Rise Up

Even though we didn't win, the atmosphere was pretty incredible.

So proud to be a Bear!

Party Time

Sunday School Style

Group shot

He was affectionately referred to as "professor" all night.

Sweet friends

Ladies doing the "what face does Lori make" pose

Attempting to get a picture of the men, take 1

Take 12

Lori and Sam teaching us to play Ninja

Brooke winning for the women!

David, sad to hear he didn't win best sweater for the men.

B.R.I.L.L.A.N.T.

Colbert Nation.

yes, please.

Juicing love

Looking for a good juicing recipe?

This is one Ray created and we are loving . . .

One medium Cucumber

Hand full of Kale

Hand full of Swiss Chard

Thin slice of Ginger Root

Three small/medium Carrots

Small Jazz Apple

Small Pink Lady Apple

Small Pear (when in season)

About 1/2 cup fresh Cranberries

If you can look past it's beautiful rich green color, you'll love the flavor!

Three years ago . . . .

(December 7th, which I missed, due to studying for finals)

Three years ago, this precious man,

brought me here

and asked me to walk along side him forever.

How did we fall in love, you ask?

Well, I'll tell you. . .

Christmas came early.

And we are so incredibly blessed.

Two couples in our church surprised me and Ray with two

incredible, amazing, humbling gifts of awesomeness.

This year Ray and I have encountered several situations that have brought us to a new way of living and a new way of eating. With this new life we have only dreamed of owning certain appliances that would enable us to live even healthier.

Now, we are deeply humbled to have them both taking up residency in our little kitchen.

A beautiful, red vitamix

and an amazing Green Star juicer.

We are so thankful and so excited.

A post on sex

.......By one of my favorite blogger friends.....

Tis the season to stop having sex

enjoy.

. . . My sister is a model. (And her husband too)

My incredibly beautiful sister and brother-in-law have been married for 5 years.

This was her birthday present . . .

a "trash the dress" shoot.

So beautiful it kind of makes you want to cry, yes?
I've always wanted to be like my sister . . . guess some things never change!

(Photos by the vary talented Allsion McClearly)

Dear November 1st,

You are more silent than I expected.

You do not look a thing like I imagined.

Or hoped.

But that's okay.

Though you are different, the Trinity I praise, know, trust and follow is more than I imagined and has not changed.

Praise the Lord, my God and shepherd, an ever present help . . .

in ALL things.

Hallelujah, God still reigns.

Best. (Sports) Day. EVER.

The Bears beat Texas . . . at Texas.

We're 7-2.

Headed to a bowl game.

Gonna win the big 12 south? I vote yes.

Sic'em!

Oh yeah, the Rangers won too! Put up your deer head, or whatever.

Favorites

Spent time with some of my absolute favorites this weekend.

Refreshing to say the least.

He loves me well

Before coming home for San Francisco this past weekend, Ray called me to say he had gotten me a "happy." And not just one, but two.

Not sure what this says about me, but my first thought was, "oh man, I hope he brings me a cupcake."

And what did my man have when he arrived back in Dallas?

The two most amazing gluten-free cupcakes I have ever had.

What can I say, he knows and loves me well!

http://www.karascupcakes.com/

Questions, Questions...

My friend Maggie Walton tagged me (which is very exciting, as it is my first tag!), so here we go!

1. If you could go on Vacation anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I'm going to cheat and answer this for several different situations.

If I got to choose, we'd start in San Francisco, up the coast to Portland, then Seattle, Glacier Nation Park, Vancouver, up to Alaska. If Ray got to choose, we'd go to some crazy-beautiful beach, probably in Fiji.

If it was a team idea I think we would do this: Being shameless, proud lovers of the Harry Potter series (book>movies, but love them both) we would travel to England and Scotland and visit some of the places in the books and films. Spend some time in Scotland watching Ray play golf (he's really good), and then make a point to visit some of the important Churches and places of Christian history.

2. Are you a morning person of an evening person?

Morning without a doubt. My mind stops working at like 8 pm.

3. If you could have any job in the world, regardless of how much money it made, what would it be?

My dream job is the one I'm training for and hoping God will be able create it. If I could do anything, it would be a job in leading people in spiritual formation/nutrition therapy/yoga instructor and mom.

4. How many kids do you want to have and do you have a preference on gender?

No preference on gender. We've never really set on a number. I'd personally like to have one maybe two biological children and adopt (something we are very passionate about) 2 or 3.

5. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I would be a little less worried about disappointing people who mean a lot to me and a little more audacious.

6. What is your favorite quote/bible verse?

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Scripture: 1 John 4:18

There is NO fear in love. Perfect love drives out all fear . . .

7. What is your single, most favorite decorative item in you house?

Right now, it's my new kitchen chairs. Soon, it will hopefully be the armchair we are reupholstering!

8. Chocolate of vanilla?

Ice cream: vanilla with chocolate in/on it

Anything else: Chocolate!!

My 8 questions:

1. What is your favorite season?

2. Congrats! You've won TWO shopping sprees! $1,000 to Target and $1,000 to Home Depot. How will you use it?

3. You have to quickly leave your house (and not go back), and can only take 5 things with you (humans not included, they leave on their own, but animals count). What would you take?

4. Perfect fall Saturday . . . stay around the house for football and projects or go spend the day out?

5. Routine or spontaneity?

6. What is your favorite desert?

7. Best moment of your life.

8. Where have you seen/experienced God this week?

Tagging:

Whitney

Autumn

Kristyn

Aurelia

Jen

Melissa

Candice

Carrie

DIY--Chair Edition

Today I successfully reupholstered my kitchen chairs (with the amazing help of Ray, of course).

Before

After

The fabric is actually a curtain from World Market.

I'm very pleased with the final product!

STOP! And take time to fall in love with Gungor

Worship

Ray and I just got home from the first evening of David Crowder's Fantastical Church Music Conference. Tonight Francis Chan spoke an brought the house down. Leading worship were two bands that I have fallen in love with: The Welcome Wagon and Gungor. It was incredible to worship with so many people who were truly singing out to God.

Here is one of the most beautiful songs I've heard in a while:

All this pain
I wonder if I’ll even find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of us

-Gungor

Reminder in the Rain

Three texts my sister sent out tonight:

Praying friends-urgent prayer request. We are supposed to play an outdoor show tonight with Mercy Me for the Navajo nation. The first Christian band they've had in 64 years in their reservation. This area is under spiritual darkness and poverty and needs hope. It is--out of no where--pouring down rain. The people are still coming in, huddled together in this cold mess. Never prayed for rain to stop before--but I sense that tonight is spiritually very important. Please join with me and ask God for a miracle. Please pass the request on to other believers as well. We're in Window Rock, Arizona. 9:13 pm

Rain just stopped and people are cheering! They are still here waiting. Soaking wet. Trying to get water off the roof now... Checking electrical things 9:40pm

A miracle happened. I truly believe it. It went from darkness and rain to stillness. The people are all screaming "Jesus!" now. one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. 9:50 pm

God is listening. God is powerful. God is.

The Second

Celebrating two years: Home Edition

Although our actual anniversary is not until Monday, we began the celebrations early since Monday will be spent with some of Ray's greatest friends from college.

The Master Chef

I sooo happily eat meat when Ray makes Bison.

In.Cred.Ible

Amazing gf cake Ray ordered from Houston,

and my quick attempt to fix the icing that had

fallen off the entire cake in transit.

Love

Of

My Life

http://glutenfreehouston.com/

The Best of the Worst: Best of Part III

Ray and I have recently started "eating clean," which has been incredible. Who knew it would be possible to feel even healthier and more energetic?! Gluten free + eating clean = best life ever. BUT, the big but, it's always important to allow yourself what I like to call

"cheat treats."

Even one of my new favorite fitness professionals

Alicia Marie

admits to having double stuffed Oreos in her freezer for not so clean eating after a photo shoot or competition.

I personally have not discovered the courage to try many pre-packaged gf cookies, mostly because it only takes one bad experience to make you run the other way and never look back.

But have no fear, here are some of the really good/but only every so often gf cheat treats:

I've never tried make brownies from scratch, only from a box. So, the best box-o-brownies: Gluten Free Pantry

CC Cookie Recipe: Pamela's (can be found online on back of baking mix)

Cupcake heaven: Whole Food GF Bakehouse

Ray loves the vinilla, I love the chocolate

And my favorite dessert ever: Cheesecake

The best recipe we have found so far (which Ray has mastered creating, much to the delight of mouth and dismay of my hips) can be found in

Carol Fenster's 1000 Gluten Free Recipes Cookbook

The Question That Rocked My Education...

Today in my scriptures II class we discusses the book of Amos. Have you ever read Amos? It's only 9 short chapters, you should stop and read it now. Seriously, I need you to stop and read it now, so you can help me out with this question.

Done?

Okay.

God's pretty angry, yeah? Talks through the prophet Amos about bringing plagues and droughts and other horrible things on the people God is rather angry with.

This text did not sit well with me, simply because in my personal relationship with God I haven't known God to be extremely angry. I found my feelings confusing and hard to explain, but a classmate of mine did not and asked the most intense question I have encountered thus far in my seminary journey.

I would say most Jesus followers (or at least the ones I know) do not assert that God causes bad things to happen. But, if you read Amos, you see very clearly that God is taking full credit for bringing bad things upon God's people. Wouldn't that then mean that God does in fact cause (or at least has caused in the passed) bad things to happen?

Thoughts?

The Land of Enchantment