Christmas Letter 2013

Christmas Greetings!

With Thanksgiving running later this year and finals taking over my life, I didn't have a chance to write a Christmas letter and send it out prior to leaving Wilmore. So, I thought a Christmas letter on the blog was a great alternative :). Without further ado, here is the Just year in review!

As many of you remember, last Christmas around this time, Kyle was offered a job at the Providence School, an alternative school here in town, literally a mile or two from our house. That was such a blessing to us! It was a constant job for Kyle, which is exactly what we needed. In March or so, we started thinking about what to do during the summer. Kyle needed a summer time job and I planned to take summer courses. However, mid-March, we received a call from Project Transformation asking us if we'd be interested in applying to serve with them in a couple of different leadership roles for the summer of 2013. The opportunity came at just the right time and was way too good to pass up. I was hired on as a house pastor and Kyle was hired on as a leadership training intern, working mainly with high school students.

We also moved into new seminary housing in May. We had to be in Dallas for leadership training at the end of May for PT, so we finished out seminary/work and moved during finals week. Then, we packed up and went to Dallas for the summer. It was a crazy couple of weeks of studying for finals, packing,  unpacking, repacking and traveling, but we made it! We enjoyed our summer in Dallas very much and enjoyed working with Project Transformation again. We were so blessed to meet and minister to/with so many other students from across the United States and catch up with old friends. Kyle and also discovered that, over the years, we've spent almost one full year of our lives living in Dallas. I don't always love the city, but I could totally see myself living in Dallas someday. It's so trendy and we have so many connections there. However, Kyle doesn't think he can see himself there. So he's quick to veto my ideas, probably for good reasons! All that to say, we enjoyed our time in Dallas and count ourselves blessed to have worked with Project Transformation. It really is a huge part of our lives. We wouldn't be the same without PT and all of the awesome experiences we've had in Dallas over the years.

At the end of the summer, prior to returning to Kentucky, we dropped by Kansas for a wedding! Our great friends, Isaac and Anna, got married and Kyle was a groomsman. The wedding was such a fun end to our summer because all of our friends from college were there. And, we enjoyed celebrating Isaac and Anna, of course! Right when we returned to Kentucky, Kyle headed back to work and I spent most of my remaining time off organizing the mess from moving in May. At the end of August, our house was finally a home. It became a home just in time, too, to host tons of visitors. My mom, sister, Trista, David and Jessica have all been to see us since August. And my parents and aunt plan on visiting in May of 2014 for the Kentucky Derby, too! We feel well-loved and have enjoyed showing our friends and family all around Wilmore and Lexington.

Otherwise, we've enjoyed everything that Kentucky and Asbury Seminary have to offer. Most of all, we've enjoyed our community. We couldn't ask for better friends here. We love living down the street from our friends; we love being able to pop into friends' houses at the drop of a hat or running over to grab a cup of sugar or sprig of cilantro. We love sharing meals with them and holding their squishy and perfect newborns. Most of all, it's a total honor and privilege to grow in Christ with them and the community at ATS. I honestly think everyone should go to seminary, if only for this experience! There's no season like it.

There are so many more things that I could say about 2013, but the main thing to say is that God is constantly faithful and ever-present in our lives. Kyle and I have experienced his loving kindness and pray that you have, too. We pray blessings over you in the coming year. May you all experience great expectation this advent season as you await the celebration of Christ's birth.

Cheers!

Kyle and Molly Just

A good fall photo from a birthday party!

Some of our seminary crew in Wilmore.

Our dear college friends at the Chua Wedding!

Isaac and Anna Chua -- we enjoyed their wedding and we enjoy having them live in our village at seminary, too!

Baking Sunday: Pizza Dough {With Herbs} using the KitchenAid

'Tis the season for...Advent, food, parties and many other things. I love this time of year. I love advent;  I love celebrating; I love food; I love parties; I love people and family. The list could go on and on. I have been doing so much extra cooking lately, I hardly know where to begin or what to share with you! On Saturday night, I made some excellent stuffed mushrooms. I was really excited because I made the recipe up by going off of some awesome stuffed mushrooms I once had. It's great how your taste buds can lead you in the right direction sometimes, isn't it? Sunday, we followed suite with the rest of our village and stayed in due to icy roads, so I spent the morning listening to Church of the Resurrection Online and making Strawberry Napoleans for a "Sip and See." Then, last night, for Baking Sunday, Jenny and I made homemade pizza! Asbury was supposed to host an Advent Vespers Service, but cancelled it due to the ice. Last year, after the Advent Service, we ate with friends and it's one of my very favorite memories. This year, I decided the same tradition must be appropriate. So, Baking Sunday and the After-Advent-Service-Meal-Gathering collided. It was too good.

With that said, enjoy the pizza dough recipe below. This recipe is so versatile. I've made it so many times. Sometimes I make it plain; sometimes with garlic and herbs. My grandma has made it with wheat flour, by hand; I allow my Kitchenaid to do all the work. The thing I like most about it, though, is that you know exactly what's going into your dough. And, there's just something about bread that's intriguing to me. The world lives on bread, it's a simple food that we all have in common. I like to make my own because it makes me feel like I'm holding something in common with people around the globe. Is that weird? Maybe. I'm getting spiritual on you. Ok, really, enjoy the dough!

Recipe adapted from A Couple Cooks. 

Homemade Pizza Dough (Makes two medium pizzas)

What you'll need:

•  3 cups of flour
• 1 packet (or two teaspoons) of highly active, fast rising yeast
• 1/2 Tablespoon of oil
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1 1/3 cups of warm water

To Add Garlic and Herbs to the dough (if you prefer, if not, skip this step):

• 1-2 cloves of garlic (depending upon preference and size of the clove)
• 1 teaspoon of dried basil
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano

Directions:

1. In your KitchenAid bowl, combine flour, yeast, oil, salt, and about a cup of the warm water.

2. Using the dough hook on your Kitchenaid mixer, stir until a loose dough begins to form. Add in the remaining water as the dough begins to form. If the dough appears too dry after you add in the water, add a little bit more; if it appears too wet, sprinkle in a little bit of flour. The dough should start pulling away from the side of the bowl and begin forming into a ball after 30 seconds or so.

3. When the dough forms into a ball, gradually increase the speed of your KitchenAid to medium. The dough ball should remain intact on the dough hook. If it's not hooking, turn your mixer off and help it hook and gradually increase the speed again. This happens to me, every so often. Otherwise let the mixer knead the dough on medium speed for 8 minutes.

4. While the dough is kneading, prepare a floured surface for the dough to rise on. Then, prepare a damp towel to cover the dough. I normally use a spray bottle to dampen my kitchen towel.

5. When the dough is finished kneading, use floured-hands to remove the dough from the bowl. Divide the dough in half and form into two boules. Set them on the floured surface to rise. Rub a tiny bit of olive oil on top of each of the doughs so they don't dry out. Then, cover both boules with the damp cloth. Let the dough rise for 45 minutes - 1 hour. About 15 minutes into the rise time, preheat the oven to 500 F.

6. When the dough is finished rising, gently shape the dough into circles on pizza pans/stones. Do not overwork the dough.

7. Prepare the dough with your favorite toppings and cook for 6-8 minutes.

- I normally use an Airbake pizza pan (it has holes) and it cooks well on the top rack, and my normal pizza pan cooks better on the bottom rack, closer to the burner.

We Live Here

I remember how my mom used to host people in our home when I was little. She would make us help her clean up -- vacuum, dust (which is pertinent in Western Kansas), clean the bathrooms, put our things away, etc. Even when she wasn't expecting anyone, she would ask us to find places for our things. At the time, I thought it was so overrated, so menial. Now, I'm the same way. I've always been tidy, but now in my own home, I often find that things without a space annoy me. They provoke me -- Kyle's jeans that he always leaves on top of the dresser, our pajamas sitting randomly in our room (let's admit, pajamas never have a place! I mean, where do you even leave yours?), that one book laying on top of all the others because it won't fit on the shelf.  Those things can drive me crazy if I let them.

Finally, the other day I just had to say to myself, "Molly, y'all live here." Yes, like, we live here. A tidy home is a nice home, but a used home is welcoming, too. Actually, I think it's more welcoming. I'm not saying that everything should be out of place or misplaced all the time, but I think it's okay to let things just be the way they are sometimes because they represent our real, purposeful lives. Those books all over my couch? Yea, they're there because I read them to get this crazy 96-hour Masters degree. Those toys all over your floor? Yea, they're there because you have a three year old and a one year old and they're normal children who play. Here's to less stress about the small stuff  in our own homes because, you know what? We live here.

Baking Sunday: Pumpkin Spiced Scones

Yesterday was a rainy, cold Sunday in Wilmore. Baking was the perfect remedy -- the best indoor activity. As my friend, Anna Chua, says: "Baking is always more enjoyable on Sundays." I think I agree. With Thanksgiving ahead, the season of pumpkin everything is slowly drawing to a close. So, Jenny and I decided to make pumpkin spiced scones and take advantage of the season.

Let me start by saying that these scones are incredibly fantastic. Really. I'm not a pumpkin pie person (unless it has a lot of whipped cream), but I enjoy other, subtle, pumpkin-y things. These hit the spot. And I love how versatile they are. You can eat them for breakfast, a snack or dessert; or have them with some tea or milk. They're just that good. I'm thinking of making them again the week of Thanksgiving since we have friends visiting. And I might even make them after that for a baby shower. So, enjoy this recipe just in time for Thanksgiving gatherings.

This recipe is courtesy of Joanne and Adam Gallagher from inspiredtaste.net. We changed a few things within the recipe, which I've noted below. Enjoy!

What you'll need for the scones:

2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/3 cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon of ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1/2 cup of cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces (1 stick)
1/2 cup pure pumpkin
1 tablespoon of unsulphured molasses (you can go without, if need be or try substituting with a little more brown sugar or honey) 
1 egg
3 tablespoons of half and half
2 teaspoons of vanilla

For sugar glaze: 
1 cup of powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons of half and half (we used around 2 tablespoons)

For pumpkin spice glaze: (I cut this recipe in half from the original, you just don't need it all, double it if you think you'll want more.)
1/2 cup of powdered sugar 
1/2 tablespoon of pure pumpkin
Dash of cloves
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of ginger
1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 tablespoon of half and half
*Technically, you only need about 1/16 of a teaspoon of cloves, nutmeg and ginger. I just sprinkled some of each across the top.

To Bake: 
Heat the oven to 400 degrees and spray a large baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and all the spices together. Then, add the cold, cut butter to the mixture. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal or crumbs.

In a separate medium bowl whisk together the pumpkin, molasses, half and half, vanilla and egg. Whisk until blended well.

After that, stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour/butter mixture and stir with a spoon until a soft dough forms.

After that, transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead it until it comes together. Pat the dough out into a 10x7 inch rectangle. Then, you can either make 8 regular sized scones or 12 smaller scones. We made 8 regular sized scones. To do that, cut the dough in half both lengthwise and width-wise to make four smaller rectangles. Then, cut the rectangles into triangles (making 8 scones).

To make 12 smaller scones, cut the dough in half lengthwise. Then, cut the the dough twice width-wise, so you have six small rectangles. Then, cut those rectangles into two triangles. Voila.

Make sure your baking sheet is sprayed, transfer the scones over and bake for 10-15 minutes. Ours were done in 10 minutes. You can insert a toothpick in the middle of one of the scones to make sure they are finished. Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool.

While the scones cool, make one or both glazes (We made both!).

For the Sugar Glaze:

Add powdered sugar to medium bowl and add one tablespoon of half and half. Judge the consistency. If it's too thick, add more half and half (we used around 2 tablespoons). The glaze should be set when it slowly drizzles off the spoon.

When the glaze is finished, ice the top of each scone (using a spoon, or the like). Then, let the glaze set while you make the pumpkin glaze.

For the Pumpkin Spice Glaze:

Combine powdered sugar, pumpkin and spices. Then, add in the half and half. Stir and judge the consistency. The glaze should be set when it slowly drizzles off the spoon.

When the glaze is finished, use a spoon to drizzle the pumpkin glaze over the scone in a zig-zag pattern.

Last of all, let the scones cool and set for a few minutes and enjoy! They are delicious warm.

Baking Sunday: White Chocolate Bread Pudding

This past Sunday, Jenny and I made White Chocolate Bread Pudding for Baking Sunday. It was delicious. After we made it, though, Jenny noted that it's one of those desserts that you order at a restaurant and never worry about asking what's in it. Because, my fellow bakers and readers, there's a lot of heavy cream. I mean, like, a lot. That's what makes it so delicious and pretty rich. So, if you're going to splurge on dessert during the holidays, I would recommend this White Chocolate Bread Pudding. Enjoy!

An overview of what you'll need:

• 18 ounces of quality white chocolate chips (about a bag and a half)
• 3 cups of milk
• 1 quart of heavy cream (1/2 quart to be used for the pudding and 1/2 a quart to be used for the white chocolate sauce)
• 1 cup of sugar
• 5 eggs, well beaten
• 2 loaves of french bread, cubed

Directions:

1. Begin by preheating the oven to 300 degrees.
2. Cube both bread loaves. When finished, place cubes in a greased 9x13 baking dish.
3. Next, place 12 oz. of white chocolate chips in large bowl and set it aside.
4. Then, in a large saucepan, over medium heat, mix the milk, 1/2 quart of cream and sugar. Bring it to a gentle boil and then pour the mixture over the white chocolate chips in the large bowl. Let the mixture sit for about a minute and then whisk until smooth. 
5. Add the eggs to the mixture and mix well. 
6. When finished, pour the white chocolate mixture over the cubed bread. 
7. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, until the center is set. 

For the White Chocolate Sauce

1. While the bread pudding cools, place 6 oz. of white chocolate chips in a separate medium bowl. 
2.  In a sauce pan, bring the remaining 1/2 quart of cream to a gentle boil. Then, pour the cream over the white chips. Let set for about a minute and then whisk until smooth. 
3. Drizzle the white chocolate sauce over each individual serving of pudding when you're ready to serve.

"The Western Church is in Trouble..." and What I Have to Say About It.

I hear/see it often online, in person, in school, in presentations, in meetings -- "the Western church is in trouble." I have one thing to say to that: obvy. Does it worry me? Not really, but that's another blog. But, let me alarm you. The Barna Study says that 3,500-4,000 churches close their doors each year in America. They also note that the church in America loses 2,765,000 people each year to nominalism and secularism.
Now, we must consider why the Western church is in trouble.
When I took my own realities into consideration, I could come up with one sole reason. But, we'll back track a little first. Here we go.

I owe an incredible amount of honor to Bible Christian Church in Garden City, Kansas and so many of her congregants for discipling me throughout my middle and high school years. Those people pointed me towards Christ, along with many other youth my age. Often times in the current, thanks to social media, I see what many of my former peers from church and school are up to. Sadly, I've also observed how many of them have fallen away from their faith. Their faith. As in, a faith they once owned and cultivated. This isn't an uncommon phenomenon. Scholars say "the Western church is in trouble" because our 20-somethings are leaving and they aren't coming back. (At least until they have children. And then some of them come back because it seems like the "right" thing to do -- to have their children in church and all. Good logic. But, not really.)

Lately, Kyle and I have been attending various churches around where we live. We were settled in one particular church for about a year and decided that our souls just needed something different. Hear me out when I say that leaving this particular church was a difficult decision to make, but we made it and have been attending churches since. It's been almost two months (the end is in sight, thank goodness) and we've attended some great churches. We've also attended some not-so-great churches.

Throughout this journey, I've discovered two things that relate to the trouble of the western church. First, from what I've observed, some pastors aren't preaching the Bible. I'm not trying to be judgmental here. I'm just being honest. We went to one particular service where the pastor didn't even read scripture and he mentioned Jesus once, in passing. (What did he preach on, you ask? I'm still wondering myself...) Second, somehow, children and youth who were raised in the church have left Jesus behind for other things. And they need to repent and come back. They just do.

The western church is in trouble for one reason: too many of her followers have forgotten who Jesus even is.

Baking Sunday: Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

It all started about a month ago during a nonchalant conversation with a sweet friend, Jenny, at Asbury. We were chatting in-between our intramural volleyball games about baking. I knew that she enjoyed baking and I said that we should get together to bake sometime. She informed me that, during college, her and her roommates used to spend the majority of their Sundays cooking, baking and enjoying meals/desserts together. They entitled this day, "Baking Sunday." I became wrapped up in the idea of it all and a few weekends later, Baking Sunday commenced in Wilmore. It's as simple as that. So, I thought it would be fun to share some recipes from Baking Sunday. Maybe you can start this in your neck of the woods, too. It's such a fun activity to do with friends on a relaxing Sunday, if you enjoy cooking/baking, that is.

Last weekend, Jenny and I baked some pretty amazing Strawberry Pie Sour Cream Crumb Bars. I was slacking on Instagram last weekend, so I have no pictures. But, the recipe can be found here. Thanks, Pinterest. And, thanks, Jenny. Who also happens to be a Pinteresting Queen.

This weekend, Jenny was gone so I invited Anna Chua into this adventure and we made one of her family's favorite dessert recipes: Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake (we're into making desserts with long names, I guess). This is the recipe many of you have asked for. So, enjoy! P.S. Credit is all due to Anna -- thanks for the recipe AC!

Next Baking Sunday's plan is White Chocolate Bread Pudding, I think. I guess we'll see.

Blueberry Cream Cheese  Coffee Cake 
yields: 9 servings 

Coffee Cake:
- 1 package Pillsbury Blueberry quick bread and muffin mix
- 3/4 cup of water
- 1/3 cup of oil
- 2 eggs

Topping:
- 1 8oz package of cream cheese
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of milk
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla or grated lemon peel

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 square pan. In a medium bowl, combine quick bread mix, water, oil and eggs. Beat 50-75 strokes until well mixed.

2. Rinse and drain blueberries and fold into the batter. Pour batter into greased pan.

3. In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese, sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth (with hand-held beaters or a mixer). Dollop spoonfuls of the blended mixture across top of the batter. Swirl by running a knife across the cream cheese and batter.

4. Bake at 375 until topping is golden and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Bake an 8x8 inch pan for 35-45 min. Bake a 9x9 inch pan for 30-40 min. Cool 15 minutes and serve warm. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. 

A "Remembered" Pope

As many of know (or might not know) I grew up in the Catholic Church. For awhile, especially during my high school years, I was bitter towards the Catholic Church. I felt like they didn't teach me about Jesus like I thought that they should. It wasn't until college that I began to fully appreciate my Catholic upbringing. When I was a freshman, I took my first ever theology course with one of my (still) favorite professors, Dr. Matthew Thompson at Southwestern College. Then, I took Church History and eventually History of Methodism. Throughout those courses, I realized how well the Catholic Church prepared me for ministry, theologically speaking. I grew up reciting the Creeds and the different prayers and liturgies of the Church. When I was in college and learned about the history of them, they came alive to me. My academics brought healing in my life and led me to a place where I began to fully appreciate my own spiritual history as a member that was baptized into the Catholic Church.

When Pope John Paul II died, it was a big deal. Now, know, I have never had any big opinions about the Pope. You know, some people have heated ideas about what the Pope stands for, but I've always appreciated the idea of him. With Pope John Paul the II how could you not? He was literally the Pope the entire time that I was a part of the Catholic Church. He was really wonderful. Anyway, I remember sitting in Latin class when I was a senior in college and my teacher began talking with us about Pope Benedict XVI. He said the following, "You know, I just don't think that Pope Benedict will ever be a "remembered" Pope. Sure, he's doing great things, but there's nothing that sticks out about him that I think the Catholic Church, as a whole, will remember."

Then, Pope Francis was elected. How amazing! He was a "first" in many categories -- the first non-European Pope in over 1,200 years, the first Latin American pontiff, the first Jesuit.  People weren't sure what he was going to be like. But, as I think back to my Latin class and our conversation about Pope Benedict XVI so long ago (isn't funny the random things that you remember?), I think it's intriguing to now say that Pope Francis will be a "remembered" Pope. His spirit is gentle, his words, profound. His very nature proclaims Christ. If you haven't read/watched the latest story about the little boy that he allowed to join him on stage, then you should. It's sweet.

Loaded

Lately, in of my classes, we've been talking about person-hood and our own way of being. I've been intrigued by our conversations revolving, not just around person-hood, but the way that we choose to see others. We've been talking about how we often choose to see others in one of two ways: either as people or as as objects. The breakdown goes like this:

1. When we see others as people we acknowledge that they have hopes, fears, and a general longing to be liked and loved. These feelings are as real and as relevant as our own feelings.

2. When we see others as objects we tend to see them as obstacles in our way, vehicles that can be used to help us get what we want or irrelevancies that we'd rather not have to "deal with."

Fortunately, this information really touched me. Unfortunately, the reason it touched me is because I realized how often I see others as "objects." And honestly, that gun is loaded. It's loaded no matter who's holding it.

One of my very dear professors once told my class that we must realize that every person has the divine spark -- the image of God within them. Every.single.person. No matter how marred we think the image is within them, it's there because God created them in his own image.

I don't think this is just a "feel good message." I think it has important implications. At the core it affects how we see others. But, that core affects how we interact with others on a daily basis. It affects our political views. It affects our views about war. It affects our theology about providing for the marginalized and the poor. It affects how we treat our enemies.

And we can't be agents of good peace until we commit to seeing others as people and not as objects.

*The core of this information was gathered from my brain, duh. But, the technical parts were gathered from the book "Anatomy of Peace" by The Arbinger Institute. And now go listen to "Red Hands" by Walk Off the Earth...you know, "that gun is loaded, but it's not in my hands..."

Baked Beef Tostadas with Mexican Rice

I think I'm going to start adding a few of my recipes to my blog. It's fun for me and it might give you some ideas if you're ever in a dinner pinch. Plus, for my happiness project, I decided that I want to focus on promoting hospitality via cooking/hosting for others. So, here are all of those ideas wrapped in one. Today, I'm featuring traditional ground beef tostadas with mexican rice.

I'm from Kansas. I grew up eating beef. My family often raised cattle on our farm and had them butchered locally. However, when I moved to Kentucky, I soon figured out that beef tastes a whole lot less appetizing around here. I actually prefer chicken anyway (unless we're talking about brisket or flat iron steak and then you're speaking my love language). However, I don't mind using ground beef for some things and when it's terribly bland, it's a fun challenge to spice it up. Enjoy the recipe below.

Serves: Approx. 4 (rice will definitely feed at least four)

Ingredients for Tostadas:
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef
- taco seasoning (check out my taco seasoning from this blog here)
- 4 corn tortillas
- EVOO (for coating tortillas)
- 15 oz of pinto beans (drained if you're using them from a can)
- Feta Cheese
- Cilantro (for garnish)

Ingredients for Mexican Rice:
- 1 cup of jasmine rice
- 1 1/2 Tbsp EVOO
- 2 cups broth (chicken, beef or veggie will work just fine)
- 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
- 1 clove of garlic (minced)
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- Leaves from 3-4 sprigs of cilantro
- Dash of ground red pepper (if you want some extra spice)

For the Tostadas:
Preheat oven to 410 F

Cook ground beef; rinse; drain. Return to the skillet. Add in pinto beans and taco seasoning along with a 1/4 cup of water or so. This will help create a nice sauce for the ground beef and bean mixture. Let mixture come to a boil, then simmer it on low for five minutes or so, stirring periodically.

Meanwhile, lay corn tortillas out on a baking sheet. Coat both sides lightly with EVOO. Make sure the surface area of the tortillas are covered or the shells will turn out chewy instead of crunchy. Bake the shells for 5 min. on each side. When finished, top each shell with the ground beef/bean mixture. Then, top with feta. Bake in the oven for 3-5 additional minutes. Garnish with cilantro or any other toppings.

*I like using feta cheese in this dish because it's saltier than cheddar or mozzarella. It really brings out the flavor in the ground beef. 

For the Mexican rice:

In a skillet, on medium heat, stir jasmine rice and EVOO until the rice is puffy and golden, about 5 minutes. After that, add in the broth slowly and carefully (the rice and oil will begin to pop when you do this). Also add in tomato sauce, garlic, cumin, red pepper (optional). Stir rice so the ingredients blend together well. Wait for the rice to return to a boil, then cover the skillet and reduce to low heat. Let the rice simmer for 10 minutes or so. Stir in cilantro and let rice cook for 3-5 additional minutes or until the rice begins sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add extra salt if need be (I normally don't add much).

Delicioso!

 Molly

::Nourished:: - Meanderings on Hospitality

hos·pi·tal·i·ty noun \ˌhäs-pə-ˈta-lə-tē\:
:generous and friendly treatment of visitors and guests : hospitable treatment

:the activity of providing food, drinks, etc. for people who are the guests or customers of an organization.

Merriam-Webster defines hospitality as just that. The first time that I really even began to uncover and discover the meaning of hospitality was when I lived in my first apartment in college. Our apartment became a "hub," of sorts, a place for people to come and gather and eat, on many occasions. My roommates and I actually made it a priority to invite others over for dinner to our house. I'm going to say that this took place at least once a week, but much of the time, more often than that. I loved it. I loved hosting and cooking and being. I relished those moments.

However, as I began to discover the beauty of hospitality I also wondered if there might be more to it -- more than inviting people into a space and taking care of them, which is a lot in itself anyway. Last semester sometime, I was reading about hospitality for seminary and Henri Nouwen's insight about hospitality jumped off the page in his book, Reaching Out, he notes: "Hospitality means primarily the creation of free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy. Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place. It is not to bring men and women over to our side, but to offer freedom not disturbed by dividing lines.”

Wow. Nouwen said, in words, what my brain was trying to figure out. As a person that still loves to cook, host and be, I simply keep Nouwen's words in mind when I do those things. While hospitality encompasses more than just hosting, cooking and being, this is the more specific form in which I like to practice it. So, if I ever invite you over to my house for supper, tea, or something of the like, know that I keep Nouwen's words in mind. 

In my home, when I host you or cook for you or talk with you, my hope is that you wouldn't just experience food, chatter and laughter. My hope is that the part in you that needs to be nourished the most is indeed nourished. My hope is that you would experience a peace and freedom that only true hospitality, Christian hospitality, and hospitality empowered by the Holy Spirit can provide. 

Home Sweet Bargains

In May, right before we left for Dallas, we moved to Kalas Village, just down the street from our old house. We had planned to live in Kalas Village, the seminary community housing, all along; however as they built new houses, we were on the waiting list. Consequently, our old home never really felt like "home." We were in transition and kept a lot of things packed up in boxes. There was a lack of decor in our old house and that made me really antsy to move into our new house. Then, we moved right before we left for the summer to go to Dallas. When we returned, I finally got to begin decorating our home. I've spent the last month doing just that and it really does feel like home. I can't wait to share some pictures with you! I've been having fun finding bargains to fill in the gaps. I've had amazing luck! Here are some projects/bargain finds that have made our home a little more, well, homey. 

- Our great friend, Blake, actually built us a kitchen shelf out of pallet wood. This was the piece I was waiting for. I organized everything else around the fact that I wanted to display my dishes. They're just so beautiful and I love the rustic/industrial look it gives the kitchen when dishes/pots/pans are on display. I just said that I needed a shelf and Blake was on it. We painted it Valspar's "London Coach" and it was good to go. 

- I needed something to hold my magazines. I knew I wanted it to be something more exciting than just another old basket. I found a vintage fruit crate at a "Repurposed Soul" event and snagged it for the magazines. The best news is, all the profit that Repuroposed Soul makes off their merchandise goes to support "Waves a Mercy," a mission organization in Haiti. Check them out on Facebook if you get a chance. Their stuff is phenomenal and popular around where we live. 

- Jute Rug. I was looking for a good, durable, neutral rug to hang out in the kitchen. I looked all summer in Dallas and just couldn't find the right one. I finally found a jute jewel at Marshall's in Nicholasville. I knew it was *the one.*

- Napkin Rings. I've been looking for at least a year for good napkin rings. I didn't want normal silver or beaded rings, although there's definitely nothing wrong with those. I just wanted something unique -- something that would fit in nicely in my home. I found numbered napkin rings (1-12) and couldn't resist getting them. After all, they were only $5 (originally retailed at $20) from the Crate and Barrel Outlet in Dallas. 

- Ralph Waldo Emerson Quote Duo. I've been waiting to do this project since March. I found it on Pinterest, all credit due to Chelsea at ohmydeerhandmades.com. I finally got around to doing it. Thanks to Hobby Lobby and their awesome discounts this project was around $8. 

- Dipped wooden vases. I've been looking for some inspiration for my downstairs bathroom. A bathroom is a bathroom is a bathroom, right? Wrong. This is our guest bathroom. It needs some TLC. These dipped wooden vases serve as inspiration pieces as I begin the bathroom as my next decor project. They were an amazing bargain. Originally retailed at $40 and $30, I got them both for $12 from Kohls with Kohl's cash from my mom. Perfect. 

-Gold dipped feathers. These beauties were a must. I've seen them around on Pinterest and knew my home needed them. They literally cost $2 to make and they're such a statement. I made gold feather garland out of them and hung them above my gallery shelf in the living room. They're fun and classy and they bring out the gold in our frame. What can I say, I love them. 

-Wine bottles. These weren't a new project but I must mention them. Old bottles make really awesome and unique taper holders. Really, the tapers fit right in. A great way to upcycle!

Whew! That's a lot. But, I've loved every second of it. I've also discovered that my taste is a lot more modern than I choose to believe. I often think of myself as a shabby chic type of girl, but this house is anything but shabby chic. Much more classic and modern. So, I've even learned a lot about myself and my design style along the way. Well, enough of my ramblings. Enjoy some pictures! 

Mingling in Mom

I've never been a mom, but this summer I feel like I've gotten just a teeny-tiny taste of what motherhood is like. We always tell the interns here, "We are not your moms or your maids." But, the truth is, I cherish these babes and love them in a special way, all 101 of them. And, the truth is, in a way I kind of feel like a mom.

Of course, I feel like a mom in all of the traditional, nitty-gritty ways -- I (along with the other hps) are always picking up the houses, checking on chores, giving out chores, organizing dinner, answering questions, etc. 

But the mom-part I enjoy most is getting to watch all of the interns grow -- from strangers to friends, from trainees to interns. I've enjoyed most watching them gain confidence in what they're doing. I remember that time as an intern and I loved how exciting it was. 

I think that there must be a particular grace that comes with being a mom. Sometimes it's hard to look past the overflowing trash that needs taken out or the food that's strewn all over the refrigerator, but when I look at the people that they're becoming and the experiences that they're having all on their own, I'm just happy for them. That's really enough.

The Memory of A Beginning

6.9.12. One of my favorite days. They say that little girls always dream about their weddings. Growing up I can say that I thought about my wedding a fair amount. However, the idea of getting married was so far off and so far foreign that I never really did give it serious thought until much later. I never met a person that I truly thought I could marry until I met Kyle. You see, Kyle has a particular liveliness about him. When I first met him his goofy-ness and love for life sparked a small flame in my own soul. He encouraged me to be more real -- more alive.

We dated for almost two years and got engaged on a beautiful evening in August of 2011. We spent the next ten months planning for our wedding. Many people warned me what a stress wedding planning would be, some even encouraged us to elope. However, we spent those ten months planning, expecting and anticipating a beautiful day. And it was a beautiful day. Picture this: paper lanterns, lots of lace, vintage plates, candles, icicle lights, friends, family, home-cookin, kissing, dancing and a little bit of western Kansas wind. All of those things mixed well together to bring us one of the most memorable days of our life. I remember that day, a year ago, now. No stress, just a lot of love and joy. A lot of aliveness. 

So, today we celebrate the beauty of marriage and the memory of a beginning. Happy one year anniversary to Kyle Just, the love of my life. I couldn't have made it through this past year without you. I wouldn't have wanted to. Cheers to many more years. <3 span="">

Kentucky. Kansas. Texas.

In the last three weeks we've gone from Kentucky, to Kansas to Texas. So, we made it through. It seems I have so many things to catch up in the blogging world. Mostly because everything happened at once. These last three weeks have been insane! Tuesday, May 21, we moved from one house to another in Wilmore. As soon as we packed and unpacked, we re-packed so we could leave that Friday to go to Kansas and see Kyle's family. We spent some quality time with his parents and brother's family and then we left on Sunday to head to Dallas for yet another summer with Project Transformation. We  arrived Sunday evening and began leadership training during the last week of May. On June 1, the 101 interns arrived at SMU for check-in. Since last Saturday, we've hardly been able to breathe! It's a good thing, though. We've really enjoyed getting to know the new interns and seeing old friends. Interns trained this entire week and will train for a couple of days next week. Then, we send them off to their sites on Wednesday, June 12!

This summer, my official title with PT is "House Pastor" and Kyle's is "LITE Coordinator." In the past, we've both served as interns and have worked with elementary/youth students in the program. However, this summer is shaping up to be a little bit different. As a LITE Coordinator, Kyle will be working with youth who are too old for the program (10th-12th graders). He will be helping them accrue volunteer hours through PT and will create special programming for them during the weekday afternoons. Through programming, he will assist them in college prep, guide them through spiritual formation and teach them about social justice. He's excited to work with the LITES at Walnut Hill. I am excited he is at Walnut Hill -- my old stomping grounds.

As for me...the job of a house pastor is difficult to describe. On the surface level I am in charge of helping to plan worship, plan community events, take care of dinner volunteers and be a listening ear and mentor for interns. On the flip side (and there is a flip side, trust me) this job is about MUCH more than that. I am also a....motherly type figure, question-answer-er extraordinaire, disciplinarian, liaison, room un-locker (which also makes me a keeper of the keys), etc. At the same time, I am also still a student and a wife. Thankfully, God seems to be giving me grace to complete and be all of those things in this season of my life. It's a lot of fun. It's really draining. It's really life-giving. I'm looking forward to the summer ahead. I will be blogging more this summer, Lord willing. I think that will be my June resolution. We have a lot of great things coming up in June and I have a lot of good thoughts, too, that I want to share. So, look for more blogs this month as a part of my happiness project. I love to write and there are so many good opportunities to write and things to write about, I must seize them!

Catching Up

Holy howdy-doody, Batman. Is it really May? So, I've been the worst blogger ever when it comes to my happiness project. I remember looking at April 1 and May 1 and thinking..."I'll blog tomorrow." This isn't a normal attitude for me, so I must have been really busy with school. Plus, you can't force blogging and trying to make myself blog might have made me unhappy at the time. Which, in turn, seems to defeat the point of a happiness project. But, you'll be glad to know that even though I didn't blog about March, April or May I did/am continuing to do something intentional every month to contribute to my happiness project. So, here's a quick recap. I am supposed to be writing a final paper and am actually busier than ever. But, I got the blog bug and possibly the ramble bug, so here it goes:

March: "Become an advocate for something outside of seminary (and theology for that matter)." So, you guessed it. I researched student loans...especially FedLoans since we've had so much trouble with them. I won't go into detail about all the things I found out. However, I started sending them physical checks since they wouldn't accept our payments online. I make physical copies of all my correspondences with them and even keep physical stamp receipts from the Post Office to show the date we mailed the check. I have tons more to say, so if you're ever in a pickle, ask me and I will find something out for you. A little hint...the magic words (so far) seem to be, "I will contact the FTC if you won't let me pay my student loans." That seems to do the trick. And we really did file a complaint with the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and FedLoans didn't charge us a late fee while they waited for a physical check to arrive since they wouldn't accept our payment online. Magic. Boom.

April: My goal was to pay attention to Spring. This was a blessing to me. Seriously. Most years I look back when spring has arrived in all its glory and I think to myself, "When did that tree get those leaves?" or "How long have those tulips been there." It's like one day they weren't there and the next they were. For that reason, everyday on my walk to work and class, I paid attention to spring blooming around me. This has been one of my favorite exercises in my happiness project thus far. I got to enjoy the progressiveness of spring this year. I might sound like an old lady, but there's something to be understood about the phrase "Stop and smell the roses." Paying attention to spring was really beautiful and now it's just about gone.

May: My goal this month, which I'm living into, is to observe community and be thankful. We're doing so much stuff with our community of friends this month -- we've already celebrated one of our best friends as he moved back to Virginia. We're also moving in a couple of days and then we are leaving the Asbury community for the summer and joining the PT community in Dallas. So, I love observing the community I am a part of and being thankful for the wonderful people that we call friends. Living into community is easy, but observing it and being thankful is a different discipline.

That's it for now. I will try to be more disciplined when it comes to blogging! I love it and I will be less busy in just a few days. My first year of seminary is coming to a close and that probably deserves a recap. Until then, back to paper writing so I can say that my first year of seminary has officially ended! Woo!

Fun in February

I'm a little late posting about my happiness project for February. I got so worked up about FedLoans last week :). Anyway, for the month of February I went on a "pasta adventure" with Kyle and hosted people in my home. 

The pasta adventure was a lot of fun. Kyle and I love pasta, we seem to have the same things over and over when it comes to pasta, so I was intentional about changing things up. It was a fun experiment and I learned a lot about pasta. Most of the time, we just eat whole wheat thin spaghetti. However, in February, I searched the pasta aisles for some different options and discovered that there is 51% whole wheat pasta, and 3x fiber white pasta. What? 51% whole wheat? Whatever. Here are some of the fun pasta dishes we had during the month of February and a little on into the month of March. 

• Mexican Stuffed Shells (Jumbo Shells!) 
• Spinach Lasagna Roll ups 
• Pesto, Cream Cheese and Chicken Farfalle
• Zucchini Spaghetti with Chicken
• Chicken and Noodles (Using Orzo, one of my favorite pastas!)

Mmm, so yummy. 

As for hosting guests. At the beginning of February, we hosted a "Ground Hog Supper" in our home and invited some of our friends over. The Menu: Sausage, mashed potatoes with sausage gravy, corn, biscuits, applesauce, vanilla ice cream and apple and cherry pie. It was a good night full of food, games and even some serious midnight talks about the power of campus ministry. 

For the month of March, my goal is to find something I'm passionate about (outside of seminary) and become an advocate for it. Until then, see you next month, with a little bit of blogging in-between! 

FedLoan Servicing - Speaking out about the "Worst Servicer Ever"

I finally feel like I have to speak out about this issue -- Kyle and I both have student loans from our undergraduate degrees. I took out loans with Sallie Mae and Kyle's loans were turned over to FedLoans in 2010. While paying on my loans with Sallie Mae, I had no trouble at all. Their website was easy to maneuver and their customer service was excellent. When I went into graduate school, the remainder of my loans went in deferment just in time for us to start paying on Kyle's loans. We've been paying on his loans since November with FedLoan and have had nothing but trouble. We decided that we would control the payments and didn't sign up for automatic debit. When we first set up our account in November, the payment went through, no problem. We set it up with our checking account, made the payment early and things were fine. In December, however, we went to make the same payment a week early, and it said that our account was "invaild." We knew we had more than enough money in the account to pay the loan and we contacted our bank. They couldn't find anything wrong on their end and said they couldn't even see a payment trying to be processed. There was a faulty link somewhere. After that, we got back in touch with FedLoans and told them that we'd already contacted our bank. The customer service representative basically told us that there was nothing that she could do and we needed to figure it out on our own. After that, we tried adding on another account -- our savings this time. The account linked like a charm and we've made payments out of it for the last two months....until today. We tried to make a payment today from our savings and *bam* same problem. The account is all of a sudden "invalid." We again called the service number and tried to make a payment over the phone. Again, both accounts were invalid. We talked to a customer rep and again, there's just "nothing they can do."

Through the frustration of all of this, I Googled "fedloan servicing." Much to my encouragement (and dismay since this appears to be such an issue) I found that Kyle and I are not alone in these types of issues. I've just been reading about scam after scam after scam. Many people have responded with the same concerns and unfortunately there appears to be no answers. I've especially been intrigued by Robert Farrington's writings, which can be found here: http://thecollegeinvestor.com/157/fedloan-servicing-the-worst-student-loan-servicer/. As he's stated, FedLoan appears to be the "Worst Loan Servicer." 

I hope writing about it gives this issue (another) voice. In the meantime, we'll by trying to "figure out" this problem. If anyone has any advice, it would be much appreciated! I hope this can also be a helpful warning and testimony to those working with FedLoans. Make sure to research who you are dealing with! Many of the stories from the link above are much more worrisome than ours!

*Image courtesy of Google search. 

Character and Charisma

In the end, I'm going to have to say that we all have charisma. I've never thought of myself as a person with charisma. If you look at me in a crowd of people, I'm not the cool one. I'm most likely not the one you would be drawn to. This used to really bother me. Until I discovered that I did have a charisma of my own. 

You see, charisma is a unique type of charm that we have to inspire one another, sometimes it's loud and sometimes soft. Either way, loudness and softness don't determine power, character does. If you have charisma and no character then that's the end. Diseased trees produce bad apples and are destined to be cut down sooner or later. 

Find people with good character, if you do, I guarantee you'll also find precious and inspirational charisma.

January Report - Happiness Project 2013

The month of January has about come to an end! I can hardly believe it. As you will recall, I decided to make a resolution for the entire year of 2013 and participate in a Happiness/Wholeness Project in hopes of living a simpler and more intentional life.

With that said, for the month of January I resolved to be more intentional about enjoying the space that I live in, I resolved to do three specific things:

• Sew something meaningful out of something old
• Arrange a kitchen shrine
• Pin-point and display something meaningful in the most used spaces in my home

I am happy to note that I accomplished all three of these goals with great joy and ease. I also accomplished another goal, which I didn't know was a goal until later in the month. First, at the beginning of the month, I started a project that boosted me into my happiness project in the first place. I was dying to sew black and white striped curtains. I had these black sheer curtains that I bought during my sophomore year of college. They were the first curtains I ever bought and they were for my first real apartment that I shared with my roommate, Jessica. These curtains ended up following us along all through college. Now, it seems silly that I would be attached to such curtains, but I really was/am. I loved those curtains, they held fond memories of my homes for the past three years and I couldn't imagine boxing the delicate beauties away. So. I cut them up, bought a sheer cream panel and made new beauts with them. They are meaningful to me and they still hang in my home. 

Second, I decided to arrange a kitchen shrine. When I was in Oregon visiting my aunt over the holidays, I noticed a simple countertop lazy susan she had. Her lazy susan was adorned with meaningful kitchen items used for cooking. It was also hand-painted, colorful and gorgeous. I wanted one, too! I just LOVED it. I searched and searched for one, but couldn't find an affordable one. Then, one day, I ran into a plain, bamboo one. I bought it (it was cheap and I had Christmas money) and I made it my own! It holds all things meaningful to me in my kitchen and it's useful. It holds some really cute vintage salt and pepper shakers I found in Oregon; a cute little bowl of sugar (for tea and other things); a mason jar of hot chocolate given to me by my aunt for Christmas, which is adorned with a piece of cloth from my great-grandmother's scrap collection; another mason jar with my favorite pasta, orzo, in it; and other random cooking commodities: garlic salt, honey and EVOO. This simple shrine brings great joy to my life, especially since I spend so much time in my kitchen.

Last of all, I pin-pointed and displayed something meaningful in both my living room and my bedroom. In the living room: a small golden owl that I got for $2 one time at Hobby Lobby during their fall clearance. He's sits on the shelf, as stylish as ever. Then, in the bedroom, I put my brooch bouquet that I made for my wedding, full of family brooches, on display by my jewelry box. It has rich meaning to me. 

Last of all, I participated in the "January Cure" by Apartment Therapy this month. One of the days, the challenge was to go buy fresh flowers. Flowers/plants generally make your home a happier place, bringing the outdoors in, which is great in a month like January. When I was at Kroger, I bought some baby's breath for $2, put it in a mason and set it on display in my living room. So reminiscent of mine and Kyle's wedding. Ahh. 

It seems silly that all these things really did make me happier. Enjoying being intentional, though, is what made me the happiest. I took notice of things that are meaningful to me in my space every single day.

For the month of February, I've decided to focus on...you guessed it: Love. I'm going to explore ways to be more intentional about showing love, kindness and hospitality to Kyle and to my friends. Two specific goals: go on a pasta adventure with Kyle; host guests. Will report back in a month with some random blogging inbetween - for now, enjoy some photos! 

Tell All

I've learned a few things about being in seminary. One of those things revolves around what I choose to admit. I guess I am in a "grown-up" place now ;). Whatever you choose to admit in the grown up world can cause some major judgement. But, it's ok, because you and I are grown ups, or at least if we try to act like it life might go on. Here are a few things that I will admit with fervor and why I choose to do so:

I LOVE Kate Middleton and Taylor Swift. I just do. I can't help it. People ask me all the time why I love Kate Middleton so much or why I love talking about Taylor Swift. People ask why I glamorize them. Here's the answer: I glamorize them because they are glamorous. Oh, quote me. They are good girls with great impact. Not flawless girls, but good ones (T Swift might date too much). But, we all have that friend. They make an impact because they are classy and down-to-earth, in good ways. Trust me, there are detailed reasons why I love them, but I won't take the time to go into those details on here because I *know* some of you are rolling your eyes. Really, though, if I could meet any two people in today's world it would be Kate Middleton and Taylor Swift...preferably in a room at the same time. So, if you have connections, hook me up.

Now, one thing I've learned NOT to admit at seminary is if you watch The Bachelor. Don't even try.

Just thought I would give you a shot of randomness in your day! Below: the three best friends that anyone could have. And, P.S. if you don't like this blog, we are never, ever, ever getting back together.

The Happiness Project 2013

What's one of the first things you think of when you think of New Years? I think of two things: 1. Partyyyy 2. Resolutions. Usually in that order. I've never really made a New Year's resolution. They seem to be the epitome of hopes that don't work out. I'm not really sure why they carry that connotation to me. Perhaps I only observe people who set the bar too high or don't take their resolutions seriously. With all that said, I decided that I wanted to make a resolution of sorts this year. I vowed two things: 1. To aim for simplicity. 2. I'd like to seek wholeness, if anything.

I've been positively impacted by Gretchen Rubin, most notably known for her two works "The Happiness Project" and "Happier at Home." After reading these two books, I've spent time thinking a lot about happiness. Rubin notes in her works that most people live life forward-looking. People are always looking to the future because that's when they think they will be happier. 

The problem with this is the present. Most people don't live fancy, extravagant lives. The daily grind is more normal than an annual family vacation and that's a fact. Learning to be happy, whole and intentional in the present is what a "happiness project" is all about. And that's where these things collide. My resolution for this year: do a happiness project and write about it. 

For simplicity's sake (since that's one of my goals), I decided to come up with individual monthly themes and goals to bind this project together -- ways that I can be intentional in my everyday life to be more "whole." In fact, I'd almost rather call this my "wholeness project." So, for the month of January I've decided that my theme will be "Space," focusing on how I can be more whole, happy and appreciative of the place that I live and the possessions that I have. Three specific goals are: to sew something meaningful out of something old, arrange a kitchen shrine, pin-point and display something meaningful in the most used spaces in my home. 

I shall report back via blogging towards the end of the month to explain how my goals went with (most likely) a bit of random blogging in-between. Here's to 2013. Here's to my Wholeness Project and the art of appreciating everyday life.