A Holy Pursuit

For a couple weeks now I have gone up to the closest Planned Parenthood facility, which is only four blocks away, to sit and pray.  I chose to go on Saturday mornings which is one of the days this particular facility provides abortion services to their clients. I have only gone twice now, and the first time I had no idea what to expect.  So I just went.  I stood and prayed. I squatted and prayed. I sat and prayed.  After being there for just a few minutes a Planned Parenthood volunteer stepped outside wearing the bright yellow vest. I didn't feel very threatening, but apparently they thought I was. Enough to warrant a volunteer, anyway. That first day I sat and prayed for about 45 minutes. I wanted to stay longer, but I had other commitments. This past Saturday as I walked up to the Planned Parenthood building I was a little discouraged when I saw two individuals wearing the bright yellow vest. They had multiplied, Then as I began praying...

Here it is, folks. Our little home, sweet home. It is much smaller than our summer home, but it is the perfect space for us, at this point in our lives. So here's a little virtual, picture tour of our Chicago home.  This is the view from our front door. To the right is our bathroom, straight ahead is our bedroom, soft left is the living/dining room, and sharp left is the kitchen (just on the other side of the wall to the left). Here is Bryan and the living room. The dining room table is also in this space. The blinds were closed for lighting purposes for both Bryan and I, but we have a great view of the city! Here is our little kitchen! I'm loving all the red elements we've added so far (the Kitchen Aid mixer being a favorite!).  And finally, here is our bedroom, complete with beautiful quilt done by Bryan's aunts Debbie and Laura and their families, and with help from Grandma and Grandpa Nass. We love it so much! Oh, and you can also barel...

Alright folks, here it is. My top 12 memories of Summer 2012 12. Grill and Chills every Tuesday night 11. Teaching the Jr. High girls X-Tra Mile class 10. Jr. High Girls Spa Night 9. Watching Bryan model in the costume shop 8. Hiking at Palisades-Kepler with the High Schoolers 7. $1.00 Car Wash 6. Celebrating 4 th of July with Mom and Dad Nass 5. Marty and Kelly’s Wedding 4. My parents’ visit in early August 3. Learning how to work {well} with my husband 2. Lost Island Water Park trip with the Jr. Highers 1. Getting to know all the Crossroads Students And one honorable mention would be all of our cooking adventures... The picture pretty much says it all! Overall, it's been a wonderful summer! It's had its ups-and-downs because of being newly-weds in full-time ministry together, and other variables. But God has been faithful and the memories are wonderful! Spe...

Saturday was definitely a highlight of my summer. There are many times in which I look at my husband with awe and marvel at how he allows God to use him. Saturday was no exception. It began with a simple idea: a $1 car wash, which was followed by weeks of planning and preparation, complete with a video tutorial on how to properly wash a car. You may be thinking, “Great fundraising idea”, right? Wrong. Bryan wasn’t interested in making money, and neither was the church we are currently working for. Instead, Bryan wanted to use this car wash as a way to reach out to the neighborhood where the church is being relocated and share the Gospel with them. You may be wondering, “How does a $1 car wash accomplish those goals?” Well, as a vehicle pulls up to the car wash there is a student standing there to greet them with a wad of $1 bills. The unsuspecting driver then presents their dollar and expects the student to take it so they can drive forward. However, at this poi...

Bryan and I had been married for two months and 15 days when we made this goal. We were on our way to do some hiking on our day off in Minnesota and were just enjoying the drive and each other’s company when Bryan came up with a great idea. “Want to drive across the country sometime?” Marvelous. Yes. Best idea I’ve heard in a while! So from there our goal transformed into visiting all 50 states, potentially in our first ten years of marriage, but at least sometime. Also, once we visit a state we get a magnet of the state and a picture at the “Welcome to…” sign. For now we have five states on our magnet map, but before the year is over we will add at least one or two more, maybe three, if we get a chance.  Bryan and I have some more serious goals in our marriage, too, but the fun ones definitely have their place!

Here is an amazing recipe that Bryan and I tried recently and have made a number of times because it is so simple and wonderfully delicious! Herb Lime Chicken -Boneless, skinless chicken breast, thawed -1 bottle lite Italian dressing -1 lime, halved and sliced -3 garlic cloves, minced -1/2 cup lime juice -Pinch of ground thyme Mix all marinade ingredients together (the last five) and set aside about 1/2 cup to use as chicken is on the grill. Put the chicken in a large plastic ziploc bag and pour in the marinade. Put in fridge and allow to set for about 5-8 hours. Then grill about 5 min on each side of the chicken or until done. When Bryan grills this chicken it turns out so tender and juicy... We love it! And it is perfect with some green beans or a nice side salad. Enjoy!

A couple months ago I woke up early to go for a run before work. There was a beautiful sunrise, with not a cloud in the sky. The sun was literally the brightest I’ve ever seen it at that time of the morning, shining brilliantly all around me. I found myself amazed at how God chooses to show His glory and just basking in His brilliance. Then as I looked around at the scenery the Lord impressed upon my heart to look at my shadow. As I ran my shadow was a consistent area of darkness on my left side. This realization caused me to wonder if in my life I prefer to acknowledge God’s greatness and glory and forget about my sin issues. Are there problems in my life that I need to be addressing and taking care of the right way, but instead I choose to ignore them and focus on the good things? If so, shame on me. God’s glory and brilliance will not have its full effect in my life if I am trying to hide from or ignore my sin. It didn’t work for Adam and Eve in Genesis chapter three and i...