Beautiful

I heard this song "Beautiful" by Mercy Me at a Face to Face event...the lyrics spoke to me and I hope it does the same for you.

The days will come when you don't have the strength
When all you hear is you're not worth anything
Wondering if you ever could be loved
And if they truly saw your heart they'd see too much

You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You are made so much more than all of this
You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You are treasured, you are sacred, you are His
You're beautiful

And praying that you have the heart to find
Cause you are more than what is hurting you tonight
For all the lies you've held inside so long
And they are nothing in the shadow of the cross

You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You are made so much more than all of this
You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You are treasured, you are sacred, you are His
You're beautiful

Before you ever took a breath
Long before the world began
Of all the wonders He possessed
There was one more precious
Of all the earth and skies above
You're the one He madly loves
Enough to death

You're beautiful
You're beautiful
In His eyes

You're beautiful
You were meant for so much more than all of this
You're beautiful
You are treasured, you are sacred, you are His
You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You're meant for so much more than all of this
You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You are treasured, you are sacred, you are His

Recipe of the Week: Oven-Roasted Chicken

I decided to cook a meal for my home-stay and found this lovely recipe from my Aunt...feels so good to make a home cooked meal...quite healthy and easy to make for you "aspire to be chefs!" We enjoyed the meal with apple crisp and ice cream after. :) Enjoy!

Oven-Roasted Chicken Thighs with Carrots and Yukon Gold Potatoes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 6 large chicken thighs with skin and bones (preferably organic; about 2 1/4 pounds total)
• 1/2 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
• 2 pounds unpeeled medium Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed, cut into 2-inch-long, 1/2-inch-thick spears
• 2 pounds medium carrots, peeled, cut into 2-inch-long, 1/2-inch-thick spears
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat large rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil. Place chicken on baking sheet. Turn to coat with oil and set skin side up. Mix salt, thyme, 1½ teaspoons pepper, and nutmeg in small bowl. Sprinkle half of mixture over chicken. Roast until chicken starts to brown and some fat has rendered, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine potatoes, carrots, 2 tablespoons oil, and remaining saltthyme mixture in large bowl. Transfer thighs to medium bowl; set aside. Transfer potato-carrot mixture to same baking sheet; turn to coat with drippings. Roast until vegetables soften, 30 minutes. Place thighs on vegetables; pour accumulated juices from chicken over. Return sheet to oven. Roast until chicken is cooked and vegetables brown, 15 minutes longer.

Place chicken on platter; top with chives.

Moving On

Can't believe a year is almost up. 2 more weeks in the UK. Where has time gone? It's amazing to look back in my journal/blog posts and see all the prayer requests God has answered in the past couple months. I am so thankful I took that step of faith coming to England...a journey of ups and downs, stretching my faith, and growing closer to Him along the way.

What will I miss?
-Friendships...wish I could take everyone back with me to the US.
-Walking on the South Bank near Big Ben...never gets old.
-Markets...Portobello, Borough, Brick Lane, and Greenwich...I'll miss you on a Saturday morning.
-ASWW...can't believe I cried saying goodbye to you all yesterday. So emotional. Thanks for being my British family and sharing life together.
-Reality...going deep with my American/Brit friends. Thank you for supporting me on this journey and showing me what community looks like.
-Meals with my homestay...Eunice (one of the most caring people I know) and Ian (his home-made ice cream is the best ever...ask him to make you some). Thank you for showing me what a Godly marriage looks like, welcoming me into your family, and sharing your wisdom over the dinner table.

I am sad to leave the people I have invested in the past 12 months, but I am excited for what the future holds and ready for a new season. A season being reunited with old friends, family, and new job in Seattle. I know these friendships will last a lifetime and we'll be reunited again...

Isaiah 41...Thank you for your truth Lord!

So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

“All who rage against you
    will surely be ashamed and disgraced;
those who oppose you
    will be as nothing and perish. 

Though you search for your enemies,
    you will not find them.
Those who wage war against you
    will be as nothing at all. 

For I am the Lord your God
    who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
    I will help you.

Jesus is Reality

Lord, thank you for your church and a group of believers I can call 'family.' Reality London has been such an answer to prayer...a lifeline when I miss home. A place where my batteries are charged. A place where I feel loved and accepted. Intimate worship with the King. I pray you would continue to bless this church plant and build your Kingdom in London. 

What I've been learning...
 
"I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.” 

“I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am” -John Newton

 1) We need to sing JOYFULLY to the Lord. 
We wait in hope for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield. 
In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.  
May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
    even as we put our hope in you. -Psalm 33

2) Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling

3) Wisdom
"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.  But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.  Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness." -James 3
Such a convicting passage...how often do I examine my thoughts and words? I want to be a peacemaker. 

Swedish Summer

So thankful I was able to visit my friend Hannah in Sweden last week. I never thought I would visit Sweden...or 4 other countries in Europe. Thank you Lord for blessing me with this amazing opportunity! Sweden is beautiful...I'd highly recommend going if you're around Europe. The forests and trees reminded me of Seattle...they even have mooses and trolls! Watch out!

We ate cinnamon rolls (kanelbullar), meatballs (köttbullar), biked around Örebro, ice cream in the park, had a BBQ at the lake, went swimming (it was FREEZING!), walked in sunny Stockholm, enjoyed the beautiful streets, ate lunch on the pier, road a boat to an island, and enjoyed the warm weather. I love traveling and experiencing a new culture...even learning a few words in Swedish! :) Hej då! (Good bye) 

Destined to Soar

My mom recommended this book by K.P. Yohannan and the chapter is titled "What Keeps Us Going?"

"In our Christian life, persevering until the end is what it's all about, not just starting well. What do I mean? Don't give up your walk with Jesus; endure in the call He gave you to win this lost world and build His kingdom. Like marathon runners, we will encounter adversities along the way that could cause us to quit the race. What are some of these adversities?

• Relationship problems with other Christians
• Physical and financial setbacks that cause us to lose hope
• Lack of apparent fruit and fulfillment in our service to the Lord
• Frustration when serving the Lord becomes hard work and the feelings are gone
• Feeling inadequate and overwhelmed by the expectations of others
• Spiritual dryness that comes when God tests us to see if we will still walk with Him by faith, even when there is nothing within or without to support us.

"Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith" -Hebrews 12:2

The secret of our survival is fixing our eyes on Jesus and making Him alone our focus. Then our walk with God and commitment to serve Him will no longer depend on whether or not people treat us right or circumstances are in our favor. We will no longer rely on our emotions to support us or on our successes to keep us going. Jesus alone will become our goal and we will live for Him, run our race for Him, and cross the finish line for Him.

Unless you learn to fix your eyes on Jesus alone, you will have no stability in your walk with God.

Recipe of the Week: Kladdkaka

Kladdkaka...also known as, Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake...so amazing! My friend showed me this cake when visiting Sweden and loved it so I made one for my Swedish friend's birthday! Those Swedes know how to bake. :)

Here's the recipe...enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/3 cups white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8-inch pie plate.
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside. Stir the eggs into the sugar until smooth. Add the flour mixture, and stir just until combined. Pour in the vanilla extract and butter; stir until well combined. Pour into prepared pie plate.
3. Bake on the lower rack of the preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until the center has slightly set. Allow cake to cool for 1 hour in the pie plate. Serve warm, or refrigerate overnight and serve cold.