The Good Days

     The last few months, I've been really good about reading my Bible almost every day.  I'm not saying this to receive a standing ovation or lots of pats on the back, but to share something I've learned.  The days I read the the good book are the good days.  When I don't read it, I generally have a "not-so-great" or "iffy" day.  People have been telling me my entire life that this is true, but for some reason (maybe I thought it would take too much time or be too boring) it just never caught on.  

    Recently: I didn't read my Bible either last Saturday or Sunday (bad bad bad idea) and I got really annoyed with one of my best friends that Saturday, shouted at and gave him the cold shoulder on Sunday, and had to suffer through two days of not-so-greatness, plus explanations and stuff on Monday.  I almost always get along with him otherwise; there were other reasons why I was irritated with him, but I should have been able to control my temper and I couldn't.  I think a big part of that was because I didn't start off my day the right way.  
     I think another reason why people don't read their Bible everyday is because they don't know what to read.  At the moment, I'm reading one chapter of the New Testament and two chapters of the Old Testament every morning before I get dressed for school, and skipping those parts of the Bible that I know I'll hit a sticking point on because I've read them so many times or they're hard to understand: Leviticus, Romans, the Gospels, Psalms, etc.  NOT that they aren't good to read, it's just my goal to read the rest of the Bible, and if I don't skip those I'm more likely to not get through it all.  Joshua and Nehemiah and Esther were fascinating stories.  Whoever said the Bible didn't hold adventure.  
     I encourage everyone to read the Bible regularly.  God speaks to us through His word (real life example: I was baptized on Sunday, and a leader in the church shared 1 Timothy 4:12 with me.  Guess what I was reading that day?  Yup, 1 Timothy 4) and digging into His word means we're digging deeper into Him.  Even if it takes 30 minutes a day (it only takes me 15 minutes) those are 30 minutes which are well spent.  So decide what you'll read and start digging!

6 Easy Ways to SLEEP More

I don't know about you, but I like my beauty sleep, ladies. Since I'm starting school on the 24th, I've been trying to think of ways to cut my getting-ready time down so I can sleep in as long as possible. Most of you have probably already started school (and are loving having to wake up early again, I'm sure!) so I thought I would share with you what I have come up with.



1. Time yourself.
Use a couple mornings to time yourself to figure out how long it takes you to get ready. You might find that you are allowing yourself way more time than you need. If that is the case, take the time your using on facebook or texting your friends to SLEEP instead.

2. Take showers at night.
I used to take showers every single morning and this was definitely cutting in on my sleep time (not mention, not very nice to my hair). Now I take one every other night. I find that taking a shower before bed also helps me to relax.

3. Pre-perpare your breakfast.
I can't even tell you how long it takes me to decide what to have for breakfast some mornings. Our family doesn't buy cereal often so that's not even a quick option for me. By taking a Saturday afternoon to make up and freeze a bunch of waffles to warm up when I need them, I cut down a lot of breakfast time in the morning.

4. Plan your outfits.
Okay, lets be honest, most girls take way too long to decide what to wear. But if you plan ahead, it can save a lot of time and headache on a hurried school morning.

5. Find cute and easy hairstyles.
Curling or straightening your hair every morning takes a lot of time, hassle, and can be very damaging to your hair. Youtube has tons of video hair tutorials for every texture and length, making it easy to find ways to style your particular hair type. I have a couple go-to styles that work really well for my hair texture. And when I want to change it up, I either french braid or roll my hair up in socks like rollars before going to bed to get a wavy or curly texture.

6. Take care of your skin.
Yeah, this is a weird one; how can taking care of your skin help you get more sleep? Bear with me ladies, it will make sense in a minute. So, am I completely weird in that the way I feel about my looks depends on how my skin looks? I have an acne problem most of the time and whenever I get a new breakout, my looks-esteem drops quite a bit. Yes, I know, beauty is not skin deep. But that fact doesn't change that we want to look our best, does it? I have tried so many different products to clear up my face. The problem is, whenever something worked to get rid of the acne, it made my skin dry and dead looking. This week I decided that putting all those chemicals on my face could not be good for me at all. Thus began my search for the perfect natural skin-clearer. I'm getting pretty close to finding it (thanks to pinterest). There will be a post about it once I do find it.
Anyways...that long skin story did have a point. That point is that when my skin looks good, I feel good about my looks and don't feel like I have to make up for my not good skin by wearing more makeup, making sure my hair is extra perfect, or spending more time on my clothes. Thus, I spend less time getting ready in the morning! (Whew, glad I finally got my point accross!)

I hope these ideas will help you sleep in later! Let me know if you've tried any of these things and how it worked for you. Or if you have other ideas for cutting down your getting-ready time.

You scream, I scream, we all scream for Ice Cream

     I <3 good ice cream.  It's probably something I've inherited or learned from my mom - in the states, we used to have a minimum of 5 ice cream flavors in our freezer at a time, normally being closer to 10.  Ben & Jerry's and Cold Stone Creamery were two of my favorite Ice Cream shops, and when we moved to South Africa we were surprised to find that the amount of flavors available was small compared to what we were used to.  A solution had to be discovered!  So I pulled out our ice cream maker.  
     Ice cream, sorbets, gelato, frozen yogurt.... they're all actually very easy to make.  Recipes can be found all over the web, and the result is yummmmmmy.  My favorite homemade flavors so far have been Berry Cheescake, Mint Chocolate Chip, Raspberry Sorbet, Rocky Road, and Lemon Sorbet. Other flavors I've made that have been well liked include Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Snickerdoodle, Tropical Sorbet, and Butter Pecan.  
     Today I want to share a couple basic recipes with you - raspberry sorbet and butter pecan.  

Raspberry Sorbet

Soo yummy - but, then, I <3 sorbets.  I find them very refreshing.  If you want to be daring and edit this, just replace the fresh raspberries with other fruits, adjusting sugar quantity if necessary.  Or you can just google the kind of sorbet you want.  


1 1⁄2 cups sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 lb. fresh raspberries (about 5 cups)

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1. In a 2-quart saucepan, bring 2 cups water and sugar to a boil, stirring to dissolve. Reduce heat to low and simmer, without stirring, to make a syrup, for 5 minutes.

2. Pour the syrup into a medium bowl, stir in vanilla extract, and transfer to the freezer to let chill for 15 minutes.  At the same time, put your sorbet-tub-to-be into the freezer to chill so that it won't melt the sorbet when it is poured in.

3. Purée 1 lb. of the raspberries (about 4 cups) with the syrup in a blender or food processor until smooth. Scrape the purée through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard the seeds. Stir lemon juice into the raspberry purée and pour it into a 2-quart ice cream maker. Freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions until almost set but still a little slushy, about 25 minutes.  (Alternatively, pour the sorbet mixture into your chilled tub and stick in the freezer.  Stir every 15 minutes until firm (a couple of hours), making sure to scrape the edges.)

Butter Pecan Ice Cream

I'm using this recipe, and not the Cheesecake or Rocky Road recipes because it is based off of a simple vanilla custard, which is something that needs to be understood very well before tackling harder recipes.  Most ice creams have custard bases, and things like Mint Choc Chip or Rocky Road or Choc Chip Cookie Dough just have extra things added.  The butter pecans are yummy, so be sure to hide them out of sight (out of mind) if you want to have any left over for the ice cream :)

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup light brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a small skillet over medium heat, saute pecans in butter, salt, and 1 Tbsp sugar until lightly browned, stirring frequently.  Note: they burn easily.  Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, beat eggs.  Set aside. 

3. In a medium saucepan , combine sugar and half and half and heat until the milk is steaming, without allowing it to boil.  

4. Slowly add the half and half to the beaten eggs, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the eggs.  Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook until it reaches 175°F, or until it coats the back of a wooden spoon, being careful to not allow it to overheat.  

5. Remove from heat and strain through a sieve into cream (this removes any eggs that might have cooked and any burnt milk).  Add vanilla.  Chill for several hours or overnight.    

6. Put your ice-cream-tub-to-be into the freezer to chill.  Freeze ice cream mixture according to ice cream maker manufacturer's directions.  Before transferring to your chilled tub, stir in pecans.  (Alternatively, pour the ice cream mixture into your chilled tub and stick in the freezer.  Stir every 30 minutes until firm (a couple of hours), making sure to scrape the edges)

     

     Those are the recipes!  At the bottom is a bibliography - gotta give credit where credit is due!  A couple things I've discovered (by error and error): having that wanna-be-tub in the freezer makes a huge difference when using an ice cream maker, so the ice cream doesn't melt the instant it hits the tub; the sugar-salt-vanilla-stuff content of the ice cream effects how well something freezes and if it's hard or soft (so don't change it too much, especially if you're cutting back on something); and having an ice cream maker is totally worth it.  Of course, that's coming from an ice cream <3er.  I think the consistency of the ice cream is nicer that way.

     Another thing about living in South Africa - since I'm an expat (foreigner), I can't get a job.  God has provided though, through this <3 of ice cream.  I'll be selling my homemade, all-natural ice cream at a local market and through a co-op.  God constantly reminds me that He will provide for all my needs, and that His plan is the best. 

Bibliography: 

www.thekitchengeneration.com

www.davidlebovitz.com

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/butter-pecan-ice-cream/  

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Raspberry-Sorbet

Five Ways to Break the Ice

We all have those times when we're in new places, meeting new people, and we have no clue what to say or do. Maybe you're starting in a new school this year (I'm starting at my local community college next month) going to a new church, starting a new activity with people you don't know, or just want to step out of your usual "group". Here are five tips on how to break the ice.

1. Be Comfortable with Yourself.
When you can be comfortable with yourself, it makes it easier for others to be comfortable with you. Don't be afraid to look like a fool and be quick to laugh off mistakes. People are drawn to those who are confident in their own skin.

2. Use Complements.
Complementing is one of the most effective ways to break the ice, especially when complementing something that invites further conversation. By simply commenting that you like the new person's shoes, for example, you can discover that both of you are thrift store shoppers or that you both have grandmas with good shoe taste. Even silly things in common can go a long way in being comfortable with each other. Complementing also sends a confident message that says, "I'm confident enough not to be threatened by you and your cute shoes and I don't want you to feel threatened by me."

3. Ask Questions.
When the conversation starts to drag, asking questions like "what do you do for fun?" or "where did you move from?" can pave the way for other things you have in common or learning about something new. Just be sure to stay clear of questions like "where do you live?" which can unintentionally sound a little stalkerish.

4. Be Open.
It is hard to get to know very personal people. By opening yourself up, other people will naturally open up to you. Talking about your family, your plans for the future, and the things you have experienced is inviting to others. There is a happy medium here, however. Don't burst out your entire life story the first time you meet someone, make sure there is plenty of room for the other person to talk. And getting into really personal stuff about yourself like your insecurities can get messy.

5. Speak Well of Others.
Gossiping and showing dislike of certain people by your words proves to the person you're talking to that you're not trustworthy. No one wants to be friends with someone who will complement them one minute then talk bad about them behind their back the next. People who gossip aren't fun to be around.

Long Time No See:Sara

     Malea said it pretty well last time she posted - it's been a really long time since our last post.  This is MY catching up post.  
     6 months ago, in February, I had been in South Africa for 6 months.  Now, I've been here for a year.   And that year has gone SO fast, it's unbelievable when I look back on it.  On the year-to-the-date anniversary, I posted on my Facebook page that "It's been a year full of settling in and some frustration, a year including a new school, a new church, and new friends, and a year in which we've grown as a family and as individuals."  There have been a lot of changes over the last year, and, as I indicated above, some of it's been frustrating.  It took us 9 months to find a church, but we're happy.  It's a very small church with less than 200 people, and less than 10 teenagers, only 1 my age, but we're forming close friendships.  Dad and I sing in the worship band, and I help out with children's church.  
     All of my life, up until a year ago, I was homeschooled.  Now, I and my 5 siblings attend a small (600 kids, K-12) private school called the King's College.  My best friend and brother, Matthew, whom I've known since 3rd grade, also lives with us and attends school at King's while his family is serves God as missionaries in Swaziland.  To find out more about the Taylor family and see how you can support them, visit robandjennifer.wordpress.com.  The motto of this school is "Audience of One".  The teachers are wonderful people, dedicated to the kids and their teaching.  I struggle with the fact that, in South Africa, the pass grade is 45%, but I raise the standard for myself, and achieve mostly 80s.  God calls us to work as if we're working for Him, and not for men - that means doing our best in everything, no matter how low the requirements are.  I've formed several deep relationships with people at school, with people who will push me towards God and inspire me to do my best.  
     My relationship with God has grown as I've had to deal with homesickness, family struggles, and lack of  "belonging".  I've had to lean on God through all of it.  Moving halfway around the world hasn't been easy, but I'm convinced this is where God has called us, so I'm glad we came.  
     On the upside, there are some distinctively different things about South Africa.  They call their traffic lights "robots", and the trunk of the car is the "boot".  They don't have Reese's Peanut Butter cups or Jelly Bellies, Bath and Body Works, or Ben and Jerry's, but they have Bar One and Jelly Tots, and their fruit and veggies are SOO good.  There is no insulation in there houses because it's only cold for a relatively short amount of the year, but we still managed to be here for the first time it has snowed in 5 years.  It was the day before school let out, but no one was in class when it was snowing.  The girls were having a screaming jumping fest out on the field, and the boys were playing soccer.  
     I guess if you take anything away from this post, take away that even if God's call is hard to follow through, it's the best path to follow.  A year ago, I couldn't imagine living anywhere but my hometown, I struggled to make new friends, and my relationship with God wasn't as strong as it is now.  Now, I'm living half way around the world with tons of new friends and I'm cradled in the arms of my Creator through everything.  And I've been told I've picked up a slight South African accent :D

Long Time No See:Malea

Wow. It has been a really long time since our last post. 
I think some catching up is in order. Sara has been very busy adjusting to her new life in South Africa (she's been living there for over six months now! Craziness!) and school has been taking up much of her time. I'll let her do a catching up post of her own soon, though.
It seems as if the crazy business never stops for me. I had this thought that after I had finished driver's ed (yep, I went through that while I was away) life would slow down some but I've been done since November and it really hasn't. At the moment, my life consists of school, church, music, and occasionally friends. I have started leading worship for my church youth group (singing) with my friend Craig (who plays and arranges awesome stuff on the keyboard) and that's probably been the most life-changing thing that's happened lately. At first, I was very reluctant to doing it...I'm not a fan of singing in front of people...but we both really feel like this is the direction God is taking us right now. Both for us as individuals and for the whole youth group. Before Craig and I started leading, a few people have attempted starting praise and worship but nothing ever worked for very long. The time is definitely now.
I have also been attending a bible study that I very much enjoy. Right now we're going through a book together called Becoming a Woman of Prayer by Cynthia Heald. I highly recommend it.

 


Whelp, I should probably go now. But I will leave with a promise of more blog posts in the near future. 

Giving Everything

Isn’t it amazing how much God loves us? I mean, he  sent his son to die for us - and no matter what we do, no matter how ugly we can be sometimes, he loves us despite everything. Not only that, but he gives us small reminders of his love every single day. I was given a huge reminder just recently and I would like to tell this story.

I love music - a lot, I practically live and breathe it. I take piano and voice lessons and I’m constantly either singing, playing, or listening to music. I’m home schooled but the reason I have been able to take both piano and voice lessons is because my family is enrolled in this program where we get publicly funded for some school. This year, however, they cut it down so that they only pay for one fine arts per student. When I found out about this, I was pretty shook up. I knew that meant I would have to quit either piano or voice lessons. And as spoiled as this sounds; I didn’t want to give up either one. So I practically got on my knees and begged Mom to some how, some way, even if it meant not eating, come up with money to pay for my voice lessons. Unfortunately, she decided that eating is more important than my voice lessons (we agree to disagree on this subject) and sat me down to talk. My parents decided to pay for a certain amount monthly for my lessons, leaving me a big chunk to come up with. I have a job working at a kitchen store and if I worked regular hours, having enough money wouldn’t be a problem. But since the Christmas rush ended, I only get asked to come in when whoever was supposed to work then can’t. I haven’t been called in since April and most of the money I have is going to be used to pay for driver’s ed. next month.

I needed another solution.

Mom’s ideas:

1) Ask the grandparents to pledge some money each month.

Pros: If they each only gave $20 a month I would have enough.

Cons: I hate asking for money, I’m not sure how much I could count on that money coming in, and I would feel bad to ask them for money...coming back to hating asking for money.

2) See if I could work one day a week at the kitchen store.

Pros: I would get to work and get more than enough money to pay for my lessons.

Cons: I would hate asking for that, it probably wouldn’t work well for them, and I might not get paid when I need to.

After this talk, I was pretty discouraged. That night I felt like it wasn’t possible and I would have to give up something I love to do. I cried and prayed for about an hour before I went to bed. I told God that I had given up finding a solution on my own and that it probably was not possible doing it my way but through him, all things are possible. I let go of everything and I gave it to Jesus and let him fill me with his peace. I stopped worrying about it, knowing that it wouldn’t be the end of the world if I had to stop taking voice lessons. I still wanted it and hoped for it, but I thanked God that he knows what he’s doing.

A few days later, Mom got an email from my voice teacher saying that she needed to hire someone to clean up after a class she taught to little kids and asked if I would do it. This solved everything! I just kinda stood there in shock. A realization came over me, I wrote it down in my journal that night: “Jesus loves me so much that not only did he die for me, he gave me something so small in comparison by letting me continue to do something I love, to remind me of how big he is and how big his love is for me.”

The moral of the story is: Jesus loves us so much and we should give everything, all of ourselves to him, and thank him for everything, even the bad things, because he knows what he’s doing. We might not like some of his plans at first, but they always turn out for our good.