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Love Has Come, Christmas Is Here

December 23, 2015 • 8 Comments

“Girls! Come downstairs now please,” mama called from the kitchen.

I looked up from my game of Roller Coaster Tycoon and glanced across the room at my sister, who was watching TV. We didn’t have to speak to secretly communicate we didn’t feel like going downstairs. Minutes passed and it seemed we’d succeeded in our cop out. But then …

“Girls!” mama shouted a bit louder. “I’m not going to say it again. Come down here!”

At this point, I knew whatever she wanted us for had to be semi-important, but I still didn’t want to stop playing my game. I was having a blast and I wasn’t in the mood to be interrupted. After a third shout from mama however, my sister and I begrudgingly left our entertainment to see what she needed.

Have you ever been called upon to do something you did not want to do?

Have you ever been asked to do something that overwhelmed you?

2015 years ago, a man named Jesus was called by God to give up all the riches of heaven in exchange for a life of suffering on Earth.

I don’t know about you, but if I were Jesus I would’ve been like, “Are you sure you need me to go down there God? Because things are great up here. I’m having a good time. Why would I want to trade all of heaven for a life of pain, crown of thrones and death on a cross?”

But Jesus didn’t refuse the call to rescue His people, show them the way to life, cover them in love and wipe away all of their sin.

Jesus came down. Love has come. To us. And our world has been forever changed.

Jesus came down. Love has come. To us. And our world has been forever changed.

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God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 1 John 4:9 {NLT}

What a miracle the birth of Jesus is — what a gift of love! Because Jesus came down from heaven, lived a perfect life and died upon the cross, you and I can live in freedom and in love.Read More

Banana Rum Raisin Bread Pudding

December 21, 2015 • 23 Comments

You know that scene from Pirates of the Caribbean, where Jack Sparrow is complaining about the rum being gone?

Throughout the movie, there are several “why’s the rum always gone” scenes, and I always empathize with Jack in these moments because, well … I can imagine being a pirate isn’t always very fun. And sometimes you need a little rum to take the edge off when people are chasing you with swords and guns.

I personally love rum. No, I don’t drink it by itself or in large amounts, but I use it in a lot of my baking and cocktail recipes. With rum a little goes a long way. That’s why I still have a little left in the two bottles my husband and I received on our honeymoon in Jost Van Dyke back in October 2014.

Like I said, I use rum all the time in baking. So when Canyon Bakehouse asked me to make a bread pudding using their delicious cinnamon raisin bread, I knew I was going to HAVE to find a way to work rum into the recipe. At first I was just going to make a raisin rum bread pudding but then I wondered — what if I added bananas? My decision was practically made for me when I spotted three mostly brown bananas in the pantry. Score.

I love this banana rum raisin bread pudding because it’s extra moist. Whoops, did I just say moist? For those of you with an aversion to the word moist … I’m sorry. Other than delicious, there’s no other word for this dish. Moist + delicious. See there? I said moist again. Maybe if I keep saying it people won’t hate it as much.Read More

Everyday Joy Blog Series With Amy Lively + A Giveaway!

December 17, 2015 • 12 Comments

Remember when the Everyday Joy blog series went from being a weekly to a monthly thing?

As we reflect on the joy of Christ this third Advent week, I couldn’t think of a better time to talk about joy. There are just so many things to be joyful about and thankful for, aren’t there? Even in the hard times, there is still joy for those in Christ.

This month’s joy interview features Christian author and fellow blogger Amy Lively. I first encountered Amy while I was in the middle of writing my book (publishing date TBD). When I sat down to write one day, I found myself in a rut. I knew the best way to get out of it was to seek inspiration from other Christian authors who have traveled the road I am walking. So I went to the local Christian bookstore, where I wrote down the names of a few Christian women I could reach out to on book writing.

I don’t know if it was her name (Lively is a great name, don’t you think? It just emanates energy!) or the authenticity of her book How to Love Your Neighbor, but I knew I had to get to know Amy. And today I want you to have a chance to get to know her to. So without further adieu, here’s an inside look at Amy’s thoughts on spreading joy to our neighbors and how to be joyful in all circumstances.

P.S. Amy is graciously giving away one copy of her book How to Love Your Neighbor to one lucky reader today! Scroll to the bottom of this post to enter the giveaway.

How would you describe joy and what makes it different from happiness?
My joy is in my salvation and my Savior; My happiness is in my circumstances. I’m happy when life feels good, when there’s money in the bank and I’m having a good hair day, when my family is behaving and my neighbors are being nice. But I’m joyful when I’m sick and broke, when my heart is broken, when I’m clinging to hope by a thin thread. I can be joyful because I know that God loves me no matter what, He is watching over me and protecting me and providing for me even when I don’t “feel” Him. Joy is deeper, fuller, richer and realer than happiness. Happiness feels good but it is fleeting. I love to be happy — everyone does! — and I want my neighbors to be happy. But the “pursuit of happiness” is not a God-given right, it is a man-made concoction that only leads to despair. If we would pursue joy — oh, boy! — we would find happiness indeed.Read More

Baked Breaded Cod + Creamy Polenta

December 14, 2015 • 15 Comments

It’s Monday, and it’s been raining in Des Moines for the past three days straight.

I know we talked about comfort food last Friday with this Black Bean Quinoa Enchilada Verde Bake, but I need more comfort food in my life. So let’s just call this comfort food blog round two, shall we? Comfort food haters (do those exist?) you are not obligated to continue reading.

Despite the relentless rain this weekend, the Mr. and I managed to get all of our Christmas shopping done. The cherry on top of this achievement? None of the presents go too soaked or ruined on the way to the car! Now that our shopping is all wrapped up, we are counting down the days until we get to see our sweet families in Indiana. It’s been a year and three months since I’ve seen my sister and I can’t even begin to describe how excited I am.

But enough about me. What are your plans this Christmas? Who are you celebrating with? What are you excited about? If you’re excited about spending time with family and eating a lot of delicious food, I am right there with ya. I’m especially looking forward to chowing down a few of my mother-in-law’s twice-baked potatoes with shrimp. The recipe is Paula Deen’s but in my opinion, no one makes them as good as Heidi.Read More

Black Bean Quinoa Enchilada Verde Bake

December 10, 2015 • 25 Comments

There are all kinds of comfort foods out there: ice cream, chocolate, mac and cheese, pizza, mashed potatoes.

But in my opinion, the best kinds of comfort foods are healthy comfort foods. It’s one thing to feel good while eating something, but it’s another thing to feel good even hours after you eat something. There was a time when Taco Bell was my comfort food. In high school, I’d order the Crunchwrap Supreme pretty much once a week and devour it after swim practice. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I think I even dreamed about the Crunchwrap Supreme. That’s how much I loved it.

These days, as my health and tastes have changed and I’ve become educated about food and its effect on the body, I don’t dream about Crunchwrap Supremes (unless they are homemade ones). I dream about things like roasted sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, beans, ancient whole grains and avocado.

I know it’s close to Christmas and as a food blogger I should be posting holiday-related dishes, but sometimes you just have to mix things up during this time of year. This Black Bean Quinoa Enchilada Verde Bake includes many of my favorite comforting ingredients. It’s a delicious, lightened-up twist on a classic Mexican dish and requires less than a half an hour to make. So if comfort’s what you’re looking for and time is what you’re short on, this dish is definitely for you! Read More

Experiencing Peace in a World of Chaos

December 8, 2015 • 17 Comments

“Can you hear that?” I asked my husband as we stood outside in the dead of winter.

“Hear what?” he asked me.

“Shhh … I want to remember this moment forever,” I replied, taking in a deep breath to let the chill of winter fill my nose and lungs.

The truth is, there was nothing to be heard — nothing but the beautiful sound of silence and peace hanging in the air. But I wondered if my husband noticed it like I had. I wondered if the stillness struck him the way it had awed me.

Many people are awed by grand events, bold actions, and flashy sights and sounds. I however, am awed by stillness. I think part of this craving for silence stems from the extroverted-introvert writer inside me who needs space and escape from the chaos of daily living. But I also know the greatest contributor to my craving for stillness is something deeper, something I can’t explain — because it is in the stillness I truly experience God’s presence and overwhelming peace.

It is in the stillness I truly experience God’s peace.

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I haven’t always known what it’s like to experience the peace of Christ in my life. In high school and college I always had to be doing something. I filled every minute of every day with activity to avoid feeling anxious or bored, flitting from one thing to the next without pausing much in-between. If you’re thinking, “gee that sounds exhausting,” you’re right — It was. My life was practically void of peace.

I believed in Jesus during this time but my faith was not very strong, and because of this I wasn’t devoted to cultivating a better relationship with Him. I heard other people talk about how Jesus was the “Prince of Peace,” but I couldn’t fathom experiencing peace or stillness without the presence of boredom or anxiety. When life felt out of control everything felt out of control, and I didn’t know how to find peace amid chaos.

Learning to Surrender to the Prince of Peace
As a journalism major in college I interviewed hundreds of people and wrote hundreds of stories. Typically the stories were about something newsworthy going on in the surrounding community, or a feature about a student of professor making a difference. But one day, my professor tasked us with writing an inspirational article about one of our family members. Before I even left the classroom I knew who I wanted to write a story about: my Uncle Rick, who was partially paralyzed from a rare medical condition years ago.

I’d always been amazed by the way my Uncle Rick and Aunt Julie had handled the situation. They never seemed bitter or angry about anything. It’s like they were completely at peace with their lives, even though things had spun out of their control. Before writing the story I asked them how they were able to keep it together, and their response astounded me.

“The night the ambulance came for your Uncle Rick, Lauren, I can’t really explain it, but I had this stillness and peace wash over me,” my Aunt Julie said. “I know God was holding us in those moments, and even though I was scared my soul was at peace … I knew everything was going to be OK because He had us in His arms.”

Hearing my aunt and uncle’s testimony of peace was so powerful to me and after our conversation I began to believe maybe I, too, could experience the same kind of peace they had experienced. Maybe I couldn’t bring about peace during the stresses of daily living, but that didn’t mean God couldn’t.

It took some time, but today I am so thankful to be at a place where I don’t just know God’s peace — I crave God’s peace. In His goodness, God has showed me I have no need to feel anxious or bored if I’m not busy. He has taught me to rest in Him and find joy in the peace He offers.

I think the reason many of us, myself included, get anxious when we have nothing to do is because it makes us feel unsure of ourselves and our purpose … We worry we aren’t enough and our minds often wander to worrying about things we cannot control. But Christ came to give us peace amid this world of chaos. After dying on the cross Jesus spoke with his disciples and told them, “I am leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27 (NLT)

Christ came to give us peace amid this world of chaos

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This same peace is available to you and I today, if we will trust and rest in the Lord, follow His leading and wait for His coming. His peace can transform our lives and turn our worry and chaos into streams of mercy and peace. As we continue to prepare our hearts for Christmas and celebrate this second week of Advent 2015, would you pray this prayer with me today

Lord Jesus, thank you for being our Prince of Peace. Thank you for leaving your throne and coming into this chaotic, disconnected world. Thank you for silencing our deepest fears with your love, mercy, grace and peace. Help us be at peace with ourselves and those around us. Bring peace where there is division, war, injustice, anger, bitterness, hatred and violence. Bring peace to all of creation. Amen.

P.S. Today I want to leave you with this amazing song by Hillsong, called, “Prince of Peace,” which I think beautifully captures the transformative power of God’s peace (lyric snippet above).