P.S.

I know that you read my blog.

How about some comments to prove it?

Hmm? =)

My Amazon Bounty

Today was Black Friday. In my world, that means "buy books for steep discounts on Amazon.com". Well, I did just that. Here's my purchases as of today! Yippeee!

Auden is one of my favorite poets - ever. I just

love his style and poetic graces. He's also a wonderful

literary critic, if you're in the market for that kind of stuff.

I'm also taking a 20th century poetry class next quarter,

where we'll get to look at his stuff in depth. Exciting!

This book is written by one of my favorite professors ever, Dr. Deutsch.

She's going to be my faculty mentor on my undergraduate thesis

where I'll be writing about (surprise!) Dr. Johnson. I'm

so excited about this opportunity to work with her and

to learn from her. She's just awesome.

Nothing strikes fear into the heart of an English major like preparing

for the literature subject test GRE. It's one of those tests that's

not designed to be mastered, but survived. Basically, I'm responsible

for the whole scope of British/American Literature. So,

I'm trying to get an early start.

Yikes.

I love Virginia Woolf's fiction.

I love reading famous diaries.

Awesome.

I've fallen in love with Pessoa's easy, relaxed, and open style of writing.

His poems read like music. Since I love his poetry, I'm hoping

the same will be with this book, published post-humously.

There you have it folks! My Black Friday deals!

Thanksgiving

I don't want to be cliché about the holiday of Thanksgiving. In the United States, this day revolves around family, friends, and food. But for the Christian, there is so much more wrapped up in a day that calls us to remember and to have grateful hearts.

It's an easy thing, to go around the table and say what we "are thankful for". But the one thing that I'm really thankful for, I can't even put into words. I'm thankful for my salvation.

I'm thankful that the Lord, seeing my wicked and dark heart, loved me first. I'm thankful that Christ came to this earth, lived a sinless life, and died in my place. I'm thankful for the promise that I have because Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice. I'm thankful that death doesn't have any power over my life or future. I'm thankful that Christ has built his church, and continues to do so today.

These. These are the things that this holiday comes to mind. While of course I am so thankful for family and friends, I encourage you to look at your spiritual state. If you are a believer, you have so much reason for celebration and joy. If you are an unbeliever, you can have this overflowing joy, a joy that isn't contingent on people or things. This peace is only found through one source - Christ Jesus.

Sometimes, the things that we're the most thankful for are the most difficult things to even describe or comprehend.

Finals and Papers and Quizzes, oh my!

Well, it's that time of the year again...

Finals.

It's the time that strikes fear/panic/doubt/crazy into the heart of any undergraduate or graduate student. It's also a time to nail down any loose ends during the quarter. That being said, my blog updates are going to be a wee bit scarce until they're all over.

I have a myriad of things that need to be accomplished: including a 20 page term paper, 15 page final, French grammar final, completion of French TA application... That's the short list. Please join me in prayer as I set forth with these tasks, knowing full well that my only source of real strength comes from Christ Jesus.

As much as I feel overwhelmed and nervous about the days/work ahead of me, I find comfort in the fact that my Heavenly Father has my future in His hands. My life truly is hid in Christ and that is one of the most bolstering encouragements to my weary heart. Praise the Lord for the gift of education, but it definitely is a gift worth working for. Please pray that the Lord would give me a diligent, worker's heart - that I may serve Him with my talents and abilities. No knowledge or wisdom originates from me, I am a mere reflection of the Maker's hands.

So with that thought...

I'm off to study!

See you guys soon!

I hope...

Hello

...just a song to make you guys smile.

Enjoy!

Martin Solveig Feat. Dragonette - "Hello"

Dreaming of: Kathmandu

I've decided to dedicate this post to a place where I very much want to visit someday: Kathmandu, Nepal. I've always dreamed of visiting this city due to the gorgeous surroundings and unique Nepalese culture. To be honest, a big draw is because it is so different than any other city in the world. There's so many colors, smells, peoples, religions, etc. It's like a big mixture of old and new, east and west. So, enjoy the beautiful pictures of the vibrant city.

Hopefully, I can someday share my own pictures of this gorgeous place!

Music

Lately, this song has been really encouraging to my heart.

Click on the link and take a listen, if you have a moment to spare.

I'm also posting a little bit of the lyrics too. I don't know about

you, but Relient K lyrics have been really sweet and soothing to

my soul during my heavy school/life days. If you don't know

anything about the band, I suggest that you check out their

website. But, I really love their acoustic stuff. It's great.

And their lyrics are pretty thought provoking.

Anyway, click the link that I provided and

take a listen!

Relient K - "Up and Up" (Acoustic Version)

Yesterday was not quite what it could've been,
as were most of all the days before.
But I swear today, with every breath I'm breathing in,
I'll be trying to make it so much more

'Cause it seems I get so hung up on the history of what's gone wrong
that the hope of a new day is sometimes hard to see.
But I'm finally catching on to it, yeah, the past is just a conduit
and the life there at the end is where I'll be.

'Cause I'm on the up and up, I'm on the up and up.
And I haven't given up, given up on what I know I'm capable of.
Yeah, I'm on the up and up and yeah, there's nothing left to prove
'Cause I'm just trying to be a better version of me for you,
a better version of me for you.

Just One Of Those Days...

Every once in a while, I have these kind of days.

Days where I feel weary, weak, defeated. Life

almost seems to exhausting and I just want to

pull the covers over my head and camp out for a

day or so.

And it's not because I'm inherently sad or worried

about anything specific, it's because I realize that

it's almost too much for me. I come to the conclusion

that I am not strong enough. It is then, every time, that

I hear a small voice in my head say,

"My strength is sufficient for you, Jessica. I am enough."

And you know what? The Lord is, indeed, sufficient.

He is bigger than my papers, my family, my relationships,

my test grades, my hopes and fears for the future.

He is enough.

I came across this quotation today when I was going

through my blog-roll, like usual. It's so wonderful

the way that the Lord encourages his loved ones.

It really really is.

"The All-sufficient is sufficient for my largest want…
let us, then, fall back upon our God and His grace.
If he does not remove our grief
He will enable us to bear it…
It is better for us to have God’s strength than our own."

- Spurgeon

And you know what? Spurgeon's right. I rarely find that I am discouraged

without joy or hope in the gospel. That is where my strength comes

from. Knowing Christ's sacrifice for my soul has given me strength.

And that's enough, believe me.

Easiest Thing Ever

Guys, this is too good not to share.

As I mentioned in my last post, my life is

a wee bit hectic right now. Papers, classes,

applications, blah blah blah...

Naturally, my time is of the essence. And I

find that the first thing to go when I get busy

is nutrition. As in, I don't cook healthy meals or

I eat out.

However, I have found a solution.

Say hello to my newest friend, the

steamer bag!

Basically, put your meat/veggies

inside, seal it up, put it in the microwave and

presto... dinner is served!

Today, for example, I was able to steam two

chicken breasts in 6 minutes. I then added a

hearty helping of guacamole on top for a quick

and nutritious lunch. Easy, right?

For an busy college kid on a budget, this is a

life saver! Thanks Ziploc!

Season of Chaos

Yup. That's what I'm calling this quarter.

Now, mind you, it's academic chaos. So, that

means that it's productive and a wonderful

learning experience. But it still remains...

Chaos.

As of now, I'm working on a 15 page midterm

which is due on Wednesday, along with a group

presentation for my French class. After that, I'll

begin writing my 20 page "thesis" for my Shakespeare

seminar, as well as another 15 page take-home final.

Add in my application to my French teaching program,

as well as my French language class, and you have a

pretty accurate view of the end of my quarter.

So far, being diligent is paying off. I'm pacing my assignments

to make me less crazy. For example, I'm 1/3 finished with my

midterm. It's all about little chunks, right?

Anyway, pray for strength. I'm tired and all I want to do is go

rock climbing and cook. But I guess that's what Christmas

break is for, right? I have 32 days to complete this on.

My motivation: possibly seeing K and R in KY, family,

and Disney. (Future highlights for my break)

But for now... it's game time.

Bring it, UCLA!

I'm feeling feisty! =)

Butternut Squash Soup!

So... I ended up making some butternut squash soup from scratch today. When my parents visited last weekend, they bought me a butternut squash (random, I know) and I decided to make good use out of it. After searching extensively over the internets for a recipe that I liked, this one caught my eye. It's from the Food Network, by their very own Alton Brown. You can find the original here.

If you know me at all, you'll know that I tweaked the recipe a little bit, not too bad. Instead of baking the squash in the rind, I peeled it, seeded, and chopped it up before I baked it in the oven. Also, no butter was used. I just put a table spoon or two of olive oil in a pyrex baking dish and made sure all the chunks were evenly coated. Also, because I didn't have an immersion blender, I dropped it all in the blender before it even touched the stove. Easy, right?

And the best part is... this is a crowd pleaser. All, and I mean ALL, of my roomies loved this. One even asked for the recipe when Thanksgiving rolls around. So, we have a hit on our hands. I think it's because the ginger and honey add a unique and interesting flavor profile to the soup. It's not overpowering, but definitely puts a spin on the traditionally sweet soup. I loved its uniqueness! But, it's really not too out there... trust me. Again, it's super easy to make and worth every second of your prep! Enjoy!

Alton's Butternut Squash Soup

• 6 cups (about 2 large squash) seeded 2-inch wide chunks butternut squash
• Melted butter, for brushing
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus 1 teaspoon
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 4 ounces (1/2 cup) heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Brush the flesh of the squash with a little butter and season with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper. On a sheet pan lay the squash flesh side up. Roast for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the flesh is nice and soft.

Scoop the flesh from the skin into a pot and add the stock, honey, and ginger. Bring to a simmer and puree using a stick blender. Stir in the heavy cream and return to a low simmer. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Les Haricorts Verts

Well, I thought I'd post an easy easy

French recipe that's practically fool-proof

and totally delicious. It's called

"Les Haricots Verts" - which means

"Green Beans".

Ingredients:

- Raw green beans, enough for 1-2 people. Like

two large handfuls. Washed and trimmed.

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

- 1/2 or 1 shallot, finely minced. I like

a little more "onion-y" taste, so I added

the whole shallot.

-Salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation:

Add the shallot, olive oil, vinegar, and dijon in a

small bowl. Whisk well to combine. Add salt and pepper,

if desired.

Steam the green beans, either in a microwave or

on the stove. I used the microwave because it was

super easy. Just put them in a ziploc bag and either

cut a corner off to let steam out or don't close it all

the way. I just nuked 'em for about 3 1/2 minutes.

Once the green beans are done, add the "dressing" and

mix until all the beans are coated evenly.

Salt and pepper them, if desired.

Serve hot!

And... voilà! C'est Les Haricots Verts!

Weepies

...new Weepies music.

I'm a big fan, that should be clear

by now. There's something about

Deb Talan's lyrics... something that

I really gravitate towards. They're

almost like poetry.

But hey,

isn't that what lyrics are anyway?

(Or what they are supposed to be?)

Anyway, enjoy this video!