A WHOLE lot of New

 

Rice University Trail

Well a key theme of my summer has been trying out new things in this new city.  Although it began with new shopping, new restaurants, and new roads (I've faced the fact that I will never figure these out), my summer quickly turned to a new lifestyle.  I wanted to do something completely different this summer, and lets just say I took this to the extreme.  What I stumbled upon was a new workout style, and completely altered eating habits.


Crossfit:
I began the infamous Crossfit about 3 weeks ago, and I am already hooked.  I go twice a week every week, and on my off days I just run in beautiful parks (like the trail around Rice University pictured above) around Houston.  Crossfit has been way more amazing than I could have ever expected.  Although it is quite pricy (not sure I will be able to afford it when I am back in college), at least you are motivated to go each week so you will get your money's worth.  The place I go to is called P3crossfit. It is a hidden little garage of a place, but I absolutely love walking in there. I feel more powerful than I ever have before (not to mention I am working out next to guys twice my size).  I have also met some really awesome people, and I have only been there 3 weeks! Every day I leave anticipating my next workout, it is truly addicting.

To go along with my new workout...

The Whole 30 Challenge:  Going Primal
Me and my roommate Holly have decided to challenge ourselves this last month together.  She had heard about how great the whole 30 challenge was, she brought the idea to me, and together we committed.  We are only on day 4 of our challenge, but there is no desire to break in sight.  We are sticking to this, with the motivation and support of each other.   So you may be wondering what exactly this WHOLE thing is... well it is somewhat what it sounds like.  For 30 days we can only eat Whole foods, nothing processed, and everything completely all natural.  The basics of it is the Paleo diet, in which we return to the Paleolithic period of our cavemen ancestors.  Just like our cavemen friends, we are loading up on meat, veggies, fruits, nuts, and lots of healthy fats like avocados (lots and lots of guacamole). Although our hunting and gathering goes about as far as the neighborhood grocery store, we have been working like cavewomen, and rediscovering our cooking nature (not to be stereotypical, but yes we were meant for the kitchen).  Cooking isn't as easy as it may seem ( nothing gets microwaved).  We also can't have any dairy, no grains, ABSOLUTELY NO SUGAR or sweeteners of any kind (my weakness), and a lot of oils, sauces, random things you forget about, are out of the question too.  We are rediscovering all natural spices and ingredients that flavor up our Primal meals.

Here is some of the food we have been cooking up:

Turkey Stuffed Peppers w/ Homemade Guacamole & Salsa. Paired with steamed okra and carrots.

Breakfast: Spinach & Egg Scramble w/ fresh Avocados and Tomato.

8-hour slow cooked Turkey Chili w/ Avocado. Paired w/ a  fresh dinner salad.

Some great sites for Recipes Include www.foodee.com , www.wholeliving.com and www.everydaypaleo.com


*I must note that the credit for both of these new adventures goes completely to my roommate Holly.  Her ideas, genius, and motivation have been a blessing:)

A Firm Foundation: Digging Deeper

The first step for my summer in the big city was finding a great church to go to on Sunday mornings, and a great community to escape to after a long work week. Although my usual approach to finding something in the big city begins with the never-ending knowledge of google, this time I had to rely on something other than my new world technology.  I knew I wasn't going to find the church of my dreams by examining the top three search results that popped up on my computer screen.

 And so the search begins...  My problem with choosing a church and community in Houston, Tx. wasn't that there weren't enough to choose from.  The problem was there are sooo many, and I don't have the time to church hop all summer, and never truly commit.  Luckily, the Lord always provides the help when I need it. I was invited to a church my friend Daniel leads worship at, Grace Bible Church in The Heights.  Something was telling me to give it a try, so Jordan and I decide to visit together for the first time last week.  From the moment we walked in, we felt at home. It's hard to explain the feeling of knowing you are exactly where you are suppose to be, with exactly the right people, at exactly the right time, but that is the only way to describe it. Everyone was so friendly, so inviting, and I even met some Aggies.  Needless to say we had found a home away from home.  From the music, praise, and fellowship that was so evident in this community, to the wisdom of the pastor, something about Grace just grabbed me and pulled me in.  It was inviting, and exactly what I needed for my summer of growth.  Not only do they have 4 services every Sunday, but they have Thursday nights of fellowship. This Thursday I was able to join the Grace community for dinner on the patio, followed by gathering in The Word.  I look forward to meeting more and more people, and continuing to dive deeper into this little treasure in the heart of the city.  Today is Sunday July 1st, one week later, and our second time to attend the morning service of Grace Bible Church.  Today's visit was even more moving than last weeks, which I thought was pretty impossible. God never ceases to amaze me. As we continue to study the book of Genesis, I continue to see things that I had never seen before.  I have read Genesis many times, but the deeper look into the book, and the new perspective is allowing me to experience unimaginable growth and knowledge.  God continues to show me new things, and continues to reveal more about himself to me with each visit.

I thought this church hunt was going to be about me (my first mistake), about where I would fit in, and about what I would like.  Boy was I wrong in so many ways.  The reason you can't simply google a church, read its reviews, and go for it, is because it isn't about you. It is about HIM.  This whole summer has shown me how much of my life is about Him.  The more I try to take the steering wheel and think that I can make my own path, the more God shows me that He is leading me, steering me, and guiding me every step of the way.  He is the author of my life and I am so thankful that He is, otherwise I would be headed straight for a disaster.  So much of this summer has been an intricate weaving of fate, that only the Author of time could have managed to pull it together.  I have ended up living with two amazing, lovely, God-fearing women. Even living with them came from one small conversation, where God had placed me at the right place at the right time. When I look to my future, I can't help but worry, stress, and wonder where I will be, and how I will get there. The question is why? Why do I worry? How can I stress? Do I not see that every step, every moment, has been so intricately planned by the Author of all creation to work perfectly in His plan for me? I am living in the very moment that He has brought me to.  His plan is so evident in my past, yet I continue to doubt His abilities to do the same for my future.  As much as I thought this summer would be about my internship, my career,  my future, and my life, I was proven wrong.  My whole summer is about Him, and the ways in which He is growing me. He is constantly hard at work in making sure every detail of my life fits perfectly together to fulfill His plan for me. The plan that I couldn't even begin to imagine.  A plan that is far greater than anything I could begin to dream of.  The Author of everything is writing my story, and all I have to do is be still and follow Him. 

I know that God has placed me in Houston, Tx. for a reason, with this community for a reason. I am ready to just sit back and watch his plans for me unfold, to observe the life that He has so perfectly prepared for me.  The beauty of knowing my life is in His hands is far greater than any other thing on this earth. My worries are weightless compared to his love and plan for me.

^" For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

- Sarah Jane

Grace Bible Church

A Firm Foundation: My Whirlwind

This summer has proven itself to be a whirlwind. It is so funny to think back on what has brought me here – a decision to go to a recruiting event at A&M last fall. I didn’t have to go. Honestly, I remember myself going back and forth that evening. It would have been quite nice to stay home for once and maybe catch up on a good book and get to bed early. But as I usually do, I decided to go for it – you never know the types of impacts these little things can bring about.

So I went. I met some incredible people. One thing led to another, and I landed an internship in Houston for the summer. It has been so much fun to watch this path unfold – one step at a time. God really is so full of surprises (more on that to come later)! In the past month, I’ve been to Los Angeles for training and also have been placed on a project in Austin for the majority of the work week. I feel like I’m constantly flying or driving somewhere. Saying I’ve spent tons of time traveling is an understatement, but I can’t complain. I love seeing new places, meeting new people, and catching up with friends and family through phone calls on the road between Houston and Austin. My life is always on “play” – rarely do I have time to pause, never can we rewind, and who wants to fast-forward? Life is too beautiful to miss a second of it. Even in the toughest times, I’ve come to find beauty in something. I’ve been really, really busy this summer and in a way different than I am at A&M. Through it all, the lesson we’ve all been taught of “taking in every moment” has truly been exemplified in my life. My body and mind are in constant motion – and that makes it even more important than ever for my heart to be grounded in the right place.

So this is definitely a harder thing for me to admit, but I think it is important to understand my story this summer. And I feel like it is something many people can identify with, so I’ll ask – and share my personal answer. Where does your identity lie? Do you pride yourself in things of the world or solely in the Lord? I try – I really do – to be humble. But we are human, and we are all selfish and prideful in the wrong things. Exhibit A: me. One of my worst faults is that I am afraid of failure. I want to know all that I can in order to be successful. I love to learn (which is good) but I also often attribute my ability to do that and retain it to myself (not ok… at all). So throughout my internship, I have been thrown into many situations way over my head. I am literally at the starting block in so many ways. And I love it. It’s one of those ways that God has drawn me closer to Him this summer. Often I have that wall of pride between He and I – and this summer, it has been once again, knocked down in so many ways. I love not knowing – because I am completely dependent on Him for guidance and knowledge and wisdom – it is such a blessing! I’ve loved all of the learning I have done this summer, but this time around – He gets 100% of the credit, and that is how it should be. We all need to be whipped back into shape and knocked off of our high horse at times. This summer has proven one of those times for me. The best thing about it all is how I’ve been able to grow. Spiritually, it has been a catalyst. Personally, I’ve learned so much about myself and who I really am and want to be! It’s an awesome collision of my desires and my abilities and struggles - and reminders of who has given me everything good and perfect and will walk with me through every step of my journey!

One thing I’ve been blessed with tenfold is community. I live (Thursday – Sundays J) with two incredible girls, Sarah and Holly. Holly is currently in Israel, and so last week Sarah and I tried out a church in The Heights. It was the most moving worship service I have ever been to. It’s so hard to explain these types of experiences, but take my word for it. Come to Houston, and I’d love to take you along! Life is crazy. It’s one day happy – one day tough. Days fly by – my calendar is a mess absolutely full of things to do for work. The one thing that I don’t want to do this summer is let my heart be overwhelmed by it all. It is imperative for me to know where my heart is. Know who holds your heart, and never let it be swept up by the insignificance of this world. One of my goals for this summer is to strengthen my own foundation – solely between me and God, with my family and friends, church community, roommates… the list goes on and on. I want in every moment, my heart to reflect His heart. As I grow, I want to make sure I’m growing on solid ground, walking with Him. Life may be a whirlwind, but isn’t there some sort of beauty in that? In not knowing what may come next, but letting the Lord hold your hand and guide you through it all? It is that dependency that we place completely in Him – the humility that soaks in our hearts – that makes a whirlwind beautiful.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not upon your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your path.” - Proverbs 3:5-6

- Jordan