The Girl Behind the Blog- What I'm Learning

Hey y'all!

I'm linking up today with 5ohwifey and The Hollie Rogue 

for the second part of the Girl Behind the Blog vlog series. 

Better late than never! 

I was really looking forward to sharing what I've been learning 

the past few weeks through our youth events, especially our spring break mission trip

... but then life happened 

and I learned something pretty crucial today! 

I sincerely hope God speaks to you through my situation,

and I can't wait to check out all the awesome things you're learning!
(you can check out the other posts here!)

Please forgive the quality- I did this on my iPhone while sitting at the church

I haven't been able to blog the past couple days! 

Also, it was my fuel pump that got replaced- not the fuel filter.

If you didn't do the link up,
what are you learning?
I'd love to hear!

Hummingbird Cupcakes with Dried Pineapple Flowers

(please excuse the iphone quality photo)

As I was baking these beauties on a late-night whim

and talking to my sister on the phone,

she exclaimed- "Hummingbird cupcakes?! That sounds gross!"

Well, have no fear ladies and gents.

No hummingbirds were harmed in the making of these cakes!

I made these for one of my students' 18th birthday

and since not all of my students are chocoholics like me

I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to test out this cake in cupcake form!

In the past, I've used this recipe from Southern Living and it received rave reviews

(but unfortunately both times I made it, I didn't get to try it!)

But this time I turned to my trusted source for all things delicious- Annie's Eats

The cake is deliciously moist

with bursts of refreshing banana and pineapple flavor 

and a perfect creamy cream cheese frosting.

It's perfect for celebrating spring time

and would also make a lovely addition at any bridal or baby shower!

What You'll Need:

For the cupcakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
11 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1¼ tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/3 cups mashed ripe banana
2/3 cup crushed pineapple, drained
2/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted 

For the frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

What To Do:

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; whisk together and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, vanilla, and sugar and beat until blended and smooth.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Mix in the mashed banana.  With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated.  Gently fold in the pineapple and nuts with a spatula until evenly mixed.

Divide the batter between the prepared liners, filling each about ¾ full.  Bake for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.  Mix in the vanilla extract.  Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth.  Frost cooled cupcakes as desired. 

Note- I made half of the cake recipe and the whole frosting recipe. If you love frosting as much as I do, you might increase your frosting recipe a little!

Now, the pineapple flower garnish is completely edible 

(pretty delish actually) and super simple to make!

Mine don't look too stellar because I did not leave myself enough time to let them set...  but even without being perfect they added a lot to the presentation of the cupcakes!

What You'll Need:

a fresh pineapple

What To Do:

• Cut the top and bottom off of the pineapple, using a large knife. 
• Slicing down, cut off the rind of the pineapple leaving just the fruit. 
• Pop out any remaining seeds or peel.
• Slice the remaining fruit into very thin rounds. (This is definitely the hardest part!)

• Lay rounds onto a baking sheet (line with parchment paper or a baking mat if desired) and bake at 225 for 30 minutes. Flip rounds a bake for another 30 minutes. 

• Watch the fruit carefully so it doesn't burn! It will be ready when the edges brown and they have dried out almost completely. 

• Set each piece in the round of a muffin tin to help it form a flower shape. They may need to sit for several hours to retain the shape. ( I skipped this step due to time restriants)
• Top your frosted cupcakes with a dried pineapple flower for added flair! 

Planting Seeds

linkin up with Kerrie at The Williams Post!

Over spring break, I led a team of high school students and some helpers on a mission trip to the Edinburg/McAllen/Mission, Texas area. We partnered with Faith Baptist Church there and devoted our mornings to Backyard Bible Clubs and our afternoons to serving our host church. 

The past two years, we've participated in Mission Arlington's spring break activities. It's an awesome organization that has made a huge impact on the DFW area. Their backyard Bible club program is called Rainbow Express, and we'd have between twenty and fifty children at our Rainbow Express twice a day. They target apartment complexes and mobile home parks, making it simple to reach a large number of families and children in a small area. The two years we participated, the children we met were so happy to see us and participate in Rainbow Express. We were overjoyed to be used to lead multiple children to Christ. Last year my students became so attached to the children we met that it was truly painful to come home at the end of the week.

So that is kinda what we were expecting to happen here. 

Spoiler alert- that's not how it went. 

I had five amazing students take part in this trip.

At first I was disappointed, even angry, that others had dropped out or decided to spend their time doing something less meaningful (in my mind). 

However, this small group of students was absolutely perfect for the week. 

It was absolutely a testament of God's control over the entire situation to see how everything worked out the way He had planned. 

This was the first youth trip I've ever led with zero behavior issues.

Each student worked hard, stayed positive, 

and was respectful and obedient to myself and the other leaders with us. 

I was humbled by their leadership and the initiative they took 

in serving each other and the community we were in. 

When we arrived at the church,
We were assigned to a nearby park

to do our backyard Bible club.

We made a huge advertising promotion in chalk by the park entrance

canvased over 100 homes

and knocked on nearly every door in the neighborhood 

to let them know about Rainbow Express

But our first day there,

we had no kids show up.

People were polite but uninterested

So we prayer walked the area, 

covering the neighborhood in specific and meaningful prayer

In the midst of prayer walking,

we came across a group of people passing out the gospel to every door

and a mobile vacation bible school ministry

It was so encouraging to see God using all kinds of people 

to reach this community with the good news!

We also met a sweet East Indian family going for a walk.

They joined us back at the park and we were able to share 

our Bible story with them and color some pictures.

They were so genuinely interested in the story from Mark 2 of the paralytic 

man whose friends lowered him through the roof to Jesus!

Our guys met a high school student playing basketball alone the park

and were able to interact with and pray over him.

We had better response the following days 

and were able to 

sing silly songs

play lots of kickball

eat snacks together

color with crayons and chalk

and share beautiful stories about Jesus

We only met about ten children over the course of the week and

we didn't get to see any children come to know Jesus 

But 

we learned that sometimes God calls you to just plant seeds

Sometimes you just show people how awesome Jesus is

and God sends someone else to continue to teach them

We're so grateful that we got to share with 

Eric, Adi, Gopika, Davika, Lucia, Jayne, Joey, Nathan and Noah!

But we know that God loves each of them so much more deeply than we ever could

and have faith that He will continue to show them love.

During our Bible study Wednedsday night, our associate pastor shared 1 Corinthians 15:58 which says that the work we do in the name of the Lord is never in vain. 

We're clinging to that promise,

grateful to have planted seeds

praying for water and sunshine and harvesters 

and most of all for Jesus to reach this community!

Be encouraged wherever you are,

whatever it is that you are doing and know 

that even when things don't meet our expectations-

God does not measure success by numbers

and His plans are so much better than our own.

Continue to give yourself fully to the work of the Lord 

because it's never in vain!

Stay tuned to hear more of what God taught us!

Little Bits of Happiness

So while I'm in the process of gathering 

all of our photos from the past week, 

I thought I'd share a couple of non related things.

Stay tuned to hear about spring break :)

______________________________

I've had some amazing luck thrifting recently

Every thing here I've gotten for $5 or less!

a lovely new mint/aqua bag for springtime

 three new basic tops: coral stripes, ruffled turquoise

and textured white 

this espresso machine was $5 and works like a dream.

hallelujah!

____________________________________________________

I got a haircut! 

It's not a totally dramatic difference, 

but my hair feels lighter and healthier with its new layers. 

Before: long, heavy and bland

After: still long, lighter and layered

______________________________________________________

 I got an iPhone. 

It's been more than two years since I bought my last one 

and I'm so proud of myself for sticking it out.

I also may cease to interact with people in real life 

because I can live on this phone.

Any app suggestions??

Anyone think they can beat me at Scramble with Friends? 

Because I'm pretty legit.

__________________________________

After my haircut, I stopped into Old Navy 

and fell in love with some pretty floral dresses.

I didn't buy them but goodness, aren't they lovely?

I'm pretty sure I'll go back for that second one.

It's perfect for Easter!

_____________________________________________

I'm going to visit my dear sister Lindsey this weekend

so we can go see The Hunger Games at midnight!

I'm super excited for the premiere 

and to see my baby sis again

(I do know that she's 21 and not a baby)

I haven't been able to visit her since she transferred schools 

so this is a big deal!

Anyone else braving the midnight crowds?!

Hope y'all have a beautiful week!

I'm Back!

Hey y'all! 

It has been a crazy busy but absolutely beautiful spring break over here. 

I can't wait to edit photos and share with you all that God showed 

us through our mission trip and the D-Now we attended!

Until that all gets done, enjoy this silly video. 

My rendition of Ice Ice Baby. 

You know you're jealous ;)

Funny story- I once got a speeding ticket because I didn't notice a steep drop in the speed limit... because my sister and I were trying really hard to memorize the words to this song! Ha!

Next goal is to create a catchy way to memorize scripture like this. Amen? 

Prayer Request: Spring Break Missions

Hello there my praying friends!

In case you didn't deduce from reading my recaps,

your prayers made a huge difference 

in the Girls Extravaganza

So I have a new request for you!

(duck duck goose!)

This Sunday, March 11th our youth group will be traveling several hours to South Texas

to spend our spring break partnering with a church there, helping to spread the gospel through  Backyard Bible Clubs, service projects, prayer walking and fellowship.

(students leading prayer)

We've participated in very similar programs the past two years through Mission Arlington, a wonderful organization who has intentionally created churches in apartments and mobile home parks all throughout the Dallas/Ft Worth area. 

(Ninja. Best game ever.)

This year we're taking everything that we've learned through those experiences and putting it into action in a less saturated area. The area of Texas we're traveling to is high in Spanish speakers, which is great because the majority going on our trip are bilingual! In addition, this area is often overlooked by outreach or mission organizations because it is so close to the Mexico border. Most, instead, focus on Mexico. 

(This little girl absolutely stole our hearts.)

To be completely honest, I've been giving in to

 stress and anxiety this week as I've been preparing.

I don't like being flexible.

I like to have a plan, to be prepared, to have details set in place

(we didn't just meet children. Two teens accepted Christ this week as well, and they remain friends with my students.)

Y'all, my worry and anxiety is the opposite of faith. 

So I'm praying for more faith. 

Here are some things you can be praying for:

-clear weather

Our backyard bible club is outdoors, which is the simplest way to join everyone together. Rain would cause a serious problem for us!

-hearts open to the Truth

one of the biggest obstacles we've encountered is that people are blinded by the idea of religion, and so they miss Jesus.

-team unity 

We have a small team- six students, four adults, and four small children. Unity will be so important!

-that the Holy Spirit would go before us

without the Father's hand over this effort, this is all of our own power. We want all of the success to be from and glorifying to God!

-that our service projects would pan out

There are a few details about the trip, including where we'll be spending our afternoons, that are still up in the air. It's really hard for me to find balance between good planning and trusting.

-That as we return to Austin, we'll pray for and have faith that God will continue to send workers into this field

Last year one of our biggest struggles was that the students fell so deeply in love with the kids we met that leaving was devastating. There were tears and hurt feelings and frustrations. They felt that without our group there, the children would have no continued access to the gospel. So this year we're intentionally sharing follow up information with our partner church to ensure that this isn't an isolated gospel experience for them!

- for energy, boldness and above all, love

It's going to be a long week for everyone involved. We'll be sleeping on the floor, and sharing quarters with 4 children under 5 years old. We may find people challenging to work with. Without love, we'll only be a resounding gong or a clanging symbol as we speak the truth.

(as we were leaving an apartment complex, we witnessed a domestic disturbance and prayed powerfully over the situation)

We'll be returning to Austin Thursday evening and most of the students on the trip will immediately be going to a Disciple Now Weekend, hosted by a sister church. In fact, David and three of my students are leading worship for the weekend!

We are excited to see how God will reveal Himself this next week.

For those of you who made it through the whole post, thank you so very much!

I am deeply grateful for your encouragement and prayers. 

(the favorite song at every location- Making Melodies!)

*all photos from previous spring break trips*

What I Wore Wednesday: Belts and Cardigans

I'm guest posting over at The Williams Post today!

Go check it out and send Kerrie some love!

Last week was super crazy.

Sunday through Tuesday I was at the 

SBT Evangelism Empower Conference in Frisco, Texas.

Then Wednesday morning I left early to go tour 

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with my dad.

Wednesday evening I got to hang out with my bestie, Danae, in Mineral Wells.

Thursday I met Brittany in downtown Dallas for lunch and mall time

Thursday evening, David and his family got into Dallas for the state mock trial finals

Friday and Saturday we all supported his sister, Erin in her competition

and then finally made it back to Austin.

Whew.

Since most of the week I needed to dress like a grown up 

I have a few outfits for today!

I'm all about belts and cardigans, y'all.

just look and see.

Sunday: church

black cardigan: Rue21, tee: Target, belt: came with a dress from JCPenney, skirt: Old Navy, thrifted at Buffalo Exchange. Not pictured- black flats: Payless

Monday: Committee Meeting and Empower Conference Day One

white cardigan: Rue21, ruffle button up: clothing swap, brown belt: Forever 21, khakis: American Eagle, Not pictured- brown flats: Payless.

Tuesday: Empower Conference Day Two

pink cardigan: Old Navy, black and white polka dot top: BCBG via Ebay, black tank: Wal-Mart, Grey Slacks: Banana Republic from clothing swap

Wednesday: Seminary campus tour with Dad

grey cardigan: Old Navy, purple top: Old Navy via garage sale, black tank: Wal-mart, skinny belt: Forever 21, necklace: Forever 21, Jeans: Old Navy via Goodwill, Faux suede boots: Rue21, sunglasses: Sam Moon

What do you think? Did the belts bring it together? Did I overdo the cardigans?

Have an awesome Wednesday, y'all! 

Swag Bag Sponsor Feature: Amy Cornwell Designs

Just a couple more sponsor features for you. 

Today, Amy from Amy Cornwell Designs

She designs personalized sterling silver and gold filled jewelry 

that's absolutely beautiful!

She sent us a this stunning Faith Necklace

And we were able to have a drawing and give it to one blessed lady! 

It also totally helped me make sure everyone registered for our event

because everyone wanted to be entered to win this beauty.

Check out her blog and shop.

Aren't these pieces just lovely?

Definitely on my wish list!