“I told you about my life, and you answered me; “I told you about my life, and you answered me; teach me your statutes. Help me understand the meaning of your precepts so that I can meditate on your wonders. I am weary from grief; strengthen me through your word. Keep me from the way of deceit and graciously give me your instruction. I have chosen the way of truth; I have set your ordinances before me. I cling to your decrees; Lord, do not put me to shame. I pursue the way of your commands, for you broaden my understanding.” Psalms‬ ‭119:26-32 CSB‬‬
18 months old and she’s joined the ‘lover of t 18 months old and she’s joined the ‘lover of the slide’ club
“We must reflect that, when we reach the end of “We must reflect that, when we reach the end of our days, our life experience will equal what we have paid attention to, whether by choice or default. We are at risk, without quite fully realizing it, of living lives that are less our own than we imagine.” William James

With the help of God, may we strive to become abiding and attentive people instead of distracted and defeated people.
The entire thing is He loved me first. And even wh The entire thing is He loved me first. And even when our surroundings are burning or when all we see is rubble, there is an unseen Kingdom to serve, a Family to be part of, and a powerful Love to give and receive. 

Every week it seems I’m inspired by a comment a friend and pastor made years ago — “Don’t be afraid to talk to someone about the truth of Jesus. Think of it as joining a conversation God might already be having with that person.” 

May we be conduits of that strong, courageous, welcoming, comforting, healing, transforming, sustaining, peacemaking, eternal Love. Or as Bernice King said, “Love puts in work.”
Call it ‘a Sunday stroll in Appling.’ Call it ‘a Sunday stroll in Appling.’
“God is always coming to you in the sacrament of “God is always coming to you in the sacrament of the Present Moment. Meet and receive Him there with gratitude.” Evelyn Underhill 

Such brokenness we see, such pain, such fear. Attend to Jesus — Lord, Savior, King — with all your honest thoughts and feelings, and let His power and love change you. Let Him form and re-form you into a help for the hurting, a bright spot for those in the dark, a presence for others to rest in. A ‘little Christ’ on the earth.

 ^ what I’m rehearsing to myself
Living life with the Holy Spirit — “you fulfil Living life with the Holy Spirit — “you fulfill the will of God through the inner influence of His Spirit instead of the outer influence of the law of God” (David Guzik).

This took me probably 15 years of following Jesus to grasp. It felt too easy, my willpower was my measuring stick, and the freedom was terrifying. 

But alas, God’s way is the best way, and there is no substitute for the Holy Spirit. I can’t muster spiritual fruit, but His goal, thankfully and marvelously, is vineyards and vineyards.

May we surrender this work to Him.
“The deeper our faith, the more doubt we must en “The deeper our faith, the more doubt we must endure; the deeper our hope, the more prone we are to despair; the deeper our love, the more pain its loss will bring: these are a few of the paradoxes we must hold as human beings. If we refuse to hold them in the hopes of living without doubt, despair, and pain, we also find ourselves living without faith, hope, and love.” Parker J. Palmer
I pose to you what the Holy Spirit posed to me rec I pose to you what the Holy Spirit posed to me recently: What if you made choices out of fear of missing out on God instead of fear of missing out on what others deem significant?

In all honesty, FOMO sneaks up on me not along paths of a friend’s travel adventures or home decor or even if friends hang out without me. My FOMO animal comes in the form of popular and effective Christian voices. Because of technology and social media, I have access, though not complete (because we’re not actual friends), to their lives and ministry, their work and the personality they choose to share online. While a good thing in many ways, it stops being good when it becomes an avalanche I can’t keep up with but am afraid to stop.

// new blog post: FOMO on God //
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home · 02/15/2018

small changes that help me as I cook

Honesty time: cooking is not my favorite thing to do.

I am growing in meal-creating knowledge, hallelujah, and I’m truly happy to serve my family this way. But meal planning, grocery shopping, preparation, wisdom to use ingredients with completely different recipes…. not necessarily a fountain of joy for me.

Anyone else?

I confess I even ask God for help in this area. He’s Provider and Helper, so He’s gracious.

Here I share a few small changes I made tin my role as Predominant Meal Creator in our home:

I always try to start with an empty sink and dishwasher.

This didn’t hit home with me at first.. until the first few days I implemented it. Then I told J it’s a new kitchen rule. It seems tedious to clean before you start cooking, knowing you will ‘dirty up’ many more dishes, BUT it’s worth it when you can chop or prepare and immediately put a dish into the dishwasher, out of sight.

I’m a (although not perfectly executing) clean counters are happy counters girl. I’m also the girl who likes to clean up as much as possible before J and I get settled in on the couch reading or watching a movie, to eventually fall asleep there, and mosey our way to the bed. No one wants to clean the kitchen at 10:30pm. No one in our house anyway.

If cooking for a group, I do my best to chop + prep all ingredients possible the night before.

This showed up loudest when preparing dinner for our small group. Working all day to come home for a group of 10-12 to arrive at your house within the hour? It’s super helpful to make a dent in the meal prep at some point before this time of day, so we don’t feel rushed or stressed to get the meal ready by the time friends arrive. Usually this means chopping ingredients, or laying out the bowls and tools needed for the meal before we leave for the work in the morning.

Use a bowl on the counter for trash when chopping ingredients.

This one I learned from a friend. Even better, I usually keep the trashcan near me to easily slide trash off a cutting board or the counter. This one is especially for us clean-as-we-cook types.

Group tasks together.

This took me a minute to gather an explanation. I’m all about efficiency, it can be both a strength and weakness, I think. If I get home from 2 hours out and about and I’ve forgotten something I meant to do, I’m definitely not hopping back in the car at that moment — I’ll accomplish that sucker another day. When it comes to cooking, it alleviates pressure for me to group tasks together. I chop everything I can while I have the knife and cutting board out, or I measure out all the dry ingredients in bowls together or I use a part of the counter entirely before I clean it to move on to another aspect of the recipe. This one might be a weird Chelsea one, but it’s helpful.

Think of chopping or prepping as quiet, thoughtful, prayer time.

This one can be more challenging, because sometimes you’re flying in from work, stomach growling, and want to make a nice meal really fast. But, more enjoyment came when I told myself I could go slow. When I gave myself the permission to take my time, enjoying the chopping, the colors, the flavors, I found the situation happier. I used to fill cooking time with music or show or podcast, but quiet has changed the game. It’s now time to unwind, to let my mind wander, to meditate on God, to say thanks, to think about life’s details. I struggle to give myself this unhurried time, but meal prep is becoming a wonderful opportunity for it.

In: home · Tagged: simplicity

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Comments

  1. Carolann says

    02/16/2018 at 5:25 pm

    I love these tips. I seriously struggle with keeping my kitchen counters clean… even though I love it when they are clean. I get into a cycle where everything is a mess and then I start to cook and I can barely keep up. I cook almost every day though so I am going to try these tips. I especially like the idea of keeping the bowl on the counter for trash and changing your mindset around cooking. Great post!

  2. Chelsea B.E. says

    02/20/2018 at 5:46 pm

    Thanks Carolann! I know what you mean, girl, I was there and it stressed me OUT, haha. Had to find a better way. Happy Tuesday!

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“I told you about my life, and you answered me; “I told you about my life, and you answered me; teach me your statutes. Help me understand the meaning of your precepts so that I can meditate on your wonders. I am weary from grief; strengthen me through your word. Keep me from the way of deceit and graciously give me your instruction. I have chosen the way of truth; I have set your ordinances before me. I cling to your decrees; Lord, do not put me to shame. I pursue the way of your commands, for you broaden my understanding.” Psalms‬ ‭119:26-32 CSB‬‬
18 months old and she’s joined the ‘lover of t 18 months old and she’s joined the ‘lover of the slide’ club
“We must reflect that, when we reach the end of “We must reflect that, when we reach the end of our days, our life experience will equal what we have paid attention to, whether by choice or default. We are at risk, without quite fully realizing it, of living lives that are less our own than we imagine.” William James

With the help of God, may we strive to become abiding and attentive people instead of distracted and defeated people.
The entire thing is He loved me first. And even wh The entire thing is He loved me first. And even when our surroundings are burning or when all we see is rubble, there is an unseen Kingdom to serve, a Family to be part of, and a powerful Love to give and receive. 

Every week it seems I’m inspired by a comment a friend and pastor made years ago — “Don’t be afraid to talk to someone about the truth of Jesus. Think of it as joining a conversation God might already be having with that person.” 

May we be conduits of that strong, courageous, welcoming, comforting, healing, transforming, sustaining, peacemaking, eternal Love. Or as Bernice King said, “Love puts in work.”
Call it ‘a Sunday stroll in Appling.’ Call it ‘a Sunday stroll in Appling.’
“God is always coming to you in the sacrament of “God is always coming to you in the sacrament of the Present Moment. Meet and receive Him there with gratitude.” Evelyn Underhill 

Such brokenness we see, such pain, such fear. Attend to Jesus — Lord, Savior, King — with all your honest thoughts and feelings, and let His power and love change you. Let Him form and re-form you into a help for the hurting, a bright spot for those in the dark, a presence for others to rest in. A ‘little Christ’ on the earth.

 ^ what I’m rehearsing to myself
Living life with the Holy Spirit — “you fulfil Living life with the Holy Spirit — “you fulfill the will of God through the inner influence of His Spirit instead of the outer influence of the law of God” (David Guzik).

This took me probably 15 years of following Jesus to grasp. It felt too easy, my willpower was my measuring stick, and the freedom was terrifying. 

But alas, God’s way is the best way, and there is no substitute for the Holy Spirit. I can’t muster spiritual fruit, but His goal, thankfully and marvelously, is vineyards and vineyards.

May we surrender this work to Him.
“The deeper our faith, the more doubt we must en “The deeper our faith, the more doubt we must endure; the deeper our hope, the more prone we are to despair; the deeper our love, the more pain its loss will bring: these are a few of the paradoxes we must hold as human beings. If we refuse to hold them in the hopes of living without doubt, despair, and pain, we also find ourselves living without faith, hope, and love.” Parker J. Palmer
I pose to you what the Holy Spirit posed to me rec I pose to you what the Holy Spirit posed to me recently: What if you made choices out of fear of missing out on God instead of fear of missing out on what others deem significant?

In all honesty, FOMO sneaks up on me not along paths of a friend’s travel adventures or home decor or even if friends hang out without me. My FOMO animal comes in the form of popular and effective Christian voices. Because of technology and social media, I have access, though not complete (because we’re not actual friends), to their lives and ministry, their work and the personality they choose to share online. While a good thing in many ways, it stops being good when it becomes an avalanche I can’t keep up with but am afraid to stop.

// new blog post: FOMO on God //
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