Book Love: September 2015

If you've spent any amount of time with me you know that I love reading. As a child I wasn't into reading because there was NO.WAY. I was going to sit still to do anything. It wasn't until college that I slowly got back into reading and realized my love for stories. Now, in a world where we have so many things vying for our attention I find books the best way to productively use my spare time. 

Speaking of spare time...I have none. So, I've made some. Waiting for / riding on the bus, reading on my phone. My 30 minute walk to/from work, listening to an audio book (check out this post for some audio book ideas). A few minutes over lunch, reading a book. After dinner while Mike cleans up the kitchen (check out this post if you are wondering how I swung that deal), sitting on the couch with pups and a book. One of my favorite ways that we have made time to read is by getting in bed by 10 PM (that means starting to wash up at 9:45) and then reading aloud together for a few minutes before I drift off. Hopefully these ideas spark more for you if you find that "time" is the reason you aren't reading right now.

If "inspiration" is why you aren't reading let me help you out there, too. One of my favorite bloggers, Modern Mrs. Darcy, put up this awesome post about some of what she's reading right now. I get a lot of book ideas from MMD and thought I should share some of the book love with you!

I told you guys here that I was hoping to read 50 books this year. Being the strong over-achiever that I can sometimes be, I have read 62 books so far this year. Overall, I've been reading more non-fiction lately which is somewhat rare for me. Fear not, I've read plenty of fiction, too. I've stepped up my non-fiction game because there are so many great non-fiction reads that have been on my list for too long and I'm eager to power through them and soak up the goodness. Nevertheless, some of this year's highlights remain in the contemporary fiction category.

Since it's been a while since I've posted about books on here the books below span several months and are my highlights. The ones I raced to finish because it was so good but yet also lamented when I finished because I didn't want it to end. I hope you find something inspiring here. Comment below and let me know what you are reading!

The Martian by Andy Wier

You guys, please read this book. Oh my goodness. If you aren't into sci-fi that's fine, because this isn't really sci-fi and I'm not really into sci-fi reads either. If you are into sci-fi, you will still love this book. Written as a log journal we encounter the story of Mark Watney, a NASA astronaut/scientist aboard a manned mission to Mars. Watney finds himself left behind by his crew, mistaken for dead, and has no choice but to figure out how to survive on Mars. The story is so funny, full of one-liners like, "Take that Neil Armstrong," and Weir did incredible amounts of research to make the story incredibly realistic. Mike grabbed my iPad and started reading this one almost as soon as I finished because he wanted to read whatever was making me laugh that hard. Bonus: They are turning this one into a movie. Matt Damon plays the main character and it release on 10/2!

The Gifts of Imperfection and Daring Greatly by Dr. Brene Brown

 

Two separate books but I thought I'd talk about them together. Brown is a shame and vulnerability researcher and in her incredible books she opens our eyes to how real relationship and connection requires vulnerability (which is a terribly frightening thing). Both books are fantastic - I finished The Gifts of Imperfection during a trip home for my sisters wedding and I am still working on Daring Greatly with a great book club at my church. Brown is a Christian but these books are not Christian in nature, in fact most of her speaking engagements are not to Christian audiences. We could all benefit from reading her works.

Dear Mr. Knightley and Lizzy and Jane by Katherine Reay

 

Reay has quickly become a favorite author for me. She writes in a great, familiar style that I love and she makes her characters so real. Reay's works are also full of references to Jane Austen's classics but they are not twists on her stories, just full of characters who love and appreciate Austen.

Dear Mr. Knightley is about a young woman and her self-discovery while she goes to Northwestern's Journalism School thanks to a generous and anonymous benefactor. Written as a series of letters, I love this one and read it in a day.

Lizzy and Jane is the story of two sisters who have drifted apart and how they learn to reconnect and learn about who the other has become in an unlikely place, over Jane's chemo sessions. Lizzy is a NYC chef so there are lots of great food references but the story takes place in Seattle so lots of great Seattle culture, too. Another very quick and enjoyable read for me. 

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

Oh goodness, I had no clue what to expect from this one but it was recommended by my sister-in-law and so I checked it out. The story is mostly funny but also touching and thought-provoking, I really enjoyed this one. Bernadette goes missing and the book is her daughter's attempt to piece together the events leading up to Bernadette's sudden disappearance. I was expecting something more like a mystery or something kind of sad but I laughed most of the way through this one. Bernadette's apathy toward the other moms at her daughter's school is hilarious and speaks to feelings that I think we can all relate to. It's hard to do this one justice but it is a great read and I definitely recommend it.

Marissa Mayer and the Fight to Save Yahoo! by Nicholas Carlson

I had been interested in this one for a while and am glad I read it. Business books can sometimes be tough to read but this one reads much more like a story than a typically business book. This is the story of Yahoo! and the history of the company. You get a sense for what happened to the company that was once great and is now struggling something awful. Yahoo! has been advertising like crazy here in Chicago (there are lots of CTA trains wrapped in Yahoo! ads) and they've been in the news a lot too with the sale of Alibaba, plus Marissa Mayer is a highly visible female tech CEO so I really enjoyed this story. I still question how Carlson got access to all of the information but it was a great read nonetheless.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

If you know 80s culture you will flip over this novel. If you don't know 80s culture, you will still enjoy this read. There were plenty of references that I missed but there were plenty I picked up and enjoyed, too. Set in 2045, America has gone to hell in a hand basket and most people escape this dark world by logging into the OASIS, a virtual reality that is unlike anything we've seen (but yet, not a far cry from anything we've seen, giving this a realistic feel). The creator of the OASIS dies and leaves his billions to the player who can find the Easter egg he has hidden inside the OASIS. Full of evil corporations, not-so-subtle political and environmental statements, and lots of arcades, video games, 80s movies, and more this is a fun read and another one that's going to become a movie (but not unil 2017).

11/22/63 by Stephen King

This is the longest book I've read so far this year but I loved it. This is equal parts historical fiction, thriller, and futuristic which makes it so unique and engaging. Main character Jake Epping is able to go back in time to 1958 and realizes that he can alter history. Epping sticks around for 5 years to try and prevent the JFK assassination and in the mean time creates an entire life for himself. It's hard to explain but I loved it - I first picked this one up years ago when it first came out but I didn't get too far, so glad I picked it back up because it's fantastic. This one is going to be an original Hulu series next year with James Franco as the lead character!

What are you reading? What are the books that you wish everyone else could read, too?

Far More

Today is my last day working for my employer in TX and possibly the last time I work in the mortgage industry after a 10 year run. I continue to be amazed at God's provision and timing of which I definitely could not have planned. We left Dallas at the end of April for Chicago and I was graciously allowed to work remote during our transition which was a huge help in many ways. After several weeks of no hits on the resume fishing line I had multiple interviews but one stood out above all the others. After taking a technical test, talking to the talent team then hiring manager and enduring a 3 hour interview, I eventually received an offer. God's provision was spot on. I was able to stay with my current employer for exactly one year (362 days), received an offer at or above my current pay range, the new office is within a 5 minute walk (which is nice since we don't have cars), and the new company has some sweet perks. I had caught a big one!

Although I really have not expressed it externally, I have been extremely grateful and thankful internally. God has provided in ways that I could not have asked or imagined. After my brother (Daniel) released his E.P. a couple of months ago a chorus was stuck in my head from a song called "Far More."

Would you do far more than we could ask or imagine

Would you do far more than we could ever hope or dream

Let your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven

For the glory of your holy name

As I reflect today, I am humbly reminded that I could not have written this story on my own. It is part of God's story embedded into the novel of my life and this is simply the end of one chapter and the beginning of a bright new one that will begin to unfold soon for the glory of his holy name.

Mike

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Well it's been a few months (sorry for the silence!) but Mike and I are settling into Chicago and taking in all that our new city has to offer. We know that a few months from now the tune will change as everyone braces for winter in all it's wrath. 

Over the past few weeks I've been reflecting on God's faithfulness to us. I've been in a spiritual drought lately and reminding myself of the big ways God has come through in the past is extremely helpful for me in re-engaging with our perfect Father. As we embarked on this journey several months ago there were four huge prayer requests that we pleaded before God. We believe in specific, big prayer requests. In my reflections I have been blown away, encouraged, and fortified in remembering all the ways God has answered our prayer requests. God is not a genie, he does not grant us wishes. God does not rely on our works, saying x number of prayers for a particular thing does not make it happen. But, God does love his children and listens to our pleas. God loves to give his children good gifts. We believe that in times when we can see God's goodness and faithfulness we must relish it because life has storms and sometimes it can be hard to stay encouraged through those storms if we are not clinging to our God and remembering that he is always faithful.

At church last week we sung a sweet song that was really encouraging to me. The song, Family of God, has the following chorus,

Family of God, remind me again

The God that He is

The life that He lived

The child that I am

And so, in that spirit, I am going to share about God's faithfulness to us lately. I pray that these words and evidences of God's good works do not hurt you or alienate you but rather remind you of "the God that He is." If you are in a storm right now, we are praying for you. He is still faithful. Remember that. Cling to that. When life hurts really badly, God is still there, He is still sovereign, He is still faithful, He is still good and loving.

Our Big Four Prayers

1. That God would grant me favor with AdComs in getting into b-school and that He would guide us to the right program.

Not only did God lead us to Booth but He allowed for me to get into each school I applied to for b-school. The transition into Booth has been smooth and every time I walk into the Gleacher Center I look around with pride and joy that this is where God has me right now.

2. That our home in Dallas would sell at or above asking price.

Within twenty-four hours we had six offers at or above asking price. We sold to an all cash buyer, above asking, whom allowed us to stay in our home for free until we moved to Chicago. The profit from the sale of our house will allow us to make it through school without taking out any loans.

3. For us to find a place to live in Chicago that would help soften the landing of being strangers in a new city.

Our home has become a sweet place of refuge for us. We love our home, we love the building that we are in, and are thankful that we have had the opportunity to already host some new friends in our home. 

4. For Mike to find a good job that would utilize his gifts and allow him to grow (i.e., not just a job but a step in his career where he can thrive).

I'm so excited to finally share that in a few weeks Mike will start a new role at Braintree. Braintree is owned by PayPal and because of the PayPal eBay split there's been a bit of a waiting time between getting the offer and actually beginning the role but trust me that it's worth the wait! This is a dream job type role - Mike will be a PayPal data analyst, straddling both sides of the company and working for a really great boss while doing so. We are thrilled and thankful.

In addition to all of this, God has definitely reminded us that He prepared a place for us here in Chicago long before we showed up. We have found a great church family (The Painted Door [TPD]- if you're in the Chicago area we would really love for you to come with us sometime) and are starting to piece together a new community up here. (We really miss you Thursday night small group - thanks for continuing to pray for us and include us through this time.) We have started to make several friends here and have enjoyed doing things and sharing meals with these new friends (from Booth, from Slalom, and from TPD). God has helped Mike and I weather this time together. There have been fights and tension, but this time has been marked by so much growth and joy. We feel like we are on a second honeymoon. 

A huge thanks to those of you who have walked with us through this season. There have been times when it wasn't easy, and as a result we weren't always easy to be with, but we are thankful for the opportunity to work through this time in the way we need to. Moving cities and starting school at (approximately) the same time is tough but "there, but for the grace of God, go I."

Keep the prayers coming. A few specific things,

• That I may re-engage with God and have deeper time with Him on a regular basis.
• For Mike and I to strike a balance between work, school, personal time, etc. We've made such strides here but we still have room for growth.
• That I may finish strong at school. Hard as it is to believe, we are already more than half-way through the quarter and finals are just around the corner (actually, my final is on my birthday...so there's that...)

Keep us updated on how we can be praying for you all!

Books that Make Great Audio Books

It's no secret that I love to read. My mom loves to read and we used to read together when I was little. But, as I got older I didn't enjoy reading because it forced me to sit still which isn't something I've ever been very good at. However, as time has gone by I've rediscovered my love for reading.

I have a goal of reading 50 books this year (I've already read 28 books toward that goal). This comes from a combination of paperback, Kindle, and audio books. I cannot tell you how many people tell me, "I just can't do audio books!" How sad! You are missing out on so many great books! So, I thought I'd share a few tips regarding what makes a good candidate for an audio book, in my opinion.

• Young Adult Classics: Since I bucked against reading starting around age 8 or so I missed out on so many young adult classics (e.g., The Secret Garden, Heidi, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, etc.). These books are so rich, have great lessons for children and adults alike, and permeate their way into modern-day life and references all the time. Listening to these young adult classics is a great way to read the books. Most of these books are available at the library (both the Dallas and Chicago public libraries have Overdrive which allows you to freely borrow digital books and audio books) which means you can listen at no charge. They are also easy reads with great descriptive passages. I find these books are great candidates for listening because you don't have to catch every word to still know everything going on in the book.

The Puffin Classics collection is gorgeous!

• The first book or two in a series: Recently, I've been making my way through the Anne of Green Gables series. Quick aside, I am so sad that I didn't read these books when I was younger - Anne and I are kindred spirits, as she would say. I listened to two of the eight books in the series and that helped put a voice in my head for each character. As I read the paperback version of the other books (I'm currently on book 5 - Anne's House of Dreams) I find that my inner voice is very similar to the narrator of the books I listened to previously. This may drive some insane but I love have a definitive inner voice by which I read books.

• Lengthy books you may never get to: This is a bit trickier category than the others. There are some books that you want to read (either because they are classics and you feel a sense of duty to read through it at least once or because you truly want to read the book) but due to the length of the book it can feel like a daunting task. I read Anna Karenina on my Kindle and it took me about a year to get through the whole book (I read a lot of other books in the interim). Often, although not always, these authors were paid by the word and their timeless novels have lots of extra details scattered throughout. These can be a good candidate for audio books, as well, since you can typically pick up on what's going on and really track along while not paying deep attention to every word. I say this category is tricky, though, because some books in this category will leave you dazed and confused if you try to listen to them (Vanity Fair left me too confused because I wasn't paying enough attention - I'll need to grab my paperback copy to finish this one). 

• Literary Candy: This is my new name for young adult/teen/chick lit fluff. The stories are great, I can read through a book in a day, no problem. But, there isn't much meat on the bone in this category. I don't expand my vocabulary or challenge my mind to think through new concepts. I simply read and enjoy. Like candy. I love to toss in some literary candy when I'm reading a lot of deep, heavy books. I recently read through a series (yeah, 4 books of candy, oops) to help break up A Midsummer Night's Dream, 11/22/63, and Men and Women in the Church. Deep, long, not quick-read materials. I have zero regrets about cruising through these books!

The Selection series by Kiera Cass is my recent literary candy addiction. I've read the three above, plus the latest book The Heir (I read it the day it was released) and the couple of little novelas that accompany the series. No shame. Think Hunger Games meets The Bachelor with a Prince and Me twist. It's fabulous, really.

• Well Produced Audio Books: Some books are so well produced as an audio book I highly recommend listening to them even if you've already read the book. The Harry Potter series definitely falls into this category. I'm also told that The Help falls into this category but I haven't had a chance to listen to the audio book yet.

How about you? Do you like audio books? What are your favorite types of audio books?

The Day Our New Bed Broke

People told us that moving to Chicago would be difficult, and we knew that it would be; but, we didn't really know how it was going to be difficult. Well there are plenty of little things that have been hard and plenty of things that have been easy. But, we have each other and we are adventuring together and that's important. Plus, my mom let's me call her and cry whenever I need so that helps, too. Thanks, mom!

As most of you know, Mike and I found out that the cost of shipping our furniture to Chicago was too high so we sold everything and showed up with our mattress, our clothes, and our kitchen items. That means we've spent hours upon hours surfing every furniture website out there looking for the right pieces to furnish our new apartment. We know that this is an apartment and someday we will own a home again so we want to find middle-of-the-road furniture. We chose two rooms to make nicer and spend a bit more on (the master and the living room) and two rooms where we are going to save a little bit (the dining room and the guest room/den) but in both categories we are still looking for pretty middle-of-the-road furniture. It's been tough not having much furniture, it means that it hinders the unpacking process (I can't unpack clothes when I don't have a dresser here to unpack into) and my husband does not like clutter or messes. 

One of the very first items we purchased was a new bed. We knew we were keeping our mattress and that having a comfortable, settled place to sleep would do wonders so we searched high and low for a bed that we both loved. We settled on the Mod Upholstered Bed from West Elm - the price point is pretty middle of the road and we liked the style, it fit the overall feel we were going for. We had seen the bed in the store, Mike liked it, and while my tastes are always more girly I thought this was a nice option.

I'll save you all of the details but it's been a bit of a nightmare since then. We scheduled delivery for the afternoon of 4/30, the day we moved into our apartment. I asked for an afternoon delivery window since we were moving in that day. We received a call the afternoon before delivery to let us know our delivery time window was 10:30-12:30...not exactly afternoon. We left early from Springfield to get into town in time to meet the delivery man. We asked for a 30 minute call ahead to make sure we were already in town. At 10:10 on 4/30 I received a call that the delivery man was already at our front door. We begged him to stay 20-30 minutes which is when we would arrive at the apartment. This started the chaos of being overly stressed and frustrated, desperately trying to drive the final miles as quickly as possible. When we arrived we were told the delivery guy had left at least 20 minutes earlier. We were upset and frustrated but West Elm forces you to use a delivery service so we blamed the delivery company way more than West Elm at that point. West Elm was kind and offered us a $100 gift card to make up for the confusion. Delivery was rescheduled for 9:30-11:30 on Saturday. The guys showed up at 8:15 AM and assembled the bed. They were okay, not great. They finished up and we were happy to have that saga over. Or so we thought.

We enjoyed sleeping in our new bed and were happy with how the room was coming together. We decided to paint the wall behind the bed because I'm crazy and my husband is the sweetest ever. We pulled the bed out a few inches so he could get behind the bed to paint the wall. Woohoo! I loved the color (no give aways - pictures coming after the room in finished) and we were ready to pull the bed the few inches back into place so we could hop into bed for the night. As we started moving the bed we heard a crack and the bed went down. Yep, one of the legs broke off of the frame. We wanted to cry. I eventually did cry (a long, hard cry with my mom...thanks mom). West Elm offered us a full refund of every last penny spent on the bed or a replacement bed. There was no way we wanted a replacement if a leg could break off that easily so we've opted for the full refund. I'm thankful for that. 

We are sorely suffering from decision fatigue (try picking out a new bed, sheets, duvet, night stand, dining table, dining chairs, bar cart, couch, chair, coffee table, end table, china hutch, and dresser then let me know how your decision making abilities are doing...pile of mush will be the answer). So, I chose one store that I know has good quality furniture and great styles (Room & Board), we went there, found a new bed, and bought it. It will be here on Thursday (hurray!)...but, West Elm's delivery service won't be here to get the broken bed before then. So, we took apart the bed.

We were amazed at the shotty quality of the bed. The slats were "screwed in" but the screws they used weren't long enough and a majority of the slats were either already detached from the frame or pulled up with extreme ease. It's been a beast to take apart but my husband is amazing and figured it out. At least we can sleep on our mattress (on the floor) tonight as opposed to the air mattress we had to sleep on last night. Our new bed will be here in two days and then hopefully most of this will be behind us. I can assure you that we will not be buying any more furniture from West Elm. West Elm has great design aesthetic but they really lack in the quality of the product. We will gladly pay a bit more to have a piece that we can confidently lay down on. Neither of us is even close to 200 lbs. so one would think a bed would last a long time. Oh well.

We're still here and we still love each other. Some day we will look back and laugh but for now we are just glad that there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. It's a perfect story to represent how the things that we thought would be easy can end up being very difficult. But, the good news is that the reverse can hold true, too - things we expected to be difficult can sometimes turn out to be a cake walk. We appreciate your prayers and all the texts that we've received. Keep them coming, they help remind us that while we may be alone in the city we have friends and community who are cheering us on, even if it's from afar.

Time Keeps on Slippin' Into the Future

When Mike told me that he loved me and wanted to marry me (he didn't want to say, "I love you," unless he intended to marry me :) ) I couldn't wait to get engaged, get married, and start our married lives together. We looked at the wedding countdown religiously and were always ready to answer the question, "How much longer before the wedding?" It felt like forever as triple digits became double digits and slowly slipped into single digits. 

Mike and I said, "I do," 466 days ago already.

It feels like yesterday I was studying away, nervous to take the GMAT which was getting closer. And then I was anxiously awaiting my interviews with Booth and Kellogg. It felt like each hour was a year as I waited for admissions decisions.
It is now almost three months to the day since we found out I was accepted at Booth.

Mike and I went over Valentine's Day weekend to find our home in a big, new city. We have anxiously awaited the time when we will walk in the door to Hubbard Place and officially call it home - no longer relying on the photos and videos we have stored on our iPhones to remember our space.
In less than one week we will be on the road driving to our new home in Chicago.

One thing I know for certain is that time doesn't stop for anyone. As certainly as the world turns, time passes on. I was reading Ephesians this morning and this verse really stood out to me,

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:15-16

The words were just the warning that I needed to hear this morning. Time will march on, no matter how slow (or fast) it seems to move I can assure you that time will move forward and we will be along for the ride. 

How will I spend my time? Will I walk as the wise, being intentional with my time, knowing what a precious gift each moment is to me? Or, will I sit idly and waste my time away? The days are evil - heed the warning! If you sit idly you will almost certainly slip into the evil of the day, in one form or another. Instead, walk as the wise. 

How do the wise walk through each day? The wise are aware of the tender nature of time and they respect time, both theirs and others. The wise work diligently and love deeply, they don't procrastinate for they know that time is always of the essence. The wise seek after God, discern their mission, and work urgently towards the mission God has set before them. 

I must admit that I can't say I've been walking as the wise each day. Lately, I am scattered and am juggling a lot of different thoughts in my mind - the move and associated logistics (especially the re-furnishing of our home) have taken up a massive amount of mental real estate. Even when I am at work I struggle to follow the best practices that I have followed so diligently for so many years. Typically, I walk into the office and review my running to-do list and prioritize which tasks I want/need to accomplish for the day. I then review my calendar and figure out what meetings I need to prepare for and what else lays before me. I make a plan and schedule for how to attack my day then I go through my emails, responding and following up then filing things away into my archives. I always end my day by reviewing and refreshing my to-do list and reviewing my calendar for the next day so that I am in the office on time and ready for the next day. Lately, I write my to-do lists in multiple places, lose focus quickly, and don't always prep for meetings until the 15 minute reminder pops up. At some point I look down and realize that it is time to go, shut down my computer and leave. No re-visiting my to-do list. No real preparations for the next day. This is not walking as the wise, this is walking as the unwise.

Plan your day according to the wise. Are you a stay-at-home mom? Great! Know that each moment that seems to drag by is actually a precious moment to shape and mold the young, beautiful souls that have been entrusted to you. Plan your day accordingly! Are you a working mom? Great! Your moments at work should be spent at work and your moments at home should be spent at home. Plan your day according the the wise! Are you a single man or woman working in the corporate world? Great! Don't devote all of your time to work but plan your day according to the wise - finding a balance between your time spent with God, your time at work, and your time serving others. 

Don't wish your time away. Don't sit and wait for something to happen to you. Discern God's will, determine the mission set forth for you, and seize the day - each moment is a gift from God and is meant to be lived intentionally.

Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant

These days I cry at the drop of a hat - we have less than two weeks left in Dallas and as we say goodbye to so many friends and consider the unknown of Chicago I can't help but be overwhelmed by about a million emotions. These emotions make me do all sorts of weird things like talk too much, remain completely silent, get upset over nothing, and, of course, cry. This became a huge problem last Sunday when a friend stood up in front of the church and announced that he is leaving to become the senior pastor at another church. Now, Mike and I already knew this news and we are so happy for him and his family. But, I wasn't planning on him choking up and saying, "You have no idea how hard it is to say goodbye to Northwest." Well cue the sobs because yes, yes I do know how hard it is to leave Northwest.
Northwest Bible Church has been my church home for the past five years while I lived in Dallas (it's been Mike's church home for over ten years). I found the church within a few weeks of moving here and after becoming fast-friends over coffee with my dear friend Charlotte I joined a small group and was anchored. Over the years Northwest has pushed me and challenged me to become an active Christian - to become someone who doesn't just sit in the pews on Sunday morning week after week but, rather, someone who does something during the week based on what they are reading and learning. Northwest has helped me weather several storms in my life and I can confidently say that my walk with the Lord is much more intimate, much more personal, and much more fruitful because of the blessing Northwest has been to me these five years. I could go on forever about how I met my husband and so many close friends at Northwest, etc. but I will start sobbing at my desk so I'm going to skip that for now. So, when my friend and pastor stood on stage and talked about how hard it is to leave Northwest - a mere two weeks before we would walk out the doors of the church for a final time as members - yeah, there were tears. And I'm not talking about a little bit of controllable tears, I'm talking about I-had-to-leave-the-worship-center-and-go-to-the-bathroom-to-finish-crying-it-out kind of tears. Also, I'm a terribly ugly crier. So there's that, too.
As I stood in the bathroom, crying harder than I would like to admit, I felt God's undeniable peace come over me. I heard God gently remind me that it is okay for it to be hard to say goodbye to Northwest because it means that real growth and connection happened here and that is a very good thing. I regained composure (somewhat) and went back into the service. I must pause here to mention the very kind gentleman sitting next to me in the pew who was obviously a visitor (he ate the communion as soon as he took it off the plate) and was probably so perplexed as to why I was crying that hard over a pastor moving on to another opportunity. Ha, poor guy probably thought I was crazy. He's a little bit right.
Neil's sermon was very appropriately the parable of the minas (or parable of the talents, or parable of the bags of gold, or a million other translations). If you aren't familiar, I urge you to stop reading my blog and go read Matthew 25:14-30 before reading on here, and you can listen to Neil's sermon here if you're interested. This parable is a metaphor for how we must be good stewards of the resources God has blessed us with here on earth. If we are faithful with what we have been given then, like the first and second servants, we will hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant." But, if we squander away the opportunity to make good use of our resources then there will be "weeping and gnashing of teeth." Yikes. Remember that the third servant did not loose the money he had been given, he simply did nothing with it. Harsh reality, but reality none the less.
As we wrap up our time in Dallas I can't help but think of how each changing of season in our lives reflects an end to a certain set of opportunities and resources. I will no longer have the same co-workers, small group community, neighbors, etc. Have I done all that God has asked of me in my time in Dallas? Have I shown God to everyone I meet? (I can tell you the answer is no - my frustration/borderline road rage with Dallas drivers is a great example of not reflecting Christ everywhere I go - have I mentioned lately how excited I am to not have a car in Chicago?!) Have I taken what resources God has blessed me with during this season and poured them out lavishly for His kingdom's purpose? Each time a season comes to a close it is an opportunity to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant." We have an opportunity to collect a series of these profound statements over the course of our lives, ultimately leading to the blessing of hearing this as our time on earth draws to a close and we get to spend the rest of eternity praising God and being in His presence.
Investing so deeply in Dallas and into the lives of our friends and those around us here means that it is that much more difficult to leave Dallas. It is that much more difficult to walk away from Wednesday night pizza and wine at Dough with my girlfriends. It is that much more difficult to walk away from Thursday night small group with a community that we cherish. It is that much more difficult to walk away from a church that has changed me in ways I cannot possibly put into words. But, the flip side is that it is also that much easier to walk away because we can walk away knowing that God is saying, "Well done, good and faithful servants. You were faithful in Dallas and I am proud of you. I have gone before you to prepare a home and community for you in Chicago."

Living in the "In Between"

A common question we are asked is, "So, are you mentally in Chicago already?" It's a fair question but a tough one to answer. The reality is, we are living in the "in between" right now. We have sold our home and the majority of our possessions here in Dallas. We no longer have a firm "home" in Dallas anymore. We have an apartment in Chicago and several things lined up for us there, but we do not yet live in Chicago. We are no longer fully in Dallas nor fully in Chicago. We are "in between."

We have friends "in between" being married without kids and becoming parents (aka, they're pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or in the adoption process). We have friends who are "in between" jobs - either because they have fully left one job but do not yet have another job OR because they have mentally left one job but are staying there while actively looking for a new job. There are countless other examples but we all face "in between" moments at some point.

The greatest "in between" that we all experience everyday is the time "in between" life on earth and eternity in Heaven (or hell - it is a real place). We are also "in between" the time when God sent His only Son to die for us, conquer the grave, and ascend into Heaven and the time when Jesus will come back on a mighty white horse, fight the great battle, and establish a new Heaven and a new Earth (read Revelation 19:11-31 and Revelation 21:1-8 - great stuff). This is the great "in between" that we experience everyday.

So how does this play out for us? Typically, living in the "in between" means that we experience some sort of pain or discomfort. For the woman trying to get pregnant it might be the pain of watching other friends give birth. For the person sitting in a terrible work position just waiting for the next opportunity to come together, it's the pain of getting out of bed and going into the office every day. For Mike and I, it's the pain of watching our home revert back to a house that will soon belong to someone else. As believers awaiting Jesus' return it's the pain of seeing war-torn countries, malnourished children, divorce, abuse, and so much more.

So what do we do? How do we live in the "in between" and do it well? How do we navigate through the pain and discomfort? I believe there are two key things that help us in our "in between" times, (1) live in the present moment and (2) hope and pray for the future and resolution to the "in between."

Live in the Present
It's tough to have a beautiful, new apartment lined up in Chicago that needs a lot of furniture purchased and to not live in that most days. I must resist the temptation to spend 100% of my time finding new furniture, designing different layouts, and dreaming about the memories we will share in that apartment. I must focus on the task and the day in front of me. For example, today I need to go to work and finalize some deliverables, I must do the meal planning and go grocery shopping, and I will spend time talking to Mike and hearing how his day went. That doesn't mean I won't research furniture and dream up a new design for our Chicago apartment (in fact I already did some of that this morning) but I cannot allow this to demand my attention or get in the way of completing what I must do, here in the present.

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Matthew 6:34 (NIV, emphasis mine)

For the worker who is "in between" jobs this means that you walk into the office and you commit 100% of your brain to the task at hand, no matter how much you hate it, no matter how boring and repetitive it may be, no matter how terrible your boss may act. Don't stop searching for a new job, you need to get out of a bad situation, but don't allow that to consume your thoughts and dictate your actions while you are at work.

For the woman who is pregnant or is trying to become pregnant, you need to focus your time and energy on your work (whatever it may be) and your current life with your husband. Ladies, hear me say this, you and your husband are already a family; you are not trying to start a family, you are trying to add to your family. Do what is necessary to prepare for baby but do not neglect the little family you already have with your husband. Do not spend so much time and energy preparing baby's room, researching every baby item ever invented, obsessing over birth plans or how to become pregnant in the first place, etc. These things are important and need to happen, but they should not be your sole focus.

And, for the world awaiting the return of King Jesus, we must care for the broken-hearted, bind up wounds, listen, and reflect Jesus. We must pray for Jesus's heart so that we are directed to tend to those who are caught in awful pain because of this "in between." But, we also cannot spend too much time anticipating Jesus's return. People have been predicting when Jesus will return since he ascended into Heaven. "Now, concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 (ESV). We do not know when Jesus is coming back, we only know that He is coming back. Focus on where Jesus has you now.

Hope and Pray for the Future

Do not give up hope. The future will come, yesterday's future is already here. I can struggle well through my current pain and "in between" because I know that in the blink of an eye Mike and I will be settled into our new apartment in Chicago. I spend dedicated time praying for our future, praying for guidance and direction in what is to come. But here is the important part, then I get up off my knees and go out into my current situation, fully clothed in the armor of Christ. I have peace of mind even in the middle of my sobs for the pain of leaving our current situation because Jesus is guiding us and directing us, He has a path. He has a plan. "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 (ESV). Read Romans 8:18-30.

Don't stop praying for that child you are trying to conceive or that you are carrying now. Don't stop praying for a new job where you will be able to better use your gifts and talents. Don't stop praying for Jesus to come back quickly. Never stop hoping for these things. Never stop praying. But if these things do not come to fruition in this life, or in your timing, just remember that God's plans are perfect and better than any we can conceive on our own. Remember that we still live in the "in between" and so there is still pain, hurt, unfairness, and so much more.

I'm praying for you friends. It isn't easy to live in an "in between" time but I urge you to suffer well through the pains and discomforts. Live in the present, hope and pray for the future. Jesus is worth it, His plan is worth it. Our church has a core value of "God's mission over our comfort." Reflect over the power of those words. God's mission requires some "in between" times, but the "in between" is worth it. God's mission over my comfort.

Our Little Home

It was inevitable, we knew that it was coming, and yet I wasn't prepared for the emotions that would hit me like waves thrashing onto the beach. It was time to decide what to do with our little home - we were moving in two short months and we knew that we had to make a decision soon.

Mike bought our home five years ago in early 2010. The market was still down and he was ready to get out of apartment life and begin the journey of home ownership. For three-and-a-half years the house was not only home to Mike but also to some other guys who were Mike's roommates. The home has been a blessing to so many - we estimate that we have hosted more than 200 different people in our home over the past five years.

Mike and I have so many special memories in our home, too. One of our earliest memories from when we first met was at the house. Mike had just bought the house and was almost done with the remodel (he gutted the kitchen and put in a lot of love and TLC to the living/dining room, bathroom, and the rest of the house). Our church's singles group was hosting its only installment of "Spring Lunches" (thanks Burrows!) and Mike had offered to host a group in his home. The concept was that the host would make a main dish and the guests would bring sides, dessert, salads, etc. potluck style. The only little catch was that Mike's new appliances weren't in yet, nor was the majority of his furniture. So, Mike grabbed some fried chicken from Popeye's (ha!) and we all brought sides (I made my potato salad) and we ate at folding tables and chairs. It was a grand time because a home isn't about what's inside but who's inside and this home was full of great people. I honestly don't remember who else was at that lunch (sorry!) but I very clearly remember the lunch.

Fast forward two-and-a-half years and Mike and I have gone on our first date and were starting to hang out more. He was redoing his backyard and making it the masterpiece that it now is (seriously, those of you who've been over know what a labor of love that backyard was) and I offered to help him plant. Oh the things you do when you're infatuated - I had never been much to do any gardening but I suddenly had a new-found interest in gardening, or perhaps a new-found interest in someone who had an interest in gardening. Tomato, tomato. (That doesn't work so well when typing it out, they are pronounced different. You get it, right?) Anyway, I headed over to Mike's house on a cool September (or maybe October?) afternoon and who else was there helping Mike but his mom! Those of you who know my mother-in-law know that she is fabulous so we had a grand time running errands together to get more dirt for the garden. But you can be certain that I wasn't planning to meet Mike's parents that day while wearing ripped jeans and a worn fleece sweatshirt with my hair in a braid and little make-up on. Oh well, it's worked out swimmingly for us :)

On June 6, 2013 Mike and I went out to dinner and when we parked in the back of his house and walked in the back gate the most beautiful scene lay before my eyes. Rose petals and candles lighting the path to roses and champagne on the table with more candles. There Mike and I recalled our relationship thus far then he got down on one knee and asked me if I'd marry him. I said, "Of course!" and we prayed and hugged. We went inside to find our friends waiting to celebrate with us. Our home was so full of joy.

Pictures just don't do this romantic scene justice.

In mid-August of that same year we began re-painting all the walls, buying new furniture and decorations, and preparing the once refined bachelor pad to become our home. A home where we would share our lives together. In late October I moved into our home and Mike moved out as an act of love and sacrifice. When we were married in early January Mike moved back in and at last we had a chance to live together and enjoy our home.

We have filled our home with love and joy and more memories than I could possibly recount. And when we brought Leia into our home she left her mark on the home, too (literally - she chewed up one of the cabinets in the bathroom and ran straight through the screen door). And in this home I studied and prepared for the GMAT, I wrote admissions essays, and I received the happy news that I had been accepted to each school I had applied. It was in this home that God made it abundantly clear to both of us that He had a plan for us and that walking down His path meant leaving our comfortable, happy life in that same sweet, little home. And so, on February 18, 2015 we met with a real estate agent. 

It didn't take long for the decision to be made and the wheels to be set in motion and on February 28 (that was a Saturday) at 5:15 PM we officially listed our home for sale. By 10 AM the next day we had 7 showings scheduled and by the time we met with our Realtor at 8:30 PM Sunday night we had 6 offers on our home, the lowest of which was full asking price. In 24 hours our sweet, little home was sold and ready for it's next journey.

It's been really hard for me to let go of our home. I have moments of strength and moments of complete weakness. I've cried more tears than I care to admit but we've also laughed and dreamed together, too. This wonderful little home was a part of someone else's journey before it came into ours and it will now continue on to bless someone else. I've spent countless hours praying that our home may be a true blessing to the woman who is buying it from us and that she may enjoy this home and use it to bless others.

A home is meant to be shared not to be shown off. Wherever you are, whatever your taste or style, whatever stage of life you're in make your home a space that blesses others. Use your home to host, to love, to serve. Laugh until you cry and cry until you laugh - keep those memories tight. A home, and everything in a home, is temporary but the memories we always take with us. Use your home and all your possessions to bless others. I promise you will be glad that you did. And even though it is never easy to walk away from our home for any reason, it is the slightest bit easier when you can look back and say, "We've been good stewards of this home and it has blessed many people. It's been a good home and people will always remember it for it's open door and hospitality." 

Dinner with the Darnells: Southwest Pasta

One of the things I have loved about marriage is learning how to cook each night. Don't get me wrong, I knew how to cook before getting married but I didn't cook on a regular basis. I hadn't learned yet how to manage working a full-time job then coming home and cooking a meal. But, marriage means two people to feed which means eating out on a regular basis is no longer feasible. Plus, my husband really likes it when I cook dinner for him. So, we devised a system - I come home and almost immediately start cooking then Mike cleans up the kitchen afterwards. I have to start cooking right when I walk in the door because if I sit down with a book or start watching Gilmore Girls my motivation to cook dinner decreases exponentially. Mike and I believe in sharing the duties of the home, especially since we both work full-time. Knowing that I don't have to clean up the kitchen after the meal makes cooking after work a much less daunting task. Plus it's incredible attractive when my husband serves me that way.

The other big piece of the puzzle that needed to come together before I could fall into a good rhythm of cooking dinner every night was finding recipes that I could whip together in 30 minutes or less. More than that and fatigue from the day sets in and the task becomes over-whelming and out we go.

I've received lots of requests asking about the recipes I use so I thought I would start posting some of our favorite recipes on the blog. Dinner with the Darnells! :) Now before I share more with you I must let you know that (1) none of the recipes are really my own, I find them on blogs and make a few modifications occasionally, (2) I have a strong preference toward meals that will easily make lots of left overs so that Mike and I will have left overs to take for lunch the next day, and (3) we try to keep it generally healthy - no cream of anything.

Our first meal tonight is One Pot Wonder Southwest Pasta from The Wholesome Dish! This dish is originally meatless but my husband is not one to love meatless meals so I typically cook some ground turkey in a separate skillet while this cooks and then I mix it in with the pasta at the end. Since the reliable weatherman predicted ice and sleet for Dallas today (Monday) I knew there would be a major run on the grocery stores Sunday (that's what Dallas does...every time). So, I preempted the run on the grocery stores and did my weekly shopping on Saturday evening instead. Well, I wasn't the only one and the store was already out of a few things I needed, including ground turkey. So, on Sunday afternoon I fed my husband to the lions and sent him to the other Central Market to get ground turkey. No such luck so he came home with extra lean ground beef instead. That'll do!

The only other modification I typically make is using whatever noodles I have on hand. Somehow I always end up with an assortment of half-used boxes of noodles. Not sure how that happens. So, whatever noodles are in the pantry are what's used for the dish. Another reason to love the dish - it helps clean out the pantry!

Delicious with the smallest hint of heat.

The dish is a big hit with Mike and holds up extremely well when re-heated. I love how the cooking process creates a wonderfully thick sauce coating everything. And, Mike loves that there in minimal clean up! We usually have left overs for a few days which is fabulous if (1) I want to cook a meal the next day that won't make good leftovers or (2) this is the last meal I cook for the weekend since I have a fairly strict no-cooking-on-the-weekends policy. We hope you enjoy this meal as much as we do!

Happy News and the Big Reveal

Oh, I wish I could explain to you how elated I was when I saw a phone number from Illinois pop up on my phone. I had read enough blogs to know that if you are denied from a program (or "dinged") they simply send you an email but if you are accepted to a program...phone call! With an Illinois phone number it could be Kellogg or Booth but either way I knew it was going to be happy news.

Mike and I talked and prayed and talked and prayed and finally agreed that if I was accepted to Booth that would be our first choice. Both programs are amazing and I am honored to even be considered for admission to either program. As a frame of reference, Booth is currently the #4 business school in the country (right behind the three tied for first - Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton) and Kellogg is a few spots behind at #6.

Woah! Those are some incredible rankings.

I was a bit intimidated by these rankings - you don't become the best in the country without having a very rigorous admissions process along with a very rigorous curriculum. I attended Texas A&M for undergrad and they are currently ranked #68 overall (as it relates to undergrad programs) and have a 69.2% acceptance rate. Booth has a 24% acceptance rate - yikes, A&M turns away a higher percentage of students than Booth accepts.

So, without further ado...

Mike and I will be spending the next few years in CHICAGO as I earn my MBA from
CHICAGO BOOTH!

We are so happy to have made this decision and are so thankful for the way God has orchestrated everything.

A Quick Timeline

9/4: Email Mike asking if he will support me in going back to school
9/27: Begin studying for the GMAT
12/6: Take GMAT
12/7: Begin researching top 10 MBA programs
12/29: Schedule Booth interview
12/30: Submit application to Kellogg
1/1: Submit application to Booth (Side note: I actually didn't want to submit my application to Booth at this point, I wanted a few more pairs of eyes on my essays. But, God asked me to trust him and submit my application, so I obeyed. I later found a few errors in my essays that would have been easily caught had I waited; but, obedience is so much better than perfection.)
1/12: Schedule Kellogg interview
1/16: Kellogg interview
1/25: Booth interview
1/27: Acceptance to Booth
2/6: Acceptance to Kellogg

As you can see above, I was accepted into both the Booth and Kellogg MBA programs. Mike and I spent a good amount of time talking through the pros and cons of each option but we ultimately felt the Lord leading us to Booth.

I promise another post in the near future explaining why Booth. For now, just know that we are so at peace and excited to be attending Booth this summer!

The Day My Husband Made Me Cry

Now many of you might think that Mike making me cry is a bad thing. However, I promise this is a really, really good thing.

I want to first talk briefly about God's vision for marriage. This is not a sermon but a reminder and frame of reference for the rest of this post. God designed us in his image and desired for us to marry, male and female, for it is not good for us to be alone. Marriage brings us closer to Christ as our spouse models for us the life-saving love that God has for us. We are still humans and imperfect, only Christ's love is perfect, but our spouse comes closest to modeling this perfect love for us. In his book, The Meaning of Marriage, Tim Keller says that to be fully known and fully loved is our greatest desire. Our spouse sees everything, all of our crazy parts that we are ashamed to show the rest of the world - and our spouse still loves us deeply.

So, with that in mind, I want to share with you about a recent glimpse of the way Mike loves me that can bring me to my knees in awe of our perfect God.

Praying together before our wedding ceremony.

I had my first admissions interview with Northwestern. The interview kind of "snuck up" on us - I received an email to sign up for my interview on a Friday at which point I realized the only available time slot was the following Friday. I flew out the Thursday before my interview and so as I packed and prepared on Wednesday I was a bit of a mess. I did not feel confident in my preparations, in my appearance, and in my chances of getting into the program. Mike suggested that I go to the mall and buy something to wear that will help me to outwardly reflect the inner confidence he knows I possess. Those tracking with us know that we started using the envelope system this month and so our "Clothing" envelope (which is intended to be a rolling envelope where we slowly save some money for clothes) did not have enough in it to purchase anything for the interview. Mike went in our room and counted how much money was in the envelope then went to his wallet and grabbed his Christmas money and handed it to me.

I'm crying now just thinking about this moment. My sweet, sweet husband desired to see me succeed in my interview and believed in me so much that he actively sacrificed something of his (the gift he had received, Christmas money) to support me. I wish I could explain to you just how powerfully this hit me. This is a picture of what marriage is made to be - a daily sacrificing and dying to ourselves in support of the other person.

If you are unfamiliar with this picture of marriage, I invite you to explore it. First, take a look at the Bible - read Genesis 2 and Ephesians 5. Then, check out some of the books below all written by amazing dudes and their wives. I would argue that none of these books are perfect (they are written by imperfect humans, after all) but they nail it on the key points.

• The Meaning of Marriage - Timothy Keller
• Sacred Marriage - Gary Thomas
• You and Me Forever - Francis and Lisa Chan
• The Mingling of Souls - Matt and Lauren Chandler (Disclaimer: I haven't had a chance to read this one yet but I definitely respect the Chandlers and feel certain this one won't disappoint).

We are praying for you - we are praying that those of you who are married may know this deep, sacrificial love both with your spouse and the Lord and those of you who are single may receive this love from the Father who gives perfectly and that it will compel you to love others in a brave, new way. Trust me, it's worth giving up your own comforts to stand alongside your spouse and show them that you love them so much that you will make personal sacrifices to support them.