What Can You Do with the Gospel?

Justin Taylor, who currently works at Crossway, a Christian publishing company responsible for the English Standard Version of the Bible, and who used to work at Desiring God, which offers resources from John Piper's ministry, has a blog with the Gospel Coalition called "Between Two Worlds."

In a recent post, he used 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 to create a list of things "you can (and should) do with the Gospel":

• preach it
• hear it preached
• deliver it
• receive it
• believe it
• be saved by it
• remember it
• remind others of it
• stand in it
• hold fast to it

Seeds Sprouting

Last week, we planted a square of beets (nine seeds), a square of radishes (sixteen seeds), a square of Swiss chard (four seeds), and two squares of carrots (sixteen seeds each). The only things I think we have left to plant from seed are beans and cucumbers. We'll buy starts for everything else (tomatoes, peppers, herbs).

But the exciting news is that some of our seeds are starting to sprout.

Here's a shot of three pea sprouts.

And here's one of the spinach sprouts.

Why Do People Reject Jesus?

A few weeks ago, Pastor Mark Driscoll, the preaching pastor at Mars Hill Church, where we've been attending for the past four years and where I've worked for nearly the last two years, taught from Luke 4:22-30.

In this passage, Jesus visits his hometown, Nazareth, and preaches to the people there. At first, they're excited to have him preach because he's gained quite a reputation in the area, but when he starts calling them out on their sin...well, their mood changes a bit--to the point that they're ready to throw him off a cliff.

From this text, Pastor Mark laid out eight reasons why people might reject Jesus:

1. Theology
2. Control
   
3. Greed
   
4. Selfishness
5. Familiarity
6. Comfort
7. Embarrassment
8. Religion

You can read more about these eight reasons for rejecting Jesus HERE or you can watch the whole sermon HERE.

Why We're Gardening

If you've been reading our blog the past few weeks, you've probably noticed a few posts about what we're doing in our garden and how we're doing it (1, 2). But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, I thought I'd take a moment to list a few reasons why we're gardening.

In no particular order:

1. It's an opportunity to learn something new.

2. It's something we can enjoy doing together.

3. It's an excuse to be outside.

4. It's a relatively inexpensive hobby.

5. In fact, we're hoping it will help supplement our grocery bill.

6. It's fun.

7. It's challenging.

8. It's an excuse to play in the dirt.

9. It's a chance to see and celebrate new life.

10. It's a way to further understand the abundance of agrarian imagery in the Bible.

To those of you who are fellow gardeners, why do you garden? To those of you who aren't, why not?

Trip to Friday Harbor

Last weekend, Mackenzie and I drove two hours north to Anacortes and took an hour-long ferry ride to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island.

We were starving when we arrived, so we quickly sought out a place to eat. We decided on the Blue Water Bar and Grill for some delicious fish and chips--some of the best I've ever had.

We then spent the day driving around the island, stopping at various lookouts and beaches along the way, including Lime Kiln, which claims to be the best place in the world to see Orcas. (The Orcas follow the salmon out to sea and back, so unfortunately, they were nowhere to be seen, but we hope to do a whale watch sometime in the near future.)

After getting our fill of the island (including a stop to see Mona the camel at the San Juan Vineyard), we checked in to our room at the Friday Harbor House. The view was gorgeous--literally one block off the water near the ferry terminal. We then went to dinner at Pazzo Vivo for some delicious pizza and mediocre live music.

The next day, after enjoying an impressive continental breakfast (homemade scones, granola, yogurt, and fruit), we spent some more time exploring the shops and sites in Friday Harbor, including a few bookstores and the San Juan Coffee Roasting Company. We then caught the midday ferry and had lunch in Anacortes at Adrift Cafe.

We were blessed to have two beautiful days of weather, and everything seemed to go off without a hitch (except that a good portion of our pictures didn't turn out, but more on that later). We've already talked about going back with my parents in mid-March, depending on the weather.

I couldn't get the Flickr slideshow to embed, but you can find more pictures HERE.

Crock Pot Recipe: Taco Soup

Up until about a year ago, I'd never really made taco soup, but my friend Sarah makes a great one! Having it at her house inspired me to give it a try. This is one that we enjoy.

Taco Soup (adapted from allrecipes.com)

1 medium onion, diced
1 (16 z) can pinto beans (Sometimes I put in red kidney beans instead.)
1 (15 oz) can black beans
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer (I usually use Bud Light or Corona.)
2 (15oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 packet taco seasoning
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I put them in frozen, so they stay moist
2 cups frozen corn (I usually just dump in what looks good to me.)

Taste to see if you'd like to add:
salt and/or pepper
Tabasco
jalapenos

Optional Toppings:
shredded cheese
sour cream
crushed tortilla chips

Place all the ingredients in the crock pot with the exception of the corn. Stir. Turn the crock pot to low and set for approximately 6-8 hours. After 6-8 hours, shred the chicken with two forks and add the corn. (I usually shred and add the corn when I get home from work and then we usually eat about an hour or so later, so the corn has a change to cook but not become mush.)

Taste it to determine if other seasonings are needed. Serve with the optional toppings for an easy and delicious dinner...one of our favorites.

picture credit: allrecipes.com

Seed Sowing

Last week, I planted one square of spinach (nine seeds) and two squares of peas (eight seeds each). The spinach will be ready to harvest beginning in April--by far one of the earliest crops.
Earlier this week, I also planted six squares of onions (a whopping sixteen seeds each) and one square of lettuce (nine seeds). The lettuce will be ready around the same time as the spinach, but the onions take about sixteen weeks, so they won't be ready until late June. Whereas we're staggering the spinach and lettuce squares, we planted the onions all at once because they take so long to grow and they're easy to store.

To make planting easier, I created a sort of jig to ensure even spacing.

I then added a pinch of vermiculite to each hole. It acts as a sponge to absorb water and also makes it easier for the seeds to sprout through the surface.

As you can see, the onion seeds are rather tiny, so it was no simple feat to place one in each hole, but single-seed sowing avoids having to thin the veggie beds later. Plus, then we don't waste any seeds. I'll be interested to see what percentage of seeds actually sprout and survive.

Award Winning Moment...

You might think this sweet little face is incapable of causing any trouble. Well, that is if you haven't formally been introduced. Our sweet, little Gunner (Gunnie to me and Gunboat to my dad) has had his fair share of moments you might call "mishaps."

At the end of a recent Friday, my team at work held a video contest. (It had been a rough week - we needed a light moment!) Our challenge was to bring the funniest video we could find that was under 2 minutes in length. Upon hearing this challenge, I knew instantly my video of choice. I did not need to search You Tube or think back to my favorite SNL episodes. A video known in our house as "Gunner's Marley Moment" was the perfect choice. It is a must see!

I am proud to announce that I did in fact win the contest and my prize was a "teacher" necklace complete with school houses, ABCs, and pencils. A fine treasure!

Cloche Building

A few weeks ago, after reading Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew, I measured, cut, and stapled pieces of string to form our grid of one foot by one foot plots. My hope was that this would inadvertently keep Gunner out of the veggie beds as well--no such luck.

So I then used five-foot-long stakes to construct what will eventually be a trellis for our peas, beans, cucumbers, and tomatoes. I also attached two shorter stakes at the opposite corners and wrapped two levels of twine all the way around the veggie beds. Mackenzie said it looked like a boxing ring, but my hope was that this, in addition to the grid, would keep Gunner out--wrong again.

In thinking through the best way to Gunner-proof our beds, I decided to try building a cloche. This would also help keep the birds out, and allow us to regulate the amount of water the seeds/plants get.

We first tried to simply drape some pieces of plastic over the existing "boxing ring" structure, but after a few straight days of rain, despite the slope from the five-foot-high stakes to the much shorter stakes, the plastic collapsed, causing one of the stakes to snap.

So we made another trip to Home Depot, and found some ten-foot-long, thin and flexible PVC pipe, as well as some metal brackets. We attached one side of the pipe to the outside of the veggie bed and then arced it over to the other side. I wasn't sure how much tension the pipe or brackets would be able to withstand, but the first attempt went off without a hitch.

The only problem was that the pipe was so long, it made the veggie bed look like a covered wagon--not much of an improvement from the boxing ring. So I took about a foot off the pipe, tried again, and then decided to take about another six inches off. Pleased with the results, we cut and fit all the other pipes, draped the plastic over, and stood back to admire our finished cloche.

The plastic at each end isn't tied down or attached, so Gunner could still potentially get in and make a mess, but if he does, I just might lose it. We don't need another "Marley and Me" moment.

Spring has Sprung!

It's hard to believe that so many signs of spring are popping up in our front yard!

It is only February.

Crock Pot Recipe: Apricot Glazed Chicken

Apricot Glazed Chicken

(adapted from Pennies on a Platter)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup of Catalina salad dressing (or French)

1 cup apricot jam or jelly

1 packet onion soup mix (I use Lipton.)

1 white onion, sliced

Put all the above ingredients in your crock pot and stir to coat the chicken and onions with the sauce. Turn to low and set for 6 hours.

Serve chicken over rice with a side of broccoli. Enjoy!

picture from Pennies on a Platter

2010 Book #3: From Clutter to Clarity

From Clutter to Clarity: Simplifying Life from the Inside Out by Nancy Twigg

I consider myself to be a pretty organized and “clutter free” person. I like to use my label maker (yes, I have one!), buy bins and labels at The Container Store, take donations to Goodwill frequently, and enjoy the yearly “clean out” of my kitchen cabinets.

Despite my self-proclaimed “amazing” organizational skills (ha), the book From Clutter to Clarity: Simplifying Life from the Inside Out by Nancy Twigg appealed to me. I added this book to my Reading List for 2010, because I thought it would be an interesting read and it came recommended from a blogger I enjoy. I didn’t think I would learn much, but that it would have some good reminders and be a check-up; boy was I was wrong.

Nancy Twigg states her definition of clutter as “anything that complicates your life and prevents you from living in peace as you live out your purpose (p.15).” My purpose is to live for Jesus, honoring him with my marriage, home, family, job, money, time, etc.

In her book, Nancy outlines three big areas where clutter can impact our lives: thoughts and attitudes, lifestyle, and money matters. After praying and searching my heart, these are some of the areas that “clutter” my life and take my focus off of Jesus:
· Comparing myself and possessions to others
· Over committing – saying yes, when I should say no
· Shopping – the desire for “stuff” that we do not need
· Technology – a time waster (facebook, my Google Reader, etc.)

This book challenged me to examine the ways in which I am allowing distractors into my mind, our home, and our lives. I am praying about how to eliminate some of the clutter in my life and talking with Cliff about boundaries that would be helpful to establish. My desire is for my life and home to honor God through clarity rather than living life distracted by clutter or being so bogged down by the stuff that I lose track of my real purpose.

I would encourage you to read this book and examine your own life. What gets in the way of you fulfilling your God given purpose? What is the clutter in your life that needs to, by God’s grace, be removed?

I’m thinking about and praying over these verses:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” –Hebrews 12: 1-2

Off to Friday Harbor

For Christmas and Valentine’s Day, Cliff and I decided to give each other a night or two out of town rather than trying to figure out what to buy each other! So, tomorrow we’re heading to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Cliff has been up to the San Juans with his family when we were still in college, but I’ve never been.

One of our very favorite things to do is explore new places, so this is the perfect adventure for us. We’re looking forward to a beautiful room at Friday Harbor House, delicious food, exploring a new town, taking the ferry, and leaving the “to do” lists for a couple of days. If the weather is anything like the sunny 50 degrees we’ve enjoyed the past few days, it will be an amazing treat.

We’ll post pictures soon and share our adventure!

Crock Pot Recipe: Black Bean Chicken

Lately, I've been using my crock pot a lot. I just love how easy it is and when I get home, dinner is already made!

Because I'm a faithful crock pot user, I thought I'd share some recipes that I make over and over again with success. This is an all time favorite at our house. The basic recipe is below and I've added some additional info in parentheses.


Black Bean Chicken
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I put them in frozen.)
2 cans (15 oz.) black beans
1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 packet taco seasoning (I use a hot taco seasoning packet.)

Put all the ingredients in your crock pot and stir. Set to low for 6 - 8 hours. After about 6 hours, the chicken should be fork tender. Shred the chicken. Serve in warm tortillas with all the "fixins"!

Serves 4 adults. (You'll likely have leftovers.)

Other additional ingredients you may choose to toss in your crock pot: corn, canned green chilies, jalapenos, red pepper, onion, etc. Be creative!

2010 Book #2: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver

This is a book I simply did not want to end.

Having never read anything by Barbara Kingsolver, I didn't know what to expect. Each time I've mentioned that I was reading this book, someone would exclaim their love for her writing or this book in general. I was a skeptic. Did I really want to read about her family's gardening adventure? Did I care to read 400 pages about vegetables? It turns out, I did!

This book documents the adventures of Barbara Kingsolver, her husband, and their two girls, as they commit to eating only locally grown food for a year. Her writing interweaves unbelievable statistics, hilarious tales of farming adventures, and deep questions about how the food we choose to place on our table now will impact the next generation. Camille, Barbara's oldest daughter, documents the teenager's perspective after each chapter. She shares recipes and how this experience impacted the family.

I consumed this book in about a week; reading whenever my schedule would allow. You know it is a good book if I can't go to bed and just keep on reading long after Cliff is asleep. (He is gracious enough to let me keep the bedside lamp on and read in bed.)

For gardener, skeptic, and locavore alike, I'd recommend this book wholeheartedly. I hope it will cause you to think more deeply about the food choices you make; it certainly did that for me. What are you supporting with your dollar?

My action items after reading this book:

• A renewed commitment to growing our own food (We're getting this year's garden plans together now.)
• Learn how to can, in order to preserve the food we grow (I just took a class last weekend!)
• Learn how to make my own cheese
• Shop regularly for produce at our local farmer's market and/or continue our organic produce delivery
• Keep trying to talk Cliff in to letting me raise chickens (not having much luck)
• Buy only grass fed, organic meat and poultry (probably at our local farmer's market)
• Continue to learn and educate myself about how the choices I make in the grocery store affect our health, the health of our planet, and our local economy

Currently Reading: Womanly Dominion: More than a Gentle and Quiet Spirit (by Mark Chanski)

Our Garden Adventure Begins...

Believe it or not, this is the time of year us west coasters start thinking about our gardens. Cliff and I haven't quite motivated ourselves to actually DO any hands in the dirt gardening yet, but we did a lot of talking this weekend particularly about our vegetable gardens.

You might remember that last year, we built vegetable beds in our backyard. We had some luck growing peppers, celery, sugar snap peas, and squash. Learning from last year's experience though, we definitely needed more of a plan and to do more than guess what works best for growing our own veggies. We learned that it is a bit more complex than our "throw it in the dirt and it will grow" philosophy.

For the last year, I've been intrigued by my friend Stacy's blog, Growing Green. She's had such success with her gardening adventure and her experience really motivated Cliff and I to be more thoughtful this year.

In developing the plan for our garden, we learned about the book, Square Foot Gardening: A New Way to Garden in Less Space with Less Work by Mel Bartholomew. This book is amazingly simple and really helped us plan our garden for the year to hopefully maximize our yield.

On Saturday, after putting our plan in place, I ordered our seeds for the year...

cucumber, beans, brussel sprouts, carrots, spinach, onions, radishes, beets, peas, leek, kale, lettuce, and swiss chard. The only plants we have yet to buy are tomatoes, red peppers, jalapenos, and our seed potatoes. We're ready for this growing season to begin!

2010 Book #1: Death by Love

One of my goals this year was to read at least one book per month. So far, I've met my goal. (I love the success of resolutions in January!) I wanted to share my thoughts about my first book of the year. If this sounds interesting, I'd encourage you to add it to your list!

Death by Love: Letters from the Cross (Re:Lit) by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears
This book is a series of letters that Pastor Mark writes to different people he has counseled or come into contact with over the years. Each section or chapter starts out with him describing the person's situation and the context in which he knows them. Then Pastor Mark writes that person a letter to help them see their sin, need for Jesus, and ultimately shares the Gospel with them. He writes to a woman devestated by sexual abuse, a husband who is not faithful to his wife, and even to his youngest son, emphasizing that his faith must be his own.

As a member of Mars Hill Church, I have the priviledge of listening and learning from Pastor Mark each week. What I appreciate about him as a pastor and preacher came through loud and clear in this book. He has a deep love for Jesus, which he communicates on each page. He also does not mince words. He writes like he speaks; with clarity, passion, and a whole-hearted submission to Jesus.

This book was a good reminder that we all need Jesus and the answer is always the Gospel. Whatever our life experience, whatever sin we've committed or has been done to us, Jesus is the answer. He died on the cross to forgive my sins and yours and those who sin against us. Death by Love presents this truth in an interesting and unique way.

Currently Reading: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver (Review coming soon!)

Mackenzie's 2010 Reading List

Last year, Cliff and I sat down at the beginning of the year and established goals for ourselves in a number of areas: spiritual, physical, emotional, mental, social, financial, etc. In keeping with this new tradition, tonight we reviewed our list of goals from last year and set new ones.

I noticed that I had "read one book a month" on my list from last year. I may have done this most months, but I had no purpose or intentionality with the books I chose to read or any confirmation that I'd accomplished the goal. This year, I wanted things to be different!

Cliff suggested that I make a list detailing the books I will read this year. He knows me well...I like to check things off a list! As I read the books, I'll try to review them and share what I've learned.

The books I plan to read in 2010:
Death by Love: Letters from the Cross (Re:Lit) by Mark Driscoll & Gerry Breshears
Womanly Dominion: More Than A Gentle and Quiet Spirit by Mark Chanski
The Majesty of the Law by Sandra Day O'Connor
Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands by Paul David Tripp
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (P.S.) by Barbara Kingsolver
Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist by John Piper
Real Food: What to Eat and Why by Nina Planck
The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis
The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name by Sally Lloyd-Jones
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan
From Clutter to Clarity: Simplifying Life from the Inside Out by Nancy Twigg
Humility: True Greatness by C. J. Mahaney& Joshua Harris

Throughout the year, I'll also be reading:
Morning and Evening by Charles H. Spurgeon
The Bible (ESV): I'm working on getting through the New Testament this year!

If you have any suggestions of books I should add to my list, please let me know! What are you reading this year?

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

From Luke 2:10-17, ESV:
"And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased! When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us. And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child."

We are thankful for the birth of our Savior! We wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Last night we had dinner with our community group and then on our way home, stopped by a house in West Seattle that is known for their phenomenal light display. We were mesmerized. The lights are synchronized with music, so we sat in our car and enjoyed the show.

We're definitely adding this to the list of holiday traditions!

Check it out!

Wizards In Winter - TSO from Jim Winder on Vimeo.

Coffee Toffee

I made this toffee as a holiday gift for friends at work. It was my first attempt at toffee and it turned out great! I'll definitely make this again. Enjoy!

1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons molasses
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (toasted, skinned and cooled) or another nut of your choice

Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a heavy saucepan with a candy thermometer attached, melt butter, brown sugar, white sugar, molasses, salt and espresso powder together over together. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a whisk until the temperature approaches 250 degrees, at which point you should stir constantly until it reaches 300 degrees.

Pour immediately into the prepared baking sheet — you can spread it more evenly with a offset or silicon spatula. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the toffee and let them sit for a minute until soft, then spread the chocolate evenly over the candy base. Sprinkle the chocolate with chopped nuts and then, if you’re as impatient as we are, you can slide the sheet onto a cooling rack in the freezer until the toffee is set.

Break into pieces and store in an airtight container. If you’re kitchen runs warm, you might prefer to keep it in the fridge so the chocolate doesn’t get soft.

Testimony

One of the web wizards at the Ballard campus, Haden Sutton, recently updated the pastors and staff page on the Ballard campus website. In preparation for the update, Haden asked us to videotape the abridged version of our testimonies.

Trying to narrow down all that God has done in my life to a few minutes is a difficult task. I'm continually reminded of his mercy and grace each day. But the video below captures some of the highlights for those who are interested (or who just want to see me be nervous on camera).

In the Tank

Well over seven hundred people have been baptized at Mars Hill this past year. It's been amazing to see God change so many lives and an honor to get to help perform some of those baptisms the past few weeks. Standing next to someone in the tank and holding their hand as they profess that Jesus is their Lord and Savior never gets old.

The video below is from last week. Pastor Bubba starts off by recapping the day and then you get a front row seat as eighteen people are baptized. (See if you can find the one where I almost slipped and fell on my butt.)

The Web Economy

Mashable, "the world's largest blog focused exclusively on social media news," has quickly become one of my favorite blogs. Pete Cashmore does a great job providing helpful news and information for utilizing various forms of social media, as well as technology in general.

In a recent blog post entitled, "Twitter Ads are Evil: Here's Why," he explains what he calls the "web economy." According to Cashmore, the web economy is built on trust and attention. He says that "Brands need to befriend us, build relationships, and offer so much value that we broadcast our positive experiences out to our own networks of trust. They might entertain us. They might help us. They might become enablers of our own personal goals. And when they do, we’ll return the favor. 'Spend your attention on this', we’ll say, 'It’s important!'"

Before reading this, I hadn't really considered the power and influence individual consumers have thanks to the internet. I'm not entirely sure what to make of it at this point, but I thought I'd share this in the meantime.

What are your thoughts? How have you seen this in action?

Thanksgiving

We had a great time this past week. Mackenzie's sister, Katie, and her husband, Brent, were in town from Kansas City. We stayed busy, but also enjoyed some quality time together.

During the week, we took an Argosy cruise through the Ballard Locks, went for a hike at Rattlesnake Ridge, took a tour of Safeco Field (and saw Ichiro!), and enjoyed tons of food.

Extreme Kitchen Makeover

Okay, so it wasn't that extreme, but we've definitely enjoyed the results. Mackenzie had been wanting to replace the floor in our kitchen for a few years now, but I was convinced it wasn't going to be worth the hassle. As usual, I was wrong. Not only was the Allure flooring from Home Depot inexpensive, it was also easy to install (I should get paid for this promo). Honestly, the hardest part was just finagling the stove and fridge out of the kitchen.

After installing the floor in just under three hours--nearly half of which was spent over-thinking the process--the floor was completely installed. Mackenzie then painted all the walls and molding. I know what you're thinking: Why on earth did you paint after installing brand new flooring? Well, I only had Saturday to contribute to this project, so my part needed to be done first to allow Mackenzie to paint on Sunday and Monday.



Again, I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. I always have a tough time envisioning the finished product based on a tiny sample of paint color and flooring. Honestly, I didn't expect the paint color to be so vibrant. Mackenzie tends to like blues and greens, which is somewhat contrary to what you'd expect to brighten and warm a home in the Pacific Northwest--particularly during the soggy, gray winters--but it actually does the trick.

Overall, it was one of the smoother home improvement projects at the Ellis household. Typically, I get impatient with Mackenzie's numerous questions throughout the process, and she gets frustrated with my impatience (rightly so), but in this particular case, God allowed us to be gracious with each other and actually work well together.

I can't say I'm in a rush to start another project, but I'm pleased with the way this one turned out.

Yard Project: Raised Veggie Beds!!

We often refer to our house as Ellis Orchard, because of our two prolific fruit trees in the backyard. Now, however, we will have to start refering to it as Ellis Farms. This weekend we built and planted two 8' x 4' raised vegetable beds. (By we, I mean Cliff.) It was a project, but fun to do and the finished product is awesome! So in a few months we will harvest: tomatoes, sugar snap peas, brussel sprouts, yellow squash, zucchini, broccoli, celery, onions, bell peppers, 2 varieties of lettuce, blueberries, strawberries, rasberries, and blackberries.

Of course in order to grow veggies, you need soil. We were surprised to learn how expensive dirt is to have delivered to your house, so being the deal seekers we are, I got on CraigsList and found free dirt. Not only was the dirt free, but the guy was also willing to deliver it to us. Now that is a deal! So, Thursday afternoon, we came home to a very large pile of dirt. Emphasis on VERY!

The next morning we laid out our boards, and then Cliff made the raised beds. Gunner was a huge help as you can only imagine. :)

After the bed frames were constructed, we staked and leveled the beds, and then made them very sturdy by screwing the frame to the stakes. Then we filled the beds with dirt, compost, and finally with the veggies! We can't wait to harvest our crops.

Swan Lake

Yesterday, because I have a very kind, loving husband, we went to see the ballet, Swan Lake. It was so beautiful and incredible to see such precision. Even though I knew the music because of years and years of ballet class, I didn't know the story of this ballet.

Essentially, it is about a prince who must get married. He falls in love a woman who is a swan by day and a woman by night. Then he is dooped into believing he marries his love, when in fact the local sorcerer plays a switcharoo.

Thanks, honey, for loving me enough to endure the ballet!! I appreciate that you went without one complaint and a lot of smiles. I'm a lucky girl.

Good Friday and Easter Services

Our church, Mars Hill Church, is streaming the Good Friday and Easter services live! Check it out.

http://www.marshillchurch.org/live

In the Word

For pretty much my entire life, I've neglected reading my Bible. My laundry list of excuses included....

-I'm too busy.
-I don't have time to read.
-I don't know where to start.
-I can't get up even earlier than I already do!
-I'm tired when I get home from work.
-etc., etc., etc., blah, blah, blah...

My desire to read my Bible does not stem from a religious desire to earn God's love, because that is not possible; it comes from a response to the call to know Jesus personally and in order to know Him, I have to spend time with Him. What better way to do that, then to read His Book?

Since February 1, I've been reading my Bible just about each morning. It is a treasured start to my day that really prepares me for eight hours filled with 30 children.

Cliff suggested that I read through the Bible in a year. (He knows how much I like to make lists and check things off to feel a sense of accomplishment.) I've tried this before, but this time around, I prayed that God would give me the desire to seek Him each day, and He has. So, with my Daily Reading Plan in hand, I gave it a go. I've currently read Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and have just started Deuteronomy.

My prayer is that I continue to meet with Jesus each day. By God's grace, so far, so good.

Oh how fast they grow...

I guess dogs and kids both grow so fast....can you believe Gunner is 10 months old? He is also huge! :) He has been a great addition to our little family.

Christmas Cards

I love coming home from work, especially this time of year. After letting the troops out to potty in the back yard, I race to the mailbox to see the Christmas cards that arrived! Then, while Gunner and Tucker compete for my attention, I read each word of the letters and enjoy those charming picture cards.

I also love sending cards...hopefully yours arrived safely! :)

Delicious...?

I am continually amazed at what a nine month old lab will eat. You might think that Gunner would be interested in steak, fresh fruit, and chocolate...and you'd be right. But with a little discipline or an attempt at it, we've managed to make sure that he doesn't jump on the counter or eat off people's plates. Yet, he finds the oddest items to ingest.

This morning was no exception.

Each morning, I hop in the shower after dragging myself out of my snuggly, warm bed. Only to be greeted by two overly energetic creatures, tails wagging. In the 10 minutes I'm in the shower and Cliff is in bed, we trust Tucker and Gunner to behave themselves. Usually, all is well, and Gunner relaxes in the steamy bathroom on the bathmat. This morning though, I got out of the shower and things were too quiet. Well, except for the munching sound I heard coming from the living room. Hmmm????

Getting dressed as fast as possible, I went to investigate. My dear, darling marshmallow colored lab, who truly has a "puppy dog face" was eating a RAZOR!!! A RAZOR! Of all things to find in the house, what drew him to an old, green woman's disposable razor! And don't think for a second that he ate the handle...oh no! The handle was intact. The head of the razor, metal and all appeared to be in the gut of my creature! Because I'm the fabulous dog mother that I am, I wondered briefly how he had managed to eat such a thing and of course how he would poop that out without completely demolishing his inner "duct work." Then I just assumed that after eating a million tree branches, socks, foam from Tucker's bed, rocks, a basket, and I'm sure more, that he'd be just fine.

So that is the assumption that I'm operating under. If that doesn't end up being true, I'm sure our vet will enjoy a very expensive visit! :) Oh let's hope not...

National Boards!!!

Cliff and I both passed our National Boards. After a year of intense work...300+ hours of writing, reading, and study, we passed. We submitted our 100 pages of writing and took our 4 hour test in March. At 6am on Friday, we logged into our profiles on the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards website and after a few nervous dry heaves found out that we passed! When that "Congratulations" screen popped up, we both thought we would instantly die of relief and excitement.

Woohoo!

If you have no idea what I mean when I say, "National Boards", click here.

Three Blind Mice? No, Three Wild Dogs...

Sabre, Gunner, and Tucker...

Here are our two crazy critters with their best friend, Sabre. They stayed over at Matt & Courtney's for the weekend, while we were out of town. As far as we know, they all survived!

Back from Vacation!

We just got home from a wonderful three week vacation! We went everywhere, or so it seemed. Our trip started in Omaha, NE, where I was in my friend Amanda's wedding. Then we drove to Kansas City with Katie and Brent. We had such a relaxing week hanging with them in their gorgeous home near a lake in Kansas - it was such a treat.

Then from the quiet relaxation of their house, the four of us flew to NYC for quite a four day experience! We had such an amazing time...doing all the "touristy" things. We saw the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Ground Zero, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park, the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Plaza, went to The Lion King and ate amazing food! It was a very special and memorable trip with them.

From NYC, Cliff and I flew to Birmingham, AL, and drove to Huntsville, AL. We stayed with some dear family friends there, and I was in another friend's wedding (Hannah). From Huntsville, we flew to KY to spend time with Cliff's brother, Mark. We had an amazing time touring around the beautiful state of Kentucky, with quite a fantastic tour guide. :)

Our last leg of the trip was to Indianapolis to spend a brief night with Cliff's parents in their new house. It was so fun to be there to see how much they've already done to their new home. We spent time with family and friends we haven't seen in a quite awhile - it was a treat.

We had a wonderful trip, but it was nice to arrive home to our two pups and lawn that looked like the jungle. Tucker was exhausted from spending time with Mimi and Grandpa and our friends Katie and Ryan from church. Gunner stayed with our friends Matt and Court and their black lab, Sabre. He has grown SO much! It was shocking to see him, but such fun to see him grow. We love our boys. (Pictured below: Sabre and Gunner)

Snuggles...

New Baby!

Well, a four-legged baby. :) We welcomed Gunner into our family on Tuesday night. He is a very sweet boy. After looking for a puppy for about a year, we finally came across Gunner's litter. There were 11 puppies born to Gunner's mom, Josie (a black lab/golden retriever mix) and Gunner's dad, Dodge (a purebred chocolate lab). Even though both mom and dad are black, Gunner and 3 of his other siblings were golden. We love him dearly.

Tucker is extremely patient and we are thankful for his instruction and modeling for Gunner. Come by and meet him anytime.

We're DONE!!!

We officially finished the National Board process this morning. As of 11:04am, we both completed our three hour computer based essay test. This portion of the National Board process is worth 40% of our overall score. The huge portfolio we submitted at the end of March was worth 60%. Whew!

We both feel like this has been a valuable experience, but a huge investment of our time and energy over the course of the last year. While we don't find out if we passed until late November because of the huge volume of writing that actual people read and score, we are excited to be done! Some people thought we were totally insane to both be doing this at the same time. All the nights we sat on the couch typing next to each other, it made it easier to accept, because I didn't feel bad that he was on his own...we were both focused on our computers! :)

As to our celebration...we went to lunch after the test and then came home and took a nap. Sounds like a perfect way to celebrate to me!!

If you wand more info about the process we went through, check this link out...
http://www.bsd405.org/default.aspx?tabID=1525

Great place!

Last night we went with some friends to happy hour and then to a local pub. Cliff and I had never been to this place before, even though it is only a few minutes from our house. The Beveridge Place Pub was fantastic! It is newly renovated with a very cozy feeling. The rustic hardwood floors were covered in interesting rugs and large comfy chairs and couches were spread throughout. They had a shelf full of games and cards. (We played quite a few rounds of Jenga!) They had two pool tables, darts, checkerboard tables, and foosball. They serve only beer and wine (no margaritas for me), but had tons of local brews on tap. Cliff was of course thrilled. :) You can bring in your own take-out or order pizza and have it delivered to the pub! We loved this!

The best part though was that you can bring in your four-legged friends! There were at least 5 dogs in the place last night. All of them were super friendly and very chill. Tucker would be a bit much we think, but we are planning to take him and Sabre on a quiet night. Anyone who comes to visit, we're taking you! It was such an awesome place - packed with people, but a very relaxed atmosphere. Loved it!

Going Green

I should be afraid to write this, but I do have to say...I've never really cared all that much about where my food comes from, how much electricity I'm using if I can pay the bill, what cleaning products I'm using, etc. My whole perspective is truly changing. I can't pinpoint exactly what has been altering my perspective...
-living in the Northwest around a bunch of "granolas"
-powerful documentaries (we have watched several..."Where does your food come from?" and "Inconvenient Truth" are two favorites)
-the ongoing conversation about our environment
-friends who live "green" lives
-God changing my heart

I've always just bought what was on sale and not worried too much about our food or where it comes from. Lately, we've been getting local organic produce delivered to our front door twice a month (how convenient is that!) by a great company - Pioneer Organics. I'm trying to cut down on our waste as well as the amount of packaging that we use. I am in love with Trader Joe's! :) We're eating better and I'm actually spending less.

My new favorite cleaning product..."Greenworks All-Purpose Cleaner" which is a "green" product made by Clorox. Smells great and does a great job. The cost is not much more if any different. It smells so lemony fresh, but not fake. Check them out: http://www.greenworkscleaners.com/ I bought mine at the grocery store this weekend.

The other day at Costco, I noticed a 10 pack of the compact fluorescent bulbs on sale (major sale) because Seattle City Light (our utility company) was offsetting the cost of the bulbs in a major way. I was able to buy 10 of these fancy-shmancy bulbs for $9! They are usually about $4 each! What a steal. You know I love a bargain! The nicest man was looking at them too and counseling me on my decision. He asked if I'd used these bulbs before and I told him that I hadn't. He really encouraged me to take the plunge. He mentioned how astonished I'd be at the reduction in my light bill. I asked about the light - did it feel fluorescent? He said no, I trusted him, and I bought the bulbs. I am so glad that I did. That was such an easy and quick fix.

Please know, I'm not writing this to pat myself on the back, by any means! Truly this is my new realization...that for me, it is important to know where our food comes from and what little steps I can take to help a major problem. Nothing that I did was hard...I needed new light bulbs, so I bought energy efficient ones; I needed to replace my all-purpose cleaner, so I bought natural products, etc. We're not planning to start hiking to work anytime soon. :)

I live in a city that is incredibly progressive when it comes to the idea of "green", but I was not taking full advantage of all that was being offered to reduce my carbon footprint. We're trying - slowly, but surely...I'd encourage you to try some of these little changes as well.

We're on our way to being "granolas"!!!

Tucker and Sabre

Tucker is of course our charming and ever-needy golden retriever. Our good friends, Matt and Courtney, recently (well, in October) got a gorgeous and very well-behaved puppy, Sabre. Her dad was a golden retriever and her mom was a black lab/chocolate lab mix. She has such a wonderful temperament and adores her older cousin Tucker. He loves her too. I have never seen him be more patient with any other dog. She watches his every move and does as he does....

Tucker peers, Sabre pees.

Tucker poops, Sabre poops.

Tucker eats, Sabre tries to eat his food.

Tucker sleeps, Sabre tried to wake him up. (So she doesn't do everything just like him!)

They have a great time playing together. It has been really fun to see them with each other. It has made us think of getting a puppy this summer. No promises, but definitely a possibility! We hope you love the pictures as much as we do.

*We kept Sab for a week while Matt and Court were in NY...what a fun experience that was!!

Jerrod and Amanda in WA

Our friends from college, Jerrod and Amanda, spent their summer vacation with us in Seattle. We had a great time playing on the beach, going to a Mariners game, kayaking, and enjoying things the Pacific Northwest has to offer. I'll probably write more about their visit when I have time, but for now, check out the photos on our picture site. (By the way, this is my first time linking from our blog, so please let me know if it works. Thanks!)

Blog Takeover

Mackenzie and I entered the blogosphere (that's right--I know the lingo; I'm not proud of it, though) when we first moved to Seattle three years ago. I maintained a photo blog (which is still up and running although not as frequently updated) that allowed friends and family in the Midwest to keep tabs on our adventures in the Pacific Northwest.

About a year ago, Mackenzie decided we needed an actual blog, as well. I was reluctant, mainly because I wasn't interested in posting longer, potentially more personal, entries. Plus, I wasn't convinced that people actually read blogs or that they were a helpful tool to stay connected with people. Also, I noticed her struggle to keep the blog updated.

A few months ago, I started writing articles for the Mars Hill Church (from here on referred to as MHC) West Seattle Campus Blog. That experience has served many purposes. First and foremost, it has given me an opportunity to serve God and the community in a small, humble fashion. Second, it has motivated me to do more writing in my life, rather than simply trying (desperately, at times) to teach others how to write. Third--and this is the point of my intro--it has sparked an interest in exploring the available technological tools of today, rather than resisting their influence (I've been exploring things like facebook, goodreads.com, podcasts, and other potential time-wasters that I hope to use in a positive, beneficial way).

The past six months have clearly been a season of predominantly positive change and growth in more ways than I can comment on in one sitting. God has been using our involvement with Mars Hill Church to change our perspectives and lifestyles in many ways. I hope to explore several of them on this blog because of the accountability a blog creates to keep material fresh. Recognizing that this coming school year is going to be packed full of adventures (I'm leading a community group at church and continuing to write for the blog, we're both going through the National Boards process, I'm creating the curriculum for a creative writing class, and I'm committed to at least one more year of coaching football and basketball--I'm sure I left something out) I pray that God would help me use this medium to make sense of all that Mackenzie and I encounter and share that process with others who are interested.

9 days...

Believe it or not, there are only 9 days left in our school year. After three years on the west coast, we've finally adjusted to being in school well until the end of June. Long gone are the days of the last day of school being in May!

9 days left. There seems so much left to do...report cards, awards, packing to move to a new school, wrapping up curriculum, parties, and so much more! It has been a fun year and it is hard to believe that the end is so near. I had a wonderful class this year; not free from challenges, but it was a refreshing change from my position last year.

Continuing with the theme of change, I will be teaching fifth grade next year. I have the privilege to "loop" with my students. For the most part, I will have many of the same students next year that I had as fourth graders this year. This is a unique and interesting opportunity. I am really excited about the ease of transition to fifth grade. It should be fun....not without incident I'm sure, but exciting nonetheless.

Overwhelmed

It has been an insane winter...full of crazy happenings, bizarre weather for the Pacific Northwest, and annoying episodes as homeowners.

It seems as though it has been one thing after another, with little reprise. It all began a few days ago with me (Mackenzie) driving into our driveway and realizing that the gate to our fence had blown off in a windstorm and was laying in the middle of our carport. (This reminded me of the night our screen door blew off in the gale force winds a few weeks earlier.) As I discovered this, Cliff called to say that he had noticed a crack in his windshield. A few days later we were unloading our trunk, went to close it and it bounced right back up. Ever needed a new trunk latch? We did!

The next day, we had snow again here in Seattle. All well and good except people are incapable of driving in such weather. I came home last Wednesday as it was snowing to find that the ceiling in our mud room/laundry room off of our kitchen had a bowed ceiling and paint was peeling from the wall. Even I could tell this was not good. After Cliff's 3 hour commute home in the snow (should take him 30 minutes) I got to tell him the good news that we needed some serious help. After a stressful night, conversations with insurance, and a couple of contractors we were feeling a bit better when we came out of the house to realize that one of our tires on our other car was completely flat. Needless to say, it did not need a small patch, but had to be completely replaced. Life has been an adventure!!! :)

Through it all, we are reminded time and time again how the things we are dealing with really are small and insignificant. BUT they are still stressful, annoying, bothersome, and worst of all for us -- expensive. We're really trying to see the positive in all of this...We're learning new things, experiencing the struggles of home-ownership, being challenged to work together, and meeting contractors along the way. :) Things have been a bit much, but I am reminded very often how truly blessed I am.

Love to you all...

Merry Christmas!

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas! We are really enjoying our time away from work and are thrilled to have time to spend together as well as with family and friends.

We're off to Chicago on Tuesday to spend some time with the Ellis clan. That will be such fun. We're also going to see great friends - Jerrod & Amanda and the Conrads! We are pumped for that special time.

Much love this Christmas...

Power Outages!

Well, I'm sure many of you have heard on the national news all the craziness that has been going on in the northwest. It is all true!

On Thursday night/Friday morning a very powerful windstorm hit our area with gale force winds of up to 70 miles an hour and along the Washington coast, they reported winds of up to 90 miles per hour. Needless to say, the wind caused a bit of damage. On Friday, over 1 million people in the Seattle area were without power and today (Monday) there are still about 350,000 people without power. We lost power on Thursday at about 11:30pm and regained power on Saturday at 4:30pm. We were very thankful when the lights on our Christmas tree popped on. It was a rough couple of days.

Due to outages in Bellevue (where we teach) we did not have school on Friday or today, Monday. Tomorrow is supposed to be our last day of school before break. Hopefully, we'll at least be able to go to school and wish our students a Merry Christmas! We'll see...

Dave Matthews Band

What a Saturday! Early Saturday morning, Cliff and I met up with 8 or so friends, drove east across the beautiful state of Washington for about 2 1/2 hours to George, Washington (yes they were quite creative with that one!) and went to a Dave Matthews concert at the Gorge Amphitheater. The Gorge is one of the most famous concert venues in the US...breathtaking views. We sat outside last night, facing the Columbia River and watching O.A.R and Dave play from 7:00-midnight. Can't beat that! (Check out the Gorge - http://www.hob.com/venues/concerts/gorge/index.asp)

Then we went back to our campground and crashed! It was a very fun day and it was our last hoorah before school starts on Tuesday. Such fun! :)

Mackenzie's Linguistic Profile

Your Linguistic Profile:

50% General American English

25% Yankee

10% Dixie

10% Upper Midwestern

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Give it a try. Very interesting. I would say this is quite reflective of all the places I've lived. :)

Project...after Project...after Project...

We are working like crazy on our house...not because it wasn't perfectly fine in the first place, but because we want to add personality. Do you ever enter into a project with all these great ideas, envisioning the end product, only to get halfway through and want to never have started? Well, we aren't quite there, but it sure is getting close! :)

Over the last four months, we have seen our home transformed from a house with no plants and white walls to a very colorful place. We were talking last night about how much we have enjoyed this journey! The journey continues...that's for sure - with no end in sight!

This week, we painted furniture, installed two new light fixtures (with help from dad!), hung all kinds of things up on our walls, bought new decor, built a stone retaining wall with free landscaping stones from craigslist, and bought a shed at Home Depot that Cliff and others are building this weekend. While they're building the shed, I'll be painting more furniture and refinishing a chest. Yikes!

Like I said, it is fun to see the finished product, but whew...I'm tired!! :) Love to you all...keep us in your prayers as we dive into all these new projects while teaching summer school! As always, you're all welcome to come stay with us and see the new place!!!

Mr. and Mrs. Brent and Katie Luettel

Katie and Brent were married on June 30, 2006, in Kansas Ciy, MO. It was a blast! The ceremony was gorgeous, Katie looked beautiful, Brent was dashing in his white tux, and the party was awesome!

Katie did such a great job planning everything and making it all work perfectly. Everyone that was there and part of their special day was thrilled for them. :)

Kate and Brent went to Mexico on their honeymoon. Such fun! It is great to have another new brother. We couldn't have asked for a better match for Kate. Brent is such a great guy!

Yeah for the new couple. We love you so much!!!

Almost our 2nd Anniversary!!

We cannot believe we have been married for nearly TWO YEARS! It has been an amazing time and we've loved every minute of it. We both agree that it feels a lot longer! :) We mean that in a good way. It just seems as though we've done so much and have grown so much since we got married. We have moved, started new jobs, bought a house, adopted a dog, and now I'm changing jobs. Life is great! :)

To celebrate, we're planning to go camping at Mt. Rainier. Monday night (our actual anniversary), we're going to a VERY nice restaurant in Seattle...Daniel's Broiler.