The First Step

If I had to pick a story from the New Testament that I find myself in repeatedly, it would be the story of when Peter walks on water.

(Not that I have any literal water-walking experiences.)

But I feel like God places me in situations where my next step involves murky, shifting water and a decision to answer the Hand that beckons me to take that faith-filled first step out of the boat. And I often call out to that Hand to say (as if He doesn’t already know), “I’m here in the boat because you can’t sink into wood.” But what we both know is that what I’m really saying is this: I don’t trust You enough for even one step. At least Peter was bold enough to take the first step before he got freak out by the fact that he was walking on water when the wind blew. (Seriously, poor Peter gets beat up over the fact that he got distracted by the wind and the waves, but we forget that the dude represented 8.3% of the 12 disciples willing to step out of the boat at all.)

I can’t even seem to get my foot over the side of the boat. I’m too freaked out by the audacity of what He’s calling to do to even begin to believe that the impossible is possible.

But recently, I’ve been thinking, there must be more than the boat. I’ve been thinking, am I happy in the boat, where it’s safe and sure, but while there’s a “bigger” calling if I could just take that first step? I’ve been thinking, what if the boat not only limits me, it limits God? What if the opportunities were endless if I only took that step? I’ve been thinking, this God has been so faithful to me, given me more grace than I could imagine, why do I think He would call me into the water only to let me drown?

So, I’m praying big. I’m praying to learn number my days so I don’t spend all of them in the boat. I’m praying that my short-sighted vision would be extended from the murky water to only see His hand. And I’m praying for the audacity to believe that the endless possibilities are for me.

the lucky ones

When I explain that Ephrem was adopted to inquisitive strangers or new acquaintances I hear the well-meaning phrase, “Oh, he’s so lucky!” Yes, he is blessed to be living in a family rather than an institution, BUT lucky is not the best word to describe the circumstances that brought him to our family.

Do you want to know who really are the “lucky” ones in our family? It’s Evan and me.

We are lucky that God chose us to parent Ephrem. The idea of adoption was so far off our radar as a way to become parents that it is amazing that God brought us here. I would have never had a clue how to ask for this amazing child.

We are lucky that we get to hear his laugh, see his smile, and be on the receiving end of his hugs and kisses. To see how far Ephrem’s come in attachment is a gift. EVERY.DAY.

We are lucky to hear his little voice say “Mommy!” or “Daddy!” when we come in a room. That he recognizes who we are and how much we love him, we are so lucky.

We are lucky to get to experience all that he’s learning about his world. We are so blessed that he loves learning (like us).

We are blessed beyond measure to share our family with this tiny human.

(Photo from Grace E.)

Almost One Year

How did he go from this:

To this:

He amazes me every single day. Even now as the Tantrums of Two are in full force, I can’t imagine life without him. I love him so, so, so much.

Thank You, God, for this amazing gift.

Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

Crockpot Meatballs

Before I get to the recipe for this week, I have to tell you the story of the recipe I was going to post.

I had a craving for creamy soup. When you’re dairy-free (DF), creamy isn’t a word you get to use to describe your food very often, if at all. So when I found this recipe for creamy golden potato soup, I was excited.

And then everything conspired to make this soup go wrong…all wrong.

First, I started browning the sweet onion before I had peeled the potatoes. Mistake #1. Then I didn’t dice the potatoes fine enough for the immersion blender and had to correct that mid-course. Mistake #2. Then, I used the blender to make the potatoes creamy with some almond milk. No mistake there….until I realized that I forgot to add the green chilis. By this point, I had runny mashed potatoes but not quite creamy soup. No worries. I figured it would be better the next day when I had had a chance to let it cook in the crockpot (uh, and add bacon).

Wrong.

So.very.wrong.

The soup burned in the crockpot. The chilis gave it a funky after-taste. And the bacon didn’t even help. Overall, not good.

Evan was kind enough to eat half a bowl. I came home, smelled it, faked a bite and made a sandwich. Win some, lose some.

Okay, so that’s a recipe I will not be posting.

Here’s one for your enjoyment! I love quinoa pasta. I love meatballs. But it’s typically hard to do meatballs because a key ingredient is breadcrumbs. Until I learned that they make GF breadcrumbs. Fortunately, this is a recipe that you can make ahead and freeze for a day when you need a meal.

GF Meatballs
I got this recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking and have adapted it slightly

Ingredients
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1.5 lbs lean ground beef
4 slices smoked bacon (raw), diced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (omit for a DF version – it comes out fine!)
1/4 cup Panko-style breadcrumbs
2 eggs
2 tablespoon dried minced onion flakes (another reason I like this recipe – I don’t have to chop onions!)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup of GF flour (rice, potato, etc.)

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. If you are making these for dinner tonight, spray the inside of your cooker with cooking spray or rub it down with a bit of olive oil. (This is surprisingly important.) Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (I use wax paper because I’m cheap and lazy and it’s what’s in my cabinet.) Pour 1 cup of floor into a shallow dish. Set the cooker, cookie sheet, and shallow dish aside.

In a good sized mixing bowl, combine the parsley, beef, and diced bacon. Add in the cheese (if using), breadcrumbs, eggs, and dried spices. Combine well. (I typically use my hands.)

After the meat is mixed, roll the mixture into golfball-sized balls and then lightly dust each meatball with flour before placing it onto the lined cookie sheet. When all the meat is gone, put the whole cookie sheet into the freezer for one (1) hour, or until completely frozen. If you’re freezing longer than one hour, put into a sealed dish/tupperware.

Once the meatballs are frozen, place them one-by-one (ahem, don’t dump ‘em) into the lightly greased slow cooker. It’s okay to stack them. Add sauce.

Cook on low for 5-7 hours, or until the meatballs have browned and are fully cooked. Serve over pasta or in rolls, or however you eat meatballs!

Delish!

One Child (Lifesong)

We were so blessed to have partnered with Lifesong and so I love to get the opportunity to share some of the things that they have going on….

~*~

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” Matthew 25:40

 

One Child. One Life. One Soul.

An ongoing theme of our ministry is the power of ONE. Not to ignore the often overwhelming 147 million orphan statistic, but to focus on making an impact on ONE child. As Andy Stanley says, “Do for ONE what you wish you could do for every one. And when do you for ONE, you often end up doing for far more than just one.” 

Please enjoy these ONE child stories…

IN THE MIGHTY NAME OF JESUS // Lifesong Zambia

In Zambia, like many parts of the world, witchcraft is very prevelant. At Lifesong School in Zambia, we teach the children that God is more powerful than witchcraft and the witchdoctors that practice it. They can have power through Jesus Christ to fight off evil, through HIS NAME! Listen in as Paul shares the experience that he and his friends had with a local witchdoctor…

Pray that God will continue to show himself to Paul and use this experience to build his trust and faith in our Father God.
Learn more about Lifesong Zambia >>

GROWING THE NEXT GENERATION // Lifesong Liberia

Thomas grew up on the streets without any parents to care, protect or provide for him. A missionary brought Thomas to Lifesong’s Master’s Home of Champions, knowing he would be cared for. Listen in as Thomas shares his heart for the people of Liberia and the role he sees for himself to bring Christ’s name known!

Pray that Thomas will continue to grow in His relationship with Jesus Christ and with boldness, share the gospel to others. Learn more about Lifesong Liberia >>

Read more ONE child stories…

Katie Rescued from Orphanage – Katie, born with down syndrome, was 9 years old and weighed only 10 pounds when Joe & Susanna traveled to adopt her. Read Full Story

Natasha Breaks the Cycle – “I was looking for someone to understand me, to love sincerely…I received all this!” Read Full Story

“I am your mommy!” – Beautiful account from one of our Lifesong Adoptive families, sharing their first moment they met their son Cohen from Congo. Read full story

Crock Pot Monday…on Tuesday (unofficial part 3)

One thing that you will learn if you ever come to our house for a meal, we are fans of Tex-Mex and Asian-inspired meals. This Tex-Mex recipe is one that we love, love, love.

Slow Cooker Roasted Pork Tenderloin Carnitas

Ingredients
1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed
2/3 cup salsa
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1 orange
Juice of 1/4 grapefruit
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

The original recipe calls for you to brown the pork on all sides over medium high heat. I honestly have never done that and the dish is still delicious.

Add salsa and citrus juices to crock pot. Place pork on top, turning to coat. Cook on low heat for 6-7 hours, till pork is easily shredded. Shred pork with two forks, then stir in beans. (If you have to cook it as long as we do – 10-11 hours – I recommend that you add more liquid.)

Spoon into tortillas (Evan likes soft flour tortillas, I have mine crunchy corn shells). Top with desired toppings (cheese, sour cream, ranch dressing, lettuce, diced tomatoes, etc.). We serve it with yellow rice. Yum!

If you like something a little spicy, you might want to add a can of diced green chilis. I haven’t yet, but I’m planning to for the next time we have this.

Guatemala!

Y’all, I’m excited.

(Have I lived in the South long enough to say “y’all” on my blog? Oh, I’m saying it anyway.)

On June 8, I’m getting on a plane with 10 other people and we’re going to serve in Guatemala.

Guatemala has a rich history with the Mayan civilization and is a biodiversity hotspot. In addition to the Pacaya volcano, Guatemala also has five different ecosystems including wetlands, lakes, lagoons, rivers, and swamps. The culture is rich in art, literature, and music. Guatemala is also a developing country that still faces significant social problems as one of the poorest countries in Central America. Poverty is widespread and severe—75% of the population lives below the country’s poverty line and more than half of the Guatemalan population lives in extreme poverty.

Still, amidst this poverty is hope.

(c) Brian Lemmon, 2012

A church in Antigua is doing some big stuff. And it’s making a difference. Our church believes in investing in long-term partnerships and has been sending teams to Antigua, Guatemala to work with this group since Epic launched as a church in 2009. This is the fourth summer we’re going to serve. This trip is a great opportunity to serve the world. We will be building a house for an impoverished family, holding Bible clubs for children, and serving children in need, among other projects.

(c) Brian Lemmon, 2012

As you may have read, I have a passion for serving those in other parts of the world and I have a passion for seeing others serve the world. On this trip, I am extremely honored to have the opportunity to co-lead. Most of our team has never been on a mission trip and I’m excited to see what God will do in their hearts and through their hands in Guatemala. I think this is going to be an amazing trip.

(c) Brian Lemmon, 2012

I want to invite you to consider partnering with me on this trip. I’m looking for folks who would be willing to pray for our team and all that we’re going to do while we’re preparing and in-country. You can email me at showscarla [AT] gmail [DOT] com and I’ll add you to my list to get updates about the trip. (You can also follow along through our Team’s page – see below!)

God has graciously provided for me financially to go. However, if you feel led, I would love to ask you to consider giving to the project costs of our trip. (Click the link and add “Guatemala 1: Carla” in the purpose line – Add my name just so I can personally thank you!) You can keep up with our trip via a blog, check out our photos, and make a donation via our trip page. You can also meet the team on the page and send a note!

Thanks, as always, for being part of our journey!

Another crockpot fave

As previously mentioned, we’re trying to have dinner as close to ready when we come home. Evan gets home with Little Man first and Little Man likes to eat pretty quickly after school.

This recipe took a little work. It was the recipe that ended up as a brick the first night of us both working. Not good. So now I make it Sunday evening and we have leftovers Monday and Tuesday. It also came out super, super sweet so I played with the amounts of some ingredients. Now it’s awesome. Here you go!

Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken
(adapted from Baby Center – also this is a doubled recipe)

Ingredients
2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2/3 cup honey (original recipe calls for 1 cup of honey)
1 cup soy sauce (we use La Choy so this recipe is GF – original recipe calls for 1/2 cup of soy sauce)
4 T diced onion (I typically use dried onion because I hate cutting onion)
4T ketchup
2T canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced (I use the press because I’m lazy )
1/2 – 1t red pepper flakes (optional – we like this dish with a little kick, so I recommend closer to 1t)
4 t cornstarch dissolved in 6T water
Sesame seeds

Season both sides of chicken lightly with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic, and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until the chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce.

Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Replace lid and cook sauce on high for 10 more minutes or until slightly thickened.

Meanwhile, cut chicken into bite size pieces and then return to the pot and toss with sauce before serving.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles.

Crockpot recipes and other adventures in dual-earning

So with both of us working and having hefty commutes, we have tried to use our crockpot as often as possible. With this crazy experience has come a few lessons.

1) Generally, 11-12 hours cook time is too long. You are bound to come home to burnt something.

2) When a recipe says 2 hours on high, 4 hours on low, that doesn’t mean that you can do 11-12 hours on low and hope for the best. Exhibit A: thoroughly blackened, nearly unrecognizable Honey Sesame Chicken. (once I made it properly, this dish came out great!)

3) Chicken generally doesn’t do well in the crockpot after 3 hours. It gets dry. It gets gross.

4) When you find a good recipe, you better put it on your blog so you never lose that bad boy.

So, here’s my favorite crockpot recipe from our repertoire: Black Bean Taco Soup Chili (the recipe I found was called “taco soup” – the way I make it is more like a hearty chili. Also, my apologies to the blogger who originally posted the recipe. In poor form, I didn’t save your information on the recipe. So props to you, unknown blogger!)

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef (I imagine ground turkey would work too)
1 medium onion
1 can of black beans (or kidney or pinto), drained and rinsed
2 cans of stewed tomatoes (I don’t like tomatoes that much so 1 can works for us)
1-8oz can of tomato sauce
1-16oz bag of corn (I think this is an excessive amount of corn so I use less)
1 can diced green chilis
1 packet of taco seasoning (or use your own)

Cook beef and onion in a skillet. Once cooked, combine well with other ingredients in the crockpot. Cook on high for 1-2 hours or low for 3-4 hours. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, and guacamole. I like mine with Tufutti Sour Supreme and crunched up tortilla chips mixed in. Evan mixes in some Hidden Valley Ranch and The Spice and Tea Exchange’s Pirate’s Bite. I served this on a family Sunday dinner and almost everyone had seconds – not because they were hungry (because it’s really hearty) but because they wanted the flavor.

When we’re having it during the week, I make it the night before and we heat up individual servings the next day. It’s worked well. If you make it like I do, it really does come out like a chili. I suppose you could make it with more liquid if having a soup was meaningful to you.