A Trusting Heart

John Ortberg wrote in his book, Love Beyond Reason:

"If I want to fully experience the love of Jesus, I must receive one of the most important gifts he sends me--his teaching...I must trust that he is right--about everything. And that therefore where I disagree with him I must either be wrong, or not yet understand what it was he was saying. I must allow Jesus to teach me how to live." 

Wow, that's powerful. Have you been there? 

• "But, God, why is the cancer back?"
• "God, I thought you told our family to do this, but it's not working out like I thought it was going to."
• "God, how come those people don't ever seem to suffer, but all that I see in my life is trouble."
• "God, how come I struggle with ______ , but have done nothing but serve you faithfully."

One thing I know for sure is that God is good. He does not delight in troubles, as in ever. Is he using them as growing opportunities in your life? Well probably. Is he trying to teach you something? Perhaps. But, maybe not. Sin brings trouble much of the time. Maybe there's nothing you did to cause it, but the sin in the world is always going to affect us, because this is a broken human race, and that's what we were born into--a world full of sin. Sometimes trials provide the best opportunities for us to be thankful, amen?

God can do what he wants, and he has that right as the creator of the entire universe. If all he did was save us and that's it, shouldn't we still praise him? I know for a fact that he does not want us to suffer, because our God came to earth as a human to save our lives by laying down his own. Does that sound like the kind of God who likes to see you suffer? Um...no. 

So what's the point I'm getting to? If we don't understand God, and we don't know what he's doing with our lives right now, I just want to remind someone out there to trust. He always has your best interest at heart. If you find yourself questioning that, stop for a moment and ask yourself what you're missing. You may not understand God's will in this moment, but please be confident that it's part of a greater plan. God never wastes a moment to use your struggle or hardship for good. He won't miss it. Never. He will use you, where you are, in this hard spot, and he's going to use it for his glory. Maybe you'll see it now, or far down the road, or hey, maybe never. That's just how cool God is. He's the soon-returning, glorious Lord of all creation, and he cares about your troubles. He has a plan, and you may not be in on all of the details, so trust.

Today I'm choosing to trust him about everything, and if I don't understand or see where he's going with things, I still choose trust. To experience Jesus, I must read his book, learn from his words, and listen to his voice. The Bible is full of life-giving wisdom, audacious people, miraculous miracles, gobs of hope, love, and peace, and enough challenging moments to keep your soul busy for a lifetime. I've heard people say the Bible is boring. Now, does that sound boring to you? :) 

Aiden Photo Preview

My son Truett has a really wonderful best friend, Aiden. It kind of melts my heart when they hug. Here are some pictures from a mini-shoot last week!

The Green Family

I love this family so much! They are quick to love, always full of laughter, hope, and lots of hugs and kind words. I loved taking these so much!

Baby Camden

For the last three years, I've been blessed by the most beautiful friend. Candace and Evan are going to be some really amazing parents. Isn't she the most gorgeous pregnant lady you've ever seen?

Healthy Oatmeal Muffins

Now, these may not look quite as fluffy as normal muffins at a bakery, but they pack a PUNCH of flavor! Trust me when I say, oatmeal muffins don't have to be boring. This recipe was first given to me by my friend Lori Bollinger, and I've altered it a tad. Thanks, Lori, for saving my boring Saturday mornings!

This recipe makes 12 muffins.

Ingredients:

2.5 cups quick oats

1 small package applesauce (I used natural, no sugar added)

1 small 6oz non fat greek yogurt (I used Chobani apple cinnamon flavor) 

1/4 c agave nectar (or honey)

1/8 c Truvia (or 1/4 c sugar)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 ripe bananas

2 T whole flax seed (or ground flax)

Instructions:

1. Put all ingredients in a blender and mix together well.

2. Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking or baking spray and pour your mixture into the cups, filling each 3/4 full. You should have exactly enough for 12!

2. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

Teaching the Bible to Truett

It's easy to roll over in bed each morning and check Facebook on my phone. It's also just as easy to roll over, open the Bible App, and read God's word. Both take about the same amount of time, but the difference in the end result of my day is staggering.

As one of my goals this year, I've decided to start reading my paper Bible in the kitchen, and it's not because I don't love YouVersion. I love it so much it hurts, actually, because it has truly transformed how much I engage with the Bible! But, something I've realized these past few weeks more and more is that my son, Truett, at just 18 months old, doesn't understand that I'm not just texting or playing on my phone. He doesn't see me read the Bible using an app, so ya know what, I'm going to show him. When he gets older and understands that I'm reading the Bible every morning, then I'm ok with reverting back to my phone, but until then, this small little change is really important to me. I need him to actually SEE Jesus in my life. I need him to know, without a doubt, that Jesus is important in this house, and in my life. I want to be a light that shines Jesus in our house, and this choice starts in me.

And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 

Deuteronomy 6:7 NLT

Homemade Chai Latte

Best Homemade Chai Latte

You'll need:

1 bag of vanilla chai tea & 8 oz hot water

1/2 c almond milk (or milk if you prefer)

1/2 T Truvia (or sugar if you prefer)

1 tsp. vanilla

This is so easy you're gonna die.

1. Make your chai tea using boiling hot water and the steep for 6 minutes, so it's good and strong!
2. In a separate large mug, mix the almond milk, truvia, and vanilla together and microwave this mixture for 45 seconds on high (adjust according to your microwave's strength).
3. Whip the milk mixture really fast for 30 seconds until it foams up. I use a cute little tiny whip, but you could use a spoon if you have awesome skills like that. :)
4. Pour the froth you made on top of the tea and enjoy! My mom doesn't whip it all together, but I prefer to, so it's up to you!