Several years ago, The Preacher had the opportunity to visit good friends in Spain. Of all the things he shared with me after returning home from the trip, THIS delicious breakfast from the Catalan region of Spain was the first. Paired with a cup of cafe con leche, pan con tomate offers a bit of comfort for the ol’ wanderlust that still beats in this heart.

Pan Con Tomate (Crusty Bread with Tomato)

1 loaf of rustic bread
fresh tomatoes, pureed
fresh cloves of garlic, peeled
olive oil
salt and pepper

Slice the rustic bread to fit your toaster. (You can also use a broiler, toaster oven, or even a grill.)

Rub a clove of garlic over the crusty toasted bread.

Drizzle bread with a bit of olive oil.

Spread a spoonful of pureed fresh tomatoes on top of your bread. Sprinkle freshly cracked pepper and salt to taste.

Deliciós!

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So, onto a lighter subject: How to get beautiful curls in the morning after sleeping with your hair in a sock. Yes, I know you’ve been dying to know.

I discovered this little video tutorial through Pinterest:

Sock Bun Curls No Heat

I’m too lazy to take pics of each step when you can watch the video, but here’s the basic idea:

…roll you ponytail up in the donut…get some rest…and wake up with this:

No heat. No pain. No cost. Lots of curls.

Later in the day, I got snazzied up in my Chinese Mandarin dress to be a guest speaker on China for all the little Kindergarteners at our school.

No, I’m not demonstrating Jazz Hands…that’s me teaching them how to count to 10 in Mandarin.

Curls lasted all day! Try it out, and let me know if they work for you!!

10 years ago we welcomed the first of our five children. 7 years ago we planted our beloved church. 4 years ago we started a school. And this year–this year, our family is about to undergo a major change. The Preacher has been the head of all three of these passionate pursuits–dad, pastor, headmaster–three of the most challenging pursuits we’ve ever known. Outside the home, these two ministries we love have been the most precious endeavors of our married life together. We have felt such a privilege to be a part of both, and yet; it has become clear that, after 4 years of trying to do both ministries, one must be released, and one must be pursued.

The Preacher shared two Sundays ago that he will be resigning as teaching pastor of our church, and will be going on full-time as headmaster of our school. It may sound like a mere career change to some; but for us, it has been a heart-wrenching decision.

There’s something about starting anything from scratch. It is not unlike bringing a child into the world or sowing seeds in a freshly-tilled garden…it is your baby. You are willing to sacrifice endless hours and energy to see it thrive. You think nothing of the heartaches and the challenges along the way because you believe in what you are doing. You long to see the fruit of your labor.

Our hearts have been knitted to the families for a very long time…that’s the way church should be.

We have loved, lost, and labored with and for these…we would have it no other way.

The Word has been preached, lived out, poured out, and shared over endless meals and conversations on our couch…there is no greater joy than relationships.

My husband has been an amazing pastor to me…I will miss his preaching and exhortation dearly. 

Change does not mean the reversal of any of it…but it makes stepping forward that much harder.

Change is an ending, but also a beginning. Change is a release of one dream to grasp another. Change is becoming. Present progressive: progressing, but in transition.

Why is change so difficult, and why is it so hard to discern? I think the answer is simply this: we are creatures of comfort, of security, of expectations, and of control. We like change on our time, under our circumstances. But God, in his graciousness, rarely calls us to change in such a way. No, our loving Father beckons us to follow when we feel the most scared, think it most costly, reckon it most impossible. And if we trust him and follow in faith, he never ceases to amaze us with how marvelously he orchestrates all things, hold all things together, works all things for good, prepares all things for his glory. He is the Lord, after all.

Our family is in the present progressive right now. We are in the transition of closing one chapter and opening another. We covet your prayers as we move from one ministry to another.

It’s the same calling — of proclaiming the Word, of training hearts, of shepherding families, of teaching minds, of being the forerunner — just a different garden to tend. So in case you are wondering, The Preacher will remain The Preacher.

Thank you for letting me share my heart and our story. It is a privilege to be here every day, forming words and thoughts from the shadow of the Cross.

Welcome to Grace Laced Mondays! Grace is found in the everyday when you are intentional about taking note of it.

It is found in the sink full of dishes awaiting you after a family meal, it shines in the faces of your imperfect children, it soothes from the pages of God’s Word, and it is tucked into the enjoyment of a fresh batch of cookies. Grace is in a beautiful moment and a heartbreaking one alike. Grace is blessing beyond what you and I deserve.

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So many details, so much to do, so little time. That’s how many of us feel…perhaps even today. Christian, from ModObject At Home, gave us a glimpse of how God provided for her need last week:

“God tenderly and graciously provides while comforting my overwhelmed heart.”

Thanks for linking up, Christian. No amount of life’s overwhelming can squelch the Lord’s comforting.

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Today he is

crawling…straight to the backdoor every chance he gets,

climbing…all the way upstairs by himself,

munching…chicken nuggets and bean and cheese burritos,

giggling…hysterically at his brothers’ antics,

fascinated…with the toilet and the dishwasher,

growling…to show hearty approval and excitement,

waiting…eagerly for bathtime,

loving…his family.

Happy 9 months, Precious. You are more than we ever hoped for, more than we deserve.

Dutch Baby with Bacon Maple Syrup
(adapted from a recipe found in a recent William Sonoma catalogue)

1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for dusting
3 eggs
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla
4 Tbs. butter
4 slices of bacon, diced
1 cup maple syrup

Put a 10 or 11″ stainless steel (or any ovenproof saute pan) in a cold oven. Preheat oven to 475F.

Make whipped cream by whisking together cream and 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Beat until soft peaks are formed. Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a blender, combine eggs, flour, milk and vanilla. Blend on high for 30 seconds or until frothy. When oven is to temperature, put butter into hot skillet. Return skillet to the oven until butter melts and is brown (2-3 minutes.) Carefully pour batter into hot skillet and bake until dutch baby is risen and browned on sides (about 18 minutes.)

While dutch baby is baking, fry up diced bacon until crisp and browned. Combine drained bacon pieces with maple syrup in a small saucepan. Simmer lightly for a minute. Keep warm until ready to use.

Remove skillet from oven and let cool slightly. Cut dutch baby into wedges and dust with powdered sugar. Serve with bacon maple syrup and whipped cream.

…to reupholster an old chair…

…under glass on my coffee table…

…appliqued onto a World Market pillow…

A little of your favorite fabric can go a long way. What are the little things you are doing around the house to create something special?

(If you are local, visit one of my sponsor, Hip Stitch fabric store and sewing lounge, for lovely fabrics from your favorite designers.)

Welcome to Grace Laced Mondays! Grace is found in the everyday when you are intentional about taking note of it.

It is found in the sink full of dishes awaiting you after a family meal, it shines in the faces of your imperfect children, it soothes from the pages of God’s Word, and it is tucked into the enjoyment of a fresh batch of cookies. Grace is in a beautiful moment and a heartbreaking one alike. Grace is blessing beyond what you and I deserve.

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Anyone can find grace in comfortable circumstances. But grace is the most tangible, valued, and welcomed when we are most aware of our need in the midst of difficulties. Jennie from Big Wide Porch shared about the challenges of doing the hard things in life, and finding grace in the midst of them in last week’s post:

“I’m feeling desperate, doubting myself and my resolve to do this. And yet, I know that healing takes time and is usually painful in some way. Moving through the difficulty and into a place of receiving grace is always worthwhile.
I can certainly say that about the marathon, childbirth, and parenting.”

Amen, Jennie…the hardest things in life are most often the most worthwhile. Thanks for sharing and linking up!

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And so it is when you give a gift like that yourself. It is love poured into each and every stitch, each and every crochet. It is thinking about the person you are making it for with every turn of the hand, each quickening of the fingers…until the last stitch is complete, thinking continually of the joy it will be to gift the blessing.

This year for Christmas I chose the most challenging pattern a novice like me could handle, and determined to complete it as a labor of love for my mother-in-law. A lovely shawl for a lovely lady. Blue is her favorite color, and pineapples are a symbol of hospitality. A perfect pattern for a woman who’s taught me so much about being hospitable.

This shawl was adapted from this lovely pineapple shawl pattern by Stitch Nation.

Have a wonderful weekend friends! See you on Grace Laced Mondays!

Here are some from a recent session.