on love

"Have you ever met someone who was utterly and desperately in love with Jesus? I have. My wife's grandma Clara.

I spoke recently at Grandma Clara's funeral, and I could honestly tell the mourners gatherers that I had never know anyone more excited to see Jesus. Every morning Clara would kneel by her bed and spend precious hours with he rSavior and Lover; later in the day, just the sigh of that corner of her bed would bring joy-filled tears and a deep anticipation of the next morning spent kneeling in His presence.

Grandma Clara acted toward God the way we act toward people we're madly in love with.

When you are truly in love, you go to great lengths to be with the one you love. You'll drive for hours to be together, even if it's only for a short while. You don't mind staying up late to talk. Walking in the rain is romantic, not annoying. You'll willingly spend a small fortune on the one you're crazy about. When you are apart from each other, it's painful, even miserable. He or she is all you think about; you jump at any chance to be together.

In his book God Is the Gospel, John Piper essentially asks whether you are in love with God:

The critical question for our generation-and for every generation- is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?

How many of you will read those words and say, "You know, I might be okay with that?" If you are as deeply in love with Gad as Grandma Clara was, you know you could never be satisfied in a heaven without Christ."

- Francis Chan, Crazy Love

dog lesson

After reading an absolutely adoring review on The Art of Racing in the Rain, I immediately added Garth Stein's novel to my mental list of books to read. The book especially jumped far up on the list when I realized it was written from the perspective of a dog (i mean, hello), and was compared to Life of Pi and The Alchemist. Currently only about 1/3 of the way through it, but I'm already in love and inspired.

"When I was nineteen," Denny said after a moment, "at my first driving school down at Sears Point, it was raining and they were trying to teach us how to drive in the rain. After the instructors were finished explaining all their secrets, all the students were totally confused. We had no idea what they were talking about. I looked over at the guy next to me- I remember him, he was from France and he was very fast. Gabriel Flouret. He smiled and he said: "That which you manifest is before you."

Eve stuck out her lower lip and squinted at Denny.

"And then everything made sense," she said jokingly.

"That's right," Denny said seriously.

[...]

She went off into the kitchen; Denny and I continued watching the cars on the video as they drove around and around the circuit drenched in darkness.

I will never tire of watching tapes with Denny. He knows so much, and I have learned so much from him. He said nothing more to me; he continued watching his tapes. But my thoughts turned to what he had just taught me. Such a simple concept, yet so true: that which we manifest is before us; we are the creators of our own destiny. Be it through invention or ignorance, our successes and our failures have been brought on by none other than ourselves."

- Garth Stein, The Art of Racing in the Rain

books, food, and true love

what do these three books have in common?

a. they rock

b. they've made my january lovely, despite the lame weather

c. they are each uniquely addicting & inspiration

life of pi has been out for a while, so i realize there's really not much for me to say about it that hasn't already been said. if you're looking for a book with a beautiful story that leaves you wanting to really live, this is the book for you. this novel is particularly hard to put down, and it provide a refreshing and somewhat unique perspective on religion.

now, onto food. ross gave me the sweetest christmas gift this year: a copy of mastering the art of french cooking, the paperback julie and julia, and the dvd- all tied up with string. actually, i watching julie and julia right now. it's so sweet, and i'm starting to love meryl streep almost as much as i love tom hanks. the books is pretty different from the movie, but very enjoyable. her honest humor & cooking mishaps are addicting. and of course- my own copy of mastering the art of french cooking now seems to be calling my name.

while i'm still just a little too intimidated to start mastering julia child's infamous cookbook, i have fallen head over heels for great food fast. it's perfect for the girl (like me) who hasn't yet cultivated culinary skills through years of practice, but wants too. even better is the fact that all of the recipes are even tastier than they are easy and fast. best of all? not only is the book divided by the four seasons, but every recipe is complete with a gorgeous photograph. what's not to love? so far ross & i have enjoyed:

- pureed butternut squash soup

- sloppy joes

- chicken curry served with red potatoes, rice and raisins

- crispy apricot pork chops served baby broccoli with orange sauce

- potato and onion frittata

- cranberry upside-down cake

ooo i really can't say enough about this fabulous cookbook. most of the dishes are made up of budget friendly elements as well, which allows us to try out at least one new recipe a week.

confession: when ross & i first got married, i didn't put in that much effort when it came to preparing meals. i was so concerned with not being little betty homemaker (despite my [somewhat annoying] natural instincts) that when i did cook, the meals generally comprised of frozen veggies and just sticking some salmon in the oven for 10 min with some lemon juice (if i was feeling fancy). BUT- i recently discovered what millions of men and women have known about for years- the true joy of cooking. seriously- it's wonderful. and the only greater joy than that of creating a wonderful meal with gorgeous aromas and the symphonic sounds of sauteing is the fulfillment that comes with serving your husband (or wife). i really don't mean that in the sense of "i am a woman, let me cook and clean for you, a man." rather, i mean the gag-worthy, "i just freakin' love you, and i love lightening your load, and making your day just a little brighter (and tastier) by cooking for you...because like i said, i freakin' love you. " obnoxious, yes... but true.

and just incase you weren't sold on the whole loving through serving bit, here is even more motivation (if you're even looking for it [whoever the you is i am so frequently referring to]): giving leads to more giving, and good cooking yields to better cooking. what i mean is this: if i cook a particularly scrumptious meal on tuesday, ross will be even more inspired to cook and equally (or surpassingly) wonderful meal on wednesday. who wouldn't love such a cycle? not that ross needs inspiration to be awesome, but more on that later.

"julia, you are the butter to my bread, the breath to my life. i love you, darling girl."

- julia's husband, paul.

cooking is the new love language.

vagabonding {pt.2}

true to my aspirations, i finished my first book of the summer this past week. one major way God communicates to me is through books...not so much morning devotionals or books designed to facilitate a bible study (although it does happen to be sure), but more through books given to me by a friend, found in a bookstore on a quiet afternoon, or assigned for class.

my highshcool small group leader once mentioned that she believes that when God wants you to read the book, you will. this explains why sometimes you try to start a book for months and get no where, yet when you do, there can be a single line that changes your life. i fully believe this as well and have experienced God's timing through the books friends give me or recommend, that i find in bookstores on a quiet afternoon, or even are assigned in class.

the alchemist resonates with my soul in a powerful, almost frightening way, as i'm sure it does with most people who have the pleasure of spending time with it. in this book, paulo coelhoe's characters learn what it means to find your calling, pursue it and endure life's trials, listen to your heart, and value love. at one point in the story, the alchemist claims that:

"People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams, because they feel they don't deserve them, or that they'll be unable to achieve them."

i am guilty of this fear. i don't even have a dream job i'm literally afriad to dream big, because my fear of falure trumps even the spark of a dream.

reading list

One of the most wonderful displays of friendship is through words of affirmation & encouragement, shared especially during times of change. One of my amazing roommates gave me a note and a copy of her favorite book, The Alchemist, as a graduation gift. In her note, she included this quote:

"We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it's our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand." - The Alchemist

can't wait to dive into this book during the first moments of life post college.

any another 'summer reading' suggestions?

thanks smiller

{santorini}

{lake como}

"the boy began to envy the freedom of the wind and he realized that he could be like it. nothing was stopping him except himself. the sheep, the merchants daughter, the pastures of Anna-Lucia, they were only steps in his Personal Story."
-the alchemist

willa cather: history class gem

"There was nothing left for them to say. They had spent the last penny of their small change; there was nothing left but gold. The day of love tokens was past. They had now only their hearts to give each other."

"She felt as the pond must feel when it held the moon like that; when it encircled and swelled with the image of gold."

Willa Cather [O Pioneers!]