I think 90% of all the posts I read today or over the weekend was about Joe Paterno, abortion, or the election.  Sometimes, I’d like to read something different – that’s what I often turn to Abraham Piper for something out of the ordinary.

Our friends got engaged yesterday.  Sweet time.

I have had really nothing to blog about – that’s why its been quiet.  If you want to know what’s been on my mind: here you go:

Comfort

My husband – we spent a great weekend in the mountains only to have to return on Saturday night.  Why do vacations have to end?

Community

Obeying Scripture even when its hard

Burdens

My Mom

The future

And God has all of that taken care of.  I don’t need to stress about it. 

I finished a couple of library books this weekend, so thankful for the library for those books I want to speed read.  This week is full of meetings, group meetings, cooking, and hanging out with folks.  Sometimes though I just want to stay home and be comfortable!

These looked yummy for breakfast – and they are healthy.  Will maybe try them out.

Half way through the month of the first of 12 for 2012.  How are you doing so far on those New Years Resolutions?  I know the above picture makes you long for spring (or at least it makes me want to)!

I’ve been thinking about a TON recently, some of which I’ve made known some of which I haven’t.

I really like this blog, it allows me to connect with people with thoughts in my head, photos out of my camera, and food that gets cooked in my kitchen.  But, honestly, I’m a little TIRED of other forms of social media (true social media).  The one I leave out right now is Pinterest, because it works as a creative google reader for me.  I’m speaking mainly of two: Facebook and Twitter . FB: I’ve used it rather well – to stay connected with people, to know what they are doing, to build relationships that I would not have otherwise built, etc.  That has been good.  Twitter got opened later to basically be a voice for the blog and for companies and the curriculum I am writing.  one of those has got to go.  I think I know which one.  Here is why

FB: voyerism is becoming an American lifestyle.  I wake up and look at my phone.  We don’t have internet at the house, so I want to know whats going on in the world and I look at FB while I am still under the covers.  Why?  Is anything really that important?   Do I nreally need to consume my life with things that shouldn’t?  I want to be authentic at authentic community and FB walls and status updated don’t allow the freedom to do that without everyone stating their own opinion (which isn’t that the real reason you make your status that anyway? – Be honest!

I love email and text messages.  I love books.  I love blogs and face to face communication times.  I want to be known for ME, to be REALLY known, not just known by why I put on FB or twitter.

So, I think that is going to go.  Soon.

In other news:

Finishing Quarter 4 this week

Trying to be more intentional with my reading, setting timers: things like that.

Going to the mountains this weekend, very excited about that.

Did you know that you could get “shorts” at Starbucks – meaning a size smaller than the tall.  I love it!  Less calories, less full, less money!

I want authentic community.

What are you reading right now: Lit!, Walking in the Spirit, The Meaning of Marriage, Psalms, James, Glenn Miller & His Orchestra, Pure Style, Excellence – definitely a varied little stack right now. 

What does it take to be a true trend setter?  Not to be someone who just follows up and has opinions about what everyone else is talking about – but true ideas for themselves?  I’m not trying to ignore or think that it is not true that “there is nothing new under the sun” – but really, I think I had about 50 friends post a Jesus>Religion video and think that it was the greatest thing since sliced bread, then come back the next day and had about half as many friends post the links from Kevin DeYoung and others that talked about how that video wasn’t actually the right way to think (and they thought that video was great).  Where do true trendsetters come from?  How do we think creatively with the brains and hearts and passions that God has given EACH of us?

Here are some links:

Juicing benefits

Whole Grains – and I’m not talking about making lucky charms with the white check on the box meaning that its whole grain.  HA!  I would love to have the full health benefits from what I eat. 

I’ll maybe get back to really posting on Mondays – but not this week.  I thought better late than never.

This month is a little crazy (but so good, can’t wait), so I thought I’d give you a preview: engagement shoot with fun couple in Raleigh, husband getaway to Black Mountain, worship conference with said husband in Charlotte, finish quarter 4 of Treasuring Christ, prepare for a conference I’m speaking at the first wknd of February, write a journal article due the middle of February (must get it to my editor), starting eating and cooking with meat again (PTL – more on that later), have a birthday, date night with friends, start a book small group with others on Keller’s The Meaning of Marriage,  um…then normal life stuff! 

My year of vegetarianism is over officially today!  With few exceptions (honeymoon, hospitality passes, special holidays) I did stick with it.  I think I learned more about self-control then I thought I would.  Toward the end it was hard, a few times I snuck some bites of keilbasa (new years black eyed peas).  I can honestly tell you I can’t wait to be able to cook some of my fave dishes for my husband that he hasn’t been able to eat so far!  White chicken chili, chicken korma, meatball subs, sweet and spicy cashew chicken, kung pao chicken, roasted chicken, chicken salad – can you tell I’ve missed chicken!  I wont’ go back to eating all meat – but I’ll eat it more than I did last year!

The cookbook I’ve decided on for this year – is Whole Grain Baking by King Author Flour.  Hubs and I do well with whole grains – as we all should – so I look forward to trying new techniques and recipes.  I’ll also be working my way through the recipes I’ve torn out of mags over the recent years.  See if there are any keepers or not.

The college football season didn’t end too excitingly last night – from what I hear – I mean it was a repeat game with similar playing.  Oh, well.  Didn’t have too much time to watch football this past fall anyway.

Are you a clutter bug?  I can be, so I’m taking her on – I did one earlier. 

That’s really all I got this week.  Have a great one! 

I know, I know, links only come on Monday, right?  Wrong.  Not when I’m so far behind.  So I’m doing a special Much and Link Love on Thursday – and yes, there will be one on Monday next week!

1.  My husband did a great job planning my birthday yesterday.  Birthdays are always important to me – to celebrate the life you have been given by a gracious God – and to celebrate others.  He took the day off and had a great day all planned for us.  There is no better way I would want to spend ANY day then to be with my husband.

2.  And today…its a blah day.  I don’t know why.  Maybe be the cold, the weight, the 35 sinking in, hormones.  But, I got up, had a great QT with the hubs, healthy breakfast.

3.  I hate it when you have money to spend and can’t find any way to spend it.  I’ve been looking for a purse, flats, or a jacket to buy with some birthday money and can’t seem to find anything that fits the bill.

4.  What free kindle books are you loading?  I’m looking for some.

5.  We saw Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol yesterday.  So good.  I don’t think there was a single cussword in it (maybe one) and no sex in it or make out scenes (just two dresses that didn’t fit the modest bill).  Just action.  It was great!  It had to be the most intense movie I have seen.  My poor husband’s hand.

6.  We also rented UnKnown with Liam Neeson.  Still not very much language and definitely one that keeps you interested to the very end and one you don’t even know if you understood it all by the time it got done.

7.  I can either…stay the way I am, or change.  Only I can make that call.

Links:

In what ways can you go green in 2012 and help your family to eat healthy?

Do you make any food resolutions?  I am: make one new meal a week (a new recipe).  Disclaimer: not if I am gone on vacation for the whole week.

How do you deal with failures? 

E and I are a part of a small group that is starting this book in two weeks.  And I can’t wait to hear them live on this subject in June at The Gospel Coalition!

My friend David (a pastor, scholar, husband, and father) gives you pointers on how to get the most out of your Bible reading

I just started a study on the psalms.  My friend, Liz, writes a great post on the first psalm.

My friend Nick, helper with Treasuring Christ, and now on staff at CapBap in DC offered his top books of 2011.  I just ordered the one on writing.  Desperately need to improve that this year!

Its National Oatmeal month – here are some good recipes for you to try.  I think we’ll do steel cut tomorrow at the campbell house

Well, there went another year.  Definitely the year that brought the most change to my personal life.  Its been an exciting and challenging ride!

1.  Accepted an invitation to a Super Bowl party

2.  Met a guy.  Liked said guy.  Prayed about said guy.

3.  Started hanging out with said guy.

4.  Long story (well, not so long, really), married said guy. 

5.  E has been the biggest blessing EVER in my life and I look forward to many more year-ends and year-beginnings with him.  E: you are a great gift to me. 

6.  The curriculum continued to bless others and we got great word of how it is going to be used in the future to bless thousands of missionaries around the world: can’t wait to tell you more.

7.  Started going to a new church and am being challenged weekly by the preaching. 

8.  Read about 35 of the 50 I wanted to read.  But, hey, I got married.

9.  Gained only about 5 lbs – didn’t lose like I wanted to – but hey, I got married.

10.  Took more pictures.

11.  Traveled to Alaska, KY, TN, TX, VA, Canada, MA, ME, PA, RI, DC, NYC, FL.

12.  My grandmother died in March.  Sad time.

13.  Football became less of an importance in my life: but hey, I got married.

So, maybe I didn’t accomplish everything I set out to do in 2011, but I did a lot more than I ever expected to in 2011.  So, sometimes plan change.  The Lord directs the steps.

Tomorrow: what’s coming in 2012!  Can’t wait for this post!

(Picture credit: Erica Soley Cooper

I love how kind and gracious God is in teaching me exactly what I need to hear.  It may take someone else pointing it out for me to come to realizations in my own life: but God’s Spirit is gracious and teaches me kindly and repeatedly. 

What are the functional saviors in your life?  I think, even if you aren’t familiar with that term, you know what I mean.  I mean the things or people you look to to be your all, your god, your rest, your peace, your foundation, your everything.  No one in this life is created to be your everything.  Only God is that.  Nothing in this life deserves the top place in your affection or time; only God gets that spot.  In case you need some help pin pointing what those are (or what I’m talking about), here are some examples:

Your Spouse

Your weight

Your children

How you raise your children

The sins you DON’T struggle with like everyone else does.

How perfect your home is

How many pinterest things you get this week

How many followers or friends you have

Your job

Your church ministries

Your popularity

How well your kids are doing in school

Your wardrobe

Your husband’s job or skill set

How good your cooking is

How do you determine what your functional god is?  What are the things that get you upset during the day or you find yourself focusing on all day long.  I know my functional saviors and have spent the last 20 hours or so repenting of those and thinking what life will look like when those aren’t my functional savior.

We are given a perfect functional Savior.  He came over 2000 years ago and was born in a dirty stall.  His entrance was not grand or what is should have been for a King, but God made it that way.  He gave us His Son.  Immanuel: God with us.  He is everything we need.  All our hopes and longings and dreams and security must be found in Him

As you celebrate this Christmas: rest in the grace and peace that is Jesus Christ, God with us, Immanuel.  Merry Christmas from the Campbell couple to you.

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” – Galatians 4:4-6a