Snapshots

Life is always changing, one thing rolling to the next, little by little taking you someplace new.  Sometimes all I can do is think about the next "big" thing, and I forget what I love so much about now.  So here's to now, and the things I won't always have.

I love Ypsilanti - really.
I love living close to Ann Arbor.
I love my tiny apartment.
I love being surrounded by so many people who love me.
I love having such an accessible mission field.
I love living minutes away from Noelle.  I really take that for granted.
I love that I can see the seasons changing.
I love being able to wear shorts in the summer, and that I can tan in less than shorts in my backyard.
I love being 1.5 hours away from [most] of my family.
I love not having a lot of money-it's so much easier to appreciate things.
I love playing scrabble with my husband.
I love not having children [one day I know I will love having children, but right now I'm happy I don't].
I love living down the road from Trader Joe's.
I love jogging in the morning with Eliot through Frog Island Park.
I love my old car-it reminds me of God's faithfulness.
I love my IV peeps-so much.
I love that my neighbors are from all over the place.
I love the slow pace of life right now.
I love that all of this will change...and I love that I am in God's steady hands.

Watchman Nee and death

I've recently been reading a few books by Watchman Nee, a Chinese evangelist and leader of the indigenous church in China.  They are deeply revelatory yet profoundly simple and digestible.  I've been meaning to write about what I've been reading for a while, but after every chapter I'm so moved I don't know if I can put it into words.  

Nee writes a lot about death, dying to yourself and dying in Christ.  While I understand the implications and applications, I'm not quite sure if I follow his entire line of thinking, but I love what he says about new life in Christ.  I'm literally reading and re-reading chapters because they're so beautiful.

In the book I'm currently reading The Normal Christian Life, Nee talks about the process of being crucified with Christ, and then being resurrected with Him, both of which we accept by faith.  "In resurrection he is the source of my life-indeed he is my life; so I cannot but present everything to him, for all is his, not mine.  But without passing through death I have nothing to consecrate, nor is there anything God can accept, for he has condemned all that is of the old creation to the Cross."  As a sinner, as a person, I have nothing to give to God.  Everything I would offer Him is already tainted and thus He cannot accept it.  How beautiful that, through the life that He gives me, I can give Him my life in obedience.

Nee goes on to say "God will always break what is offered to him.  He breaks what he takes, but after breaking it blesses and uses it to meet the needs of others."  Sometimes when I think of giving my life to God, I think of what I will be able to do for Him, but when we truly give something, we don't have control over the gift.  The recipient can do whatever he wants.  I could give a crystal vase to someone thinking it will be so beautiful in their home, and they might give it to their child to play with, and ultimately break.  What is it to me?  I gave the gift and can have no say over what becomes of it.

So it is with our lives.  When we really give our lives to God, He has the right to ask whatever He will of us, even if it seems painful, unnecessary or even a waste.  What should it be to us?  My life is not my own.  My life, in Christ is given back to Him.  It is the only option.  Anything I take away from Him will become worthless, shamefully wasting the blood He shed for me.

Spaghetti Squash Serenade

I recently became the recipient of several large squashes of different variety.  Some of them I knew exactly what to do with, but I had never, ever eaten, much less cooked, a spaghetti squash.  Would you know it, that very same day Martha Stewart scripted several lovely recipes, one of which was the one I will share here, Roasted Shrimp with Spaghetti Squash

I was a little hesitant because I had never cooked shrimp before, either, but it was amaaazing!  My husband came home and could not get over how delicious it was.  To me, it literally felt like eating pasta and shrimp.  The basic recipe follows.  I did saute tomatoes, onion, garlic and zucchini on the side. which really enhanced the flavor and added to the "spaghetti" effect.

Enjoy!

• 1 medium spaghetti squash (about 3 pounds), halved lengthwise
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season squash with salt and pepper. Place cut side down in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add 3/4 cup water and roast until tender when pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes (mine took close to an hour to cook, and it was still quite al dente). Let cool.
2. Meanwhile, on a rimmed baking sheet, toss shrimp with 1 teaspoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Scoop out seeds from squash and discard. With a fork, scrape flesh into a large bowl. Add shrimp and any cooking juices, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon oil; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, top with parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.