The rain began again. It fell heavily, easily, with no meaning or intention but the fulfillment of its own nature, which was to fall and fall." - Helen Garner {September Recap}

The beginning of this month started with severe drought and the lingering question of when it would finally rain. Nationwide prayers were sparked, and there was a shared and felt solidarity as people asked each other about their current water situations. It was a little scary but truly a piquant and humbling reminder of just how much we rely on God daily without always acknowledging His grandeur. There were weeks when the forecast was calling for rain, but only a few droplets fell. It sometimes felt as if there was an invisible shield over the earth keeping the ground thirsty but the clouds heavy. But, after much prayer, it finally started raining in downpours and torrents and steady waterfalls. I think all of Honduras breathed a collective sigh of relief, and we still look at each other weeks later with wonder and joy every time it starts to rain. While autumn is starting in the US, the rainy season finally feels like it's starting here, and while I don't know what it's signalling, it just feels right, like something new is upon us and time is moving forward in our favor. 

What I Watched:

1) Martian Child. This was a random Netflix find, and it's notably twelve-years-old, but I love a good John Cusack movie, and I love foster care and adoption. This movie follows the story of a grieving man who decides to adopt a quirky little boy who believes he is from Mars. The widower and the little boy develop a new sense of family, and while it is not easy dealing with the little boy's eccentricities, it soon becomes clear that they're both testing the waters of whether family love can be unconditional and permanent. It's a sweet watch.

2) The Chef Show. I have only seen the first season so far, but the second season did come out this month. Back in 2014, Jon Favreau, Scarlett Johansson, and Robert Downey, Jr. all appeared in a movie about a washed up chef who decides to start his own food truck. (Now, of course, all of the above people are tied to the mega Marvel Cinematic Universe.) Jon Favreau played the chef, and as part of his real-life training, he recruited chef and food truck owner, Roy Choi, to school him in the culinary arts. Since then, they've remained friends, and this show is basically just following them as they cook various delicious-looking foods, travel the US, and meet up with other friends to cook more delicious-looking things. The most popular episode of this show probably is the one where Jon and Roy meet up with Tom Holland, Robert Downey, Jr., and the directors of Avengers: Endgame in Atlanta or maybe the most-talked-about episode was the one where Gwyneth Paltrow forgets that she was in Spiderman. Regardless, the rest of the episodes are worth watching for great food inspiration and just a general sense of recipes shared and community being built. (Disclaimer: It does have spicy language.)


What I Read:


From amazon.com


1) Living Underwater by Heidi Baker. This book is a very small and short read packed with lots of nuggets of wisdom. It really just gives a glimpse into the life of intimacy with God that Heidi Baker cultivates and how that deep relationship with God has led to maintaining revival in Mozambique and to carrying that spirit with her wherever she goes. It's simple but refreshing. Here are a few quotes that were notable to me:

"And at times, I hear God saying, 'Come away, my beloved and walk on the beach; come and ride your bike with me; come and lay down in my presence.' And my little religious heart is thumping as I get overwhelmed by the ever-present needs. . . . He is not as concerned with how much we can do for Him as with how much holy passion fills our hearts for Him. Lovers outwork workers." 

"But the more I have to do, the more I must press into prayer. I have no choice but to be utterly dependent on Him." 

"God longs to be loved. He wants to know that He is more important than revival. He must be more of a priority than the multitudes, than the fruit, than the miracles. When we are that in love with Him, fruit happens. It is effortless in love." 

"If we are not full of Him, we have nothing to offer anyone else."

"The more time we spend with God, the more fruitfulness will happen in our lives." 


From amazon.com


2) Christians at the Border: Immigration, The Church, and The Bible by M. Daniel Carroll R.  
I randomly picked up this book on sale one time. I didn't know anything about it or the author, but given that I live in Central America and am married to a Honduran, immigration is always a relevant topic. This book is packed with information and took a while for me to get through. It's from the point of view of a biracial/bicultural/bi-country author, and it looks at immigration from various angles. This being the second edition, it was published in 2013, so it was fascinating to review history and previous points of view before many of the ideas and changes that have taken place under the Trump administration. I thought he did a good job in analyzing cultural assimilation, reasons why people may feel invaded by immigrants, and the unique gifts that immigrants offer to the US church. It's worth reading just to get some interesting perspectives. The second half of the book examines the Bible and its perspectives on how to treat immigrants. This part also included a lot of valuable information to ponder. The only aspect that I feel falls short or is over-simplified is how he connects that Biblical thought to today's circumstances. All in all, if you feel as torn as I do in wondering what the practical solutions are for such a complex and emotional issue, it's worth reading just to glean some new perspectives and information.



From amazon.com


3) Ignite Azusa: Positioning for a New Jesus Revolution by Jennifer A. Miskov. Ever since I saw Lou Engle and James Goll in a conference once, I have been interested in revival history. The Azusa Street Revival is one of the most well-known and influential in how the church has transformed and moved forward. This book was written in conjunction with an event that Lou Engle held called Azusa Now on the anniversary of the Azusa Street Revival's first sparks. I streamed that event online and felt so deeply impacted by what was going on in the global church as evidenced by a crying out for God to move in ways that we humans never will be able to. This book examines the history related to the Azusa Street Revival, the people who cried out for its arrival, and the effects it had on the world thereafter. It also has essays written by people like Bill Johnson, Heidi Baker, and Lou Engle that talk about the importance of intimacy with God, praying for revival, but also stewarding the presence of God in missional ways. Here are some excerpts that made their way into my journal:

"There is something significant about seeking God together with friends and inviting Him to invade even the intimate spaces of family. Revival begins and is sustained in family."

"Doing life together with a small tribe of our people will be an important aspect of stewarding and discipling this incoming harvest. Staying known in a close-knit community with others who burn for Jesus is a key for sustaining revival and finishing well." 



From amazon.com


4) When God Becomes Real by Brian Johnson. Brian Johnson is one of the founders of Bethel Music, and I have been listening to his songs for years. A couple years ago, he experienced a nervous breakdown and spent a lot of time in recovery. Since then, I've seen messages where he has told his story and emphasized the need to be more self-aware in our hurts and more transparent with others as we fight for relationship rather than letting little offenses build into anxiety and pressure. I was excited when I found out that he wrote a book about that season in his life. This book is a narrative that talks a lot about what tools Brian found in walking out of his season of darkness and the pitfalls that he had along the way. But, what was also a pleasant surprise was how he shared various personal stories leading up to that season, including how he met and married his wife, Jenn, and how Bethel Music was born. Because it is a story more so than a self-help book, it's personal and is easy to read.



From amazon.com


5) Dirty Glory: Go Where Your Best Prayers Take You by Pete Greig. This book was recommended to me by some missionary friends who now feel inspired to get the wheels turning to start a 24/7 prayer room. While I had heard of prayer movements like IHOPKC and the historical 100-year Moravian prayer movement, I hadn't heard of the 24/7 prayer movement that got its start in the UK. I loved this book. Pete Greig is real, and he writes in both a confronting and conversational way. He tells honest stories without sugar coating the questions that they can spark, and his testimonies will cause your faith to grow. I particularly loved reading about the way that ongoing prayer then led to heartfelt and radical action in caring for the poor, the most forgotten, and the hardest to love. That, to me, is the Gospel. If you're searching for a Christianity that isn't the usual, this book is a good place to start. Here are some excerpts that impacted me:

"The Bible says that this is precisely the opportunity we have in Christian prayer: to minister to the Father's heart with unnecessary acts of deep affection."

"It's possible to step into all the things you have ever prayed for, and in that precise moment to lose the intimacy with God you enjoyed during all the years of waiting and wrestling." 

"Ultimately, it is only the presence of God that distinguishes us from everyone else. . . . This is what sets us apart in the culture. We are carriers of the presence of God." 

"We are sent out as missionaries to build relationships that are real, not just to preach but also to listen, not just to witness to Jesus but to worship with the lost, not just to save others but to get saved ourselves. Our own journeys of salvation and spiritual formation will thereby become intertwined with those to whom Christ is sending us. . . . We go to the lost and make space for them to preach to us, to minister to our unbelief." 


"Unity is not uniformity. It is organic, not mechanistic--a family full of differences yet one in blood." 

"By saying no to God's leadership in your life, you will miss out on the actual reason for which you were born. . . . Life to the full awaits your yes." 


What I Ate:


Photo by Denise Spijker

1) Cream of Zucchini Soup. This soup was kind of a fluke way of not wasting. I made stuffed zucchini something or other, and I had leftover zucchini flesh (yuck...what a word...what other word works better there without causing cringing?) that I didn't want to waste. Thus, this soup came to be. Here is an inspiration recipe: https://www.skinnytaste.com/cream-of-zucchini-soup-1-ww-point/
I didn't have sour cream, so I used plain yogurt instead.

2) Cauliflower Fried Rice with Salsa Verde (from The Chef Show).  This was just one of the delicious things that they made on the show, and while I couldn't find a set recipe, I did find a website that lists the ingredients for everything they made in season one. If you want the detailed play by play, just watch the David Chang episode of the show. Here is the website: https://screenrant.com/chef-show-netflix-recipes-ingredients/ It's a pretty novel and delicious idea to put salsa verde on fried rice.


Photo by Youjeen Cho

3) Pasta Aglio e Olio (from the movie, Chef). This recipe was also mentioned in The Chef Show mainly because Jon Favreau's character makes it in a scene in the movie, Chef. It's simple, and they are right--it absolutely should be eaten immediately after making it. But, it's really good. Here is the recipe (those who hate garlic need not read): https://www.foodandwine.com/blogs/how-seduce-scarlett-johansson-spaghetti



Photo by Foodie Factor

4) Roasted Tomato Soup. It is fall, ya'll. And, I don't know about you, but that means soup to me. Of course, I have been eating it with sweat dripping down my face in the heat (that is eventually alleviated by the rain). My husband occasionally brings home large amounts of fruits or vegetables. Generally, someone who stops by his business sells avocados or watermelons or whatever, and as a thank you, they give him loads of stuff. There are only two of us, so we give some away and generally still have more than enough. This month there were copious numbers of tomatoes. So, I roasted them whole, peeled the skins off, and pureed them. Then I made them into soup using chicken stock, fresh basil, garlic, salt, pepper, a tiny bit of ground cloves, and a bit of sugar, Naturally, we ate it with grilled cheese sandwiches.


Favorites:
1) "Good and Loved" by Travis Greene featuring Steffany Gretzinger.  
Steffany Gretzinger left Bethel Music (on excellent terms, no scandals here) a while back because she and her husband had long felt called to Nashville. Selfishly, I mourned that I would no longer be able to look up her spontaneous worship songs on YouTube. However, this song appeared, and my mourning was over! And what an beautiful song it is! It blesses my heart to see her continue to thrive and spread her life message to new arenas.

2) "Trust in You" by Anthony Brown. I came across this song via my brother over the summer, but it has especially resonated this month. I have woken up on more than one occasion with this song on the forefront of my mind as God reminds me, worrying and what-iffing 6 (Enneagram) that I am, that I was not created to worry or to fear. It's powerful, and I could listen to it on repeat.
*The links for both are in the titles following the numbers.

I am excited for fall to be here even as I don't experience as much of the cold and don't see any leaves changing. I wondered the other day what it must be like even for my husband to not have grown up with the outward changing of seasons. There is something so refreshing and safe about seeing the world around me signal that God is doing something different and to feel that within myself. While I don't experience that outward signalling as much any more, there is still an internal timepiece that reminds me that life is always moving forward for better or for worse. I can revel in it and take hold of it. I can use my time well, or I can become stagnant and squander it. Regardless, it waits for no one. In this season, I am reveling in it. I hope you are too.