Who is HE?

You are Lord of Lords
You are King of Kings
You are Mighty God
Lord everything
You're Emmanuel
You're the Great I Am
You're my Prince of Peace
Who is the Lamb
You're the saving God
You're my saving Grace
You will reign forever
You are Ancient of days
You are Alpha, Omega
Beginning and End
You're my Savior, Messiah
Redeemer and Friend
You're my Prince of Peace

And I will live my life for You

This is who Jesus is. He is everything. I will live my life for Him.

Texas Sheet Cake

This is my favorite cake that my Mom makes. It is a wonderful combination of chocolate and cinnamon. It is not necessarily very good for you, but I still love it! I have also been able to modify it to a gluten free recipe so that I can still enjoy it.

Texas Sheet Cake

2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 t cinnamon
2 cups butter
1 cup water
4 T cocoa
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 t baking soda
1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil butter, water, and cocoa. Remove from heat and add dry ingredients. Add sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and baking soda. Pour into greased and floured 10.5 x 15.5 pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. While cake is still warm, pour on icing.

Icing:
Boil 1 stick butter, 6 T milk, and 4 T cocoa. Remove from heat. Add 1 box powder sugar, 1 cup nuts, and 1 t vanilla.

Opposition

I don't know what Thursdays and the weather have opposed to each other, but there must be something. I have been trying to make it to a Bible study at church on Thursday nights, but we have been having really bad storms every Thursday.

We are getting the biggest thunderstorm that I have ever seen today! The sky is as black as night and it is raining sheets of water. You can hardly see out the windows due to the amount of water being dumped from the sky. The lightening flashes brightly and the thunder is so loud that it makes my heart jump as it sounds. The wind is strong, thus making it useless to carry an umbrella.

It has been one of those days where I would have preferred to curl up with a cup of tea and good book and simply enjoy the day from my comfy chair. I would have loved to listen to the soothing sounds of the rain beating against the roof.

But instead I braved the outdoors and headed for my study room in the library. Today I opted for some hot cider from the Cafe and my statistics books. All well, I know that there will be many more rainy days and perhaps some which can be enjoyed from
my comfy chair with tea and book in hand.

Apricot Lentil Soup

I love soups. So here is another recipe for a favorite.

Apricot Lentil Soup
Serves 6

1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup dried apricots, diced
1 1/2 cups red lentils
2 T lemon juice
5 cups chicken broth
3 tomatoes
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t thyme
salt, pepper to taste

Saute onion, garlic, apricots in olive oil. Add lentils and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, cumin, thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice.

Squash Soup

This is another fall favorite. Enjoy!

Squash Soup
Serves 8

1 butternut squash (3 lbs)
1 onion
1 cup diced celery
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
1/2 cup pecans

Peel and cut squash into 3/4 inch chunks. In 5-6 qt pot, heat olive oil and stir onion and celery until tender. Add pecans. Stir until lightly browned. Add squash and broth. Cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until squash mashes easily, about 20-25 minutes. Add milk. Puree soup in food processor. Garnish with more nuts.

Anise Biscotti

This recipe comes from my Dad. It is one of his favorites to make. Over Christmas, I made them for my major professor and she loved them. When I was defending my thesis in May, my Dad sent some to me for my committee during my defense. They were a hit! Maybe that's why I passed :)

Anise Biscotti
Makes 48

1/2 c butter
1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
1/4 t salt
1/2 t anise extract (I use extra vanilla because I don't have anise extract.)
1 T aniseed, crushed
1 3/4 c flour
1/2 t baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour baking sheet. Beat butter until fluffy. Add sugar, beat. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla, anise extract, and aniseed. Mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture. Roll into two logs and sprinkle with course sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool slightly. Cut into slices. Cook about 10 minutes on each side until edges are golden.

Apple - Yam Casserole

This is a fall favorite. I love yams and this one has a sweet twist to it. :)

Apple-Yam Casserole
Serves 4

2 yams, peeled and cubed
1 apple, peeled, cored, and sliced
2 T brown sugar
1/2 T butter
1/8 t salt
1T + 1.5 t flour
1/4 c water
1/8 t cinnamon
1/4 c raisins


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 2 qt casserole dish. Alternately layer yams and apples. Over medium heat mix brown sugar, 1/3 cup water, cinnamon, raisins, butter, and salt. Cook 5 minutes. Stir in flour and remaining water. Pour over yams and apples. Bake covered 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 20 more minutes or until yams are soft.

Hummus recipe

I love hummus! It is good with veggies, corn tortillas, and pita bread. This is another recipe that I have made from a combination of a few different ones. It's great because it is quick and easy.

Hummus

1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T lemon juice
2 T water
1 T parsley
Paprika

Combine all ingredients except parsley and paprika in food processor. Pulse until smooth. Stir in parsley prior to serving. Sprinkle with paprika.

Add more or less water and lemon juice based upon desired thickness and taste.

Granola recipe

This next week is going to be "Recipe week". I will be posting a favorite recipe of mine each day. Feel free to post one of your favorites too.

This granola recipe is one that calls for experiment. I made it up by combining a few different recipes until I got something that I was looking for. Feel free to adjust to your liking. :)

Granola

5 cups oats
3/4 cup coconut
2 cups apple sauce
1/4 cup flax meal
1/2T cinnamon
3/4 dried fruit

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients, except dried fruit, in a large bowl. Place onto baking sheets. Bake for 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes. Turn off oven, add dried fruit, and let sit in oven for 15-30 more minutes until crunchy.

Granola will not be clumpy. If larger chunks are desired, add more apple sauce.

This makes for a great breakfast with yogurt or a good, crunchy snack.

Happy Summer!

Today is officially the first day of summer. In Ames it is just starting to feel like summer weather. Growing up in Arizona has made me love the warm days and sunshine, of which there are few here.

I love the
blue sky
in contrast to
white fluffy clouds.
I love the
green grass
which holds the
beautiful flowers.
I love the
bright yellow sun
that shines
warm upon my face.

I hope that you smile today and enjoy the summer weather!

God of this city

About a week and a half ago, Carina told me about the song "God of this city" by Blue Tree. I think that I have listened to it every day since then. The lyrics read:

You're the God of this city
You're the King of these people
You're the Lord of this nation
You Are

For there is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

Greater things have yet to come
Great things are still to be done
In this city
Greater things are still to come
And greater things are still to be done here

You're the Lord of Creation
The Creator of all things
You're the King above all Kings
You Are

You're the strength in our weakness
You're the love to the broken
You're the joy in the sadness
You Are

Greater things have yet to come
Great things are still to be done
In this city
Where glory shines from hearts alive
With praise for you and love for you
In this city

This song was written about Belfast, Ireland. I think one of the reasons why I like it so much is that I have two friends who will be living in Belfast this next school year. Although this song was written with Belfast in mind, I think that it applies to our cities too. God is alive and working in them. He wants His glory to shine, His praise to be sung, and His love to show.

He is the God of this city and He is the God of my life.

Time

Last week my Aunt Carol sent me a card with the following verse on the front:

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven

Ecclesiastes 3:1

I have been contemplating my own time. I wonder "What is my time right now? When is my time to do something? What is my current season?" As I sort through thoughts of where it is I am going to be in the near future, I continue to ponder time. It is hard to have patience and wait for the answers.

Thanks Aunt Carol for provoking the thoughts!

Flood

The news is currently filled with the floods in Iowa. The flooding is horrific. It is damaging many peoples' livelihood and homes. It is going to continue as rain is still in the forecast for the next week.

Most of what is seen in the news is occurring in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines. I live in Ames, which is about 100 miles due West of Cedar Rapids and 30 miles North of Des Moines.

We have had flooding in Ames, but nothing compared to other towns. Roads and the highway out of town have been closed and our basement has flooded a bit, but for the most part people in Ames are okay. The rivers in Ames have been between 6-8 feet above flood level. Thankfully I live about 1/4 mile from the main river.

You can be praying for many of the farmers who have lost all of their crops and for those who have lost their homes.

Running: Like Coffee

For many people, the first thing that they want to do in the morning is sit down with a nice hot cup of coffee. This wakes them up, clears their mind, and helps in preparing for the day.

For me, I prefer my running shoes first thing in the morning. I love to get some good pavement pounding in to start my day. This energizes me and really wakes me up. I also love to run because it gives me great time to think and pray. I sometimes feel like I can actually think better while I am running. This is not a proven fact, but just a theory. I find that the more stressed and overwhelmed I get, the more I crave a run. I have a feeling that I will log many, many miles this summer.

"I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel God's pleasure." Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire

Wordless

Do you ever feel like there are emotions and feelings within you that cannot be put to words? Is there a space within your heart that you cannot quite seem to get to? Do you ever long for more but just don't know how to find it?

These are some of the questions that I am thinking about right now. I feel like there is this place within me where there are so many feelings, but I cannot describe them in words. It is a wordless place. There are feelings of pain, longings, joys, fear, hopes, and happiness. But these words do not really describe them.

I am thankful that although I cannot describe them, Jesus still knows what I am feeling and thinking. He helps me even when I don't understand how I need help. I so long to be made whole by Him.


Pondering the wordless...

Abba

Abba: Father, Daddy, Papa - This is the name that I use for God my Father.

My favorite book is an autobiography by Bilquis Sheikh titled I dared to call him Father. Bilquis is a Pakistani Muslim woman and this is the story of her encounter with God. In the book, she writes of the Father "To know you is joy, to worship you is happiness, and to be near you is peace."

Abba, I pray that I can live in this joy, happiness, and peace of knowing you more deeply, worshiping you more fully, and constantly being near you.

An ark to float

I am beginning to think that I should build an ark like Noah did. It has been raining and flooding in Ames for the past week. There have been road closures, overflowing rivers, and soggy basements. Thankfully my basement has only been soggy and not flooded. :)

The rains have brought along lightening and thunder. They are so powerful, bright, and loud. I am awaken during the night by flashes of light and resounding thunder. I love the ways that God displays His power to us through nature. He is the light my life.

Living in Truth

"Just because I work incredible good out of unspeakable tragedies doesn't mean I orchestrate the tragedies. Don't ever assume that my using something means I caused if or that I need it to accomplish my purposes. That will only lead you to false notions about me. Grace doesn't depend on suffering to exist, but where there is suffering you will find grace in many facets and colors."
- God speaking to Mack in The Shack

I am constantly learning what it means to live in God's truths. Right now I am focusing on living in the truth that He purposes good in all things, but doesn't need things to happen to achieve His purpose.

So much has happened in my life recently that I struggle with. Between difficult decisions and challenging deaths, I have struggled to live in the truth of His goodness. I am learning that it is a choice I need to make everyday and sometimes repeatedly throughout the day. I am seeing many different facets and colors of His grace being displayed in my life.

Pictures

I'm here

Please forgive my absence for the past two weeks. I have just returned home (to Ames) from being at home (in Arizona) and in North Carolina. These have been days filled with many emotions and much learning.

On Saturday, May 24 my Aunt Pat passed away. She had spent the previous three weeks in ICU in California. It has been a time of grieving for my family especially my mom, her other two sisters, and my three cousins.

On Thursday, May 29 my baby sister (well, not so baby anymore) graduated from high school. It amazes me how much she has grown up. But I am thankful because we are best friends.

The nine days that I spent at home in Arizona were a roller coaster of emotions. I am still trying to sort through many of them and you will probably read about them over the next week or so. I was thankful that I could be with my family during the challenges and celebrations.

On Sunday, June 1 I left AZ for Raleigh North Carolina. I spent the past four days at the International Total Survey Error Workshop. Sounds fun, right?! :) I thought so. The conference consisted of many statisticians presenting on their current work related to survey error. This topic is of interest to me and my purpose in attending the workshop was to develop a dissertation topic. I have many ideas and will sort through them to hopefully arrive at an interesting project. I learned so much and am thankful for the opportunity to interact with leading statisticians in many different sectors within statistics.

I am now at home in Ames where I will spend the next five weeks preparing for my written prelims. I am looking forward to spending some quality time with friends from school, continuing to form friendships at church, and good time with Jesus.

I plan to be more present in my bogging efforts. Have a wonderful day!