Starving

First of all, I must say that I had some of the best food of my life in Austin Texas!

Little food truck named,

"Shut Up and Eat"

or

"Are You Gonna Eat or What?"

I don't know, but they gave me the sandwich of a lifetime!

Mesquite smoked turkey, shellacked in jalapeno jelly, fried green tomato, chipotle aiole.
 House made chips.

COME ON PEOPLE!

I died.

Second Bar Restaurant, best gnocchi of my life!

I might have licked the bowl when no one was looking.

Coopers BBQ

Brisket, beans, white bread, macaroni and cheese (which the Texas native with me said was one of the best!) pickles and peacan cobbler!

WHAT??

Not pictured was the fried chicken eggs bennedict I had on the way to the airport!
I must go back to Austin just to eat more!

In Austin, I attended the IF Gathering.
A Gathering of 2000 women in Austin, hundreds of thousands of women live streaming all over the world, to come together to be equipped in the name of Jesus and be unleashed out into our communities to make a difference.  We explored the question, "What IF we lived like Jesus?"
In the past few days since being home, I have tried to start unpacking the experience of
the IF Gathering and I've realized a few things.
First of all, I didn't know I was starving going into the Gathering.
Looking at all these pictures of food, I kinda think, "how did I eat all that?"
But an empty belly can hold much.
Just as an empty soul can hold much.
With all of the rich truth that was poured out at the Gathering, I never seemed to be uncomfortably full, like Thanksgiving full.  Instead I just received all that was offered, realizing that my soul has been starving for solid, rich truth for a long time.
My appetite for solid food was awaken as I realized that I've been drinking Spiritual milk for far too long.  I don't know how my faith in Jesus has been subtly watered down over the past few years, still growing and being nourished, but not in a way to produce an abundance!
Just in a way to produce enough to look "productive."
But devouring meal after meal after meal of God's unmistakable truth, spoken from a place of deep conviction and passion did not leave me uncomfortably full, but quite the opposite.
It left me awake, alive and longing for more.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.
I often think of Lent as being a season of fasting.
A season of identifying with the suffering of Christ by depriving ourselves of something we enjoy.
I'm not giving up anything today.
Instead, I'm indulging.
For the Lenten season, I'm going to feast on the rich Word of God more than I have before.
I'm going to identify with Him through knowing Him more,
spending time listening, reading and praying.
I'm going to indulge in His rich, delicious truth that not only gives life, but gives life to the full!

Sometimes we don't even know we're starving until we have a meal that awakens all of our appetite.

Chinatown

We recently returned from an adventure in San Francisco.

Today I'm sharing a little Chinatown highlight!

 Check out the view from the top of the parking structure!

I could have just stayed on the roof all day!  It was a spectacular day in SFO!

On our drive up from Los Angeles, I was searching YELP for the best Dim Sum in Chinatown.

Good Mong Kok Bakery was our winner.

Not touristy

Off the main road

No menu

No seating

Perhaps a bit risky!

That's how I like it!

We got in line and were a bit nervous because the place is very tiny and there is a bit of the "soup nazi" feel when you go to order!  It was a little stressful with the line, no menu and language barrier (or was there?!)

Check out those stacks of steaming delights!!

Mouth wide open was exactly how I felt!

Lunch for 5 for $12!

In addition to YELP, I called on my oldest friend Marc (friends since we were 2 years old and still going strong!) to give us his grand tour of Chinatown.  

There is little this guy doesn't know about San Francisco!

We took our lunch to the steps of the Chinese Methodist Church 

and enjoyed the authentic delights.

(I hoped the food would be extra blessed if we ate it at a church and 

God would protect us from any tummy troubles!!)

That chowmein was ridiculous!

Everything was so good, especially the BBQ pork buns!

After lunch the tour began.

Leading us to the most sacred of places, Ross Alley!

Sacred?

Yes, because it's the home of the back door to this place!

The smell is intoxicating and the process fascinating.

Such a treat.

The tour continued

These lanterns are my favorite!

Such a bright, happy display that spurs on celebration.

It was a fabulous day

Thanks Uncle Marc for the interesting facts, laughs and fun in Chinatown!

Happy weekend everyone - go on an adventure and don't be afraid to eat where the locals do!

David and the Sour Cream Blueberry Coffee Cake

Each Thursday morning, after dropping the children off at school, I go to Bible study.

I went to this Bible study for the first time 5 years ago when my girls were 2.  I didn't have the best experience, but the childrens' ministry was amazing and I couldn't believe how much scripture my girls memorized in that year - at 2 years old!  It was awesome, so I continued to go for them.

I took a few years off after that and when my son turned 2 I decided to join again so that he could go through the program.  I had pretty low expectations for my experience, but I wanted the little dude to get the same teaching his sisters got.

I was blown away at how different my experience was.

Every week a verse was shared, a work spoken or a passage studied where I was touched and felt confirmed, "this is exactly where I'm supposed to be."

My small group leader was a gift from God and the women in my group were amazing. We laughed so hard together and cried too as we shared in studying God's word and shared our lives.

I was hesitant to join again this year.  I didn't have any children to put in the program as my excuse and I didn't think any leader could top last year!

But I did and have been blessed each week again.

This year we're studying 1 Samuel and it has been great.  We've entered into the chapters about David, who is not yet king, and his character is blowing me away. His relationship with Jonathan is exactly what friendship should be and honestly, I'm a little envious!  I want a friend like Jonathan!

I don't really know why friendships with women can be difficult, but I do know that friendships between men can be even harder, for different reasons!

To read about David and Jonathan, how they had each other's back, their selfless care for one another, and their sacrificial love for each other has prompted me to pray for that kind of friendship for my husband.

If you are married, I challenge you to pray for your husband and pray specifically that God would place friendships in his life that are more than hanging out every now and again.  But deep, Christ centered friendships where your husband is taken care of, challenged, and loved on.

 

 

Also in this Bible study, we have brunch together every few months and last week I tried this Sour Cream Blueberry Coffee Cake that was to die for!

I had to flip it out of the pan right after pulling it out of the oven, so it fell apart a little!  I recommend letting it cool a bit before turning it out if you have the time!

But trust me, the broken apart cake didn't deter anyone from having seconds!!

 

Sour Cream Blueberry Coffee Cake

1 c. butter, softened

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 c. sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda



1 1/2 c. frozen blueberries

 

Topping:

1/4 c. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 c. walnuts, chopped

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a bundt pan.

In a mixing bowl, beat together butter, sugar, eggs, sour cream and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and baking soda.  Add dry mixture to wet.  Fold in the blueberries.

Pour 3/4 of the batter into the pan.  In a small bowl prepare topping: mix sugar, cinnamon and walnuts.  Pour 3/4 of topping on batter in the pan.

Top with remaining batter and topping.  Bake 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

** I recommend letting it cool a bit before turning it out onto a platter!

 

All recipes are posted here, on What's For Dinner.  Check it out!