oh my. it’s been nearly 5 months since i’ve posted on this blog here. [oopsie.]

contrary to what you may think, i’m not dead… i’ve just lost my way in the blogosphere. i’ll be back one of these days.

but if you’re DYING to know the super exciting details of my life, you can find mini updates on twitter.

ginger. out.

hi friends! sorry i’m not on here very often to update… but life is good. this week i moved into a cute little apartment in south austin which i love and, although i am still looking for full time employment, i’m loving this city!

okay, on to the real reason for this blog post. maris found a recipe that might be my favorite new food to eat for lunch and dinner. seven days a week. in a row. i made it last night and it’s so good!! not to mention healthier than most… i made it from all organic ingredients and it was tasty!

coconut soup

ingredients:
64 oz chicken broth
1 1/2 cans coconut milk
3-4 chicken breasts
4-5 cups instant brown rice
chopped cilantro
juice of 2 limes
1 diced jalapeno
salt & pepper to taste

directions:
boil chicken broth & coconut milk
simmer on medium
add ingredients
bring to boil
cover & let stand

i would venture to say that it makes 10-12 servings… and if you want it a little spicier, throw in an extra jalapeno because using one only gives it flavor, not much spice!

enjoy!

although my time in austin hasn’t been sufficient enough to thoroughly evaluate the city or its inhabitants, i can already tell i’m going to like it here in this city. a lot. why, you ask?

1. sweet friends who let me sleep in their extra beds and eat their food. haha! no, really. i’m beyond thankful that the iveys and bushs are so generous to let me bounce between their houses while i look for a full time job. i only hope one day i can repay them in some way!

2. a healing and awakening of my soul in the community of the austin stone. in a conversation yesterday, it was said that we truly know when we’re in a healthy church because we’re painfully aware of how messed up we are. i’m learning to rely on christ’s grace and mercy instead of my own futile efforts… it’s the beginning of a long journey to healing.

3. diversity. i love the cultural diversity of this town. my spanish is very mediocre, but here i’m surrounded by people who speak english, spanish, german, vietnamese, chinese… and i love it! i love observing the differences between cultures and the conversations that transpire.

4. the weather. despite the fact that 19 of the past 20 days have been over 100 degrees, austin has weather like a beach town. pretty blue skies and quick rain showers [most of the time]. you know this girl loves beach weather!

6. hills and trees! austin’s landscape is decieving… it looks as if someone took pieces of tennessee and planted them in texas. it’s beautiful.

6. coffeeshops galore. i loved my favorite coffeeshop in dallas [the crooked tree] but it was really the only non-starbucks java the city had to offer. not so here! i have handfuls of recommendations i’ve yet to try. i’m currently sitting at epoch’s coffee (24 hour! whee!) sipping on an iced mojo… procrastinating. eek.

alright. on to those resumes!

this week aaron ivey released a [incredible] new album called between the beauty & chaos. now, i realize that i’m personally a little biased because i absolutely love the ivey family, but i can honestly say that this album is beautiful. and i think the fact that it went straight to #1 on itunes’ christian music genre the day it was released is enough proof! between the beauty & chaos tells the incredible journey of life… about the ups and downs… children and poverty… adoption… and sweet redemption.

i can’t stop playing the songs “found” and “let your kingdom come.” but the song that really pulls at my heartstrings is “amos story” which was written about the 2 sweet kiddos aaron and jamie have been in the process of adopting for nearly 2 years now.

aaron, steven, and jimmie are such talented guys, which is clearly evidenced in between the beauty & chaos. head on over to itunes and grab the album for yourself… i promise you won’t be disappointed!

over six years ago, i visited texas for the first time. i’d flown through and had layovers in different cities before, but i’d never actually experienced texas beyond terminal eight. six years ago, i spent a weekend in austin and taught at a disciple now event. there was something so distinct about the city that stirred my heart–i remember arriving back in nashville and telling my family that if i ever left tennessee, it would [only] be for austin.

then, two years later, i moved to austin dallas. it was most unexpected, but i quickly fell in love with the town. the four years i spent there were some of the greatest, most refining years of my life… personally, spiritually, and professionally. many intimate, lifelong friendships were forged there–friendships that i believe will continue for years and years to come.

but now this journey has brought me to [what i thought was] my original destination: austin. even after six years, this city still captivates something deep inside my soul and challenges me to look beyond what is now. walking away from a successful job and steady paycheck… into the unknown of the lord’s direction is [scary] good. i’m excited and wait in expectation to see what he has in store for this part of the adventure.

join me in praying for clear direction during these next few months!

[i promise i'll try to blog more often.]

hey friends! jump on over to maris’s blog and check out the purses she has up for sale from heartline in haiti. she just helped host a purse party in austin and there are a few purses left over that we would love to get sold–it would be wonderful to sell every single bag that was sent!

these purses are totally awesome and i’m sure they’ll sell fast! i have one and LOVE it! i love it because it’s so unique and represents an amazing woman in haiti who is striving toward self-sufficiency and providing for her family in a society that is often difficult… and buying these purses is a great way to support this ministry!

this week i was introduced to griffin house (not literally) and his fabulous music has been playing in my office/car/house/headphones all week long. with his cash-like voice and rock solid lyrics… there’s nothing not to love about this guy.

‘when the time is right’ has quickly become one of my favorites. for many reasons.

it can be a real long road
it can be a lonely night
when you’re on your own
and you’re running out of light
it can be a real long ride
when your running out of time

so when the time is right
don’t hold back
when the time is right
don’t hold back

doesn’t matter who you are
doesn’t matter where you’ve been
doesn’t matter where you start
only matters where you end

it can be a real long road
when im looking in your eyes
give me just one more chance
give me just one more try

when the time is right
don’t hold back
when the time is right
don’t hold back

doesn’t matter who you are
doesn’t matter where you’ve been
doesn’t matter where you start
only matters where you end

when the time is right
don’t hold back
when the time is right
don’t hold back

seriously. i highly recommend that you check out griffin’s music. right now.

you’ll like the song, ‘the guy that says goodbye to you is out of his mind.’

and you’ll like ‘i remember (it’s happening again).’

heck… you’ll like the entire album.

• it’s february in dallas, but it feels like april and looks like june. and i am totally okay with that!
• keeping good music going in my office helps keep me in a good mood all day. i forgot about that yesterday and it resulted in bad vibes.
• got the chance to get away for a while over the weekend and went to austin. (where else?) it was great and refreshing to just chill–to be able to wake up in the morning and not worry about walking out of the bedroom and into a flood. ha.
• got to hang with sweet friends and this precious little man. good lord, i love being an aunt!

• there is progress in the i gotta move again/where to now? department. praying through those things now. details forthcoming.
• m&ms are the devil. even though chocolate gives me migraines, i find myself unable to resist them during the valentines day season. i just finished off a 13 oz bag. re dang diculous.
• will there ever be a season in life that i don’t move every six months? sheesh!
• i find myself ending exciting emails/status updates/twitters with the word ‘wheeee!’ it’s a fun word to write. but i never ever say it.
• chipotle. it’s what’s for dinner.

to just walk it out.

[she's the one in pink on the left.]

on friday afternoon i fully anticipated writing a humorous blog in which i would chronologically explain to you the events of my crazy morning. but it’s just been one thing after another this weekend, folks. and humor has gone mia. if you find him, please tell him to come back home. i miss him. life is just more fun when he’s around.

friday morning. getting in my car to head to the office, i just happen to notice that there is a rather large hole in the dashboard where a stereo and cd player once lived. thieves broke into the car sometime during the night and stole it, along with my cds, ipod adapter, and 3 coats from the back seat. they freaking cleaned house. took everything including kleenexes and hearing aid batteries. but they did leave me a half-used pack of newport cigarettes. i don’t smoke, but i do appreciate the friendly gesture. it’s for this exact reason that i don’t keep anything valuable in my car and i always keep a door unlocked. please. if you’re going to steal something from my car, just do it. don’t bust the window–that makes such a mess. getting the stereo replaced is a hastle, but the rest of the stuff is just that. stuff. i could care less.

friday night. on the way to see the movie ‘he’s just not that into you’ (this is a statement, NOT a movie recommendation!), i get rear ended at a stop light. actually, it was more of just a forceful bump… not really blunt enough to do any damage. i look in my rearview mirror and see that it’s a sweet looking old couple and i decide to just wave them on. it’s okay. they look sweet and seriously, it’s just a car. it may be cursed today, but it’s still just a car. as the cute little old couple drives off in their mercedes benz, i read the license plate. it says ‘texas state judge.’ of course the guy who rear ends me and i just let drive off is a texas state judge. it only makes sense. i wish i’d pulled over and talked with him before i let him drive off… i could use a friend like him!

saturday afternoon. i finally decide to purchase a new tv and walmart’s got a great sale going on right now. i drive to walmart to buy the tv, but they’re sold out. the nice salesman calls all the stores in the dallas area and they’re all sold out. so i leave walmart empty handed. boo.

saturday afternoon. i get home from walmart and walk into a lake… in my apartment. the eighth flood in a year. i’ve handled the quirks and mishaps of this apartment with as much grace and patience as i know how, but this one broke me. i actually sat in the pool of water in my living room floor and cried. then i went into the bathroom and found my chi iron on the floor submerged in water and i got mad! ha. called the landlord and left voicemails, but didn’t hear back until 4pm on sunday… over 24 hours later. looks like the problem isn’t going to be remedied anytime soon. i’m looking for a place to move asap–even if it’s just crashing in someone’s extra bedroom for a couple of months!

sunday evening. went to church and was sweetly reminded that the lord is here. in the midst of chaos and floods and frustration. he’s here when life is going smoothly, but he’s still here when life is turned upside down. he brings restoration–he’s taken my weeping and turned it into laughing.

my prayer tonight is that my life would truly echo his worth… from the halls of bitterness and loneliness to the fountain overflowing with blessings undeserved.