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life{in}grace

live with more presence, passion, & purpose

Edie Wadsworth

Weekend Grace

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Hope you are enjoying the gorgeousness of the season.  I’m working on a few fun projects for you and can’t wait to share.

Here were some of my favorite finds from around the web.

Jenny’s Faux Iron Painted Bust.

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I got the most wonderful gift from Gretchen. Check out her shop, she is talented artist!

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Shaun Groves wrote a beautiful new hymn.  Enjoy on repeat!

I love everything about Traci—her mad dancing skills (which I learned of when rooming with her in Nicaragua), her love for her boys, her faith, and now her awesome kitchen makeover/coffee station.  Now, you can go and love her, too.

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I love this cookie log idea for gift giving! So PERFECT!

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Check out this darling blog by a a girl I’ve watched blossom into a beautiful young lady.  She’s a fashionista and trained in fashion and marketing.  So glad to have you in blog world, Ashleigh!

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I got my 3rd Stitch Fix this week.  Despite the fact that I LOVE this concept and find it to be fun and exciting, I  still don’t think they’ve quite figured me out, yet.  While at Allume, I saw SO many beautiful ladies with Stitch Fix pieces on that I LOVED.    But I’ve heard, the longer you stay with them, the better they are able to find clothing that suits your style, etc.  Stitch Fix is a styling service that sends you five pieces of clothing per month.  If you choose not to keep any of them, there’s  a $20 styling fee, but they waive the styling fee if you purchase any of the pieces.  You can earn credit by referring others to the program.

Here’s what I sent back and what I kept.

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1. Gray and White Striped layered shirt—Not my style, too much material on the top half of my body.

2. Thick cardigan—Not my style, too thick and hot for TN weather.

3. Animal print cardigan—No.  I wouldn’t mind animal print skinnies or animal print shoes.  This sweater just wasn’t right.  I don’t know what else to say.

4. Blue brocade tunic/dress—Fit well and looks good with the skinny jeans they sent.

5. Kaine Floral print skinny jeans—same photo.  I wouldn’t have paid that much for them in the store ($88) but I had credit and I really like them.

If you’re interested, you can sign up here!

Don’t forget my November meal plan, full of seasonal delicious food that makes your 5:00 happier!
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Open Ended Life

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The Avett Brothers just released a new album, so I’m all twisted up in new melodies and lyrics— wrestling with what it means to live open, as a believer, as a mother and a woman, in this world which seems to have gone stark raving mad.

Open-Ended Life?  Is is even possible?  Desirable?  Shouldn’t we protect ourselves and cling to whatever we can?

It’s surely not our natural stance to live open, in reception.   We like to hunker down. We like to hover over our stuff and our rights and our part.

The posture of grabbing is not the same as the posture of receiving, but we’re all way better at the former.

We shroud our lives up all tight and hope no one takes note of what we’re covering. But, the breath of Grace will find a way to seep in and start a fire,  that burns it all down. He will exchange His open-ended life for our shriveled up, closed up lives.

And we’ll finally be free. Free to love and serve and give, without the weight and the stench of the grave clothes.

Free, like Mary, to be the bearer of the Gift, in a world that is dying for redemption.

She said to the angel, “I am the handmaiden of the Lord.  Let it be to me according to Your word.”

 “Let it be to me”……this is the stance of faith.  This is what it means to receive everything from God’s loving hand, whether it makes sense or is popular or even seems to be for my good.

 Those words ring out through the ages as Mary’s song, her Magnificat, her quiet yes, in world that’s always grabbing for its own part, tearing in violence to keep something for itself.

The sin of Adam, which ushered in our suffering and death will be answered by Christ, the suffering Savior, whose kingdom is born in you, through the obedience and the quiet yes of a young girl from Nazareth.  It must have seemed like no time to her that the linens she wrapped her baby in became his grave clothes.  And just like Mary, the shroud that covered you in your dying with Him—the shroud where you still hide your sin and death, where you try to squirrel away something for yourself—will become the swaddling clothes with which you offer your gifts to the world. He’s still working miracles of resurrection in us everyday.

The yes cry of the mother of God would break her heart into a thousand pieces.  Mary, who gave birth in agony, who nursed Christ at her breast and followed His path until it lead Him to the cross, where she saw him beaten beyond recognition, the one who cared for His crucified body when He died, then suffered the unthinkable loss of both her sons so that the kingdom of God might be born in us all.  Mary’s fiat, her “Let it be to me as you have said,”  becomes our anthem too, our broken hallelujah.

This gift, this Christ child, growing in you will break your heart and yet, it will be the means of your healing. It will wreck you and then be the very path to your of your salvation.  His body broken will become the bread at His table, where He, Himself will be the pascal Lamb.  There, He will join His flesh to your flesh and you will enter into the mysteries of true communion with your Father.  There, He nourishes you so that you may rise up from the table, and feed His sheep.

You, my sisters and brothers, are the handmaiden of the Lord.

Christ is the Gift, and we kneel, hands open, to receive Him and we marvel at how He graciously uses us to bear this Gift to others.

Your song is not a diatribe so that you can be right.

It’s not a rallying cry, where we grab for what seems to have been taken from us.

This is not your song anymore.  This is His song. Your life is His life and when you give it away to Him, he will hide you and keep you safe.

 It’s a hands open, heart shattered,  broken hallelujah.  

Sing , my friend,  the song of redemption—His one and only song, so that the kingdom of God might be born in the hearts of men.

(Don’t worry about your voice.  He’ll drown you out. I’m pretty sure he sounds like Scott Avett, only better!)

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

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Roasted Butternut Squash Soup via lifeingrace

Okay, I’m just gonna give it to you straight.  This Roasted Butternut Squash soup did not change my life like the Pumpkin Chipotle Barley one.  But you can’t eat that every week, can you? And fall needs you to embrace butternut squash.  It’s like sweet potatoes, minus the sweet and the potatoes.  So, I did what any self-respecting Southern woman would do—I added roasted sweet potatoes, too.  Sweet potatoes are like the mascot vegetable of the South, so if you’re gonna live here, you’re gonna need to embrace them.

I really, really like this soup and in a funny turn of events, I ended up eating it one day for lunch with leftover homemade pizza and BAM!  I am a woman who loves butternut squash soup.  So, I’ve carefully lined it up in the November menu plan so that you’ll have leftover pizza.  Just heat the pizza up in the oven (of course, right? you would never do it in the microwave.  NEVER do it in the microwave.  crust is the essence of life and shall never under any circumstance be soggy!), and then dip the pizza in the soup.  I don’t know what to tell except that it’s good, alright.

Without further nonsense:

You’ll need:

  • 1 butternut squash, halved lengthwise, then chopped into smallish pieces, (seeds removed, of course!) and roasted
  • 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped and roasted (you could just do one more butternut squash and forego the sweet potatoes if you like)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick)
  • 1 medium apple, peeled, cored and chopped, then roasted
  • 1 large onion roasted
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 8 fresh sage leaves or a 1 t. of dried sage
  • 1 T. dried thyme
  • 1 box of chicken broth (Kitchen Basics, for the love of all things delicious and hearty)
  • 1 T. honey
  • 1 t. nutmeg, freshly ground, if possible
  • salt and pepper, to taste (salt along the way and then re-season at the end)
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 t. cumin

Make the magic happen by:

  • Heat the oven to 400 and roast the squash, sweet potatoes, and onions, and apple, after drizzling them with plenty of olive oil, and springing with salt and pepper.  I also use 21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe’s, which I highly recommend for EVERYTHING you make, but it isn’t crucial here.  Roast for ~40 minutes until veggies are tender
  • Heat 2 T butter in dutch oven and sauté the chopped garlic and sage for a couple minutes, until their flavors release.  (Don’t burn the garlic!)
  • Once the veggies are all done roasting, toss them all into the garlic butter.
  • Add chicken stock, all the seasonings, and  bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for  about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream.
  • Using an immersion blender, purée the soup and then add in the cream and give it one last puree.
  • Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve with leftover pizza or your favorite bread!

For more lifeingrace meal ideas, visit my Recipes page!

Visit Ruth’s Thrifty Thursday for more thrifty recipes ideas.

November Meal Plan, 2013

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I wrote about cooking and meal planning during the 31 Days series and apparently I have passion and feelings about the topic. Large feelings. What can I say? I’m a foodie and I love to feed people. I want you to love it too, so I’m making it a tad bit less daunting.  Because those people we live with?  Are ALWAYS hungry.  Every. single. day.  Hope this helps your 5:00 stress!

Visit my full meal planning guide for busy moms!

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  • Monday, November 4—Balsamic Pork Tenderloin , Cooked Apples, Roasted Brussel Sprouts (just drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, roast at 400 for 40 min then drizzle with a little maple syrup!)
  • Tuesday, November 5—Quiche Lorraine and Farmer’s Salad  (For the salad, I use spinach, apples, and celery, then make an apple vinaigrette by cooking a few pieces of bacon, removing them and using the bacon fat (~2T), 1 T. dijon mustard, 3 T. apple cider vinegar, a splash of apple juice or apple cider, 1/2 cup olive oil, salt, pepper and 2 T. honey—this is my FAVORITE salad of all time in the history of ever. Sprinkle the salad with the bacon you just cooked and if you’re having it for lunch one day without the quiche, add a fried egg on top!)
  • Wednesday, November 6—Latin Beef Stew
  • Thursday, November 7—Leftovers, (Use beef or pork leftovers from yesterday to make simple beef tacos and serve with salad and cilantro lime vinaigrette)
  • Friday, November 8—Homemade Pizza (we made a new flavor this weekend with pesto, spicy eye-talian sausage, feta, spinach and sun dried tomatoes—SO GOOD!)
  • Saturday, November 9—Roasted Butternut Bisque with leftover pizza (a surprisingly awesome combination!) recipe to follow this week!
  • Sunday, November 10—Rocky Top Chili  (Make a full batch and use leftovers for baked potato bar tomorrow!)

Week 2

  • Monday, November 11—Baked Potato Bar (Wrap large potatoes in aluminum foil, adding salt, pepper, and a pat of butter before you wrap them up.  Bake at 400 for 1 hour, 45 minutes.  Serve with leftover chili, chives (don’t forego the chives!!), cheddar cheese, bacon bits, sour cream, and butter.  I usually make a salad and bread to serve alongside. 
  • Tuesday, November 12—Pumpkin Chipotle Soup with barley and chicken
  • Wednesday, November 13—Skinny Italian Meatballs, served on pasta or italian bread
  • Thursday, November 14—Leftovers plus Salad of mixed baby greens, gorgonzola and pomegranate seeds
  • Friday, November 15—Crock Pot Chipotle Burritos (use the leftover chipotle from Tuesday!)
  • Saturday, November 16—Onion Bisque Soup with Cheese Toast Floaters (recipe coming!)
  • Sunday, November 17—Colossal Club Sandwiches and all the leftover soups from the week!

Week 3

Week 4 (Thanksgiving Week!)

  • Monday, November 25—Creamy Mushroom Soup 
  • Tuesday, November 26—Rotisserie Chicken salad with Homemade Caesar dressing
  • Wednesday, November 27—Shrimp Fried Rice (I like something totally un-Thanksgiving-like and this recipe is awesome!)
  • Thursday, November 28—(posted separately, later this month!)
  • Friday, November 29—Leek and Potato Soup, Turkey Pesto paninis (recipe coming!)
  • Saturday, November 30—Turkey salad  (I do a version of this recipe, adding interesting leftovers from Thanksgiving!)

I have used emeals a lot in the past and their program coordinates with the sales at various grocery stores, so click on the link below and check out their plans, too!

Hope your November is off to an awesome start!

EMEALS EASY AND DELICIOUS DINNER RECIPES

If you’re new around here?  Thank you for visiting my blog!  I’m honored you’re here and I hope you’ll find some encouragement (and some laughter!) for your days.  Visit my about page, which highlights some of my popular posts or will at least show you a peak into my crazy people.  You can subscribe to this blog by email here.  I am currently addicted to Pinterest, so follow at your own risk.  I also post updates to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

31 Days of Less and More, Day 31 {More Contentment}{Meeting Ann and Melanie}

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This is Day 31 of our 31 Days of Less and More series.  To read all the posts in order, start with Day 1 and check out our overview page to see the topics for the entire month.

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“The search for contentment is, therefore, not merely a self-preserving and self-benefiting act, but also a generous gift to the world. You cease being an obstacle, not only to yourself but to anyone else. Only then are you free to serve and enjoy other people.”  ~Elizabeth Gilbert

I met Ann and Melanie this weekend and got to spend time with both of them.  In other words, I die.

They couldn’t be more different and yet they’re so the same.  I knew I’d be bff’s with Melanie because, um, COAL MINER’S DAUGHTER.  She knows all the words from all the scenes. That’ll bond two sisters forever. She’s funny and stunningly beautiful and she makes me laugh until I cry.  I’m pretty sure I was nearly crying in this picture. I blame her for my near catatonic exhaustion and my sore abs.  I can’t wait for her next book, so if you haven’t read Sparkly Green Earrings: Catching the Light at Every Turn, you should do it now!

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She’s so different from Ann.  I knew lots of things about Ann.  I’ve gotten handful of emails from her over the years, which have always made me slightly suspect that she was an angel in disguise.  She is a woman who has learned to count the gifts.  She is a woman who has looked around in her life and called it enough.  She radiates love. When I met her, she loved on me, told me the nicest things, made me feel so loved and special.  All the things I should have been doing and saying to her.  She is so generous.  And I know that that comes from a contented heart that is full of gratitude.  She is a beautiful woman, who has walked a hard road and she is making the journey lighter and better for all who meet her. What a gift she gave me this weekend, as I was struggling with insecurity about my talk and my book proposal and all the things that make us wish for all the world we had someone else’s gifts.

These women couldn’t be more different on the surface, but here’s how they’re similar.  They are both resting in their unique gifts. They have learned to stop comparing themselves to others and just enjoy them.  Melanie is not Ann and she’s okay with that.  She is perfectly herself and she’s so comfortable in her own skin that she invites those around her be who they are.  I want to find that kind of rest and contentment in who God made me to be.

Contentment is not something you’re either blessed with or not.  Contentment is a choice.  Everyday you and I make the choice to see ourselves and our lives as enough, or we run after the things we think will finally make us happy.  And, oh, the running I’ve done.  When I watched everything material thing in my life burn to the ground, it finally jolted me awake.  This life is a gift—every single circumstance, every hard relationship, every opportunity and every closed door.  It’s all His gift to us to make us into who we are meant to be.  And when we learn to look around the landscape of our lives and see that He is using every circumstance to bring us joy, we will finally rest.  And we will guard our hearts from everything that threatens to steal our joy—whether that thing is too much stuff, too much comparison, or just a life too full to notice the beautiful gifts all around us.  I wish you more joy, more peace and more contentment for your days.  I’ve been so blessed to take this journey with you.

Challenge Day 31: Evaluate the current state of where you are in your life right now.  Ask yourself the hard questions.  Is my life still too full of the things that don’t matter?  Am I still letting in too much heartache, too much stress, and too much stuff?  Resolve right now to be intentional and purposeful with your heart and time and environment.  Choose to let in only that which adds joy and peace and contentment.

Be sure to read Ruth’s corresponding, Less Stuff Coming In.

Be sure to check out Crystal’s thoughts on Less Holiday Overkill/More Memories from yesterday’s post!

 

31 Days of Less and More, Day 30 {More Memories}

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This is Day 27 of our 31 Days of Less and More series.  To read all the posts in order, start with Day 1 and check out our overview page to see the topics for the entire month.

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We were together.  I forget the rest.  ~Walt Whitman

The first Thanksgiving I ever hosted at my house, I stayed up all night (with the company of Counting Crows) making pies  and Pilgrim hats and a giant replica of the Mayflower.  The day was a blur.  I remember wishing I felt better and more, um…..awake…so that I could enjoy the day with my family.  The table scape was darling, but my memories are hazy.  I was so consumed with being the perfect hostess, that I forgot the most important lesson of all—making my guests feel loved and seen.  I’ve been back peddling ever since.  I struggle between wanting everything to be perfect and delicious and wanting to just sit and enjoy the people I love the most.  I want to make beautiful memories, not beautiful tables.  Every step of the way, I have to remind myself that all these things should help me serve and love better.  Here are a few things to help!

  • Make memories with food—Aren’t many of our favorite memories mingled up with the food we enjoy together? Grandma’s cherry pie or Aunt Betty’s stuffing or Momma’s mint candies.  I have an endless appetite for variety, but I love making some of the same foods for the holidays, so that even the smell of bread baking makes them think of home.  Start now, perfecting one or two recipes that can become your signature dishes.  I have several, including the pumpkin chipotle soup and homemade honey wheat bread, but I’m working on a roasted butternut squash soup and some salted caramel chocolate chip cookies  that I hope to share with you soon.  Get in the kitchen and have some fun!
  • Make memories with laughter—We laugh far too little, don’t you think?  That’s why I love scheduling a karaoke day or in general acting a fool with my kids, because if nothing else, we will most surely laugh all day.  This is why I love Melanie and old school SNL videos and clogging videos of D. Ray White.  Laugh more and do it with your family. Life is too serious and we need to find reasons to laugh.  There are lots of them.  Play games that make you laugh, play music that makes you laugh.  Just laugh.
  • Make memories with tradition—Kids love knowing what to expect, especially at the holidays.  The more traditions you can have and keep, the better.  Candlelight service at church on Christmas Eve is so special, as are warm cozy fires on Thanksgiving day.  Traditions are important—they help us to know who we are and from where we’ve come.  I LOVE the quote by Walt Whitman.  We were together. I forget the rest.

I’d love to know some of the ways you and your family keep stress at bay and keep holiday memories alive!  And can you believe just one more day of this 31 Days series!  It’s hard to believe.  I may sleep for first whole week of November!

Challenge Day 30:  Print Ruth’s holiday planning workbook.  Take some time to set your goals and priorities, menu and budget,  for this holiday season. Be sure to block out a few days in your schedule for rest and laughter and quality time at home with your family.  Think of one or two family traditions you would like to establish this year and make a plan to follow through with them.

Be sure to read Ruth’s corresponding post, Less Holiday Overkill.

Be sure to check out Crystal’s thoughts on Less Surface Clutter/More Art from yesterday’s post!