God Flavored Beginnings - A Place to Call Home

I mentioned in my last post that God has pulled two key things together to make my transition to California possible. The first was the amazing story of how God brought Bekah Freelan to WBCL to carry on my work as Mid-Morning Producer. We just completed our first week of training, and I’m so thrilled to have this time with her! We’ve had plenty of laughs this week (and we worked too, of course). After showing Bekah the ropes, I’m convinced more than ever that she’s the girl for the job. She’s already won over the staff with her delicious caramel brownies. But even more than that, she’s got the gifts and talents to do the job well. Congratulations, Bekah, for completing week one with pizzazz!

The second amazing thing that God has done is regarding my living situation once I arrive in California. I must admit, the idea of moving again so soon did not excite me initially. After all, it’s only been a year since my last move. And having moved six times in the last decade, it just doesn’t sound all that appealing to me anymore. But relocating to the golden state where a warmer winter awaits and access to the ocean is so much closer than anywhere I’ve ever lived before, does help me pardon the inconvenience of transition a little more easily. Not to mention the close proximity of the Red Wood Trees! And now that God has again paved the way for a place for me to live once I arrive, I’m actually looking forward to it. Let me tell you how it all came to be.

One of my good friends, Michelle H., sat down at her computer this last March to check her old email account. She wasn’t familiar with the school I’m headed to, but the name rang a bell in her mind. So, she felt led to check an email account she hadn’t checked for about a year to see why Bethel sounded so familiar. She found an email from an old Taylor classmate of hers, Sarah. Guess what the email was about? It was the initial email Sarah sent to all of her contacts to let them know she was headed to Bethel this last year! So, Michelle connected with Sarah again because they hadn’t talked since college and then put me in touch with her incase I wanted to ask her any questions about Bethel. Of course, I did! However, I didn’t really get around to emailing Sarah until Memorial Day weekend because life was crazy with the initial stages of transition. By May, I knew I had been accepted to Bethel and I was beginning my search for a home in California. The same day I emailed Sarah with my questions, I included a little info on what I was looking for in a place to live. I had posted a “Young Lady Needs Housing ad” in the housing section of the BSSM website for students and also made connections with others I had been put in touch with including Sarah. I was quite overwhelmed by the responses I got – and quite thankful to have so many options!

Not two days after I made the initial contact with Sarah, I learned that she had an open room in the house she lived in last year. It was everything I had been looking for and more! So as you’ve probably already guessed, I said, sign me up! The landlord, Sharon, is in her early 70s and she rents three of the rooms in her home out to Bethel students. Each student gets to have her own room and there’s plenty of shared space including a pool in the back yard! I’ve seen pictures of the home and it’s simply lovely. Not only that, but there’s a mountain view from the house. These are the wonderful aesthetic things I appreciate about the house. But there’s so much more than that.

Sharon shares her home as a ministry to Bethel students so the cost of rent is very affordable – especially for California! I love the fact that Sharon has been a resident there for a while so she can tell this directionally challenged girl how to get around. I will have a GPS (thanks to Betsy and Gerson) but I can use all the help I can get when it comes to directions! Sharon attends Bethel Church as well and volunteers in the healing rooms on Saturdays. I love that she’s a part of the Bethel community and am looking forward to gaining wisdom from her. In addition, Sarah mentioned to me that people had suggested she should live with a second year student during her first year at BSSM if at all possible – that way she would have someone to help her navigate the first year program. She didn’t have that opportunity, but she said she would love to do that for me. What a huge blessing!

So there you have it – God prompted my dear friend, Michelle, to check an email account she rarely checks and that all started the ball rolling to lead me to my new home in Cali. A home that has all the aspects I was looking for and more. Once again, God is so amazing! He’s faithful and has provided in a way that is quite God flavored and beyond my wildest imagination. So, the next time you’re prompted to check an old email account or do something out of the ordinary, you may want to take into consideration the possibility of a divine appointment in the works. It could lead to something extraordinary! Thanks, Michelle, for being sensitive to the Spirit’s leading. And thanks God for orchestrating it all!

A Tale of Two Mid-Morning Producers

God amazes me. I’ve seen Him do amazing things. I’ve read all about amazing things He’s done in Scripture. So sometimes I wonder why I’m shocked when He does yet another amazing thing!?! I don’t know. But I’m pretty sure it’s ok to stand in amazement of God whether I’m shocked or not. And so I do stand amazed often these days. Two key things have fallen into place for me with my transition to California. Both of those key things have amazing God stories behind them. Today, I’m telling you the story of finding someone to carry on my work as Mid-Morning Producer at WBCL.

In order to do so, I’ve got to back up the truck to November of 2010. It was in this month that the Lord really started planting a new vision for me in my heart. I was unclear at the time of what that might look like and I spent many days seeking Him and asking Him to paint the blank canvas before me. In essence, I said yes to whatever picture God wanted to paint for my life – not knowing exactly what that could mean.

At the same time, I continued to do my job which in part entailed scheduling guests for my boss, Lynne, to interview. We received a lovely Advent devotional from a young lady who worked at IWU. Inside was a letter from the author. To this day, I still remember reading her note and how I laughed at a funny story she included regarding her encounter with the son of one of my co-workers. There was something about her letter that made me like her immediately. I handed the book off to Lynne for consideration and shortly thereafter I was emailing her to set up an interview for our program.

She said yes of course, and since she only lived an hour away, she decided to join us in the studio for the full experience. Good choice. As she shared from her heart, I took note of her depth of insight and love for Christ. She was thoughtful and what she had to say resonated with my soul. After the interview was over, I chatted with her a bit and felt like I could be good friends with her if the opportunity presented itself.

Lynne apparently was thinking the same thing. She immediately said to me that there was something special about that girl and she encouraged me to connect with her and maybe have coffee. That’s was all the confirmation I needed. I quickly emailed her and thanked her for joining us that morning. Then I proceeded to tell her that I never really do this kind of thing, but she seemed like she would be a great friend and would she be interested in connecting again? Soon after that and several emails later we met up in Marion for coffee as I was traveling through the area one day. I didn’t quite understand why God was leading me into a new friendship with someone when I knew transition was soon to ensue. But I knew this was a God appointed friendship and I was sticking around to find out why.

We continued hanging out about once a month and I marveled at how many things we had in common. We both love God’s Word, like to cook,  have a creative flare, read and write for our hobbies, have been heartbroken and experienced God’s healing thereafter, are in love with Jesus, have a sweet tooth, the list goes on and on…believe me, it’s sort of uncanny.

As time passed by God gave me a clearer vision of where He was taking me. However, I didn’t feel released to mention it to my new friend just yet.  So I waited. And while I waited, I was also praying God would provide just the right person to carry on my job after I left. And low and behold, not once, not twice, but several times, the Lord brought this new friend’s name to mind: Rebekah Freelan. So I sat on it. And I waited. And the Lord kept bringing her to mind. So I mentioned it to Lynne and she immediately saw the potential. Shortly after I notified my bosses that I was resigning, I told Bekah my plans to leave. But I didn’t mention I thought she would be a good fit for my job. That had to wait for two more weeks until the ad for my position was posted.

As soon as the ad for my job was posted, I emailed Bekah entitling it: The email I’ve been waiting to send you! I stated why I thought she would be a good fit for my position, that the Lord had brought her to mind several times, and if she was interested, she should apply. After emailing back and forth with her and getting together for coffee occasionally, I had the privilege of seeing her heart for God and her desire for serving Him in ministry. It was evident to me that not only her skill set, but her heart for ministry meshed well with my job as Mid-Morning Producer. Did I mention that she was experiencing stirrings in heart to move onto a new occupation as well? Two days later she sent us her resume. We went through the process of interviewing several wonderful candidates but Lynne and I were in agreement that God’s fingerprints were on Bekah for this position. It was as if God had written it on the wall for us.

So we offered her the job on the second interview, and we’re absolutely elated that she accepted! Bekah starts in one week and I get the privilege of spending the month of July with her! I’ve spent the last couple weeks creating a training manual because I’m just that nerdy. I happen to like writing manuals. Plus I simply want to do all I can to help with the transition. I’m currently on Section Eight – don’t worry there are only ten sections total. It’s a good thing because July 5 is going to arrive before we know it! And that’s when the training begins!

So, yeah God! He is amazing indeed! The way this has all unfolded serves as a huge confirmation to me that yes, I’m on the right path. And I’m oh so excited for my friend, Bekah! The way this has unfolded for her is also confirmation that yes; she’s on the right path too. To get the story from her angle, start by reading this. She told her story in three posts though…so be sure to check out her Stirrings and Writing-on-Walls postings as well to get the full story.

Stay tuned – God story # 2 is soon to follow!

My "Go To" Party Recipes

Several of my friends have asked me to give them recipes I make for them often. I call them my “go to” recipes. So, today I’m posting a few of them for you all to enjoy! It also serves as an online recipe book for me – good news incase my cookbooks get lost in the shuffle of moving! Today I’m featuring my “go to” party recipes. More recipes to come in the future.

Fresh Salsa

1 Red pepper

1 Yellow pepper

1 can black beans

1 can corn

Cilantro (to taste)

3 tomatoes

¼ red onion

2 TBS EVOO

Lemon and/or lime juice to taste

Of course, you can vary the ingredients however you like. If you’re not a big fresh tomato fan, try a can of tomatoes. The original recipe actually called for a vinegar and oil combo. I don’t care much for vinegar so I used lemon/lime juice instead. Simply chop all of the veggies up and toss them in a bowl with the oil and lemon and/or lime juice. Serve with your favorite corn chips. This batch makes A LOT – so if you’re not making it for a party, you may want to cut it in half. Thanks to Bev Easterhaus for this recipe!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained, finely chopped

1 pkg. (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained

¾ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (fresh is best)

¾ cup mayonnaise

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

½ tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients until well blended. Bake 20 minutes or until heated through and cheeses are melted. Serve with Tostitos, blue chips, or crackers…your choice. You can double this recipe to fill a 13x9x2 pan. Thanks to Gail Pontius for this winner of an appetizer! *Special note – if you’re looking for easy – choose this recipe!

Homemade Pizza

1 TBS yeast

1 cup warm water

1TBS sugar

2 ½ cups flour

1 tsp salt

2 TBS vegetable oil

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Place yeast, sugar, and warm water in a bowl. Stir to dissolve the yeast. Add the remaining ingredients and stir vigorously for 20 strokes. Knead the dough with your hands (add flour as necessary) and cover with a towel to let the dough rise. When the dough has almost doubled in size, (about 30-45 minutes) punch it down and spread it on your pizza pan/stone. I prefer pizza stones because the dough seems to rise better on them. DO NOT put your pizza toppings on yet. Instead, bake the crust without the toppings for 5-7 minutes. Then add your favorite toppings and bake 15-20 minutes at 450 degrees. Thanks to my cousin, Debbie Sue, for this scrumptious recipe! It’s a unanimous favorite among my small group girls.

Holiday Fruit Punch

2 cups cranberry juice

1 cups pineapple juice

6 oz. can frozen lemonade

6 oz. can frozen orange juice

10 oz. package frozen raspberries

1 large lime, sliced

1 quart ginger ale

30 ice cubes

If you want to make the punch in advance, simply combine all except last two ingredients and place in sealed container in freezer. On the serving day, remove container from freezer and place frozen mixture in punch bowl. Add ginger ale and ice prior to serving. Otherwise, combine all the ingredients and serve immediately. I found this in a recipe book that specialized in making meals in advance. Unfortunately, I forget the title of the book! It’s the best punch recipe I’ve ever found though. And I make it on any special occasion – not just during the holidays.

So what are you waiting for? Go plan a party and eat up!