"To shine your brightest light is to be who you truly are." -- Roy T. Bennett {March Recap}

Photo by: Johannes Plenio

Ever since the end of last year, I have been feeling in active transition and have been more reflective about who I am and what I'm passionate about, what makes me feel the most alive and when I have felt the most fruitful. While that has been an ongoing process, I've also been learning in ever-deepening ways to define ministry less as what we do and more about who we are, how our presence introduces the love of Jesus to a life or situation, and how we can naturally be a vessel of God's Kingdom. That doesn't mean we don't want to be purposeful in ministry in terms of what we do, but it does mean that we want to avoid striving or being busy for the sake of being busy. As Raúl and I are preparing and getting closer to our time in the States, I increasingly feel like God is presenting us with a reset button in many ways and will use this time to recommission us in missions and ministry. With that said, I have no idea what that will look like yet. But in the midst of March wildfires and the dust of the dry season, the hope of new growth is water to our parched souls.

Good Eats:

Photo by AnnTS

1) Cinnamon ginger hibiscus iced tea. We are right in the midst of the dry and hot season here in Honduras. Most houses don't have air conditioning (including ours), so the desire to drink something refreshing is a pretty re-occurring feeling at this point. Iced hibiscus tea is something that is pretty readily available here. Personally, I like to add just a bit more spice to it--thus, the ginger. Like any tea, you just brew it all together and add sweetener as desired.

2) Sweet potato mac and cheese. I have made macaroni and cheese with pumpkin puree added to the cheese sauce and thought this would be similar, but the unique aspect of this particular recipe was not pureeing the sweet potato or adding it to the cheese sauce. Instead, the recipe calls for mashing the sweet potatoes and just adding them to the noodles and then adding the cheese sauce separately. It's a really rich macaroni and cheese and includes the added nutritional value of sweet potatoes. Here is the Nigella Lawson recipe I used: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/sweet-potato-macaroni-and-cheese

3) Sweet potato breakfast casserole. This month was heavy on the sweet potatoes. This was actually a casserole I made for ladies' Bible study. I took some ideas from some recipes and also added some things that I had on hand. I started with grated sweet potatoes. From there, I added some red beans, some chorizo, tomatoes, parsley, green onion, and dill. The dill added the most unique element, and if I make it again, I'd make sure to include it. All of those fillings were mixed with milk, beaten eggs, and a little bit of hot sauce and then baked. You can pretty much look up any breakfast casserole recipe to get a general idea of oven temperatures and baking times. One thing that did make the cooking easier was that I baked the sweet potatoes by themselves first, cooked the sausage on the stovetop, and the beans were already cooked.


Photo by: LoggaWiggler

4) Oranges with salt and "especias." This is another seasonal, Honduran treat. Streetside vendors are currently selling peeled oranges with salt and a spice blend that includes at least black pepper and cumin and sometimes ground bay leaf, garlic powder, and onion powder. I know it seems counter-intuitive to add savory things to a sweet fruit, but it's so good.


What I Read:

Photo from amazon.com

1) Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines. I guess it can be argued that you don't really have to read a cookbook like a normal book. But, it's still someone's cohesive work, and there is something soothing and enjoyable to me about actually taking the time to read the blurbs, personal reflections, and anecdotes. A lot of these recipes are hybrids of ready-made ingredients and fresh ingredients, and many remind me of what I grew up eating. The photography is beautiful, and the images are very reflective of Joanna Gaines usual down-home, rustic aesthetic. Some recipes that really call my attention are for Syrian donuts, country potato soup, grilled raspberry chipotle pork tenderloin, and Jo's fatayar.


Photo from amazon.com

2) Beautiful One Edited by Shae Cooke. This book is a compilation of essays by various women in Christian ministry based on a conference that took place in 2009. The essays, by people like Heidi Baker, Beni Johnson, and Sue Ahn among others, are about topics like receiving God's love, facing fear, finding your God-given passion, etc. Even beyond the overall themes, what I really enjoyed were the personal stories and testimonies of the way that God revealed Himself to these women and also showed them their own value and callings. Here are some excerpts that made their way into my journal:
"When the Lord put passion in your heart for something, eventually you figure out the desires you have are His."
"Pay attention to those burning passions and desires, for you have no idea the places that they will take you to. As you follow their lead, you will find yourself doing exactly what God has called you to do." 
"His Word is the foundation upon which all of our dreams and hopes are manifested." 


Photo from amazon.com

3) Illusion by Frank Peretti. I've read a lot of Frank Peretti books over the years, and I have enjoyed them for the most part. Mysteries with twists that feature spiritual warfare are often his usual, but this book was unlike anything of his that I've read previously. It's a book that was partially inspired by his long-standing relationship with his wife, and it's about a couple of magicians who are tragically separated by death in the height of their golden years. The story soon takes a very surprising turn whenever something nearly sci-fi occurs, and characters become unreliable. It's a new style of writing for Peretti and also incorporates elements that aren't his trademark. But, that makes it refreshing. Overall, while it started out a bit slow, it soon became the kind of book I wanted to finish in one sitting.


Photo from amazon.com

4) The Word of the Lord: Seeing Jesus in the Prophets by Nancy Guthrie. This book was the one we used for Bible study for this last session. One of the things I enjoy about Bible study is that it introduces me to books and studies I often wouldn't have found or picked on my own. This book focuses on the parallels between the prophets and Jesus and how Jesus fulfilled many of their prophecies. The book was accompanied by videos where Nancy reads with great precision exactly what is in the book. That was not my favorite. But, having a guided study throughout the week and some discussion questions that led to some good group conversations was beneficial. Seeing and being reminded of the common thread woven by God throughout history using prophecy was very cool and served to remember just how lovingly detailed our Father is.


Photo from amazon.com

5) The Cure for the Common Life by Max Lucado. This book was a hand-me-down from another missionary after their move, and I hadn't read any books by Max Lucado before even though I know he is a prolific, popular Christian writer. I did enjoy this book because of the season that I'm in. For a Christian book, it keeps things pretty light and predictable, and I wouldn't say that a lot of the info was life-changing. But, I do appreciate taking a proactive approach to reflecting on how our childhood giftings, adult interests, and the things that make us feel alive and purposeful can lead use to have a better understanding of how we're uniquely made in order to put our callings in practice for God's glory. The book also includes an interactive inventory at the end to help the reader discern what their passions are. Here are some excerpts:
"Look back over your life. What have you consistently done well? What have you loved to do?"
"The only mistake is not to risk making one."
"He [Jesus] said no to good things so he could say yes to the right thing: his unique call." 


What I Watched:
1) The Umbrella Academy. I watched this show on recommendation by my family. We're big into the superhero Marvel Cinematic Universe but are also champions of the underdog. This show incorporates element of both is incredibly quirky and human. It follows a set of adopted, superhero siblings who are reunited because of their eccentric, adoptive father's death. They have unique pasts and lots of built-in insecurities due to how they were raised. While part of the fun is exploring who these people are and why they act the way they do, the other part of the entertainment is the threat of an impending apocalypse. It's rough around the edges and is NOT geared toward children since it has violence and drug use. But, if you like human, quirky characters with some sci-fi/superhero twists, it's an enjoyable watch.

2) Captain Marvel. See note above for the reason I watched it. There is obviously a lot of excitement building for Avengers: End Game, and the possibility of getting new pieces to the puzzle was a major draw. This movie was a lot of fun because of its humor, 90s nostalgia, and the great chemistry between Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson. I was initially unsure about whether or not Brie Larson would fit in with the rest of the superheros of the MCU, but she was a great pick. As always, I like seeing strong female characters, and Captain Marvel is caring and compassionate but also funny, strong, and secure in who she is. Overall, while a couple of the plot elements felt a little too easy, it was a fun movie worth watching.

3) The Most Unknown. This is a documentary on Netflix that my brother recommended to me. It follows nine scientists of varying fields as they spend some time exploring the pursuits of other scientists in various world locations. They present many questions relating to time, consciousness, dark matter, and others. It's really interesting to see the scientists connecting over the shared passion to pursue discovery even when they have no guarantee that they'll work be fruitful, and it was also amazing to see how so many fields have common themes coursing through their questions.

4) 5 Flights Up. This movie stars Diane Keaton and Morgan Freeman as a couple who have been together for a long time and have built an entire life in a New York apartment. As they're aging, their apartment becomes less practical as it doesn't have an elevator, and they live five flights up. So, they decide to sell their apartment. Over the course of short span of time, their history is shown in flashbacks, and they're pushed into making some decisions they didn't expect. It's a sweet movie about a relationship built on perseverance, love, and understanding that made me weepy as it reminded me of my grandparents. Worth watching.
 

Online Reading Recommendations:

If you're interested in the enneagram, a personality tool for personal and spiritual growth, check out:

1) "7 Things the Enneagram Is Not" 
2) "Anger Solutions Customized for Your Personality Type" by Jill McCormick (I helped contribute to this article as the author is a fellow Hope*Writer.)

3) "Why Knowing How You're Wired Helps You Live Out Your Purpose" by Jill McCormick

If you're interested in the seasons we can experience in our faith walks, check out:

4) "Break Up, Freeze-up, and Other Understated Seasons" by Addie Zierman 

If you're married, check out:

5) "What Happens When Wives Pray" by Valerie Murray

If you're interested in missions and culture, check out:

6) "A Muslim, A Christian, and Baby Named 'God'" by Rachel Pieh Jones

7) "Feasting in Kurdistan" by Marilyn R. Gardner

If you're interested in modern culture AND faith, check out:

8) "The Church of the Perpetually Burned Out" by Sara Billups


If you're a reader, check out:

9) "12 Tips to Read More Books" by Renee' Tumolo  (As a side note, so much about this article makes me feel like I should be friends with this woman. Chai tea, check! Books you hold in your hands, check! Setting reading goals, check!)

My grandmother sent me some pictures of the daffodils coming up in her yard. I hope signs of spring are unearthing in your life as well.



Photo by Mike Goad