Unexpected Encounter

More and more these days I am seeing evidence of God's grace in my life.  While to some people these encounters may seem small, to me they are much needed reminders that God is still working.  He still has a plan for us even though we can't see it.  He is still leading us even though the path isn't clear cut.  He hasn't left us.

Last night we spent some time with a couple who is in a similar place that we are... just 7 years down the road.  This couple has held tightly to God through a long period of waiting and I couldn't help but feel so encouraged by them as they shared their journey.

No matter how long we have to wait on anything in our future- jobs, homes, school, debt, kids- I desperately hope that we would cling to God and that He would change us.  On a small scale we are starting to enter a season of waiting, and my prayer is that it would not be spent in vain, but would be a time where we grow closer to God, and experience Him more deeply, and bring glory to Him in the process.

As you know, I'm not good at being still.  Waiting well is a continual learning process for me.  Just yesterday I found myself being enticed by ideas for our future- ideas that only seemed enticing for financial reasons, not God reasons.

That's why meeting with this couple last night was a divine appointment. They showed Dan and I what it looks like to wait well.  They have every reason to look at some situations in their life and be down right angry.  But, instead of forging ahead on their own and creating something that isn't meant to be, they are waiting.  They are diligently following the call that God has showed them.

And you know what?  Even though they're not seeing the fruits of their labor, Dan and I are.  They are blessing Dan and I without even knowing it.  Everything they are hoping and praying for is in limbo, but God is still using them now.... while they are waiting.  

That was *so* important for me to see.

Last night was just what I needed. I'm so thankful for how God uses the body of Christ to comfort, teach, and minister to us.

Overeating

Yesterday while driving to work I was mentally preparing for a temptation I already knew I would experience later that day: overeating.  I could go into a long rant about food and the struggles I've had with it throughout my life, but that's for another day. 

My particular struggle yesterday was the fact that I wouldn't have time to fit in a run after work, and I was going to be attending two dinners.  Not only that, I was going to be making two desserts for those dinners.  I knew the temptation to over-eat would be great, and since Dan and I are spending the weekend at a lake house with some friends, in the back of my mind I was fighting the urge to stress out about putting a bathing suit on.

Then, in typical God fashion, He had me click on an article that a friend on fb posted.  I sat at my desk and almost lost it looking through the pictures.  The first one was of a 7 month old who weighed 7.5 pounds (shown below).  Lots of babies a day old weigh more than 7.5 pounds.

Maybe a lot of you have heard about the famine in East Africa.  You may even be wondering if I've been living in a hole for the past couple months since this is the first time I came across an article about it, but my heart is completely broken.  Here I am, concerned about the two meals I will be having and how I will "hold back" when there are thousands of people living in a famine.

I know that just because there are people starving in Africa that doesn't mean I should be ashamed that I live in America where I have never experienced the hunger pains they have.  But, it does remind me to be oh so thankful.  Thankful that I haven't had to worry about food not being in my fridge.  Thankful that I have so much food that sometimes Dan and I forget about our leftovers and have to throw them away.  It was not a coincidence that I read that article on a day when I had the "privilege" of eating two meals.

Obviously, as you can tell by this blog post, this definitely affected me, so I looked into how Dan and I can help.  There are a lot of ways, but Dan and I really love World Vision, and they have a place you can donate if you would like.

So instead of going into the meals yesterday worrying about eating too much, I went in praising God and thanking Him for how He has provided for Dan and I in abundance, and asked for the strength not to abuse His gift.

A little exercise for young theologians

Confession time:  the awful, ugly temptation of pride that comes with knowledge has popped in and out of my life during my time at seminary.  Not only has the thought crossed my mind that taking classes at Trinity would somehow makes me "wiser" than others (ummmm.. this is so completely far from the truth), I also have felt at times more spiritual than other Christians.  Reading that last sentence is seriously painful.  I am thankful that God has convicted me every time this thought creeps in, but it saddens me that the thought even appears in the first place.

Not only have I struggled with the above, but I also have been quick to judge the motives of some of my colleagues.  At times I look around my classes and think "why are we all sitting around arguing over things that the God of the universe can only understand when there are people out there who desperately need to hear about Jesus- the message of the gospel?"

First of all, yes, this is a valid thought IF that is all you do - argue and stubbornly try to prove your point and not live out your faith.  But, I'm pretty sure that most, if not every single one, of my classmates hope to be apart of ministries that show and share the message of Jesus.  This arguing (otherwise known as discussion to some people :)  is challenging their (and my!) minds to prepare them for life outside of seminary. 

After opening up about this exact struggle to one of my dear friends Caroline, she pointed me toward a book that discusses this exact thing.  Helmut Thielicke wrote "A Little Exercise for Young Theologians" for seminary students, reminding them that their education is a privilege and encouraging to humbly apply their education to the rest of their lives.

One of my favorite quotes is: 

"Faith must mean more to us than a mere commodity stored in the tin cans of reflection or bottled in the lecture notebook, whence at any time it may be reproduced in the brain."  

This quote reminds me that what I'm learning at Trinity should not be put back in a paper, test, or project.  It also shouldn't be stored up in my mind so I can pridefully flaunt to others how much "knowledge" I have (even though at times I think seminary has made me more confused in some areas... but that's another subject for another day).  What I'm learning is supposed to be used to glorify God and increase my love for Him.  I pray that I don't distort the gift of Seminary that God has given me and use it to bring glory to myself.  

Decorating Inspirtation

I follow a good number of design blogs... mainly because I'm not creative AT ALL.  Every idea I have used in our apartment has not come from my little brain, it's a stolen idea from someone else.  

Thankfully, because of blogging, there are tons of people displaying their cute, creative ideas for me to snatch up and steal.  Don't worry, my first response if anyone tells me they like anything decorative in my apartment is "I just copied that idea off of someone."  There is no shame in that.  The Lord created us all differently.  Being an interior designer was NOT one of the gifts He gave me.  Surprisingly enough, I'm OK with that. 

via

So, as I was perusing around the blog world the other day, I found a blog post describing an interior designer's style, and I immediately thought "this is totally the kind of style I want in my future home."

Style that's not just fun to look at, but actually invites you in.  It says sit down.  Stay a while.  Get comfortable.  It's not just about pleasing the eye, but it is an experience. I love that. 

I don't know where she lives, but I'm pretty sure if I ever visited her home, I would never, ever leave.

Here's her decorating "rules"

Soft color Heathery grays, blues, golds, and whites--in the Hamptons, these colors come naturally from the landscape and the ocean.

Comfortable seating and ottomans When you want to cuddle up and relax, you always need a place to put up your feet.
A clutter-free zone I am a believer that less is more. Over-accessorizing can take away from the calming nature of a room and become distracting.
Books Whether to read, to escape into, to inspire, or just to look good.
Tunes There should always be a good source of music to set the mood and create relaxation.
Throws I'm a big believer in having a throw in every room to wrap yourself in--preferably while enjoying that good cup of coffee or tea.
A view Orient your space to the best view. If you don't have a view, create one with original art or photography of the things you love.
Light and candles Always maximize natural light. Ambient light can also effectively create a mood, if done with thought. And don't forget the candles.
Flowing fabrics I love flowing panels. When the windows are open, the breeze creates a rippling that is not unlike the water.
Creative space Create a space for whatever your pleasure is, a place that's totally dedicated to your creative outlet

And the weddings continue!!

I cannot believe that my little brother is getting married in less than month!! It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating their engagement and now the big day is almost here!  This past month I drove down to West Lafayette to celebrate with Holly and her friends and family at her shower and bachelorette party.  It was great to see my family (even though the weekend flew by!) and celebrate with Jon and Holly.  We're so excited for their big day:)

Holly was showing off her new apron :)  And my camera happened to take a picture when another flash went off and it turned out like this! We were the paparazzi lol

We went out to eat and had Sushi. It was sooo good!

Jon and Holly got a new cat named Tux!!!! How adorable is he!?  He's still SO little. Loved seeing him!

He was swatting at my camera lens hanging off the camera haha

Holly's house was packed for the shower!!

Jon even got some new tools- how exciting :)

All the bridesmaids

My little bro is growing up :)

8.20.2011 will be here before you know it!

Short and Sweet

At times I can be on information overload.  While it's a blessing that the internet provides so many insightful articles, blog posts, devotionals, etc., at times it can be overwhelming and I wonder if I'm actually processing all the information and allowing it to change my life.

The other day I was listening to Hillsong on Youtube and came upon this short clip.  They just repeated the following words. I think that's why this song was so refreshing.

 Just one sentence.  But it's packed with so much truth.

Hope you have a great weekend :)

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Another Favorite Recipe: Lettuce Wraps

I actually have wanted to post this recipe for a really long time now, but it has completely slipped my mind. (I'm pretty sure I took the picture below in February!)  These lettuce wraps are pretty messy, but totally worth the mess.  And, if any of you know Daniel, it's a pretty big deal that he likes this.  There are a lot of vegetables in this dish, and he doesn't pick a SINGLE one out!  I'm so proud of him :)

I would list out the ingredients and how I made it, but I honestly just follow this recipe.  Since I don't want their hard work to go in vain, I'll let you follow their steps.

Examining my motivation

I've noticed there is a huge difference between doing something because we're loved (with that being our motivation) as opposed to doing something in order to be loved.  

In my marriage, when I do something nice for Dan (which obviously is a daily occurrence... haha I wish I was that selfless.  It's much more accurate to say that it SHOULD be a daily occurrence), if I do it with the motivation of expecting a certain reaction or to receive something in return,  I am anxiously waiting for that response.  If I don't get that 'said reaction', it can lead to disappointment.  

On the other hand, if I do something for him simply because he's my husband and I love him (no hidden agenda), I have no expectations.  I actually enjoy the "serving him part," as opposed to only anticipating his reaction.  I've realized serving in that way is MUCH more freeing and actually more biblical.

Below is a great description [from here] of the difference between doing something in order to be loved by God, as opposed to doing something because we're loved by God.   I found the difference to be quite surprising.

Because I am loved, I can humble myself.

When I’m trying to be loved, I must build myself up to look better.

Because I am loved, I can cast all my anxiety on Him.

When I’m trying to be loved, I cast all my anxiety on my performance.

Because I am loved, I can resist Satan and stand firm in my faith.

When I’m trying to be loved, I listen to Satan and stand uncertain trying to rely on my feelings.

Because I am loved, I know God will use this to make me stronger – and I want that.

When I’m trying to be loved, I don’t want to be made stronger – I want life to be easier.

Fashion Fail... I'm a little embarassed to post this...

Since high school I have really wanted to wear glasses.  I do own "reading glasses" because in college it was hard for my eyes to adjust from the lecture notes to my computer in front of me, but clearly I can't wear those around like ordinary glasses- then I'll really need glasses (hey, actually... that's not a bad idea....).

I know, I know.  If you wear glasses you think I'm crazy because you probably view them as a pain.  But, for someone who has never worn them all day, or put in contacts, or had their eyes burn because they were dried out or folded over, or whatever happens when Dan tells me he needs to take his contacts out because they're bothering him, I simply view them as a very a cute accessory.

So, I made a bold decision the other week (when Dan was gone mind you), to buy some fake glasses.  Not just any glasses, the HUGE nerdy glasses... that I have always- liked but Dan hates.  In fact, this is the girl who inspired me, and I found the same exact pair on line.

via

via

Not the same girl or pair.. but you get the idea.   via

Don't worry, the pair I purchased were only $10 so I didn't blow our budget, but I really wanted to try them out.

Well, the other week they arrived and I excitedly opened the package before I even got to our apartment.  I yanked the plastic off of them, placed them behind my ears and ran to find a mirror... and started hysterically cracking up when I caught a glimpse of myself.

I looked hilarious.  Definitely not cute or stylish.  I told Dan I was sad I didn't look like either of the girls above (who would have guessed?! lol).  He actually told me I did, but he didn't like the glasses on all three of us (yes I'm grouping myself with the two models above).  I guess that's what I get for trying to copy the style of two cute, stylish, artsy girls.  Maybe another fashion trend will come my way that better suites my style.

hilarious.

Maybe if Dan takes my picture and I do an outfit change and pull my hair up it will look better... no? That's what I thought. *sigh*

It's a chocolate kind of day.

This weekend made me a *little* sad- only because it was busy and almost reminded me of how the Fall gets in the Cinadr household.  Don't get me wrong, I love the Fall, (literally.. I'm obsessed with everything about the Fall) but I'm not ready for it yet. 

Actually, when I think about it, anything can make our normal summer schedule busy, which mainly consists of reading  and napping.  Let's admit it, I am pretty lazy these days.  Hence the zero pictures I took from our weekend.  I'm so lazy I can't even pick up our camera anymore.  That's considered stressful right now.  What is my life coming to?

I'll take more pictures next weekend. Promise.

So after a busy week and weekend, I am looking forward to some relaxation after work today. (well... after I go grocery shopping and pick up the clothes at the cleaner and attempt a run in this 100 degree weather :)

And then I'll eat some chocolate.  Inspired by the following desserts.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend :) 

Kit Kats are such an underrated candy bar.  This looks amazing.

I love everything truffle.  Cake batter truffles?!  It doesn't get much better than this, people.

I was just talking about S'mores with my friend Becca the other day and how they are SO good. And then I saw this :)

I don't normally add salt and chocolate together, but this looked SO good.  And I made them last week- and confirmed that last statement.  They were SO good.

Guys trip- no girls allowed.

So I know I didn't actually go with Dan on the guys trip- but the place they went was SO beautiful that I had to share some pictures them with you.  After all, this is "our" blog (or at least that was supposed to be the idea when we started it...)

BUT, way before I show you the pictures, I have to announce that two babies were born in our office! Remember when I blogged about a couple baby showers, one for Mike and Jenna and another for Aaron and Teressa?!  Well, Mike and Jenna's baby girl, Natalie, was born on July 8th and Caleb and Clara were born yesterday, July 14th.  I am so stinkin' happy for them and so excited to meet their little babies.  We've had a couple crazy weeks in our office!

OK, here's pictures of Dan's awesome trip.  With these guys and this wonderful cabin, it was easy to forget about little ol' me at home... alone.  (well, he didn't totally forget about me, he missed me... a little :)

This was the cabin they stayed in!

It had a basketball court, hot tub, and ping pong! As you can see Bubalo is "dunking" 

All of Dan's college friends- Matt, Josh, Dan, and Paul

How cool is this?!

They went sliding down these rocks

Dan was pretty pumped

Doesn't it look so pretty?

Reality Check

One of my dear college friends, Ella, (who just got married!) mentioned this blog on facebook and I got sucked into reading it for a good half hour one weekend.  Her honesty and transparency was refreshing and at times down right hilarious.

Her husband wrote the following below and it really got me thinking about what "occasional sins" am I not repenting of?  What do I brush off like it's no big deal when in reality there is a much deeper reason living beneath that thought or action and I frankly just don't want to dig deep enough to figure out what that is.  Because it gets messy.  And it requires being vulnerable.   And I think too highly of myself to want to believe anything else.

I hope this quote gets you thinking... like it did me... about what "occasional sins" I need to take a good look at.

"Through this painful process of having everything taken away, I was able to understand that the Gospel is not just a hurdle in the beginning:  It’s everything.  The gospel is applicable to my life 24/7.  I am jacked up beyond what I can comprehend.  The only way I’m saved is through faith and hope in the Cross.  I realized that during the time I was a “super Christian,” the reality was, that behind closed doors, I actually was occasionally looking at porn, occasionally flirting with other women, occasionally drinking too much, occasionally not being honest with my wife, and occasionally doing a ton of other crap that I let no one know about. All of my “occasional sin” became a lifestyle of sin that held me captive. The sad thing is that I had all the resources to get help at my fingertips (friends, accountability, church), but was too prideful to tell the truth and let people see my sin. That was my main hindrance...what would everyone think of me if they knew who I really was?"

You MUST try this

I was skeptical at first, and you probably will be as well, but trust me, you have to try this.

Ok, ready?

What does this look like to you?

image via

Don't worry, it's not a trick question- ice cream, right?!

Well, it's not ice cream.  There is no ice or cream in this.

All it is, is a banana.  Yep, that's it, one banana.

Take a banana, cut it up, freeze it, and blend it until it's smooth and creamy.  We added a little sugar and cinnamon (that was totally Dan's call, and it was definitely a good call) and it was wonderful.  And healthy, and a perfect summer snack. 

so. incredibly. cute.

Please tell me this little girl (part where she's laughing on the bed) is not the CUTEST thing you've ever seen?  It kinda makes me want one...

movies. weddings. friends. Chicago.

Happy Monday!  There are some craaazzy storms here in Chicago!  Great start to a Monday, right?  On the other hand, while this weekend was really hot, it was perfect weather for doing some "night" activities, which is exactly what we did!

Although we said we celebrated our 3 year with a lunch to Chipotle last week (because technically our anniversary was Monday), we really went out because I didn't have time to go to the grocery store last weekend after being out of town!  So, we officially celebrated this past Friday by going out to eat at Outback (thank you Dan's parents for the anniversary gift!) and then went to a movie in the park.  Dan has been on this kick of wanting to do fun and different things this summer, which I actually really like because I'm the kind of person who will sit around doing the same thing over and over again.  So, he did some research and we went to Chicago to watch this movie in the park!  The night had perfect weather and it was so fun!  

Then, Saturday our friends Brittany & Luke came in town from Indy.  They actually ended up spending the night and we used our Groupon (score!) to go to this great pizza place in downtown Arlington Heights and then went into the city to watch a concert in Millennium Park (even though we got there really late!).  It was such a treat to see them because we hadn't hung out with them since our vacation!

And then, on Sunday I went to a wedding shower for my friend Mariel who's getting married the weekend after my brother!  I guess it sounds like we were busy, but it didn't feel like it.  Ah, the joys of summer. 

Waiting for the movie to start lol

I had a moment of panic because I realized I didn't bring the wine opener, and then we realized we planned ahead without knowing and bought a twist top.  We are just that good.

We saw Mega Mind, and while I am normally 100% against wasting my time with animated movies, this was actually really funny.  I'm starting to reconsider my hatred.

Seriously, perfect night.

Then off to Chicago.  Our cooler was heavy, but Luke definitely took one for the team.

Then he realized the walk was a little longer than we thought.  They make a good team.

SO many people!

Again, another perfect night.

Luke and Brittany!

Hanging out

We wanted to go up to the bean but the park closes at 11.  It was sad, but at least we got close.

Mariel opening gifts!

SO cute!

The couple

So happy for her!

Stilllll Waiting...

I know what some of you may be thinking.  Enough already with the waiting thoughts.  I know, I know.  But just bear with me for one more post.  Then, I'll stop.  I promise. For now :)

As I meditated more on Psalm 27: 13-14, I was overwhelmed by how deeply God knows my heart and the difficulties that come with waiting.

Let me remind you of what Psalm 27:13-14 says (NIV): 

Psalm 27:13-14

 ¹³ I remain confident of this:
   I will see the goodness of the LORD
   in the land of the living.
¹⁴ Wait for the LORD;
   be strong and take heart
   and wait for the LORD. 

Not only does God want us to put our hope, assurance, and confidence in the fact that He will show His goodness to us here on earth, He also makes it clear that at times we will have to wait for it.

Here are a couple definitions I found of waiting: 

• remain inactive
• not taking any steps forward
• be in expectation
• ready to hear

What I love most about this passage is what comes next: "be strong and take heart."

Being strong requires mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual strength.  It means being brave, bold, unwavering, firm, and secure.

Take heart is a saying that means: Be confident, be brave, have a sense of courage, be hopeful, take comfort, be encouraged.

Why is this my favorite part?  Because God realizes that waiting is hard.  It's like He's saying, "I'm asking you to wait, but I'm not asking you to do it alone, I know what you will need for this.  I know you will need strength and that you will need to take heart."  God knows that waiting isn't easy.  He knows we're not patient, waiting people.  We're controlling people who like to take matters into our own hands.

When I've been waiting for my food too long at a restaurant, I get cranky.  When someone has to make a call on an item while I'm waiting at the check out line at the grocery store, I (furiously) make my way to another lane.  I feel like women especially find waiting difficult.  Welcome to my relationship with Dan- I was (desperately) waiting for him to ask me out 8 years (eek!) ago, then I was waiting for him to ask me to be his girlfriend (oh wait, I brought that one up- so that doesn't count as waiting, right?), then I was waiting for him to ask me to marry him.  Ugh.  I hate waiting.

But, what I see in this passage is that I'm not supposed to wait without hope.  We wait with confidence that we will see the goodness of the Lord.  It may not be the goodness we expected, but why would I want to see the goodness that I expected anyway?  God's goodness is way much better.

So, I am so thankful to serve a God who not only understands my needs, but gives me the truth I need to wait on Him.

PS: this quote gives great insight on how waiting is not done in vain (the topic seems to be popping up in my life everywhere) reading it comes highly recommended :)

Have a lovely weekend :)

Yes, there's more

You may wonder how there could be more fun we had this weekend?!  Oh, just wait.  There are more pics I took with my phone :)  The fun never stops with the Beattie family.

But, before I share those, I wanted to share with you a story about a couple who survived an affair in their marriage.  In light of Dan and I hitting our 3 year mark (hooray!), I don't want to be naive to think that our marriage will never hit rough spots.  God is so wise to warn us in Galatians 6:1 that when confronting someone who has sinned, don't think that you yourself are above their sin.  I am sure you have heard this before, but everyone who hits rock bottom in their marriage says it didn't just happen in a day- it's a slow process over time.  I gained a lot of insight from reading the 8 things that restored their marriage and 8 things that destroyed their marriage.  I hope you find it helpful, too :)

Onto the pictures!

Hanging out in downtown Hudson

The sun was a little too much for Holly lol

There we go!

Yes I was wearing a sweater in 85 degree weather.  I'm losing my mind.

The whole family together & the craziness that comes with it :)

Home sweet home.  Definitely a little nicer than Cleveland (not to diss my hometown or anything..)

We had a running joke about canoes... I would explain it but you probably wouldn't think it's funny so for now you can just appreciate my artistic, photogenic ability :)

Yep, that's me, Doug, and Jon.  Quite the pictures.  Thank you Pap for keeping this up in your house :) And I can't seem to post on the photo below.. but this is Pap's phone.  He said it was his Dad's phone.. how cute is that?!