Friday, November 16, 2012

Rest

John 3:30
It's Friday evening...Sabbath...rest....

It's thanksgiving break...rest....

At this moment I am overwhelmed with the greatness, kindness, love, mercy and patience of my precious Jesus. This quarter at school has been rough, but even though it has seemed unbearable at moments, God is seeing me through, ushering me all the way through. 

God is just so amazing and I don't know how I could live without Him. 
Thankfully I don't have to. 

Be blessed this weekend and as thanksgiving is coming up, remember all that God has done for you and all the ways (even if not obvious) that He is working in your very life.

Happy Sabbath! 

Friday, August 3, 2012



‎"Remember this. If you have made mistakes, you certainly gain a victory if you see these mistakes and regard them as beacons of warning. Thus you turn defeat into victory, disappointing the enemy and honoring your Redeemer." {COL 332}

✝  ✝

Friday, July 13, 2012

Sabbath Sweetness

Sab·bath [sab-uhth] noun - 
The seventh day of the week, Saturday...a day of rest.
This week was crazy, and stressful, and tiring...and just when I feel as if I can't take it anymore, I find myself blessed with a day of REST, the sweet Sabbath! May you each feel God's presence particularly near to you on this day (and always, but Sabbath is extra special)!

Genesis 2:2-3, "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made."

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Get close to God first before getting close to anyone else. God without man is still God, but man without God is nothing.

Monday, July 9, 2012

Cooking Fun

I have to say, much to my delight (really, who would have thought?), I have been enjoying cooking as of recent. I have never been particularly interested in cooking, but I rather like the feeling of success as a dish I try turns out to be really good! 

I thought I'd share some pictures and recipes of some of the things I made last week, as well as today. 
  ---x---
Scalloped Potatoes.
So delicious, and really easy to make, too! 

Scalloped Potatoes:
Serves 4
- 4 cups thinly sliced raw potatoes, peeled
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup clean, raw cashews
- 1/4 cup chopped onions, or 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/8 teaspoon paprika

1. Process cashews in about 1 cup of the water in a blender until very smooth.
2. Add remaining water and other ingredients, except paprika, and continue blending until smooth. 
4. Place a layer of sliced potatoes in the bottom of your sprayed baking dish.
5. Pour a small amount of your blended mix over the potatoes to cover them, and keep layering and pouring until finished.
6. Cover with tin foil and bake at 375 F for 1 hour.
7. Remove cover, sprinkle with paprika, then return to oven and continue baking until browned (about 10-15 minutes). 

Side note: Doubling the recipe will fill a rectangular baking dish like pictured above. 
 ---x---
Vanilla Pudding Pie
I used just a vegan pudding mix we had over here for the filling, but you can probably use anything you like. 
The crust was a graham cracker crust, really easy and quick to make, as well.

Homemade Graham Cracker Crust:
1 ½ c. graham crackers – 1 package of 9-10 crackers
1/3 c. sugar
6 Tbs. butter, melted
½ tsp. cinnamon

1. Crush your graham crackers until really fine. You can put them into a sealed plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
2. Mix all the ingredients together. 
3. Using a the back of a spoon, press your mix into a pie pan. Make sure to press it up the edges as well, making it nice and even all across.
4. Bake your pie crust for 7 minutes in a pre-heated oven of 375°.
  ---x---
Same pie, but with a really yummy strawberry sauce! The filling ended up being a little bland, so this was perfect to add to it!

Berry Sauce:
Ingredients:
- Berries of your choice (+/- 3 cups)
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 1/3 cup of water/juice
- 2 Tbs Corn starch

Defrost berries in a saucepan, and when they are warm, add the sugar. The berries should form their own juice as they defrost, but you can add a little extra juice or water if you wish. Mix the cornstarch in a little bit of water/juice in a separate cup until dissolved, and then add it to the berries once they reach a boil. Stir until thickened and remove immediately from heat to cool. 
  ---x---
Finally, today's quick throw together! Potato Poppers! These things are surprisingly easy to make, considering I had no idea what I was doing initially. They are super yummy though!

Potato Poppers:
- 1 cup mashed potatoes
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1 cup whole grain bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 tsp. salt (or more if potatoes are not salted)
- 1 Tbs. tomato sauce

1. Simmer onion in a small amount of water
2. Combine all ingredience and form into 1.5 inch balls
3. Bake at 375 F until browned--roughly 15 minutes. 

Hope you enjoy!! =)

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

God's Love

Proverbs 8:17 
I love those who love Me, and those who seek Me diligently, find Me.
He loves us. May that love always be mutual! 

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Happy 4th of July to all of you Americans! 

Went downtown chattanooga with some family friends this evening, to watch fireworks. It was a short display, but still pretty nice. =)

Monday, July 2, 2012

I recently picked up the book "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" by Joshua Harris. I know many have premonitions about this book, fearing that it will condemn them for dating and/or having relationships in general, and I think like most people, I perhaps felt a little bit like this for a while (alas never picking it up until now). Upon paging through the first, second, and third chapters, however, I have to say, it has been a blessing and a very encouraging book. 

More than just a book about our human "relationships" (or...the lack thereof?), it's really showing me that our focus should be on developing a relationship with our Heavenly Father. The author isn't about bashing relationships, but rather he encourages the relationship we have with God as a precursor of sorts for our friendships and relationships with others. That's just from the first three chapters though, and I'm excited to read the rest of it! 

In other news, my weekend was kind of nice and relaxing. I went to Chattanooga First SDA Church on Sabbath, which was a blessing. The young man who spoke was really good and made some profound points in his sermon entitled "I'll believe it when I see it". One thing that really stuck out to me was the fact that the blind men that Jesus healed couldn't see him, yet they followed Him and had faith that He could heal them. 

Sometimes I wonder to myself...do I follow Christ the way I should, even though I can see everything He has done for me throughout my life? Why do I doubt Him so often? He is God after all. I could probably work on that a bit, but only by His wonderful grace.

Anyhow, after church, I went for a drive up to what they call "Raccoon Mountain" over here in TN. I have to say, it is SO beautiful out here! Where I go to school in Walla Walla, Washington, it is just so dry and one big farmland in comparison. We have so many trees and rivers and nature out here in Tennessee and it's wonderful, I'm totally enjoying myself! God is really a wonderful creator and artist... 

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Every New Day

I think it's been more than long enough since I have posted on my somewhat-abandoned blog! I am now at home for the summer, enjoying a bit of a slower pace after a year in Washington. I am still doing school, however, taking Applied Statistics and Jewish-American Literature online. It's not all easy stuff, but I will be glad when it's done. Anyhow, I will leave you with a thought before I go to bed.

Each day we are given is a gift courtesy of our loving Heavenly Father, and a new opportunity to live to our fullest potential! 


                                               Make the most of it!  =)

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Becoming A Woman Of Excellence

A woman of excellence
Is what I long to be
Filled with your godly wisdom
So it is part of me

A woman of integrity
No matter what I face
Standing up for righteousness
And for your saving grace

A woman of destiny
Living out your plan
Knowing where you’d have me walk
Being guided by your hand

A woman of promise
Standing on your word
Holding on to all the truths
While carrying out your work

A woman of compassion
For the ones in the dark
Those that do not know your love
And have darkness in their hearts

A woman that will never
Compromise the faith
With what the world may offer
But will keep the narrow way

A woman who loves Jesus
And will only follow Him
Gladly to give up the world
So His light can shine within

Lord this is my earnest prayer
As a daughter by your grace
Grow in me these qualities
As I walk with you in faith

~ M.S.Lowndes

Monday, February 20, 2012

Life in True Color

Life is a journey, and sometimes it appears black and white. One would think that this should make things more simple, yet often it just makes them more complicated, more gloomy, more frustrating. Where has the color gone?

So often, we focus our eyes on the world…and the things in this world that discourage us, frustrate us, bring us down. We have school that is hard, work that is harder sometimes, friends who disappoint us and hurt us, and sometimes family who we don’t get along with. There are these, and other countless things that have the opportunity of bringing us down into a pit of despair. These are what create a black and white world for so many.

You may sometimes wonder if you’ll ever be happy again…but the truth is that you can be happy and if you want to be, you will be. A large part of it is the first step, making the choice. It’s not really about the world being black and white after all; it’s mostly about finding color in the black and white of every day life! It’s about allowing God to paint you a beautiful picture full of color and vibrancy and life! That’s the thing though, you have to want it enough to allow Him, because He doesn’t force His will upon you.

My encouragement would be this: When times get tough, turn to Jesus! He is hope, He is Love, He is Joy, and He is LIFE! He is this and so much more. Without allowing Him to be involved in our lives from day to day, we have no real chance of finding true happiness in life, because He IS the source of true happiness and without Him, we’ll just be running down a road that leads to a dead end.

Never give up, just look to Jesus and the beautiful, amazing things He wants to do in your life if you allow Him in. He is something to live for. Without Him we are nothing.

May this week be a week of happiness for you as you find your true worth and meaning in a God, who loves you unconditionally. Forget about the things in this world that bother you and bring you down – only look to Jesus, because He is there for you and is waiting with arms wide open! 

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Happy Sabbath

God is Love. {1 John 4:8} 
 
I am so thankful that God has provided us a day to rest and relax and spend time with Him and others close to us without the distraction of homework and other weekly things.

May you bask in God's great love for you today and always. It is so broad, so unconditional, so amazing, so generous...and we are so unworthy...yet made worthy because we are children of the King. Sometimes I can't wrap my mind around how big His love really is! It's so incredible!

Think about it. Just ponder. Let it sink in...

God loves you. Now.

Always. 

Happy Sabbath! Rest in His love. It will never fail. 

Friday, January 27, 2012

Arms of Love

Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are, weak, helpless, and despairing, our compassionate Savior will meet you a great way off, and will throw about you His arms of love and His robe of righteousness. He presents us to the Father clothed in the white raiment of His own character. He pleads before God in our behalf, saying: I have taken the sinner's place. Look not upon this wayward child, but look on Me. Does Satan plead loudly against our souls, accusing of sin, and claiming us as his prey, the blood of Christ pleads with greater power. {MB 8.2}