Babies and Buhbies

Our wonderful friends and pastors the McGoverns have their second son! Jack Jones is really adorable and the size of a peanut. Okay not really but that's all I could think of when I saw how tiny he is. I forgot how little new borns are. Since I don't have pictures of my own children to post, I thought I would post pictures of the next best thing...our buhbies aka puppies. They really are ridiculously fun. Confession: I miss my dogs when I'm out of town. So, here's a little photo fun for you...


Nadia is a snuggler. She will invade your space and try to snuggle at all costs. If you don't create a "snuggle spot" for her, she just sits and stares at you with sad eyes.


Chloe is our happy little girl. She is so happy that she usually looks like she is smiling at you.


David making the dogs dance. Clearly, the are pleading with me to save them. I did not.


Cuteness.


Chillin on the porch.


At 8 weeks...they have grown so much since then!

I love babies, but for now, I'll just stick to buhbies.

California Love

I have been noticing lately the number of songs created over the years that are odes to Cali. Think: California Girls (Beach Boys), Hotel California (Eagles), California (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers--although there are like 50 other songs by different artists with just the state's name as a title), most recently California Gurls (Katy Perry), and the list goes on. You can literally google "California songs" and come up with pages that are like the top 100 songs about California. It's a little crazy. What other state has so many songs in its honor? You really do fall in love a little bit with the state. We may have our problems, but we are proud of our land, our culture, and our spirit. I may not be a native, but I'm here for life. So, I think I qualify as a Californian now.

I have to say that I like living here. I like that we have like the 7th largest economy out of any country in the world--just in our state. I like that there is such diversity and creativity that flows from our cities. I like that there is a sense of adventure and freedom here--even though some people take this to its extreme. There is so much potential in the people of this state. I'm excited to really see a move of God because Cali is a force to be reckoned. When we get on fire for God, the nation will be watching.

Jesus LOVES California, and so do I.

I was struggling...maybe still am

Hey everyone, this one is just a little stream of conciousness about life right now. It's just where I am.

So, I was really hit last night with a lot of thoughts about my life. I feel like David and I are in a trial that is never ending. I am, most of the time, encouraged and can overcome the heaviness of it. Last night, I just had a hard time. I know we are in God's will to be here in CA, but it just gets tough once in a while. There are only 5 other people who can even understand the intensity of being here and doing what we are doing. (I am immensely grateful for the 5 of you though!) Sometimes, I just want it to be easier, more fun. I know this is totally my flesh, but it gets to the point where I wish we could move somewhere and just join a church that already has leadership in place, where there are tons of people there that are instantly able to be my friends, where we don't have to plow the hard ground because someone else already did it.

I know (because David often reminds me) that the Christians in the book of Acts suffered far more than we will ever suffer in order to grow the kingdom of God. I just cannot seem to understand that or relate to it. I even "know" that people in other countries are facing persecution for believing in Jesus. This, I also cannot really understand. How do you see around your circumstances to the bigger picture? I try to pray about it. I try to ignore it and just go on. I try to think of solutions or work harder to improve. Nothing really seems to help though. I feel like we just have to walk through it. Last night, I got tired of walking. I felt like quitting. I guess I am saying all of this to say--I am in need of your prayers. All I can pray lately that feels authentic is "Breakthrough, God. Breakthrough." Pray that with me, please.

What I've Been Reading...

I love to read. (I also love to watch movies, but I love to read more.) Specifically, I love to read fiction. I have loved it since I was little. Reading for English classes was never a chore throughout school and even into college. There is just something really beautiful about the creativity and eloquence it takes to write a good work of fiction. Since I fly a lot, I have many hours of uninterrupted reading time. It is my "me" time when I can just enjoy something that makes me happy.

When you read, you can imagine your way into times and places that are outside of your reality. I'm not talking about brain candy like John Grisham (although I do like his books). I mean the real art of storytelling that leaves you feeling like you are somehow part of the plot. Good fiction produces a reaction that changes some small part of who you are.

Recently, I have read three fantastic books: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society (amazing story of a small island off the coast of England and how it survived German occupation during WWII--surprising quite funny), Sarah's Key (a woman's journey of self discovery as she uncovers her family's role in a French Jew's life during WWII), The Swan Thieves (the story of a brilliant but mentally ill painter and his psychiatrist's quest to help him heal). The two WWII novels in a row were a coincidence--very different though and both really well done.

It makes me sad when people don't like to read. So, pick up a book--preferably one of the three above--and read.

I googled Reading Rainbow for a picture to add to this post--come on somebody if you remember Reading Rainbow! Here is the very weird picture that came up. I guess he is SUPER excited about reading?


Nevertheless, props to RR. Way to encourage kids to read through a tv show. Irony.

Good News--All Hell is Breaking Loose

Remnant Church and its leaders would love your prayers right now. We have good news. All hell is breaking loose against us right now--as a body and individually.

I know this seems like a weird thing to say, but let me explain. When we moved to Cali and started Remnant, there were a lot of things in our hearts and relationships with God that were not healthy. We are finally now at a point where we are all living in passionate pursuit of Jesus and His kingdom. God is moving big time in the church's people. Lives are being internally impacted. Satan is getting scared because we are getting ready to breakthrough in a big way.

So much craziness has happened lately that we should be discouraged. The opposite is happening. Every time some new plot of the devil comes our way, we get encouraged. I am smiling as I write this because I know that Satan would not bother with us if we weren't doing anything for God.

Pray for us to be sustained through trial. Pray that we find favor for all of the issues we are dealing with. Pray that we have strength to overcome and endure. Pray for more salvations. Pray for more baptisms. Pray for more miracles. Pray for more healings. Pray for abundant finances. Pray for the right people to join us.

We so appreciate your support. I can't wait to share all of the ways that God comes through. Very soon!

My Vacuum Sucks & an Ode to the Swiffer WetJet

I have been having cleaning problems:

1. I avoid mopping at all costs. Sorry that this is gross, but I'm just being real. I can't get into it. There is no particular reason. In my list of stuff to do, mopping just keeps getting pushed lower because the colors on the floor do not show dirt. Out of sight, out of mind. However, seeing the bottom of my socks get dirty from the inside of my house made me feel like a failure of a house keeper. (Sorry for the full disclosure, but I promise that other areas of my house really are clean.)

2. My vacuum sucks....meaning it does not actually do what it should...which is suck. David and I both vacuumed throughout the week and the dog hair on the carpet just would not go away. It was like we were pretending to vacuum but with a real vacuum.

So, I got fed up.

1. I recently saw a friend using a Swiffer WetJet. It looked fun. So, I decided to buy one. It was actually fun in an OCD way. As you mop, you can see all of the dirt collect on the disposable pad on the bottom of the mop. (Although, the pad on the mop looks like someone got the idea from...well, you be the judge.)



After you are done, you just peel the pad off the Swiffer and throw it away. This kind of felt like cleaning the lint out of the dryer trap. :)

2. I decided we are not so poor that we cannot afford a vacuum that actually sucks...how it should. So, I bought a new one. Eureka! Literally, a Eureka. It was glorious. I vacuumed anything that was not moving--carpet, couches, stairs, tile floors. I thought about going to the source of the problem and just vacuuming the dogs directly, but they have a mortal fear of the vacuum. So, they were spared from my vacuuming zeal.



My house is clean.

The end.

Being Passionate

Okay, immediately get your minds out of the gutter.

Now, let's proceed... :)

This is a follow up about one of the topics I mentioned in my last blog. I have a huge desire to be passionate about what I am doing in life. I feel like I go through life day by day working at my job because I cannot figure out anything else I could do to make this much money and not commute into San Francisco. For my lovely readers from other states, the traffic is absolutely horrendous during rush hour, if there is an accident, if there is bad weather like fog...etc.

However being around the amazing Bobbi (http://www.bobbiandmike.com/index2.php), I decided there must be a way to absolutely LOVE what I do every day. I hate the feeling of waking up and inwardly groaning that I have to go to work. I'm not saying I don't want to work. I'm saying I want to be passionate about what I do. Watching Bobbi take pictures, it was very clear that she not only loves what she does but is also really good at it. That's what I want.

I was talking to David about this, and he told me that most people don't love their jobs. To this, I replied that I don't care what most people decide to do with their lives. If people want to schlub through life day by day, that's their choice. Not me. I want to live an extraordinary life. What I'm doing from 8am-5pm right now just isn't cutting it.

My other issue is that I'm not one of those lucky people who immediately know what they were created to do--Musician, dancer, teacher, doctor, whatever. I'm really not sure what God has for me to do. Also, I do not have a special talent. (This is probably the only reason I was not Miss America...nothing to do during the talent competition! Um yeah.) So, what does this average Jane do? No really, I'm asking. What do I do? How do I live a life where I am passionate about what I do every day?

I feel like this was a little dramatic today. So be it. I feel dramatic.

Goodness

This past week was filled with so much goodness.

I shared in one of my very best friends' weddings. I am beyond happy for Jess and Bobby. They have a beautiful life ahead together. I told Jess a long time ago when they were in the "falling in love" stage that my life and marriage with David are so good that if anyone settles for less than what we have I feel sorry for them. I think Jess and Bobby have what David and I have. It is not a quality I can name but some indescribable combination of things that I know when I see. Truthfully, I don't see it very often, even in married couples.

Jess was one of the most beautiful brides ever--I know people say that at everyone's wedding, but this is true. All of the bridesmaids would just stare at her because she was that breathtaking.

I got to play dress up with a couple of old friends and a couple of new friends. There is really nothing I like better than doing hair and make up, putting on beautiful clothes and jewelry, and feeling fabulous. Love the hair, love the shoes, love it, love it, love it.

I did not have to work! I was much in need of time away from email and my outlook calendar. (I'm back at work now and already dreaming of my next time off...) Consequently, the wedding photographer inspired me to figure out what I love doing and then start doing it. Hmmm....the tricky part is figuring out what that is. Any suggestions from my wonderful readers/stalkers?

I loved being around a sister and friends who know me so well that I can just be myself without any explaining. That level of friend is hard to come by, and I really do cherish them. I leave you with a final pic that is a keeper. Love these ladies like whoa.



Many more thoughts and insights from last week to come in future bloggage, so stay tuned for more!

WORD for your Friday

I LOVE my new Bible. I think I say that quite often. It is the Life Application Study Bible in the NASB version. I HIGHLY recommend it. I am more excited to read the Word than I have been in a few years. It has many amazing features including footnotes about historical context, footnotes about life application of verses, profiles of different people from each book, an overview of each book, and many more really useful tools. Warning: It is also a fatty version of the Bible.

It is literally like I'm reading the Bible for the first time again. Amazing. It is so good that my Bible scholar of a husband keeps trying to steal it from me. I have held firm though insisting he will have to get his own!

So, I thought I would share a couple of thoughts from my recent reading:

1. John 20:1 "Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance."

We read elsewhere that Jesus basically was no longer governed by physical law when he suddenly appeared in a room where the disciples were hanging out. Why then, did he roll away the stone to the tomb? He did not need to do that to get out of the tomb. Jesus rolled away the stone, so the disciples could get into the tomb and see that He was risen. A lot of times, God does things in our lives a certain way, so WE can see His actions and recognize what He has done.

2. John 20:13-16 'They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).'

Mary did not expect to see Jesus. It was beyond her reasoning that He would be there and be alive. She was looking at her grief and not her God. How many times are we blinded to recognizing Jesus because we don't expect to see Him in our situation?


Shabaaam.

What's on your ipod?

Most of the time, my plane travel is mundane (like that vocab?). However once in a while, life throws me a little gem. The following events happened recently while I was flying to Oregon.

I was sitting next to a twenty-something lady. We were both reading and minding our own business. All of a sudden, techno music starts playing loudly in the row behind me. I assumed some teenager was probably behind me was enjoying their music. Being the world traveler that I am, I do not stare or comment on travel issues--I would spend all my travel time upset about something. Crying baby? It happens. Bad smell? It happens. Etc. Etc.

After about 10 minutes of techno without singing, the music transitioned to a techno version of "Don't You Wish Your Girlfriend Was Hot Like Me?" Now, if you are familiar with techno at all, you understand that most techno songs are REALLY long. After about 8 minutes of "Don't You Wish Your Girlfriend Was Hot Like Me," the girl next to me starts to fidget. I look over at her, and our eyes meet. We silently communicate, "Really? How much longer can this possibly go?" I notice the other passengers across the aisle starting to grow restless. I just couldn't help myself. I turned around....to see this guy--headphones on, staring straight at the back of my seat totally oblivious:



I busted out laughing as soon as I turned back around, and so did the girl next to me. I guess he thought his headphones were plugged into his ipod but really the music was playing out loud and not through his head phones.

HILARIOUS. I guess you just never know what is on someone's ipod. I am still laughing as I write this.

P.S. I secretly snapped this photo as we were standing up to deplane because I already knew I had to blog about my techno friend. Sneaky. :)

Deep Thought: Soccer

Deep thoughts by Jack Handey, I mean Lara Jackson.

Okay, I'll share one from Jack:
http://www.deepthoughtsbyjackhandey.com/media.asp?file=150

Now, here's my deep thought. Sorry for the slightly bitter tone, but it's my blog, and I'll be bitter if I want to.

There is a certain group of American males that cannot seem to appreciate the sport of soccer and complain throughout the World Cup on facebook, twitter, etc about it. (I typically picture this group of males grunting while they watch AMERICAN football. You know the ones I'm talking about--they say soccer is boring, too slow, blah, blah, blah. It does not take a genius to figure out that AMERICAN football scores would be lower if each touchdown were not worth 6 points--I think this math may be too difficult though as many of them cannot seem to understand.) If the entire world says that soccer is the best sport, why can they not appreciate it or at least shut up until the World Cup is over? It's not like those of us who like soccer complain throughout the year while football and basketball dominate the sports channels and a lot of network prime time. Needless to say, their ignorance (is that the right word?) bugs me and makes me want to kick a soccer ball at their faces.

Love,
Lara

P.S. Soccer is the most popular youth sport in America.

P.P.S. I bet if the U.S. wins the World Cup, the previously mentioned group of men will be waving the American flag and acting like they actually know what off sides means.

Food so good....

Restaurant review: Tommaso's Italian Restaurant

Yesterday, we ate at one of the best restaurants I have visited in many moons. Tommaso's Italian Restaurant is in a pretty seedy part of North Beach (aka Little Italy) in San Francisco--think many places for adults only nearby. We chose to ignore the surroundings in favor of the rave reviews. I am sooooooo glad we did.

We arrived at ~5:30 on a Sunday evening, and there was already a line out the door. Tommaso's has a pretty small dining room and does not take reservations. So, I recommend you go early to avoid a long wait. We were seated around 6pm, and it was very worth the 1/2 hour standing in a crowded entry. David and I split a small pizza with italian sausage and a bowl of spaghetti with meat sauce. The pizza at Tommaso's has been voted the best in San Francisco multiple times, and it is certainly the best I have tasted--maybe anywhere. You could taste the fresh wood-fired dough, amazing cheese, home made sauce, and mild italian sausage simultaneously. The meat sauce on the spaghetti was rich and had deep flavors...so refreshing in a day when most restaurants dump Preggo on noodles.

Friends, this food was so good, I literally just wanted to stuff it all in my mouth so I could taste it more. I probably won't go anywhere else to eat in Little Italy from now on. A-MAZING.

Check it out: http://tommasos.com

My review? Food so good, it makes you wanna slap yo mama...

Audience of one

Here's to a new page!

Much love,
Lara

The little things matter

So, I have realized that even more than big gestures or expensive gifts, the little things matter. One of the things I love most about people is the little things--those traits or preferences that make them unique and special. My David is perfectly capable of making his own breakfast (eggs, oatmeal, anything), but he really loves it when I make it. I despise stopping to pump gas, so when I get in and my tank is full, I am a very thankful wife.

I think it comes pretty naturally to me to notice the little things about people and remember them for a time when they come in handy like birthdays or random times of celebration. I have realized that I really like to bless people in ways that are meaningful to them. I almost get mad at myself if I give a generic gift (think those stock gifts that every woman has a drawer full of for times of "gift emergency" like an unexpected birthday or a party for someone you do not know well). The little things are important to people because it shows you care and you know them. Those are really two of the intangible things that people want most: to be cared for and to be truly known.

Recently, I arrived home from a work trip to find this:



Some of our friends had been talking about this amazing coffee. David remembered the name of the coffee and ordered it for me to surprise me. Considering the name of my blog, this was a wonderful "you know me" kind of present that makes me smile every morning when I wake up. (It is delicious in case you are a coffee drinker!)

I want to challenge you to remember the little things because they matter.

What am I going to do with my life?

So, it seems like just when I think I have things figured out...like I have laid out some kind of plan for myself, things change. Recently, I really thought I had a plan laid out for the next few years. I thought it was God's plan. Then, a new option came into the mix. I don't know if it's God, and I'm not sure how to know for sure. (Did that make any sense?) Maybe, I had one path decided and thought it was Him, but it was really just my "perfect" plan. What if God has something different that I didn't expect but will grow to love?

I feel like I have two sides to my life/personality/ambitions, and they cannot coexist. Like I'm Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Hyde. One plan for Dr. Jekyll and one plan for Mrs. Hyde.

Sorry that I'm a little vague, but there are just some things that cannot go on a blog that anyone can read.

I know prayer is the answer to my issue, but I feel like on decisions like these I never hear very clearly. Does anyone else have that problem? How do you decide when you have big life choices to make?

A laugh for your Friday

Introduction: I don't deal well with gross-ness. It is a pretty broad category for me. David says that I think everything is gross. That is mostly true. I think a lot of things are gross.

The Story: David went out to run errands a few weeks ago. He took our buhbies (aka puppies) because they love to ride in the car with their daddy. They are very well behaved in the car. I was working from home that day and received a call from David. "Meet me outside in 5 minutes." He would not tell me the reason, so in my mind, I am very hopeful that he has a surprise for me. I meet him outside in great anticipation. He says, "Put Nadia in the back yard." So, I get Nadia out of the back seat and take her to the back yard. Then, I come back to the car and look in the front seat....There sits Chloe (who NEVER gets in the front seat ever). She is surrounded in every direction...by explosive diarrhea. Now, I can not emphasize the quantity and diverse directions of splattering enough. Literally, the back and seat of the passenger side were covered. The dash board, the floor board, and the door...also covered. I just stood there not sure whether to laugh or cry. So, I kind of did both. I took Chloe and put her in the back yard. Then, I proceeded to clean the GROSS-EST mess I have ever seen. After hours of scrubbing by me with David fetching various cleaning items for me, my car appeared clean but still smelled like poo.

I left it over night, and then deep cleaned it a couple of days later to rid the car of all remaining poopy-ness. I am happy to say that everything is now clean and neutral smelling. I still am keeping a towel over the seat because it grosses me out that there was poop on it at one point.

What happened in the car you ask? David said he was driving along when all of a sudden Chloe hopped up into the front seat. This should have been a clue that there was a problem because she NEVER gets in the front. Then with her bottom facing the seat, a high powered spray of explosive diarrhea shot out of her. It was so high powered that it bounced off of the seat and rebounded onto the door, dashboard, and floor. David said he literally just stared because it happened in a matter of 3-5 seconds.

I doubt that there is anything gross-er than this experience. David said that I am ready for kids now...

Being Me

I realized in a discipleship meeting last week that for the first time in a VERY long time--maybe ever--I feel like me. For much of my adult life, I have been a chameleon. I have changed and adapted myself to meet the expectations of others. I molded myself to be what I was told was right or the best way to be without really studying the scripture and seeking God to see who He says I should be. No more. After almost two years walking out a life that is being transformed by God's grace, I finally feel free. Free of expectations, pressure, and a "law" mentality. This was affecting every area of my life, even the clothes I chose and how I worshipped. I figured out that I was living my life a certain way because I wanted to do what was in my heart for God (lead women to love Jesus), but I did not think that I would be allowed to do it unless I followed the rules and was a "good girl" by a certain set of religious standards.

I finally feel authentically like Lara. I am moving into living life abundantly--love and grace filled. I am beginning to walk in what God has called me to do and who He has called me to be. I want to live an extraordinary life, and I think I am now in a place where I can do that.

Thank God that He is patient and teaches us lessons when we are in a place to hear them. I hope this encourages you to be YOU as God has made you and called you to be. It is true freedom in Christ.

I'm BAAAAACK

For all of my blog readers, I apologize. I realize that I totally dropped off the face of the earth without warning. Please forgive me, come back, and read my blog. (Also, leave me comments. It really does make my day.) Why the absence? I had a serious case of the blahs. I needed to focus on God, my husband, and Remnant. I didn't have a single ounce of me leftover to give...even in a blog. Plus, I didn't want blogging to be a chore that I had to do. I am on the road to recovery from the blahs and will be talking to you a lot in the upcoming weeks. Things I want to write about:

1. Discipleship

2. Remnant's first Encounter with Rod and Mary Aguillard

3. Trusting God (aka faith)

4. Friendships

5. My life plan

6. Why Jessica and Bobby should move to CA (Hhmmm okay, I won't actually devote a blog to this Jess, but I thought I should give the bride a shout out.)

7. More lessons from the puppies plus a tale of explosive diarrhea--quite possibly the most disgusting thing that will ever appear on this blog. Seriously, it will be worth reading every blog I write just to hear this gem when I am healed enough to talk about this very scarring experience.

That's all for now. I look forward to more goodness and sharing with you soon!

Yeah, about that

Proverbs 8:13
"The fear of the Lord is to hate evil..." (Do you ever read a verse and think to God, 'Yeah, about that...')

This is kicking my butt right now. Do I really HATE evil? Do I HATE pride, greed, doubt, lust, and fear (not of God)? I think I want to hate it and would say that I hate it but tolerate sin and evil a lot of times. Satan really has lulled most Christians to sleep when it comes to actively standing against evil. I think this mainly happens through the media. Sin is made to be normal and even humorous. Eventually, even Christians begin to forget that sin is evil and leads to death.

God has done such a work of grace in me since moving to CA. I have truly learned to love people regardless of their sin. However, I think God is going to teach me to love sinners and actively hate evil simultaneously. It really will change the way I live and pray. If I really HATE evil, I will truly fight for the evil and darkness in people's lives to be defeated. So, this is just a first pass at this verse. I'm not really sure what it will look like once it gets a little deeper in me. Just wanted to share my walk and challenge you to think about how you react to evil.

Freakin awesome chicken and Michael Jackson

I'm suuuuper busy between work and Remnant. I have been dreaming of blogging but find myself tired of my keyboard between work work and church work. So, three minor updates:

1. I'm staying on top of the Bible reading still...yeah! It is good like an old friend that I haven't talked with in a while but can just sit down and pick up where we left off.

2. I made some freakin awesome chicken. Normally, the meat is not my favorite portion of a meal...and then I made my freakin awesome chicken. Check it.

a. Ingredients: 8 chicken breasts, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 bottle Sweet Baby Ray's bbq sauce, 1 entire clove of garlic, black pepper, diced dehydrated onions
b. Put all of that in a crock pot and let it do it's thing for like 5-6 hours shredding it into chunks after about 3 hours of cooking.
c. Be amazed.

This was maybe the best chicken I have ever eaten in my life. My recipe making brain astounds me sometimes...and bonus that it was pretty healthy.

3. I finally watched the Michael Jackson movie "This Is It" with David last night. He might have been crazy but man could he dance. I really recommend it even if you aren't an MJ fan.

I'm Going to Disney World!

Not really. That's just what people normally say when they win a lot of money. No, I didn't win a lot of money either. I was just contemplating what I would do if I had an obscene amount of money like Oprah. Why was I contemplating this? I don't really know.

So, I once heard Oprah say that she has her sheets changed every other day (by a maid of course) because she just cannot stand it if her sheets don't have the crisp "just washed" feeling. This leads me down the rabbit hole for today's train of thought. What would I do if I made as much money as Oprah? (This is purely for fun, so no serious things like giving to the church, feeding the hungry, etc, will be included. Those are a given.)

1. I would only use fresh bars of soap. I love a big fresh bar of soap the first time you get it all sudsy.
2. I would have someone come to my house to wash my hair in one of those salon sinks every other day. The water is always the right temperature, they massage your scalp, and the Aveda products where I go are just amazing.
3. I would hire a really great photojournalist to take pictures at all major life events and then twice a year at random times to take family pictures.
4. I would hire a personal trainer like Bob or Jillian from the Biggest Loser to kick my butt every day in the gym.
5. I would build a Panera within walking distance from my house.
6. I would wear ridiculous amounts of diamonds all the time. (Diamonds match everything.)

Alright, now let me know what you would do...and be creative.

Tasty Results

Alright, so my Rachel Ray recipe was a huge success. Taking a picture of the meal? Not a success. David and I dug into the meal so quickly that I totally forgot to snap a picture of the uneaten food. It looked very pretty though...I promise.

David said, "This is the tastiest thing you've ever made." This is a high compliment in my book.

So, I told you last time that I had some planned modifications to the meal, but once I got cooking, I totally strayed from the recipe. Instead of mashed potatoes, I quartered the potatoes, mixed in some olive oil and a fresh clove of garlic, and baked at 400 with some salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. P.S. the clove of garlic should have been with the broccoli. I ended up just steaming the broccoli.

Really, the only part of the recipe that I actually did right were the meatballs. They were amazingly delicious with the tomato/pesto sauce.

So, huge thumbs up to the meal even though I can't follow a recipe to save my life. Thank you Rachel Ray, you helped me break out of my recipe funk and make the tastiest meal ever.

Rachel Ray = genius

In my effort to improve my repertoire of recipes, I have been watching Rachel Ray's 30 Minute meals whenever I can. Now, most days, I veto her recipe due to the ingredients being 1)things I don't like--I am picky 2)too expensive 3) too fattening--I eat enough sweets that I don't need my dinner to help me pack on the pounds.

However in a stroke of pure genius, Rachel introduced the following meal:

Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Sausage Balls with Tomato-Basil Sauce, Cacio e Pepe Potatoes and Roast Broccolini
Serves 4

•2 pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes
•1 tub bocconcini (bite-size fresh mozzarella in water)
•2 pounds Italian hot or sweet fresh chicken or turkey sausage
•Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for liberal drizzling, 4-5 tablespoons total
•Salt and freshly ground black pepper
•1 1/2 pounds broccolini
•1 head garlic
•1 can San Marzano tomatoes (28 ounces)
•1/2 cup milk
•1 tub grated Pecorino Romano
•1 tub good quality, freshly prepared pesto

Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.

Quarter the baby potatoes and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then salt the water and cook until tender, about 12 minutes.

While the potatoes come up to a boil, place a nonstick baking sheet alongside a mixing bowl. Remove 12 pieces of bocconcini from the water and set them on your work surface. Remove the sausages from their casings, if bulk sausage is not available, and place in a bowl. Combine the meat into a single mound, then score it into four sections. Each section will yield three large sausage meatballs. To form each ball, take a handful of meat and wrap it around a piece of mozzarella. Roll 12 balls. Wash your hands after handling the raw sausage.

Coat the balls with a drizzle of EVOO. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until cooked through and evenly browned.

While the balls are cooking, trim the ends of clean broccolini and scatter evenly over a baking sheet. Grate or chop 2-3 cloves of garlic and drizzle the broccolini and garlic with olive oil, then season with the salt and pepper and roast for 12-15 minutes to crisp the broccolini tops.

While the broccolini is roasting, add the tomatoes to a small pot or skillet, mash with a potato masher and season with salt and pepper. Heat over medium heat, then simmer to reduce, about 8-10 minutes.

When the potatoes are tender, drain and return them to the hot pot to dry them out a little. Mash the potatoes with 1/2 cup stock or milk, 1/2-2/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, a few generous handfuls, lots of black pepper and a little salt.

Turn the heat off the tomatoes and stir in 1/2 cup of the prepared pesto.

Serve three stuffed sausage balls with tomato-basil sauce on top or underneath and the cacio e pepe smashed potatoes and broccolini alongside.


Here are my modifications: I will use baby potatoes with red skins and mash them with grated Parmesan cheese. I will use a dry pesto mix with just a little EVOO since the store made pesto is expensive and contains a lot of EVOO. I will use broccoli instead of broccolini.

Taste results and pics tomorrow....

These are my confessions (Usher style)

First: I apologize for being such a slacker over the past week or so. Confession--I've been feeling uninspired.

Second: 2010 Challenge from Remnant--not doing so great. I have trouble remembering to write down my one prayer a day and have not invited anyone to church yet. Confession--Maybe it's pride, but I don't feel like this should be so difficult for someone who has been a Christian for 8+ years now.

Third, I've been meditating a lot of the verse James 1:2-4. Not part of the Bible reading plan from the aforementioned confession, but I cannot get it out of my head. James says, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience/endurance. And let patience/endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Confession--Like that usage of aforementioned? I have to use some fancy vocab once in a while because I'm pretty sure I'm getting stupider since I left college. See! I just said stupider. I don't think that is a word, but I'm not even really sure.

Third part 2, I have perspective. My life vs. someone in Haiti. My life is amazing. Don't get me wrong. It just seems like there has constantly been a trial for the past 2 or 3 years without down time. I would like some trial-less time, maybe a month even? Confession--I think the trial would even be more bearable if I knew what the perfect result will be. I'm not sure what I'm lacking exactly that I then am gaining from trials. What is this patience/endurance producing as an end result? If anyone understands this verse better, help a sista out.

Fourth, I have also been meditating on the Matthew 6:30-33, "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on...But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Confession--I still am worrying. It is just more subtle than it used to be. It is a challenge to seek His kingdom and righteousness above our own seemingly more immediate needs.

Fifth, Confession--I wish I had lyrics like Usher. I can't think of a poetic way to end this entry.

Puppy lessons

Believe it or not, I really think that God is speaking to me through the puppies. (Not audibly...I'm not that crazy.) David and I have been talking about this over the last week. Parents, you probably learned these lessons from your children, but we are learning from some slightly furrier babies.

Loving and caring for the puppies is not convenient. Just the potty breaks alone are enough to seriously put a cramp in our style. I began learning the lesson of loving when it's inconvenient when I fell in love with David. (Lol...just keep reading.) When you really care about someone, you are willing to sacrifice for them. This seems to be a lesson that I must continually learn because my self wants to be self-ish, but God wants me to be self-less.

Loving and caring for the puppies is unconditional. Even when they are disobedient--which is most of the time right now--I still want to care for them. I want them to be healthy, safe, and happy. I want their affection and companionship even when they have been bad. Ummm hello? If I feel this for some dogs, how much more does God feel it for every single one of His children? He loves us all the time, no matter what. He's so good to us, His little ones. AND He wants to be with us, even when we are disobedient.

Maybe while I'm working on training the puppies, they (and God) are really the ones training me?

RadicALL

I have never been so excited about what God is doing at Remnant. It feels like we finally are "Remnant" how we always wanted to be and how God created us to be. We've had tastes of it over the past year and a half, but now, it's on. The body of Christ at Remnant is radicALL. Every opportunity that we have to gather as believers is explosive, and people far from God are falling in love with Jesus. There could not be anything better on earth.

Over the next year, we will ALL be reading the Bible in 1 year, praying 1 faith filled prayer every day, memorizing 1 verse of scripture per week, having 1 guest per month attend the worship experience, giving our 1st fruits to God, and leading at least 1 person to Christ this year. Read more about what we are doing here: http://remnantloves.me and then click on the LoveStrong icon.

I am jazzed. I'll be updating you because there is a lot of goodness coming this year.

P.S. The puppies are named after Chloe O'Brien and Nadia Yassir from the tv show 24.