Being of the same mind

Philippians 2: 1-5 "So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus."

Romans 15:5-6 "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

July 13th, 2013 my friend/college roommate/teammate was joined in marriage. Marriage a pretty stellar thing that God created. I doubt that while on earth I will ever fully understand the mystery of this covenant between God and two people. Over the past two years plus God continues to refine Tyler and I in this process of being fully united, being of the same mind. We were once two people with two sets of passions, two lists of priorities, two personalities, etc. But God wants us to be one?! God has given me comfort in knowing this is all a process. His grace is sufficient. 

Anna and I once played basketball daily together. We focused on the same goal and we fought to be working for the better of our team. We joined our hands in huddles as a symbol of our unity on the basketball floor to ultimately bring glory to God in our victory. On our best nights, everything seemed to flow on the court. We moved as if we were of the same mind. 

The beauty of Christ is never full when we try to do it on our own. The beauty of Christ is the church, the body. We lift our hands to Him in praise and surrender. We lay our hands on one another in prayer. We serve with our hands and they are cleansed by Christ whose hands were pierced for our sins.

Heavenly Father, 
We pray that your Spirit would revive a deep unity in the body of Christ. Unite us as one mind and voice to glorify You. Unite our marriages. Let the truth of Your gospel humble us to consider others greater than ourselves. Give us grace when we are selfish and when we serve for our own recognition or to win the approval of men. Purify us daily that Your name be made great. We love you Lord and praise You for the work that You have done and are doing. 
Amen

A Year in Review

The past couple months have flown by and here we are in 2013! Last year, Tyler and I decided to set goals (I guess they could be called resolutions?) for our year. This has been a very unifying process through our first couple years of marriage. We shared intentionality, focus, and accountability as we checked in on where we were at different times during 2012.

On New Years Day of 2013 God gave me this verse. Proverbs 19:21 "Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." This past year we made "plans", many of which came to pass, but God had plans for us too. Many of you know I love surprises... And God blessed us with surprises through this past year. Often these "surprises" at the time did not seem fun but looking back you can see God's hand in it all.

We originally planned on sending out a Christmas letter to testify to what God had done in 2012, but this blog will have to do instead of the letter. Here are a few of the big things we are praising God for this past year:

• We originally planned on living in Sioux Falls for a short time and then heading out to explore other areas of the country/world before babies. God had other plans and this last year ended with a deep peace and clear purpose of our calling in Sioux Falls.
• Since college we have desired deep community and with college relationships in transition we had a refining season but are ending the year with God bringing deep fellowship through Young Life, the Crossing, and our jobs.
• In January/February of 2012 God moved big mountains to unify our marriage, especially in the area of  how we care for our bodies (previously this had been a source of tension and disunity).
• We became debt free! One of Tyler's passions is to find freedom financially (and help others do this as well). God again gave us unity in a budget and we have loved to pray together about who we can give to.
• Personally, God has refined my heart in huge ways in how I view and care for my body. He has redeemed a lot of unhealthy beliefs about what beauty and health really are. I praise Him for Maximized Living that has been the vehicle He used to blessed me with these truths. 

Join Tyler and I in celebrating God's faithfulness. He is soo good!

Everything Chili

I am currently still on my soup creating spree. We are chili lovers and our regular chili is often a go-to recipe. The recipe below was recommended by a friend and is now a new favorite of mine. I adapted it from Better Homes and Garden. Don't let the random assortment of ingredients stop you from trying it. So good on a "chili" fall day!

Everything Chili - Adapted from Better Homes and Garden

1 lb chicken breast, cooked and cut into bite sized pieces

1 1/2 cups of black beans or kidney beans (I used a mixture)

1 (8 oz) can of tomato sauce

1 cup peeled, seeded, and cubed butternut squash

1 onion, diced

1 cup vegetable broth

1/2 cup mushrooms, diced

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 clove of garlic, minced

2-3 handfuls of spinach (I did not chop it up but you can)

Fresh Cilantro to taste

Add chicken, tomatoes, beans, tomato sauce, squash, onion, chicken broth, mushrooms, cranberries, jalapeno pepper, chili powder, and garlic to your crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Add spinach and cilantro before serving.