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Triple Berry Lemon Agua Fresca

April 25, 2016 • 18 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #NewWayToSparkle #CollectiveBias

It’s funny how, with the changing of the seasons, my preference for water changes. In the winter, I hardly put ice in my water and I stick to drinking mostly warm beverages — anything that will help keep the bitter cold at bay. On the other hand, once spring rolls around I’m all about the ice and sparkling water. It just doesn’t get more refreshing than that!

I remember the first time I had a can of sparkling water. Growing up, I wasn’t much of a soda girl, but I always liked the sound of a pop can opening, and the bubbly sensation of carbonation. When I discovered I could have all of the things I liked about pop in a healthier form, I was hooked.

It's Not About Us

April 22, 2016 • 14 Comments

I was asked to write this post for the Valley Church of West Des Moines women’s blog. You can find the original post here, but I’m also posting it here on the blog today (scroll for the full story).

Growing up, I was the kid who couldn’t stop writing. Most 10-year-olds dream about becoming a lawyer, doctor, nurse, firefighter, teacher, etc., but me? All I wanted to do was tell stories. When I wasn’t outside playing with my sister, I spent most of my time reading books, watching movies and writing my own stories. I loved everything about the communication process and enjoyed being able to convey a message through my words.

By the time my senior year of high school rolled around, I knew exactly where I wanted to go to school and what I wanted to major in. Without hesitation I enrolled at Ball State University to study magazine journalism with the intention of one day becoming the editor-in-chief of a magazine. This was my dream and my plan for my life, and so, I devoted my college years to preparing myself for a career in the magazine industry. As a freshman I became a contributor for the campus magazine and spent the rest of my college career working my way up the editorial ladder. Eventually my hard work paid off and after two internships and countless hours working for the campus magazine, I was chosen to be editor-in-chief.

Simultaneously during this time, I started this blog. I originally created the blog because I wanted to have a place outside of my journalism writing where I could share personal stories, life lessons and faith encouragement. After keeping the blog up for a year, my now husband and I had a conversation about the purpose of the blog over dinner one night.

He took a few bites of the Bruschetta Chicken Pasta I’d made and looked up at me and smiled. “You know what, Lauren, you’re a really good cook,” he said. “I mean, seriously — the recipes you come up with … they are so creative and inspiring! You should really start sharing these on your blog. Actually … you know what you could do? You could make the site about both food and faith inspiration and see where that takes you.”

At the time food blogging was becoming increasingly popular and I felt good about my husband’s suggestion, so that’s exactly what I did. Making the change was easy because I didn’t have many readers, and I also didn’t post very often because I was too busy studying or working at the magazine.

Little did I know the plans God had for the future of my blog and my writing career were about to take a major turn.

Life changed after graduation. Suddenly all the dreams I once had for myself came face-to-face with reality (paying bills, saving for a wedding, saving for a house) and I had a very hard decision to make in regards to my career. I had two options: work a part-time paid internship at the metro publication of my dreams, Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, or work a steady full-time job as a communication specialist for a school district.

The plans I had for my life told me take the paid internship, but there was no guarantee that it would lead to a full-time position and for some reason, no matter how much I wanted to feel good about the decision, when I prayed I didn’t have a peace about it.

But God, I thought I was supposed to be the editor-in-chief of a magazine? That’s all I’ve ever wanted. What am I supposed to do now? I prayed.

He answered clear as day: “My dearest Lauren, I have blessed you with the gift of writing. I know you wanted a magazine career but I’m asking you to lay that at my feet and be faithful with the opportunities I’ve already placed in front of you.”

You mean like my blog?

“Yes! And the book you started writing, too. I know you see these things as a hobby, but I want you to use them to bring glory and honor to my name and to bless others.”

It was a bold calling from the Lord — to lay my dreams, plans and desires at His feet in exchange for an unknown, undefined career path. Part of me felt sad when I thought about giving up the magazine dream. I’d spent the last four years of my life devoted to becoming the best writer and editor I could be, and I grieved the thought of not pursuing that career path, no matter how risky it seemed.

That same day, “Shepherd” by Bethel Music came on my Pandora station. As I listened to the lyrics, I knew God was using the song to speak to me and urge me to trust Him:Read More

FJ 06: Lisa Appelo: Finding Joy Amid Loss + Remembering God's Faithfulness

April 20, 2016 • 10 Comments

Finding Joy is a podcast dedicated to bringing you encouragement and inspiration in all of life’s moments — the good, bad and everything in-between.

Lisa Appelo is our guest for the sixth episode of the Finding Joy podcast and I can’t wait for you to get to know her because she’s amazing! On her blog, Lisa writes “Four years ago, life as I knew it shattered in a thousand irretrievable pieces. I never asked God why but I sure did ask — what now? Oh, how God has answered. In a thousand ways, God has been True and Faithful.” Today, Lisa is a widow and mother to seven children, but that doesn’t stop her from writing and proclaiming God’s faithfulness.

In this episode, Lisa and I talk about:

The power of prayer and learning to claim scripture.
How to bring glory to God in the hurt, in the waiting and in the healing.
Why we can trust God with all we have.
Finding joy amid heartbreaking loss.

Lisa encourages us to hold on to God’s promises in scripture. “God’s faithfulness is a promise to us,” she says. “He will and cannot lie. He will be faithful. We don’t always know how and we have to wait, which is scary and hard, but we can count on Him being faithful. The beautiful part is when we learn to bring Him glory in the wait.”
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Smashed Chickpea Egg Salad

April 18, 2016 • 37 Comments

This Smashed Chickpea Egg Salad is a smoky, slightly spicy spread that’s great on salads, sandwiches or on top of crackers as a snack!

Sorry for all the alliteration in that opening sentence. I just couldn’t help myself! Total writer geek right here. 🙂 Today’s recipe has been a long time coming. There are a few things I make for myself all the time but never get around to sharing on the blog, because, well, there’s just so many other things to share! This egg salad is one of those beloved-but-never-shared recipes. I probably make it every other week for myself to use in lunches, as a snack when I get home from work, or for dinner when Mr. MLS is traveling for work.

Growing up, my mama made egg salad almost every week. When Sunday rolled around you could count on hearing one noise come out of the kitchen: the sound of eggs bobbing up and down against her stainless steel saucepan. My sister and I watched with wide eyes as she mixed everything together and made us one of our favorite sandwiches. So simple, but so satisfying. We could never get enough.

Now that she and my dad are empty nesters, I don’t think she makes it as much, but it’s something I will always remember about her. And now that I’m on my own, I’ve created a new way to carry on this egg salad tradition by putting a twist on my mama’s method. Not that there was anything wrong with the original recipe, but you know me, I like to mix things up! 😉

There’s A Name For Your Answer To Prayer

April 13, 2016 • 10 Comments

purpleflowers

I’m so thrilled and grateful to have a special guest with us today! I first met Christine Duncan of Precepts & Life Preservers back in the summer of 2015, and since that time I have been incredibly blessed by her friendship. Christine was a part of the Everyday Joy blog series last year (this was the springboard for the eventual launching of the Finding Joy podcast) and today, she returns to the Making Life Sweet blog to share what God has been teaching her about prayer. Grab your coffee mug and pull up a chair, because this is a word all of us need to hear.

God’s been teaching me about how I define an answer to prayer lately. Again.

Because as we so often do with life lessons, we forget quickly when a crisis is over the things He reveals in the midst of struggles and battles at the time. And I’d forgotten this simple truth: As believers, it’s so easy for us to make life about our circumstances.

And when that happens, we often make our faith about our circumstances.

“Lord, I have faith that my circumstance will change soon! Lord, I have faith that this situation will be removed. Lord, how soon before the hard things grow easier?”

Not that the Father can’t meet us in our need, because He certainly can. But often His plan to meet our need and our ideas of His plan to meet our need are two very different things.This is what I’ve been learning on my personal journey anyway. Something feels hard, or goes terribly wrong, or starts wearing us down and all we can think about or pray on is how badly we need the situation resolved. Meanwhile, He wants our undivided attention in a completely different capacity.

When we look at the Bible, we see the nation of Israel was being taught the same thing. Concerned about their status, concerned about their legacy, concerned about threats looming large over them for eons, and their delicate future, Isaiah steps into prophetic shoes and makes a declaration from God that needed special attention. Because it concerned their much needed salvation. And as God plunked me into the middle of the book of Isaiah last week in my devotions on the prayerful life, I realized there lays a declaration I had misinterpreted in regards to answered prayer for such a long time.

How many in Israel misinterpreted it at the time as well? Or misinterpret it still?

“They shall feed along the roads, and their pastures shall be on all desolate heights. They shall neither hunger nor thirst. Neither heat nor sun shall strike them; For He who has mercy on them will lead them, even by the springs of water He will guide them. I will make each of My mountains a road, and My highways will be elevated.” Isaiah 49:9(b)-11

At first glance, this part of Isaiah’s prophecy seems circumstance-based. I had always read it that way. My devotional was prompting me to read it that way. Out of context it certainly seems like a verse I could really pray out and expect new pastures, shade, refreshing waters, paths carved out…. answers to prayer. The hard things made right. Out of context, relief coming for Israel that they could really sing about.

But when the Spirit prompted me to back up and take in the whole scene, it changes and becomes oh so much more.

This is actually from a whole prophecy from Isaiah about The Answer. This is a prophecy about the Servant Messiah Christ, the Light of the World. They are words from God about the solution He has prepared to give soon in the form of Jesus.

There’s a name for our answer to prayer — His name is Jesus.

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It is not a sweet passage about fixing your circumstance. It’s a passage about Christ entering into our circumstance.Read More

Healthier Buffalo Chicken Artichoke Dip + Adventures in The Exumas, Bahamas

April 11, 2016 • 26 Comments

This Healthier Buffalo Chicken Artichoke Dip is a crowd-pleasing appetizer that’s secretly packed with vegetables and better-for-you ingredients — so you can feel great about eating it!

Well friends, it’s back to reality for this lady today. Did you miss me? I know I certainly missed interacting with you last week while I was on vacation! Three days ago, I was standing on cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean on one of the 365 islands that make up The Exumas. With my feet planted firmly on the summit, I breathed in the salt water air and told myself to savor every inhale. I wanted to bottle up the smell of the air, the sound of the crashing waves and the deep colors of aqua and blue that surrounded me. Lord, help me not forget this moment. Let me carry this peace and beauty of your creation with me through all of my days, I prayed.

Vacations never seem long enough to me. When the time comes to pack up and go home, I always find myself longing for another week, or even just a few more days. I know I should be grateful for just having the chance to go on vacation, but my soul always longs for more rest, more time with family, more time with God.

Many words could describe our family vacation to Exuma, but if I had to choose just one I’d go with blessed. Most people would be hesitant about going on a trip with their in-laws, but I have been blessed beyond measure with an amazing second family through my husband. I’ll never forget the first time I was invited to a Gaskill/Edman family gathering back when Mr. MLS and I were dating … From the get-go I felt like I belonged, and once the party was over I couldn’t wait to hang out with them again.

This was our third vacation together as a family, and I think it was our most adventurous getaway to date! While in Exuma we rented a boat and cruised around the islands for a day, docking our boat and swimming in wherever we wanted to explore. We also saw a family of dolphins, cannonballed off boats into the ocean, swam with pigs, played with endangered iguanas, drove to the Tropic of Cancer, got tossed around by the waves and found tons of beach treasures. The vacation wasn’t perfect by any means — I still had some bad pain days in paradise — but looking back on the trip I can’t deny God blessed the trip and we had a wonderful time.Read More