Strong Families Matter

That's our premise behind the Element3sixty interns dedicating their summer to put on Family Nights. Whatever a particular family structure looks like, the strength of it is what matters. I love working in an environment that is committed to building up students and their families.

Dad and me on the boat

In such a connected world socially and technologically, it's interesting to see society yearning for community relationships. A Wall Street Journal article last week discussed a new trend of taking down fences and sharing one large backyard with neighbors.

Since it's not likely to come across a village in urban or suburban America, how do you get a village to raise a child? How do you help build or contribute to a community that will support you in making and keeping your family strong?

At Element3sixty, we are hoping that our Family Nights will do just that through an experience we're calling "edu-tainment" or educational entertainment. We are bringing families together to learn about important lessons, like everyday leadership, giving back, and interacting with difficult cultures, but in a fun, interactive context.

Families grow stronger by going through experiences together and supporting one another. Remember those family road trips?

When I was in seventh grade, my family and I went on a road trip from Orlando to Toronto. Music sharing and downloading sites had just become popular, and before we left I spent an entire day downloading Dad's choice of CD for the trip. (Remember how it used to take hours just to download one CD worth of songs?) So we listened to Sting nonstop to Toronto. I don't remember all of our stops along the way, but I do remember bonding over the adventure, stopping at Gettysburg, touring Toronto, and, yes, rocking out to Sting with my family.

Cooking together is always a great family bonding experience!
Last Thanksgiving, John and I made pizza for the family with my sisters-in-law, Amy and Emma.

Similarly, communities grow stronger by living life together and sharing common experiences. It's not just living next door but seeking each other out to experience small, daily triumphs and failures together. For instance, two families who live in our neighborhood recently bought baby chicks together so they can both share the eggs.

What can you do to initiate connecting your family to another in your neighborhood? I'd love to hear your ideas in the comment section below!

Intentional Truth: Set free in marriage

One of the most quoted phrases is "the truth will set you free." As an American culture, we long for authenticity and hold high the value of freedom of speech.

Yet when it comes to fully knowing the truth about our own failures and shortcomings we prefer sugar-coated honesty. And oftentimes this is how we present the truth to others as well.

However, during the last eight months of marriage, I have learned that intentional truth-telling is essential for building a strong relationship. By this, I am not implying that you are to tell your significant other the truth harshly, to make yourself appear better, or to guilt-trip them. Speaking the truth in love means humbly addressing the other person and being vulnerable yourself.

John and me in North Carolina

Since we have only been married less than a year, John and I are obviously still new at this. However, a week ago we intentionally set aside the weekend, drove 2 hours to North Carolina, and had a mini marriage retreat for the two of us.

During the weekend, aside from relaxing, making s'mores, and being outside, we sat down together and answered eight questions. John wrote out the questions ahead of time and we both thought about them individually before discussing them together.

These are the questions we answered together:

1. How have the first 8 months of marriage compared with what you dreamed about or envisioned?
2. What are some of the things we need to acknowledge our thankfulness for in our first months of marriage?
3. What do you want to get better at as a wife or husband?
4. What do we want to get better at as a couple?
5. What are some of the dreams that you have as an individual? How can I help you reach them?
6. What are some of our dreams as a couple? How can we seek after them and surround ourselves with the right people?
7. What are some of our greatest blindspots as a couple? 
8. In what ways do you feel like you've grown since we've gotten married? 

As you can see, seeking to tell the truth is not just about uncovering your weaknesses. It's also about proclaiming your greatest hopes and dreams, and allowing another person to share in them. Because John and I are both committed to growing together as a couple and supporting individual God-given dreams, it set us free to intentionally speak truth into one another. This is a practice we want to continue doing every year, and I invite you to do the same.

Feed a Summer Crowd: Enchilada Soup

After traveling a lot in May, this month John and I want to be intentional about inviting people over for dinner. An easy go-to meal, especially in the summer, is grilling out. We love to grill salmon, chicken, and burgers, and we have a few favorite rubs for each of these to add some spice and flavor.

However, grilling out multiple times a week isn't always economical if you're feeding a crowd. One night last week, I wanted to utilize my slow cooker to make a big dinner. But most of my slow cooker recipes are more suited for a hearty winter meal rather than a summer get-together with friends. And then I discovered crock pot chicken enchilada soup.

Enchilada Soup:

Inspired by Skinnytaste, but the recipe below reflects my personal preferences

The bright green toppings even make the soup look summery! 

Serves 6- If you would like it to serve more, double the beans and tomatoes, and add 1 more cup broth
Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup mushrooms
3 cups low sodium fat-free chicken broth
8 oz can tomato sauce
2 tsp jalapeno sauce
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (plus more for garnish)
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups frozen corn
2 jalapenos, chopped (with seeds if you want it spicy)
1 red pepper, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried basil
2 8 oz skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup green onions for topping
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheesed for topping (optional)
Fat free sour cream (optional)
1 avocado, sliced for garnish

Preparation:
1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft, 3-4 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook 2 minutes.
2. Slowly add the chicken broth, tomato sauce and jalapeno sauce and bring to a boil. Add cilantro and remove from heat. Pour into slow cooker.
3. Add drained beans, diced tomatoes, corn, jalapenos, red pepper, cumin, and basil to the slow cooker and stir. Add the chicken breasts; cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.
4. Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Add chicken back into the soup. 
5. Serve in bowls and top with whatever toppings you like, including fat free sour cream, cheese, scallions, cilantro, and avocado. 

How's that for an easy summer meal for a crowd?!

Summer Salad

When it's summertime I start craving salads. I love how refreshing and versatile they are, especially throwing in whatever fruits or veggies are in season. However, now that I'm married the trick is to make an entree salad that is substantial enough for my husband too.

Substantial but also healthy.

After much searching, I discovered a great recipe that can be considered both a salad and a filling entree. I amended the recipe to what I had in the fridge, and you too can add, subtract, and make it your own. The key principle is to layer. By this, I mean don't toss the salad if you want portion control. Instead, slice and prepare all of the toppings then pile them on individual plates so you can make one plate heartier than the other. Also, make your dressing at home (not only does it taste much fresher and more flavorful but it also won't have preservatives) and drizzle it on top. That way, you don't risk drenching the lettuce by tossing too much. The runny egg in this recipe also adds to the dressing so you don't need to add much oil. Enjoy!

Bistro Salad, original inspiration from Cooking Light

A poached egg and light bacon make this a hearty enough salad for your main entree.

Serves 4, or 2 with one hungry man in my case

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons sliced almonds (or other nut)

4 large eggs

Cooking spray

2 bacon slices 

1 green pepper, chopped

8 cups chopped romaine lettuce

1 Bartlett pear, cored and thinly sliced

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese, optional

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 

1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried basil 

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 lemon squeezed plus zest

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

4 slices bread, toasted

Preparation:

1. Poach 4 eggs in an egg poacher pan for 7 minutes, or to desired degree of doneness. I like my eggs a bit runny so they mix with the salad dressing when broken. (If you so not have an egg poacher, you can break one egg into each of 4 custard cups coated with cooking spray, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high for 40 seconds or until set.) Remove eggs from cup.

2. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp; cool slightly. Crumble bacon.

3. Divide lettuce among plates and top each with nuts, bacon, green pepper, pears, and cheese.

4. Combine vinegar, oil, basil, pepper, mustard, lemon, and garlic and stir with a whisk. Drizzle over greens. 

5. Top each salad with an egg and piece of toast.

Mountain Top Experience

I haven't ever been able to answer the question Which do you prefer, the beach or the mountains, with perfect certainty. The sea, sand, and sunsets fill me with such a sense of serenity. I feel both relaxed and creative at the beach. The mountains also provide peace and restoration but in a more rejuvenating and refreshing way.

This summer, I've been blessed to experience both. After spending a week in the Bahamas, John and I spent a night in Atlanta, repacked, and headed out to Colorado. After his work event (where he oversaw Chick-fil-A providing thousands of runners with free sandwiches- including me since I ran in the BolderBoulder 10K race!), we spent the next three days exploring Colorado.

After finishing BolderBoulder 10K in 55:45!

Having never been to Colorado before, I was continually amazed at the majesty of the Rocky Mountains. We drove to the top of Pike's Peak, hiked at Seven Falls, walked the Garden of the Gods, explored Breckenridge, and hiked in Estes Park. The entire time I couldn't believe how breathtaking and huge the scenery was, with a combination of rocks, snow, trees, and wildlife - we saw a lot of deer, elk, and moose. Plus, staying with great friends, Josiah and Chelsea, made the trip all the more memorable.

However, what struck me most was hiking alongside such grandeur. The trail we hiked in Estes Park was 6 miles and very steep. Yet since we were on the edge of the mountain, to our right we had an incredible view of the Rocky Mountain National Park the entire time. The beauty certainly distracted me from the strenuous trail, and we approached the top a lot faster than I expected. Although the views along the hike were amazing, the summit was indescribable. (The picture of the summit directly above hardly does it justice.) John and I silently took it all in, unable to grasp the beauty.

It struck me that oftentimes when life is "uphill," difficult, and rocky there is still beauty right alongside you, whether it's in nature, a relationship, or faith. Sometimes, you need to take your eyes off of the trail ahead (and risk tripping or a minor fall) and look around to appreciate these gifts. Oftentimes we doubt that our chaotic days will calm down; or conversely, we think that if life is presently providing blessings then the rough patches are yet to come.

Neither of these views is accurate. Life is never perfectly straight nor is it ever completely dark. Instead, beauty and peace coexist alongside the rocky and difficult. And awe-inspiring summits, both small and grand, appear throughout the journey... sometimes when least expected.

Treasure Hunting

About a week ago, John and I spent time in the Bahamas with my parents aboard my dad's boat Treasure Hunter. The boat is named after the verse, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

While we were there, we certainly saw a lot of underwater treasures. We snorkeled almost every day over beautifully colored coral, spotting several sharks and a 100 pound grouper. We also collected many treasured memories, such as feeding swimming pigs, visiting an island of iguanas, and sharing meals on the back of the boat, overlooking the turquoise water.

 

But this isn't a blog post meant to recap our travels. Instead, I want to try to capture and share the immense splendor of the sea. Favorite places are very intriguing because they have the power to bring back memories, inspire us, comfort us, challenge us. 

I love snorkeling because it brings me face-to-face (quite literally) with a world that is unknown. The colors, shapes, and magnitude of the coral are difficult to fathom until you're swimming over them. I feel as a stranger in the sea, observing a home I wasn't invited into. At each turn I stumble upon sights that surprise me, such as an underwater grotto with light streaming through the roof like cathedral windows. 

Whether you're traveling this summer or not, we all have places that inspire us. The park in my neighborhood is often where I go to reflect, and John and I have had several meaningful conversations there while walking its paths.

As a part of learning to be present this summer, I want to be mindful of where I am. Where am I storing up my treasures? Am I only spending time somewhere because it's convenient or fun or required? Or is there a greater purpose to where I am, recognizing the beauty of creation or building relationships?

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also...

Appreciating Summer

The summer season is the time to slow down and appreciate the longer, lighter days by spending them with friends and family. So before summer slips away, I want to commit myself to taking advantage of a little extra time I'll have now that some weekly activities are on hiatus.

It's often tempting to set out with ambitious plans for the summer - cleaning, organizing, reading that stack of books by the bed - only to be derailed by relaxing and not doing much of anything with my extra time.

Instead of setting big goals for this summer, I want to focus on learning to be present, as I wrote about a couple of weeks ago. John and I are going to be traveling throughout this summer, so when we are in town, I want to take full advantage of being home. (As a side note, if my blog posts are sporadic this summer, it's because of the fun trips we have planned.)

In front of our new house... soon the screen and awning will be removed, and it will be resided and repainted!
Thanks to Leah for the photo!

Summer is also often spent getting on track for the rest of the year, but this process can leave some people anxious for what lies ahead. To this, I offer the same suggestion: Be present and appreciate the summer season for what it is. Many people receive hope and patience from the verse, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11).

But what is often left out is the context that this verse is in, which I believe adds even more power to the hope it offers. God is speaking to people who have been exiled to live in Babylon. Directly before this verse, God says to them, "Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters... But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare."

Do you see? His plans involve them being present where He has them now. Not where they want to be. Not even where He'll have them in the future. For now they are to be. To plant, grow, and develop through relationships and in community with each other. Now the change - the heart change - can take place.

"Welfare" is "shalom" or peace, and peace will come to the city when we are present there. Live there. Invest our lives there.

This summer, I am excited that John and I will be moving into our new house here in the city of Atlanta. I look forward to being present and getting to know our neighbors. We can't wait to eat dinner out on our porch and invite friends to join us. We're on a journey to be present in the city, and thank you for coming along with us!