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Monday, May 18, 2009

Same Kind of Different As Me

I began reading Same Kind of Different As Me in January and finally finished it on Saturday. I have always loved to read but often my schedule during the school year does not allow for much leisure reading. So, I am very thankful for the summers! Let me just start by saying, I LOVE this book. It is AMAZING! Several friends had told me that I should read it but I did not expect it to be so good. And I certainly did not expect the Lord to teach me so much just through the lives of these two men! Basically, the book is about a white wealthy business man from Fort Worth, Texas (Ron Hall) and a homeless black man from Red River Parish, Louisiana (Denver Moore). These men definitely come from different worlds but the relationship that they develop is simply beautiful. I do not want to give all the goodness of the book away because I want you to read it, but this book has definitely challenged me to reach out to others and especially those that are different than me. I know we always talking about "reaching out to others" but I mean really stepping out of our comfort zone to love those that are way different than us and accepting them as they come. Please read this book! I promise you will not be disappointed! 

Below are two of my favorite excerpts:

Conversation between Denver and Ron before their friendship began:
"I heard when white folks go fishin they do somethin called 'catch and release.'"
Catch and release? I nodded solemnly, suddenly nervous and curious at the same time. 
"That really bothers me," Denver went on. "I just can't figure it out. Cause when colored folks go fishin, we really proud of what we catch, and we take it and show it off to everybody that'll look. Then we eat what we catch...in other words, we use it to sustain us. So it really bothers me that white folks would go to all that trouble to catch a fish, then when they done caught it, just throw it back in that water."
He paused again, and the silence between us stretched a full minute. Then: "Did you hear what I said?"
I nodded, afraid to speak, afraid to offend.
Denver looking away, searching the blue autumn sky, then locked onto me again with that drill-bit stare. "So, Mr. Ron, it occurred to me: If you is fishin for a friend you just gon' catch and release, then I ain't got no desire to be your friend."
The world seemed to halt in midstride and fall silent around us like one of those freeze-frame scenes on TV. I could hear my heart pounding and imagined Denver could see it popping my breast pocket up and down. I returned Denver's gaze with what I hoped was a receptive expression and hung on.
Suddenly his eyes gentled and he spoke more softly than before: "But if you is lookin for a real friend, then I'll be one. Forever." 

Denver talking to Debbie (Ron's wife):
"You was the onlyest person that looked past my skin and past my meanness and saw that there was somebody on the inside worth savin. I don't know how, but you knowed that most a' the time when I acted like a bad fella, it was just so folks wouldn't get too close. I didn't want nobody close to me. It wadn't worth the trouble. Besides that, I had done lost enough people in my life, and I didn't want to lose nobody else."
"Ever man should have the courage to stand up and face the enemy," I said, "cause ever person that looks like a enemy on the outside ain't necessarily one on the inside. We all has more in common than we think. You stood up with courage and faced me when I was dangerous, and it changed my life. You loved me for who I was on the inside, the person God meant for me to be, the one that had just gotten lost for a while on some ugly roads in life." 

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Greek Summit: It's Officially Begun!

Kyle and I arrived in Destin, Florida last night and will be here until May 29th! One of the great things about being on staff with Campus Crusade is that you have the opportunity of traveling during the summer. Each summer the staff are assigned to different summer projects and this year we are at Greek Summit. What is Greek Summit? It is a summer project designed by Crusade specifically for Greek students to equip them with the tools they need to influence their chapter for Christ. It is great content in a relaxing environment that will not only challenge them in their own walk with God but also fully equip them to minister to others. I attended this project the summer after my freshman year of college and it was extremely beneficial. I grew tremendously in my walk with the Lord, gained a vision of how to reach my sorority house for Christ, and developed wonderful relationships. We have students attending from Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and a few others schools. Please be in prayer for this project and the students attending. Pray that God will do a radical work in these students lives and that they would be challenged and encouraged to reach their respective houses with the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Easy Guacamole

I made this for my disciples on Tuesday night in honor of Cinco de Mayo. It is so delicious that had they not been there I probably would have eaten the entire bowl! It is really easy to make and I actually doubled the recipe to have more. I also added tomatoes to give it a little more flavor. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno (seeded for less heat, if desired), finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
2 ripe avocados, diced
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon or lime juice

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the onion, jalapeno, cilantro, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using the back of a fork, mash the avocados until they begin to release their juices. Add the avocados and lime juice and stir to combine.


My Beloved Disciples

The semester is now over and most of the students have packed their bags and headed home for the summer. This is always a bittersweet time for Kyle and I because we are sad to see the students go but it is also a break that we greatly need so we are revived and refreshed when the fall arrives. On Tuesday night, I had all of the girls that I disciple over for dinner and it was such a sweet time! When I first joined staff with Crusade I began to disciple two girls named Katie and Jennifer. I discipled them all four years of their college careers and when they graduated I cried like a mother does when their child leaves for college. I was so sad that they were leaving Oxford but I was also excited to see what the Lord was going to do through them in their next chapter of life. When they left I really did not think that I could love any girls more than I loved those two. We had shared so much of our spiritual journey together. However, I was wrong. This year I have had the opportunity to disciple Christie, Chelsea, Morgan, Christin, and Katherine and I absolutely LOVE and ADORE these girls. It has been such a blessing and honor to pour my life into each of them and their growth this year has amazed me. As we shared dinner on Tuesday night I spent some time encouraging each of them because I think the Lord has gifted each of them in incredible ways and I know that He is going to use them for His kingdom to do mighty works!  I could go on and on about how thankful I am for these girls and how proud I am of them. They are huge gift from God to me! I ask that you join me in praying for these precious women and their summers!

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at he day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." Philippians 1:3-11

"Like Apples of Gold"

In light of our anniversary, I thought I would share something that the Lord has been teaching me recently about marriage. In January, I began reading "A Wife After God's Own Heart" by Elizabeth George. It is a great book for those beginning marriage and one that I will highly recommend to others. One of the most impressionable chapters thus far was "Learning to Communicate." In this chapter Elizabeth shares several verses from the Word that should be our guidelines for communication in marriage. Proverbs 25:11 paints the word picture of good communication: "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." Elizabeth says, "Dear wife, this kind of beauty should be the goal for all your communication, but especially with the person most important and closet to you--your husband." So here are several of God's keys to godly speech. Your words are to be...

...SOFT: "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1). The words we choose to use have an effect on the hearer. Harsh, loud, caustic speech leads to arguments and quarrels, while soft gentle words bring about peace. And here's another fact: "A soft tongue can break hard bones" (Proverbs 25:15).

...SWEET: "Sweetness of the lips increases learning" or influence (Proverbs 16:21). Do you want to get your point across? Then realize that "pleasant words promote instruction" and understanding.

...SUITABLE: "Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones" (Proverbs 16:24). Kind sweet words have a medicinal effect on both body and soul.

...SCANT: "In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise" (Proverbs 10:19). The more you talk, the more you are sure to sin! Another Bible translation is very vivid and down-to-earth in its language: "Don't talk so much. You keep putting your foot in your mouth. Be sensible and turn off the flow!" As someone put it, "Sometimes the most skillful use of the tongue is keeping it still."

...SLOW: "Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (James 1:19). In even fewer words, make it your aim to "listen much, speak little, and not become angry!" Why? Because "the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God." No good ever comes from sinful anger.

Wow! These guidelines in scripture spoke volume to me! It really made me begin to think harder about the words I speak because they have so much effect on the hearer. I also realized that sometimes I just need to shut up and not speak! :) I think the best way to start practicing these instructions is to memorize the verses. Then, when we are communicating with our husbands we can practice what we have learned. I pray that this challenges your communication as much as it has mine! Elizabeth says, "Do you want your speech to be like apple of gold in settings of silver? Then learn to speak with godly wisdom when you communicate with your husband. Choose words that are soft, sweet, suitable, and by all means, scant."

3 YEARS!!!



On Wednesday, May 6th, Kyle and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary! Most people always say this but it really is true. I cannot believe it has been three years! Although these years have flown by, each year I am more and more thankful to the Lord for the gift of marriage and for giving me the best husband in Kyle. It was an incredibly fun anniversary as we had what Kyle called "A Day in The Delta". We went to Ground Zero Blues Club, the McCarty store (my favorite stop of the day), the Jim Henson Museum, the Indianola Pecan House, and the BB King Museum. We ended our day in Greenwood and celebrated that evening at The Alluvian. In honor of my wonderful, amazing, loving husband here are ten of my favorite things about him.

1. His love for our Savior, Jesus Christ, and his desire to make the gospel known among college students and around the world.
2. His desire to always have fun...Kyle plans the best road trips ever! 
3. His kindness towards others.
4. His patience with me, which is a lot!
5. His servant heart.
6. His positivity...Kyle is the most optimistic person I know!
7. His love for family.
8. His humility.
9. His passion for sports, especially Ole Miss...I know this is crazy but I do love that he loves it so much!
10. His LOVE for ME!!!!!







Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Book List 2009

I have always been a person that likes to make a list and check it off as I have completed the task. If you took one glance at my daily planner you would see this is very true! I got this idea from another blog and it seems like a perfect idea. Here is my book list for 2009. I hope to read all of these before the year is over!

Christian Books:
Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper
Teaching to Change Lives by Howard Hendricks
Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan
Living the Cross-Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing by C.J. Mahaney
Ruthless Trust: The Ragamuffin's Path to God by Brennan Manning
Fresh Wind Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala
Shopping for Time: How to Do It All and NOT Be Overwhelmed by Carolyn Mahaney
The Misery of Job and The Mercy of God by John Piper
Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard J. Foster
The Gospel for Real Life by Jerry Bridges
Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot
Future Grace by John Piper
Death by Love: Letters from The Cross by Mark Driscoll
Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World by C.J. Mahaney
Surrender by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Books on Theology:
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Tim Keller
What is Reformed Theology? by R.C. Sproul

Books on Marriage:
A Wife After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George
Sheet Music by Dr. Kevin Leman
Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas (to read with Kyle)
This Momentary Marriage by John Piper
When Sinners Say "I Do" by Dave Harvey (to read with Kyle)
Love That Lasts: When Marriage Meets Grace by Gary & Betsy Ricucci

Fiction Books:
Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall & Denver Moore
Take One by Karen Kingsbury
Take Two by Karen Kingsbury
Run by Ann Patchett
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows
Love Walked In by Marisa De Los Santos
Girls In Trucks by Katie Crouch
Road to Eden's Ridge by M.L. Rose
The Broker by John Grisham
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

*The books that are highlighted in red are ones I have already finished.


Monday, May 4, 2009

SALSA

This is one of my new favorite appetizer recipes! My dear new friend Sandra Vaughan brought it to our Esther bible study and after one bite I could not stop. It is so delicious and very easy to make it. I have served it with burgers, bbq, and just as an appetizer at a shower. It is quick to make when you are in a hurry. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 can of white shoepeg corn
1 can of diced black olives
1 can of diced green peppers
2 to 3 roma tomatoes
2 cups of Monterrey Jack cheese
1/2 cup of Italian dressing
1/4 cup of finely chopped cilantro

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together. Pour dressing over the mix. Add in chopped cilantro. Stir...and you are done! Serve it with tostito scoops.

Tips: If you would like to double the recipe I suggest only using one can of black olives. Also if you are not that crazy about the cilantro you can use less. I was so excited to cut some of my fresh herbs from out back that I used as much as I could! :)

Fulfilling a Dream

Ever since I was a little girl I have always wanted to have a vegetable garden. I can vividly remember being a child and asking my Mom if I could grow carrots. I am not really sure why it was carrots but probably because I was a pretty picky eater when I was younger and did not like many greens! Well this year I am finally fulfilling a childhood dream! It has definitely started with baby steps but I guess you got to start somewhere. So, I now have a blueberry bush, tomato plant, and several herbs including cilantro, parsley, and basil. I have already used several of the herbs in dishes and they add such extravagant flavor! The tomato plant is growing so fast and I am anxiously awaiting the day it for it to yield fruit! I have discovered that gardening is quite easy! I will be glad to offer any help or tips!

Blueberry Bush

Tomato Plant

Herbs: Cilantro, Basil, Parsley

 

Saturday, May 2, 2009

The Cole Chronicles

Walk HIS Way is transforming into The Cole Chronicles! It is always a good feeling to start something new and I am excited to begin a new blog! However, I am sad to leave behind Walk HIS Way. It was definitely short-lived! You are probably wondering why I moved so soon. I really wanted this new design (which will be revealed in a few weeks) and wordpress is not compatible. So I had to switch. I posted everything from Walk HIS Way below so you can still have it. The only thing I lost was your sweet precious comments! Hope you enjoy The Cole Chronicles!