Summer Takes a Bow

The familiar sights and sounds of summer’s finale are upon us. Our apple tree, well-laden with abundance, has dropped delicious green apples that I have distributed to the hens; they get so excited for something special. I’m not sure what it meant, but when I dumped a pile of these apples into their coup the other day, one of them crouched down and started stamping her feet… perhaps in excitement or perhaps in frustration that I hadn’t brought them earlier! It is also fly season here. My youngest loads up his nerf gun and goes hunting. I am finding fly guts in random spots on my windows and walls these days. Tis the season of harvesting fruit!

Pencils, notebooks, and calculators have been stocked. The renovations at our church & school building have been artfully and intentionally designed by dear friends. Hand-crafted with beauty and meaning, the Lord works masterpieces from the loveliness of His mind, His guidance in every detail and the work of so many, many hands. We rejoice in all the Lord has done. Gardens of grace are being planted in places of despair, and the life of the Kingdom is bearing fruit with truth and beauty. As I look around our city, some leaves are beginning their faithful farewell, their one last act in their seasonal drama, as if taking a blushed bow before stepping off the stage.

Just a couple weeks ago, a precious baby was born in our church community and this weekend, I prepared a deliciously fun meal of homemade tortillas, smoked pork (thanks to my husband), rice, and all the mouth-watering garnishes for a scrumptious meal of tacos. We frequently bake our own tortillas - our kids won’t have it any other way. We live in a city that is over 50% hispanic, one of our favorite cultures to live in, so we have adapted to cooking Mexican food weekly! On a trip to Papalote ten years ago, we received a cookbook from the women of the church we were visiting, and now Maria’s Tortillas are our go-to recipe forever! I’ve attached it here if you’d like to try your hand at home made tortillas… but get ready to be committed. Once your children try it, they won’t ask for any other kind. I’m very thankful for a kind neighbor who taught me how to make authentic tortillas from scratch many years ago with a tortilla press! The Hermanas of Papalote use a one inch PVC pipe to roll out the dough, but they say a rolling pin would work too!

It is the beginning of a new school year for my precious ones. One is in her Freshman year, two are in the Middle School years and one is starting 4th grade! I’ve been goal-setting and making plans of all kinds including what to listen to on my many drives this Fall to and from our little classical school, to violin lessons, piano lessons, and football practice. I have audiobooks aplenty. I plan to share a list here soon of what I’m listening to and learning these days.

We enjoyed a special “back to school” Tea Time on the Patio last week. Each one of them got a personal tea party with me as we shared espresso, Scottish breakfast tea, and donuts. We chatted and laughed, and had meaningful heart to heart moments. I shared with each of them a scripture passage, Jesus’ words calling his disciples to abide in Him, the true vine. I prayed for each one. It was our little summer finale, a way to be thankful for this season God has given us with sweet treats and tea, and make way for Autumn joys to arrive.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

-John 15:1-17 ESV

Grapes from my father’s backyard vineyard

A Little Night Music in July

Photo by LAUREN GRAY on Unsplash

My Mom set apart Sunday mornings as very special in every way she managed our home on the Lord’s Day. Worship filled our home from the moment my sisters and I awoke as music from the record player downstairs beckoned us to begin anew. Dad was already at church rehearsing his sermon, praying, quietly setting up, and making sure everything was ready for the service. It was the 80’s, so with puffy sleeves, feathered hair, jean purses, and jelly shoes, we made our way to church. My mom would give us each a quarter to put into the offering.

It was those first moments of waking to music that I’ve been thinking about this month. I recall songs from Connie Scott, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Hosanna! Music Praise series such as one of my favorites… 1989’s Victory Chant! Turn up the music!

I wanted to carry on this tradition with my family of setting apart Sunday mornings as a special time for the kids and I, while my husband went to work to prepare the music for church as a worship pastor, and now in our church plant as pastor. I put on the music on our streaming device and light a candle, bake dutch baby pancakes with powder sugar on top. We quietly get ready for the morning. Sometimes we leave early, depending on how we’re helping serve that week. But the morning is set apart with worship and a delicious breakfast.

A whole slew of music has accompanied our Lord’s Day mornings over the years, but lately I’ve been playing Josh Garrels’ album, Peace to All Who Enter Here, to lead us into worship of our God as we prepare our hearts to worship with our church family.

If you haven’t heard this album yet, I hope you enjoy each one of these songs as eine kleine nachtmusik in July, and may it accompany your Lord’s Day mornings as well. Prepare well, for it is the Lord we worship. Exalt the Lord our God!

Dutch Baby Pancakes:

1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs - lightly beaten
4 Tb butter (I love salted!)
Directions… Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Put it all in a bowl and mix together! While the oven is preheating, put your cast iron skillet in the oven to heat up. When ready to pour the batter, melt 2 Tb butter in skillet. Pour in the batter and bake for 15 mins until pancake is golden brown and climbing up the sides. Pull out of the oven and sprinkle with powder sugar. You can also sprinkle with lemon juice and serve with jam, fresh fruit, or chocolate chips. Enjoy with your people around the table!

Grace upon grace,

Jen

Gardening, Cozy Homemade Pizza Dough, & Refreshing Iced Vanilla Coffee

Our first strawberries

I’m having an unusually slow Friday, sipping a half drunk iced coffee I made too late in the day, listening to instrumental jazz music, having planted a little cherry tomato plant in an old wooden box I’ve been keeping for years. This spring, we made a spontaneous decision after making many plans for year 3 of our vegetable garden… we aren’t planting a garden this year.

We have many plans this summer, and our human limitations required us to take a year off from gardening. Instead, we are going to create systems and focus on preparing the ground for garden boxes and a drip system, so that next year when we plant, we will be ready for a successful growing season.

In many of the same ways, we are laying more foundations for our church and school this summer. You might say we are planting a garden, but its of the worship and education variety this summer. There will be scraping of decades-old paint, much cleaning, setting up, and preparing a renovated space for our little school. We will be starting a youth girls and youth boys club for our church plant so we can intentionally disciple these awesome youth and build community and relationships. May God establish all these little gardens of grace.

Though we will be taking a break from the large garden plot, I dug up my blueberry starts that I had already planted, my strawberry plants from last year, bought some herbs and repotted those near our front door where I will be sure to water them every morning and evening this summer. I’ll nurture my little cherry tomato plant. And when I’m missing the garden, I’ll go to glean from our parents’ gardens! For now, we have shared our first strawberry and enhanced our meals with cilantro, rosemary, and Thai basil.

Photo by Nadya Spetnitskaya on Unsplash

A few years ago, I found this recipe for homemade pizza dough. It is our family’s favorite, and we regularly enjoy it on a Friday evening, when the week is done, we’ve worked diligently, and we’ve played hard. Even though we are already in the throws of a 90+ degree spring heat wave, the air conditioning unit is keeping us cool and we can truly call it a “cozy” meal! Here is the recipe if you’d like to try it out:

2 cups hot water
3 tsp active dry yeast
2 TB honey
2 tsp sugar
4.5 cups flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
*optional 1/4 tsp onion powder)
olive oil

Directions:
Pour the hot water in a mixer and sprinkle the yeast. Allow it to sit for a few mins (sometimes I don’t wait!) Add all the other ingredients into the bowl except the oil, and mix slowly (or speedy) until combined. Mix for around 7 mins… or just for a little while (I’m not too exact with recipes which sometimes doesn’t help me). Coat the ball of dough lightly in olive oil, just to prevent it from drying out while you wait for it to rise a tad. You can then cover the bowl with a lovely tea towel of your choosing - I’m sure you have some pretty ones! Check out these favorites here! I’ve given a couple of these ones away as gifts as well. The dough can rest while you read another chapter of your favorite book, switch the laundry over, and respond to a text… okay should be ready! Likely it has doubled in size if the yeast is good. If not, that’s okay too, it will still taste yeasty! That’s the most important part! I forgot… preheat your oven to 480 degrees, grease a pan, and be ready to roll out the dough. I usually get 2-3 pizzas out of this amount of dough which is perfect for our family in the tween & teen years. Bake the pizza dough for 4 mins, then pull out of oven, top with desired sauces and toppings. Bake for 8ish more mins or until the crust is slightly brown and cheese is melted! Enjoy with your people!

Iced Vanilla Coffee at home

That iced coffee I was talking about, yes… let’s get back to that, shall we? We were given an espresso machine when we moved here three years ago. So I just brew a couple shots of espresso, pour it over ice from the fridge, and pour in the whole milk. Then I add a splash of vanilla extract (actually I use the imitation vanilla, the fake vanilla to save money.) It tastes delightful and some times there are little hands coming to ask for a sip of my “mommy drink”!

May your weekend be filled with beautiful moments of serving your people.

The Liturgy of a New Year: a Poem, a Pot of Tea, a Song, & a Prayer

Our feet crunched the snow with every step through the little Bavarian village tucked into the Cascade Mountains of Washington. Surrounded by festive lights and happy tourists sledding, we walked through the fairytale town of yesteryear. A little adventure in the mountains, a time of respite as a family, a time just for us to celebrate the covenant of our marriage, our 16th wedding anniversary. We ate pretzels and remembered our early years. We browsed through the book shop, perused a charming pottery and art store, tried on hats, and enjoyed the culinary offerings of this alpine village almost buried in snow.

The space between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day is always a joy for me. The beauty of the Christmas season, the lights and the snow, the comfort of blankets and slippers, the contentment of loved ones enjoying their gifts, intentional moments of tradition to curate and add to family memories, the celebration of our wedding anniversary, the peace of knowing my Redeemer is alive and what He came to accomplish, and the joy of knowing He will return to bring the fullness of His Kingdom and reign over the whole earth… all these things bring a calm to my soul and quiet peace as I sense the closing of the year and the beginning of a new one. A new year dawns, and I am drawn to a favorite poem, a favorite reflection, a favorite song, and a new year’s prayer. It is my delight to share these things here.

A Poem - At the Gate of the Year, by Minnie Louise Haskins

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.
And he replied:
Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.

So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.
And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.

So heart be still:
What need our little life
,
Our human life to know,
If God hath comprehension?
In all the dizzy strife
Of things both high and low,
God hideth His intention.

God knows. His will
Is best. The stretch of years
Which wind ahead, so dim
To our imperfect vision,
Are clear to God. Our fears
Are premature; In Him,
All time hath full provision.

Then rest: until
God moves to lift the veil
From our impatient eyes,
When, as the sweeter features
Of Life's stern face we hail,
Fair beyond all surmise
God's thought around His creatures
Our mind shall fill.

The first time I came to know this poem was in the early 2000’s while living abroad in Scotland. A dear friend and missionary gave me a portion of this poem, and it embedded itself into my soul as a message of hope and light.

A Reflection - Tea & Liturgy by Sandra McCracken

“As the water boils and the afternoon sun calls out the evening shadows, a new space opens up for us to listen to each other, and to meditate on less urgent but more significant matters. As we wait for the tea to steep, the unspoken, dried out thoughts within us are now able to expand like the leaves in the warm water. And when the fragrant tea pours into our cup, the nourishment begins to set in. In Bird By Bird, Anne Lamott speaks about the business of writing. She persuades us that the best part of being a writer is not the thrill of success or book sales — it is the joy of writing for its own sake. She draws a parallel with tea: ‘While you thought you needed the tea ceremony for the caffeine, what you really needed was the tea ceremony.’ ” - Sandra McCracken

This article deeply impressed me over a decade ago when I first read it, and I often come back to it, even for brief moment of recollection when I steep the tea, when I compose hand-written cards, and when I take time to slow down and allow my mind to embrace the present moment. I will probably forever come back to these beautifully written words all my life:

“I want to write love letters with a paper and pen. I want to make house calls. I want to waste time on things that matter. On things that leave a mark in this world and the next. I want to carve out time to stop and boil the water. To bring out the china and the silver. To ask good questions of myself and my neighbors. And to listen patiently for the subtle answers. I want to live a life of love and liturgy.”
-Sandra McCracken



A Song - The Space Between by Sandra McCracken

“Free fall, feet off the ground
A clean, white page, fresh snow, no sound
Here as we wait, from dark to dawn
New paths before us, the old is gone
Unplug the lights, take down the tree
The less we have, the less we need
From Christmas night to New Year's Eve
We bless the space that’s in between
We bless the space that’s in between”

A Prayer - New Year, The Valley of Vision

Give me a grace that precedes, follows, guides,
sustains, sanctifies, aids every hour,
that I may not be one moment apart from thee,
but may rely on thy Spirit to supply every thought,
speak in every word, direct every step,
prosper every work, build up every mote of faith,
and give me a desire to show forth thy praise;
testify thy love, advance thy kingdom.
I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year, with
thee, O Father, as my harbor,
thee, O Son, at my helm,
thee, O Holy Spirit, filling my sails.

A lantern post in the mountains… Narnia? Hmmm…

The Keeping of Advent

Thursday was all prepared. We had the turkey, the potatoes, the stuffing, the dinner rolls, a pie given from a friend, and green beans amandine. My kids had all come down with a stomach flu this week, but were slowly recovering. With my mom and dad visiting from Canada, our house was full of anticipation for the week of holiday celebrations and preparations to enjoy together. One day was down with several of the kids sick, but there was hope that all would be well. Around noon, while the kids and I were working on a puzzle, the nausea I had already experienced only grew. Alas, I missed the whole Thanksgiving dinner.

Friday was the day we would head out into the woods to chop down our $5 Christmas tree, a new tradition we absolutely love to do together. We bring hot cocoa in a thermos and enjoy the sips in the frosty snow-laden forest. If there’s enough snow, there’s sledding too. Its one of our favorite ways to celebrate as Thanksgiving feasts give way to Advent preparation. Alas, another cancellation due to this unanticipated illness.

In the hours of quiet, tucked away in my room, while the house was aflutter with happy voices and delicious smells, I was grateful and prayerful. My mother kept reminding me that there is a reason for all of this, pointing my heart to trust God, and she is a woman who has learned to trust God.

Traditions and holidays are a joyful and creative way for us to celebrate the meaningful events of our faith. But these things are also not meant to become forms of idolatry. When plans change and expectations are unmet, we can throw our hands in the air or we can choose watchfulness. In the many hours of rest and recovery, I was able to think (between waking and falling asleep again) plans for celebrating the season of Advent at home with our family.

We’ve been keeping the season of Advent ever since our kids were babies. Through the years, we added various traditions, homemade crafts, advent wreaths, homemade ornaments, festive activities, several devotional style readings, and of course our favorite chocolates. This year, the Lord led me to some new resources to add to our collection.  And while the advent season, or Christmas, or Easter, are not commanded by our Lord to observe, as He is all-sufficient and He indwells His people, still the rhythms of remembering help us to intentionally interact with the events of our faith and renew our hope and focus for His second coming.

I have been greatly inspired by this list of advent resources and am eagerly awaiting a few of these items to arrive in the mail. To be sure, none of our traditions are necessary, only Christ is necessary and fully able to satisfy our souls. But I look forward to the generosity of these sub-creators who have used their artistic and literary gifts bestowed on them from above to help our minds and souls engage with the stories of our faith, the meta-narrative of Scripture, the timeline of redemptive history. In keeping Advent, we are practicing remembering.

In the quiet of Saturday morning, with enough strength to brave the tree nursery down the road, my dad and I took my kids, while my mom and husband were the next to catch the virus. We picked out the Christmas tree and poinsettia, decorated the tree with Vince Guaraldi’s Charlie Brown Christmas playing in the background. I prepared the mantel with clippings from the bottom of the tree, some acorns, and an old white window frame given to us years ago which I rediscovered in our garage storage room. I also had managed to dehydrate some sliced orange pieces I wanted to use to decorate our tree.

My dad was sitting in the chair nearest the tree, and I asked him if he was watching the game or reading, and he said quietly, “I’m just reading in 1 Corinthians.” My pastor-father, meeting with the Word made flesh, in the quiet of the early afternoon. I sat beside him and threaded my dried orange slices. We listened quietly to the mid-winter carols that would accompany my family through the watchful season. It was the beginning of Advent.

Welcome Autumn, Welcome Frost

Good autumnal morning! That seems to be the appropriate way to start this post this morning. When I took our dogs outside this morning, the joy of the first frost welcomed me into a new season, that of late autumn in the Pacific Northwest. In three weeks, we went from having 80 degree weather, a pleasantly long summer, to freezing temperatures. Our typical Fall was short this year, but the frost is a welcome change with sweaters and scarves and pumpkin scented candles, fires crackling in the hearth, and children donning their slippers I made for them last year.

Occasional seasonal posts seem to be all I have capacity for in this season of church planting. My days and weeks are joyously full. My husband has to remind me to slow down and rest. But I love to minister to others, and it gives me great joy to care for my home, light the candles before the guests arrive (or have guests light the candles for me when I forget), and have the kitchen ready for the next deluge of crockpots to be brought and plugged in. My kids set up the extra long table and pull chairs from around the house to seat as many as possible as other furniture is shoved to the sides of the room to make more room. I recently bought a beautiful yellow linen apron, quite inexpensive and simple, but it delights me as I prepare. The baskets of baby and toddler toys are pulled out so the littlest guests can play, and the board books from my kids’ earlier days are still being loved (and chewed) by the little ones in our church family. Recently, I decided to purchase a new front door mat as our old one (from only two years ago) has worn away with all the feet that have crossed our threshold in two years of church planting.

I will share in this post about two studies I am pursuing this Fall. The first is listening to the audio of a class on Hebrews to Revelation, by Dr Dan Doriani from Covenant Theological Seminary in St Louis. Together with a friend, we are listening to this series of lectures and once a week, discussing what we are learning in an hour long video call. This has been a great way to dig deeper into Scripture together. I love to listen to the audio while folding laundry, doing chores around the house, taking the dog for a walk, or driving to town for errands.

Reading This Beautiful Truth at Ohanapecosh, Mt Rainier, Washington, Fall 2022

The second study I am pursuing at the moment is an online book club called Book Girl Fellowship by Sarah Clarkson in England. Last year, her book, This Beautiful Truth: How God’s Goodness Breaks into our Darkness, was released into the world. I recently finished this book, and think that I may have to write a book review on it. It is a light shining in this world of deep darkness. I had to read just little bits at a time, to savor each section. I didn’t want to put it down, but I also didn’t want it to end. It means so much to me that she willingly wrote such a personal and vulnerable account of God’s goodness in mental illness. Because of this book, I wanted to hear more of what she has to share with the world and be one of those receiving the light of Christ she is reflecting through her words as she discusses great works of literature and theology.

And now I must be off to fold laundry and listen to the next lecture in the Hebrews study, while my children are at school today. May autumn leaves fall softly on your fields, and may the warmth of candlelight illumine your day. You are so beloved by the Good Shepherd.

Wild Things & Castles in the Sky ~ A Book Review at Story Warren

I snuck downstairs early before dawn, lighted my Wax & Wool candle, Pacific Coast scent, and wrapped myself in a knitted baby blanket I keep upstairs with my toddler baskets for when Mamas and Littles come to visit. Its quiet in the house right now. I hear a few cars driving by, people heading to work in town or in the plethora of orchards and fruit warehouses in the valley. My earl grey tea from an eastern European country is steeping while I type. I love to know where things come from. I read the back of the tea box and it tells me all about the beginning of tea cultivation in the far away country of Georgia, where a dear friend lives with her family:

“It was back in 1809 when the first tea plant was cultivated in Georgia under Mamia V Gurieli, Prince of Guria. That marked the beginning of two hundred years of Georgian tea history.”

I’m thankful for the gift of friendship and tea. When you know someone carried a box of tea in her suitcase to share with you all the way from the other side of the world, that cup of tea warms the heart in a meaningful way. It tells a story.

Tea and friendship and stories are all included in the gift I want to place in your hands. A few months ago, a dear friend from Bellingham, Théa, asked me if I would be interested in writing a book review for her first published book. I was elated, of course!

Upon visiting her lovely home in springtime, she gave me a copy of her book. I began to explore this tome of essays that she had both the opportunity to be editor of, as well as contributor. When I heard her name mentioned on The Habit podcast, I was overjoyed as I listened to Jonathan Rogers and Leslie Bustard discuss this brand new work of literature.

When beginning to write my review for the Story Warren website, I found that I had inadvertently written a half page about our friendship and how much she meant to me! Alas, I had to start from scratch, and remember to review the book, not the author!

Before I introduce you to this book, I want you to get to know Théa, and you can do so in and amongst the pages of her corner of the internet, Little Book Big Story, where she winsomely writes children’s book reviews and shares glimpses into her life with her husband and four daughters. We have been friends ever since our eldest girls were crawling and learning to walk. Fourteen years later, we no longer discuss birth stories and the latest in diapering accessories. That was necessary back then, but our roots have grown deeper and usually our conversations take a deep dive into our life journeys, joys, struggles, adventures in motherhood, reading, writing, music, things we are learning about our gentle Savior, and the way He continues to transform us.

I’m holding out to you a gift today.

It is a gift because when received, it has the possibility of forming hearts and minds, developing imagination, and creating a greater capacity for one’s mind to be expanded like a hot air balloon which can carry one away to behold new glorious life-enriching vistas.

There is a movement happening among our generation. It is a reading movement with a catchphrase… a leitmotif. The clarion call is for “truth, beauty, and goodness”. I hear this catchphrase so much in the books I read, the communities I’m a part of, and the podcasts I listen to, that when I hear it, it is a sign to stop and pay attention. It is a symbol that wakes one up to the reality that there are others among us who also hold to these values - values that come from the heart of God, the Creator of truth, beauty, and goodness. I call Him: my “gentle Jesus”.

Truth: Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

Beauty: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” Isaiah 52:7

Goodness: Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. Psalm 25:8

What is your reading journey like? Have you looked into your past to see which books have shaped you and are forming you into the person you are today? The reading life is a powerful life of formation.

“A woman who reads is a woman who knows she must act: in courage, in creativity, in kindness, and often in defiance of the darkness around her. She understands that life itself is a story and that she has the power to shape her corner of the drama.” -Sarah Clarkson, Book Girl

Please join me on Story Warren, as I introduce to my readers Wild Things and Castles in the Sky: A Guide to Choosing the Best Books for Children by Leslie Bustard, Théa Rosenburg, and Carey Bustard, where truth, beauty, and goodness are whispered on every page, and every page prepares our hearts and minds for the inspiring journey of reading with children.

The sun is rising, and I have so much more to say, but I’m closing my computer now to go outside and quietly watch the dawning of a new day over the eastern sky… because The Story is still unfolding each and every day.

Featured on Story Warren: A Book Review: Wild Things & Castles in the Sky