the one about my heart

I'm sorry I've been a terrible blogger lately. I have about 80 blog posts in my head, but just haven't had the time to catch up. Maybe I will over the two week break...in between family, cooking, cleaning, and catching up on my to-do list that's 100 pages long. Sigh.

So, I'm going to start back with the Deeper Still conference I went to Dec 3 and 4.

Wednesday night, Dec 1 I was at Worship + Study where Chad spent the night focusing on our role in the AIDS Pandenic, as Dec 1 is World AIDS Day. He shared several stories and videos with us, and had us pray throughout the night for different issues. During our last time of personal prayer he asked us to focus on what our role in the AIDS story is. At first I couldn't even pray because I was so frustrated. We had just seen a video about Living Hope. I was frustrated because I want to be on the front lines in Africa fighting AIDS and shepherding people to their Hope and Healer. Sometimes I just get so mad because it's not like I'm ignoring the problem here in all of my American oppulence; I desperately want to be among the sick and dying, but that is just not where God has me right now in life.
For one of the first times ever in my life, I told God I was frustrated. Normally I'm just head over heels in love with God and just rarely ever have a bad thing to say to Him, cause He's awesome. So being honest with God about my frustration with where I'm not was hard for me. I said all that was on my heart and felt silence. I was pretty ok with that; I trust that God hears me and I wasn't looking for any kind of immediate apology from Him or anything. But I told Him. I cried out and gave Him the hurt places in my heart.

Friday night Beth and I arrived a little late for the conference, as per our usual style. We got into our seats right as they were dimming the lights and the worship set was starting. I had been excited about the weekend because I'm a Beth Moore junkie, but I hadn't taken the first second to quiet and prepare my heart for a word from the Lord. He didn't need my preparation, He was ready.
Almost as soon as the music started, the Lord started ministering to my heart. He didn't answer a single question that I had raised on Wednesday night. He didn't provide any answers for where I'm not, but He gave me an overwhelming gratefulness for where I am. I started thinking about the ministry I have with college students right here in this city, and I was overcome with gratitude. My ministry is so full, so rich, so vital, and so alive. Why have I wasted time wanting for something else?

I thought I'd share with you some of the specific things (mainly girls) God called into my mind that I am grateful for:

-the girl who has turned her incredible loss and grief into an opportunity for spiritual growth and maturity, and who is so quick to minister to others. She challenges me.
-the girl who is being so relentlessly pursued by the redeeming love of God. I look into her life and I am reminded by how much our God loves us.
-the girl who is drowning in a pit of sin, but she is reaching her hands and her face up to her Savior, seeking rescue from herself. I am privledged to walk alongside her.
-the opportunity to teach the Word of God.
-the girl who has a sweet relationship with the Lord, and who is always hungry for more. I hope Chloe Belle grows up to be like her.
-the girl who I've seen change from a happy-go-lucky freshman to a junior who is serious about sharing the Gospel and making a difference in the lives of people around her.
-the Godly people I work with
-the opportunity to share the Gospel

I loved that moment that the Lord soothed my heart. I was reminded that thankfulness can radically change your heart. And I was overwhelmed at how absolutely incredible this place is in my life. It's a place of beauty, and I couldn't ask for more.

the one that's good enough to eat

We were supposed to have communion last Wednesday night at UMin. We didn't and so I have a huge loaf of french bread that's a couple of days old. I made bread pudding tonight. Paula Dean's bread pudding.

It was the best thing I've ever made, and maybe the best thing I've ever eaten.

Here's her recipe.

I made a few changes to the recipe. First, I suggest 4 cups of bread, not three. Mine came out a little runny with 3. I also added a tsp of butter pecan extract with the vanilla. I happen to think that butter pecan extract makes everything better.
I also omitted the pecans because I don't like them, and the brandy because I didn't have any.
Once I made the topping sauce, I poured it on and put the whole thing back in the oven, which was turned off, till we finished dinner. It made for a nice hot dish at the end.

Make it. I promise, its so good you'll pass out.

the one for world AIDS day...a day late

So sorry I didn't get to post yesterday on World AIDS Day. I certainly spent much time yesterday thinking and praying for AIDS. I read this excellent post that I feel sums up exactly how we should be feeling about AIDS each and every day.

read this amazing post.


give to Living Hope.

the one with my theme song

Each week at UMin Sunday School a college student gets things started by giving the small groups a fun question to ask. One week Katie Snider asked everyone to share what their theme song would be-you know, the song that would play loudly whenever you entered the room or did something really rad.

I felt like a loser because I couldn't think of my theme song. It made me feel old and so uncool. Then, over Thanksgiving I was rockin out in the car to my all time favorites: Queen. It all became so clear.

Here's my theme song. Fits me perfectly.



Leave a comment and tell me about your theme song.

the one with lots of goodies from Shutterfly

You know how the Keel family feels about photos. We love them. If we're friends on facebook, you know that Adam and I take about a zillion pictures of our little family. And while posting on the blog or facebook is fun, nothing can compare to the ultimate photo opp: the Christmas card. yay!!!

It's Christmas card season, which means I'm pumped each day to check my mail. I haven't gotten a Christmas card yet, but I know they're coming and I'm excited.

This will be our first Christmas card with precious Chloe Belle, and I simply can't wait. I'll be doing our Christmas cards this year with Shutterfly. I know I need to go ahead and order, but I can't decide on which one is the cutest! My top three choices are:
one
two
three

Which do you like best? I think I'll go with three because it gives me the option to write a bit, but how will I be able to only select two pictures of the beautiful Chloe Belle????

Shutterfly is perfect for holiday gifts. You can do cards, calendars (we're getting this one for Adam's dad for his office. good thing I know he doesn't read the blog, right? :), coffeemugs (which we're doing for CB's two great-grandads), and of course, their amazing photo books. We're doing a book of the lovely CB for each set of her grandparents. Couldn't be a better Christmas present in the world, if you ask me!

And, if you can believe it, right after the holidays will come Chloe's first birthday! Thinking of doing this Shutterfly invite for her little birthday blast!

I hope you're feeling inspired to go make a great photo Christmas card on Shutterfly. Just please remember to add me to your mailing list!!

the one where I'm thankful

Sorry to have been an absent blogger lately. If you are anything like me, you get really frustrated when bloggers are silent. I get so sad when I get on Google Reader and I have no friend blogs to read, only super-achiever mommy blogs that generally just make me feel bad about myself because of my lack of crafting/sewing/baking/organic-growing abilities.

I intend to make up for my silence with lots of fun blogs this week. I hope it makes your Google Reader happy.

For my first blog I wanted to write about things I'm thankful for, but after a rather unpleasant day, I'm feeling very cranky. I guess there's no better time to make a list of happies, right?

This Thanksgiving season, I'm happy for:
1. a husband I adore, and 9 days of no work to spend with him.
2. a daughter who is super pleasant, super happy, and super beautiful.
3. returning home from traveling and crawling into my perfectly comfortable huge bed.
4. a plate FULL of scrumptious food.
5. friends who invite you into their home to provide you with rest, encouragement, and good card games.
6. playing in the dirt.
7. the opportunity to pour into the lives of college girls.
8. how the Word brings life to my weary soul.
9. coffee with old friends.
10. in-laws who take care of my wee one.
11. the comfort of resting in Adam's arms.
12. hearing from friends that are far away.
13. trying out a new recipe and having it taste great.
14. the community of God's people.
15. the constant provision of the Lord.
16. contentment in Him.
17. when I catch Chloe Belle's eyes and she bursts into a huge smile.
18. funny blogs.
19. my job.
20. the confidence that if all my earthly blessings were to fall away, I'd still be overwhelmingly rich in my Lord.

the one wondering who you are

So, I've never looked at my blog stats before. I never wanted to know how many people were looking at my blog, I felt it would be detrimental to my already rather big struggle with pride; either deflating it or encouraging it.

But, I entered this contest thingie to get free Christmas cards if you promoted on your blog, and you had to put down how many people visited your site each month.

The thing about my stats that most intrigued me was the visitors from other countries. I have lots of friends around the world. I don't know if this makes me cool, cause mostly I think about how it makes me sad. On the list of countries that have people visiting my site, there are a few I totally got because I have friends living there:
Australia
Israel
Canada
Malaysia
UK
Oman

However, there were some random countries. I mean, the countries aren't random, I'm sure they're super legit places to be. It's just that I don't know anyone who lives there:
Vietnam
Denmark
Russia

I mean, why in the world would you look at this blog unless you knew me??? So...to my readers in Vietnam, Denmark, and Russia: who are you???