Mystery

Have you ever read a line in book that has changed you? At least for a season of life? 


Well, I recently did, and it compelled me to be more mysterious, which is why I am taking an indefinite hiatus from this blog. I hope you understand.


"We need more true mystery in our lives, Hem," he once told me. "The completely unambitious writer and the really good unpublished poem are the things we lack most at this time."
-A Moveable Feast, Hemingway 

Josh Made It, I Ate It: Buttermilk Chicken

image via Smitten Kitchen

This is an amazing chicken recipe. It comes out so moist and flavorful. We are having it tonight, yay!

Recipe here.

SEE The Salvation Of The Lord

And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will work for you today..."

-Exodus 14:13

The Exodus could have gone down so much easier then it did. Yet God choose to harden Pharaoh's heart over and over again. Why? Was it to make a better children's movie or felt board story? I think not. Then why?

Because His purpose was not only to save His people Israel, but to also show His people Israel He is Savior. If He were to liberate Israel from Egypt with out the plagues, Red Sea parting, etc. Israel would continue to be self-reliant and would not cultivate a heart of trust for their Lord. God wanted them to SEE their salvation and SEE that salvation was a part of who God is and what He is in the business doing. I would even argue (though I am no theologian) that having Israel identify and trust God as Savior was more prominent than their actual escape from Egypt, for Israel would be oppressed again (and indeed they would grow self-reliant once more) but God would never cease to be the Great Liberator.

I feel as if I can often be as Israel, more concerned with the desired outcome of a burdensome situation then with the Lord who IS Savior. The question is never will I be delivered, for I will and always have been. The question is, Do I trust in my deliverer who works for me today?

INSTALEX

My favorite shots of my Instagram career. Gonna try to post my faves weekly from here on out.

Josh Made It, I Ate It: The Softest Scramble

image viabonappetit

You may not think there is much of an art to scrambled eggs, but that's probably because you haven't tried this recipe yet. These eggs are so soft and so flavorful! They kinda resemble polenta and go down just as smooth!


Recipe here.

The Message Of Easter

The message of Easter, then, is neither that God once did a spectacular miracle but then decided not to do many others nor that there is a blissful life after death to look forward to. The message of Easter is that God's new world has been unveiled in Jesus Christ and that now you're invited to belong to it.
-N.T. Wright, Surprised By Hope

Inspired By The Outdoors

My ideal workspace.

viaapartmenttherapy

Sigh.

viahonestlywtf

Josh Made It, I Ate It: Tomatoes Provencal

This is a great side dish or appetizer, especially when you can get really flavorful heirloom tomatos! Essentially they are just baked tomatoes topped with this breadcrumb parmesan mixture. But the synergy between the heat of the oven, the sweetness of the tomatos, the toastiness of the breadcrumbs and nuttiness of the parmesan is brilliant! Did I mention it comes from the Tartine Bread cookbook. Oh, you know it's good!

Recipe here.

Sunday In The City

Spent some time at Crissy Field this past Sunday. Check it out.

It twas a beautiful Spring day.

Wink.

The UC Santa Cruz mascot made an appearance. 

Surfing the bay break, only in SF.

Can you guess where we went next?

Tartine to devour this beaut.

Till next Sunday then!

Hanging In there

You know those days where all you want to do is give up the fight, crawl up in a hole and completely self-indulge with tons of chocolate, shopping sprees, mindlessly good 90's movies and no thoughts or cares about others. I seem to be having a lot of those lately, but I refuse to give in! I wish this losing your life was a one and done decision.

Staring At Vacancy

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

-Genesis 50:20

Even after all the hardship Joseph has experienced in his life, he gives no weight to the evil but instead is focused on the good that God has brought out of the pain. God didn't cause Joseph's brothers to betray him and cast him off, but He did use the situation to show his providence and provision by using Joseph's situation to bring about what He had promised to Israel. God's plan assumes the existence of evil and works within in it. In fact, I won't make a wide sweeping statement, but in this case He depended on it's occurrence in order to carry out His plan.


Lord knows there will always be hardship in life. I may have experienced a bit more this year than usual, but I would be blind and stupid if I thought things would never get harder. I have wasted many months focusing on the pain and injustice of it all. Sure, I caught glimpses of how God was working through it, but I was too focused on the unfortunate situation to give proper admiration to what He was working out in and through me because of (not inspite of) it. 


My prayer today is that I might shift my focus from me to God so that I might have eyes to see the good things that have been there all along. So that I might see the beautiful thing He is making out of the dust instead of the vacant spot on the floor where the dust USED TO lie. For He does not put one thing to death and bring life to another, rather He resurrects and redeems the thing that was put to death. 


image viaAuntieP

Slow Motion Ballet

Isn't the human body amazing.

Josh Made It, I Ate It: The Perfect Roast Chicken

Image vianotquitenigella

This is hands down the best roast chicken I have ever had. Like Michelin Star good. It is so moist and bursting with flavor. You'd never know it only had 4 ingredients.

It is very important to get a small broiler chicken within the designated weight limit and I would highly recommend roasting it in a cast iron skillet. Enjoy! 

Recipe here.

MSGM Goodness

viabecauseimaddicted

Physicians Prayer

Saw this in my Doctor's office yesterday and really appreciated it...



Lord, Thou Great Physician, I kneel before Thee. Since every good and perfect gift must come from Thee:


I pray give skill to my hand, clear vision to my mind, kindness and sympathy to my heart. Give me singleness of purpose, strength to lift at least a part of the burden of my suffering fellow men, and a true realization of the rare privilege that is mine. Take from my heart all guile and worldliness, that with the simple faith of a child I may rely on Thee.


Amen

Soft Spot

What can I say, I have a soft spot for Kate Moss.

vianoteworthy

All Black Everything

viamanifesto

Great Gatsby Poster Released

I really, really, really can't wait.

Is This A Cute Ring? Oui!

viaetsy

Josh Made It, I Ate it: Tender & Crisp Chicken Legs With Sweet Tomatoes

Josh makes this dish all the time and it is one of my faves! The chicken practically falls off the bone when it is done cooking and the tomatoes and basil add such great flavor. FYI: We always opt for the cannellini bean option instead of the potatoes. Recipe here.

Recipe and photo courtesy of: A Cat In The Kitchen

Slippery Rocks

But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious...when I saw the prosperity of the wicked... But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.
-Psalm 73:2,28


I feel as if I have been crossing over a creek on  mossy rocks all year. It seemed as though this creek was shallow and narrow enough to cross easily, but the rocks I must use to do so are incredibly slippery making the journey slow and arduous. Every step is messy; my arms flail about as I try to catch my balance constantly. I have not fallen yet, but I feel as if it is only a matter of time until I am too tired to take the extra care that is needed to cross over this slippery grimy route safely. 


I see people skipping with ease over a nearby bridge that traverses this seemingly little creek; a bridge I never had access to. Great is the disdain I feel towards them. They don't even glance my way and if they do, by the time they have reached the other side they have forgotten about the girl struggling to find her steps on the grimy rocks. Why couldn't I have used the bridge? I ponder. I know it never was an option for me, but I can't help but be consumed by that question.


I look to the right, away from the bridge and am reminded that my Dad is there holding my hand. I had forgotten he was even there. And then I realize, my Father is in the creek with me, not on the bridge. To have had access to the bridge and have gone that route would mean the absence of my Father. In my heart of hearts I know I am right where I am supposed to be. 


I think back to the beginning of my journey over the creek and, to my surprise,  I recall time spent with Dad not my fumbling steps or near tumbles into the water. I realize that this time we've spent together crossing over these slippery rocks is invaluable to our relationship, but I can't help but feel I have had enough invaluable time and now that my legs are weary and my body is shaking I would kill for some solid ground. Though that's how I feel, and I don't understand why I haven't reached the other side yet, I decide to remain where I am because I trust that my Dad is no where close to leaving my side.


So I continue to fumble, walking slowly. Anxiously awaiting the moment when I reach the other side to rest my legs and tell everyone who used the bridge The Grand Tale of how my Father and I crossed the creek.

New Posting Category: Josh Made It, I Ate It

Introducing the newest category of posts on Sing To Me, Muse.... Josh Made It, I Ate It.


Basically they will be posts about the delicious recipes that Josh (my husband) has made and I have consumed.


Josh is an amazing cook and I love to eat and research recipes, so it should be a lot of fun. And I promise to only post the best.


Here is the first, and probably the most frequently cooked meal in the Waidley household....

Vegetarian Cassoulet

We always add sausage, because I firmly believe sausage makes everything better, but it is amazing by itself and is relatively cheap to make for the quantity it produces, which also makes it a great meal to cook for a lot of people. 

Picture and recipe courtesy of Smitten Kitchen.

Christianity And The Tooth Fairy

I have listened to this talk a few times now and find it informative, challenging and life giving.

Here is a brief description...

"Children believe in the tooth fairy until their reasoning capabilities mature and they recognize this belief is neither grounded nor relevant. Does belief in Jesus Christ require a suspension of logic? UCLA law professor Daniel Lowenstein interviews Oxford mathematician John Lennox with honest questions about Christianity and the grounds for faith. Followed by audience Q&A"

You have to sign up with The Veritas Forum to listen, but it's free! Might you give it a listen? Click here.

In Whatever I Do

And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.

-Genesis 39:23

Joseph had been thrown into a ditch by his brothers, sold as a slave to a foreign land, falsely accused of assaulting his masters wife and thrown in prison. Taken at face value, it would seem as if God was not with Joseph. In fact, it might even appear as if God was against him. Yet, throughout the story, it says God was with Joseph (39:2, 39:21) and that whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed. Whether that whatever was working as a slave or being in prison, with God Joseph was successful. 

God does not promise us favorable circumstances in our lives. In fact, Christ himself said that this world is hard. But in the hardness, in the pain and strife as well as the joy and lightness God promises to be with us.

The question is, should I choose to acknowledge Him there and seek Him out in the midst of it all. It would be a shame not to. For, as seen through Joseph's life, God helps us to succeed in those dark places; He just challenges our definition of success. And if we do seek Him out and let Him challenge how we see "success" He will bring about His will in and through us. More so than just His will for our life, He will use us to a greater extent in the Kingdom of God.

Lord, my prayer today is to seek you wherever I am in whatever I do.

Sunday In The City

This Sunday our dear friends Anna and Caleb were in town, visiting us before their big move to North Carolina. We are going to miss them tremendously, but we had a great weekend and Sunday In The City with them.

We started out the day with my kind of hike: 0.7 miles, mostly flat with beautiful views. See for yourself.... 

Caleb's pensive life changing moment.

I couldn't help but show off my Parkour moves.

Some steps on the way back to the car.

Next we drove over to Hayes Valley to sip on some coffee, gawk over adorable dogs and have lunch.

She almost made it on the roller coaster. Maybe next year.

We had some beer and bratwurst at Biergarten while talking exclusively in German accents to top things off.

We love you Anna and Caleb!