The Beauty of the Gospel

*originally posted here, but brought back because it's a good thing to remember*

thoughts after attending the Right Now Conference in November

(from j.t. lowery)

The gospel is

powerful

beautiful

truth.

It's basic and simple

and enough to alter everything about me

And even though I work in a church and have been a believer since I was six years old, I am so glad that we spent three days on the gospel- the foundation of our faith.


There was so much good stuff- I heard impacting messages from Matt Carter of the Austin Stone, Matt Chandler of the Village Church and Francis Chan, who wrote Crazy Love.


One of the best things I brought home though, was from JD Grear. He discussed how the gospel changes us in a way that religion can't. Religion can give you an outline on how to be good, but cannot teach you to love goodness.


So I've begun to carry these four truths on a bookmark as part of a gospel prayer to remind myself daily of God's goodness and to help me fall back in love with the gospel.


1. In Christ, there is nothing I could do to make you love me more, nothing I have done that makes you love me less.


And yet so often, whether consciously or not, I try to earn God's favor by doing things and being good. But God says that, "it is by grace that [I] have been saved, not of works so that no one can boast." (ephesians 2:8-9)


And on the flip side, whenever I have stumbled and struggled I find myself drawing away from God. BUT the gospel tells me- he loves me! He wants me to run to Him when I stumble. "He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)


2. You are all I need today for everlasting joy.


And yet constantly I want material things or relationships or a career to provide that joy, when the only true satisfaction will ever come from Christ! "For your grace is sufficient for me.." 2 Corinthians 12:9


3. As you have been to me, so I will be to others.


God has granted me immeasurable grace and forgiveness. It is only fitting that I in turn give grace and forgiveness, as seen in the parable of the unmerciful servant in Matthew 18.


4. As I pray, I'll measure your compassion by the cross and your power by the resurrection.


Even when things are confusing. Even when circumstances are hard or bad or chaotic. I will not put you in the box of my understanding. For "your thoughts are higher than my thoughts and your ways are higher than my ways." Isaiah 55:9


I have lots of yummy recipes to share this week, but I couldn't keep from sharing the beautiful things I learned this past week. Tune in for baked ziti, chipotle ranch dressing, baked potato soup and sopapilla cheesecake!!! Aaah, it's going to be a delicious week :)

Floor Pong, Oprah and Other Things I'll Miss

I'm going to miss

intense floor pong tournaments

talented students

Oprah and Moses

Tuesday night worship

new perspectives on the psalms

Mexican food all. the. time.

Get LOW

Si Tu Tienes Fe

(with lots of vihuela)

I can't put into words what it feels like to know that after this summer, these kids won't be my everyday anymore. 

I pray that whoever takes my place loves them better than I do.

or else imma have to beat someone up.

Skirt Steak with Balsamic Glaze

**I'm at camp with my students all this week! Hope y'all enjoy some of these yummy recipes while I'm away. I'll try to respond to comments/emails when I get back!**

This meal. It was ridiculously easy. But it looks all fancy schmancy, right? 

When I first saw this recipe I thought- 'What? Skirt steak is for fajitas. You don't eat it like a regular steak.' 

But it totally worked. Just like Martha said it would.

What You'll Need:

• 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak (cut into 2 or more pieces, if necessary, to fit in skillet)
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar

What To Do

·  Heat tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high. Season steak with salt and pepper; add to skillet. Cook, turning once, 6 to 8 minutes total for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest, 5 to 10 minutes (reserve skillet).

·  Add vinegar to skillet, and boil over high until reduced to 1/2 cup, 5 to 7 minutes; stir in any juices from resting steak. Slice steak, and serve with balsamic glaze.

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Easy Guacamole

Fresh guacamole is one of life's most wonderful things. There's just something about the combination of rich avocado with diced onions, tomatoes and jalapenos with just a squeeze of lime juice that begs you to keep dipping tortilla chips into it. 


Okay, so guacamole is my crack.


And sometimes, I don't have onions, tomatoes and jalapenos on hand to mix in. So the trick I learned (from a legit Hispanic family, so don't hate) is to mix in some salsa! It already has all of the flavors you would mix into the guacamole all melded together in its own delicious form.  So if you don't have time to dice up all the fresh veggies, this is a perfectly acceptable and functional alternative. 

What You'll Need: 
3 Haas avocados
salt and fresh cracked black pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
1/2 lime, juiced
3 tablespoons of salsa 


What To Do:
Scoop avocado into a bowl and mash with a fork to desired smoothness or chunkiness. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to taste. Mix in salsa and lime juice. Adjust to taste. Consume immediately and if, unlike me, you have enough self control to have leftovers, refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container. 


So easy. So addicting. Enjoy responsibly.

What I Wore: #cheapgirlfashion

It all started when I took a self portrait 

(see below)

and realized that I looked pretty cute but was wearing very thrifty/inexpensive things

[$3 Forever 21 sunglasses, $5 Sam Moon faux pearls, and $3 clearance JCPenney top]

And then I realized that most of the time I'm wearing thrifty/inexpensive things

[$3 Forever 21 sunglasses, $0.50 Claire's necklace (from way back when), $5 Ann Taylor Loft top via Goodwill]

And so, #cheapgirlfashion was born. You can follow me on Instagram (chelsealynae) for more fun and thrifty outfits! 

[$5 clearance Charlotte Russe top, $2 mint sorbet nail polish]

This may be one of my favorite thrifty outfits to date!

[hand me down cardigan, $2 Old Navy dress via garage sale, $3 Forever 21 belt, and Blowfish Shoes won in a blog giveaway]

(sans pedicure. not cute.)

I'm loving Goodwill, blog giveaways, Forever 21 for accessories, clothes swaps and hand me downs! I'll take your old clothes. No shame here. 

You see, consumerism invades so much of my perspective

but I want to live my life through God's perspective.

I want to be a good steward of the things God has given me.

So, in my life, that means not stressin over beautiful, expensive clothes

But rather investing my money and time into my students and my church

(and food also, apparently, because I eat a lot).

What's your favorite way to save money and stay fashionable?

Balsamic Honey Chicken with Apples

This was a quick, healthy and delicious meal

It's perfect for a hectic weeknight and has lots of flavor! 

What You'll Need:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt

black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large apple, diced

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3 tbsp honey

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch 

What To Do:

Rinse the chicken in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. (Be sure they are completely dry.) If desired, pound chicken to preferred thickness. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, turning once, until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear. Remove the chicken from the heat and transfer to a plate. Cover to keep it warm.

Add the garlic and turn the heat down to medium for 2 minutes or until the garlic is soft. Add the apple andand 1/4 cup of the chicken broth and continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apple is soft. In a small bowl, combine the remaining chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, honey and cornstarch. Pour over the apple mixture. Increase the heat to high until it comes to a boil and then immediately lower the heat and simmer, stirring frequently for 4 to 6 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Return the chicken and any juices to the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.

Using a slotted spoon, serve chicken and apples over brown rice.

Recipe adapted from Panera Bread

Miscellany Monday

My students call themselves The Rugged Kids. Yeah, they're cool.

We are officially done with The Rugged Kids Cafe! It was a great camp fundraiser.

Our most popular item? The Green Monster Smoothie!

Ched 'R' Peppers should never come without a pepper! Sad day, Sonic.

My mom makes the best salsa in the world. She uses her garden grown tomatoes and cans it all summer long. Well, I got tired of waiting on this season's crop and made my own using this recipe. It's pretty good. It went well with our enchiladas.

I made my students my favorite enchiladas and they LOVED them. Definitely give them a try if you haven't!

After consuming crazy amounts of enchiladas, we had some live band karaoke at the church. This may have including 1000 Miles by Vanessa Carlton and Only Hope from A Walk to Remember. David was thrilled.

This past week, our church had Kids Bible Camp in parks and home in four separate neighborhoods around Austin. I took pictures and video each night and it was awesome to just observe and capture how God worked through that time! 

Also, I worked for hours trying to put a decent edited video together and failed miserably each time. David graciously volunteered to take care of it for me and did a fantastic job!

On Saturday we invited all of the children from Kids Bible Camp to the church for a big celebration service. We had free food, lots of songs, silly skits, puppets, and shared the gospel.

(practicing a skit)

At the very end we surprised all the kids with a giant water balloon fight! It was seriously so fun (even though none of the children listened to me, and they still threw the balloons at my head.) I was so grateful to all of the students who gave up their Saturday morning to come help us fill up 1000 water balloons! 

Sadly, yesterday I missed out on spending Father's Day with my daddy and I missed a surprise party for my grandma's 70th birthday. I'm so grateful for video messaging and phones that I was still able to communicate with both of them! 

Oh, and I'm definitely sending this card late. It's so perfect! My daddy still tells me I'm his favorite oldest daughter. 

Happy Monday, y'all! 

From Blog Life to Real Life Link Up

Ok y'all I'm linkin up today with these lovely ladies to tell you about some of my favorite bloggers! They supplied the questions and here are my answers.

1. Do you have any real life blog friends?

Yes, I do!

Alys at Beautiful Imperfections and I went to college together at UT! We went to the same church, were both involved with the BSM and our boyfriends lived together one year so we would hang out all the time at their place. Her and her husband are expecting their first child so check out her updates!

Becky at Unveiled Faces was my prayer partner for two years during college. You know that friend that whenever you spend time with them, you always walk away refreshed? That's her. She is so humble, prayerful and beautiful! 

Lauren at Seek First was my Bible study leader in college and we lived together for a year. Love her shop and blog- so many great insights into what God is doing in her marriage and her life!

I wish I'd gotten to know Alyssa, Ashley, Heather and Hannah better while we were in college, but they've all got great blogs to check out now!

2. Which blogger are you just dying to meet?

Well I'm pretty dang excited to meet Annie, L, and Erin at Influence in October! (and the rest of you who are going!)

Erin has a beautiful way with words and stands strong in her faith in Jesus.

L is such a sweetheart and has a great series on the power of our words right now!

Annie could be my twin. We're both English majors, love us some Hispanic culture, value dessert for the blessing it is, and think we're Dumbledore when we use the word "alas". 

I'm also way excited to welcome Kerrie to Texas next year! 

3. Which blogger's closet do you want to raid? 

Sandy's from Sandy a la Mode! I love how she incorporate trends in classic ways. Share with me?

and 

Kim from Oh, Sweet Joy.  Seriously, can be she be any more gorgeous? 

4. You are stuck on an island. Which blogger would you want with you to help you survive? 

I'd go with Jessi from This Camera Tells my Story.  She could cultivate a garden, grind our meat and survive the heat. Plus, she'd be fun and interesting company! 

5. The first blogger you remember "meeting" and connecting with ? 

L was the first to reach out to me. She is so encouraging that a friendship naturally blossomed.

6. Any blogger that you admire and look up to? 

Well, of course. 

Kerrie at the Williams Post inspires me to daily live on mission!

Jessi at Naptime Diaries challenges me to embrace grace.

Hannah at Happy Days is so honest and beautiful and I love reading about her family's journey.

7. Who is the craziest/funniest blogger? 

I vote Lenora at Yellow Heart Art. There is hardly a post from her that doesn't have me giggling. Her tweets too! Love her. 

8. There's a reality television show for bloggers, who would you want to be casted with you?

I'd want Rachel from Along the Way with Rae there! We could have our morning coffee together and avoid any drama.


Oh, and Shawnda from Confections of a Foodie Bride. She could teach me her genius. 

9. Some bloggers have really cool jobs, anybody you'd like to swap careers with? 

Well, I love my job :) But if I have to pick... probably Ree. What does she do?  Cook, cooking show, cookbooks, give away awesome prizes, live on a beautiful ranch.  Yes, that sounds good!

10. Favorite blog design? 

I like Jenna's at The Life of the Wife! Her shop design is pretty sweet too! 
                                               ______________________________


This was such a fun prompt! Hope y'all check out some of these awesome girls!

Avocado Eggs Benedict with Chipotle Hollandaise Sauce

This has been on my list to try for a long time! And after I made this delicious dish I wondered by I waited so long. Putting this meal together is pretty simple. Poaching an egg can be tricky but even if it doesn't turn out pretty, it will still be delicious. You can check out this helpful tutorial from Smitten Kitchen! 

Plus, avocado makes everything better. 

As does any kind of chipotle cream sauce. Can I get an amen?

I would definitely recommend this for any meal of the day. I enjoyed it at 10pm, but I'm sure it will be making some more brunch appearances soon! It's great for looking like you're all fancy schmancy and spent a long time making something classy for guests when it takes about fifteen minutes total to make, including heating the water. 


What You'll Need:
(serves 2)

• 2 English muffins
• 2 large eggs
• 1 small avocado
• 2 slices Canadian style bacon 
• butter to spread

for Hollandaise sauce:

• 2 egg yolks
• 1 stick of butter, melted
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 chipotle pepper (more if you like things spicy!)
• 2 tbsp adobo sauce (from canned chipotles in adobo)

What To Do:

Bring a pot of water to simmer. Swirl the water quickly with a spatula or spoon, creating a whirlpool effect. Crack your egg in the center and cook for about 2 1/2 minutes or until the whites are cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel.

Meanwhile, butter both sides of the English muffins and brown in a pan over medium heat. Heat Canadian style bacon in the pan as well. Mash avocado until creamy. Spread avocado over English muffin, then top with Canadian bacon and poached egg.

In a blender, combine egg yolks, lemon juice, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce for about thirty seconds until completely combined. With the blender still running, slowly stream in the hot, melted butter. The mixture should become thick and creamy. Immediately pour over your delicious sandwich and indulge. 

Recipe adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride: 

Avocado Eggs Benedict and Chipotle Hollandaise Sauce.

Hello Summer!

For our Tuesday night youth Bible study, we took a field trip to Mozart's to enjoy some delicious coffee and desserts while we dug into God's word

Yeah, I drove the church van.

We got some iced lattes, mochaccinos, milkshakes, cheesecake, mousse, brownies and chocolate fantasy cake and shared with everybody.

(Bible app, y'all)

and we enjoyed the glorious view of the sunset over the lake.

they were only slightly distracted by the family of turtles 

and the friendly squirrel that joined our table

Wednesday we had our first Get LOW

(get lunch on Wednesday)

Macaroni and Cheese Bar 

I made this stovetop version which was pretty yummy and served it buffet style with

with bacon crumbles, diced avocado, fresh diced onions and caramelized onions, diced grape tomatoes, steamed broccoli, taco seasoning, sliced jalapenos, and shredded mozzarella  and pepperjack cheeses 

I didn't get a picture of this because I scarfed it down. Sorry! 

Then we played tabletop fooseball

 and FLOOR PONG,

the king of all youth group activities. 

How have you ushered in summer?

Crockpot Carnitas

If you follow along with me on Twitter or Instagram, you know that I could eat tacos

every

single 

day

and never tire of their deliciousness. 

This recipe was so low maintenance and I've been eating the leftovers for five days now. Seriously, what is there to not love about tenderized, flavorful pulled pork? This stuff never dries out and pairs well with so many different flavors!

I actually used a 3 lb roast and reduced the cooking time by a couple of hours. It still made enough to feed a small army. You can also substitute broth, ginger ale or cola for the beer.

What You'll Need:

5-6 pounds pork shoulder roast (or butt)

1 tablespoons canola oil

8 ounces of your favorite beer

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika

1/2 tablespoon cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

What To Do:

Combine seasonings together in a bowl and mix until combined. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. Once hot, add pork and sear on all sides until golden brown (about 2 minutes per side).

Add pork to the crockpot and sprinkle seasonings all over. Pour in beer, then cook on low for 10-12 hours. Check once or twice if possible and if needed, add more beer (I did not add any). Before serving, use forks or kitchen tongs to shred pork. Let sit on low or warm for another 20-30 minutes before serving.

Recipe from How Sweet Eats

Top your taco with your favorite toppings! My go to is avocado slices and sour cream but you could also mix and match the following:

• diced onion
• cilantro
• avocado slices
• pico de gallo
• diced mango 
• sour cream/ greek yogurt
• sliced jalapeno
• fresh squeezed lime 
• layer in bowl with rice, pinto beans, meat, and top with any of the above

Miscellany Monday

1. I walked ten miles (along with many other members of my church) recently at a walkathon to help raise money for missions, namely two of my students who will spending their summer in Mexico teaching music!

(there were some BEAUTIFUL wildflower fields along our trail!)

Y'all. I am SO out of shape.

I could not even function the rest of the day. I ended up popping ibuprofen and going to bed really early with a slight fever. Ridiculous. (And yes I drank lots of water.)

2. I've bought two shop-my-closet items recently and LOVE them.

This is the best way to shop.

Lace and Ruffles. 

LOVE.

3. On Memorial Day I got to visit my parents and sister. It was way fun!

(I stole Lindsey's nonprescription hipster glasses and wore them all day. They went really well with my cropped jeans, mom's foldover socks and bowling shoes.)

David came along too :)

I even beat my dad at bowling.

(well, and everyone else)

It was a big deal.

I love them :)

4. I got to go support Taryn (8th grade)

Jon

Alexis and Caleb

Olivia

and Steven 

...at their graduation ceremonies.

 So proud of my graduates! 

It's been a busy week and I am so grateful for the beginning of summer and all the freedom that it gives me as a youth minister. We're going to have an amazing time.

5. Funny Story...

On the way to the first high school graduation I was attending I picked up a large iced latte. After all, it was in the morning on my day off. As I walked into the Frank Erwin Center, there were two UT students working as event staff at the door. The girl looked at me and said, "I'm so sorry to tell you this but you can't take that inside. You can stand out here and finish it or throw it away."

I was not happy.

I guess my facial expression made is apparent that I was frustrated with this decision as I turned to stand outside and drink my coffee, because the other event staffer told me I could come stand by them inside where it was cooler.

So I came inside and was weighing my options on how much of the ceremony I was missing versus how much I'd just paid for this drink when I saw the security guy (the nice one who insisted I come in) motioned at me to run and then looked away exaggeratedly. 

So I ran!

It was awesome and I got to enjoy my sweet coffee throughout the ceremony.

And I had the goofiest smile on my face.

He understood my relationship with coffee

and it totally made the rest of my day!

Linkin up with Carissa at Lowercase Letters