Holy Guacamole!

As promised, here is a recipe for amazing guacamole from my trusted Colombian friend, Alexandra. It is all natural, no spices--unless you count salt. It varies a little bit from what I learned in Mexico, but it's still fresh. Growing up my mom always added sour cream, cumin, garlic salt and additional spices... but when you take that away it is SO much better (I think) (sorry mom!), I promise you!

You will need:

• Green Onions
• 2-3 Tomatoes
• 1 Onion
• 3 Lemons 
• 1 Banana Pepper
• 6-7 Avocados
• Fresh Cilantro
• Salt to your taste

 

Look at all that freshness!

Really it's a no brainer to make this.  But some of the steps are different (see the grater to the right??) than how I would make it at home. So, in 10 or less easy steps, here you go:

1. Finely chop up your green onion and add to the bowl.
2. Grate your tomato. See picture below. I cut it in half and shred it like a block of cheese.

3. Add the avocados! Scoop out the good stuff and then smash it up with a fork.
4. Then chop up the onion (the finer the better, I think) and mix it in!
5. Next add your lemon juice. Start with half... but you'll probably end up using all of this.

6. Cilantro! Finely chop it up and add. I don't have an amount for it, but can you ever have too much?
7. Take your banana pepper and make sure you scoop out all your seeds! Else it will be hotter than you ever imagined. Just like the tomato, shred/grate it, leaving only the skin.
8. Salt! This started with 7 avocados, so you'll probably want quite a bit I think.

Yum!

Grateful.

"in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." -1 Thessalonians 5:18

God's really been trying to teach me something lately I think about gratitude. This verse above came to my mind the other day when I wasn't even reading in the New Testament but was reflecting on some situations in which Job had not to be thankful.  Everything about this man's life had gone awry, but according to the Scriptures, he was to give thanks. 

I have challenged myself lately to not complain but look for the good in every situation, to find reason for thanksgiving, because this is God's will for me. When everything else is stripped away, you can't take away the hope I have in Christ. And that is worth everything.

I leave you with this video I watched a few weeks ago and it was really... sweet for a lack of a better word. I'm hoping to post pictures in coming days of my time at FPO, but I don't know what that would look like. I definitely want to post a 'how to' blog on making guacamole. I literally took pictures of every step from my Colombian SSL. So fresh, so good.


Xo

Tunesday Tuesday.

Confession: Sometimes I can really act like a girl. Tonight is one of them, and when I just heard this song come on my iTunes shuffle I was reminded of how much I love it.  It's pretty simple; no deep explanation of why I picked it. Just being a girl.

:)

What's in a Name?

Lost are saved, find their way

 at the sound of Your great name
All condemned, feel no shame

at the sound of Your great name
Every fear, has no place

 at the sound of Your great name
The enemy, he has to leave

 at the sound of Your great name

I have been here at the learning center for 6 weeks now and I don't think y'all would want to read through all that I have learned. Whoever compared our time here to drinking from a fire hydrant was not kidding. A LOT of important, valuable information coming at you in a short time. I like what my supervisor told me before coming here. Not to be stressed out;  I will learn some stuff here that I'll never use on the field, and there will be things on the field never covered in my time here in Richmond.

I tell you all of this in short to let you know I'm not going to summarize the 7 dimensions of IMB personnel or review the 4 spiritual laws with you. I want to share with you the renewed confidence I have in who I am sent out by. I have heard so many stories since being here, studied a few different worldviews and I am broken for them. For their lost-ness. BUT. I am continually humbled by the name of Jesus who strengthens me to do His work. It is only by His power that we get to see great things happening in the darkest places of the world.  I would not trust to go out with any other name than Jesus. 6 weeks after training and that's all I can tell you, as simple as it is. Everything we do must point back to the gospel, else we're just talking about ourselves.  And as imperfect as I am, that would be a huge mistake. 

Revelation 7:9 says, "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands." I'm so thankful that we serve a God who knows eternity and who will get all the glory. Every nation, tribe, people and language will be present and I hold on to that promise when times look so dark in Ukraine, Venezuela and other parts of the world.  His kingdom is big and I can't wait to be used for it.

Tunesday Tuesday.

I heard this song the other night playing on my friend's Spotify and have been listening to it ever since. It has got such a good hook!! At least I think so, anyway. It's by Churchill and is called "Lock Your Heart Down."

Tasteful Travels.

This weekend I had the pleasure of sitting back and being a tourist in a town I had never been before, Charlottesville, VA. Home of one of nation's president's and what I now believe to be one of the most prestigious state schools, UVA. I went with an old school best friend, a new bestie and a brand new friend. The fun we had this Saturday will be remembered for years to come through the lens of not one but 4 cameras (yes, we all 4 were carrying our DSLR cameras) and I'm sharing some of my favorites with you now.

First, our hostesses and one of my dearest friends Emily. Heart of gold and so thankful for her friendship.

So, UVA has this bridge that anyone can paint on at anytime. Currently they had this huge portion dedicated to Venezuela and my heart was proud. We need to remember to pray for their political unrest and our people in country.

Our group for the day: Natalie, me, Leanne, and Emily

We had lunch at Trump Winery and it was so pretty! No, we had no drinks, and yes, it was the Donald's.

Monticello in all its glory!

Tunesday Tuesday.

iTunes radio is a great tool. I used to listen to it at work for hours on the Hillsong United station and I'm pretty sure that's how I first heard this song among many great others. I don't know how old this song is, but the message is so central to what I'm here for that I listen to it almost every morning and night before I go to bed.

My favorite lines in the song are in the chorus:
I am in love with You I want to take Your name
I am in love with You I want to cling to You Jesus

Such a simple song and yet such a good one.