Arise Ministries Collective Team - Arise Ministries Collective

Dying Well

October 8, 2018

Dying well every day.

There is no mistaking the fact that the Prince of Life calls to every person,

“Come, follow me towards life.”

The glow of His face, the satisfaction in His eyes, and the way in which He speaks of life draws our hopes to a crescendo. Stepping forward, at the call toward Jesus, is one step closer to true life.

For many, following Jesus has ended with the first step of saying yes, “I’ll follow… but…”

Confusion ensues as we start this journey toward life. We see that Jesus is holding heaven in one hand and hell in the other. It seems that there is no heaven without hell. Theologically speaking, there is no life without death. For Jesus to draw us into the heavens, it was necessary for him to pull our humanity through the consequences of sin. For humanity to experience heaven, it took ‘The Human’ to walk through hell. This is the beautiful work of Jesus – humanity and divinity in perfect unity walking through the front doors of hell and kicking out the back wall, setting believing captives free.

The work of Jesus has set us free from our slavery to death. However, does this mean that we can expect our journey towards life to be death free? I wish it did.

Personally, I have died more since attaching my life to Jesus than apart from him. Sometimes the hells that Jesus walks me through are such fiery trials that my walk slows to a crawl. I begin ask myself “How sure am I that this ‘Jesus’ is really leading me toward life and not death?” In moments like this, I have consistently been brought to my knees, barely being able to whisper the prayer “God, my God, Jesus, my Jesus, please… please remember that I am made of but dust. Remember my humanity, remember I can only take so much.”

Some of the most profound moments of abundant life have been birthed from seasons. Yes, seasons. If not years, of wretched death in my inner soul. Sorrow, doubt, heartbreak and rejection have been much of the setting of my journey. Yet Jesus has been my companion, my leader, my friend.

What has been profoundly encouraging to me, is that in the midst of this shadowy journey, when I look to Jesus and still see the hope of heaven in his eyes – His words whispered about life in the shadow of death are all the more beautiful.

As directly as Jesus says:

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

He also says:

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls”.

There is a tension we must learn to embrace as we follow Jesus. Life and death are tied together. But, ONLY FOR NOW.

It seems that the road to life for Jesus, as well as His followers, is not escaping the pains of death. It is found walking through the pains of death as we follow Jesus into resurrection life.

Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.

Our work as servants and disciples of Jesus is simply to

Die well. Every day.

If we want to experience resurrection life in our souls today, we must die well today also.

David Libby is a Pastor at the Summit View Westside Campus church in Vancouver. He is married to Rachel Libby, and together they have four amazingly brilliant and wild children that they get the honor and adventure of raising.

David is passionate about engaging with the local community and he builds intentional relationships with whomever God puts in his path. His desire is that the church would be a place that is safe enough to heal, but dangerous enough to grow.

He is passionate about creating space each week for people to encounter the presence of God. His desire is that the local church would be influential in every aspect of the local community by how we love each other and the those around us.

Thriving at His Feet

October 1, 2018

How on earth did I end up face down on the concrete driveway?! Seriously. I hope your week has been better then mine!

I have a little more on my plate than is truly manageable… and when I am overwhelmed I tend to get a little, how should I put this, scattered… clumsy… and calamatus. The only redeeming thing about this is that I also get very entertaining for my family.

Almost every day this week I have had some sort of catastrophe merely attempting to get my kids off to school and myself out of the house…

To start off my week, I was running 20 minutes late, and managed to stab myself in the eye with my mascara wand. I began blinking profusely and ended up with a crazy racoon eye. I wiped it off, decided that it might just be a “lipstick only” kind of day, and then proceeded to knock a burning candle over while grabbing my purse to run out the door. Candle wax everywhere. Cleaned that up, got to the door and I realized I didn’t have my shoes on… and began frantically yelling as I ran in circles through the house, ”David!!! I can’t find my shoes! Wait, have you seen my phone… and uh, where are my keys???!” Bless him. He just shook his head and asked “Should you even be driving today, honey?” Then he winked at me and handed me my shoes and keys as we laughed together and I scrambled out the door.

A high point of this week has been that the kids have made it to school on time every day! That feels like a huge success. I may have run out to kiss my kids goodbye multiple times in my pajamas as they climbed onto the bus. Don’t worry, I think they love it. And, they are definitely not embarrassed at all when I rush in a quick little prayer as they get in line to board the bus, “Jesus, be a shield around them and keep them safe today.” (bus doors close) and “LOVE YOU!!!”… then proceed to wave at all the other students as the bus drives off, continuing its route through the neighborhood.

There was one morning in specific where I realized, “Oh my word, David!!!! We have officially become THOSE crazy people in our neighborhood.”

Don’t even pretend to not know what I’m talking about. None of us are that holy. Every neighborhood has “those” crazy people, “that” interesting family… and in our neighborhood, I believe, that this week (and maybe every week) we win both those prizes.

Back to the high point of my week – the day that finalized our neighborhood status… David and I were both running late, so he rushed off to work. We had gotten 3 out 4 kids on the bus successfully. Praise Jesus. As Sunday waited for her bus, she and I unloaded all our camping gear out of the suburban to fill it with a clothing donation for Arise. Sunday and I made about 8 successful trips from the Suburban to the house without our two insane dogs escaping. But as luck would have it, just as we put the last load down at the entryway of our home, Sunday heard her bus coming. As she turned to go out the front door, both dogs escaped.

Sunday quickly grabbed Gus’ collar. (Gus is David’s English Bulldog who weighs a solid 70 pounds. He is adorable, but stubborn and mighty.) He jolted forward and she began to trip over the doorway, but still held on tight to his collar. Sunday began to stumble as Gus drug her forward on the concrete. In that moment, my mama instincts kicked in. Without even thinking I SUPERMAN dove over Sunday (I don’t even know how that was even possible stored up Mom power, I guess?!) – head first, arms outstretched and grabbed ahold of his collar. It was a small Christmas miracle that I was even able to get ahold of it without landing on my sweet little girl. As I was like, “YESSS! Well done Rachel! You’re not even athletic and that dive was everything it needed to be and more!!!!”… I proceeded to collide with the pavement. I landed with a huge thud and then the mighty (and quite naughty) Gus drug me into the driveway. I lost a little skin and a lot of dignity on that pavement, because just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse…. Sunday’s bus rolled up. #winning #momoftheyear

I am ALL kinds of sore today. Like, actually, I can barely move.

But I will say this. It is a good thing I don’t take myself too seriously. I laughed so hard I cried. As I tended to my scrapes and bruises, I heard God whisper over me… “Slow down Rachel, you are missing the most important thing in all your haste.”

This culture that we live in praises

rush, rush, rush,

plan, plan, plan,

busy schedules, full calendars, and overflowing plates.

I don’t think it’s just me.

If the way we are organizing our life and time is running us and we feel out of control then we might be missing the most important thing.

It feels like I have known the Mary & Martha story in Gospels since my childhood. We even used to sing a song about the two sisters in Sunday school. My whole life I had always pictured myself as Mary… Then came this humble season of life. As I took time to tend to my pavement wounds and process why I was in this scattered state all week, God gently prompted me to read again the well known story in Luke of the two sisters.

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.””

Luke 10:38-42 ESV

As I read those 6 verses my heart became increasingly weighted. I knew why God had put those verses in between the parable of the Good Samaritan and the Lord’s Prayer. It was purposeful.

It was for me. And, many people like me.

My grandma is a hard worker, my mother is a hard worker, I am a hard worker. We all take much pride in good work ethic, long ministry hours and our ability to host and love on everyone God brings into our homes.

-I am the welcomer – I love to invite people in. v.38

-I am the one always distracted and busy with serving and all of the details so that others are blessed. v.40

-I can become resentful and maybe even a little indignant when I am working hard and others choose to spend their time in other ways. v.40

-I am also the one who is anxious and troubled about many things. v.41

-I am Martha.

But how I long to be Mary.

The King of Kings, Jesus, the Savior of the world was in her home!

Martha wanted to serve Him and honor Him. I get that. Her gift of service and intention was beautiful. Her attitude when she was the only one working- not so much. Maybe that is the best way to gauge if we are actually doing what we are supposed to be doing in the moment. Not our intentions – but the attitude of our hearts. The why. Why are we doing what we are doing? She was working so hard that she missed the point. His presence and His person. Jesus wanted all of her – Her attention, her time, her listening ear. He was seeking relational, intentional moments with her. Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet and actively listening. He was pouring out His wisdom, His peace, His love, and His person and Martha was too busy serving to receive it. Jesus was there to connect with her person.

I have been missing His presence. I long for it. I miss it in the haste. And, the Martha role is not working for me. I need to diligently carve out time to sit at His feet and listen – expectantly awaiting sweet relational, intentional moments with my Savior.

His presence, His power, His truth, His wisdom, His strength, His rest, His immeasurable love. I want it all.

I wish I was an expert at being a Mary, but the truth is – I’m not! I have been surviving for months – not thriving. That’s why my week has played out in this fragmented and scattered way. I’ve been pouring out from a depleted, empty and over-run self. I feel it. The weight of it – the emptiness of it. I need to slow down and be purposeful with the time He has given me – so that I don’t miss the most important thing. Him.

Podcast 007 – “Bible Study”

September 24, 2018

Walk into any bookstore and you’ll find a plethora of biographies, self-help, and even Christian non-fiction promising to help us deal with life’s daily joys and struggles. There are books on marriage, parenting, friendship, finances, and spiritual wholeness. But there is nothing (not even one thing) that gives answers like the Bible does. It is God’s direct message to US – His love letter to those He sent His son to redeem and save. And we GET TO study it, know it, and let it change us.

We hope you’ll join us as we take some time to chat about the importance of Bible Study in our own lives, and consider reading and praying through some of these scriptures in response to the conversation:

Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Proverbs 30:5-6
Joshua 1:6-9
Isaiah 55:11
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Revelation 22:18-19

We also hope you’ll become desperate for the Word of God and begin seeing it as your lifeline in relationship with Jesus. It truly is at the heart of everything Arise Ministries Collective believes and does.

Here are a few things you can do to get started:

Just Do It: It doesn’t matter if you’re a new follower of Christ or have loved Him for as a long as you can remember – It’s never too late to start studying the Bible with depth, purpose and discipline. God’s Word is a gracious gift to us – He will help you and give you the wisdom you need (James 1:5).

Find a Group: While it’s important to study and wrestle through biblical truths on your own, discussing what you’ve learned in a group is ideal for motivation and building community. Many local churches have Bible Study groups and classes listed on their website. If you can’t find one, round up some friends, download one of our worksheets, and begin one together! We suggest starting with something like James, Luke, 1 Peter, or even Psalm 139.

Join a Class: Precept Ministries International trains leaders in the Inductive Method and provides excellent study guides! You can find classes all over the world. Consider joining one of the groups offered at Summit View Church if you live in the Vancouver, Washington area.

Believe: True study that engages both heart and mind will change you. Believe it and cling to the truth that His Word will never return void (Isaiah 55:11). Reject the lie that you aren’t committed enough, smart enough, or don’t have the time. Believe that you are disciplined and claim the fact that He gave you an able mind and spirit. Make the time. You will be so very grateful in the end.

Oh that we might be women who know the Word of God and live according to it!

In Him and through Him,

Rachel & Lisa

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Loving Our Literal Neighbors

September 10, 2018

Loving Our Literal Neighbors

(and why it took me way too long to do it)

Guest Contributor & Writer Kristen Engleking

Four years ago, my husband and I bought our first home. We had high hopes for how we would show the love of Jesus to our new neighbors. We moved into our house in August 2014, and we slowly met a of couple families. Most interactions were pretty brief but we felt like we had done our new neighbor duty to at least introduce ourselves.

Then a year went by, and there had been very little interaction with others on our street. Another year went by. During those years, during Bible study or community group I would occasionally ask my friends to pray that I would be more intentional about loving my neighbors. I knew it was important, and somewhere in my heart I really did want to reach out. The thing is, praying about it was not the same as doing it. I made excuses. I was frustrated that the other neighbors weren’t making much of an effort. I was irritated that our street wasn’t a “fun” street. We didn’t have block parties or do fireworks together on 4th of July or ask each other for butter and eggs. As frustrated as I was about the lack of neighboring going on, I wasn’t doing much to help. I was contributing to the modern American stereotype of people who pull their car in the garage and shut the door almost immediately when they get home.

In spring of 2017, the night before Easter, I felt convicted to reach out to our next door neighbor – an older, single woman who lived alone. I felt like I was supposed to invite her to our Easter Sunday service. I knocked on her door, invited her to church, and she came the next morning! I felt thankful that she came and also kind of proud of myself as we introduced her to our family and friends, like, “This is my neighbor, who we invited to church, because we are intentional Jesus followers who are loving our neighbors.” Good for me, right? Well, guess what happened after that? It pains me to type the words, but after that Easter service, I didn’t even talk to her for an ENTIRE YEAR. The next time I talked to her was nearly a year later when I was finally outside doing yard work and she happened to be outside, too. How about that for intentional Jesus follower and loving neighbor?

When it came to loving our actual neighbors, I was overthinking it and under-doing it (a habit of mine on many levels). After living here for four years, I finally realized that if I wanted relationships with my neighbors, I was going to have to do something about it.

So we decided to throw a block party. I downloaded a free invitation template online for us to customize, print, and pass out to our neighbors. Three days before the party we knocked on doors and handed out invitations. Our street only has ten houses on it, but most of our neighbors were able to come.

The night of the party was a hot, August evening. We found an 80s Summer BBQ playlist to set the vibe, grilled a bunch of hamburgers and hoped that it would be a fun, non-awkward night. Neighbors wandered over with lawn chairs and side dishes or desserts to share. Taco salad. Gluten free brownies. Cans of lemonade. Bags of chips. We sat around in lawn chairs in front of our house and just got to know each other. Some people met for the first time. We covered the basic conversation topics; things like jobs, schools, how long people had lived on our street and where they had lived previously. Before the night ended we made a list of everyone’s contact info so we could get ahold of each other if needed.

There wasn’t anything fancy about it, and we didn’t lead anyone to Jesus. It was just a night of neighbors being neighbors. It felt like the beginning of a good thing. We still have a lot of relationship building to do, but we took a step in that direction. It’s embarrassing that the beginning is four years into our life on this street, but I needed to remember that it’s never too late to obey. When Jesus said, “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31), I’m sure he wanted us to love those around us in general. But I’m also fairly sure he didn’t want us to overlook our actual, literal neighbors. I feel like Jesus has been teaching me in all of our years on this street that instead of waiting around for someone else to be loving and intentional, He was asking me to be the one to do it. If I’m the one tasked with carrying the light and love of Jesus into the world, then why wouldn’t I just throw a party for my street?

Maybe you live in an incredible neighborhood where you make friends easily and it feels like the most natural thing in the world to show the love of Jesus to your neighbors. But maybe your situation is different. Maybe you’re in an apartment that you didn’t think you’d still be in by now, and all you can think about is how loud and obnoxious your upstairs neighbors are. Or you wish the people across from you would just close their dang blinds. In your case, tolerating your neighbors feels like a lot to ask, and loving them feels impossible. Maybe you’re just renting a house, and you keep thinking that when you buy a home someday, when you finally plant roots, then you’ll get to know your neighbors. Maybe it doesn’t feel like this season really counts for much. Or maybe, like me, you’ve lived in the same place for a long time and the most interaction you’ve had with your neighbors is a wave when you see each other or a brief conversation. You feel like too much time has passed. You’re convinced it would be weird to initiate a friendship now.

Speaking from experience, I’ll be the first to encourage you that it’s not too late. And speaking as someone who took way too long to start getting to know my neighbors, what’s actually weird is living right next to people and not knowing one another at all. If God heard my prayer four years ago for the right house, at the right time, then this is the street. These are the people. We’re a quirky bunch, but we’re neighbors. I think people want to know their neighbors but aren’t sure where to start. Let’s be the kind of Jesus followers who initiate. The kind who throw the party. The kind who gather the people. The kind who care for those around us. Our simple kindness might go further than we think.

I live in Oregon with my sweet family. My husband and I have been married for six years and we have two babies, Norah (age 2.5) and Jack (9 months). I am a stay-at-home mom, and my husband is a pastor of high school students and young adults at our church. I’m a year-round iced coffee drinker, I love interior design and redecorating my home, and have recently become totally obsessed with the Enneagram!

Poached Salmon with Lemon & Dill Sauce

September 5, 2018

This recipe transitions perfectly from summer to fall and gives all you Pacific Northwesterners something new to do with the salmon you have stocked up in the freezer! It’s quick and easy enough to enjoy on a busy school/work night (my family LOVES this for dinner), but is also a fail-proof and simple menu for company. I like to dress ours up with some fresh lemon slices and serve it with baked rice (bonus recipe below) and grilled asparagus.

Lemon & Dill Sauce
3 Tbsps low-fat mayonnaise
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill, or 1 tsp dry dill
1 Tbsp skim milk
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp grated lemon rind.

1 Tbsp capers (optional)
2 tsp juice from capers (optional)

Salmon
1 lb Salmon fillet
3 cups water
1 lemon, thinly sliced

Remove any small bones from the salmon and cut it into 4 pieces. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a large skillet. Add lemon slices. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add salmon and heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 8-10 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily when tested with fork.

Cover the salmon pieces with a generous dollop of sauce (or two) and enjoy!

Make it a meal and scroll down for the Baked Rice recipe and some tips for cooking asparagus (see what I did there?).

Tosha’s Baked Rice

1 1/2 c. rice
3 cups chicken stock
1/3 c. butter (I use less)
lots of garlic salt OR galic powder and salt – should smell garlicky

Stir together in a covered casserole dish and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Asparagus
Rinse and break of hard tips
Saute in butter/pepper/sea salt/garlic until just tender.

Anger

September 3, 2018

“But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;

the Lord hears when I call to him.

Be angry and do not sin;

ponder in your own hearts and on your beds and be silent.

Offer right sacrifices,

and put your trust in the Lord.”

Psalm 4:3-5 ESV

Anger is a part of life. It is an emotion we feel. It is also an emotion God feels. We are often taught and told that anger is wrong. Anger itself is not wrong or sinful. It is what we do with our anger. Anger has the power to create immense hurt, brokenness, chaos and foolishness. It also has the potential to stir in our hearts a passion to move in a way that brings justice – to right wrongs, to act and speak for those who are powerless to do so on their own.

God’s Word says,

“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger” Ephesians 4:26

“Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger” James 1:19

“Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools” Ecclesiastes 7:9

“Good sense makes on slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” Proverbs 19:11

“Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” Proverbs 16:32

Is it ok to be angry? Absolutely.

Is it best to speak, stand and act in that anger? Even if it is for a just cause… I say… no.

Not in the heat of the moment.

When we respond out of anger our feelings and emotions often have the reigns to our words and actions. Our intentions may be perfectly good and right, but what matters equally as much as our intentions is our ability to gracefully, bravely, competently, and articulately communicate our passion, stance and point.

What if you are sinned against? What if someone wrongs you, misperceives you, intentionally hurts you or others… and you have every right to be angry and offended? By our cultures standards you have every right and entitlement to speak, to stand, to fight back… to be angry.

Friends! This blew my mind when I came across it the other day. It is perfect instruction and absolute wisdom. Psalm 4 is a precise and simple guide for how to respond when we feel angry.

“1. Be angry and do not sin;

2. ponder in your own hearts on your beds,

3. and be silent.”

4. offer right sacrifices

5. AND PUT YOUR TRUST IN THE LORD.”

Then the Lord Responds

He will show you His goodness. He will lift the light of His face upon you v.6
He will put joy in your heart v.7
“In peace you will both lie down and sleep; for you alone O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” v.8

This is how we should respond to anger. He is just and trustworthy. After we have spent time pondering, silent, desiring to do what is right (even if it costs us)… Then, in the days that follow if the Holy Spirit prompts you to speak up for those who have no voice, or stand up against something unjust, or move to action to defend a person or a cause – You are able to do it out of righteous conviction and calling (as opposed to emotional passion and untrustworthy perceptions and feelings), trusting that in the end the all things on this earth are the Lord’s to preside over, to judge, to make right. “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengence is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Romans 12:19

He is the one who moves. Do you trust that He is just? Do you trust and believe that He will fight for you to make things right?

Sometimes He moves through us, other times it is in His own timing and way – far beyond our comprehension.

For us to discern our part in the process takes self discipline of our emotions and thoughts. It also takes quality face time before the Lord – time spent literally on our faces bowed down in reverence and in prayer asking for wisdom, truth and that we would hear the Holy Spirit louder than our pride, our fear and any other voices.

The beautiful, unwavering truth about God is that He always answers. Prayer is often the process that aligns our hearts, minds and purpose with His sovereign and perfect plan. His desire is to lavish wisdom on His children. Ask for it and wait for Him. That requires the practice of praying and then pausing to also listen. That’s when the Spirit of God has whispered things like the following to me when I am processing anger, hurt or offense:

“Be still, I will fight for you.”

“Lavish love beyond your capacity, you can do it because my Spirit lives in you and I am faithful. Trust me.”

“True grace bends down and scoops up the undeserving with love that overlooks offense. (Thank you Jesus for your example of this!!!)”

“Pray for her.”

“Leave it here, this burden is not for you to carry.”

“Wait for me.”

“Create space for healthy boundaries”

“Rachel, for the love, get yourself out of the way and trust me with this.”

“Move to action”

“Speak now – be brave, my Spirit will give you the words you need.”

“Do what is right. Not what is easy.”

“Forgive. Forgive. Forgive.”

How have you seen Him move on your behalf?

Have you experienced His justice?

Are you wrestling with God? Waiting for Him to answer you?

Is there some way that we can gather around you and pray for you as you process anger, hurt, injustice or offense?

Let us know. WE will pray – and believe on your behalf, that you will see His goodness and that He will lift the light of His face upon you (Psalm 4:6).

On this journey of being human right alongside you,

Rachel Anne

Podcast 006 – “Rose’s Story” – Part Three

August 27, 2018

Here it is! The final episode of Rose’s Story! If you haven’t had a chance to listen to Part One and Part Two, yet, you can find them here on our website or on iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/arise-ministries-collective/id1361410191?mt=2).

As we all have the great honor of listening to Rose’s brave and captivating journey, it is our prayer that her experience will grow and bolster our faith and help us trust God in a deep and tangible way.

Have a kleenex handy, settle in and listen as Rose finishes her testimony of the many ways God has held her tightly from tragedy in the Philippines to victory in Christ today.

About Rose Speer: Rose lives in Vancouver, WA with her husband, David (both are graduates of George Fox University), and two children, Coraleigh (14) and Malkiah (10). She is a wedding planner and party enthusiast who loves to bake, decorate cakes, host a crowd, garden, hike and watch her kids play sports.

She is passionate about helping others grow and strengthen their faith, and loves the Lord with all her heart, mind and soul. It’s not surprising that Rose’s life verse is Joshua 1:9 – “Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

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Mac & Cheese

August 22, 2018

Hey all!!!

I am here today to share one of my families all time favorite recipes with you! This Mac & Cheese is one that has stayed on our weekly meal schedule for years! It not only makes enough to feed a small village, we love it for leftovers and lunches throughout the week. (I would cut the receipt in half if your feeding less then 10 people.)

2 Zuchinis, 1 1/2 Sweet onion, 1 Head of cauliflour, 2 cloves of minced garlic, chopped and sautéed together (until tender but not mushy) in butter with salt and pepper.

Boil 24 ounces (two bags) of egg noodles until directed time, make sure you don’t overcook the noodles, strain and put back in pot. Add the following to the hot and cooked noodles:

2 pints ounces of cottage cheese

1 pint ounces of sour cream

8 ounces of cream cheese

1 1/2 cup shredded mozerella

3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Add salt, pepper (I like it peppery) and red pepper flakes to taste

Mix everything together and put in two 9×13 pans

sprinkle with mozeralla cheese and garlic salt

Cook uncovered at 350 for 20 minutes.

There are many variations of this that we enjoy, sometimes we add bacon, or sausage, or ham. Other times we top it with bread crumbs and jalapeños. You can also top it with fresh basil or cilantro! That’s one of things I love about this recipe, you can be creative and mix it up!

I would love to hear how you get creative with this recipe!

Love from my family’s table to yours,

Rachel

Family Travel Lessons: Things I’ve Learned Along the Way

August 20, 2018

Catching the Travel Bug

I didn’t grow up traveling, but have fond memories of camping with cousins and taking family road-trips as a child. As a teenager, I was desperate to see the world but had little exposure and even less money. I cleaned houses, painted fences, mowed lawns, babysat, and sold Christmas trees to afford the mission trips that blended my desire for travel with my heart to serve.

I didn’t know anyone who had visited anywhere but the Netherlands, where my parents were born and some family/friends had visited, so was fearful and had no idea what to expect. Those mission trips as a teen left me longing for more. I consider it a blessing, honor, and miracle to look back on my life and see the Lord honor my desire to go, learn, help, laugh, cry, and love.

Things I’ve Learned Along the Way

#1. LOVE THE WORLD BEFORE SERVING THE WORLD

My husband and I were good friends before we starting dating. His mom was from Trinidad & Tobago, and his dad grew up in British Guyana – both in the West Indies. All of his extended family still lived there, as only his parents immigrated to Canada to raise their family. He had great stories about summers spent overseas as a child and teen, and meeting his parents was a cultural experience in itself. I loved them immediately!

His family sounded Jamaican and made curry for dinner on my first visit to his house. When we went to a bookstore on one of our first dates and Jerome spent an hour in the travel section, I adored him so much it scared me.

We got married a few years later (I’m skipping all kinds of good stuff here), and spent the next 7 years pinching pennies so we could explore the world together – from camping trips along coastal California to a backpacking adventure through Thailand (where we budgeted $8 a night for accommodation and even less for food – Not recommended). We took every opportunity to do something fun in a new place, and can honestly say that there wasn’t one country or state we didn’t love.

Enter two sweet babies 19 months apart. I can’t ever recall us having a formal conversation about continuing our travel with the kids or purposefully raising children who would serve the world (but I realize now I’d appear much more holy and noble had this been our intention from the beginning).

These sweet toddlers learned to nap anywhere!

Lugging little ones around anywhere is hard work! This is Jerome in Todos Santos with a baby and 2-year old.

The truth is, we simply hoped they would love the world and the people in it as much as we did. We got them passports, loaded up car seats and pack-n-plays (bungee cords came in handy) and carted them around the world with us to nap under palm trees and hear stories of culture and tradition from the locals.

We ordered ethnic food from the menu and ate what was served instead of giving them traditional North American options. We diligently studied where we were going and made a valiant effort to do things they would actually enjoy. We wanted them to have fun and get excited about more travel adventures.

We hoped experiencing the world would make them brave and humble enough to see beauty in every part of it. We hoped travel would give them perspective. We hoped they would grow, learn, and understand that EVERY nation has something spectacular to offer. We hoped they would see beauty in other cultures. We hoped, first and foremost, that they would love. We hope it worked.

#2. EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED, AND BE PREPARED TO THROW AWAY YOUR FAVORITE CLOTHES WHEN THEY GET PUKED ON

Someone vomits on nearly every one of our journeys. Just this summer our son went through a list and recounted each and every time he threw up on vacation over the last 4 years.

He barfed in the back of a van in Bali (motion-sickness)

On an island in Costa Rica (too much coconut milk rice)

On the tarmac in Botswana (motion sickness)

And, just a few weeks ago, in the aisle, on the seats, and ALL OVER ME on a 9-hour flight from Washington DC to Addis Ababa.

We still had another 9 hours of travel ahead of us, so I learned to bathe in the bathroom sink and briefly grieved over the clothes I left in the garbage.

No trip or travel experience will be perfect.

Expect imperfection and get over disappointment – quickly.

I’m preaching to myself, here, friends.

Travel has helped me realize that my attitude can set the tone for my family’s experience. If I’m disappointed, they’re disappointed. My anger spurs their anger. If I sulk, they sulk.

We got TWO flat tires on safari in Botswana several years ago!

Waiting FOREVER in the hot sun. “You can’t have it all!”

When I expect things not to go as planned, I’m emotionally prepared when they don’t, but full of joy when they do!

I recently joined our 14-year-old daughter, Jerome, and a dear friend from college on the tail end of their service trip to Uganda. I loved the catch-phrase they’d adopted during their time there together. If something they’d ordered, asked for, paid for, or expected came ruined, wrong, not-as-promised, or not-at-all (a common occurrence), they’d look at each other, smile, and say, “You can’t have it all.”

It’s true, right? I’ve learned that you really can’t.

#3. ANYONE (Mostly) CAN TRAVEL

I stop and talk to everyone when we’re traveling. EVERY. ONE. I just can’t help it. I love discovering where people are from, what brought them to the part of the world we’re both visiting, and hearing all their stories. I get especially excited when it’s someone’s first “big trip.”

My interrogating conversations have assured me that nearly ANYONE CAN TRAVEL. It doesn’t matter if you’re single, on a tight budget, have small children, are empty-nesters, or have never had a passport.

Many women in my local church and family are beautiful examples of this.

My dear friend LeeAnn has Celiacs Disease and gets VERY sick if any part of her food is contaminated with gluten (trust me, I’ve been in an ambulance with her and witnessed it first hand). We traveled to Nicaragua together last year, and she ROCKED IT! LeeAnn did her research and realized that traditional Nicaraguan food is gluten-free. She had to be careful, ask questions, and keep her GF bread and peanut butter on hand just in case, but is living proof that people with food allergies and moderate health issues CAN TRAVEL. It’s just a lot harder :).
Julia recently posted pictures of her SOLO trip to Europe. She enjoyed lunch alone in quaint Paris cafes and visited all of the major London landmarks on her own. She absolutely inspired me with her bravery and independence, which is why I’m making a valiant effort to get to know her better and stalk her social media pages. I want to be just like her – Courageous and willing.
Annie returned from a mission trip to Kenya last week, and I got teary when I talked to her mom and heard she’d landed safely on American soil. She had some anxiety and reservation about going, but went anyway. I was so happy for her! VICTORY over fear gets me every single time.
My own sister has a boatload of kids and has taken them to Mexico, Hawaii, Haiti (multiple times) and even on a Precepts International tour through Israel!

LeeAnn and other beautiful friends on a Forward Edge International mission trip to Nicaragua.

Travel isn’t easy, but it’s almost always possible.

You don’t have to go as far as Nicaragua, France, Kenya or Israel to experience the joy of culture and adventure. There are people and places to love and learn about everywhere.

One of our favorite places to visit as a family is Whistler, British Columbia, Canada because it’s rampant with international travelers. I learn and experience a great deal just taking the time to meet people and hear stories of their homeland!

If you’re feeling like you want to go somewhere but don’t know where to begin, just start somewhere.

Anywhere.

Buy an atlas.

Pinch pennies and start planning.

Watch National Geographic.

Take a road trip.

Make an effort to understand what’s going on in the world and talk about it with people around you.

But if you can, (and I really do believe it’s a possibility), GO! See the incredible world and people our God created. Be changed because of them.

Love them. Serve them.

#4. IT’S OK TO SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES

It was Spring Break, 2017, when I began sharing some of our travel pictures on social media. We were staying at a quaint little hotel outside of Tulum, Mexico, and Jerome had taken the kids spear-fishing for the day (which, by the way, resulted in more vomit but an absolutely AMAZING dinner).

I decided to stay back to finish a Bible study and have time alone with God. I was in absolute awe of the beauty around me and the incredible kindness of people we’d met on our trip. I had memorized Psalm 8 and was proclaiming it to the Lord when I became emotional – tears poured down my cheeks in the presence of His goodness.

I was humbled by His provision of travel opportunities in my life but also grieved that others hadn’t experienced the glory of His creation beyond the confines of birth borders. My heart and mind were overwhelmed, and I made a desperate plea for Him to reveal His great world to any friends, family, and acquaintances who had never experienced it.

“Oh Lord,” I cried out, “They need to know!” And He responded, “Then tell them.”

So I did. Reluctantly.

I had always shied away from making our trips and experiences public and posting them on social media. I even coached the kids not to share because I didn’t want to appear pretentious or boastful. I’m still incredibly self-conscious about it all. Social media has a way of telling lies to our soul. It breeds competition and tells us we don’t measure up.

But social media can also be a form of influence and inspiration when shared with good intention.

I post about the people we meet and the things we do because I want you to believe you can do it, too.

I want you to know that we’re not special.

I want you to see that travel is FUN!

I want you to know that there are lost and broken people everywhere, but that there are also captivating Holy-Spirit filled ones.

People need you.

They need you to understand, know, appreciate, and be moved to an ethic of care.

They need you to believe that Jesus is worthy of being praised in ALL nations and with ALL people.

They need you to tell them about Him and give a testimony of His goodness in your life.

And if you can’t go or don’t feel called, then I hope my own experiences breed a spirit of both compassion and appreciation for the world He created – that you would see just a glimpse of His beauty across the sea and beyond our borders.

Gabe after a long day of ancient temple tours.

#5. 11-YEAR-OLD BOYS MAY PREFER WATER PARKS TO ALL-DAY TEMPLE TOURS

It’s true.

If you ask our son what his favorite part of a three week trip to Cambodia, Thailand, and Indonesia was, he would say Waterbom in Bali.

The waterpark.

We visited ancient temples, mountain-biked through the Cambodian countryside, took a traditional Balinese cooking class, surfed, hiked, learned about the impact of local NGO’s (Non-Government Organizations), installed a water well for a lovely family, and ate some of the best food I’ve ever had in my life. But all Gabe talks about are the waterslides.

And it’s ok. I’ve learned to be (mostly) content with our family’s differences. Some of my travel highlights simply aren’t theirs. We’re different people and are going to enjoy different things. It’s why we end most of our travel days asking, “What was your favorite part of today?” It’s interesting to hear the different perspectives and gives direction for future planning. It’s also why we sandwich long service or learning days between fun and relaxing ones.

Because the fun ones are almost always Gabe’s favorite.

#6. MY HUSBAND AND I MAKE A GOOD TEAM

I was attacked by bats on a backpacking trip in Southeast Asia, and Jerome started singing I’m a Survivor by Destiny’s Child while I cried, which, of course, made me laugh.

He has a way of making the difficult things feel like adventures, forever sealing them in my memory as good instead of bad. He stays calm and thinks clearly when things go wrong and I lose my mind – like when our kayak flipped trying to cross a reef break in Kauai, trapping our then two-year-old under the boat.

He finds joy in researching hotels and sealing the very best deals on flights.

On a road trip across America early in our marriage, we discovered that I’m terrible at reading maps (it’s an embarrassingly good story), so he’s our chief navigator, too. He carries the passports and money (although I took on some of this responsibility just recently in East Africa and DIDN’T LOSE ANYTHING).

So what do I offer?

I trust him, love him, respect him, and eat adventurously alongside him. I squeal with delight when we get lost in the most quaint side-streets and take great joy in the small things – pretty fabrics, intricate tile, interesting people. I think he likes seeing the kids and I enjoy the things he planned.

And I take the pictures.

Living On Mission – Even When We Travel

Those of us who count ourselves followers of Christ are called to live on mission.

Every day. In every circumstance.

The moment we truly believed and took up our cross is the moment we committed to sharing the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ, with our mouths and with our actions.

We’re on mission at home, and we’re on mission while traveling. It doesn’t have to be a “mission trip” to be missional, and a vacation for a Follower is never just a vacation.

Live with intention. Everywhere and anywhere.

Look for His majesty in all of creation and pray diligently that His Kingdom would come in it. And enjoy His world, because it’s really hard to serve something you don’t love.

In Him and for His Purpose,

Lisa

P.S.

+ A hot bowl of traditional Cambodian noodles with all the toppings is the BEST BREAKFAST EVER. And the best lunch. And the best dinner.

+ Even if you book flights a year in advance on points, the airline can cancel those flights three weeks before your trip. And they’re allowed. It’s in the small print. We checked.

+ Jet-lag is real, but you won’t remember it by the time you want to travel again.

+ Travel immunizations are EXPENSIVE. Shop around and do your homework. Some may not be required or even necessary depending on the specific area you’re traveling to.

+ When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor… and Yourself by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert is AMAZING! I highly recommend reading the book if you’re planning ANY sort of trip to a developing country.

+ Forward Edge International leads exceptional short-term mission trips to multiple countries. Prayerfully consider creating a team with your friends/church family, or join one of their Open Teams. You can find more information here: https://www.forwardedge.org

The Bride – Part 2

August 13, 2018

My Experience with the Bride

The church is so very significant to me. It has become my family, my community, the very place that my soul longs to be. If you know me well, you know that Sunday mornings are my very favorite – the church gathered to bring God glory, all those beautiful people to love on, hug, and worship with… it makes my heart burst like nothing else. I love Sunday mornings because Jesus’ Bride is my people, my home.

I have not felt like this at every church I have been a part of. Not every place is safe, healthy and working in unity towards the same purpose. The Holy Spirit knows where your hands, feet and heart fit best. When He leads you to that place (and He always will) stay planted there, thrive and grow. No church is perfect because it is filled with imperfect people, but its goal should be to operate in unity.

“Strive to be a peacemaker; above all else, love one another earnestly since love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8

It takes bravery and courage to be authentic in a way that plants deep roots. Personally, I have had far more beautiful experiences than painful ones. True depth of community takes work, forgiveness, grace, and commitment to serve, vulnerability to put your gifts on the table, and humility to allow others to minister to you. Over the course of my life, I have experienced the Bride in a way that has given me a fierce desire to fight for it.

When my sister was diagnosed with cancer while my family was on the mission field, the church gathered around us and walked through that season with us every single step of the way, not perfectly – because most people don’t know what to say when a child is dying, but our people, the global bride, in Brazil, the States and Canada were so generous, affectionate, and attentive to us. I was between the ages of 7-12 when my family experienced the grief of cancer and heart wrenching pain of death. There was not a single moment when we were not sustained by God’s people and God Himself.

When David and I decided to go into full time ministry, our local church gathered around us and supported us financially so we could go on the mission field. When we were in England, our church there made sure that every single need we had was met. They would bring us gift cards for the grocery store, meat from the butcher, they became our family, advocates for us through crises, and a safe place away from home. There are no words for how deeply their generosity and love impacted our family.

I have story after story about how I have experienced God’s faithfulness and love to me through the Bride of Christ. The church, globally and locally, has left a mark on me like nothing else. I know how powerful the Bride is when unified, and living in community, on purpose. It is the tangible love and presence of Jesus.

Recently, my family had a bit of an emergency. I ended up driving my husband to the hospital in the middle of the night, where they confirmed he had appendicitis and would need surgery. With no family in town, four kids at home in the middle of the night and David and I stuck at the hospital for two nights, this situation had the potential to be very stressful and quite lonely.

But, here is why I absolutely love the Bride.

The moment people knew what was happening they gathered around us, they took my kids and loved them well – I didn’t even have to worry about them for a moment.They were having so much fun with our church family and friends that I could completely focus on what was happening at the hospital. Our people made sure that I had food and caffeine (two very important necessities for me) as I sat next to David for two days in his hospital room. As soon as the word spread people sent text messages, prayers, checked in on us, made sure all our bases were covered and offered help in every way. Because of God’s grand and beautiful provision of his people, there wasn’t even a moment that I felt alone.

The last day we were in the hospital one of my friends called to tell me, “We have made arrangements for you to stay somewhere else tonight, we thought David would be in the hospital one more night and we have been working on a surprise for you.” When we were discharged from the hospital I got David all settled in at a cozy, quiet, peaceful apartment – minus his appendix and pain meds in full swing. His friend met me at the apartment to be with David and keep him up on his meds while I went home to grab pajamas, a shower and a few other essentials from home.

Let me just back up for a second here because to comprehend the vastness of this story you also must know what was going on behind the scenes:

David and I have four kids with wondrously large personalities and two insane dogs. We bought a house last year with white carpet… WHITE CARPET! Oh my heavens. That in and of itself was a huge mistake, because I LOVE to host parties and to have people over, but I was so embarrassed by that stained white carpet that I had shied away from having people over for a year. I always want people to feel welcome, loved and completely comfortable in my house. In every house we have lived in I strive for it to feel like us and be a reflection of our values and life experiences as a family. That’s when a house becomes a home to me… and I didn’t feel comfortable in my own house, so there was no way I was having guests over (except for in the few times where David encouraged me to get over it, and myself, and invite people in anyway).

There is a lot of wild that happens in our home, and this summer especially, there had been a lot of chaos with our schedules and business, traveling, camps, and two children with broken left arms (don’t even get me started on that). Starting a non-profit is like having a baby. It has turned my world upside down this year, David is very invested in his work and literally, this year we have been on about two dates… until we got to the hospital. We had some quality time there, a rather expensive date, but I will take it!

This summer we had some of my very favorite company in town for the 4th of July week – I loved their presence in my home, but was so aware all week that my house was not what I felt comfortable presenting to them. Which is when I decided, out loud and definitively to David, that I could no longer handle white carpet. We are definitely not white carpet people, and I didn’t even care if we had to live on plywood – it had got to go! And because my husband is so amazing, that very day, after our company left, he pulled it all up. That’s when I learned that we are also not plywood people. HA! So we made a plan to get new flooring for our house and began a home renovation project two days before I left for high school camp.

The night that I returned from camp, I decided that with the new color of the floors we had chosen, our ten million kitchen cabinets needed to be painted, because we weren’t two tones of wood kind of people either (I realize that I am sounding a little high maintenance, but let me reassure you – that I am usually quite go with the flow and free spirited… just not about white carpet and multiple colors of wood in the same room, I guess… now we know). I spent the next five days disassembling every bit of our living space and painting all the cabinets while David continued working on the floor. At this point, every other aspect of our home had been 100% neglected for a solid three weeks. To add mayhem to madness, to keep the kids occupied while I painted, I suggested that they swap bedrooms. I let them have at it (completely unsupervised) while I worked downstairs. It seemed like a good plan in the moment… but that meant that literally every single room in my house was torn apart and in its absolute worst state the night I took David into the hospital. Sigh, #winning.

Back to my original story.

I pulled up to my home to a crew of Summit View Westsiders already there. They had been working most of the day and had cleaned my house – my horrifically neglected, super embarrassing mess of a house, hung all my cabinet doors back up for me (and my kitchen looked AMAZING!), done all my 1000 + loads of laundry (because my children are gremlins and I had not washed all my camp stuff yet), and literally cleaned everything. EVERY THING! The floors, windows, baseboards, carpet upstairs, power washed the front porch and entryway, wiped down all my counters, tables, all my bathrooms and my laundry room, they even folded the ends of my toilet paper rolls into perfect little v’s. You guys, it was like a Christmas miracle. By the next morning when we came home, David’s flooring project had been finished beautifully, even the trim had been put back in place and some of it replaced. We walked in and it was like coming home in the best sense of the word. Not to the chaos of a dismantled house under construction with piles of laundry, dishes and everyday life things scattered about everywhere – we walked into a place of peace, calm, organized, tidy, sparkling clean, absolute beauty in every sense of the word. Every single detail lovingly put in place.

That is the Bride. Sacrificial love that covers a multitude of mess. Love that is generous with time, talents, abilities and hard work not expecting anything in return, but pouring out for the best of another. It’s people putting themselves out there to catch you, to cover you, to remind you that you have a seat at the table – you belong. You are a part of something so much grander than yourself.

I don’t think I have ever felt more seen or loved.

I couldn’t be more thankful.

The Bride has flaws, it’s true. But it also has immeasurable beauty that reflects the face of God.

When I think about all the love that our church poured out on our family, I can picture the face of Jesus as He sees his Bride, all dressed in white, making her way up the aisle. Our collective gaze fixed on Him. We will see nothing but love and anticipation in His eyes. Every single effort, every moment of striving, sacrifice and love spent for Him on this earth, awaiting this very moment- completely seen, acknowledged and enveloped in glory and pride as our eyes lock. We, the Bride, are claimed, honored and beloved by the Almighty King Jesus.

Glorious. I can’t even wait for that day.

Keep striving church. Keep loving – even when it costs you. Keep running this race with all you have. Don’t miss an opportunity to extend grace, shed light, wrap up, cover, fill, pour out, to walk in truth and impart peace. It will all be worth it. He sees it all. No effort is wasted or unnoticed and he absolutely adores you for it. Gather together, press on and love extravagantly.

He is coming for us.

With anticipation, gratitude and love,

Rachel Anne

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