minute or two, then you’ll need to flip them over.  Since I’m a little shy of extremely hot oil (due to an unfortunate experience in Brazil which I somehow escaped without a scar), I used our long handled grilling tongs, and they were perfect for the job.  You can do a few at a time.  I also threw in the centers to make little bite size doughnut treats. 

Look at them! Don’t they look amazing? Excuse me. I need to get something to clean the drool off my keyboard. Come to me, Doughnuts!

While those babies are cooling off, go ahead and prepare a few toppings.  I did cinnamon sugar on a few and chocolate frosting on the others. For cinnamon sugar: dip the doughnut in melted butter, then coat with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.  I think I used something like a half stick of butter for 6 doughnuts. Healthy.  For the chocolate, I found it easiest to dip the doughnut right in the frosting, rather than trying to spread it.

Look at these delicious little guys.  Aren’t they so cute?  They are an excellent addition to any leisurely Saturday breakfast.

 

 

 

I made two batches within a few days and decided that it is no longer safe for me to keep refrigerated biscuits in the house.  If any of you try it, let me know what kinds of toppings you use!

White Bean Chicken Chili

I have a confession to make.  Monday night is Bachelor night….

But wait, don’t go!!! I can explain!! 

About a year and a half ago, I texted a few girls I used to live with…”Hey! Come over and bring homework if you want. I have a delicious desert in my kitchen and I think I’ll put The Bachelor on in the background.”  Needless to say, no homework was done, and a tradition was born.  That was my first time watching the show, and I don’t think I’ll ever fully enjoy watching it alone.  We laugh a lot, we yell at the TV, and believe it or not, we have some surprisingly deep conversations about communication, relationships, and human nature.  Also, we’ve had some delicious food.

Tonight was our first night of watching the new season together and it was accompanied by some delicious (if I do say so myself) White Bean Chicken Chili.  This is my first recipe that I feel like is “mine” enough (and tasty enough) to post on here.  It’s taken a lot of risks and fails to have enough courage to trust my impulses (and they’re still wrong a lot of the time), but I am a firm believer that cooking/baking is more of an art than a science. SO, here goes.

White Bean Chicken Chili*

 

Ingredients:

~2 cups shredded chicken (you’ll have to cook it first, of course….I bought a rotisserie chicken and shredded it with a fork.)

1/2 cup chopped onion (you could use yellow or red. I almost always choose red)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 can chicken broth and 2 small cans V8 Juice OR 1 ½ cans chicken broth and 1 small can V8 juice (I did the first option, and it’s definitely tomato-y)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 cans great northern beans, rinsed

1 can white corn, mostly drained

juice of ½ lime

2 tablespoons Cilantro

2 tablespoons chili sauce

Directions:

Pay close attention, cause these directions are really hard.  Dump everything in your Crock-Pot and stir it up.  Turn it on low, and leave it for a few hours (about 1-2), then crank it up to high for another hour. Boom, you’re done.  If you’re pressed for time, you could always throw everything in a pot on the stove and heat it in a few minutes, but I like the way the flavors blend together in the Crock-Pot.

*Adapted from Betty Crocker’s One-Dish Meals.  Cooking times and some measurements are approximate.  I started with Betty’s ingredients, but about halfway through, it wasn’t looking the way I wanted, so I threw a bunch of extra stuff in with it.  Those measurements I’ve estimated as best as I could.

My husband gave it the thumbs up as did my friends.  I served it with shredded cheese, sour cream, cornbread and tortilla chips and it made an excellent compliment to an exhausting night of television.  Am I right people?  Those girls are crazy!

The God who Sees.

“I didn’t get the job.”  I was saying those words for what felt like the 50th time.  Little did I know that I would utter that phrase repeatedly in the months that followed.  ”I know God is good, it  just feels like He doesn’t even care.”

I always dread this conversation.  You know, the one where you tell the people who have been praying for you, hoping for you to get the job…for your healing…for that situation–that it didn’t happen.  It feels like failure.  What I dread most about those conversations, though, is the awkward silence that follows.  We fumble for words…no one knows what to say, and I feel guilty.  Perhaps this is unique to me, but I don’t think it is.  It feels like the rug’s been pulled out from under both of us.  Again.  And it’s my fault.  We feel questions rising inside of us that we don’t like, so we push them down.  Eventually, you’ll say, “It wasn’t meant to be.”  or “Just keep trusting the Lord.”  And I’ll say, “I know that this will all work out in the future.  I know it will.  I’m fine.”  Well-meaning friends (of which I have been one), uncertain of what to say, see an opportunity to offer encouragement. “You are finding hope, aren’t you?  Don’t you know that the Lord will provide?”  I do.  And He does.  And we both look away from one another and try to find something new to talk about– so that I don’t ask the questions and you don’t have to think about them.

But she doesn’t say any of those things.  There is no awkward silence.  She looks at me.  And she says four little words that will echo in my head over doubts for months to come.

“The Lord sees you.”

She doesn’t promise me that I’ll get to be a teacher someday.  She doesn’t tell me that everything will get better.  She doesn’t even exhort me to a lofty display of faith.  She just speaks truth.  And it is enough.  It might take months, but she believes that the truth she has spoken is stronger than my doubt, and her belief strengthens me.  Encourages me.

Over the last few months she’s repeated that phrase to me occasionally.  ”The Lord sees you.”  Always it has been comforting.  Always it has brought me to tears.  But today, as it echoed in my mind after yet another rejection, it brought insight.  It is her faith that has comforted.  The truth that has wrenched my heart.  Her words are not an anemic attempt to save me.  They are the very marrow of her beliefs.  In those words, I hear her faith, see her assurance.  I know my situation has not shaken her; I don’t have to apologize for my doubt or my honesty.  Her words offer me a place to hurt.  To doubt.  To heal.  A place that is safe, not because it is comfortable, not because it is a temporary situation, not even because there are thousands of other people experiencing it, but because it is within the gaze of The God Who Sees.

As we comfort one another, may it be our faith that bears witness to the Lord rather than our words.  May those we comfort hear our steadfast confidence that God is present, good, and watchful; not our frenzied desire to prop up their faith.  The Lord calls us to bear one another’s burdens.  When we offer advice, encouragement, and exhortation, we offer tools for our brother to bear his own burden.  When we humbly speak truth that testifies to our complete reliance on God, we stand shoulder to shoulder with our brother, offering relief and companionship as we bear his burden together.

My prayer is that the Lord makes me a burden carrier.

Today I Believe.

One of my favorite college memories (one that I’m sure will stick with me when I’ve been out of college longer than five months) is of the one week of evening prayer services that were held once a year.  Every night at 9:20, I would bundle up and trudge over to the Chapel, and find myself among 7 other people who had braved the cold.  The reason I kept coming was because it was unlike any prayer service I had ever been to before.  The short service would include a few songs, scripture readings, and a lot of the praying would be of prayers that were already written.  Every night, for five straight nights, I prayed a prayer that has yet to leave my mind.  I write it here today for the same reason I cherished the opportunity to pray it 3 years ago.

It’s full of truth.   And sometimes, it’s just good to hear truth.

Lord, you have always given

bread for the coming day;

and though I am poor,

today I believe.

Lord, you have always given

strength for the coming days;

and though I am weak,

today I believe.

Lord, you have always given

peace for the coming day;

and though anxious of heart

today I believe.

Lord, you have always kept me

safe in trials;

and now, tried as I am,

today I believe.

Lord, you have always marked

the road for the coming day;

and though it may be hidden,

today I believe.

Lord, you have always lightened

this darkness of mine;

and though the night is here,

today I believe.

Lord, you have always spoken

when the time was ripe;

and though you be silent now,

today I believe.

-Northumbria Community Celtic Evening Prayer Liturgy

Bad Things Happen: A Super 8 Movie Review

As a seminary couple, we’re on what some might call a tight budget.  And by some, I mean everyone, and by budget, I mean “avoid spending money at (almost) all costs.”  Groupon has been like a dear friend to us since we still like  to go on dates.  Our most recent purchase was four AMC movie tickets for $1/each.  Can’t beat that. That’s only like 4 loads of laundry or 1 gallon of gas, so we can swing that.

The other night, to celebrate the fact that David finished up his summer classes, we hit an AMC near us to see Super 8.   After debating at the concession stand and coming to the conclusion that spending $16 on popcorn and soda would cancel out the awesomeness of $1 movie tickets, we found some seats and settled back for what we hoped would be a satisfying summer movie experience. Were we ever wrong.  If you haven’t seen the movie and you want to, consider this your spoiler alert.

As a devoted LOST fan, I expected too much from Abrams, I guess.  Some of you might bring something up about this being a tribute to Spielburg or something, but I really don’t want to hear about it.  Calling a dish of brussels sprouts a tribute to someone doesn’t make it any less smelly or more tasty.

Moving along, let’s talk about the story.  As far as I can tell, this whole thing was mostly about an misunderstood spider trying to get his legos back?  There were some kids making a movie too, and…dogs?  The dogs were probably my favorite part of the movie because they were the only smart ones.  About 15 minutes into the movie, all the dogs in the town being terrorized by said angsty spider/alien run to safety while we are left to watch as the humans take an hour to realize that the dogs were on to something.

The movie isn’t all bad, though.  The train wreck that begins the alien invasion is a work of cinematographic art.  Furthermore, the kids are great comic relief: both from the “suspense” and from the disappointment you might feel when you realize that yes, the scary monster really is just an angry giant spider who will be appeased by the deep, deep words of one 14 year old boy. “Bad things happen…but you can still live.”

And that’s it.  That’s all it took.  Spidey, who normally snacks on humans, releases the boy from his grip (apparently he lost his appetite), reclaims his legos, rebuilds his spaceship, and heads home.  Maybe the next time someone’s terrorizing y’all’s neighborhood, you can just try that line on him.  It’ll probably work.

I was expecting this movie to be at least a little bit suspenseful, but the rising action didn’t seem to lead to anything, and the movie just sort of fizzled out for me.  I was a little disappointed that we wasted our movie tickets on this film, but at least we got to laugh a lot on the way home.  If I were you, I’d save your money and rent this one with a bunch of your friends when you run out of other things to mock.

Our Maiden DIY Voyage

I was super excited to move into this apartment because we’re planning on sticking around here for a while.  Since we moved in, we’ve slowly been adding furniture to the apartment.  All but one piece of the furniture in our house is from one of three places: Goodwill, generous friends and family, or the dumpster, believe it or not. (Such is the life of a seminary couple)  I LOVE it.  I like looking around my house and thinking of the adventures my furniture must have been on before it came to me. One of our most recent additions was our set of dining room chairs.  When we were faced with an unknown number of moves in our first year of marriage, we sprang for some awesome plastic folding chairs.  Needless to say, those were getting old.  SO, I hunted for months and finally found these puppies at Goodwill.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the color, but at $3/each, I couldn’t pass them up.  Then, I had a wonderful idea: ART could happen to them. I love browsing around home decorating and other artsy blogs, and was obsessed with the idea of colored dining room chairs. Obsessed.  If there is a picture of your colored dining room chairs on the internet, I have seen it.

Someday, we’re going to have to grow up and buy sensible furniture (maybe), but today is not that day.  Today is the day for orange dining room chairs! David wasn’t sure about my idea, but he trusted me, and now, we have a very happy dining room.

As with most DIY projects, it seemed a lot easier than it actually was, but it was definitely worth the work.  What’s that?  You’re also obsessed with colored dining room chairs?  Well, today is your lucky day, I’ll share my wisdom with you.

Supplies: 

• Sandpaper (don’t skimp here..dollar store brand is definitely not a good bet, not that I would know.)
• Dropcloth
• Can of paint (we got the kind with the  primer included, which lets you skip a step, which is great if you’re impatient, like me.)
• Paintbrush(es) (depending on the shape of the chairs, you might want to get a variety of small paintbrushes.  We found them to be extremely helpful)
• Spray sealant.

Once you gather all your supplies, it’s finally time to begin!

Sanding.  This could also be called the boring part. The really boring part.  Just keep reminding yourself that soon, you’ll get to paint. Also, don’t forget one of those masks that my handsome husband is modeling.  You don’t want to be breathing in all that dust. If you’re just painting the chairs, you don’t need to sand too intensely.  You just want to rough the surface up so that it takes the paint well.  If you’re planning on staining them, I take my hat off to you and suggest you head to another blog.  There will be no staining going  on here. ever.

Once the chair’s all nice and rough, you can go ahead and add your first coat of paint.

If you happen to be painting your chairs orange and they look a little like macaroni and cheese while you’re painting them, take heart.  The paint dries darker.  Some people suggested using a roller to paint the chair.  I tried it on the seat of one, and preferred the look of the paintbrush, but play around with it and see what you like.

After you paint them once, and let ‘em dry, you’ll want to add a second coat of paint. Tedious, I know, but definitely well worth it.

You can't really tell, but they ended up being a nice burnt orange color.

Finally, after you have allowed the paint to dry for several days, go ahead and spray ‘em with the sealant.  This’ll help ensure that your dinner guests don’t end up with stains from your chair all over their clothes. Thankfully, the sealant dries very quickly, so you’ll be able to enjoy them very shortly after you seal them.   And, Voila.  All of the sudden, your dining room looks 100% more awesome.  And, you made art.

We love the color they add to our home.  What are your thoughts on colored dining room chairs?  Would you ever do it?  I’ve heard of some people buying a variety of mismatched chairs and painting them, too.  I’m not patient enough to come up with a collection of chairs, but I think that a variety all painted the same color (or even different colors) could look fabulous. Be warned, though.  Once you attack one thing in your house, DIY has the tendency to take over your life.